Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibin/Activin βB-Subunit Expression in Pheochromocytomas Favors Benign Diagnosis1

Malignancy of pheochromocytomas is difficult to estimate on the basis of histopathological features. Good prognostic markers are not available. In our search for new markers to differentiate malignant pheochromocytomas from benign ones we tested the value of inhibin/activin subunit expression. Inhibins are heterodimeric glycoproteins consisting of an alpha-subunit and either a betaA- or a betaB-subunit. Activins are composed of beta-subunits only. Immunohistochemically inhibin/activin betaB-subunit was strongly positive in the normal adrenal medulla, but the cortex was negative. A striking difference was found in inhibin/activin betaB expression between benign and malignant pheochromocytomas. The majority of benign adrenal tumors (27 of 30) showed strong or moderate immunoreactivity, whereas all seven malignant tumors were negative or only weakly positive for inhibin/activin betaB-subunit. The percentage of positively staining cells varied greatly in extraadrenal pheochromocytomas and in those benign tumors that showed over 5 mitoses/10 high power fields, necrosis, or capsular or vascular invasion, here called borderline tumors. Inhibin/activin betaB messenger ribonucleic acid was also found in pheochromocytomas. However, no significant differences in messenger ribonucleic acid levels were found in various types of tumors. Weak immunohistochemical positivity for inhibin/activin betaA-subunit was detected in the adrenal cortex, but the medulla and most of the pheochromocytomas were negative. Our data show that inhibin/activin betaB-subunit is expressed in normal adrenal medullary cells. Strong staining is found in most benign adrenal pheochromocytomas, whereas malignant tumors are almost negative. This suggests that loss of inhibin/activin betaB-subunit expression in pheochromocytomas may be used as an indicator of malignant potential.
Inheritance and Relationships of Workability Traits and Yield for Holsteins

Abstract Scores for eight subjectively scored management traits (disposition, milking speed, udder, feet, legs, trouble-free workability, producer-coded yield, and overall satisfaction) were collected by Eastern AI Cooperative, Ithaca, NY for the Dairyman Workability Evaluation Program. Two traits (trouble-free workability and overall satisfaction) were scored by dairy producers on a five-point scale, and the other six traits were scored on a three-point scale. Repeatability of scores from first lactation to second lactation ranged from . 37 (milking speed) to . 50 (feet and overall satisfaction). Heritability for milking speed (.18) was higher than previous estimates and suggested potential for meaningful response to selection. Heritability of disposition was low (.10) but similar to previous estimates. Trouble-free workability had heritability of . 11. Estimates for the other five traits were all ≤. 08. Genetic correlations were positive between FCM and milking speed (.30), trouble-free workability (.25), producer-scored yield (.69), and overall satisfaction (.69). Owner satisfaction, as a trait, combined yield and nonyield factors; however, low heritability and high genetic correlation with FCM suggest that owner satisfaction provides little additional opportunity for genetic improvement of dairy cattle.
The occurrence of commensal rodents in dwellings as revealed by the 1996 English House Condition Survey

Summary 1 The presence of commensal rodents was assessed in the 1996 English House Condition Survey (EHCS). Logistic regression techniques were used to identify the key factors that might determine the susceptibility of dwellings to infestation. 2 The overall percentages of dwellings that were infested, weighted to allow for the more intensive sampling used in certain categories of dwellings, were 1·83% for mice Mus domesticus, 0·23% for rats Rattus norvegicus living indoors and 1·60% for rats living outdoors. These figures excluded vacant properties, properties with some commercial use, and purpose-built flats, as these groups showed different patterns of infestation and were therefore excluded from the logistic regressions. 3 The prevalence of both rats and mice was significantly greater for dwellings where pets or livestock were kept in the garden. 4 Dwellings classed as unfit for human habitation were more likely to be infested with mice. 5 Dwellings in areas of low-density housing had a significantly higher prevalence of both rat and mouse infestation. This probably reflects the general suitability of the rural environment for commensal rodents. 6 Older properties had a relatively high prevalence of rats. This may be because their mature gardens provided suitable habitats for colonization. Once other confounding factors were taken into account, the age of the property did not influence the rate of infestation by mice. 7 Dwellings in areas with substantial problems, such as dereliction, litter, vacant properties and unkempt gardens, had a significantly higher prevalence of rats and mice. 8 This study reveals the value of applied ecological techniques, including logistic regression of presence–absence data, in understanding the distribution of commensal rodents in relation to dwellings, with the prospect of more effective management practices being developed as a consequence.
Yield and Nutrient Export of Grain Corn Fertilized with Raw and Treated Liquid Swine Manure

Treatment of liquid swine manure (LSM) is an option to improve nutrient management. Mineral fertilizer, raw LSM, and LSM treated by anaerobic digestion, flocculation, filtration, or natural decantation were sidedressed (100 kg N ha -1 ) to grain corn (Zea mays L.) on a clay and a loam soil. Over 3 yr, corn grain yield (6 to 11 Mg ha -1 ), N export (83 to 176 kg ha -1 ), and P export (19 to 40 kg ha -1 ) were similar among LSM types and between LSMs and mineral fertilizer. This was attributed to the immediate incorporation of LSM to minimize N volatilization. Treated LSMs reduced P input to soil by 3 to 24 kg ha -1 , compared with raw LSM. This reduced corn P export by 2 to 4 kg ha -1 on the clay soil, but had no effect on the loam soil. Soil NO 3 content after harvest was higher with the mineral fertilizer (19-31 kg NO 3 -N ha -1 ) than with LSMs (13-20 kg NO 3 -N ha -1 ) in the clay soil, but was similar for all treatments in the loam soil. We conclude that when sidedressed to corn and immediately incorporated, raw and treated LSMs have a fertilizer value similar to the mineral fertilizer. Moreover, the risk ofpostharvest NO 3 accumulation with the raw and treated LSMs was similar to mineral fertilizer on the loam and lower on the clay.
Cultivar differences in nitrogen translocation in wheat

The translocation efficiency of plant nitrogen to the grain was examined in six lines of bread wheat (Tvtticum aestivum L.) under four levels of soil nitrogen (48, 556, 810 and 1065 ppm). Translocation efficiency, both within the primary tiller and within the whole plant, was significantly different between cultivars; the within-tiller value was higher than the corresponding whole-plant value for each cultivar. There were marked differences in trends in translocation efficiency between certain cultivars as the soil nitrogen availability increased. A reasonably close positive correlation (r = + 0.74, P < 0.01) existed between the within-tiller and whole-plant values for translocation efficiency over the four nitrogen levels. It is suggested that wheat breeders use within-main-tiller translocation efficiency of nitrogen, in parental or crossbred selection to increase grain nitrogen yield in wheat. Because nitrogen translocation efficiency varied with soil nitrogen level, such selection would need to be conducted under soil nitrogen levels appropriate to field conditions. The relationship between total plant dry matter and total grain nitrogen across cultivars and nitrogen levels was not close (r = +0.41, P < 0.01), which suggests that a good potential exists for selecting for increased total grain nitrogen levels in wheat at existing levels of total dry matter production. The implications of these findings for further genetic and biochemical study of nitrogen metabolism in wheat, are outlined.
PESQUISA DE SALMONELLA EM MUTUNS (Mitu mitu) MANTIDOS EM CATIVEIRO

We collected 50 samples of curasow feces from the Scientific and Cultural Breeding Center in the city of Pocos de Caldas. The samples were enriched in broth medium Tetrationato and Cystine-selenite and plated on Salmonella Shigella (SS), Mac Conkey (MC), endo-C (EC), Brilliant Green (VB) and Eosyn Methilen Blue EMB, remaining at 37 °C for 24h. Colonies suspected of Salmonella were inoculated in tubes containing Agar Triple Sugar Iron (TSI) and again incubated at 37 oC for 24h. Tubes with characteristic growth were submitted to slide agglutination test with polyvalent somatic and flagellar serum. The medium SS, MC and VB were the most efficient for growing, and 36% of samples were positive for Salmonella spp. As birds are important reservoirs of Salmonella spp and it may represent a high risk to human health, there is a need to implement a cleaning routine in enclosures avoiding contamination between the enclosures and the consequent entrainment of these micro-organisms, by the keepers until their homes or other venues. The presence of Salmonella in breeding centers may be responsible for lower hatchability of eggs, undermining the purpose of the entity, which is to study and maintain the various birds species. Keywords: curassows; feces; microbiological culture; Salmonella.
Stress perception and response in a facultative halophyte: the regulation of salinity-induced genes in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

The facultative halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant) shifts from C3 to CAM photosynthesis in response to water stress. The switch to CAM can also be induced by high salinity, presumably because osmotic stress causes water loss from leaf and stem tissues. A number of mRNAs (Ppc1, Imt1, B5 and Gpd1) that encode proteins involved in different biochemical pathways accumulate in M. crystallinum leaf tissues when plants are salt-stressed. We hypothesized that environmental challenges that result in water stress invoke a common mechanism that triggers the coordinated induction of mRNAs involved in different aspects of the ice plant's adaptive stress response. Nuclear run-on experiments indicated that Ppc1, Imt1, B5 and Gpd1 are all transcriptional I y activated in salt-stressed leaf tissue. However, a comparison of Ppc1, Imt1, and B5 transcript levels after exposure of plants to growth regulators (6-benzylamino purine and abscisic acid) and to different environmental stress treatments that affect plant water status (drought, low temperature and salinity) indicated that, despite the coordinated transcriptional activation of these genes during salt stress, their repsonses to other stimuli that also upset water balance are not the same. Our results are consistent with a model involving multiple control mechanisms governing stress perception and molecular response in the ice plant.
The relationship of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) to tidal datums: A review

An analysis of data relatingSpartina alterniflora Loisel. to tidal elevations along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts demonstrated that although this species is primarily confined to the intertidal zone, its elevational limits. of occurrence do not correspond to a consistent elevation relative to a tidal datum in all marsh locations. The variation in the vertical distribution of this species reported among marsh studies was attributed primarily to differences in mean tide range (MTR). A positive correlation between MTR and elevational growth range (r=0.91) demonstrated that theSpartina alterniflora zone expands with increasing tidal amplitude. Differences in MTR among marsh locations accounted for 70 and 68% of the statistical variation in the upper and lower limits, respectively, ofS. alterniflora growth. Among marshes of similar tidal amplitudes, the upper limit of occurrence ofS. alterniflora in northern marshes was significantly lower than that in marshes at lower latitudes. These results, in combination with regional differences in plant species distribution across the upper intertidal zone, suggested that some of the variation in the upper limit was due to latitudinal differences in growth conditions and/or differences in interspecific competition. Local and regional differences in other factors such as salinity, nutrients, or physical disturbance may have also contributed to the variation in the limits of growth relative to a tidal plane within and among marshes.
Integrating species and habitat data for nature conservation in Great Britain: data sources and methods

Summary 1.Britain is unusual in the quantity and quality of species and habitat data available, at both national and regional scales. This paper reviews the sources, coverage and quality of these data. 2.Habitat and species data are used by conservation agencies in England, Scotland and Wales for site selection and for monitoring habitat quality. The paper argues, however, that neither habitat data nor species distribution data on their own are sufficient to locate and monitor habitats for nature conservation purposes effectively. 3.Differences in sampling methodologies between habitat and species surveys present methodological difficulties for the development of an integrated monitoring system that uses both types of data. These problems need to be overcome if habitat and species data are to be used more effectively for nature conservation in the wider countryside. 4.A more integrated system based on the concept of biotope occupancy is proposed and discussed. The implementation of the system would assist with understanding those factors that explain observed patterns in species distribution and diversity, thereby helping to improve the effectiveness of policies for nature conservation.
New seed morphological features in Moehringia L. (Caryophyllaceae) and their taxonomic and ecological significance

Abstract Seeds of 27 species of Moehringia and four related representatives of Arenaria (old M. sect. Pseudomoehringia) were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Novel morphological features were observed in addition to those found in a previous similar study. The new information thus obtained provided new insight into the taxonomic value of discrete morphological characters considered in a recent phylogenetic context. Main Moehringia sections are undoubtedly defined by different types of strophioles, and by the corresponding testa cell features. This study also shows the different ontogenesis of hilar appendages previously attributed to Iberian taxa, now belonging to Arenaria. In addition to phylogenetic differences, ecology seems to play a role in the differentiation of seed morphological features with clear convergences among plants living on cliffs.
An Experimentally Determined Persistence-Rate Correction Factor for Scat-Based Abundance Indices

Abstract Indices or density estimators derived from counts of scat can be used as indirect measures of animal population density. An important issue in these studies is that scat decay rates vary across habitats and seasons. This is an often overlooked source of bias when using scat-based indices to make comparisons of relative abundance among sites or over time. I propose a simple method by which experimentally determined scat-persistence rates can be used as a correction factor in such indices. This measured persistence rate also serves as an important parameter in models that convert scat count data into population estimators. I test this method in a relative abundance survey of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) for 6 sites across 2 national parks in northern Thailand. Using the correction factor changed the qualitative predictions of the abundance survey by altering the rank of the sites ordered by estimated sambar density. The ratio of corrected:uncorrected index values, which would stay constant across sites if there was no habitat-based variability in scat-persistence rates, changed by a factor of 2.7 when measured across sites and by 1.6 when measured across parks. This suggests that the application of persistence-rate correction factors could reduce the bias of scat-based index or estimator surveys by specifically accounting for decay rate variability.
Seasonal and interannual variations in diatom assemblages in Murray River connected wetlands in north-west Victoria, Australia

Epipelic diatom assemblages collected from three wetlands connected to the Murray River displayed considerable variation in response to flooding and drying phases. Murray River water input usually generated diatom assemblages dominated by Aulacoseira species. After isolation, the diatom flora of two wetlands shifted to assemblages of small Fragilariaceae forms. Elevated nutrient levels corresponded with the appearance of eutraphentic taxa such as Cyclotella meneghiniana, Eolimna subminuscula, Luticola mutica and Nitzschia palea. Further evapoconcentration induced shifts to taxa tolerant of elevated salinity levels including Amphora coffeaeformis, Navicula incertata, Staurophora salina and Tryblionella hungarica. Ordination analyses reveal a strong chemical control on the diatom taxa present in the wetlands, in accordance with known ecological preferences for salinity and nutrients. The influence of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in controlling diatom assemblages was subordinate to salinity once conductivity values exceeded 1400 μS cm–1. The results of such biomonitoring provide a means of interpreting wetland history from fossil assemblages contained in sediment sequences.
DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE SUBSTRATOS NAS COLÔNIAS DE Atta laevigata (F. Smith, 1858) (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)

Substrate distribution in was studied two adult leaf cutting ant Atta laevigata (F. Smith, 1858) colonies (L-1 and L-2), with 26.10 and 31.30 m2 areas of refuse soil. Some nest holes were mapped through the use of baits made of small plastic straws soaked with citric pulp. Three holes, equidistant from one another, were then selected for nest L-1, and a single hole in nest L-2. Blue-, yellow - and red-colored citric baits, and yellow baits plus corn, were placed in nests L-1 and L-2, respectively. After 24 hours from the deposition of the baits, the colonies were killed and totally excavated. During digging, the presence or absence of dye baits in the chambers containing fungi, was registered. It was observed that the baits were distributed in all sectors of L-1 and L-2 nests and in all depths only for L-1. However, the dyed baits of L-2 nest were detected from 1 to 4 meters deep, independently of the places where the baits were disposed. Thus, it can be concluded that toxic baits placed in a single supply-hole of a colony are uniformly distributed inside the nest.
Composition of Gases in Intercellular Spaces of Apples and Potatoes

During a study of the ripening processes in fruits, and the chemical and physiological changes associated with them, the question has arisen as to what may be the composition of the gas in the intercellular spaces. The gas within the tissues constitutes in part the medium in which the processes associated with the life of an organism take place. It is only reasonable to suppose that the composition of this medium may exert some influence upon the rate or nature of the changes taking place. The difficulty of extracting the gases from the interior of the tissues is probably responsible for the fact that plant physiologists have almost entirely neglected studies along this line. GERBER (5) reports work of FREMY published in i840 and i86o, in which the gas contained in apples was analyzed at intervals during their development and ripening. He found oxygen more abundant in the green fruit, the amount decreasing as the fruit matured on the tree. We have, however, no critical studies upon the internal gases of plant tissues. An apparatus has been devised for obtaining a sample of the gas from within the tissues, without contamination with air. It is the purpose of this preliminary report to describe the apparatus and methods of sampling, together with the data secured, in order that they may be available to workers along related lines.
Lactation curves of different cattle breeds under cooperative dairying conditions in Bangladesh

This study was undertaken to compare and evaluate the parameters of 10 different mathematical models for their predictive ability in describing the lactation curves for daily milk yield of different genotypes under cooperative dairying in Bangladesh. A database consisting of 7340 herd-test records from 738 cows over the period 1999–2001 was assembled. Breed combinations included Pabna cattle, Australian-Friesian-Sahiwal×Pabna, Holstein×Pabna, Jersey×Pabna and Sahiwal×Pabna. The estimated parameters of the mathematical models, and the predicted lactation milk yields differed significantly between genotypes. The models were evaluated by four fit statistics: Akaike information criteria, coefficient of determination (R 2), root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). The AIC values indicated that the Ali model provided a good fit for all genotypes. The R 2 value suggested that the Legendre polynomial and Ali models were the best fit for all genotypes. CCC and RMSPE values indicated that the best models for all genotypes were Nelder and Wood. Since the CCC value was considered the most informative of the four fit statistics, the Nelder model was the best model to predict the full lactation profile based on test-day records for all genotypes. Using the Nelder model, the predicted 270 day milk yield of the Australian-Friesian-Sahiwal×Pabna genotype was higher (1823 kg) than the other genotypes (1509, 1650, 1531 and 1627 kg for Pabna, Australian-Friesian–Sahiwhal×Pabna, Jersey×Pabna and Sahiwal×Pabna, respectively).
Sexual maturation, adrenocortical function and population density of red-backed vole, Clethrionomys rutilus (Pall.)

Les fluctuations de densite, le taux de maturation sexuelle et la fonction adrenocorticale ont ete etudies dans une population de Clethrionomys rutilus du sud-ouest de la Siberie pendant les etes de 1984 a 1989. En 1984 et 1987, annees de pics de densites, tous les jeunes de l'annee resterent immatures. Les concentrations basales de glucocorticoides plasmatiques etaient correlees positivement avec la densite de population, et negativement avec la masse testiculaire des jeunes mâles de l'annee. Des mâles immatures mis en cages en groupes pendant 2 mois montrerent des taux eleves de glucocorticoides plasmatiques, et une masse testiculaire plus faible que des individus de meme âge juste apres leur capture. En revanche, des mâles d'annees a fortes densites mis en cage seuls montraient des masses testiculaires bien plus elevees que des mâles venant de la nature. A partir de ces resultats, nous concluons que la reponse adreno-pituitaire a l'augmentation de la densite de population est un mecanisme important de controle de la maturation sexuelle dans cette population.