Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ruminant glycogen metabolism

The biochemistry of glycogen metabolism is well characterised, having been extensively studied in laboratory rodents and humans, and from this stems the bulk of our knowledge regarding the metabolism of glycogen in ruminants. With respect to intermediary metabolism, the key tissues include the liver and muscle. The liver glycogen depot plays a central role in intermediary metabolism, storing and mobilising glycogen during the fed and fasted metabolic states, with these responses modulated during pregnancy, lactation, and exercise. Alternatively, the muscle glycogen depot is particularly important for local energy homeostasis, and is likely to be less important as a key post-prandial sink for blood glucose given the reduced absorption of glucose from the gut in ruminant animals. Yet similar to the liver, this depot is also in a constant state of turnover, with the muscle glycogen concentration at any point in time a reflection of the rates of glycogen synthesis and degradation. Muscle glycogen metabolism attracts particular attention given its importance for post-mortem acidification of muscle tissue, with a shortage at slaughter leading to dark cutting meat. Simplistically the concentration of muscle glycogen at slaughter is a function of two key factors, the on-farm starting levels of glycogen minus the amount depleted during the pre-slaughter phase. On-farm concentrations of muscle glycogen are largely a reflection of metabolisable energy intake driving increased rates of muscle glycogen synthesis. Compared with simple-stomached species the rate of glycogen synthesis within ruminants is relatively low. Yet there also appears to be differences between sheep and cattle when fed diets of similar metabolisable energy, with cattle repleting muscle glycogen more slowly after depletion through exercise. While metabolisable energy intake is the key driver, genetic and age-related factors have also been shown to influence glycogen repletion. The amount of muscle glycogen depleted during the pre-slaughter phase is largely associated with stress and adrenaline release, and several recent studies have characterised the importance of factors such as exercise, age and genetics which modulate this stress response. This paper presents a summary of recent experiments in both cattle and sheep that highlight current developments in the understanding of this trait.
Avaliação dos efeitos da adição de sal e da densidade no transporte de tambaqui

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficiency of salt as a stress reductor and to determine the best transportation density for tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) juveniles in customized plastic boxes. In the first experiment different concentrations of cooking salt (NaCl) in the water were tested, and in the second experiment the fishes were transported for three hours in 200 L plastic boxes using different fish densities and 8 g of salt/L of water. Plasma cortisol presented a significant increase after transportation in water without salt or with 2 g of salt/L, returning to normal levels after 96 hours. The fishes exposed to all salt concentrations had plasma glucose increased after transportation, except the treatment with 8 g of salt/L of water, returning to normal levels within 24 hours. In the second experiment, the fishes transported at different densities with 8 g of salt/L of water did not present a significant change in plasma cortisol after transportation, but plasma glucose increased after transportation at all fish densities, returning to normal levels in 24 hours. Fish transported at a density of 200 kg/m
Acid Stream Water Remediation Using Limestone Sand on Bear Run in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Instream limestone sand application is used at many sites in Pennsylvania to neutralize acidic stream water resulting from acid deposition. However, questions remain about the effectiveness of limestone sand in the treatment of acid waters, such as reduced contact time at high flow, remobilization of aluminum, and adverse effects on macroinvertebrates. A 1‐year evaluation of limestone sand application to Bear Run, an acidic stream in southwestern Pennsylvania, was begun in 1999. Another nearby acid stream, Linn Run, served as a control. Water quality during baseflow and episodic acidification events, along with fish and macroinvertebrates, were monitored to evaluate impacts of the sand application. Hydrogen ion (H+) concentration and total dissolved aluminum (TDA) were significantly reduced, and acid neutralizing capacity was significantly increased downstream of the limestone sand application compared with the upstream site on Bear Run. These parameters at the downstream sites were also different (∝ 0.10) from the comparable sites on the control stream. TDA and hydrogen ion concentrations were significantly decreased (∝ 0.10) compared with concentrations before the sand application to Bear Run but not on the control stream. No fish were present upstream of the sand application site, and only a few fish were found downstream at the mouth of Bear Run. Standing crop, number of taxa, and Shannon‐Weaver diversity index values indicated that macroinvertebrate populations were negatively impacted 300 m downstream from the sand application and improved at the site 1,600 m downstream. Although water quality was improved on Bear Run, benefits to macroinvertebrates depended on downstream location, and fish populations did not show improvement.
INDONESIAN STUDENTS’ ANXIETY TO WRITE IN ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACROSS GENDER AND EDUCATIONAL LEVELS

This survey explored the level and types of anxiety expressed by Indonesia students in writing in English as a foreign language anxiety across gender and educational levels. To this end, 221 foreign language (FL) students from three levels of educations, i.e. lower-secondary school, upper-secondary school and university, were surveyed on voluntary basis where they were asked to complete 22 items of a Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) questionnaire. Two statistical analyses, Rasch Analysis and ANOVA, were performed to examine the quantitative data. The findings showed that all students experienced writing anxiety in FL learning, many experiencing a moderate level of anxiety. Furthermore, students’ writing anxiety was not influenced by gender and educational levels. Indeed, students across all education levels reported experiencing somatic anxiety, avoidance behaviour and cognitive anxiety, with avoidance behaviour being the most common form of anxiety. In conclusion, it is recommended that helping students to develop a positive perception of their FL writing is crucial in addition to helping them develop their writing skills.
A Modified Protocol for Accurate Detection of Cell Fusion-Mediated Premature Chromosome Condensation in Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes

When interphase cells are fused with mitotic cells, loosely distributing chromatins in nuclei are induced to form prematurely condensed chromosomes. In this paper we report a modified protocol to unequivocally detect prematurely condensed chromosomes in human peripheral blood lymphocytes that were fused with mitotic Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. To examine cell fusion-mediated premature chromosome condensation (PCC), we conducted morphological analysis by differential interference contrast microscopy and molecular cytogenetic analysis by fluorescence in situ hybridization using pan-centromeric and telomeric peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes. These modified procedures may serve to improve the usefulness of the technique of PCC in cytogenetic investigations.
Effects of feeding heat-treated soybeans and niacin to high producing cows in early lactation.

Abstract Forty multiparous Holstein cows were assigned to a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments to compare heat-treated soybean meal and heat-treated whole soybeans as protein supplements and to measure the effects of 6g of supplemental niacin/d. Treatments began 10 d prior to calving and continued through 15 wk postpartum. Dry matter intake was . 9 kg/d more for cows fed heat-treated soybean meal than for those fed heat-treated soybeans. The latter diet contained about 2.5% more lipid, resulting in similar daily energy intakes of 34.3 and 33.6 Mcal NE 1 for heat-treated soybean meal and heat-treated soybean diets. Niacin tended to improve DM intake of cows fed diets containing heat-treated soybeans. Milk production was not altered by treatments during the experimental period comprising the first 15 wk of lactation or during the following 15 wk when cows received a standardized diet. Milk fat percentage did not differ due to treatments. Milk protein percentage was lower for cows receiving the heat-treated soybeans without niacin compared with those receiving the heat-treated soybeans with niacin. Niacin did not effect milk protein percentage of cows fed heat-treated soybean meal. The protein supplement by niacin interaction suggests that niacin feeding corrected a dietary oil induced milk protein depression. Plasma glucose was significantly lower in cows fed heat-treated whole soybeans with or without niacin. Plasma nicotinamide was highest in the cows receiving supplemental niacin. Niacin tended to decrease plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentration in cows fed heat-treated soybeans but not in cows fed heat-treated soybean meal.
ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS OF WHEY PROTEINS BY TWO DIFFERENT PROTEASES AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF RESULTING PROTEIN HYDROLYSATES

Whey protein concentrate (WPC 80) was hydrolyzed by Alcalase 2.4 L and Protamex to 5, 10, 15 and 20% degree of hydrolysis (DH). WPC 80 and its hydrolysates were analyzed, compared and used for measuring some functional properties. All hydrolysates were different from WPC 80 in protein, moisture and ash content. Free amino groups and protein solubility increased with increasing DH. The peptides produced by hydrolysis had smaller molecular sizes, and their average molecular weight decreased as the DH increased. Except hydrolysates generated by Alcalase 2.4 L at 5% DH, all others showed poor emulsifying and foaming properties compared with unhydrolyzed WPC 80. Gelation properties of WPC 80 and its hydrolysates were different. The global amino acid compositions did not differ significantly between the different hydrolysates, and they were very close among WPC 80 and its hydrolysates except for Methionine, Glycine, Histidine and Valine.
Effect of production system on fatty acid composition of meat from Simmental bulls

Abstract The objective of the study was to asses the effect of the production system on fatty acids (FA) composition of intra-muscular fat of three muscles (longissimus dorsi, semitendinosus, diaphragmae) from Simmental bulls. Bulls (n=8) were fattened either with maize silage and concentrates or on pasture. Grazing bulls showed a significant lower percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), but had higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and conjugated linoleic acid. The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was significantly lower (P<0.001) and the PUFA/SFA ratio was significantly higher (P<0.001) in muscles of grazing bulls. The lowest SFA percentage was found in semitendinosus (36.5±0.8) followed by longissimus dorsi (44.4±0.8) and diaphragmae (48.2±0.8) muscle. The percentage of PUFA and n-3 PUFA was the highest in semitendinosus muscle, while the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was similar in all three analysed muscles.
Interference of Infectious Bursal Diseases (IBD) Virus and Vaccine with the Immune Responses of Guinea Fowls to Newcastle Disease Lasota Vaccination

The interference of Infectious bursal disease (IBD) virus and vaccine with the immune response of the grey brested guinea fowl (Numida meleagridis galeata palas) to Newcastle desease (ND) “LaSota” vaccine was studied using hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test for detection of ND virus antibody and agar gel precipitation test (AGPT) for the presence of IBD virus antibody. A statistically significant difference (p (Afr. J. Biomed. Res. 10: 189-192) Keywords: Infectious bursal disease, Newcastle disease LaSota vaccine, guinea fowls, immune response.
A Low-SWaP 16-Beam 2.4 GHz Digital Phased Array Receiver Using DFT Approximation

A low-complexity approximation for the 16-point DFT and its respective multiplierless fast algorithm is proposed. A receive mode multibeam phased-array experiment was realized at 2.4 GHz employing a 16-element IQ receiver array that uses the proposed approximate spatial DFT in real-time in order to achieve multibeam digital beamforming. The 16-beam digital receiver experiment uses a ROACH-2 based Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA platform for both digital beam computation as well as to perform the multireceiver analog-to-digital conversion. Receive mode RF beams were measured and compared to the exact DFT (realized with fixed-point multipliers with 8-bit twiddle factors). The measured approximate DFT closely followed the measured beams resulting from the fixed-point conventional DFT implementation. The approximate DFT achieves RF beam performance (mainlobe gain, sidelobes) similar to the DFT at the cost of a small error which would be tolerable for the majority of multibeam phased-array receivers. The 16-point approximate DFT provides a hardware reduction of $\sim$70% with respect to FFTs, setting up a low size, weight and power (SWaP) system.The maximum magnitude error of the filter bank response is 0.106 ($\approx -20$ dB).
Milk yield and composition in line 05 dairy ewes as related to somatic cell counts

A total of 1512 milk samples from udder halves was collected at monthly intervals from 189 line 05 dairy ewes throughout milking periods. Each ewe was tested 4 times. Milk composition was examined in terms of somatic cell contents (SCC) in ewe milk in three groups: group 0 consisted of ewes that on each test day had ≤250 × 10 3 cells/ml in left and right udder halves, group 1 comprised ewes with ≤250 × 10 3 in one half of the udder and >250 × 10 3 cells/ml in the other half, whereas group 2 contained ewes that had >250 × 10 3 cells/ml in the left and right udder halves (also on each test day). SCC in milk from one or both halves of udders exceeding 250 × 10 3 cells/ml resulted in a statistically significant (P<0.01), 20.7%, decrease in daily milk production. Correlation coefficients between SCC and fat and protein percentages in milk were positive and equaled 0.24 and 0.18, respectively. A negative value of the correlation coefficient was recorded between log SCC and lactose percentage (-0.49).
Screening of Grassland Plants for Restoration after Spotted Knapweed Invasion

Invasions of North American grasslands by Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa Lam.) are mediated in part by Spotted knapweed root exudation of (±)‐catechin, a potent phytotoxin. Residual soil (±)‐catechin may interfere with reestablishment of native grassland species even after Spotted knapweed populations are controlled. Grassland species that are resistant to (±)‐catechin may be more successful for restoration of areas infested by Spotted knapweed. We evaluated the (±)‐catechin resistance of 23 grassland species by measuring the effects of seven (±)‐catechin concentrations (0–4.0 mg/mL) on seed germination, seedling root and shoot elongation, and seedling mortality. (±)‐Catechin treatments were chosen to reflect the range of observed Spotted knapweed field soil (±)‐catechin concentrations. Inhibition of root elongation was the strongest and most common effect of (±)‐catechin treatment. High (±)‐catechin concentrations reduced mean root lengths of 5 of the species by more than 75% and another 10 species by more than 55%. Experimentally derived concentrations needed to reduce root length by 50% (EC50), an indicator of (±)‐catechin resistance, ranged from 0.43 mg/mL ± 0.30 SE to greater than 4.0 mg/mL among species. Eight species with EC50s greater than 3.0 mg/mL were identified as resistant to (±)‐catechin and are likely suitable for revegetation of Spotted knapweed–infested areas. (±)‐Catechin resistance was positively correlated with mean seed mass, suggesting that seed carbohydrate reserves may allow seedlings to detoxify (±)‐catechin, develop barriers to (±)‐catechin exposure, or sustain a positive growth rate, despite (±)‐catechin‐induced cell death. Future efforts to identify allelochemical‐resistant grassland species should focus on large‐seeded species.
Abelhas Euglossina (Hymenoptera, Apidae) coletadas em uma monocultura de eucalipto circundada por Cerrado em Urbano Santos, Maranhão, Brasil

Males of Euglossina bees were collected in benzil benzoate, eucaliptol, eugenol, methyl salicylate and vanillin scent baits in an eucalyptus monoculture surrounded by cerrado, located in the municipality of Urbano Santos, Maranhao. The collections were carried out monthly, from April 2001 to April 2002, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. , totaling 96 hours of sampling, resulting in 58 individuals of 3 genera and 10 species. Euglossa Latreille, 1802 was the most abundant genus, followed by Eufriesea Cockerell, 1909 and Eulaema Lepeletier, 1841. The most frequent species were Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758), Euglossa gaianii Dressler, 1982 and Euglossa modestior (Dressler, 1982). Eucaliptol was the most attractive chemical bait. The highest frequencies of visits were in the morning and the highest abundance in September, in the drought period, and December, in the rainy period.
Conspecifics enhance egg production in an egg-carrying bug

Variation in host availability and quality is likely to affect female decision making on when to lay eggs in arthropods. In the present study, we show a case in which female reproduction is limited by the availability of conspecifics in a species in which females preferably oviposit on conspecific bodies. Female golden egg bugs (Phyllomorpha laciniata; Heteroptera, Coreidae) deposit eggs mainly on the bodies of both male and female conspecifics. Bugs other than parents carry most eggs. Egg carrying is costly for individuals. A few eggs are laid on the bug's food plant, but in most habitats, those eggs do not survive owing to intensive ant predation. We explored if conspecific presence affects female egg production (eggs laid and eggs in reproductive tract) in the field. In our experiment, conspecific presence (two females enclosed with food plant) increased female egg-laying rate and egg production compared with that of females that were alone with the food plant. In nature, gaining a conspecific host is difficult, and the encounter rate of conspecifics (i.e., operational host density) is likely to be important for female reproduction. There are opposing interests between an egg-laying female and the recipient (male or female) because most eggs are dumped on individuals that are not the parent of the eggs. Copyright 2003.
Estimation of herbaceous biomass from species composition and cover

Questions: Biomass is an important ecological property, but its measurement is destructive and time-consuming and therefore generally missing for historical vegetation plots. Here we propose and test indirect estimation of herbaceous biomass using models based on easily obtainable variables, namely plant height and cover. We compare these models with Ellenberg indicator values for nutrients(EIVs Nutrients), which are sometimes used as an alternative measure of productivity. Location: Czech Republic,western Slovakia. Methods: Above-ground biomass (dry weight; gm2) was regressed against the following explanatory variables: (1) Cover E1, total percentage cover of the herb layer visually estimated in the field; (2) Biomass estimate-raw, -adjusted and -median, calculated from plant covers and heights (according to a local flora); and(3) mean EIVs Nutrients calculated per plot. For the analyses, we used four data sets containing a total of 469 plots from different vegetation types: ‘Wet meadows’, ‘Dry grasslands’, ‘Fen–dry grassland transects’ and ‘Forest herb layer’. To test the applicability of different biomass estimates we chose an example of a species richness–productivity relationship in the ‘Wet meadows’ data set and describe differences in resulting patterns. Results: Both cover of herb layer and calculated ‘biomass volumes’ were more accurate in predicting biomass dry weight than EIVs Nutrients. The best results were obtained from the Biomass estimate-median model that combines median stand height and total cover of the herb layer. Cover E1 showed relatively tight correlations with biomass, particularly in sparse vegetation, but was a rather poor predictor when cover values were high. This was especially noticeable in application of the Cover E1 model in analysis of the species richness–productivity relationship.Conclusions: In contrast to biomass, cover of the herb layer has a fixed upper limit (100%), which may lead to misinterpretations in dense, structurally diverse vegetation. Most promising is the Biomass estimate-medianmethod, which can be applied both to already sampled plots by calculating median height from average species heights according to local floras and to newly sampled plots using the median of plant heights measured in the field. Therefore, we propose it as a rapid, non-destructive alternative to biomass harvest.
Herpes Simplex Virus Induces the Early Activation of NK Cell via MyD88- Dependent Signal~!2009-12-24~!2010-05-14~!2010-06-22~!

In the course of a Herpes Simples Virus type-1 (HSV-1) infection, the bidirectional cross-talk between Natural Killer (NK) cells and Dendritic Cells (DCs) is imperative in mounting an efficient immunological response. Enhanced DC maturation by Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) ligands is considered as a pivotal link between innate and adaptive immune responses, yet the impact of direct TLR signaling on NK:DC interaction during an HSV infection has yet to be examined. We demonstrate that HSV mediates the activation of NK cells and the induction of the cooperative relationship between NK cells and DCs via TLR. During the course of an HSV infection, the initial response required both types of innate cells and demonstrated phenotypic and functional activation much like that of TLR-stimulated cells. Using a MyD88 knock-out system diminished the early interaction between DCs and NK after HSV exposure. Our results indicate that HSV TLR- ligands modulate the early NK: DC interaction and may be a mechanism used by these innate immune cells to overcome virus mediated immune evasion and the initiation of a potent acquired immune response.