Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of acoustic backscatter measurements from a ship-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and an EK500 scientific echo-sounder

We compare the calibration of a 150 kHz RD Instruments Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler against the 200 kHz channel of a SIMRAD EK500 scientific echo-sounder. Over a range of mean volume backscattering strength of −88 to −68 dB (relative to a scattering cross-section of 1 m −1 ), from 10 to 90 m depth, the data from the two instruments were well correlated but with significant slope and offset errors (≈10% and ±3 dB, respectively). After correction for these systematic errors the residual differences between the ADCP and the EK500 were less than 1 dB. This accuracy is sufficient for many qualitative studies of the coupling of ocean physics and biology.
Anoxia Tolerance and Sugar Level in Roots and Coleoptiles of Aerobically Germinated Rice

Abstract The root and coleoptile growth of aerobically germinated rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings was suppressed by anoxic stress, but the suppression was more conspicuous in roots than in coleoptiles. In this study, the physiological and metabolic responses of roots to anoxia were compared with those of coleoptiles in aerobically germinated rice seedlings. ATP concentration in the coleoptiles was higher than that in the roots under anoxia. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity and ethanol concentration in the coleoptiles were also higher than in the roots under anoxia, which suggest that ethanolic fermentation may be more active in the coleoptiles than in the roots where glycolysis and ethanolic fermentation are the main source of ATP production. Activity of α-amylase, which mobilized reserved starch in the seeds, was not detected in the roots and coleoptiles of rice seedlings either under aerobic or anoxic conditions. However, α-amylase activity was found in endosperms of the rice seedlings even under anoxia. The α-amylase activity in anoxic endosperms was 64% of that in aerobic endosperms. Sugar concentration in the anoxic coleoptiles was higher than that in the anoxic roots. ATP and ethanol concentrations in the roots and coleoptiles of rice seedlings were correlated well with sugar concentrations in the roots and coleoptiles, which also showed a good correlation with anoxia tolerance of roots and coleoptiles with respect to elongation. These results suggest that the sugar level may be important for the anoxia tolerance of the roots and coleoptiles since the availability of sugar is essential for the operation of ethanolic fermentation leading to ATP production under anoxia, and it may serve to distinguish the anoxia tolerance of the roots and coleoptiles of the rice seedlings.
Produção de feijão-fava em função do uso de doses de fósforo

Phosphorus is an important mineral nutrient for vegetables. This work was conducted at Universidade Federal da Paraiba, in Areia, Brazil, from December/2001 to July/2002, aiming to evaluate the effect of levels of P2O5 on the yield of lima bean, cv. "Orelha de Vo". The experimental design was a randomized block with five treatments (0; 100; 200; 300; 400 and 500 kg ha-1 of P2 O5), and four replications. Each plot consisted of 40 plants spaced 1.0 m between rows and 0.50 m between plants in each row. The estimated maximum yield of green and dry beans (5.2 and 2.7 t ha-1, respectively) corresponded, to the dosages of 309 and 302 kg ha-1 of P2O5. The levels 291 kg ha-1 and 281 kg ha-1 of P2O5 provided, respectively, the greater economic return for the yield of green (4.1 t ha-1) and dry (1.8 t ha-1) beans. The most economic levels included more than 80% of those dosages responsible for the maximum yields and indicated the economic viability of phosphorus utilization on lima bean crop. The P2O5 levels which promoted the maximum yield and the maximum economic return for green and dry beans yield were respectively, with 57.1; 56.3; 55.0 and 53.8 mg dm-3 of available P for the extractor of Melich 1. The lima bean response to the phosphorus fertilization in soils with similar fertility used in the present study, for green and dry beans yield, will be reduced at levels of available P superior to 55.0 and 53.8 mg dm-3. The average concentration of P in the leaves of lima bean, 120 days after sowing, in function of levels of P2O5 was of 3.4 g kg-1. For the soil of this study the application of 291 and 281 kg ha-1 of P2O5 is more recommended to establish the lima bean respectively, for green and dry beans yield.
UTILIZAÇÃO DA ANÁLISE DISCRIMINANTE EM ESTUDOS TAXONÔMICOS DE MOSCAS-DAS-FRUTAS DO GÊNERO Anastrepha Schiner, 1868 (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

A discriminant analysis was carried out for four species of the fraterculus group, Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann, 1830), A. obliqua (Macquart, 1835), A. sororcula (Zucchi, 1979) and A. zenildae (Zucchi, 1979). These species can be distinguished only by minor morphological characters of the aculeus apex and sometimes there is great difficulty in determining specific limits. The study was based on eight measurements of the aculeus and it was possible to separate the species using the discriminant analysis. Therefore, this analysis is an additional tool for the identification of Anastrepha species as it was already observed for many other groups of insects.
Natural Selection in a Population of Darwin's Finches

An exceptionally wet year followed by two very dry years severely perturbed the food supply of cactus finches (Geospiza conirostris) on Isla Genovesa, Galapagos. This provided us with a natural experiment for detecting and interpreting selection acting on bill shape in response to the near elimination of some of the food items and availability of others. Long-billed birds had a survival disadvantage associated with the absence of Opuntia flowers and fruits, which they normally exploit. This selection event was followed by another favoring birds with deep beaks capable of extracting the only available food, arthropods from beneath the bark of trees and within Opuntia trunks and old pads. For young birds, the ability to develop (learn) techniques for extracting a new food item was a better predictor of survival than was bill shape. Among the group that acquired these skills, more of the birds with deep bills survived, as was the case for the adults. During 1984, males that obtained females had deeper bills than those that failed to do so. Because this mating advantage did not occur in years without natural selection, we suggest that birds with deep bills had more energy available for courtship. Using the same approach, we also describe a parallel case of natural selection in a sympatric congener, G. magnirostris, in which birds with deep beaks capable of cracking large and hard Cordia lutea seeds were favored. The population has undergone little or no evolutionary change in bill dimensions in response to selection during the last nine years, despite the presence of high levels of additive genetic variance. Evolutionary change has not occurred because the action of selection on one trait in one direction has been counteracted by selection in the opposite direction on another, positively correlated trait. Changes in the proportions of dry-season niches among years cause changes in the proportions of birds with certain beak morphologies and feeding skills best suited to exploiting them. Therefore, the population tracks a moving peak in an adaptive landscape under environmental fluctuations, and there is more than one individual fitness optimum within the range of phenotypes in the population.
Aparelhos celulares e a detecção precoce do câncer de mama: possibilidade de educação em saúde para mulheres

O estudo buscou analisar a possibilidade da incorporação dos aparelhos celulares nas estratégias de educação em saúde relacionada ao câncer de mama de mulheres atendidas pelas equipes da Estratégia de Saúde da Família. Estudo descritivo realizado com mulheres com idade igual ou superior a 40 anos residentes em Maringá, Paraná, em 2016. Os dados foram coletados durante visita domiciliar por meio da aplicação de questionário semiestruturado composto de questões relativas ao perfil de uso de aparelhos celulares e internet, bem como do acesso a informações sobre saúde. Pesquisou-se 259 mulheres, das quais 95,75% declarou utilizar aparelhos celulares; 67,18% utiliza há mais de três anos; 69,11% utiliza para realizar ligações telefônicas e 28,96% utiliza para acessar internet. Quanto ao uso de internet, 45,17% afirmou utilizar internet paga, 33,59% utilizam para pesquisar; 31,27% para acessar redes sociais e 8,11% para acessar portais do governo. Para receber informação sobre saúde, 50,19% prefere panfletos; 40,93% prefere aparelhos celulares e 25,48% prefere palestras. A incorporação dos aparelhos celulares nas estratégias de educação em saúde direcionada ao câncer de mama mostra-se viável, porém, faz-se necessário considerar limitações de usabilidade e acesso à internet.
Spatio‐temporal variation in mortality rates of Mecodema spp. (Coleoptera: Carabidae) across a forest‐grassland edge in New Zealand

Abstract. 1 Edge effects are a highly cited issue in conservation biology with a wealth of empirically described impacts on invertebrates, but the mechanisms underlying the responses of individual species to habitat edges have been seldom tested. One often‐raised hypothesis is that individual species vary in their ability to survive along a gradient of changing microclimatic conditions across habitat edges. 2 I used a phylogenetically controlled, translocation experiment to investigate edge‐driven variation in adult mortality rate for two closely related species that have contrasting abundance patterns with respect to forest‐grassland edges; the habitat generalist Mecodema fulgidum Broun (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and the forest‐dwelling Mecodema rugiceps Sharp. 3 Adult individuals of both species were live‐caught and translocated into containers at varying distances along an edge gradient extending from 1024 m inside a large forest fragment and 64 m into the surrounding grassland matrix. Experimental containers were connected to the above‐ and below‐ground environments via mesh‐covered panels, and beetle mortality over a 4‐month period in the 2006/2007 austral summer was recorded. 4 Overall, mortality was higher for the habitat specialist M. rugiceps than for the generalist M. fulgidum. Neither species exhibited an edge‐related trend in mortality, nor were mortality rates correlated with microclimatic gradients across the edge. 5 Weather records for the summer indicated that M. rugiceps was more sensitive than M. fulgidum to a soil moisture deficit that became more pronounced as summer progressed. Analysis of a 10‐year climate record shows that soil moisture deficits occur annually, suggesting that seasonal variation in soil moisture may contribute to the variation in the distribution and abundance of the two species.
Energy Metrics of Red-Sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) Vary with Sex but Not Life-History Stage

Because reproduction is energetically expensive, an organism’s energy stores are likely involved in mediating transitions between reproductive and self-maintenance activities. We investigated whether body condition index, adipocyte follicle size, and liver glycogen differ with the life-history transition from reproduction to migration and foraging in red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Females primarily investing in mating behavior located at the den had a significantly higher body condition index than females migrating to summer feeding grounds. The body condition index of male snakes did not differ between snakes located at the den and those migrating to summer feeding grounds. Neither adipocyte follicle area nor liver glycogen stores differed significantly between snakes performing mating activities at the den and those migrating to summer feeding grounds. We did find a sexual dimorphism in that female red-sided garter snakes had significantly larger adipocyte follicles and higher liver glycogen compared with males. Our findings support the across-species phenomenon of females and males displaying a sexual dimorphism in stored energy substrates. Conversely, we did not find evidence to suggest that red-sided garter snakes primarily utilize fatty acids to fuel the initiation of migration, a finding that is not consistent with other long-distance migrators, such as birds. Because we did not find evidence to suggest that stored energy metrics influence the decision to migrate, a physiological mechanism that induces migration in red-sided garter snakes remains elusive.
Polyamines of carbon monoxide-utilizing bacteria, Pseudomonas thermocarboxydovorans and Pseudomonas carboxydohydrogena

1. Summary A slightly thermophilic, CO-utilizing pseudomonad, Pseudomonas thermocarboxydovorans grown under both autotrophic and heterotrophic growth conditions was found to contain 2-hydroxyspermidine and 2-hydroxyputrescine in addition to putrescine, diaminopropane and spermidine. A mesophilic CO — utilzing hydrogen bacterium, Pseudomonas carboxydohydrogena contained putrescine and homospermidine under both autotrophic and heterotrophic growth conditions. Although these two carboxydobacteria are classified to the same genus Pseudomonas , the difference in their polyamine distribution patterns suggests that they may belong to different subclasses of Proteobacteria .
A Compact Model for Stochastic Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (STDP) Based on Resistive Switching Memory (RRAM) Synapses

Resistive switching memory (RRAM) devices have been proposed to boost the density and the bio-realistic plasticity in neural networks. One of the main limitations to the development of neuromorphic systems with RRAM devices is the lack of compact models for the simulation of spiking neural networks, including neuron spike processing, synaptic plasticity, and stochastic learning. Here, we present a predictive model for neuromorphic networks with unsupervised spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) in HfO2 RRAM devices. Our compact model can predict the learning behavior of experimental networks and can speed up the simulation of unsupervised learning compared to Monte Carlo (MC) approaches. The model can be used to optimize the classification accuracy of data sets, such as MNIST, and to estimate the time of learning and the energy consumption.
Zebra stripes and tiger stripes: the spatial frequency distribution of the pattern compared to that of the background is significant in display and crypsis

Some striped animals are camouflaged in their natural environment, whereas others are conspicuous. Mammals are known to have spatial frequency analysers in their visual mechanism, and it is suggested that the spatial characteristics of a striped pattern are different in camouflaged and conspicuous animals. Fourier analysis of the stripes of the zebra shows spatial frequencies in the pattern that are unlikely to be present so strongly in their natural background scene. A similar analysis of the camouflaging stripes of a tiger show that the distribution of spatial frequencies are similar to that in the background scene.
The recent state of cryopreservation techniques for ex-situ gene conservation and breeding purposes in small ruminants: A review

The viewpoint of the recent cryopreservation techniques (CT) suggests the use of a reduced volume of cryopreservation solution, high concentration of cryoprotectants and ultra-rapid cooling and warming rates help to reduce cryo-injury and maximize the viability of the preserved animal genetic resources (AnGR). The CT had now become widely accepted as one of the best methods of choice for the ex-situ conservation of AnGR due to its high success rate recorded and no-invasive nature as compared to the conventional slow rate freezing (CSRF). Rapid advances and wide acceptability of the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART’s) particularly artificial insemination (AI) in animal breeding had resulted in a greater loss of a large number of good quality genes in virtually almost all the native breeds of animals across the globe. Small ruminant (SR) animals are not an exception in such present predicaments situation of erosion and dilution of the valuable AnGR among the native breeds. As a result of this, 148 and 16 breeds of sheep and goats respectively have already become extinct in Europe and the Caucasus. In view of the aforementioned situation, the present review aimed at exploring some of the current states of development, roles played and potentials of CT in the conservation of SR genes and genome for the immediate and future breeding purposes for sustainable development. It basically covers; animal genetic resource, the need to conserve AnGR, tools for ex situ in vitro conservation of AnGR and recent developments in breeding and cryopreservation of SR AnGR. Cryopreservation is playing a pivotal role in ex-situ gene conservation of AnGR. Decline in genetic diversity among SR breed population was high in Europe and the Caucasus. There is therefore, need for improvent on current stringent measures on conservation of AnGR in this region of the world.
Being citizens of the City of Gaza: the resettlement of the Al-Shati Refugee Camp at Sheikh Radwan, 1967-1982

ABSTRACT This article examines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the prism of urban citizenship. It focuses on the Israeli attempt to reshape urban citizenship in Gaza by planning and constructing Sheikh Radwan, a residential neighborhood designated as a permanent quarter for the refugees inhabiting the nearby Al-Shati camp. Although Gaza’s local residents, like the refugees, were deprived of national citizenship rights, they retained the privileges and rights of urban citizenship. The economic development and modernization plan that Israel implemented in the Gaza Strip after its occupation in 1967 disrupted this differentiation between refugee and resident. Israeli programs promoted, perhaps, refugees’ demands to the city, but when urban equality was promoted by the deporter, it provoked a contradiction between the Right to the City and the Palestinian Right of Return. This top-down enactment of civic right turns into a measure of control that perplexes some of the fundamental theoretical underpinnings of urban citizenship.
Aerial part silage of araruta (Maranta arundinacea) whit inclusion of citrus pulp

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la composicion quimica, las perdidas de materia seca y la estabilidad aerobica de del ensilaje de parte aerea de araruta con inclusion de pulpa de citricos, asi como validar el forraje como una fuente alternativa de alimento para animales rumiantes. Se utilizo un diseno completamente aleatorizado en un esquema factorial 3x4 (niveles de inclusion de aditivo y tiempos de apertura) con cinco repeticiones. La inclusion del 30% del aditivo promovio un aumento del 8,5% en el contenido de materia seca al ensilaje exclusivo. El ensilado fermentado en comparacion con el material in natura , mostro una disminucion de los componentes fibrosos. La inclusion de pulpa de citricos y los tiempos de apertura del silo no influyeron en el contenido de carbohidratos no fibrosos. Sin embargo, el aditivo promovio aumentos en el contenido total de carbohidratos de los ensilajes. No hubo diferencias estadisticas para las perdidas de efluentes y gases. Solo el ensilaje con inclusion de un 30% de pulpa de citricos tuvo la menor recuperacion de materia seca. El promedio alcanzado de temperatura maxima por los ensilajes fue de 34,5oC. El tiempo promedio para el aumento de la temperatura fue de 67 horas para todos los ensilajes. El ensilaje de parte aerea de araruta puede ser utilizado en la alimentacion animal, y se constituye un recurso forrajero potencial para el uso en la region semiarida.
Protoplast‐induced curing of bacteriocin plasmid in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis 484

Plasmid-specified traits like lactose metabolism and bacteriocin production could be eliminated from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis 484 culture during production and regeneration of protoplasts with lysozyme at the concentration of 300 μg/ml after 3 h treatment. Plasmid-free strains and cured derivatives harbouring only a single plasmid (2 MDa) were also obtained. Loss of high molecular weight (65 MDa) low copy number Lac plasmid occurred more frequently compared with low molecular weight (2 MDa) high copy number plasmid. Treatment of L. lactis subsp. lactis 484 cells with lysozyme at concentrations of 1000 μg/ml could produce a large number of Lac− Bac− variants at a very high frequency (94%). The curing data confirmed the linkage of Lac and Bac phenotypes to 65 and 2 MDa plasmids, respectively.
Spectral-Based SPD Matrix Representation for Signal Detection Using a Deep Neutral Network

The symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrix has attracted much attention in classification problems because of its remarkable performance, which is due to the underlying structure of the Riemannian manifold with non-negative curvature as well as the use of non-linear geometric metrics, which have a stronger ability to distinguish SPD matrices and reduce information loss compared to the Euclidean metric. In this paper, we propose a spectral-based SPD matrix signal detection method with deep learning that uses time-frequency spectra to construct SPD matrices and then exploits a deep SPD matrix learning network to detect the target signal. Using this approach, the signal detection problem is transformed into a binary classification problem on a manifold to judge whether the input sample has target signal or not. Two matrix models are applied, namely, an SPD matrix based on spectral covariance and an SPD matrix based on spectral transformation. A simulated-signal dataset and a semi-physical simulated-signal dataset are used to demonstrate that the spectral-based SPD matrix signal detection method with deep learning has a gain of 1.7–3.3 dB under appropriate conditions. The results show that our proposed method achieves better detection performances than its state-of-the-art spectral counterparts that use convolutional neural networks.
Mining the prognostic significance of the GINS2 gene in human breast cancer using bioinformatics analysis

A number of studies have demonstrated the crucial functions of GINS2 within the GINS complex in various types of cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms and prognostic value of GINS2 in breast cancer remain unknown. The present study used; BC-GenExMiner, COSMIC, UCSC Xena, The Human Protein Atlas, GEPIA, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, TIMER and Oncomine, in order to investigate gene expression, co-expression, clinical parameters and mutations in GINS2 in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, the present study assessed the prognostic value of GINS2 in patients with breast cancer via the Kaplan-Meier plotter database. The results of the present study demonstrated that the mRNA levels of GINS2 were significantly higher in breast cancer tissue compared with normal tissue. In addition, high mRNA expression levels of GINS2 were associated with high Scarff-Bloom-Richardson status grades, a basal-like status and age (≤51 years); however, it was not associated with lymph node metastasis. The survival analysis revealed that increased GINS2 mRNA levels were associated with a worse prognosis for relapse-free survival in all patients with breast cancer, particularly in those with estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-positive subtypes. In addition, a positive association between the GINS2, CENPM and MCM4 genes was confirmed. The results of the present study suggest that GINS2 could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for breast cancer. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to confirm the effects of GINS2 on the pathogenesis and development of patients with breast cancer.