Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Malignancy risk of thyroid nodules with nonshadowing echogenic foci

Purpose This study was conducted to determine the malignancy risk and diagnostic value of various types of nonshadowing echogenic foci (NEF) in the risk stratification of thyroid nodules. Methods A total of 1,018 consecutive thyroid nodules (≥1 cm) with final diagnoses were included. The presence of NEF was determined and types of NEF were classified according to the presence of a comet tail artifact (CTA), location, and size through a prospective evaluation. The associations with malignancy, malignancy risk, and diagnostic value of various types of NEF were assessed. Results Intrasolid punctate NEF without CTA was the only type of NEF that was an independent predictor of malignancy (P<0.001). The malignancy risk of intrasolid punctate NEF without CTA was substantially higher in solid hypoechoic nodules than in isoechoic or nonsolid nodules (71.3% vs. 9.2%, P<0.001). In solid hypoechoic nodules, slightly increased sensitivity (70.8% vs. 67.9%) for malignancy and a similar malignancy risk (71.4% vs. 71.3%) were observed for intrasolid punctate NEF (with or without CTA) and intrasolid punctate NEF without CTA, respectively. NEF with CTA at the margin of the cystic component was not associated with malignancy or benignity in nonsolid nodules (P>0.05). Conclusion Intrasolid punctate NEF without CTA was the only independent predictor of malignancy. However, solid hypoechoic nodules with intrasolid punctate NEF should be classified as high-suspicion nodules regardless of coexisting CTA. Other types of NEF had no added value for detecting malignancy compared to intrasolid punctate NEF without CTA.
Specific transporter for iron(III): Phytosiderophore complex involved in iron uptake by barley roots

Abstract Iron (Fe) is an essential element for plant growth. Gramineous plants have generally developed a distinct strategy to efficiently acquire insoluble Fe, which is characterized by the synthesis and secretion of an Fe-chelating substance, phytosiderophore (PS) such as mugineic acid (MA), and by a specific uptake system for Fe(III)-PS complexes. In a previous study, we identified a gene specifically encoding an Fe(III)-PS transporter (HvYS1) in barley. This gene as well as the encoded protein is specifically expressed in the epidermal cells of the roots, and gene expression is greatly enhanced under Fe-deficient conditions. The localization and substrate specificity of HvYS1 indicate that it is a specific transporter in barley roots. In contrast, ZmYS1, which has been reported as an Fe-PS transporter from maize, possesses broad substrate specificity despite a high homology with HvYS1. By assessing the transport activity of a series of HvYS1-ZmYS1 chimeras, we revealed that the outer membrane loop between the 6th and 7th transmembrane regions is essential for the substrate specificity. We also achieved an efficient short-step synthesis of MA and 2'-deoxymugineic acid (DMA). Our new synthetic method enabled us to use them in a large quantity for biological studies.
Species-specific responses of an alpine plant community under simulated environmental change

Abstract Question: How will warming and increased nutrient availability affect individual alpine plant species abundances (non-vascular and vascular) and community composition? Location: Dryas octopetala heath at alpine Finse, southern Norway. Methods: Four years with experimental warming (open top chambers) and nutrient addition. Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Redundancy Analysis were used to examine changes in community composition. GLM-ANOVA was used to examine treatment effects on individual species. Results: Warming alone decreased the abundance of some Carex and bryophyte species, but did not affect community composition. Nutrient addition and warming combined with nutrient addition increased the abundance of high stature species, such as grasses (Festuca spp., Poa alpina) and some forbs (e.g. Cerastium alpinum, Potentilla crantzii). Low stature forbs (e.g. Tofieldia pusilla), a lycophyte (Selaginella selaginoides) and most bryophytes and lichens decreased in abundance. After four years of warming combined with nutrient addition 57% of the mosses, 57% of the liverworts and 44% of the lichens had completely disappeared. Community composition changed significantly, with the largest shift when warming and nutrient addition was combined. Conclusions: Tall species may expand at the expense of low stature species in the alpine region if temperature and soil nutrient content increase. Contrasting responses between grasses and sedges, and species-specific responses within forbs, sedges and shrubs, within and across alpine and arctic sites, suggest that the use of functional types in environmental change research may mask important information on individual species responses. The response of one species within a functional type cannot predict the response of another. Nomenclature: Lid & Lid (1994) for vascular species; Hallingbäck & Holmåsen (1995) for bryophytes; Krog et al. (1994) for lichens.
Saturon Dark Matter

Saturons are macroscopic objects with maximal microstate entropy. Due to this property, they can be produced via quantum transitions from a homogeneous thermal bath, bypassing the standard exponential suppression characteristic of ordinary extended objects. In this sense, saturons carry an advantage with respect to other macroscopic objects such as black holes and ordinary solitons. Due to unsuppressed thermal production, saturons can have interesting cosmological implications. In particular they can serve as viable dark matter candidates with some unique features. Unlike ordinary particle dark matter, the superheavy saturons can freeze-in at very low temperatures. A nucleation of a saturon can be described in terms of a saturated instanton. This has implications for various phase transitions.
Foliage color contrasts and adaptive fruit color variation in a bird-dispersed plant community

The color of vertebrate-dispersed fruits has been a source of inquiry for over 150 years, yet the ecological and evolutionary processes responsible for fruit color diversity remain elusive. We tested the hypothesis that fruit color varies temporally, to maximize conspicuousness against seasonal changes in foliage coloration, in a bird-dispersed plant community in western North America. Field observations showed that while red fruits predominate during summer periods of green foliage coloration, black fruits are produced during flushes of red-orange foliage coloration in autumn. Although two species did not conform to this pattern, one produced its own contrasting background color, via colored bracts. We conducted experimental manipulations of both fruit color and the color of artificial backgrounds to test whether both factors had a synergistic effect on fruit removal rates. Interactions between fruit and background color explained most of the variation in experimental fruit removal rates. Although red fruits were removed rapidly on green backgrounds, preference for black fruits on red-orange backgrounds was less pronounced. Consequently, the temporal pattern in fruit color appears to result from elevated fruit conspicuousness against seasonal changes in foliage coloration. Support for this hypothesis suggests a temporal connection between fruit color diversity, foliage color contrasts and avian color preferences.
Phosphorus Deficiency Affects the Rate of Emergence and Number of Maize Adventitious Nodal Roots

Root growth is critical for P uptake, especially when soil P availability is low. We studied the effects of P deficiency on the rate of appearance and number of adventitious nodal roots of field-grown maize plants (Zea mays L.). Experiments were conducted in 1995, 1996, and 1997 on a long-term P fertilization trial with three P fertilization regimes, located on a sandy soil in southwest France. Phosphorus deficiency had a negative effect on leaf area index (LAI). The amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) absorbed by the canopy and plant growth were reduced, especially during the first phases of the crop cycle (between the 7- and 14-visible-leaf stage). The emergence of adventitious roots was delayed for P-deficient plants, but the synchrony between root and leaf emergence was not disturbed. The final number of roots was significantly lower for P-deficient plants for phytomers 4 to 7. These phytomers were those for which root differentiation occurred when the PAR absorbed by the canopy was most severely reduced relative to the fertilized P treatments. A unique relationship was found for all years and P treatments between the cumulative amount of PAR absorbed by the plant and the number of emerged adventitious roots. We concluded that the reduced number of adventitious roots for phytomers 4 to 7 on P-deficient plants may be caused by the negative effect of P deficiency on LAI and its subsequent effect on PAR absorption and C nutrition of plants during the period of root emergence from specific phytomers.
The Pituitary Body in Giant Animals Fossil and Living: A Survey and a Suggestion

W xT tHEN G. Elliott Smith, comparative anatomist of the brain, in his description of an endocast of the cranial cavity of a giant Moa briefly remarked "The hypophysis is very large" (1902), little was yet known of the relation of the pituitary gland to body size. Nor could F. Nopcsa, the palaeozoologist, realize the full implications when he demonstrated that the fossa hypophyseos is larger, in relation to the brain cavity proper, in giant dinosaurs than in their smaller relatives (1917). For the definite proof of the influence of the pituitary gland on body growth, the separation, from the many other substances produced by the gland, of the anterior lobe growth hormone, was not achieved until 1921 (H. M. Evans).
Physical and physiological quality of seeds of Campo Grande Stylosanthes coated with different binder materials

ABSTRACT: The binder materials used in seed coating provide adherence of the filler materials onto the seeds. Adequate concentrations of the binder promote good physical characteristics of coating while not impairing seed physiological characteristics. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the type and the concentration of binder materials that allow the best physical and physiological characteristics in coated seeds of Campo Grande Stylosanthes. Seed coating was carried out in a coating pan, using sand as the filling material. The treatments consisted of 2 types of binders mixed in 3 ratios (PVA glue and gum arabic glue, diluted in water, 3:1, 2:1, and 1:1), and uncoated seeds as control. The coated seeds were evaluated for physical and physiological characteristics. The laboratory and greenhouse experiments were arranged in a completely randomized design. Results showed that at the different concentrations used this study, neither the PVA glue nor the gum arabic glue had any effect on the physiological quality of Campo Grande Stylosanthes seeds. However, PVA glue in the ratio of 2:1 provided the greatest surface area, maximum diameter, minimum diameter, and sphericity to coated seeds.
Interactions between endophyte (Neotyphodium spp.) and ploidy in hybrid and perennial ryegrass cultivars and their effects on Argentine stem weevil (Listronotus bonariensis)

Abstract Argentine stem weevil damage was assessed in 1998 and 1999 on two diploid perennial ryegrasses (cvs. ‘Yatsyn’ and ‘Samson'), a diploid long‐rotation hybrid ryegrass (cv. ‘Marsden'), a tetraploid perennial ryegrass selection ('4N') and in a tetraploid hybrid (cv. ‘Greenstone') in a field trial in Taranaki. ‘Greenstone’ was infected with a selected Neotyphodium endophyte that produces peramine and ergovaline but not lolitrem B. All other cultivars were naturally infected with endophytes that produce all three alkaloids. In the first year, percent endophyte infection levels were low in ‘Greenstone’ (61%), ‘Marsden’ (70%) and ‘4N’ (71%) relative to ‘Yatsyn’ (85%) and ‘Samson’ (86%), but increased in the second year to greater than 88% in all cultivars. Argentine stem weevil adult feeding and larval damage were greatest on ‘Greenstone’ and least on ‘Yatsyn’ and ‘Samson’ in both years. ‘Greenstone’ tillers damaged by larvae were more severely affected than tillers of other cultivars. Individually and in combination, percent endophyte and peramine and lolitrem B levels in the leaf lamina were correlated with adult activity which in turn was the main factor affecting larval damage. Overall, the tetraploid and hybrid species sustained more damage than the diploids and perennials. This was attributed mainly to lower leaf lamina peramine concentrations in the hybrid and tetraploid combinations which affected adult feeding, but additional attractiveness factors in these cultivars may also play a role in their susceptibility to Argentine stem weevil. The absence of lolitrem B was not a major factor in the number of tillers damaged by larvae in ‘Greenstone’, but may have resulted in more severe damage to those tillers.
Effects of three different growth rates on empty body weight, carcass weight and dissected carcass composition of cattle

SUMMARY A study was made of the effect on body composition of growing Angus steers from 300 to 440 kg at three different rates. The rates were: High (H) 0·8 kg/day, Low (L) 0·4 kg/day and High-Maintenance (HM) 0·8 kg/day followed by a period during which body weight was maintained constant. The animals were individually penned and the different growth rates were achieved by controlling intakes of a pelleted feed. Two animals (part of H treatment) were killed at 300 kg and the remaining 27 animals (nine in each treatment), were killed at common body weights of 330, 363, 400 and 440 kg. Analyses of covariance were used to compare linear regression equations representing results from each treatment. In order to do this, the logarithmic transformation of the allometric equation, y = axb, was used. As a proportion of empty body weight (EBW), hot carcass weight (HCW) was greater in both the HM and L groups than in the H group, indicating a greater offal component of EBW in the H animals. The loss in weight of the dressed carcass during storage at 2 °C for 24 h was similar in all three groups and was 0·98% of HCW. The proportions of HCW in the fore- and hind-quarters were similar in each group. At the same dissected side weight (DSW), the weight of bone was significantly greater in both the HM and L groups than in the H group indicating that bone development was related to both age and carcass weight. There were no significant differences between the groups in the proportions of either muscle or total fat. However, the proportion of kidney and channel fat in the H group was greater than in the HM and L groups and the proportion of subcutaneous fat was also greater in the H than in the L group. The amount of connective tissue in the three groups followed, in general, group differences in bone. Analyses of the dissected components of the separate fore- and hind-quarters showed that the difference between the H and L groups in the proportion of subcutaneous fat in the DSW was due to a relatively greater development of this fat in the fore-quarter of the H animals. No differences were found between treatments in the proportion of ‘expensive muscles’ relative to total side muscle (TSM). However, there were treatment effects on the proportions of TSM formed by certain groups of muscles; two examples are: the proportion of group 4 muscles (abdominal muscles) was higher and the proportion of group 6 muscles (distal muscles of the fore-leg) was lower in the H than in the L treatments. Bone weight distribution was similar in all treatments. There were differences between the H and HM groups in the relative growth ratios for all fat tissues (subcutaneous, intermuscular and kidney and channel fat) compared with total side fat. However, in the H and L groups, the relative growth ratios for corresponding fat categories were similar. The weight of kidney and channel fat in the left side of the carcass was significantly greater than in the right side of the carcass in all treatments.
Effects of Days Dry and Days Open on Holstein Milk Production

Abstract Holstein lactation records from the Dairy Herd Improvement test day files of the New York Dairy Records Processing Laboratory of Cornell University were used to study genetic and environmental relationships of days dry and days open with milk production. Age and month of calving significantly influenced lenhth of dry period. Within herd heritability estimates of days dry were . 15, . 33, and . 34 for second, third and later lactations. Within herd heritability estimates of days open were essentially zero. As the length of open period increased, cumulative milk production also increased at each successive stage of lactation. Differences of days open groups for 305-day milk yield were used to prepare adjustment factors for days open.
Molecular phylogenetics of the melyrid lineage (Coleoptera: Cleroidea)

The melyrid lineage of beetles form a distinct group of the superfamily Cleroidea with a high level of soft‐bodiedness. Here we present the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of this group. The data matrix included partial sequences of the small and large subunits of rRNA, the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA, and cytochrome oxidase subunit I of 67 melyrid and eight outgroup taxa. The concatenated sequences were analysed using maximum‐parsimony (MP), maximum‐likelihood (ML) and Bayesian analysis (BA) approach. The results strongly supported the monophyly of the melyrid lineage splitting into six major clades: Rhadalidae, Mauroniscidae, Prionoceridae, Melyridae sensu stricto, Dasytidae and Malachiidae. The rhadalids were placed in the most basal position, followed by mauroniscids and prionocerids. Three terminal lineages—the true melyrids, dasytids, and malachiids—are well supported by all analyses, but their mutual relationships remain uncertain as MP analysis proposed alternative topologies to that of the ML and BA trees, with often low node support in the latter two methods. The monophyly of the subfamily Danacaeinae (Dasytidae) with respect to the danacaeine genera of the southern hemisphere (Hylodanacaea, Listrocerus, Amecocerus) was challenged as they were found to be polyphyletic. Similarly, the monophyly of Attalus was rejected by our analyses and shown to be polyphyletic. Based on the preferred phylogenetic hypothesis, the subfamilies Rhadalinae, Dasytinae and Malachiinae are elevated to family rank.
Effect of Shoot Removal on Shoot and Root Yields of Sweet Potato

SUMMARY Experiments on harvesting sweet potato as a green vegetable and as a root crop are described. Whole shoots yielded 62% more than shoot tips. Similar total shoot yields were harvested whether tip removal was at two, three or four week intervals. Root yield was decreased by 31 to 48% by removing shoot tips, while removing whole shoots led to root yield decreases of 48 to 62%. Harvesting shoots at two week intervals gave 72% reduction in root yield, compared with 50% with four week intervals. There were fewer and smaller tubers as the frequency of shoot harvests increased. There were varietal differences in response to shoot removal For reasonable yields of both shoot tips and tuberous roots harvesting shoot tips at four week intervals is recommended.
Chlorophyll content and the light response curve of shade‐adapted conifer needles

Rates of photosynthesis were measured for shade-adapted conifer needles [Picea abies (L.) Karst. , Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, Picea mariana (Mill.) B. S. P., Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. , Pinus sylvestris L. ] illuminated on i) their top surface, ii) their top and bottom surfaces simultaneously, or iii) uniformly in a light integrating sphere. The rate of bending of the light response curve of photosynthesis was strongly correlated with the amount of chlorophyll per unit of illuminated leaf area, when the amounts of chlorophyll were above 200 mg m−2. Below 200 mg m−2 only small differences in the rate of bending occurred and the light response curves took the form of a quasi-Blackman response. At chlorophyll contents below 200 mg m−2 the rate of bending of the light response curves was insignificantly different from a mean published value for enzymatically isolated cells of angiosperm leaves (I. Terashima and T. Saeki. Ann. Bot. 56: 489–499, 1985). The apparent quantum yield of photosynthesis (based on incident light) also showed a response to chlorophyll content not different from the pattern reported for angiosperm leaves (E. K. Gabrielsen. Physiol. Plantarum 1: 5–37, 1948). Neither CO2 nor O2 concentration significantly affected the rate of bending of the light response curves. It is concluded that the light response curve of individual chlorenchyma cells is a quasi-Blackman response and that the rate of bending of the light response curve of intact leaves is a strong function of the development of gradients of light and thus the chlorophyll content of leaves.
THE VISUAL ESTIMATION OF PASTURE AVAILABILITY USING STANDARD PASTURE CORES

A coring technique (6), that may be used for estimating the mean amount of herbage on closely grazed pastures, has been adapted to include visual scoring. Two methods are described, both of which use sets of pasture cores from the sward as reference standards. The observers score the herbage on view at random sites against the standards. In the first method the scores are converted to herbage yields directly by reference to the yields of the standards. In the second method a double sampling regression technique is used and the set of standards is used as a visual guide only.
Sacoglossan sea slugs make routine use of photosynthesis by a variety of species‐specific adaptations

The phenomenon of the uptake, intracellular sequestration, and subsequent usage of algal chloroplasts by the digestive cells of many species of sacoglossan sea slugs, currently called kleptoplasty, has been of considerable interest since its discovery in the 1960s. While a large body of literature reported that captured chloroplasts were photosynthetically active inside slug cells and that plastid longevity in some species might be the result of the horizontal transfer of functional algal nuclear genes into the slug genome, a few recent studies have called the older results into question. Here, we have reviewed the literature and showed that while kleptoplasty occurs in many slug species and almost all derive benefit from kleptoplast photosynthesis, the slug adaptations to maintain the chloroplasts differ from species to species. These adaptations range from behavioral to molecular, including gene transfer, in a variety of combinations.