Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attitude of Farmers towards Thai Koi Farming in Selected Upazila of Bangladesh

The main purposes of the study were to determine the attitude of farmers towards Thai Koi farming in a selected area of Mymensingh district. Attempt was also made to identify the problems faced by the farmers in Thai Koi farming. Data were obtained from randomly selected 70 Thai Koi farmers of Shaiod and Ahmedpur villages in Kheruajani Union under Muktagachha Upazila of Mamensingh district during April, 2015. Attitude of the farmers was measured in respect of different aspects of Thai koi production. A three-point rating scale was used to indicate the Thai koi farmers’ response against each statement. The possible score for each respondent could range from 15 to 45 and observed score ranged from 31 to 41. It is evident that ‘I believe that Thai koi farming in pond can supply protein and nutrition to the family members ranked first as a statement in attitude scale of Thai Koi farmers. Second is ‘I like Thai Koi farming because it has higher growth rate than that of other local Koi’. Most of the Thai Koi farmers had highly favourable attitude. Among the problems, ‘high sensitivity to disease of Thai Koi’ got the highest problem confrontation score and stood the first ranked problem and other problem were ‘High price of Thai koi feed’, High price of drugs’ and ‘High price of farm labour’ etc. Farmers suggested from their experiences that there should have need-based spot training on effective management of Thai Koi farming. In achieving this target, Department of Fisheries and allied NGOs may play a crucial role.
Lead accumulation by jabon seedling (Anthocephalus cadamba) on tailing media with application of compost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Lead (Pb) is one of the dangerous heavy metal contained in tailing that needs remediation activity. This study aimed to investigate the potency of jabon to take up and accumulate lead in its tissue by the application of compost and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungus (AMF) on pot observation. In Pb-containing tailing media, the average levels of Pb in roots seedling was 50% greater as compared to the levels of Pb in the stem and leaves of seedlings. Application of compost in tailings media significantly increased (p ≤ 0.5) the average levels of Pb in the roots and stems, but decreased Pb levels in leaves. Applications AMF significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.5) the average levels of Pb in the roots, stem and leaves of seedlings by approximately 18-33%. The combination applications of compost and AMF significantly (p ≤ 0.5) increased the level of Pb in the roots, stems and leaves of seedlings at 6, 16 and 27 fold respectively than that in control plant (without compost and AMF). After 12 weeks exposure, lead bioconcentration factor varied from 0.1-1.6 in seedling tissue with transport factor varied from 0.1-1.0. The application of active compost and AMF increased 1-15 fold lead accumulation from control, and the biggest accumulation was 452.9 x10-2 mg/plant with Pb concentration of 1.5 mM. Active compost and AMF application supported jabon seedling to act as lead phytostabilizer and to remove lead from the tailing to the above part of the plant.
Efficient Biomass Pre-treatment using the White-rot Fungus Polyporus Brumalis

Implementation of cheap and eco-friendly biomass pre-treatment processes is necessary to develop sustainable bio refineries. In nature, white-rot basidiomycetes are able to degrade lignin efficiently and selectively and are thus of great interest in such bioprocesses. In this study, five basidiomycetes strains were evaluated for their ability to pretreat wheat straw under solid state fermentation. Fungal pre-treatments were carried out in glass-column reactors under operating conditions approaching industrial practices. The pre-treatment efficiency was evaluated through the quantification of dry weight losses and subsequent hydrolysis of the carbohydrate fraction by enzymatic cocktails. The highest lignin to cellulose losses ratio was obtained using a strain of Polyporus brumalis which exhibited high ligninolytic capabilities. This selectivity along with the low dry weight loss makes the pre-treatment profitable by enhancing cellulose and hemicellulose conversion yields. Therefore P. brumalis can be viewed as a promising strain to pretreat lignocellulosic biomass for bio refinery applications.
Understanding the Sequence-Specificity and RNA Target Recognition Properties of the Oocyte Maturation Factor, OMA-1, in Caenorhabditis elegans: A Dissertation

vi LIST OF FIGURES . xi LIST OF TABLES . xiii LIST OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS . xiv ABBREVIATIONS . xv PREFACE . xvi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION . 1 Universal Characteristics of Metazoan Early Development . 2 Regulation of Oocyte-to-Embryo Transition in Metazoan Model Organisms 4 C. elegans Germline Development, Oocyte Maturation and Early Embryogenesis . 9 Nematode RNA-Binding Proteins . 15 The PUF family: (Kaymak et al., 2010) . 15 PUF proteins in nematode germline development . 15 Biochemical insights into PUF binding specificity . 17 Crystal structures of PUF proteins . 18 TTP-like CCCH tandem zinc finger proteins: (Kaymak et al., 2010) . 21 TZF proteins in C. elegans early embryogenesis . 21 NMR structure of a TZF family protein . 22 Biochemical insights into nematode TZF binding specificity . 23 K homology (KH) family of RNA-binding proteins: . 26 KH domain proteins in C. elegans germline development and embryogenesis . 26 Crystal structure of GLD-1 dimerization domain and STAR domain . 28 Biochemical insights into MEX-3 and GLD-1 binding specificity . 29
Effect of different dietary protein and energy levels on the growth performance, meat and body fat composition in broiler chicks.

In poultry production, the feed accounts for 65-70% of the total cost of production (Naseem et al., 2006), while protein costs about 50% of the cost of production in feed (Banerjee, 1992). In Pakistan, there is deficiency of protein sources for poultry feed. The domestic production hardly meets 29% of the total demand. Remaining 71% is made available through imports (Anonymous, 2012). National Research Council (NRC, 1994) recommended 23% CP and 3200 Kcal/Kg ME in broiler starter and 20% CP with 3000 Kcal/Kg ME in broiler finisher diets. Ojano-Dirain and Waldroup (2002) reported that increased dietary CP at high ambient temperature is not beneficial to broilers. In Pakistan, as the temperature and humidity remains high in summer, the recommended NRC standards are considered impracticable. High prices of imported protein sources and variable availability made difficult to follow NRC (1994) standards for economical poultry production. So, optimum performance in birds cannot be achieved by following the NRC (1994) standard nutrient profile under high ambient temperature and poor housing facilities prevailing in the Pakistan. Low nutrient profile, particularly CP and ME is being practiced in Pakistan poultry feed industry which has awful impact on carcass quality (Adela et al., 2013). So, by increasing the dietary protein content in isocaloric diets will increase protein content and decrease fat content in broiler carcass (Adela et al., 2013). Present study was conducted to determine the weight gain, feed intake and feed gain ratio of chicks fed on varying dietary levels of protein and energy, to assess growth performance, meat quality, fatty acid profile, cost of production and profit. Lowering CP and ME content of broiler diets than NRC standard may reduce feed cost and allow for use of alternate feedstuffs.
Effects of Dietary Lycopene or Tomato Paste on Laying Performance and Serum Lipids in Laying Hens and on Malondialdehyde Content in Egg Yolk upon Storage

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of dietary, synthetic lycopene or tomato paste on laying performance and egg qualities in laying hens, and on lipid oxidation of stored eggs. One hundred and sixty 38-week-old Hy-line Brown laying hens were randomly housed in cages (two birds per cage, five cages per replicate) equipped with nipples and a trough-type feeder and subjected to one of four experimental diets. Each treatment had four replicates. A corn and soybean meal base diet was added with or without either synthetic lycopene to contain 10 or 20 mg per kg of diet, or with 17 g of tomato paste per kg of diet. The feeding trial lasted four weeks. Feed intake did not differ between dietary treatments. Laying hens fed diets containing lycopene or tomato paste laid lighter eggs (P<0.05) compared with those fed on the control diet. Egg production was higher (P<0.05) in tomato paste-fed layers, but lower (P<0.05) in those fed on a diet containing 20 mg/kg of lycopene compared with the control diet-fed counterparts. Dietary lycopene did not affect egg quality, except for yolk color, nor did serum lipid profiles. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content in serum samples and eggs that had been stored at 24°C for four weeks was reduced (P<0.05) by lycopene or tomato paste. Adding lycopene or tomato paste into a diet of laying hens increased the incorporation of lycopene into the liver and egg yolk. Collectively, the present study shows that addition of low levels of lycopene or tomato paste into the layers' diet is an effective nutritional strategy to enhance oxidative stability of fresh eggs.
Feeding habits and trophic level of the shovelnose guitarfish (Pseudobatos productus) in the upper Gulf of California

The shovelnose guitarfish (Pseudobatos productus) is the most abundant and economically important batoid in Gulf of California fisheries. Despite the importance of the guitarfish in the demersal ecosystem, its trophic relationships are poorly understood. Results from stomach content and stable isotope analysis indicate P. productus is a specialist predator that feeds on coastal benthic organisms, mainly crustaceans, followed by fishes and cephalopods in the Upper Gulf of California. Males and females did not differ in dietary composition and isotopic values. Pseudobatos productus displayed ontogenetic changes in the diet, with smaller, immature individuals having a more specialized diet and mature individuals becoming generalist predators. Size classes I (<570 mm) and II (>570 mm) fed almost exclusively on crustaceans (99.78% and 82.37 %IRI, respectively). Size class III (>832 mm) increased consumption of fishes (22.11 %IRI) and squid (6.54 %IRI). Ontogenetic diet shifts were strongly supported by the SIAR mixing model. Stomach content and stable isotope analyses classify P. productus as a second-order predator.
Response of Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) to varying temperature and relative humidity under laboratory conditions

Abstract The effect of temperature and relative humidity were determined on the development of Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) on stored bean (Vigna unguiculata) seeds exposed to five temperatures (20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 °C) and six relative humidity levels (40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90%). Oviposition and total adult progeny responded in a curvilinear pattern to temperature and relative humidity while developmental period presented a linear response. Egg laying (117.33 ± 3.21) and adult emergence (35.00 ± 1.70) were least at 20 °C and 90% R.H. but those showed the optimal values at 30 °C and 70% R.H. The implication of these findings is that the growth attributes of C. maculatus relate with the weather variables studied in a curvilinear manner and thus quadratic equations generated could be used for the prediction of optimum temperature and relative humidity in a given area for the management of C. maculatus in stored beans.
Non-assortative community structure in resting and task-evoked functional brain networks

Brain networks exhibit community structure that reconfigures during cognitively demanding tasks. Extant work has emphasized a single class of communities: those that are assortative, or internally dense and externally sparse. Other classes that may play key functional roles in brain function have largely been ignored, leading to an impoverished view in the best case and a mischaracterization in the worst case. Here, we leverage weighted stochastic blockmodeling, a community detection method capable of detecting diverse classes of communities, to study the community structure of functional brain networks while subjects either rest or perform cognitively demanding tasks. We find evidence that the resting brain is largely assortative, although higher order association areas exhibit non-assortative organization, forming cores and peripheries. Surprisingly, this assortative structure breaks down during tasks and is supplanted by core, periphery, and disassortative communities. Using measures derived from the community structure, we show that it is possible to classify an individual’s task state with an accuracy that is well above average. Finally, we show that inter-individual differences in the composition of assortative and non-assortative communities is correlated with subject performance on in-scanner cognitive tasks. These findings offer a new perspective on the community organization of functional brain networks and its relation to cognition.
Identification of fertility restorers, stable combiners and heterotic combinations across environments in pigeonpea [ Cajanus cajanifolius (L.) Millsp.] in India

Efficient and stable cytoplasmic genic male sterility system is a prerequisite for commercial exploitation of heterosis in any crop improvement program. The present investigation was undertaken to identify fertility restorers, stable combiners and best heterotic crosses in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajanifolius (L.) Millsp]. Totally, 75 crosses were developed by using three A4 cytoplasm-based male sterile lines viz., ICPA 2047, ICPA 2092 and ICPA 2089, and 25 diverse inbred lines. The pollen fertility assay identified 15 good restorers with 85-95% fertility status. The 45, best restored combinations identified were assessed across four seasons (August and September, 2012 and 2013) for their stable heterosis and general and specific combining ability to identify parents possessing desirable genes. Variance for combining ability was significant (p<.05) for lines, testers and line × tester effects. Among the three male sterile lines, ICPA 2047 was stable with a significant general combining ability for most of the traits followed by ICPA 2092, while the general combining ability effects among males was high across seasons for ICPL 20205 and ICPL 20177 (p<0.05). The cross combination of ICPA 2089 × ICPL 20205 had desirable genes for days to the first flowering, 50% flowering and maturity. For yield related traits, cross combinations of ICPA 2047 × ICPL 20128, ICPA 2092 × ICPL 11376 and ICPA 2047 × ICPL 20107 had significant specific combining ability indicating their usability in development of hybrids (p<0.05). With respect to the heterotic ability of crosses, crosses involving parents ICPA 2089 as female and ICPL 88034 and ICPL 81-3 as males showed negative heterosis for flowering and maturity. For yield related traits, crosses with ICPA 2047 as the female parent and ICPL 20128, ICPL 20177 and ICPL 20096 as the male parents showed significant positive heterosis (p<0.05). The identified parents with good combining ability and cross combination`s with significant heterosis could be utilized in producing high yielding hybrids in pigeonpea.
PHYSICO-MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF SEMEN OF MURRAH BUFFALO BULL

The physico-morphological characters of neat semen collected using artificial vagina from sexually mature Murrah buffalo bull (n=6, age 4-6 year) was recorded. The average semen volume was 3.67±0.21 ml, milky white in colour, medium to thick consistency, pH was 6.45±0.06, average sperm concentration was 1164.17±51 million/ml, average initial motility was good (90%), average live sperm count was 83.00±2.35%, abnormal sperm count was 10.67±0.61%, 4.37±0.18 minute for methylene blue reduction test and 89.17±1.87% sperm membrane integrity. In brief, the recorded data can be useful during breeding soundness evaluation of Murrah buffalo bull.
Evaluation of Avermectin and its Combination with Nematicide and Bioagents against Root Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita in Tomato

Studies on compatibility of avermectin with carbofuran 3G, Pseudomonas fluoresce ns and Trichoderma viride for the management of Meloidogyne incognita in tomato revealed that combination of seedling root dip with avermectin 75% and soil application of carbofuran 3G @ 1kg a.i ha-1 recorded maximum shoot length of 36.90cm, fresh shoot weight of 16.80 g, dry shoot weight of 5.2g, and fruit yield of 290.50g / plant. It was followed by avermectin + P. fluorescens and avermectin + T. viride . Maximum reduction in number of M. incognita adult females (14.33), number of egg masses/g root (6.33), number of eggs per egg mass (105.33), soil nematode population (105.67) and root knot index (1.0) was recorded in plants treated with avermectin + carbofuran 3G, followed by combined application of avermectin with P. fluorescens or T. viride.
Biotic challenges for extremophiles : reproductive interference and parasite specialization in Artemia

Les defis poses par des facteurs biotiques – les interactions avec des competiteurs, des parasites, etc. – jouent un role important dans l’evolution des populations, mais sont souvent difficiles a etudier. Dans cette etude, nous avons utilise le systeme biologique Artemia dans les salins d’Aigues-Mortes, France, pour etudier le caractere et l’evolution de plusieurs interactions interspecifiques. Le systeme est particulierement bien adapte a cette recherche : il est simple, contenant deux especes d’Artemia, trois parasites fortement prevalents (un helminthe et deux microsporidies), et des microbiota varies ; et beaucoup des interactions du systeme ont ete nouvellement etablies, car une des especes d’Artemia est invasive. Nous avons etudie deux types d’interactions. Premierement, la presence et l’evolution de l’interference reproductive entre les especes native et invasive d’Artemia. Nous avons trouve que l’espece invasive, qui est sexuee, subit une interference severe en allocation des sexes en presence de l’espece native et asexuee, mais pas d’interference en gardiennage de partenaire. Deuxiemement, l’evolution de la specialisation de deux parasites microsporidiennes qui infectent les especes d’Artemia. En nous basant sur des donnees de terrain, des infections experimentales, et de l’evolution experimentale, nous avons investigue l’etat, les causes, et les consequences de la specialisation des microsporidies. Les resultats demontrent que les microsporidies sont specialisees dans l’utilisation d’une des especes d’hote, meme si elles sont capables de completer leur cycle de vie dans chacun des deux hotes. Cette specialisation parait etre imposee par les outils precis necessaires a l’exploitation de chaque hote ; dans les hotes non-specialistes, ils provoquaient de l’exploitation sous-optimale, de la virulence maladaptative, et de l’immunopathologie. En general, ces etudes suggerent que les facteurs biotiques imposent des pressions de selection fortes sur Artemia, auxquelles elles ne peuvent pas toujours repondre facilement. L’importance des facteurs biotiques dans un systeme qui est autrement domine par des conditions abiotiques extremes souligne l’importance des interactions interspecifiques dans l’evolution.
T-cell receptor γδ bearing cells in normal human skin

Abstract T-cell antigen receptors (TCR) are divided into common αβ and less common γδ types. In the murine skin, TCR γδ + cells have been reported to form the great majority of epidermal T lymphocytes. We have examined the relative contribution of TCR αβ + and TCR γδ + cells to the T-cell population in normal human skin. Serial sections of freshly frozen skin specimens were acetone fixed, incubated with anti-CD3, βF 1 (anti-TCR αβ), anti-TCR γδ-1 and anti-TCR δ1 (anti-TCR γδ) monoclonal antibodies (MoAb), and stained with a highly sensitive method. Over 90% of the T cells of normal human skin are localized around the postcapillary venules of the dermis, while less than 5% are present within the epidermis. In papillary dermis, TCR γδ + cells formed on average 7% (anti-TCR γδ-1) or 9% (anti-TCR δ1) of the total number of CD3 + cells, while TCR αβ + cells constituted up to 80%. In epidermis, these percentages were 18% and 29% for TCR γβ + cells, and up to 60% for TCR αβ + cells. It is concluded that there is no preferential immigration or in situ expansion of TCR γδ + T cells in normal human skin, because the relative percentages found for the TCR αβ + and TCR γδ + populations in skin are comparable to those found in lymphoid organs and peripheral blood. However, the percentage of TCR γδ + cells in epidermis seemed on average higher than in papillary dermis. Therefore, there may still be a difference in migration patterns of TCR γδ + v TCR αβ + cells, but this does not result in their preferential localization in human epidermis. The hypothesis that TCR γδ + T cells have a specialized function in immunosurveillance of epithelia may thus not be valid for human epidermis.
A chemosensory switch couples genetic sex to behavioral valence

As a fundamental dimension of internal state, biological sex modulates neural circuits to generate naturally occurring behavioral variation. Understanding how and why circuits are tuned by sex can provide important insights into neural and behavioral plasticity. Here, we find that sexually dimorphic behavioral responses to C. elegans ascaroside sex pheromones are implemented by the functional modulation of shared chemosensory circuitry. In particular, the sexual state of a single sensory neuron pair, ADF, determines the nature of an animal's behavioral response regardless of the sex of the rest of the body. Genetic feminization of ADF causes males to be repelled by, rather than attracted to, ascarosides, while masculinization of ADF is sufficient to make ascarosides attractive to hermaphrodites. Genetic sex modulates ADF function by tuning chemosensation: ADF is able to detect the ascaroside ascr#3 only in males, a consequence of cell-autonomous action of the master sexual regulator tra-1. Genetic sex regulates behavior in part through the conserved DMRT gene mab-3, whose male-specific expression in ADF promotes ascaroside attraction. The sexual modulation of ADF has a key role in reproductive fitness, as feminization or ablation of ADF renders males unable to use ascarosides to locate mates. These results demonstrate that DMRT genes can functionally modulate shared neural circuits; moreover, they reveal an adaptive mechanism in which chromosomal sex controls a cell-autonomous switch that tunes sensory function, determines behavioral valence, and promotes reproductive fitness.