Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seasonal Occurrence of Fruit Flies and Their Infestation Rates on Pomegranate Fruits at Assuit and Fayoum Governorates

The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders), and the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedmann) are harmful tephritid insects that infesting the Egyptian fruits. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and damage rates of these fruit flies on pomegranate fruits at Assuit and Fayoum governorates under various cultivated types of mixed-host or aggregated orchards. Moreover, the study extended to estimate some biological aspects of B. zonata rearing on pomegranate fruits under laboratory conditions. At Assuit governorate, the highest peak of B. zonata and C. capitata populations were observed during the 3rd week of October and 4th week of October with means of 2.33 and 9.13 flies/trap/week on the mixed-host orchards, respectively, while, on the pomegranate aggregated orchards, the highest peak of B. zonata and C. capitata populations were observed during the 4th week of October and 3rd week of November with means of 3.42 and 3.17flies/trap/week, respectively. At Fayoum governorate, the highest peak of B. zonata and C. capitata populations were observed during the 2nd and 4th weeks of October with means of 10.17 and 8.17 flies/trap/week on the mixed-host orchards, respectively, while, on the pomegranate aggregated orchards, the highest peak of B. zonata and C. capitata populations were observed during the 4th week of September with means of 7.67 and 1.83 flies/trap/week, respectively. At the mixed-host orchards of Assuit, the infestation percentages averaged7.39,9.15 and 5.65% for Manfaloti, Baladi and Nab Al-Jaml varieties, respectively, while, on the aggregated orchards, the infestation percentages averaged 2.17, 5.45 and 6.04%, respectively for the same varieties. At Fayoum, the infestation percentagesaveraged6.40, 7.96 and 6.25% for Manfaloti, Baladi and Wonderful varieties, respectively on the mixed-host orchards, while, on the aggregated orchards, Baladi variety fruits were only infested with a mean percentage of 6.42%. Under laboratory conditions, B. zonata females were capable to attack pomegranate fruits that were in healthy state or that were wounded, while, C. capitata females failed to attack the healthy fruits and succeeded to infest only the wounded fruits of both two tested varieties. Also, a significant difference was observed among the mean no. of obtained pupae/ infested fruits of various pomegranate varieties after exposing to fertile females of B. zonata which may due to the significant difference among thier fruit firmness. The shortest and longest duration of total immature stages averaged 21.17 and 23.36 days on the Baladi and Taefi fruits, respectively. Despite the limited occurrence of both fruit flies and the low infestation rates, the study suggested that attention should be paid against pomegranate orchards by application of control procedures for avoiding rebuilding new generations of both fruit flies that could attack the successive ripe crops.
The drivers, trends and dietary impacts of non-nutritive sweeteners in the food supply: a narrative review

Abstract Poor diets, including excess added sugar consumption, contribute to the global burden of disease. Subsequently, many nutrition policies have been implemented to reduce added sugar intake and improve population health, including taxes, education, labelling and environmental interventions. A potential consequence of these policy actions is the substitution of added sugars with non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) in a variety of foods and beverages. NNS are used to reduce the energy and sugar content of foods and beverages while maintaining their palatability. Evidence of the toxicological risks of NNS is inconsistent, though concerns have been raised over the potential substitution effects of ultra-processed foods containing NNS for whole foods. This review aimed to provide an overview of current NNS food supply and consumption patterns, assess added sugar-reduction policies and their impact on NNS, and determine the impact of NNS on food choice, energy intake and diet quality. NNS are widely available in a variety of products, though most commonly in carbonated beverages, dairy products, confectionery, table-top sweeteners and fruit drinks. However, the longitudinal trends of different product categories, and differences between geographies and economy-income levels, require further study. Few studies have examined NNS consumption trends globally, though an increase in NNS consumption in beverages has been observed in some regions. Research examining how the increased availability of low-sugar, NNS-containing products affects global dietary patterns is limited, particularly in terms of their potential substitution effects.
Electron Transfer and Substrate Reduction in Nitrogenase

53 Introduction . 54 Materials and Methods . 58 Results . 60 Discussion . 68 References . 77 x 4. TEMPERATURE INVARIANCE OF THE NITROGENASE ELECTRON TRANSFER MECHANISM . 84 Abstract . 84 Introduction . 85 Materials and Methods . 89 Results and Analysis . 92 Discussion . 102 References . 105 Appendix: Supporting Information . 110 5. ELECTRON TRANSFER PRECEDES ATP HYDROLYSIS DURING NITROGENASE CATALYSIS.123 Abstract . 123 Introduction . 124 Results . 127 Discussion . 132 Materials and Methods . 140 References . 144 6. UNCOUPLING NITROGENASE: CATALYTIC REDUCTION OF HYDRAZINE TO AMMONIA BY A MoFe PROTEIN IN THE ABSENCE OF Fe PROTEIN-ATP . 149 Abstract . 149 References . 157 7. SUMMARY AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS . 159 Conformational Changes in Nitrogenase . 160 Electron Transfer Event in Nitrogenase . 169 Kinetic Isotope Effect in the Fe Protein Cycle . 174 References . 179 APPENDIX . 185.149 References . 157 7. SUMMARY AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS . 159 Conformational Changes in Nitrogenase . 160 Electron Transfer Event in Nitrogenase . 169 Kinetic Isotope Effect in the Fe Protein Cycle . 174 References . 179 APPENDIX . 185 CURRICULUM VITAE . 189
Is Accelerometry an Effective Method to Assess Muscle Vibrations in Comparison to Ultrafast Ultrasonography?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether accelerometry effectively reflects muscle vibrations measured with ultrafast ultrasonography. Methods: Vibration characteristics initiated on the vastus lateralis muscle by an impactor were compared when assessed with accelerometry and ultrasonography. Continuous wavelet transforms and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) were performed to identify discrepancies in vibration power over time and frequency between the two devices. Results: The SPM analysis revealed that the accelerometer underestimated the muscle vibration power above 50 Hz during the first 0.06 seconds post impact. Furthermore, the accelerometer overestimated the muscle vibration power under 20 Hz, from 0.1 seconds after the impact. Linear regression revealed that the thicker the subcutaneous fat localized under the accelerometer, the more the muscle vibration frequency and damping were underestimated by the accelerometer. Conclusion: The skin and the fat tissues acted like a low-pass filter above 50 Hz and oscillated in a less damped manner than the muscle tissue under 20 Hz. Significance: To eliminate some artifacts caused by the superficial tissues and assess the muscle vibration characteristics with accelerometry, it is suggested to 1) high-pass filter the acceleration signal at a frequency of 20 Hz, under certain conditions, and 2) include participants with less fat thickness. Therefore, the subcutaneous thickness must be systematically quantified under each accelerometer location to clarify the differences between subjects and muscles.
Proton vs Hyperarc™ radiosurgery: A planning comparison

Abstract For many patients, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) offers a minimally invasive, curative option when surgical techniques are not possible. To date, the literature supporting the efficacy and safety of SRS treatment techniques uses photon beams. However, with the number of proton therapy facilities exponentially growing and the favorable physical properties of proton beam radiation therapy, there is an opportunity to develop proton therapy techniques for SRS. The goal of this paper is to determine the ability of clinical proton treatment planning systems to model small field dosimetry accurately and to compare various planning metrics used to evaluate photon SRS to determine the optimum beam configurations and settings for proton SRS (PSRS) treatment plans. Once established, these plan settings were used to perform a planning comparison on a variety of different SRS cases and compare SRS metrics between the PSRS plans and HyperArc™ (VMAT) SRS plans.
Variations in leaf dust accumulation, foliage and pigment attributes in fruiting plant species exposed to particulate pollution from Multan.

The dust accumulation capacity of fruiting plants was evaluated from eight different sites in and around Multan. The impact of dust accumulation/deposition was observed via various foliage (leaf area, fresh and dry weights, stomatal clogging) and biochemical attributes (chlorophyll contents, carotenoids & ascorbic acid) from leaves of these species. The maximum dust accumulation/deposition was occurred in the plants growing at Road sides while, the minimum dust was found on plants growing at Bahauddin Zakariya University. Dust accumulation has caused a significant effect on almost all foliage and biochemical attributes of all the plant species. Foliage attributes of all the plant species showed species specific responses because in some plants a positive correlation was observed between foliage attributes and dust load but in other plants it is negative. Biochemical responses had shown an inconsistency as chlorophylls (b & total) contents decreased and ascorbic acid contents increased with an increase in dust accumulation/deposition in all the plant species, except chlorophyll a and carotenoid contents which give species specific response to dust pollution. A negative correlation was found between dust deposition and chlorophyll b and total contents. Whereas, accumulation of ascorbic acid was associated with a decline in pigment contents.
Allelopathic Potential and Active Substances from Wedelia Chinensis (Osbeck)

Wedelia chinensis (Asteraceae) is a wetland herb native to India, China, and Japan. It is a valuable medicinal plant recorded to have pharmaceutical properties. However, the phytotoxic potential of Wedelia chinensis has not yet been examined. Thus, we carried out this study to establish the allelopathic effects of Wedelia chinensis and to identify its phytotoxic substances. Extracts of Wedelia chinensis exhibited high inhibitory activity against the root and shoot growth of cress, alfalfa, rapeseed, lettuce, foxtail fescue, Italian ryegrass, timothy, and barnyard grass. The inhibition was varied with species and was dependent on concentrations. The extracts were separated through several purification steps, and the two effective substances were isolated and characterized as vanillic acid and gallic acid using spectral analysis. Vanillic acid and gallic acid significantly arrested the growth of cress and Italian ryegrass seedlings. The concentrations of vanillic acid and gallic acid needed for 50% inhibition (I50 values) of the seedling growth of the cress and Italian ryegrass were 0.04–15.4 and 0.45–6.6 mM, respectively. The findings suggest that vanillic acid and gallic acid may be required for the growth inhibitory activities of Wedelia chinensis.
The role of computed tomography in arterial injury evaluation in solid organ trauma.

BACKGROUND Abdominal solid organ trauma accounts for 86.9% of all blunt abdominal trauma cases, among which 5%-25% of cases are associated with arterial injuries. Aim: In this study, we aimed to determine the characteristics and diagnostic functions of computed tomography (CT) scans during the diagnosis of arterial injuries, including active extravasation, pseudoaneurysm, and arteriovenous fistula associated with solid organ trauma compared with digital subtraction angiography (DSA). METHODS From July 2019 to March 2020, a retrospective study was performed on 44 patients who presented with clinical manifestations of blunt abdominal injury and CT diagnosis of arterial injuries due to solid organ trauma, including active extravasation, pseudoaneurysm, and arteriovenous fistula, and later underwent DSA at Vietduc Hospital, in Hanoi, Vietnam. The features of arterial lesions on CT scan was described. Value of CT scan for the diagnosis of arterial injuries was analyzed compared to the DSA findings. RESULTS There were 53 arterial lesions observed on CT scan including 15 active extravasations, 34 pseudoaneurysms, and 4 arteriovenous fistulas while 51 arterial lesions were observed on DSA including 15 active extravasations, 30 pseudoaneurysms, and 6 arteriovenous fistulas. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of active extravasation, pseudoaneurysm, and arteriovenous fistula on CT scan were 93.3%, 97.7%, 93.3%, 97.7% and 96.6% ; 90%, 75%, 79.4%, 87.5% and 82.8%; and 66.7%, 100%, 100%, 96.3% and 96.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that CT scans had high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of active extravasation; however, CT scans demonstrated low specificity for detecting pseudoaneurysm and low sensitivity for the diagnosis of arteriovenous fistula.
Cardiac Responses to Submaximal Isometric Contraction and Aerobic Exercise in Healthy Pregnancy.

PURPOSE The increased physiological demand of pregnancy results in profound adaptation of the maternal cardiovascular system, reflected by greater resting cardiac output and left ventricular (LV) deformation. Whether the increased resting demand alters acute cardiac responses to exercise in healthy pregnant women is not well understood. METHODS Healthy non-pregnant (n=18), pregnant (n=14, 22-26 weeks gestation) and postpartum women (n=13, 12-16 weeks post-delivery) underwent assessments of cardiac function and LV mechanics at rest, during a sustained isometric forearm contraction (30% maximum) and during low- (LOW) and moderate-intensity (MOD) dynamic cycling exercise (25 and 50% peak power output). Significant differences (α=0.05) were determined using ANCOVA and general linear model (resting value included as covariate). RESULTS When accounting for higher resting cardiac output in pregnant women, pregnant women had greater cardiac output during isometric contraction (2.0±0.3; non-pregnant: 1.3±0.2; postpartum: 1.5±0.5 L.min/m, P=0.02), but similar values during dynamic cycling exercise (pregnant: LOW: 2.8±0.4, MOD: 3.4±0.7, non-pregnant: LOW: 2.4±0.3, MOD: 3.0±0.3, postpartum: LOW: 2.3±0.4, MOD: 3.0±0.5 L.min/m, P=0.96). Basal circumferential strain was higher in pregnant women at rest, during the sustained isometric forearm contraction (-23.5±1.2%, non-pregnant: -14.6±1.4%, P=0.001) and during dynamic cycling exercise (LOW: -27.0±4.9, MOD: -27.4±4.6%; non-pregnant: LOW: -15.8±4.5, MOD: -15.2±6.7%, P=0.012), however other LV mechanics parameters were not different between groups. CONCLUSION The results support that the maternal heart can appropriately respond to additional cardiac demand and altered loading experienced during acute isometric and dynamic exercise, although subtle differences in responses to these challenges were observed. Additionally, the LV mechanics that underpin global cardiac function are greater in pregnant women during exercise, leading to the speculation that the hormonal milieu of pregnancy influences regional deformation.
Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Cardiometabolic Risks and Lung Function Impairment among Middle-Aged Women in Rural Taiwan

Background: This study aims to explore the prevalence of and factors associated with cardiometabolic risks and lung function impairment among middle-aged women. Methods: A nurse-led community health development and cross-sectional study design was applied in Yunlin County, Taiwan. Lung function test was performed by a certified technician using a valid spirometer, during annual community health checkups conducted by a collaborating local hospital. Lung function impairment and cardiometabolic risks were measured and defined, based on the medical diagnosis and the national standard, by the hospital. Results: From a total of 439 middle-aged women, the prevalence of lung function impairment and metabolic syndrome were 26% and 47.2%, respectively. Many women adopted few health habits, e.g., only 30.5% engaged in regular exercise. A significant association between lung function impairment and four cardiometabolic risk factors (p < 0.05) was found. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that adopting few exercises (OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.36–0.87) and lung function impairment (OR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.34–3.35) were independently associated with metabolic syndrome, after adjusting for confounding factors, such as age and education. Conclusions: The findings revealed that middle-aged women have a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risks and lung function impairment. Lung function impairment and physical inactivity were independently associated with an increased risk of having metabolic syndrome.
Geographic abundance patterns explained by niche centrality hypothesis in two Chagas disease vectors in Latin America

Ecoepidemiological scenarios for Chagas disease transmission are complex, so vector control measures to decrease human–vector contact and prevent infection transmission are difficult to implement in all geographic contexts. This study assessed the geographic abundance patterns of two vector species of Chagas disease: Triatoma maculata (Erichson, 1848) and Rhodnius pallescens (Barber, 1932) in Latin America. We modeled their potential distribution using the maximum entropy algorithm implemented in Maxent and calculated distances to their niche centroid by fitting a minimum-volume ellipsoid. In addition, to determine which method would accurately explain geographic abundance patterns, we compared the correlation between population abundance and the distance to the ecological niche centroid (DNC) and between population abundance and Maxent environmental suitability. The potential distribution estimated for T. maculata showed that environmental suitability covers a large area, from Panama to Northern Brazil. R. pallescens showed a more restricted potential distribution, with environmental suitability covering mostly the coastal zone of Costa Rica and some areas in Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, northern Colombia, Acre, and Rondônia states in Brazil, as well as a small region of the western Brazilian Amazon. We found a negative slope in the relationship between population abundance and the DNC in both species. R. pallecens has a more extensive potential latitudinal range than previously reported, and the distribution model for T. maculata corroborates previous studies. In addition, population abundance increases according to the niche centroid proximity, indicating that population abundance is limited by the set of scenopoetic variables at coarser scales (non-interactive variables) used to determine the ecological niche. These findings might be used by public health agencies in Latin America to implement actions and support programs for disease prevention and vector control, identifying areas in which to expand entomological surveillance and maintain chemical control, in order to decrease human–vector contact.
Quality optimisation of carrot juice

The carrot is one of the most widely consumed root vegetables, both in raw and processed forms and offers various nutritional benefits with the firesh product being low in energy and a good source of fibre, potassium and other minerals. Of all the vegetables, it is one of the richest sources of carotenes especially B-carotene which has a crucial role in vision and is also thought to have benefits due to its anti carcinogenic properties and in protection against heart disease. For this strategic investigation on processing suitability, four commercially available Australian carrot varieties (two traditional and two more recently developed) were selected. Nutrient contents have been measured including moisture, protein, crude fibre, pectin, vitamins (Bi, B2,, C and Carotenes) and minerals (Ca, Fe, K, Mg and Na). Small variations in macronutrients and mineral composition were observed between the varieties. Parameters used industrially to indicate juicing potential were also assessed. Considerable variation in yield and colour characteristics of juices prepared from the different varieties was observed. As a result of this strategic study, suitable processing carrot varieties, blanching indicator enzyme, blanching regime, concentration technique and storage conditions have been established. A recommended processing protocol has also been developed for the commercial processing of carrot juice. This approach is suitable for the production of carrot juice concentrate having optimal quality characteristics.
Quantification of organic aerosol and brown carbon evolution in fresh wildfire plumes

Significance Wildfire emissions in the western United States have had increasingly larger impacts on air quality, health, and climate forcing in recent decades. However, our understanding of how wildfire plume composition evolves remains incomplete. Particularly, the evolution of carbonaceous material, including fine particle mass (PM2.5) and light-absorbing brown carbon, has remained elusive because of limited knowledge about the interplay between primary emissions and subsequent chemical and physical transformations that convert material between vapors and particles. Using a comprehensive analysis of in situ wildfire smoke measurements in combination with simulation chamber experiments, we quantitatively assess primary versus secondary organic particulate matter and brown carbon light absorption in authentic wildfires plumes. These results improve our fundamental knowledge of wildfire plume composition and evolution. The evolution of organic aerosol (OA) and brown carbon (BrC) in wildfire plumes, including the relative contributions of primary versus secondary sources, has been uncertain in part because of limited knowledge of the precursor emissions and the chemical environment of smoke plumes. We made airborne measurements of a suite of reactive trace gases, particle composition, and optical properties in fresh western US wildfire smoke in July through August 2018. We use these observations to quantify primary versus secondary sources of biomass-burning OA (BBPOA versus BBSOA) and BrC in wildfire plumes. When a daytime wildfire plume dilutes by a factor of 5 to 10, we estimate that up to one-third of the primary OA has evaporated and subsequently reacted to form BBSOA with near unit yield. The reactions of measured BBSOA precursors contribute only 13 ± 3% of the total BBSOA source, with evaporated BBPOA comprising the rest. We find that oxidation of phenolic compounds contributes the majority of BBSOA from emitted vapors. The corresponding particulate nitrophenolic compounds are estimated to explain 29 ± 15% of average BrC light absorption at 405 nm (BrC Abs405) measured in the first few hours of plume evolution, despite accounting for just 4 ± 2% of average OA mass. These measurements provide quantitative constraints on the role of dilution-driven evaporation of OA and subsequent radical-driven oxidation on the fate of biomass-burning OA and BrC in daytime wildfire plumes and point to the need to understand how processing of nighttime emissions differs.