Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insulin Resistance and a Diabetes Mellitus-Like Syndrome in Mice Lacking the Protein Kinase Akt2 (PKBβ)

Glucose homeostasis depends on insulin responsiveness in target tissues, most importantly, muscle and liver. The critical initial steps in insulin action include phosphorylation of scaffolding proteins and activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. These early events lead to activation of the serine-threonine protein kinase Akt, also known as protein kinase B. We show that mice deficient in Akt2 are impaired in the ability of insulin to lower blood glucose because of defects in the action of the hormone on liver and skeletal muscle. These data establish Akt2 as an essential gene in the maintenance of normal glucose homeostasis.
Designing the height of the first profile of the marshalling hump

The height of the high-speed section of the sorting slide. Design of high-speed section of the marshalling hump. To prove mathematically the absence of theoretical basis of the formula by which the height of the first profile section of the marshalling hump is calculated in current method of calculation of marshalling humps. The paper uses the theorem on the change of kinetic energy for a non-free material point in the final form, known from theoretical mechanics. The results of the research revealed that the formulas by which the height of the first profile section of the marshalling hump is calculated contradict the theorem on the change of kinetic energy for a non-free material point in the final form. The results of the research can be used in the processing of the normative-technical document on the design of hump devices on railways and making adjustments to the dynamics of rolling the car in textbooks for universities of railway transport. The results of the calculations proved the incorrectness of the derivation of the formula for calculating the height of the first profile section of the marshalling hump in the normative-technical document “Rules and standards for the design of sorting devices on the railways with gauge 1 520 mm”.
A Comparative Analysis of Detection Techniques Used in US Regulatory Programs to Determine Presence of Phytophthora ramorum in Camellia japonica ‘Nucio's Gem’ in an Infested Nursery in Southern California

Phytophthora ramorum (Pram) is a pathogen of regulatory concern in the USA, and accurate diagnostics is a key component in the response to potential pathogen outbreaks. Although the molecular diagnostic protocols used in regulatory programs have been evaluated using regulatory samples, to date, no direct comparison of these methods has been analyzed within a nursery setting. A block of 300 camellia plants within a California nursery known to be infested with Pram was simultaneously assayed for visual symptoms, growth medium pH, and moss presence as well as culture isolation and molecular analysis prior to plant destruction. Disease symptoms such as foliar lesions and leaf drop were recorded for each plant prior to foliar and growth medium sampling. All diagnostic assays were highly correlated with one another and disease symptoms, with nested PCR having the best correlation with symptoms, followed by Real-Time PCR then culture. No correlation with disease or diagnostic assays was observed with moss presence or medium pH. Analysis of results allowed diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the assays to be determined and the performance of each method for diagnosis of Phytophthora spp. or Phytophthora ramorum in camellia tissues and associated potting medium could be compared.
A clinical study on management of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis by proximal fibular osteotomy

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a cause of considerable pain and disability in the affected individuals. Proximal Fibular Osteotomy is a straightforward and comparatively new surgery that results in pain relief and maintenance of joint space in osteoarthritis. It is a day care procedure that helps in realigning the knee joint and may result in delay of knee replacement by a decade or in some cases even longer. Materials and Methods: 20 adult patients (25 knees) with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis admitted in Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) and treated with Proximal Fibular Osteotomy between June 2018 to May 2019 were included. Preoperative and postoperative weight bearing radiographs are taken to evaluate the medial joint space. Visual Analogue Score and American Knee Society Score were used to assess knee pain and knee ambulation activities, respectively. Results: It was observed that all patients experienced pain relief following proximal fibular osteotomy. Weight bearing lower extremity radiographs showed an average increase in the postoperative medial joint space. Additionally, correction of lower limb alignment was observed in eight patients. Conclusion: Proximal Fibular Osteotomy is a simple, cost effective procedure which significantly reduces knee pain and improves joint function in medial compartment knee osteoarthritis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosisComplex DNA in Ancient Human Bones

Abstract Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA was detected in ancient human bone specimens from three individuals with bone tuberculosis. The reliability of PCR results and the applicability of the method to skeletal remains from soil were ensured by a system of control reactions. The pathogen's DNA could not only be detected in affected bone tissue, but also in bone tissue without any tuberculous lesions. Therefore we expect that any infectious agent which is carried into bone with the bloodstream should be detectable by PCR.
Intraspecific variation in Mycocalicium subtile (Mycocaliciaceae) elucidated by morphology and the sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of rDNA

The aim of the present paper is to investigate if Mycocalicium subtile as presently circumscribed is a morphologically highly variable species, or in fact represents two or more cryptic species, and further to investigate the status of M. minutellum. The morphological variation of 19 specimens of Mycocalicium subtile from five continents was investigated and the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of their rDNA sequenced. Sequences from closely related taxa, 4 specimens of M. albonigrum, 2 of Mycocalicium sp. , and Chaenothecopsis nana were also included. For comparison the corresponding sequence of M. victoriae and C. pusilla were also determined. We used the sequence of Monascus purpureus as the outgroup for the analysis. The sequences were used for phylogenetic inference using parsimony and distance methods. All the specimens assigned to M. subtile with the exception of two, form a well-supported monophyletic group. Those two specimens represent a morphologically cryptic, but genetically distinctive taxon. The infraspecific clades of M. subtile in the molecular phylogeny did not correspond to geographical origin. Only a weak correlation with geographical origin was found in the morphological analysis. The molecular analysis supports the suggestion that Mycocalicium minutellum is a taxonomic synonym of M. subtile.
Differential accumulation of ferredoxin‐ and NADH‐dependent glutamate synthase activities, peptides, and transcripts in developing soybean seedlings in response to light, nitrogen, and nodulation

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv. Century) seedlings were germinated in vermiculite, sub-irrigated with a complete nutrient solution, without nitrogen or supplemented with 10 mM KNO 3 , 5 mM (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , or 5 mM NH 4 NO 3 . After 14 days in the light, or 5 days in the dark, tissues from different organs were harvested separately. Similarly, tissues from different organs from 14- or 21-day-old nodulated or non-nodulated soybean seedlings, maintained in the absence of nitrogen, were harvested. Proteins and total RNA were isolated from the different plant organs and used for immunoblot and RNA blot analyses, respectively. Protein or RNA blots were separately incubated with antisera or hybridized with probes specific for either ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase (Fd-GOGAT) or NADH-dependent glutamate synthase (NADH-GOGAT). The specific activity and the abundance of the Fd-GOGAT peptide and transcript increased, approximately 3-10 times, in cotyledons and hypocotyls/stems in plants germinated in the light compared with those germinated in the dark. Fd-GOGAT activity, peptide, and transcript were highest in leaves. Except for increases in the specific activity of samples from roots treated with (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 or NH 4 NO 3 , there were minor or no changes in Fd-GOGAT activity, peptide and transcript among organs of seedlings treated with different nitrogen sources or by nodulation. Low levels of NADH-GOGAT transcript were detected in all organs. NADH-GOGAT activity, peptide, and transcript increased in roots of seedlings treated with different nitrogen sources, but these changes were more apparent on RNA blots versus immunoblots. The highest NADH-GOGAT activity and most abundant amounts of the peptide and transcript were observed in nodules. Despite being induced by different environmental factors, both GOGAT activities are controlled, at least in part, by either gene expression or by RNA stability, because in most instances, both isoenzymes exhibited paralleled changes in specific activity and the abundance of their corresponding peptides and transcripts on immunoblot and RNA blots, respectively. However, there were some exceptions to the parallel increases in specific activities, peptides and transcripts which suggest that post-translational modification may also regulate the activties of the two GOGAT isoforms. Collectively, the results presented here suggest that the two GOGAT isoforms have distinct physiological functions in soybean.
Gamification: Using Kahoot! to Make Students Love the Class from the Very Beginning

The underlying purpose of this research was to discuss how to use Kahoot! as a new alternative to deliver the first meeting of an English class at the higher education level. One hundred twenty-five freshmen of Mataram Tourism Institute were experiencing, observed, and asked about the use of Kahoot! as teaching media to deliver the introduction of their course at the beginning of the class. There are twenty questions involved in this activity. Kahoot ! got a positive response from the students while it appears no problem in meeting all of the first-class introduction objectives. Despite some lack of points of this gamification, more significant interaction between students, more attention to the course issues, and more motivation were observed. It is a highly recommended activity to apply in the first class meeting as an alternative to explain the course for the first time.
Quality of Construction Processes of Government Supplied Uniforms in the West Akyem Municipality of Ghana

wrong stitching techniques used, miss out of stitches in between, creasing of the garment and erroneous thread tension should not be overlooked. The expertise or experience of the manufacturers is another factor. An inexperienced manufacturer is likely to produce garments which may show defects. In the same way, where the machines are not good, the seams, stitches and other constructions will show defects. Well-made clothing not only looks better when worn, but also lasts longer, thus giving the buyer much more value for money. The question is how can one evaluate the quality of a garment? Quality is determined by every detail in a garment, from its fabric to the final finishing details. In Ghana, school uniforms are used at all levels except in the tertiary institutions. This study therefore sought to evaluate the quality of construction processes of the Free School Uniforms (FSUs) supplied by the government of Ghana. Coast, Ghana Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of construction processes of government supplied uniforms in the west akyem municipality of Ghana. The study was a descriptive survey carried out at the west akyem municipal assembly. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were utilized to select respondents. The manufacturers were those recruited to sew the uniforms in the municipality. Two (2) quality control personnel were contacted to assess the constructional details of the free school uniforms sewed. Data was quantitatively collected using observation guide and questionnaire. Data collected was tabulated, interpreted and discussed using descriptive statistics. This involved the use of frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Though the manufacturers rated themselves as excellent, the assessors rated the uniforms unsatisfactory. Most of the constructional processes in the fsus did not meet international quality standards. Based on the findings, the study recommends that before a project of such kind starts, a brief course should be organised by stakeholders for
Interactions between Rumex spp.; herbivores and a rust fungus: the effect of Uromyces rumicis infection on leaf nutritional quality.

1. The rust fungus Uromyces rumicis infects leaves of Rumex crispus and R. obtusifolius causing premature senescence and leaf death. We investigated the effect of infection on nutritional quality of leaves with respect to the chrysomelid beetle Gastrophysa viridula and measured larval survival and growth on rusted and unrusted plants. 2. A smaller biomass of G. viridula was produced and a greater area of leaf consumed per unit biomass gained, by egg batches reared on rusted compared to unrusted R. obtusifolius, although no difference was observed between larvae reared on rusted or unrusted R. crispus. 3. Concentrations of total non-structural carbohydrates were not changed in the pustule and non-infected leaves but were increased in the inter-pustule area. Infection changed the partitioning to different carbohydrates, increasing the proportion of starch in R. crispus and decreasing it in R. obtusifolius. 4. The concentration of total nitrogen, both in the pustule and the inter-pustule area, decreased in both species with time after rust infection. 5. In both species, considerably higher oxalate concentrations occurred in the interpustule area and significantly lower concentrations in the uninfected leaves of these plants. Calcium concentrations altered similarly and were correlated with oxalate concentrations. 6. We conclude that rust infection does not improve the nutritional quality of the leaves for G. viridula and is unlikely to do so for other invertebrate herbivores
Molecular phylogeny of Ochrosia sensu lato (Apocynaceae) based on rps16 intron and ITS sequence data: Supporting the inclusion of Neisosperma

Molecular phylogeny of Ochrosia sensu lato (Ochrosia sensu stricto and Neisosperma) was investigated by maximum parsimony analysis of sequence data from chloroplast DNA (rps16 intron) and rps16 intron + Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS). Nineteen species including two varieties (23 accessions) were defined as the ingroup, comprising ten species of Ochrosia s.str. and nine species of Neisosperma. For analysis using rps16 intron region, Rauvolfia sumatrana, R. verticillata and R. serpentina, Vinca major, and V. minor of the tribe Vinceae were used as the outgroup. The aims of this study are to evaluate the usefulness of rps16 intron to infer phylogenetic relationships within Ochrosia sensu lato and to confirm conclusions from previous analysis. In this study, rps16 region was proved to be sufficiently informative to infer phylogenetic relationships at infrageneric level. The strict consensus of most parsimonious trees produced from rps16 sequences data showed that Ochrosia species formed a monophyletic clade highly supported with 97% bootstrap value, whilst Neisosperma was paraphyletic. The Ochrosia clade was found to be nested within Neisosperma, with N.acuminata as a sister taxon to it. All Ochrosia and Neisosperma species were grouped into one clade. However, this clade was not well supported (only has 61% bootstrap value). Consequently, although the results does not contradict recognizing only one genus (Ochrosia sensu lato), but it is not convincing enough. The strict consensus tree produced from sequence data analysis using rps16 intron + ITS showed a more robust monophyletic clade of Ochrosia sensu lato, supported with 100% bootstrap value. Neisosperma - again - was found to be paraphyletic, with monophyletic clade of Ochrosia (strongly supported with 93% bootstrap value) nested within, suggesting the inclusion of Neisosperma into Ochrosia and recognition of only one genus. These findings supported our previous result, using ITS region.
Post-Colonial Macau: hope and despair in a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure

The expansion of casino concessions and subsequent growth of employment and gross domestic product (GDP) per Capita in Macau after the 1999 handover from Portugal created an illusion of prosperity in a post-colonial territory of less than 30 sq. km. A Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), it is the only place in China where adults can legally gamble in casinos. This paper, using interviews with local residents, argues that the imagined category of “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure” coined by local authorities’ masks an illicit occult economy. The paper argues that the miraculous swiftness of GDP per capital, employment and budget surplus growth, was a result of a new post-colonial elite looking backwards into its colonial past. The paper argues that while the “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure” is a political construct and key hegemonic project to keep citizens in a hyper-real world of simulacra and control, it is at the cost of everyday gossip, caution, self-censorship and demoralization.
Algorithmic Cooling of Nuclear Spin Pairs using a Long-Lived Singlet State.

Algorithmic cooling methods manipulate an open quantum system in order to lower its temperature below that of the environment. We show that significant cooling is achieved on an ensemble of spin-pair systems by exploiting the long-lived nuclear singlet state, which is an antisymmetric quantum superposition of the "up" and "down" qubit states. The effect is demonstrated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments on a molecular system containing a coupled pair of near-equivalent 13C nuclei. The populations of the system are subjected to a repeating sequence of cyclic permutations separated by relaxation intervals. The long-lived nuclear singlet order is pumped well beyond the unitary limit, and the nuclear magnetization is enhanced by 21% relative to its thermal equilibrium value. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of algorithmic cooling using a quantum superposition state and without making a distinction between rapidly and slowly relaxing qubits.
Distribution and morphological abnormalities of recent foraminifera in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (North Adriatic Sea, Italy)

The Marano and Grado Lagoon, is a northern Adriatic wetland system of relevant naturalistic and economic value, that is constantly under quality control in accordance with the current environmental directives. Benthic foraminifers community with its morphological abnormalities were investigated in the recent sediments (about 10 years old) of 21 stations collected in the framework of the “MIRACLE” Project which aimed at testing the coexistence of clam farming with high Hg contamination. Euryhaline foraminifers, well known in Mediterranean brackish-waters, mainly characterizes the total assemblage. A. tepida dominates in areas characterized by low salinity, high clay and Corg content, but also to anthropogenic pressure. E. gunteri and H. germanica are recorded in the western sector of the lagoon, which is more affected by salinity variations and agricultural activities. Slightly higher values of assemblage diversity appear in less restricted areas of the lagoon or, at least, where physical parameters such as temperature and salinity are less variable. The test abnormalities, carried out on total assemblage, shows that the FAI (Foraminiferal Abnormality Index) values always exceed 1% of the total assemblage, with clear decreasing gradients from inland to the sea (from N to S) and from W to E in the studied area.
Survey of viruses belonging to different genera and species in noble garlic in Brazil

Garlic (Allium sativumL.) is a host to several viruses, most commonly those belonging to theAllexivirus,Carlavirus, orPotyvirusgenera. Nine species distributed among these three genera have been reported in Brazil: two species within carlaviruses, two within potyviruses, and five within allexiviruses. To quantify the prevalence of these viruses, young leaves from 520 plants (plants either symptomatic or asymptomatic) were collected from commercial fields grown in four Brazilian states and analyzed using universal and species-specific primers via the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Potyvirus presence was positive in 306 samples (81 %), 151 of them (38 %) in mixed infections with other viruses. The most frequent potyviruses wereOnion yellow dwarf virus(OYDV, 56 %) andLeek yellow stripe virus(LYSV, 55 %). 187 samples (49 %) were positive for allexivirus, with 33 (9 %) showing single infections and 154 (41 %) showing mixed infections withGarlic virus A (GarV-A),Garlic virus B(GarV-B),Garlic virus C(GarV-C),Garlic virus D(GarV-D), and species belonging to theCarlavirus andPotyvirusgenera. The predominant species in which allexiviruses were found were GarV-A and GarV-D. Only 15 samples (4 %) were infected solely by a carlavirus, and 63 (17 %) showed mixed infections with viruses from different genera. The dominant species of carlavirus wasGarlic commom latent virus(GarCLV). Carlaviruses and allexiviruses are frequently associated with mixed infections with potyviruses, whereas mixed infections with carlaviruses and allexiviruses are rare. About 70 % of the plants collected were positive for at least one species of virus.
Glandless Cottonseed Meal for Laying and Breeding Hens and Broiler Chicks

Abstract The Acala C-9 variety of glandless cottonseed meal (GCSM) was tested for available gossypol in a 100-day feeding trial with laying hens. Corn-soybean diets incorporating GCSM at 10 and 20% were compared with diets formulated with Acala SJ-5, a commercially available cottonseed meal (CSM), at 10% and a control diet with no CSM. Each diet was fed to 25 hens. No detectable gossypol was found in the yolks of eggs from hens fed GCSM or the control diet, but gossypol was present when hens were fed the diet with CSM. Egg yolk discoloration in an ammonia atmosphere was noted in all of the eggs tested from the CSM-fed hens but only at a very low incidence in eggs from other groups. There were no differences between any of the four treatments in percent egg production, average egg weight, or hatchabihty. Broiler chicks were fed for 19 days diets with GCSM as the sole source of protein to determine the limiting amino acids. The diets contained 23% protein, 3200 kcal metabolizable energy/kg, and National Research Council levels of vitamins and minerals. Diets were supplemented with lysine, methionine, leucine, and isoleucine from 0 to . 5% and were kept isonitrogenous with glutamic acid. Only lysine was limiting in GCSM for chick growth. Chick weights did not differ significantly from those fed an adequate reference diet if . 3% lysine was added.