Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-isotope analysis and the reconstruction of prey species palaeomigrations and palaeoecology

This thesis explores the use of multi-element isotope analysis and intra-tooth sampling to reconstruct prey species ecology and biogeography. Modern caribou (Rangifer tarandus ssp.) and bison (Bison bison) from North America are used to assess the relationship between known lifetime movements and feeding habits, and those reconstructed through the stable isotope analysis of teeth and bone, including strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (d18O), carbon(d13C), nitrogen (d15N) and sulphur (d34S). Teeth (enamel and dentine) were sequentially-sampled in order to reconstruct time-series isotopic profiles at an intra- and inter-individual scale, allowing an assessment of the applicability of these methods to archaeological materials. The 87Sr/86Sr and d18O data indicate the clear potential for these methods to identify faunal movements, and to discern ranging behaviours from true migrations. d34S values of bone collagen compliment enamel 87Sr/86Sr data in the same individuals, and suggest the use of this approach for the identification of geographical origin. d13C and d15N from sequentially-sampled dentinal collagen allows the identification of some seasonal foraging behaviours, most notably winter lichen consumption in the caribou. The same stable isotope and sampling techniques are then applied to fauna from the late Pleistocene site of Jonzac (Chez-Pinaud), France, in order to investigate the biogeography and feeding ecology of Middle Palaeolithic prey-species. The elevated d13C values in reindeer bone collagen compared to the other species indicates lichen feeding and the prevalence of this niche feeding behaviour in this ancestral species. The sequential-sampling and strontium isotope analysis of herbivore enamel from the site clearly demonstrates seasonal migratory behaviour in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus sp.), and allows the identification of a non-migratory taxon, bison (Bison sp.) This is the first such evidence for migration in Pleistocene reindeer, allowing greater insight into the palaeoecology of this prey animal, and the palaeoenvironment in which Neanderthals lived and hunted.
Duplicate Publication, Divided Publication, Text Recycling, and Copyright Infringement: What Do’s and What Don’ts to Avoid Self-Plagiarism

Over the past decades, many researchers argued different aspects of ethical considerations regarding scientific research. There is substantial body of literature arguing about self-plagiarism phenomenon. It is a problematic issue which raised controversy among researchers. While proponents consider ethical and legal issues, opponents argue about misnomer and the contradictory of plagiarizing researcher’s own work. This paper aims to explore this phenomenon. Furthermore, scientific research practices that may lead to this phenomenon were reviewed. Drawing upon this review, we conclude some guidelines for researchers to avoid self-plagiarism.
Benzoic acid as feed additive in pig nutrition

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of benzoic acid and two dietary protein levels on pig performance, nitrogen (N) balance and urinary pH. 24 crossbred barrows (26 kg to 106 kg bodyweight) received one of four diets: low protein without and with 1 % benzoic acid (LPrand LPr+) and high protein without and with 1 % benzoic acid (HPrand HPr+) added. The animals were restrictively fed a grower and a finisher diet and were kept in metabolic cages in week 3, 6, 9, and 12 of the experiment. The addition of benzoic acid did not statistically improve (p > 0.05) weight gain and feed conversion ratio. N intake and digested N were only influenced by dietary protein level (p < 0.01) but N balance was similar (p > 0.05) in all four diets. Dietary benzoic acid improved (p < 0.01) N digestibility in the grower period but not in the finisher period. The addition of benzoic acid reduced urinary pH by about one pH-unit (p < 0.01) in both feeding periods independent of the protein level of the diet (p > 0.05) and highly increased (p < 0.01) the concentration of urinary hippuric acid. The results of this study indicate positive influences of dietary benzoic acid on pigs especially in the low protein diet and in the grower period.
Molecular characterization and evolutionary plasticity of protein-protein interfaces

The sequencing of the human genome provides the parts list for understanding cellular processes. However, as 70% of eukaryotic genes work through multi-protein systems, it is only through detailed study of the interactions of these components, that a more complete, systems-level understanding can be gained. This thesis is centred on the establishment of PICCOLO a comprehensive database of structurally characterized protein interactions. In generating the resource, issues of interface definition, quaternary structure, data redundancy, structural environment and interaction type are addressed. The resource enables a variety of analyses to be performed concerning interface properties including residue propensity, hydropathy, polarity, interface size, sequence entropy and residue contact preference. PICCOLO has been applied to probing the patterns of substitutions that are accepted in protein interfaces across evolution, and whether these patterns are distinguishable from those seen in other structural environments. The derivation of a high-quality set of multiple structural alignments in the form of the database TOCCATA, a prerequisite for such analysis, is described, as well as procedures to derive environment-specific substitution tables. The Blundell group has contributed a series of methods to predict the likely effect of non-synonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (nsSNPs) on protein stability, function and interactions in order to triage the large volumes of data created from high-throughput genetic screening studies, enabling prioritization of those nsSNPs most likely to be phenotypically detrimental. PICCOLO’s contribution to these predictions is described. Historically there has been little focus on protein-protein interactions as drug targets for small-molecule therapeutics. However, alaninescanning mutagenesis studies have revealed that only a subset of residues contribute the greater part of free energy to binding socalled “hot-spots”. Molecular characterization of hot-spots performed using PICCOLO, probes the molecular basis underlying this important phenomenon leading to the possibility of predictive methods to identify hot-spots in silico.
EVALUATION OF ERGONOMICS’ Awareness AMONG A GROUP OF Egyptian DENTAL INTERNS

Dentistry is a profession associated with several occupational hazards. Ergonomic is the science dealing with people and their working environment. Evaluation of ergonomics’ awareness is minimal among dentists. Aim: To evaluate interns’ awareness level of concepts of ergo-dynamics.Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 interns in Faculty of Dentistry- Cairo University. Self- structured questionnaire, which addressed demographic data and average daily working hours was utilized. The participants’ awareness of ergo-dynamics was evaluated, and if participants adopted these principles in daily practice. The study evaluated if participants believed that applying such concepts was important, and whether these concepts should be part of dental curricula. Moreover, the study investigated if participants suffered from back and / or neck pain. Statistical analysis used: Data were gathered and expressed as percentages.Results: The study was conducted on 19 females (47.5%) and 21 males (52.5%). Participants worked in an average of 6-8 hours daily. The data revealed that 62.5% of participants never heard about ergonomics and only 37.5% heard about them from internet and their supervisors. 95% of them believed these concepts were important and that they must be part of dental curricula. 82% of participants were not aware of best distance from instruments & 70% of them didn’t know correct sitting postures. 90% of participants suffered back and/or neck pain.Conclusion: There is substantial lack of awareness about ergonomics among the studied group, despite the positive attitude towards studying and applying ergonomics’ principles.
Evidence for a polymetamorphic evolution of migmatic paragneisses from the southeastern Moldanubian Superunit, Lower Austria

High grade migmatic paragneisses occur in the the southeastern part of the Modalnubian Superunit which is regarded to be part of the Drosendorf nappe. The rock exhibits the granulite facies mineral assemblage garnet + sillimanite + K-feldspar + biotite + plagioclase + quartz + ilmenite. Within these rocks two generations of garnet can be observed in a matrix composed of large (2mm) K-feldspar and small (<1mm) plagioclase and quartz grains. The first generation of garnet (grt1) forms porphyroblasts with 5–6 mm in diameter with abundant mineral inclusions such as muscovite, kyanite, biotite, rutile, K-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz and ilmenite. This garnet generation displays a prograde zoning pattern seen in a change in chemical composition from Alm68Prp20Grs7Sps6 in the core to Alm68Prp24Grs5Sps2 at the rim. Based on the observed mineral inclusions the first garnet generation was growing at elevated pressures in the presence of kyanite and temperature was increasing during garnet growth beyond the stability field of muscovite. The occurrence of rutile as titanium phase as well as the high Si content of muscovite (3.20 apfu) also indicate elevated pressure conditions for the first garnet generation compared to the granulite facies matrix assemblage. Equilibrium phase diagram calculations point to pressure conditions of 1.4–1.7 GPa at a temperature of 650–750 ◦C by applying phengite content of muscovite inclusions and nearby garnet compositions. The second generation of garnet (grt2) is significantly smaller (1–2mm), relatively inclusion free, and chemically different. This garnet generation is more abundant in the rock compared to the first garnet generation. The second garnet generation either occurs as independent small grains in the matrix, or is surrounding the first garnet generation forming an almost continuous “rim” which seems to confine grt1 from the matrix. This kind of garnet does not show any zoning in spessartine component which is very low with Sps1. Remarkable is a strong change in grossular and pyrope and a weak change in almandine contents from Alm66Prp18Grs15 in the core to Alm67Prp25Grs5 at the rim. For the matrix assemblage P–T conditions of 0.7–0.8 GPa at 750–800◦C were obtained using the rim composition of grt2 and associated matrix phases. The results from the granulite facies assemblage is similar to findings for comparable paragneisses (Petrakakis, 1997) and is correlated to thrusting and nappe stacking in the Moldanubian Superunit. The obtained conditions for an initial high pressure stage could be correlated with felsic granulites from the Gföhl nappe (Carswell & O’Brien, 1993). Although pressure conditions of 1.4–1.7 GPa are similar, the postulated temperature of 1000 ◦C for granulites is much higher compared to 650–750 ◦C from paragneisses of this study.
Effects of Transforming Growth Factor-/? on Osteoblastic Osteosarcoma Cells*

Transforming growth factor-/? (TGF0), a poly- peptide that controls growth and differentiation in many cell types and has recently been found in abundant amounts in bone, was examined for its effects on cells with the osteoblast pheno- type using the clonal osteoblastic osteosarcoma cell line ROS 17/2.8. TGF/5 increased alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and the rate of collagen synthesis per cell. Cell proliferation was inhibited, and the morphological appearance of the cells was markedly changed. All effects were observed at concentrations as low as 0.1 ng/ml TGF/3. Increases in AP activity were detect- able after 24 h and increased progressively with time. TGF/3 increased AP activity under serum-free conditions and during thymidine-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis. The increase in AP activity mediated by TGF/3 could be completely inhibited with actinomycin D and cycloheximide. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 at 10~ 7 M slightly increased AP activity in ROS 17/2.8 cells, but strongly inhibited AP activity when the cells were pretreated with TGF/3. The data suggest that TGF/3 stimulates expression of the osteoblastic phenotype in ROS 17/2.8 cells and that TGF/3 may be an important regulator of local bone remodeling. {En- docrinology 121: 212-218,1987)
The Relationship between Public Debt and Economic Growth: Nonlinearity and Country-Specificity

After having tested whether public debt GDP ratio and real GDP per capita are cointegrated by means of the bounds testing procedure, the possible nonlinearity in the relationship between public debt GDP ratio and economic growth is examined for 17 OECD countries taken separately over the 1970-2014 period. The corresponding debt-value threshold is endogenously estimated following Hansen (1996, 1999)'s methodology, while simultaneously controlling for additional growth determinants. The findings reveal that the impact of the public debt ratio on economic growth, cointegration and nonlinearity between these two variables, as well as the debt-value thresholds are all country-specific. Thus, analyzing the link between public debt ratio and economic growth for one country individually is revealed to be essential for governments to shape appropriate fiscal policy guidelines.
Pan trap catches of pollinator insects vary with habitat

Coloured pan trapping is a simple and efficient method for collecting flying insects, yet there is still discussion over the most effective bowl colour to use for particular target groups (e.g. pollinator insects). The success of particular colours can vary across bioregions and habitats. Most published pan trap studies have been conducted in the northern hemisphere, and very few investigated the effects of habitat on pan trap catches. Our study is one of the first to (1) sample for potential pollinators in Australian mallee vegetation and almond orchards and (2) investigate whether habitat interacts with trap colour to influence pan trap catches. We sampled Hymenoptera and Diptera using yellow, white and blue pan traps in native mallee vegetation and two types of managed almond orchards (monoculture and plant-diverse) in the Murray Mallee bioregion of north-western Victoria, Australia. Yellow traps caught the most insects across all habitats, although catches in each colour trap varied with habitat. For all insect groups combined, blue traps caught more individuals in mallee habitats than in almond orchards. For native hymenopterans, yellow traps caught more individuals in plant-diverse orchards than in native sites, while blue traps caught more individuals in native sites. Our results highlight the importance of considering the habitat of individual pan trapping surveys, as no one trap colour is likely to be suitable for trapping target insects across all habitats.
Measuring soil loss in different land-use systems on an Oxic Paleustalf in Lusitu, Zambia

Soil loss was measured using the runoff plot technique in five cropping systems and a bare plot. Considerable variation in soil loss was apparent between different cropping sytems. In the bare plot more than 12 t soil ha −1 was lost. In millet and its intercrops soil loss was nearly 50% lower than in the bare plot. Millet produced higher yields when intercropped with bambara groundnuts and cowpeas. Similarly, bambara groundnuts and cowpeas produced higher yields when intercropped with millet
Plant defense responses to sorghum spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus under irrigated and drought conditions

An experiment was conducted during 1990 and 1991 in Kenya, to study the reaction of 27 sorghum genotypes to stem borer Chilo partellus damage under irrigated and drought conditions. Crop growth was maintained at irrigated and water-stressed (non-irrigated) conditions. Data were recorded on deadheart formation due to stem borer, leaf area damaged, number of larvae per 5 plants, peduncle damage, and recovery resistance under natural infestation. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences due to genotype, irrigation treatments and genotype x irrigation treatment interaction in plants with deadhearts, number of larvae, leaf feeding, peduncle damage and recovery resistance for genotypes, except in case of leaf area damage. Deadheart incidence was slightly lower (70.4%) in irrigated than non-irrigated plots. Leaf feeding was greater (94.7%) under irrigated than non-irrigated plots (91.5%), except in the case of genotypes (ICSV 88013, IS 8193, KAT 83368, IS 23509 and ICSV 112). Peduncle damage was lower (5.8) under irrigated than non-irrigated conditions. Plant recovery in response to stem borer damage was greater under irrigated (5.4) than non-irrigated (6.3) conditions, except for ICSH 89020, IS 23509 and ICSV-CM 865132. The number of stem borer larvae were greater (41.8 larvae per 5 plants) in irrigated than non-irrigated (27.3 larvae per 5 plants) plots. Irrigation reduced deadheart incidence, peduncle damage, and recovery resistance in sorghum due to stem borer infestation.
P2X7 Receptor Modulation of Visual Responses in the Retina

Adenosine 5’ triphosphate (ATP)-gated P2X7 receptors (P2X7Rs) are known to act as conduits for photoreceptor and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage, consequences of various neurodegenerative conditions within the visual pathway. Growing evidence supports the notion that P2X7Rs and associated inflammatory mediators may coordinate microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), to play a genuine role in modulating neurotransmission. This study aimed to characterise the role of P2X7Rs in modulating outer and inner retinal function within the rod-mediated pathway, and in the putative microglial-mediated modulation of signal transmission in the retina. Excitatory components of outer and inner retinal function were assessed by recording light-evoked, extracellular transretinal electroretinogram (ERG), and ON and OFF retinal ganglion cell (RGC) field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) responses from the acutely isolated, dark-adapted, mouse retina. Alterations to microglial morphology, under similar conditions, were also explored. Initial experiments confirmed the excitatory responses as predominantly mediated via the ‘classic’ rod photoreceptor – rod-ON bipolar cell – AII amacrine cell pathway. With the use of selective P2X7R antagonists, it was shown that P2X7R activation directly modulated photoreceptor, ON bipolar cell and ON RGC function, but not OFF RGC function, through partially independent mechanisms. A novel finding of this study demonstrated that acute application of the microglia-activating bacterial component, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modulated inner retinal function, possibly through a P2X7R- and Pannexin-1-associated mechanism of microglial ATP release. These results were supported by observations of early morphometric changes to microglia caused by P2X7R activation and LPS, as revealed by immunofluorescence labelling and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Since changes in neurotransmission and microglial function are early indicators of neuropathology, these results contribute to the understanding of early neural-immune interactions in retinal disease, and in the central nervous system as a whole.
Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Royal Jelly - Review

The present paper presents the literature data regarding the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of RoyalJelly. Royal Jelly is a secretion from the hypofaringeal glands of worker bees which serves as a food for queen beeand to the growing up larvae. Having biological properties already proven, Royal Jelly has considerable commercialappeal and is today used in many sectors (pharmaceutical, food industries and cosmetic products). Thephysicochemical composition of pure royal jelly are analyzed by determining moisture, ash, lipids, proteins,vitamins,aminoacids, carbohydrates, 10-HDA; RJ is the key substance in the antimicrobial function of the system Apismellifera. The intact Royal Jelly exhibited the highest antibacterial activity.
Genetics and breeding of Sitka spruce

Sitka spruce is a monoecious, wind-pollinated, cross-fertilising species showing wide genetic variation which suggests heterozygosity for many alleles and natural selection against self-fertilisation. Phenotypic selection for the important trait of vigour is ineffective, so testing progenies of selected individuals and clonal testing is an essential and time-consuming part of any improvement programme. Old trees can be vegetatively propagated by grafting and very young trees by rooted cuttings. The British tree improvement programme is based, in the short term, on the use of seed collected from superior plantation trees of desirable origins; in the mid term on seed derived from clonal orchards based on mixtures of clones previously tested for superiority in family tests; and in the longer term on highly superior seed or clones derived from a system of recurrent mating with family selection. Three populations are being developed. There is a small interspecific hybridisation programme.
The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and

An apparatus for measuring at least two of the following characteristics of a fluid; pH, partial pressure of dissolved gas or gases therein, inorganic ion concentration, hemoglobin, temperature, and the like, the apparatus comprising a vessel having a flow channel for fluid passing therethrough and means for inducing turbulence in the channel at specified locations; sensors for the above enumerated fluid characteristics located in the vessel along the channel and within the area of induced turbulent flow; and integral heat-exchanging means e.g., cartridge heaters, within the vessel and external solid state circuitry for maintaining or achieving a preselected temperature in a fluid passing through the vessel and in the sensors. Also disclosed is such an apparatus adapted to the analysis of very small quantities of fluids, e.g., blood, including components for sample storage and transfer, preheating, propulsion and electronic read out and display.
Raising Aspirations and Higher Education: Evidence from the UK’s Widening Participation Policy

This paper investigates the relationship between aspirations and inequality in higher education participation. Using a regression discontinuity design, I evaluate the impact of a nationwide UK policy aimed at raising aspirations towards college education in pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds by involving them in outreach activities. I find that the policy successfully raised the aspirations of the target students and their participation in post compulsory education. However, its final effect on college enrolment was negligible overall and appears concentrated among students from the most affluent families and those in the central part of the ability distribution.