Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pesticide Residues in Some Polish Herbs

In the presented study a total of 104 samples of herbal material (herbage of thyme, savory, sage, rock rose, marjoram, horsetail, oregano, basil; seeds of flax; roots of liquorice, valerian and lovage, flowers of coneflower and camomile and fruits of fennel and caraway) were analysed for the content of 250 pesticides. Residues of 16 pesticides were identified in 72.1% of the analysed herbal samples. In 11 of the analysed samples of thyme herbage and in one sample of basil herbage concentrations exceeding the maximum allowable levels were demonstrated. Residues of the identified substances were detected most frequently in samples of thyme (66.34%), compared to the other groups of analysed herbal material where the percentage share of samples containing the compounds sought was at the level of approximately 20%.
Neuropeptide Y Does Not Mediate Ischemic Spinal Cord Injury following Aortic Cross‐Clamping in Rabbits

Paraplegia resulting from spinal cord ischemia during repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms is a significant clinical problem. ' One postulated mechanism of neurologic damage includes posttraumatic ischemia secondary to persistent vasospasm. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), found in neural tissue, pia mater and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), has been implicated in pathologic cerebral vasospasm. ' This study examined the release of NPY into the CSF and blood in response to temporary occlusion of the suprarenal or infrarenal abdominal aorta in rabbits.
Clone‐specific response of Festuca rubra to natural variation in biomass and species composition of neighbours

A long-term implant experiment with four clones of Festuca rubra was performed to identify fine-scale spatial variation in a competitive environment within a grassland sward of natural composition and density variation. Total above-ground biomass and shoot counts of all species were recorded in 10 x 10 cm neighbourhoods of each implant, and their effect on the growth response of the implant was tested. Two types of response were recorded: (1) shoot sizes and vertical shoot growth dynamics, and (2) horizontal space encroachment by means of new shoot natality, mortality and their mode of formation (intravaginal or extravaginal). The vertical growth of individual shoots showed the strongest response to neighbourhood composition; it responded to the overall aboveground biomass of the neighbours, but not to their species composition. The responses in parameters of horizontal growth of individuals (natality, mortality, proportion of extravaginal shoots) were much weaker and not consistent over the observation period; however, both total biomass of the neighbours and species composition affected the response of the target plants. The overall response was rather weak in spite of a tenfold variation in neighbouring density and a thirtyfold variation in neighbouring biomass. This indicates that the response to this variation is rather flat under field conditions, either due to high overall values of density or due to interactions with below-ground processes. Consequently, though the plant is capable of remarkable plastic responses in both vertical growth and morphogenetic change, under field conditions this capacity for plastic response is expressed only to a limited degree.
Low incidence of polyploids and high uniformity of karyotypes displayed by Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) in the Hengduan Mountains region of south-west China

The chromosome numbers and morphology in 92 populations belonging to 49 species and three varieties in the genus Delphinium L. (Ranunculaceae), mostly from the Hengduan Mountains region of south-west China, were studied. Forty seven species and three varieties were diploid, with 2n = 16, one species was tetraploid, with 2n = 32, and one species had diploid and tetraploid cytotypes. Three species had B chromosomes, representing the first time the occurrence of B chromosomes has been reported in the genus. The karyotypes of all the diploid species were quite uniform, commonly bimodal, and usually consisted of one pair of large median-centromeric (m), one pair of large submedian-centromeric (sm), five pairs of medium-sized subterminal-centromeric (st), and one pair of smaller sm (rarely st) chromosomes. The low incidence of polyploids in Delphinium from the Hengduan Mountains region indicates that polyploidy has played a minor role in the speciation of this highly diversified genus in the region. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 172–188.
Communication through Typefaces: Affective Selection of English, Myanmar and Japanese Typefaces

Typefaces play an important role in business communication as they are found to shape consumers’ perceptions and impressions towards products. One way typefaces shape perception is by carrying connotative meanings which are often difficult to identify. Since connotative meanings are implicit, incorrect choice of typefaces can ruin the effectiveness of communication. This study tried to build typeface recommendation guidelines for 3 languages English, Myanmar, and Japanese through subjective evaluation. Results could pinpoint suitable typefaces for each of the 36 Kansei adjectives, and also find 5 clusters of adjectives and types. Findings that are consistent with prior studies on English and Japanese typefaces are derived for Myanmar language where no such study exists. In addition, points of caution regarding relying on originally specified font-weight, and how using fonts with ‘exciting’ Kansei can impact readability are also noted.
Estimativas do Consumo e do Ganho de Peso de Bovinos, em Condições Brasileiras

The dry matter intake and daily weight gain prediction of cattle by Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) for Brazilian conditions were evaluated. Several published thesis from Departamento de Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Vicosa were used as a data source for this work, which contain results referent to dry matter intake and daily weight gain of the animals. The available data were tested by CNCPS to compare the estimate and absorved dry matter intake and daily weight gain. The observed dry matter intake ranged among the animal categories and was always underestimated by CNCPS. The best dry matter intake were predicted for steers slaughtered at 405 and 500 kg LW with higher concentrate level in the diet. The regression equation YOBS = 2.27107 + 0.96747 XCNCPS (r2 = 0.92; P<0.01) showed the same tendency as the ideal relation line (Y=X) and could be used to estimate the dry matter intake from the CNCPS predicted values. The observed daily weight gain when compared to the CNCPS predicted values present high variations, and the best daily weight gain was predicted for steers slaughtered at 450 and 500 kg LW fed diets with forage to concentrate rations one by one and for animals slaughtered at 190 kg LW. The regression equation YOBS = 0.82032 + 0.11853 XCNCPS (r2 = 0.08; P<0.05) did not present the same tendency as for the ideal straight line and showed changes on observed daily weight gain. CNCPS presented a good dry matter intake prediction, but was not adequate to predict the daily weight gain.
Spatiotemporal variation in activity of bat species differing in hunting tactics: effects of weather, moonlight, food abundance, and structural clutter

Different foraging tactics in related animal taxa may be expected to cause species-specific differences in sensitivity to temporal and spatial variations of resources. To test this, we studied spatiotemporal dynamics of flight and foraging activity in seven insectivorous bat species in northern Poland using broadband ultrasound detection, recording of weather conditions, insect abundance, moon phase, and cover of floating vegetation. The seven species studied comprised six (genera Eptesicus Rafinesque, 1820, Pipistrellus Kaup, 1829, and Nyctalus Bowdich, 1825) that were classified as aerial hawkers and one (Myotis daubentonii (Kuhl, 1817)) that was classified as a water-surface forager. Stepwise forward multiple regression models indicated that the prominent limiting factors for aerial hawkers were biomass of potential prey and air temperature. Analysis of the activity of the water-surface forager revealed no effect of food abundance or air temperature, but activity was negatively affected by floating veg.
Changes in Cortical Granule Distribution within Bovine Oocytes during Maturation and Fertilization In Vitro

The distributional changes of cortical granules (CGs) in bovine oocytes during maturation and fertilization in vitro were histochemically examined with lectin. Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA)-reactive CGs were densely distributed as irregular aggregates of particles throughout the peripheral cytoplasm of every oocyte immediately after collection, while a few were individually dispersed (type I). As the stages of oocyte maturation proceeded, the aggregated CGs collapsed (type II), and the CGs became distributed individually in the cortical cytoplasm (type III). When matured oocytes were inseminated, the CGs completely disappeared in 40, 48 and 69% of oocytes at 3, 6 and 12 h after insemination (type V), respectively. However, type IV oocytes with very few CGs in the inner cytoplasm were always present in about 10% at any time after insemination.
TEMPERATURE‐INDUCED CAVITIES AND SPECIALIZED PARENCHYMA CELLS IN THE VASCULAR CYLINDER OF PEA ROOTS

Pea seeds (Pisum sativum L.) of six cultivars were planted in the field, in the greenhouse, or in growth chambers, in five different media, in light or dark, and at various temperatures (1032 C). Under all conditions above 15 C the central portion of the vascular cylinder, in all cultivars except "Ageotropum," tended to form cavities in almost every primary root examined. These cavities then became filled by the ingrowth of specialized parenchyma cells (SP cells). The formation of cavities and SP cells was temperature dependent since the roots grown below 15 C always formed central metaxylem tracheary elements (MTEs), without cavities and SP cells. Cavities and SP cells did not form over the entire root length. When the roots were longer than 3 cm, they started to form cavities and SP cells and continued for an additional 10-30 cm. After that, late MTEs formed in the central vascular cylinder, and no cavities and SP cells occurred regardless of temperature. Within an individual root grown above 15 C, cavities and SP cells tended to form during periods of fast growth, while during periods of slow growth large central MTEs formed instead. The anatomy of the central vascular cylinder in pea roots has been in question for many years. According to the early study of Hayward (1938), the central vascular cylinder of pea roots has a core of xylem cells as a result ofcentripetal differentiation of the metaxylem. Popham (1955), however, in his study of primary tissue differentiation in pea roots, found many lensshaped "lysigenous" cavities in the central portion of the primary xylem. Torrey (1963) and Torrey and Zobel (1977) in their studies of pea roots showed photographs of late metaxylem tracheary elements (MTEs) in the central portion of the vascular cylinder. They also mentioned that under some conditions the innermost cells ofthe procambial cylinder remained as undifferentiated parenchyma cells. However, in their study of lateral root formation, they used a photograph from McCully (Torrey and Zobel, 1977, cf. Fig. 57) showing one large cavity in the central vascular cylinder. In a recent study of cell division and maturation events of pea seedling roots, Rost, Jones, and Falk (1988) used the term "pith" to describe the central portion of the vascular cylinder.
Aspects of the Biology of Four Species of Sciaenidae from the East Coast of South Africa

Abstract The biology of four Indo-Pacific sciaenid species, Otolithes ruber (Schneider, 1801), Atrobucca nibe (Jordan & Thompson 1911), Johnius dussumieri (Cuvier, 1830) and Johnius amblycephalus (Bleeker, 1855), occurring off the KwaZulu-Natal coast, is described. Samples were collected from prawn trawlers, beach-seine netters and boat anglers from May 1989 to February 1994. Biological data include: length composition, length-weight relationships, sex ratios, spawning seasons, sizes at 50%-maturity and feeding. All four species are relatively small, particularly those individuals caught by shallow-water prawn trawlers. Females outnumbered males in all four species. Spawning seasons are lengthy, occurring in spring and summer months. Most of the fish caught by shallow-water trawlers are below their size at 50%-maturity. The results show that shallow, turbid, continental shelf waters are nursery areas for these four sciaenids.
Laboratory breeding studies of freshwater crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet)

SUMMARY. 1. Mature crayfish, collected from an Irish lake before breeding had started, were held in breeding combinations and their mating and brooding activities observed. 2. All mating attempts were initiated by the male. A single mating led to spawning within 6 days but a subsequent mating cancelled the effects of the first. Males mated more often when there were more females present. Males lacking a major cheliped mated less often than did normal males. 3. Larger males mated more often than did smaller males, and although males showed no female size preference, matings were less frequent and generally unsuccessful when males were much larger than females; the female was usually killed. Large females mated successfully with smaller males. 4. Females held at high densities with a larger male mated earlier than at low densities. However, aggression also increased with density; at high densities males fought and killed females. 5. Males held in pairs without females fought; in occasional mating attempts spermatophores were not positioned correctly. Paired females rarely fought; all spawned normally although unmated. Although their eggs soon died and were removed during grooming, brooding behaviour continued for at least 2 months. 6. Brooding females held in pairs shed pleopodal eggs during aggressive encounters. Females held singly showed a lower initial rate of egg loss.
The Impact of Learning Strategies and Future Orientation on Academic Success: The Moderating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy among Italian Undergraduate Students

Promoting academic success among undergraduate students is crucial for tackling the need to foster employability competencies. Low levels of academic attainment in higher education, along with the increasing number of persons participating in tertiary education, represent crucial trends, which need to be studied in order to develop efficient retention practices. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between relevant factors that can foster academic success: learning strategies, future orientation, and academic self-efficacy. To this purpose, a longitudinal study was performed on a sample of N = 87 undergraduate students from one of the largest Italian universities (63.4% males, 74.2% enrolled in the first year). Participants filled in an online questionnaire at two different time points, with a time lag of 12 months. Results of a moderated mediation model indicated that the relationship between learning strategies at Time 1 (T1) and Grade Point Average (GPA) at Time 2 (T2) was mediated by students’ future orientation. Moreover, this association was moderated by T1 academic self-efficacy. These results suggest that learning strategies positively influence GPA through an enhanced future orientation, in particular when students report high or medium levels of self-efficacy. The current findings invite a thorough review of training interventions for improving academic achievement.
On the factors controlling the structural specificity and stereospecificity of the L-lactate dehydrogenase from Bacillus stearothermophilus: effects of Gln102.fwdarw.Arg and Arg171.fwdarw.Trp/Tyr double mutations

The factors determining the L-stereospecificity of the L-lactate dehydrogenase from Bacillus stearothermophilus have been probed by introducing Arg171Trp/Tyr and Gln102Arg mutations. These changes preclude normal 2-keto acid substrate binding via an Arg171-COO - electrostatic interaction and are positioned to induce a reversal of the natural substrate binding mode, thereby leading to D-2-hydroxy acid formation. However, the L-stereospecificities of the mutant enzymes remain unchanged, showing that there are important fail-safe stereospecificity determinants that take over when the key Arg171-COO - binding interaction is removed
In Pursuit of the Three Pillars of Sustainability in Fisheries: A Faroese Case Study

The prevailing perspective in fisheries has been that the three pillars of sustainability—ecology, economics, and social—are incompatible due to inherent tradeoffs. That assumption is now being questioned in the literature. The primary objective of this article is to evaluate the triple-bottom line performance of key fisheries in the Faroe Islands and determine if outcomes vary between management systems. Fisheries managed with limited-access rights demonstrated systematic overfishing, generated little to no resource rent, had poor profits, remuneration was at times very poor, and employment declined. The fleets managed with harvest rights performed better overall. They were more sustainable, more profitable, generated large resource rents, remuneration was large, and employment increased. We conclude that the three pillars of sustainability are compatible and mutually reinforcing and that fleets with harvest rights are more likely to achieve good triple-bottom line results.
Short seed‐dispersal distances and low seedling recruitment in farmland populations of bird‐dispersed cherry trees

In Central Europe, many plant populations are patchily distributed in human‐modified landscapes and depend on animal vectors for seed dispersal. To predict seed‐dispersal distances and locations of seeds of wild cherry trees (Prunus avium L.) in forest and farmland habitats in a human‐modified landscape, we integrate movement data and seed regurgitation times of the Common Blackbird (Turdus merula L.) in a simulation model. We performed feeding trials with Common Blackbirds and wild cherries to determine the distribution of regurgitation times. We captured 32 male blackbirds and equipped them with radio tags to follow their movements in forest and farmland habitats. To simulate the movement of cherry seeds through the landscape, we combined the distribution of regurgitation times with bird movement data and modelled seed‐dispersal distances and locations of seed deposition for forest and farmland birds. According to our simulations, more cherry seeds were deposited under foraging trees in farmland (20.8%) than in forest populations (9.5%). Median seed‐dispersal distances (50.8 vs. 68.2 m) and the proportion of long‐distance dispersal events (distances > 100 m) were predicted to be lower in farmland (14.9%) than in forest populations (28.2%). In the model, forest‐dwelling blackbirds dispersed more cherry seeds into suitable habitat (98.7%) than farmland blackbirds (85.4%). In both habitats, seed deposition in suitable habitat was much higher than expected from the proportion of suitable habitat within blackbirds' home ranges, indicating directed dispersal. To test whether differences in seed‐dispersal locations were related to recruitment success, we recorded seedling densities in farmland and forest populations of P. avium and determined survival probabilities of seedlings. Seedling densities and survival were much lower in farmland than in forest populations, even accounting for strong environmental effects on seedling recruitment. Synthesis: Our findings show that behavioural differences of animal seed dispersers between habitat types can result in substantial changes in seed‐dispersal distances and locations in human‐modified habitats. These changes in seed‐dispersal services for bird‐dispersed plant species may be related to reduced seedling recruitment in farmland populations making such populations prone to extinction in the long term.
Produção de serapilheira em Floresta Ombrófila Mista, em São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

A presente pesquisa visou avaliar a dinâmica de producao, acumulo e decomposicao de serapilheira de um remanescente de Floresta Ombrofila Mista, na Floresta Nacional de Sao Francisco de Paula, localizada no municipio de Sao Francisco de Paula, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. A Floresta Nacional esta localizada entre as coordenadas 29o24' e 29o27'S e 50o22'e 50o25'W e sua altitude maxima e de 923m. O fragmento de Floresta Ombrofila Mista, objeto do presente estudo, e formado por numerosos especimes de Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze, e por diversas especies consorciadas, entre as quais destacam-se Blepharocalyx salicifolius (H.B. & K.) Berg, Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. , Tabebuia umbellata (Sond.) Sandwith e varias especies dos generos Ocotea e Nectandra. A producao de serapilheira foi avaliada por coletas mensais, durante dois anos, com o auxilio de 15 coletores de 0,80×1m, distribuidos num hectare de floresta. A serapilheira acumulada foi avaliada pela coleta, em 72 pontos diferentes, de todo o material vegetal reconhecido como tal, depositado sobre o solo florestal, numa area de um metro quadrado, em cada ponto. A taxa de decomposicao foi calculada pela relacao entre o total anual de serapilheira produzida e o total acumulado A floresta produziu, em media, 10.305,88kg/ha/ano de serapilheira, e acumula, em media, 14.296,00kg/ha. O tempo necessario para decompor 50% foi de 316 dias com uma taxa de decomposicao correspondente a K = 0,86.
The ebb and flow of sexual well-being: The contributions of basic psychological needs and autonomous and controlled sexual motivation to daily variations in sexual well-being

Why do people have better sexual experiences on certain days but not others? In this study, we used self-determination theory (SDT) to examine whether sexual motives that are autonomous (i.e., genuinely self-endorsed) as opposed to controlled (i.e., pressured) were associated with variations in daily sexual well-being. We also sought to identify circumstances associated with changes in the quality of sexual motivation by considering the extent to which daily interactions with a partner satisfied the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In a 21-day study of daily experiences (N = 113), findings from multilevel analyses suggested that on days when sexual motives were more autonomous and less controlled, people experienced higher sexual well-being (i.e., higher sexual satisfaction, more positive sexual affect, and less negative sexual affect). Furthermore, on days when interactions with the partner were more positive, as evidenced by better needs satisfaction, sexual motives were more autonomous and this, in turn, was associated with higher sexual well-being. These associations held above the contributions of gender, relationship length, frequency of sexual activities, and relational satisfaction. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of SDT as a framework for the motivational underpinnings of sexual well-being.