Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of sports training on sleep characteristics of Asian adolescent athletes

Adolescents are predisposed to poorer quality of sleep and experience shortened sleep durations, with these trends being more pronounced amongst Asians. Even though sleep is crucial for athletic recovery, there is a dearth of the literature on the sleep patterns of Asian adolescent athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different intensities of sports training on sleep patterns in adolescent athletes, and to describe novel sleep data and daytime sleepiness amongst Asian adolescents who were high-level athletes. Those athletes (age 14.8 ± 0.9 years) in higher-intensity sports showed significantly more deep sleep, less light sleep and waketime after sleep onset. Actigraphically determined bedtimes and waketimes were significantly delayed on weekends, when mean total sleep time was also significantly longer. There was a large effect for an increased daytime sleepiness in high-intensity sport athletes. These findings highlight the phenomenon of social jet lag in Asian adolescent student-athletes.
Growth and yield of highland maize in Mexico

SUMMARY The growth and yield of five highland varieties of tropical maize were studied. Grain yields were between 4·7 and 8·8 t/ha. Crop growth rates (C) increased to a maximum of between 25 and 35 g/m2/day at silking and then declined. Grain growth rates (maximum 21 g/m2/day) exceeded current C during most of the grain-filling period. After silking, when C exceeded grain growth rate, dry matter accumulated in the stem and husk, resulting in an increase of from 200 to 600 g/m2. Later, as grain growth rate increased and exceeded current C, some of this accumulated material was incorporated into the grain, and stem weight decreased. A comparison of the dry weight changes after flowering in these varieties with those reported for a hybrid that yielded 12 t grain/ha indicates that the smaller yield of the Mexican varieties was associated with smaller grain growth rates and the incorporation into the grain of a smaller fraction of the dry weight produced after flowering. These results suggest that the capacity of the grain ‘sink’ to utilize assimilates limited yields in the tropical varieties.
Inhibitors of Rho‐kinase modulate amyloid‐β (Aβ) secretion but lack selectivity for Aβ42

Certain non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) preferentially inhibit production of the amyloidogenic Aβ42 peptide, presumably by direct modulation of γ‐secretase activity. A recent report indicated that NSAIDs could reduce Aβ42 by inhibition of the small GTPase Rho, and a single inhibitor of Rho kinase (ROCK) mimicked the effects of Aβ42‐lowering NSAIDs. To investigate whether Aβ42 reduction is a common property of ROCK inhibitors, we tested commercially available compounds in cell lines that were previously used to demonstrate the Aβ42‐lowering activity of NSAIDs. Surprisingly, we found that two ROCK inhibitors reduced total Aβ secretion in a dose‐dependent manner but showed no selectivity for Aβ42. In addition, ROCK inhibitors did not increase Aβ38 secretion in cell‐based assays or reduce Aβ production in γ‐secretase in vitro assays, which are critical characteristics of Aβ42‐lowering NSAIDs. The reduction in total Aβ levels by ROCK inhibitors was not accompanied by overall‐changes in amyloid precursor protein processing. Targeting ROCK by expression of dominant‐negative or constitutively active ROCK mutants failed to modulate Aβ secretion, indicating that ROCK inhibition may either be redundant or insufficient for Aβ reduction by ROCK inhibitors. Taken together, these results seem to exclude a mechanistic involvement of ROCK in the Aβ42‐lowering activity of NSAIDs.
Seed Predation by Rodents on Three Ant‐Dispersed Plants

Seed predation by small mammals has been proposed as one selective force in the evolution of ant-dispersal (myrmecochory) in many herbaceous plants of mesic deciduous forests. Three myrmecochorous species, Asarum canadense, Jeffersonia diphylla, and Sanguinaria cana- densis, were studied in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, USA, to (a) assess the impact of seed predators on seed mortality, (b) compare seed removal rates when ants were present vs. absent, and (c) evaluate the effects of elaiosome removal, seed burial, and doubling seed number per depot on rates of seed predation. Seed predators, especially rodents, cause more mortality among these woodland herbs than pre- viously thought. Predispersal seed predation by rodents destroyed 24% and 47% of the seed crops of A. canadense and J. diphylla, respectively. The proportions of A. canadense seeds lost to predators varied among sites. Sanguinaria canadensis also suffered seed predation before capsules dehisced. Peromyscus leucopus was the most common seed predator. In exclosure experiments, seed predators removed 70% of the A. canadense seeds when dispersal by ants was prevented, but only 24-39o of the seeds suffered predation when ants were allowed access. Seed predators removed 84% of the S. canadensis seeds when ants were excluded, but 13- 43% were lost when also exposed to ants. These estimated minimal proportions of seeds lost to predators when ants were allowed access differed between two study sites, but myrmecochory clearly reduced seed predation at parent plants. In laboratory experiments, P. leucopus located buried A. canadense and S. canadensis seeds less frequently than seeds on the surface (67.5% vs. 100%). Consumption of buried seeds by rodents was reduced when elaiosomes were removed, as would be done by ants in natural conditions. Increasing the delectability of seeds through adding olfactory cues or doubling seed number per depot did not increase the frequency of predation, because mice were able to locate depots without these additional cues.
Giemsa N-banding Polymorphism in Six Botanical Varieties and Six Cultivars of Barley, Hordeum vulgare L.

Mitotic chromosomes in six botanical varieties and six cultivars of barley, Hordeum vulgare L. were studied by Giemsa N-banding technique. Chromosomes 1 and 4 are metacentric and thus their short (S) and long (L) arms can not be differentiated through conventional staining method. These were easily differentiated on the basis of the bands on them. The classification of the bands was in accordance to Generalized Cytological Nomenclature of Cereal Chromosomes (GCNCC). Minor differences in the banding pattern among the studied varieties/cultivars were observed. The results indicated that all varieties of Hordeum investigated had characteristic banding pattern and polymorphism was evident on 1, 2, 4 and 6 chromosomes. Among the cultivars N-banding polymorphism was observed in interstitial regions of chromosomes 1, 2, 3 and 6. On the basis of these results it can be concluded that both varieties and cultivars may be identified due to their N-banding patterns.
Alders increase soil phosphorus availability in a Douglas-fir plantation

The effect of red alder (Alnusrubra Bong.) on soil phosphorus (P) availability in conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest has been the focus of several recent studies. One study at the Thompson Research Center in Washington State, found Bray No. 2 extractable P to be lower in soils under pure alder than in soils under adjacent stands of pure conifer. The Thompson study, and others in forests of the Northwest, have also found that the quantity of P in aboveground litter fall is greater for conifer stands mixed with alder than in adjacent pure conifer stands, suggesting equal or greater soil P availability under the influence of alder. We assessed the effect of low densities of red alder on soil P, using a modified Hedley sequential P fractionation scheme, in a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) plantation in coastal Oregon. We determined that soils under plots with 190 alder stems/ha and 740 Douglas-fir stems/ha had greater inorganic P availability than pure Douglas-fir plots (740 stems/ha).
BREEDING SCHEDULES AND FEEDING STRATEGIES OF SEYCHELLES SEABIRDS

Summary Feare, Christopher J. 1981. Breeding schedules and feeding strategies of Seychelles sea-birds. Ostrich 52:179–185. A comparison of the breeding schedules of Seychelles seabirds with their feeding strategies showed no relation between synchronous breeding and the ranges over which the birds forage, but there was a relation with flock feeding. Flock feeding birds are largely dependent upon schools of predatory fishes that drive prey species to the surface, and food is thus localized and transient. Synchronous colonial breeding probably helps individuals to locate these localized food sources, but species that are dependent mainly on dispersed prey would derive no benefit from synchrony, and they do, in fact, breed throughout the year. Within shoals of prey, food is probably superabundant, but feeding space may be limiting. The dark backs of flock feeding birds render them inconspicuous to foraging birds (conspecifics and other species), thereby tending to reduce competition for space within the feed.
Quality of Crude Fish Oil Extracted from Herring Byproducts of Varying States of Freshness

Herring byproducts were stored at 2 and 15degreesC for up to 72 h. Over time, significant increases of total volatile bases (TVB), histamine, putrescine, cadaverine, and tyramine were detected. However, only tyramine and TVB levels were temperature-dependent. The level of total polyunsaturated fatty-acids (PUFAs) was constant. Longer byproducts storage gave rise to an oil with higher levels of free fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DRA), and total PUFAs, while fluorescent compounds were lower. A higher storage temperature led to oil higher in alpha-tocopherol and EPA levels and lower in anisidine value. Surprisingly, the oil with the highest content of PUFAs was not produced from the freshest byproducts, and oil With low oxidation products can be extracted from stored byproducts.
New observations on the rodlet cell (Rhabdospora thelohani) in the white sucker Catostomus commersoni (Lacépède): LM and EM studies

Light and electron microscopic studies of the morphological features of immature and mature rodlet cells in Catostomus commersoni are presented emphasizing the cells' association with epithelial tissues. The peripheral fibrillar layer is lacking from the apex and from the base of the cell. A cytoplasmic extension from the base may be a feeding mechanism whereby the rodlet cell obtains nutrient at the expense of adjacent cells leaving intercellular spaces often containing myelin figures. RNAase digestion studies demonstrate the presence of RNA in the electron dense rodlet core. The structure and histochemistry of the rodlets which do not appear to disintegrate upon expulsion from the cell are compared to the cytoplasmic inclusions of both normal fish cells and protozoan parasites. The possible association of the rodlet cell with various pathological conditions is briefly reviewed and the authors conclude that it is premature to disregard the possibility that this cell could be a parasite or infective agent.
Assessment of Artisanal Fishery Impacts on West African Croaker Pseudotolithus elongatus in the Cross River Estuary, Nigeria, Using Length-Based Models

Abstract In Nigeria and other countries of the Gulf of Guinea, the genus Pseudotolithus is predominant in the catches of both artisanal (small-scale, commercial, or subsistence) and industrial fisheries. Data on this fishery are readily available, enabling resource managers to track stock dynamics. The study objective was to ascertain the status of an exploited stock of West African croaker (also known as the giant captainfish) P. elongatus using von Bertalanffy growth models. Length distribution data were collected monthly from landings of artisanal fisherfolk at the Cross River estuary, Nigeria, between March and August 2008. A fisheries stock assessment tool developed by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization was used to calculate estimates of the von Bertalanffy growth function based on these data. The asymptotic length was 61.5 cm, the curvature parameter was 0.40/year, the oscillation constant was 0.3, the winter point was 0.40, and the goodness-of-fit index was 0.515. The instantaneo.
Factors Influencing the Stability of Frozen Kiwifruit Pulp

The biochemical, sensory, and quality changes that occur during processing and prolonged frozen storage of kiwifruit pulp were studied. The temperature and processing time during pulp manufacture and freezing are critical factors in determining the % total chlorophyll and color of the frozen pulp. Storage of pulp at acceptable commercial frozen storage temperatures (−18°C or below) for 12 months resulted in a stable color, and a slight decrease in the % total chlorophylls and ascorbic acid. The type of packaging material used and deaeration of pulp did not influence the above findings. The sensory qualities of the pulp were not affected by the storage conditions.
Natural Disturbance and Gap‐Phase Regeneration in a Wind‐Exposed Tropical Cloud Forest

The patterns and processes of canopy tree death and replacement were studied in the elfin forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. Natural treefalls and limbfalls in a 5.2-ha study area opened 0.8, 1.4, and 1.0% of the area in three consecutive years with about four gaps* ha-' yr-I larger than 4 M2. Forty-one percent of the gaps were formed by uprooted trees, 39% by snapped trees, and the remainder by limbfall, the collapse of epiphyte masses, and dead standing trees killed by lightning. Gaps were found to be spatially aggregated, with more gaps occurring within 17-20 m of one another than expected by chance. Variation among gaps was complex; the first principal component of the variation in eight important gap characteristics among 88 gaps contrasted measures of gap size with the way the gapmaker broke and the position of the gap on the slope, but accounted for only 56% of the total variation. In gaps < 8 mo old, the leaf area index was 1.6, and only 8% of the area was not covered by living plants. Leaf area index increased logarithmically with time since gap formation and with gap area; 50% of the mature-forest leaf area index of 5.1 was recovered in 3 yr in gaps of 10 m2 and in 1.5 yr in gaps of 40 M2. Saplings of both shade-tolerant and shade- intolerant canopy tree species were more abundant in gaps than in the understory of mature forest. Sapling density increased with time since gap formation, but, given the effect of time, shade-tolerant sapling density decreased with gap area, while shade-intolerant sapling density increased. Saplings of eight species were concentrated on nurse logs, while those of one other species were concentrated on the mineral soil disturbed by uprooting trees. Experimental investigation of colonization of exposed soil in treefall gaps indicated that buried seeds give rise to many more tree seedlings than seeds dispersed into recent gaps. Many of the saplings in gaps, however, started life as epiphytic seedlings in the crowns of the trees that fell. The dynamics of this lower montane rain forest resemble many lowland forests in regards to the importance of gap-phase regeneration but differ in the sources of canopy gap colonists and in the importance of different substrates for seedling establish- ment.
Antioxidant-related and kinetic studies on the reduction effect of catechins and esterified catechins on acrylamide formation in a microwave heating model system

The reduction effect of catechins and esterified catechins on the kinetic behavior of acrylamide formation and its correlation with the change in antioxidant properties of Maillard reaction products in an equimolar asparagine–glucose microwave heating model system was investigated. Results indicated that both catechins and esterified catechins could effectively reduce the formation of acrylamide and could achieve a maximum inhibitory rate when their addition levels were 10−9 mol L−1. Furthermore, 5′-phenolic hydroxyl and/or 3-gallate groups in the chemical structure of catechins and/or their derivatives played an important role in the reduction of acrylamide formation. Also, the reduction effect of esterified catechins was better than that of catechins. Meanwhile, inhibitory rates of acrylamide affected by either catechins or esterified catechins correlated well (R2: 0.757–0.940) with the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (ΔTEAC) of Maillard reaction products measured by three different antioxidant evaluation methods, i.e. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), or the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The kinetic study revealed that the processes of the conversion from glucose into fructose, the asparagine–fructose reaction and the generation of acrylamide in Maillard reaction systems were all significantly suppressed, which may help to elucidate the mode of action of catechins and esterified catechins in reducing the formation of acrylamide during the Maillard reaction.
Similarity between grassland vegetation and seed bank shifts with altered precipitation and clipping, but not warming

Similarity between seed bank and aboveground vegetation is frequently studied in order to better understand how community composition is affected by factors such as disturbance and succession. Grassland plant communities are known to be sensitive to shifts in precipitation and increases in temperature associated with climate change, but we do not know if and how these factors interact to affect the similarity between seed bank and aboveground vegetation. Also unknown is how the impact of grazing, the dominant land-use in grasslands, will interact with climatic conditions to affect similarity. We manipulated precipitation and temperature, and cut vegetation (as a proxy for grazing) at a grassland site for three years. Percent cover of aboveground vegetation was estimated in the third year, and compared with persistent seed bank samples taken in the year prior from the same plots. Similarity increased with reduced precipitation, was unresponsive to warming, and decreased with clipping. The aboveground community responded strongly to the treatments, while the seed bank community did less so, suggesting similarity responses were largely driven by changes in aboveground vegetation. Because of the importance of the seed bank in vegetation regeneration, understanding the relationship between seed bank and aboveground vegetation will improve our understanding of plant community dynamics under climate change and varied management (grazing) intensities.
Molecular Phylogenetics of the Chiropteran Family Vespertilionidae

Limited information from existing data sets and the tremendous amount of diversity in number and kind within the chiropteran family Vespertilionidae (about one-third of all bat species) have hampered efforts to provide adequate assessments of long-standing genealogic hypotheses (e.g., monophyly of the family and of the five subfamilies). We generated approximately 2.6 kilobase pairs of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence ecompassing three adjacent genes (12S rRNA, tRNAVal, 16S rRNA) for 120 vespertilionids representing 110 species, 37 of 44 genera, and all subfamilies. We assessed monophyly of Vespertilionidae in initial analyses of 171 taxa including representatives of all bat families (except the monotypic Craseonycteridae), and assessed lower-level relationships by analysis of several truncated taxon sets. Phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal gene sequences provides well-supported resolution for vespertilionid relationships across taxonomic levels. Furthermore, the resolution is not heavily burdened by alignment of ambiguous regions of the ribosomal gene sequences, and topologies and levels of support produced by two phylogenetic methods (Bayesian and Parsimony) agreed markedly. Our analyses suggest relationships that support many parts of the traditional classification but which also support several changes. The majority of these changes also receives support from other data sources, particularly bacular and karyotypic data. We make more than 20 taxonomic conclusions or recommendations and construct a working classification for vespertilionoid bats. Highlights include: Miniopterus (subfamily Miniopterinae) is recognized in its own family, Miniopteridae, as it represents an extremely divergent lineage relative to other vespertilionids, and in some analyses is sister to the molossids and natalids; all other vespertilionids examined form a well-supported clade; two of the traditional subfamilies within Vespertilionidae (sensu stricto) are monophyletic, Murininae and Kerivoulinae; Nyctophilinae has no validity and Vespertilioninae is paraphyletic relative to the position of Myotis; Myotis is sister to a clade containing Kerivoulinae and Murininae and is recognized in its own subfamily, Myotinae; Myotis subgenera Leuconoe, Selysius, and Myotis are polyphyletic, and a subgeneric classification reflecting geography is suggested, broadening subgenus Myotis to include the sampled Old World species, and allocating the sampled New World species to another subgenus (Aeorestes Fitzinger, 1870); Vespertilioninae (excluding Myotis) is monophyletic; Pipistrellus-like bats (i.e., the traditional tribe Vespertilionini) are divided into three tribes (Nycticeiini; Pipistrellini; Vespertilionini); and support for three tribes of Pipistrellus-like bats has several implications at the genus level. Overall, this study offers a robust working hypothesis for vespertilionid relationships and provides a good starting point for new investigations into the evolutionary history of Vespertilionidae.
Brown Swiss Genomic Evaluation

In the framework of the Intergenomics project initiated by the European Brown Swiss Federation, a common reference population for genomic evaluation has been created to enable participating countries to estimate SNP effects more accurately. Genomic data of 3392 Brown Swiss bulls from 7 countries were evaluated for protein yield, somatic cell score and non-return rate based on GBLUP. Accuracy of GEBVs of bulls with at least 10 daughters for protein and somatic cell score were larger by about 5% than the conventional proofs, for non-return rate the difference was about 13%. For young bulls genomic reliabilities were about 2.5 times larger than the respective parent averages. Correlations between conventional proofs, DGVs and GEBVs were close to 1.
Grasshopper Food Web Analysis: Use of Carbon Isotope Ratios to Examine Feeding Relationships Among Terrestrial Herbivores

Twenty-five species of grasshoppers and 61 plant species were collected from a west Texas study site. Stomach contents of grasshoppers and carbon isotope ratios for plants and grass- hoppers were determined and correlated to test the hypothesis that herbivores have the same carbon isotope ratio as their food. The results of this study include: (1) grasshopper carbon isotope ratios were similar to the carbon isotope ratios of the diet; (2) d d and Y Y of the same species differed little in their feeding on CQ and C4 plants as measured either by stomach content data or carbon isotope ratios; (3) in 7 specialist species which fed on either C3 or C4 plants, individual grasshoppers generally differed in their carbon isotope ratios by 1.6%. or less, 3 generalist species which fed on substantial amounts of both C3 and C4 plants showed larger amounts of individual variation; (4) both the average carbon isotope ratio for a grasshopper species and the variability of carbon isotope ratios among individuals of the species are useful in predicting grasshopper diet in terms of mixtures of Ci and C4 plants.