Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new species of Pseudamnicola Paulucci, 1878 from Kithira Island, Greece

A new species of Pseudamnicola, P. magdalenae, is described from the spring at Karavas on Kithira Island, Greece. Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of mtDNA indicate its species distinctness. The shell, female reproductive organs and penis are described. The shell resembles that of the geographically close P. macrostoma (Küster, 1853) from the Greek mainland, but the penis is more triangular and the bursa copulatrix is bigger in P. magdalenae. The simplified anatomy coupled with the wide variation overlapping between the congeneric species is emphasised. key words: molecular distinctness, mtDNA, cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), morphological distinctness, shell, penis, female reproductive organs
IMMUNOLOGICAL COMPARISONS OF POLYCLONAL ANTI-BODIES PRODUCED AGAINST THE RECOMBINANT COAT PROTEIN AND VIRAL PARTICLES FOR DETECTING EGYPTIAN BANANA- CUCUMBER MOSAIC CUCUMOVIRUS

There are many immunological methods available for viruses detection. These methods depend on the quality and purity of antibody used in immunodetection. Availability of purified antigen, free from plant debris, will lead to produce highly purified antibody. The purified antibody in immunodetection methods will increase the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for virus detection. Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) has worldwide distribution and wide host range. Therefore the presence of highly purified antibody will help us in rapid CMV-immunodetection. The main goal in this study is to compare serologically the sensitivity and accuracy of serological methods by using two antibodies. The first, raised against the recombinant expressed coat protein (Ab/CP) and the second produced against the viral particals (Ab/V) of Ban-CMV. ELISA, Dot blot analysis and Western blotting were used as immunodetection methods. In the three serological methods, both IgGs were able to recognize the presence of Ban-CMV in the tested samples at a dilution I mg/ml. However, Western and dot blot analysis were faster in detection of Ban-CMV than ELISA using Ab/CP.
Is 123I-MIBG Scintigraphy Beneficial or Excessive for the Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease in the Early Phase?

Introduction/Objective: In most cases, abnormal cardiac 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy increases the probability of a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in patients with parkinsonian features. In our study, we validated the additional value of 123I-MIBG scintigraphy beyond providing information on neurological findings and response to dopaminergic therapy for the diagnosis of PDin the early phase. Methods: We investigated 77 cases of PD (Hoehn and Yahr Stages I–III) and 73 cases of atypical parkinsonian disorder (APD), including 35 patients with multiple system atrophy, 19 with corticobasal syndrome, and 19 with progressive supranuclear palsy. Two multiple logistic regression models were developed to predict the probability of PD based on APD. Common covariates were resting tremor, vertical supranuclear palsy, apraxia, cerebellar symptoms, and response to dopaminergic therapy with MIBG scintigraphy (reference model) or without it (MIBG-added model). The net reclassification index (NRI) was examined and net benefit using decision curve analysis was performed to examine the additional clinical value of MIBG scintigraphy. Finally, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of MIBG scintigraphy. Results: The MIBG-added model significantly improved the ability to classify PD or APD compared with the reference model (NRI index 1.390, p < 0.001). However, the decision curve of the reference model ranked equally with the MIBG-added model up to a risk threshold of 0.8. In addition, MIBG scintigraphy was not cost-effective. Conclusions: Although MIBG scintigraphy has statistical usefulness for PD diagnosis, there may be little additional benefit in the early phase of PD beyond the neurological findings and response to dopaminergic therapy regarding clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. It may be of greatest value when neurological findings that do not match PD are observed during the clinical course.
Synthesis of 4-amino-6-methyl-1,2,4-triazin-5-one-3-thione and its application in construction of a highly copper(II) ion-selective electrochemical sensor

A highly Cu(II) ion-selective PVC membrane sensor based on 4-Amino-6-methyl-1,2,4-triazin-5-one-3-thione (AMTOT) as an excellent sensing material was developed. The electrode exhibits a linear dynamic range between 1.0×10-1 and 1.0×10-6 mol L-1, with a near Nernstian slope of 29.3 ± 0.6 mV per decade and a detection limit of 6.2×10-7 mol L-1. The sensor response is independent of the pH of the solution in the pH range of 2.5 - 7.0. The sensor possesses the advantages of short conditioning time, fast response time (<20 s), and especially, very good selectivity towards transition and heavy metal, and some mono, di and trivalent cations. The electrode can be used for at least 9 weeks without any considerable divergence in the potentials. The proposed electrode was successfully applied to the determination of copper in wastewater of copper electroplating samples and as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of Ca(II) ions with EDTA.
Responses of riparian guilds to flow alterations in a Mediterranean stream

Questions Do Mediterranean riparian guilds show distinct responses to stream water declines? If observed, which are the most sensitive and resilient guilds and their most affected attributes? Location Tietar river below the Rosarito dam, central-western Spain. Methods We identified riparian guilds based on key woody species features and species distribution within this Mediterranean river corridor, and evaluated similarity of their responses to long-term flow alteration (i.e. stream water declines since dam construction in 1959). Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to group surveyed vegetation bands according to species composition. The groups were designated as riparian guilds where each vegetation group comprising a guild: (1) contains species sharing similar features (using PCA); and (2) shares a similar environment (using DCA). Changes in several guild attributes (i.e. dominance and species composition, diversity and establishment patterns) during the regulated period were compared statistically. We used pre- and post-dam established vegetation bands identified based on old (1956) and modern (2006) aerial photographs and field measurements of woody species diameter. Results Responses to flow alterations varied between guilds according to ecological requirements of their species. The ability to survive water stress (i.e. ‘Xeric’ guilds) and drag forces caused by floods (‘Torrential’ guilds) allowed certain pioneer shrub-dominated guilds (e.g. Flueggea tinctoria and Salix salviifolia) to spread on newly emerged surfaces downward to the main channel after flow alterations, although new shrubland had less species diversity than pre-dam shrubland. In contrast, new hydromorphological conditions following damming limited recruitment of native late-successional tree guilds sensitive to floods (to drag forces, inundation and anoxia; i.e. ‘Slow-water’ and ‘Flood-sensitive’, respectively) and those with greater water requirements (i.e. ‘Hydric’) (e.g. Alnus glutinosa and Celtis australis), although species diversity increased in this mature forest through co-existence of remaining riparian species and new arrival of upland species. Conclusions Changes in several riparian attributes after flow alterations differed between guilds. Stream water declines after damming caused shifts in species-poor pioneer shrubland downwards to the watered channel, resulting in severe declines of mature native forest. Understanding vegetation guild responses provides information about general trends in plant populations and assemblage structures expected to occur during river development and flow regulation, increasing our capacity to detect and synthesize complex flow alteration–riparian ecosystem response relationships, and anticipate irreversible impacts.
Novel approach for optimization of fermentative condition for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by Alcaligenes sp. using Taguchi (DOE) methodology

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer which is accumulated as energy reserve material by large number of microorganisms including bacteria, fungus and yeast under nutrient stress condition. In this study, efforts have been made to optimize PHB production by Alcaligenes sp. NCIM 5085 using Taguchi (DOE) methodology. This approach facilitates the study of interaction of a large number of variables spanned by factors and their settings with a smaller number of experiments, leading to considerable savings in time and cost for process optimization. Eight factors at two levels with an OA layout of L-12 were selected for proposed experimental design. PHB concentration was increased from 5.20 to 6.58 g/L under optimal cultural condition. Result validation showed 95% resemblance with the expected value.
Cyclooxygenase-2 modulates ER-mitochondria crosstalk to mediate superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles induced hepatotoxicity: an in vitro and in vivo study

Abstract Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs) are central microdomains of the ER that interact with mitochondria. MAMs provide an essential platform for crosstalk between the ER and mitochondria and play a critical role in the local transfer of calcium (Ca2+) to maintain cellular functions. Despite the potential uses of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO-NPs) in biomedical applications, the hepatotoxicity of these nanoparticles (NPs) is not well characterized and little is known about the involvement of MAMs in ER-mitochondria crosstalk. We studied SPIO-NPs-associated hepatotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, human normal hepatic L02 cells were exposed to SPIO-NPs (2.5, 7.5, and 12.5 μg/mL) for 6 h and SPIO-NPs (12.5 μg/mL) was found to induce apoptosis. In vivo, SPIO-NPs induced liver injury when mice were intravenously injected with 20 mg/kg body weight SPIO-NPs for 24 h. Based on both in vitro and in vivo studies, we found that the structure and Ca2+ transport function of MAMs were perturbated and an accumulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in MAMs fractions was increased upon treatment of SPIO-NPs. The interaction between COX-2 and the components of MAMs, in terms of IP3R-GRP75-VDAC1 complex, was also revealed. Furthermore, the role of COX-2 in SPIO-NPs-associated hepatotoxicity was investigated by modifying the expression of COX-2. We demonstrated that COX-2 increases the structural and functional ER-mitochondria coupling and enhances the efficacy of ER-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer through the MAMs, thus sensitizing hepatocytes to a mitochondrial Ca2+ overload-dependent apoptosis. Taken together, our findings link SPIO-NPs-triggered hepatotoxicity with ER-mitochondria Ca2+ crosstalk which is mediated by COX-2 and provide mechanistic insight into the impact of interorganelle ER-mitochondria communication on hepatic nanotoxicity.
What would your parents say? The impact of cohabitation on intergenerational relations in traditional societies

This article investigates the relationship between nonmarital cohabitation among young people and their relations with parents in the cultural and institutional settings that favour marriage over informal unions. We use data from the recently released Generation and Gender Survey for Poland, a country with limited social acceptance for cohabitation, high attachment to the marriage institution and familialistic culture. Our results show that in a traditional country such as Poland nonmarital cohabitation is selective: these are mainly young people raised in better educated and less religious families living in urban areas who are more likely to choose cohabitation instead of marriage in their first union. Next, we analyse how living arrangement choices are interrelated with the frequency of contacts and satisfaction from relations with parents, as well as chances for receiving material support from family. According to our results, cohabitation may decrease the quality of relations with parents as measured by self-rated satisfaction, but it does not have strong and negative effects on the frequency of meetings with both parents or probability of receiving material support from them.
Impact of ApoE Polymorphism and Physical Activity on Plasma Antioxidant Capability and Erythrocyte Membranes

The allele epsilon 4 (ε4) of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). ApoE protein plays a pivotal role in the synthesis and metabolism of amyloid beta (Aβ), the major component of the extracellular plaques that constitute AD pathological hallmarks. Regular exercise is an important preventive/therapeutic tool in aging and AD. Nevertheless, the impact of physical exercise on the well-being of erythrocytes, a good model of oxidative stress and neurodegenerative processes, remains to be investigated, particularly depending on ApoE polymorphism. Herein, we evaluate the oxidative status, Aβ levels, and the membrane’s composition of erythrocytes in a cohort of human subjects. In our hands, the plasma antioxidant capability (AOC), erythrocytes membrane fluidity, and the amount of phosphatidylcholine (PC) were demonstrated to be significantly decreased in the ApoE ε4 genotype and non-active subjects. In contrast, erythrocyte Aβ content and lipid peroxidation increased in ε4 carriers. Regular physical exercise was associated with an increased plasma AOC and membrane fluidity, as well as to a reduced amount of erythrocytes Aβ. Altogether, these data highlight the influence of the ApoE genotype on erythrocytes’ well-being and confirm the positive impact of regular physical exercise.
Wearable barcode scanning: Advancements in visual code localization, motion blur compensation, and gesture control: Advancements in visual code localization, motion blur compensation, and gesture control

Visual codes like barcodes and quick response (QR) codes are the most prevalent linking elements between physical objects and digital information. They are found in numerous consumer applications such as shopping, electronic payments, ticketing, or marketing campaigns, but they are also found in logistics and enterprise asset tracking and provide employees access to detailed service records. Reading visual codes is also often the first step for pairing and interaction with physical appliances in various research projects in the area of pervasive computing. While these codes are found almost everywhere, the reading of codes usually requires expensive scanner devices which hinders the original goal of easy access to information about every physical object. Technological advancements in wearable computing and mobile computer vision may radically expand the adoption of visual codes because smartphones, smartwatches, smartglasses, and other wearables enable instant barcode scanning on the go. The wide accessibility, the computing performance, the intuitive user interface, and the relatively low price make personal wearable computers strong competitors for traditional scanners while they also enable new use cases for visual codes. As these devices are primarily designed for other purposes, there are also a few shortcomings. In this dissertation, we describe methods to overcome these shortcomings and to add advanced features that can make wearable barcode scanning an attractive alternative to traditional barcode scanning even outside the consumer domain. We present fast and robust solutions to the following problems on computationally restricted unmodified wearable devices: (i) Fast and robust localization of visual codes: Current smartphone-based barcode scanning solutions require the user to hold and align the tagged object close to the camera. This is especially problematic with smartglasses and leads to lower user acceptance. On the other hand, today’s wearable cameras have a high enough resolution to scan visual codes that are further away, once they are segmented in a preprocessing step. We propose a fast algorithm for joint 1D and 2D visual code localization in large digital images. The proposed method outperforms other solutions in terms of accuracy while it is invariant to scale, orientation, code symbology, and is more robust to blur than previous approaches.
Concurrent validity of Myotest for assessing explosive strength indicators in countermovement jump

Background: Previous research has determined the validity and reliability of accelerometer-based devices, but the findings are not consistent. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of an accelerometer (Myotest PRO) for measuring explosive strength indicators (jump height, peak force, peak velocity, and peak power) during the countermovement jump. Methods: Thirty-three university students (22 males and 11 females; 178.6 ± 5.6 cm, 69.3 ± 6.5 kg, 21.8 ± 1.7 years) performed five individual countermovement jumps. Jump height was derived from an accelerometer (Myotest, frequency 200 Hz), optic timing system (Optojump) and from a force plate (Kistler, frequency 800 Hz) using both flight time and force impulse algorithms. Peak force, peak velocity, and peak power were calculated by the accelerometer and force plate. Results: The Myotest resulted in systematic bias, overestimating jump height by 8.0 ± 2.1 cm (p < .001) compared to force impulse algorithm; flight time algorithm by 5.5 ± 2.0 cm (p < .001) using the force plate and by 5.9 ± 2.0 cm (p < .001) using the Optojump. The Myotest also underestimated peak force by 167 ± 182 N (p < .001). Compared to force impulse algorithm, the Myotest displayed less agreement for peak velocity (r2 = .245) and peak power (r2 = .557). Conclusion: Accelerometers are valid and may be used consistently to evaluate countermovement jump height. However, they are not valid, and should neither be used to measure peak force, velocity, or power nor be compared against other methods due to a bias.
Inclusive and exclusive belonging – the impact on individual and community well-being

A sense of connectedness is increasingly recognised as a protective factor in resilience and well-being (Benard, 1991; Blum, 2005; Libbey, 2004). This paper reviews some of the international literature on belonging, especially within the school context, and explores the important distinction between those school communities that are inclusive and facilitate participation for all students and those that maintain an exclusive position that regulates who may belong and who may not, who is valued and who is marginalised. This is set within a broader socio-political context.This paper addresses some of the beliefs and behaviours that promote healthy and inclusive relationships and puts forward a case for building inclusive school communities. Effective school and classroom practices are illustrated in the findings of a small study on Circle Solutions. This is a philosophy and pedagogy that aims to enhance the relational quality in a school and promote a sense of inclusive belonging. Our primary focus here is vulnerable and often challenging students. We address what this means for the role and responsibility of educational psychologists in increasing inclusive connectedness and reducing rates of exclusion.
Tools for Assessment of Occupational Health Risks of some Engineered Nanoparticles and Carbon Materials Used in Semiconductor Applications

Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are used in a wide variety of applications: from cosmetics and paints to sportswear and semiconductor chips. While for chemicals there are established regulatory frameworks dealing with the risk for the consumers, workers, and the environment, this is not the case for nanomaterials. This is precisely why ENMs are used—the properties of matter change at the nanoscale and become dependent on the particle morphology and size. Our understanding on how such nano-systems react with biological matter, such as cells and tissues, is far from complete, and this brings about an increasing level of uncertainty in the research and development process. This chapter will give an overview of several materials, which are either used or have potential applications in nanoelectronics. While silicon dioxide and metal oxide nanoparticles are used in semiconductor processing in standard polishing steps, applications of carbon materials may be more disruptive. As promising materials with broad applications, we focus on carbon nanotubes and graphene. So-identified materials are used to illustrate the use of different risk assessment tools in the occupational setting of nanoelectronics. The application of such tools in itself is also a growing area of research efforts supported by international stakeholders, such as the European Commission.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND TRAUMA DISCLOSURE

Trauma disclosure can facilitate trauma recovery. However,survivors might be reluctant to talk about theirtraumatic experiences if they perceive that their experiencesare not acknowledged. We aimed to explorehow social acknowledgment is associated with traumadisclosure in a sample of Lithuanian trauma survivors.In total 189 survivors exposed to various traumaticexperiences participated in the study. Regressionanalysis revealed that trauma survivors weremore willing to disclose their traumatic experienceswhen they perceived more social recognition and lessdisapproval from others. We conclude that our studyindicates the importance of social acknowledgmentfor trauma disclosure among trauma survivors.
erythrocyte size and number Cyclin D 3 coordinates the cell cycle during differentiation to regulate Material Supplemental

Material Supplemental http://genesdev.cshlp. org/content/suppl/2012/08/22/gad.197020. 112.DC1. html References http://genesdev.cshlp. org/content/26/18/2075.full. html#ref-list-1 This article cites 41 articles, 17 of which can be accessed free at: Service Email Alerting click here. right corner of the article or Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article sign up in the box at the top
Factors Associated With Hospitalization Costs of Coronary Heart Disease in Township Hospitals in Rural China

In large proportions of rural areas in many developing countries, health care delivery system is less developed and is less likely to be equipped to conduct sophisticated treatment for coronary heart disease (CHD) patients locally. This study aims at describing the status quo of and exploring factors associated with hospitalization costs of CHD in township hospitals where only drug therapy was available for CHD conditions. We collected data of inpatients with CHD from discharge records from 10 township hospitals in rural Liaoning from December 2013 to December 2014. We used multilevel linear regression to analyze the factors associated with CHD hospitalization costs. A total of 4635 inpatients were included in the analysis. We found that the average hospitalization costs were 6249.97 RMB (US$1012.47) with the average of 8.89 days of hospitalization in township hospitals in Liaoning. Age, gender, length of stay, the number of times of admissions, by which route was hospitalized, and type of CHD were all the factors significantly associated with hospitalization costs of CHD in township hospitals. The factors associated with hospitalization costs of CHD in township hospitals in rural China showed some different features from the existing studies. When the government designs the related policy, the policy makers need to consider the specific feature of hospitalization costs of CHD in township hospitals in rural areas.