Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can ecosystem functional recovery be traced to decomposition and nitrogen dynamics in estuaries of the Lower Laguna Madre, Texas?

The biggest incentive to attempt the restoration and protection of estuaries is their widely acknowledged ecological and economic importance. Assessing estuary health and recovery can most accurately come from examining ecosystem processes. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of mass loss and nitrogen (N) dynamics during leaf litter decomposition, to detect signs of functional recovery in two estuarine systems in south Texas. Submerged litterbags with black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) leaves were retrieved at various dates over 320 days. Decomposition was about 50% slower in one of the recovering systems compared to a reference site. Nitrogen immobilization and release from decaying leaf litter also discriminated among sites. Nitrogen immobilization potentials ranged from 4.15 to 6.89 mgN/g leaf litter, with the reference site exhibiting the highest value and thus the highest potential to conserve N during litter decomposition. The reference site also had a N immobilization time twice as long as the recovering sites, and a slower net release after the immobilization, appearing again as the most conservative in this part of the N cycling, possibly pointing to a less disturbed, or more stable ecosystem. Overall, the N dynamics during decomposition of mangrove leaf litter were similar in both recovering sites, whereas the reference site had a more conservative nutrient dynamics with more N being retained for longer in decomposing litter, coupled with a slower net release. Metrics derived from N dynamics may provide a finer resolution assessment of functional recovery, than only decomposition metrics.
Characterization of rare migratory cattle and evaluation of its phylogeny using short-tandem-repeat-based markers

ABSTRACT Bovine-specific microsatellite markers were used to assess the genetic variation in Belahi cattle. Both within-breed (Belahi) and between-breed (Sahiwal, Gir, Tharparkar, Rathi, Nagori, Mewati, Kankrej and Belahi breeds) diversity indices were estimated. Sixteen microsatellite loci were polymorphic with more than five alleles per locus. Mean allelic diversity was 9.31, with a total of 149 alleles. Polymorphism information content varied from 0.31 (TGLA227) to 0.87 (CSSM33) with an average of 0.71. Estimate of Nei’s gene diversity was 0.72 ± 0.15. The observed and expected heterozygosity at different loci were 0.69 ± 0.17 and 0.71 ± 0.15 and varied from 0.30 (TGLA227) to 0.88 (TGLA122) and 0.32 (TGLA227) to 0.88 (CSSM33), respectively. Within-population inbreeding estimates (FIS) for Belahi cattle was 0.0337, indicating an average deficiency of 3.37%. Belahi cattle revealed the presence of genetic diversity within population and there was no significant heterozygosity excess indicating the absence of genetic bottleneck in the recent past. Global FST estimates demonstrated that 85% of the total variation was contributed by within-breed genetic differentiation, while 15% genetic variation was present across different breeds. Nei’s standard genetic distance estimates among the studied milch breeds varied from 0.27 (Tharparkar and Rathi) to 0.51 (Tharparkar and Sahiwal), whereas in studied dual-purpose breeds, it varied from 0.07 (Kankrej and Mewati) to 0.90 (Belahi and Mewati). Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean based phylogenetic tree constructed from the Nei’s genetic distances revealed that Sahiwal and Belahi cattle were grouped together in one cluster. However, Kankrej and Mewati were found to be closely related breeds.
Effectiveness of Oral Sucrose on Level of Pain among Infants during Pentavalent Vaccination, SGRD Hospital, Amritsar, Punjab

Vaccination is a process of protecting an individual from diseases through the introduction of live, killed or attenuated organisms in the individual system. Routine immunization injections are the most common painful procedure for the infants. It is the common source of iatrogenic pain in childhood. Distraction is the most frequently used intervention to guide children’s attention away from the painful stimuli and reduce pain. There are two types of pain management:- Pharmacological and Non Pharmacological treatment. Administering of sucrose during pentavalent vaccination relieve pain among infants. A quasi experimental study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of administration oral sucrose on level of pain among infants during pentavalent vaccination. The study was carried out at immunization room, SGRD Hospital, Vallah, Amritsar, Punjab. 80 infants were recruited by using purposive sampling technique. FLACC Behavoiral Pain Scale was used for data collection. Research tool included information data sheet, level of pain according to FLACC Behavioral Pain Scale and procedure for oral sucrose solution. 1ml (1.5mg) of sucrose solution was administered to infants orally during pentavalent vaccination. Data was analyzed by statistical software SPSS 17.0 version. The study results revealed that experimental group mean score was 4.2250±1.059 and in control group was 6.6750±1.071. Calculated t-value; 9.444which was more than tabulated 1.990 t value. So, null hypothesis was rejected. It was found highly significant with p-value 0.000 < p-value 0.05 at df 78. The study concluded that there is statistically significant difference in the mean score of experimental and control group after administration of oral sucrose to reduce level of pain among infants during pentavalent vaccination.
Role of fruit surface mycoflora, wounding and storage conditions on post-harvest disease development on greenhouse tomatoes

Abstract Fungi causing post-harvest decay of greenhouse-grown tomato fruits in British Columbia were recovered from diseased samples collected during 2010 and 2011. The most frequently isolated fungi were Penicillium olsonii, Botrytis cinerea, Rhizopus stolonifer and Alternaria alternata, and to a lesser extent Galactomyces geotrichum. Pathogenicity tests showed that R. stolonifer caused the greatest fruit decay, followed by P. olsonii. The remaining fungi also caused some fruit rot, and lesion development by all fungi was enhanced by wounding of the fruits. A post-inoculation incubation temperature of 21°C promoted much greater disease development compared with 13°C. To assess the composition of the mycoflora on the surface of ripening tomato fruits, swab samples were collected weekly over a 6–18 week period from two commercial greenhouses during 2011 and 2012 and streaked onto potato dextrose agar. The most commonly recovered fungi from the fruit surfaces were species of Penicillium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Rhizopus and Alternaria. The composition of fungal populations fluctuated from one week to the next in both greenhouses and over both years. Samples of leaf litter consisting of discarded leaf prunings harboured all of these fungi that were present on the fruit surface. Harvested fruit samples were subsequently incubated at 21°C to assess the level of disease development. The resulting fruit decay was caused primarily by species of Penicillium, Alternaria and Rhizopus, and a major source of inoculum originated from the stem and calyx tissues, which led to fruit infection near the stem end. Shipments of tomato fruits in refrigerated trucks were monitored over a 6–10 day period after harvest and showed variable temperature and humidity levels during transportation. Post-harvest decay of tomatoes is influenced by the composition of the fruit surface mycoflora, presence of fruit injury, storage temperatures and environmental conditions during shipping.
The relationship of head morphology and diet among three sympatric watersnake species

Investigating dietary resource utilization and head morphology of gape-limited predators can provide a basis for understanding interspecific competition and species coexistence. For sympatric species, convergence of head morphology can indicate similar prey or foraging strategies while divergence can suggest competition, resource partitioning or expansion into new habitats. Sexual dimorphism can further complicate the head morphology-diet relationship by potentially reducing intraspecific competition. To understand the relationship between head morphology and diet, we studied three sympatric species, the plain-bellied (Nerodia erythrogaster), diamondback (N. rhombifer), and northern (N. sipedon) watersnakes in western Kentucky. All three species inhabit similar wetlands and feed on amphibians and fishes. The anurophagous plain-bellied watersnakes had longer, narrower heads that likely allow snakes to capture anuran metamorphs and froglets while facilitating movement through dense vegetation. The piscivorous diamondback watersnake had a wider head, which would enhance contact with prey in this open-mouth forager, and smaller interocular distance, resulting in dorsally placed eyes that facilitate seeing fish prey from below. The mostly piscivorous northern watersnake had an intermediate, generalized head shape, which may reflect the typically wide diet range of this species. Head shape did not differ between snake sexes but diamondback and northern females had larger heads than males and fed more frequently on fishes. The relationship between head morphology and diet highlights potential interspecific and intersexual competition and aids in the understanding of species coexistence patterns.
Animal welfare and the use of procedural documents: limitations and refinement

Abstract. Increased scrutiny of animal welfare in wildlife management has seen a recent proliferation in the use of procedural documents (standard operating procedures, codes of practice etc.). Some procedural documents are presumed to represent ‘best practice’ methods, whereby adherence to prescribed inputs is explicitly purported to generate humane outcomes. However, the relationship between what is done to animals (inputs) and what they experience (outputs), as assessed by animal-based measures, has received little attention. Procedural documents are commonly developed in the absence of empirical animal-based measures, creating uncertainty in animal welfare outcomes. Prescribed procedures are valuable as guidelines for standardising methodology, but the development of ‘welfare standards’ that focus on desired thresholds for animal-based measures offers many advantages for improving animal welfare. Refinement of the use of procedural documents in wildlife management is required to ensure they generate desirable outcomes for animals, and do not preclude the development of improved methods.
WATER STATUS, GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF "VALENCIA" ORANGE TREES UNDER PARTIAL ROOT-ZONE DRYING.

XII 1. LITERATURE REVIEW 1 1.1. Climate of Sicily and citrus growing conditions 1 1.2. General concepts of irrigation 2 1.2. 1. Irrigation scheduling 2 1.2. 2. Water budgeting for irrigation scheduling 4 1.2. 3. Evapotranspiration (ET) 5 1.2. 4. Reference crop evapotranspiration 6 1.2. 5. Crop coefficient (Kc) 8 1.2. 6. Crop evapotranspiration (ETc) 8 1.3. Basics of water relations in plants 9 1.3. 1. The soil-plant-water-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) 9 1.3. 2. Water potential concepts 11 1.4. Photosynthesis and transpiration 12 1.4. 1. Water use efficiency (WUE) 12 1.4. 2. Stomata hydraulics 13 1.5. Deficit irrigation 15
Ascorbic Acid Content in ‘Passe-Crassane’ Winter Pear as Affected by 1-Methylcyclopropene during Cold Storage and Shelf Life

‘Passe-Crassane’ is a winter pear which requires a cold storage period to produce ethylene and properly ripen. In this study, the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene perception inhibitor, were studied during cold storage (30, 60, 90, and 135 days) and shelf life at 20 8 C (30 days) of ‘Passe-Crassane’ pears. Ethylene accumulation was monitored and quality parameters were measured. Oxidative stress of fruitwas estimated by measuring lipid peroxidation. The cell antioxidant status was assayed determining ascorbic acid (AsA) content and the activities of the enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehyroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and glutathione reductase (GR) involved in its oxidation and recycling. AsA content was positively affected by higher temperature (20 8 C) and by 1-MCP after 90 days of storage. This effect was more evident after shelf life. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) increased in pears kept at 20 8 C and in treated pears, starting from 60 days of cold storage and remained elevated after shelf life. Although during storage 1-MCP enhanced the activities of APX and DHAR only at 90 days, after shelf life the effect on APX, MDHAR, and DHAR activities was more pronounced and enzyme activities were higher in treated pears sampled after 60 and 90 days ofstorage. Theresultsindicate that1-MCPhasabeneﬁcial
Choice of a family planning outlet in urban areas: The role of distance and quality of services in Kenya and Uganda

Introduction Quality of care and physical access to health facilities affect facility choice for family planning (FP). These factors may disproportionately impact young contraceptive users. Understanding which components of service quality drive facility choice among contraceptive users of all ages can inform strategies to strengthen FP programming for all potential users of FP. Methods This study uses data from Population Services International's Consumer's Market for Family Planning (CM4FP) project, to examine drivers of facility choice among female FP users. The data collected from female contraceptive users, the outlet where they obtained their contraceptive method, and the complete set of alternative outlets in select urban areas of Kenya and Uganda were used. We use a mixed logit model, with inverse probability weights to correct for selection into categories of nonuse and missing facility data. We consider results separately for youth (18–24) and women aged 25–49 in both countries. Results We find that in both countries and across age groups, users were willing to travel further to public outlets and to outlets offering more methods. Other outlet attributes, including signage, pharmacy, stockouts, and provider training, were important to women in certain age groups or country. Discussion These results shed light on what components of service quality drive outlet choice among young and older users and can inform strategies to strengthen FP programming for all potential users of FP in urban settings.
Diagnostic Potential of Three Antigens from Geographically Different Regions of the World for the Diagnosis of Ovine Johne’s Disease in India

Cross reactivity of three antigens of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis with sera of sheep endemic for Johne’s disease was evaluated. Out of 40 sheep tested by fecal microscopy, 72.5% were shedding MAP. Using protoplasmic antigens (PPA) from three MAP strains isolated from different livestock species and geographical regions, 90, 77.5 and 2.5% sheep were positive in goat (Indigenous g-ELISA) and cattle (b-ELISA) based ELISA kits and ELISA kit for small ruminant (sr-ELISA), respectively. Only 2.5 and 10% sheep were positive and negative in all the four tests. Native species specific (goat origin novel ‘Indian Bison Type’ MAP) semi-purified whole cell PPA based ELISA (Indigenous g-ELISA) was superior in reacting with sera of native sheep than the commercial PPA of bovine origin (Allied Monitor Inc., USA) and commercial ELISA kit for small ruminants (ID Vet, France). Lower cross reactivity of antigens originated from US and France emphasized the need to develop tests based on local strain of MAP than strains from different livestock species and geographical regions. This is an important finding against the use of ‘Global kits’ without validating in local conditions. Study showed that kits developed from local strains of MAP were not only superior but also cost effective and will significantly contribute in programs for the control of JD in native sheep population.
Relationship between the fatty acid composition of uropygial gland secretion and blood of meat chickens receiving different dietary fats

Manipulation of the fatty acid composition of chicken feed has been shown to be effective for improving the nutritional value of chicken products. Currently, however, evaluation of the effectiveness of this approach requires invasive blood sampling or post mortem tissue sampling of the birds. Preen oil can be collected non-invasively from live birds. So this study aimed to test the hypothesis that the fatty acid composition of preen oil reflects that of the blood. Male and female meat chickens (Cobb 500) were fed a diet supplemented with 4% (w/w) flaxseed oil (high n-3 polyunsaturates) or beef tallow (mostly monounsaturates and saturates) for 6 weeks. Preen oil and whole blood samples (n = 9 birds per sex/diet treatment group) were collected freshly post mortem for fatty acid analysis. Preen oil analysis showed that ~97% of fatty acids were saturates, with a small percentage of n-6 polyunsaturates and traces of other types. There were negligible n-3 polyunsaturates in preen oil. Proportions of some saturated fatty acids were slightly, but significantly, affected by diet (C16:0 (P < 0.05) and C17:0 (P < 0.01)) or by gender (C10:0 and C18:0) (P < 0.05). Some fatty acids with odd numbers of carbon atoms (e.g. C17:0 and C19:0) were found in relatively high concentrations in preen oil, despite not being detectable in either the diet or blood. In conclusion, the fatty acid composition of preen oil does not accurately reflect the fatty acid profile of the blood; it is not, therefore, a suitable alternative for determining fatty acid status of meat chickens.
The Pollination Mechanism of Habenaria pleiophylla Hoehne & Schlechter (Orchidaceae: Orchidinae)

Pre-existing literature reports that plants of Habenaria pleiophylla Hoehne & Schlechter (Orchidaceae: Orchidinae) occurring in Eucalyptus plantations in Rio Grande do Sul (Southern Brazil) are pollinated by diurnal Nymphalid butterflies. This is surprising, since several flower features of this orchid suggest nocturnal pollination. Field evidence obtained by the authors in a natural population occurring in Ilha Do Cardoso State Park (Sao Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil) clearly demonstrated pollination by crepuscular/nocturnal Lepidoptera. Thus, the aim of this contribution is to present the first detailed description of this orchid’s pollination biology under natural conditions. H. pleiophylla flowers secrete nectar and are fragrant at dusk and during the night. Pollinators are moths of Cosmosoma auge (L. 1767) (Arctiidae) and Plusia admonens Walker, [1858] (Noctuidae, Plusiinae). Moths bore 2-9 pollinaria which adhered to the surface of their eyes. During our observations, the male efficiency factor was 1.8 (meaning that 1.8 flowers were pollinated per pollinarium removed). Individual fruiting success ranged from 61 to 100%. Possible consequences for plant reproductive success of both, flower intrinsic morphological features and pollinator behaviour are discussed. Self-pollinated flowers under epifluorescence microscopy showed normal and abundant pollen tubes, thus suggesting that flowers of H. pleiophylla may be self-compatible. To our knowledge, this is the first formal citation of H. pleiophylla for the orchid flora of Ilha do Cardoso. Unpublished, preliminary field observations made in May 1996, at Ilha do Cardoso (Parana State) suggest that short-tongued sphingid moths (Aellopos sp.) may also act as pollinators.
IN VITRO ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF SELECTED MARINE ALGAE

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Marine algae are one of the richest sources of structurally diverse natural products and possess different biological activities. In the present study, three marine algae such as Ulva lactuca, Grateloupia lithophila and Stoechospermum marginatum, were investigated for their antidiabetic potential using in vitro enzyme inhibitory assays. Among these G. lithophila shows the highest IC50 value against α-amylase (IC50 427 µg/mL) and U. lactuca shows the highest IC50 value against α-glucosidase (IC50760 µg/mL), whereas Acarbose, the positive control shows lesser inhibition against the selected marine algae. This study reveals the possible mechanisms of antidiabetic action in vitro. So the further investigation of the antidiabetic activity and identifies the hyperglycemic effect to elucidate their mode of action.
Leptospirosis in rodents from an arid environment.

: Rodents (n = 358) were trapped from 6 locations in Arizona, including 2 dairies, 2 swine raising operations, and 2 areas where domestic animal access was limited. Isolates of Leptospira interrogans serovar ballum were obtained from 3 house mice (Mus musculus) trapped in dairies. Leptospira were seen in silver-stained kidney sections of 10.4% of the rodents. The usefulness of serologic data in detecting leptospiral infection in these rodents was uncertain because so few animals yielded isolates that valid comparisons of culture positives to serologic positives were not possible. Titers greater than or equal to 1:160 were obtained to serovars autumnalis, ballum, bratislava, canicola, grippotyphosa, hardjo, icterohaemorrhagiae, and pomona. Nearly 60% of the rodents had microscopic lesions in kidneys, including 20 of 34 (59%) of those in which leptospira were seen.
On the immature stages of Psalydolytta fusca (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

— Egg masses laid by 27 females of Psalydolytta fusca (Olivier) from The Gambia contained a mean of 125.2 eggs. Mean incubation time at 27°C was 22.3 days in 19 masses that produced larvae. Within individual egg masses the hatching period extended over a period of 2-9 days (mean 5.1). Anatomical characteristics of the triungulin (first instar) larva, described in detail, confirm that Psalydolytta is an epicautine. The larva is the largest known in Meloidae and has unusually abundant setae on the dorsum of the head and body. Triungulin larvae of P. fusca and first grub larvae presumed to represent this species were found in egg pods of the grasshopper
Mechanical assessment of two hybrid plate designs for pancarpal canine arthrodesis under cyclic loading

Pancarpal canine arthrodesis (PCA) sets immobilization of all three carpal joints via dorsal plating to result in bony fusion. Whereas the first version of the plate uses a round hole (RH) for the radiocarpal (RC) screw region, its modification into an oval hole (OH) in a later version improves versatility in surgical application. The aim of this study was to mechanically investigate the fatigue life of the PCA plate types implementing these two features–PCA-RH and PCA-OH. Ten PCA-RH and 20 PCA-OH stainless steel (316LVM) plates were assigned to three study groups (n = 10). All plates were pre-bent at 20° and fixed to a canine forelimb model with simulated radius, RC bone and third metacarpal bone. The OH plates were fixed with an RC screw inserted either most proximal (OH-P) or most distal (OH-D). All specimens were cyclically tested at 8 Hz under 320 N loading until failure. Fatigue life outcome measures were cycles to failure and failure mode. Cycles to failure were higher for RH plate fixation (695,264 ± 344,023) versus both OH-P (447,900 ± 176,208) and OH-D (391,822 ± 165,116) plate configurations, being significantly different between RH and OH-D, p = 0.03. No significant difference was detected between OH-P and OH-D configurations, p = 0.09. Despite potential surgical advantages, the shorter fatigue life of the PCA-OH plate design may mitigate its benefits compared to the plate design with a round radiocarpal screw hole. Moreover, the failure risk of plates with an oval hole is increased regardless from the screw position in this hole. Based on these findings, the PCA plate with the current oval radiocarpal screw hole configuration cannot be recommended for clinical use.