ethicalabs/Research-Intent-Collab huggingface dataset:
Projecting grassland sensitivity to climate change from an ensemble of models

The grassland biome covers about one-quarter of the earth’s land area and contributes to the livelihoods of ca. 800 million people. Increased aridity and persistent droughts are projected in the twenty-first century for most of Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East, most of the Americas, Australia and South East Asia. A number of these regions have a large fraction of their land use covered by grasslands and rangelands. Grasslands are the ecosystems that respond most rapidly to precipitation variability. However, global projections of climate change impacts on grasslands are still lacking in the scientific literature. Within AgMIP, based on the C3MP protocol initially developed for crops, we have explored the sensitivity of temperate grasslands to climate change drivers with an ensemble of models. Site calibrated models are used to provide projections under probabilistic climate change scenarios, which are defined by a combination of air temperature, precipitation and atmospheric CO2 changes resulting in 99 runs for each model times site combination. This design provides a test of grassland production, GHG (N2O and CH4) emissions and soil carbon sensitivity to climate change drivers. This integrated approach has been tested for 12 grassland simulation models applied to 19 sites over three continents. We show here that a single polynomial emulator can be fitted with high significance to the results of all models and sites, when these are expressed as relative changes from the optimal combination of climate drivers. This polynomial emulator shows that elevated atmospheric CO2 expands the thermal and hydric range which allows for the development of temperate grasslands. Moreover, we calculate the climatic response surface of GHG emissions per unit grassland production and we show that this surface varies with elevated CO2. From these results we provide first estimates of the impacts of climate change on temperate grasslands based on a range of climate scenarios.
Formal Implementation of Cost-Effectiveness Evaluations in Japan: A Unique Health Technology Assessment System

In April 2019, Japan formally introduced health technology assessment (HTA) and, more specifically, a cost-effectiveness analysis, to inform healthcare decision making, mainly when it comes to the pricing of new technologies. This article provides an overview of this new policy, which was implemented formally after a pilot program. In the fiscal year (FY) 2012, discussions on cost-effectiveness assessments were initiated in Japan. After 7 years of deliberations, a cost-effectiveness assessment was implemented formally in April 2019. In Japan, the cost-effectiveness analysis has been used to inform price adjustments of healthcare technologies, although it has not yet been used for decision making on insurance coverage. Selection criteria were established because not all drugs and medical devices could be evaluated owing to a shortage of experts. Exclusion criteria have also been applied to prevent access restriction. The scope of the evaluation's price adjustment target is limited to part of the product price. If the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) threshold falls below ¥5 million per QALY, the price adjustment rate changes stepwise according to the cost per QALY. In addition to price reduction, a price-raising scheme has also been implemented for scenarios where products are evaluated to be highly cost-effective and innovative. This article describes the first formally implemented HTA system in Japan. Although it is too early to make any conclusions about its effect, the Japan-specific context makes this system unique. To fully understand the opportunities and challenges of the new system, it is vital that Japan accumulates experience with this system and develops human resources in health economic evaluation.
Supplementary Table S10 from Prediction of Stage, Grade, and Survival in Bladder Cancer Using Genome-wide Expression Data: A Validation Study

&lt;p&gt;Supplementary Table S10.&lt;/p&gt;
Surgical robot simulation with BBZ console

: This paper presents a lean approach to training in robot assisted surgery. Minimally Invasive Surgical procedures can be decomposed in a sequence of tasks, each surgical task can be further decomposed in basic gestures. Each surgical gesture seems similar to perform rather in laparoscopic than in robot assisted technique, but surgeon posture, tools dexterity, force and vision feedback are different. As a consequence, performing a robot-assisted procedure needs specific training. Currently, the most used robot in in abdominal and pelvic surgery is the da Vinci Surgical System and a different set of skills is needed to master the human-machine interface of this device. The training with the real robot is very expensive due to the high initial cost of purchasing and maintaining the robotic surgical system, and the ethic involved in vivo practice. For these reasons, different training systems based on virtual reality were developed. The simulation physics realism and the objective metrics collected during the task execution are the main features for the effectiveness of a virtual reality based training device. Availability of training systems is another issue. To help surgeons to train in virtual reality, BBZ presents a compact, lightweight and portable console, suitable also for home training.
Identifying Critical Land Use Thresholds for Biodiversity Conservation in China’s Lake Ecosystems

Aquatic biodiversity loss, particularly in rapidly developing nations, continues to raise concerns, prompting urgent debates on reconciling economic growth with environmental preservation through land use planning. While spatial variations in aquatic communities along land use gradients are well-documented, precise ecological thresholds for land use impacts on freshwater lakes remain elusive, hindering sustainable development efforts. This study investigated six representative freshwater lakes in China between 2019 and 2020, all significantly impacted by anthropogenic activities. We utilized macroinvertebrate communities as bioindicators and employed four categories of aquatic ecological metrics─taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, pollution tolerance, and water quality─to assess their responses to local land use patterns. Macroinvertebrate community composition varied significantly among the studied lakes, with pollution-tolerant taxa predominating in highly urbanized and eutrophic systems. Notably, benthic communities exhibited greater sensitivity to urban land use (ecological thresholds: 2-10%) compared to agricultural land use (thresholds: 15-40%). The most pronounced responses were observed within 1-5 km of the lakeshore, with circular buffers yielding more significant effects than fan-shaped buffers, excluding water areas. A novel land use intensity indicator─the ratio of nonecological to ecological land (NEL/EL = area of nonecological land/area of ecological land)─proved effective in predicting ecological shifts. Smaller or heavily urbanized lakes showed marked changes at NEL/EL ratios between 0 and 0.6, while larger or river-connected lakes exhibited shifts at ratios exceeding 1.5. These findings underscore the profound ecological footprint of human activities on lake ecosystems with urban land cover emerging as the most deleterious factor.
Forest Fire Detection System based on Low-Cost Wireless Sensor Network and Internet of Things

Forest fires are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can have a significant impact on the environment, economy, and human lives. Early detection and prompt response are crucial to minimize the damage caused by forest fires. In recent years, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have emerged as promising solutions for forest fire detection due to their low-cost and efficient monitoring capabilities. This paper proposes a low-cost forest fire detection system based on WSN and IoT. The system uses a network of sensor nodes that are strategically placed in the forest to monitor environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and smoke. The sensor data is transmitted to a central server, where advanced algorithms are used to detect and predict the occurrence of forest fires. The system provides real-time alerts to forest authorities and users using a mobile application that shows the fire maps and the current updates. The proposed system has been evaluated using based on experiments, and the results show that it can effectively detect forest fires with high accuracy, low false alarms, and low cost. This system has the potential to provide an efficient and cost-effective solution for forest fire detection and can play a vital role in protecting the environment and saving lives.
Performance of Artificial Intelligence Models Designed for Diagnosis, Treatment Planning and Predicting Prognosis of Orthognathic Surgery (OGS)—A Scoping Review

The technological advancements in the field of medical science have led to an escalation in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, which are being extensively used in health sciences. This scoping review aims to outline the application and performance of artificial intelligence models used for diagnosing, treatment planning and predicting the prognosis of orthognathic surgery (OGS). Data for this paper was searched through renowned electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of science, Embase and Cochrane for articles related to the research topic that have been published between January 2000 and February 2022. Eighteen articles that met the eligibility criteria were critically analyzed based on QUADAS-2 guidelines and the certainty of evidence of the included studies was assessed using the GRADE approach. AI has been applied for predicting the post-operative facial profiles and facial symmetry, deciding on the need for OGS, predicting perioperative blood loss, planning OGS, segmentation of maxillofacial structures for OGS, and differential diagnosis of OGS. AI models have proven to be efficient and have outperformed the conventional methods. These models are reported to be reliable and reproducible, hence they can be very useful for less experienced practitioners in clinical decision making and in achieving better clinical outcomes.
Re-positioning the African court of human and peoples’ rights in the enforcement of human and people’s rights in Africa

The African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) as the human rights judicial body in the continent of Africa was adopted in 1998. The establishment of the African court was expedited by the legal and political developments in the continent. The enactment of the Constitutive Act 2002 was significantly lifeblood to the protection of the human rights principles set out in the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. The objective of the Act is, inter alia, to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in accordance with the Charter and other relevant human rights instruments. This study is aimed at identifying the impediments that have imperiled the success of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, and to discuss the prospects of the court in protecting human and people’s rights across the continent of Africa. The doctrinal methodology was adopted in realizing the set purpose of this work. It was found that the jurisdiction of the court is confined to States Parties to the African Charter. The concept of extra-territorial jurisdiction has not been institutionalized in the enforcement of human rights in Africa. It therefore does not fall within the competence of the court to impose a treaty obligation on any non-state party. Again, individuals and non-governmental organization (NGO’s) suffer great restraint in seeking the enforcement of human and people’s rights as they lack direct recourse to the court. It is therefore recommended that the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the Constitutive Act of the African Union should be amended to incorporate the principle of extra-territorial jurisdiction to facilitate the enforcement of human and people’s rights across the continent without let or hindrance. Accordingly, section 34(6) of the Protocol on the African Court of Human and People’s Rights should be amended to relax the condition that a State Party against whom the complaint of human rights violation is brought must have declared its commitment to the protocol to allow the invocation of the individual recourse system. The emergence of the protocol to the African Charter was a sweep development leading to the establishment of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights. The purpose of establishing the court is to facilitate the enforcement of human and people’s rights in Africa. Therefore, concerted effort should be taken expunge the impediments to the realization of human rights in Africa.Keywords: Human, Rights, Court, Enforcement, Extra-territorial and Jurisdiction
Argentina’s Struggle to Preserve Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity on the Malvinas Islands

The subject of this research is the analysis of Argentina’s struggle to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Malvinas, both diplomatically and militarily. The starting hypothesis of the research is that Argentina justifiably lays claim to the geographically closest Malvinas, which are one of the last objects of decolonisation, but that the United Kingdom wants to keep them under its control, considering them part of its territory. The author first explains the history of the Malvinas and when and in what way they were occupied and managed by European colonial powers. An explanation of the arguments based on which the official Buenos Aires and London claim the right to the Malvinas and of their current status will follow. The research results show that the formal-legal and historical arguments in the dispute over the Malvinas are on the side of Argentina, but that their population wants to remain under the rule of the British Crown, which greatly complicates the situation on the ground. We used the historical method, the case study method, and the comparative analysis in our research.
Semantic Change and Emerging Tropes In a Large Corpus of New High German Poetry

Due to its semantic succinctness and novelty of expression, poetry is a great test bed for semantic change analysis. However, so far there is a scarcity of large diachronic corpora. Here, we provide a large corpus of German poetry which consists of about 75k poems with more than 11 million tokens, with poems ranging from the 16th to early 20th century. We then track semantic change in this corpus by investigating the rise of tropes (`love is magic') over time and detecting change points of meaning, which we find to occur particularly within the German Romantic period. Additionally, through self-similarity, we reconstruct literary periods and find evidence that the law of linear semantic change also applies to poetry.
Borrowing, rephrasing, or inventing? How the African Commission and Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights have filled the gap on legitimate restrictions to freedom of expression

ABSTRACT                   The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) does not contain a list of legitimate aims for the lawful restriction of freedom of expression. Article 9 ACHPR only provides a general formulation, leaving a wide margin to interpretation. Nevertheless, legitimate aims analysis is part and parcel of the case-law of the African Commission and Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This article investigates how the two African bodies identified and applied legitimate aims for the restrictions of freedom of expression, comparing it with the law and practice of the European and the Inter-American courts. By reviewing all the cases on freedom of expression decided to date, the article shows that the African Court and Commission have filled the gap of Article 9 ACHPR by either borrowing legitimate aims from international instruments, rephrasing existing language in African or international documents, or inventing completely new grounds.
Nurses' perception regarding patient safety climate and quality of health care in general hospitals in Japan

To clarify perceptions of nurses towards patient safety climate and quality of health care in Japan.Nurses' perceptions of patient safety climate and quality of health care services are not well-known.The survey was conducted at general hospitals with 200 beds or more using the Patient Safety Climate Scale and the Modified multiple-item scale for consumer perceptions of health care service quality.Significant positive correlations were found among nurses' perception towards patient safety and health care service quality. The experience of nurses as members of the committee on patient safety and their employment position did not show any significant difference in the perception towards patient safety and health care services quality. Perceptions of health care service quality were lower among those with 6- to 10-year experience than with over 21 years.In the perception of nurses and nurse managers' continuous improvement, perceptions towards patient safety were related to reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy in health care service quality.Generalist nurses with 21 years or more experiences in multiple departments showed high perception towards health care service quality. Experienced nurses' perceptions of activities to improve patient safety and quality of health care services are important.
Investigation and Root Cause Analysis of Transformer Metering Destruction by Arc Flash

An arc flash and fire in the secondary compartment of an industrial facility utility transformer resulted in destruction of newly installed electrical metering equipment. Inherent to this type of event are two loss-of-evidence challenges: extremely high heat burns or melts everything nearby, and urgency to restore normal operation may prevent comprehensive examination of the scene. The facility contractor’s operations staff conducted an initial root cause analysis. The contractor’s management called on an external forensic team to provide an independent assessment. Having an established investigation methodology allows the forensic examiner to better understand what was, and was not, evaluated by facility staff and prevents confirmation biases. This paper examines the facility’s report, addresses shortcomings in its conclusions, and goes on to detail the methods and reasoning behind the forensic team’s findings. The methodology presented in this paper is applicable to a wide range of industrial electrical fires.
WeatherBench Probability: A benchmark dataset for probabilistic medium-range weather forecasting along with deep learning baseline models

WeatherBench is a benchmark dataset for medium-range weather forecasting of geopotential, temperature and precipitation, consisting of preprocessed data, predefined evaluation metrics and a number of baseline models. WeatherBench Probability extends this to probabilistic forecasting by adding a set of established probabilistic verification metrics (continuous ranked probability score, spread-skill ratio and rank histograms) and a state-of-the-art operational baseline using the ECWMF IFS ensemble forecast. In addition, we test three different probabilistic machine learning methods -- Monte Carlo dropout, parametric prediction and categorical prediction, in which the probability distribution is discretized. We find that plain Monte Carlo dropout severely underestimates uncertainty. The parametric and categorical models both produce fairly reliable forecasts of similar quality. The parametric models have fewer degrees of freedom while the categorical model is more flexible when it comes to predicting non-Gaussian distributions. None of the models are able to match the skill of the operational IFS model. We hope that this benchmark will enable other researchers to evaluate their probabilistic approaches.
Comparing AMR and SPH Cosmological Simulations. I. Dark Matter and Adiabatic Simulations

45 pages, 17 figures. ApJ, in press. This paper has been significantly revised after referee comments and several sections have been added
An overview of the impact of PFAS on animals, humans, and the environment using a One Health approach

Abstract                   Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals characterized by a fluorinated carbon chain that confers unique physicochemical properties. Widely used in industrial and consumer products, including textiles, food packaging, and firefighting foams, PFAS are highly persistent in the environment, earning them the designation of “forever chemicals.” Their stability contributes to their widespread diffusion across different environmental compartments (water, soil, air) and multiple exposure pathways (e.g., diet). These lead to PFAS bioaccumulation and biomagnification, which poses a substantial threat to both ecosystems and human health. Exposure to PFAS has been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including liver damage, thyroid disease, immunotoxicity, reproductive issues, and various cancers in both humans and animals. While regulatory efforts have led to the phase-out of long-chain PFAS such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), emerging research suggest that their short-chain replacements may also raise health concerns. This review applies a One Health framework to explore the interconnected impacts of these contaminants on human, animal, and environmental health. Furthermore, it highlights knowledge gaps that hinder comprehensive risk assessment and management, emphasizing the need for a globally coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to address the multifaceted challenges posed by PFAS.
Structures and properties of ionic crystals and condensed phase ionic liquids predicted with the generalized energy‐based fragmentation method

AbstractThe generalized energy‐based fragmentation (GEBF) approach is extended to facilitate ab initio investigations of structures, lattice energies, vibrational spectra and 1H NMR chemical shifts of ionic crystals and condensed‐phase ionic liquids (ILs) with the periodic boundary conditions (PBC). For selected periodic systems, our results demonstrate that the so‐called PBC‐GEBF approach can provide satisfactory descriptions on ground‐state energies, structures, and vibrational spectra of ionic crystals and IL crystals. The PBC‐GEBF approach is then applied to three realistic condensed phase systems. For three ionic crystals (LiCl, NaCl, and KCl), we apply the PBC‐GEBF approach with MP2 theory as well as some popular DFT methods to investigate their crystal structures and lattice energies. Our calculations indicate that the crystal structures obtained with PBC‐GEBF‐MP2/6–311 + G** are very close to the corresponding X‐ray structures, while PBC‐GEBF‐ωB97X‐D/6–311 + G** provides satisfactory prediction for crystal structures and lattice energies. For two polymorphs of [n‐C4mim][Cl] crystals, we find that the PBC‐GEBF approach at the M06‐2X/6–311 + G** level can give a satisfactory descriptions on structures and Raman spectra of these two crystals. Furthermore, for [C2mim][BF4] ILs, we demonstrate that their 1H NMR chemical shifts can be estimated from averaging over 5 typical snapshots (extracted from MD simulations) with the PBC‐GEBF approach at the B97‐2/pcSseg‐2 level. The calculated results account for the observed experimental data quite well. Therefore, we expect that the PBC‐GEBF approach, combined with various quantum chemistry methods, will become an effective tool in predicting structures and properties of ionic crystals and condensed‐phase ILs.