Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Precipitation Prediction Skill for the West Coast United States: From Short to Extended Range

Precipitation variability significantly influences the heavily populated West Coast of the United States, raising the need for reliable predictions. We investigate the region’s short- to extended-range precipitation prediction skill using the hindcast database of the Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Prediction Project (S2S). The prediction skill–lead time relationship is evaluated, using both deterministic and probabilistic skill scores. Results show that the S2S models display advantageous deterministic skill at week 1. For week 2, prediction is useful for the best-performing model, with a Pearson correlation coefficient larger than 0.6. Beyond week 2, predictions generally provide little useful deterministic skill. Sources of extended-range predictability are investigated, focusing on El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). We found that periods of heavy precipitation associated with ENSO are more predictable at the extended range period. During El Niño years, Southern California tends to receive more precipitation in late winter, and most models show better extended-range prediction skill. On the contrary, during La Niña years Oregon tends to receive more precipitation in winter, with most models showing better extended-range skill. We believe the excessive precipitation and improved extended-range prediction skill are caused by the meridional shift of baroclinic systems as modulated by ENSO. Through examining precipitation anomalies conditioned on the MJO, we verified that active MJO events systematically modulate the area’s precipitation distribution. Our results show that most models do not represent the MJO or its associated teleconnections, especially at phases 3–4. However, some models exhibit enhanced extended-range prediction skills under active MJO conditions.
Decadal Variability of Eddy Characteristics and Energetics in the Kuroshio Extension: Unstable Versus Stable States

Using the Estimating Circulation and Climate of the Ocean Phase II product, this study investigates the eddy characteristics and energetics in two dynamical regimes within the Kuroshio Extension (KE) region. Based on the empirical orthogonal function analysis, it is found that the decadal evolution of eddy kinetic energy in the KE region is characterized by a delayed negative correlation between the upstream and downstream. Besides the out-of-phase change in eddy activity levels, eddy characteristics and energetics in the upstream KE are also different from those in the downstream. In the upstream region, eddies are stretched in the zonal direction and the unstable state is characterized by strong eddy-shedding processes. During these processes, cyclonic eddies are found to be formed in the first quasi-stationary meander and finally pinched off from the KE jet. Energy budget illustrates that the eddy shedding processes are triggered by baroclinic instability, while barotropic instability becomes the dominated energy source after the meander is fully developed. Accompanied by the generation of cyclonic eddies, significant inverse energy cascade is detected. When the upstream KE is stable, the eddy activity is dominated by baroclinic instability and the inverse energy cascade occurs similarly. Distinct from the upstream, eddies in the downstream KE tend to be stretched in the meridional direction and the decadal variability of eddy kinetic energy in this region is mainly regulated by the upstream through lateral advection. Plain Language Summary Based on classic physical oceanography theory, oceanic eddies are generated mainly through the vertical shear of background mean flow, i.e. baroclinic instability (BC). A stronger mean flow should favor BC and lead to more eddy generation. However, at decadal timescales, the correlation between the strength of the Kuroshio Extension (KE) jet and the regional eddy kinetic energy (EKE) level is negative, therefore the decadal variability of mesoscale eddy field in the KE system cannot be simply explained by the classic instability theory. This study explores in great depth the dynamical processes in the unstable state in the upstream KE and analyzes the evolution of eddy energetics during these processes. It is found that unstable events in the upstream KE are characterized by strong eddy-shedding processes. During these events, cyclonic eddies are found to be formed in the first quasi-stationary meander and finally pinched off from the KE jet. During these processes, both BC and barotropic energy transfer are important in the generation of eddies. This study will be a step toward the understanding of low-frequency variability in strong oceanic current regions in the global ocean.
Wi-AM: Enabling Cross-Domain Gesture Recognition with Commodity Wi-Fi

RF-based gesture recognition systems outperform computer vision-based systems in terms of user privacy. The integration of Wi-Fi sensing and deep learning has opened new application areas for intelligent multimedia technology. Although promising, existing systems have multiple limitations: (1) they only work well in a fixed domain; (2) when working in a new domain, they require the recollection of a large amount of data. These limitations either lead to a subpar cross-domain performance or require a huge amount of human effort, impeding their widespread adoption in practical scenarios. We propose Wi-AM, a privacy-preserving gesture recognition framework, to address the above limitations. Wi-AM can accurately recognize gestures in a new domain with only one sample. To remove irrelevant disturbances induced by interfering domain factors, we design a multi-domain adversarial scheme to reduce the differences in data distribution between different domains and extract the maximum amount of transferable features related to gestures. Moreover, to quickly adapt to an unseen domain with only a few samples, Wi-AM adopts a meta-learning framework to fine-tune the trained model into a new domain with a one-sample-per-gesture manner while achieving an accurate cross-domain performance. Extensive experiments in a real-world dataset demonstrate that Wi-AM can recognize gestures in an unseen domain with average accuracy of 82.13% and 86.76% for 1 and 3 data samples.
Microvertebrates from the Silurian–Devonian boundary beds of the Eastport Formation, Maine, eastern USA

Agnathan and gnathostome remains, associated with lingulid brachiopod fragments and distinctive ostracods, have been extracted from a small calcareous mudstone sample collected from the type section of the Eastport Formation on the northern shore of Moose Island, Maine. The vertebrate assemblage includes osteostracan, anaspid, and thelodont scales, and acanthodian scales, spines and teeth, which support a late Pridoli, or possibly earliest Lochkovian, age for the stratum. The thelodont Paralogania denisoni n. sp. is described, associated with a single thelodont scale referred tentatively to Talivalia? sp. indet. , and acanthodians Nostolepis striata, Gomphonchus sandelensis, andPoracanthodes punctatus in a fauna that shows similarities to late Pridoli assemblages in Britain, parts of Europe, Russia, Greenland, and arctic Canada.
Post-critical SsPmp and its applications to Virtual Deep Seismic Sounding (VDSS)—1: sensitivity to lithospheric 1-D and 2-D structure

Virtual Deep Seismic Sounding (VDSS) has recently emerged as a novel method to image the Moho and potentially other lithospheric boundaries. The behavior of SsPmp, the post-critical reflection phase at the Moho that is utilized in VDSS, is rich with complexities not yet widely utilized. Here, motivated by observations from the Ordos Plateau in North China, we use synthetic seismograms computed with a broad range of 1D models to evaluate how different parts of the lithosphere along the ray path of SsPmp affect its phase, amplitude, and arrival time. Our findings include: (1) When the crust-mantle boundary is a sharp discontinuity, the SsPmp phase shift relative to the direct S wave is controlled by lower-crustal Vp, upper-mantle Vp and ray parameter. This property indicates the possibility of using SsPmp to constrain Vp in the lower crust and uppermost mantle. (2) When the crust-mantle boundary is a velocity-gradient zone, SsPmp arrival times vary as different functions of ray parameter from cases with a sharp crust-mantle boundary, because different rays turn at different depths. This feature allows measurement of the vertical velocity gradient in the crust-mantle transition zone with SsPmp. (3) When the virtual source (location of S-to-P conversion at the free surface) is in a sedimentary basin, SsPmp amplitude can be significantly reduced due to low S-to-P reflected energy at the virtual source. This may cause the absence of SsPmp despite appropriate source-receiver geometry. In addition to 1D models, we further conduct 2D waveform modeling and find that the SsPmp arrival time relative to direct S is not only controlled by crustal thickness at the reflection point, but also by lateral variation of Vs beneath the virtual source and receiver. Therefore, in areas with significant lateral heterogeneity in the lithosphere the accuracy of crustal-thickness measurements from SsPmp arrival times depends on our knowledge of the variability of lithospheric structure across a broad region.
High Pectin Recovery from Cocoa Husks Using an Autoclave Approach: An Analysis of Its Physicochemical, Structural, and Genotoxicity Properties

Pectin was extracted from cocoa husks, a food-processing biowaste, using an autoclave approach. A Box–Behnken design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize pectin extraction. Three factors including extraction time (5–40 min), temperature (105–135 °C), and solid to liquid ratios (SLRs) (10–30 w/v) were employed. Results showed that the optimal conditions for high cocoa-husk-pectin (CHP) yield of 26.22% was 105 °C for 5 min with an SLR at 20 w/v. The physicochemical characteristics of CHP were compared with commercial high-methoxyl pectin (CHMP) and commercial low-methoxyl pectin (CLMP). CHP was classified as low-methoxyl pectin, with a degree of esterification at 34.74% and methoxyl content of 5.08%. The galacturonic acid content of CHP was 32.71% which was lower than CHMP (72.69%) and CLMP (41.24%). The intrinsic viscosity and viscosity–average molecular weight was similar to CLMP but higher than CHMP. No significant differences in water-holding capacity were found among samples. CHP showed higher oil-holding capacity but lower solubility compared with commercial pectin. CHP solutions showed pseudoplastic behavior. The viscosities of CHP solutions improved at increasing concentrations and decreasing pH. The CHP solution viscosities were lower than CLMP at the same condition. The viscoelastic properties of CHP solutions increased at higher concentrations, with the optimal value at pH 3. CHP showed no genotoxicity when assayed using the Ames test. Autoclave extraction as an accessible fast method showed potential for high pectin yield recovery from cocoa husks.
Microbiology and Antimicrobial Susceptibility in Adult Dacryocystitis

Purpose To investigate the microbiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of dacryocystitis in adults and identify the changing trends over time in Taiwan. Methods This is a single-centered, retrospective study. We retrospectively reviewed adult patients with dacryocystitis from January 2012 to December 2021 in a tertiary medical center in Taiwan. The pathogens and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of the pus cultures from the lacrimal sac were collected. Results Thirty-five cultures in acute and 211 cultures in chronic dacryocystitis were collected. Of the 220 isolates, a similar proportion of gram-positive (44%) and gram-negative (43%) aerobes were demonstrated in chronic dacryocystitis and more gram-negative aerobes (50%) than gram-positive aereobes (41%) in acute dacryocystitis. The most common pathogens were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; 28.1%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (28.1%) in acute dacryocystitis, while coagulase-negative Staphylococci was the most common micro-organism in chronic dacryocystitis. The effective antibiotics for gram-positive aerobes were vancomycin (100%), moxifloxacin (88%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (78%). Meropenem (95%), amikacin (93%), and levofloxacin (91%) were sensitive to more than 90% of gram-negative aerobes in current study. High resistant species were also isolated in our cohort. Conclusion More gram-negative pathogens and more resistant species are rising in adult dacryocystitis. Understanding the bacteriology and antimicrobial susceptibility of the region is crucial for the empirical antibiotic selection in clinical practice.
Soil Moisture Variability Intensifies and Prolongs Eastern Amazon Temperature and Carbon Cycle Response to El Niño–Southern Oscillation

El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an important driver of climate and carbon cycle variability in the Amazon. Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the equatorial Pacific drive teleconnections with temperature directly through changes in atmospheric circulation. These circulation changes also impact precipitation and, consequently, soil moisture, enabling additional indirect effects on temperature through land–atmosphere coupling. To separate the direct influence of ENSO SST anomalies from the indirect effects of soil moisture, a mechanism-denial experiment was performed to decouple their variability in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) forced with observed SSTs from 1982 to 2016. Soil moisture variability was found to amplify and extend the effects of SST forcing on eastern Amazon temperature and carbon fluxes in E3SM. During the wet season, the direct, circulation-driven effect of ENSO SST anomalies dominated temperature and carbon cycle variability throughout the Amazon. During the following dry season, after ENSO SST anomalies had dissipated, soil moisture variability became the dominant driver in the east, explaining 67%–82% of the temperature difference between El Niño and La Niña years, and 85%–91% of the difference in carbon fluxes. These results highlight the need to consider the interdependence between temperature and hydrology when attributing the relative contributions of these factors to interannual variability in the terrestrial carbon cycle. Specifically, when offline models are forced with observations or reanalysis, the contribution of temperature may be overestimated when its own variability is modulated by hydrology via land–atmosphere coupling.
Evaluation of some rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes under drought stress conditions by using morphological, physiological and molecular characteristics

Drought is a major challenge, affecting rice at the morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular levels. This study was conducted to compare eight cultivars of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) for drought tolerance based on some morphological, physiological and molecular tests at the seedling stage. Drought stress was imposed by four levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 0, 5, 10 and 15% for 5 days. After 5 days, where seeds of all concentrations were watered daily with tap water for 21 days, plant samples were taken for measurements. Seeds from all cultivars treated with 15% PEG recorded complete germination (100%) for both G179 and Hageen Masry, while the other varieties recorded germination ranged between 56.7 and 83.30. At 10% PEG, a decrease in chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, proline and shoot length was observed. This result indicates that Hageen Masry showed the best performance under drought stress due to its own nature of tolerance. For PCR analysis, a total of 47DNA fragments were detected; Among them, 33 are polymorphic, and 9 bands are monomorphic. To determine the level of polymorphism in the analyzed set of the eight rice genotypes, the percentage of polymorphic bands ranged from 20% to 100% with an average of 73.4%. The amplified DNA bands ranged in size from 100 to 1500 bp. The SCoT-2 primer was the most polymorphic, while the lowest number of amplified polymorphic fragments (1) was detected by primers SCoT-5 and SCoT-6. The polymorphic information content (PIC) value ranged from 0 to 0.374, with an average of 0.26.
Glomerular Herniation in Toxemia of Pregnancy before 18 Weeks Gestation

Presentation of preeclampsia before 18 weeks is rare. We present a case of severe preeclampsia manifesting at 18 weeks gestation, notable with concurrent renal and optic changes. Beyond the typical kidney histological features of toxemia of pregnancy, the kidney biopsy revealed a distinctive histopathological finding-herniation of the glomerular tuft into the proximal tubule. This finding is rare with only a few cases reported in the literature. We present our findings for the early identification of preeclampsia. Additionally, our case exhibited severe retinal edema on fundoscopy, also offering a potential avenue for improving early detection. These insights are crucial for further exploration and understanding of these unique aspects of early preeclampsia just prior to retinal detachment.
Biobased Films Based on Chitosan and Microcrystalline Cellulose for Sustainable Packaging Applications

The transition to a more sustainable lifestyle requires a move away from petroleum-based sources and the investigation and funding of renewable and waste feedstocks to provide biobased sustainable materials. The formulation of films based on chitosan and microcrystalline cellulose with potential applications in the packaging sector has been demonstrated. Glycerol is also used as a plasticizer in the formulation of flexible films, while mucic acid is used as a valid alternative to acetic acid in such films. The film based on chitosan, microcrystalline cellulose, glycerol, and mucic acid shows properties and a performance similar to those of the film formulated with acetic acid, and, in addition, it seems that the photo-oxidation resistance of the film based on mucic acid is better than that of the material containing acetic acid. The films were characterized using spectroscopy (FTIR and UV-vis), tensile testing, water contact angle measurements, surface observations, and photo-oxidation resistance measurements. The presence of microcrystalline cellulose enhances the mechanical behavior, UV barrier properties, and surface hydrophobicity of the film. The feasibility of formulating chitosan-based films, with or without microcrystalline cellulose, which exhibit good properties and performances is demonstrated. Mucic acid instead of acetic acid is used in the formulation of these film.
The Effect of Activated Growth Factor (AGF) from Platelets on Alpha-SMA Levels in Osteoarthritis: Invivo Study

Background: The most prevalent joint condition and leading contributor to disability is osteoarthritis (OA), resulting in a significant socio-economic impact. It occurs due to an imbalance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators, influencing anabolic and catabolic activities. This study aims to determine the effect of activated growth factor (AGF) on alpha-SMA levels. Methods: This research is an in vivo post-test-only control group experimental study conducted at the Eureka Research Laboratory. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five treatment groups: normal control group, negative control group, AGF I group (TGF-β 100 pg/mL), AGF II group (TGF-β 1000 pg/mL), and AGF III group (TGF-β 10,000 pg/mL). AGF was obtained from rat blood intravenously and centrifuged at a predetermined speed. Growth factor activation was performed by adding 10% CaCl2, and then TGF-β levels were measured. All groups of rats were acclimatized for 7 days. After that, osteoarthritis was induced with intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate (MIA) 4.8 mg/60μL in all groups of rats except the normal control group. Next, rats were given treatment according to the group for 21 days. On the 21st day, rats were euthanized, and alpha-SMA levels were measured using the sandwich method ELISA kit. Results: Sequentially, the mean Alpha-SMA levels for each group in pg/mL were: 91.495 ± 2.36; 10.682 ± 1.09; 30.502 ± 2.00; 52.892 ± 1.29; and 76.180 ± 2.65. In the AGF group, there was an increase in alpha-SMA levels directly proportional to the dose of TGF-β injected. Conclusion: AGF has an effect on increasing alpha-SMA levels in the joints of rats with a model of osteoarthritis.
Impact on wind turbine loads from different down regulation control strategies

This paper presents a study on derating wind turbine power levels in a wind farm and the associated loads on down wind placed wind turbines. This is done by derating the wind farm power output for certain periods of time. Derating can be done in different ways by adjusting the rotor speed and blade pitch on the individual turbines which also has a direct impact on the turbine component loads. The paper studies three characteristic derating strategies on the upstream wind Turbine (WT) and the corresponding load impact on the downstream one. These are defined as minimum/maximum rotor speeds (minRS, maxRS) and minimum thrust (minT) modes. Derating factors of 20% and 40% on available power are applied together with 4 and 7 diameters WT interspace. The study is based on aeroelastic simulations of a 2MW generic WT model including wake effects. The results show that below rated wind speed (8m/s) the downstream WT blade flap fatigue loads are minimized when the upfront WT is derated with the minRS or minT strategy. The maxRS mode returns around 2% percent higher loads. The load levels for minRS and minT strategies are almost equal. Above rated wind speed (16m/s) the trend is the same as at 8m/s with a bit higher difference on load levels, up to 6% percent at tighter interspace bewteen maxRS strategy and the other two. The fore-aft fatigue loads on the tower base and the main bearing yaw moment follow the same trends as the blade for both below and above rated wind speed. Finally, it is also found that there is a correlation on the load levels and the wind deficit values. In all cases up to around ±10 degrees incoming wind direction the wake deficit from the maxRS control strategy is higher and the load levels follow the same trend. This is an important outcome and links the control strategies directly to the wake deficit due to the upstream WT operation.
Optimizing Precipitation Thresholds for Best Correlation Between Dry Lightning and Wildfires

This work examines how to adjust the definition of “dry lightning” in order to optimize the correlation between dry lightning flash count and the climatology of large (>400 km2) lightning‐ignited wildfires over the contiguous United States (CONUS). The National Lightning Detection Network™ and National Centers for Environmental Prediction Stage IV radar‐based, gauge‐adjusted precipitation data are used to form climatic data sets. For a 13 year analysis period over CONUS, a correlation of 0.88 is found between annual totals of wildfires and dry lightning. This optimal correlation is found by defining dry lightning as follows: on a 0.1° hourly grid, a precipitation threshold of no more than 0.3 mm may accumulate during any hour over a period of 3–4 days preceding the flash. Regional optimized definitions vary. When annual totals are analyzed as done here, no clear advantage is found by weighting positive polarity cloud‐to‐ground (+CG) lightning differently than –CG lightning. The high variability of dry lightning relative to the precipitation and lightning from which it is derived suggests it would be an independent and useful climate indicator.