Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic parameters for milk yield in dairy sheep

Summary A repeatability animal model and restricted-maximum-likelihood methods were used to estimate genetic parameters of milk yield in dairy sheep. A total of 14 388 lactation records of 4123 ewes from three Churra flocks with full pedigree information for many years were considered. The following estimates were obtained for each flock: repeatability: 0.43, 0.32, and 0.32; percentage of permanent environmental variance: 14.3%, 17.3%, and 16.8%; heritability: 0.29, 0.15, and 0.15; coefficient of additive genetic variation: 13.6%, 11.8%, and 11.2%. When the additive genetic variation coefficient is taken into consideration, the estimates obtained could allow one to expect that the response to selection using a repeatability model for dairy-sheep-breeding programmes may be relatively high. Zusammenfassung Genetische Parameter fur Milchleistung von Schafen Ein Wiederholbarkeits-Tiermodell und restringierte Maximum-Likelihood-Methoden wurden zur Schatzung genetischer Parameter fur Milchmenge in Schafen verwendet. Insgesamt 14 388 Laktationen von 4123 Mutterschafen von 3 Churra-Herden mit voller Pedigreeinformation uber mehrere Jahre wurden analysiert. Folgende Schatzwerte wurden fur die einzelnen Herden erhalten: Wiederholbarkeit 0,43, 0,32 und 0,32; Anteil permanenter Umweltvarianz 14,3, 17,3 und 16,8%; Heritabilitat 0,29, 0,15 und 0,15; genetischer Variationskoeffizient 13,6, 11,8 und 11,2%. Im Hinblick auf die genetischen Variantionskoeffizienten sollte der Selektionserfolg bei Verwendung eines Wiederholbarkeitsmodells fur Milchschaf gunstig sein. Resumen Parametros geneticos para la produccion lactea del ganado ovino lechero Un modelo animal de repetibilidad y el metodo de maxima versimilitud restringida fueron usados para estimar los parametros geneticos de la produccoion lactea en el ganado ovino lechero. Se consideraron 14 388 lactaciones de 4123 ovejas de tres rebanos de raza Churra con informacion de pedigree completa para muchos anos. Fueron obtenidas las siguientes estimas para cada rebano: repetibilidad: 0.43, 0.32, y 0.32; porcentage de varianza del ambiente permanente: 14.3, 17.3, 16.8%; heredaibilidad: 0.29, 0.15, 0.15; coeficiente de variacion genetico aditivo: 13.6, 11.8, 11.2%. Tomando en consideracion el coeficiente de variacion genetico aditivo, las estimaciones obtenidas nos permitirian esperar que la respuesta a seleccion del ganado ovino lechero puede ser relativamente grande.
Changes in Growth Regulator and Carbohydrate Levels in Roots and Shoot Tips of Cornus sericea during Cold Storage and Emergence from Dormancy

Cornus sericea L. rooted cuttings were held in cold storage for 60 days and then transferred to a growth chamber in hydroponic culture. Roots and shoot tips were sampled during storage and through resumption of vegetative growth. Samples were analyzed for abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), zeatin, zeatin riboside, glucose, fructose, sucrose, and starch. Budbreak was associated with increasing levels of the cytokinins and IAA, and decreasing levels of sucrose and starch in the shoot tips. Regeneration of new roots was preceded by an increase in the cytokinins and IAA, and a decrease in ABA in roots. Root sucrose increased nearly two times 1 week after budbreak and starch content generally decreased throughout the experiment. The results agree, in general, with previous reports indicating decreasing levels of ABA and increasing levels of cytokinins to be associated with root regeneration and budbreak. They also indicate that, of the four carbohydrates studied, sucrose levels changed most dramatically during the root regeneration and budbreak processes. Specific actions and roles of endogenous growth regulators in budbreak, shoot elongation, and root regeneration of woody plants are unclear due to potential interactions among compounds and inadequate methods for analysis. An understanding of root and shoot growth mechanisms may aid development of improved cultural strategies. Little work has been done on the roles of endogenous growth regulators in spring root regeneration. The majority of plant growth regulator studies utilized only bud or shoot tissue. Of the few reports on root growth regulator levels, most did not simulta- neously examine root and shoot tissue. In addition, many previous studies have relied on imprecise analysis methods such as bioassay (Bachelard and Wightman, 1974; Carlson and Larson, 1977; Taylor and Dumbroff, 1975) or have examined only one or two growth regulators at a time (Domanski and Kozlowski, 1968; Doumas and Zaerr, 1988; Sundberg et al., 1987; Taylor and Dumbroff, 1975). Because several studies have provided evidence for an interaction among growth regulators and carbohydrates during root initiation and growth (Butcher and Street, 1960; Haissig, 1982; Wareing and Saunders, 1971), there is a need for more comprehensive studies of carbohydrates, growth regulators, and their roles in the onset of root and shoot growth. The following report represents a detailed study on several endogenous factors associated with spring regrowth in woody plants.
Assessment of social factors influencing hospitalization cost of US preterm newborns, 2016

Abstract Background and objective Preterm newborn (PTN) care is costly in the US, and the preterm birth (PTB) rate has not seen substantial improvement. PTB remains a significant public health issue because of risks of adverse health outcomes and the associated economic burden. Assessing factors leading to high hospital cost is imperative in order to ease economic burden associated with PTB. Social factors influencing hospitalization cost for PTN have not been studied extensively. This study aims to examine the contributions of hospital type, race/ethnicity, and median household income quartile to the cost of the PTN’s initial hospitalization after birth. Materials and methods Data used in this study originated from the 2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) which provided the most recent national records of pediatric hospitalization in the US. International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes P07.2x and P07.3x were used to identify birth gestational age (GA) in complete weeks. Q00-Q99 codes were used to identify congenital anomalies. Data records reflecting hospitalization of newborns without congenital anomalies were extracted to estimate total cost in 2016. Analysis of factors influencing total cost was performed on the subset of newborns that were in-born and with birth GA from 24 to 36 weeks. Total hospital cost was calculated by multiplying total charges and cost-to-charge ratios. Per-diem cost was calculated by dividing total hospital cost by length of stay. Linear regression modeling was performed using weighted data, and the best model was selected using the Akaike information criteria. Results Hospitalization cost for PTNs, who constituted 7.6% of all studied newborns, comprised 45% of total newborn hospitalization cost. PTNs in freestanding children’s hospitals had significantly higher total cost compared to non-children’s teaching and non-teaching hospitals. The cost difference was GA-dependent. The latter two hospital types reported similar cost for PTNs. Although race/ethnicity and median household income quartile were related, the two covariates had independent effects on total hospitalization cost. A model built to assess the roles of covariates in the association between GA and total hospitalization cost found that all three covariates independently affected total cost when controlling for one another, with hospital type also showing an interaction effect with GA. Conclusions Hospitalization cost is highly influenced by hospital type, race/ethnicity, and median household income quartile. The modifiable aspects of these factors may be further dissected and targeted in order to ease the burden of high hospitalization cost associated with PTB.
Molecular Characterization of Romanian Rose Genotypes Based on RAPD Markers

RAPD markers were used to characterize 26 Rosa genotypes, of which 17 were obtained in Romanian breeding programs. All of the twenty decamer primers yielded scorable amplification patterns and generated polymorphic bands among the genotypes studied. RAPD is therefore a reliable procedure for distinguishing among Rosa cultivars and also for assessing the genetic similarity among different genotypes useful in breeding selection programs. This work is the first of its kind reported in Romania.
Crystalline cell inclusions: a new diagnostic character in the Cladophorophyceae (Chlorophyta)

Abstract Crystalline cell inclusions were observed in 45 species of Cladophorophyceae. The crystals can be classified into eight morphological types, including needle-shaped, prismatic, octahedral, tetrahedral, cubic and globular, and they were found to occur in clusters or as single crystals. In addition to the different morphological types, the crystals are characterized by different chemical compositions. Chemical tests distinguished the crystals as being composed of calcium oxalate, calcium carbonate or proteins. The diversity of crystal types raises the possibility that these structures have systematic value. The occurrence of crystalline structures is compared with previously published phylogenies of the Cladophorophyceae. Some types of crystals were found to be genus- or species-specific,whereas other types occurred in distantly related groups. The crystalline cell inclusions can be useful diagnostic characters. For example, Cladophoropsis sundanensis and Cladophora coelothrix are distantly related but have similar thallus architecture, and they can be distinguished from one another by the presence or absence of crystals.
miR-30a-5p Inhibits Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition by Targeting CDK6 in Nasal Polyps

Background Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is considered as a crucial event in disease development and dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is involved in the regulation of EMT in various human diseases. Emerging evidences congregated over the years have demonstrated that miR-30a-5p was decreased in diseases and its overexpression inhibited the process of diseases via attenuating EMT. Although aberrant expression of miRNAs and occurrence of EMT were previously reported in Nasal Polyps (NPs), the role of miR-30a-5p in EMT of NPs is still remains unclear. Objective The purpose of our present study was to explore the expression and potential function of miR-30a-5p in EMT of NPs. Methods The expression of miR-30a-5p and mRNA expression level were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) - induced EMT model and NPs patients. Western Blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to evaluate the protein expression level of EMT markers. The cells mobility was assessed by Wound-Healing assay. Luciferase reporter assay was utilized to verify the relationship between Cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) and miR-30a-5p. Results Firstly, we observed that miR-30a-5p was down-regulated notably, accompanying with the alteration of EMT markers expression in NPs tissues and EMT model induced by TGF-β1 in primary Human Nasal Epithelial Cells (pHNECs) and A549 cells in vitro. Moreover, the functional assays demonstrated that overexpression of miR-30a-5p significantly inhibited EMT and cells mobility. Subsequently, CDK6 was validated as a direct target of miR-30a-5p. Finally, we performed the rescue experiments indicating that overexpression of CDK6 eliminated the suppressive effects of miR-30a-5p in TGF-β1-induced EMT in pHNECs and A549 cells. Conclusion Taken together, our results suggested that EMT was involved in NPs, and overexpression of miR-30a-5p could attenuate EMT via repressing the expression of the CDK6 in pHNECs and A549 cells.
Prevalence of Ovine Ectoparasites in and Around Ambo Town, Ethiopia

2 Abstract: A cross sectional study was carried out from November 2011 to March 2012 with the objectives of determining the prevalence and potential risk factors associated with ecto-parasites of sheep and to assess the effects of ectoparasites on the skin in and around Ambo. A total of 450 sheep were used to study the prevalence of ectoparasites on live animals. The result obtained from live sheep demonstrates 53.1% of sheep were infested with one or more ectoparasites. The major ectoparasites identified on sheep were lice (24.0%), tick infestations (19.2%), Fleas (10.3%). The most prevalent species of lice was Damalina ovis with an overall prevalence of 18.0% while Linognathus spp was only 5.8%. Out of ticks the most prevalent genus was Boophilus with a prevalence of 9.1% followed by genus Amblyomma and Hylomma with a prevalence of 5.3% and 2.9%, respectively finally genus Rhipicephalus with prevalence of 1.8%. The least prevalent ectoparasites were fleas with prevalence of 10.2%. There was no significant difference in the overall prevalence of lice, ticks and fleas (P>0.05). The overall infestation with ectoparasites was high in the males (64%) than females (47.9%). Comparison of overall ectoparasites infestation rate between sex groups has shown no significant variation (P>0.05). Analysis in the overall occurrence of ectoparasites had revealed statistically significant difference (P 0.05) was observed in prevalence of ectoparasites in age and body condition groups. From the result of this study it is possible to conclude that ectoparasites infestation has significant draw back in the production of sheep at the study area.
Growth performance and nutrient utilization of African giant land snail (Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed different protein diets

Animal growth depends greatly on the level of protein intake and utilization of other food nutrients. Growth performance and nutrient utilization of Archachatina marginata hatchlings fed three iso-caloric formulated diets containing varying levels of protein were assessed. The diet protein levels ranged from 15% to 25% crude protein at 5% increments, and were designated treatments I – III respectively. Archachatina marginata hatchlings (5.3±1.0) numbering thirty were randomly grouped and assigned to the diet treatments, each treatment duplicated and the hatchlings fed at 2% body weight/day in wooden cages filled with loamy soil up to 15 cm thickness for 70 days. Growth indices: daily weight gain, body weight gain, shell length, shell width, shell aperture increased with increase in the diet protein level. The mean body weight gain of the hatchlings fed 20% or 25% crude protein diets were similar (p>0.05); both being significantly (p<0.05) higher than those fed on 15% crude protein diet. Morphological parameters (shell length, shell width, shell aperture) of the hatchlings followed similar trend. Weight gain, protein efficiency ratio and feed conversion efficiency increased with increasing diet protein level significantly (p<0.05). Archachatina marginata hatchlings fed lower diet protein level (15%) performed significantly lower in growth at the end of the feeding trial.
IN OVO PEPTIDE YY ADMINISTRATION IMPROVES BODY WEIGHT AT HATCH

SUMMARY Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that in ovo administration of peptide YY (PYY) at Day 18 of incubation enhanced adjusted feed conversion ratio (AFCR) and BW gains of broilers during the first week post-hatch. Preliminary studies have also shown that in ovo PYY administration at Day 25 of incubation also increases jejunal glucose absorption in 1-d-old Nicholas turkey poults. The objective of this study was to further elucidate the effects of in ovo PYY administration on growth and feed conversion in two turkey lines: a commercial growth line (BUT; British United Turkey, UK) and the Egg Line. Eggs from both turkey lines were randomly placed in the same incubator. On Day 25 of incubation, 380 BUT and 440 Egg Line eggs were injected with 100 µL 1.025% saline (control) or 600 µg PYY/kg egg weight. At hatch, 168 poults from each treatment group were wing-banded, weighed, and randomly distributed across pens in four Petersime batteries. A standard turkey starter crumble feed and water were available ad libitum. Feed and birds were weighed on Days 3, 10, and 17 to determine BW gains and AFCR. Poults of both lines from PYY-treated eggs were heavier (P < 0.01) than controls at Day 3. This effect was not apparent at Days 10 and 17. A subset of birds from each treatment group was randomly chosen at Day 17 and sexed by dissection. At hatch and again at Day 3, there were no BW differences (P = 0.94 and P = 0.15, respectively) noted between sexes. Males were heavier at 10 and 17 d (P = 0.0001). These results suggest that PYY enhances poult weight and may attenuate differences in BW caused by gender during early post-hatch life.
ON THE HOST RANGE AND SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE BACTERIA RESPONSIBLE FOR THE YELLOW SLIME DISEASES OF WHEAT (TRITICUM VULGARE VILL.) AND COCKSFOOT GRASS (DACTYLIS GLOMERATA L.)

Inoculations with Corynebacterium rathayi (E. F. Sm.) Dowson, alone or combined with the eelworm Anguina tritici into the leaves and shoots of cocksfoot grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and wheat (Triticum vulgare Vill.), fail to cause infection. Inoculations made through the soil with Corynebactmim rathuyi and C. tritici (Hutchinson) Burkh. plua Anguina tritici cause infection in wheat but not in cocksfoot grass. The symptoms produced on wheat resemble those of yellow slime disease of cocksfoot grass. Successful infection of wheat with Corynebacterium rathay. or C. tritici is dependent on the presence, in the soil surrounding the plants, of Anguina tritici together with one of these bacterial species, which are considered to be so closely related as to suggest that Corynebacterium tritici is but a geographical variety of C. rathayi.
A STUDY ON THE FEEDING ECOLOGY OF CHITONS USING ANALYSIS OF GUT CONTENTS AND FATTY ACID MARKERS

Diet composition and food sources of five species of chiton coexisting in the same biotope on a rockyboulder reef were studied using a combination of two methods: gut contents analysis and analysis of marker fatty acids composition in the digestive tract tissue. Despite the common food supply, there was considerable interspecific selection in consumption. In the gut contents of Ischnochiton hakodadensis, Tonicella granulata and Mopalia retifera, diatoms as well as fragments of red calcareous algae (Corallinaceae) and other macrophytes dominated. Harpacticoid and amphipod crustaceans were most frequent in the digestive tract of the chiton Placiphorella borealijaponica. The meiobenthic prey of Lepidozona albrechti was mostly harpacticoids, nematodes, ostracods, acarins and foraminiferans. In large L. albrechti, juvenile cirripedes constituted up to 95% of the gut contents. For all the investigated chitons, the fatty acid composition of total lipids in the digestive tract was determined for the first time. The species I. hakodadensis, T. granulata and M. retifera were characterized by a 16:0/16:1n-7 ratio � 1 and an 18:1n-9/18:1n-7 ratio � 1 along with a low content of the acid 22:6n-3. In contrast, the content of the acid 22:6n-3 in the lipids of the other two chiton species (L. albrechti and P. borealijaponica) was higher and the 16:0/16:1n-7 ratio � 1 and the 18:1n-9/18:1n-7 ratio � 1. The marker fatty acid distributions suggested that diatoms prevailed in the diet of I. hakodadensis, T. granulata and M. retifera, i.e. the three chiton species were mainly herbivorous. This was in agreement with the gut content data, and differentiated them from the other two chitons L. albrechti and P. borealijaponica which were carnivorous, as indicated by analysis of both marker fatty acid composition and gut contents. The share of macrophytes and insignificant bacterial contribution to the chiton diets as well as the possibility of shifts in the feeding strategy of chitons were discussed.
Water Quality and Plankton Composition of Amblypharyngodon mola Monoculture Fish Pond in Bangladesh

A study was conducted to assess the water quality and plankton composition in Amblypharyngodon mola fish pond for a period of 4 months in Bangladesh. Nine earthen pond each with three treatments, viz. T 1 , T 2 and T 3 were stocked with A. mola at the density of 145,000; 73,000 and 36,500 individual ha -1 , respectively. Water quality parameters such as water temperature, transparency, total alkalinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, Nitrate-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, phosphate-phosphorus and chlorophyll-a of the ponds water were measured. Water quality parameters (except transparency and chlorophyll-a) did not show any significant differences (P>0.05) among the treatments. The lowest PO 4 -P and chlorophyll-a concentration were observed in treatment T 1 where 145,000 individual ha -1 of A. mola was cultured. Plankton samples were also collected and identified throughout the study period. A total of 38 genera of phytoplankton and 13 genera of zooplankton were identified of which Chlorophyceae (20 genera) in phytoplankton population and Crustacea (9 genera) in zooplankton population were dominant. The mean value of total plankton population (×10 3 cells L -1 ) were 158.42 ±53.33, 191.17 ±62.24 and 240.17 ±93.37 in T 1 , T 2 and T 3 treatments, respectively and contributing to the fish production according to their availability and abundance within the treatment. The study reveals that the rural based farmers can develop an actual mechanism of plankton production in aquatic environment which could be essential necessary for the maintenance of water quality and sustainable development of small scale indigenous fish culture in Bangladesh and other developing countries.
Vegetation, terrain and fire history shape the impact of extreme weather on fire severity and ecosystem response

Questions Do endogenous (landscape/vegetation) or exogenous (weather) factors control fire severity? During severe fire weather, is there convergence in fire severity across rain forest, forests and heathlands such that all locations burn with similarly high severity? Are there long-term effects of fire severity in temperate crown-fire ecosystems? Location Montane rain forests, eucalypt forests and heaths in the temperate climate zone of eastern Australia (Washpool/Gibraltar Range National Park). Methods The immediate and longer-term effects of fire weather and landscape (terrain, previous fire history and vegetation type) factors on fire severity and ecosystem response were measured using remote sensing and ground measures of microclimate, productivity and plant resprouting at 45 sites. Results Fire weather strongly interacted with terrain, antecedent fire history and vegetation type, resulting in complex mosaics of mixed fire severity rather than convergence to uniform fire severity. Vegetation type influenced the effects of time-since-fire and fire frequency on fire severity, suggesting differential fire feedbacks. High fire severity left a long-term imprint on total reflectance, ground temperatures and productivity of the vegetation, but these effects were not uniform across vegetation types. The abundance of resprouting species was not strongly affected by fire severity. Conclusions There was evidence for strong weather control of fire severity but fire history, terrain and vegetation shape the immediate effect due to the contrasting pyrogenic vs pyrophobic nature of the vegetation mosaic. The short-term dominance of weather as a driver of fire severity is only weakly related to the longer-term ecosystem response because of the strong resprouting ability of the canopy dominants, even in rain forest. The forest complexes of eastern Australia appear highly resilient to high fire severity in both structure and floristics, which may influence long-term feedbacks.