Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of forage quality and level of feeding on digestibility and gastrointestinal transit time of oat straw and alfalfa given to ponies and donkeys

Four donkeys and four ponies were fed molassed dehydrated alfalfa or oat straw, either ad libitum or restricted to about 70 % ad libitum intake in a Latin-square design for four periods of 21 d. Measurements of apparent digestibility and gastrointestinal transit time were made on the last 7 d of each period. When the forages were provided ad libitum, all animals ate significantly (P<0.01) more of the alfalfa than of the oat straw. Ponies consumed significantly (P = 0.007) more of both diets per unit live weight than donkeys. Higher apparent digestibilities of dietary DM, energy and fibre fractions were seen in donkeys, at both levels of feeding, compared with the ponies. This partly compensated for the lower intakes by the donkeys when fed ad libitum. When intake of alfalfa was restricted, the apparent digestibility of DM was higher compared with the corresponding values when fed ad libitum, but the reverse was true for straw. This may be because restriction of a low-quality diet reduced selection of the more digestible parts of the forage. Donkeys and ponies consumed more energy and protein than required when fed alfalfa ad libitum. Both oat straw treatments provided insufficient protein to meet the predicted requirements of ponies and donkeys. Straw intakes ad libitum exceeded the estimated energy requirement for ponies by 34–51 %, but donkey energy requirements were only just met. When the amount of straw offered was restricted, 78–90 % of the estimated energy requirement for donkeys was met compared with 90–105 % for the ponies.
Correlation Between the Structural Stability and Aggregation Propensity of Proteins

Protein aggregation, being an outcome of improper protein folding, is largely dependent on the folding kinetics of a protein. Previous studies have reported a positive correlation between the stability of the secondary structural elements of a protein and their rate of folding/unfolding. In this in silico study, the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins a) that form inclusion bodies on overexpression in Escherichia coli, b) that form amyloid fibrils and c) that are soluble on overexpression in E. coli are analyzed for certain features that are known to be associated with structural stability. The study revealed that the soluble proteins seem to have a higher rate of folding (based on contact order) and a lower percentage of exposed hydrophobic residues as compared to the inclusion body forming or amyloidogenic proteins. The soluble proteins also seem to have a more favored helix and strand composition (based on the known secondary structural propensities of amino acids). The secondary structure analyses also reveal that the evolutionary pressure is directed against protein aggregation. This understanding of the positive correlation between structural stability and solubility, along with the other parameters known to influence aggregation, could be exploited in the design of mutations aimed at reducing the aggregation propensity of the proteins.
A Backward Adjusting Strategy and Optimization of the C4.5 Parameters to Improve C4.5's Performance

In machine learning, decision trees are employed extensively in solving classification problems. In order to design a decision tree classifier two main phases are employed. The first phase is to grow the tree using a set of data, called training data, quite often to its maximum size. The second phase is to prune the tree. The pruning phase produces a smaller tree with better generalization (smaller error on unseen data). One of the most popular decision tree classifiers introduced in the literature is the C4.5 decision tree classifier. In this paper, we introduce an additional phase, called adjustment phase, interjected between the growing and pruning phases of the C4.5 decision tree classifier. The intent of this adjustment phase is to reduce the C4.5 error rate by making adjustments to the non-optimal splits created in the growing phase of the C4.5 classifier, thus eventually improving generalization (accuracy of the tree on unseen data). In most of the simulations conducted with the C4.5 decision tree classifier, its parameters, confidence factor, CF, and minimum number of split-off cases, MS, are chosen to be equal 25% and 2, their default values, recommended by Quinlan, the inventor of C4.5. The overall value of this work is that it provides the C4.5 user with a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the benefits of the proposed adjust phase, as well as the benefits of optimizing the C4.5 parameters, CF and MS.
Phosphorylation of the RitR DNA‐binding domain by a Ser–Thr phosphokinase: implications for global gene regulation in the streptococci

We report selective phosphorylation of the DNA‐binding domain of the Streptococcus pneumoniae transcriptional regulator RitR. RitR is annotated as a two‐component response regulator, but lacks a cognate His kinase as a neighbouring locus in the genome. In addition, Asn replaces Asp at the expected acceptor site. By the use of combinatorial phage display, we identified PhpP, a S. pneumoniae Ser–Thr eukaryotic‐like PP2C phosphatase as an interacting partner of RitR. RitR interacts with the phage‐displayed peptide VADGMGGR which forms a part of the active‐site sequence of PhpP. RitR is phosphorylated in vitro by StkP, the presumed cognate kinase of PhpP, and the site on RitR that is phosphorylated has been localized to the RitR DNA‐binding domain. PhpP together with its cognate kinase StkP appear to be necessary for Piu haem transporter expression. In vitro studies suggest that PhpP and StkP interact competitively with RitR in that RitR–PhpP–piu promoter ternary complexes are disrupted by StkP. Our findings indicate a regulatory link between RitR and Ser–Thr kinase–phosphatase‐based bacterial signal transduction.
Fluency and reading comprehension in students with reading difficulties

PURPOSE: To characterize the performance of students with reading difficulties in decoding and reading comprehension tasks as well as to investigate the possible correlations between them. METHODS: Sixty students (29 girls) from 3rd to 5th grades of public Elementary Schools were evaluated. Thirty students (Research Group - RG), ten from each grade, were nominated by their teachers as presenting evidences of learning disabilities. The other thirty students were indicated as good readers, and were matched by gender, age and grade to the RG, composing the Comparison Group (CG). All subjects were assessed regarding the parameters of reading fluency (rate and accuracy in words, pseudowords and text reading) and reading comprehension (reading level, number and type of ideas identified, and correct responses on multiple choice questions). RESULTS: The RG presented significantly lower scores than the CG in fluency and reading comprehension. Different patterns of positive and negative correlations, from weak to excellent, among the decoding and comprehension parameters were found in both groups. In the RG, low values of reading rate and accuracy were observed, which were correlated to low scores in comprehension and improvement in decoding, but not in comprehension, with grade increase. In CG, correlation was found between different fluency parameters, but none of them was correlated to the reading comprehension variables. CONCLUSION: Students with reading and writing difficulties show lower values of reading fluency and comprehension than good readers. Fluency and comprehension are correlated in the group with difficulties, showing that deficits in decoding influence reading comprehension, which does not improve with age increase.
O MARKETING DA 3ª VAGA

E vulgar afirmar-se que o marketing procura dar resposta a tres aspectos cruciais da vida das empresas. Em primeiro lugar, identificar necessidades e oportunidades de mercado que possam ser transformadas em bons negocios. Depois, ajudar no desenvolvimento desses mesmos negocios nao apenas ao nivel da concepcao dos produtos/servicos, mas tambem do preco, da distribuicao e de eventuais servicos associados. E, por ultimo, contribuir para uma correcta e eficaz accao de promocao e comunicacao.
Functional and Performance Tests for XPath

We present a major revision of the XPath benchmark known as XPathMark (1). The new version splits into a functional test over a small educational document and a more elaborated performance test over XMark (2) documents. We conclude by sharing with the reader our experience on running XPathMark on some popular XSLT/XQuery pro- cessors.
Association of Regulatory Issues With an Echovirus 18 Meningitis Outbreak at a Children's Summer Camp in Alaska

We document an echovirus 18 meningitis outbreak occurring at a remote overnight children's camp in Alaska. The outbreak involved 26% of 113 camp residents, was associated with building overcrowding and occurred in a camp with a contaminated drinking water source. Lack of specific children's camp regulations and failure to implement and enforce existing regulations may have contributed to the outbreak.
Structure and Function of Intra–Annual Density Fluctuations: Mind the Gaps

Tree rings are natural archives of climate and environmental information with a yearly resolution. Indeed, wood anatomical, chemical, and other properties of tree rings are a synthesis of several intrinsic and external factors, and their interaction during tree growth. In particular, Intra-Annual Density Fluctuations (IADFs) can be considered as tree-ring anomalies that can be used to better understand tree growth and to reconstruct past climate conditions with intra-annual resolution. However, the ecophysiological processes behind IADF formation, as well as their functional impact, remain unclear. Are IADFs resulting from a prompt adjustment to fluctuations in environmental conditions to avoid stressful conditions and/or to take advantage from favorable conditions? In this paper we discuss: (1) the influence of climatic factors on the formation of IADFs; (2) the occurrence of IADFs in different species and environments; (3) the potential of new approaches to study IADFs and identify their triggering factors. Our final aim is to underscore the advantages offered by network analyses of data and the importance of high-resolution measurements to gain insight into IADFs formation processes and their relations with climatic conditions, including extreme weather events.
Efficacy and safety of rituximab given at 1,000 mg on days 1 and 15 compared to the standard regimen to treat adult immune thrombocytopenia

Rituximab (RTX) is used off‐label to treat immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) but the regimen now commonly used in rheumatoid arthritis has not been evaluated in ITP. The aim of this large French multicenter retrospective study was to compare the efficacy and safety of two RTX regimens in adult's ITP. The efficacy of two (RTX) regimens: standard therapy of 375 mg/m2 weekly for 4 weeks vs. a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) regimen of 1,000 mg on days 1 and 15, to treat ITP was compared. We included adults patients with previously primary ITP treated with RTX instead of treated primary ITP. (CR) was defined as a platelet count >100 × 109/L, and a response (R) by a platelet count of >30 × 109/L with a least a doubling of the baseline value. Of the 107 patients included, 61 (57%) received the standard regimen and 46 (43%) the RA regimen. Baseline characteristics and overall response rates at 3 month (M3) and 12 months (M12) were not significantly different between the groups. At M12, 22/61 patients (36%) treated with the standard regimen and 23/46 (50%) with the RA regimen achieved an overall response (R + CR). The initial pattern of response at M3 was associated with a later pattern of response by M12 in both groups. In multivariate analysis, both a younger age and a low number of previous therapies were associated with a higher likelihood of overall response at M12. Tolerance was good and comparable between the two groups. The RA regimen is an effective and safe alternative to the standard regimen to treat adults with ITP. Am. J. Hematol. 88:858–861, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The importance of treating cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes

Cardiometabolic risk factors are the combined vascular and metabolic components of risk that may lead to a cardiovascular event. There are numerous such factors. Underlying the concept of cardiometabolic risk is an association with excess visceral fat, leading to the dysregulation of the adipokines, the signalling proteins derived from adipose tissue. Changes in the levels of the adipokines – tumour necrosis factor-α, cholesteryl ester transfer protein and adiponectin, for example – can lead to alterations in insulin sensitivity and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol metabolism. At present, specific cardiometabolic risk factors are commonly managed on an individual basis. We are now moving from the era of single risk factor intervention, however, to multiple risk factor intervention in people at high cardiovascular risk, with the additional possibility of using new drug classes to target the underlying cardiometabolic problems more effectively.
On Short Cycles and Their Role in Network Structure

This article explores the relationship between structure and short cycles in complex networks, based on the fact that nodes more densely connected amongst one another are more likely to be linked through short cycles. By identifying combinations of 3-, 4and 5-edge-cycles, a subnetwork is obtained which contains only those nodes and links belonging to such cycles, which can then be used to highlight the connectivity structure of complex networks. Examples are shown using a theoretical model (Sznajd networks) and a real-world network (NCAA football).
Shift-work sleep disorder--the glass is more than half empty.

As many as 20 percent of workers in industrialized nations are shift workers — in other words, people who work either at night or on rotating shifts.1 Shift-work sleep disorder, defined as a primary complaint of insomnia or excessive sleepiness temporally associated with a work period that occurs during the habitual sleep phase,2 has been diagnosed in as many as 10 percent of shift workers.3 Shift workers overall appear to be at increased risk for peptic ulcer disease, coronary heart disease, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome,4,5 as well as for sleep deprivation, depression, sleepiness-related accidents, and curtailed family .
Complex networks

Complex networks play an increasingly important role in our lives, including power grids, the Internet, transportation, cooperation, gene regulatory and artificial neural networks, to name but a few. In fact, most of the things that drive our lives, like energy, information and even water, are delivered to us by a network structure. These networks are usually large, complex, and structured in such a way that there can be important operational consequences due to the manner in which they behave over time. The complexity of the networks poses many challenges for scientists and engineers. In particular, advanced societies have apparently become dependent on large infrastructure networks to such an extent that it is difficult to plan and control these networks securely with our current capabilities. The recent spate of power-grid failures and virus attacks on the Internet illustrate the need for research on modelling, analysis of behaviours, systems theory, planning, and control in such networks. Numerous fundamental questions have been addressed about the connections between network structure and (non-linear) dynamic properties including stability, bifurcations, controllability, and other observable aspects. However, some major problems have not been fully investigated, such as the behaviour of stability, synchronization, and chaos control for complex networks, as well as their applications in, for example, communication, and bio-informatics. The overall aim of this special issue is to bridge the gap between computer mathematics and network dynamics control. There were more than 20 papers submitted to this special issue from control engineers, mathematicians, computer scientists, and biologists. After a rigorous peer review process, 10 papers have been selected that provide solutions, or early promises, to manage, analyse, and interpret functional information from real-world networks. These papers have covered both the practical and theoretical aspects of complex networks in the broad areas of artificial intelligence, mathematics, statistics, operational research, and engineering. Complex network-like structures appear in a wide variety of technological, social and biological systems. Some important examples in computer science include the Internet, peer-to-peer systems, and e-mail networks.An interesting dynamic process taking place in complex networks is the spontaneous spreading of information via rumour-like mechanisms. In addition to its relevance to social sciences, such a mechanism also forms the basis of an important class of data dissemination
Wie Wettanbieter Rendite und Risiko kontrollieren können - und Schüler dabei Einblick in finanzmathematische Methoden erhalten

Zusammenfassung: Wettanbieter laufen Gefahr, dass je nach Ausgang der Wettspiele die auszuzahlenden Gewinne hoher sind als die eingenommenen Einsatze. Es werden zwei ganz unterschiedliche Moglichkeiten aufgezeigt, wie Wettanbieter Rendite und Risiko kontrollieren konnen. Die eine Art von Kontrolle ist probabilistisch und wird ahnlich bei der Verwaltung von Portfolios verwendet. Die andere Art ist deterministisch und wird ahnlich zur Absicherung von Optionen eingesetzt. Fur die gezeigten Modellrechnungen reicht gymnasiale Mathematik aus. "Wetten aus Sicht des Anbieters" eignet sich daher, um Schulern Einblick zu geben in Methoden der modernen Finanzmathematik.
A colaboração internacional entre sociedades médicas é uma forma eficaz de aumentar a produção de artigos sobre tuberculose na América Latina

Objetivo: A maioria dos estudos sobre tuberculose é proveniente de países de alta renda com baixa incidência de tuberculose. Uma revisão da produção científica sobre tuberculose na América Latina, região onde a maioria dos países é de baixa ou média renda, alguns com alta ou média incidência de tuberculose, seria útil para entender as necessidades clínicas e de saúde pública, bem como as prioridades de pesquisa. O objetivo desta revisão sistemática foi identificar o que foi publicado recentemente na América Latina, os principais autores envolvidos e o impacto das colaborações internacionais. Métodos: O PubMed foi usado para identificar manuscritos relevantes sobre tuberculose pulmonar (TBP) e tuberculose resistente ou multirresistente publicados entre 2013 e 2018. Foram selecionados apenas os estudos realizados em países com incidência anual de tuberculose ≥ 10.000 casos notificados e incidência anual de tuberculose multirresistente ≥ 300 casos estimados, incluindo Brasil, Peru, México, Colômbia e Argentina. Os artigos foram estratificados por país, tipo e tópico. Resultados: Foram identificados 395 estudos sobre TBP e 188 sobre tuberculose resistente/multirresistente, dos quais 96,4% e 96,8%, respectivamente, eram estudos originais; 35,5% e 32,4%, respectivamente, concentravam-se em epidemiologia; 52,7% e 36,2%, respectivamente, haviam sido realizados no Brasil. O recente projeto colaborativo da Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax/European Respiratory Society/Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisiologia impulsionou a produção de artigos de alta qualidade sobre TBP e tuberculose resistente/ multirresistente na América Latina. Conclusões: A maioria dos estudos recentes sobre tuberculose na América Latina foi realizada no Brasil, México ou Peru. A colaboração entre sociedades médicas facilita a produção de artigos científicos sobre tuberculose. Iniciativas assim atendem ao pedido da Organização Mundial da Saúde de intensificação das pesquisas e inovações na área de tuberculose.
Human BCAS3 Expression in Embryonic Stem Cells and Vascular Precursors Suggests a Role in Human Embryogenesis and Tumor Angiogenesis

Cancer is often associated with multiple and progressive genetic alterations in genes that are important for normal development. BCAS3 (Breast Cancer Amplified Sequence 3) is a gene of unknown function on human chromosome 17q23, a region associated with breakpoints of several neoplasms. The normal expression pattern of BCAS3 has not been studied, though it is implicated in breast cancer progression. Rudhira, a murine WD40 domain protein that is 98% identical to BCAS3 is expressed in embryonic stem (ES) cells, erythropoiesis and angiogenesis. This suggests that BCAS3 expression also may not be restricted to mammary tissue and may have important roles in other normal as well as malignant tissues. We show that BCAS3 is also expressed in human ES cells and during their differentiation into blood vascular precursors. We find that BCAS3 is aberrantly expressed in malignant human brain lesions. In glioblastoma, hemangiopericytoma and brain abscess we note high levels of BCAS3 expression in tumor cells and some blood vessels. BCAS3 may be associated with multiple cancerous and rapidly proliferating cells and hence the expression, function and regulation of this gene merits further investigation. We suggest that BCAS3 is mis-expressed in brain tumors and could serve as a human ES cell and tumor marker.
Inferring interactions in complex microbial communities from nucleotide sequence data and environmental parameters

Interactions occur between two or more organisms affecting each other. Interactions are decisive for the ecology of the organisms. Without direct experimental evidence the analysis of interactions is difficult. Correlation analyses that are based on co-occurrences are often used to approximate interaction. Here, we present a new mathematical model to estimate the interaction strengths between taxa, based on changes in their relative abundances across environmental gradients.
Conditional activation of Pax6 in the developing cortex of transgenic mice causes progenitor apoptosis

During development, Pax6 is expressed in a rostrolateral-high to caudomedial-low gradient in the majority of the cortical radial glial progenitors and endows them with neurogenic properties. Using a Cre/loxP-based approach, we studied the effect of conditional activation of two Pax6 isoforms, Pax6 and Pax6-5a, on the corticogenesis of transgenic mice. We found that activation of either Pax6 or Pax6-5a inhibits progenitor proliferation in the developing cortex. Upon activation of transgenic Pax6, specific progenitor pools with distinct endogenous Pax6 expression levels at different developmental stages show defects in cell cycle progression and in the acquisition of apoptotic or neuronal cell fate. The results provide new evidence for the complex role of Pax6 in mammalian corticogenesis.