Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATORY SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT BYELAW FORMULATION IN THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Widespread adoption of sustainable land management (SLM) innovations by land users is considered key in addressing the rampant land degradation in the high rainfall and densely populated highlands of eastern and southern Africa. However, absence of enabling policy environments hamperes massive adoption of SLM innovations among rural communities. This paper presents the process and outcomes of a participatory approach for formulating and implementing SLM byelaws in the central highlands of Ethiopia. The participatory approach utilised three complementary tools, namely, stakeholder analysis, community needs assessment and policy dialogues. The stakeholder analysis revealed that several government institutions, non-government organisations (NOGs) and community groups promote SLM practices. Poor coordination among actors, top-down approach in planning and implementation, and limited capacity of communities hamperes SLM scaling up efforts. Stakeholder engagements culminates in establishing innovation platforms (IPs) at district and watershed levels tasked with coordinating SLM scaling up efforts. While the community needs assessment identified and prioritised SLM issues that needed to be resolved, the policy dialogue engaging IPs formulated three SLM byelaws and mechanisms for implementation. Key Words: Innovation platforms, policy reform
New Opioid Use After Invasive Mechanical Ventilation and Hospital Discharge.

RATIONALE Patients who receive invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) are usually exposed to opioids as part of their sedation regimen. The rates of post-hospital prescribing of opioids are unknown. OBJECTIVES Determine the frequency of persistent post-hospital opioid use among patients who received IMV. METHODS We assessed opioid-naïve adults who were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), received IMV and survived at least 7d after hospital discharge in Ontario, Canada over a 26 month period; February, 2013 through March, 2015. The primary outcome was new persistent opioid use during the year following discharge. We assessed factors associated with persistent use using multivariable logistic regression. Patients receiving IMV were also compared with matched hospitalized patients who did not receive intensive care (non-ICU). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Among 25,085 opioid-naive IMV patients, 5,007 (20.0%,95%CI 19.5-20.5) filled a prescription for opioids in the 7d following hospital discharge. During the year following, 648 (2.6%,95%CI 2.4-2.8) of the IMV cohort met criteria for new persistent opioid use. The patient characteristic most strongly associated with persistent use in the IMV cohort was being a surgical (vs medical) patient: aOR 3.29,95%CI 2.72-3.97. The rate of persistent use was slightly higher than for matched non-ICU patients ((2.6% vs 1.5%) aOR 1.37,95%CI 1.19-1.58). CONCLUSIONS Twenty percentage of IMV patients received a prescription for opioids after hospital discharge; 2.6% met criteria for persistent use, an average of 300 new persistent users per year in a population of 14 million. Receipt of surgery was the factor most strongly associated with persistent use.
Annual variation in carcass weight of Norwegian moose in relation to climate along a latitudinal gradient

Annual variation in carcass weight during the autumn was studied in four Norwegian populations of moose (Alces alces) distributed along a latitudinal gradient (59/sup 0/N to 66/sup 0/N). In the northernmost population, mean yearling weights were correlated to mean weight of bulls (2 1/2 years old) and adult cows (greater than or equal to3 1/2 years old). Similarly, the mean weight of the calves was correlated with that of yearlings in the southernmost population. In all but one comparison, a combination of climatic variables explained a significant portion of the annual variation in mean carcass weight. Mean summer temperature, especially the June mean, and summer precipitation were the most important variables. Smaller animals were found in the autumn after a hot rather than a cool summer in the two northern populations. Weather conditions in winter showed little relationship to the annual variation in mean carcass weight. However, a significant relationship was found in the two southern populations, where snow-rich or cold winters were associated with small calves and yearlings in the following autumn.
Protein secretion and virulence in pathogenic mycobacteria

Recent evidence shows that mycobacteria have developed a novel and specialized secretion system for the transport of extracellular proteins across their hydrophobic, and highly impermeable, cell wall. Strikingly, mycobacterial genomes encode up to five of these transport systems. Two of these systems, ESX-1 and ESX-5, are involved in virulence — they both affect the cell-to-cell migration of pathogenic mycobacteria. Here, we review this novel secretion pathway and discuss variants of this pathway that are present in various Gram-positive bacteria. Given the unique composition of this secretion system and its general importance, we propose to call it, in line with the accepted nomenclature, type VII secretion.
Blowflies (Diptera, Calliphoridae) of Fennoscandia and Denmark

The Calliphoridae are a widespread family of insects of great medical, veterinary and forensic importance. They encompass, among others, the familiar greenbottle and bluebottle filth flies. The book presents a taxonomic revision of the blowflies of Fennoscandia and Denmark. Keys and diagnoses, descriptions, summaries of distribution and biology are given for all taxa. Male and female genitalia are illustrated in great detail. The nomenclature is revised and numerous new specific and generic synonymies are established. Full references to the primary literature are given. A new subfamily classification of the world Calliphoridae is proposed on the basis of cladistic principles. The definition and higher classification of the family and related groups are discussed.
Calcareous green alga Halimeda tolerates ocean acidification conditions at tropical carbon dioxide seeps

We investigated ecological, physiological, and skeletal characteristics of the calcifying green alga Halimeda grown at CO2 seeps (pHtotal ∼ 7.8) and compared them to those at control reefs with ambient CO2 conditions (pHtotal ∼ 8.1). Six species of Halimeda were recorded at both the high CO2 and control sites. For the two most abundant species Halimeda digitata and Halimeda opuntia we determined in situ light and dark oxygen fluxes and calcification rates, carbon contents and stable isotope signatures. In both species, rates of calcification in the light increased at the high CO2 site compared to controls (131% and 41%, respectively). In the dark, calcification was not affected by elevated CO2 in H. digitata, whereas it was reduced by 167% in H. opuntia, suggesting nocturnal decalcification. Calculated net calcification of both species was similar between seep and control sites, i.e., the observed increased calcification in light compensated for reduced dark calcification. However, inorganic carbon content increased (22%) in H. digitata and decreased (−8%) in H. opuntia at the seep site compared to controls. Significantly, lighter carbon isotope signatures of H. digitata and H. opuntia phylloids at high CO2 (1.01‰ [parts per thousand] and 1.94‰, respectively) indicate increased photosynthetic uptake of CO2 over HCO3− potentially reducing dissolved inorganic carbon limitation at the seep site. Moreover, H. digitata and H. opuntia specimens transplanted for 14 d from the control to the seep site exhibited similar δ13C signatures as specimens grown there. These results suggest that the Halimeda spp. investigated can acclimatize and will likely still be capable to grow and calcify in PCO2 conditions exceeding most pessimistic future CO2 projections.
Male-specific cancers in Iceland: Family history, genomic instability and genetic predisposition

Putative prostate cancer susceptibility loci have recently been identified by genetic linkage analysis on chromosomes 1q24–25 (HPC1), 1q44.2–43 (PCaP), and Xq27– 28 (HPCX). In order to estimate the genetic linkage in Icelandic prostate cancer families, we genotyped 241 samples from 87 families with eleven markers in the HPC1 region, six markers at PCaP, and eight at HPCX. Concurrently, we assessed allelic imbalance at the HPC1 and PCaP loci in selected tumors from the patients. For each of the candidate regions, the combined parametric and non-parametric LOD scores were strongly negative. Evidence for linkage allowing for genetic heterogeneity was also insignificant for all the regions. The results were negative irrespective of whether calculations were performed for the whole material or for a selected set of early age at onset families. The prevalence of allelic imbalance was relatively low in both the HPC1 (0%–9%) and PCaP (5%– 20%) regions and was not elevated in tumors from positively linked families. Our studies indicate that the putative cancer susceptibility genes at chromosomes 1q24–25, 1q44.2–43, and Xq27–28 are unlikely to contribute significantly to hereditary prostate cancer in Iceland and that selective loss of the HPC1 and PCaP loci is a relatively rare somatic event in prostate cancers.
Diet niche relationships among predator and prey fish species in their early life stages in Lake Võrtsjärv (Estonia)

Summary In Lake Vortsjarv pikeperch was observed not to shift to piscivory in their first autumn of life, although juvenile stages of a variety of fish species were abundant in the lake. It was hypothesized that the diets of predator and prey fish fry overlap and that coarse fish species are important food competitors for juvenile piscivores and thus, pikeperch and perch fry do not shift to piscivory during their first growing season. To discover the possible linkages in this pattern, in 2009 the feeding relationships of pikeperch, perch, ruffe and roach fry were analysed. The stomach content analyses showed that in the summer period, Mesocyclops leuckarti was the most frequent prey for perch and ruffe, pikeperch consumed Leptodora kindti in large quantities, and roach ate mostly plant material. Towards autumn, M. leuckarti was the most abundant prey for all percids. However, average stomach content weight and the number of prey items eaten by ruffe were considerably higher than for other fish fry. Since the feeding opportunities of fish fry are considered poor in the examined lake, the prey has the potential to restrict the recruitment to piscivory of their predators, as prey fish seem to have better abilities to persist in this ecosystem. Furthermore, supposed competition in the juvenile stage may result in a reduced top-down effect on coarse fish.
GLUTATHIONE METABOLISM IN RATS EXPOSED TO HIGH- FLUORIDE WATER AND EFFECT OF SPIRULINA TREATMENT

γ γ γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity were also noted in blood of fluoride exposed animals. In the liver no significant changes in these variables were observed. Results indicate oxidative stress during fluoride exposure. Spirulina treatment was beneficial to some extent as a rich source of the antioxidant vitamin β-carotene.
Applications Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) based Virtual Screening in drug design: A Review.

Today, the scientific community across the globe generates huge data; for example more than 74 million substances are registered in Chemical Abstract Services. Another estimate tells that there is about 1060 molecules classified as new drug like molecules. This huge space is now refereed as 'dark chemical space' or 'dark chemistry'. Today one can see a surge in the number live databases (protein, cell, tissues, structure, drugs etc.) and every day these are updated with new information. So, the synchronization of the three different sciences 'genomics', proteomics' and 'in-silico simulation' is essential and it will revolutionize the process of drug discovery. Now, the screening of the large number of drug like molecules is a challenge and it should be done in an efficient manner. Virtual screening (VS) is an important computational tool in the drug discovery process, however the drugs are need to be verified experimentally at every stage. Amongst, the various VS methods, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis is the proven and accepted machine learning technique. QSAR is well-known for its high and fast throughput screening with good hit rate. The QSAR model building involves, (i) chemogenomics data collection from a database or literature, (ii) Calculation of right descriptors from molecular representation, (iii) establishing a relationship (model) between biological activity & the selected descriptors (iv) application of QSAR model to predict the biological property for the molecules. Therefore, it is desirable to test experimentally the hits obtained by VS. In this mini-review: different web-based machine learning tools, techniques of QSAR for VS, successful applications of QSAR based VS leading to the drug discovery and advantages and challenges of this powerful technique were highlighted.
Relationship of Cerebral Blood Flow to Cognitive Function and Recovery in Early Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide, for which biomarkers are needed to better understand the underlying pathophysiology. Microvascular injury represents a subset of pathological mechanisms contributing to cognitive dysfunction following TBI, which may also impair subsequent neural repair thereby inhibiting cognitive recovery. MRI-based measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) via arterial spin labeling (ASL) provides an appealing means of assessing microvascular disruption in TBI, however the relationship between CBF alterations in the early chronic post-TBI setting and cognitive dysfunction as well as subsequent cognitive recovery remain poorly understood. Structural MRI and ASL were performed in 42 TBI subjects 3 months post-injury and 35 matched healthy controls. Neuropsychological testing was performed in each subject, as well as in a subset of TBI patients (n=33) at 6 and/or 12 months post-injury. TBI and control subject CBF data were compared between groups in a voxel-wise fashion while controlling for the effects of structural atrophy. A region-of-interest (ROI) approach was then used to compare CBF to clinical and neuropsychological measures within the TBI group in a cross-sectional fashion, as well as to the degree of subsequent cognitive recovery among subjects with follow-up testing. At 3 months post-injury, the TBI group demonstrated lower performance in each cognitive domain (p<0.05), as well as widespread reductions in grey matter CBF independent of structural atrophy (p<0.05). Within the TBI group, CBF was moderately correlated with injury severity (r=-0.43, p=0.009) and executive function (r=0.43, p=0.01). In the longitudinal analysis, there was a positive correlation between initial CBF and processing speed recovery (r=0.43, p=0.015) independent of age, education level, and initial test score. In conclusion, early chronic TBI is associated with widespread grey matter CBF deficits which are correlated with injury severity and cognitive dysfunction. CBF may predict subsequent recovery in some cognitive domains.
A Blockchain-Assisted Intelligent Transportation System Promoting Data Services with Privacy Protection

Being able to obtain various environmental and driving data from vehicles is becoming more and more important for current and future intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) to operate efficiently and economically. However, the limitations of privacy protection and security of the current ITSs are hindering users and vehicles from providing data. In this paper, we propose a new ITS architecture by using blockchain technology solving the privacy protection and security problems, and promoting users and vehicles to provide data to ITSs. The proposed architecture uses blockchain as a trust infrastructure to protect users’ privacy and provide trustworthy services to users. It is also compatible with the legacy ITS infrastructure and services. In addition, the hierarchical organization of chains enables the scalability of the system, and the use of smart contracts provides a flexible way for introducing new services in the ITS. The proposed architecture is demonstrated by a proof of concept implementation based on Ethereum. The test results show that the proposed architecture is feasible.
Identification of a calcareous red alga as the primary source of paralytic shellfish toxins in coral reef crabs and gastropods

Search for the origin of paralytic shellfish toxins occurring in coral reef crabs and gastropods resulted in a discovery of a calcareous red alga Jania sp. as the toxin progenitor. The alga was confirined to contain gonyautoxins I, II and III, the first being the major component. The pre sence of this alga in the stomach of two toxic crabs Zosimus aeneus and Atergatis floridus and four gastropods Turbo marmorata, Turbo argyrostoma, Tectus pyramis and Tectus nilotica maxima evidenced that Jania sp. was the primary source of the toxins. Seasonal observation indicated that the toxin content in the alga reached the maximum in the spring.
Remote Patient Monitoring Technologies for Predicting Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations: Review and Comparison

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death by disease worldwide and has a 30-day readmission rate of 22.6%. In 2015, COPD was added to the Medicare Hospital Readmission Reductions Program. Objective The objective of this paper was to survey the current medical technologies for remote patient monitoring (RPM) tools that forecast COPD exacerbations in order to reduce COPD readmissions. Methods We searched literature and digital health news to find commercially available RPM devices focused on predicting COPD exacerbations. These technologies were reviewed and compared according to four criteria: forecasting ability, cost, ease of use, and appearance. A rating system was developed to facilitate the evaluation process. Results As of June 2019, a list of handheld and hands-free devices was compiled. We compared features and found substantial variations. Devices that ranked higher on all criteria tended to have a high or unlisted price. Commonly mass-marketed devices like the pulse oximeter and spirometer surprisingly fulfilled the least criteria. Conclusions The COPD RPM technologies with most technological promise and compatibility with daily living appear to have high or unlisted prices. Consumers and providers need better access to product information to make informed decisions.
s-dependence of proton fragmentation by hadrons. II. Incident laboratory momenta 30--250 GeV/c

Measurements of the dependence on s = (p/sub a/ + p/sub b/)/sup 2/ of the cross sections for production of single charged hadrons in the reactions a + b . -->. c + anything are presented. Particle c was detected in a fixed interval of laboratory momentum and angle in the fragmentation region of the target proton. The . pi. /sup + -/ and K/sup +/ production data are consistent with the Mueller-Regge prediction of an approach to scaling as A + Bs/sup -1/2/. Further tests of a simple Regge-pole model indicate that the s dependence measured is fortuitous, and that higher-energy data are required in order to make detailed tests of the model.
A study of the Chd family of ATP-dependent chromatin remodellers in Dictyostelium discoideum

The CHD family of ATP-dependent chromatin remodellers, which are present in all eukaryotes, utilise energy from the hydrolysis of ATP to alter nucleosome structure. The multiple CHD proteins have previously been implicated in transcription and developmental regulation, although the relationship between different family members is not well understood. The CHD family in H.sapiens contains nine proteins divided into three subfamilies. Whereas S.cerevisiae possess a single CHD, the Dictyostelium discoideum genome contains three CHD genes: one subfamily I member, related to human CHD1/2, and two subfamily III members, related to human CHD7/8. Dictyostelium fills a gap in the complexity scale, providing a smaller complement of CHD family members than mammalian models whilst still possessing a multicellular development stage and retaining a compact manipulatable genome. I have studied the expression patterns and created knockout mutants for all three Chd family members. The chd mutants have different developmental phenotypes that correlate with their expression profiles. RNA-seq analysis of the mutants showed that each Chd protein is responsible for regulating the expression of distinct classes of genes. Mapping nucleosomes genome wide in wild-type cells revealed that nucleosomes are structured similarly to higher eukaryotes. Mapping of nucleosomes in chdC-null suggested that ChdC regulates nucleosome repeat length in a subset of genes in a developmentally regulated manner. This thesis presents a comprehensive study of the Chd family in Dictyostelium and, to my knowledge, the first in vivo study of the nucleosome remodelling activity of a Chd subfamily III member.
Faecal Microbiota Analysis of Piglets During Lactation

Antimicrobial use in animals and the potential development of antimicrobial resistance is a global concern. So, non-antimicrobial techniques for animal disease control are needed. This study aimed to determine whether neonatal ceftiofur (CF) treatment affects piglet faecal microbiomes and whether faecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) can correct it. Two focal piglets per sow were assigned to treatments as follows: cffresh (n = 6) received CF (3 mg/kg intramuscular) at 7 d and fresh FMT at 13 d; cffrozen (n = 7) received CF at 7 d and frozen FMT at 13 d; CF (n = 8) received CF at 7 d and no FMT; and no CF (n = 5) received no CF or FMT. DNA was extracted from faecal samples collected on days 7, 13, and 18 for 16S rRNA amplicon analysis. All faecal blends used for the FMT consisted of pooled donor pig faeces at 1:2 ratio with saline, delivered orally at 3 mL/kg. Alpha and beta diversity metrics increased with age (p < 0.05). However, no effect of antibiotic or FMT treatment was evident in 13 and 18 d old piglets (p > 0.05). Although no effect of treatment was observed, information regarding microbial membership during lactation was gained.
Phagocytosis of Microorganisms by Hela Cells I. The Use of Bovine Fetal Serum for the Study of Mycobacteria and Certain Other Gram-Positive Bacteria

Summary 1.Bovine fetal serum promotes the uptake of mycobacteria by HeLa cells and has been found superior to horse serum and chicken serum in infection medium. There has been little variation between lots. 2.When bovine fetal serum has been used in the infection medium the subsequent intracellular growth rate of tubercle bacilli is faster than it is when horse or chicken serum is used in the infection medium. The time required to “fill” the cells with tubercle bacilli is shortened by about 20%. 3.The phagocytosis of staphylococci and streptococci is also promoted by bovine fetal serum and by horse serum. Absorption with Zymosan of the bovine fetal serum before its inclusion in infection medium leads to more rapid intracellular growth of these organisms. Dilution of these organisms in broth, rather than salt solution, also increases the rate of their subsequent intracellular growth. 4.A combination of two purified proteins, bovine fetuin and human albumin, also promotes the uptake of mycobacteria, staphylococci, and group A streptococci. A medium containing these two proteins appears to be the preferable infection medium for the growth of these organisms in HeLa cells.