Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Control y erradicación de la sarna sarcóptica porcina

La sarna sarcóptica puede ser causa de importantes pérdidas económicas en la producción intensiva porcina, como consecuencia de su amplia difusión y de sus efectos negativos sobre los índices productivos. En la actualidad se dispone de acaricidas muy eficaces, especialmente lactonas macrocíclicas, para eliminar la infestación de la explotación. Los programas de control evitan la aparición de sarna clínica, pero no eliminan la presencia del ácaro. Por el contrario, los programas de erradicación eliminan la sarna subclínica, y son rentables a medio plazo. El productor y su servicio técnico deben valorar la aplicación de uno u otro programa.
Rapid and effective method for preparation of fecal specimens for PCR assays

We have developed a novel method for the preparation of fecal specimens for PCR assays. Approximately 100 mg of solid stool or 200 microliters of liquid fecal sample was thoroughly suspended in 1 ml of water. Fecal debris was removed by low-speed centrifugation (2,800 x g for 2 min). The supernatant was then boiled for 10 min in a water bath and further clarified by high-speed centrifugation (12,000 x g for 5 min). Fifty microliters of the clarified supernatant was then purified by Sepharose CL-6B spin column chromatography, and a portion of the purified supernatant was used for PCR. By this method, stools containing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli H10407 were amplified by colonization factor antigen I fimbrial gene PCR, with a sensitivity of 100 organisms per reaction. The method was also effective for processing stool specimens for Clostridium difficile toxin A and B gene PCRs. This method is rapid, effective, and simple to perform and will improve the applications of PCR to stool specimens for diagnostic purposes.
The relationship between subglacial water pressure and velocity of Findelengletscher, Switzerland, during its advance and retreat

Abstract Findelengletscher, Switzerland, advanced about 250 m between 1979 and 1985, and retreated thereafter. Subglacial water pressure, surface velocity and surface strain rate were determined at several sites. The measurements were made early in the melt seasons of 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1994 and in the autumn of 1983 and the winter of 1984. Changes of surface geometry were assessed from aerial photographs. The estimated basal shear stress changed little between 1982 and 1994. Nevertheless, large changes in the relationship of subglacial water pressure and surface velocity were observed, which cannot be reconciled with the most commonly used sliding law unless it is modified substantially. Consideration of possible reasons indícales that a change in the subglacial drainage system occurred, probably involving a change in the degree of cavity interconnection. Isolated cavities damp the variations in sliding velocity that normally result from changes in water pressure, because the pressure in isolated cavities decreases as the sliding speed increases. In contrast, by transmitting water-pressure fluctuations to a larger area of the bed, interconnected cavities amplify the effect of water-pressure fluctuations on sliding speed. Thus, we suggest that an observed decrease in velocity (for a given water pressure) between 1982 and 1994 was a consequence of a decrease in the interconnectedness of the subglacial cavity system.
Taxonomic Relationships of Neohaematopinus to Johnsonpthirus and Linognathoides (Polyplacidae: Anoplura)

Of the known species of Neohaematopinus s. lat. (sensu Ferris 1951), the 3 genera Johnsonpthirus , Linognathoides and Neohaematopinus s. str. are recognized and redefined on the basis of nymphs and adults. Johnsonpthirus is a senior synonym of Alenapthirus . The adults and 3 nymphal instars of J. spinosissimus are redescribed and illustrated, and the lectotype of J. heliosciuri is designated. The inclusive species for each genus are listed with host and distribution data.
DWELLING IN THE DEAD ZONE—VERTEBRATE BURROWS IMMEDIATELY SUCCEEDING THE END-PERMIAN EXTINCTION EVENT IN AUSTRALIA

Abstract: A distinctive burrow form, Reniformichnus australis n. isp. , is described from strata immediately overlying and transecting the end-Permian extinction (EPE) horizon in the Sydney Basin, eastern Australia. Although a unique excavator cannot be identified, these burrows were probably produced by small cynodonts based on comparisons with burrows elsewhere that contain body fossils of the tracemakers. The primary host strata are devoid of plant remains apart from wood and charcoal fragments, sparse fungal spores, and rare invertebrate traces indicative of a very simplified terrestrial ecosystem characterizing a ‘dead zone’ in the aftermath of the EPE. The high-paleolatitude (∼ 65–75°S) setting of the Sydney Basin, together with its higher paleoprecipitation levels and less favorable preservational potential, is reflected by a lower diversity of vertebrate fossil burrows and body fossils compared with coeval continental interior deposits of the mid-paleolatitude Karoo Basin, South Africa. Nevertheless, these burrows reveal the survivorship of small tetrapods in considerable numbers in the Sydney Basin immediately following the EPE. A fossorial lifestyle appears to have provided a selective advantage for tetrapods enduring the harsh environmental conditions that arose during the EPE. Moreover, high-paleolatitude and maritime settings may have provided important refugia for terrestrial vertebrates at a time of lethal temperatures at low-latitudes and aridification of continental interiors.
Molecular discrimination of the advanced breeding lines of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) based on inter simple sequence repeat markers

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) is the most suitable wheat to produce pasta and spaghetti because of its high protein content. A set of 14 durum breeding lines along with three check cultivars (i.e., Saji, Zardak and Sardari), 10 ISSR primers were used to estimate genetic diversity among genotypes. The primers produced 111 bands, among which 85 bands (about 76.5%) were polymorphic. A total of 85 polymorphic fragments were scored with average 11.1 polymorphic bands per primer. The average of PIC index was 0.33, that showed a good efficiency of primers to separate the genotypes. Cluster analysis using UPGMA method and Dice similarity coefficient categorized the genotypes into five main groups in which the check genotypes were classified in the separated groups.
Optimizing performance of silver-plated silicon photodetector in near infrared band with applied bias

Based on the measured I-V curve of the Ag/n-Si Schottky photodetector, it can be verified that the Ag / n-Si Schottky photodetector can detect the NIR band. The responsivity of the photodetector without or with applied bias can be analyzed by the measured I-V curve. Furthermore, we eventually succeed in applying a pulse signal on the voltage source to resolve the thermal disturbance generated by the external voltage and also optimize the responsivity of the Ag/n-Si Schottky photodetector.
The Influence of Technical Variety in Software Ecosystems

There is a lack of empirical evidence on software ecosystem health metrics, and a need for operationalizable metrics that describe software ecosystem characteristics. This study unveils a new approach for measuring technical variety concisely. Studies show that a high variety opens up new opportunities and thus, better niche creation, and ultimately, improves software ecosystem health. Four different ecosystems are evaluated, and compared. Variety is measured in relation to robustness, and productivity metrics of the ecosystem to uncover the influence of technical variety on software ecosystems. Technical variety indicates a positive correlation with robustness, however acceptance of this statement is not confirmed with certainty due to a weak relation. Furthermore, significant relations indicate differences between ecosystem types.
XUV gratings based on holography

In addition to applications based on particle accelerator sources the XUV wavelength range is interesting for several further fields of research – for example in astronomy. On one hand, due to the short wavelengths a diffraction grating for these applications must provide a high-quality surface figure of its polished grating substrate or blank. On the other hand, the grating profile must be very smooth with no relevant phase errors to provide high diffraction efficiency as well as minimum stray light levels. Due to these challenging specifications it is advantageous if a manufacturer has access to lithographic technologies and sophisticated polishing processes at once. For instance, it is sometimes crucial to adapt the polishing to the employed technology chain in order to reach optimum grating performance. Furthermore, a capable grating manufacturing technology should enable flexible line distributions ranging from equally spaced lines on plane or curved substrates up to variable-line-spacing gratings (VLS) as well as even curved lines for imaging grating types in general. Grating surface figures ranging from plane, spherical and cylindrical up to freeform and – in case of beamline optics for grazing incidence operation mode – comparable massive grating blanks must be manageable as well. By employing holographic exposure in combination with new and state-of-the-art etching techniques it is feasible to address all the mentioned features. We will address the degrees of freedom in grating design arising due to holographic pattern definition and present latest improvements that go beyond the so far reported status of XUV grating manufacturing. Beside the flexibility of holography to achieve excellent roughness and best peak efficiency on silicon the option for local blaze adaption can be extremely beneficial. Thus, it will be in the focus of this text.
Spread of Aedes albopictus 1 in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, from 2011 to 2019

Abstract. Descriptive evidence of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) spreading across the Yucatan Peninsula, southeastern Mexico, was provided from a survey of medically important mosquitoes and historical data from 2011 to 2019. The species was reported for the first time at Campeche and 15 new localities of Quintana Roo.
Cloning Gene Encoding Micronema 3 (Mic3) Protein of Tachyzoite Toxoplasma Gondii Local Isolate

Microneme 3 (MIC3) protein tachyzoites Toxoplasma gondii is one of protein which plays an important role during cell host invasion. Gene encoding MIC3 protein has been studied and it was suggested a potent vaccine candidate against Toxoplasma gondii infection. The aim of this research is to clone and sequence the gene encoding MIC3 protein of tachyzoites Toxoplasma gondii local isolate by amplification using polymerase chain reaction with specific primers. The amplified DNA fragment was cloned into pGEM-T and transformed into E. coli XL-1 Blue by heat shock method. Recombinant plasmids were isolated using alkali lysis method and analyzed by digestion using restriction endonuclease enzymes PstI, HindIII, NcoI and EcoRV. The recombinant plasmids then sequenced to find out the nucleotide sequence of insert gene by ABIPRISM 377 DNA Sequencer. The DNA sequence then were analyzed by computer software for alignment. The result showed that transformation in E. coli XL-1 Blue by pGEM-T produced one clone that was encoding MIC3 protein. Analysis of 489 bp from 5’ and 447 from 3’ of gene sequence showed 97-98% homology with gene encoding for MIC3 protein of RH isolate. Keywords: MIC3 protein, Toxoplasma gondii, tachyzoite, recombinant DNA
Effects of a Meridic Diet Supplemented with Cotton Leaf Tissue on Bollworm Fitness

Abstract. Rearing bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), on synthetic diets for use in laboratory bioassays is a common practice around the world. Little is known about how insect diets currently utilized for bollworm rearing have been altered from their original nutrient composition and the implications this might have on insect fitness. Therefore, this study assessed notable shortcomings of a commonly used meridic diet by exposing bollworms to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L) leaf tissue for short periods during early development to determine effect on larval and pupal survival and weights. Mean survival of larvae ranged from 60% when bollworms were exposed to Bt cotton leaves for 7 days to 100% on meridic diet. Mean pupation ranged from 58 to 97%, which closely mimicked survival of larvae at 7 days. Insect larvae reared on meridic diet through 7 days were fitter relative to those exposed to cotton leaf tissue, having greater larval weight and survival than other treatments. Conversely, pupal weight of bollworms exposed to meridic diet for the same 7-day period tended to lag behind those exposed to cotton leaf tissue. However, any fitness benefit gained from rearing larvae on leaf tissue might be offset by increased mortality before the pupal stage. The experiment demonstrated that larval and pupal fitness were impacted by supplementing meridic diet with leaf tissue, but additional research is needed to further investigate effects through multiple generations.
Effect of the Interaction Between Pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index and Fresh/Frozen Embryo Transfer on Perinatal Outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technology-Conceived Singletons: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: To demonstrate the association between pre-pregnancy maternal overweight, obesity, and perinatal outcomes of singletons conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART). Design: Retrospective cohort study from 2006 to 2015 data from a single ART center. Setting: Assisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Northwestern China. Patients: We included 7,818 women undergoing ART and their singleton infants. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measure: The primary outcome measures were preterm birth (PTB), macrosomia, low birth weight, small for gestational age, and large for gestational age (LGA). Results: We experienced an increase in the risk of PTB, macrosomia, and LGA in overweight and obese groups compared with that in normal-weight groups [PTB: overweight vs. normal weight: odds ratio [OR] = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.18–1.75; obesity vs. normal weight: OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.04–2.25; macrosomia: overweight vs. normal weight: OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.48–2.14; obesity vs. normal weight: OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.52–3.06; LGA: overweight vs. normal weight: OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.39–1.90; obesity vs. normal weight: OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.57–2.83]. We observed a significant interaction between maternal BMI and fresh/frozen embryo transfer on PTB and LGA (P = 0.030; P = 0.030). Fresh embryo transfer significantly increased the effect of maternal BMI on LGA (fresh: OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.10–1.18; frozen: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.13), and frozen embryo transfer increased the effect of maternal BMI on PTB (fresh: OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.99–1.08; frozen: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.15). Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy maternal overweight and obesity were associated with higher risks of PTB, macrosomia, and LGA in ART-conceived singletons. These associations were affected by the timing of embryo transfer (fresh/frozen embryo transfer). Therefore, we recommend women before ART to maintain a normal BMI for the prevention of adverse perinatal outcomes.
Mapping Brick Kilns to Support Environmental Impact Studies around Delhi Using Sentinel-2

Cities lying in the Indo-Gangetic plains of South Asia have the world’s worst anthropogenic air pollution, which is often attributed to urban growth. Brick kilns, facilities for producing fired clay-bricks for construction are often found at peri-urban region of South Asian cities. Although brick kilns are significant air pollutant emitters, their contribution in under-represented in air pollution emission inventories due to unavailability of their distribution. This research overcomes this gap by proposing publicly available remote sensing dataset based approach for mapping brick-kiln locations using object detection and pixel classification. As brick kiln locations are not permanent, an open-dataset based methodology is advantageous for periodically updating their locations. Brick kilns similar to Bull Trench Kilns were identified using the Sentinel-2 imagery around the state of Delhi in India. The unique geometric and spectral features of brick kilns distinguish them from other classes such as built-up, vegetation and fallow-land even in coarse resolution imagery. For object detection, transfer learning was used to overcome the requirement of huge training datasets, while for pixel-classification random forest algorithm was used. The method achieved a recall of 0.72, precision of 0.99 and F1 score of 0.83. Overall 1564 kilns were detected, which are substantially higher than what was reported in an earlier study over the same region. We find that brick kilns are located outside urban areas in proximity to outwardly expanding built-up areas and tall built structures. Duration of brick kiln operation was also estimated by analyzing the time-series of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) over the brick kiln locations. The brick kiln locations can be further used for updating land-use emission inventories to assess particulate matter and black carbon emissions.
Healthcare Professional and User Perceptions of eHealth Data and Record Privacy in Dubai

Introduction: Dubai city made a significant leap forward, which aligns with the vision of leadership, in the region’s eHealth services by adopting a unified electronic medical record system across the country. Electronic medical records provide a better, more efficient standard of care and a vital database that will streamline the administrative process and promote better outcomes with less utilization of resources. Medical records form an essential part in patient management and include a variety of patient data information that might be sensitive. Therefore, the primary challenge is to maintain data privacy of the electronic medical records. Objective: Current studies to measure the user and health provider perceptions of electronic medical records data privacy are limited in the region. We aimed to investigate the perceptions of healthcare professionals and healthcare users toward electronic medical records and data privacy in eHealthcare facilities in Dubai. Methods: In this quantitative descriptive study, we explored the perceptions towards electronic medical records and data privacy using an online survey as a data collection tool. The dependent variables were the user and provider perceptions, while the independent variables included gender, nationality, income and age. A random sample of 201 eHealthcare facilities professionals and users was included. Results: The findings of the study revealed that most healthcare professionals and users agreed on the presence of good eHealth data protection practices and privacy principles in Dubai. There was a statistical correlation between the surveyed privacy practice perceptions and gender, nationality and income. However, age had no statistically significant association. Conclusions: These research findings can influence policymakers and stakeholders when developing electronic medical records and data privacy policies and guidelines across the United Arab Emirates’ healthcare facilities, in particular, during the implementation of unified electronic medical records. Future research could investigate the effect of the specific demographic variables on the perception of privacy among eHealthcare facility users that might influence electronic medical records and data privacy.
Quorum Sensing, Biofilm, and Intestinal Mucosal Barrier: Involvement the Role of Probiotic

The intestine is a particularly dynamic environment in which the host constantly interacts with trillions of symbiotic bacteria called the microbiota. Using quorum sensing (QS) communication, bacteria can coordinate their social behavior and influence host cell activities in a non-invasive manner. Nowadays, a large amount of research has greatly spurred the understanding of how bacterial QS communication regulates bacterial cooperative behaviors due to coexistence and host-microbe interactions. In this review, we discuss bacterial QS in the gut and its role in biofilm formation. As a biological barrier, the mucosal immune system can effectively prevent pathogenic microorganisms and other immunogenic components from entering the internal environment of the host. We focus on the relationship between biofilm and intestinal mucosal immunity, and how probiotic bacteria may regulate them. This review is to provide a theoretical basis for the development of new techniques including probiotics targeting the intestinal barrier function, thereby improving gut health.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis–Specific Antigen Rv3619c Effectively Alleviates Allergic Asthma in Mice

Despite significant advances, asthma remains a cause of premature death, and current treatments are suboptimal. Antigen-specific Th2 cells and their cytokines are primary mediators of the pathophysiological changes seen in asthma. Studies in animal models have shown that mycobacteria can suppress the asthma phenotype by alteration of the Th1/Th2 cytokines ratio. In this study, utilizing a Th1 delivery system to modulate the allergic airway inflammation in a Th2-driven model of asthma, we evaluated the efficacy of immunization with Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigen Rv3619c, either alone or in combination with low dose dexamethasone. The rv3619c gene was cloned in an expression plasmid pGES-TH-1, expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein Rv3619c was purified to homogeneity using affinity chromatography. Mice were immunized with the recombinant protein emulsified in Freund’s Incomplete Adjuvant (IFA) alone and in combination with low dose dexamethasone, and then challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). Airway inflammation was assessed by quantifying airway cytology, histological changes and Th2 cytokine (IL-5) secretion from splenocytes. OVA-specific IgE, IgG and IgG1 from sera was assessed, as well as pERK1/2 expression in the lung tissue. Immunization with recombinant Rv3619c alone inhibited the OVA-induced increase in total cell counts, eosinophil airway cell infiltration in BAL fluid, perivascular and peribronchial inflammation and fibrosis, and goblet cell hyper/metaplasia. In addition, Rv3619c/IFA inhibited the OVA-induced IL-5 in spleen cells, OVA-specific IgE, IgG, and IgG1 levels in sera, and pERK1/2 expression in lung tissue. Immunization with Rv3619c/IFA in combination with low dose dexamethasone resulted in an enhanced effect on some but not all the asthma features. Taken together, this study demonstrates that immunization with Rv3619c/IFA, alone or in combination with dexamethasone, may be an effective treatment strategy for the prevention of asthma.
Improving Engagement Assessment in Gameplay Testing Sessions using IoT Sensors

The video game industry is a multimillionaire market, which makes solo indie developers millionaire in one day. However, success in the game industry is not a coincidence. Video game development is an unusual kind of software that mix multidisciplinary teams: software engineers, designers, and artists. Also, for a video game to become popular, it must be fun and polished: exhaustively well tested. Testing in video game development encompasses different types of tests at different moments of the development process. In particular, assessing the players' gameplay in a test session can drive the development drastically. The designers analyze the players' actions and behaviour in the game. They can then decide if a feature/level requires rework. They often spend many man/work hours reworking a feature just because it is not engaging. As the designers (usually) assess the gameplay session by hand, they cannot be sure that a specific feature is engaging enough. They would benefit from meaningful data that would help them better assess the gameplay and take the decision to keep, rework, or remove a feature. Consequently, we describe the need for an IoT framework to assess players' gameplay using IoT sensors together with game devices which will produce a rich output for the game designers.