Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A description of a new species of Pipistrellus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Madagascar with a review of related Vespertilioninae from the island

ABSTRACT Six species of small vespertilionid bat were recently collected in Madagascar. Neoromicia matroka (included by some in Eptesicus) and N. malagasyensis were already recorded from the island. Pipistrellus hesperidus was known but under a different name, P. kuhlii. Neoromicia melckorum is a new species record for the island. Hypsugo anchietae represents a new species and genus record. The last taxon is a previously undescribed species of Pipistrellus, which shows affinities to three South-east and East Asian pipistrelle taxa. In this paper, the new species is described and further information on the taxonomy, distribution, ecology, and behaviour of all six taxa are provided.
Effects of Intercropping Maize or Sorghum with Cowpeas, Pigeon Peas or Beans

SUMMARY Intercropping maize or sorghum with pigeon peas, cowpeas or beans led to a reduction in leaf area indices, fresh weight yield at time of anthesis, straw yield at harvest and grain yield of the cereal crops. In sorghum, pigeon peas and cowpeas had a greater adverse effect on grain yield than beans, but with maize, beans and cowpeas had a more adverse effect on grain yield than pigeon peas. While intercropping maize with either beans or cowpeas decreased total yield of grain (cereal and legume) per hectare, intercropping sorghum with pigeon peas increased total grain yield per hectare.
Development of efficient callus initiation of malta (Citrus sinensis) through tissue culture

The effects of different hormonal concentration on shoot formation and callus induction were studied on BARI Malta-1 (Citrus sinensis). Seeds containing seed coat and without seed coat was treated by Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 6-benzyl adenine (BA) and Kinetin (KIN). Removal of seed coat showed an early response for shoot formation. The highest (70%) shoot formation was obtained from seeds without seed coat treated with MS basal media + BA 1.0 mg/l while KIN showed no response for shoot formation in any supplemented concentration. However, in case of callus induction internodes and apical shoot tips were used as explants and 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D) was used as callus inducing hormone. MS basal media supplemented with 2, 4-D, 2.0 mg/l showed highest (68%) callus induction.
“Along for the Ride”: A Qualitative Study Exploring Patient and Caregiver Perceptions of Decision Making in Cancer Care

Background. Shared decision making is a cornerstone of an informed consent process for cancer treatment, yet there are often many physician and patient-related barriers to participation in the process. Decisions in cancer care are often perceived as relating to a discrete, treatment decision event, yet there is evidence that decisions are longitudinal in nature and reflect a multifactorial experience. Objective. To explore patient and caregiver perceptions of the choices and decision-making opportunities within cancer care. Design. Qualitative in-depth interviews with 37 cancer patients and 7 caregivers carried out as part of an evaluation of a cancer center’s effort to improve patient experience. Results. Participants described decision making related to four distinct phases in complex cancer care, with physicians leading, and often limiting, decisions related to disease assessment and treatment options and access, and patients leading decisions related to physician selection. Though physicians led many decisions, patients had a moderating influence on treatment, such that if patients did not like options presented, they would reconsider their options and sometimes switch physicians. Patients had various strategies for dealing with uncertainty when faced with decisions, such as seeking additional information to make an informed choice or making a conscious choice to defer decision making to the physician. Limitations. Patients were sampled from one academic cancer center that serves a predominantly Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino population and received complex treatment. Conclusion. Because of the complexity of cancer treatment, many patients felt as though they were a “passenger” in decision making about care and did not lead many of the decisions, though many patients trusted their doctors to make the best decisions and were comforted by their expertise.
Laboratory evaluation of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin against Crawler Stage of Paracoccus marginatus (Williams and Granara de Willink)

Laboratory bioassay studies were carried with five different concentrations of different Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. Strains viz., ANR (Bb), AVI (Bb), KPI(Bb), PLR (Bb), TMR (Bb) and UPI (Bb) whichwere isolated fromdifferentsources collected fromdifferent places of Tamil Nadu and tested their efficacy against crawler of papaya mealybug P. marginatus by leaf disc bioassay. The results revealed that B. bassiana starins, UPI (Bb) and ANR (Bb) were recorded The lowest LC50 values of 1.03x107 and 3.47x107 spores ml−1 respectively which showed higher virulence compared to other isolates. The LC50 values of other isolates of B. bassiana, AVI (Bb), KPI (Bb), PLR (Bb) and TMR (Bb) were 7.92x107, 1.04x108, 1.45x108 and 1.85x108 spores ml−1 respectively. At the highest concentration of 1x108 spores ml−1, the Median LT50 values for B. bassiana different isolates viz., UPI (Bb), ANR (Bb), AVI (Bb), KPI(Bb), PLR (Bb) and TMR(Bb) were 4.77, 7.00, 8.09, 9.27, 9.68 and 9.91 days respectively. Median lethal time (LT50) values were found to be inversely proportional to the spore concentration of B. bassiana. Among the different B. bassiana isolates, UPI (Bb) was found to be the promising virulent isolate. Hence by testing its field efficacy, it can be used as potential biocontrol agent for the management of papaya mealybug.
Potential inappropriate prescribing among ambulatory elderly patients in a geriatric centre in southwestern Nigeria: Beers criteria versus STOPP/START criteria

Purpose: To identify potentially inappropriate prescribing in ambulatory elderly patients and compare the appropriateness of guidelines; Beers' and Screening Tool of Older Person’s Prescription (STOPP)/Screening Tool to Alert Right Treatment (START) criteria to detect potentially inappropriate prescribing among the elderly.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using case files of 335 elderly patients aged ≥ 60 years between 1st January and 31st December 2016, using a data extraction sheet. The 2015 American Geriatrics Society (AGS)-Beers Criteria, and version 2 of the STOPP and START were subsequently used to identify the Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing (PIP) and Potential Prescribing Omissions (PPOs). Results: Mean age of patients was 69 ± 0.4 years (range 60 - 85 years) and 219 (65.4 %) were females. An average of 4.2 medications per patient prescription was found. The Beers criteria identified 26.5 % PIP, while STOPP criteria identified 57.1 % PIP. START detected 29 PPOs in 15 (4.4 %) of the patient’s prescription. The most prevalent disease conditions were hypertension 235 (70.1 %) and osteoarthritis 64 (19.3 %). Polypharmacy was significantly associated with PIP in both Beers (p = 0.002) and STOPP (p = 0.001) criteria.Conclusion: The prevalence of PIP is high among elderly patients. The STOPP/START criteria identified a higher proportion of PIP among elderly patients compared with Beers criteria. The frequency of PIP should stimulate efforts to curtail potentially inappropriate prescribing and may require the need for advocating for a national criterion to be adopted by health care professionals in Nigeria. Keywords: Potential inappropriate prescribing, Beers’ criteria, STOPP/START criteria, Elderly
Socio-economic and institutional factors affecting smallholders farmers to adopt agroforestry practices in southern province of Rwanda

This paper is mainly focused on identifying the socio economic and institutional factors influencing agroforestry adoption in Southern Province. Field survey was conducted during July to September, 2019 using structured questionnaire. This study was carried out in four districts in southern province of Rwanda. The number of respondents involved in the study was 650 farmers. A descriptive survey design was used in this study. For the selection of the sample, the study adopted a stratified random sampling technique and simple random technique. Binary logit regression model has been used to determine the factors affecting farmers adopting agroforestry. Finally, Binary regression analysis showed no significant association between the adoption of agroforestry practices and respondent’s age, gender, marital status, farming experience or income range of the respondents. On the other hand, there is a positive significant association between the adoption of agroforestry practices and household size is 0.00 p-value as well as the farm size of the respondents. It is expected that farmers with larger household size are more likely to adopt agroforestry practices than farmers with smaller household size and also shows that most of the farmers who were more likely to adopt agroforestry had a bigger land acreage for planting more trees.
A Late Campanian Sphenodontid Maxilla from Northern Patagonia

Abstract At the end of the Early Cretaceous the once abundant sphenodontians vanished from the Laurasian record and were thought to have become virtually extinct, with the sole exception of Sphenodon, the living tuatara. Recent findings of large and abundant eilenodontine sphenodontids in the Early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) and fragmentary material from other lineages from Late Campanian outcrops of Patagonia, Argentina, have demonstrated that sphenodontids constituted an important component of the Late Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems in South America and possibly Gondwana. Although eilenodontine and possibly sapheosaurine sphenodontids are present in the Late Cretaceous of Gondwana, they were only part of an unknown southern radiation. We report here on a new sphenodontid, Lamarquesaurus cabazai, n. gen. et sp. , which is represented by an incomplete right maxilla that represents a previously unknown non-eilenodontine lineage and illustrates the diversity and role of sphenodontians in the te.
Effects of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus on plant growth, stevioside, NPK, and chlorophyll content of Stevia rebaudiana

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a unique medicinal plant which is mostly utilized as a sugar substitute for diabetic patients. In this research, regenerated plantlets of stevia in tissue culture is transferred to pots in greenhouse and inoculated with plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) (Bacillus polymixa, Pseudomonas putida, and Azotobacter chroococcum) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) (Glomus intraradices). The results showed that in comparison to control, inoculation with a single microorganism, significantly increased root and shoot biomass as well as stevioside, chlorophyll, and NPK content in plants. However, such increased effects have been found to be further enhanced significantly due to dual compatible mixtures of inoculants resulting from their strong synergistic relationships among themselves. All growth parameters recorded the highest in 60-days-old plants in the treatment of Glomus+Azotobacter and followed with Glomus+Bacillus and Azotobacter+Pseudomonas treatments, respectively. Furthermore, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) chromatograms revealed that the highest stevioside content have been produced in same treatments. Triple treatments had less positive effects compared to dual inoculations. Probably competence between microorganisms in triple inoculations has reduced their efficiency. Thus, suitable combination of mycorrhizal fungi and PGPR as biotic elicitors can enhance growth and stevioside content in tissue culture-regenerated plantlets of stevia.
Molecular and morphometric systematics of Diapterus (Perciformes, Gerreidae)

The fish belonging to Gerreidae are common representatives of the coastal ichthyofauna of the tropics and subtropics of the world. The genus Diapterus has a neotropical distribution and currently includes four species: two in the Atlantic Ocean [Irish mojarra D. auratus Ranzani 1842 and rhombic mojarra D. rhombeus (Cuvier 1829)] and two in the Pacific Ocean [short‐beaked mojarra D. brevirostris (Sauvage 1879) and golden mojarra D. aureolus (Jordan & Gilbert 1882)]. This genus has uncertain taxonomy based on the remarkable and dissimilar morphology of D. aureolus. We evaluated the taxonomy and phylogeny of Diapterus with statistical (canonical discriminant analysis) and phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference) of geometric morphometric data (relative warps) and molecular data (12Sr RNA, 16Sr RNA, COI and RAG1 sequences). Our results indicate that the genus Diapterus as we currently conceive it is a polyphyletic group: [(Gerres cinereus – Eucinostomus spp. (D. aureolus – (Eugerres spp. (D. auratus – (D. brevirostris – D. rhombeus)))))]. Therefore, a taxonomic rearrangement is needed. To preserve the monophyly of the group, our proposal is to remove D. aureolus and place it in a new monotypic genus. A neotype is designated for D. aureolus as well as an artificial identification key for the genera and the species treated in this article.
Carbon Exchange Rate and Accumulation in Limbs of Fruiting and Nonfruiting Apple Trees

Mature 'Sturdeespur Delicious' apple ( Malus domestica Borkh.) trees on MM.106 rootstocks were hand-deblossomed or hand-pollinated in 1989 and 1990. Two representative limbs were chosen at bloom on each tree in 1989, one of which was girdled (G) while the other served as a control. One representative limb was selected at bloom in 1990. Three leaf types were studied: shoot (SH) leaves, leaves on nonfruiting (NF) spurs (S - F), and leaves on fruiting (F) spurs (S + F). The presence of fruit did not affect C exchange rate (CER). Girdling fruiting limbs reduced CER by ≈10%. Girdling NF limbs resulted in starch accumulation in the leaves and low CER. SH leaves had the highest CER per unit leaf area, while S + F leaves had the lowest. Total seasonal dry weight (DW) accumulated in leaves, fruit, and wood, normalized per square centimeter limb cross-sectional area (LCSA), was higher in F trees. Roots were longer and DW of roots extracted from soil core samples was higher in NF trees. NF trees had significantly more vegetative growth in new shoots and dry-matter increment in wood than F trees.
Population Genetics of Eelgrass in Frenchman Bay, Maine

Recent efforts in Frenchman Bay in the Gulf of Maine have aimed to restore declining eelgrass (Zostera marina) populations. At the time of the restoration initiatives, the population genetics of eelgrass at the donor and the transplant sites were unknown. In 2009, researchers at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory examined the population genetics of the donor site. This study investigates the genetic diversity at the transplant site and a nearby, naturally occurring site to examine existing genetic diversity and population structure of this important species in Frenchman Bay. Using six polymorphic microsatellite markers, high levels of genetic diversity were detected within all populations and very low levels of differentiation were found among all three sites. Because each of the sites has high levels of genetic diversity, any site can provide suitable donor material for future restoration efforts. These results also suggest that genetic constraints did not contribute to previous declines in Frenchman Bay, so future management efforts should aim to minimize physical disturbance through site protection and public outreach. These efforts can be augmented with continued transplantation to reestablish eelgrass in previously populated areas.
Enhancement of ciprofloxacin activity by incorporating it in solid lipid nanoparticles

Purpose: To incorporate ciprofloxacin (CIP) into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) in order to enhance its biopharmaceutical properties and antibacterial activity. Methods: A sonication melt-emulsification method was employed for the preparation of CIP-loaded SLN. The composition of the SLN was varied in order to investigate factors such as lipid type and combination ratio, drug to lipid ratio, and surfactant ratio. The produced SLN formulations were evaluated for their particle size and shape, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency. In addition, the effect of SLN formulation composition on its drug release profile and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus Aureus was also investigated. Results: The generated nanoparticles had particle size in the range of 165 to 320 nm. The zetapotential values were generally low within ± 5. All formulations exhibited entrapment efficiency between 50 and 90 %. CIP release exhibited a biphasic release profile with a low burst phase, followed by uniform controlled-release behavior of various rates. SLN-loaded CIP exhibited one-fold reduction in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and caused significant inhibition of all the three bacterial strains tested, when compared with pure CIP. Conclusion: Loading of CIP into SLN significantly enhances its antimicrobial activity in vitro which can translate to significant enhancement of therapeutic outcomes by minimizing the dose-dependent adverse and side effects and/or enhancing the antimicrobial spectrum of activity.
Biomass and Productivity of Red and Green Algae in Cobscook Bay, Maine

Abstract We characterized the biomass and productivity of relatively short-lived red and green algae at seven intertidal sites in Cobscook Bay during the summers of 1995 and 1996 in coves (low flow, n = 4) and headlands (high flow, n = 3) across two to three tidal levels. We chose Palmaria palmata (pseudo-perennial) as a proxy for red algae and Ulva lactuca and Enteromorpha spp. (“r” species) as surrogates for green algae. We provide ancillary data on temperature, salinity, nutrients, and tissue nutrients. Also, we examined nutrient relationships in the Bay, near and away from a salmon farm. Estimates of productivity were based on biomass. The minimum estimate of net productivity for a site was based on the highest biomass value obtained on any one date over the summer sampling period. The maximum estimate of productivity was based on minimum productivity multiplied by frond generation times. Generally, maximum biomass values for both groups occurred in the low intertidal. Mean (± 95% CI) maximum biomass values for foliose green algae was 362.1 ± 246.3 g dry wt m−2 (range = 4.5 to 1335.6 g dry wt m−2 yr−1). With one exception, highest values (349 to 988 g dry wt m−2 yr−1), were observed at sites adjacent to a salmon farm and were dominated by foliose forms (Ulva and Enteromorpha). Sites located away from the salmon farms were dominated by filamentous forms (Cladophora and Rhizoclonium). We estimate that total (areal) production by foliose green algae in Cobscook Bay is 3.0 × 109 g dry wt yr−1 or 9.0 × 108 g C yr−1. Mean maximum biomass for Palmaria was 564.2 ± 324.1 g dry wt m−2, or 169.4 g C m−2. Productivity estimates for Palmaria were variable, and upper estimates ranged from 240 to 830 g dry wt m−2 yr−1. Total areal productivity for red algae is estimated at 1.2 × 109 g dry wt yr−1, or 3.6 × 108 g C yr−1. These algae are contributing large amounts of carbon to the Bay's ecosystem, which appear to be cycled through grazer and detrital pathways within the Bay.
Morphological and Ecological Variation of Gremmeniella abietina var. abietina in Pinus sylvestris, Pinus contorta and Picea abies Sapling Stands in Northern Finland and the Kola Peninsula

The morphological and ecological variation of two types of Gremmeniella abietina var. abietina causing scleroderris canker on conifers was investigated in Pinus spp. and Picea sp. sapling stands in northern Finland and the Kola Peninsula. Small - tree type (STT or B type) of G. abietina was detected alone in 13 Scots pine, three lodgepole pine and two Norway spruce sapling stands out of 26 stands investigated, both STT and large - tree type (LTT or A type) were observed in six Scots pine stands, and LTT was detected alone in two Scots pine stands. For the first time, G. abietina was found to injure Norway spruce saplings in a respective plantation in northern Fennoscandia. STT isolates produced statistically significantly more conidia in vitro than LTT isolates. Morphological variation in conidia septation revealed that STT produced conidia with more than five septa more frequently than did LTT. There was a greater range in variation in septation in STT than in LTT, with overlapping between the types. Isolates of both types were equally associated with cankers, coloured wood, pycnidia or apothecia in the infected saplings.
Snakes as predators of bird nests: Now and in a warming world

Exploring the causes and consequences of variation in species’ reproductive success is central to many research questions in ecology and evolutionary biology. For most species of birds, nest predation is the primary cause of nest failure and snakes have often been implicated as important nest predators. However, in other studies snakes are absent or infrequent predators. Here, I reviewed available nest camera studies from North America to better understand how the role of snakes as nest predators varies geographically and by snake species. I then conducted focal studies of two snake species (ratsnake [Elaphe obsoleta] and black racer [Coluber constrictor]) to better understand: 1) what factors influence nest predation rates by these two snakes, 2) which sensory mechanisms snakes use to locate prey, 3) how snake activity patterns vary with temperature, and finally, 4) how nest predation by snakes is predicted to change in a
Reovirus Protein ςNS Binds in Multiple Copies to Single-Stranded RNA and Shares Properties with Single-Stranded DNA Binding Proteins

ABSTRACT Reovirus nonstructural protein ςNS interacts with reovirus plus-strand RNAs in infected cells, but little is known about the nature of those interactions or their roles in viral replication. In this study, a recombinant form of ςNS was analyzed for in vitro binding to nucleic acids using gel mobility shift assays. Multiple units of ςNS bound to single-stranded RNA molecules with positive cooperativity and with each unit covering about 25 nucleotides at saturation. The ςNS protein did not bind preferentially to reovirus RNA over nonreovirus RNA in competition experiments but did bind preferentially to single-stranded over double-stranded nucleic acids and with a slight preference for RNA over DNA. In addition, ςNS bound to single-stranded RNA to which a 19-base DNA oligonucleotide was hybridized at either end or near the middle. When present in saturative amounts, ςNS displaced this oligonucleotide from the partial duplex. The strand displacement activity did not require ATP hydrolysis and was inhibited by MgCl2, distinguishing it from a classical ATP-dependent helicase. These properties of ςNS are similar to those of single-stranded DNA binding proteins that are known to participate in genomic DNA replication, suggesting a related role for ςNS in replication of the reovirus RNA genome.