Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MOVEMENTS OF ABAXIAL AND ADAXIAL STOMATA

Summary A comparative study was made of diurnal movements, and responses to a range of light intensities, of abaxial and adaxial stomata on normal and inverted leaves of Stachytarpheta indica by microscopic examination of epidermal strips fixed in absolute ethanol. Additional observations were made on Coreopsis grandifiora, Crotalaria retusa and Tridax procumbens. The natural diurnal movements in the field and light-induced opening in the laboratory and accompanied changes in concentrations of starch and potassium in the guard cells were all substantially more pronounced in the shaded abaxial stomata than in the exposed adaxial stomata on normal leaves. The effect of leaf inversion was to accentuate these differences considerably. Carbon dioxide-free air was not effective in overcoming the differences in opening ability of abaxial and adaxial stomata. The differential behaviour of abaxial and adaxial stomata is related, to a great extent, to differential changes in concentrations of starch and potassium in abaxial and adaxial guard cells. The greater photosensitivity of abaxial stomata is a widespread phenomenon occurring in both monocotyledons and dicotyledons irrespective of differences in stomatal density; the adaptive significance of this phenomenon is briefly mentioned.
Resident female Northern Lapwings Vanellus vanellus fight to exclude settlement by secondary females

In systems with bi-parental care, sexual conflict theory states that a transition from monogamy to polygyny should increase fitness prospects for males and reduce fitness prospects of resident females. Behavioural observations of Northern Lapwings Vanellus vanellus suggested that resident females try to monopolize their breeding resources by attacking females prospecting for secondary status, and males commonly respond by intervening on behalf of the prospecting females. In four territories the resident females successfully defended their monogamous status, in nine territories the resident females made at least one successful eviction before being forced to accept polygyny and in nine territories observed eviction attempts were unsuccessful. These observations indicate that mating status in Northern Lapwings is partly determined by the competitive ability of resident females.
Antifungal activity of eugenol on Cryptococcus neoformans biological activity and Cxt1p gene expression

Background and Purpose: The present study was targeted toward investigating the effects of eugenol on Cryptococcus neoformans biological activity and Cxt1p gene expression. Materials and Methods: For the purpose of the study, the growth, urease, synergism activity, and disk diffusion of C. neoformans were assessed in eugenol-treated culture. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M27-A3 method at a concentration range of 0.062-2 mg/mL. Subsequently, the expression of Cxt1p genes was studied at the MIC50 concentration of eugenol using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The obtained results showed that eugenol at the concentrations of 125 and 500 µg/mL resulted in 50% and 100% growth inhibition in C. neoformans, respectively. In terms of urease activity, the results showed that the addition of MIC50 of eugenol and fluconazole to urea medium reduced urease activity in C. neoformans. In the culture treated with eugenol, the inhibition zone of antifungal drugs, namely amphotericin B, itraconazole, and fluconazole, was increased to 36±0.002, 22±0.001, and 12±0.002 mm, respectively. The expression levels of Cxt1p in the eugenol-treated, fluconazole-treated, and non-treated samples were estimated at 46%, 58%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of the current study revealed that eugenol could cause C. neoformans growth inhibition and reduce Cxt1p expression in this species. As the results indicated, the susceptibility of C. neoformans to fluconazole was increased when combined with eugenol.
Reação de clones de bananeira(Musa spp.) ao nematóide Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White, 1919) Chitwood, 1949, Raça 2

The aim of this work was to study banana clones reaction in relation to Meloidogyne incognita race 2, under greenhouse conditions. The plants were inoculated with a suspension of 20,000 M. incognita which includes the presence of eggs and second stage juveniles. The inoculation occurred five days after the seedlings were transplanted to a plastic bag (5L) which contains soil, sand and manure, with 3:1:1 rate, and this was sterilized at 100oC during two hours. The experimental outline was at random with four replications. The clones were evaluated after 120 days inoculation. The number of eggs and juveniles in the root system were determined. The clone CPA-34 from Grande Naine variety was used as susceptibility standard. Soil samples of 200cm3 were collected to determine the number of nematodes present in the soil. According to reproduction factors (FP/IP), as it was expected, it was shown that the clone CPA-34 is susceptible to the nematode, with the highest reproduction rate followed by the clone CPA-49 from Maca variety, with FP/IP above one. The other tested clones showed reproduction rate below one, which indicates a certain resistance to M. incognita race 2. However, statistical analysis demonstrate significant differences between the standard clone CPA-34 compared to clones CPA-58 and CPA-54. The results of root weight and aerial part weight, showed a significant difference (1%) for all tested clones, with higher rates for the non-inoculated clones.
Gender Differences in Rates of Arrhythmias, Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices, and Diagnostic Modalities Among Sarcoidosis Patients

Introduction Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease with multiorgan involvement. Cardiac involvement may be asymptomatic or present clinically as heart failure, arrhythmias, or even sudden cardiac death. In this study, we compared gender differences in the prevalence of arrhythmias and associated outcomes in patients with sarcoidosis without established coronary artery disease. Methods The United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried from 2010 to 2014 to identify patients with sarcoidosis using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis code in patients >18 years. We excluded patients with a prior history of myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft. The chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Results The sample consisted of 308,064 patients (mean age = 55.65 ± 11.28 years); they were mostly women (65.2%) and black (46.7%). In-hospital mortality in this cohort was 2.5%. The most common arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation (9.7%). The prevalence of ventricular fibrillation was 0.2%, ventricular tachycardia 2%, complete heart block 0.5%, and second-degree Mobitz type II (0.1%). Sudden cardiac death occurred in 0.7%. Rates of various cardiac devices implanted were: implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) (0.5%), cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator (CRT-D) (0.2%), pacemaker (0.4%). Rates of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), radionuclide imaging, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.1%, respectively. Based on gender (male vs. female), the rates of arrhythmias, cardiac device implantation, and utilization of diagnostic modalities were: atrial fibrillation (41% vs 59%; p<0.001), ventricular fibrillation (50% vs 50%; p=0.983), ventricular tachycardia (55% vs 45%; p<0.001), complete heart block (48% vs 52%; p=0.3), second-degree Mobitz type II (37% vs 63%; p=0.706), sudden cardiac death (38% vs 62%; p<0.171), ICD (56% vs 44%; p<0.001), CRT-D (58% vs 42%; p=0.025), permanent pacemaker (40% vs 60%; p=0.066), EMB (55% vs 45%; p<0.001), radionuclide imaging (32% vs 68%; p=0.403), and cardiac MRI (41% vs 59%; p=0.396). In-hospital mortality was higher in females (64% vs 36%; p<0.001). Conclusion In our study, in-hospital death was more common in females. Females had higher rates of atrial fibrillation as compared to males, who were found to have a higher burden of ventricular tachycardia. Males had higher rates of ICD and CRT-D placement. Males also had EMB performed more commonly than females.
Safety and efficacy analysis of microwave ablation in small hepatocellular carcinomas sized below 3 cm

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) in small hepatocellular carcinomas sized ≤ 3 cm, determine long-term survival, and identify prognostic factors for survival rates. Material and methods In this study, the radiological and laboratory findings obtained from 31 consecutive patients who underwent MWA were retrospectively evaluated. The survival periods and complication rates were analysed. Results Microwave ablation was applied to 42 hepatocellular carcinoma nodules in 31 patients. The mean age of the patients was 61 ± 7.3 (median 62, range 46-78) years. The mean overall survival (OS) was 47.4 ± 3.3 months. The rates of cumulative OS in the first, second, and third years were 95.2%, 91.8%, and 79.2%, respectively. The mean disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 24.1 ± 2.5 months. The cumulative DFS rates in the first, second, and third years were 75.6%, 52.5%, and 28.2%, respectively. The number of tumours and tumour distribution were determined as prognostic factors. No major complication was detected, but six patients (13.9%) developed minor complications after MWA. Conclusions Microwave ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma is a safety treatment modality with very low rates of complications. It offers an effective treatment with a high rate of complete response and local disease control according to the short-term results. In the long term, it prolongs the survival time of the treated patients. The number of tumours and tumour distribution were determined as prognostic factors affecting survival rates.
Coral Condition After Executing Large-Scale Coral Transplantation on Kuta Beach in Bali Island

The large-scale coral transplantation with applying asexual reproduction method has been implemented in the shallow lagoon at Kuta Beach in Bali Island of Indonesia. The monitoring and maintenance works after fixing coral fragments were continued for 1.5 years to observe the coral growth and survival conditions. The high survival rate and significant growth of transplanted corals were observed for branching and leaf type coral species which were brought from same coral reef area in comparison with other experiments in Japan. This is mainly caused by different environmental conditions from that in Japan; such as high water temperature with range of 24 to 30 degrees C, no disturbance by storm, inexistence of natural enemy, etc.
Nearest neighbors as foraging cues: information transfer in a patchy environment

To assess the importance of both conspecifics and heterospecifics as cues to prey loca- tion, we analyzed patterns of seabird species co-occurrence along shipboard transects conducted near South Georgia (55° S, 35° W) during the austral summer. Using data collected over 9 d and 1500 km ocean, we focused on the behavior of 4 seabird species that are abundant in Antarctic waters: black-browed albatross Thalassarche melanophrys, white-chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis, prion Pachyptila spp. , and diving petrel Pelecanoides spp. We identified and recorded the behavior of the nearest neighbors of focal, flying individuals and demonstrated strong intraspecific associa- tions for all 4 species. More conspecific neighbors of prions and diving petrels were also observed fly- ing than expected due to chance. This result suggests that these birds may forage co-operatively with conspecifics. In contrast, more heterospecific neighbors were feeding than expected, and more heterospecific neighbors of white-chinned petrels, prions, and diving petrels were black-browed albatross and groups of penguins and Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella than expected by chance. We show that associations among foraging birds are not random and are not due to species- specific differences in foraging habitat. We present methods that can be used to measure and com- pare the strength of intra- and interspecific association among predators at sea. Our results suggest that local enhancement is an important component of the foraging strategies of Antarctic seabirds.
Territoriality in Variable Environments: A Simple Model

A territory owner is likely to find itself in a variable (stochastic) environment rather than a static (deterministic) environment. Current models of optimal territoriality, however, do not directly address this fact. The model that I develop in this paper, which treats prey density and intruder pressure as random variables rather than constants, indicates that some territorial strategies suggested by current models may do poorly in terms of the probability of starvation. The deterministic energy maximizer strategy, however, may often lead to a rough approximation of that territory size which minimizes the probability of starvation. Qualitative predictions derived from the stochastic approach and its current, deterministic analogues, such as an inverse relationship between prey density and territory size, are often in agreement. The prediction that a nonbreeding territory owner will spend much of its time inactive and defend excess, uneaten food is unique to the stochastic approach, and it appears to be supported by much of the evidence available in the current literature.
Efeito de Produtos Fitossanitários Naturais Sobre Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. in vitro

The associated use of natural products with entomopathogenic fungi can be an efficient strategy to pest and disease control and to reduce the environmental impacts, however, these products can act adversely against the fungi, affecting its vegetative growth, conidiogenesis, viability and pathogenicity. In view of the above, were evaluated the in vitro effects of the commercial products Agro-mos®, Ecolife® and Dalneem® (concentrations 0.25; 0.5; 1; 2 and 4%) and the plant extracts of Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae), Cymbopogon citratus and Cymbopogon nardus (Poaceae) (1; 5; 10; 15 e 20%) against Beauveria bassiana, which were mixed in a Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium, into Petri dishes. Were verified the micelial growth, the conidiogenesis and the conidia viability, besides the fungi pathogenicity, when produced in contact with these products, against Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) caterpillars. The commercial products affected all the parameters, being toxic in all concentrations and the plant extracts reduced the viability in at least 50% when compared to the control. Curcuma longa was compatible to fungi in the 1% concentration, Cymbopogon citratus was compatible until 15% and Cymbopogon nardus until 10% and all of them did not affect the fungi virulency. The results prove the necessity of such studies in order to do not affect the action of biological control agents.
A Microassay for Gill Sodium, Potassium-Activated ATPase in Juvenile Pacific Salmonids

Abstract A microassay well-plate method is described for determining Na+,K+-ATPase activities of small gill sections from juvenile Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. The method differs from the established macromethod by detecting inorganic phosphate in nanomole rather than micromole concentrations. This permits the use of much smaller tissue samples, which makes it possible to release fish after sampling. Use of sonication during enzyme extraction and elimination of the need to deproteinize samples before ATPase analysis further simplify the assay. Application of the microwell-plate technique for both Na+,K+-ATPase activity and protein analysis permits rapid processing of many samples. It also produces results equivalent to those of the macroassay; no significant differences occurred between sample duplicates run by the two methods with the same enzyme extract (P > 0.05). The coefficient of variation (100·SD/mean) for microassay samples containing enzyme activities of at least 10 umol inorganic phosphate p.
Indirect seed dispersal by the feral cats Felis catus in island ecosystems (Canary Islands)

We are grateful to all our colleagues who took part in the analysis of the scats for the various studies carried out in the Canary Islands, and to J. Vega for permission to work on Teno Bajop. Mercedes and Luisa also deserve thanks for helping us to collect the material during the fieldwork. J. Guitian revised and made useful comments on a first draft of the manuscript. M. Debussche offered critical suggestions and checked the English. Part of this investigation was supported by Direccion General de Univesidades e Investigacion del Gobierno de Canarias.
Morcegos da Chapada do Araripe, nordeste do Brasil

A Chapada do Araripe e um planalto localizado dentro do dominio da Caatinga no nordeste brasileiro entre os Estados do Ceara, Pernambuco e Piaui. Possui uma grande variacao altimetrica, o que confere uma variedade de fitofisionomias e uma dinâmica ambiental distinta das demais areas de Caatinga. Com o objetivo de incrementar as parcas informacoes sobre a biodiversidade da Caatinga apresentamos aqui o resultado de um levantamento de especies de morcegos, realizado entre 2010 e 2012, em cinco localidades da Chapada do Araripe, nos municipios de Barbalha e Jardim, no Ceara, e Serrita, em Pernambuco. Nosso levantamento registrou 25 especies distribuidas em seis familias, resultante da captura de 201 individuos. A amostragem registrou quatro novas ocorrencias para o Estado do Ceara, Sturnira tildae, Pteronotus gymnonotus, Cynomops planirostris e Promops nasutus. Uma compilacao da literatura revelou que na Chapada do Araripe ocorrem 49 especies de morcegos distribuidas em oito familias, o que representa 64% das especies de morcegos da Caatinga.
Multi‐allelic self‐incompatibility polymorphisms in plants

The multi‐allelic self‐incompatibility polymorphisms in angiosperms have long interested geneticists and population geneticists, but the limits of classical genetic resolution were reached many years ago. In recent years, new progress has been made by molecular genetic approaches. Intriguing similarities to and differences from the fungal systems are emerging. The polymorphism at these loci is now known to be even more baroque than appeared from classical genetic studies. Alleles differ so much at the level of both the DNA and protein sequence that they would be difficult to recognise as products of the same locus, were it not for the presence of certain conserved regions. Despite the successes of the recent work, the locus responsible for the specificity of the incompatibility reaction in pollen, and the mechanism of self‐incompatibility, remain elusive.
Sex-Differences in Health-Related Characteristics of Senior Center Users: The VERISAÚDE Study

Background We explored sex-related differences in sociodemographic, medical, psychological, and functional conditions in older adults attending to senior citizens’ centers. Materials and Methods An exploratory study was conducted as part of the VERISAÚDE project, a cross-sectional population-based study of individuals aged ≥65 years enrolled in senior community centers located in Galicia, Northwest of Spain (n = 749). A comprehensive gerontological evaluation was used to assess the social, medical, psychological, and functional characteristics of the sample. Results Women presented a higher prevalence of frailty (p = 0.017), a higher risk of malnutrition (p = 0.029), more medication consumption (p = 0.002), and polypharmacy (p = 0.008), higher depressive scores (p = 0.007), and lower cognitive scores (p = 0.045) than men, who showed a higher prevalence of hearing impairment (p = 0.034), toxic habits (all ps = 0.0001), and comorbidity (p = 0.002), and better quality of life (p = 0.030), and social resources (p = 0.002). Participants considered that attending and being involved in senior centers has a positive influence on their health and promotes successful aging. Discussion Important differences were found between women and men in health variables, suggesting that sex exerts a powerful influence on health status in older age. These differences should be identified and taking into account when designing interventions to promote active aging and to improve the quality of life of older adults. Taking a sex perspective during the evaluation process could lead to a higher number of older people being effectively treated in clinical practice.
P-Wave Area Predicts New Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Mitral Stenosis: A Machine Learning Approach

Introduction: Mitral stenosis is associated with an atrial cardiomyopathic process, leading to abnormal atrial electrophysiology, manifesting as prolonged P-wave duration (PWD), larger P-wave area, increased P-wave dispersion (PWDmax—PWDmin), and/or higher P-wave terminal force on lead V1 (PTFV1) on the electrocardiogram. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study of Chinese patients, diagnosed with mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm at baseline, between November 2009 and October 2016. Automated ECG measurements from raw data were determined. The primary outcome was incident atrial fibrillation (AF). Results: A total 59 mitral stenosis patients were included (age 59 [54–65] years, 13 (22%) males). New onset AF was observed in 27 patients. Age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.08 [1.01–1.16], P = 0.017), systolic blood pressure (OR: 1.03 [1.00–1.07]; P = 0.046), mean P-wave area in V3 (odds ratio: 3.97 [1.32–11.96], P = 0.014) were significant predictors of incident AF. On multivariate analysis, age (OR: 1.08 [1.00–1.16], P = 0.037) and P-wave area in V3 (OR: 3.64 [1.10–12.00], P = 0.034) remained significant predictors of AF. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the optimum cut-off for P-wave area in V3 was 1.45 Ashman units (area under the curve: 0.65) for classification of new onset AF. A decision tree learning model with individual and non-linear interaction variables with age achieved the best performance for outcome prediction (accuracy = 0.84, precision = 0.84, recall = 0.83, F-measure = 0.84). Conclusion: Atrial electrophysiological alterations in mitral stenosis can detected on the electrocardiogram. Age, systolic blood pressure, and P-wave area in V3 predicted new onset AF. A decision tree learning model significantly improved outcome prediction.