Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of rye inclusion in grower diets on immunity-related parameters and performance of broilers

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary inclusion of three levels (0, 5, and 10%) of rye between 14 and 28 days of age on gut health and performance in broilers. A total of 960 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were allocated to 24 pens (40 birds per pen). The inclusion of 5 or 10% rye in the diet between day 14 and 28 in a broiler diet resulted in decreased performance and litter quality, but in increased villus height and crypt depth in the small intestine (jejunum) of the birds. Relative bursa and spleen weights were not affected by dietary treatments. In the jejunum, no effects on number and size of goblet cells, and only small effects on microbiota composition in the digesta were observed. Dietary rye inclusion affected expression of genes involved in cell cycle processes of the epithelial gut cells, thereby influencing cell growth, cell differentiation and cell survival. This observation is consistent with the observed differences in the morphology of the gut wall. Whether this also affected the barrier function of the epithelial layer, cannot be concluded. The complement and coagulation pathways, which are also affected by providing rye-rich diets, are parts of the innate immune system. These pathways are involved in eradicating invasive pathogens. Overall, it is concluded that inclusion of 5% or 10% rye to the grower diet of broilers in the current study had limited effects on performance. Ileal gut morphology, microbiota composition of jejunal digesta, and gene expression profiles of jejunal tissue, however, were affected by dietary rye inclusion levels.
COMPARISON OF BIOETHANOL YIELD FROM FOUR COCOYAM SPECIES IN NIGERIA

This work was undertaken to compare the yield of bioethanol from four species of Cocoyam: Edeofe (Colocasia esculenta Nce 003), Edeanambe (Colocasia esculenta Nce 001) and Edeuhie (Xanthosoma sagittofolium Nxs 002), Edeocha (Xanthosoma sagittofolium Nxs 001). Two hydrolysis steps was carried out in the work (acid hydrolysis was carried out using two acid types, sulphuric and hydrochloric acids while enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out using alpha-amylase and glucoamylase). Fermentation of the hydrolysates was done using commercial baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at pH 5.0 for four days. The result shows that the highest ethanol yield of 4.89ml/20g (0.00024Lg -1 ) with 19.32% yield was obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis as compared to 3.86ml/20g (0.00019Lg -1 ) with 15.26% yield from acid hydrolysis with H 2 SO 4 . “Edeofe” produced the highest yield of ethanol when compared with other species: from enzymatic hydrolysis, Edeofe produced 0.00024Lg -1 when compared to 0.00021Lg -1 , 0.00020Lg -1 and 0.00022Lg -1 for Edeanambe, Edeuhie and Edeocha respectively. The same trend occurred in acid hydrolysis. Though enzymatic hydrolysis produced higher ethanol yield than acid hydrolysis, hydrolysis using H 2 SO 4 was a better option than that of HCl: Edeofe produced 0.00019Lg -1 with 15.26% yield with H 2 SO 4 hydrolysis when compared to 0.00015Lg -1 with 12.0% yield from HCl hydrolysis. Thus cocoyam, especially Edeofe specie, has shown to be a promising source of biomass for bioethanol production. Thus farmers should be encouraged to cultivate more of the specie in order to boost the bioethanol industry in Nigeria. Key words: Cocoyam, Bioethanol, Biofuel Production, Colocasia esculenta, Xanthosoma sagittofolium
ROLE OF TYROSINE KINASE ITK IN SKIN ALPHA BETA T CELLS

Itk, a member of the Tec family of tyrosine kinases, plays an important role in T cell development and differentiation. Itk regulates the development of αβ T cells such that positive selection and negative selection in the thymus are defective in absence of Itk. Itk is also important in the development and homeostasis of innate-like γδ T cells in the skin. In this thesis, we focused on skin αβ T cells and investigated the role of Tec kinase family members, Itk and Txk, in αβ T cell homoeostasis in skin intraepithelial T lymphocytes. For this purpose, we characterize αβ T cell populations in Itk deficient mice compared to WT mice. We found that the total cell number and the percentage of CD4 T cells in Itk KO mice are significantly higher than those in WT mice. No significant difference was found in skin CD8 T cells. We also used mice that express human Itk or murine Txk only in T cells on the Itk background to determine whether this would rescue the difference we observe between WT and Itk KO mice. We found that T cell specific expression of both human Itk, and mouse Txk could restore the CD4 population (percentage) in Itk KO mice. We also compared WT and Itk KO mice on a Balb/c background. The data did not show significant differences in the percentage of CD4 and CD8 T cells in these mice. In addition, we used CD44 and CD122 surface marker to characterize the phenotype of CD4 and CD8 T cells in skin and found that both WT and Itk KO have high CD44 expression, resembling activated or memory T cells. Thus this suggests that Itk may play an impotent role in development and or homeostasis of skin αβ T cells.
Effect of sources of dietary oil on the growth performance of quail

This experiment was undertaken to evaluate the effect of sources of dietary oils on the growth performance of the quails. A total of 48 two weeks old Japanese quail were randomly divided into four dietary treatment containing 12 birds each. Each group contained three replicates, of four quails for each replicate. The experimental groups are T1 (commercial feed diet) as a control, T2 (diet with 3% of coconut oil), T3 (diet with 3% of palm oil) and T4 (diet with 3% of soybean oil). The experiment was lasted from day 14 to day 42. The body weights, weight gain and feed consumption were recorded. Feed conversion (g feed/g gain) was calculated. The data of body weight was weighed on weekly while feed consumption records were taken daily. Weight gain was computed weekly. The economic efficiency values were calculated. The data revealed that, birds fed diets contain 3% soybean oil was recorded the highest (P<0.05) body weight, the highest growth rate affected, but feed consumption was not affected. Supplementation of 3% vegetable oils such as coconut oil, palm oil and soybean oil of Japanese quail improved the growth performance and feed efficiency of quails. The significantly heaviest body weight was noted with quails fed diet supplemented with 3% of soybean oil (P<0.05, 221.70 ± 24.86). While the significantly lowest body weight was noted with quails fed diet without supplementation of vegetable oils (P<0.05, 208.09 ± 19.06).
The teratological effects of trimethadione and diphenylhydantoin on development in the CD-1 mouse /

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Evaluation of vascular endothelial growth factor levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients, with and without joint swelling; a comparison with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citruillnated protein

Abstract Introduction The aim of our study was to investigate the vascular endothelial growth factor levels in joint swelling-positive and joint swelling-negative rheumatoid arthritis patients and to then examine the relationship between conventional parameters such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the levels of C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, and anti-cyclic citrullinated protein. Methods Fifty-nine (52 women and seven men) rheumatoid arthritis patients and 25 (20 women and five men) healthy individuals volunteered for this study. The patient group was divided into two sub-groups based on whether or not they exhibited joint swelling. Results The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in the joint swelling-negative group were significantly different from those in the joint swelling-positive group, but they were not different from those in the control group (p=0.001 and p=0.72, respectively). We investigated the correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor and C-reactive protein levels (r=0.37, p=0.001). We also evaluated the diagnostic adequacy of vascular endothelial growth factor and created a ROC curve. The area under the curve was calculated to be 0.767. Conclusion Vascular endothelial growth factor is an adequate diagnostic biomarker and can successfully be used to predict the occurrence of rheumatoid synovitis based on local inflammation.
Increased migration of olfactory ensheathing cells secreting the Nogo receptor ectodomain over inhibitory substrates and lesioned spinal cord

Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplanta- tion emerged some years ago as a promising therapeutic strategy to repair injured spinal cord. However, inhibitory molecules are present for long periods of time in lesioned spinal cord, inhibiting both OEC migration and axonal regrowth. Two families of these molecules, chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPG) and myelin-derived in- hibitors (MAIs), are able to trigger inhibitory responses in lesioned axons. Mounting evidence suggests that OEC migration is inhibited by myelin. Here we demonstrate that OEC migration is largely inhibited by CSPGs and that inhibition can be overcome by the bacterial enzyme Chondroitinase ABC. In parallel, we have generated a stable OEC cell line overexpressing the Nogo receptor (NgR) ectodomain to reduce MAI-associated inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Results indicate that engineered cells migrate longer distances than unmodified OECs over myelin or oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp)- coated substrates. In addition, they also show improved migration in lesioned spinal cord. Our results provide new insights toward the improvement of the mechanisms of action and optimization of OEC-based cell therapy for spinal cord lesion.
The Buck, the Bull, and the Dream of the Stag: Some unexpected weeds of the Anthropocene

Landscapes are sites of struggle for many ways of being, human and nonhuman. This paper draws attention to weedy landscapes as places for anthropologists to get to know the Anthropocene, in all its heterogeneity. Weeds are creatures of human disturbance, and the forms they take depend on the kind of disturbance and the kind of unmanagement that follows. Weeds guide us to coordinations between human and nonhuman projects of world making—as exemplified, in this paper, by ‘the dream of the stag,’ an axis linking the imaginations of red deer and hunters, who are both opportunistic interlopers in the research site. The research concerns the weedy ‘auto-rewilding’ of a former brown coal mine in the sandy glacial outwash of central Jutland, Denmark. Previously an anthropogenic moorland used mainly for grazing sheep, labor-intensive mining emerged during World War II but was abandoned in 1970, leaving sand piles and holes that became acidic lakes. Beginning in 2013, Aarhus University Research on the Anthropocene (AURA) began an experiment in fieldwork there that crosses natural science/social science boundaries, and this paper emerges from that continuing encounter. The dream of the stag draws the analysis into the political ecology of weedy emergence, which in turn opens reflections on more-than-human world-making and the possibility of thinking Anthropocene timelines through weeds.
In-field film antitranspirant application shows potential yield protection from flowering-stage drought periods in winter canola (Brassica napus)

Abstract. Crop-management solutions that simulate plant water-saving strategies might help to mitigate drought damage in crops. Winter canola (Brassica napus L.) is significantly drought-sensitive from flowering to mid-pod development, and drought periods lead to significant yield losses. In this study, the drought-protection efficacy of different chemicals with antitranspirant activity applied just before key drought-sensitive phenological stages was tested on field-grown canola in two years. Drought was artificially imposed with rain shelters. The results suggest that in-field application of 1 L ha–1 of antitranspirant (Vapor Gard (VG), a.i. di-1-p-menthene) at GS6.0 (BBCH growth scale, initiation of flowering) mitigated drought-induced yield loss leading to a 22% seed-yield benefit on average over 2 years of experiments compared with the unsprayed unirrigated plots. No significant yield responses were found from application at GS7.0, with increasing VG concentrations (i.e. 2 and 4 L ha–1), or with an antitranspirant with short-lasting effectiveness. The data suggest that in field conditions where drought occurs during the flowering stage, application of 1 L ha–1 of VG just before the drought event can reduce yield loss. This result should encourage further work on water-saving management strategies during key drought-sensitive phenological stages as drought mitigation tools in canola and under different environments.
Validation of deep-sea coral and sponge distribution models in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Validation of deep-sea coral and sponge distribution models in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Christopher N. Rooper,* Rachel Wilborn, Pamela Goddard, Kresimir Williams, Richard Towler, and Gerald R. Hoff Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA *Corresponding author: tel: þ206 526 4689; fax: +206 526 6723; e-mail: chris.rooper@noaa.gov
Inflated false negative rates undermine reproducibility in task-based fMRI

Reproducibility is generally regarded as a hallmark of scientific validity. It can be undermined by two very different factors, namely inflated false positive rates or inflated false negative rates. Here we investigate the role of the second factor, i.e. the degree to which true effects are not detected reliably. The availability of large public databases and also supercomputing allows us to tackle this problem quantitatively. Specifically, we estimated the reproducibility in task-based fMRI data over different samples randomly drawn from a large cohort of subjects obtained from the Human Connectome Project. We use the full cohort as a standard of reference to approximate true positive effects, and compute the fraction of those effects that was detected reliably using standard software packages at various smaller sample sizes. We found that with standard sample sizes this fraction was less than 25 percent. We conclude that inflated false negative rates are a major factor that undermine reproducibility. We introduce a new statistical inference algorithm based on a novel test statistic and show that it improves reproducibility without inflating false positive rates.
Identification of new resistance sources to powdery mildew, and the genetic characterisation of resistance in three common bean genotypes

Abstract. Powdery mildew (PM) is a devastating disease of many legume species, including common bean. In this work, we assessed the responses of 108 dry and snap bean accessions to PM, and characterised the genetic control of the resistance in three bean genotypes. Resistance tests under controlled conditions led to the identification of 11 dry bean accessions with total resistance. However, no snap bean accessions showed total resistance, although two cultivars showed mixed phenotypes including seedlings with total resistance. The inheritance of resistance was analysed in three F2:3 populations involving the resistant bean genotypes BelNeb, G19833 and BGE003161. In the three populations, the segregation for PM resistance fit the expected ratio for one dominant gene. The resistance loci were mapped to the beginning of the linkage group Pv04. The physical positions of the flanking markers indicated that the three resistance genes were located between the physical positions 0 and 1.09 Mb. This work provides new PM-resistance sources and markers linked to resistance genes, which will be very useful in common bean breeding programs focussed on protecting bean crops against this disease.
Pollen Morphology and Phenological Behaviour of Some Important Plant Species from Reserve Forests of Dibrugarh District, Assam

The present communication is dealt with detail pollen morphological and phenological characters of 81 plant species belonging to 64 genera under 38 families from reserve forests of Dibrugarh District, Assam. Pollen grains are usually free, rarely united, radially symmetrical, isopolar and occasionally heteropolar. Simple aperturate pollen (colpate to porate) is more frequent. The number of apertures vary generally from 1–3 or sometimes upto 6. Nature of tectum within the families is also quite variable ranging from psilate-reticulate-echinate or obscure. The pollen morphology along with their respective phenological characters is significantly useful for characterization of species from tropical reserve forest distributed in Dibrugarh District, Assam, North east India.
Phenotypic consequences of genome mistranslation in Candida albicans

Several Candida species are characterized by the reassignment of the leucine CUG codon to serine. In C. albicans this codon is translated by a serine (tRNACAG Ser ) that is recognized by both the leucyl and the seryl-tRNA synthetases (LeuRS and SerRS), allowing for incorporation of leucine and serine at CUG positions. Under standard growth conditions 3% of leucine and 97% of serine are incorporated at CUGs, but these values are flexible as leucine misincorporation fluctuates between 0.6% and 5% in response to stress conditions. Previous in vivo studies carried out in the heterologous host Escherichia coli suggested that CUG ambiguity is regulated by the SerRS. Indeed, the C. albicans SerRS gene has one CUG codon at position 197 (Ser197) whose ambiguous decoding results in the production of two SerRS isoforms. The SerRS_Leu197 isoform is more active, although less stable, than the SerRs_Ser197 isoform, supporting the existence of a negative feedback loop involving these two isoforms of the SerRS, the LeuRS enzyme and the tRNACAG Ser that maintain low levels of leucine incorporation at CUG codons. We show in this thesis that such mechanism is not operational in C. albicans cells. Indeed, the in vivo levels of Leucine incorporation at CUGs fluctuate rather dramatically in response to environmental cues. For example, Leucine incorporation is as high as 49.33% in presence of macrophages and amphotericin B, showing remarkable tolerance of C. albicans to CUG ambiguity. To understand the biological relevance of genetic code ambiguity in C. albicans we have engineered strains that misincorporate Serine at various noncognate codons. Although growth rate was negatively affected in normal growth conditions, the engineered cells displayed growth advantages in several stress conditions, suggesting that ambiguity plays an important role in adaptation to new ecological niches. Transcriptome profiling of engineered C. albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains showed that both yeasts respond to codon ambiguity in remarkably different ways. Codon ambiguity induced mild gene expression deregulation in C. albicans, but activated a general common stress response in S. cerevisiae. The only cellular process that was induced in almost all strains was oxidation reduction. More importantly, the transcription factors that regulate the response to codon ambiguity in both yeasts were distinct, suggesting that both yeasts respond to stress in fundamentally different ways. The overall study provides deep insight on the very high level of tolerance to codon ambiguity of the main human pathogen C. albicans. The data strongly suggest that this fungus uses CUG ambiguity during infection, likely to modulate host-pathogen and antifungal drug responses.
ResDE-dependent transcriptional control in response to oxygen limitation

s Hao Geng and Michiko M. Nakano. 2005. RNA Polymerase and ResD Interaction at ResDE-Dependent Promoters. Presented at International conference on functional genomics of gram-positive microorganisms. San Diego, California Hao Geng and Michiko M. Nakano. 2004. Transcriptional Activation by Bacillus subtilis ResD. Presented at The 48 Annual wind river conference on prokaryotic biology. Denver, Colorado
Salt Tolerance of Genetic Modified Potato (Solanum Tuberosum) CV. Agria by Expression of a Bacterial MtLD Gene

Water and salinity stresses are the major reasons to yield decreasing in the world. Potato is the world’s main tuber crops of the Solanaceae family which is one of the most economically important annual vegetable crop. The goal of this investigation was creation genetic modified potato cv. Agria with more tolerance to salinity stress and evaluating GMO potato properties. To create transgenic potato plant, mtlD gene (mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase, E.C.1.1.1.17) was expressed to potato cv. Agria plant by using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Transgenic potato was produced by transforming of mtlD gene to potato plant cv. Agria. Existence of recombinant gene in transgenic plants was approved by two ways 1. Polymerase Chain Reaction technique. 2. Measurement of physiological parameters. The transgenic potatoes and non-transgenic potatoes lines exhibited the different amounts of tolerance to salinity stress because in the transgenic lines mannitol accumulates that increased osmotic pressure in salinity stress. The salt tolerance of transgenic potato cv. Agria ( mtlD) was recorded higher than that of non-transgenic potato cv. Agria (-mtlD). Osmotic pressure in this transgenic potato plant was increased by accumulating of mannitol and existence of mannitol in potato plant approved that the mtlD gene was successfully expressed to potato cv. Agria.
Proportions of sugarcane and babassu mesocarp bran in diets for feedlot cattle

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the production performance of feedlot cattle fed diets containing chopped sugarcane ratios (580 or 380 g/kg of diet dry matter) as roughage and levels of inclusion of babassu mesocarp bran (BMB; 420 to 620 g/kg of concentrate dry matter). Twenty-four young Nellore bulls with 321±23 kg initial body weight, at 22 months of age, were used in a completely randomized experimental design with treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement [. ]
Second record of the invasive gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bibron, 1836) (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Venezuela

Lepidodactylus lugubris is a small gekkonid lizard, predominantly parthenogenetic, with a widespread distribution in Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean islands, continental Asia, and well established exotic populations in the continental America and the Caribbean. Herein, we report the second inland locality for this gecko in Venezuela, extending its distribution ca. 126 km east from the only locality previously reported for the country (Naguanagua, Carabobo state). Based on the first record, the species was introduced in Venezuela at least seven years ago, but until now apparently remains uncommon and localized.