Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of COX and LOX inhibitors on melanoma

The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing worldwide and becoming resistant to most chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The arachidonic acid pathway, through C O X and LO X enzymes, lead to the formation of a variety of metabolically active products, the eicosanoids, with different roles in carcinogenesis beyond their primary homeostatic functions. Importantly, these enzymes were shown to be overexpressed in melanoma. Thus the aim o f this PhD study was to determine the effect of COX and LO X inhibitors in melanoma survival and how they may influence melanoma development as well as to unveil pharmacological opportunities when using these drugs in combination with chemotherapeutic ones. For this work the mouse melanoma cell line B16F10 was selected as a convenient cancer experimental model. They are highly resistant to chemotherapy and can be easily used both in vitro and in vivo. The direct in vitro cytotoxic effects of the drugs were assessed in two experimental models (M T T and SRB assays), as well as their influence on COX and LO X enzymes expression, cell cycle and activation o f caspases. To check how they modulate melanoma development, in vitro 2-D migration studies and an in vivo lung metastasis experimental model were designed and performed. This study reports for first time on the expression o f COX-1, 5-LOX and 15-LO X-l enzymes, which was not impaired by the treatments. COX-2 and 12-LOX expression also remained unaffected throughout our experiments. Short term incubations with the drugs failed to inhibit their activity and sometimes even stimulated them. Overall, meloxicam, A A 861 and baicalein were the best anti-cancer drugs when given alone. PD-146176 exerted a strong effect in vitro but this was not observed in vivo. Combination treatments with chemotherapeutic drugs seem to afford better results for the COX inhibitors (meloxicam>ASA) than for the LO X inhibitors (AA-861 > baicalein> PD-146176>MK-886). In conclusion, the project affords for first time a comprehensive overview o f the in vitro and in vivo effects o f COX and LO X inhibitors in key aspects o f the B16F10 mouse melanoma cell line. As per our preclinical studies and previous clinical studies COX-2 inhibitors -alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs seem to be superior to LO X inhibitors. Interestingly, the mechanisms of their anti-cancer effects seem not to be entirely explained by their action upon the enzymes of the arachidonate pathway.
Sexual Dimorphism, Diet, Reproduction, and Their Geographic Variation in Sympatric Psammophiids, Psammophis crucifer and Psammophylax rhombeatus rhombeatus, from Southern Africa

Abstract The examination of museum specimens allows for the robust analysis of ecological and life history traits in snakes, and can be especially useful in revealing characteristics often undetected in geographically limited studies. We measured and dissected 242 Psammophis crucifer and 358 Psammophylax r. rhombeatus, two widespread and abundant psammophiids from southern Africa, and quantified sexual size dimorphism (SSD), feeding habits, and geographic variation of these traits throughout their range. Female P. crucifer and male P. r. rhombeatus were larger than the opposite sex, both species were saurophagous but P. r. rhombeatus incorporated a wider range of taxa, and the reproductive biologies of both species were consistent with those of their congeners. We also examined intraspecific variation in these ecological traits based on differences in annual and seasonal rainfall patterns across their broad distribution. In large part the ecology of these temperate-inhabiting snakes mirrors that of other psammophiids and convergent whipsnakes.
ORGANIC MANURES FOR INCREASED RICE PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINED SUPPLY OF FE TO RICE

Field experiments were carried out for 3 years to assess the efficacy of organic manures (Sesbania, Leucaena, cowpea, mungbean, wheat straw and FYM) in enhancing the productivity of rice and in supplying Fe. Green manuring with Sesbania gave the highest rice yield, whereas the lowest yield was recorded with wheat straw incorporation. The concentration and uptake of Fe by rice was significantly higher with organic manures. The Fe status of the soil after 3 crops of rice declined from the initial value, but the decline was least with FYM, followed by green manures. The application of organic manures is a good source for a sustained supply of Fe in soil.
Reaction of coffee genotypes to different populations of Meloidogyne spp.: detection of a naturally virulent M. exigua population

The reaction of seven genotypes of Coffea arabica to 10 Meloidogyne spp. populations collected mainly from coffee plantations in Brazil and Costa Rica was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. The inoculum consisted of 10,000 eggs per plant. Evaluations were done 8 months after inoculations considering the root fresh weight, gall and egg mass indices, number of eggs per gram of root and reproduction factor (RF). The cultivars Obata IAC 1669-20, Sarchimor IAC 4361 and Tupi Amarelo IAC 5111 exhibited susceptibility to the four Brazilian M. exigua populations tested. However, cv. Tupi Vermelho IAC 1669-33 revealed resistance (RF value of 0.7) to the M. exigua population from Lavras, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A population of M. exigua from Bom Jesus de Itabapoana, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, was highly virulent on cv. IAPAR 59 (RF= 165.7), bearing resistance gene Mex-1, and was also virulent on genotype Paraiso (H 419-5-4-5-2) (RF=396.2). A Meloidogyne sp. population on coffee from Garca, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, reproduced at low rates (RF ranging from 0.1 to 3.9) on all genotypes. All tested cultivars were susceptible to M. incognita and M. paranaensis. M. mayaguensis of guava from Parana State, Brazil, reproduced at low rates in all coffee genotypes; however, another population of coffee, from Costa Rica, was more aggressive and showed RF value that ranged from 0.8 to 12.4. Results of this study point for the first time to the ability of a naturally occurring M. exigua population to overcome the resistance conferred by the Mex-1 gene.
Validation of otolith daily increments in the amphidromous goby Sicyopterus japonicus

To determine the periodicity of growth increment deposition in the otoliths of newly recruited larvae of the amphidro- mous goby Sicyopterus japonicus, an otolith validation experiment was performed. Larval gobies collected at the river mouth of the Ota River, Wakayama, Japan were immersed in an alizarin complexone (ALC) solution to mark the timing in their otoliths. After being held under natural light conditions for 15 days, they were treated with ALC again to make the second time mark. The number of growth increments between two ALC marks in the otoliths was 14.1 on average, which roughly coincided with the number of days between two ALC treatments. This experiment validated the daily periodicity of otolith growth increment deposition in S. japonicus showing that the otolith increments of the species can be used for age determination with daily preci- sion.
Spatial patterns of trees in a Caribbean semievergreen forest.

Spatial patterns of trees >10 cm dbh were studied in a 4-ha forest plot on St. John, United States Virgin Islands, by measuring nearest-neighbor distances for 28 tree species and mapping 5 uncommon species. Tree species diversity was high, with an even distribution of dominance (28 species out of 132 individuals, and H' = 4.37). A clumped distribution pattern with short intertree distances was prevalent. All but five species had average nearest neighbor distances of <25 m and most were < 10 m. Indices of dispersion based on variance to mean rations for the 16 most abundant species suggested clumped distributions for 12 of the species, and only one regularly distributed species. Uncommon mapped species were located in distinct clumps of approximately 700-1300 mi2, also with small average nearest-neighbor distances. The combination of high species diversity with many clumped distribution patterns and low in- terindividual distances for both common and uncommon species, suggests that mechanisms other than species-specific predators are important in understanding tree diversity differences between temperate and tropical forests. The importance of microhabitats is suggested. Available published evidence indicates a prevalence of clumped and a paucity of regular distribution patterns for tree species in tropical forests.
Spatial associations of tree species in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

Aims The spatial segregation hypothesis and the low-frequency hypothesis are two important proposed mechanisms that delay or prevent competitive exclusion in ecosystems. Because tree species interact with their neighbors, the importance of these potential processes can be investigated by analyzing the spatial structures of tree species. Methods The distribution of the adults of 27 common tree species in a fully mapped 5-ha subtropical forest plot in Baishanzu, eastern China, was analyzed to investigate the community-level intra- and interspecific spatial association patterns. We first tested for the overall spatial pattern in the 5- to 40-m neighborhoods and classified first-order bivariate associations with a diametric scheme based on Ripley’s K and nearest-neighbor statistic (G-function). Then heterogeneous Poisson null models were used to distinguish second-order interactions from overall spatial associations (including first-order effects). Finally, we analyzed correlations between the existence of species interactions and some attributes of the species involved. Important Findings Partial overlap and segregation increased with scale, whereas mixing decreased. Nearly 70% of the species pairs occurred less than expected at random, and only 3.4% of the species pairs were well mixed; 11.0% of all species pairs showed significant small-scale interactions,whichwasa greater frequencythan expected bychance if species are abundant or prefer the same habitat, but less frequent than expected if species are highly aggregated. This suggests that both spatial segregation and low frequency of species facilitate species coexistence byreducing the opportunity that trees of twospecies encounter each other. The study also revealed that positive interactions were more prevalent than negative interactions in the forest, which indicates that positive interactions may have important effects on forest species assemblies.
Graafian follicle development throughout the reproductive cycle in the guinea pig, with especial reference to changes during oestrus (sexual receptivity)

I n a recent article and an abstract (Young, Dempsey and Myers, '35 a and b) the writers have summarized and discussed data obtained from a study of certain of the structural and behavioral manifestations of oestrus in the female guinea pig. The conclusion which seemed inescapable was that oestrin alone is not sufficient to cause oestrus in the sense of sexual receptivity, but that extra-follicular if not extra-ovarian factors must be involved. One contribution to the development of this hypothesis came from observations of behavior shortly before and during oestrus. Most striking a t this time is the suddenness with which it becomes possible to elicit the oestrous response, the vigor of the response during tho first part of oestrus, and the gradual decrease in the intensity of the response as the mctoestrum is approached. As we have stated elsewhere (Young, Dempsey and Myers, '%a), it is as though some substance responsible fo r oestrus suddenly had been released into the blood stream, causing an intense initial reaction which subsides gradually as the substance is used up.
Complex mating behavior in Adelosgryllus rubricephalus (Orthoptera, Phalangopsidae, Grylloidea)

We describe the mating behavior of Adelosgryllus rubricephalus Mesa & Zefa, 2004. In trials carried out in laboratory we verified the following mating sequence: (1) sexual recognition by antennation; (2) courtship with male turning his abdomen towards the female, performing mediolateral antennae vibration, jerking its body antero-posteriorly and stridulating intermittently, while receptive female drums on the male's abdomen tip, cerci and hind-tibia with her palpi or foretarsi; the male then stops and stays motionless for some seconds, extrudes the spermatophore and both restart the behavioral sequence described above; (3) copulation: male underneath female; with his tegmina inclined forward, and joins his genitalia to the female's to promote sperm transference ; the female steps off the male, occurring a brief end-to-end position; (4) postcopulation: without guarding behavior; male retains the spermatophore and eats it. We quantified elapsed time of each behavioral sequence and discussed its implications in the observed mating behavior.
The Role of Vitamin D in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Vitamin D has a complex role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is still under investigation. We conducted a literature search using PubMed through December 2018 through the use of relevant search terms. We found an abundance of evidence to support the role of vitamin D in regulating the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. The pathogenesis of IBD implicates the immune dysregulation of these immune system components. Proof of concept of the vitamin’s role in the pathogenesis of IBD is the mapping of the vitamin D receptor in a region of chromosome 12, where IBD is also mapped, and specific VDR polymorphisms’ link to IBD phenotypes. Further research is needed to better delineate vitamin D’s role in preventing IBD and its potential as a therapeutic target for this disease.
ON-FARM EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE ON MAIZE YIELD AND WEED BIOMASS IN MALAWI

SUMMARY An on-farm study was conducted from 2009 to 2012 with communities in the Manjawira, Mpingu and Zidyana Extension Planning Areas in the Ntcheu, Lilongwe and Nkhotakota districts of central Malawi. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of the principles (no-tillage and mulching) and components (fertilization and weeding) of conservation agriculture (CA) on crop productivity and weeds, and the interactions between principles and components, and to suggest strategies for introducing CA to smallholder farmers. The treatments consisted of tillage, fertilizer application, residues management and weed control strategies. While combined analysis showed that mulching is as effective as tillage in controlling weeds, the interaction between site and treatment revealed that in the more humid environment of Zidyana, weed dry matter obtained under no-tillage and residues plus fertilizer (NT+F+R) was 0.6 mg ha−1 lower than under CP+F. Results suggest that about 6.0 mg ha−1 of mulch is required to have a similar effect as tillage in controlling weeds. Fertilizer had an overriding effect on maize yield, regardless of tillage and crop residue management. Mulching was beneficial over tillage in the drier environment of Manjawira, where maize yield obtained under NT+F+R was 1.2 mg ha−1 greater than under CP+F. Our results show that the introduction of no tillage has benefits only if it is accompanied by fertilizer application, retention of crop residues as surface mulch, and improved weed control. Increasing availability and accessibility of inputs (fertilizers and herbicides) to farmers is critical for adoption of CA at scale in Malawi.
FITC‐dextran for measuring apoplast pH and apoplastic pH gradients between various cell types in sunflower leaves

The liquid in the free space of leaf cell walls, the apoplast, is in direct contact with the plasma membrane and its nutrient uptake systems. Therefore, the pH of the apoplast is of utmost interest. We have elaborated a non-destructive method by which excised sunflower leaves (Helianthus annuus cv. Erika) were perfused with fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) (4 000 Da) via the transpiration stream. We showed that leaf apoplast pH can be measured by using the fluorescence ratio technique together in conjunction with this dye. Evidence is provided that FITC-dextran does not penetrate the plasma membrane over a period of ca 17 h from the beginning of dye perfusion. Dye enrichment in the leaf apoplast did not cause an ‘inner filter effect’ and thus the fluorescence ratio was only dependent on pH. In vivo calibration yielded a pKa of 5.92, which was virtually identical to the pKa of 5.93 calculated for dye solutions. Hence, FITC-dextran can be detected in complex environments and covers a pH range prevailing in the leaf apoplast. Based on this method we developed a microscope image technique visualizing pH gradients between various cell types. The pH in the lumen of the xylem vessel was ca 0.3–0.5 units lower than that of the apoplast of surrounding cells. Nitrate present in the leaf apoplast caused an increase in pH, especially in the dark. Under these conditions, in the intercostal area, the apoplast pH around the stomata was ca 0.5–1.0 units higher than that of the surrounding epidermal cells.
Planning accelerated reliability tests for mission-oriented systems subject to degradation and shocks

Abstract This article presents a novel accelerated reliability testing framework for mission-oriented systems. The system to be tested is assumed to suffer from cumulative degradation and traumatic shocks with increasing intensity. We propose a new optimality criterion that minimizes the asymptotic variance of the predicted reliability evaluated at the mission’s end time. Two usage scenarios are considered in this study: one is to assume that systems are brand new at the start of the mission and the other is that systems are randomly selected from used ones under pre-determined policies. Optimal test plans for both scenarios are obtained via delta methods by utilizing the Fisher information. The global optimality of test plans is verified using general equivalence theorems. A revisited example of a carbon-film resistor is presented to illustrate the efficiency and robustness of optimal test plans for both new and randomly aged systems. The result shows that the test plan tends to explore more on lower stress levels for randomly aged systems. Furthermore, we conduct simulation studies and explore compromise test plans for the example.
Epidemiology and Management outcome of Burn Injury in Jordanian Hospitals

Background: The WHO reported there were more than 7.1 millions fires globally, which classified as unplanned burns in 2004, giving an overall occurrences rate of 110 percent or 100,000 per year. Burns are ranked fourth in all injuries, and are accountable for more than 265,000 deaths worldwide. Purpose: this study aims to determine the basic epidemiological characteristics of burn injuries at the patients in northern and central Jordanian districts, and the burn management outcomes. Techniques: A general sectional study was done over a period of four months, between the 1st of December, 2016 and 31 of March, 2017, to analyze 200 consecutive patients admitted to two governmental and two university hospitals in the northern and central districts of Jordan . Cases were tracked to evaluate patients' medical management outcomes; until the end of June 2017, with a total sample size of (193) patients. Results: The study reveals that more than half of burn patients (52. 8%) were males, the largest age group (35.2%) affected was age (1-10 year), the majority (89.1%) of the burns were accidental, and (71.0%) reached hospitals less than 24 hours. Half of the burns (50.5%) were due to scalds, (58.0%) had second degree burns, (88.6%) of burns occurred at the household of patients, and the most common Arabian first aid medication used for burns, was red ointment with (82.6%). There is a significant relationship between socio-demographics (age, marital status, educational level) and burns extent. The study also reveals that children are the most common groups of burn injuries, and the majority of patients used improper myths as a first aid cure for burns. The study recommended that pouring water directly on burn injuries of the victims to bump it off, should be communicated publicly using multi-media, such as radio and TV, and also recommended that professionals in the burn injuries should be united to develop and implement burn prevention programs, mainly targeting the high risk groups, such as children.
In vitro regeneration of adult trees of Bambusa vulgaris

We developed procedures for the regeneration of Bambusa vulgaris using nodal segments from adult plants. Optimal shoot growth was after 16 days cultivation on modified Murashige and Skoog (MMS) medium supplemented with 2 mg/l of BAP. Elongated shoots of B. vulgaris rooted (45.85%) when cultured in MMS + 20 mg/l IBA. The rooted and acclimated shoots were successfully transferred into the field with 100% of plantlets survival.
Nutrient Addition Differentially Affects Soil Carbon Sequestration in Secondary Tropical Dry Forests: Early‐ versus Late‐Succession Stages

There is considerable interest in the potential use of soils to sequester carbon for climate change mitigation. As such, there is a need to evaluate the potential for carbon accumulation in tropical regions. We compared the effects of three annual additions of nitrogen and/or phosphorus on soil carbon and nitrogen contents and pools (bulk soil, macro‐, meso‐, and microaggregates) of two regenerating secondary tropical dry forest differing in nutrient status and succession stage (10‐year‐old early‐succession stage and approximately 60‐year‐old late‐succession stage). The selected forest sites were located on a shallow calcareous soil in the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico). The primary production is limited by nitrogen and phosphorus in early‐succession stage and by phosphorus in late‐succession stage. In each forest site, four independent plots (12 × 12 m2) were established, the treatments being: controls and plots fertilized during three consecutive years with nitrogen, phosphorus, or nitrogen plus phosphorus. In both forests, soil carbon and nitrogen contents were consistently high, with soil carbon:nitrogen ratios generally greater than 10. Results indicate that usually there are no significant increases of soil carbon stock associated to late succession but can be increased to 3.7 Mg·ha−1·yr−1 with adoption of fertilizer practices. The potential soil carbon sequestration in early‐succession forest was estimated to be 2.7 Mg·ha−1·yr−1, and there is no indication that fertilization improves carbon sequestration. In short, results suggest that the soil potential for carbon sequestration in these ecosystems is high and depends on the specific nutrient status of the site.
Applying data synthesis for longitudinal business data across three countries

Abstract Data on businesses collected by statistical agencies are challenging to protect. Many businesses have unique characteristics, and distributions of employment, sales, and profits are highly skewed. Attackers wishing to conduct identification attacks often have access to much more information than for any individual. As a consequence, most disclosure avoidance mechanisms fail to strike an acceptable balance between usefulness and confidentiality protection. Detailed aggregate statistics by geography or detailed industry classes are rare, public-use microdata on businesses are virtually inexistant, and access to confidential microdata can be burdensome. Synthetic microdata have been proposed as a secure mechanism to publish microdata, as part of a broader discussion of how to provide broader access to such data sets to researchers. In this article, we document an experiment to create analytically valid synthetic data, using the exact same model and methods previously employed for the United States, for data from two different countries: Canada (Longitudinal Employment Analysis Program (LEAP)) and Germany (Establishment History Panel (BHP)). We assess utility and protection, and provide an assessment of the feasibility of extending such an approach in a cost-effective way to other data.