Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic coupling of cochlear inner hair cell intrinsic Ca2+ action potentials to Ca2+ signaling of non-sensory cells

The relationship between Ca2+ action potential (AP) activity in immature inner hair cells (IHCs) and the spontaneous ATP-dependent intercellular Ca2+ signaling in cochlear non-sensory cells (NSCs) of the greater epithelial ridge (GER) is unclear. Here, we determined that IHCs fired asynchronous Ca2+ APs also in the absence of Ca2+ activity in the GER. Patch clamp recordings from IHCs isolated from the rest of the sensory epithelium confirmed that this firing activity is an intrinsic property of immature IHCs. However, frequency, correlation index and burst duration of IHC APs increased significantly during Ca2+ wave propagation in NSCs, and depended on wave extension in the GER. Furthermore, IHC depolarization under whole cell patch clamp conditions triggered Ca2+ signals in nearby NSCs with a delay that was proportional to the distance from the stimulated IHC. Thus the immature mammalian cochlea supports bidirectional exchange of Ca2+ signals between IHCs and NSCs. IMPACT STATEMENT In inner hair cells of the developing mammalian cochlea, Ca2+ action potentials are both intrinsic and bidirectionally coupled to the ATP-dependent Ca2+ signaling of the surrounding non-sensory cells.
Difference in Nitrogen Starvation-Inducible Expression Patterns among Phylogenetically Diverse Ammonium Transporter Genes in the Red Seaweed Pyropia yezoensis

Nitrogen deficiency induces senescence and the expression of genes encoding ammonium transporters (AMTs) in terrestrial plants where the AMT family is subdivided into AMT1 and AMT2 subfamilies. Nitrogen starvation in the red seaweed Pyropia yezoensis causes senescence-like discoloration. In this study, we identified five genes in P. yezoensis encoding AMT domain-containing proteins, which were phylogenetically categorized into the AMT1 subfamily. We also found a gene encoding a Rhesus protein (Rh) that was related to, but diverged from, AMTs. Moreover, our phylogenetic analysis showed that AMT domain-containing proteins from micro- and macro-algae belonged to either the AMT1 or Rh subfamily, indicating the absence of AMT2 in algae. Gene expression analyses revealed the presence of gametophyte- and sporophyte-specific AMT1 genes that were up-regulated transiently and continually, respectively, under nitrogen-deficient conditions. In addition, up-regulated sporophyte-specific gene expression was suppressed when nitrogen was resupplied. Accordingly, an expansion of the ancient AMT gene has produced AMT1 functional variants differing in temporal and nitrogen starvation-inducible expression patterns during the life cycle of P. yezoensis. These findings help elucidate the unique nutrition starvation responses involving functionally diverse AMT1 and Rh subfamilies in red seaweed.
Assessment of forage quality Among the sudangrasses, sweet and grain sorghum inbred lines at different cutting time points

Special thanks to Dr. Ashraf, director of the Regional Centre for Food and Feed for his assistance in all the forage analysis. I would love to express my heartfelt gratitude to the African Graduate Fellowship and the Student Support Grant without which my wonderful study and research experience in AUC would not have been possible. Thank you so much for the golden opportunity given to me as a beneficially of Egypt’s first-class higher education.
Microhabitat partitioning correlates with opsin gene expression in coral reef cardinalfishes (Apogonidae)

Vertebrates exhibit diverse visual systems that vary in terms of morphology, number and distribution of spectrally distinct photoreceptor types, visual opsin genes and gene expression levels. In fish, such adaptations are driven by two main factors: differences in the light environment and behavioural tasks, including foraging, predator avoidance and mate selection. Whether visual systems also adapt to small-scale spectral differences in light, between microhabitats, is less clear. We suggest that differences in microhabitat use by cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) on coral reefs drive morphological and molecular adaptations in their visual systems. To test this, we investigated diurnal microhabitat use in 17 cardinalfish species and assessed whether this correlated with differences in visual opsin gene expression and eye morphology. We found that cardinalfishes display six types of partitioning behaviours during the day, ranging from specialists found exclusively in the water column to species that are always hidden inside the reef matrix. Using data on visual opsin gene expression previously characterized in this family, it was discovered that species in exposed habitats had increased expression of the short-wavelength sensitive violet opsin (SWS2B) and decreased expression of the dim-light active rod opsin (RH1). Species of intermediate exposure, on the other hand, expressed opsins that are mostly sensitive to the blue-green central part of the light spectrum (SWS2As and RH2s), while fishes entirely hidden in the reef substrate had an increased expression of the long-wavelength sensitive red opsin (LWS). We found that eye size relative to body size significantly differed between cardinalfish species, and relative eye size decreased with an increase in habitat exposure. Retinal topography did not show co-adaptation with microhabitat use, but instead with feeding mode. We suggest that, although most cardinalfishes are nocturnal foragers, their visual systems are also adapted to both the light intensity and the light spectrum of their preferred diurnal microhabitat.
psi Elliptic Flow in Pb-Pb Collisions at root s ( NN ) = 5 . 02 TeV

Acharya, S. ; Adamova, D. ; Adolfsson, J; Aggarwal, MM. ; Rinella, G.A. ; Agnello, A. ; Agrawal, N. ; Ahammed, Z. ; U. Ahn, S. ; Aiola, S. ; Akindinov, A. ; Al-Turany, M. ; Alam, SN; Albuquerque, DSD; Aleksandrov, D. ; Alessandro, B. ; Molina, Ricardo; Ali, Yusuf; Bearden, Ian; rtc312, rtc312; bsm989, bsm989; Gaardhøje, Jens Jørgen; Nielsen, Børge Svane; Bilandzic, Ante; Chojnacki, Marek; Zaccolo, Valentina; Zhou, You; Bourjau, Christian Alexander; Pimentel, Lais Ozelin de Lima; Gajdosova, Katarina; Pacik, Vojtech
The life history of European Middle Pleistocene equids: first insights from bone histology

ABSTRACT Evolutionary trends in body size are a central issue of study in Palaeontology. However, and despite body size being one of the most important life history traits of an animal, iconic size-decrease trends such as the one experienced by Equus during the European Pleistocene have never been analysed under a life history framework. Here, we studied the metapodial bone histology of two large Middle Pleistocene species (Equus mosbachensis and Equus steinheimensis) to reconstruct key life history traits that correlate with body size (e.g. size at birth, growth rate), and compare them with that of smaller extant Equus (Equus grevyi, Equus quagga, Equus zebra and Equus hemionus). Our results show that neonatal size of these Middle Pleistocene equids fits predictions from body mass scaling. We estimate a similar age of epiphyseal fusion for the metapodia of E. mosbachensis and E. steinheimensis and that of extant equids. Our findings also reveal that extinct equids grew at higher rates than extant Equus. This result conforms to the predictions of life history theory on environments with different levels of resource availability and provides a new framework of study for body size shifts on European Pleistocene equids.
Desalination effluents and the establishment of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 in the south-eastern Mediterranean

A decade long monitoring programme has revealed a flourishing population of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla in the vicinity of outfalls of desalination plants off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The first specimens were collected in 2010, thus predating all previously published records of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. A decade-long disturbance regime related to the construction and operation of the plants may have had a critical role in driving the population growth.
Hints for Therapeutic Interventions Through Exploring the Effects of Calorie Restriction on NAFLD by Mechanistic Approach

BACKGROUND: The worldwide prevalence and severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are increasing in parallel with the growing obesity epidemic. According to the US Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of NAFLD, weight loss interventions based on hypocaloric diets – either alone or in conjugation with physical activity – can reduce hepatic steatosis. Hence, understanding the ways in which calorie restriction affects NAFLD can help in developing optimal treatments. METHOD: In this review study, the main focus was on possibly disturbed pathways in NAFLD, and how calorie restriction may attenuate them. For this purpose, both human and animal studies available through Pubmed were reviewed. RESULTS: Calorie restriction can upregulate energy-sensing pathways, including AMPK/SIRTUIN, and downregulate insulin-signaling pathway IGF1/PI3K/AKT. In NAFLD, AKT is over-activated through the PI3K-active mTOR and FOXO recruitment. Consequences include gluconeogenic and lipogenic enzyme alteration, insulin resistance, autophagy reduction, and liver cells apoptosis, all of which may be inverted through calorie restriction. Moreover, increased mitochondrial biogenesis, reduced inflammation, and increased fatty acid oxidation are mediated through AMPK, SIRTUIN, and PPARS, all of which are altered in NAFLD. CONCLUSION: This review outlines prominent pathways, the targeting of which may be promising for NAFLD treatment, according to evidence-based studies.
INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF SOME ELICITORS ON BROWN ROT DISEASE AND TUBER YIELD OF POTATO (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Brown rot of potato is a worldwide disease that causes huge agricultural and economical losses. Using synthetic chemicals like antimicrobial pesticide may have adverse effects on consumers and on the environment. The recent trend of control plant disease is the application of eco-friendly tools to control disease. In the present investigation, and this study streptomycin, Pleurotus columbinus spent wheat straw (PCSWS), wheat straw (WS), three bacterial species (Bacillus subtillus, B. polymyxa and Pseudomonas fluorescens), plant essential oils of anethole, mustard, caraway and neem were tested to control brown rot disease of potato cv. Spunta in Baramoon Research Station, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt under field conditions, during the two winter seasons of 2013/14 and 2014/15. The vegetative growth parameters, tuber yield, tuber grading, tuber dry matter, specific gravity and infected tubers were investigated. PCSWS led to significant increase in all studied criteria, compared to check or other treatments. Furthermore, PCSWS or caraway oil gave the best results in reduction of infected tubers in vitro. The direct antibacterial effect of studied treatments against the causal pathogen of brown rot of potato; Ralstonia solanacerum. Only streptomycin, anethole and caraway oil affected the growth of R. solanacearum. Pots experiment was carried out to study the ability of the tested treatments to induce systemic resistance (ISR). Conclusively, Bacillus subtillus, caraway and neem oils significantly increased the production of total phenols, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, respectively, which enhanced potato plant health, increased chlorophylls and plant height as well as, decreased disease rating that increased tuber weight after 70 days of planting.
Soil compaction and water content as factors affecting the growth of lodgepole pine seedlings on sandy clay loam soil

The response of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelman.) seedlings to three levels of soil compaction and water content was evaluated in raised beds filled with a sandy clay loam soil. In compacted soils, seedling survival, height, root collar diameter and root growth were reduced. Soil water regime was adjusted with irrigation to levels associated with plant moisture stress (near wilting point) and limiting soil aeration (near 0.10 m3 m-3 air-filled porosity). Soil water regime affected seedling performance, with higher survival, root collar diameter and root growth observed on treatments with higher water content. Compaction had detrimental effects on growth at all levels of soil water availability. Compaction and water content had strong effects on soil mechanical resistance. Limitations to seedling growth and survival were at least partly explained through their relationships with soil water content and soil mechanical resistance, and combinations of these factors as described b.
A Proposal of the Buying Model for Fresh Food Products

Abstract This paper develops a model of buying intention for food products based on consumer information, habits and prior experience, contrasting it with a perishable product such as fresh mussels. The model studies what influence the attitude and confidence shown by the subject have in evaluating the product in the intention to buy. Also analysed is the influence that habits and previous experience have on the formation of consumer preference and the intention to buy the product. A structural equation model is used to identify these variables and constructs as well as the relations established between them. Furthermore, strategies are presented for both consumers and managers designed to reduce the perceived risk associated with buying fresh mussels. The purpose of this is to reduce the risk perceived by consumers and prevent it from curtailing mollusc purchases.
The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope dense gas survey of the Perseus molecular cloud

We present the results of a large-scale survey of the very dense (n > 106 cm−3) gas in the Perseus molecular cloud using HCO+ and HCN (J = 4 → 3) transitions. We have used this emission to trace the structure and kinematics of gas found in pre- and protostellar cores, as well as in outflows. We compare the HCO+/HCN data, highlighting regions where there is a marked discrepancy in the spectra of the two emission lines. We use the HCO+ to identify positively protostellar outflows and their driving sources, and present a statistical analysis of the outflow properties that we derive from this tracer. We find that the relations we calculate between the HCO+ outflow driving force and the Menv and Lbol of the driving source are comparable to those obtained from similar outflow analyses using 12CO, indicating that the two molecules give reliable estimates of outflow properties. We also compare the HCO+ and the HCN in the outflows, and find that the HCN traces only the most energetic outflows, the majority of which are driven by young Class 0 sources. We analyse the abundances of HCN and HCO+ in the particular case of the IRAS 2A outflows, and find that the HCN is much more enhanced than the HCO+ in the outflow lobes. We suggest that this is indicative of shock enhancement of HCN along the length of the outflow; this process is not so evident for HCO+, which is largely confined to the outflow base.
Political Parties and Gender Quota Implementation The Role of Institutionalized Candidate Selection Procedures

This article scrutinizes the role of political parties in gender quota implementation. First, it theoretically specifies and operationalizes the concept of bureaucratization in relation to candidate selection. Second, it examines whether parties with bureaucratized selection procedures are better at implementing legally mandated candidate quotas than other parties. We measure implementation as the number of women candidates and women elected (the latter measuring implementation of the spirit of quota laws). Using unique data on almost 100 Latin American parties, the analysis shows that once quotas are in place, parties with bureaucratized selection procedures put substantially more women on their candidate lists than other parties. However, these parties are only better at implementing the letter of the law: they do not get more women elected.
A Model Selection Approach in Statistical Modeling

It is argued that quantitative results from statistical surveys and experiments should be communicated as inferences of the model maximising the log Bayes factor against a reference model penalised by a subjectively chosen constant times the difference in model complexity. Model complexity is measured by the degrees of freedom. In this study, an efficient algorithm is proposed to select a model from among a large set of models with unit penalties in some interval. The algorithm utilizes the penalised log Bayes factor with only the likelihood ratio statistic, model dimensions and a constant. This approach seems to be a more realistic screening device than related criteria similar to the Bayesian information criterion.
Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities in Cassia auriculata

The antibacterial properties of the Cassia auriculata were tested against ten human pathogens by using five different solvent namely, hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol. The maximum antibacterial activity recorded in methanol extracts against Vibrio cholorae and Staphylococcus aureus. Minimum activity was noted in chloroform extracts against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, no inhibition zone present in chloroform extract against E. coli . Total anti oxidant level, total phenolic compounds and total flavonoid content was higher in ethyl acetate extract. In separation of compounds, ethyl acetate extract were more spots in (TLC) plate.
On possible factors in the aesthetic appreciation of metaphors

Abstract Gibbs (2002) investigated by experimental methods the question whether the recognition of metaphors in a literary text affects the aesthetic appreciation of recognized expressions. He found that recognition of metaphors improves aesthetic judgments. He explains this by reference to the conceptual theory of metaphor: Identifying a linguistic metaphor provides access to the underlying conceptual metaphor and opens up new ways of interpretation, thereby making the expression more appealing. In this paper, we note some conceptual arguments against Gibbs's conclusion and then present an experiment which aims to verify whether the improvement of judgments observed by Gibbs could have been caused by independent factors, such as social expectations. Surprisingly, although we did not find evidence for such effects, we were not able to reproduce Gibbs's results either. However, the data reveal that aesthetic judgments concerning metaphors are measurable to some extent.
Association of 10 single nucleotide polymorphism loci with nicotine addiction in the Anatolian population?

Abstract The study aimed to discover some variables influencing the risk of nicotine dependence in the Anatolian population. We examined 10 candidate genes and analysed 10 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci in 50 cases and 50 controls in a preliminary study. The main purpose of this work was to provide predicative definition in this regard. Buccal swab samples were collected from 50 cases and 50 controls, who had volunteered to participate in the study. The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) score of 4 or more was required for the case group. The control group was strictly chosen from people who had an FTND score of 0. SNP loci were genotyped and variations were observed in five SNP loci (rs16969968, rs806380, rs3733829, rs6474412, rs1329650). Based on these results, polymorphism was identified in the Turkish population in five SNP loci (rs16969968, rs806380, rs6474412, rs37333829, rs1329650). Although our findings indicated a non-significant association between the 10 selected loci and nicotine dependence in the Anatolian population, we believe that with a larger number of cases with five SNP loci, the variance we find will provide significant results for both forensic geneticists and psychiatrists. Since, to our knowledge, this is the first work to explore the potential association of these SNPs with nicotine addiction in the Anatolian population, the results should be expanded with larger sample groups.
Sowing Dates Effect on Yield and Grain Quality of some Wheat Cultivars

In order to illustrate the importance of studying sowing dates of some wheat cultivars, a field experiment was carried out at Sakha Agri. Res. Stat. ARC at the north region of Delta Egypt during the two winter successive seasons 2015/16 and 2016/17. Six Sowing date were i.e 15 October, 1 November, 15 November, 30 November, 15 December and 30 December. Four bread wheat cultivars, Gemmeiza 11, Giza 168, Misr 1and Misr 2. The obtained results could be summarized as; The fourth sowing date (30 November) gave the highest values of most studied characters under this investigation such all agronomic traits, globuline content (non-glotein protein), gliadine content (gluten protein ), followed by third sowing date (15 November). Such glotenine content (gluten protein). On the other hand, the first sowing date (15 October) gave the highest values of albuimine content (non-glutein protein). Sowing on third (15 November) and fourth sowing date (30 November) gave the highest value of germination and storability (accelerated aging germination). The sixth sowing (30 Decmber) gave the highest values of grain crude protein, soluble and non-soluble protein. There were significant differences among wheat cultivars in all agronomic studied were observed. Gemmeiza 11 recorded the highest number of tillers/m, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, harvest index, glotenine content (gluten protein ), wet and dry gluten and soluble protein content. Meanwhile, Misr 1 and Misr2 cultivars recorded the highest values of globuline (nongluten protein), gliadine content, glotenine content (gluten protein), germination% and storability (accelerated aging germination). On the other hand, G.168 cultivar recorded the lowest value of gliadine and glotenine content (gluten protein), while gave the highest value of albuimine content (non-gluten protein). Gemmeiza 11 superior the other cultivars for grain yield and Giza 168 superior the other cultivars straw yield in 2015/2016 and 2016/2017.
OXYTETRACYCLINE AND SULPHONAMIDE RESIDUES ANALYSIS OF HONEY SAMPLES FROM SOUTHERN MARMARA REGION IN TURKEY

GUNES, M. E. , N. GUNES and R. CIBIK, 2009. Oxytetracycline and sulphonamide residues analysis of honey samples from southern Marmara region in Turkey. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 15: 163-167 Honey samples collected from Southern Marmara region in Turkey were analyzed for the presence of oxytetracycline and sulphonamides (sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole, sulfamerazine, sulfadimethoxine) residues. A total of 50 samples composed from multi-flavour, chestnut, pine and linden honeys that were collected from hives at different locations in the region were monitored by using LC-MS system. Tested residues were not detected in any of the tested hives indicating that either their concentrations were lower for being detected by the used system or samples were free from residues.