Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biomass Accumulation and Carbon Sequestration in an Age-Sequence of Mongolian Pine Plantations in Horqin Sandy Land, China

The Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica Litv.) was first introduced to the southeastern Horqin sandy land in the mid-1950s. Since then, it has been widely planted and has become the most important conifer species in Northern China, providing significant ecological, economic and social benefits. However, its function in sequestering carbon at different developmental stages has been little studied. In this study, twenty plots inventory and destructive sampling of eight trees were conducted in 12-, 19-, 34-, 48- and 58-year-old Mongolian pine stands of China. Allometric biomass equations (ABEs) for tree components were established and used to determine the magnitude and distribution of tree biomass and carbon density. The carbon density of the understory, forest floor and soil was also determined. The ABEs with age as the second variable could simply and accurately determine the biomass of plantation tree branches, foliage and fruit, which were considerably influenced by age. With increasing stand age, the proportion of stem biomass to total tree biomass increased from 22.2% in the 12-year-old stand to 54.2% in the 58-year-old stand, and the proportion of understory biomass to total ecosystem biomass decreased, with values of 7.5%, 4.6%, 4.4%, 4.1% and 3.0% in the five stands. The biomass of the forest floor was 0.00, 1.12, 2.04, 6.69 and 3.65 Mg ha−1 in the five stands. The ecosystem carbon density was 40.2, 73.4, 92.9, 89.9 and 87.3 Mg ha−1 in the 12-, 19-, 34-, 48-, and 58-year-old stands, in which soil carbon density accounted for the largest proportion, with values of 67.4%, 76.8%, 73.2%, 63.4%, and 57.7% respectively. The Mongolian pine had the potential for carbon sequestration during its development, especially in the early stages, however, in the later growth stage, the ecosystem carbon density decreased slightly.
Does Vitamin D Deficiency is a Risk Factor for Diabetic Nephropathy in Egyptian Diabetic Patients?

Vitamin D deficiency was found to have higher prevalence in poorly controlled diabetic patients. Also, vitamin D deficiency was found to have higher prevalence in diabetic micro vascular complications. On the other hand, patients with CKD in different stages suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Our study was conducted on100 diabetic patients (50 diabetic patients without nephropathy and 50 diabetic patients with nephropathy) in addition to 50 healthy subjects as a control group; to evaluate level of vitamin D in both control group, diabetic patients without nephropathy and diabetic patients with nephropathy throughout different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study revealed that there was a significant difference in the level of vitamin D between control group and diabetic patients group. It tended to be lower in diabetic patients; also, there was highly significant difference between diabetic patients without nephropathy and diabetic patients with nephropathy. Vitamin D level was lower in diabetic patients with nephropathy group; also, there was significant difference between different stages of CKD in diabetic patients with nephropathy group. Level of vitamin D showed a progressive decline throughout different stages of CKD, it was the least in stage 3 CKD. In diabetic patients with nephropathy there were negative correlations between serum creatinine and albumin/creatinine ratio with vitamin D while there was positive correlation between serum albumin and eGFR with vitamin D.
First record of Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotusauritus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Jumla, Karnali Province, Nepal

The brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus is classified globally as a species of ‘least concern’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species, and as ‘data deficient’ in the National classification for Nepal. The present paper reports the first record of its occurrence in Jumla, Karnali and the third for the country, Nepal. One live male adult individual and a few faeces were observed on September 8, 2017 at 12:44PM in Jumla. We include a brief discussion of its morphological features and measurements and the habitat in which it was recorded. The paper provides discussion on the previous two records from the country, emphasizing the need for more intensive research over a prolonged period of time to improve understanding of the species’ distribution, habitat and ecology in the region. In Nepal, despite the fact that many Nepalese bat species have not been documented and evaluated (Bates & Harrison 1997, Hutson et al. 2001, Baral & Shah 2008), a previous inventory of 53 bat species (Thapa 2010) has recently been updated with an extra 17 species (Acharya & Ruedas 2007). Overall bat studies in Nepal are at the state of infancy compared to other nations. Chronicled records on bats, and academic and non-governmental research on bat is limited to central and western Nepal. Bat research in mid and far western Nepal seems neglected, with few advances in bat species inventories besides those mentioned by Jnawali et al. (2011). In this context, this study aims to document the first record of the brown long-eared bat P. auritus in Jumla, Karnali mid-western Nepal. Jumla District is located in Karnali Province in mid-western Nepal. Chandannath Municipality is the only municipality in Jumla District and it extends between 290 14.417’ N 820 5.267’ E and 290 21.833’ N 820 13.033’ E, with Guthichaur Rural Municipality to the east, Sinja Rural Municipality to the west, Tatopani Rural Municipality to the south, and Patarasi and Kankasundari Rural Municipality to the North (Fig. 1). Chandannath is characterized by temperate, subalpine, alpine, and nival vegetation. Following a call from a houseowner to the local authority reporting a bat that had accidentally flown into a building, we visited the site along with other local concerned authority to record the finding. The bat was identified as a P. auritus bat by referring to Bates & Harrison (1997), Dietz & von Helversen (2004) and through consultation with experts. The genus Plecotus (long-eared bats) contains many cryptic species.
The family Parasitidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) - history, current problems and challenges

The family Parasitidae comprises two subfamilies, Parasitinae and Pergamasinae. A generic concept of this family is not stable and requires a revision. The number of genera varies depending on authors and their view on the systematics of the family, especially on the rank of taxa. We recognize 23 genera within Parasitinae and 22 genera within Pergamasinae, 4 of them are subdivided into subgenera. A dichotomous key for separation of genera and subgenera is provided. A new genus, Coprocarpais n. g. with type species Parasitus copridis Costa, 1963 is proposed and a diagnosis is given. The genus Erithosoma is not assigned to any subfamily because a description of females is missing. The most pressing taxonomic problems at generic and subgeneric levels are discussed. Fourteen new combinations are proposed.
Shortening or omitting the dry period in dairy cows

During early lactation, dairy cows typically experience negative energy balance (EB) caused by the high energy requirement for milk yield, which cannot be met by feed intake. Severity of negative EB has been associated with an increased incidence of metabolic disorders and infectious diseases, subfertility, and increased culling rates. Shortening or omitting the dry period (DP) and feeding glucogenic diet could possibly improve EB in dairy cows. The objective of this thesis was to study the effects of shortening or omitting the DP on milk yield, energy balance, metabolism, and fertility over two subsequent lactations in dairy cows fed a lipogenic or glucogenic diet during early lactation. In the current study, 167 cows were assigned to three DP lengths (0, 30, or 60 days) and two early lactation diets (glucogenic or lipogenic diet), and cows were planned to have same DP length and diet over two subsequent lactations. In the first lactation after DP length and dietary treatments, shortening or omitting the DP improved EB due to a decreased milk yield in the early lactation compared with a conventional DP of 60 days. Omitting the DP or feeding a glucogenic diet improved metabolic status in early lactation. Moreover, omitting the DP increased the percentage of cows with normal resumption of ovarian cyclicity. Shortening the DP to 30 d did not influence metabolic status and fertility compared with conventional DP in dairy cows. In the first lactation, the cows with a 0-d DP had less milk but similar energy intake, leading to excessive weight gain and, therefore, high body condition score (BCS) at onset of the second lactation after DP length and dietary treatments. In the second lactation, improvement of EB in cows with a 0-d DP was less pronounced than the first lactation, which could be related to the high BCS at onset of lactation and reduced milk yield losses. Shortening or omitting the DP did not influence uterine health status, ovarian activity, and reproductive performance in the second lactation. In second lactation, feeding a glucogenic diet improved metabolic status and shortened the interval from calving to first ovulation compared with a lipogenic diet without affecting EB independent of DP length. Furthermore, shortening or omitting the DP decreased peak yield but did not influence lactation persistency in both lactations after implementation of DP treatment. In conclusion, omitting the DP improved metabolic status and resumption of ovarian activity, which was related to an improved EB in early lactation. Shortening the DP for two subsequent lactations could be achieved for most cows with limited milk yield losses. Independent of DP length, glucogenic diet improved EB and metabolic status compared with lipogenic diet in early lactation.
Review on effect of population density and tuber size on yield components and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Population density and seed tuber is an important agronomic management practices in the production of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). However, potato farmers in Ethiopia often use random population density and tuber sizes, which contribute to the low yield of the crop. Thus the objective of this study is to review effect of population density and tuber size on yield components and yield of potato. The result of this review shows that the highest plant height and main stems number was found in wider spacing and in medium to large tuber size. In the same way, the number of tuber per plant, average tuber weight and marketable yield increased when potatoes are planted in medium intra row spacing (60 x 30) and using medium (35 to 45 cm) to large (45 to 55 cm) tuber size. However, total tuber number/ha and unmarketable yield increased in closer spacing and medium (35 to 45 cm) tuber size. Thus according to the review to increase total yield and marketable yield, it is better to use medium plant spacing (60 x 30 cm) and medium-sized tubers (35 to 45 mm). Key words: Population density, potato growth, potato yield, tuber size.
Analytical expressions and physical principles for single-cell mRNA distributions of the lac operon of Escherichia coli

Mechanistic models of stochastic gene expression are of considerable interest, but their complexity often precludes tractable analytical expressions for mRNA and protein distributions. The lac operon of E. coli is a model system with regulatory elements such as multiple operators and DNA looping that are shared by many operons. Although this system is complex, intuition suggests that fast DNA looping may simplify it by causing the repressor-bound states of the operon to equilibrate rapidly, thus ensuring that the subsequent dynamics are governed by slow transitions between the repressor-free and the equilibrated repressor-bound states. Here, we show that this intuition is correct by applying singular perturbation theory to a mechanistic model of lac transcription with the scaled time constant of DNA looping as the perturbation parameter. We find that at steady state, the repressor-bound states satisfy detailed balance and are dominated by the looped states; moreover, the interaction between the repressor-free and the equilibrated repressor-bound states is described by an extension of the Peccoud-Ycart two-state model in which both (repressor-free and repressor-bound) states support transcription. The solution of this extended two-state model reveals that the steady state mRNA distribution is a mixture of the Poisson and negative hypergeometric distributions which reflects mRNAs obtained by transcription from the repressor-bound and repressor-free states, respectively. Finally, we show that the physics revealed by perturbation theory makes it easy to derive the extended two-state model equations for complex regulatory architectures.
Morphology, molecular phylogeny and toxinology of Coolia and Prorocentrum strains isolated from the tropical South Western Atlantic Ocean

Abstract The morphology, molecular phylogeny and toxinology of two Coolia and one Prorocentrum dinoflagellate strains from Brazil were characterized. They matched with Coolia malayensis and Coolia tropicalis morphotypes, while the Prorocentrum strain fitted well with the morphology of Prorocentrum emarginatum. Complementary identification by molecular analyses was carried out based on LSU and ITS-5.8S rDNA. Phylogenetic analyses of Coolia strains (D1/D2 region, LSU rDNA), showed that C. malayensis (strain UFBA044) segregated together with sequences of this species from other parts of the world, but diverged earlier in a separate branch to sequences from São Paulo (Brazil) or Caribbean areas. Coolia tropicalis (strain UFBA055) grouped with other sequences of this species, in a subclade with an isolate from Belize, closer to a subgroup including isolates from Thailand, Australia and Hong Kong. Phylogenetic analyses (ITS-5.8S rDNA) of P. emarginatum (strain UFBA033) grouped together with another sequence of this species from China Sea. Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins (OA, DTXs and PTX2) were not detected in P. emarginatum by mass spectrometry analyses. However, hemolytic assays in P. emarginatum and both Coolia strains in this study showed positive results.
Student Friendly Teaching and Learning Environment: Experiences from Technical Vocational Educational Training Schools in Nepal

The learner friendly atmosphere in the school has been fore grounded by the state while it is equally emphasized by the Technical Vocational Educational Training (TVET) schools in Nepalese context. Thus, this paper aims to exploring the opportunities and challenges the school leaders, teachers, students and parents have been experiencing while creating student- friendly teaching learning atmosphere in TVET schools. In this study, we employed the narrative inquiry and the data were collected by in-depth interview from the participants. Through the collected narratives, it was discovered that, although student- friendly environment in teaching learning has been gaining significant popularity, creating such environment comes up with many challenges like: ambiguous role of facilitators, infrastructural constraints and attitudinal rigidity of individuals towards student- centered teaching learning. However, student-friendly teaching learning environment was recounted to have been constructive in stimulating confidence, creativity, criticality, social spirit and self-reliance among students.
Study of prevalence of different fungal species in calf feed and comparative antifungal efficacy of methanolic extracts of indigenous plants against Aspergillus species

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by different fungus species which are harmful both for the animals and human beings. In this study, feed samples were taken from different livestock farms and commercial feed mills and levels of aflatoxin B1 and prevalence of Aspergillus species in each sample was recorded. The anti-fungal potential of different plant extracts was also evaluated. The aflatoxin B1 was measured by HPLC. Results showed Aflatoxin B1 was most prevalent in feed collected from the farms as compared to commercial feed mills. Six genera of fungus were found and 14 species of these six genera were identified. Comparative efficacy of methanolic extracts of garlic (Allium sativum L.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and neem (Azadirachta indica) were determined by agar well diffusion method. Garlic (Allium sativum L.) showed significantly higher antifungal activity followed by clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and neem (Azadirachta indica) at (P<0.05).
Dramatic Rise in Cesarean Birth in Iran: A Coalition of Private Medical Practices and Women’s Choices

ObjectivesCesarean delivery without medical indication has regularly increased among Iranian women in the last three decades, and Iran has one of the highest rates of cesarean in the world. The present study aimed at reviewing the studies regarding the increase of cesarean in Iran and discussing the root causes for such an increase.MethodsThis literature review focused on the existing quantitative and qualitative studies conducted from January 1990 to January 2019 regarding the reasons for an increase in the cesarean section in Iran. The combination of keywords including “cesarean section”, “C-section”, “cesarean delivery”, and “Iran” was searched in several databases such as MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science and Scopus, along with national databases (e.g., SID, MagIran, Iran Medex, and IranDoc). ResultsA dramatic rise in cesarean birth stems from a number of factors including the role of health care professionals, insurance companies, socio-cultural factors, and the health policies, all of which have their roots in the medicalization of birth.ConclusionsIn general, reducing the cesarean on maternal request necessitates the de-medicalization of birth, cultural awareness through the mass media, informing women of the long-term complications of cesarean, and physical and mental preparation of the mother. In addition, other contributing factors include encouraging inter-professional teamwork and collaboration between midwives and obstetrician-gynecologists, transforming the current curriculum of the midwifery and residency education, applying the midwifery-led care models, and decreasing the fear of litigation in midwifery and obstetrics-gynecology. Otherwise, maternal and fetal mortality will rise in the near future due to increased complications in subsequent pregnancies.
Axonal localization of the Fragile X family of RNA binding proteins is conserved across mammals

Spatial segregation of proteins to neuronal axons arises in part from local translation of select mRNAs that are first transported into axons in ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs), complexes containing mRNAs and RNA binding proteins. Understanding the importance of local translation for a particular circuit requires not only identifying axonal RNPs and their mRNA cargoes, but also whether these RNPs are broadly conserved or restricted to only a few species. Fragile X granules (FXGs) are axonal RNPs containing the Fragile X related family of RNA binding proteins along with ribosomes and specific mRNAs. FXGs were previously identified in mouse, rat, and human brains in a conserved subset of neuronal circuits but with species-dependent developmental profiles. Here we asked whether FXGs are a broadly conserved feature of the mammalian brain and sought to better understand the species-dependent developmental expression pattern. We found FXGs in a conserved subset of neurons and circuits in the brains of every examined species that together include mammalian taxa separated by up to 160 million years of divergent evolution. A developmental analysis of rodents revealed that FXG expression in frontal cortex and olfactory bulb followed consistent patterns in all species examined. In contrast, FXGs in hippocampal mossy fibers showed an increase in abundance across development for most species except for guinea pigs and members of the Mus genus, animals that navigate particularly small home ranges in the wild. The widespread conservation of FXGs suggests that axonal translation is an ancient, conserved mechanism for regulating the proteome of mammalian axons.
Effect of boron on yield and physiological properties in rape (Brassica campestris)

The results of the present investigation show that the physiological properties as well as yield of rape (Brassica campestris L.) have been found to be affected by integrated applications of B and well rotten farmyard manure. The activity of indole acetic acid (IAA) oxidase was recorded a lowest value in the treatment T4 where recommended N: P2O5: K2O (80:40:40), boron at 0.5 kg/ha as calbor and well rotten farmyard manure at 5 tonnes/ha was applied. The IAA was highest in control treatment suggesting crops may suffer due to boron deficiency with an increase in IAA oxidase activity. The highest value of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) with no boron application exhibited boron deficiency while that of the same recorded a lowest value with the application of boron at 0.5 kg/ha along with 5 tonnes/ha well rotten farmyard manure did not show any boron deficiency. The highest and lowest polyphenol activity were recorded in the treatment T1 and T4 where no boron and boron at 0.5 kg/ha along with 5 tonnes/ha well rotten farmyard manure was applied respectively.
Human parvovirus B19 research concerning the safety of blood and plasma derivatives in China

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is a common human pathogen which is associated with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Since B19V can be transmitted via blood and plasma derivatives, it has been considered to pose great risk in transfusion safety. Since the early 21st century, European Pharmacopoeia, the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association and U.S. Food and Drug Administration have proposed a list of guidelines to reduce the risk of B19V transmission by plasma derivatives. In terms of blood, some countries implement management measures on B19V to maximize the safety of blood transfusion. In China, no related documentation for monitoring B19V has been issued. The aim of this review is to discuss the risk for B19V transmission through blood and plasma derivatives in China. The issues raised with the intention to contribute to further development of risk management measures.
"Science and Religion, Contemporary Scientific Views on Gnosticism, Heresy, Mystic Codes in Great works of Art and Gnostic Symbols such as Discussed in “Code daVinchi” etc"

Books like daVinchi Code catch attention of millions of people while at the same time their success puzzle many of us: why ancient ideas, explored for millennia still catch attention of so many people? Here I suggest the reason: this attention relates to the most fundamental unresolved problem of contemporary science and even more, of the entire contemporary culture. This is a question of the fundamental breakdown between science and religion, the failure of the culture to repair this split between two of its most important endeavors. Science appeared at the time of Newton, near 300 years ago, and acquired so much significance that in a recently short time the perceived contradiction between science and religion significantly reduced importance of religion. Some scientists like Dawkins deny religion at all.