Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Supplementation of Zebu cattle grazing Sahelian pasture. II. Development of body mass and empty body composition

The growth of body mass and changes in empty body composition of three groups of 15 male Zebu cattle (Bos indicus) grazing natural pasture were studied in the Sahelian zone of Mali from 1990 to 1992. The control group (C) grazed natural pasture only, whereas the moderately supplemented group (M) received 0·8–1·5 kg OM/day of crop by-products during the dry season and the first month of the rainy season. Group H (high) was supplemented at 1·2–2·7 kg OM/day in the dry season and at 0·8–1·2 kg OM/day in the rainy season. Applying the deuterium dilution technique, empty body composition was measured at the beginning and end of the rainy season and in mid-dry season, using seasonal factors to correct for fill of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Energy retention was calculated from the contents of empty body protein and fat. During the 2 years of study, body mass gains were 143 kg (S.E. 4·9) for group C, 196 kg (S.E. 5·8) for group M and 251 kg (S.E. 6·0) for group H. Total GIT fresh matter content accounted for 166 g (S.E. 4·6) per kg of fasted body mass (FBM) in the dry season and increased to 228 g/kg FBM (S.E. 2·9) at the beginning of the rainy season (P[les ]0·001). Throughout the period of study, the proportion of protein in the empty body varied between average values of 156 g/kg and 179 g/kg, and the proportion of empty body fat ranged from 124–257 g/kg. For all body components, the effect of supplement treatment over time was significantly different between unsupplemented and supplemented animals (P[les ]0·001). From linear regressions between metabolizable energy intake and energy retention the maintenance requirement of grazing cattle was determined at 732 kJ ME/kg0·75/day for the dry season and at 522 kJ ME/kg0·75/day for the rainy season. It is concluded that the methodological approach yields useful results on empty body composition and energy requirement of Zebu cattle in extensive management systems.
Differential mortalities of dengue-infected Aedes aegypti: preliminary results

Abstract Two ecotypes of Aedes aegypti, Ae. ae. aegypti and Ae. ae. formosus, were experimentally infected with a dengue 2 virus to test (1) the inheritance of susceptibility, and (2) the impact of infection on survival and reproduction. Ae. ae. aegypti, the main vector involved in dengue epidemics, displayed higher mortalities than Ae. ae. formosus, the ancestral form, which is a forest-dwelling, less anthropophilic species confined to Africa. Differential mortalities were observed between females with disseminated infection and females without disseminated infection. Ae. ae. formosus females with disseminated infection showed an increase in survival rate and reproduction success. These results are discussed in the light of changes in resource allocation that may occur in infected females.
Forest fire monitoring using NOAA satellite AVHRR

The feasibility of using the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) carried by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) series of satellites to monitor forest fires was tested during a severe fire outbreak in north central Alberta between June 12 and June 21, 1982. A multispectral technique used AVHRR channels 3 and 4 to identify fires and estimate fire size. This multispectral approach enabled identification of subpixel-sized fires as small as 1 ha. During the study, fires were obscured from satellite view by the presence of cloud and smoke 59% of the time. In the remaining time, 80% of the fires listed by the Alberta Forest Service were identified by satellite. Satellite observations of forest fires are not sufficiently accurate to replace existing monitoring methods, but they are of value in providing a rapid, inexpensive supplement, especially in remote forested areas.
Snapshot multispectral image demosaicing and classification

Multispectral cameras sample the visible and/or the infrared spectrum according to specific spectral bands. Available technologies include snapshot multispectral cameras equipped with filter arrays that acquire raw images at video rate. Raw images require a demosaicing procedure to estimate a multispectral image with full spatio-spectral definition. In this manuscript we review multispectral demosaicing methods and propose a new one based on the pseudo-panchromatic image estimated directly from the raw image. We highlight the influence of illumination on demosaicing performances, then we propose pre- and post-processing normalization steps that make demosaicing robust to acquisition properties. Experimental results show that our method provides estimated images of better objective quality than classical ones and that normalization steps improve the quality of state-of-the art demosaicing methods on images acquired under various illuminations. Multispectral images can be used for texture classification. To perform texture analysis, local binary pattern operators extract texture descriptors from color texture images. We extend these operators to multispectral texture images at the expense of increased memory and computation requirements. We propose to compute texture descriptors directly from raw images, which both avoids the demosaicing step and reduces the descriptor size. For this purpose, we design a local binary pattern operator that jointly extracts the spatial and spectral texture information from a raw image. In order to assess classification on multispectral images we have proposed the first significant multispectral database of close-range textures in the visible and near infrared spectral domains. Extensive experiments on this database show that the proposed descriptor has both reduced computational cost and high discriminating power with regard to classical local binary pattern descriptors applied to demosaiced images.
Freshwater lichens in springs of the eastern Italian Alps: floristics, ecology and potential for bioindication

1 Freshwater habitats of the Italian Alps are largely unexplored and further floristic-ecological surveys are needed to clarify the role of freshwater lichens in these environments. This applies especially to springs, since they seem to be suitable for a relati- vely high number of aquatic species due to their ecological stability. The present work is focused on springs in an alpine region, and is centered on: (a) floristics of freshwater lichens of the Italian Alps, (b) ecological and morphological information on poten- tial indicator species for calcareous and siliceous springs. The study was carried out in the eastern Italian Alps on 36 perennial springs. Single springs proved to host a surprisingly low number of species, while at regional level the entire pool of investiga- ted springs host a relevant lichen flora representing 45% of the freshwater lichens of the Italian Alps. One species is new to Italy and 3 are new to Trentino-Alto Adige. Biodiversity conservation measures should therefore be planned at regional level, inclu- ding a whole network of sites in different altitudinal belts and with different substrates. Verrucaria elaeomelaena and V. funckii are the most frequent species on calcareous and siliceous springs respectively. They are suggested as potential indicator species, since they proved to be indicative of the main physical, ecological and hydrochemical features of their habitat. A detailed mor- phological description of these two species is also provided in order to enhance their identification by environmentalists.
Parthenolide Inhibits IκB Kinase, NF-κB Activation, and Inflammatory Response in Cystic Fibrosis Cells and Mice

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by prolonged and excessive inflammatory responses in the lung and increased activation of NF-κB. Parthenolide is a sesquiterpene lactone derived from the plant feverfew, which has been used in folk medicine for anti-inflammatory activity. Several studies suggest that this compound inhibits the NF-κB pathway, but the exact site is controversial. We hypothesized that parthenolide might ameliorate the excessive inflammatory response in CF models by inhibiting activation of NF-κB. This was tested in vitro, using two pairs of cell lines with defective versus normal CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) (antisense/sense transfected 16 HBE and IB-3/S9), and in vivo, using CFTR-knockout (KO) mice. All cell lines were pretreated with parthenolide and then stimulated with IL-1β and/or TNF. Parthenolide significantly inhibited IL-8 secretion induced by these cytokines and prevented NF-κB activation, IκBα degradation, and IκB Kinase complex activity. CFTR-KO and wild-type.
Use‐Values of Tree Species in a Communal Forest Reserve in Northeast Peru

Several rural villages in the department of Loreto, in northeast Peru, have sought to protect local control over access to natural resources by establishing communal reserves. Most of Loreto's villages have heterogeneous populations of detribalized Indians and mestizos, called riberehios (people of the riverbanks). The communal reserves of riberehlo villages currently have no legal status, but are regulated by written communal rules and are actively guarded by community members. An inventory of trees greater than 10 cm in diameter was conducted in one riberefio communal reserve, a fiftyyear-old secondary forest A doubly random sampling procedure was used, producing a total sample size of 7.5 ha Tree species utilized by community members were found to comprise 60% of the total number of species sampled. Uses were divided into six categories: food, construction, craft, remedy, commerce, and other, "use-values" were assigned to each species, based on an ordinal system developed by Prance et al. (1987). The presence or absence of markets for specificforestproducts was found to be a major determinant of that species' overall use-value to ribereflo populations. Neither the existing markets nor the lack of firm land or resource tenure for riberefho communal reserves encourages sustained management of forest resources. Paper submitted October 23, 1989; revised manuscript accepted April 16, 1990. Resumen: Varios pueblos rurales en el departamento de Loreto, al noreste de Peru, ban buscado proteger el control local sobre el acceso a los recursos naturales estableciendo reservas comunales. La mayoria de los pueblos en Loreto tienen poblaciones beterogeneas compuestas de indios y mestizos, denominados riberefios (gente de los rios). Las reservas comunales de pueblos riberefios actualmente no tienen estado legal pero esttin reguladas por reglas comunales escritas que estan activamente guardadas por los miembros de la comunidad. Se llevo a cabo un inventario de acrboles de mas de 10 cm de diacmetro en una de las reservas comunales de riberenios, en un bosque secundario de cincuenta afios. Se utilizo un procedimiento de muestreo doblemente al azar, produciendo un tamafio de muestra total de 7.5 ba Las especies de arboles utilizadas por los miembros de la comunidad resul 6 ser del 60% del numero total de las especies muestreadas. Los usos se dividieron en seis categrias: alimento, construccion, artesania, remedio, comercioy otros; se le asignaron "valores de uso" a cada una de las especies, basado en el sistema ordinal desarrollado por Prance et al. (1987). Lapresencia o ausencia de mercadosparaproductos especificos del bosque se encontr6 que fue' una importante determinante del valor de uso general de esa especiespara la poblacion de riberefios. Ni los mercados existentes ni la ausencia de tierra firme e posesion sobre los recursos para las reservas comunales de riberenios impulsa al manejo sostenido de los recursos de bosque.
Multiscale characterization of spatial relationships among oxycline depth, macrozooplankton, and forage fish off Peru using geostatistics, principal coordinates of neighbour matrices (PCNMs), and wavelets

Upwelling ecosystems are particularly heterogeneous and present intense meso- (tens of kilometers) and sub-mesoscale (hundreds of meters to kilometers) activity that are expected to drive the distribution of the organisms, and thus their interactions. Here we addressed the impact of the physical forcing in the northern Humboldt Current system off Peru, which is characterized by the presence of an intense and shallow oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), and used the variability of the depth of the oxycline as a proxy of the physical forcing which impacts the epipelagic communities. We analyzed simultaneous high-resolution acoustic observations of the oxycline depth, the biomass in macrozooplankton, and the biomass in pelagic fish. Three complementary methodologies were considered: (i) geostatistical methods and correlation tests, (ii) principal coordinates of neighbour matrices, and (iii) wavelet analysis. Our results highlight the relevance of a multi-method framework to characterize the multiscale relationships between marine ecosystem components. We also provided evidence that the submesoscale-to-mesoscale variability of the oxycline depth drives the distribution of macrozooplankton which further structures the distribution of forage fish in a bottom-up cascade.
INFLUENCE OF HYDROCOLLOIDS OF Ag, Au, AND Ag/Cu ALLOY NANOPARTICLES ON THE INFLAMMATORY STATE AT TRANSCRIPTIONAL LEVEL

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the pro- or anti-inflammatory properties of nanoparticles of Ag, Au, and Ag/Cu alloy by examining the expression of NF-κB mRNA. The experiment was performed in ovo, on the chicken embryos’ model. The nanoparticles had no effect on embryos’ survival; the embryos from all groups were properly developed, without any abnormalities. Contrary to Ag and Au, nanoparticles of Ag/Cu increased NF-κB mRNA expression in embryo liver, indicating a proinflammatory effect. After treatment with LPS there was a significant decrease in NF-κB mRNA expression in the liver of embryos treated with Ag, compared to the placebo, Au, and Ag/Cu groups, indicating that Ag nanoparticles act as a potential antiinflammatory factor. The results indicate the lack of influence of Ag and Au nanoparticles on NF-κB mRNA expression in chicken embryo liver. Contrary to Ag and Au, nanoparticles of Ag/Cu alloy may be considered as a pro-inflammatory factor. Nanoparticles of Ag, but not Au and Ag/Cu, can prevent over-expression of NF-κB mRNA after LPS stimulation.
Pollination Biology, Seed Dispersal, and Recruitment in Rudbeckia auriculata (Perdue) Kral, a Rare Southeastern Endemic

Abstract Managing rare endemic plants often requires an understanding of their reproductive ecology. We investigated pollination biology, seed set, seed dispersal, and seedling recruitment of Rudbeckia auriculata (Asteraceae), a species endemic to the Southeastern United States. Based on observations of pollinator abundance and pollen load on floral visitors, the most likely pollinators are primarily native bees, particularly Andrena aliciae Robertson in medium and large populations of R. auriculata, and Halictids in small populations. Seed set varied from 0.24% to 16.9% in small populations (<40 flowering stems) and from 26.5% to 31.4% in medium (40-999 flowering stems) and large (1000+ flowering stems) populations, with significantly lower seed set in the small populations. Exclusion of visitors from inflorescences showed that, like many members of the Asteraceae, R. auriculata is probably self-incompatible. Seed dispersal appears to be highly localized and dependent upon gravity. Seedling recruitment is poor, particularly when the soil is covered with litter or when the species is in competition with others.
Deterministic hydrological modelling for real time decision support systems : application to the Var catchment, France

Water resource is commonly considered as one of the most important natural resources in social development especially for supporting domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. During the last decade, due to the increase of human activities, such as urbanization and industrialization, the social impacts on the natural environment become more and more intensive. Therefore, recently, water problems compared to before become more complicated. To deal with the complex problem, since 1970s, started from the companies, people recognized that the Decision Support System (DSS) has obvious advantages Moreover, with the development of computer science and web techniques, the DSS are commonly applied for supporting the local decision makers to manage the region natural resources especially the water resources. The hydrological modelling in charge of representing the catchment characteristics plays significant role in the Environment Decision Support System (EDSS). Among different kinds of models, the deterministic distributed hydrological model is able to describe the real condition of the study area in more detail and accurate way. However, the only obstacle to limit the applications of this kind of model is pointed to the large data requirement requested by its modelling set up. In this study of hydrological modelling assessment in AquaVar project, one deterministic distributed model (MIKE SHE) is built for the whole Var catchment with less field information available in the area. Through one reasonable modelling strategy, several hypothesises are conceived to solve the missing data problems within daily and hourly time intervals. The simulation is calibrated in both daily and hourly time scale from 2008 to 2011, which contains one extreme flood event at 2011. Due to the impacts of missing data on both model inputs and observations, the evaluation of modelling calibration is not only based on the statistic coefficients such as Nash coefficient, but also effected by some physical factors (e.g. peak values and total discharge). The calibrated model is able to describe usual condition of Var hydrological system, and also represent the unusual phenomenon in the catchment such as flood and drought event. The validation process implemented from 2011 to 2014 within both daily and hourly time interval further proves the good performance of the simulation in Var. The MIKE SHE simulation in Var is one of the main parts of the deterministic distributed modelling system in the EDSS of AquaVar. After the calibration and validation, the model could be able to use for forecasting the impacts of coming meteorological events (e.g. extreme flood) in this region and producing the boundary conditions for other deterministic distributed models in the system. The design of the EDSS architecture, modelling strategy and modelling evaluation process presented in this research could be applied as one standard working process for solving the similar problems in other region.
Coronary artery anatomy in peri-crux cordis area on computed coronary tomography angiography.

Background The peri-crux area is an anatomical structure of the heart. Unfortunately, important information on this area mainly derives from autopsy heart with a small, under-representative sample size, resulting in limited clinical applications. Furthermore, little has been done to standardize the definition of the peri-crux area on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images or to investigate coronary artery anatomy wherein potential values are attracting experienced inventional cardiologists in terms of the revascularization strategies. The current study aimed to identify the peri-crux cordis area and to observe coronary artery anatomical distributions in this area on CCTA. Methods A total of 1,006 consecutive patients undergoing CCTA exams were enrolled. We delineated the peri-crux cordis area based on the posterior interatrial sulcus, posterior interventricular sulcus (PIS), left and right posterior atrioventricular groove on the diaphragmatic surface of the heart. Then we observed the coronary artery distributions in the peri-crux cordis area in different sexes. Results We have defined the peri-crux cordis area according to the anatomical landmarks on the diaphragmatic surface of the heart on CCTA images. We have observed 8 coronary artery distributions in the peri-crux cordis area. Right dominance has 4 types (types 1-4); left, 1 type (type 0) and balanced, 3 types (types 5-7). Out of the 1,006 cases, the type 1 is commonest with 834 cases (82.9%). There are no statistically significant differences in terms of coronary dominances and coronary artery distributions in the peri-crux cordis area between sexes (P>0.05). Conclusions We have defined the peri-crux cordis area utilizing the anatomical landmarks of the heart on CCTA images, where 8 types of coronary artery distributions have been identified. The current study may provide interventional cardiologists with useful information on recognition of coronary artery dominance, use of collateral channels for revascularization of chronic total occluded lesions, and evaluation of prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
An Analysis of the Major Theories of Federalism

This article discusses federalism and deferent theories related to it. Federalism as a theory, as a concept and as an organizational structure refers to the distribution of powers between the two levels of the government. It stands for unity, cooperation, and interdependence between the central government and the component units. Being dynamic in nature, it adopts changes according to the prevailing conditions of the country. An attempt has been made to elucidate federalism from two broad perspectives of the classical approach and Modern approach. The classical approach restricts federalism to cooperation and independence with quasi federalism, coupled with the element of encroachment from the federal government. This approach is merely based upon the doctrine of legal formalism or formalism fallacy. The modern approach focuses on two cardinal principles of cooperation and interdependence. The modern theory is a broad term and encompasses many forms of federalism within its ambit.
MINIREVIEW The Enigmatic X Gene of Hepatitis B Virus

With an estimate of 350 million people chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide, it is critically important to understand how persistent HBV infection is maintained and linked to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and development of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]) (39). This review will focus on the HBV nonstructural X protein (HBx), a key regulatory protein of the virus that is at the intersection of HBV infection, replication, pathogenesis, and possibly carcinogenesis. The exact role of HBx in viral replication has yet to be established, and its link to the progression of HCC remains controversial. Moreover, it is still unclear whether development of HCC associated with chronic infection by HBV involves a viral protein, is solely the consequence of a continual inflammatory response to infection, or requires both. Understanding the role of HBx in HBV replication and its effect on hepatocyte biology may help resolve this issue. This review describes key studies and activities of HBx, often interpreted within the context of the viral life cycle. The reader is referred to several comprehensive reviews on the reported biological properties of HBx (3, 78, 137). HBV