Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Medium pH on In Vitro Dissolution of Marketed Tetracyclines (Tetracycline and Doxycycline) Solid Oral Dosage Forms in Bahia, Brazil

Tetracyclines are widely used for the treatment of infections of the lower respiratory tract and other systems. In Brazil, tetracyclines are available as generic and similar products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro release of tetracycline capsules (500 mg) and doxycycline tablets (100 mg) in different reaction media, from dissolution profiles, using sensitive and rapid ultraviolet spectrophotometric methods. The dissolution test was used to obtain and compare dissolution profiles and establish similarities of pharmaceutical formulations in compliance with the Brazilian (for tetracycline hydrochloride capsules) and United States (USP) (for doxycycline hydrochloride tablets) pharmacopoeia. For both drugs, the dissolution studies were conducted using an USP type 2 apparatus at 75 rpm with 1000 mL distilled water at 37.0 ± 0.5 oC for 90 minutes, to evaluate the influence of pH (1.0–8.0) on the release of drugs. The methods were validated, showing precision, linearity, and accuracy. All the products satisfactorily released tetracycline and doxycycline, with at least 80% of the drug dissolved within 30 minutes. Tetracycline and doxycycline are weak acids, which favors their dissolution in acid media (pH range 1.0–6.0). This research contributes to studies that guarantee the quality control of tetracyclines and to the expansion of the novel methodologies established by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia for doxycycline.
Against reconciliation: Constituent power, ethics, and the meaning of democratic education

Starting from autonomist theorist Antonio Negri’s concept of constituent power and from decolonial philosopher Enrique Dussel’s notions of obediential power and the ethics of exteriority, this study outlines key principles for democratic education in the present. The article contrasts these philosophical starting points with the work of John Dewey and offers a critique of his theory of democracy, showing that a critical conception of democracy should begin from the emphasis on relationality and collaboration that Dewey shares with Negri and Dussel, but should be developed in a way that is sensitive to the insurrectionary imagination and ethics that are foregrounded in the latter theorists. Specifying these emphases for the educational context, the author argues that we should rethink democratic education in the first instance in terms of trauma, rather than reconciliation; that we should look past familiar senses of criticality toward an affirmation of the agency of students and communities; and that we should center revolutionary desire within the framework of a pedagogy of longing.
Microscopic Identification of Feathers and Feather Fragments of Palearctic Birds

Using light microscopy, a method has been developed for the identification of feathers and feather fragments collected after collisions between birds and aircraft. Characters of the downy barbules of feathers are described for 22 orders of birds. The use of a key in combination with the macroscopic method of comparing feathers with bird skins in a museum collection results in identification to order or family level in 97% of the analysed bird strikes. Application of the method to other fields of biological research including taxonomy is discussed.
Hybrid Sequencing of Uncompressed and Compressed 3D Stereoscopic Video: A Preliminary Quality Evaluation

The use of 3D stereoscopic technology with high quality videos can provide visual entertainment to viewers. However, the bandwidth of typical communication channels cannot transmit uncompressed 3D videos, resulting in the need for video quality compression. This paper presents a series of preliminary studies to investigate the subjective perception of uncompressed and compressed video sequences, and proposes the ‘hybrid’ sequencing of uncompressed and compressed content in a single stereoscopic 3D video as an alternative approach for limited bandwidth transmission. However, the hybrid uncompressed/compressed sequencing of stereoscopic 3D video may affect the correlation between the left and right views of the stereoscopic videos required for depth perception, potentially leading to lower Quality of Experience (QoE) of viewers. This paper therefore investigates both the objective and subjective quality evaluation of the proposed hybrid sequencing of stereoscopic video sequences. Initial investigations into objective metrics to measure the difference in quality of the two stereoscopic views due to the proposed hybrid sequencing of uncompressed and compressed videos were also conducted.
PATCH CHOICE AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF NONBREEDING AMERICAN FLAMINGOS IN YUCATÁN, MEXICO

Abstract We studied nonbreeding American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) using the Celestún Lagoon, Yucatán, Mexico, to characterize feeding patches and to describe factors influencing patch choice. Four invertebrate taxa (polychaetes, molluscs, chironomids, crustaceans) and two plant foods (seeds of widgeongrass [Ruppia maritima] and tubercles of muskgrass [Chara fibrosa]) comprised 99% of potential food items in 76 patches we sampled. Patches tended to be dominated either by invertebrates or plant foods; only 12% of patches had 50:50 ratios of plant and invertebrate foods. Food was more abundant in invertebrate versus plant-dominated patches (157 vs. 67 items patch−1), but flamingo flock size was smaller in invertebrate-dominated patches (60 vs. 147 birds patch−1). More individuals walk-fed as invertebrates increased in the patch, and more birds stamp-fed as plant foods increased. We argue that groups of foraging flamingos apparently indicate location of food for conspecifics (local enhancement), and may also provide information about patch quality through feeding behavior. Selección de Parches y Comportamiento de Forrajeo en Phoenicopterus ruber ruber en la Época No-Reproductiva en Yucatán, México Resumen. Estudiamos el comportamiento de forrajeo en un grupo de flamencos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) durante la época no-reproductiva en la Laguna de Celestún, Yucatán, México, para caracterizar a los parches de forrajeo y describir los factores que influyen en la selección del parche. Cuatro taxa de invertebrados (poliquetos, moluscos, quironómidos y crustáceos) y dos alimentos vegetales (semillas de Ruppia maritima y tubérculos de Chara fibrosa) conformaron el 99% de los elementos alimenticios potenciales para los flamencos en los 76 parches que muestreamos. Los parches tendieron a ser dominados por invertebrados o por alimento vegetal. Sólo el 8% de los parches tuvieron proporciones de 50:50% de invertebrados y alimentos vegetales. El alimento fue más abundante en parches dominados por invertebrados que en los dominados por alimentos vegetales (157 vs. 67 elementos por parche), pero el tamaño del grupo de flamencos fue más pequeño en parches dominados por invertebrados (60 vs. 147 individuos). La cantidad de individuos que se alimentaban caminando aumentó a medida que aumentaban los invertebrados en el parche, y la cantidad de individuos que se alimentaban parados aumentó a medida que aumentaban los alimentos vegetales. Sugerimos que los grupos de flamencos que forrajean aparentemente no sólo indican a los coespecíficos la ubicación del alimento (mejoramiento local), sino que también podrían proveen información sobre la calidad del parche a través del comportamiento de alimentación.
An Earth Fault Current Limiter Using a Modular Multilevel Inverter for Smart Grids Operation

In this paper, a modular multilevel inverter is proposed as an earth fault current limiter. The modular multilevel inverter is designed to limit the earth fault current following a preset current reference. The topology, structure, and functionality of the modular multilevel inverter are introduced. The inverter is designed to be sourced by charging capacitors from the grid itself. The modular multilevel inverter acts as an adjustable impedance to decrease the earth fault current passing in the grid down to safe levels. The control system of the inverter is designed to achieve the desired impedance needed to reduce the earth fault current to predetermined values, which do not cause any damage to the grid or its protection components, but sufficient to activate the protection system. Besides, the modular multilevel inverter does not need very high voltage rating devices, as the maximum voltage rating of each switch does not exceed 650 V. Such a modular multilevel inverter has a low Total Harmonic Distortion in the grid's voltages, even with low values of the passive components of the coupling filter. Moreover, with the proposed system, the grid can continue supplying the load with the needed power even during the ground fault. Simulations are carried out using MatLab/Simulink platform and various results demonstrate the ability of the proposed system in controlling the ground fault current.
Predicting EGFR mutation subtypes in lung adenocarcinoma using 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomic features

Background Identification of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation types is crucial before tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) treatment. Radiomics is a new strategy to noninvasively predict the genetic status of cancer. In this study, we aimed to develop a predictive model based on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) radiomic features to identify the specific EGFR mutation subtypes. Methods We retrospectively studied 18F-FDG PET/CT images of 148 patients with isolated lung lesions, which were scanned in two hospitals with different CT scan setting (slice thickness: 3 and 5 mm, respectively). The tumor regions were manually segmented on PET/CT images, and 1,570 radiomic features (1,470 from CT and 100 from PET) were extracted from the tumor regions. Seven hundred and ninety-four radiomic features insensitive to different CT settings were first selected using the Mann white U test, and collinear features were further removed from them by recursively calculating the variation inflation factor. Then, multiple supervised machine learning models were applied to identify prognostic radiomic features through: (I) a multi-variate random forest to select features of high importance in discriminating different EGFR mutation status; (II) a logistic regression model to select features of the highest predictive value of the EGFR subtypes. The EGFR mutation predicting model was constructed from prognostic radiomic features using the popular Xgboost machine-learning algorithm and validated using 3-fold cross-validation. The performance of predicting model was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and measured with the area under the curve (AUC). Results Two sets of prognostic radiomic features were found for specific EGFR mutation subtypes: 5 radiomic features for EGFR exon 19 deletions, and 5 radiomic features for EGFR exon 21 L858R missense. The corresponding radiomic predictors achieved the prediction accuracies of 0.77 and 0.92 in terms of AUC, respectively. Combing these two predictors, the overall model for predicting EGFR mutation positivity was also constructed, and the AUC was 0.87. Conclusions In our study, we established predictive models based on radiomic analysis of 18F-FDG PET/CT images. And it achieved a satisfying prediction power in the identification of EGFR mutation status as well as the certain EGFR mutation subtypes in lung cancer.
Increasing CO2 from subambient to superambient concentrations alters species composition and increases above-ground biomass in a C3 /C4 grassland.

• The glacial-to-present increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration is likely to have stimulated plant production, but experimental tests in natural ecosystems are lacking. • We measured above-ground biomass production, plant nitrogen (N) accumulation, and species dynamics in a C3 /C4 grassland exposed for 4 yr (1997-2000) to a continuous gradient in CO2 from 200-560 mol mol-1 . • Biomass increased with CO2 concentration in 1997-99. Biomass increases ranged between 121 and 161 g m-2 per 100 mol mol-1 rise in CO2 and were similar at subambient and superambient concentrations. Biomass responses to CO2 were determined by different species or functional groups of species during different years. Increasing CO2 accelerated a successional shift initiated by release from grazing in which C3 forbs increased at the expense of a C4 grass. Effects of CO2 on tissue N concentration varied among species and functional groups, but CO2 did not alter total N in above-ground tissues. • Results imply that rising CO2 has stimulated plant production and accelerated successional change and that grasslands will remain sensitive to rising CO2 for several decades.
Distributed differential beamforming and power allocation for cooperative communication networks

Many coherent cooperative diversity techniques for wireless relay networks have recently been suggested to improve the overall system performance in terms of the achievable data rate or bit error rate (BER) with low decoding complexity and delay. However, these techniques require channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter side, at the receiver side, or at both sides. Therefore, due to the overhead associated with estimating CSI, distributed differential space-time coding techniques have been suggested to overcome this overhead by detecting the information symbols without requiring any (CSI) at any transmitting or receiving antenna. However, the latter techniques suffer from low performance in terms of BER as well as high latency and decoding complexity. In this paper, a distributed differential beamforming technique with power allocation is proposed to overcome all drawbacks associated with the later techniques without needing CSI at any antenna and to be used for cooperative communication networks. We prove through our analytical and simulation results that the proposed technique outperforms the state-of-the-art techniques in terms of BER with comparably low decoding complexity and latency.
Factors affecting the success of autumn direct seeding of Pinus sylvestris L. in Finnish Lapland

Abstract Spring and early summer have been regarded as the biologically best direct seeding dates for Scots pine. The study focused on finding out if late autumn is also a reasonable period for direct seeding of pine in Finnish Lapland and what factors affect the success of seeding. In all, the inventory-based data consisted of 50 regeneration stands and 908 sample plots sown in the autumn; the data were hierarchically structured at the levels of stand and circular plot. The method used was to construct models for the seedling establishment and seedling height. Modeling was used to analyze the principal ecological factors influencing regeneration success. The density and height models were developed using the Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). The most significant variables affecting seedling establishment were temperature sum, proportion of prepared area, thickness of humus layer, stoniness, and distance from forest edge. Contrary to the hypothesis, late autumn can be regarded as a reasonable alternative period for direct seeding, at least in northern Fennoscandia. For confirmation of the results, more experimental research is needed. One must remember that the success of regeneration results from the combination of direct seeding and natural regeneration.
ANNOTATED ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF MERESCHKOWSKY'S 1905 PAPER 'UBER NATUR UND URSPRUNG DER CHROMATOPHOREN IM PFLANZENREICHE'

That plastids were once free-living cyanobacteria is now taken for granted by many, and for good reasons, for there is a wealth of data – in particular from the comparison of plastid and cyanobacterial genomes – that support this view. There is currently no seriously entertained alternative hypothesis to the view that plastids descend from cyanobacteria. But that was not always the case. Well into the 1970s there was a generally favoured alternative hypothesis, namely that early in evolution plastids arose de novo from within a non-plastid bearing cell (an autogenous origin) rather than through invasion by a cyanobacterium into a non-plastid-bearing cell with subsequent intracellular coexistence and reduction to an organelle (an endosymbiotic origin). Interestingly, the shift from autogenous to endosymbiotic hypotheses during the 1970s was a reversal of state for during the first two decades of this century, the endosymbiont hypothesis for the origins of plastids (and mitochondria, which will not be further discussed here) was very popular among biologists. It fell into disfavour shortly after the First World War, for reasons that are very difficult to summarize briefly, and remained scorned for 50 years (see Sapp, 1994, for an historical account in English, and Hoxtermann, 1998, for a succinct historical account in German). So where did the first version of the endosymbiont hypothesis come from? In a nutshell, it came from Konstantin Sergejewiz Merezkovskij (usually written as Constantin Mereschkowsky), a Russian botanist of little standing who worked at a rather small and by no means prominent university in Kasan and who published a very remarkable paper in 1905. We are not aware of any true precedent for his paper, which draws upon three lines of evidence known at the time.
This “Modern Epidemic”: Loneliness as an Emotion Cluster and a Neglected Subject in the History of Emotions

Loneliness is one of the most neglected aspects of emotion history, despite claims that the 21st century is the loneliest ever. This article argues against the widespread belief that modern-day loneliness is inevitable, negative, and universal. Looking at its language and etymology, it suggests that loneliness needs to be understood firstly as an “emotion cluster” composed of a variety of affective states, and secondly as a relatively recent invention, dating from around 1800. Loneliness can be positive, and as much a part of the body as the mind. Using a longue durée approach, I argue that we cannot understand loneliness as a “modern epidemic” without considering its history, its meanings, its practice, and its links with the body.
Fishing strategies and the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

The sustainable use of aquatic living resources is the cornerstone of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAF). Excess fishing effort leading to the degradation of fishery resources and significant economic waste is globally recognized by resource managers as a major problem for the implementation of the EAF and European’s Union Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Knowledge of how fishers allocate their fishing effort in space and time is essential to understand how a fishery develops. Understanding fishing strategies is also vital for predicting how a fishery might respond to proposed management changes such as effort/area restrictions and introduction of a marine protected area, and for drawing up a management policy. Random utility models were used to examine the factors affecting fishers’ behaviour in the NE Mediterranean. The probability of selecting a specific fishing rectangle was estimated using monthly purse seine data. The predictive inputs concerned both subjective behavioural and objective seasonal and technical-economic characteristics. The present study provided direct evidence of the important role that the strategic decision-making behaviour of fishers could play in understanding the way the industry will respond to changes in resource availability, market conditions and management measures under the EAF principle.
Expression and characterization of the human YWK-II gene, encoding a sperm membrane protein related to the Alzheimer βA4-amyloid precursor protein

The YWK-II cDNA, RSD-2, encoding a sperm membrane protein was isolated from a rat testis cDNA expression library. Using the RSD-2 insert in combination with rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), the corresponding human gene was isolated from a human testis cDNA expression library. The human testis cDNA, HSD-2 ,i s 3654 bp in length and contains an open reading frame of 763 codons. Hydropathicity analysis showed that the deduced polypeptide is a single strand transmembrane protein. The deduced polypeptide has partial homology with the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and high homology with the amyloid precursor homologue, APLP2/APPH. The YWK-II gene was mapped and assigned to human chromosome locus: 11q24-25. Northern blotting of various human tissue RNAs using the HSD-2 cDNA as a probe showed that the gene is transcribed ubiquitously. The cytoplasmic domain of HSD-2 was expressed in Escherichia coli. In-vitro studies showed that the recombinant polypeptide bound to a GTP-binding protein (Go) and was phosphorylated by protein kinase C and cdc2 kinase. In mammalian F11 cells, the recombinant polypeptide was found to be coupled to Go. Thus, the YWK-II component has the characteristics of a Go-coupled receptor and may be involved in Go-mediated signal transduction pathway. Protein kinase C and cdc2 kinase may regulate this pathway in spermatozoa by phosphorylating the cytoplasmic domain of the YWK-II component.
Wilt‐Based Irrigation in Kentucky Bluegrass: Effects on Visual Quality and Irrigation Amounts Among Cultivars

A critical challenge facing the turf industry is increasingly limited water supplies. Identifying cultivars that use less water while maintaining acceptable quality may mitigate irrigation demands. Our objectives were to identify Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (KBG) cultivars and phenotypic groups that maintained better visual quality with less water. Thirty bluegrass selections were evaluated in a 2-yr field study under a rainout shelter near Manhattan, KS. Irrigation (2.5 cm) was applied when >50% of a plot exhibited visible wilt symptoms. Visual quality was rated daily. Average irrigation applications ranged widely from 23.3 cm (mean = 2.2 mm d⁻¹) in Bedazzled to 44.9 cm (mean = 4.2 mm d⁻¹) in Kenblue, and days to wilt between irrigations ranged from 6.4 d in Kenblue to 13.1 d in Cabernet. Visual quality averaged at or slightly below 6.0, defined as “minimally acceptable,” but this may be adequate when water conservation is a priority and some dormancy is tolerable; irrigation at <50% wilt is recommended for improved quality. Based on statistical range tests, 15 of the 30 cultivars were grouped as both receiving the least water and having the greatest visual quality. Overall, the Compact America and Mid-Atlantic KBG groups exhibited the greatest days to wilt and received the least water. Results suggest that Compact America and Mid-Atlantic phenotypes have the greatest potential for integrating reduced water inputs with maintenance of acceptable visual quality.
The distribution and conservation status of marine turtles in The Gambia, West Africa: a first assessment

This paper reports the first systematic survey of the marine turtles of the 80 km of Gambian coastline, and brings together new data and all past records and reports of marine turtles in The Gambia. Green turtles Chelonia mydas are the most abundant turtles and this is the only species so far observed nesting in The Gambia, with peak nesting between August and October. Although 75% (60 km) of The Gambian coastline appears to be suitable for turtle nesting, most nesting activity is confined to the southern coastline. Offshore foraging habitat is apparently extensive. Strandings of green turtles, olive ridley turtles Lepidochelys olivacea, leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea and hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata have been recorded, but we were unable to find evidence for loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta. Threats are mainly of human origin, and include illegal harvesting of eggs, juveniles and adults, as well as mortality as fisheries bycatch, including trawling. One stranded green turtle apparently had fibropapilloma disease. The major threat to nesting habitats is erosion and unregulated development of the coast for tourism. Marine turtles are fully protected under Gambian law. Other national efforts to conserve turtles in The Gambia are described and assessed.