Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity of Juglans sigillata Dode germplasm in Yunnan Province, China, as revealed by SSRs

Abstract Iron walnut, Juglans sigillata Dode, restricted to southwestern China, has its centre of distribution in Yunnan Province which has a varied climate, geography and rich plant diversity. Yunnan contains abundant J. sigillata germplasm. In this study, a provincial-scale set of walnut germplasm resources (14 populations comprising 1122 individuals) was evaluated for genetic diversity based on 20 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. The number of SSR alleles per locus ranged from 7 to 27, with an average of 17.55. Mean allelic richness and mean private allelic richness ranged from 3.40 to 4.62 and 0.11 to 0.36, with average of 3.93 and 0.30, respectively. Expected heterozygosity (He) varied from 0.26 to 0.78, with an average of 0.57. Polymorphism information content ranged from 0.22 to 0.79, with an average of 0.57. Genetic differentiation (FST) was 0.05, indicating that only 5% of total genetic variability was inter-populational, a finding supported by an analysis of molecular variance and STRUCTURE analysis. Relatively high gene flow (Nm = 6.70) was observed between populations. A unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic analysis classified the 14 populations into two major groups. Mantel testing uncovered a significant correlation between geographic distance and genetic distance (r = 0.33, P = 0.04). Overall, the research revealed a moderately high level of genetic diversity in the germplasm and low genetic differentiation among populations, which showed great potential for further development and exploitation of this resource.
Preparation and Tribological Studies of Stearic Acid Self-Assembled Monolayers on Polymer-Coated Silicon Surface

We present a good alternative method to improve the tribological properties of polymer films by chemisorbing a long-chain monolayer on the functional polymer surface. Thus, a novel self-assembled monolayer is successfully prepared on a silicon substrate coated with amino-group-containing polyethyleneimine (PEI) by the chemical adsorption of stearic acid (STA) molecules. The formation and structure of the STA−PEI film are characterized by means of contact-angle measurement and ellipsometric thickness measurement, and of Fourier transformation infrared spectrometric and atomic force microscopic analyses. The micro- and macro-tribological properties of the STA−PEI film are investigated on an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a unidirectional tribometer, respectively. It has been found that the STA monolayer about 2.1-nm thick is produced on the PEI coating by the chemical reaction between the amino groups in the PEI and the carboxyl group in the STA molecules to form a covalent amide bond in the presence of .
Moisture and Energy Budget Perspectives on Summer Drought in North China

We investigate the physical processes behind summer drought in North China by evaluating moisture and energy budget diagnostics and linking them to anomalous large-scale circulation patterns. Moisture budget analysis reveals that summer drought in North China was caused dynamically by reduced vertical moisture advection due to anomalous subsidence and reduced horizontal moisture advection due to anomalous northeasterly winds. Energy budget analysis shows that reduced latent heating was balanced dynamically by decreased dry static energy (DSE) divergence in the middle-to-upper troposphere. Linking these results to previous work, we suggest that summer drought in North China was predicated on co-occurrence of the positive phases of the Eurasian (EU) and Pacific–Japan (PJ) teleconnection patterns, potentially modulated by the circumglobal teleconnection (CGT). In the typical case, the negative phase of the CGT intensified the positive EU-related upper-level cyclone. Resulting upper-level cooling and positive surface feedback imposed a cold-core surface anticyclone that weakenedwith height. By contrast, when the positive phase of the CGT occurred in tandem with the positive EU and PJ patterns, the anticyclone had a warm core and intensified with height. The two cases were unified by strong subsidence but exhibited opposite meridional advection anomalies. In the cold core cases, meridional moisture inflow was reduced but meridional DSE export was enhanced, further limiting precipitation while maintaining negative thermal anomalies. In the warm core case, which only occurred once, enhanced meridional inflow of water vapor supplied moisture for sporadic precipitation while reduced meridional DSE export helped to maintain strong static stability. 9
Antimicrobial Activity, Total Phenolic and Ascorbic Acid Content of Terminalia Ferdinandiana Leaves at Various Stages of Maturity

This work investigated the effect of leaf development (maturity) on morphology, antimicrobial activity, total phenolic (TPC) and ascorbic acid content in leaves of Terminalia ferdinandiana, an endemic plant of Australia. The results of this study indicated that total ascorbic acid was in the range of 23.0 to 35.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW), showing an increase with advance of maturity. TPC in water and methanolic extracts were in the range of 237.3 - 598.6 and 210.3 - 319.6 mg Gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/ g DW, respectively. Leaf extracts exhibited pronounced inhibitory activity towards Staphylococcus aureus where total ascorbic acid and TPC were positively correlated with the observed antimicrobial activity. These results indicated that leaves extracts might be used as an alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents, with a great potential for application as an environmentally friendly sanitizer in the hospitality and healthcare industries.
Solar system exposure to supernova γ radiation

Abstract Planetary habitability may be affected by exposure to γ radiation from supernovae (SNe). Records of Earth history during the late Quaternary Period (40 000 years to present) allow testing for specific SN γ radiation effects. SNe include Type Ia white dwarf explosions, Type Ib, c and II core collapses, and many γ burst objects. Surveys of galactic SNe remnants offer a nearly complete accounting for this time and including SN distances and ages. Terrestrial changes in records of the cosmogenic isotope 14C are here compared to SN-predicted changes. SN γ emission occurs mainly within 3 years; average per-event total emissions of 4 × 1049 erg are used for comparison of close events There are 18 SNe ≤ 1.5 kpc, and brief 14C anomalies are reported for eight of the closest. Four are notable (BP is year before 1950 CE): the older Vela SNR and an abrupt 30‰ del 14C rise at 12 740 BP; S165 and a 20‰ rise at 7431 BP; Vela Jr. and a 14‰ rise at 2765 BP; and HB9 and a 9‰ rise at 5372 BP. Rapid-increase anomalies in 14C production have been attributed to cosmic rays from exceptionally large solar flares. However, the proximity and ages of these SNe, the probable size and duration of their γ emissions, the predicted effects on 14C, and the agreement with 14C records together support SNe causation. Also, the supposed solar-caused 14C anomalies at CE 774 and 993 may instead have been caused by the SNe associated with the G190.9-2.2 and G347.3-00.5 remnants. Both are of appropriate age and distance.
Prevalence of target anaerobes associated with chronic periodontitis

Introduction Periodontal diseases are a group of chronic infections that destroy tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. Data on the anaerobes associated with periodontal infections in Kuwait is lacking. Aim To investigate the target anaerobes associated with chronic periodontitis (CP) in patients admitted to Dental Clinics in Kuwait University Health Sciences Center, Kuwait. Methodology Patients with CP (severe and moderate) were recruited into this study during a period of 15 months. Samples were collected directly from inside the gingival pockets and subjected to semi-quantitative PCR assays. Results A total of 30 patients, stratified into moderate and severe CP and 31 healthy individuals, used as controls, were studied. Nine (30 %) of the 30 patients were in the 50–59-year age group. The detection rate of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans between the patients (9 : 30 %) versus the controls (5 : 16.1 %) was non-significant (P >0.05). Fusobacterium spp. , were detected in all patients versus 29 (93.1 %) controls, (P >0.05). However, four target anaerobes were significantly associated with CP patients; Porphyromonas gingivalis was detected in ten (33.3 %) patients versus two (6.4 %) controls (P <0.0001); Tannerella forsythia 25 (83.3 %) versus 16 (51.6 %) controls (P <0.0001); Parvimonas micra 27 (90 %) versus 16 (51.6 %) controls (P <0.0001) and Treponema denticola, 18 (60 %) versus nine (29 %) controls (P <0.0001), respectively. Prevotella spp. were detected in 27 (90 %) patients and 30 (96.7 %) controls (P>0.5). There was no significant difference in the burden of Prevotella spp. between patients and controls determined by semi-quantitative PCR assays. Conclusion Some (4/7) of the target anaerobes were significantly associated with CP in our study. P. gingivalis was the most strongly associated anaerobe with CP, although not the keystone bacteria, while Prevotella spp. was similar to the healthy controls.
Tracing and tracking epiallele families in complex DNA populations

Abstract DNA methylation is a stable epigenetic modification, extremely polymorphic and driven by stochastic and deterministic events. Most of the current techniques used to analyse methylated sequences identify methylated cytosines (mCpGs) at a single-nucleotide level and compute the average methylation of CpGs in the population of molecules. Stable epialleles, i.e. CpG strings with the same DNA sequence containing a discrete linear succession of phased methylated/non-methylated CpGs in the same DNA molecule, cannot be identified due to the heterogeneity of the 5′–3′ ends of the molecules. Moreover, these are diluted by random unstable methylated CpGs and escape detection. We present here MethCoresProfiler, an R-based tool that provides a simple method to extract and identify combinations of methylated phased CpGs shared by all components of epiallele families in complex DNA populations. The methylated cores are stable over time, evolve by acquiring or losing new methyl sites and, ultimately, display high information content and low stochasticity. We have validated this method by identifying and tracing rare epialleles and their families in synthetic or in vivo complex cell populations derived from mouse brain areas and cells during postnatal differentiation. MethCoresProfiler is written in R language. The software is freely available at https://github.com/84AP/MethCoresProfiler/.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Treatment Completion for Youths with and without a Psychiatric Comorbidity

Abstract The current study sought to examine the comorbidity of substance misuse and a mental health problem among adolescents and young adults, aged 15–24. It also sought to examine racial/ethnic disparities in substance abuse treatment completion among non-Hispanic White, African American, and Hispanic youths with and without a psychiatric comorbidity. The 2014 Treatment Episode Data Set – Discharges (TEDS-D) was used (N = 207,578). Results show that 32.6% of youths entering substance abuse treatment had a psychiatric problem and only 34.8% of all youths completed treatment. Racial/ethnic disparities were found between youths with and without a psychiatric comorbidity in treatment completion.
Social and Educational Sustainability of the Physical Education of Romanian Students and the Impact on Their Physical Activity Level

Nowadays, a descending trend concerning physical activity levels among youth has been recorded, as well as differences between males and females; more than half recorded a low level of the physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the social and educational sustainability of physical education and to determine the level of physical activity by using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form for Romanian undergraduate and graduate students. In our study, we included students and applied the IPAQ short form anonymously. They gave their consent to use these personal data only for scientific purposes. Overall, two thirds of the subjects (according to the IPAQ scoring protocol) and more than half (according to the World Health Organization recommendation for physical activity) consider themselves to be active. The present study showed that there is a prevalence of insufficient physical activity among Romanian University students (around 40%). The situation seems to be better than in other countries, but in self-evaluation, many people tend to overestimate their potential. To avoid this aspect and gain some objectivity, it is better to use a gadget in order to measure the level of their physical activity.
Effect of headspace volume and iron and copper addition on oxidation processes in model solution and Riesling wine: chemical and sensory changes

Studies conducted with a model solution and a Riesling wine showed that oxygen concentration at bottling had a great impact on the evolution of the total consumed oxygen (TCO), free SO2, and the colour of model solution and wine. In the model solution, the addition of 0.1 mg/l of iron and/or 0.05 mg/l of copper influenced the oxygen consumption, in the real wine, however, this effect was not observed. Sensory evaluation (triangle tests and descriptive analysis) showed significant differences between wines bottled with different headspace volumes (0, 20 and 40 ml). The presence of iron and copper had no significant impact on the sensory characteristics and colour of wines.
HILL LAND STUDIES IN THE GRAMPIAN REGION OF SCOTLAND

Summary Factors affecting the growth of mixed grass swards in the Upper Don Basin were studied in two phases: in 1967–68 within the altitude range 260–440 m and in 1969–70 in the range 330–550 m O.D. In the first phase the interaction effects of altitude, aspect and soil parent material on herbage yields and mineral element contents were studied using 24 sites in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design, without fertilizer in 1967 and with nil, N. P and NP treatments in 1968. Total yields from 3 cuts at 2 monthly intervals averaged 4.84 tonnes D.M. ha−1 in 1968 with no overall significant altitudinal differences. Application of 75 kg N ha−1 as Nitrochalk raised the yield by over 40 per cent, slightly more in the presence of P on soils derived from mineralogically acidic parent materials. Overall, yields from soils on ‘basic’ materials were at least 25 per cent greater than from the ‘acidic’ ones. Sites with southern aspects mostly oulyielded the northern ones but not significantly so. In the second.phase 3 pairs of ‘acidic’ sites only were used, with an NPK treatment added to the 1968 treatments, and lime for the most acid soils at 550 m O.D. On these highest sites the yields were much reduced by the adverse climatic conditions. Samples of the dry matter from each treatment, replicate and cut at each site were analysed and the offtakes of N, P, K, Ca and Mg determined as well as the apparent recoveries of N, P, K and Ca from the fertilizers. The constraints of altitude on yield and composition were strongly correlated with the prevailing air and soil temperatures. The practical implications of the findings for upland livestock production are discussed but the detailed correlation and factor analyses of the data are presented in another paper.
Discussion of “Crustal fluid contamination in the Bushveld Complex, South Africa: An analogue for subduction zone fluid migration by Benson, E., Connolly, J.A.D. and Boudreau, A.E. (2020)

ABSTRACT The principal thesis of the discussion, i.e. that the layered ultramafic-mafic component of the Bushveld Complex, or Rustenburg Layered Suite (RLS), has been subjected to at least some fluid contamination is unquestionable. The logic that it is specifically the Main Zone, i.e. the thickest component of the RLS which is located within the approximate centre of the intrusion where comparatively high rates of fluid interaction have occurred, rather than the Marginal Zone or even the Lower Zone, seems illogical. Two lines of field evidence are offered in support of the contamination of the Main Zone: the occurrence of a breccia pipe (which is located in the Critical Zone) and the discordant, ‘pipe-like’ bodies which are unusually prevalent in specific parts of the RLS. Some of the issues we discuss here are of a procedural nature, specifically, the lack of referencing of our original articles pertaining to the discordant bodies. This has resulted in a series of generalizations which do not hold up to scrutiny. We also discuss our work on the Main Zone which has similarly been ignored and describe why it is not compatible with the new hypothesis.
Enhanced efficiency from a Xe excimer barrier discharge lamp employing short-pulsed excitation

We have measured the efficiency and spatial characteristics of output radiation as a function of fill pressure for a Xe excimer lamp employing a short voltage pulse (approximately 100 ns) excitation circuit, and compared the results with those obtained using conventional AC (ie. sinusoidal voltage waveform). When using pulsed excitation, VUV output is obtained from a homogeneous discharge at efficiencies which increase linearly with Xe pressure in the range 50 - 750 torr up to 3.2X the maximum efficiency obtained when using AC. When using AC excitation, the efficiency saturates with increasing pressure > 350 torr for which pressures the discharge appearance is altered from a diffuse discharge to one which is comprised of stochastic or stationary filaments. We have also recorded discharge spectra which highlight the different character of the homogeneous and filamented types of discharges. It is deduced that the enhanced efficiency arises due to the capability of pulsed excitation to produce a homogeneous (glow-like) discharge at higher pressure, which brings about more optimal electron density and temperature conditions for exclusively exciting Xe metastables than possible using AC. We attribute the homogenizing effect of short-pulsed excitation to the rapid rate at which the applied E-field increases to the necessary value for homogeneous discharge breakdown to proceed at a faster rate than the formation of filaments.
How Do Group Size and Group Familiarity Influence Tourist Satisfaction? The Mediating Role of Perceived Value

This study investigates how group size and group familiarity interactively impact tourists’ perceived value and overall satisfaction with a group travel experience. The study also assesses the mediating role of perceived value in affecting the relationships between tourist satisfaction and both group size and group familiarity. The results revealed that tourists in small (vs. large) groups would have a higher level of perceived value and overall satisfaction toward a group travel experience. However, high group familiarity attenuates the effect of group size on tourists’ perceived value and satisfaction. Perceived value fully mediated the effect of group size on tourist satisfaction, as well as the interaction effect between group size and group familiarity on tourist satisfaction. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications of this study were also discussed.
Comparison of the effects of nano date seed as reinforcement material for medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using multilevel factorial design

In the last few decades, there has been an increasing demand for low-cost raw materials and environmentally eco-friendly end products. This demand stimulated a growing interest in natural particles as potential reinforcement materials for composite manufacturing. In this paper, we introduce organic date-seed nanofillers (DSN) as reinforcement materials for the development of enhanced polymer nanocomposites. We particularly investigate the effect of these nanoparticles on two types of polymer base materials, namely medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A collection of MDPE and PET nanocomposite samples with DSN content ranging from 0.0–0.75 wt% has been prepared using a hot compression method. The MDPE-DSN and PET-DSN nanocomposite structures were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The mechanical characteristics of these nanocomposites were experimentally examined through wear loss and Vickers micro-hardness tests. The experimental results show that the MDPE-DSN composite is chemically more stable than the PET-DSN one. Moreover, the MDPE-DSN nanocomposite shows enhanced hardness and wear resistance properties, while the PET-DSN one shows less noticeable enhancements. The best enhancements were obtained with a DSN reinforcement of 0.75 wt%. , and a normal load of 10 N. As well, the experimental outcomes show a good agreement with theoretical predictions. In general, the DSN material enhances the mechanical properties of polymer materials and reduces their economic costs.
Evaluating cereal rye and crimson clover for weed suppression within buffer areas in dicamba-resistant soybean

Abstract As herbicide-resistant weeds become more problematic, producers will consider the use of cover crops to suppress weeds. Weed suppression from cover crops may occur especially in the label-mandated buffer areas of dicamba-resistant soybean where dicamba use is not allowed. Three cover crops terminated at three timings with three herbicide strategies were evaluated for their effect on weed suppression in dicamba-resistant soybean. Delaying termination until soybean planting or after and using cereal rye or cereal rye + crimson clover increased cover-crop biomass by at least 40% compared to terminating early or using a crimson clover–only cover crop. Densities of problematic weed species were evaluated in early summer before a blanket POST application. Plots with cereal rye had 75% less horseweed compared to crimson clover at two of four site-years. Cereal rye or the mixed cover crop terminated at or after soybean planting reduced waterhemp densities by 87% compared to early termination timings of crimson clover and the earliest termination timing of the mix at one of two site-years. Cover crops were not as effective in reducing waterhemp densities as they were in reducing horseweed densities. This difference was due to a divergence in emergence patterns; waterhemp emergence generally peaks after termination of the cover crop, whereas horseweed emergence coincides with establishment and rapid vegetative growth of cereal rye. Cover crops alone were generally not as effective as was using a high-biomass cover crop combined with an herbicide strategy that contained dicamba and residual herbicides. However, within label-mandated buffer areas where dicamba cannot be used, a cover crop containing cereal rye with delayed termination until soybean planting combined with residual herbicides could be used to improve suppression of horseweed and waterhemp. Nomenclature: Dicamba; horseweed; Conyza canadensis L. Cronquist; waterhemp; Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) Sauer; cereal rye; Secale cereal L. ; crimson clover; Trifolium incarnatum L. ; soybean; Glycine max (L.) Merr.