Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation in performance of two co‐occurring mosquito species across diverse resource environments: insights from nutrient and stable isotope analyses

1. Inputs of animal and plant detritus are the main energy sources for food webs in a number of isolated container systems, including discarded automobile tyres and tree holes. Containers are dominated by mosquitoes in the genera Culex and Aedes, which among other differences often engage in different foraging behaviours. We hypothesised that because Aedes feed more by browsing surfaces, whereas Culex often filter the water column, these mosquitoes would show variation in performance and differentially affect detritus. Effects of different ratios of animal and plant detritus on survival, mass, and development time for two common container mosquito species, Culex restuans L. and Aedes albopictus Skuse, were examined. We also quantified detrital contribution to biomass via isotopic and nutrient analysis and the effect of larvae on detrital decay.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Modulates Effects of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligands on Cell Proliferation and Expression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes in Rat Liver “Stem-Like” Cells

Various liver diseases lead to an extensive inflammatory response and release of a number of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). This cytokine is known to play a major role in liver regeneration as well as in carcinogenesis. We investigated possible interactions of TNF-alpha with ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and known liver carcinogens, such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and coplanar 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126). These compounds have been previously found to disrupt cell cycle control in contact-inhibited rat liver WB-F344 cells, an in vitro model of adult liver progenitor cells. TNF-alpha itself had no significant effect on the proliferation/apoptosis ratio in the WB-F344 cell line. However, it significantly potentiated proliferative effects of low picomolar range doses of both TCDD and PCB 126, leading to an increase in cell numbers, as well as an increased percentage of cells entering the S-phase of the cell cycle. The combination of TNF-alpha with low concentrations of AhR ligands increased both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of cyclin A, a principle cyclin involved in disruption of contact inhibition. TNF-alpha temporarily inhibited AhR-dependent induction of cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1). In contrast, TNF-alpha significantly enhanced induction of CYP1B1 at both mRNA and protein levels, by a mechanism, which was independent of nuclear factor-kappaB activation. These results suggest that TNF-alpha can significantly amplify effects of AhR ligands on deregulation of cell proliferation control, as well as on expression of CYP1B1, which is involved in metabolic activation of a number of mutagenic compounds.
Measuring Residents Satisfaction Levels of Public Housing in Maiduguri Metropolis of Borno State, Nigeria

This study aims to evaluate the residents’ satisfaction with public housing in the Maiduguri metropolis. The study assessed the levels of quality of housing components, occupants’ preference and satisfaction. The study adopted a quantitative approach and data were collected through a questionnaire survey from 265 household heads of the housing estate proportionately selected from the target population in Maiduguri metropolis. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics with mean ranking, frequency distribution and multiple regression analysis to achieve the research aim. The study showed that quality of building component, Condition of a bedroom, condition of living room, condition of the roof, condition of finishing and condition of the kitchen were ranked as very good and condition of the store, condition of the dining area, condition of garage and condition of toilets were good in the study area, while public housing quality and preference significantly influence occupants' satisfaction in Maiduguri metropolis. The research recommended that occupant peculiarities should be integrated into the design and development of housing estate. This will ensure that the satisfaction of the occupants is well co-opted in the development and therefore lead to higher satisfaction and functionality of the estates. The provision of facilities and amenities in public housing estates should be based on the occupant requirements and peculiarities. This will lead to the optimal utilization of the estate after development.
Fungitoxic effects of some leaf extracts against rhizopus oryzae causing tuber rot of potato

Extracts of Cymbopogon citratus, Azadirachta indica (Neem) and Ocimum gratissimum were effective in controlling the growth of Rhizopus oryzae in vitro and in vivo. Neem was found to be the best followed by C. citratus and O. gratissimum. Alcohol extracts of these plant species were more effective than water extracts in reducing the growth of the pathogen in culture and in checking rot development in potato tuber by the fungus. A. indica and C. citratus have considerable disease control potential and their extracts can be exploited as a source of pesticide of plant origin to control the soft rot in stored potato incited by Rhizopus oryzae.
Airborne allergenic pollen grains on a farm in West Bengal, India

A continuous two years (July, 1994 to June, 1996) survey of aeropalynoflora on an agricultural farm situated in the suburbs of Calcutta was carried out using a Burkard volumetric spore trap. A total of 46 pollen types were identified. The dominant pollen types recorded originated from Poaceae, Trema orientalis Cyperaceae and Cocos nucifera. These pollen types were subjected to clinical investigation to determine their degree of allergenicity on adult respiratory allergic patients by means of skin prick tests. A maximum allergenic response was shown to Saccharum officinarum (54.86%) followed by Azadirachta indica (52.93%) and Phoenix sylvestris (44.09%). Among the 46 recorded pollen types, 26 showed a positive skin reaction. Seasonal variations, diurnal periodicities and the vertical profiles of airborne concentrations of these allergenic pollen types were studied to evaluate the extent of exposure. The overall survey confirms the fact that all dominant airborne pollen types do not contribute equally to th.
Digestibility and energy utilisation of three diets by llamas and sheep

L'objectif de cette etude etait de determiner la digestibilite, la production de methane et l'utilisation de l'energie de trois regimes : H, 100 % de foin de prairie naturelle de mauvaise qualite ; HB, 60 % du meme foin et 40 % d'orge en pellets ; S, 100 % de paille traitee a l'ammoniac offerts a un niveau proche de l'entretien selon un dispositif en carre latin a six lamas adultes castres et six moutons castres. Exprimees par kilo de poids metabolique (MBW), les MS ingerees avec les regimes H et S etaient 23 et 24 % plus faibles chez les lamas que chez les moutons respectivement. Les digestibilites apparentes de la matiere organique et du NDF tendaient a etre plus elevees mais n'etaient pas significativement differentes entre lamas et moutons. La digestibilite apparente de l'ADF etait plus elevee chez les lamas que chez les moutons (p < 0,01). Les depenses energetiques journalieres et circadiennes des animaux etaient determinees par calorimetrie indirecte avec les regimes H et HB seulement. Les pertes d'energie sous forme de methane rapportees a l'energie ingeree et digestible n'etaient pas significativement differentes entre les especes. Pour le meme temps passe debout et la meme ingestion d'energie metabolisable (EM), les depenses energetiques etaient 17 % plus faibles chez les lamas que chez les moutons avec le regime H et n'etaient pas significativement differentes avec le regime HB. Les besoins d'entretien des lamas etaient en moyenne de 343 et 296 kJ/d'EM/kg PM/j avec les regimes H et HB respectivement (P < 0,01) et ceux des moutons de 412 et 317 kJ d'EM (p < 0,01). Les besoins d'entretien plus faibles chez les lamas que chez les moutons observes avec le regime a faible teneur en proteines (H) pourraient resulter de l'aptitude plus grande des lamas a recycler l'uree et a eviter ainsi un deficit proteique qui peut accroitre l'activite metabolique tissulaire.
Protecting and managing the Arabian Gulf: Past, present and future

The Arabian Gulf (also known as Persian Gulf and ROPME Sea) represents an extremely important economic, political and strategic aquatic resource. Although the Gulf region is known world wide for its oil-gas deposits and production, very little is known about its ecosystem health, food web dynamics, fisheries, biodiversity and sustainability. The present study reviews and highlights the major anthropogenic stressors which threaten the marine and coastal ecosystems of the Gulf. The Arabian Gulf environment lacks the holistic, ecosystem-based research and monitoring that have been conducted in other marine ecosystems. There is a need for multi-disciplinary, multi-trophic and multi-agency international investigations including the application of emerging technology. Such an integrated strategy is urgently needed to save the rapidly changing marine ecosystems from the impact of rapid and vigorous coastal development across the entire Gulf region. The necessity of developing and implementing ecosystem health agreements between the various riparian countries is emphasized for expeditious protection, conservation and management of this precious but threatened natural heritage.
Revealing in real-time a multistep assembly mechanism for SV40 virus-like particles

Acoustic force spectroscopy and optical tweezer experiments show a multistep assembly process for SV40 virus–like particles. Many viruses use their genome as template for self-assembly into an infectious particle. However, this reaction remains elusive because of the transient nature of intermediate structures. To elucidate this process, optical tweezers and acoustic force spectroscopy are used to follow viral assembly in real time. Using Simian virus 40 (SV40) virus-like particles as model system, we reveal a multistep assembly mechanism. Initially, binding of VP1 pentamers to DNA leads to a significantly decreased persistence length. Moreover, the pentamers seem able to stabilize DNA loops. Next, formation of interpentamer interactions results in intermediate structures with reduced contour length. These structures stabilize into objects that permanently decrease the contour length to a degree consistent with DNA compaction in wild-type SV40. These data indicate that a multistep mechanism leads to fully assembled cross-linked SV40 particles. SV40 is studied as drug delivery system. Our insights can help optimize packaging of therapeutic agents in these particles.
Physiological and biochemical responses of salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive wheat and bean cultivars to salinity

Salinity stress caused a marked reduction in dry matter gain in roots and shoots, and transpiration rate of all the test wheat and bean cultivars. Although the accumulation of malondialdehyde was stimulated in roots of sensitive cultivars at second phase of NaCl stress (160 mM), there were no appreciable differences in the production of it in roots of tolerant cultivars of wheat and bean plants. The electrical conductivity of the selected wheat and bean cultivars was stimulated by salt stress. All fractions of photosynthetic pigments in the test plants decreased gradually with the rise of salt level (80-160 mM NaCl). A notable sensitivity in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates and proteins in different organs of the selected wheat and bean cultivars was displayed in the presence of salinity. The presence of NaCl did not affect the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity in leaves of the selected wheat and bean cultivars, except in salt-tolerant bean cultivar (cv. Sakha1) salinity stress exhibited an inhibitory effect. NaCl stress failed to induce appreciable variations in the production of free phenolic compounds in leaves of the wheat and bean cultivars, except in case of cv. Sakha1. Salinity stress caused an inhibitory effect on the production of bound phenolic compounds in wheat and bean cultivars.
Observations on the genus Scoliciosporum in Australia, with the description of a second species of Jarmania

Abstract: Australian records of Scoliciosporum are reviewed. The new species, Jarmania scoliciosporoides Kantvilas, is described, based on Tasmanian material previously referred to Scoliciosporum pruinosum (P. James) Vězda; the systematic position of these two taxa is considered. Two further species recorded previously, S. compactum Körber and S. umbrinum (Ach.) Arnold, are discussed and all records united under the latter name; S. umbrinum is reported from Tasmania for the first time.
Growth of Avocado Fruit Callus and Its Relation to Exogenous and Endogenous Cytokinins

Callus derived from avocado cotyledons and mesocarp was grown in tissue culture. Cytokinins in nutrient media were vital for the growth of mesocarp callus but not for the growth of cotyledonous callus. It was found that cotyledonous callus synthesized Cytokinins.
Plastome structure and phylogenetic position of Rhus typhina (Anacardiaceae)

Abstract Rhus typhina, commonly called staghorn sumac, is native to North America and is widely planted as an ornamental deciduous shrub all over the temperate region. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome (plastome) of R. typhina was determined using genome-skimming method. The complete plastome of staghorn sumac was 160,204 bp in length with a canonical quadripartite structure, including a large single-copy region of 87,789 bp, a small single-copy region of 19,319 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats regions of 26,548 bp each. A total of 113 unique genes were annotated in this plastome, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. The overall guanine-cytosine (GC) content was 37.8%. As shown in the ML phylogenetic tree, R. typhina was closely related to R. chinensis, and Rhus was sister to Pistacia within Anacardiaceae famliy.
Aid Crowd-Out: The Effect of NGOs on Government-Provided Public Services

We document that in poor rural communities where government workers provide basic health services, the entry of an NGO that aims to provide similar services reduces the supply of government workers and total services. This is consistent with the NGO providing the combination of higher pay and stronger incentives for commercial activities. The decline in health services is most pronounced in villages where the NGO hires the government worker, where there is also an increase in infant mortality. In villages without any health worker beforehand, NGO entry unambiguously increases health services and reduces infant mortality. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber. org.
The "Motivational Climate in Physical Education Scale" in Greek Educational Context: Psychometric Properties and Gender Effects

The aim of this study was to carry out a preliminary validation of “Motivational Climate in Physical Educational” (Soini, Liukkonen, Watt, Yli-Piipari, & Jaakkola, 2014) in Greek educational context. 184 (101 male & 83 female) elementary school students of grades 5th & 6th from different regions of the country participated in the survey. The Greek version of Motivational Climate in Physical Educational (Soini, Liukkonen, Watt, Yli-Piipari, & Jaakkola, 2014) was used for data’s collection. The data’s statistical analysis included: a. Descriptive analysis (M, SD, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartlett’s test of Sphericity, and Measure of Sampling Adequacy), b. Exploratory factor analysis, c. Reliability analysis, d. one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance. The analysis shows: a. the questionnaire retains the structure of the four factors that its designers have recommended b. internal cohesion of the four factors was impressively high (.85 the lowest and .90 the highest). Survey data show: a. The Greek version of the “Motivational Climate in Physical Educational” is a reliable tool of measurement of motivational climate in the Greek educational elementary school environment, b. gender determines the climate of motivation with male students scoring higher in task involving and autonomy factors whereas girls perform better in task involving and relatedness.
Molecular Cloning and Expression of Biologically Active Human Glia Maturation Factor‐β

Glia maturation factor‐β, a protein found in the brains of all vertebrates thus far examined, appears to play a role in the differentiation, maintenance, and regeneration of the nervous system. Using oligonucleotide probes based on the sequences of three tryptic peptides derived from bovine glia maturation factor‐β, we screened a human brainstem cDNA library in δll. A 0.7‐kb clone was isolated, sequenced in its entirety, and found to encode a polypeptide of 142 amino acids which contained regions identical to the three bovine peptides. This polypeptide, human recombinant glia maturation factor‐β, has been expressed in Escherichia coli and found to possess structural characteristics and biological activity indistinguishable from those of the native bovine protein.
Characterization of tetranucleotide microsatellites for Rio Grande cutthroat trout and rainbow trout, and their cross‐amplification in other cutthroat trout subspecies

We describe the isolation and characterization of 12 tetranucleotide microsatellites for Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and subsequently investigate their performance in Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus), greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias) and Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri). All 12 loci are polymorphic in all subspecies of O. clarkii examined.
Ouabain sensitivity and expression of Na/K‐ATPase α‐ and β‐subunit isoform genes during bovine early development

The fluid movements that arise during blastocyst formation (cavitation) are, at least in part, driven by the Na/K‐ATPase. In this study, the reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) was used to survey bovine pre‐attachment embryos for transcripts encoding known isoforms of the Na/K‐ATPase α‐ and β‐ subunits, including isoforms not previously detected during the first week of mammalian development. Transcripts encoding the Na‐K‐ATPase α1, α2, α3 and β2 isoforms were detected throughout bovine preattachment development. This is the first indication that α2, α3 and β2 mRNAs are expressed during this early developmental interval. As in the mouse, β1‐subunit transcripts were not detected until the morula stage and were also present in blastocysts. Thus, in two mammalian species an increase in abundance of β1 isoform transcripts in the morula stage is coincident with the onset of cavitation. Transcripts encoding the recently characterized α4 isoform were not detected. The sensitivity of bovine blastocysts to ouabain (a potent inhibitor of Na/K‐ATPase) was determined by assessing the ability of bovine blastocysts to recover in ouabain supplemental culture medium following cytochalasin‐induced blastocyst collapse. Re‐expansion of bovine blastocysts was inhibited in all ouabain concentrations down to 10 9 M. Mouse blastocysts, in contrast, were sensitive to ouabain at or above 10 3M. These results have established that transcripts encoding multiple isoforms of both the α and β subunits of the Na/K‐ATPase are expressed throughout early bovine development and that bovine blastocysts display a greater sensitivity to ouabain than murine blastocysts. Future analysis will determine the possible individual and collective roles of these isoforms during blastocyst formation. Mol Reprod Dev 46:114–126, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Compensatory plant growth as a response to herbivory

Compensatory growth in plants subjected to herbivory may alleviate the potential deleterious effects of tissue damage, whether to vegetative or reproductive organs. Tissue destruction is rarely, if ever, translated monotonically into a proportional reduction of final yield. Internal mechanisms of compensation involve modifications of plant metabolism; external mechanisms of compensation involve modifications of the plant environment that are favorable to plant growth and yield.
Acceptance and Use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE): Structural Equations Modeling of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

UTAUT 2 is a model designed to be a starting point for investigating IT adoption and can be used to identify the factors that influence the intention to use it, as well as to be adopted by an organization. The main objective of this research is to validate the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model by applying the questionnaire to students of a university that has gone through the process of implementing a virtual learning environment. The method is the quantitative one, through the survey strategy. As for the time horizon of the survey, a transversal cut was chosen. The techniques and procedures adopted were the modeling of structural equations with partial least squares in the Smart-PLS 3 software. The instrument used in this article is an adaptation of the questionnaire of Venkatesh et al (2012). The results point to evidence of converging and descriminating validity. This research contributes to the Unified Theory of Technology Acceptance and Use (UTAUT) as it is applied in different environments, evidencing characteristics that may allow its generalization. Finally, in the practical scope, it is possible to use this tool to evaluate and plan the acceptance of a new technology in the organizational scope.
Complete mitochondrial genome of Gymnodiptychus pachycheilus weiheensis (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)

Abstract This study provides a mitochondrial complete genome of Gymnodiptychus pachycheilus weiheensis. The complete genome is 16,680 bp in length with an A + T content of 55.5%, contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that Gymnodiptychus pachycheilus weiheensis is closed related to Oxygymnocypris stewartii. These results contribute to explore the molecular evolution of Gymnodiptychus pachycheilus weiheensis.
Visual Analytic Method for Students’ Association via Modularity Optimization

Students spend most of their time living and studying on campus, especially in Asia, and they form various types of associations in addition to those with classmates and roommates. It is necessary for university authorities to master these types of associations, so as to provide appropriate services, such as psychological guidance and academic advice. With the rapid development of the “smart campus,” many kinds of student behavior data are recorded, which provides an unprecedented opportunity to deeply analyze students’ associations. In this paper, we propose a visual analytic method to construct students’ association networks by computing the similarity of their behavior data. We discover student communities using the popular Louvain (or BGLL) algorithm, which can extract community structures based on modularity optimization. Using various visualization charts, we visualized associations among students so as to intuitively express them. We evaluated our method using the real behavior data of undergraduates in a university in Beijing. The experimental results indicate that this method is effective and intuitive for student association analysis.