Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental subsoiling by in-line shallow and deep tines

Conventional soil ripping has high fuel consumption because it involves high draft force and may produce large soil clods. This experiment compares the use of shallow leading tines ahead of the main tine with use of a conventional single-tine ripper. The study showed that attaching a single, shallow leading tine ahead of, and in line with, the main tine and 25–40% shallower in depth gave the greatest significant decrease in specific draft force. This led to a fuel reduction from 13.6 to 11.5 L/ha, or a saving of 15% when ripping a moist loamy sand soil to 330 mm depth. Attaching more than one shallow lead tine ahead of the ripper did not significantly affect specific draft forces, whether the shallow lead tines were in line or offset. Other advantages of using the shallow leading tine ripper over the conventional ripper are: improved soil tilth by significantly decreasing soil clod size; potentially a wider moisture range for ripping the soil (as soil clods are smaller and drier soil increases clod size) thus increasing the time available for the operation; and decreased depreciation of ripping components.
Mineral magnetic properties of loess/paleosol couplets of the central loess plateau of China over the last 1.2 Myr

[1] We have conducted a multiparameter investigation of 15 loess-paleosol couplets (S0/L1 to S14/L15) from the Jiaodao section in the central loess plateau of China using environmental magnetic approaches coupled with soil science techniques. The magnetic parameters display systematic variations that seem to be closely related to paleoclimate variations and intensity of pedogenesis. High-temperature susceptibility curves of paleosols show a generally decreasing trend in reversibility from the base of the Lishi Formation to the Holocene black loam, possibly indicating a decrease in weathering intensity. This may reflect a long-term increase in aridity and/or a general long-term cooling trend of the interior of the Asian continent from 1.2 Ma to the present. Several samples display wasp-waisted hysteresis loops. These are most pronounced in moderately enhanced paleosols, less pronounced in the practically unaltered loess, and subdued in the well-developed paleosols, but wasp waistedness reappears in the most developed paleosols. This wasp-waistedness sequence suggests that the composition, concentration, and grain size of magnetic minerals all contribute to the hysteresis behavior of samples from the studied loess-paleosol sequence, but each factor has a different effect at different stages of pedogenesis.
Airway epithelial cells mount an early response to mycobacterial infection

Lung epithelial cells represent the first line of host defence against foreign inhaled components, including respiratory pathogens. Their responses to these exposures may direct subsequent immune activation to these pathogens. The epithelial response to mycobacterial infections is not well characterized and may provide clues to why some mycobacterial infections are cleared, while others are persistent and pathogenic. We have utilized an air-liquid interface model of human primary bronchial epithelial cells (ALI-PBEC) to investigate the epithelial response to infection with a variety of mycobacteria: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), M. bovis (BCG), M. avium, and M. smegmatis. Airway epithelial cells were found to be infected by all four species, albeit at low frequencies. The proportion of infected epithelial cells was lowest for Mtb and highest for M. avium. Differential gene expression analysis revealed a common epithelial host response to mycobacteria, including upregulation of BIRC3, S100A8 and DEFB4, and downregulation of BPIFB1 at 48 h post infection. Apical secretions contained predominantly pro-inflammatory cytokines, while basal secretions contained tissue growth factors and chemokines. Finally, we show that neutrophils were attracted to both apical and basal secretions of infected ALI-PBEC. Neutrophils were attracted in high numbers to apical secretions from PBEC infected with all mycobacteria, with the exception of secretions from M. avium-infected ALI-PBEC. Taken together, our results show that airway epithelial cells are differentially infected by mycobacteria, and react rapidly by upregulation of antimicrobials, and increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines which directly attract neutrophils. Thus, the airway epithelium may be an important immunological component in controlling and regulating mycobacterial infections.
Background extinction and mass extinction of the brachiopods from chalk of Northwest Europe

The white monotonous chalk from the Upper Cretaceouslowermost Tertiary ofNorthwest Europe spans at least 24 million years and contains a rich, well-preserved fauna of minute brachiopods. Based on taxonomical range charts and timespecific diversities, this fauna is studied in terms of mean species longevity, rate of species origination, and rate of extinction. The brachiopodfauna initially appears to have colonized the chalk sea in mid-Coniacian times. From there on a slow buildup of species diversity reflects a gradual niche diversification of the chalk. Adjustment and evolutionary stability reaches a climax in Late Maastrichtian time. During the Coniacian-Maastrichtian interval, mean rate of extinction is low (0.07 My-1) and mean rate of origination equally low (0.09 My-1). A sudden mass extinction at the Maastrichtian-Danian boundary, however, eliminated more than 70% of the species. The most specialized species, in particular the secondarily free-lying species, apparently became extinct at the boundary. Only six species are known to cross the Maastrichtian-Danian boundary. These are all relatively featureless, non-specialized forms and, together with possible survivors in basin margin areas, gave rise to a rapidly formed, highly diverse Early Danian fauna through adaptive radiation. The Early Danian fauna differs in taxonomic composition from the Maastrichtian fauna both on species as well as on higher taxonomic levels. A dichotomous classification of extinction seems real for the brachiopods from the chalk as their mass extinction at the Maastrichtian-Danian boundaty both quantitatively and qualitatively differ from their Late Cretaceous background extinction.
The Effect of Estrogen Hormone on Leptin Receptor in Small Intestine of Ovariectomized Rats

Objective: Leptin, a 16 kDa hormone encoded by the obese (Ob) gene, is known for its role in regulating food intake, body composition, and energy expenditure. Leptin receptor expression has been demonstrated in several tissues, including the small intestine. Weight gain may occur in humans after menopause or in animals following ovariectomy. Estrogen affects leptin and leptin receptor expressions. In this study, we aimed to contribute to the etiology of obesity by investigating the effects of E2 on leptin receptors in the small intestines of ovariectomized rats as a model of postmenopausal conditions. Materials and Methods: Bilateral ovariectomy was performed on 6-month-old Sprague-Dawley female rats. Ovariectomized rats (Ovx) were injected with 0.2 ml of sesame oil/rat/day or E2 (25 µg/rat/day) and euthanized at the 18th, 90th, or 162nd hours. Duodenum, jejunum, and ileum samples were fixed and embedded in paraffin using standard methods. The expression of leptin receptors were detected in the small intestine through immunohistochemistry. Results: Leptin receptor expression was found in the villi and crypt epithelium of the small intestine and in Brunner’s gland of the duodenum. E2 administration increased the leptin receptor expressions on the epithelium of villi and crypt in the duodenum and jejunum at the 90th hour (p<0.05); ileum at the 18th hour (p<0.05); and also on the epithelium of villi in the duodenum at the 162nd hour (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results indicate that E2 may upregulate the expression of leptin receptors in the small intestine, where glucose and other nutrients are absorbed after food intake and digestion, depending on the timing.
The Relativity Theory Needs Some Fixing

The article presents a critical analysis of the Special and General Relativity Theories. Both theories are found incomplete and need a revision. The general relativity principle is currently understood as meaning that there is no preferred frame of reference and equations of motion must be Lorentz invariant. These interpretations should be modified to the form that there is no global preferred frame of reference, but there is a local preferred frame of reference given by the local gravitation field, and the equations of motion should be invariant in conformal mappings. The reason why there is a local preferred frame of reference is that the Lorentz transform does not define a valid time for a moving frame and therefore cannot give a set of frames of reference where there is no preferred local frame of reference. As light travels along geodesics of the gravitational field, this local preferred frame is given by the local gravitation field. Much of relativity theory remains after this revision, including the geometric interpretation of gravity, the equivalence principle, time and length dilation in gravitational fields and accelerating frames, time and length dilation between frames in constant relative motion if the local gravitation field is strong enough.
Elevated biomarkers of neural injury in older adults following head-down bed rest: links to cardio-postural deconditioning with spaceflight and aging

Introduction Prolonged physical inactivity with bed rest or spaceflight is associated with cardiovascular and neuromuscular deconditioning; however, its impact on neural integrity of cardio-postural reflexes and possible mitigation with exercise has not been examined. We assessed the association between the physiological deconditioning of bed rest immobilization with neural injury markers and the effects of 60–75 min of daily exercise. Methods Data were collected as part of a randomized clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04964999) at the McGill University Medical Centre. Twenty-two 55- to 65-year-old healthy volunteers gave informed consent and took part. Within sex, participants were randomly assigned to exercise (60- to 75-min daily) or control (inactive) groups and spent 14 days in continuous 6° head-down tilt. Neural injury [neurofilament light chain (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), total tau (t-Tau), myelin basic protein (MBP), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1)], as well as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) biomarkers were measured before, during, and after bed rest. The false discovery rate with Huber M-estimation was used to correlate changes in biomarkers with cardiovascular and muscular function changes over bed rest. Results Bed rest elevated NfL, GFAP, TNF-α, and IL-6 in all participants and reduced IGF-1 in females only. With standing, changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and lower limb muscle motoneuron activity correlated with changes in TNF-α and BDNF. Baroreflex control, leg muscle maximal voluntary contraction, and postural sway are correlated with GFAP and NfL. Exercise participants had fewer interactions than control participants, but significant correlations still existed, with both groups exhibiting similar reductions in orthostatic tolerance. Discussion An hour of daily exercise in older persons otherwise immobilized for 2 weeks did not abate bed rest-induced increases in serum signatures of neural injury or pro-inflammatory markers. Exercise reduced the number of physiological interactions of biomarkers, but significant cardio-postural correlations remained with no protection against post-bed rest orthostatic intolerance. The identification of associations of inflammatory and neural injury biomarkers with changes in cardio-postural physiology and exercise points to biotherapeutic opportunities and improved exercise interventions for astronauts and individuals in bed rest. Clinical trial registration https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/search? cond=NCT04964999, identifier: NCT04964999.
Yield Characteristics of Moringa oleifera Across Different Ecologies in Nigeria as an Index of Its Adaptation to Climate Change

The pod and yield characteristics of Moringa oleifera plants grown in Ibadan (Rainforest vegetation), Nsukka (Forest-derived savannah vegetation) and Jos (arid derived savannah vegetation) were evaluated from 2007- 2009 to assess adaptability of the plant to climate change threats. The rainfall and temperature distribution in the three locations varied over the years. The Moringa oleifera plants grown at Ibadan had the greatest pod and seed yield followed by those at Nsukka and Jos in that order. The annual pod and seed production capacities of the plants differed significantly (p < 0.05) in the different locations. The overall annual pod and seed production per location, including yield characteristics, did not differ significantly throughout the years of study. Moringa oleifera was therefore found to be a suitable crop adaptable to various environmental and climatic changes in Nigeria.
Distribution of methyl iodide, ethyl iodide, bromoform, and dibromomethane over the ocean (east and southeast Asian seas and the western Pacific)

Ambient concentrations of four marine-derived halocarbons (methyl iodide, ethyl iodide, bromoform and dibromomethane) and two man-made halocarbons (trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene) were measured during western Pacific cruises and east and southeast Asian cruises. Ethyl iodide was detected in the atmosphere for the first time and was identified as an atmospheric iodine source compound. Bromoform concentrations were positively correlated with those of dibromomethane, and methyl iodide showed variations similar to those of ethyl iodide. However, there was no correlation between the bromocarbons and the iodocarbons. The concentrations of methyl iodide and ethyl iodide changed more markedly, possibly owing to higher rates of photodecomposition of iodocarbons.
Estimating crop-specific evapotranspiration using remote-sensing imagery at various spatial resolutions for improving crop growth modelling

By governing water transfer between vegetation and atmosphere, evapotranspiration (ET) can have a strong influence on crop yields. An estimation of ET from remote sensing is proposed by the EUMETSAT ‘Satellite Application Facility’ (SAF) on Land Surface Analysis (LSA). This ET product is obtained operationally every 30 min using a simplified SVAT scheme that uses, as input, a combination of remotely sensed data and atmospheric model outputs. The standard operational mode uses other LSA-SAF products coming from SEVIRI imagery (the albedo, the downwelling surface shortwave flux, and the downwelling surface longwave flux), meteorological data, and the ECOCLIMAP database to identify and characterize the land cover. With the overall objective of adapting this ET product to crop growth monitoring necessities, this study focused first on improving the ET product by integrating crop-specific information from high and medium spatial resolution remote-sensing data. A Landsat (30 m)-based crop type classification is used to identify areas where the target crop, winter wheat, is located and where crop-specific Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (250 m) time series of green area index (GAI) can be extracted. The SVAT model was run for 1 year (2007) over a study area covering Belgium and part of France using this supplementary information. Results were compared to those obtained using the standard operational mode. ET results were also compared with ground truth data measured in an eddy covariance station. Furthermore, transpiration and potential transpiration maps were retrieved and compared with those produced using the Crop Growth Monitoring System (CGMS), which is run operationally by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre to produce in-season forecast of major European crops. The potential of using ET obtained from remote sensing to improve crop growth modelling in such a framework is studied and discussed. Finally, the use of the ET product is also explored by integrating it in a simpler modelling approach based on light-use efficiency. The Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) agroecosystem model was therefore applied to obtain net primary production, dry matter productivity, and crop yield using only LSA-SAF products. The values of yield were compared with those obtained using CGMS, and the dry matter productivity values with those produced at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO). Results showed the potential of using this simplified remote-sensing method for crop monitoring.
Long submarine lava flows: Observations and results from numerical modeling

Long (>100 km) lava flows are relatively common on Mars and Venus and have been identified on the Moon, but they are rarely documented on Earth. However, although ∼75% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, only a small percentage of the ocean floor has been investigated at a resolution sufficient to unequivocally identify the boundaries of long submarine lava flows. Even so, basaltic lava flows as long as 110 km have been identified on the deep (>1500 m) seafloor near Hawaii and the East Pacific Rise. Ambient conditions on the deep ocean floor may favor the development of long lava flows for the following reasons. First, high pressures (>15 MPa) keep volatiles dissolved in basaltic lavas, preventing viscosity increases associated with exsolution and vesiculation. Second, seawater rapidly quenches the surface of submarine basalt flows so that an insulating glass layer, 1–5 cm thick, encases submarine flows within seconds after their emplacement. This glass rind effectively insulates the molten flow interior from additional heat loss, making submarine basalt flows behave as well-insulated, subaerial tube-fed flows. Thus, for identical basalt flows emplaced on the deep seafloor and subaerially, a submarine flow could advance farther before stopping. Results of numerical modeling indicate that thin (≤1 m) submarine basalt flows behave similarly to identical subaerial flows, but thicker submarine flows may advance significantly farther than their subaerial counterparts.
Soil organic matter in the Peruvian Andes Unravelling factors controlling soil organic carbon distribution and the underlying organic matter stabilization mechanisms

Recent studies indicate that climate change influences soil mineralogy by altering weathering processes, and thus impacts soil aggregation and organic carbon (SOC) stability. Alpine ecosystems of the Neotropical Andes are characterized by high SOC stocks, which are important to sustain ecosystem services. However, climate change in the form of altered precipitation patterns can potentially affect soil aggregation and SOC stability with potentially significant effects on the soil’s ecosystem services. This study aimed to investigate the effects of precipitation and lithology on soil aggregation and SOC stability in the Peruvian Andean grasslands, and assessed whether occlusion of organic matter (OM) in aggregates controls SOC stability. For this, samples were collected from soils on limestone and soils on acid igneous rocks from two sites with contrasting precipitation levels. We used a dry-sieving method to quantify aggregate size distribution, and applied a 76-day soil incubation with intact and crushed aggregates to investigate SOC stability in dependence on aggregation. SOC stocks ranged from 153±27 to 405±42 Mg ha -1 , and the highest stocks were found in the limestone soils of the wet site. We found lithology rather than precipitation to be the key factor regulating soil aggregate size distribution, as indicated by coarse aggregates in the limestone soils and fine aggregates in the acid igneous rock soils. SOC stability estimated by specific SOC mineralization rates decreased with precipitation in the limestone soils, but minor differences were found between wet and dry sites in the acid igneous rock soils. Aggregate destruction had a limited effect on SOC mineralization, which indicates that occlusion of OM in aggregates played a minor role in OM stabilization. This was further supported by the inconsistent patterns of aggregate size distribution compared to the patterns of SOC stability. We propose that OM adsorption on mineral surfaces is the major OM stabilization mechanism controlling SOC stocks and stability. The results highlight the interactions between precipitation and lithology on SOC stability, which are likely controlled by soil mineralogy in relation to OM input
Numerical simulation of the impacts of climate warming on a permafrost mound

A finite‐element, one‐dimensional, heat conduction model, which takes thaw settlement into account following drainage of excess water produced by the melt of ice lenses at the permafrost boundaries, is used to assess the thermal response of a permafrost mound in Northern Québec to different scenarios of climate warming. In addition to the cryostratigraphy of the mound, the unfrozen water content, thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity of the marine sediments comprising the mound were integrated in the simulation.
Targeting the chemokine receptor CXCR4 with histamine analog to reduce inflammation in juvenile arthritis

Introduction Among immune cells, activated monocytes play a detrimental role in chronic and viral-induced inflammatory pathologies, particularly in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), a childhood rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease. The uncontrolled activation of monocytes and excessive production of inflammatory factors contribute to the damage of bone-cartilage joints. Despite the moderate beneficial effect of current therapies and clinical trials, there is still a need for alternative strategies targeting monocytes to treat RA. Methods To explore such an alternative strategy, we investigated the effects of targeting the CXCR4 receptor using the histamine analog clobenpropit (CB). Monocytes were isolated from the blood and synovial fluids of JIA patients to assess CB's impact on their production of key inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, we administered daily intraperitoneal CB treatment to arthritic mice to evaluate its effects on circulating inflammatory cytokine levels, immune cell infiltrates, joints erosion, and bone resorption, as indicators of disease progression. Results Our findings demonstrated that CXCR4 targeting with CB significantly inhibited the spontaneous and induced-production of key inflammatory cytokines by monocytes isolated from JIA patients. Furthermore, CB treatment in a mouse model of collagen-induce arthritis resulted in a significant decrease in circulating inflammatory cytokine levels, immune cell infiltrates, joints erosion, and bone resorption, leading to a reduction in disease progression. Discussion In conclusion, targeting CXCR4 with the small amino compound CB shows promise as a therapeutic option for chronic and viral-induced inflammatory diseases, including RA. CB effectively regulated inflammatory cytokine production of monocytes, presenting a potential targeted approach with potential advantages over current therapies. These results warrant further research and clinical trials to explore the full therapeutic potential of targeting CXCR4 with CB-like molecules in the management of various inflammatory diseases.