Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Growth and economic performance of Clarias gariepinus juveniles fed diets containing velvet bean, Mucuna pruriens, seed meal

The partial replacement of fishmeal with mucuna seed meal in the diet of cultured juvenile Clarias gariepinus was tested over 70 days to determine their growth, nutrient and economic performance. The 25% fishmeal component of the control diet was replaced with 5–15% raw or processed mucuna seed meal and the fish were fed twice daily at 5% of their average body weight per day. The diet containing 5% raw mucuna seed meal resulted in the best specific growth rate (2.42% d-1), feed conversion ratio (2.05) and protein efficiency ratio (1.34), as well as the highest net profit of US$0.065 per fish and the best benefit-cost ratio of 1.32. The diet containing 15% processed seed meal produced the worst results. The processing of mucuna seed resulted in improved crude protein and ether extract and a 20% reduction in crude fibre.
A high-throughput glasshouse bioassay to detect crown rot resistance in wheat germplasm

A high-throughput and reliable seedling bioassay to screen wheat germplasm for crown rot resistance was developed. Single wheat seedlings were grown in square seedling punnets in a glasshouse and inoculated with a monoconidial Fusarium pseudograminearum isolate 10 days after emergence. The punnets were laid horizontally on their side and a 10-μL inoculum droplet placed on the stem base. Seedlings were incubated at near-saturated relative humidity, and crown rot severity was assessed 35 days after inoculation. Studies on the duration of incubation period, inoculum concentration and temperature were carried out to optimize these parameters. Seedling growth at 25/15(±5)°C in a glasshouse and 48-h incubation at near-saturated RH in darkness gave the best results. When crown rot resistance rankings of 16 Australian cultivars from the bioassay were compared with their field performance, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was highly significant. This indicated that the seedling bioassay mimicked field resistance to crown rot in adult plants. A bootstrap resampling analysis showed little or no improvement in the coefficient of variation with an increasing number of replications, indicating a high level of precision and reproducibility. By detecting small but consistent differences in crown rot severity, the bioassay proved effective in large-scale screening for partial resistance: already over 1400 wheat genotypes have been screened. The high degree of precision makes this an invaluable tool in the understanding of pathogen aggressiveness, host specialization and parasitic fitness.
The Influences of Steeping Duration and Temperature on the α- and β-Amylase Activities of Six Thai Rice Malt Cultivars (Oryza sativa L. Indica)

J. Inst. Brew. 115(2), 140–147, 2009 A preliminary study of malting conditions for six Thai rice cultivars was conducted. Three non-glutinous rice cultivars (KDML105, PT60, and WR) and three glutinous rice cultivars (SPT, RD6, and KND) were selected. The steeping durations (24, 48, and 72 h) and temperatures (20, 25 and 30°C) were investigated for their effect on α- and β-amylase, the key enzymes for malt quality evaluation. During steeping, the production of both enzymes was lower than at the germination process. The longer the steeping duration, the lower the maximum βamylase activity obtained. The contradictory effect was observed for α-amylase activity, near the end of the germination time. Additionally, temperature influenced the water absorption content as well as the amylolytic enzyme activity. Particularly at 30°C, the maximum β-amylase activity (6.7 unit/mg protein) was found in KND malt steeped for 24 h, and maximum α-amylase activity (20 unit/mg protein) was found in PT60 malt steeped for 72 h. The amount of enzyme production depended on the variety rather than the amylose content in the rice. The optimal condition for malting rice regarding β-amylase activity and α-amylase activity was analyzed at 30°C, with steeping for 24 h and germination for 4–5 days.
On the histology, histochemistry and ultrastructure of the cysticercoid of Raillietina cesticillus (Molin, 1858) Fuhrmann, 1920 (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea)

The structure of the cysticercoid of Raillietina cesticillus has been studied with the aid of light and electron microscopes. While the ultrastructure of the superficial parts of the scolex closely resembles that of other cestodes, the fine structure of the cyst wall differs from both these. The arrangement and functions of the tissues in the cyst wall are discussed and interpreted with reference to the tissues of the scolex of the cysticercoid of R. cesticillus and to the tissues of other cestodes. R. cesticillus cysticercoids, subjected to various histochemical tests, were shown to contain proteins and carbohydrate materials. The author wishes to thank the Principal and Governors of West Ham College of Technology, a constituent college of the North-east London Polytechnic, for their general and financial support of this work. Thanks are also due to the Directors and Governors of the several institutions whose electron microscopes the author used. The work described here forms part of a thesis approved by the University of London for the degree of Ph.D.
The effects on shells of drilling by Octopus

The holes drilled by Octopus vulgaris are compared with structures concerned with drilling– the radula, the muscular salivary papilla, and the terminal process of the posterior salivary gland duct, and with the teeth which they all bear. Comparison of the shell surface after drilling and after fracture has shown that some chemical dissolucion of the shell occurs during drilling. “Rasp marks” found on the surface of drill holes have been shown to be due to the structural formation of the gastropod shell.
Functional and phylogenetic approaches reveal the evolution of diversity in a hyper diverse biota.

Ant communities in tropical forests may be governed by varying assembly mechanisms, depending on the particular habitat investigated. We compared phylogenetic diversity and structure across two forest biomes (dry and humid) and two vertical layers (arboreal and terricolous) in ant communities in Madagascar, and assessed the infl uence of invasive species on this community structure. We estimated phylogenetic signal and correlated evolution for habitat and several functional traits and tested for conservatism in relevant functional and habitat traits. Ancestral states were reconstructed to illuminate the evolution of habitat traits. All analyses utilized phylogenies estimated from newly generated data from three nuclear markers for 290 Malagasy ant taxa. Dry forests, although lower in species richness, were found to support equally high lineage diversity as humid forests. In contrast, phylogenetic diversity was much lower in arboreal than in terricolous communities. We observed signifi cant phylogenetic clustering in the combined humid forest and in the arboreal – humid, arboreal – dry and terricolous – humid communities, whereas the combined dry forest community was overdispersed. Among ant communities in Madagascar, overdispersion and competition therefore may be more prevalent in dry forest, and habitat fi ltering may be more dominant in humid forest. Excluding invasive ant species had little overall eff ect on community structure. All investigated traits showed low to intermediate conservatism; strong support for correlated evolution was found for increased eye size and an arboreal lifestyle. Habitat transitions from humid to dry and from terricolous to arboreal occurred more frequently, and ancestors of most lineages were predicted to be terricolous or humid-forest adapted. We conclude that most Malagasy ant clades fi rst colonized humid forests and subsequently transitioned into dry forests, indicating that previous hypotheses on the evolution of Madagascar ’ s hyperdiverse biota may not apply to ants and other arthropods.
The relationship between reef fish community structure and environmental variables in the southern Mexican Caribbean

The reef fish community of the Mexican Caribbean and the factors governing its structure are poorly known. Using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), the relationship between fish community species composition and abundance, and environmental variables was investigated at three Mexican Caribbean reefs. These reefs are separated by c. 70 km: Boca Paila, located in the northern Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve; Tampalam, in the southern portion of said reserve; and Majahual, an unprotected area near the Mexico/Belize border. One hundred and thirty-four fish species belonging to 41 families were identified by underwater visual census. Their quantitative data, and 15 environmental variables collected during 60 sample transects, were analysed. The sample stations were distributed among the three reefs, and covered five dominant habitat types: reef lagoon, back reef, reef crest, reef front and reef slope. The variables estimated were: temperature, depth, current direction, current intensity, vertical relief, visibility, topographical complexity and substratum coverage (percent of sand, seagrass, algae, rock and rubbles, gorgonians, massive coral, branching coral and encrusting coral). Ordination diagrams with points based on fish species, sample sites, and environmental variables, showed a pattern mainly determined by degree of reef site complexity. Habitat scale environmental factors defined element distribution in three main areas: (a) reef fish species associated with lagoon and back reef sites of low topographical complexity; (b) species associated with intermediate complexity reef crest sites; and (c) species associated with high complexity reef front and reef slope sites. Nearly 52% of the variation in fish species data was explained by environmental variables in the direct and simultaneous ordination analysis. Topographical complexity was the most important variable, but depth, encrusting coral coverage, and vertical relief also had significant effect on fish species. Use of multivariate statistical methods proved valuable in deciphering the reef fish community structure patterns in the southern Mexican Caribbean. The current study provides a base for future reef fish research and regional tourism and fisheries management.
High Variability for Control-Region Sequences in a Marine Mammal: Implications for Conservation and Biogeography of Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

The Steiler sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus ) is a threatened species that has experienced significant population declines over the past 3 decades. Previous genetic studies indicated low allozymic variability in this monotypic species. However, high levels of variation exist in the mitochondrial control-region, as revealed by a 238 base-pair sequence from 224 specimens taken over most of the range of the species. Patterns of macrogeographic variation indicate the presence of two genetically differentiated populations of Steiler sea lions. A western population included rookeries from the Commander Islands in Russia and the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska in Alaska. An eastern population included rookeries from southeastern Alaska and Oregon. Phenetic analysis of the mitochondrial-DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes indicates that certain haplotype lineages are specific to one or the other populations. Thus, these populations have been separated for a sufficient amount of time to allow diversification of lineages. However, the two populations are paraphyletic with respect to mtDNA, which indicates that they do not trace their ancestries back to a single maternal ancestor in either case. The populations likely diverged as a result of separation in different glacial refugia.
The use of serum antibody as a means to determine infections from exposure to wastewaters and refuse

Surveys of serum antibodies to infectious agents have been used to evaluate the risks of infection from exposure to wastewater and wastewater sludge. In general, these studies have failed to show major risks from these kinds of exposures. Relatively few studies of the effects of exposure to refuse have been reported. In this review, seroepidemiologic studies are considered by type of infectious agent, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and algae, and by types of exposure to waste. In four of the five wastewater worker studies reviewed, there was only limited evidence that exposure to wastewater/sludge carried with it any risk of viral infection and this evidence was in most cases limited only to the subgroup of workers with the highest exposure levels. Antibody to hepatitis A virus (HAV) was elevated above that of controls in Copenhagen sewer workers but not in American wastewater workers. In the three studies of land application of wastewater, there was also only minimal evidence of infection .
The maize RNA‐binding protein, MA16, is a nucleolar protein located in the dense fibrillar component

Summary A developmentally and environmentally regulated gene in maize, MA16, encoding an RNA-binding protein that binds preferentially to uridine and guanosine-rich RNAs has previously been described. To gain some insight into the function of MA16 the distribution of MA16 mRNA and protein during maize development was investigated using in situ hybridization, RNA and protein gel blot analysis and immunocytochemistry. The results show that MA16 is expressed throughout development of the embryo and seedling in different tissues and at different levels. The level of MA16 mRNA is higher in developing and expanding structures such as the root elongation zone and young leaves. After stress treatment MA16 mRNA increases in total and polysomal RNA, but no significant change in the level of the protein was detected. MA16 is a non-ribosomal nucleolar protein. Using immunoelectron microscopy the MA16 protein has been located in the dense fibrillar component and to a lesser extent in the granular component of the nucleolus. It was found that MA16 contains the conserved sequence motifs R(G)nY(G)nR and RR(E/D)(G)nY(G)n repeated in the C-terminal of the molecule that conforms imperfectly to the GAR motif proposed for nucleolar proteins. In light of these results the stress regulation of MA16 and a likely role for this protein in pre-rRNA processing and/or ribosome assembly is discussed.
Solid-phase extraction-fractionation of alfalfa saponins

A simple method was developed to isolate alfalfa saponins and fractionate them into medicagenic acid, hederagenine and soyasapogenol glycosides. This method is based on the selective extraction of saponins from a C18 solidphase column with methanol-water solutions. Selectivity of the C18 sorbent to retain saponins strongly depended on the pH of the loaded sample. This characteristic was the basis of a new method of column chromatography for isolation of individual saponins.
Physiological Effects of CCC on the Growth of Grapevine

Physiological effects of CCC on the growth of grapevine inflorescence differentiation, cytokinin activity in the xylem sap, and photosynthetic and respiratory activities of grape leaves were investigated by the application of CCC as a soil drench. 1. Shoot elongation and dry weight of shoot were not affected by CCC treatment. However, CCC caused an increase in dry weight of roots without changing any external features of the roots. 2. The top/root ratio of CCC-treated plants was reduced to about one-half that of the control plants. The volume of xylem sap of CCC-treated plants exceeded about two times that of controls. After separation of xylem sap by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, at least five cytokinin-like substances including zeatin and zeatin riboside were present in the sap of control plants. The main peak of cytokinin-like activity (Compound 1) in the sap was depressed by CCC treatment, whereas the sixth cytokinin-like substance (Compound 5) appeared in the chromatograms of the sap examined. 3. Number of inflorescence differentiation in the lateral bud of CCC-treated plants was larger than that of controls. The number of inflorescence differentiation of lateral buds from the 3rd to the 5th node of the shoot was larger than that of the 8th to the 10th node of the shoot. 4. Chlorophyll content of the leaves of CCC-treated plants was higher than that of controls, especially in young leaves. Photosynthetic activity of mature grape leaves was stimulated by CCC treatment, though dark respiration was not affected by the treatment. Photorespiration rate (PIB-1) and PR/DR ratio of mature leaves were increased by CCC treatment.
Níveis de lisina para frangos de corte nos períodos de 22 a 42 e de 43 a 49 dias de idade

Foram realizados dois experimentos para determinar a exigencia de lisina total para frangos de corte Ross, macho, no periodo de 22 a 42 e de 43 a 49 dias de idade. Utilizou-se em cada experimento, 900 frangos com peso medio inicial de 764 g ± 35 g aos 22 dias e de 2520 ± 73 g aos 43 dias de idade. As aves foram distribuidas em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com seis tratamentos, seis repeticoes e 25 aves por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos foram constituidos de seis niveis lisina, de acordo com a fase. As exigencias nutricionais minimas, exceto para lisina, foram atendidas. As variaveis avaliadas foram consumo de racao, ganho de peso, conversao alimentar, rendimento de carcaca e dos principais cortes, porcentagem de gordura abdominal, coracao, figado e moela, sendo as exigencias de lisina estimadas por modelos de regressao. Considerando os dados obtidos, as exigencias nutricionais de lisina total foram estimadas em 1,111% para o maximo desempenho, no periodo 22 a 42 dias de idade e de 1,044% para o maximo desempenho e rendimento de carcaca e peito, no periodo de 43 a 49 dias de idade.
Hydrosedimentologic disturbance index applied to watersheds of Minas Gerais state

Ecological indicators have become important tools for assessment and monitoring of natural resources, being the understanding of the relationship between antropic activities and the environmental response essential for their structuring. Although the development of potential indicators may prove sensitive to many variables, they must demonstrate their ability to take the surrounding conditions, from those relatively preserved to those highly disturbed. Based on this premise, the development of the Hydrossedimentological DisturbanceIndex (HSDI) for environmental assessment at watersheds in Minas Gerais state, emerges as a potential tool to support decisions which should be focused on the improvement of natural resources management. A HSDI proposal was developed from the hydrological, climate and water quality database available in Minas Gerais state, highlighting sediment transport (ST), hydrological stress (HS), groundwater recharge (Rec) and current soil erosion potential (SEP), working with a robust tool for determining the weights of factors with appropriate scientific background and subsequent development of map for analyzing its distribution, having Paraopeba river watershed as study case.
Partitioning of temporal activity among desert lizards in relation to prey availability and temperature

Partitioning of activity time within ecological communities potentially reduces interspecific competition and increases the number of species that can coexist. We investigated temporal activity in a highly diverse lizard assemblage in the Simpson Desert, central Australia, to determine the degree of partitioning that occurs. Three periods were defined, daytime (sunrise to sunset), early night (sunset to midnight) and late night (midnight to sunrise), and live captures of lizards were tallied for each period during two sampling months (September and November 2007). We also quantified the activity times of potential invertebrate prey and measured ambient temperatures during the different time periods to investigate any associations between these factors and lizard activity. Some 77% of captures of 13 lizard species were made by day, with Ctenotus pantherinus, Egernia inornata (Scincidae) and Nephrurus levis (Gekkonidae) the only species showing extended nocturnal activity. Activity of both species of skink was recorded at temperatures 4°C lower than those for agamid and varanid lizards early in the night, and at temperatures as low as 18–20°C. Surface-active invertebrates differed in composition between time periods and were less abundant during the late night period in the drier of the two sample months (September), but were distributed equally over time in the other month. Termites were active in subterranean galleries at night in September and mostly by day in November, but available at all times on surface/subsurface baits. We conclude that activity is distributed unevenly within this lizard assemblage, with partitioning facilitated by the ready availability of invertebrate prey and by lizards having relatively broad temperature tolerances that, in some cases, permit opportunistic exploitation of resources beyond usual times of activity.
Experimental Study on the Diet of Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) under Different Ecological Conditions in a Shallow Lake

We studied the diet of the eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki with in situ experimental mesocosms located in a shallow lake. Different nutrient concentrations (phosphorus and nitrogen) and fish population densities were tested. Our results confirm that it is a planktivorous species, with also a great ingestion of algae and detritus. Nutrient fertilization caused almost no changes in this species feeding behavior, but larger mosquitofish stocks induced a shift to zooplanktivory and a decline in detritivory. When macrophytes were present, the predation effect focused on zooplankton and plant-associated animals, otherwise predation on bottom macroinvertebrates increased. Females preyed upon almost all groups more intensely, including detritus. Males and juveniles did not overlap diet, the former being more selective on ostracods, while juveniles consumed detritus, rotifers and cladoceran. Our data support the idea that mosquitofish can cause important top-down effects in shallow lakes under a wide variety of ecological conditions, being an important zooplanktivore in both turbid and plant-dominated shallow lakes especially in the Mediterranean zone, where high temperatures and absence of piscivores promote maintenance of its populations during the whole year. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effect of Conservation Method on Digestibility, Nitrogen Balance, and Intake of Alfalfa

Abstract Alfalfa diets were fed to growing wethers to examine factors lowering intakes of alfalfa silage and to identify dietary characteristics related to voluntary intake. Direct-cut silage (Silage), direct-cut silage dried to the same dry matter as hay (Drysil), heat-dried hay (Hay), hay with water added to give the same dry matter as silage (Wethay), direct-cut silage treated with . 5% of 2:1 formaldehyde (37%) -:formic acid (90%) mix at ensiling (Formal), and 24-h wilted silage (Wilted) were made from forage cut and chopped similarly. Digestible dry matter of Silage (50.5%) was lower than Formal (54.5%) and Wethay (57.4%) with other diets intermediate. Number of meals per day tended to be greatest for the Silage diets. Eating rates were highest for Formal and Wilted diets. More than 1.81% of nitrogen was in the acid detergent fiber insoluble fraction, resulting in low nitrogen digestibilities and negative nitrogen balances for Silage, Drysil, and Formal diets. Voluntary digestible energy intakes (Silage, 190; Drysil, 177; Hay, 202; Wethay, 228; Formal, 225; Wilted, 200 kcal/weight kg- 75 ) were not related to moisture content of the forages. Digestibility, density, rate of digestion of cell wall constituents, and behavioral patterns were discussed as possible factors related to intake.