Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prostacyclin As An Integral Part Of Almost Every Organ System

The function of prostacyclin is widely distributed in the physiological organ system. Research showed that other than its direct action it has indirect as well as modulatory activity. Prostacyclin and its mimetics inhibit platelet aggregation at much lower level and thus playing a crucial role in preventing the thrombus formation. Inhibition of TXA 2 synthesis in platelets diverts their common precursor PGH 2 towards the beneficial synthesis of prostacyclin. Prostacyclin also has direct action on vasculature and kidneys. IP agonists have been found to have direct action on vascular smooth muscle cell, renin release and distal part of the renal tubule where it enhances sodium excretion. IP-receptors on neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes/ macrophages have shown to have diverse functions. Prostacyclin is capable of limiting the damage caused by ischaemia-reperfusion injury with subsequent inhibition of neutrophil activity. The ratio of TXA 2 : PGI 2 : PGE 2 in macrophages changes from 1:25:5 to 1:1:1 upon immune activation as it is released in areas of inflammation. Prostacyclin is also involved in neuronal cell differentiation where it demonstrates adenylate cyclase activity. In F-11 cells (rat DRG x mouse N18TG2 neuroblastoma) there is a 2-fold increase in cAMP response to prostacyclin in cells differentiated to a more neuronal phenotype. In human enteric nervous system, prostacyclin has a neuronal site of action as it excites mucosal/ submucosal neurones causing nausea, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. IP receptors distribution in the CNS has been identified in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and thalamus using various ligands, where [ 3 H]-iloprost bound with 23-fold lower affinity in the NTS compared to the thalamus. Finally in the reproductive system COX2-derived PGI 2 plays an important role in preimplantation embryo development and acts as an antiapoptic factor in invitro culture. It is highly active in the endometrium and Human umbilical artery where it is involved in the regulation of fetal placental blood flow.
Chromatographic methods in the monitoring of lipase-catalyzed interesterification

Structured lipids containing special fatty acids were produced via lipase-catalyzed interesterification. Chromatographic methods were modified for the analysis of the acylglycerol content of the selected interesterified products, resulting from different reacting substrate mixtures and reaction systems. A modified normal-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method with evaporative light-scattering detection was used in the analysis of the diacylglycerols formed as intermediate products during interesterification. One of the advantages of the method was the low solvent consumption through the use of a narrow-bore silica column. Another advantage was in the speed of the analysis. Using a suitable solvent gradient, both diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol components were separated by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography within 50 min, providing both the diacylglycerol content and the triacylglycerol composition. High-temperature gas chromatography was also used to separate both diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol molecular species after trimethylsilylation of the structured lipid samples. Good agreements in the values obtained for the concentrations of diacylglycerols and the triacylglycerol compositions were apparent with the different chromatographic methods.
Control of contour feather growth of Japanese quail

Growth of a contour feather on a dorsal spinal tract of Japanese quail was investigated using a logistic model, in which feather length is determined by two factors, growth rate and growth period. Final feather lengths were constant under most experimental conditions including those under which the growth rate decreased while the growth period increased. Another experimental condition was discovered in which a feather elongated owing to an increase in growth period. Once a feather had fully grown, its length remained constant. After plucking a feather, a new feather grew and its final length was correlated with the old one. Shortening a growing feather by cutting off a distal part did not affect its growth pattern. In addition, shortening a fully grown feather by cutting off the distal part did not activate its follicle. Plucking a feather during growth stopped and erased the present growing phase and initiated feather growth from the beginning to form a complete feather. Repetition of plucking four or five times did not affect the final length of a feather, but did decrease the growth rate, which was complemented by an elongation of the growth period. Feather formation under a short photoperiod condition (8L:16D) resulted in a longer feather which resulted from elongation of the growth period while the growth rate remained constant.
Termite mounds as islands: woody plant assemblages relative to termitarium size and soil properties

Questions: We investigated whether soils of small mounds resembled large mound or matrix soils, whether changes in plant composition reflected changes in soils, and the sequence in which plants colonize and disappear from mounds of increasing size. Location: Miombo woodland in northwest Zimbabwe. Methods: Macrotermitinae termitaria vary in size and soil nutrient concentrations, harbouring distinct woody plant assemblages, making them foci for plant and animal diversity, and also influencing primary, secondary and tertiary productivity. In spite of the importance of termitaria to heterogeneity and diversity, no studies have investigated changes in plant species assemblages as mound surface area increases to the point where mound vegetation is distinct from that of the matrix. We compared woody plant assemblages on 43 matrix plots with 95 Macrotermes termitaria across a range of surface areas, using ANOSIM, cluster analysis and MDS ordination. We compared soil nutrients, pH and clay, from ten large and ten small termitaria, and ten matrix sites. We also assessed how relative representation of large mound or matrix indicator species changed with mound area. Results: Change was apparent even at mound sizes of >10 m2, where both soils and plant assemblages on mounds were significantly different to those of the matrix. Plant assemblages fell into two main groups at 20% similarity; the first comprised of matrix plots, mounds 30 m2. At 40% similarity, four groups emerged: matrix, mounds 30 m2. Woody plant composition changed gradually as mound area increased. On termitaria 30 m2 in surface area, only mound indicator species were found. Conclusions: Through termite activities in concentrating nutrients and clay, termitaria provide habitat for species usually excluded from the matrix. The process of mound building and the nature of the plants that establish on them seem to establish a positive feedback for establishment of other non-woodland matrix species.
Diel cycle of metabolism of phototrophic purple sulfur bacteria in Lake Cisó (Spain)

During a bloom of purple sulfur bacteria in Lake Ciso (Spain) data were collected on diel changes in the concentrations of sulfide, sulfur, glycogen, and poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), the rates of CO2 fixation and H2S oxidation, and the viability of cells along the vertical profile. During the day, sulfide oxidation resulted in the intracellular accumulation of sulfur and glycogen. At night, the concentrations of glycogen and sulfur decreased concomitant with the production of sulfide and PHB. Throughout the day, CO2 fixation and H2S oxidation were maximal in the zone of maximal population density (peak of the layer); however, in the top of the layer the specific rates were 2–6 times higher. The ratio of CO2 fixation to H2S oxidation, the sulfur content of the cells, and their specific density all indicated that sulfide was predominantly oxidized to sulfur. In the top and the peak of the layer cell viability was high but decreased rapidly with increasing depth. It was concluded that the existence of the bloom is the combined result of slow growth at the peak of the layer and a much faster rate of reproduction at the top of the layer. The cells at the top stored sulfur extensively and then sank to deeper layers where they could not oxidize the sulfur because of insufficient light.
The Life-history and Chromosome Cycle of Aggregata eberthi [Protozoa: Sporozoa: Coccidia]

The life-history of Aggregata, eberthi is summarized in the accompanying diagram (Text-fig. 3). The stages shown above the dotted line occur in Sepia officinalis, those below in Portunus. Merozoites (R), when swallowed by the cuttlefish, pass through the epithelium and enter the submucous tissue of the caecum or intestine, where they develop into young (undifferentiated) parasites (A) which grow into males (B) or females (E). The former, after undergoing repeated nuclear divisions (C), produce broods of microgametes (D)—each of which (D*) has a complicated structure. Females (E), on the other hand, are bodily converted into macrogametes (F), which undergo a complex series of nuclear changes during maturation. No reduction occurs during gametogenesis. Fertilization (G) is effected by the union of one microgamete with one macrogamete, and is followed by the formation of a fertilization membrane which, in part, gives rise to the oocyst. The zygote (H) becomes a sporont, which, after repeated division of its nucleus (I, J), ultimately segments—leaving no residuum—into a large number of spherical uninucleate sporoblasts (K). Bach of these is then converted into a spore (L) containing three sporozoites and a small sporocystic residue. The ripe spores pass out of the intestine with the cuttlefish's excrement; and when swallowed by a Portunus they open in its intestine and liberate their contained sporozoites (M). These penetrate the epithelium of the crab's midgut, and enter the subepithelial connective tissue, where they grow into schizonts (N, O). Finally, the schizonts undergo schizogony, producing large broods of merozoites (P, Q). No further development takes place unless the schizogonic cysts, in the crab's coelome, are eaten by a cuttlefish: in which case they liberate their contained merozoites (R) and the development just described then begins anew. A. eberthi is, at every stage but one in the whole life-cycle, a haploid organism. Every nuclear division is mitotic: and every nucleus (except the zygote nucleus) contains a single set of six differentiated and unpaired chromosomes. In the zygote nucleus alone there are 12 chromosomes—six homologous pairs—derived from the two gamete nuclei: but at the first division of this nucleus (first division in sporont, Text-fig. 3, I) the chromosomes are again halved to six. Reduction (meiosis) thus occurs immediately after fertilization. No halving of the chromosome number occurs during gametogenesis or schizogony; and males, females, and asexual parasites all possess an identical chiomosomic constitution. Every nucleus in Text-fig. 3 is therefore an x nucleus, with the exception of stage H, which is 2x. (Between stages G and I many nuclear changes occur, but only one—the so-called “fertilization spindle”—is figured (H) in the diagram. )
Synchronous railway simulation of shunting yards

Capacity analysis using simulation tools is an important factor to support strategic decisions in railway operation and infrastructure development. This work describes a railway simulation tool for shunting yards using a synchronous approach. Latter includes movement generation in simulation real-time and is essential for reduced set-up times, a flexible application for different yard layouts and various shunting strategies. An adequate network graph design was used for automatic routing decisions and methods for deadlock avoidance were implemented. The available approach results in an executable model to be validated with real data.
A stressful shortness of breath: molting disrupts breathing in the mayfly Cloeon dipterum

Abstract: Molting is a stressful event in insect development. When an insect molts, the individual discards its exoskeleton and sheds and renews the interior lining of substantial portions of the respiratory (tracheal) system. We profiled for the first time the disruptive pattern of respiration during the molting process in larvae of the mayfly Cloeon dipterum (Ephemeroptera:Baetidae). Molting induces a precipitous drop in O2 consumption immediately followed by a surge in O2 consumption that appears to be compensatory in nature. Postmolt metabolic suppression is consistently observed during which O2 consumption rates lag relative to those of nonmolting larvae. Furthermore, the magnitude of respiratory disturbance during the molt increases as a function of temperature. Increasing temperatures increase molting frequency and the apparently stressful nature of the molt itself. Thus, the insect molt appears to be a previously unappreciated route by which warming conditions may affect aquatic insects.
Effect of ingestion by five avian dispersers on the retention time, retrieval and germination of Ruppia maritima seeds

1. Vertebrates are important seed dispersers for many plants, particularly those inhabiting naturally fragmented habitats such as lakes and wetlands. Such dispersal often takes place through the transport of ingested seeds (endozoochory). 2. Endozoochorous passage of seeds is likely to vary among both disperser and dispersed species. We hypothesized that seed retention time and survival of gut passage varies among disperser species (here Anas ducks) and is influenced by intraspecific differences in seed size. 3. Wigeongrass (Ruppia maritima) seeds were ingested by five duck species; Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail and Mallard. Defecated seeds were recovered and germinated. 4. Total retrieval and germination of seeds, patterns of retrieval over time and seed weight before and after gut passage did not differ among duck species. Hence interspecific differences among Anas ducks and intraspecific differences in seed weight do not affect seed retention time or the response of seeds to gut passage. 5. Germination of retrieved seeds was influenced by the retention time in the gut, with seeds voided earlier more likely to germinate than those voided later. 6. The probability of dispersal at different retention times by any given duck was low. However, when considering the thousands of ducks moving among wetlands, the dispersal probabilities of seeds become significant. 7. Estimation of seed dispersal distance as a function of retention time suggested higher dispersal probabilities for seeds voided earlier. Based on average flight speeds ranging from 10 to 70 km h1, most probable dispersal distances range from 40 to 280 km. Dispersal over greater distances is possible, but less likely [KEYWORDS: Dabbling ducks; endozoochory; gut passage; seed dispersal; seed weight]
Analysis of the North American Breeding Bird Survey Using Hierarchical Models

ABSTRACT. We analyzed population change for 420 bird species from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) using a hierarchical log-linear model and compared the results with those obtained through route-regression analysis. Survey-wide trend estimates based on the hierarchical model were generally more precise than estimates from the earlier analysis. No consistent pattern of differences existed in the magnitude of trends between the analysis methods. Survey-wide trend estimates changed substantially for 15 species between route-regression and hierarchical-model analyses. We compared regional estimates for states, provinces, and Bird Conservation Regions; differences observed in these regional analyses are likely a consequence of the route-regression procedure's inadequate accommodation of temporal differences in survey effort. We used species-specific hierarchical-model results to estimate composite change for groups of birds associated with major habitats and migration types. Grassland, aridland, and eastern-forest-obligate bird species declined, whereas urban—suburban species increased over the interval 1968–2008. No migration status group experienced significant changes, although Nearctic—Neotropical migrant species showed intervals of decline and permanent resident species increased almost 20% during the interval. Hierarchical-model results better portrayed patterns of population change over time than route-regression results. We recommend use of hierarchical models for BBS analyses.
Towards memory integrity and authenticity of multi-processors system-on-chip using physical unclonable functions

Abstract A persistent problem for modern Multi-Processors System-on-Chip (MPSoCs) is their vulnerability to code injection attacks. By tampering the memory content, attackers are able to extract secrets from the MPSoC and to modify or deny the MPSoC’s operation. This work proposes SEPUFSoC (Secure PUF-based SoC), a novel flexible, secure, and fast architecture able to be integrated into any MPSoC. SEPUFSoC prevents execution of unauthorized code as well as data manipulation by ensuring memory integrity and authentication. SEPUFSoC achieves: i) efficiency, through the integration of a fast and lightweight hash function for Message Authentication Code (MAC) generation and integrity verification of the memory lines at runtime; and ii) lightweight security, through the use of a Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) to securely generate and store the cryptographic keys that are used for the application authentication. We discuss the security and performance of SEPUFSoC for single core and multi-core systems. Results show that the SEPUFSoC is a secure, fast, and low overhead solution for MPSoCs. We discuss the SEPUFSoC security and cost, which strongly depends on the PUF and hash selection. In the future, new technologies may allow the exploration of different PUFs.
INTEGRATED EFFECT OF DATA CLEANING AND SAMPLING ON DECISION TREE LEARNING OF LARGE DATA SETS

The advances and use of technology in all walks of life results in tremendous growth of data available for data mining. Large amount of knowledge available can be utilized to improve decision-making process. The data contains the noise or outlier data to some extent which hampers the classification performance of classifier built on that training data. The learning process on large data set becomes very slow, as it has to be done serially on available large datasets. It has been proved that random data reduction techniques can be used to build optimal decision trees. Thus, we can integrate data cleaning and data sampling techniques to overcome the problems in handling large data sets. In this proposed technique outlier data is first filtered out to get clean data with improved quality and then random sampling technique is applied on this clean data set to get reduced data set. This reduced data set is used to construct optimal decision tree. Experiments performed on several data sets proved that the proposed technique builds decision trees with enhanced classification accuracy as compared to classification performance on complete data set. Due to use of classification filter a quality of data is improved and sampling reduces the size of the data set. Thus, the proposed method constructs more accurate and optimal sized decision trees and it also avoids problems like overloading of memory and processor with large data sets. In addition, the time required to build a model on clean data is significantly reduced providing significant speedup.
Studies on hexactinellid sponges. II. Excitability, conduction and coordination of responses in rhabdocalyptus dawsoni (lambe, 1873)

Rhabdocalyptus can arrest its feeding current. The response is initiated by mechanical or electrical stimulation, and is coordinated through the sponge by a conduction system, having a precise excitability threshold and conducting on an all-or-none basis. All parts are excitable and conduct. Individuals in colonial assemblages are coordinated. Spontaneous as well as evoked arrests are observed. There is evidence of scattered pacemaker sites. Conduction is diffuse and unpolarized, and occurs with a velocity of 0.26 $\pm$ 0.07 cm s $^{-1}$ at 11 $^\circ$ C. The conduction system is probably the trabecular syncytium. Isolated dermal membrane (`pure' trabecular tissue, without flagella or contractile elements) conducts. Mechanical and chemical signalling mechanisms are discussed. It is concluded that they cannot account for the phenomena observed, but that conduction must involve electrical impulses. The effectors responsible for current arrests are almost certainly the flagella of the flagellated chambers. It is assumed that they stop beating on receiving an arrest signal through the conduction pathway. The waveforms of arrests recorded with a thermistor flowmeter are best interpreted in terms of sudden, all-or-none cessation of pumping, with slow, gradual recovery of full pumping power. The flagella probably beat feebly at first on becoming active again following an arrest. The effector response shows a refractory period of 30 s. Responses occur with short latency. Delays are attributable to conduction time. The system is fatigueable. Numerous parallels exist with the behaviour of the stigmatal cilia in the ascidian branchial sac, both in the characteristics of the effector response and in the mechanism of coordination.
STEROL, FATTY ACID, AND PIGMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF UTEX 2341, A MARINE EUSTIGMATOPHYTE IDENTIFIED PREVIOUSLY AS CHLORELLA MINUTISSIMA (CHLOROPHYCEAE) 1

An examination of the sterols of UTEX 2341, a small (ca. 2μm), nonmotile unicellular marine alga identified as Chlorella minutissima Fott et Novakova, yielded results inconsistent with any of 35 Chlorella strains analyzed previously. UTEX 2341 contained cholesterol as the principal sterol, with 24‐methylenecholesterol, fucosterol, and isofucosterol also present; these are not dominant sterols in any other Chlorella species. Presence of eicosapentaenoic acid in UTEX 2341 also contrasted with fatty acids of Chlorella strains analyzed previously. Pigment analysis of UTEX 2341 revealed that it contained chlorophyll a, but not chlorophylls b or c; violaxanthin was the only major xanthophyll pigment. Both lipid and pigment compositions suggest that UTEX 2341 is not a member of the genus Chlorella but, rather, belongs in the Eustigmatophyceae; it may be Nannochloropsis sp. Cells with possible extracellular structures were present at an appreciable percentage of the stationary‐phase population studied; centrifuging removed or collapsed these structures. The high cholesterol and polyunsaturated fatty acid contents of UTEX 2341 make it attractive as a potential aquaculturefeed, provided it is, or can be made, digestible.
Incorporation of Collaborative Problem Solving and Cognitive Tools to Improve Higher Cognitive Processing in Online Discussion Environments

During collaborative learning in online learning communities, teachers usually guide their students through the learning process by means of discussion-based didactics. According to relevant research, an uncontrolled, nonintrusive discussion environment is usually insufficient for promoting higher cognitive processing (HCP). To address this insufficiency, we adopted a collaborative problem solving approach as a teaching strategy to tutor students in online discussion activities using concept maps as a cognitive tool and using Facebook for communication within the learning community. We examined the system using quantitative content analysis and lag sequential analysis to verify the feasibility of the system for improving HCP. The results of this study indicate that the system is capable of guiding cognition and improving HCP. However, the results with respect to improvement must be evaluated after taking into account the appropriateness and difficulty of the questions that were posed to the learners. Moreover, by incorporating a scaffolding function as a teaching strategy and through the application of cognitive tools, learners were better able to concentrate on the learning activities.