Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Composite Physiological Response of Hydraulic and Photosynthetic Traits and Nonstructural Carbon in Masson Pine Seedlings to Drought Associated with High Temperature

Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) is a dominant coniferous species in southern China, known for its rapid growth, abundant yield, and extensive utilization. Despite the robust adaptability of Masson pine and the rich annual precipitation in its distribution areas, this species still faces the mortality risk caused by the recurrent high temperatures in summer and low precipitation in subtropical regions. The mortality risk of Masson pine may increase in the future when facing a more frequent or intensive drought threat due to climate change. In this study, we conducted a manipulated drought experiment accompanying high temperature (~32.3 ± 0.7 °C in daytime and 28 °C in nighttime) to simulate a flash drought, aiming to explore the composite physiological response (hydraulic, gas exchange, and nonstructural carbon (NSC) characteristics) of Masson pine seedlings to extreme drought characterized by a high intensity and long duration. We found that, as the drought developed, the leaf water potential and gas exchange traits (net photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration) significantly decreased while the percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) significantly increased. In contrast, NSC remained a more constant trend before it was significantly reduced on day 30 after the beginning of the drought. Except for NSC, all the other traits had significant correlations between them. Additionally, hydraulic dysfunction indicated by the increasing PLC preceded the NSC depletion, which may indicate a more significant role for hydraulic failure than carbon starvation in drought-induced mortality. Conclusively, hydraulic and gas exchange traits showed a coupling response to drought, but NSC displayed an independent dynamic. The findings may improve our understanding of drought-coping strategies of Masson pine and provide some theoretical basis for Masson pine forest management.
Agronomic significance of the zones defined within vineyards early in the season using NDVI and fruit load information

Wine quality is known to be highly dependent on grape quality and, therefore, wineries aiming to produce premium wines are concerned with obtaining top quality grapes. However, since grape quality is not uniform within a vineyard sometimes it is necessary to evaluate which zones within a single vineyard are producing the best grapes in order to segregate them at harvest. The aim of this work was to compare the performance of two methods to delineate zones within vineyards: (1) expert knowledge (ExpZ); and (2) fuzzy k-means analysis (FuzZ) using NDVI and fruit load as information sources, procedures that were applied to 4 adjacent vineyards located in Villamanta, (Madrid, Spain). Both methodologies were suitable to delineate parts of a vineyard with differences in grape composition, although FuzZ provided a more significant zoning than ExpZ from an oenological point of view.
Fire history of the central boreal forest in eastern North America reveals stability since the mid-Holocene

Past and present fire frequencies are key factors to evaluate fire-mediated changes in climate, but this metric is difficult to evaluate realistically in paleoecological and climatic reconstructions. Here, we applied charcoal analysis of forest soils to test from direct evidence the stability and resilience of the eastern North-American boreal forest at the Holocene timescale. Current knowledge indicates that the boreal forest is not so stable and resilient in several parts of its range, particularly at its northern and southern edges where it is converted to tundra and woodland communities, respectively. However, it is not known to what degree the structure and composition of the boreal forest situated at the central core of its range (FCR), far from the climate-sensitive edges, have been modified during the Holocene. To address the long-term status of the boreal forest vis-a-vis the Holocene climate, we have used a large dataset composed of 14C-dated and botanically identified charcoal. Long-term fire frequencies in several sites of the FCR were calculated to assess the stability of the main forest ecosystems. The mean fire interval over the last 5000 years of the two principal ecosystems composed of black spruce–jack pine forests and black spruce–balsam fir forests was ~200 and >300 years, respectively. Fires occurred repetitively during this period without fire gaps longer than 400 years (ecosystem 1) and 600 years (ecosystem 2), an indication that the fire regime of the FCR remained stable since the mid-Holocene. Unchanged forest ecosystems during this period also suggest the maintenance of both fire-prone and less fire-prone tree species in their respective sites and the ability of the boreal biome to maintain its structure and function in a repetitive fire-disturbance regime.
Vegetation changes in the Jezioro Lake on the background of the Holocene history of forests, Woz´Niki-Wielun´ Upland, Poland.

The results of pollen and macrofossil analysis of organic deposits from the Jezioro Lake site are described here. It is one of a few sites in the Silesian-Cracovian Upland where almost complete transformation of vegetation at the end of Vistulian (Younger Dryas) and Holocene were recorded (i.e. from the Preboreal to the Subboreal). Six local pollen assemblage zones record vegetation transformations from the open assemblages of Younger Dryas herbaceous, through older Holocene birch-pine, to multispecies deciduous forest vegetation of the Atlantic and Subboreal chronozones. It is also the only natural water body (apart from ox-bow lakes) in the Woźniki-Wieluń Upland that is protected by law as an ecological site. The analysis of plant macrofossils (7 local macrofossil assemblage zones) made it possible to study the development of aquatic and rush vegetation and trophic transformations. The oligotrophic character of the lake at the beginning of the Preboreal is denoted by numerous microand megaspores of Isoëtes lacustris.
Age and Growth of Shotted Halibut, Eopsetta grigorjewi (Herzenstein, 1890), in the West Sea of Korea

To investigate the age and growth characteristics of shotted halibut, Eopsetta grigorjewi, in the West Sea of Korea, the samples were collected using gill nets throughout 2019. A total of 861 specimens (693 females and 168 males) were analyzed. The BW-TL relations were BW = 0.0034TL3. 3278 (R2 = 0.8716) for females and BW = 0.0031TL3. 3359 (R2 = 0.8860) for males. This analysis revealed that males exhibited a larger growth rate than females (p < 0.05). Notably, the anterior and posterior sections of the otolith displayed an elongated oval shape, exceeding the radius of the dorsal and ventral regions. By examining the correlation between radii in four directions and total length, the highest correlation was observed between the total length (TL) and the ventral radius (R). The evaluation of the relationship between the fish total length and the otolith ventral radiusresulted in an equation of TL = 14.657R + 9.1601 (R2 =0.7081) for females and TL = 15.037R + 5.0265 (R2 = 0.6992) for males (p < 0.05). The formation of annuli occurred annually, consistently in January each year, as discerned through monthly changes in marginal index (MI) values. The von Bertalanffy growth equations from the relationship between the otolith annuli radius and the total length were Lt = 83.6 (1 − exp−0.046(t+4.70)) in females (n = 693, p < 0.05) and Lt = 56.8 (1 − exp−0.078(t+2.16)) in males (n = 168, p < 0.05).
Bone Fracture in Rett Syndrome: Mechanisms and Prevention Strategies

The present study aimed to evaluate the burden and management of fragility fractures in subjects with Rett syndrome. We searched all relevant medical literature from 1 January 1986 to 30 June 2023 for studies under the search term “Rett syndrome and fracture”. The fracture frequency ranges from a minimum of 13.9% to a maximum of 36.1%. The majority of such fractures occur in lower limb bones and are associated with low bone mineral density. Anticonvulsant use, joint contractures, immobilization, low physical activity, poor nutrition, the genotype, and lower calcium and vitamin D intakes all significantly impair skeletal maturation and bone mass accrual in Rett syndrome patients, making them more susceptible to fragility fractures. This review summarizes the knowledge on risk factors for fragility fracture in patients with Rett syndrome and suggests a possible diagnostic and therapeutic care pathway for improving low bone mineral density and reducing the risk of fragility fractures. The optimization of physical activity, along with adequate nutrition and the intake of calcium and vitamin D supplements, should be recommended. In addition, subjects with Rett syndrome and a history of fracture should consider using bisphosphonates.
Modeling the Evolution of Lunar Regolith: 2. Growth Rate and Spatial Distribution

The evolution of regolith thickness induced by continuous impact events on the lunar surface provides valuable information about lunar geology and the bombardment history of the inner Solar System. In this study, we develop a Lunar Topography and Regolith Evolution Model based on the production and distribution of lunar regolith resulting from individual impact craters. Considering the changing impact flux, evolving target properties, topographic degradation process, and crater superposition, our model simultaneously simulates both the spatial and temporal evolution of lunar cratered topography and regolith thickness. The modeled regolith thickness generally aligns with results estimated by in situ seismic experiments and measurements of small crater morphology. Through our simulations, we establish a novel quantitative relation between regolith growth rate and time, providing new constraints on the impact flux trend and buffering trend in the regolith growth process. By comparing this new relation with that predicted by our analytical regolith evolution model, we reveal the significant influences of evolving target properties and regolith distribution on the regolith growth rate. Our modeled results also show that the regional regolith thickness follows a characteristic long‐tailed distribution with substantial lateral variations. Both the root‐mean‐square fluctuation and correlation length of lunar regolith increase with lateral scale and the surface age, which are ∼4.7 and 18 m on the hectometer scale at 3.5 Ga. All these results contribute to a better understanding of the regolith evolution process and can provide valuable insights into the lunar surface dynamics.
Did they really Work? English Teachers’ Attitude towards the Effectiveness of Remote Online Exams in Times of Emergencies

This paper explores English teachers’ perception of the effectiveness of employing remote online exams during the COVID-19 pandemic after many universities and colleges worldwide moved most of their activities online. The transition to online learning has enabled numerous higher education institutions (HEIs) to utilise options they were previously hesitant to employ due to concerns regarding how they would affect academic integrity. Eight English teachers from a university in Oman were interviewed by email to share their experiences and thoughts on the effectiveness of remote online exams (ROEs). In addition, pre-COVID-19 students' scoresheets were analysed to determine whether students' performance was consistent across face-to-face and remote online exams. The results indicate significant differences in students' scores between the two types of exams, which is attributable to factors such as invigilation issues, students' academic misconduct, and exam security. Finally, the eight interviewed teachers recommended making improvements to online exams as they believe ROEs will continue to be used in the future.
Shaping of modern southern African biomes: Neogene vegetation and climate changes

Long-term trends in climate, hydrology and geomorphology contributed to the formation of the current biomes of southern Africa. The Neogene terrestrial fossil record is patchy, due to the geomorphological evolution of the subcontinent and the restricted distribution of suitable sediment deposits. Here we review the hypotheses on the evolution of the topography and environment and concentrate on the fossil record, especially pollen, wood, charcoal, leaves and biomarkers. Tectonic studies suggest a lower relief landscape than at present at the onset of the Neogene. Southern Africa was drained by two river systems – the Kalahari and the Karoo Rivers – and was affected by an initially weak, cool Benguela current along the western coastline, gradually promoting an aridity trend along the southwestern coast. The Cape region during the Miocene, when the Great Escarpment began to evolve, was characterised by humid, subtropical forests not unlike those still occurring on the much wetter subtropical eastern shore of southern Africa. Southern Namibia (Sperrgebiet) was probably covered by a “proto-savanna”; hyper-aridity developed further north along the Namibian coast. Probably with more uplift, the hydrological regime changed c. 15 Ma when the palaeo Karoo and Koa Rivers were captured by the Kalahari/Orange River and drained western South Africa. Miocene fossil sites are missing in southeastern Africa. In southwestern Africa an enhanced aridity trend and the shift to a winter rainfall regime during the late Miocene-Pliocene was triggered by the development of the Westerly wind system and further strengthening of the cold Benguela current enhanced by the development of the Antarctic sheet and opening of the Drake passage. Eastern southern Africa was dominated by the Great Escarpment and relatively shorter deeply incised rivers and higher rainfall than the west. The Pliocene saw the evolution of the Fynbos and Succulent Karoo biomes including the further radiation of several drought adapted plant families encompassing the Asteraceae and Aizoaceae. At the transition towards the Pleistocene, the region around Sterkfontein in eastern central southern Africa, important for hominid evolution, experienced a shift from a woody environment towards more xeric, open conditions. The Savanna biome today stretches from northeastern South Africa as far north as East Africa; the Grassland and Fynbos biomes are unique and the more arid biomes are dominant in the western half of southern Africa.
The Trias of New Zealand

I. Introduction. New Zealand occupies the most isolated and, so far as the-palaeontology is concerned, one of the lesser-known links in the great chain of folded marine Triassic sedimentary rocks which surrounds the Pacific Ocean. The presence of Triassic rocks of the Alpine type in New Zealand was first made known as a result of the visit of the Austrian frigate ‘Novara’ in 1858 & 1859 and the researches of F. von Hochstetter. Four species of Triassic fossils found on that occasion were described and figured by Zittel in 1864.1 These were Monotis salinaria var. richmondiana Zittel, Spirigera wreyi Suess, Mytilus problematicus Zittel, and Halobia lommeli Wissmann. The Nelson province was the only district where Hochstetter obtained Trias fossils. He collected several Jurassic forms at Kawhia Harbour on the western coast of the North Island, but the Triassic deposits south of the harbour were discovered at a later date. Since Hochstetter's visit the detailed geological survey of New Zealand has revealed the wide extension of the Triassic rocks, and their stratigraphical and tectonic features have in many areas been more or less satisfactorily worked out. Sir James Hector1 published from time to time lists of the fossils which the officers of the Survey had collected. His lists were not accompanied by figures or descriptions, and those from the beds with which the present paper deals were mostly names of well-known European Permian and Triassic forms. He paid, however, a closer attention to belemnites and brachiopods, and established three
Anticancer perspectives of genistein: a comprehensive review

ABSTRACT There is a significant load of degenerative and chronic illnesses, especially cancer, which is one of the main reasons for morbidity and death globally. Polyphenolic phytochemicals found in many plant diets have been shown in epidemiologic and preclinical studies to have chemopreventive activities against numerous cancer types. As a result, there is growing interest in possible cancer chemopreventive medicines derived from natural compounds, such as polyphenols, which may provide a novel, cost-effective way to reduce the global cancer burden. Various epidemiologic researchers have found a link between a soy-rich diet and tumor avoidance, which has been linked to the existence of genistein, a phenolic component found in soy-based diets. Genistein controlled strong anti-inflammatory actions through the blocking of different signaling pathways such as (PGs) Prostaglandins, pro-inflammatory (ROS) reactive oxygen species and cytokines, (iNOS) inducible nitric oxide synthase and (NF-κB) nuclear factor kappa-B. Furthermore, therapeutic effects of genistein have been conveyed in various pathological situations through modifying intracellular paths such as Akt, mTOR, PI3K, PPARγ, NF-κB, Nrf2 and AMPK. Genistein works as a chemotherapeutic drug against several cancers, primarily through modifying the cell cycle, apoptosis, and angiogenesis, as well as limiting metastasis. Genistein also exhibits a synergistic attitude with renowned anticancer medicines including adriamycin, tamoxifen and docetaxel indicating a possible role in grouping treatment. The study presents the recent data available on genistein’s beneficial effects against various forms of cancers.
Role of Heart Rate Variability in the Association between Myocardial Infarction Severity and Post-Myocardial Infarction Distress

Objective: Myocardial infarction (MI) results in mental health consequences, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The risk and protective factors of such mental consequences are not fully understood. This study examined the relation between MI severity and future mental health consequences and the moderating role of vagal nerve activity. Methods: In a reanalysis of data from the Myocardial Infarction-Stress Prevention Intervention (MI-SPRINT) study, 154 post-MI patients participated. MI severity was measured by the Killip Scale and by troponin levels. Depression and PTSD symptoms were assessed with valid questionnaires, both at 3 and 12 months. Vagal nerve activity was indexed by the heart rate variability (HRV) parameter of the root-mean square of successive R-R differences (RMSSD). Following multivariate analyses, the association between MI severity and distress was examined in patients with low and high HRV (RMSSD = 30 ms). Results: In the full sample, the Killip index predicted post-MI distress only at 3 months, while troponin predicted distress at 3- and 12-months post-MI. However, HRV moderated the effects of the Killip classification; Killip significantly predicted symptoms of depression and PTSD at 3- and 12-months post-MI, but only in patients with low HRV. Such moderation was absent for troponin. Conclusion: MI severity (Killip classification) predicted post-MI depression and PTSD symptoms, but only in patients with low HRV, suggesting that the vagal nerve is a partial protective (moderating) factor in the relation between Killip score and post-MI distress.
Plant spores in coal from the Horton group (Mississippian) of Nova Scotia

An abundant and highly varied spore florule present in coal of lowermost Mississippian age is described and illustrated. The assemblage consists of nineteen genera and fifty species, of which four genera, thirty species and fourteen types (of which only one or two specimens were found) are proposed as new. Simple, almost smooth, trilete spores of the genus Punctatisporites Potonie and Kremp, 1954, largely predominate, reaching 68 per cent in one sample. The presence of several types that possess a thick perispore is significant. The aspect of the sporeflorule is more Devonian than Carboniferous, and this florule resembles florules reportedfrom Upper Devonian strata, particularly of the U.S.S.R. A continuation of the Upper Devonianflora into the lower portion of the Lower Carboniferous, as observed in the megaflora, is therefore also indicated by the microflora. Plant spores in coal from the Horton group (Mississippian) of Nova Scotia* P.A. HACQUEBARD Geological Survey of Canada Coal Research Laboratory Sydney, Nova Scotia
Survival and Clinical Outcomes after Unconstrained Total Knee Arthroplasty for Tibial Plateau Fractures–A Retrospective Study with Minimum 4-Year Follow-Up

This study investigated survival, complications, revisions, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for unconstrained total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTO) caused by intraarticular tibial plateau fractures with minimum four years follow-up. Forty-nine patients (71.4% male; 58.7 years) were included. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed with failure defined as TKA removal. Patients without failure underwent pre- and postoperative evaluation (range of motion (ROM), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), Knee Society Score (KSS), anatomical femorotibial angle (aFTA), proximal tibial slope (PTS)) and Short Form-12 (SF-12) Physical (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) assessment at final follow-up. Fifteen (30.6%) patients had a complication, and eight (16.3%) patients underwent prosthesis removal at median 2.5 years. Cumulative survival rate of TKA was 79.6% at 20 years. A total of 32 patients with a mean follow-up of 11.8 years underwent further analyses. ROM (p = 0.028), aFTA (p = 0.044), pPS (p = 0.009), OKS (p < 0.001) and KSS (p < 0.001) improved significantly. SF-12 PCS was 42.3 and MCS was 54.4 at final follow-up. In general, one third of patients suffer a complication, and one in six patients has their prosthesis removed after TKA for PTO due to tibial plateau fractures. In patients who do not fail, TKA significantly improves clinical and radiographic outcomes at long-term follow-up.
Leveraging the Power of Object Detection Models in Identifying Litter for a Significant Reduction in Environmental Pollution

The growing concern of litter pollution in natural environments has escalated into a significant issue that demands immediate and efficient resolution. Recent studies have used deep learning models to solve the problem of litter pollution, but these approaches have faced challenges in accurately detecting litter in real-world environments. Therefore, this paper has proposed a litter detection model and analyze its performance on the TACO dataset, which contains real-world outdoor environment images. The paper evaluates three distinct deep learning models (YOLOv4, YOLOv5, Faster R-CNN) and identifies the best performing model. The performance of the selected model is then enhanced through adjustments of hyperparameters, use of several preprocessing techniques and data augmentation techniques. The experimental results showed that YOLOv5x achieved 88% mAP@. 5 and 71.4% mAP@. 75 on testing dataset which outperformed the state-of-art studies. The findings of this paper provide valuable insights into the solution of litter pollution and can inform future research in this area.