Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anatomical properties in Thuja occidentalis:Variation and relationship to biological processes

The variability in wood properties of eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is relatively poorly known. Here we report the axial and the radial variation in selected anatomical properties, namely, ring width, wood density, and tracheid length and width. Forty-five trees were randomly sampled and felled from three selected sites in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region, Quebec, Canada. Disks were systematically sampled at 0.5, 1.3, and 3 m stem height and at every 2 meters thereafter up to the tree top. Average ring density at breast height was 355 kg/m3 with a small difference between earlywood and latewood. The latewood proportion was uniform and constant within the tree at about 32%. The tracheids were fine and long, averaging 25.3 μm in width and 2.07 mm in length. The variation in wood density components between trees was highly significant. The cambial age effect on all measured properties was highly significant. Ring density decreased from a maximum near the pith to a minimum in the juvenile–mature wood transition zone and remained constant or decreased slightly thereafter. Annual ring width decreased from a maximum near the pith to a minimum at the 10th ring and increased thereafter. Tracheid length and width showed typical radial variation characterized by a steady increase from pith to bark. Within-tree axial variation was highly significant, but ring width showed more substantial changes. Changes in wood properties with height depend on cambial age and thus are implied since the proportion of juvenile wood in the stem increases from the base to the top.
Statolith comparison of two South-West Atlantic loliginid squid: Loligo sanpaulensis and Loligo gahi

The statoliths of two South-West Atlantic loliginid squid, Loligo gahi and Loligo sanpaulensis, were studied to determine if they could be a useful tool for species differentiation. Allometric equations were employed to examine differences in statolith shape and growth. Statolith dimensions were standardized by total length and dome length and principal components analysis was employed to compare the shapes. The first component was used as a discriminant function to classify species. There is clear species differentiation in both size and shape of the statoliths. The statoliths of Loligo gahi are significantly larger than those of Loligo sanpaulensis. Loligo gahi statoliths are characterized by the presence of a prominent dorsal dome and a relatively long, thin rostrum, whereas those of Loligo sanpaulensis have a rounded dome and short rostrum. The discriminant function correctly separated 92.9% of Loligo gahi and 88.5% of Loligo sanpaulensis statoliths in additional samples. Relationships between mantle .
Systematics of the Gnetales: A Review of Morphological and Molecular Evidence

Despite substantial evolutionary interest in the order Gnetales as the extant group of seed plants most similar to the angiosperms, our knowledge of systematic relationships within the genera of the group remains quite limited. The most recent worldwide monograph of Ephedra is that of Stapf (1889), while the only worldwide systematic treatment of Gnetum is that of Markgraf (1930). This article summarizes our current knowledge of the relationships among the ca. 50 species of Ephedra and the ca 39 species of Gnetum and the relationships between these two genera and the monotypic Welwitschia. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses of rbcL gene sequences, including three species each of Ephedra and Gnetum, provide further support for the monophyly of the Gnetales relative to the other extant groups of seed plants and for the sister-group relationship of Ephedra and Gnetum.
Genetic Heterogeneity in Bacteroides asaccharolyticus (Holdeman and Moore 1970) Finegold and Barnes 1977 (Approved Lists, 1980) and Proposal of Bacteroides gingivalis sp. nov. and Bacteroides macacae (Slots and Genco) comb. nov.

Strains of Bacteroides asaccharolyticus (Holdeman and Moore 1970) Finegold and Barnes 1977 (Approved Lists, 1980) which had been isolated from human mouths, most often from periodontal pockets, showed remarkably little deoxyribonucleic acid base sequence homology with the deoxyribonucleic acid of strains of the same species which were isolated from nonoral sites. In addition, four strains of catalase-positive Bacteroides melaninogenicus subsp. macacae Slots and Genco 1980 isolated from periodontal pockets in monkeys were distinct from B. asaccharolyticus. With deoxyribonucleic acid immobilized on membrane filters and index deoxyribonucleic acid made radioactive by translation repair with [3H] thymidine triphosphate, we found that the deoxyribonucleic acid homology among the three groups could readily be distinguished by their deoxyribonucleic acid base contents. The nonoral strains had 51 to 52 mol% guanine plus cytosine, the human oral strains had 46.5 to 48.5 mol% guanine plus cytosine, and the monkey catalase-positive strains had 42 to 43 mol% guanine plus cytosine in their deoxyribonucleic acids. Some strains which fit the species description of B. asaccharolyticus were not genetically related to the three groups. A new species, Bacteroides gingivalis sp. nov., which comprises those strains that resemble B. asaccharolyticus but have 46.5 to 48.5 mol% guanine plus cytosine, is described. These strains can also be distinguished serologically and by their production of phenylacetic acid. The type strain is Slots' strain 2561 (=ATCC 33277). Bacteroides melaninogenicus subsp. macacae, which is comprised of the monkey isolates which resemble B. asaccharolyticus but which have a guanine plus cytosine content of 42 to 43 mol% and give a positive catalase reaction, is elevated to species status. Its name is thus Bacteroides macacae (Slots and Genco) comb. nov. The type strain of this species is Slots' strain 7728-L6C (=ATCC 33141).
Effect of Freezing Deep Supercooled Water on the Viability of Ray Cells

Matching 1-yr-old stem segments of Malus pumila, Carya ovata, Cercis canadensis, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Castanea deniata, Syringa vulgaris, Quercus rubra, and Fagus sylvatica were cooled during differential thermal analysis to a range of temperatures at which different amounts of deep supercooled water froze. After storage at 5 C, the treated twigs were examined for browning; individual xylem rays were excised, vital stained in neutral red, and plasmolyzed in CaCl2. In all species, the death of ray cells coincided with the start of freezing of deep supercooled water. Death was defined by loss of stainability. In Malus, death of ray cells increased linearly over a 20 C span, with the percentage of water frozen When all the deep supercooled water had frozen, no cells were alive No recognizable anatomic characteristics distinguished those ray cells which died at higher temperatures The start of xylem browning also coincided with the start of the low temperature exotherm, and, in general, browning increased with freezing.
The Role of Rural Educational Leadership in Influencing Societal Behaviour: A Case Study of Goromonzi District: Educational Leaders’ Perceptive

This study establishes the role of rural educational leadership in influencing societal behaviour, focusing Goromonzi District. It was positioned alongside the behavioural theories and the African unhu/ubuntu philosophy, informed by a qualitative case study. It made use of interviews, focus group discussions and observations in the generation of data from a purposive sample of three rural secondary schools. The rural context has its own set of unique community identifiers, making rural schools remarkably different from those found in the urban centres. The rural community is experiencing an influx of urban migration and as a result, the disturbance of an ideal rural setting is posing a challenge to the educational leadership in impacting the societal behaviour in the way it ought to be. Moreover, the educational leadership in the rural community is often characterised by lack of understanding of the rural communities’ traditional beliefs and practices, giving rise to contradictions with what the educational leadership intends to promote and encourage at times. Consequently, a cultural shift and contextual adaptation of distinctive attitudes and behaviours that enhance positive behaviour transformation becomes imperative. Above it all, studying rural behavioural trends as a response to educational leadership was paradoxical journey. The study thus, concludes that while literature points out that leadership has a direct influence of the behaviour of its community, this cannot go far unless the educational leadership deliberately aligns its own behaviour with the dictates of unhu/ubuntu philosophy which has a place in the African rural context.
Mount Cook lily (Ranunculus lyallii)—a potential cut flower?

Abstract Five experiments were undertaken to assess the potential of Ranunculus lyallii Hook. f. (Mount Cook lily) as a cut flower. Three measures of vase life were calculated, and the most useful for this species was found to be the number of days until 30% of flowers plus buds on a stem had senesced. Eleven postharvest chemical treatments (including biocides, commercial preservatives, a wetting agent, and combinations of these) were applied to scapes as pulse or vase solutions, but none significantly extended vase life. However, cool storage (at 3°C) and scape maturity at harvest both significantly influenced vase life. The vase life of scapes cool stored for 6 days averaged 2.4 days longer than the vase life of unchilled controls. Scapes harvested when the terminal bud was starting to open lasted an average of 10.2 days, a gain of 4 days compared with mature scapes harvested with a fully open or senescent terminal bud. Bud opening on scapes occurred in two distinct flushes, 3.5 days apart, and no postharvest treatment significantly affected the length of this gap. Flower quality was higher in buds opening in the first flush. R. lyallii senesced atypi‐cally for the Ranunculaceae; petal wilt rather than abscission was the initial symptom of senescence. There was no evidence that ethylene accelerated senescence, and the ethylene antagonist, silver thio‐sulphate, also failed to delay senescence. R. lyallii has commercial potential as a cut flower.
Clinical Study Ten-Year Surgical Outcomes and Prognostic Factors for French- Door Laminoplasty in the Treatment of Multilevel Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Objective. To analyze the ten-year surgical outcomes and postoperative complications of French-Door laminoplasty (FDL) in the management of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (MCSM) and analyze the prognostic factors for FDL in treating MCSM. Methods. 64 patients with MCSM, who were operated by FDL, were included in this study and followed up for at least 10 years. Clinical assessments including modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score, age at surgery, preoperative symptom duration, operative time, blood loss and postoperative complications, radiological assessments including Cobb angle, cervical range of motion (ROM), intramedullary signal intensity on T2W MRI, canal narrowing ratio (CNR), and maximum spinal cord compression (MSCC). mJOA score, Cobb angle, cervical ROM, intramedullary signal intensity on T2W MRI, and CNR were assessed before surgery and at the final follow-up. Results. The average mJOA score was significantly improved from preoperative 10:32 ± 1:63 points to 15:10 ± 0:62 points at the final follow-up (p < 0:05). The average RR of the mJOA score at the final follow-up was 69:10 ± 7:32%. The cervical Cobb angle and ROM decreased significantly at the final follow-up. Patients with high intramedullary signal intensity of T2W MRI or CNR more than 50% showed a lower RR of the mJOA score. Correlation analysis revealed that preoperative symptom duration and intramedullary signal intensity of T2W MRI, CNR, MSCC, and blood loss were significantly correlated with the RR of the mJOA score. Gender, operative method, and age at surgery were significantly correlated with the preservation rate of ROM. Operative time was significantly correlated with the incidence of axial symptoms. Conclusions. The ten-year clinical outcomes of FDL were satisfactory. Higher intramedullary signal intensity of T2W MRI and a greater CNR predicted poorer prognoses.
Determinant Factors Affecting Loan Repayment Performance of Women Borrowers from Micro Finance Institutions in Southwest Ethiopia: Evidence from Four Woredas around Gilgel Gibe Hydroelectric Power Dam

The aim of microcredit is to help the poor and lower income group to get funds for their business activities and to improve their lives. Also Ethiopian government use and promote microcredit as a bridge to eradicate poverty and for women's empowerment. In reverse, many women’s are loan defaulter than other borrowers. But, there are a limited number of researches attempted to explore determinant factors affecting loan repayment performance in the case of women borrower of micro finance institutions by using empirical data, especially in the study country and almost no for the study area. So to fill this gap, we conduct a cross-sectional study with overall aim of assessing determinant factors affecting loan repayment performance in the case of women borrowers from micro finance institutions. We employed a multi-stage sampling approach and a total of 182 women’s, which 85 borrowers were defaulter and 97 non-defaulters.
A review on the therapeutic approach to the Diabetic Nephropathy

“Diabetes mellitus leads to a number of secondary complications and diabetic nephropathy is one of the most complicated abnormality of DM with the huge rate of morbidity and mortality and it is also the leading cause of ESRD in adults. The link between glycemia level and development of hypertension has been proved through landmark follow up by DCCT, according to that on 8 year of follow up there was 10% decline in development of hypertension in intensified insulin regimen treatment group as compare to the conventionally treated group. The most important etiology behind the occurrence of diabetic nephropathy in both classes of diabetics are due to high glucose level in the body. According to several research groups including the Diabetic Control and Complication Trail, intensified glycemic control can prevent the incidence and development of microalbuminuria and also overt proteinuria in type 1 diabetic patients. There are a number of therapeutic strategies has been used for the diabetic nephropathy managements, but still we are in search of a drug with better efficacy and having less side effects. Phytochemical and medicinal plants based drugs could be a novel one, which need to be properly evaluated for their efficacy and bioavailability. ”
OP-MOLB190067 1254..1269

Extensive European and African admixture coupled with loss of Amerindian lineages makes the reconstruction of preColumbian history of Native Americans based on present-day genomes extremely challenging. Still open questions remain about the dispersals that occurred throughout the continent after the initial peopling from the Beringia, especially concerning the number and dynamics of diffusions into South America. Indeed, if environmental and historical factors contributed to shape distinct gene pools in the Andes and Amazonia, the origins of this East-West genetic structure and the extension of further interactions between populations residing along this divide are still not well understood. To this end, we generated new high-resolution genome-wide data for 229 individuals representative of one Central and ten South Amerindian ethnic groups from Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Low levels of European and African admixture in the sampled individuals allowed the application of fine-scale haplotype-based methods and demographic modeling approaches. These analyses revealed highly specific Native American genetic ancestries and great intragroup homogeneity, along with limited traces of gene flow mainly from the Andes into Peruvian Amazonians. Substantial amount of genetic drift differentially experienced by the considered populations underlined distinct patterns of recent inbreeding or prolonged isolation. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that all non-Andean South Americans are compatible with descending from a common lineage, while we found low support for common Mesoamerican ancestors of both Andeans and other South American groups. These findings suggest extensive back-migrations into Central America from non-Andean sources or conceal distinct peopling events into the Southern Continent.
Turning Behavior of Running Systems induced by Leg Placement

Compared to legged robots, animals and humans can perform much faster and larger turns, even when they run at high speeds. Such rapid turns require the body of a runner to reorient dynamically and in synchrony with its redirection during stance. While it is clear that foot placement affects both direction and orientation [1, 2] the functional relationship between the three is not well understood. Some analytical models of turning dynamics have been proposed. Specifically, Jindrich and Qiao [2] derived an analytical expression that relates leg placement in the transversal plane to the ratio of body reorientation and redirection given the running velocity and stance time. For comparably small turns in human running, the expression holds well. However, it was derived for preset, sinusoidal patterns in the fore-aft and medio-lateral leg forces, and it is unclear if this assumption generalizes well to larger, more dynamic turns. To gain a better understanding of the turning behavior induced by leg placement, we explore a dynamic running model.
Performance and Growth Analysis of Three Mung Bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) Genotypes at Hawassa, in Ethiopia

Mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is belong to fabaceae family that currently is grown in different parts of world and it have large role in nutrition at developing countries. The study was conducted at field of agronomy and plant physiology laboratory in Hawassa University College of Agriculture at Hawassa during the period of mid-March to early June 2017. This experiment was conducted to investigate the performance of different Mung bean varieties on response of different growth parameters such as Specific Leaf Area, Leaf area ratio, net assimilation rate, and Relative growth and total dry Biomass of among 3 mung bean varieties that are Sunaina, MH-97-6, and Gofa local on growth and developmental characteristics of above ground biomass and growth parameters. Three mung bean cultivars were grown in randomized complete block design with three replications. Different growth parameters such as, Days to 50% Emergency, specific leaf area ratio, leaf area ratio, net assimilation rate, relative growth rate and above ground biomass were collected and analyzed by using SAS software (ver 9.1). The study revealed that there is significant difference among cultivars observed for Days to 50%Emergency and total dry biomass. The SLA and LAR of all cultivars increment from first sample to second sample as crop development progressed. Gofa local cultivar is highest Total dry biomass and late days to emergency. In general, the study result revealed that significant difference among varieties (P ≤ 0.05).
Phytochemical content, antioxidant activities and androgenic properties of four South African medicinal plants

IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the phytochemical contents, antioxidant activities and androgenic properties of Peltophorum africanum Sond, Trichilia emetica Vahl, Terminalia sambesiaca, and Ximenia caffra.MethodsThe finely powdered leaves of the selected plants were extracted using acetone, aqueous and methanol as solvents. The total phenolics and flavonoids contents were determined from gallic acid and quercetin standard curves. The antioxidant activities of these extracts were evaluated using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The effects of plant extracts (100-1000 µg/mL) on TM3 Leydig cells were assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay. Testosterone levels were measured using ELISA kit.ResultsThe methanol extracts of T. sambesiaca and X. caffra revealed higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents (102.13±2.32 mg/g gallic acid equivalent and 1.05±0.04 mg/g quercetin equivalent, respectively) than other plant extracts. The acetone and methanol extracts of P. africanum revealed the best IC50 values (12.50 ± 0.052 µg/mL) against DPPH compared to the other plant extracts and ascorbic acid. The MTT assay results showed that all concentrations of plant extracts maintained cell viability and were not cytotoxic with IC50 values of greater than 20 µg/mL. The methanol extract of T. sambesiaca had the higher testosterone production at 500 µg/mL (0.399 ng/mL) when compared with the basal control while at the concentration of 500 µg/mL the acetone extracts of P. africanum and T. sambesiaca had significantly high testosterone production of 0.147 and 0.188 ng/mL, respectively when compared with basal control.ConclusionThe results reveal that these plants possess antioxidants and androgenic properties and suggest the potential use for the treatment of male infertility.
Photoreceptor morphology is severely affected in the β,β‐carotene‐15,15′‐oxygenase (bcox) zebrafish morphant

The retinoic acid molecule, a vitamin A derivative, is of key importance for eye and photoreceptor development in vertebrates. Several studies have provided evidence that the ventral part of the retina is particularly susceptible to impairment in retinoid signalling during the period of its development. In zebrafish, targeted gene knockdown of β,β‐carotene‐15,15′‐oxygenase (bcox), the key enzyme for vitamin A formation, provokes a loss of retinoid signalling during early eye development that results in microphthalmia at larval stages. Using this model, we analysed the consequences of this for the retinal morphology of the fish larvae in structural details. Our analyses revealed that rods and cones do not express photoreceptor specific proteins (rhodopsin, peanut agglutinin, zpr1) in the peripheral retina. The photoreceptors in the central retina showed shortened outer segments, and electron dense debris in their intermembranal space. The number of phagosomes was increased, and cell death was frequently observed in the outer nuclear layer. Furthermore, the number of Müller cells was significantly reduced in the inner nuclear layer. Thus, we found that the lack of retinoid signalling strongly effects photoreceptor development in the ventral and dorsal retina. In addition, shortened outer segments and cell death of the remaining photoreceptors in the central retina indicate that there is an ongoing need for retinoid signalling for photoreceptor integrity and survival at later developmental stages.
Observations on the impacts of rabbit haemorrhagic disease on agricultural production values in Australia

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) may be the most important rabbit control agent to be made available to graziers in Australia since the advent of myxomatosis. Documenting the benefits of RHD to agricultural production values is an important process in determining best-practice strategies for the use of the disease in controlling rabbit populations. In this paper we review previous studies on the impact of rabbits and present recent Australian case studies that tracked the effects of RHD on agricultural production as the disease first spread across the continent. Indirect consequences of RHD, such as changes in costs of rabbit control as monitored through the use of 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate), are reported. Potential negative impacts such as adverse effects on the wild rabbit fur and meat trade and in the spread of woody weeds are also discussed.
Two Procamallanus spp. (Nematoda, Camallanidae) from fishes in the Philippines

This study was partly supported by the Government of Japan Trust Fund and partly by grant No. A6022201 from the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and by the research project (Z6 022909) of the Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czeck Republic.