Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Poster: An Embedded Sensor Network for Measuring Hydrometeorological Variability within an Alpine Valley

Conditions of glacier recession in the seasonally dry tropical Peruvian Andes motivate research to better constrain the hydrological balance in alpine valleys. Studies suggest that glacial mass balance in the outer tropics of the Andes is particularly sensitive to variations between the dry and wet season humidity flux. In this context, we introduce a novel embedded network of low-cost, discrete temperature microloggers and an automatic weather station installed in the Llanganuco valley of the Cordillera Blanca. This paper presents data for distinct dry and wet periods sampled from a full annual cycle (2004-2005) and reports on modeled estimations of evapotranspiration (ET). The transect of temperature sensors ranging from about 3500 to 4700 m revealed seasonally characteristic diurnal fluctuations in up-valley lapse rates that promote up-slope warm air convection that will affect the energy balance of the glacier tongue. Nocturnal rainfall dominated the wet season. Strong solar forcing dominated during both dry and wet periods, but extreme seasonal variations in soil water content and cooler wet season near-surface air temperature suggests the importance of considering the process of ET. Estimates of potential ET using the widely applied Penman-Monteith FAO model suggest nearly twice as much for the dry period, and we attribute this primarily to the five times higher dry period vapor pressure deficit. We ran a process-based water balance model, BROOK90, to estimate actual ET, which was nearly 100 times greater for the wet season. These results reinforce the importance of diurnal cloud cover variability in regulating ET in the Peruvian Andes.
Longitudinal Changes in Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number and Telomere Length in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathophysiology includes mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and aging as its biggest risk factors. Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) and telomere length (TL) are biological aging markers with inconclusive results regarding their association with PD. A case–control study was used to measure TL and mtDNA-CN using qPCR in PBMCs. PD patients were naive at baseline (T0) and followed-up at one (T1) and two (T2) years after the dopaminergic treatment (DRT). Plasmatic cytokines were determined by ELISA in all participants, along with clinical parameters of patients at T0. While TL was shorter in patients vs. controls at all time points evaluated (p < 0.01), mtDNA-CN showed no differences. An increase in mtDNA-CN and TL was observed in treated patients vs. naive ones (p < 0.001). Our statistical model analyzed both aging markers with covariates, showing a strong correlation between them (r = 0.57, p < 0.01), and IL-17A levels positively correlating with mtDNA-CN only in untreated patients (r = 0.45, p < 0.05). TL and mtDNA-CN could be useful markers for monitoring inflammation progression or treatment response in PD. DRT might modulate TL and mtDNA-CN, reflecting a compensatory mechanism to counteract mitochondrial dysfunction in PD, but this needs further investigation.
Earth observation (EO)-based ex post assessment of internally displaced person (IDP) camp evolution and population dynamics in Zam Zam, Darfur

During humanitarian crises, when population figures are often urgently required but very difficult to obtain, remote sensing is able to provide evidence of both present and past population numbers. This research, conducted on QuickBird time-series imagery of the Zam Zam internally displaced person (IDP) camp in Northern Darfur, investigates automated analysis of the camp's evolution between 2002 and 2008, including delineation of the camp's outlines and inner structure, employment of rule-based extraction for two categories of dwelling units and derivation of population estimates for the time of image capture. Reference figures for dwelling occupancy were obtained from estimates made by aid agencies. Although validation of such ‘on-demand’ census techniques is still continuing, the benefits of a fast, efficient and objective information source are obvious. Spatial, as well thematic, accuracy was, in this instance, assessed against visual interpretation of eight 200 m × 200 m grid cells and accuracy statistics calculated. Total user's and producer's accuracy rates ranged from 71.6% up to 94.9%. While achieving promising results with respect to accuracy, transferability and usability, the remaining limitations of automated population estimation in dynamic crisis situations will provide a stimulus for future research.
Patient Preference Trade-offs for Next-Generation Kidney Replacement Therapies

Visual Abstract Background Next-generation implantable and wearable KRTs may revolutionize the lives of patients undergoing dialysis by providing more frequent and/or prolonged therapy along with greater mobility compared with in-center hemodialysis. Medical device innovators would benefit from patient input to inform product design and development. Our objective was to determine key risk/benefit considerations for patients with kidney failure and test how these trade-offs could drive patient treatment choices. Methods We developed a choice-based conjoint discrete choice instrument and surveyed 498 patients with kidney failure. The choice-based conjoint instrument consisted of nine attributes of risk and benefit pertinent across KRT modalities. Attributes were derived from literature reviews, patient/clinician interviews, and pilot testing. The risk attributes were serious infection, death within 5 years, permanent device failure, surgical requirements, and follow-up requirements. The benefit attributes were fewer diet restrictions, improved mobility, pill burden, and fatigue. We created a random, full-profile, balanced overlap design with 14 choice pairs plus five fixed tasks to test validity. We used a mixed-effects regression model with attribute levels as independent predictor variables and choice decisions as dependent variables. Results All variables were significantly important to patient choice preferences, except follow-up requirements. For each 1% higher risk of death within 5 years, preference utility was lower by 2.22 (β=−2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], −2.52 to −1.91), while for each 1% higher risk of serious infection, utility was lower by 1.38 (β=−1.46; 95% CI, −1.77 to −1.00) according to comparisons of the β coefficients. Patients were willing to trade a 1% infection risk and 0.5% risk of death to gain complete mobility and freedom from in-center hemodialysis (β=1.46; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.64). Conclusions Despite an aversion to even a 1% higher risk of death within 5 years, serious infection, and permanent device rejection, patients with kidney failure suggested that they would trade these risks for the benefit of complete mobility.
Pausing for More

As college students are adapting to new workloads and freedom while facing significant stressors and time management struggles, they might not have tools to assist their transition. Students took the Brown & Ryan (2003) Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in class, participated in a classroom presentation on mindfulness, purposeful pausing to destress/re-center, and typical personal productivity methods such as time management tools and commonly adopted systems. Then, they practiced a selected mindfulness as well as productivity tool for weeks during the semester, re-took the MAAS and completed a Qualtrics survey about their practice experience. Students self-reported slightly increased mindfulness via the MAAS and the brief survey as well as anecdotally. Via qualitative feedback, students described their experience with the mindfulness and productivity tools and expressed feeling “seen and heard. ” They also described the class in which the experience took place as understanding, welcoming and comfortable. Information on each suggested mindfulness and productivity Tip/Tool (hack) introduced in the classroom presentation is provided.
Variability of pCO2 in the tropical Atlantic in 1995

Atmospheric and oceanic partial pressures of CO2 (pCO2) have been recorded automatically along two Atlantic meridional transects in 1995. The tropical Atlantic ocean (20°S–20°N) is generally a source of CO2 for the atmosphere, but in the region of the North Equatorial Countercurrent an undersaturation of CO2 has been observed. Undersaturations previously reported in the literature are explained by the decrease of salinity due to the high precipitations associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone. In June 1995, strong CO2 undersaturations (ΔpCO2 = −70μatm) were observed near 8°N, which suggests, in addition of the salinity effect, an uptake of CO2 due to biological activity. This undersaturation, although weaker than in spring, also appeared at other periods of the year 1995.
Investigating an Instructional Model for Integrated STEM in Teacher Education

Active learning experiences that incorporate technology, design, and making combine to form an important and necessary pedagogical approach that supports the 21 st century skills of collaboration, communication, creativity, digital literacies, and computational thinking as a problem-solving framework. Active learning experiences in teacher preparation serve as a model for future educators to follow, while building the educators' efficacy to conduct future implementations with their own students. In this study, a multidisciplinary Pop-Up Makerspaces activity was conducted as an active hands-on approach to interdisciplinary STEM education. The intersectionality of English language arts with integrated STEM through design and making included: (a) enriching language and integrated STEM literacy, (b) scaffolding and supporting pre-and inservice educators through well-designed active learning as these opportunities help to develop self-efficacy, and (c) exploring new models and frameworks for transdisciplinarity.
Time Variation of Effective Climate Sensitivity in GCMs

Abstract Effective climate sensitivity is often assumed to be constant (if uncertain), but some previous studies of general circulation model (GCM) simulations have found it varying as the simulation progresses. This complicates the fitting of simple models to such simulations, as well as having implications for the estimation of climate sensitivity from observations. This study examines the evolution of the feedbacks determining the climate sensitivity in GCMs submitted to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Apparent centennial-time-scale variations of effective climate sensitivity during stabilization to a forcing can be considered an artifact of using conventional forcings, which only allow for instantaneous effects and stratospheric adjustment. If the forcing is adjusted for processes occurring on time scales that are short compared to the climate stabilization time scale, then there is little centennial-time-scale evolution of effective climate sensitivity in any of the GCMs. Here it is sugges.
No Association Between Insomnia Severity, and Discrepancy Between Desired Time in Bed and Desired Total Sleep Time Among Shift-Working Nursing Professionals

Background and Objective This study aimed to explore whether the discrepancy between a patient’s desired time in bed and desired total sleep time (DBST index) can be used as a tool to assess the insomnia severity of shift-working nursing professionals.Methods Two studies were conducted during two different times among two groups of shiftworking nursing professionals working in COVID-19 inpatient wards (study I), or nurses who witnessed patient death during the previous 2 years (study II), using a single voluntary survey. The survey was completed by a total of 366 participants: 226 in the first study, and 140 in the second. Participants’ age, sex, marital status, and past psychiatric history were collected. In addition to questions regarding the DBST index, the Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (GSES), Dysfunctional Beliefs about Sleep-2 items (DBS-2), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were assessed.Results In both studies, the DBST index did not reflect insomnia severity, preoccupation with sleep, or dysfunctional beliefs about sleep in the linear regression analysis. In addition, ISI was expected by GSES (β = 0.67 in study I, β = 0.62 in study II, all p < 0.001) and DBS-2 (β = 0.16 in study II, p = 0.020), but not by the DBST index.Conclusions It was observed that the DBST index was not significantly associated with insomnia severity, preoccupation with sleep, or dysfunctional beliefs about sleep in two studies done among shift working-nursing professionals.
THE EFFECT OF DUST ON THE MARTIAN HADLEY CELLS IN THE PRES- ENCE OF TOPOGRAPHY AT EQUINOX.

General circulation modeling (GCM) studies have shown that the Martian Hadley cells are asymmetric in many ways. First, at equinox the rising branch of the Hadley cell is located southward of the equator, when based on the solar zenith angle alone, the rising branch should be located at the equator (in the zonal mean). As a consequence, the southern cell is weaker than the northern cell. Several modeling studies have independently concluded that the north-south dichotomy in topography is the cause for the asymmetry and not the Ls of perihelion (Richardson and Wilson, 2002) nor the surface albedo or surface thermal inertia (Takahashi et al., 2003). Zalucha et al. (2010) connected the results from the Martian version of Massachusetts Institute of Technology GCM to the analytical Hadley cell theory of Lindzen and Hou (1988) and found that they were in agreement. Other modeling studies have noted characteristics at the solstices. Joshi et al. (1995) found that when the solar forcing was held constant between the two solstices, a factor of 1.5 difference in Hadley cell intensity was still present. Basu et al. (2006) showed that at Ls=270 ◦, as dust loading increased, the Hadley cell strength increased, while at Ls=90 ◦, the strength also increased but by a larger amount. That is, the asymmetry between the solstices became less pronounced as dust loading increased. The contribution from the north-south slope apparently diminished as dust loading increased. Here the study of the effect of dust on the Martian Hadley cells at both equinox and solstice is continued, specifically by looking at the zonally averaged cell strengths and boundaries in the latitude-height plane.
Emotion, stimulation, habit, and criticality: Learning from teachers’ multifaceted conceptions of digital reading

Abstract The emergence of post-truth culture and the spread of dis/misinformation has received a great deal of attention from researchers. Existing approaches to digital information literacy highlight new skills and strategies needed in digital spaces. However, challenges remain, including disconnects between school curricula and out-of-school experiences, a lack of research on teachers’ conceptions, and the role of emotional and sociocultural factors in meaning-making. Addressing these concerns, this qualitative case study examines how five teachers conceptualized and operationalized digital literacy through curriculum. The findings emphasize the importance of critical, sociocultural, emotional, and affective factors in conceptualizing and teaching digital literacy.
Abrupt shoaling of the nutricline in response to massive freshwater flooding at the onset of the last interglacial sapropel event

A detailed assessment of the respective roles of production, export, and subsequent preservation of organic carbon (Corg) in the eastern Mediterranean (EMED) sediments during the formation of sapropels remains elusive. Here we present new micropaleontological results for both surface samples taken at several locations in the EMED and last interglacial sapropel S5 from core LC21 in the southeastern Aegean Sea. A strong exponential anticorrelation between relative abundances of the lower photic zone coccolithophore Florisphaera profunda in the surface sediments and modern concentrations of chlorophyll a (Chl-a) at the sea surface suggests that F. profunda percentages can be used to track past productivity changes in the EMED. Prior to S5 deposition, an abrupt and large increase of F. profunda percentages in LC21 coincided (within the multidecadal resolution of the records) with the marked freshening of EMED surface waters. This suggests a strong coupling between freshwater-bound surface to intermediate water (density) stratification and enhanced upward advection of nutrients to the base of the photic zone, fuelling a productive deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) underneath a nutrient-starved surface layer. Our findings imply that (at least) at the onset of sapropel formation physical and biogeochemical processes likely operated in tandem, enabling high Corg accumulation at the seafloor.
Comprehensive Time-Course Transcriptome Reveals the Crucial Biological Pathways Involved in the Seasonal Branch Growth in Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila)

Timber, the most prevalent organic material on this planet, is the result of a secondary xylem emerging from vascular cambium. Yet, the intricate processes governing its seasonal generation are largely a mystery. To better understand the cyclic growth of vascular tissues in elm, we undertook an extensive study examining the anatomy, physiology, and genetic expressions in Ulmus pumila. We chose three robust 15-year-old elm trees for our study. The cultivars used in this study were collected from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China and nurtured in the tree farm of Shandong Normal University. Monthly samples of 2-year-old elm branches were taken from the tree from February to September. Marked seasonal shifts in elm branch vascular tissues were observed by phenotypic observation: In February, the cambium of the branch emerged from dormancy, spurring growth. By May, elms began generating secondary xylem, or latewood, recognized by its tiny pores and dense cell structure. From June to August, there was a marked increase in the thickness of the secondary xylem. Transcriptome sequencing provides a potential molecular mechanism for the thickening of elm branches and their response to stress. In February, the tree enhanced its genetic responses to cold and drought stress. The amplified expression of CDKB, CYCB, WOX4, and ARF5 in the months of February and March reinforced their essential role in the development of the vascular cambium in elm. Starting in May, the elm deployed carbohydrates as a carbon resource to synthesize the abundant cellulose and lignin necessary for the formation of the secondary wall. Major genes participating in cellulose (SUC and CESA homologs), xylan (UGD, UXS, IRX9, IRX10, and IRX14), and lignin (PAL, C4H, 4CL, HCT, C3H, COMT, and CAD) biosynthetic pathways for secondary wall formation were up-regulated by May or/and June. In conclusion, our findings provided a foundation for an in-depth exploration of the molecular processes dictating the seasonal growth of elm timber.
Co-Occurring EGFR S645C and EGFR L858R in a Patient with Lung Adenocarcinoma Induced Primary Resistance to Osimertinib

Abstract Approximately 10–20% of patients demonstrate primary resistance to EGFR-TKIs, and different EGFR mutations vary in sensitivity to EGFR-TKIs. We report a case of a 78-year-old male with lung adenocarcinoma that EGFR L858R (AF = 1.32%) coexisting with EGFR S645C (AF = 7.13%) in his diagnosed tissues analyzed by NGS. The patient was primarily resistant to first-line osimertinib and rapidly progressed after pembrolizumab in combination with pemetrexed and bevacizumab, as demonstrated by persistently elevated CEA levels during treatment. ctDNA-based NGS analysis revealed loss of EGFR L858R while persistence of highly abundant EGFR S645C in the pleural fluid and plasma after treatment, suggesting that EGFR L858R may be a subclone. We provide the first clinical evidence of the primary resistance of EGFR S645C to osimertinib and emphasize the importance of identifying clones and subclones. Our patient did not respond to immunotherapy either, and preclinical studies have shown that EGFR S645C activates the MEK signaling pathway, the combination of EGFR-TKIs and MEK inhibitors may be effective.
Enhanced PSO Based on Population Initialization and Exploration for the Permutation Flow Shop Scheduling Problem

In this paper, a hybrid PSO (NLPSO*) is adapted to improve the obtained local optimal solution for the Permutation Flow Shop Scheduling Problem (PFSP) with minimizing the makespan. In this method, an improved NEH heuristic called -NEH+ is used to generate a good initial population. Then the PSO is triggered, followed by Iterated Local Search (ILS) to increase the coverage of exploration and exploitation search in the solution space. Both of the -NEH+ and ILS are simple and efficient algorithms. A computational study is performed to show the efficiency of the proposed technique. Several of well-known PFSP instances of small, medium, and large sizes were used in this study. The experimental study shows that the NLPSO* algorithm is significantly efficient in reaching better local optimal solutions.
Mulberry MnGolS2 Mediates Resistance to Botrytis cinerea on Transgenic Plants

Galactitol synthetase (GolS) as a key enzyme in the raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) biosynthesis pathway, which is closely related to stress. At present, there are few studies on GolS in biological stress. The expression of MnGolS2 gene in mulberry was increased under Botrytis cinerea infection. The MnGolS2 gene was cloned and ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis. The content of MDA in leaves of transgenic plants was decreased and the content of CAT was increased after inoculation with B. cinerea. In this study, the role of MnGolS2 in biotic stress was demonstrated for the first time. In addition, it was found that MnGolS2 may increase the resistance of B. cinerea by interacting with other resistance genes. This study offers a crucial foundation for further research into the role of the GolS2 gene.