Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PHOTOSYNTHESIS‐IRRADIANCE RELATIONSHIPS IN SEA ICE MICROALGAE FROM McMURDO SOUND, ANTARCTICA 1

Sea ice microalgae in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica were examined for photosynthesis‐irradiance relationships and for the extent and time course of their photoadaptation to a reduction in in situ irradiance. Algae were collected from the bottom centimeter of coarse‐grained congelation ice in an area free of natural snow cover. Photosynthetic rate was determined in short term (1 h) incubations at −2° C over a range of irradiance from 0 to 286 μE·m−2·s−1. Assimilation numbers were consistently below 0.1 mg C·mg chl a−1·h−1. The Ik's3 averaged only 7 μE·m−2·s−1, and photosynthesis was inhibited at irradiances above 25 μE·m−2·s−1.
A survey of microbiological aspects of cider making

Among the lactic microflora of ciders it was found that the species Leuconostoc oenos was predominant at the end of the alcoholic fermentation as well as at the end of the malo-lactic conversion. Among yeasts, the genera Saccharomyces was predominant at the end of fermentation. However, in the case of one juice characterised by a low initial level of bacteria, a high amount of phenolic compounds and a small quantity of total nitrogen, the whole lactic flora was no longer detected after a fortnight.
Association of Cardiovascular Complications in Potassium Disorders with Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic Kidney Disease

Potassium disorders are common in patients with cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus. Hypokalemia and hyperkalemia are important electrolyte abnormalities that have generally been defined based on serum potassium concentrations develop with impaired renal function, and individuals with diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease are at greatest risk, as both may contribute to the development of the serious cardiovascular disease. Potassium concentrations have been associated with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, hypertension and risk for arrhythmia. Hypokalemia is defined based on serum potassium concentrations <3.5 mEq/L is a risk factor of atrial fibrillation, while ventricular fibrillation, and sudden cardiac death. Hyperkalemia is defined based on serum potassium concentrations >6.0 mEq/L is the show effect of bradycardia, asystole. Potassium is important for the primary ion mediating cardiac repolarization in the hypokalemic condition they produce the effects of myocardial refractory periods and increases the risk for arrhythmia condition. And hyperkalemia causes slowed conduction and sometimes block conduction effect on the progressive result in asystole. The kidney maintaining the body potassium. In the case of chronic kidney disease, the capacity to maintain potassium level in the body is facing the alterations and the result is a problematic condition for transcellular electrolyte shifts. This condition increases the risk for hyperkalemia or hypokalemia and associated problems. Potassium abnormalities are one of the important reasons for electrolyte imbalances seen in DKA and risk factors for fatal arrhythmia. This condition increases the risk for hyperkalemia or hypokalemia and associated problems. We are studying the cardiovascular risk association between a serum potassium level and cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus conditions.
Morphological and phenological differences in Nothofagus pumilio from contrasting elevations: Evidence from a common garden

We tested the hypothesis that contrasting elevations select distinct growth patterns and vegetative phenology in Nothofagus pumilio, a winter deciduous tree that dominates mountain forests of Patagonia. Analysis of saplings maintained under common-garden conditions for 4 years showed a significant decrease in shoot annual growth, leaf size, and a delay in bud-break, and leaf expansion with increased elevation of their site of origin. Rapid gain in height seems to be advantageous at low elevation in such light-demanding species. Lower stature high-elevation plants have wider branching angles and greater branching ratios (number of branches/number of internodes) than low-elevation plants. Compact growth at high elevation may be related to strong winds and irradiance. Plants from different elevations had distinct growth patterns during the common-garden experiment. This could be of importance in Mediterranean-climate areas characterized by highly unpredictable precipitation regimes. Also, liberation of growth-suppressed seedlings may follow different environmental signals in low- and high-habitats, which might explain such time-dependent responses to optimal conditions under cultivation. While these greenhouse-grown N. pumilio saplings showed heritable differences in plant architectural traits and leafing phenology, it was not clear how the genotypes characteristic of particular elevations would respond to longer growing seasons such as those predicted under global warming.
A study into the antibiotic effect of garlic Allium sativum on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus albus

A quantitative method involving colony counting was undertaken to assess the antibiotic effects of garlic Allium sativum on possible food‐borne bacteria. The investigation using garlic was targeted at higher education students planning an Independent Study or Dissertation into the antibacterial properties of food plants. The effect of concentrations of garlic varying from 0 per cent to 20 per cent in chicken stock, which had been inoculated with either E.coli B and S. albus, was investigated over three days. Bacterial numbers were reduced with increased garlic concentration and with the duration of incubation. Heating the garlic for 30 min at 100 C destroyed its anti‐bacterial activity.
Cryopreservation of Phytodiversity: A Critical Appraisal of Theory & Practice

Cryopreservation is the storage of viable cells, tissues, organs and organisms at ultra-low temperatures, usually in liquid nitrogen to a minimum temperature of −196°C. The term, phytodiversity describes an assemblage of plants, algae and cyanobacteria; it is used to encourage a more holistic approach to cryopreserving the photosynthetic primary producers. In anticipation that encouraging exchange of knowledge across the different phytodiversity sectors sharing many common goals will facilitate their overall cryobanking activities. The main objective of the review is to explore the boundary between cryobiology theory and cryobanking practice. Natural adaptations will be considered with respect to cryopreservation protocol development and this theme includes a brief examination of ‘cold’ omics research. In addressing the problem of cryostorage recalcitrance, the review compares and contrasts phytodiversity from the perspective of environmental adaptation. A substantial part of the content is dedicated to appraising risk and safety issues and the microbial and pathological aspects of cryobanking. The importance of best practices for safeguarding the security of phytodiversity held in cryobanks is also considered. The review concludes by prospecting the use of the medical translational research paradigm in cryobanking.
Activity and Phylogenetic Composition of Proteolytic Bacteria in Mesophilic Fed-batch Garbage Composters

Crude extracts of extracellular enzymes were prepared from a solid waste-compost mixture (SCM) taken from two mesophilic fed-batch composting (FBC) reactors for garbage treatment, and were tested for protease activity with azocasein as the substrate. The protease activity was highest at a reaction temperature of 70°C and remained relatively high even at 90°C. The optimum pH for the activity was 7 to 10. There were a significant negative correlation between the protease activity and the moisture content in the FBC reactors when the extracts were prepared. Seventy-six strains of proteolytic bacteria were isolated quantitatively by the agar-plating method and identified phylogenetically by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Most of the isolates were assigned to members of the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, especially those of the genera Bacillus, Cellulosimicrobium, and Ornithinococcus and an unaffiliated Cytophaga-like group. Inhibitor and zymography experiments showed that the proteolytic activities of the isolates belonging to the above-noted Gram-positive genera as well as of the SCM sample were inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and that the isolates of Bacillus, Cellulosimicrobium, and the Cytophaga-like group excreted a protease similar to those from the SCM sample in electrophoretic mobility. The results of this study suggest that bacteria belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes and producing alkaline serine protease play primary roles in protein digestion in the mesophilic FBC process.
Extracellular Vesicles: The New Frontier of Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine?

Regenerative medicine aims to repair damaged or missing cells, tissues or organs for the treatment of various diseases, poorly managed with conventional drugs and medical procedures. To date there are different approaches to obtain these results. Multimodal regenerative methods include transplant of healthy organs, tissues, or cells, body stimulation to activate a self healing response in damaged tissues, as well as the combined use of cells and bio-degradable scaffold to obtain functional tissues. Certainly, stem cells and derived products are promising tools in regenerative medicine due to their ability to induce de novo tissue formation and/or promote tissue and organ repair and regeneration. Currently, several studies have shown that the beneficial stem cell effects in damaged tissue restore are not depending on their engraftment and differentiation on the injury site, but rather to their paracrine activity. It is now well known that paracrine action of stem cells is due to their ability to release Extracellular Vesicles (EVs). EVs play a fundamental role in cell-to cell communication and are directly involved in tissue regeneration. In the present review, we tried to summarize the molecular mechanisms trough which EVs carry out their therapeutic action and their possible application for the treatment of several diseases.
Análise do mercado de frutas em Lavras-MG

Neste trabalho, objetivou-se estudar o mercado de frutas na cidade de Lavras - MG. As coletas de dados foram realizadas mensalmente nos supermercados, sacoloes e feiras livres, utilizando-se de um questionario e executado em duas etapas: a primeira de julho de 2002 a junho de 2003 e a segunda de julho de 2004 a junho de 2005. Procurou-se investigar o volume de frutas comercializado, precos, perdas, procedencias e consumo per capita. Os resultados mostram um aumento de 318,5 para 377,4 t/mes, representando 17% entre a 1a e a 2a etapa. Para as frutas produzidas em Lavras a variacao foi de 3,07 para 4,30%. As perdas foram de 23,8 para 27,7 t/mes e o consumo per capita de 3,98 para 4,68 Kg/habitante/mes.
Antiinflammatory and analgesic properties of Erythrina indica Lamb.

Erythrina indica leaves are traditionally used in Kerala to treat inflammation, ulcers, earache etc. But its therapeutic potential has not been scientifically validated yet. We evaluated the antiinflammatory and analgesic properties of the ethanolic extract of E. indica leaves. We observed significant inhibition of carrageenan induced rat paw oedema in the extract treated groups at 250 and 500 mg/kg dose, at 3 h after carrageenan injection. E. indica extract at both the doses (250 & 500 mg/kg) inhibited acetic and acid induced writhing response in mice. In addition we observed significant antilipid peroxidant effects in vitro by the extract at 50 μg/ml. Phytochemical studies indicated that E. indica contained alkaloids and perhaps they are responsible for the antiinflammatory and analgesic effects.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Generic Ecological Assessment Endpoints

ABSTRACT The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that one of the major impediments to the advancement and application of ecological risk assessment is doubt concerning appropriate assessment endpoints. The Agency's Risk Assessment Forum determined that the best solution to this problem was to define a set of generic ecological assessment endpoints (GEAEs). They are assessment endpoints that are applicable to a wide range of ecological risk assessments; because they reflect the programmatic goals of the Agency, they are applicable to a wide array of environmental issues, and they may be estimated using existing assessment tools. They are not specifically defined for individual cases; some ad hoc elaboration by users is expected. The GEAEs are not exhaustive or mandatory. Although most of the Agency's ecological decisions have been based on organism-level effects, GEAEs are also defined for populations, ecosystems, and special places.
Determinants of distribution, abundance and reproductive success of the Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) in southern Tunisian oases

The Common Blackbird has extended its geographic range in Tunisia recently and colonised oases in the southern part of the country. Here, I examine the role of oasis spatial distribution and local vegetation structure in shaping Blackbird distribution and abundance patterns in the oasis system. I also provide preliminary results on the breeding biology of Blackbirds in their new habitat. Blackbird occurrence in a given oasis was mainly dependent on its presence in neighbouring oases, while vegetation structure did not predict Blackbird occurrence. Within occupied oases, local abundance was associated with the diversity and abundance of fruit trees and herbaceous plants. This suggests that dispersal and colonisation from nearby occupied oases play an important role in shaping oasis occupancy pattern, while local vegetation structure determines the abundance of locally established populations. The abundance of trees affects nest site availability and breeding success, based on observations at two oases. Blackbird nests were usually situated on pomegranate trees and olive trees. The Common Blackbird is a successful breeder in the oasis habitat, with an average of one fledgling per breeding attempt. The major causes of reproductive failure were nest predation, mainly by snakes, and nest destruction by young people. Le merle noir (Turdus merula) a récemment étendu son aire de distribution en Tunisie, colonisant les oasis du sud. Dans ce travail, j'ai examiné les rôles du mode de distribution spatiale des oasis et de la structure de leur végétation dans le façonnement de la distribution et de l'abondance de cet oiseau dans son nouvel habitat. La probabilité de présence du merle dans une oasis donnée est fortement dépendante de sa présence dans les oasis les plus proches indépendamment de la structure de la végétation. Cependant, au sein des oasis occupées, l'abondance du merle semble principalement affectée par la structure de la végétation. Elle est particulièrement liée à la diversité des deux strates inférieures, à savoir les plantes herbacées et les arbres fruitiers. Ce dernier résultat est confirmé par les observations sur la nidification et le succès reproducteur du merle dans deux oasis. Globalement, ces observations montrent que les merles des oasis construisent leurs nids principalement sur des grenadiers ou des oliviers, et à faible hauteur du sol, ce qui est conforme aux moeurs connues de cette espèce. Malgré une prédation au nid relativement intense, principalement par les serpents et les jeunes villageois, le merle se reproduit avec succès dans l'habitat oasien. Le succès reproducteur est estimé à un jeune envolé par tentative de reproduction.
Photoperiod-insensitive Japanese soybean landraces differ at two maturity loci

Insensitivity of flowering to long daylengths is an important character in the adaptation of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] to higher latitudinal environments. The objective of this study was to identify and map the maturity genes for incandescent long daylength (ILD) insensitivity for two landraces, 'Miharudaizu' and 'Sakamotowase', which belong to different cultivar groups. Two F 9 recombinant inbred line (RIL) families were developed by means of a repetitive heterozygote selection method from the F 2 population of the cross between the two landraces. Linkage analyses with isozyme and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealed that the maturity gene for ILD insensitivity from Miharudaizu was a recessive allele at the E4 locus on Molecular linkage group (MLG) I. The MLG I order of the E4 locus and four markers was determined as Satt239-Satt496-E4-Enp-Satt354. The maturity gene for ILD insensitivity from Sakamotowase was found to cosegregate with four tightly linked SSRs on MLG C2, and was determined as a recessive allele at the El locus. The genotypes at the E3 locus for both Miharudaizu and Sakamotowase were estimated as e3e3 on the basis of the responses of late-flowering near-isogenic lines to fluorescent long daylength (FLD). The results obtained in this study suggest that Miharudaizu has the genotype of ElEle3e3e4e4 and Sakamotowase has the genotype of e1e1e3e3E4E4. Because the el allele cannot induce flowering in ILD in the presence of the E4 allele, an unknown gene may condition the ILD insensitivity of Sakamotowase, possibly while combined with the el allele.
The effects of dietary lipid and fibre levels on digestibility of diet and on the growth performance of sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo)

In the present study, sharpsnout seabream ( Diplodus puntazzo ) were fed three experimental isonitrogenous diets composed of 45 g 100g-1 protein and varying lipid and fibre contents as follows: diet A: 45/10/1.5, B: 45/15/1.5 and C: 45/15/5. The effects of the diet composition were investigated by measuring digestibility, growth, carcass composition and haematological parameters. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for proteins, fats and carbohydrates, measured at high (26˚C) and low (16˚C) water temperatures in laboratory conditions, were not affected by the diet or temperature treatments. Growth was evaluated in a seven-month trial using animals held in sea cages. The specific growth rate (SGR) showed no significant differences among the treatments while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved in the fish that were fed a low-fat diet. A significant increase in body fat was detected in the fish that were fed high-fat diets. The blood serum total lipid levels were elevated for the fish that were fed diet C. In conclusion, a diet containing a protein/fat/fibre ratio of 45/10/1.5 g 100g-1 can result in satisfactory growth and an improved FCR value when compared with diets with higher fat and/or fibre levels, demonstrating that the required fat level for sharpsnout seabream is lower than 15 g 100g-1.
The influence of restrictive feeding of chickens on the microscopic structure of their liver

This paper describes the morphologic structure of chickens’ livers as a result of restrictive feeding in variable intensity. This experiment was performed on 96 chickens of two hybrids (Ross 308 and Cobb 500) of both sexes. The chickens were divided into 3 groups (control group and two groups with restricted feeding). There were 8 chickens in each group. After hatching, the control group was fed a standard mixture ad libitum. The first restricted group was fed 80% ad libitum from the age of 2 weeks. The second restricted group, from the age of 2 weeks, was fed 65% ad libitum. The experiment lasted for 5 weeks. The liver samples were obtained by necropsy, then weighed, and after this processed by standard histological methods. The slices of liver were stained with haematoxyline-eosin. The liver samples were evaluated both objectively and subjectively. In the control group, steatosis and marginal pathological acute venosis hyperaemia were found. In the group with 80% restriction, perilobular steatosis was observed. In the group with 65% restriction, centrolobular steatosis was observed. Controlled measurement of the average hepatocyte thickness in the individual sample groups was performed using an objective method. The hepatocyte diameter thickness of males was higher than the hepatocyte diameter thickness of females, which was significant (P < 0.001). This is the first work providing the possibility of morphometrical verification of the time factor including other morphological criteria. Fibrosis, lipids, metabolism, non-alcoholic liver steatosis, steatohepatitis, nutrition
Going beyond Free Viewpoint: Creating Animatable Volumetric Video of Human Performances

In this paper, we present an end-to-end pipeline for the creation of high-quality animatable volumetric video content of human performances. Going beyond the application of free-viewpoint volumetric video, we allow re-animation and alteration of an actor's performance through (i) the enrichment of the captured data with semantics and animation properties and (ii) applying hybrid geometry- and video-based animation methods that allow a direct animation of the high-quality data itself instead of creating an animatable model that resembles the captured data. Semantic enrichment and geometric animation ability are achieved by establishing temporal consistency in the 3D data, followed by an automatic rigging of each frame using a parametric shape-adaptive full human body model. Our hybrid geometry- and video-based animation approaches combine the flexibility of classical CG animation with the realism of real captured data. For pose editing, we exploit the captured data as much as possible and kinematically deform the captured frames to fit a desired pose. Further, we treat the face differently from the body in a hybrid geometry- and video-based animation approach where coarse movements and poses are modeled in the geometry only, while very fine and subtle details in the face, often lacking in purely geometric methods, are captured in video-based textures. These are processed to be interactively combined to form new facial expressions. On top of that, we learn the appearance of regions that are challenging to synthesize, such as the teeth or the eyes, and fill in missing regions realistically in an autoencoder-based approach. This paper covers the full pipeline from capturing and producing high-quality video content, over the enrichment with semantics and deformation properties for re-animation and processing of the data for the final hybrid animation.
PyCHAM: CHemistry with Aerosol Microphysics in Python

PyCHAM (CHemistry with Aerosol Microphysics in Python) is an open-access 0-D box model for aerosol chamber studies. Aerosol chambers provide a means for atmospheric scientists to interrogate aerosol processes (Finlayson-Pitts & Pitts, 2000; Hidy, 2019; Schwantes et al., 2017). Allying PyCHAM with chamber measurements allows quantification of unknown parameters, such as branching ratios for oxidation schemes (Chen & Griffin, 2005). Although several box models have already been published (Pierce et al., 2008; Roldin et al., 2019, 2014; Sunol, Charan, & Seinfeld, 2018), PyCHAM is novel in its ease of accessibility and utility. To the best of our knowledge, PyBOX (Topping, Connolly, & Reid, 2018), which formed the basis of PyCHAM, and AtChem (Borońska et al., 2019), are the only other open source box models with graphical user interfaces. However, PyCHAM provides a considerable upgrade to the functionality of both prior models, as AtChem only simulates gas-phase photochemistry and PyBOX has limited particle effects, whilst PyCHAM models significantly more particle microphysics (detailed below) and wall effects, in addition to gas-phase photochemistry. The intention therefore, is that it will be readily employed by research groups undertaking aerosol chamber measurements.