Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using a Bayesian Network Model to Predict Risk of Pesticides on Aquatic Community Endpoints in a Rice Field—A Southern European Case Study

Bayesian network (BN) models are increasingly used as tools to support probabilistic environmental risk assessments (ERAs), because they can better account for uncertainty compared with the simpler approaches commonly used in traditional ERA. We used BNs as metamodels to link various sources of information in a probabilistic framework, to predict the risk of pesticides to aquatic communities under given scenarios. The research focused on rice fields surrounding the Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain), and considered three selected pesticides: acetamiprid (an insecticide), 2‐methyl‐4‐chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA; a herbicide), and azoxystrobin (a fungicide). The developed BN linked the inputs and outputs of two pesticide models: a process‐based exposure model (Rice Water Quality [RICEWQ]), and a probabilistic effects model (Predicts the Ecological Risk of Pesticides [PERPEST]) using case‐based reasoning with data from microcosm and mesocosm experiments. The model characterized risk at three levels in a hierarchy: biological endpoints (e.g., molluscs, zooplankton, insects, etc.), endpoint groups (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and community processes), and community. The pesticide risk to a biological endpoint was characterized as the probability of an effect for a given pesticide concentration interval. The risk to an endpoint group was calculated as the joint probability of effect on any of the endpoints in the group. Likewise, community‐level risk was calculated as the joint probability of any of the endpoint groups being affected. This approach enabled comparison of risk to endpoint groups across different pesticide types. For example, in a scenario for the year 2050, the predicted risk of the insecticide to the community (40% probability of effect) was dominated by the risk to invertebrates (36% risk). In contrast, herbicide‐related risk to the community (63%) resulted from risk to both plants (35%) and invertebrates (38%); the latter might represent (in the present study) indirect effects of toxicity through the food chain. This novel approach combines the quantification of spatial variability of exposure with probabilistic risk prediction for different components of aquatic ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:182–196. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Organic contaminant transport and fate in the subsurface: Evolution of knowledge and understanding

Toxic organic contaminants may enter the subsurface as slightly soluble and volatile nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) or as dissolved solutes resulting in contaminant plumes emanating from the source zone. A large body of research published in Water Resources Research has been devoted to characterizing and understanding processes controlling the transport and fate of these organic contaminants and the effectiveness of natural attenuation, bioremediation, and other remedial technologies. These contributions include studies of NAPL flow, entrapment, and interphase mass transfer that have advanced from the analysis of simple systems with uniform properties and equilibrium contaminant phase partitioning to complex systems with pore‐scale and macroscale heterogeneity and rate‐limited interphase mass transfer. Understanding of the fate of dissolved organic plumes has advanced from when biodegradation was thought to require oxygen to recognition of the importance of anaerobic biodegradation, multiple redox zones, microbial enzyme kinetics, and mixing of organic contaminants and electron acceptors at plume fringes. Challenges remain in understanding the impacts of physical, chemical, biological, and hydrogeological heterogeneity, pore‐scale interactions, and mixing on the fate of organic contaminants. Further effort is needed to successfully incorporate these processes into field‐scale predictions of transport and fate. Regulations have greatly reduced the frequency of new point‐source contamination problems; however, remediation at many legacy plumes remains challenging. A number of fields of current relevance are benefiting from research advances from point‐source contaminant research. These include geologic carbon sequestration, nonpoint‐source contamination, aquifer storage and recovery, the fate of contaminants from oil and gas development, and enhanced bioremediation.
Recombinant antigen delivery to dendritic cells as a way to improve vaccine design

Dendritic cells are central to the development of immunity, as they are specialized in initiating antigen-specific immune responses. In this review, we briefly present the existing knowledge on dendritic cell biology and how their division in different dendritic cell subsets may impact the development of immune responses. In addition, we explore the use of chimeric monoclonal antibodies that bind to dendritic cell surface receptors, with an emphasis on the C-type lectin family of endocytic receptors, to deliver antigens directly to these cells. Promising preclinical studies have shown that it is possible to modulate the development of immune responses to different pathogens when monoclonal antibodies fused to pathogen-derived antigens are used to deliver the antigen to different subsets of dendritic cells. This approach can be used to improve the efficacy of vaccines against different pathogens.
Integrating multimodal and multiscale connectivity blueprints of the human cerebral cortex in health and disease

The brain is composed of disparate neural populations that communicate and interact with one another. Although fiber bundles, similarities in molecular architecture, and synchronized neural activity all reflect how brain regions potentially interact with one another, a comprehensive study of how all these interregional relationships jointly reflect brain structure and function remains missing. Here, we systematically integrate 7 multimodal, multiscale types of interregional similarity (“connectivity modes”) derived from gene expression, neurotransmitter receptor density, cellular morphology, glucose metabolism, haemodynamic activity, and electrophysiology in humans. We first show that for all connectivity modes, feature similarity decreases with distance and increases when regions are structurally connected. Next, we show that connectivity modes exhibit unique and diverse connection patterns, hub profiles, spatial gradients, and modular organization. Throughout, we observe a consistent primacy of molecular connectivity modes—namely correlated gene expression and receptor similarity—that map onto multiple phenomena, including the rich club and patterns of abnormal cortical thickness across 13 neurological, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, to construct a single multimodal wiring map of the human cortex, we fuse all 7 connectivity modes and show that the fused network maps onto major organizational features of the cortex including structural connectivity, intrinsic functional networks, and cytoarchitectonic classes. Altogether, this work contributes to the integrative study of interregional relationships in the human cerebral cortex.
Immigration Discourses in the U.S. and in Japan

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how systems of racial inequality and dominance produced at macro-institutional level discourses are reproduced and/or challenged in micro-interpersonal everyday discourses regarding immigration/foreign workers in the U.S. and in Japan. To establish a link between the discourses at these two levels, I employed a combination of critical and interpretive theoretical perspectives, and analyzed how racial ideologies were reproduced and/or challenged through participants’ use of various interpretative repertoires (i.e., discursive themes and specific rhetorical moves therein) and positioning of self and Others. Interpretative repertoires and discursive positioning of self and Others are major analytical frameworks of discursive psychology that were developed by Wetherell and Potter (1992), and I employed their discursive psychological analysis as the methodology
Balancing trade‐off issues in land use change and the impact on streamflow and salinity management

The south‐west region of the Goulburn–Broken catchment in the south‐eastern Murray–Darling Basin in Australia faces a range of natural resource challenges. A balanced strategy is required to achieve the contrasting objectives of remediation of land salinization and reducing salt export, while maintaining water supply security to satisfy human consumption and support ecosystems. This study linked the Catchment Analysis Tool (CAT), comprising a suite of farming system models, to the catchment‐scale CATNode hydrological model to investigate the effects of land use change and climate variation on catchment streamflow and salt export. The modelling explored and contrasted the impacts of a series of different revegetation and climate scenarios. The results indicated that targeted revegetation to only satisfy biodiversity outcomes within a catchment is unlikely to have much greater impact on streamflow and salt load in comparison with simple random plantings. Additionally, the results also indicated that revegetation to achieve salt export reduction can effectively reduce salt export while having a disproportionately smaller affect on streamflows. Furthermore, streamflow declines can be minimized by targeting revegetation activities without significantly altering salt export. The study also found that climate change scenarios will have an equal if not more significant impact on these issues over the next 70 years. Uncertainty in CATNode streamflow predictions was investigated because of the effect of parameter uncertainty. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surface layer response to topographic solar shading in Antarctica's dry valleys

The effects of topographic shading on local flow transitioning and atmospheric surface layer properties are investigated using observational data from the Miers Valley, one of the dry valleys of Antarctica. A unique data set was collected during a 9 day period in the summer of 2012 using an eddy covariance system and a sound detection and ranging that provided vertical profiles of wind and turbulence characteristics in the surface layer and the lower part of the boundary layer within the Miers Valley. This data set is ideal for investigating the dynamics of flow transitioning due to topographic shading, without the atmosphere experiencing complete darkness. The lack of atmospheric humidity, soil moisture, and surface vegetation in the dry valleys creates an atmosphere within which the microclimatic responses are amplified, and as a result, the valley atmosphere is extremely sensitive to solar radiation. The entire measured valley boundary layer (up to 250 m above ground level) feels the transition from an unstable to a stable stratification as the surface temperature drops by 10°C in response to the topographic shading. Wavelet analysis reveals the dynamics of flow deceleration, stagnation, and oscillations as the flow transitions from an unstable to a stable boundary layer. The larger air mass (along valley) scales to the longer terrain fetch, and as the shade is cast over the valley, it retains some of the longer wavelengths of the flow. The cross‐valley component influenced by the slopes is quicker to adjust to short‐period oscillations and takes around three more hours before it couples with the oscillatory pattern of the along‐valley flow.
ROR2 deficit may induce the tetralogy of Fallot via down‐regulating of β‐catenin/SOX3/HSPA6 in vitro and in vivo

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the highly conventional appearance of cyanotic congenital heart disease. Our study aimed to assess the involvement of receptor tyrosine kinase‐like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) in TOF and elucidate the specific mechanism. Upon investigation of human tissue samples, we observed a decrease in ROR2 expression in TOF patients compared to healthy control individuals. Transcriptome analysis revealed diminished ROR2 expression in TOF pathological samples relative to normal tissues. Of the 2246 genes that exhibited altered expression, 886 were upregulated, while 1360 were down‐regulated. KEGG analysis and GO analysis of the differentially expressed genes indicated that these genes were significantly enriched in the Wnt signalling pathway, apoptosis and cardiac development function. Importantly, ROR2 was the only gene shared among the three pathways. Furthermore, interference with ROR2 promotes apoptosis and curtails cell proliferation in vitro. The knockdown of the ROR2 gene in AC16 cells resulted in a significant decrease in Edu‐positive cells. Flow cytometry studies indicated an increase in the percentage of cells in the S phase. In contrast, the G2/M cell cycle transition was blocked in the ROR2‐knockdown group, leading to a significant increase in apoptosis. Moreover, the CCK‐8 cell viability assay demonstrated a reduced proliferation in the ROR2‐knockdown group. Furthermore, both in vivo and in vitro data indicated that the expression of HSPA6 (Recombinant Heat Shock 70 kDa Protein6), an essential gene enriched in cardiac tissue and associated with apoptosis, was down‐regulated following ROR2 knockdown mediated by the β‐catenin/SOX3 signalling pathway. In conclusion, low expression of ROR2 plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of TOF, which may be related to the downregulation of HSPA6 through the β‐catenin/SOX3 signalling pathway.
Impact of physical processes on the seasonal distribution of the fugacity of CO2 in the western tropical Atlantic

The fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) has been measured underway during three quasi-synoptic cruises in the western tropical Atlantic in March/April 2009 and July/August 2010 in the region 6°S–15°N, 52°W–24°W. The distribution of fCO2 is related to the main features of the ocean circulation. Temperature exerts a dominant control on the distribution of fCO2 in March/April whereas salinity plays an important role in July/August due to the more developed North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) carrying Amazon water and to the high precipitation associated with the presence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The main surface currents are characterized by different fCO2. Overall, the NECC carries less saline waters with lower fCO2 compared to the South Equatorial Current (SEC). The North Equatorial Current (NEC) is usually characterized by CO2 undersaturation in winter and supersaturation in summer. Using empirical fCO2-SST-SSS relationships, two seasonal maps of fCO2 are constructed for March 2009 and July 2010. The region is a sink of CO2 of 0.40 mmol m−2d−1 in March, explained by the winter cooling in the northern hemisphere, whereas it is a source of CO2 of 1.32 mmol m−2d−1 in July. The equatorial region is a source of CO2 throughout the year due to the upwelling supplying CO2-rich waters to the surface. However, the evolution of fCO2 over time, determined from all the available cruises in a small area, 1°S–1°N, 32°W–28°W, suggests that the source of CO2 has decreased in February-March from 1983 to 2011 or has remained constant in October-November from 1991 to 2010.
An integrated permeability‐depth model for Earth's crust

Permeability, which generally decreases with depth, is the most important parameter that controls fluid flow in Earth's crust. There are two categories of models that describe the permeability‐depth relationship: one category forces permeability to approach infinity at the surface, and the other category leads to too much decrease in permeability with depth. Here we present a new model that integrates and reconciles existing models thus allowing for complete description of crustal permeability from the surface and through the entire crust. Our model provides improved description of observed data and is applicable to both continental crust and oceanic crust. It can be used to obtain a better understanding of the role of fluids in crustal processes.
Increased volatility in video poker results in more winning players but shorter winning streaks – Evidence from simulations

Abstract Objective and Method Electronic gambling machines are a prominent cause of significant gambling harms globally. We use simulations of a simplified video poker game to show how changes in game volatility, defined primarily by the size of the main prize, affect patterns of wins and losses as well as winning streaks. Results We found that in low- and medium volatility games the proportion of winning players quickly drops to zero after about 30 h of play, while in the high volatility game 5% of players are still winning after playing for 100 h. However, the proportion of winning streaks was significantly higher in the low- and medium volatility games compared with high volatility: the simulated players were on a winning streak about 26.3, 25.6 and 18% of the time in the low-, medium- and high volatility games, respectively. Conclusions Fast-paced video poker with varying volatility levels but identical return-to-player rates and win frequencies can yield highly different result patterns across individuals. These patterns may be counter-intuitive for players and difficult to realize without simulations and visualizations. We argue that the findings have relevance for responsible gambling communication and for building a better understanding of how cognitive biases influence gambling behaviour.
Riverbank Stability Analysis. II: Applications

Bank retreat occurs by a combination of lateral erosion by the flow and mass failure under gravity. A new analysis of bank erosion and failure is developed, using a critical shear‐stress concept to account for lateral erosion and a slope stability criterion for mass failure. In this paper, we apply the analysis to two problems of bank retreat often encountered by practicing engineers dealing with alluvial channels. The first application is to the prediction of degradation downstream of a dam for the case in which bed lowering causes bank instability. We show that rapid bank retreat can occur once the threshold height for mass failure of the banks is reached. This supplies sediment to the flow, tends to limit the depth of degradation, and drives complex response downstream. The second application is to the modeling of flow in channel bends and the prediction of the equilibrium cross section. We show that scour depth at the outer bank may be limited by the critical bank height. If scouring causes the outer .
Differences in the incidence and mortality of digestive cancer between Global Cancer Observatory 2020 and Global Burden of Disease 2019

The burden of digestive cancers is increasing worldwide. The Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2020 and the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 are two primary cancer databases, which have a significant impact on policy formulation and resource allocation. We aim to compare the incidence and mortality of digestive cancers between them. Digestive cancer (esophageal, stomach, colorectal, liver, gallbladder and pancreatic cancer) incidence was obtained from the Cancer Today and GBD 2019 result tool. The top five countries with the most or minor difference between GLOBOCAN 2020 and GBD 2019 in age‐standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) of digestive cancers were identified. A systematic search on the incidence of specific digestive cancer in selected countries from PubMed and Embase was conducted, and 20 of 281 publications were included. The most significant differences in digestive cancers incidence were commonly found in Asian countries (70%), particularly Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar, located in Southeast Asia. The ASIRs for most digestive cancers, except liver cancer, in GLOBOCAN 2020 were higher than those in GBD 2019. Gallbladder cancer had the highest average ratio, followed by liver cancer. The most commonly used standard population was Segi's standard population, followed by the World Health Organization standard population. The data sources nor the processing methods of GLOBOCAN 2020 and GBD 2019 were not similar. Low‐ and middle‐income countries without population‐based cancer registries were more likely to have selection bias in data collection and amplify regional variations of etiological factors. Better judgments on the quality of cancer data can be made.
Piezo1-mediated spontaneous calcium transients in satellite glia impact dorsal root ganglia development

Spontaneous Ca2+ transients of neural cells is a hallmark of the developing nervous system. It is widely accepted that chemical signals, like neurotransmitters, contribute to spontaneous Ca2+ transients in the nervous system. Here, we reveal an additional mechanism of spontaneous Ca2+ transients that is mechanosensitive in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) using intravital imaging of growing dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in zebrafish embryos. GCaMP6s imaging shows that developing DRG satellite glia contain distinct spontaneous Ca2+ transients, classified into simultaneous, isolated, and microdomains. Longitudinal analysis over days in development demonstrates that as DRG satellite glia become more synchronized, isolated Ca2+ transients remain constant. Using a chemical screen, we identify that Ca2+ transients in DRG glia are dependent on mechanical properties, which we confirmed using an experimental application of mechanical force. We find that isolated spontaneous Ca2+ transients of the glia during development is altered by manipulation of mechanosensitive protein Piezo1, which is expressed in the developing ganglia. In contrast, simultaneous Ca2+ transients of DRG satellite glia is not Piezo1-mediated, thus demonstrating that distinct mechanisms mediate subtypes of spontaneous Ca2+ transients. Activating Piezo1 eventually impacts the cell abundance of DRG cells and behaviors that are driven by DRG neurons. Together, our results reveal mechanistically distinct subtypes of Ca2+ transients in satellite glia and introduce mechanobiology as a critical component of spontaneous Ca2+ transients in the developing PNS.