Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term prospective assessment of subconjunctival triamcinolone acetonide in addition to topical therapy in the management of chronic superficial keratitis

Chronic superficial keratitis (CSK) is a progressive inflammatory disease in adult dogs, associated with corneal vascular proliferation, edema and melanic pigment deposition. In the absence of a curative therapy, the current approach for the management of CSK aims to control disease progression and eventually decrease the severity of corneal lesions. Subconjunctival injections of corticosteroids may be effective in severe cases, where topical therapy alone is inadequate. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of subconjunctival triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injection in addition to topical steroid treatment for the long-term management of CSK, in dogs unresponsive to conventional topical steroids. Treatment efficacy was assessed in 11 dogs with bilateral CSK by periodic evaluation of the cornea in terms of vascularization, edema and pigmentation for up to 120 weeks. Clinically significant reductions in corneal pigmentation (P<0.0001), vascularization (P<0.0001) and edema scores (P<0.0001) were achieved during therapy. The greatest reduction was exhibited by corneal edema, closely followed by vascularization. Corneal pigmentation was less responsive and complete regression has not been achieved in any of the dogs. Severely affected corneas exhibited greater improvements in terms of pigmentation, whereas moderately affected corneas showed a slight decrease. Corneal edema and vascularization were adequately controlled, whereas corneal pigmentation exhibited a lower decrease in severity and was more difficult to manage on a long-term basis. This study suggests that subconjunctival injection of TA in addition to topical steroids could represent an effective option for long-term management of CSK in dogs unresponsive to topical steroids alone.
Survival Dynamics and Colonization of Exogenous Probiotic Bacteria Bacillus subtilis in Aquaculture Water and Intestine of Zebra Fish (Danio rerio)

Adaptability of probiotic bacteria is an important trait for the survival and colonization in water or fish intestine and the performance of their biocontrol function. Bacillus is a widely used genus of probiotic bacteria in aquaculture. However, its survival dynamics and effect on water or fish intestine is still unclear. In this study, we assessed the survival dynamics of exogenous Bacillus subtilis Bst51 and its effect on the microbial community structure in water and fish intestine by using green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeling and bacteriological methods. Results showed that GFP labeling was an efficient method for detection of the survival of B. subtilis in the water column and fish intestine. Our results showed that when administered only once, the concentration of Bst51 in water declined to one-tenth of the original concentration and reached a stable state after 24 h. This confirmed that Bst51 strain was able to survive and colonize in aquaculture water with concentrations higher than 10 CFU (Colony Forming Units)/mL. The concentration of Bst51 cells in zebra fish intestine decreased slightly and remained constant at around 5×10 CFU/g after only one treatment. The results confirmed that if Bst51 cells have a concentration of over 10 CFU/mL they can survive and colonize in zebra fish intestine. The IJA appears exclusively as a peer-reviewed on-line open-access journal at http://www.siamb. org.il. To read papers free of charge, please register online at registration form. Sale of IJA papers is strictly forbidden.
Phenotypic performance of rice landraces under salinity stress in reproductive stage

An experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design to explore the performance of rice landraces under salinity stress condition at Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh. The experiment was consisted of five replication and three different salt treatments viz., EC-6 dSm -1 , EC-8 dSm -1 , EC-12 dSm -1 with one control condition. Analysis of variance for yield and yield contributing traits showed significant ( p <0.01) variation among the genotypes. The performance of all the landraces with respect to yield and yield contributing traits differed from each other under saline condition. Hogla, TalMugur, Nona Bokhra were identified as tolerant to salinity compared to check Binadhan-8, Binadhan-10 and BRRI dhan47 at 12 dSm -1 salinity treatment. All the traits under this study reduced in the salt stress except days to 50% flowering. In higher salt stress landrace Tal Mugur showed maximum yield followed by Ghunshi and Hogla. The findings of this study can be used for further study and also for developing salt tolerant rice varieties. Progressive Agriculture 28 (1): 1-6, 2017
Micropropagation Studies on Centella Asiatica Linn.- an Important Medicinal Plant

Centella asiatica Linn. , commonly known as Mandukparni or Brahmi-manduki, is a traditional medicinal herb widely used as a brain tonic. Micropropagation offer rapid, in vitro clonal multiplication of elite clones and further helps in dissemination and ex situ conservation of this important yet endangered medicinal plant. In the present dissertation, we have tried to optimize the in vitro culture conditions of Centella asiatica for mass multiplication and callus culture study has also been initiated. Through our work, we have found that MS Basal + 3 mg/l BAP + 0.025 mg/l of IAA + 30 gm/l Sugar + 8.0 gm/l agar gives the best result for culture initiation as well as in axillary shoot proliferation for no of leaves/shoot, no of shoots/node, no of nodes/explant and explant height. For rooting, MS + 0.5 mg/l IBA + 30 gm/l of sugar + 8 gm/l agar gave higher primary roots/shoot with higher secondary roots. Green globular callus was best induced and proliferated in MS + 3 mg/l NAA + 1 mg/l Kinetin + 30 gm/l sugar + 8 gm/l of agar. PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory. com
Precautionary Demand for Cash and Perceived Risk of Electronic Payments

We have recently seen two conflicting trends in the use of cash. The share of e-payments in retail transactions is steadily increasing, but the same upward trend is true for the share of cash in circulation or at least the cash share remained unchanged. This paper shows the significance of perceived risk for consumers’ precautionary demand for cash after they make a decision to use e-payments. We use data from a study involving Polish consumers. The main conclusions are as follows: surveyed consumers perceive a level of risk associated with card and mobile payments and continue to carry cash for precautionary reasons. Factors such as the consumer’s mental state, lack of trust in e-payments, and attitude to risk influence the decision to maintain cash reserves, while the consumer’s income and age may be considered the main determinants of the value of the cash reserve. Consequently, the decision to use e-payments does not necessarily mean that the demand for cash drops to zero. A degree of difficult-to-reduce, autonomous demand for cash may exist independent of the traditionally studied determinants, in particular, those related to the transaction demand.
Droplet-based Microfluidic Platform for Quantitative Microbiology

Development of a microfluidic chip for quantitative microbiology. The chip allow for parallel culture of thousands bacterial colonies in micro-droplets stored in static array. The 2D-array enable not only the visualisation of each colonies in timelapse experiment but also the extraction of any of them out of the chip at any time for further analysis (PCR, re-culture,.). The platform is adaptable to a concentration gradient producer, for which we present the physical understanding of working mechanism, that can apply different chemical environments to each colony. We developed in parallel a software that perform the analysis of the data generated by the platform to adress bacteria growth studies as well as the impact of antibiotics on bacteria proliferation.
Vortex ring bifurcation and secondary structures in a finite-span synthetic jet

Abstract An experimental investigation using stereo particle image velocimetry (SPIV) was performed to study the vortex dynamics of an aspect ratio 13 rectangular orifice synthetic jet issuing into quiescent fluid. Data were obtained on the orifice centreline planes for four Reynolds numbers and five Strouhal numbers, ranging from 298 to 731 and 0.039 to 0.100, respectively. At one condition, SPIV data obtained on parallel planes distributed across the width of the jet were used to reconstruct the three-dimensional, three-component velocity field. The results reveal that the axis switching deformations of the non-circular vortex rings give rise to several types of secondary structures. Before the primary vortex ring completed its first axis switch, the anti-parallel sides of the ring collided, resulting in vorticity reconnection. Consequently, the elongated vortex ring bifurcated into two circular vortex rings which propagated off along independent paths. The development and structure of vortex ring bifurcation in addition to the bifurcation's effect on the jet shape, momentum and entrainment are presented. The bifurcation process captured in the synthetic jet experiment is similar in many ways to computational simulations of isolated vortex rings. Despite these similarities and the fact that vortex ring bifurcation was detected for all conditions tested, it is shown that the bifurcation process is sensitive to the unique conditions in synthetic jets, specifically the proximity of other vortex rings as indicated by the Strouhal number. Finally, the results at different jet conditions are discussed in relation to prior studies of synthetic jets.
Is water really a barrier for the house mouse? A comparative study of two mouse subspecies

Abstract. House mice are believed to be, unlike rats, only reluctant swimmers. If water is a barrier to mouse dispersal water bodies and streams can have a substantial impact on the genetic structure of populations. Previous studies revealed influence of rivers on the position and structure of the European hybrid zone between two house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus. In this study, we used a simple motivation experiment to test the disposition of both wild and inbred mice representing the subspecies to overcome a water barrier. As the more dispersing sex, males were chosen for the experiment. Mice were tested under two air/water temperature regimes, 20 °C and 10 °C. Contrary to a common belief tested animals entered water rather easily, often even engaging in repeated swimming. We found significant differences in scored behavioural parameters between the subspecies. Under the 20 °C regime, both wild and inbred domesticus males entered and crossed the water earlier and more often swam even when satiated. Strikingly, under the 10 °C regime, the results were rather equivocal but with the opposite tendencies, with musculus males being more willing to swim. We discuss implications of these findings for the hybrid zone dynamics.
Biofilm production by Escherichia coli in poultry water drinkers

This study evaluated the microbiological quality of the water of 33 poultry sheds seeking to identify the presence of biofilm-producing Escherichia coli. The swab samples of the surface of the drinkers were analyzed by the inhibition test to detect the most effective disinfectant for removing these bacterial communities. The multiple-tube and mesophilic counts techniques were used to analyze the water samples. The swabs were plated on EMB agar followed by Rugai medium to identify E. coli . The biofilm was detected by the optical density readings and the Congo red agar method. Overall, 15 strains of Escherichia coli were detected in the swabs of the drinkers, of which 8 were biofilm producers. Regarding the water quality, 15 (45.45%) of the 33 evaluated water samples had bacterial growth while only two (13.33%) produced gas. The test with disinfectants showed that chlorine and chlorhexidine were not effective to control the E. coli biofilm production. Therefore, a strict control is essential to ensure the safety of the water supplied to the animals in broiler sheds and to eliminate the biofilm-forming E. coli that have shown to be potentially resistant to the sanitizers commonly used in the cleaning processes.
Sustainability of a navigation channel in the Nile River: A case study in Egypt

Inland waterways are an environmentally friendly and efficient mode of transport. At locations along the Nile River, Egypt, navigation is hindered requiring expensive, resource‐intensive corrective. An increasing number of navigational bottlenecks have occurred between 1982 and 2015 because of changing river channel morphologies. This study provides a suitable method for evaluating navigation conditions within a reach of the Nile River. A 2D morphological model combined with a geographic information system application was created to assess the navigability of a reach of the Nile River, and different maintenance strategies were evaluated. Different scenarios of varying water levels, dredging operations, flow discharge fluctuations, and river channel morphological changes were considered. Results reveal that dredging operations, alone, cannot be adopted as a permanent solution for navigation bottlenecks, with the riverbed returning to its original state within 10 years. An important output of the method is the generation of reach scale hydro‐morphodynamic maps that show the main morphological features, navigation bottlenecks, and navigation conditions. These maps aid in the development of strategic navigability plans and in evaluating long‐term improvement measures. The method presented is applicability to large river systems worldwide.
Neonate morphology and development in pterosaurs: evidence from a Ctenochasmatid embryo from the Early Cretaceous of Argentina

Abstract We report on a diminutive pterosaur specimen (MIC-V246), from the Lower Cretaceous Lagarcito Formation, which has anatomical features and general proportions that agree with those of other juvenile specimens of the filter-feeding pterosaur Pterodaustro guinazui. MIC-V246 is nearly complete, with the majority of its bones in natural articulation. The specimen is preserved within a small oval surface inferred to demarcate the outline of an egg. It includes remains of the skull and mandible, some cervical, dorsal, sacral and caudal vertebrae, ribs, gastralia, both shoulder girdles, part of the ilium, and the forelimbs and hindlimbs. The skeleton is arranged in a position similar to that of avian embryos, with the wings folded sideways, the hindlimbs flexed, and the skull tucked beneath a wing. The bones are partially covered by an irregularly distributed substance differing in texture and colour from the bony elements, and identified as remnants of the eggshell. The diminutive size of the skeleton, along with its arrangement and morphology, support the identification of this specimen as one of the very few pterosaur embryos known worldwide. Its similarity in size to other Pterodaustro specimens interpreted as hatchlings suggests that MIC-V246 was near hatching when it died.
Co-occurrence of Sinanodonta woodiana with native Unionidae in the lower Oder

Abstract The Asiatic bivalve Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834), which is more and more widespread in all parts of Europe, in Poland has been mostly reported from lentic waters, especially fish ponds. In contrast to some other European countries, no data have been published on its presence in rivers of Poland. In 2015, monitoring was carried out in the lower Oder River and in the mouth of the Warta River, as a result of which S. woodiana was recorded there for the first time. This was possible due to prolonged drought, which led to extremely low water levels in most of the inland water bodies and watercourses, so that other research methods could be used. The presented results confirm that the species spreads easily by colonizing waters of various types, which in the future may lead to the formation of large populations.
SARS‐CoV‐2: Mechanism of infection and emerging technologies for future prospects

The novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has spread globally to over 200 countries with more than 23 million confirmed cases and at least 800,000 fatalities as of 23 August 2020. Declared a pandemic on March 11 by World Health Organization, the disease caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), has become a global public health crisis that challenged all national healthcare systems. This review summarized the current knowledge about virologic and pathogenic characteristics of SARS‐CoV‐2 with emphasis on potential immunomodulatory mechanism and drug development. With multiple emerging technologies and cross‐disciplinary approaches proving to be crucial in our global response against COVID‐19, the application of PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras strategy, CRISPR‐Cas9 gene editing technology, and Single‐Nucleotide‐Specific Programmable Riboregulators technology in developing antiviral drugs and detecting infectious diseases are proposed here. We also discussed the available but still limited epidemiology of COVID‐19 as well as the ongoing efforts on vaccine development. In brief, we conducted an in‐depth analysis of the pathogenesis of SARS‐CoV‐2 and reviewed the therapeutic options for COVID‐19. We also proposed key research directions in the future that may help uncover more underlying molecular mechanisms governing the pathology of COVID‐19.
Trypanosomiasis in a migrating herd of cattle in Kaduna State Nigeria

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and impact of Trypanosomiasis on a herd of migrating/pastoral cattle. A herd of 50 white Fulani cattle migrating from a suburban area of Abuja to Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria, were examined and screened for Trypanosomiasis on request. The animals showed clinical symptoms of lacrimation, emaciation, depression, lethargy and enlarged superficial lymphnodes which were reportedly not present before the trek. 40 of the animals were screened by parasitological means (hematocrit, buffy coat methods and thin and thick blood smears). 15 out of the 40 animals sampled were positive for trypanosomes (37.5% prevalence). Trypanosoma congolense was the only Trypanosoma species identified. Trypanosomiasis was observed in the herd examined and laboratory examination corroborated the observed clinical signs. The results, as well as the role of migration and transhumance pastoralism in disease occurrence are discussed. Keywords: Trypanosomiasis, trypanosomes, cattle, Fulani, migration, Nigeria
Can professors buy better evaluation with lenient grading? The effect of grade inflation on student evaluation of teaching

Abstract At many universities, student evaluations of teaching (SET) are used for determining promotion, tenure, and other financial benefits for professors, which gives incentive for them to try to increase their scores. However, previous research, mainly based on US data, indicates that SET scores not only depend on teaching effectiveness and quality, but also on several other factors, most notably on grades. In this study, we contribute to this stream of literature by investigating the effects of grade inflation on SET scores using four years of data from two leading Central European universities. The SET survey is filled out at these universities after the final grades are known. As a methodological novelty, we use weighted regression methods (ordinary least squares, two-stage least squares, fixed effects panel) to account for the differences in class size. The weighting reflects the importance of the average SET score of a class on the evaluation of the instructor. Our findings suggest that increasing the grade of a student by one will cause them to give approximately 0.2–0.4 higher evaluations for the instructor in the SET survey.
Efficacy of a locally produced microbial phytase from Enterobacter sakazakii ASUIA273 on body weight and hemato-biochemical constituents in broiler chickens

An experiment was carried out in broiler chicks fed different doses of locally produced microbial phytase supplementation to observe their growth performance as health status, and to investigate the changes of hematological and biochemical values. A total of 144 chicks (Cobb) at one-day old were allocated to 4 treatment (T) groups with 12 cages comprising 3 replicates, each cage containing to 12 birds. Experimental formulating diets arranged with 4 levels of 0, 500, 1000 and 1500 phytase enzyme unit (FTU/kg-I) as considered as Th T2, T3, T4 respectively. They were maintained formulating diet on these dietary treatments from 1 to 42 d of age with feed and water made available for ad libitum consumption. At 1 week interval 2 birds from each treatment were weight through out experimental period for assessing the growth performance. For determining the changes of hematological (RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCHC, WBC, Heterophil, Eosinophil, Basophil, Lymphocyte, Monocyte, Thrombocyte and Icterus Index) and biochemical (Albumin, Total Protein, ALT, ALP, AST, GGT, LDH, Cholesterol, Triglyceride, Glucose, Ca, P, Na, K, Cl, Urea, Creatine and Uric acid) values at the age of 6 weeks randomly selected 2 birds were slaughtered and blood were collected. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the least significant difference (LSD) by PC-SAS software (SAS Institute, 2009). Data showed that body weight was not affected at periods of 1si and 2nd weeks of age among different treatment groups. But, at ages from 3rd to 6th weeks, weight gains at four treatment gIZ.Qupwsere increased almost sequentially and consistantly, and had been showed more different and significant (p:s 0.05) increased at 4th and 5th weeks of age from the control. No significant and constant treatments effects were observed on blood and biochemical parameters except eosinophil: Accordingly, it can be recommended to use an uncentrifuged microbial phytase in broiler diet during the period from 4th - 5th weeks of age, to achieve increased weight gain without changing hemato-biochemical parameters.
Effect of Recycled Tire Polymer Fibers on Autogenous Deformation of Self-Compacting Concrete

Self-compacting concrete requires a special composition with an increased proportion of fine particles and larger volumes of paste compared to traditional vibrated concrete. Larger volumes of paste increase autogenous deformation, which can cause microcracking of concrete. The aim of this paper is to research the possibility of using recycled polymer fibers obtained from end-of-life tires to prevent micro cracking due to autogenous deformation in self-compacting concrete. Mixes of self-compacting concrete containing 1 and 2 kg/m3 of recycled tire polymer fibers and reference mixes were prepared and tested. Beside autogenous deformation, fresh state properties as well as compressive strength at the age of 3, 7 and 28 days were tested. The results of the performed laboratory tests indicate that the use of recycled tire polymer fibers is effective for the reduction of early autogenous deformation with insignificant difference in compressive strength at tested ages.