Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum Total Antioxidant Capacity and Enzymatic Defence of Dogs with Chronic Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation: A Preliminary Study

Abstract Introduction Atrial fibrillation may potentially contribute to oxidative stress to a greater extent than chronic heart failure. The aim of the study was to compare the serum total antioxidant capacity and enzymatic antioxidant defence of dogs with chronic heart failure and atrial fibrillation with those of subjects with chronic heart failure and sinus rhythm and healthy controls. Material and Methods A total of 33 dogs were divided into three groups: dogs with chronic heart failure and atrial fibrillation (CHF + AF; n = 12), chronic heart failure and sinus rhythm (CHF + SR; n = 9), and healthy controls (n = 12). Serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), serum CuZn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, and plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were determined. Results SOD activity and serum TAC were significantly lower in the study groups than in control animals. Catalase activity was significantly higher and plasma GPx activity significantly lower in dogs with CHF + AF compared with the CHF + SR and control dogs. Conclusion The results suggest that chronic heart failure in dogs significantly impacts the serum TAC and the antioxidant enzymatic defence, while plasma GPx activity is markedly lower in dogs with chronic heart failure and atrial fibrillation. The role of that imbalance needs further investigation.
Genetic Relationship of Salmonella Isolates Found in Subcutaneous Abscesses in Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis Macularius)

Abstract Introduction The article describes the occurrence and phylogenetic relationship of Salmonella isolates found in subcutaneous abscesses of leopard geckos. The aim of the study was to determine the cause of the abscesses and to characterise isolated Salmonella strains. Material and Methods Samples of abscesses from five animals and internal organs (lungs, liver, and gut) of three of them were tested for Salmonella according to the PN-EN ISO 6579:2002/A1:2007 standard. The antimicrobial resistance was evaluated by minimal inhibitory concentrations and the genetic similarity of the isolates was assessed with pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results In total, seventeen Salmonella isolates belonging to five different serovars were found to be susceptible to all tested antimicrobials except streptomycin. The serovars were S. Hadar, S. Fluntern, S. Tennessee, S. enterica subsp. salamae 55:k:z39, and S. Kentucky. Up to three serovars from different organs were isolated from the same individual. In two geckos, Salmonella were detected in the lungs. In three serovars, XbaI-PFGE typing revealed indistinguishable isolates from organs and abscesses. Conclusion Multiple Salmonella serovars might be involved in abscess formation and infections. The occurrence of the same PFGE profiles of the isolates may testify to the role of opportunistic organisms in causing infection.
Maria vs. Maria

Maria is said to be submissive, less-opportune, and portrayed as women only at home throughout the years. This study compared the women in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Paper and Nick Joaquin’s May Day Eve to unleash Marias’ portrayals at home and society. It also exposed on Maria’s conflicts with women, men, and society and lastly, it explored Marias in fiction vis-à-vis Marias in the Philippine setting. The research study is qualitative in nature using descriptive design which was being analyzed with the use of the theories of Feminism and Mimetic. The findings of the study revealed that: (1) Maria in May Day Eve is strong while Maria in The Yellow Paper is mentally-ill; (2) Marias are both obedient while men are aggressive and highly centered as patriarchal society; (3) Marias sometimes in fiction and in real situations portray mentally-ill and outspoken. In conclusion, Marias are submissive, but sometimes outspoken. Women have to be more available-ready in order to battle strongly in each trials.
Associations between Amygdala-Prefrontal Functional Connectivity and Age Depend on Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status

Abstract Although severe early life stress has been shown to accelerate the development of frontolimbic resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), less is known about the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage, a prolonged and multifaceted stressor. In a cross-sectional study of 127 participants aged 5–25, we examined whether lower neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES; measured by Area Deprivation Index and neighborhood poverty and educational attainment) was associated with prematurely reduced amygdala-ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) RSFC. We further tested whether neighborhood SES was more predictive than household SES and whether SES effects on connectivity were associated with anxiety symptoms. We found reduced basolateral amygdala-vmPFC RSFC at earlier ages in participants from more disadvantaged neighborhoods; this effect was unique to neighborhood SES and absent for household SES. Furthermore, this reduced connectivity in more disadvantaged youth and increased connectivity in more advantaged youth were associated with less anxiety; children who deviated from the connectivity pattern associated with their neighborhood SES had more anxiety. These results demonstrate that neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with accelerated maturation of amygdala-vmPFC RSFC and suggest that the pathophysiology of pediatric anxiety depends on a child’s neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. Our findings also underscore the importance of examining SES effects in studies of brain development.
Numerical investigation of microbial quorum sensing under various flow conditions

Microorganisms efficiently coordinate phenotype expressions through a decision-making process known as quorum sensing (QS). We investigated QS amongst distinct, spatially distributed microbial aggregates under various flow conditions using a process-driven numerical model. Model simulations assess the conditions suitable for QS induction and quantify the importance of advective transport of signaling molecules. In addition, advection dilutes signaling molecules so that faster flow conditions require higher microbial densities, faster signal production rates, or higher sensitivities to signaling molecules to induce QS. However, autoinduction of signal production can substantially increase the transport distance of signaling molecules in both upstream and downstream directions. We present empirical approximations to the solutions of the advection–diffusion–reaction equation that describe the concentration profiles of signaling molecules for a wide range of flow and reaction rates. These empirical relationships, which predict the distribution of dissolved solutes along pore channels, allow to quantitatively estimate the effective communication distances amongst multiple microbial aggregates without further numerical simulations.
Seasonal and successional dynamics of size-dependent plant demographic rates in a tropical dry forest

Tropical forests are globally important for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation but are being converted to other land uses. Conversion of seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) is particularly high while their protection is low. Secondary succession allows forests to recover their structure, diversity and composition after conversion and subsequent abandonment and is influenced by demographic rates of the constituent species. However, how these rates vary between seasons for different plant sizes at different successional stages in SDTF is not known. The effect of seasonal drought may be more severe early in succession, when temperature and radiation are high, while competition and density-dependent processes may be more important at later stages, when vegetation is tall and dense. Besides, the effects of seasonality and successional stage may vary with plant size. Large plants can better compete with small plants for limiting resources and may also have a greater capacity to withstand stress. We asked how size-dependent density, species density, recruitment and mortality varied between seasons and successional stages in a SDTF. We monitored a chronosequence in Yucatan, Mexico, over six years in three 0.1 ha plots in each of three successional stages: early (3–5 years-old), intermediate (18–20 years-old) and advanced (>50 years-old). Recruitment, mortality and species gain and loss rates were calculated from wet and dry season censuses separately for large (diameter > 5 cm) and small (1–5 cm in diameter) plants. We used linear mixed-effects models to assess the effects of successional stage, seasonality and their changes through time on demographic rates and on plant and species density. Seasonality affected demographic rates and density of large plants, which exhibited high wet-season recruitment and species gain rates at the early stage and high wet-season mortality at the intermediate stage, resulting in an increase in plant and species density early in succession followed by a subsequent stabilization. Small plant density decreased steadily after only 5 years of land abandonment, whereas species density increased with successional stage. A decline in species dominance may be responsible for these contrasting patterns. Seasonality, successional stage and their changes through time had a stronger influence on large plants, likely because of large among-plot variation of small plants. Notwithstanding the short duration of our study, our results suggest that climate-change driven decreases in rainy season precipitation may have an influence on successional dynamics in our study forest as strong as, or even stronger than, prolonged or severe droughts during the dry season.
Late Wisconsin mammalian faunas and environmental gradients of the eastern United States

Small mammal species distribution, density, and composition of modern and Pleistocene faunas from the eastern United States provide information about environmental gradients. Higher summer temperatures and less effective moisture along a transect from the northeast to the southwest can be correlated with the distribution of small mammals as well as decreases in the total number of shrew and vole species. Relative frequencies of “boreal”, “deciduous”, and “steppe” species are more equal in late Wisconsin than modern faunas which are predominantly composed of only one group. A higher vole species density is prevalent in each late Wisconsin fauna and eleven of twelve of these faunas have a higher shrew species density than the corresponding modern fauna. Many shrew and vole species that are today endemic to the boreal provinces were cosmopolitan during the late Wisconsin. Moderate environmental gradients of the equable late Wisconsin climates allowed integration of boreal species with resident species in the south.
Faster RCNN‐based detection of cervical spinal cord injury and disc degeneration

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can indirectly reflect microscopic changes in lesions on the spinal cord; however, the application of deep learning to MRI to classify and detect lesions for cervical spinal cord diseases has not been sufficiently explored. In this study, we implemented a deep neural network for MRI to detect lesions caused by cervical diseases. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI of 1,500 patients irrespective of whether they had cervical diseases. The patients were treated in our hospital from January 2013 to December 2018. We randomly divided the MRI data into three groups of datasets: disc group (800 datasets), injured group (200 datasets), and normal group (500 datasets). We designed the relevant parameters and used a faster‐region convolutional neural network (Faster R‐CNN) combined with a backbone convolutional feature extractor using the ResNet‐50 and VGG‐16 networks, to detect lesions during MRI. Experimental results showed that the prediction accuracy and speed of Faster R‐CNN with ResNet‐50 and VGG‐16 in detecting and recognizing lesions from a cervical spinal cord MRI were satisfactory. The mean average precisions (mAPs) for Faster R‐CNN with ResNet‐50 and VGG‐16 were 88.6 and 72.3%, respectively, and the testing times was 0.22 and 0.24 s/image, respectively. Faster R‐CNN can identify and detect lesions from cervical MRIs. To some extent, it may aid radiologists and spine surgeons in their diagnoses. The results of our study can provide motivation for future research to combine medical imaging and deep learning.
Association of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Clinical Mastitis Incidence in Dairy Cows During the Periparturient Period

Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to determine changes of reactive oxygen species (ROS), serum antioxidant capacity (SAC), oxidative stress index (OSi), and α-tocopherol (α-T) during the periparturient period in healthy and mastitic cows and to further investigate whether these parameters can be used as a tool for identifying cows at higher risk of developing mastitis. Material and Methods Blood samples from 110 dairy cows from two commercial farms were obtained at dry-off, calving, and 30 days post-partum. Healthy cows formed group A (n = 90) and mastitic cows B (n = 20). Blood serum was obtained by centrifugation, and the aforementioned parameters were determined. A general linear model was used for analysing the associations among the determined blood parameters, the health of the animals’ udder, and the sampling time. Results ROS and OSi values were higher (P < 0.001) by a respective 14% and 26%, and SAC values lower (P < 0.001) by 10% in group B than in group A at calving. ROC curve analysis revealed that all determined parameters at calving and α-T at dry-off and 30 days post-partum had excellent or acceptable predicting ability for mastitis incidence. Conclusion This information provides a tool for early identification of cows at high risk of developing mastitis, allowing the implementation of intervention strategies.
Mitochondrial-nuclear coadaptation revealed through mtDNA replacements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Background Mitochondrial function requires numerous genetic interactions between mitochondrial- and nuclear- encoded genes. While selection for optimal mitonuclear interactions should result in coevolution between both genomes, evidence for mitonuclear coadaptation is challenging to document. Genetic models where mitonuclear interactions can be explored are needed. Results We systematically exchanged mtDNAs between 15 Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates from a variety of ecological niches to create 225 unique mitochondrial-nuclear genotypes. Analysis of phenotypic profiles confirmed that environmentally-sensitive interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear genotype contributed to growth differences. Exchanges of mtDNAs between strains of the same or different clades were just as likely to demonstrate mitonuclear epistasis although epistatic effect sizes increased with genetic distances. Strains with their original mtDNAs were more fit than strains with synthetic mitonuclear combinations when grown in media that resembled isolation habitats. Conclusions This study shows that natural variation in mitonuclear interactions contributes to fitness landscapes. Multiple examples of coadapted mitochondrial-nuclear genotypes suggest that selection for mitonuclear interactions may play a role in helping yeasts adapt to novel environments and promote coevolution.
Endoscopy-based Kyoto classification score of gastritis related to pathological topography of neutrophil activity

BACKGROUND Endoscopy-based Kyoto classification for gastritis and pathological topographic distribution of neutrophil infiltration are correlated with gastric cancer risk. AIM To investigate the association between Kyoto classification and the topographic distribution of neutrophil activity. METHODS Kyoto classification score, ranging from 0 to 8, consisted of atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, enlarged folds, nodularity, and diffuse redness. Neutrophil activity was scored according to the updated Sydney System using biopsy samples obtained from the greater curvature of the corpus and the antrum. The participants were divided into four categories, inactive stomach, antrum-predominant gastritis, pangastritis, and corpus-predominant gastritis, based on the topographic distribution of neutrophil activity. Effects of sex, age, body mass index, drinking habit, smoking habit, family history of gastric cancer, serum Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) antibody, and Kyoto score on topography of neutrophil infiltration were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 327 patients (comprising 50.7% women, with an average age of 50.2 years) were enrolled in this study. H. pylori infection rate was 82.9% with a mean Kyoto score of 4.63. The Kyoto score was associated with the topographic distribution of neutrophil activity. Kyoto scores were significantly higher in the order of inactive stomach, antrum-predominant gastritis, pangastritis, and corpus-predominant gastritis (3.05, 4.57, 5.21, and 5.96, respectively). Each individual score of endoscopic findings (i.e., atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, enlarged folds, nodularity, and diffuse redness) was correlated with the topographic distribution of neutrophil activity. On multivariate analysis, the Kyoto score, age, and serum H. pylori antibody were independently associated with the topographic distribution of neutrophil activity. CONCLUSION The Kyoto classification score was associated with the topographic distribution of neutrophil activity.
Brain Networks Sensitive to Object Novelty, Value, and Their Combination

Abstract Novel and valuable objects are motivationally attractive for animals including primates. However, little is known about how novelty and value processing is organized across the brain. We used fMRI in macaques to map brain responses to visual fractal patterns varying in either novelty or value dimensions and compared the results with the structure of functionally connected brain networks determined at rest. The results show that different brain networks possess unique combinations of novelty and value coding. One network identified in the ventral temporal cortex preferentially encoded object novelty, whereas another in the parietal cortex encoded the learned value. A third network, broadly composed of temporal and prefrontal areas (TP network), along with functionally connected portions of the striatum, amygdala, and claustrum, encoded both dimensions with similar activation dynamics. Our results support the emergence of a common currency signal in the TP network that may underlie the common attitudes toward novel and valuable objects.
Nutrient Digestibility and Growth Performance of West African Dwarf (WAD) Goats Fed Foliage Combinations of Moringa oleifera and Gliricidia sepium with Equal Proportions of A Low-cost Concentrate

Forty growing WAD goats (20 males and 20 females) were used in a 20-week digestion and growth study (complete randomized design) to investigate the potentials of a formulated low-cost concentrate with gliricidia and/or moringa fodder combinations to alleviate the acknowledged dry season nutritional stress often associated with ruminants in tropical environments. Eight animals (4 males and 4 females) were allocated to each of five experimental diets, namely; concentrate with 100 % gliricidia and 100 % moringa respectively (LC:G100M0, LC:G0M100), concentrate with gliricidia and moringa combinations at 75 to 25 %, 50 to 50 % and 25 to 75 % respectively (LC:G75M25, LC:G50M50, LC:G25M75). Performance indicators were nutrient intake, nutrient digestibility coefficients, feed conversion ratios and growth rates. Total DM intake was significantly (P 0.05) differences of these two diet combinations in CP intakes (73.90 vs. 71.10 g/d), apparent CP digestibility coefficients (86.00 vs. 84.90 %), TDN values (83.70 vs. 79.50 %), total weight gains (7.18 vs. 6.44 kg) and daily growth rates (51.30 vs. 46.00 g/d). Keywords: Digestibility, dry season nutritional stress, Gliricidia sepium, growth performance, low-cost concentrate, Moringa oleifera, WAD goats
HOST PLANT SELECTION BY BATTUS PHILENOR BUTTERFLIES: THE ROLES OF PREDATION, NUTRITION, AND PLANT CHEMISTRY'

In a previous study it was demonstrated that a major selection pressure responsible for seasonal changes in the searching and oviposition preferences of the pipevine swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), is a seasonal increase in the disappearance rate of early- instar larvae from one of their two host plants in east Texas, Aristolochia reticulata (Aristolochi- aceae). The primary objective of this study was to determine the causes, both proximate and ultimate, of that increased disappearance rate. The results may be summarized as follows: 1) The seasonal increase in disappearance rates of larvae feeding on A. reticulata plants is due primarily to a decrease in the size at which larvae disperse from their original host plant. No seasonal increase in the intensity of predation on larvae was detected. 2) Larvae readily consume the young foliage of A. reticulata plants but seldom accept mature foliage. 3) The amount of A. reticulata foliage that is acceptable to larvae decreases between early April and late May. This decrease explains the seasonal decrease in the size at which larvae disperse from their original host plant. 4) Growth rates, corrected for variation in consumption rates, are much lower for larvae fed mature leaves than for larvae fed young leaves. 5) Poor larval growth on mature leaves appears to be due to two effects of sclerophyllization: low nitrogen content and increased toughness. No effects of digestibility-reducing plant secondary com- pounds were detected. 6) For A. reticulata plants in the field, the probability that a leaf will be eaten once it is discovered by a larva is lower for mature leaves than for young leaves. 7) For A. serpentaria plants, which grow sympatrically with A. reticulata, mature leaves and young leaves are equally acceptable to larvae. Mature A. serpentaria leaves are not markedly scle- rophyllous. These results indicate that the causes of the observed seasonal increase in disappearance rates of larvae on A. reticulata can be traced ultimately to changes in the nutritional content of the foliage as it ages. They also suggest that a seasonal deterioration in the nutritional quality of A. reticulata foliage is a major selection pressure leading to the observed seasonal shift in the searching and oviposition preferences of females from A. reticulata in the early spring to A. serpentaria late in the spring. Finally, the results provide evidence supporting the contention that an important ecological function of sclerophylly is to defend plants from herbivores.