Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eight-Port Metamaterial Loaded UWB-MIMO Antenna System for 3D System-in-Package Applications

In this article, an eight-element ultra-wideband (UWB) Multiple-Input-Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna system is proposed for 3D non-planar applications. The proposed UWB-MIMO antenna is installed around a polystyrene block in the 3D-octagonal arrangement. The eight radiating elements are placed on the sides of the octagonal polystyrene block with top and bottom surfaces left open. The single antenna element consists of a modified Y-shaped radiating patch, epsilon-negative (ENG) metamaterial, and a partial ground plane. A modified pie-shaped decoupling structure is deployed at the back-side of the radiating patch to improve the isolation among array elements. Each antenna element is printed on a low-cost FR-4 substrate with dimensions of 28 mm $\times23$ mm with coverage of the whole UWB spectrum from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz frequency band. The eight-port UWB-MIMO antenna system consists of symmetric and non-symmetric array configurations. Simulated and measured MIMO performance parameters i.e. Channel Capacity Loss (CCL) < 0.35, Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) < 0.0025 and Total Active Reflection Coefficient (TARC) < −11 dB are in acceptable limits for both symmetric and non-symmetric configurations. The proposed MIMO antenna system is suitable for 3D system-in-package, indoor localization systems, and wireless personal area network applications in industries where multiple machines are connected to a central server wirelessly through such kinds of antennas in a rich scattering environment.
Molecular Identification of Fungal Isolates from Textile Wastewater by ITS-RFLP Method

Eight strains isolated from textile post-finishing wastewaters were subjected to molecular identification by ITS-RFLP (Internal Transcriber Spacer-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) method, using ITS1 (5â€™-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3â€™) and ITS4 (5â€™-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3â€™) DNA amplification primers for ITS region of the nuclear small-subunit rRNA gene. Restriction fragments analysis was conducted post PCR amplification, and cleaved with HaeIII, HinfI, HhaI, MseI and SduI restriction enzymes. Differences in the lengths of the obtained amplicons were detected after gel electrophoresis, and restriction analyses of the PCR fragments led to identification of six out of eight isolates as belonging to fungi T. parceramosum/ T. reesei/ T. longi, Polyporus squamosus, Fusarium oxysporum and Trichoderma atroviride groups. The PCR ITS-RFLP molecular identification technique can be used successfully for routine screening of fungal isolates from various environments.
THE CASE FOR SEQUENCING THE PACIFIC OYSTER GENOME

Abstract An international community of biologists presents the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas as a candidate for genome sequencing. This oyster has global distribution and for the past several years the highest annual production of any freshwater or marine organism (4.2 million metric tons, worth $3.5 billion US). Economic and cultural importance of oysters motivates a great deal of biologic research, which provides a compelling rationale for sequencing an oyster genome. Strong rationales for sequencing the oyster genome also come from contrasts to other genomes: membership in the Lophotrochozoa, an understudied branch of the Eukaryotes and high fecundity, with concomitantly high DNA sequence polymorphism and a population biology that is more like plants than any of the model animals whose genomes have been sequenced to date. Finally, oysters play an important, sentinel role in the estuarine and coastal marine habitats, where most humans live, environmental degradation is substantial, and oysters suffer intense fishing pressures and natural mortalities from disease and stress. Consumption of contaminated oysters can pose risks to human health from infectious diseases. The genome of the Pacific oyster, at 1C = 0.89 pg or ~824 Mb, ranks in the bottom 12% of genome sizes for the Phylum Mollusca. The biologic and genomic resources available for the Pacific oyster are unparalleled by resources for any other bivalve mollusc or marine invertebrate. Inbred lines have been developed for experimental crosses and genetics research. Use of DNA from inbred lines is proposed as a strategy for reducing the high nucleotide polymorphism, which can interfere with shotgun sequencing approaches. We have moderately dense linkage maps and various genomic and expressed DNA libraries. The value of these existing resources for a broad range of evolutionary and environmental sciences will be greatly leveraged by having a draft genome sequence.
Survival of Herring Gull Larus argentatus chicks: an experimental analysis of the need for early breeding

In 1985 and 1990, we manipulated the hatching date of Herring Gulls Larus argentatus by exchanging complete clutches between pairs which had started egg laying on different dates in the season. The aim was to investigate whether the observed seasonal decline in Hedging success can be explained by laying date. In both years, fledging success of advanced pairs followed the natural seasonal trend, supporting the date hypothesis. However, in both years, Hedging success of delayed pairs remained as high as that of control pairs with the same original hatching date as the foster parents, supporting the parental quality hypothesis. These data suggest that the delayed pairs may have compensated for less favourable environmental conditions. Although conspecific predation was the main direct cause of chick mortality, food shortage probably indirectly determined the mortality rate. A model of fledging success in relation to the timing of egg laying predicts that when food is abundant the optimal hatching date coincides with the mean hatching date of the colony (synchronization advantage). When food is less abundant, early breeders have the highest fledging success.
Influence of microhabitat on bryophyte diversity in Ontario mixedwood boreal forest

As forest management intensifies, the conservation of forest biodiversity is a growing concern. Bryophytes are known to represent a considerable portion of plant diversity within northern forests. This is because bryophyte diversity is closely associated with microhabitat diversity. In this study, the influence of microhabitats on bryophyte diversity was investigated by comparing eight different boreal mixedwood microhabitats. The results indicate that bryophyte diversity (species richness, abundance, and evenness) is quite variable among microhabitats. The accumulation of species richness with microhabitat quantity within a forest stand also varies among microhabitats. β-diversity analyses indicate that the variety of microhabitats has considerable influence on community structure. Frequency analysis identified bryophytes that are restricted to or prefer particular microhabitats. Although all microhabitats are important to bryophyte diversity, decayed logs and rocks supported the greatest number of micro.
Variation and genetic structure of Serratula lycopifolia populations (Vill.) Kern. (Asteraceae) in Poland and adjacent regions

AFLPs were used to analyze the genetic variability of Serratula lycopifolia , one of the rarest plant species in Central and Western Europe, in six populations from the Wyzyna Malopolska upland (Poland), White Carpathian Mts (Slovakia and Czech Republic) and Podolian Upland (Ukraine). The results of polymorphism, PCoA and neighbor-net analyzes showed similar and relatively low genetic variation and high genetic similarity of individuals within each Polish population but there were differences between those populations. The population from Slovakia also showed comparatively high intrapopulation homogeneity and evident genetic separation from the other studied populations. Intrapopulation genetic variation was higher in the Czech and Ukrainian populations. However, AMOVA analyses revealed no significant differentiation at population and regional levels. The estimated low genetic diversity in the populations from Poland and Slovakia may be due to genetic processes such as genetic drift and inbreeding in local populations resulting from their low abundance, and does not seem characteristic of the species as a whole. These genetic analyzes make it clear that the Polish and Slovakian populations need support programmes to maintain their genetic variation. Measures should focus on increasing the number of individuals in the populations and on protecting their habitat.
Bacterial proteases: current therapeutic use and future prospects for the development of new antibiotics

Proteases of the serine-, cysteine- and metallo- type are widely spread in many pathogenic bacteria, where they play critical functions related to colonisation and evasion of host immune defences, acquisition of nutrients for growth and proliferation, facilitation of dissemination, or tissue damage during infection. Since all the antibiotics currently used clinically share a common mechanism of action, i.e., inhibition of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis, resistance to these pharmacological agents represents a serious medical problem, which might be resolved by using a new generation of antibiotics with a different mechanism of action. Bacterial protease inhibitors constitute an interesting possibility, due to the fact that many specific and ubiquitous proteases have recently been characterised in some detail in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Unfortunately, at this moment few potent, specific inhibitors for such bacterial proteases have been reported, except for signal peptidase, clostripain, Clostridium histolyticum collagenase, botulinum neurotoxin and tetanus neurotoxin inhibitors (but such protease inhibitors are not used clinically for the moment). No inhibitors of the critically important and ubiquitous AAA proteases, degP or sortase have been reported, although such compounds would presumably constitute a new class of highly effective antibiotics. On the other hand, several bacterial proteases, such as the Clostridium histolyticum collagenase, or the botulinum neurotoxin A possess therapeutic applications per se for the treatment of some diseases or for the preparation of vaccines. This review presents the state of the art in the design of such enzyme inhibitors with potential therapeutic applications, as well as recent advances in the use of some of these proteases in therapy.
AGE-DEPENDENT ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING BY EXERISTES ROBORATOR (F.) (HYMENOPTERA: ICHNEUMONIDAE)

Abstract Females of the polyphagous ichneumonid parasitoid, Exeristes roborator (F.), that were conditioned for 10 days to hosts in a specific habitat demonstrated associative learning by responding with ovipositor probes into the habitat alone. Females conditioned immediately after eclosion showed a higher participation rate, intensity, and duration (approximately 7 days) of learned behavior than those conditioned 5 or 10 days after eclosion, despite the fact that newly eclosed females did not probe for hosts with their ovipositors until 4 or 5 days after eclosion. The reduction in the learning ability of females within a short time after eclosion may impart a selective advantage to E. roborator by reducing the costs of learning. It could also reflect developmental constraints on the process of learning. The results suggest that carefully controlled associative learning could be exploited to improve the efficiency of host location by parasitoids released in biological-control programs. Résumé Des femelles du parasitoïde ichneumonide polyphage Exeristes roborator (F.) conditionnées pendant 10 jours à la présence d'hôtes dans un habitat spécifique ont fait preuve d'apprentissage par association en sondant cet habitat de leur ovipositeur en l'absence d'hôtes. Des femelles conditionnées immédiatement après l'émergence ont montré une participation plus nombreuse, une intensité plus élevée et une durée (environ 7 jours) plus longue de ce comportement appris que celles conditionnées 5 ou 10 jours après l'émergence, et ce malgré que les femelles nouvellement émergées ne cherchent pas d'hôtes avec leur ovipositeur avant 4 ou 5 jours. La réduction de la capacité d'apprentissage des femelles peu de temps après l'émergence est peut-être sélectivement avantageuse en évitant les coûts de l'apprentissage. Elle pourrait aussi indiquer que l'apprentissage dépend de contraintes ontogénétiques. Les résultats permettent de croire qu'il serait peut-être possible de contrôler l'apprentissage par association afin d'améliorer l'efficacité de recherche des parasitoïdes relâchés lors de programmes de lutte biologique.
INDUCTION OF CELL PROLIFERATION IN THE MOUSE BLADDER BY 4‐ETHYLSULPHONYL‐NAPHTHALENE‐1 ‐SULPHONAMIDE

The reaction of the bladder epithelium of mice, following stimulation with a carcinogen, 4‐ethylsulphonylnaphthalene‐1‐sulphonamide (ENS), was studied. A wave of cell division was induced in the resting epithelium, diploid and tetraploid cells being the main dividing elements; some of the high ploidy surface cells also underwent division. The cell cycle time for the diploid and tetraploid cells appeared to be identical. There was considerable variation in the intensity and timing of the onset of cell division in the bladder epithelium of individual animals. ENS caused severe damage to the surface cells of the bladder epithelium as indicated by increased lysosomes and the formation of large vacuoles.
The First and The Second Mitotic Phases of Spermatogonial Stage in Xenopus laevis: Secondary Spermatogonia Which Have Differentiated after Completion of The First Mitotic Phase Acquire an Ability of Mitosis to Meiosis Conversion

Abstract In Xenopus laevis, the spermatogenic cells derived from a primary spermatogonium divide synchronously and form a cyst surrounded by Sertoli cells. Therefore, it is easy to know how many times the spermatogenic cells divide from the primary spermatogonium by counting the cells in a cyst. In the present report, the distinctive feature of mitotic divisions during the spermatogonial stage in Xenopus laevis is described as having two phases. The first phase took place during five mitotic divisions. During this phase, the nucleus of primary spermatogonium, which was identified by its large size and lobulated shape with weak stainability, progressively decreased in size and became round with heterochromatin patches. In the second phase, the spermatogonia, that had completed the fifth mitotic division and morphologically differentiated into the secondary spermatogonia, could undergo up to three additional mitotic divisions without any morphological change. From the observation of the cysts that consisted of approximately 25, 26, 27, or 28 primary spermatocytes, it was further suggested that the secondary spermatogonia at the second phase could also enter a meiotic phase. All primary spermatocytes were believed to have the ability to undergo the meiotic phase-specific gene expression and two meiotic divisions because the round spermatids in the cyst consisting of approximately 27, 28, 29, or 210 cells expressed SP4 mRNA which was transcribed in the spermatogenic cells at mid-pachytene stage and thereafter. These observations suggested that after the fifth mitotic division, the spermatogenic cells differentiated into the secondary spermatogonia and acquired an ability for mitosis to meiosis conversion.
In vitro propagation of Eriostemon myoporoides and Eriostemon 'Stardust'

Additional index words. wax flower, micropropagation, tissue culture Abstract. Optimal axillary shoot proliferation was obtained from stem explants of a clone of Eriostemon myoporoides DC. on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium containing 0.1 mg BA/liter, and of Eriostemon 'Stardust' on MS medium containing 0.5 mg BA/liter. Overall average number of shoots and shoot lengths for all treatments was greater for E. 'Stardust' (22.4 shoots and 12.1-mm shoot length) than for E. myoporoides (4.5 shoots and 8.3-mm shoot length). Maximum percent rooting of E. myoporoides (42%) and E. 'Stardust' (95%) was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg K-IBA/liter for E. myoporoides and 0.1 mg NAA/liter for E. 'Stardust'. Overall average percent rooting and root lengths were greater for E. 'Stardust' (42% rooting and 11.0-mm root length) than for E. myoporoides (27% rooting and 2.3-mm root length). For E. 'Stardust', reducing sucrose in the rooting medium from 50 to 25 g·liter -1 significantly decreased overall average percent rooting to 1670 and root length to 6.8 mm. Plantlets of both clones were acclimatized in the greenhouse and transferred successfully to soil, although survival was <7070. Chemical names used: N -(phenylmethyl) -l H -purine-6-amine (BA); potassium- l H -indole-3-butyric acid (K-IBA); l-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA).
A NEW SEMI-SELECTIVE MEDIUM FOR THE OCHRATOXIGENIC FUNGUS ASPERGILLUS CARBONARIUS

SUMMARY Aspergillus carbonarius (Bainier) Thom. and Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem are common fungal contaminants of several commodities, including grapes. A. carbonarius is the most important, if not the exclusive, responsible for wine contamination by ochratoxin A (OTA) in Mediterranean areas. Identification of A. carbonarius is made difficult by its high similarity with A. niger, the Aspergillus species most common on grapes, as well as with other species of the section Nigri of this genus. Hence, it requires deep knowledge of fungal taxonomy. A semi-selective medium based on Malt Extract Agar amended with appropriate antibiotics (chloramphenicol and chlortetracycline) and fungicides (dichloran and boscalid) was developed in order to speed up the quantitative detection of A. carbonarius in grapes and musts and improve risk assessment of OTA contamination in wine.
Book Reviews: Pathology of the Mouse, Reference and Atlas. R. R. Maronpot, G. A. Boorman and B. W. Gaul, Editors. Vienna, Illinois, Cache River Press, 1999, 699 pp

of the quality of this book. It is presented in a largeformat page of 2 columns with easy print for reading. Illustrations are uniformly excellent, with cogent photomicrographs distributed through the text in a user-friendly manner. The bibliography is very complete and current, with a comprehensive index. In a multiauthored text, there is always the possibility of variable quality. The editors have done an admirable job in maintaining a uniform high level of quality. Although I tried hard to find loopholes in the text or problems with the illustrations, I
An exploratory study on the relationships between customer satisfaction, perceived values and customer repurchase behavior

The aim of this research was to explore salient mediators and moderators of the relationship between customer satisfactions and repurchase behavior. The research conducted exploratory research by observation and face-to-face interview in the context of fashion luxury brands in Thailand. Data collection pursued an in-depth interview with 15 luxury fashion brand users who were in the age range of 25-55 years old and in the working group. Research population was set as 6 age groups: 25-30, 31-35, 36-40, 41-45, 46-50 and 51-55. The sampling method was a systematic approach to choose the sample of luxury fashion brand users by a random process with every 2 prospectuses showing up at the sampling location, coffee shop. Research findings showed the evidences of the mediating effect of customer perceived values to enhance the explanation of the customer satisfaction-repurchase behavior relationship. The findings of research found other variables, including brand trust, communication channel preference, customer loyalty, and switching barriers as well. Future studies should conduct an empirical test for the interstitial variables discovered in this study and testing the hypothesis about roles, acting as the regulatory variable of behavior, seeking diversity and the characteristics of the customers.
Sustained Expression of a1-Antitrypsin after Transplantation of Manipulated Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Inherited mutations in the human a1-antitrypsin (AAT) gene lead to deficient circulating levels of AAT protein and a predisposition to developing emphysema. Gene therapy for individuals deficient in AAT is an attractive goal, because transfer of a normal AAT gene into any cell type able to secrete AAT should reverse deficient AAT levels and attenuate progression of lung disease. Here we present an approach for AAT gene transfer based on the transplantation of lentivirally transduced hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We develop a novel dual-promoter lentiviral system to transfer normal human AAT cDNA as well as a fluorescent tracking ‘‘reporter gene’’ into murine HSCs. After transplantation of 3,000 transduced HSCs into irradiated mouse recipients, we demonstrate simultaneous and sustained systemic expression of both genes in vivo for at least 31 weeks. The stem cells transduced with this protocol maintain multipotency, self-renewal potential, and the ability to reconstitute the hematopoietic systems of both primary and secondary recipients. This lentiviral-based system may be useful for investigations requiring the systemic secretion ofanti-proteases or cytokines relevant to the pathogenesis of a variety of lung diseases.
Thymol Production from Callus Culture of Nigella sativa L.

Roots, hypocotyls and leaves of Nigella sativa L. were collected from the seedlings raised on sterilized filter paper and cultured on MS supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4-D (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 mg/l) and Kn (0.0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 5.0). The best callus production was obtained from leaf explants with 1 mg/l 2,4-D and 1.5 mg/l Kn. The higher thymol concentrations were extracted after 75 days for the above callus; which was detected by HPLC using retention time. This is the first report in Iraq about extracting thymol from callus of Nigella sativa . Key words: Thymol produiction, Callus culture, Nigella sativa D. O.I. 3329/ptcb.v18i2. 3649 Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 18 (2): 181-185, 2008 (December)
Opportunities and Risks for Continued Biofuel Expansion in Brazil

Brazil is one of the world’s leading biofuel markets, producing nearly 40 billion liters of biofuels in 2018. Brazil’s biodiesel industry has expanded in recent years as a result of increases in mandated blend levels for diesel fuel. The introduction of the RenovaBio program to expand ethanol production, accompanied by further increases in the biodiesel blending mandate, is expected to lead to even higher biofuel consumption in the next decade. This paper provides an overview of Brazil’s biofuel policy framework, highlights the risks of continued biofuel expansion, and presents several opportunities to improve the climate performance of Brazil’s fuel policies.