Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seasonal variation of picloram metabolism in broom (Gutierrezia sarothrae) and threadleaf (Gutierrezia microcephala) snakeweed populations in a common garden

Abstract Broom and threadleaf snakeweed are major rangeland weeds in the western United States, and picloram is the major herbicide used for their management. Previous work has shown that these species are most susceptible to picloram applied in autumn or when precipitation is high and that differences in herbicide absorption and tissue sensitivity as measured by picloram-induced ethylene production do not fully explain variation in seasonal response. Therefore, the role of picloram metabolism in seasonal susceptibility to picloram was examined. Because snakeweed is characterized as highly genetically variable, picloram metabolism was evaluated monthly for 3 yr among populations from two species as well. Picloram metabolism was examined monthly for 3 yr among two populations of threadleaf and nine populations of broom snakeweed grown in a common garden. Metabolism ranged from 30 to 70% of picloram applied, and picloram was converted to two metabolites more polar than picloram regardless of species or population. Although metabolism was greatest in the year with the most precipitation, rate of metabolism was unrelated to precipitation received in the 7-d period before treatment. Application timing as defined by a given month or specific phenological stage was not related to the level of metabolism. We conclude that variation in picloram metabolism is not involved in differential susceptibility across season or population. Nomenclature: Picloram; broom snakeweed, Gutierrezia sarothrae (Pursh) Britt. & Rusby GUESA; threadleaf snakeweed, Gutierrezia microcephala (DC.) Gray GUEMI.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Menticirrhus littoralis (Sciaenidae, Perciformes) and its phylogeny

Abstract We describe the mitochondrial genome of the Menticirrhus littoralis and infer the phylogenetic position of Menticirrhus in the family Sciaenidae. The genome contains 16,499 base pairs distributed in gene regions (13 protein-coding regions, 2 rRNAs and 22 tRNAs) and a control region (CR). Our phylogenetic analysis suggests, with strong statistical support, that Menticirrhus is a sister group of the other sciaenids.
CLADISTICS, BIOGEOGRAPHY, AND HOST RELATIONSHIPS OF THE FLEA SUBGENUS CTENOPHTHALMUS (ALLOCTENUS), WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW MEXICAN SPECIES (SIPHONAPTERA: CTENOPHTHALMIDAE)

Abstract A cladistic analysis based on 21 characters from the external morphology and male genitalia was undertaken in order to determine the status of the flea subgenera Ctenophthalmus (Alloctenus) and C. (Nearctoctenophthalmus). As a result of the analysis, Ctenophthalmus (Alloctenus) (=Nearctoctenophthalmus, new synonym) comprises nine species (in phylogenetic sequence): C. pseudagyrtes, C. sanborni, C. micropus, new status (from subspecies of C. pseudagyrtes), C. haagi, C. tecpin new species, C. caballeroi, C. cryptotis, C. expansus, and C. myodosus, new status (from subspecies of C. expansus). Biogeographic data indicate that two species (C. pseudagyrtes and C. micropus) are widespread in both the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, another (C. tecpin) is exclusively Nearctic, whereas the remaining six species are exclusively Neotropical. Within the latter, the monophyletic clade including those species previously assigned to C. (Alloctenus) is endemic to the Transvolcanic Mexican Belt. Host data indicate that the most primitive species are basically parasites of sigmodontine mice (Rodentia: Muridae)—secondarily associated with Talpidae and Soricidae (Insectivora)—whereas the most derived species are exclusive parasites of the shrew genus Cryptotis (Insectivora: Soricidae).
Taxonomy and Ecology of Fragilaria microvaucheriae sp. nov. and Comparison with the Type Materials of F. uliginosa and F. vaucheriae

Abstract A new diatom species from freshwater environments in France is described. Fragilaria microvaucheriae sp. nov. is illustrated and discussed based on populations from the Loire-Brittany basin and compared with the original (type) material of Fragilaria vaucheriae (Kütz.) J.B. Petersen (= Exilaria vaucheriae Kütz.) from Germany and Fragilaria uliginosa Kulikowskiy et al., recently described from a peat bog in Mongolia. Additional populations of Fragilaria pectinalis (O.F.Müll.) Lyngb. from the Rhône Alpes region (France) are also investigated in detail including its environmental preferences in order to compare with the new species. Fragilaria microvaucheriae is similar to F. vaucheriae but present smaller cell dimensions and higher density of striae. It occurs in slight acidic waters. The new species has been identified in the past as F. vaucheriae, Fragilaria capucina sensu auct. , Fragilaria austriaca (Grunow) Lange-Bert. or Fragilaria pectinalis. The morphology of the new species and similar taxa is documented by light (LM) and scanning electron micrographs (SEM) and discussed in light of recent advances in the taxonomy of the genus Fragilaria Lyngb. from freshwater environments.
Validação do peso autorreferido entre usuários do Programa Academia da Saúde de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 2017 *

Resumo Objetivo validar o peso corporal autorreferido de usuarios do Programa Academia da Saude (PAS), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil, e verificar fatores associados ao erro do peso Metodos o peso corporal autorreferido, obtido por entrevista telefonica, foi comparado ao peso mensurado; empregou-se teste t de Student, metodo ANOVA, coeficiente de correlacao de concordância de Lin, metodo Bland-Altman e indice Kappa; para mulheres, o peso autorreferido foi corrigido, frente ao mensurado, por regressao multipla. Resultados participaram 441 usuarios; homens relataram seu peso de forma valida (erro=0; p=0,15); a concordância para classificacao de excesso de peso foi de 94,3% (Kappa=0,88); mulheres com >30 anos e excesso de peso apresentaram maior erro no relato (-0,8kg; erro≠0; p<0,01); apos correcao por regressao multipla, a validade do peso autorreferido foi satisfatoria (erro=0; p=0,99). Conclusao para homens, medidas autorreferidas de peso podem ser utilizadas em pesquisas e na vigilância a saude; para mulheres, fez-se necessaria a correcao.
Leaf anatomical characteristics of Avicennia L. and some selected taxa in Acanthaceae

The proposed placement of Avicennia L. into Acanthaceae had been made based only on molecular data. The main objective of this study is to investigate whether anatomical leaf characteristics of the Avicennia species support this placement. This study also aims to determine the leaf anatomical characteristics and their taxonomic value for some selected taxa ofAcanthaceae. Seven species were studied, namely A. alba Blume, A. officinalis L. , A. lanata Ridley, Justicia gendarussa Burm. f. , J. betonica L. , Strobilanthes crispa Blume and Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha (L.) T. Anderson. Methods used were sectioning using sliding microtome, leaf clearing, epidermal peels, and observation under a light microscope. Findings have shown great differences between Avicenniaspecies andother studied taxa. There are eleven outstanding leaf anatomical variations which may be used to distinguish all Avicennia species from the others, such as the presence and absence of brachysclereids, hypodermal layers, cystoliths and the presence of denture on the abaxial side of leaf margin, type of trichomes and stomata, areolar venation, marginal outline, shape of vascular bundles in the midrib, and the pattern of anticlinal walls on the adaxial and abaxial epidermis cells. The presence of mucilaginous idioblasts cells is common in all species studied. This study has shown that the genus Avicennia does not share similar leaf anatomical characteristics with the other taxa in Acanthaceae. As a conclusion, the placement of the genus Avicennia into the Acanthaceae has not been supported by leaf anatomical characteristics; therefore, it is suggested that this placement be revised.
Novel Fe-doped ZnO-CdS nanocomposite with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance

ABSTRACT Chemical precipitation method was employed to synthesize the Fe-doped ZnO-CdS nanocomposites. The influence of incorporated Fe ions on the properties of nanocomposites was examined by various spectroscopic characterisations. XRD patterns of as-prepared sample exhibited a hexagonal crystal phase for both ZnO and CdS. Non-uniformly distributed spherical-shaped morphologies were observed from the SEM and TEM analyses. EPR spectrum displayed a sharp signal at g = 2.02. Photoluminescence spectrum of the prepared sample exhibited emission peaks in ultraviolet and visible regions. In the magnetic study, a significant enhancement was observed in the ferromagnetism by adding Fe impurities to the ZnO-CdS nanocomposite at room temperature. The synthesised Fe-doped ZnO-CdS nanocomposites exhibited a superior catalytic performance than pure ZnO and ZnO-CdS nanocomposites.
Thermoplastic elastomer composite filaments for strain sensing applications extruded with a fused deposition modelling 3D printer

The use of thermoplastic elastomers with conductive fillers enables one to produce strain sensors in a variety of shapes and forms using thermoplastic processing routes. However, some methods of thermoplastic processing are costly and require long production times. Filament printing, an additive manufacturing route that still exhibits a high annual growth rate, is a cost- and time-efficient method of additive processing. In this study a commercial conductive thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) based fused deposition modelling (FDM) filament and a styrenic block copolymer (TPS) compound were extruded through two different FDM-based nozzle sizes, using an FDM 3D printer. The TPU material could only be extruded through a 0.5 mm orifice; using a lower nozzle diameter resulted in a non-elastic brittle filament. For the TPS material it was possible to produce filaments with diameters of 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm. In all dynamic tests, the extruded commercial piezoresistive TPU filament either showed plastic deformation at higher elongation, which resulted in resistance uncertainty at low strain, or a secondary peak in the resistivity measurement. For the TPS material, mainly the relaxation of the material resulted in lagging of the resistive value at low strain, because of the buckling of the fiber. Using combined dynamic and static measurements, a reproducible signal could be achieved with the TPS-based material, while the TPU-based material could not be used as a sensor in this area of strains.
Temporal Hydrological Drought Index Forecasting for New South Wales, Australia Using Machine Learning Approaches

Droughts can cause significant damage to agriculture and water resources leading to severe economic losses. One of the most important aspects of drought management is to develop useful tools to forecast drought events, which could be helpful in mitigation strategies. The recent global trends in drought events reveal that climate change would be a dominant factor in influencing such events. The present study aims to understand this effect for the New South Wales (NSW) region of Australia, which has suffered from several droughts in recent decades. The understanding of the drought is usually carried out using a drought index, therefore the Standard Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI) was chosen as it uses both rainfall and temperature parameters in its calculation and has proven to better reflect drought. The drought index was calculated at various time scales (1, 3, 6, and 12 months) using a Climate Research Unit (CRU) dataset. The study focused on predicting the temporal aspect of the drought index using 13 different variables, of which eight were climatic drivers and sea surface temperature indices, and the remainder were various meteorological variables. The models used for forecasting were an artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector regression (SVR). The model was trained from 1901–2010 and tested for nine years (2011–2018), using three different performance metric scores (coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). The results indicate that ANN was better than SVR in predicting temporal drought trends, with the highest R2 value of 0.86 for the former compared to 0.75 for the latter. The study also reveals that sea surface temperatures and the climatic index (Pacific Decadal Oscillation) do not have a significant effect on the temporal drought aspect. The present work can be considered as a first step, wherein we only study the temporal trends, towards the use of climatological variables and drought incidences for the NSW region.
Internal sedimentary structure of linear dunes modelled with a cellular automaton

Linear dunes are the most common type of dune found on Earth and exist on several extra‐terrestrial bodies, but despite this abundance their internal stratigraphy has not been commonly agreed. A cellular automaton is deployed to simulate the development of linear dunes, starting from a flat bed, under bi‐modal oblique wind regimes of varying degrees of asymmetry. The internal stratigraphy of the linear dunes is monitored by keeping track of (buried) erosion surfaces, avalanche deposits and vertical accumulation, as well as the age of last subaerial exposure of the sediments. The simulations show the initial pattern‐coarsening of a network of small dunes into fewer larger longitudinal ridges via bedform interactions and Y‐junction dynamics. Three newly recognized types of bedform interaction are identified that relate to initial Y‐junction dynamics: longitudinal crest‐splitting, which creates free dune tips that can interact with adjacent dunes, and laterally oscillating interactions that lead to ephemeral Y‐junctions (normal or reverse). The results show that these three bedform interactions leave no persistent signatures in the stratigraphic record. However, a further three bedform interactions involving the superposition of one dune onto another – merging, cannibalizing and repulsion (known from transverse dune field dynamics) – do leave specific evidence in the internal stratigraphy of the remaining dune, a buried interaction surface at a specific inclination. The preservation potential of this interaction surface varies between the three types. After the initial pattern‐coarsening phase, the linear dunes become larger and more independent and their crest orientation follows the net resultant transport direction. The stratigraphies of mature dunes under wind regimes of differing asymmetry show that under (nearly) symmetrical winds the dune accumulates mainly vertically, with strata dipping parallel to the flanks, while under more asymmetrical wind regimes the internal stratigraphy resembles that of transverse dunes.
Greek Correspondents and EU: Organic Critiques and Proposed Remedies to Address EU’s Communication Deficit

ABSTRACT Τhe purpose of this paper is to focus on Greek correspondents and (a) present their views and critiques on the way that EU news are presented by Greek media organizations, (b) analyze their opinions on Greek citizens’ level of information regarding EU affairs and (c) record their suggestions and possible remedies to address EU’s communication deficit. In this direction, EU-media relations are adopted as an analytical framework to discuss the communication deficit within the realm of EU democratic shortcomings. Based on the findings we develop recommendations and suggestions that could facilitate and contribute to the legitimacy of the EU and consequently also enhance trust in European institutions.
Influence of Stocking Density and Dietary Energy on Ostrich (Struthio camelus) Performance

The effects of stocking density on starter performance and of dietary energy on grower performance of ostriches were evaluated in two separate trials. Trial 1 was conducted to evaluate the influence of three different animal density treatments (33.5, 16.8 and 11.2 m /bird) on survivability and growth of ostrich chicks 2 from 21 to 98 d of age. In Trial 1, chicks were randomly assigned by source and weight to the three density treatments with each density replicated three times and assigned to pens (9.2m x 29.3m) using a complete block design. Trial 2 was conducted to evaluate the effects of three levels of dietary energy (11.71, 12.90 and 14.09 MJ of ostrich TMEn/kg diet) on grower performance from 98 to 146 d of age. In Trial 2, ostriches were randomly assigned by weight to the three dietary treatments with each treatment replicated four times. In Trial 1, animal density had an effect (P 0.05) feed to gain ratio. In Trial 2, dietary energy affected (P<0.05) body weight, weight gain and feed efficiency. Body weight at 146 d of age was higher (P<0.05) for birds consuming the high energy (69.1 kg) versus the low (66.0 kg) and moderate (65.5 kg) energy diets. Feed to gain ratio was similarly improved as diet energy level increased. These results provide quantitative information on the impact of available space and dietary energy on performance and have implications on the economics of production and on ostrich chick management.
GeneMarker ® Software for Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) Data Analysis

Introduction One culture-independent molecular method for fingerprinting microbial populations is terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) (1). T-RFLP has been used to demonstrate “species diversity in activated sludge, bioreactor sludge, aquifer sand and termite guts” (2); to distinguish populations of denitrifiers, Bacteria and Archaea in marine sediments (3); to show “temporal changes in the diversity of the bacterial communities” in polluted marine environments (4); and to study fungal populations in soil (5). This sensitive high-throughput method has the potential to generate large sets of data. Improving speed and efficiency of terminal restriction fragment (T-RF) analysis will further understanding the diversity, richness and dynamics of microbial populations and its relationship to ecological processes.
Why Do Some Insider CEOs Make More Strategic Changes Than Others? The Impact of Prior Board Experience on New CEO Insiderness

This study draws attention to the impact of prior board experiences on the variation in new insider CEOs’ degree of “insiderness” in terms of commitment to the status quo and their propensity to make strategic change. We theorize and find that new insider CEOs’ prior board experience at the focal firm has a negative effect on strategic change, whereas their prior board experience at other firms has a positive effect. Moreover, the positive effect of prior board experience at other firms is stronger (weaker) for new insider CEOs who have less (more) prior board experience at the focal firm. Our study contributes to upper echelons theory and research on new CEOs, and has important implications for organizational practices regarding CEO succession and strategic change.
Tris(ethylenediamine) Cobalt(II) and Manganese(II) Nitrates

Octahedral tris(ethylenediamine) coordination complexes demonstrate helicoidal chirality, due to the arrangement of the ligands around the metal core. The enantiomers of the nitrate salts [Ni(en)3](NO3)2 and [Zn(en)3](NO3)2 spontaneously resolve to form a mixture of conglomerate crystals, which present a reversible phase transition from space group P6322 to enantiomorphic P6522 or P6122, with the latter depending on the handedness of the enantiomer. We report here the synthesis and characterization of [Mn(en)3](NO3)2 and [Co(en)3](NO3)2, which are isostructural to the Zn(II) and Ni(II) derivatives. The Mn(II) analogue undergoes the same phase transition centered at 150(2) K, as determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The Co(II) derivative does not demonstrate a phase transition down to 2 K, as evidenced by powder X-ray diffraction and heat capacity measurements. The phase transition does not impact the magnetic properties of the Ni(II) and Mn(II) analogues; these high spin compounds display Curie behavior that is consistent with S = 1 and 5/2, respectively, down to 20 K, while the temperature-dependent magnetic moment for the Co(II) compound reveals a significant orbital contribution.
Food insecurity is associated with increased weight loss attempts in children and adolescents

Household food insecurity (HFI) has been associated with adverse childhood outcomes and shares many common risk factors with obesity. Half of adolescents with overweight or obesity are actively attempting to lose weight. We aim to evaluate whether HFI is associated with weight loss attempts and unhealthy weight loss control practices in children. We examined cross‐sectional data of children ages 8 to 15 years old from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Attempted weight loss was more common among children with very low food security (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.09, 2.07). Children with a healthy weight with very low food security had increased odds of attempting weight loss (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.00, 2.26) but there was no association in children with overweight or obesity. Very low food security was also associated with unhealthy weight control practices (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.93). Physicians should counsel all children and adolescents on healthy and unhealthy weight loss behaviours, regardless of weight or food security status.
Professionals’ views on how to conduct investigative interviews with adults with limited expressive language

Adults with communication impairment are vulnerable to abuse and are over-represented as victims in the criminal justice system. Investigative interviewers rely largely on verbal accounts to establish whether a criminal offence occurred, and therefore the way these accounts are elicited is paramount. To date, little research has evaluated whether current interviewing protocols are appropriate for eliciting accurate and detailed information from adults with communication impairment. The present study explored this issue through qualitative interviews with professionals from various disciplines. Specifically, professionals (N = 22) who had extensive experience in interviewing, disability advocacy, and cognitive and communication impairment reflected on current recommended practice and how it could potentially improve. The results indicated widespread support for the current (open questioning) approach, although the professionals perceived that additional verbal and visual scaffolding could potentially enhance the amount of detail obtained without compromising accuracy. Suggestions for interview protocol modifications and future research are discussed.