Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemical Composition and Energy Value of Different Fat Sources for Growing Pigs

The chemical composition, digestibility and energy value of eight animal and vegetable fat batches was determined (animal fat, soya oil, palm oil, palm oil, palm oil mix and vegetable oil byproduct). To a basal diet, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30% dietary fat was added, and digestibility and balance experiments with each fat batch were carried out with three litters of six female pigs, weighing 50-75 kg. The digestibility was determined by multiple regression analysis. The content of HCl-extracted fat and the amount of gross energy was nearly equal for all the fat sources and as such not related to the variation in fatty acid composition or digestibility. Inclusion of soya oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, enhanced protein digestibility, whereas inclusion of the other fat sources did not influence protein digestibility. A curvilinear function of fat digestibility (% of intake) to dietary fat concentration was found, thus reflecting the significance of the endogenous fat losses on the determined digestibility value. In contrast, the relationship of digested fat (g day
Ecosystem analysis based on biomass size distributions: A case study of a plankton community in a large lake

The plankton biomass size distribution and its seasonal changes were used to estimate seasonal fluctuations of the metabolic activity of the community and of the efficiency to transfer biomass to larger sized organisms in a large and deep prealpine lake (Bodensee: Lake Constance). The efficiency of transfer of biomass from small (e.g. autotrophic) to larger (e.g. herbivorous) organisms increased considerably during the first half of the year and reached maximum values when daphnid densities were high. This trend was attributed to the different generation times of the organisms involved in the food web. The trophic transfer efficiency may depend on the predator-prey weight ratios, and the efficiency of growth and exploitation of the constituent organisms. The contribution of these factors to the overall change of the transfer efficiency was estimated from additional information on the food-web structure. The results derived from the size spectra agreed reasonably well with previous studies of single populations, suggesting that biomass size distributions may substantially contribute to ecosystem analysis. The seasonal trend in slopes of the size spectrum was related to predictions derived from conceptual models. Empirical results from Lake Constance could be reconciled with those models accounting for seasonal changes of exploitation efficiency. Inference from the size spectra supported the hypothesis that natural assemblages of pelagic bacteria are unlikely to attain the potential productivity implied by allometric relationships. Biomass size distributions provide a holistic ecosystem description that facilitates ecosystem comparisons in time and space. Biomass size distributions may also provide a tool for ecosystem analysis owing to the close relationships between body mass and metabolic processes and between body mass and related ecological properties of the organisms, especially in pelagic ecosystems (e.g. seasonal variability, type of nutrition). Total biomass tended to be approximately uniformly distributed over logarithmically equally spaced size classes in the pelagic zone of some large aquatic environments (Sheldon et al. 1972, 1977; Witek and Krajewska-Soltys 1989; Gaedke
Molecular characterization of geminivirus-derived small RNAs in different plant species

DNA geminiviruses are thought to be targets of RNA silencing. Here, we characterize small interfering (si) RNAs—the hallmarks of silencing—associated with Cabbage leaf curl begomovirus in Arabidopsis and African cassava mosaic begomovirus in Nicotiana benthamiana and cassava. We detected 21, 22 and 24 nt siRNAs of both polarities, derived from both the coding and the intergenic regions of these geminiviruses. Genetic evidence showed that all the 24 nt and a substantial fraction of the 22 nt viral siRNAs are generated by the dicer-like proteins DCL3 and DCL2, respectively. The viral siRNAs were 5′ end phosphorylated, as shown by phosphatase treatments, and methylated at the 3′-nucleotide, as shown by HEN1 miRNA methylase-dependent resistance to β-elimination. Similar modifications were found in all types of endogenous and transgene-derived siRNAs tested, but not in a major fraction of siRNAs from a cytoplasmic RNA tobamovirus. We conclude that several distinct silencing pathways are involved in DNA virus-plant interactions.
DEFCON: Generating and Detecting Failure-prone Instruction Sequences via Stochastic Search

The increased variability and adopted low supply voltages render nanometer devices prone to timing failures, which threaten the functionality of digital circuits. Recent schemes focused on developing instruction-aware failure prediction models and adapting voltage/frequency to avoid errors while saving energy. However, such schemes may be inaccurate when applied to pipelined cores since they consider only the currently executed instruction and the preceding one, thereby neglecting the impact of all the concurrently executing instructions on failure occurrence. In this paper, we first demonstrate that the order and type of instructions in sequences with a length equal to the pipeline depth affect significantly the failure rate. To overcome the practically impossible evaluation of the impact of all possible sequences on failures, we present DEFCON, a fully automated framework that stochastically searches for the most failure-prone instruction sequences (ISQs). DEFCON generates such sequences by integrating a properly formulated genetic algorithm with accurate post-layout dynamic timing analysis, considering the data-dependent path sensitization and instruction execution history. The generated micro-architecture aware ISQs are then used by DEFCON to estimate the failure vulnerability of any application. To evaluate the efficacy of the proposed framework, we implement a pipelined floating-point unit and perform dynamic timing analysis based on input data that we extract from a variety of applications consisting of up-to 43.5M ISQs. Our results show that DEFCON reveals quickly ISQs that maximize the output quality loss and correctly detects 99.7% of the actual faulty ISQs in different applications under various levels of variation-induced delay increase. Finally, DEFCON enable us to identify failure-prone ISQs early at the design cycle, and save 26.8% of energy on average when combined with a clock stretching mechanism.
Mucopolysaccharides in Animal Tumors

Summary A study was made to determine the mucopolysaccharide content of 4 types of animal tumors: Flexner-Jobling carcinoma, Walker carcinoma 256, rat fibrosarcomas, and Sarcoma 180. Of these, largest amounts of mucopolysaccharides were found in the induced fibrosarcomas and in the Flexner-Jobling carcinomas. Sarcoma 180 and Walker carcinoma 256 contained minute amounts. The mucopolysaccharides in the fibrosarcomas were shown to be hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate. In addition to these substances, the Flexner-Jobling carcinoma also contains appreciable amounts of a heparin-type compound.
Stemflow in potato crops

Interception of rain by the plant canopy and stemflow resulting in non-uniform distribution of soil water beneath the canopy has long been recognized in forest trees (Eschner, 1967). Rutter (1975) stated that stemflow may vary from quite small quantities to as much as 20% of the net rainfall and Geiger (1965) had earlier quoted data both from Ovington (1954), who found stemflow to be 0·1–0·3% of rainfall in seven forest canopies, and from Eidmann (1959) showing that a fir and a beech canopy gave 0·7 and 16·6% respectively of the average rainfall as stemflow. However, there have been few studies of the distribution of rain beneath the canopies of agricultural crops despite the implications which non-uniform distribution might have for studies of crop water and nutrients.
What drives plant biodiversity in the clay floodplain grasslands of NSW

An assessment of the relative influences of management and environment on the composition of floodplain grasslands of north-western New South Wales was made using a regional vegetation survey sampling a range of land tenures (e. g. private property, travelling stock routes and nature reserves). A total of 364 taxa belonging to 55 different plant families was recorded. Partitioning of variance with redundancy analysis determined that environmental variables accounted for a greater proportion (61.3%) of the explained variance in species composition than disturbance-related variables (37.6%). Soil type (and fertility), sampling time and rainfall had a strong influence on species composition and there were also east-west variations in composition across the region. Of the disturbance-related variables, cultivation, stocking rate and flooding frequency were all influential. Total, native, forb, shrub and subshrub richness were positively correlated with increasing time since cultivation. Flood frequency was positively correlated with graminoid species richness and was negatively correlated with total and forb species richness. Site species richness was also influenced by environmental variables (e. g. soil type and rainfall). Despite the resilience of these grasslands, some forms of severe disturbance (e. g. several years of cultivation) can result in removal of some dominant perennial grasses (e. g. Astrebla spp.) and an increase in disturbance specialists. A simple heuristic transitional model is proposed that has conceptual thresholds for plant biodiversity status. This knowledge representation may be used to assist in the management of these grasslands by defining four broad levels of community richness and the drivers that change this status.
The Economic Costs of Withdrawing Antimicrobial Growth Promoters from the Livestock Sector

Antimicrobials have been used in human medicine and in livestock production for more than 60 years, improving human and animal health but also fostering the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant pathogens worldwide. This report focuses on the specific issue of the economic value of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) to producers and consumers. After estimating orders of magnitude of current antimicrobial consumption in livestock globally, the report investigates the potential effects of restricting AGPs on livestock production globally. The growth response to AGPs appears to be small in optimised production systems, suggesting that the economic impacts of a ban on AGPs could be limited in high-income industrialized countries but potentially higher in lower income countries with less developed hygiene and production practices. With no major changes in policy, global consumption of antimicrobials in food-producing animals is projected to rise by two-thirds by 2030, with the majority of that increase occurring in emerging economies where the demand for livestock products, especially poultry, is growing fastest.
In vitro Propagation of Mentha viridis L. from Nodal and Shoot tip Explants

A simple micropropagation method from nodal and shoot tip explants is reported here for Mentha viridis, an economically important medicinal plant. High frequency of microshoots was obtained from these two explants on MS supplemented with various concentrations of BAP (1.0 - 4.0 mg/l) and Kn (1.0 -4.0 mg/l). Maximum number of shoots was obtained from nodal explants in the medium containing 3.0 mg/l BAP. The root induction was carried out by using IBA and IAA (0.5 - 2.0 mg/l). Among these, high frequency of root proliferation was achieved in the medium containing 1.5 mg/l of IBA. The rooted plantlets were hardened and transferred to the field. The survival rate was 90 - 95% after 25 days. Key words: Micropropagation, Mentha viridis, Node, Shoot tip, Multiple shoots D.O. I. 10.3329/ptcb.v18i1. 3243 Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 18 (1): 1-6, 2008 (June)
Sensory profile of warmed-over flavour in tenderloin from steers supplemented with alpha-tocopherol

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of warmed-over flavour (WOF) in cooked tenderloin and the influence of alpha-tocopherol on its inhibition. A total of 24 animals were confined, 12 of which received 1200 mg/head/day of alpha-tocopherol acetate for 90 days. Longissimus dorsi muscle cuts (tenderloin) were obtained for sensory profile assessment by nine trained tasters. The tasters evaluated the taste of the meat based on four general and 18 specific attributes. The results of the evaluations were analysed with ANOVA, post-hoc tests of the means (Tukey tests), and principal component analysis (PCA). There was no significant difference in the WOF between the cuts of meat from the supplemented and non-supplemented animals. However, as the refrigeration period increased, there was a decrease in the intensity of the umami and sweet taste attributes and the flavour and aroma of the roast meat as well as an increase in the intensity of the oxidised vegetable oil flavour and the aromas of fish, hard-boiled egg, flaxseed oil, and oxidised vegetable oil. The samples that had been stored for one day were characterised by PCA as having sweet and umami tastes and the flavour and aroma of roast meat, whereas after three days, the samples were classified as having sour and bitter tastes, the flavour of chicken and nuts, and the aroma of fish. The typical sensory attributes desirable for roasted meat decreased in intensity during the three days of storage after cooking, whereas the intensity of unpleasant (oxidative) attributes for the consumer increased.
Performance of Greater Sage‐Grouse Models for Conservation Assessment in the Interior Columbia Basin, U.S.A.

Abstract: Valid modeling of habitats and populations of Greater Sage‐Grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus) is a critical management need because of increasing concern about population viability. Consequently, we evaluated the performance of two models designed to assess landscape conditions for Greater Sage‐Grouse across 13.6 million ha of sagebrush steppe in the interior Columbia Basin and adjacent portions of the Great Basin of the western United States (referred to as the basin). The first model, the environmental index model, predicted conditions at the scale of the subwatershed (mean size of approximately 7800 ha) based on inputs of habitat density, habitat quality, and effects of human disturbance. Predictions ranged on a continuous scale from 0 for lowest environmental index to 2 for optimal environmental index. The second model, the population outcome model, predicted the composite, range‐wide conditions for sage grouse based on the contribution of environmental index values from all subwatersheds and measures of range extent and connectivity. Population outcomes were expressed as five classes (A through E) that represented a gradient from continuous, well‐distributed populations (outcome A) to sparse, highly isolated populations with a high likelihood of extirpation (outcome E). To evaluate performance, we predicted environmental index values and population outcome classes in areas currently occupied by sage grouse versus areas where extirpation has occurred. Our a priori expectations were that models should predict substantially worse environmental conditions ( lower environmental index) and a substantially higher probability of extirpation ( lower population outcome class) in extirpated areas. Results for both models met these expectations. For example, a population outcome of class E was predicted for extirpated areas, as opposed to class C for occupied areas. These results suggest that our models provided reliable landscape predictions for the conditions tested. This finding is important for conservation planning in the basin, where the models were used to evaluate management of federal lands for sage grouse.
CALCIUM PROVISION TO EGGS IN TWO POPULATIONS OF HELIX ASPERSA BY PARENTS FED A DIET HIGH IN LEAD

The reproductive performance of two populations of Helix aspersa with different histories of exposure to lead was assessed by their egg production, hatching success and the metal content of the eggs. By using laboratory-bred parents raised in a Pb-free environment, the possibility of an inherited response to a high Pb exposure was assessed. Following a period of dormancy, six individuals in each population were paired for copulation and allowed to oviposit. During this time they were fed a diet with 500 pg.g-' Pb, for a total of 14 days. After oviposition, the egg mass from each pairing was weighed, counted and samples analysed. Metal concentrations in four tissue fractions of the parents (shell, hepatopancreas, reproductive system and 'rest') were also analysed. There was no significant transfer of Pb to the eggs in either population. There were differences in their egg masses-the population from an uncontaminated site, Rottingdean (RD), laid, on average, twice the number of eggs of the snails from Minera (MI), a contaminated site in North Wales. However the latter had a higher average percentage emergence (90% compared to 55% for RD). There was also considerable hatching asynchrony in the RD offspring, while hatching within each MI egg mass was completed within two days. This is discussed in relation to the Ca status of the parent and possible differences in reproductive strategy between the two populations.
Functional Anatomy of Scorpion Toxins Affecting Sodium Channels

AbstractLong chain scorpion toxins (made of 60 to 70 amino acids) acting on voltage-gated sodium channels in excitable cells are responsible for human envenomation, and comprise a-toxins that inhibit sodium current inactivation and p-toxins, that modify the activation process. These toxins may be further divided according to their pharmacological activities. Thus, a-toxins highly active on mammals or insects, as well as α like toxins may be distinguished within the α-toxin class. The β-toxin class includes toxins active on mammals and, as a separate group, the excitatory and depressant toxins active exclusively on insects. All these toxins possess 4 disulfide bridges and share 15 similar non cystine residues. Accordingly, their 3D structure is highly conserved, comprising an α-helix and a triple stranded β-sheet. The most solvent exposed turns of this structure are prone to insertions or deletions, and accordingly correspond to the most structurally variable regions of the toxins. They have been tested by.
Penitrem A and analogues: toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics including mechanism of action and clinical significance

Penitrem A is a mycotoxin mainly produced by Penicillium crustosum, a fungal species occurring in all climate zones, ranging from tropical to arctic areas. P. crustosum produces a wide range of toxic metabolites, including penitrems, thomitrems and roquefortine C. The major metabolite, penitrem A, has been associated with several episodes of mycotoxicosis in dogs. The clinical symptoms of acute penitrem A intoxication include classical signs of neurotoxicity, such as tremors, convulsions, ataxia and nystagmus. The outcomes of penitrem A intoxication in animals range from total recovery to death, depending mainly on the level of exposure. Cases of suspected human mycotoxicosis following exposure to P. crustosum infected food, beer or inhalation of dust have also been reported. The toxicokinetics of penitrem A is scarcely studied. The toxin is rapidly absorbed, as demonstrated by the rapid onset of symptoms after exposure, but the absorption has not been quantified. Penitrem A is transported systemically af.
Sardine and anchovy regime fluctuations of abundance in four regions of the world oceans: a workshop report

Regimes of high abundance of sardine (Sardinops sagax and sardina pikhardw) have alternated with regimes of high abundance of anchovy (Engradis spp.) in each of the five regions of the world where these taxa co-occur and have been extensively fished. When one taxon has been plentiful, the other has usually been at a reduced level of abundance, and vice versa. Changes in the four heavily fished regions that support S. sagax-the Japanese, Californian, Humboldt, and Benguela systems-from a regime dominated by one taxon to a high level of abundance of the other have occurred more or less simultaneously. In the Pacific Ocean, sardines have tended to increase during periods of increasing global air and sea temperatures and anchovies to decrease. The Japanese system is dominated by sardines to a greater extent than the other systems, and sardines off Japan appear to increase as the Kuroshio Current cools. At the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean, sardines colonize cooler areas during periods of warming. The Benguela system is out of phase with the three Pacific systems. The four systems all appeared to be in a state of flux in the 1980s. Increased abundance of the
Interleukin 4 Alone and with γ-Interferon or α-Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibits Cell Growth and Modulates Cell Surface Antigens on Human Renal Cell Carcinomas

Abstract Immune cytokines have been shown to play important roles in regulating immune cell functions as well as neoplastic cells. Interleukin-4 (IL4), primarily known as a B-cell growth factor, can also activate and differentiate other immune cells. This cytokine has recently been shown to have immunotherapeutic benefit in tumor-bearing hosts. The present study assessed the effect on human renal cell carcinoma cell lines of recombinant IL4 alone and in combination with recombinant γ-interferon (IFN) or recombinant α-tumor necrosis factor (TNF). IL4 inhibited cell growth of all lines at 250–500 units/ml in a differential manner. Expression of IL4 receptors was demonstrated on renal cell carcinomas. Overall, IFN (500 units/ml) alone inhibited cell growth; however, TNF (500 units/ml) was not as strong an inhibitor. When IL4 was combined with IFN or TNF there was a significant augmentation of cell growth inhibition and modulation of cell morphology of the cell lines. Tumor-associated ganglioside antigens (NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-4Glcβ1-1′Cer, NeuAcα2-8Neu-Acα2-3Galβ1-4Glcβ1-1′Cer, GalNAcβ1-4(NeuAcα2-3)Galβ1-4Glc-β1-1′Cer, and GalNAcβ1-4(NeuAcα2-8NeuAcα2-3)Galβ1-4Glcβ11′Cer) HLA class I, HLA class I, HLA-DR, and β2-microglobulin on the cell surface of renal cancer lines were assessed by flow cytometry and radiometric binding assay. IL4 alone or in combination with other cytokines modulated HLA class I and HLA-DR expression. IL4 and IFN consistently enhanced NeuAcα2-8NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-4Glcβ1-1′Cer and GalNAcβ1-4(NeuAcα2-8NeuAcα2-3)Galβ1-4Glcβ1-1′Cer expression on individual cell lines. The study demonstrated that IL4 alone or in combination with other cytokines can significantly inhibit growth, and modulate the expression of surface major histocompatibility and tumor-associated antigens of renal cell carcinomas.
Population Surveys of the Ice Rat Otomys Sloggetti Robertsi in the Lesotho Drakensberg

Increasing environmental temperatures may lead to better survival of organisms that are usually susceptible to low temperatures. We investigated whether the numbers of the ice rat Otomys sloggetti robertsi, whose populations are regulated by low temperatures, have increased in the recent past as a consequence of current environmental warming in the Lesotho Drakensberg. Ice rats are endemic to the southern African alpine zone, are exclusively herbivorous, have a diurnal activity profile, and live in underground burrows. We predicted that ice rat numbers would remain stable or increase since winters have become milder. We monitored ice rat numbers in three locations, separated by 70, 80 and 130 km. The results show that the population density of ice rats has increased over threefold to 352 ice rats per hectare over the past decade. Our findings suggest that higher temperatures could have improved habitat productivity and reduced thermal stress, and thus improved winter survival of ice rats.