Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling of the 3D Tree Skeleton Using Real-World Data: A Survey

Tree modeling has been extensively studied in computer graphics. Recent advances in the development of high-resolution sensors and data processing techniques are extremely useful for collecting 3D datasets of real-world trees and generating increasingly plausible branching structures. The wide availability of versatile acquisition platforms allows us to capture multi-view images and scanned data that can be used for guided 3D tree modeling. In this paper, we carry out a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art methods for the 3D modeling of botanical tree geometry by taking input data from real scenarios. A wide range of studies has been proposed following different approaches. The most relevant contributions are summarized and classified into three categories: (1) procedural reconstruction, (2) geometry-based extraction, and (3) image-based modeling. In addition, we describe other approaches focused on the reconstruction process by adding additional features to achieve a realistic appearance of the tree models. Thus, we provide an overview of the most effective procedures to assist researchers in the photorealistic modeling of trees in geometry and appearance. The article concludes with remarks and trends for promising research opportunities in 3D tree modeling using real-world data.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Levels and Bone Mineral Density in Metabolically Healthy and Metabolically Unhealthy Obese Children

Objective: The harmful or beneficial effect of obesity on bone mineral density (BMD) remains controversial in children and adolescents. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a metabolic factor that plays a specific role in the regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. However, the role of FGF21 in bone metabolism appears paradoxical and is complex. To determine whether serum FGF21 level was associated with BMD in obese children and adolescents. Methods: The study was conducted with the participation of children and adolescents aged 8-18 years. Ninety-eight obese children were included in the study group and 44 children were included in the control group. BMD, in addition to the routine obesity workup, which includes fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin levels, lipid profile, and liver enzymes; serum FGF21 levels have been analyzed. Results: The mean age of the obese group (n=98) was 13.34±2.24 years and the mean age of controls (n=44) was 13.48±2.87 years. Based on International Diabetes Federation criteria, 15 of 98 (15.3%) patients were metabolically unhealthy. FGF21 levels were 193.54±139.62 mg/dL in the obese group and 158.69±151.81 mg/dL in the control group (p=0.06). There was no difference between the FGF21 and BMD z-score values of girls and boys in the obese and control groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: BMD-z-score was increased in obese children compared to healthy control. Moreover, BMD-z-score tended to be higher when more metabolic risk factors were present. However, there was no significant relationship between FGF21 levels and BMD z-score values in obese children.
Gait alterations in Parkinson’s disease at the stage of hemiparkinsonism—A longitudinal study

Background Progressive gait impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD) leads to significant disability. Quantitative gait parameters analysis provides valuable information about fine gait alterations. Objectives To analyse change of gait parameters in patients with early PD at the stage of hemiparkinsonism and after 1 year of follow up, taking into account clinical asymmetry. Methods Consecutive early PD outpatients with strictly unilateral motor features underwent clinical and neuropsychological assessment at the study entry and after 1 year of follow up. Gait was assessed with GAITRite walkway using dual-task methodology. Spatiotemporal gait parameters (step time and length, swing time and double support time) and their coefficients of variation (CV), gait velocity and heel-to-heel base support were evaluated. Results We included 42 PD patients with disease duration of 1.3 years (±1.13). Progression of motor and non-motor symptoms, without significant cognitive worsening, was observed after 1 year of follow up. Significant shortening of the swing time, prolongation of the double support and increase of their CVs were observed during all task conditions similarly for most parameters on symptomatic and asymptomatic bodysides, except for CV for the swing time under the combined task. Conclusion Alterations of the swing time and double support time are already present even at the asymptomatic body side, and progress similarly, or even at faster pace, at this side, despite dopaminergic treatment These parameters deserve further investigation in larger, prospective studies to address their potential to serve as markers of progression in interventional disease modifying trials with early PD patients.
Pirfenidone alleviates cardiac fibrosis induced by pressure overload via inhibiting TGF‐β1/Smad3 signalling pathway

Cardiac fibrosis critically injured the cardiac structure and function of the hypertensive patients. However, the anti‐fibrotic strategy is still far from satisfaction. This study aims to determine the effect and mechanism of Pirfenidone (PFD), an anti‐lung fibrosis medicine, in the treatment of cardiac fibrosis and heart failure induced by pressure overload. Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to thoracic aorta constriction (TAC) or sham surgery with the vehicle, PFD (300 mg/kg/day) or Captopril (CAP, 20 mg/kg/day). After 8 weeks of surgery, mice were tested by echocardiography, and then sacrificed followed by morphological and molecular biological analysis. Compared to the sham mice, TAC mice showed a remarkable cardiac hypertrophy, interstitial and perivascular fibrosis and resultant heart failure, which were reversed by PFD and CAP significantly. The enhanced cardiac expression of TGF‐β1 and phosphorylation of Smad3 in TAC mice were both restrained by PFD. Cardiac fibroblasts isolated from adult C57BL/6 mice were treated by Angiotensin II, which led to significant increases in cellular proliferation and levels of α‐SMA, vimentin, TGF‐β1 and phosphorylated TGF‐β receptor and Smad3. These changes were markedly inhibited by pre‐treatment of PFD. Collectively, PFD attenuates myocardial fibrosis and dysfunction induced by pressure overload via inhibiting the activation of TGF‐β1/Smad3 signalling pathway.
Dissecting motor skill acquisition: Spatial coordinates take precedence

Practicing a previously unknown motor sequence often leads to the consolidation of motor chunks, which enable its accurate execution at increasing speeds. Recent imaging studies suggest the function of these structures to be more related to the encoding, storage, and retrieval of sequences rather than their sole execution. We found that optimal motor skill acquisition prioritizes the storage of the spatial features of the sequence in memory over its rapid execution early in training, as proposed by Hikosaka in 1999. This process, seemingly diminished in older adults, was partially restored by anodal transcranial direct current stimulation over the motor cortex, as shown by a sharp improvement in accuracy and an earlier yet gradual emergence of motor chunks. These results suggest that the emergence of motor chunks is preceded by the storage of the sequence in memory but is not its direct consequence; rather, these structures depend on, and result from, motor practice.
What Is Not in the Methods Section: Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned From Conducting School-Based Interpersonal Violence Prevention Research

Interpersonal violence (IV)—which includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, teen dating violence, bullying, and other forms of violence—among youth (i.e., individuals 18 years of age or younger) is a public health crisis in the United States. As such, preventing IV among youth is a public health priority. Schools are natural settings for IV prevention among youth. However, conducting school-based IV prevention research with youth in school settings is riddled with challenges, and there is little systematic discussion of lessons learned from doing this work. As such, the purpose of this paper is to outline challenges, successes, and lessons learned from conducting school-based IV prevention research, as ascertained by four researchers with over 75 years of collective experience conducting school-based IV prevention research. Specifically, we focus on the importance of researchers (1) doing research on the school/school district prior to reaching out about potential partnerships; (2) establishing relationships with school partners that are characterized by being present, trustworthiness, and respect as well as the prioritization of school partners’ ideas over one’s research agenda; (3) working collaboratively with school partners to conceptualize and fund school-driven ideas; (4) preparing for pushback, often from parents/caregivers; and (5) embracing reciprocity (i.e., do things to support your school partners that may not directly benefit you). Additional considerations for recruitment, enrollment, and retention; program implementation and data collection; and dissemination are discussed.
Automated breast lesion localisation in microwave imaging employing simplified pulse coupled neural network

MammoWave is a microwave imaging device for breast lesion detection, employing two antennas which rotate azimuthally (horizontally) around the breast. The antennas operate in the 1-9 GHz band and are set in free space, i.e., pivotally, no matching liquid is required. Microwave images, subsequently obtained through the application of Huygens Principle, are intensity maps, representing the homogeneity of the dielectric properties of the breast tissues under test. In this paper, MammoWave is used to realise tissues dielectric differences and localise lesions by segmenting microwave images adaptively employing pulse coupled neural network (PCNN). Subsequently, a non-parametric thresholding technique is modelled to differentiate between breasts having no radiological finding (NF) or benign (BF) and breasts with malignant finding (MF). Resultant findings verify that automated breast lesion localization with microwave imaging matches the gold standard achieving 81.82% sensitivity in MF detection. The proposed method is tested on microwave images acquired from a feasibility study performed in Foligno Hospital, Italy. This study is based on 61 breasts from 35 patients; performance may vary with larger number of datasets and will be subsequently investigated.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of augmentation and combination treatments for early-stage treatment-resistant depression

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly burdensome health condition, for which there are numerous accepted pharmacological and psychological interventions. Adjunctive treatment (augmentation/combination) is recommended for the ~50% of MDD patients who do not adequately respond to first-line treatment. We aimed to evaluate the current evidence for concomitant approaches for people with early-stage treatment-resistant depression (TRD; defined below). Methods: We systematically searched Medline and Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science to identify randomised controlled trials of adjunctive treatment of ⩾10 adults with MDD who had not responded to ⩾1 adequate antidepressant. The cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool was used to assess study quality. Pre-post treatment meta-analyses were performed, allowing for comparison across heterogeneous study designs independent of comparator interventions. Results: In total, 115 trials investigating 48 treatments were synthesised. The mean intervention duration was 9 weeks (range 5 days to 18 months) with most studies assessed to have low (n = 57) or moderate (n = 51) RoB. The highest effect sizes (ESs) were from cognitive behavioural therapy (ES = 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09–2.07), (es)ketamine (ES = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.23–1.73) and risperidone (ES = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.29–1.61). Only aripiprazole and lithium were examined in ⩾10 studies. Pill placebo (ES = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81–0.98) had a not inconsiderable ES, and only six treatments’ 95% CIs did not overlap with pill placebo’s (aripiprazole, (es)ketamine, mirtazapine, olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone). We report marked heterogeneity between studies for almost all analyses. Conclusions: Our findings support cautious optimism for several augmentation strategies; although considering the high prevalence of TRD, evidence remains inadequate for each treatment option.
Comprehensive characterization of a transgene insertion in a highly repetitive, centromeric region of Anopheles mosquitoes

ABSTRACT The availability of the genomic sequence of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae has in recent years sparked the development of transgenic technologies with the potential to be used as novel vector control tools. These technologies rely on genome editing that confer traits able to affect vectorial capacity. This can be achieved by either reducing the mosquito population or by making mosquitoes refractory to the parasite infection. For any genetically modified organism that is regarded for release, molecular characterization of the transgene and flanking sites are essential for their safety assessment and post-release monitoring. Despite great advancements, Whole-Genome Sequencing data are still subject to limitations due to the presence of repetitive and unannotated DNA sequences. Faced with this challenge, we describe a number of techniques that were used to identify the genomic location of a transgene in the male bias mosquito strain Ag(PMB)1 considered for potential field application. While the initial inverse PCR identified the most likely insertion site on Chromosome 3 R 36D, reassessment of the data showed a high repetitiveness in those sequences and multiple genomic locations as potential insertion sites of the transgene. Here we used a combination of DNA sequencing analysis and in-situ hybridization to clearly identify the integration of the transgene in a poorly annotated centromeric region of Chromosome 2 R 19D. This study emphasizes the need for accuracy in sequencing data for the genome of organisms of medical importance such as Anopheles mosquitoes and other tools available that can support genomic locations of transgenes.
Optical SETI: The Next Search Frontier

Just as the 20th century growth of radio communications technology spurred radio SETI, the advent of infrared and optical communications technology is now making IR/optical ETI searches feasible. The theory of photon-limited photometry and spectroscopy is brie y reviewed. The rapid growth in IR/optical technology is outlined; these advances include lasers, optics, image sensors, and data processing, all of which bear on issues of detection and communication. Ongoing IR/optical search techniques are described, and prospects for future work are presented.
Assessing the effectiveness of a 4‐week online intervention on food literacy and fruit and vegetable consumption in Australian adults: The online MedDiet challenge

Abstract Australians fail to meet the daily recommended two and five serves of fruit and vegetable respectively, which increases mortality risk for non‐communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an online intervention delivered through social media on food literacy and fruit and vegetable consumption in Australian adults. In a pre‐post single group experimental study, 29 participants completed the “online MedDiet challenge”, a four‐week intervention delivered via Facebook. Infographics, recipes and informational videos aligned with food literacy concepts related to the Mediterranean Diet were shared with participants. Outcome measures included a validated food literacy questionnaire with two questions from the National Nutrition Survey to record fruit and vegetable consumption. The mean age of participants was 52 years (range: 25–67 years). Post intervention, food literacy improved between 21%–45% across each survey component. Participants also reported an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption by 0.6 and 1.3 serves per day (p < 0.05) respectively. Social media holds potential for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in adults through food literacy. Future research should focus on longer studies and larger cohorts to confirm that food literacy plays a key component to maintain sustainability of such interventions.
Nutritional status and out-of-hospital mortality in vascular surgery patients

Background Malnutrition is often present in vascular surgery patient during hospital admission. The present evidence of the consequence malnutrition has on morbidity and mortality is limited. Aim The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nutritional status on out-of-hospital mortality in vascular surgery patients. Methods An observational cohort study was performed, studying non-cardiac vascular surgery patients surviving hospital admission 18 years or older treated in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The exposure of interest was nutritional status categorized as well nourished, at-risk for malnutrition, nonspecific malnutrition or protein-energy malnutrition. The all cause 90-day mortality following hospital discharge was the primary outcome. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated by multivariable logistic regression models. Results This cohort included 4432 patients comprised of 48% women and a mean age 61.7 years. After evaluation by a registered dietitian, 3819 patients were determined to be well nourished, 215 patients were at-risk for malnutrition, 351 had non-specific malnutrition and 47 patients had protein-energy malnutrition. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, medical versus surgical Diagnosis Related Group type, Deyo-Charlson index, length of stay, and vascular Current Procedural Terminology code category, the 90-day post-discharge mortality odds ratio for patients with non-specific malnutrition OR 1.96 (95%CI 1.21, 3.17) and for protein-energy malnutrition OR 3.58 (95%CI 1.59, 8.06), all relative to patients without malnutrition. Discussion Nutritional status is a strong predictor of out-of-hospital mortality. This suggests that patient with vascular disease suffering from malnutrition could benefit from more intensified In-hospital and out-of-hospital dietary guidance and interventions.
Life cycle design and design management strategies in fashion apparel manufacturing

The generation of solid textile waste in the process of development and clothing production is an error that causes serious damages to the environment and must be minimized. The greatest volume of textile residues is generated by the department of cut, such as textiles parings and snips that are not used in the productive process. (MILAN et al, 2007). One way to conceive new products environmently conscious is turned to the adoption of a methodology based on Life Cycle Design (LCD) and Design Management.
The optimum parameters and neuroimaging mechanism of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to post-stroke cognitive impairment, a protocol of an orthogonally-designed randomized controlled trial

Objective Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) has been used in cognition impairment due to various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, its optimum parameters and the neuroimaging mechanism are still of uncertainty. In order to simulate a study setting as close to real world as possible, the present study introduces a new orthogonally-designed protocol, consisting of the rTMS intervention with four key parameters (stimulating site, frequency, intensity and pulse number) and three different levels in each one, and aims to investigate the optimum parameters and the brain activity and connectivity in default mode network (DMN), dorsal attention network (DAN), central executive network (CEN) following rTMS intervention to post-stroke cognition impairment (PSCI). Methods A single-center, orthogonally-designed, triple-blind randomized controlled trial will be conducted and forty-five PSCI patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of nine active rTMS groups based on four rTMS paraments: stimulating site, frequency, intensity and pulse number. Neuropsychological, activities of daily living, quality of life and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) evaluations were be performed pre-, post- and 3 months after rTMS. Discussion This study evaluates the optimum parameters of rTMS for patients with post-stroke cognition impairment and explores the alteration of neural function in DMN, DAN, CEN brain network. These results would facilitate the standardized application of rTMS in cognition impairment rehabilitation.
Electrically variable transmission having three planetary gear sets and three fixed interconnections

A family of electrically variable transmissions providing low-content, low-cost electrically variable transmission mechanisms including first, second and third differential gear sets, a battery, two electric machines serving interchangeably as motors or generators, and three selectable torque-transfer devices (two clutches and one brake. The three selectable torque transfer devices are engaged singly, in combinations of two, or singly along with a selectively braked motor/generator to yield an EVT with a continuously variable range of speeds (including reverse) and four mechanically fixed forward speed ratios. Alternatively, the three torque transfer devices may be disengaged while both motor/generators are braked to provide a fixed speed ratio. The first, second and third torque transfer devices and the first and second motor/generators are operable to provide five operating modes in the electrically variable transmission, including battery reverse mode, EVT reverse mode, reverse and forward launch modes, continuously variable transmission range mode, and fixed ratio mode.
Observation of juvenile Eastern Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) on remnant oyster reefs in New South Wales, Australia

Understanding the life cycle and the demography of individual species is critical for the management of threatened populations and integral to understanding the ecology of various ecosystems and habitats (Kimirei et al., 2015; Perez & Munch, 2010). This knowledge is particularly critical for fish species, as the maintenance of populations and biodiverse assemblages is heavily influenced by larval supply, post-settlement processes, and demographic processes such as recruitment (Caley et al., 1996). The successful recruitment of a juvenile fish into the adult population is strongly determined by individual size, particularly in marine environments, where selection pressures favoring larger individuals are approximately five times the strength of the same pressure on terrestrial taxa (Perez & Munch, 2010). As such, habitats that provide the necessary resources to support high rates of juvenile growth are important for the survival of juveniles and their recruitment into the wider population (Lefcheck et al., 2019; Perez & Munch, 2010). Marine habitats that are able to support this can have a greater density and abundance of juvenile species (e.g., seagrass meadows, kelp forests, mangroves) and are termed “nursery habitats” (Lefcheck et al., 2019). Achoerodus viridis (Eastern Blue Groper) is an iconic fish species in eastern Australia, and particularly in the state of New South Wales (NSW) where it is the state marine emblem due to its popularity and social importance. This species is listed as “Near Threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to the loss of key habitat and historical overfishing, and is a protected species in the states of NSW and Victoria (Choat & Pollard, 2010). They belong to the Labridae family of fish and are a long-lived hermaphroditic species, which start out as female juveniles with an initial-phase color of pinky brown (Figure 1a), growing to Received: 7 April 2022 Revised: 9 June 2022 Accepted: 22 June 2022