Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tumour necrosis factor α contributes to protection against Giardia lamblia infection in mice

Giardia lamblia is a ubiquitous parasite that causes diarrhoea. Effective control of Giardia infections in mice has been shown to involve IgA, T cells, mast cells and IL‐6. We now show that Tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) also plays an important role in the early control of giardiasis. Mice treated with neutralizing anti‐TNFα antibodies or genetically deficient in TNFα were infected with the G. lamblia clone GS/(M)‐H7. In both cases, mice lacking TNFα had much higher parasite numbers than controls during the first 2 weeks of infections. However, anti‐parasite IgA levels, mast cell responses, and IL‐4 and IL‐6 mRNA levels do not appear significantly altered in the absence of TNFα. In addition, we show that mice infected with G. lamblia exhibit increased intestinal permeability, similar to human Giardia infection, and that this increase occurs in both wild‐type and TNFα deficient mice. We conclude that TNFα is essential for host resistance to G. lamblia infection, and that it does not exert its effects through mechanisms previously implicated in control of this parasite.
Efficacy of Trichogramma evanescens in controlling the grape berry moth Lobesia botrana in grape farms in Egypt

Abstract The present work was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood) in controlling the grape berry moth Lobesia botrana (Schiff) in two grape farms, in El-Beheira and El-Gharbia Governorates, northern Egypt during 2004 and 2005 seasons. T. evanescens was mass produced on Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) eggs in the National Research Centre in Egypt. The horizontal and vertical searching activity of T. evanescens was studied to determine the proper way of distributing the Trichogramma cards in vineyards. Field experiments were also conducted to evaluate T. evanescens efficacy to control L. botrana on a large scale. Parasitism by T. evanescens on L. botrana eggs was greatly affected with the horizontal or vertical distance from the release points as well as with the rate of release. Parasitism reached over 97% and the percentage of reduction in damage caused by the pest reached 96.8% in treated plots. A significant increase in the crop was achieved in treated plots. T. evanescens could be a potential candidate for biological control of the grape moth in vineyards.
Effect upon lipid metabolism of feeding alfalfa hay or concentrate ad libitum as the sole feed for milking cows.

Abstract Ad libitum group feeding of only alfalfa hay was compared to only concentrate in an experiment with six Holstein and six Jersey cows. A double-reversal design with 5-wk periods was applied. Intakes of dry matter from the two feeds were equal with Holstein cows, but were higher on hay than on concentrate in the Jersey cows. All-concentrate feeding depressed the per cent and yield of milk fat in both breeds, but the responses were lower and more variable in the Jersey than in the Holstein cows. Reduced output of milk fat was due to a reduction in the amounts of all major fatty acids synthesized, but the magnitudes of the decreases were considerably less for the lower and unsaturated than for the higher saturated fatty acids. Increased outputs of certain unsaturated and odd-numbered fatty acids were found. All-concentrate feeding increased the amount of milk secreted, but outputs of milk energy were about equal on the two feeds. Concentration and yield of SNF and live weight gains were higher on concentrate.
The Use of a Shear Device to Monitor the Stability of a Single-Chain Variable Fragment (scFv) Fusion Protein MFECP1

Antibody based drugs are increasingly being used to treat a vast array of diseases because of their unique affinity to target specific antigen proteins on the surfaces of target cancer cells. Fusions of antibodies and conjugated biopharmaceuticals are progressively being used as this gives the opportunity to target other cytotoxic molecules to unwanted cells. It is critical to ensure these types of drug products are not fragile or uneconomical to produce at a large scale. A very small amount of precious protein solution can be characterised in an Ultra scale-down (USD) shear device to uncover if fusion proteins are prone to shear stress. This article presents how the purified and deglycosylated form of the MFECP1 fusion protein was quantified with an ELISA from 700-50 ng/ml, with a +/- 10% deviation in the standard curve. It also describes how the same MFECP1 fusion protein was analysed to establish the optimum experimental control conditions that were required to observe changes due to hydrodynamic-associated degradation in a shear device. Lastly, it looks at how a first order kinetic relationship can be used to model the rate of MFECP1 fusion protein degradation and how this was used to quantify the rate of protein loss during different shear environments with and without air/liquid interfaces.
Moral Philosophy and Politics

A standard account of privacy says that it is essentially a kind of control over personal information. Many privacy scholars have argued against this claim by relying on so-called threatened loss cases. In these cases, personal information about an agent is easily available to another person, but not accessed. Critics contend that control accounts have the implausible implication that the privacy of the relevant agent is diminished in threatened loss cases. Recently, threatened loss cases have become important because Edward Snowden’s revelation of how the NSA and GCHQ collected Internet and mobile phone data presents us with a gigantic, real-life threatened loss case. In this paper, I will defend the control account of privacy against the argument that is based on threatened loss cases. I will do so by developing a new version of the control account that implies that the agents’ privacy is not diminished in threatened loss cases.
MEASURING THE ACCEPTANCE OF USING UTMS IN JORDAN UNIVERSITIES

University Timetable management system (UTMS) are used to schedule courses, lecturers and rooms in university by considering some constraints. Although UTMS is a widely studied topic, the use of automated timetabling systems is not widespread among large universities. Therefore, it is important to investigate the factors that influence the intention to use university timetable management system (UTMS) among Higher education lecturers. This study proposed a model for determining the factors that affect the acceptance of using UTMS. The study was conducted by surveying different groups of university’s’ lecturer community. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 120 respondents. Results of the study prove that the proposed model is comprehensive to study the acceptance of UTMS in higher education institution. Overall, the results indicated the appropriateness of fundamental elements of TAM in the UTMS context.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of Thielaviopsis basicola

Field isolates of Thielaviopsis basicola, the causal agent of black root rot of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), were grown in Czapek-Dox broth amended with dialyzed carrot extract. Soluble protein extracts of chlamydospores and mycelium were used to raise polyclonal mouse ascites antibodies. The immunoglobulin G antibody fraction was purified and biotin-labeled to devise a fungal capture sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ELISA detected both brown and gray cultural types of T. basicola and had negligible cross-reactivity with other soilbome fungi commonly found in the San Joaquin Valley of California cotton field soils. The minimum detection limit of ELISA was between 1 and 20 ng of T. basicola protein depending on the assay
Effects of Inorganic Phosphorus and Nitrogen on the Growth of an Estuarine Cladophora in Culture

Response of Cladophora to different P and N regimes under otherwise non-limiting conditions in cultures of artificial seawater suggests that growth rates would be limited in the field by P and N concentrations in the water column above the algae, but not in the algal bed. Treatment with P over the range 0 to 0.25 mg l super(-1) (with 5.0 mg l super(-1) N) and N over the range 0 to 5.0 mg l super(-1) (with 0.5 mg l super(-1) P) produced yields proportional to increasing concentrations.
What is the Experience and Impact of South African Trade and Investment on the Growth and Development of Host Economies? A View from Mozambique1

1 This paper is an extended and developed version of a presentation made at the “Conference on Stability, Poverty Reduction and South African Trade and Investment in Southern Africa”, organised by SARPN/HSRC, which took place in Pretoria on the 29 and 30 of March, 2004. I would like to thank the Conference organisers for having invited me to the Conference, and the participants and discussants for having helped to develop this paper.
Number of Alleles as a Predictor of the Relative Assignment Accuracy of Short Tandem Repeat (STR) and Single‐Nucleotide‐Polymorphism (SNP) Baselines for Chum Salmon

Abstract Short tandem repeat (STR) markers, which exhibit many alleles per locus, are commonly used to assign fish to their populations of origin. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which have many technical advantages over STRs, typically exhibit only two alleles per locus. Simulation studies have indicated that the number of independent alleles is a good predictor of the accuracy of genetic markers for fishery applications. Extant STR baselines for salmon Oncorhynchus spp. contain hundreds of alleles, and it has been estimated that hundreds of SNP markers will need to be developed before the SNP baselines will be comparable to the STR baselines. We compared 15 STRs exhibiting 349 independent alleles with 61 SNPs exhibiting 66 independent alleles for accuracy in assigning individuals to closely related populations of chum salmon O. keta. The SNP baseline yielded slightly higher mean accuracies for proportional assignment and comparable accuracies for individual assignment. Based on the number of ind.
The Impact of Age on Iranian Students’ Incidental Vocabulary Learning

Incidental vocabulary learning involves unintentional, unconscious learning of a new lexical item while listening to a speech or reading a passage. Corrective feedback can influence language learning of EFL learners in general, and their incidental vocabulary learning in particular. If teachers and practitioners of language teaching know which types of feedback can be more effective, they may be more prone to use them in their classes. The purpose of the present study was to illustrate if age was a determining factor in the effectiveness of giving “repetition” feedback on new lexical items to L2 learners. The participants of the study were thirty students of a language institute in Shiraz, Iran who were provided with a collection of new vocabulary items. As for the instrument of the study, the first two lessons of an IELTS test which contained 20 lessons were involved. Each incorporated 20 multiple choice questions to be done in 20 minutes. A list of vocabulary items were selected from the aforementioned online vocabulary test to be included in a pre-test that participants took. Then half of the most unknown items were identified to be used in the post-test. The teacher was asked to provide repetition type of corrective feedback on students’ errors when teaching those items. The statistical procedures included one-way ANOVA and the relevant data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. The results of the study showed that the background variable of age did not influence incidental lexical learning.
Supplementation of high fecundity Border Leicester x Merino ewes with a high protein feed : its effect on lamb survival

Two hundred and fifty Border Leicester x Merino ewes (40% heterozygous for the Booroola Fec B gene) were used in an experiment, replicated over 2 years, to examine the effects of cottonseed meal-based supplementation on lamb survival, birth, marking and weaning weight, as well as, liveweight and fleece characteristics of ewes. From 50 to 100 days of pregnancy, half of the ewes were supplemented with 80 g/head.day. The supplemented group was then split according to litter size and, until 30 days after lambing, were offered pellets at 80, 160 and 220 g/head . day, respectively, for ewes bearing single, twin and triplet (or more) lambs. Over the 2 years, ewes averaged 2.11 lambs per parturition and supplementation significantly increased lamb survival to weaning (73 v. 58%) with no interaction with litter size. Although supplementation had a positive effect on birth weight of all but twins, the effects of supplementation on survival were independent of birth weight effects. Significant effects of year, sire breed and litter size on lamb survival and birth weight were also noted. No effects of supplementation were apparent on lamb growth while ewe age, sire breed, sex and rearing rank all significantly influenced growth rates. Ewe weights, fleece weights and staple strength were significantly influenced by year, ewe age and litter size but not by supplementation. These findings indicate the benefits to lamb survival of providing a 'bypass' protein supplement to high fecundity flocks even when ewes are grazing good quality pastures.
Protecting rockfish through gear design: development of a selective flatfish trawl for the U.S. west coast bottom trawl fishery

This study evaluated the potential to reduce the bycatch of rockfish (Sebastes spp.) in a flatfish trawl fishery by developing a selective trawl that separates flatfish from rockfish using differences in their behavior as the trawl net approaches. Using an alternate haul, randomized block design, we compared catches between a commonly used combination trawl and a newly designed, low-rise trawl incorporating a "cutback" headrope. For most of the target flatfish species, the experimental trawl had a 2559% higher catch rate (kilograms) than the control net (P < 0.05), consistent with greater footrope length in the experimental trawl. Increased catches of some small rockfish, skates, and sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) were also observed (P < 0.05). The catches of many larger roundfish and rockfish species, including canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger), redstripe rockfish (Sebastes proriger), Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), and shortspine thornyhead (Sebastolobus alascanus) more than 25 cm long, were red.
A Multicenter Vitamin D Status Survey

Vitamin D deficiency, which is usually detected by using immunoassays or the more reliable liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods, has recently been considered a public health problem worldwide. However, the vitamin D status in Chinese populations, as measured using the LC-MS/MS method, is not available. The objective of this multicenter study was to determine the vitamin D status and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency by using a reliable method in 5 large cities in China. From May 1 to September 31, 2013, we conducted a multicenter study on 2173 apparently healthy adults who were recruited from 5 Chinese cities. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25OHD2 and 25OHD3 levels were measured using the LC-MS/MS method. Intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphate levels were also measured using an automatic analyzer. The mean 25OHD level of all participants was 19.4 6.4 ng/mL (2.5–97.5%: 7.9–32.6 ng/mL), and only 109 (5.0%) participants had a 25OHD2 level >2.5 ng/mL (maximum, 22.4 ng/mL). In this study, the prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/mL), vitamin D deficiency (10–20 ng/mL), vitamin D insufficiency (20–30 ng/mL), and vitamin D sufficiency (>30 ng/mL) was 5.9%, 50.0%, 38.7%, and 5.4%, respectively. Women had a significant higher rate of deficiency than men (66.3% vs 45.3%, P< 0.01). Participants aged 18 to 39 years had a lower 25OHD level than elderly individuals (>59 years). Lifestyle may influence the 25OHD level more than the latitude, with participants in Dalian having the highest 25OHD level and the lowest deficiency rate. The serum iPTH level showed a significant negative correlation with the 25OHD level (r1⁄4 0.23, P< 0.01) after correcting for age and sex. In conclusion, the present study evaluated the vitamin D status using a reliable method, and our results indicate that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among all age groups in China, especially among younger adults. We also observed significant differences in the 25OHD levels according to sex, age, and region among apparently healthy individuals. (Medicine 94(8):e585) Abbreviations: 1,25(OH)2D = 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, 25OHD = 25-hydroxyvitamin D, ALP = alkaline phosphate, BMI = body mass index, Ca = calcium, IFCC = International Federation of Clinical Chemistry, iPTH = intact parathyroid hormone, LC-MS/ MS = liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, P =
On children’s late acquisition of raising seem and control promise

The goal of this study is to address two questions: (i) whether the delays in the acquisition of subject-to-subject raising (StSR) seem and subject control (SC) promise are related, as would be predicted by various developmental accounts, and (ii) whether delays are due to limited processing capacity or immature grammatical abilities. Our two comprehension tasks reveal two groups of children: (i) a below-chance group; they have a non-adult grammar of StSR or SC, and processing capacity does not predict performance; and (ii) an at-/above-chance group: they have an adult-like grammar of StSR or SC, and processing capacity modulates performance. Importantly, we find no correlation between StSR and SC performance—some children have mastered StSR with seem but not SC with promise and some show the opposite pattern, suggesting a dissociation between the grammatical development of StSR and SC, specifically of the mechanisms required to circumvent intervention.
Interactions of Food Level and Population Density in Rana Sylvatica

Tadpoles of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica were reared in the laboratory at four densities (1, 2, 4, and 8/dish) and at four food levels (1, 2, 4 and 6 multiples of a ration) in a randomized 4—block design for a factorial analysis of variance. Both food and density had significant effects on growth rate and body size at metamorphosis. The length of the larval period was significantly correlated (r=.81) between pairs of larvae reared together but was not significantly associated with either food or density. At low ratios of supply (food level) to demand (density level) body weight increased with food availability. At high supply: demand ratios the excess food caused a pollution effect which reduced growth, body size at metamorphosis and survival. At different densities maximum growth was achieved at different supply: demand ratios. In natural populations, body size decreases with density as if food were in short supply. See full-text article at JSTOR
Effects of Different Salts on Mixing and Extension Parameters on a Diverse Group of Wheat Cultivars Using 2-g Mixograph and Extensigraph Methods

ABSTRACT Cations of differing chaotropic capacities (LiCl, NaCl, and KCl) were used in small-scale mixing and extensigraph studies to assess functional changes in dough behavior of wheat cultivars varying in total protein content and HMW glutenin composition. Salt addition, regardless of cationic type, caused an increase in dough strength and stability. The smaller (hydrated) and least chaotrophic cations (Li+ 12% protein). In the absence of genotypic v.
Influence of soil organic matter on the productivity of pearl millet?-?Wheat cropping system

A long-term field experiment was initiated in November, 1967 at Research Area of Department of Soil Science to study the response of nitrogen to pearl millet-wheat cropping system at various doses and modes of farmyard manure application. The soil organic carbon increased with farmyard manure application and ranged from 0.68% in control to 1.82% in the plot receiving the highest annual dose (90 Mg ha−1) of farmyard manure. To study the contribution of farmyard manure on the productivity of pearl millet and wheat crops, the constants (intercept and slope) were determined between the grain yield of pearl millet and wheat crops with increasing dose of fertilizer nitrogen. Another linear regression was fitted between the intercept of the linear model and the soil organic carbon content. It has been observed that with each unit increase in the soil organic carbon, the productivity of pearl millet increased by 273 kg ha−1 and that of wheat by 1591 kg ha−1. The regression between the slope and soil organic carbon was linear in case of pearl millet (R2 0.49) but in case of wheat there was no relationship.
Adaptation to new hosts shown by the cloned components of Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus causing cowpea golden mosaic in northern India

The causal virus of golden mosaic of cowpea in northern India has been identified as a variant of Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV) and designated as MYMIV-[Cp]. MYMIV-[Cp] was transmissible by whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) only to cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), yard long bean (V. unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis), and French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and not to any other leguminous hosts. However, agroinoculation of the cloned DNA A and DNA B components of MYMIV-[Cp] produced systemic symptoms in blackgram (V. mungo), mungbean (V. radiata), and mothbean (V. aconitifolia). The severity of disease symptoms and infectivity rate depended on the genotype tested. The progeny virus of agroinoculated plants was whitefly transmissible between blackgram, mungbean, cowpea, and French bean plants. Though the virus was transmissible to blackgram and produced severe symptoms, very low levels of viral DNA components were seen, indicating only limited adaptation to the host. The work communicated here describes, for the first time, the aetiology of golden mosaic of cowpea in northern India and demonstrates adaptation to new hosts of a cloned virus, through agroinoculation.
Human Skin Mast Cells Produce TNF-α by Substance P

Using in situ hybridization and the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) we show that messenger RNA for IL-4, IL-5 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is induced by cross-linkage of high-affinity FcΕ receptors (FcΕRI) on human skin mast cells, but that only TNF-α mRNA is selectively induced by substance P. Skin mast cells were purified using the Percoll density technique. T cells were removed by serial negative selection using a CD2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to achieve a final mast cell purity >95%. Purified mast cells were precultured with recombinant human stem cell factor (rhSCF; 10 ng/ml) and myeloma IgE (3 µg/ml) for 16 h before challenge with sheep polyclonal antihuman IgE antibody (anti-IgE; 1 or 10 µg/ml) in the presence of rhSCF (50 ng/ml). Using in situ hybridization, we demonstrated that IgE-dependent stimulation induces the expression of IL-4, IL-5 and TNF-α mRNA in skin mast cells. We have investigated the expression of IL-4, IL-5 and TNF-α mRNA by substance P, with the result that substance P, 0.003–30 µM, selectively induced TNF-α mRNA. However, substance P did not induce IL-4 mRNA and did not enhance IL-5 mRNA. Furthermore, we confirmed the release of TNF-α by substance P from skin mast cells using an ELISA technique. These findings demonstrate the capacity of human skin mast cells to transcribe IL-4, IL-5 and TNF-α by immunological activation and to transcribe and release TNF-α by substance P.