Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sex-Specific Relationships between HDL-Cholesterol Levels and 10-Year Mortality in Individuals with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Nationwide Cohort Study of South Koreans

Large epidemiological studies show U-shaped relationships between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and all-cause mortality in individuals without atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). Association in those with ASCVD by sex is unclear. We examined the association between HDL-C levels and 10-year all-cause mortality in subjects (≥40 years of age) with ASCVD using the 2010 National Health Insurance Service and the National Death Registry of Korea. We categorized HDL-C levels into three groups (low: <40 mg/dL for males, <50 mg/dL for females; high: 40–90 mg/dL for males, 50–90 mg/dL for females; extremely high: >90 mg/dL) and 10 mg/dL intervals. We conducted a sex-stratified and adjusted Cox proportional hazards analysis. Out of 1,711,548 individuals (54% female, mean age 61.4 years), 10-year mortality was observed in 218,252 (12.8%). Males had a higher mortality rate than females (16.2% vs. 9.8%; p < 0.001). When adjusting for age, body mass index, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption, the low and extremely high HDL-C groups had significantly higher hazard ratios for 10-year mortality compared to the high HDL-C group in males [1.183 (1.166–1.199), 1.359 (1.288–1.434)] and in females [1.153 (1.138–1.169), 1.095 (1.029–1.167)]. The frequency distribution bars for the 10-year mortality rate showed sex-specific nadirs of 50–59 mg/dL in males and 70–79 mg/dL in females. In this ASCVD cohort, the extremely high HDL-C (>90 mg/dL) group had 35.9% and 9.5% higher 10-year mortality risks than the high HDL-C group for males and females, respectively. There was a slightly U-shaped relationship between baseline HDL-C levels and a 10-year mortality rate, with earlier inflection in males than in females.
Inverse Reinforcement Learning Integrated Reinforcement Learning for Single Intersection Traffic Signal Control

Traffic Signal Control (TSC) optimization is vital for efficient traffic flow in urban intersections. Recent research has explored the application of Reinforcement Learning (RL) agents to tackle TSC challenges. However, the selection of an appropriate reward function in RL agent training still relies on subjective judgment and experience. To address this issue, an Inverse Reinforcement Learning (IRL) integrated RL algorithm is proposed. In the IRL learning section, expert trajectory data are collected and analyzed by Relative Entropy IRL (REIRL). The latent reward of expert policy is reconstructed and utilized in RL agent training process. In the RL control section, a Double Dueling Deep Q Network is applied under a cycle control framework. As verified in simulations, the introduction of expert experience improves the performance of the RL agent to the expert level and concurrently enables robustness to expert policy noises.
The utilization of single-cell sequencing technology in investigating the immune microenvironment of ccRCC

The growth and advancement of ccRCC are strongly associated with the presence of immune infiltration and the tumor microenvironment, comprising tumor cells, immune cells, stromal cells, vascular cells, myeloid-derived cells, and extracellular matrix (ECM). Nevertheless, as a result of the diverse and constantly evolving characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, prior advanced sequencing methods have frequently disregarded specific less prevalent cellular traits at varying intervals, thereby concealing their significance. The advancement and widespread use of single-cell sequencing technology enable us to comprehend the source of individual tumor cells and the characteristics of a greater number of individual cells. This, in turn, minimizes the impact of intercellular heterogeneity and temporal heterogeneity of the same cell on experimental outcomes. This review examines the attributes of the tumor microenvironment in ccRCC and provides an overview of the progress made in single-cell sequencing technology and its particular uses in the current focus of immune infiltration in ccRCC.
Mammalian herbivore communities, ancient feeding ecology, and carbon isotopes: A 10 million-year sequence from the Neogene of Florida

ABSTRACT Medium- to large-bodied mammalian herbivores are taxonomically diverse and comprise a large component of the highly fossiliferous Neogene terrestrial sedimentary sequence from Florida. In order to reconstruct herbivore paleodiets and community paleoecology as well as understand climate and ecosystem change, 112 pristine tooth enamel samples were analyzed for at least 12 families and 26 genera within the orders Proboscidea, Perissodactyla, and Artiodactyla. These samples are from 17 localities and seven time horizons of late Miocene (Hemphillian) through late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) age and between about 9.5 Ma to 100,000 yrs ago. Stable carbon isotopic analyses indicate that during the late Miocene local terrestrial communities and herbivore paleodiets consisted exclusively, or predominantly, of C3 plants, e.g., mean tooth enamel δ13C value is −11.9%o from the 9.5 Ma level. During the latest Miocene-early Pliocene (after 7 Ma) there is a shift in mean δ13C values of tooth enamel to −7.0%o (4.
Optimal Planting Density and Nutrient Application of Soybeans: A Case Study in Northeastern China

In the context of the Chinese government’s policy guidance, there is black soil protection and ecological environment protection. The purpose of this paper is to solve the problem that the soil ecology of the black soil in Northeast China is changing year by year, and it is necessary to explore the sowing and fertilization strategy under the new situation; most Chinese growers rely excessively on their personal experience in the process of soybean sowing and fertilization. In this study, we used “Heihe 43” soybeans and used regression experimental design methods to analyze the effects of planting density, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer application on soybean yield and to determine the optimal planting density and fertilizer ratios. The study reveals that the optimal soybean planting density in Northeast China is 45.37 × 104 plants/ha, with nitrogen at 98.4 kg/ha, phosphorus at 218.96 kg/ha, and potash at 47.62 kg/ha. Under these conditions, soybean yields can reach 3816.67 kg/ha. This study can provide a theoretical method for decision-making to obtain the optimal planting density and fertilizer ratio for different regions of the farming system.
Recent Advances in the Behavioral Ecology of European Plethodontid Salamanders

Simple Summary Recently, the study of amphibian behavioral ecology has received increased interest from ethologists and evolutionary biologists. In fact, plethodontid salamanders (family Plethodontidae) are often used as model organisms to better understand different aspects of behavioral adaptation. We reviewed the recent scientific literature published on the behavioral ecology of European cave salamanders belonging to the genus Speleomantes, to highlight recent advancements and possible future directions for successful research. We found that, in recent years, several aspects of Speleomantes behavior were investigated, such as trophic strategies and parental care, while others were neglected, in particular, chemical communication at the intraspecfic level. Finally, we propose European cave salamanders as useful models to understand the gradual adaptation of behaviors that facilitate the permanent colonization of subterranean habitats. Abstract There is a recent growing interest in the study of evolutionary and behavioral ecology of amphibians. Among salamanders, Plethodontidae is the most speciose family, with more than 500 species, while in Europe, there are only 8 species, all belonging to the genus Speleomantes. European plethodontids recently received increasing attention with regard to the study of their natural history, ecology and behavior; however, the lack of standardized data, especially for the latter, hampers comparative analysis with the species from the New World. We here synthetized the recent advances in Speleomantes behavioral ecology, considering as a starting point the comprehensive monography of Lanza and colleagues published in 2006. We identified the behavioral categories that were investigated the most, but we also highlighted knowledge gaps and provided directions for future studies. By reviewing the scientific literature published within the period 2006–2022, we observed a significant increase in the number of published articles on Speleomantes behavior, overall obtaining 36 articles. Behavioral studies on Speleomantes focused mainly on trophic behavior (42%), and on intraspecific behavior (33%), while studies on pheromonal communication and interspecific behavioral interactions were lacking. In addition, most of the studies were observational (83%), while the experimental method was rarely used. After providing a synthesis of the current knowledge, we suggest some relevant topics that need to be considered in future research on the behavioral ecology of European plethodontids, highlighting the importance of a more integrative approach in which both field observations and planned experiments are used.
Exploration of Fluidic Thrust Vectoring Control on a Dynamic Test Rig: Computational and Experimental Analysis

: Fluidic thrust vectoring (FTV) control is a cutting-edge method used to manipulate the motion of an unmanned air vehicle when traditional control surfaces like elevators are not available. The primary purpose of employing FTV is to make the aircraft less detectable. This research centers around the exploration of the co-ﬂow variation of the FTV concept. In this approach, a secondary jet with a signiﬁcant velocity is injected into the boundary layer of the primary jet. As a consequence, the primary jet is diverted, leading to the formation of a pitch moment. Numerical simulations were conducted to analyze different ratios of secondary and primary jet velocities, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of the proposed technique. The test rig, designed with a pitch-constraint dynamic setup, utilized electric ducted fans to generate primary and secondary ﬂows. At 19 m/s primary velocity, the experimental testing shows a maximum vertical force of 0.4 N, producing a deﬂection of 25°, which is deemed adequate for thrust vectoring. This research builds upon the authors’ previous work on characterizing a static co-ﬂow FTV rig. The comparison between the computational ﬂuid dynamics analyses and the experimental results demonstrates agreement in the behavior of the vectored jet. This validation further strengthens the ﬁndings presented in this paper.
Elevated Anti-Müllerian Hormone as a Prognostic Factor for Poor Outcomes of In Vitro Fertilization in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) tend to have elevated anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, which appear to correlate with disease severity and pregnancy outcomes. This was a retrospective observational study designed to assess the relationship between circulating AMH levels and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. The study involved 150 women with PCOS who underwent IVF treatments. The women’s IVF cycles were allocated into three subgroups according to AMH levels: ‘low’ (AMH < 3.7 ng/mL; n = 49), ‘middle’ (AMH 3.7–7.4 ng/mL; n = 94), and ‘high’ (AMH > 7.4 ng/mL; n = 56). All pregnancy-related outcomes (positive beta human chorionic gonadotropin (βHCG), clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate, and cumulative live birth rate) were greater in women’s IVF cycles with ‘low’ AMH when compared to those with ‘middle’ or ‘high’ AMH (p < 0.05). AMH levels below 3.7 ng/mL were found to be associated with lower oocyte immaturity rate and better pregnancy outcomes, although baseline AMH was not shown to have any significant predictive power for live birth and cumulative live birth in the multivariable logistic regression analysis after adjusting for possible confounders nor in the ROC analyses. In summary, the current study lays the groundwork to validate high AMH levels as a poor prognostic factor for pregnancy outcomes after IVF in women with PCOS.
Performance Evaluation of Solar Chimney System in the Tropics

This paper aims to determine the performances of the solar chimney system under a hot and wet tropical weather using an actual full scale solar chimney installed in an operating building. Results showed that under cloudy conditions, the low solar irradiance can induce an average air speed of 1.5 m/s and 0.4 m/s within the solar chimney ducts and classroom respectively. The second objective examines the influences of the position of the solar chimney inlet on the air speed and movement within the classroom. Experimental data and smoke test results showed that lowering the inlet to occupancy's height significantly increased the air speed to a maximum of 0.6 m/s within the classroom. Further research is required to determine the combine effects of the position of the solar chimney inlet and fenestrations on the classroom.
Artificial Neural Network Model of Landscape Pattern in Xiamen City

Artificial Neural Network(ANN) models are widely used in the fields of trend analysis,pattern recognition,ecosystem simulation,ecological data processing,remote sensing-based extraction of ecological parameters,oil exploration,pest and disease control,and geological hydrology,among others.But ANN models are seldom used in landscape pattern simulation.There are non-linear relationships between elevation,slope,distance to highway,industrial and mining sites and landscape index.To simulate landscape pattern using these factors,an ANN model using GIS was applied to Xiamen City.Data such as elevation,slope,distance to highway,industrial and mining sites,and the area of residential sites,was extracted using a GIS platform and used as input variables.Indexes for Patch Density(PD),Mean Patch Fractal Dimension(MPFD),Contagion(CONTAG),and Shannon Diversity Index(SHDI) were computed with Fragstats 3.3 and chosen as output variables.Previous research on landscape pattern suggests that the landscape sample should be 2～5 times the average patch area,to accurately portray landscape pattern.We calculated the average size of patches in Xiamen City and set the sample size as 3km×3km grids,with a total of 174 grid cells to cover Xiamen City.Of those grids,40 typical ones that were symmetrically distributed were chosen as samples.The cells were divided into two groups,and 34 were selected as training samples.The other ones were used for simulation.The error of landscape pattern indexes between the simulated samples and the actual six output samples are acceptable,with a maximum error of only 0.2897%. Our research showed that in high-altitude mountainous areas which are minimally influenced by human activities,Patch Density,Mean Patch Fractal Dimension and Shannon Diversity Index are low,but Contagion indexes have higher values.In contrast,in some plain zones which are heavily influenced by human activity,Patch Density,Mean Patch Fractal Dimension and Shannon Diversity Index are high,while Contagion indexes are low.Also,the quality and quantity of sample data plays an important part in the results of the landscape pattern simulation.Determining a suitable size for the samples will improve the simulation accuracy to a certain extent.The ANN model could be appropriately used in research on the driving mechanisms of nonlinear relationships among natural and social factors and changes in urban landscape patterns.It can also be used as a method for quantitative prediction of landscape pattern index,and can contribute to future planning of urban landscapes.
Crop & Match: RoI Cropping and Feature Matching for Segmentation of Small Objects

In semantic segmentation, predicting RoI (Region of Interest) classes or objects within small regions faces challenges. To address this issue, we propose Crop&Match, a method to combine RoI cropping and feature matching, to enhance model performance of small RoI classes. The cropping ensures the network to focus on small RoI regions by cropping image regions to contain RoI. And feature matching aligns input images with their RoI cropped versions at a representation level, improving predictive consistency across different perspectives on the same image, thereby boosting RoI class recognition.
Structural styles, chronology rates of deformation, and time-space relationships in the Umbria-Marche thrust system (central Apennines, Italy)

Structural interpretation of geological and geophysical data available for the central Apennines (Italy) allowed us to draw, balance, and restore three geological profiles across the external zones of the Umbria-Marche thrust system and to evaluate the timing and rates of deformation in a roughly 4 Ma time window (from late Messinian to late Pleistocene time). From this data set we established a general correlation between spacing L and thickness D of the thrust sheets (which was used as a depth correction factor for deriving local versus regional depths to the sole thrust) and a time-space relationship between the closing time of activity of each thrust and the distance X from a reference point within the system.
Coupling analysis of seepage-damage-fracture in fractured rock mass and engineering application

By comprehensive use of the theories of structural mechanics of rock mass, geometrical damage mechanics and rock fluid mechanics, the model of seepage-damage-fracture coupling (extended FLAC3D model) is established. Based on FLAC3D existing computation modules, the programs of seepage-damage-fracture coupling in fractured rock mass are developed with the Fish language. The coupling mechanism of the model lies in that hydraulic gradient applies on the stress calculation units as permeable volume strength. Seepage pressure applies on the opening part of cracks as surface force, resulting in damage of rocks with splitting and growth of discontinuous cracks. The crack growth induces the increase of permeability coefficient, ultimately the change of seepage field. The seepage-damage-fracture coupling analysis on the fractured rock bank slope during the rising of water level in a reservoir is shown. The laws of the distribution of the seepage field and rock damage field evolution are obtained. A preliminary study on deformation of bank slope during the rising of water level in the reservoir is also made. Coupling analysis indicates that deformation of bank slope is due to the interaction of increment seepage force and increment uplift force. For the fractured bank slope with relatively high elevation of water storage, the increase of seepage pressure in fractures leads to the starting growth and propagation of damage zone. High seepage pressure leads to the growth of damage zone in unfavorable fault zone and even to the penetration. It may be the important reason for the instability of bank slopes.
Switching Losses Calculation Method for Modular Multi-Level Converters Using Half-Bridge Submodules

Several converters based on series-connected submodules have been reported in the literature for high voltage direct current (HVDC) applications. For these converters, the calculation of switching losses in the semiconductors is challenging since it is difficult to predict the instants of the switching actions. Analytical methods with low accuracy and methods based on detailed simulations with long computation time have been proposed in the literature for modular multilevel converters (MMC). In this context, this paper proposes a simulation-based method for calculation of losses on any converter topology based on stacks of half-bridge submodules balancing accuracy and computing time. The method is based on the time-domain simulation of a submodule stack model in Matlab/Simulink. Then, the converter key operation values obtained from the simulation, such as stack current and submodule control actions, are used to calculate the switching losses in a post-processing treatment. To validate the method, the submodule stack switching losses of a MMC and a DC-MMC are assessed. The method is compared against a detailed model simulation using PLECS platform as a reference and against analytical methods. Furthermore, a statistical analysis of the losses distribution among the submodules and a sensitivity analysis are performed. As result, the proposed method gives a good trade-off between accuracy and computing time. The contribution of this paper is the proposed method to assess switching losses in converters based on stacks of submodules, not only the MMC, with acceptable accuracy and low computing time, compared with other state-of-the-art methods.
Using Pedotransfer Functions to Estimate the van Genuchten–Mualem Soil Hydraulic Properties: A Review

We reviewed the use of the van Genuchten–Mualem (VGM) model to parameterize soil hydraulic properties and for developing pedotransfer functions (PTFs). Analysis of literature data showed that the moisture retention characteristic (MRC) parameterization by setting shape parameters m = 1 − 1/n produced the largest deviations between fitted and measured water contents for pressure head values between 330 (log10 pressure head [pF] 2.5) and 2500 cm (pF 3.4). The Schaap–van Genuchten model performed best in describing the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, K The classical VGM model using fixed parameters produced increasingly higher root mean squared residual, RMSR, values when the soil became drier. The most accurate PTFs for estimating the MRC were obtained when using textural properties, bulk density, soil organic matter, and soil moisture content. The RMSR values for these PTFs approached those of the direct fit, thus suggesting a need to improve both PTFs and the MRC parameterization. Inclusion of the soil water content in the PTFs for K only marginally improved their prediction compared with the PTFs that used only textural properties and bulk density. Including soil organic matter to predict K had more effect on the prediction than including soil moisture. To advance the development of PTFs, we advocate the establishment of databases of soil hydraulic properties that (i) are derived from standardized and harmonized measurement procedures, (ii) contain new predictors such as soil structural properties, and (iii) allow the development of time‐dependent PTFs. Successful use of structural properties in PTFs will require parameterizations that account for the effect of structural properties on the soil hydraulic functions.