Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct and Indirect Species Interactions in an Early Old-Field Plant Community

The success of species in a community is determined not only by the direct interactions between species but also by indirect interactions. Indirect effects will occur if an associate species changes the abundance of intermediate species in a chain of interactions that ultimately affect the growth of some focal species. A model of species interactions in a community is presented here and used to quantify direct and indirect effects in a five-species weedy plant community. This method quantifies indirect effects by measuring changes in the abundance of the intermediate species and then estimating how such changes will affect the focal species. The experiments demonstrated that the direct effects in this community were generally negative (competitive) and could be quite large. Indirect effects were positive (facilitative) and negatively correlated with the direct effects, which thus acted to mitigate the usually larger competitive effects. The magnitudes of most species interactions in this community were primarily determined by large direct effects of Ambrosia artemisiifolia and, to a lesser extent, Agropyron repens. The species that exhibited the least competitive release following the removal of a competitor were those that were the most suppressed, because of the nonlinear nature of their response to increasing abundance of competitors.
Non-peptidic urotensin-II receptor modulators

Urotensin-II (U-II), first isolated as a fish neuropeptide, is the most potent vasoconstrictor known to date. Through the interaction with its cognate 7-transmembrane receptor UT (formerly known as the orphan receptor GPR14), U-II has demonstrated potent vasoconstrictor activity in mammalian tissues including those from rats, monkeys and, most importantly, humans. Systemic administration of human U-II (hU-II) in monkey, cat and human induced profound cardiohaemodynamic effects. The U-II/UT system is purported to be involved in the (dys)regulation of cardiorenal and metabolic function and hU-II has been implicated in the aetiology of numerous diseases including hypertension, heart failure, atherosclerosis, renal failure, cirrhosis and diabetes. The impressive in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activity of U-II has stimulated a great deal of interest in identifying, designing and developing non-peptidic small molecule UT modulators. Significant advances have been made in this young but rapidly emerging research field with several classes of potent, selective and bioavailable UT antagonists being recently discovered and disclosed. This review will highlight the advances that have been made in the non-peptidic small molecule UT modulator area.
The Phytophthora diseases of stone fruit trees in Greece

Phytophthora collar and crown rots are serious soilborne diseases which for a long time have caused considerable losses in stone fruit orchards in Greece. A number of Phytophthora species are notorious for being the cause of crown and root rots in Greek stone trees, including P. cactorum, P. citricola, P. cryptogea, P. drechsleri, P. nicotianae, P. citrophthora, P. syringae and P. megasperma. The most important Phytophthora species is P. cactorum, while P. syringae and P. citrophthora may be locally significant. The economic consequences from death of peach trees and yield losses caused by this disease in Imathia County are serious.
Redefined generic limits of Carum (Umbelliferae, Apioideae) and new systematic placement of some of its taxa

Abstract Zakharova E. A. , Degtjareva G. V. & Pimenov M. G. : Redefined generic limits of Carum (Umbelliferae, Apioideae) and new systematic placement of some of its taxa. — Willdenowia 42: 149–168. December 2012. — Online ISSN 1868-6397; © 2012 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. Stable URL: http://dx.doi. org/10.3372/wi.42. 42201 A phylogenetic analysis of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (nrDNA ITS) sequences of the species of Carum (Umbelliferae, Apioideae) in its traditional circumscription is provided. The sampling includes also a wide spectrum of taxa across subfamily Apioideae, to identify the relationships of the various disparate elements so far united in Carum. The molecular analysis has been supplemented by an analysis of fruit and petal morphology of several critical species of Carum and beyond. Carum in its traditional interpretation is confirmed to be polyphyletic; it includes at least seven independent evolutionary lines. C. carvi, which provides the type of the generic name, and only four Caucasian and Near Eastern species, C. caucasicum, C. meifolium, C. grossheimii, C. porphyrocoleon, make up Carum s.str. , while their relationship to Grammosciadium, Chamaesciadium and Fuernrohria in the same clade needs further studies. The rare Caucasian Carum komarovii as well as the W Asian Pimpinella anthriscoides and the Japanese Chamaele decumbens are closely related to and united here with Aegopodium. Carum verticillatum, for which a sister group relationship to the Oenantheae clade is revealed, is restored as the monotypic genus Trocdaris. The previous transfer of the S Siberian and Middle Asian Carum atrosanguineum to Vicatia is confirmed. Pimpinella cruciata clusters with and is included in the genus Tamamschjanella. Three new nomenclatural combinations, Aegopodium decumbens, A. komarovii and Tamamschjanella cruciata, are published.
Comparative Examination of the Therapeutic Deficiency of Oral Metronidazole Plus Prangos ferulacea Vaginal Cream Versus Oral Metronidazole Plus Placebo Vaginal Cream in Accelerating Trichomonas Vaginalis Infection Recovery: A Triple-Blind Clinical Trial

Objectives: Trichomonas infection is prevalent in the United States and a metronidazole oral tablet is the medication of choice for treating this infection. Based on various side-effects of oral or vaginal metronidazole and the increase in microbial resistance against chemical antibiotics, the use of herbal medicine with fewer side-effects seems to be essential. Laboratory experiments indicate the strong anti-microbial effects of Prangos ferulacea (PF) medicinal herb. However, no clinical trial has focused on its anti-microbial effects in humans. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the effects of PF vaginal cream on accelerating Trichomonas vaginalis infection (TVI) recovery. Materials and Methods: The present randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 non-pregnant women visiting the healthcare centers affiliated with Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2018. Trichomonas infection was diagnosed based on patient complaints, clinical observations, as well as wet mount and stained microscopic tests. The women were randomly divided into two groups of 40 each. One group received oral metronidazole plus PF vaginal cream while the other received oral metronidazole plus placebo vaginal cream for 7 days. Clinical observations, along with wet mount and stained microscopic tests were performed during 7 days following the treatment. Finally, data were analyzed using independent-samples t test, as well as chi-square, Fisher exact, Mann-Whitney U, and McNemar tests at the significance level of P<0.05. Results: Based on the results, the response to treatment with oral metronidazole plus PF vaginal cream was 92.50 based on patient complaints. More precisely, 86.25% was based on clinical criteria (i.e., strawberry cervix, foamy greenish-yellow vaginal discharge, pH ≥4.5, and positive amine test) and 85% was related to the microscopic criteria of wet mount (x40) and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (x100). In addition, the response to treatment with oral metronidazole and placebo vaginal cream was 91.25%, 83.12%, and 80% based on the patient complaint, clinical criteria, and microscopic criteria, respectively. Eventually, the analysis of the patient complaint, clinical criteria, and microscopic criteria in each group revealed a significant difference before and after the treatment (P<0.001) Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the PF herbal vaginal cream can be used for the treatment of TVI as an effective treatment along with oral metronidazole.
Impacts of drought and temperature stress on coffee physiology and production: a review

Overall, drought and unfavourable temperatures are the major climatic limitations for coffee production. These limitations are expected to become increasingly important in several coffee growing regions due to the recognized changes in global climate, and also because coffee cultivation has spread towards marginal lands, where water shortage and unfavourable temperatures constitute major constraints to coffee yield. In this review, we examine the impacts of such limitations on the physiology, and consequently on the production of mainly Coffea arabica and C. canephora, which account for about 99 % of the world coffee bean production. The first section deals with climatic factors and the coffee plant’s requirements. The importance of control ling oxidative stress for the expression of drought and cold tolerance abilities is emphasized in the second section. In the third section, we examine the impacts of drought on cell-water relations, stomatal behaviour and water use, photosynthesis and crop yield, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, root growth and characteristics, and on drought tolerance. In the fourth section, the impacts of low positive and high temperatures on coffee physiology are discussed; some insights about effects of negative temperatures are also presented. Finally, the last section deals with shading in harsh environments as a mean of buffering climatic fluctuations, as well as of increasing environmental sustainability in cof fee exploitation.
Isotopic fractionation and turnover in captive Garden Warblers (Sylvia borin): implications for delineating dietary and migratory associations in wild passerines

There is currently a great deal of interest in using stable-isotope methods to investigate diet and migratory connections in wild passerines. To apply these methods successfully, it is important to understand how stable isotopes discriminate or change between diet and the tissue of interest and what the element-turnover rates are in metabolically active tissues. Of particular use are studies that sample birds non-destructively through the use of blood and feathers. We investigated patterns of isotopic discrimination between diet and blood and feathers of Garden Warblers (Sylvia borin) raised on an isotopically homogeneous diet (48% C, 5% N) and then switched to one of two experimental diets, mealworms (56.8% C, 8.3% N) and elderberries, Sambucus niger (47.4% C, 1.5% N). We established that the discrimination factors between diet and blood appropriate for stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes are +1.7‰ and +2.4‰, respectively. For feathers, these values were +2.7‰ and +4‰, respectively. Turnove.
Virtual HSM: Building a Hardware-backed Dependable Cryptographic Store

Cloud computing is being used by almost everyone, from regular consumer to IT specialists, as it is a way to have high availability, geo-replication, and resource elasticity with pay-as-you-go charging models. Another benefit is the minimal management effort and maintenance expenses for its users. However, security is still pointed out as the main reason hindering the full adoption of cloud services. Consumers lose ownership of their data as soon as it goes to the cloud; therefore, they have to rely on cloud provider’s security assumptions and Service Level Agreements regarding privacy and integrity guarantees for their data. Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) are dedicated cryptographic processors, typically used in secure cloud applications, that are designed specifically for the protection of cryptographic keys in all steps of their life cycles. They are physical devices with tamperproof resistance, but rather expensive. There have been some attempts to virtualize HSMs. Virtual solutions can reduce its costs but without much success as performance is incomparable and security guarantees are hard to achieve in software implementations. In this dissertation, we aim at developing a virtualized HSM supported by modern attestation-based trusted hardware in commodity CPUs to ensure privacy and reliability, which are the main requirements of an HSM. High availability will also be achieved through techniques such as cloud-of-clouds replication on top of those nodes. Therefore virtual HSMs, on the cloud, backed with trusted hardware, seem increasingly promising as security, attestation, and high availability will be guaranteed by our solution, and it would be much cheaper and as reliable as having physical HSMs.
Effect of 2, 4-D, BAP, KN, IAA and IBA on in vitro Regeneration of Ocimum canum Sims – An Important Hoary Basil Plant

The effect of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin (KN), IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) was evaluated for in vitro shoot regeneration of Ocimum canum Sims. This important medicinal plant species belongs to the family Lamiaceae and it is also known as hoary basil. Nodal segment explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing different phytohormones. 2, 4-D resulted in callus induction from nodal segments when supplemented with MS medium. The highest callus induction (90.17%) was recorded on MS medium containing 2, 4-D (2 mg/l). When nodal segments were cultured on MS medium supplemented with BAP (0.5–2.0 mg/l), KN (0.5–2.0 mg/l) as sole and with combination of BAP (0.5 mg/l) and IAA (0.10–1.00 mg/l), multiple shoots proliferation was initiated. The maximum number of shoots (12.75±0.64), with average length 6.04±0.08 cm, was recorded with MS medium containing BAP (1.5 mg/l) as sole. Repeated subculture of in vitro proliferated shoots yielded 35–40 shoots from a single nodal segment explant after 4–5 months. Developed single shoots were transferred for rooting to ½ MS medium containing IBA (1.5 mg/l) for best rooting of each shoot (3.99±0.23). The regenerated plantlets with well-developed roots were transferred to plastic pots containing a mixture of garden soil, farm yard manure and sand (1:1:1) in controlled environment for achieving high survival percentage (80 – 85%). Thus, a comprehensive micropropagation protocol was developed for O. canum Sims first time using nodal segment explants. This protocol can be used for commercial propagation and for future genetic improvement studies.
Parametrization of Correlations in Multi-Stochastic Volatility/Local-Stochastic Volatility Models

When designing multi-asset stochastic volatility (SV) or local-stochastic volatility (LSV) models, one of the main issues involves the construction of the global correlation matrix. Typically correlation matrices for each assets' degrees of freedom are set and the challenge is to build a global correlation matrix which at least recovers these individual correlation matrices, is positive, and is a smooth function of inputs, so that meaningful sensitivities can be calculated. We present a general methodology for constructing such correlation matrices that uses few parameters, is based on correlations of physical observables, applies to both SVs and LSVs, and works regardless of the dimensionality of the single-asset SV/LSV model.
Classification of New Zealand Arionacea (Mollusca: Pulmonata). XI. The new genus Chaureopa and description of a new species of Paracharopa Climo (Charopidae)

Abstract Chaureopa n. gen. is proposed for Endodonta (Charopa) titirangiensis Suter, 1896 (= E. (C.) ochra Webster, 1904), and the following new species: Chaureopa depressa, C. hazelwoodi, C. microumbilicata, C. roscoei, and C. subdepressa. Paracharopa rimu n. sp. is described from Westland.
Apolipoprotein Eε4 modifies Alzheimer's disease onset in an E280A PS1 kindred

We previously have identified a large kindred from Colombia in which Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by the E280A presenilin 1 (PS1) mutation. The objective of this study was to examine whether environmental and genetic factors are responsible for variation in the phenotypic expression of the E280A PS1 mutation. We genotyped coding and promoter polymorphisms of the APOE gene in carriers of the E280A PS1 mutation. Kaplan–Meier product‐limit and Cox proportional hazard models were used in the statistical analyses. DNA was available from 114 carriers of the E280A PS1 mutation, including 52 subjects with AD. APOE ε4 allele carriers were more likely to develop AD at an earlier age than subjects without the ε4 allele (hazard ratio, 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–3.99; p = 0.030). Subjects with low education were more likely to develop AD later than those with higher education (hazard ratio, 0.476; 95% confidence interval, 0.26–0.87). Low educational level was associated with rural residence (p < 0.001). Promoter APOE variants did not influence either the onset or the duration of the disease. This study is the first to our knowledge to demonstrate that genetic and environmental factors influence age of onset in a kindred with a familial AD mutation. Ann Neurol 2003
Can Birds Be Used as Tools To Inform Resilient Farming and Environmental Care in the Development of Biodiversity-Friendly Market Accreditation Systems? Perspectives of New Zealand Sheep and Beef Farmers

Birds were used as a proxy for wider agroecosystem biodiversity and to examine attitudes and actions of New Zealand sheep and beef farmers toward biodiversity. Farmer interviews were complemented by analysis of a national farmer survey. Analysis of survey and interview responses indicate that farmers regard birds as components of a larger, complex system and bird presence as evidence of a healthy, robust farm environment. Willingness to shoulder responsibility for encouraging birds was linked to the financial constraints of doing so. Market accreditation systems were suggested as the most likely mechanism through which biodiversity conservation measures could be introduced.
Genetic differentiation, taxonomy and conservation of Australasian teals Anas spp.

Summary Australasian teal consist of five taxa (Anas gracilis, A. castanea, A. chlorotis, A. aucklandica and A. nesiotis) whose taxonomic identities and relationships have been uncertain. Analysis of variation at 14 allozyme loci indicates limited but clear divergence of New Zealand taxa (A. chlorotis, A. aucklandica, A. nesiotis), in agreement with previous studies of morphological variation. The New Zealand taxa are “terminal and evolutionarily independent units” that clearly meet the criteria for specific recognition in line with the phylogenetic species concept (PSC). Because each is also geographically restricted and has small world population size, specific recognition supports increased conservation status for each. The three New Zealand species do not form a sister group with A. castanea, as previously hypothesized; instead, A. castanea and A. gracilis are sister taxa.
Comparison of classification performance of selected algorithms using Rural Development Investments Support Programme data.

It is not always possible to solve a large size of data via traditional statistical techniques. In order to solve these kinds of data special tactics like data mining are needed. Data mining may meet these kinds of needs with both categorizing and piling tactic. In this study, we have used data mining by using Rural Development Investment Support Program (RDISP) data with various categorizing algorithms. The most prospering categorizing algorithm was tried to determine by using present data. At the end of analysis, it has been understood that MLP (multilayer perceptron), a nerve net model, is the best algorithm that makes the best categorizing.
Early cross‐linked fibrin in human plasma contains α‐polymers with intact fibrinopeptide A

α-polymer formation, as opposed to -γ-chain dimerization has been considered a relatively late event in factor XIII-induced fibrin stabilization. Recently it has been shown, however, that plasma from healthy individuals and from patients with fibrinaemia contains small amounts of soluble fibrin/fibrinogen oligomers interlinked through dimerized γ-chains as well as cross-linked α-chains. The present work was carried out to see if these early α-chain polymers also arise during coagulation of plasma in vitro. Plasma samples from healthy individuals, prepared by immediate centrifugation of blood collected without anticoagulant, were allowed to clot spontaneously for varying periods. The plasma clots were solubilized in SDS-urea-mercaptoethanol and samples were subjected to SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using polyclonal antibodies to human fibrinogen, or monoclonal antibodies specific either for Aα/α-chains, for fibrinopeptide A-containing chains, for the N-terminus of the fibrin β-chain or for the γ-chains. Fibrin/fibrinogen oligomers were seen to form long before visible gelation of plasma. These oligomers were cross-linked through -γ-chain dimerization, but also through Aα- or α-chain polymerization. The number and amount of α-polymers containing Aα-chains increased immediately after clot formation, but these disappeared about 20 min later, due to complete removal of fibrinopeptide A (FPA) by thrombin. It is concluded that α-polymer formation is a very early event during plasma coagulation in vitro, and that both Aα- and α-chains are involved.
Risiko dan Kesediaan Institusi Zakat Dalam Penerimaan Transaksi Bitcoin

Abstract Today's world is recording the rapid development digital transaction. Bitcoin has become one of the phenomena for online transactions. There are risks that come along with this phenomenon. In addition, this phenomenon has also implicated the transactions conducted by individuals and Muslim communities around the world. In fact, there is a view that permits the use of this transaction to pay zakat with special conditions. The objective of this study is to explore the risk of using Bitcoin; and to explore the zakat institution's readiness to accept the Bitcoin transaction. Methodology of this study using a qualitative study with document’s analysis design. The findings showed that there are five main components in the zakat instituions readiness in Bitocin acceptance such as Education; Investment and Economics; Technology; Safety and Continuous Improvement. Abstrak Dunia masa kini mencatatkan perkembangan transaksi digital yang begitu pantas. Bitcoin telah menjadi salah satu fenomena kepada perkembangan urus niaga transaksi dalam talian. Terdapat risiko-risiko yang datang bersama dengan fenomena ini. Selain itu, fenomena ini juga telah memberikan implikasi kepada urus niaga yang dijalankan oleh individu dan masyarakat muslim di serata dunia. Malah, terdapat pandangan yang mengharuskan penggunaan transaksi ini untuk membayar zakat dengan ditetapkan syarat khusus. Objektif kajian ini bertujuan meneroka risiko penggunaan Bitcoin; dan meneroka kesediaan institusi zakat dalam penerimaan transaksi Bitcoin. Metodologi kajian ini menggunakana kajian kualitatif dengan reka bentuk analisis dokumen. Dapatan mendapati terdapat lima komponen utama dalam kesediaan intitusi zakat seperti Pendidikan; Ekonomi dan Pelaburan; Teknologi; Keselamatan dan Penambahbaikan Berterusan.