Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ovarian Follicle Disaggregation to Assess Granulosa Cell Viability

Background: Mammalian ovaries contain follicles containing an oocyte enclosed by layers of granulosa cells (GC). Follicle growth and oocyte maturation are largely dependent on GC numbers and viability, but there is no established, reliable method for assessing the number of viable GC within an isolated follicle. Methods: Centrifugation conditions and the Trypan Blue (TB) Exclusion assay were optimised for low cell densities compatible with the numbers of GC in follicles. Mouse ovarian follicles were disaggregated to produce a single cell suspension of GC which were examined by TB (n = 4), but also by crystal violet assay in a 96-well plate format after 24 h in vitro (n = 3). GC viability in vitro was characterised further by using enzyme-linked immunoassays to quantify GC production of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and estrogen. Results: The centrifugation and low cell density TB protocol could accurately measure the viability of 78 GC in 10 μL, with an intra-assay coefficient of variation (CoV) 22%, and inter-assay CoV 7%. The best follicle disaggregation method (30 min 37°C exposure to 2 mg/mL collagenase prior to 30 min exposure to 0.025% hyaluronidase) yielded (656 ± 87) GC per antral follicle of which 82% ± 5% were viable. Culturing 312 - 20,000 GC per well for 24 hours and assessing viability by crystal violet assay generated a linear correlation between OD value and viable GC number (R2 = 0.98) and estrogen concentration per well (R2 = 0.92). 20,000 GC per well produced 143 ± 16 pg/mL estrogen during 24 hours in vitro, but no detectable AMH. Conclusion: This is the first report describing the isolation of viable, estrogen-producing GC from murine follicles, and their subsequent culture. These procedures are transferrable to other species including humans and can be applied to screening the reproductive toxicity of pharmaceutical agents.
Inoculative release of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (Oswego) and Steinernema feltiae Filipjev (NY04) mixture can enhance biological control of soil-dwelling pests in turfgrass production systems

ABSTRACT In this study, the utility of inoculative releases of local strains of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema feltiae isolated from northern New York (NY) State for managing soil-dwelling pests in sod (turfgrass production systems) was evaluated. The objectives of the project were to (a) quantify changes in biocontrol potential during the sod production process and (b) evaluate the potential for the nematodes to suppress populations of soil-dwelling turf pests following harvest and installation at a new site. A field study was conducted on four sod fields in central NY State on soils with varying texture and organic matter content, and a post-harvest sod installation study was performed in the greenhouse on a sandy loam soil. Nematode-induced mortality of Galleria mellonella was increased significantly one month following inoculation but differed between fields with different soil types, likely due to variation in soil organic matter content. In the following year, nematode persistence in sod fields was low, likely driven by moderate to severe drought conditions. In contrast, upon harvest and installation, significant nematode-induced mortality was observed in soil receiving an installation of muck-produced sod. Enhanced nematode-induced mortality was detected in both the greater wax moth and third instar Japanese beetle larvae. This study indicates that inoculation of sod with entomopathogenic nematodes can improve biocontrol potential during sod production and after harvest, however, the utility of this practice is sensitive to soil conditions, and likely most efficacious on coarse-textured soils with high organic matter.
Tree and bird functional groups as indicators of recovery of regenerating subtropical coastal dune forests

Functional diversity indicators are increasingly used to monitor forest function recovery because they connect biodiversity to ecosystem functions. However, identifying which functions deviate from a reference forest has not received much attention, despite its potential to inform restoration interventions. In this study, we used functional groups to assess the recovery of ecosystem functions in regenerating coastal dune forests. We surveyed birds and trees in forest of different ages and a reference old‐growth forest in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa. We classified species into functional groups for each taxa based on functional traits or a priori defined categories (i.e. guilds) and quantified the number of species within functional groups as a proxy of function stability. Bird species density followed an asymptotic trajectory, reaching old‐growth forest values after 25 years. Insectivores and granivores showed saturating trajectories, whereas small frugivores and generalists increased linearly. With the exception of large frugivores, relative abundances of bird functional groups progressed towards old‐growth forest values as the forest aged. Tree species density increased linearly with forest age. In contrast to old‐growth forests, large‐canopy trees and understory shrubs were under‐represented, while mid‐canopy trees dominated regenerating forests. Our result suggests that most bird, but not tree, functions may have been restored. The trend in large frugivore numbers may warrant further investigation, as their low numbers may have hampered the recovery of tree functions. We conclude that functional group trajectories can track functions that deviate from a benchmark, and may therefore direct adaptive actions to recover the stability of regenerating forest.
Word skipping during the lexical acquisition process

During reading, most words are identified in the fovea through a direct fixation; however, readers also identify some words in the parafovea without directly fixating them. This word skipping process is influenced by many lexical and visual factors including word length, launch position, frequency, and predictability. Although these factors are well understood, there is some disagreement about the process that leads to word skipping and the degree to which skipped words are processed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the word skipping process when readers are exposed to novel words in an incidental lexical acquisition paradigm. Participants read 18 three-letter novel words (i.e., pru, cho) in three different informative contexts each while their eye movements were monitored. They then completed a surprise test of their orthographic and semantic acquisition and a spelling skill assessment. Mixed-effects models indicated that participants learned spellings and meanings of words at the same rate regardless of the number of times that they were skipped. However, word skipping rates increased across the three exposures and reading times decreased. Results indicate that readers appear to process skipped words to the same degree as fixated words. However, this may be due to a more cautious skipping process used during lexical acquisition of unfamiliar words compared to processing of already known words.
Disinvestment in Indian central public sector enterprises: a performance improvement measure

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to represent an attempt to empirically capture the impact of disinvestment on the financial and operating performance of 26 Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) listed central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) in India which got divested through stock market mechanism during the time period of 2000–2014.Design/methodology/approachThrough ratio analysis different ratios such as return on assets, return on equity, net income efficiency, debt equity, dividend payout and employment levels have been computed. Pre- and post disinvestment performance of these firms is examined through Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The present research endeavors to examine the impact of disinvestment through random effect panel data models in order to control the effect of other firm specific variables.FindingsThe overall results of the study indicate statistically significant fall in profitability ratios. The empirical results have not witnessed positive effect of disinvestment on the profitability of the CPSEs; rather, this effect has found to be negative. The possible reasons behind these negative results could be poor pre disinvestment financial health of CPSEs, negative rate of return on capital employed by PSEs and inefficiency which need to be tested empirically by future researchers.Originality/valueThe fact that government-owned firms are typically less proficient or at least less gainful than private-owned firms is widely hypothesized. Therefore, the disinvestment policy aims at dropping the participation of the public sector in the economic actions of the country in order to support the private sector. The present study is a first of its kind to study the impact of disinvestment on the profitability of the firms, which got divested through stock market mechanism since the year 2000 by applying both univariate and multivariate analysis.
A review on the state-of-the-art of surface finishing processes and related ISO/ASTM standards for metal additive manufactured components

ABSTRACT The current state-of-the-art metal additive manufacturing (AM) process still cannot meet the high industry requirements in terms of surface roughness. In addition, there are limited ISO/ASTM standards on the post-processing of metal AM components. Considerable efforts have been made to close these current gaps and challenges for standardization. In this review, First, all the existing ISO/ASTM standards under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F42 on additive manufacturing technologies are briefly discussed. Second, two of the most promising additive manufacturing processes: powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED), as well as their common defects of AM components, are thoroughly reviewed. The build quality, surface finish characteristics, and dimensional integrity of the as-built AM components are still not satisfactory (i.e., Ra > 5 µm and Rz > 100 µm). Third, the review is focused on identifying potential solutions to surface-finish complex additive manufactured geometries and reduce the surface roughness to meet the industry requirements (i.e., Ra < 1 µm and Rz < 20 µm). Current state-of-the-art surface finishing techniques, their material removal mechanisms, process parameters, advantages, and limitations to post-process PBF components are discussed. The technical gaps and future perspectives in enhancing the surface quality of AM components are outlined.
A revision of Temnodontosaurus crassimanus (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) of Whitby, Yorkshire, UK

ABSTRACT While the holotype of Temnodontosaurus crassimanus still remains on display at the Yorkshire Museum, it has remained largely understudied and the validity of the species has long been questioned. Through re-examination, this study highlights several morphological features of the postcranial skeleton and determines that T. crassimanus is a valid species of the genus and includes several distinct characters that can be used to distinguish it from T. trigonodon, to which it was once assigned. These include a large, robust humerus that is proximodistally longer than the scapula (scapula length vs humerus length ratio: ~0.68); forefins which are significantly longer but less than twice the length of the hindfin (forefin length vs hindfin length ratio: ~1.51); the relative size of the forefins compared with the total body length; along with several other characters that may prove to be unique, such as humerus distal width almost equal to humerus length; presence of notching in at least five leading edge elements of both the fore- and hindfins; and anteroposteriorly wider fore- and hindfins compared with T. trigonodon. Additional specimens, previously tentatively assigned to T. crassimanus, were located and examined, but none could confidently be assigned to the species.
Performance characteristics of asphalt mixtures with industrial waste/by-product materials as mineral fillers under static and cyclic loading

The mineral filler is an integral constituent of asphalt mixture, which affects its performance. This research investigates the effect of using four local industrial waste/by-product materials (marble, granite, steel slag and hydrated lime powder) as mineral fillers on asphalt mixtures characteristics. The detailed performance of these materials as well as asphalt binder and asphalt mixture characteristics are presented. In Egypt, limestone powder is a typical mineral filler in asphalt mixture composition. A control asphalt mixture with limestone mineral filler is designed using Marshall method. Other four asphalt mixtures are prepared using similar constituents and volumetrics except replacing the limestone filler with other types of industrial waste/by-product materials, while maintaining the same percentage of mineral filler as in the control mix. Marshall stability and moisture-induced damage of the investigated asphalt mixtures are determined and compared to the control asphalt mixture results. In addition, the performance characteristics of the investigated mixtures are evaluated by conducting cyclic performance tests including the dynamic modulus (E*) and flow number (FN). Testing results show that the asphalt mixture containing marble as a filler yields the highest stability; while, the hydrated lime filler noticeably enhances the performance of the asphalt mixture in terms of moisture damage resistance, E*, and FN. Unexpectedly, steel slag filler does not improve the asphalt mixture performance. Finally, the stiffness of the investigated mixtures is evaluated using three well-known E*-predictive models (NCHRP 1-37A, Hirsh, and NCHRP 1-40D); while, the resistance of the investigated mixtures to permanent deformation is evaluated using a calibrated version of Apeagyei-literary model based on the investigated mixtures to predict FN at 54.4°C and 1 Hz frequency.
Towards an Optimization of Sample Plot Size and Scanner Position Layout for Terrestrial Laser Scanning in Multi-Scan Mode

A novel approach is presented to model the tree detection probability of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) in forest inventory applications using a multi-scan mode. The traditional distance sampling framework is further extended to account for multiple scan positions at a single sample plot and to allow for an imperfect detection probability at distance r = 0. The novel methodology is tested with real world data, as well as in simulations. It is shown that the underlying detection model can be parameterized using only data from single scans. Hereby, it is possible to predict the detection probability also for different sample plot sizes and scanner position layouts in a multi-scan setting. Simulations showed that a minor discretization bias can occur if the sample size is small. The methodology enables a generalized optimization of the scanning layout in a multi-scan setting with respect to the detection probability and the sample plot area. This will increase the efficiency of multi-scan TLS-based forest inventories in the future.
Phytochemical and Antibacterial Potentials of Senna tora Leaf and Seed Extracts against Some Clinically Isolated Bacteria

This study was carried out to determine chemical constituents and antimicrobial activities of extracts obtained from the leaves and seeds of Senna tora. The chemical compositions of the leaf and seed extracts were profiled using GC-MS while Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were used to test for antibacterial potentials. GC-MS analysis showed that the main components in the leaf extract of S. tora were cisoleic acid (29.4%), 1, E-11, Z-13-octadecatriene (13.4%), palmitic acid (13.3%), 1,E-8,Z-10-pentadecatriene (11.4%) and stearic acid (11.0%) while methyl-1-allyl-2-hydroxycyclopentanecarboxylate (20.0%), 6,9- pentadecadien-1-ol (20.0%), cis-oleic acid (16.2%), methyl-7-hexadecenoate (7.5%) and palmitic acid (6.5%) were the most abundant components in the seed extract. The leaves showed a higher inhibitory effect than the seeds, with a zone of inhibition mean value that ranged from 12.3-18.5 mm, while that of seeds ranged from 10-16.5 mm. Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited the highest susceptibility (18.5 mm), while Salmonella typhi showed the lowest (10 mm). The results of this study revealed that the leaves and the stems of the plant contained some medicinally active phytochemicals that may be important as antimicrobial agent.
SARS-CoV-2 infection induces mixed M1/M2 phenotype in circulating monocytes and alterations in both dendritic cell and monocyte subsets

Clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection range from mild to critically severe. The aim of the study was to highlight the immunological events associated with the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with an emphasis on cells of innate immunity. Thirty COVID-19 patients with mild/moderate symptoms and 27 patients with severe/critically severe symptoms were recruited from the Clinical Center of Kragujevac during April 2020. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to reveal phenotypic and functional alterations of peripheral blood cells and to correlate them with the severity of the disease. In severe cases, the number of T and B lymphocytes, dendritic cells, NK cells, and HLA-DR-expressing cells was drastically decreased. In the monocyte population proportion between certain subsets was disturbed and cells coexpressing markers of M1 and M2 monocytes were found in intermediate and non-classical subsets. In mild cases decline in lymphocyte number was less pronounced and innate immunity was preserved as indicated by an increased number of myeloid and activated dendritic cells, NK cells that expressed activation marker at the same level as in control and by low expression of M2 marker in monocyte population. In patients with severe disease, both innate and adoptive immunity are devastated, while in patients with mild symptoms decline in lymphocyte number is lesser, and the innate immunity is preserved.
LOW-COST TECHNOLOGY FOR FISH MONITORING APPLIED TO THE FISHING OF TWO SPECIES OF PACU IN AMAZONAS, BRAZIL

The present study aimed to investigate the “pacu” species’ commercialized in the “Colonia dos Pescadores Z-31” in the municipality of Humaita, Amazonas State, from May 2018 to April 2019. For this purpose, we developed a method for raising a diary database in the colony, obtaining variables such as production, effort, catch per unit effort (CPUE), fishing spots, amongst others. We have identified two species of “pacu” - Mylossoma aureum and M. duriventre - with productions of 10.5 and 9.5 tonnes respectively which generated an income of U$ 22,173.00. Captures occurred mostly randomly, due to the region’s fishing characteristics although the CPUE was higher when compared to bigger cities. We could also find evidence over their migratory cycles from a correlation between the catching sites and the period, where: i) during the falling water (May to July), the “pacus” start to leave the streams and concentrate in lakes; ii) during the dry season (August to October), the “pacus” perform a second migratory cycle, leaving streams and lakes and going to rivers; iii) finally, during the rising water, “pacus” once again move to small streams. The generated information can be used in fishing strategies in the region, reducing costs with inputs.
Solidarity cryptocurrencies as digital community platforms

ABSTRACT We investigate the phenomenon of solidarity cryptocurrencies by combining the societal and communitarian aspects of the traditional community currencies with the the blockchain architecture chosen in a cryptocurrency project. We classify and analyze 20 selected solidarity cryptocurrencies from different countries according to three critical aspects of solidarity cryptocurrencies: scale, territorial scope and price stability. Analysis of these aspects is critical to understand the solidarity cryptocurrency concept that connects the originally separated universes of traditional community currencies and cryptocurrencies. This paper contributes to explain the emergent solidarity cryptocurrencies phenomenon by describing particular types captured by our classification. The main findings about solidarity cryptocurrencies in this study are, first, the alignment between type of governance and the respective architecture platform; second, those with closed governance are more likely to be pegged on fiat currencies or other stable measures; third, those focused on local issues tend to have a higher level of adoption.
Novel Sample-Stage for Combined Near Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Catalytic Characterization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

For an in-depth characterization of catalytic materials and their properties, spectroscopic in-situ (operando) investigations are indispensable. With the rapid development of advanced commercial spectroscopic equipment, it is possible to combine complementary methods in a single system. This allows for simultaneously gaining insights into surface and bulk properties of functional oxides, such as defect chemistry, catalytic characteristics, electronic structure, etc., enabling a direct correlation of structure and reactivity of catalyst materials, thus facilitating effective catalyst development. Here, we present a novel sample-stage, which was specifically developed to pave the way to a lab–based combination of near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with simultaneous catalytic operando measurements. This setup is designed to probe different (model) systems under conditions close to real heterogeneous catalysis, with a focus on solid oxide electrochemical cells. In a proof of concept experiment using an electrochemical model cell with the doped perovskite Nd0.6Ca0. 4Fe0.9Co0. 1O3-δ as working electrode, the precise control of the surface chemistry that is possible with this setup is demonstrated. The exsolution behavior of the material was studied, showing that at a lower temperature (500 °C) with lower reducing potential of the gas phase, only cobalt was exsolved, forming metallic particles on the surface of the perovskite-type oxide. Only when the temperature was increased to 600 °C and a cathodic potential was applied (−250 mV) Fe also started to be released from the perovskite lattice.