Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A COMPARISON OF THE TOXICITY OF HEAVY METALS, USING ROOT ELONGATION OF RYE GRASS, LOLIUM PERENNE

SUMMARY The order of toxicity of different metals affecting root growth of seedlings of rye grass (Lolium perenne S24) was: copper > nickel > manganese > lead > cadmium > zinc > aluminium > mercury > chromium > iron. With the sole exception of manganese, these results confirm those of other studies and the order follows that of the stability of the metallic-organic complexes. The results are of value in predicting the toxicity of heavy metals in plant growth on contaminated soils.
AAC Innova general purpose spring wheat

Randhawa, H. S. Graf, R. J. and Sadasivaiah, R. S. 2015. AAC Innova general purpose spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 787-791. AAC Innova is a high-yielding spring wheat cultivar eligible for the Canada Western General Purpose (CWGP) wheat class. Based on 32 site-years of testing over 3 yr in the General Purpose Wheat Cooperative Registration trial (2008-2010), AAC Innova yielded 4% higher than AC Andrew and was 1 d later in maturity. Compared with AC Andrew, AAC Innova had similar test weight and the soft white kernels were slightly larger. AAC Innova was resistant to the prevalent races of leaf rust and was resistant to moderately resistant to stem rust and leaf spotting diseases. It was susceptible to common bunt, loose smut and Fusarium head blight.
Quantitative detection of CFTR mRNA in gene transfer studies in human, murine and simian respiratory tissues in vitro and in vivo

Pre-clinical and clinical studies aimed to correct the basic defect of cystic fibrosis (CF) by transferring the wild type gene into the airway cells have already shown promising results. One of the main unsolved questions of these studies is the quantitation of the amount of gene required to correct the defect. In this respect, suitable technologies able to measure how much gene is actually transferred into the airway cells are under development. In this article we present a series of application of a single-tube competitive RT-PCR assay to quantitate the vector-encoded CFTR mRNA after gene transfer in human, mouse or monkey respiratory cells. These assays are able to measure very low levels of mRNA, with advantages over traditional expression systems for vector-encoded transcript (Northern analysis) or protein (immunocytochemistry). In some instances they may indicate directly the ratio of vector-encoded versus endogenous transcript, being applicable with both viral-derived and synthetic vectors. The assays presented here are instrumental for future application in gene delivery pre-clinical and clinical trials designed to identify corrective doses of the vector, by providing the basic information on the amount of vectorencoded CF gene transcript expressed in the airway cells.
The Effects of Dietary l-Carnitine Supplementation on Semen Traits, Reproductive Parameters, and Testicular Histology of Japanese Quail Breeders

Abstract The present study was conducted to determine the effects of supplemental dietary l -carnitine at different levels on semen traits, reproductive parameters, and testicular histology in male Japanese quail breeders. Forty-five 5-wk-old male Japanese quail breeders were fed the same basal diet that was supplemented with 0 (control), 250, or 500 mg of l -carnitine/kg of diet. There were no significant effects of dietary l -carnitine supplementation at different levels on BW, feed intake, testes weight, fertility rate, hatchability rate of set and fertile eggs, and malonaldehyde production (μg/mL of semen) of male Japanese quail breeders. However, the supplementation of dietary l -carnitine at levels of 250 or 500 mg/kg to a basal diet significantly increased sperm viability and decreased multinucleated giant cells per testes in mature male Japanese quail breeders. Additional studies are required to explore the antioxidant role that l -carnitine has in Japanese quail breeders.
A second record of Myotis diminutus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): its bearing on the taxonomy of the species and discrimination from M. nigricans

Abstract Myotis diminutus Moratelli & Wilson, 2011a (Vespertilionidae, Myotinae) was known only from the holotype—a subadult collected in a fragment of moist forest on the western slope of the Ecuadorian Andes in 1979. Based on recent work in museum collections, we discovered a second specimen of Myotis diminutus, collected in 1959. This specimen of Myotis diminutus comes from La Guayacana, Nariño, western Colombia (≈ 135 km north from the type locality); and M. nigricans (Schinz, 1821) also was collected at the same locality. This record confirms the distinctiveness of Myotis diminutus. This species is known from only the Chocó ecoregion, one of the critical biodiversity hotspots on Earth. We have no evidence of living individuals. In this report we also investigate the relationships among Myotis nigricans from eastern and western sides of the Andes. Our results confirm that populations from both sides of the Cordillera represent the same subspecies—Myotis nigricans nigricans. Resumen Myotis diminutus Moratelli & Wilson, 2011a era conocido sólo del holotipo—un subadulto coleccionado en un fragmento de bosque húmedo en la vertiente occidental de los Andes del Ecuador en 1979. Basado en un trabajo reciente en colecciones de museos, descubrimos un segundo ejemplar de Myotis diminutus, coleccionado en 1959 en La Guayacana, Nariño, Colombia (≈ 135 km al norte de la localidad tipo), la misma localidad donde individuos de M. nigricans (Schinz, 1821) fueron capturados. Este registro confirma el carácter distintivo de Myotis diminutus. Esta especie es conocida sólo de la ecoregión del Chocó, uno de los hotspots de biodiversidad más importantes del planeta. No hay evidencia de individuos vivos. Además, hemos analizado las relaciones entre poblaciones de Myotis nigricans de los diferentes lados de los Andes. Nuestros resultados confirman estas poblaciones como la misma subespecie—Myotis nigricans nigricans.
Cytotoxicity Screening of Selected Indian Medicinal Plants using Brine-Shrimp Lethality Bioassay

In the present work, ethanolic extracts of fourteen Indian medicinal plants viz. Acorus calamus (Araceae) stem, Asparagus racemosus (Asparagaceae) root, Aegle marmelos (Rutaceae) leaves and fruits, Cassia fistula (Fabaceae) fruits, Gymnema sylvestre (Asclepiadaceae) leaves, Holarrhena antidysenterica (Apocynaceae) bark, Mimusops elengi (Sapotaceae) bark, Ocimum sanctum (Lamiaceae) leaves, Piper longum (Piperaceae) leaves, Sapindus trifoliatus (Sapindaceae) fruits, Terminalia arjuna (Combretaceae) bark, Terminalia bellerica (Combretaceae) fruits, Terminalia chebula (Combretaceae) fruits and Withania somnifera (Solanaceae) roots were tested for brine shrimp lethality in order to detect potential sources of novel cytotoxic, antitumor and pesticidal compounds. Amongst tested extracts, ethanolic extracts of Piper longum, Holarrhena antidysenterica and Terminalia chebula showed most potent cytotoxic activity with LC50 of 10, 104 and 107 μg/mL respectively.
Pengaruh iklim organisasi sekolah, budaya kerja guru, dan kepuasan kerja terhadap komitmen kerja guru

Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui pengaruh iklim organisasi sekolah, budaya kerja guru, kepuasan kerja terhadap komitmen kerja guru baik secara parsial maupun secara simultan. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif, sampel dari penelitian ini keseluruhan populasi semua guru SMA Negeri I Dolok Batu Nanggar yang berjumlah 52 orang guru. Teknik pengumpulan data yang penulis lakukan dalam penelitian ini dengan melakukan pengamatan langsung ke lokasi penelitian untuk memperoleh gambaran suasana tempat kerja, proses kerja dan hal-hal lain yang diperlukan serta membagikan kuisioner atau angket penelitian kepada seluruh populasi sebanyak 52 orang guru SMA Negeri I Dolok Batu Nanggar. Teknik analisis data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan analisis deskriptif dan analisis regresi linier berganda. Hasil penelitian ini menjelaskan bahwa variabel iklim organisasi sekolah berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap komitmen kerja guru sebesar 19%. Variabel budaya kerja berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap komitmen kerja guru 29.90%. Variabel kepuasan kerja guru berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap komitmen kerja guru 61%. Variabel iklim organisasi sekolah, budaya kerja dan kepuasaan kerja guru berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap komitmen kerja guru sebesar 71.20%, sedangkan sisanya sebesar 28.80% dipengaruhi oleh faktor-faktor lain yang tidak diteliti. Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of organizational climate, job culture teachers, job satisfaction of high school to job commitment of teachers either partially or simultaneously. This study uses quantitative methods, the sample of this study is the overall population of all teachers in high school 1 of Dolok Batu Nanggar totaling 52 teachers. The data collection techniques used in this study were direct observations to the research location to get a picture of the atmosphere of the workplace, work processes, and other things needed and to distribute questionnaire research to the entire population of 52 teachers in high school 1 of Dolok Batu Nanggar. Data analysis techniques in this study used descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The result variable of the organizational climate of school influence positive and significant to job commitment of teachers is 19%. Job culture teachers' variable influence positive and significant to job commitment of teachers is 29.90%. Job satisfaction of high school variable influence positive and significant to job commitment of teachers is 61%. Variable of organization climate of school, job culture teachers, and job satisfaction of high school influence to job commitment of teachers is 71.20%, while the remaining is 28.80% influenced by other factors not examined.
Extraction de Contextes Riches en Connaissances en corpus spécialisés

Les banques terminologiques et les dictionnaires sont des ressources précieuses qui facilitent l’accès aux connaissances des domaines spécialisés. Ces ressources sont souvent assez pauvres et ne proposent pas toujours pour un terme à illustrer des exemples permettant d’appréhender le sens et l’usage de ce terme. Dans ce contexte, nous proposons de mettre en œuvre la notion de Contextes Riches en Connaissances (CRC) pour extraire directement de corpus spécialisés des exemples de contextes illustrant son usage. Nous définissons un cadre unifié pour exploiter tout à la fois des patrons de connaissances et des collocations avec une qualité acceptable pour une révision humaine.
NITROGEN MINERALIZATION: CHALLENGES OF A CHANGING PARADIGM

Until recently, the common view of the terrestrial nitrogen cycle had been driven by two core assumptions—plants use only inorganic N and they compete poorly against soil microbes for N. Thus, plants were thought to use N that microbes “left over,” allowing the N cycle to be divided cleanly into two pieces—the microbial decomposition side and the plant uptake and use side. These were linked by the process of net mineralization. Over the last decade, research has changed these views. N cycling is now seen as being driven by the depolymerization of N-containing polymers by microbial (including mycorrhizal) extracellular enzymes. This releases organic N-containing monomers that may be used by either plants or microbes. However, a complete new conceptual model of the soil N cycle needs to incorporate recent research on plant–microbe competition and microsite processes to explain the dynamics of N across the wide range of N availability found in terrestrial ecosystems. We discuss the evolution of thinking abou.
Limited filling of the potential range in European tree species

The relative roles of environment and history in controlling large-scale species distributions are important not only theoretically, but also for forecasting range responses to climatic change. Here, we use atlas data to examine the extent to which 55 tree species fill their climatically determined potential ranges in Europe. Quantifying range filling (R/P) as realized/potential range size ratios using bioclimatic envelope modelling we find mean R/P = 38.3% (±30.3% SD). Many European tree species naturalize extensively outside their native ranges, providing support for interpreting the many low R/Ps as primarily reflecting dispersal limitation. R/P increases strongly with latitudinal range centroid and secondarily with hardiness and decreases weakly with longitudinal range centroid. Hence, European tree species ranges appear strongly controlled by geographical dispersal constraints on post-glacial expansion as well as climate. Consequently, we expect European tree species to show only limited tracking of near-future climate changes.
Clinical Features and Prognostic Impact of Coexpression Modules Constructed by WGCNA for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Objective Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor, accounting for 30-40% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Our aim was to construct novel prognostic models of candidate genes based on clinical features. Methods RNA-seq and clinical data of DLBCL were retrieved from TCGA database. Coexpression modules were constructed by WGCNA. Then, we investigated the interactions between modules and clinical features. By overall survival analysis, prognostic candidate genes from modules of interest were identified. A coexpression network of prognostic candidate genes was then constructed through WGCNA. GEPIA was used to analyze the expression of a candidate gene between DLBCL and normal samples. Results 19 coexpression modules were constructed by 12813 genes from 52 DLBCL samples. The number of genes in modules ranged from 34 to 5457. We found that the purple module was significantly related with histological type (p value = 1e-04). Overall survival analysis revealed that MAFA-AS1, hsa-mir-338, and hsa-mir-891a were related with prognosis of DLBCL (p value = 0.027, 0.039, and 0.022, respectively). A coexpression network was constructed for the three prognostic genes. MAFA-AS1 was interacted with 36 genes, hsa-mir-891a was interacted with 11 genes, while no gene showed interaction with hsa-mir-338. Using GEPIA, we found that MAFA-AS1 showed low expression in DLBCL samples (p < 0.01). Conclusion We constructed a coexpression module related with histological type and identified three candidate genes (MAFA-AS1, hsa-mir-338, and hsa-mir-891a) that possessed potential value as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of DLBCL.
A lynx natural brain endocast from Ingarano (Southern Italy; Late Pleistocene): Taphonomic, Morphometric and Phylogenetic approaches

A natural brain endocast from the Late Pleistocene site of Ingarano (Apulia, Southern Italy) has been investigated in detail using CT scanning, image processing techniques and Geometric Morphometrics. Our analyses provide relevant information about the taxonomy and taphonomy of the specimen. The external morphology of the endocast was compared to those of the brains of living felids. This combination of techniques is commonly used in palaeoneurology for neuroanatomical and behavioural inferences and enables us to classify the fossil as the first reported natural brain endocast of a Late Pleistocene lynx. In addition, the investigation structure of the internal strctures of the natural endocast aloud us to reconstruct its taphonomic history. Download the complete issue.
Memes as reasonably hostile laments: A discourse analysis of political dissent in Oman

In this article, I investigate how political dissent is linguistically constructed and mitigated in memes that are circulated nationally on WhatsApp in Oman. I do so by drawing upon insights from relational approaches to face, the theorization of communicative strategies as polysemous and ambiguous, and research pertaining to the Islamic practice of lamenting. The data consist of a representative set of memes collected in the summer and fall of 2015 as part of an ethnographic project on social media and Arab identity. I theorize memes as cultural tools that take the form of ‘reasonably hostile’ lament-narratives, which enable citizens in Oman to engage in democracy while saving face. To create lament-memes that voice dissent while mitigating face-attacks, Omanis draw upon various communicative strategies: They use repetition, code choice, hashtags, and different genres; they juxtapose emojis with text; and they manipulate the production and participation frameworks of texts. Collectively, these strategies, which function via intertextuality, allow the concerns to be aired, but indirectly and playfully. The article demonstrates how political dissent is negotiated and mitigated through memes, the agency of social media users, and the validity of conceptualizing memes as cultural tools.
Chemical weed‐control in chickpea and lentil

Abstract Chemical weed‐control experiments on chickpea and lentil were conducted during two growing seasons at two locations in Jordan, where gramineous weeds dominated the weed population. Pronamide (3,5‐dichloro (N‐1,1‐dimethyl‐2‐prophyI)‐benzamide), at 0.5 kg a.i./ha pre‐emergent; Sethoxydim (2‐[1‐(ethoxyimino) butyl]‐[5‐(2‐ethylthio) propyl]‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one), at 0.5 kg a.i./ha post‐emergent; and Fluazifop‐butyl (butyl 2‐[4‐(5‐trifluoro‐methyl‐2‐pyridyloxy) phenoxy] propionate), at 0.5 kg a.i./ha post‐emergent, efficiently controlled grass weeds and improved yields in both crops. inclusion of Terbutryn at 3.0 kg a.i./ha applied pre‐emergent in a herbicide combination with any of the above graminicides in chickpea resulted in as effective weed‐control and yield as obtained from hand‐weeding twice. In lentil, the pre‐emergence herbicide Metribuzin (4‐amino‐6‐(1,1‐dimethylethyl)‐3‐(methylthio)‐1,2,4‐triazin‐5‐(4H)‐one), at 0.5 kg a.i./ha, controlled weeds efficiently, but was toxic to lentil .
DARPP-32: Regulator of the Efficacy of Dopaminergic Neurotransmission

Dopaminergic neurons exert a major modulatory effect on the forebrain. Dopamine and adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate–regulated phosphoprotein (32 kilodaltons) (DARPP-32), which is enriched in all neurons that receive a dopaminergic input, is converted in response to dopamine into a potent protein phosphatase inhibitor. Mice generated to contain a targeted disruption of the DARPP-32 gene showed profound deficits in their molecular, electrophysiological, and behavioral responses to dopamine, drugs of abuse, and antipsychotic medication. The results show that DARPP-32 plays a central role in regulating the efficacy of dopaminergic neurotransmission.
Emulation of Energy Scheduling for an Agriculture Irrigation System Considering Field Data

As the global population is daily soaring, the need for water and energy is also increasing. This makes the role of the agriculture sector more tangible. Water and energy efficiency in this sector is still very low, and the need for smart management and strategic planning are obvious. This paper proposes an autonomous approach to increase the efficiency of energy and water consumption in the agriculture irrigation process. The model contains local renewable energy resources to supply the irrigation electricity demand. In the previous works developed by the authors, the irrigation scheduling had been performed by a decision tree approach. however, in this paper, the model schedules irrigation according to the realtime field data as well as the availability of the local resources to minimize operational costs. The system also includes a laboratory demonstration to test the scheduling process under practical challenges. A case study is also shown to validate the model, and its results show a gap between expected and real results. Nevertheless, the results proved the functionality and applicability of the proposed model.
Tudor Domains Bind Symmetrical Dimethylated Arginines

The Tudor domain is an 60-amino acid structure motif in search of a function. Herein we show that the Tudor domains of the spinal muscular atrophy gene product SMN, the splicing factor 30 kDa (SPF30), and the Tudor domain-containing 3 (TDRD3) proteins interacted with arginine-glycine-rich motifs in a methylargininedependent manner. The Tudor domains also associated with methylarginine-containing cellular proteins, providing evidence that methylated arginines represent physiological ligands for this protein module. In addition, we report that spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles core Sm proteins accumulated in the cytoplasm when arginine methylation was inhibited with adenosine dialdehyde or in the presence of an excessive amount of unmethylated arginine-glycine-rich peptides. These data provide in vivo evidence in support of a role for arginine methylation in the proper assembly and localization of spliceosomal Sm proteins.
The impact of age on patients undergoing transthoracic esophagectomy for cancer.

To compare long-term and short-term outcomes in patients <70 years old with those ≥ 70 years old, who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy for carcinoma. With an ageing population more patients, with increasing co-morbidities are being diagnosed with potentially curable esophageal cancer. Concerns exist regarding offering older patients esophagectomy, conversely undue prejudice may exists that may prevent surgery being offered. Consecutive patients from a single unit between January 2000 and July 2016 that underwent trans-thoracic esophagectomy with or without neoadjuvant treatment for carcinoma were included. Short-term outcomes including morbidity, mortality, length of stay and long-term survival were compared between those <70 and those ≥ 70. This study identified 992 patients who underwent esophagectomy during the study period, of which 302 (30%) ≥ 70 years old. Greater proportion ≥ 70 years old had SCC (squamous cell carcinoma) (23%) than <70 (18%) (p = 0.07). Patients ≥ 70 years old were noted to have higher ASA Grade 3 (34% vs 25%, p = 0.004) and were less likely to receive neoadjuvant treatment (64% vs 45% p<0.001). Length of stay was longer in ≥ 70 (14 vs 17 days p<0.001), and there were more complications (63% vs 75% p<0.001). In hospital mortality was higher in ≥ 70 (2% vs 5% p = 0.026). Overall survival was 50 months in <70 vs 36 months in ≥ 70 (p = <0.001). In <70s with adenocarcinoma, overall survival was 52 months vs 35 months in the ≥ 70 (p<0.001). No significant difference in survival in patients with SCC, 49 months in <70 vs 54 months in ≥ 70 (p = 0.711). Increased peri-operative morbidity and mortality combined with the reduction in the long term survival in the over 70s cohort should be addressed when counselling patients undergoing curative resection for oesophageal cancer.