Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics for Increased Grape Juice Metabolite Coverage

The composition of the juice from grape berries is at the basis of the definition of technological ripeness before harvest, historically evaluated from global sugar and acid contents. If many studies have contributed to the identification of other primary and secondary metabolites in whole berries, deepening knowledge about the chemical composition of the sole flesh of grape berries (i.e., without considering skins and seeds) at harvest is of primary interest when studying the enological potential of widespread grape varieties producing high-added-value wines. Here, we used non-targeted DI-FT-ICR-MS and RP-UHPLC-Q-ToF-MS analyses to explore the extent of metabolite coverage of up to 290 grape juices from four Vitis vinifera grape varieties, namely Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Meunier, and Aligoté, sampled at harvest from 91 vineyards in Europe and Argentina, over three successive vintages. SPE pretreatment of samples led to the identification of more than 4500 detected C,H,O,N,S-containing elemental compositions, likely associated with tens of thousands of distinct metabolites. We further revealed that a major part of this chemical diversity appears to be common to the different juices, as exemplified by Pinot noir and Chardonnay samples. However, it was possible to build significant models for the discrimination of Chardonnay from Pinot noir grape juices, and of Chardonnay from Aligoté grape juices, regardless of the geographical origin or the vintage. Therefore, this metabolomic approach opens access to a remarkable holistic molecular description of the instantaneous composition of such a biological matrix, which is the result of complex interplays among environmental, biochemical, and vine growing practices.
Sunflower (Heliánthus ánnuus) Yield and Yield Components for Various Agricultural Practices (Sowing Date, Seeding Rate, Fertilization) for Steppe and Dry Steppe Growing Conditions

The dynamics of the productivity of the sunflower hybrid “Baiterek 17” were studied for rainfed conditions of the steppe and dry steppe zones of Kazakhstan for two fertilizer levels (without fertilizers and with the application of a nitrogen-phosphorous fertilizer), two sowing dates, and three seeding rates. The growing season duration varied among zones and was affected by sowing dates. An increase in duration (3–5 days) was observed for the early sowing date and fertilized treatments, regardless of the zone. Increasing the seeding rate for all treatments by sowing date and fertilizer application reduced the duration of the growing season by 3–6 days. The fertilizer application did not affect the formation of seedlings in the study areas. In the dry steppe zone, from 2.5 to 4.8 plants/m2 were formed before harvesting, with an increase in the number of plants at the high seeding rate (57,000 seeds/ha). In the steppe zone, the same pattern was preserved: from 3.5 to 4.9 plants/m2 at a seeding rate of 65 thousand seeds/ha. The maximum diameter and weight of the flower head were found for the early sowing date and fertilized treatments at a low seeding rate, with a strong effect on the yield for both the steppe and dry steppe zones in 2022. On average, for both years, the highest yield for the dry steppe zone was obtained for the sowing date of 15 May and at a seeding rate of 57,000 seeds/ha, while for the steppe zone, the highest yield was obtained for the 10 May planting date and at a sowing rate of 65,000 seeds/ha. Improving plant nutrition and increasing the plant density up to a seeding rate of 65,000 seeds/ha for the early sowing dates (10 May) increased the plasticity in the steppe zone. For the dry steppe zone, the plasticity of the hybrid decreased, but the highest plasticity was also obtained for an earlier sowing date (15 May) and at a seeding rate of 57,000 seeds/ha crop. The study shows that the hybrid “Baiterek 17” has a high ecological plasticity under changing environmental conditions and, with an increase in moisture availability, it requires intensive agricultural practices (fertilization, increased seeding rate, and early sowing dates) to obtain a high yield.
Estimating fin whale distribution from ambient noise spectra using Bayesian inversion

Passive acoustic monitoring is increasingly used to study the distribution and migration of marine mammals. Marine mammal vocalizations are transient sounds, but the combined sound energy of a population continuously repeating a vocalization, adds up to a quasi-continuous chorus. Marine mammal choruses can be identified as peaks in ocean ambient noise spectra. In the North Atlantic, the fin whale chorus is commonly observed as peak at 20 Hz. This thesis proposes a method to estimate the distribution of vocalizing fin whales based on a set of fin whale chorus recordings. This is an extremely under-determined inverse problem. The method is based on Bayesian inverse theory and uses simulated annealing to estimate the most likely distribution of sound sources (vocalizing whales) on a geodesic grid. This includes calculating a transmission loss matrix connecting all grid nodes and recorders, using an arbitrary sound propagation model. Two models were successfully implemented: geometrical spreading and the ray trace model BELLHOP. The inversion method was tested under different scenarios. The results indicated that an imprecise transmission loss matrix is tolerated by the inversion method. The accuracy of the method depended mainly on the number and distribution of recorders. For the Norwegian sea, simulations showed that fin whale chorus inversion is possible using as few as 12 recorders between Iceland and Svalbard. An inversion based on data from published fin whale chorus observations indicated realistic winter distribution patterns. Existing methods to study marine mammal distribution are often confined to the summer months and a limited area. Future application of the proposed method admits automatic year-round monitoring of marine mammal distribution on a basin-wide scale.
Analysis of Anxiety, Depression and Fear of Progression at 12 Months Post-Cytoreductive Surgery in the SOCQER-2 (Surgery in Ovarian Cancer—Quality of Life Evaluation Research) Prospective, International, Multicentre Study

Simple Summary Anxiety, depression and fear of cancer progression are common psychological challenges faced by women with ovarian cancer. It can affect a person’s well-being, treatment compliance and quality of life. In this study, we assessed how often and how severe these concerns are 12 months after surgical treatment and if there is any association with surgical, patient and tumour factors. A total of 141 patients with advanced ovarian cancer who did not have disease progression at 12 months post-surgery completed two questionnaires. We found that a significant proportion of patients undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer experience anxiety, depression and fear of progression. It was not possible to identify a group of patients who are more affected by anxiety, depression or fear of progression. It is essential for healthcare providers to be attentive to the emotional needs of all ovarian cancer patients and provide appropriate support to help them cope with these psychological concerns effectively. Abstract Patients with ovarian cancer (OC) often experience anxiety, depression and fear of progression (FOP); however, it is unclear whether surgical complexity has a role to play. We investigated the prevalence of anxiety, depression and FOP at 12 months post-cytoreductive surgery and investigated associations with surgical complexity, patient (age, ethnicity, performance status, BMI) and tumour (stage, disease load) factors. One hundred and forty-one patients with FIGO Stage III–IV OC, who did not have disease progression at 12 months post-surgery, completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and FOP short-form questionnaire. Patients underwent surgery with low (40.4%), intermediate (31.2%) and high (28.4%) surgical complexity scores. At 12 months post-surgery, 99 of 141 (70%) patients with advanced OC undergoing surgery experienced clinically significant anxiety, 21 of 141 (14.9%) patients experienced moderate to severe depression and 37 of 140 (26.4%) experienced dysfunctional FOP. No associations were identified between the three different surgical complexity groups with regards to anxiety, depression or FOP scores. Unsurprisingly, given the natural history of the disease, most patients with OC suffer from anxiety, depression and fear of progression after completion of first-line cancer treatment. Surgical complexity at the time of surgery is not associated with a deleterious impact on anxiety, depression or FOP for patients with OC. Patients with OC experience a profound mental health impact and should be offered mental health support throughout their cancer journey.
Apical foramen position in relation to proximal root surfaces of the premolar teeth in Kurdistan region of Iraq: A retrospective CBCT assessment

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to determine the location of the apical foramen (AF) in relation to the root surfaces of human permanent premolar teeth in the population of Iraqi Kurdistan using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. Methods: CBCT images from 103 patients from the Iraqi Kurdistan region were evaluated. Multiplanar images were captured to check the position of the AF in relation to the root canal surfaces of premolars. The data were analyzed using Fisher’s, Chi-square, and t-tests. Results: The most common AF location of all premolars was central, followed by distal and then mesial, except for the mandibular right second premolar where central and mesial were the most prevalent. The mean distance between the AF and anatomic apex on the right side of all the first premolars was 0.6205 mm. That of the second premolars was 0.6205 mm in males and 0.5854 mm in females. There was no significant difference between both sides and genders. Conclusion: In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the most common location for the apical foramina of all premolar teeth is central AF, followed by the distal location. A minimum 1 mm of distance from the anatomic apex in mandibular premolars could be appropriate for root canal therapy.
Swelling properties of expansive rock in Middle Route Project of South-to-North Water Diversion

The swelling deformation properties of expansive rock during moisture absorption are studied by means of the expansion ratio tests.Through the swelling force tests,the influential factors are analyzed,and several empirical formula are deduced.According to the expansion ratio tests,the expansive rock has a positive linear correlation with its dry density,and negative linear correlation with its initial water content.The swelling force tests indicate that the general swelling force increases with the dry density and decreases with the initial water content.Moreover,the boundary constraint has significant impact on the general swelling force,and slight increase of expansion strain will cause dramatic decrease of the general swelling force.
Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad

There is scarce information available about how peasants recognize Agave landraces. This study aims to identify the agave species and landraces used for “pulque” production and analyze their morphological variability in a Nahua community, San Pedro Tlacuapan (SPT), Tlaxcala, Mexico. To this end, we used traditional knowledge and conventional statistical methods. Semi-structured interviews were administered; from these, the frequency of mentions, lexical marking, and perception about each landrace were evaluated. A total of 36 morphological vegetative characters were measured in the main landraces, and ordination analyses (PCA) were performed. SPT is home to 8 landraces of Agave americana and Agave salmiana subsp. salmiana. “Manso” was the most frequently mentioned landrace, and 5 qualitative characters used by local experts to identify landraces were observed. One morphological cluster was associated with each landrace analyzed, and the variables characterizing them are rosette size, leaf shape, number of leaves, and tooth shape. The information about agave diversity from local experts can be integrated into measurements of morphological diversity through conventional statistical methods.
Functional diversity and composition of Caatinga woody flora are negatively impacted by chronic anthropogenic disturbance

Tropical plant assemblages can be taxonomically and phylogenetically impoverished by chronic anthropogenic disturbance (CAD), such as firewood collection and extensive grazing. However, to what extent the functional dimension responds to CAD is still unclear. Such knowledge is urgently required for predicting, preventing or even reversing the impacts of CAD. Chronic anthropogenic disturbance may operate as an ecological filter by selecting functional trait values (e.g. low wood density), thereby altering the functional composition and diversity of plant assemblages. We tested this hypothesis using 29 woody plant assemblages across three ontogenetic stages (seedlings, saplings and adults) in a 220‐km2 landscape of the Caatinga, northeast Brazil. We adopted a CAD index consisting of four indicators (proximity to urban centre and houses and the density of both people and livestock) and tested how well it explained the functional diversity and effect sizes (richness, evenness and dispersion) and composition (community‐weighted mean). Chronic anthropogenic disturbance affected several functional metrics across the three ontogenetic stages. However, CAD effects were stronger in adult communities by negatively affecting functional richness, dispersion and their effect sizes. CAD also altered the functional composition of leaf mass per area, woody density and leaf area of adult assemblages. Sapling communities were affected in terms of functional composition (leaf area, leaf dry matter and wood density), with positive and negative effects, while seedling assemblages responded positively to CAD only in terms of functional evenness and its effect size. Some changes in functional metrics were influenced by dominant Euphorbiaceae species across ontogenetic stages, especially in terms of leaf area and woody density. Synthesis. Chronic anthropogenic disturbance is an important driver of plant‐community functional organization across ontogenetic stages in the Caatinga. Adult assemblages are particularly sensitive and tend to lose functional niche space and support more acquisitive rather than conservative strategies as chronic anthropogenic disturbance increases. The proliferation of Euphorbiaceae disturbance‐adapted species can explain part of the community responses to chronic anthropogenic disturbance. Our findings highlight the ecological effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance and show that it is a key influence on tropical biotas. Changes in plant functional traits associated with plant resource use are likely to affect ecosystem functioning and services provided by Caatinga.
Predictors of treatment switching in the Big Multiple Sclerosis Data Network

Background Treatment switching is a common challenge and opportunity in real-world clinical practice. Increasing diversity in disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) has generated interest in the identification of reliable and robust predictors of treatment switching across different countries, DMTs, and time periods. Objective The objective of this retrospective, observational study was to identify independent predictors of treatment switching in a population of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients in the Big Multiple Sclerosis Data Network of national clinical registries, including the Italian MS registry, the OFSEP of France, the Danish MS registry, the Swedish national MS registry, and the international MSBase Registry. Methods In this cohort study, we merged information on 269,822 treatment episodes in 110,326 patients from 1997 to 2018 from five clinical registries. Patients were included in the final pooled analysis set if they had initiated at least one DMT during the relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) stage. Patients not diagnosed with RRMS or RRMS patients not initiating DMT therapy during the RRMS phase were excluded from the analysis. The primary study outcome was treatment switching. A multilevel mixed-effects shared frailty time-to-event model was used to identify independent predictors of treatment switching. The contributing MS registry was included in the pooled analysis as a random effect. Results Every one-point increase in the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score at treatment start was associated with 1.08 times the rate of subsequent switching, adjusting for age, sex, and calendar year (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.08; 95% CI 1.07–1.08). Women were associated with 1.11 times the rate of switching relative to men (95% CI 1.08–1.14), whilst older age was also associated with an increased rate of treatment switching. DMTs started between 2007 and 2012 were associated with 2.48 times the rate of switching relative to DMTs that began between 1996 and 2006 (aHR 2.48; 95% CI 2.48–2.56). DMTs started from 2013 onwards were more likely to switch relative to the earlier treatment epoch (aHR 8.09; 95% CI 7.79–8.41; reference = 1996–2006). Conclusion Switching between DMTs is associated with female sex, age, and disability at baseline and has increased in frequency considerably in recent years as more treatment options have become available. Consideration of a patient's individual risk and tolerance profile needs to be taken into account when selecting the most appropriate switch therapy from an expanding array of treatment choices.
Alpine springs under pressure? : assessing the environmental drivers of species assemblages

The objective of this thesis is to shed light on the previously under-investigated natural alpine spring ecotones of Central Switzerland. The study focuses on investigating macroinvertebrate assemblages at different altitudinal levels in order to determine if macroinvertebrate assemblages in alpine springs differ along an altitudinal gradient. If there was a certain pattern in the macroinvertebrate assemblages, the study also aims to determine the relevant driving environmental factors and gain a better understanding of how the interaction of these factors influence macroinvertebrate assemblages. As environmental conditions, especially in alpine regions, change rapidly due to global warming, this study’s goal is to contribute new knowledge to detecting possible climate-induced changes of macroinvertebrate assemblages in alpine springs.
ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF DIOSPYROS FERREA (WILLD) BAKH. IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

and Jaﬀe [19]. Serum AST and ALT levels also estimated through Reitman and Frankel [20] method. Liver glycogen was estimated by using anthrone reagent [21,22]. Liver endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as Catalase [23] reduced Glutathione [24] and Lipid peroxidation [25] were estimated. Statistical Analysis : All the values are expressed as Mean ± S.E. M. The data was analyzed for ANOVA and post hoc Dennett's t- test. The results were considered statistically signi�cant when <0.05. The statistical analysis was carried out using Graph pad instat 3.0 software. The present study was designated to evaluate the antidiabetic activity of Diospyros ferrea methanolic leaf extract in Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats for 21 days. The leaf extract at high dose (400 mg/kg) exhibited signi�cant anti hyperglycemic activity than leaf extract at low dose (200 mg/kg) in diabetic rats. The leaf extracts showed bene�cial eﬀect on parameters like blood glucose, serum lipid pro�le, serum protein, serum urea, uric acid, creatinine, Glycosylated hemoglobin, liver glycogen, Liver antioxidant enzymes and Serum AST and ALT levels. ABSTRACT
Design of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Coils With Optimized Stimulation Depth

This work presents a framework to develop optimal coils of arbitrary geometry for deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS). It has been based on a continuous current density inverse boundary element method (IBEM) to generate dTMS coils with depth control and minimum power dissipation. Novel coil geometries that readily adapted to human head have been studied to provide focal stimulation in areas on both prefrontal cortex and right temporal lobe. The designed dTMS coils performance has been numerically validated in a realistic human head model and prototypes have been built for experimental evaluation. The numerical simulations indicate that the proposed dTMS coils focally stimulate the prescribed brain regions with the desired target depth. The calculated metrics demonstrate that the presented designs outperform existing dTMS coils (the stimulation depth can be increased more than 15% compared to conventional dTMS coils with similar focality). Stream function IBEM can be used to develop novel dTMS coils with improved properties for a wide range of geometries. The proposed design method opens up a possibility for exploring new coil solutions based on complex shapes to focally deliver a desired stimulation dose to relatively deep brain targets, which might allow novel and more effective brain stimulation protocols.
Cognitive CAMSA: an ecological proposal to integrate cognitive performance into motor competence assessment

Purpose To profile the participants using a system of self-organizing maps (SOM) based on their motor and cognitive performance during a dual-task version of the Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment (Cognitive CAMSA). Methods A total of 169 secondary school students (39.3% girls) volunteered to participate. The original CAMSA, cognitive CAMSA, the Corsi and Digit Span tests were used to assess (a) motor competence, (b) motor competence with cognitive load, and (c) cognitive performance, respectively. SOMs and the k-means clustering algorithm were used to establish the adolescents’ dual-task performance profiles. Results Including decision making based on verbal and visual cues in the original CAMSA significantly increased the participants’ total scores but also the time required to complete the test, while the skill score remained unchanged. However, not all the participants showed changes in their performance in the same direction during the cognitive CAMSA. Person-centered analyses by SOMs and k-means clustering identified six performance profiles with variations in the cognitive, motor skill, and time scores (H5 = 146.15, H5 = 102.68, and H5 = 108.07, respectively; all p < 0.01). Conclusion The cognitive CAMSA was shown to be a feasible field-motor test for assessing motor competence with a cognitive load in an ecological setting. Some of the profiles identified in the SOM approach represented adolescents with similar motor and cognitive performance in dual-task or single-task contexts, although other participants obtained high motor competence in single and dual-tasking while their cognitive performance declined or rose more in dual-task than in single task situations. The cognitive CAMSA emerges as a tool of great potential, applicable in educational and sports environments, to know subjects’ characteristics and try to individualize the interventions accordingly with their dual-task profile.