Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuro-protective effect of Mentha extract against oxidative stress in pre-treated gamma irradiated Swiss albino mice

The damaging effect of ionizing radiation on body systems on one hand, and the development of radio-protective agents on the other hand, have gained increased attention in the last decades. In the present study, male Swiss albino mice exposed to six gray gamma irradiation, exhibited significant increase in brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), nitric oxide (NO), and free radicals such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Significant decrease in the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) contents, acetylcholinestrase (AchE), and the neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and acetylcholine (Ach), was also documented. In addition, the levels of serum electrolytes sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), and cupper (Cu) decreased significantly, while the levels of potassium (K), and iron (Fe) increased significantly. Additionally, some Lewy body aggregations were detected. On the other hand, pretreatment of gamma irradiated mice with Mentha piperita extract (1g /1Kg body weight /day) significantly abolished radiation induced elevations of TBARS, NO, H2O2, K and Fe levels, as well as significantly ameliorated the GSH, GST, SOD, AchE, DNA, RNA, Na, Ca, Zn, Mn, Cu and the mentioned-above neurotransmitters levels. In conclusion, Mentha extract may provide a significant level of protection against radiation-induced oxidative stress. It might have improved the antioxidant defense system in pre-treated mice also. Key words: Gamma irradiation, Mentha piperita, oxidative stress, neuroprotective radioprotective agent, endogenous antioxidant system.
Evaluation of the Tooth-wear and Replacement Method for Aging White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on the Blue Grass Army Depot, Madison County, Kentucky

ABSTRACT We evaluated the reliability of the tooth-wear and replacement method for aging hunter-harvested deer on the Blue Grass Army Depot, Madison County, Kentucky. Eighty-seven hunter-harvested white-tailed deer were aged using the tooth-wear and replacement procedure and had an incisor tooth removed for aging via the cementum annuli method. We found no significant difference (P < 0.05) in the distribution of ages (1.5 years, 2.5 years, 3.5 years, ≥4.5 years) assigned using either method for male (X2 = 6.69) or female (X2 = 6.85) deer. The majority (77%) of the tooth-wear: cementum pairs of age estimates were in agreement for deer in this study. The tooth-wear and replacement technique tended to identify the age of female white-tailed deer ≥3.5 years of age incorrectly.
Artificial intelligence in co-operative games with partial observability

This thesis investigates Artificial Intelligence in co-operative games that feature Partial Observability. Most video games feature a combination of both co-operation, as well as Partial Observability. Co-operative games are games that feature a team of at least two agents, that must achieve a shared goal of some kind. Partial Observability is the restriction of how much of an environment that an agent can observe. The research performed in this thesis examines the challenge of creating Artificial Intelligence for co-operative games that feature Partial Observability. The main contributions are that Monte-Carlo Tree Search outperforms Genetic Algorithm based agents in solving co-operative problems without communication, the creation of a co-operative Partial Observability competition promoting Artificial Intelligence research as well as an investigation of the effect of varying Partial Observability to Artificial Intelligence, and finally the creation of a high performing Monte-Carlo Tree Search agent for the game Hanabi that uses agent modelling to rationalise about other players.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE MAXILLARY PALPS OF ACRIDIDAE (ORTHOPTERA)

The functions of the maxillary palps of acridids have been investigated in experiments with Locusta migratoria migratorioides (R. & F.), Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk.) und Chorthip‐pus purallelus (Zett.). The palp makes small irregular flicking movements and more extensive rapid vibrations described as palpation. Both activities involve the same basic movements of the palp segments. Palpation is essentially related to feeding and in normally feeding insects the palps play an important role in food selection, but as starvation is prolonged they become unimportant. Selection depends on appropriate chemical stimulation from the cuticle on the surface of the leaf. Palpation on this leads to head lowering and to biting if appropriate tactile stimuli are then received.
Assessing the eddy covariance technique for evaluating carbon dioxide exchange rates of ecosystems: past, present and future

The eddy covariance technique ascertains the exchange rate of CO2 across the interface between the atmosphere and a plant canopy by measuring the covariance between fluctuations in vertical wind velocity and CO2 mixing ratio. Two decades ago, the method was employed to study CO2 exchange of agricultural crops under ideal conditions during short field campaigns. During the past decade the eddy covariance method has emerged as an important tool for evaluating fluxes of carbon dioxide between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere over the course of a year, and more. At present, the method is being applied in a nearly continuous mode to study carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange at over a hundred and eighty field sites, worldwide. The objective of this review is to assess the eddy covariance method as it is being applied by the global change community on increasingly longer time scales and over less than ideal surfaces.
In Vitro Investigation of Cell Compatibility of Pure β-TCP Granules

In this study, osteoblastic cells were isolated from rat bone marrow and characterized. The cells were cultured on β-TCP granules and the osteoblast/ β-TCP constructs. For this purpose, bone marrow was harvested under sterile conditions. Cell aggregates were broken up by pipetting and a cell suspension was cultured in DMEM/F12. After three days, the cells that adhered to the surface of the flask were cultured in osteoblast medium. When the cells became confluent, they were passaged and cultured in 24-well polystyrene cell culture dishes. Characterization of the osteoblasts, cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity were measured on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 30. To investigate the cell compatibility of the β-TCP granules, osteoblastic cells were cultured on β-TCP granules and a polystyrene cell culture dish (control group). Cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were measured on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 30 in both groups. Cell growth significantly increased at each time point, but on day 30 a decrease was observed. The ALP activity also increased at each time point and also decreased on day 30. This study may be regarded as the first step leading to a therapy for various bone defects.
Detection of differential changes in lignin composition of elm xylem tissues inoculated with Ophiostoma novo‐ulmi using Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy

Summary Differences in elm susceptibility against Ophiostoma novo-ulmi have been related with differences in timing and degree of the tree defence responses. In this study, we used Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, coupled with chemometric methods, to detect progressive changes in the metabolic profile of Ulmus minor and U. minor × U. pumila xylem tissues after inoculation with O. novo-ulmi. Differences between control and inoculated trees were detected at 30 and 60 days post-inoculation (dpi) in U. minor, and at 15, 30 and 60 dpi in U. minor × U. pumila. These differences were related with increased levels of lignin in the xylem tissues, suggesting an earlier defence response to the infection in the hybrids.
Sexual size dimorphism in island plants: the niche variation hypothesis and insular size changes

Th e niche variation hypothesis predicts insular populations exhibit increased sexual size dimorphism (SSD), to minimize intraspecifi c competition. Although many animal taxa conform to this prediction, insular patterns of SSD have yet to be investigated in plants. Here, we tested for diff erences in SSD of dioecious plants that colonised four island groups (Kermadec, Th ree Kings, Chatham and Auckland Islands) from New Zealand. Using herbarium collections, we quantifi ed leaf and stem sizes of 263 individuals from 28 dioecious taxa. We developed a novel analytical technique to explore changes in the direction of SSD on islands. Lastly, we tested for evolutionary size changes of male and female plants on islands. Th e degree of SSD did not vary predictably between insular and mainland taxa, contrary to predictions of the niche variation hypothesis. Furthermore, the direction of SSD was not predictable on islands, while it was consistently female biased on the mainland. Our results suggest that selection favours increased size of both sexes on islands and that SSD is unpredictable for insular plants.
GATA-1 Modulates the Chromatin Structure and Activity of the Chicken α-Globin 3′ Enhancer

ABSTRACT Long-distance regulatory elements and local chromatin structure are critical for proper regulation of gene expression. Here we characterize the chromatin conformation of the chicken α-globin silencer-enhancer elements located 3′ of the domain. We found a characteristic and erythrocyte-specific structure between the previously defined silencer and the enhancer, defined by two nuclease hypersensitive sites, which appear when the enhancer is active during erythroid differentiation. Fine mapping of these sites demonstrates the absence of a positioned nucleosome and the association of GATA-1. Functional analyses of episomal vectors, as well as stably integrated constructs, revealed that GATA-1 plays a major role in defining both the chromatin structure and the enhancer activity. We detected a progressive enrichment of histone acetylation on critical enhancer nuclear factor binding sites, in correlation with the formation of an apparent nucleosome-free region. On the basis of these results, we propose that the local chromatin structure of the chicken α-globin enhancer plays a central role in its capacity to differentially regulate α-globin gene expression during erythroid differentiation and development.
Genetic structure of a giant honey bee (Apis dorsata) population in northern Thailand: implications for conservation

Abstract. 1. The giant honey bee, Apis dorsata, is a keystone pollinator. The species is heavily hunted throughout Thailand. Furthermore, forest clearing, widespread use of pesticides and proliferation of street lighting (which attracts bees, often resulting in their death) are likely to have significant impacts on population viability.
Effects of freezing on the chemical characteristics and on the amino acid composition of fillets automatically processed from Amazonian fish

The objective of this article was to assess the influence of refrigerated storage on the chemical characteristics and amino acid composition of fillets automatically processed from the following species of Amazonian fish: aracu (Schizodon fasciatum), jaraqui (Semaprochilodus spp.) and mapará (Hypophthalmus edentatus). The fillets were industrially processed and stored at -30o C for 120 days. The chemical and nutritional composition of the samples was analyzed based on their contents of: humidity, protein, fat, ash, nifext fraction and amino acid profile. After characterizing the chemical and nutritional aspects of the species, jaraqui and aracu were classified as semi-fat; they also showed the contents of protein and callories observed in other studies on freshwater fish. Mapará was considered a fat species and showed lower protein contents. It was observed that the contents of essential amino acids are responsible for an average of aproximately 42.51% of all the amino acids in the fillets of the species analyzed. Storage time did not influence their quality or composition of amino acids. This study suggests that the species analyzed are promising and likely to show a high added value. Furthermore, their technological and nutritional characteristics tend to remain stable, even under prolonged freezing.
An examination of cell volume in dominant phytoplankton species of the central and southern Adriatic Sea

The phytoplankton biomass expressed as total cell volume is often of doubtful value due to cell size and volume variations in the organisms present. Cell volume calculations for 95 phytoplankton species and volume-frequency diagrams for 25 dominant species were analyzed for the Adriatic Sea. Recommendations for more precise work dealing with phytoplankton cell volume and biomass are given. Temporal variations in the average microplankton cell volume are presented and discussed.
Relationships between dwarf mistletoe and the canopy structure of an old-growth lodgepole pine forest in central Oregon

The relationships between abundance of dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt.) and the canopy structure of stands of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana (Grev. & Balf.) Engelm. ) were investigated in the central Oregon pumice zone. Foliage height profiles were generated for stands containing light, moderate, and heavy infestations of A. americanum, and the vertical distribution of P. contorta foliage was modeled using the Weibull distribution. Stand-level changes in the Weibull parameters σ (scale parameter) and c (shape parameter) as well as other canopy indices were related to the abundance of A. americanum, the density of competing tree species, and stand-level abiotic factors. Foliage intercept diagrams showed that heavily infested stands had more foliage in the lower canopy and less in the upper canopy than lightly infested stands, but that total canopy height and canopy volume were similar regardless of infestation level. We also found that dwarf mistletoe abundance was strongly rel.
MODELLING YIELDS OF NON-IRRIGATED WINTER WHEAT IN A SEMI-ARID MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT BASED ON DROUGHT VARIABILITY

SUMMARY Regression models for the prediction of grain yields of non-irrigated winter wheat in a semi-arid Mediterranean environment were developed based on drought variability. Twenty-five years (1980–2004) of climate data and yield data from four soils (sandy loam, clay, clay loam and sandy clay loam soil) in northern Greece were used for this purpose. Two variables were selected as explanatory variables of the models: (a) the monthly precipitation versus the monthly reference evapotranspiration ratio (P/ETo), which describes the monthly drought and consequently the water deficit conditions during the wheat-growing season and (b) the mean observed yield (y) of each soil, which indirectly describes the intrinsic fertility of the soils. A resampling technique using subsets of the data (bootstrapping) was applied to estimate the coefficients of the models, to assess the uncertainty of the selected explanatory variables and to validate the models. The models showed adequate predictive ability of wheat yields, defining the time and intensity of drought effects. The most crucial period for winter wheat was found to be primarily the vegetative-reproductive stage period between late winter and mid-spring (i.e. February to April). Soil clay content was found to be the most representative parameter in describing most of the physico-chemical parameters and properties of the soils and consequently the mean yield, indicating that yield is non-linearly correlated with most soil properties. With the proposed models, yield gap (YG) predictions between two growing seasons of the selected soils presented 84% accuracy in all years in the identification of the correct signal (+ or −) of yield increase or decrease, respectively, and adequate performance in the prediction of the mean YG.
Use of β-Actin Gene Intron 2 as a Phylogenetic Marker in Fish Taxonomy

Intron 2 of the β-actin genes from several fish species was sequenced and aligned with a Clustal W program for maximum similarity. From the maximum similarity and phylip data, it was noted that the intron 2 sequences would be useful for establishing a molecular phylogenetic tree and in elucidating the gene flow through evolution, especially at the family level.
AHA Statistical Update Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2012 Update A Report From the American Heart Association WRITING GROUP MEMBERS

Véronique L. Roger, MD, MPH, FAHA; Alan S. Go, MD; Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, ScM, FAHA; Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM, FAHA; Jarett D. Berry, MD; William B. Borden, MD; Dawn M. Bravata, MD; Shifan Dai, MD, PhD*; Earl S. Ford, MD, MPH, FAHA*; Caroline S. Fox, MD, MPH; Heather J. Fullerton, MD; Cathleen Gillespie, MS*; Susan M. Hailpern, DPH, MS; John A. Heit, MD, FAHA; Virginia J. Howard, PhD, FAHA; Brett M. Kissela, MD; Steven J. Kittner, MD, FAHA; Daniel T. Lackland, DrPH, MSPH, FAHA; Judith H. Lichtman, PhD, MPH; Lynda D. Lisabeth, PhD, FAHA; Diane M. Makuc, DrPH*; Gregory M. Marcus, MD, MAS, FAHA; Ariane Marelli, MD, MPH; David B. Matchar, MD, FAHA; Claudia S. Moy, PhD, MPH; Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, FAHA; Michael E. Mussolino, PhD; Graham Nichol, MD, MPH, FAHA; Nina P. Paynter, PhD, MHSc; Elsayed Z. Soliman, MD, MSc, MS; Paul D. Sorlie, PhD; Nona Sotoodehnia, MD, MPH; Tanya N. Turan, MD, FAHA; Salim S. Virani, MD; Nathan D. Wong, PhD, MPH, FAHA; Daniel Woo, MD, MS, FAHA; Melanie B. Turner, MPH; on behalf of the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee
New Programming Paradigms

Davina, a seventhgrade girl, lives in a rural community. She loves her dog, Slayer, and wonders what he does all day. Like many other dogs in her area, Slayer doesn’t spend a lot of time indoors at home; he goes on adventures during the day, and returns home many nights for food and sleep. Davina’s friends have similar curiosities: Where do their dogs go? What other dogs do they hang out with? They decide to work together to build technologies that will get them answers to these questions. With their teacher’s help, they use the BBC Micro:bit (a small, lowcost microcontroller with builtin sensors and wireless communication) to create animal wearables that they can use to create a data set about their dogs’ social and geospatial activities. They assign each dog a unique ID number and program each dog’s Micro:bit to broadcast that unique ID every 30 seconds using the builtin shortrange wireless radio. They also program each device to listen for broadcasts from other dogs’ devices; each device will count up how many times it receives broadcasts from every other device. The next time they see their dogs, they attach the Micro:bits (in waterproof cases) to the dogs’ collars, and send them out on their adventures. Then, when they see the dogs again, the students download their dogs’ data sets to their laptops. They bring these data to class, and each creates a graph of how much time their dog hangs out with every other dog.
The World´s oldest living grapevine specimen and its genetic relationships

The Old Vine from Lent (Maribor, Slovenia) which belongs to the ‘Modra Kavcina’ group ( i.e. ‘Blauer Kolner’ in the Vitis International Variety Catalogue and ‘Žametovka’ in the official varietal list of Slovenia) is considered to be the oldest living specimen of cultivated grapevine (at least 400 years old). The aim of our study was to determine the genetic relationships among different accessions of the ‘Žametovka’ group, the position the Old Vine within this group, and the relationship between the Old Vine and other red varieties grown in Slovenia and neighbouring countries. The molecular genetic analysis was based on microsatellite data. The study shows that the ‘Žametovka’ group is genetically completely different from other red varieties studied. Among these genetically distant varieties, in our study, ‘Chasselas red’ appears to be the closest. The ‘Žametovka’ group is genetically highly homogenous, and half of the studied accessions probably belong to the same clone. The ‘Old vine’ cannot be considered as a significantly different genotype. The minor differences detected by microsatellite markers are probably due to mutations accumulated over a long period of time and possibly to epigenetic changes.
Analysis of intact triacylglycerols in cold pressed canola, flax and hemp seed oils by HPLC and ESI-MS

Cold-pressed canola, hemp and flax seed oils were separated into their respective intact triglycerides via high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and their fatty acids analysed. Molecular weights of the triglycerides were determined by electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS). Seven triglycerides were collected for flax seed, and trilinolenoyl-glycerol was the most abundant at 25.9%. Seven triglycerides were separated and collected for canola seed oil with dioleoyl-linolenoyl-glycerol as the most abundant (32.5%). Eight triglycerides were separated and collected from hemp seed oil with trilinoleoyl-glycerol as the most abundant (21.9%). The fatty acid profiles of the separated triglycerides for the three oils were determined to confirm the assignments. Hempseed was found to have the highest content of palmitic acid in the triglyceride fractions collected (5.6%); flax and canola had 4.1% and 3.1% respectively. The results of fatty acid composition analysis of the cold pressed oils showed oleic acid to be the most abundant fatty acid in canola oil at 57.56 ± 0.13%. Linoleic acid was the most abundant in hemp seed oil at 55.64 ± 1.21%, and linolenic acid in flax seed oil at 58.84 ± 0.91%. Enzymatic hydrolysis using pancreatic lipase treatment was performed to analyse positional distribution of fatty acids in the oils. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used for separation of 2-monoglycerides and free fatty acids. For all three oils, unsaturated fatty acids marginally preferred the sn-2 position on the glycerol backbone. Flaxseed had 59.1% of linolenic acid on sn-2 position. At 58.6%, oleic acid was the most abundant fatty acid at the sn-2 position in canola oil, and for linoleic acid in hemp seed oil, 58.2%. Higher ratios of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids were located on sn-1, 3 positions.
Comparative studies on hemipenes of four species of Trimeresurus (sensu stricto) (Serpentes : Crotalinae)

The hemipenes of four species of Chinese pit vipers, Trimeresurus albolabris, T. medoensis, T. stejnegeri. T. xiangchengensis, were described and illustrated. The results showed that the four species are notably different in hemipenial structures, and the hemipenes of four species can be clustered into three types. Furthermore, a comparison with the hemipenes of related species in the genus was conducted.