Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The potential bias of nitrogen deposition effects on primary productivity and biodiversity

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is composed of both inorganic nitrogen (IN) and organic nitrogen (ON), and these sources of N may exhibit different impacts on ecosystems. However, our understanding of the impacts of N deposition is largely based on experimental gradients of INs or more rarely ONs. Thus, the effects of N deposition on ecosystem productivity and biodiversity may be biased. We explored the differential impacts of N addition with different IN:ON ratios (0:10, 3:7, 5:5, 7:3, and 10:0) on aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of plant community and plant diversity in a typical temperate grassland with a long‐term N addition experiment. Soil pH, litter biomass, soil IN concentration, and light penetration were measured to examine the potential mechanisms underlying species loss with N addition. Our results showed that N addition significantly increased plant community ANPP by 68.33%–105.50% and reduced species richness by 16.20%–37.99%. The IN:ON ratios showed no significant effects on plant community ANPP. However, IN‐induced species richness loss was about 2.34 times of ON‐induced richness loss. Soil pH was positively related to species richness, and they exhibited very similar response patterns to IN:ON ratios. It implies that soil acidification accounts for the different magnitudes of species loss with IN and ON additions. Overall, our study suggests that it might be reasonable to evaluate the effects of N deposition on plant community ANPP with either IN or ON addition. However, the evaluation of N deposition on biodiversity might be overestimated if only IN is added or underestimated if only ON is added.
Slitless spectroscopy of geosynchronous satellites

Abstract. A preliminary investigation into the use of slitless spectroscopy for characterization of geosynchronous satellites is described. A 100 line/mm diffraction grating is used as the dispersing device, and the spectral data obtained are compared to a model with good results. A method used to collect and calibrate slitless spectral observations accounting for pixel to wavelength conversion, pixel response as a function of wavelength, and solar features is presented. Observations of several geosynchronous satellites throughout a night reveal reflectance with noticeable and different profiles indicating that slitless spectroscopy offers the potential for another modality for identifying and discriminating satellites.
Numerical modelling of railway ballast at the particle scale

The paper describes the development of a technique to simulate triaxial tests on specimens of railway ballast numerically at the particle scale and its validation with reference to physical test data. The ballast particles were modelled using potential particles and the well‐known discrete element method. The shapes of these elemental particles, the particle size distribution and the number of particles (N = 2800) in each numerical triaxial specimen all matched closely to the real ballast material being modelled. Confining pressures were applied to the specimen via a dynamic triangulation of the outer particle centroids. A parametric study was carried out to investigate the effects on the simulation of timestep, strain rate, damping, contact stiffness and inter‐particle friction. Finally, a set of parameters was selected that provided the best fit to experimental triaxial data, with very close agreement of mobilized friction and volumetric strain behaviour. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chiral kinetic theory in curved spacetime

Many-body systems with chiral fermions exhibit anomalous transport phenomena originated from quantum anomalies. Based on quantum field theory, we derive the kinetic theory for chiral fermions interacting with an external electromagnetic field and a background curved geometry. The resultant framework respects the covariance under the U(1) gauge, local Lorentz, and diffeomorphic transformations. It is particularly useful to study the gravitational or non-inertial effects for chiral systems. As the first application, we study the chiral dynamics in a rotating coordinate and clarify the roles of the Coriolis force and spin-vorticity coupling in generating the chiral vortical effect (CVE). We also show that the CVE is an intrinsic phenomenon of a rotating chiral fluid, and thus independent of observer's frame.
Galactosyl- and glucosylsphingosine induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization and cell death in cancer cells

Isomeric lysosphingolipids, galactosylsphingosine (GalSph) and glucosylsphingosine (GlcSph), are present in only minute levels in healthy cells. Due to defects in their lysosomal hydrolysis, they accumulate at high levels and cause cytotoxicity in patients with Krabbe and Gaucher diseases, respectively. Here, we show that GalSph and GlcSph induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization, a hallmark of lysosome-dependent cell death, in human breast cancer cells (MCF7) and primary fibroblasts. Supporting lysosomal leakage as a causative event in lysosphingolipid-induced cytotoxicity, treatment of MCF7 cells with lysosome-stabilizing cholesterol prevented GalSph- and GlcSph-induced cell death almost completely. In line with this, fibroblasts from a patient with Niemann-Pick type C disease, which is caused by defective lysosomal cholesterol efflux, were significantly less sensitive to lysosphingolipid-induced lysosomal leakage and cell death. Prompted by the data showing that MCF7 cells with acquired resistance to lysosome-destabilizing cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) were partially resistant to the cell death induced by GalSph and GlcSph, we compared these cell death pathways with each other. Like CADs, GalSph and GlcSph activated the cyclic AMP (cAMP) signalling pathway, and cAMP-inducing forskolin sensitized cells to cell death induced by low concentrations of lysosphingolipids. Contrary to CADs, lysosphingolipid-induced cell death was independent of lysosomal Ca2+ efflux through P2X purinerigic receptor 4. These data reveal GalSph and GlcSph as lysosome-destabilizing lipids, whose putative use in cancer therapy should be further investigated. Furthermore, the data supports the development of lysosome stabilizing drugs for the treatment of Krabbe and Gaucher diseases and possibly other sphingolipidoses.
Dysregulated genes in undifferentiated spermatogonia and Sertoli cells are associated with the spermatogenic arrest in cattleyak

Hybrid male sterility (HMS) is a reproductive isolation mechanism limiting the formation of fertile offspring through interspecific fertilization. Cattleyak is the interspecific hybrid presenting significant heterosis in several economic traits, but HMS restricted its wide reproduction in cettleyak breeding. In this study, we detected the specifically expressed genes of a variety of cells (undifferentiated spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes, haploid spermatids, sperm, Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, and macrophages) in the testis of yak and cattleyak, and found that the spermatogenesis of cattleyak might be blocked at meiosis I, and the expression of niche factors (NR5A1, GATA4, STAR, CYP11A1, CD68, TNF, and CX3CR1) in undifferentiated spermatogonia niche was abnormal. Then we isolated the undifferentiated spermatogonia and Sertoli cells from yak and cattleyak by enzyme digestion, and detected the specific genes in the two bovid testicular cells as well as the proliferation capacity of the undifferentiated spermatogonia. These results indicated that weak proliferation ability and scarce number of undifferentiated spermatogonia and abnormal gene expressions in Sertoli cells may contribute to male sterility of cattleyak.
Strong convergence of an explicit numerical method for SDEs with nonglobally Lipschitz continuous coefficients

On the one hand, the explicit Euler scheme fails to converge strongly to the exact solution of a stochastic differential equation (SDE) with a superlinearly growing and globally one-sided Lipschitz continuous drift coefficient. On the other hand, the implicit Euler scheme is known to converge strongly to the exact solution of such an SDE. Implementations of the implicit Euler scheme, however, require additional computational effort. In this article we therefore propose an explicit and easily implementable numerical method for such an SDE and show that this method converges strongly with the standard order one-half to the exact solution of the SDE. Simulations reveal that this explicit strongly convergent numerical scheme is considerably faster than the implicit Euler scheme.
Long-distance radiative corrections to the di-pion tau lepton decay

We evaluate the model-dependent piece of O(alpha) long-distance radiative corrections to tau^- \to \pi^- \pi^0\nu_{\tau} decays by using a meson dominance model. We find that these corrections to the di-pion invariant mass spectrum are smaller than in previous calculations based on chiral perturbation theory. The corresponding correction to the photon inclusive rate is tiny (-0.15%) but it can be of relevance when new measurements reach better precision.
Electroweak gauge boson production at hadron colliders through O(alpha(s)**2)

We describe a calculation of the $\mathcal{O}({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}^{2})$ QCD corrections to the fully differential cross section for $W$ and $Z$ boson production in hadronic collisions. The result is fully realistic in that it includes spin correlations, finite width effects, $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}Z$ interference and allows for the application of arbitrary cuts on the leptonic decay products of the $W$ and $Z$. We have implemented this calculation into a numerical program. We demonstrate the use of this code by presenting phenomenological results for several future LHC analyses and recent Tevatron measurements, including the $W$ cross section in the forward rapidity region and the central over forward cross section ratio.
Effectiveness of life story book intervention on apathy and verbal fluency in people with dementia

ABSTRACT Objectives This study determined whether the individual intervention of using life story books (LSBs) improves apathy and verbal fluency in people with dementia (PWD). Methods The intervention group (n = 43) underwent 3 interviews in the 10 weeks following an initial assessment. Based on the information obtained, LSBs were developed; participants received individual interventions weekly, five times for four weeks. They also received a final assessment 12 weeks after the end of the intervention. Primary outcome measures comprised the Categorical Verbal Fluency Test (CFT) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory–Nursing Home Apathy sub-item. The control group (n = 32) underwent initial and final assessments at intervals of 28 weeks while receiving the best care services. Results CFT scores for participants with mild to moderate dementia increased from 4.3 to 5.3 (P < .05) and the interaction effect of group and data collection timing was significant (p < .05). Apathy score for participants with severe dementia also improved from 4.5 to 2.5 (P < .05) immediately after the intervention period. Conclusions LSB is a comprehensive communication tool that encourages apathy and verbal fluency. Clinical implications The use of LSB may allow caregivers to achieve intervention effects on apathy and verbal fluency in PWD.
Impact of diet on sensory processing in early childhood: summary of an interactive webconference / expert roundtable discussion

ABSTRACT Pediatric feeding disorders can be seen in up to 45% of normally developing children aged under 5 years old, mainly during the first three years of life when the child has inadequate food intake and/or difficulty maintaining adequate growth, and/or lack of age-appropriate eating habit. This article describes the opinion of a group of experts on children eating patterns and how to manage pediatric feeding disorders, with the aim to improve the quality of life of children and their caregivers.
SNP‐ and haplotype‐based single‐step genomic predictions for body weight, wool, and reproductive traits in North American Rambouillet sheep

Abstract Rambouillet sheep are commonly raised in extensive grazing systems in the US, mainly for wool and meat production. Genomic evaluations in US sheep breeds, including Rambouillet, are still incipient. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of performing genomic prediction of breeding values for various traits in Rambouillet sheep based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) or haplotypes (fitted as pseudo‐SNP) under a single‐step GBLUP approach. A total of 28,834 records for birth weight (BWT), 23,306 for postweaning weight (PWT), 5,832 for yearling weight (YWT), 9,880 for yearling fibre diameter (YFD), 11,872 for yearling greasy fleece weight (YGFW), and 15,984 for number of lambs born (NLB) were used in this study. Seven hundred forty‐one individuals were genotyped using a moderate (50 K; n = 677) or high (600 K; n = 64) density SNP panel, in which 32 K SNP in common between the two SNP panels (after genotypic quality control) were used for further analyses. Single‐step genomic predictions using SNP (H‐BLUP) or haplotypes (HAP‐BLUP) from blocks with different linkage disequilibrium (LD) thresholds (0.15, 0.35, 0.50, 0.65, and 0.80) were evaluated. We also considered different blending parameters when constructing the genomic relationship matrix used to predict the genomic‐enhanced estimated breeding values (GEBV), with alpha equal to 0.95 or 0.50. The GEBV were compared to the estimated breeding values (EBV) obtained from traditional pedigree‐based evaluations (A‐BLUP). The mean theoretical accuracy ranged from 0.499 (A‐BLUP for PWT) to 0.795 (HAP‐BLUP using haplotypes from blocks with LD threshold of 0.35 and alpha equal to 0.95 for YFD). The prediction accuracies ranged from 0.143 (A‐BLUP for PWT) to 0.330 (A‐BLUP for YGFW) while the prediction bias ranged from −0.104 (H‐BLUP for PWT) to 0.087 (HAP‐BLUP using haplotypes from blocks with LD threshold of 0.15 and alpha equal to 0.95 for YGFW). The GEBV dispersion ranged from 0.428 (A‐BLUP for PWT) to 1.035 (A‐BLUP for YGFW). Similar results were observed for H‐BLUP or HAP‐BLUP, independently of the LD threshold to create the haplotypes, alpha value, or trait analysed. Using genomic information (fitting individual SNP or haplotypes) provided similar or higher prediction and theoretical accuracies and reduced the dispersion of the GEBV for body weight, wool, and reproductive traits in Rambouillet sheep. However, there were no clear improvements in the prediction bias when compared to pedigree‐based predictions. The next step will be to enlarge the training populations for this breed to increase the benefits of genomic predictions.
Intensity, intent, and ambiguity: Appraisals of workplace ostracism and coping responses

Abstract Using both correlational and experimental designs across four studies (N = 1251 working individuals), the current project aimed to contribute to the understanding of workplace ostracism by studying two research questions. First, we tested whether the subjective experience of targets reflects the current theorizing of ostracism. Second, drawing from the transactional theory of stress and coping, we investigated whether this subjective experience impacts targets' coping responses. Findings based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the current theorizing of workplace ostracism such that perceived intensity, intent, and ambiguity were reflected in how targets appraised being ostracized at work. The appraisals were also related to coping responses. Perceived intensity predicted more approach‐oriented (e.g., confrontation) and less avoidance‐oriented coping responses (e.g., minimization). While attributions of intent also predicted some coping responses (e.g., instrumental support seeking), the explanatory power of perceived ambiguity was lower than the other two appraisals. Although these researcher‐defined dimensions may be reflective of targets' experience, we propose that predictions made based on these dimensions need further refinement. The theoretical and practical significance of these findings are discussed in relation to how workplace ostracism is typically studied in the literature.
Exploring the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthy Pregnant Women Towards Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Nigeria

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a major public health issue and a threat to the well-being of a mother and her offspring. As a growing concern in sub-Saharan Africa, this paper explores the knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthy expectant mothers towards GDM, and the content of GDM information delivered by prenatal nurses during Antenatal Clinic (ANC) in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. Semi-structured telephone interviews were employed with 22 participants comprising 20 pregnant women and 2 antenatal nurses. The results reveal that majority of the pregnant women were unaware of GDM as a particular health condition during pregnancy that poses a risk to both maternal and infant health and could lead to a long-term risk of developing the chronic condition of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). This low level of awareness was attributed to a lack of adequate information during prenatal clinic sessions. The findings from this study emphasize the need to enhance the quality of public health education offered to pregnant women during pre and antenatal clinical services emphasizing GDM as part of the overall global agenda on promoting maternal and infant health.
Ion acceleration processes in magnetic reconnection: Geotail observations in the magnetotail

Ion outflow formation processes in magnetic reconnection are investigated on the basis of 3‐D ion velocity distribution function observations for magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail with the spacecraft Geotail. Ion acceleration processes up to 40 keV can be divided into two types, and these two types consist of two‐step processes. The first type is found close to the X line in the central part of the ion‐electron decoupling region of magnetic reconnection where an intense crosstail current layer exists and electrons make high‐speed outflow jets. In this region, inflowing ions and ions making the meandering motion coexist. Ions are accelerated up to ~10 keV in the north–south direction during the inflowing process, and then they are accelerated farther by the reconnection electric field in the duskward direction. The second type is found far from the X line in the outer parts of the ion‐electron decoupling region of magnetic reconnection. In this region, the Hall current loops are formed and the inflowing Hall electrons exist near the separatrix layers. Ions are accelerated and make the dawnward motion inside the Hall current loop in the inflowing process, and then they are farther accelerated to form tailward and earthward outflows. In this region, significant amount of ions is supplied as inflows, and outflows containing ions in the wide energy range (5–40 keV) are formed. Hence, both the north–south (vertical) electric field, which is probably the Hall electric field, and the duskward reconnection electric field operate ion acceleration processes for magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail.
A postpartum enriched environment rescues impaired cognition and oxidative markers in aged mice with gestational inflammation

Previous studies have shown that gestational inflammation can accelerate age‐associated cognitive decline (AACD) in maternal mice; enriched environments (EEs) have been reported to protect normally aging mice from AACD and improve mitochondrial function. However, it is unclear whether the nitrosative stress‐related proteins tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1) and S‐nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) are involved in the accelerated aging process of gestational inflammation and whether EEs can slow this process.
Genetic therapy in a mitochondrial disease model suggests a critical role for liver dysfunction in mortality

The clinical and largely unpredictable heterogeneity of phenotypes in patients with mitochondrial disorders demonstrates the ongoing challenges in the understanding of this semi-autonomous organelle in biology and disease. Previously, we used the gene-breaking transposon to create 1200 transgenic zebrafish strains tagging protein-coding genes (Ichino et al., 2020), including the lrpprc locus. Here, we present and characterize a new genetic revertible animal model that recapitulates components of Leigh Syndrome French Canadian Type (LSFC), a mitochondrial disorder that includes diagnostic liver dysfunction. LSFC is caused by allelic variations in the LRPPRC gene, involved in mitochondrial mRNA polyadenylation and translation. lrpprc zebrafish homozygous mutants displayed biochemical and mitochondrial phenotypes similar to clinical manifestations observed in patients, including dysfunction in lipid homeostasis. We were able to rescue these phenotypes in the disease model using a liver-specific genetic model therapy, functionally demonstrating a previously under-recognized critical role for the liver in the pathophysiology of this disease.
Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in intact domestic shorthair kittens from the USA

The optimal growth of domesticated cats has not yet been well defined. This study first aimed to create evidence-based growth standards for healthy pet domestic shorthair (DSH) kittens, and then compare the pattern of growth curves depicted by the standards with growth patterns in other healthy DSH kittens and those with abnormal body condition. Data were derived from the clinical records of the BANFIELD® Pet Hospital (BANFIELD) network in the USA and from a research population in the UK (Waltham Petcare Science Institute, UK). A ‘modelling’ dataset was first created from the BANFIELD records, comprising bodyweight data from immature client-owned DSH cats that had remained healthy and in ideal body condition within the first 2.5y of life. This was used to construct growth centile curves for male and female kittens, covering the age range 8 to 78 weeks, using Generalised Additive Models for Location, Shape and Scale. Growth patterns depicted by the centile curves were compared with the growth patterns of healthy DSH kittens from both research colonies and kittens attending BANFIELD that were classified as overweight or underweight. Overall, there was a broad agreement to the growth standards with approximately half of the research population (206/507, 49%) staying within 2 centile lines of their starting centile, and upward and downward movements outside this range being roughly equally distributed. Compared with the growth standards, the 122 overweight BANFIELD kittens were heavier on average at the start of monitoring and subsequently grew more quickly with 63 (52%) crossing at least 2 standard centile lines upwards. Only 4 underweight DSH kittens were available in the BANFIELD database; compared with the standards, there was a marked initial dip in growth followed by subsequent catch-up growth and 2/4 kittens crossed 2 or more centile lines downwards at some point. Evidence-based growth standards are developed here for male and female sexually-intact DSH kittens. Crossing centiles in an upwards and downwards direction is associated with cats becoming overweight or underweight by early adulthood, respectively. Further work is required to determine whether the clinical use of these growth standards will improve the health and wellbeing of pet cats.