Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF ZINC AND BORON FOLIAR APPLICATION ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF SOME SUNFLOWER GENOTYPES ( Helianthus annuus L.)

A field experiment was conducted during spring and autumn growing seasons of 2009 to study the effect of foliar application of zinc and boron on growth characters, yield components and quality of some sunflower genotypes (Helianthus annuus L.). The experiment was carried out according to the factorial experiment in a randomized completely block design, consisting of three zinc application (0, 6, 12 mg.L -1 ) and three boron application (0, 4 and 8 mg.L -1 ) with three sunflower genotypes (Myogen, Isaanka and Ginmus). The main findings could be summarized as follows:Foliar application of zinc to the leaves with concentration 12 mg.L -1 showed a significant increase in plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, head diameter, number of seeds head -1 , 1000 seed weight and seed yield.ha -1 , oil percentage, oil, protein yield (ton. ha -1 ), However, protein percent was decreased. Addition of boron sprayed on the plant leaves with concentration 4 mg.L -1 lead to a significant increase in plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, head diameter, number of seeds head -1 , 1000 seed weight and seed yield.ha -1 , oil percentage, oil, protein yield (ton.ha -1 ), while increasing concentration of boron to 8 mg.L -1 caused a significant increase in protein percentage in the two seasons'. Results showed that the Isaanka genotype gave a high values for characters stem diameter, leaf area, head diameter, number of seeds. head -1 , 1000 seed weight and seed yield.ha -1 , oil percentage, oil, protein yield (ton.ha -1 ) in both seasons. The triple interaction among Isaanka genotype × foliar application of 12 mg Zn.L × concentration of 4 mg B.L -1 sprayed on the plant leaves, achieved the highest mean for the characteristics of: plant height, stem diameter, number of seeds head -1 , seed yield.ha -1 and oil, protein yield (ton.ha -1 ) for both seasons. In general, it could be concluded that for maximizing total seed and oil yields per unit area may be achieved by planting Isaanka genotype with adding zinc and boron to the leaves plant with concentration 12 Zn and 4 B mg.L -1 under the environmental conditions of this study.
The interplay between host community structure and pathogen life‐history constraints in driving the evolution of host‐range shifts

Handling Editor: Dana Hawley Abstract 1. The ability of pathogens and parasites to adaptively exploit novel hosts has contributed to their unparalleled diversification along the tree of life. Moreover, evolved host-range shifts are of particular applied interest – for instance, zoonotic ‘spillovers’ towards humans motivate growing concern about emerging infectious diseases. Thus, identifying the constraints upon, and conditions conducive to, host switching by pathogens is critical to addressing pressing public health and agricultural problems, as well as to understand a major driver of biodiversity. 2. How do processes that structure host communities (such as among-host competition) set the selective context for the evolution of pathogen host ranges, and how do these processes interact with trade-offs constraining the evolution of a pathogen's ability to exploit its host? 3. Here, we develop a theoretical framework to understand how resource competition among hosts interacts with constraints on pathogen biology in driving host shifts. We characterize how antagonistic pleiotropy in the pathogen's ability to exploit hosts can counteract ecological selection towards host-range shifts. 4. We find that although the effects of apparent competition on host-range shifts are mediated through the ancestral pathogen's direct and indirect effects on the entire host community, the effects of exploitative competition on host-range shifts are mediated through exploitative competition's effect on the previously unexploited host. 5. Finally, we show that even when changes in host community structure create conditions conducive to host switching, a general trade-off between pathogen virulence and burst size can prevent pathogens from evolving seemingly adaptive patterns of host use. We illustrate how these constraints faced by pathogens shape the ecoevolutionary interaction between pathogen evolution and host communities. 6. We discuss how our results inform predictions about the kinds of pathogen lineages likely to exhibit host-range shifts, and the role of apparent versus direct competition in structuring host—pathogen communities over evolutionary time.
Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-apoptotic Effect of Adiponectin on Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Background: Ischemic stroke is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. Despite decades of intense research, the beneficial treatment of stroke remains limited. Adiponectin, a circulating adipose-derived hormone, has beneficial actions on cardio-and cerebrovascular disorders. A low level of plasma adiponectin is associated with ischemic cerebrovascular disease. In the present study, the role of adiponectin in the pathogenesis of acute cerebral injury was investigated. Rats were divided into three groups: (i) Sham operated group; (ii) Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) group, rats were subjected to one hour middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 23 hours of reperfusion (I/R); (iii) Adiponectin-treated group, adiponectin (0.5 mg/kg) was injected through jugular vein 10 minutes after the onset of reperfusion. Adiponectin supplementation improved neurological function and resulted in reduction in infarction size, and brain edema, brain contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), brain levels of nitric oxide (NO) levels, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α ) and caspase-3. Moreover it enhanced SOD (superoxide dismutase). Results of the present study demonstrate that adiponectin exerts a potent cerebroprotective effect against I/R injury through its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant action and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. It might be a potential target for ischemic stroke therapy
Morningness-eveningness and tertiary academic achievement: an exploration of potential mediators, including sleep factors, mind wandering, and metacognitive beliefs

ABSTRACT Correlates of academic achievement can vary by subject and by assessment type, although consistent associations have been found with some variables, including morningness-eveningness. In the present study, 153 second-year undergraduate Business School students at an English-medium university in China completed questionnaire measures of morningness-eveningness, mind wandering, sleep quality, conscientiousness, affect and metacognitive beliefs. Positive correlates of grades in three English for Academic Purposes assessments (coursework, speaking, and exam) included English level, morningness and self-discipline. Negative correlates of achievement included mind wandering, negative affect, rise time and poor sleep quality, and also maladaptive metacognitive beliefs, which were most strongly associated with exam performance. Significant predictors of achievement included English level and aspects of sleep quality. Exploratory mediation analysis investigated potential mediators between morningness-eveningness and achievement. Morningness-eveningness was found to have indirect effects on achievement through sleep-related factors, mind wandering, conscientiousness, negative affect, and metacognitive beliefs. These results contribute to the understanding of academic achievement in different subjects and assessment types, and identify possible indirect effects in the association between morningness-eveningness and academic achievement.
Efficient and robust coding in heterogeneous recurrent networks

Cortical networks show a large heterogeneity of neuronal properties. However, traditional coding models have focused on homogeneous populations of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Here, we analytically derive a class of recurrent networks of spiking neurons that close to optimally track a continuously varying input online, based on two assumptions: 1) every spike is decoded linearly and 2) the network aims to reduce the mean-squared error between the input and the estimate. From this we derive a class of predictive coding networks, that unifies encoding and decoding and in which we can investigate the difference between homogeneous networks and heterogeneous networks, in which each neurons represents different features and has different spike-generating properties. We find that in this framework, ‘type 1’ and ‘type 2’ neurons arise naturally and networks consisting of a heterogeneous population of different neuron types are both more efficient and more robust against correlated noise. We make two experimental predictions: 1) we predict that integrators show strong correlations with other integrators and resonators are correlated with resonators, whereas the correlations are much weaker between neurons with different coding properties and 2) that ‘type 2’ neurons are more coherent with the overall network activity than ‘type 1’ neurons.
Biochar Type and Ratio as a Peat Additive/Partial Peat Replacement in Growing Media for Cabbage Seedling Production

Biochar has been proposed mainly as a soil amendment, positively affecting plant growth/yield, and to a lesser degree for growing media. In this study, four commercial grade biochars (A-forest wood; B-husks and paper fiber; C-bamboo and D-fresh wood screening), mostly wood-based materials, were selected. Initial mixtures of peat (P) with different Biochar type and ratios (0-5-10-15-20%) were selected for cabbage seedling production. Biochar material had high K content and pH ≥ 8.64 which resulted in increased pH of the growing media. Biochar A and C at 20% reduced cabbage seed emergence. Biochar A, B and D maintained or improved plant growth at low ratio (i.e., 5–10%) while all Biochars increased N, K and P content in leaves. Biochars A and D were further examined at 7.5% and 15% with the addition of two doses of minerals (1-fold and 1.5-fold). Biochar A and D, initially stimulated seed emergence when compared to the control. High dose of fertilizer favored plant growth in Biochar A at 7.5% and Biochar D at 15%. Leaf stomatal conductance was decreased at Biochar A+Fert at 7.5% and Chlorophyll b content was decreased at Biochar A+Fert at 15%. The presence of Biochar A increased the antioxidant activity (as assayed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-DPPH). Lipid peroxidation was higher in plants grown with fertilized peat and Biochar A at 15%, activating antioxidant enzymatic metabolisms. Potassium, phosphorous and copper accumulation and magnesium deficiency in cabbage leaves were related to the Biochar presence. Wooden biochar of beech, spruce and pine species (Biochar A) at 7.5% and fertilized biochar of fruit trees and hedges (Biochar D) were more promising for peat replacement for cabbage seedling production.
Community Reactions towards Older Adults HIV/AIDS Caregivers: Qualitative Evidence from the North West Region of Cameroon

Community reactions towards people with HIV/AIDS and their parents who are the primary caregivers is the main thrust of this study. The study was conducted in Mezam, Menchum, and Donga/Mantung Divisions in the North West Region of Cameroon. Qualitative information was obtained from focus group discussion with parents of adults who had either died of AIDS or were currently HIV positive and receiving ART. Three FGDs and three IDIs sessions were conducted with parents who are 60 years and above. Findings show that community support for elderly parents of people living with HIV/AIDS exist generally though there are a few cases of discrimination and stigma. It is recommended that campaign should be intensified on transmission modes and ART usage as this will go a long way towards reducing discrimination and stigma in the community.
A morpho-molecular re-appraisal of Polystigma fulvum and P. rubrum (Polystigma, Polystigmataceae)

Collections of eleven Prunus specimens infected with Polystigma species from Belarus and Russia yielded two existing taxa: Polystigma fulvum (sexual morph) and Polystigma rubrum (asexual morph). DNA based phylogenies of large subunit nuclear rDNA (LSU) and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) are provided for the first time for Polystigma fulvum and its placement is confirmed within Polystigmataceae. The concatenated LSU and ITS DNA sequence data for P. rubrum, analyzed to infer its potential relationship to other Polystigma species, also show that strains of P. rubrum are segregated into two subclades with sufficient genetic differences. No significant differences in morphology or morphometry among the strains of P. rubrum between the two subclades, especially vis-à-vis the conidiogenous cell and conidium sizes are observed (P>0.05). Subspecies concept of P. rubrum complex is discussed.
Replacing murine insulin 1 with human insulin protects NOD mice from diabetes

Type 1, or autoimmune, diabetes is caused by the T-cell mediated destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice spontaneously develop autoimmune diabetes akin to human type 1 diabetes. For this reason, the NOD mouse has been the preeminent murine model for human type 1 diabetes research for several decades. However, humanized mouse models are highly sought after because they offer both the experimental tractability of a mouse model and the clinical relevance of human-based research. Autoimmune T-cell responses against insulin, and its precursor proinsulin, play central roles in the autoimmune responses against pancreatic beta cells in both humans and NOD mice. As a first step towards developing a murine model of the human autoimmune response against pancreatic beta cells we set out to replace the murine insulin 1 gene (Ins1) with the human insulin gene (INS) using CRISPR/Cas9. Here we describe a NOD mouse strain that expresses human insulin in place of murine insulin 1, referred to as HuPI. HuPI mice express human insulin, and C-peptide, in their serum and pancreata and have normal glucose tolerance. Compared with wild type NOD mice, the incidence of diabetes is much lower in HuPI mice. Only 15-20% of HuPI mice developed diabetes after 300 days, compared to more than 60% of unmodified NOD mice. Immune-cell infiltration into the pancreatic islets of HuPI mice was not detectable at 100 days but was clearly evident by 300 days. This work highlights the feasibility of using CRISPR/Cas9 to create mouse models of human diseases that express proteins pivotal to the human disease. Furthermore, it reveals that even subtle changes in proinsulin protect NOD mice from diabetes.
Correction of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β in Myotonic Dystrophy 1 Reduces the Mutant RNA and Improves Postnatal Survival of DMSXL Mice

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystem neuromuscular disease without cure. One of the possible therapeutic approaches for DM1 is correction of the RNA-binding proteins CUGBP1 and MBNL1, misregulated in DM1. CUGBP1 activity is controlled by glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), which is elevated in skeletal muscle of patients with DM1, and inhibitors of GSK3 were suggested as therapeutic molecules to correct CUGBP1 activity in DM1. ABSTRACT Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystem neuromuscular disease without cure. One of the possible therapeutic approaches for DM1 is correction of the RNA-binding proteins CUGBP1 and MBNL1, misregulated in DM1. CUGBP1 activity is controlled by glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), which is elevated in skeletal muscle of patients with DM1, and inhibitors of GSK3 were suggested as therapeutic molecules to correct CUGBP1 activity in DM1. Here, we describe that correction of GSK3β with a small-molecule inhibitor of GSK3, tideglusib (TG), not only normalizes the GSK3β-CUGBP1 pathway but also reduces the mutant DMPK mRNA in myoblasts from patients with adult DM1 and congenital DM1 (CDM1). Correction of GSK3β in a mouse model of DM1 (HSALR mice) with TG also reduces the levels of CUG-containing RNA, normalizing a number of CUGBP1- and MBNL1-regulated mRNA targets. We also found that the GSK3β-CUGBP1 pathway is abnormal in skeletal muscle and brain of DMSXL mice, expressing more than 1,000 CUG repeats, and that the correction of this pathway with TG increases postnatal survival and improves growth and neuromotor activity of DMSXL mice. These findings show that the inhibitors of GSK3, such as TG, may correct pathology in DM1 and CDM1 via several pathways.
Large-scale multiferroic complex oxide epitaxy with magnetically switched polarization enabled by solution processing

Abstract Complex oxides with tunable structures have many fascinating properties, though high-quality complex oxide epitaxy with precisely controlled composition is still out of reach. Here we have successfully developed solution-based single-crystalline epitaxy for multiferroic (1-x)BiTi(1-y)/2FeyMg(1-y)/2O3–(x)CaTiO3 (BTFM–CTO) solid solution in large area, confirming its ferroelectricity at the atomic scale with strong spontaneous polarization. Careful compositional tuning leads to a bulk magnetization of 0.07 ± 0.035 μB/Fe at room temperature, enabling magnetically induced polarization switching exhibiting a large magnetoelectric coefficient of 2.7–3.0 × 10−7 s/m. This work demonstrates the great potential of solution processing in large-scale complex oxide epitaxy and establishes novel room-temperature magnetoelectric coupling in epitaxial BTFM–CTO film, making it possible to explore a much wider space of composition, phase, and structure that can be easily scaled up for industrial applications.
Quality Performance in Community Pharmacies: An Exploration of Pharmacists' Perceptions and Predictors

The improvement of healthcare quality has become an increasingly important issue in recent years. In an effort to improve quality of care, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has created a star rating system that rates insurance plans based on performance metrics. As plans attempt to improve their ratings, they have begun leaning on pharmacies to improve their performance on 5 medication utilization measures. It would be helpful to know factors associated with performance in pharmacies so that effective strategies can be designed to address these factors. This dissertation explored the effect of leaders’ awareness, knowledge, attitude toward performance measures, offering of quality improvement-related initiatives, use of a pharmacy performance monitoring system, and leadership style on global pharmacy performance on the star rating measures. An exploratory, mixed-methods design was utilized. Data collection and analysis was conducted in 2 major phases. In phase I, qualitative interviews with pharmacy owners of independently-owned pharmacies were conducted. Questions covered general services offered in pharmacies and awareness of the star rating measures that can be directly impacted by the pharmacist. Phase II utilized a cross-sectional study design. Data was collected from two sources: 1) a self-administered questionnaire to gather pharmacists’ knowledge, awareness and attitudes as well as offered quality improvement-related initiatives and organizational leadership and 2) pharmacy performance data from Pharmacy Quality Solutions and CECity.
The Prevalence of Micro albuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

This study is performed to assessment of the long term glycaemic hemoglobin (HbA1c) to determine the prevalence of microalbuminuria and to find the risk factors for developing microalbuminuria and consequence nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of microalbuminuria in our study is high (70%) and the risk factors that accompanied microalbuminuria are high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood glucose and poor glycemic hemoglobin.
Reconstructing the History of Variation in Effective Population Size along Phylogenies

The nearly-neutral theory predicts specific relations between effective population size (Ne), and patterns of divergence and polymorphism, which depend on the shape of the distribution of fitness effects (DFE) of new mutations. However, testing these relations is not straightforward since Ne is difficult to estimate in practice. For that reason, indirect proxies for Ne have often been used to test the nearly-neutral theory, although with mixed results. Here, we introduce an integrative comparative framework allowing for an explicit reconstruction of the phylogenetic history of Ne, thus leading to a quantitative test of the nearly-neutral theory and an independent estimation of the shape parameter of the DFE. We applied our method to primates, for which the nearly-neutral predictions were mostly verified. Estimates of the shape parameter were compatible with independent measures based on site frequency spectra. The reconstructed history of Ne in primates seems consistent with current knowledge and shows a clear phylogenetic structure at the super-family level. Altogether, our integrative framework provides a quantitative assessment of the role of Ne in modulating patterns of genetic variation, while giving a synthetic picture of the long-term trends in Ne variation across a group of species.
An adhesion code ensures robust pattern formation during tissue morphogenesis

Convergence of paradigms yields patterns In embryo development, spatial patterns of distinct cell types arise reproducibly. In the zebrafish spinal cord, neural progenitors form stereotypic stripe patterns despite the noisy instructive signals and large-scale cellular rearrangement required during morphogenesis. Tsai et al. show that a cell type–specific adhesion code, regulated by a Shh morphogen gradient composed of three adhesion molecules, provides adhesion specificity for three neural progenitor types and mediates patterning robustness in the zebrafish spinal cord. Although insufficient on their own, the integration of the morphogen gradient and differential adhesion mechanisms enables robust pattern formation during tissue morphogenesis. Science, this issue p. 113 Pattern formation in the neural tube results from cellular self-organization based on an adhesion code instructed by the morphogen sonic hedgehog. Animal development entails the organization of specific cell types in space and time, and spatial patterns must form in a robust manner. In the zebrafish spinal cord, neural progenitors form stereotypic patterns despite noisy morphogen signaling and large-scale cellular rearrangements during morphogenesis and growth. By directly measuring adhesion forces and preferences for three types of endogenous neural progenitors, we provide evidence for the differential adhesion model in which differences in intercellular adhesion mediate cell sorting. Cell type–specific combinatorial expression of different classes of cadherins (N-cadherin, cadherin 11, and protocadherin 19) results in homotypic preference ex vivo and patterning robustness in vivo. Furthermore, the differential adhesion code is regulated by the sonic hedgehog morphogen gradient. We propose that robust patterning during tissue morphogenesis results from interplay between adhesion-based self-organization and morphogen-directed patterning.