Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HIV Resistance with Correlation to PMTCT Regimen in HIV-Infected Infants in Northern Tanzania

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania; Department of health promotion for small children, Municipality of Munich, Germany; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center Clinical Laboratory, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Duke; Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC;ViiV Healthcare, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Brokerage-based value creation: the case of a Danish offshore business network

Purpose Social capital plays an important role in transforming knowledge within and across inter-firm business networks in industries. The purpose of this paper is to explore different kinds of transfer mechanism such as “bonding,” “bridging,” and “protecting” within a case network of the Danish offshore windmill industry. Its aim is to describe how these mechanisms interactively support value co-creation among the involved enterprises and how social capital, residing in the relationships between actors from the firms, is influenced by the different transfer mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach Based upon a single case study, the paper demonstrates “bonding,” “bridging,” and “protecting” as distinct, yet related, mechanisms for inter-firm business networking. The sample used covers selected key actors from the network as well as third-party experts from the Danish windmill industry, which together represent the most important knowledge-offering and knowledge-demanding domains. Findings Activities associated with “bridging” and “bonding” clearly matter for creating value for the business network and the industry alike, as they are supportive of strategic capability development (for instance, high-skilled work). While producers and supply companies apply such “bridging,” “bonding,” and additional “protecting” mechanisms based upon their predominant position, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), however, need to shape teams to do so. A major finding of the study is, thus, that team-based interrelationships among SMEs activate “bridging,” “bonding. ” and “protecting” initiatives which are particularly supportive of capability improvement and industry growth. They enable the transfer of relevant capabilities between different projects where actors within SMEs organizations learn to activate and use such knowledge transfer mechanisms. Moreover, asymmetrical dependency-relationships can be partly overcome by shaping and using the mechanisms on the part of SMEs in the network. Originality/value To date, brokerage is still an under-explored topic with regard to inter-firm business networks. This case study contributes to the research by illustrating important and distinct qualitative aspects of brokerage, which are conceptualized as “bonding,” “bridging,” and “protecting” initiatives on the part of brokers. The study highlights that not only strong actors with central positions can step into the role as a broker. Even less resourceful actors within asymmetrical relations can act as broker and compensate a lack of resources or strengthen their position within the industry network. Consequently, value co-creating processes within industry networks can also be boosted by brokerage initiated by small companies.
Estimation of a longan stink bug, Tessaratoma papillosa in Son La Province, Vietnam

Many insects are considered as potential sources of food for humans because of their high content of protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. Tessaratoma papillosa Drury, a stink bug of longan tree has long been consumed by many people in Vietnam as a supplemental source of nutrition. This insect is one of the most severe pests of longan tree. The use of this insect as supplementary nutrient could actively reduce the pests on longans, contributing to increase productivity and quality of longan fruit. The aim of this paper is to estimate the volume of mature and young Tessaratoma papillosa on longan trees in Son La Province, Vietnam.
Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater - A Report of Two Cases -

Primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater is extremely rare. We report two cases of adenosquamous carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater in a 48-year-old female and an 80-year-old female patient. The gross appearance was a polypoid mass in both cases. Histologically, the majority of the two tumors was composed of squamous cell carcinoma with some intermingled glandular adenocarcinoma components in both cases. Squamous cell carcinomas showed an abrupt transition from the normal glandular epithelium or glandular adenocarcinoma. Although the two cases revealed duodenal wall invasion and lymph node metastasis was found in case 2, both patients are still alive at 19 and 46 months after surgery, respectively.
Selection of mercury accumulator plants for gold mine tailing contaminated soils

Phytoremediation, which is more efficient with less side effects than conventional physical and chemical methods, is increasing in popularity as a remediation system. This paper provides a brief overview of developments in research and application of phytoremediation of soil contaminated with gold mine tailings containing mercury. Lindernia crustacea L. , Digitaria radicosa Presl. Miq. , Zingiber purpurium L, Paspalum conjugatum Berg. , Cyperus kyllingia Endl. , and Caladium bicolor Vent. , that were selected for this study were planted in the planting media consisting of soil (70%) and tailings (30%) for 9 weeks. The results showed that after 9 weeks of planting, Paspalum conjugatum had growth rate, biomass production, Hg accumulation, and ratio of shoot Hg : root Hg higher than those of other plant species tested, both in the media consisted of amalgamation and cyanidation tailings. It can thus be concluded that Paspalum conjugatum is potential plant species for remediating mercury-contaminated soil.
Improving blast resistance of the rice restorer line, Hui 316, by introducing Pi9 or Pi2 with marker-assisted selection

Abstract Introducing resistance (R) genes into a susceptible rice cultivar is an effective strategy to achieve broad-spectrum and durable disease resistance. During the breeding process, marker-assisted selection (MAS) provides an efficient approach for direct screening of the progeny containing the R gene in a population. In this study, we designed an optimized polymerase chain reaction marker, Pi9/2, targeting the same polymorphic region of our previously developed Pi9-Pro and demonstrated that Pi9/2 is more specific than Pi9-Pro for the blast resistance genes Pi9 and Pi2 in MAS. With the assistance of Pi9/2, Pi9 and Pi2, from donor lines 75-1-127 and C101A51, respectively, were separately introgressed into the strong rice restorer line, Hui 316, by backcrossing. The two improved representative Hui 316 lines, Hui 316-Pi9 and Hui 316-Pi2, displayed similar agronomic traits to Hui 316. Inoculation tests for blast resistance revealed that Hui 316-Pi9 and Hui 316-Pi2 showed markedly enhanced resistance to blast fungi compared with Hui 316. Investigation of agronomic traits for yield and rice quality indicated that the hybrid combinations from Hui 316-Pi9 or Hui 316-Pi2 crossed with male sterility lines were similar to those derived from Hui 316. Therefore, introgression of Pi9 or Pi2 into with Hui 316 could improve its resistance to blast with little influence on its restoring ability, which will facilitate the application of Hui 316 in rice production. These results also indicate that the optimized marker, Pi9/2, is effective in introducing Pi9 or Pi2 by MAS to improve blast resistance of rice cultivars.
Targeting cell cycle protein in gastric cancer with CDC20siRNA and anticancer drugs (doxorubicin and quercetin) co-loaded cationic PEGylated nanoniosomes

Background and purpose In a past study, we developed and optimized a novel cationic PEGylated niosome containing anticancer drugs (doxorubicin or quercetin) and siRNA. This study intended to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of the combination therapy to target both the proteins and genes responsible for the development of gastric cancer. CDC20, known as an oncogene, is a good potential therapeutic candidate for gastric cancer. Methods In order to increase the loading capacity of siRNA and achieve appropriate physical properties, we optimized the cationic PEGylated niosome in terms of the amount of the cationic lipids. Drugs (doxorubicin and quercetin) and CDC20siRNA were loaded into the co-delivery system, and physical characteristics, thermosensitive controlled-release, gene silencing efficiency, and apoptosis rate were determined. Results The results showed that the designed co-delivery system for the drugs and gene silencer had an appropriate size and a high positive charge for loading siRNA, and also showed a thermosensitive drug release behavior, which successfully silenced the CDC20 expression when compared with the single delivery of siRNA or the drug. Moreover, the co-delivery of drugs and CDC20siRNA exhibited a highly inhibitory property for the cell growth of gastric cancer cells. Conclusion It seems that the novel cationic PEGylated niosomes co-loaded with anticancer drug and CDC20siRNA has a promising application for the treatment of gastric cancer.
Shoal composition determines foraging success in the guppy

The composition of an animal group can impact greatly on the survival and success of its individual members. Much recent work has concentrated on behavioral variation within animal populations along the bold/shy continuum. Here, we screened individual guppies, Poecilia reticulata, for boldness using an overhead fright stimulus. We created groups consisting of 4 bold individuals (bold shoals), 4 shy individuals (shy shoals), or 2 bold and 2 shy individuals (mixed shoals). The performance of these different shoal types was then tested in a novel foraging scenario. We found that both bold and mixed shoals approached a novel feeder in less time than shy shoals. Interestingly, we found that more fish from mixed shoals fed than in either bold or shy shoals. We suggest that this can be explained by the fact that nearly all the cases where one fish was followed into the feeder by another occurred within mixed shoals and that it was almost always a shy fish following a bold one. These results suggest clear foraging benefits to shy individuals through associating with bold ones. Surprisingly, our results also suggest potential foraging benefits to bold individuals through associating with shy individuals. This study highlights a possible mechanism by which interindividual variation in behavioral types is maintained in a population. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
Entrepreneurial strategies and corporate governance: experiences from the Italian wine industry

A distinctive resource typical of family firms, critical in guarantee to family firms long lasting position of competitive advantage is familiness. In previous studies familiness has been defined to characterize the interactions between each family member, the whole family and the business. These interactions leads to systematic synergies with the potential to create competitive advantages or disadvantages for the firm. Family history and local roots can ensure the family business a competitive advantage long lasting and evolutive. Our analysis is focused on the wine industry in Italy and analyzes the case of Barone Ricasoli Spa an estate owned by the family Ricasoli since 1141. We find that the family social capital supports the processes of resources acquisition and promotes the business renewal.
Preservice Teacher Education Benchmarking a Standalone Ed Tech Course in Preparation for Change

Abstract In an effort to reform a teacher education program by strengthening content-area preparation and adding opportunities to practice by extending the time for student teaching, Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College eliminated a group of teacher education courses, including the standalone educational technology course. Educational technology faculty members were charged with developing an alternative approach of infusing technology into methods courses. Our first step was to conduct this benchmarking study of the standalone course to determine the successful lessons and practices that should be incorporated into the new program design. Results from analysis of pre- and post-course survey results and focus-group data indicated that candidates' confidence and TPACK scores increased in the standalone course. We will share benchmarks that arose from the study with program developers for adoption or adaptation to the new technology-infused courses where appropriate. Findings may also be useful to other teacher credentialing institutions that are changing to a technology-infused instructional approach.
Comparative Evaluation of some Selected Bioactive Constituents in the Leaves and Bark of Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Veirh from the Sudanese Red Sea Coast

The presence of selected phytoconstituents in the leaves and bark of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Veirh collected from a stand along the Sudanese Red Sea coast is assessed with regular phytochemical methods. The qualitative screening revealed that both plant parts contained alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, and tannins. Quantitatively, the bark contained more alkaloids (12.75%), flavonoids (4.5%), and tannins (34.6%) than the leaves which contained 11.63%, 3.6% and 15.90% respectively. The findings were correlated with the prevailing environmental conditions in the study area. The potentiality of this tree as a possible source of phytochemicals with pharmaceutical prospective was also discussed.
Diversity of Practitioners Publishing in Five Leading International Journals of Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology, 1987–2015 Relative to Global Biodiversity Hotspots

ABSTRACT Between 1987 and 1995, research papers published in five leading journals of applied ecology and conservation biology (AECB) were overwhelmingly produced by American and British authors. A significant proportion of overall variation in research productivity among nations could be explained by differences in gross national product (GNP). Here, we used bibliometric analyses for a comparative assessment to determine if geographical patterns of research changed or remained consistent between the periods, 1987–1995 and 2007–2015. Our results revealed an absence of a marked increase in geographical diversity of research. Imbalances persisted in global research efforts in five leading journals, with research productivity remaining significantly correlated to national differences in wealth. There is a disparity between where scientific research continues to be conducted and where hotspots of biodiversity are known to exist as indicated by our study and several other recent papers. This is an alarming finding as research is needed to establish conservation status, and work by others shows that the level of conservation spending is significantly correlated with mitigating biodiversity loss and improving species at risk status.
Genome‐wide association analyses reveal polygenic genomic architecture underlying divergent shell morphology in Spanish Littorina saxatilis ecotypes

Abstract Gene flow between diverging populations experiencing dissimilar ecological conditions can theoretically constrain adaptive evolution. To minimize the effect of gene flow, alleles underlying traits essential for local adaptation are predicted to be located in linked genome regions with reduced recombination. Local reduction in gene flow caused by selection is expected to produce elevated divergence in these regions. The highly divergent crab‐adapted and wave‐adapted ecotypes of the marine snail Littorina saxatilis present a model system to test these predictions. We used genome‐wide association (GWA) analysis of geometric morphometric shell traits associated with microgeographic divergence between the two L. saxatilis ecotypes within three separate sampling sites. A total of 477 snails that had individual geometric morphometric data and individual genotypes at 4,066 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed using GWA methods that corrected for population structure among the three sites. This approach allowed dissection of the genomic architecture of shell shape divergence between ecotypes across a wide geographic range, spanning two glacial lineages. GWA revealed 216 quantitative trait loci (QTL) with shell size or shape differences between ecotypes, with most loci explaining a small proportion of phenotypic variation. We found that QTL were evenly distributed across 17 linkage groups, and exhibited elevated interchromosomal linkage, suggesting a genome‐wide response to divergent selection on shell shape between the two ecotypes. Shell shape trait‐associated loci showed partial overlap with previously identified outlier loci under divergent selection between the two ecotypes, supporting the hypothesis of diversifying selection on these genomic regions. These results suggest that divergence in shell shape between the crab‐adapted and wave‐adapted ecotypes is produced predominantly by a polygenic genomic architecture with positive linkage disequilibrium among loci of small effect.
Stock Market Overreaction and Trading Volume: Evidence from Malaysia

We investigate the stock market overreaction in Bursa Malaysia from January 2000 to October 2010 using weekly data. We find that winner portfolios tend to have negative returns whereas loser portfolios have positive returns for various holding periods from 1 to 52 weeks. Loser stocks experience more persistent and stronger return reversals than winner stocks. The evidence implies that a lower level of overreaction exists for winner stocks. Overall, a loser-winner portfolio yields highly significant returns. Comparing the overreaction of low-, medium- and high-volume stocks, we find that low volume stocks experience more consistent and larger return reversals. Therefore, trading volume is inversely related to overreaction. We also document more persistent overreaction for loser than winner stocks for all volume categories. The results suggest that investor may be able to obtain significant profits by implementing a short term contrarian strategy focused on low volume stocks.
Modification of perchery system: Preference for ramps rather than ladders during early adaptation period for cage-reared pullets

Poor early adaptation in aviaries has adverse effects on welfare and the later production. Effects of system modification by ramps and ladders on early adaptation of birds were investigated. A total of 240 pullets and 24 cockerels of Yukou Jing Pink II parent stock were allocated into six perchery compartments at the age of 83 days from conventional cages. Three compartments were modified with ramps of different angles, 30°, 40° and 30° & 50° combination. The other compartments were fitted with 2 ladders, with 22 cm steps and 33 cm steps. Spatial distribution of birds and eggs, as well as the data of ramps and ladders utilization were used to assess birds’ adaptation and the effectiveness of modification facilities. A higher proportion of hens got onto the tiered platforms in ramp group (p<0.001) and engaged in feeding (p=0.002). Inversely more than 85.0% of hens dwelled on the system floor in the ladder group for the whole observation period. The proportion of birds feeding increased over time (p<0.001), with the proportion of birds lying decreasing (p<0.001). A higher frequency of utilization of ramps was found compared with ladders (4.5-25.8 vs. 2.8-14.7 times/40 birds per hour). For ramp use, 79.3% of hens negotiated level change by using 30° ramp and behavioral process was also found related with the type of ramps. On the contrary, very few successful level changes were observed via ladders and 60% of ladder use was ended with birds backing to the system floor. Besides, a higher proportion of non-nest eggs was recorded in ladder group in the early laying period. These results indicated that modification of ramps is more applicable for improving birds’ early adaptation and later production in perchery system of multi-tier, especially for pullets reared in conventional cages. Keywords: animal welfare, modification, perchery system, adaptation, pullet, ramp, enriched cage system DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe. 20191204.4030 Citation: Zheng H Y, Li B M, Tong Q, Chen G, Li X Y. Modification of perchery system: Preference for ramps rather than ladders during early adaptation period for cage-reared pullets. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2019; 12(4): 34–42.
Improving Convective Precipitation Forecasting through Assimilation of Regional Lightning Measurements in a Mesoscale Model

Abstract A technique developed for assimilating regional lightning measurements into a meteorological model is presented in this paper. The goal is to assess the effectiveness of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning information for improving the convective precipitation forecasting. The main concept of the technique is that utilizing real-time location, timing, and flash-rate data retrieved from a long-range lightning detection network, a regional/mesoscale meteorological model is informed about the deep moist convection spatiotemporal development and intensity. This information is then used to nudge the model-generated humidity profiles to empirical profiles as a function of the observed lightning intensity. The empirical humidity profiles are assumed to be representative of convective regimes since they have been produced on the basis of atmospheric soundings obtained during thunderstorm days. Case studies from three thunderstorm developments in a warm-season environment over the Mediterranean are used to inv.
Intraspecific genomic variation and local adaptation in a young hybrid species

Hybridization increases genetic variation, hence hybrid species may have a strong evolutionary potential once their admixed genomes have stabilized and incompatibilities have been purged. Yet, little is known about how such hybrid lineages evolve at the genomic level following their formation, in particular the characteristics of their adaptive potential, i.e. constraints and facilitations of diversification. Here we investigate how the Italian sparrow (Passer italiae), a homoploid hybrid species, has evolved and locally adapted to its variable environment. Using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) on several populations across the Italian peninsula, we evaluate how genomic constraints and novel genetic variation have influenced population divergence and adaptation. We show that population divergence within this hybrid species has evolved in response to climatic variation. As in non-hybrid species, climatic differences may even reduce gene flow between populations, suggesting ongoing local adaptation. We report outlier genes associated with adaptation to climatic variation, known to be involved in beak morphology in other species. Most of the strongly divergent loci among Italian sparrow populations seem not to be differentiated between its parent species, the house and Spanish sparrow. Within the parental species, population divergence has occurred mostly in loci where different alleles segregate in the parent species, unlike in the hybrid, suggesting that novel combinations of parental alleles in the hybrid have not necessarily enhanced its evolutionary potential. Rather, our study suggests that constraints linked to incompatibilities may have restricted the evolution of this admixed genome, both during and after hybrid species formation.