Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Full substitution of chemical fertilizer by organic manure decreases soil N2O emissions driven by ammonia oxidizers and gross nitrogen transformations

Replacing synthetic fertilizer by organic manure has been shown to reduce emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), but the specific roles of ammonia oxidizing microorganisms and gross nitrogen (N) transformation in regulating N2O remain unclear. Here, we examined the effect of completely replacing chemical fertilizer with organic manure on N2O emissions, ammonia oxidizers, gross N transformation rates using a 13‐year field manipulation experiment. Our results showed that organic manure reduced cumulative N2O emissions by 16.3%–210.3% compared to chemical fertilizer. The abundance of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was significantly lower in organic manure compared with chemical fertilizer during three growth stages of maize. Organic manure also significantly decreased AOB alpha diversity and changed their community structure. However, organic manure substitution increased the abundance of ammonia oxidizing archaea and the alpha diversity of comammox Nitrospira compared to chemical fertilizer. Interestingly, organic manure decreased organic N mineralization by 23.2%–32.9%, and autotrophic nitrification rate by 10.5%–45.4%, when compared with chemical fertilizer. This study also found a positive correlation between AOB abundance, organic N mineralization and gross autotrophic nitrification rate with N2O emission, and their contribution to N2O emission was supported by random forest analysis. Our study highlights the key roles of ammonia oxidizers and N transformation rates in predicting cropland N2O.
Racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 diagnosis and adherence to mitigation behaviours in a national United States older adult sample

Abstract Older adults and people of colour are vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, and mitigation behaviours reduce COVID-19 infection. We examined racial and ethnic differences in COVID-19 diagnosis and adherence to COVID-19 mitigation behaviours among U.S. older adults. Data were retrieved from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative prospective cohort with 3257 U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65+. COVID-19 variables were collected in 2020; all other data in 2019. Odds of COVID-19 diagnosis and adherence to mitigation behaviours (handwashing, masking, social distancing) were analysed using logistic regression. Compared to White older adults, only Hispanic respondents had 2.7 times significantly higher odds of COVID-19 after adjusting for sociodemographics, health, and mitigation behaviours (aOR = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.20-6.12). Black older adults had 7.9 times significantly higher odds of masking (aOR = 7.94, 95% CI = 2.33-27.04) and 2.3 times higher odds of social distancing (aOR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.28-4.24), after adjusting for sociodemographics and health. Among all racial and ethnic groups, only Hispanic older adults had a significantly elevated COVID-19 diagnosis. Despite higher adherence to COVID-19 mitigation behaviours among racial and ethnic minorities, especially Black older adults, odds of COVID-19 remained elevated. Research is needed to explore potential mechanisms for higher odds of COVID-19 among minority older adults.
Neuronal Population Activity in Macaque Visual Cortices Dynamically Changes through Repeated Fixations in Active Free Viewing

Abstract During free viewing, we move our eyes and fixate on objects to recognize the visual scene of our surroundings. To investigate the neural representation of objects in this process, we studied individual and population neuronal activity in three different visual regions of the brains of macaque monkeys (Macaca fuscata): the primary and secondary visual cortices (V1, V2) and the inferotemporal cortex (IT). We designed a task where the animal freely selected objects in a stimulus image to fixate on while we examined the relationship between spiking activity, the order of fixations, and the fixated objects. We found that activity changed across repeated fixations on the same object in all three recorded areas, with observed reductions in firing rates. Furthermore, the responses of individual neurons became sparser and more selective with individual objects. The population activity for individual objects also became distinct. These results suggest that visual neurons respond dynamically to repeated input stimuli through a smaller number of spikes, thereby allowing for discrimination between individual objects with smaller energy.
Multicenter Evaluation of the Feasibility of Clinical Implementation of SPECT Myocardial Blood Flow Measurement: Intersite Variability and Imaging Time

Background: Single-center studies have shown that single photon emission computed tomography myocardial blood flow (MBF) measurement is accurate compared with MBF measured with microspheres in a porcine model, positron emission tomography, and angiography. Clinical implementation requires consistency across multiple sites. The study goal is to determine the intersite processing repeatability of single photon emission computed tomography MBF and the additional camera time required. Methods: Five sites (Canada, Italy, Japan, Germany, and Singapore) each acquired 25 to 35 MBF studies at rest and with pharmacological stress using technetium-99m-tetrofosmin on a pinhole-collimated cadmium-zinc-telluride–based cardiac single photon emission computed tomography camera with standardized list-mode imaging and processing protocols. Patients had intermediate to high pretest probability of coronary artery disease. MBF was measured locally and at a core laboratory using commercially available software. The time a room was occupied for an MBF study was compared with that for a standard rest/stress myocardial perfusion study. Results: With motion correction, the overall correlation in MBF between core laboratory and local site was 0.93 (range, 0.87–0.97) at rest, 0.90 (range, 0.84–0.96) at stress, and 0.84 (range, 0.70–0.92) for myocardial flow reserve. The local-to-core difference in global MBF (bias-MBF) was 5.4% (−3.8% to 14.8%; median [interquartile range]) at rest and 5.4% (−6.2% to 19.4%) at stress. Between the 5 sites, bias-MBF ranged from −1.6% to 11.0% at rest and from −1.9% to 16.3% at stress; the interquartile range in bias-MBF was between 9.3% (4.8%–14.0%) and 22.3% (−10.3% to 12.0%) at rest and between 17.0% (−11.3% to 5.6%) and 33.3% (−10.4% to 22.9%) at stress and was not significantly different between most sites. Both bias and interquartile range were like previously reported interobserver variability and less than the SD of the test-retest difference of 30%. The overall difference in myocardial flow reserve was 1.52% (−10.6% to 11.3%). There were no significant differences between with and without motion correction. The average additional acquisition time varied between sites from 44 to 79 minutes. Conclusions: The average bias-MBF and bias-MFR values were small with standard deviations substantially less than the test-retest variability. This demonstrates that MBF can be measured consistently across multiple sites and further supports that this technique can be reliably implemented. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials. gov; Unique identifier: NCT03427749.
Management of Pericardial Effusion in Patients With Solid Tumor

Objective: This study compared outcomes in patients with solid tumor treated for pericardial effusion with surgical drainage versus interventional radiology (IR) percutaneous drainage and compared incidence of paradoxical hemodynamic instability (PHI) between cohorts. Background: Patients with advanced-stage solid malignancies may develop large pericardial effusions requiring intervention. PHI is a fatal and underreported complication that occurs following pericardial effusion drainage. Methods: Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between patients with solid tumors who underwent surgical drainage or IR percutaneous drainage for pericardial effusion from 2010 to 2020. Results: Among 447 patients, 243 were treated with surgical drainage, of which 27 (11%) developed PHI, compared with 7 of 204 patients (3%) who were treated with IR percutaneous drainage (P=0.002); overall incidence of PHI decreased during the study period. Rates of reintervention (30-day: 1% vs 4%; 90-day: 4% vs 6%, P=0.7) and mortality (30-day: 21% vs 17%, P=0.3; 90-day: 39% vs 37%, P=0.7) were not different between patients treated with surgical drainage and IR percutaneous drainage. For both interventions, OS was shorter among patients with PHI than among patients without PHI (surgical drainage, median [95% confidence interval] OS, 0.89 mo [0.33–2.1] vs 6.5 mo [5.0–8.9], P<0.001; IR percutaneous drainage, 3.7 mo [0.23–6.8] vs 5.0 mo [4.0–8.1], P=0.044). Conclusions: With a coordinated multidisciplinary approach focusing on prompt clinical and echocardiographic evaluation, triage with bias toward IR percutaneous drainage than surgical drainage and postintervention intensive care resulted in lower incidence of PHI and improved outcomes.
Stress history and tectonic development of the Rio Grande rift

A valve assembly for use in fluid systems has a valve closure member displaceable relative to a valve seat on the establishment of a fluid pressure difference across the closure member, the closure member engaging the seat to stop fluid flow only when the pressure difference exceeds a predetermined maximum. A by-pass may be opened around the closure member to allow unimpeded fluid flow when it is necessary to flush the system. There is also disclosed a valve assembly having several closure members and valve seats, each having a separate outlet and having a common inlet and common by-pass.
Role of S waves and Love waves in coseismic permeability enhancement

The 2008 M7.9 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, China, caused water level to oscillate and undergo sustained changes in Taiwan, ∼2000 km away from the epicenter. Here we use the responses in three wells recorded at high sampling rate (1 Hz) and the broadband seismograms from a nearby station to document, for the first time, that the major water‐level responses associated with Rayleigh waves were preceded by small oscillations that occurred concurrently with S waves and Love waves. We also show that the groundwater flow associated with these small oscillations may be strong enough to remove blockades from sediment pores to enhance aquifer permeability and to facilitate the later major responses.
Biallelic MAD2L1BP (p31comet) mutation is associated with mosaic aneuploidy and juvenile granulosa cell tumors

MAD2L1BP-encoded p31comet mediates Trip13-dependent disassembly of Mad2- and Rev7-containing complexes and, through this antagonism, promotes timely spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) silencing, faithful chromosome segregation, insulin signaling, and homology-directed repair (HDR) of DNA double-strand breaks. We identified a homozygous MAD2L1BP nonsense variant, R253*, in 2 siblings with microcephaly, epileptic encephalopathy, and juvenile granulosa cell tumors of ovary and testis. Patient-derived cells exhibited high-grade mosaic variegated aneuploidy, slowed-down proliferation, and instability of truncated p31comet mRNA and protein. Corresponding recombinant p31comet was defective in Trip13, Mad2, and Rev7 binding and unable to support SAC silencing or HDR. Furthermore, C-terminal truncation abrogated an identified interaction of p31comet with tp53. Another homozygous truncation, R227*, detected in an early-deceased patient with low-level aneuploidy, severe epileptic encephalopathy, and frequent blood glucose elevations, likely corresponds to complete loss of function, as in Mad2l1bp–/– mice. Thus, human mutations of p31comet are linked to aneuploidy and tumor predisposition.
Health Comparisons Between Truck Drivers and the General Population Using the Canadian Community Health Survey

This study shows that truck drivers are significantly more likely to smoke, be fatigued and sedentary, and report higher prevalence rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea than the general Canadian population. Multi-component interventions are needed to address the high morbidity in the truck driver population. Background This study examined and compared risk factors and health conditions of truck drivers compared with the general Canadian population. Methods This study used the Canadian Community Health Survey consisting of 991 male truck drivers and 29,958 male respondents of the general population. Results Compared with the general population, truck drivers were older, less educated, had lower incomes, worked more hours, and were more likely to be widowed/separated/divorced. In addition, truck drivers had significantly higher rates of cardiovascular disease and obesity and were more likely to be sedentary, smoke, drive when fatigued, and eat unhealthy compared with the general population. Conclusions Multicomponent interventions are needed to address the poor lifestyle practices of truckers to reduce the high rates of morbidity.
Close coupling of N‐cycling processes expressed in stable isotope data at the redoxcline of the Baltic Sea

Over the past decades, the hypoxic state of the central Baltic Sea has deteriorated because of eutrophication, but little is known about the extent to which related factors such as nitrogen removal have been altered. The Baltic Sea is a stratified semi‐enclosed basin with a large, anoxic bottom water mass in its central Gotland Basin and highly active microbial nitrogen transformation processes at the redoxcline, the interface between oxic and anoxic waters. In this study, we identified and quantified the dominant transformation processes of reactive nitrogen by exploiting fine resolution profiles of δ15NNO3, δ18ONO3, and δ15NNH4 through the pelagic redoxcline between 60 and 140 m. Our results showed increasing δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3 values with decreasing nitrate concentrations, but the associated low apparent isotope effect (ε = ~5‰), as inferred from a closed system Rayleigh model, was not consistent with the high ε (~25‰) characteristic of denitrification in the water column. These findings could be explained by substrate limitation. The observed δ18ONO3:δ15NNO3 ratio of 1.38:1 rather than the usual 1:1 ratio typical for denitrification‐dominated systems could be explained by the occurrence of both nitrification and denitrification. We then developed a numeric reaction‐diffusion model, according to which a realistic denitrification rate of 14 nmol N L−1 d−1 was estimated, and a nitrification rate of 6.6 nmol N L−1 d−1 confirmed. Our study not only demonstrates the value of stable isotope data for investigating nitrogen transformation processes but also highlights that care is needed in interpreting systems with closely coupled processes such as those at ocean redoxclines.
Validation of a short food group questionnaire to determine intakes from healthy and unhealthy food groups in 5–9‐year‐old South African children

Abstract Background Reliable dietary data for children are necessary to investigate associations with health outcomes. The present study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to determine the frequency of intakes of specific healthy and unhealthy food groups in young children. Methods Participants were 5–9‐year‐old South African children (n = 920) from 10 urban schools. Their parents completed a demographic questionnaire and the food intake questionnaire with food pictures. Based on the literature, four healthy food groups (fruits, vegetables, milk, meat/fish/poultry/eggs) and six unhealthy food groups (hot and cold sugar‐sweetened beverages, candy, salty snacks, cakes and fast foods) were included, with five different frequency responses. Six experienced nutritionists assessed the face validity and content validity. After pilot testing, construct validity and homogeneity were determined in the participants. Convergent validity was determined using urinary sodium and potassium concentrations as biological intake markers. Results Nutritionists confirmed face and content validity. Caregivers confirmed understanding of the questionnaire. Three factors explained 50.2% of the variance, with most unhealthy food groups as factor 1, fruits and vegetables as factor 2, and animal source protein and milk groups clustered with sugar‐sweetened beverages as factor 3. The frequency of milk group, fruits and vegetables intake correlated negatively, whereas the frequency of salty snacks and fast foods intakes correlated positively with the urinary sodium:potassium ratio. Conclusions The healthy and unhealthy food group questionnaire has advantages of low respondent burden, as well as acceptable content and convergent validity in South African children. The questionnaire may be used to investigate associations between food intakes and health outcomes.
Distribución de minerales pesados en los sedimentos de la plataforma continental de Cádiz

The heavy mineral distribution on recent sediments of continental shelf of Cadiz; shows great relation with the granulometric distribution, source areas, hydrodynamic behavior grains and the depositional regimen. Ultrastable heavy minerals are predominate in south sector, in coincidence with quarzitic sand deposits sedimentalion low rate and high maturity of the sediments. Nortward, in neighboring prodeltaic muddy sediments to the Guadalquivir river mouth, metastables heayy minerals predominate, in coincidence with high sedimentation rate and a greater mineralogicall variability in the sediments, due to the fluvial contribution. The main mineralogical assemblage is: epidote, garnet, rutile and zircon very similar to the showed by other authores in neighboring littoral and continental areas. The main source areas are in the Iberian Masif (Sierra lMorena), Cordillera Betica and Depresion of Guadalquivir. The main transport agents are the Guadalquivir and Guadalete rivers and others which have their mouth nortward of the study area. Others sources of sediments to the continental margen can be related vvith the Atlantic Water Flow and Mediterranean Out Flow from external zones to this geographical area.
Amphibolite to granulite transition in aluminous greywackes from the Sierra de Comechingones, Córdoba, Argentina

We discuss upper‐amphibolite to granulite facies, early Palaeozoic metamorphism and partial melting of aluminous greywackes from the Sierra de Comechingones, SE Sierras Pampeanas of Central Argentina. Consistent P–T estimates, obtained from equilibria involving Al and Ti exchange components in biotite and from more traditional thermobarometric equilibria, suggest that peak metamorphism of the exposed section took place at an essentially constant pressure of 7–8 kbar, and at temperatures ranging from 650 to 950 °C. Mineral compositions record an initial decompression, after peak metamorphism, of c. 1.5 kbar, which was accompanied by a cooling of c. 100 °C. Upper‐amphibolite facies gneisses consist of the assemblage Qtz+Pl+Bt+Grt+Rt/Ilm. The transition to the granulite facies is marked by the simultaneous appearance of the assemblage Kfs+Sil and of migmatitic structures, suggesting that the amphibolite to granulite transition in the Sierra de Comechingones corresponds to the beginning of melting. Rocks with structural and/or chemical manifestations of partial melting range from metatexites, to diatexites, to melt‐depleted granulites, consisting of the assemblage Grt+Crd+Pl+Qtz+Ilm±Ath. The melting stage overlapped at least partially with decompression, as suggested by the occurrence of cordierite, in both the migmatites and the residual granulites, of two distinct textural types: idiomorphic porphyroblasts (probably representing peritectic cordierite) and garnet‐rimming coronas. Metapelitic rocks are unknown in the Sierra de Comechingones. Therefore, it appears most likely that the Al‐rich residual assemblages found in the migmatites and residual granulites were formed by partial melting of muscovite‐ and sillimanite‐undersaturated metagreywackes. We propose a mechanism for this that relies on the sub‐solidus stabilization of garnet and the ensuing changes in the octahedral Al content of biotite with pressure and temperature.
CD8+ T-cell priming is quantitatively but not qualitatively impaired in people with HIV-1 on antiretroviral therapy

Background: The induction of de novo CD8+ T-cell responses is essential for protective antiviral immunity, but this process is often impaired in people with HIV-1 (PWH). We investigated the extent to which the immune competence of naive CD8+ T cells, a key determinant of priming efficacy, could be preserved or restored in PWH via long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: We used flow cytometry, molecular analyses of gene transcription and telomere length, and a fully validated priming assay to characterize naive CD8+ T cells ex vivo and evaluate the induction of antigen-specific effector/memory CD8+ T cells in vitro, comparing age-matched healthy uninfected donors (HUDs), PWH on ART, and natural HIV-1 controllers (HICs). Results: We found that naive CD8+ T cells were numerically reduced and exhibited a trend toward shorter telomere lengths in PWH on ART compared with HUDs and HICs. These features associated with impaired priming efficacy. However, we also found that naive CD8+ T cells were fully equipped proliferatively and transcriptionally in PWH on ART, enabling the generation of antigen-specific effector/memory CD8+ T cells with functional and phenotypic attributes comparable to those primed from HUDs. Conclusion: Our data suggest that naive CD8+ T cells in PWH on ART are intrinsically capable of generating functionally and phenotypically intact effector/memory CD8+ T cells in response to antigen, despite evidence of senescence and an overall numerical reduction that compromises priming efficacy relative to HUDs and HICs.
Minimum-tillage, mechanized sowing of pulses with two-wheel tractors

Pulse crops in Bangladesh are mainly low-input rainfed crops with broadcast sowing. Since the 1990s, rotary tillage two-wheel tractors (2WT) have largely replaced animal draft for crop establishment. However, rotary tillage causes excessive evaporation from seedbeds in rapidly-drying soils. Therefore 2WT-based minimum tillage (MT) options were explored to optimize seedbed moisture for lentil and chickpea establishment. Two types of 2WT-mounted seeding units were manufactured, a strip tiller retaining rotary blades only in front of the tynes and a tyne seeder in which the rotary tiller shaft is removed. In some soil types, seedling emergence and grain yields of lentil and chickpea with these seeders matched those with broadcasting. In wet soils, the minimal soil disturbance with MT resulted in anaerobic conditions around seedling roots thereby limiting root growth and nodulation. In clay soils with rapid surface drying traction was inadequate for tyne tillage and strip tillage could not adequately penetrate rice paddy hardpans to allow adequate growth of seedling roots. Potential solutions to these limitations are under test so that 2WT-based MT can be adapted for more timely and economic sowing of crops, including pulses, in smallholder plots and to achieve the agronomic benefits of line sowing over broadcast sowing.