Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term Development of Inorganic Nutrients and Chlorophyll α in the Open Northern Baltic Sea

Abstract Eutrophication is an ongoing process in most parts of the Baltic Sea. This article reports on the changes during recent decades of several eutrophication-related variables in the open sea areas surrounding Finland (wintertime nutrient concentrations, wintertime nutrient ratios, and summer time chlorophyll α concentrations at the surface). The sum of nitrate- and nitrite-nitrogen ([NO3+NO2]-N) was observed to increase nearly fourfold in the Northern Baltic Proper and the Gulf of Finland and almost double in the Bothnian Sea from the 1960s until the 1980s or 1990s. The increase was followed by a decrease, which was modest in the two former subregions. Phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) concentrations followed a similar pattern in the Northern Baltic Proper (threefold increase and subsequent slight decrease) and Bothnian Sea (30% increase and subsequent decrease), but increased throughout the study in the Gulf of Finland, with the present concentration being threefold to the measurements made in the early 1970s. The PO4-P concentration decreased throughout the study in the Bothnian Bay. Silicate-silicon (SiO4-Si) concentrations decreased 30–50% from the early 1970s to the late 1990s and increased 20–40% thereafter in the Northern Baltic Proper, the Gulf of Finland, and the Bothnian Sea. Chlorophyll α showed an increase of over 150% in the Northern Baltic Proper and the Gulf of Finland from the 1970s until the early 2000s. In the Bothnian Sea the chlorophyll α concentration increased more than 180% from the late 1970s until the late 1990s, and decreased thereafter. According to these long-term observations, the Gulf of Finland and Northern Baltic Proper show clear signs of eutrophication, which may be emphasized by hydrographical changes affecting the phytoplankton communities and thus the algal biomass.
Seasonal Variation in Corticosterone Receptor Binding in Brain, Hippocampus, and Gonads in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)

ABSTRACT. Both baseline and stress-induced concentrations of corticosterone (CORT) vary seasonally in a predictable fashion in many wild birds. Hypotheses about why these patterns exist include the “behavior hypothesis,” which predicts that animals will down-regulate stress-induced CORT when CORT-induced behaviors are too likely to cause reproductive failure; and the “preparative hypothesis,” which posits that baseline and stress-induced CORT will both be high at times of year with a higher incidence of predictable stressors. We tested predictions made by the behavior and predictive hypotheses about the CORT sensitivity of tissues involved in breeding: whole brain, hippocampus, and gonads. We used radioligand binding assays to examine glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) binding in free-living House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) at several different life history stages. We found lowest GR binding in whole brain during breeding; this suggests relative insensitivity of brain tissue to CORT at this time of year, which is consistent with predictions made by the behavior hypothesis. We found highest GR binding in whole brain in the pre-egg-laying period, which is consistent with the preparative hypothesis, given that this life stage is associated with a predictable increase in the likelihood of stressful events such as threats to territory and nest sites. However, we found no seasonal changes in GR or MR binding in gonads or hippocampus. Our results suggest that down-regulation of brain GR could be one way birds limit the negative effects of CORT release on breeding behavior, but further studies are necessary to understand the anatomic specificity of these changes.
Comparison of Four Microbiological Inhibition Tests for the Screening of Antimicrobial Residues in the Tissues of Food-Producing Animals

The study compares two existing microbiological inhibition tests, Screening Test for Antibiotic Residues (STAR) and Premi®Test with two recently introduced tests, Nouws Antibiotic Test (NAT) and Total Antibiotics for the screening of antimicrobial residues in the tissues of food-producing animals. In the negative or positive sample classification based on inhibition of the growth of test strain sensitive to many antibiotics and sulphonamides, out of 142 samples obtained from slaughterhouses and retail operations, 39 samples yielded a positive result in one or more tests: 4 samples in four tests, 14 samples in three tests, 13 samples in two tests, and 8 samples in one test. As for the numbers of observed positive samples, the descending sequence of tests was: STAR, Total Antibiotics, Premi®Test, NAT. The growth inhibition was observed in three out of seven test strains, namely Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Kocuria rhizophila ATCC 9341, and Bacillus stearothermophilus var. calidolactis. Considering the test strains sensitivity and no inhibition on the Bacillus pumilus NCIMB 10822 NAT test plates, our preliminary conclusion is that the animal samples are suspected for the presence of tetracycline, macrolide, and β-lactam antibiotics.
Five New Species of Cyclocephala Latreille From North and Central America (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Abstract Five new species of Cyclocephala are described as follows: C. miamiensis from Florida, U.S.A. , C. arenosa from Sonora, Mexico, C. sinaloae from the west coast of Mexico from Sonora to Jalisco, C. forcipulata from Sinaloa and Nayarit, Mexico, and C. virkkii from San Salvador, El Salvador.
Complex exponential signal angle estimation based on angle invariant combiner

In order to achieve estimation performance limits, we often need to use computationally demanding estimation algorithms and/or signal information of higher order such as cumulants. Our goal is to reduce the computational complexity of angle estimation, and to achieve the Cramer-Rao estimation bound, and the maximum-likelihood signal-to-noise ratio threshold by using iterative estimation where the most computationally demanding processing is done as much as possible in the initialisation step, while in each iteration we require less complex processing. This is achieved by using the angle invariant combinations of signal autocorrelation samples for estimation.
The investigation of pestivirus and Rift Valley fever virus infections in aborted ruminant foetuses in the Blacksea region in Turkey.

Summary In this study, aborted foetuses (cattle, sheep and goat) in either coastal or inland Blacksea region of Turkey were surveyed for the presence of nucleic acids from pestiviruses (bovine viral diarrhoea virus-BVDV, border disease virus-BDV) and rift valley fever virus (RVFV) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR). Pestivirus nucleic acids were found in 39 of 53 aborted calves (73.6%), in 34 of 37 aborted lambs (91.9%) and in 2 of 2 aborted kids (100%) by RT-PCR. In addition RVFV has been investigated in the same foetuses, however RVFV nucleic acid has not been confirmed in any samples.
Northern Sea Route (NSR) as a Major Transport Route: Opportunities and Challenges

Northern Sea Route (NSR) is focused on because it might bring a higher efficiency of logistics between Europe and Asia. However, until the route becomes a major transport route, there will be challenges. The purpose of this paper is to discuss both opportunities and challenges by focusing on different elements: technical feasibility, economic feasibility, and geopolitical/policy aspects. Regarding the technical feasibility, discussion starts with the monitoring of actual vessel movements. By analyzing transit time/reliability as well as navigability, current service levels and technical challenges are examined. Regarding the economic feasibility, we will mainly focus on the possible advantages of NSR for supply chain efficiency of shippers. Some conceptual ideas are proposed. Finally, the geopolitical and policy aspects are also critical. In this regard, recent policies including the Polar Silk Road are reviewed, and future prospects are examined.
The crocodile caves of Ankarana, Madagascar

In 1981 the FFPS helped fund the Southampton University Expedition to the Ankarana Caves in northern Madagascar. This was the first attempt at any systematic biological work there. Within the longest cave, la Grotte d'Andrafiabé, a striking variety of fauna was found, including several arthropod species that were new to science. This preliminary report, by one of the expedition's members, describes some of the findings. A new 10-man team returned to Ankarana in August 1986 to extend the work.
The Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera) of Red-Billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) in Senegal, with a Description of a New Species

One hundred and six individuals of red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea) were examined for chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) in Senegal. Chewing lice were found on 91 (86 %) birds examined. Three species of chewing lice were identified; they had the following prevalences and mean intensities: Brueelia queleae n. sp. (81 %; 5.3 lice), Myrsidea queleae (37 %; 1.7) and Machaerilaemus plocei (9 %; 1.7). These are the first records of chewing lice from red-billed quelea from Senegal. A new species of Brueelia is described and illustrated. This is the first ischnoceran louse described from this host.
The Role of the Perceived Risk to Purchase Decision (For Consumers Who Use Online Shopping Technology)

Online shopping is a recent phenomenon is a trend for the future of shopping method. The high enthusiastic consumer through online shopping method is inseparable from the perceived risk that consumer will face. Consumers' perceived risk has been considered as a fundamental concern of the purchase decision process. This research aims to know the relationship between the perceived risk and the purchase decision on online shop consumer. The total participants in this research are 385 people. This research was using accidental sampling and snowball sampling. The results of this research show that there is a negative and significant relationship (r =-0,517 **, p = 0000 < 0.05) between perceived risk with purchase decisions on online shop consumers. This research also found that all dimensions of perceived risk have negative and significant relationships with the purchase decision. As the result of data concluded that the increase of perceived risk by consumers when shopping online would result in lowering the purchasing decision of the consumers to shop online.
Brand awareness and its influence on markets and consumers' purchase intentions in Serbia

Svest o brendu je jak uticajni konstrukt i tržišni faktor u marketing okruženju. Kupovne namere su rezultat različitih marketing konstrukata koji utiču na ponašanje potrošača. Dodatno, kupovne namere su kulminacija uticaja različitih tržišnih faktora na potrošača. I obrnuto, kupovina dobara i ponašanje potrošača imaju jak uticaj na tržište što dalje utiče na ekonomiju. Cilj ovog istraživanja je analiza svesti o brendu i njenog uticaja na kupovne namere potrošača i način na koji može da utiče na tržište i na ekonomiju. Zašto je ova analiza važna? Kupovne namere ne samo da utiču na tržišta i na makroekonomiju, već imaju i snažan uticaj na poslovne performanse kompanija. Stoga, istraživanje svesti o brendu kao potencijalnom uticajnom faktoru na kupovne namere potrošača postaje skoro pa nužnost. Da bi podržali glavnu hipotezu, pouzdanost brenda, kredibilitet brenda i lojalnost prema brendu su takođe analizirani kao posredni konstrukti. Značajni podaci su prikupljeni od 418 ispitanika iz Srbije. Rezultati istraživanja su interesantni i indikuju pozitivne odnose između posmatranih faktora.
Chitinase Polymorphism in Some Iranian Rice (Oriza Saiva L.) Cultivars using RFLP-PBR

Sheath blight disease, caused by Rhizoctonia solani , is a major fungal disease of rice, occurring mostly in Asian rice. The present study was performed to identify the chitinase polymorphism in 19 Iranian rice cultivars by using RFLP-PBR, with Rsa I, Taq I, Sac I and Ava I restriction enzymes. Digestion of the chitinase gene RICCH- 3 by its specific digesting enzymes, i.e. RsaI and TaqI, produced a uniform banding pattern in all the rice cultivars studied. However RICCH-1 digestion showed banding pattern polymorphism in the two cultivars 1205 and 1206 and digestion of RICCH-2 showed banding pattern polymorphism in the cultivars 665 and 667. The cultivars studied showed no polymorphism for the sites of the AvaI and SacI enzymes. In total, 13 bands were obtained by the digesting action of RsaI and TaqI enzymes among 19 rice cultivars studied, 4 bands were common in all the cultivars while one unique band was observed in the cultivar 326. There were 4 other bands present in all other cultivars but missing in the cultivar 326, making this cultivar significantly different from the other rice cultivars studied. Data obtained suggested the possible occurrence of intra-geneic deletion in the RICCH-1 site and intra-genic duplication in RICCH-2 site. Grouping of the rice cultivars on the basis of the RFLP bands obtained did not correlate with their geographical regions of cultivation. This is the first report on chitinase polymorphism in Iranian rice cultivars.
Antenna Selection and Resource Allocation in Downlink MISO OFDMA Femtocell Networks

In this paper, the problem of joint sub-channel assignment, antenna selection, and power control in the downlink (DL) of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) femtocell network is investigated in order to maximize system throughput. This problem, due to its discrete nature and the interference, is modeled as a mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) optimization problem, which is complicated to solve. To deal with this complexity, the problem is decomposed into three subproblems: 1) sub-channel assignment, 2) antenna selection, and 3) power control. We then present an iterative algorithm for these subproblems resulting in an optimized network throughput. The superiority of our proposed method compared to other existing works is demonstrated through simulation results.
Emergent properties of complex marine systems: a macroecological perspective

Planktivorous capelin is a key species in the Barents Sea, being of great importance in the exploitation of plankton production in this subarctic region. However, in years with a successful reproduction of the Norwegian spring-spawning herring, large amounts of herring larvae drift into the Barents Sea, where they stay for 2 to 3 yr. The 1 to 2 yr old herring has a pronounced impact on capelin, eating large amounts of capelin larvae. The main fish predator of the Barents Sea, the ArctoNorwegian cod, also consumes large amounts of post-larval capelin. In this study, we show how temperature and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indirectly influence the population dynamics of capelin by influencing the reproduction of herring and cod. After 1980, when the herring spawning stock had recovered after its collapse in 1969, we found that temperature strongly negatively influences capelin cohorts 2 yr before spawning. Capelin cohorts which have spawned 2 yr after a warm year tend to experience high predation from both young herring as larvae and from 3 to 6 yr old cod during the rest of their life. Other analyses confirm that present sea temperatures or previous NAO conditions have strong positive effects on the abundance of 0-group cod and herring. Thus, the climatic regime of the region ultimately determines the balance between capelin and herring, which in turn has pronounced consequences for the species composition and energy flow of the entire ecosystem.
Expression of complete rhoptry protein 2 (ROP2) gene of Toxoplasma gondii in eukaryotic cell

Toxoplasma gondii is the intracellular protozoan parasite responsible for animal and human toxoplasmosis. In immunodeficient patients, chronic infection with T. gondii can reactivate and produce encephalitis, which is often lethal. ROP2 (rhoptry protein of T. gondii) is one of the most important interferer in organelle and PVM blending. ROP2 protein is recognized by clone T-cell (Tcc32) in human body and also has epitope for B-cell. All of these characteristics of ROP2 makes it a candidate for cocktail vaccine and recombinant vaccine against toxoplasmosis. We described the expression of the gene which encodes the complete rhoptry protein 2 (ROP2) of T. gondii in CHO cells and confirmed it by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. In the present work, genomic DNA of T. gondii was extracted and used for amplifying of ROP2 gene as a template. Then PCR product was cloned into pTZ57R/T vector, and plasmid containing ROP2 gene (pT-ROP2) was extracted from transformed bacteria and sequenced. We hope to use from this recombinant plasmid (pT-ROP2) to make DNA vaccine against toxoplasmosis.
The ovaries of aphids (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aphidoidea): morphology and phylogenetic implications

The ovaries of aphids belonging to the families Eriosomatidae, Anoeciidae, Drepanosiphidae, Thelaxidae, Aphididae, and Lachnidae were examined at the ultrastructural level. The ovaries of these aphids are composed of several telotrophic ovarioles. The individual ovariole is differentiated into a terminal filament, tropharium, vitellarium, and pedicel (ovariolar stalk). Terminal filaments of all ovarioles join together into the suspensory ligament, which attaches the ovary to the lobe of the fat body. The tropharium houses individual trophocytes and early previtellogenic oocytes termed arrested oocytes. Trophocytes are connected with the central part of the tropharium, the trophic core, by means of broad cytoplasmic processes. One or more oocytes develop in the vitellarium. Oocytes are surrounded by a single layer of follicular cells, which do not diversify into distinct subpopulations. The general organization of the ovaries in oviparous females is similar to that of the ovaries in viviparous females, but there are significant differences in their functioning: (1) in viviparous females, all ovarioles develop, whereas in oviparous females, some of them degenerate; (2) the number of germ cells per ovariole is usually greater in females of the oviparous generation than in females of viviparous generations; (3) in oviparous females, oocytes in the vitellarium develop through three stages (previtellogenesis, vitellogenesis, and choriogenesis), whereas in viviparous females, the development of oocytes stops after previtellogenesis; and (4) in the oocyte cytoplasm of oviparous females, lipid droplets and yolk granules accumulate, whereas in viviparous females, oocytes accrue only lipid droplets. Our results indicate that a large number of germ cells per ovariole represent the ancestral state within aphids. This trait may be helpful in inferring the phylogeny of Aphidoidea.
Supporting Telecommunication Alarm Management System With Trouble Ticket Prediction

Fault alarm data emanated from heterogeneous telecommunication network services and infrastructures are exploding with network expansions. Managing and tracking the alarms with trouble tickets using manual or expert rule-based methods have become challenging due to increase in the complexity of alarm management systems and demand for deployment of highly trained experts. As the size and complexity of networks hike immensely, identifying semantically identical alarms, generated from heterogeneous network elements from diverse vendors, with data-driven methodologies, has become imperative to enhance efficiency. In this article, data-driven trouble ticket prediction models are proposed to leverage alarm management systems. To improve performance, feature extraction, using a sliding time window and feature engineering, from related history alarm streams, is also introduced. The models were trained and validated with a data set provided by the largest telecommunication provider in Italy. The experimental results showed the promising efficacy of the proposed approach in suppressing false positive alarms with trouble ticket prediction.
Chemosensory detection of predators by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch): behavioural reaction and the physiological stress response

Behavioral and physiological reactions were examined in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) before and after the chemodetection of alarm substance and chemical stimuli released from predators and nonpredators. Chemical stimulus from northern squawfish (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) was avoided in a two-choice Y trough, whereas stimulus from the largescale sucker (Catostomus macrocheilus) was not. Paradoxically, both stimuli induced a stress response as indicated by elevations in plasma Cortisol and glucose. Plasma thyroxine was not a sensitive indicator of stress. Extracts from the broken skin of squawfish or suckers induced a physiological stress response, thereby raising the possibility of a nonostariophysan fish recognizing an ostariophysan alarm substance. Rinses from human skin or L-serine were behaviorally avoided, but neither stimulus induced physiological stress responses. A conclusion from these results is that behavioral and physiological reactions to chemical stimuli from predators do not .
Do woodlice and earthworms interact synergistically in leaf litter decomposition

Summary 1In laboratory microcosms, we investigated the influence of diversity of both leaf litter and detritivores on decomposition processes. Either woodlice or earthworms, or a combination of woodlice and earthworms, fed on leaf litter of either oak or alder, or oak and alder for 8 weeks. Mass loss of leaf litter, soil microbial respiration and soil nutrient concentrations were determined every 2 weeks. 2For four out of seven decomposition parameters, the joint effects of woodlice and earthworms were stronger than the sum of single-species effects when they had fed on alder litter. When feeding on oak litter, however, woodlice and earthworms together revealed lower decomposition rates than predicted from their single effects. Joint effects of detritivores on decomposition of mixed litter were always lower than predicted from the sum of their effects. 3In mixed-litter assays, we obtained intermediate values of decomposition parameters, indicating that doubling the species richness of leaf litter from one to two species did not promote decomposition processes. Effects of mixing litter were, thus, mostly additive; essentially only when earthworms fed on mixed litter we observed, mostly positive, non-additive effects of diverse litter. 4Our findings provide evidence for a potential effect on ecosystem functioning through joint action of detritivores even at low species diversity, while litter diversity seems to be less significant. On high-quality litter, isopods and earthworms are not functionally redundant but act synergistically on litter decomposition. The effects of detritivore diversity on ecosystem processes, however, are context-specific and depend on the quality and diversity of the available food sources, and on species-specific characteristics of the detritivores.