Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Female calling and male flight orientation and searching behaviors in Callisphyris apicicornis: evidence for a female-produced sex attractant pheromone

T. Curkovic, and C. Ferrera. 2012. Female calling and male flight orientation and searching behaviors in Callisphyris apicicornis: evidence for a female-produced sex attractant pheromone. Cien. Inv. Agr. 39(1): 147-158. Callisphyris apicicornis is a fruit pest of increasing concern in Chile. To aid in the identification of its sex pheromone for use in the management of this insect, “calling” (pheromone release) of females and “orientation and searching” behaviors of males to calling females were video recorded. Light intensity, wind speed, temperature, time of the day, and the frequency of individuals performing each step within both behavioral sequences were recorded as well. Drawings of the behavioral steps and ethograms (routes and returns) are also provided, including transition frequencies between behavioral steps. The calling behavior of females included diagnostic movements of the abdomen, legs, elytra, and wings, showing similarities to the descriptions of other cerambycid species in which females call. The orientation and searching behavior of males included zigzagging flights (characteristic steps observed in insects responding to airborne pheromone plumes) and landing on and searching for females in cages. Females called and males responded mainly between 9 AM and 1 PM. Both behaviors were performed in a non-random fashion and were stereotyped. Calling behavior was significantly affected by light (apparently triggering the behavior) but not by wind speed, ambient temperature, or female age. Males tended to respond most strongly to younger females, although these called significantly less frequently than older ones. These results strongly support the existence of a female-produced sex pheromone in C. apicicornis and provide the background information to aid in attempts of pheromone collection and identification. Male behavior characterization also provides a base-line to compare with tests to evaluate the activity of putative pheromones for this species. This study is one of the first reports of a cerambycid species in which the female calls and the male consequently responds to her and the first one on the characterization of the calling and oriented searching behaviors for a Necydalinae.
Does the Screw Orientation Effects the Stability of Femoral Neck Fracture?: A Finite Element Analysis

Objectives: The incidence of femoral neck fractures in younger-age people increases due to high-energy trauma. To avoid complications, stable internal fixation is essential. The most commonly used implants for vertically oriented femoral neck fractures are the cannulated and dynamic hip screws. In our study, we compared differently oriented cannulated screw configurations and a standard DHS for fixation of femoral neck fracture. Materials and Methods: A finite element-based collum femoris fracture was created and was fixed using four differently oriented triangular screw configurations and a dynamic hip screw. The loads were applied using a commercially available software package. Results: Centrally oriented cannulated screw configuration had the most compression and compression stress on the fracture side, and it had the highest stress values on the implant. Conclusion: We recommend the use of centrally oriented triangular cannulated screws for femoral neck fracture fixation. With this construct, more compression and compression pressure can be obtained, which can result in the early healing of the fracture. However, it must be kept in mind that this construct exerts more stress on the implant, which could be a reason for implant failure.
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) cervical vertebral column: a heuristic example in understanding evolutionary processes?

The current study considers the osteological morphology of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) vertebral column, with emphasis on evaluating both the adaptive and constraining features compared with other ungulates as a heuristic example in understanding evolutionary processes. Vertebral columns of giraffes varying in age from calf to adult were studied in order to understand the potential evolutionary scenarios that might have led to the modern phenotype. Data from the giraffe sample were then compared with the results from several other ungulate species, including the okapi and two species of camelids that also have visibly elongated necks. Our results show that the elongated neck of the modern giraffe appears to specifically result from evolutionary changes affecting the seven cervical vertebrae, independent of the remainder of the vertebral column. The cervical vertebrae comprise over half of the length of the total vertebral column in the giraffe. The increases in cervical vertebrae lengths also appear to be allometrically constrained, with alterations in the overall length of the neck resulting from the elongation of the entire cervical series, rather than from a single vertebra or subset of vertebrae. We place our results in the context of hypotheses concerning the origin and evolution of the giraffe neck, and the evolution of long necks in a broader sense. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155, 736–757.
Salinity tolerance in Senna macranthera

Studies show the positive effect of the nitric oxide donor in the seed germination process. However, there are no precise reports about which compound present in sodium nitroprusside would cause these effects in seeds under salt stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of SNP on germination of Senna macranthera seeds under salt stress. The osmotic potentials of -0.3, -0.4, and -0.5 MPa of NaCl were used, as well as the concentration of 100 μM of sodium nitroprusside, inactive sodium nitroprusside, and ferrocyanide. The sodium nitroprusside in germination was applied before, during, and after salt stress. Germination rate, germination speed index, percentage of normal seedlings, and seedling development components were evaluated. The treatments that proved to be more promising in recovery of germination under salt stress are -0.4 MPa together with SNP; -0.4 MPa together with inactive SNP; -0.5 MPa together with SNP and -0.5 MPa together with inactive SNP. Effects similar to those brought about by the sodium nitroprusside treatment were also observed in the treatments with inactive sodium nitroprusside and ferrocyanide, indicating that the effects observed were related to release of the cyanide present in the sodium nitroprusside.
Multicultural nationalism? National identities among minority groups in Scotland’s census

ABSTRACT This paper uses data from a new question in the 2011 UK censuses of population to investigate national identities among ethnic and religious minorities. It focuses primarily on Scotland, while presenting comparative data for England and Wales. A robust comparison of national identities between different minorities in Scotland and with similar groups in other nations of Britain has previously not been possible because ethnic and religious minority groups represent a small proportion of Scotland’s population and are weakly represented in sample surveys. The new census question on national identity therefore offers an unprecedented opportunity for this kind of analysis. The analysis is used to critically evaluate previous claims of the existence of multicultural nationalism in Scotland and previous research that has suggested that Scottish identity is relatively inclusive of people in minority groups. The findings suggest that while Scottish national identity is relatively inclusive of minorities in some respects, the conclusions of previous research should be treated with some caution.
Rangeland grazing to improve farm performance Example for an extensive meat sheep farming system

The objective of our study was to investigate with bio-technical and economic simulations, whether recognising the diversity of rangeland resources and re-organising reproductive and feeding management in consequence could improve the performance of extensive meat sheep systems. We used data from an experimental farm (INRA La Fage, Larzac plateau, southern France) to build a virtual case study. The farm comprises a flock of 330 ewes with high potential productivity (Romane breed, prolificacy > 240%), reared outdoors in a harsh environment: 280 ha of rangelands of which 18 ha have been long fertilized. We applied changes in flock management (1 st lambing at 2 years, lambing date matching grass growth) and grazing management (function of each paddock, adapted paddock size, timing and intensity of utilisation over the year). Based on model predictions, the new system is more sustainable, with a higher net income (+40%) and a lower consumption of non renewable energy (-29%). These changes are explained mainly by a higher proportion of grazed forage (0.73 compared to 0.56 of total dry matter consumption, i.e. +30%), especially on rangelands (+50%), which reduces the energy and money needed to supply the flock with conserved forage and concentrate. The simulation results need to be validated with field data. A better knowledge of rangeland-based system is required to improve model calibration.
Sea urchin Diadema africanum mass mortality in the subtropical eastern Atlantic: role of waterborne bacteria in a warming ocean

A widespread mass mortality event of the sea urchin Diadema africanum was detected in the subtropical eastern Atlantic, extending from Madeira to the Canary Islands, covering a straight- line distance of >400 km. This is the first disease- related die-off of a diadematid documented in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Diseased individuals showed deterioration of the epidermis and water-vascular system, resulting in epidermal necrosis and release of spines. Despite some spatial heterogeneity in disease incidence at the study sites, there was a 65% overall reduction in urchin abundance after the mortality event compared to numbers pre-mortality. However, the reduction in urchin numbers did not compromise the species' reproductive success; the settlement peak following the mortality event was of a similar magnitude to that in prior years. Bacterial isolation and cul ture techniques, and subsequent laboratory in fection experiments, strongly suggested that Vibrio alginolyticus was involved in the disease. We hypo thesize that the mass mortality event devel- oped due to anomalously high seawater tempera- tures recorded in the 2 studied archipelagos and that warmer temperatures enabled infection of D. africa - num by waterborne pathogenic bacteria. Fluctua- tions in urchin populations are key in de termining the structure and functioning of benthic ecosystems: under the current seawater warming scenario, dis- ease may result in more frequent phase shifts, aiding the persistence of macroalgae.
Topics of doctoral and postdoctoral dissertations devoted to judo in period 2000-2016 – the overall analysis of works of Russian experts

Background and Study Aim: The part of specialists think that the accumulated wide scientific knowledge of judo has not become the object of profound scientific analysis. Growth of judo popularity in the world (mainly in sport dimension) inclines scientists to constantly seek new, effective and scientifically grounded means and methods of sportsmen’s training for competition functioning. One of the main barriers to the promotion of a global scale modern scientific knowledge about the judo are published important works on natural languages difficult due to the spelling (in Japanese, Russian, etc.). The aim of this article are the preferences topics of doctoral and postdoctoral theses on judo defended in Russian Federation universities in the period 2000-2016. Material and Methods: We analysed 67 dissertations (58 doctoral and 9 postdoctoral) of Russian scientists for period from 2000 to 2016, which had been devoted to different topics of judo training and competition functioning. The systemic structural analysis of dissertations based on sport sciences and sciences of martial arts experts opinion. Results: Out of 6 important topics dominates “T1” sportsmen’s tactic skilfulness, formation of high sport motivation, raising judo athletes’ general workability during trainings and competitions (32 dissertations) and “T2” sportsmen’s morphological functional and psycho-physiological characteristics, professional personality’s progress of judo athletes, increase of young people’s physical potential and defensive abilities (16 dissertations). (only 3) The least work (after 3) concerns: “T5” the problems of educations of coaches’ and referees’ and “T6” adolescents’ suitability for judo on the base of their morphological functional indicators and physical condition. Conclusions: Comparative analysis of Russian dissertations devoted to different aspects of sport judo will significantly enrich modern sport science and can become a starting point for further scientific researches in the field of science of martial arts.
2 Intravenous Therapeutic Use of MSCs : The Case of Osteogenesis Imperfecta Intravenously

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have initially been characterized as a fibroblastlike cell population that can be expanded readily in vitro, and is able to support hematopoiesis in vitro and in vivo. By serendipity it was discovered that MSCs can also be administered into the bloodstream. This mode of application formed a major breakthrough in the clinical use of MSCs, because MSC transplantation was found to cure severe immune hyperactivation states such as graftversus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, or bacterial sepsis. However, MSCs were found difficult to trace and consensus to date is lacking in the scientific community as to where transplanted MSCs end up in the body and which major principles are responsible for the therapeutic effects of MSCs. This chapter gives an overview of the current knowledge on interactions of freshly transplanted MSCs with the cells in the blood stream and the vessel wall, with major organs such as lung, liver, gut, and spleen, and discusses the limitations of the methodologies used to trace transplanted MSCs. The findings will be put into perspective on how therapeutically applied, culture-expanded MSCs may exert beneficial effects.
The Emergence of Axial Parts

Many languages have specialized locative words or morphemes translating roughly into words like ‘front,’ ‘back,’ ‘top,’ ‘bottom,’ ‘side,’ and so on. Often, these words are used instead of more specialized adpositions to express spatial meanings corresponding to ‘behind,’ ‘above,’ and so on. I argue, on the basis of a cross-linguistic survey of such expressions, that in many cases they motivate a syntactic category which is distinct from both N and P, which I call AxPart for ‘Axial Part’; I show how the category relates to the words which instantiate it, and how the meaning of the construction is derived from the combination of P[lace] elements, AxParts, and the lexical material which expresses them.
Self-medication and related factors among university students in Iran

Background and Purpose: Self-medication is a global medical issue, the rate of which has been reported to be on the rise in recent years. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence rate of self-medication and the associated factors among the university students of Ahvaz city, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Jundishapur and Shahid Chamran universities of Ahvaz, Iran in 2015. In total, 680 university students were selected from 16 different medical and non-medical schools to participate in this study. Using the easy sampling method, 45 students were selected from each school. Data collection tools included the socio-demographic questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaires consisting of 12 items to evaluate self-medication. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.20 using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), independent T-test, and Chi-square test. Results: In this study, prevalence rate of self-medication among the selected university students was 81.6%. The most frequent medicines used by the students were adult cold (69.05%), analgesics (48.23%), and antibiotics (31.02%). Moreover, preventive factors of self-medication among the subjects included family and friends (96.32%), lack of belief in the effectiveness of self-medication (93.82%), and fear of the complications associated with self-medication (88.97%). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, university students had a positive attitude toward self-medication. Therefore, it is recommended that the knowledge and attitude of these individuals be promoted through the implementation of related training programs in order to reduce public tendency toward self-medication.
Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activities of Crude Extracts of Cochlospermum planchonii Leaves

The antibacterial activities of the methanolic, hot water, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts of Choclospermum planchonii leaf were tested against some clinical bacterial isolates and reference organisms. The phytochemical screenings of the extracts were also carried out. The leaf extracts of the plant exhibited antibacterial activities against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, and Salmonella typhii and reference strains of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 28923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853. The methanolic leaf extracts exhibited the highest antibacterial activity, its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging between 0.31 and 1.25 mg/ml; and its zones of inhibition on the various test microorganisms ranging between 8mm and 13 mm. The petroleum ether extracts had the weakest antibacterial activity, its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging between 2.50mg/ml and 5.00mg/ml and its inhibition zone ranging between 4mm and 8mm. The phytochemical constituents present in the plant were alkaloids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and sterols. The methanolic extracts of the leaf exhibited potentially biological activity than other extracts. This indicates that the plant leaf could be useful in the treatment of human infections caused by these pathogens. The antibacterial activities of the methanolic leaf extract may be attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds.
Damned Lies , and Statistics ? Examples From Finance and Economics

Reliable data analysis is one of the hardest tasks in sciences and social sciences. Often misleading and sometimes puzzling results arise when the analysis is done without regard for the special features of the data. In this exposition, I will focus on designing new statistical tools to deal with some prominent questions in Finance and Economics. In particular, I will talk about the following. (1) How to characterize the randomness of variables, motivated by a problem in the pricing of financial options. (2) Uncovering the relation between interest rates on different maturities, now and in the future; the "term structure of interest rates". (3) Modelling the unconventional nonlinear long-memory dynamics that arise from a general-equilibrium economic model, and their implications for exchange rates, stock market indexes, and all macroeconomic variables; with recommendations for trading in financial markets, but also for the design of macroeconomic stabilization policies by governments.
Interactive comment on “ Identification and classification of the formation of intermediate ions measured in boreal forest ” by A . Hirsikko et al .

1. The authors’ response: The referee recommends us to conclude that ion-induced nucleation dominates on days with the particle formation event of subclasses Ia and Ib.1. The domination of ion-induced nucleation would mean that ion-induced nucleation makes more than 50 per cent of the new intermediate ions. Just based on the ion size distributions we can only say that ion-induced nucleation could be important on those days, but not necessarily dominating.
Results from measurements and modeling in India for estimation of the global burden of disease Permalink

Background: Previous global burden of disease (GBD) estimates for household air pollution (HAP) from solid cookfuel use were based on categorical indicators of exposure. Recent progress in GBD methodologies that use integrated–exposure–response (IER) curves for combustion particles required the development of models to quantitatively estimate average HAP levels experienced by large populations. Such models can also serve to inform public health intervention efforts. Thus, we developed a model to estimate national household concentrations of PM2.5 from solid cookfuel use in India, together with estimates for 29 states. Methods: We monitored 24-hr household concentrations of PM2.5, in 617 rural households from 4 states in India on a cross-sectional basis between November 2004 and March 2005. We then, developed log-linear regression models that predict household concentrations as a function of multiple, independent household level variables available in national household surveys and generated national / state estimates using The Indian National Family and Health Survey (NFHS 2005). Results: The measured mean 24-hr concentration of PM2.5 in solid cookfuel using households ranged from 163 μg/m (95% CI: 143,183; median 106; IQR: 191) in the living area to 609 μg/m (95% CI: 547,671; median: 472; IQR: 734) in the kitchen area. Fuel type, kitchen type, ventilation, geographical location and cooking duration were found to be significant predictors of PM2.5 concentrations in the household model. k-fold cross validation showed a fair degree of correlation (r = 0.56) between modeled and measured values. Extrapolation of the household results by state to all solid cookfuel-using households in India, covered by NFHS 2005, resulted in a modeled estimate of 450 μg/m (95% CI: 318,640) and 113 μg/m (95% CI: 102,127) , for national average 24-hr PM2.5 concentrations in the kitchen and living areas respectively. Conclusions: The model affords substantial improvement over commonly used exposure indicators such as “percent solid cookfuel use” in HAP disease burden assessments, by providing some of the first estimates of national average HAP levels experienced in India. Model estimates also add considerable strength of evidence for framing and implementation of intervention efforts at the state and national levels.
Healthcare Spending and Economic Growth in Saudi Arabia: A Granger Causality Approach

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between healthcare spending and economic growth in Saudi Arabia and the causal direction between them over the period 1981-2013 using Granger Causality approach. The result from the Granger causality test shows that there is a unidirectional causal relationship running from economic growth to healthcare spending. Economic growth positively Granger cause healthcare spending growth at one percent significant level while healthcare has an insignificant effect on Saudi economic growth. Economic growth as measured by GDP is strongly exogenous and whenever a shock occurs in the system (Saudi economy), healthcare spending must be reduced to maintain the long run relationship. In order to sustain Saudi healthcare system, Saudi health policy makers needs to formulate a long term healthcare policy that de-linking or insulate healthcare spending from current oil- revenue dependency.