Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alkaline hydrolysis effect using NaOH on sugarcane bagasse from urban centers for ruminants

The aim of this study was to evaluate the alkaline hydrolysis of chemical composition of sugarcane bagasse from urban centers. The experimental design was completely randomized design in split plots (5×4), composed of five application levels (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4%) and four NaOH exposure periods (24, 48, 72 and 96 h) in four replicates. Dry matter, ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, cellulose and lignin were analyzed. The application of 4% of NaOH promoted reduction of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). There was no significant difference (p> 0.05) in treatments with application of 3 and 4% of NaOH; the treatment promoted a higher reduction in hemicellulose content. There was linear effect of the level of NaOH on dry matter, ash, NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose, however, lignin and cellulose content presented quadratic effect. Alkaline hydrolysis with NaOH provided improvements in the chemical composition of the sugarcane bagasse, which allows it to be used as feed for ruminants raised in urban and peri-urban environments. Key words: Chemical treatment, industrial waste, ruminant.
Molecular Phenotyping in Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Research

In the past decade potent omics technologies and genome-wide approaches have changed the basic mode of drug discovery and translational research. Full genome sequences of humans and model organisms have allowed development of high-throughput technologies enabling interrogation of entire genomes for gene and protein expression leading to discovery of functional, interactive biological networks. Especially databases linking pathways and disease phenotypes based on clinical and mechanistic data have become indispensable to guide efficient drug discovery and target identification. The recently discovered landmark- or pathway-reporter genes enable discovery of differentially expressed signaling cascades activated by drugs, toxic insults and other stimuli. Strikingly, about 1000 transcripts derived from key nodes of signaling pathways are sufficient to analyze the modulation of 154 human signaling pathways. This significant reduction of data points allows for high-throughput based screens of chemical entities or entire compound libraries to identify mechanisms associated with a clinical phenotype. The archetype of molecular target based approaches in drug discovery may switch to pathway based screening strategies in which the activity and output of an entire pathway rather than a single drug target. Appropriate technologies for such screens have been identified and will be discussed.
Genetic Diversity in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Cultivars Grown in Iran Using SSR and SNP Markers

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), one of the most expensive spices in the world, is used mainly as food coloring and flavoring in food industry and its effective components are also used in medicine. A collection of twenty-two cultivars of saffron grown in different regions of Iran was screened with 25 SSR and 5 SNP primers in order to determine genetic identities and genetic diversity in these cultivars. On an average, 50 alleles were amplified using SSR primers with scorable fragment sizes ranging from approximately 160 to 400 bp. Among these, 33 alleles were polymorphic thus revealing 72% of polymorphism. The genetic similarity estimated according to SSR data was scaled between 9.5 and 87.8%. In determination of genetic diversity, five polymorphic SNP markers were used. Since SNP markers are mainly bi-allelic, all SNPs showed two alleles only, suggesting the potential of SSR and SNP markers in discriminating among plants of distant genetic backgrounds. Un-weighted pair group method with arithmetic mean clustering grouped the cultivars into four groups. In this study, we tried to expand the genetic diversity of C. sativus in Iran despite their asexual reproduction. Due to the similarity of climatic conditions in Iran, a certain genetic variation was observed in saffron plants. For saffron cultivation and production of high quality crop around the world, research on genetic diversity among the large family of C. sativus adds value this
Cycad Aulacaspis Scale, a Newly Introduced Insect Pest in Indonesia

Cycad aulacaspis scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)) is native to Thailand and Vietnam. Since the early 1990s it has been spreading around the world due to the trade in cycad plants for ornamental use. Infestation by this scale can kill cycads in only a few months. Its accidental introduction to Florida endangered the ornamental cycad-growing industry; and in Guam and Taiwan, endemic cycads (Cycas micronesica and C. taitungensis, respectively) are currently threatened with extinction by cycad aulacaspis scale. In November 2011, an introduced scale was discovered damaging cycads in the Bogor Botanic Garden. Samples from Bogor were taken for identification of the scale, and the material was kept for some time to rear out any insect parasitoids that were present. Both the scale insects and parasitoids were prepared on microscope slides and studied microscopically for authoritative identification. The scale was confirmed as A. yasumatsui. The parasitoid Arrhenophagus chionaspidis Aurivillius (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and the hyperparasitoid Signiphora bifasciata Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Signiphoridae) were identified from the samples. Unless immediate remedial measures are taken, several endemic species of cycad in Indonesia may be endangered by infestation by cycad aulacaspis scale.
Cue-elicited neural activity and functional connectivity among smokers associated with the decision to smoke

Cue-reactivity, or the responses of drug users to drug cues, has been shown to be related to smoking behavior including relapse in smokers, but the mechanisms linking drug use to drug cues remain unclear. Dual systems approaches, which implicate the cognitive control system and the reward/affective system in contributing to addictive behavior, have been used in attempts to explain addictive behavior, and in particular may be used elucidate the relationship between drug cues and drug use. However, differing models have been proposed to explain the ways the dual systems may act or interact to contribute to drug use. The present study aimed to clarify this question by using uSEM on fMRI data to identify connectivity models in two groups of smokers as they were exposed to smoking (and neutral) cues and offered an opportunity to smoke, within 24 hours of initiating a quit attempt. The two groups modeled were: 1) the subjects who chose to smoke (n=19); 2) a matched sample of subjects who chose not to smoke (n=19). Results showed that smokers who were able to resist smoking displayed increased connectivity between networks, namely between the DLPFC and left anterior insula. This finding, along with past research, indicates that smokers who are able to remain abstinent may be engaging in top-down control of the feeling of smoking urge induced by smoking cues via representations of interoceptive smoking effects.
Seabirds as indicators of food web structure and ecosystem variability: qualitative and quantitative diet analyses using fatty acids

The dynamics of predator-prey relationships, the structure of food webs, and the forag- ing behavior of individuals are critical to understanding animal ecology, interactions of predators with their prey, and effects of environmental variability on ecosystems. Like many other predators, seabirds are effective samplers of prey populations, and their diets can provide information about lower trophic levels over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Recognizing limitations of traditional methods of diet analysis, we validated the use of fatty acid (FA) signatures of subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies for estimating diets of free-ranging seabirds. Calibration coefficients (CCs) for individ- ual FAs were determined from captive common murres (n = 13) fed a long-term, single-species diet. Quantitative FA signature analysis (QFASA), using these CCs, was then validated in murres (n = 26) and red-legged kittiwakes (n = 13) fed controlled mixed-species diets. FAs were analyzed from 426 free-ranging red-legged Rissa brevirostris and black-legged kittiwakes R. tridactyla, and common Uria aalge and thick-billed murres U. lomvia from the Bering Sea, 284 of which were also sampled for stomach contents analysis. Qualitatively, FA signatures revealed distinct separation of diets among all 4 species, and further separation by location and year. QFASA diet estimates were similar to those based on stomach contents, with diets of kittiwakes dominated by myctophids, while those of murres comprised a mixture of other forage species. QFASA estimates were indicative of regional habitat dif- ferences, and were consistent with other aspects of seabird ecology at our study sites. We conclude that seabird FAs provide important information about ecosystems, but this will likely depend on each species' foraging behavior and the complexities of the ecosystem it occupies.
Two-Phase Simulation of Wave-Induced Tunnel Scour beneath Marine Pipelines

AbstractAn Eulerian two-phase flow model was presented and employed to investigate wave-induced tunnel scour beneath marine pipelines. The model is based on the Euler-Euler coupled governing equations for the fluid and sediment phases, i.e., time-averaged continuity and momentum equations were solved for both phases with a modified k-e turbulence closure for the fluid phase. Fluid-particle, particle-particle, and fluid-structure interactions were implemented in the simulation. The model accounts for the interphase momentum exchange by considering the drag, lift, and added mass forces. The flow model was validated against an oscillatory flow around an isolated cylinder and a cylinder close to a rigid wall. The two-phase model was also validated against an oscillatory sheet-flow motion above a plane bed. Then, the two-phase model was used to simulate the wave-induced tunnel scour beneath the pipeline laid on a plane erodible bed. Comparison between the numerical results and experimental measurements indicat.
Thermal light subwavelength diffraction using positive and negative correlations

Ghost imaging and diffraction, inspired by the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect, have potential in both classical and quantum optics regimes on account of their nonlocal characteristics and subwavelength resolution capability, and therefore have aroused particular interest. By extending the correspondence imaging scheme, we utilize the positive and negative intensity correlations in diffraction and perform subwavelength diffraction with pseudo-thermal light. In the experiment, a subwavelength (λ/2) resolution and a better signal-to-noise ratio (10.3% improvement) are simultaneously achieved. The scheme can be utilized as a complement to the existing ghost imaging scheme to improve image quality.
Treatment Evaluation With Selective Participation and Ineligibles

Matching methods for treatment evaluation based on a conditional independence assumption do not balance selective unobserved differences between treated and nontreated. We derive a simple correction term if there is an instrument that shifts the treatment probability to zero in specific cases. Policies with eligibility restrictions, where treatment is impossible if some variable exceeds a certain value, provide a natural application. In an empirical analysis, we exploit the age eligibility restriction in the Swedish Youth Practice subsidized work program for young unemployed, where compliance is imperfect among the young. Adjusting the matching estimator for selectivity changes the results toward making subsidized work detrimental in moving individuals into employment.
A comparison of the gamma-ray bursts detected by BATSE and Swift

Aims. The durations of 388 gamma-ray bursts detected by the Swift satellite, are analyzed statistically to search for subgroups. The results are then compared with results obtained earlier for data from the BATSE database. Methods. We apply the standard $\chi^2$ test. Results. As for data in the BATSE database, short and long subgroups are also reliably identified in the Swift data. An intermediate subgroup is also seen in the Swift database. Conclusions. The analysis of the entire sample of 388 GRBs provides a support for the existence of three subgroups.
Morphological variation and allometry of the baculum in stoats, Mustela erminea (Carnivora, Mustelidae) from Western Carpathians

In this study we investigated allometry and variation in the baculum of the stoat Mustela erminea and compared it with head-and-body length not involved in reproduction. The stoat is a species with pre-copulatory selection (manifested by the high degree of male-biased sexual size dimorphism) therefore we predicted that baculum allometry may be isometric or exhibited negative allometry. We also test the hypothesis that the baculum size is positively correlated with adult body size and may be used as a reliable indicator of male good condition. Results presented in this study were different according to which regression model type was used. While the OLS slope for baculum length in M. erminea indicated negative allometry, the RMA model showed positive allometry. The results obtained for M. erminea weren’t in agreement with mentioned hypothesis that if baculum allometry is affected by the degree of pre-copulatory selection relative to post-copulatory selection, then we predict isometry or negative allometry of the baculum. Nevertheless, we suggest, that to confirm the above statements further analysis of more numerous material of M. erminea coupled with comparative analysis of testicular growth studies are needed to fully understand the importance and function of the baculum relative to the mating system.
Some Third Order Methods for Solving Nonlinear Equations

There are several third order numerical methods having same efficiency index appeared in literature for solving nonlinear equations of a single variable. Practically, if we apply these methods in different nonlinear equations, we can observe that all methods are not performed equally for given nonlinear equations. The main objective of this paper is to show through numerical experiment that the performance of some third order methods having the same efficiency index does not perform equally for particular nonlinear equation. For the numerical comparison, we use Matlab software.2010 AMS Subject Classification: 65H05 Journal of the Institute of Engineering, 2017, 13(1): 169-174
Upregulation of SOX18 in colorectal cancer cells promotes proliferation and correlates with colorectal cancer risk

Background Since colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, we aimed to identify the role of sex determining region Y (SRY)-box 18 (SOX18) in CRC. Methods RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were employed to detect the expression of SOX18 in CRC samples. We then identified the effect of SOX18 on cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, and annexin V/PI staining, respectively. The effect of silencing SOX18 expression in CRC development was evaluated by using a xenograft mouse model. Results First, we found that SOX18 was overexpressed in CRC tissues and cell lines and that SOX18 levels in CRC tissues were positively associated with advanced clinical stages, vascular invasion, and lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, patients with higher expression of SOX18 had a lower survival rate. Overexpression of SOX18 significantly promoted cell proliferation, promoted S cell cycle progression, and inhibited cell apoptosis. Conversely, downregulation of SOX18 clearly weakened cell proliferation, induced G0/G1 cell cycle phase arrest, and gave rise to cell apoptosis. The results showed that shSOX18 significantly inhibited tumor growth and weight. Ki67 expression was also decreased by SOX18 silencing treatment. Conclusion Our study indicates that SOX18 may have a carcinogenic effect on CRC, which might provide novel insights into CRC prevention and treatment.
Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of extracts obtained from the roots bark of Arbutus andrachne L. a Lebanese tree.

Context and purpose of the study: The leaves, fruits, barks and roots of Arbutus andrachne L ( A. andrachne ), have been adopted to have high therapeutic value resulting from the presence of antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic and tannins. In the present work, three extracts obtained from A. andrachne roots bark were evaluated for their antioxidant and antibacterial activities . The total phenolic content, flavonoid, condensed tannins and anthocyanins were determined in order to correlate them with the antioxidant activity of extracts. Main findings: The highest amounts of phenolic and tannins were found in the ethyl-acetate, while the anthocyanins ones were highly observed in the methanol-water extract. The lowest IC 50 values for DPPH (0.6 µg/mL), and metal chelating assay (13.45µg/mL) were recorded in the ethyl-acetate extract and the methanolic one respetively. Gram positive bacteria ( S. aureus and E. faecalis ) were more susceptible to the antimicrobial potential of the methanol extract, while E.coli and P. aeruginosa as Gram negative bacteria turned out to be more resistant to the same extract. The ethyl-acetate extract was more effective on E. faecalis than on S. aureus ; while E. coli and P. aeruginosa were the most resistant to this extract. Brief summary and potential implications: An appropriate dose of antioxidants derived from A. andrachne bark of the roots extracts in the human diet can help to avoid the risk of contracting diseases where ROS are involved in the pathogenesis. In fact, phenolic compounds in these extracts are among the natural antioxidants being studied by the scientific community due to their biological properties, e.g., antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.
Purification of Alkaline Phosphatase from Bovine Milk and Investigation of Inhibitory Effects Of Some Veterinary Drugs on Enzyme Activity

Bu çalışmada, fosfat metabolizmasında önemli role sahip olan Alkalen Fosfatazın (ALP), sütte pastörizasyon belirteci olarak kullanılması gerekçesiyle sütte bulunan izoformu biyokimyasal yöntemlerle saflaştırılmış ve bazı veteriner ilaçların enzim aktivitesi üzerine etkileri araştırılmıştır. Enzim, çeşitli organik çözücülerle muamele edilerek, amonyum sülfat çöktürme aralıkları belirlenmiş ve elde edilen çökelek diyaliz edilerek, Sephadex G-100 jel filtrasyon kolonuna tatbik edilmiştir. Saflaştırılan enzim SDS poliakrilamid jel elektroforezine uygulanarak, elektroforezde gözlenen kazein fraksiyonları dışında, yaklaşık 85 kDa ve 185-190 kDa molekül ağırlığına sahip bandlar elde edilirken; doğal jel elektroforezinde, yaklaşık 170-190 kDa aralığında tek band gözlenmiştir. Enzim, pastörizasyon sıcaklığına gelindiğinde inaktive olacağından enzim aktivitesinin gözlenmemesi sütün pastörize olduğunu gösterir. Fakat, veteriner ilaçlar tarafından enzimin inaktivasyonu söz konusu olduğunda, pastörizasyon sıcaklığına ulaşılmadan enzim inhibe olacağından doğru bir pastörizasyon gerçekleştirilemeyecektir. Bu sebeple çalışmamızda, bazı ilaçların (furosemide, atropine sulfate, toldimfos sodium and levamisol/ (-)tetramisol HCI) enzim aktivitesi üzerine inhibisyon etkileri incelenmiştir. Atropin sülfat enzim aktivitesini etkilemez iken, enzim aktivitesi üzerinde inhibisyon etki gösteren tetramisol, furosemid ve toldimfos sodyuma ait IC 50 değerleri sırasıyla 45.48 μM, 2.19 ve 126.315 mM olarak hesaplanmıştır. ALP’nin bilinen inhibitörü olan Levamisol ile karşılaştırıldığında, enzim aktivitesini azaltan ilaçların zayıf inhibitör etki gösterdiği belirlenmiştir.
Contagion of Currency Crises across Unrelated Countries without Common Lender

I construct a micro-model to show that a currency crisis can spread from one country to another even when these countries are unrelated in terms of economic fundamentals and there is no capital linkage across countries through a common lender or an interbank market. The key to explaining contagious currency crises in the model lies in each speculator's private information and learning behavior about other speculators' type. Since the payoff of each speculator depends on other speculators' behavior determined by their types, each speculator's behavior depends on her belief about other speculators' types. If a currency crisis in one country reveals the speculators' types to some degree, it leads to an updating of each speculator's belief about other speculators' types and therefore a change in her optimal behavior, which in turn can cause a currency crisis even in another unrelated country without capital linkage. Although the presence of contagion itself is not new in the literature, there is an important implication difference between the literature and this paper. The model shows that the crisis with better economic fundamentals can be more contagious than that with worse economic fundamentals; this has not been shown in the literature. This is because the former conveys information about types of speculators while the latter does not. Even if country B does not suffer from a contagious crisis due to bad economic fundamentals from country A, it does not necessarily mean that it will never suffer contagion from some other country with better economic fundamentals than country A
Dual-polarisation GNSS Observations for Multipath Mitigation and Better High-precision Positioning

Kirill Palamartchouk is a Researcher in GPS/GNSS Geodesy at Newcastle University, UK. His research interests are improving the quality of high-precision positioning, Earth rotation parameter determination, and time transfer by means of space geodetic techniques, and using these results in industrial applications and geophysical research. He is also responsible for a number of GNSS-related consultancies under auspices of the Geomatics Application Centre of Newcastle University, primarily in offshore surveying.
Radical Decentralization Reform and Communal Conflict in Indonesia, 2003-2014

Radical decentralization reform works or does not work for reducing communal conflict is still debatable. This study examines the linkage between decentralization policy and communal conflict in Indonesia. Two measurement of decentralization: administrative decentralization, and fiscal decentralization is examined. Data come from the Village National Census (Podes) 2003-2014 (N=301.974). Results of twolevel logit regression show that fiscal decentralization not significantly associated with reducing communal conflict. The findings suggest that decentralization work for reducing communal conflict through better capacity of local bureaucrats rather than through financing capacity in delivering public services and district proliferation policy
International Review of Law and Economics Harmonization of private law on a global level

The Vienna Sales Convention (1980) follows in large measure the American Uniform Commercial Code: Article 2 on Sales. Is this to imply that the Contracting States to the Vienna Sales Convention really prefer American sales law? This paper answers this question in the negative, and argues instead that the United States’ economic leverage with other countries is the key factor influencing developments pertaining to private law on a global level. We explain why it may be useful to harmonize rules of private law on a global level and which rules should be chosen for a uniform law. We show that the choice between two legal arrangements may lead to Economic interdependencies Game theory a coordination problem. Next we argue that the coordination problem is solved in favor of the jurisdiction whose economy is less dependent upon the economies of other jurisdictions than the other way around. We use our model to discuss the harmonization of sales law on a global level in the twentieth century.