Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HABITAT USE AND DIET OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP (OVIS CANADENSIS MEXICANA) AND ENDEMIC MULE DEER (ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS NELSONII) ON TIBURÓN ISLAND, MEXICO

Abstract In 1975, wildlife managers reintroduced desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) to Tiburón Island, Mexico, where endemic mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus sheldoni) occur. We predicted that these species would use both mountain and plains habitats, but would have different diets, minimizing negative interspecific effects. By censusing pellet groups, we found that both ungulates occurred in both habitats, but bighorn sheep were more abundant in mountains and mule deer were more abundant in plains. Microhistological analyses determined that diets of both species consisted of the same 39 plant species, of which 13 plant species each composed ≥4% of the diet and together composed 70–80% of the total diet. Plants in low abundance represented 26–32% of diets in the mountains and 45–56% of diets in the plains. Overall diet overlap was 68% and overlap did not differ between mountains or plains, but did differ among seasons. Overlap in habitat agreed with predictions, but diet overlap was contrary to our predictions. Our results differ from studies on the mainland, which found overlap in habitat use, but not in diet. Overlap in resource use coupled with the rapid increase in abundance of bighorn sheep since their reintroduction to Tiburón may have an impact on mule deer. Additional research is needed to determine whether abundance of mule deer has changed in response to the reintroduction of bighorn sheep.
Effect of Salt Addition upon the Production of Metabolic Compounds by Yarrowia lipolytica Cultivated on Biodiesel-Derived Glycerol Diluted with Olive-Mill Wastewaters

One of the major environmental problems is the highly toxic agro-industrial waste called olive mill wastewater (OMW), deriving from olive oil production. On the other hand, the continuous development of the biological liquid fuel industry (biodiesel and bioethanol) makes it mandatory the process and exploitation of their main by-products, crude glycerol. This study dealt with the biotechnological conversions of biodiesel-derived crude glycerol with the use of the non-conventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica in media that had been diluted with OMWs. OMWs, employed as simultaneous liquid medium and substrate, is a new trend recently appearing in Industrial Biotechnology, where value-added metabolites could be produced with simultaneous partial detoxification (i.e. decolorization and phenol removal) of the used residue. In the present study, diluted OMWs (containing 2.0 g/L of total phenolic compounds) blended with 70.0 g/L crude glycerol were employed as substrates. Production of value-added compounds by Y. lipolytica strain ACA-YC 5031 was studied in nitrogen-limited media favoring the production of secondary metabolites (i.e. citric acid, polyols, microbial lipids, polysaccharides). Batch-flask cultures were carried out and the impact of the addition of different NaCl concentrations (1.0%, 3.0%, 5.0% w/w) added upon the biochemical behavior of the strain was studied. Remarkable biomass production was observed in all trials, while in the “blank” experiment (no OMWs and no salt added), the metabolism was shifted toward the synthesis of polyols (Σpolyols = mannitol + arabitol + erythritol > 20 g/L and maximum total citric acid-Cit (sum of citric and isocitric acid) = 10.5 g/L). Addition of OMWs resulted in Citmax = 32.7 g/L, while Σpolyols concentration dropped to <15 g/L. Addition of salt in the OMW-based media slightly reduced the produced biomass, while Cit production drastically increased, reaching a final value of 54.0 g/L (conversion yield of Cit produced per unit of glycerol consumed = 0.82 g/g) in the trial with addition of 5.0% NaCl. Finally, significant color and phenols removal were observed, evaluating the yeast as a decontamination medium for the OMW and a great candidate for the production of value-added compounds.
The molecular and morphometric identification of Dictyocaulus capreolus in clinically affected roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.)

The poor state of health and increased mortality rate of young roe deer, as reported by South Moravian hunters, caused by the increasing numbers of adult nematodes in the lungs of roe deer prompted us to identify the parasites using a combination of morphological measurements and a phylogenetic SSU rRNA analysis. The study was conducted in a 294 ha game reserve in South Moravia, Czech Republic. Molecular and morphometric techniques were used to identify adult nematodes collected from the respiratory tracts of nine 4–5 months old roe deer in poor health (low body weight of 3–4 kg, poor haircoat quality, and, in some cases, symptoms of diarrhoea). The morphological identification was based on a combination of adult worm characteristics corresponding to Dictyocaulus capreolus. A small subunit rRNA (SSU) partial sequence analysis showed the highest identity scores (99%) corresponding to the sequences of D. capreolus from a roe deer (GenBank: AY168859) from Sweden and the outcomes of the phylogenetic analyses resulted in a tree with a high branch support for two groups, with our sequences forming a well-supported clade with D. capreolus and Dictyocaulus sp. ex Capreolus capreolus (FJ589016) and Dictyocaulus sp. ex Rupicapra rupicapra (FJ589019) sequences from Spain. The examined roe deer have shown symptoms of diarrhoea, anorexia, and respiratory tract inflammation indicating that there might be a connection to the clinical importance of the Dictyocaulus infection.
Response of Lactating Zaraibi Goats to Diets Containing Sesbania sesban Seeds as a New and High Source of Protein.

This work was carried out on dairy goats to investigate the effect of partially replacing CFM protein by Sesbania sesban seeds on milk production, feed conversion efficiency and some blood constituents as well as economic efficiency. Twenty five dairy goats wereIdivided into 5 groups (5 does each). The controlIgroup (G1) was fed a rationIconsisting ofIconcentrate feedImixture and cornIsilage (50:50) accordingIto NRC (1981) recommendation. Sesbania sesban seeds (SS) wereIused toIreplace 10 and 20% of concentrate's protein for groups G2 and G3, respectively. SesbaniaIseeds wereItreated (TSS) by soaking and roastingIand used at theIsame levels (10 and 20%) in G4 and G5, respectively. The feedingItrails lasted for 14 weeks after weaning. The obtainedIresults showed thatIthe daily dryImatter intake tendedIto decrease as a result toIsubstitution of concentrate feedImixture with SesbaniaIseeds in rationsIof dairyIgoats. On the contrary, the daily water consumption as ml/g DM intakeIwas noticeablyIhigher (3.50, 3.64, 3.67 and 3.81) with SesbaniaIseeds rations (G2, G3, G4 and G5, respectively) comparedIwith control (G1, 3.14). The effectIof the testedIrations onIruminal pH values was not significant. Ruminal NH3 concentration post-feeding tended to decrease as a result to using of Sesbania seeds especially G4 and G5. But, ruminalItotal VFA's concentrations post-feeding were significantly with G4 compared with G1 and G3. Moreover, ruminal microbial protein content at 2 and 4 hrs. post-feeding was significantly affected as a result of using of Sesbania seeds in goats rations and the bestIvalue was recordedIwith G4. The obtained results showed that there is significant effects on some blood parameters ( hemoglobin, MCHC, lymphocyts, platelets count, globulin and enzymatic activites) due to using the tested rations. Concerning milk production, the obtained data indicated that the highest value of daily milk yield was recorded with G4 (1.70 kg) followed by G5 (1.67 kg) then G2 (1.59 kg) and G1 (1.56 kg) while theIlowest value (1.499 kg) was recorded with G3 and the differencesIwere significant. The effectsIof experimental rationsIon milk constituents were not significant. The feed conversion efficiency, based on DM was better with G5 (0.904) then G4 (0.911) followedIby G2 and G3 (0.971 and 1.009, respectively) and lastly G1 (1.015). Therefore, the economic efficiency was improved by 9.25, 10.17, 16.31 and 22.81% with Sesbania seeds rations (G2, G3, G4, and G5, respectively) compared with control (G1). It isIconcluded that partialIreplasment of up to 20% of CFM protein by SesbaniaIseeds has someIpositive effectsIon metabolicIparameters, whichIreflected on the dairyIgoats performance andIeconomicIefficiency.
Massive gene presence/absence variation in the mussel genome as an adaptive strategy: first evidence of a pan-genome in Metazoa

Mussels are ecologically and economically relevant edible marine bivalves, highly invasive and resilient to biotic and abiotic stressors causing recurrent massive mortalities in other species. Here we show that the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis has a complex pan-genomic architecture, which includes a core set of 45,000 genes shared by all individuals plus a surprisingly high number of dispensable genes (∼15,000). The latter are subject to presence/absence variation (PAV), i.e., they may be entirely missing in a given individual and, when present, they are frequently found as a single copy. The enrichment of dispensable genes in survival functions suggests an adaptive value for PAV, which might be the key to explain the extraordinary capabilities of adaptation and invasiveness of this species. Our study underpins a unique metazoan pan-genome architecture only previously described in prokaryotes and in a few non-metazoan eukaryotes, but that might also characterize other marine invertebrates. Significance statement In animals, intraspecific genomic diversity is generally thought to derive from relatively small-scale variants, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, small indels, duplications, inversions and translocations. On the other hand, large-scale structural variations which involve the loss of genomic regions encoding protein-coding genes in some individuals (i.e. presence/absence variation, PAV) have been so far only described in bacteria and, occasionally, in plants and fungi. Here we report the first evidence of a pan-genome in the animal kingdom, revealing that 25% of the genes of the Mediterranean mussel are subject to PAV. We show that this unique feature might have an adaptive value, due to the involvement of dispensable genes in functions related with defense and survival.
Perfil eletroforético de proteínas e concentrações de leptina, insulina e IGF-I do plasma seminal de tourinhos Gir-Leiteiros na peripuberdade

A expressividade e acao de alguns elementos do plasma seminal, como proteinas e hormonios, podem servir como marcadores para a fertilidade do semen. Estudos tem demonstrado uma associacao entre proteinas no fluido seminal e a fertilidade, em razao delas exercerem importante papel na capacitacao espermatica e na reacao acrossomica. Alguns fatores endocrinos e/ou locais podem estar associados a expressividade e/ou funcao destas proteinas, por auxiliarem nas condicoes espermaticas favoraveis a fecundacao, destacando-se dentre elas a insulina, a leptina e o fator de crescimento semelhante a insulina do tipo I, os quais podem evidenciar diferencas entre animais associadas a estrutura e as condicoes metabolicas da celula espermatica, podendo auxiliar na determinacao da qualidade do plasma seminal. Assim, as proteinas seminais associadas a condicao metabolica da celula espermatica, influenciada por estes hormonios locais, podem servir de parâmetro de avaliacao da condicao reprodutiva do macho.
A Pervasively Thinner Neocortex is a Transdiagnostic Feature of General Psychopathology

Objective Neuroimaging research has revealed that structural brain alterations are common across broad diagnostic families of disorders rather than specific to a single psychiatric disorder. Such overlap in the structural brain correlates of mental disorders mirrors already well-documented phenotypic comorbidity of psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses, which can be indexed by a general psychopathology or p factor. We hypothesized that if general psychopathology drives the convergence of structural alterations common across disorders then 1) there should be few, if any, associations unique to any one diagnostic family of disorders, and 2) associations with the p factor should overlap with those for the broader diagnostic families. Methods Analyses were conducted on structural MRI and psychopathology data collected from 861 members of the population representative Dunedin Study at age 45. Results Study members with high scores across three broad diagnostic families of disorders (Externalizing, Internalizing, Thought Disorder) exhibited highly overlapping patterns of reduced global and widely distributed parcel-wise neocortical thickness. Study members with high p factor scores exhibited patterns of reduced global and parcel-wise neocortical thickness nearly identical to those associated with the three broad diagnostic families. Conclusions A pattern of pervasively reduced neocortical thickness appears common across all forms of mental disorders and may represent a transdiagnostic feature of general psychopathology. As has been documented with regard to symptoms and diagnoses, the underlying brain structural correlates of mental disorders are unlikely to exhibit specificity, the continued pursuit of which may limit progress toward more effective strategies for etiological understanding, prevention, and intervention.
Utilization of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) stalks in pulp and paper production

Biberiye (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) yapraklarindan elde edilen urunler tibbi alanda yaygin olarak kullanilmaktadir. Yapraklarin degerlendirilmesinden sonra geri kalan biberiye saplari ise atil olarak kalmaktadir. Bu calismada biberiye saplarinin kagit hamuru ve kagit endustrisinde degerlendirme potansiyelinin olup olmadigi belirlenmeye calisilmistir. Bu amacla saplarin kimyasal ve morfolojik ozellikleri ile lif boyutlarinin birbirlerine oranlanmasi ile bulunan veriler (kecelesme orani, elastiklik katsayisi, rijidite katsayisi, muhlstep orani ve F orani) tespit edilmis ve sonuclar diger lignoselulozik malzemelerle karsilastirilmistir. TAPPI standartlarina gore yapilan kimyasal analiz sonuclarina gore biberiye sapi %63.6 holoseluloz, % 36.4 α-seluloz, %26.9 lignin ve %1.9 kul icermektedir. Cozunurlukleri ise sirasiyla toluen-alkol-aseton % 4.8, sicak su %10.4, soguk su %7.9 ve %1 NaOH %22.8’dir. Lif uzunlugu 0.36 mm, lif capi 12.84 µm, ceper kalinligi 4.31 µm ve lumen capi 4.22 µm’dur. Morfolojik ozelliklerden turetilen verilere gore kecelesme katsayisi 27.77, elastiklik katsayisi 32.87, katilik katsayisi 33.57, runkel orani 2.04, muhlstep orani 89.20 ve F orani %82.72’dir. Biberiye sapi holoseluloz, α- seluloz ve lignin bakimindan yaprakli agac odun ozelligi gostermektedir. Morfolojik ozelliklerden turetilen verilere gore biberiye sapi, kagit hamuru ve kagit uretimine uygun bir hammadde olmadigi sonucuna varilmistir.
Peptide-Cleavable Self-immolative Maytansinoid Antibody–Drug Conjugates Designed To Provide Improved Bystander Killing

A new type of antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) has been prepared that contains a sulfur-bearing maytansinoid attached to an antibody via a highly stable tripeptide linker. Once internalized by cells, proteases in catabolic vesicles cleave the peptide of the ADC’s linker causing self-immolation that releases a thiol-bearing metabolite, which is then S-methylated. Conjugates were prepared with peptide linkers containing only alanyl residues, which were all l isomers or had a single d residue in one of the three positions. A d-alanyl residue in the linker did not significantly impair a conjugate’s cytotoxicity or bystander killing unless it was directly attached to the immolative moiety. Increasing the number of methylene units in the maytansinoid side chain of a conjugate did not typically affect an ADC’s cytotoxicity to targeted cells but did increase bystander killing activity. ADCs with the highest in vitro bystander killing were then evaluated in vivo in mice, where they displayed improved efficacy compared to previously described types of maytansinoid conjugates.
Microscopic analysis of the developing dentition in the pouch young of the extinct marsupial Thylacinus cynocephalus, with an assessment of other developmental stages and eruption

Luckett, W.P., Hong Luckett, N. and Harper, T. 2019. Microscopic analysis of the developing dentition in the pouch young of the extinct marsupial Thylacinus cynocephalus, with an assessment of other developmental stages and eruption. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 78: 1–21. A pouch young of the extinct dasyuromorphian marsupial Thylacinus cynocephalus was examined histologically to study the stages of the developing dentition during the pre-eruptive period of development. Both deciduous and successional stages of tooth development were examined, and these were compared to later stages of development and eruption of the teeth in Thylacinus and with selected developmental stages of other dasyuromorphians. Our analysis shows that the development and eruption of teeth in Thylacinus is most similar to that of dasyurids with only two premolars, such as Dasyurus and Sarcophilus, rather than the dasyurids with three premolars, such as Antechinus and Sminthopsis.
Investigating the genetic diversity, population structure and archaic admixture history in worldwide human populations using high-coverage genomes

I present the analysis on 929 high-coverage (>30x) genomes from the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) panel, a collection of cell lines from 54 populations across the world. Some data processing steps were necessary for downstream analysis, including lifting over resources on a different reference genome assembly, annotating the genome, and statistical phasing. Genome-wide genetic diversity conforms with previous studies using SNP arrays and microsatellites, yet haplotype information reveals fine scale structures and recent demographic history that vary between populations. This dataset also provides a valuable opportunity to explore the diversity and distribution of archaic segments in modern human populations. I implemented a hidden Markov model to detect such segments, based on patterns of allele-sharing with sequenced archaic genomes and a sub-Saharan African control panel. I also compared several variants of the model and different training methods using simulated data. Applying the model on the HGDP dataset using two Neanderthal genomes and one Denisova genome, I detected variations in the level of archaic ancestry across continental regions, populations, and individuals within each population. I further compared Neanderthal and Denisovan segments regarding their lengths, genomic distribution, divergence to the archaic genomes, nucleotide diversity, and haplotype networks to shed light on the structure of the admixture events. Neanderthal segments from all non-African populations appear largely homogeneous after accounting for the recent demographic history of modern human populations, which is consistent with a single admixture event that happened before they diverged from each other. In contrast, a distinct separation exists between Denisovan haplotypes recovered from Oceania and those from East/South Asia, whilst the complicated structure in the latter cannot be explained by a single source of gene flow. Therefore I propose that more than one episode of admixture with different Denisova groups occurred in the ancestral population of present-day East Asian, South Asian and American populations after the separation from the ancestors of present-day Oceanians, and that a separate admixture event occurred between the ancestors of Oceanians and the Denisova population.
Epidemiological study of rabies in cattle in southern Brazil: spatial and temporal distribution from 2008 to 2017

ABSTRACT: Rabies affects several domestic species, causing significant economic losses due to the death of animals in characteristic areas of the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul. In this context, this work aimed to study the epidemiology of rabies outbreaks observed in cattle from January 2008 to December 2017, through its space and time distribution in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul. We performed an observational and ecological retrospective through the analysis of data recorded in necropsy protocols performed in cattle at the “Laboratório Regional de Diagnóstico” of the “Universidade Federal de Pelotas” (LRD-UFPel). A descriptive data analysis aimed at evaluating the distribution of cases over time. The statistical analysis was performed with Gretl statistical software 1.9. 12 (GNU Regression, Econometric, and Time-series Library). To the existence of stationarity was verified with the Dickey-Fuller test, considering a value of p<0.05. From January 2008 to December 2017, 1418 bovine diagnostic materials were received at the LRD-UFPel, and 160 outbreaks of rabies were confirmed in 160 farms located in the 24 municipalities of the LRD-UFPel area of influence. We observed 591 cattle out of a total of 25,886 infected with the virus. We conclude that rabies does not exhibit seasonality in the study region, with a tendency to decrease in frequency in the next years. The disease has an epidemic characteristic in most of the analyzed months (2012-2014), remaining endemic in the remaining period (2011, 2015 and 2016) with sporadic episodes of epidemics in these years. We also observed that as the incidence of the disease increased in the animals and in the properties, there was a geographical spread of the virus for the majority (54.16%) of the municipalities in the area of influence of the LRD-UFPel.
Modeling of a Magnetic Coupler Based on Single- and Double-Layered Rectangular Planar Coils With In-Plane Misalignment for Wireless Power Transfer

This article proposes an analytical model that provides accurate self-inductance and mutual inductance calculations for two mutually coupled rectangular, planar, and spiral coils with an air core, which are equal and parallel, including the possibility of a lateral misalignment. Both single- and double-layered coil geometries were modeled by considering an arbitrary number of turns with a circular cross section per layer. The model equations, which can be readily implemented in software, are the results of a systematic approach that starts from the equations for the self-inductance of a wire and the mutual inductance of two parallel and misaligned wires that lie on the same plane. Accuracy is guaranteed by considering all the magnetic interactions among the individual turns in the two coils, while the simplifications involve only the calculations made at the corners of the coils. The model was validated by taking as reference experimental measurements carried out on a rectangular and a square magnetic coupler. A second analytical model, based on equivalent single-turn coils, was also tested for comparison purposes. The validation was extended with finite-element analysis tools by considering a wide range of coil side lengths, air gaps, number of turns, and lateral misalignments. The proposed model can, therefore, be regarded as a reliable tool to aid in the design of rectangular-shaped air-core magnetic couplers with applications in the contactless transfer power that are not necessarily limited to vehicle electrification.