Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acaricidal and repellent properties of some plant extracts against poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (Mesostigmata: Dermanyssidae)

Poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae De Geer (Mesostigmata: Dermanyssidae), is an important pest of birds in avicultures and it is an economic, hygienic and epidemiologic problem in the poultry industry. Uses of botanical pesticides are good and safe alternatives instead of chemical compounds. In the present study acaricidal and repellency activities of Conocarpus erectus , Portulaca oleracea and Pistacia atlantica extracts were evaluated against D. gallinae by calculation LC 50 value and repellency index of each herbal extract in laboratory conditions and were compared with abamectin (a conventional chemical acaricide). However, all herbal extracts had less toxicity against the mite than abamectin. Aquatic and ethanolic extracts of C. erectus exhibited repellent for D. gallinae. The repellency effect was not observed in P. oleracea and P. atlantica extracts. Therefore, based on this experiment, it could be concluded that the aquatic and ethanolic extracts of C. erectus can be used as a safe botanical acaricide and repellent compound for control of D. gallinae in avicultures.
Two bonded half‐planes with a parabolic inclusion

In this paper, primarily with the aid of analytic continuation, we derive analytic solutions for Eshelby's problem of a parabolic inclusion undergoing uniform anti‐plane and in‐plane eigenstrains located in one of two well‐bonded dissimilar elastic half‐planes. We obtain elementary expressions of the analytic functions defined in all three phases characterizing the elastic fields representing displacements, strains and stresses in the composite.
Sensitivity of Grass Crops to Low Rates of Quizalofop

Abstract With the widespread occurrence of herbicide-resistant weeds in midsouthern U.S. rice, new technologies are needed to achieve adequate weed control. A new non—genetically modified rice trait has been commercialized that is resistant to quizalofop, an acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicide. The addition of quizalofop-resistant rice to production systems will increase the use of quizalofop, possibly increasing the risk for injury to other grass crops. Experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 to determine the sensitivity of corn, grain sorghum, and conventional rice to low rates of quizalofop (1/10× to 1/200× of 160 g ai ha-1). Conventional rice was not affected by quizalofop rate or application timing. Corn displayed the greatest response to the 1/10× quizalofop rate at the two- to three-leaf stage, with 50% to 65% injury and 35% to 37% relative yield compared to the nontreated check. Grain sorghum was injured 31% to 34% by the 1/10× quizalofop rate applied at the twoto three-leaf stage, and there was 20% to 26% injury at the panicle exertion growth stage. The highest rate of quizalofop at the panicle exertion stage reduced yields 28% to 46%. Overall, risk for injury to any of the three evaluated crops from quizalofop appears low, with greatest injury observed at the highest quizalofop drift rate, with minimal injury at lower rates. Nomenclature: Quizalofop; corn, Zea mays L. ; grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. ; rice, Oryza sativa L.
Development and Characterization of a Human Liver Spheroid Culture for Drug Metabolism and Disposition Studies

The liver is the main organ of the human body involved in metabolism of xenobiotics. When developing drugs, it is important to have a model that predicts the metabolism and disposition of substances in the liver to be able to ensure the efficacy and safety of the drugs. In this thesis, a hepatic spheroid model is further developed and evaluated regarding the metabolic functions and genetic expression of the spheroids. The study aims at characterizing the spheroids regarding the gene expression and the activity of specific cytochrome P450 enzymes and over a time period of three weeks. Spheroids were made by culturing different cell types on ultra-low affinity plates on which cells self-assemble and form spheroids. The cell types evaluated for spheroid formation were: HepaRG cells, a co-culture of HepaRG and primary human stellate cells, primary human hepatocytes, and HepatoCells. HepaRG and co-cultured spheroids of HepaRG and primary human stellate cells were stable in culture for the cultivation period of three weeks. HepaRG spheroids showed results of metabolic activity and gene expression which make them suitable to be used for metabolism and disposition studies. Spheroids of HepatoCells were not stable for three weeks, as they disintegrated after two weeks. HepatoCell spheroids also did not show metabolic activity neither gene expression for any of the enzymes investigated in this study. Primary human hepatocytes did not form spheroids in the scope of this study, hence no evaluation was made. Conclusively, this study has shown the possibility to culture human hepatic spheroids formed from HepaRG cells, applicable for metabolism and disposition studies.
Analysis of Fault Zone Resonance Modes Recorded by a Dense Seismic Array Across the San Jacinto Fault Zone at Blackburn Saddle

We present observations and modeling of spatial eigen‐functions of resonating waves within fault zone waveguide, using data recorded on a dense seismic array across the San Jacinto Fault Zone (SJFZ) in southern California. The array consists of 5‐Hz geophones that cross the SJFZ with ~10–30 m spacing at the Blackburn Saddle near the Hemet Stepover. Wavefield snapshots after the S wave arrival are consistent for more than 50 near‐fault events, suggesting that this pattern is controlled by the fault zone structure rather than source properties. Data from example event with high signal to noise ratio show three main frequency peaks at ~1.3, ~2.0, and ~2.8 Hz in the amplitude spectra of resonance waves averaged over stations near the fault. The data are modeled with analytical expressions for eigen‐functions of resonance waves in a low‐velocity layer (fault zone) between two quarter‐spaces. Using a grid search‐based method, we investigate the possible width of the waveguide, location within the array, and shear wave velocities of the media that fit well the resonance signal at ~1.3 Hz. The results indicate a ~300 m wide damaged fault zone layer with ~65% S wave velocity reduction compared to the host rock. The SW edge of the low‐velocity zone is near the mapped fault surface trace, indicating that the damage zone is asymmetrically located at the regionally faster NE crustal block. The imaging resolution of the fault zone structure can be improved by modeling fault zone resonance modes and trapped waves together.
Development of a Novel Integrated CCSD-ITARA-MARCOS Decision-Making Approach for Stackers Selection in a Logistics System

The main goal of this paper is to propose a Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach that will facilitate decision-making in the field of logistics—i.e., in the selection of the optimal equipment for performing a logistics activity. For defining the objective weights of the criteria, the correlation coefficient and the standard deviation (CCSD method) are applied. Furthermore, for determining the semi-objective weights of the considered criteria, the indifference threshold-based attribute ratio analysis method (ITARA) is used. In this way, by combining these two methods, the weights of the criteria are determined with a higher degree of reliability. For the final ranking of the alternatives, the measurement of alternatives and ranking according to the compromise solution method (MARCOS) is utilized. For demonstrating the applicability of the proposed approach, an illustrative case study pointing to the selection of the best manual stacker for a small warehouse is performed. The final results are compared with the ones obtained using the other proved MCDM methods that confirmed the reliability and stability of the proposed approach. The proposed integrated approach shows itself as a suitable technique for applying in the process of logistics equipment selection, because it defines the most influential criteria and the optimal choice with regard to all of them in a relatively easy and comprehensive way. Additionally, conceiving the determination of the criteria with the combination of objective and semi-objective methods enables defining the objective weights concerning the attitudes of the involved decision-makers, which finally leads to more reliable results.
Effect of different concentration of fish oil in skim milk-egg yolk extenders on post- thawed semen qualities of Kalang swamp buffalo bull

Objective: To explore the effect of fish oil at different concentrations on post-thawed semen of Kalang swamp buffalo. Methods: A total of 4 Kalang swamp buffalo bulls with 3-5 years of age and weighed about 340-360 kg were slected. Semen was regularly collected from these buffalo bulls once a week by an artificial vagina. Fish oil was supplementary at the dosages of 0 mg (control), 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, and 200 mg to the extender (skim milk-egg yolk). Fresh, pre-freezing and frozen semen were thawed at 37 °C and evaluated for motility, viability, morphology, and plasma integrity of membrane. Results: The study results indicated that before freezing, supplementation of fish oil at the dose of 150 mg in the extender had significantly motility. And a significant (P<0.05) increase was observed in viability and motility of post-thawed semen at the dose of 150 mg fish oil, which was in difference with other treatment groups. Conclusions: Addition of 150 mg fish oil in the extender could be positive for the enhancement of the quality of post-thawed semen of Kalang swamp buffaloes.
Arctic Vision: Using Neural Networks for Ice Object Classification, and Controlling How They Fail

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been shown to be excellent at performing image analysis tasks in recent years. Even so, ice object classification using close-range optical images is an area where their use has barely been touched upon, and how well CNNs perform this classification task is still an open question, especially in the challenging visual conditions often found in the High Arctic. The present study explores the use of CNNs for such ice object classification, including analysis of how visual distortion of optical images impacts their performance and comparisons to human experts and novices. To account for the model’s tendency to predict the presence of very few classes for any given image, the use of a loss-weighting scheme pushing a model towards predicting a higher number of classes is proposed. The results of this study show that on clean images, given the class definitions and labeling scheme used, the networks perform better than some humans. At least for some classes of ice objects, the results indicate that the network learned meaningful features. However, the results also indicate that humans are much better at adapting to new visual conditions than neural networks.
Interactive value formation: drivers and outcomes from Airbnb guests’ perspectives

ABSTRACT This study explores interactive value formation, particularly the underlying drivers of three value outcomes in the Airbnb context: co-creation, co-destruction and co-recovery. The study focuses on reviews posted online by Airbnb guests in English. These posts contained customers’ positive and negative experiences with Airbnb on Trustpilot. The data analysis uncovered two main themes that reflected the drivers of value co-creation, co-destruction and co-recovery (company’s customer service and hosts’ actions). First, after a service failure, many guests experienced value co-destruction because they felt that Airbnb’s customer service agents could not solve their problems in a timely and proper manner, while the use of successful recovery efforts by the service agents served as an antidote to value co-destruction, thereby contributing to value co-recovery. Second, host’s friendly behaviour, including prompt communication between the host and the guest, led to value co-creation. On the contrary, inadequate communication and unethical actions by the host generated value co-destruction among the guests and resulted in a decline in their well-being. The findings suggest that particular value dimensions can individually act as a source of either value co-creation or co-recovery, while their inadequate integration in the interactive value formation processes leads to value co-destruction.
Can cultural economy be social? Discussing about the rural heritage of Greece

Μπορεί η πολιτιστική οικονομία να είναι και κοινωνική;Συζητώντας για την αγροτική πολιτιστική κληρονομιά της ΕλλάδαςΤο άρθρο εξετάζει το τοπίο της πολιτιστικής διαχείρισης στην Ελλάδα, όπως αυτό διαμορφώνεται από κοινωνικούς, πολιτικούς και οικονομικούς παράγοντες. Σχολιάζει την αναδυόμενη λογική της κρατικής πολιτικής, η οποία εναρμονίζεται όλο και περισσότερο με τα νεοφιλελεύθερα προγράμματα των οικονομιών δυτικού τύπου. Δεδομένων των προεκτάσεων για το μέλλον της πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς, το παράδειγμα των κοινών παρουσιάζεται ως εναλλακτικό παράδειγμα για την προστασία και την ανάδειξή της. Όπως υποστηρίζεται, το μοντέλο των κοινών, μέσω των κοινοτήτων και των αρχών της κοινωνικής και αλληλέγγυας οικονομίας, αποτελεί βιώσιμη επιλογή που χρήζει περαιτέρω διερεύνησης. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, αναλύεται η μελέτη περίπτωσης της αγροτικής κληρονομιάς της Νάξου.
Age-dependent effect of chlorpyrifos on the hematological parameters in male rats

Abstract The association between organophosphate pesticides (OPs) and hematological disorders has not fully understood. The current research aimed to evaluate the impact of sub-chronic exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF), a potent OP, on the hematological parameters of male rats of different ages. For this reason, 48 male Wistar rats, including young (2-month old), middle-aged (10-month old), and aged (20-month old), were randomly divided into three control and three treatment groups as follows (n = 8, per each group): young control group (C2), young CPF-treated group (CPF2), middle-aged control group (C10), middle-aged CPF-treated group (CPF10), aged control group (C20) and aged CPF-treated group (CPF20). CPF (5 mg/kg, orally) was administrated for 45 days. The control animals were gavaged olive oil as a vehicle. The blood samples were gathered from the heart to assess values of the mean platelet volume (MPV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCHC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), platelets (PLT), hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), and the number of red blood cells (RBCs). The findings showed that CPF dramatically reduced the number of RBCs, Hct, Hb, MCH, and PLT values in the young rats versus the age-matched control rats. However, no marked differences were found between hematological parameters in aging rats versus age-matched controls. The present findings indicated that sub-chronic exposure to CPF caused anemia in young animals. It is proposed that young animals are more sensitive to the hepatotoxic impact of CPF than aging rats. However, more studies are needed to confirm the current findings.
Effect of Changing From Closed-Book to Formulary-Allowed Examinations

Objective. To determine whether allowing final-year Bachelor of Pharmacy students to use a medicines formulary during examinations modified their learning behaviors and performance, and to investigate students’ perceptions about having this resource available during examinations. Methods. Student performance and examination difficulty (as measured by classification of examination questions as high or low according to Bloom’s taxonomy of learning) in second semester examinations (formulary allowed) was compared with first semester examinations (closed book) in successive years. Students completed a survey regarding their study and examination approaches and experiences after both semesters. Results. Examinations in semester two had more questions rated higher on Bloom’s taxonomy than did examinations in semester one. Data were collected from student surveys for closed book examinations (response rate of 25% and 19% in 2015 and 2016, respectively) and open book examinations (response rate of 22% and 15% in 2015 and 2016, respectively). Students’ study approaches, hours studied per week, and anxiety (all self-reported) did not differ between semesters one and two, but students in semester two spent more time studying with a formulary compared with students in semester one. Qualitative analysis of student comments revealed students preferred the formulary-allowed examinations over the closed-book examinations. The majority of students (68%) agreed with the statement: “Knowing that I will have access to the AMH [Australian Medicines Handbook] during the exams allowed me to pay more attention to higher level skills such as analysis and evaluation. ” Conclusion. When students were allowed to use a formulary for examinations, they studied more using their formulary prior to the examination. Students performed similarly on examinations with a greater proportion of questions addressing higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and on closed-book examinations that were comparatively less cognitively challenging.
Effect of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Floristic Homogenization in the Floodplain Landscape: Insights from the Taxonomic and Functional Perspectives

Anthropogenic disturbances pose significant threats to biodiversity. However, limited information has been acquired regarding the degree of impact human disturbance has on the β-diversity of plant assemblages, especially in threatened ecosystems (e.g., floodplains). In the present study, the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on plant communities of floodplain areas (the Miya River, Mie Prefecture, Japan) were analyzed. The taxonomic and functional β-diversity among different degradation levels were compared, and the differences were assessed by tests for homogeneity in multivariate dispersions. In addition, the effects of non-native species and environmental factors on β-diversity were analyzed. As revealed from the results, anthropogenic disturbance led to taxonomic homogenization at a regional scale. The increase in non-native invasions tended to improve homogenization, whereas at a low degradation level, the occurrence of non-natives species was usually related to taxonomic differentiation. Furthermore, though the increase in non-natives and environmental parameters significantly affected the β-diversity of the floodplain area, environmental factors may be of more crucial importance than biotic interactions in shaping species assemblages in this study. The previously mentioned result is likely to be dependent on the research scale and the extent to which floodplains are disturbed. Given the significant importance of floodplains, the significance of looking at floodplains in the different levels of degradation was highlighted, and both invasion of non-native species and environmental factors should be considered to gain insights into the response of ecosystems to anthropogenic disturbance. The findings of this study suggested that conservation programs in floodplain areas should place more emphasis on the preservation of natural processes and forest resources.
Inheritance of neural substrates for motivation and pleasure experience

Despite advances in the understanding of the reward system and the role of dopamine in recent decades, the heredity of the underlying neural mechanisms is not known. In the present study, a Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task was used to examine the haemodynamic activation of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a key hub of the reward system, in 86 healthy monozygotic twins and 88 dizygotic twins during the anticipation of monetary incentives. The participants also completed self-report measures of pleasure experience. Using a voxel-wise heritability mapping method, activation of the bilateral NAcc during the anticipation of monetary gains was found to have significant heritability (h2 = 0.20-0.49). Moreover, significant shared genetic covariance was observed between pleasure experience and NAcc activation when anticipating monetary gain. These findings suggest that NAcc activation and self-reported pleasure experience may both be heritable, and their phenotypic correlation may be partially explained by shared genetic variation.
Microsatellite analysis detects low rate of extra-pair paternity in Tengmalm's owl, Aegolius funereus

Abstract. Genetic methods enable to reveal cryptic parental contributions in reproduction, especially in socially monogamous species. The rate of extra-pair paternity is generally low in raptors and owls and its presence in some species is tightly associated with sequential polyandry which can rarely occur in years with high food availability. In this study we investigated the mating system of the Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) in the Ore Mountains (Czech Republic). In this area, the species usually nests in high breeding densities which could increase an opportunity for extra-pair copulations. In total, 297 individuals (54 females, 47 males and 196 juveniles) from 46 nest boxes were genotyped at seven microsatellite loci. We present results of a five-year study and four extra-pair nestlings (2.3 %) were detected which did not result from sequential polyandry.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG supplementation on eradication rate and dyspepsia in Helicobacter pylori infection treated with three-in-one bismuth quadruple therapy

Introduction Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-related dyspepsia has been related to gastroduodenal dysbiosis. The role of probiotic supplementation in the clinical management of Hp infection has been the object of several studies in terms of improvement of efficacy and tolerability of eradication treatments but data on their effects on the outcomes of post-eradication dyspepsia are lacking. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) supplementation on bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) in the clinical management of Hp-related infection both in terms of efficacy and tolerability and persistence of post-treatment dyspepsia. Methods A total of 164 (121 women) Hp-positive adult patients were enrolled in this pilot study and assigned to two different treatment regimens: group A received BQT for 10 days (three capsules qid, IPP bid) and group B received BQT for 10 days in combination with 6 × 109CFU LGG (ATCC53103) taken for 24 days (7 days before, 10 days during, and 7 days after therapy). Eradication was assessed after 45 days using the 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT). Dyspepsia, distinguished into postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS), was assessed at the time of enrollment and 6 months after eradication. Results Approximately 98 patients were enrolled in group A and 66 patients in group B. At the enrollment, dyspepsia was present in 76.5% of group A and 86.5% of group B. No significant differences were observed in eradication rate between the 2 groups, both in intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis (82.3 vs. 75.0%) and per-protocol (PP) analysis (95 vs. 96%), and in the presence of side effects during the treatment (70.6 vs. 65.4%). At 6 months after eradication of Hp infection, the persistence of dyspepsia was statistically higher in patients of group A than in group B (38.8 vs. 16.1%; p = 0.032). The positive influence of LGG supplementation in improving post-eradication dyspepsia resulted in statistically more effectiveness in PDS dyspepsia, whose remission was 41.7% in group A and 84% in group B patients (p = 0.011). Conclusion In conclusion, LGG supplementation during Hp eradication therapy, even if not affecting eradication rates and therapy-related side effects, significantly impacts the remission of dyspepsia.