Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental performance of gasified willow from different lands including land‐use changes

A life‐cycle assessment (LCA) of a low‐input, short rotation coppice (SRC) willow grown on different Danish lands was performed. Woodchips are gasified, producer gas is used for cogeneration of heat and power (CHP), and the ash–char output is applied as soil amendment in the field. A hybrid model was developed for the estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from indirect land‐use changes (iLUC) induced by willow cropping on arable land (iLUCfood). For this, area expansion results from a general equilibrium economic model were combined with global LUC trends to differentiate between land transformation (as additional agricultural expansion, in areas with historical deforestation) and occupation (as delayed relaxation, DR, in areas with historical land abandonment) impacts. A biophysical approach was followed to determine the iLUCfeed emissions factor from marginal grassland. Land transformation impacts were derived from latest world deforestation statistics, while a commercial feed mix of equivalent nutritive value was assumed to substitute the displaced grass as fodder. Intensification effects were included in both iLUC factors as additional N‐fertilizer consumption. Finally, DR impacts were considered for abandoned farmland, as a relative C stock loss compared to natural regeneration. ILUC results show that area related GHG emissions are dominant (93% of iLUCfood and 80% of iLUCfeed), transformation being more important (82% of iLUCfood) than occupation (11%) impacts. LCA results show that CHP from willow emits 4047 kg CO2‐eq haoccup−1 (or 0.8 gCO2‐eq MJ−1) when grown on arable land, while sequestering 43 745 kg CO2‐eq haoccup−1 (or −10.4 gCO2‐eq MJ−1) when planted on marginal pastureland, and 134 296 kg CO2‐eq haoccup−1 (or −31.8 gCO2‐eq MJ−1) when marginal abandoned land is cultivated. Increasing the bioenergy potential without undesirable iLUC effects, especially relevant regarding biodiversity impacts, requires that part of the marginally used extensive grasslands are released from their current use or energy cropping on abandoned farmland incentivized.
Visual Servoing on a Trianglar Primitive Using the Moment Approach

Visual servoing based on points is not reliable since it is very difficult to detect and track points in real applications. However, visual servoing based on contours is more reliable since contours can be more reliably detected. Among the contour based approaches, there is the visual servoing based on moments. In this paper, we propose to study the visual servoing on a triangle primitive using the zero, first and second order image moments. We use the area (zeros order), the coordinates of the center of gravity (first order) and the orientation of the triangle (second order). With this setup we are able to control four camera’s degrees of freedom: the 3D velocity and the angular rotation around the camera axis. We compare this method to the visual servoing on three lines and show that it is more effective and reliable. We also show that when applied on a triangle, the moment based approach is more stable regarding image noise.
The mitochondrial and peroxisomal pathways of fatty acid oxidation in rat liver.

: In this brief review a survey is presented of our present knowledge of mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation. For mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, emphasis is placed on the key regulatory role of the carnitine acyltransferase system and its modulation by malonyl-Co-A. Also, the concept of opposite regulation of fatty acid synthesis and oxidation in response to nutritional or hormonal stimuli is presented. For peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation, the key features of the system are summarized together with various approaches used to measure the contribution of the peroxisomal pathway to overall fatty acid oxidation. The conclusion is reached that this contribution is minor, at least for the most abundant fatty acids palmitate and oleate.
WINTER SURVIVAL RATES OF A SOUTHERN POPULATION OF BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES

Using the Jolly-Seber method of capture and reobservation, we estimated monthly winter (1989-1990, 1990-1991) survival rates of 321 color-marked Black-capped Chickadees (Parus atricapillus) and compared survival rates among three habitat types in central Pennsylvania: suburban habitat, forest habitat with supplemental food, and forest habitat without supplemental food. Chickadee survival rates differed (P = 0.018) among habitats. Monthly winter survival rates (xf + SE) for chickadees in the forest habitat without supplemental food (0.81 ± 0.05) differed from both the forest habitat with supplemental food (0.93 + 0.02) and the suburban habitat with supplemental food (0.94 + 0.02). Survival rates of chickadees did not differ (P > 0.25) between the two habitat types where supple- mental food was available. The difference in survival rates between chickadees with and without access to supplemental food was greatest in October and March, months when dispersal of chickadees may occur, suggesting that feeders were influencing movements of chickadees (survival on the study site) rather than actual survival. Received 24 June 1993,
Protection of Primary Cultured Mouse Hepatocytes from Chemical Hypoxia-induced Injury by Hydrogen Sulfide

We examined the effect of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in chemical hypoxia-induced injury in mouse hepatocytes. Cell viability was significantly decreased by cobalt chloride (CoCl₂), a well-known hypoxia mimetic agent in a time- and dose- dependent manner. Sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, a donor of H₂S) pretreatment before exposure to CoCl2 significantly attenuated the CoCl₂-induced decrease of cell viability. CoCl₂ treatment resulted in an increase of intracellular ROS generation, which is inhibited by NaHS or N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, a ROS scavenger), and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, which is also blocked by NaHS or NAC. The CoCl₂-induced increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was attenuated by NaHS, NAC, and SB 203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor). The CoCl₂-induced decrease of cell viability was also attenuated by NaHS, NAC, and SB 203580 pretreatment. Additionally, NaHS inhibited the CoCl₂-induced COX-2. Similar to the effect of NaHS, NAC blocked CoCl₂-induced COX-2 expression. Furthermore, NS-398 (a selective COX-2 inhibitor) attenuated not only the CoCl₂-induced increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, it also decreased cell viability. Taken together, H₂S protects primary cultured mouse hepatocytes against CoCl₂-induced cell injury through inhibition of the ROS-activated p38 MAPK cascade and the COX-2 pathway.
[New species of thermophilic bacilli--Bacillus thermocatenulatus nov. sp].

: Detailed study of the obligate-thermophilic aerobic spore-forming bacterium, indentified earlier as Bacillus megaterium, allowed to describe it as a new species--Bacillus thermocatenulatus nov. sp. This organism is characterized by a high content of GC in DNA (69 mole percent).
Evaluating the effects of single and combined chelators therapies on spatial learning and memory impairments in chronic manganese poisoning

Abstract Manganese (Mn) is considered an essential metal; nevertheless, exposure to high levels of Mn may cause neurotoxic effects. In the present study, we examined the effect of Mn on spatial learning and memory impairment and ability of three known chelators deferasirox (DFX), deferiprone (L1) and desferrioxamine (DFO) as single and combined therapies in removing Mn from the body and their effect on spatial learning and memory in rats poisoned with manganese. Male Wistar rats divided to 19 groups (5 rats per group). Two doses of manganese chloride (30 and 60 mg/kg/b.w. in drinking water) were administrated for 90 days. Then chelators were given for 14 days. Results showed that exposure to Mn (high and low doses) significantly impaired the spatial learning and memory compared to control group (p < 0.01). Chelation therapy improved it in chelator agents groups compared to vehicle group (p < 0.001). Chelator agents with removing Mn from brain can improve MWM performance. Results indicated that combined therapies were more efficient compared to single therapies.
Development of pipeline to create and validate metagenomic datasets enabling microbiota associations with host traits

The microbiota can be depicted as a measurable organ consisting of microbial cells, and creating a unique ecosystem together with the host eukaryotic cells. Therefore, to understand the normal physiology and pathology of animal ecosystems, it is mandatory to tackle a comprehensive analysis of the host, the microbiota, and their interactions. Since over 99.8% of the microbes cannot be cultured, metagenomics offers a path to the study of their community structures and metabolic potential. These goals are achievable thanks to the recent advances in sequencing complex assortments of small genomes, through 16S and WGS approach. In spite of the great number of latest studies, there is not a defined and standardized pipeline to measure the microbial community; rather, significant efforts are needed to optimize sample preparation and data analysis workflows for metagenomics analysis of microbiome. In the present PhD Thesis, a major task is aimed at developing rapid and efficient workflows for metagenomics analysis. These include the choice of the sample, the extraction methods more efficient according to sample features, choice of sequencing approaches and the statistical methods. A developed workflow was successfully applied to investigate to the first time the sheep gut microbiome, to perform association studies linking gut microbiota to T1D host traits in mice and to assess dietary and immunogenetic background impact over gut microbiota in a translational murine model of NAFLD.
Loss of the human capacity for interspecies communication

Chapter Three COMMUNICATION PROMOTES COEXISTENCE . 16 Chapter Four EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEPTIONS AND A T T I T U D E S . 31 Chapter Five FROM ANIMISM TO "CIVILIZATION". 1|0 Chapter Six THE UNNATURALISM OF PATRIARCHIES.61 Chapter Seven RETURNING TO THE FOURTH W O R L D . 75 LITERATURE CITED . 84 The photograph on page iv Is from an Issue of The Peregrine Fund Newsletter (Cornell University, Ithaca, New York) of the mld-19ÜOs. I have kept the photo for so long that I can no longer appropriately reference It. The Peregrine Fund Is now located at (and operates) the World Center for Birds of Prey, Boise, Idaho.
Francisella et antibio-resistance : aspects génétiques, phénotypiques et cliniques

Francisella tularensis est une bacterie a Gram negatif intracellulaire facultative, agent causal de la tularemie. Cette zoonose est induite principalement par deux sous especes : F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (type A) et F. tularensis subsp. holarctica (type B) retrouvees respectivement en Amerique du Nord et dans tout l’hemisphere Nord. Cette seconde sous espece, moins virulente que la premiere induit majoritairement des formes cliniques de severite moyenne a moderee dites ganglionnaires. Leur traitement est base sur l’utilisation des antibiotiques de la classe des fluoroquinolones ou des tetracyclines, l’utilisation des aminosides etant reservee aux formes graves. Les adenopathies evoluent cependant souvent vers la suppuration et la chronicite (20 a 40% des cas), malgre l’administration d’un traitement antibiotique adapte.Les travaux realises visent a etudier l’hypothese de l’emergence de la resistance bacterienne chez Francisella, expliquant ces echecs therapeutiques. Ils sont bases sur le developpement et l’etude d’un modele d’evolution in vitro de la bacterie en presence de ciprofloxacine, une fluoroquinolone. Nos travaux ont confirme la capacite de la bacterie a evoluer vers un haut niveau de resistance a ces antibiotiques, correlee a l’accumulation de mutations dans les genes codant pour les topoisomerases de type II. De plus, nous avons observe la presence sur l’ensemble des souches de F. tularensis subsp. holarctica d’un niveau de resistance cliniquement significatif induit par des mutations modifiant la sous-unite GyrA de l’ADN gyrase sur les acides amines en position 83 et 87. La recherche de ce marqueur dans des prelevements de patient en echec therapeutique suite a divers traitements antibiotiques s’est averee infructueuse.Apres avoir verifie l’action de l’antibiotique sur les bacteries dans le compartiment intracellulaire (fibroblates), nous avons recherche les autres mutations induites lors de l’evolution de Francisella en presence de fluoroquinolones. Cette etude a permis l’implication de plusieurs systemes de transports transmembranaires dans la resistance antibiotique. Nous avons egalement revele l’existence d’une seconde cible majeure impliquee dans le metabolisme du fer de la bacterie. L’alteration de cette cible (FupA/B) en plus d’etre associee a une augmentation de la resistance aux fluoroquinolones est correlee a une forte diminution de la capacite de la bacterie a se multiplier dans les cellules phagocytaires.
Single Image Snow Removal via Composition Generative Adversarial Networks

Snowflakes attached to the camera lens can severely affect the visibility of the background scene and compromise the image quality. In this paper, we solve this problem by visually removing snowflakes to convert the snowy image into a clean one. The problem is troublesome; the information about the background of the occluded regions is completely lost for the most part. For removing snowflakes from a single image, we proposed a composition generative adversarial network. Different from the previous generative adversarial networks, our generator network comprises clean background module and a snow mask estimate module. The clean background module aims to generate a clear image from an input snowy image, and snow mask estimate module is used to produce the snow mask in an input image. During the training step, we put forward a composition loss between the input snowy image and composition of the generated clean image and estimated snow mask. We use a dataset named Snow100K2 including indoor and outdoor scenes to train and test the proposed method. The extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world images show that our network has a good effect and it is superior to the other state-of-the-art methods.
Inhibition of Cell Cycle Progression and Induction of Apoptosis in HeLa Cells by HY558-1, a Novel CDK Inhibitor Isolated from Penicillium minioluteum F558

In the course of screening for a novel inhibitor of CDC2, HY558-1 was isolated from a culture broth of Penicillium minioluteum F558. Moreover, it was found that HY558-1 had an effect on both the cell cycle regulation and apoptosis of human cervical adenocarcinoma HeLa cells. A flow cytometric analysis of HeLa cells revealed appreciable cell cycle arrest at the G1 and G2/M phases following treatment with HY558-1. Furthermore, DNA fragmentation due to apoptosis was observed in HeLa cells treated with HY558-1. To obtain further information on the cell cycle arrest and apoptotic induction induced by HY558-1, the expression of certain cell cycle and apoptosis-associated proteins was examined using a Western blot analysis. The results revealed that HY558-1 inhibited the phosphorylation of pRb and decreased the expression levels of CDK2, CDC2, and cyclin A in the cell cycle progression. It was also shown that the level of p21 WAFI/CIPI was increased in HeLa cells treated with 0.52 mM of HY558-1. Accordingly, HY558-1 was found to inhibit the proliferation of HeLa cells through the induction of G 1 phase arrest by inhibiting pRb phosphorylation via an upregulation of p21 WAFI/CIPI , and G2/M phase arrest by directly inhibiting CDC2 and cyclin A. Moreover, HeLa cells treated with 0.52 mM of HY558-1 exhibited apoptotic induction associated with the cleavage of Bid and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol. Subsequent investigation of the activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) suggested that the mitochondrial pathway was primarily involved in the HY558-1-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells.
Amphibia, Anura, Cycloramphidae, Odontophrynus lavillai : first record for Brazil and geographic distribution map

The Neotropical genus Odontophrynus currently consists of 11 species distributed in southern and eastern South America (Frost 2008). The widest distributed O. americanus group is constituted by diploid and tetraploid cryptic species very difficult to distinguish morphologically, which show a complex geographic pattern including areas of syntopy and sympatry (Barrio and Pistol de Rubel 1972; Rosset et al. 2006 and references therein).
Adaptation of gains for a PID controller for the gradient descendent method : Design, Simulation and comparison with classic PID controller

In this document is presented the simulation of the adaptive control and obtaining of the nonlinear model of a MIPR (mobile inverted pendulum robot), this model consists of four variables (velocity and acceleration in wheels, velocity and acceleration in pendulum). The objective is to implement an adaptive PID (proportional, integral derivative) controller using the GDM (gradient descendent method), to keep the pendulum in an unstable equilibrium point, the GDM is used for to optimize the gains of the PID controller. The parameters weight and length of the nonlinear model are varying in the time. The response of adaptive control is compared with a classic PID controller of constant gains. The system with two laws of control was implemented in the Matlab software, the results are showed that classic PID controller with constant gains can not to control the MIPR, on the other hand the adaptive PID controller has good response.
Rapid Communication Investigation of the Possible Role of a Novel Gene, DPCD, in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations that affect the proper function of cilia. Recently, deletion of DNA polymerase (Poll ) in mice produced a phenotype characteristic of PCD (Kobayashi et al., 2002, Mol. Cell. Biol. 22:2769–2776). Because it is unclear how a mutation in a DNA polymerase would result in a specific defect in axonemes, the targeting construct was examined further. Analysis of the genomic region surrounding the Poll gene revealed an uncharacterized gene, named Dpcd, that is predicted to be transcribed from the opposite strand relative to Poll. The deletion of Poll would also remove the first exon of Dpcd. Because it is possible that the PCD phenotype observed is due to the absence of either gene, the expression of these genes during ciliogenesis of human airway epithelial cells was examined. Northern analysis demonstrated that DPCD expression increases during ciliated cell differentiation; the expression of POLL decreases. To examine directly whether DPCD is mutated in cases of human PCD, the complete coding sequence of DPCD was sequenced from 51 unrelated PCD patients. No disease-causing mutations were confirmed; however, one variant could not be excluded. Therefore, DPCD remains a novel candidate gene for PCD. Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genotypically heterogeneous disease, usually inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, caused by mutations that impair the function of cilia and flagella (1‐3). The defect in ciliary function in the respiratory tract results in impaired or absent mucociliary clearance, which is believed to be responsible for the frequent and recurrent episodes of sinusitis and bronchitis that are typical of this disease. The phenotype of the disease is also variable; in severe cases patients develop end-stage bronchi
The Accounting Treatment of Firms’ Valuation Based on IFRS and Greek GAAP for Appropriate Investment Decision Making Using ICT

This detailed research proposal is an introduction to firm valuation and financial reporting under IAS/IFRS and Greek GAAP using ICT (Information and Communications Technology) for appropriate stock recommendation: Example of investment research /valuation report in the Food & Beverages Industry: Alcohol-free Beverage Sector. These recommendations include which stocks to buy, which stocks to sell, and which stocks to hold. The high complexity and diversity of the analysts’ valuation process today have far-reaching implications for investment decision-making and valuation practice. The increasing uncertainty during the financial crisis and the volume of risk that drive to analysts’ target price, earnings forecasts and stock recommendation often draws rigorous scientific search with the hope of finding winning formulas for firm or business units valuation in regions with different level of growth, margin and risk, and the way they contribute to value firm’s stock separately and totally, to find the secret to avoiding problems such as inaccurate forecasts or valuation errors.
Comprehensive molecular profiling of urothelial bladder cancer at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels: A TCGA project.

4509 Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a major cause of mortality with no approved molecularly targeted agents or good treatment options beyond cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Methods: For The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we profiled muscle-invasive UCs for mutations, DNA copy number variants (CNVs), mRNA and microRNA expression, protein expression and phosphorylation, DNA methylation, transcript splicing, gene fusion, viral integration, pathway perturbation, clinical correlates, and histopathology. The finding here are based on the first 131 tumors, but >250 more are being processed as of 1/2014. Results: Whole-exome sequencing revealed 29 recurrently mutated genes. Potential therapeutic targets included altered PIK3CA, ERBB2, FGFR3, TSC1, and ERBB3, plus mutated chromatin-regulating genes MLL, MLL2, MLL3, CREBBP, CHD7, SRCAP, ARID1A, KDM6A (UTX), and EP300. There were 27 focal CNVs, including CDKN2A deletion in 47%. Low-pass whole-genome sequencing identified 3 tumors with FGFR3-TACC3 fusions. Viral.
Fate and fortuity

Die Etablierung vorteilhafter Allele ist elementar fur die genetische Anpassung einer Population an veranderte Umweltbedingungen. Ein gunstiges Allel liegt anfangs oft nur in geringer Zahl in einer Population vor. Damit Adaptation stattfinden kann, darf es nicht durch stochastische Fluktuationen verlorengehen und mus schlieslich fixieren. Die mathematische Theorie der Verzweigungsprozesse bildet einen eleganten Rahmen, um die Etablierungswahrscheinlichkeit und die Geschwindigkeit des anfanglichen Frequenzanstiegs des vorteilhaften Allels in einer grosen Population naherungsweise zu bestimmen. In dieser Dissertation wende ich diesen Ansatz an, um Adaptation in okologisch oder genetisch komplexen Szenarien zu untersuchen. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt liegt auf Situationen, in denen die Fitness des Alles zeitabhangig ist. Die analytischen Ergebnisse werden durch Computersimulationen erganzt. Das erste Kapitel liefert analytische Approximationen fur die Etablierungswahrscheinlichkeit eines einzelnen vorteilhaften Allels in einer veranderlichen Umwelt und die Zeit, die es benotigt, um eine gegebene Frequenz zu erreichen. Es zeigt sich, das selbst geringfugige zeitliche Anderungen im Selektionsdruck beide Grosen betrachtlich beeinflussen konnen. Im zweiten Kapitel werden die Ergebnisse auf die Frage angewandt, ob eine vom Aussterben bedrohte Population ihren Fortbestand durch genetische Anpassung an die geanderte Umwelt sichern kann (“evolutionary rescue”). Ich zeige, wie verschiedene, teils antagonistische Effekte ineinandergreifen und dadurch zu einer komplexen Abhangigkeit der Uberlebenswahrscheinlichkeit der Population von okologischen Faktoren fuhren. Das dritte Kapitel befast sich mit adaptiver Introgression von Genen (d.h. der Etablierung vorteilhafter Allele einer Art im Genom einer anderen in der Folge von Hybridisierung). Gelinkte und ungelinkte schadliche Allele haben einen starken Einflus auf den Fixationsprozes des positiv selektierten Allels. Naherungen fur die Etablierungswahrscheinlichkeit des vorteilhaften Allels in der fremden Population und die Wahrscheinlichkeit, das schadliche Allele mitfixieren, werden hergeleitet.