Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conodont size reduction and diversity losses during the Carnian Humid Episode in SW China

The enigmatic biotic and environmental changes during the Carnian Humid Episode (CHE) have been investigated in South China. The body size of conodonts, assessed as length of P1 elements, and their diversity show substantial changes in the mid-Carnian. The well-dated Long Chang, Yongyue and Caizitang sections in southwestern China record a change of palaeoenvironments from shallow-marine carbonate platforms to deeper, euxinic basins. All sections show a major loss of conodont diversity and abundance late in the Julian 1 at a time of rapid warming and marine anoxia. Conodont size saw a reduction in maximum, mean and minimum size during the Julian 2 to Tuvalian 2 interval caused by the short-lived appearance of small species and a size decrease of the survivors. Conodont mean size reduction coincided with marine euxinia or anoxia and temperature fluctuations during the Julian 2 to Tuvalian 2 interval. Carnian conodonts thus follow Bergmann's Rule: element size is inversely correlated to the temperature. Climate warming with the consequential development of marine anoxia or euxinia is probably directly responsible for biotic changes at this time. Supplementary material: Conodont length data from the Long Chang (LC), Yongyue (NR) and Caizitang (CZ) sections and data for the cross plot between estimated temperature and conodont mean size in the Long Chang section are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare. c.4114424
Molecular microbial diversity of deadwood and leaf litter in forests of different forest management intensity

The effects of forest management and conversion of forest types on microbial diversity and ecological functions and services are still unclear. Together, the investigations detailed in this dissertation help unravel the relationships between forest management and the structure, diversity and functions of fungal and/or bacterial communities involved in decomposition of deadwood and leaf litter, a key aspect of element cycling in forest ecosystems. Understanding these relationships provides a basis to evaluate ecosystem services provided by microbial communities and the impact of forest management on such services.
Correlative study of ultraviolet aurora and low‐latitude Pi2 pulsations

[1] We study the relationship between auroras observed by the ultraviolet imager (UVI) on the Polar spacecraft and Pi2 pulsations detected by the Circum-pan Pacific Magnetometer Network at magnetic latitudes lower than 55°. Instead of focusing on the few minutes around auroral breakups, we treat both auroral power and pulsation parameters as continuous time series in an effort to quantify the relationship between the two phenomena. A 3-hour interval on 3 April 1996 is selected for the present study because it includes several episodes of auroral intensification. The auroral power is represented by electron precipitation energy (PUVI) that is inferred from the observed 170-nm photon emission over the 2000–0200 magnetic local time sector in 36-s time windows separated by ∼5 min. Parameters characterizing Pi2 signals in the magnetometer data are computed in a moving 5-min time window using the autoregressive spectral analysis technique. The parameters include the amplitude APi2 in the Pi2 band (7–25 mHz), the frequency, the ellipticity, and azimuth of the major axis of polarization for oscillations with a well-defined spectral peak. Overall, there is a high degree of similarity between the temporal profiles of PUVI and APi2. The pulsation amplitude varied from ∼0.1 nT for a PUVI change of 20 GW; although due to different decay timescales, ∼10 min for APi2 and ∼80 min for PUVI, the linear cross-correlation coefficient between the two parameters remained at a modest level (∼0.75). In one instance, APi2 was enhanced without auroral intensification, and for this pulsation the azimuth of the major axis of polarization was oriented in the east-west direction instead of the north-south direction that is the norm for Pi2 pulsations associated with auroral intensifications. Examination of solar wind plasma data from the Geotail spacecraft suggests that this particular event was directly driven by changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure. We conclude that low-latitude magnetic pulsations are a sensitive indicator of changes of auroral intensity and that pulsations that are not associated with aurora could be distinguished by examining their polarization properties.
Coupling Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and hydraulic surveys to study the geometry and spatial distribution of aquatic macrophytes

Abstract Aquatic macrophytes are a key component of river systems around the world. Surveys of macrophyte surface cover, cross-sectional blockage and plant/patch sizes provide data for river managers to assess in-stream habitat, hydraulic resistance, and the success of stream restorations. Manual surveying techniques are labour intensive, provide low spatial detail and are predominantly applied at the cross-section scale, resulting in a lack of published data on macrophyte size distributions. In this study, 1099 Ranunculus penicillatus patches were surveyed using a UAV-mounted digital camera. Geometric properties such as patch area, length, aspect ratio and orientation were determined from the aerial orthophotos. These data were then coupled with hydraulic measurements. Macrophyte abundance corresponded to specific ranges of velocity, Froude number and stream power, indicating clear patterns of hydraulic habitat use (and preferential modification) by Ranunculus. At the reach scale, flow redirection around dense vegetation clusters was observed, with implications for localised sedimentation and bank erosion. The reported data can improve the design of laboratory experiments to represent Ranunculus characteristics in the field. The aerial surveying techniques can be used to efficiently estimate vegetation abundance, surface area blockage factor and also to visualise flow through patch mosaics, enabling targeted management of aquatic vegetation.
Cardioprotective effects of antiretroviral treatment in adolescents with perinatal HIV infection are heterogeneous depending on age at treatment initiation.

The cardioprotective effects of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in adolescents with perinatal HIV infection (APHIV) may depend on age at ART initiation. We used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to characterize and compare residual cardiac changes in apparently healthy APHIV with early and delayed ART initiation compared to sex- and age-similar HIV uninfected peers. We defined early and delayed ART as, respectively, treatment initiated at <5 years and [≥]5 years of age. Cardiac function, mechanical deformation, geometry and tissue composition were assessed. APHIV had distinct albeit subclinical cardiac phenotypes depending on timing of ART initiation. For example, changes in early ART suggested comparatively worse diastology with preserved systolic function while delayed ART was associated with comparatively increased diffuse fibrosis and LV dilatation with reduced systolic function. The long-term clinical significance of these changes remains to be determined.
The Midlatitude Positive Bay Index and the Statistics of Substorm Occurrence

The auroral breakup and expansion are essential features of a magnetospheric substorm. Negative bays beneath the aurora and positive bays at midlatitudes accompany the expansion. These effects are caused by the substorm current wedge. The negative bay strength is provided by the auroral electrojet lower (AL) index. At midlatitudes the positive bay is caused by the field‐aligned currents connected to the electrojet. The midlatitude positive bay (MPB) index measures these effects. Both AL and MPB can be used to time auroral expansion onset. This work creates lists of MPB onsets and compares them with lists from other sources including onsets derived from IMAGE and Polar spacecraft and ground all‐sky camera data. The lists show that these measurements are nearly simultaneous with satellite expansion onsets. Substorms occur most frequently during the declining phase of the solar cycle, at the equinoxes, and after the passage of a stream interface in a corotating interaction region. Both MPB and SML indices reveal three substorm phases: growth, expansion, and recovery. In addition, the MPB onset list, the SML onset list, and the IMAGE auroral onset list reveal the presence of a 45‐min and a 2 3/4‐hr quasi‐periodicity in substorm occurrence. A comparison of the various lists reveals radical difference in their waiting time distributions and relatively low levels of association between events in the lists. The results suggest that none of the lists adequately capture the complexity of substorm activity and further refinements are needed in every algorithm used for onset detection.
Unraveling the Role of MIXL1 Activation in Endoderm Differentiation of Isogenic Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) possess the ability to differentiate into a multitude of tissue types but display heterogeneity in the propensity of differentiation into specific tissue lineages. An examination of isogenic hiPSC lines revealed variations in the endoderm propensity under directed differentiation conditions. Characterization of the transcriptome and proteome of the hiPSC lines showed that MIXL1 activity at the early differentiation stage correlated with the efficacy of generating definitive endoderm and further differentiation into endoderm derivatives. Enforced expression of MIXL1 in the endoderm-incompetent hiPSCs enhanced the propensity of endoderm differentiation, suggesting that modulation of key drivers of lineage differentiation can re-wire hiPSC to the desired lineage propensity for stem cell products.
Agricultural value chains in a fragile state The case of rice in Myanmar MYANMAR

Nearly one-quarter of the global population lives in fragile states. Yet, despite the enormous importance of these areas for reducing global poverty and food insecurity, there is relatively little research examining how agricultural value chains, crucial for assuring food security, respond and adapt to such contexts. This paper analyzes Myanmar’s rice value chain–its most important staple crop and largest value chain–during the economic collapse and political instability caused by a military coup in early 2021. It relies on unique data collected with a large sample of rice retailers and millers before and after the coup. Despite many challenges in the rice value chain after the coup, such as banking and transport, rice processing and trade continued, assuring availability of rice in most retail markets and illustrating the resilience of the value chain to a major shock. While processing margins were mostly stable, an increased distribution margin (between rice millers and retailers) led to 11 percent higher average retail prices after the coup, implying welfare costs of almost USD 500 million. Using a market-pair regression method, we find that localized violence near sellers and buyers, distances traveled, and distance of vendors from international borders are associated with significantly increased rice price dispersion between rice retailers and mills. Despite the amalgam of problems to address in such settings, prioritizing the easing of transport restrictions, stabilizing fuel prices, and facilitating safe spatial arbitrage of food products would likely help prevent further food price inflation, assure higher farm prices, and improve welfare.
Ultrasonographic measurement of placental thickness and its correlation with estimated fetal weight

Background: Placenta is a materno-fetal organ, and its size is indicative of the fetus health and growth. Placental thickness (PT) is an additional ultrasonographic metric commonly used to evaluate the placenta.The objectiveof this study was to assess the relationship between PT (at 32-and 36-weeks of gestation) and to estimate the fetal weight. Methods: This observational study was performed at the Department of Obstetrics andGynecologyBenha University Hospital and ShebeenElkoom insurance hospital over a period from July 2020 to November 2021.Results: There was a significant positive correlation between PTat 32weeks and Apgar score at 1st and 5th min. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between PTat 36 weeks and Apgar score at 1st and 5th min. There was a significant positive correlation between PT at 32 weeks, PT 36 at weeks and femur length(FL), abdominal circumference (AC), biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), estimated fetal weight (EFW) and amniotic fluid index (AFI). Conclusion: The evaluation of fetal weight( a vital element of prenatal treatment), relies heavily on ultrasonography(US). PT measured at the umbilical cord insertion point is a reliable sonographic indication for fetal weight evaluation, due to their linear correlation .
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) A proto-monsoonal climate in the late Eocene of Southeast Asia: Evidence from a sedimentary record in central Myanmar

studied. This study focuses on the late Eocene Yaw Formation (23 (cid:1) N) in central Myanmar, which was located near the equator ( c. 5 (cid:1) N) during the Eocene. We quantitatively assessed the past vegetation, climate, and depositional environments with sporomorph diagrams, bioclimatic analysis, and sequence biostratigra-phy. We calculated the palynological diversity and drew inferences with rarefaction analysis by comparing with four other middle to late Eocene tropical palynoﬂoras. Palynological results highlight a high ﬂoristic diversity for the palynoﬂora throughout the section formed by six pollen zones characterized by different vegetation. They indicate that lowland evergreen forests and swamps dominated in the Eocene Burmese deltaic plains while terra ﬁrma areas were occupied by seasonal evergreen, seasonally dry, and deciduous forests. This vegetation pattern is typical to what is found around the Bay of Bengal today and supports a monsoon-like climate at the time of the Yaw Formation. Bioclimatic analysis further suggests that in the late Eocene, the Yaw Formation was more seasonal, drier, and cooler compared to modern-day climate at similar near-equatorial latitude. More seasonal and drier conditions can be explained by a well-marked seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), driver of proto-monsoonal rainfall. Cooler temperatures in the late Eocene of central Myanmar may be due to the lack of adequate modern analogues for the Eocene monsoonal climate, while those found at other three Eocene Asian paleobotanical sites (India and South China) may be caused by the effect of canopy evapotranspirational cooling. Our data suggest that paleoenvironmental change including two transgressive–regressive depositional sequences is controlled by global sea level change, which may be driven by climate change and tectonics. The high diversity of the Yaw Formation palynoﬂora, despite well-marked seasonality, is explained by its crossroads location for plant dispersals between India and Asia
Integrated nitrogen management of monsoon rice under two different plant spacings

Proper management practices such as plant spacing and nutrient management are the most effective means for increasing yield of rice. To date no single spacing or nutrient management has been recommended as ideal for all field conditions for a particular variety which must be established experimentally. The current experiment was, therefore, conducted to study the effect of integrated nitrogen management and plant spacing on the growth, yield and yield components of monsoon rice (rainfed transplanted rice) cv. BRRI dhan41. The experiment consisted of the following sets of treatments: factor (A) integrated nitrogen management: control, i.e. , no urea super granule (USG), prilled urea (PU) and poultry manure (PM) (T 1 ), 1.8 g USG 4 hill -1 (T 2 ), 2.7 g USG 4 hill -1 (T 3 ), PM at 5 t ha -1 (T 4 ), PM at 7.5 t ha -1 (T 5 ), 1.8 g USG 4 hill -1 + PM at 5 t ha -1 (T 6 ), 2.7 g USG 4 hill -1 + PM at 7.5 t ha -1 (T 7 ), 1.8 g USG 4 hill -1 + PM at 2.5 t ha -1 (T 8 ), 2.7 g USG 4 hill -1 + PM at 3.75 t ha -1 (T 9 ), recommended dose of PU i.e. , 240 kg ha -1 (T 10 ), 1/2PU + PM at 5 t ha -1 (T 11 ), full dose of PU + PM at 7.5 t ha -1 (T 12 ), 1/2PU + PM at 2.5 t ha -1 (T 13 ) and full dose of PU + PM at 3.75 t ha -1 (T 14 ); and factor (B) plant spacing: 25 cm × 15 cm (S 1 ) and 25 cm × 20 cm (S 2 ). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Integrated nitrogen management showed significant effect on all the yield and yield contributing characters except number of non-effective tillers hill - 1 , panicle length and weight of 1000 grains. The results revealed that the highest grain yield (3.67 t ha -1 ) was obtained from T 6 and the lowest grain yield (1.39 t ha -1 ) was obtained from T 1 . All the yield and yield contributing characters were significantly affected by plant spacing except number of total tillers hill -1 , number of non-effective tillers hill -1 , panicle length and weight of 1000 grains. The spacing 25 cm × 20 cm resulted in higher grain yield (3.05 t ha -1 ) than the spacing 25 cm × 15 cm. Grain yield was affected by the interaction of integrated nitrogen management and plant spacing. The highest grain yield (3.74 t ha -1 ) was recorded with the interaction between T 6 and S 2 while the lowest one (1.36 t ha -1 ) was obtained from T 1 and S 1 combination. Therefore, for higher yield monsoon rice cv. BRRI dhan41 should be planted following 25 cm × 20 cm spacing and fertilized with 1.8 g USG 4 hill -1 + 5 t ha -1 PM to meet nitrogen requirement.
Accounting for the Effects of Fiscal Policy Shocks on Exchange Rates through Markup Dynamics

This study investigates how fiscal policy shocks affect the external sector through markup dynamics in advanced and developing economies. We focus on the role of markup dynamics as a channel through which fiscal policy has a distinct effect on real exchange rates. Using panel data from 32 countries, we employ a local projection to evaluate the impact of expansionary fiscal policy shocks on real exchange rates, markups, and current accounts. Our empirical findings show distinct responses to the shocks among advanced and developing countries regarding the real exchange rate, due to different markup dynamics. Expansionary fiscal measures result in an appreciation of the real exchange rate and an increase in markup for developing countries, whereas advanced economies experience a decrease in markup and a depreciation of the real exchange rate. Markup dynamics vary between advanced and developing economies due to differences in firms’ entry and exit conditions in their institutions. In advanced economies, expansionary fiscal policy shocks promote competition and new firm entry, resulting in a reduced markup. On the other hand, unfavorable conditions in developing countries maintain or increase existing firms’ market power. Our research highlights the heterogeneous effects of fiscal policy shocks on the external sector, emphasizing the need for policymakers to consider institutional and entry conditions while designing and implementing fiscal policies.
Carcass and Meat Quality of Lambs From Intensive Grazing Systems Differing in the Age of Slaughter

: Ninety lambs reared on pastures were slaughtered for 2 y corresponding to 3 ages of slaughter: at weaning with 4 mo of age (4M), at 6 – 7 mo of age (6M), and at 12 mo of age (12M; last treatments were weaned at 4 mo). With the purpose of deseasonalizing high-quality meat lamb production in the year, the present work aimed to achieve hot carcass weight (HCW) of 18 – 20 kg on average in each lamb group. Hot carcass weight, carcass yield (CYd), subcutaneous tissue depth, leg, frenched rack, and loin weights were determined. After meat ageing for 7 and 14 d from the 3 groups of lambs, instrumental color, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), consumer sensory analysis ( n = 200), and fatty acid profile of intra-muscular fat (IMF) were determined on longissimus lumborum muscle. Lambs of 12M resulted in greater HCW ( P < 0.05). The young lambs (4M) presented a greater subcutaneous fat coverage and CYd ( P < 0.05). Lambs of 12M presented a greater proportion of legs ( P < 0.05) regarding HCW. Meat color from 4M lambs was lighter (greater L * values) when aged for 7 and 14 d and showed lower WBSF values with 14 d of ageing ( P < 0.05). A greater proportion of IMF ( P < 0.05) was observed in 12M and 4M lambs, but the latter presented a greater proportion of conjugated linoleic acid ( P < 0.05) and polyunsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acid ratio ( P < 0.05). Older lambs (12M) showed a lower n6/n3 fatty acid ratio ( P < 0.05) and a greater concentration of α -tocopherol ( P < 0.05). Meat from the 3 groups of lambs was scored positively (i.e., at least between “ I like moderately ” and “ I like slightly ” ) for overall liking when evaluated by consumers. Although significant differences were observed among the 3 groups of lambs, slaughter age in lambs until 12M seems to have a minor effect on product quality from a practical standpoint.
Cross-seasonal analysis of bacteriological profile of water sources as a disease risk measure

Water is a natural resource and is essential to sustain life. Poor drinking water quality is the cause of several diseases. The aim of this paper was to investigate bacteriological profile of water sources as a measure of disease risk, aimed at providing useful information towards rural water resources management. Five hundred and twenty bacterial isolates (520) were obtained from waters samples collected during the period of study. Majority of the Isolates (305) representing 58.65% of the total were obtained during the dry season, as against (205) representing 41.35% in the rainy season. There was a statistical differences (P> 0.05) of the microbes isolated seasonally. The highest occurring was Klebsiella spp. (9.83±6.99, P> 0.05) in the dry season and the least Shigella spp. P> 0.05. Furthermore dam water sources was observed to poses a high disease risk among the five water sources investigated, whiles borehole water sources possess a lower diseases risk. An alarming observation was the presences of bacteria of public health importance in the water sources. These included Shigella spp. (dysentery), Salmonella typhi (typhoid fever and acute diarrhoeal infection), Salmonella typhi (typhoid fever), and Vibrio cholerea (cholera). In a nutshell, to reduce the level of bacterial contamination of drinking water sources there should be an incessant education on issues such as: environmental awareness, (cultivation sanitation habits and ensure that their surroundings and water sources are not indiscriminately polluted), causes, modes of transmission and prevention of water and sanitation related diseases. Keywords: E. coli , water, Public health and disease