Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Land use influences on benthic invertebrate assemblages in southern Appalachian agricultural streams

S AND PRESENTATIONS Bennett, Barbara L. , E.F. Benfield, and J.S. Harding. Land use influences on benthic invertebrate assemblages in southern Appalachian agricultural streams. Presented at North American Benthological Society meeting, Prince Edward Island, Canada, 1998. Bennett, Barbara L. and E.F. Benfield. Does headwater land-use influence downstream invertebrate assemblages in agricultural streams? Presented at the North American Benthological Society meeting, San Marcos, TX, and the All-Coweeta LTER Scientists meeting, Athens, GA, 1997. Webster, J.R. , J.L. Tank, J.B. Wallace, J.L. Meyer, S.L. Eggert, T.P. Ehrman, B.R. Ward, B.L. Bennett, P.F. Wagner, M.E. McTammany. Effects of leaf litter exclusion and wood removal on phosphorus and nitrogen retention in a firstorder forest stream. Presented at the North American Benthological Society meeting, San Marcos, TX, 1997. Bennett, Barbara L. Effects of fungal endophytes on parasitoid host choice: a tritrophic investigation. Presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, NY, 1995. GRANT PROPOSALS FUNDED Virginia Academy of Science. April 1997. Funded for $772; matched $500 by Virginia Tech Biology Department. Sigma Xi. February 1997. Funded for $700; matched $500 by Virginia Tech Biology Department. Sigma Xi. May 1996. Funded for $400; matched $500 by Virginia Tech Biology Department.
Effects of regulated deficit irrigation, mulching and their combination on fruit diameter growth of young 'William' pears.

This field experiment was designed to assess the vegetative response (fruit diameter growth) of young ‘William’ pear trees to regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), mulching and their combinations. During vegetation until harvesting were made 6 measurements, by comparing that between which measurements was the highest increase. Using a water budged methodology, four levels of irrigation, specifically 100% of evapotranspiration (control) and deficits of 80%, 60% and 40%, were applied to 10 trees, 5 of which were mulched by a 10 cm layer. The experiment was conducted in Kosovo (Dukagjini Plain) during 2013 on a pear orchard of 10 ha on third year using a nested experimental design. According to the ANOVA, changes were not significant for irrigation levels, but it should also be stressed that mulching had a positive effect. RDI and mulching hadn’t a combined effect. Considering the young age of trees and long – term consequences of water stress experiment is continuing.
Diagnosis of sepsis‐induced disseminated intravascular coagulation and coagulopathy

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a frequent complication in sepsis. Once patients develop DIC, the mortality rate increases significantly. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that coagulation disorder plays a significant role in the development of organ dysfunction in sepsis. Thus, the early detection of DIC is vital in sepsis care, and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine established a set of original diagnostic criteria in 2006 (JAAM DIC). Since then, the usefulness of the JAAM DIC has been repeatedly reported, and these criteria have been widely adopted in emergency and critical care settings in Japan. Different criteria have also been released by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH overt‐DIC), and the latter criteria are presently considered to be the international standard. Compared with the JAAM DIC, the ISTH overt‐DIC criteria are stricter and the timing of diagnosis is later. This discrepancy is because of conceptual differences. As many physicians think sepsis‐associated DIC is the target of anticoagulant therapies in Japan, the JAAM DIC criteria were designed to allow the early initiation of treatment. As other countries do not provide DIC‐specific treatments, early diagnosis is not necessary, and this situation has led to a significant gap. However, as overt‐DIC is a late‐phase coagulation disorder, a need for early detection has been advocated, and members of the ISTH have recently proposed the category of sepsis‐induced coagulopathy. In this review, we introduce the strengths and weaknesses of the major criteria including JAAM‐DIC, ISTH overt‐DIC, sepsis‐induced coagulopathy, and Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis‐DIC.
Control of Alternaria Leaf Spot of the Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Using Soil-Derived Biological Agents

Phaseolus vulgaris L. is considered one of the most essential legume crops in Kenya. Alternaria alternata is an economically significant plant pathogen that causes Alternaria leaf spot which accounts for over 70% yield losses of beans in Kenya. Chemical fungicides based on copper and sulfur are used to control Alternaria leaf spot in bean plants, but their prolonged use has adversely affected the environment and the health of workers. Herein, we tested the biocontrol potential of bacterial agents from soil planted with Rosecoco bean plants infected with A. alternata. Using bacterial suspensions at different time intervals, we evaluated the putative bacterial biocontrol activity against A. alternata under greenhouse conditions. B. subtilis and B. velezensis bacterial biocontrol agents significantly suppressed disease severity by 20% and 21.2% on the 45th day, respectively. Our study demonstrates that B. subtilis and B. velezensis are promising biocontrol agents that could be integrated in the management of Alternaria leaf spot.
Technical and Clinical Outcome of Low-Milliampere CT Fluoroscopy-Guided Percutaneous Drainage Placement in Abdominal Fluid Collections after Liver Transplantation: A 16-Year Retrospective Analysis of 50 Consecutive Patients

Purpose: Evaluation of the effectiveness of CT-guided drainage (CTD) placement in managing symptomatic postoperative fluid collections in liver transplant patients. The assessment included technical success, clinical outcomes, and the occurrence of complications during the peri-interventional period. Methods: Analysis spanned the years 2005 to 2020 and involved 91 drain placement sessions in 50 patients using percutaneous transabdominal or transhepatic access. Criteria for technical success (TS) included (a) achieving adequate drainage of the fluid collection and (b) the absence of peri-interventional complications necessitating minor or prolonged hospitalization. Clinical success (CS) was characterized by (a) a reduction or normalization of inflammatory blood parameters within 30 days after CTD placement and (b) the absence of a need for surgical revision within 60 days after the intervention. Inflammatory markers in terms of C-reactive protein (CRP), leukocyte count and interleukin-6, were evaluated. The dose length product (DLP) for various intervention steps was calculated. Results: The TS rate was 93.4%. CS rates were 64.3% for CRP, 77.8% for leukocytes, and 54.5% for interleukin-6. Median time until successful decrease was 5.0 days for CRP and 3.0 days for leukocytes and interleukin-6. Surgical revision was not necessary in 94.0% of the cases. During the second half of the observation period, there was a trend (p = 0.328) towards a lower DLP for the entire intervention procedure (median: years 2013 to 2020: 623.0 mGy·cm vs. years 2005 to 2012: 811.5 mGy·cm). DLP for the CT fluoroscopy component was significantly (p = 0.001) lower in the later period (median: years 2013 to 2020: 31.0 mGy·cm vs. years 2005 to 2012: 80.5 mGy·cm). Conclusions: The TS rate of CT-guided drainage (CTD) placement was notably high. The CS rate ranged from fair to good. The reduction in radiation exposure over time can be attributed to advancements in CT technology and the growing expertise of interventional radiologists.
Effect of Vision and Surface Slope on Postural Sway in Healthy Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study

Postural stability requires an interaction between cognitive, perceptual, sensory, and motor functions. Thus, impairment in any of these systems may affect postural balance. This study assessed the effect of visual input and surface slope on postural stability. The study was conducted on healthy participants, 11 females and 11 males who were 24–34 years of age. They were asked to perform still upright bipedal standing on flat and +/−20° sloped surfaces with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC). Six center of pressure (COP) parameters were measured by posturography. A significant relationship was observed between COP parameters, standing conditions, and body mass index. Gender had no significant effect on the COP. The loss of visual input within each standing condition did not affect the COP parameters. In contrast, differences were observed between standing on a flat surface and uphill with EC and between standing on a flat surface and downhill with EC and EO. When the participants were standing on inclined surfaces, the loss of vision significantly increased the postural instability. Young healthy adults demonstrated the greatest difficulty in standing uphill with EC. This was followed by standing downhill with EC and standing downhill with EO.
Desempenho de Fórmulas de Tempo de Concentração em Bacias Urbanas e Rurais

Time of concentration is one of the most widelyused measures of basin response for calculating design rainfalls and floods. Paradoxically, it is also a hydrological parameter that designers find difficulty in accepting as a criterion, because there is little information about applicability of the various empirical formulas that are available. Although Kibler (1982) and McCuen et al. (1984) are important references which clarify various aspects regarding origin, use and applicability of empirical formulas for concentration time, doubt and uncertainty remain concerning the absolute and comparative performance of these formulas, particularly for those in the Portuguese literature, despite groundbreaking work of Porto (1995). This situation motivated the work reported in the present paper, whose aim was to evaluate errors of 23 formulas for time of concentration, including those most commonly found in the Brazilian technical literature. It aimed to seek out whatever information was available concerning formula origin and theoretical limitations, and to assess performances of the different formulas when tested using data from urban and rural basins. Results showed that it was possible to use time-of-concentration formulas on basins whose areas were much larger than those used to calibrate them, especially under rural conditions. In the case of urban basins, the best-performing formulas for urban use showed wider error bands than the corresponding formulas for use in rural areas. The work did not seek to put all the formulas in order of rank, but to supply indicators for a basis of careful case-by-case selection. Key-words : time of concentration, hydrograph, floods, Kirpich, urban basins, rural basins.
The Regional Thermal Regime in Dixie Valley, Nevada, USA

A three dimensional model for the regional thermal regime of the Dixie Valley /Stillwater Range has been developed as part of the Dixie Valley EGS project. The model is based on a 3D basement map and the assumption of conductive heat transfer. Major variations in heat flow and temperature are due to (1) elevation differences of ~1400 m that cause topographic effects on the subsurface temperatures and (2) the geometry of the ~2 km thick valley fill that causes refraction of heat due to the thermal conductivity difference of approximately a factor of 100% between valley fill and basement/range rock types. A 3D inversion of gravity data is used to obtain a depth map of valley fill sediments. A pseudogravity transformation of magnetic data is used to model the possible effects of the Humboldt mafic igneous complex in the central and northern part of the Dixie Valley. The temperature distribution due to the refraction of heat flow is quantified as a function of the valley fill geometry. Both refraction and topographic effects tend to enhance geothermal gradient in Dixie Valley. Refraction due to the thermal conductivity contrast and shape of the valley fill sediments causes heat flow variation of about 30% of the 90 ± 30 mWm-2 average regional heat flow. Moderately: high heat flow anomalies along the valley/range contact can be due to refraction of heat flow and may not be caused by geothermal system.
The Relationship between Soil Moisture and LAI in Different Types of Soil in Central Eastern China

AbstractAs important parameters in the land–atmosphere system, both soil moisture (SM) and vegetation play a significant role in land–atmosphere interactions. Using observational data from clay and sand stations over central eastern China, the relationship between leaf area index (LAI) and SM (LAI–SM) in different types of soil was investigated. The results show that the LAI–SM correlation is significantly positive in clay but not significant in sand. The physical causes for the discrepant LAI–SM correlations in different types of soil were explored from the perspectives of evapotranspiration (ET) and soil water retention. In clay stations, increasing LAI is associated with greater soil-water-retention capacity. Although the increasing LAI corresponds to increasing ET, the impact of ET on SM is weak because of the small particle size of soil. Consequently, the LAI–SM relationship in clay is significantly positive. In sand stations, ET is negatively correlated with SM owing to the large soil particle size,.
Epithelial and Mesenchymal-like Pancreatic Cancer Cells Exhibit Different Stem Cell Phenotypes Associated with Different Metastatic Propensities

Simple Summary Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by high tumor cell plasticity and heterogeneity, contributing to poor prognosis and treatment failure. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and gain of cancer stem cell (CSC) properties are crucial processes determining tumor cell plasticity. Investigating CSC and non-CSC clones from PDAC cell lines revealed that epithelial and mesenchymal-like CSCs are characterized by different self-renewal abilities and metastatic propensities. Epithelial CSCs were characterized by the expression of the CSC marker SOX2, fast cell growth, and strong self-renewal ability in vitro, together with massive tumor formation in vivo. In contrast, mesenchymal-like CSCs showed a strong expression of the CSC marker Nestin, slower cell growth, self-renewal ability in vitro, and the formation of higher numbers of smaller tumors in vivo. Furthermore, the organ manifestation of mesenchymal-like and epithelial CSC-derived tumors clearly differed. Thus, this study revealed that CSC and non-CSC populations in PDAC can be associated with distinct EMT phenotypes, resulting in distinct metastatic behavior. Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is mostly diagnosed at advanced or even metastasized stages, limiting the prognoses of patients. Metastasis requires high tumor cell plasticity, implying phenotypic switching in response to changing environments. Here, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), being associated with an increase in cancer stem cell (CSC) properties, and its reversion are important. Since it is poorly understood whether different CSC phenotypes exist along the EMT axis and how these impact malignancy-associated properties, we aimed to characterize CSC populations of epithelial and mesenchymal-like PDAC cells. Single-cell cloning revealed CSC (Holoclone) and non-CSC (Paraclone) clones from the PDAC cell lines Panc1 and Panc89. The Panc1 Holoclone cells showed a mesenchymal-like phenotype, dominated by a high expression of the stemness marker Nestin, while the Panc89 Holoclone cells exhibited a SOX2-dominated epithelial phenotype. The Panc89 Holoclone cells showed enhanced cell growth and a self-renewal capacity but slow cluster-like invasion. Contrarily, the Panc1 Holoclone cells showed slower cell growth and self-renewal ability but were highly invasive. Moreover, cell variants differentially responded to chemotherapy. In vivo, the Panc1 and Panc89 cell variants significantly differed regarding the number and size of metastases, as well as organ manifestation, leading to different survival outcomes. Overall, these data support the existence of different CSC phenotypes along the EMT axis in PDAC, manifesting different metastatic propensities.
The readiness of Saudi nursing interns for the professional role

BACKGROUND: The nursing education program offers opportunities to prepare nursing students with the knowledge and skills required for their professional roles. The level of their readiness and confidence will affect their ability to provide effective and sufficient nursing care. The purpose of this study is to assess nursing interns readiness for professional roles. MATERIALS AND METHOD: To accomplish the study’s objectives, a cross-sectional, descriptive design was employed. All nursing interns who graduated from the KAU School of Nursing in the academic year 2018–2019 were recruited from different hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from March 2019 until May 2019. Participants completed the Casey–Fink Readiness for Practice Survey. Descriptive statistics were conducted to answer the research questions. RESULTS: The results of this study demonstrated that the students felt ready and confident to assume their professional nursing roles. The students had some difficulties with managing multiple patients and certain skills, such as how to deal with dying patients and prioritize patient care needs. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study showed the students felt entirely ready for the professional nursing role. The nursing college at King Abdul-Aziz University is making a great effort to prepare its students for their professional roles. We still need to develop skills and clinical competencies in preparation for effective professional roles. In addition, continuous assessment is considered important for patient safety, to increase nurses’ work retention, and to enhance professional nurse confidence and the quality of care they must provide.
Influence of short-term hypoxic exposure on spatial learning and memory function and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rats—A practical implication to human's lost way

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a short period of normobaric hypoxic exposure on spatial learning and memory, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the rat hippocampus. Hypoxic conditions were set at 12.5% O2. We compared all variables between normoxic trials (Norm), after 24 h (Hypo-24 h), and after 72 h of hypoxic exposure (Hypo-72 h). Spatial learning and memory were evaluated by using a water-finding task in an open field. Time to find water drinking fountains was significantly extended in Hypo 24 h (36.2 ± 21.9 s) compared to those in Norm (17.9 ± 12.8 s; P < 0.05), whereas no statistical differences between Norm and Hypo-72 h (22.7 ± 12.3 s). Moreover, hippocampal BDNF level in Hypo-24 h was significantly lower compared to Norm (189.4 ± 28.4 vs. 224.9 ± 47.7 ng/g wet tissue, P < 0.05), whereas no statistically differences in those between Norm and Hypo-72 h (228.1 ± 39.8 ng/g wet tissue). No significant differences in the changes in corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels were observed across the three conditions. When data from Hypo-24 h and Hypo-72 h of hypoxia were pooled, there was a marginal negative relationship between the time to find drinking fountains and BDNF (P < 0.1), and was a significant negative relationship between the locomotor activities and BDNF (P < 0.05). These results suggest that acute hypoxic exposure (24 h) may impair spatial learning and memory; however, it recovered after 72 h of hypoxic exposure. These changes in spatial learning and memory may be associated with changes in the hippocampal BDNF levels in rats.
Experimental and Numerical Evidence of the Clustering Effect of Structures on Their Response during an Earthquake: A Case Study of Three Identical Towers in the City of Grenoble, France

In this article, interpretation of an equivalent to a macroseismic intensity survey, performed in three identical stand‐alone buildings located in Grenoble, France, after an M L 4.1 earthquake, reveals a clustering effect, resulting in different levels of perception of seismic loading by inhabitants. The clustering effect is confirmed using numerical simulation; the variation of the seismic response of the building in the middle of the cluster depends on the azimuth of the seismic source relative to the building cluster. The major effect is the splitting of its resonance frequency, accompanied by a decrease in vibration amplitude. We conclude that clustering has an impact on urban effects, calling into question the validity of seismic design, which considers buildings in urban areas as stand‐alone constructions, and the interpretation of macroseismic intensity surveys conducted in dense urban areas.
Oleaginous Microbial Lipids’ Potential in the Prevention and Treatment of Neurological Disorders

The products of oleaginous microbes, primarily lipids, have gained tremendous attention for their health benefits in food-based applications as supplements. However, this emerging biotechnology also offers a neuroprotective treatment/management potential for various diseases that are seldom discussed. Essential fatty acids, such as DHA, are known to make up the majority of brain phospholipid membranes and are integral to cognitive function, which forms an important defense against Alzheimer’s disease. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have also been shown to reduce recurrent epilepsy seizures and have been used in brain cancer therapies. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 PUFAs is essential in maintaining physiological function. Furthermore, lipids have also been employed as an effective vehicle to deliver drugs for the treatment of diseases. Lipid nanoparticle technology, used in pharmaceuticals and cosmeceuticals, has recently emerged as a biocompatible, biodegradable, low-toxicity, and high-stability means for drug delivery to address the drawbacks associated with traditional medicine delivery methods. This review aims to highlight the dual benefit that lipids offer in maintaining good health for disease prevention and in the treatment of neurological diseases.