Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forest management guidelines based on natural disturbance dynamics: Stand- and forest-level considerations

Although the concept of forest ecosystem management based on natural disturbance has generated a great deal of interest, few concrete examples exist of FEM principles being put into application. Silvicultural practices that emulate natural disturbances are proposed with examples from the principal vegetation zones of Quebec. With the exception of the large-scale use of careful logging to protect advanced regeneration in ecosystems generally controlled by fire, stand-level silvicultural practices currently used are reasonably similar to natural disturbances, although important differences exist. In contrast, at the forest-level, even-aged management, as is currently practised, rarely permits adequate reproduction of the variety of age classes, stand types, and structural components normally found in the boreal forest. A model that allows an even-aged management approach inspired by natural dynamics is proposed.
Azithromycin and COVID‐19: Prompt early use at first signs of this infection in adults and children, an approach worthy of consideration

The devastating effects of the coronavirus designated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) have led to urgent attempts to find effective therapeutic agents for inpatient and outpatient treatment of COVID‐19. Initial enthusiasm for the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin has abated. However, as a result of positive clinical experience with azithromycin used alone during the first few days of the flu‐like illness caused by this coronavirus, we recommend formal clinical trials using azithromycin early in the course of a COVID‐19 infection. There is one clinical trial initiated, the individually randomized, telemedicine‐based, “Azithromycin for COVID‐19 Treatment in Outpatients Nationwide” based at the University of California San Francisco. This placebo‐controlled trial is designed to determine the efficacy of a single 1.2‐g dose of oral azithromycin to prevent COVID‐19 patient progression to hospitalization. We recommend formal clinical trials of azithromycin in its prepackaged form at the first sign of COVID‐19 infection in adults and children, using an initial adult dose of 500 mg followed by 250 mg per day for 4 days, a total cumulative dose of 1.5 g, and for children 5 to 18 years of age, 10 mg/kg on the first day followed by 5 mg/kg for 4 days.
The influence of organic-mineral fertilizers on yield and raw materials quality of chosen plants of the Lamiaceae family from organic cultivation.

In modern horticultural production attention is paid to creating the best condi- tions for growth and development of plants in order to increase crop yielding. Such task is to be met by, among others, modern organic-mineral fertilizers. In the experiment the ef- fect of Aminoplant, Goemar BM 86 and Goemar Goteo on the growth, development, crop yield and quality of some herbs from Lamiaceae family was estimated. The applied prepa- rations did not significantly affect the height of plants and the number of shoots in tested plants (sweet basil and marjoram) except of peppermint. The content of essential oil in herb of marjoram and peppermint was lower in plants watered with the investigated fertil- izers then in the control and in sweet basil it was clearly lower only in the herb of plants watered with the preparation Goemar Goteo as compared with herb harvested from the control plots and plots watered with Aminoplant and Goemar BM 86. The biggest amount of total polyphenoles was noted in the herb of sweet basil harvested from plots watered with Goemar BM 86 preparation, the least from plots watered with Goemar Goteo. The highest mean content of flavonoid compounds in the green parts of peppermint was char- acteristic for plants from the control plots.
Young Adult Identification and Perception of Hashtag-Based Vaping Claims on Instagram

Social media platforms are home to large volumes of ambiguous hashtag-based claims about the health, modified-risk, and cessation benefits of electronic cigarette products (e.g., #Vapingsavedmylife). The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore how young adults interpret these hashtags on the popular platform Instagram. Specifically, we sought to identify if they view these hashtags as making health-related claims, and if they find these claims to be credible and valid. We conducted 12 focus groups in 2018 with non–tobacco users, smokers, dual users, and vapers between the ages of 18 and 24 (n = 69). Using real Instagram posts to guide discussion, participants reflected on the meaning of potentially claims-making hashtags. Participants interpreted the majority of the hashtags as making health-related claims. However, many participants felt that the claims were too exaggerated to be entirely valid. Some participants, including dual users and vapers, argued that smoking and vaping were largely equivalent. Smokers were particularly skeptical of claims. Findings suggest that the U. S. Food and Drug Administration should consider hashtag-based claims in their regulatory efforts. However, further research is needed on how to pragmatically address claims taking the form of hashtags given legal and practical constraints.
Size-based analysis of a zooplankton community under the influence of the Pearl River plume and coastal upwelling in the northeastern South China Sea

Abstract To examine zooplankton responses to the Pearl River plume (PRP) and coastal upwelling on the northern shelf of the South China Sea (SCS), zooplankton (>160 µm) were investigated in the northeastern SCS during 30 June to 11 July 2008. Zooplankton biomass size spectra (BSS) were constructed to describe zooplankton communities. The BSS parameters such as intercept and slope values were 8.659 ± 0.727 and −0.816 ± 0.074, respectively. On the basis of the BSS parameters, the sampling sites were classified into two main groups, which corresponded to the plume- and upwelling-affected areas, respectively. In addition, a positive correlation between zooplankton and phytoplankton abundance (P < 0.05) was observed in the study waters. These results indicate that (1) zooplankton BSS could be used as an indicator for distinguishing the physical processes, and (2) the PRP and coastal upwelling could regulate zooplankton communities differently through altering nutrient supply for the phytoplankton. The BSS slopes were flatter than expected for a steady-state community and the dominance of jellyfish in the larger size fractions indicated that an energy accumulation in gelatinous organisms occurred in the study waters. Since gelatinous organisms are not food for fish, this energy accumulation may be detrimental to the fishery production in the study area.
Responses and feeding damage of redlegged earthmite (Acarina: Penthaleidae) to seedlings of resistant and susceptible subterranean clover varieties

Responses of redlegged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor) to seedlings of three resistant and four susceptible varieties of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) were measured after 7 or 14 days in pot experiments in the glasshouse. With a single variety/pot, mites on resistant varieties (DGI007, EP145SubD and Rutherglen B) produced 45% of the progeny that were produced by mites on the susceptible varieties (89838G, Dalkeith, Junee and 70088B). Number of stages completed and survival were little affected by varieties. Feeding damage (silvering of cotyledons) on resistant varieties averaged 45% of that on susceptible varieties with a single varietylpot. H. destructor fed less on resistant varieties in choice than in single variety experiments. On Junee and 89838G seedlings, feeding damage was similar to that on other susceptible varieties, but there were about half as many H. destructor progeny as on Dalkeith and 70088B. Mites laid more eggs on soil away from Junee plants, compared to the other three susceptible varieties. Different factors adversely affected the number of progeny produced on resistant varieties and on Junee.
Comparison of Field Management Strategies for Preventing Iron Deficiency Chlorosis in Soybean

Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) is a serious management issue for soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] grown on calcareous soils. Strip trials were established on calcareous Mollisols to study the effects of Fe-ethylene diamine- N,N¢-bis (hydroxy phenyl) acetic acid (EDDHA) in-furrow (IF-Fe) and of an oat (Avena sativa L.) companion crop on two soybean varieties either tolerant or susceptible to IDC. The severity of IDC varied from low to severe within sites. The susceptible variety produced the highest yield in the absence of IDC. In-furrow Fe increased the yield of a variety susceptible to IDC under moderate to severe IDC. The oat companion crop increased yield consistently for the susceptible variety under severe IDC and sometimes reduced yield when oat grew beyond 25 cm in height. The tolerant variety without IDC management produced yields similar to those of the susceptible variety with IF-Fe or an oat companion crop. Oat reduced trifoliate nitrate N and Fe concentration regardless of IDC severity. Trifoliate Fe concentration lowered with IF-Fe, but only when oat was not planted. Grain protein and oil concentration were affected by variety, but were not affected by IDC management. Soil test factors such as soil organic matter (SOM), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), or diethylene triamine phentaacetic acid Fe (Fe-DTPA ) were poor predictors of the severity of IDC. Variety selection is the most important strategy for lessening the severity of IDC. In-furrow application of Fe-EDDHA provides a solution for mitigating moderate to severe IDC and provides less risk than an oat companion crop.
The Use of Piper Guineense Fruit Oil (PFO) As Protectant of Dried Fish Against Dermestes Maculatus (DEGEER) Infestation

The efficacy of Piper guineense fruit oil in protecting dried fish against Dermestes maculatus (Degeer) infestation was investigated in the laboratory. Piper fruit oil extract were applied at dosages of 0.075ml/25g, 0.10ml/25g, 0.125ml/25g and 0.150ml/25g as protectant of dried fish (Clarias spp) against D. maculatus. Piper fruit oil at dosages of 0.125ml/25g fish and 0.150ml/25g fish were found to be efficient in the control of the development of D. maculatus adults and larvae stages on tested dried fish and was therefore recommended as appropriate dosage for prevention of insect infestation on dried fish. Keywords: Dried fish, Piper guineense, protectant, Dermestes maculatus. (Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences: 2002 8(2): 197-202)
Effects of species richness and functional groups on chemical constituents relevant for methane yields from anaerobic digestion: results from a grassland diversity experiment

Changes in livestock production systems have led to land-use changes and abandonment, especially of semi-natural grassland in agriculturally less favoured regions. The generation of energy from biomass of extensive, high-diversity grasslands can be an alternative to their abandonment, and anaerobic digestion is one possible method for converting grassland biomass into energy. However, little is known about the effects of species richness (SR) and functional groups on chemical constituents relevant for anaerobic digestion and the resulting energy potential. In this study, changes in the herbage chemical constituents that are relevant for forage quality were studied along a well-defined diversity gradient (one to sixty species) and across different combinations of functional groups (legumes, small herbs, tall herbs and grasses). Substrate-specific methane yield (CH4 sub) was estimated through the concentrations of forage-quality parameters such as crude fibre (CF), crude protein (CP), crude lipid, nitrogen-free extract and their documented digestibility values, as well as the respective methane yields. Results show that with increasing SR, the CF increased and CP decreased, even though these effects could not be fully disentangled from the presence of grasses. These trends led to a negative effect of SR on CH4 sub, while the area-specific methane yield (CH4 area = CH4 sub × biomass yield) increased due to a strong increase in biomass with increasing SR. The CH4 sub was increased when legumes were present, and it declined with the presence of grasses. Generally, CH4 sub and CH4 area varied between functional-group monocultures and all functional-group mixtures.
Some aspects of the biology of the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus L.) in the Manawatu, New Zealand

In a study area of 16.3 ha of dairy pasture and pine plantations in the Manawatu region of the southern North Island, 150 hedgehogs were marked and 356 recaptures recorded between 1 January 1970 and 24 June 1971. Population density was estimated at between 1.1/ha in winter and 2.5/ha in summer and autumn. Only 11 females and 5 males were considered to be residents, and these used overlapping feeding ranges of similar extent. Concentrations of food organisms became foci of hedgehog activity. During winter, when an estimated 20% of the population died, movement was restricted to the vicinity of the nest site; the hedgehogs hibernated fitfully during July‐October. The breeding season as such extended at least from November to March; some breeding activity was observed in most months, however. The average life span of adults was 1.97 years. The causes of 6 natural deaths and the incidence of abscesses and external parasites were noted.
Compactação do solo na cultura do arroz de terras altas

A greenhouse experiment was conducted with the objective to evaluate the effects of soil compaction on two upland rice genotypes grown in a Dark Red Latosol with loam texture, having densities of 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7 g cm-3. Soil density values were created artificially at 0-20 cm soil depth using plastic tubes of 24.4 cm of diameter. Soil water potential was maintained at 0.035 MPa. Treatment effects were evaluated 40 days after seedling emergence using the shoot dry weight and the root system as parameters. Results obtained for both cultivars indicated that shoot growth was decreased by increasing soil density beyond 1.2 g cm-3 and also that root thickness increased with increasing soil density. Additionally, superficial soil compaction reduced the amount of roots present at 0-20 cm soil depth as well as at 20-40 cm.
Chapter 5 Debris flows

Abstract Fast-moving, rainfall-induced debris-flow events are relatively common in the mountainous areas of the UK. Their impacts are largely, although by no means exclusively, economic and social. They often sever (or delay) access to and from relatively remote communities for services and markets for goods; employment, health and educational opportunities; and social activities. Specific forms of economic impact are described and their extent is defined by the vulnerability shadow. The mechanisms of rainfall-induced, fast-moving debris flows are considered to bridge between slow mass movements and flood phenomena. The occurrence of debris flows is largely restricted to mountainous areas and a series of case studies from Scotland is briefly described. Hazard and risk assessment are briefly considered and a strategic approach to risk reduction is described. The latter allows a clear focus on that overall goal before concentrating on the desired outcomes and the generic approach to achieving those outcomes. The effects of climate change on debris-flow hazard and risk are also considered and it is concluded that, in Scotland, increases in debris-flow frequency and/or magnitude are most likely and that increases in the risks associated with debris flows are also likely.
Identification, Pathogenicity, and Safety of Alternaria eichhorniae from Egypt as a Bioherbicide Agent for Waterhyacinth

On the basis of conidial measurements, growth characteristics, and pigmentation in culture, two of three Egyptian Alternaria spp. (isolates 3 and 5) isolated from waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) were identified as A. eichhorniae and the third, isolate 6, as A. alternata. Isolate 5 (Ae5), the most virulent, caused a severe disease, characterized by leaf blight and discrete leaflesions. The disease was initiated with either conidial or mycelial inoculum of Ae5, to yield a similar level of disease severity. Different broth media and cultural conditions were evaluated for the ability to produce highly pathogenic mycelial inoculum. Fresh potato dextrose broth, shake-culturing, and incubating cultures under diurnal light for 1 week followed by continuous darkness for an additional week were most effective. Empirically, mycelia subjected to > or < 6 s of mechanical shear in a blender were less infective than those blended for 6 s. Disease severity increased with increasing inoculum density up to 5% mycelial wet weight; a higher inoculum density did not provide greater disease severity. Exposure of inoculated leaves to at least 10 h of dew was conducive to a high level of disease, and the use of a hydrophilic mucilloid as a humectant with the mycelial inoculum augmented the disease levels. None of 97 economically important, nontarget plant species and cultivars evaluated in host range trials was susceptible to Ae5. Thus, the results of this study affirm A. eichhorniae to be an aggressive, safe, and desirable pathogen for development as a bioherbicide for waterhyacinth in Egypt.
Lung cancer mortality associated with protracted low‐dose occupational radiation exposures and smoking behaviors in U.S. radiologic technologists, 1983‐2012

In the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, risk of lung cancer has been shown to increase with greater acute exposure to ionizing radiation. Although similar findings have been observed in populations exposed to low‐dose, protracted radiation, such studies lack information on cigarette smoking history, a potential confounder. In a cohort of 106 068 U.S. radiologic technologists, we examined the association between estimated cumulative lung absorbed dose from occupational radiation exposure and lung cancer mortality. Poisson regression models, adjusted for attained age, sex, birth cohort, pack‐years smoked and years since quitting smoking, were used to calculate linear excess relative risks (ERR) per 100 mGy, using time‐dependent cumulative lung absorbed dose, lagged 10 years. Mean cumulative absorbed dose to the lung was 25 mGy (range: 0‐810 mGy). During the 1983 to 2012 follow‐up, 1090 participants died from lung cancer. Greater occupational radiation lung dose was not associated with lung cancer mortality overall (ERR per 100 mGy: −0.02, 95% CI: <0‐0.13). However, significant dose‐response relationships were observed for some subgroups, which might be false‐positive results given the number of statistical tests performed. As observed in other studies of radiation and smoking, the interaction between radiation and smoking appeared to be sub‐multiplicative with an ERR per 100 mGy of 0.41 (95% CI: 0.01‐1.15) for those who smoked <20 pack‐years and −0.03 (95% CI: <0‐0.15) for those who smoked ≥20 pack‐years. Our study provides some evidence that greater protracted radiation exposure in the low‐dose range is positively associated with lung cancer mortality.
The basal ganglia and the cerebellum in human emotion

Abstract The basal ganglia (BG) and the cerebellum historically have been relegated to a functional role in producing or modulating motor output. Recent research, however, has emphasized the importance of these subcortical structures in multiple functional domains, including affective processes such as emotion recognition, subjective feeling elicitation and reward valuation. The pathways through the thalamus that connect the BG and cerebellum directly to each other and with extensive regions of the cortex provide a structural basis for their combined influence on limbic function. By regulating cortical oscillations to guide learning and strengthening rewarded behaviors or thought patterns to achieve a desired goal state, these regions can shape the way an individual processes emotional stimuli. This review will discuss the basic structure and function of the BG and cerebellum and propose an updated view of their functional role in human affective processing.
A primer to gene therapy: Progress, prospects, and problems

Genetic therapies based on gene addition have witnessed a variety of clinical successes and the first therapeutic products have been approved for clinical use. Moreover, innovative gene editing techniques are starting to offer new opportunities in which the mutations that underlie genetic diseases can be directly corrected in afflicted somatic cells. The toolboxes underpinning these DNA modifying technologies are expanding with great pace. Concerning the ongoing efforts for their implementation, viral vector‐based gene delivery systems have acquired center‐stage, providing new hopes for patients with inherited and acquired disorders. Specifically, the application of genetic therapies using viral vectors for the treatment of inborn metabolic disorders is growing and clinical applications are starting to appear. While the field has matured from the technology perspective and has yielded efficacious products, it is the perception of many stakeholders that from the regulatory side further developments are urgently needed. In this review, we summarize the features of state‐of‐the‐art viral vector systems and the corresponding gene‐centered therapies they seek to deliver. Moreover, a brief summary is also given on emerging gene editing approaches built on CRISPR‐Cas9 nucleases and, more recently, nickases, including base editors and prime editors. Finally, we will point at some regulatory aspects that may deserve further attention for translating these technological developments into actual advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs).
Odontochronologies in male and female mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and the development of dental sexual dimorphism.

OBJECTIVES We examine how dental sexual dimorphism develops in mandrills, an extremely sexually dimorphic primate. We aimed to (a) establish the chronology of dental development (odontochronology) in male and female mandrills, (b) understand interindividual and intersex variation in odontochronologies, and (c) determine how dental sexual dimorphism is achieved. MATERIALS AND METHODS We prepared histological ground sections from the permanent teeth of four female and four male mandrills from the semi-free ranging colony at the Centre International de Recherches Médicales, Franceville, Gabon. We used the microscopic growth increments in the sections to create odontochronologies. We compared ages at crown initiation, crown formation times (CFT) and crown extension rates (CER) between individuals and sexes to assess interindividual and intersex variation. RESULTS All mandrill teeth are sexually dimorphic in size. Dental sexual dimorphism in mandrills is achieved via sex differences in the duration of growth (bimaturism) and in growth rates. We also found interindividual and intersex variation in the ages at initiation and completion of crown formation. DISCUSSION Our results show that the rate of ameloblast differentiation varies between individuals and that selection for both the age at tooth initiation and CER has occurred independently in males and females to ensure that the teeth develop at appropriate times relative to the growth of the sexually dimorphic jaws. They also show that canine dimorphism is achieved through differences in both CER and CFT, unlike extant great apes or Cantius. Given at least three mechanisms for achieving canine dimorphism, we need more information to trace the evolution of this trait in primates.