Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SAR signature investigation of rice crop using RADARSAT data

The current study investigates the potential of multi‐temporal RADARSAT ScanSAR Narrow Beam B (SCNB) data to monitor rice crop growth and condition where special emphasis was given to the signature analysis of the crop. The study area is located in the Baleshwar and Bhadrak districts of Orissa. The temporal variations of radar backscatter of all land‐cover classes were analysed as a function of time. The analysis of the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) backscatter coefficient (σ0) of rice crop shows significant temporal behaviour and a large dynamic range during its growth period, which is due to the interaction of microwave radiation with the crop canopy, increasing from the transplanting stage to the reproductive stage. This temporal variation of SAR backscatter clearly differentiates rice fields from other land‐cover classes. Separability studies among different class pairs carried out using t‐test and Bhattacharya distance show that all the rice classes are separable from each other except the early rice, which was mixed with far sides of hills and shadow. Knowledge‐based decision rule classifier based on the temporal evaluation of SAR backscatter was attempted to classify rice and non‐rice areas, and achieved more than 98% accuracy in the case of rice class. The results are promising and confirm the possibility of operational use of RADARSAT data for rice crop growth monitoring.
Morphology of VLF emissions observed with the Injun 3 satellite

Results of a study of very low frequency (VLF) emissions observed with the Injun 3 satellite are presented. Approximately 1200 hours of VLF magnetic field strength data and approximately 6000 frequency spectra samples are investigated in this study. These data cover invariant latitudes up to 82°, all local times, and altitudes from 237 to 2785 km. Contour plots as a function of invariant latitude and magnetic local time giving the frequency of occurrence of VLF emissions above a given intensity are presented. The most intense VLF emissions observed by Injun 3 are found to occur between about 55 and 75° invariant latitude and during the local day, with the maximum intensity occurring at about 65° invariant latitude and about 8 to 10 hours magnetic local time. The region of most intense VLF emissions was found to move to lower latitudes during geomagnetically active periods. The principal types of VLF emissions occurring in this region are ELF hiss and chorus, with the ELF hiss usually being the most intense.
Exploiting the MDM2-CK1α Protein-Protein Interface to Develop Novel Biologics That Induce UBL-Kinase-Modification and Inhibit Cell Growth

Protein-protein interactions forming dominant signalling events are providing ever-growing platforms for the development of novel Biologic tools for controlling cell growth. Casein Kinase 1 α (CK1α) forms a genetic and physical interaction with the murine double minute chromosome 2 (MDM2) oncoprotein resulting in degradation of the p53 tumour suppressor. Pharmacological inhibition of CK1 increases p53 protein level and induces cell death, whilst small interfering RNA-mediated depletion of CK1α stabilizes p53 and induces growth arrest. We mapped the dominant protein-protein interface that stabilizes the MDM2 and CK1α complex in order to determine whether a peptide derived from the core CK1α-MDM2 interface form novel Biologics that can be used to probe the contribution of the CK1-MDM2 protein-protein interaction to p53 activation and cell viability. Overlapping peptides derived from CK1α were screened for dominant MDM2 binding sites using (i) ELISA with recombinant MDM2; (ii) cell lysate pull-down towards endogenous MDM2; (iii) MDM2-CK1α complex-based competition ELISA; and (iv) MDM2-mediated ubiquitination. One dominant peptide, peptide 35 was bioactive in all four assays and its transfection induced cell death/growth arrest in a p53-independent manner. Ectopic expression of flag-tagged peptide 35 induced a novel ubiquitin and NEDD8 modification of CK1α, providing one of the first examples whereby NEDDylation of a protein kinase can be induced. These data identify an MDM2 binding motif in CK1α which when isolated as a small peptide can (i) function as a dominant negative inhibitor of the CK1α-MDM2 interface, (ii) be used as a tool to study NEDDylation of CK1α, and (iii) reduce cell growth. Further, this approach provides a technological blueprint, complementing siRNA and chemical biology approaches, by exploiting protein-protein interactions in order to develop Biologics to manipulate novel types of signalling pathways such as cross-talk between NEDDylation, protein kinase signalling, and cell survival.
WERNICKE ENCEPHALOPATHY: A CASE OF AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS COMPLICATION

Hypovitaminosis secondary to undernutrition is presented with clinical diseases coursing with broad spectrum symptoms. Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency is frequently associated with malnutrition and causes serious neurological disorders as Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE), and beriberi disease. Even though clinical trials have predicted the incidence of WE as 0,04-0,13%, post-mortem studies have demonstrated a higher incidence as 0,8-2,8% which means that most of the cases go undiagnosed. Treatment with thiamine supplementation protects the patient from all these diseases. In this article, a case who was diagnosed as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis who displayed Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome pattern was discussed. This manuscript was prepared to attract attention to this potentially fatal easily overlooked Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome pattern developing in especially undernourished amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with percutaneous gastrostomy (PEG) which may be mostly reversed with treatment at an early stage.
MERCADO DE CARNES BRASIL-RÚSSIA: UMA ANÁLISE A PARTIR DA PERSPECTIVA DA NOVA ECONOMIA INSTITUCIONAL

As exportacoes brasileiras de carne vem sofrendo mudancas nos ultimos anos. O tema de novos parceiros comerciais se torna recorrente a medida que o Brasil se fixa como principal fornecedor de carnes. Objetivou-se,neste artigo,descrever as caracteristicas do ambiente institucional que envolve o comercio de carne brasileira com o seu principal importador, a Russia. Na pesquisa, utilizaram- se a Nova Economia Institucional para discutir os dados levantados por meio de pesquisa bibliografica e entrevistas semiestruturadas, caracterizando assim, um estudo qualitativo-descritivo. Os resultados confirmam que mudancas no ambiente institucional no mercado russo possibilitaram um incremento das exportacoes brasileiras, sobretudo de carne bovina. O mercado russo apresenta enorme vigor de volume, bem como tracos de instabilidade no ambiente institucional, relacionado, principalmente, as cotas e suas taxacoes. Isso gera a necessidade de que as autoridades publicas e as associacoes de interesse privado dos dois paises desenvolvam as bases para um ambiente de negocios mais estavel.
Production, sedimentation, and isotopic composition of organic matter in Lake Ontario

Organic matter and its carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition were measured in sequential sediment trap and core samples from the Rochester Basin of Lake Ontario to evaluate their usefulness in reconstructing historic changes in lake productivity. The greatest flux of organic matter from the epilimnion occurred during late summer and coincided with whiting events, indicating that calcite precipitation is an effective mechanism for sedimenting organic matter. Carbon isotopes of organic matter were low prior to the onset of stratification, increased to maximum values in late summer, and then decreased following fall overturn. This pattern is controlled mainly by the timing of stratification and primary productivity, which preferentially removes 12CO2 from the epilimnion. The physiological effect of decreased carbon isotopic fractionation with decreasing supplies of [CO2]aq may have also contributed to increased δ13CorgC. Nitrogen isotopes showed a seasonal pattern opposite to that of carbon, whereby δ15N values were low during the summer stratified period and high for the remainder of the year. Seasonal variability in δ15NorgN probably reflects changes in the source of sedimented organic particles, which is dominated by isotopically depleted phytodetritus during the stratified period and isotopically enriched organic matter from heterotrophic or detrital sources during the mixed period. A comparison of organic carbon accumulation rates and δ13CorgC between sediment cores collected in 1987 and 1993–1994 confirms earlier predictions that diagenetic processes reduce the mass accumulation of organic carbon in the zone of oxic pore waters, but will not change the δ13CorgC values. All cores analyzed for δ13CorgC display the reproducible pattern of a progressive increase in the 19OOs, peaking in the early to mid‐1970s, and then decreasing to the present. This pattern matches the historical trends of phosphorus loading to the basin, suggesting that δ13C of organic carbon is a reliable proxy for paleoproductivity and responds to spring phosphorus supplies in the water column. The δ15N of sedimentary organic matter increased linearly from 1840 to 1960 at a rate of 0.3ppt per decade, and remained relatively constant thereafter except for an increase in the upper few centimeters of sediment. The increase in δ15NorgN reflects a combination of factors, including early forest clearance by Europeans, increased sewering by municipalities after 1940, and increased nitrate utilization as productivity increased in the lower Great Lakes. Increased rates of denitrification in the central basin of upstream Lake Erie from the 1930s to the early 1970s may have also contributed to the rise in δ15NorgN values.
Study on the participation of nursing staff in tobacco cessation support and related influencing factors: A survey from Chongqing, China

INTRODUCTION Nursing staff’s assistance for smokers to quit smoking can increase the rate of quitting. The smoking cessation help can be affected by many factors. This study surveyed the use of the 5As (Asking, Advising, Assessing, Assisting, Arranging) approach to support smoking cessation by the nursing staff in Chongqing, China, and analyzed the corresponding influencing factors. METHODS A stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select nursing staff from 8 tertiary hospitals, 5 secondary hospitals, 12 community health centers, and 35 township health centers in different geographical regions of Chongqing. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the nursing staff to investigate their participation in smoking cessation. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the influencing factors of smoking cessation 5As behavior of the nursing staff. RESULTS The 1669 participants were 44 males (2.6%) and 1625 females (97.4%), with an average age of 37.00 ± 10.89 years. Among the participants, 55.2% were from tertiary hospitals, 23.2% from secondary hospitals, 14.2% from township health centers, and 7.4 from community health centers. The often or always used behaviors were: Asking, 69.2%; Advising, 53.0%; Assessing, 39.5%; Assisting, 33.7%; and Arranging, 25.1%. The factors that affected all the 5As were: smoking cessation training (AOR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.22–2.11), knowledge of smoking cessation guidelines (AOR=1.75; 95% CI: 1.32–2.32) and the use of smoking cessation Apps (AOR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.09–2.06), and smokers’ willingness to quit (AOR=2.20; 95% CI: 1.60–3.02). CONCLUSIONS Smoker’s motivation to quit smoking and nurses’ knowledge of tobacco cessation resources affected nurses’ participation in smoking control behavior. While encouraging smokers to quit smoking, clinical nursing staff should be provided with related resources to advocate smoking cessation. Guided by the Chinese Clinical Tobacco Cessation Guidelines, smoking control knowledge and skills training should be provided for nursing staff to increase their positive attitude towards smoking control, so as to promote their active participation.
Response of arboreal pollen abundance to late-Holocene drought events in the Upper Midwest, USA

The impact of short-term climate anomalies and disturbances on past plant communities can be understood using high temporal or contiguous sedimentary pollen analysis. The response of pollen assemblages to decadal- to multidecadal-scale moisture variability was analyzed for the time intervals 3000–2200 and 1400–500 cal. yr BP. The hydroclimate and vegetation history for Minden Bog in southeastern Michigan were reconstructed using analyses of sedimentary testate amoebae and pollen. Results indicated that moisture anomalies accounted for 3% to 24% of the variation in arboreal pollen abundance for Fagus, Pinus, Quercus, and Tsuga. Betula pollen percentages did not appear to be affected by moisture variability. Given the longevity of these taxa, rapid arboreal pollen assemblage responses to moisture variability at decadal to multidecadal timescales were likely due to climate-induced changes in pollen productivity. Our data suggest that pollen–climate relationships may be counterintuitive at these fine temporal scales. For example, Tsuga pollen percentages generally increased during short-term dry events, in contrast to expected decreases in abundance with drying at millennial timescales based on empirical pollen–climate relationships. Results suggest caution should be used when inferring subdecadal to multidecadal climate variation from highly resolved pollen records. Rather, high-resolution pollen data may more accurately represent superimposed plant responses that are the composite of reproductive output nested within long-term plant community compositional changes in response to climatic variation.
Rates of Screening for Breast, Colorectal, and Cervical Cancers in Older People With Cognitive Impairment or Dementia: A Meta-Analysis

Purpose: Cancer screening may not be appropriate for some older people. We compare the likelihood of screening for colorectal, breast, and cervical cancers in older people with versus without cognitive impairment or dementia. Method: Systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO (to March 9, 2018) for articles reporting screening for colon, breast, and cervical cancers in patients with and without cognitive impairment or dementia. Studies were summarized quantitatively (random effects meta-analysis), according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Studies reported data 1989-2008. The rate of screening for breast cancer by mammography was lower in women with cognitive impairment or dementia compared with those without (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.71, 0.91], p = .0007, six studies, N = 18,562). The rates of screening for cervical cancer by Pap smear (pooled OR = 0.88, 95% CI = [0.71, 1.08], p = 0.22, five studies, N = 409,131) and colorectal cancer by fecal occult blood test (pooled OR = 0.87, 95% CI = [0.55, 1.38], p = .55, two studies, N = 2,718) were not significantly lower in people with cognitive impairment or dementia. Conclusion: These historical rates provide a baseline for discussions around the need for more specific guidance to assist with decisions to discontinue screening. The study also identifies a gap in reported knowledge with respect to screening under current guidelines.
Predominant Infection of CD150+ Lymphocytes and Dendritic Cells during Measles Virus Infection of Macaques

Measles virus (MV) is hypothesized to enter the host by infecting epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, followed by viremia mediated by infected monocytes. However, neither of these cell types express signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (CD150), which has been identified as the receptor for wild-type MV. We have infected rhesus and cynomolgus macaques with a recombinant MV strain expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP); thus bringing together the optimal animal model for measles and a virus that can be detected with unprecedented sensitivity. Blood samples and broncho-alveolar lavages were collected every 3 d, and necropsies were performed upon euthanasia 9 or 15 d after infection. EGFP production by MV-infected cells was visualized macroscopically, in both living and sacrificed animals, and microscopically by confocal microscopy and FACS analysis. At the peak of viremia, EGFP fluorescence was detected in skin, respiratory and digestive tract, but most intensely in all lymphoid tissues. B- and T-lymphocytes expressing CD150 were the major target cells for MV infection. Highest percentages (up to 30%) of infected lymphocytes were detected in lymphoid tissues, and the virus preferentially targeted cells with a memory phenotype. Unexpectedly, circulating monocytes did not sustain productive MV infection. In peripheral tissues, large numbers of MV-infected CD11c+ MHC class-II+ myeloid dendritic cells were detected in conjunction with infected T-lymphocytes, suggesting transmission of MV between these cell types. Fluorescent imaging of MV infection in non-human primates demonstrated a crucial role for lymphocytes and dendritic cells in the pathogenesis of measles and measles-associated immunosuppression.
Electrical conductivity of olivine at high pressure and under controlled oxygen fugacity

Electrical conductivity σ in the [100] direction has been determined for the Red Sea olivine (Fo 91) to 1440°C and 8 kbar in argon. No systematic variation of σ with pressure was observed. The effect of an 8-kbar variation in pressure over the 1270°–1440°C range is equivalent to a temperature uncertainty of ±5°C. We have also determined σ on the same sample up to 1660°C with controlled oxygen fugacity ƒo2 at 1 bar of total pressure. By using published σ-depth profiles and assuming olivine as the major phase in the earth's upper mantle with ƒ o 2 = 10 −6 -10 −3 bar, temperatures of the upper mantle are calculated as a function of depth. The temperature uncertainty due to possible pressure effects is 2–5 times smaller than that resulting from the ambiguity in published σ-depth profiles.
First-line tepotinib for a very elderly patient with metastatic NSCLC harboring MET exon 14 skipping mutation and high PD-L1 expression

ABSTRACT Optimal treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mesenchymal epithelial transition gene (MET) exon 14 skipping mutation has not been established yet. MET inhibitors were demonstrated to be effective and tolerated in patients with this condition, while evidence on safety and efficacy of immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy in this population is limited. Here we report the case of an 86-year-old male with metastatic NSCLC harboring MET exon 14 skipping mutation and with high programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (tumor proportion score ≥50%). The patient received the MET inhibitor tepotinib as first-line treatment, achieving a partial response, with G2 peripheral edema as adverse event that was successfully managed with temporary discontinuation, dose reduction, diuretics and physical therapy. After 31 months, the patient is still receiving tepotinib, with an ongoing response. Tepotinib is a valuable therapeutic option for first-line treatment of older patients with NSCLC harboring MET exon 14 skipping mutation, even in the presence of high PD-L1 expression.
A study of the effect of population aggregation on common prosperity: Evidence from 283 Chinese cities

More than 40 years of urbanization in China has brought rapid economic growth, but the uneven development of region and how to achieve common prosperity through urbanization remain a serious concern. This paper analyzes the effect of the urbanization mode of population aggregation in central cities on common prosperity in China. Using panel data of 283 cities from 2004 to 2019, the study constructs a common prosperity index based on the coupling coordination degree of economy, ecology, and society. The Spatial Durbin Model is used to analyze the influence of population aggregation in central cities on common prosperity and the moderating effect of financial self-sufficiency rate. The results show that population aggregation in central cities has a positive effect on common prosperity. There is also a spatial spillover effect, but the impact exhibits an inverted U-shaped characteristic. Moreover, the fiscal self-sufficiency rate has a negative moderating impact on the effect of population aggregation on common prosperity in the early stage, but a positive moderating impact in the later period. This paper concludes by suggesting that the government should promote urbanization, control the size of large cities, accelerate the reform of household registration, and pay attention to the coordinated development of economy, society, and ecology to promote the realization of common prosperity.
1.6 Ga U-Pb zircon age for the Chorhat Sandstone, lower Vindhyan, India: Possible implications for early evolution of animals

Bedding-plane markings in the Chorhat Sandstone (lower Vindhyan), central India, were recently interpreted as burrows produced by triploblastic animals. Because the rocks were thought to be older than 1000 Ma, these structures were regarded as the oldest fossil evidence for metazoan life. However, the biological origin of the markings has been questioned, as has their age. Current age estimates are based on K-Ar, Rb-Sr, and fission- track dates, though some contentious evidence suggests that the rocks may be only 540 Ma. Here we provide the first robust age data for the lower Vindhyan by using SHRIMP (sensitive, high-resolution ion microprobe) U-Pb zircon geochronology to date silicified tuffs bounding the Chorhat Sandstone. Our results show that the sediments were deposited between 1628 ± 8 Ma and 1599 ± 8 Ma. If the Chorhat markings are burrows left by worm-like animals, then our data suggest that complex metazoans had evolved before 1600 Ma, 1 b.y. before the “Cambrian explosion” when animals rapidly diversified and became ecologically dominant. However, given the doubts expressed about the origin of the bedding-plane structures, as well as the surprisingly “old” age of the host rocks, further studies are urgently required to provide supportive evidence.