Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential responses of grass and a dwarf shrub to long-term changes in soil microbial biomass C, N and P following factorial addition of NPK fertilizer, fungicide and labile carbon to a heath.

Microbial immobilization may decrease the inorganic nutrient concentrations of the soil to the extent of affecting plant nutrient uptake and growth. We have hypothesized that graminoids with opportunistic nutrient-acquisition strategies are strongly influenced by nutrient limitation imposed by microbes, whereas growth forms such as dwarf shrubs are less affected by the mobilization-immobilization cycles in microbes. By adding NPK fertilizer, labile C (sugar) and fungicide (benomyl) over a 5 yr period in a fully factorial design, we aimed to manipulate the sink-source potential for nutrients in a non-acidic heath tundra soil. After 2 yr, N and P accumulated in the microbial biomass after fertilization with no change in microbial C, which suggests that nutrients did not limit microbial biomass growth. After 5 yr, microbial C was enhanced by 60% in plots with addition of labile C, which points to C-limitation of the microbial biomass. Microbial biomass N and P tended to increase following addition of labile C, by 10 and 25%, respectively. This caused decreased availability of NH4 + and P, showing close microbial control of nutrient availability. The most common graminoid, Festuca ovina, responded to fertilizer addition with a strong increase, and to labile C addition with a strong decrease in cover, providing the first direct field evidence that nutrient limitation imposed by immobilizing microbes can affect the growth of tundra plants. Also in support of our hypothesis, following addition of labile C the concentrations of N and K in leaves and that of N in roots of F. ovina decreased, whilst the demand of roots for P increased. In contrast, the most common dwarf shrub, Vaccinium uliginosum, was only slightly sensitive to changes in resource availability, showing no cover change after 4 yr addition of labile C and fertilizer, and little change in leaf nutrient concentrations. We suggest that the differential responses of the two growth forms are due to differences in storage and nutrient uptake pathways, with the dwarf shrub having large nutrient storage capacity and access to organic forms of N through its mycorrhizal association. While the fungicide had no effect on ericoid mycorrhizal colonization of roots or symbiotic function inferred from plant 15 N natural abundance, it decreased microbial biomass C and N after 2 yr. Throughout the fifth season, the availability of soil NO3 - and inorganic P was decreased with no change in microbial biomass C, N or P, suggesting a negative impact of benomyl on N and P mineralization.
Updated statement on the available outcomes of the human health assessment in the context of the pesticides peer review of the active substance chlorpyrifos‐methyl

Abstract In July 2019, the European Commission asked EFSA to provide a statement on the available outcomes of the human health assessment in the context of the pesticides peer review for the renewal of approval of the active substance chlorpyrifos‐methyl conducted in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EC) No 844/2012. Accordingly, EFSA delivered a statement to the Commission providing a summary of the main findings of the assessment related to human health following the pesticides peer review expert discussions in mammalian toxicology held between 1 and 5 April 2019, as well as EFSA's additional considerations, including whether the active substance can be expected to meet the approval criteria applicable to human health as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. A follow‐up mandate was received to update the statement issued on 31 July 2019 with the outcome of the expert meeting in mammalian toxicology held on 5 September 2019 during which chlorpyrifos‐methyl was rediscussed. The concerns identified in the previous statement are maintained.
Design of 2D Digital FIR Low Pass Filter using Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization with Simulated Annealing

In this paper, a hybrid technique of particle swarm optimization algorithm and simulated annealing algorithm (HPSOSA) is investigated for the design of two-dimensional (2D) low pass filter (LPF) using L 1 -error fitness function. The L 1 -error fitness function produces flatter response with comparable transition width with normal transition width. Here, the filter’s coefficients are calculated using HPSOSA algorithm. Finally, design example of 2D LPF is demonstrated in terms of various optimal characteristics. The comparison of obtained simulation results is done with the conventional Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). It is observed that the HPSOSA algorithm provides promising results for 2D FIR LPF by overcoming the problem of early convergence of PSO algorithm.
Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Articular cartilage repair remains a challenge to surgeons and basic scientists. The field of tissue engineering allows the simultaneous use of material scaffolds, cells and signalling molecules to attempt to modulate the regenerative tissue. This review summarises the research that has been undertaken to date using this approach, with a particular emphasis on those techniques that have been introduced into clinical practice, via in vitro and preclinical studies.
The effectiveness of mate guarding by male black-throated blue warblers

In many socially monogamous birds, males maintain close proximity to their mates during the fertile period. This is often considered an effort on the male’s part to prevent other males from copulating with his mate, but other functions have been suggested and the effectiveness of males in preventing extrapair fertilizations has come into question. Moreover, it is unclear whether mate guarding conflicts with other male activities, particularly the pursuit of extrapair fertilizations. We examined mate guarding by male black-throated blue warblers (Dendroica caerulescens). Behavioral observations showed that males that guarded their mates more closely were less likely to have extrapair young in their nests. Moreover, the experimental detention of a male for 1 h during the fertility risk period increased the probability that a brood would contain extrapair young. Thus, male mate guarding was effective in reducing the risk of extrapair fertilization. Males with many opportunities for extrapair copulations appeared to guard their mates less and consequently had more extrapair young in their broods than males with few such opportunities. This suggests that mate guarding may conflict with the pursuit of extrapair fertilizations. Key words: black-throated blue warbler, breeding synchrony, extrapair paternity, mate guarding, microsatellites, time conflicts. [Behav Ecol 12:541–546 (2001)] n socially monogamous birds, females often copulate with males other than their social mates. Such extrapair copulations (EPC) can result in extrapair fertilizations (EPF), and thereby reduce the reproductive success of the cuckolded male. We therefore expect males to adopt behaviors that prevent their mates from engaging in EPC (Parker, 1970; Stockley, 1997). If, for instance, a male can remain near his mate and physically prevent other males from copulating with her, then such mate guarding could be strongly favored by selection. In a large number of species males maintain close proximity to their mates during the female’s fertile period (i.e., the period during which her eggs can be fertilized), and this behavior is often interpreted as mate guarding by males (Birkhead, 1998). The proposal that male birds guard their mates has generated some controversy, which centers on three points. First, alternative explanations have been proposed for the close association between males and females during the fertile period (Birkhead and Moller, 1992; Dickinson and Leonard, 1996; Gowaty and Pilssner, 1987). For example, males may be protecting their mates from predators (e.g., by acting as sentinels), and such protection may be most important during the egg laying period when female foraging demands are high. Of those studies that have examined patterns of male attendance to his mate (e.g., Dickinson and Leonard, 1996), most have concluded that males are indeed acting to prevent EPC (reviewed in Birkhead, 1998). Second, even if males do remain near their mates to prevent EPC, the effectiveness of this strategy has been called into question (Stutchbury and Neudorf, 1998). Time constraints
Characterization and Identification of the Main Spanish and Italian Olive Cultivars by Simple-sequence-repeat Markers

Nine simple-sequence-repeat (SSR) primer pairs were assayed in 35 Spanish and Italian olive cultivars of commercial interest. All microsatellites were polymorphic, showing 5 to 13 alleles per locus (7.5 alleles per locus on average). The frequency of each alleles was generally low, with most of the alleles present at one or two cultivars. Heterozigosity ranged from 0.15 to 0.95; the discrimination power (PD) ranged from 0.30 to 0.93 (mean 0.79). The set of microsatellites analyzed discriminated all cultivars investigated. The combination of only three SSR primer pairs—UDO99-009+UDO99-043+UDO99-14—made possible the identifi cation of all cultivars included in the study. Cluster analysis did not fi nd differences between Spanish and Italian cultivars, but most of the cultivars from southern and central Spain grouped together. Hence, microsatellites markers are recommended for olive fi nger- printing to generate a database for olive cultivar identifi cation. Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a species of great economic importance in the Mediterra- nean basin, where 95% of world production is concentrated. Among Mediterranean countries, Spain and Italy occupy a very important place in the olive industry. Spain is the leading olive producing country, while Italy is the main exporter of olive oil in the world. The genetic patrimony of both these countries is very rich and is characterized by the abundance of cultivars, most of them landraces vegetatively propagated at the farm level since ancient times (Barranco, 1997; Cimato et al., 1993). The existence of many varieties maintained by vegetative propagation reinforces the need of a reliable identifi cation of cultivars, for nurserymen and growers benefi t as plant cost represents the major investment in the new orchards. At the moment, the world olive in- dustry is expanding and being revived in many countries situated outside the confi nes of the
The Aerodynamics of Flapping Animal Flight

Our understanding of the aerodynamics of flapping animal flight is largely based on the quasi-steady assumption: the instantaneous aerodynamic forces on a flapping wing are assumed to be identical with those which the wing would experience in steady motion at the same instantaneous speed and angle of attack. Research up to a decade ago showed that the assumption was sufficient to explain the flight of the vast majority of animals, but did not rule out the possibility that alternative aerodynamic mechanisms were employed instead. Results are presented here for four hovering animals for which the quasi-steady explanation fails. These animals apparently use lift mechanisms that rely on vortices shed during the rotational motion of the wing at either end of the wingbeat. The postulated rotational lift mechanisms should also apply to other hovering animals, even though the quasi-steady assumption could explain their flight. Measurements of the wing forces produced by locusts cast doubt on the validity of the quasi-steady assumption for fast forward flight as well.
The impact of oral nicorandil pre-treatment on ST resolution and clinical outcome of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary coronary angioplasty: A randomized placebo controlled trial

Introduction: Literature has shown the effects of intravenous/intracoronary nicorandil on increased myocardial salvage in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with mechanical reperfusion. However, the possible cardioprotective effect of oral nicorandil on the clinical outcome prior to primary coronary angioplasty is not well documented. Our aim was to assess the effect of oral nicorandil on primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Methods: A total of 240 patients with acute STEMI undergoing PPCI were randomly assigned to oral nicorandil (Intervention, n=116) and placebo (Control, n=124) groups. The intervention group received 20 mg oral nicorandil at the emergency department and another 20 mg oral nicorandil in the catheterization laboratory just before the procedure. The control group received matched placebo. Our primary outcome was ST-segment resolution ≥50% one hour after primary angioplasty. Secondary outcome was in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of death, ventricular arrhythmia, heart failure and stroke. Results: In the patients of intervention and control groups, the occurrence of ST-segment resolution ≥ 50% were 68.1% and 62.9% respectively, (P =0.27). In-hospital MACE occurred less frequently in the intervention group, compared to placebo group (11.2% vs. 22.5%, P =0.012). Conclusion: Although the administration of oral nicorandil before primary coronary angioplasty did not improve ST-segment resolution in patients with acute STEMI, its promoting effects was remarkable on in-hospital clinical outcomes. Clinical Registration: IRCT20140512017666N1
Targeting the Notch and TGF-β signaling pathways to prevent retinal fibrosis in vitro and in vivo

Rationale: The Notch and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling pathways are two intracellular mechanisms that control fibrosis in general but whether they play a major role in retinal fibrosis is less clear. Here we study how these two signaling pathways regulate Müller cell-dominated retinal fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Human MIO-M1 Müller cells were treated with Notch ligands and TGFβ1, either alone or in combination. Western blots were performed to study changes in γ-secretase proteases, Notch downstream effectors, endogenous TGFβ1, phosphorylated Smad3 (p-Smad3) and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. We also studied the effects of RO4929097, a selective γ-secretase inhibitor, on expression of ECM proteins after ligand stimulation. Müller cell viability was studied by AlamarBlue and cytotoxicity by lactate cytotoxicity assays. Finally, we studied changes in Notch and TGFβ signaling and tested the effect of intravitreal injections of the Notch pathway inhibitor RO4929097 on retinal fibrosis resulted from Sodium iodate (NaIO3)-induced retinal injury in mice. We also studied the safety of intravitreal injections of RO4929097 in normal mice. Results: Treatment of Müller cells with Notch ligands upregulated γ-secretase proteases and Notch downstream effectors, with increased expression of endogenous TGFβ1, TGFβ receptors and p-Smad3. TGFβ1 upregulated the expression of proteins associated with both signaling pathways in a similar manner. Notch ligands and TGFβ1 had additive effects on overexpression of ECM proteins in Müller cells which were inhibited by RO4929097. Notch and TGFβ ligands stimulated Müller cell proliferation which was inhibited by RO4929097 without damaging the cells. NaIO3-induced retinal injury activated both Notch and TGFβ signaling pathways in vivo. Intravitreal injection of RO4929097 prevented Müller cell gliosis and inhibited overexpression of ECM proteins in this murine model. We found no safety concerns for up to 17 days after an intravitreal injection of RO4929097. Conclusions: Inhibiting Notch signaling might be an effective way to prevent retinal fibrosis. This study is of clinical significance in developing a treatment for preventing fibrosis in proliferative vitreoretinopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and wet age-related macular degeneration.
REMOVAL OF PARAQUAT HERBICIDE BY CETYLTRIMETHYL AMMONIUM BROMIDE MODIFIED PINEAPPLE LEAVES

Paraquat herbicide is categorised under contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) that can cause serious environmental problem and toxic effects towards human and animals. Also, the decomposing of pineapple leaves by burning in the field could create environmental problems such as air pollution. Therefore, in the present study, the pineapple leaves powder (PLP) was utilised as a low-cost adsorbent to remove paraquat from aqueous solution. The adsorption of paraquat from aqueous solution by PLP and surfactant-modified PLP (SMPLP) was examined. A series of SMPLP was prepared by reacting PLP with different concentrations of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) (0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 4.0 mM). The PLP and SMPLP were characterised using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy after the modification process with CTAB and after adsorption with paraquat. The results show no significant changes in the chemical structure of pineapple leaves after modification. The SMPLP exhibited higher adsorption affinity towards paraquat herbicide. The adsorption experiments of paraquat were carried out in a batch mode at room temperature. The effect of paraquat concentrations (2–20 mg/mL) on the adsorption capacity of PLP and SMPLP were investigated. The suitability of adsorbent was tested by fitting the adsorption data into Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equilibrium models. The experimental adsorption data well fitted to Freundlich isotherm with multilayer adsorption capacity of 13.0 mg/g. The highest adsorption of paraquat was obtained by SMPLP treated with 2.5 mM CTAB while the lowest adsorption was obtained by PLP. As a conclusion, the utilisation of surfactant-modified pineapple leaves powder can become an alternative adsorbent for the removal of herbicide compound in aqueous solution.
Ultrahigh capacitive energy density in ion-bombarded relaxor ferroelectric films

Defect-enhanced energy storage Dielectric capacitors are vital components of electronics and power systems. The thin-film materials of which capacitors are composed are usually optimized by changing the material composition. However, Kim et al. found that postprocessing an already effective thin-film dielectric by high-energy ion bombardment further improved the material because of the introduction of specific types of defects that ultimately improved the energy storage performance. The results suggest that postprocessing may be important for developing the next generation of capacitors. Science, this issue p. 81 High-energy ion bombardment considerably improves the dielectric properties of a relaxor ferroelectric thin film. Dielectric capacitors can store and release electric energy at ultrafast rates and are extensively studied for applications in electronics and electric power systems. Among various candidates, thin films based on relaxor ferroelectrics, a special kind of ferroelectric with nanometer-sized domains, have attracted special attention because of their high energy densities and efficiencies. We show that high-energy ion bombardment improves the energy storage performance of relaxor ferroelectric thin films. Intrinsic point defects created by ion bombardment reduce leakage, delay low-field polarization saturation, enhance high-field polarizability, and improve breakdown strength. We demonstrate energy storage densities as high as ~133 joules per cubic centimeter with efficiencies exceeding 75%. Deterministic control of defects by means of postsynthesis processing methods such as ion bombardment can be used to overcome the trade-off between high polarizability and breakdown strength.
Targeting Catecholaminergic Systems in Transgenic Rats With a CAV-2 Vector Harboring a Cre-Dependent DREADD Cassette

Techniques that allow the manipulation of specific neural circuits have greatly increased in the past few years. DREADDs (Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) provide an elegant way to manipulate individual brain structures and/or neural circuits, including neuromodulatory pathways. Considerable efforts have been made to increase cell-type specificity of DREADD expression while decreasing possible limitations due to multiple viral vectors injections. In line with this, a retrograde canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) vector carrying a Cre-dependent DREADD cassette has been recently developed. In combination with Cre-driver transgenic animals, the vector allows one to target neuromodulatory pathways with cell-type specificity. In the present study, we specifically targeted catecholaminergic pathways by injecting the vector in knock-in rat line containing Cre recombinase cassette under the control of the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter. We assessed the efficacy of infection of the nigrostriatal pathway and the catecholaminergic pathways ascending to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and found cell-type-specific DREADD expression.
Molecular Characterization and Expression of Two New Members of the SLC10 Transporter Family: SLC10A4 and SLC10A5

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Comparisons of Natural and Cultivated Populations of Corydalis yanhusuo Indicate Divergent Patterns of Genetic and Epigenetic Variation

Epigenetic variation may contribute to traits that are important in domestication, but how patterns of genetic and epigenetic variation differ between cultivated and wild plants remains poorly understood. In particular, we know little about how selection may shape epigenetic variation in natural and cultivated populations. In this study, we investigated 11 natural populations and 6 major cultivated populations using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and methylation-sensitive AFLP (MS-AFLP or MSAP) markers to identify patterns of genetic and epigenetic diversity among Corydalis yanhusuo populations. We further explored correlations among genetic, epigenetic, alkaloidal, and climatic factors in natural and cultivated C. yanhusuo. We found support for a single origin for all cultivated populations, from a natural population which was differentiated from the other natural populations. The magnitude of F ST based on AFLP was significantly correlated with that for MSAP in pairwise comparisons in both natural and cultivated populations, suggesting a relationship between genetic and epigenetic variation in C. yanhusuo. This relationship was further supported by dbRDA (distance-based redundancy analyses) where some of the epigenetic variation could be explained by genetic variation in natural and cultivated populations. Genetic variation was slightly higher in natural than cultivated populations, and exceeded epigenetic variation in both types of populations. However, epigenetic differentiation exceeded that of genetic differentiation among cultivated populations, while the reverse was observed among natural populations. The differences between wild and cultivated plants may be partly due to processes inherent to cultivation and in particular the differences in mode of reproduction. The importance of epigenetic compared to genetic modifications is thought to vary depending on reproductive strategies, and C. yanhusuo usually reproduces sexually in natural environments, while the cultivated C. yanhusuo are propagated clonally. In addition, alkaloid content of C. yanhusuo varied across cultivated populations, and alkaloid content was significantly correlated to climatic variation, but also to genetic (6.89%) and even more so to epigenetic (14.09%) variation in cultivated populations. Our study demonstrates that epigenetic variation could be important in cultivation of C. yanhusuo and serve as a source of variation for response to environmental conditions.