Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Formative experiences and psychological distance in the lives of contemporary environmentalists

Introduction We use the term “environmentalists” to describe the people who are highly and actively engaged and involved in environmental issues like climate change. Environmentalists consistently advocate, research, or volunteer to do the work needed to address environmental challenges. Factors that drive contemporary environmentalists remain understudied. Methods We, therefore, ask: what formative experiences drive environmentalists on climate change and other environmental problems at present? We frame this exploration through the significant life experiences (SLE) literature, which examines people and environmental pathways. We also ask: how do feelings of perceptual/actual distance or closeness to environmental threats and climate change shape a person’s decision to become an environmentalist? We anchor this query to the psychological distance (PD) literature that explores how people perceive external phenomena and the role distance plays in their conception. To answer both questions, we use qualitative methods and draw on 33 interviews with environmentalists involved in environmental protection work for an average of 91 h in the past 4 weeks. Results We find that environmentalists spoke about several formative experiences broadly consistent with what has been documented in the SLE literature. Traumatic experiences were especially influential for our sample of environmentalists. Our findings also reveal that PD, especially social, plays a role in the lives of environmentalists. Discussion Study findings could help scholars and practitioners deepen their understanding of contemporary environmentalists. Practitioners, in particular, could use this knowledge to help environmentalists by providing them with tailored resources and support.
Evaluation des effets de l’utilisation de la graine de lin extrudée en élevages bovins laitiers

La graine de lin extrudee (GLE), riche en acide α-linolenique, est un aliment utilise en elevage bovin laitier pour modifier la composition en acides gras du lait vers un profil nutritionnel favorable a la sante humaine. Cependant, l’effet de la graine de lin sur les animaux est peu documente. L’objectif etait d’evaluer les effets de l’utilisation de la GLE sur les performances animales en elevage bovin laitier, puis d’en estimer les consequences economiques au niveau de l’exploitation bovine laitiere. Une meta-analyse (21 essais experimentaux) a permis de caracteriser la variabilite des performances laitieres en conditions experimentales selon la quantite de GLE et la ration associee. Une etude epidemiologique expose/non expose menee dans 1204 elevages sur 194056 vaches a montre une association entre la quantite de GLE et la production laitiere (+ 0.4 a +1,3 kg/j) et les taux de matieres utiles (-0,03 a -0,20 g/kg de TP et -0,1 a -0,9 g/kg de TB). D’autres associations ont ete mises en evidence : amelioration de la fecondite et de la guerison des infections intra-mammaires. Enfin, par simulation, nous avons montre qu’un eleveur produisant un lait de meilleure qualite nutritionnelle via l’utilisation de la GLE dans les conditions d’utilisation de terrain etait recompense par un gain de marge de son atelier laitier via des effets zootechniques positifs malgre le surcout alimentaire engendre.
Personal Credit Rating Based on Partial Least Squares Regression Classification

In view of the current commercial bank credit issues, this paper proposes a personal credit assessment method based on partial least squares classification. The main idea of this method is: first, a matrix is made by quantifying the customer and the corresponding credit indicators; secondly, a partial least-squares regression classification model is established; and finally, a test is conducted using the German credit data in the model and the results are obtained. Simulation results show that this method is simple, feasible and effective.
Analyzing the infection dynamics and control strategies of cholera

We conduct a rigorous analysis for the differential equation-based cholera model proposed in [3]. Unlike traditional infectious disease SIR-type models, this model explicitly includes cholerae bacteria from the environments, and the incidence rate is a dose-dependent Michaelis-Menten type functional response. By extending the theory of monotone dynamical systems, we prove that the endemic equilibrium, when it exists, of the model is globally asymptotically stable, implying the persistence of the disease in the absence of interventions. We then modify the model by incorporating various control strategies, and study the subsequent dynamics. We find that with strong control measures, the basic reproduction number will be reduced below 1 so that the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable. With weak controls, instead, epidemicity still occurs and a unique and globally stable endemic equilibrium state exists, though at a lower infection level and with a reduced disease outbreak growth rate. The analytical predictions are confirmed by numerical results.
A unified complexity analysis of interior point methods for semidefinite problems based on trigonometric kernel functions

In this paper, we present an interior-point algorithm for semidefinite optimization (SDO) problems based on a new generic trigonometric kernel function, which is constructed by introducing some new conditions on the kernel function. Based on these conditions, we propose a new trigonometric kernel function and present some properties of this function. We present some complexity results for the generic kernel function and prove that, a large-update primal–dual interior-point method for solving SDO problems with this new kernel function enjoys as worst case iteration complexity bound which matches the currently best known complexity bound for large update methods. Moreover, some numerical results show that the new proposed kernel function has better results than the other trigonometric kernel functions.
Differential networks for processing structural dependencies in human language: linguistic capacity vs. memory-based ordering

Surface linear (left-to-right) arrangements of human languages are actually an amalgam of the core language system and systems that are not inherently related to language. It has been widely recognized that an unbounded array of hierarchically structured linguistic expressions is generated by the simplest combinatorial operation “Merge,” and the notion of Merge-generability has been proposed as a key feature that characterizes structural dependencies among linguistic elements. Here we tested Merge-generable dependencies by using a Subject-Predicate matching task, which required both linguistic capacity and short-term memory. We used three types of dependency: Nesting, Crossing, and Grouping as the control. The Nesting dependency is totally Merge-generable, while the Crossing dependency requires some additional processes for memory-based ordering. In order to identify the regions employed for these two dependencies, we directly compared cortical responses to the sentence stimuli (with noun phrases and an adverb as the first half of stimuli, and with verbs as the latter) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and the following results were obtained. First, for the Nesting – Crossing contrast, significant activations were observed in the bilateral lateral premotor cortices (LPMCs) and inferior frontal gyri, left middle temporal gyrus, and bilateral angular/supramarginal gyri, indicating engagement of the syntax-related networks. In contrast, the Crossing – Nesting contrast showed focal activations in the left fusiform gyrus, lingual gyrus, and middle occipital gyrus (L. FG/LG/MOG). Secondly, for the first half of the Nesting stimuli, signal changes in the bilateral LPMCs were well fitted with the estimates of computational costs to search the workspace and to select items (Σ operations). Moreover, for the latter half of the Crossing stimuli, the signal changes in the L. FG/LG/MOG were differentially fitted with the estimates of loads related to the ordering of elements/words (numbers of Ordering). Thirdly, these fitting models were by far more likely than the exchanged estimates between bilateral LPMCs and L. FG/LG/MOG, confirming a double dissociation for primary processes with Σ and Ordering. In conclusion, these results indicate that separate cortical networks are differentially employed, and their careful elucidation will provide further insights and challenges.
Harris's lopsidependency criterion can be stronger than Shearer's criterion

The Lopsided Lov\'asz Local Lemma (LLLL) is a probabilistic tool which is a cornerstone of the probabilistic method of combinatorics, which shows that it is possible to avoid a collection of "bad" events as long as their probabilities and interdependencies are sufficiently small. The strongest possible criterion that can be stated in these terms is due to Shearer (1985), although it is technically difficult to apply to constructions in combinatorics. The original formulation of the LLLL was non-constructive, a seminal algorithm of Moser & Tardos (2010) gave an efficient constructive algorithm for nearly all applications of it, including applications to $k$-SAT instances with a bounded number of occurrences per variables. Harris (2015) later gave an alternate criterion for this algorithm to converge, which appeared to give stronger bounds than the standard LLL. Unlike the LLL criterion or its variants, this criterion depends in a fundamental way on the decomposition of bad-events into variables. In this note, we show that the criterion given by Harris can be stronger in some cases even than Shearer's criterion. We construct $k$-SAT formulas with bounded variable occurrence, and show that the criterion of Harris is satisfied while the criterion of Shearer is violated. In fact, there is an exponentially growing gap between the bounds provable from any form of the LLLL and from the bound shown by Harris.
The PCQ-Infertility Revised: A New Digital Instrument to Measure Treatment Satisfaction of Fertility Patients

Background One of the key dimensions of healthcare quality is patient-centeredness, which represents how well healthcare is geared towards patients’ needs and wishes. Many questionnaires that measure the patient-centeredness are long and complicated, eliciting non-response or careless responding. Moreover, responses to some commonly used questionnaires are difficult to interpret. The Patient-Centeredness Questionnaire-Infertility (PCQ-Infertility) is used to measure the patient’s experience of fertility healthcare quality. The aim of this study was to improve the PCQ-Infertility to allow large-scale clinical implementation. Methods The study was performed in three parts. First, shortcomings of the original PCQ-Infertility were identified by evaluation of expert opinions. Second, the number of items were reduced, and items were rescaled and rephrased. Third, 844 patients filled in the original PCQ-Infertility and 260 patients filled in the revised PCQ-Infertility and reliability analyses were performed. In addition, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the revised PCQ-Infertility. Results The number of items in the revised questionnaire was reduced by 24% (from 51 to 39 items), which increased the internal consistency and reliability. The reliability analyses and confirmatory factor analysis indicated high consistency and convergent validity in all seven dimensions (accessibility, information, communication, patient involvement, respect for patient’s values, continuity and transition, and competence) of the revised PCQ-Infertility. Conclusion The revised PCQ-Infertility is a more valid and reliable instrument than the original PCQ-Infertility, easier to interpret and shorter. Therefore, large-scale clinical implementation and data analysis are now possible, giving the opportunity for fertility care professionals to evaluate and improve their healthcare.
Evaluating the Hydrological Components Contributions to Terrestrial Water Storage Changes in Inner Mongolia with Multiple Datasets

In this study, multiple remote sensing data were used to quantitatively evaluate the contributions of surface water, soil moisture and groundwater to terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes in five groundwater resources zones of Inner Mongolia (GW_I, GW_II, GW_III, GW_IV and GW_V), China. The results showed that TWS increased at the rate of 2.14 mm/a for GW_I, while it decreased at the rate of 4.62 mm/a, 5.89 mm/a, 2.79 mm/a and 2.62 mm/a for GW_II, GW_III, GW_IV and GW_V during 2003–2021. Inner Mongolia experienced a widespread soil moisture increase with the rate of 4.17 mm/a, 2.13 mm/a, 1.20 mm/a, 0.25 mm/a and 1.36 mm/a for the five regions, respectively. Significant decreases were detected for regional groundwater storage (GWS) with the rate of 2.21 mm/a, 6.76 mm/a, 6.87 mm/a, 3.01 mm/a, and 4.14 mm/a, respectively. Soil moisture was the major contributor to TWS changes in GW_I, which accounted 58% of the total TWS changes. Groundwater was the greatest contributor to TWS changes in other four regions, especially GWS changes, which accounted for 76% TWS changes in GW_IV. In addition, this study found that the role of surface water was notable for calculating regional GWS changes.
Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictor of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in a Geriatric Community: The I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study

Cerebral Small Vessel Disease (CSVD) frequently affects the elderly, with inflammation playing a crucial role in related health complications, including dementia, stroke, and SVD. Studies, including animal experiments, indicate a strong link between inflammation and SVD progression. The Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) serves as a possible biomarker for ongoing inflammatory risks. A total of 720 adults aged 50 years or older from the community-based I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study were included in this study. General linear regression and ordinally logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between NLR and CSVD. We further examined the presence of lacune, microbleed, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on brain MRI, which were used to construct a combined CSVD score. The NLR was positively associated with WMH (adjusted r = 0.109, p = 0.003), microbleed (adjusted r = 0.102, p = 0.006), and lacune (adjusted r = 0.100, p = 0.008). After adjustments for smoking, drinking, and physical activity in the ordinal logistic regression analysis, age, gender, brachial Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), fasting glucose, LDL-cholesterol, and Hs-CRP were compared among subjects with low tertile (T1), medium tertile (T2) and high tertile (T3) NLR. The results showed that T2 vs. T1 had an odds ratio of 1.23 (0.86–1.77); and T3 vs. T1 had an odds ratio of 1.87 (1.29–2.71) of CSVD scores in four groups (zero (reference group), one, two, and three or more). NLR could be used to assess the state of inflammation in cerebral vessels. A significant and positive correlation between NLR and CSVD was verified in this study. However, the practical clinical application of NLR in CSVD patients and prognosis prediction should be validated through more scientific attempts.
Current status and prospects of GREM1 research in cancer (Review)

GREM1 is a secreted protein that antagonizes bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and participates in critical biological processes, including embryonic development, organogenesis and tissue differentiation. Gremlin 1 (GREM1) is also an inhibitor of TGF-β and a ligand for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2. In addition, GREM1 can induce cells, participate in the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and then participate in tumor development. GREM1 has a variety of biological functions and can participate in the malignant progression of a variety of tumors through the BMP signaling pathway. GREM1 also can inhibit TGF-β in some tumors, thereby inhibiting tumors, and its involvement in tumor development varies in different types of cancer. The present review examines the role and function of GREM1 in tumors. GREM1 is expressed in a variety of tumor types. GREM1 expression can affect the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of tumor cells. GREM1 has been studied in breast and colon cancer, and its potential role is to promote cancer. However, in pancreatic cancer, which was found to act differently from other cancer types, overexpression of GREM1 inhibits tumor metastasis. The present review suggests that GREM1 can be a diagnostic and prognostic indicator. In future studies, the study of GREM1 based on single-cell sequencing technology will further clarify its role and function in tumors.
Simulasi Perambatan Gelombang Georadar (GPR) pada Suatu Media Berlapis

The simulation of the wave propagation of the radar in the sub-surface was very important to be understood before being carried out of field acquisition, to maximize the design of the acquisition and to optimized radar gram data’s. One of the approaches in the simulation of the data was to use propagation modeling of the electromagnetic wave by using the Finite Difference Time Domain solution (FDTD). Modeling of electromagnetic wave propagation in the GPR requires a solution of Maxwell’s equations or present a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solution of Maxwell’s that permit accurate computation of the radiated field from a transmitting antenna. Propagating through the air-earth interface, scattering by subsurface targets and reception of the scattered fields by receiving antenna. This technique is second-order accurate in time and fourth-order accurate in space. In this paper, I demonstrate the synthetic radar gram by applying this technique to two-dimensional examples from a subsurface of stratified media.
Aria Wangsakara Bridge of Banten Province and Community Social Economic Mobility

The construction of the Bogeg bridge (now Aria Wangsakara) which is located on the PakupatanPalima road section, Serang City, Banten Province was carried out because the previous bridge was narrow and was no longer able to facilitate the socio-economic mobility needs of the community. Because the purpose of this research is to find out how the impact the expansion of the Aria Wangsakara bridge has on the socio-economic mobility of the community. The research method uses qualitative methods, data collection techniques are carried out through interviews and observation. This study concludes that the construction of the Aria Wangsakara bridge has an impact on social and economic mobility. Social mobility is related to the structural and cultural activities of the community as a response to the construction of bridges. Economic mobility is related to the economic activities of the community, both those engaged in services, services, sales, and or transportation activities
Advances in the application of neuroinflammatory molecular imaging in brain malignancies

The prevalence of brain cancer has been increasing in recent decades, posing significant healthcare challenges. The introduction of immunotherapies has brought forth notable diagnostic imaging challenges for brain tumors. The tumor microenvironment undergoes substantial changes in induced immunosuppression and immune responses following the development of primary brain tumor and brain metastasis, affecting the progression and metastasis of brain tumors. Consequently, effective and accurate neuroimaging techniques are necessary for clinical practice and monitoring. However, patients with brain tumors might experience radiation-induced necrosis or other neuroinflammation. Currently, positron emission tomography and various magnetic resonance imaging techniques play a crucial role in diagnosing and evaluating brain tumors. Nevertheless, differentiating between brain tumors and necrotic lesions or inflamed tissues remains a significant challenge in the clinical diagnosis of the advancements in immunotherapeutics and precision oncology have underscored the importance of clinically applicable imaging measures for diagnosing and monitoring neuroinflammation. This review summarizes recent advances in neuroimaging methods aimed at enhancing the specificity of brain tumor diagnosis and evaluating inflamed lesions.
Multiple Myeloma and Kidney Impairment at Diagnosis: A Nephrological Perspective from an Eastern European Country

Background and Objectives: The clinical presentation and survival factors in patients with myeloma-related kidney impairment (MRKI) at diagnosis remain a topic of ongoing research, given the complex interplay between nephrology and hematology. To date, no studies have specifically reported outcomes for these patients in Eastern Europe. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective, unicentric study of consecutive newly diagnosed patients with MRKI in our tertiary nephrology service in Romania between 2015 and 2020; follow-up extended until 1 September 2022, covering a study period of 90 months. Results: We identified 89 consecutive patients with MRKI (median age 66 years, 38% male, median eGFR 5 mL/min). The majority of patients had arterial hypertension (71%) and systemic atherosclerosis (58%), and the most frequent clinical features at presentation were asthenia (75%) and bone pain (51%). Light-chain-restricted myeloma was the most common type (55%), with kappa free light chain being more frequent (53%). Among the patients, 81% presented with acute kidney injury (AKI), and 38% required hemodialysis at diagnosis. During the study period, 65% of the patients died, and hypoalbuminemia and the need for hemodialysis at diagnosis were significantly associated with mortality in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Patients with MRKI who present to the nephrologist more frequently exhibit light chain restriction and most often present with AKI, with one-third requiring hemodialysis at diagnosis. Moreover, hypoalbuminemia and the initiation of hemodialysis at diagnosis were significantly associated with increased mortality.