Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study on the method of determining available phosphorus (Olsen-P) with high testing efficiency

Improve efficiency of Chinese traditional soil testing method is eager to be solved in soil testing and fertilizer recommendation action.It was studied that technical advances and adjustment of the method applying in the determination of available phosphorus(Olsen-P)with modern testing technology.Research using 30 soil samples indicated that amount of high bias associated with the 700 nm relative to the 882 nm wavelength was highly soil dependent.The 882 nm wavelength was superior and did not have a soil soluble organic interference that was noted for the 700 nm wavelength.Thus it was suggested that using the 882 nm wavelength for all bicarbonate soil extracts to avoid a high bias.The modified ascorbic acid-molybdenum blue method improved the soil testing efficiency.The absorbance could be read after 10 minutes of adding the modified phosphor-molybdenum blue reagent and the readings could be stable during 24 h.The results showed there were no differences of the revised method with the old procedure and reagent.Soil testing efficiency was highly improved by using the specialized dilute-dispenser for adding soil extract,the reagent and deionized water and measuring the absorbance by the pumping-injected spectrophotometer.
The Effects of Climate on the Hypogean Migration of Cave Salamanders, Eurycea lucifuga (Rafinesque, 1822)

Abstract. Terrestrial migrations of salamanders are influenced by many factors, particularly temperature and moisture availability. Although photoperiod is generally an important migratory cue, it has not been specifically considered for salamanders. We examine the importance of the above abiotic factors at the macro- and microclimatic scales in the subterranean migration of a population of Cave Salamanders (Eurycea lucifuga) in Kentucky. This species exhibited a cyclic, seasonal migratory pattern between the twilight and dark zones in a cave. Our regression analysis of macroclimate indicated this migration was influenced largely by photoperiod, but also highly correlated with temperature and relative humidity; principle components analysis confirmed the importance of similar microclimate variables (illumination, temperature, and substrate wetness), explaining 88% of the variability in the data. These environmental variables fluctuate little in the dark zone of caves and thus likely do not provide cues on seasonal conditions to salamanders. However, these cues do vary in the twilight zone and may inform salamanders of epigean seasonal conditions. This information is critical to these cave-dwelling salamanders, particularly for finding suitable food resources.
Secure Aggregation Against Malicious Users

Secure aggregation protocols allow anaggregator to compute the sum of multiple users' data in a privacy-preserving manner. Existing protocols assume that users from whom the data is collected, are fully trusted on the correctness of their individual inputs. We believe that this assumption is too strong, for example when such protocols are used for federated learning whereby the aggregator receives all users' contributions and aggregate them to train and obtain the joint model. A malicious user contributing with incorrect inputs can generate model poisoning or backdoor injection attacks without being detected. In this paper, we propose the first secure aggregation protocol that considers users as potentially malicious. This new protocol enables the correct computation of the aggregate result, in a privacy preserving manner, only if individual inputs belong to a legitimate interval. To this aim, the solution uses a newly designed oblivious programmable pseudo-random function. We validate our solution as a proof of concept under a federated learning scenario whereby potential backdoor injection attacks exist.
Consumer Purchasing Behaviour Towards Strategic Innovation Management Practices in Morocco During COVID-19 Health Crisis

The global economy has been affected as a result of the unusual circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak and the restrictive measures taken by governments to contain the crisis. As a result, in order to survive such turmoil, sustain their economic outputs and adapt to change, companies have been invited, and even forced, to innovate. The present study aims at contributing to a better understating of the impacts of strategic innovation management (SIM) practices implemented into a company (i.e., its innovative strategy and culture, product innovation, technological capability, and customer and supplier relationships) on the consumer purchasing behaviour (CPB) in the context of COVID-19 global crisis. Data were gathered from a sample of 57 Moroccan companies operating with international management styles and working according to the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Then, the structural equation model (SEM) method was employed to test the proposed hypothesis of the theoretical model. The conclusive results revealed that SIM practices have a significant influence on a company’s CPB, essentially via the adoption of an innovative strategy. Therefore, CPB is likely to be upgraded whenever companies seek for improving the implementation of successful SIM practices.
The role of nature conservation and commercial farming in psychological distress among rural Ugandans

Mental illness is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease, but there is limited understanding of how it is influenced by socio-ecological context, particularly in the global south. We asked how interactions with ecological systems influence stressors associated with psychological distress in a rural Ugandan case study. We conducted and thematically analyzed 45 semi-structured interviews with residents of Nyabyeya Parish, Masindi District. Our results suggest that poverty and food insecurity were the primary reported causes of “thinking too much” and related idioms of psychological distress. The expansion of commercial agriculture may have been associated with the contraction of subsistence farming, reportedly exacerbating poverty and food insecurity among poorer households but contributing incomes to wealthier ones. Furthermore, households bordering a conservation area reported that crop losses from wildlife contributed to food insecurity. However, forest resources were important safety nets for those facing poverty and food insecurity. Our study suggests how two globally prevalent land uses – commercial agriculture and nature conservation – may influence social determinants of psychological distress in our study area. Psychological distress does not necessarily imply mental disorder. Nonetheless, exploring socially-mediated interactions with ecosystems may help explain the etiology of psychological distress. Furthermore, we suggest opportunities to manage socio-ecological systems to support mental health, such as promoting equitable access and control of livelihood resources. We also highlight co-benefits and trade-offs between global sustainability goals that could be managed for mental health, and why these should be recognized in the anticipated ‘New Deal for Nature. ’ Highlights Food insecurity and poverty were major stressors reportedly causing psychological distress, characterized as “thinking too much. ” Complex interactions between conservation, commercial agriculture, and poverty influenced psychological distress. Commercial agriculture displaced subsistence farming, exacerbating poverty and food security among poorer households. Conserved forests were both home to crop-raiding wildlife and sources of income and food, affecting poverty and food insecurity. Mental health needs to be included in assessments of the role of the ecosystems in public health.
Tropical tree growth sensitivity to climate is driven by species intrinsic growth rate and leaf traits

A better understanding of how climate affects growth in tree species is essential for improved predictions of forest dynamics under climate change. Long-term climate averages (mean climate) and short-term deviations from these averages (anomalies) both influence tree growth, but the rarity of long-term data integrating climatic gradients with tree censuses has so far limited our understanding of their respective role, especially in tropical systems. Here, we combined 49 years of growth data for 509 tree species across 23 tropical rainforest plots along a climatic gradient to examine how tree growth responds to both climate means and anomalies, and how species functional traits mediate these tree growth responses to climate. We showed that short-term, anomalous increases in atmospheric evaporative demand and solar radiation consistently reduced tree growth. Drier forests and fast-growing species were more sensitive to water stress anomalies. In addition, species traits related to water use and photosynthesis partly explained differences in growth sensitivity to both long-term and short-term climate variations. Our study demonstrates that both climate means and anomalies shape tree growth in tropical forests, and that species traits can be leveraged to understand these demographic responses to climate change, offering a promising way forward to forecast tropical forest dynamics under different climate trajectories.
Excitonic light emission decay time measurements in moderately δ-doped GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum wells

The radiative recombination rate of moderately doped n -type and p -type GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum wells using a timecorrelated single photon counting system is presented. The experimental study has been obtained within a wide temperature range from liquid helium to room temperature and the work has focused on identifying photoluminescence decay rates based on freeexciton recombinations. It was found that the free exciton decay time was reduced in doped multiple GaAs/AlAs quantum wells, and that the reduction rate depends on both the concentration and doping type.
Nuclear-cytoplasmic balance: whole genome duplications induce elevated organellar genome copy number

The plant genome is partitioned across three distinct subcellular compartments: the nucleus, mitochondria, and plastids. Successful coordination of gene expression among these organellar genomes and the nuclear genome is critical for plant function and fitness. Whole genome duplication events (WGDs) in the nucleus have played a major role in the diversification of land plants and are expected to perturb the relative copy number (stoichiometry) of nuclear, mitochondrial, and plastid genomes. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms whereby plant cells respond to the cytonuclear stoichiometric imbalance that follow WGDs represents an important yet underexplored question in understanding the evolutionary consequences of genome doubling. We used droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to investigate the relationship between nuclear and organellar genome copy numbers in allopolyploids and their diploid progenitors in both wheat and Arabidopsis. Polyploids exhibit elevated organellar genome copy numbers per cell, largely preserving the cytonuclear stoichiometry observed in diploids despite the change in nuclear genome copy number. To investigate the timescale over which cytonuclear stoichiometry may respond to WGD, we also estimated organellar genome copy number in Arabidopsis synthetic autopolyploids and in a haploid-induced diploid line. We observed corresponding changes in organellar genome copy number in these laboratory-generated lines, indicating that at least some of the cellular response to cytonuclear stoichiometric imbalance is immediate following WGD. We conclude that increases in organellar genome copy numbers represent a common response to polyploidization, suggesting that maintenance of cytonuclear stoichiometry is an important component in establishing polyploid lineages. Significance Statement Whole genome duplications (WGD) have the potential to alter the stoichiometric balance between nuclear and organellar genomes. We used two separate diploid-polyploid complexes to show that plant cells with WGD exhibit elevated mitochondrial and plastid genome copy numbers, both immediately in lab-generated lines and in natural polyploids.
The rapid developmental rise of somatic inhibition disengages hippocampal dynamics from self-motion

Early electrophysiological brain oscillations recorded in preterm babies and newborn rodents are initially mostly ignited by bottom-up sensorimotor activity and only later can detach from external inputs. This is a hallmark of most developing brain areas including the hippocampus, which in the adult brain, functions in integrating external inputs onto internal dynamics. Such developmental disengagement from external inputs is likely a fundamental step for the proper development of cognitive internal models. Despite its importance, the developmental timeline and circuit basis for this disengagement remain unknown. To address this issue, we have investigated the daily evolution of CA1 dynamics and underlying circuits during the first two postnatal weeks of mouse development using two-photon calcium imaging in non-anesthetized pups. We show that the first postnatal week ends with an abrupt shift in the representation of self-motion in CA1. Indeed, most CA1 pyramidal cells switch from activated to inhibited by self-generated movements at the end of the first postnatal week whereas the majority of GABAergic neurons remain positively modulated throughout this period. This rapid switch occurs within two days and follows the rapid anatomical and functional surge of local somatic GABAergic innervation. The observed change in dynamics is consistent with a two-population model undergoing a strengthening of inhibition. We propose that this abrupt developmental transition inaugurates the emergence of internal cognitive models.
Populus ERF85 balances xylem cell expansion and secondary cell wall formation in hybrid aspen

Secondary growth relies on precise and specialized transcriptional networks that determine cell division, differentiation, and maturation of xylem cells. We identify a novel role for the ethylene induced Populus ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR ERF85 (Potri.015G023200) in balancing xylem cell expansion and secondary cell wall (SCW) formation in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula x tremuloides). Expression of ERF85 is high in phloem and cambium cells and during expansion of xylem cells, while it is low in maturing xylem tissue. Extending ERF85 expression into SCW forming zones of woody tissues through ectopic expression reduced wood density and SCW thickness of xylem fibers but increased fiber diameter. Xylem transcriptomes from the transgenic trees revealed transcriptional induction of genes involved in cell expansion, translation and growth. Expression of genes associated with plant vascular development and biosynthesis of SCW chemical components such as xylan and lignin, was downregulated in the transgenic trees. Our results suggest that ERF85 activates genes related with xylem cell expansion, while preventing transcriptional activation of genes related to SCW formation. The importance of precise spatial expression of ERF85 during wood development together with the observed phenotypes in response to ectopic ERF85 expression suggests that ERF85 functions as a switch between different phases of xylem differentiation during wood formation.
The role of migration in mutant evolution in fragmented populations

Mutant evolution in fragmented populations has been studied extensively in evolutionary biology. With an increased focus on evolutionary dynamics in medical research, quantification of mutant load in fragmented populations with varying levels of migration has become especially important. Examples of fragmented populations are hematopoietic stem cell niches in the bone marrow where cells can re-circulate between niches through the blood, or colonic crypts where movement of cells across different crypts is not thought to be common. Here we use a combination of experiments and theory to investigate the role of migration in mutant distribution. In the case of neutral mutants, the experiments confirmed that while the mean number of mutants is not influenced by migration, the probability distribution is, which manifested itself in a change in the skewedness of the distribution of the mutant numbers in the demes. In the case of disadvantageous mutants, we investigated the phenomenon of the increase in the expected number of mutants compared to that of the selection-mutation balance. In a single deme, this increase is observed when the deme size is lower than the critical size, Nc. In a fragmented system that consists of connected demes with a probability of migration, the increase in mutant numbers above the selection-mutation balance can be maintained in small (N < Nc) demes as long as the migration rate is sufficiently small. The migration rate above which the mutants approach the selection-mutation balance decays exponentially with N/Nc. These findings are relevant in the context of the complex and poorly understood processes that may lead to changes in the clonal composition in tissues and tumors.
MCGA: a multi-strategy conditional gene-based association framework integrating with isoform-level expression profiles reveals new susceptible and druggable candidate genes of schizophrenia

Linkage disequilibrium and disease-associated variants in non-coding regions make it difficult to distinguish truly associated genes from redundantly associated genes for complex diseases. In this study, we proposed a new conditional gene-based framework called MCGA that leveraged an improved effective chi-squared statistic to control the type I error rates and remove the redundant associations. MCGA initially integrated two conventional strategies to map genetic variants to genes, i.e., mapping a variant to its physically nearby gene and mapping a variant to a gene if the variant is a gene-level expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) of the gene. We further performed a simulation study and demonstrated that the isoform-level eQTL was more powerful than the gene-level eQTL in the association analysis. Then the third strategy, i.e., mapping a variant to a gene if the variant is an isoform-level eQTL of the gene, was also integrated with MCGA. We applied MCGA to predict the potential susceptibility genes of schizophrenia and found that the potential susceptibility genes identified by MCGA were enriched with many neuronal or synaptic signaling-related terms in the Gene Ontology knowledgebase and antipsychotics-gene interaction terms in the drug-gene interaction database (DGIdb). More importantly, nine susceptibility genes were the target genes of multiple approved antipsychotics in DrugBank. Comparing the susceptibility genes identified by the above three strategies implied that strategy based on isoform-level eQTL could be an important supplement for the other two strategies and help predict more candidate susceptibility isoforms and genes for complex diseases in a multi-tissue context.
The cell adhesion molecule Sdk1 shapes assembly of a retinal circuit that detects localized edges

Nearly 50 different mouse retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types sample the visual scene for distinct features. RGC feature selectivity arises from its synapses with a specific subset of amacrine (AC) and bipolar cell (BC) types, but how RGC dendrites arborize and collect input from these specific subsets remains poorly understood. Here we examine the hypothesis that RGCs employ molecular recognition systems to meet this challenge. By combining calcium imaging and type-specific histological stains we define a family of circuits that express the recognition molecule Sidekick 1 (Sdk1) which include a novel RGC type (S1-RGC) that responds to local edges. Genetic and physiological studies revealed that Sdk1 loss selectively disrupts S1-RGC visual responses which result from a loss of excitatory and inhibitory inputs and selective dendritic deficits on this neuron. We conclude that Sdk1 shapes dendrite growth and wiring to help S1-RGCs become feature selective.
Heightened condition dependent expression of structural coloration in the faces, but not wings, of male and female flies

Structurally coloured sexual signals are a conspicuous and widespread class of ornament used in mate choice, though the extent to which they encode information on the quality of their bearers is not fully resolved. Theory predicts that signalling traits under strong sexual selection as ‘honest’ indicators should evolve to be more developmentally integrated and exaggerated than nonsexual traits, thereby leading to heightened condition dependence. Here we test this prediction through examination of the sexually dimorphic faces and wings of the cursorial fly Lispe cana. Males and females possess structural UV-white and golden faces, respectively, and males present their faces and wings to females during close-range, ground-based courtship displays, thereby creating the opportunity for mutual inspection. Across a field-collected sample of individuals, we found that the appearance of the faces of both sexes scaled positively with individual condition, though along separate axes. Males in better condition expressed brighter faces as modelled according to conspecific flies, whereas condition scaled with facial saturation in females. We found no such relationships for their wing interference pattern nor abdomens, with the latter included as a nonsexual control. Our results suggest that the structurally coloured faces, but not the iridescent wings, of male and female Lispe cana are reliable guides to individual quality and support the broader potential for structural colours as honest signals. They also highlight the potential for mutual mate choice in this system, while arguing for one of several alternate signalling roles for wing interferences patterns among the myriad taxa which bear them.
A Survey on Various Methods and Algorithms of Scheduling in Fog Computing

The rapid deployment of IoT in different areas generates a massive amount of data transferred to the Cloud. To solve this challenge a new paradigm, called Fog Computing, is located at the edge of the network and close to the connected objects. Its main role is to extend the capacities of Cloud and improve the performance and the QoS required by the applications by the use of different methods and techniques based on scheduling algorithms. In this paper, we review various recent studies available in the literature that are interested in the scheduling methods and algorithms used in Fog computing. The use of fog layer, in solving optimization problem, is faced with serious challenges. Therefore, to help practitioners and researchers, we present an in-depth overview of Fog Computing studying various scheduling methods and algorithms. We analyze, compare and classify these different scheduling approaches according to the nature of the algorithm used in the scheduling, the QoS optimized by the proposed approach and the type of applications in order to show what is suitable for critical IoT (CIOT), massive IoT (MIOT) and Industry IoT (IIOT). Finally, we present a comparison of the different simulation tools used to evaluate these approaches to guide fog computing developers/researchers which tool is suitable and most flexible for simulating the application under consideration.