Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Desempenho de novilhos Nelore alimentados com casca de soja ou farelo de gérmen de milho em substituição parcial ao milho moído

The objective of this trial was to study the partial replacement of ground corn with soybean hulls or corn germ meal in diets containing sunflower meal and urea as nitrogen sources and corn silage as forage for confined Nellore steers. Twenty-one steers averaging 25 months of age and 343 kg of initial body weight were assigned to diets containing a forage:concentrate ratio of 60:40. The period for measurements of intake and weight gain lasted 97 days. No significant differences were observed for intakes of dry matter (10.78, 9.73, and 10.62 kg/day), crude protein (1.40, 1.22, and 1.41 kg/day), and neutral detergent fiber (3.41, 3.89, and 3.60 kg/day), respectively, for diets containing ground corn, soybean hulls, and corn germ meal. However, intake of acid detergent fiber was highest (0.71% BW) for steers consuming the diet that soybean hulls replaced 70% of ground corn. Weight gain did not differ averaging 1.35, 1.29, and 1.32 kg/day feeding ground corn, soybean seed hulls, and corn germ meal, respectively. In addition, no significant differences were observed for feed conversion (7.88 kg of DMI/kg of weight gain), feed efficiency (0.12 weight gain/kg of DMI), and carcass dressing (54.52%) across treatments. It can be concluded that soybean hulls and corn germ meal can partially replace ground corn in diets for confined steers because both production and carcass dressing were maintained.
Life-History Contributions to Miniaturization in the Salamander Genus Desmognathus (Urodela: Plethodontidae)

Abstract I investigated the contributions of several life-history traits to small body size in the two smallest species of the genus Desmognathus, D. aeneus and D. wrighti. The research was conducted in the southern Nantahala Mountains of western North Carolina, where the two species co-occur and are similar in body size and life history. Desmognathus ocoee, the next-smallest species in the local Desmognathus assemblage of six species, served as a reference species. All three species have similar juvenile growth rates. Desmognathus aeneus and D. wrighti have smaller propagule sizes (i.e., egg and hatching sizes) and higher developmental rates to sexual maturation than D. ocoee. These two factors, especially the latter, appear to explain much of the difference in adult size between D. ocoee and both D. aeneus and D. wrighti. Thus, miniaturization in D. aeneus and D. wrighti may be mainly a product of acceleration in developmental rate. I suggest that body size itself, rather than other, correlated life-history traits, has been the target of selection in these two species, in response to ecological opportunities for small salamanders in the mesic forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains.
Seed Weights and Numbers as a Function of Fruit Size and Subgenus in Some Eucalyptus Species From South-Western Australia

The woody fruits of 21 species belonging to four different subgeneric groups in Eucalyptus held contents which consisted of 'particles' that were either fertile or sterile, i.e. 'seeds' or 'ovulodes' respectively. The biggest fruits were 9 times wider than the smallest and more than 200 times heavier. Mean numbers of particles per fruit varied from 49 to 953; mean numbers of seeds per fruit varied from 0.8 to 108. Rising trends against mean oven-dry wall weight of fruits (i.e. fruits minus contents) were found for mean numbers of particles per fruit, mean particle weight and total weight of fruit contents. Using oven-dry weights of components as an index of the energetic costs of their production, costs per particle rose as fruit weights increased. Costs per seed rose to a maximum for fruits up to a dry weight of nearly 10 g but the four largest-fruited species had a relatively low cost for seeds per unit of wall weight. Species of Monocalyptus had fewer but bigger particles than species of Symphyomyrtus. Species of Eudesmia occupied an intermediate position.
Advertisement Call Complexity in Northern Leopard Frogs, Rana pipiens

Abstract The advertisement call of Rana pipiens males may be the most complex of any temperate-zone anuran. To characterize call complexity, I analyzed acoustic properties and temporal patterning of male advertisement call notes. Calls included up to three note types (snores, grunts, and chuckles) and varied in complexity from one to 65 notes/call. Four common temporal patterns of notes in calls were observed, and transition probabilities of note pairs were nonrandom. Temperature influenced spectral and temporal properties of all note types; body size only influenced snore dominant frequency. Finally, I compared R. pipiens calls to other anurans possessing complex advertisement calls. Although the function of specific call notes has been documented in these other species, the function of call notes in R. pipiens remains unclear.
Flow Properties of Chickpea Proteins

Flow properties of aqueous chickpea protein dispersions were investigated. The dispersions had Newtonian flow behavior at concentrations up to 4%. Flow behavior became progressively less Newtonian as concentration increased above 4%. The apparent viscosity of the dispersions was pH and concentration dependent, being higher at the protein's most soluble pHs (pH 2 and 9) and lower at the isoelectric point (pH 4-5). Within the investigated temperatures (15, 25, 35 and 55°C), power law constants were unchanged up to 35°C but the flow behavior became non-Newtonian at 55°C. Denaturation by urea and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) increased the consistency index (m), casson yield stress and apparent viscosities, and the flow became more pseudoplastic with a decrease in the flow index (n).
Genetic Diversity of Kedu Chicken Based on Phenotypic Characteristics and Microsatellite Loci

This study was aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity based on phenotype and the genetic relationship between four kinds of Kedu chicken, using 4 microsatellite markers. The result from the phenotype observations showed that the four chicken breeds have qualitatively different plumage, skin, comb and shank colours. Cemani chickens' have lower egg production than others. The results from the isolation and identification of DNA using microsatellite primers showed that the 4 primers were polymorphics. The highest polymorphic information contain values based on locus derived from the entire population was LEI 0147 (0.643), while the average polymorphic information contain value on each population were 0.362, 0.531, 0.482 and 0.568 for Cemani, white Kedu, red Kedu and black Kedu chickens, respectively. Estimation of the heterozygosity value on loci of different populations of Kedu chickens showed a large variation (0.618-0.743). Genetic distance analysis showed that among Kedu chickens had a genetic relationship ranging from 0.018 to 0.236. The conclusion was that the genetic diversity based on chicken phenotypes and based on microsatellite markers in the population of Kedu chickens indicated a high diversity and had a relativel y distant genetic relationship.
Activation microswitches in GPCRs function as rheostats in cell membrane

Although multiple components of the cell membrane modulate the stability and activation of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), the activation mechanism comes from detergent studies, since it is challenging to study activation in multi-component lipid bilayer. Using the multi-scale molecular dynamics simulations(50μs), our comparative study between cell membrane and detergents shows that: the changes in inter-residue distances, known as activation microswitches, show an ensemble of states in the extent of activation in cell membrane. We forward a rheostat model of GPCR activation rather than a binary switch model. Phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2) and calcium ions, through a tug of war, maintain a balance between the GPCR stability and activity in cell membrane. Due to the lack of receptor stiffening effects by PIP2, detergents promote more transitions among conformational states than cell membrane. These findings connect the chemistry of cell membrane lipids to receptor activity useful to design detergents mimicking cell membrane.
Geolocation by light: accuracy and precision affected by environmental factors

1. Geolocation by light allows for tracking animal movements, based on measurements of light intensity over time by a data‐logging device (‘geolocator’). Recent developments of ultra‐light devices (<2 g) broadened the range of target species and boosted the number of studies using geolocators. However, an inherent problem of geolocators is that any factor or process that changes the natural light intensity pattern also affects the positions calculated from these light patterns. Although the most important factors have been identified, estimation of their effect on the accuracy and precision of positions estimated has been lacking but is very important for the analyses and interpretation of geolocator data.
Assessment of variation in seed longevity within rye, wheat and the intergeneric hybrid triticale

Abstract Seed shelf-life or longevity is difficult to predict or to measure on a practical time scale. Predictive models suggest that water has the same effect on ageing rate for all seed lots within a species and that initial seed quality is the dominating factor explaining within-species variation. These assumptions are used in ‘accelerated ageing’ or ‘controlled deterioration’ (AA/CD) tests, which are commonly used to predict seed longevity in commercial and research applications. In this study, we describe within-species variation of longevity for seeds of Secale cereale and S. strictum (cultivated rye and its wild progenitor) under typical dry storage conditions of a genebank, and show that initial seed quality is an important, but not sole, factor explaining measured longevity. We also test the correlation of seed longevity, measured under humid and dry conditions, using 50 cultivars of rye, wheat (Triticum aestivum) and the intergeneric cross triticale, to assess how well AA/CD tests predict seed shelf-life during dry storage. Known differences in longevity between wheat and rye were confirmed at all water contents, and triticale seeds demonstrated intermediate behaviour. Longevity measured for humid and dry conditions were weakly correlated when comparisons included all grain types and were not correlated in within-grain-type comparisons. Response to moisture varied among cultivars. These findings do not support assumptions made in seed ageing models that use AA/CD tests. Our results suggest that more traits are involved in the expression of seed longevity than those typically measured in studies of initial seed vigour.
Does the time spent near a male predict female mate choice in a Malawian cichlid

Gravid female Malawian Pseudotropheus cichlids spent significantly more time with males that they subsequently chose as mates, indicating that time spent near a male is a valid and accurate method of measuring female preference. Furthermore, females preferred to mate with males that had longer pelvic fins and a larger number of eggspots on their anal fins. In some instances, females chose to mate with both of the males with which they were presented, possibly because they were unable to discriminate between them.
ON THE DIVERSITY OF LEECHES (ANNELIDA: HIRUDINA) IN THE FRESH WATERS OF KURDISTAN PROVINCE, IRAN

Lotic and lentic environments, including basins, throughout Kurdistan province, Iran, were surveyed for the presence of leeches from June 2009 until June 2010. In view of the geographical location of Iran, a very rich fauna of leeches should be expected. For each of the species collected, the new locality records are given, followed by the global pattern of distribution. In addition, taxonomic notes are provided for some species. In total seven species of leeches were found in this region. All species repeated in the present paper are new and found in the fresh water fauna of Kurdistan, Iran.
Predicting cognitive abilities across individuals using sparse EEG connectivity

Human brains share a broadly similar functional organization with consequential individual variation. This duality in brain function has primarily been observed when using techniques that consider the spatial organization of the brain, such as MRI. Here, we ask whether these common and unique signals of cognition are also present in temporally sensitive, but spatially insensitive, neural signals. To address this question, we compiled EEG data from individuals performing multiple working memory tasks at two different data-collection sites (ns = 171 and 165). Results revealed that EEG connectivity patterns were stable within individuals and unique across individuals. Furthermore, models based on these connectivity patterns generalized across datasets to predict participants’ working memory capacity and general fluid intelligence. Thus, EEG connectivity provides a signature of working memory and fluid intelligence in humans and a new framework for characterizing individual differences in cognitive abilities.
Using i* to Describe Data Structures

This paper explores the use of the i* language as a notation to describe data structures to be used in classical imperative programs written in e.g. Java or C#. Data structures are described at two levels of abstraction, their specification and their implementation (the data structure properly said). We analyze how iStar 2.0, enriched with both modularization and dependum specialization constructs, can be used in this context.
Ethylene is a local modulator of jasmonate-dependent phenolamide accumulation during Manduca sexta herbivory in Nicotiana attenuata

Rapid reconfigurations of intimately connected phytohormone signaling networks allow plants to tune their physiology to constantly varying ecological conditions. During insect herbivory, most of the induced changes in defense-related leaf specialized metabolites are controlled by jasmonate (JA) signaling, which, in the wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata, recruits MYB8, a transcription factor controlling the accumulation of phenolic-polyamine conjugates (phenolamides). In this and other plant species, herbivory also locally triggers ethylene (ET) production but the outcome of the JA-ET crosstalk at the level of secondary metabolism regulation has remained superficially investigated. Here, we analyzed local and systemic herbivory-induced changes by mass spectrometry-based metabolomics in leaves of transgenic plants impaired in JA, ET and MYB8 signaling. Parsing deregulations in this factorial data-set identified a network of JA/MYB8-dependent phenolamides for which impairment of ET signaling attenuated their accumulation only in locally-damaged leaves. Further experiments revealed that ET, albeit biochemically interrelated to polyamine metabolism via the intermediate S-adenosylmethionine, does not impart on free polyamine levels, but instead significantly modulates phenolamide levels and marginally affected transcript levels in this pathway. This study identifies ET as a local modulator of phenolamide investments and provides a metabolomics data-platform to mine associations between herbivory-induced signaling and specialized metabolite groups in N. attenuata. Summary statement Herbivory-elicited ethylene acts as a local enhancer of the production of jasmonate/MYB8-dependent phenolamides during the defense response of Nicotiana attenuata leaves against herbivory by the lepidopteran larva Manduca sexta.
Efficacy and Safety of Anti-malarial Drugs (Chloroquine and Hydroxy-Chloroquine) in Treatment of COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Anti-malarial drugs inhibit coronaviruses in-vitro. Few published studies have evaluated the safety and efficacy of these drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 infection. Materials and Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials and observational studies. Major database searches were carried out up until June 5, 2020. Participants admitted with RT-PCR-confirmed SARS Cov-2 (COVID-19) infection were included. The “Intervention group” received anti-malarial drugs with or without other drugs (Azithromycin) administered as an adjunct to the standard treatment/care. The “Control group” received treatment except anti-malarial drugs. The primary outcome is “all-cause mortality. ” Secondary outcome measures were effects on clinical and laboratory parameters and adverse events. Results: Of 3,472 citations, 17 (six clinical trials and 11 observational studies) studies provided data of 8,071 participants. Compared to the control, Hydroxy-chloroquine (HCQ) has no significant effect on mortality [(OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.46–1.64); eight observational studies; N = 5,944]. Data from a single, small non-randomized trial (N = 42) also reached a similar conclusion (OR 1.94; 95% CI 0.07–50.57; p = 0.69). Compared to the control, HCQ plus Azithromycin (AZM) significantly increased mortality [(OR 2.84; 95% CI 2.19–3.69); four observational studies; N = 2,310]. Compared to the control, risk of any adverse event was significantly increased in HCQ group [(OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.58–7.13); four clinical trials; N = 263]. Compared to control, risk of adverse cardiac events (abnormal ECG, arrhythmia, or QT prolongation) were not significantly increased in HCQ group (but significantly increased in the HCQ plus AZM group). The GRADE evidence generated for all the outcomes was of “very low-quality. ” Conclusions: As very low quality evidence suggests an increased risk of mortality and adverse event with HCQ plus Azithromycin combination (not HCQ alone), caution should be exercised while prescribing this combination for treatment of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 infection. Good quality, multi-centric RCTs (including both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients) are required for any firm recommendation to be made during the ongoing pandemic. OSF Protocol Registration Link: https://osf.io/6zxsu.
Early Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment Based on Eye Movement Parameters in an Aging Chinese Population

Background: The pathogenesis of dementia often starts several years prior to clinical onset during which the individual is asymptomatic. Existing strategies for the accurate diagnosis of early dementia are limited by high cost and the invasive nature of the procedures. Eye movement parameters associated with cognitive functions may be helpful in the early identification of dementia and in the development and evaluation of preventive and therapeutic strategies. Objective: We aimed to assess differences in eye movement parameters between healthy elderly individuals and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Furthermore, we examined the correlations between eye movement parameters with cognitive functions and specific hemispheric region and neural structures in individuals with MCI. Method: Eighty individuals with MCI without dementia (based on DSM-IV criteria) identified by community screening and 170 healthy controls were administered Chinese versions of MoCA and NTB, and a long (20 min) or short (5 min) version of a visual paired comparison (VPC) task. Two weeks later, 44 MCI patients and 107 healthy controls completed a retest of the VPC task, 44 MCI patients and 43 healthy controls among them administered a MRI. At the end of 1-year follow-up, a subset of 26 individuals with MCI and 57 healthy controls were administered the long version of VPC task and MoCA test again. Eye movement parameters and the relationship of eye movement parameters with cognitive functions and with changes in neural structures were compared between groups. Results: Patients with MCI were older, had less education, and had lower scores on cognitive tests than healthy controls. After adjustment for age and level of education, patients with MCI had lower novelty preference scores on the VPC than healthy controls. Using the logistic regression model, the amount of time that subjects focused on these novel images could predict MCI patients from normal elderly with an out of sample area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.62. Furthermore, the cognition score of subjects whose novelty preference score was low decreased more remarkably in 1 year. For both the patient and control groups, VPC novelty preference was significantly correlated with verbal fluency and delayed and short-term memory function. Novelty preference score was also significantly correlated with the cortical thickness of several structures in the right hemisphere. Conclusion: Eye movement parameters are stable indicators to distinguish patients with MCI and cognitively normal subjects and are not affected by different testing versions and numbers. Additionally, the patients’ cognitive deficits and eye movement indices were correlated. Future longitudinal studies should further explore the clinical utility of eye movement parameters as early markers of MCI.
Estimation of Milk Yield in Suckled Awassi Sheep Under Traditional Feeding Conditions

Abstract Said, S.I. , Kridli, R.T. and Muwalla, M.M. 1999. Estimation of milk yield in suckled Awassi sheep under traditional feeding conditions. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 16: 163–168. This study was performed to estimate the milk production ability of Awassi ewes using oxytocin-induced hand milking method under traditional feeding. Thirty eight Awassi ewes (2 to 7 years) were used in this study. Milk production and body weight of ewes were estimated once a week throughout the suckling period (8 weeks). Each ewe received 5 i.u. of oxytocin (iv) followed immediately by hand-milking until all the milk was stripped off. Lambs remained in isolation from ewes for 4 hours after which the milking procedure was repeated. Milk obtained at second milking was measured. Twentyfour hour milk production was calculated in relation to the interval between milkings. The least-squares means for daily milk yield in the first eight weeks of lactation (suckling period) were 1.88. 1.60, 1.58, 1.39, 1.30, 1.18, 1.12 and 1.06 kg, resp.
Heavy metal accumulation in Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus from an integrated chicken-fish system

Accumulation of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) in fish from integrated laying chicken-fish ponds was investigated in order to determine the possible health risks to humans from heavy metal contamination. The 20 m2 fish ponds were stocked with Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus in a 3:1 ratio and a stocking density of 8 fingerlings/m2. Treatment 1 (T1) consisted of chicken integrated at the rate of 2000 birds/ha; Treatment 2 (T2), 3000 birds/ha; Treatment 3 (T3), 4000 birds/ha, while Treatment 4 (T4) was the control without integration. Fish in T4 were fed compounded feed at 5% of body weight, while those in T1, T2 and T3 were fed on chicken manure and spilled feed that fell directly into the ponds. The ponds were sampled monthly and fish growth and water quality parameters were measured accordingly. Results of the experiment showed that tissue metal concentrations for both species were lowest in the muscles and highest in the kidney and liver. Final metal concentrations in the muscles of both fish species in T1 and T4 were below FAO (1983) and EU (2001) the limits and the consumption of fish muscle from such systems is considered safe. However, there is risk of Pb concentrations accumulating above the recommended levels in C. gariepinus at 3000 chickens/ha and above. Key words: Oreochromis niloticus, Clarias gariepinus, integrated, laying chicken.