Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nutritional supplementation of an apple callus extract to target epidermal aging

The global increase in life expectancy has led to a growing elderly population, which places a significant burden on healthcare systems. As a result, there is a growing interest to improve healthspan and promote healthy aging with accessible means, such as nutrition and lifestyle interventions. The skin, the body's largest organ and first line of defense against environmental stressors, is particularly vulnerable to aging due to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Various molecular and biochemical changes can drive skin aging, including the depletion of stem cells, which can lead to impaired skin properties. Nutrition plays a crucial role in skin aging, and dietary supplements could be a viable intervention to support a healthy skin. In this study, a plant callus extract from a specific apple variety (Malus Domestica Borkh), the Uttwiler Spätlauber, was evaluated as a dietary supplement to combat epidermal aging. The extract was found to maintain the function of keratinocyte progenitor cells during aging in vitro. Furthermore, an open-label pilot clinical study involving 31 female volunteers showed that the intake of apple callus extract led to improvements in skin elasticity, density, and firmness after 56 days of supplementation. This study highlights the potential of plant callus extracts as natural dietary supplements to support healthy skin aging. The use of plant callus cultures provides a sustainable and reproducible source of bioactive molecules, which is gaining acceptance in the nutraceutical market. These findings suggest that dietary interventions can play a role in promoting healthy skin aging and contribute to a holistic approach to improving healthspan during the aging process.
An Electronic Barrel Bung to Wirelessly Monitor the Biological Aging Process of Fino Sherry Wine

Wine aging is a fundamental stage in the creation of special high-quality wines, such as sherries and similar wines. To undergo the process of “biological aging”, some of these wines are stored in oak casks for long periods. During this process, a thin layer of yeast is spontaneously formed on the surface of the wine. This layer protects the wine from oxidation and contributes to its unique organoleptic characteristics. This work presents the prototype of an instrumented bung capable of monitoring, in real-time, the absorbance evolution of the Fino Sherry wine during its biological aging process. The results of the tests carried out in the laboratory showed that the device can directly measure the absorbance at wavelengths of 420 nm and 520 nm, detecting small changes produced by the wine oxidation processes. This work has significant implications for winery technicians and oenologists as they could analyze the evolution of the wine in real time, detect problems in advance, and avoid work-related accidents. These conclusions solidify the enduring relevance of this research and offer a robust foundation for future developments in the field.
From tomographic imaging to numerical simulations: an open-source workflow for true morphology mesoscale FE meshes

Full-field techniques such as tomography are becoming progressively more central in the study of complex phenomena, in particular where spatiotemporal evolution is crucial, as in moisture transport or crack initiation in porous media. These techniques provide a unique insight in the local process whose quantification allows the improvement of our understanding and of the models describing them. Nevertheless, the model validation can be pushed further by attempting to explicitly represent the heterogeneities and simulate their role in the processes. Once validated, these models can be used to perform “virtual experiments”, and overcome the limitations of the experiments (e.g., sample size and number, fine control of the boundary and initial conditions). This study proposes a connection between tomography images and mesoscale models through a workflow that mainly employs open-source tools. This workflow is illustrated through the digitization of a Portland cement concrete sample, stemming from neutron tomographies and resulting in a numerical finite element mesh. The proposed workflow is flexible, allowing for the conversion of images from various sources, such as x-ray or neutron tomographies, to different numerical representations of the domain, such as finite element meshes or even a discrete domain required by discrete element methods, while preserving real morphologies with an accuracy proportionate to the specific need of the problem. Beside its generalizability, our method also offers automated labelling of the different domains and boundaries in both the volumetric and surface meshes, which is often necessary for assigning material properties and boundary conditions. Finally, the series of image, geometry and mesh processing steps described in this work are made available on a GitHub repository.
The impact of precipitating ice and snow on the radiation balance in global climate models

Climate models often ignore the radiative impact of precipitating hydrometeors. CloudSat retrievals provide the first means to distinguish between cloud versus precipitating ice mass and characterize its vertical structure. With this information, radiative transfer calculations are performed to examine the impact of excluding precipitating ice on atmospheric radiative fluxes and heating rates. The preliminary results show that such exclusion can result in underestimates of the reflective shortwave flux at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and overestimates of the downwelling surface shortwave and emitted TOA longwave flux, with the differences being about 5–10 Wm−2 in the most convective and rainfall intensive areas and greatest for the TOA longwave flux. There are also considerable differences (∼10–25%) in the vertical profiles of shortwave and longwave heating, resulting in an overestimation (∼up to 10%) of the integrated column cooling. The implications of these results are that models that exclude these ice components are achieving TOA radiation balance through compensating errors as well as possibly introducing biases in atmospheric circulations.
Local Wild Food Plants and Food Products in a Multi-Cultural Region: An Exploratory Study among Diverse Ethnic Groups in Bessarabia, Southern Moldova

A growing number of studies have acknowledged that food and ethnobotanical heritage have traditionally played a crucial role in the resilience of local communities, and their potentially crucial role in addressing future challenges posed by the turbulent changes affecting food systems worldwide. However, the issue of how and why food heritage changes across cultures within the same or similar foodscapes is still largely under-investigated. To partially contribute to this debate, we conducted exploratory fieldwork research in 15 villages in the Bessarabia region in the southern part of Moldova. We aim to record this multiethnic region’s contemporary food and ethnobotanical heritage, focusing on the culinary uses and knowledge of plants, dishes, and artisanal food products. A total of 91 persons (37 men and 54 women) belonging to some of the most representative ethnic groups of the area (i.e., Moldovans, Gagauz, Bulgarians, and Ukrainians) were involved in this study. Among these groups, we recorded 66 plant and fungal taxa, as well as 42 traditional artisanal home-produced local food products and dishes. Overall, Moldovans showed a more vigorous food and ethnobotanical diversity in terms of the mentioned items than the other groups. Based on our exploratory field study, we identified possible factors that could be investigated to better explain the less biodiverse food heritage among the other three considered groups.
Comparisons of spherical shell and plane-layer mantle convection models

Comparisons of spherical shell and plane-layer mantle convection models Keely Anne O’Farrell Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Physics University of Toronto 2013 Plane-layer geometry convection models remain useful for modelling planetary mantle dynamics however they yield significantly warmer mean temperatures than spherical shell models. For example, in a uniform property spherical shell with the same radius ratio, f , as the Earth’s mantle; a bottom heating Rayleigh number, Ra, of 10 and a nondimensional internal heating rate, H, of 23 (arguably Earth-like values) are insufficient to heat the mean temperature, θ, above the mean of the non-dimensional boundary value temperatures (0.5), the temperature in a plane-layer model with no internal heating. This study investigates the impact of this geometrical effect in convection models featuring uniform and stratified viscosity. To address the effect of geometry, heat sinks are implemented to lower the mean temperature in 3D plane-layer isoviscous convection models. Over 100 models are analyzed, and their mean temperatures are used to derive a single equation for predicting θ, as a function of Ra, H and f in spherical and plane-layer systems featuring free-slip surfaces. The inclusion of first-order terrestrial characteristics is introduced to quantitatively assess the influence of system geometry on planetary scale simulations. Again, over 100 models are analyzed featuring a uniform upper mantle viscosity and a lower mantle viscosity that increases by a factor of 30 or 100. An effective Rayleigh number, Raη, is defined based on the average viscosity of the mantle. Equations for the relationship between θ, Raη, and H are derived for convection in a spherical shell with f = 0.547 and plane-layer geometries. These equations can be used to determine the appropriate heating rate for a plane-layer convection model to emulate spherical shell convection mean temperatures for effective Rayleigh numbers comparable to the Earth’s value and greater. Comparing cases with the same H and Raη, the increased lower mantle viscosity amplifies the mismatch in mean temperatures between spherical shell and plane-layer models. These findings emphasize the importance of adjusting heating rates in plane-layer geometry models and have important implications for studying convection with temperature-dependent parameters in plane-layer systems. The findings are particularly relevant to the study of convection in super-Earths where full spherical shell calculations remain intractable.
The Direct Effects of Climate Change on Tench (Tinca tinca) Sperm Quality under a Real Heatwave Event Scenario

Simple Summary This study focuses on recreating more realistic models of global warming, particularly considering heatwave phenomena, in order to decipher its effects on fish male gametes (spermatozoa). Our results showed that currently occurring natural heatwave events decrease the progressive and total motility of sperm from tench males, increasing the ROS content and decreasing the gene expression of sperm quality markers. The present results confirmed the potential negative effect that a thermal stress model (by the occurrence of a heatwave) may have on fish spermatozoa quality and that it might compromise its fertilization capacity, not only hindering the sustainable farming of aquaculture species but also biodiversity conservation under current and realistic climate change scenarios. Abstract Global aquaculture growth will most probably face specific conditions derived from climate change. In fact, the most severe impacts of these changes will be suffered by aquatic populations in restrictive circumstances, such as current aquaculture locations, which represent a perfect model to study global warming effects. Although the impact of temperature on fish reproduction has been characterized in many aspects, this study was focused on recreating more realistic models of global warming, particularly considering heatwave phenomena, in order to decipher its effects on male gametes (spermatozoa). For this purpose, thermal stress via a heatwave simulation (mimicking a natural occurring heatwave, from 24 to 30 °C) was induced in adult tench (Tinca tinca) males and compared with a control group (55.02 ± 16.44 g of average body wet weight). The impact of the thermal stress induced by this climate change event was assessed using cellular and molecular approaches. After the heatwave recreation, a multiparametric analysis of sperm quality, including some traditional parameters (such as sperm motility) and new ones (focus on redox balance and sperm quality biomarkers), was performed. Although sperm concentration and the volume produced were not affected, the results showed a significant deleterious effect on motility parameters (e.g., reduced progressive motility and total motility during the first minute post-activation). Furthermore, the sperm produced under the thermal stress induced by this heatwave simulation exhibited an increased ROS content in spermatic cells, confirming the negative effect that this thermal stress model (heatwave recreation) might have had on sperm quality. More importantly, the expression of some known sperm quality and fertilization markers was decreased in males exposed to thermal stress. This present study not only unveils the potential effects of climate change in contemporary and future fish farming populations (and their underlying mechanisms) but also provides insights on how to mitigate and/or avoid thermal stress due to heatwave events.
Use of Ozone Therapy and Thymoquinone in the Prevention of Formaldehyde Toxicity by Inhalation: An Experimental Study

Introduction: The study determined the damage caused by formaldehyde (FA) exposure in blood and liver samples using biochemical markers. Histopathological analysis was performed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method and measurement of CD68 cell density. To what extent the antioxidant molecules thymoquinone (TQ) and ozone (O3) reversed the damage caused by FA exposure was investigated, both when used alone and combined. Methods: Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley male rats of eight to ten weeks of age were used in the experiment. The rats were divided into eight groups, with seven rats in each group: the untreated control group, the group treated with TQ (10 mg/kg/day), the group treated with O3 (150 μg/kg/day), the group treated with TQ+O3, the group exposed to FA (10 ppm 8 h/day), the group receiving FA+TQ, the group receiving FA+O3, and the group receiving FA+TQ+O3. Serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), total antioxidant (TAS, U/mL), and total oxidant (TOS, nmol/mL) levels were analyzed. TAS and TOS levels, CD68 cell density, and apoptotic cells were determined in liver tissues. Results: FA exposure caused an increase in serum AST and ALT levels of (p<0.05) experimental animals, a decrease in TAS levels in serum (p=0.03) and liver (p>0.05) and an increase in TOS levels (p>0.05), TUNEL positivity (p<0.001), and CD68 cell density (p=0.004). Administration of TQ and O3 as antioxidants significantly reversed biochemical and histopathological alterations in the serum and liver. Conclusion: TQ and ozone therapy suppressed oxidative stress caused by FA exposure and reversed the emerging histopathological deteriorations. Ozone therapy did not suppress the effects of TQ. Therefore, ozone therapy can be given as a supportive therapy along with the main therapeutic agents. We think TQ and ozone therapy may be useful to protect individuals exposed to FA.
Soil Water Retention: Uni-Modal Models of Pore-Size Distribution Neglect Impacts of Soil Management

Most models describing soil water retention imply a uni-modal pore-size distribution (PSD). The uni-modal model presented by van Genuchten (termed vanG) is widely used although double-exponential models (termed Dex) implying a bi-modal PSD may better reflect reality. We tested the ability of vanG and Dex models to represent water retention in sandy top- and subsoils with different texture, in soil with contrasting management (Highfield), and in soil exposed to different tillage (Flakkebjerg). Soils were subjected to matric potentials from –10 hPa to –1.5 MPa. For all soils, the bi-modal Dex model showed a better fit to water retention data than the uni-modal vanG model. Neither of the models worked well for highly sorted soils. The vanG model gave a poorer fit for topsoils than for subsoils because of a more pronounced bi-modality of the PSD in topsoils caused by larger soil organic carbon (SOC) content and tillage. For Highfield soils, the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the vanG fit increased from long-term bare fallow (low C content, intensive tillage) to permanent grass (high C content, no tillage) reflecting a more distinct bi-modality of the PSD for well-structured soils. We conclude that uni-modal models should be used with great caution when describing effects of texture and management on PSD and that bi-modal models may provide a better fit to PSD.
Sex differences in the context dependency of episodic memory

Context contributes to multiple aspects of human episodic memory including segmentation and retrieval. The present studies tested if, in adult male and female mice, context influences the encoding of odors encountered in a single unsupervised sampling session of the type used for the routine acquisition of episodic memories. The three paradigms used differed in complexity (single vs. multiple odor cues) and period from sampling to testing. Results show that males consistently encode odors in a context-dependent manner: the mice discriminated novel from previously sampled cues when tested in the chamber of initial cue sampling but not in a distinct yet familiar chamber. This was independent of the interval between cue encounters or the latency from initial sampling to testing. In contrast, female mice acquired both single cues and the elements of multi-cue episodes, but recall of that information was dependent upon the surrounding context only when the cues were presented serially. These results extend the list of episodic memory features expressed by rodents and also introduce a striking and unexpected sex difference in context effects.
Late Miocene magnetostratigraphy of Jianzha Basin in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and changes in the East Asian summer monsoon

Jianzha Basin is located in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP) and contains a thick sequence of Cenozoic sediments that are an archive of information about the growth of the Tibetan Plateau and the evolution of the arid environment of the interior of Asia. Here, we present magnetostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental records from a 361‐m‐thick sequence of Late Cenozoic eolian Red Clay and intercalated fluviolacustrine deposits in the Jianzha Basin. The magnetostratigraphic results show that the sediments have recorded a continuous geomagnetic polarity sequence from C5r.3r to C3r, spanning the interval from 11.8 to 5.8 Ma in the Late Miocene. There are two intervals of rapidly fluctuating sedimentation rates between ~10 and ~6 Ma, which we interpret as a response to a series of uplifts and expansions to the north and to the east in the NETP. The fluctuations in Rb/Sr ratio and magnetic susceptibility before ~8.57 Ma reflect intensified East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) precipitation which resulted from the growth of the NETP. From ~8.57 to ~7.21 Ma, the EASM was impacted by global cooling and ice build‐up in the Northern Hemisphere in addition to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in the Late Miocene. From ~8.57 to ~7.21 Ma, there is a lack of coherency between the fluctuations in MS and Rb/Sr ratio; however, subsequently, there is significant coherency between the Rb/Sr ratio and the deep‐sea oxygen isotope record present. This suggests that from ~8.57 Ma, the eolian Red Clay sediments in the Jianzha Basin were significantly affected by the addition of dust derived from the deforming and uplifting areas of the TP.
Particulate Matter Oxidative Potential as an Additional Metric of Air Pollution Exposure

Epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated associations between particulate matter (PM) mass concentration and adverse cardio-respiratory health effects. However, PM mass concentration does not consider the PM source and constituents, and, therefore, may not adequately reflect PM toxicity. It has been proposed that PM oxidative potential (OP) may serve as a better biological index of PM toxicity. Controlled ambient particle exposures were performed to assess associations between PM OP and acute cardiovascular health responses. The PM OP was associated with cardiovascular responses and metal species indicative of trafficrelated air emissions. The sensitivity of the PM OP metric to local PM sources was also evaluated using filters collected from three sites with different traffic characteristics. Spatial and temporal variations were observed in PM OP and not in PM mass concentration. These findings suggest that PM OP is a more adequate biological indicator of PM toxicity compared to that of PM mass concentration.
Evaluation of Macroscopic Porosity‐Permeability Relationships in Heterogeneous Mineral Dissolution and Precipitation Scenarios

Mineral dissolution and precipitation reactions may alter porosity and permeability in porous media. While porosity generally increases with mineral dissolution and decreases with precipitation, corresponding permeability alterations are complex and predictive capabilities remain limited. The evolution of permeability depends on the spatial locations of geochemical reactions, both in individual pores and in the greater pore network and a range of reaction patterns have been observed in prior experimental investigations. Macroscopic relationships are needed in core‐to‐field scale reactive transport simulations that can accurately simulate permeability evolutions resulting from pore‐scale reactions. Currently, empirical porosity‐permeability relationships, such as the Kozeny‐Carman equation, are widely used to predict permeability evolution. However, these relationships only allow for a single permeability value for each porosity value and the validity of these relationships for the various spatial distributions of pore‐scale alterations is unknown. Using pore network model simulations, changes in permeability resulting from a range of dissolution and precipitation patterns (uniform, random, channelized, and size‐dependent) in a sandstone sample are investigated. The validity of macroscopic porosity‐permeability relationships for these reaction scenarios is evaluated by comparing computed permeability values with pore model simulations. Simulation results exhibit a large variation in porosity‐permeability relationships among reaction scenarios. Macroscopic porosity‐permeability relationships work well for uniform reaction scenarios where the extent of reaction is related to the pore size. The porosity and permeability relationships that result from more complex pore‐scale alterations, including pore size‐dependent reactions however, cannot be captured using these empirical relationships.
Spodumene from rare-metal pegmatites of the Kolmozerskoe lithium deposit (Kola peninsula)

The paper presents data on morphology and chemical composition of spodumene from rare-metal pegmatites of the Kolmozerskoe lithium deposit. Spodumene is the main rock-forming mineral (~ 20 %) and the major Li-bearing mineral in pegmatites. There are three generations of spodumene, and the intraphase heterogeneity of spodumenes of the first and second generations has been detected in the study for the first time. This heterogeneity is appearing in the presence of spots and zones differing by chemical composition — with high and low Fe/Mn ratio: 10.75—17.57 and 4.63—9.80, respectively. Any heterogeneity has not been revealed in the third generation spodumene. The second generation spodumene is the most widespread there, and the Li 2 O content in it varies from 7.11 to 8.08 wt %. As the common distinctive feature, the Kolmozerskoe deposit spodumenes have elevated contents of iron and rubidium in their chemical composition.