Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Population structure of Annona coriacea Mart. (Annonaceae) in different Cerrado phytophysiognomies

Knowing the regeneration and structure of a species in different phytophysiognomies is extremely important to understand its pattern of occurrence. In spite of its importance, this type of study is still scarce in the Cerrado biome. In this perspective, this work aimed to compare the structure of the arboreal and regenerating strata of Annona coriacea in the cerrado sensu stricto and in the cerradão (savanna woodland). For that purpose, 13 plots of 400m2 were installed in each physiognomy. All individuals of A. coriacea were sampled and had their diameter and height measured. The individuals were divided into regenerating and arboreal and were distributed in classes of height and diameter. Furthermore, the absolute density and the basal area of each extract were calculated in each physiognomy. The parameters were compared using the T-test. In total, 130 individuals of A. Coriacea were sampled, with 42 regenerating individuals in the cerrado sensu stricto and 49 in the cerradão. As for the arboreal individuals, 33 were sampled in the cerrado sensu stricto and 6 in the cerradão. All evaluated parameters revealed to be significantly different for the physiognomies. Based on these results, it is possible to affirm that A. coriacea did not present a distribution pattern in the two physiognomies, although it presents a better establishment success in the cerrado sensu stricto. In the cerradão, although the seeds can germinate, the seedlings fail to develop and reach the adult age.
The locus of action of CGRPergic monoclonal antibodies against migraine: peripheral over central mechanisms.

Migraine is a complex neurovascular disorder characterized by attacks of moderate to severe unilateral headache, accompanied by photophobia or other neurological signs. Although an arsenal of antimigraine agents is currently available in the market, not all patients respond to them. As calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) plays a key role in the pathophysiology of migraine, CGRP receptor antagonists (gepants) have been developed. Unfortunately, further pharmaceutical development (for olcegepant and telcagepant) was interrupted due to pharmacokinetic issues observed during the randomized clinical trials (RCT). On this basis, the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs; immunoglobulins) against CGRP or its receptor has recently emerged as a novel pharmacotherapy to treat migraine. RCT showed that these mAbs are effective against migraine producing fewer adverse events. Presently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved four mAbs, namely: (i) erenumab; (ii) fremanezumab; (iii) galcanezumab; and (iv) eptinezumab. In general, specific antimigraine compounds exert their action in the trigeminovascular system, but the locus of action (peripheral vs. central) of the mAbs remains elusive. Since these mAbs have a molecular weight of 150 kDa, some studies rule out the relevance of their central actions as they seem unlikely to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Considering the therapeutic relevance of this new class of antimigraine compounds, the present review has attempted to summarize and discuss the current evidence on the probable sites of action of these mAbs.
Gene flow, adaptive population divergence and comparative population structure across loci

Summary Many recent studies have sought to identify targets of diversifying selection by testing the neutral expectation that all loci will show similar levels of population divergence (Fst). Contrasts between quantitative traits (Qst) and molecular markers (Fst) suggest that quantitative traits typically diverge in response to local selection pressures more than do individual genes. Coalescence theory makes it possible to simulate the distribution of Fst and Qst expected under neutrality for many situations, including nonequilibrium conditions. Such simulations show that a very high variance of Fst and Qst are expected under neutrality, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the action of selection on individual loci or traits. Recent quantitative genetic theory shows that, under diversifying selection on quantitative traits, covariances (linkage disequilibrium) among allele frequencies at underlying additive loci contribute a substantial fraction of the among-population trait variance. Thus, adaptive trait divergence can be accomplished, with limited divergence of allele frequencies. However, the contribution of covariances among loci to the divergence of traits depends upon there being multiple loci underlying quantitative trait variation.
Alleviation by calcium of cadmium-induced root growth inhibition in Arabidopsis seedlings

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic element for living organisms. Its toxicity and the thereof by calcium (Ca) in 2-week-old Arabidopsis seedlings were studied. The seedlings were treated with Cd at concentrations of 50–500 µM for 24 h. Retardation of root growth was evident through increased cell death at the root elongation zone. Supplementing with 30 mM Ca restored root elongation in the presence of up to 200 µM Cd, resulting in up to a 1/3 decrease in Cd content in the seedlings compared to Arabidopsis treated with Cd alone. Ca was able to alleviate Cd toxicity, presumably through competition for metal ion influx. These results provide us with information regarding plant ion uptake systems and metal ion toxicities.
In vitro comparison of apical microleakage following canal obturation with lateral and thermoplasticized gutta-percha compaction techniques

The purpose of this study was to compare apical microleakage following canal obturation with lateral and thermoplasticized gutta-percha compaction techniques. Ninety extracted single-rooted maxillary teeth were used in this study. Seventy teeth were randomly divided into two groups: One group was obturated by lateral compaction technique and the other was obturated by Obtura II (thermoplasticized gutta-percha compaction technique); 5 teeth were positive controls (without obturation) and 5 teeth were negative controls (with obturation) in each group. The specimens were placed in India ink for 48 h and then divided into two halves. The amount of dye penetration was observed under a stereomicroscope at ×16 magnification and 0.1 mm accuracy. In this study, there was apical leakage in the two experimental groups but the amount of microleakage was not significant. According to the results of independent samples test, there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups. Key words : Apical seal, gutta-percha, lateral compaction, microleakage, Obtura II.
Functional changes in the control of carbon fluxes after 3 years of increased drought in a Mediterranean evergreen forest?

Our objective was to test how a long‐term increased water limitation affects structural and functional properties of a Mediterranean ecosystem, and how these changes modify the response of the main carbon fluxes to climatic controls. In 2003, a 27% throughfall exclusion experiment was installed in a Quercus ilex L. forest in France. Gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (RECO) and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) were estimated in a control and a dry treatment. Decreasing throughfall decreased GPP by 14% and had a smaller effect on RECO (−12%), especially soil respiration RS (−11%). Interannual variability of GPP (29%) was higher than for RECO (12%). Error propagation was used to estimates uncertainties in the NEE fluxes, which ranged from 3% to 10% in the control treatment but up to 167% for NEE in the dry treatment because more steps and data types were involved in the scaling. After 3 years of throughfall exclusion, we found no acclimation of RS to climatic drivers. Functional properties of the response of RS to soil water, temperature and rain pulse remained similar in the control and the dry treatments. A diurnal clockwise hysteresis in RS was probably controlled by canopy photosynthesis with a 3 h lag. The proportion of diurnal variation of respiration due to photosynthesis was similar in all treatments (4–5%). Because of the characteristic of rain in Mediterranean climates, a continuous decrease of water input in these environments have an effect on topsoil water and consequently on RS only during short periods when rainfall is characterized by infrequent and small events that does not allow the topsoil to reach field capacity and does not allow to dry completely. However, in the longer term, we expect a stronger decrease in RS in the dry treatment driven by the decrease in GPP.
Hypersonic flow over spherically blunted double cones

A hypersonic shock wave/laminar boundary-layer interaction over a canonical $25{-}55^{\circ }$ double-cone configuration is numerically investigated. A moderate-enthalpy flow of $5~\text{MJ}~\text{kg}^{-1}$ with a Mach number of 9.87 and a unit Reynolds number of $1.5\times 10^{5}~\text{m}^{-1}$ is considered. Special emphasis is given to the influence of leading-edge bluntness. The results indicate that the double-cone flow is insensitive to small bluntness in terms of shock structures, separation region sizes and surface pressure and heat flux distributions. A critical nose radius is observed, beyond which the separation bubble grows dramatically. The numerical data are analysed and interpreted based on a triple-deck formulation. It is shown that the sudden change in flow features is mainly caused by pressure overexpansion on the first cone due to leading-edge bluntness, such that the skin friction upstream of the separation is significantly reduced and the upstream pressure can no longer resist the large adverse pressure gradient induced by shock impingement. An estimation of the critical radius is established based on the pressure correlations of Blick & Francis (AIAA J., vol. 4 (3), 1966, pp. 547–549) for spherically blunted cones. Simulations at a higher enthalpy with the presence of both vibrational relaxation and air chemistry show a similar trend with increasing nose radius. The proposed criterion agrees well with the experimental observations.
BMS-345541 Is a Highly Selective Inhibitor of IκB Kinase That Binds at an Allosteric Site of the Enzyme and Blocks NF-κB-dependent Transcription in Mice*

The signal-inducible phosphorylation of serines 32 and 36 of IκBα is critical in regulating the subsequent ubiquitination and proteolysis of IκBα, which then releases NF-κB to promote gene transcription. The multisubunit IκB kinase responsible for this phosphorylation contains two catalytic subunits, termed IκB kinase (IKK)-1 and IKK-2. BMS-345541 (4(2′-aminoethyl)amino-1,8-dimethylimidazo(1,2-a)quinoxaline) was identified as a selective inhibitor of the catalytic subunits of IKK (IKK-2 IC50 = 0.3 μm, IKK-1 IC50 = 4 μm). The compound failed to inhibit a panel of 15 other kinases and selectively inhibited the stimulated phosphorylation of IκBα in cells (IC50 = 4 μm) while failing to affect c-Jun and STAT3 phosphorylation, as well as mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 activation in cells. Consistent with the role of IKK/NF-κB in the regulation of cytokine transcription, BMS-345541 inhibited lipopolysaccharide-stimulated tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-8, and interleukin-6 in THP-1 cells with IC50 values in the 1- to 5-μmrange. Although a Dixon plot of the inhibition of IKK-2 by BMS-345541 showed a non-linear relationship indicating non-Michaelis-Menten kinetic binding, the use of multiple inhibition analyses indicated that BMS-345541 binds in a mutually exclusive manner with respect to a peptide inhibitor corresponding to amino acids 26–42 of IκBα with Ser-32 and Ser-36 changed to aspartates and in a non-mutually exclusive manner with respect to ADP. The opposite results were obtained when studying the binding to IKK-1. A binding model is proposed in which BMS-345541 binds to similar allosteric sites on IKK-1 and IKK-2, which then affects the active sites of the subunits differently. BMS-345541 was also shown to have excellent pharmacokinetics in mice, and peroral administration showed the compound to dose-dependently inhibit the production of serum tumor necrosis factor α following intraperitoneal challenge with lipopolysaccharide. Thus, the compound is effective against NF-κB activation in mice and represents an important tool for investigating the role of IKK in disease models.
Use of odour detection dogs in residue management programs.

The detection of organochlorine (OC) residues in beef exported to USA in 1987 prompted the banning of the use of OC’s and a national recall of OC chemicals on farm. Meatwork monitoring has proved successful in detecting cattle with organochlorine residues, however, identifying the actual source of these residues on farm has proved more challenging. The national NORM program (National Organochlorine Residue Management program) commenced in 1995. The program focus is on active management of OC broad acre and point source contamination at the farm level. To do this requires accurate and efficient identification of OC point sources that provide potential to produce cattle with OC residues above Australian MRL’s. In an effort to improve the efficiency of detecting OC contamination in the on-farm environment, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI) Animal and Plant Health Service has taken the initiative to develop and train an odour detection dog, Norm. Norm is a world first in the area of residue detection and is trained to seek out a range of organochlorines in the soil, specifically dieldrin, aldrin, DDT and its breakdown products, DDD and DDE. His detection level is to 1ppm for each of the above odours, however, he is capable of detecting at much lower levels. Norm’s key detection ability lies in the identification of point sources of OC residue. Norm is an active response dog, which means when he detects an imprinted odour, he will dig actively at the site. Norm also displays Attitude Changes and Obvious Physical Reactions (OPR’s) when he detects OC odour, and these indications are useful in mapping out the boundaries of contaminated areas. Norm has been in training since 1997 and became fully field operational in July 1999. The on-farm work has led to many learnings about the finer points of canine OC odour detection, including consideration of weather conditions, soil temperature and soil type. In anticipation of Norm’s success, a second odour detection dog has commenced imprinting with Craig Murray at his training complex at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast. This dog is expected to be ready for transfer to a handler later in 2000.
Effects of Chopping on Utilization of Sorghum Stover by Nubian Goats

Effects of chopping sorghum stover (Tabat variety) on Dry Matter Intake (DMI), apparent digestibility and body weight changes in Nubian goats were studied in the Gezira, Sudan. The chemical composition of the stover (%) was 96.78±0.83, 1.43±0.02, 4.65±0.39, 42.98±0.01, 9.99±0.89 and 40.96±1.24 for DM, EE, CP, CF, ash and NFE, respectively. Dry matter intake on different basis was higher for the chopped stover and the effect was significant (p<0.05) as g/d (606 for the long and 687 for the short). Chopping decreased losses in BW, but not significantly. It was (kg/week) 0.616 for the long and 0.366 for the short. Chopping increased nutrients apparent digestibilities and the effect was significant (p<0.05), except for CF and EE. They were 55.20, 59.11, 18.60 and 41.78 and 67.89 for DM, OM, CP, EE and CF, respectively for the long and 65.87, 68.15, 45.28, 53.90 and 72.47, respectively for the short.
Are phytoplankton blooms occurring earlier in the Arctic?

Time series of satellite‐derived surface chlorophyll‐a concentration (Chl) in 1997–2009 were used to examine for trends in the timing of the annual phytoplankton bloom maximum. Significant trends towards earlier phytoplankton blooms were detected in about 11% of the area of the Arctic Ocean with valid Chl data, e.g. in the Hudson Bay, Foxe Basin, Baffin Sea, off the coasts of Greenland, in the Kara Sea and around Novaya Zemlya. These areas roughly coincide with areas where ice concentration has decreased in early summer (June), thus making the earlier blooms possible. In the selected areas, the annual phytoplankton bloom maximum has advanced by up to 50 days which may have consequences for the Arctic food chain and carbon cycling. Outside the Arctic, the annual Chl maximum has become earlier in boreal North Pacific but later in the North Atlantic.
Itinerant Breeding and Mate Switching by an American Dipper

Abstract Several bird species are thought to be itinerant breeders, reproducing in different localities during the same season, but this behavior has been documented conclusively only in the Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea). In 1997, I observed a case of itinerant breeding and mate switching by a banded female American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) in western Montana. This female raised a successful first brood on a bridge early in the breeding season, then moved 5 km to a neighboring drainage and successfully raised a second brood in a crevice with a different male. This reproductive behavior may have been facilitated in my study area by the use of low-elevation bridges as nest sites by dippers.
Storability measures of Norway spruce and Scots pine seedlings and assessment of post-storage vitality by measuring shoot electrolyte leakage

As indoor frozen storage is increasing in forest tree nurseries it is important to have accurate methods for assessing seedling storability in autumn and methods to determine post-storage vitality. Storability of spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings can be based on determination of dry matter content (DMC) of seedling shoots or by freezing shoots at –25°C and thereafter measure electrolyte leakage (SELdiff–25). To compare these two methods we stored 1-year-old spruce and pine seedlings at different occasions during the autumn. To test if leakage of electrolytes from shoots (SEL) could indicate deteriorated vitality, we measured SEL at the end of storage. After storage seedling viability was determined in a three-week growth test, measuring shoot and root growth capacity (RGC). Determination of freezing tolerance (SELdiff–25) before storage had a better ability to predict the outcome of storage compared to the DMC test. Measuring SEL at the end of the frozen storage period accurately indicated seedling vitality. Seedlings with SEL of 0–5% had a high survival rate whereas SEL over 10% indicated low survival and growth capacity after storage. The SEL method has a potential to become a screening test for identifying batches of seedlings that have been damaged during storage in the nursery.
MFNR: Multi-Frame Method for Complete Noise Removal of all PDF Types in Multi-Dimensional Data Using KDE

In research applications across several areas, noise removal is indispensable for accuracy of final results. Noise is caused due to physical principals, such as background electronic noise, quantum effect, and wave rebound effect to name a few. Noise removal can help improve results in medical, astronomy, defense, and numerous other fields. Addressing this limitation would result in potentially low cost, automatic, and reliable systems. In this paper, a generalized new approach i.e. Multi-Frame Noise Removal (MFNR) is proposed for noise removal. Given any type of data, the probability density function (PDF) of the noise can be determined. Herein, we extracted the noise PDF parameters using KDE (Kernel Density Estimation). Because the data is corrupted by “deterministic” noise, hence can be cleaned. This could be used as a general purpose noise removal tool. The data point with same position in multiple frames helps us determine the noise PDF characteristics and hence making it possible to remove noise. The conventional wisdom which states that noise removal and detail preservation are contrary to each other is not true for MFNR. Experimental results validate our proposed method which showed practically complete noise reduction based on number of frames used, as compared to existing benchmark methods.
Lipid Changes During a Planktonic Feeding Sequence Involving Unicellular Algae, Elminius Nauplii and Adult Calanus

Numerous studies have shown that only a small percentage of the organic carbon produced by photosynthesis in the upper layers of the oceans reaches the underlying sediments (see review by Angel, 1984). During intense phytoplankton blooms, plant cells could account for most of the organic carbon contributed to sediments in certain shallow inshore areas (Smetacek, 1980). Examination of the sediments from open ocean environments, however, indicates that the main contribution of organic carbon to these is in the form of faecal material released by zooplankton, for example salps (Iseki, 1981) and larger species of copepod (Schrader, 1971; Krause, 1981).
Isolation and identification of Bengle (Zingiber cassumunar roxb) as a stimulant in phagocytic activity of macrophages

Immunomodulators are pharmacological agents that modify or regulate the immune system through stimulating the functioning of the immune system and, at the same time, inhibiting excessive immune responses. This study was conducted to determine the active compound in Z. cassumunar that is responsible for increasing the immune system based on the parameters of phagocytic activity. The isolation method began with fractionation, which involved extraction with ethanol and successive fractionation with hexane and chloroform. Z. cassumunar extract, hexane fraction, and chloroform fraction were tested on mice macrophage cells for their phagocytic functions. The phagocytic activity of macrophages was measured by active phagocytic cells (averagely 39.194 ±1.597, 27.923 ±2.941, and 62.090 ±6.947) and phagocytic index (in a row, averagely 47.513 ±2.844, 41.129 ±7.195, and 101.527 ±10.555). The results showed that the Z. cassumunar extract, hexane fraction, and chloroform fraction exhibited more significant phagocytic activities of macrophages (p <0.05) compared with the normal group. Since the chloroform fraction showed the best result, this fraction was further separated by column chromatography. This procedure yielded five sub-fractions, namely F1, F2, F2C, F3, and F4. Based on the phagocytic activity testing, the results were as follows: (1) the active phagocytic cells of F1, F2, F2C, F3 and F4 were 18.860 ±3.191, 27.077 ±4.482, 15.749 ±3.026, 64.333 ±1.780, and 44.943 ±2.944, respectively, and (2) the phagocytic indices were 30.0249 ±3.4231, 44.5969 ±8.3646, 24.5597 ±5.4487, 102.7447 ±1.0806, and 76.5007 ±4.7293. Because F3 produced the best result, this subfraction was then identified using 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. The identification results showed that F3 was (E)-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-1-ol as an active compound.