Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agro-Ecological Indicators (AEIs) for Dairy and Mixed Farming Systems Classification: Identifying Alternatives for the Cuban Livestock Sector

Attainment of acceptable levels of land and labor productivity and low external input use is not a mutually exclusive proposition. This study examines characteristics of a range of current specialized dairy farming systems (DFS) and mixed (crop-livestock) farming systems (MFS) in Cuba to determine their efficiency in the process of food and feed production. The central question was whether the favorable results of MFS realized in a small-scale experimental system were also attainable in larger, commercial farms. To this end, we collected data on 93 farms from around the country for a period of 1 year. The farms were classified according to four predictor variables: farm type, years since conversion from DFS to MFS, proportion of land allocated to crops in rotation and farm size. Farms were compared based on 12 pre-selected Agro-Ecological Indicators (AEIs) by using analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD tests. The 12 AEIs were also subjected to a principal components analysis and related to the four predictor variables by reduced-rank regression, also known as redundancy analysis. Three farm types were distinguished: mixed farming experimental (MFe), mixed farming commercial (MFc) and specialized dairy farming (DFS). Total energy output per unit of farm area was on average four to six times higher on the mixed farms than on the specialized dairy farms, while protein output three to four times higher. Milk yield per unit of forage area was highest on MFe (2.4 Mg ha−1 yr−1), followed by MFc (1.7), while it was much lower (0.7) on DFS. The redundancy analysis revealed that MFe did only slightly better than MFc and was most opposite to DFS in terms of AEIs. In conclusion, the previous experimental findings were confirmed nationwide, thus demonstrating the benefits of MFS for agro-ecological performance in Cuba.
Multiplex PCR Detection of the MON1445, MON15985, MON88913, and LLcotton25 Varieties of GM Cotton

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed to simultaneously detect 4 varieties of genetically modified (GM) cotton. The event-specific primers were used to distinguish the 4 varieties of GM cotton (MON1445, MON15985, MON88913, and LLcotton25) using multiplex PCR. The acyl carrier protein 1 (Acp1) gene was used as an endogenous reference gene of cotton in the PCR detection. The primer pair Acp1-AF/AR containing a 99 bp amplicon was used to amplify the Acp1 gene and no amplified product was observed in any of the 13 different plants used as templates. This multiplex PCR method allowed for the detection of event-specific targets in a genomic DNA mixture of up to 1% GM cotton containing MON1445, MON15985, MON88913, and LLcotton25.
Inner Engineering Practices and Advanced 4-day Isha Yoga Retreat Are Associated with Cannabimimetic Effects with Increased Endocannabinoids and Short-Term and Sustained Improvement in Mental Health: A Prospective Observational Study of Meditators

Background Anxiety and depression are common in the modern world, and there is growing demand for alternative therapies such as meditation. Meditation can decrease perceived stress and increase general well-being, although the physiological mechanism is not well-characterized. Endocannabinoids (eCBs), lipid mediators associated with enhanced mood and reduced anxiety/depression, have not been previously studied as biomarkers of meditation effects. Our aim was to assess biomarkers (eCBs and brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF]) and psychological parameters after a meditation retreat. Methods This was an observational pilot study of adults before and after the 4-day Isha Yoga Bhava Spandana Program retreat. Participants completed online surveys (before and after retreat, and 1 month later) to assess anxiety, depression, focus, well-being, and happiness through validated psychological scales. Voluntary blood sampling for biomarker studies was done before and within a day after the retreat. The biomarkers anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), 1-arachidonoylglycerol (1-AG), docosatetraenoylethanolamide (DEA), oleoylethanolamide (OLA), and BDNF were evaluated. Primary outcomes were changes in psychological scales, as well as changes in eCBs and BDNF. Results Depression and anxiety scores decreased while focus, happiness, and positive well-being scores increased immediately after retreat from their baseline values (P < 0.001). All improvements were sustained 1 month after BSP. All major eCBs including anandamide, 2-AG, 1-AG, DEA, and BDNF increased after meditation by > 70% (P < 0.001). Increases of ≥20% in anandamide, 2-AG, 1-AG, and total AG levels after meditation from the baseline had weak correlations with changes in happiness and well-being. Conclusions A short meditation experience improved focus, happiness, and positive well-being and reduced depression and anxiety in participants for at least 1 month. Participants had increased blood eCBs and BDNF, suggesting a role for these biomarkers in the underlying mechanism of meditation. Meditation is a simple, organic, and effective way to improve well-being and reduce depression and anxiety.
Automatic EEG eyeblink artefact identification and removal technique using independent component analysis in combination with support vector machines and denoising autoencoder

This study proposes a novel combination of independent component analysis (ICA) in conjunction with support vector machine (SVM) and denoising autoencoder (DA), for the first time, for removal of eyeblink artefacts from the corrupted electroencephalography (EEG). At first the eyeblink corrupted EEG signals are decomposed into independent components (ICs) using ICA, the corrupted-ICs are then identified using SVM as a classifier. From the corrupted-ICs, the artefacted segment is identified with a second SVM classifier and corrected by the pre-trained DA. Finally, inverse-ICA operation is applied on the remaining ICs and the corrected ICs to obtain the artefact-free EEG signal. The proposed methodology modifies only the portion corrupted with artefacts, and does not alter the uncorrupted part, thereby preserving the neural information in the original EEG. The proposed methodology was implemented to remove eyeblinks from the EEG data collected from the publicly available EEGLab data set. The results reveal that the proposed methodology is superior to the other recently reported methods in terms of the mutual information and average correlation coefficient. Further, the proposed method is automatic and does not require any intervention of the operator, whereas the other methods require intervention of the user.
THE INTENSIFICATION OF POND FISH PRODUCTION AND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE WASTE LOAD DISCHARGED DURING AUTUMN HARVESTING

Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Ichthyobiology and Aquaculture, Go³ysz, Polska ABSTRACT. Carp were cultivated in polyculture with grass carp, silver carp and European catfish. The chemical parameters (pH, oxygen, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, total nitrogen, phosphates, total suspensions, chemical oxygen demand CODMn) of discharged water and four pond layers were measured during the autumn harvest. The study indicated that when the water was discharged the amounts of nitrogen compounds, phosphates and especially total suspension increased from 40 mg dm -3 in the first layer to 152 mg dm -3 in the last layer and that chemical oxygen demand CODMn increased from 10 mg dm -3 in the first layer to 176 mg dm -3 in the last layer. The results of both physical and chemical tests on the water discharged from ponds during two periods of the autumn harvest were used to calculate the magnitudes of the loads of organic matter, total suspension and nutrients. The loads of organic matter (expressed as CODMn in an acidic medium), nitrogen, phosphorus and suspensions in the discharged water were determined per ha of area. The highest values were observed in T-type ponds (1,500 specimens ha -1 ) at an average of 1,214 kg ha -1 and in G3-type ponds (4,000 specimens ha -1 ) with an average of 1,198 kg ha -1 . This data allowed the chemical parameters (kg ha -1 ) of waters discharged from the ponds in autumn to be compared with the level of CODMn and the amount of nutrients which are introduced to the ponds in spring, as well as to determine the degree of nutrient and organic matter retention in the pond. In the majority of cases nitrogen is fully retained, phosphates are either fully or partially retained and there is an increase in water chemical oxygen demand CODMn especially during the harvest in September.
THE ORIGINS OF ASPLENIUM CRETICUM AND A. HAUSSKNECHTII

SUMMARY Cytogenetic evidence from experimental hybrids is presented to show that Asplenium haussknechtii, a widespread fern of Asia Minor, is an allotetraploid species which has originated from hybridization between the two diploid species, A. aegaeum and A. ruta-muraria subsp. dolomiticum. The morphology of the three species is consistent with this hypothesis. Cytogenetic evidence from other experimental hybrids indicates that A. creticum, a fern endemic to Crete, is also allotetraploid, sharing one parent with A. haussknechtii and having A. viride as its second parent. Morphological evidence confirms that A. creticum is most likely to have arisen from hybridization between A. viride and A. aegaeum. Elucidation of the parentage of these two species means that the evolutionary origins of all the tetraploid species of Asplenium known from continental Europe have now been determined. The origins of these species and the development of the Asplenium flora of Crete are discussed in relation to the Pleistocene glaciations.
Antibiotic susceptibility and resistance of Aeromonas spp . isolated from fish

The sensitivity of 24 isolates of Aeromonas spp. isolated from the muscle of different species of fish was compared using commonly used antibiotics. The in vitro susceptibility of the isolates was studied by disk diffusion method using discs (Oxoid) containing the following antibiotics were used: penicillin G (10 U), tetracycline (30 µg), gentamycin (30 µg), azitromycin (15 µg), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (25 µg), naladixic acid (30 µg) and norfloxacin (10 µg). All bacterial strains studied in this research showed high degree of resistance to antibiotics. According to the results, 91.6% of studied isolates were resistant to antibiotics. Resistance rate to tetracycline and penicillin was more than other antibiotics. Multiple drug resistance was also observed in all Aeromonas hydrophila isolates.
The Assessment of Larch Sawfly Cocoon Predation by Small Mammals

Current investigations at the Forest Biology Laboratory, Winnipeg, are being directed towards the formulation of life tables for the larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii (Htg.) (Lejeune, 1955). Because small mammal predation is a major factor in reducing cocoon populations of the sawfly (Buckner, 1953), an adequate method of assessing this source of mortality is desirable
Seasonal mountain lion predation on a feral horse population

A population of feral horses (Equus caballus) was studied from 1986 to 1991 to determine the demographic impact of predation by the mountain lion (Felis concolor). The population, inhabiting a 600-km2 area on the central California – Nevada border comprised approximately 162 individuals > 1 year old, with an average of 9 yearlings, 8 two-year-olds, and 144 adults. Numbers of horses varied by only 4–8% and showed no consistent trend. The parturition peak spanned May and June, when 80% of foaling occurred. One-third of the average annual cohort of 33 foals was missing by July and only half of the cohort remained by October. The mean first-year survival rate estimated from the differential incidence of foals and yearlings in successive years was 0.27, which was less than one-third of the foal survival rate reported for other feral horse populations. A minimum of four adult mountain lions used the study area each year between May and October. Of 28 foal carcasses located from May to mid-July, at least 82% wer.
A priori assessment of a smart-navigated unmanned aerial vehicle disaster cargo fleet

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has asserted that risks in deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within disaster response must be reduced by careful development of best-practice standards before implementing such systems. With recent humanitarian field tests of cargo UAVs as indication that implementation may soon become reality, a priori assessment of a smart-navigated (autonomous) UAV disaster cargo fleet via simulation modeling and analysis is vital to the best-practice development process. Logistical problems with ground transport of relief supplies in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria (2017) pose a compelling use scenario for UAV disaster cargo delivery. In this context, we introduce a General Purpose Assessment Model (GPAM) that can estimate the potential effectiveness of a cargo UAV fleet for any given response region. We evaluate this model using the following standards: (i) realistic specifications; (ii) stable output for various realistic specifications; and (iii) support of humanitarian goals. To this end, we discuss data from humanitarian cargo delivery field tests and feedback from practitioners, perform sensitivity analyses, and demonstrate the advantage of using humanitarian rather than geographic distance in making fleet delivery assignments. We conclude with several major challenges faced by those who wish to implement smart-navigated UAV cargo fleets in disaster response, and the need for further GPAM development. This paper proposes the GPAM as a useful simulation tool to encourage and guide steps toward humanitarian use of UAVs for cargo delivery. The model’s flexibility can allow organizations to quickly and effectively determine how best to respond to disasters.
Like a fish on a hook: a grounded theory study of incarcerated Filipino elderly agony

ABSTRACT To date, little to no attempt has been made yet to describe how people experience agony, specifically, the elderly population in the penal setting and how exactly this experience of agony affects these marginalized communities. This grounded theory paper aspires to contribute to the understanding of the complexity of agony specifically, shedding light on what happens to incarcerated elderly when they experience this process of agonizing in prison. The Strauss and Corbin grounded theory method of analysis was utilized to generate theories from systematically obtained and analyzed data. A total of 25 respondents were selected using inclusion criteria and chosen through purposive sampling. Subsequently, a two-part data gathering tool was used consisting of a robotfoto and individual interviews. Lastly, the emerged themes were further subjected to member checking procedures to establish the credibility of the data collected. From the vertical and horizontal analyses of the verbalizations and sharings of a select group of elderly prisoners, the Splash Model of Agony has emerged which describes the Triggering, Escalating, and Plummeting phases of their agony while in prison.
Finite‐time geometric control for underactuated aerial manipulators with unknown disturbances

In this article, the finite‐time geometric control for underactuated aerial manipulators is investigated. The dynamics of the aerial manipulator with unknown disturbances is analyzed first. The dynamics of the system is decomposed into the locked subsystem and shape subsystem. The finite‐time controller for the aerial manipulator is then designed based on the analyzed dynamics. In the controller, the attitude tracking error of the aircraft base is expressed from the rotation matrix, which makes the controller continuous and almost globally stable on SO(3). A continuous adaptive term is added in the controller to compensate for the unknown disturbances. Finite‐time filters are designed to ensure the smoothness of the commands on each loop. The convergence of the entire controlled system is strictly proved using Lyapunov theory and the definition of finite‐time stability. The results show that the tracking error and the disturbance bound estimation error of the entire system are finite‐time bounded near origin. Finally, comparative simulation results are presented to show the performance of the proposed controller.
Do deaf individuals have better visual skills in the periphery? Evidence from processing facial attributes

ABSTRACT Studies examining visual abilities in individuals with early auditory deprivation have reached mixed conclusions, with some finding congenital auditory deprivation and/or lifelong use of a visuospatial language improves specific visual skills and others failing to find substantial differences. A more consistent finding is enhanced peripheral vision and an increased ability to efficiently distribute attention to the visual periphery following auditory deprivation. However, the extent to which this applies to visual skills in general or to certain conspicuous stimuli, such as faces, in particular is unknown. We examined the perceptual resolution of peripheral vision in the deaf, testing various facial attributes typically associated with high-resolution scrutiny of foveal information processing. We compared performance in face-identification tasks to performance using non-face control stimuli. Although we found no enhanced perceptual representations in face identification, gender categorization, or eye gaze direction recognition tasks, fearful expressions showed greater resilience than happy or neutral ones to increasing eccentricities. In the absence of an alerting sound, the visual system of auditory deprived individuals may develop greater sensitivity to specific conspicuous stimuli as a compensatory mechanism. The results also suggest neural reorganization in the deaf in their opposite advantage of the right visual field in face identification tasks.
Plant-Derived Compounds against Microbial Infections and Cancers

Plants synthesize and preserve a variety of metabolites known as natural products. Many of them are easily extractable and can be used as starting material or chemical scaffolds for various purposes, especially in drug discovery. Numbers of reports have listed valuable candidates with privilege scaffolds currently in active development as drugs. New compounds with anticancer and antiinfective activities have been discovered recently, some presented these backbones. The present book chapter aims to highlight these findings from plants which can be considered valuable for the development of new drugs against malignant cells and infective diseases. Interest in anti-infective agents is increasing due to the resistance of microorganisms to existing drugs and newly emerging infectious diseases. This resistance is also, nowadays, associated to some forms of cancers. In addition, the value of plants as essential part in the health care pipeline in low- and middle-income countries is under consideration even though these countries are almost all surrounded by a rich and untapped biodiversity. People are always relying on “modern drugs and treatment” which is unfortunately not affordable to all. Therefore, the present compilation of data on plant-derived compounds can inspire the formulation of ameliorated traditional medicines (ATM) against the targeted diseases and the conservation of species.
Soybean Density and Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) Establishment Time: Effects on Weed Biology, Crop Yield, and Economic Returns

Abstract Knowledge of crop–weed interference effects on weed biology along with yield penalties can be used for the development of integrated weed management (IWM) tactics. Nevertheless, little is known about the beneficial effects of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] density, an important aspect of IWM, on late Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) establishment time. Two field experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 to investigate how various soybean densities and A. palmeri establishment timings in weeks after crop emergence (WAE) affect height, biomass, and seed production of the weed but also crop yield in drill-seeded soybean. Soybean density had a significant impact on dry weight and seed production of A. palmeri that established within the first 2 wk of crop emergence, but not for establishment timings of the weed 4 wk and later in relation to crop emergence. Differential performance of A. palmeri gender was observed, regarding greater biomass production of female than male plants under crop presence, and merits further investigation. Grain yield reductions were recorded at earlier A. palmeri establishment timings (i.e., 0 and 1 WAE) compared with 8 WAE establishment timing in 2014 and 2015. High soybean densities resulted in greater soybean yields compared with low soybean density, but no grain yield benefits were observed between medium and high soybean densities. Crop budget analysis revealed the benefits of moderate seeding rate (i.e., 250, 000 seeds ha–1) increases in comparison to lower (i.e., 125,000 seeds ha–1) or high (i.e., 400,000 seeds ha–1) on crop revenue, net income returns, and breakeven price. Earlier A. palmeri establishment timings (i.e., 0, 1, and 2 WAE) resulted in lower crop revenue and net income returns compared with later establishment timings of the weed.
Telomere shortening produces an inflammatory environment that increases tumor incidence in zebrafish

Significance Cancer incidence increases exponentially in human midlife. Even though mutation accumulation in somatic tissues results in increased tumorigenesis, it is currently not understood how aging contributes to cancer. Telomeres, the ends of eukaryotic linear chromosomes, shorten with each cell division. Here, we show that telomere shortening contributes to cancer in a noncell autonomous manner. Using embryo chimeras of telomerase-deficient zebrafish generated from melanoma-prone fish, we show that tumors arise more frequently, multiply faster, and become more invasive in animals with shorter telomeres. Telomere shortening gives rise to increased senescence and systemic inflammation. We observed increased melanoma dissemination in zebrafish larvae with very short telomeres. Thus, telomere shortening similar to human aging, generates a chronic inflammatory environment that increases cancer incidence. Cancer incidence increases exponentially with age when human telomeres are shorter. Similarly, telomerase reverse transcriptase (tert) mutant zebrafish have premature short telomeres and anticipate cancer incidence to younger ages. However, because short telomeres constitute a road block to cell proliferation, telomere shortening is currently viewed as a tumor suppressor mechanism and should protect from cancer. This conundrum is not fully understood. In our current study, we report that telomere shortening promotes cancer in a noncell autonomous manner. Using zebrafish chimeras, we show increased incidence of invasive melanoma when wild-type (WT) tumors are generated in tert mutant zebrafish. Tissues adjacent to melanoma lesions (skin) and distant organs (intestine) in tert mutants exhibited higher levels of senescence and inflammation. In addition, we transferred second generation (G2) tert blastula cells into WT to produce embryo chimeras. Cells with very short telomeres induced increased tumor necrosis factor1-α (TNF1-α) expression and senescence in larval tissues in a noncell autonomous manner, creating an inflammatory environment. Considering that inflammation is protumorigenic, we transplanted melanoma-derived cells into G2 tert zebrafish embryos and observed that tissue environment with short telomeres leads to increased tumor development. To test if inflammation was necessary for this effect, we treated melanoma transplants with nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs and show that higher melanoma dissemination can be averted. Thus, apart from the cell autonomous role of short telomeres in contributing to genome instability, we propose that telomere shortening with age causes systemic chronic inflammation leading to increased tumor incidence.