Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance, health and behaviour of organic growing-finishing pigs in two different housing systems with or without access to pasture

Abstract The effects of two housing systems (deep litter and straw-flow), with and without access to pasture during the summer period, were studied in an organic growing-finishing pig herd. Performance, health, skin lesions and daytime pig activity were studied in 29 pens of 16 pigs (total of 464 pigs, in 4 batches). Data from 21 pens were used for comparisons of deep litter and straw-flow and data from 16 pens for comparisons of access/no access to pasture. Pigs in the deep litter system had a lower carcass meat percentage (56.6% vs. 57.3%) and more locomotion problems (4.4% vs. 0%) than pigs in the straw-flow system. No difference in daytime pig activity was detected between the two housing systems. Under moderate temperatures, pigs with access to pasture and fed a commercial organic feed inside the building were not more active during daytime behaviour studies (7.30 h–16.30 h) than pigs without access to pasture. However, at 17 weeks of age the pigs with pasture access spent 21% of their time on pasture, less time inside the pig house (20% vs. 33%) and less time on the outside concrete area (4% vs. 12%) than the pigs without pasture. No difference in performance was detected between pigs with and pigs without access to pasture.
Quantitative aspects of phytooestrogen metabolism in sheep fed on subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum cultivar clare) or red clover (Trifolium pratense)

Studies have been made of the digestion and metabolism in Merino wethers of the isoflavones in subterranean clover (Trtfolium subterraneurn cv. Clare) and red clover (T. pratense). The dietary intake of isoflavones with both clovers was about 9 g per day. With the subterranean clover, the isoflavones were predominantly genistein and biochanin A, and slight teat length increases in the wethers ingesting this clover indicated a low level of oestrogenicity. With the red clover formononetin represented 60% of the isoflavone present and the wethers on this diet exhibited maximal teat length increases indicating a high level of oestrogenicity. Less than 1 % of the daily intake of the isoflavones was excreted as such in the faeces and urine; hence most of these compounds were metabolized or retained in the sheep. The dietary isoflavones were found to disappear rapidly from the rumen, and it was estimated by using marker techniques that the removal of these compounds from the stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum) was virtually complete. Equol (7,4'-dihydroxyisoflavan), a metabolite of formononetin, was the predominant phyto-oestrogen in the digesta and excreta when red clover was given. The excretion of 3.9 g/day of this compound, mainly in urine, was equivalent to 70% of the intake of formononetin. It was calculated that about 86% of the equol produced in the rumen was absorbed from that organ; the mean residence time for equol in the rumen was estimated to be 1.7 hr. The isoflavones were present in blood plasma mainly in conjugated forms. Equol predominated with both clovers. The levels of equol were much lower with the subterranean clover than with the red clover diet; the concentrations of the conjugated form were respectively 13 and 300-440 ¦g/100 ml. Equol in the free form, although not detectable with the subterranean clover, was present at 4-10 ¦g/100 ml with red clover. The data were considered to be consistent with the conclusion that equol accounts for most of the phyto-oestrogenic activity in sheep fed on clovers containing high levels of formononetin.
Morphological aspects of spinal cord autoimmune neuroprotection: colocalization of T cells with B7‐2 (CD86) and prevention of cyst formation

Autoimmune T cells directed against central nervous system associated myelin antigens were previously shown to reduce the spread of damage after axonal injury. Using morphological, morphometric, and immunocytochemical techniques, we show that, in rats with contused spinal cords, recovery after systemic treatment with such T cells is manifested by sparing of axons, including the myelin sheath, and by prevention of cyst formation. In treated cords, analysis of cellular elements revealed colocalization of T cells and B7‐2, a costimulatory molecule known to be associated with activation of anti‐inflammatory T cells (Th2 phenotype); some of the T cells express B7‐2. It is interesting that this colocalization was restricted mainly to structures that, in the absence of the T cell treatment, developed into cystlike cavities. We conclude that interaction between myelin‐specific autoimmune T cells and cellular elements in the damaged nerves, possibly mediated via microglia and in a B7–2–dependent manner, initiates a cascade that leads to secretion of a repertoire of factors that protect the neural tissue.
On the Rutting Behavior of the Mountain Goat

Mountain goats were observed during two rutting seasons. The manifestations of the rut, the agonistic and the courtship behavior are described and interpreted. It is shown that goats have evolved intense threat displays and have reduced fighting to a minimum. Fights are disadvantageous as examinations of wounded males and observations on a wounded male during the rut revealed. Males court females carefully until the agonistic tendencies of the females are depressed. The differences in agonistic behavior of the sexes lead to a social structure in which large, adult males are subdominant to females and yearlings. It was found that the courtship behavior is the antithesis of the males' present threat. Marking behavior may function as an olfactory intimidation mechanism. The significance of the goats' coat pattern is discussed.
Hidden invertebrate diversity – phytotelmata in Bromeliaceae from palm houses and florist wholesalers (Poland)

Abstract Bromeliads accumulate water in the leaf axils (forming phytotelmata), which may then form a habitat for many animal species of both invertebrates and vertebrates. In temperate regions, bromeliads are commonly displayed in palm houses and distributed by florist wholesalers. Taking into account the fact that global plant trade can be a source of spreading alien species, the phytotelmata that had formed within the bromeliads were examined here in order to study the protists and invertebrates associated with this habitat. In the examined Bromeliaceae micro-reservoirs representatives of testate amoebae (Euglyphida and Arcellinida), Gastrotricha, Nematoda, Rotifera, Polychaeta, Cladocera, Copepoda and mites (Oribatida, Mesostigmata and Heterostigmatina) were found. Additionally, unidentified Nemertea, Turbellaria, Insecta larvae and single representative of Mollusca were also found. Thirty taxa are recorded for the first time from bromeliads micro-reservoirs. Among the identified taxa, the gastrotrich Chaetonotus (Hystricochaetonotus) furcatus Kisielewski, 1991 was found, which was previously known only from bromeliads in the natural environment in South America. Nematodes belonging to Clarkus spp. were found in the Bromeliaceae reservoirs for the first time. Additionally, the tropical mite Phthiracarus (Phthiracarus) phoxos Niedbała, 2004, previously known from Cuba in the natural environment and other greenhouses in Poland, was also found in the studied phytotelmata. Steneotarsonemus ananas (Tryon, 1898) sensu Beer, 1954 was recorded from Poland for the first time. Some of the mite specimens, e.g., Mesostigmata and Heterostigmatina, had most likely accidentally been caught in the phytotelmatum, which acted like a trap; but others, especially freshwater fauna representatives can be a constant element of the phytotelmata merocenoses. Our study provides comprehensive analysis of fauna living in these exceptional micro-habitats, and it underlines the possibility of passive invertebrate dispersal within bromeliad micro-reservoirs and between different localities, e.g., florist shops and markets as well as greenhouses.
Bayesian singular value regularization via a cumulative shrinkage process

Abstract This study proposes a novel hierarchical prior for inferring possibly low-rank matrices measured with noise. We consider three-component matrix factorization, as in singular value decomposition, and its fully Bayesian inference. The proposed prior is specified by a scale mixture of exponential distributions that has spike and slab components. The weights for the spike/slab parts are inferred using a special prior based on a cumulative shrinkage process. The proposed prior is designed to increasingly aggressively push less important, or essentially redundant, singular values toward zero, leading to more accurate estimates of low-rank matrices. To ensure the parameter identification, we simulate posterior draws from an approximated posterior, in which the constraints are slightly relaxed, using a No-U-Turn sampler. By means of a set of simulation studies, we show that our proposal is competitive with alternative prior specifications and that it does not incur significant additional computational burden. We apply the proposed approach to sectoral industrial production in the United States to analyze the structural change during the Great Moderation period.
Analysis of Retinal Nerve Fibre Thickening in Progressive and Non-progressive Non-arteritic Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy Using Optical Coherence Tomography

ABSTRACT The study aims to investigate the longitudinal changes in the circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (cpRNFLT) in progressive and non-progressive non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION). This retrospective observational case series study analysed 17 eyes with NAION. Patients sustaining any additional visual loss (additional decrease in visual acuity (VA) ≥0.2 logMAR) within two months after initial onset of symptoms were classified as having progressive NAION. Of the 17 eyes with NAION, 13 (76.5%) were diagnosed as non-progressive and 4 (23.5%) were diagnosed as progressive. Compared with control eyes, eyes with non-progressive NAION showed greater cpRNFLT in all four optic disc quadrants at the initial visit (temporal and superior: P < .001; nasal and inferior: P = .002). In contrast, compared with control eyes, eyes with progressive NAION showed greater cpRNFLT in the superior and nasal quadrants (P = .004 and 0.028, respectively), but not in the temporal and inferior quadrants. During progression, eyes with progressive NAION showed a significant increase in cpRNFLT in the inferior quadrants; furthermore, there was significant increase in cpRNFLT in the nasal sector before visual loss developed after the initial visit. Progressive NAION showed development of the disc swelling from the superior to inferior portion of optic disc via the nasal swelling, suggesting that swollen axons in one ischaemic part may lead to secondary vascular infarction in another part of the optic disc. This enlargement could constitute the earliest sign of progressive NAION.
Development, Oviposition Rate, Longevity, and Voltinism of Stephanitis pyrioides (Heteroptera: Tingidae), an Adventive Pest of Azalea, at Three Temperatures

Rate of development of the immigrant azalea lace bug, Stephanitis pyrioides (Scott), reared on hybrid evergreen azalea, was measured at three constant temperatures. Egg development across temperatures was nonlinear and ranged from a mean of 11.6 d at 31.7°C to 23 d at 20.6°C. Stadial development rate between instars for both sexes was similar at each temperature. Development of instars across temperature was nonlinear. Third instars required the minimum time for development; this was half the time required for fifth instars, which required the longest time. Adults are nondiapausing, and males lived longer than females when paired independent of temperature. Single males and females lived longer at 20.6°C than single and paired cohorts at 26.1 and 31.7°C. Single males lived as long as 246 d and females 253 d at 20.6°C. Fecundity and average oviposition rate varied nonlinearly with temperature. Presence of the male was found to affect oviposition rate. Postoviposition longevity for females is reported. Overwintered eggs hatch earlier than reported previously, and four generations were determined in Maryland with adults present in early December. The immigrant mirid predator of Stephanitis lace bugs, Stethoconus japonicus Schumacher, was discovered during the study.
Mathematics anxiety and mathematics teaching anxiety of in-service and pre-service primary school teachers

ABSTRACT This study explores effects of teaching experience and specialized mathematics education on mathematics anxiety and mathematics teaching anxiety. Fifty-nine female pre-service and in-service mathematics primary school teachers with varied specialized mathematics education and teaching experience responded to a questionnaire measuring mathematics anxiety and mathematics teaching anxiety. The results illustrate that specialized mathematics education affects in-service primary school teachers’ mathematics anxiety, and that teaching experience is associated with mathematics teaching anxiety. Moreover, mathematics anxiety of some in-service primary teachers without specialization does not fade with time. The discussion highlights the importance of identifying mathematics anxiety in primary school teachers with no specialized mathematics education, aiming to lower it. The small sample and participants’ background limit the power of the findings. This study recommends conducting further studies according to the suggested mathematics anxiety cognitive-behavioral model; addressing cultural differences, teachers with and without specialized mathematics education, and comparing middle and secondary teachers.
Evolutionary Modification of Ecology in a Common Lichen Species

The very common foliose lichen Pseudoparmelia caperata (Ascomyco- tina, Parmeliaceae) has an exceptionally broad amplitude of ecological tolerance, growing on trees and noncalcareous rocks on all continents. In most of eastern North American, however, it is primarily epiphytic, its place on rock being taken by the closely related, exclusively American P. baltimorensis. Juveniles of both species are morphologically indistinguishable but the frequent presence of gyrophoric acid in P. baltimorensis in much of its range gives a chemical marker for identifying most immature thalli. Juveniles are distributed approximately like adults, indicating that the factors responsible for excluding most P. caperata from rock and most P. balti- morensis from tree trunks must act very early, perhaps at the stage of first growth of the asexual propagules that account for most individuals in populations. Pseudopar- melia caperata in eastern North America may have sustained genetic impoverishment through the loss of gamodemes adapted to the microhabitat of rock as a result of intense competition with P. baltimorensis in the past. Each species still occasionally grows in the other's preferred microhabitat and both may grow in approximately equal numbers on tree bases, which seem to be ecologically intermediate, having the chemistry and texture of bark and the reduced light and increased moisture of the forest floor. In spite of the importance of asexual reproduction in propagating the best genotypes, apothecia with spores are still regularly produced in both species. Widely distributed or disjunct species in which long-isolated popula- tions have seemingly not diverged are evolutionary enigmas. This phe- nomenon has been interpreted as evidence that gene flow is not the major evolutionary force that integrates the biological species (Ehrlich and Raven 1969). Many species of cryptogams, including lichen-forming fungi, consist of such old discontinuities without obvious divergence, a situation traditionally dismissed as reflecting genetic stagnation in these organisms. The present paper analyzes a widely distributed lichen species that would superficially seem to fit the model of ancient discontinuity without differentiation. Closer examination, however, shows that the representation of this species in one part of its range has actually sub- stantially diverged-not in morphology, which would be easier to per- ceive, but rather in amplitude of ecological tolerance, which is more elusive. We believe that this modification resulted from past competition with a similar and closely related species that is still extant today. Pseudoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale is one of the best-known of all foliose lichens. It is native to all continents and in many parts of the world is among the commonest of all lichen species, growing on trees and non- calcareous rocks. It varies little morphologically, is usually sterile, and produces soredia in characteristic erumpent soralia (fig. 1). In the late 1960s we became interested in a morphologically different species then
Application of Chicken Immune Sera to Identification of Mycoplasmas by the Filter Immunobinding Method

Application of chicken immune sera to identification of Mycoplasma species by the filter immunobinding (FIB) method was investigated. Immune sera against type strains of 15 Mycoplasma species were prepared in chickens by inoculation with concentrated Mycoplasma organisms. Chicken immune sera, when absorbed in a broth medium and diluted in a blocking solution, showed a definite specificity with homologous Mycoplasma antigens by FIB. The identification results of field isolates of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M. synoviae by FIB using absorbed chicken immune sera were consistent with those obtained by conventional tests based on biochemical properties and growth inhibition using rabbit immune sera. Chicken immune sera were evidenced to be useful for identification of Mycoplasma species when applied to FIB although they were not applicable in growth and metabolism inhibition tests.
Letter to Kajiwara et al. ‘Letter in response to “Impacts of a multicomponent intervention programme on neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia and psychological health of caregivers: a feasibility pilot study”’

Dear Editor, We thank Dr Kajiwara and his colleagues for their interest in our article. The two issues raised in the letter are important to be clarified and illustrated. A systematic review reported that some correlations were found between pain treatments and reduced BPSD, but inconsistent findings were reported. Our result is in line with previous finding. The BPSD severity of PWD participants in our study was very low value (median 3 in CG, 4 in IG) on the NPI‐Q scale ranging from 0 to 36. And change scores in BPSD are too small to reach the significant difference between the two groups. Concerning the programme design, we agree with Dr Kaijiwar and his colleagues that incorporating knowledge of BPSD in the context of OA into the intervention may be useful and needs further investigation in future study. Self‐management and regular exercise are the critical factors in knee OA management. Considering outcomes measures of our programme, we measure their in‐home exercise adherence by asking the caregivers about the PWD spending how much time on exercise per week. The results showed that the total duration of exercise per week in IG increased statistically significant (P < .022) after the intervention. And this result will be published elsewhere. In addition, in most of our caregiver participants, the full‐time domestic helpers were delivering the home exercises. Whether this was a factor of better compliance is uncertain. We do not have enough family caregiver participants for comparison.
Tuberculosis drug safety and pharmacovigilance in health system of Kosova: A cross‐sectional analysis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant worldwide social and life‐threatening epidemiological problem. Because this disease requires multiple drug treatment and prolonged therapy for several months, followed by a high probability of adverse effects (AEs), we assessed AE monitoring for anti‐TB drugs in the Health Care System of Kosova.
Suspended Clay and the Population Dynamics of Planktonic Rotifers and Cladocerans

The direct and indirect effects of suspended clay on the population dynamics of several species of planktonic rotifers and cladocerans were investigated using long-term laboratory experiments. Life table and population growth experiments showed that high, but naturally occurring, concentrations (50-100 mg/L) of coarse, suspended clay (<2-jm particle size) caused large reductions in the population growth rates (rm) of four cladoceran species (Bosinina longirostris, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia ambigua, and D. pulex). Ju- veniles were more susceptible than adults to suspended clay. Low concentrations (10 mg/L) of coarse clay, and high concentrations of fine clay (< 1 Ajm), did not decrease, and sometimes increased, cladoceran population growth rates. Both the inhibitory effects of high concen- trations of coarse clay and the stimulatory effects of low concentrations of clay were greater at limiting food (Cr pptomnonas) concentrations. The population growth rates of four rotifer species (Brachionus calvciflorus, Keratella cochlearis, Polyarthra vulgaris, and Synchaeta pectinata) were not affected by high concentrations of coarse or fine clay, even at very low food levels. The population growth rate of the rotifer K. crassa was decreased by coarse clay. The threshold food concentration (the food concentration, measured as dry mass, at which population growth rate equals zero) of the cladoceran D. ambigua was increased from 0.15 to 0.40 jg/mL in the presence of 50 mg/L coarse clay, indicating a reduced ability to compete in exploitative contests. The threshold food concentration of the rotifer K. cochlearis (0.05 jg/mL) was unaffected by suspended clay. Suspended clay reversed the outcome of two rotifer-cladoceran competition experiments, between K. cochlearis and D. arnbigua, and between K. cochlearis and C. dubia. In the absence of clay, the cladocerans dominated; in the presence of clay, the rotifer dominated. The presence of suspended sediments in natural ecosystems, such as turbid lakes and reservoirs, should favor rotifers over cladocerans and thus influence the structure of zooplankton communities.
Ecology and life history of the viviparous lizard Mabuya bistriata (Scincidae) in the Brazilian Amazon

The viviparous lizard Mabuya bistriata was studied in two lowland tropical forest sites in Amazonian Brazil with additional data taken on museum specimens. These diurnal lizards are active primarily during midto late morning on fallen logs or low on tree trunks. They are heliothermic averaging 32.9 ? 0.98 C in body temperatures. Prey include orthopterans, spiders, eruciform larvae, termites, and other invertebrates. Prey differences between the two sites most likely reflect differences in prey availability associated with tropical seasonality in rainfall.