Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tropical ant community responses to experimental soil warming

Climate change is one of the primary agents of the global decline in insect abundance. Because of their narrow thermal ranges, tropical ectotherms are predicted to be most threatened by global warming, yet tests of this prediction are often confounded by other anthropogenic disturbances. We used a tropical forest soil warming experiment to directly test the effect of temperature increase on litter-dwelling ants. Two years of continuous warming led to a change in ant community between warming and control plots. Specifically, six ant genera were recorded only on warming plots, and one genus only on control plots. Wasmannia auropuctata, a species often invasive elsewhere but native to this forest, was more abundant in warmed plots. Ant recruitment at baits was best predicted by soil surface temperature and ant heat tolerance. These results suggest that heat tolerance is useful for predicting changes in daily foraging activity, which is directly tied to colony fitness. We show that a 2-year increase in temperature (of 2–4°C) can have a profound effect on the most abundant insects, potentially favouring species with invasive traits and moderate heat tolerances.
Parasite resistance and parasite tolerance: insights into transgenerational immune priming in an invertebrate host

Parasites impose different selection regimes on their hosts, which respond by increasing their resistance and/or tolerance. Parental challenge with parasites can enhance the immune response of their offspring, a phenomenon documented in invertebrates and termed transgenerational immune priming. We exposed two parental generations of the model organism Daphnia magna to the horizontally transmitted parasitic yeast Metschnikowia bicuspidata and recorded resistance- and tolerance-related traits in the offspring generation. We hypothesized that parentally primed offspring will increase either their resistance or their tolerance to the parasite. Our susceptibility assays revealed no impact of parental exposure on offspring resistance. Nonetheless, different fitness-related traits, which are indicative of tolerance, were altered. Specifically, maternal priming increased offspring production and decreased survival. Grandmaternal priming positively affected age at first reproduction and negatively affected brood size at first reproduction. Interestingly, both maternal and grandmaternal priming significantly reduced within-host–parasite proliferation. Nevertheless, Daphnia primed for two consecutive generations had no competitive advantage in comparison to unprimed ones, implying additive maternal and grandmaternal effects. Our findings do not support evidence of transgenerational immune priming from bacterial infections in the same host species, thus, emphasizing that transgenerational immune responses may not be consistent even within the same host species.
Differences in dogs’ event-related potentials in response to human and dog vocal stimuli; a non-invasive study

Recent advances in the field of canine neuro-cognition allow for the non-invasive research of brain mechanisms in family dogs. Considering the striking similarities between dog's and human (infant)'s socio-cognition at the behavioural level, both similarities and differences in neural background can be of particular relevance. The current study investigates brain responses of n = 17 family dogs to human and conspecific emotional vocalizations using a fully non-invasive event-related potential (ERP) paradigm. We found that similarly to humans, dogs show a differential ERP response depending on the species of the caller, demonstrated by a more positive ERP response to human vocalizations compared to dog vocalizations in a time window between 250 and 650 ms after stimulus onset. A later time window between 800 and 900 ms also revealed a valence-sensitive ERP response in interaction with the species of the caller. Our results are, to our knowledge, the first ERP evidence to show the species sensitivity of vocal neural processing in dogs along with indications of valence sensitive processes in later post-stimulus time periods.
Why Did Students Report Lower Test Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Test anxiety is a common experience shared by college students and is typically investigated in the context of traditional, face-to-face courses. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of universities, and many students had to rapidly shift to and balance the challenges of online learning. ABSTRACT Test anxiety is a common experience shared by college students and is typically investigated in the context of traditional, face-to-face courses. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of universities, and many students had to rapidly shift to and balance the challenges of online learning. We investigated how the shift to online learning during the pandemic impacted trait (habitual) and state (momentary) test anxiety and whether there was variation across different demographic groups already vulnerable to performance gaps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Quantitative analyses revealed that trait and state test anxiety were lower in Spring 2020 (COVID semester) than in Spring 2019 and were higher overall in women than men. We did not find a difference in either trait or state anxiety in first-generation students or among persons excluded because of ethnicity or race. Qualitative analyses revealed that student priorities shifted away from coursework during Spring 2020. While students initially perceived the shift to online learning as beneficial, 1 month after the shift, students reported more difficulties studying and completing their coursework. Taken together, these results are the first to compare reports of test anxiety during a traditional, undisrupted semester to the semester where COVID-19 forced a sudden transition online.
Tourist gazes through photographs

This article investigates the tourism experiences reflected on the photographs according to the tourist gaze theory. Tourists’ experiences are critically examined using the concept of the “romantic gaze” and “collective gaze. ” Through qualitative, in-depth photo elicitation interviews (PEIs) guided by their own 185 photographs covering various tourist attractions in Kaleici (Antalya), results indicate similar and dissimilar tourism experiences between romantic and collective gaze. The experiences of tourists are categorized as tangible cultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage, natural heritage, atmosphere, contrast, living species, authenticity, emotion, sensory perception, interest, similarity, and touristic activities. While the feeling of curiosity, difference and interest, a sense of self-awareness, authenticity, and nostalgia are prominent in romantic gaze; tourists with a collective gaze reflect their group, friends, family, similarities and hedonistic feelings (entertainment, consumption, rest and interaction) to the photographs. The tourist gaze, which changes according to the society, social group, and historical period, is built on these differences. There is simply no universal experience that is always available to all tourists. In view of the results of this research, which aims to develop the theory about questioning the tourism experience, which is one of the most important issues for today's tourism marketers in practice through the tourist gaze, theoretical and policy implications are also discussed.
NORAD modulates miR-30c-5p-LDHA to protect lung endothelial cells damage

Abstract Acute lung injury (ALI) is a devastating human malignancy characterized by excessively uncontrolled inflammation and lung endothelial dysfunction. Non-coding RNAs play essential roles in endothelial protections during the pathological processes of ALI. The precise functions and molecular mechanisms of the lncRNA-NORAD-mediated endothelial protection remain obscure. This study reports NORAD was significantly induced in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. Silencing NORAD effectively protected HPMECs against the LPS-induced cell dysfunction. In addition, RNA pull-down and luciferase assay validated that NORAD sponged miR-30c-5p, which showed reverse functions of NORAD in the LPS-induced cell injury of HPMECs. Furthermore, the glucose metabolism of HPMECs was significantly elevated under LPS stimulation which promoted the glucose consumption and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) of HPMECs. Inhibiting NORAD or overexpressing miR-30c-5p suppressed glucose metabolism in HPMECs, leading to protective effects on HPMECs under LPS stimulation. The glycolysis key enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDHA), was subsequently identified as a direct target of miR-30c-5p. Finally, recovery of miR-30c-5p in NORAD-overexpressing HPMECs effectively overrode the NORAD-promoted glycolysis and impaired endothelial dysfunction under LPS stimulation by targeting LDHA. Summarily, we demonstrated a NORAD-miR-30c-5p-LDHA-glycolysis axis in the LPS-induced HPMECs dysfunction in vitro and in vivo, contributing to the development of anti-ALI therapeutic approaches.
A playground for compressible natural convection with a nearly uniform density

Abstract In the quest to understand the basic universal features of compressible convection, one would like to disentangle genuine consequences of compression from spatial variations of transport properties. For instance, one may choose to consider a fluid with uniform dynamic viscosity, but, then, compressible effects will generate a density gradient and consequently the kinematic viscosity will not be uniform. In the present work, we consider a very peculiar equation of state, whereby entropy is solely dependent on density, so that a nearly isentropic fluid domain is nearly isochoric. Within this class of equations of state, there is a thermal adiabatic gradient and a key property of compressible convection is still present, namely its capacity to viscously dissipate a large fraction of the thermal energy involved, of the order of the well-named dissipation number. In the anelastic approximation, under the assumption of an infinite Prandtl number, the number of governing parameters can be brought down to two, the Rayleigh number and the dissipation number. This framework is proposed as a playground for compressible convection, an opportunity to extend the vast corpus of theoretical analyses on the Oberbeck–Boussinesq equations regarding stability, bifurcations or the determination of upper bounds for the turbulent heat transfer. Here, in a two-dimensional geometry, we concentrate on the structure of numerical solutions. For all Rayleigh numbers, a change in the vertical temperature profile is observed in the range of dissipation number between $0$ and less than $0.4$, associated with the weakening of ascending plumes. For larger dissipation numbers, the heat flux dependence on this number is found to be well predicted by Malkus's model of critical layers. For dissipation numbers of order unity, and large Rayleigh numbers, dissipation becomes related to the entropy heat flux at each depth, so that the vertical dissipation profile can be predicted, and so does the total ratio of dissipation to convective heat flux.
Thermal tolerance of Hypnea pseudomusciformis ecotypes (Cystocloniaceae, Rhodophyta) related to different floristic provinces along the Brazilian coast

Studies on the effects of temperature on physiological processes are essential to model macroalgae biogeographic distribution. Tetrasporophytes of Hypnea pseudomusciformis were collected from three floristic provinces (tropical, transition and warm temperate) along the Brazilian coast (~3.000 km), representing three ecotypes. Specimens were cultured under 20°C, 24°C, 28°C and 32°C for 21 days, then physiological parameters (growth rates, photosynthesis and pigments content) were analyzed. H. pseudomusciformis specimens tolerated a temperature variation from 20°C to 32°C. However, all ecotypes displayed a significant decrease in physiological performance at 32°C in all parameters analyzed. We hypothesized that the H. pseudomusciformis ecotype from the tropical province is already living at its thermal physiological limit, reaching its maximum growth only in the winter months (June to September), whereas a warm temperate ecotype reaches maximum growth in the summer months (December to March). This wide thermal optimum may be the reason for the widespread distribution of this species along the Brazilian coast, allowing it to occupy different thermal environments.
A State of (Greater) Exception? Funerals, Custom and the “War on COVID” in Rural South Africa

ABSTRACT In the analysis of the implementation of the lockdown restrictions in South Africa, a great deal has been made of the unequal ways in which middle-class suburban communities, with access to large homes and biomedical support, have experienced the state of exception in comparison to the poor and unemployed in townships and shack areas. What has been less visible so far is the picture that is beginning to emerge from the rural areas and more marginal provinces. In this paper, we argue that when those experiences are carefully analysed, we begin to see that the former homelands were treated as a kind of “third country,” a country where custom and tradition posed particular threats and required specialised control and management. Using Giorgio Agamben’s notion of a state of exception to frame the discussion, the aim of this paper is to lift the veil from the state’s “war on COVID” in these rural areas during the first wave of infection (April to July 2020) and explore the frightening implications of suspended customary rights to cultural dignity, circular migration and social reproduction in these areas. The empirical focus of the paper is on changing funeral practices and burial rites, and how these were impacted by the COVID lockdown restrictions in the rural Eastern Cape Province, with special reference to rural municipalities in the former Transkei.
Victorian materialisms: approaching nineteenth-century matter

ABSTRACT In this introduction to the special issue Victorian Materialisms, the authors review the material turn in cultural and literary studies, foregrounding the necessity of more historical nuance. While new materialist accounts tend to stress the post-Enlightenment persistence of dualistic oppositions between nature and culture, humans and nonhumans, body and mind, the editors of this special issue argue that Victorian conceptions of matter reveal a wide range of materialisms that anticipate current new materialist interventions. Closer attention to nineteenth-century cultural, literary, philosophical, and scientific approaches to matter, the authors submit, uncovers not just anxiety about boundary breaches, but a widespread interest in material agency and the entanglement of animal, chemical, human, plant, and inorganic matter. The introduction suggests that a broader enquiry into Victorian materialisms beyond canonical figures and texts helps recuperate the pervasiveness and mundaneness of Victorian engagements with matter and material agency.
Case Report: Visual Snow Syndrome after Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

SIGNIFICANCE Visual snow syndrome is a recently recognized condition with its own diagnostic criteria, evolving pathophysiologic research, and potential treatment options. PURPOSE This report documents a rare but likely underdiagnosed condition called visual snow syndrome. A review of the current literature on pathophysiology and treatments is discussed. CASE REPORT A 40-year-old Whiteman started experiencing symptoms of constant pulsating pixels throughout his entire visual field approximately 3 weeks after a series of mild concussions. In addition, he experienced a persistence of images and photosensitivity. The patient had normal eye examination results, visual fields, and retinal imaging result. Brain MRI, magnetic resonance angiography, electroencephalography, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis were unremarkable. A positron emission tomography scan demonstrated hypometabolism in the posterior parietal lobes and left posterior cingulate gyrus. Pharmacological treatment with antiepileptic and migraine medications was unsuccessful. Tinted lenses were essentially ineffective with a 10% reduction in symptoms reported with the use of a custom blue-tinted lens.Vision rehabilitation aids with optical character recognition were used for prolonged reading needs. CONCLUSIONS Although rare, visual snow syndrome should be considered in all patients reporting continuous pixelations in their vision for more than 3 months, especially when accompanied by at least two of the following: photosensitivity, palinopsia, enhanced entopic phenomena, or nyctalopia. The pathophysiology is still unclear at this point, with evidence suggesting a link to the secondary visual cortex, specifically the lingual gyrus. More studies are needed to determine the exact cause, especially studies that separate visual snow syndrome patients with and without comorbid migraine. Because the pathophysiology is unclear, the treatment course is also unclear. Anecdotal evidence may suggest that tinted lenses may be of some value.
Assessment of Regional Diagnostic Reference Levels in Dental Radiography in Tamil Nadu

Aim: The aim of this article is to assess Tamil Nadu adult diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) by collecting radiation dose data from the four different dental modalities. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out using routine adult exposure settings in 131 intraoral, 75 panoramic, 35 cephalometric, and 10 dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) X-ray devices. DRLs were assessed for intraoral and extraoral (panoramic, cephalometric, and CBCT) examinations in terms of incident air kerma (Ka, i) and kerma area product (PKA), respectively. Air kerma measurements, for all dental units, were made using calibrated RTI black Piranha 557 dosimeter (RTI Electronics AB, Sweden). The dosimeter was kept at the exit cone of the X-ray tube and on the detector side of the X-ray unit for intraoral and extraoral air kerma measurements, respectively. The obtained air kerma in extraoral modalities is multiplied with the beam area to evaluate PKA. Results: The third quartile values calculated from the median for adult intraoral (mandibular molar), panoramic, cephalometric, and CBCT were 1.5 mGy, 116 mGycm2, 40 mGycm2, and 532 mGycm2, respectively. The proposed DRL in the present study was comparable to those reported in Germany, Greece, the UK, Japan, and Korea. Conclusion: This study revealed the need for dose management and radiation dose optimization, in various dental facilities in the state. It was also found that dental facilities employed with the digital type of detector are not always related to lower exposure.
The Multispecialty Toxin: A Literature Review of Botulinum Toxin

Background: Botulinum toxin (BoNT) is a potent biological exotoxin produced from Clostridium botulinum. Although it was first used therapeutically to treat strabismus, its clinical role has since expanded rapidly over the years to include treatment of a variety of head and neck, gastrointestinal, urogenital, musculoskeletal, neurological, dermatological, and cosmetic disorders. The main purpose of this review is to provide a brief updated overview of the history, mechanism of action, and clinical applications of BoNT therapy across multiple medical specialties, including the most common adverse effects and recommended Botox dosages. Methods: A literature review was conducted in the PubMed database limited to English language articles. Specific search terms related to botulinum toxin in combination with various subspecialty fields were used, and relevant articles were identified and analyzed. The reference section for each article was also searched to find additional articles. Results: BoNT is a powerful therapeutic tool and has a vast array of clinical uses in many specialties, including ophthalmology, neurology, plastic surgery, dermatology, orthopedic, gastrointestinal, gynecology, urology, and rheumatology. Due to its chemodenervation effects at the presynaptic nerve terminal, it is useful in treatments of disorders characterized by abnormal inappropriate muscle contractions. Conclusions: BoNT has many clinical applications in several medical specialties. Future studies should focus on any additional indications of BoNT therapy as they arise and on any novel product developments.
Natural Th eology and Religious Belief

It is no exaggeration to say that there has been an explosion of activity in the field of philosophical enquiry that is known as natural theology. Having been smothered in the early part of the twentieth century due to the dominance of the anti-metaphysical doctrine of logical positivism, natural theology began to make a comeback in the late 1950s as logical positivism collapsed and analytic philosophers took a newfound interest in metaphysical topics such as possibility and necessity, causation, time, the mind-body problem, and God. This chapter begins by considering how we might characterise natural theology as a field of enquiry. It then proceeds to survey the landscape of contemporary natural theology, which has spawned a large and at times highly technical body of literature. Finally, consideration is given to two epistemological issues confronting the theist who wishes to appeal to natural theology, which could be termed the problem of the gap(s) and the problem of accessibility.
Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense) Waste Extract as a Synergistic Agent in the Microbial and Physicochemical Preservation of Low-Sodium Raw Goat Cheese

The growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria during storage represents significant losses in marketing raw milk cheeses. Thus, reducing NaCl in these products is challenging, as sodium has a critical antimicrobial role. Despite advances in non-thermal technologies, the short shelf life still limits the availability of raw goat cheese. Thus, combined preservation methods can be promising because their synergies can extend shelf life more effectively. In this context, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to variables to investigate the effect of pequi waste extract (PWE), a native Brazilian fruit, combined with UV-C radiation (CEU) and vacuum packaging (CEV) on the preservation of low-sodium raw goat cheese. CEV samples had lower loadings for Staphylococcus subsp. and Enterobacteriaceae than other treatments in PC2, having a count’s reduction up to 3-fold (P < 0.05) compared to vacuum alone. In contrast, CEU showed an increase of up to 1.2-fold on staphylococcal count compared to UV-C alone. Still, the addition of PWE to UV-C-treated cheeses resulted in 8.5% protein loss. Furthermore, PWE, especially in CEV, delayed post-acidification during storage. It made CEV up to 4.5 and 1.6-fold more stable for color and texture, respectively than vacuum alone. These data strongly suggest that PWE may be a novel and promising synergistic agent in the microbial and physicochemical preservation of low-sodium raw milk cheese when combined with the vacuum.