Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinicopathological characteristics and treatment strategies for young lung cancer patients.

Background The reported age-specific survival rates of lung cancer patients have been largely inconsistent. Management strategies for younger patients and treatment outcomes are not well characterized. Methods Out of the 4,697 lung cancer patients with treatment history at Tokyo Medical University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2014, 266 patients were <49 years of age. Patient characteristics were investigated, and the association of overall survival (OS) with age, sex, stage, and histological type were investigated. Results The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates in the ≤49 years age group were 82.9%, 64.6%, and 57.0%. Among surgical cases, the survival rate of patients in the ≤49 years age group was significantly better than that in the 50-69 and ≥70 years age groups (P=0.29 and P<0.0001, respectively). In comparison with the OS rate with clinical stages, I, II, and III (but not with clinical stage IV) in the older than 50 years age group, the rates in the ≤49 years age group were better. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates of females were higher than those of their males. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates for lung adenocarcinoma patients were higher than that of lung non-adenocarcinoma patients. Conclusions Despite the higher proportion of advanced disease, the postoperative survival rate of the younger was higher than that of the older. Aggressive multimodality treatments, including surgery, are more feasible and effective for younger patients as compared with that in older patients.
Occurrence of nodulation in legume species in the Amazon region of Brazil

summary This paper reports the nodulation status of 172 legume species from different ecosystems within the Amazon region of Brazil. The nodulation ability of 98 species and eight genera was observed for the first time. Occurrence of nodulation is discussed in the context of the taxonomy of the family and the different ecosystems. The frequency of nodulation among tribes and genera was found to be higher in flooded (varzea and igapo) than in non-flooded sites (terra firme); moreover, more plants had nodulated in nursery beds consisting of soil from flooded areas. The symbiosis may therefore be favoured in flooded areas.
The Relevance of Smallholder Farming to African Agricultural Growth and Development

Farms less than two hectares constitute most farm holdings in Africa. Most of these farms are operated by rural smallholder farmers who are dependent on agriculture for their economic livelihoods. However, they are constrained by lack of capital assets that would enable them to increase agricultural productivity, food security and income. Despite these challenges, smallholders contribute significantly to the rural economy, and play a significant role in natural resource conservation. Therefore, they represent a critical population to include in poverty reduction efforts. Recent initiatives by African leaders aim to increase public expenditures on agriculture in order to spur economic development, position smallholders to play a significant role in regional growth. To understand the relevance of smallholder farming to Africa’s development agenda, this paper reviews the body of knowledge on smallholder farmers, the constraints and opportunities they face, and their use of practices which embody the tenets of ecological and climate-smart agriculture despite little public investment in this area. This paper recognizes the role of smallholder farmers and concludes that smallholder agriculture will be a driver of economic growth and development in Africa. In order to achieve this, adequate investment should be focused on eliminating the challenges faced by smallholder farmers. Keywords: Smallholder farmers, Sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural development, climate-smart agriculture, green agriculture
Reconstructing habitat use of Coilia mystus and Coilia ectenes of the Yangtze River estuary, and of Coilia ectenes of Taihu Lake, based on otolith strontium and calcium

The habitat use and migratory patterns of Osbeck’s grenadier anchovy Coilia mystus in the Yangtze estuary and the estuarine tapertail anchovy Coilia ectenes from the Yangtze estuary and Taihu Lake, China, were studied by examining the environmental signatures of strontium and calcium in their otoliths using electron probe microanalysis. The results indicated that Taihu C. ectenes utilizes only freshwater habitats, whereas the habitat use patterns of Yangtze C. ectenes and C. mystus were much more flexible, apparently varying among fresh, brackish and marine areas. The present study suggests that the spawning populations of Yangtze C. ectenes and C. mystus in the Yangtze estuary consist of individuals with different migration histories, and individuals of these two Yangtze Coilia species seem to use a variety of different habitats during the non-spawning seasons.
Habitat correlation of Symbiodinium diversity in two reef-building coral species in an upwelling region, eastern Hainan Island, China

Reef-building corals are fundamental to the most diverse marine ecosystems, and the coral–dinoflagellate (zooxanthellae) associations on fine scale remains largely unknown. Spatial variation in the diversity of symbiotic dinoflagellates of two scleractinian coral species was studied in an upwelling region near Qinlan Harbor in eastern Hainan Island, China. Results showed that stress-tolerant Symbiodinium trenchi in individual colonies of Galaxea fascicularis occurred more frequently in shallow back-reef than in deep fore-reef. The higher symbiont diversity was found in colonies of G. fascicularis in shallow and close to the harbour mouth whereas the coral Pocillipora damicornis always harboured Symbiodinium internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) types C1c or C42a. Furthermore, both corals were found to simultaneously contain Symbiodinium ITS2 types belonging to two distinct phylogenetic clades (C and D). This indicates that the distribution of genetically distinct Symbiodinium may correlate with light regime and possibly temperature in some (but not all) colonies at particular locations, which we interpret as holobiont acclimation to the local environmental conditions. Therefore, we conclude that reef-building corals can adapt to the local environment by harbouring genetically distinct symbionts but depend on their respective symbiont transmission modes.
Morphological classification of genetic diversity in cultivated okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench using principal component analysis (PCA) and single linkage cluster analysis (SLCA)

29 okra accessions sourced from different agro-ecological regions in Nigeria and grown during the rainy season of 2007 at Abeokuta (derived savannah) were evaluated for genetic diversity using principal component analysis (PCA) and single linkage cluster analysis (SLCA). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five replications. The accessions were classified into six and five cluster groups by PCA and SLCA respectively. The mean contributions of plant height, days to flowering, branches per plant, fresh pod width, mature pod width, fresh pod length, pod weight per plant, pod per plant, seeds per pod, and seed weight per plant were relatively high in the principal axes confirming the major contributions of these traits to seed yield in okra. The first four principal axes accounted for over 60% of the total variation among the 18 characters describing the accessions. Accessions 29, 9 and 14, which appears to be the most diverse may be useful as source for variable characters in okra improvement among the accessions studied been the most distant. Key words : Derived savannah, principal axes, accessions, variation, cluster analysis, okra.
Availibility of use of Total Extracellular Proteins in SDS-PAGE for Characterization of Gram-Positive Cocci

There are no reports in the literature dealing with gram-positive cocci typing by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of extracellular proteins. In this study, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus warneri, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Micrococcus lysodeikticus and Micrococcus ssp. of the Micrococcaceae family, and Pediococcus halophilus, Streptococcus ssp. and Enterococcus faecalis of the Streptococcaceae family were characterized by SDS-PAGE of whole cell proteins (WCPs) and total extracellular proteins (TEPs). Comparison of SDS- PAGE of WCP profiles with banding patterns produced by that of TEPs provided additional criteria and characteristic banding patterns for the study of the characterization of gram-positive cocci. This method was found to be easy to use and interpret and provided a rapid, reproducible and discriminative method for typing gram-positive cocci.
Clinical profile, visual outcome and complications after cataract surgery in patients with lens induced glaucoma

Purpose: To assess the clinical profile of lens-induced glaucoma (LIG), reasons for late presentation, and outcome of medical and surgical management. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 48 eyes with LIG over a 5-year period between 2014 and 2018 at a tertiary care centre in rural Southern India. Type of LIG, symptoms, preoperative and postoperative corrected distant visual acuity (CDVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), intraoperative and postoperative complications were assessed. Results: Forty-eight eyes of 23(47.9%) males and 25(52.1%) female aged between 50 to 80 years were included in this study. 32(66.7%) cases had presented with phacomorphic glaucoma and 13 (27.1%) with Phacolytic glaucoma who underwent medical and surgical treatment of the same. Mean pre-operative and postoperative IOP was 35.60 ± 5.81 mmHg and 20.417 ± 2.33 respectively. Similarly, the mean preoperative and postoperative CDVA was 1.44 ± 0.76 and 0.34 ± 0.20 respectively which was statistically significant. (P Conclusion: LIG is an important vision-threatening disease occurring in the elderly due delayed treatment of mature cataract. This study shows that it is important to conduct periodic screening of the elderly to identify cataracts and manage it accordingly to prevent irreversible blindness. Keywords: Intraocular pressure, Glaucoma, Phacomorphic, Phacolytic.
Influence of water deficit stress on wheat grain yield and proline accumulation rate

The study of physiological responses of different wheat varieties to water stress could be a useful tool to understanding of the mechanisms of drought resistance. This field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of water deficit stress on proline accumulation rate and wheat grain yield at Iran in 2008. A bread wheat (line N84-12) was evaluated by contrasting irrigation regimes (well-watered (control condition), water deficit stress before tillering stage (T1) and after heading stage (T2). The experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. To impose water deficit stress, plants wasn’t irrigated before T1 and after heading T2. The analysis of variance showed that water deficit stress significantly affected grain yield, straw yield, proline accumulation rate and harvest index (HI) in P ≤ 0.01. The highest proline accumulation rate was observed under T2 condition and grain yield was decreased by water deficit stress compared with control condition. Key words: Water deficit stress, proline accumulation rate, grain yield, wheat.
Energy oversupply to tissues: a single mechanism possibly underlying multiple cancer risk factors.

Background and objectives Several major risk factors for cancer involve vascular oversupply of energy to affected tissues. These include obesity, diabetes and chronic inflammation. Here, we propose a potential mechanistic explanation for the association between energy oversupply and cancer risk, which we call the metabolic cancer suppression hypothesis: We hypothesize that oncogenesis is normally suppressed by organismal physiology that regulates and strictly limits normal energy supply to somatic cells, and that this protection is removed by abnormal oversupply of energy. Methodology We evaluate this hypothesis using a computational model of somatic cell evolution to simulate experimental manipulation of the vascular energy supply to a tissue. The model simulates the evolutionary dynamics of somatic cells during oncogenesis. Results In our simulation experiment, we found that under plausible biological assumptions, elevated energy supply to a tissue led to the evolution of elevated energy uptake by somatic cells, leading to the rapid evolution of both defining traits of cancer cells: hyperproliferation, and tissue invasion. Conclusions and implications Our results support the hypothesis of metabolic cancer suppression, suggesting that vascular oversupply of energetic resources to somatic cells removes normal energetic limitations on cell proliferation, and that this accelerates cellular evolution toward cancer. Various predictions of this hypothesis are amenable to empirical testing, and have promising implications for translational research toward clinical cancer prevention.
Photosynthetic pigments and pigment-proteins in natural populations of Antarctic sea-ice diatoms

Abstract Pigment analyses of natural populations of sea-ice diatoms in Antarctica showed a range of chlorophyll a : c molar ratios of 1.85–3.83 and carotenoid (fucoxanthin): chlorophyll a molar ratios of 1.52–2.57. To understand the structural organization of pigments in these low light-adapted populations, the photosynthetic apparatus of a monospecific natural population of the Antarctic sea ice diatom, Nitzschia stellata Manguin (Bacillariophyta), was investigated. Three chlorophyll-protein complexes were isolated from the thylakoid membranes of this diatom. Spectral and pigment analyses revealed that, while all three complexes possessed chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin, chlorophyll c was found only in Complexes I and II. Fifty-nine per cent of the chlorophyll c was found in Complex I, which possessed a chlorophyll a: chlorophyll c: fucoxanthin ratio of 1 : 2: 1, a ratio enriched in accessory pigments compared to whole cell ratios. Complex III contained fucoxanthin and 53% of the total chlorophyll a; this .
Morphological and other evidence on the degree of genetic differentiation between populations of Nereis diversicolor

The pattern of paragnaths in Nereis diversicolor differs markedly between 17 populations from eastern and south-west England. There is a substantial heritable component to these differences, and there is no evidence that sediment type during development has any influence on them. Comparisons with previous studies reveal no consistent relationships of paragnath pattern with either sediment type or salinity. Evidence from scanning electron micrographs and correlations between different groups indicates that the anterior and posterior bands of paragnaths have rather different roles in feeding and suggest that the inter-population differences may be adaptations to different diets. The orientation of the jaws confirms that they play an important role only during predation and the handling of large particles, but not during the more usual browsing of the sediment surface.
Influence of Carcass-Derived Nutrients on Sockeye Salmon Productivity of Karluk Lake, Alaska: Importance in the Assessment of an Escapement Goal

Abstract The fishery for Karluk Lake (Kodiak Island, Alaska) sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka has undergone a period of high production (1920s to mid-1940s), decline (mid-1940s to late 1970s), and recovery (late 1970s to present). We evaluated historical spawner–recruit data and recent (1980–1994) limnological data to develop an escapement goal (EG) to provide maximum sustainable yield for sockeye salmon. Ricker analysis of the spawner–recruit data explained only a small proportion of the total variation (r 2 = 0.17) in log e recruit/spawner (R/S) and exhibited a significant first-order autocorrelation (r 1 = 0.68; P < 0.0001). Ricker time–polynomial regression exhibited no significant residual autocorrelation, explained 71% of the variation in log e R/S, and indicated that intrinsic productivity (α parameter) has remained fairly constant, whereas system capacity (β parameter) has been temporally unstable. Markov transition probabilities indicated that escapements between 0.8 and 1.0 million fish maximiz.
Effect of sowing date and harvest timing on seed vigour in garden pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Abstract Quality parameters were measured in two seasons for seeds produced from early (sown November, harvested January) and late (sown December, harvested February) crops of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) ‘Pania’. Harvest was by hand at 15% seed moisture content (SMC). Time of sowing had no effect on the germination of the seeds produced, but did affect seed vigour as both conductivity and hollow heart were greater in seeds from the November sown crop, and as a consequence, expected field emergence (EFE) was significantly lower. At a 40% SMC harvest in the second year of study, germination and conductivity did not differ between the two sowing dates and so the EFE also did not differ significantly. However as harvest was delayed until 25 and 15% SMC, there was a higher hollow heart incidence and higher conductivity in seeds from the early crop compared with the late crop. Seeds from the November sowing encountered greater climatic extremes (temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity) during their matur.
Gestation temperature affects sexual phenotype, morphology, locomotor performance, and growth of neonatal brown forest skinks, Sphenomorphus indicus

We maintained pregnant Sphenomorphus indicus under four thermal conditions for the whole gestation period to assess the effects of gestation temperature on offspring phenotypes. Parturition occurred between late June and early August, with females at high body temperatures giving birth earlier than those maintained at low body temperatures. Litter size, litter mass, and postpartum body mass did not differ among treatments, and females with relatively higher fecundity produced smaller offspring. Females gave birth to predominantly female offspring (85.7% of the 14 sexed offspring were females) at 24 °C and to predominantly male offspring (76.5% of the 17 sexed offspring were males) at 28 °C. Females with the opportunity to regulate body temperature produced a mix of sexes that did not differ from equality. Offspring produced in different treatments differed in head size, hind-limb length, and tympanum length, but not in snout-vent length, tail length, body mass, fore-limb length, and eye length. Offspring produced at 28 °C were not only smaller in head size, but also shorter in hind-limb length and tympanum length than those offspring produced at lower temperatures. Offspring produced at 28 °C performed more poorly in the racetrack and grew more slowly than offspring produced in the other three treatments. Taken together, our results show that S. indicus might be a temperature-dependent sex determination species and that offspring phenotypes are impaired at high gestation temperatures but maximized at relatively low gestation temperatures. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 88, 453–463.
The free- and protein-amino acids of the rumen phycomycete fungi Neocallimastix frontalis and Piromonas communis

SUMMARY The proteins and the amino acid profile of the rumen fungi Neocallimastix frontalis and Piromonas communis have been examined and the in vitro digestibility of the vegetative growth determined. The mean true protein content of N. frontalis was 24% of the dry weight and 30% for P. communis, which has a lower chitin content. 50% of the protein extracted from cells and examined by HPLC was in the 200000 MW range and 40% in the 50000 MW range. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after treatment with sodium dodecylsulphate and 2-mercaptoethanol indicated that the native proteins were composed of smaller units in the MW range 25000–50000. The amino acid profiles of the two fungi were similar and compared favourably with those of casein and fraction 1 protein of lucerne.
The Local Ladder Effect: Social Status and Subjective

Dozens of studies in different nations reveal that socioeconomic status only weakly predicts an individual’s subjective well-being (SWB). These effects suggest that although the pursuit of social status is a fundamental human motivation, achieving high status has little impact on one’s SWB. However, we propose that sociometric status – the respect and admiration one has in face-to-face groups (e.g., one’s friendship group or workplace) – has a stronger effect on SWB than does socioeconomic status. Using correlational, experimental, and longitudinal methodologies, four studies found consistent evidence for a “Local Ladder Effect”: sociometric status significantly predicted satisfaction with life and the experience of positive and negative emotions. Longitudinally, as sociometric status rises or falls, SWB rises or falls accordingly. Furthermore, these effects were driven by feelings of power and social acceptance. Overall, individuals’ sociometric status – their respect and admiration in local, face-to-face groups –matters more than their socioeconomic status for SWB.
Cofactors Influencing Prevalence And Intensity of Schistosoma haematobium Infection In Sedentary Fulani Settlements of Dumbi, Igabi LGA, Kaduna State, Nigeria.

An epidemiological study of sedentary Fulani settlements in Dumbi, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State was undertaken to determine cofactors of Schistosoma haematobium prevalence and intensity of infection. Consenting individuals were recruited after sensitization from six settlements and administered a structured questionnaire to obtain demographic and risk factors data. Urine samples were collected from 657 individuals and analyzed by centrifugation, and the number of ova was determined by microscopy. The population had an overall intensity of 73.93±17.4 with the highest value of 100.9±31.3 recorded in Dumbin Ladan while Angwan Sarki and Angwan Majima had lower intensities of 4.00 ± 0.00 and 15.0 ± 0.00 respectively. Differences in intensity between males (73.44± 17.04) and females (77.82±48.96) were not significant (P>0.05). Although the correlation between age and intensity of infection was negative (r=–0.81), the infection was significantly associated with the age group 11-20 years. There was significant association between risk factors; such as occupation, activities at the ponds, source of domestic water supply and distance of hamlets to ponds and the prevalence of the disease. Cattle rearing (OR=9.01; CI=4.00-20.75; P=0.00) and farming (OR=3.14; CI=1.82-5.43; P=0.00) showed significant association with the prevalence and intensity of the disease. Based on activities at the water bodies, people who fished and washed had the highest prevalence rate of 63.53%, while the highest mean intensity of the infection was observed in individuals that wash, fish, bath and water their cattle in the water bodies (OR=13.41; CI=8.64-20.8; P<0.05). Similarly, other activities such as bathing (OR=3.32; CI=1.76-6.27; P<0.05) and washing (OR=2.17; CI=0.59-7.72; P<0.05) were significantly associated with the intensity of the infection. Pond water as a major source of water supply showed significant association with the intensity of the disease (OR=61.63; CI=29.37-133.7; P<0.05). The study has revealed that urinary schistosomiasis is endemic in the settlements based on the intensity and human activities in the ponds that are the major source of water. The integrated control is recommended for the control of the disease in this area. Key words: Urinary schistosomiasis, prevalence, Dumbin Dutse, centrifugation, epidemiological, sedentary