Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Projecting climate change impacts on species distributions in megadiverse South African Cape and Southwest Australian Floristic Regions: Opportunities and challenges

Increasing evidence shows that anthropogenic climate change is affecting biodiversity. Reducing or stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions may slow global warming, but past emissions will continue to contribute to further unavoidable warming for more than a century. With obvious signs of difficulties in achieving effective mitigation worldwide in the short term at least, sound scientific predictions of future impacts on biodiversity will be required to guide conservation planning and adaptation.This is especially true in Mediterranean type ecosys- tems that are projected to be among the most significantly affected by anthropogenic climate change, and show the highest levels of confidence in rainfall projections. Multiple methods are available for projecting the consequences of climate change on the main unit of interest - the species - with each method having strengths and weaknesses. Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly applied for forecasting climate change impacts on species geographic ranges. Aggregation of models for different species allows inferences of impacts on biodiversity, though excluding the effects of species interactions.The modelling approach is based on several further assumptions and projections and should be treated cautiously. In the absence of comparable approaches that address large numbers of species, SDMs remain valuable in estimating the vulnerability of species. In this review we discuss the application of SDMs in predicting the impacts of climate change on biodiversity with special reference to the species-rich South West Australian Floristic Region and South African Cape Floristic Region. We discuss the advantages and challenges in applying SDMs in biodiverse regions with high levels of endemicity,and how a similar biogeographical history in both regions may assist us in understanding their vulnerability to climate change.We suggest how the process of predicting the impacts of climate change on biodiversity with SDMs can be improved and emphasize the role of field monitoring and experiments in validating the predictions of SDMs.
Aerosol and environmental surface monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a designated hospital for severe COVID-19 patients

Abstract There is limited information concerning the viral load of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in aerosols deposited on environmental surfaces and the effectiveness of infection prevention and control procedures on eliminating SARS-CoV-2 contamination in hospital settings. We examined the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosol samples and on environmental surfaces in a hospital designated for treating severe COVID-19 patients. Aerosol samples were collected by a microbial air sampler, and environmental surfaces were sampled using sterile premoistened swabs at multiple sites. Ninety surface swabs and 135 aerosol samples were collected. Only two swabs, sampled from the inside of a patient's mask, were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. All other swabs and aerosol samples were negative for the virus. Our study indicated that strict implementation of infection prevention and control procedures was highly effective in eliminating aerosol and environmental borne SARS-CoV-2 RNA thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection in hospitals.
Relationship between soil productivity and erodibility in rainfed wheat lands in northwestern Iran.

Soil erosion by water is the main factor of land degradation, particularly in semi-arid regions where soil productivity is usually low and lowering soil quality can severely decrease crops yields. This study was done in an area of 900 km 2 in the semi-arid agricultural region of Hashtroud in northwestern Iran to determine the relationship between soil productivity and soil erodibility. Wheat grain yield (WGY) and soil erodibility factor (K) were measured separately at 108 plots in 36 dry-farming lands under natural rainfall conditions for a two-year period from March 2005 to March 2007. Based on the results, significant differences were observed among the lands in WGY (P< 0.001) and K (P< 0.001). These differences were attributed to variations of soil properties among the lands. There was a negative relationship between WGY and K (R 2 = 0.77). Multiple regression analysis indicated that both WGY and K were significantly related to aggregate stability and infiltration rate, with a determination coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.74 and 0.90, respectively. Organic matter and calcium carbonate equivalent were the most effective soil properties that enhanced both aggregate stability and infiltration rate. The study revealed that soils with a lower percentage of water-stable aggregates and a lower infiltration rate also tended to have a higher susceptibility to erosion and a lower potential for crop production.
Diversity and abundance of macrofungi in rubber agroforests in southwestern Nigeria

The mushroom diversity was studied for 14 months in Edo State, southwestern Nigeria. A total of 76 macrofungi tantamount to 333 fruit bodies were encountered, 74% of which were identified and named. The basidiomycetes and members of the family Tricholomataceae were the best represented taxa while species on wood-based substrates made up 66% of the total mushroom taxa. The monthly mushroom abundance profile, diversity and species richness for each sampled plot correlated with local meteorological factors, age of the sampled sites and distribution of wood-based substrates. Jaccard, Sorensen and Bray�Curtis similarity index values showed that plots A and D, representing young actively managed and old abandoned rubber tree plantations, respectively, were the most dissimilar in mushroom composition. The hypersensitive response of macrofungal fruit bodies to climate variables qualify mushrooms as veritable biomonitors or bioindicators of climate change. This study supported earlier reports that rubber agroforests are a depauperate pool of utilitarian mushrooms.
Positron Emission Tomography-Directed Therapy for Patients With Limited-Stage Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Results of Intergroup National Clinical Trials Network Study S1001.

PURPOSE Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) presents as a limited-stage disease in 25% to 30% of patients, with better overall survival (OS) than that for advanced-stage disease but with continuous relapse regardless of treatment approach. The preferred treatment is abbreviated rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) and radiation therapy. On the basis of promising results of positron emission tomography (PET)-directed treatment approaches, we designed a National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) study to improve outcomes and decrease toxicity. METHODS Patients with nonbulky (< 10 cm) stage I/II untreated DLBCL received 3 cycles of standard R-CHOP therapy and underwent a centrally reviewed interim PET/computed tomography scan (iPET). Those with a negative iPET proceeded with 1 additional cycle of R-CHOP, whereas those with a positive iPET received involved field radiation therapy followed by ibritumomab tiuxetan radioimmunotherapy. RESULTS Of 158 patients enrolled, 132 were eligible and 128 underwent iPET, which was positive in 14 (11%) of the patients. With a median follow-up of 4.92 years (range, 1.1-7.7 years), only 6 patients progressed and 3 died as a result of lymphoma. Eleven patients died as a result of nonlymphoma causes at a median age of 80 years. The 5-year progression-free survival estimate was 87% (95% CI, 79% to 92%) and the OS estimate was 89% (95% CI, 82% to 94%), with iPET-positive and iPET-negative patients having similar outcomes. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, S1001 is the largest prospective study in the United States of limited-stage DLBCL in the rituximab era, with the best NCTN results in this disease subset. With PET-directed therapy, 89% of the patients with a negative iPET received R-CHOP × 4, and only 11% had a positive iPET and required radiation, with both groups having excellent outcomes. The trial establishes R-CHOP × 4 alone as the new standard approach to limited-stage disease for the absolute majority of patients.
Book Reviews

In what probably is his most explicitly Wittgensteinian paper, Kuhn (1977) uses a child’s process of learning how to correctly identify geese, ducks and swans as an example of how paradigms shape perception. In the ideal world of a nosologist, his/her task would be of the same sort: simply drawing boundaries over preexisting, naturally occurring, clusters of symptoms that would reflect underlying common processes – diseases. The reality of clinical research and practice is, however, messier than that. The chapters of the current official medical nosology (the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases), for example, do not follow a single organizing principle: the first chapter – infectious diseases – is based on etiology; the second – neoplasms – is based on pathological anatomy; the next two – blood and endocrine diseases – on an anatomic and/or physiological systems division; the next – mental disorders – has its roots in philosophy, and so on. Furthermore, the central concept of the nosology – disease – is not defined, not in the ICD, or in clinical manuals and textbooks (this point is further addressed in Luz & Camargo Jr., 1997). This conceptual fuzziness is even more pronounced in psychiatry, in which clear-cut pathophysiological mechanisms remain unknown. Martínez-Hernáez’s book is a thorough scholarly effort to tackle the inherent ambiguities present in a naturalistic approach to understanding psychiatric symptoms, in psychiatry and anthropology. The first part of his book is a devastating critique of the prevailing neokraepelianism in psychiatry, especially in the US Close attention is given to the philosophical problems introduced when researchers assume that theory-less observation is possible. As a didactical strategy, Freud’s views are presented as a counterpoint to Kraepelin’s. Martínez-Hernáez then proceeds to examine in detail the difficulties inherent to a radical empiricist position, with special attention to the hurdles posed to epidemiological research, for example, the difficulty of producing cross-culturally valid and consistent questionnaires, that are integral to such studies.
Bacterial community associated with bovine tripe sold in Mafikeng Municipality, South Africa

Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from tripe purchased from five butcher shops within the Mafikeng Municipality. Samples were subjected to bacteriological examination using standard methods. Mean counts (log10 cfu/g) obtained from bleached and unbleached tripe samples for aerobic plate counts (5.62 and 7.00), Enterobacteriaceae (4.09 and 4.61), Pseudomonas (4.20 and 4.57), lactic acid bacteria (2.15 and 2.35) and Micrococci/Staphylococci (3.82 and 5.61) were noted. Enterobacteriaceae on Violet Red Bile Agar were identified as; Enterobacter spp. , Escherichia spp. , Klebsiella spp. , Serratia spp. , Providencia stuartii (0.85%), Hafnia alvei (7.63%), Citrobacter spp. , Salmonella arizonae (3.39%), Erwinia spp. (0.85%), Moellerella wisconsensis (3.39%), Pantoea spp. (0.85%), and Yersinia kristensii (0.85%). A large percentage of Enterobacteriaceae (98.48%) strains tested against nine antibiotics showed resistance to one or more. Some species from the genera Serratia, Enterobacter and Escherichia coli were resistant to seven out of the nine antibiotics. Highest resistance patterns were observed against nalidixic acid (96.4%) and ampicillin (75%). All isolates were susceptible to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. Inadequate processing of bovine tripe sold at some butcher shops in Mafikeng poses a potential health risk to consumers due to their poor bacteriological quality and high frequency of antibiotic resistant agents. Resistant strains can be passed to the human population via consumption of such products.
Compression stocking prevents increased venous retrograde flow time in the lower limbs of pregnant women

Objectives To analyze the effect of graduated compression stockings on the venous reflux in the lower limbs of pregnant women. Method A controlled randomized clinical trial was performed with sixty women: intervention group (n = 30), who used compression stockings, and control group (n = 30). Using duplex-ultrasound, the reflux time and peak reflux velocity in the great saphenous vein and small saphenous vein were analyzed. Results Great saphenous vein reflux times in the intervention group were 0.13 s at the beginning (initial) and 0.04 s at the end of pregnancy (final) in the right leg and 0.02 s and 0.34 s (p < 0.0001) in the control group. No patient in the intervention group experienced pathological reflux at the end of the pregnancy. There was a significant difference in the reflux time measured from both the great saphenous vein and small saphenous vein and peak reflux velocity between the groups. Conclusion Compression stockings prevent increased venous reflux in lower limbs of pregnant women.
Mitochondrial DNA phylogenetics of the Galaxias vulgaris complex from South Island, New Zealand: rapid radiation of a species flock

Mitochondrial control region sequence variation was examined in the Galaxias vulgaris complex, a group of freshwater-limited galaxiid fishes endemic to South Island, New Zealand. Phylogenetic analyses were used to test the monophyly of seven non-migratory (G. vulgaris complex) and one migratory (G. brevipinnis) species. Newly-described taxa, some diagnosed on the basis of subtle differences in morphology, are associated with strongly monophyletic mtDNA lineages. Although the current taxonomy is supported generally, sequence data suggest that Southland G. anomalus should be attributed to G. golhanoides, whereas Southland and Stewart Island G. depressiceps represent a new southern lineage. Molecular clock calibrations suggest that migratory and non-migratory forms, separated by a maximum of 6.4% sequence divergence, diverged no earlier than the mid-late Pliocene. Biogeographical implications of high diversity (eight lineages) in the south (Otago-Southland) and low diversity (one lineage) in central South Island (Canterbury) are discussed. The unresolved relationships among species may reflect a rapid evolutionary radiation, essentially a star phylogeny.
Physicochemical Investigations of Chitosan-Based Hydrogels Containing Aloe Vera Designed for Biomedical Use

In this work, synthesis and investigations on chitosan-based hydrogels modified with Aloe vera juice are presented. These materials were synthesized by UV radiation. Investigations involved analysis of chemical structure by FTIR spectroscopy, sorption properties in physiological liquids, strength properties by texture analyzer, surface topography by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM technique), and in vitro cytotoxicity by MTT test using L929 murine fibroblasts. Particular attention was focused both on determining the impact of the amount and the molecular weight of the crosslinker used for the synthesis as well as on the introduced additive on the properties of hydrogels. It was proven that modified hydrogels exhibited higher swelling ability. Introduced additive affected the tensile strength of hydrogels—modified materials showed 23% higher elongation. The greater amount of the crosslinker used in the synthesis, the more compact the structure, leading to the lower elasticity and lower sorption of hydrogels was reported. Above 95%, murine fibroblasts remained viable after 24 h incubation with hydrogels. It indicates that tested materials did not exhibit cytotoxicity toward these lines. Additionally, materials with Aloe vera juice were characterized by lower surface roughness. Conducted investigations allowed us to state that such modified hydrogels may be considered as useful for biomedical purposes.
Noninvasive Risk Stratification After HCV Eradication in Patients With Advanced Chronic Liver Disease

Risk stratification after cure from hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a clinical challenge. We investigated the predictive value of noninvasive surrogates of portal hypertension (liver stiffness measurement [LSM] by vibration‐controlled transient elastography and von Willebrand factor/platelet count ratio [VITRO]) for development of hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with pretreatment advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) who achieved HCV cure.
Using competition and light estimates to predict diameter and height growth of naturally regenerated beech seedlings growing under changing canopy conditions

In a naturally regenerated beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stand in northeastern France, five regeneration patches were selected with different degrees of canopy closure; the percentage of above-canopy light (PACL) ranged between 5 and 45 per cent. The canopy was removed by a storm 2 years later. In order to analyse the immediate and delayed effects of PACL on seedling diameter and height growth, the effects of the light conditions prevailing before canopy opening on seedling growth measured before and after canopy opening were tested. The effects of local density were examined using neighbourhood analysis. Four different competition indices (CIs) and neighbourhood radii ranging from 10 to 200 cm were tested. Models including PACL and CI accounted for between 56 and 64 per cent of the variation in individual seedling annual diameter or height growth. Local density had a strong negative influence on diameter growth and a much smaller influence on height growth. PACL was positively correlated with diameter and height growth before canopy opening. Delayed effects of PACL on height growth were observed just after canopy opening, but disappeared after 2 years. No delayed effects of PACL on diameter growth after canopy opening were observed.
Influence of oilseed supplementation on ruminant meat and milk with emphasis on fatty acids

In the human diet, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA, ≥ C20) are supplied almost exclusively from animal sources. Red meat represents a significant source of LC-PUFA in many areas of the world. However, the health aspects of consuming ruminant tissues are often viewed critically due to the proportions of saturated fatty acids (SFA). The health benefits from the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in ruminant muscle are often overlooked. Improvements to the lipid quality of ruminant tissues can be achieved through dietary manipulation. This thesis focuses on oilseed supplementation as a means to alter the FA profile of ruminant tissues. The results obtained indicate that the FA profile of the oilseed supplement and the feeding duration affected the muscle FA profile. The diet and nutritional status of the lactating ewes affected the milk FA profile, in turn affecting the growth performance and M. semispinalis capitis FA profile of the lambs after weaning. Modifying the FA profile of ruminant meat requires reducing the accessibility of dietary PUFA to ruminal biohydrogenation. Heat processing has been shown to alter the oilseed protein structure, increasing the post-ruminal supply of amino acids and PUFA. Roasting and extruding were equally effective processes for increasing the in vitro undegradable N fraction of linseed and soybean without affecting N digestibility. The M. masseter and M. pars costalis diaphragmatis, collected from animals fed roasted or extruded oilseeds had PUFA profiles which were influenced both by the dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio and by the Δ5- (Δ5d) and Δ6- (Δ6d) desaturase enzymes responsible for forming LC-PUFA. Moreover, the Δ5d and Δ6d protein expressions were correlated within the muscles, whereas the dietary regulation of the Δ5d and Δ6d protein expression was muscle specific. Based on these findings, dietary oilseed supplementation modified the FA profile of ruminant products, improving the health benefits from their consumption. Further studies into oilseed processing and influence of diet on the lipogenic pathways will assist in feeding strategies to further enhance the health benefits from ruminant meat consumption.
Population Structure and Stock Identification of Steelhead in Southern British Columbia, Washington, and the Columbia River Based on Microsatellite DNA Variation

Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe population structure and determine the potential for genetic stock identification for steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss in British Columbia using microsatellite DNA markers. Variation at eight microsatellite DNA loci (Oki200, Omy77, Ots1, Ots3, Ssa85, Ots100, Ots103, and Ots108) was surveyed in approximately 1,500 steelhead from 22 populations in southern British Columbia, Washington, and the Columbia River drainage as well as in more than 450 steelhead from two commercial salmon fisheries conducted off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island. Nine populations were sampled for two or more years, and variation in allele frequencies among populations and regions was, on average, about 3.7 times greater than annual variation within populations. Regional structuring of populations was apparent, with Thompson River, upper Fraser River, and Columbia River populations forming distinct groups. Significant differences in allele frequencies were observed among regional.
Exploring the trophic structure in organically fertilized and feed-driven tilapia culture environments using multivariate analyses

Reports of similar yields in manure and feed-driven tilapia culture environments raise questions on food utilization in these environments. The possibility that similar production rates are because of utilization of different foods was investigated using exploratory techniques of multivariate analyses. Using factor analysis, trophic pathways through which food becomes available to fish were explored, and using anova models, water quality, sediment quality and tilapia growth and yields were compared. Conceptual graphic models of the main ecological processes occurring in feed-driven and organically fertilized environments are presented and discussed. In both environments, autotrophic and heterotrophic pathways are important processes that result in the availability of natural foods that are utilized by the fish. Extrapolated fish yield data indicate that with equal nutrient input and stocking density, organically fertilized environments could achieve production rates similar to those in feed-driven environments. The general assumption that supplemental or complete foods are well utilized by tilapia in outdoor stagnant ponds remains challenged, and further research on tilapia feeding behaviour and food selection in feed-and organic fertilizer-driven environments is needed.
Laboratory investigation of secondary attraction in Gnathotrichus sulcatus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Gnathotrichus sulcatus of both sexes responded by moving upwind in a laboratory bioassay to benzene extracts of guts from males boring in logs of western hemlock. It was concluded that the response was to an aggregating pheromone which forms the major constituent of the secondary attraction in this species. Although there was a primary attraction to host sawdust, boring dust produced by males elicited a greater response from both sexes. Male guts became attractive between 6 and 12 h after attack of a new host, and attraction persisted at least 8 days. Extracts of female guts were unattractive, either before or after attack, indicating that females do not produce an independently active pheromone. Guts from males which were paired with females were only marginally attractive after 48 h in host logs. An unexplained response occurred to a mixture of male and female gut extracts from paired beetles, but the response was much lower than to the gut extract from single males allowed to bore for 48 h. Wood surrou.