Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The association between marine bathing and infectious diseases– a review

Worldwide, infectious diseases represent a leading cause of death and disability. Exposure to the ocean, whether through recreation or occupation, represents a potentially significant, but poorly understood, source of infectious diseases in man. This review describes the potential mechanisms whereby marine bathing could lead to infectious diseases in man. Sources of pathogens in the marine environment are described, including human sewage, animal sources, fellow bathers and indigenous marine organisms. The epidemiological evidence for the association between marine bathing and infectious disease is presented, including a consideration of the differing relationship between faecal indicator bacteria levels and illness at point source compared with non-point source settings. Estimating the burden of infectious disease is reliant on public health surveillance, both formal and informal, which is described from a UK perspective in this review. Potential emerging threats at the marine–human interface are discussed, including infections caused by Shewanella and Vibrio bacteria, and the presence of human pathogens in the marine environment that are resistant to antimicrobials.
Changes in the Gut Microbiota of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Alterations in the gut microbiota may influence gastrointestinal (GI) dysbiosis frequently reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we sequenced the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to evaluate changes in fecal microbiota between 48 children with ASD and 48 healthy children in China. At the phylum level, the number of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia decreased in children with ASD, while the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes was significantly higher in autistic children due to enrichment of Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, the amount of Bacteroides, Prevotella, Lachnospiracea_incertae_sedis, and Megamonas increased, while Clostridium XlVa, Eisenbergiella, Clostridium IV, Flavonifractor, Escherichia/Shigella, Haemophilus, Akkermansia, and Dialister decreased in children with ASD relative to the controls. Significant increase was observed in the number of species synthesizing branched‐chain amino acids (BCAAs), like Bacteroides vulgatus and Prevotella copri, while the numbers of Bacteroides fragilis and Akkermansia muciniphila decreased in children with ASD compared to the controls. Most importantly, the highest levels of pathogenic bacteria were different for each child with ASD in this cohort. We found that only one functional module, cellular antigens, was enriched in children with ASD, and other pathways like lysine degradation and tryptophan metabolism were significantly decreased in children with ASD. These findings provide further evidence of altered gut microbiota in Chinese ASD children and may contribute to the treatment of patients with ASD.
Modeling Genetic Effects on the Photothermal Response of Soybean Phenological Development

The identification of genes that affect plant growth and development has played a prominent role in modern plant research. Mathematical modeling can be a useful tool in this process of quantifying the effects of individual genes. In soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ], seven loci (El to E7) have been identified that condition time to flowering and maturity and photoperiod sensitivity. Twenty-nine nearisogenic lines with different combinations of alleles at six of these loci in either 'Clark' or 'Harosoy' background were used in this study. Days from planting to first flower were observed in these lines over 2 yr at two locations (Ottawa, ON, Canada, and Urbana, IL, USA) under natural daylength and a 20-h photoperiod. A mathematical model was developed to simulate the effect of average daily temperature, photoperiod, and the temperature x photoperiod interaction. A photoperiod coefficient was calculated for each isoline, which resulted in an R 2 of 0.93 when calculations of times to first flower were correlated with observations. A submodel was developed to calculate photoperiod coefficients by adding contributions from each locus with dominant alleles. This reduced the 29 isoline coefficients to seven coefficients (one for each locus plus an additional value for unknown genes) but with a reduction of the R 2 of from 0.93 to 0.89. The El coefficient was approximately twice the size of the other five allele coefficients. Time from planting to first flower can be calculated from the average daily temperatures and latitude of a given location using the gene model if the genetic makeup of the line is known.
Studies in Caryophyllales. I: Re-evaluation of classification of Phytolaccaceae s. l.

Lack of agreement has characterized delimitation of Phytolaccaceae s.l. over the past several decades. The inclusion or exclusion of Achatocarpus and Phaulothamnus, Agdestis, Stegnosper- ma, and Barbeuia, often referred to as anomalous genera in Phytolaccaceae s.l. , has been the reason for disagreement in the classification of Phytolaccaceae. Chromosome and distributional data for the genera of Phytolaccaceae s.l. indicate that the family is polyphyletic. We used the Wagner Network and cluster analysis algorithms and concluded that Phytolaccaceae should be reclassified into Phytolacceae s.str. (Anisomeria, Ercilla, Gisekia, and Phytolacca), Petiveriaceae (Gallesia, Hilleria, Ledenbergia, Lophiocarpus, Microtea, Monococcus, Petiveria, Rivina, Schindleria, Seguieria, and Trichostig- ma), Achatocarpaceae (Achatocarpus and Phaulothamnus), and three unigeneric families (Agdestida- ceae, Barbeuiaceae, and Stegnospermaceae). Microtea, Lophiocarpus, and Monococcus are tentatively placed in Petiveriaceae in this treatment. Further data would help clarify their true affinities within Centrospermae. The generic composition of Phytolaccaceae
Photoblastism and Ecophysiology of Seed Germination in Weedy Rice

The germination of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed has been known to be unaffected by light or darkness, but a photoblastic rice (PBR) whose germination was favored by light was discovered in weedy rice. The effects of light, temperature, and soil burial depth on the seed dormancy and germination of PBR were examined. At 30°C, the seeds germinated 100% under white or red (R) light and below 1% in darkness. They showed 67 and 20% of germination under continuous and a brief pulse of far-red (FR) light, respectively, and photoreversible germination under alternating irradiation of R and FR light, indicating that the induction of germination occurs through very-low-fluence response and low-fluence response of phytochromes. The prompt and delayed induction of germination by a pulse of R and FR light, respectively, following dark imbibition suggests that phytochrome B exists in dormant seeds and phytochrome A is synthesized during dark imbibition. Dark imbibition for longer than 3 d induced secondary dormancy. In darkness, the germination frequency was about 28% at 15 to 20°C and below 1% at 25 to 40°C. At 12 h-diurnal fluctuations of 20 and 10°C and 25 and 15°C in darkness, the germination frequencies were 77 and 27%, respectively. When the seeds were sown in the soil, emergence frequency decreased as burial depth increased, and 12-h diurnal fluctuation of 20 and 10°C induced more seedling emergence than constant 15°C. Conclusively, PBR seeds are capable of germinating by sensing light or proximity to the soil surface during seasonal fluctuations in diurnal temperatures.
Characterization of the microbial and biochemical profile of the different segments of the digestive tract in horses given two distinct diets

A first group of three horses was given diet 1 (D1) allowing 1180 g per 100 kg body weight (BW) of a pelleted food rich in fibre (P1) and 556 g per 100 kg BW of straw during a 20-day period to allow for adaptation. A second group of four horses were given diet 2 (D2) allowing 1180 g per 100 kg BW of a pelleted food rich in cereals (P2) and 1000 g per 100 kg BW of meadow hay during the same period. Digesta was collected from the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, right ventral colon, left ventral colon, left dorsal colon, right dorsal colon, and small colon, and faeces were collected under general anaesthesia 2·5 h after the ingestion of the morning pelleted meal. The concentration of total anaerobic, cellulolytic and lactic acid-utilizing bacteria, lactobacilli and streptococci were determined in all these segments except for the duodenum, left ventral colon, right dorsal colon and small colon. D -/ L lactic acid, volatile fatty acids and pH were measured in all anatomic segments of the digestive tract (from stomach to small colon). The caecal concentration of total anaerobic bacteria was the lowest (7 ⋅ 9 5 10 7 colony-forming units (c. f. u. ) per ml), whereas that of the stomach was the highest (1·4 5 10 9 c. f. u. per ml) ( P < 0 ⋅ 001). Cellulolytic bacteria did not exceed 3·0 5 10 2 c. f. u. per ml in the ante-caecal segments whereas in the hindgut the average concentration was 5·3 × 10 5 c. f. u. per ml ( P < 0 ⋅ 001). Likewise, VFA concentrations were also greater in the large intestine (on average, 96·3 mmol/l v. 8·8 mmol/l in the ante-caecal segments) ( P < 0 ⋅ 001), confirming the limited extent of fibre degradation in these ante-caecal segments. Lactobacilli, streptococci and lactate-utilizing bacteria colonized all the digestive tract; the stomach and the small intestine tended to host the greatest numbers of these bacteria, which suggests a high interference of micro-organisms with the digestion of readily fermentable carbohydrates. Compared with the other ante-caecal segments, the stomach ecosystem seemed the most affected by the composition of the last pelleted meal ingested : the concentrations of lactobacilli and lactate-utilizing bacteria were higher ( P < 0 ⋅ 05) with P2. The lower concentration of D -/ L -lactate with P2 ( P < 0 ⋅ 05) was concomitant with a greater proportion of propionate ( P < 0 ⋅ 05), probably related to a greater fermentation of lactate. In the large intestine of horses given D2, cellulolytic bacteria tended to be lower, whereas VFA concentrations were higher ( P < 0 ⋅ 05). The lower [NDF/starch] ratio of D2 was probably less propitious for the proliferation of cellulolytic bacteria but was compensated by the higher cellulose intake brought by the hay.
Histopathology and transmission electron microscopy of the bursa of fabricius following ibd vaccination and ibd virus challenge in chickens

Two experiments were conducted in order to determine comparative severity of gross, histopathologic, and ultrastructural lesions among six lines and five cross-mating of chickens to infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). In these experiments, 1,260 lines of chickens and 420 cross-mating of chickens and 200 Specific-Pathogen-Free (SPF) chickens were used. In the experiment one, chickens were vaccinated at 4 weeks of age by the oral route with a commercial intermediate live IBD vaccine. Samples of bursa of Fabricius at 4,8, and 11 weeks (wk) of age, were collected and fixed in 10% buffer formaldehyde for histophatologic study, or in a mixture of 2.5% glutaraldehyde, 1% paraformaldehyde, 0.05 M calcium chloride in 0.2 M sodium cacodylate-HCl buffer pH 7.2, 350 mOsm, for TEM study. Tissue samples were subsequently post-fixed in osmium and dehydrated through graded alcohol then embedded in epoxy resin. Ultrathin sections were doubly stained in uranyl acetate and lead citrate and observed using Hitachi H-7100 TEM. Seven wk after vaccination, histopathologic study showed bursae atrophy and reduced bursa:body weight (B:BW) ratios, which may imply a concurrent potential decrease in immune competence of chickens following IBD vaccination. Transmission electron microscopy study demonstrated IBD virions in cytoplasm of lymphocytes in bursa tissues from vaccinated lines and cross-mating of chickens and SPF chickens. In experiment two, 1,480 lines and 520 cross-mating of chickens and 210 SPF chickens were challenged with IBD standard challenge virus, at 4 weeks of age by the eye drop route. The mortality after challenge was 4% in lines and cross-mating chickens and 29% in SPF chickens. The histopatholgic and ultrastructural lesions were studied at 3, 7, and 24 days after challenge. The lesions were follicular lymphoid necrosis, depletion, and acute inflammation with edema, hemorrhage, and heterophils infiltration through the observation period of 24 days. The severity of bursal lesions were greater and more persistent in SPF chickens than in the lines and cross-mating chickens. Bursa samples from infected chicken were macerated and centrifuged, and the supernatants were directly applied to membrane supported grids for negative staining with 1% neutralized PTA. Ultrathin sections of bursal tissues from infected chickens revealed viral inclusions in the cytoplasm of lymphocytes and macrophages. In conclusion, these findings suggest that lines and cross-mating chickens had greater immune resistance to IBDV challenge than SPF chickens, which is possibly due to genetic factors.
A portfolio approach to the development of differentiated purchasing strategies

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
of Public R&D Subsidies on Firms' Innovation Activities: The Case of Eastern Germany

This study analyzes the eects of public R&D policy schemes on the innovation activities of firms located in Eastern Germany. The main question in this context is whether public funds stimulate R&D activities or simply crowd out privately financed R&D. Empirically, we investigate the average causal eects of all public R&D schemes in Eastern Germany using a non‐parametric matching approach. Compared to the case where no public financial means are provided, it turns out that firms increase their innovation activities by about four percentage points.
The tadpole of Melanophryniscus atroluteus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1902) (Anura: Bufonidae) from Argentina and Uruguay

Melanophryniscus atroluteus (Miranda-Ribeiro) is a poorly known species of the M. stelzneri species group; it inhabits open areas of north-eastern Argentina, southern Brazil, south-eastern Paraguay, and northern Uruguay. In this correspondence we describe the tadpole external morphology of this species for the first time.
At-sea distribution of foraging little auks relative to physical factors and food supply

Oceanographic processes and bathymetric features that consistently aggregate prey are often thought to be the main cues used by planktivorous birds to detect suitable foraging habi- tat. In this study we aimed to establish the main factors determining the at-sea distribution of the little auk Alle alle, a very abundant seabird in the Arctic during the chick-rearing period. Multi- year data from vessel-based bird counts along the west coast of Spitsbergen were compared with hydro-acoustic prey estimates (top 30 m water layer), bathymetry, and sea surface temperature (SST) at 2 spatial scales: fine- (3 km) and meso-scale (12 km). Acoustic data for the top 10 m water layer was omitted due to excess noise. However, the amount of prey in the upper layer was assumed to be reflected by the prey in the deeper (20 to 30 m) layer because of the unsynchro- nized diel vertical migration performed by zooplankton under midnight sun conditions. We found that the foraging distribution of little auks was mainly restricted to the continental shelf, presum- ably due to high availability of Arctic zooplankton there. Also, little auks preferred habitat char- acterized by low SST and flat sea-bottom. Such areas are likely to contain the preferred prey spe- cies of little auks, given that Arctic zooplankton distribution is linked to cold ocean temperatures. The number of little auks at sea increased with increasing abundance of macrozooplankton, but was not correlated with their preferred mesozooplankton prey. We conclude that physical features play an important role for the foraging habitat selection of little auks. Aggregations of macrozoo- plankton may be easier for the birds to detect than smaller-sized mesozooplankton and may be more important for adult little auks than previously thought.
geographical synchrony in microtine population cycles: a theoretical evaluation of the role of nomadic avian predators

A simple mathematical model is developed and analyzed to evaluate the hypothesis that regional synchrony in microtine population cycles is caused by nomadic avian predators. We show that predation by nomadic predators, capable of rapidly tracking the local prey densities, may indeed have a synchronizing effect. However, in contrast to the original hypothesis, our model requires no additional mechanism than predation (e.g. behavioural response of prey to predation) to produce synchronous prey cycles. In addition to the synchronizing effect, heavy predation pressure by nomadic predators is expected to shorten the period and dampen the amplitude of the prey cycles. Non-migrating predators having impact on their prey year round have a stronger synchronizing effect than migrating predators absent during the winter. We predict that geographic regions with few non-migrating predators are less likely to have synchronized microtine populations than regions with many such predators and that highly synchronized microtine populations have cycles with smaller amplitudes and shorter periods than microtine populations in geographic regions where local populations are not synchronized.
Delayed response of common reed Phragmites australis to herbivory as a cause of cyclic fluctuations in the density of the moth Archanara geminipuncta

The moth Archanara geminipuncta (Haworth) is an important herbivore of common reed. The moth has one generation per year. The stem-boring larvae may kill up to 80% of the apical parts of reed shoots. In an experimental reed field in the Netherlands a fluctuation was found in the infestation of the reed during which the survival of the larvae became zero every three years. The aim of this study was to search for the factors responsible for this fluctuation. For survival the larvae of Archanara need reed shoots with a diameter of more than 5 mm. Reed is a rhizomatous plant and the reed shoots have an annual growth habit. The reaction of the plant to damage in a certain year is the formation of thinner shoots in the next year. It appeared that apart from the important influence of competition between the larvae at high densities, the delayed response of the plant to damage was very significant in causing the periodic (local) extinction. The possible adaptive nature of the variation in shoot diameter is discussed.
Identification and Molecular Characterization of Superoxide Dismutase Genes in Pseudomonas rhodesiae KK1 Capable of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degradation

Pseudomonas rhodesiae KK1 has been reported to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as anthracene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene, which are considered major environmental contaminants. Interestingly, antioxidant genes, including superoxide dismutase, are known to be expressed at different levels in response to environmental contaminants. This study was performed to identify the superoxide dismutase gene in strain KK1, which may be indirectly involved with degradation of PAHs, as well as to investigate the expression pattern of the superoxide dismutase gene in cells grown on different PAHs. Two types of superoxide dismutase genes responsible for the antioxidant defense mechanism, Mn-superoxide dismutase (sodA) and Fe-superoxide dismutase (sodB), were identified in P. rhodesiae KK1. The sodA gene in strain KK1 shared 95% similarity, based on 141 amino acids, with the Mn-sod of P. fluorescens Pf-5. The sodB strain, based on 135 amino acids, shared 99% similarity with the Fe-sod of P. fluorescens Pf-5. Southern hybridization using the sod gene fragment as a probe showed that at least two copies of superoxide dismutase genes exist in strain KK1. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the sodA and sodB genes were more strongly expressed in response to naphthalene and phenanthrene than to anthracene. Interestingly, sodA and sodB activities were revealed to be maintained in cells grown on all of the tested substrates, including glucose.
Effects of dispersal date on winter flock establishment and social dominance in marsh tits Parus palustris

(1) We studied the effect of sex, size, age and prior occupancy on social dominance winter flock establishment in a population of marsh tits Parus palustris L. (2) When sex was accounted for, time of establishment in the winter flock-prior occupancy, was critical for the outcome of later aggressive interactions juveniles within flocks. Residents won all interactions with intruders irrespective controlling for sex. (3) Success in, and timing of, establishment were closely linked with hatching lower proportion of late-hatched than early-hatched juveniles became established winter flocks; they also became established later. Even small differences in hatching greatly influenced dominance and the probability of becoming established flock. (4) Since early establishment depends on early hatching, dominance and survival juveniles are determined by how early their parents start breeding. Furthermore, will be strong selection for quick establishment after (Less)
Estimation of yield loss caused by rice false smut

Yield loss models of Japonica rice,glutinous rice and hybrid indica rice were set up for analyzing the relationships between disease incidence and yield loss by means of randomized block design,moderate controlling disease gradient,grading by number of diseased grains each diseased ear,and large sampling.The results showed that disease severity of rice false smut was positively correlated to yield loss of rice and decreased rate of polished rice.It has a high fitness degree of Weibull Model to Rice False Smut among four models.The mathematical models of yield loss of paddy rice caused by rice false smut were as follows: Y1(Glutinous and Japonica rice)=1-exp(-(X+0.99999)/16.0916)^1.1808),R2=0.9904;Y2(Hybrid indica rice)=1-exp(-(X-0.69999)/24.8188)^ 0.8542),R2=0.9835. Mathematical models of rate of polished rice: Y3(Glutinous and Japonica rice)=1-exp(-(X+ 0.59999)/83.4997)^1.1396),R2=0.9655;Y4(Hybrid indica rice)=1-exp(-(X-0.49999)/68.5429)^1.4560),R2= 0.9679.
Subcutaneous interleukin‐2 and interferon α in the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma—Less efficacy compared with intravenous interleukin‐2 and interferon α

The main objective of this trial was to evaluate the combination of subcutaneous (SC) interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) with interferon α‐2a (IFN‐α) in the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) compared with a previous trial that used continuous‐infusion IL‐2 and IFN‐α with identical schedules and dosages.