Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interpreting Life-History Traits of Miconia (Miconia calvescens) through Management over Space and Time in the East Maui Watershed, Hawaii (USA)

Abstract Miconia (Miconia calvescens DC) was introduced to the East Maui Watershed (EMW) a halfcentury ago with more than 25 yr of management recorded. Using a historical spatiotemporal data set, we constructed a leptokurtic dispersal kernel with 99% of progeny confined to within 549 m of the nearest maternal source and the remaining 1% dispersed out to 1,636 m. Seedbank persistence, based on postdated recruitment, displayed an exponential decay projecting extinction beyond 20 yr. These parameters are highly congruent to independent interpretations of M. calvescens in Australia and Tahiti. In a simulated stage matrix model, we projected management efforts to locally eradicate a small incipient propagule bank wherein optimal management was achieved with an annual harvest rate that eliminated all juvenile recruits before reaching maturity, until extinction. Based on current pricing for helicopter herbicide ballistic technology (HBT) operations, the optimal, variable cost to locally eradicate this incipient propagule bank was estimated to be less than US$42,000, with ∼90% of the effort searching for the most distant 1% of the progeny expended within the first 9 yr after the mature discovery. This variable cost was sensitive to seedbank size, recruitment rate, and dispersal range, but was most sensitive to harvest rates between suboptimal and excess. In a scenario prioritizing the upper region of EMW, we retroactively analyzed past HBT efforts eliminating satellite M. calvescens and determined that 27% of the total effort resulted in 87% of the total protection to this priority asset, with every US$1 invested potentially avoiding US $184 in future costs. Management outside the priority area was less economical, with returns in protection diminishing with distance from the priority upper region. Miconia calvescens is currently not eradicable in the EMW, and full containment of the invasion would require a substantial increase in stable, long-term funding. With limited resources, local eradication of satellite M. calvescens could be the most cost-effective alternative to protecting uninvaded areas prioritized for critical ecosystem functions.
Molecular detection of virulent Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida in lung tissues of pneumonic sheep from semiarid tropics, Rajasthan, India

The present study was planned to detect the genetic elements of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida in pneumonic sheep lungs. Pneumonia was diagnosed on the basis of gross pathological lesions. Lung tissues were collected at necropsy of sheep (n = 96) and subjected to isolation of total DNA. The M. haemolytica -specific PHSSA and Rpt2 genes, and the P. multocidaspecific KMT1 and the Omp87 genes were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A housekeeping gene targeting the sheep cellular mitochondrial 12S ribosomal DNA was used as an internal control. PCR reactions were optimized using the positive and negative controls. Gene-specific PCR products were subjected to nucleotide sequencing for confirmation. The pneumonic lungs showed congestion and hemorrhagic changes with consolidation, which was most evident in the whole of the apical lobes and parts of the diaphragmatic lobes. PCR amplification showed detection of PHSSA (327 bp) and Rpt2 (~1022 bp) genes specific to M. haemolytica in 52 (54.1%), and the KMT1 (457 bp) and Omp87 (2627 bp) genes specific to P. multocida in 16 (16.6%) lung samples. Sequence analysis confirmed the PCR products for specific genes. This study highlighted the culture-independent, rapid, and confirmatory diagnosis of ovine pneumonic pasteurellosis caused by M. haemolytica and/or P. multocida .
Assessment of Environmental Radioactivity Level and its Health Implication in Imiringi Community Bayelsa State, Nigeria

A total forty two (42) sampled points were investigated for radioactivity level and health implication using standard method. The exposure dose rate ranged from 14 to 32μRh-1 with an average value of μ23Rh-1. Dose rate and equivalent dose rate ranged from 121.8 to 278.4nGyh-1 and 1.18 to 2.69mSvy-1 respectively. The average value of the indoor annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), outdoor AEDE, and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were computed to be 0.936 mSvy-1, 0.311 mSvy-1 and 0.810 x 10-3 respectively. Analysis of dose to human organs; testes and ovaries, were 0.61 and 0.43 mSvy-1 respectively. Exposure rate, dose rate and ELCR exceeded the recommended values. All the outdoor AEDEs were within the permissible value of 1.0 mSvy-1 for general public and below the limit of 20 mSvy-1 for radiological workers as recommended by InternationalCommission on Radiation Protection (ICRP). Keywords: Assessment, Environmental radioactivity, Exposure dose, Health impact
Delivering genes across the blood-brain barrier: LY6A, a novel cellular receptor for AAV-PHP.B capsids

The engineered AAV-PHP.B family of adeno-associated virus efficiently delivers genes throughout the mouse central nervous system. To guide their application across disease models, and to inspire the development of translational gene therapy vectors useful for targeting neurological diseases in humans, we sought to elucidate the host factors responsible for the CNS tropism of AAV-PHP.B vectors. Leveraging CNS tropism differences across mouse strains, we conducted a genome-wide association study, and rapidly identified and verified LY6A as an essential receptor for the AAV-PHP.B vectors in brain endothelial cells. Importantly, this newly discovered mode of AAV binding and transduction is independent of other known AAV receptors and can be imported into different cell types to confer enhanced transduction by the AAV-PHP.B vectors.
Fostering Participation During Literacy Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms for Students With Complex Support Needs: Educators’ Strategies and Perspectives

Existing research has documented evidence-based practices that are effective for supporting students with complex support needs (CSN) to learn academic skills. However, there is a need to learn more about effective instructional strategies for students with CSN during literacy lessons in general education classrooms. In addition, there is a need to understand general education teachers’ perspectives on these strategies, including how they learned about them. The purpose of this study was to understand (a) the extent of participation of students with CSN in literacy instruction and activities in general education classrooms, (b) the supports educators provide during these activities, and (c) how educators learned about the strategies they use in their classrooms. We observed nine students with CSN and conducted follow-up interviews with their classroom teachers. Overall, students participated in academic activities for a majority of observations, and these activities addressed a variety of different literacy skills. Educators used research-based instructional practices to support the students including prompts and visual supports. During follow-up interviews, general education teachers described the strategies they used to support students with CSN, and they described how they learned about these strategies. Implications for future research and practice are presented.
Contents of trace elements and sulphur in the leaves of deciduous trees along the roads of Zonguldak, Turkey.

In this study, 16 trace elements (Al, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn) and S were found in unwashed leaves of several deciduous tree species [Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertner, Platanus orientalis L. , Salix babylonica L. ]. Samples were collected from 28 points distributed over 5 sites representing different traffic intensities in the city of Zonguldak. The relationships of sampling sites were determined using the UPGMA method. According to the results of analyses, the trace element and S concentrations in the observed tree species were ordered as follows: S>Mg>Fe>Sr>Zn>B>Ba>Al>Mn>Cu>Pb> Ni> V>Cr>Li>Co>Cd in Alnus glutinosa; S>Mg>Fe>Sr>Zn> Mn> Ba >Al>B>Cu>Pb>Cr>V>Li>Ni>Co>Cd in Platanus orientalis; S>Fe>Mg>Zn>Sr>Al>Ba>B>Mn>Cu> V>Pb>Ni>Li>Cr>Cd>Co in Salix babylonica. Significant positive correlations existed between the amount of heavy metals (r=0.81–1.00). The results are discussed in the context of prior studies.
Factors Influencing Anuran Wetland Occupancy in an Agricultural Landscape

Abstract: Habitat disturbance is an important cause of global amphibian declines, with especially strong effects in areas of high agricultural use. Determining the influence of site characteristics on amphibian presence and success is vital to developing effective conservation strategies. We used occupancy analysis to estimate presence of four anuran species at wetlands in northern Iowa as a function of eight environmental covariates hypothesized to affect occupancy: fish and salamander abundance, invertebrate density, aquatic vegetative cover, wetland area, atrazine concentration in water, surrounding agricultural land use, and an overall wetland health score (wetland condition index [WCI]). We surveyed 27 wetlands multiple times in 2015 and 2016. Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens) and American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus) were observed at 100% of the sites, Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata) at 96%, and Gray Treefrogs (Hyla spp.) at 81%. Wetland site occupancy for all species in our study ranged from 0.23 (Hyla spp. tadpoles) to 0.95 (L. pipiens adults), indicating that agricultural wetlands can provide refuge or habitat for amphibians. Fish abundance, percentage of cropland cover within 500 m of the wetland, and salamander abundance were among the variables best supported by our models although their estimated effects were weak. Wetland area, atrazine concentration, vegetative cover, and WCI also influenced occupancy probability, but for only a small number of species and life stages. The direction of predicted effects varied by species and life stage. Despite only weak evidence that the environmental factors we measured influenced anuran occupancy, our results provide insights for managers seeking to understand how amphibians use landscapes modified by agriculture.
A Hybrid Wind Load Estimation Method for Container Ship Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics and Neural Networks

The estimation of wind loads on ships and other marine objects represents a continuous challenge because of its implication for various aspects of exposed structure exploitation. An extended method for estimating the wind loads on container ships is presented. The method uses the Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN), which is trained with Elliptic Fourier Descriptors (EFD) of sets of frontal and lateral closed contours as inputs. Wind load coefficients (Cx, Cy, CN), used as outputs for network training, are derived from 3D steady RANS CFD analysis. This approach is very suitable for assessing wind loads on container ships wherever there is a wind load database for a various container configuration. In this way, the cheaper and faster calculation can bridge the gap for the container configurations for which calculations or experiments have not already been made. The results obtained by trained GRNN are in line with available experimental measurements of the wind loads on various container configuration on the deck of a 9000+ TEU container ship obtained through a series of wind tunnel tests, as well as with performed CFD simulation for the same conditions.
Mandated disclosure, institutional investors and stock price informativeness: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment

We investigate the link between mandated disclosure and investor preferences using a regulatory change that required the disclosure of patent applications 18 months after filing. This change allows us to separate the disciplinary effect provided by disclosure from the information effect. Leveraging cross-sectional variation in exposure to the change, we find an increase in institutional ownership in the period prior to the information release, a reduction in blockholders' stakes, and an increase in trading by informed investors. Importantly, stock prices also become more informative. Our evidence implies that governance implications should be a central consideration for disclosure and reporting regulation.
PENGARUH ATTITUDE, SUBJECTIVE NORM, DAN PERCEIVED BEHAVIOR CONTROL TERHADAP PURCHASE INTENTION MAKANAN SEHAT DI CRUNCHAUS SURABAYA

This study aims to determine the effects of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control toward purchase intention of healthy food in Crunchaus Surabaya. This research was conducted on 205 respondents, the result of this study shows that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control have positive and significant influence toward purchase intention in Crunchaus Surabaya. Attitude is the most dominant variable toward purchase intention of healthy food in Crunchaus Surabaya.
Effect of strength training on the agonist-antagonist sequence to improve functional fitness in older women

Introduction: Strength training (ST) is effective to improve functional fitness (FF) in older people. However, the literature is scarce in relation to some ST methods. Objective: To verify the effect of an agonist-antagonist circuit training model (AACT) on FF in older women. Methods: Thirteen older women (68.6 ± 6.1 years, 66.4 ± kg, 1.57 ± 0.07 meters) were recruited to participate in this research. These women were submitted to the Senior Fitness Test to evaluate FF and measurements of body weight, height and calf circumference to check body composition. The training protocol was based on AACT model with exercises performed following this sequence: knee extension, knee flexion, abductor and adductor machine, bench press, rowing machine, triceps and biceps curls during eight weeks. The participants performed three sets of 8 to 10 repetitions with 30-second intervals in the circuit training model. Results: After eight weeks of AACT training, FF improved significantly (p ≤ 0.05). However, there were no differences in body composition (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: The training organized in an AACT model improves FF and may be used to maintain an active lifestyle and improve the quality of life in this population. Key-words: Older people, Strength training, Functional capacity. RESUMO Introdução: O treinamento de força (TF) é efetivo para aumentar a aptidão funcional (AF) em idosos. Entretanto, a literatura é escassa em relação a alguns métodos de TF. Objetivo: Verificar o efeito de um modelo de treinamento agonista-antagonista realizado em circuito (AAC) na AF em mulheres idosas. Métodos: Foram recrutadas 13 mulheres idosas (68,6 ± 6,1 anos, 66,4 ± kg, 1,57 ± 0,007 metros) para participar desta pesquisa. Todas foram submetidas ao Sênior Fitness Test para avaliar a AF e medidas de peso, estatura e circunferência de panturrilha para medir a composição corporal. O protocolo de treinamento foi em um modelo AAC com exercícios realizados na sequência: extensão de joelhos, flexão de joelhos, cadeira abdutora, cadeira adutora, supino reto, remada articulada, rosca tríceps e rosca bíceps durante oito semanas. Todas realizaram entre 8 e 10 repetições, intervalo de 30 segundos e três séries no circuito. Resultados: Após oito semanas de treinamento AAC, a AF melhorou significativamente (p ≤ 0,05). Porém, não foram observadas diferenças para a composição corporal (p ≥ 0,05). Conclusão: O treinamento organizado em um modelo AAC promove melhora da AF e pode ser utilizado para manutenção de uma vida ativa e melhora da qualidade de vida nessa população. Palavras-chave: Idoso, Treinamento de força, Capacidade funcional. Original Article Brazilian Journal of Exercise Physiology ISSN Online: 2675-1372 ISSN Printed: 1677-8510 RBFEx 219 Vasconcelos & Cardozo. Strength training and agonist-antagonist sequence
Engineering expanded spliceosome function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Author(s): DeNicola, Anthony | Advisor(s): Tang, Yi | Abstract: Nature has long been a source of chemical diversity and its untapped potential is a major resource for solving our medical and energy problems. In particular, filamentous fungi have been prolific producers of medicinal compounds in the fight against human disease. Therefore, there has been interest in leveraging the advances in genomics to discover new fungal biosynthetic pathways that yield novel bioactive compounds. Heterologous expression of biosynthetic genes in model organisms will be increasingly necessary for high-throughput exploration of this genomic sequence space. Unfortunately, fungal genes contain many non-coding introns, which are difficult to manually annotate or predict in silico. Additionally, it is not possible to obtain intron-free cDNA from uncultivable species or transcriptionally silent gene clusters. This intron problem magnifies as the number of genomes increases and it risks derailing heterologous expression of this new genetic data. Unfortunately, the native spliceosome of the commonly used model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot remove introns from distant fungi. In this thesis, I will describe my efforts to engineer S. cerevisiae with expanded spliceosome functionality. I identified two failure modes that prevent splicing of an intron from Aspergillus fumigatus. This led to the generation of a chimeric yeast-fungal BranchBinding Protein that has enhanced specificity for an intron containing a fungal branchpoint site. Expression of this mutant protein enabled a 2-fold improvement in splicing of an intron with a suboptimal branchpoint site. Additionally, we identified multiple synergistic splicing factor mutations with mBBP, YHC1-D36A and downregulation of IFH1, that enabled a 1.6-fold improvement of splicing of the A. fumigatus intron. Additional studies modifying the U2 small nuclear RNA as well splicing proofreaders PRP5, PRP16, and PRP28 will be described, highlighting the drawbacks of these approaches. This study is the first demonstration of improved splicing of an Aspergillus intron through spliceosome engineering in S. cerevisiae. Using the tools, methodologies, and yeast strains provided by this work, the spliceosome can be engineered with new function, broadening the scope of how synthetic biology will be used to enhance heterologous expression in diverse research fields, such as in the elucidation of the splicing code and in natural products discovery.
Validation of an In-Vitro Parkinson’s Disease Model for the Study of Neuroprotection

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease with an estimation of 10 million people living with the disease and it is increasing in prevalence every year. Familial cases of PD are source of valuable information to determine genetical risk factors yet sporadic cases can emerge from distinct mechanisms so, identifying common pathways of familial and sporadic cases of PD may provide worthwhile insights to determine underlying mechanisms through the progression. LRRK2 mutations are the most common indicators of both sporadic and familial cases of PD and α-synuclein aggregation is one of the hallmarks of both cases of PD as well as in other synucleinopathies. As in the case of most neurological diseases, human studies addressing the molecular basis of pathology are generally restricted to post-mortem materials. For this reason, cell culture systems and animal models are widely used. There are two main approaches for modelling PD: genetically constructed PD models and neuroxin-based models. In this study, we aim to construct and compare both approaches by overexpressing wild-type (WT) and A53T mutant α-synuclein and treating cells with well-known neurotoxin 6-hydroxidopamine (6-OHDA) using dopaminergic human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. Our findings suggest that WT or A53T α-synuclein overexpression by itself is not sufficient to cause significant toxicity in SH-SY5Y cells in the presented time scale. As expected, 6-OHDA treatment caused toxicity with an IC50 value of ~100 µM. In addition, 6-OHDA treatment causes 3- and 2.5-fold increase in SNCA and LRRK2 expression respectively.
PENGARUH ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH (e-WOM) DAN CITRA MEREK TERHADAP MINAT BELANJA KONSUMEN DI BATAM

Penelitian ini menganalisis faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi minat belanja konsumen ( purchase intention ) dengan mengambil objek penelitian adalah konsumen pengunjung MegaMall Batam Centre di Kota Batam yang dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan metode purposive random sampling . Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa secara langsung e-WOM berpengaruh signifikan terhadap citra merek, dan citra merek berpengaruh signifikan terhadap minat belanja. Studi ini membuktikan secara langsung e-WOM tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap minat belanja, namun secara tidak langsung, e-WOM berpengaruh signifikan terhadap minat belanja melalui citra merek sebagai mediasi. Kesimpulan penelitian terhadap minat belanja konsumen ini dapat direkomendasikan sebagai masukan bagi pihak manajemen tentang pentingnya faktor-faktor pembentuk minat belanja konsumen di sektor ritel. Peneliti menyakini pendekatan yang berkaitan dengan pembentukan citra merek dan e-WOM dapat membantu manajer meningkatkan keinginan dan minat belanja konsumen pada masa mendatang.
Redescription and distributional range extension of a poorly known anchovy Stolephorus nelsoni (Actinopterygii: Clupeiformes: Engraulidae)

Background. The poorly known anchovy Stolephorus nelsoni Wongratana, 1987 (Engraulidae), previously known only from the type specimens from Australia, is redescribed and its validity confirmed, on the basis of the holotype, paratype, and 15 additional specimens from Indonesia and Australia. Similar to Stolephorus brachycephalus Wongratana, 1983 in sharing the maxilla reaching more or less to the posterior border of opercle, a predorsal-fin scute absent and the preopercle rounded, the specific distinctiveness of S. nelsoni and differences between the two species have remained unclear. This study sought to confirm the validities of the two species and the distributional range of S. nelsoni. Materials and methods. Seventeen and 9 specimens of S. nelsoni and S. brachycephalus, respectively, including the holotype of each, were examined morphologically, counts and proportional measurements following Hata and Motomura (2017). Results. Comparisons of S. nelsoni with S. brachycephalus revealed the former to have 12–14 (mode 13) branchiostegal rays [vs. 10–11 (11)], 15–17 branched anal fin rays [vs. 20–22 (20)] and relatively fewer gill rakers [37–43 (39, 40) on the first gill arch vs. 35–37 (35)]. Stolephorus nelsoni also differed from S. brachycephalus in body depth [21.7%–23.7% (mean 22.6%) of standard length vs. 18.2%–20.3% (19.1%)], anal-fin base length [16.1%–19.3% (17.6%) vs. 21.6%–24.4% (23.2%)], caudal-peduncle length [15.7%–21.7% (18.8%) vs. 12.6%– 15.2% (14.1%)] and snout length [4.5%–5.5% (5.1%) vs. 3.6%–4.3% (4.0%)]. Conclusion. The validities of both species were confirmed, Indonesian examples of S. nelsoni being the first known records of the species outside Australian waters.