Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of dietary soybean oil concentration on growth, nutrient utilization and muscle fatty acid composition of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.)

A 309 days feeding experiment was carried out on gilthead sea bream fingerlings (initial weight 14.7±4.4 g) to evaluate effects of substitution of fish oil with soybean oil in diets on growth and sensory characteristics and muscle fatty acid composition. Duplicate groups of fish were hand fed with four isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets (46% protein, 14% lipid and 22 MJ kg⁻¹) in which 0%, 24%, 48% or 72% of the fish oil was replaced by soybean oil. Fish fed diet 72% reached a lower final weight (324 g) than fish fed diets 0%, 24% and 48% (349, 343 and 338 g respectively). Feed intake, protein efficiency ratio, body composition and economic profitability were not influenced by the amount of soybean oil in the diets, but muscle fatty acid composition differed with diets. Panellists observed significant sensory differences between fish fed diet 0% and diet 72%. These results verified the possibility of feeding sea bream until they reached commercial weight with a 48% dietary substitution of fish oil for soybean oil.
Social, ethical and behavioural aspects of COVID-19.

Introduction: Vaccines and drugs for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 require robust evidence generated from clinical trials before they can be used. Decisions on how to apply non-pharmaceutical interventions such as quarantine, self-isolation, social distancing and travel restrictions should also be based on evidence. There are some experiential and mathematical modelling data for these interventions, but there is a lack of data on the social, ethical and behavioural aspects of these interventions in the literature. Therefore, our study aims to produce evidence to inform (non-pharmaceutical) interventions such as communications, quarantine, self-isolation, social distancing, travel restrictions and other public health measures for the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study will be conducted in the United Kingdom, Italy, Malaysia and Thailand. We propose to conduct 600-1000 quantitative surveys and 25-35 qualitative interviews per country. Data collection will follow the following four themes: (1) Quarantine and self-isolation (2) social distancing and travel restrictions (3) wellbeing and mental health (4) information, misinformation and rumours. In light of limitations of travel and holding in-person meetings, we will use online/remote methods for collecting data. Study participant will be adults who have provided informed consent from different demographic, socio-economic and risk groups. Discussion: At the time of writing, United Kingdom, Italy, Malaysia and Thailand have initiated strict public health measures and varying degrees of "lockdowns" to curb the pandemic. It is anticipated that these public health measures will continue in some countries (e.g. Italy, Malaysia) or be tightened further in other countries (e.g. Thailand, UK) to control the spread of the disease in the coming weeks and months. The data generated from our study could inform these strategies in real time.
The Importance of the Mechanisms of Interspecific Competition

Schoener (1983, 1985) and Connell (1983a) summarized more than 150 field experiments designed to test for the existence of interspecific competition in natural communities. Although there are differences between their reviews (Schoener 1985), both concluded that interspecific competition was detectable in more than half of the species studied. That more than 150 such field experiments were available for review is a testimonial to the dissatisfaction with which ecologists have viewed traditional studies that attempted to infer the presence of competition using correlational or distributional data. The design of the experiments, though, is a memorial to the extent o which the often-criticized Lotka-Volterra competition equations still pervade ecological thought. The experiments used a nonmechanistic, Lotka-Volterra-based, phenomenological definition of competition: two species compete when an increase in the density of one species leads to a decrease in the density of the other, and vice versa. Schoener stated, "I consider an interspecific competition experiment to be a manipulation of the abundances of one or more hypothetically competing species" (1983, p. 241). I question whether such experiments actually measure the "importance" of interspecific competition in nature and whether the LotkaVolterra definition of competition, which is based on the interactions of a single pair of species, applies to species living in multispecies communities. I raise these questions and direct the comments that follow not as criticisms of Schoener's or Connell's reviews, but from concern about the pattern of thought in ecology that generated the more than 150 papers available for review. In a natural community, one species may influence a second species both directly and indirectly (Levine 1976; Lawlor 1979; Vandermeer 1980). For instance, Lawlor (1979) considered a theoretical case of four warbler species whose only direct interactions were competitive. Lawlor used MacArthur's (1968) field data on competition coefficients for these four species and had the warblers compete according to the Lotka-Volterra equations. In the four-species community, however, one of the species pairs behaved, in total, as if they were mutualists, and two other pairs behaved, in total, as if they barely interacted, even though they were strong direct competitors. This marked ifference between the direct process of pairwise interspecific competition and the total effect hat one species has on another in a multispecies community iscaused by indirect effects. As soon as there are more than two interacting species, one species can potentially influence a second species both directly and indirectly through another species.
Cardamonin inhibits nitric oxide production modulated through NMDA receptor in LPS-Induced SH-SY5Y cell in vitro model

Background: Cardamonin is a naturally occurring chalcone from the Alpinia species. It is known to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Our previous studies have shown that cardamonin has antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic effects on CCI-induced neuropathic pain in mice. Although the evidence of the association between cardamonin and neuropathic pain has been reported in animal studies, specific targets using in vitro models are still lacking. Objectives/Methods: This study aims to investigate the effect of cardamonin on nitric oxide production using the LPS-induced neuropathic pain-like SH-SY5Y in vitro model through NMDA receptor expression. Results: Cardamonin administration in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells significantly reduced nitric oxide production assessed using Griess reagent. Western blot analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in GluN2B receptor expression in the cardamonin treated SH-SY5Y cells compared to the vehicle treated group. Conclusions: These data suggest that cardamonin reduces nitric oxide production modulated through NMDA GluN2B receptor subunit. Our results provides preliminary data to support the in vivo studies using cardamonin and may contribute to further understanding the mechanisms of action of cardamonin.
Liquid-Fuel Injection into Supersonic Cross Flow

ABSTRACT An experimental observation of kerosene injected into supersonic flow is presented. A reflected shock tunnel is used to produce high-temperature Mach 2 airflow. A flat plate injector model with a 0.5 mm orifice is installed at the tunnel nozzle exit. The liquid injection velocity is controlled from 47 m/s to 61 m/s. A high-speed schlieren system is used to observe the jet breakup and mixing phenomena. Schlieren observations show that the bow shock/boundary separation shock interactions have a significant effect on the spray dissipation. The interactions induce a strong spray whipping motion, causing droplet dispersion from the concentrated spray cone and quick vaporization into the airflow. The dispersed droplets also interact with the large eddy structures on the spray cone surface; a series of schlieren images shows the development of eddy structures, and their dissipation distances are closely related to the jet-to-freestream momentum ratio, J. Increasing J enhances the instability of the spray cone and decreases its dissipation distance. A Mie scattering system is also used to characterize the spray. Side-view and top-view Mie scattering images of the spray are captured by an intensified-CCD camera. The top view Mie scattering images of the spray at different heights from the wall also show the formation of vortices and the whipping motion of the spray caused by shock/shock interaction. To characterize the droplet dissipation distance, 100 schlieren images were averaged. The image was pseudo-colored to indicate the spray boundary, and this was used to identify the penetration height and spray dissipation distance. The local vertical peak of the schlieren intensity was identified. Based on the distribution of the peaks, the layers of droplet evaporation and gas-phase mixing zones could be recognized, and the penetration heights and dissipation distance of the spray identified. The trajectory relation of momentum flux ratio and penetration height is also presented in this paper, meeting the need for experimental data on penetration height of liquid jets in high-temperature supersonic flows. The penetration height results in this study are lower than those of Lin, perhaps due to differences in free stream temperature and measuring technique.
Size-dependent attack rate and handling capacity: inter-cohort competition in a zooplanktivorous fish

Two size-dependent processes, metabolic requirements and foraging capacity, heavily influence the competitive ability of organisms. We studied the size-dependent competitive ability of roach (Rutilus rutilus) in a laboratory experiment to determine the attack rate of roach as a function of roach and zooplankton sizes. The estimated size-dependent attack rates, size-dependent metabolic demands and handling capacities were subsequently used to interpret the outcome of a competition experiment between two size classes of roach. Furthermore, size-dependent attack rates were implemented in an optimal foraging model to predict consumption rates and zooplankton selection to reveal the mechanisms behind competition. The attack rate first increased with roach size to a maximum around 160 mm to thereafter decrease. Based on this result, we predicted that, small (150 mm) roach had a double advantage in competition for zooplankton in the pond experiment due to their higher attack rate and their lower metabolism compared to large (230 mm) roach. As expected, small roach depressed total zooplankton biomass to a higher extent than large roach, included more zooplankton in their diet and consumed smaller zooplankton. Predicted smallest size class of zooplankton in the diet was close to the observed. Also as expected, large roach fed more on the benthic resource and depressed the benthic resource to a larger extent than small roach. Large roach affected large zooplankton to a higher extent during the first part of the experiment, which could be related to their overall higher handling capacity. The higher impact of large roach on large zooplankton during the first part of the experiment, in turn, resulted in a lower estimated mass intake of zooplankton by small roach in the mixed treatment compared to small roach only treatments. Both small and large roach had a lower growth rate in the mixed treatment compared to single size class treatments. We relate the lower growth rate of small roach in the mixed treatment to large roach's higher efficiency on benthic resources and on large zooplankton during the first part of the experiment. In correspondence with diet data, large roach preferred the shore area of the pond with more benthic invertebrates and were also found more often close to the bottom. Although our results are explainable by exploitative interactions, the fact that the presence of large roach affected the feeding position of small roach points to that social interactions were also involved. Overall, our study implies that a mechanistic understanding is crucial for the interpretation of competition experiments, especially in systems with size-structured interactions.
Effect of Additives on Grass Silage Fermentation and Effluent Production, and on Intake and Liveweight Change of Young Cattle

Abstract Data from 11 experiments, conducted mainly at ADAS Liscombe Research Centre during 1989–1992, were used to compare silages made with additives which included formic acid, an acid–salt-type additive, sulphuric acid, liquid inoculant and a cultured inoculant with a non-additive-treated control. The silages were made from herbage with dry matter (DM) 170 g/kg and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) 21 g/kg. Compared with the non-additive-treated silage, formic-acid treatment significantly reduced silage pH, ammonia–N, acetic acid, butyric acid, total short-chain fatty acid and total acid content and significantly increased the proportion of lactic acid expressed as a proportion of the total acids. The acid–salt-type additive significantly decreased pH, lactic acid, acetic acid, total short-chain fatty acids and total acid content and significantly increased WSC. Sulphuric acid significantly reduced pH and ammonia-N. The liquid inoculant had no significant effect upon any silage fermentation parameters, and the cultured inoculant significantly reduced pH and acetic acid and significantly increased the proportion of lactic acid expressed as a proportion of total acids. Effluent production was higher with acid treament, but the effect was not significant. The effluent from the acid–salt-type additive-treated silage had a significantly higher DM and WSC than the other treatments. The silage DM intakes of the formic acid (5·36 kg/d), sulphuric acid (5·29 kg/d) and the acid–salt-type additive (5·20 kg/d) were significantly higher than those of the untreated silage (4·76 kg/d), and the daily live-weight gains given by the acid–salt-type additive (0·71 kg/d) and formic acid (0·68 kg/d) treated silages were significantly higher than those of the untreated silage (0·58 kg/d). It is suggested that the improvements in silage preservation obtained from additive use at ensilage were closely reflected in terms of animal performance. The acid– salt-type additive and formic-acid treatments were most effective, the liquid inoculant and sulphuric acid inter mediate between the acid–salt-type additive or formic acid and untreated silage, whilst the cultured inoculant was similar to untreated silage.
Distribution and Seasonal Movements of Culicoides brevitarsis Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) at the Southern Limits of its Distribution in New South Wales and their Correlation with Arboviruses Affecting Livestock

The distribution and seasonal movements of C. brevitarsis and the viruses it transmits were studied at the southern limits of the distribution of the vector in the seasons 1990 to 1993. Distinct patterns of spread of the vector from the Manning region to the Hunter Valley and down the southern coastal plain were observed each season. All adult stages of C. brevitarsis apparently were involved in these movements. Distributions were compared by averaging data from sites within six zones (starting at 1 with the Manning Region) separated by the month that C. brevitarsis was recorded at a site for the first time. the species was most abundant in autumn and numbers were progressively lower away from the Manning. the number of generations in each zone ranged from seven (zone 1) to zero (zone 6) and was dependent on the month that the species was first recorded in a zone. Average generation time was 4.13 ± 0.71 weeks ranging from 5 weeks (November‐December) to 3 weeks (March‐April). Fewer males than females were recorded, although, within zones, sex ratios were constant. Differences in sex ratios were recorded between the zones. Parous ratios were related to temperature and an increase in parous ratio in summer preceded maximum numbers in autumn. Temperature affected population growth and was suitable for C. brevitarsis activity for varying periods. Wind patterns that were consistent with the observed direction of spread occurred during most of the season. There were no clearly defined effects of rainfall on spread although, once established, numbers increased in autumn following the summer rains. A high incidence of infection of cattle with Akabane and Palyam viruses was recorded in 1990/91 and 1992/93. Initial levels of seroconversions were related to the population size of vectors which ranged from 2 to > 2,000 (as recorded by light traps) in the month prior to infection. the first occurrence of the virus was positively related to the time of first occurrence of the vector with delays in the appearance of the virus of 4 and 3 months in 1990/91 and 1992/93, respectively.
Aspects of the reproductive biology of torrentfish, Cheimarrichthys fosteri, in two braided rivers of Canterbury, New Zealand

Abstract The reproductive biology of torrentfish, Cheimarrichthys fosteri Haast, was investigated in the braided Rakaia and Ashley Rivers, South Island, New Zealand. Fish matured in their second year (1+) with males exceeding 63 mm and females 65 mm in fork length (FL). Few fish lived for more than 3 years. Spawning is thought to take place in the lower reaches of rivers and occurred in both rivers from January to April. Gonosomatic index (GI) values for females were lowest from April to August, inclusive, in fish from both rivers; they peaked in October in the Rakaia and in January in the Ashley River. Male GI values were lowest during April‐July and highest in October and March in the Rakaia and Ashley Rivers, respectively. Fecundity varied from 2769 to 55100 eggs and was linearly related to fish length. Juveniles (0+), 23–30 mm FL, entered the Rakaia lagoon primarily from April to September. Females dispersed up stream, up to 90 km from the sea, whereas males were most abundant in the lower reaches. Th.
Precommercial forest thinning alters abundance but not survival of snowshoe hares

Anthropogenic landscape modification is a major threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. Thus, land use practices that reconcile human needs with protection of species and ecological processes are of interest. Precommercial forest thinning (PCT) is a land use practice that is believed to be less ecologically disruptive than other silvicultural approaches (e.g., clear-cutting). The impacts of PCT on wildlife populations are not well understood, however, and the effects of this practice on individual animals have not been rigorously examined. Accordingly, we investigated short-term population and individual responses of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) to PCT in western Oregon during 2001–2002. We live-trapped hares (n = 143) seasonally and equipped them with mortality-sensitive radio-collars on 3 manipulated sites that were precommercially thinned and on 3 undisturbed controls. We also quantified the activity (movement rates) of all collared hares using an automated data-logger. As a result, we were able to document the effects of PCT on hare abundance, individual survival, and daily movement. Thinning significantly reduced hare abundance relative to that on control sites, but had no effect on individual mortality or activity. We infer, therefore, that a portion of the hares on thinned sites dispersed to adjacent habitat, where they survived as well as conspecifics on both control and manipulated sites but were unavailable for subsequent capture. We conclude that PCT affects hare density in the short-term (i.e., at least in the first few years post-treatment) largely via altered behavior. Thus, if the immediate impacts of this practice on hare populations are to be minimized, thinned stands should be imbedded in a habitat matrix that facilitates the occupancy of individuals dispersing from disturbed patches. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Simulating Impacts of Precipitation on Ice Cover and Surface Water Temperature Across Large Lakes

Precipitation impacts on ice cover and water temperature in the Laurentian Great Lakes were examined using state‐of‐the‐art coupled ice‐hydrodynamic models. Numerical experiments were conducted for the recent anomalously cold (2014–2015) and warm (2015–2016) winters that were accompanied by high and low ice coverage over the lakes, respectively. The results of numerical experiments showed that snow cover on the ice, which is themanifestation of winter precipitation, reduced the total ice volume (ormean ice thickness) in all of the Great Lakes, shortened the ice duration, and allowed earlier warming of water surface. The reduced ice volume was due to the thermal insulation of snow cover. The surface albedo was also increased by snow cover, but its impact on the delay the melting of ice was overcome by the thermal insulation effect. During major snowstorms, snowfall over the open lake caused notable cooling of the water surface due to latent heat absorption. Overall, the sensible heat flux from rain in spring and summer was found to have negligible impacts on the water surface temperature. Although uncertainties remain in overlake precipitation estimates and model's representation of snow on the ice, this study demonstrated that winter precipitation, particularly snowfall on the ice and water surfaces, is an important contributing factor in Great Lakes ice production and thermal conditions from late fall to spring. Plain Language Summary Snow and rain impact on ice cover and water temperature in large lakes were studied using a computational model for an example of the Laurentian Great Lakes. It was found that snow cover increased the reflection of solar radiation but at the same time prevented lake ice from the growing, resulting in less formation of ice and slightly earlier melting. The earlier ice melting also allowed earlier warming of the water surface in spring. Major snowstorms caused slight cooling in the water surface temperature because snowflakes absorbed heat when it touched the water surface to melt. On the other hand, warmer rain barely changed the water surface temperature during summer.