Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fasciolose aguda em bovinos no Sul do Brasil

Descrevem-se os aspectos epidemiologicos e patologicos de um surto de fasciolose aguda diagnosticado em bovinos na regiao sul do Rio Grande do Sul. De um lote de 70 vacas de tres anos de idade 15 apresentaram perda de peso 30-40 dias antes da paricao. Dessas, 10 vacas abortaram e 5 morreram. Os sinais clinicos caracterizaram-se por diarreia, fraqueza, anemia discreta e ictericia. Na necropsia havia liquido escuro na cavidade abdominal. Na cavidade toracica havia fibrina e coagulos de sangue aderidos ao pericardio e pulmoes, principalmente nos lobos diafragmaticos. O figado estava aumentado de tamanho e a superficie capsular estava irregular com areas claras e petequias. A superficie de corte estava irregular, firme e edematosa e podiam ser observadas estrias hemorragicas atraves do parenquima. Areas de fibrose e trombos esbranquicados ocluindo vasos sanguineos foram, tambem, observados. Os figados das 10 vacas que nao morreram foram condenados no abate por lesoes de fasciolose similares as observadas na necropsia. Microscopicamente, o figado apresentava areas de necrose de coagulacao, focos de hemorragia acentuada e desorganizacao do parenquima com acentuada infiltracao de neutrofilos e eosinofilos. Havia, ainda, fibrose e hiperplasia de celulas de ductos biliares. Formas imaturas de Fasciola hepatica foram observadas no parenquima rodeadas por hepatocitos em degeneracao, neutrofilos e eosinofilos, e hemorragia. O surto ocorreu em uma propriedade localizada em uma area endemica para a fasciolose, embora a forma aguda da enfermidade nao seja frequente em bovinos nesta regiao. E provavel que as vacas tenham se infectado pelas metacercarias liberadas do hospedeiro intermediario no final do outono ou no inicio da primavera na resteva de arroz onde foram colocadas antes da paricao. Embora mortalidade em bovinos devido a fasciolose seja infrequente, surtos podem ocorrer e a utilizacao de fasciolicidas eficientes para controlar as formas imaturas ou adultas deste parasita devem ser administradas aos bovinos para evitar eventuais perdas economicas.
The Use of Netting Over Fishponds as a Hazard to Waterbirds

Abstract The problem of waterfowl becoming entangled and killed in netting suspended over fishponds, and the effectiveness of this technique in excluding birds from fishponds, was studied at two fish farms in Israel. A variety of physical and environmental factors of 101 netted fishponds with 20 net types were recorded, as were the number and species of dead birds entangled in the netting, and those observed alive under the netting. Numbers of dead birds were mainly a function of the net’s visibility: with fewer dead birds in small mesh size, and also in thick or dark-colored netting. Large numbers of dead birds occurred in netting made of thin monofilament even though it had small mesh size. The number of live birds at netted ponds was mainly a function of poor net maintenance, rather than net type. The results were used to formulate guidelines for using netting over fishponds in Israel, that include: fishpond netting should be made of thick, dark-colored material with small mesh size (<5 cm), and a total ban should be imposed on the use of thin monofilament nets. These guidelines will allow for better bird conservation, while reducing conflict between fish-farm managers and piscivorous birds.
Canopy tree growth responses following selection harvest in seven species varying in shade tolerance

We used tree ring measurements to investigate the temporal response of basal area increment (BAI) of canopy trees following selection harvests by sampling across a chronosequence of stands with known harvest dates in tolerant hardwood (Great Lakes – St. Lawrence) stands in central Ontario. Seven tree species of various shade tolerances ranged widely in their responses to reduced competition. The more shade-tolerant species responded more positively: shade-tolerant species showed an average increase in BAI of 35% 4–15 years postharvest compared with 16% for mid-tolerant species and –7.5% for intolerant species. All species showed a time-lag in postharvest growth responses, with maximum growth responses occurring between 3 and 15 years postharvest. Tree size was the most important factor determining the magnitude of BAI response, with smaller trees consistently responding more than larger trees. We suggest that higher growth responses to selection harvests among shade-tolerant species may contribute to decl.
Physiological and Behavioral Effects of Repeated Handling and Short-Distance Translocations on Free-Ranging Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus oreganus)

Abstract Translocation, a management and conservation strategy used commonly in which animals are moved from their sites of origin to other localities, has proven controversial. We examined the physiological and behavioral impacts of repeated handling and short-distance translocation on rattlesnakes, which are often translocated from areas of human use because of a perceived threat to people. Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) were radiotracked for 2 months, during which time one of three treatments was imposed weekly: translocation, walk and release at that day's capture site (handling control), and undisturbed control. At both the beginning (spring) and the end (summer) of the study, blood samples were obtained before and after an acute handling stressor, and plasma concentrations of corticosterone (CORT) and testosterone (T) were determined. All rattlesnakes showed a CORT stress response, but baseline and stressed concentrations of neither hormone were affected by either translocation or handling. However, the response of both hormones to stress differed between spring and summer, with a greater increase in CORT and a detectable decrease in T occurring in summer. Activity range size was affected by translocation, whereas no effects on snake behaviors recorded during observer approach were detected. Rattlesnakes appear quite resilient to the potential impacts of frequent handling or short-distance translocation.
The advantages of an audit over a census approach to the review of video imagery in fishery monitoring

Richard D. Stanley1*, Howard McElderry2, Tameezan Mawani3, and John Koolman4 Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, BC, Canada V9T 6N7 Archipelago Marine Research Ltd, 525 Head Street, Victoria, BC, Canada V9A 5S1 Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 200-401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 3S4 2286 Henlyn Drive, Sooke, BC, Canada V9Z 0N5 *Corresponding Author: tel: +1 250 7567134; fax +1 250 7567053; e-mail: rick.stanley@dfo-mpo.gc. ca.
Limits to fruit production in a monoecious fig: Consequences of an obligate mutualism.

Fruit maturation patterns of a Costa Rican fig tree, Ficus pertusa, were studied. Like other figs, F. pertusa is pollinated by a species-specific wasp (Agaonidae) whose female offspring transfer pollen between trees. Pollination success (the proportion of inflorescences pollinated) ranged from 1 to 100% among 21 F. pertusa crops studied over 2 yr and averaged only 65%. Resource availability evidently was limiting to fruit set as well: every crop abscised many inflorescences at a predictable point during growth. This abscission period usually preceded the brief but variably timed period of pollinator arrivals; in most cases every pollinated, undamaged inflorescence set fruit. In contrast, many resource-limited species reduce crop sizes after pollination. Numerous advantages of fruit abortion have been proposed. However, fruit abortion would not be expected in plants that evolved under conditions of pollen limitation; although pollinators have been thought to be overabundant in highly coevolved pollination mu- tualisms, figs' unique flowering phenology may in fact make pollen limitation common. The fact that future pollen carriers as well as seeds mature within fruits may also help explain these unusual fruit maturation patterns.
Ice storms as a successional pathway for Fagus grandifolia advancement in Quercus rubra dominated forests of southern New England

On 11 December 2008, a severe ice storm affected large portions of southern New England. We report the results of a study investigating differential damage among tree species. Past studies surveying ice-damaged forests have relied heavily on ocular estimations of canopy damage. We compare this method with damage estimates based on the cross-sectional area of downed woody material and quantitative comparisons of tree height and canopy projection in damaged and undamaged stands. Ocular estimates and changes in canopy height and projection were unreliable. Estimates based on the amount of woody debris provide a more robust measure of storm damage. We assess damage in two forest tracts with a dominant red oak (Quercus rubra L.) canopy (42% of total basal area) and an American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) dominated understory (50% of all stems > 1.3 m). Species’ standing basal area was well correlated with the amount of newly downed woody debris (r = 0.69, p < 0.001); accordingly, oak species constituted ap.
Chicken Infectious Anemia Virus (CIAV) in Broilers and Laying Hens in Sharkia Province, Egypt

CIAV was identified in three broiler flocks from different localities of Sharkia province, Egypt using PCR assay, where DNA extraction from liver, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus of examined chicken yielded positive reaction against primers. The flocks showed clinical signs and lesions suggestive to CIAV infection. The examined birds showed generalized weakness, depression, droopy appearance, pale comb and wattles, stunting, growth retardation, high mortalities, and markedly reduced packed cell volumes (average PCV was 17% - 22%). The necropsy findings were yellow fatty bone marrow, generalized lymphoid atrophy, and enlarged liver and spleen. Hypoplastic bone marrow and lymphocytic depletion were the most consistent histopathological findings. A serologic survey in unvaccinated commercial layer and broiler flocks from different localities of Sharkia province, Egypt was also performed using ELISA assay. Out of 180 tested serum samples of commercial layer flocks, 147 were positive (with percentage of 81.67% & ELISA titers ranging from 1582.74 to 2320.88) and 158 out of 180 tested serum samples of commercial broiler flocks, were positive (with percentage of 87.78% and ELISA titers ranging from 1821.04 to 2803.30). The present serological finding showed that CIAV was widely distributed in Sharkia province, Egypt. (Journal of American Science 2010; 6(9):752-761). (ISSN: 1545-1003).
Protein Kinase C (PKC) Isozymes and Cancer

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of phospholipid-dependent serine/threonine kinases, which can be further classified into three PKC isozymes subfamilies: conventional or classic, novel or nonclassic, and atypical. PKC isozymes are known to be involved in cell proliferation, survival, invasion, migration, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. Because of their key roles in cell signaling, PKC isozymes also have the potential to be promising therapeutic targets for several diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, immune and inflammatory diseases, neurological diseases, metabolic disorders, and multiple types of cancer. This review primarily focuses on the activation, mechanism, and function of PKC isozymes during cancer development and progression.
Oscillatory activity in the basal ganglia : is it relevant to movement disorders and their therapy?

Chronic high frequency stimulation of the basal ganglia can be a highly effective intervention for movement disorders in patients. In the past decade, therapeutic benefits have been seen with stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus interna for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dystonia, respectively. These procedures have allowed direct recording of basal ganglia activity and have suggested that abnormal synchronisation of neurons in these nuclei may contribute to motor impairment. This thesis explores the possible correlation between synchronised activity in the basal ganglia, as evidenced by oscillations in local field potentials, and movement disorders. In Chapter 3, we demonstrate the correlation between synchronization at frequencies under 10 Hz in the globus pallidus interna and dystonic EMG. This low frequency activity is shown to be locked to neuronal activity within GPi in patients with dystonia (Chapter 4). Deep brain stimulation is thought to suppress spontaneous pathological activity in the basal ganglia. Equally, however, it must also suppress any residual physiological activity in these nuclei. In Chapter 5, we demonstrate that the basal ganglia are involved in the processing of simple limb movements in the human, by separating the effects of deep brain stimulation on pathological and physiological activities based on baseline task performance. An impairment of motor performance was seen during high frequency stimulation in those patients with the best task performance at baseline. This deleterious effect, however,
Factors Affecting the Presence and Abundance of Generalist Ectoparasites in Nests of Three Sympatric Hole-Nesting Bird Species

Abstract. Nesting cavities constitute micro-environments very likely to be colonized by ectoparasites which feed on blood of the incubating female and the nestlings. Given the negative impact of ectoparasites on nestlings there will be selection on hosts to minimize ectoparasite loads through behavioural defenses. We have addressed the implications of ectoparasitism in three sympatric avian cavity-nesters, namely Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca, Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus and Nuthatches Sitta europaea, to explore if differences in prevalence and abundance of generalist ectoparasites (blowflies, fleas and mites) can be related to interspecific differences in their nest size, nest composition and cavity microclimate. Furthermore, we have aimed at detecting if interspecific variation in the incidence and intensity of anti-parasite behaviours is a consequence of the abundance of ectoparasites. Differences in nest composition among host species appear not to be the main factor explaining ectoparasite loads, while nest size, breeding phenology, brood size and nest-cavity micro-climate may affect them in different ways for each host-parasite association. Behavioural defenses against parasites are exhibited by all host species but are more intense in the host species with the highest infestation levels (Blue Tits). This study shows different sources of variation in associations between three sympatric avian cavity-nesters and their generalist ectoparasites.
Book Reviews

Despite its title this is a book that is not concerned with how communities work. Instead the subject matter relates to how communities want to measure the impact of changes (especially in relation to public services and public policy) that affect them. In the European context this would translate to the slippery world of either sustainability or quality of life indicators that many local government practitioners will be familiar with. In their book on developing sustainability indicators, Bell and Morse (1999) have described this field as one that attempts to measure the immeasurable. There was an explosion of interest in sustainability indicators initiated by the Local Agenda 21 debate that increased through the late 1990s (see Rydin et al., 2003 for a summary). Interest in measuring sustainability continues to be evidenced in the form of European funded research and (more parochially) the UK government’s concern with liveability and sustainable communities. Given this context, this book is an edited collection of chapters that collectively set out to bring together the experience of North American researchers to assist planners in North America when faced with policy decisions that impact on the quality of life of communities. There is a particular perspective on the development of indicators as the policy instrument of choice combined with the use of computer-based methods of data compilation, analysis and presentation. The book is divided into three sections with the first section of two chapters tackling the theoretical basis for community indicators, the second section of three chapters relating community indicators to the land use planning process and the third section of three chapters exploring the technological dimensions of developing community indicators. The conceptual section sets the development of indicators within a generic policy analysis context in the first chapter before setting out the epistemological basis for community indicators in the historic intellectual struggle between social indicators as descriptive entities versus the idea of social indicators as a diagnostic entity. The practice chapters stress the importance of indicators as a process of knowledge management with communities but this experience is not dissimilar to the LA21 process that local government engaged in through the 1990s in the United Kingdom and Europe. The final section concentrates more specifically on how practitioners might use data with computer-based technologies to develop sustainability indicators in relation to community statistical systems (databases whose contents might interest residents and professionals), the use of GIS-related technologies (visualisation and analysis) and to data modelling. The one collective argument of the book stresses the long-standing North American intellectual tradition of using social indicators in public policy that date from the 1920s but came to prominence in the 1960s. There is no collective argument as to the rest of the book. The arguments employed can be grouped Local Government Studies, Vol. 32, No. 1, 109 – 120, February 2006
Studies of the Genotoxic and Histopathological effects of the Organophosphorous insecticide 'Profenofos' on white rats.

Genotoxic effects of agricultural chemicals are of special concern because of their generally irreversible effects and the long latency associated with their manifestation. These effects include heritable genetic diseases, carcinogenesis, reproductive dysfunction and birth defects. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of the organophosphorous insecticide "profenofos" on white albino rats. The rats were treated for 28 days with three different doses of profenofos (1/20 LD50, 1/40 LD50, and 1/80 LD50). Then the animals were left without treatments for 14 days for possible recovery. The genotoxic effect of the pesticide was evaluated by using the micronucleus assay in the bone marrow and polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase (GST) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results demonstrated that the treatment with profenofos caused a significant increase in the frequencies of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. Results of polymorphism of both GSTM1 and GSTT1 showed positive genotype in the control group. While the results of GSTT1 polymorphism in the treated rats showed positive genotype in all doses of profenofos. The GSTM1 polymorphism showed positive genotype in the high and medium doses (1/20 LD50 and 1/40 LD50) but not in the low dose (1/80 LD50), where the GSTM1 was null (negative) genotype. After the recovery period the polymorphism of GSTM1 and GSTT1 was found to be positive genotype, except with the low dose (1/80 LD50) showed null genotype for GSTM1 gene. The histopathological data showed that profenofos exhibited histopathological changes in liver, kidney, spleen and tests. Liver showed hepatic cell damage with degenerative changes. The kidney showed heamorrhages, edema, necrosis and glomeruli shrinkage. The spleen showed slight deplesion of the lymphocytes of the white pulp. The tests showed interstitial edema and severe necrosis of spermatogenesis. From these results we concluded that the profenofos exert genotoxic and histopathological effects on albino white rats.
Effect of environmental variability on body condition and recruitment success of Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus L.) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of environmental variability on the dynamics of the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus L.) stock in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL). We first described the dominant modes of physical and biological (zooplankton) variability using Principal Components Analyses of 40 variables. Two principal modes of variability were identified, a long-term mode (15–20 yr) associated with a warming of the GSL and a second mode describing alternating cold and warm periods at a higher frequency (5–10 yr). A strong link between physical forcing and the dynamics of zooplankton species known to be important for mackerel was shown. Second, a set of Generalized Additive Models (GAM) was developed to explore how these environmental variations could influence mackerel condition (Fulton’s K) and recruitment success (Rs). Optimal GAMs including variations in abundance, species composition and phenology of key copepods improved model performance by 40–50% relative to those considering only physical environmental conditions. The results are consistent with the match–mismatch hypothesis and illustrate the key role of zooplankton dynamics in modulating variations in mackerel K and Rs. Finally, this study showed that large variations in Rs could be caused by varying environmental conditions independently of the influence of stock biomass. Our results strongly indicate that the effect of environmental variability should be considered in the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to Atlantic mackerel stock management.
CTX-M-15 extended-spectrum β-lactamase from Nigerian Klebsiella pneumoniae

OBJECTIVES In this study, extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) were characterized from 30 selected multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from patients with community-acquired urinary tract infections from Southwest Nigeria. METHODS The beta-lactamases were phenotypically characterized using isoelectric focusing, genotypically characterized using PCR assays and hybridization of the PCR products. Two of the bla(CTX-M) genes were completely sequenced. The location of the CTX-M-type genes was determined using transformation, DNA-DNA hybridization, PCR assays and hybridization of the PCR products from the Escherichia coli transformants. RESULTS All 30 isolates produced at least one beta-lactamase. Seventeen of the isolates were resistant to cefotaxime, and had > or =100-fold reduction in susceptibility with cefotaxime plus clavulanic acid (4 mg/L), indicating the presence of an ESBL. The 17 isolates were shown to have bla(CTX-M) genes that were associated with large plasmids (> or =58 kb), which also carried a tetracycline resistance gene, tet(A), and various aminoglycoside resistance genes. Two CTX-M-type genes were sequenced and had amino acid sequences indistinguishable from previously sequenced CTX-M-15 beta-lactamases. The ISEcp1 element was located upstream of bla(CTX-M-15) in the same position as previously described. In addition, 23 of the isolates produced TEM beta-lactamases, 27 produced SHV beta-lactamases and four produced AmpC beta-lactamases. CONCLUSIONS Thirty K. pneumoniae produced multiple beta-lactamases, with 57% producing CTX-M enzymes. This is the first characterization of CTX-M-15-positive K. pneumoniae in Western Africa.