Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic variant panel allows predicting both obesity risk, and efficacy of procedures and diet in weight loss

Purpose Obesity is a multifactorial condition with a relevant genetic correlation. Recent advances in genomic research have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes such as FTO, MCM6, HLA, and MC4R, associated with obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the association of 102 SNPs with BMI and weight loss treatment response in a multi-ethnic population. Methods The study analyzed 9,372 patients for the correlation between SNPs and BMI (dataset A). The correlation between SNP and weight loss was accessed in 474 patients undergoing different treatments (dataset B). Patients in dataset B were further divided into 3 categories based on the type of intervention: dietary therapy, intragastric balloon procedures, or surgeries. SNP association analysis and multiple models of inheritance were performed. Results In dataset A, ten SNPs, including rs9939609 (FTO), rs4988235 (MCM6), and rs2395182 (HLA), were significantly associated with increased BMI. Additionally, other four SNPs, rs7903146 (TCF7L2), (rs6511720), rs5400 (SLC2A2), and rs7498665 (SH2B1), showed sex-specific correlation. For dataset B, SNPs rs2016520 (PPAR-Delta) and rs2419621 (ACSL5) demonstrated significant correlation with weight loss for all treatment types. In patients who adhered to dietary therapy, SNPs rs6544713 (ABCG8) and rs762551 (CYP1A2) were strongly correlated with weight loss. Patients undergoing surgical or endoscopic procedures exhibited differential correlations with several SNPs, including rs1801725 (CASR) and rs12970134 (MC4R), and weight loss. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the genetic factors influencing BMI and weight loss response to different treatments. The findings highlight the potential for personalized weight management approaches based on individual genetic profiles.
LIDAR-Derived National Shoreline: Empirical and Stochastic Uncertainty Analyses

Abstract The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is mandated to map the national shoreline, which is depicted on NOAA nautical charts, serves as an important source in determining territorial limits, and is widely used in various coastal science and management applications. The National Geodetic Survey's primary method of mapping the national shoreline is through stereo compilation from tide-coordinated aerial photography. However, over the past decade, NGS has conducted several phases of research to develop, test, and refine light detection and ranging (LIDAR)–based shoreline mapping procedures. Although important, reliable estimates of uncertainty of these products have, unfortunately, lagged behind in development. We attempt here to outline possible solutions to this lack. Specifically, this study presents and compares two new methods of assessing the uncertainty of NGS' LIDAR-derived shoreline: an empirical (ground-based) approach and a stochastic (Monte Carlo) approach. We observe uncertainties in the horizontal position of the shorelines on the order of 1 to 6 m (95%) depending on location and, especially, beach slope. We show that appropriate adjustment for biases can reduce these to about 1 m (95%) and that the two methods of assessing the uncertainty show good agreement in our test cases.
Assessment of coal washability data obtained via the RhoVol analyser

Float-and-sink analysis is widely used in the coal industry to obtain washability data, yielding important information about beneficiation potential and performance. This method is associated with health and environmental problems, and research into alternative densimetric methods is important. The RhoVol is a new technology developed by De Beers Group Technology South Africa (DebTech) for the image-based generation of densimetric data from ores. The analysis is done on a per-particle basis, within a size range of +3 mm -8 mm. In this paper we compare the established methods used for the float-and-sink analysis of coal with a new method using RhoVol. The aim of the study was to determine the validity of the information obtained from the RhoVol analyser by performing comparative densimetric analysis on three different coal samples. The results showed that the RhoVol method was more rapid, safe, and precise, but tended to consistently underestimate the density of the coal sample, probably due to varying coal porosity.
Whole-Transcriptome RNA Sequencing Uncovers the Global Expression Changes and RNA Regulatory Networks in Duck Embryonic Myogenesis

Duck meat is pivotal in providing high-quality protein for human nutrition, underscoring the importance of studying duck myogenesis. The regulatory mechanisms governing duck myogenesis involve both coding and non-coding RNAs, yet their specific expression patterns and molecular mechanisms remain elusive. To address this knowledge gap, we performed expression profiling analyses of mRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs involved in duck myogenesis using whole-transcriptome RNA-seq. Our analysis identified 1733 differentially expressed (DE)-mRNAs, 1116 DE-lncRNAs, 54 DE-circRNAs, and 174 DE-miRNAs when comparing myoblasts and myotubes. A GO analysis highlighted the enrichment of DE molecules in the extracellular region, protein binding, and exocyst. A KEGG analysis pinpointed pathways related to ferroptosis, PPAR signaling, nitrogen metabolism, cell cycle, cardiac muscle contraction, glycerolipid metabolism, and actin cytoskeleton. A total of 51 trans-acting lncRNAs, including ENSAPLT00020002101 and ENSAPLT00020012069, were predicted to participate in regulating myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Based on the ceRNAs, we constructed lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA networks involving five miRNAs (miR-129-5p, miR-133a-5p, miR-22-3p, miR-27b-3p, and let-7b-5p) that are relevant to myogenesis. Furthermore, the GO and KEGG analyses of the DE-mRNAs within the ceRNA network underscored the significant enrichment of the glycerolipid metabolism pathway. We identified five different DE-mRNAs, specifically ENSAPLG00020001677, ENSAPLG00020002183, ENSAPLG00020005019, ENSAPLG00020010497, and ENSAPLG00020017682, as potential target genes that are crucial for myogenesis in the context of glycerolipid metabolism. These five mRNAs are integral to ceRNA networks, with miR-107_R-2 and miR-1260 emerging as key regulators. In summary, this study provides a valuable resource elucidating the intricate interplay of mRNA-lncRNA-circRNA-miRNA in duck myogenesis, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms that govern this critical biological process.
Projected ENSO teleconnection on the Southeast Asian climate under global warming

Given the importance of El Niño–Southern oscillation (ENSO) teleconnection on the Southeast Asia (SEA) climate, the ENSO-induced precipitation and near-surface air temperature anomalies over SEA and its twenty sub-regions are compared between historical (1985–2014) and future (2070–2099) simulations using 30 models from Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). Future projections suggest that the Philippines, Malay Peninsula, most of the Maritime Continent, and southern Indochina experience reduced (increased) precipitation in the future El Niño (La Niña) summer. Then, during autumn, amplification of ENSO-precipitation teleconnection is projected in the Borneo, Malay Peninsula, and northern Vietnam, raising flood concerns in these sub-regions in future La Niña autumn. During winter, projected ENSO-driven negative anomalies continue intensifying and shifting northeastward, resulting in drier (wetter) conditions for the Philippines and surrounding areas in future El Niño (La Niña). Conversely, a southeastward shift of ENSO-driven precipitation anomalies is projected in the following spring, leading to dampening (an amplification) of teleconnection over the western (eastern) part of SEA. Regarding near-surface air temperature, a ‘land-sea contrast’ pattern is seen, in which intensified ENSO-driven positive (negative) anomalies are projected over land (ocean). At the sub-region scale, robust amplifications in the ENSO teleconnection are mainly observed when only considering the land temperature. The most noticeable future changes are robust amplification of the ENSO-driven positive temperature anomalies in northern Indochina and Myanmar during winter. These sub-regions typically experience a cooler winter, suggesting that wintertime mean temperature there may be much higher under future El Niño conditions. The projected changes in ENSO-driven precipitation and near-surface air temperature anomalies both appear to scale with the radiative forcing, i.e. a higher radiative forcing corresponds to higher teleconnection changes and more sub-regions of SEA experience robust changes. These results suggest that significant ENSO teleconnection changes can be mitigated by minimizing future warming.
Review : Cognitive bias modification of interpretations in youth and its effect on anxiety : a meta-analysis

Georgina Krebs, Victoria Pile, Sean Grant, Michelle Degli Esposti, Paul Montgomery, and Jennifer Y.F. Lau OCD & Related Disorders Clinic for Young People, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London; Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Investigating the Effect of Handover on Latency in Early 5G NR Deployments for C-V2X Network Planning

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication technology aims to enhance intelligent vehicles’ coordination and perception by enabling interactions with other vehicles, road users, and infrastructure. Although 4th and 5th generation cellular technologies (4G LTE and 5G NR) can support non-safety V2X communication, their design, rooted in multimedia and telephony, doesn’t align well with safety-critical applications. Despite the advancements of 5G NR over 4G LTE, ensuring reliable Quality-of-Service (QoS) metrics remains a notable concern. The process of handover, a core cellular network function, significantly contributes to the challenges in cellular communication reliability. To assess handover’s impact on latency in V2X communication scenarios, a driving-focused measurement campaign was executed on an early 5G NR-enabled commercial cellular network. Findings reveal that, in terms of its effect on end-user latency, the more mature 4G LTE network displays on average 63% (intra-freq.) and 36% (inter-freq.) lower latency costs when performing handovers compared to early 5G NR deployments. Notably, inter-generation handovers (4G to 5G and vice versa) exhibit 24% (intra-freq.) and 10% (inter-freq.) higher average latency costs with respect to other handover types. Furthermore, discernible variations in network reliability emerge between distinct V2X scenarios such as urban and rural environments. The prevailing reliability concerns tied to present handover algorithms hold substantial weight, as they undermine intelligent vehicles’ trust in network-received information. Consequently, these outcomes underscore the urgency for designing and implementing handover strategies better suited to the dynamic mobility characteristics of intelligent vehicles across diverse V2X scenarios.
A closer look to neural pathways and psychopharmacology of obsessive compulsive disorder

The intricate neural pathways involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affect areas of our brain that control executive functioning, organization, and planning. OCD is a chronic condition that can be debilitating, afflicting millions of people worldwide. The lifetime prevalence of OCD in the US is 2.3%. OCD is predominantly characterized by obsessions consisting of intrusive and unwanted thoughts, often with impulses that are strongly associated with anxiety. Compulsions with OCD encompass repetitive behaviors or mental acts to satisfy their afflicted obsessions or impulses. While these factors can be unique to each individual, it has been widely established that the etiology of OCD is complex as it relates to neuronal pathways, psychopharmacology, and brain chemistry involved and warrants further exploration.
Optical Super‐Resonances in Mesoscale Dielectric Cenosphere: Giant Magnetic Field Generations

Resonant light scattering by mesoscale dielectric spheres has received enormous attention and found many interesting applications. The recently emerged field of Mesotronics provides novel opportunities for wavelength‐scaled optics and new fundamental aspects are still being uncovered. It has recently been demonstrated that high‐order Mie resonances can be excited in homogeneous low‐dissipation mesoscale dielectric spheres, leading to the generation of intense magnetic fields. This article describes a simple and effective way to drastically enhance the superresonance effect. Proof‐of‐principle results for the first time show that yet one more novel phenomenon of increasing the intensity of the magnetic field without changing the resonant Mie size parameter of the sphere by introducing an air cavity. In such a dielectric cenosphere (from two Greek words “kenos”‐hollow and “sphaira”‐sphere), by correct choice of the air cavity size, it is possible to increase the intensity of the electromagnetic fields at the poles of the sphere by an order of magnitude due to increasing of the amplitude of resonant partial wave coefficient.
A proxitome-RNA-capture approach reveals that processing bodies repress coregulated hub genes

Abstract Cellular condensates are usually ribonucleoprotein assemblies with liquid- or solid-like properties. Because these subcellular structures lack a delineating membrane, determining their compositions is difficult. Here we describe a proximity-biotinylation approach for capturing the RNAs of the condensates known as processing bodies (PBs) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). By combining this approach with RNA detection, in silico, and high-resolution imaging approaches, we studied PBs under normal conditions and heat stress. PBs showed a much more dynamic RNA composition than the total transcriptome. RNAs involved in cell wall development and regeneration, plant hormonal signaling, secondary metabolism/defense, and RNA metabolism were enriched in PBs. RNA-binding proteins and the liquidity of PBs modulated RNA recruitment, while RNAs were frequently recruited together with their encoded proteins. In PBs, RNAs follow distinct fates: in small liquid-like PBs, RNAs get degraded while in more solid-like larger ones, they are stored. PB properties can be regulated by the actin-polymerizing SCAR (suppressor of the cyclic AMP)-WAVE (WASP family verprolin homologous) complex. SCAR/WAVE modulates the shuttling of RNAs between PBs and the translational machinery, thereby adjusting ethylene signaling. In summary, we provide an approach to identify RNAs in condensates that allowed us to reveal a mechanism for regulating RNA fate.
Hydrogeochemical characteristics and origin of salinity in Ajabshir aquifer, East Azerbaijan, Iran

Inverse geochemical modelling with PHREEQC and multivariate statistical methods were used to determine the origin of groundwater chemical constituents and identify the source of salinity in parts of Ajabshir alluvial aquifer, East Azerbaijan, Iran. Q mode hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to partition groundwater in the study area into hydrochemical facies. Three major water groups were identified by HCA. Groundwater samples collected from the study area were classified as recharge area waters (Group 1: Na–Ca–HCO3 water; Group 2: Ca–Na–HCO3 water) in the northern, central and northeastern areas. Discharge area waters were identified in the vicinity of Urmia Lake and in southern parts of the study area (Group 3: Na–Cl water). Principal components analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation using the Kaiser criterion identified three principal sources of variation in the hydrochemistry. Factor 1 accounts for the salinity of the water, factor 2 represents silicate mineral weathering, and factor 3 represents calcite dissolution and incongruent silicate mineral weathering. Inverse modelling for major ions and the results of HCA confirmed the results obtained with PCA. The results of this study showed that water–rock interaction is an important mechanism in the evolution of water chemistry. The results also identified the following phenomena as important mechanisms in the composition of Group 3 waters: saline water upconing, mixing between freshwater and saline water, reverse flow from the salt flats toward the aquifer, flatness of the ground surface and very low velocity of the groundwater, shallow depth of the groundwater and evaporation from it, a silt–clay boundary at the outlet of groundwater flow from the aquifer, and airborne transport of salt particles from the salt flats.
Hydrological ensemble forecasting in mesoscale catchments: Sensitivity to initial conditions and value of reforecasts

Hydrological forecasts can benefit from model climatologies compiled from long, consistent, retrospective forecasts (reforecasts). Typical areas of application include the estimation of return periods for extreme events, the detection of model deficiencies, such as systematic errors or the calibration of current forecasts using the reforecasts, and suitable observations. One difficulty when creating long reforecasts is the availability of good states for the model initialization, as a sufficiently dense network of meteorological observations is rarely available in most catchments for a long period. With this study, the creation of forecast and reforecasts in such catchments is motivated by considering two aspects: first, a comparison where it is shown that hydrological forecasts benefit most from high‐quality initial conditions on the basis of local observations, however, less accurate initial conditions using ERA‐interim reanalysis are also sufficient to provide skillful hydrological forecasts useful for many users. Second, we demonstrate that hydrological reforecasts compiled without long‐term meteorological observations have an additional value, e.g., they allow for more skillful runoff forecasts. Utilizing those reforecasts can compensate for forecast errors induced by less accurate initializations. For this study, hourly hydrological reforecasts, based on the PREcipitation‐Runoff‐EVApotranspiration HRU Model (PREVAH) were used, with an 18 year long, five‐member global ensemble reforecast data set from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Variable Resolution Ensemble Prediction System (VarEPS) as forcing for lead times up to 10 days. Three mesoscale catchments of different characteristics in the Swiss Alps were analyzed.
Chlorella pyrenoidosa mitigated the negative effect of cylindrospermopsin-producing and non-cylindrospermopsin-producing Raphidiopsis raciborskii on Daphnia magna as a dietary supplement

Feeding effects are crucial for evaluating the capacity of zooplankton to regulate phytoplankton populations within freshwater ecosystems. To examine the impact of the bloom-forming cyanobacteria Raphidiopsis raciborskii, which occurs in tropical and subtropical freshwaters, on the growth of zooplankton Daphnia in relation to toxins, filament length and fatty acid content, we fed D. magna with R. raciborskii only (cylindrospermopsin (CYN)-producing and non-CYN-producing, as the negative controls), Chlorella pyrenoidosa only (as the positive control) and a mixed diet containing R. raciborskii (CYN-producing and non-CYN-producing) and C. pyrenoidosa. Consequently, our findings revealed that the toxic effect of CYN-producing R. raciborskii strains on Daphnia was mitigated by the coexistence of C. pyrenoidosa containing stearidonic acid (SDA, C18:4 ω3) in mixed diets. This was evident in the elevated survival rate compared that from diets containing only R. raciborskii and a significantly higher reproduction and population intrinsic increase rate compared to diets consisting of only R. raciborskii or C. pyrenoidos. Additionally, a strong positive correlation was observed between arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4ω6) and the population intrinsic increase rate of Daphnia; notably, R. raciborskii strains were found to be rich in the ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ARA. These outcomes reinforce the crucial role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in predicting the population increase of crustacean zooplankton, which has long been neglected. Furthermore, our results underscore the potential effectiveness of zooplankton, particularly in temperate lakes, in controlling CYN-producing R. raciborskii populations.
Source characteristics of earthquakes along the southern San Jacinto and Imperial fault zones (1937 to 1954)

Body waveform inversion techniques are used to study the source parameters of four earthquakes occurring between 1937 and 1954 along the southern San Jacinto and Imperial faults (1937 Buck Ridge, 1940 Imperial Valley, 1942 Borrego Mountain, and 1954 Salada Wash events). All earthquakes had simple rupture histories with the exception of the 1940 Imperial Valley main shock, which consisted of at least four subevents whose relative locations indicate unilateral rupture toward the southeast. Earthquakes in regions of high heat flow (>80 mW/m2) had focal depths near the base of the seismogenic zone (8 to 10 km). The 1937 Buck Ridge earthquake, located in a region of lower heat flow, however, appears to have occurred at a shallow (3 ± 2 km) depth. The location, mechanism, and aftershock distribution for the 1942 Borrego Mountain earthquake suggest it could have occurred along the Split Mountain fault, a recently identified northeast-trending cross fault located between the Elsinore and Coyote Creek faults or along an unnamed fault that parallels the trend of the Coyote Creek fault. Moment and rupture length estimates obtained from this study agree well with estimates obtained in previous studies that used different data sets.