Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New non-invasive photo-identification technique for free-ranging giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) facilitates urgently needed field studies

ABSTRACT Pelage patterns, colouration and other biometric traits are perceived to be uniform in the Neotropical giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), a conception precluding the identification of individuals, which is essential for field research on the little known aspects of the species’ ecology and behaviour. Here we present a new, non-invasive technique of matrix photo-identification to identify individual giant anteaters by their natural markings. In a long-term field study in the Brazilian Pantanal, photographs of 475 giant anteater observations (396 = direct sightings, 79 = camera traps) were captured from 2010 to 2015 and considered for our analysis. Photographs were stored in a catalogue and coded in a computerised identification table, with biometric traits being categorised and described for each observed individual in a matrix. In 71% of all photographed giant anteaters, differences in pelage marking patterns, as well as other characteristics such as ear shape and scars, allowed individual recognition. We ensured consistency of the method by conducting a double-blind verification by an experienced researcher and naïve volunteers. This simple, non-invasive method can push the level of information about life history and population structure of giant anteaters, as it applies to a large array of study designs. It can thus enhance future studies, be integrated in ongoing research projects or supply additional information out of older data sets. It is applicable to expand data collection and raise awareness in local communities, and potentially for participatory citizen science methods. Altogether these are important cornerstones for conservation actions on the species which is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Power system state estimation using conditional generative adversarial network

Accurate power system state estimation (SE) is essential for power system control, optimisation, and security analyses. In this work, a model-free and fully data-driven approach was proposed for power system static SE based on a conditional generative adversarial network (GAN). Comparing with the conventional SE approach, i.e. weighted least square (WLS) based methods, any appropriate knowledge of the system model is not required in the proposed method. Without knowing the specific model, GAN can learn the inherent physics of underlying state variables purely relying on historic samples. Once the model has been trained, it can estimate the corresponding system state accurately given the system raw measurements, which are sometimes characterised by incompletions and corruptions in addition to noises. Case studies on the IEEE 118-bus system and a 2746-bus Polish system validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, and the mean absolute error is <1.2 × 10−3 and 5.3 × 10−3 rad for voltage magnitude and phase angle, respectively, which indicates a high potential for practical applications.
Phenotypic stability of strawberry cultivars assessed in three environments

We examined the agronomic performance and stability of strawberry cultivars in three environments, using the Annicchiarico and AMMI methods. Thirteen strawberry cultivars were evaluated (Aromas, Oso Grande, Dover, Sweet Charlie, Tudla, Festival, Camarosa, Monterey, Palomar, Portola, Camino Real, San Andreas and Albion), in the towns of Lavras-MG, Guarapuava-PR and Uberlândia-MG. The experimental design was blocks with randomly distributed treatments, with four replications and 18 plants per experimental unit. The total number of fruits (TNF) plant-1, total mass of fruits (TMF) g plant-1, number of commercial fruits (NCF) plant-1 and mass of commercial fruits (MCF) g plant-1 were evaluated. Variance analysis detected a significant effect for cultivar, environment, and cultivar x environment interaction for all the characteristics. The agronomic performance of the Dover cultivar stood out for TNF, TMF and NCF, while the Camarosa cultivar stood out for MCF. When we examined phenotypic stability in terms of yield in different cultivation environments, the Albion cultivar stood out for TMF, and Monterey and San Andreas for NFC.
Estimation of gene action for grain yield and its related traits in linseed (Linum Usitatissimum L.)

Genetic analysis of seed yield and its component traits were evaluatedin six crosses (Meera x T-397, Meera x KL-221, Meera x JLS-9, Shekhar x T-397, Shekhar x KL-221 and Shekhar x JLS-9) of linseed comprised of five diverse parents namely Meera, Shekhar, T-397, KL - 221 and JLS -9. Estimatesof additive, dominance andepistasis components were evaluated through generation mean analysis.Additive component was realized for number of primary branches per plant, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, capsule diameter, seed yield per plant and test weight. Dominance component was found to play an important role in the expression of number of primary branches per plant, number of seeds per capsule, seed yield per plant, test weight, oil content and rust disease reaction. Among epistatic gene interactions, additive × additive ( ) gene effect has positive significant enhancing (+) effect were observed for almost all traits whereas reducing (-) effect was observed for plant height, days to maturity, wilt disease reaction and rust disease reaction in almost all the crosses. The role of additive × dominance ( ) gene interaction play an important role in expression of almost all the traits under study in most of the crosses. Dominance × dominance (l) gene effect was observed significant for days to 50 per cent flowering, plant height, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule in almost all the crosses. Duplicate type of gene action was observed in all the six crosses for all the characters under study whereas none of the cross showed complimentary type of gene action.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE CLEFT PALATE PHENOTYPE OF TRPS1 MUTANT MICE

Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome (TRPS) is an autosomal dominantly inherited condition caused by heterozygous mutations of the TRPS1 gene. This gene codes for the GATA transcriptional factor TRPS1. Patients with TRPS exhibit multiple skeletal, hair, dental and craniofacial defects, including cleft palate. Using mouse models, one of the goals of this study is to characterize the skeletal abnormalities of Trps1-deficient mice. Skeletal staining using Alcian blue/Alizarin red revealed apparent underdevelopment of the zygomatic arch, sternum, vertebrae and anterior cranial base in Trps1-/- mice. We also found that the nose and mandible of Trps1-/- mice were significantly shorter. Additionally, cleft palate was detected in Trps1-/- mice. In order to understand the role of Trps1 in palatogenesis, immunohistochemistry was used to delineate the expression pattern of Trps1 protein in wildtype (WT) mouse tissues. We demonstrated that Trps1 was expressed in palatal shelf mesenchyme and epithelium, specifically at the medial edge epithelium. Along the anterior-posterior axis, epithelial Trps1 signal appeared to be increased in the posterior region of the palate. Lack of fusion observed in Trps1-/- mouse palatal shelves led us to examine proteins involved in the fusion process. Thus, immunohistochemistry was used to compare the expression of Tgfβ3, Twist1, and β-catenin in WT and Trps1-/- mice. Tgfβ3, β-catenin and Twist1 were all expressed in WT palatal epithelium as well but were downregulated in Trps1-/- palatal epithelium. In summary, Trps1 plays a vital role in proper skeletal and craniofacial development, including palatal shelf fusion. Trps1 is also involved in the regulation of other proteins required for palatal fusion.
Anti-Varroa Efficiency of Coumaphos and Its Influence on Oxidative Stress and Survival of Honey Bees

Apart from the efficiency of coumaphos against Varroa mites, its impact on the oxidative status and survival of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) was assessed. The research was conducted on hives from the same apiary, equalised regarding the number of bees, brood area and food storage. Based on Varroa infestation the hives were allotted to two groups: non-infested (N) and infested (I). Both groups were either treated (T) – NT and IT, or untreated (U) – NU and IU. The treatment of infested bees was controlled with a follow-up treatment with amitraz. The efficiency of coumaphos was 96-97%. This organophosphate had a negligible effect on bee survival, but it significantly affected their oxidative status: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities, and the concentrations of malonyl dialdehyde (MDA). Coumaphos significantly (p˂0.0001) decreased SOD activity in non-infested bees, but increased it in those infested. By contrast, both CAT and GST activities, as well as MDA concentrations significantly increased (from p˂0.05 to p˂0.0001) after treatment in all groups, with the exception of IT, where it declined. Coumaphos in non-infested hives caused oxidative stress per se, not unlike varroa in infested colonies. However, in infested colonies it decreased oxidative stress, owing to its efficacy against Varroa mites and contributed to the recovery of bee colonies. In spite of its certain downsides, coumaphos remains an effective anti-varroa substance, but should be used with precaution, not to add to the effects of environmental factors which may cause red-ox misbalance.
FUNCTIONAL INSIGHTS INTO RAD51 REGULATORY PROTEINS IN HOMOLOGOUS RECOMBINATION

Accurate repair of DNA is critical for genome stability and cancer prevention. DNA double-strand breaks are one of the most toxic lesions and can be repaired using the high-fidelity homologous recombination (HR) pathway. HR is highly conserved and uses a homologous template for repair. One central HR step is RAD51 nucleoprotein filament formation on the single-stranded DNA ends. RAD51 filament formation is required for the homology search and strand invasion steps of HR. RAD51 activity is tightly controlled by many positive and negative regulators, collectively termed the RAD51 mediators. The human RAD51 paralogs (RAD51B, RAD51C, RAD51D, XRCC2, XRCC3, and SWSAP1) are RAD51 mediator proteins that are highly conserved throughout eukaryotes and structurally resemble RAD51.They assemble into subcomplexes, BCDX2, CX3, and the Shu complex,to promote the HR activity of RAD51. The RAD51 mediators function to nucleate, elongate, stabilize, and disassemble RAD51 during repair. RAD51 paralog mutations are found in many breast and ovarian cancers as well as other cancer types. Despite their discovery three decades ago, few advances have been made in understanding their function. This work identified that the C. elegans Shu complex is functionally conserved from yeast and is composed of two RAD-51 paralogs, RFS-1 and RIP-1, which bind SWS-1. Disruption of the worm Shu complex results in DNA damage sensitivity and reduced RAD-51 foci showing for the first time that the Shu complex promotes HR in higher eukaryotes. In subsequent studies in human cell lines,this work demonstrated that disruption of the human RAD51 paralog, RAD51C,through cancer-associated point mutations can also cause DNA damage sensitivity and reduced HR. The conserved Walker A motif of human RAD51C is particularly important for maintaining protein-protein interactions of the BCDX2 and CX3 complexes and maintaining HR proficiency that we propose is critical for prevention of breast and ovarian cancers.Together, this work sheds light onto the function of the RAD51 regulators and their role in maintaining genome stability.
Effect of various cow-based bio-enhancers and botanicals on soil fertility after harvest, nutrient content and uptake by organic cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)

An experiment was conducted on medium black calcareous clayey soil to evaluate some cow-based bio-enhancers and botanicals for organic cultivation of cowpea (var. GC-6) during summer-2019 at Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. The experiment comprising randomized block design with twelve treatments and three replications. The results revealed that next to 100% RDF, application of FYM @ 4 t/ha + Biofertilizers (Rhizobium @ 30 ml/kg seed + PSB @ 3 L/ha + KSB @ 3 L/ha) and Panchagavya as foliar spray @ 3% at 30 and 45 DAS + FYM @ 2 t/ha found significantly higher in terms of P content in seed, NPK content in stover and NPK uptake by organic cowpea. Whereas, the content of N and K in seed were significantly higher under FYM @ 4 t/ha + Biofertilizers (Rhizobium @ 30 ml/kg seed + PSB @ 3 L/ha + KSB @ 3 L/ha), followed by RDF through chemical fertilizers, Panchagavya as foliar spray @ 3% at 30 and 45 DAS + FYM 2 t/ha and Jeevamrut @ 500 L/ha with irrigation at sowing, 30 and 45 DAS + FYM 2 t/ha. While higher organic carbon and available NPK after harvest of the cowpea were recorded under the treatment of FYM @ 4 t/ha + Biofertilizers (Rhizobium @ 30 ml/kg seed + PSB @ 3 L/ha + KSB @ 3 L/ha), followed by FYM @ 4 t/ha and Jeevamrut @ 500 L/ha with irrigation at sowing, 30 and 45 DAS + FYM 2 t/ha.
A New Pedagogy to Enhance the Safety and Resilience of Journalists in Dangerous Environments Globally

Risks to journalists are rising with disasters, epidemics, physical, mental and digital harassment all increasing globally. Some 1382 journalists have been killed since 1992 and 246 are imprisoned. However, the threat type has been changing, with the majority of journalists killed annually being ones working in their own country, often who are targeted for assassination. In response, UNESCO and others have called for research into best practice for safety education to halt this and the consequential decline in global media freedom. This five-year award winning project, A Holistic Humanitarian Approach to Enhance the Safety and Resilience of Journalists Globally, tested the hypothesis that a new pedagogy based on a ‘holistic humanitarian’ philosophy would be more effective in protecting journalists working in dangerous domains globally than existing provisions. The little-changed 30-year-old dominant international provision, the ‘military battlefield’ pedagogy, is used by the world’s major news organizations like BBC, CNN and the New York Times. This new pedagogy adapted and customized best practice from other professions and used Taylor’s 2020 Competencies for Disaster Healthcare professionals. A new program was devised and the two international cohorts who took it in 2018 and 2019 judged that it ‘very significantly’ enhanced their resilience and safety skills. Its concentration on group and individual physical and mental resilience building, risk mitigation, psychology, communication, self-defence, and digital security skill acquisition was a paradigm shift in training internationally for news professionals in dangerous environments. The research, thus, proved the study’s hypotheses.
Leiomyosarcoma in a cockatiel

ABSTRACT: Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) are exotic birds thatoriginated from Australia.Because of their beauty and learning ability, they are one of the most popular pet birds among the Psittaciformes. The objective of this study was to report a case of leiomyosarcoma on the humeral musculature of the left wing of a cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus). The animal was admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (NURFS-CETAS) of the Universidade Federal de Pelotas withswelling in the humeral region of the left wing. During surgery, the animal died and was transferred to the Laboratório Regional de Diagnóstico, Faculdade de Veterinária (LRD-UFPel). During histopathological evaluation (hematoxylin and eosin routine technique) of the tumor, spindle neoplastic cells were observed, arranged in interlaced bundles amongst degenerate and normal muscle fibers. Using immunohistochemistry, neoplastic cells were positively immunostained for vimentin and alpha smooth muscle actin. Based on of clinical-pathological and immunohistochemical findings, leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed.
Neutrophil activation by nanomaterials in vitro: comparing strengths and limitations of primary human cells with those of an immortalized (HL-60) cell line

Abstract Assessment of nanomaterial (NM) induced inflammatory responses has largely relied on rodent testing via measurement of leukocyte accumulation in target organs. Despite observations that NMs activate neutrophil driven inflammatory responses in vivo, a limited number of studies have investigated neutrophil responses to NMs in vitro. We compared responses between the human neutrophil-like HL-60 cell line and human primary neutrophils following exposure to silver (Ag), zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) NMs. NM cytotoxicity and neutrophil activation were assessed by measuring cellular metabolic activity, cytokine production, respiratory burst, and release of neutrophil extracellular traps. We observed a similar pattern of response between HL-60 cells and primary neutrophils, however we report that some neutrophil functions are compromised in the cell line. Ag NMs were consistently observed to stimulate neutrophil activation, with CuO NMs inducing similar though weaker responses. TiO2 NMs did not induce a neutrophil response in either cell type. Interestingly, ZnO NMs readily induced activation of HL-60 cells but did not appear to activate primary cells. Our findings are relevant to the development of a tiered testing strategy for NM hazard assessment which promotes the use of non-rodent models. Whilst we acknowledge that HL-60 cells may not be a perfect substitute for primary cells and require further investigation regarding their ability to predict neutrophil activation, we recommend their use for initial screening of NM-induced inflammation. Primary human neutrophils can then be used for more focused assessments of neutrophil activation before progressing to in vivo models where necessary.
Water quality considerations for the culture of tropical edible frog (Hoplobatrachus occipitalis) from tadpole stage to full metamorphosis

Good water quality is necessary for artificial cultivation of frogs. There has not been a recommended value for water quality in frog culture. This study was undertaken to determine the ranges of some water quality parameters for the culture of Hoplobatrachus occipitalis from tadpole stage to full metamorphosis. 180 tadpoles were distributed into 3 tanks each filled with 60 litre water and renewed through a flow-through system. Water quality parameters were measured for 16 weeks during which the tadpoles fully metamorphosed with only about 10 % mortality. Results showed temperature ranged between 24.1 and 27.2 °C, pH 6.8–7.2. Conductivity varied between 240 and 280 μS/cm, Total Dissolved Solids 161–188 mg/l, Alkalinity 225–200 mg/l, Calcium, Magnesium and Total Hardness were in the ranges of 80–100 mg/l, 40–60 mg/l and 120–160 mg/l, respectively. Phosphate and Nitrate varied between 0.3–0.8 and 0.8–1.3 mg/l, respectively. Dissolved oxygen was between 6.2 and 6.9 mg/l, while Ammonia ranged between 0.10 mg/l and 0.22 mg/l. These ranges were good water quality values for the rearing of the species, because of the full metamorphosis of the frog and the low (10 %) mortality rate recorded in 16 weeks. The flow through system which allowed frequent change of water and the ground (borehole) water used for culture helped in achieving the good water quality in the tanks.
The Monetary Policy Credibility Channel and the Amplification Effects in a Semi-Structural Model

The paper extends a standard semi-structural model to account for nonlinear and asymmetric effects of monetary policy credibility. In our setting, central bank credibility is proportional to the deviation of inflation expectations from the announced inflation target, with positive deviations being more costly compared to negative ones. A loss in policy credibility as a result of shocks leads to a more persistent, backward-looking inflation process, and is associated with lower output. We find that the extended model with credibility effects matches well the key macroeconomic data over specific past episodes for Indonesia and Philippines and consider its adaptation to integrated policy frameworks as an area for further exploration.
APPLICABILITY OF THE SWAT HYDROLOGICAL MODEL IN THE MUCURI RIVER BASIN

Land-use changes promote significant variations in streamflow regimes, and hydrological models allow studying their impacts. Based on this approach, this study aimed to assess the applicability of the SWAT model for different land-use scenarios and their respective impacts on the flow regime of the Mucuri River. The average monthly and daily water balance was generated after the calibration and validation of the SWAT model in the basin. Three land-use scenarios were analyzed in relation to the current land use, as follows: replacement of the agricultural area by the eucalyptus crop, replacement of the native forest area by the sugarcane crop, and replacement of pasture by exposed soil. The results showed that the SWAT model is adequate to simulate the land-use change and its impact on the flow regime of the Mucuri River; the replacement of agriculture by eucalyptus in the basin led to a decrease in the average and minimum reference streamflows; and the replacement of the forest cover by sugarcane and pasture by exposed soil provided an increase in the average and minimum reference streamflows.
Modeling crop breeding for global food security during climate change

The 2009 Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security requires a sustainable increase in global food production of 70% by 2050. However, the rate of increase in global crop grain yield, which rose during the late 20th century, is now declining (Alexandratos & Bruinsma, 2012), and most studies predict a decrease in grain yield of 10%–25% in the late 21st century as a result of higher global temperatures (IPCC, 2014). Grain crops such as wheat, maize, and rice produce more than 60% of the Received: 6 July 2018 | Revised: 27 September 2018 | Accepted: 2 October 2018 DOI: 10.1002/fes3.157
Testing the Mantel statistic with a spatially‐constrained permutation procedure

Mantel tests are widely used in ecology to assess the significance of the relationship between two distance matrices computed between pairs of samples. However, recent studies demonstrated that the presence of spatial autocorrelation in both distance matrices induced inflations of parameter estimates and type I error rates. These results also hold for partial Mantel test which is supposed to control for the spatial structures. To address the issue of spatial autocorrelation in testing the Mantel statistic, we developed a new procedure based on spatially constrained randomizations using Moran spectral randomization. A simulation study was conducted to assess the performance of this new procedure. Different scenarios were considered by manipulating the number of variables, the number of samples, the regularity of the sampling design and the level of spatial autocorrelation. As identified by previous studies, we found that Mantel statistic and its associated type I error rate are inflated in simple and partial Mantel tests when both distances matrices are spatially structured. We showed that these biases increased with the number of variables, decreased with the number of samples and were slightly lower for regular than irregular sampling. The new procedure succeeded in correcting the spurious inflations of the parameter estimates and type I error rates in any of the presented scenarios. Our results suggest that studies from several fields (e.g. genetic or community ecology) could have been overestimating the relationship between two distances matrices when both presented spatial autocorrelation. We proposed an alternative solution applicable in every field to correctly compute Mantel statistic with a fair type I error rate.