Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
? Response of barley (Hordeum vulgare) varieties to nitrogen under dry temperate conditions J.P. SAINF , S.R. THAKUR2

A field experiment was conducted during the summer season of 1990 and 1991 to find out the response of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. s.1.) varieties to N levels. Among the varieties, Dolma registered significantly higher number of effective tillers1 m row length, harvest index and grain yield than HBL 233 and Local. Almost all the yield attributes and grain yield increased significantly with each successive increase in N levels up to 90 kglha.
Growth, Enzymatic, and Transcriptomic Analysis of xyr1 Deletion Reveals a Major Regulator of Plant Biomass-Degrading Enzymes in Trichoderma harzianum

The regulation of plant biomass degradation by fungi is critical to the carbon cycle, and applications in bioproducts and biocontrol. Trichoderma harzianum is an important plant biomass degrader, enzyme producer, and biocontrol agent, but few putative major transcriptional regulators have been deleted in this species. The T. harzianum ortholog of the transcriptional activator XYR1/XlnR/XLR-1 was deleted, and the mutant strains were analyzed through growth profiling, enzymatic activities, and transcriptomics on cellulose. From plate cultures, the Δxyr1 mutant had reduced growth on D-xylose, xylan, and cellulose, and from shake-flask cultures with cellulose, the Δxyr1 mutant had ~90% lower β-glucosidase activity, and no detectable β-xylosidase or cellulase activity. The comparison of the transcriptomes from 18 h shake-flask cultures on D-fructose, without a carbon source, and cellulose, showed major effects of XYR1 deletion whereby the Δxyr1 mutant on cellulose was transcriptionally most similar to the cultures without a carbon source. The cellulose induced 43 plant biomass-degrading CAZymes including xylanases as well as cellulases, and most of these had massively lower expression in the Δxyr1 mutant. The expression of a subset of carbon catabolic enzymes, other transcription factors, and sugar transporters was also lower in the Δxyr1 mutant on cellulose. In summary, T. harzianum XYR1 is the master regulator of cellulases and xylanases, as well as regulating carbon catabolic enzymes.
Laboratory Excavation of a Neolithic Grave from Avignon-La Balance-Ilot P (France): Burial Practices and Garment Reconstruction

ABSTRACT The grave of La Balance-Ilot P, in Avignon, southern France, is an individual and isolated burial, attributed in the 1970′s to the Mesolithic or the Early Neolithic. The grave, partially unearthed, was exhibited and stored at the Calvet Museum until its rediscovery and laboratory excavation in 2009. We used 3D laser recording and field anthropological methods, followed by a multidisciplinary approach. The deceased, an adult male, was buried in primary deposition without any architectural features preserved. For the first time in the Mediterranean early Neolithic, this study led to the identification of a garment adorned with sophisticated embroidery using 158 red-colored Columbella rustica shells and 16 red deer canines. Calibrated AMS dates allow us to reliably place it in the early 5th millennium b.c. reinforcing evidence for long distance intercultural relationships in Europe during the Neolithic.
Experimental study of reinforced concrete non-planar beam-wall connections

To study the behavior of non-planar beam-wall connections, test of six connection specimens with strong beam and weak wall was conducted under cyclic loading at the beam end. Test results showed that for the specimens with large beam section width, a portion of tensile reinforcement in the front of the wall yielded, while reinforcement in the back of the wall did not yield at the peak load. Damage occurred mainly at the interface between slab and wall, and also at the front of shear wall. The shear wall underneath the slab and beam damaged seriously. Concrete flaked away and some vertical reinforcement buckled. The back of the wall cracked slightly and cracks mainly were around the beam. The specimens have large deformation capacity. The section width and height of beam and the slab have positive effects on the ultimate strength and the energy dissipation capacity of the specimens. Non-linear finite element analysis of specimens has been carried out and the stress distribution pattern obtained is consistent with the experimental results.
Effect of long-term deficit irrigation on tomato and goji berry quality: from fruit composition to in vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids

Drought is a persistent challenge for horticulture, affecting various aspects of fruit development and ultimately fruit quality, but the effect on nutritional value has been under-investigated. Here, fruit quality was studied on six tomato genotypes and one goji cultivar under deficit irrigation (DI), from fruit composition to in vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids. For both species, DI concentrated most health-related metabolites in fresh fruit. On a dry mass basis, DI increased total phenolic and sugar concentration, but had a negative or insignificant impact on fruit ascorbic acid, organic acid, and alcohol-insoluble matter contents. DI also reduced total carotenoids content in tomato (−18.7% on average), especially β-carotene (−32%), but not in goji berry DW (+15.5% and +19.6%, respectively). DI reduced the overall in vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids to varying degrees depending on the compound and plant species. Consequently, mixed micelles produced by digestion of fruits subjected to DI contained either the same or lesser quantities of carotenoids, even though fresh fruits could contain similar or higher quantities. Thus, DI effects on fruit composition were species and genotype dependent, but an increase in the metabolite concentration did not necessarily translate into greater bioaccessibility potentially due to interactions with the fruit matrix
High-Throughput Sequencing to Investigate the Expression and Potential Role of Differentially Expressed microRNAs in Myocardial Cells after Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

BACKGROUND microRNAs (miRNAs) are closely associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases, but the relationship between miRNAs and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to explore the role and function of miRNAs and identify target genes regulating I/R. METHODS We established a hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model to detect differentially expressed miRNAs using high-throughput sequencing in rat myocardial cells. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment were used to analyze the potential functions and signaling pathways of target genes. RESULTS We identified 113 differentially expressed miRNAs, comprising 76 and 37 upregulated and downregulated genes, respectively. Database predictions suggested that miR-200a-3p may act through the ferroptosis pathway, and we assessed the expression of miR-200a-3p, iron ions, and ferroptosis markers. The expression of miR-200a-3p significantly increased in the H/R group, along with increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron ions. When the expression of miR-200a-3p was inhibited, iron ions and ROS levels decreased significantly. Western blotting showed that transferrin receptor (TFRC) and Acyl-coA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) levels were decreased and Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression was increased. CONCLUSIONS These findings offer a novel perspective on I/R regulation, and the specific mechanisms underlying the actions of miR-200a-3p merit further investigation.
The oldest Gondwanan cephalopod mandibles (Hangenberg Black Shale, Late Devonian) and the mid‐Palaeozoic rise of jaws

It is widely accepted that the effects of global sea‐level changes at the transition from the Devonian to the Carboniferous are recorded in deposits on the shelf of northern Gondwana. These latest Devonian strata had been thought to be poor in fossils due to the Hangenberg mass extinction. In the Ma'der (eastern Anti‐Atlas), however, the Hangenberg Black Shale claystones (latest Famennian) are rich in exceptionally preserved fossils displaying the remains of non‐mineralized structures. The diversity in animal species of these strata is, however, low. Remarkably, the organic‐rich claystones have yielded abundant remains of Ammonoidea preserved with their jaws, both in situ and isolated. This is important because previously, the jaws of only one of the main Devonian ammonoid clades had been found (Frasnian Gephuroceratina). Here, we describe four types of jaws of which two could be assigned confidently to the Order Clymeniida and to the Suborder Tornoceratina. These findings imply that chitinous normal‐type jaws were likely to have already been present at the origin of the whole clade Ammonoidea, i.e. in the early Emsian (or earlier). Vertebrate jaws evolved prior to the Early Devonian origin of ammonoids. The temporal succession of evolutionary events suggests that it could have been the indirect positive selection pressure towards strong (and thus preservable) jaws since defensive structures of potential prey animals would otherwise have made them inaccessible to jawless predators in the course of the mid‐Palaeozoic marine revolution. In this respect, our findings reflect the macroecological changes that occurred in the Devonian. [Correction added on 28 July 2016 after first online publication: In the Abstract, the sentence “Vertebrate jaws probably … in the Early Devonian” was amended]
Epidemiology of Pathogenic Retroviruses and Domestic Cat Hepadnavirus in Community and Client-Owned Cats in Hong Kong

Understanding the local epidemiology of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in Hong Kong will inform retrovirus prevention strategies. Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH), a novel hepatitis-B-like virus, is commonly detected among client-owned cats in Hong Kong, but community cats have not been studied. The aims of this study were to investigate the frequency and potential risk factors for (i) FeLV and FIV among community and client-owned cats and (ii) perform molecular detection of DCH among community cats in Hong Kong. Blood samples from 713 cats were obtained from client-owned (n = 415, residual diagnostic) and community cats (n = 298, at trap-neuter-return). Point-of-care (POC) testing for FeLV antigen and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) anti-p15 and p24 antibodies was performed. FeLV-positive samples were progressed to p27 sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Whole blood DNA was tested with qPCRs for FeLV U3 and gag, and nested PCRs where additional information was required. DCH qPCR was performed on a subset of community cats (n = 193). A single, regressive, FeLV infection was detected in a client-owned cat (1/415 FeLV U3 qPCR positive, 0.2%, 95% CI 0.0–1.3%). Five/415 client-owned cats tested presumably false FeLV-antigen positive (qPCR negative). No markers of FeLV infection were detected in community cats (0/298; 0%). FIV seroprevalence was much higher in community cats (46/298, 15.4%) than in client-owned cats (13/415, 3.1%) (p < 0.001). Mixed breed was a risk factor for FIV infection in client-owned cats. Neither sex nor age were associated with FIV infection. DCH DNA was detected in 34/193 (17.6%) community cats (median viral load 6.32 × 103 copies/reaction). FeLV infection is rare in Hong Kong, negatively impacting the positive predictive value of diagnostic tests. FeLV-antigen testing remains the screening test of choice, but confirmation of a positive result using FeLV qPCR is essential. FIV infection is common in community cats and the absence of a sex predisposition, seen previously in cats managed similarly, raises questions about virus-transmission dynamics in these groups. DCH infection is very common in Hong Kong, both in client-owned and community cats, highlighting the importance of understanding the pathogenic potential of this virus for cats.
Radiographic Assessment of 121 Glass Fiber Post Procedures in 32 Patients Aged 21–60 Years Performed by 6th-Year Dental Students During the 2022–2023 Academic Year at the College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia

Background The restoration of endodontically treated teeth (ETT) and severely damaged teeth has been a concern of clinicians. Glass Fiber Post (GFPs) combine the strength of carbon fiber posts with the esthetic appearance of glass to resemble natural dentin during dental restoration procedures. This radiographical study assessed the GFP carried out by students enrolled in the Clinical Comprehensive Course at the College of Dentistry, Jazan University. Material/Methods A total of 32 patients treated by 18 6th-year dental students with 121 GFPs were assessed in this cross-sectional radiographic study. The assessment covered tooth type, arch, post-to-root width, length of post in relation to the crown and root lengths, amount of remaining gutta percha (GP), and gap between GP and post. Data were analyzed using SPSS, and associations between variables were determined using the chi-square test. Results Maxillary teeth were the most frequently restored with posts (88.4%) with most being (58.7%) anterior teeth, and 50.4% of posts had widths that were one-third that of the root. The percentage of posts was twice (71.1%) or equal to (26.4%) the crown length, whereas two-thirds of the tested GFPs were >5 mm of the remaining GP. Significant differences were observed in location and position of teeth with post width, post length in relation to crown or root length, and amount of remaining GP, with P values of 0.018, 0.000, and 0.001, respectively. Conclusions The assessed radiographs revealed that the performance of sixth year students in accomplishment GFP radiographically was satisfactory and within the values recommended in the literature.
Correlation between shapes of Shockley stacking faults and structures of basal plane dislocations in 4H-SiC epilayers

Abstract Shockley-type stacking faults expanded in 4H–SiC epilayers induced by ultraviolet illumination were investigated using a photoluminescence imaging method, a photoluminescence mapping method and X-ray topography. After ultraviolet illumination, more than 30 patterns of Shockley-type stacking faults which expanded from perfect basal plane dislocations were observed by photoluminescence imaging. The initial basal plane dislocations were crystallographically classified, and individual shapes of expanded Shockley-type stacking faults were predicted. The correspondence between the predicted shapes and observed ones was discussed.
Validation of N-Methylpyridinium as a Feasible Biomarker for Roasted Coffee Intake

Health-related nutritional human studies rely on the validity of dietary data provided by study participants. Reliable biomarkers for food intake help objectify data collected by food frequency questionnaires. They facilitate the monitoring of compliance with the study requirements, e.g., abstinence from food, help clean biased data, and remove non-compliant individuals. Biomarker candidates are often revealed by sophisticated metabolomics analyses of body fluids, e.g., urine or plasma, collected from case and control study populations. However, validation for using a biomarker candidate in real-life scenarios is seldomly executed. Coffee is a food item of high interest because of the abundance of bioactive compounds and the regularity of life-time consumption by a large part of the population. Coffee has been found to positively impact cardiovascular risk, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive decline. Coffee and its health implications, therefore, are of high interest. A suitable dietary biomarker for coffee consumption is desirable for the clear classification of study participants as coffee drinkers or non-coffee drinkers to enable correlation of physiological response to dietary habits, e.g., coffee consumption. Here, we propose the roast coffee compound N-methylpyridinium (NMP) as a promising biomarker of pragmatic use to distinguish a coffee drinker from a non-coffee drinker. NMP is an easily accessible analytical target from the plasma and urine matrix that can help determine precedent exposure to roasted coffee products. We review the published information on the coffee compound N-methylpyridinium in foods, coffee, and plasma/urine after coffee consumption, and evaluate the data in the context of the proposed food biomarker criteria “plausibility”, “time- and dose–response”, “robustness”, “reliability”, “stability”, “analytical performance”, and “reproducibility”. An additional data set is acquired to fill the gaps in the literature. In summary, we conclude that the abundance of NMP can serve as a reliable analytical tool to verify recent consumption of roasted coffee. The use of NMP appears limited to being qualitative, as NMP abundance in coffee and human biosamples is affected by several parameters, e.g., the roasting conditions and the volume and time of coffee consumed.
Risk Management in Islamic Banking: The Impact of Financial Technologies through Empirical Insights from the UAE

Financial technology (fintech) innovations are transforming banking globally. Their adoption poses new opportunities and risks for Islamic banks with unique requirements. This study examines fintech’s implications for risk management effectiveness in United Arab Emirates Islamic banks. A conceptual model incorporates factors like fintech adoption, emerging capabilities, digital maturity, and IT security influencing outcomes. Primary data were collected via survey from nine UAE Islamic banks and analyzed using PLS-SEM. Results show that fintech adoption and capabilities positively impacted effectiveness, while digital transformation alone did not. The findings also show that the regulatory environment did not moderate relationships as hypothesized. The findings provide empirical evidence on optimizing risk management through responsible fintech enablement and oversight alignment in the UAE context.
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit—Incidence and Strategies for Prevention

The second most prevalent healthcare-associated infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This review aims to update the knowledge regarding the incidence of neonatal VAP and to summarize possible strategies for prevention. The VAP incidence ranges from 1.4 to 7 episodes per 1000 ventilator days in developed countries and from 16.1 to 89 episodes per 1000 ventilator days in developing countries. This nosocomial infection is linked to higher rates of illness, death, and longer hospital stays, which imposes a substantial financial burden on both the healthcare system and families. Due to the complex nature of the pathophysiology of VAP, various approaches for its prevention in the neonatal intensive care unit have been suggested. There are two main categories of preventative measures: those that attempt to reduce infections in general (such as decontamination and hand hygiene) and those that target VAP in particular (such as VAP care bundles, head of bed elevation, and early extubation). Some of the interventions, including practicing good hand hygiene and feeding regimens, are easy to implement and have a significant impact. One of the measures that seems very promising and encompasses a lot of the preventive measures for VAP are the bundles. Some preventive measures still need to be studied.
Dimming Over the Oceans: Modeling Studies of the Role of Anthropogenic Aerosols in the Climate System

Anthropogenic aerosols have compensated some of the warming induced by well-mixed greenhouse gases (WMGHG), a situation, which has coined the term ”Faustian Aerosol Bargain”. There are, however, still large uncertainties concerning the magnitude of the anthropogenic aerosol forcing within the climate system and the responses thereof. Thus, the consequences of reduced aerosol emissions for future climate projections are uncertain. The present PhD thesis aims at quantifying modeled changes in surface solar radiation (SSR) over oceans due to anthropogenic aerosols during the 20th century and analyses surface temperature responses towards anthropogenic aerosol dimming with emphasis on sea surface temperatures (SSTs). We conduct single and multiple forcing experiments with general circulation models of the ECHAM family atmosphere only, mixed-layer ocean (MLO) equilibria, fully couple transient experiments with different complexity of aerosol treatment, either prescribed time-varying aerosol optical depth (AOD) or the fully interactive Hamburg Aerosol Module, HAM. The atmosphere only and MLO experiments include HAM, while the fully coupled experiments were conducted with prescribed time-varying AOD. As derived from atmosphere only experiments with prescribed SSTs and HAM, anthropogenic aerosol dimming averaged over oceans for the 1990s relative to the control run without anthropogenic aerosols is weaker for clear-sky SSR (−2.3 W m than for all-sky SSR (4.5 W m). The fraction of ocean surfaces experiencing a dimming larger than −4 W m is 9.4% and 15.4% for clear-sky and all-sky SSR ,respectively. Clear-sky anthropogenic aerosols dimming occurs in plumes extending from their continental source regions and shows seasonality. All-sky SSR dimming can also occur in regions far from the anthropogenic aerosol plumes, e.g., the North Pacific. The basic hypothesis is that regions, which experience strong anthropogenic aerosol dimming, also show strong SST cooling if no other forcings are applied. This hypothesis generally holds true for the low-latitude plume regions, for instance over the Indian Ocean or the Tropical Atlantic. However, even there, much of the dimming signal is masked by various
Metamaterial-Enabled Ultrawideband mmWave Antenna-in-Package Using Heterogeneously-Integrated Silicon IPD and HDI-PCB for B5G/ 6G Applications

This work presents the design, creation, and testing of ultrawideband millimeter-wave (mmWave) antennas with a tightly coupled array (TCA) configuration. These antennas are made using metamaterial (MTM) designs and advanced high-density interconnect (HDI) antenna-in-package (AiP) technologies, ideal for beyond-5G (B5G) and 6G networks. The main elements of the MTM antenna array are constructed with silicon-based integrated passive device (IPD) technology and are flip-chip bonded to a multi-layered HDI-PCB that includes a resistive frequency selective surface (FSS). These array antennas are differentially fed through a coax-via system. The study presents two types of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$5\times 5$ </tex-math></inline-formula> finite arrays: a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor-based MTM bowtie array with a differential Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\le3.5$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, operating from 16.2 to 100 GHz (excluding 18.26–18.68 GHz and 60.8–61.13 GHz), and an interdigital capacitor-based MTM bowtie array functioning from 18.85 to 100 GHz (excluding 41.52–42.25 GHz). Experimental validation of these prototypes confirms their performance, aligning well with simulated results in terms of bandwidth and radiation characteristics.