Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mountain lakes increase organic matter decomposition rates in streams

Abstract Lakes can play a large role in structuring the chemical and physical templates of streams, yet they often are overlooked when stream function is evaluated. We examined how lakes within stream networks affect organic matter decomposition. We used a cotton-strip assay to evaluate cellulose decomposition potential (CDP) as loss of cotton-strip tensile strength in streams upstream and downstream of 4 mountain lakes in a lake district in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho. In addition, we used this assay to determine decomposition potentials along a longitudinal gradient in 1 stream–lake network. Decomposition coefficients (k) were 43% greater in lake-outflow streams than lake-inflow streams. Temperature explained 65% of the variability in decomposition rates across lake inflows and outflows, and decomposition rates in inflow streams were highly correlated with mean daily temperature (r = 0.99). Conversely, decomposition rates in outflow stream were strongly correlated with total N/total P ratios (TN/TP; r = 0.94). When temperature ranges were small, as was observed across 4 lake outflows and along a longitudinal gradient, decomposition rates appeared to be driven by differences in nutrient availability, mainly TP and, to a lesser extent, TN. Together, these results demonstrate that although temperature is a primary driver of decomposition, when temperature is similar across locations, nutrient availability can drive decomposition rates. Our results indicate that lakes within fluvial networks can modify stream function by altering both temperature and nutrient availability.
Agreement Between Two Optical Biometers Based on Large Coherence Length SS-OCT and Scheimpflug Imaging/Partial Coherence Interferometry.

PURPOSE To evaluate the agreement between measurements obtained with a new optical biometer (Argos; Movu Inc) using large coherence length swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and those obtained with an optical biometer with a rotating Scheimpflug camera, combined with partial coherence interferometry (PCI) (Pentacam AXL; Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH) in adults. METHODS The following measurements were examined and evaluated: axial length, central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), mean keratometry, J0 and J45 vectors, and corneal diameter. Measurements with the two biometers were conducted in triplicate per instrument in a random order by the same examiner. Paired t tests were employed to compare the difference between the two devices. The Bland-Altman method was implemented to assess their agreement. RESULTS A total of 145 patients were enrolled in the study. The differences between the Scheimpflug/PCI-based biometer and the SS-OCT biometer were as follows: -0.02 ± 0.05 mm for axial length, 1.15 ± 5.79 µm for CCT, -0.04 ± 0.04 mm for ACD, -0.28 ± 0.16 diopters (D) for mean keratometry, 0.01 ± 0.11 D for J0, -0.02 ± 0.10 D for J45, and -1.03 ± 0.62 mm for corneal diameter. Bland-Altman plots showed narrow ranges in axial length, CCT, ACD, mean keratometry, and J0 and J45, which implied excellent agreement between the two biometers. Corneal diameter displayed poor agreement, with a 95% limits of agreement ranging from -2.25 to 0.19 mm. CONCLUSIONS Excellent agreement was established between the measurements provided by the new optical biometer based on SS-OCT and the optical biometer using Scheimpflug imaging and PCI, except for corneal diameter. [J Refract Surg. 2020;36(7):459-465. ].
Reactive Plant Tissue Sites and the Population Biology of Gall Makers

Plant galls, one of the great curiosities of the insect world, have fascinated naturalists from the time of Theophrastus (57). A century ago, the debate over natural selection briefly focused on insect-induced galls because, according to Romanes (51), they seemed to be ", . the one and only case in the whole range of organic nature where it can be truly said that we have unequivocal evidence of a structure occurring in one species for the exclusive benefit of another. " Earlier, Darwin (18) had admitted that if any such case were uncovered it would annihilate his theory. However, Romanes saw an explana­ tion for galls that was consistent with the emerging evolutionary orthodoxy; although direct selection on the plant cannot lead to the evolution of galls, " . natural selection may operate to this end on the plants indirectly through the insect, viz. by always selecting those individual larvae the character of whose excitatory emanations is such as will best cause the plant to grow the kind of morphological abnormality that is required" (51). In the present day it is appreciated that selection acts on gall makers to manipulate host-plant development (19, 37, 63) for nutritiOn and for protection from both the physical environment and some natural enemies (1, 45, 63). The evolution of the plant-gall maker interaction is complicated by the fact that galls are phenotypic entities that develop under the influence of both plant and insect genotypes (Figure 1). From the plant's perspective, the gall is a developmental abnormality, induced by an environmental stimulus, i.e. the insect. When viewed from the insect's perspective, the gall is a phenotypic
Time as an outcome measure in fertility-related clinical studies: long-awaited

Abstract Time taken to achieve a live birth is an important consideration that is central to managing patient expectations during infertility treatment. However, time-related endpoints are not reported as standard in the majority of fertility-related clinical studies and there is no internationally recognized consensus definition for such endpoints. There is, therefore, a need for meaningful discussions around the selection of appropriate time-related treatment outcome measures for studies evaluating fertility treatments that will be relevant to diverse stakeholders (e.g. patients, healthcare professionals, clinical scientists, authorities and industry). Here, we provide a proposal for the evaluation of time-related outcome measures in fertility-related clinical studies, alongside associated definitions.
The membrane protein ANKH is crucial for bone mechanical performance by mediating cellular export of citrate and ATP

The membrane protein ANKH was known to prevent pathological mineralization of joints and was thought to export pyrophosphate (PPi) from cells. This did not explain, however, the presence of ANKH in tissues, such as brain, blood vessels and muscle. We now report that in cultured cells ANKH exports ATP, rather than PPi, and, unexpectedly, also citrate as a prominent metabolite. The extracellular ATP is rapidly converted into PPi, explaining the role of ANKH in preventing ankylosis. Mice lacking functional Ank (Ankank/ank mice) had plasma citrate concentrations that were 65% lower than those detected in wild type control animals. Consequently, citrate excretion via the urine was substantially reduced in Ankank/ank mice. Citrate was even undetectable in the urine of a human patient lacking functional ANKH. The hydroxyapatite of Ankank/ank mice contained dramatically reduced levels of both, citrate and PPi and displayed diminished strength. Our results show that ANKH is a critical contributor to extracellular citrate and PPi homeostasis and profoundly affects bone matrix composition and, consequently, bone quality.
Effects of wave exposure on the proportion of gametophytes and tetrasporophytes of Mazzaella oregona (Rhodophyta: Gigartinales) from Pacific Canada

The proportion of life history phases in red seaweeds is an important descriptor of population structure. This paper describes the relative abundance of gametophytes and tetrasporophytes of Mazzaella oregona (Rhodophyta: Gigartinales; formerly M. heterocarpa), focusing particularly on the effects of wave exposure on the proportion of both life history phases. In two different rocky points in Barkley Sound (Pacific Canada), gametophytes were, in proportion to tetrasporophytes, relatively more abundant under low wave exposure than under high wave exposure in July 2002, during the period of highest abundance for this species. The inverse relationship between the G:T ratio and the degree of wave exposure also occurs for local M. splendens, but not for local M. parksii. Differences in frond size and population density between these three sympatric species are related to the effects of wave exposure on their G:T ratio.
Immunopathology of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Immune Cells and Mediators, Prognostic Factors, and Immune-Therapeutic Implications

The present is a comprehensive review of the immunopathology of Covid-19. The immune reaction to SARS-CoV-2 infection is characterized by differentiation and proliferation of a variety of immune cells with immune mediator production and release, and activation of other pathogen resistance mechanisms. We fully address the humoral and cellular immune changes induced by the virus, with particular emphasis on the role of the “cytokine storm” in the evolution of the disease. Moreover, we also propose some immune alterations (i.e., inflammatory parameters, cytokines, leukocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations) as prognostic markers of the disease. Furthermore, we discuss how immune modifying drugs, such as tocilizumab, chloroquine, glucocorticoids and immunoglobulins, and blood purification therapy, can constitute a fundamental moment in the therapy of the infection. Finally, we made a critical analysis of a number of substances, not yet utilized, but potentially useful in SARS-CoV-2 patients, such as IFN lambda, TNF blockers, ulinastatin, siponimod, tacrolimus, mesenchymal stem cells, inhibitors of mononuclear macrophage recruitment, IL-1 family antagonists, JAK-2 or STAT-3 inhibitors.
Small molecule inhibitors of urokinase-type plasminogen activator

The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) protein is a multifunctional protein involved in a myriad of biological activities including extracellular matrix degradation and cell invasion. Active uPA is a 411 amino acid protein consisting of 3 domains, each of which confers a particular biological function to the overall protein. The amino terminal domain or growth factor domain (GFD), comprised of amino acid residues 1 – 48, is involved in uPA interaction with its cell surface receptor, urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (UPAR). The interaction of uPA with UPAR promotes, in part, cell adhesion, migration and invasion. A second domain is the kringle domain, comprising amino acid residues 49 – 135. Initially thought to bind heparin, the kringle domain has more recently been shown to possess antiangiogenic activity. A third domain comprising amino acid residues 159 – 411, the serine protease domain, is involved in the proteolytic activation of plasminogen to plasmin. The production of plasmin by uPA begins a cascade of events manifested by extracellular matrix degradation. The recent patent literature describes small molecule compounds, which inhibit the interaction of uPA with UPAR, inhibit the proteolytic activity of the uPA serine protease domain and inhibit the interaction of uPA with its natural inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Small peptides encompassing residues 19 – 31 of the GFD have been developed which exhibit potent inhibition of the uPA–UPAR interaction and show efficacy in tumour-bearing animal models. Small molecules have been disclosed by Corvas, which are reported to be inhibitors of PAI-1. Finally, two approaches toward the development of inhibitors of the uPA serine protease domain have been described in the recent patent literature. The first approach describes non-covalent peptidederived inhibitors discovered by phage display techniques, which bind in the substrate-binding groove of the uPA active site. An alternative approach describes non-covalent small molecule inhibitors, which bind in the enzyme active site in a slightly different binding mode than the peptide-derived inhibitors. These small molecule non-peptide analogues inhibit the uPA proteolytic activity quite effectively and are reported to possess excellent enzyme selectivity and highly improved oral activity. The clinical utility of small molecule uPA enzyme inhibitor analogues awaits the results of a preliminary clinical evaluation of compounds described by Wilex.
Evolutionary origins for ecological patterns in space

Historically, many biologists assumed that evolution and ecology acted independently because evolution occurred over distances too great to influence most ecological patterns. Today, evidence indicates that evolution can operate over a range of spatial scales, including fine spatial scales. Thus, evolutionary divergence across space might frequently interact with the mechanisms that also determine spatial ecological patterns. Here, we synthesize insights from 500 eco-evolutionary studies and develop a predictive framework that seeks to understand whether and when evolution amplifies, dampens, or creates ecological patterns. We demonstrate that local adaptation can alter everything from spatial variation in population abundances to ecosystem properties. We uncover 14 mechanisms that can mediate the outcome of evolution on spatial ecological patterns. Sometimes, evolution amplifies environmental variation, especially when selection enhances resource uptake or patch selection. The local evolution of foundation or keystone species can create ecological patterns where none existed originally. However, most often, we find that evolution dampens existing environmental gradients, because local adaptation evens out fitness across environments and thus counteracts the variation in associated ecological patterns. Consequently, evolution generally smooths out the underlying heterogeneity in nature, making the world appear less ragged than it would be in the absence of evolution. We end by highlighting the future research needed to inform a fully integrated and predictive biology that accounts for eco-evolutionary interactions in both space and time.
Cuban Rice Mutants Obtained from Protons Radiations

Rice mutation breeding can be considered especially success- ful in obtaining new cultivars and broadening the genetic base of this crop. In order to obtain new Cuban varieties of rice with either improved agronomic characteristics or biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, proton radiation was used to generate novel mutants of the Amistad-82 rice variety. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) techniques were used to evaluate the genomic diversity among the mutants and the Amistad-82 variety. Several rice mutants were obtained and the use of AFLP markers confirmed the adequacy of proton radiation for inducing genetic variability in rice
Analysis of haplotype sequences

In this era of whole-genome, next-generation sequencing, it is important to have a clear understanding of the concept of “haplotype”. We show here that most of the important regions of the genome can be described in terms of polymorphic frozen blocks (PFB). At each PFB, there are numerous, even hundreds, of alternative ancestral haplotypes. Haplotypes, not genes, can be regarded as the principal unit of inheritance. We illustrate how sequence data can be analysed to reveal and define these ancestral haplotypes.
Performance of goats fed arhar (Cajanus cajan) straw based pelleted complete ration

An experiment was planned for 110 days to utilize arhar straw based pelleted complete feed in local goats. Twelve non-descript local goats randomly divided into (T1) with average age 10.66±0.70 m and weight 20.83±0.86 and offered sole arhar straw pellets with supplementation of 300 g concentrate pellets 18% CP and 70% TDN and (T2) with average age 10.55±0.17 m and weight 22.40±1.19 kg were fed on arhar straw based pelleted complete diet of 15% CP, 60% TDN. The DMI and DMI/100 kg BW were significantly (P<0.01) more in T1 group. The ADG was 94.83±18.85 (T1) and 83.52±3.43 (T2) g and the feed conversion efficiency was better in T2 group. The digestibility coefficients for different nutrients revealed non significant differences except for NFE (P<0.01). The DCP and TDN of the diets were 8.99±0.39, 58.05±1.65 and 9.52±0.03, 53.41±1.39. All the goats under treatments were in positive nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balance. The rumen liquor profile study revealed significant (P<0.01) variations for pH, NH3-N, TCA-ppt-N, TN and NPN. It was concluded that both the rations performed well in terms of weight gain and nutrient utilisation and can be fed to the goats for optimum weight gain under intensive system of management.
Escalation in Late Cretaceous–early Paleocene oysters (Gryphaeidae) from the Atlantic Coastal Plain

Abstract More than 1600 valves of Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain gryphaeid oysters (Exogyrinae and Pycnodonteinae) were examined for breakage-induced shell repair and morphologic variability to evaluate the hypothesis of escalation. The Exogyrinae show disproportionately higher average repair frequency (0.41) relative to the ecologically and functionally similar unornamented pycnodonts (0.19). An increase in repair frequency (independent evidence of the action of a selective agent, e.g., predation) through the stratigraphic interval supports escalation. Variation in repair frequencies may reflect differences in oyster morphology and in the strength and diversity of shell crushers across an onshore-offshore gradient. Escalation of antipredatory adaptation characterized the evolutionary response of gryphaeid oysters to their durophagous predators. Adaptation generally occurred by the enhancement of existing traits in both oyster lineages. Characters that confer a selective advantage against predators are not all expressed or improved concurrently in both oyster lineages. Morphologic adaptations to minimize shell breakage include the development of expansive, broad commissural shelves, thickened valves, and surface ornamentation (Exogyrinae). Surface ornament in the Exogyrinae gradually increased with time. For some characters, such as thickness, conflicting functional demands (e.g., valve stabilization) may have limited adaptation to predators.
Traces

TRACES are what evaluators left behind - discoveries, records, tracks - which made marks on the professio of program evaluation. Published here are excerpts from our past (e.g., articles, passages from books, speeches) that show where we have been or affected where we are g(r)o(w)ing. Suggestions for inclusion should be sent to the Editor, along with rationale for their import. Photocopies of the original printed versions are preferred with full bibliographic information. Copying rights will be secured by the Editor.
Siblings

Original Italian translation by Paul Foulkes The sibling relationship consists of a complex web of emotions and feelings, linked to elements of a cognitive, cultural and social kind which are not easy to disentangle. Yet it deserves far more attention than it has received until now. Its wide spectrum of significance depends on many variables such as difference of age, gender, social status, religion, cultural and economic values. It is a relationship that springs from the earliest history of the individual and which plays a vital part in determining characteristics of identity and personality. Yet more complex and wider-ranging meanings concerning the symbolic value of the sibling relationship become apparent when looking at the family as a group, a web of primary relationships with aspects both intrapsychic and those relating to wider social stratifications. It is this very richness which causes difficulties when we consider which elements to use in research. Complex methods of research are required in this neglected field, and this article sets out key elements as a basis for future investigation and debate.
Evolution of students' interaction using a gamified virtual learning environment in an engineering course

Keeping students engaged can improve their learning. Gamification is a technique that has been shown to improve engagement, transferring the positive effects of videogames. However, the mobile games industry has identified that player retention decreases quickly over time, but it is unclear if this decreasing retention pattern transfers to gamification activities. To check if the behavioral engagement was stable over a 14‐week engineering course, we gamified an existing virtual learning environment (VLE), conducting an observational study for two semesters. Actions performed by students within the VLE were used to measure behavioral engagement, which allows us to track student behavior weekly. To analyze the gamification effect, we divided user actions into two groups: academic and gamified. The results showed that the gamified actions performed by students in the VLE decreased every week, which was significantly higher than the decrease in academic actions. This shows that the decreasing retention pattern seen in mobile games was also present in this study. These results suggest that, just like in mobile games, to sustain the behavioral engagement over a long period of time in a gamified class, additional modern game‐design techniques should be considered.
An evaluation of sulforaphane as a potential agent for disease prevention

This research examines sulforaphane (SFN), a phytochemical element that is found in certain plants and vegetables. SFN has particular biological behaviours and roles to combat many diseases. It can be found mainly in vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli. SFN is a nutritional isothiocyanate compound and is known as a glucosinolate precursor. It is reputed to have valuable pharmacological properties, namely antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties, and also functions as an agent of defence against diabetes, ocular disorders and cardiovascular diseases as well as for neurodegenerative disease. It also efficiently searches out and feeds on ROS (reactive oxygen species). Sulforaphane is a potential antioxidant for relieving oxidative stress and reducing tissue/cell damage in various in vivo and in vitro experimental models. The results of this research confirm that the natural compound, SFN, has several protective properties and that the nuclear factor, erythroid-2-related factor 2 system, which facilitates the expression of several antioxidant genes, plays a crucial role in the protective effect of such isothiocyanates against practically all the medical conditions mentioned above. The findings of this study serve to provide a more in-depth understanding of the nature of SFN