Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exogenous Enzymes in Ruminant Nutrition: A Review

The concept of supplementation of ruminant diets with exogenous enzymes is not new though a considerable research interest on this field has been emerged from 1990s. Availability of wide range of exogenous enzyme products, development of better methods to evaluate enzyme activity, revised knowledge on rumen functions and recent advances of biotechnology which lowers the cost of enzyme production have fuelled the enzyme utilization in ruminant industries. The exogenous enzymes used in ruminant diets can be characterized in to main categories as fibrolytic, amylolytic and proteolytic based on specific substrate on which their enzyme activity can perform. The sources of these exogenous enzymes are mainly four bacterial species, three fungal species and some yeasts. Solid State Fermentation (SSF) and Submerged Fermentation (SmF) are the major methods for enzyme extraction which have combined with several other biotechnological aspects. The enzyme application method can vary in a wide range from applying to forage at harvesting, at ensiling, at feeding and the portion of feed which is mixed with enzyme may also vary from to forage to concentrate to a part of totally mixed rations. Up to date numerous number of researches have been done with ruminants like cattle both dairy and beef, goat, sheep and less with buffalo. The results seems to be inconsistent but positive results on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, other production parameters, manure nutrient excretion etc., have been obtained. Therefore more fine-tuned research efforts are highly suggested for the generalization of exogenous enzyme usage in ruminant nutrition.
Is the Quality of Toothache-Related Information Published in Brazilian Websites Adequate to Assist People in Seeking Dental Treatment?

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the readability and the quality of toothache-related information found in Brazilian websites. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-five websites retrieved from Google Search, Baidu, Yahoo! and Bing were evaluated by two independent examiners using the DISCERN questionnaire, the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the Flesch Reading Ease adapted to Brazilian Portuguese (FRE-BP). Additionally, the websites were categorised according to their information, adopting four criteria related to: (i) endodontic pain, (ii) toothache relief or treatment, (iii) the self-resolution of pain, and (iv) the promotion of home remedies usage. The statistical analysis was performed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney U test, hierarchical clustering analysis by Ward's minimum variance method, Kruskal-Wallis test, post-hoc Dunn's test and Chisquare test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS The overall means (± SD) of DISCERN and FRE-BP were, respectively, 31.02 (± 5.56) and 61.20 (± 11.79), without quality-based differences between the websites with health- and non-health-related authors, and distinct clusters. CONCLUSION Therefore, the quality of toothache-related information found in this sample of Brazilian websites was classified as simple, accessible and of poor quality, which can hamper the personal decision-making process of seeking dental treatment, leading to damages caused by the non-effective self-management of toothache.
Effects of Dimethoate on Tree Frog (Hyla arborea) Larvae

Considering the global decline of amphibian populations, the present study aimed to investigate the sensitivity of tree frogs to a common pesticide, dimethoate. Our study reports the effects of dimethoate on 21st- and 25th-stage Hyla arborea larvae under standardized laboratory conditions in an acute toxicity test using the static system. Specimens used for testing were obtained from the eggs of mating pairs collected at a local natural pond. Each experimental group contained 10 healthy larvae exposed to 5 different concentrations of technical grade dimethoate for 96 h. For each concentration, including the controls, 3 replicates were used. The concentrations of dimethoate causing 50% mortality (LC50) after 96 h were estimated using a probit analysis program. Regarding the lethal concentrations, 21st-stage larvae were more sensitive (LC50 = 20.27 ppm) than the 25th-stage larvae (LC50 = 37.37 ppm). Malformations such as edema and tail deformaities were observed in 21st- and 25th-stage larvae, respectively. Retardation of growth was also observed in dimethoate-exposed 21st-stage larvae. Certain signs of toxicity, such as initial hyperactivity symptoms, followed by loss of balance, motionlessness, and finally death, were observed.
Evidence for the involvement of ethene in aerenchyma formation in adventitious roots of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

summary Two varieties of rice (ev. Norin 36 and RB3) were either grown in stagnant or aerated 1/4-strength Hoagland's solution with or without exogenous ethene and a range of silver concentrations (an ethene antagonist), or were grown in flooded and drained soils. With cultivar Norin 36, AgNO3 was very effective in reducing porosity by inhibiting aerenchyma development. This effect was antagonized by gassing with increasing concentrations (1 or 2 μ1−l) of ethene. The results are consistent, therefore, with reports that cavity formation in roots is controlled by endogenous levels of ethene. Also, porosity varied with root length, and if a correction was made for this, the inhibitory effect of the silver ion on aerenchyma development appeared to be even greater. For the cultivar RB3, root porosities in solution culture appeared initially to be unaffected by ethene or AgNO2, but root lengths were reduced and root numbers increased by increasing ethene concentration. When these effects on root length were taken into account, it was concluded that ethene had increased root porosity, and AgNO3, had decreased it. Consistent with earlier studies, and with the ethene hypothesis, aerenchyma development in both varieties was also enhanced by soil waterlogging, with percentage porosities 12 units higher in flooded than in drained soil. The porosities of cv, RB3 were higher than those for cv. Norin 36, however, and the regression line of porosity against root length was steeper, indicating a greater predisposition to form aerenchyma in cv. RB3. This was confirmed in solution-grown roots, where AgNO3 had no significant effect on porosity in stagnant or in aerated roots of cv. RB3, and both 1 and 2 μ1−1 ethene increased the porosity in cv. RB3 roots to a similar level. Silver nitrate, however, did antagonize the effects of 1 and 2 μ1−1 ethene. In contrast, porosity in cv. Norin 36 was progressively reduced by AgNO3. It is concluded that, although there are intervarietal differences in sensitivity, an ethene promotion of gas-space formation can occur in rice, and ethene should not be ruled out as the endogenous promoter.
Bone formation in experimental myositis ossificans

The development of ectopic ossification in experimental myositis ossificans of the rabbit thigh was studied. The right hind limb of 25 rabbits was immobilized with the knee in extension. Once a day the limb was passively mobilized for 2–3 minutes. The animals were killed 3,5,7,14,21,28 and 35 days after the beginning of the experiment. Specimens for light and electron microscopy were obtained from both hind limbs. Extensive necrosis and fibrosis were observed in the right vastus intermedius muscle during the first week. Proliferation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts with newly formed woven bone and cartilage formation were found in the periosteum within 7 and 14 days after the beginning of the experiment. Intensive enchondral ossification and hard calcified tissue were observed later. It was evident that bone formation in this experimental model started in the periosteum after necrosis of the adjacent skeletal muscle. Therefore the temporal and spatial relationship of traumatic changes in the periosteum and muscle seems important for the development of myositis ossificans.
Growth, flowering and fruiting in vitro pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) in greenhouse conditions

The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, located in Tehran city, Iran. The objectives of this study was to evaluate the effects of fertilizer and acidic soil on the foliar and radicular growth of micropropagated plantlets of the pineapple cv. Merr (Ananas comosus L.). We evaluated the growth of that genotype in five different ages of acclimatizing: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months in greenhouse. The hardening of plantlets increased length of shoot, leaf length and leaf number and slip production, accelerated flowering and fruit maturity, caused uniform flowering and fruit ripening, and had no effect on sucker development. When hardening plantlets were at least 60 to 70 cm tall and 10 to 12 months old, an inflorescence bud was observed to form in the center of the leaves. Flowers (light red in color) opened row by row over a period of about two weeks. When fruits were about six months old, about four months after flowering has occurred, these changes were observed. The color of the shell changed from green to rich gold. When the fruit was golden half way up, it could be picked and eaten. The color change of the shell occurred first at the bottom of the fruit and moved upwards. During this change, the fruit became sweeter and the color of the flesh changed from white to yellow.
Metaphor Detection Using Contextual Word Embeddings From Transformers

The detection of metaphors can provide valuable information about a given text and is crucial to sentiment analysis and machine translation. In this paper, we outline the techniques for word-level metaphor detection used in our submission to the Second Shared Task on Metaphor Detection. We propose using both BERT and XLNet language models to create contextualized embeddings and a bi-directional LSTM to identify whether a given word is a metaphor. Our best model achieved F1-scores of 68.0% on VUA AllPOS, 73.0% on VUA Verbs, 66.9% on TOEFL AllPOS, and 69.7% on TOEFL Verbs, placing 7th, 6th, 5th, and 5th respectively. In addition, we outline another potential approach with a KNN-LSTM ensemble model that we did not have enough time to implement given the deadline for the competition. We show that a KNN classifier provides a similar F1-score on a validation set as the LSTM and yields different information on metaphors.
Prenatal gestational diabetes mellitus exposure and accelerated offspring DNA methylation age in early childhood

ABSTRACT Background: We investigated the association between prenatal GDM exposure and offspring DNA methylation (DNAm) age at 3–10 years of age in the Tianjin GDM Observational Study. Methods: This study included 578 GDM and 578 non-GDM mother-child pairs. Children underwent an exam with anthropometric measurements and blood draw for DNAm analysis (Illumina 850 K array) at a median age of 5.9 years (range 3.1–10.2). DNAm age was calculated using two epigenetic clock algorithms (Horvath and Hannum). The residual resulting from regressing DNAm age on chronological age was used as a metric for age acceleration. Results: Chronological age was positively correlated with Horvath DNAm age (r = 0.53, p < 0.0001) and Hannum DNAm age (r = 0.38, p < 0.0001). Offspring age acceleration was higher in the GDM group than non-GDM group after adjustment for potential confounders (Horvath: 4.96 months higher, adjusted for sex, pre-pregnancy BMI, cell-type proportions, and technical bias, p = 0.0002; Hannum: 11.2 months higher, adjusted for cell-type proportions and technical bias, p < 0.0001). Increased offspring DNAm age acceleration was associated with increased offspring weight-for-age Z-score, BMI-for-age-Z-score, waist circumference, body fat percentage, subscapular skinfold, suprailiac skinfold, upper-arm circumference, and blood pressure; findings were stronger in the GDM group. Conclusions: We found that offspring of women with GDM exhibit accelerated epigenetic age compared to control participants, independent of other maternal factors. Epigenetic age in offspring was associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, suggesting that GDM and GDM-associated factors may have long-term effects on offspring epigenetic age and contribute to health outcomes.
Accuracy of mean grey density values obtained with small field of view cone beam computed tomography in differentiation between periapical cystic and solid lesions.

AIM To determine if small and medium field of view (FOV) cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) adjusted grey density values can be used to distinguish between periapical cystic and solid lesions. METHODOLOGY Fifty-seven patients with periapical lesions having retrievable small or medium FOV CBCT images and biopsy samples were included. Two oral and maxillofacial pathologists examined the biopsy samples to provide the gold standard diagnosis of cystic or solid lesion. From the CBCT images, two independent examiners recorded the minimum adjusted grey density value of each lesion twice. Intra-examiner and inter-examiner reliability of the measurements were analyzed, and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the minimum grey values in distinguishing a solid from cystic lesion were calculated. A receiver operating curve for diagnostic ability of adjusted grey density values to differentiate between periapical cystic and solid lesions was obtained, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. RESULTS The intra- and inter-examiner reliability of the grey density values of the lesions and dentine were excellent. The AUC was 0.44 (P-value=0.45). The adjusted grey density value with the highest accuracy for differentiating between cystic and solid lesions had an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.54, 1.00, and 0.075, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Small FOV CBCT adjusted grey density values obtained by the device used in the study could not distinguish between periapical cystic and solid lesions. Further developments in CBCT devices are needed to improve the accuracy of grey density measurements.
CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES OF HABITAT OCCUPANCY AND NEST SITE SELECTION IN SAGE SPARROWS

If habitat selection is adaptive, habitat choice by individuals should be di- rectly associated with reproductive success. With that expectation in mind, we examined consequences of habitat choice in Sage Sparrows (Amphispiza belli) in southern California. Habitat selection in Sage Sparrows was pronounced, with vegetation measurements within territories differing significantly from those of interspersed unoccupied areas. Likewise, sites where sparrows placed their nests were significantly different from random sites within territories. Both successful territories (those containing a nest that fledged at least one young) and successful nest sites differed significantly in habitat from those that were unsuccessful. However, there was an inverse relationship between choice and its conse- quences; the mean score of unsuccessful territories on a discriminant function describing the habitat gradient from unoccupied to occupied areas (i.e., choice) was significantly higher than the mean for successful ones. In other words, birds preferred to settle in areas in which they did worse. Thus, attractiveness of habitat has become inversely related to its suitability, and the study site now serves as an "ecological trap. " Because predation accounted for 80-90% of nest loss, we speculate that decoupling of habitat attractiveness from suitability has been produced by redistribution of predators (mainly snakes) due to anthropogenic landscape-level changes in the region.
Experimental toolbox for quantitative evaluation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in the plant model Arabidopsis

ABSTRACT Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a crucial cellular process implicated in many aspects of plant growth, development, intra- and intercellular signaling, nutrient uptake and pathogen defense. Despite these significant roles, little is known about the precise molecular details of how CME functions in planta. To facilitate the direct quantitative study of plant CME, we review current routinely used methods and present refined, standardized quantitative imaging protocols that allow the detailed characterization of CME at multiple scales in plant tissues. These protocols include: (1) an efficient electron microscopy protocol for the imaging of Arabidopsis CME vesicles in situ, thus providing a method for the detailed characterization of the ultrastructure of clathrin-coated vesicles; (2) a detailed protocol and analysis for quantitative live-cell fluorescence microscopy to precisely examine the temporal interplay of endocytosis components during single CME events; (3) a semi-automated analysis to allow the quantitative characterization of global internalization of cargos in whole plant tissues; and (4) an overview and validation of useful genetic and pharmacological tools to interrogate the molecular mechanisms and function of CME in intact plant samples. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: We present detailed novel quantitative imaging protocols, and review pharmacological and genetic manipulation for the investigation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis at multiple scales in Arabidopsis plants.
A NEW APPROACH TO DECIPHERING PATHWAYS OF ENTEROVIRUS 71-INFECTED CELLS: AN INTEGRATION OF MICROARRAY DATA, GENE ONTOLOGY, AND PATHWAY DATABASE

The enterovirus 71 infection is associated with severe neurological disease in several clinical researches; however, the detailed gene network mechanisms of enterovirus 71-infected cells remain unclear at present. We present a new approach integrating microarray expression data, KEGG database, gene ontology (GO), and OMIM information for efficiently deciphering pathways of enterovirus 71-infected cells. This approach includes the following steps: (1) profiling the significant gene-gene interaction through pathway database, (2) utilizing Fisher's exact test to analyze pathway information and to rank the first ten significant pathways, (3) annotating functions of genes in the pathways through gene ontology, (4) investigating related genes and perhaps concern diseases by referring to OMIM information. Our findings illustrate at least three possible pathways in enterovirus 71-infected human neural SF268 cells: Jak-STAT signaling: cell cycle and apoptosis. Furthermore, we show that some genes are associated with neural development and neural apoptosis, such as c-Myc, BAX, NGF, and CPP32. These would be useful for profiling disease mechanisms and host response to virus in future research.
The role of the sexual stage in the over‐summering of Erysiphe graminis DC. f.sp. hordei Marchal under semi‐arid conditions

SUMMARY The sexual stage of E. graminis f.sp. hordei was found to be functional in Israel, and adapted to the climate of the region. Cleistothecia serve as the principal, and perhaps the only means for persistence of the pathogen in the host-less, hot and rainless summer, and induce initial infection on wild and cultivated barleys in late autumn. The cool and rainy weather, which induces germination of seeds of the host in the field, also permits ascospore differentiation and ejection. Details are given of the conditions favouring or delaying cleistothccial maturation during and after the growing season.
Reproductive allocation within a polygyne, polydomous colony of the ant Myrmica rubra

1. Ant colonies commonly have multiple egg‐laying queens (secondary polygyny). Polygyny is frequently associated with polydomy (single colonies occupy multiple nest sites) and restricted dispersal of females. The production dynamics and reproductive allocation patterns within a population comprising one polygyne, polydomous colony of the red ant Myrmica rubra were studied.
Global declines of caribou and reindeer

Caribou and reindeer herds are declining across their circumpolar range, coincident with increasing arctic temperatures and precipitation, and anthropogenic landscape change. Here, we examine the mechanisms by which climate warming and anthropogenic landscape change influence caribou and reindeer population dynamics, namely changes in phenology, spatiotemporal changes in species overlap, and increased frequency of extreme weather events, and demonstrate that many caribou and reindeer herds show demographic signals consistent with these changes. While many caribou and reindeer populations historically fluctuated, the current, synchronous population declines emphasize the species' vulnerability to global change. Loss of caribou and reindeer will have significant, negative socioeconomic consequences for northern indigenous cultures.
Concomitant Benefits of an Auricular Acupressure Intervention for Women With Cancer on Family Caregiver Sleep Quality

Background Sleep disturbance is a frequent and significant problem challenge for family caregivers of patients with cancer. A previously tested 6-week auricular acupressure intervention was found to reduce symptom burden in women with cancer. It is possible that such an intervention has a concomitant benefit for family caregivers. Objectives The aim of this study was to explore if the effects of an auricular acupressure intervention on major symptoms experienced by women with ovarian cancer improves the sleep quality of family caregivers. Methods A quasi-randomized controlled trial with a repeated-measures design was used. Family caregivers (n = 68) of cancer patients were recruited and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index on 4 occasions. Demographic information included age, sex, duration of caring role, and relationship to the patient. Results Family members with a longer duration of caregiving reported more sleep disturbance at baseline. As the symptom burden of treated women decreased, their family caregivers reported improved Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores at 4 weeks (time 2; Cohen d = 1.075) and 6 weeks (time 3; Cohen d = 1.022). Conclusions Reducing the symptom burden of patients with cancer can improve the sleep quality of family caregivers. Implications for Practice Auricular acupressure is a noninvasive and easy-to-apply intervention that can be applied by caregivers to assist their family member. Nursing staff can implement and test the acupressure intervention into their clinical practice and better support family-based strategies and interventions. Further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm our findings.
Assessing effector T cells in type 1 diabetes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The role of T cells specific for islet autoantigens is proven in pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. Recently, there has been rapid expansion in the number of T-cell subsets identified, this has coincided with an increase in the repertoire of reported islet antigens mainly through the discovery of novel epitopes. A discussion of how these marry together is now warranted and timely. RECENT FINDINGS In this review, we will discuss the autoreactivity against neo-epitopes. We then explore the growing array of T-cell subsets for both CD4 T cells, including follicular and peripheral T helper cells, and CD8 T cells, discussing evolution from naïve to exhausted phenotypes. Finally, we detail how subsets correlate with disease stage and loss of β-cell function and are impacted by immunotherapy. SUMMARY The expanding list of T-cell subsets may be potentially encouraging in terms of elucidating disease mechanisms and have a role as biomarkers for disease progression. Furthermore, T-cell subsets can be used in stratifying patients for clinical trials and for monitoring immunotherapy outcomes. However, the definition of subsets needs to be refined in order to ensure that there is a uniform approach in designating T-cell subset attributes that is globally applied.