Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitigating Spatial Discontinuity of Multi-Radar QPE Based on GPM/KuPR

Reflectivity factor bias caused by radar calibration errors would influence the accuracy of Quantitative Precipitation Estimations (QPE), and further result in spatial discontinuity in Multiple Ground Radars QPE (MGR-QPE) products. Due to sampling differences and random errors, the associated discontinuity cannot be thoroughly solved by the single-radar calibration method. Thus, a multiple-radar synchronous calibration approach was proposed to mitigate the spatial discontinuity of MGR-QPE. Firstly, spatial discontinuity was solved by the intercalibration of adjacent ground radars, and then calibration errors were reduced by referring to the Ku-Band Precipitation Radar (KuPR) carried by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory as a standard reference. Finally, Mosaic Reflectivity and MGR-QPE products with spatial continuity were obtained. Using three S-band operational radars covering the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, this method was evaluated under four representative precipitation events. The result showed that: (1) the spatial continuity of reflectivity factor and precipitation estimation fields was significantly improved after bias correction, and the reflectivity differences between adjacent radars were reduced by 78% and 82%, respectively; (2) the MGR-QPE data were closer to gauge observations with the normalized absolute error reducing by 0.05 to 0.12.
Impact of mesh and DEM resolutions in SEM simulation of 3D seismic response

This study shows that the resolution of a digital elevation model (DEM) and model mesh strongly influences 3D simulations of seismic response. Topographic heterogeneity scatters seismic waves and causes variation in seismic response (am-plification and deamplification of seismic amplitudes) at the Earth’s surface. DEM resolution influences the accuracy and detail with which the Earth’s surface can be represented and hence affects seismic simulation studies. Apart from the spatial resolution of a DEM, the mesh resolution, adopted in the creation of a 3D spectral element meshing, also changes the detailedness of surface topography. Working with high-resolution data is in most cases not possible on a regional scale because of its costliness in terms of time, money, and computation. In this study, we evaluate how low the resolution of DEM and mesh can become before the results are significantly affected. We simulated models with different combinations of DEM and mesh resolutions. The peak ground displacement (PGD) obtained from these simulations was compared with the PGD of the model with the finest mesh and DEM resolution. Our results show that any mesh or DEM resolution of 540 m or coarser will give unrealistic results. These results are valid for similar terrains as studied here and might not be directly applicable to regions with significantly different topography.
The Effect of Ultrasound on the Extraction and Functionality of Proteins from Duckweed (Lemna minor)

The inclusion of protein in the regular human diet is important for the prevention of several chronic diseases. In the search for novel alternative protein sources, plant-based proteins are widely explored from a sustainable and ecological point of view. Duckweed (Lemna minor), also known as water lentil, is an aquatic plant with potential applications for human consumption due to its protein content and carbohydrate contents. Among all the conventional and novel protein extraction methods, the utilization of ultrasound has attracted the attention of scientists because of its effects on improving protein extraction and its functionalities. In this work, a Box–Behnken experimental design was proposed to optimize the alkaline extraction of protein from duckweed. In addition, an exploration of the effects of ultrasound on the morphological, structural, and functional properties of the extracted protein was also addressed. The optimal extraction parameters were a pH of 11.5 and an ultrasound amplitude and processing time of 60% and 20 min, respectively. These process conditions doubled the protein content extracted in comparison to the value from the initial duckweed sample. Furthermore, the application of ultrasound during the extraction of protein generated changes in the FTIR spectra, color, and structure of the duckweed protein, which resulted in improvements in its solubility, emulsifying properties, and foaming capacity.
The correlation of breastfeeding support and preparation towards mother’s satisfaction on infant’s breastfeeding status

Besides the benefits of breastfeeding, the number of children exclusively breastfed was still low. The mother's breastfeeding decision might be influenced by breastfeeding support and preparation. The decision also might influence the mother's satisfaction and the child's well-being. Thus, to minimize the adverse effect of the decision, it is essential to identify the factors associated with mother satisfaction on their breastfeeding status. This study aimed to understand the correlation between breastfeeding support and preparation on mother's satisfaction with the infant's breastfeeding status. This study was a cross-sectional, observational study held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The inclusion criteria were the mother of a baby aged 6 to 24 months who lived in Yogyakarta City and was willing to join the research. A total of 150 respondents, mostly aged 19-40 years, joined the study. Spouse support is most influential on breastfeeding (BF) status. Mother's satisfaction with infant feeding choices was influenced by BF status, husband's support, and healthcare support. Husband support is essential for the mother to achieve exclusive breastfeeding and meet maternal satisfaction. Appropriate healthcare personnel support positively impacts maternal satisfaction by providing information and encouraging mothers to make informed infant feeding decision-making.
The relative importance of native forest and shade-grown coffee plantations for habitat use, individual fitness and migration strategies of overwintering Neotropical migrant songbirds in Colombia

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iii DEDICATION. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS . v LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF FIGURES . xii CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1. Conservation status of Nearctic-Neotropical migrants . 1 1.2. Winter habitat for Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds . 1 1.3. Measurements of habitat quality . 3 1.4. Shade-grown Coffee Plantations . 5 1.5. Assessing migratory connectivity and migration strategies . 7 1.6. Study species and system . 9 1.7. Thesis objectives and chapter synopses . 10 1.8. Thesis format . 12 CHAPTER 2. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF SHADE-GROWN COFFEE PLANTATIONS AS OVERWINTERING HABITAT FOR NEOTROPICAL MIGRANT SONGBIRDS IN COLOMBIA . 14 2.1. Abstract . 14 2.2. Introduction . 15 2.3. Methods. 18 2.3. 1. Study sites. 18 2.3. 2. Captures . 19 2.3. 3. Variable width line transects . 20
The Effect of Artificial Light on the Community Structure and Distribution of Reef-Associated Fishes at Oil and Gas Platforms in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

ix CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 LITERATURE CITED . 8 CHAPTER 2: CHARACTERIZATION OF COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AROUND ACTIVE AND DECOMMISSIONED OIL AND GAS PLATFORMS IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO . 14 INTRODUCTION . 14 METHODS AND MATERIALS . 17 RESULTS . 23 DISCUSSION . 40 LITERATURE CITED . 44 CHAPTER 3: SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF REEFASSOCIATED FISHES AROUND ACTIVE AND DECOMMISSIONED OIL AND GAS PLATFORMS IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO . 48 INTRODUCTION . 48 METHODS AND MATERIALS . 51 RESULTS . 59 DISCUSSION . 70 LITERATURE CITED . 76 GENERAL SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 79 LITERATURE CITED . 82 APPENDIX: SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES AND FIGURES . 84 VITA . 90
Experimental Observations of Two Mountain Glaciers on the Eastern Slope of Mt. Tsurugi by Pi-SAR2 Airborne SAR

We performed airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations at two glaciers (San’nomado and Komado glaciers) on the eastern slope of Mt. Tsurugi, Japan, in August and October 2013, and August 2014. The Pi-SAR2 system used in this study consists of two X-band SAR antennas. Taking advantage of single-pass interferometry, we have generated digital elevation models (DEM) at each epoch. Differencing the DEMs at August and October 2013, the elevations at the glaciers were reduced by ~20 m or more with errors on the order of ~20 m or more. As we could visually identify the reduction in the snow-covered areas in the SAR images of August and October 2013, those changes are attributable to seasonal melting of the snow but are apparently overestimated. Full polarimetric observations were also performed, indicating significant changes over the glaciers from August to October that were largely due to the reduction in snow cover. We could further identify localized spots that indicated strong intensity in the cross-polarized HV channel (transmission of vertically polarized wave and reception in horizontally polarized channel) over the glaciers. Bright HV signals are unexpected, because HV signals are often interpreted as volume scattering and appear to originate from the inside of the glaciers that are unlikely in the X-band SAR system; no penetration deeper than 1 m is expected in the X-band over the snow/ice areas. We interpret the apparent HV signals as due to double bouncing from both sides of the valley, which were apparently imaged over the glaciers.
FKD-Med: Privacy-Aware, Communication-Optimized Medical Image Segmentation via Federated Learning and Model Lightweighting Through Knowledge Distillation

Advances in deep learning have revolutionized medical image segmentation, facilitating the precise delineation of complex anatomical structures. The scarcity of annotated training samples remains a significant bottleneck. To tackle the data limitation, federated learning (FL) offers the promise of pooling data from multiple healthcare institutions. However, as models grow larger, the increase in communication costs restricts FL to fewer nodes, which constrains the volume of data. This situation necessitates the simultaneous achievement of model lightweighting. To address this problem, this study proposes FKD-Med, a novel framework that integrates FL for privacy-sensitive data amalgamation across multiple healthcare institutions, and uses knowledge distillation (KD) to enhance communication efficiency. The “Med” in FKD-Med refers to medical application computational problems. Our principal contributions encompass the design of an open-source framework that seamlessly blends FL and KD, rendering it applicable to a broad spectrum of medical informatics tasks. Our approach substantially augments the computational data volume, thereby boosting both communication efficiency and training throughput. Tested on two datasets of medical image segmentation using TransUNet and ResUNet as teacher models, FKD-Med achieves data privacy, lowers communication costs, and increases accuracy. The parameters of the student models were reduced to 1/127 and 1/1027 of those in the teacher models. Additionally, the models subjected to KD exhibited accuracy improvements of 0.25%, 0.43%, 1.35%, and 1.46% respectively, given the same parameter volume. This positions FKD-Med not only as a pivotal tool for multi-institutional medical research but also as a versatile platform adaptable to a wide array of real-world medical engineering applications. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/SUN-1024/FKD-Med.
Socio cultural determinants of the adoption of integrated natural resource management technologies by small scale farmers in Ndhiwa Division, Kenya

The aim of the study was to examine the influence of socio cultural factors on the adoption of integrated natural resource management technologies by small scale farmers in Ndhiwa division, Kenya. Soil fertility depletion and the corresponding declining agricultural productivity in Kenya’s Ndhiwa division have led to many attempts to develop and popularize Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) technologies that could restore soil fertility. INRM bridges the gap between high external input agriculture and extreme forms of traditional low external input agriculture. The main components of INRM in Ndhiwa division are chemical fertilizer, animal manure, green manure, stover lines and agro forestry. However the adoption of these technologies appears to be low resulting to probably the low production. It is not understood well why farmers who rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, either do not adopt or adopt the technologies and then abandon them. However it is acknowledged that soil depletion is a serious and slow process hence the determinants of the adoption of INRM technologies are critical. An ex-post-facto survey design which utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection was used in the study. For quantitative data collection, a sample of 220 small scale farmers selected using systematic random sampling from the small scale farmers in the Division were engaged. For qualitative data, 40 small scale farmers and 37 Key Informants selected using purposive sampling from the division were used. Results of the study indicated that households’ education status, gender, cosmopoliteness, leadership status, cultural beliefs and social norms were important variables which had positively and significantly influenced adoption of INRM technologies. The overall finding of the study underlined the high importance in strengthening social groups to enhance adoption of INRM technologies. The study will be significant to planners, policy makers, researchers, extension and farmers to build the case for interventions on INRM within the development sector for improved and sustainable agriculture and rural development.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Self-Management Program on Patients Living with Chronic Diseases

Background Chronic diseases are a major public health concern globally, and the position in Saudi Arabia is no exception. The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is a widely used intervention process to address care of chronic conditions. However, its effectiveness in a Saudi context has not been extensively studied. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the post-intervention outcomes of the CDSMP in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods The study utilized a qualitative design on patients with chronic conditions. Data were collected through two focus group sessions with 15 participants who had completed the CDSMP. A thematic analysis technique was used for data analysis. Results Three key themes emerged from analysis of the qualitative data obtained through the focus groups: the perceived benefits from participation in the CDSMP workshop; the impact of the CDSMP workshop on improving health status and quality of life; and, the cultural acceptability of the CDSMP. The study also found that the CDSMP was effective in improving participants’ self-management skills and quality of life. Additional benefits included increased motivation for behavioral change, enhanced confidence regarding self-care of chronic conditions, improved communication with healthcare providers, and better coping strategies. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of the CDSMP in addressing chronic conditions in Saudi Arabia. The program’s emphasis on self-management skills and peer support aligns with the cultural values of Saudi Arabia. However, applying the CDSMP across various chronic conditions should be addressed in future interventions.
Identification of Hypoglycemic Glycolipids from Ipomoea murucoides by Affinity-Directed Fractionation, In Vitro, In Silico and Dynamic Light Scattering Analysis

In the pursuit of identifying the novel resin glycoside modulators glucose-6-phosphatase and α-glucosidase enzymes, associated with blood sugar regulation, methanol-soluble extracts from the flowers of Ipomoea murucoides (cazahuate, Nahuatl), renowned for its abundance of glycolipids, were employed. The methanol-soluble extracts were fractionated by applying the affinity-directed method with glucose-6-phosphatase enzymes from a rat’s liver and α-glucosidase enzymes from its intestines. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance were employed to identify the high-affinity compound as a free ligand following the release from the enzymatic complex. Gel permeation through a spin size-exclusion column allowed the separated high-affinity molecules to bind to glucose-6-phosphatase and α-glucosidase enzymes in solution, which led to the identification of some previously reported resin glycosides in the flowers of cazahuate, where a glycolipid mainly structurally related to murucoidin XIV was observed. In vitro studies demonstrated the modulating properties of resin glycosides on the glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme. Dynamic light scattering revealed conformational variations induced by resin glycosides on α-glucosidase enzyme, causing them to become more compact, akin to observations with the positive control, acarbose. These findings suggest that resin glycosides may serve as a potential source for phytotherapeutic agents with antihyperglycemic properties.
Nanoadsorbents: An Approach Towards Wastewater Treatment

Clean, secure, and adequate water is basic to the endurance of every individual living life frame. Environmental pollutants pose serious threats to freshwater supply, living organisms, and public health, despite their occurrence at low concentration ranges. Thus, treatment of waste water required around the creation. So, nanotechnology is an innovative technique for the treatment of water and wastewater to improve water quality and to improve water supply through safe usage of clean water source. Therefore, in past various techniques utilized for wastewater treatment, for example, adsorption, compound precipitation, sol–gel, solvo–thermal response, and so on, for the incorporation of nanoadsorbents, which can be viably utilized for groundwater treatment. This chapter concentrates on the removal of pollutants from water using a variety of adsorbents such as nanotubes, nano wires, and nanoadsorbents by using adsorption technology, which has turned out to be one of the best technologies for wastewater treatment. The survey will aid the readers to select suitable nanomaterials and to get up further research required for pollutant removal using nanoadsorbents, depending on the characteristics of effluents to be processed, industrial applicability, release standards, costeffectiveness, regulatory demands, and durable ecological impacts.
Omega-conotoxin MVIIA reduces neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury by inhibiting N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels on spinal dorsal horn

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to the development of neuropathic pain. Although a multitude of pathological processes contribute to SCI-induced pain, excessive intracellular calcium accumulation and voltage-gated calcium-channel upregulation play critical roles in SCI-induced pain. However, the role of calcium-channel blockers in SCI-induced pain is unknown. Omega-conotoxin MVIIA (MVIIA) is a calcium-channel blocker that selectively inhibits N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels and demonstrates neuroprotective effects. Therefore, we investigated spinal analgesic actions and cellular mechanisms underlying the analgesic effects of MVIIA in SCI. We used SCI-induced pain model rats and conducted behavioral tests, immunohistochemical analyses, and electrophysiological experiments (in vitro whole-cell patch-clamp recording and in vivo extracellular recording). A behavior study suggested intrathecal MVIIA administration in the acute phase after SCI induced analgesia for mechanical allodynia. Immunohistochemical experiments and in vivo extracellular recordings suggested that MVIIA induces analgesia in SCI-induced pain by directly inhibiting neuronal activity in the superficial spinal dorsal horn. In vitro whole-cell patch-clamp recording showed that MVIIA inhibits presynaptic N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels expressed on primary afferent Aδ-and C-fiber terminals and suppresses the presynaptic glutamate release from substantia gelatinosa in the spinal dorsal horn. In conclusion, MVIIA administration in the acute phase after SCI may induce analgesia in SCI-induced pain by inhibiting N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels on Aδ-and C-fiber terminals in the spinal dorsal horn, resulting in decreased neuronal excitability enhanced by SCI-induced pain.
Perceived Impact of Personality Traits on the Academic Performance of Students in Biology

The study examined the perceived impact of personality traits on the academic performance of biology students in Makurdi, a local government area of Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions were raised and two hypotheses were also formulated and tested. The research design adopted for this study was a descriptive survey design. The study sample comprises 384 students who were randomly selected from the total population of 9,748 students of the 20 government secondary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. The instruments used for data collection in this study were the Five-Factor Inventory Questionnaire (FFIQ) for personality traits and “The Biology Performance Test (BPT)” for academic performance. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while ANOVA statistics and t-tests were used to test the hypotheses at a . 05 significance level. The findings revealed that there was no significant mean difference in the five personality traits of students and the personality traits of Biology students had no significant relationship with their performance in the subject. Also, there was no significant difference in the mean performance of students in each of the five personality traits based on gender. The findings further revealed no significant difference in students’ personality traits according to gender and no significant difference in the performance of students who were offered biology according to gender. This study recommends that Special attention be paid to improving the performance of students in Biology in Makurdi to strike an association between the traits. Also, male and female students should be given equal opportunities in biology since there is no gender difference in their personality traits and academic performance.