Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous enumeration of multiple raphidophyte species by quantitative real‐time PCR: capabilities and limitations

Quantitative real‐time PCR (QPCR) is a powerful method for species‐specific detection and enumeration of harmful algal bloom (HAB) algae, but can be quite time‐consuming and expensive for multiple species detection when only a single species is analyzed in each reaction. Rapid enumeration methods would be valuable for the investigation of multiple HAB events such as the mixed blooms of harmful raphidophyte species (Chattonella cf verruculosa, C. subsalsa, and Heterosigma akashiwo) that co‐occur in the Delaware Inland Bays (DIB), USA. This technology uses multiple species‐specific probes that fluoresce at different wavelengths and allows for the simultaneous detection and enumeration of more than one species, limited only by the detection capabilities of the instrument. The approach can cut analysis time and cost at least in half, depending on the number of species that can be accurately detected and enumerated in the mixture. Here, we compared multiprobing—or using a single primer set with species‐specific probes—to multiplexing, in which species‐specific primers and probes are used, targeting the 18S rDNA of 3 raphidophyte species and an internal standard. Although both methods were effective for multispecies detection compared to simplex results, multiplexing was more accurate than multiprobing for this particular group of species. We investigated the accuracy and sensitivity of multiplex/multiprobe QPCR using plasmids, genomic DNA from cultures, or DNA extracted from environmental samples as template. Smaller amplicon size and sequence heterogeneity between amplicons increased the accuracy of the results. We found that environmental samples of raphidophytes can be successfully multiplexed or multiprobed with only minimal losses in sensitivity. In addition, we explored probe reporter dyes and quenchers for their compatibility, robustness, and reproducibility in multitemplate detection, and we compared and evaluated the capabilities and limitations of this method for detecting and enumerating multiple phytoplankton species simultaneously.
he Hepatoprotective Effects of Vitamin C and Micronized Vitamin C against Paracetamol Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats: A Comparative Study

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of micronized vitamin C against paracetamol-induced liver damage and to compare its effect with that of ordinary vitamin C. METHODS: 40 male rats were divided into four groups; 10 rats for each: control group; phosphate-buffered physiological saline (0.5 mL orally); paracetamol group (paracetamol 600 mg/kg, orally); paracetamol-vitamin C treated group (paracetamol 600 mg/kg, orally & vitamin C 500 mg/ /kg, orally); paracetamol-micronized vitamin C treated group (paracetamol 600 mg/kg, orally & micronized vitamin C 500 mg/kg, orally). In all groups, potential liver injuries were evaluated by using biochemical, oxidant-antioxidant, histopathological and immunohistochemical parameters. RESULTS: Paracetamol administration significantly increased the liver enzymes and decreased total protein level. It also increas
Preliminary Investigation on Buxtonella sulcata (Jameson, 1926) (Ciliphora: Trichostomatidae) in Egyptian Ruminants

Buxtonella sulcata (Jameson, 1926) is an intestinal protozoan of large ruminants, with scanty information and contradictious reports about its pathogenesity. This work aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of B. sulcata in Egypt. Forty eight cases collected from cattle (n= 29) and buffaloes (n= 19) from El-Mahalla El-Kubra area, Al-Gharbiya province. Samples were examined for the presence B. sulcata. The overall infection rate was 41.6% (20/48), in cattle 48.2% (14/29) and in buffalo 31.5% (6/19). This is the first study on B. sulcata in Egyptian ruminants also highlights the situation of intestinal ciliates of ruminant animals and provides basic information for the future work of intestinal ciliates of animals and man
The prevalence of protozoa during canine periodontal disease

2 Acknowledgments . 3 Table of contents . 4 List of Tables . 11 List of Figures . 14 List of Abbreviations . 17 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW . 19 Introduction . 19 1.1. Canine periodontal disease . 19 1.1.1. Human oral plaque bacteria . 20 1.1.2. Canine oral plaque bacteria . 20 1.2. Protozoa . 22 1.2.1. Oral protozoa . 22 1.3. Entamoeba gingivalis . 23 1.3. 1. E. gingivalis and periodontal disease . 23 1.3. 2. E. gingivalis in canine oral health . 25 1.3. 3. E. gingivalis and pathogenesis . 25 1.4. Trichomonas tenax . 26 1.4. 1. T. tenax and periodontal disease. 26 1.4. 2. T. tenax and a pathogenic role . 27 1.4. 3. T. tenax in canine oral health . 28 1.5. Other protozoa of the oral cavity . 29 1.6. Aims and objectives . 29 CHAPTER 2: MATERIALS AND METHODS . 33 2.1. Screening tools for identification of protists in biological samples . 33 2.1.1. Sequence alignment and 18S rRNA PCR primer design. 33
SamWalker: Social Recommendation with Informative Sampling Strategy

Recommendation from implicit feedback is a highly challenging task due to the lack of reliable negative feedback data. Only positive feedback are observed and the unobserved feedback can be attributed to two reasons: unknow or dislike. Existing methods address this challenge by treating all the un-observed data as negative (dislike) but downweight the confidence of these data. However, this treatment causes two problems: (1) Confidence weights of the unobserved data are usually assigned manually, which lack flexible and may create empirical bias in evaluating user's preference. (2) To handle massive volume of the unobserved feedback data, most of the existing methods rely on stochastic inference and data sampling strategies. However, since users are only aware of a very small fraction of items in a large dataset, it is difficult for existing samplers to select informative training instances in which the user really dislikes the item rather than does not know it. To address the above two problems, we propose a new recommendation method SamWalker that leverages social information to infer data confidence and guide the sampling process. By modeling data confidence with a social context-aware function, SamWalker can adaptively specify different weights to different data based on users' social contexts. Further, a personalized random-walk-based sampling strategy is developed to adaptively draw informative training instances, which can speed up gradient estimation and reduce sampling variance. Extensive experiments on three real-world datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed SamWalker method and its sampling strategy.
Modelling and Control of the Parrot AR.Drone

The UAV Laboratory at UNSW Canberra has recently extended their fleet to include a Parrot AR.Drone quadrotor. It is the intent of the UAV Laboratory to extend their vision-based autonomous navigation research to a quadrotor platform. Before this can be achieved the platform must be analysed and characterised. In this project a model of the AR.Drone was constructed in Simulink and validated for the purposes of supporting research within the UAV Laboratory. This project also established a fundamental body of work on the subject of quadrotors so as to enable further research by university staff and students in years to come.
Gas exchange parameters, water relations and carbohydrate partitioning in leaves of field-grown Prunus domestica following fruit removal

The effect of fruit removal on gas exchange, water relations, chlorophyll and non-structural carbohydrate content of leaves from mature, field-grown plum trees (Prunus domestica L. cv. Stanley) was determined over 2 consecutive growing seasons. Removal of fruits during stage II of fruit development decreased CO2 assimilation rate within 24 h from 12.6 to 8.5 μmol m-2 s-1 in 1986, and from 12.1 to 10.2 μmol m-2 s-1 in 1987. Depression of net photosynthesis persisted for at least 5 days and was greatest in the early afternoon. Recovery of the CO2 assimilation rate to pretreatment levels coincided in defruited trees with vegetative growth that was more than 5-fold that of fruiting trees in the first 6 weeks after fruit removal in 1986. Estimated photorespiration was similar in both fruiting and defruited trees. The stomatal contribution to the decrease of CO2 assimilation rate, calculated from assimilation/intercellular CO2 curves, ranged from 31 to 46%. Defruiting did not affect leaf water potential, but decreased leaf osmotic potential. Leaf levels of chlorophyll, fructose, glucose, sorbitol and sucrose were not affected by defruiting, whereas starch content increased up to 51% in leaves of defruited trees within 24 h after fruit removal. However, because of the small starch pool present in plum leaves (<1.9% dry weight) it is unlikely that starch accumulation was responsible for the observed decline in CO2 assimilation rate after fruit removal. The decrease of CO2 assimilation rate is discussed in relation to the hypothesis of assimilate demand regulating photosynthesis through a feedback mechanism.
Curling Cuticles of the Great Toenails: A Case Report of Eponychogryphosis

The cuticle, also referred to as the eponychium, creates a seal between the proximal nail fold and the nail plate. It is derived from both the ventral and dorsal portions of the proximal nail fold. In addition to its principle function as a barrier preventing allergens, irritants and pathogens from entering the nail cul-de-sac, the cuticle can play a role as a model for evaluating the etiology and management of diseases that affect capillary microcirculation, provide a source of solid tissue for genetic disorder studies, and aid in the evaluation of patients in whom the diagnoses of either systemic scleroderma or dermatomyositis is being entertained. Curling cuticle is a distinctive and unique occurrence. The clinical features of a man with curling cuticles on the lateral portion of both great toes is described. Although a deficiency in personal hygiene may partially account for the clinical finding, the pathogenesis of this observation remains to be established. The term ‘eponychogryphosis’ is proposed to describe the alteration of the patient’s cuticles.
Di-μ-benzenethiolato-μ-chlorido-bis{hydrido[(S)-(−)-2,2′-bis(di-p-tolylphosphanyl)-1,1′-binaphthyl]iridium(III)} chloride 1,2-dichloroethane disolvate

The cation of the title compound, [Ir2ClH2(C6H5S)2(C48H40P2)2]Cl·2C2H4Cl2, exists as a bridged bifacial octa­hedral dinuclear iridium structure with C2 symmetry (Cl lies on the rotation axis). The coordination environment of the Ir atom can be described as highly distorted octa­hedral with two P atoms, two bridging phenyl thiol­ato S atoms, a bridging chloride ligand, and a terminal hydride ligand.
Decomposition rates of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) wood and implications for coarse woody debris pools

Observations of the rapid growth and slow decomposition of American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh. ) suggest that its reintroduction could enhance terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration. A suite of decomposition models was fit with decomposition data from coarse woody debris (CWD) sampled in Wisconsin and Virginia, U.S. The optimal (two-component exponential) model was integrated with generic growth curves and documented longevity and typical stem density to evaluate how CWD and biomass pools relate to decomposition. CWD decomposed faster in Wisconsin (4.3% ± 0.3% per year) than in Virginia (0.7% ± 0.01% per year), and downed dead wood decomposed faster (8.1% ± 1.9% per year) than standing dead wood (0.7% ± 0.0% per year). We predicted considerably smaller CWD pools in Wisconsin (maximum 41 ± 23 Mg C·ha-1) than in Virginia (maximum 98 ± 23 Mg C·ha-1); the predicted biomass pool was larger in the faster growing Wisconsin trees (maximum 542 ± 58 Mg C·ha-1) compared with slower growing trees in Virginia (maximum 385 ± 51 Mg C·ha-1). Sensitivity analysis indicated that accurate estimates of decomposition rates are more urgent in fertile locations where growth and decomposition are rapid. We conclude that the American chestnut wood is intermediate in resistance to decomposition. Due to the interrelatedness of growth and decomposition rates, CWD pool sizes likely do not depend on species alone but on how the growth and decomposition of individual species vary in response to site productivity.
Bacterial Communities Inside and Surrounding Soil Iron-Manganese Nodules

Bacterial community structures of a Fe-Mn nodule sample and its surrounding soil were investigated using PCR, amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis, cloning and sequencing methods. Result showed that phylogenetically diverse bacteria were present in the nodule and soil samples, and Acidobacteria- and Proteobacteria-affiliated bacteria dominated in both samples. However, Firmicutes were only found in the nodules, while the soil had much more Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia than the nodules. Many clones retrieved in this study closely resembled the clones previously obtained from environments with high metal contents. These findings may shed light on the biological formation of Mn oxides in soil environment.
PURIFICATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A LECTIN FROM THE SEEDS OF DIOCLEA GUIANENSIS1

A lectin was purified from seeds of Dioclea guianensis by Sephadex G-50 affinity chromatography. Apparent homogeneity of the lectin was demonstrated by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, chromatography on DEAE- and CM-Sepharose, and immunochemistry. The lectin showed a carbohydrate specificity for D-mannose (D-glucose)-binding, had a requirement for Ca−2 and Mn−2, contained no covalently bound carbohydrate and had an amino acid composition characterized by high content of aspartic acid, serine and threonine, and low levels of sulfur-containing amino acids. At pH 7.5 it exists as two species of molecular weight about 100 and 47 kD and in dissociating solvents three subunits of approximate size of 30, 18 and 12 kD were obtained. The lectin agglutinated erythocytes from rabbit and chicken but not from human, cow, sheep, goat or pig and was toxic to brine shrimp (Artemia salina) larvae. It was relatively heat-stable, retaining half of its original activity even after 90 min at 70°C.
Decalcification during epithallial cell turnover in Jania adhaerens (Corallinales, Rhodophyta)

C.M. Pueschel, B.L. Judson and S. Wegeberg. 2005. Decalcification during epithallial cell turnover in Jania adhaerens (Corallinales, Rhodophyta). Phycologia 44: 156–162. Epithallial cells of the coralline red algae are characterized by structural specializations that include deep invaginations of the distal cell surface, and by a unique developmental pattern that culminates in senescence, shedding and replacement of the cells. Combined scanning and transmission electron microscopic study of epithallial cell differentiation in the geniculate coralline alga Jania adhaerens suggests that some of the unusual features of epithallial cell structure may be related to the need for localized wall decalcification as part of epithallial cell replacement. Distal wall ingrowths begin to form on the cells whose cleavage eventually gives rise distally to new epithallial cells. After the distal wall ingrowths form, the overlying crosswall becomes rich in organic material. For this organic wall material to be deposited into the existing crosswall, the wall must first be decalcified; therefore, the presence of abundant organic material in the crosswall provides a marker of localized decalcification. The location and time of origin of distal wall ingrowths suggest a connection between the ingrowths and the coordinated processes of localized secretion of organic wall material and decalcification of the overlying cell wall in preparation for the movement of the young epithallial cell into a new location relative to the surrounding calcified matrix.
Multiplication of Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) using cotyledons and leaf explants

Annatto ( Bixa orellana L.) is an important natural dye yielding plant. To improve theregeneration capacity of annatto, the effects of explants size, plant growth regulators, lightregime and leaf position were evaluated using cotyledons and leaf explants derived fromseedlings. Explants having entire lamina with petiole showed maximum response. Thecotyledonary explants produced highest regeneration frequency (78.1%) and maximumnumber of shoots (12.4) on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 20 I¼M benzyladenine (BA). Leaf explants on MS medium containing 20 I¼M BA gave 67% regenerationfrequency and 11.3 new shoots per explant. A photoperiod of 16/8 h (light/dark) was foundto be superior to continuous dark or light. Position of leaf on the seedling had significantrole in organogenic response and is found decreasing from the base to shoot apex. Theregenerated shoots were rooted on MS medium supplemented with 10 I¼M IBA. The rootedplantlets were transferred initially in the growth chamber and then moved to a green house.The present protocol can be utilized for the mass multiplication and also for effective genetictransformation aimed at the improvement of annatto.
Effects of Ultra High Pressure, Pressing Time and HCl Concentration on Non‐thermal Starch Hydrolysis Using Ultra High Pressure

Effects of ultra high pressure (UHP), pressing time and HCl concentration on non-thermal starch hydrolysis using ultra high pressure were investigated. As regards ultra high pressure, starch granules maintained their structure up to 450 MPa and were partially disintegrated at 600 MPa. Degree of hydrolysis did not change up to 450 MPa and dramatically increased at 600 MPa indicating that starch hydrolysis increased with increasing destruction of starch granules. Pressing time did not affect the degree of hydrolysis. However, degree of hydrolysis and destruction of starch granules increased with increasing HCl concentration up to 4 M. Gel permeation chromatography showed that the soluble fraction of starch formed by hydrolysis mainly consisted of maltooligomers and maltose. X-ray diffraction pattern changed from A type to C type upon hydrolysis, otherwise it remained as A type. This work provides fundamental information of UHP processing for starch and shows a potential of non-thermal UHP processing for a new starch hydrolysis method.
Estimation of fundamental frequency of reverberant speech by utilizing complex cepstrum analysis

This paper reports comparative evaluations of twelve typical methods of estimating fundamental frequency ( F 0 ) over huge speech-sound datasets in artiﬁcial reverberant environments. They involve several classic algorithms such as Cepstrum, AMDF, LPC, and modiﬁed autocorrelation algorithms. Other methods involve a few modern instantaneous amplitude-and/or frequency-based algorithms, such as STRAIGHT-TEMPO, IFHC, and PHIA. The comparative results revealed that the percentage of correct rates and SNRs of the estimated F0s were reduced drastically as reverberation time increased. They also demonstrated that homomorphic (complex cepstrum) analysis and the concept of the source-ﬁlter model were relatively eﬀective for estimating F 0 from reverberant speech. This paper thus proposes a new method of robustly and accurately estimating F 0 s in reverberant environments, by utilizing the modulation transfer function (MTF) concept and the source-ﬁlter model in complex cepstrum analysis. The MTF concept is used in this method to eliminate dominant reverberant characteristics from observed reverberant speech. The source-ﬁlter model (liftering) is used to extract source information from the processed cepstrum. Finally, F 0 s are estimated from them by using the comb-ﬁltering method. Additive-comparative evaluation was carried out on the new approach with other typical methods. The results demonstrated that it was better than the previously reported techniques in terms of robustness and providing accurate F 0 estimates in reverberant environments.
The Use of Sesame Meal in Diets of Japanese Quail

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of sesame meal (SM) on performance and carcass characteristics of Japanese quail. One hundred sixty day-old Japanese quail chick were equally distributed into 16 cage pens and reared form 10 to 42 days of age. The treatments consisted of SM0, SM50, SM100 and SM150. The diet for SM0 treatment had no SM (control), while those for treatments SM50, SM100 and SM150 included 50, 100 and 150 g/kg of SM, respectively. Each dietary treatment was fed ad libitum to four replicate groups of 10 birds at the beginning of experimental period. Chicks and feed were weighed on days 10, 24 and 42 and carcass characteristics were measured on day 42. Results indicated that daily weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency were not significantly affected by experimental treatments. However, diet containing 150 g/kg SM improved the weight gain and feed conversion ratio of Japanese quail, numerically. The highest carcass weight was recorded for quails fed SM50. As well as, diets containing SM increased more the weight of gizzard and intestinal than control diet (P<0.05). Thus, SM can be used as an alternative feedstuff in Japanese quail diets, at inclusion levels up to 150 g/kg without negative effects on performance and carcass traits.
Scale‐dependent interactions of Mediterranean whales with marine dynamics

We investigated the influence of the ocean circulation at different spatiotemporal scales on the seasonal distribution of a large marine predator, the Mediterranean fin whale, by comparing multisatellite data with the positions of eight fin whales equipped with Argos tracking devices from August 2003 to June 2004. At the western Mediterranean basin scale, fin whales were associated with the anticlockwise gyre in the northern part of the western Mediterranean Sea, which defines the habitat of krill, the whales' main prey. At mesoscale and submesoscale, and only during the seasonal phytoplankton biomass minimum in summer, whales exhibited a preference for the periphery of eddies and they were often associated with filaments indicative of submesoscale fronts. Timescales of these mesoscale and submesoscale features are comparable with the ecological timescales of the lower levels of the trophic chain. Whales were not associated to productive areas, probably due to the spatiotemporal lag between phytoplankton and krill. Our results suggest that stirring by eddies may create filaments that are favorable foraging grounds for predators searching for aggregated prey during the most oligotrophic period of the year.
Capturing Change: Comparing Pretest-Posttest and Retrospective Evaluation Methods

Two models that are commonly used in Extension programming to capture change over a short period of time are the pretest-posttest model and the retrospective pretest (or post-then-pre) model. When deciding which model to use, Extension professionals should keep in mind that each participant has a knowledge base that includes both factual information and perceptions pertaining to factual information. As you read about the strengths and weaknesses of these two design models, consider how each model fits the evaluation situation to select the one that can best measure change in your program. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Jessica L. Gouldthorpe and Glenn D. Israel and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, January 2013. http://edis.ifas. ufl.edu/wc135
Photographic and Descriptive Musculoskeletal Atlas of Chimpanzees: With Notes on the Attachments, Variations, Innervation, Function and Synonymy and Weight of the Muscles

Introduction and Aims Methodology and Material Head and Neck Musculature Pectoral and Upper Limb Musculature Trunk and Back Musculature Diaphragmatic and Abdominal Musculature Perineal, Coccygeal and Anal Musculature Pelvic and Lower Limb Musculature Figures