Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative foraging behaviour and performance between cattle and horses grazing in heathlands with different proportions of improved pasture area

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to compare the diet selection and productive performance of beef cattle (Asturiana de los Valles breed) and crossbred horses grazing on heather-gorse shrublands with different available surface of improved pasture (IP): 80% (IP80) or 25% (IP25). Twelve and 10 lactating dams per species with their offspring were managed in IP80 (19 ha) and IP25 (22 ha), respectively, during two grazing seasons (spring-autumn). Visual recordings at IP25 indicated that horses grazed for longer than cattle. Both species grazed preferentially on IP and increased the utilization of shrublands as season advanced and available sward height in the IP area decreased. Diet composition estimates using faecal markers showed greater dietary percentages of white clover in cows than in mares during spring-summer. During autumn cows selected greater percentages of heather and lower of gorse than mares. Mares achieved more favourable body weight (BW) changes than cows during the whole grazing season, although differences were mainly confined to IP80. Calves showed higher BW gains than foals during the whole grazing season, with scarce differences between vegetation mixtures. Mares compete with cattle for the use of quality pastures, negatively affecting BW recoveries of cows when both species graze together.
Systematic Assessment of Blood-Borne MicroRNAs Highlights Molecular Profiles of Endurance Sport and Carbohydrate Uptake

Multiple studies endorsed the positive effect of regular exercising on mental and physical health. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying training-induced fitness in combination with personal life-style remain largely unexplored. Circulating biomarkers such as microRNAs (miRNAs) offer themselves for studying systemic and cellular changes since they can be collected from the bloodstream in a low-invasive manner. In Homo sapiens miRNAs are known to regulate a substantial number of protein-coding genes in a post-transcriptional manner and hence are of great interest to understand differential gene expression profiles, offering a cost-effective mechanism to study molecular training adaption, and connecting the dots from genomics to observed phenotypes. Here, we investigated molecular expression patterns of 2, 549 miRNAs in whole-blood samples from 23 healthy and untrained adult participants of a cross-over study, consisting of 8 weeks of endurance training, with several sessions per week, followed by 8 weeks of washout and another 8 weeks of running, using microarrays. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two study groups, one of which administered carbohydrates before each session in the first training period, switching the treatment group for the second training period. During running sessions clinical parameters as heartbeat frequency were recorded. This information was extended with four measurements of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) for each participant. We observed that multiple circulating miRNAs show expression changes after endurance training, leveraging the capability to separate the blood samples by training status. To this end, we demon-strate that most of the variance in miRNA expression can be explained by both common and known biological and technical factors. Our findings highlight six distinct clusters of miRNAs, each exhibiting an oscillating expression profile across the four study timepoints, that can effectively be utilized to predict phenotypic VO2 max levels. In addition, we identified miR-532-5p as a candidate marker to determine personal alterations in physical training performance on a case-by-case analysis taking the influence of a carbohydrate-rich nutrition into account. In literature, miR-532-5p is known as a common down-regulated miRNA in diabetes and obesity, possibly providing a molecular link between cellular homeostasis, personal fitness levels, and health in aging. We conclude that circulating miRNAs expression can be altered due to regular endurance training, independent of the carbohydrate availability in the timeframe around training. Further validation studies are required to confirm the role of exercise-affected miRNAs and the extraordinary function of miR-532-5p in modulating the metabolic response to a high availability of glucose.
Evolutionary k-nearest neighbor imputation algorithm for gene expression data

Large data sets are produced by the gene expression process which is done by using the DNA microarray technology. These gene expression data are recognized as a common data source which contains missing expression values. In this paper, we present a genetic algorithm optimized k- Nearest neighbor algorithm (Evolutionary kNNImputation) for missing data imputation. Despite the common imputation methods this paper addresses the effectiveness of using supervised learning algorithms for missing data imputation. Missing data imputation approaches can be categorized into four main categories and among the four approaches our focus is mainly on local approach where the proposed Evolutionary k- Nearest Neighbor Imputation Algorithm falls in. The Evolutionary k- Nearest Neighbor Imputation Algorithm is an extension of the common k- nearest Neighbor Imputation Algorithm which the genetic algorithm is used to optimize some parameters of k- Nearest Neighbor Algorithm. The selection of similarity matrix and the selection of the parameter value k can be identified as the optimization problem. We have compared the proposed Evolutionary k- Nearest Neighbor Imputation algorithm with k- Nearest Neighbor Imputation algorithm and mean imputation method. The three algorithms were tested using gene expression datasets. Certain percentages of values are randomly deleted in the datasets and recovered the missing values using the two algorithms. Results show that Evolutionary kNNImputation outperforms kNNImputation and mean imputation while showing the importance of using a supervised learning algorithm in missing data estimation. Even though mean imputation happened to show low mean error for very few missing rates, supervised learning algorithms became effective when it comes to certain missing rates in datasets.
Microbiological analysis and determination of antimicrobial traits of green banana (Musa spp.) and papaya (Carica papaya)

Green banana (Musa spp.) and papaya (Carica papaya), which are commonly consumed as vegetables, are fruits with lots of health benefits. Due to their various medicinal applications, both the fruits are likely to contain antimicrobial properties. In this regard, present study was undertaken to determine the microbiological quality as well as the anti-bacterial traits of fresh green banana and papaya. To serve the purpose, a total of 12 samples (6 green bananas and 6 green papaya) were collected from different local and super shops as well from cultivation land of some villages of Bangladesh. The samples contained the microbial contamination with viable bacteria and fungi up to 107cfu/g and 103 cfu/g. Among the pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus spp. Pseudomonas spp. and Vibrio spp. were predominant as found in most of the samples in average of 102 cfu/g. Whereas Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. were totally absent in all the samples. On the other hand, Klebsiella spp. was present in same samples. Additionally, the anti-bacterial poverties of the samples were chalked out. The in-vitro antimicrobial activities of the ethanolic, methanolic and hot water extracts of the samples were noticeably found against all the tested bacteria. Overall, present study revealed that both the green fruit samples were highly contaminated although they have antimicrobial activities. Thus, consumers’ awareness on the risk of consuming pathogen contaminated vegetables needs to be re-awakened and further investigations are required for potential antimicrobial properties. Stamford Journal of Microbiology, Vol.8(1) 2018: 41-45
The complete chloroplast genome of Fissidens nobilis Griff. (Fissidentaceae, Bryophyta)

Abstract We presented a complete chloroplast genome of Fissidens nobilis which is 124,962 bp long and has four subregions: 86,122 bp of large single-copy (LSC) and 18,708 bp of small single-copy (SSC) regions are separated by 10,066 bp of inverted repeat (IR) regions including 127 genes (82 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNAs, and 37 tRNAs). The overall GC content is 29.2% and those in the LSC, SSC, and IR regions are 26.6%, 26.0%, and 43.5%, respectively. Phylogenetic trees show that the phylogenetic position of F. nobilis is congruent with the previous phylogenetic study of moss species.
Efectos de diferentes prácticas de preparación del terreno y fertilización sobre el crecimiento inicial del Pinus spp en el NE argentino

Growth results of two experiments, obtained six months after plantation are presented. The objective was to evaluate the response of Pinus taeda L. and Pinus elliottii E. under different silvicultural treatments in Corrientes, northeastern Argentina. Response of Pinus taeda, applying 0, 22.5 and 45 g N pl -1 ; 0, 45 and 90 g P 2 O 5 pl -1 ; also 0,36 and 72 g K 2 O pl -1 , on Kandiudalf soil was evaluated. Statistical differences were observed between N, P and NxP interaction. P doses had a positive effect, while N doses presented a negative effect. Response of Pinus taeda and Pinus elliottii on deficient drainage sites prepared with disk ploughs or mounding with applications of NPK 15-30-12, at 0, 100 and 200 g pl -1 to both species was also evaluated. The best growth results were obtained when both species were planted on moundings. A positive trend was detected in Pinus taeda when fertilizer was applied.
Spatial patterns of functional diversity and composition in marine benthic ciliates along the coast of China

Large-scale patterns of community composition and diversity along environmental gradients have been well studied for macroorganisms. However, the biogeography of microorganisms, especially ciliated protozoa, remains understudied. Here, we analyzed a comprehensive database of marine benthic ciliates found along the coast of China from 1991 to 2018 to examine the geographical patterns in species and trait composition and functional diversity. According to redundancy analysis conducted at large spatial scales, environmental variables, i.e. habitat type and salinity, explained more variance in species composition than latitude. In contrast, trait composition was better explained by spatial and climatic variables. At small spatial scales, both species and trait composition were probably influenced by mass effects due to the high dispersal ability of ciliates at such small scales, resulting in spatially homogenized communities. Several traits, including body size, feeding type and mobility, exhibited significant positive or negative latitudinal gradients. Functional diversity showed a significant positive correlation with latitude between 20 and 40° N, which may be caused by certain groups of ciliates possessing particular traits related to temperature. Our study is the first comprehensive evaluation of how trait composition and functional diversity of marine ciliated protozoa vary at large scales and can thus make a major contribution to the study of microbial biogeography.
Follicular Dynamics and Changes in Plasma Estradiol-17β and Progesterone Concentrations during Estrous Cycle in Beetal Goats

Received: Revised: Accepted: Published online: August 31, 2018 March 04, 2019 March 06, 2019 April 06, 2019 The study was designed to monitor ovarian follicular dynamics and plasma progesterone and estradiol-17β concentrations in Beetal goats (n=7; age: 3.7±0.2 years). Following ovulation synchronization, two consecutive estrous cycles (n=14) were monitored via ultrasonography during the breeding season (Sep-Nov 2016). The interovulatory interval of Beetal goats averaged 21.2±0.3 d and follicular and luteal phases were 3.9±0.1 and 17.2±0.3 days, respectively. The 4-wave follicular pattern was higher than 3-waves (71% vs. 29%; P>0.05). In 3-wave cycles, follicular waves emerged on Days -0.3±0.3, 8.3±1 and 14.5±0.5 of estrous cycle (Day 0=ovulation), while in 4-wave cycles, waves emerged on Days 0.5±0.2, 7.5±0.5, 11.9±0.4, and 16.1±0.6. The maximum diameter of preovulatory follicle and corpus luteum was 7.2±0.2 mm and 11.8±0.3 mm, respectively. On an average 1.7±0.2 follicles ovulated per cycle and luteolysis began on Day 17.2±0.3 of the cycle. The largest follicles of first and ovulatory wave had greater diameters than those of 2 and 3 wave (P<0.05). The peak plasma estradiol-17β concentration was observed 33.6±9.6 h before ovulation. The peak plasma progesterone concentration was attained by Day 12.2±1 and reached <2 ng/mL within 1.6±0.3 d following the onset of luteolysis. The plasma progesterone concentration and diameter of corpora lutea correlated throughout the estrous cycle (r=0.94; P<0.05). In conclusion, seventy-one percent of the cycles in Beetal goats were of 4-wave pattern and overall Beetal goats had tendency of twin ovulations. ©2019 PVJ. All rights reserved
Human Dirofilariasis in Bulgaria Between 2009 and 2018

Summary Autochthonous Dirofilaria repens infections have been found in dogs and other carnivores in most European countries. In the same countries, reports of human dirofilariasis are becoming increasingly prevalent. We present 18 cases of people infected with D. repens for a 10-year period traced in our hospital. The data was collected from the observations and tests of all 18 patients from the whole country treated at the Specialized Hospital for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases in Sofia in the period 2009 – 2018. We used a morphological method, serology test and Knott’s method for microfilariae. The patients were 11 to 74 years of age, 12 female and 6 male. In most cases, patients have subcutaneous nodules or face, eyelid and eyes localization. The trend of increasing incidence in Bulgaria continues, with age and sex distribution and localization of the larva being similar to those in other European countries.
Pigeons, sandgrouse, cuckoos, nightjars, rollers, bee-eaters, kingfishers and swifts in the European fossil avifauna and their osteological characteristics

In the article, the author describes the presence of fossil records of the pigeons (Ord. Columbiformes, Fam. Columbidae), sandgrouse (Ord. Pteroclidiformes, Fam. Pteroclididae), cuckoos (Ord. Cuculiformes, Fam. Cuculidae), nightjars (Ord. Caprimulgiformes, Fam. Caprimulgidae), rollers (Ord. Coraciiformes, Fam. Coraciidae), bee-eaters (Ord. Coraciiformes, Fam. Meropidae), (Ord. Coraciiformes, Fam. Upupidae), kingfishers (Ord. Coraciiformes, Fam. Alcedinidae) and swifts (Ord. Apodiformes, Fam. Apodidae) in Europe, particularly the Carpathian Basin, during the Tertiary and Quaternary, as well as their osteological characteristics. These orders generally contain a small number of species in Europe, most of them consisting of thermophilic, migratory species. Their fossil and subfossil remains provide precious information about the climatic conditions of their respective areas of origin. The text is supplemented by 15 figures and 2 tables.
Presenilin 1 Regulates [Ca2+]i and Mitochondria/ER Interaction in Cultured Rat Hippocampal Neurons

Mutations in the presenilin 1 (PS1) gene are a major trigger of familial Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the mechanisms affected by mutated PS1 causing cognitive decline are not yet elucidated. In the present study, we compared rat hippocampal neurons in culture, transfected with PS1 or with mutant (M146V) PS1 (mPS1) plasmids in several neuronal functions. Initially, we confirmed earlier observations that mPS1-expressing neurons are endowed with fewer mature “mushroom” spines and more filopodial immature protrusions. The correlation between calcium changes in the cytosol, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is mitigated in the mPS1 neurons, tested by the response to an abrupt increase in ambient [Ca2+]o; cytosolic [Ca2+]i is higher in the mPS1 neurons but mitochondrial [Ca2+] is lower than in control neurons. Strikingly, mPS1-transfected neurons express higher excitability and eventual lower survival rate when exposed to the oxidative stressor, paraquat. These results highlight an impaired calcium regulation in mPS1 neurons, resulting in a reduced ability to handle oxidative stress, which may lead to cell death and AD.
A Novel Composite as a Dispenser for Methyl Eugunol to Attract the Peach Fruit Fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) Males under Field Conditions

Peach fruit fly (PFF), Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is considered one of the most economic important insect pest for several kinds of fruit species. Present work seeks to explore for the preparation of a novel composite based on petroleum coke with polyethylene, oleic acid and natural rubber as a dispenser for methyl eugunol. This target aims to get efficient dispenser composite to attract PFF males under field conditions in comparison with standard liquid lure dispenser (cotton wick). In addition to favorably regulate the release rate of methyl eugenol (ME) to extend its effectiveness and stability for PFF attraction in comparison with standard lure dispenser (cotton wick) by using Jackson traps under field conditions. The obtained results showed that Composite prolonged the length of effective field ME duration to 18 weeks or longer; while, the length of effective field duration of cotton wick dispenser was 8 weeks only. The ability of cotton wick dispenser to attract PFF males was higher than that of Composite during the first six weeks (with no significant differences between the two dispensers in some of these weeks). On contrary, from the 7th week till the end of the experiments, Composite dispenser showed significantly higher ability to attract PFF males. Efficacy from Composite dispenser did not significantly affected by the time passed after hanging traps; while, ME released from cotton wick dispenser decreased significantly by the time passed. On another hand, the efficacy of Composite dispenser did not significantly affected by air temperature degrees; while, the efficacy of cotton wick dispenser was significantly affected by air temperature degrees. Therefore, it could be concluded that the prepared composite may efficiently replace the cotton wick and could be applied at large scale in integrated pest management programs for PFF.
Altered theta / beta frequency synchrony links abnormal anxiety-related behavior to synaptic inhibition in Neuroligin-2 knockout mice

Inhibitory synaptic transmission plays a key role in the circuits underlying anxiety behaviors, but the network mechanisms by which disruptions in synaptic inhibition contribute to pathological anxiety processing remain largely unknown. Here we addressed this question in mice lacking the inhibitory synapse-specific adhesion protein Neuroligin-2 (Nlgn2), which display widespread reduction in inhibitory synaptic transmission as well as a pronounced anxiety phenotype. To investigate how the lack of synaptic inhibition alters the communication between key brain regions in anxiety processing, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) simultaneously from a network of brain regions involved in anxiety processing, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA), centromedial amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus (vHPC). We found that LFP power in the vHPC was profoundly increased while vHPC-directed theta frequency synchrony was disrupted in Nlgn2 KO mice under anxiogenic conditions. Instead, deletion of Nlgn2 increased beta frequency synchrony across the anxiety network, and the theta / beta synchrony ratio strongly predicted anxiety behaviors in an open field paradigm. Local deletion of Nlgn2 in the vHPC and BLA revealed that they encode distinct aspects of the anxiety phenotype of the Nlgn2 KO mice, with vHPC linked to anxiety induced freezing and BLA linked to reduction in exploratory activity. Together, our data demonstrate that alterations in long-range functional connectivity link synaptic inhibition to abnormal anxiety behaviors, and that Nlgn2 KO mice represent an interesting model to study the role of inhibitory synaptic transmission in the circuits underlying anxiety disorders.
Consequences of lake and river ice loss on cultural ecosystem services

People extensively use lakes and rivers covered by seasonal ice. Although ice cover duration has been declining over the past 150 years for Northern Hemisphere freshwaters, we know relatively little about how ice loss directly affects humans. Here, we synthesize the cultural ecosystem services (i.e., services that provide intangible or nonmaterial benefits) and associated benefits supported by inland ice. We also provide, for the first time, empirical examples that give quantitative evidence for a winter warming effect on a wide range of ice‐related cultural ecosystem services and benefits. We show that in recent decades, warmer air temperatures delayed the opening date of winter ice roads and led to cancellations of spiritual ceremonies, outdoor ice skating races, and ice fishing tournaments. Additionally, our synthesis effort suggests unexploited data sets that allow for the use of integrative approaches to evaluate the interplay between inland ice loss and society.
A common neural signature of brain injury in concussion and subconcussion

Clinically silent brain injury in contact sports athletes can be detected by noninvasive MRI. The midbrain is biomechanically susceptible to force loading from repetitive subconcussive head impacts (RSHI), is a site of tauopathy in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and regulates functions (e.g., eye movements) often disrupted in concussion. In a prospective longitudinal design, we demonstrate there are reductions in midbrain white matter integrity due to a single season of collegiate football, and that the amount of reduction in midbrain white matter integrity is related to the amount of rotational acceleration to which players’ brains are exposed. We then replicate the observation of reduced midbrain white matter integrity in a retrospective cohort of individuals with frank concussion, and further show that variance in white matter integrity is correlated with levels of serum-based tau, a marker of blood-brain barrier disruption. These findings mean that noninvasive structural MRI of the midbrain is a succinct index of both clinically silent white matter injury as well as frank concussion.
Early waking from hibernation in some amphibian and reptile species from Gümüşhane Province of Turkey

Amfibi ve surungenlerin kis mevsimi boyunca yasayabilmek icin olumsuz hava kosullarina toprak altinda bir siginak arayarak yanit verdigi bir gercektir. Mevcut literatur, bazi surungen ve amfibi turlerinin bilinen hibernasyon donemlerinden once ozellikle de dusuk rakimlarda aktif olabildigini gostermistir. Bu calismada, yuksek rakimda degisen hava kosullarinin ayni habitatlari paylasan bazi amfibi ve surungen turleri uzerinde benzer etkilere neden olabilecegini rapor ettik. Bu calismada Lacerta media , Bufo bufo ve Rana macrocnemis 'in erken aktivitesi Turkiye’nin Gumushane ilinde rapor edilmistir. Bazi amfibi ve surungen turlerinde bilinen kis uykusu donemlerinden onceki aktivitelerinin nedenlerinden birisi soz konusu turlerin degisen sicakliklara karsi cok hassas olmalari olabilir. Kuresel isinmanin amfibiler ve surungenler uzerindeki etkileri acikca gorulmektedir ve kis aylarinda aktif olabilirler. Bu durum akla, L. media , B. bufo ve R. macrocnemis 'in hava sicakliklari izin verdigi surece aktif olabileceklerini getirmektedir.