Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low genetic and high environmental diversity at adaptive traits in Pinus pinea from provenance tests in France and Spain

Mediterranean Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) is a native species of the Mediterranean region, widely used for reforestation. It is characterised by a low genetic variation both at phenotypic traits and molecular markers. In the early nineties, experimental plots were established in several countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea for studying the distribution of genetic variability among provenances in adaptative traits as survival, vegetative and reproductive phase change, phenology and growth. Here we report results of the first decade at seven trial sites in France and Spain. The survival, ontogeny and growth patterns were homogeneous among provenances but differed among sites. On the other hand, the phenotypic plasticity of the species and its sensitivity to microsite (soil) variation produced strong spatial autocorrelations of the response variables, both between and within sites, which masked greatly the variation between provenances. Nearest-neighbours adjustments that captured the spatial pattern at each site reduced the error term and increased the significance of the geographic genetic variation considerably. Comparison of the adjusted average heights of each provenance showed a common trend between sites, with a lightly more vigorous growth in plants from colder or inland provenances. These results confirm the conclusions obtained in earlier analyses of the Spanish test sites, where these provenances showed also an earlier spring shoot phenology and a stronger tendency to polycyclism.
Increasing the Effectiveness of Electricity-Generating Floors Through the Mechanical Energy of DC Generators

The increasing electricity consumption of the Indonesian population requires renewable energy as an alternative to electricity generation supplies. Renewable energy can be formed through mechanical energy in its simplest form, namely in the form of a footrest. Generally, energy-harvesting floors that utilise human footsteps are designed with piezoelectric sensors. This sensor is responsible for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. However, the power generated from piezoelectrics is only around 0.041 μW to 240.59 μW. So, in this study, an alternative design for a footstep floor is proposed capable of harvesting electrical energy using a DC generator. The proposed platform consists of a platform design that utilises the translational motion of the gears on the gear rack and is assisted by four springs surrounding the sides of the iron plate. Apart from that, the platform has a power management and storage system. Unlike controllers in general, solar charger controllers are used for charging (voltage and current in the accumulator) and flowing current to the load (lights). The subjects used in this floor test ranged from 20-100 kg. Compared to floors that use piezoelectrics, the results are that floors with DC generators experience an increase in power of around 0.62%. Hence, DC generators are more effective in harvesting electrical energy.
Larval fish composition of a tropical estuary in northern Brazil (2º18'-2º47'S/044º20'- 044º25'W) during the dry season

Ichthyoplankton was collected in Sao Marcos Bay, in six sampling stations during the dry season (July 2000). Oblique hauls were done using a bongo net with 330 and 500 µm mesh sizes. Samples were taken during the day and ebb tide, except for one sample collected during flood tide. A total of 15 families and 17 species were identified. Members of the families Engraulidae and Sciaenidae were most abundant, and occurred in all stations. The largest number of taxa (14) were recorded in the inner region of the estuary, whereas the fewest taxa (4) occurred in the port area and near the fishery terminal. The families Auchenipteridae (Pseudauchenipterus nodosus), Clupeidae (Rhinosardinia amazonica), Engraulidae (Anchoa spinifer, Anchoviella lepidentostole), Sciaenidae (Macrodon ancylodon, Stellifer rastrifer) and Paralichthyidae (Citharichthys sp.) were dominant. Of these, Anchoviella lepidentostole was the most abundant, representing more than 84 % of the total catch.
Wetzeliella and Its Allies — The ‘Hole’ Story: A Taxonomic Revision of the Paleogene Dinoflagellate Subfamily Wetzelielloideae

Fossil dinoflagellate cysts of the Paleogene peridiniacean subfamily Wetzelielloideae have a stable tabulation pattern similar to that of other fossil peridiniaceans, but distinguished by a four-sided (quadra) rather than a six-sided (hexa) 2a plate. Aside from tabulation, wetzelielloideans show great morphological variability, especially in ornamentation and horn development, but also in wall structure. This diversity has distracted attention from the morphological variation of the archeopyle, which, although always formed through loss of the 2a plate only, shows variations that we consider critical in unravelling the group's phylogeny. Important factors are the shape and relative dimensions of the archeopyle and whether the operculum is attached (adnate) or detached. These parameters allow us to define five archeopyle types: equiepeliform, hyperepeliform, hypersoleiform, latiepeliform and soleiform. Based primarily on archeopyle type and secondarily on wall morphology and ornamentation, we recognise six genera with an equiepeliform archeopyle, four with a hyperepeliform archeopyle, five with a latiepeliform archeopyle, five with a soleiform archeopyle and one with a hypersoleiform archeopyle. The earliest known wetzelielloideans, which occur around the Paleocene—Eocene boundary, have an equiepeliform archeopyle. Other archeopyle types evolved rapidly: taxa with hyperepeliform, latiepeliform and hypersoleiform types are known from the Ypresian. Latiepeliform and hyperepeliform types are restricted to the Ypresian and Lutetian. Forms with the soleiform archeopyle appeared in the late Lutetian, but were rare until the Bartonian, when they became the dominant type, and they were the only type in Priabonian and younger strata. Wetzelielloideans became extinct in the middle Oligocene. We make numerous taxonomic proposals, including the following new genera: Castellodinium, Dolichodinium, Epelidinium, Kledodinium, Michouxdinium, Petalodinium, Piladinium, Rhadinodinium, Sagenodinium, Sophismatia, Stenodinium, Stichodinium and Vallodinium. We emend the diagnoses of Charlesdowniea, Dracodinium and Wilsonidium, and erect the species Kledodinium filosum, Petalodinium sheppeyense and Sagenodinium franciscanum.
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL MONITORING ON BOARDMAN TREE FARM: 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

Research on the Northern Saw-whet Owl (hereafter Saw-whet Owl) has grown in the last decade, but most of it involves birds captured during migration (see Priestley et al. 2010). Moreover, work on breeding birds has been characterized by small numbers of nests (e.g., Cannings 1987, Marks and Doremus 2000, Moser 2002, Priestley et al. 2005). As a result, much remains to be learned about key aspects of life history and ecology such as age of first breeding, number of broods per season, natal dispersal, and habitat selection on the breeding grounds.
Controlled mycorrhization of Peganum harmala L by desert truffle Terfezia
claveryi chatin from the eastern region of Morocco

This work aims to study the effects of mycorrhization of Terfezia claveryi on the growth of Peganum harmala L . It takes place in two types of substrates: sandy-loamy soil, (from the natural habitat of the desert truffle in eastern Morocco (Beni Mathar)) and peat, under controlled conditions. The intensity and frequency of mycorrhizae are thus compared for the two substrates. The roots of Peganum harmala L on sandy-loamy soil, are characterized by low levels of organic matter, phosphorus and nitrogen, these roots form with Terfezia claveryi a typical arbuscular endomycorrhizae. The intensity and frequency of mycorrhization are found to be higher (30% and 96.66%, respectively), than in roots of the same plant inoculated with the same fungus, on peat rich in organic matter and phosphorus (20.25% and a frequency of 58.66% respectively). The symbiotic associations between Peganum harmala L and Terfezia claveryi on peat, lead to the formation of ectomycorrhizae with a Hartig net without fungal mantle. These results demonstrate the plasticity of Terfezia claveryi to form different mycorrhizal types. The parameters of Peganum harmala L inoculated with Terfezia claveryi on sandy-loamy soil, are higher than those of seedlings inoculated on peat. Mycorrhization of Peganum harmala L with Terfezia claveryi, under in vivo culture conditions was achieved for the first time. These encouraging results prompted us to perform a transplant in Beni Mathar. The objective is to observe their growth and development and to verify whether this Terfezia-Peganum harmala L combination, leads to the formation of sporocarps in the field.
Interrelations among the Soil-Water Retention, Hydraulic Conductivity, and Suction-Stress Characteristic Curves

AbstractThe three fundamental constitutive relations that describe fluid flow, strength, and deformation behavior of variably saturated soils are the soil-water retention curve (SWRC), hydraulic conductivity function (HCF), and suction-stress characteristic curve (SSCC). Until recently, the interrelations among the SWRC, HCF, and SSCC have not been well established. This work sought experimental confirmation of interrelations among these three constitutive functions. Results taken from the literature for six soils and those obtained for 11 different soils were used. Using newly established analytical relations among the SWRC, HCF, and SSCC and these test results, the authors showed that these three constitutive relations can be defined by a common set of hydromechanical parameters. The coefficient of determination for air-entry pressures determined independently using hydraulic and mechanical methods is >0.99, >0.98 for the pore size parameter, and 0.94 for the residual degree of saturation. One practical.
Surface seismic and electrical methods to detect fluids related to faulting

In the absence of drilling, surface-based geophysical methods are necessary to observe fault zones and fault zone physical properties at seismogenic depths. These in situ physical properties can then be used to infer the presence and distribution of fluids along faults, although such observations are by nature indirect and become less exact with greater depth. Multiple observations of a range of such geophysical properties as compressional and shear seismic velocity (Vp and Vs), Vp/V5 ratio (related to Poisson's ratio), resistivity and attenuation in and adjacent to fault zones offer the greatest hope of making inferences of the fault zone geometry, fluids in the fault zone, and fluid reservoirs in the surrounding crust. For simple geometries, fault zone guided waves can provide information on fault zone width and velocities for faults of the order of 200 m wide. To address the question of whether a narrow fault zone can be imaged well enough at depths of seismic rupture to infer the presence of anomalously high fluid/rock ratios, we present synthetic seismic tomography and magnetotelluric examples for an ideal case of a narrow fault zone with a simple geometry, large changes in material properties, and numerous earthquakes within the fault zone. A synthetic 0.5-km wide fault zone with 20% velocity reduction is well imaged using local earthquake tomography. When sequential velocity inversions are done, the true fault width is found, even to 9 km depth, although the calculated amplitude of the velocity reduction is lower than the actual amplitude. Vp/Vs is as well determined as Vp. Magnetotelluric imaging of a synthetic fault zone shows that a conductive fault zone can be well imaged within the upper 10 km. Further, a narrow (1 km) very low resistivity (3 ohm m) fault core can be imaged within a broad (5 km) low resistivity (10 ohm m) fault zone, illustrating that regions of a fault containing large quantities of interconnected fluids within a broader, conductive fault zone should be detectable. Thus variations in fluid content and fluid pressure can be inferred from electrical and seismic methods but there will always be uncertainty in these inferences due to the trade-off with other factors, such as intrinsic variations in porosity, mineralogy, and pore geometry. The best approach is combined modeling of varied seismic and electrical data.
Unlocking the Potential: Exploring Factors and Overcoming Challenges in Gamifying English Literacy

Gamification in the education system emerges for the first time in the late 2000s, and since its emergence, gamification has gained recognition as an innovative approach in education, creating dynamic and engaging learning environments. However, with its current emergence, studies relating to gamification in education are still limited. As such, the current study is conducted to answer two research questions. First, what factors to be considered when applying gamification into the teaching process, and second, what are the challenges when applying gamification into the teaching process. This research used interview to collect the data from two English teachers who have been implementing gamification in their teaching for several time, and thus the present study falls into qualitative research. The findings emphasize the importance of considering game mechanics, engagement and motivation levels, alignment with learning outcomes, learner needs and preferences, and contextual factors to effectively implement gamification. Additionally, the study highlights challenges such as designing effective game mechanics, potential distraction from learning goals, balancing gamification with traditional teaching methods, and ensuring sufficient resources and support for implementation. These findings underscore the necessity for teachers to comprehend gamification and evaluate its compatibility with students' learning needs in order to achieve better educational outcomes.
Awareness and Knowledge of Glaucoma and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Adult Population in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia

Introduction Glaucoma can be considered a heterogeneous group of diseases with characteristic progressive optic neuropathy, which causes the development of visual field dysfunctions and irreversible blindness. Glaucoma is the most prevalent cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Aim This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of glaucoma and its associated risk factors among the adult population in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, in 2022. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 384 participants aged 40 years and above in the Jazan region. A convenience sampling technique was adopted to obtain the target sample size. Data were collected using a self-administered electronic questionnaire on Google Forms. Results A majority (73.1%) of the 387 respondents to the questionnaire were in the age group of 40-50 years, with the average age being 47.43 years. No statistically significant difference was found between different age groups' level of knowledge (p=0.769). In addition, the difference between levels of knowledge based on participants' residence was also statistically insignificant (p=0.387). Of the participants who were not diagnosed with glaucoma, 55% had poor knowledge of glaucoma; however, only 3.10% of the participants diagnosed with glaucoma had poor knowledge of the condition. Consequently, there was a statistically significant difference between participants' levels of knowledge based on their diagnosis of glaucoma (p=0.04). Conclusion The study revealed low knowledge and awareness levels regarding glaucoma among adults aged 40 years and above in the Jazan region.
Intertidal subsidence and collapse features on wave‐exposed, drift‐aligned sandy beaches subject to Amazon mud: Cayenne, French Guiana

Short‐lived collapse features affecting the intertidal sandy profile were observed on mud‐rich beaches in Cayenne. They were formed in packets of beach sand accumulating over thick (several metres) fluid to under‐consolidated foreshore mud, which adjusts to this sand loading by seaward and longshore migration of fluid mud and subsequent in situ mud dewatering, thus generating subsidence and deformation of the overlying sand sheet. These sandy collapse features required active longshore sand transport and were washed out by wave processes at each rising tide. They finally disappeared permanently as adjustment of the underlying mud enabled stabilization of the beach profile. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prevalence of trigger finger and carpal tunnel syndrome among diabetic patients and its relationship to hemoglobin A1C.

Objective: The aim of this study is to establish whether or not there is a relationship between prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), as well as Trigger finger (TF) with HbA1C level. Method: The study population consists of 132 diabetic patients (91 females, 41 males). The subjects were assessed using a verbal questionnaire about the symptoms of CTS and TF, after which they were classified as either having the disease or not. This was then compared to HbA1C levels using the Chi-squared test and the independent t test. Results: The mean level of HbA1C was higher regarding the patients who suffered the disease compared to those without it. Conclusion: HbA1C was found to have a significant correlation with the development of CTS and TF in diabetic patients. The two diseases were not affected by age. Long
Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair in the Obese Patient Population: A Single-Center Five-Year Experience

Purpose The objective of the present study is to evaluate the distribution of the transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) and the totally extraperitoneal repair (TEP) procedures among the obese and non-obese patient populations, to show how obesity impacts daily practice by reviewing the experience of a single center, and finally, to assess the outcomes of the operations. Methods All patients who underwent elective, minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2022 were included in the present study. The data that were analyzed were patient demographics, each individual patient's American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, the minimally invasive technique (TAPP or TEP) utilized, the body mass index (BMI), and other comorbidities such as underlying diabetes, hypertension, and smoking status. Results A total of 109 patients were included in the present analysis, of which 81 (74.3%) underwent elective TEP repairs while 28 (25.7%) underwent elective TAPP repairs. Overall, 39 (35.7%) patients were included in the obesity subgroup with an average BMI of 35.4 ± 4.9, with a range from 30.1 to 52.7, and 70 (64.3%) were included in the non-obese subgroup, with an average BMI of 23.2 ± 3.3 and a range from 16.2 to 29.7. Conclusions The laparoscopic approach to the inguinal hernia repair in obese patients has similar outcomes as an open approach regarding the 30-day events, in the hands of experienced surgeons with the advantages of the laparoscopic approach vs. the open one.
Exploring Cacao Husk Waste – Surface Modification, Characterization, and its Potential for Removing Phosphate and Nitrate Ions

Environmental pollution by phosphate and nitrate ions has become a serious problem. The innovation of cacao husk as an adsorbent and sustainable material can be a solution for absorbing phosphate and nitrate ions. Cocoa husk (CH) derived from the matured cocoa fruit’s remaining pod material that often discarded as waste. The aim of this research is to develop an environmentally friendly and economical cacao husk (CH) based material for the absorption of phosphate and nitrate ions from aqueous solutions. CH surface modification is made by reacting the cationic polymer 2-[(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium (META), into CH treatment (CH-T). Successful surface modifica - tion of CH-T with cationic polymers was confirmed to improve the surface properties for the removal of phosphate and nitrate ions. The surface charge morphology, structure, pore distribution and stability of the modified CH-T were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Branueur-Emmet-Teller (BET) and elemental analysis. 0.3 grams of CH-T modified with 75% cationic polymer with stirring at 70 rpm for 180 minutes at 50°C was reported as the best modification condition. Removal efficiencies of phosphate and nitrate ions increased after adding quaternary ammonium to CH-T to 96% and 93.4%, respectively. These results indicate that CH modification has prospective as a low-cost catalyst for wastewater treatment.
Causality of spontaneous exposure in Kenyan Firms yearly information

In recent years, the Kenyan Government has initiated reforms at the Nairobi Stock Exchange aimed at transforming the exchange into a vehicle for mobilising domestic savings and attracting foreign capital investments. Consequently, the corporate financial reporting, and in particular, the level of voluntary disclosure is a vital part of the process for building investor confidence (local and foreign) and trust. Drawing on prior corporate disclosure research, this study examines factors associated with voluntary disclosure of four types of information: general and strategic, financial, forward-looking, and social and board information in the annual reports of Kenyan companies. This study provides longitudinal examination of voluntary disclosure practices in the annual reports of listed companies in Kenya from 1992 to 2001. The study investigates the extent to which corporate governance attributes, ownership structure and company characteristics influence voluntary disclosure of various types of information. Due to the panel nature of our data, to estimate the determinants of voluntary disclosure of various types of information, we use pooled Ordinary Least Square (OLS) with Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSEs). Our results indicate that, disclosures of all types of information are influenced by corporate governance attributes, ownership structure and corporate characteristics. In particular, the results also suggest that size and companies in the agricultural sector are significantly associated with the voluntary disclosure of all four types of information disclosures.
Pain-to-hospital times, cardiovascular risk factors, and early intrahospital mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the most recent trends in myocardial infarction (MI) care, the number of patients treated for MI and their outcomes, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and pain-to-hospital times in MI patients. Subjects and methods: For 778 patients treated for acute MI at the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of University Hospital Split, Croatia the following data were acquired: outcome during hospitalization (survived, deceased), cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, previous MI, smoking), and pain-to-CCU time. Results: Among 778 patients treated for acute MI, there were 291 (37%) women and 487 (63%) men. Forty-five patients (6%) died during hospitalization, mostly due to cardiogenic shock. An association was found between early intrahospital mortality and the following risk factors: age  70 years, female sex, previous MI, and smoking. Median pain-to-call time was 2 hours, and median time from the onset of pain to arrival into the CCU was 4 hours. There were 59 (7.6%) patients admitted to the CCU within recommended 90 minutes. Diabetic comorbidity was not associated with early death or with longer time from pain to emergency calls. Conclusion: Some of the risk factors associated with adverse outcomes in MI are modifiable. Prehospital delay of 4 hours observed in patients who suffered an MI is too long, and more effort should be devoted to investments in health care and education of the general public regarding chest pain