Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depósito de hojarasca y retorno de nutrientes en bosques de pino-encino y matorrales en el noreste de México

Litterfall and its decomposition represents the main nutrient input in forest soils whereby organic matter is cycled, thus influencing the circulation of nutrients in ecosystems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine litterfall nutrient-input and deposition via fallen leaves. Litterfall was collected at three sites: 1) a pine-oak forest, 2) an ecotone in a transition zone between a pine-oak forest and a piedmont shrubland, and 3) a thorn scrub in the Tamaulipan thorn-scrub vegetation community. At each site, an experimental plot was selected to allocate ten litter canisters to collect litterfall. Total litterfall deposition was highest at the ecotone, followed by the thorn scrub and the pine-oak forest (hereupon, the pine-oak forest will be referred to as “pine forest” for simplicity) (706.0 g m -2 year -1 , 495.6 g m -2 year -1 , and 483.0 g m -2 year -1 , respectively). Leaf litter abundance was greater than that of twigs, reproductive structures, or miscellaneous components (385.3 g m -2 year -1 , 84.6 g m -2 year -1 , 55.7 g m -2 year -1 , and 35.8 g m -2 year -1 , respectively). Total deposition of nutrients (mg m -2 year -1 )varied as follows: Ca, from 3.7 (pine forest) to 13.5(thorn scrub); K, from 1.0 (pine forest) to 3.8 (ecotone); Mg, from 0.5 (pine forest) to 1.3 (ecotone); N, from 2.7 (pine forest) to 8.3 (ecotone); P, from 0.1 (pine forest) to 0.3 (ecotone); Cu, from 1.0 (pine forest) to 2.9 (ecotone); Fe, from 35.2 (pine forest) to 89.3 (ecotone); Mn, from 27.7 (pine forest) to 71.8 (ecotone), and Zn from 7.3 (thorn scrub) to 7.8 (ecotone). Litterfall and nutrient input was more abundant during the months of winter than at any other time of the year.
Delimitation of Call Types of Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) in the Western Palearctic

ABSTRACT Vocal signals are important in many animal species for communication, coordination, and pair bonding and are especially well studied in birds. In the Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) calls are an important trait for mate choice. In this species, calls having the same function (e.g., flight calls or excitement calls) are known to be clustered in distinct groups, so called ‘call types'. Each individual utters only calls of one call type. The driving force for the differentiation of Red Crossbill call types in the Palearctic remains unknown, as call types often overlap in space, and time and birds can be seen feeding on the same seeds. In this study, we investigated calls of crossbills, recorded within seven years in the Western Palearctic. We found at least 17 distinct call types of Red Crossbill and at least two call types of Parrot Crossbill (Loxia pytyopsittacus). There were obvious differences in call type delimitation between the northern and southern part of the study area. We argue this is in conflict with the ecological differentiation hypothesis and propose that there are other or further driving forces for this differentiation process.
Changes in Soil Arthropod Abundance and Community Structure across a Poplar Plantation Chronosequence in Reclaimed Coastal Saline Soil

Poplar plantations have the capacity to improve the properties of soils in muddy coastal areas; however, our understanding of the impacts of plantation development on soil arthropods remains limited. For this study, we determined the community dynamics of soil dwelling arthropods across poplar plantations of different ages (5-, 10-, and 21-years) over the course of one year in Eastern Coastal China. The total abundance of soil arthropods differed with stand development. Further, there were some interactions that involved the sampling date. On average, total abundance was highest in the 10-year-old stands and lowest in the 5-year-old stands. Total abundance exhibited strong age-dependent trends in June and September, but not in March or December. The abundance of Prostigmata and Oribatida increased in the 5- to 21-year-old stands, with the highest levels being in the 10-year-old stands. The abundance of Collembola increased with stand development; however, the stand age had no significant impact on the abundance of epedapic, hemiedaphic, and euedaphic Collembola. Order richness (Hill number q = 0) curve confidence intervals overlapped among three stand ages. Shannon and Simpson diversity (Hill numbers q = 1 and q = 2) differed between 10- and 21-year-old stand age. They showed almost similar trends, and the highest and lowest values were recorded in the 21- and 10-year-old stand ages, respectively. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated that composition also varied significantly with the sampling date and stand age, and the 10-year-old stands that were sampled in June stood well-separated from the others. Indicator analysis revealed that Scolopendromorpha and Prostigmata were indicators in June for the 10-year-old stands, while Collembola were indicators for the 21-year-old stands sampled in September. Our results highlight that both stand development and climate seasonality can significantly impact soil arthropod community dynamics in the reclaimed coastal saline soils of managed poplar plantations.
Experiments concerning the mechanism of flame blowoff from bluff bodies

The general problem of flame stabilization on bluff objects centers about the determination of the maximum stream velocity at which stable combustion may be achieved for various flame holder geometries, gas mixtures and conditions of the approaching combustible stream. Since the process involves both gas dynamic problems and chemical kinetic problems of great complexity, the most reasonable approach is one of similarity, that is, to determine under what conditions the behavior of one flame holder is similar to the behavior of another one. Because a very large number of physical and chemical variables is involved in a combustion problem, similarity conditions can be formulated most easily after experimental investigations have indicated which parameters or groups exert little influence on the mechanism and hence may be neglected. The experiments described in this paper were conducted with the object of clarifying the role of the more important parameters in the flame holding mechanism. The results indicate that a relatively simple formulation of the similarity conditions may be obtained in which the fluid mechanical parameters and chemical parameters are effectively separated.
Comparison of (Â¹Â²âµI)HIPDm and (Â¹Â²âµI)iodoantipyrine in quantifying regional cerebral blood flow in rats

We determined regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using [I]HIPDm [ iV'-(2-hydroxy-3-methyl-5-iodobenzyl)-l,3-propanediamine] and [I]iodoantipyrine autoradiography under control and pathologic conditions (hypercapnia [acidosis], hypocapnia [alkalosis], and disrupted blood-brain barrier) conditions in 35 rats. In control rats, HIPDm rCBF (indicator fractionation method, n = 5) was lower than the corresponding IAP rCBF (diffusible indicator method, n = 4), most notably in the infratentorial regions and subcortical nuclei. In hypercapnia, rCBF increased by 100% and 37% in the HIPDm (« = 5) and IAP (it = 5) groups, respectively. In hypocapnia, IAP rCBF (ft = 4) decreased 34% but HIPDm rCBF (n = 4) did not change. Following disruption of the blood-brain barrier by intracarotid infusion of mannitol in eight rats, both radiotracers (HIPDm n = 4, IAP n = 4) showed decreased rCBF to regions of disruption as defined by trypan blue extravasation. Our work indicates that modeling HIPDm uptake to quantify rCBF using the indicator fractionation method will underestimate blood flow and that HIPDm kinetics are influenced by compartmental pH dynamics that will limit the accuracy of this method in quantifying rCBF in pathologic conditions. (Stroke 1988;19:1404-1410)
Evolutionary agroecology: Trends in root architecture during wheat breeding

Root system characteristics determine soil space exploration and resource acquisition, and these characteristics include competitive traits that increase individual fitness but reduce population performance. We hypothesize that crop breeding for increased yield is often a form of “group selection” that reduces such “selfish” traits to increase population yield. To study trends in root architecture resulting from plant breeding and test the hypothesis that increased yields result in part from group selection on root traits, we investigated root growth and branching behavior in a historical sequence of wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars that have been widely grown in northwestern China. Plants were grown in gel‐filled chambers to examine growth angles, numbers, and lengths of seminal roots, and in soil‐filled chambers under eight soil resource levels for fractal analysis of root system architecture. Yield in field was evaluated at standard and low planting densities. Newer cultivars produced higher yields than older ones only at the higher sowing density, showing that increased yield results from changes in competitive behavior. Seminal root number and growth angles were negatively correlated with yield, while primary seminal root length was positively correlated with yield. Roots of higher‐yielding modern varieties were simpler and less branched, grew deeper but spread less laterally than modern varieties. The fractal dimension of root branching was negatively correlated with the yield of cultivars at all resource levels. Root:shoot ratio was negatively correlated with yield under high soil resource levels. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the success of wheat breeding for higher yields over past 100 years in northwestern China has been in part due to unconscious group selection on root traits, resulting in smaller, less branched, and deeper roots, suggesting a direction for further increases in crop yield in the future.
Hydrolytic stability of diltiazem in the presence of chosen polymers - Poloxamer 407 and Ammonio Metacrylate Copolymer Type B (Eudragit RS): а preliminary study

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: It was hypothesized that a polymeric “shield” of Eudragit RS in the composition of diltiazem-loaded porous microspheres and/or the enhanced viscosity achieved by the addition of high-molecular gelling agent Poloxamer 407 to an aqueous drug dispersion will benefit the drug’s stability. Instead, a negative effect on the hydrolysis rate was found to be dominant for both polymers, likely due to an “unfavorable” shift in the dielectric conductivity of the media and/or suspected catalytic effect of quaternary ammonium groups of Eudragit RS.
Disruptive and protective outcomes to memory and attention when treating diffuse glioma

Surgical resection with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective treatments to delay glioma progression and improve survival. Nevertheless, a large proportion of patients have treatment-induced cognitive deficits that dramatically reduce their life quality. Predicting the treatment-induced functional impairments is difficult due to the complex interlocking and diffusely spread networks that underpin different aspects of cognition. Here we investigated glioma interactions with brain networks in relation to cognitive recovery after surgical resection and during chemo-radiotherapy treatment. Seventeen patients with diffuse non-enhancing glioma (aged 22-56 years) were longitudinally MRI-scanned and cognitively assessed using a tablet-based screening tool before and after surgery, and during a 12-months recovery period. Using structural MRI and Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) derived from diffusion-weighted images, we respectively estimated tumour overlap and Neurite Density (as an in-vivo proxy measure of axon and dendrite concentration) with brain networks and functional maps derived from normative data in healthy participants. We found that neither total lesion volume nor tumour location based on traditional lobular divisions were associated with memory or attention deficits. However, tumour and lesion overlap with the Default Mode Network (DMN), Attention Network and attention-related regions located in frontal and parietal cortex was associated with memory and attention deficits. This association was above and beyond the contributions of preoperative cognitive status and tumour volume (Linear Mixed Model, Pfdr
The mechanism of proton transfer and tautomerism in barbituric acid: A theoretical study

Intermolecular proton transfer in barbituric acid (BA) both in the gas phase and in the presence of water molecule was investigated using the B3LYP method with aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. The overall process involves keto-enol and lactam-lactim tautomerism that occurs. The most stable form of barbituric acid turns into the intermediates with three-step proton transfer at three different positions of the structure of this compound. Then, these intermediates become to the final products passing through two competing processes. In order to determine the priority of each competitive process, energy changes of all possible tautomeric forms were investigated along with the role of solvent molecules in multiple routes. Also, transposition in the proton transfer process makes changes in the electron transfer energy which was investigated both in the gas phase and in the presence of water molecules. Frequency calculations performed to characterize ground and transition states and calculation of zero point energies. Natural bond orbital analysis and topological property of electron density were investigated using natural bond orbital (NBO) and atoms in molecules (AIM) analysis. From the results, all proton transfer process in the gas phase and in the presence of the solvent molecule (water) is exothermic and non-spontaneous. In the gas phase and in the water assisted condition, the route 1b is kinetically more preferred. Despite the increase of the increase of ring resonance of stronger hydrogen bonds in the product compared to the reactant, the products are more unstable than the reactant. Therefore, the only factor can make the product unstable is the severe decrease of LP (N) →σ* (C-O) electron transfer energy.
Upregulation of long intergenic noncoding RNA LINC00092 indicates favorable survival in lung adenocarcinoma via tumor growth inhibition

Background Long intergenic noncoding RNA 00092 (LINC00092) is a recently identified novel RNA that acts on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to drive the progression of ovarian cancer. Because CAFs also play a vital role in lung cancer, we hypothesized that LINC00092 is associated with lung cancer.Methods The expression level of LINC00092 was examined in 93 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor tissues and adjacent normal lung tissues, and its clinical effect on prognosis was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test and Cox regression analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. The effect of LINC00092 on tumor growth was further assessed in vitro . Results LINC00092 was significantly downregulated in 76.3% (71/93) of lung cancer tissues compared to that in their normal counterparts ( P < 0.001), and high expression of LINC00092 led to a better prognosis with increased survival time (1632 days vs. 1171 days; P = 0.087) and decreased mortality (hazard rate, HR = 0.73, 95%CI = 0.51-1.05) than low expression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) but not in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients. Additionally, upregulation of LINC00092 inhibited LUAD cell proliferation and tumorigenic ability in vitro . Conclusions LINC00092 is an indicator of favorable LUAD prognosis. Targeted molecular therapy directed at LINC00092 upregulation may be a valuable strategy to fight LUAD.
Bayesian Computation through Cortical Latent Dynamics

Statistical regularities in the environment create prior beliefs that we rely on to optimize our behavior when sensory information is uncertain. Bayesian theory formalizes how prior beliefs can be leveraged, and has had a major impact on models of perception 1, sensorimotor function 2,3, and cognition 4. However, it is not known how recurrent interactions among neurons mediate Bayesian integration. Using a time interval reproduction task in monkeys, we found that prior statistics warp the underlying structure of population activity in the frontal cortex allowing the mapping of sensory inputs to motor outputs to be biased in accordance with Bayesian inference. Analysis of neural network models performing the task revealed that this warping was mediated by a low-dimensional curved manifold, and allowed us to further probe the potential causal underpinnings of this computational strategy. These results uncover a simple and general principle whereby prior beliefs exert their influence on behavior by sculpting cortical latent dynamics.
The Essence of ‘Social’ in Social Entrepreneurship

In order to expand our understanding of social entrepreneurship in the emerging entrepreneurial world, this study attempts to derive the essence of the term ‘social’ of ‘social entrepreneurship’. Prior studies have defined social entrepreneurship from different perspectives. The paper reviews and evaluates the current status of research dealing with entrepreneurship, in general, and social entrepreneurship, in particular. By using the archive method of research, the proposed study rests on the recognition that the 'social' intention of the entrepreneurs is the primary factor in differentiating social and traditional entrepreneurship. The paper concludes with the implications for practitioners and directions for future research.
Caractérisation de TgZFP2, une nouvelle protéine à motif en doigt de zinc impliquée dans la coordination de la progression du cycle cellulaire du parasite apicomplexe Toxoplasma gondii

Le phylum des Apicomplexes regroupe des parasites protozoaires avec un cycle de vie complexe alternant des replications sexuee et asexuee chez differents hotes. Ce sont des parasites intracellulaires obligatoires qui ont une l'organisation particuliere de leur cycle cellulaire. Celui-ci consiste en une phase nucleaire (la replication de l'ADN) et en une phase de bourgeonnement (l'assemblage des cellules filles) qui peuvent etre decouplees ou coordonnees differemment, generant quatre modes de division distincts au sein du phylum. Le plus simple d'entre eux, l'endodyogenie, est caracteristique de la forme tachyzoite de Toxoplasma gondii, un stade asexue et fortement proliferatif. Lors de ce type de division, il y a un seul tour de replication de l'ADN avec une formation ulterieure de deux cellules filles dans la cellule mere. Le systeme de regulation de l'endodyogenie est physiquement lie a un centrosome atypique biparti, cependant il reste largement inexplore. Lors de ce projet de recherche, j'ai caracterise chez T. gondii une nouvelle proteine a motif en doigt de zinc appelee TgZFP2. Interferer avec sa fonction resulte en l'arret du cycle cellulaire du parasite. Bien que la replication de l'ADN se deroule normalement, le bourgeonnement des cellules filles est impacte, donnant naissance a des cellules filles immatures qui ne peuvent pas emerger de la cellule mere et ne parviennent souvent pas a incorporer le materiel nucleaire. Nous avons montre qu'au debut de l'assemblage des cellules filles, la proteine TgZFP2 se re-localise depuis des puncta cytoplasmiques vers la region peri-centrosomale, ou elle persiste jusqu'a l'achevement de la division et l'emergence des cellules filles. TgZFP2 presente egalement des proprietes de proteine associee au cytosquelette. Bien que nous n'ayons pas ete en mesure d'identifier les partenaires moleculaires de TgZFP2 pour identifier les mecanismes moleculaires dans lesquels elle est impliquee, nos donnees montrent que TgZFP2 est un regulateur important de la division cellulaire, potentiellement avec des fonctions multiples.
High sucrose diet feeding aggravates age related changes in oxidative stress and antioxidant status of WNIN/Gr-Ob obese rats

Background: Ageing is a multifactorial process in which physical and physiological changes accumulate over time, leading to gradual deterioration and death. Obesity and T2DM (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) per se accelerate ageing but the underlying mechanisms are not clear yet, nor it is known whether superimposing T2DM on obesity accelerates ageing further. The present study validated the hypothesis, “Induction of T2DM in obese rats by feeding high sucrose diet accelerates ageing by aggravating oxidative stress and / or compromising the antioxidant status ". Materials and Methods: WNIN/Gr-Ob rats, an established obese rat model was fed with high sucrose diet for the induction of T2DM / aggravated insulin resistance (IR), a pre-diabetic condition. Oxidative stress and antioxidant markers were determined in the liver homogenates by spectrophotometric methods. Results: Induction of T2DM / aggravation of insulin resistance (IR) in WNIN/Gr-Ob obese rats by feeding High Sucrose Diet (HSD) significantly increased tissue oxidative stress (protein carbonyls) and decreased antioxidant status: enzymatic (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and non-enzymatic (reduced glutathione) after six months of feeding, as compared to those of control rats fed starch based diet (SBD). Conclusion: Taken together with our recent report of aggravated insulin resistance, increased DNA damage and decreased telomere length in the brains of HSD fed obese rats, the present findings suggest that feeding HSD aggravated ageing associated systemic oxidative stress perhaps due to impaired anti oxidant status and may underlie the aggravated insulin resistance, which in turn accelerated their ageing.
Entry flows past 2D arbitrarily shaped bodies in the rarefied gas regime

Space debris are an urgent threat that is being strongly addressed by space agencies worldwide. At present, the aerodynamic coefficients used in their reentry prediction are not obtained as a direct result of the exchange of momentum between fluid and solid object, hence the explicit role of aerodynamics has not been accounted for yet. This work proposes a preliminary investigation of the influence of aerodynamics on the re-entry trajectories. The space debris are modelled as non-ablating, non-breaking, rigid bodies with a two-dimensional arbitrary shapes, and their aerodynamic coefficients are evaluated by means of steady-state Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), at discrete values of Knudsen number and angle of attack. These coefficients are then used in the equations of motion, where the aerodynamics is the sole external load besides the gravitational force, that are numerically integrated over a selected altitude range in order to obtain the trajectories. The initial orbital parameters are maintained fixed, whereas the object’s dimensions, mass, initial angle of attack and initial angular velocity are varied. Results show that if the aerodynamic loads are considered, the travelled distance is globally shorter than the free flight one at the same ending altitude. In particular, this difference between cases with and without aerodynamics being considered has a dependance from the initial angular velocity that is greater as the altitude gets lower, and furthermore is more visible when the initial angle of attack corresponds to the situation in which the maximum drag is generated. This shows that aerodynamics do have an impact on the re-entry trajectory if properly considered, even if the altitude is still high, as in this study the lowest trajectory ends approximately 80 km above ground.
Dead or alive? Sexual conflict and lethal copulatory interactions in long-jawed Tetragnatha spiders

Yuki G. Baba,a, Akio Tanikawa,b Mayura B. Takada,c and Kyoko Futamid aInstitute for Agro-Environmental Sciences NARO, 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba-shi, 305–8604 Ibaraki, Japan, bLaboratory of Biodiversity Science, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–8657, Japan, cInstitute for Sustainable Agro-ecosystem Services, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Midoricho, Nishitokyo, Tokyo 188-0002, Japan, and dInstitute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852–8523, Japan