Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Evolving Pattern Of Primary Skin Cancers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Abstract Background. The increasing solar intensity and HIV epidemic have progressively eroded the protective effects of melanin among black race. This study was aimed at evaluating the pattern of primary skin cancers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Methods. This retrospective study, which was conducted at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, included the patients diagnosed with primary skin cancers between January 2008 and December 2017. The data were analyzed using SPSS version20. Results. The frequency of primary skin cancers was 1.0%. Females (58.3%) outnumbered the males (41.7%), the ratio being 1.4:1. The spectrum of primary skin cancers documented by this study are squamous cell carcinoma (33.3%), malignant melanoma (25%), Kaposi sarcoma (15.3%), basal cell carcinoma (9.7%), and cutaneous lymphoma (6.9%). Conclusion. Melanin remains a major protective factor for skin cancers among negroids. Albinism and high burden of HIV were identified risk groups for skin cancers. The eradication of HIV and enhanced sun protection will reduce the prevalence of skin cancers.
A comparative evaluation of functions for describing the relationship between live-weight gain and metabolizable energy intake in turkeys

The suitability of models specifically re-parameterized for analyzing energy balance data relating metabolizable energy intake to growth rate has recently been investigated in male broilers. In this study, the more adequate of those models was applied to growing turkeys to provide estimates of their energy needs for maintenance and growth. Three functional forms were used. They were: two equations representing diminishing returns behaviour (monomolecular and rectangular hyperbola); and one equation describing smooth sigmoidal behaviour with a fixed point of inflexion (Gompertz). The models estimated the metabolizable energy requirement for maintenance in turkeys to be 359–415 kJ/kg of live-weight/day. The predicted values of average net energy requirement for producing 1 g of gain in live-weight, between 1 and 4 times maintenance, varied from 8·7 to 10·9 kJ. These results and those previously reported for broilers are a basis for accepting the general validity of these models.
Where Lakes Were Once Rivers: Contrasts of Freshwater Turtle Diets in Dams and Rivers of Southeastern Queensland

Abstract We contrasted diets of three turtles (Elseya albagula, Myuchelys latisternum, Emydura krefftii) from free-flowing or impounded rivers in southeastern Queensland, Australia, to evaluate the effects of flow regulation. The turtle species encompassed the herbivorous, carnivorous, and omnivorous feeding guilds, respectively. The study design simultaneously considered ontogenetic dietary shifts and seasonal effects on prey availability. Relative to the river samples, diets for three turtles in impoundments were substantially reduced in prey abundance, species richness, and dietary breadth. Turtles with narrower dietary preferences in free-flowing rivers were more affected by dams than was the dietary generalist. For the most omnivorous turtle, qualitative differences were evident in diets from impoundments and rivers; yet considering its greater dietary breadth, quantitative effects on diet were minor. Diets of turtles in impoundments included fewer subaquatic plants and wind fallen fruits than did the diets of turtles in rivers. For the largely carnivorous turtle, fewer aquatic invertebrates were ingested in impoundments than in riverine habitats, and scavenging behavior was noted mainly in impoundments. Multidimensional scaling of the site characteristics identified dams or weirs with back-ups exceeding 20 km as being relatively similar in impacts on prey diversity. Canonical correspondence analysis identified factors of habitat alteration and turtle size as major determinants of underlying variance in the diets. The results suggest that turtle food webs are altered by river regulation. A general finding that turtle diets in impoundments were depleted of aquatic plants or macro-invertebrates pertains to other turtles of conservation importance.
Effects of shelterwood and site preparation on microclimate and establishment of white spruce seedlings in a boreal mixedwood forest

Microclimate and seedling response of planted white spruce were investigated under four canopy densities (control – a 120-year old uncut aspen/white spruce stand, low and high residual densities of shelterwood canopy, and clearcut) and three site preparation treatments in the Lower Foothills of central Alberta. The partial canopy of the shelterwoods had a less extreme environment than the clearcut: higher humidity and soil temperature, lower maximum air temperature and occurrence and severity of night frost, and a light regime that was nearly optimum for height growth of juvenile white spruce. Planted white spruce seedlings had earlier bud break, lower seedling mortality and terminal bud mortality, higher rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, and greater height and diameter increments under shelterwoods than those in either clearcut or control. Site preparation increased soil temperature, decreased seedling mortality and improved growth, especially diameter growth. This study demonstrates how .
Virus-like Particles in Tomato Plants Affected by the Yellow Leaf Curl Disease

Summary The ultrastructural changes of phloem parenchyma cells of tomato plants affected by yellow leaf curl disease are described. The nuclei were severely altered, the chromatin was reduced to a few peripheral clumps and the nucleoplasm contained ring-like electron opaque structures and massive aggregates of virus-like particles. These particles were rounded, measured 15 to 17 nm in diam. and occasionally appeared to occur in pairs. Based on these findings, the presence of a geminivirus in the tomato tissues examined is inferred.
Effect of Discharge Plan for Children undergoing Chemotherapy and Their Caregivers on Improving Practice and Coping Pattern

Parents dealing with childhood cancer face many different stressors throughout the course of their child's illness. The responsibility is often on caregivers. Aim of the study was to assess the effect of discharge plan for children undergoing chemotherapy and their caregivers on improving practice and coping pattern. Research design: Quasi - experimental design was utilized. Settings: The study was conducted at Children Hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University and Pediatric oncology unit in National Cancer Institute affiliated to Cairo University (NCICU). Subjects: Purposive sample of 50 caregivers of children undergoing chemotherapy were recruited from the previously mentioned settings. Tools: A data were collected by using; interview questionnaire format(before and after implementation of discharge plan) to assess informational needs, Observational checklists to assess practical needs, anxiety & depression scale and coping scale to assess emotional and psychological needs. Results: This study revealed that more than half of caregivers were primary school. Less than two thirds of caregivers‟ knowledge gained good scores after intervention. There is a statistically significant difference between caregivers' knowledge before and after implementation. Only one quarter of caregivers had no anxiety before intervention compared to less than half of them after intervention. Conclusion: This study concluded that caregivers who received discharge plan showed improving in knowledge and practice regarding care of their children, experiencing less level of anxiety and coping with stressful events during children illness. Recommendation: the study recommended that multidisciplinary team should be involved in teaching and helping the caregivers and their children to be managed from an apparently common sequence of physical and emotional reactions.
Visual Discrimination of Pattern Orientation by Honeybees: Performance and Implications for `Cortical' Processing

The ability of honeybees (Apis mellifera) to discriminate pattern orientation was evaluated by examining their choice behaviour in a twin-choice Y-maze apparatus which offered two differently oriented patterns, one of which was associated with a reward. The distinctive feature of this experimental arrangement was that it forced the freely flying bees to choose between the two patterns at a distance, thus preventing the bees from fixating the patterns and discriminating between them on the basis of an eidetic (`photographic') image. Training and testing experiments using a number of different pairs of patterns, such as gratings, stripes and plaids, led to the following results: (i) bees perform well at discriminating the orientation of unidirectional patterns, such as single stripes or gratings; (ii) trained bees learn to prefer the orientation that is associated with the reward, as well as to avoid the unrewarded orientation; (iii) bees perform poorly at discriminating the orientation of right-angled crosses or plaids, but well at discriminating the orientation of 45 degrees crosses or plaids; and (iv) orientation discrimination appears to be mediated primarily by signals from the green-receptor channel of the bee's visual system. These findings, together with recent work (Srinivasan et al. Nature, Lond. 362, 539-540 (1993)), suggest that the honeybee's visual system analyses orientation in much the same manner as the mammalian cortex. Our data suggest the participation of at least three orientation-sensitive channels with different preferred orientations, and broad tuning curves with half-widths of ca. 90 degrees.
The Sacroiliac Joint Injection

Background: the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is the largest axial joint in the body, with an average surface area of 17.5 cm2, it is an accepted source of low back and/or buttock pain with or without lower extremity pain. Based upon history and physical examination findings, the prevalence of sacroiliac joint pain in chronic low back pain population has been shown to range from 22.5% to 62.8%. Aim of this work: to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of intra articular corticoid injections into the sacroiliac joints in a standardized fashion. Patients and Methods: This study included 20 adults with SIJ pain due to different reasons and who were scheduled to undergo SIJ injection of corticosteroids and local anesthetic. Demographic data to consider include sex, age, weight, occupation, affected side, co morbidity and suggested pathology of the examined SIJ. Results: there is a significant decrease of the inflammatory back pain in 85% of patients; on mean post 2.00±1.86 compared to pre 7.50±1.24 according to VAS of patients after 6 months follow up (p-value <0.001 HS). Its minimally invasive procedure & good result by single injection to all patients during 6 months follow up. Conclusion: CT guided sacroiliac joint minimally invasive, short time, very accurate and good results obtained. Intra articular SIJ injection is an effective method for alleviating pain in patients suffers from SIJ pain at least in short term.
Effects of 11‐ketotestosterone on genital papilla morphology in the sex changing fish Lythrypnus dalli

Five days after implantation with 11-ketotestosterone (KT) female Lythrypnus dalli exhibited elevated urinary KT levels and male-like genital papilla morphology. Papilla length increased, width decreased, and length : width ratio increased. Control fish exhibited increases in papilla length, and length : width ratio on day 3, but not on day 5. Changes in the total area of the papilla were not statistically significant. It is suggested that KT mediates genital papilla morphology rapidly and thus may be a useful indicator of circulating KT in L. dalli.
SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN TOTAL NITROGEN, CARBON AND AMINO ACIDS IN MACROCYSTIS INTEGRIFOLIA AND NEREOCYSTIS LUETKEANA (PHAEOPHYTA) 1

Seasonal variations in tissue nitrogen, carbon, amino acids and ammonium were determined for the brown algae Macrocystis integrifolia Bory and Nereocystis luetkeana (Mertens) Pastels and Ruprecht, For M. integrifolia, the proportions of tissue nitrogen and carbon in blades, bulbs and stipes were also determined. The composition of the two algae in terms of the above constituents was similar. In addition, ammonium, nitrogen and protein‐bound amino acids showed distinct seasonal trends with high values during the winter and low levels during the summer. The range for nitrogen was 0.8–3.0% and for proteins 7.6–11.7% of dry weight. In contrast, carbon content and C/N ratio showed the reverse trend with higher values during the summer and lower values during the winter. The range for carbon was 19–31% of dry weight, and the C/N ratio showed a range of 9–37. The free amino acids did not show any specific seasonably. Tissue nitrogen and carbon showed higher values in the blades than in the bulbs and stipes.
Significance of Physiological Age of Leghorn Pullets in Terms of Subsequent Reproductive Characteristics and Economic Analysis

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to note layers' response to light stimulation at different physiological or chronological ages. In Experiment 1, 40 pullets of mean body weight from within a population of some 1,000 pullets were moved to laying cages at 15 wk of age and the photoperiod changed from 8 to 14 h/day. An equal number of pullets were moved weekly to 21 wk of age and light stimulated at these times. In the laying house, birds were maintained in single cages with 8 replicate groups of 5 adjacently caged birds in each treatment. Conventional production data were collated with egg size classification, and economic analysis in terms of egg plus fowl income minus feed cost Age at light stimulation had no effect on egg production or egg mass production to 329 days of age (P>.05). Earlier light stimulation resulted in production of fewer extra large eggs and more medium and small eggs (P .05). In a second experiment, all birds were selected at 18 wk of age, moved to laying cages, and light stimulated (14h/day) at this time. Experimental treatments involved varying body weight groups of from 1,060 to 1,543 g per bird, with the 6 groups each represented by 10 replicate groups of 5 individually and consecutively caged birds. Performance and economic analyses as described in Experiment 1 were undertaken to 518 days of age. Birds with smaller body weights at 18 wk of age did not exhibit any compensatory growth (P>.05). These smaller weight birds also ate less feed and produced eggs with reduced mean weight (P .05). For the larger birds, higher feed costs offset increased egg income related to increased egg mass output. The results of the two studies indicate the large effect that body weight at light stimulation can have on egg weight. The economic significance of this situation will vary dependent upon the price differential between large and extra large size eggs.
Response to Some Acaricides of the Two-spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) from Protected Vegetables in Isparta

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, was tested for susceptibility to various acaricides, propargite (Omite) 570 g l -1 , amitraz (Kortraz) 200 g l -1 and abamectin (Agrimec) 18 g l -1 . Propargite, a selective acaricide, has been used to control T. urticae in many crops in Turkey. Amitraz and abamectin have acaricidal and insecticidal properties, and are thus used to control spider mites and some vegetable pests (e.g., whiteflies and Liriomyza spp.). Five different T. urticae populations collected from vegetable greenhouses in Isparta and their responses to those acaricides were investigated by leaf dip assay and compared with those of a susceptible reference strain. Resistance ratios for the chemicals ranged from <1.00 to 2.5 for propargite, 1.2 to 2.1 for amitraz and <1.0 to 2.9 for abamectin (based on LC50). Since the greenhouses around Isparta province where the two-spotted spider mite populations were collected have recently been constructed, the populations used in this study were not exposed to excessive acaricides and had had no important loss of susceptibility to the acaricides applied in the study. However, it was observed that the growers used pesticides haphazardly.
Use of simple body measurements and allometry to predict the chemical growth and feed intake in pigs

Abstract The paper provides a practical procedure to estimate the chemical composition of pigs, their compositional growth and the expected feed intake from measurements of body weight (BW) and backfat thickness (P2) serially performed in vivo. A farm data set provided information on 920 individuals including BW, measured at 71 ± 4 (t1), 126 ± 5 (t2) and 184 ± 5 (t3) days of age, of P2 at t2 and t3, and of voluntary daily feed intake (FI), recorded over the period from t2 to t3 by automated IVOG feeders. Body lipid mass was estimated as L= (9.17 + 0.70*P2) *BW/100 and the other chemical constituents were predicted from fat free empty body mass using Gompertz growth functions and allometry. Using individual changes of body composition from age t2 to t3, energy requirements for maintenance and growth and the corresponding predicted feed intakes (PFI) were estimated. Measured FI were analysed for the effects of month, batch (within month), BWt2, P2t2, average metabolic weight, average daily gain and variation of P2 from t2 to t3. The same model was run again replacing the direct simple body measurements (BW and P2) with the estimated values of PFI as source of variation. Results. The Gompertz estimates of mature protein mass (Pm), relative growth rate parameter (B) and lipid to protein ratio at maturity were 43.5 ± 5.8 kg, 0.0116 ± 0.0011 d-1 and 1.81 ± 0.30, respectively. The current protein mass averaged 18.5 + 1.6 kg and the daily retentions of protein and lipid were 177 ± 21 and 239 ± 62 g/d, respectively. FI and PFI averaged 2.824 ± 0.448 and 2.814 ± 0.393 kg/d, respectively. In the ANOVA of the FI data, the replacement of direct body measurements by PFI did not change the proportion of variance explained (83%) and the RSD (0.199 g/d). The two sets of residual feed intake values obtained from the two ANOVA were highly correlated (RSD = 0.043 kg/d; R2= 0.961). Agreement between predicted and determined feed intakes provided a reasonable guarantee to the estimated (based on BW and P2) changes of body composition. Thus, a scheduled protocol of measurement of BW and P2 over the course of growth, coupled with the use of allometry, can be proposed to estimate in vivo the change of the chemical status of pigs kept under non limiting conditions.
Tumor Profiling-Directed Precision Cancer Therapy - Comparison of Commercial and Academic Clinical Utility

Molecular tumor profiling for patients with advanced or recurrent solid tumors is increasingly adopted as standard of care in oncology, as it has been demonstrated that improved clinical outcomes can result from selection of the optimal therapy for individual patients. The Clinical Utility of a molecular profiling approach must demonstrate whether they lead to a reconsideration of the treatment plan and whether this improves the clinical outcome in profiled patients. Our comparison of 4 commercially available molecular profiling services and those of purely academic approaches, revealed a wide range of impact on treatment choice and clinical benefit. These variations in profiling service performance highlight the need for ongoing justification, quality control and evaluation if this methodology is to be effectively deployed within the clinical setting. It also means that a profiling approach without clinical outcome data can only be considered to perform in line with the lowest performing comparator in terms of clinical utility and cost effectiveness until otherwise demonstrated.
The influence of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera var. biennis) canopy size on grass weed growth and grass weed seed return

SUMMARY Four experiments conducted over three seasons (2002–05) at the Crops Research Unit, University of Reading, investigated effects of canopy management of autumn sown oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera var. biennis (DC.) Metzg. ) on competition with grass weeds. Emphasis was placed on the effect of the crop on the weeds. Rape canopy size was manipulated using sowing date, seed rate and the application of autumn fertilizer. Lolium multiflorum Lam. , L. ×boucheanum Kunth and Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. were sown as indicative grass weeds. The effects of sowing date, seed rate and autumn nitrogen on crop competitive ability were correlated with rape biomass and fractional interception of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) by the rape floral layer, to the extent that by spring there was good evidence of crop: weed replacement. An increase in seed rate up to the highest plant densities tested increased both rape biomass and competitiveness, e.g. in 2002/3, L. multiflorum head density was reduced from 539 to 245 heads/m2 and spikelet density from 13 170 to 5960 spikelets/m2 when rape plant density was increased from 16 to 81 plants/m2. Spikelets/head of Lolium spp. was little affected by rape seed rate, but the length of heads of A. myosuroides was reduced by 9% when plant density was increased from 29–51 plants/m2. Autumn nitrogen increased rape biomass and reduced L. multiflorum head density (415 and 336 heads/m2 without and with autumn nitrogen, respectively) and spikelet density (9990 and 8220 spikelets/m2 without and with autumn nitrogen, respectively). The number of spikelets/head was not significantly affected by autumn nitrogen. Early sowing could increase biomass and competitiveness, but poor crop establishment sometimes overrode the effect. Where crop and weed establishment was similar for both sowing dates, a 2-week delay (i.e. early September to mid-September) increased L. multiflorum head density from 226 to 633 heads/m2 and spikelet density from 5780 to 15 060 spikelets/m2.
Influence of dietary amino acid level on performance, carcass quality and health of organic pigs reared indoors and outdoors

Abstract The influence of dietary amino acids on performance and carcass quality was studied in 192 organic indoor and outdoor pigs given diets with different amino acid levels (recommended amino acid level, 7% and 14% lower) ad libitum in a two-phase feeding system. During phase 2, daily consumption of lysine, methionine+cystine and threonine was higher for outdoor than indoor pigs independent of amino acid level (p=0.002, 0.004 and 0.006, respectively). The outdoor pigs grew faster during phase 2 than the indoor pigs (p=0.001), although feed conversion ratio did not differ (p=0.358). Dressing percentage was higher for outdoor than for indoor pigs (p=0.011) but lean meat content did not differ (p=0.904). The health status of the pigs was evaluated and showed that the incidence of pigs seropositive to erysipelas was higher outdoors. Ascaris suum was present in both production systems, whereas Eimeria sp. only was found among outdoor pigs. The results indicate a discrepancy between pigs housed in different production systems rather than between pigs directed to different dietary amino acid levels. This suggests that growing/finishing pigs fed ad libitum can compensate for dietary amino acid levels lower than the current Swedish recommendations without affecting production results.