Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new vertebrate fauna from the Lower Cretaceous Holly Creek Formation of the Trinity Group, southwest Arkansas, USA

We present a previously discovered but undescribed late Early Cretaceous vertebrate fauna from the Holly Creek Formation of the Trinity Group in Arkansas. The site from the ancient Gulf Coast is dominated by semi-aquatic forms and preserves a diverse aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial fauna. Fishes include fresh- to brackish-water chondrichthyans and a variety of actinopterygians, including semionotids, an amiid, and a new pycnodontiform, Anomoeodus caddoi sp. nov. Semi-aquatic taxa include lissamphibians, the solemydid turtle Naomichelys, a trionychid turtle, and coelognathosuchian crocodyliforms. Among terrestrial forms are several members of Dinosauria and one or more squamates, one of which, Sciroseps pawhuskai gen. et sp. nov., is described herein. Among Dinosauria, both large and small theropods (Acrocanthosaurus, Deinonychus, and Richardoestesia) and titanosauriform sauropods are represented; herein we also report the first occurrence of a nodosaurid ankylosaur from the Trinity Group. The fauna of the Holly Creek Formation is similar to other, widely scattered late Early Cretaceous assemblages across North America and suggests the presence of a low-diversity, broadly distributed continental ecosystem of the Early Cretaceous following the Late Jurassic faunal turnover. This low-diversity ecosystem contrasts sharply with the highly diverse ecosystem which emerged by the Cenomanian. The contrast underpins the importance of vicariance as an evolutionary driver brought on by Sevier tectonics and climatic changes, such as rising sea level and formation of the Western Interior Seaway, impacting the early Late Cretaceous ecosystem.
Hybrid Machine Learning Models for Forecasting Surgical Case Volumes at a Hospital

Recent developments in machine learning and deep learning have led to the use of multiple algorithms to make better predictions. Surgical units in hospitals allocate their resources for day surgeries based on the number of elective patients, which is mostly disrupted by emergency surgeries. Sixteen different models were constructed for this comparative study, including four simple and twelve hybrid models for predicting the demand for endocrinology, gastroenterology, vascular, urology, and pediatric surgical units. The four simple models used were seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), support vector regression (SVR), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and long short-term memory (LSTM). The twelve hybrid models used were a combination of any two of the above-mentioned simple models, namely, SARIMA–SVR, SVR–SARIMA, SARIMA–MLP, MLP–SARIMA, SARIMA–LSTM, LSTM–SARIMA, SVR–MLP, MLP–SVR, SVR–LSTM, LSTM–SVR, MLP–LSTM, and LSTM–MLP. Data from the period 2012–2018 were used to build and test the models for each surgical unit. The results indicated that, in some cases, the simple LSTM model outperformed the others while, in other cases, there was a need for hybrid models. This shows that surgical units are unique in nature and need separate models for predicting their corresponding surgical volumes.
Alien, Naturalized and Invasive Plants in China

Invasive species are a subset of naturalized species, and naturalized species are a subset of alien species. Determining the relationship among these three assemblages would be helpful in predicting and preventing biological invasion. Here, we reviewed the families, lifeforms, origins, introduction pathways and phylogenetic diversity of alien, naturalized and invasive vascular plants in China. The results show that species in the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae families had a high dominance among alien, naturalized and invasive species. Moreover, almost all alien species in the Amaranthaceae, Solanaceae, Convolvulaceae and Euphorbiaceae families became naturalized species, and about 26.7% of the naturalized species became invasive species. Perennial herbs comprised a higher proportion of alien species than did annual herbs, though annual herbs were more suited to becoming invasive than perennial herbs. A considerable proportion (57.8%) of invasive species were introduced from America. More than half (56.5%) of alien species were introduced for their ornamental value, and half of these have become naturalized in China. Moreover, about half (55.2%) of all invasive species were introduced for their economic value (including ornamental, foraging and medicinal purposes). Invasive species were phylogenetically clustered and phylogenetically distant from alien and naturalized species, which indicates that phylogenetic differences could be helpful in becoming invasive. There is no doubt that human activity plays a significant role in biological invasion. This study suggests that when introducing alien species to a region, decision-makers should certainly consider the species’ phylogeny, beyond just its fundamental characteristics.
Cross-National Differences in Market Response: Line-Length, Price, and Distribution Elasticities in 14 Indo-Pacific Rim Economies

The field's knowledge of marketing-mix elasticities is largely restricted to developed countries in the North-Atlantic region, even though other parts of the world—especially the Indo-Pacific Rim region—have become economic powerhouses. To better allocate marketing budgets, firms need to have information about marketing-mix elasticities for countries outside the North-Atlantic region. The authors use data covering over 1,600 brands from 14 product categories collected in 7 developed and 7 emerging Indo-Pacific Rim countries across more than 10 years to estimate marketing elasticities for line length, price, and distribution and examine which brand, category, and country factors influence these elasticities. Averaged across brands, categories, and countries, line-length elasticity is . 459, price elasticity is −. 422, and distribution elasticity is . 368, but with substantial variation across brands, categories, and countries. Contrary to what has been suggested in previous research, the authors find no systematic differences in marketing responsiveness between emerging and developed economies. Instead, the key country-level factor driving elasticities is societal stratification, with Hofstede's measure of power inequality (power distance) as its cultural manifestation and income inequality as its economic manifestation. As the effects of virtually all brand, category, and country factors differ across the three marketing-mix instruments, the field needs new theorizing that is contingent on the marketing-mix instrument studied.
Modified particle filtering‐based robust estimation for a networked control system corrupted by impulsive noise

The non‐Gaussian characteristic of the impulsive noise significantly degrades the performance of the ℓ2 ‐norm‐based identification algorithms. To overcome the negative effects of impulsive noise to system identification, this article develops a modified particle filtering‐based robust multi‐innovation gradient (MPF‐MIG) algorithm for a networked control system corrupted by impulsive noise. The proposed algorithm is formulated based on a continuous logarithmic mixed p‐norm cost function, which can generate an adjustable gain that adapts to the data quality. A modified particle filtering is designed to estimate the unknown true output, which is corrupted by an impulsive noise without explicit probability density function. The simulation examples exhibit that the MPF‐MIG algorithm has better robustness and higher estimation accuracy than the conventional multi‐innovation gradient algorithm.
Rail surface defect inspection via a self-reference template and similarity evaluation

Although railway transportation has rapidly evolved in recent times, the existing manual maintenance of rail infrastructure presents several challenges, such as labor intensity and tediousness. Computer vision, as one of the automatic inspection methods, shows promising prospects for railway detection tasks. In this study, we proposed a novel rail surface defect detection method based on a self-reference template and similarity evaluation. Firstly, a self-reference template was generated by extracting the domain information together with the longitudinal direction of the rail image. We further defined an image structural similarity index, and subsequently compared all the transversal rows with the background template. A coarse-to-fine segmentation method was further proposed to locate the defect. In the first step of the segmentation procedure, rows with large differences were selected using the Otsu algorithm adaptively. The exact position of the defect was then determined by utilizing both gradient magnitude and grayscale information. Our method was evaluated on a public rail surface defects dataset, which included two types of data. The experiment results showed that our method detected type-I and type-II defects with 89.04% and 89.61% recall, and 98.46% and 97.87% precision, respectively. This shows that our method achieved higher accuracy than the established detection algorithms.
Biosocial life-course factors associated with women's early marriage in rural India: The prospective longitudinal Pune Maternal Nutrition Study.

OBJECTIVES By convention, women's early marriage is considered a sociocultural decision sensitive to factors acting during adolescence such as poverty, early menarche, and less education. Few studies have examined broader risk factors in the natal household prior to marriage. We investigated whether biosocial markers of parental investment through the daughters' life-course were associated with early marriage risk in rural India. We used an evolutionary perspective to interpret our findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective cohort recruited mothers at preconception. Children were followed from birth to age 21 years. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated odds ratios of marrying early (<19 years) associated first with wealth, age at menarche and education, and then with broader markers of maternal phenotype, natal household characteristics, and girls' growth trajectories. Models adjusted for confounders. RESULTS Of 305 girls, 71 (23%) had married early. Early married girls showed different patterns of growth compared to unmarried girls. Neither poverty nor early menarche predicted early marriage. Girls' non-completion of lower secondary school predicted early marriage, explaining 19% of the variance. Independent of girls' lower schooling, nuclear household, low paternal education, shorter gestation, and girls' poor infant weight gain were associated with marrying early, explaining in combination 35% of the variance. DISCUSSION Early marriage reflects "future discounting," where reduced parental investment in daughters' somatic and educational capital from early in her life favors an earlier transition to the life-course stage when reproduction can occur. Interventions initiated in adolescence may occur too late in the life-course to effectively delay women's marriage.
Development of the Shift Smartphone App to Support the Emotional Well-Being of Junior Physicians: Design of a Prototype and Results of Usability and Acceptability Testing

Background Junior physicians report higher levels of psychological distress than senior doctors and report several barriers to seeking professional mental health support, including concerns about confidentiality and career progression. Mobile health (mHealth) apps may be utilized to help overcome these barriers to assist the emotional well-being of this population and encourage help-seeking. Objective This study describes the development and pilot trial of the Shift mHealth app to provide an unobtrusive avenue for junior physicians to seek information about, and help for, well-being and mental health concerns, which is sensitive to workplace settings. Methods A 4-phase iterative development process was undertaken to create the content and features of Shift involving junior physicians using the principles of user-centered design. These 4 phases were—needs assessment, on the basis of interviews with 12 junior physicians; prototype development with user experience feedback from 2 junior physicians; evaluation, consisting of a pilot trial with 22 junior physicians to assess the usability and acceptability of the initial prototype; and redesign, including user experience workshops with 51 junior physicians. Results Qualitative results informed the content and design of Shift to ensure that the app was tailored to junior physicians’ needs. The Shift app prototype contained cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, value-based actions, and psychoeducational modules, as well as a tracking function that visualized patterns of daily variations in mood and health behaviors. Pilot-testing revealed possible issues with the organization of the app content, which were addressed through a thorough restructuring and redesign of Shift with the help of junior physicians across 3 user experience workshops. Conclusions This study demonstrates the importance of ongoing end user involvement in the creation of a specialized mHealth app for a unique working population experiencing profession-specific stressors and barriers to help-seeking. The development and pilot trial of this novel Shift mHealth app are the first steps in addressing the mental health and support-seeking needs of junior physicians, although further research is required to validate its effectiveness and appropriateness on a larger scale.
Phytochemical screening, determination of total polyphenols and flavonoids, and evaluation of the antibacterial activity of leaves of Turraea heterophylla Smith (Meliaceae)

Turraea heterophylla Smith (Meliaceae) is a species used in Ivorian’s traditional medicine for its various properties, such as antimalarial and aphrodisiac. This study aims to determine the chemical composition of the leaves from T. heterophylla and their content in polyphenols, in addition the antibacterial activity of the methanolic extract. Chemical test and spectrophotometry methods were used for phyotchemical study. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (CIP 54127AF) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CIP 103467). Phytochemical study revealed the presence of polyterpenes, steroids, alkaloids, saponins, polyphenols and flavonoids. A very high content of flavonoids and polyphenols were observed in the ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts. The antibacterial tests indicated that the methanol extract of the leaves from T. heterophylla had bacteriostatic properties against the germs tested with MIC values greater than 3000 µg / mL.
On the influence of particle shape and process conditions in the pressure drop and hydrodynamics in a wall-effect fixed bed

ABSTRACT A low tube-to-particle diameter ratio (dt/de,p) fixed bed, packed with spherical and nonspherical catalyst supports, was used to investigate pressure drop at varying temperature (298–673 K) and inlet pressure (245–294 kPa). The dt/de,p ranged from 3 to 6, namely, a large wall-effect fixed bed, with an average void fraction between 0.38 and 0.61. These conditions pertain to multitubular fixed-bed reactors used for exothermic reactions. The pressure drop was notably influenced by the particle size and morphology as well as temperature. The use of particles with dt/de,p < 5 and relatively large bed void fractions (>0.55) appeared suitable for pressure drop control. The fluid velocity profiles were calculated by applying the Navier–Stokes–Darcy–Forchheimer equation computing the respective permeability parameters with refitted state-of-the-art pressure drop correlations. The fluid flow exhibited different velocity zones across the fixed bed, the highest velocity zone being located near the reactor wall. The axial velocity component was influenced by the catalyst morphology, as well as temperature and inlet pressure.
The response of a high-yielding canola hybrid to sulfur fertilization in three contrasting Saskatchewan soils

Abstract Canola (Brassica napus) is the primary oilseed crop in western Canada; however, it is often grown on sulfur (S)-deficient soils. Moreover, canola has a high S demand compared to cereals and, therefore, is particularly sensitive to S deficiency. This study examined the growth and nutrient uptake responses of a high-yielding canola hybrid cultivar to S fertilization when grown on three contrasting soils differing in S fertility, with and without the addition of fertilizer S. The soils were collected from three soil-climatic zones within Saskatchewan (Brown, Black, and Gray) and three different fertilizer S forms were used: ammonium sulfate (AS); ammonium thiosulfate (ATS); and a composite fertilizer containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and S (NPS; 50-50 blend of sulfate (SO4) salt and elemental S). Sulfur fertilization increased the canola biomass, along with plant uptake of N, P, and S on all three soils. Fertilizer S use efficiency (i.e. recovery) ranged from 11-75%. For all three soils, the general trend among fertilizer S forms for biomass, nutrient uptake, and fertilizer use efficiency was AS > ATS > NPS. The greatest differences were observed with the Gray soil, which had the poorest S fertility. Residual soil SO4 after harvest was greater for ATS and NPS; reflecting continued oxidation of thiosulfate and elemental S to SO4. Principal component analysis demonstrated the importance of tissue N:S ratio as a key diagnostic measurement related to canola growth and nutrient uptake in S-deficient soils.
Clinical Trial Protocol for HyNOVA: Hyperthermic and Normothermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy following interval cytoreductive surgery for stage III epithelial OVArian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer (ANZGOG1901/2020)

Background Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer, causing over 200,000 deaths worldwide in 2020. Initial standard treatment for primary ovarian cancer is optimal cytoreductive surgery (CRS) preceded and/or followed by intravenous platinum-based chemotherapy. However, most women develop recurrence within the peritoneal cavity and die of disease. Results of the OVIHIPEC 1 trial (2018) showed improved survival of 34% when hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) was given immediately following interval-CRS in women with stage III disease. However, it is unknown if the effect of HIPEC is due to hyperthermia, one extra cycle of intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy, or other factors. There is also concern that hyperthermia might be associated with an increase in adverse events (AEs) due to a heightened systemic inflammatory response. HyNOVA is a seamless, multi-stage randomized study that attempts to answer these questions by comparing HIPEC to normothermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (NIPEC), focusing on safety (stage 1), then assessing activity (stage 2) and effectiveness (stage 3). In this initial study, we hypothesize that NIPEC will result in a lower rate of severe AEs compared to HIPEC. Methods This initial stage of HyNOVA is a phase II study of 80 women with International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics stage III epithelial ovarian cancer, with at least stable disease following 3–4 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, achieving interval-CRS to <2.5 mm residual disease. Participants are randomized 1:1 to receive IP cisplatin 100 mg/m2 for 90 minutes either as HIPEC, heated to 42°C (41.5°C–42.5°C), or NIPEC, at 37°C (36.5°C–37.5°C). The primary outcome is the proportion of AEs ≥ grade 3 occurring within 90 days. Secondary outcomes are AE of interest, surgical morbidity, patient reported outcomes, resource allocation, feasibility, progression-free survival and overall survival. AEs are measured using both CTCAE v5.0 and Clavien-Dindo classification, particularly infection, pain, bowel dysfunction, and anemia. Tertiary outcomes are potential predictive biomarkers measured before and after HIPEC/NIPEC including circulating cell-free tumor DNA, tissue factors, and systemic inflammatory markers. There are 4 participating Australian sites with experience in CRS and HIPEC for peritoneal malignancy. HyNOVA is funded by an MRFF grant (APP1199155). Trial Registration ANZCTR Identifier: ACTRN12621000269831p
Effects of 15-year vegetation restoration on organic carbon in soil aggregates on the Loess Plateau, China

ABSTRACT Effects of 15-year vegetation restoration on organic carbon content of soil aggregates in the Wangmaogou Watershed in China were evaluated. Major land use types include grassland, forestland, shrubland, and sloping cropland. Soils from depths of 0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm were collected from each study site. Soil aggregates were divided into macro (5–2 mm), small (2–0.25 mm), and micro (< 0.25 mm) aggregates. Vegetation restoration improved the organic carbon content of soil aggregates, which was positively correlated with soil aggregate stability (R = 0.44 and 0.53 for the mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter, respectively) and negatively correlated (R = – 0.57) with the soil erosion rate (measured by 137Cs tracer). The levels of macro- and small- aggregates in vegetated lands were more than double than those in sloping cropland. Following vegetation restoration, the dominant soil aggregates in the 0–20 cm soil layer were transformed from micro-aggregates to macro-aggregates. The mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter of soil aggregates from vegetated land were significantly higher than those of sloping cropland. Vegetation restoration increased the organic carbon content of soil aggregates by improving the stability of soil aggregates and reducing soil erosion.
Rating enrichment items by female group-housed laboratory mice in multiple binary choice tests using an RFID-based tracking system

There is a growing body of evidence that enrichment of the housing conditions of laboratory animals has positive effects on daily behavior, growth, and health. Laboratory mice spend most of their lives in their housing rather than in experimental apparatus, so improving housing conditions is a first-choice approach to improving their welfare. Despite the increasing popularity of enrichment, little is known about whether it is also perceived as being beneficial from the animal’s point of view. This is especially true due to the fact that ‘enrichment’ has become an umbrella term that encompasses a wide variety of different elements. We categorized enrichment items according to their prospective use into the categories ‘structural’, ‘housing’, and ‘foraging’ and let female C57BL/6J mice chose within the categories according to their preference. Preferences were tested over a 46-hour period in a home cage system consisting of two interconnected cages equipped with the respective items to be compared. A new analysing method combined binary decisions and ranked the enrichment items within each category by calculating worth values. The assignment of worth values to the items to be compared led to a further gain in information, estimating importance from the mice’s point of view in addition to pure ranking. Given the known beneficial effects of enrichment, these data will help in deciding how to provide appropriate enrichment elements to improve animal welfare and refine animal experimentation.