Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variance components and response to selection for reproductive, litter and growth traits through a multi-purpose index

Variance components and genetic trends were estimated for number of services/parturition (NS), parturition interval (PI), number born alive (NB), number weaned/litter born (NW), litter weaning weight (LW), 30-d individual weaning (WW) and 70-d (W70) weights and a mullipltHrait selection index (MI) in rabbits from a closed population in Botucatu, Southeast Brazil. Phenolypic values for two litter (NW and LWW), and two individual performance (WW and W70) traits were included in the index. Individual selection according to the multiple-trait index was practised for a 2.6-yr period (January 1992 through July 1994). Performance records collected for five years (July 1989 through July 1994) on 2,162 parturitions, 2,122 litters, and 10,440 individuals were included in the analyses. The general model used to estimate variance components and breeding values included the random effects of animal, maternal genetic, and permanent dam effects (for reproductive and litter traits) or common litler effects (for individual weight traits), and fixed effects of parity, parturition date, sex (for individual weight traits) and covariates of the inbreeding coefficient of the dam (for reproductive and litter traits) or of the rabbit and its dam (for individual weight traits). Inbreeding coefficients ranged from 0 to 0.36. For reproductive and litter traits, estimates of permanent dam effects ranged from 0.03 to 0.09 and estimates of direct heritability ranged from 0.02 to 0.05. The estimated genetic correlation between NS and PI was 0.73. For WW, W70, and MI, estimates of direct and maternal heritabilities and direct-maternal genetic correlation were 0.08, 0.08 and 0.28; 0.18, 0.05 and 0.76; and -0.35, 0.59 and -0.46, respectively. Estimated common litter effects for WW and W70 were 0.44 and 0.26, respectively. Estimates of direct genetic trends/yr for NS, PI, NB, NW and LW were -0.0037 ± 0.0003 services, -0.200 ± 0.030 d, 0.034 ± 0.010 young/litter, 0.039 ± 0.006 young/litter, and 35.2 ± 4.6 g, respectively. Estimates of direct and maternal genetic trends/yr were 6.74 ± 0.39 g and 1.58 ± 0.60 g for WW; 17.20 ± 1.22 g and 8.35 ± 0.71 g for W70; and 4.91 ± 0.65 and -2.34 ± 0.39 for MI. Individual weight traits showed meaningful genetic trends with multiple-trait selection, whereas reproductive and litter traits showed slight, but favourable genetic changes. lt seems possible to achieve slow, but simultaneous improvement of litler and growth traits with a multiple­trait selection program in rabbits.
A systematic review on security issues in vehicular ad hoc network

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) have been widely used in intelligent transportation system to provide safety and security alongwith reduction in traffic jam using vehicle‐to‐vehicle (V2V) and vehicle‐to‐roadside (V2R) unit communications. However, one of the major concerns in VANETs is to maintain the privacy and security of the sensitive information shared between vehicles and end‐users, as information leakage can influence any implemented solution in this environment. Keeping view on the above‐mentioned points, this paper provides a detailed survey on various types of attacks and possible solutions to handle these attacks. Using the proposed survey, a detailed taxonomy based upon the types of attacks and possible solutions to handle these attacks is proposed. Finally, various emerging open issues and challenges along with the security threats are identified and discussed in the paper. These open research issues motivate the communities to design new solutions to mitigate the existing new security threats in this area.
[Research Paper] Detecting Evolutionary Coupling Using Transitive Association Rules

If two or more program entities (such as files, classes, methods) co-change (i.e., change together) frequently during software evolution, then it is likely that these two entities are coupled (i.e., the entities are related). Such a coupling is termed as evolutionary coupling in the literature. The concept of traditional evolutionary coupling restricts us to assume coupling among only those entities that changed together in the past. The entities that did not co-change in the past might also have coupling. However, such couplings can not be retrieved using the current concept of detecting evolutionary coupling in the literature. In this paper, we investigate whether we can detect such couplings by applying transitive rules on the evolutionary couplings detected using the traditional mechanism. We call these couplings that we detect using our proposed mechanism as transitive evolutionary couplings. According to our research on thousands of revisions of four subject systems, transitive evolutionary couplings combined with the traditional ones provide us with 13.96% higher recall and 5.56% higher precision in detecting future co-change candidates when compared with a state-of-the-art technique.
Rehabilitation of Degraded Areas of Central Amazonia Using Direct Sowing of Forest Tree Seeds

Deforestation in the Amazon Basin is still increasing, and the rehabilitation of these lands continues to be a challenge. Autoecological studies of most Amazonian species are rare, and efficient techniques for restoration of forested habitats have yet to be developed. The aim of this study was to test direct sowing as a rehabilitation technique for sites with different degrees of disturbance: bare soil, pasture, and secondary and mature forests in Central Amazonia, Brazil. At each site, we sowed seeds of 11 native tree species. Throughout the following year we evaluated germination and seedling survival. The germination differed according to the study site and species. Seedling survival in degraded sites was higher than in other areas. After 1 year in the bare soil site, 33% of the sown seeds of eight species developed seedlings; in the pasture the establishment was 23%, in secondary forest 15%, and in mature forest 12% of only four species. The only widespread survivor with more than 45% emergence in all perturbed sites was Caryocar villosum. No pioneer seedlings remained after 1 year. There was a positive correlation between seed size and survival. Large‐seeded non‐pioneer species seem to be more suitable for direct sowing than small‐seeded species. We recommend a combination of direct sowing and planting of seedlings as an appropriate means to accelerate the rehabilitation of degraded areas in Central Amazonia.
The Effect of Aquatic Task Training on Gait and Balance Ability in Stroke Patients

Purpose: The purpose of study was to measure stroke patients’ ability to balance and their degrees of clinical function and to examine the effect of the aquatic exercise method using tasks related to these features. Methods: Twenty stroke patients were randomly assigned to an aquatic task exercise group and a land task exercise group. Both groups used the same exercise method for 60 minutes each session, three times a week for 12 weeks at the same time point and with the same amount of exercise. Results: Before and after the exercise, static balance was measured using balance measuring instruments locomotive faculties, muscular strength, and dynamic balancewere assessed through the Berg balance and 10 m gait tests. Finally, gait abilities were measured, and the data obtained were analyzed to generate the results. Conclusion: Both groups showed significant improvement, but the aquatic exercise group showed slightly more significant results in static balance, Berg balance, and upright walking tests. It is thought that the improvement of stroke patients’ balance and gait ability can be triggered through the application of aquatic exercise programs in the future.
Circadian clock components in Arabidopsis I. The terminal flower 1 enhances the early flowering phenotype of a mutant, lhy cca1

Two myb-related proteins, LHY and CCA1 are essential for circadian clock function in Arabidopsis. Double loss-of-function of lhy cca1 shows a photoperiod-insensitive phenotype and a shortened generation time under short-days (SDs). To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying early flowering of lhy cca1 mutants, we screened for mutations that enhanced the phenotype of lhy cca1 under SDs. Here we show that one of the enhancer mutations is a novel allele of a shoot-identity gene, terminal flower 1 (tfl1). Triple loss-of-function of lhy cca1 tfl1 causes precocious and ectopic expression of LFY and AP1 and dramatically reduces the generation time of Arabidopsis. The additive phenotype in lhy cca1 tfl1 may be due to convergence of the autonomous and photoperiod pathways. Reduction of generation time of crops is an important issue for molecular breeding. Our results highlight a possibility that combining loss-of-function of the circadian clock and one of the shoot-identity genes can be applied for the marker-assisted breeding to manipulate flowering time of crops.
Appendages of the arthropod Kunmingella from the early Cambrian of China: Its bearing on the systematic position of the Bradoriida and the fossil record of the Ostracoda

The first discovery of the appendages belonging to the Bradoriida s.str. Arthropoda - generally supposed to have been ostracodes until now — is reported in Kunmingella from the early Cambrian soft-bodied ‘Chengjiang’ Lagerstatte of China. Although this evidence does not particularly clarify the affinities of Kunmingella within the Arthropoda, it does demonstrate that this genus, and by implication other taxonomically allied bradoriids in general, are neither ostracode, crustacean s.str. nor closely related to the Phosphatocopida (also conventionally classed as ostracodes). This has far-reaching implications for the stratigraphical distribution and evolution of the Class Ostracoda: that much (all? ) of their Cambrian record is most likely spurious. The discovery also endorses the fact that arthropod radiation involved several different types of convergently bivalved groups.
ON THE STATUS OF Boiga ocellata KROON, 1973, WITH THE DESIGNATION OF A NEOTYPE FOR Boiga siamensis NOOTPAND, 1971 (SERPENTES, COLUBRIDAE)

The morphologies of 164 adders ( Vipera berus berus ) were analyzed in order to assess if morphological differences occur between the Northern and the Italian clades. Pholidosis and some corporal proportions were measured, corresponding to 17 parameters. Several parameters show significant differences between clades (e.g., subcaudals, labials, sublabials, parietal scales). Moreover, discriminant analyses separate both clades with high degrees of accuracy of a correct classifying.
Intracohort and intercohort spatial density dependence in juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta)

An increased mobility with age can be expected for many organisms, which will reduce the potential for spatial density dependence. Here we quantify the extent of spatial density dependence for two juvenile age classes of brown trout (Salmo trutta) that differ in their dispersal abilities. As predicted, spatial variation in intracohort density had a strong effect on the performance of underyearlings, but not on yearlings. However, rather surprisingly, local underyearling density influ- enced the energetics of the older age class to the same extent as their own. Thus, yearlings do not appear to prioritize growth rate per se as a cue in movement decisions. The spatial patterns of densities and performance are consistent with older fish distributing themselves primarily according to preferred abiotic variables that also influence energetics. Such de- cisions would remove any relation between local density of their own age class and growth performance. However, be- cause of competitive effects from the patchily distributed younger age class, spatial homogenization of competition intensities appears to be constrained. Variation in yearling body mass also increased with density of their own age class, indicating that even though the average effect of intracohort competition was absent, the individual response was asymmet- ric.
Utility of evaluation of P53 and BRCA1 in invasive breast cancers: An immunohistochemical study

Introduction: Even with the advent of effective treatment strategies for breast cancer, the prognostication and treatment of each case varies owing to the varied expression of different prognostic markers. Aims and Objectives: In this study, there has been an attempt to study the immunohistochemical expression of p53 and BRCA1 proteins in invasive breast cancers and to find the correlation if any, between the expressions of p53 and BRCA1 with various prognostic factors like histological grading, the hormone receptors and Her-2/neu status. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Pathology at S.C. B. Medical College, Cuttack. Fifty histologically proven cases of invasive carcinoma of were included in the study. Results: P53 positivity was seen in 40% of cases in our study while BRCA1 expression was observed in 48% of the total cases. P53 positivity was found to be associated with higher histologic grades (p value =0.05), Her-2/neu [removed]p value = 0.0005) and negative hormone receptors (p value = 0.0046). BRCA1 positivity was well associated with positive hormone receptors (p value = 0.03). The absence of BRCA1 staining was mostly seen in tumours of large sizes (p value = 0.01) and higher histologic grades (p value = 0.04). No significant association was seen between the expressions of BRCA1 and HER-2/neu. Conclusion: Immunohistochemical staining of P53 can be used as a prognostic indicator in cases of invasive breast carcinoma. The immunohistochemical detection of BRCA1 may be used to generate a larger pathologic picture of breast cancers in conjunction with the traditional prognostic parameters. Keywords: P53, BRCA1, Immunohistochemistry, Breast carcinoma.
Effect of Zingiber officinal (ginger) and Glycyrrhiza uralensis (licorice) on experimental S. mansoni life cycle and investing the composition (metabolites) changes in different tissues

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of both ginger (Zingiber officinal) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) on different S. mansoni life cycle; miracidia, cercariae, schistosomula and adult worm in vitro. In addition, this study aimed at separation and quantification of pyruvic, lactic, succnic, fumaric, malic, acetic, propionic and acetoacetic acids in the tissue of each parasite life cycle using ion-suppression reversed -phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after treatments of the different S. mansoniparasites with the lethal doses of plant extracts. Using such data, we can then evaluate in a broader manner, the physiological processes that cannot permit the parasites to survive under these treatment, and to test the potentiality of these extracts to produce disturbances in these metabolites, as they refer to different metabolic pathways to be used as diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers. Key words: Zingiber officinal, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, metabolites, life cycle.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: prevalence of and risk factors associated with colonization of patients on admission to the Teaching hospital, Karapitiya

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes a substantial burden of community-acquired and nosocomial infection. Prior colonization with MRSA is a recognized risk factor for MRSA infection. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for MRSA colonization at admission to surgical, medical and orthopaedic wards of Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka. From September 2016 to March 2017, consecutive patients admitted to orthopaedic wards and every fifth patient admitted to medical and general surgical wards were enrolled. A nasal swab was collected from the anterior nares within 24 hours of admission and tested using standard microbiologic procedures. Clinical and demographic data were collected. A total of 502 patients were enrolled, including 152 medical, 201 general surgical, and 149 orthopaedic patients. The median age was 45 years (range 3- 85 years) and 58% of patients were male. At admission, 31 (6.2%) were colonized with MRSA. Colonization prevalence was higher in orthopaedic (18, 12.1%) compared to medical (6, 4.0%) and general surgical (7, 3.5%) patients, p=0.002. Patients colonized with MRSA on admission were more likely to be children <18 years (29% vs 8.7%, p=0.0003) and male (80.6% vs 56.5%, p=0.008). Hospitalization, history of surgery, antibiotic intake, and healthcare-related employment within the previous six months were not associated with MRSA colonization on admission. Use of public swimming pools, history of incarceration, and use of illicit drugs were significantly associated with MRSA colonization. MRSA colonization was highest among orthopaedic patients. Improved infection control efforts and targeted decolonization may help decrease MRSA colonization.
Genetic diversity analysis of rice cultivars from various origins using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

Genetic diversity is of paramount importance for the success of any plant breeding program. An experiment was conducted to assess the extent of genetic diversity and similarity of 24 rice cultivars from various origins using 29 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 144 alleles were detected at the 29 SSR primer pairs evaluated in the 24 cultivars. The number of alleles per loci ranged from 3 to 8 with a mean of 4.966 alleles per locus. The mean unbiased expected hetrozygosity (UH e ) and expected hetrozygosity (H e ) were 0.674 and 0.659, respectively. Cluster analysis using UPGMA algorism divided the 24 cultivars into two major groups. Group I contained the two NERICA, all japonica, and a tropical japonica cultivar. Group II contained the NPT and all indica cultivars. The genetic diversity analysis showed the presence of higher allelic diversity in the cultivars analyzed. NERICA cultivars, which showed greater dissimilarity from all the other cultivars, could be used as parents in future breeding programs so as to come up with transgresive segregants. Keywords: Genetic diversity, hetrozygosity, NERICA, rice, simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(26), pp. 4074-4081
Nestling growth and fledging success in manipulated American kestrel broods

To study factors regulating clutch size in American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), brood manipulation experiments were performed on captive and wild birds in southwestern Quebec during 1986 and 1987. The largest normally occurring brood size was 5 young. Manipulations enlarged or decreased broods to 7 or 2 young, respectively. Significantly more young fledged from wild control and enlarged broods in 1987 than from comparable groups in 1986. The average number of young fledging from enlarged wild broods in 1987 was slightly higher than for control broods, but fledging weight was significantly depressed in enlarged broods. Growth rates and tarsal and antebrachial length at fledging were not affected by brood size, but development of primary feathers was slower in enlarged wild broods. Parental ability to adequately feed all young appears to be the major factor limiting brood size in American Kestrels.
Mental representation of self in relationships indirectly affects young Black women’s engagement in risky sexual behaviors through psychosocial HIV/STI risk factors

ABSTRACT Black females are disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infections (STIs), though individual-level sexual risk factors do not appear to explain racial/ethnic HIV incidence rate disparities. The current study examined the roles of attachment representations, working models of self and others, with psychosocial risk factors related to population-level sexual network features in association with risky sexual behaviors. A total of 560 Black emerging adult females (M age = 20.58, SD = 1.89) enrolling in a behavioral HIV prevention intervention trial completed the baseline assessment used in the current analyses. A series of multiple mediator models examined indirect effects of working models of self and others on sexual risk engagement through the following psychosocial HIV/STI risk factors: (a) partner communication self-efficacy, (b) fear of condom negotiation, (c) peer norms for risky sexual behavior, (d) partner trust and (e) sex-related alcohol expectancies. Results indicated an indirect effect of working model of self on the following: condom use with boyfriend/main partner through peer norms for risky sex (ab = .08, 95% CI [.02, .17]), any alcohol use prior to sex through peer norms for risky sex (ab = −.06, 95% CI [−.12, −.02]) and alcohol use prior to sex through sex-related alcohol expectancies (ab = −.13, 95% CI [−.21, −.05]). Findings provided evidence of a direct association between working model of self and each psychosocial HIV/STI risk factor included in the mediation models. Working model of self may help identify Black females at elevated risk for HIV/STI through these psychosocial risk factors.
PA Innovations in livestock, grazing systems and rangeland management to improve landscape productivity and sustainability

Innovative precision agriculture (PA) technologies are increasingly being used in the plant industries whilst similar techniques and opportunities have been slow to evolve in the grazing industries. The need for improved animal production efficiency is driving many producers to evaluate the PA technologies that could be applied in grazing systems, from site specific management (SSM) of fertiliser, objective pasture biomass measurement, individual animal production assessment and automatic livestock monitoring technologies (ALMS). This paper explores some of these, including SSM, ALMS, walk-over-weigh and remote automated drafting technologies in the context of their potential value for graziers seeking to implement them.
Managing workplace stress to enhance safer practice in community pharmacy: a scoping study

Managing workplace stress to enhance safer practice in community pharmacy: a scoping study Workplace stress is a current concern for community pharmacists. Role expansion, pressures to meet targets, perceived staff shortages, and long working days with few opportunities for rest breaks have left some pharmacists struggling to cope with increasing workloads and have led to concerns that patient safety is being compromised.
Survival of sulfate-reducing bacteria in oxic surface sediment of a seawater lake

Abstract Microhabitats and survival of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in an oxic surface sediment of a seawater lake were examined. The size of fractionation of the sediment suspension showed that most of SRB were associated with sediment particles larger than 10 μm. The D values (time in h required to destroy 90% of the initial viable population) for SRB in the whole sediment suspension and for SRB i n the μ m and the μ m fractions were, respectively, 23.7, 10 and 4 when the SRB were exposed to air. Survival of the FeS-associated Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ( D value, 9.3) was higher than that of the free-living ones ( D value, 1.8). These results show that particle-associated SRB are more protected against oxygen than free-living ones in oxic sediments.
Effect of heat treatment on the antigenicity of bovine α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin in whey protein isolate

Abstract The effect of heat treatment on the antigenicity of α-lactalbumin (α-LA) and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) in whey protein isolate (WPI) was investigated at temperatures in the range of 50–120°C for times from 0.5 to 30 min. The antigenicity was determined by an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The heat denaturation of α-LA and β-LG was revealed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. The antigenicity of α-LA and β-LG increased with increasing temperature from 50 to 90°C and the highest antigenicity of α-LA and β-LG was detected at 90°C. However, above 90°C the antigenicity of both proteins showed a remarkable decrease. When treated at 120°C for 20 min, the antigenicity of α-LA decreased below the initial value of the untreated sample. The antigenicity of α-LA and β-LG in WPI can be decreased at certain heat temperature and time.