Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The cultivable autochthonous microbiota of the critically endangered Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita)

The critically endangered Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) is a migratory bird that became extinct in Europe centuries ago. Since 2014, the Northern bald ibis is subject to an intensive rehabilitation and conservation regime aiming to reintroduce the bird in its original distribution range in Central Europe and concurrently to maintain bird health and increase population size. Hitherto, virtually nothing is known about the microbial communities associated with the ibis species; an information pivotal for the veterinary management of these birds. Hence, the present study was conducted to provide a baseline description of the cultivable microbiota residing in the Northern bald ibis. Samples derived from the choana, trachea, crop and cloaca were examined employing a culturomic approach in order to identify microbes at each sampling site and to compare their frequency among age classes, seasonal appearances and rearing types. In total, 94 microbial species including 14 potentially new bacterial taxa were cultivated from the Northern bald ibis with 36, 58 and 59 bacterial species isolated from the choana, crop and cloaca, respectively. The microbiota of the Northern bald ibis was dominated by members of the phylum Firmicutes, followed by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria, altogether phylotypes commonly observed within avian gut environments. Differences in relative abundances of various microbial taxa were evident among sample types indicating mucosa-specific colonisation properties and tissue tropism. Besides, results of the present study indicate that the composition of microbiota was also affected by age, season (environment) and rearing type. While the prevalence of traditional pathogenic microbial species was extremely low, several opportunists including Clostridium perfringens toxotype A were frequently present in samples indicating that the Northern bald ibis may represent an important animal reservoir for these pathogens. In summary, the presented study provides a first inventory of the cultivable microbiota residing in the critically endangered Northern bald ibis and represents a first step in a wider investigation of the ibis microbiome with the ultimate goal to contribute to the management and survival of this critically endangered bird.
Near infrared photometric and optical spectroscopic study of 22 low mass star clusters embedded in nebulae

Aims. Among the star clusters in the Galaxy, those embedded in nebulae represent the youngest group, which has only recently been explored. The analysis of a sample of 22 candidate embedded stellar systems in reflection nebulae and/or HII environments is presented. Methods. We employed optical spectroscopic observations of stars in the directions of the clusters carried out at CASLEO (Argentina) together with near infrared photometry from the 2MASS catalogue. Our analysis is based on source surface density, colour−colour diagrams and on theoretical pre-main sequence isochrones. We take into account the field star contamination by carrying out a statistical subtraction. Results. The studied objects have the characteristics of low mass systems. We derive their fundamental parameters. Most of the cluster ages are younger than 2 Myr. The studied embedded stellar systems in reflection nebulae and/or HII region complexes do not have stars of spectral types earlier than B. The total stellar masses locked in the clusters are in the range 20−220 M� . They are found to be gravitationally unstable and are expected to dissolve in a timescale of a few Myr.
Effects of a Dynamic Chair on Chair Seat Motion and Trunk Muscle Activity during Office Tasks and Task Transitions

Employing dynamic office chairs might increase the physical (micro-) activity during prolonged office sitting. We investigated whether a dynamic BioSwing® chair increases chair sway and alters trunk muscle activation. Twenty-six healthy young adults performed four office tasks (reading, calling, typing, hand writing) and transitions between these tasks while sitting on a dynamic and on a static office chair. For all task-transitions, chair sway was higher in the dynamic condition (p < 0.05). Muscle activation changes were small with lower mean activity of the left obliquus internus during hand writing (p = 0.07), lower mean activity of the right erector spinae during the task-transition calling to hand writing (p = 0.036), and higher mean activity of the left erector spinae during the task-transition reading to calling (p = 0.07) on the dynamic chair. These results indicate that an increased BioSwing® chair sway only selectively alters trunk muscle activation. Adjustments of chair properties (i.e., swinging elements, foot positioning) are recommended.
Satellite monitoring of algal blooms in Norwegian coastal waters

Several ocean colour (OC) Earth observation (EO) sensors are presently collecting data on an operational basis, including the Envisat MERIS sensor. This study aims at quantifying the differences in performance of the ocean colour EO sensors MERIS, MODIS/Aqua, and SeaWiFS for coastal monitoring and for the particular case of coastal algal bloom situations. The standard chlorophyll a, and radiance and reflectance products from the three sensors have been processed and compared for data acquired during the development of an early-spring algal bloom in 2004 in the eastern North Sea region. The study shows a high level of consistency between the Case 1 water Chl a products for all sensors. We conclude that the use of MERIS Chl a and other relevant products enable continued and possibly improved performance of an existing system for harmful algal bloom (HAB) detection and monitoring which up to December 2004 has been based on SeaWiFS.
Estimating the Standard Error of the Mean in Multiple Matrix Sampling When Items are Sampled With and Without Replacement.

' ABSTRACT Standard errors of pooled mean estima a in multiple matrix sampling were compared for two procedures. The data were from tests involving items with and without.replacement. The two procedures involve the formulations of Madow and Lord, and Novick; the former permits_ sampling of item,,, with or without replacement, whereas the latter is to be used for item sampling without replacement. -Theresults show that the two estimates givefl' considerably differing error estimates of the pooled mean. (Author)
ACKR3 expression on diffuse large B cell lymphoma is required for tumor spreading and tissue infiltration

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most frequent lymphoma accounting for more than the 30% of the cases. Involvement of extranodal sites, such as bone marrow and central nervous system, is associated with poor prognosis. A contribution of the chemokine system in these processes is assumed as it is known as a critical regulator of the metastatic process in cancer. The atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3), which does not couple to G-proteins and does not mediate cell migration, acts as a scavenger for CXCL11 and CXCL12, interfering with the tumor homing CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. Here, functional expression of ACKR3 in DLBCL cells was necessary for colonization of the draining lymph node in an in vivo subcutaneous lymphoma model. Moreover, in a disseminated in vivo lymphoma model, ACKR3 expression was required for bone marrow and brain invasion and local tumor growth. The present data unveil ACKR3 as potential therapeutic target for the control of tumor dissemination in DLBCL.
Nutraceutical potential and phytochemical screening of Buchanania lanzan, an underutilized exotic Indian nut and its use as a source of functional food

The seeds of an underutilized exotic fruit Chironji, Buchanania lanzan (Anacardiaceae) were investigated for their nutritional, phytochemical and antioxidant properties to understand its nutraceutical potential. The nutritional analysis showed good protein content (43.24 %), moderate carbohydrate content (12.96 %), and high amount of crude fiber (18.50 %), fat (38 %) and also high calorie value (229.99kCal). ICP-OES analysis has shown these edible seeds contain Iron (4.8mg/100g), Phosphorous (593mg/100g), Magnesium (275mg/100g) and Calcium (70mg/100g) in considerable amount and Manganese, Copper, Barium, Aluminium and Boron in trace amounts. A thorough physiochemical characterization of the seeds demonstrates that it as an active source of phenolics, natural antioxidants and minerals. Total phenolics and flavanoid content in petroleum ether extract (PEE), dichloromethane extract (DCME), methanolic extract (ME) and ethanol and water extract (EWE) were 5.78, 6.73, 10.05 and 13.42 μg GAE mg-1 and 13.74, 7.08, 5.21 and 11.41 μg CE mg-1 respectively. Antioxidant activities were carried out using FRAP assay and the results reveal that EWE and ME showed the highest antioxidant activity 13.42 and 10.05 μg BHTg-1 respectively. Moreover EWE and ME showed antibacterial activity against S. flexneri and B. cereus strain. Antifungal assay was also carried against three test organisms. GC/MS Screening confirms the presence of considerable amounts of fatty acids, plant sterols and phenolic compounds. The oil of seeds was extracted by cold pressing and analyzed for the fatty acid profile which revealed the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acid such as Linolenic Acid (ω-3) and Linoleic Acid (ω-6) monounsaturated fatty acid such as Oleic Acid (ω-9). The seeds provide opportunities to develop value added products, dietary supplements and phytotherapeutic compounds.
Identification , Characterization and Expression Analysis of Biglycan in Asian Elephant ( Elephas maximus ) [ 1 ]

The aims of this study were to investigate the coding sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence of Asian elephant’s biglycan gene as well as its expression in different tissues and conditions using wound healing as a model. The results showed that Asian elephant biglycan coding sequence was 1,110 base pair (bp) long (accession number: JQ753329), encoding 369 amino acids. The coding and amino acid sequences between Asian and African elephants revealed 99% and 98% similarity, respectively. The conserved domains of biglycan protein were also observed. In addition, its expression was found in 15 tissues with a predominant expression in cartilage and spleen. For expression analysis in the wound healing process, it was found that the level of biglycan mRNA was influenced by many factors, including age, type of wound and stage of wound healing.
The effect of weather conditions on the breeding biology of the Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris in eastern Poland

Numerous studies carried out on different bird species have shown that weather conditions can modify their breeding biology at various stages in their reproduction. Directly or indirectly, meteorological factors can affect breeding success by modifying brood survival and the availability of food resources. The present study examined the relationships between weather conditions and selected breeding parameters in the Eurasian Bittern. It was carried out in 2003–2009 on extensively farmed carp ponds located in eastern Poland. With the aid of multiple regression models, we analysed the effect of the mean ambient temperature, mean daily temperature range, mean daily minimum temperature, total precipitation and mean wind speed on the number of eggs in a clutch, egg size, and partial losses of eggs and chicks. A significant adverse relationship between the sum of rainfall in the laying period and the mean egg volume in a clutch was found. Greater mortality among young Eurasian Bitterns was also correlated with strong rains and winds during the chick-rearing period. There were two critical periods in the population we studied – before the first egg was laid, and the chick-rearing period – which were particularly sensitive to changes in the weather.
Innovative Method of the Power Analysis

This paper describes an innovative method of the power analysis which presents the typical example of successful attacks against trusted cryptographic devices such as RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) and contact smart cards. The proposed method analyzes power consumption of the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithm with a neural network, which successively classifies the first byte of the secret key. This way of the power analysis is an entirely new approach and it is designed to combine the advantages of simple and differential power analysis. In the extreme case, this feature allows to determine the whole secret key of a cryptographic module only from one measured power trace. This attribute makes the proposed method very attractive for potential attackers. Besides theoretical design of the method, we also provide the first implementation results. We assume that the method will be certainly optimized to obtain more accurate classification results in the future.
Production and Characterization of Polyhydroxyalkanoates and Native Microorganisms Synthesized from Fatty Waste

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable and biocompatible plastics. They are synthesized by a wide variety of microorganisms (i.e., fungi and bacteria) and some organisms such as plants, which share characteristics with petrochemical-based plastics. The most recent studies focus on finding inexpensive substrates and extraction strategies that allow reducing product costs, thus moving into a widespread market, the market for petroleum-based plastics. In this study, the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) was evaluated using the native strains, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus sp. , and Lactococcus lactis, and glycerol reagent grade (GRG), residual glycerol (RGSB) byproduct of biodiesel from palm oil, Jatropha oil, castor oil, waste frying oils, and whey as substrates. Different bacteria-substrate systems were evaluated thrice on a laboratory scale under different conditions of temperature, pH, and substrate concentration, employing 50 mL of broth in 250 mL. The bacterial growth was tested in all systems; however, the B. megaterium GRG system generated the highest accumulation of PHA. The previous approach was allowed to propose a statistical design optimization with RGSB (i.e., RGSB, 15 g/L, pH 7.0, and 25°C). This system reached 2.80 g/L of PHB yield and was the optimal condition tested; however, the optimal biomass 5.42 g/L occurs at pH 9.0 and 25°C, with a substrate concentration of 22 g/L.
Molecular engineering of triphenylene-based discotic liquid crystal conductors

2,3,6,7,10,11-hexakis(hexyloxy)triphenylene (HAT6) gives a columnar hexagonal mesophase between 70 and 100°C and a hole mobility of 7.1 ́10–4 cm2V–1s–1. Two methods are compared for extending the mesophase range to encompass the operationally-significant room temperature range and for enhancing the charge-carrier mobility: introduction of a lateral nuclear dipole and formation of a CPI (complementary polytopic interaction) ‘compound’. Introduction of two fluorine substituents into the nucleus of HAT6 gives 1,4-difluoro-2,3,6,7,10,11-hexakis(hexyloxy)triphenylene (2F-HAT6). This has a lateral nuclear dipole and gives a columnar hexagonal mesophase from below room temperature to 121°C whereas the CPI mixture of 2F-HAT6 with 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexakis(4-nonylphenyl)triphenylene (PTP9) has a columnar mesophase from below room temperature to 129°C. At 100°C the time-of-flight hole mobilities of these two systems are increased to 1.6 ́10–3 cm2V–1s–1 for 2F-HAT6 and 1.5 ́10–2 cm2V–1s–1 for the CPI compound 2F-HAT6 + PTP9.
Cosmological bounds on open FLRW solutions of massive gravity

En este trabajo analizamos algunos limites cosmologicos dados por una solucion FLRW para la gravedad masiva. Encontramos los limites para datos observacionales recientes de H(z) y mostramos que los mejores ajustes para los valores de los parametros cosmologicos concuerdan con el modelo ɅCDM e indican una curvatura espacial aproximadamente abierta, como se espera. Tambien se analiza la variacion de la masa del graviton con las constantes α 3 y α4 relacionadas con los terminos lagrangianos adicionales del modelo, y se obtiene una fuerte dependencia de tales parametros. Sin embargo, la condicion m g ≃ H 0 -1 parece dominar en un intervalo amplio de los parametros α 3 y α4
Long-run Shifts of the Beveridge Curve and the Frictional Unemployment Rate in Australia

This paper examines the Beveridge Curve, the relationship between the unemployment and vacancy rates. Both variables are found to be non-stationary and not co-integrated which implies that the Beveridge Curve has been shifted over time by at least one non-stationary variable. We examine a number of shift variables which have been used in previous empirical work and find a number of co-integrating relationships one of which we identify as the Beveridge Curve. It is used (a) as a basis for the decomposition of changes in the unemployment rate over the sample period and (b) to compute the structural unemployment rate by setting the vacancy rate at the level at which output is at its potential.
Psychological well-being and job satisfaction of employees in a financial institution

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between psychological well- being (i.e. self-efficacy, positive and negative affect, and sense of coherence) and job satisfaction of employees in a financial institution. A cross-sectional survey design was used. An availability sample (N = 117) was taken fiom employees fiom different levels in a financial institution. The MSQ, GSES, AFM and OLQ were administered. The results showed that self-efficacy, positive affect, sense of coherence and job satisfaction correlated positively with one another, while negative affect had negative correlations with the other constructs. Self-efficacy, positive and negative affect and sense of coherence predicted 19% of the variance in job satisfaction. Sense of coherence was a significant predictor of job satisfaction. No differences in terms of biographical characteristics in the experience of self- efficacy, positive affect, negative affect, sense of coherence and job satisfaction could be found.
FCC, BCC and SC Lattices Derived from the Coxeter-Weyl groups and quaternions

We construct the fcc (face centered cubic), bcc (body centered cubic) and sc (simple cubic) lattices as the root and the weight lattices of the affine extended Coxeter groups W(A3) and W(B3)=Aut(A3). It is naturally expected that these rank-3 Coxeter-Weyl groups define the point tetrahedral symmetry and the octahedral symmetry of the cubic lattices which have extensive applications in material science. The imaginary quaternionic units are used to represent the root systems of the rank-3 Coxeter-Dynkin diagrams which correspond to the generating vectors of the lattices of interest. The group elements are written explicitly in terms of pairs of quaternions which constitute the binary octahedral group. The constructions of the vertices of the Wigner-Seitz cells have been presented in terms of quaternionic imaginary units. This is a new approach which may link the lattice dynamics with quaternion physics. Orthogonal projections of the lattices onto the Coxeter plane represent the square and honeycomb lattices.
Comparative Analysis of Induced CD4+ Tregs (Itreg) In Response to CD8+ CTL Induction From PBL By MHC-I Bound Mart-1 Peptide Pulsed DC or Autologous Tumor Cells with Freshly Isolated TIL from Human Melanoma.

CD4+CD25+thymus derived Tregs (tTregs) and peripherally induced Tregs (pTreg) are known to control auto-destruction that needs stimulation through major histocompatibility complex-II (MHC-II). For cellular immunotherapy of cancer, tumor associated antigen (TAA, these are also self-antigens) specific in vivo induced CD8+ Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL) are rapidly eliminated. Under ex vivo condition TAA specific CTL generated with purified CD8+ cells continued to grow and remain active for months. Ex vivo induced CD8+ CTL with un-fractionated Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes (PBL) stimulated with Mart-127-35 A2 peptide pulsed autologous dendritic cells (DC), died within three weeks. Whereas Influenza (Flu58-66) peptide antigen specific CTL induced identically, continued to expand and remain functional beyond four weeks. No significant difference between binding affinity of Mart-127-35 peptide and Flu58-66 peptide to HLA A2 was observed. Upon activation CD8+ cells from the cultures expressed MHC-II molecules along with other activation and homing receptors. Expanding CD4+ cells were isolated from In vitro Co-cultures (IVC) with PBL for Mart-1 peptide and Flu peptide. CD4+ cells isolated from Mart-I IVC secreted significantly higher amount of IL-10 and IL-4 upon re-stimulation with autologous DC and/or antiCD3 antibody, than CD4+ cells isolated from Flu PBL IVC. In a similar fashion, CD4+ cells isolated from PBL IVC with autologous Tumor or from freshly obtained tumor tissues were found to secrete significant amount of IL-10, subsequently CD8+ CTLs in such cultures did not survive for long. This finding suggests that CD4+CD25+ iTreg (or pTreg for in vivo) cells induced in vivo / in vitro, negatively regulate effect or immune response via CD8+ CTL against tumor by elaborating IL-10. In this process activated CD8+ CTL against different antigens might provide differential additional signals via newly expressed MHC-II molecules to the CD4+ cells as needed for different antigens.