Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Undrained Response and Liquefaction Behaviour of Non-Plastic Silty Sands Under Cyclic Loading

The undrained response and liquefaction behaviour of fine sand and silty sands consisting of 30% and 50% non-plastic fines were investigated in the present study. The effect of consolidation stress level, cyclic stress amplitude and amount of non-plastic fines on soil liquefaction have been studied through a systematically planned stress controlled cyclic triaxial tests. To examine the effect of consolidation pressure on liquefaction behaviour, the sand-silt specimens were prepared at 40% relative density and consolidated at pressures of 50, 100 and 200 kPa. To investigate the effect of fines content on liquefaction resistance of sands at constant postconsolidation void ratio, the sand-silt specimens were prepared at different relative densities of 20, 40 and 70%. The cyclic loading with CSR in the range of 0.075 to 0.275 was applied at a frequency of 1Hz in different tests. Test results show the influence of the addition of non-plastic fines to the sand on the reduction of liquefaction resistance. Soil specimens had exhibited higher resistance to liquefaction at low consolidation pressures and lower resistance at high consolidation pressures.
Influence of Irrigation Regime on Water Relations, Gas Exchange, and Growth of Two Field-grown Redbud Varieties in a Semiarid Climate

For three growing seasons (2003–2005) two newly planted, field-grown redbud (Cercis canadensis L.) varieties were subjected to three reference evapotranspiration (ETo)-based irrigation regimes (100, 66, and 33% ETo). Over this time period, water relations (pre-dawn leaf water potential), gas exchange (mid-day stomatal conductance), and growth data (trunk cross sectional area increase, tree leaf area, and shoot elongation) were measured. Pre-dawn leaf water potential (ψl) was more negative for trees receiving the least amount of irrigation, and for Mexican redbud [C. canadensis var. mexicana (Rose) M. Hopkins] trees. However, mid-day stomatal conductance (gs) was similar for Texas redbud (C. canadensis var. texensis S. Watson) trees across the three irrigation regimes, and was highest for Mexican redbud trees receiving the greatest amount of irrigation volume. Growth varied by variety and irrigation regime. Trunk cross sectional area increase was greatest for Mexican redbud trees, leaf area was highest for.
Finding common ground: use of a geographically-framed landscape template as an integrating platform for an international education initiative

Abstract This situated case study outlines how a place-based landscape template provided an integrative platform for the environmental arm of a cross-disciplinary international education initiative, the Three Brothers Project, wherein geographers at the University of Auckland worked alongside engineers at Tsinghua University in Beijing to support collaborative research with grassland and agricultural scientists at Qinghai University in western China. These collaborative efforts built upon strategic leadership at government and university level, an appropriate resource base and engaged practitioners who developed and embedded research opportunities that built upon a shared commitment to research on environmental values in the source zone of the Yellow River. We highlight how a landscape framing brought together divergent mindsets, methodologies and practices in this collaborative research, providing an effective platform to share experiences, discuss perspectives and develop research outcomes.
Deployment of attention to facial expressions varies as a function of emotional quality—but not in alexithymic individuals

Background Alexithymia is a risk factor for emotional disorders and is characterized by differences in automatic and controlled emotion processing. The multi-stimulus free-viewing task has been used to detect increased negative and reduced positive attentional biases in depression and anxiety. In the present eye-tracking study, we examined whether lexical emotional priming directs attention toward emotion-congruent facial expressions and whether alexithymia is related to impairments in lexical priming and spontaneous attention deployment during multiple face perception. Materials and methods A free-viewing task with happy, fearful, angry, and neutral faces shown simultaneously was administered to 32 alexithymic and 46 non-alexithymic individuals along with measures of negative affect and intelligence. Face presentation was preceded by masked emotion words. Indices of initial orienting and maintenance of attention were analyzed as a function of prime or target category and study group. Results Time to first fixation was not affected by prime category or study group. Analysis of fixation duration yielded a three-way interaction. Alexithymic individuals exhibited no prime or target category effect, whereas non-alexithymic individuals showed a main effect of target condition, fixating happy faces longer than neutral and angry faces and fearful faces longer than angry faces. Discussion Our results show evidence of attentional biases for positive and fearful social information in non-alexithymic individuals, but not in alexithymic individuals. The lack of spontaneous attentional preference for these social stimuli in alexithymia might contribute to a vulnerability for developing emotional disorders. Our data also suggest that briefly presented emotion words may not facilitate gaze orientation toward emotion-congruent stimuli.
The Influence of Preoperative Neurological Complications on Outcomes after Surgery for Infective Endocarditis

Background. Infective endocarditis (IE) is considered a life-threatening cardiac infection with a predilection to involve heart valves. One of the most feared complications of IE is the development of new-onset neurological complications (NCs). The aim of this study is to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of surgery in patients with IE presenting with vs. without NCs. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed patient records which were regularly collected in our institutional database. Between January 2002 and August 2020, 438 consecutive patients who underwent open cardiac surgery in our university hospital due to IE were included in the retrospective study. Results. Of the total cohort, 89 patients (20.3%) had preoperative NCs. Patients in the NC group were more likely to be female (33.7% vs. 23.5%; P=0.049), had more acute kindly injury at presentation (22.5% vs. 10.0%; P=0.002), were more likely to be admitted to ICU (36.0% vs. 18.3%; P<0.001), and had significantly more vegetations (84.3% vs. 69.8%; P=0.006) and overall higher preoperative embolization (92.1% vs. 11.7%; P<0.001). Staphylococcus aureus as causative organism of IE was significantly higher in the NC group (35.2% vs. 16.1%; P<0.001). Patients in the NC group had significantly higher affection of the mitral valve. There was no difference in postoperative outcomes between the two groups. The long-term survival was also similar in both groups. Preoperative atrial fibrillation (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.03; 95% CI [1.04–3.93]; P=0.037) and Staphylococcus aureus IE (aOR: 2.60; 95% CI [1.4–4.8]; P=0.002) were independent risk factors of developing NCs, while previous endocarditis was a protective factor (aOR: 0.33; 95% CI [0.11–0.99]; P=0.048). Conclusion. Our study emphasizes the shared risk factors between mortality and developing NCs. NCs are critical in IE’s clinical presentation, but they do not independently predict short- or long-term survival following surgery for IE.
A Contribution to the Knowledge of Hydnum (Hydnaceae, Cantharellales) in China, Introducing a New Taxon and Amending Descriptions of Five Known Species

Hydnum (Hydnaceae, Cantharellales), one of the edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms, is of considerable ecological and economic importance. Although previous studies have focused on the genus in China, the diversity still remains incompletely understood. In the present study, in addition to the known species from China being reviewed, six phylogenetic species from the country were described/redescribed, which included a new species: H. erectum, and five known taxa: H. cremeoalbum, H. minus, H. orientalbidum, H. tenuistipitum, and H. treui; H. treui is new to China. Detailed descriptions, color photographs of fresh basidiomata, and line drawings of microstructures of them are presented. A key to the accepted species of Hydnum in China is also provided.
Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal the Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Massive Accumulation of Secondary Metabolites in Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Seeds

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is a traditional medicinal plant for treating human diseases that is widely cultivated in many countries. However, the component and related metabolic pathways are still unclear. To understand the changes in expression of the component and related genes during seed development, this study employed metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses and integrative analysis to explore the metabolites and pathways involved in the growth of fenugreek. The antifungal activity of the fenugreek seeds was also analyzed. A total of 9499 metabolites were identified in the positive ion mode, and 8043 metabolites were identified in the negative ion mode. Among them, the main components were fatty acyls, prenol lipids, steroids, steroid derivatives, flavonoids, and isoflavonoids. Among these enriched pathways, the top 20 pathways were “flavone and flavonol biosynthesis”, “isoflavonoid biosynthesis”, and “flavonoid biosynthesis”. 3,7-Di-O-methylquercetin, flavonoids, pseudobaptigenin, isoflavonoids, methylecgonine, alkaloids, and derivatives were the most significantly upregulated metabolites. There were 38,137 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified via transcriptomic analysis. According to the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, 147 DEGs were significantly enriched in “flavonoid biosynthesis”. Ten DEGs of the six key enzymes were found to be involved in three pathways related to flavonoid and alkaloid synthesis in fenugreek. The antifungal activity test revealed the inhibitory effect of the ethanol extract of fenugreek seeds on Alternaria tenuissima (Kunze)Wiltshire and Magnaporthe oryzae. These findings further prove that the use of botanical pesticides in fenugreek fruit has research value.
Ecophysiological responses of two tropical urban shrub plants to elevated carbon dioxide and water stress

Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide causes changes in most plant species in terms of physiological and morphological properties. In this study, we elucidate the effects of elevated CO2 and water regimes on two species of shrubs which were Melastoma malabathricum and Clidemia hirta. The factor of water stress was also included whereby for each CO2 treatment, the amount of water was given once or twice daily. The treatment of elevated CO2 was at 800 ppm, where the plants were exposed for two hours daily and ambient CO2 at 400 ppm as the control. The growth of plants was monitored through their height, leaf area and biomass that were recorded fortnightly for six months. The physiological changes were determined via stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate. The results revealed that each species responded differently to the CO2 treatments. The growth parameters of height and leaf area index showed positive responses on elevated CO2 and twice watering for both species. As for biomass, M. malabathricum exhibited higher below ground biomass compared to above ground biomass in the elevated CO2. In contrast, C. hirta showed the opposite trend. The results of the three physiological parameters demonstrated a bell shape trend for both treatments with the highest rate at the fifth month.
Health risks of exposure to air pollutants among students in schools in the vicinities of coal mines

Air pollution poses a serious threat to human health and the general ecosystem both in South Africa and globally. This is mostly caused by the mining and combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal. There are some known pollutants associated with coal mining and combustion that are emitted into the air, resulting in various health implications that affect children the most as they are the most vulnerable. In this study, the levels of certain air pollutants in schools in the vicinities of coal mines were assessed. A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Five schools were purposively selected for this study. Air samples were collected inside and outside the classrooms of each school. Radiello® passive air samplers were used to measure the levels of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone while filter pumps were employed for lead (Pb). Standard laboratory analytical methods were employed for the analysis. Estimates of the possible health risks resulting from exposure to airborne sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone were performed using the United States Environmental Protection Agency Human Health Risk Assessment framework. The non-cancer risk of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone was determined using the hazard quotient. The results of this study revealed that sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone were detected within and outside the classrooms at various levels. For example, the concentration of sulphur dioxide within the classroom ranged from 3.0 to 38 µg/m3. Outside the classroom, sulphur dioxide levels detected were much higher ranging from 17 to 84 µg/m3. The results of the non-carcinogenic risks from exposure to nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone via inhalation route were less than 1.0. The elevated levels of these pollutants in the vicinity of schools investigated should be a cause for concern for all the stakeholders in the education sector. Therefore, appropriate measures need to be taken urgently to safeguard the health of the concerned community.
Anthropogenic influence on rates of aeolian dune activity within the northern European Sand Belt and socio-economic feedbacks over the last ~2500 years

In North-Western Europe, Pleistocene sand sheets have been reactivated during phases of Holocene deforestation and agricultural land use. Although there are temporal overlaps between anthropogenic activity and sand sheet reactivation, the root cause and subsequent feedbacks between aeolian activity and societal response remain largely unknown. Here, we seek to establish cause and effect by examining the detailed co-variation in both timing and magnitude of aeolian and anthropogenic activity through the quantification of Holocene dune sediments in combination with archaeological and pollen records. These records indicate a series of complex phases of aeolian activity followed by landscape stabilization, which we attribute primarily to changing patterns of human impact. We find that a steady increase in dune deposition rates in the Medieval Period corresponds to an increase in settlement activity and deforestation (~AD 1000–1500). At their peak, Medieval deposition rates were 3.4 times larger than during the late Pleistocene, the period experiencing the most favourable natural conditions for aeolian sediment transport. Prior to the Medieval Period, relative land-surface stability (represented by a depositional hiatus) persisted from the late Pleistocene until the Roman Iron Age Period (AD 0–400). Deforestation to fuel iron production had minor impact on aeolian activity, as indicated by the lowest recorded deposition rate (0.12 ± 0.02 t/ha/a). Following the Medieval Period peak in deposition rates, aeolian activity diminished rapidly and coincided with the abandonment of nearby human settlement. This sequence of events provides evidence of a direct positive feedback in which Medieval agricultural overexploitation favoured aeolian activity that rendered the landscape practically unworkable for cropping agriculture. Based on our findings and a comprehensive review of Northern European sand belt activity, we interpret a very high sensitivity of aeolian activity to past and present human impact and argue that unsustainable land-use practices have been the cause for widespread settlement abandonment.
Hydroclimatic significance of stable isotopes in precipitation from glaciers of Garhwal Himalaya, Upper Ganga Basin (UGB), India

Stable isotopic composition of precipitation as preserved in continental proxy climate archives (e.g., ice cores, lacustrine sediments, tree rings, groundwater, and organic matter) can sensitively record fluctuations in local meteorological variables. These are important natural climatic tracers to understand the atmospheric circulation patterns and hydrological cycle and to reconstruct past climate from archives. Precipitation was collected at Dokriani Glacier to understand the response of glaciers to climate change in the Garhwal Central Himalaya, Upper Ganga Basin. The local meteoric water line deviates from the global meteoric water line and is useful for the identification of moisture source in the region. The data suggest different clusters of isotopic signals, that is, summer (June–September) and winter (November–April); the mean values of δ18O, δD, and d ‰ during summer are −13.03‰, −84.49‰, and 19.78 ‰, respectively, whereas during winter, the mean values of δ18O, δD, and d ‰ are −7.59‰, −36.28‰, and 24.46 ‰, respectively. Backward wind trajectory analysis ascertains that the major source of precipitation during summer is from the Indian Summer Monsoon and during winter from the westerlies. Regression analysis has been carried out in order to establish interrelationship between the precipitation isotopic signatures and meteorological variables such as air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation. Temperature and precipitation have good correlation with the isotopic signatures of precipitation with R2 values >. 5, suggesting that both temperature and amount effects prevail in the study region. Multiple regression analysis found strong relationships for both the seasons. The relationship of deuterium excess with δ18O, relative humidity, and precipitation are significant for the winter season. No significant relationships of deuterium excess were found with other meteorological variables such as temperature and radiation. The correlation and regression analysis performed are significant and valuable for interpretation of processes in the hydrological cycle as well as for interpretation of palaeoclimate records from the region.
Brittle and semibrittle creep of Tavel limestone deformed at room temperature

Deformation and failure mode of carbonate rocks depend on the confining pressure. In this study, the mechanical behavior of a limestone with an initial porosity of 14.7% is investigated at constant stress. At confining pressures below 55 MPa, dilatancy associated with microfracturing occurs during constant stress steps, ultimately leading to failure, similar to creep in other brittle media. At confining pressures higher than 55 MPa, depending on applied differential stress, inelastic compaction occurs, accommodated by crystal plasticity and characterized by constant ultrasonic wave velocities, or dilatancy resulting from nucleation and propagation of cracks due to local stress concentrations associated with dislocation pileups, ultimately causing failure. Strain rates during secondary creep preceding dilative brittle failure are sensitive to stress, while rates during compactive creep exhibit an insensitivity to stress indicative of the operation of crystal plasticity, in agreement with elastic wave velocity evolution and microstructural observations.
Association between High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Older Adults: Findings from Neyshabur Longitudinal Study on Ageing (NeLSA)

Objective: To evaluate the association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), components of the MetS as well as diabetes, and cardiovascular complications. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional analysis, the data were collected from the registration phase of Neyshabur Longitudinal Study on Ageing (NeLSA) comprising a total of 6034 people aged 50 and older. Association between hsCRP and MetS and its components was conducted by univariate and multivariate analyses in the presence of covariates and confounding factors. Results: Baseline data including age, body fat mass, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, creatinine, albumin, and hsCRP also systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were higher in the MetS group compared to the control group (p < 0.001 for all variables other than hsCRP, which was not significant (p = 0.06)). Also the univariate and multi variate analysis illustrated one-unit increase in the serum level of hsCRP was associated with 18% higher risk for diabetes [OR: 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06–1.30] and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) by 15% (OR:1.15; (95% CI, 1.01–1.29). In subjects with MetS, one-unit (log of 1 mg/L) increase in the serum level of hsCRP was associated with 34% higher risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) (OR: 1.34; 95% CI, 1.11–1.63). Conclusions: There is an association between serum level of hsCRP and the presence of the components of MetS including HDL-C and diabetes, especially in women. (Clin Diabetol 2024; 13, 1: 52–59)
Biological control as an integrated control method in the management of aquatic weeds in an urban environmental and socio-political landscape : case study : Cape Town Metropolitan Area

Aquatic weeds transform and degrade the ecosystems which they invade, impacting various aspects of their surroundings ranging from the community level to disrupting important processes affecting ecosystem services. All of the major aquatic weeds of South Africa are found in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area. Landowners, whether private or public, are legally obliged to manage the listed invasive species through applying environmentally acceptable methodologies. This thesis provides an overview of the strategic management options, prevention, early detection, rapid response and eradication of new invasions, and containment and control species of established species. It discusses the different control methods available for managing aquatic weeds, namely mechanical, manual, chemical and biological, and the integration of different methods to improve their effectiveness. Although various studies have shown that biological control is the most cost–effective, environmentally-friendly and sustainable method, it is not yet fully integrated into weed management programmes in South Africa. In addition, the successes achieved in other parts of the world with the control of water hyacinth through biological control have not been repeated in the urban environment, despite the fact that South Africa has the highest number of biological control agents available for the weed. Urbanisation puts pressure on the natural environment and ecosystem functioning. Nutrient-enriched waters support aquatic weed growth and pose a challenge to the management thereof, in particular with regard to integrating biological control into management programmes. The aims of this study were to determine the reasons for the lack of integration of biological control into weed management programmes in South Africa, to determine the feasibility of integrating biological control in aquatic weed management programmes in a complex urban environmental and socio-political landscape by means of three case studies in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area, which showed that biological control is feasible in urban environments and should be considered. Two surveys were conducted to determine the reasons for the lack of integration of biological control into weed management programmes. The surveys showed that there is a gap between research and implementation as a result of poor communication, non-supporting institutional arrangements and a lack of appropriate capacity and skills at the implementation level. Recommendations were offered to address these issues.