Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Morphological Key to Field Crickets of Southeastern United States (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllus)

Five species of Gryllus occur in southeastern United States: assimilis (Fabricius), firmus Scudder, fultoni (Alexander), ovisopis Walker, and rubens Scudder. They can be identified by head and tegminal color patterns, tooth number and length of stridulatory file, and dimensions and proportions of wings, pronotum, ovipositor, posterior femur, and tympana.
Insects and Arachnids of Tropical Stored Products: Their Biology and Identification - A Training Manual

This manual has been compiled by entomologists of the Storage Department of the Tropical Development and Research Institute (TDRI). It originated as a material support for the storage pest component of training courses held at TDRI. The manual brings together, for the first time, identification keys and information on basic biology and recognition for all the major storage insects and mites and for many others of lesser importance. It is intended that, in addition to its role as a training aid, this manual should be used as a reference book by researchers and those concerned with the management of pests in tropical stored products.
On the use of non‐invasive hormone research in uncontrolled, natural environments: the problem with sex, diet, metabolic rate and the individual

1. Methods to measure metabolites of steroid hormones from faeces have become very popular in wildlife conservation and ecology, because they allow gathering physiological data without the necessity to capture the animals. However, this advantage comes at costs that are particularly relevant when studying free‐living animals in their natural environments. Previous methodological reviews have stressed the importance of validations to prove that real metabolites of the hormone in question are measured, but the research community has largely ignored further caveats relating to sex, diet, metabolic rate and individual differences in hormone metabolite formation.
Physiological Responses of Broiler Chickens to Dietary Different Forms and Levels of Nigella Sativa L., During Egyptian Summer Season

A total number of 280 unsexed one-day old Ross broiler chicks were assigned into sevengroups, 40 birds in each with four replicates, fed diets supplemented with two levels of either Nigellasativa oil (NSO), Nigella sativa seed (NSS) or Nigella sativa meal (NSM) under Egyptian hot climaticconditions of summer season. Chicks were reared in batteries in an open house. First group was fed thebasal diet, without natural additives, and served as control group, while the 2nd and 3rd groups were fed thesame diet inclusive of 0.5 and 1% NSO, respectively. The 4th and 5th groups were fed diets included 1 and2% NSS, respectively, whereas the 6th and 7th groups were fed diets supplemented with NSM at 10 and20%, respectively. Addition of NSO, NSS or NSM to broiler diets under high temperature conditionssignificantly (P0.05) increased live body weight and relative weights of ceccum, liver, spleen andthymus gland, while no significant differences were observed between treatments and control group ingizzard, proventriculus, intestine and rectum. Adding different forms and levels of Nigella sativa to chickdiets improved RBC, WBC, Hb, PCV and thyroid hormones (T3 & T4). The opposite was true withmortality rate, plasma content of cholestrol, triglycerides, GOT and GPT which were reduced (P0.05) byfeeding different forms and levels of Nigella sativa. All treatments slightly increased total plasma proteinas well as albumin and globulin compared to control group, but differences failed to be significant. Also,there were significant (P0.05) decrease on body temperature and respiration rate of broiler chicks byadding different forms and levels of Nigella sativa compared to control group, corresponding to hightemperature conditions.These results suggest that low levels of NSO (0.5%), NSS (1%) or NSM (10%) could be usedin broiler diet to improve the physiological performance, body reaction, blood biochemical, and livabilityof chicks to overcome the deleterious effects of high temperature or any stressful conditions.Key words: Nigella sativa L. (oil, seed and meal), broiler chicks, heat stress (hot climatic conditions),body reaction, physiological performance.
Effects of resource availability and climate on the diversity of wood‐decaying fungi

1. Wood‐decaying fungi are crucial for the functioning of forest ecosystems. We tested the hypotheses that on coarse woody debris (CWD), the abundance, diversity and composition of fungi depend more on the amount of available resource than on macro‐ or microclimate, and that on fine woody debris (FWD) more on the microclimate because of the rapid desiccation of thin woody debris.
Rational choice and the Condorcet jury theorem

Abstract In a recent paper, Austen-Smith and Banks (1996,Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev.90, 34–45), criticize the current literature on the Condorcet jury theorem as neglecting the behavioral underpinnings of decision-making. They leave open the question whether allowing mixed strategies would sustain the conclusions of the Condorcet jury theorem. In this paper, it is shown that these conclusions can hold in equilibrium. In other words, “a rational choice foundation for the claim that majorities invariably ‘do better’ than individuals” is derived. (Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Number: D72.
Combining ability and heterosis in early maturing pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp] hybrids

The genetic analysis of 36 hybrids Involving 3 male sterile lines and 12 pollinator lines evaluated for twelve characters revealed the predominance of non-additive gene action for all the characters under study. The parents QMS-1 and MS Prabhat (DT) among male sterlles while Sel 90309, Sel 90306, Sel 90310, Sel 90311 and Sel 90307 among pollinators were Identified as good general combiners. The crosses QMS-1 x Sel 90307, QMS-1 x Sel 90311 and MS Prabhat (NDT) x Sel 90214 were the best specific combiners for yield and its components, and favours heterosis breeding programme. Heterosis to the extent of 51.3 and 171.6% over the standard cbeck Sel 90308 and better parent, respectively, were recorded for seed yield/plant. Best five hybrids exceeding 40% standard heterosis were identified as promising for seed yield and Its components.
The α-Bungarotoxin-binding Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor from Rat Brain Contains Only the α7 Subunit*

When expressed in Xenopus oocytes, the rat α7 subunit forms homo-oligomeric nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are blocked by α-bungarotoxin. Since the pharmacological and physiological properties of the α7 receptor expressed in oocytes are similar to those of the α-bungarotoxin-sensitive nicotinic currents recorded from neuronal preparations and the distribution patterns of α7 mRNA and α-bungarotoxin-binding sites in the rat brain are very similar, α7 is thought to be the main component of the α-bungarotoxin-binding nicotinic receptor in the mammalian brain. However, while α7 is found in purified α-bungarotoxin-binding complexes from rat brain or PC12 cells, other proteins copurify with it. Therefore, the question whether α7 forms a homo-oligomeric α-bungarotoxin-binding nicotinic receptor in the mammalian brain remains. We have developed and characterized affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies and used these antibodies in Western blot analyses of α-bungarotoxin-binding proteins purified from rat brains. We report here that our experimental data support the current working hypothesis that the α-bungarotoxin-binding nicotinic receptor is a homo-oligomer of α7 subunits in the rat brain.
Host preference and survivability of Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister, 1835) on Off season crops

Studies were conducted in vivo and in vitro to determine host preference and survivability of Bagrada hilaris on five off season host crops viz. carrot grass (Parthenium hysterophorus), ber (Ziziphus zuzuba), lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), arrow wood (Pluchea lanceolata) and milk weed (Calotropis procera). The average number of nymph and adult was counted 312.0, 56.0, 237.2, 43.2 and 53.80, respectively at 15 days after harvest of mustard crop. The number of nymphs and adults on carrot grass was significantly different from other host crops except ber. The maximum number of adults were attracted on different hosts in Olfactometer toward the cabbage (Brassica oleracia var. capitata) crop which was significantly different as compare to other crops. The survivability (in days) of second instar nymph of B. hilaris was recorded maximum on cabbage (12.00) followed by ber (10.33), carrot grass (10.33), milk weed (9.33), arrow weed (5.33) and lambs quarters (5.00), respectively.
THE EFFECTS OF ACOUSTIC ALARMS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF HARBOR PORPOISES (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) IN A FLOATING PEN

In an attempt to test the effectiveness of sounds in deterring harbor porpoises from nets and reducing porpoise bycatch in gill net fisheries, two harbor porpoises, kept in a large floating pen at Neeltje Jans, The Netherlands, were subjected to 3 different underwater sounds. The effect of each sound was judged by comparing the animals' behavior during a 15-min test period with that during a 15-min baseline period immediately before the test and a 15-min recovery period immediately after the test. The effects of the alarms were quantified as the distance between the porpoises' surfacings and the alarm and the animals' respiration rates. Each alarm was tested in two positions in the pen. The behavior observed was related to the sound-pressure-level distribution in the pen. All three alarms: the standard Dukane alarm (a commercially available alarm with a regular pulse interval of 4.3 sec used to deter dolphins from fishing nets), the random Dukane alarm (the same alarm with random pulse interval of between 2 and 30 sec), and the 'bird alarm' (a sound from a generator) resulted in increases in both the distance of the animals' surfacings from the alarms and their respiration rates. The standard Dukane alarm and the bird alarm were more effective than the random Dukane alarm in inducing the animals to swim away from the sound source.
Studies on the control and function of chromatin fragmentation during apoptosis

Apoptosis in eukaryotic cells is often accompanied by chromatin cleavage resulting in nucleosomal fragments. This cleavage is catalyzed by a DNase (named DFF40 or CAD) which is specifically activated during apoptosis. The first aim of the study is to characterize factors influencing the activity of DFF40 in vitro. The proteins used in the experiments are either recombinantly produced in both yeast and bacteria and further purified or proteins extracted from different lymphoma cell lines. This study demonstrates that both recombinant human H1 histone subtypes and H1 histones from cultured apoptotic or control lymphoma cells have no significant differences in their effects on the apoptotic DNase DFF40. Nevertheless, various tumor cell lines differ both in their ability to undergo apoptotic DNA degradation and in their susceptibility towards induction of apoptosis. Accordingly, proteins extracted from different lymphoma cell lines show distinctly different effects on the activity of DFF40. Since DNA damage itself may trigger apoptosis, the second aim of the study is to investigate whether lacking nucleosomal DNA cleavage in vivo could be one of the factors causing enhanced resistance to apoptosis in some cell lines. Hence, apoptotic features of different lymphoma cell lines are characterized, and a stable transfection procedure is established, allowing the over-expression of different proteins. The study demonstrates a statistically significant correlation between initial extent of apoptotic DNA cleavage and a fast progression of apoptosis, as detected by comparing kinetics of the caspase activities. This supports a hypothesis of an apoptotic positive feedback loop in cells able to undergo DFF40- catalyzed nucleosomal DNA cleavage, which is induced by enhanced DNA damage in vivo and may both accelerate and enhance apoptosis.
EFFECT OF WHOLE-COTTON SEED SUPPLEMENTATION ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND HAEMATOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF DJALLONKE SHEEP IN THE DRY SEASON

An 8-week feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effect of whole-cotton seed (WCS) supplementation on the growth performance and some blood constituents of Djallonke sheep fed rice straw. A total of 12 sheep with an initial weight of 13.7 ± 0.20 kg were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (four animals per treatment). The treatments consisted of no supplementation (T0) and supplementation with 200 g /head/d (T1) or 400 g/head/d (T2) on as fed basis. Feed intake, growth performance and some haematogical parameters (haemoglobin [Hb], packed cell volume [PCV], white blood cells [WBC], red blood cells [RBC]) were measured. Differential leukocyte (lymphocytes, neutriphils, eosinophils, monocytes and basophils) counts were also determined. Intake of basal diet was higher (P 0.05). Eosinophilia increased (P>0.05) with increasing level of supplementation. This study suggests that WCS is a good source of rumen degradable protein and can help reduce the decline in growth of sheep especially in the dry season.
Environment Influences Green Foxtail (Setaria viridis) Competition with Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Temperature, soil moisture, green foxtail density, relative emergence dates, and soil fertility effects on green foxtail and spring wheat competition were evaluated in controlled environments. Green foxtail competition was highest at 30 C and without moisture stress. Early green foxtail emergence increased competition with wheat more than changes in temperature, soil moisture, or green foxtail density. At 30 C, wheat fresh weight was reduced 50% by green foxtail seeded 4 d before wheat, but only 13% by foxtail seeded 4 d after wheat. Doubling the nitrogen and total nutrient concentration did not increase wheat growth, but increased foxtail weight 41 and 75%, respectively.
Comparison of the alkane-based herbage intakes and the liveweight gains of young sheep grazing forage oats, dual-purpose wheat or phalaris-based pasture

Two experiments were conducted between 2004 and 2006 near Canberra, Australia, to provide information about herbage intake and liveweight gains of young sheep grazing dual-purpose crop cf. pasture. In an indoor feeding trial (2004–2005), dual-purpose wheat (cv. Mackellar) and oats (cv. Blackbutt) had estimated organic matter (OM) digestibilities of 0.849 ± 0.0070 and 0.847 ± 0.0001, respectively. The indoor trial also provided data for the concentrations and faecal recoveries of the cuticular wax alkane and long-chain alcohol (LCOH) markers used to estimate diet composition and intake in the grazing trial. The faecal recoveries of both alkanes and LCOH were well described by asymptotic regressions. Alkane recovery differed between crops, though not between years. Faecal LCOH recovery did not differ between crops or years. Under grazing conditions in 2004–2005, the OM digestibility (OMD) of crop herbage was 0.825–0.871, significantly higher than the OMD of phalaris-based pasture (0.752–0.758). The estimated OMD of wheat in 2006 (0.792) was lower than in the earlier years. Sheep consumed ~1 kg/day digestible OM intake (DOMI) from crop in 2004–2005. In 2004 this was significantly higher than the DOMI of sheep grazing pasture (0.75 kg/day) whereas in 2005 the DOMI from pasture was slightly (1.15 kg/day) but significantly higher than that from crop (mean 0.97 kg/day). Regardless of the source of herbage consumed, sheep daily liveweight gains were in the range 200–250 g/kg DOMI. Liveweight gains of sheep grazing crop were also predicted from their calculated metabolisable energy intakes and requirements for maintenance and were within 1% of the observed liveweight gains. Our results demonstrate that in high-rainfall areas, the quantity and quality of the herbage provided by sowing dual-purpose crops, and the resultant increased animal liveweight gains, justify the inclusion of dual-purpose crops in grazing systems.
ROLE OF MSA IN THE REGULATION OF VIRULENCE AND BIOFILM FORMATION IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

ROLE OF MSA IN THE REGULATION OF VIRULENCE AND BIOFILM FORMATION IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS by Karthik Sambanthamoorthy December 2007 Staphylococcus aureus is an extraordinarily versatile pathogen causing a plethora of infections ranging from superficial infections to toxemic syndromes to life threatening conditions. S. aureus has developed resistance to an array of antibiotics like methicillin and vancomycin, forcing the need for development of new drugs to combat staphylococcal infections. S. aureus expresses a wide variety of virulence factors. The virulence factors are either cell bound proteins (e.g., adhesins) or exoproteins (toxins). The cell bound proteins are expressed early to establish infection and repressed soon after colonization whereas the exoproteins are repressed early and expressed late during the infection. The coordination of the expression of virulence factors is under the control of several global regulatory systems, of which the two most important regulators are the accessory gene regulator (agr) and the staphylococcal accessory regulator (sarA). The agr system is a quorum sensing system in which the S. aureus cells communicate with each other to coordinate expression of virulence factors. sarA regulates the virulence factors via two pathways, an agr-dependent pathway in which sarA activates agr at the transition between the exponential and post exponential growth phase and an agr-independent pathway in which sarA
THE ROLE OF THE HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE 1 UL28 PROTEIN IN TERMINASE COMPLEX ASSEMBLY AND FUNCTION

Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) is the causative agent of several pathologies ranging in severity from the common cold sore to life-threatening encephalitic infection. During productive lytic infection, over 80 viral proteins are expressed in a highly regulated manner, resulting in the replication of viral genomes and assembly of progeny virions. Cleavage and packaging of replicated, concatemeric viral DNA into newly assembled capsids is critical to virus proliferation and requires seven viral genes: UL6, UL15, UL17, UL25, UL28, UL32, and UL33. Analogy with the well-characterized cleavage and packaging systems of double-stranded DNA bacteriophage suggests that HSV-1 encodes for a viral terminase complex to perform these essential functions, and several studies have indicated that this complex consists of the viral UL15, UL28, and UL33 proteins. However, the inability to purify the terminase proteins has hampered biochemical analysis of these proteins. The goal of the following studies was to isolate a functional terminase complex from HSV-1-infected cells by affinity chromatography using a virus expressing a UL28-TAP fusion protein. The tandem affinity purification (TAP) procedure resulted in the isolation of soluble UL28 complexes containing the UL15 and UL33 proteins. Biochemical studies were performed to determine the protein composition and stoichiometry of the purified complex, and the associated nuclease activity was examined. Mass spectrometry was utilized to identify viral and cellular proteins that associate with the complex during infection. Finally, mutations or deletions within the nuclease domain of UL15 or the metal-binding domain of UL28 were introduced into the genome of the NTAP-UL28 fusion virus. Characterization of these viruses followed by the isolation of terminase complexes revealed that the domain mutations did not preclude complex formation but each virus was deficient in viral DNA cleavage, further demonstrating the importance of these domains during DNA encapsidation. The ability to purify the endogenous terminase complex is novel to the field and we view these studies as a critical step in understanding how the terminase complex functions in the context of productive HSV-1 infection.
Inhalation reproductive toxicology studies: Male dominant lethal study of n-hexane in Swiss (CD-1) mice: Final report

The straight-chain hydrocarbon, n-hexane, is a volatile, ubiquitous solvent routinely used in industrial environments; consequently, the opportunity for industrial, environmental or accidental exposure to hexane vapors is significant. Although myelinated nerve tissue is the primary target organ of hexane, the testes have also been identified as being sensitive to hexacarbon exposure. The objective of this study was to evaluate male dominant lethal effects in Swiss (CD-1) mice after exposure to 0, 200, 1000, or 5000 ppM n-hexane, 20 h/day for 5 consecutive days. Each exposure concentration consisted of 30 randomly selected, proven male breeders; 4 groups. The mice were weighed just prior to the first day of exposure and at weekly intervals until sacrifice. Ten males in each dose group were sacrificed one day after the cessation of exposure, and their testes and epididymides were removed for evaluation of the germinal epithelium. The remaining male mice, 20 per group, were individually housed in hanging wire-mesh breeding cages where they were mated with unexposed, virgin females for eight weekly intervals; new females were provided each week. The mated females were sacrificed 12 days after the last day of cohabitation and their reproductive status and the number and viability of the implantsmore » were recorded. The appearance and behavior of the male mice were unremarkable throughout the study period and no evidence of n-hexane toxicity was observed. 18 refs., 3 figs., 11 tabs. « less
Targeting and function of mammalian microRNAs

In the span of a few short years, animal microRNAs have become recognized as broad regulators of gene expression, largely in part due to our improved understanding of how animal microRNAs recognize their targets. Crucial to microRNA targeting are the -7-nt seed sites complementary to nucleotides 2-8 at the 5' end of the microRNA. We show that protein-coding genes preferentially expressed at the same time and place as a highly expressed microRNA have evolved their 3' UTR sequence to specifically avoid seed sites matching that microRNA. In contrast, conserved sites appear to be preferentially expressed in developmental states prior to microRNA expression, and are downregulated upon induction of that microRNA. Combined with the result that both conserved and nonconserved seed sites are generally functional, our findings extend the direct and indirect influence of mammalian microRNAs to the majority of protein-coding genes. Although seed sites account for much of the specificity of microRNA regulation, they are not always sufficient for repression, suggesting the contribution of additional specificity determinants. Combining independent computational and experimental approaches, we found five general features associated with site efficacy: AU-rich nucleotide composition near the site, proximity to sites for coexpressed microRNAs, pairing outside of the seed region at microRNA nucleotides 13-16, and positioning within the 3' UTR at least 15nt from the stop codon and away from the center of long UTRs. By incorporating these five features, we are able to explain much of the differences in site efficacy for both exogenously added microRNAs and for endogenous microRNA-message interactions. We further refined the seed site motif involved in microRNA repression, by demonstrating experimentally an Adenosine preference across from the unpaired first nucleotide of the microRNA and ranking the relative effectiveness of different classes of seed sites. Although sites lacking perfect seed pairing were generally ineffective, a fraction of these sites were supplemented by detectable compensatory 3' pairing. In addition, by extending our conservation analysis to 11 genomes, we show that the confidence with which conserved target sites can be predicted is a function of the conservation of the seed site itself relative to the conservation of surrounding sequence. This allows individual conserved sites to be assigned a confidence score reflecting the likelihood that the site is being conserved due to selection rather than by chance. Thesis Supervisor: David P. Bartel Title: Professor of Biology