Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functioning, psychiatric symptoms and quality of life of individuals with severe mental disorders after psychiatric rehabilitation

Abstract Purpose Psychiatric disorders may have a negative effect on individuals’ living, forming intimate relationships, education, and employment. The aim of psychiatric rehabilitation is to promote recovery – finding ways to cope with mental disorders despite debilitating symptoms. This study aimed to explore the outcomes of accommodation, social inclusion, psychiatric symptoms, substance and service use, quality of life and subjective recovery of young adults with severe mental illness after psychiatric rehabilitation. Materials and methods The study population consisted of individuals who had been in residential psychiatric rehabilitation between the ages of 18–29 years. Data on outcomes were collected using a questionnaire after a flexible follow-up period (mean 29 months). The questionnaire was answered by 32 eligible persons. We analysed multiple outcomes and compared the proportion of persons living independently at the start, after psychiatric rehabilitation, and at the follow-up point. Results At the start of the rehabilitation, 33%, at the end, 69%, and at follow-up, 78% lived independently. However, most had not reached competitive employment nor were studying. Cognitive symptoms were the most common psychiatric symptoms, followed by depressive symptoms. More than 80% of the sample felt that they had partly recovered from their severe mental illness. Conclusion According to the results of this study residential psychiatric rehabilitation may have positive effects on functioning and independent living at follow-up. Reaching competitive employment is difficult for persons with severe mental disorders and effective rehabilitation interventions need to be implemented. However, this study had limitations, and these results should be considered preliminary.
The Belgian physiotherapy reimbursement criteria for fall prevention fails in screening appropriately fall-prone community-dwelling older adults

ABSTRACT Objectives The incidence of falling in older adults has remained unchanged over the past decades, despite evidence-based prevention initiatives. Therefore, it is appropriate to reflect on the current screening approach for preventive initiatives. The objective of this study was to determine whether the multifactorial algorithm proposed by Lusardi et al. (2017) exhibits superior predictive validity compared to the currently employed algorithm by the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI). Methods The current study includes a secondary analysis of data collected from a falls-related study in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Ghent University to compare the predictive validity of the two algorithms. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to ascertain which algorithm is more accurate. Results The database included a total of 94 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 76 years ±7.4, 35% male). Thirty-nine participants experienced at least one fall in the 8 month follow up. Lusardi's approach has a higher sensitivity score (89.7% compared to 10.3%) and negative predictive value (89.9% compared to 61.1%), but a lower specificity score (61.8% compared to 100%) and positive predictive value (62.2% compared to 100%) than the NIHDI approach. The AUC is 0.76 for Lusardi's approach and 0.55 for the NIHDI approach. Conclusion The use of the multifactorial algorithm proposed by Lusardi et al. may be significant and more accurate in identifying adults at risk to falls. Further research is needed particularly with a larger, more heterogenous group of older adults.
Early-life environmental effects on mitochondrial aerobic metabolism: a brood size manipulation in wild great tits.

In avian species, the number of chicks in the nest and subsequent sibling competition for food are major components of the offspring's early-life environment. A large brood size is known to affect chick's growth, leading in some cases to long-lasting effects for the offspring, such as a decrease in size at fledgling and in survival after fledging. An important pathway underlying different growth patterns could be the variation in offspring mitochondrial metabolism through its central role in converting energy. Here, we performed a brood size manipulation in great tits (Parus major) to unravel its impact on offspring's mitochondrial metabolism and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in red blood cells. We investigated the effects of brood size on chicks' growth and survival, and tested for long-lasting effects on juvenile mitochondrial metabolism and phenotype. As expected, chicks raised in reduced broods had a higher body mass compared to enlarged and control groups. However, mitochondrial metabolism and ROS production were not significantly affected by the treatment either at chick or juvenile stages. Interestingly, chicks raised in very small broods were smaller in size and had higher mitochondrial metabolic rates. The nest of rearing had a significant effect on nestling mitochondrial metabolism. The contribution of the rearing environment in determining offspring mitochondrial metabolism emphasizes the plasticity of mitochondrial metabolism in regards to the nest environment. This study opens new avenues regarding the implication of postnatal environmental conditions in shaping the offspring's early-life mitochondrial metabolism.
CALIPSO lidar observations of the optical properties of Saharan dust: A case study of long‐range transport

[1] An extensive dust storm originating on 17 August 2006 in North Africa was observed and tracked by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) lidar. Over the next several days, the dust layer moved westward across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Gulf of Mexico. The initial stages of the event were examined using a sequence of CALIPSO measurements. The first of these was acquired very near the source on 18 August. Successive measurements were made over the Atlantic Ocean on 19 and 20 August, at respective locations approximately ∼1300 km and ∼2400 km from the source region. The later stages of the event were assessed using measurements acquired by the NASA Langley Research Center airborne HSRL over the Gulf of Mexico on 28 August. Within the free troposphere, the intrinsic optical properties of the dust remain relatively unchanged for the first 3 d of transport over the Atlantic Ocean. This is consistent with previous in situ measurements that have shown that there is little change in the size distribution of dust as it crosses the Atlantic. After the 10 d journey to the Gulf of Mexico, some changes are seen in the lidar ratios, the backscatter color ratio, and the optical depth ratio. The linear depolarization ratio appears to remain essentially constant (∼0.32) at all four locations mentioned above, demonstrating a notable consistency in the dust particle nonsphericity. The measured 532 nm lidar ratios are 41 ± 3, 41 ± 4, 41 ± 6 and 45.8 ± 0.8 sr, respectively, at locations near the source, over the Atlantic Ocean, and in the Gulf of Mexico. The corresponding 1064 nm lidar ratios are 52 ± 5, 55 ± 5, 54 ± 13 and 44 ± 8.3 sr. The 532 nm lidar ratios are consistent with previous measurements and with CALIPSO's prelaunch models. The lidar ratios retrieved at 1064 nm are somewhat larger than would be expected on the basis of existing modeling studies. The backscatter color ratios are 0.74 ± 0.07, 0.75 ± 0.08, 0.72 ± 0.04 and 0.62 ± 0.01, and the optical depth ratios are 0.97 ± 0.02, 1.01 ± 0.05, 0.93 ± 0.17 and 0.62 ± 0.13, respectively.
Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Saltwater Intrusion in the Pearl River Estuary

Abstract Yuan, R. ; Zhu, J., and Wang, B. , 2015. Impact of sea-level rise on the saltwater intrusion in the Pearl River Estuary. A three-dimensional numerical model was established based on the Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model to study the impact of sea-level rise (SLR) on saltwater intrusion in the Pearl River Estuary. The model domain covered the entire river network, estuary, and offshore sea, and the model grid fit well with the coastlines, with a high resolution of ∼100 m in the river mouths. The model validation process showed that the model results fit the observed data fairly well. Results showed that saltwater intrusion in the river mouths was highly sensitive to SLR. Higher SLR enhanced saltwater intrusion, especially in the Modaomen waterway during neap tide. SLR enhanced the landward residual current in the Hongwan waterway and the landward bottom residual current in the Modaomen waterway, both of which carried high salinity water landward and thus made salinity higher. Isohaline of 0.45 (which is the salinity standard for drinking water) moved seaward in the Jiaomen and Hongqili outlets, whereas it moved landward in the Modaomen and Hutiaomen outlets in response to SLR. This pattern was well explained by the net water-flux changes in this branching estuary.
Comparison of the radioprotective effects of the liposomal forms of five natural radioprotectants in alleviating the adverse effects of ionising irradiation on human lymphocytes and skin cells in radiotherapy

Abstract This study aims to evaluate the radioprotective effects of liposomes encapsulating curcumin (Lip-CUR), silibinin (Lip-SIL), α-tocopherol (Lip-TOC), quercetin (Lip-QUE) and resveratrol (Lip-RES) in alleviating the adverse effects of ionising irradiation on human lymphoctyes and skin cells in radiotherapy. Liposomes encapsulating the above natural radioprotectants (Lip-NRPs) were prepared by the film hydration method combined with sonication. Their radioprotective effects for the cells against X-irradiation was evaluated using trypan-blue assay and γ-H2AX assay. All prepared Lip-NRPs had a mean diameter less than 240 nm, polydispersity index less than 0.32, and zeta potential more than −23 mV. Among them, the radioprotective effect of Lip-RES was lowest, while that of Lip-QUE was highest. Lip-SIL also exhibited a high radioprotective effect despite its low DPPH-radical scavenging activity (12.9%). The radioprotective effects of Lip-NRPs do not solely depend on the free radical scavenging activity of NRPs but also on their ability to activate cellular mechanisms.
L-glutamine protects against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection by inhibiting bacterial virulence and enhancing host defense concurrently

ABSTRACT Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) can colonize the gastrointestinal tract and cause bloody diarrhea in children. Previous studies showed that its pathogenesis could be mediated by metabolites from both the host and microbiota. L-Glutamine (Gln) was found to be depleted in intestinal tissues as the main energy source according to previous studies. Hence, we aimed to determine the effects of Gln on EHEC infection and its underlying mode of action. In this study, a Gln-limited signal was found to activate the type 3 secretion system (T3SS), which is crucial for EHEC infection via perturbation of central metabolism. By shifting the phosphorylation of NtrC, a key regulator in bacterial nitrogen metabolism, Gln stimulates ler transcripts in a σS-PchA-dependent manner. Our in vivo experiments further demonstrated that Gln supplementation can reduce EHEC colonization in the gastrointestinal tract by repressing T3SS. Moreover, Gln could further attenuate bacterial infection by boosting host defense, which might be dependent on multiple pathways. Besides, our experiments demonstrated that Gln did not induce Shiga-like toxin (Stx) production or cause impairment of gut flora. In conclusion, our study presented evidence that Gln could act against EHEC infection by reducing bacterial virulence and strengthening host defense. Therefore, Gln serves as a promising therapeutic agent for EHEC infection. IMPORTANCE The type 3 secretion system (T3SS) was obtained in many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, and it is crucial for their pathogenesis. Environmental signals were found to be involved in the expression regulation of T3SS, which was vital for successful bacterial infection in the host. Here, we discovered that L-glutamine (Gln), the most abundant amino acid in the human body, could repress enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) T3SS expression via nitrogen metabolism and therefore had potential as an antivirulence agent. Our in vitro and in vivo evidence demonstrated that Gln could decline EHEC infection by attenuating bacterial virulence and enhancing host defense simultaneously. We repurpose Gln as a potential treatment for EHEC infection accordingly. The type 3 secretion system (T3SS) was obtained in many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, and it is crucial for their pathogenesis. Environmental signals were found to be involved in the expression regulation of T3SS, which was vital for successful bacterial infection in the host. Here, we discovered that L-glutamine (Gln), the most abundant amino acid in the human body, could repress enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) T3SS expression via nitrogen metabolism and therefore had potential as an antivirulence agent. Our in vitro and in vivo evidence demonstrated that Gln could decline EHEC infection by attenuating bacterial virulence and enhancing host defense simultaneously. We repurpose Gln as a potential treatment for EHEC infection accordingly.
Spatial Coherence of Monsoon Onset over Western and Central Sahel (1950–2000)

Abstract The spatial coherence of boreal monsoon onset over the western and central Sahel (Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso) is studied through the analysis of daily rainfall data for 103 stations from 1950 to 2000. Onset date is defined using a local agronomic definition, that is, the first wet day (>1 mm) of 1 or 2 consecutive days receiving at least 20 mm without a 7-day dry spell receiving less than 5 mm in the following 20 days. Changing either the length or the amplitude of the initial wet spell, or both, or the length of the following dry spell modifies the long-term mean of local-scale onset date but has only a weak impact either on its interannual variability or its spatial coherence. Onset date exhibits a seasonal progression from southern Burkina Faso (mid-May) to northwestern Senegal and Saharian edges (early August). Interannual variability of the local-scale onset date does not seem to be strongly spatially coherent. The amount of common or covariant signal across the stations is far weaker than .
Remote sensing of urban vegetation life form by spectral mixture analysis of high‐resolution IKONOS satellite images

This paper evaluates the techniques of linear spectral unmixing (LSU), comparing high‐ and medium‐resolution images for their ability to obtain separate estimates of tree and grassy surfaces in urban areas. It demonstrates that, unlike on medium‐resolution images, tree and grassy surfaces each constitute distinct endmembers on high‐resolution images. This is because at high resolution, shadows in the urban scene approximate pixel size and therefore can be separately masked, thus avoiding the spectral similarities between shadow and tree canopies on the one hand, and low albedo surfaces on the other. In this study, the ability to mask shadow on IKONOS VHR images removes these spectral overlaps. Spatial autocorrelation, applied to find the characteristic scale lengths of vegetated patches in the study area, demonstrated that at the 4 m spatial resolution of IKONOS almost two thirds of pixels would be mixed, and at the 20 m resolution of SPOT all pixels would be mixed. Accuracies of the tree and grass fractions were found to be very high in the case of IKONOS, with 87% confidence that both the grass and tree fractions within each pixel were within 10% of the actual amount. The somewhat lower accuracy for SPOT supports previous studies based on medium‐resolution sensors, which have noted that trees do not constitute an endmember.
Rapid and scalable 3D object recognition using LIDAR data

This paper describes a model-based 3D object recognition system, which makes use of 3D data acquired by LIDAR sensors. The system is based on a coarse-to-fine scheme for object indexing and verification to achieve high efficiency and accuracy. The system employs rotationally invariant semi-local spin image features for object representation and formulates the recognition process as a feature searching through a database, followed by a matching process guided by putative candidates between the query features and the model features. To achieve recognition efficiency with sublinear dependency on the size of the model database, an approximate nearest-neighbor method, the locality-sensitivity-hashing (LSH), is used for feature search. Geometrically constrained scene-model correspondences are used to generate alignment hypotheses that are refined during a matching and verification process for achieving high recognition accuracy. A large model database of commercial and military vehicles is used for experiments. Results on real data acquired with commercial LADAR sensor systems, mounted on either high-lift or airborne platforms are presented. Our results indicate that 3D object recognition on LADAR data is matured to the point that it is ready for real large-scale applications.
Small baseline subsets approach of DInSAR for investigating land surface deformation along the high-speed railway

Land surface deformation evidently exists in a newly-built high-speed railway in the southeast of China. In this study, we utilize the Small BAseline Subsets (SBAS)-Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) technique to detect land surface deformation along the railway. In this work, 40 Cosmo-SkyMed satellite images were selected to analyze the spatial distribution and velocity of the deformation in study area. 88 pairs of image with high coherence were firstly chosen with an appropriate threshold. These images were used to deduce the deformation velocity map and the variation in time series. This result can provide information for orbit correctness and ground control point (GCP) selection in the following steps. Then, more pairs of image were selected to tighten the constraint in time dimension, and to improve the final result by decreasing the phase unwrapping error. 171 combinations of SAR pairs were ultimately selected. Reliable GCPs were re-selected according to the previously derived deformation velocity map. Orbital residuals error was rectified using these GCPs, and nonlinear deformation components were estimated. Therefore, a more accurate surface deformation velocity map was produced. Precise geodetic leveling work was implemented in the meantime. We compared the leveling result with the geocoding SBAS product using the nearest neighbour method. The mean error and standard deviation of the error were respectively 0.82 mm and 4.17 mm. This result demonstrates the effectiveness of DInSAR technique for monitoring land surface deformation, which can serve as a reliable decision for supporting highspeed railway project design, construction, operation and maintenance.
Signatures of tropopause folding in satellite imagery

[1] A satellite-based conceptual picture of the stratospheric contribution to the spring ozone peak is presented through a survey of flight measurements and satellite imagery from the Tropospheric Ozone Production about the Spring Equinox (TOPSE) program. We address the stratospheric contribution through the process of tropopause folding across air mass boundaries (the arctic and polar tropopause break) in the polar and midlatitude upper troposphere. These boundaries and the boundaries of their related outgrowing streamers are easily identifiable as sharp gradients in the altered water vapor (AWV) imagery, a linear modification of the GOES water vapor channel that represents upper tropospheric specific humidity. The close relationship between altered brightness temperature and total ozone (from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and the GOES sounder) along this gradient confirms the utility of AWV imagery in detecting the tropopause break. Transects constructed from aircraft lidar and in situ observations of ozone illustrate the existence of tropopause folding along the AWV gradient. Ten out of ten available transects during the February to May study period show tropopause folding where indicated by the satellite imagery. This is strong evidence that folding is ubiquitous across the polar/stratospheric air mass boundary during the study period, and that the associated intrusions of stratospheric air into the troposphere can be located continuously using AWV imagery.
Speciation of La3+-Cl- Complexes in Hydrothermal Fluids from Deep Potential Molecular Dynamics.

The stability of rare earth element (REE) complexes plays a crucial role in quantitatively assessing their hydrothermal migration and transformation. However, reliable data are lacking under high-temperature hydrothermal conditions, which hampers our understanding of the association behavior of REE. Here a deep learning potential model for the LaCl3-H2O system in hydrothermal fluids is developed based on the first-principles density functional theory calculations. The model accurately predicts the radial distribution functions compared to ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. Furthermore, species of La-Cl complexes, the dissociation pathway of the La-Cl complexes dissociation process, and the potential of mean forces and corresponding association constants (logK) for LaCln3-n (n = 1-4) are extensively investigated under a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Empirical density models for logK calculation are fitted with these data and can accurately predict logK data from both experimental results and AIMD simulations. The distribution of La-Cl species is also evaluated across a wide range of temperatures, pressures, and initial chloride concentration conditions. The results show that La-Cl complexes are prone to forming in a low-density solution, and the number of bonded Cl- ions increases with rising temperature. In contrast, in a high-density solution, La3+ dominates and becomes the more prevalent species.
Aberration correction in abdominal histotripsy

Abstract In transabdominal histotripsy, ultrasound pulses are focused into the body to noninvasively destroy soft tissues via cavitation. However, the ability to focus is limited by phase aberration, or decorrelation of the ultrasound pulses due to spatial variation in the speed of sound throughout heterogeneous tissue. Phase aberration shifts, broadens, and weakens the focus, thereby reducing the safety and efficacy of histotripsy therapy. This paper reviews and discusses aberration effects in histotripsy and in related therapeutic ultrasound techniques (e.g., high intensity focused ultrasound), with an emphasis on aberration by soft tissues. Methods for aberration correction are reviewed and can be classified into two groups: model-based methods, which use segmented images of the tissue as input to an acoustic propagation model to predict and compensate phase differences, and signal-based methods, which use a receive-capable therapy array to detect phase differences by sensing acoustic signals backpropagating from the focus. The relative advantages and disadvantages of both groups of methods are discussed. Importantly, model-based methods can correct focal shift, while signal-based methods can restore substantial focal pressure, suggesting that both methods should be combined in a 2-step approach. Aberration correction will be critical to improving histotripsy treatments and expanding the histotripsy treatment envelope to enable non-invasive, non-thermal histotripsy therapy for more patients.