Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chromosomal alternation of generations in Nereocystis luetkeana (mertens) Postels and Ruprecht

A cytological examination of the life history of Nereocystis luetkeana has shown that an alternating chromosome number corresponds to the morphological alternation of generations. The first division sequence of the zoosporangial nucleus is meiotic and is followed by three, usually synchronous, mitotic divisions. Thirty-two zoospores are liberated from each sporangium, and their germination gives rise to male and female gametophytes. Genotypic determination of the sexes is believed to take place in Nereocystis. Mitosis in the gametophytes is regular and cytokinesis follows each nuclear division, producing few cells in the female and many cells in the male gametophytes. Thirty-one chromosomes can be counted at the mitotic prophase. Oogamy exists in Nereocystis and fertilization takes place after the egg is extruded from the oogonium. Nuclear division in the sporophyte appears to be preceded by division of the nucleolus. Colorless and non-septate rhizoids develop as elongations of the basal cells of the spor.
Synergies of Text Mining and Multiple Attribute Decision Making: A Criteria Selection and Weighting System in a Prospective MADM Outline

In this study, a new way of criteria selection and a weighting system will be presented in a multi-disciplinary framework. Weighting criteria in Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) has been developing as the most attractive section in the field. Although many ideas have been developed during the last decades, there is no such great diversity that can be mentioned in the literature. This study is looking from outside the box and is presenting something totally new by using big data and text mining in a Prospective MADM outline. PMADM is a hybrid interconnected concept between the Futures Studies and MADM fields. Text mining, which is known as a useful tool in Futures Studies, is applied to create a widespread pilot system for weighting and criteria selection in the PMADM outline. Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), as an influential method inside the general concept of text mining, is applied to show how a data warehouse’s output, which in this case is Scopus, can reach the final criteria selection and weighting of the criteria.
Asiaticoside attenuates neonatal hypoxic–ischemic brain damage through inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB/STAT3 pathway

Background Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is currently a leading cause of neonatal death. Asiaticoside (AT), a bioactive constituent isolated from Centella asiatica, possesses numerous biological properties. For instance, previous studies showed that AT could protect ischemia hypoxia neurons by mediating BCL-2 protein. However, the roles and underlying mechanisms of AT in neonatal HIE have not been clarified. Methods Rice-Vannucci was applied to construct a hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) model. Pathological damage of brain neuron tissue was determined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, while apoptosis was evaluated by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were applied to monitor related proteins levels. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to measure the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines. Results The present study indicated that AT dose-dependently ameliorated histologic damage and inhibited apoptosis induced by hypoxic ischemia (HI) (P<0.01). AT also dose-dependently alleviated oxidative damage and reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (ICAM-1, IL-18, and IL-1β) and TLR4 level. In terms of mechanism, decrease of TLR and IL-18 suppressed NF-κB phosphorylation and reduced the levels of TNFα, IL-6, and p-STAT3, leading to the inactivation of NF-κB/STAT3 pathway. Interestingly, with the addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the increase of TLR4 activated NF-κB/STAT3 pathway again. Conclusions Collectively, the data provide insight into a novel mechanism by which AT may be an effective agent for HIE via the TLR4/NF-κB/STAT3 pathway.
Combining dialysis and dilution techniques to estimate gross growth rate of phytoplankton and grazing by micro- and mesozooplankton in situ

Measurements of in situ phytoplankton growth and grazing by zooplankton normally involve different techniques. We show that a single dilution experiment based on dialysis bags can be used to do these estimates in situ. Dialysis bags allow an estimate of the in situ phytoplankton gross growth rate whereas the dilution gradient allows a simultaneous estimate of microzooplankton grazing. The comparison of the phytoplankton net growth rate outside dialysis bags and the estimated apparent growth rate of phytoplankton in undiluted samples within dialysis bags allows estimating additional loss processes such as mesozooplankton grazing. The method is especially useful in mesocosms experiments.
Quantitative Assessment of the Contribution of Meteorological Variables to the Prediction of the Number of Heat Stroke Patients for Tokyo

This study reveals the best combination of meteorological variables for the prediction of the number of emergency transport due to heat stroke over 64 years old in Tokyo metropolis based on a generalized linear model using 2008−2016 data. Temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation were used as candidates of the explanatory variables. The variable selection with Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) showed that all the four meteorological elements were selected for the prediction model. Additional analysis showed that the combination of daily mean temperature, maximum relative humidity, maximum wind speed, and total solar radiation as explanatory variables gives the best prediction, with approximately 19% less error than the conventional single-variable model which only uses the daily mean temperature. Finally, we quantitatively estimated the relative contribution of each variable to the prediction of the daily number of heat stroke patients using standardized partial regression coefficients. The result reveals that temperature is the largest contributor. Solar radiation is second, with approximately 20% of the temperature effect. Relative humidity and wind speed make relatively small contributions, each contributing approximately 10% and 9% of the temperature, respectively. This result provides helpful information to propose more sophisticated thermal indices to predict heat stroke risk. (Citation: Sato, T., H. Kusaka, and H. Hino, 2020: Quantitative assessment of the contribution of meteorological variables to the prediction of the number of heat stroke patients for Tokyo. SOLA, 16, 104−108, doi:10.2151/sola.2020-018.)
Root Characteristics of Perennial Warm-Season Grasslands Managed for Grazing and Biomass Production

Minirhizotrons were used to study root growth characteristics in recently established fields dominated by perennial C4-grasses that were managed either for cattle grazing or biomass production for bioenergy in Virginia, USA. Measurements over a 13-month period showed that grazing resulted in smaller total root volumes and root diameters. Under biomass management, root volume was 40% higher (49 vs. 35 mm3) and diameters were 20% larger (0.29 vs. 0.24 mm) compared to grazing. While total root length did not differ between grazed and biomass treatments, root distribution was shallower under grazed areas, with 50% of total root length in the top 7 cm of soil, compared to 41% in ungrazed exclosures. These changes (i.e., longer roots and greater root volume in the top 10 cm of soil under grazing but the reverse at 17–28 cm soil depths) were likely caused by a shift in plant species composition as grazing reduced C4 grass biomass and allowed invasion of annual unsown species. The data suggest that management of perennial C4 grasslands for either grazing or biomass production can affect root growth in different ways and this, in turn, may have implications for the subsequent carbon sequestration potential of these grasslands.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Grazing by Introduced Mammals on a Native, Arboreal Gecko (Naultinus gemmeus)

Abstract We examined relationships between livestock grazing and the activity of introduced rodents and population density of Jewelled Geckos, Naultinus gemmeus (Diplodactylidae) on the Otago Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand. We expected livestock grazing to prevent the proliferation of rank grass (which is often associated with high rodent densities) and thereby reduce the frequency of predation by rodents on Jewelled Geckos. Thus, we predicted activity of rodents to be lower, and density of Jewelled Geckos higher, at sites grazed by livestock. We tested this for two habitats: Coprosma spp. shrubland and regenerating kānuka (Kunzea ericoides) forest. We quantified density of Jewelled Geckos using visual searches, photography and mark–recapture (POPAN formulation). We used tracking tunnel surveys to estimate the activity of introduced rodents. The activity of rodents (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) was significantly higher at ungrazed compared to grazed sites in both habitats. Density of Jewelled Geckos in Coprosma was over four times higher at grazed sites and decreased with increasing rodent activity; however, in kānuka, we found a contrasting result with density being significantly higher at the ungrazed sites. We infer that in ungrazed Coprosma, rank grasses support high rodent densities and, consequently, high predation of Jewelled Geckos. Thus, grazing by introduced livestock may promote the survival of Jewelled Geckos and the persistence of high density populations in Coprosma shrubland. In contrast, grazing in regenerating kānuka may impact on Jewelled Geckos negatively, possibly by removing thermal refugia.
Uncertainty and Activity Selection in New Product Development: An Experimental Study

Uncertainty drives project activity in new product development (NPD), and its resolution is crucial to project performance. However, there is a major gap in understanding the causal links between different uncertainty types and the project activities they trigger. Engineering managers lack guidance on how best to respond to different uncertainty types. We close this gap by experimentally contrasting responses to two uncertainty types central to NPD: technical and organizational uncertainty. We describe responses with respect to core engineering project activities: representation, information, and knowledge sharing. We present evidence from an experiment involving 50 professionals and 74 master's students. The results show that uncertainty type has a significant effect on activity response, and that there is a significant ordering effect within this response. Based on the identification of a new response type, change of situation, our findings show that technical uncertainty drives change of situation and representation activity, while organizational uncertainty drives information- and knowledge-sharing activities. This provides the basis for three main contributions of this article. First, we identify “change of situation” as a new type of response to uncertainty in NPD. Second, we describe different responses to technical and organizational uncertainty. Third, we characterize an ordering effect in responses to uncertainty.
Female zebra finches prefer males with symmetric chest plumage

The level of fluctuating asymmetry in a secondary sexual character is believed to reveal aspects of male quality. Previous investigations have demonstrated that females may pay attention to this information when making mate choice decisions; females prefer symmetric over asymmetric males. However, these studies have involved either manipulation of functionally important flight feathers, or of artificial ornaments. Here, we manipulate an existing secondary sexual plumage trait, one that does not influence flight performance, within the boundaries of natural asymmetry. Through manipulations of chest plumage, we demonstrate that female zebra finches choose to display more and for longer in front of males with symmetric, as opposed to asymmetric, chest plumage.
Morphological Study of Agave lechuguilla

1. Origin of the floral organs of Agave lechuguilla is acropetal, sepals appearing first and carpels last. 2. The flower is epigynous. Its vascular anatomy is simple, being a direct divergence of vascular bundles into the separate organs. All vascular bundles ending in either sepal or petal structures are derived from bundles differentiated early in connection with these floral parts. 3. The ovule is anatropous and has two integuments. Placentation is axial. 4. Megasporogenesis starts with differentiation of a single hypodermal archesporial cell and ends with formation of a tetrad of megaspores arranged usually in linear fashion. Two variations in megaspore arrangement were noted. 5. Periclinal division of the archesporial cell gives rise to a primary parietal cell and to a single primary sporogenous cell which enlarges and becomes the megaspore mother cell. Development of the megagametophyte follows the so-called normal type. 6. A single parietal layer is present in the ovule, disintegrating when the megagametophyte enlarges. 7. The vascular tissue of the ovule does not stop at the base of the chalaza but tracheids penetrate the nucellus to the megagametophyte. 8. Anther development follows the common method. The archesporium consists of a group of cells. Periclinal divisions give rise to the primary parietal and primary sporogenous cells. Continued periclinal and anticlinal divisions of the primary parietal cells form the wall tissue. The sporogenous cells enlarge and function as microspore mother cells. There are two successive divisions of the microspore mother cells, resulting in four microspores. 9. The tapetum is derived from the innermost layer of the parietal tissue. 10. The mature anther shows well-defined endothecia three or four cells in thickness and disintegration of the stomium.
USE OF A SYSTEMATIC PLANTING DESIGN TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF COMPANION CROP POPULATION DENSITY ON YIELD AND ON FORAGE ESTABLISHMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY

To assess forage response to a companion crop in the seeding year and the residual effects the following year, a one-directional logarithmic progression of companion crop populations was imposed on a uniform seeding of forage. Low-order inverse polynomial equations fit the results well, while allowing a biologically realistic interpretation. All forage-companion crop combinations produced similar results and suggested that for companion crop populations from the near-commercial 180 plants m−2 down to 20 plants m−2, maximum production of both companion crop and forage is not possible. The technique allowed a parsimonious use of materials and land but required superior experimental technique.Key words: companion crop, forage, competition, experimental design.
An Effective Method in Improving Social Skills: Literature Circles

This study was carried out to determine the effect of literature circles on the social skills of fourth-grade elementary school students. To this end, the study was designed as a quasi-experimental study and carried out on 74 students in a public elementary school in the Pamukkale district of Denizli, Turkey. The literature circles method was administered to an experimental group for 18 weeks. In the control group, activities continued in line with the current Turkish Course Curriculum. “School Social Behavior Scales” were used as a data collection instrument. A comparison of the scores on the scales revealed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in favor of the experimental group. The results imply that the literature circles method had a positive influence on the development of the students’ social skills.
Comparison of 5 benthic samplers to collect burrowing mayfly nymphs (Hexagenia spp.:Ephemeroptera:Ephemeridae) in sediments of the Laurentian Great Lakes

The recent return of burrowing mayfly nymphs (Hexagenia spp.) to western Lake Erie of the Laurentian Great Lakes has prompted a need to find a sampler to obtain the most accurate (i.e., highest mean density) and precise (i.e., lowest mean variance) abundance estimates of nymphs. The abundance of burrowing nymphs is important because it is being used as a measure of ecosystem health to determine management goals for fisheries and pollution abatement programs for waters in both North America and Europe. We compared efficiencies of 5 benthic grab samplers (Ponar, Ekman, petite Ponar, Petersen, and orange-peel) to collect nymphs from sediments of western Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair. Samplers were used at one site with soft substrates in both lakes in 1997 (Ponar, Ekman, petite Ponar, and Petersen) and 1998 (Ponar and Ekman), and at one site with soft and one site with hard substrates in Lake St. Clair in 1999 (Ponar and orange-peel). In addition, the Ponar, Ekman, and Petersen samplers were used at one site with soft substrates of western Lake Erie in 2000 to examine the causes of differences among samplers. The Ponar was more accurate than the other samplers; it collected the highest densities of nymphs for 31 of 32 date and site comparisons. In soft substrates, the order of decreasing overall densities was: Ponar>Petersen>petite Ponar>Ekman in western Lake Erie and Ponar>Petersen> Ekman>petite Ponar in Lake St. Clair in 1997, Ponar>Ekman in both lakes in 1998, and Ponar>orange-peel in Lake St. Clair in 1999. In hard substrates, the Ponar was more accurate than the orange-peel in Lake St. Clair in 1999. Precision of the Ponar was generally greater than the Ekman, petite Ponar, and Petersen but similar to the orange-peel. Higher densities of nymphs obtained with the Ponar than other grabs are attributed to its relatively heavy weight, which allows it to sample deeper in sediments than the Ekman and petite Ponar. Also, the Ponar has a screened top, which allows it to minimize hydraulic shock waves more than the Petersen, and uniform sides, which allow it to sample nymphs more uniformly through sediments than the orange-peel. We recommend that future estimates of burrowing mayfly densities be obtained with a standard Ponar sampler similar to the one used in our study because it will yield the most accurate and precise measurements of burrowing mayfly nymphs such as Hexagenia spp.
The occupation and fragmentation of space : consequences of neighbouring shoots

1. Physical space provides access to light, soil water and nutrients. In crowded neighbourhoods, these resources are quickly depleted. At the same time, physical space may become less available and increasingly fragmented. The present study examines whether constraining the deployment of leaves and stems through the occupation of above-ground space by neighbouring plants can affect plant growth. The above-ground spatial environment was fragmented by growing seedlings of various growth forms and architectures with glass pipettes in increasing densities. The pipettes provided physical obstruction but no measurable alteration of the light environment, thus decoupling the availability of space from the resources contained therein
How Audit Quality Affects the Firm Performance with the Moderating Role of the Product Market Competition: Empirical Evidence from Pakistani Manufacturing Firms

Audit quality (AQ) is a crucial instrument for ensuring transparency and accountability in both the public and private sectors. If the AQ is responsible for the maximization or minimization of profit, then what are the circumstances that make these possible? In this study, we examined the role of the product market competition (PMC) in the relation between the AQ and firm performance (FP). The PMC on the manufacturing firms of Pakistan was divided into two categories—low product market competition (LPMC) and high product market competition (HPMC). This division was calculated using the Herfindahl–Hirschman index (HHI). Then, we used ordinary least squares (OLS), the fixed-effect model, and the generalized method of moment (GMM) to examine the role of PMC on the association between the AQ and FP. The results of the study revealed that the financial performance of firms was enhanced with the quality of the audit. Highly competitive firms demonstrated higher chances to capture the maximum profit and have a positive relationship with FP, while less competitive firms were negatively associated with FP. Furthermore, the HPMC played a vital role in boosting the profit of the firms. On one hand, the connection between the AQ and FP was positively affected by the HPMC. On the other hand, the connection between the AQ and FP was negatively affected by the LPMC. Thus, the findings of this investigation have various implications for owners, investors, shareholders, and governments. This study can help the governments of developing economies to enhance economic conditions by focusing on the industrial sector. This study also contributes to the literature by supporting the agency theory that PMC can mitigate the agency issue between owners and agents.
Hepatoprotective activity in the rat of ursolic acid isolated from eucalyptus hybrid

Ursolic acid has been evaluated for its choleretic, anticholestatic and hepatoprotective activities in rats. It produced a dose‐dependent (5–20 mg/kg) choleretic effect. Significant anticholestatic activity (27.9–100%) was observed against paracetamol (2.0 g/kg) induced cholestasis. The compound also showed a marked hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol and galactosamine (800 mg/kg) induced hepatotoxicity by reversing the altered values in viability of the isolated hepatocytes and the altered biochemical liver and serum parameters. The activity of ursolic acid compared well with the known hepatoprotective drug, silymarin.
Deriving VTEC Maps from SMOS Radiometric Data

In this work, a new methodology is proposed in order to derive vertical total electron content (VTEC) maps from the radiometric measurements of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission as an alternative approach to those based on external databases and models. This approach uses spatiotemporal filtering techniques with optimized filters to be robust against the thermal noise and image reconstruction artifacts present in SMOS images. It is also possible to retrieve the Faraday rotation angle from the recovered VTEC maps in order to correct the effect that it causes in the SMOS brightness temperatures.
Effects of Brassinosteroid on Vegetative and Reproductive Growth in Two Day-neutral Strawberries

The effects of brassinosteroid on growth parameters of two day-neutral strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. 'Miyoshi' and 'Enrai') grown in a greenhouse were investigated. In both cultivars, brassinosteroid increased total leaf areas by 150-180% and the number of leaves, petiole length, and number of crowns by 110-140% over the untreated control plants. Runner formation was unaffected by the brassinosteroid. Dry weights of leaves, petioles, crowns, and total organs of plants treated with brassinosteroid were heavier than those of untreated plants, whereas the dry weights of roots from treated plants were equally heavy as those of the control. Brassinosteroid significantly increased the total number of flowers and number of inflorescences per plant, but not the number of flowers per inflorescence. Brassinosteroid significantly increased total marketable berries and total yield per plant in 'Miyoshi', but it did not increase yields of 'Enrai'.