Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation of Carcass Composition of Sheep, Goats and Cattle by the Urea Dilution Technique

The study involved 30 local Iraqi sheep and goats (15 each) and 10 Friesian x local dry cows. Urea Space Volume (USV) was calculated from 2 collection periods of blood samples following infusion of urea at 12 (US 12 kg) and 30 (US 30 kg) min after infusion and then as a proportion of live weight (BW) or Empty Body Weight (EBW). All animals were slaughtered within 2 d of the USV trials. Sheep recorded the highest percentage (80.57%) of carcass soft tissue followed by goat (79.10%) and cattle (77.77%). Cattle bone/meat ratio was significantly lower than that of sheep or goats. Water content of cattle soft tissue was higher (74.78%) than that of sheep (64.86%) and goats (69.76%); however, fat% showed reverse percentages (15.39% for sheep and 9.025% for cattle). The pooled regression between either BW or EBW and carcass soft tissue composition was similar. Water content indicated positive slope; whereas protein and fat showed negative slope with either BW or EBW. BW or EBW effectively predicted the amount of fat and protein in the carcass soft tissue rather than their percentages when pooled data were used. Initial Plasma Urea Concentration (PUC) mean did not differ significantly among the three studied species. All correlation coefficients between urea concentration at zero time and soft tissue composition were negative and significant except that of protein% and fat%. However, positive and significant correlation coefficients between US12 and kg of water, protein, fat and ash in carcass soft tissue (ranged 0.921-0.948) were found. US expressed as kg or % to either BW or EBW after 12 min of infusion showed higher correlation and regression coefficients than that of urea concentration at zero time with reverse direction. Correlation coefficients within each species between soft tissue compositions with urea concentration at zero time were non-significant except for protein amount of goats and ash% of cattle (p<0.05). For sheep and goats, correlation coefficients using water, fat and protein of sheep only (expressed in kilograms) and US at 12 min (kg) or as percentages to BW and EBW were highly significant (p<0.01). Cattle resulted in significant correlation values (p<0.05 and p<0.01) for water% with US at 12 min as percentages to body weight or empty body weight.
Influence of plant growth regulators on growth, yield and quality of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch) cv. Sweet Charlie

An experiment was conducted to study the effectiveness of foliar spray of gibberellic acid at (25, 50 and 75 ppm), triacontanol (1.25, 2.5 and 5 ppm) and cycocel (300, 600 and 900 ppm) on strawberry cv. Sweet Charlie. The results revealed that plants treated with 75 ppm gibberellic acid showed an increase in all the vegetative characteristics of plants viz., plant height (46.10 cm), petiole length (15.53 cm), number of leaves (15.54), plant spread (29.40 cm) and leaf area index (0.816), while highest number of fruits (23.31), yield (376.69 g/plant), yield per hectare (27.90 tonnes), length:diameter ratio of fruit (1.50), specific gravity (1.28%), pH value of fruits (3.69), and cost benefit ratio were recorded with triacontanol 5 ppm treated plants. The plants treated with 900 ppm cycocel showed the highest T.S. S. (9.630B), total sugar (9.40%), vitamin-C content (55.00 mg/100g), juice content (93.66%) and lowest acidity (0.52%). The spray of 75 ppm gibberellic acid is best for vegetative growth, while 900 ppm cycocel showed best result for fruit quality of strawberry.
THE IMPACT OF THE SPORTY PERFORMANCE MOTIVATION THROUGH GAMES WITH THE EXERCISE OF SPORTS SKILLS FOR GIRL STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The purpose of this study was to investigate the motivation of sports participation in sixth grade girl student’s elementary school by providing various games and exercises students in one of the Tehran elementary schools during the academic year of 95-96, which selected randomly between 60 persons of sixth grade students in this school with the average 12 years old. In this research, a standardized questionnaire (PMQ) was used to evaluate sporty performance motivation that in the two stages before and after the implementation of the selected games. Selected games were performed by experimental group for 8 weeks. In this study, 4 subscales of Situational factors, skill development, friendship and, fun were evaluated. Also, we used Levin test for evaluating consistency of variance in two groups and ANOVA test for evaluating differences of changes in two groups and removing the effects of the pretest. The results of the study indicated that there was a significant difference between the two experimental and control groups in the post-test of 4 subscales by modifying pre-test effects. Therefore, the results of this research showed a significant relationship to doing various physical activities on sporty performance motivation in sixth-grade students.
Nutritive, Fermentative and Environmental Characteristics of Silage of Two Industrial Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica) By-products for Ruminant Feed

Boiled full inflorescences (BB) and Raw stems (RB) of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica), as industrial by-products, were ensiled in laboratory-scale silos and were sampled at different times. To evaluate its suitability as feed, the fermentative, chemical and different pesticide parameters were determined. The environmental pollution effect and the volume of released effluent were determined too and the effluent prediction equation was estimated. Both by-products presented high moisture content initial (73.2 and 103.9 g kg -1 DM in RB and BB, respectively) and they produced a very high effluent volume, BB released 78.97 and RB 285.65 mL kg -1 , respectively. The best equation to predict the effluent production was the reciprocal model (r 2 = 0.920) from where can be seen that small increases on moisture content can produce very important elevations on effluent production. Both silages showed that effluent had strong potential pollution (22.97 and 39.06 gO2 L -1 of BOD, respectively). Levels of different pesticides were not found in BB or RB silages. The by-products showed that can be effectively ensiled under laboratory conditions. © 2014 Friends Science Publishers
SPATIOTEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF TEMPERATE LAKE MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES: DETECTION OF IMPACT

Field assessments of environmental impacts often are confounded by at- tempts to isolate effects of interest (perturbation-induced impacts) from noise introduced by natural spatial and temporal variability. Detection of impact often is constrained by variability of the data, the number of independent samples, the magnitude of impact to be detected, and statistical assumptions. Analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of macroinvertebrate indicator metrics of 16 Swedish lakes, situated in the boreo-nemoral ecoregion, revealed that standardized effect sizes (i.e., effect sizes expressed in standard deviation units) and estimates of statistical power varied markedly among habitats and with choice of indicator metric. In general, indicator metrics relying on measures of the number of taxa (taxon richness, diversity, and ASPT, average score per taxon), and pollution-specific metrics relying on taxon tolerance to pollution (acidification index) had higher standardized effect size and greater statistical power (primarily due to lower variability) than did measures of macroinvertebrate density and biomass. Indicator metrics for macroinvertebrate com- munities of sublittoral habitats often revealed greater standardized effect sizes and statistical power estimates than did metrics for profundal habitats, indicating that sublittoral habitats may provide more robust estimates of acidification stress. The greatest standardized effect occurred for the pollution-specific acidification index of littoral habitats. Selecting indicator metrics for field assessment of impact should be carefully done, and in particular, more focus should be placed on evaluating the robustness of indicator metrics by analyzing indicator metric variance, expected effect size, and statistical power.
Effects of Temperature on Development and Reproduction of a Predatory Beetle, Nephus includens Kirsch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) 1

The effect of different temperatures on some biological prop- erties of Nephus includens Kirsch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was investi- gated. This species is one of the most important predators of Planococcus citri Risso (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). The development time, mortality and fe- cundity were determined at constant temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C and at the variable temperatures, 25-35°C (12 hours 25°C, 12 hours 35°C). Life tables were also constructed for 25, 30, 35, and 25-35°C. The mortality was lower and the mean generation time was shorter at 30°C than at all other temperatures except 35°C. The intrinsic rate of increase was the highest at 30°C (0.081), followed by 0.076 at 25-35°C. The net reproductive rate was higher at 25-35°C than at 30°C. From biological data and population growth parameters calculated from the life tables, 30°C and 25-35°C were determined to be the most suitable temperatures for mass rearing of Nephus includens. However, mass rearing at a temperature as high as 35°C could cause deterio- ration of sprouted potatoes on which the citrus mealybug is reared. Therefore, 30°C would be better than 25-35°C.
Controlling Californian thistle (Cirsium arvense) through pasture management.

The impact of grazing pasture to different heights on the development of Californian thistle ( Cirsium arvense) was simulated over two years in container trials. Californian thistle field densities were simulated by transplanting seedlings into perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) that had been sown at 20 and 5 kg/ha respectively. In a high fertility situation adding fertiliser did not influence Californian thistle development in the pasture sward. Californian thistle grown without companion ryegrass and white clover grew the best, reaching the highest levels of biomass (shoot and root material) and number of shoots (supra and subterranean). Californian thistle grown with the highest level of pasture competition fared the worst with the lowest level of biomass and number of shoots. The results show that grazing to a higher residual severely reduces Californian thistle growth and is a useful tool to assist in the control of Californian thistle.
Performance of bottle gourd genotypes under hot arid environment

Twenty-four genotypes of bottle gourd (standard cultivars, lines, F1 hybrids and F2 segregants) were evaluated for yield potential during rainy season of 1996 and summer season of 1997. Among F2, segregants of P1 × P4 and P1 × P2 combination: F1 hybrid of P1 × P4 cross and open-pollinated cultivar Pusa Naveen had potential for earliness, number of marketable fruits and fruit yield under high temperature and extremes of climatic conditions of hot arid environment. In these genotypes, number of fruits and fruit yield/plant (kg) were respectively 8.55 and 8.05; 7.06 and 6.03; 8.02 and 7.41; and 6.37 and 5.70. The promising F2 segregants are under advanced generation testing along with their parents and F1 cross combinations.
Distribution and feeding ecology of Raja radiata in the northeastern North Sea and Skagerrak (Norwegian Deep)

The distribution and feeding ecology of Raja radiata in the deeper parts of the northeastern North Sea and Skagerrak (i.e. the Norwegian Deep) are described from data obtained from research cruises in 1984–1987 and 1995–1996. R. radiata was found in the entire area but was particularly abundant in the Skagerrak. The larger individuals were most abundant in waters less than 300 m but there were indications of a movement towards deeper waters in winter. The comparatively shallow areas off the west coast of Norway are probably used as nurseries. Maturity was attained from a total length of 45 cm onwards in both males and females. The diet of juveniles and adolescents consisted mainly of polychaetes and crangonid shrimps. Upon reaching maturity, a major diet shift to fish, larger shrimps and squat lobsters (Munida) occurred. 2000 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Consumer Knowledge of Nutritional Attributes of Pecans and Factors Affecting Purchasing Behavior

A study was conducted among the attendees of the Annual Texas Master Gardener Conference held in College Station, TX, in May 2006. Participants were asked to complete a 31-question survey to understand their knowledge of the nutritional attributes and storage guidelines of pecans (Carya illinoinensis). A total of 177 attendees completed the survey, corresponding to 32.2% of the total number of conference attendees. Participants were asked to complete the survey to test their nutritional knowledge, purchasing attitude, consumption, and storage preferences of pecans (23 questions). The remaining eight questions requested biographical and demographical information. Results revealed that taste was the main reason people ate pecans followed by the perception of eating something healthy. Over four-fifths of survey respondents knew that pecans contain heart-healthy fats and proteins. Approximately one-half of the respondents were aware that pecans are a source of minerals and antioxidants. However, 86.9% of the respondents believed that consuming pecans could lead to an increase in the levels of low-density lipoprotein (‘‘bad’’) cholesterol, which is opposite of what was reported by clinical studies. Over one-third of the respondents did not think that pecans require refrigeration to maintain flavor. Moreover, over half of the respondents did not believe that pecans store better if kept in the shell. Although the sample was limited because it was one of convenience, in general, respondents had good eating habits and a very positive attitude toward pecans. However, more educational programs are necessary to inform them about the health properties and proper storage methods of pecans.
Variation in sexual dimorphism in nonmarine Calanoid copepods and its ecological significance

Significant differences exist in the degree of sexual dimorphism in a series of closely related nonmarine calanoid copepods. Strongest dimorphism is found in species that occur exclusively in temporary waters. No species known only from permanent waters is strongly dimorphic except where it typically occurs as the sole calanoid in such waters. It is suggested that, in situations where interspecific competition is likely to be minimal, pronounced sexual dimorphism enhances efficiency of food exploitation by allowing the consumption of an exceptionally wide range of particle sizes.
Benthic macroinvertebrate biomass and wildfires: evidence for enrichment of boreal subarctic lakes

1 We quantified the effects of forest fire on littoral benthic macroinvertebrate biomass on a boreal subarctic plateau in Alberta, Canada. Water chemistry and benthos were collected from six lakes, 1 and 2 years following a 1995 fire which burned about 91% of their catchments (i.e. recently burnt lakes), and from four other lakes whose catchments burned between 1961 and 1985 (i.e. previously burnt lakes). Seven lakes whose catchments had not burned since at least 1957 served as reference systems. 2 Total benthic macroinvertebrate biomass and biomass of Chironomidae were 1.5-and 2-fold (P < 0.05) greater within recently burnt lakes than in reference systems, whereas the biomass of Oligochaeta (P =0.06) and Amphipoda (P = 0.07) were marginally higher in burnt than reference lakes. Burnt lakes had greater colour (P < 0.05) and marginally (P = 0.06) higher concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus than reference lakes. 3 Nutrient diffusing substrata deployed in a previously and a recently burnt lake indicated that littoral epilithic communities were co-limited by the availability of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), although co-limitation was stronger in the previously burnt than the recently burnt lake. Epilithic chlorophyll a on natural stone surfaces in the recently burnt lake was also 3.5 times higher (P < 0.05) than that from the previously burnt lake. 4 Among all 17 lakes, total benthic biomass and biomass of Chironomidae, Amphipoda and Nematoda, were significantly (P < 0.05) or marginally (P = 0.06) related to soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) but not dissolved inorganic nitrogen or colour. These regressions explained between 11% and 64% of variation in benthic biomasses. 5 linear regressions and second-order polynomials explained 18% and 24% of the variation in concentrations of SRP and water colour with time since fire, respectively, and between 22% and 70% of variation in total biomass and biomass of the five dominant invertebrate groups. These analyses suggest that benthic biomasses continue to be elevated for about 15-20 years following fire before declining to pre-disturbance levels.
Annual burning decreases seed density in the upper soil layers of the seed bank

The seed bank records the plant-life history of the prairie and is a source of regeneration following disturbance. Prairie flora have adapted and evolved unique responses to the periodic presence of fire. In order to determine the effects of burning on the seed bank and the prairie in general, we germinated soil samples from burned and unburned plots in a tallgrass prairie at CERA. We recorded the total number of seedlings, number of monocot individuals, number of dicot individuals, and number of morphospecies found in the upper (0-5 cm) and lower (5-10 cm) layers of soil within burn and no burn plots. Our research indicated that the number of viable seeds and the abundance of dicots varied significantly with burning. Although we hypothesized that burning would increase seed bank density because fire bolsters plant reproductive capacity, thus increasing seed bank input, we found that burning actually decreases the number of viable seeds in the seed bank. We attribute this to two important consequences of fire—opening of the canopy and lethal temperatures. Our results suggest that burning promotes diversity of plant species above ground while reducing viable seed density in the upper layers of the seed bank.
Litter dwelling mygalomorph spiders (Araneae: Microstigmatidae, Nemesiidae) from Araucaria forests in southern Brazil, with the description of five new species

Six mygalomorph spiders species belonging to two families, were collected in the Centro de Pesquisa e Conservacao da Natureza Pro-Mata, Sao Francisco de Paula, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Five of those species, five are new. Microstigmatidae: Xenonemesia araucaria sp. nov., males differ from those of X. platensis Goloboff, 1988 and X. otti Indicatti, Lucas & Brescovit, 2007 by the curved and very long embolus in the male palp. Females differ from the remaining species of the genus in the seminal receptacle very long and sinuous or twisted. Nemesiidae: Acanthogonatus ericae sp. nov. - males resemble those of A. tacuariensis (Perez-Miles & Capocasale, 1982) and A. quilocura Goloboff, 1995 by the serrated, curved and long embolus but are distinguished by the presence of a flange on the apex of the embolus. Females differ from the remaining Acanthogonatus by the short copulatory ducts, arising from the apex of the basal dome. Stenoterommata arnolisei sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining species of the genus by the large sub-apical area of bulb, with a great number of keels, extending to the median region in the male palp and by the long copulatory ducts and spermathecae arising from internal border of basal dome in the female genitalia. S. grimpa sp. nov.: males resemble those of S. arnolisei sp. nov. by the shape of the palpal bulb and by the short embolus, but differ in the keels, restricted to the apical region. Females differ from remaining Stenoterommata by the presence of two spermathecae in the rounded fused basal dome. S. curiy sp. nov.: males resemble those of S. grimpa sp. nov. by the shape of palpal bulb and the very short embolus, but differ by the translucid keels restricted to the larger distal region. The presence of S. palmar Goloboff, 1995 is confirmed for Brazil. Males of S. palmar are distinguished from the remaining species of the genus by the long, slender and slightly distally curved embolus. Females are distinguished by the single spermathecae arising from the basal third or median area of the long and triangular basal dome. All spiders were collected with pitfall trapping at six distinct areas (two Araucaria forest areas, two secondary forests and two Pinus spp. Silvicultural plantations) over a period of 20 months. Abundance data between areas was compared for S. arnolisei sp. nov. and X. araucaria sp. nov. based on the mean catches of spiders in each area. No clear habitat preference was shown for each of the species, suggesting broad habitat tolerances. Phenological data were obtained through the abundance in each trapping period; results suggest an overwintering reproductive pattern for S. arnolisei sp. nov. and a spring-summer pattern for X. araucaria sp. nov.
Population structure of Hylobates concolor in Bawanglin Nature Reserve, Hainan, China

The Hainan gibbon continues to survive in Bawanglin Nature Reserve in four social groups totalling 21 individuals. Twelve births have occurred since 1982, and 11 of these individuals survive in 1989. Only three of these 12 births have been females, however. The total female population consists of 6 adult females, two of which are at least 19 years old, and three juvenile females born since 1985. Two of the four social groups have only one adult female each and no juvenile females. All four groups are well protected, but their survival is precarious.
THE RESPONSE OF PLASMA INSULIN AND OTHER HORMONES TO INTRARUMINAL INFUSION OF VFA MIXTURES IN CATTLE

A VFA mixture was formulated which, when infused into the rumen, duplicated the effects on plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations of feeding a hay and grain ration. When VFA were omitted serially from the mixture, only omission of propionate resulted in a major reduction in insulin concentration. Key words: Cattle, insulin, VFA
Character evolution in heterotrophic euglenids

This article attempts to describe the key morphological innovations associated with the evolutionary transitions between bacteriotrophy, eukaryotrophy, phototrophy, and osmotrophy in euglenids. Attention was focused on heterotrophic euglenids in an effort to establish a robust phylogenetic hypothesis for the group as a whole. We present a cladistic analysis of a large morphological data set from the following taxa: Petalomonas, Entosiphon, Lentomonas, Ploeotia, Dinema, Distigma, Rhabdomonas, Menoidium, Peranema, Urceolus, Eutreptia, and Euglena. The majority of the 37 characters and 97 states recognized were associated with the pellicle, the feeding apparatus, and the flagellar apparatus. In addition to having pellicle strips, Petalomonas cantuscygni possessed mitochondrial inclusions that were strikingly similar to the kinetoplasts found in kinetoplastids. Dinema sulcatum held a pivotal position in the phylogenetic tree and possessed many characters that bridged bacteriotrophic taxa with eukaryotrophic taxa. Distigmids and rhabdomonads formed a clade of osmotrophs that descended from eukaryotrophic ancestors, while Urceolus cyclostomus possessed a feeding apparatus, a putative photoreception apparatus and cytoskeletal features that clearly linked the phototrophs to eukaryotrophic ancestors. Evolutionary implications that emerged from these results were discussed.