Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overcoming Rayleigh–Plateau instabilities: Stabilizing and destabilizing liquid-metal streams via electrochemical oxidation

Significance Liquid streams emerging from a nozzle break up rapidly into droplets due to Rayleigh–Plateau instabilities driven by surface tension. Liquid metals have enormous surface tension yet can be formed into stable cylindrical streams by applying an oxidizing potential to the metal as it is injected into an electrolyte at low velocities. The interfacial tension of a stream of liquid metal can be manipulated electrochemically in real time to produce a range of morphologies, including droplets, fine (100-μm diameter) wires, and rough shapes. The liquid wires can flow and bend without breaking over long distances. This phenomenon enables new approaches for production of metallic structures at room temperature, on-demand fluid-in-fluid structuring, and new tools for studying and controlling fluid behavior. Liquids typically form droplets when exiting a nozzle. Jets––cylindrical streams of fluid—can form transiently at higher fluid velocities, yet interfacial tension rapidly drives jet breakup into droplets via the Rayleigh–Plateau instability. Liquid metal is an unlikely candidate to form stable jets since it has enormous interfacial tension and low viscosity. We report that electrochemical anodization significantly lowers the effective tension of a stream of metal, transitioning it from droplets to long (long lifetime and length) wires with 100-μm diameters without the need for high velocities. Whereas surface minimization drives Rayleigh–Plateau instabilities, these streams of metal increase in surface area when laid flat upon a surface due to the low tension. The ability to tune interfacial tension over at least three orders of magnitude using modest potential (<1 V) enables new approaches for production of metallic structures at room temperature, on-demand fluid-in-fluid structuring, and new tools for studying and controlling fluid behavior.
Escaping from the TGFβ anti-proliferative control

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) has a crucial role in tissue homeostasis and disruption of the TGFbeta pathway has been implicated in many human diseases including cancer. As a potent inhibitor of epithelial cell proliferation, TGFbeta is a tumor suppressor. Tumor cells evade the antitumoral effect of TGFbeta, either by acquiring somatic mutations that blunt TGFbeta signaling or by selectively preventing the cytostatic responses to TGFbeta. During tumor progression, TGFbeta not only loses the anti-proliferative response but can also become an oncogenic factor. Recent work has provided insights into the specific molecular mechanisms involved in the loss of the TGFbeta anti-proliferative response. This review is an overview of the mechanisms that lead to the impairment of the tumor-suppressive function of TGFbeta in cancer. The understanding of how the TGFbeta signal is disrupted in cancer might facilitate the design and development of rational and successful therapeutic strategies.
Home Ranges and Group-territoriality in Chowchillas Orthonyx spaldingii

Summary: Chowchillas live year-round in groups of 2-5 birds, cooperate in territory defence and forage in groups. This study of social behaviour, territory defence and home range use was facilitated by the use of radio-telemetry. A single bird in each of five groups was fitted with a radio-transmitter to locate birds that are otherwise difficult to find in the rainforest. Two groups were tracked for 10-24 months so that seasonal changes in home range use could be investigated, while five groups were followed for two months to examine interactions between neighbouring groups. Different methods of representing home ranges and patterns of utilisation were compared. The home ranges of Chowchillas were found to be substantially larger than the areas that they defended from neighbouring groups, and there was considerable overlap in the home ranges of neighbouring groups. Chowchillas shifted their favoured foraging areas from season to season, tending to avoid areas where they had recently foraged. Home ranges of neighbouring groups encroached very little on the favoured foraging areas of other groups and territories were also virtually non-overlapping. These findings have implications for other studies of group-territorial birds where areas of use are commonly estimated from defended areas. As found in other studies of group-territorial birds, home range size increased with group size. Chowchillas provide an ideal opportunity for examining the costs and benefits of group-territoriality since they appear not to be cooperative breeders, unlike most other known group-territorial species.
Shifts in plant functional types have time‐dependent and regionally variable impacts on dryland ecosystem water balance

Terrestrial vegetation influences hydrologic cycling. In water‐limited, dryland ecosystems, altered ecohydrology as a consequence of vegetation change can impact vegetation structure, ecological functioning and ecosystem services. Shrub steppe ecosystems dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) are widespread across western North America, and provide a range of ecosystem services. While sagebrush abundance in these ecosystems has been altered over the past century, and changes are likely to continue, the ecohydrological consequences of sagebrush removal and reestablishment remain unclear. To characterize the immediate and medium‐term patterns of water cycling and availability following sagebrush plant community alteration, we applied the SOILWAT ecosystem water balance model to 898 sites across the distribution of sagebrush ecosystems, representing the three primary sagebrush ecosystem types: sagebrush shrublands, sagebrush steppe and montane sagebrush. At each site, we examined three vegetation conditions representing intact sagebrush, recently disturbed sagebrush and recovered but grass‐dominated vegetation. Transition from shrub to grass dominance decreased precipitation interception and transpiration and increased soil evaporation and deep drainage. Relative to intact sagebrush vegetation, simulated soils in the herbaceous vegetation phases typically had drier surface layers and wetter deep layers. Our simulations suggested that alterations in ecosystem water balance may be most pronounced in vegetation representing recently disturbed conditions (herbaceous vegetation with low biomass) and only modest in conditions representing recovered, but still grass‐dominated vegetation. Furthermore, the ecohydrological impact of simulated sagebrush removal depended on climate; while short‐term changes in water balance were greatest in wet areas represented by the montane sagebrush ecosystem type, medium‐term impacts were greatest in dry areas of sagebrush shrublands and sagebrush steppe. Synthesis. This study provides a novel, regional‐scale assessment of how plant functional type transitions may impact ecosystem water balance in sagebrush‐dominated ecosystems of North America. Results illustrate that the ecohydrological consequences of changing vegetation depend strongly on climate and suggest that decreasing woody plant abundance may have only limited impact on evapotranspiration and water yield.
Prebiotics and Fish Immune Response: A Review of Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

It is now a well-documented fact that there is a distinct relation between fish nutrition and health status. Intensification of aquaculture practice to meet market demand causes stress and elevates the risk of the disease outbreak. Therefore, provisions of proper diets as well as appropriate feeding regimens are of high importance in intensive aquaculture. Considering the negative impacts raised by prophylactic and therapeutic use of antibiotic in aquaculture, administration of dietary immunostimulant has been suggested as an alternative to antimicrobial agents. In this sense, functional dietary supplements, including pre-, pro- and synbiotic received increasing attention as an environment-friendly strategy for improving fish health. During the past years, administration of prebiotics in the diet of different fish species revealed promising results in immune response. In the present review article, the topic of the administration of dietary prebiotics in aquaculture is addressed with a special focus on recent findings regarding the effects of prebiotics on fish immune response and possible mode of action. Furthermore, the present study covers the gap in existing knowledge and suggests issues that merit further investigation.
Erratum for Wallenstein et al., “ClbR Is the Key Transcriptional Activator of Colibactin Gene Expression in Escherichia coli”

Volume 5, no. 4, e00591-20, 2020, [https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00591-20][1]. Table S3: in the original version of this table, the nucleotide sequences given for primers 1 and 2 were incorrect. A corrected version of Table S3 now appears with the article. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00591-
Refining rare weed trait syndromes along arable intensification gradients

Abstract Question How does the conservation (rarity) value of arable weed communities differ along intensification gradients? Which functional traits best distinguish the weed communities of more and less extensively managed fields? Can the same traits predict the rarity of individual weed species? Location Hungary. Methods Using relevé data from 60 cereal and 70 stubble fields, together with weed trait data, we characterized community responses to arable intensification using functional trait analyses based on trait‐convergence and trait‐divergence assembly patterns. We also examined how well the broad‐scale rarity status of species predicts their occurrence along intensification gradients, and how it maps onto our functional classifications describing intensification responses. Results The response of weeds to intensification in cereal fields was best described by a functional classification based on species' flowering duration, maximum height and seed weight: weeds of extensively managed fields have short flowering seasons (2–5 mo) and particularly large or small seeds. The highest proportions of rare species also happen to be found in these groups. The rarest weeds among these species tend to be late‐winter and early‐summer annuals, while the rare species of stubble fields tend to be broad‐leaved with low nitrogen requirements, small seeds and short height. Stubble fields showed a decline in weed cover with increasing application of fertilizer and distance from the field edge, but we could detect no strong associations of management factors with trait composition, perhaps because the intensification gradient across these fields was shorter. Conclusions Many rare Hungarian weeds are associated with traditional extensive farming practices. They are particularly characterized by short, midsummer flowering periods and by preference for low nitrogen levels, but a range of trait syndromes must be considered to understand their ecology and conservation. Analyses based on trait‐divergence patterns, rather than trait‐convergence patterns, provide better insights into the functional composition of weed communities, emphasizing the importance of disruptive filters in weed community assembly and the need for improved methods to detect such effects.
Long-term yield variability and detection of site-specific climate-smart nutrient management practices for rice–wheat systems: an empirical approach

SUMMARY Identification of climate-smart nutrient management practices will overcome the ill effects of extreme climate variability on agricultural production under projected climate change scenarios. The rice–wheat cropping system is the major system used in India: using long-term yield data from Integrated Nutrient Management experiments on this system, the present study analysed trends in weather parameters and grain yield under different nutrient management practices. Twelve treatments with different combinations of inorganic (chemical fertilizer) and organic (farmyard manure (FYM), green manure (GM) and crop residue) sources of nutrients were compared with farmers’ conventional practices. A significant increasing trend was noticed for rainfall during the rice season at Kalyani and Navsari, of the order of 137·7 and 154·2 mm/decade, respectively. The highest increase in maximum temperature was seen at Palampur (1·62 °C/decade) followed by Ludhiana (1·14 °C/decade). At all the sites except Ludhiana and Kanpur, the yield of the rice–wheat system showed an increasing trend ranging from 0·08 t/ha/year in Jabalpur to 0·011 t/ha/year in Navsari, under the recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer application. A significant decreasing trend of 0·055 t/ha was found in Ludhiana. For most of the sites, a combination of half the recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer and either FYM or GM to provide the remainder of the N required was sufficient to maintain productivity. The top three climate-resilient integrated nutrient management practices were identified for all the study sites. Thus, the present study highlights the adaptive capacity of different integrated nutrient management practices to rainfall and temperature extremes under rice–wheat cropping system in distinctive agro-ecological zones of India.
Pre‐release feeding on yeast hydrolysate enhances sexual competitiveness of sterile male Queensland fruit flies in field cages

Recent laboratory studies of mass‐reared flies in small cages have found that periods of just 24‐ or 48‐h access to yeast hydrolysate can substantially enhance mating performance of mass‐reared male Queensland fruit flies, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) (‘Q‐flies’). Using field cage tests that provide a better approximation of nature, we here investigated whether access to yeast hydrolysate for 48 h after adult emergence improves the ability of male and female mass‐reared, sterile Q‐flies to compete sexually with wild‐type flies that had been provided continuous access to yeast hydrolysate. Mating probability of sterile males was significantly increased by 48‐h access to yeast hydrolysate; sterile males provided 48‐h access to yeast hydrolysate had mating probability similar to that of wild males provided continuous access to yeast hydrolysate, whereas sterile males deprived of access to yeast hydrolysate had much lower mating probability. Unlike males, access to yeast hydrolysate for 48 h did not increase mating probability of sterile female Q‐flies. We instead found that wild females provided continuous access to yeast hydrolysate had higher mating probability than sterile females that did or did not have 48‐h access to yeast hydrolysate. This result raises the possibility that a bisexual Q‐fly strain might operate essentially as a male‐only release when the flies are given access to yeast hydrolysate during a 48‐h pre‐release holding period. Sterile males given access to yeast hydrolysate for 48 h mated significantly earlier in the evening than wild males and, as in other recent studies, this tendency was associated with an increased tendency to mate on the trees rather than the cage walls. There was no evidence of sexual isolation in this study, as wild and sterile mass‐reared flies showed no evidence of preferential mating with their own kind. Further studies are now needed to assess the potential for pre‐release access to yeast hydrolysate to improve sexual performance and longevity of sterile, mass‐reared, Q‐flies in the field.
Antioxidant and Possible Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Selected Medicinal Plants Prescribed in the Indian Traditional System of Medicine

Abstract The 50% alcohol extracts of Swertia chirayita. (Roxb. ex Flem) (Gentianaceae), Cedrus deodar. (Roxb. ex Lamb) (Pinaceae), Boerhavia diffusa. (Linn.) (Nyctaginaceae), Berberis aristata. (Linn.) (Berberidaceae), Withania somnifera. Dunal (Solanaceae), Pongamia glabra. (Vent) (Papilionoideae), Petrocarpus santalinus. (Linn.) (Papilionoideae), Tinospora cordifolia. (Willd) Miers (Menispermaceae), and Acrous calamus. (Linn.) (Araceae), were screened for antioxidant and possible anti-inflammatory potential. The evaluation of antioxidant potential was determined by performing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazine (DPPH˙) reduction assay, OH radical (OH˙) scavenging activity, estimation of vitamin C, total polyphenols, and inhibition of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) as a model oxidizing enzyme. To understand the possible anti-inflammatory potential of the selected plants, trypsin and β. -glucuronidase inhibition assays were carried out. All the plants under study were found to be effective scavengers of DPPH radicals. Among the tested plants, only Pongamia glabra, Petrocarpus santalinus, Tinospora cordifolia. , and Acrous calamus. were found to possess OH radical scavenging activity. Appreciable amounts of vitamin C and phenolics were estimated from all the plant extracts under study. Except for Pongamia glabra. , all the tested plants demonstrated significant PPO inhibitory activity. The plants under study were found to have moderate antiproteolytic activity toward trypsin-induced hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin. Except for Cedrus deodar. and Acrous calamus. , none of the plant extracts showed β. -glucuronidase inhibitory potential. The results of the current study may be of use for standardization and validation of herbal drugs containing the above mentioned plants as one of the ingredients.
How mass political attitudes affect democratization: Exploring the facilitating role critical democrats play in the process

For decades, scholars of political culture have held that mass political attitudes have a profound impact on the process of democratization. In studying this impact, an increasing number of political scientists have recently theorized that the level of democratization a political system reaches depends on the extent to which its political institutions meet citizen demand for democracy. In testing such theoretical models of democratic demand and supply, however, many political scientists have mistakenly equated democratic demand with citizen preference for democracy over its alternatives. In this study, we first argue that popular demand for democracy is not the same thing as democratic regime preference or support. Instead, demand for democracy arises from dissatisfaction with democracy-in-practice. By analyzing the fourth wave of the World Values Survey, we then demonstrate that the critical orientations of democrats promote democratic development more powerfully than do the two attitudes — democratic regime support and self-expression values — that prior public opinion research has identified as the forces driving democratization.
Processing Yields for Meat of Russian and Siberian Sturgeons Cultured in Florida, USA

ABSTRACT Cultured Russian and Siberian sturgeons were processed and analyzed to estimate meat yields and proximate compositions. Sturgeons were approximately 18 to 24 months in age and weighed 2.3–2.6 kilograms (lower and upper intervals, 95% level of confidence) in total body weight. Dressed fillet yields in sturgeon appear to vary by species. The skinless fillet yields for Russian sturgeon and Siberian sturgeon were 26% and 32%, respectively. The proximate composition of edible portions in Russian and Siberian sturgeons may range from 70–76% moisture, 17–19% protein, 5–10% lipid, and 1–2% ash; some 116–151 calories per 100 grams of fresh, uncooked meat. However, the lipid content in Siberian sturgeon may be higher than in other sturgeon species.
Family Versus Institutional Involvement in Restructuring: Evidence From the Communications Equipment Industry

The prospect of restructuring can be seen as a mixed gamble that creates tensions between family owners and institutional investors in publicly traded firms. Both sides diverge in their reference points as family owners will pursue noneconomic goals, while institutional owners will pursue economic goals. We develop and test arguments to predict how resistance from family owners and support from institutional owners affect a firm’s restructuring. Using panel data from 1990 to 2004, the findings support our predictions and show that family owners can achieve both economic and noneconomic goals post-restructuring.
Social and Nonsocial Uses of Electronic Messaging Systems in Organizations

This paper examines social and nonsocial uses of electronic messaging systems, their determinants, and their impacts on direction of communication, perceived quality of work, and decision-making. A survey was conducted in 1992 in the headquarters of a large, geographically dispersed telecommunications company in Maryland which used an in-house electronic mail system. The findings showed that electronic messages were not widely used for socioemotional purposes but were certainly more common among certain groups. Messages pertaining to socioemotional content were generally avoided in downward and diagonal communication. Younger employees who had worked for the organiza tion for a shorter period of time and were holding lower level jobs were more likely to communicate socioemotional content via electronic messages. These people were less often involved in the decision-making process and felt they did not make effective decisions. However, socioemotional use was positively related to perceived quality of work. Consistent with previous studies, upper managers tended to use electronic messages for routine tasks. When time pressure was involved, electronic messages would be used for complex tasks.
Modelling seasonal and diurnal dynamics of stomatal conductance of plants in a semiarid environment.

Seasonal and diurnal stomatal conductance, leaf transpiration, and soil water contents of two shrubs of Hippophae rhamnoides L. subsp. Sinensis Rousi and Caragana korshinskii Kom. , two trees of Malus pomila Mill. and Robinia pseudoacacia L. , and a forb, Artemisia gmelinii, were measured in field of the semiarid Loess Plateau, north China, during the growing season of 2002. We developed a dynamic, nonlinear semi-mechanistic model to relate stomatal conductance of these plants to soil water potential, incident photon flux density, vapour pressure deficit, and partial CO2 pressure, on leaf surface. The model can be easily adapted to ecosystem simulation because of its mathematical simplicity. Guard-cell osmotic pressure at zero light intensity, apparent elastic modulus of guard cells per leaf area, half-saturation light intensity, maximum light-inducible osmotic pressure, soil-to-leaf resistance at zero plant water potential, sensitivity of soil-to-leaf resistance to xylem water potential, and plant body water capacitance, are independent parameters of the model. The model was fitted to the field data of the five species with a non-linear least-square algorithm to obtain the parameters. The result indicates that the model explained, on average, 88% of seasonal and diurnal variation of stomatal conductance for the five species, in comparison with 67% of variation explained by an early model without plant body water capacitance. Comparisons of the physiological parameters among the species show that the woody species exhibited more tolerance for water stresses than the forb because of their higher dark osmotic pressure, greater capability of seasonal and diurnal osmotic regulation, and stiffer guard cell structure (or smaller stomatal density or both). A decreasing trend of soil-to-leaf resistance from the trees to the shrubs to the forb was found in this study. Midday depression of transpiration and stomatal conductance may or may not occur, depending on the magnitude of body water capacitance.