Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Nestling-Sized Skeleton of Edmontosaurus (Ornithischia, Hadrosauridae) from the Hell Creek Formation of Northeastern Montana, U.S.A., With an Analysis of Ontogenetic Limb Allometry

ABSTRACT The Hell Creek Formation preserves one of the most intensely studied late Cretaceous terrestrial fossil units. Over 22 dinosaur genera are currently recognized from this unit, but the record of juvenile individuals is surprisingly limited. Here, we document a nestling hadrosaur that represents the first occurrence of an articulated nestling dinosaur skeleton from the latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) of North America. The specimen (UCMP 128181) preserves a partial scapula, nearly complete rib cage, vertebral series from the shoulder to mid-tail, a large portion of the pelvic girdle, and both hind limbs through a combination of bone and/or natural impressions in the concretion. It is assignable to the genus Edmontosaurus based on the shape of the prepubic process, or blade, of the pubis. The specimen represents the earliest ontogenetic growth stage of Edmontosaurus cf. annectens and possesses a femur length of 148 mm. It greatly contributes as a new end member to a sample of associated Edmontosaurus skeletons that is well suited for allometrically testing the hypothesized ontogenetic gait shift in hadrosaurs from bipedal juveniles to quadrupedal adults using individual limb proportions. Although UCMP 128181 does not preserve forelimbs, regressions based on associated Edmontosaurus skeletons (N = 25) reveal overall isometry of the forelimb relative to the hind limb, and within each limb. These data indicate that Edmontosaurus nestlings were anatomically capable of fully quadrupedal locomotion and provide no compelling evidence to support an ontogenetic gait shift in hadrosaurids.
Evaluation and enhancement of unmanned aircraft system photogrammetric data quality for coastal wetlands

ABSTRACT Understanding the impacts of flight configuration and post-mission data processing techniques on unmanned aircraft system (UAS) photogrammetric data quality is essential for employing this popular technique in coastal wetland ecosystems. In this study, we systematically evaluated the effects of flight configuration (flying altitude, image overlap, and lighting conditions) on UAS photogrammetric level 1 products: orthoimagery and point clouds, and level 2 products: digital terrain models (DTM) and canopy height models (CHM). We also developed an object-based machine learning approach to correct UAS DTMs to mitigate data uncertainties caused by flight configuration and dense vegetation. Flying altitude was identified as the leading parameter in the quality of level 1 products, while image overlap was the most influential determinant for the quality of level 2 products. The correction approach effectively reduced the vertical error of DTMs for two study sites. This study informs UAS photogrammetric survey design and data enhancement for applications in coastal wetlands.
A short review: Comparisons of high-throughput phenotyping methods for detecting drought tolerance

Drought is a major threat worldwide for crop production, especially due to the rapid climate changes. Current drought solutions involve improving irrigation system, rainwater harvesting, damming, cloud seeding, and changes of cultivation methods. Despite effective, each solution has economic, environmental, and temporal drawbacks. Among all solutions, the most effective, inexpensive and manageable method is the use of drought-tolerant cultivars via plant breeding. However, conventional plant breeding is a time-consuming and laborious task, especially for phenotypic data acquisition of target traits of numerous progenies. Highthroughput phenotyping (HTP) is a recently developed method and has potential to overcome the mentioned issues. HTP offers massive, accurate, rapid, and automatic data acquisition in the breeding procedure and can be a breakthrough for developing drought resistant/tolerant cultivars. This study introduces various methods of HTP to detect drought stress, which can accelerate the breeding processes of drought-tolerant cultivars to provide helpful guidelines for breeders and researchers to choose appropriate methods.
Temporal cycles and spatial asynchrony in the reproduction and growth of a rare nectarless orchid, Cypripedium calceolus

The timing and intensity of plant reproduction vary due to internal and external factors. Although this variation has been widely studied in species exhibiting masting (intermittent synchronous reproduction), it has attracted less attention in nonmasting species. Here, we studied intra-individual variation in the flowering intensity and plant size of a nonmasting, rare terrestrial orchid, Cypripedium calceolus, using long-term monitoring data from three populations in Finland and two populations in Estonia. Flowering intensity and plant size showed 2-year cycles, indicating that reproduction and growth were regulated by past costs of reproduction and extensive clonal growth. In addition, flowering intensity and plant size were positively correlated with size from the previous year and were also affected by the weather conditions of spring and of the previous growing season. However, there was little synchrony among plants, suggesting that the climatic control of reproduction and growth is sufficiently low as to be masked by high annual variation in these two vital rates. Together, these results indicate that the reproduction and growth of C. calceolus depend on individual demographic history and past weather conditions and that intrinsic factors can also lead to cyclic fluctuation in reproduction in nonmasting species.
Survey on impact of trace elements (Cu, Se and Zn) on veterinary and human mesenchymal stem cells.

This is the first review to investigate the effects of Cu, Se and Zn supplements on the growth, proliferation, and differentiation of veterinary and human mesenchymal stem cells. Currently, mesenchymal stem cells are evaluated in clinical studies for their therapeutic potential to treat various diseases, disorders, injuries, in various tissue engineering approaches that could provide repair. To date, many reports have indicated several agents that could improve the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. However, the efficacy of compounds such as growth factors or trace elements has not been validated by clinical trials.
Glucose-Sensitive Nanoparticles Based On Poly(3-Acrylamidophenylboronic Acid-Block-N-Vinylcaprolactam) For Insulin Delivery

Background Compared with random copolymers, block copolymerization is easier to prepare for nanoparticles with core-shell structure, and they will have better glucose sensitivity and higher insulin loading. Purpose In our study, insulin-loaded poly (3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid-block-N-vinyl caprolactam) p(AAPBA-b-NVCL) nanoparticles were successfully prepared and were glucose-sensitive, which could effectively lower the blood sugar levels within 72 hrs. Methods The polymer of p(AAPBA-b-NVCL) was produced by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization based on different ratios of 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid (AAPBA) and N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL), and its structure was discussed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance . Next, the polymer was manufactured into the nanoparticles, and the characteristics of nanoparticles were detected by dynamic light scattering, lower critical solution temperature, and transmission electron microscopy. After that, the cell and animal toxicity of nanoparticles were also investigated. Results The results demonstrated that p(AAPBA-b-NVCL) was successfully synthesized, and can be easily self-assembled to form nanoparticles. The new nanoparticles included monodisperse submicron particles, with the size of the nanoparticle ranged between 150 and 300nm and are glucose- and temperature-sensitive. Meanwhile, insulin can be easily loaded by p(AAPBA-b-NVCL) nanoparticles and an effective sustained release of insulin was observed when the nanoparticles were placed in physiological saline. Besides, MTT assay revealed that cell viability was more than 80%, and mice demonstrated no negative impact on blood biochemistry and heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney after intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg/d of nanoparticles. This suggested that the nanoparticles were low-toxic to both cells and animals. Moreover, they could lower the blood sugar level within 72h. Conclusion Our research suggested that these p(AAPBA-b-NVCL) nanoparticles might have the potential to be applied in a delivery system for insulin or other hypoglycemic proteins.
Development of control system for quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle using LoRa wireless and GPS tracking

In the past decades, there has been a growing interest in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for educational, research, business, and military purposes. The most critical data for a flight system is the telemetry data from the GPS and wireless transmitter and also from the gyroscope and accelerometer. The objective of this paper is to develop a control system for UAV using long-range wireless communication and GPS. First, Matlab simulation was conducted to obtain an optimum PID gains controller. Then LoRa wireless was evaluated during clear and rainy days. Static and dynamic points measurement was conducted to validate and optimize GPS accuracy. GeoMapping in Matlab and Google GPS GeoPlanner were then used to analyze the traveled UAV flight path.
Contributions of Microbial “Contact Leaching” to Pyrite Oxidation under Different Controlled Redox Potentials

The function of microbial contact leaching to pyrite oxidation was investigated by analyzing the differences of residue morphologies, leaching rates, surface products, and microbial consortia under different conditions in this study. This was achieved by novel equipment that can control the redox potential of the solution and isolate pyrite from microbial contact oxidation. The morphology of residues showed that the corrosions were a little bit severer in the presence of attached microbes under 750 mV and 850 mV (vs. SHE). At 650 mV, the oxidation of pyrite was undetectable even in the presence of attached microbes. The pyrite dissolution rate was higher with attached microbes than that without attached microbes at 750 mV and 850 mV. The elemental sulfur on the surface of pyrite residues with sessile microorganisms was much less than that without attached microbes at 750 mV and 850 mV, showing that sessile acidophiles may accelerate pyrite leaching by reducing the elemental sulfur inhibition. Many more sulfur-oxidizers were found in the sessile microbial consortium which also supported the idea. The results suggest that the microbial “contact leaching” to pyrite oxidation is limited and relies on the elimination of elemental sulfur passivation by attached sulfur-oxidizing microbes rather than the contact oxidation by EPS-Fe.
Taxonomic Implications of Flavonoids and Steroids in the Species of Stachytarpheta Present in Awka, Nigeria

The flavonoids and steroids content of the three Stachytarpheta species present in Awka, South East Nigeria was tested so as to establish taxonomic evidence between these species. Standard phytochemical methods were used in this analysis. The result however, revealed the presence of steroids and flavonoids in all parts of the three Stachytarphetaspecies, thus, a reason for their placement in the same family. On the other hand, the presence of steroids was also tested. S. cayannensis confirmed the presence of steroids in all the parts of the plant. Hence, steroids was absent in all the parts of S.jamaicensis andS.angustifolia, this however, can be used to delimit S.cayannensis from the two otherStachytarpheta species tested. This result obtained from the quantitative analyses of these species may proffer a significant taxonomic solution in the placement of these Stachytarphetaspecies.
Beliefs, perceived risks and acceptability of lethal management of wild pigs

Abstract Context. Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a non-native, invasive species that can cause significant damage to agricultural crops, and native flora and fauna. In the United States, damage and control costs have been estimated at 1.5 billion USD. A combination of early sexual maturity, high fecundity, opportunistic eating and well established populations forces managers to control wild pig densities and resulting damages. AimsThe present study aimed to examine the relationships among farmers’ positive and negative beliefs about wild pigs, their perceived risks associated with wild pigs and their acceptability of lethal management actions for controlling agricultural damage. Methods. Data were obtained from a mail survey of Illinois farmers (n = 3035, response rate = 58%). Variables consisted of six belief statements (three negative, e.g. wild pigs are a source of disease, and three positive, e.g. ‘I enjoy seeing wild pigs around my property’), five perceived risk statements (e.g. wild pigs cause property damage) and four statements regarding the acceptability of lethal management actions for controlling the impact of wild pigs (e.g. shooting wild pigs from a helicopter). Key results. The relationships between the negative and positive beliefs and the acceptability of lethal management were partially mediated by perceptions of risk (Hypothesis 1). Perceived risks associated with wild pigs were related to negative (Hypothesis 2) and positive (Hypothesis 3) beliefs about wild pigs, as well as acceptability of lethal management actions (Hypothesis 4) to control the impact of wild pigs. In addition, negative beliefs (Hypothesis 5) and positive beliefs (Hypothesis 6) were related to support for lethal control. Conclusions. These relationships occurred despite the relatively low prevalence of wild pigs in Illinois and suggest that lethal actions are acceptable even though perceived risks are low. Implications. Findings suggested that perceived risks associated with wild pigs were not substantially related to the attributes of the farm (e.g. farm ownership, crops grown, total acres farmed) or demographic characteristics (i.e. sex, age). Managers should focus on influencing the psychological indicators (e.g. negative and positive beliefs, perceived risks) to increase the acceptability of lethal management actions for mitigating the impacts of wild pigs.
Particle approach to a stagnation point at a wall: Viscous damping and collision dynamics

A particle carried by a wall-normal flow can get critically close to the wall, depending on the particle radius compared with the flow boundary-layer thickness, on the surface effective roughness, and on the particle-to-fluid density ratio. At sufficiently large inertia, the particle bounces back. The rebound velocity of a neutrally buoyant particle at the stagnation point at the wall is examined. The rebound height of a particle pair approaching the stagnation point is surprisingly large compared with that of single particle.
Control of Rotary Inverted Pendulum by Using On–Off Type of Cold Gas Thrusters

This article describes the control of a rotary inverted pendulum utilizing on–off-type cold gas thrusters as the actuators, which have high similarities with thruster actuated spacecrafts with slosh dynamics. The study is completed in three phases. Firstly, a Pulse Width Modulator (PWM) design method is utilized to obtain quasi-linear thrust output from the on–off-type thrusters. Then, a single axis angle controller is designed and tested on the setup along with the PWM scheme. Finally, a pendulum is connected to the other end of the platform and a rotary inverted pendulum (Furuta Pendulum) is constructed. In this way, an inherently unstable, under-actuated, on–off driven system is obtained. For the swing-up motion of the pendulum, an energy-based method is employed. Balancing of the pendulum is achieved by an observer-based state feedback controller under small angle assumption and quasi-linear outputs from the PWM driven thrusters. All of these control methodologies are realized on a real-time target machine. The pendulum is stabilized in seven seconds after five swings, which is comparable to the systems with electric motors.
Population genetics and historical demographic inferences of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in the US based on microsatellites

The native range of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus spans Nova Scotia to northern Argentina. In the US, it constitutes a keystone species in estuarine habitats of the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico (GOM), serving as both predator and prey to other species, and also has historically represented a multi-billion dollar fishery. Knowledge relevant to effective management and monitoring of this ecologically and economically important species, such as levels of population genetic differentiation and genetic diversity, is necessary. Although several population genetics studies have attempted to address these questions in one or more parts of its distribution, conflicting results and potential problems with the markers used, as well as other issues, have obscured our understanding on them. In this study, we examined large-scale genetic connectivity of the blue crab in the US, using 16 microsatellites, and genotyped individuals from Chesapeake Bay, in the US Atlantic, and from nine localities along the US GOM coast. Consistent with the high long-distance dispersal potential of this species, very low levels of genetic differentiation were detected for the blue crab among the ten US localities examined, suggesting it constitutes a large panmictic population within this region. Estimations of genetic diversity for the blue crab appear to be high in the US, and provide a baseline for monitoring temporal changes in this species. Demographic analyses indicate a recent range expansion of the US population, probably during the Holocene. In addition, capitalizing on published microsatellite data from southern Brazil, our analyses detected high genetic differentiation between localities in the US and Brazil. These results point to the need for examination of genetic diversity and differentiation along the area spanning the US to southern Brazil.
On the mechanisms that sustain the inception of attached cavitation

Abstract This experimental study addresses the longstanding question of why inception of attached cavitation on curved surfaces or hydrofoils at incidence is relatively insensitive to the concentration of free-stream nuclei. High-speed imaging and high-resolution particle image velocimetry measurements examine cavitation inception on three curved surfaces with varying pressure minima followed by regions with adverse pressure gradients. When these pressure gradients either thicken the boundary layer or cause local flow separation, thin $(50\text {--}60\ \mathrm {\mu }\textrm {m})$ low-momentum zones form close to the wall. Microbubbles trapped in these regions are generated initially from the collapse of intermittent attachment of travelling bubble cavitation. These bubbles migrate slowly upstream for a few milliseconds either under the influence of the adverse pressure gradients when the flow remains attached or carried by the recirculating flow when the boundary layer is separated. Their speed is only 2 %–4 % of the free-stream velocity, and their trajectories are erratic, indicating near-dynamic equilibrium. Owing to the low local pressure, their diameter increases by two to four times by non-condensable gas diffusion, from $10$ to $30\ \mathrm {\mu }\textrm {m}$ to the thickness of the low-momentum zone. At that time, either they are swept downstream by the free-stream flow or they become nuclei for new attached cavitation events. When the new patches collapse, new microbubbles form and the process repeats itself frequently, and independently of the free-stream nuclei. These phenomena do not occur when the adverse pressure gradients are too mild to create low-momentum zones with sufficient thickness to facilitate the slow upstream migration and growth.
Selection of stress-tolerant indigenous rhizobia nodulating alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a very important forage crop, which forms a symbiotic relationship with nodule bacterium Sinorhizobum meliloti. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the stress tolerance of indigenous S. meliloti strains to adverse environmental conditions. Twenty rhizobial strains, isolated from different regions in Croatia, were phenotypically characterized to assess diversity amongst natural field population. The growth of the strains was studied at different pH values, temperatures, carbohydrate sources and different concentrations of NaCl. The results showed that most of the strains can grow at temperatures higher than optimal and that strains tolerate both acidic and alkaline environment. It was found that indigenous strains can tolerate extremely high concentrations of NaCl. Most strains possess the enzyme urease while only a small number of them possess the enzyme catalase. The results showed that all indigenous strains belonged to the group of fast-growing rhizobia and that they were more tolerant to the antibiotics tested in comparison to the reference S. meliloti strain. Better understanding of rhizobial response to adverse environmental conditions is of important value for improving rhizobial inoculants and efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation.
Residency and inter-reef connectivity of three gamefishes between natural reefs and a large mitigation artificial reef

Table S1. Average transition probability matrix for all Kelp Bass tagged at WNAR, detected by all receivers. Shaded column indicates probability of fish moving away from and remaining on (darkened cell) WNAR. When column and row region match, it is the probability of the fish remaining the region. Probabilities off the diagonal indicate transitions from site j to site i during the course of the study period. Table corresponds with figure 5A. FROM: Barn San Onofre San Mateo South Bracket Trestles WNAR North Bracket
Multimodal physical therapy for treating primary and secondary fibromyalgia – German multimodal rheumatologic complex treatment

Abstract Objectives Multimodal rheumatologic complex therapy (MRCT) delivers various modalities of physical therapy (PT) to patients with rheumatic diseases. We conducted a monocentric retrospective analysis of the effects of MRCT on pain and disease activity in patients with primary (PFM) and secondary fibromyalgia (SFM). Methods 102 treatment episodes (N) applied to 83 patients (n) with PFM (N = 50; n = 39) and SFM (N = 52, n = 44) were analysed. Of the latter, 23 had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 21 spondyloarthritis (SpA). We evaluated changes in pain intensity, functional status and disease activity before and after a MRCT episode. In addition, we assessed influences of various patient characteristics and analysed treatment responses in PFM and SFM. Results MRCT resulted in significant reduction of pain (NRS, p < 0.0001) and disease activity (FIQ, p = 0.001). In SFM, disease activity of the underlying disease (i.e. RA or SpA) was significantly reduced. Various aspects of the disease did not have a significant effect on the outcome parameters. Treatment effects were not significantly different in PFM and SFM. Conclusion MRCT significantly decreases pain and disease activity in patients with FM, irrespective of the course of disease, and is equally effective in both PFM and SFM, thus underlining the importance of PT in the treatment of FM.