Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sea Surface Temperature Simulation of Tropical and North Pacific Basins Using a Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM)

A Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) is used to simulate the sea surface temperature of the Tropical and North Pacific. Based on the different combinations of two air-Sea flux data sets (COADS and ECMWF) and two bulk parameter formulas (non-constant and constant), four numerical experiments are carried out. The following conclusions can be deduced from the numerical results. (1) The numerical results using non-constant bulk parameter formula are much better than those using constant one. In the Pacific area from 40°N to 20°S, the annual average SST obtained from the experiment using non-constant bulk parameter formula is 0.21 °C higher than that from the satellite-based SST climatology (the pathfinder data). However, the difference is 0.63 °C for the experiment when the using constant one. (2) HYCOM successfully simulates the monthly variation of climatological SST in tropical and north Pacific basins and monthly spatial variation of Western Pacific Warm Pool. Especially in the Pacific area from 40°N to 20°S, the difference of the seasonal averaged SST between pathfinder data and the result of experiment 2 (using COADS data set and non-constant bulk parameter formula) is only about 0.02 °C. (3)The simulation results using different Air-Sea flux data are different and the difference is very large in some regions. In the northwest of the model region, the annual average SST obtained from experiment 2 (using COADS data set) is 1°C higher than that obtained from experiment 4 (using ECMWF data set). Contrarily, the result of experiment 4 is 1 °C larger than that of experiment 2 in the southeast of the model region. The largest difference is about 4 °C occurred near the area of 58°N, 140°E and the Bohai sea.
Estimation of Areal Mean Rainfall in Remote Areas Using B-SHADE Model

This study presented a method to estimate areal mean rainfall (AMR) using a Biased Sentinel Hospital Based Area Disease Estimation (B-SHADE) model, together with biased rain gauge observations and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data, for remote areas with a sparse and uneven distribution of rain gauges. Based on the B-SHADE model, the best linear unbiased estimation of AMR could be obtained. A case study was conducted for the Three-River Headwaters region in the Tibetan Plateau of China, and its performance was compared with traditional methods. The results indicated that B-SHADE obtained the least estimation biases, with a mean error and root mean square error of −0.63 and 3.48 mm, respectively. For the traditional methods including arithmetic average, Thiessen polygon, and ordinary kriging, the mean errors were 7.11, −1.43, and 2.89 mm, which were up to 1027.1%, 127.0%, and 358.3%, respectively, greater than for the B-SHADE model. The root mean square errors were 10.31, 4.02, and 6.27 mm, which were up to 196.1%, 15.5%, and 80.0%, respectively, higher than for the B-SHADE model. The proposed technique can be used to extend the AMR record to the presatellite observation period, when only the gauge data are available.
Clinical Evidence Regarding the Dynamic of Baker Cyst Dimensions after Intermittent Vacuum Therapy as Rehabilitation Treatment in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

The Baker cyst (BC), also known as the popliteal cyst or parameniscal cyst, is a fluid-filled sac that normally develops in the back of the knee, between the semimembranosus and medial head of the gastrocnemius. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy (10 days of treatment) that associates intermittent vacuum therapy (IVT) on the lower limbs in the treatment of the BC, respectively, in its size reduction. Sixty-five patients with knee osteoarthritis using Kellgren–Lawrence criteria and the presence of BC (ultrasonography evaluation), were divided into the Control and Vacuum groups. We collected the following features: sex, age, level of education, occupation, environment, body mass index, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Western Ontario, and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, the Functional Independence Measurement, the Fall Risk Score, and the Visual Analog Scale were recorded at baseline and after 10 days. Both groups are similar in terms of demographic features. Regarding the clinical functional parameters, the results elicit a statistically significant change in all parameters between admission and discharge, including the echo volume at BC. Physical medicine and rehabilitation increase the autonomy of patients with BC. Clinical-functional improvement begins in the first 10 days of complex rehabilitation treatment; it is statistically significant and is not different between the two groups, which brings an additional argument for the effectiveness of conservative therapy in the treatment of BC. Although IVT has not demonstrated its superiority over classical balneo-physical therapy, additional research, and long-term monitoring are needed to provide additional arguments regarding this aspect.
The impact of early life stress and schizophrenia on motor and cognitive functioning: an experimental study

Background Early life stress (ELS) and parental psychopathology, such as schizophrenia (SZ), have been associated with altered neurobiological and behavioral outcomes later in life. Previous studies have investigated the effects of ELS and parental SZ on various aspects of behavior, however, we have studied the combined effects of these stressors and how they interact, as individuals in real-life situations may experience multiple stressors simultaneously. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of ELS and schizophrenia on locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, exploratory tendencies, and spatial memory in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Methods Male and female SD pups were randomly assigned to eight groups: control, ELS, schizophrenia, and ELS + schizophrenia. ELS was induced by prenatal stress (maternal stress) and maternal separation (MS) during the first 2 weeks of life, while SZ was induced by subcutaneous administration of ketamine. Behavioral tests included an open field test (OFT) for motor abilities and a Morris water maze (MWM) for cognitive abilities. ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests were utilized to analyze the data. Results Our results show that ELS and parental psychopathology had enduring effects on SZ symptoms, particularly psychomotor retardation (p < 0.05). The OFT revealed increased anxiety-like behavior in the ELS group (p = 0.023) and the parental psychopathology group (p = 0.017) compared to controls. The combined ELS and parental psychopathology group exhibited the highest anxiety-like behavior (p = 0.006). The MWM analysis indicated impaired spatial memory in the ELS group (p = 0.012) and the combined ELS and parental psychopathology group (p = 0.003) compared to controls. Significantly, the exposure to ELS resulted in a decrease in the population of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive (GFAP+) astrocytes. However, this effect was reversed by positive parental mental health. Conclusion Our findings highlight the interactive effects of ELS and parental psychopathology on anxiety-like behavior and spatial memory in rats. ELS was linked to increased anxiety-like behavior, while SZ was associated with anhedonia-like behavior. Positive parenting augments neuroplasticity, synaptic function, and overall cognitive capacities.
The clinical application of transarterial embolization via radial artery in hemorrhagic diseases in obstetrics and gynecology

Purpose The present study aimed to explore the feasibility and safety of Transarterial embolization (TAE) in the treatment of obstetrics and gynecological hemorrhagic diseases transradial approach (TRA) compared to transfemoral approach (TFA). Methods This cohort study was conducted on patients with obstetrics and gynecology bleeding diseases from June 2021 to November 2022. Clinical characteristics of the patients were comparable between the two groups. The success rate of puncture and embolization, radiation dose, operation time, fluoroscopy time (FT), as well as complications of each patient were recorded and then retrospectively analyzed the data. The European Five-dimensional Health Scale (ED-5Q) and visual analog scale (VAS) were used to assess the quality of life (QOL) on the day of discharge and 30 days after surgery between the two groups. Results A total of 71 patients undergoing TAE were allocated to the TRA (n = 31) or TFA (n = 40) group in this study. Puncture and embolization were completed in all patients. Compared to the TFA group, the radiation dose of the TRA group (343.89 ± 108.81 mGy vs. 469.29 ± 198.66 mGy; p = 0.029) is significantly reduced. Minor complications occurred in only one patient (3.2%) in the TRA group. The surgery-related quality of life EQ-5D index score on the day of discharge in the TRA group (0.72 ± 0.12 vs. 0.65 ± 0.11; p = 0.017) was significantly higher than that in the TFA group, and the VAS score (2.55 ± 0.62 vs. 2.95 ± 0.85; p = 0.025) of catheter site discomfort was significantly lower in the TRA group were than in the TFA group, but no significant difference was observed in the QOL assessment at 30 days post-surgery. Conclusion Transradial approach TAE has comparable efficacy and safety to TFA TAE in treating obstetrics and gynecological bleeding diseases. This access can improve patient QOL without affecting surgical safety.
Application of generative adversarial network: GAN to disaster damage monitoring

In recent years, natural disasters have caused serious damage. In particular, landslides caused by earthquakes are damaging. However, it is difficult to predict when and where natural disasters will occur. Therefore, this study was conducted on early detection of landslides. SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a remote sensing technology. It uses microwaves and can observe day and night in all weather conditions. But this SAR data is a grayscale image, which is difficult to analyze without specialized knowledge. Therefore, we decided to use machine learning to detect changes in disasters that appear in SAR data. There are two machine learning models called pix2pix and pix2pixHD for image transformation. The objective of this study is to detect changes of surface by transforming pseudo-optical images from SAR data using machine learning. Two machine learning models were used for training, with test images and actual disaster data input. Simple terrain, such as forests only, was highly accurate, but complex terrain was difficult to generate. About actual disaster data, something like disaster-induced changes appeared in the converted images. However, we found it difficult to distinguish bare area from grassland in the output images. In the future, it is necessary to consider the combination of data to be used for learning.
Students’ Combinatorial Thinking Error in Solving Combinatorial Problem

Combinatorial thinking errors describe students’ difficulties and obstacles in solving combinatorial problems. This study aims to describe the errors experienced by students in solving combinatorial problems in terms of combinatorial thinking processes. This research involved two subjects who were 12th grade high school students at a school in Gresik, Indonesia. The students have already taken a combinatorics course. Data collection was conducted using the think-aloud observation method and task-based interviews. Both methods of data collection were conducted to validate the data using the triangulation method. The two subjects experienced similar errors. The research shows that the filling slots method is a simple and easy way for students to understand, but problems arise when students cannot understand the meaning of the questions and input the correct numbers for the problem. The combinatorial thinking error includes the general counting process and vertical upward formulas or expressions. The general counting process error is generating a number that represents the given aspects of the problem and the vertical upward formula/expression is identifying the concept that fits the problem. This research suggests enhancing students understanding of number representation when teaching the filling slot method. The teacher should illustrate some of the multiplication rule and addition rule examples to help students distinguish between these two fundamental rules. Further research is needed to provide solutions to the constraints experienced by students in solving combinatorial problems.
Food security: A multi-faceted and multi-dimensional issue in China

This study on China, the country with the biggest population, the greatest area of desert and desertification and the fastest growing economy, covers many aspects of the food security issue. We begin by defining what is meant by food and what is understood by food security. The two main aspects (having enough to eat and being sure that it is safe to eat) are explored. The role and importance of China’s national grain reserve is highlighted and the vulnerabilities associated with climate change, urbanization and the impending water crisis are reviewed. The scourge of food wastage and the importance of changing the mindset of citizens receives attention. The aim of the paper is to analyse the critical role that food security occupies in China and the policy implications of some government initiated projects, including inter-basin water transfers and the merits of re-thinking the potential role of virtual water in international commodity trade.
An Overview of Ovarian Calyx Fluid Proteins of Toxoneuron nigriceps (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): An Integrated Transcriptomic and Proteomic Approach

The larval stages of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), are parasitized by the endophagous parasitoid wasp, Toxoneuron nigriceps (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). During the injections of eggs, this parasitoid wasp also injects into the host body the secretion of the venom gland and the calyx fluid, which contains a polydnavirus (T. nigriceps BracoVirus: TnBV) and the Ovarian calyx fluid Proteins (OPs). The effects of the OPs on the host immune system have recently been described. In particular, it has been demonstrated that the OPs cause hemocytes to undergo a number of changes, such as cellular oxidative stress, actin cytoskeleton modifications, vacuolization, and the inhibition of hemocyte encapsulation capacity, which results in both a loss of hemocyte functionality and cell death. In this study, by using a combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis, the main components of T. nigriceps ovarian calyx fluid proteins were identified and their possible role in the parasitic syndrome was discussed. This study provides useful information to support the analysis of the function of ovarian calyx fluid proteins, to better understand T. nigriceps parasitization success and for a more thorough understanding of the components of ovarian calyx fluid proteins and their potential function in combination with other parasitoid factors.
MULTI-MODAL GEOSPATIAL AND THEMATIC DATA TO FOSTER GREEN DEAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract. The Urban Data Space for Green Deal - USAGE - project is founded by the European Union (EU) to support the green transition of cities. Within USAGE, a series of geospatial, thematic and other datasets have been newly acquired or created to test and evaluate solutions (i) to better understand issues and trends on how our planet and its climate are changing and (ii) to address the role that humans play in these changes, e.g., with behaviour adaptation and mitigation actions. The paper aims to provide some relevant datasets collected in two urban areas, reporting processing methodologies and applications of analysis-ready and decision-ready geospatial data. The shared data are unique urban datasets due to their resolutions and sensors type and could boost progresses of geospatial procedures to create and use data useful for climate change adaptation, renewable energy monitoring and management, etc.
Trichoderma viride Colonizes the Roots of Brassica napus L., Alters the Expression of Stress-Responsive Genes, and Increases the Yield of Canola under Field Conditions during Drought

In this work, we present the results of the inoculation of canola seeds (Brassica napus L.) with Trichoderma viride strains that promote the growth of plants. Seven morphologically different strains of T. viride (TvI-VII) were shown to be capable of synthesizing auxins and exhibited cellulolytic and pectinolytic activities. To gain a deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying canola–T. viride interactions, we analyzed the canola stress genes metallothioneins (BnMT1-3) and stringent response genes (BnRSH1-3 and BnCRSH). We demonstrated the presence of cis-regulatory elements responsive to fungal elicitors in the promoter regions of B. napus MT and RSH genes and observed changes in the levels of the transcripts of the above-mentioned genes in response to root colonization by the tested fungal strains. Of the seven tested strains, under laboratory conditions, T. viride VII stimulated the formation of roots and the growth of canola seedlings to the greatest extent. An experiment conducted under field conditions during drought showed that the inoculation of canola seeds with a suspension of T. viride VII spores increased yield by 16.7%. There was also a positive effect of the fungus on the height and branching of the plants, the number of siliques, and the mass of a thousand seeds. We suggest that the T. viride strain TvVII can be used in modern sustainable agriculture as a bioinoculant and seed coating to protect B. napus from drought.
Going across taxa in functional ecology: Review and perspectives of an emerging field

The emergence of functional ecology has changed the focus of ecological research from investigating patterns of species diversity to understanding how species traits relate to specific ecological processes generating these patterns. Traits, ecological patterns and processes can be shared and driven by species from distantly related taxonomic groups. Crossing the boundaries among distantly related taxonomic groups is still a challenge and a critical knowledge frontier in functional ecology. A cross‐taxa approach, merging trait data across distantly related taxonomic groups, could fill this gap. In this context, functionally analogous traits, that is traits that may have distinct ontogenetic origins yet represent similar processes, comprise an important recent advance in functional ecology. However, which taxa and traits (be them analogous or not) have been used in research with multiple taxa, and whether (and how) these data have been combined, still needs to be elucidated. We reviewed articles published in the last 75 years to investigate the use of traits in functional research involving multiple taxa. Our search returned 1006 articles, and a subset of 96 was filtered for data extraction. Studies covered a total of 134 taxa and 491 different traits; they were predominantly observational, and focussed on community ecology and ecosystem monitoring. Our review showed that current knowledge in this field relies on a limited number of response variables, particularly taxonomic diversity (e.g. species richness and abundance within functional groups). Also, the field relies on a limited number of taxa (e.g. plants, birds and mammals) and trait types (diet, size, habitat and dispersal). Two‐thirds of the articles (n = 72) used functionally analogous traits, and one‐third of them (n = 32) employed a cross‐taxa approach. We mapped the limitations of current research in functional ecology involving multiple taxa, presented ecological questions to a functional cross‐taxa research and showed directions to pushing the limits of this research field. Our review aimed to encourage researchers in the field of functional ecology to move beyond single taxa and traits, and to integrate more branches and dimensions of the Tree of Life in their research. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Cognitive trajectories: exploring the predictive role of subjective cognitive decline and awareness of age-related changes for cognitive functioning

Background We investigated whether aspects of subjective cognitive aging, including awareness of age-related gains and losses in cognition (AARC-gains, AARC-losses) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD), predict change in objective cognitive function as measured by verbal reasoning (VR) and working memory (WM). Methods We used longitudinal data for 3,299 cognitively healthy UK residents aged 65+. We used data on AARC and SCD assessed in 2019, and cognitive tasks assessed in 2019, 2020, and 2021. We used latent growth curve modeling, latent class growth analysis, and growth mixture modeling. Results For VR, multiple growth trajectories were not evident. Mean VR at baseline was 37.45; this remained stable over time. Higher AARC-gains in cognition (mean intercept = −0.23; 95%CI: −0.31; −0.16), higher AARC-losses in cognition (mean intercept = −0.37; 95%CI: −0.46; −0.28), and lower SCD (mean intercept = 2.92; 95%CI: 2.58; 3.58) were associated with poorer VR at baseline. A three-class growth mixture model–class varying best represented trajectories of WM. In Class 1 (N = 182) mean WM at baseline was 31.20; this decreased by 2.48 points each year. In Class 2 (N = 119) mean WM at baseline was 23.12; this increased by 3.28 points each year. In Class 3 (N = 2,998) mean WM at baseline was 30.11; and it remained stable. Higher AARC-gains (Odds Ratio = 1.08; 95%CI: 1.03; 1.14) and AARC-losses (Odds Ratio = 1.10; 95%CI: 1.04; 1.16) in cognition predicted greater likelihood of being in Class 2 than Class 3. Conclusion Although both higher AARC-gains and AARC-losses indicate poorer concurrent cognition, higher AARC-gains may be a resource that facilitates future cognitive improvement.
Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes in Robot-Assisted and Video-Assisted Lobectomies for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This study compares long-term outcomes in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); all consecutive patients who underwent RATS or VATS lobectomy for NSCLC between July 2015 and December 2021 in our center were enrolled in a single-center prospective study. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and recurrence rate. The secondary outcomes were complication rate, length of hospitalization (LOS), duration of chest tubes (LOD), and number of lymph node stations harvested. A total of 619 patients treated with RATS (n = 403) or VATS (n = 216) were included in the study. There was no significant difference in OS between the RATS and VATS groups (3-year OS: 75.9% vs. 82.3%; 5-year OS: 70.5% vs. 68.5%; p = 0.637). There was a statistically significant difference in DFS between the RATS and VATS groups (3-year DFS: 92.4% vs. 81.2%; 5-year DFS: 90.3% vs. 77.6%; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis according to the pathological stage also demonstrated a significant difference between RATS and VATS groups in DFS in stage I (3-year DFS: 94.4% vs. 88.9%; 5-year DFS: 91.8% vs. 85.2%; p = 0.037) and stage III disease (3-year DFS: 82.4% vs. 51.1%; 5-year DFS: 82.4% vs. 37.7%; p = 0.024). Moreover, in multivariable Cox regression analysis, the surgical approach was significantly associated with DFS, with an HR of 0.46 (95% CI 0.27–0.78, p = 0.004) for RATS compared to VATS. VATS lobectomy was associated with a significantly higher recurrence rate compared to RATS (21.8% vs. 6.2%; p < 0.001). LOS and LOD, as well as complication rate and in-hospital and 30-day mortality, were similar among the groups. RATS lobectomy was associated with a higher number of lymph node stations harvested compared to VATS (7 [IQR:2] vs. 5 [IQR:2]; p < 0.001). In conclusion, in our series, RATS lobectomy for lung cancer led to a significantly higher DFS and significantly lower recurrence rate compared to the VATS approach. RATS may allow more extensive nodal dissection, and this could translate into reduced recurrence.