Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anatomical distribution of starch in the stemwood influences carbon dynamics and suggests storage‐growth trade‐offs in some tropical trees

Trees balance temporal asynchrony in carbon source and sink activity by accumulating and using non‐structural carbon (NSC). Previous work has demonstrated differences in the amount and distribution of NSC stored in stemwood in tropical tree species and related these patterns in NSC distribution to tree growth and mortality rates. However, we still do not know how changes in the amount and location of starch, a major component of NSC in stemwood, influence the seasonal carbon dynamics of mature trees and how this may reflect storage‐growth trade‐offs. In this work, we hypothesized that combining two life history traits, here leaf habit (evergreen/semi‐deciduous) and the anatomical distribution of starch within the stemwood (parenchyma storage and fibre storage), would allow us to explain differences in the seasonal interplay between carbon sources and sinks and the use and accumulation of starch in the tree stem. We expected semi‐deciduous/fibre‐storing species to have greater seasonal amplitudes of carbon source and sink activity, and therefore greater variation in starch content and stronger storage‐growth trade‐offs than evergreen/parenchyma‐storing species. We measured monthly increments in stem radial growth, soluble sugars and starch every 3 months during 2019 in Dacryodes microcarpa (semi‐deciduous/fibre‐storing species), Ocotea leucoxylon (evergreen/parenchyma‐storing species) and Sacoglottis guianensis (semi‐deciduous/parenchyma‐storing species). We found seasonal changes in starch but not sugars in the semi‐deciduous species, with greater amplitude in the fibre‐storing species that also had greater storage capacity and stem respiration rates. The fibre‐storing species further showed a negative relationship between starch consumption/accumulation and growth during the rainy season, suggesting a trade‐off between growth and storage, with starch accumulating in some cases when growth was low. Synthesis. Our results show the influence of seasonal starch storage on carbon dynamics in three species of tropical trees that differ in leaf phenology and starch storage traits. Semi‐deciduous/fibre‐storing species have greater temporal variation in carbon sink activities and more seasonally dynamic starch content. Since the fibre‐storing species we studied are slower‐growing and longer‐lived trees with lower mortality rates compared to the parenchyma‐storing species, these results may provide clues about how storage traits could influence their survival and life span.
Vitamin D3 and the Molecular Pathway of Skin Aging

Many women pay attention to skin aging. Signs of aging such as lines, wrinkles, dry skin, hyperpigmentation, and loss of elasticity affect skin appearance and self-confidence. Age, lifestyle, and particularly UV irradiation stimulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. ROS induces the breakdown of collagen through matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Collagen and elastin play a pivotal role in skin aging. They maintain skin integrity, strength, and resiliency. Antioxidant and keratolytic agents are often used in anti-aging products, including several vitamins such as vitamin A, B, C and E. To date, several studies have been reported in the literature for the effects of vitamin D on collagen synthesis and MMPs inhibition. This review focuses on identifying and assessing the molecular pathways of vitamin D effects related to skin aging. The literature was collected from Google Scholar, Elsevier, Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus databases and accessed between January 2019 and May 2022. The literature screening was conducted using keywords like “vitamin D3”, “collagen”, “matrix metalloproteinases”, “skin aging” and related to the study topic were included. The effect of vitamin D3 on MMPs inhibition (particularly on MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9) has been widely published. Several studies have reported that vitamin D increases collagen synthesis and clinically improves skin elasticity. However, there have been controversial results regarding how vitamin D3 affects transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) correlated with skin elasticity by the molecular pathway. Therefore, it can be concluded that vitamin D3 is a potential alternative agent in improving skin aging.
Machine Learning-Additional Decision Constraints for Improved MILP Day-Ahead Unit Commitment Method

This paper introduces a two-stage (offline and online) artificial neural network (ANN) driven constraint creator model to improve the computational quality of day-ahead unit commitment (DAUC) in power systems. The DAUC is crucial for planning 24-hour operations and complex bid clearing through mixed-integer linear programs (MILP). However, slow convergence is common due to system complexity. Machine learning (ML) based methods have been used to enhance MILP-DAUC. Nonetheless, they can lead to sub-optimality and infeasibility. To overcome these challenges, (1) this paper proposes in the offline stage the ANN-generators subset (AGS) that can predict part of the optimal MILP-DAUC decisions using an ANN model. Online, only ML-generated decisions of AGS are used to form the ANN-driven constraints to enhance the main MILP-DAUC, forming the proposed ANN-MILP-DAUC method. (2) A feasibility handling process is proposed to retain the infeasible ML states to be optimized by the main MILP-DAUC formulation. (3) The proposed model issues an artificial factor that provides the percentage of generators accurately predicted and used as an ML training performance metric. The ANN model was trained using optimal MILP-DAUC solutions. Test results on IEEE 14-bus and 118-bus systems reported solution time reductions of 61.43% and 70.1%, respectively. Larger Polish 2383-bus, 3012-bus, and Ontario systems reported time reductions in the range of 33% compared with the main MILP-DAUC method using MOSEK™, a commercial solver. No degradation in the optimal solution was observed for all test systems, and the proposed method provides a lower-objective solution for the same running time, leading to better solutions.
The composition of the dental pellicle: an updated literature review

Background The dental pellicle is a thin layer of up to several hundred nm in thickness, covering the tooth surface. It is known to protect the teeth from acid attacks through its selective permeability and it is involved in the remineralization process of the teeth. It functions also as binding site and source of nutrients for bacteria and conditioning biofilm (foundation) for dental plaque formation. Methods For this updated literature review, the PubMed database was searched for the dental pellicle and its composition. Results The dental pellicle has been analyzed in the past years with various state-of-the art analytic techniques such as high-resolution microscopic techniques (e.g., scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy), spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, affinity chromatography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and blotting-techniques (e.g., western blot). It consists of several different amino acids, proteins, and proteolytic protein fragments. Some studies also investigated other compounds of the pellicle, mainly fatty acids, and carbohydrates. Conclusions The dental pellicle is composed mainly of different proteins, but also fatty acids, and carbohydrates. Analysis with state-of-the-art analytical techniques have uncovered mainly acidic proline-rich proteins, amylase, cystatin, immunoglobulins, lysozyme, and mucins as main proteins of the dental pellicle. The pellicle has protective properties for the teeth. Further research is necessary to gain more knowledge about the role of the pellicle in the tooth remineralization process.
The AMPK activator metformin improves recovery from demyelination by shifting oligodendrocyte bioenergetics and accelerating OPC differentiation

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease characterized by immune-mediated destruction of myelinating oligodendroglia in the central nervous system. Loss of myelin leads to neurological dysfunction and, if myelin repair fails, neurodegeneration of the denuded axons. Virtually all treatments for MS act by suppressing immune function, but do not alter myelin repair outcomes or long-term disability. Excitingly, the diabetes drug metformin, a potent activator of the cellular “energy sensor” AMPK complex, has recently been reported to enhance recovery from demyelination. In aged mice, metformin can restore responsiveness of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to pro-differentiation cues, enhancing their ability to differentiate and thus repair myelin. However, metformin’s influence on young oligodendroglia remains poorly understood. Here we investigated metformin’s effect on the temporal dynamics of differentiation and metabolism in young, healthy oligodendroglia and in oligodendroglia following myelin damage in young adult mice. Our findings reveal that metformin accelerates early stages of myelin repair following cuprizone-induced myelin damage. Metformin treatment of both isolated OPCs and oligodendrocytes altered cellular bioenergetics, but in distinct ways, suppressing oxidative phosphorylation and enhancing glycolysis in OPCs, but enhancing oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis in both immature and mature oligodendrocytes. In addition, metformin accelerated the differentiation of OPCs to oligodendrocytes in an AMPK-dependent manner that was also dependent on metformin’s ability to modulate cell metabolism. In summary, metformin dramatically alters metabolism and accelerates oligodendroglial differentiation both in health and following myelin damage. This finding broadens our knowledge of metformin’s potential to promote myelin repair in MS and in other diseases with myelin loss or altered myelination dynamics.
STRATEGI KOMUNIKASI STAKEHOLDERS DENGAN PENDEKATAN DATA ALUMNI MENGGUNAKAN DATA MINING

Peranan alumni bagi sebuah perguruan tinggi sangat besar. Para alumni dinilai menjadi representasi penyelenggaraan pendidikan di kampus masing – masing. Keluaran (output) mahasiswa yang berkualitas akan menjadi kebanggaan bagi institusi. Melihat potensi tersebut, maka penggalian data alumni akan sangat bermanfaat bagi institusi, terutama untuk memetakan pihak – pihak yang memiliki kepentingan dengan data alumni dan menyusun strategi komunikasi yang tepat untuk masa yang akan datang. Penelitian ini menggunakan teknik clustering dengan memanfaatkan metode K-means, dimana metode ini telah banyak digunakan untuk menyelesaikan berbagai kasus dan dianggap sangat efektif dan efisien. Data alumni yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu data alumni yang lulus pada tahun 2018 – 2019 yang berisi IPK, lama studi, jurusan dan asal daerah. Dari hasil penelitian ini, dapat dilihat keterkaitan antara IPK dan lama studi, IPK dan jurusan, serta keterkaitan antara IPK dan asal daerah. Melalui data alumni, dapat disimpulkan bahwa stakeholder primer yang memiliki kepentingan terhadap data tersebut adalah pihak manajemen, pengguna lulusan dan pemerintah. Sedangkan stakeholder sekunder yang memiliki pengaruh tidak langsung adalah media, mahasiswa, orang tua/ wali dan kompetitor.
COMPLEX TETRAPOD BURROWS FROM MIDDLE TRIASSIC RED BEDS OF THE ARGANA BASIN (WESTERN HIGH ATLAS, MOROCCO)

ABSTRACT Although burrowing ability has been widespread in tetrapods for more than 300 million years, subsurface dwelling structures that indicate communal behavior are poorly evidenced from pre-Cenozoic strata. Here we present recently discovered tetrapod burrows from Middle Triassic red beds of the Argana Basin in central Morocco, whose complexity suggests an origin by gregarious animals. The well-preserved burrows occur in interbedded mudstones and sandstones interpreted as channel and overbank deposits of ephemeral, braided streams. All burrows originate from the top of thick-bedded sandstones and descend as moderately inclined (10°–30°), partially spiral tunnels to laterally extended, branched chambers in underlying mudstones. Tunnel segments are biconvex to planoconvex in cross section, up to 20 cm wide and 12 cm in maximum height and exhibit transverse scratch marks along the ceilings and sidewalls. Distinctive burrow characteristics include a laterally sinuous geometry (wavelength &lgr; = 38–45 cm; amplitude A = 5–10 cm) of the tubelike passages and the presence of grouped alcoves in terminal chambers. We attribute the burrows to procolophonids or therapsids based on closely associated tetrapod tracks and the limited diameter of the excavations. Our findings represent the second oldest record of communal fossorial behavior by tetrapods and the oldest example from low-latitude areas. Beyond providing refuge from predators, these elaborate underground structures probably functioned as a buffer against diurnal or seasonal variations of air temperature and humidity in a semiarid habitat that was situated just north of the paleoequator.
ANALYSIS OF UNDRAINED SOIL DEFORMATION DUE TO GROUND LOSS

Closed form solutions are presented for obtaining the strain field in an initially isotropic and homogeneous incompressible soil due to near-surface ground loss. This problem fits into a category of cases in which the imposed boundary conditions are only or mainly in terms of displacements (strain-controlled problems). In these cases there is a possibility of eliminating the stresses and obtaining the strains by using only the incompressibility condition. The presence of the top free surface is considered by means of a virtual image technique and some results for the elastic half-space. The results are simple, especially for the movements of the soil surface. The application to some typical problems, such as soft ground tunnelling and pile driving or extraction, shows that the calculated movements agree well with the experimental observations and compare favourably with commonly used numerical methods. Some hints are given for extending the method to other cases, such as to compressible materials. Des sol.
The dependence of microwave backscatter from the sea on illuminated area: Correlation times and lengths

During the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and X band Ocean Nonlinearities-Forschungsplattform Nordsee experiment, we mounted two continuous wave microwave systems on an elevator on the German Research Platform Nordsee for the purpose of investigating the dependence of microwave backscatter from the sea surface on illuminated area. The two systems operated at X and Ka bands (10 and 35 GHz) and collected HH and VV polarized backscattered signals simultaneously. The elevator system allowed us to vary the altitude of the two microwave systems above the sea surface from 7.5 to 27 m, always in the far field of the antennas. Most data were collected at a 45° incidence angle, which implied that the Ka band system illuminated areas from 0.4 to 6.0 m2 while the X band system viewed spots between 2.9 and 41.3 m2. We examined the dependence of the normalized radar cross section (σ0), its variance, and the bandwidth of the Doppler spectrum on illuminated areas. We were unable to detect any dependence of σ0 on area but found a definite decrease in its variance as area increased. At X band the variance divided by the square of σ0, the normalized variance, decreased from values near 12 for small areas to values near 2 for large areas. At Ka band, corresponding values were 40 and 2. The normalized variance was always slightly larger for HH polarization. By fitting the area dependence of the normalized variance to available theory, we deduce that correlation lengths are on the order of 10 times the microwave wavelength at both X and Ka band. Values for the normalized variance of an elementary scattering facet were also inferred and are presented in this paper. From the Doppler bandwidths we obtained radial velocity spreads over the illuminated areas and found that they agreed well at X and Ka band. These velocity spreads, which are inversely proportional to the correlation time of the backscatter, increased rapidly with illuminated area for small areas but tended to level off to values of about 0.5 m s−1 at large areas. This implies a decorrelation time for large illuminated areas of about 10 ms at X band and 3 ms at Ka band but somewhat larger values for small areas. The dependence of the velocity spread was found to be well explained by theory if an intrinsic velocity spread of 0.07 m s−1 was used to represent scatterer lifetime effects.
Directional characteristics of ionospherically propagated HF radio signals and their effect on HF DF systems

The performance of high frequency direction finding systems is known to be related to the mode content of the incoming signal and to the frequency of operation, both of which depend on the electron density distribution in the ionosphere. Due to tilts and gradients in the electron density distribution, signals often arrive at the receiver over paths well displaced from the great circle. Deviations of a few degrees are associated with tilts in the ionospheric electron density profile due, for example, to the solar terminator and to travelling ionospheric disturbances. Very large deviations are particularly prevalent in the high latitude regions where signals often arrive at the receiver with bearings displaced from the great circle direction by up to /spl plusmn/100/spl deg/ or more. A systematic study of these features has been undertaken and the magnitudes of the bearing errors observed in the various ionospheric regions and their likely causes are summarised. The paper also reviews some of the work undertaken at the University of Leicester on the direction of arrival (DOA) of HF signals propagated over two high latitude paths, one along the subauroral trough and the other contained within the polar cap. These two paths are illustrated together with an indication of the position of the subauroral trough produced by the model of Halcrow and Nisbet (1977).
Detecting Forest Musk Deer Abscess Disease Pathogens Using 16S rRNA High-Throughput Sequencing Technology

Simple Summary Abscess disease is a major disease that affects forest musk deer populations. Accurately identifying the types of pathogenic bacteria responsible for it is crucial for effective clinical treatment and the development of drugs and vaccines. This study is the first to use high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing technology to detect the types and abundance of pathogenic bacteria in abscess disease samples at the genetic level, thereby overcoming limitations of previous methods. Microbial structure and bacterial community correlation analyses of six sequencing samples revealed that the dominant pathogenic bacteria were relatively singular and had an overwhelming abundance in the same individual. The pathogenic bacterial species differed among different individuals, and the dominant pathogenic bacteria exhibited no significant correlation with other bacteria in the pus, thus indicating that the dominant pathogenic bacteria were responsible for the production of abscess disease. The primary dominant pathogenic bacteria were Trueperella pyogenes, Fusobacterium necrophorum, and Bacteroides fragilis. While Trueperella pyogenes has been confirmed as one of the pathogenic bacteria responsible for abscess disease in forest musk deer, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Bacteroides fragilis could not be isolated or identified by previous research methods due to their obligate anaerobic characteristics. Therefore, this study is the first to report that Fusobacterium necrophorum and Bacteroides fragilis are the dominant pathogenic bacteria responsible for abscess disease in forest musk deer. Abstract Currently, researchers use bacterial culture and targeted PCR methods to classify, culture, and identify the pathogens causing abscess diseases. However, this method is limited by factors such as the type of culture medium and culture conditions, making it challenging to screen and proliferate many bacteria effectively. Fortunately, with the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, pathogen identification at the genetic level has become possible. Not only can this approach overcome the limitations of bacterial culture, but it can also accurately identify the types and relative abundance of pathogens. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA to identify the pathogens in purulent fluid samples. Our results not only confirmed the presence of the main pathogen reported by previous researchers, Trueperella pyogenes, but also other obligate anaerobes, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Bacteroides fragilis as the dominant pathogens causing abscess diseases for the first time. Therefore, our findings suggest that high-throughput sequencing technology has the potential to replace traditional bacterial culture and targeted PCR methods.
A Concise Overview of Numerical Simulation Tools and Techniques for Anti-Explosion Response Prediction of Infrastructures and Facilities

In the wake of recent devastating explosions, like the tragic blast in Lebanon’s Beirut City, there has been a growing recognition of the need for blast-resistant design. Previously, this type of design was mainly reserved for critical infrastructures such as embassies and military facilities. However, the destructive power unleashed by these incidents has highlighted the importance of implementing blast-resistant measures in a wider range of buildings and infrastructure. The focus is now shifting towards incorporating blast-resistant features into various types of structures to enhance public safety and minimize the devastating impact of future explosive events. Collapse of infrastructures in the surrounding area of the explosion and the potential damage to buildings located at significant distances has raised serious concerns among structural engineers regarding the safety of infrastructures and facilities when subjected to explosive detonations. The level of devastation caused by the explosion can differ, spanning from reparable damage to total structural failure, leading to loss of life. Some engineers propose that buildings in areas prone to vulnerability or affected by war should be constructed with the ability to withstand explosive detonations, in order to prioritize the safety of human lives and preserve the integrity of the infrastructure. This article provides a concise overview of the latest advancements in numerical simulation tools and methodologies for predicting the response of infrastructures and facilities to explosions. It covers topics such as structural responses, pressure-impulse diagrams, existing design methods, and various numerical simulation tools and methodologies. The article also delves into the challenges faced in modeling blast scenarios and analyzing structural responses using different numerical methods. Additionally, it offers recommendations for overcoming these difficulties.
The Ocean Boundary Layer below Hurricane Dennis

Abstract Three neutrally buoyant floats were air deployed ahead of Hurricane Dennis on 28 August 1999. These floats were designed to accurately follow three-dimensional water trajectories and measure pressure (i.e., their own depth) and temperature. The hurricane eye passed between two of the floats; both measured the properties of the ocean boundary layer beneath sustained 30 m s−1 winds. The floats repeatedly moved through a mixed layer 30–70 m deep at average vertical speeds of 0.03–0.06 m s−1. The speed was roughly proportional to the friction velocity. Mixed layer temperature cooled about 2.8° and 0.75°C at the floats on the east and west sides of the northward-going storm, respectively. Much of the cooling occurred before the eye passage. The remaining terms in the horizontally averaged mixed layer heat budget, the vertical velocity–temperature covariance and the Lagrangian heating rate, were computed from the float data. Surface heat fluxes accounted for only a small part of the cooling. Most of th.