Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Operationalizing the Resilience of Coral Reefs in an Era of Climate Change

Ecosystem management frequently aims to manage resilience yet measuring resilience has proven difficult. Here, we quantify the ecological resilience of the largest reef in the Caribbean and map potential benefits of marine reserves under two scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions. Resilience is calculated using spatial ecological models and defined as the probability of a reef remaining in its coral‐dominated basin of attraction such that it does not flip into an alternate, algal‐dominated attractor. In practice, resilience is the probability that coral populations will maintain the ability to exhibit a recovery trend after acute disturbances such as hurricanes. The inputs required to estimate resilience are a reef's initial state, physical environment, and disturbance regime. One major driver of reef resilience is herbivory by parrotfish and recent action to protect parrotfish in Belize was found to have increased resilience 6‐fold. However, the expected benefits of parrotfish protection to future coral cover were relatively modest with only a 2‐ to 2.6‐fold improvement over a business‐as‐usual scenario, demonstrating how resilience and ecosystem states are decoupled. Global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions had little impact on average coral state unless it was accompanied by local controls of fishing. However, combined global and local action reduced the rate of reef degradation threefold. Operationalizing resilience explicitly integrates available biophysical data and accommodates the complex interactions among ecological processes and multiple types of disturbance.
Interactions between the Brassicaceae Brassica napus and Arabidopsis thaliana and the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium longisporum

Brassica napus is one of the most important crops in agriculture. Pathogens cause big losses in yield each year. In the frame of this work, the interactions between the crop Brassica napus, resp. the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium longisporum were investigated. V. longisporum is specialized on Brassica and causes the “Verticillium – wilt”. It penetrates the roots of the plant und spreads through the vessels inside the shoot. Infection symptoms are stunting of the shoot, chlorosis and premature ripening. Brassica napus and Arabidopsis thaliana were infected with Verticillium longisporum and changes of their VOC emissions (Volatile Organic Compounds) of shoot and root were analyzed. We ensured damage free and stress reduced measurements. Therefore, plants were not removed from the clay pots during measurements of root VOCs, but sampled inside the substrate. While the VOC pattern of the roots from B. napus did not change, the shoots emitted significantly more dimethyl disulfide, s-ionone and s-cyclocitral. These compounds were irrelevant in the infection of A. thaliana. Afterwards, we proved the suggestion that VOCs, changing under infection, might serve as defense molecules. Therefore, a non-contact bioassay was developed. Two further pathogenic fungi (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. triciti and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) with different specialization were included. We fumigated them with dimethyl disulfide and s-ionone in different dilutions. Both compounds showed a limited fungicidal effect, measured by the mycelium growth, against the Brassica specialist V. longisporum. G. graminis var. triciti was inhibited at lower concentrations. S. sclerotiorum was not or even positively influenced by those VOCs. The formation of microsclerotia of V. longisporum was supported by s-ionone.
Feasibility and potential cognitive impact of a cognitive-motor dual-task training program using a custom exergame in older adults: A pilot study

Introduction Dual-task training may be relevant and efficient in the context of active aging. An issue in training programs lies in enhancing the adherence of participants. This can potentially be improved using games as support. We designed and developed a custom interactive exergame in this way. The objective of this pilot study was to explore the potential use of this exergame and the feasibility of our intervention, including the level of safety and adherence. The result’s trends on cognitive and motor capacities, as well as on the level of motivation for physical activity, fear of falling, and quality of life of participants, were also explored. Methods Older adults aged 65 years or older were recruited and realized 30 min of supervised training in groups of 4, 2–3 times a week for 12 weeks. Exercises consisted of incorporated cognitive and motor dual tasks, with an increased difficulty over the weeks. Our program’s safety, engagement, attendance, and completion levels were evaluated. Participants’ postural control in single-task and dual-task conditions, as well as their performances in mental inhibition, flexibility, working memory, mobility, and postural control, and their levels of motivation for physical activity, fear of falling, and quality of life were also assessed. We realized a per protocol statistical analysis with a p-value set at 0.05. Results Thirty-nine participants (aged 84.6 ± 8.5 years) were recruited. No adverse events, and 89% adherence, 88% attendance, and 87% completion rates were observed. A potentially significant effect of our exergame on working memory in single-task conditions and on the cognitive aspect of dual-task conditions was also observed. We observed no differences in other parameters. Discussion Our exergame seemed feasible and safe and was enjoyed by participants, mainly due to the gamification of our training program. Moreover, our exergame may be efficient for cognitive training in older adults, as well as for the maintenance of motor functions, motivation for physical activity, fear of falling, and quality of life levels. This constitutes the first step for our solution with interesting results that need to be further studied.
Blockchain Technology and Smart Universities

The objective of this paper is to conduct a conceptual assessment of blockchain technology applications to universities. The paper will first address two related questions namely, the concept of smart university, and the architecture of blockchain technology. This paper contributes towards the topical debate of whether the claimed blockchain technological transformation is a hype, reality, revolution, or just an ordinary computing upgrade. It follows that if blockchain is a significant technological advancement then it can only be ignored at own’s peril. This research should benefit innovation policy decisions in the academia for out-of-the box thinking regarding internal control systems and product offering for smart universities
Improving anti-tumor efficacy of low-dose Vincristine in rhabdomyosarcoma via the combination therapy with FOXM1 inhibitor RCM1

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma that often develops resistance to current therapies, including vincristine. Since the existing treatments have not significantly improved survival, there is a critical need for new therapeutic approaches for RMS patients. FOXM1, a known oncogene, is highly expressed in RMS, and is associated with the worst prognosis in RMS patients. In the present study, we found that the combination treatment with specific FOXM1 inhibitor RCM1 and low doses of vincristine is more effective in increasing apoptosis and decreasing RMS cell proliferation in vitro compared to single drugs alone. Since RCM1 is highly hydrophobic, we developed innovative nanoparticle delivery system containing poly-beta-amino-esters and folic acid (NPFA), which efficiently delivers RCM1 to mouse RMS tumors in vivo. The combination of low doses of vincristine together with intravenous administration of NPFA nanoparticles containing RCM1 effectively reduced RMS tumor volumes, increased tumor cell death and decreased tumor cell proliferation in RMS tumors compared to RCM1 or vincristine alone. The combination therapy was non-toxic as demonstrated by liver metabolic panels using peripheral blood serum. Using RNA-seq of dissected RMS tumors, we identified Chac1 as a uniquely downregulated gene after the combination treatment. Knockdown of Chac1 in RMS cells in vitro recapitulated the effects of the combination therapy. Altogether, combination treatment with low doses of vincristine and nanoparticle delivery of FOXM1 inhibitor RCM1 in a pre-clinical model of RMS has superior anti-tumor effects and decreases CHAC1 while reducing vincristine toxicity.
Does Competition between Stars Increase Output? Evidence from Financial Analyst Forecasts

Star analysts typically cover 10 to 15 stocks. In half of the stocks they cover, they cross paths with other stars (battleground stocks). We show that being the most accurate star in battleground stocks plays a key role in the annual rankings from Institutional Investor magazine. Star analysts respond to this tournament by producing more accurate earnings forecasts in battleground stocks than in other stocks they cover. We explore several alternative explanations and find that they cannot account for the higher accuracy in battleground stocks. Head-to-head competition between star analysts plays a key role in a firm’s information environment.
Taphonomy of the Accumulations Produced by Caracara plancus (Falconidae). Analysis of Prey Remains and Pellets

Caracara plancus (Falconidae) is a diurnal raptor bird, described as an opportunist that feeds on carrion and a variety of live preys, including rodents. Based on the skeletal remains of rodents recovered from pellets produced by this bird, an analysis of the modifications occurred on those bones was carried out, concluding that they were important. Along with pellets, scattered rodents prey remains not digested, collected in the same sampling area, under the roosting, were analyzed. The comparison of the data from pellets and that from uneaten prey remains indicates that southern caracara would perform a certain selection over different body parts of predated rodents, discarding mainly the cranial regions. The ingested osseous remains, showing evidence of breakage and digestion, could accumulate together with the skeletal elements that, which constitute the remains of prey, with particular signs of breakage but without signs of digestion. These findings are particularly relevant in order to avoid missininterpretations of this kind of accumulations, which are not mixtures produced by several predators but only one predator with a particular pattern of ingestion. Consequently, when zooarchaeological or paleontological records from the Pampean region are analyzed, it is very important to consider the fact that these birds of prey could have contributed to the accumulation of micromammal bones, with skeletal elements coming both from pellets and prey remains.
Identification of genetic and biochemical mechanisms associated with heat shock and heat stress adaptation in grain amaranths

Heat stress is poised to become a major factor negatively affecting plant performance worldwide. In terms of world food security, increased ambient temperatures are poised to reduce yields in cereals and other economically important crops. Grain amaranths are known to be productive under poor and/or unfavorable growing conditions that significantly affect cereals and other crops. Several physiological and biochemical attributes have been recognized to contribute to this favorable property, including a high water-use efficiency and the activation of a carbon starvation response. This study reports the behavior of the three grain amaranth species to two different stress conditions: short-term exposure to heat shock (HS) conditions using young plants kept in a conditioned growth chamber or long-term cultivation under severe heat stress in greenhouse conditions. The latter involved exposing grain amaranth plants to daylight temperatures that hovered around 50°C, or above, for at least 4 h during the day and to higher than normal nocturnal temperatures for a complete growth cycle in the summer of 2022 in central Mexico. All grain amaranth species showed a high tolerance to HS, demonstrated by a high percentage of recovery after their return to optimal growing conditions. The tolerance observed coincided with increased expression levels of unknown function genes previously shown to be induced by other (a)biotic stress conditions. Included among them were genes coding for RNA-binding and RNA-editing proteins, respectively. HS tolerance was also in accordance with favorable changes in several biochemical parameters usually induced in plants in response to abiotic stresses. Conversely, exposure to a prolonged severe heat stress seriously affected the vegetative and reproductive development of all three grain amaranth species, which yielded little or no seed. The latter data suggested that the usually stress-tolerant grain amaranths are unable to overcome severe heat stress-related damage leading to reproductive failure.
Recovery of a piecewise constant lower coefficient of an elliptic equation

Аннотация. We propose a new algorithm for the recovery of a piecewise constant lower coefficient of an elliptic problem. The inverse problem is reduced to a shape reconstruction problem. The proposed algorithm is based on the minimization of a cost functional where a control function is the right-hand side of an auxiliary elliptic equation for a level set representation of unknown shape. Numerical implementation is based on the finite element method and the open-source computing platform FEniCS and dolfin-adjoint. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated on computationally simulated data.
Effect of carfentrazone-ethyl on three aquatic macrophytes.

Carfentrazone-ethyl (ethyl 2-chloro-3-[2-chloro-4-fluoro-5[4-(difluoromethyl)-4,5-dihydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-1 H -1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]phenyl]propionate) is a phenyl triazolinone herbicide used for post-emergent control of terrestrial broadleaf weeds. It is a contact herbicide that inhibits protoporphyrinogen oxidase in the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway, causing plants to become necrotic within hours of treatment (WSSA 2002). Carfentrazone-ethyl, hereafter called carfentrazone, is converted to the chloropropionic acid via pH dependent hydrolysis (Ngim and Crosby 2001). Under laboratory conditions, Ngim and Crosby (2001) reported a first order half-life ( t 1⁄2 ) of 3.4 h at pH 9, whereas at pH 7, t 1⁄2 was 131 h. Even though carfentrazone is rapidly converted to the chloropropionic acid, the acid has been demonstrated to be just as phytotoxic as carfentrazone in leaf-disc assays (Dayan et al. 1997). Carfentrazone plus the chloropropionic acid have been shown to rapidly dissipate from the water column. A half-life of 83 h was reported for a 0.08 ha carfentrazone treated pond (water pH ranging from 6.9 to 9.6) and after 168 h, no residues were detected (Koschnick et al. 2004). Koschnick et al. (2004) also found no accumulation of carfentrazone or the chloropropionic acid in sediments. Due to rapid degradation of carfentrazone in the aquatic environment, no accumulation in the sediment, low use rates and the fact that it does not pose a hazard to mammals or other non-target organisms (WSSA 2002), it received approval for use in aquatic sites from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2004, and is marketed by the trade name, Stingray® (FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, PA). The reduced risk nature of this herbicide may make it a candidate for use near potable water intakes and in environmentally sensitive sites. While carfentrazone can be efficacious on certain floating plants (Koschnick et al. 2004), there is currently no published literature on the efficacy of carfentrazone against submersed plants. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of carfentrazone on three submersed plants, Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum L., hereafter called milfoil), parrotfeather ( Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. ), and sago pondweed ( Stukenia pectinatus (L.) Boerner), that cause problems in water bodies in many regions of the United States.
Effects of Feral Horses on Vegetation of Sable Island, Nova Scotia

To provide necessary information for the management of biodiversity on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, we studied the effects of feral horses on vegetation using exclosures and ancillary observations. Nine plant communities inside and outside of six exclosures were compared using various vegetation parameters and Mann-Whitney tests to evaluate the significance of differences. The most important findings were as follows: (1) effects of horses were greatest in the Marram ( Ammophila breviligulata ) grassland and much less in the communities that were not dominated by Marram Grass; (2) effects on Marram grassland varied substantially among sites; (3) the cover of standing litter of herbaceous plants was on average of 9.3 times greater inside exclosures in grassland habitats; (4) the cover of living foliage was usually higher inside exclosures, but not all differences were significant; (5) species richness and species diversity were not substantially affected; (6) the average cover of Marram Grass, the most abundant plant and a key sand binder on the island, was greater inside exclosures in six of seven study sites, significantly so in three of them; and (7) there were inconsistent differences in cover of other species at different sites. Wetland habitats cover a relatively small portion of Sable Island, but they support much of the plant biodiversity. There is evidence of strong but variable effects of horses on wetland vegetation. “Horse lawns” are littoral habitats dominated by Agrostis stolonifera (Carpet Bentgrass) and other low-growing plants. The lawn habitats represent less than 1% of the island’s vegetation, and their presence is believed to be due to grazing and trampling by horses.
Antibacterial activity and Phytochemical analysis of Cardanthera difformis Druce leaf extracts from West Bengal, India.

In rural and backward areas of west Bengal of India several plants are commonly used as herbal medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases without any phytochemical and biological information in detail. The current study was to investigate the antibacterial activity and phytochemical analysis of the leaf extracts of Cardanthera difformis . Methanol, ethanol, chloroform, acetone and petroleum ether extracts of shed dried plant leaves of Cardanthera difformis were tested for antibacterial activity and phytochemical screening.The antibacterial behaviour of different extracts (methanol, acetone, ethanol, chloroform and petroleum ether) of leaves of Cardanthera difformis using the standard well diffusion assay were investigated against the seven strains of bacterial species, viz., Enterobactor faecalis, Eschirichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonous aerusinosa, Salmonella typhi, Shiegella dysentriae and Staphylococcus aureus. Among the various solvent extract the acetone leaf extract exhibit the best antibacterial property followed by chloroform, ethanol, methanol and petroleum ether. The ethanol extract showed significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonous aeruginosa, Enterobactor faecalis and Shiegella dysentriae . The acetone extract showed the highest magnitude of inhibition against Salmonella typhi among the extracts under study . Phytochemical screening of the leaf extracts using standard qualitative methods revealed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, quinone, carbohydrates and amino acids. Both the petroleum ether and methanol extracts showed the maximum efficiency for biochemical constituents. The present study experimentally proved the justification of traditional use of C.difformis for the treatment of various diseases and reported for the first time in the world to focus the antibacterial activity of leaf extracts of C.difformis and may lead to the development of a new generation of drugs having both chemotherapeutic and chemo preventive properties in future.
Using Application Programming Interfaces to Access Google Data for Health Research: Protocol for a Methodological Framework

Background Individuals are increasingly turning to search engines like Google to obtain health information and access resources. Analysis of Google search queries offers a novel approach, which is part of the methodological toolkit for infodemiology or infoveillance researchers, to understanding population health concerns and needs in real time or near-real time. While searches predominantly have been examined with the Google Trends website tool, newer application programming interfaces (APIs) are now available to academics to draw a richer landscape of searches. These APIs allow users to write code in languages like Python to retrieve sample data directly from Google servers. Objective The purpose of this paper is to describe a novel protocol to determine the top queries, volume of queries, and the top sites reached by a population searching on the web for a specific health term. The protocol retrieves Google search data obtained from three Google APIs: Google Trends, Google Health Trends (also referred to as Flu Trends), and Google Custom Search. Methods Our protocol consisted of four steps: (1) developing a master list of top search queries for an initial search term using Google Trends, (2) gathering information on relative search volume using Google Health Trends, (3) determining the most popular sites using Google Custom Search, and (4) calculating estimated total search volume. We tested the protocol following key procedures at each step and verified its usefulness by examining search traffic on birth control in 2017 in the United States. Two separate programmers working independently achieved similar results with insignificant variation due to sample variability. Results We successfully tested the methodology on the initial search term birth control. We identified top search queries for birth control, of which birth control pill was the most popular and obtained the relative and estimated total search volume for the top queries: relative search volume was 0.54 for the pill, corresponding to an estimated 9.3-10.7 million searches. We used the estimates of the proportion of search activity for the top queries to arrive at a generated list of the most popular websites: for the pill, the Planned Parenthood website was the top site. Conclusions The proposed methodological framework demonstrates how to retrieve Google query data from multiple Google APIs and provides thorough documentation required to systematically identify search queries and websites, as well as estimate relative and total search volume of queries in real time or near-real time in specific locations and time periods. Although the protocol needs further testing, it allows researchers to replicate the steps and shows promise in advancing our understanding of population-level health concerns. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR1-10.2196/16543
A Proactive Approach for Detecting Ransomware based on Hidden Markov Model (HMM)

A ransomware is the most hazardous kind of computer malware that causes a huge devastation to the computer systems, so that detecting it is highly required at the moment. Truthfully, several prior researchers addressed Markov Model and its variants, like Hidden Markov Model, to detect a malware, but none of them addressed the detection of ransomware through Assembly language instructions. In this paper, a new proactive approach for detecting ransomware based on Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is proposed in order to detect and classify ransomware. In addition, new datasets that comprises of various benign and ransomware are generated and collected. The proposed approach utilized Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for analyzing the generated and collected datasets from benign and ransomware samples, and it detected and classified all samples correctly with 73% accurate testing samples emissions sequence.