Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distinguishing between sexes and species: bill size in Orange-fronted and Yellow-crowned Parakeets, Cyanoramphus auriceps

Abstract Controversy surrounds the taxonomic status of the Orange-fronted Parakeet (previously known as Cyanoramphus malherbi), officially a colour morph of the more common Yellow-crowned Parakeet C. auriceps. We analyse bill length and bill width measurements from 60 museum specimens of Orange-fronted Parakeet and 44 museum specimens of Yellow-crowned Parakeet. Male Orange-fronted Parakeets have shorter bills than male Yellow-crowned Parakeets—the difference between sample means is 0.7–0.8 mm. Power calculations show that others have most likely not seen the difference as significant because of small sample sizes. Our analysis illustrates a useful statistical technique for identifying morphological differences between two species where both species are sexually dimorphic but the sex of each individual is uncertain.
Semicystic spermatogenesis and biflagellate spermatozoon ultrastructure in the Nile electric catfish Malapterurus electricus (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Malapteruridae)

Spermatogenesis and spermatozoon ultrastructure in the Nile electric catfish Malapterurus electricus are described using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Although the testis organization conforms to the ‘unrestricted’ spermatogonial type, the species has a rare type of spermatogenesis not previously described among catfishes, ‘semicystic’, in which the cyst ruptures before the spermatozoon stage. Spermiogenesis also involves some peculiar features such as condensation of the chromatin in the posterior part of the nucleus to form a compact electron-dense mass with some irregular electron-lucent lacunae, while the uppermost part of the nucleus is a loose electron-lucent area, absence of the nuclear rotation and, as a consequence, the centriolar complex and the initial segment of each flagellum arise directly in a position perpendicular to the basal pole of the nucleus, and occurrence of numerous vesicles in the midpiece. In addition, spermiogenesis includes migration of the diplosome and mitochondria to the basal pole of the nucleus, formation of two moderate nuclear fossae, each of which contains the centriolar complex, development of two independent flagella and elimination of the excess cytoplasm. The mature spermatozoon has a more or less round head with no acrosome or acrosomal vesicle, a long midpiece with numerous mitochondria and vesicles and two long tails or flagella having the classical axoneme structure of 9 + 2 microtubular doublet pattern and with no lateral fins and membranous compartment. These findings suggest that the ultrastructural features of spermiogenesis and spermatozoa of M. electricus are synapomorphies of types I and II spermiogenesis and spermiogenesis is closely similar to the type described in the Nile catfish Chrysichthys auratus.
Detection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in experimentally inoculated layer birds by immunohistochemistry.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), causative agent of chronic respiratory disease (CRD), is transmitted by both vertical and horizontal routes. Aim of the present study was to analyze the focal infection by immunohistochemistry. Two hundred (200) white leg horn layer birds, divided in four groups (n=50, each) were experimentally infected with MG by aerosol, intra-tracheal or oral routes respectively in relation to control group. Birds were monitored daily for the appearance of clinical signs of disease. Ten birds from each group were randomly selected and slaughtered on 4, 11, 18, 25 and 32 days post infection. Gross lesions including air sacculitis, salpingitis, putrefied eggs in ovary, and hemorrhages in trachea and lungs were detected. Histopathology of trachea, lungs and oviduct showed early onset of MG infection by aerosol, followed by intra tracheal and oral route. The infection through aerosol and intra-tracheal route was found to be severe as compare to oral route. Immunohistochemical examination of paraffin embedded sections of trachea, lungs and oviduct revealed the presence of MG in lungs and oviduct. Out of 150 MG infected birds 44 (29%) were positive on immunohistochemical examination. Highest percent infection was observed by intra-tracheal route (21/50) followed by aerosol (16/50) and per-oral (7/50). Result insinuates the importance of immunohistochemistry and relation between route of infection and disease severity of MG in birds.
Integrated Bioassays for Screening Chemical and Biological Species

The idea of having an entire biological assay system on a single silicon wafer is promising with significant advantages in improving experimental throughput and sensitivity. This thesis presents three unique biological assays combining microfluidics and microelectronics technologies for high-throughput screening of biological samples: electronic sensors for detecting biomolecular charges, microchannels to characterize worm locomotion, and modulated trenches for differentiating mutant phenotypes. The first chapter reports a novel floating-gate biosensor to detect and sense nanoscale charged particles such as charged poly amino acids. The device is fully CMOS compatible and has the ease of mass production. The new architecture of the floating gate enables scaling of the device area and incorporation of on-chip readout lines. Testing results show a strong sensitivity to the polarity and concentration of different poly amino acids tested. CMOS compatibility of the device is particularly useful while designing autonomous systems for biochemical sensing which require the on-chip integration of sensors, control circuitry, memory devices, and power lines. The second chapter presents microfluidic bioassays for the phenotypic characterization of a certain class of animal and plant microorganisms called nematodes. Nematodes cause huge economic loss every year to agriculture and farm animals. In humans, exposure to meat or crops infected with nematodes cause long-term depression and reduced work productivity. However, with prolonged exposure to anthelmintic drugs, nematodes have evolved into new strains with varying levels of resistance to known drugs. With a goal to differentiate different isolates, the bioassay measures phenotype using parameters of
PESQUISA DE Cryptococcus neoformans E Candida spp. EM EXCRETAS DE PSITACÍDEOS E PASSERIFORMES CATIVOS

As leveduras podem causar diversas doencas no homem e animais. Nas aves, as leveduras estao envolvidas principalmente em lesoes no trato respiratorio e digestorio. Entre as leveduras patogenicas, Cryptococcus neoformans vem se destacando pela alta prevalencia de criptococose humana em pacientes imunodeprimidos. Assim, os objetivos deste estudo foram identificar C. neoformans e outras leveduras patogenicas na cloaca e coana de passeriformes e psitaciformes e em excretas coletadas do fundo de gaiolas de aviarios. Foram obtidas 29 amostras de 15 aves manifestando algum sinal respiratorio, provenientes do Ambulatorio de Animais Selvagens da UFPR (n=6) e da Clinica Veterinaria Vida Livre (n= 23). As amostras foram semeadas em Agar Sabouraud e Agar Niger e mantidas a 300 C por ate 30 dias. Todas as colonias foram analisadas quanto a macro e micromorfologia. Para aquelas identificadas como leveduras, foram realizadas as provas bioquimicas: assimilacao de carbono e nitrogenio e formacao de tubo germinativo para identificacao de Candida albicans. As amostras de excreta dos aviarios (n=8) foram misturadas com solucao fisiologica contendo antibiotico e o sobrenadante foi semeado em Agar Niger. Nenhuma amostra das aves apresentou resultado positivo para C. neoformans, porem identificaram-se amostras positivas para C. albicans (duas amostras de coana), C. famata (uma amostra de coana) e C. tropicalis (uma amostra de coana). As excretas foram negativas para C. neoformans. Portanto, apesar de nao ter sido isolado C. neoformans, outras leveduras patogenicas foram isoladas, demonstrando a importância dessas aves como possiveis veiculadoras de doencas para humanos.
Exploring the Relationship of Organizational Justice with Employee Satisfaction and Employee’s Commitment

This paper inspects the impact of the organizational justice on perceived employee’s satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Pakistan banking sector. The two components of justice, distributive justice and procedural justice, were measured separately. Self-administered survey questionnaires were used by simple random sampling. A total of 350 questionnaires were circulated in 40 different branches of different banks and 249 usable ones were received to analyze the data correlation and regression tests were used to analyze the data. The results showed that procedural justice and distributive justice have a significant positive relationship with job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The results also indicated that both procedural and distributive justice are predictor for job satisfaction and commitment. The result can help the organization that by practicing justice accurately they can increase the satisfaction and commitment level of employees.
The gustatory system influences "Drosophila" lifespan

The lifespan of an organism is affected by the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. In C. elegans, this interaction between genes and environment is mediated by the sensory system. Indeed, a subset of gustatory and olfactory neurons has been shown to inhibit worm longevity, while a different subset of gustatory neurons promotes longevity. While olfactory neurons have been found to affect lifespan through signals coming from the worm’s reproductive system, the lifespan effects of gustatory neurons are shown to be mediated by the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway. Recently, the effects of olfaction on lifespan have been reported in Drosophila, which suggests that other aspects of the sensory influence on lifespan will also be conserved between these two species. For my thesis, I show that gustatory inputs not only affect Drosophila lifespan but that they also do so in a bidirectional manner. Interestingly, I find that fly gustatory inputs influence lifespan independent of the level of food intake. Indeed, compared to controls, taste-impaired flies have an increase in feeding rates and body weights and show no decrease in lipid storage. Moreover, I show that the gustatory influence on fly lifespan is dependent on food type, i.e., this influence depends partly on yeast in the food source, which suggests that the gustatory system affects longevity in response to a number of food-derived cues. Consistent with the above hypothesis, I find that the gustatory system affects lifespan partly in parallel to the IIS pathway. I show that taste inputs shorten Drosophila lifespan through inhibition of the IIS pathway effector dFOXO, while other taste inputs lengthen lifespan via a different pathway that acts in parallel to dFOXO. These data suggest that different gustatory cues will modulate the activities of distinct molecular pathways, one of which is IIS, to optimize the animal’s survival under different environments.The findings that the gustatory and olfactory influences on lifespan exist in bothC. elegans and Drosophila raise the intriguing possibility that mammalian lifespan is also subject to the activities of the sensory system. Indeed, in mammals both gustatory and olfactory information are relayed to the hypothalamus, a region in the brain that controls neuroendocrine function and physiology. Thus, the processing of this sensory information by the hypothalamus may consequently affect lifespan.
On the life-history and ecology of Hornellia marina gen. et sp. nov., (Chloromonadineae), causing green discoloration of the sea and mortality among marine organisms off the Malabar coast

There are many published accounts dealing with " red ", " yellow " and " pink " discoloration of the sea water, caused by the occurrence in swarms of micro-organisms, particularly members of the Dinophyceae (cf. Hayes and Austin, 1951). Some of these organisms are known to affect the fishery adversely. Green discoloration of the sea, however, has not been recorded frequently. Swarms of Noctiluca harbouring a green flagellate have been recorded as having rendered the sea green by Weber and Weber van-Bosse (1890), Delsman (1939-40), Prasad (1953) and recently by Subrahmanyan (1953).
Activity of α- and θ-Defensins against Primary Isolates of HIV-11

θ-Defensins are lectin-like, cyclic octadecapeptides found in the leukocytes of nonhuman primates. They are also homologues of the more familiar α-defensins expressed by humans and certain other mammals. This study compares the ability of six θ-defensins (hominid retrocyclins 1–3 and rhesus θ-defensins 1–3) and four human α-defensins (human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) 1–4) to bind gp120 and CD4. In addition, we compared the ability of these θ-defensins and HNP-1 to protect J53-BL cells (an indicator cell line) from primary HIV-1 isolates that varied in subtype and coreceptor usage. The most potent θ-defensin, retrocyclin-2, bound with exceptionally high affinity to gp120 (KD, 9.4 nM) and CD4 (KD, 6.87 nM), and its effectiveness against subtype B isolates (IC50, 1.05 ± 0.28 μg/ml; 520 ± 139 nM) was approximately twice as great as that of HNP-1 on a molar basis. We also show, for the first time, that human α-defensins, HNPs 1–3, are lectins that bind with relatively high affinity to gp120 (KD range, 15.8–52.8 nM) and CD4 (KD range, 8.0–34.9 nM). Proteins found in human and FBS bound exogenous HNP-2 and retrocyclin-1, and competed with their ability to bind gp120. However, even the low concentrations of α-defensins found in normal human serum suffice to bind over half of the gp120 spikes on HIV-1 and a higher percentage of cell surface CD4 molecules. Although this report principally concerns the relationship between carbohydrate-binding and the antiviral properties of α- and θ-defensins, the lectin-like behavior of defensins may contribute to many other activities of these multifunctional peptides.
Production and regulation of lignin degrading enzymes from Lentinus squarrosulus (mont.) Singer and Psathyrella atroumbonata Pegler

The influence of metal ions on the production and regulation of ligninase and mycelia extension of two type Basidiomycetes (Lentinus squarrosulus and Psathyrella atroumbonata) cultivated on lignocellulose waste was investigated. Mn2+ and Ca2+ ions stimulated growth of both fungi and mycelia extension significantly. Ligninase production increased two to twelve fold under the influence of Mn2+ and Ca2+ ions at concentrations of 20 to 80 mM. Mg2+ and K+ ions did not stimulate growth and extension of fungal mycelia, rather fungal cultures became deactivated after six days. The importance of mycelia extension and enhanced enzyme production has biotechnological applications in wood and pulp, textile and tanning, as well as in oil industries. Key words : Basidiomycetes, Lentinus squarrosulus, Psathyrella atroumbonata, ligninase, cofactors. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.2(11) 2003: 444-447
The Effect of Inulin as a Fat Replacement on Dough and Biscuit Properties

This work aims to substitute inulin for (20–50%) fat in biscuits and to investigate how this manipulation would change the properties of dough and biscuits. The results showed that the inulin substitution for 20% fat did not worsen the sensory evaluation of biscuits and had the least influence on their texture. The decrease in fat and the increase in sugar content with simultaneous reduction in caloric value were noticed. The soluble dietary fiber increased compared with the control despite the fact that the polyphenol content and their activity decreased. Substitution of inulin for fat changed the rheological and textural properties of biscuit dough. Practical Applications The study demonstrates that partial replacement of fat with inulin gel in biscuits allows decreasing their caloric value and enriches them with soluble dietary fiber. The observed changes in the physical properties of the dough and in the characteristics of the final products suggest that 20% substitution could be recommended for practical applications. Higher levels of fat replacement could lead to excessive hardness of biscuits and a significant reduction in the content of polyphenols and antioxidant activity.
Implementation of the FIFA 11+ Injury Prevention Program by High School Athletic Teams Did Not Reduce Lower Extremity Injuries: Response

Dear Editor: First and foremost, I would like to commend the authors Slauterbeck et al for their work ‘‘Implementation of the FIFA 111 Injury Prevention Program by High School Athletic Teams Did Not Reduce Lower Extremity Injuries: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial,’’ which was published in the October 2019 edition of the American Journal of Sports Medicine. A study of this magnitude takes tremendous organization and effort, and the importance to our understanding of injury prevention cannot be understated. However, I am writing to caution readers in their interpretation of the data provided by this study. The authors randomized high school male and female athletes in a variety of sports to either a standard preparticipation warm-up or the FIFA 111 injury prevention program and sought to determine if this variable affected lower extremity injury rates. Based on their data, they concluded that the FIFA 111 program ‘‘did not demonstrate a reduction in lower extremity injuries in schools randomized to use the FIFA 111 program compared with schools using their usual pre-practice warm-up program. ’’ These results deviate substantially from previous level 1 studies on the subject matter, which have demonstrated a substantial benefit from injury prevention programs, including the FIFA 111. When faced with an outlier in the literature, it is incumbent upon surgeons to carefully dissect the methods of such a study to verify its validity. The present study pools all lower extremity injuries into their results, including fractures, bruises, contusions, and hematomas. The reported goal of the FIFA 111 is to reduce lower extremity injury rates. More specifically, this program is designed to reduce noncontact ACL tears through neuromuscular reeducation. The program is not equipped to protect athletes from contact-related trauma and, therefore, studies that include these injuries do not accurately reflect the efficacy of this program. In summation, I believe the present study provides us with an important understanding of the limitations of the FIFA 111 program, rather than its true value. Studies aiming to assess the efficacy of injury prevention programs should remain focused on noncontact knee injuries.
Growth, pH Tolerance, Survival, and Diet of Introduced Northern‐Strain and Native Southern‐Strain Appalachian Brook Trout

Abstract The native range of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in southern Appalachia has been drastically reduced by human activities over the last century. Restoration of brook trout populations was attempted through stocking of hatchery-reared fish that were derived from populations native to northern Appalachia; these northern brook trout are genetically distinct from populations native to southern Appalachia. The extent of ecological differences between the naturalized, hatchery-derived northern brook trout (NBKT) and native southern brook trout (SBKT) is unknown but may have important implications for southern Appalachian stream ecosystems. We used a combination of laboratory, outdoor raceway, and natural stream experiments to test for differences in growth, pH tolerance, survival, and diet between introduced NBKT and native SBKT. Fish were collected separately for each experiment from wild allopatric populations in North Carolina. Northern brook trout had higher average survival than SBKT in the la.
ANALYSIS OF UNCONDITIONAL CONSERVATISM AND EARNINGS QUALITY ON FINANCIAL REPORTING PRACTICES IN INDONESIA UPON IFRS CONVERGENCE

This study examines the unconditional conservatism and earnings quality as part of corporate governance before and after IFRS convergence in Indonesia. Specifically, this study examines the effect of eliminating the conservatism concept within the accounting framework following the development of principle based accounting standard and earnings quality on financial reporting practices. This study further examines the effect of eliminating conservatism concept to the earnings quality upon implementation of IFRS convergence on the financial reporting practices. Using content analysis on 180 annual reports of 36 manufacturinglisted companies over a 5 year period in Indonesia, this study found that unconditional conservatism has not changed significantly after IFRS convergence. However, the earnings quality of the manufacturing companies has declined upon IFRS convergence. This study also found that unconditional conservatism has positive influence on earnings quality upon IFRS convergence although the result is insignificant. From the agency theory perspective, this study highlights the introduction of accounting and governance reform on the principal-agent relationship in relation to the unconditional conservatism and earnings quality practices. The findings in this study shed some lights to the regulators, practitioners and other interested parties on the implication of IFRS convergence in a developing country such as Indonesia.
Dialysis patients who smoke are more hypertensive, more fluid overloaded and take more antihypertensive medications than nonsmokers

Abstract Background Smoking remains a powerful risk factor for death in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and so is the presence of fluid overload. The relationship between smoking, blood pressure (BP) control and volume overload is insufficiently explored in patients on maintenance dialysis. Methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional cohort study, utilizing existing patients’ data generated during routine ESRD care, including bimonthly protocol bioimpedance fluid assessment of the volume status. Results We analyzed the data of 63 prevalent patients receiving thrice weekly maintenance hemodiafiltration treatments at one rural dialysis unit in Hungary. The cohort’s mean ± SD age was 61.5 ± 15.3 years; 65% male, 38% diabetic, with a mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) 99.5 ± 16.8 mmHg and Charlson score 3.79 ± 2.04. Of these, 38 patients were nonsmokers and 25 smokers. The nonsmokers’ MAP was 94.3 ± 14.0 versus smokers’ 105.9 ± 18.9 mmHg (p: .002); nonsmokers took an average 0.73 ± 0.92 antihypertensive medications vs. 1.73 ± 1.21 for smokers (p: .0001). The distribution of taking more antihypertensive medications is skewed toward a higher number among the smokers (2x5 chi square p: .004). By bioimpedance spectroscopy, nonsmokers had an average 10.93 ± 7.65 percent overhydration (OH) over the extracellular space compared to 17.63 ± 8.98 in smokers (p: .005). Conclusions Smoking may be a significant mediator of not only BP but also of chronic fluid overload in ESRD patents. Additional, larger studies are needed to explore the mechanistic link between smoking and volume overload.
Combining ability and gene action studies for fruit yield and yield contributing traits in brinjal

Combining ability and gene action were studied in diallel mating design using seven homozygous lines namely, RCMB-10, RCMB-7, RCMB-4, RCMB-3, RCMB-1, BB-40 and BB-64. General combining ability studies revealed that RCMB-10 and BB-64 were best combiners for major yield contributing characters viz. plant height, number of primary branches per plant, fruit weight and fruit yield. However, the estimates of specific combining ability showed the highest desirable sca effects in crosses RCMB-3 x BB-64 for plant height, number of branches and number of fruits, RCMB-10 x RCMB-4 for fruit breadth, fruit weight and yield, RCMB-10 x RCMB-3 for percent fruit set and RCMB-1 x BB-64 for fruit length. Gene action analysis revealed preponderance of both additive and non-additive genes for yield and its contributing characters.