Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temperature preference responses of some aquatic, cave-adapted crustaceans from Central Texas and Northeastern México

The purpose of this study was to determine the preference responses of five species of aquatic, cave . adapted crustaceans in a temperature gradient. We studied two species of gammHid amphipods, Stygonectes hadenoecus Holsinger and S. russelli Holsinger, and three species of isopods, an asellid, Asellus reddelli Steeves, and two cirolanids, Cirolanides texensis Benedict and Speocirolana bolil'ari (Rioja). The first four species are from Texas, the last from Tamaulipas, Mexico. The specific objectives of the study were to compare the temperature preference responses of these five species with those reported for other troglobites, and to speculate on the significance of the presence or lack of temperature discrimination in aquatic troglobites. Relatively few studies on temperature-related behavior of cavernicoles have been done. Szymczkowsky (1953) reported an activity optimum of 6°_SoC for the troglophile spider, Meta mel1ardi, but no preference data were gathered. Edwards (1971) studied the temperature and relative humidity preferences of Cryptocellus pelaezi, a troglophile ricinuleid (Arachnida) from Mexico. He found that this species preferred temperatures of 23.5° -2SoC, corresponding closely to the temperature of Cueva de la Florida from which the specimens were collected. Two studies have dealt with the temperature preferences of terrestrial troglobites. Mitchell (1971) reported that Rhadine subterranea, a carabid beetle from Central Texas, prefers temperatures cooler than its habitat in summer and prefers cave temperature (20°e) in winter. Mitchell suggested that this seasonal change of tempe. :ature preference serves to restrict the beetles to the cave except during that time when their chances for survival on the surface would seem best. Bull and Mitchell (1972) found that two troglobite millipedes from Central Texas, Cambala speobia and Speodesmlls bicornourus, prefer temperatures between 15° and 26.5°C. However, C. speobia is more selective of relative humidities at or approaching saturation and of temperatures closely corresponding to that of caves which it inhabits than is S. bicornollrus which is less tolerant of elevated
The chemical and mineralogical controls upon the residual strength of pure and natural clays

Recent work has shown that the residual strength of clays is, to a large extent, determined by the type of clay minerals and the chemistry of the constituent pore water. Changes in either of these factors cause corresponding alterations in residual shear strength. The findings have important implications for the seasonal reactivation of landslides and may also provide an explanation for the long-term weathering and shear strength reduction of clay slopes. Results are presented here to demonstrate the separate effects of clay mineralogy and pore water chemistry upon the residual strength of pure and natural clays. Explanations are sought to identify the controls of these factors upon residual strength based on brief reviews of the shear strength and physico-chemical behaviour of clays. The findings strongly suggest that residual strength should be considered a dynamic property, with increases or decreases in strength occurring in response to environmental change. Des etudes recentes ont montre que la resis.
The risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus among the students of Hail University, Saudi Arabia

Background Globally, it is estimated that approximately 537 million adults are living with diabetes. Of them, more than 90% have type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In 2023, a previous meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of T2DM among the general adult population in Saudi Arabia was 28%. This study was conducted to assess the risk of developing T2DM among the students at Hail University, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022/2023 among a census sample of 740 students (both genders, aged 17–26 years) studying at nine colleges of Hail University, Saudi Arabia. The diabetes risk score was assessed using the Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK). Anthropometric measurements were measured and recorded using standard methods. Socio-demographic variables were also obtained with an interview-based questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. Results A total of 740 students were included in the final analysis. Of them, 274 (37.0%) were male students and 466 (63.0%) were female students. The mean age of the study participants is 19.9 ± 1.6 years. The findings showed that 61.9% of the study participants were at intermediate and high risk of diabetes (59.7 and 2.2%, respectively). The majority 85.7% of male students were at intermediate risk of diabetes, and 5.8% were at high risk of diabetes. In total, 44.4% of female students were at intermediate risk of diabetes, and none of them were at high risk of diabetes. For the following variables (age, gender, college name, area of the university, academic years, weight, height, and BMI), the differences were statistically significant between different categories of diabetes risk scores (P-values < 0.005). Conclusion More than half of the students at the Hail University of Saudi Arabia have an intermediate and high risk of T2DM. Male students are at a higher risk compared to female students. The high risk of T2DM among university students should be seriously considered.
Building Lasting Connections: Cultivating Brand loyalty through Relationship and Commitment

Because of the cutthroat rivalry that exists in the fashion sector, customers are faced with a bewildering selection of options, which makes it extremely difficult to win and keep their allegiance. Using the literature on relationship marketing as a jumping off point, this study investigates the dynamic link that exists between "brand trust," "customer satisfaction," "brand evaluation," "brand commitment," "brand relationship," and "brand loyalty" in the context of Pakistan's fashion sector. This study conducts an in-depth analysis of 460 answers from important fashion brand customers in the South Punjab province of Pakistan. The data utilised in this investigation was gathered by means of structured surveys that were carried out using the mall intercept methodology. The use of the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique allows for a comprehensive investigation into the ways in which the variables are related to one another on the basis of well-established theoretical premises. The conclusions of this research have important repercussions for marketing executives and brand managers, since they provide such individuals with useful techniques to strengthen client loyalty. These tactics place a strong emphasis on the management of online brand communities and make use of new technology to strengthen market orientation. They are widely regarded as being essential for the cultivation of "brand loyalty" in the fashion industry.
A quantitative study on the role of gravity waves in driving the tropical Stratospheric Semiannual Oscillation

[1] Using a coordinated experimental observation under Middle Atmospheric Dynamics (MIDAS) program, an extensive study is carried out to quantify the role of gravity waves in driving the tropical Stratospheric Semiannual Oscillation (SSAO). Rayleigh lidar observations of middle atmospheric temperature over Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E) and rocketsonde wind measurements over Trivandrum (8.5°N, 76.9°E) during the period November 2002 to June 2005 are used for the present study. Gravity waves with periods ranging from 2–4 hours and 0.5–1 hour are found to be dominant in the middle atmosphere throughout the observational period. The altitude profiles of momentum fluxes of gravity waves having these time periods are estimated and their seasonal variations are studied, which showed semiannual variation with maximum around equinoxes and minimum around solstitial months. The mean flow acceleration estimated from the divergence of momentum flux of gravity waves is compared with the mean flow acceleration observed using rocket measured zonal winds during three different cycles of SSAO. This comparison provided an opportunity to quantify the contribution of gravity waves toward generation of SSAO, which is found to be ∼30–50% of the observed acceleration during the evolution of the westerly phase of the SSAO. The present observations showed that the contribution of the gravity waves toward the westerly phase of SSAO varies significantly from cycle to cycle. The significance of the present results lies in quantifying the gravity wave–mean flow interaction during both easterly and westerly phases of SSAO for the first time over this tropical latitude.
Role of volatiles and metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle in the genesis of magmatic Ni–Cu–PGE mineralization: insights from in situ H, Li, B analyses of hydromagmatic phases from the Valmaggia ultramafic pipe, Ivrea‐Verbano Zone (NW Italy)

In situ trace element and isotopic data of hydromagmatic phases from the Valmaggia peridotite pipe provide insights into the origin of the metasomatic fluids that affected the Ivrea‐Verbano Zone (NW Italy) during the late Carboniferous and shed new light on genetic models for the formation of Ni–Cu–PGE deposits. Volatiles implicated in the formation of hydromagmatic phases are not hydrothermal and did not derive from crustal assimilation. Low boron concentrations exclude the implication of fluids derived from dehydration of a subducted slab and indicate an origin from mantle‐derived juvenile water. Metasomatism introduced elevated contents of alkalis, Cu, PGEs and S into the depleted mantle of the Ivrea‐Verbano Zone. Increased water activity caused the harzburgite to undergo partial melting, thus producing pockets of volatile‐rich sulphide‐bearing ultramafic magma that evolved to form independent intrusions that host Ni–Cu–PGE mineralization.
The Role of Adipocyte Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Obese Adipose Tissue Dysfunction: A Review

Abstract Adipose tissue dysfunction plays an important role in metabolic diseases associated with chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and lipid ectopic deposition in obese patients. In recent years, it has been found that under the stimulation of adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), the over-activated ER unfolded protein response (UPR) exacerbates the inflammatory response of adipose tissue by interfering with the normal metabolism of adipose tissue, promotes the secretion of adipokines, and affects the browning and thermogenic pathways of adipose tissue, ultimately leading to the manifestation of metabolic syndrome such as ectopic lipid deposition and disorders of glucolipid metabolism in obese patients. This paper mainly summarizes the relationship between adipocyte ERS and obese adipose tissue dysfunction and provides an overview of the mechanisms by which ERS induces metabolic disorders such as catabolism, thermogenesis and inflammation in obese adipose tissue through the regulation of molecules and pathways such as NF-κB, ADPN, STAMP2, LPIN1, TRIP-Br2, NF-Y and SIRT2 and briefly describes the current mechanisms targeting adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum stress to improve obesity and provide ideas for intervention and treatment of obese adipose tissue dysfunction.
High-resolution Holocene climate record from Maxwell Bay, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

The highest resolution Holocene sediment core from the Antarctic Peninsula to date was collected during the first SHALDRIL cruise (NBP0502). Drilling yielded a 108.2-m-long core (87% recovery; site NBP0502–1B) from Maxwell Bay, South Shetland Islands. This high-resolution sediment record comes from a region that is currently experiencing dramatic climate change and associated glacial retreat. Such records can help to constrain the nature of past climate change and causal mechanisms, and to provide a context for evaluating current climate change and its impacts. The base of the drill site sampled till and/or proximal glacimarine sediments resting directly on bedrock. Glacimarine suspension deposits composed of dark greenish gray silty mud with variable diatom abundance and scattered very fine sand laminations make up the majority of the sedimentary section. Detailed sedimentological and geochemical analyses, including magnetic susceptibility, total organic carbon (TOC) content, carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition, pebble content, and biogenic silica content, allow subdivision of the glacimarine section into nine units, and seismic facies analyses resulted in the identification of six distinct seismic units. We used 29 radiocarbon ages to construct an age model and calculate sedimentation rates that vary by two orders of magnitude, from 0.7 mm/a to ? 30 mm/a. Radiocarbon ages from glacimarine sediments just above the till date back to between 14.1 and 14.8 ka. Thus, ice was grounded in the fjord during the Last Glacial Maximum and eroded older sediments from the fjord. Following initial retreat of grounded ice from Maxwell Bay, the fjord was covered by a permanent floating ice canopy, probably an ice tongue. The highest sedimentation rate corresponds to an interval that contains abundant sand laminations and gravelly mud intervals and likely represents a melt-out phase or period of rapid glacial retreat from 10.1 ka to 8.2 ka. There is no evidence for an early Holocene climatic reversal, as recorded farther south at the Palmer Deep drill site. Minimum sea-ice cover and warm water conditions occurred between 8.2 and 5.9 ka. From 5.9 to 2.6 ka, there was a gradual cooling and more extensive sea-ice cover in the bay. After 2.6 ka, the climate varied slightly, causing only subtle variation in glacier grounding lines. There is no compelling evidence for a Little Ice Age readvance in Maxwell Bay. The current warming and associated glacial response in the northern Antarctic Peninsula appears to be unprecedented in its synchroneity and widespread impact.
Transmission of solar radiation in boreal conifer forests : Measurements and models

A combined geometric-optical and radiative transfer (GORT) model allows incorporation of multiple scales of clustering in conifer canopies on the estimation of radiation transmission. Consideration of clustering of branches into whorls is the latest addition to this model. Modification of the GORT model to include whorl orientation improves the ability to model the observed patterns of solar radiation transmission as a function of solar zenith angle and height in the canopy. Whorl orientation distributions are derived from multidirectional measurements using a geometric optical mutual shadowing model. For BOREAS test stands, model estimates and vertical measurements of photosynthetically active radiation transmittance within the canopy show (1) general decreases in transmission as solar zenith angles increase in the range of solar zenith angles dominated by beam irradiance, (2) increases in PAR transmission at very high solar zenith angles where diffuse skylight is dominant, (3) maximum scattering and absorption occur in the middle of the canopy. Model estimates match measurements from the forest floor, indicating the value of the model for providing radiation inputs to snowmelt models in forested landscapes.
In situ determination of atmospheric aerosol composition as a function of hygroscopic growth

An in-situ measurement setup to determine the chemical composition of aerosols as a function of hygroscopicity is presented. This has been done by connecting a custom-built Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (HTDMA) and an Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS), commercially available from TSI (Model 3800). Single particle bipolar mass spectra from aerosols leaving the HTDMA could thus be obtained as a function of the hygroscopic growth factor. For these studies the HTDMA was set at a relative humidity of 82% and particles with a dry diameter of 260 nm were selected. The setup was first laboratory tested after which field experiments were performed. Two datasets were obtained during wintertime 2007 in Switzerland: the first in the urban Zurich environment and the other at the remote high alpine research station Jungfraujoch (JFJ). In Zurich several thousand mass spectra were obtained in less than two days of sampling due to a high aerosol loading. At the JFJ, due to low particle concentrations in free tropospheric airmasses, a longer sampling period was required. Both in Zurich and at the JFJ two different growth factor modes were observed. Results from these two locations show that most aerosol particles were a mixture of several compounds.more » A large contribution of organics and combustion species was found in the less hygroscopic growth mode for both locations. Non-combustion refractory material (e.g. metals, mineral dust, and fly ash) was also highly enhanced in the non-hygroscopic particles. Sulfate, normally considered highly soluble, was found to be a constituent in almost all particles independent of their hygroscopic growth factor. « less
Transcriptomic Profiling of Embryogenic and Non-Embryogenic Callus Provides New Insight into the Nature of Recalcitrance in Cannabis

Differential gene expression profiles of various cannabis calli including non-embryogenic and embryogenic (i.e., rooty and embryonic callus) were examined in this study to enhance our understanding of callus development in cannabis and facilitate the development of improved strategies for plant regeneration and biotechnological applications in this economically valuable crop. A total of 6118 genes displayed significant differential expression, with 1850 genes downregulated and 1873 genes upregulated in embryogenic callus compared to non-embryogenic callus. Notably, 196 phytohormone-related genes exhibited distinctly different expression patterns in the calli types, highlighting the crucial role of plant growth regulator (PGRs) signaling in callus development. Furthermore, 42 classes of transcription factors demonstrated differential expressions among the callus types, suggesting their involvement in the regulation of callus development. The evaluation of epigenetic-related genes revealed the differential expression of 247 genes in all callus types. Notably, histone deacetylases, chromatin remodeling factors, and EMBRYONIC FLOWER 2 emerged as key epigenetic-related genes, displaying upregulation in embryogenic calli compared to non-embryogenic calli. Their upregulation correlated with the repression of embryogenesis-related genes, including LEC2, AGL15, and BBM, presumably inhibiting the transition from embryogenic callus to somatic embryogenesis. These findings underscore the significance of epigenetic regulation in determining the developmental fate of cannabis callus. Generally, our results provide comprehensive insights into gene expression dynamics and molecular mechanisms underlying the development of diverse cannabis calli. The observed repression of auxin-dependent pathway-related genes may contribute to the recalcitrant nature of cannabis, shedding light on the challenges associated with efficient cannabis tissue culture and regeneration protocols.
Lacunarity as a texture measure for SAR imagery

Abstract Lacunarity analysis is a simple technique for characterizing texture in binary images. Lacunarity quantifies deviation from translational invariance by describing the distribution of gaps within the image at multiple scales: the more lacunar an image, the more heterogeneous the spatial arrangement of gaps. For grey-level data, a series of binary images are formed through slicing the image histogram by quantiles. Characteristic decays of lacunarity as a function of window size permit scene object texture to be distinguished from speckle. Using a series of ERS-1 SAR images of the Brazilian Pantanal, we demonstrate how lacunarity functions can link image phenomenology with scene dynamics.
Effects of emergent and submerged natural vegetation on longitudinal mixing in open channel flow

An awareness of mixing processes is imperative in understanding the transport of pollutants in open channel flows, important for environmental impact studies. To date, controlled laboratory studies of the effects of vegetation on mixing processes have used simulated plants. This may neglect some of the important variables introduced by the presence of natural vegetation. In this study natural vegetation was planted within a laboratory channel, and a series of experiments quantifying velocity, turbulence, and longitudinal mixing were conducted over a time period sufficient to allow growth of the vegetation to impact on the mixing processes. In emergent conditions the results generally confirmed previous artificial vegetation and modeling studies, showing that vegetation reduces the magnitude of longitudinal shear dispersion. Additionally, measureable change in longitudinal mixing was observed primarily as a function of flow depth but also of plant age. Normalization using previously suggested parameter combinations failed to yield predictive trends. Submerged tests uniquely covered natural vegetation with a significant wake zone, and from this it was observed that longitudinal mixing is primarily a function of the degree of submergence. Overall, this paper presents a new data set quantifying the effects of natural vegetation on longitudinal mixing processes and illustrating deficiencies in previous understanding and predictive expressions based on idealized artificial vegetation.
Grower demand for sensor‐controlled irrigation

Water scarcity is likely to increase in the coming years, making improvements in irrigation efficiency increasingly important. An emerging technology that promises to increase irrigation efficiency substantially is a wireless irrigation sensor network that uploads sensor data into irrigation management software, creating an integrated system that allows real‐time monitoring and control of moisture status that has been shown in experimental settings to reduce irrigation costs, lower plant loss rates, shorten production times, decrease pesticide application, and increase yield, quality, and profit. We use an original survey to investigate likely initial acceptance, ceiling adoption rates, and profitability of this new sensor network technology in the nursery and greenhouse industry. We find that adoption rates for a base system and demand for expansion components are decreasing in price, as expected. The price elasticity of the probability of adoption suggests that sensor networks are likely to diffuse at a rate somewhat greater than that of drip irrigation. Adoption rates for a base system and demand for expansion components are increasing in specialization in ornamental production: growers earning greater shares of revenue from greenhouse and nursery operations are willing to pay more for a base system and are willing to purchase larger numbers of expansion components at any given price. We estimate that growers who are willing to purchase a sensor network expect investment in this technology to generate significant profit, consistent with findings from experimental studies.