Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Agile Development Methods and Quality Assurance (QA) : a case study

This work proposes a framework named NatVi and presents a case study that deals with the interface between the Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) with Agile Development Methods and Quality Assurance (QA). The NatVi framework seeks to present a solution for the entire software development cycle, in this case focusing on service-based applications. The framework was the result of a literature review where the known trade-offs between SOA and Agile Methods were identified and the possible solutions evaluated and incorporated into the final product. Best practices based on both the SOA principles and agile principles were also considered. It was very important in this scenario not to lose QA of view, an intrinsic need for software projects. All this to respond to the increase in the dynamism of business environments that is increasing every day due to the very dynamism of technological advancement. Organizations are called to deliver values quickly and confidently in this environment where solutions possibilities evolve almost daily. And governments are no different, obliged to provide more and better services to citizens and businesses. The Brazilian government is no exception. The traditional ways of thinking the software engineering process have presented some difficulties in dealing with this new scenario, mainly because they are not adequate to deal with constant changes in requirements and fast deliveries, concepts that SOA and Agile Development Methods promise to be able to respond. The case study was carried out in a small unit of the Brazilian federal government. A unit that is responsible for supervising a field of institutional interest to the country. The proposed NatVi framework was applied in an environment where SOA was already in use, though it was insipid. The case study evaluated the evolution of software quality through the monitoring of error metrics in the source code. It evaluated the evolution of the understanding of the agile methods as well as the engagement in the process by the development team. It also evaluated customer satisfaction with the new development process. During the case study, an agile development training was used that was given by the institution to the team and IT and some clients. Some limitations have been identified. For example, the size of the IT staff involved and the number of customers who participated was considered small for an inference statistics. A subjective assessment had to be made to improve the understanding of numbers. In this way, semi-
Desempenho, temperatura retal e freqüência respiratória de novilhas leiteiras de três grupos genéticos recebendo dietas com diferentes níveis de fibra

This work aimed to evaluate the performance, rectal temperature and respiratory ratio of dairy heifers, from three genetic groups Holstein × Zebu (7/8HZ, 15/16HZ, Graded Holstein-GH), confined and fed total mixed diet with different levels of neutral detergent fiber (30 and 60%), using chopped elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum., cv. Mineirao) as forage. Intake, weight gain and physiological responses of these animals were determined under different environmental conditions. The experiment was conducted according to a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement (genetic group × fiber level), in a completely randomized design, with three replicates. The values related to physiological responses were analyzed according to split plot design in the time. Average intakes of DM, NDF and ADF of 10.13, 2.69, and 1.45 kg/day and 2.70, 0.71 and 0.38%LW, respectively, were observed for the diet with low fiber content versus 10.68, 6.17, and 2.92 kg/day and 2.90,1.67, and 0.79%BW for the diet with high fiber content and weight gains of 1.28 and 0.92 kg/day, respectively were obtained. The DM intake in %BW for GH animals was higher (2.94 %BW) than for animals 7/8HZ (2,65%LW). When elephantgrass was used as forage only, heifers fed diets with 60% of NDF ingested greater amount of DM, NDF and ADF and gained less weight per day in relation to those fed diets with 30% of NDF. GH heifers ingested more DM (%LW) than 7/8 HZ heifers, for both diets with 30 and 60% NDF. In thermal environment conditions observed during the experimental period, heifers 7/8HZ, 15/16HZ and GH keep the rectal temperature inside the physiological limits considered normal.
Richness and distribution patterns of ferns and lycopods in Los Mármoles National Park, Hidalgo, Mexico1

Abstract Lycopod and fern species richness and beta diversity were analyzed along elevation gradients in different vegetation types in the Los Mármoles National Park (PNM) in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Sampling was conducted at 16 sites located between 1,184 and 2,702 m elevation, including eight vegetation types. Observed species richness was compared with expected species richness using non-parametric methods. The number of shared species and the lycopod and fern species replacement rate were estimated between vegetation types (beta diversity). The number of lycopod and fern species was low at the high and low extremes of the elevation gradient, while at intermediate elevations species richness ranged from low to high. This species richness and distribution pattern for lycopods and ferns is probably related to elevation (moisture), topography and vegetation type. Sampling effort efficiency was 86 to 91%, depending on the estimator used. Beta diversity of these vascular sporogenous plants between vegetation types was high, which was considered to be a reflection of the considerable micro-environmental differences related to tolerance to water availability and other environmental factors.
Wnt-Pathway Activation in Two Molecular Classes of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Experimental Modulation by Sorafenib

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous cancer with active Wnt signaling. Underlying biologic mechanisms remain unclear and no drug targeting this pathway has been approved to date. We aimed to characterize Wnt-pathway aberrations in HCC patients, and to investigate sorafenib as a potential Wnt modulator in experimental models of liver cancer. Experimental Design: The Wnt-pathway was assessed using mRNA (642 HCCs and 21 liver cancer cell lines) and miRNA expression data (89 HCCs), immunohistochemistry (108 HCCs), and CTNNB1-mutation data (91 HCCs). Effects of sorafenib on Wnt signaling were evaluated in four liver cancer cell lines with active Wnt signaling and a tumor xenograft model. Results: Evidence for Wnt activation was observed for 315 (49.1%) cases, and was further classified as CTNNB1 class (138 cases [21.5%]) or Wnt-TGFβ class (177 cases [27.6%]). CTNNB1 class was characterized by upregulation of liver-specific Wnt-targets, nuclear β-catenin and glutamine-synthetase immunostaining, and enrichment of CTNNB1-mutation-signature, whereas Wnt-TGFβ class was characterized by dysregulation of classical Wnt-targets and the absence of nuclear β-catenin. Sorafenib decreased Wnt signaling and β-catenin protein in HepG2 (CTNNB1 class), SNU387 (Wnt-TGFβ class), SNU398 (CTNNB1-mutation), and Huh7 (lithium-chloride-pathway activation) cell lines. In addition, sorafenib attenuated expression of liver-related Wnt-targets GLUL, LGR5, and TBX3. The suppressive effect on CTNNB1 class–specific Wnt-pathway activation was validated in vivo using HepG2 xenografts in nude mice, accompanied by decreased tumor volume and increased survival of treated animals. Conclusions: Distinct dysregulation of Wnt-pathway constituents characterize two different Wnt-related molecular classes (CTNNB1 and Wnt-TGFβ), accounting for half of all HCC patients. Sorafenib modulates β-catenin/Wnt signaling in experimental models that harbor the CTNNB1 class signature. Clin Cancer Res; 18(18); 4997–5007. ©2012 AACR.
Altered Skeletal Muscle Phenotypes in Calcineurin Aα and Aβ Gene-Targeted Mice

ABSTRACT Calcineurin is a calcium-regulated serine-threonine protein phosphatase that controls developmental and inducible biological responses in diverse cell types, in part through activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). In skeletal muscle, calcineurin has been implicated in the regulation of myoblast differentiation, hypertrophy of mature myofibers, and fiber type switching in response to alterations in intracellular calcium concentration. However, considerable disagreement persists about the functional role of calcineurin signaling in each of these processes. Here we evaluated the molecular phenotypes of skeletal muscle from both calcineurin Aα and calcineurin Aβ gene-targeted mice. Calcineurin Aα was observed to be the predominant catalytic isoform expressed in nearly all skeletal muscles examined. Neither calcineurin Aα or Aβ null mice showed any gross growth-related alterations in skeletal muscle, nor was fiber size or number altered in glycolytic/fast muscle types. In contrast, both calcineurin Aα and Aβ gene-targeted mice demonstrated an alteration in myofiber number in the soleus, an oxidative/slow-type muscle. More significantly, calcineurin Aα and Aβ gene-targeted mice showed a dramatic down-regulation in the oxidative/slow fiber type program in multiple muscles (both slow and fast). Associated with this observation, NFAT-luciferase reporter transgenic mice showed significantly greater activity in slow fiber-containing muscles than in fast. However, only calcineurin Aα null mice showed a defect in NFAT nuclear occupancy or NFAT-luciferase transgene activity in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that calcineurin signaling plays a critical role in regulating skeletal muscle fiber type switching but not hypertrophy. Our results also suggest that fiber type switching occurs through an NFAT-independent mechanism.
Relationships between drosophilids (Diptera, Drosophilidae) and the environment in two contrasting tropical vegetations

Although natural populations of drosophilid flies have been the subject of ecological studies, the population ecology of these insects in the tropics is still poorly known. This paper discusses aspects of the relationship between drosophilids and their environment, based on 28 monthly collections made in two contrasting vegetations of the Brazilian Cerrado biome: gallery forest and savanna. Exotic species were found in both types of environment; but 14 of the 30 captured Neotropical species occurred exclusively in the gallery forests, probably because of their climatic stability and greater environmental heterogeneity. Even though some endemic species were more abundant in the dry and cold months, most populations exhibited peaks of abundance in the wet season. The species diversity indexes (H′ and D), higher in the dry season, were probably affected by increased evenness at this time of year, when the populations of practically all the species are greatly reduced. As species richness in the savanna vegetation clearly decreased in the dry season, increasing again in the wet season, it is suggested that some drosophilids migrate to the forests when climatic conditions are too stressful in the savannas. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 87, 233–247.
Localization of Neuron Somata Innervating the External Anal Sphincter Muscles Encircling Canine Anal Sac

Purpose of this study was to localize the neurons innervating the external anal sphincter muscles (EAS) encircling canine anal sac using the retrograde neuronal tracing technique with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), HRP-positive afferent neurons were found predominantly and ipsilaterally at Si to S3 levels, with the highest number at S2, while a few of them were found contralaterally at S2 and S3 levels. In the paravertebral sympathetic ganglia, HRP-positive neurons were presented mainly at ipsilateral L6 to S3 levels with the highest number at Si and S2; while a few HRP-positive neurons were presented contralaterally at L6 to S2 levels. In addition, certain number of HRP-positive neurons were found in the caudal mesenteric ganglia, right pelvic ganglia, and sacral intermediolateral nucleus. Furthermore, HRP-positive neurons might be observed in the Onuf's nucleus of the spinal ventral horn at Si and S2. This study is the first to reveal the origin of sensory, autonomic, and motor innervation of the EAS encircling the canine anal sac.
Multiple mating predicts intensity but not mechanism of kin recognition

Understanding how animals recognize their kin has been a major challenge in biology. Most animals use one of 2 mechanisms: "familiarity" whereby kin are remembered from interactions early in life, such as in a nest, or "phenotype matching" whereby putative kin are compared with a template of what kin should look, smell, or sound like. Cross-species studies suggest that there is a link between which of these 2 mechanisms are used and the degree of female promiscuity (multiple mating). Phenotype matching is more likely to be used by promiscuous species because these species have lower average brood relatedness than monogamous species and familiarity is thus an unreliable cue of relatedness. However, it is unclear if this relationship holds within species, across populations that differ in their degree of promiscuity. Here, we take advantage of variation in brood relatedness across populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to examine the relationship between kin recognition mechanisms and multiple mating within a single species. Contrary to the established hypothesis, we show that variation in recognition mechanism across populations is not governed by multiple mating. Instead, our data show that kin recognition, quantified as association preferences for shoalmates, is strongest when brood relatedness is high, consistent with Hamilton’s rule, but multiple mating does not otherwise influence the specific recognition mechanism used.
The phytase from antarctic bacterial isolate, Pseudomonas sp. JPK1 as a potential tool for animal agriculture to reduce manure phosphorus excretion

Intracellular phytase activity was found in the Antarctic bacterial isolate, JPK1. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain was related to Pseudomonas sp. The optimal activity of JPK1 phytase occurred at 50°C and pH 5.0 to 5.5. The enzyme was highly specific for phytate with little or no other phosphate conjugates. Enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by Cu2+ and Zn2+, and completely inactivated by sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme effectively liberated inorganic phosphate from wheat bran, a main feedstuff with high phytate content. The enzyme may be a good candidate for use as an environmental-friendly feed additive to enhance the nutritive value of phytate and reduce phosphorus pollution. Key words: Antarctic, phytase, Pseudomonas sp. , phytate, feed additive.
Assessing the Middle East Top Container Ports Relative Technical Efficiency

Middle East main container ports are developing rapidly with a lot of investments. This is due to their geographical location in the main East-West trade route. Accordingly, it is important to assess their relative technical efficiency to make them visible and stand out in such a development. This research will assess the relative technical efficiency based on the infrastructure of the main container ports in the Middle East by the aid of data envelopment analysis (DEA) for the year 2017. This will be performed by using the DEA four models based on the input oriented mode CCR model, BCC model, Supper efficiency and the Slack variable analyses. Results of the research highlight that nearly 80% of the studied ports are, with an increasing return to scale approach to the study ports, suffering from a surplus in their infrastructure that should be considered in future investments.
Evidence for the involvement of SDF‐1 and CXCR4 in the disruption of endothelial cell‐branching morphogenesis and angiogenesis by TNF‐α and IFN‐γ

Vigorous inflammatory responses are associated with tissue damage, particularly when toxic levels of inflammatory cytokines are produced. Despite proangiogenic factors being present early at sites of inflammation, vascular repair occurs toward the end of the inflammatory response, suggesting modulation of the proangiogenic response. Endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis induced during acute inflammation are poorly characterized. Here, we looked for endothelial cell‐derived modulators of angiogenesis that may account for delayed neovascularization during inflammation. Gene profiling of endothelial cells showed that the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) selectively promote expression of the antiangiogenic molecules, IFN‐inducible protein‐10, monokine induced by IFN‐γ, tryptophanyl‐tRNA synthetase, and tissue inhibitor of metalmetalloproteinase‐1, and inhibit expression of the proangiogenic molecules, platelet‐endothelial cell adhesion molecule‐1, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐2, stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1), collagen type IV, endothelial cell growth factor‐1, and carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecule‐1. Reduced endothelial cell expression of SDF‐1 protein by TNF‐α and IFN‐γ disrupts extracellular matrix‐dependent endothelial cell tube formation, an in vitro morphogenic process that recapitulates critical steps in angiogenesis. Replacement of SDF‐1 onto the endothelial cell surface reconstitutes this morphogenic process. In vivo, TNF‐α and IFN‐γ inhibit growth factor‐induced angiogenesis and SDF‐1 expression in endothelial cells. These results demonstrate that SDF‐1/CXC chemokine receptor‐4 constitutes a TNF‐α‐ and IFN‐γ‐regulated signaling system that plays a critical role in mediating angiogenesis inhibition by these inflammatory cytokines.
Estimating red deer abundance in a wide range of management situations in Mediterranean habitats

When human interventions interfere with the natural regulation of wildlife populations by favouring some species, overabundance can emerge. We evaluated different methods of estimating red deer abundance in a wide range of population densities from southern Spain. Distance sampling estimates were used as the reference method across 22 localities and were compared with two kilometric abundance indices (KAIs), four indices based on pellet group counts and two browsing indices (BWIs). The average red deer density estimated by distance sampling was 19.51±3.19 deer per 100 ha, showing a wide range across the study area (0.04–66.77). Distance sampling estimates correlated with the KAIs, pellet group-based index and the BWI. The agreement with distance sampling improved when groups were used instead of individuals in the KAIs, when the minimum pellet group size was fixed at 20 pellets in the dropping counts, and when only highly palatable species were used in the BWI. Thus, several direct and indirect methods can estimate red deer abundance in Mediterranean habitats from Southern Spain with appropriate modifications.
EXERCISE BEHAVIOR OF THE PEOPLE WHO EXERCISED AT PUBLIC PARKS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

The research objective is to study the exercise behavior and opinions of the people on exercise at public parks, Bangkok, Thailand. It is descriptive research. The samples consisted of 206 samples of the people who exercised at public parks, Bangkok. They were selected by convenient sampling. The sample size was calculated by Cohen Table (Cohen, 1992). The research tools were the questionnaires constructed by the researcher and consisted of 5 rating scales answers. The questionnaires were tested for quality with content validity and reliability by Alpha-Coefficient Cronbach which the reliability was 0.89. Data collection was conducted by self-directed questionnaires. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The research results showed the samples had the 3 most popular exercises were walking, jogging and aerobic dance. The exercises that the samples do almost every day are jogging, walking, and aerobic dance. With regarding the opinion of exercise it was found that the samples had a moderate level of the opinions about the items of benefits, barriers and exercise ability (X = 3.42, X = 2.54 and X = 2.69 respectively).
Birth-Death Models in Macroevolution

Birth-death models, and their subsets—the pure birth and pure death models—have a long history of use for informing thinking about macroevolutionary patterns. Here we illustrate with examples the wide range of questions they have been used to address, including estimating and comparing rates of diversification of clades, investigating the “shapes” of clades, and some rather surprising uses such as estimating speciation rates from data that are not resolved below the level of the genus. The raw data for inference can be the fossil record or the molecular phylogeny of a clade, and we explore the similarites and differences in the behavior of the birth-death models when applied to these different forms of data.
Dimethylsulfoniopropionate in corals and its interrelations with bacterial assemblages in coral surface mucus

Environmental context Corals produce copious amounts of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a sulfur compound implicated in climate regulation. We studied DMSP concentrations inside corals and unveiled the linkage between DMSP availability and the abundance of DMSP-degrading bacterial groups inhabiting the corals’ surface. Our findings suggest that DMSP mediates the interplay between corals and microbes, highlighting the importance of sulfur compounds for microbial processes in corals and for the resilience of coral reef ecosystems. Abstract Corals produce copious amounts of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a sulfur compound thought to play a role in structuring coral-associated bacterial communities. We tested the hypothesis that a linkage exists between DMSP availability in coral tissues and the community dynamics of bacteria in coral surface mucus. We determined DMSP concentrations in three coral species (Meandrina meandrites, Porites astreoides and Siderastrea siderea) at two sampling depths (5 and 25m) and times of day (dawn and noon) at Curacao, Southern Caribbean. DMSP concentration (4–409nmolcm–2 coral surface) varied with host species-specific traits such as Symbiodinium cell abundance, but not with depth or time of sampling. Exposure of corals to air caused a doubling of their DMSP concentration. The phylogenetic affiliation of mucus-associated bacteria was examined by clone libraries targeting three main subclades of the bacterial DMSP demethylase gene (dmdA). dmdA gene abundance was determined by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) against a reference housekeeping gene (recA). Overall, a higher availability of DMSP corresponded to a lower relative abundance of the dmdA gene, but this pattern was not uniform across all host species or bacterial dmdA subclades, suggesting the existence of distinct DMSP microbial niches or varying dmdA DMSP affinities. This is the first study quantifying dmdA gene abundance in corals and linking related changes in the community dynamics of DMSP-degrading bacteria to DMSP availability. Our study suggests that DMSP mediates the regulation of microbes by the coral host and highlights the significance of sulfur compounds for microbial processes in coral reefs.