Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation in seed dormancy of the wetland sedge, Carex elongata, between populations and individuals in two consecutive years

Variation in dormancy of the wetland sedge, Carex elongata L. , was tested using seeds from three wild populations and the garden-grown progeny of one population. Germination experiments, comprising four combinations of temperature and light, were conducted either with fresh-matured or cold-stratified seeds, to assess the relative contribution of populations and mother plants to the total variation. Between-year variation was tested at the population level and, partly, at the individual level, using seeds collected in two consecutive years. Among-population variation accounted for 72%, and among-individual variation for 23%, of the total variance in the first experiment. Significant differences were apparent between one wild population and its garden-grown descendants. Differences in germinability among populations were maintained in the two consecutive years, but a proportion of the variance was due to the contribution of the maternal environment. Weak evidence for genetic control at the individual level was shown by a correlation across years in one population. However, the lack of a main effect at the individual level in the first experiment makes it difficult to assess the relative contribution of the mother plants to the total variation. Our results imply that germination patterns of C. elongata have a genetic basis, but are markedly modified by environmental conditions.
Photoperiod influences the behavioral and physiological phenotype during ontogeny

Behavioral, physiological, and life-history traits can be modified through interactions with environmental conditions during ontogeny. Until recently, the ecological and social circumstances influencing the developing phenotype have not been investigated in much detail. Nevertheless, they represent an important step in niche construction by which the developing organism can in principle adjust to predictable aspects of its life history. By dynamically changing photoperiod during gestation, we tested how behavioral phenotypes (BPs) and physiology of juvenile cavies (Cavia aperea) adjust to seasonal differences in prenatal photoperiod. The prenatal photoperiod, simulating spring or autumn, led to faster or slower maturation in females but the relative size rank in litter also exerted a major influence on the onset of maturation. In addition, prenatal photoperiod strongly influenced BP and stress response in juvenile animals. Heavy females born into autumn developed a less explorative, more shy BP, whereas heavy females born into spring produced more explorative, bolder BP. Smaller sisters did not differ in the onset of maturation and, correspondingly, we found no differences in the BP. We did not find differences in the BP in males also. Early personality traits, though repeatable, changed over ontogeny to such an extent that early group differences in BP had completely disappeared in adults. Our results indicate high developmental plasticity with respect to predicted optimal life history and suggest long-term plasticity in response to photoperiod.
A preliminary biochemical screening of Helicteres isora L. stem bark in carbon tetrachloride induced toxicity in rats.

Helicteres isora, a tall shrub common in central and western India is an effective antidote to snake bite and is also used for various intestinal disorders. The potential efficacy for hepatocellular regeneration of the ethanolic extract of Helicteres isora L. at doses of 150 and 250 mg/kg was investigated in CCl4-induced hepatic damage in rats for 21 days. Significant hepatoprotective effects were obtained against toxin induced liver damage as evident from assessed biochemical markers such as acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), total protein, and oxidative stress parameters as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in liver, kidney and plasma. The results revealed that at the dose of 250 mg/kg, Helicteres isora L. had a hepatocurative potential after CCl4 intoxication in rats and provided a scientific rationale for the traditional use of this plant in the management of liver diseases.
Efficient biocontrol of Spodoptera littoralis by Aspergillus nidulans, an endophyte of Lantana camara

Abstract Spodoptera littoralis has been recognized as a very destructive polyphagous insect, thus, searching for novel bioagents is the current challenge. Endophytic fungi have been recognized as repertoire for bioactive compounds. Thus, the objective of this work was to isolate endophytic fungi inhabiting Lantana camara and evaluating their insecticidal activity against S. littoralis. Aspergillus nidulans, an endophyte of L. camara, displayed a significant larvicidal activity towards 2nd larval instar of S. littoralis. The morphological identity of A. nidulans has been confirmed from the molecular sequence of ITS region, with genbank accession # MK367603 and deposition # AUMC 14095. The bioactive metabolites of A. nidulans were extracted with EtOAc and DCM and their bioactivity towards S. littoralis was assessed. The values of LC50 were 22.6 and 34.4 µg/mL for dichloromethane and ethylacetate extract, respectively after 18 days of treatment. The chemical identity of insecticidally active compounds was resolved by GC-MS analysis, revealing the presence of major compounds namely 1-docosanol and 1-octadecanol on the EtOAc extract, while cis-9-hexadecenoic acid, and 1-octadecanol were found in the DCM extract. These results indicate that this endophytic fungus could be a potential source for bioactive metabolites and can be used in integrated pest management and other important applications.
Multidimensional Feeding of LSTM Networks for Multivariate Prediction of Energy Time Series

We propose a deep learning approach for multivariate forecasting of energy time series. It is developed by using Long Short-Term Memory deep neural networks so that different related time series, incorporating information of longterm dependencies, can be joined together as a multidimensional input of the deep neural network. The learning scheme can be represented as a stacked LSTM network in which one or more layers are cascaded, feeding their output to the input of the sequent layer. To prove the effectiveness of the approach, it has been tested on real-world problems pertaining to the energy field, where time series prediction is of paramount importance.
The Antecedents Influencing the Implementation and Success of the Middle School English Language Curriculum

The purpose of the present study was to explore the antecedents influencing the implementation and the outcomes of the middle school English language curriculum. Case study was adopted to deeply explore a phenomenon, which can be the processes, events, persons, curricula, or things of interest to the researcher. The phenomenon, in this study, is the middle school English language curriculum. Four English teachers teaching different grade levels from a middle school located in Ankara were participants of the study. The data collection instrument was a semi-structured interview developed by the researchers. The interview schedule included 11 main questions and some probing questions to explore the antecedents that might have influence on the implementation of the curriculum. Data collected through interviews were analyzed with content analysis. Content analysis revealed four categories (themes) which were named as “teacher characteristics”, “student characteristics”, “school characteristics”, and “teachers’ views about the curriculum”. Findings indicated that rather than one factor, the combination of the four factors influence teacher and student behaviors which in turn influence the implementation process and the overall success of the curriculum.
Seeing double: pseudocryptic diversity in the Doriopsilla albopunctata‐Doriopsilla gemela species complex of the north‐eastern Pacific

Molecular analyses of samples of Doriopsilla albopunctata and its ‘twin’ species Doriopsilla gemela collected from their entire geographic ranges in the north‐eastern Pacific revealed an unexpected level of species diversity. Species delimitation analyses recovered five distinct species in the complex. When the specimens were re‐examined morphologically in the light of the molecular results, some external and internal differences between them became evident; thus, these species are considered pseudocryptic. The ranges of the three species previously named D. albopunctata overlap partially or entirely, and this along with anecdotal evidence of prezygotic isolation suggests sympatric speciation may be at play. On the contrary, the ranges of the two species previously named D. gemela do not overlap and their developmental modes differ. A review of the literature was conducted to clarify the taxonomy of the species complex, and we concluded that two available names (D. fulva and D. gemela) can be confidently assigned to two of the species. The original description of D. albopunctata is ambiguous, but the common usage of the name is fixed herein with the designation of a neotype for the most common intertidal southern California species. Finally, two new names are introduced for the remaining two species.
Cation Transport in Escherichia coli

When Escherichia coli K-12 is grown in media containing limiting amounts of K, growth continues normally until all the extracellular K has been consumed. Thereafter the rates of growth, glucose consumption, and oxygen consumption decrease progressively, and the cell contents of K and P fall. These changes, referred to as K limitation, are all reversed by the addition of K. By specifically altering the ionic composition of the cells it was shown that these metabolic disturbances are not due to changes in the cell content of K or Na, but are directly related to the absence of K from the extracellular medium. The cell pool of inorganic P and the uptake of PO4 from the medium are low in K-limited cells and are immediately stimulated by the addition of K, suggesting that the primary effect of K limitation is to inhibit PO4 uptake. All the metabolic effects of K limitation can be attributed to inhibition of PO4 uptake. The requirement of extracellular K for PO4 uptake may be due to a coupling between the uptake of K and PO4.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA DIVERSITY OF HONEY BEES, APIS MELLIFERA L. (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) FROM QUEEN BREEDERS IN THE UNITED STATES

Summary In the United States, few studies have been conducted on the genetic variation of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. in queen breeder colonies. In this study, a 571-572 bp region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome oxidase I and II (COI-COII) genes was sequenced from 140 colonies from 14 queen breeders in the United States. DNA sequence analysis revealed seven different mitotypes (C1, C2, C11, C12, C19, C27, C31) from 14 queen breeders in 11 states. The most common mitotypes were C1, C2 and C11 which accounted for 82% of the observed mitotypes, while two mitotypes were singletons. Of the seven observed mitotypes, two (C27, C31) have not been previously described. The observed mitotype and nucleotide diversity was 0.74985 and 0.00352 respectively. This is the first study to use mtDNA sequences extensively on queen breeder colonies in the United States. DNA sequencing is more sensitive to genetic variation than PCR-RFLP as it detects single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Future studies using the same molecular method can also be conducted on the feral (unmanaged) population in order to understand the population genetic structure of honey bees in the United States.
Challenges and handicaps on the design of an efficient beam-down system at an existing heliostat field layout

The beam-down concept is an alternative to the implementation of a central receiver system. This arrangement offers high benefits related to receiver area reduction and the advantages of being the storage system near to the receiver. However, in the practical implementation different optical losses are increased due to the boundary conditions of the systems or components available. As a result of the analysis performed to implement a beam-down concept at the CESA-1 solar field, the limitations and handicaps to overcome in order to achieve high efficiencies of the system are identified and presented.
exercise training skeletal muscle: effects of exercise and short-term AMPK activation is fiber type specific in human

[PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , September 1, 2013; 115 (5): 756-764. J Appl Physiol Bamman Ceren Yarar-Fisher, C. Scott Bickel, Samuel T. Windham, Amie B. McLain and Marcas M. men and the effects of contractile activity Skeletal muscle signaling associated with impaired glucose tolerance in spinal cord-injured [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , October 3, 2013; . European Journal of Preventive Cardiology Johan Sundström Kasper Andersen, Lars Lind, Erik Ingelsson, Johan Ärnlöv, Liisa Byberg, Karl Michaëlsson and Skeletal muscle morphology and risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly men [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , February 1, 2014; 306 (3): E275-E283. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab Veeraj Goyaram, Tertius A. Kohn and Edward O. Ojuka Suppression of the GLUT4 adaptive response to exercise in fructose-fed rats [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , September 1, 2014; 117 (5): 544-555. J Appl Physiol Gardiner, Patricia Sheppard, Teri L. Moffatt and Todd A. Duhamel Marc P. Morissette, Shanel E. Susser, Andrew N. Stammers, Kimberley A. O'Hara, Phillip F. reticulum calcium-ATPase isoforms induced by exercise training Differential regulation of the fiber type-specific gene expression of the sarcoplasmic [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , February , 2015; 22 (2): 231-239. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology Johan Sundström Kasper Andersen, Lars Lind, Erik Ingelsson, Johan Ärnlöv, Liisa Byberg, Karl Michaëlsson and Skeletal muscle morphology and risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly men
Assessing the production and the impact of cultivated oysters in the Thau lagoon (Mediterranee, France) with a population dynamics model

The Thau lagoon (France) has been studied for many years because of its ecological interest related to economic activities: shellfish cultivation, tourism, and industry. The standing stock of cultivated filter feeders is around 20 000 t and consists of two main species, the Japanese oyster Crassostrea gigas and the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. To predict changes in the standing stock and the annual production, a mathematical model of the population dynamics was defined. It was based on the continuous equation of the density as a function of the mortality rate, the individual growth rate, and the interindividual variability. The daily growth rate was derived from field surveys and depended on the phytoplankton concentration and individual weight. The model also took into account the rearing strategy of the producers defined by the timetable of seeding and harvesting, obtained by an inquiry among the producers and used to simulate real cases of standing stock changes. The model was also u.
DIFFERENTIAL MALIC ACID DEGRADATION BY INDIGENOUS AND COMMERCIAL SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE WINE STRAINS

medium (Difco) containing glucose (2.0%, w/v), acetic acid (0.25%, v/v) and ethanol (10.0%, v/v), adjusted to pH 4.0. The capacity to utilize malic or acetic acid was investigated on YP medium, pH 4.0, containing methyl orange (0.005%, w/v) and acetic acid (0.25%, v/v) or malic acid (0.5%, w/v). Hydrogen sulphide production was tested on Biggy agar .
Leiter, Michael P. and Maslach, Christina 2016, Latent burnout profiles: a new approach to understanding

Latent profile analysis, with two large datasets, was used to identify multiple person-centered profiles across the burnout – engagement continuum, as assessed by the three dimensions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Five profiles emerged from this analysis: Burnout (high on all three dimensions), Engageccepted 28 September 2016 ment (low on all three), Overextended (high on exhaustion only), Disengaged (high on cynicism only), and Ineffective (high on inefficacy only). Each of these profiles showed a different pattern of correlates with organizational variables. The Disengaged profile was more negative than Overextended, and closer to the Burnout profile, which argues against the use of exhaustion alone as a proxy for burnout. The results have important implications for theory, research, and interventions. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH. This is an open access article under the CC BY
Increase of hepatic nitric oxide levels in a nutritional model of fatty liver in broiler breeder hens

Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) is a metabolic condition of laying hens characterized by the accumulation of excess fat in the liver and liver hemorrhage. It suggested that oxidative damage to the cellular and organelle membranes of the liver increases the susceptibility of the liver to hemorrhage. However, a local chemical component that may affect the incidence of hemorrhage in liver, by affecting the blood pressure of liver, is nitric oxide. To clarify the effects of high (20 and 40% more than normal) and low (20% less than normal) food intake on plasma and liver oxidative products, malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC), and also nitric oxide (NO) in over fed broiler breeder hens, 198 hens (30 weeks old) were fed for 30 days (two 14-day period). Feed intake, body weight (BW), egg production (EP), plasma NO, MDA and CP were measured at the end of each 14-day periods. Food intake did not reduce during 4 weeks of experiment in hens fed with 20 and 40% above their estimated requirement. Increased food intake resulted in increased body weight gain significantly (P < 0.05). Egg production significantly declined in hens provided with C+40% diet (P < 0.05). Liver MDA, NO and PC concentrations were increased in C+40% hens in second period of experiment (P < 0.05). Liver hemorrhage score of hens fed C+40% diet significantly was higher in the second period of the experiment. It was concluded that an increase in liver hemorrhage in over fed broiler breeder can be associated with the oxidative stress components (MDA, PC) and liver NO concentration. Keywords: Fatty liver, nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, broiler breeder African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(35), pp. 5775-5778, 30 August, 2010
VIRTUAL SCREENING OF PHYTOCHEMICALS OF MORINDA CITRIFOLIA AS ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTI-ALZHEIMER AGENTS USING MOLEGRO VIRTUAL DOCKER ON p38-α MITOGEN ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE ENZYME

Objective: Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38α MAPK) has potential in the treatment of human diseases such as autoimmune diseases, heart failure, Alzheimer disease, and Parkinsonism. Our aim is to do in-silico screening of phytochemicals of Morinda citrifolia for p38α MAPK inhibitory property by docking method. Methods: We did docking of various phytochemicals present in M. citrifolia against p38α MAPK enzyme extracted from Protein Data Bank (ID-4F9Y), by utilizing the Molegro virtual docker Software. The docking scores of phytochemicals were compared with the scores of native reference ligands present in the crystal structure 4F9Y. Results: Isoprincepin and balanophonin show better docking scores when compared to reference ligands in the protein. Isoprincepin has potential to act in a highly selective manner on p38α MAPK as it binds to Met 109 in the phylogenetically conserved kinase hinge region and thereby induces a conformational change known as glycine flip phenomenon. Balanophonin has favorable physiochemical properties for blood-brain barrier penetration and can act on p38α MAPK in the brain. Conclusion: Some of the phytochemicals present in M. citrifolia have p38α MAPK binding and possible inhibitory potential. Keywords: p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase, Isoprincepin, Balanophonin, Molegro virtual docker.
Ecdysozoa versus Articulata: clades, artifacts, prejudices

The claim that monophyly of the Ecdysozoa is caused by chance similarities in 18S rDNA sequences (Wagele et al., J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res. 37, 211–223, 1999) is re-analysed from the cladistic point of view. It is shown that the molecular characters supporting the Ecdysozoa do not behave as ‘noisy’ in empirical studies that use the sensitivity analysis and character congruence approaches. The ‘anti-noise’ methodology proposed by Wagele et al. (1999) is unable to identify true misinformative data. The monophyly of the Articulata (= Annelida + Panarthropoda), proposed by Wagele et al. (1999), is contradicted by all molecular data that support either Ecdysozoa (including Panarthropoda), or Lophotrochozoa (including Annelida), or usually both. Articulata versus Ecdysozoa: Monophyla, Artefakte, Vorurteile Die Behauptung, dass die Monophylie der Ecdysozoa auf einer zufalligen Ahnlichkeit der 18S rDNA Sequenzen basiert (Wagele et al., J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res. 37, 211–223, 1999) wurde mit kladistischen Methoden neu analysiert. Es wird gezeigt, das die molekularen Kriterien, welche die Ecdysozoa auszeichnen, sich in empirischen Studien nicht als ‘noisy’ verhalten, wenn Sensitivitats-Analysen und Charakter-Kongruenz-Methoden angewandt werden. Auβerdem erweist sich die ‘Anti-noise’-Methode, welche von Wagele et al. (1999) vorgeschlagen wurde, als unfahig, wahre misinformative Daten zu identifizieren. Der Monophylie der Articulata (= Annelida + Panarthropoda), wie sie von Wagele et al. (1999) vorgeschlagen wird, widerspricht allen molekularen Kriterien, welche entweder die Ecdysozoa (inkl. Panarthropoda), Lophotrochozoa (inkl. Annelida) oder sogar beide unterstutzen.
Foreword

Political polling is one of the more visible faces of the market research industry. At election time, in particular, the media are often wont to report every apparent twist and turn of public opinion that the polls uncover. It is also one of the most demanding and risky exercises in which market researchers engage. Unlike most research surveys, the accuracy of the estimates of vote intention in polls conducted immediately before polling day can be assessed against the reality of the actual votes found in the ballot boxes—and when those estimates prove to be less than accurate, opprobrium can quickly follow. This Special Issue addresses how the challenge of polling (and by implication forecasting) political preferences and attitudes accurately might best be met in an era in which response rates have fallen but in which the growth of the scale and the possibilities of the Internet have created new opportunities for identifying and analyzing political preferences. Not least of the challenges lies in how polls are reported. Robert Petersen in his Forum article reminds us that the sampling errors that are sometimes acknowledged in press reports of political polls are potentially a misleading rule of thumb, based as they are on the 95% confidence interval (assuming probability sampling) for a single dichotomous variable where the two options are equally popular and where all respondents have answered the question. None of these conditions necessarily apply to any particular figure that might be reported from a poll. Sometimes the rule of thumb may overestimate the relevant sampling error, but often it will underestimate it. In truth, there is a risk of polls being damned if they do and damned if they do not—the inclusion of confidence intervals is criticized for implying a greater level of accuracy than polls can really claim, while if they are omitted polls are criticized for suggesting there is no error at all. Conveying effectively a sense of uncertainty associated with a poll to a media and a public that look to polls to provide them with political foresight is a perennial challenge. Equally perennial is the question of who and where to poll. The conventional answer is to construct a sample in which anyone who is eligible to vote can potentially be selected for interview and to conduct the interviews over as scattered an area geographically as possible. But in her