Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of cadmium on starved heterotrophic bacteria isolated from marine waters

The effect of Cd2+ on two starved marine Gram-negative bacteria, S14 and DW1, was examined. Viability, total numbers, the inhibition of DNA and protein synthesis, uptake of leucine and thymidine and oxygen consumption were measured. The cells were exposed to Cd2+ during the initial phase of starvation in nutrient-free artificial sea water. Short-term starved cells tolerated Cd2+ at concentrations as high as 1.4/ μM. The exposure of DW1 and S14 cells to 70 μM and 140 μM, respectively, immediately prevented the initial increase in number, typical of the starvation survival response of these cells. The viability was tested both with a direct quantification of the proportion of respiring cells by using 2-( p -iodophenyl)-3( p -nitrophenyl)-5 phenyltetrazolium chloride (INT), and the proportion of colony-forming units grown on agar plates. Treatment with Cd2+ caused a loss in the capacity to form colonies on agar plates rather than a loss in viability. The proportion of respiring cells always exceeded the proportion of colony-forming units. Initial Cd2+ exposure gave a rapid inhibition of the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA, while oxygen consumption, protein synthesis and uptake activities were less affected. More than 1 h of Cd2+ incubation, however, caused a pronounced inhibition of all the metabolic parameters examined. Cadmium-exposed cells recovered the ability to proliferate when incubated in Cd2+-free nutrient broth. 24 h Cd2+-exposed cells increased the respiration rate immediately when incubated in Cd2+- free broth but proliferation and [3H]thymidine incorporation were not seen prior to a lag period of 7–8 h. Starved, previously Cd2+-exposed cells which were incubated in a Cd2+-free starvation regimen gradually regained their colony-forming capacity. The increase in the number of colonyforming units in the starvation regimen occurred without a concomitant increase in cell numbers.
Estimation and Characterization of Coliforms in Vended Food and Water Samples in Nsukka Area

Sixty–six (66) food and ten (10) water samples from Nsukka metropolis were screened for the presence of coliforms using the Most probable number (MPN) technique and direct plate count on MacConkey agar/broth and Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar for isolating those from both faecal and human origin. The isolates were characterized biochemically analysed using standard conventional methods. The geometric mean counts (GMC) using MPN ranged from 1-180 faecal coliforms per 100 ml for both food and water samples. However, food samples (66.7%) served in plates and water sources (83.3%) showed apparent signs of contamination probably from the human and water sources, handling and storage unlike foods from the pots that had no trace of contamination. Faecal coliforms were E. coli (42.4%) and Klebsiella pneumonia (37.4%) and others(20.20%)of non-human origin. The E. coli count ranged between 22.2% (“abacha”) and 83.3% (beans ,rice, yam) as well as water(50.0% ). Thus, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the indicator organisms (E. coli) in the food, storage vats and water sources. The faecal and human coliforms in foods and water were indications of foodborne diseases Keywords: Food, Water, Coliforms, Vending, Contamination
Impact of genetic and demographic factors on the expansion potential of alien species Bunias orientalis in the suburbs of Vilnius

Abstract Šiukštaitė L. , Patamsytė J., Žvingila D. , 2013: Impact of genetic and demographic factors on the expansion potential of alien species Bunias orientalis in the suburbs of Vilnius [Genetinių ir demografinių veiksnių įtaka svetimkraštės rūšies Bunias orientalis vienos populiacijos plitimo galimybėms]. - Both. Lith. , 19(2): 111-119. Bunias orientalis L. (Brassicaceae) is an alien and already naturalized plant species in Lithuania. Our purpose was to assess genetic diversity and age structure within single Belmontas population of B. orientalis, using RAPD, ISSR assays and herbchronology analysis. Three selected RAPD primers produced 58 scorable DNA bands, 53.33% of which were polymorphic. RAPD analysis identified 31 DNA markers. Six ISSR primers produced 113 reliable bands, but the level of polymorphism was slightly lower (38.1%) than RAPD. The 43 ISSR markers were identified. DNA markers were used for analysis of population genetic structure. AMOVA revealed significant genetic differentiation (ΦPT = 0.11) among subpopulations of B. orientalis located on both riversides of the Vilnia River. UPGMA cluster analysis did not reveal identical individuals in the group of studied plants, which indicate that spreading by seeds prevails in Belmontas population. Based on herbchronology analysis, young individuals dominate and provide good perspectives for population spreading. Santrauka Rytinė engia (Bimias orientolis L.) via svetim- kraštė. Lietuvoje natūralizavusis rūšis, plačiai papli- tusi ne tik Baltijos jūros regiono šalyse, bet ii' visame pasaulyje. Naudodami molekulinių žymenų metodus bei kerbachronologinį amžiaus nustatymo metodą Įvertinome Beknonto (Vikiius) populiacijos genetinę įvairovę ir amžiaus struktūrą. Atsitiktinai pagausin- tos polimorfinės DNR metodu (angį. Random Ampli- fied Polymorphic DNA - RAPD) nustatytas vidutinis DNR polimorfizmo lygis (53.3 %), o paprastųjų pasi- kartoj ančiųjų seki} intarpų metodu (angį. Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats - ISSR) nustatytas mažesnis DNR polimorfizmas (38,1 %). Naudojant RAPD ir ISSR žy- menis. UPGMA klasterių metodu sudaryti genetinio giminingumo medžiai atskleidė, kad visi tirti individai skiriasi tarpusavyje. Tai rodo, kad Belmonto populia- cija dauginasi lytiniu būdu ir plinta sėklomis. Naudojant molekulinės genetinės įvairovės ana- lizės metodą (angį. Analysis of Molecular Varian- ce - AMO VA), nustatyta reikšminga subpopuliacijų genetinė diferenciacija (®pT = 0.11) populiacijos vi- duje. Herbockronologinė analizė atskleidė, kad Bel- monto populiacijoje vyrauja jauni individai, todėl ji turi palankias sąlygas plisti.
Pathogenic wood‐decaying fungi in China

Wood-decaying fungi on living trees in China were surveyed over the last 12 years. In all, 102 potentially pathogenic Basidiomycetes were found in natural forests, forest plantations, parks and gardens, and among them 20 species were recorded for the first time on living trees in China. The host(s), occurrence, type of damage, type of decay and distribution of each species in China are given. Most of these wood-destroying fungi are polypores in the Aphyllophorales, and the majority were found in temperate and boreal forests. Of all the species detected, 88 species are known to cause white rot, and 14 cause brown rot; 25 species are considered as common, 44 occasional, and 33 rare.
Development rates, larval survivorship and wing length of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) at constant temperatures

In this study, the effects of rearing temperature on survival and development rate of pre-imaginal stages and on wing length of adult Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) were evaluated. Larvae I were reared until adult emergence at seven constant temperatures between 7 and 33°C. The highest survival was found at 25°C. The development rate of the immature stages decreased with increasing temperature until 30°C. The threshold temperature and thermal constant were, respectively, 5.2°C and 186.5 degree-days for males, and 5.5°C and 199.5 degree-days for females. According to a non-linear model, the lower and upper thermal thresholds were, respectively, 8.4°C and 34.4°C for males, and 9.8°C and 34.2°C for females. Wing length decreased with increasing temperature. Wings of females were longer than those of males. This study showed that survival and development of immatures and adult size were affected by rearing temperature. In addition, results suggest that this effect may differ between sexes.
Intact Auditory Cortical Cross-Frequency Coupling in Early and Chronic Schizophrenia

Background Previous work has identified a hierarchical organization of neural oscillations that supports performance of complex cognitive and perceptual tasks, and can be indexed with phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) between low- and high-frequency oscillations. Our aim was to employ enhanced source localization afforded by magnetoencephalography (MEG) to expand on earlier reports of intact auditory cortical PAC in schizophrenia and to investigate how PAC may evolve over the early and chronic phases of the illness. Methods Individuals with early schizophrenia (n=12) (≤5 years of illness duration), chronic schizophrenia (n=16) (>5 years of illness duration) and healthy comparators (n = 17) performed the auditory steady state response (ASSR) to 40, 30, and 20 Hz stimuli during MEG recordings. We estimated amplitude and PAC on the MEG ASSR source localized to the auditory cortices. Results Gamma amplitude during 40-Hz ASSR exhibited a significant group by hemisphere interaction, with both patient groups showing reduced right hemisphere amplitude and no overall lateralization in contrast to the right hemisphere lateralization demonstrated in controls. We found significant PAC in the right auditory cortex during the 40-Hz entrainment condition relative to baseline, however, PAC did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions In the current study, we demonstrated an apparent sparing of ASSR-related PAC across phases of the illness, in contrast with impaired cortical gamma oscillation amplitudes. The distinction between our PAC and evoked ASSR findings supports the notion of separate but interacting circuits for the generation and maintenance of sensory gamma oscillations. The apparent sparing of PAC in both early and chronic schizophrenia patients could imply that the neuropathology of schizophrenia differentially affects these mechanisms across different stages of the disease. Future studies should investigate the distinction between PAC during passive tasks and more cognitively demanding task such as working memory so that we can begin to understand the influence of schizophrenia neuropathology on the larger framework for modulating neurocomputational capacity.
Interactive Visualization of AI-based Speech Recognition Texts

Speech recognition technology has achieved impressive success recently with AI techniques of deep learning networks. Speech-to-text tools are becoming prevalent in many social applications such as ﬁeld surveys. However, the speech transcription results are far from perfection for direct use in these applications by domain scientists and practitioners, which prevents the users from fully leveraging the AI tools. In this paper, we show interactive visualization can play important roles in post-AI understanding, editing, and analysis of speech recognition results by presenting speciﬁed task characterization and case examples.
Hsp70 Reduces α-Synuclein Aggregation and Toxicity*

Aggregation and cytotoxicity of misfolded α-synuclein is postulated to be crucial in the disease process of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease and DLB (dementia with Lewy bodies). In this study, we detected misfolded and aggregated α-synuclein in a Triton X-100 insoluble fraction as well as a high molecular weight product by gel electrophoresis of temporal neocortex from DLB patients but not from controls. We also found similar Triton X-100 insoluble forms of α-synuclein in an α-synuclein transgenic mouse model and in an in vitro model of α-synuclein aggregation. Introducing the molecular chaperone Hsp70 into the in vivo model by breeding α-synuclein transgenic mice with Hsp70-overexpressing mice led to a significant reduction in both the high molecular weight and detergent-insoluble α-synuclein species. Concomitantly, we found that Hsp70 overexpression in vitro similarly reduced detergent-insoluble α-synuclein species and protected cells from α-synuclein-induced cellular toxicity. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the molecular chaperone Hsp70 can reduce the amount of misfolded, aggregated α-synuclein species in vivo and in vitro and protect it from α-synuclein-dependent toxicity.
Stevenson, Andrew and Oldfield, Jeremy and Ortiz, Emily (2019)Streets of resilience: Exploring the role of educational outreach projects with street connected young people in Guatemala

We explored resilience amongst Street Connected Young People (SCYP) in Guatemala City in relation to two community based educational outreach projects who work with at risk young people. We investigated (i) how these projects adapt and constructed meaningful spaces of safety and protection for SCYP, and (ii) how their interactions with the families of SCYP impact on wellbeing amongst SCYP. We focused on resilience-building elements and practices, rather than on the dangers of street connectedness. Using ethnographic interviews, participatory photography and image elicitation, we worked with eight young people and four adult project volunteers. Our research yielded evidence that dwellings, market stalls, buildings used for religious purposes are being adapted as spaces of aspiration and opportunity to promote resilience. We found evidence of rifts between education projects and parents, and evidence for strategies for repairing these rifts. Our findings highlight the importance of community educational organisations in Guatemala City, and have implications for their practice.
POLYPHENOLS CONTENT, TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT AND RADICAL SCAVENGING CAPACITIES FOR DIFFERENT TOMATOES AND APPLES JUICES

In the present study, a total of 8 fruit juices (6 apples and 2 tomatoes pure juices) from local markets were analyzed for total antioxidant capacity and polyphenols content. Total antioxidant capacity was analyzed using FRAP and DPPH methods and total polyphenols content by Folin Ciocalteu method. The results obtained for total antioxidant capacities varied between 1.93 – 5.78 mM Fe/L (for FRAP method) and between 7.32 – 36.81 % (for DPPH method). The values for total polyphenols content are between 0.36 – 2.64 mM/L.
Soft Error Tolerance of Standard and Stacked Latches Dependending on Substrate Bias in a FDSOI Process Evaluated by Device Simulation

Soft error tolerance in a thin BOX FDSOI process depends on substrate bias because soft errors are mainly caused by the parasitic bipolar effect (PBE). Substrate-bias dependence of soft error tolerance is evaluated by changing thickness of a BOX layer by device simulations. We compare the soft error tolerance between standard and stacked flip-flops (FFs). At 10 nm BOX thickness, soft error tolerance of both FFs greatly change by body bias. But at 100 nm BOX thickness, soft error tolerance of standard FF is stable but that of the stacked FF is not stable. The BOX thickness has a large impact on the PBE by the substrate bias.
Methodology in Labour Economics; A Review of the Literature

The main objective of this paper is to review the different types of methodologies used in the literature on work incentive effects associated with social security policies. Three broad groups of approaches are studied. First, hazard rate modelling as is used in the analysis of exit rates (or durations), such as unemployment duration, employment duration or duration of benefit receipt; second, models of labour supply and welfare participation; and third, (quasi-)experimental evaluations.
OAC Rex common bean

OAC Rex is an upright indeterminate bush white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar intended for use in areas with greater than 2800 crop heat units. It has good yield potential in either wide or narrow row production. It is resistant to races 1 and 15 of bean common mosaic virus and is the first common bean cultivar resistant to common bacterial blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli) in Ontario. Seed has acceptable cooking and canning quality. Key words: Phaseolus vulgaris L. , white bean, common bean, common bacterial blight, cultivar description
Short interspersed repetitive elements (SINEs) from the cichlid fish, Oreochromis niloticus, and their chromosomal localization by fluorescent in situ hybridization

Abstract In the present study, we describe the cloning and characterization of a new SINE-like element from O. niloticus (ROn-2) and show the distribution of this SINE and a previously isolated SINE, ROn-1, in the chromosomes of O. niloticus. The ROn-2 element is 359 base pairs (bp) in length, contains short direct terminal repeats, a tRNA-related region similar to tRNAVal and tRNAArg, a tRNA-unrelated region, and a poly-A tail. Analysis of the chromosomal distribution of ROn-1 and ROn-2 by fluorescent in situ hybridization showed that both SINE sequences are present in all chromosomes of tilapia, and organized in small clusters. The only exception was a large cluster of ROn-1 repeats found in the middle of the long arm of chromosome 1. In view of our data we discuss the hypothesis that the absence of large clusters of SINE sequences and the structural composition of these sequences may explain the absence of base-specific fluorochrome bands in the chromosomes of tilapia.
www.econstor.eu Unlucky to Be Young? The Long- Term Effects of School Starting Age on Smoking Behaviour and Health

In this study, we analyse the long-term effects of school starting age on smoking behaviour and health in adulthood. School entry rules combined with birth month are used as an instrument for school starting age. The analysis adopts the German SocioEconomic Panel data and employs a fuzzy regression discontinuity design. The results reveal that school starting age reduces the long-term risk to smoke, improves long-term health, and affects physical rather than mental health. In addition, we find that the relative age composition of peers and the school environment are important mechanisms.
Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Ratio: A Novel Inflammation Marker Related to Diabetic Retinopathy

190 Erciyes Med J 2020; 42(2): 190–4 • DOI: 10.14744/etd.2020. 32549 ORIGINAL ARTICLE – OPEN ACCESS This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Işıl Çakır , Hasan Basri Arifoğlu , Nahide Ekici Günay , Emine Pangal , Derya Şahin , Gökçen Alıcı Sert , Necati Duru Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Ratio: A Novel Inflammation Marker Related to Diabetic Retinopathy Objective: The most common microvascular complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy (DR). A new and recently emerged marker of oxidative stress and inflammation is monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR). Platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have also been shown as they are biomarkers of systemic inflammation in various diseases. The present study aims to assess MHR, its predictive value and relations between other inflammation markers in DR patients. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight patients with DR, fifty-four DM patients without DR and forty-two control subjects were included in this study. Complete blood count, lipoprotein and uric acid levels were recorded. MHR was calculated. Results: MHR, NLR and PLR were statistically significantly higher in DR group than DM without DR group (p=0.008, p=0.042, p=0.003, respectively). Then, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed and pointed that MHR predicted DR using a cut-off level of 0.0156 with 63% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Conclusion: In this study, we investigated MHR in DR patients and its relationship with other inflammatory markers, lipoproteins and uric acid. We suggested that an elevated admission of MHR may be of benefit to detect DR and to determine the CVD risk of these patients.
System Dynamics Model of the Kinetics of Biogas Production from Vegetal Matter

The use of renewable energy sources including biomass for energy generation, to achieve diversification in energy production, has been found to be sustainable economically, financially and environmentally. Various energy production technologies exist by which biomass can be converted for energy generation. Such technologies include anaerobic digestion, gasification, thermal depolymerization, pyrolysis, fermentation, anaerobic digestion, amongst others. The focus of this study is on the use of anaerobic digestion technology. Anaerobic digestion is recognized as one of the best options for treating biomass as it helps to avoid CO2 emissions and run off of biomass. It is a natural process in which bacteria convert organic materials into biogas and fertilizer production in an environmentally friendly way. Anaerobic digestion is a series of sequential process including hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis. Different models have been applied to capture the characteristics of the anaerobic digestion process such as first-order model, Gompertz model and logistic model. However, Gompertz model is considered as the best model in describing the growth of animals and plants as well as the volume of bacteria. It is also used to describe the cumulative biogas production curve in batch digestion assuming that substrate levels limit growth in a logarithmic relationship. This study developed a System Dynamics model (SDM) for predicting biogas production (BP) in an anaerobic condition, based on Gompertz-Laird model. The objective is to describe the process of a System Dynamic (SD) model of two stage kinetics of BP. Primary data used were obtained from a laboratory experiment of BP using vegetal wastes, while secondary data were obtained from literature on studies using similar substrates. The Causal loop diagram generated, describes the anaerobic digestion (AD) process usually undergone by a substrate, while the Stock Flow diagram depicts the building blocks of the dynamic behavior of the same process. The developed SD model consists of two-level variables which depict the equations driving the AD process represented as hydrolysis-acidogenesis and acetogenesis-methanogenesis. The model results showed a significant lag phase between methanogenesis and fermentation stage, which was found to be linked to the inoculum-substrate ratio. The study conclusion includes: inoculum to substrate ratio affects BP; inconsistency of the experimental data caused by inhibition explains the variation observed between the empirical and simulated results.
Age Suitability Rating: Predicting the MPAA Rating Based on Movie Dialogues

Movies help us learn and inspire societal change. But they can also contain objectionable content that negatively affects viewers’ behaviour, especially children. In this paper, our goal is to predict the suitability of movie content for children and young adults based on scripts. The criterion that we use to measure suitability is the MPAA rating that is specifically designed for this purpose. We create a corpus for movie MPAA ratings and propose an RNN based architecture with attention that jointly models the genre and the emotions in the script to predict the MPAA rating. We achieve 81% weighted F1-score for the classification model that outperforms the traditional machine learning method by 7%.
Antitropical distribution of Lobelia species (Campanulaceae) between the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan and Oceania as indicated by molecular data

We tested the antitropical distribution of Lobelia loochooensis, endemic to the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan, and its putative sister species of the same section Hypsela in Oceania (Australia and New Zealand). Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on cpDNA sequences were conducted for 41 Lobelia species of 11 sections including all the species of sect. Hypsela investigated in Asia and Malesia and 32 species of 16 allied genera of family Campanulaceae, because the genus Lobelia is known to be polyphyletic. In the result, L. loochooensis and an Australian endemic L. fluviatilis formed a clade, and this clade was sister to a clade of four New Zealand endemics: L. carens, L. fatiscens, L. fugax and L. ionantha. These two clades were nested in a clade with two other Australian congeners. We conclude that: (1) the lineage of L. loochooensis and the five Lobelia species occurring in Oceania demonstrate an antitropical distribution pattern; and (2) L. loochooensis has likely originated from a dispersal event from Australia to the Ryukyu Archipelago.