Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation on genetically modified soybean (RoundUp Ready) in goat nutrition: DNA detection in suckling kids

Abstract The presence of plant DNA fragments in blood, kidney, hearth, liver, spleen and muscle tissue from suckling kids was investigated by using PCR approach. Fragments of high copy number chloroplast and low copy soybean lectin genes were found in several samples of kids whose mother were fed diet containing conventional (control) or transgenic soybean (treated). Only in treated group, fragments of 35S and CP4 epsps soybean genes were found in several samples.
A Doctor’s Dilemma: Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation – Should We Anticoagulate?

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a relatively common phenomenon, occurring in approximately 20-40% of cases. Previous studies and guidelines from the AHA/ACC recommended initiating anticoagulation in patients with POAF lasting over 48 hours. However, a few recent studies suggest improved outcomes after anticoagulation even at 5 minutes of POAF. Our meta-analysis aims to clarify primary outcomes of ischemic stroke and mortality in patients with POAF and to offer guidance on whether these patients would benefit from chronic anticoagulation. Objective: To assess whether patients with POAF benefit from chronic anticoagulation. Methods: Through PubMed, OVID, and MEDLINE, we performed a literature review of several studies to assess whether patients with short-lived atrial fibrillation benefit from anticoagulation. Although several studies provided valuable information, we selected 6 studies that reported the duration of POAF, risks of ischemic stroke, and mortality. Results: We found that patients that received anticoagulation due to newly diagnosed POAF were 3.5-times less likely to experience an ischemic stroke than patients who did not receive anticoagulation with newly diagnosed POAF (IRR 3.54 (95% CI 2.12-5.91), p=0.001. ). There were no statistically significant differences found in mortality outcomes between POAF patients that received anticoagulation as compared to those patients that did not receive anticoagulation (Pooled IRR = 1.1449 (95% CI = 0.738952 to 1.773857, P = 0.5447). Conclusion: Patients with POAF over 24 hours duration were less likely to experience ischemic stroke if they were placed on anticoagulation.We hope that this meta-analysis would promote further prospective studies into the question of length of POAF and how chronic anticoagulation therapy plays a role in decreasing risks of ischemic stroke and/or mortality.
Optimal tracking control for non‐zero‐sum games of linear discrete‐time systems via off‐policy reinforcement learning

In this article, a model‐free off‐policy reinforcement learning algorithm is applied to address the optimal tracking problem based on multiplayer non‐zero‐sum games for discrete‐time linear systems. In contrast to the traditional method and the policy iteration method for solving the optimal tracking problems, the proposed algorithm operates with the system data rather than the knowledge of the system dynamics. For performing the proposed algorithm, an auxiliary augmented system is constructed via assembling the original system and the reference trajectory while a discount factor is introduced into the performance indexes. It is analyzed that the solutions of the proposed algorithm converge to the Nash equilibrium and the result is not influenced by the probing noise. Two simulations are presented to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Behavioral adjustments and support use of François' langur in limestone habitat in Fusui, China: Implications for behavioral thermoregulation

Abstract Climatic factors such as temperature and humidity vary seasonally in primate habitats; thus, behavioral adjustments and microhabitat selection by primate species have been interpreted as behavioral adaptations. François' langur (Trachypithecus francoisi), a native species to southwest China and northern Vietnam, inhabits a limestone habitat with extreme climatic conditions. To understand the potential effects of climatic seasonality on this species, we collected data on the individual behavioral budgets in a T. francoisi group between January and December 2010 in Fusui County, China. Monthly, we performed 5–11 days of observation during this period, using focal animal sampling and continuous recording methods. We also recorded ambient temperature (T a) and relative humidity (H r) data at our study site. Results indicated that T a and H r were significantly correlated with each other and fluctuated dramatically on a daily, monthly, and seasonal basis. The amount of time spent resting, grooming, basking, and huddling also varied on a daily, monthly, and seasonal basis. The proportion of resting time and total sedentary activity time significantly increased at high and low T as, respectively. The total sedentary time, resting time, and plant branch use all showed positive significant correlations with T a. Our results suggest that behavioral adjustment and support use of T. francoisi, at least partly, were related to thermoregulation. T. francoisi minimized thermal stress through behavioral adjustments and support use. It is an adaptive behavior associated with the climatic extremes of limestone habitat. This study can potentially advise conservation management strategies in this specific habitat. Conservation efforts should focus on vegetation restoration in langurs' habitat, including those in the foothills.
Geographic variation in nesting behavior and reproductive biology of an insular iguana (Cyclura cychlura)

Intraspecific comparisons among geographically separated populations of wide-ranging species are particularly useful in elucidating variation in behavioral and reproductive life histories resulting from proximate and ultimate causes. From 2001 to 2004, we investigated geographic variation in nesting behavior and reproductive biology of a large-bodied Bahamian iguana (Cyclura cychlura Cuvier, 1829) inhabiting two distinct island systems varying in area, topography, and rainfall. Studies of C. cychlura cychlura were conducted on Andros Island (approx. 6000 km 2 ; annual rainfall 1100 to 1300 mm) and the results were compared with those for C. cychlura inornata Barbour and Noble, 1916 inhabiting two cays (each <4 ha; annual rainfall <600 mm) in the northern Exuma Island chain (approx. 140 km distant). Fe- male iguanas from Andros Island initiated oviposition 5 to 6 weeks earlier than females from the Exumas. The An- dros Island population deposited eggs primarily in termitaria, whereas the lizards in the Exumas deposited eggs in subterranean sand chambers. Female iguanas from Andros deposited significantly more eggs per clutch, heavier total clutches, and wider eggs than conspecifics from the Exumas. Despite egg size differences, hatchling snout-vent length and body mass per clutch did not differ significantly between the Andros and Exuma populations. Our results support the hypothesis that proximate environmental factors play an important role in determining geographic variation associ- ated with not only reproductive output but also reproductive behavior. Resume ´ : Les comparaisons intraspecifiques entre des populations separees geographiquement chez des especes a grande aire de repartition sont tres utiles pour determiner la variation due aux causes proximales et ultimes dans les comporte- ments et les cycles reproductifs. De 2001 a ` 2004, nous avons etudiela variation geographique dans le comportement de ni- dification et la biologie de la reproduction chez un iguane des Bahamas (Cyclura cychlura Cuvier, 1829) de grande taille qui habite dans deux systemes insulaires distincts, differant par leur surface, leur topographie et leurs precipitations. Nous avons menedes etudes de C. cychlura cychlura al'o ˆle Andros (environ 6000 km 2 ; precipitations de pluie de 1100 a ` 1300 mm) et nous avons compareles resultats avec ceux obtenus chez C. cychlura inornata Barbour et Noble, 1916 qui habite deux o
Tuning of the Coordination and Emission Properties of 4-Amino-2,1,3-Benzothiadiazole by Introduction of Diphenylphosphine Group

A novel amino-benzothiadiazole bearing diphenylphosphine groups (L) was designed and synthesized. A number of its coordination compounds of Cu(I) (1·0.75C7H8, 2a,b), Pd(II) (4), and Pt(II) (5) were.
A comparative tissue distribution study of oxytetracycline in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), and chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum)

Oxytetracycline (OTC), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, is used widely to treat bacterial diseases in farmed fish. In the present study, the time course of OTC concentrations in freshwater rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), and seawater chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), were compared, tissue by tissue, after receiving a bolus dose of the antibiotic (5 mg kg–1 or 50 mg kg–1) intra-arterially (i.a.). The OTC concentration–time profiles of rainbow trout tissues were found to be very similar to those of the corresponding tissues in chinook salmon. Therefore, neither water salinity nor fish species seemed to play an important role in the disposition and elimination of OTC in these salmonids. In a separate experiment, rainbow trout were implanted surgically with a urinary cannula and received a single dose of OTC (50 mg kg–1) i.a. Urine was collected from the cannula daily for 13 days. The amount of OTC excreted into the bile was found to be larger than that eliminated by the urine. These results show the similarity of OTC pharmacokinetics in freshwater rainbow trout and seawater chinook salmon and render support in using a single fish species to study the pharmacokinetics of a drug for other species in the same taxon.
Breeding biology of Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus) at Golfo San Jorge, Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract The Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) is a widely distributed species in the Southern Hemisphere and the third most abundant seabird breeding in Argentina, where it has recently shown an important population expansion. Information on its breeding biology and regional variability will be required if management guidelines for this abundant seabird, with its expanding distribution, are to be prepared. We studied their breeding biology in the north of Golfo San Jorge, Argentina, during 1998 and 1999. The total number of breeding pairs was estimated at 8168 ± 874. Nesting density was variable, depending on habitat, with a mean of 0.14 ± 0.03 nests m−2. First eggs were found on 10 and 13 November in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The median date of laying was the same in both years (21 November). The mean clutch size was 2.32 ± 0.63 and 2.51 ± 0.58 in 1998 and 1999, respectively, and did not differ between years. Egg length, width and volume were similar between years. In three-egg clutches during both seasons, a- and b-eggs of the same clutch did not differ significantly in mean volume, but both were significantly larger than c-eggs. The length of the incubation period was estimated at 26.10 ± 1.74 and 25.88 ± 1.78 days in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Hatching success was similar between seasons (1.70 v. 1.79 chicks per nest). Median hatching date of a-eggs was 19 and 18 December in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The percentage of total chicks lost was 49.67 and 50.78 during 1998 and 1999, respectively. In both seasons the probability of surviving to four weeks of age was similar among siblings. Breeding success was similar between seasons (0.86 v. 0.84 chicks per nest).
Glutathione‐S‐transferase‐1 and interleukin‐1β gene polymorphisms in Japanese patients with Parkinson's disease

We studied genetic polymorphisms in the glutathione‐S‐transferase‐1 (GST‐1) gene region and the interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) promoter region in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD, n = 361), as well as controls (n = 257). Although we have confirmed the previous results, in a larger sample, that the IL‐1β genotype has affected the age at onset of PD patients, no contribution of the GST‐1 gene polymorphism was observed in the allele frequency or the onset age of the disease in Japanese persons. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
Two Na+ and Cl− Hyperaccumulators of the Chenopodiaceae

Abstract: The authors found five sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-.) hyperaccumulating halophytes in the Temperate Desert of Xinjiang, China and studied two of them (Suaeda salsa (L.) Pall. and Kalidium folium (Pall.) Moq. ). K. folium and S. salsa had a NaCl content of 32.1% and 29.8%, respectively, on a dry weight basis. X-ray microanalysis of the Na+ in the vacuole, apoplasts and cytoplasm of the two plants indicated a ratio of 7.3:5.6:1.0 in K. folium and 7.3:6.6:1.0 in S. salsa. These data show that K. folium and S. salsa both have a high Na+ and Cl- accumulating capacity, which is related to high activity of tonoplast H+-ATPase and H+-PPase. (Managing editor: Ping HE)
Effects of an Ionophore Coccidiostat (Monensin or Salinomycin), Sodium or Potassium Bicarbonate, or Both, and Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate in Broiler Chicken Diets

Pintos Peterson x Arbor Acres foram criados em camas usadas ate 45 ou 46 dias de vida em tres testes de aviario. Inoculacoes de coccidea foram dadas pela agua na idade de 14 dias. O bicarbonato de sodio (BCS; 0.20%) ou bicarbonato de potassio (BCP; 0.14%) foi adicionado a dieta dos frangos contendo monensina (MON; 110 mg/kg) ou salinomicina (SAL; 66 mg/kg) no Experimento 1. No Experimento 2, usando SAL (55 mg/kg), tres tratamentos de dieta de bicarbonato (SBC, 0.20%; PBC, 0.20%; ou SBC + PBC 0.10% cada) foram testados com ou sem BMDR (55 mg/kg). Dietas que diferem em niveis de SAL, BMDR e SBC foram avaliados no Experimento 3. Interacao benefica foi encontrada entre ionoforos e bicarbonatos para a mortalidade (menor no caso de BCS ou BCP e MON) no Experimento 1. Para efeitos principais, no Experimento 1 BCP com MON ou SAL melhorou o peso corporal, a taxa de conversao de alimento e a mortalidade. SAL melhorou o peso, a taxa de conversao de alimento e a mortalidade comparado com MON. No Experimento 2, BCP com SAL melhorou o peso, arranhoes devidos a lesao coccidea, taxa de conversao de alimento e mortalidade atraves de dois niveis de BMDR. O BCP e BCS foram ambos eficazes no Experimento 1, mas BCP foi aproximadamente 0 a 40% tao efetivo quanto o BCS, dependendo do parâmetro no Experimento 2. A metade de niveis de BCS mais BCP geralmente apresentava resultados intermediarios entre o controle e o BCS. BCS com MON ou SAL diminuiram a mortalidade, os arranhoes devidos a lesao coccidea e taxas de conversao de alimento (Experimentos 1 e 2), e aumentou o peso corporal (Experimento 2). No Experimento 3, BMDR em todos os alimentos melhorou o peso corporal e a conversao de alimento contra o alimento inicial apenas, e BCS com SAL e BMDR melhoraram todos os parâmetros de desempenho.
The relationship of number of sexual partners with personality traits, age, gender and sexual identification

ABSTRACT Although personality has been tested as a predictor of sexual behaviours, little is known about the contribution of personality to the number of sexual partners. This study aimed to examine the models of association between the number of lifetime sexual partners and personality traits in lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual people. A web-based questionnaire was administered to the 768 Polish adults aged between 16 and 42 years old, including 61% women. Of the participants, 61% identified themselves as heterosexual, 22% as bisexual and 17% as homosexual. A series of multiple regression analyses was conducted to find the best predictors for the association between Big-Five personality traits and the number of lifetime sexual partners. Age, gender, and sexual identification were also included in the analysis. Higher level of extraversion and lower level of agreeableness were the best predictors of a higher number of sexual partners. Sexual identification was a moderator of the relation between emotional stability and the number of sexual partners, whereas age and gender were separate moderators of the association between extraversion and number of sexual partners. Scientists and clinicians may use these predictors to prepare prevention and therapy for people at risk of sexual addiction or STIs.
Firm Exit During Recessions

We analyze a general equilibrium model of firm dynamics to study the effects of shocks to productivity, labor wedge, and collateral constraint (credit shock) on firm exit. We find that only the credit shock increases firm exit. This result is robust to the magnitude of shocks and different model specifications. Calibrating the model to match the behavior of output, employment, and firm debt during the Great Recession (2007-2009) in the United States, we find that the credit shock accounts for the observed rise in firm exit and its concentration among young firms. Furthermore, it accounts for 20 percent of the drop in output and employment.
Comparison of Freshness Quality of Cultured and Wild Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Freshness quality of cultured and wild sea bass stored in ice for up to 22 d was evaluated by monitoring sensory quality, levels of nucleotides, and nucleotide breakdown products. Sensory schemes for raw and cooked fish were modified according to the trained panelists' perceptions, during ice storage. Freshness K and related values, namely K, K i, G, P, H, and F r, were calculated. The limit for acceptability of cultured and wild sea bass stored in ice was approximately 16 to 18 d. The sensory score for both cultured and wild raw fish was correlated with some freshness indicators (K, K i, G, P, and F r) values over the entire storage period (r 2 values 0.98).
Growth and mortality of the brushtooth lizardfish (Saurida undosquamis) in Iskenderun Bay (eastern Mediterranean Sea) using length frequency analysis

and the exploitation ratio was0.51, indicating that the brushtooth lizardﬁsh stock is on theverge being overﬁshed. IntroductionThe brushtooth lizardﬁsh, Saurida undosquamis (Richardson,1848), is a demersal species inhabiting sandy and muddybottoms, at depths generally above 100 m (Golani et al.,2002). Lengths of up to 50 cm SL were reported for the species,although specimens ranging from 20 to 30 cm TL are common(Sulak, 1984). The natural distribution range of S. undosqu-amis includes the Indo-West Paciﬁc Ocean (Red Sea, PersianGulf, Eastern Africa to Japan and Australia) (Froese andPauly, 2006), but it has penetrated into the eastern Mediter-ranean Sea via the Suez Canal. First specimens were collectedduring 1953 along the coast of Israel and 266 tonnes werelanded by commercial local trawlers during 1956 (Ben-Yamiand Glaser, 1974). Catches have since remained high, withsome ﬂuctuations (Golani, 1993). This alien species is one ofthe most successful colonizers throughout the Levant basin,which extends as far as the Aegean Sea (Bilecenoglu et al.,2002). The brushtooth lizardﬁsh is currently the most exploitedalien ﬁsh in Turkey, comprising almost one-third of thecommercial trawl catch in the northeastern Levant (Cinaret al., 2005). In the eastern Mediterranean Sea, S. undosquamis was thesubject of few biological studies. The pioneering study wascarried out by Ben-Yami and Glaser (1974), who providedgeneral biological information and the invasion process of thespecies in relation to environmental factors. Morphometricseparation of brushtooth lizardﬁsh stocks was studied atMersin coasts (Avsar et al., 1990). Feeding habits, maturityand fecundity of the species were examined by Bingel andAvsar (1988), Golani (1993) and Ismen (2003) respectively.Concerning growth of S. undosquamis, only Anonymous(1981), Tu¨reli and Erdem (1997) and Ismen (2002) provideddata from the Turkish coasts, based on otolith readings. Thisinvestigation was undertaken to improve knowledge of growthparameters and mortality rates of brushtooth lizardﬁsh byusing length frequency analysis.Materials and methodsThe brushtooth lizardﬁsh specimens were collected during2004 at monthly intervals from Iskenderun Bay, onboard thecommercial trawler Canan Kaptan (26 m length, 450 HPengine) using a conventional bottom trawl with a cod-endmesh size of 22 mm. A total of 36 valid trawling hauls weremade at depths ranging from 45 to 60 m; 4711 specimens werecollected. Towing speed varied between 2.5 and 2.8 knots, withtowing durations from 90 to 180 min. Fish were measured tothe nearest 1.0 cm TL immediately after capture and monthlylength–frequency distributions for use in growth estimationwere constructed. The von Bertalanﬀy growth function(VBGF) was used to estimate growth parameters, using theELEFAN I routine incorporated in the
Double-edged effects and mechanisms of Zn2+ microenvironments on osteogenic activity of BMSCs: osteogenic differentiation or apoptosis

Zinc-incorporated biomaterials show promoting effects on osteogenesis; however, excessive zinc ions lead to cytotoxic reactions and also have other adverse effects. Therefore, the double-edged effects of Zn2+ microenvironments on osteogenesis may become critical issues for new material development. This study systematically investigated the bidirectional influences of diverse Zn2+ microenvironments on the cell adhesion, proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and apoptosis of rBMSCs. Furthermore, the mechanisms of zinc-induced osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs and of cell apoptosis induced by high concentration of Zn2+ were both discussed in detail. The results indicated that the Zn2+ microenvironments of 2 μg mL−1 and 5 μg mL−1 effectively improved the initial adhesion and proliferation of rBMSCs, while that of 15 μg mL−1 had exactly the opposite effect. More importantly, the suitable Zn2+ microenvironments (2 μg mL−1 and 5 μg mL−1) moderately increased the intracellular Zn2+ concentration by regulating zinc transportation, and then activated the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway to induce the osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs. In contrast, the high Zn2+ concentration (15 μg mL−1) not only inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs by damaging intracellular zinc homeostasis, but also induced rBMSC apoptosis by enhancing intracellular ROS generation. The current study clarified the double-edged effects of Zn2+ microenvironments on the osteogenic properties of rBMSCs and the related mechanisms, and may provide valuable guidance for optimizing the design of zinc-doped biomaterials and zinc-based alloys.
Occurrence of corn stunt spiroplasma at different elevations in Mexico.

A survey of Spiroplasma kunkelii, or corn stunt spiroplasma (CSS), was conducted in Mexico from October 1985 to March 1988 using phase contrast or dark field light microscopy (DFM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Three types of symptoms were observed: consistently stunted plants whose leaves had well-defined broad chlorotic streaking and that were usually observed at 60-940 m above sea level, plants that were not always stunted but whose leaf margins showed red to purple streaks, and plants that usually were not stunted but whose leaves showed either a diffuse yellow or a chlorotic stripe condition with or without red margins. (…)