Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social rhythm and other chronobiological findings in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

We evaluated the correlation between chronobiological variables and characteristics of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Sample: 17 individuals epileptic outpatients and respective controls. Instruments: The Social Rhythm Metric for social zeitgebers, lux meter, and an ACT10® thermistor for activity–rest rhythm, light exposure, and peripheral body temperature. Regularity scores showed an inverse correlation with age at disease onset (r = −0.5; p < 0.05), but not with disease duration or stabilization time. A significant intergroup difference was recorded for mean diurnal peripheral temperature (p < 0.01) and activity amplitude (= 0.06). There was a correlation between activity and temperature means in both groups. These results underscore the relationship between epilepsy and the biological clock on a physiological level. Epilepsy, in turn, is influenced by the circadian rhythm, indicating the potential involvement of the body’s internal clock in the development of the disease or the seizure recurrence pattern.
Influence of Lineage, Broodstock Conditioning, and Hormone Injection on Gila Trout Reproductive Success and Egg Fatty Acid Composition

Abstract Successful reproduction of captive-reared fishes depends on hatchery practices and proper broodstock nutrition. Nutrient requirements and environmental conditions stimulating reproductive development are unknown for many threatened and endangered species and may differ between lineages within species. Accordingly, prior to spawning, Main Diamond Gila Trout Oncorhynchus gilae broodstock were exposed to different thermal cycles and hormonal injection to improve reproductive success. Additionally, egg fatty acid composition and hatching success of Main and South Diamond Gila Trout were evaluated to determine the extent of phenotypic differences between lineages. Thermal conditioning of broodstock accompanied with injections of exogenous luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog (LHRHa) prior to spawning improved progeny survival over historic hatchery means as well as means for broodstock reared in raceways at constant temperatures without LHRHa. Egg n-6 fatty acid content appears to be associate.
Rhynchocoel vessel in Cephalotrichidae (Nemertea: Palaeonemertea)

The morphology of the rhynchocoel blood vessel was studied in 26 specimens representing 14 species of the family Cephalotrichidae. In eight specimens the vascular system could not be traced because of their small size, poor fixation, or contraction during fixation. In the other 18 specimens, a short mid-dorsal rhynchocoel vessel was found. In Cephalothrix adriatica, C. hongkongiensis, C. kefersteini, C. oestrymnica, C. orientalis, C. rufifrons, C. cf. fasciculus and C. cf. simula, the mid-dorsal rhynchocoel vessel penetrates the dorsal side of the proboscis insertion, and extends backward abutting the mid-dorsal rhynchocoel wall (Type A). In C. filiformis sensu Iwata (1954), the vessel is pendant in the rhynchocoel above the proboscis (Type B). In C. filiformis s.str. , the vessel runs in the proboscis wall, after passing through the proboscis insertion (Type C). Morphology of the rhynchocoelic vessel might have taxonomic significance in cephalothrichids.
Response to weed control by four spring wheat genotypes differing in competitive ability

Increased crop competitiveness may complement existing weed control methods. The objective of this research was to establish whether spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes with contrasting competitive abilities respond differently to weed control levels. Four sibling genotypes differing in competitive ability were grown under simulated weedy conditions and subjected to four weed control levels. The competitive genotypes were superior to the less-competitive genotypes in grain yield under weedy and partially weedy conditions. Key words: Triticum aestivum L. , competition, weed control, genotype × weedcontrol interaction
Monitoring temporal change of bird communities with dissimilarity acoustic indices

A part of biodiversity assessment and monitoring consists in the estimation and track of the changes in species composition and abundance of animal communities. Such a task requires an important sampling over a broad‐scale time that is difficult to reach with classical survey methods. Acoustics may offer an alternative to usual techniques by recording the sound produced by vocal animals. Animal species that use sound for communication (sing and/or call) establish an acoustic community when they sing at the same time and at a particular place. The estimation of the acoustic community dynamics could provide indirect cues on what drives changes in community composition and species abundance. Here, new methods were developed to estimate the changes in bird communities recorded at three woodland temperate sites in France. Both field recordings and simulated data were used to test whether acoustic dissimilarity indices can be used to estimate changes in the composition of the community. Four dissimilarity indices found in the literature, and a new one named Dcf were tested on auditory spectra after transformation to the Mel scale, rather than on classical Fourier frequency spectra. All indices were compared with each other and with compositional indices. The results show that bird communities occurring at the three sites were dynamic with changes of composition with time. Dissimilarities computed on simulated acoustic communities were correlated with compositional dissimilarity but those computed on field‐recorded communities could not be considered as faithful estimators of community composition variations. However, the indices indicate important dates in community changes around mid‐April that were also seen in the composition dynamics. Acoustic dissimilarity indices failed to track accurately changes in species composition of the bird communities. However, these indices, which are easy to compute, still provide information on the acoustic dynamics of bird community. Acoustics might not be considered as a proxy of compositional diversity but rather as another facet of animal diversity that needs to be studied and preserved on its own.
HOUSE PRICE PREDICTION USING GRADIENT BOOST REGRESSION MODEL

: House prices increase every year, so there is a need for a system to predict house prices in the future. House price prediction can help the developer determine the selling price of a house and this also helps the customer to purchase a house at right time. There are three factors that influence the price of a house which include physical conditions, concept and location. This research aims to predict house prices based on trained house classifier model which is done using gradient boosting algorithm Malang with regression analysis. This takes the user's information about their house as input and predicts the price of their house using a Gradient Boosting model with Huber loss and 1000 regression trees of depth 6.
DNA Barcoding of Two Medicinal Plants Using Molecular Markers

DNA barcoding is a novel method of species identification based on nucleotide diversity of conserved sequences. The establishment and refining of plant DNA barcoding systems are more challenging due to the high genetic diversity among different species. We, therefore, tested the potentiality of the ITS and rbcL markers for the identification of two medicinal species plants Solanum nigrum and Solanum villosum, which were collected from the Botanical garden of faculty of Science, Ain Shams Univ., Egypt. In this study, biological sequence homology and divergence of amplified sequences were studied using the Basic Local Alignment Tool (BLAST). Both DNA barcoding regions (ITS and rbcL) showed good universality amplification in the two species. The sequenced regions revealed conserved genome information for future identification of different medicinal plants belonging to these species. The amplified conserved barcodes revealed different levels of biological homology after sequence analysis. The results clearly showed that the use of these conserved DNA sequences as barcode primers would be an accurate way for species identification and discrimination. In this work, the ITS and rbcl markers were used to discriminate and confirm the identification of two medicinal plants, it was found that the viability and potentiality of ITS region in the identification process for the two plants used is more efficiency than rbcl, where rbcl confirm the identification of two plants at the generic level, while ITS at the species level. The findings of the study would be applicable in the medicinal industry to establish DNA based identification of different medicinal plant species to monitor adulteration.
Polycation‐mediated gene delivery: Challenges and considerations for the process of plasmid DNA transfection

The process of gene delivery has increasingly become a focus in biomedical research due to the growing demand by an ageing global population for targeted therapies of genetic related diseases, such as cancer, immunodeficiencies, and cystic fibrosis. In light of the safety issues that viral vectors still face in progressing through clinical trials, polycations have alternatively attracted keen attention, due to their lower safety risks and ability to interact with cells more effectively and with more stability, compared with other chemically designed nonviral vectors. In this review, a reflection of the literature pertaining to various types of polycations designed and optimized is presented, including the obstacles they face in facilitating plasmid DNA transfection. In order to design new polycations or optimize current ones that will be successful—both economically and for use in future clinical therapies—further in vivo research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms of each stage in the delivery process.
Contingency and Agency in the Mountain Landscapes of the Western Pyrenees: A Place-Based Approach to the Long Anthropocene

Regional- and biome-scale paleoecological analyses and archaeological syntheses in the mountain landscapes of the western Pyrenees suggest that the Long Anthropocene began with agropastoral land use at the onset of the Neolithic. Historical and geographic analyses emphasize the marginality of the western Pyrenees and the role of enforced social norms exacted by intense solidarities of kin and neighbors in agropastoral production. Both are satisfying and simple narratives, yet neither offers a realistic framework for understanding complex processes or the contingency and behavioral variability of human agents in transforming a landscape. The Long Anthropocene in the western Pyrenees was a spatially and temporally heterogeneous and asynchronous process, and the evidence frequently departs from conventional narratives about human landscape degradation in this agropastoral situation. A complementary place-based strategy that draws on geoarchaeological, biophysical, and socio-ecological factors is used to examine human causality and environmental resilience and demonstrate their relationship with the sustainability of mountain landscapes of the western Pyrenees over medium to long time intervals.
Identification and Characterization of a Selective Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor β/δ (NR1C2) Antagonist

The identification of small molecule ligands for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) has been instrumental in elucidating their biological roles. In particular, agonists have been the focus of much of the research in the field with relatively few antagonists being described and all of those being selective for PPARalpha or PPARgamma. The comparison of these agonist and antagonist ligands in cellular and animal systems has often led to surprising results and new insights into the biology of the PPARs. The PPARbeta/delta receptor is emerging as an important regulator of energy metabolism, inflammation, and cell growth and differentiation; however, only agonist ligands have been described for this receptor thus far. Here we describe the first report of a PPARbeta/delta small molecule antagonist ligand. This antagonist ligand will be a useful tool for elucidating the biological roles of PPARbeta/delta.
Epidermal Patterning in Seedling Roots of Eudicotyledons

Three types of epidermal patterning occur in roots of angiosperms: in Type 1, all the epidermal cells can potentially produce root hairs (hair cells); in Type 2, asymmetric cell divisions produce short cells that develop into hair cells and larger cells that do not (non-hair cells); and in Type 3, hair cells occur in files separated by one to three files of non-hair cells. In the present study we examined the epidermal patternings of seedling roots of 77 eudicotyledonous species from 43 families. We found that Type 1 patterning was the most common and no species had Type 2 patterning. Previously, Type 3 epidermal patterning had been described only in the family Brassicaceae. In addition to the Brassicaceae (including the Capparaceae), we found Type 3 patterning in the Brassicales families Limnanthaceae and Resedaceae, whereas the other Brassicales families we examined, Caricaceae and Tropaeolaceae, had Type 1 patterning. We also found Type 3 patterning in six families of the Caryophyllales sensu lato: Amaranthaceae, Basellaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Polygonaceae and Portulacaceae. However, the family Cactaceae, which is also in this order, had Type 1 patterning. Only one other species, Nemophila maculata (Boraginaceae), had Type 3 patterning; the other two species that we examined in this family had Type 1 patterning. Type 3 patterning thus occurs more widely in the eudicotyledons than was previously thought. # 2001 Annals of Botany Company
Ensiling characteristics and ruminal degradation of Italian ryegrass and lucerne silages treated with cell wall‐degrading enzymes

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of added cell wall-degrading enzymes at ensiling on the fermentation and in situ degradation of grass and legume silages. Primary growths of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L) were wilted and ensiled in laboratory-scale silos with or without enzymes. Silages were opened at 2, 5, 15 and 45 days after storage; the fermentation quality and the contents of cell wall components (NDF, ADF, ADL) were determined. The 45 day silages were subjected to in situ incubation experiments, and the kinetics of DM and NDF degradation was estimated. The enzyme treatment enhanced the lactic acid production (P < 0.01) and reduced the pH value (P < 0.01) of both Italian ryegrass and lucerne silages. The contents of cell wall components, however, were not affected by enzymes, except for NDF of Italian ryegrass silage. The in situ incubation experiments revealed that added enzymes increased the rapidly degradable DM (P < 0.01) and appeared to decrease the rate of degradation of DM and NDF of Italian ryegrass silage. The rapidly degradable DM was not altered when lucerne was treated, but the rate of degradation of NDF was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). These results suggest that although added cell wall-degrading enzymes could improve the preservation of grass and legume silages, the effects on ruminal degradation may be different according to the herbage treated. Enzymatic hydrolysis during ensilage may be restricted to easily digestible cell walls, leaving relatively less digestible components that would be retained in treated silages. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry
UV-B as a Photoacclimatory Enhancer of the Hermatypic Coral Stylophora pistillata

Photoacclimation processes are crucial for the survival of all photosynthetic organisms in the photic zone. Changes in photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) are however simultaneous to changes in UV-B radiation. The influence of UV-B levels on bio-optical and physiological parameters of deep (30 m) corals from the species Stylophora pistillata and their symbiotic algae, zooxanthellae, was examined during their gradual, stepwise acclimation to a shallow depth (3 m). Drastic exposure of deeper corals to higher UV-B levels in shallower depths is usually fatal. Hence, the acclimation process lasted 118 days and included 10 intermediate stations with an addition of similar amount of PAR at each depth transfer. Concomitantly, in an on-shore experiment, fragments from the same colonies were acclimated by changing shading nets corresponding in PAR levels to each in situ station. Since UV-B is attenuated more efficiently than PAR in seawater, the PAR: UV-B ratio changes in the depth experiment while remaining constant under the neutral density nets. This provided the opportunity to evaluate the importance of UV-B to photoacclimation. In both experiments all fragments survived, in spite of a four-fold difference in levels of PAR and a 140-fold difference in UV-B flux between the initial and final conditions. Both experimental designs resulted in reduction of zooxanthellae density, photosynthesis rates, and quantum yields of PSII, while cellular chlorophyll content remained unaffected. Zooxanthellae density and maximal photosynthetic rate was found decreased in correlation with UV-B radiation, whether it was elevated logarithmically with reducing depths or linearly with reducing shades. Conversely, quantum yields of PSII were adjusted according to the enhancement of PAR rather than UV-B. We conclude that UV-B enhances the magnitude of photoacclimation to higher PAR. This novel aspect of photoacclimation can provide the basis for our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that result in UV-related bleaching.
Robust indirect adaptive sliding model control for Wiener nonlinear systems

ABSTRACT Wiener model structures have attracted considerable attentions due to their powerful modelling abilities to solve industrial problems. This paper considers a new class of Wiener model structure, which consists of a linear transfer function and a radial basis function (RBF) network. Based on this structure, the unstable zero-dynamics, the added disturbances and the approximation errors problems can be dealt with. Since the model parameters are assumed unknown, we develop a new indirect adaptive control scheme. It is a consensus that the certainty equivalence principle is the key that connects the adaptation algorithm with the control law. This paper explains that, for indirect adaptive control of Wiener model, this principle may not be applied directly. The main contribution of this paper is to address this issue by presenting a rigorous theoretical analysis. Representative examples including a simulated pH process control problem are studied to test the control performance. Comparison results indicate that the proposed controller has much wider applicability than some alternative methods, especially for its improved performance and smoother adaptation.
Nonlinear Negative Resistance-based Harmonic Backscatter

Backscattering communication is a key feature that will enable the true IoT/5G revolution towards massive use. However, the specification pressure it puts on the reader/gateway is a major drag on their deployment. In fact, self-jamming resulting from backscattering operation is highly problematic. Harmonic Backscattering Communication comes as a great solution to improve the dynamic range of the backscattered signal that can be received/analysed, thus increasing communication distance. We propose here a harmonic backscattering front-end based on nonlinear negative resistance device that also operates like usual backscatter tag with legacy reader. The circuit provides above +20dB conversion gain and reflection gain, and operates with a supply voltage below 200mV, which is a critical improvement over transistor technology.
INDUCTION OF SUPERNUMERARY MOLTING BY STARVATION IN MANDUCA SEXTA LARVAE

Studies were carried out on the effects of prolonged starvation on the development of fifth‐ (last‐) instar larvae of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta. Following ecdysis, larvae were starved for varying lengths of time and subsequently fed normal diet. The percent of starved larvae molting to sixth instars increased, while the percent survival decreased with increasing length of the starvation period. When larvae were provided with agar as a source of water during the starvation period, the percent survival increased, but the percent undergoing supernumerary molting decreased. The optimal condition for maximum survival and supernumerary molting appeared to be 3 days of starvation with 0.5–1.0 g of agar provided on day 0. The endocrine basis for the supernumerary larval molt induced by starvation is briefly discussed.
Growth and Yield Responses of Maize to Duration of Mucuna Fallow in a Tropical Ultisol

ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted in the 1999 and 2000 cropping seasons to study the effect of duration of mucuna (Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. ) fallow on four varieties of maize in Umudike, south eastern Nigeria. Treatments consisted of three mucuna fallow periods (0, 1 and 2 years) in comparison with inorganic NPK fertilizer and four varieties of maize (FARZ 23, DMRSR-white, Hybrid-PAN 6195 and Bende Local). Maintaining mucuna fallow for 2 years, on average, resulted in significantly greater number of grains per cob and grain yield than the other fallow periods. There was no yield advantage in applying NPK fertilizer compared with 2 years of mucuna fallow. The potential fertilizer values of the green manures were not fully reflected by early growth parameters as they were with NPK treatment. FARZ-23 produced the highest average grain yield and, therefore, was most effective in exploiting the benefits of mucuna planted fallow.
Long term patterns of seed softening and seedling establishment from single seed crops of subterranean clover

Single seed crops of eight varieties of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) were grown in swards in four successive years in a medium rainfall environment at Bakers Hill, Western Australia. Measurements were made of seed production, the progress of seed softening within the first two summers, and residual hard seed and seedling numbers after the break of season for up to six successive regeneration years. Patterns of seed softening were also measured in a laboratory oven with a diurnal temperature fluctuation of 60/15¦C. Approximately half the seeds of all varieties softened over the first summer and generally well over half the residual seeds softened during the second summer. Up to 18% of seeds of the hardest seeded variety, Northam, and 11% of Geraldton seeds persisted to the end of the third summer as hard seeds. Seed softening patterns showed a significant variety x regeneration year interaction due mainly to a slower rate of softening of Northam seeds relative to the other varieties after the first summer. In six of the varieties, seeds generally softened more slowly in the laboratory than in the field but in the case of the other two varieties this trend was reversed. Nevertheless, ranking of varieties for rate of seed softening was similar in field and laboratory. Seedling establishment ranged from 28 to 100% of soft seeds, depending on the incidence of late summer and autumn rains. It appeared that all varieties in the study would regenerate satisfactorily at densities of more than 15 plants/dm2 after at least one year in which little or no seed is set. Slower rates of softening would probably be desirable in drier regions or in rotation systems involving cropping.