Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between exercise and growth hormone neuroendocrine function

GROWTH HORMONE (GH) is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland in a pulsatile fashion under the regulation of two hypothalamic peptides: GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulates GH synthesis and secretion, while somatostatin inhibits GH release without affecting GH synthesis.1,2 Insulin-like growth factor–I (IGF-I), synthesized under GH control in the liver and other tissues, mediates some of the metabolic effects of GH and exerts a rapid negative feedback effect on GH release.1,3 A GH secretagogue receptor, expressed in somatotroph cells in the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus, mediates the stimulation of GH secretion by synthetic GH-releasing peptides (GHRPs) via a signal transduction pathway distinct from that of GHRH.4 An endogenous GHRP-like neuropeptide may activate this receptor in vivo and be involved in the regulation of GH secretion (Ghrelin). 5 Since GH is an anabolic and lipolytic hormone, decreasing GH secretion with aging may be responsible for some of the changes in body composition and functional performance that occur with aging.6 In support of the above, it has been shown that administration of human GH to GH-deficient adults and abdominally obese men reduces abdominal/visceral obesity, affects lipoprotein and bone metabolism favorably, lowers diastolic blood pressure, and increases muscular strength.7–9 Exercise has been suggested as a potent stimulus for GH release. As decreasing GH secretion with aging and other conditions such as obesity is associated with a host of unfavorable clinical changes, it is possible that exercise as a modifiable lifestyle factor can favorably affect GH release.
Unveiling the Limitations of Scat Surveys to Monitor Social Species: A Case Study on River Otters

Abstract We examined the relationship between the production of sites with feces (i.e., latrines) and river otter (Lontra canadensis) abundance to determine whether scat surveys were adequate for monitoring relative population size for species leaving activity signs in a clumped distribution on the landscape. We conducted winter riparian transects to simultaneously monitor otter abundance via snow tracks and latrine sites along the rivers of Kouchibouguac National Park and surrounding area in New Brunswick, Canada. Our data showed that latrine abundance poorly reflected otter abundance for given stretches of rivers because the relationship was nonlinear and reached a plateau. The number of latrine sites was not related to the time period since last snowfall, which indicated that otters repetitively defecated at the same sites. Individual otters and groups did not produce activity signs over larger distances as a function of time, which indicated that they tend to stay in their home ranges in winter. We discuss why scat survey protocols based on determining presence–absence of a species at predetermined search sites may poorly reflect population size, as well as population fluctuations in time. Caution is advised when interpreting data from such surveys for species for which feces or other activity signs surveyed play a role in intraspecific communication and tend to be in a clumped distribution on the landscape.
Intra- and Intergeneric Similarities between the Ribosomal Ribonucleic Acid Cistrons of Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium Species and Some Related Bacteria

14C-labeled ribosomal ribonucleic acids (rRNAs) were prepared from Bradyrhizobium japonicum NZP 5549T(T = type strain) and Rhodopseudomonas palustris DSM 130, and [3H]rRNAs were prepared from Rhizobium meliloti NZP 4009 and Rhizobium loti NZP 2037. Labeled rRNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens ICPB TT111 (a member of Agrobacterium cluster 2) was also used. These rRNAs were hybridized under optimal conditions with filter-fixed deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) from 24 strains of rhizobia representing nine previously identified DNA-DNA homology groups and with DNAs from various other organisms. Each hybrid was described by the following two parameters: the temperature at which 50% of the hybrid was denatured (Tm(e) ) and percentage of rRNA binding. From rRNA similarity maps and a Tm(e) dendrogram the following conclusions were drawn. (i) There are at least three genetically distinct groups in the present genus Rhizobium. Group I includes Rhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium fredii, and Rhizobium leguminosarum. Group II is represented by Rhizobium loti, and group III includes rhizobia isolated from Galega officinalis and Galega orientalis (goatsrue.). (ii) The rRNA cistrons of group I strains resemble those of Agrobacterium cluster 2 strains. (iii) The rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium fredii resemble those of Rhizobium meliloti more closely than the rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium leguminosarum or Agrobacterium cluster 2 do. (iv) The rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium loti resemble the rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium meliloti less than the rRNA cistrons of strains belonging to either Agrobacterium cluster 1 or Agrobacterium cluster 2. (v) The rRNA cistrons of Galega rhizobia resemble the rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium meliloti about as much as the rRNA cistrons of Agrobacterium cluster 1 and resemble the rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium loti less. (vi) The rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium resemble one another much less than do the rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium and other genera presently included in the family Rhizobiaceae (Agrobacterium and Phyllobacterium). (vii) Bradyrhizobium strains belonging to four DNA-DNA homology groups all contain rRNA cistrons which closely resembled the rRNA cistrons of Bradyrhizobium japonicum NZP 5549T. (viii) B. japonicum contains rRNA cistrons which have diverged from the rRNA cistrons of Rhodopseudomonas palustris to about the same extent as the rRNA cistrons of Rhizobium group I and Agrobacterium; on this basis we suggest that the photosynthetic ancestor of Bradyrhizobium may have been a rhodopseudomonad and that a phylogenetic classification should group these genera together. (ix) Stemnodulating strain ORS 571, from Sesbania rostrata belongs to the Rhodopseudomonas palustris rRNA branch; it is quite distinct from B. japonicum and Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Two representative strains which nodulate roots belong in the group containing the fast-growing rhizobia.
INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON PREGNANCY IN THE VIVIPAROUS GECKO HOPLODACTYLUS MACULATUS

Gestation length varies among populations of common geckos on the South Island of New Zealand, from annual reproductive cycles at a relatively warm site at Alexandra to biennial cycles at a cool site at Macraes. We compared the effect of warm and cool thermal regimes on the length and success of gestation between geckos from Macraes and Alexandra. To assess the likelihood of geckos experiencing these temperatures in the wild, we compared the laboratory thermal regimes with data available for field microhabitat temperatures, body temperatures (Tb), and selected temperatures (Tsel) of pregnant females. Temperature had a profound effect on the length and success of pregnancy; geckos from both populations under the cool regime had longer pregnancies that were less successful in producing developed neonates than geckos under the warm regime. Though no viable young were produced under the cool regime, there were qualitative differences in outcome of pregnancies between populations; all geckos from Alexandra (warm site) aborted pregnancies early on, whereas several from Macraes (cool site) produced fully developed embryos after extremely long gestation periods (up to 440 days). Under the warm regime, populations appeared to differ in the rate of embryogenesis and in neonatal growth rate (both in g/day, with individuals from the Macraes population having the highest rates). Though temperatures of both thermal regimes overlapped with common microhabitat temperatures for both populations in most seasons of embryogenesis, maximum field Tb and Tsel for pregnant females were generally higher than in the laboratory regimes, at least for certain times of day in warm weather. The prolonged embryogenesis exhibited by geckos under the warm regime and the poor success of pregnancy under the cool regime demonstrate the necessity of thermoregulation by pregnant females for successful reproduction, particularly at Macraes. Our study describes complex but significant plasticity in the thermal sensitivity of female reproduction in a viviparous gekkonid lizard.
Additional data to the hister beetle fauna of Turkey (Coleoptera: Histeridae)

Rozne R , I. : Additional data to the hister beetle (Coleoptera: Histeridae) fauna of Turkey. Abstract: Between 1977 and 2001 the Hungarian Entomological Society organised 9 collecting trips to Turkey. During these trips 56 species of 14 genera in 5 sub-families were collected. Beside several rare species Hypocaccus rugiceps (Duft,) was also captured and it proved to be a new record for Turkey.
Screening of Fusarium graminearum Isolates for Enzymes Extracellular and Deoxynivalenol Production

Fusarium graminearum, the main etiological agent of Fusarium head bligh, has high intraspecific genetic diversity, which is related to the variability in the aggressiveness among isolates against wheat. The aggressiveness involves different mechanisms as the production and liberation of extracellular enzymes and mycotoxins. In the present paper, several F. graminearum isolates obtained from wheat spikes from Pampas region, Argentina, were screened for polygalacturonase (pectinase), proteolytic, and lipase extracellular enzymatic activities production, as well as for the capacity to produce deoxynivalenol. The enzymatic production in terms of magnitude was varied among isolates, which could be related to a differential capacity to infect wheat. Both polygalacturonase as proteolytic activities had a maximum activity in the first days of incubation. Instead, the lipase activity reached its maximum activity after advanced incubation time. Deoxynivalenol production was delayed over time with respect to the first enzymatic activities, which would infer its relation to the progress of the disease in the host, more than with the early stages of infection. The characterization carried out in this research would allow us to apply a selection criterion among isolates for further research.
Inheritance of Resistance to Loquat Canker (Group C) in Progenies Derived from 'Shiromogi' Loquat

Loquat canker (Pseudomonas syringae pv. eriobotryae) is a serious disease of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), and no commercial cultivar in Japan is resistant to all strains of the disease. Loquat cultivar Shiromogi, which was selected from progeny seedlings of 'Mogi', is resistant to loquat canker Group C and has good fruit characteristics. This study was conducted to determine the inheritance of resistance to loquat canker Group C in 'Shiromogi'. Seedlings produced from crosses between two resistant and 13 susceptible genotypes were classified as either resistant (R) or susceptible (S) based on the appearance of black-brown cankers '2 months after inoculation with a bacterial suspension of loquat canker Group C. Cross combinations between resistant parents 'Champagne' and 'Shiromogi' and selfing of 'Shiromogi' produced all resistant seedlings. Most crosses between 'Shiromogi' and susceptible parents either produced only susceptible seedlings or segregated for resistance in a ratio of 1 R:1 S. Seedlings produced by selfing two of the susceptible parents segregated in a ratio of 1 R:3 S. These results indicate that the resistance to loquat canker Group C of 'Shiromogi' is conferred by a single recessive gene, designated pse-c. Based on the crossing tests, we conclude that resistant parents 'Shiromogi' and 'Champagne' are homozygous for pse-c; the susceptible parents 'Fukuharawase', 'Fusahikari', 'Gold Nugget', 'Kusunoki', Nagasaki No. 2, 'Tanaka', 'Tsukumo', and 'Yougyoku' are homozygous forPse-c; and the other susceptible parents in this experiment ('Mogi', 'Nagasakiwase', Nagasaki No. 3, 'Taisho', and 75-142) are heterozygous. Based on the pedigree of 'Shiromogi' and the results reported here, pse-c is probably derived from 'Mogi', a major cultivar in Japan.
Plant Genetic Diversity and the Struggel to Measure Selection

: The fundamental research program of population genetics has been to seek a quantitative assessment of the role of the various forces of evolution in shaping patterns of genetic variation. This goal has been pursued on both empirical and theoretical fronts. The introduction of biochemical and molecular techniques into population genetics more than 25 years ago revealed vast stores of genetic variation within populations. This level of genetic diversity is difficult to reconcile with balancing selection, and as a consequence, recent thinking has emphasized the role of mutation and genetic random drift as the primary determinants of genetic diversity. The resulting neutral theory of molecular evolution has dominated population genetic thought for more than 20 years. Nonadaptive theories have also emphasized the role of deleterious mutations in driving evolutionary change. New insights into the relative importance of selection and genetic random drift can now be obtained from samples of DNA sequences of genes drawn from within species. The elaboration of coalescence theory, together with the accumulation of data on gene genealogies, permits an integration over relatively long periods of evolutionary time. The ability to integrate over long periods of evolutionary time permits the detection of small selection intensities and it reveals some information about the mode of selection. When the genealogy is consistent with a neutral process, the effective population size can be estimated, as can the age of the coalescent, thus providing new empirical approaches to the estimation of these important parameters. Applications of these approaches in plant population genetics are still in their infancy, but they have already provided new insights into effective population sizes and they are beginning to illustrate how selection for domestication has affected plant genomes.
Developmental Morphology of a Dimorphic Grass Inflorescence: The Brazilian Bamboo Eremitis (Poaceae)

Premise of research. The highly specialized grass inflorescence varies with respect to phyllotaxis, with the reproductive meristem forming primary lateral branches that are either spirally arranged or distichous. The Brazilian bamboo Eremitis is highly unusual in that it has a dimorphic inflorescence, typically composed of an apical gynecandrous whorl of both male and female spikelets and basal whorls of male spikelets. Although not closely related to them, Eremitis shares some structural similarities with some early-divergent grasses. Methodology. We use SEM and LM to describe the development of the reproductive structures of Eremitis to clarify our understanding of the highly specialized grass inflorescence and flower. Pivotal results. Developmental studies show that the inflorescence of Eremitis is actually partially whorled and partially distichous. The apical whorl is abortive. The female spikelet is not terminal on the axis, in contrast with the majority of grasses. All the male spikelets are distichously attached to the inflorescence axis and separated into groups. There is a hollow style with two vascular bundles. Conclusions. The strong morphological similarities between Eremitis and some early-divergent grasses are here supplemented by several anatomical similarities, perhaps due to a shared pollination syndrome.
Risk Management and Employee Efficiency of Quoted Commercial Bank in Nigeria

Firm risk is an unavoidable consequence of being in business such that if properly managed, shareholders’ returns would be maximised. However, returns are based on the efficiency of employees’ productivity. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the effect of risk management on employees’ efficiency of quoted commercial banks in Nigeria for a five-year period from 2012 to 2016. The population of the study comprises of the 15 quoted commercial banks in Nigeria, on which the judgemental sampling technique is applied, based on market capitalisation, to arrive at the sample size of 11 banks. The ex-post facto research design was adopted, and panel data obtained from the audited annual reports and accounts of the sampled banks are analysed using the descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression techniques via STATA 13.0 software. The study found that credit risk management and operational risk management have a significant effect on employees’ efficiency, while liquidity risk management and capital risk management have an insignificant effect on employees’ efficiency of quoted commercial banks in Nigeria. Therefore, the study concludes that improving the performance of employees in quoted commercial banks in Nigeria would be achieved through continuous policing to advance to use of modern risk management methods that would incorporate all risk areas. Consequently, the study recommends the adoption of just-in-time risk management strategies such as value at risk, risk simulation and risk-adjusted return on equity to mitigate risk and boost performance through improved employee productivity.
Acute toxicity of aluminium to zebra fish, Brachydanio rerio (Ham.).

A critical appraisal of existing water becomes significant for assessment of sustainable development of any resource. The present research work is oriented to find out toxic effects of aluminium on a freshwater fish Brachydanio reri . By following standard procedures for toxicity determination, it was found that 61.66ppm, 59.57ppm, 57.94 ppm and 56.92ppm of aluminium toxicity for 24h, 48h, 72h and 96hours LC50 doses, whereas LC and LC100 doses were 52 ppm and 65ppm respectively. Erratic swimming, hyperactivity changes in opercular movement, loss of equilibrium, mucus secretion all over the body and chromatic changes on skin were observed. All these observations can be considered to monitor the quality of water contaminated with chemicals.
Evaluating different routes of extracellular vesicle administration for cranial therapies

Aim: Human stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) provide many advantages over cell-based therapies for the treatment of functionally compromised tissue beds and organ sites. Here we aimed to highlight multiple administration routes for the potential treatment of various forms of brain injury. Methods: Human neural stem cell-derived EV were isolated from conditioned media and administered via three distinct routes: intrahippocampal transplantation, retro-orbital vein injection, and intranasal. EV were administered after which brains were evaluated to determine the capability of EV to translocate into normal tissue. Results: Data showed no significant differences in the amount of EV able to translocate across the brain, indicating the functional equivalence of each administration route to effectively deliver EV to the brain parenchyma. Conclusion: Findings show that both systemic administration routes (retro-orbital vein or intranasal delivery) afforded effective penetrance and perfusion of EV throughout the brain in a minimally invasive manner, and point to a translationally tractable option for treating certain neurological disorders including those resulting from cranial irradiation procedures.
A Ten-year Radar Climatology of Rainfall over Portland, Maine

This paper describes a Department of Homeland Security Regional Resiliency Assessment Program study into precipitation over Portland, Maine, carried out by Argonne National Laboratory. The primary data source is scanning weather radar, which collects information about precipitating particles over a large (250-km or greater) domain. The Python ARM radar Toolkit was used to retrieve rainfall rates from the local radar (in Gray Township outside of Portland) and map them onto a 250-m-resolution grid over a 100-km domain. Using Argonne’s large-scale cluster, Blues, the problem was mapped to 10 years’ worth of data, just over 600,000 ten-minute volumes, or just over 10 TB of data. Each time step was reduced to two numbers—the domain mean and the maximum rainfall rate—to allow easy indexing of the dataset. In addition, the diurnal (daily) cycle of precipitation was studied as was the seasonal cycle.
Graphene oxide enhanced specificity at aptamer and its application to multiplexed enzymatic activity sensing

We explore the effect of sufficient GO on the property of a dye labeled adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) aptamer (P) which shows similar affinity and specificity for ATP and its analogues including adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP), adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP), and adenosine (AD). It is found that ATP and its analogues give rise to fluorescence recovery of GO-quenched P to a different extent (in the order of ATP > AD > ADP > AMP), and the difference becomes larger when increasing the concentration of GO in a certain range, implying an improvement of specificity of the ATP aptamer. Based on this finding, a fluorescence turn-on assay for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and creatine kinase (CK) is proposed, by using AMP and ADP as the substrate, respectively. Specifically, the GO-quenched P system containing substrate shows low fluorescence intensity. In the presence of target enzyme, the substrate is converted into either AD or ATP which have higher affinity with P, resulting in stronger fluorescence of the mixture of P and GO. The entire assay is sensitive and selective. More importantly, the ability of GO with suitable concentration to improve the specificity of aptamers not only offers an exciting new way to detect protease, but also is valuable for developing the application of GO and aptamers in the biosensing field and is expected to be used in aptamer screening systems, to improve the specificity of screened aptamers.
Zero-Based Budgeting is a Panacea to Fiscal Distress: Do the Perceived Benefits Significantly Influence its Adoption in Borno State?

DOI: 10.21276/sjbms.2017. 2.10. 11 Abstract: During the 1970’s the world’s economy began slowing even as government programs were growing as a result of fiscal distress, and Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) was seen as an attempt to rationally manage the size and scope of government as well as a remedy for dealing with the austerity. The aim of this study, therefore, is to ascertain whether the perceived benefits of Zero-Based budgeting would significantly influence its adoption in Borno state. Stratified sampling technique was used to arrive at a sample size of 103 drawn from the total population of 139. Binary logistic regression was employed to predict whether the predictor variable namely, perceived benefits have significant influence or not on the dependent variable, that is, the adoption of ZBB. The finding of the study establish that it is possible to adopt ZBB in Borno state because it is politically feasible as the covariate suggest, perceived benefits was statistically significantly related to the adoption of ZBB in the state. We, therefore, recommend for the adoption of ZBB in the state So as to embark upon administrative reforms to incorporate policies and prioritize their public spending projects based on the fundamental principles of zero-based budgeting system in order to accomplish it perceived benefits.