Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toxicopathological evaluation of Picralima nitida seed aqueous extract in Wistar rats

Objective: Picralima nitida is a widely used medicinal plant in West Africa for treating malaria, diarrhea and inflammation. The objective of this study is to evaluate the toxicological effect of aqueous seed extract of the plant in Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty-four apparently healthy animals were randomized into 4 groups comprising 6 rats each and orally administered with aqueous extract of P. nitida seeds at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight with distilled water as control for 14 days. Specific liver and kidney function indices were assayed alongside haematological and histopathological analyses to monitor toxicity according to standard methods. Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, steroids and tannins. The extract had no significant effect on all kidney function indices assayed but caused a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the activities of liver enzymes accompanied by significant decrease in liver to body weight ratio, serum total protein and globulin concentrations. No significant alteration was observed in the serum levels of albumin and conjugated bilirubin whereas the extract brought about significant increase (P < 0.05) in serum total bilirubin concentration. Haematological analysis revealed no significant effect on erythrocyte indices in contrast to white blood cell count and its differentials which were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) following extract administration. Histopathological studies further showed no distortion of cell structures in the studied organs. Conclusion: The available evidences in this study suggest that aqueous extract of P. nitida seeds exhibits mild and selective toxicity with liver as the target organ. Therefore, the herb may not be completely 'safe' as an oral remedy; and long term administration should be avoided.
The Definition and Choice of Environmental Commodities for Nonmarket Valuation

Economic analyses of nature must somehow define the “environmental commodities” to which values are attached. This paper articulates a set of principles to guide the choice and interpretation of nonmarket commodities. We describe how complex natural systems can be decomposed consistent with what can be called “ecological production theory. ” Ecological production theory--like conventional production theory--distinguishes between biophysical inputs, process, and outputs. We argue that a systems approach to the decomposition and presentation of natural commodities can inform and possibly improve the validity of nonmarket environmental valuation studies. We raise concerns about the interpretation, usefulness, and accuracy of benefit estimates derived without reference to ecological production theory.
Breeding Seasonality in Central Amazonian Rainforest Birds

ABSTRACT. Although it has long been recognized that many tropical birds do not share the same narrow breeding periods as temperate birds, conventional thinking considers tropical breeding seasons to be discrete periods generally governed by rainfall seasonality. We used a database of >31,000 captures of 104 species collected over 17 years in rainforest near Manaus, Brazil (2.5'S), to examine timing of breeding. The proportion of individuals with active incubation patches peaked at 7% in the dry season, from October through December. The peak was about twice as high as the lowest rate, in the late wet season (April—June). From 9 to 15 families and >20 species bred in every month. Many taxa did not conform to the general pattern, instead peaking in the wet season (e.g., Galbulidae, Sclerurinae, Grallariidae, and Formicariidae). Most well-sampled species, even those with strong seasonal peaks, bred at almost any time of year, a pattern also shown by some individual birds that were captured multiple times in breeding condition. Among the 10 species with >50 incubation patches, all bred in at least 9 months, and 7 bred in 11–12 months. Earlier results from the same data set showed extremely protracted molts that regularly overlapped breeding. Collectively, molt and breeding data suggest that the annual cycle of some equatorial birds, particularly suboscines, differs fundamentally from that of temperate species, with much less fixed timing of breeding.
Is dental development an important feature of mammal life history

A mammal’s state of development at birth is a critically important marker of life history. A superficial dichotomy that exists between placental mammals and marsupials attaches an altricial or precocial label to a neonate’s developmental maturity. This categorization is limited to external features and physical behaviors observed in the examination of soft tissue. This mode of classification makes the investigation of evidence from the fossil record unproductive due to the hard tissue nature of the preserved specimens. The goal of this paper is to characterize the dental variability within animals that are traditionally considered to be altricial or precocial. This was accomplished through the comparison of neonatal dentition in two small-bodied primate species, Callimico goeldii and Galago senegalensis. The contribution of fossil evidence is indispensable to the construction of life history schemes, particularly in assessing normal development in species that cease to exist. Hard tissues, such as bones and mineralized teeth, may also serve as important determinants of a neonate’s altricial or precocial development. Therefore, studying the eruption of teeth could be an important tool in determining the maturation level of an individual in comparison to other elements of its life history. Surprisingly, little has been published in terms of detailed imaging of neonatal dentition. Primary research presented in this paper explores the altricial or precocial nature of mammalian neonates by engaging in comparative morphology and offering three-dimensional images of neonatal dentition. Investigational research is included in the interest of determining whether soft tissue examination alone is a reliable marker for the categorization of newborn mammals as altricial or precocial. The application of this research is an exploration of the differences in development of Is dental development an important feature of mammal life history? Ali! Rae! Cohen! 4! soft and hard tissues at birth, which could contribute a more accurate representation of a neonate’s developmental state and schedule of life history events.
Design and Implementation of a Simple Classroom Laboratory Internet Worm

Abstract Beginners to Internet security research require an understanding of the inner workings of worms. A simple research worm designed to run on a test network facilitates this understanding. This paper explains the design and implementation of a simple research worm. A discussion of worm structure is provided. Design decisions made in creating our research worm are then given with an emphasis on how they relate to real Internet worms.
Extraction and Inversion of deciduous broad-leaved forest Based on HJ-CCD Remote Sensing Data

In this paper, Chuzhou area in Anhui province was taken as the study area, and deciduous broad-leaved forest as the study object. The NDVI was obtained based on HJ-CCD remote sensing images acquired on April 1,2012 and May 4,2012 when broad-leaved forest was respectively in leaf expansion and flowering. Next, combined with the position information collected in field, the recognition model for deciduous broad-leaved forest was proposed with NDVI difference rate between leaf expansion and flowering. And then deciduous broad-leaved forest in the study area was extracted effectively and the result was verified. Finally, poplar forest was taken as an example, and then the LAI inversion was carried out and the result was verified by using the LAI data obtained in field combined with poplar forest data information collected at the plot. The results show the validity of NDVI difference rate recognition method proposed in this paper and also verify the advantages of LAI inversion for poplar forest using HJ-CCD data . Key words—HJ-CCD;deciduous broad-leaved forest;NDVI; poplar forest;LAI
A New Extrafloral Nectary-Bearing Plant Species in the Brazilian Savanna and its Associated Ant Community: Nectary Structure, Nectar Production and Ecological Interactions

Brazilian Savanna stands out for the large number of species with extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) with high morphological diversity. In Smilax polyantha (Smilacaceae), the base of the petiole showed a slight secretion and great visitation by ants suggesting the presence of an EFN. In this way, we aimed to determine the ant community associated with this plant, as well as to identify and characterize this unsuspected structure and determine the phenology and liquid production of this tissue. The study was carried out in a Cerrado area, in Uberlândia, Brazil. Ten individuals were used for the anatomical analysis and histochemical tests and the EFNs secretory activity was monitored, being categorized into active and non-active EFN. In addition, the volume and sucrose concentration were determined from three nectaries of ten individuals, and individuals of ants found foraging on these nectary were collected, day and night. Results showed a large amount of extrafloral nectar secretion and the EFN tissue is composed of a few cell layers that showed positive reactions for proteins and reducing sugars. We recorded a significantly correlation between percentage of EFNs activity and abundance of ants. The secretory activity is concentrated in September and ten ant species, of five subfamilies, were identified foraging on the EFNs.
On the ample cone of an ample hypersurface

For a smooth ample hypersurface D of dimension at least 3 in a smooth projective variety X, the restriction map r : Pic(X) —> Fic(D) is an isomorphism by weak Lefschetz. In a recent paper [3], Hassett, Lin and Wang gave an example of a pair D C X with dim D = 3 such that the cone of ample divisor classes of D is strictly larger than the image under r of the cone of ample divisor classes of X] in other words, the weak Lefschetz principle can fail for ample cones. The purpose of this note is to point out that not only is the ample cone of a hypersurface D often larger than the ample cone of the ambient space X, in general it cannot even be computed from birational models of X. This contrasts with the conjecture of [2] (already disproved for semi-ample hyper surf aces in [5]), which predicted that such a description is possible. Note that in the special case studied in [3], the ample cone is the union of ample cones of birational models of X (Remark 2.3). However, a slight generalization of the example gives hyper surf aces with ample cone larger than the union of ample cones of all birational models of the ambient space (Corollary 3.1). For a projective variety y, denote by M(Y) C Pic^Y) the cone of nef divisor classes; this is the closure of the ample cone and also the dual of the Mori cone by Kleiman's criterion. Facets (codimension-one faces) of M{Y) correspond in favourable cases to primitive (non-factorizable) contraction morphisms on Y.
Personal construct theory

The development of any discipline is related to the strength of its underpinning theoretical base. Wellestablished disciplines have a diversity of clearly stated and competing theoretical frameworks to describe and explain theoretical constructs. Information systems (IS) is a relatively new discipline; many well-known IS theories (such as the technology acceptance model, theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behaviour) are borrowed from disciplines such as economics and psychology. This chapter outlines personal construct psychology, a psychological theory. Current applications of methodologies based in personal construct theory are discussed, and the positioning of the theory within a broader taxonomy of IS theory is explored.
Chapter 9 The Role of Endoscopy in Celiac Disease and its Complicatons : Advances in Imaging Techniques and Computerizaton

Endoscopy, for many reasons, is an important technique in the diagnosis of celiac disease (CD), since it is currently the most widely used method for performing duodenal biopsies. On the other hand, certain changes in the duodenal mucosa must warn the endoscopist of a possible celiac disease. This is relevant, since it is well-known that most of the people who have this disease remain undiagnosed. With the development of endoscopy, diferent markers can be used to predict the existence of villous atrophy, but a high level of suspicion is required. The correct applicaton of guidelines performing biopsies for a celiac disease diagnosis, especially if there is a sufcient number of samples, is important to reach diagnosis. Besides, due to the fact that the spectrum of health problems related to celiac disease is quite wide, their possible associaton must be taken into account and the performance of duodenal biopsies must be encouraged. This last decade’s technological achievements have greatly facilitated the study of the small intestne via endoscopy. Even if these advanced techniques are generally unnecessary in most cases, there are some of them in which the video capsule and/or enteroscopy allow to achieve a diagnosis, especially in refractory celiac disease cases. Other cutng-edge techniques, such as digital chromoendoscopy, optcal coherence tomography and confocal endomicroscopy could be useful to predict the existence of villous atrophy and some of them could even help the endoscopist recognize lesser degrees of celiac disease. The relevance of these techniques in daily practce remains to be dilucidated.
Long non-coding RNA PCGEM 1 as a biomarker for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common diagnosed malignant disease. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which account for approximately 98% of the human genome, are becoming increasingly interesting with regard to various diseases and have great potential for diagnosis and prognostic monitoring of PC. To identify a new diagnosis marker for metastatic PC, we enrolled a total of 144 patients with PC, including 57 metastatic and 87 localized PC patients, and 148 healthy subjects. Patients were followed up routinely at 3-month intervals for 5 years. The expression of 10 selected lncRNAs in peripheral blood from participants was measured. Among the 10 selected lncRNAs, the expression of PCGEM1 in the metastatic group was 2.57 times that in the localized group (p< 0.001) and 2.96 times that in the control group (p < 0.001). Patients with higher AJCC stage had significantly elevated PCGEM1 expression (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.001). The relative expression of PCGEM1 in patients with higher Gleason score was also higher than that in patients with lower Gleason score (p = 0.003). Moreover, patients with more than 5 years survival time had significantly lower PCGEM1 expression than the rest (p = 0.017) and patients with elevated PCGEM1 relative expression had significantly shorter survival time (p < 0.001). The present study suggested that PCGEM1 expression in peripheral blood could act as a diagnostic marker of metastatic PC. It would also be a prognostic marker to predict
A proposal for reducing the average inventory during an expansion A case study of the e-commerce actor Jollyroom

The e-commerce industry has during the last decade seen a steady growth where the same distribution channel is becoming more integrated with its customers’ life. With the rapid growth the industry has seen, it has brought some issues to life where some are linked to the ability of handling scalability. The report aimed to handle the operational scalability and more specifically, how to reduce the average inventory and tied up capital. The studied company in this report’s case is Jollyroom, a fastgrowing organisation and from March (2017) also the market leader in its segment. The organisation has since its launch in 2010 increased its turnover by approximately 100% each year, and the warehouse space needed has increased from one building to three. The organisation has reached an impasse where additional warehouse space is needed if they keep current operations in play. The report utilises the approach of structuring the purchasing operations by applying an economic order quantity to identify lot sizes and the cycle service safety stock to make sure there are products available when they are demanded by customers. This fairly simple approach results in a 55% reduction of the average inventory, a 52% increase of the inventory turnover, a 25% decrease in tied up capital, and a reduction of 32% in inventory carrying costs.
Evolution of the CNCPS - Development of V7

The CNCPS was first described in a conference proceedings addressing protein requirements for cattle in the 1980’s (Fox et al., 1982; Van Soest et al., 1982). Ten years later, a series of manuscripts were published outlining the CNCPS in more detail including carbohydrate and protein digestion (Sniffen et al., 1992), microbial growth (Russell et al., 1992), amino acid supply (O'Connor et al., 1993) and animal requirements (Fox et al., 1992). These publications laid the foundation for a substantial R&D effort over ~30 years that has seen numerous model updates published culminating in summary papers describing new versions of the CNCPS (Fox et al., 2004; Tylutki et al., 2008). The effort continues today with the most recent updates describing v6.5 of the CNCPS (Higgs et al., 2015; Van Amburgh et al., 2015). A unique aspect of the CNCPS, which sets it apart from other modeling efforts, is its widespread commercial use and global reach. Estimates have various versions of the CNCPS being used by thousands of people in dozens of countries to formulate the rations of millions of cattle around the world every day.
Life-form spectra of quartzite and itabirite rocky outcrop sites, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Realizou-se um levantamento das especies vasculares e suas respectivas formas de vida e coberturas, em campos rupestres na Serra de Ouro Preto, sobre quartzito e itabirito, para construcao dos espectros floristicos, de frequencia e vegetacional. Em cada litologia foram delimitados, pela geomofologia, tres tipos de habitats: 1) Areas inclinadas, nos topos das montanhas, com campos limpos; 2) Platos, na parte mediana das encostas, com campos limpos e 3) Partes mais baixas ou concavas das encostas, com campos sujos. As formas de vida seguiram o sistema de Raunkiaer. Averiguaram-se as seguintes questoes: Campos rupestres sobre itabirito e quartzito possuem diferentes espectros biologicos? Os habitats estratificados pela geomorfologia diferem quanto aos espectros biologicos? Os espectros floristicos, de frequencia e vegetacional diferem entre si? Qual espectro se destaca como descritor da fisionomia de campos rupestres? Os resultados evidenciaram que: a) fanerofitas e hemicriptofitas sao as formas de vida predominantes; b) os espectros floristicos e de frequencia nao diferiram entre si e ambos foram estatisticamente diferentes do espectro vegetacional; c) os habitats estratificados pela litologia e geomorfologia apresentaram espectros floristicos similares, mas os espectros de frequencia e vegetacao mostraram diferencas significativas; d) maior cobertura de fanerofitas e menor cobertura de hemicriptofitas foram encontradas nas areas sobre itabirito, assim como nas partes mais baixas ou concavas das encostas, em ambas litologias; e e) o espectro vegetacional mostrou-se mais eficiente para comparacao dos habitats. Aspectos do ambiente relacionados com a distribuicao de formas de vida sao discutidos. Este estudo subsidia programas de restauracao ambiental, ampliando o conhecimento da vegetacao de campos rupestres.
Modeling the variability in annual carbon fluxes related to biological soil crusts in a Mediterranean shrubland

Abstract. Biological soil crusts (BSC) constitute a spatially prominent part of the photosynthesizing vegetation in many dryland ecosystems. This study assesses the annual net carbon deposition related to BSC growth in a Mediterranean shrubland for the years 2001–2003 using a model developed to account for the nature of hydration in the poikilohydric life trait of the BSC. Data for BSC-related net CO2 fluxes were obtained from in-situ measurements at the International Long-term Ecological Research site Sayeret Shaked (ILTER-SSK) in the northern Negev Desert, Israel. The BSC was smooth to rugose, up to 15 mm thick and consisted mainly of mosses, cyanobacteria and cyano-lichens. In order to obtain annual estimates, BSC-related CO2 fluxes were correlated with climate records provided by the meteorological station of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Site network (TEMS) adjacent to SSK. The annual carbon deposition related to BSC growth was assessed from (1) an overall mean of net CO2 flux multiplied with annual activity periods of BSC based on precipitation records, and (2) from a simple precipitation-driven activity model (PdAM). This model combines an algorithm, previously developed to model gas exchange processes in vascular plants, with an empirical module that switches the algorithm on as soon as water is available to maintain activity of poikilohydric BSC. Based on a constant BSC area index of 0.6 m2 m−2 at ILTER-SSK, the final model suggests a large inter-annual variability in BSC-related net carbon deposition ranging from 7 to 51 kg ha−1 yr−1.
Characteristics and fatty acid composition of milk fat from Saudi Aradi goat

Goat milk is the second most prevalent edible milk in Saudi Arabia and is one of the most prominently produced milks in the world. Few studies have focused on the physicochemical properties of goat milk fat (GMF). Samples of Saudi Aradi goat milk were obtained during the spring dairy season to determine the physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of the GMF. The physicochemical properties of Saudi Aradi GMF were as follows: iodine value, 23.2 g of I2·100 g −1 of fat; saponification value, 213.2 mg KOH·g of fat; refractive index (25 °C), 1.4583; unsaponifiable matter, 0.54%; acidity, 0.52%; and peroxide value, 2.07 meq O2·kg −1 of fat. α-Tocopherol was the major tocol (70.9%), followed by β-tocopherol (22.02%). GMF had significant contents of polyunsaturated fatty acid (FA) (6.16%), conjugated linolenic acid (0.36%), saturated FA (67.04%) and branched FA (1.98%). The thermal profiles of the Saudi Aradi GMF samples were examined using a thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Saudi Aradi GMF showed some absorbance in the UV-C range. This study demonstrated that the milk fat from the Saudi goat has physically and chemically favorable properties, as well as good nutritional properties, as a source of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamin E.