Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Fruit Characteristics of Blackberry Genotypes Grown in Eastern Mediterranean

ABSTRACT: Fruit characteristics of some blackberry genotypes such as erect, semierect and trailing thornless and one thorny blackberry were evaluated at Kahramanmaras province in Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. Six cultivars (‘Jumbo’, ‘Nessy’, ‘Navaho’, ‘Chester Thornless’, ‘Arapaho’ and ‘Cherokee’ (thorny) and four selections (‘Bursa1’, ‘Bursa2 ’, ‘Bursa3’ and ‘Bartin’) were characterized during 2002 and 2003 growing seasons. In this study fruit weight, total soluble solid (TSS) content, fruit acidity, pH, flavor, firmness, first flowering date and harvest period were observed. The first date of flowering was observed in the second week of May. ‘Jumbo’ cultivar showed wider harvesting period than other cultivars. Heaviest fruit set was shown by ‘Navaho’ in 2002 while ‘Jumbo’ and ‘Arapaho’ in 2003. Key Words: Rubus sp . L. , fruit characteristics, Kahramanmaras Dogu Akdeniz’de Yetisen Bogurtlen Genotiplerinin Meyve Karakterlerinin Degerlendirilmesi OZET: Turkiye’nin Dogu Akdeniz Bolgesi’nde Kahramanmaras ilinde dik, yari dik ve surunucu 9 dikensiz ve 1 dikenli bogurtlen cesidinin meyve karakterleri degerlendirildi. 2002-2003 de 6 cesit (‘Jumbo’, ‘Nessy’, ‘Navaho’, Chester Thornless’, ‘Arapaho’ ve ‘Cherokee’ (dikenli) ve 4 seleksiyon (‘Bursa1’, Bursa2’, ‘Bursa3’ ve ‘Bartin’) cesidi arastirildi. Verim, meyve agirligi, suda cozunebilir toplam kuru madde, meyve asitligi, pH, tad, sertlik, ciceklenme baslangici ve hasat periyodu kayit edildi. Ilk ciceklenme mayisin ikinci haftasi goruldu. ’Jumbo’ cesidinin hasat periyodunun digerlerinden daha uzun oldugu belirlendi. 2002 yilinda en iri meyveler ‘Navaho’ cesidinden elde edilirken, 2003 yilinda ‘Jumbo’ ve ‘Arapaho’dan elde edildi. Anahtar Kelimeler: Rubus sp . L. , meyve karakterleri, Kahramanmaras
Software requirements specification database based on requirements frame model

The author proposes a method to build a relational database of software requirements specifications (SRSs) from textual SRSs automatically. The author has been developing a requirements model called requirements frame and a text-base requirements language based on the model in order to improve the quality of SRSs. Since requirements frame can be transformed into a relational data model, each of the requirement sentences can be regarded as a tuple of a relational table. The author has been developing both a query language and a relational database management system for on SRS database. One of the features of the SRS DB system is to give an answer with a requirement sentence as an example/counter-example. This feature contributes to verification of the SRS from a developer's own viewpoint. Another feature is detecting changed requirements in modification of the SRS. This feature contributes to effective maintenance of the SRS.
Live (Stained) Benthic Foraminifera Off Walvis Bay, Namibia: A Deep-Sea Ecosystem under the Influence of Bottom Nepheloid Layers

We present an ecological investigation of live (stained) foraminiferal faunas (>150-μm fraction) from four deep-sea stations sampled in the eastern South Atlantic off Walvis Bay, Namibia. These stations describe a bathymetric transect from ~900 to ~3000-m depth, below the oxygen minimum zone related to the Benguela upweling system. The mineralization of organic detritus, as suggested by oxygen-penetration depths and ΔpH depth profiles, is relatively intense along the overall bathymetrie transect. Organic carbon and amino-acid contents in the surface sediment are high between ~900-2000-m depth (e.g., C org > 1.7%, THAA > 47 nmol/mg), and decrease along the bathymetrie transect. Carbon-14 ages and grain-size distribution determined for the upper sediment suggest a complex balance between erosion, transportation, and deposition at all stations. Bottom nepheloid layers (BNLs) are well-documented in our study area. They are relevant candidates for the dispersion and accumulation of reworked organic compounds along the Namibian slope. Foraminiferal faunas living at the three shallower sites are characterized by species (e.g., Cibicidoides kullembergi, Bulimina inflatalcostata) related to the enhanced productivity. The occurrence of epibiotic species ( Cibicides refulgens, Gavelinopsis translucens, and C kullenbergi ) argues for bottom currents supplying organic compounds in suspension above the sediment-water interface. In those environmental conditions, Reophax bilocularis, R. pilulifer, and Lagenammina difflugiformis contribute significantly to live communities, especially at the lower-slope site. Live foraminiferal faunas are largely restricted to shalow-infaunal oxygenated microhabitats. Finally, we propose that hydro-sedimentary conditions characterized by more or less intermittent near-bottom currents 1) trigger the dominance of arenaceous faunas and 2) preclude the proliferation of a foraminiferal population in deep-infaunal microhabitats.
Impact of Human Activities on the Quality of Water in Nyaruzinga Wetland of Bushenyi District - Uganda

The study presents an investigation into the effect of various human activities on the degradation and lowering of water quality in Nyaruzinga wetland which is located in Bushenyi district, South Western Uganda. Water samples were drawn from six different places (one town supply, one water reservoir) and four contaminated sources near the wetland. The results were compared to both national and WHO guidelines. The different parameters assessed included apparent colour (AC), total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity (Tur), total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), total hardness (TH), pH and microbial activity using E. coli as a standard test. Experimental methods were composed of complexometric titration, turbidimetry, pH direct meter reading, spectrophotometry and standard plate count, using membrane filter technique. Results obtained revealed that most of the parameters investigated were outside the range recommended by both national standard and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Such results were mainly attributed to fish farming and sewage discharge from the surrounding institutions.
4 Emerging Market Business Cycles : The Cycle is the

Business cycles in emerging markets are characterized by strongly counter‐cyclical current accounts, consumption volatility that exceeds income volatility, and dramatic " sudden stops " in capital inflows. These features contrast with those of developed, small open economies and highlight the uniqueness of emerging markets. Nevertheless, we show that both qualitatively and quantitatively a standard dynamic stochastic, small open economy model can account for the behavior of both types of markets. Motivated by the observed frequent policy‐regime switches in emerging markets, our underlying premise is that these economies are subject to substantial volatility in their trend growth rates relative to developed markets. Consequently, shocks to trend growth‐‐rather than transitory fluctuations around a stable trend‐‐are the primary source of fluctuations in these markets. When the parameters of the income process are structurally estimated using GMM for each type of economy, we find that the observed predominance of permanent shocks relative to transitory shocks for emerging markets and the reverse for developed markets explain differences in key features of their business cycles. Lastly, employing a VAR methodology to identify permanent shocks, we find further support for the notion that, for emerging economies, the cycle is the trend. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not reflect official positions of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston or the Federal Reserve System. We thank Seung Jung Lee for excellent research assistance. We thank
Response to immune checkpoint inhibition is associated with the gut microbiome in advanced KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer

Background: KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with a poor prognosis to standard therapies. Despite advances of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), not all patients show durable responses. In this study, we aim to identify associations between ICI-response and the gut microbiome in patients with KRAS-mutated NSCLC. Methods: We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing of stool samples collected before ICI initiation from 33 patients with KRAS-mutated NSCLC. Microbiome composition within (-diversity) and between samples ({beta}-diversity) was calculated using Shannon diversity index and principal component analysis on Aitchison distances, respectively. A Bayesian logistic-normal regression model (Pibble) was implemented to identify associations between gut microbial features and disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival at 12 months (PFS12) and immune related adverse events (irAEs), adjusting for ICI-regimen, metastatic disease stage, age, sex and BMI. Results: Responders were enriched with several saccharolytic species, including Agathobaculum butyriciproducens, Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans, Bifidobacterium longum and Eubacterium ramulus. Non-responders harbored higher abundances of several Bacteroides and Blautia species. Patients unaffected by irAEs demonstrated higher abundances of biotin and butyrate synthesis pathways. Development of irAEs was associated with higher Alistipes finegoldii, Bifidobacterium longum and Bacteroides uniformis abundance. No differences were observed between responders and non-responders in Shannon diversity index (P=0.69) and overall microbial composition (P=0.82). Conclusions: We show gut microbial species and pathways that are differentially abundant between responders and non-responders to ICI in the setting of KRAS-mutated NSCLC. We find overlap with microbial signatures of response to ICI in other tumor types, potentially reflecting tumor-independent microbial mechanisms.
Transcriptomic Consensus of Atrial Fibrillation Unveils Mechanism-Based Drug Repurposing Opportunities: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background and Aims: Despite advances in understanding atrial fibrillation (AF) pathophysiology through the lens of transcriptomics, marked differences in the key AF genes between studies remain, while drugs targeting preserved dysregulated pathways are limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a consensus transcriptional signature of AF and use it to identify potentially repurposable drugs. Methods: Bibliographic databases and data repositories were systematically searched for studies reporting gene expression patterns in atrial heart auricle tissue from patients with AF and controls in sinus rhythm. A qualitative synthesis and a transcriptomics meta-analysis were performed. We calculated the pooled differences in individual gene expression to create a consensus signature (CS), from which we identified differentially regulated pathways and estimated transcription factors activity. We also created a protein-protein interaction network to identify drug interactions with highly interconnected genes (hub genes) from the AF-CS. Results: Thirty-four observational studies were assessed in the qualitative synthesis, while fourteen, comprising 511 samples (338 AF and 173 SR), were included in the meta-analysis. Despite the heterogeneity observed across individual studies, the AF-CS in both chambers were consistent and robust, showing a better performance in classifying AF status than individual studies. The functional analysis revealed commonality in the dysregulated cellular processes across the atria, including extracellular matrix remodeling, downregulation of cardiac conduction pathways, metabolic derangements, and innate immune system activity processes. Finally, drug-gene analyses highlighted several compounds as repurposing drug candidates for AF, highlighting lipid-lowering agents, antioxidants, and retinoids, among others. Conclusions: Despite variability in individual studies, this meta-analysis elucidated conserved molecular pathways involved in AF pathophysiology across its phenotypes, offering robust and potentially generalizable diagnostic biomarkers. From this AF-CS, we identified potential compounds targeting these dysregulated pathways, thereby addressing an extant gap in AF-specific pharmacotherapy.
Optimal use of intravenous landiolol in acute cardiac care

ABSTRACT Introduction B-blockers are regarded as beneficial pharmacologic agents in cardiac care, but their role in the acute setting remains ambiguous. Increasing evidence supports the important role of landiolol in critical care, a highly cardioselective intravenous b-blocker with rapid onset of action and short elimination time. Among its most valuable properties, which may aid to overcome special reservations related to b-blocker therapy in the acute setting, landiolol has a potent negative chronotropic effect while at the same time it exhibits a mild negative inotropic effect. Areas covered This expert opinion review aims to present basic pharmacologic aspects of landiolol and provide current clinical research focused on its efficacy and safety. Expert opinion Landiolol is a valuable and safe pharmacologic agent in acute cardiac care. Japanese and European guidelines have incorporated its use for the management of atrial tachyarrhythmia in patients with cardiac dysfunction. Although emerging clinical trials have experimented its use in patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous intervention and in patients with septic cardiomyopathy, more studies are needed in order to establish its value in such cardiac conditions.
Willingness to pay for preserving local beaches: the role of framing, attitudes and local identification / Voluntad de pagar para preservar las playas locales: el papel del encuadre, la actitud y la identificación local

Abstract This research concerns the impact of cognitive (i.e., framing issues) and psychosocial (i.e., environmental attitudes and place identity) dimensions on people’s Willingness To Pay (WTP) for preservation and improvement of a ‘local’ environmental public good, i.e., local beaches. After a pilot study, a field experiment (N = 102) was carried out in order to verify the effects on WTP of: (1) the reminder about the involvement of other people for preserving ‘local’ beaches; (2) attitudes towards the environmental good; and (3) local identity. Results confirmed the reminder effect, so that individuals reminded of other contributors are willing to pay less than individuals who were not reminded. Positive attitudes towards local beaches are associated to higher WTP for preserving them, but this emerged only in those residents showing a higher local identification.
Research on the characteristics, formation mechanism and prediction of severe climatic disasters in China

In this paper, the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics and the economic losses of main climatic disasters in China are simply introduced. Moreover, the predominant causes of the climatic disasters are analyzed from the viewpoint of the sea-land-air interactions in East Asian climate system and combining with the actual facts of particularly severe floods occurred in the Yangtze River Valley. the Nenjiang Valley and Songhuajiang Valley in summer of 1998. Besides, the recent actual situation of climate prediction in China is also reviewed and some problems to be solved in the future in the study on prediction of climatic disasters are proposed.
The protein kinase A signaling pathway mediates the effect of electroacupuncture on excessive contraction of the bladder detrusor in a rat model of neurogenic bladder

Background: Neurogenic bladder (NB) is a form of neurological bladder dysfunction characterized by excessive contraction of the bladder detrusor. Protein kinase A (PKA) signaling is involved in the contraction of the detrusor muscle. Aims: To investigate whether PKA signaling mediates the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the excessive contraction of the bladder detrusor in NB. Methods: Sixty rats were randomly divided into control, sham, NB, NB + EA, and NB + EA + H89 (a PKA receptor antagonist) groups. The modified Hassan Shaker spinal cord transection method was used to generate a NB model. After EA intervention for one week, urodynamic tests were used to evaluate bladder function, hematoxylin and eosin staining was conducted to assess morphological changes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to measure the concentration of PKA, and Western blotting was conducted to measure the protein levels of phosphorylated myosin light chain kinase (p-MLCK)/p-MLC. Results: The results showed that NB resulted in morphological disruption, impairment of urodynamics, and decreases in the concentration of PKA and the protein levels of p-MLCK/p-MLC. EA reversed the changes induced by NB dysfunction. However, the improvement in urodynamics and the increases in the concentration of PKA and the protein levels of p-MLCK/p-MLC were inhibited by H89. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the PKA signaling pathway mediates the beneficial effect of EA on excessive contraction of the bladder detrusor in a rat model of NB.
Nerve pathology of microangiopathy and thromboinflammation in hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis

Despite amyloid deposition as a hallmark of hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv) with polyneuropathy, this pathology could not completely account for nerve degeneration. ATTRv patients frequently have vasomotor symptoms, but microangiopathy hypothesis in ATTRv was not systemically clarified.
Vegetative filter strip effects on sediment concentration in cropland runoff

ABSTRACT: Little has been done to evaluate the effectiveness of vegetative filter strips (VFS) in controlling sediment loading of surface waters from cropland soil erosion. We established study areas on 7% and 12% grades to evaluate VFS effects on sediment concentration, runoff volume, and soil loss from an 18.3-m continuous fallow strip. We designed a collector-sample splitter to collect representative runoff subsamples. We placed collectors at six intervals within the bromegrass filter strip and recorded data from 13 rainfall events. The initial 3.0 m of the VFS removed more than 70% of the sediment from runoff, while 9.1 m of the VFS removed 85%. Little decrease in sediment concentration was observed with greater VFS widths. The 12% grade had greater runoff and soil losses at all VFS widths than the 7% grade. The VFS promoted infiltration, reduced runoff volumes, and decreased runoff sediment concentration.
A study on the therapeutic potential of graphene titanate nanocomposite for treating chemically induced arthritis in rats

Abstract Nanotechnology holds substantial promise in the innovative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The current study was designed to synthesize and characterize a new graphene titanate nanocomposite (GTNc) and explore its anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant potencies against Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in rats, as well as investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our characterization methods included XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDX, zeta potential, practical size, and XRF to characterize the novel GTNc. Our findings revealed that arthritic rats treated with GTNc exhibited lower levels of RF, CRP, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-17, and ADAMTS-5, and higher levels of IL-4 and TIMP-3. In arthritic rats, GTNc reduced LPO levels while increasing GSH content and GST antioxidant activity. Additionally, GTNc decreased the expression of the TGF-β mRNA gene in arthritic rats. Histopathological investigation showed that GTNc reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, cartilage degradation, and bone destruction in joint injuries caused by CFA in the arthritic rats. Collectively, the anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of GTNc appear promising for future arthritis treatments and bone disability research.
A Qualitative Analysis of Latina Migrant Farmworkers’ Perception of Mental Health: Voices From Wisconsin

Introduction: Despite evidence showing Latinos’ high prevalence of mental health, little is known about Latina migrant farmworkers’ mental health experiences, especially those working in Midwestern states. Considering the multiple vulnerabilities observed among Latina migrant farmworkers, it is necessary to gain insight from own accounts and perceptions of mental health and mental health–seeking experiences Method: A qualitative descriptive approach, using in-depth semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, served to retrieve data from 34 Latina migrant farmworkers. This study was informed by Chicana, postcolonial, and Black feminist epistemologies. Results: Thematic analysis identified themes within the data. These findings pertained to the conceptualization of mental health within the contexts of family, capacities, stigma, denial, and faith. Discussion: Our results demonstrate the need for health care providers to consider Latina migrant farmworkers’ perceptions about mental health and apply those in designing and implementing culturally informed policy and practice.
Clozapine augmentation with long‐acting antipsychotic injections: A case series and systematic review

Up to 30% of patients with a diagnosis of treatment‐resistant psychosis remain symptomatic despite an optimal trial with the gold standard treatment, clozapine. Emerging evidence suggests the clinical utility of long‐acting injections (LAI) in such clinical scenarios. In this study, we aimed to describe clozapine augmentation with LAIs in an inner London hospital and explore the literature on the clinical effectiveness of this treatment modality.
Effects of forest fragmentation on the dietary ecology and activity of a nocturnal lemur community in North West Madagascar

Deforestation and habitat fragmentation is the primary threat to primate populations. The primates that live within degraded and anthropogenically disturbed habitats typical of fragmented landscapes have to cope with lower availability of resources in comparison to primates in continuous, undisturbed forests. While some species are sensitive to forest fragmentation, some evidence exists to suggest that primates can alter their behavior and adapt to such changes, which enables their survival in suboptimal habitat. In this study, we assessed how forest fragmentation and its associated edge‐effects impact the feeding ecology and activity levels of a nocturnal primate community in the Sahamalaza‐Iles Radama National Park, North West Madagascar. From March 06, 2019 to May 17, 2022, we collected data on tree and invertebrate phenology at our study site, and feeding ecology and activity for 159 lemur individuals from four species. Fruit and flower availability varied significantly between continuous and fragmented forest, and between forest core and edge areas, with continuous forest exhibiting higher continuous fruit and flower availability. Lemur feeding ecology varied significantly too, as the feeding niches of all four species were significantly different between continuous and fragmented forest and between core and edge areas. However, lemur activity levels were mostly consistent among all forest areas. The results of this study suggest that nocturnal lemurs are able to adapt their dietary ecology in response to the available food sources within their habitat. Due to this flexible ecology and dietary plasticity, the lemurs do not need to significantly alter their behavior in different environments to fulfill their dietary needs. While nocturnal lemurs demonstrate adaptability and flexibility to degraded habitat, it is unclear how far this plasticity will stretch considering that Madagascar's forests are still being cleared at an alarming rate. Urgent conservation action is therefore needed to ensure the future of lemur habitat.