Search Results (811)

Freemasons in the United States have engaged in music making together to different degrees across the history of the country. Throughout the eighteenth century, it tended to occur at times of refreshment and structured meals as a means of diversion and community building. The nineteenth century gradually saw a transition from convivial songs to ritualistic songs that heightened the experience of initiation. The twentieth-century fraternity’s use of music generally followed that of society, away from communal music making and toward appreciation of recorded music by professionals or spoken word only. This article examines a few representative songs from different eras of American Freemasonry. Full article

Fine-scale identification of Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora) is essential for coastal wetland conservation. However, in tidal-flat environments, lodged S. alterniflora often occurs together with upright S. alterniflora and native vegetation. The two-dimensional spectral features of S. alterniflora are easily affected by senescence, canopy posture, tidal stage and mixed pixels, leading to unstable classification. The integration of UAV multispectral imagery and LiDAR data can effectively address this problem. The study focused on Shangsha Island within Jiuduansha Wetland in the Yangtze Estuary and constructed multidimensional spectral–structural features by integrating the two data sources. The separability of upright S. alterniflora, lodged S. alterniflora, Phragmites australis (P. australis) and Scirpus mariqueter (S. mariqueter) was characterized using point-cloud elevation distributions, vertical organization and canopy density. The results showed that P. australis had a multilayered point-cloud structure with broad vertical extent, S. mariqueter showed a compact and sparse structure, and S. alterniflora was characterized by a continuous and dense single-layer point-cloud structure. Lodged S. alterniflora further showed a more concentrated, single-layered point-cloud structure and stronger grass-layer continuity. Multisource classification achieved an overall accuracy of 98.15% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.97. In the lodging-area comparison experiment, point-cloud fusion increased overall accuracy from 95.18% to 97.99% and Kappa from 0.89 to 0.95, improving boundary continuity and discrimination stability. Experimental results demonstrate that the fusion of UAV multispectral imagery and LiDAR data can improve the identification of lodged S. alterniflora in complex tidal-flat environments. Accurate identification and spatial delineation of S. alterniflora can help reduce field-survey effort and associated costs while supporting more targeted and efficient removal operations. Full article

This review comprehensively summarizes the recent research progress of multi-source sensing technologies and intelligent modeling methods in vegetation monitoring. It elucidates the physical mechanisms and complementary natures of core active and passive technologies, including optical hyperspectral remote sensing, LiDAR structural detection, and microwave/millimeter-wave radar. Furthermore, it systematically analyzes advanced data processing methods, covering physics-based radiative transfer models, data-driven machine learning, Physics-Data Dual-Driven Modeling transfer learning, and multi-source data fusion strategies. The paper highlights successful applications across diverse typical scenarios, such as crop precision nitrogen diagnosis, forest biomass estimation, crop lodging risk prediction, and vegetation stress assessment. Finally, it discusses critical challenges like data heterogeneity and model generalization, while presenting a future outlook focused on building collaborative “space-air-ground” integrated monitoring networks and advanced AI fusion methods. Full article

Dwarf cereal cultivars were crucial for the Green Revolution. Dwarfed, lodging-resistant varieties remain essential today, as climate change brings more storms and downpours. In barley, the dwarfing gene HvDEP1 has been widely used in breeding. Although its pleiotropic effects on agronomic traits have been examined, previous studies relied on cultivars developed via random mutagenesis, which carry background mutations that may influence phenotypes. Moreover, its impact on root traits remains underexplored. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate precise HvDEP1 mutants and introduce dwarfism into the barley cultivar ‘Maythorpe.’ We assessed the effects on above-ground morphology, yield-related traits, root architecture, biomass via ¹³C labelling, and the root metabolome. HvDEP1 mutations significantly reduced plant height, straw, spike, and awn length, as well as thousand-grain weight. An in-frame mutant showed intermediate height, straw, and awn phenotypes. Belowground, in a root experiment restricted to knockout line #12, specific root length and the length of the finest (0–0.25 mm) roots were reduced, while total root length was lower but not significantly so; (p = 0.062). Root metabolomic profiling detected no genotype-associated differences. These results provide new insights into HvDEP1′s role in both shoot and root systems and demonstrate that precise CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing can rapidly introduce dwarfism while revealing trade-offs in other agronomic traits. Full article

Senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) signaling, along with key markers such as P16^INK4a/CDKN2A and LMNB1, has not been systematically studied in circulating lymphocyte subsets in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study aimed to evaluate SASP-related genes and senescence markers in peripheral CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and CD19⁺ cells and assess their clinical relevance. Expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNFα, CXCL1, P16^INK4a/CDKN2A, and LMNB1 was measured by RT-qPCR in sorted lymphocytes from 58 HNSCC patients at baseline, 31 post-treatment, and 13 controls. Statistical analyses included nonparametric tests, correlation analyses, and survival models (Kaplan–Meier, Cox regression). In the results, LMNB1 was significantly upregulated in all lymphocyte subsets of HNSCC patients. IL-6, CXCL1, and IL-1β were elevated in CD4⁺ T cells. A coordinated co-expression network involving IL-6, CXCL1, IL-1β, P16^INK4a/CDKN2A, and LMNB1 was observed. Clinically, IL-6 in CD8⁺ T cells was associated with higher nodal stage and worse survival, while CXCL1 in CD19⁺ B cells independently predicted survival. No differences were found between pre- and post-treatment samples. Circulating lymphocytes in HNSCC display coordinated expression of selected senescence-associated genes, with IL-6 and CXCL1 as candidate prognostic biomarkers linked to tumor progression that warrant further validation. Full article

Lodging limits oat yield, forage value, silage quality, and mechanized harvesting, but resistance cannot be explained by plant height alone. This structured narrative review synthesizes literature available through 1 June 2026 using a tiered evidence framework. After duplicate removal, the review included 119 unique references in total. These comprised 12 Level I studies with direct oat evidence, 30 Level II oat-focused studies requiring further validation, and 77 Level III comparative sources. Overall, 42 sources (35.3%) focused on oat or Avena. The strongest direct evidence supports roles for basal-internode geometry and mechanics, cell-wall composition, canopy architecture, planting density, nitrogen management, and genotype-specific responses to plant growth regulators. However, the direction and magnitude of these effects depend strongly on genotype × management × environment interactions. Evidence for root lodging remains limited because root traits are rarely examined together with direct anchorage measurements and soil mechanical properties. Image-based phenotyping also lacks independently validated, multi-environment oat datasets for model development. Genome-wide association studies and multi-omics analyses have identified candidate loci, genes, and pathways, but independent, homoeolog-aware validation is still needed. We recommend standardized reporting of lodging type, field severity, basal-internode mechanics, root–soil conditions, and imaging protocols. We also propose resource-matched deployment and staged priorities, from phenotyping harmonization to multi-environment validation and causal analysis of belowground mechanisms. Full article

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) can adversely affect athletes’ health and performance. Coaches in individual sports may help recognize warning signs and facilitate referrals, yet their awareness remains understudied, especially among high-performance professionals. A cross-sectional survey using a translated, pilot-tested, and expert-reviewed adaptation of the Lodge et al. questionnaire was conducted among 101 Russian athletics (n = 75) and short-track speed skating (n = 26) coaches. The primary outcome was self-reported prior awareness of RED-S. Among coaches reporting awareness, secondary outcomes were self-rated confidence and recognition of 12 adverse RED-S consequences. Of 99 coaches who answered the awareness question, 39 (39.4%; 95% CI, 30.3–49.2%) reported prior awareness. Among these 39 coaches, 19 (48.7%) rated their confidence as moderate to very high, and the mean consequence-recognition score was 5.64 ± 4.04 out of 12; 11 (28.2%) recognized at least 9 of 12 consequences. In unadjusted and multivariable analyses, no statistically significant associations were found between prior awareness and sport, sex, athletes’ competitive level, or coaching qualification, although confidence intervals were wide. These findings suggest limited prior awareness of RED-S in the surveyed sample and limited consequence recognition among coaches reporting prior awareness. They may indicate an educational gap with potential implications for athlete health. Targeted coach education should be evaluated in future studies. Full article

Maize lateral roots play essential roles in plant anchorage, mechanical support, and water and nutrient acquisition. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying lateral root development remain unclear. In this study, an F₂ population was generated by crossing the inbred lines B111, which exhibits abundant lateral roots on brace roots, and T4691, which lacks lateral roots on brace roots, to map loci controlling lateral root development. Phenotypic analysis of the F₂ population revealed that lateral root branching number (LRN) exhibited quantitative variation. Bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq) identified two major QTLs for LRN on chromosomes 7 and 9. Of them, the QTL on chromosome 9, qLRN9, showed stronger significance. Through molecular marker analysis, qLRN9 was further narrowed down to an approximately 1.63 Mb marker interval. To identify the candidate genes, transcriptome analysis was performed using brace root samples with lateral root branches collected from the B111 inbred line at three lateral root developmental stages. In the ~1.63-marker interval, Zm00001eb379100, Zm00001eb378700, Zm00001eb379070 and GRFTF13 were screened for possible candidate genes by integrated analysis of QTL mapping and transcriptome data. These findings provide valuable genetic resources and molecular markers for improving maize root architecture, lodging resistance, and drought tolerance. Full article

Fonio is the smallest of the millets and one of the world’s oldest crops, grown across West Africa. Some landraces are the world’s fastest maturing cereals, helping small-scale farmers in semi-arid regions survive mid-season hunger as they await harvesting of primary crops. Fonio comprises two species distinguished by spikelet colour (white and black), with white fonio being dominant. Here we review research in white fonio from a cross-disciplinary, systems-based perspective, including germplasm conservation, crop breeding, agronomy, mechanization, and value chain development. Fonio is consumed like rice and comparable or superior nutritionally, but can survive dry/marginal soils. Despite food security potential, it remains semi-domesticated and underutilized, associated with low yield, lodging, seed shattering and post-harvest drudgery. Recently, there have been exciting advances in white fonio germplasm collection, genome sequencing, population structure analysis and agronomic/stakeholder surveys. Controlled experiments have identified physio-morphological-metabolomic acclimation traits as targets to breed fonio for improved drought tolerance, critical in the Sahel region of Western Africa, which is dry and among the most vulnerable to climate change and food insecurity. These advances have laid the foundation to develop fonio as an economically viable crop to improve the livelihoods of Sahelian indigenous peoples. White fonio could serve as a model for how modern techniques can be used to fully domesticate ancient crops and adapt them to climate change. Full article

Forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) has excellent stress resistance and feeding quality. Lodging is one of the most critical factors influencing its yield and overall quality. However, there remains no definitive conclusion regarding the key indicators affecting the lodging of forage sorghum and their correlations. In this study, 149 forage sorghum lines, including 26 maintainer lines and 123 restorer lines, from the United States, China, and Japan were used to analyze the correlation between agronomic and mechanical properties at maturity. In addition, we selected forage sorghum with high, medium and low lignin content and observed the tissue sections, which further revealed the essence of lodging of forage sorghum from the microscopic point of view. Correlation analysis showed that lodging index (LI) was positively associated with plant height (PH), stem bending moment (SBM), lignin content (LC), stem center of gravity height (SGH), and fresh weight from the breaking point to the top of the panicle (FWP); lodging index was significantly negatively associated with breaking resistance (BR) and exhibited no significant correlation with stem diameter (SD) and lodging resistance of individual plant (LR). LI showed no significant association with BR and SD in the maintainer line subgroup, whereas LI was significantly negatively correlated only with BR and showed significant positive correlations with the other seven traits in the restorer line subgroup. Histological observation of the longitudinal section of the stem stained with Safranin O/Fast Green showed that the lodging resistance of sorghum could not be simply defined by the lignin content, and the structure of stem tissue played a more decisive role in determining the lodging resistance. Full article

Shading in agroforestry systems reduces light availability and increases the risk of lodging, limiting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield. A two-year field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of chlormequat chloride (CCC) on wheat stem morphology, carbohydrate metabolism, lignin biosynthesis, lodging resistance, and yield under four shading intensities (S0: natural light; S1: 10% → 25% shading; S2: 20% → 50% shading; S3: 30% → 75% shading) from jointing to maturity stage. Shading resulted in taller plants with increased center of gravity, thinner stems, and reduced lignin, cellulose, and soluble sugar content, weakening stem-breaking strength and reducing yield. CCC application decreased internode length, increased stem solidity, and enhanced lignin and cellulose accumulation, as well as lignin biosynthesis enzyme activity. These changes improved stem-breaking strength and lodging resistance. Moreover, CCC significantly increased wheat yield by 2.7% to 23.3% (p < 0.05) depending on the shading intensity, and there was a significant interaction between shading intensity and CCC application on wheat grain yield (p < 0.05) The results demonstrate that CCC application can mitigate shading-induced yield loss by enhancing lodging resistance and improving stem integrity under the artificial-shading conditions evaluated in this study. Its effectiveness in actual agroforestry systems requires further field validation. Full article

Sustainable tourism in oasis landscapes requires governance approaches that go beyond generic destination-growth models and standardized sustainability checklists. In living cultural landscapes such as Al-Ahsa Oasis, tourism development is inseparable from water systems, palm-grove agriculture, rural livelihoods, heritage values, climate stress, visitor behavior, and institutional accountability. This paper develops a governance framework for sustainable tourism in Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. Methodologically, it is a conceptual framework-development study based on structured critical review and contextual synthesis. It critically interprets international sustainable tourism, heritage management, visitor management, and sustainable investment frameworks in relation to recent Al-Ahsa-specific evidence on rural tourism, resident satisfaction, farm-tourist behavior, rural lodges, land-cover change, and World Heritage governance. The study proposes a six-dimensional framework structured around cultural landscape stewardship, water-sensitive ecological governance, agricultural landscape continuity and rural accommodation regulation, community benefit and local enterprise, climate-responsive visitor management and interpretation, and monitoring and institutional accountability. These dimensions are treated as interdependent governance fields rather than separate checklist categories. The framework is further operationalized through an indicator and governance matrix linking suggested indicators, data sources, governance mechanisms, and responsible actors. The paper contributes by reframing sustainable oasis tourism as an adaptive governance problem rather than a technical exercise in applying predefined criteria. It provides an evidence-informed basis for planning, monitoring, stakeholder deliberation, policy refinement, and future empirical testing in Al-Ahsa and comparable arid cultural landscapes. Full article

Per rectum examination (PRE) is commonly used in the triage of horses with acute abdominal pain, despite reports of associated risk factors for both horses and personnel, but its diagnostic accuracy is questionable. This multicenter, observational study aimed to evaluate the agreement between PRE findings and surgical findings obtained via exploratory laparotomy in horses with colic. A total of 201 cases from four equine referral hospitals across Europe were included. Rectal findings were categorized as primary (most likely cause of colic) or additional. Agreement with surgical findings was assessed using kappa statistics. The influence of examiner demographic data (age, gender, and qualification status) on diagnostic accuracy was also evaluated. The agreement between primary rectal and primary surgical diagnosis was 57.2% (115/201; kappa coefficient, 0.490; 95% confidence interval, 0.394–0.586). When both primary and additional findings were considered, agreement increased to 71.6% (144/201, kappa coefficient, 0.720; 95% confidence interval, 0.156–0.927; 65.1–77.4%). The highest agreement was seen in cases of gas-distended large colon (90.3%), small intestinal distension (75.8%), and left dorsal displacement of the large colon (66.7%). Detection of small intestine distension in PRE had the highest sensitivity (85.7%) and negative predictive value (92.8%) among the evaluated parameters. Examiner demographics had no significant impact on diagnostic accuracy. PRE is a valuable but imperfect diagnostic tool. Given the dynamic nature of colic and possible changes between examination and surgery, some discrepancies are expected. Other variables, such as horse size or the examiner’s hand dominance, were not investigated in this study but may have had an impact on the observed outcomes. Overall, PRE remains a practical, accessible technique that provides clinically useful information regardless of examiner experience. Full article

Mental health remains a global concern for which the burden of care frequently falls onto non-clinical platforms. This study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore how Twitch.tv is unexpectedly being used to curate communities wherein mental health is discussed and supported. Using semi-structured interviews with six Twitch Partners, we generated three superordinate themes: 1. Positive Experiences of Streaming, 2. Negative Psycho-social Sense-making in Relation to Streaming, and 3. Emotional Dilemmas Regarding Stream-related Payments. Twitch Partners face challenges around balancing pressures of generating and maintaining communities, whilst addressing individual relationships and the needs of members within. This paper documents strategies that Twitch Partners employ to protect their own mental wellbeing whilst supporting their communities, and notes how monetised content can impact such strategies and generate additional stress. These findings highlight the need to explore and evaluate platform support for streamer wellbeing, including signposting, moderation resources, mental health guidance, and training. Full article

Silicon is an essential element for enhancing the yield, quality and lodging resistance of rice, which are mainly applied through a base application or foliar application during critical growth stages in current practice. The effect of foliar application of water-soluble silicon fertilizer at different growth stages on rice yield, quality and lodging resistance were studied to screen the optimal spraying period that enhances both high yield and lodging resistance. The experiment used “Nanjing9108 and Nanjing5718” as test materials; three treatment combinations were established, corresponding to the following spraying periods: tillering stage + elongation stage (Si1), tillering stage + elongation stage + grain-filling stage (Si2), elongation stage + grain-filling stage (Si3). Applying with plain water served as the control (CK). The results showed that a foliar application of silicon fertilizer significantly increased rice yields, with the Si2 treatment yielding the best results, increasing the yields of the NJ9108 and NJ5718 by 4.82–5.70% and 4.02–5.29%, respectively, over the two-year period. Foliar silicon fertilization significantly enhanced stem wall thickness and shortened the length of the basal internodes, thereby enhancing the lodging resistance of rice. The lodging resistance of the second basal internodes by 5.52–7.79% for NJ9108 and 4.80–7.15% by NJ5718, while that of the third basal internodes increased by 3.42–4.97% and 5.67–6.76%, respectively. In addition, silicon application treatments exhibited enhanced N uptake at maturity with increases of 6.19–13.56% and 5.37–13.86%, respectively. N use efficiency increased with the number of silicon applications. Silicon application during the grain-filling stage effectively delayed leaf senescence, providing sustained photosynthesis to support dry matter accumulation during the mid-to-late growth stages and further facilitating nitrogen transport and utilization. In summary, the synergistic application of silicon fertilizer during the tillering, elongation, and grain-filling stages is the most effective strategy for achieving the dual objectives of high yield and lodging resistance. Full article