Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human–Wildlife Conflict: The Human Dimension of European Bison Conservation in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland)

Simple Summary The study aimed to compare the attitudes to European bison of local village inhabitants in Bieszczady and city dwellers in Rzeszów. Our study showed that not only does the growing European bison population cause an increase in negative attitudes among local village communities, but this species also causes more conflict than any other herbivore in the Bieszczady Mountains. Village residents believed that the main threats that arise from the European bison were from the damage they cause and forest use limitations. The current compensation system for the damage caused by this species does not solve this problem, because over 60% of damage is not effectively reported to the state administration. The city dwellers of Rzeszów displayed a different attitude towards the European bison. We concluded that while educational workshops for local villagers may alleviate conflict in the short term, ultimately it is only by restricting the growth of the European bison population that a long-term effect will be achieved. Abstract An important limitation for the population growth of European bison in the Bieszczady Mountains may be the level of social acceptance. The study aimed to compare attitudes to European bison of local village inhabitants in Bieszczady and city dwellers in Rzeszów. We also investigated whether damage caused by European bison or other wild species changes peoples’ perceptions of this animal. Our study showed that not only does the growing European bison population cause an increase in negative attitudes among local village communities, but this species also causes more conflict than any other herbivore in the Bieszczady Mountains. Village residents believed that the main threats that arise from European bison were the damage they cause and forest use limitations. The current compensation system for the damage caused by this species does not solve the problem because over 60% of damage is not effectively reported to the state administration. The city dwellers of Rzeszów displayed a different attitude towards the European bison. We concluded that while educational workshops for local villagers may alleviate conflict in the short-term, ultimately it is only by restricting the growth of the European bison population that a long-term effect will be achieved.
Supporting Information Synthesis, Characterization and Encapsulation of Novel Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) in Biopolymer Matrices

1 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Chemistry; Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; kvkahlina@agr.hr (K.V.-K.); sjuric@agr.hr (S.J.); marijan.marijan1986@gmail.com (M.M.); mvincekovic@agr.hr (M.V.) 2 Biotechnology Department, M. Auezov South-Kazakhstan University, Shymkent, pr. Tauke-Khan; mbota@list.ru (B.M) 3 Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology, Gagarina av. , Dnipro, Ukraine; swetasnegur9@gmail.com (S.V.K), prosyanykav@gmail.com (A.V.P)
Neonatal Selenoenzyme Expression Is Variably Susceptible to Duration of Maternal Selenium Deficiency

Maternal selenium (Se) deficiency is associated with decreased neonatal Se levels, which increases the risk for neonatal morbidities. There is a hierarchy to selenoprotein expression after Se deficiency in adult rodents, depending on the particular protein and organ evaluated. However, it is unknown how limited Se supply during pregnancy impacts neonatal selenoprotein expression. We used an Se-deficient diet to induce perinatal Se deficiency (SeD), initiated 2–4 weeks before onset of breeding and continuing through gestation. Neonatal plasma, liver, heart, kidney, and lung were collected on the day of birth and assessed for selenoproteins, factors required for Se processing, and non-Se containing antioxidant enzymes (AOE). Maternal SeD reduced neonatal circulating and hepatic glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, as well as hepatic expression of Gpx1 and selenophosphate synthetase 2 (Sps2). In contrast, the impact of maternal SeD on hepatic thioredoxin reductase 1, hepatic non-Se containing AOEs, as well as cardiac, renal, and pulmonary GPx activity, varied based on duration of maternal exposure to SeD diet. We conclude that the neonatal liver and circulation demonstrate earlier depletion in selenoenzyme activity after maternal SeD. Our data indicate that prolonged maternal SeD may escalate risk to the neonate by progressively diminishing Se-containing AOE across multiple organs.
Extracranial-intracranial high-flow bypass as a rescue therapy for incomplete cerebral aneurysm occlusion after flow diversion: A case report

Background: Excellent treatment outcomes using a pipeline embolization device (PED) have been reported. However, several limitations exist. For example, patients must receive antiplatelet therapy for at least several months, and few alternative treatments exist except for inserting additional flow diverter stents in cases where aneurysm obliteration is not obtained. Case Description: A 67-year-old female suffered from an asymptomatic large aneurysm of the left paraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA). She underwent endovascular coil embolization, but coil compaction was confirmed at 2-year follow-up. A PED was inserted as an additional treatment. Unfortunately, the patient was required to discontinue antiplatelet therapy to undergo orthopedic surgery for her severe osteoarthritis of the knee. However, surveillance imaging performed 2 years after insertion of the PED revealed persistent filling into the aneurysm, and we could not stop the antiplatelet therapy to proceed with orthopedic surgery. Therefore, we performed ICA trapping with extracranial-intracranial high-flow bypass to cease antiplatelet therapy promptly. Antiplatelet therapy was completed 3 months after the rescue surgery, and the patient underwent orthopedic surgery. Conclusion: The authors describe a case of failure of complete obliteration after treatment using a PED, which required cessation of antiplatelet therapy to receive orthopedic surgery. Although safety and efficacy of PED treatment have been reported, we must consider the possibility of other diseases requiring discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy after PED embolization.
Visual Measurement System for Wheel–Rail Lateral Position Evaluation

Railway infrastructure must meet safety requirements concerning its construction and operation. Track geometry monitoring is one of the most important activities in maintaining the steady technical conditions of rail infrastructure. Commonly, it is performed using complex measurement equipment installed on track-recording coaches. Existing low-cost inertial sensor-based measurement systems provide reliable measurements of track geometry in vertical directions. However, solutions are needed for track geometry parameter measurement in the lateral direction. In this research, the authors developed a visual measurement system for track gauge evaluation. It involves the detection of measurement points and the visual measurement of the distance between them. The accuracy of the visual measurement system was evaluated in the laboratory and showed promising results. The initial field test was performed in the Vilnius railway station yard, driving at low velocity on the straight track section. The results show that the image point selection method developed for selecting the wheel and rail points to measure distance is stable enough for TG measurement. Recommendations for the further improvement of the developed system are presented.
Male Sexual Preference for Female Swimming Activity in the Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Simple Summary In our first experiment, we found that male and female guppies differ consistently in their swimming activity, both when alone and when together in heterosexual pairs, and that males, regardless of their own activity, show more sexual behaviours to more active females in these pairs. In the second experiment, we gave males the choice between a slow and a fast-moving virtual female and found that males prefer to associate with the fast-moving female. Both experiments together provide evidence that guppy males prefer faster moving females as mating partners over slower moving ones. Higher activity patterns may indicate health, fitness and receptivity and a mating preference for more active females can help males increase their own reproductive success. Abstract Mate choice that is based on behavioural traits is a common feature in the animal kingdom. Using the Trinidadian guppy, a species with mutual mate choice, we investigated whether males use female swimming activity—a behavioural trait known to differ consistently among individuals in many species—as a trait relevant for their mate choice. In the first experiment, we assessed male and female activity in an open field test alone (two repeated measures) and afterwards in heterosexual pairs (two repeated measures). In these pairs, we simultaneously assessed males’ mating efforts by counting the number of sexual behaviours (courtship displays and copulations). Male and female guppies showed consistent individual differences in their swimming activity when tested both alone and in a pair, and these differences were maintained across both test situations. When controlling for male swimming behaviour and both male and female body size, males performed more courtship displays towards females with higher swimming activity. In a second experiment, we tested for a directional male preference for swimming activity by presenting males video animations of low- and high-active females in a dichotomous choice test. In congruence with experiment 1, we found males to spend significantly more time in association with the high-active female stimulus. Both experiments thus point towards a directional male preference for higher activity levels in females. We discuss the adaptive significance of this preference as activity patterns might indicate individual female quality, health or reproductive state while, mechanistically, females that are more active might be more detectable to males as well.
Local Anesthetics and Recurrence after Cancer Surgery-What’s New? A Narrative Review

The perioperative use of regional anesthesia and local anesthetics is part of almost every anesthesiologist’s daily clinical practice. Retrospective analyses and results from experimental studies pointed towards a potential beneficial effect of the local anesthetics regarding outcome—i.e., overall and/or recurrence-free survival—in patients undergoing cancer surgery. The perioperative period, where the anesthesiologist is responsible for the patients, might be crucial for the further course of the disease, as circulating tumor cells (shed from the primary tumor into the patient’s bloodstream) might form new micro-metastases independent of complete tumor removal. Due to their strong anti-inflammatory properties, local anesthetics might have a certain impact on these circulating tumor cells, either via direct or indirect measures, for example via blunting the inflammatory stress response as induced by the surgical stimulus. This narrative review highlights the foundation of these principles, features recent experimental and clinical data and provides an outlook regarding current and potential future research activities.
Metabolomic Profiling Unveils the Impact of Non-Doped and Heteroatom-Doped Carbon Nanodots on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos

Recently, concern has been raised over the transport, transformation, and fate of carbon nanodots (CNDs) after their release into the environment. Their toxicity towards organisms and humans has recently been addressed as an important issue. In this study, a metabolomic approach was employed to obtain an insight into the effect of CNDs (either pristine or doped with nitrogen and nitrogen/sulfur) on zebrafish. Embryos were exposed to concentrations corresponding to lethal concentration (LC) LC50 (550, 400, and 150 μg mL−1), LC50/2 (275, 200, and 75 μg mL−1), and LC50/4 (138, 100, and 38 μg mL−1) of the three CNDs (non-doped, N-doped, and N,S-codoped, respectively) to scrutinize the interactions of the CNDs with the larvae. Numerous differences in the metabolic pathways were recorded in all cases. Seven metabolic pathways were detected in the control larvae. When the larvae were exposed to concentrations equal to LC50, LC50/2, and LC50/4 of non-doped CNDs, 12, 12, and 3 metabolic pathways were detected, respectively. In the case of N-doped CNDs, 4, 7, and 4 pathways were detected, while in the case of N,S-codoped CNDs, 8, 5, and 5 pathways were detected when exposed to concentrations of LC50, LC50/2, and LC50/4, respectively. In all cases, certain metabolic pathways were altered while others were either down-regulated or up-regulated. Some of these changes include the activation of alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, butanoate metabolism, D-glutamine, and D-glutamate metabolism, glutathione metabolism, selenoamino acid metabolism, valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation pathways. Moreover, the deactivation of starch and sucrose metabolism, the glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, among others, were recorded. Our findings underline the importance to further study the impact of CNDs on marine organisms. As zebrafish has been shown to share many similarities with humans in bioprocesses and genome, it can be assumed that CNDs may also pose a threat to human health.
Ice-Templated Cellulose Nanofiber Filaments as a Reinforcement Material in Epoxy Composites

Finding renewable alternatives to the commonly used reinforcement materials in composites is attracting a significant amount of research interest. Nanocellulose is a promising candidate owing to its wide availability and favorable properties such as high Young’s modulus. This study addressed the major problems inherent to cellulose nanocomposites, namely, controlling the fiber structure and obtaining a sufficient interfacial adhesion between nanocellulose and a non-hydrophilic matrix. Unidirectionally aligned cellulose nanofiber filament mats were obtained via ice-templating, and chemical vapor deposition was used to cover the filament surfaces with an aminosilane before impregnating the mats with a bio-epoxy resin. The process resulted in cellulose nanocomposites with an oriented structure and a strong fiber–matrix interface. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies revealed the presence of silane on the filaments. The improved interface, resulting from the surface treatment, was observable in electron microscopy images and was further confirmed by the significant increase in the tan delta peak temperature. The storage modulus of the matrix could be improved up to 2.5-fold with 18 wt% filament content and was significantly higher in the filament direction. Wide-angle X-ray scattering was used to study the orientation of cellulose nanofibers in the filament mats and the composites, and the corresponding orientation indices were 0.6 and 0.53, respectively, indicating a significant level of alignment.
The Role of miRNA-7 in the Biology of Cancer and Modulation of Drug Resistance

MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are small non-coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules capable of regulating post-transcriptional gene expression. Imbalances in the miRNA network have been associated with the development of many pathological conditions and diseases, including cancer. Recently, miRNAs have also been linked to the phenomenon of multidrug resistance (MDR). MiR-7 is one of the extensively studied miRNAs and its role in cancer progression and MDR modulation has been highlighted. MiR-7 is engaged in multiple cellular pathways and acts as a tumor suppressor in the majority of human neoplasia. Its depletion limits the effectiveness of anti-cancer therapies, while its restoration sensitizes cells to the administered drugs. Therefore, miR-7 might be considered as a potential adjuvant agent, which can increase the efficiency of standard chemotherapeutics.
A Review of the Community Health Club Literature Describing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Outcomes

The Community Health Club (CHC) model is a community-based health promotion program that utilizes water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education as the first stage of a longitudinal development process. Although the CHC model has been implemented in fourteen countries over 20 years, this is the first review of the literature describing the model’s outcomes and impact. We conducted a review of the literature that provided quantitative or qualitative evidence of CHC interventions focused on WASH in low- and middle-income countries. We identified 25 articles that met our inclusion criteria. We found six major outcomes: WASH behaviors and knowledge, social capital, collective action, health, and cost or cost-effectiveness. The most consistent evidence was associated with WASH behaviors and knowledge, with significant effects on defecation practices, hand washing behaviors, and WASH knowledge. We also found qualitative evidence of impact on social capital and collective action. CHCs catalyze favorable changes in WASH behaviors and knowledge, yielding outcomes commensurate with other WASH promotion strategies. This review provides insights into the model’s theory of change, helping identify areas for further investigation. The CHC model’s holistic focus and emphasis on individual and collective change offer promising potential to address multiple health and development determinants.
Mass-spectrometric investigation of reaction of oxygen atoms with methane

A mass-spectrometric stirred-reactor technique was used to study the reaction of atomic oxygen with methane with low concentrations of molecular oxygen. An overall rate constant for oxygen-atom disappearance due to added methane was obtained for the temperature range 375 to 576°K. This rate constant was 4 × 1014 exp (− 10 000/RT) cm3 mole−1 s−1 and was compared with a previous rate constant for this reaction that had been measured in the presence of a large excess of molecular oxygen. This comparison showed that the presence of an excess of molecular oxygen produced a considerable increase in oxygen-atom consumption at low temperatures, but only a small increase at high temperatures. From product analyses, the stoichiometry of the reaction could be approximately represented by From the reaction stoichiometry and the rate constant for the oxygen-atom disappearance, the rate constant for methane disappearance was calculated to be 1 × 1014 exp (− 10 000/RT) cm3 mole−1 s−1. The presence of excess molecular ox.
Analysis of Occupational Balance and Its Relation to Problematic Internet Use in University Occupational Therapy Students

(1) Objective: to explore and describe the relationship between the occupational balance of university students taking a Degree in Occupational Therapy and the problematic use of the Internet and how these, in turn, favour or not the appearance of phubbing behaviour which involves “a behaviour that happens when an individual looks at his mobile phone during a conversation with other individuals, escaping from interpersonal communication”. (2) Methods: this is a quantitative descriptive study of an observational and cross-sectional nature, not experimental. The Spanish version of the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ-E), the Internet Addiction Test and the Phubbing Scale were used for data collection. 192 university students taking the Degree in Occupational Therapy of the University of Castilla–La Mancha participated (168 women and 24 men). (3) Results: the average score obtained in the OBQ-E was 38.7, indicating a moderate occupational balance; and (4) Conclusions: occupational therapy students from the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Castilla–La Mancha have a moderate occupational balance. Furthermore, this is negatively related to both problematic Internet use and phubbing, so a higher occupational balance indicates less Internet addiction and less phubbing.
Heat Transfer in Confined Forced-Flow Boiling

Remarkably different behaviors are found when comparing micro-scale flow boiling heat transfer data by distinct authors, even under similar experimental conditions. Such differences are almost certainly related to the complexity of confined forced-flow boiling. Certain aspects of the phenomenon, which are negligible in the macro-scale, become surprisingly relevant when the system size becomes small. From the results reported in the literature on the thermal-fluid features of evaporating flows in small channels, the following study presents a discussion concerning convective boiling heat transfer, highlighting the aspects that are characteristic to confined two-phase flows.
PEDV Infection Generates Conformation-Specific Antibodies That Can Be Effectively Detected by a Cell-Based ELISA

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a coronavirus that causes serious and highly contagious enteric disease in swine worldwide. In this study, we constructed a recombinant baculovirus (S-Bac) expressing full-length spike protein of the virulent epidemic genotype 2b (G2b) PEDV strain for serological studies of infected pigs. We found that most spike-specific antibodies produced upon PEDV infection in pigs are conformation-specific and they could be detected on S-Bac-infected insect cells by immunofluorescent assay, but they were insensitive to Western blot analysis, the typical method for antiserum analysis. These results indicated that spike conformation is crucial for serum recognition. Since it is difficult to purify trimeric spike membrane protein for conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we used S-Bac to generate a novel cell-based ELISA for convenient PEDV detection. We analyzed 100 pig serum samples, and our cell-based ELISA exhibited a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 97%, and almost perfect agreement [Cohen’s kappa coefficient value (κ) = 0.98] with immunocytochemical staining results. Our cell-based ELISA rapidly presented antigen for proper detection of conformation-specific antibodies, making PEDV detection more convenient, and it will be useful for detecting many viral diseases in the future.
Formulation of Novel Liquid Crystal (LC) Formulations with Skin-Permeation-Enhancing Abilities of Plantago lanceolata (PL) Extract and Their Assessment on HaCaT Cells

Exposure to reactive oxygen species can easily result in serious diseases, such as hyperproliferative skin disorders or skin cancer. Herbal extracts are widely used as antioxidant sources in different compositions. The importance of antioxidant therapy in inflammatory conditions has increased. Innovative formulations can be used to improve the effects of these phytopharmacons. The bioactive compounds of Plantago lanceolata (PL) possess different effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and bactericidal pharmacological effects. The objective of this study was to formulate novel liquid crystal (LC) compositions to protect Plantago lanceolata extract from hydrolysis and to improve its effect. Since safety is an important aspect of pharmaceutical formulations, the biological properties of applied excipients and blends were evaluated using assorted in vitro methods on HaCaT cells. According to the antecedent toxicity screening evaluation, three surfactants were selected (Gelucire 44/14, Labrasol, and Lauroglycol 90) for the formulation. The dissolution rate of PL from the PL-LC systems was evaluated using a Franz diffusion chamber apparatus. The antioxidant properties of the PL-LC systems were evaluated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) assessments. Our results suggest that these compositions use a nontraditional, rapid-permeation pathway for the delivery of drugs, as the applied penetration enhancers reversibly alter the barrier properties of the outer stratum corneum. These excipients can be safe and highly tolerable thus, they could improve the patient’s experience and promote adherence.