Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flood hazard reduction by mangroves

Although mangrove forests have proven to contribute to wave dissipation significantly, these ecosystem are threatened mainly by the expanding aquaculture. International or nationwide applied greenbelt policies are often used for the preservation of the mangroves and hence the flood hazard reduction, without taking local (hydrodynamic) conditions into account. Therefore this research developed insights in the mangrove forests' effect on waves and their contribution to flood hazard reduction as function of forest width. This is done by setting up a globally applicable tool for determining the governing storm wave and water level conditions at the seaward edge of the mangrove forest and the wave attenuation in the forest itself. In contrary to greenbelt policies, the developed method enables the option to locally review on required mangrove forest widths. The application of the wave transformation model SWAN-2D with offshore global wave data from ERA-Interim significantly increased the prediction accuracy of nearshore wave conditions compared to the direct use of ERA-Interim. This holds mainly for the sheltered and shallow locations like embayments, estuaries and behind barrier islands, in which mangroves are located. For less sheltered and deep conditions, no improvement of the ERA-Interim data with the additional use of SWAN was observed. The attenuation in the forest depends on the highly varying physical characteristics of dimensions of the mangrove trees. The large variabilities were included in several vegetation sets, prior to their implementation into a 1D stationary XBeach model. From a comparison with wave height measurements, three characteristic mangrove species were selected. By combining these species, typical coastal interspecific patterns were composed, representing a young dense and an old sparse forest. In addition, bathymetric and hydrodynamic conditions, which are common for mangrove forests, were imposed to the model. It appeared that a 100 m dense forest is potentially able to dissipate waves to acceptable levels, while sparser forests might need 450-900 m. The model also indicated that the effect of landward deforestation on a sloped profile results in a higher wave exposure for the area behind a forest than seaward erosion, although it does not take the effect of breaking and uprooting of trees into account. The method to determine the required forest and evaluate on maintained greenbelt policies was tested on three case study locations, which differ in hydrodynamic conditions and forest characteristics. The policies appeared to result in different levels of hazard for the hinterland, underlining the great uncertainty of acceptable mangrove buffer zones for coastal zone management. The application of global (open source) data, SWAN-2D and XBeach-1D provides the set-up of a (quick) hazard assessment tool. The inclusion of local conditions improved the prediction ability compared to the conservative use of greenbelt policies.
Association between prepartum body condition score and prepartum and postpartum dry matter intake and energy balance in multiparous Holstein cows.

The objectives of this retrospective observational study were to investigate the association between body condition score (BCS) at 21 d before calving with prepartum and postpartum dry matter intake (DMI), energy balance (EB), and milk yield. Data from 427 multigravid cows from 11 different experiments conducted at the University of Florida were used. Cows were classified according to their BCS at 21 d before calving as FAT (BCS ≥4.00; n = 83), MOD (BCS 3.25 to 3.75; n = 287), and THIN (BCS ≤3.00; n = 57). Daily DMI from -21 to -1 and from +1 to +28 DIM was individually recorded. Energy balance was calculated as the difference between net energy for lactation consumed and required. Dry matter intake in FAT cows was lesser than in MOD and THIN cows both prepartum (FAT = 9.97 ± 0.21, MOD = 11.15 ± 0.14, THIN = 11.92 ± 0.22 kg/d) and postpartum (FAT = 14.35 ± 0.49, MOD = 15.47 ± 0.38, THIN = 16.09 ± 0.47 kg/d). Dry matter intake was also lesser for MOD cows compared with THIN cows prepartum, but not postpartum. Energy balance in FAT cows was lesser than in MOD and THIN cows both prepartum (FAT = -4.16 ± 0.61, MOD = -1.20 ± 0.56, THIN = 0.88 ± 0.62 Mcal/d) and postpartum (FAT = -12.77 ± 0.50, MOD = -10.13 ± 0.29, THIN = -6.14 ± 0.51 Mcal/d). Energy balance was also lesser for MOD cows compared with THIN cows both prepartum and postpartum. There was a quadratic association between BCS at 21 d before calving and milk yield. Increasing BCS from 2.5 to 3.5 was associated with an increase in daily milk yield of 6.0 kg and 28 d cumulative milk of 147 kg. Increasing BCS from 3.5 to 4.5 was associated with a decrease in daily milk yield of 4.4 kg and 28 d cumulative milk of 116 kg. In summary, a moderated BCS at 21 d before calving was associated with intermediate DMI and EB pre- and postpartum but greater milk yield compared with thinner and fatter cows. Our findings indicate that a moderated BCS is ideal for ensuring a successful lactation.
Spatiotemporal control of pattern formation during somitogenesis

Spatiotemporal patterns widely occur in biological, chemical, and physical systems. Particularly, embryonic development displays a diverse gamut of repetitive patterns established in many tissues and organs. Branching treelike structures in lungs, kidneys, livers, pancreases, and mammary glands as well as digits and bones in appendages, teeth, and palates are just a few examples. A fascinating instance of repetitive patterning is the sequential segmentation of the primary body axis, which is conserved in all vertebrates and many arthropods and annelids. In these species, the body axis elongates at the posterior end of the embryo containing an unsegmented tissue. Meanwhile, segments sequentially bud off from the anterior end of the unsegmented tissue, laying down an exquisite repetitive pattern and creating a segmented body plan. In vertebrates, the paraxial mesoderm is sequentially divided into somites. In this review, we will discuss the most prominent models, the most puzzling experimental data, and outstanding questions in vertebrate somite segmentation.
Effect of distance education courses held in different environments on emotions of the instructor

In this study, the emotional states of the instructors who teach by distance education and the effect of the environment in which they give the lesson on their emotions were examined. Computer-aided "Facial Action Coding System" method was used to measure emotion values from facial images. Through the software developed by the researchers using the Microsoft Face Recognition API, 43292 facial images taken from five trainers during their training were analysed and seven basic emotions representing facial expressions were obtained numerically. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the emotions of the instructors that can be described as negative in the lessons held in the e-studio environment generally increased at the beginning of the lesson, decreased in the following minutes and increased again at the end of the lesson; On the other hand, it was determined that positive emotions decreased at the beginning of the lesson and increased later. In the home environment, while the emotions that can be described as negative at the beginning decreased, positive emotions increased. A significant difference was determined between home and e-studio environment in all emotions except anger. One of the emotions with a difference in value between the two environments is happiness, and it has been determined that happiness has higher values in the home environment. It has been determined that other emotions are experienced more in the e-studio environment. It is thought that the results of the study will contribute to the mental states of the instructors who teach through distance education and to the efficiency of distance education.
Species identification of ivory and bone museum objects using minimally invasive proteomics

Ivory is a highly prized material in many cultures since it can be carved into intricate designs and have a highly polished surface. Due to its popularity, the animals from which ivory can be sourced are under threat of extinction. Identification of ivory species is not only important for CITES compliance, it can also provide information about the context in which a work was created. Here, we have developed a minimally invasive workflow to remove minimal amounts of material from precious objects and, using high-resolution mass spectrometry–based proteomics, identified the taxonomy of ivory and bone objects from The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection dating from as early as 4000 B.C. We built a proteomic database of underrepresented species based on exemplars from the American Museum of Natural History, and proposed alternative data analysis workflows for samples containing inconsistently preserved organic material. This application demonstrates extensive ivory species identification using proteomics to unlock sequence uncertainties, e.g., Leu/Ile discrimination.
Computed tomography or chest X‐ray to assess pulmonary congestion in dyspnoeic patients with acute heart failure

Abstract Aims While computed tomography (CT) is widely acknowledged as superior to chest radiographs for acute diagnostics, its efficacy in diagnosing acute heart failure (AHF) remains unexplored. This prospective study included consecutive patients with dyspnoea undergoing simultaneous low‐dose chest CT (LDCT) and chest radiographs. Here, we aimed to determine if LDCT is superior to chest radiographs to confirm pulmonary congestion in dyspnoeic patients with suspected AHF. Methods and results An observational, prospective study, including dyspnoeic patients from the emergency department. All patients underwent concurrent clinical examination, laboratory tests, echocardiogram, chest radiographs, and LDCT. The primary efficacy measure to compare the two radiological methods was conditional odds ratio (cOR). The primary outcome was adjudicated AHF, ascertained by comprehensive expert consensus. The secondary outcome, echo‐bnp AHF, was an objective AHF diagnosis based on echocardiographic cardiac dysfunction, elevated cardiac filling pressure, loop diuretic administration, and NT‐pro brain natriuretic peptide > 300 pg/mL. Of 228 dyspnoeic patients, 64 patients (28%) had adjudicated AHF, and 79 patients (35%) had echo‐bnp AHF. Patients with AHF were older (78 years vs. 73 years), had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (36% vs. 55%), had higher elevated left ventricular filling pressures (98% vs. 18%), and had higher NT‐pro brain natriuretic peptide levels (3628 pg/mL vs. 470 pg/mL). The odds to diagnose adjudicated AHF and echo‐bnp AHF were up to four times greater using LDCT (cOR: 3.89 [2.15, 7.06] and cOR: 2.52 [1.45, 4.38], respectively). For each radiologic sign of pulmonary congestion, the LDCT provided superior or equivalent results as the chest radiographs, and the interrater agreement was higher using LDCT (kappa 0.88 [95% CI: 0.81, 0.95] vs. 0.73 [95% CI: 0.63, 0.82]). As first‐line imaging modality, LDCT will find one additional adjudicated AHF in 12.5 patients and prevent one false‐positive in 20 patients. Similar results were demonstrated for echo‐bnp AHF. Conclusions In consecutive dyspnoeic patients admitted to the emergency department, LDCT is significantly better than chest radiographs in detecting pulmonary congestion.
Estimating forest standing biomass in savanna woodlands as an indicator of forest productivity using the new generation WorldView-2 sensor

Abstract Accurate and up-to-date information on forest dendrometric traits, such as above ground biomass is important in understanding the contribution of terrestrial ecosystems to the regulation of atmsopheric carbon, especially in the face of global environmental change. Besides, dendrometric traits information is critical in assessing the healthy and the spatial planning of fragile ecosystems, such as the savanna dry forests. The aim of this work was to test whether red-edge spectral data derived from WorldView-2 multispectral imagery improve biomass estimation in savanna dry forests. The results of this study have shown that biomass estimation using all Worldview-2 raw spectral bands without the red-edge band yielded low estimation accuracies (R2 of 0.67 and a RMSE-CV of 2.2 t ha−1) when compared to when the red-edge band was included as a co-variate (R2 of 0.73 and a RMSE-CV of 2.04 t ha−1). Also, similar results were obseved when all WorldView-2 vegetation indices (without the red-edge computed ones), producing slightly low accuracies (R2 of about 0.67 and a RMSE-CV of 2.20 t ha−1), when compared to those obtained using all indices and RE-computed indices(R2 of 0.76 and a RMSE-CV of 1.88 t ha−1). Overall, the findings of this work have demontrated the potential and importance of strategically positioned bands, such as the red-edge band in the optimal estimation of indigeonus forest biomass. These results underscores the need to shift towards embracing sensors with unique and strategeically positioned bands, such as the forthcoming Sentinel 2 MSI and HysPIRI which have a global footprint.
The assessment of emotion reactivity: The Italian validation of the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale-Short Form (PERS-S).

Emotion reactivity refers to the activation, intensity and duration of emotional responses to internal or external stimuli. It can be differentiated from emotion regulation since the former is the very first response to an emotional trigger, and the latter can be defined as a tool for maintaining one's arousal in a window of tolerance. Since, to date, there are no Italian self-report measures able to evaluate individuals' emotional reactivity, this study aimed to contribute to the Italian validation of the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale-Short Form (PERS-S). The PERS-S is an 18-item self-report measure answered on a 5-point Likert scale that generates six subscale scores and two composite scores, with higher scores indicating higher levels of reactivity. Data from 768 individuals showed that the PERS-S had good to excellent goodness of fit. The internal consistency was high, with an overall reliability coefficient (Cronbach's α) of . 87 and . 86 for the negative and positive general scales, respectively. The PERS-S also demonstrated appropriate convergent validity, showing significant correlations with conceptually related measures, and acceptable divergent validity, showing minimal correlations with unrelated constructs. Finally, we evaluated the Test-Retest Reliability by administering the PERS-S to the same sample twice, with a 2-week interval. The significant correlations between the two PERS-S administrations suggest temporal stability. The Italian version of the PERS-S will enrich the repertoire of self-report measures for investigating the development and risk factors of mental health disorders and may have practical applications in clinical settings.
Particle Swarm Optimization-Based Power and Temperature Control Scheme for Grid-Connected DFIG-Based Dish-Stirling Solar-Thermal System

Variable-speed operation of a dish-Stirling (DS) concentrated solar-thermal power generating system can achieve higher energy conversion efficiency compared to the conventional fixed-speed operation system. However, tuning of the controllers for the existing control schemes is cumbersome due to the presence of a large number of control parameters. This paper proposes a new control system design approach for the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based DS system to achieve maximum power point tracking and constant receiver temperature regulation. Based on a developed thermo-electro-pneumatic model, a coordinated torque and mean pressure control scheme is proposed. Through steady-state analysis, the optimal torque is calculated using the measured insolation and it serves as the tracking reference for direct torque control of the DFIG. To minimize the tracking error due to temperature variation and the compressor loss of the hydrogen supply system, four optimal control parameters are determined using particle swarm optimization (PSO). Model-order reduction and the process of the pre-examination of system stability are incorporated into the PSO algorithm, and it effectively reduces the search effort for the best solution to achieve maximum power point tracking and maintain the temperature around the set-point. The results from computational simulations are presented to show the efficacy of the proposed scheme in supplying the grid system with smoothened maximum power generation as the solar irradiance varies.
A Narrative Review of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: What a Clinician Should Know

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is an uncommon complication of antiresorptive therapy (ART) in patients receiving higher and more frequent doses of osteoclast inhibitors. The jaws are the most common site, as they have high bone turnover. The oral structures are exposed to various types of stresses, like mastication and dental diseases, which lead to microtrauma and increased bone remodeling. The hallmark feature of MRONJ is the area of exposed, necrotic, nonhealing, asymptomatic bone for more than eight weeks. Objective signs are pain in the jaw and oral cavity, loose teeth, gingival swelling, ulceration, soft tissue infection, and paresthesia in the trigeminal nerve branches' territory. Clinically, the MRONJ has been defined in four stages, from stage 0 to stage 3. Close coordination between the dentist and oncologist is critical for optimal treatment. Conservative management should be preferred over surgical management. There is significant underreporting and misdiagnosis of MRONJ cases in regular clinical practice. There needs to be more awareness among treating physicians about this sporadic complication of bisphosphonate therapy. This narrative review has given a detailed insight into the subject, starting with etiology, pathogenesis, incidence, clinical presentation, workup, staging, and various management strategies. The review article focuses mainly on practical aspects of MRONJ, which every clinician dealing with the disease must know. With a better awareness of this potential complication, healthcare practitioners dealing with at-risk patients can better diagnose, prevent, address, and provide necessary care.
Cachexia Prevalence in a Population of Moroccan Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: To assess body composition in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to healthy controls, to calculate the prevalence of rheumatoid Cachexia (RC), and to identify the associated factors. Methods: We conducted a case-control study on 112 female patients with RA according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for RA; and 224 age-matched healthy women. Body composition (BC) and bone mineral density (BMD) scans were obtained using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). RC was defined by a fat-free mass index (FFMI) below the 10th percentile and a fat mass index (FMI) above the 25th percentile compared with the control group. We conducted a comparison between RA patients and healthy controls then a multiple regression analysis was conducted where the dependant variable is the presence of RC. Results: RC prevalence was 42.85% while the mean body mass index (BMI) was the same in both groups. RA patients had a higher FM and lower FFM comparing to healthy controls. In our population, 78.60% of patients were on methotrexate and 12.50% on anti TNF therapy. Comparison between patients with and without RC showed that patients with RC have a higher proportion of erosive arthritis and of active disease. Regression logistic analysis showed that RC was significantly associated to erosive arthritis and active disease (OR at 33.31 (8.42-131.70) and 8.98 (1.64-49.20) respectively), independently of age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, disease duration, steroid cumulative dose and biologic Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs(bDMARDs) use. Conclusion: Our study showed that almost half of our RA patients have RC, even with a high BMI.
Identiﬁcation and characterization of a critical loop for the high activity of alginate lyase VaAly2 from the PL7_5 subfamily

As the major component in the cell wall of brown algae, alginates are degradable by alginate lyases via β -elimination. Alginate lyases can be categorized into various polysaccharide lyase (PL) families, and PL7 family alginate lyases are the largest group and can be divided into six subfamilies. However, the major difference among different PL7 subfamilies is not fully understood. In this work, a marine alginate lyase, VaAly2, from Vibrio alginolyticus ATCC 17749 belonging to the PL7_5 subfamily was identiﬁed and characterized. It displayed comparatively high alginolytic activities toward different alginate substrates and functions as a bifunctional lyase. Molecular docking and biochemical analysis suggested that VaAly2 not only contains a key catalyzing motif (HQY) conserved in the PL7 family but also exhibits some speciﬁc characters limited in the PL7_5 subfamily members, such as the key residues and a long loop1 structure around the active center. Our work provides insight into a loop structure around the center site which plays an important role in the activity and substrate binding of alginate lyases belonging to the PL7_5 subfamily.
Financial Incentives for Joint Storage Planning and Operation in Energy and Regulation Markets

We analyze two market mechanisms for energy storage investment and operation: first, socially optimal storage investment with centralized operation, second, profit-maximizing storage investment with deregulated operation. For mechanism i), under which a social planner centrally optimizes storage investment and operation (in both energy and regulation markets), we prove that the revenue collected from storage operation exactly covers the investment and operation cost at a social optimum. For mechanism ii), where a profit maximizing firm strategically determines the siting and sizing of batteries, we evaluate two financial incentive mechanisms that encourage energy storage investment by offering a tax credit based on the installed storage capacity and the amount of energy delivered from the storage, respectively. When the storage capital cost is mid-range, these two policies are shown to achieve higher installed storage capacity and lower social cost compared to the case without such incentives. When the capital cost is high, however, these two policies can lead to over-investment and higher social cost.
GLOBAL WELL-POSEDNESS

In this work, we deal with the global well-posedness and stability of the linear and 7 nonlinear Korteweg-de Vries equations on a ﬁnite star-shaped network by acting with saturated 8 controls. We obtain the global well-posedness by using the Kato smoothing property for the linear 9 case and then using some estimates and a ﬁxed point argument we deal with the nonlinear system. 10 Finally, we obtain the exponential stability using two di ↵ erent kinds of saturation by proving an 11 observability inequality via a contradiction argument. 12