Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of partial substitution of rice with sorghum and inclusion of hydrolyzable tannins on digestibility and postprandial glycemia in adult dogs

Sorghum is used as a substitute of rice in dog food, owing to its nutritional similarity and low cost. However, its use has been associated with negative effects, like a reduction in palatability, digestibility, and enzyme activity, which can decrease nutrient absorption. The presence of condensed tannins (CT) in sorghum may cause these effects. Another tannin group, the hydrolysable tannins (HT), is known for its antioxidant properties. Research has shown the nutritional effects of sorghum on dogs, but the effect of HT on dogs remains unknown. We evaluated the effects of substituting rice with sorghum containing CT and inclusion of commercial extract of HT on digestibility, fecal and urinary characteristics, and postprandial blood glucose levels in adult dogs. Nine adult Beagle were randomly subjected to 4 treatments: 50% rice; (RS) 25% rice + 25% sorghum; (RHT) 50% rice + 0.10% HT; (RSHT) 25% rice + 25% sorghum + 0,10% HT. Tannins did not affect food intake. The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, acid hydrolyzed fat, gross energy, and metabolizable energy (ME) decreased with sorghum inclusion (P < 0.05). Sorghum also decreased protein digestibility (P < 0.05). Greater fecal dry matter was observed with the RHT diet. HT associated with sorghum reduced ME (P < 0.05). Sorghum inclusion enhanced fecal output, without altering fecal score (P > 0.05). No alterations in urinary characteristics were observed. Sorghum and HT did not affect the postprandial blood glucose response measured by the area under the curve (P > 0.05). The substitution of rice by sorghum negatively affected protein absorption and ME of the diets. Sorghum can be considered as a good source of carbohydrates in therapeutic diets for weight control. HT may potentiate the effect of CT, but more research is needed to evaluate its potential use in dog nutrition.
Non-selective ingestion of meiobenthos by juvenile spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) (Pisces) and their daily ration [saltmarsh]

Le meiobenthos des marais maritimes caracterise par un gradient «subtidal-intertidal-lagunaire» a ete recolte toutes les 2 heures parallelement a des juveniles de Leiostomus xanthurus recueillis a la Senne en mai 1986 et 1988 a North Inlet, en Caroline du Sud. La nutrition a lieu principalement pendant le jusant, tandis que le nombre de proies des contenus stomacaux est plus reduit a maree montante ou a maree haute. Contrairement aux travaux anterieurs qui montrent que les Copepodes sont la principale source de nourriture, la comparaison de l'abondance des proies meiobenthiques dans le sediment et dans les contenus du tube digestif anterieur et posterieur du Poisson revele que L. xanthurus ingere les Nematodes et les Copepodes en proportion identique a celle du sediment. La ration journaliere de L. xanthurus a ete estimee a partir d'une duree de 6 heures pour le transit digestif de Poissons recoltes dans la nature et sacrifies, moyennant 2 a 4 prises de nourriture par jour, et a partir du decompte du nombre de proies contenus dans le tube digestif anterieur fraichement rempli. L. xanthurus juvenile de 27 a 33 mm consomme en moyenne entre 100 et 500 Copepodes et Foraminiferes et jusqu'a 4000 Nematodes par jour. La densite de la meiofaune du sediment etant elevee, L. xanthurus peut trouver la ration quotidienne sur quelques milliemes de m 2 . Ainsi, la predation par L. xanthurus ne correspond probablement pas a la cause significative de la mortalite de la meiofaune de North Inlet
The potential of entomopathogens in biological control of white grubs

Abstract White grubs are highly polyphagous and most destructive soil pests inflicting damage to a wide variety of crops. In India, more than 1000 species of white grubs are known of which over 40 species attack wide range of plants. White grubs are naturally infected by various entomopathogens which include fungi, bacteria and nematodes. Entomopathogenic fungi offer great potential and members of genera Beauveria and Metarhizium are widely used against white grubs. Several commercial products of entomopathogenic fungi like Bio Green, ORY-X, Grub X 10G, Betel, Biotrol FMA and Meta-Guard have been developed for the control of white grubs. In India, good control of white grubs in paddy, ginger and sugarcane has been achieved with different entomofungi. Among EPNs, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora is moderately effective against Popillia japonica and Rhizotrogus majalis. H. indica and H. bacteriophora are effective against potato white grubs in India. Paenibacillus popilliae cause milky disease in P. japonica grubs. The bacterium is pathogenic to Holotrichia consanguinea, H. serrata and Leucopholis lepidophora. In north-western Himalaya, B. cereus is highly toxic to the grubs of H. seticollis and Anomala dimidiata.
Winter Cereal Cover Crops for Spring Forage in Temperate Climates

217 Winter cereals are the most widely used cover crops in the corn–soybean cropping systems of the upper Midwest (Kaspar and Bakker, 2015) because they can establish during the short post-harvest growing period (Crowley et al., 2018). Winter cereal cover crops provide two key ecosystem services: erosion control and soil mineral N sequestration (Snapp et al., 2005; Tonitto et al., 2006; Ketterings et al., 2015). Cereal rye has been repeatedly observed to be one of the most adaptable winter cereal cover crops across northern temperate environments because of its abilities to scavenge soil NO3, reduce erosion, survive temperatures below –30°C, and mature earlier than triticale or wheat (Ball-Coelho and Roy, 1997; Brandi-Dohrn et al., 1997; Tonitto et al., 2006; Crowley et al., 2018). Winter cereals can also be used as an early spring forage source prior to planting main crops. Using winter cereal cover crops as a forage is not a common practice regionally, but following the drought of 2012 the need for emergency forage led livestock producers to harvest cereal rye cover crops or winter wheat grain crops as early spring forage to make up for shortfalls (Ketterings et al., 2015). Since 2012 interest in winter cereals as a dual purpose cover crop/forage crop has grown. In the Great Lakes region, cereal rye and winter wheat can produce 2 to 4 Mg ha–1 DM by 20 May when harvested at the boot stage (Raimbault et al., 1990; Moore et al., 1994; Wagner-Riddle et al., 1994; Maloney et al., 1999; Thelen and Leep, 2002; Kantar et al., 2011; Krueger et al., 2011; Ketterings et al., 2015). Less research has focused on the use of triticale and barley as overwintered and spring harvested forages than for cereal rye and wheat across northern temperate regions (Brown, 2006; Kaspar and Bakker, 2015; Ketterings et al., 2015; Tumbalam et al., 2016). The choice of winter cereal cover crop species and developmental stage of forage harvest may affect main-crop yield compared to termination as a cover crop if there is a planting delay. Regionally, yield potential of grain corn (Lauer et al., 1999), silage corn (Darby and Lauer, 2002), and soybean (Egli and Cornelius, 2009) starts to decline rapidly when planted after 30 May, along with the quality of silage corn (Darby and Lauer, 2002). Therefore, winter cereal species that grow and mature slowly in the spring could delay planting of main crops reducing yield potential. Choice of the main crop should also Winter Cereal Cover Crops for Spring Forage in Temperate Climates
IN VITRO ANTI-SICKLING EFFECT OF CRUDE AND PARTIALLY PURIFIED FRACTIONS OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF STECULIA SETIGERA LEAF ON HUMAN SICKLED RED BLOOD CELLS

Sickle cell anaemia is a very important genetic disease affecting populace of the sub Saharan Africa. There is a strong need for discovery of cheap and readily available remedies for management of this disease. This research work assesses the ability of the crude methanolic extract, ethylacetate, n-hexane, butanol, and aqueous fractions of Sterculia setigera to reverse sickled human red blood cells in vitro after inducing hypoxia in erythrocytes using sodium metabisulphite. Generally, the results showed that anti-sickling activity was both concentration- and time-dependent, except for some concentrations and time intervals where the percentage of unsickled erythrocytes were abnormally higher or lower than expected. These exceptions were reflected in crude methanolic extract at 0.3 mg/ml, n-hexane fraction at 0.1 mg/ml, ethylacetate fraction at 0.2 mg/ml, butanol fraction at 0.3 mg/ml, aqueous fraction at 0.3 mg/ml with percentage unsickled erythrocytes of 29.68±1.62 %, 15.39±2.81 %, 13.01±1.62 %, 21.73±1.4 %, and 8.68±1.83 %, respectively. At the lowest concentration of 0.1mg/ml, n-hexane fraction showed the highest number of percentage unsickled erythrocytes of 76.04±1.48 %. However, at 0.3 mg/ml, ethylacetate fraction seems to have the highest anti-sickling activity of 86.01±1.69 %. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of important phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, saponins and cardiac glycosides. However, anthraquinones were consistently absent in the extract and all the fractions. These results goes to show that S. Setigera leaf extract possess anti-sickling properties and hence validates the usefulness of this plant in the management of sickle cell anaemia by traditional healers. Keywords: S. setigera , Sickle cell anaemia, Erythrocyte, phytochemical screening, Antisickling effect
Studies on Genetic Parameters for Diversified Uses in Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.)

Sugarcane is an important cash crop of India. In India it is grown in sub-tropical and tropical climatic regions. Sugarcane crop serves as the major source for a variety of products such as sugar, jaggery, molasses, bagasse and filter cake out of which sugar and jaggery are meant for daily use as consumable products while other byproducts have industrial significance. It is realized that sugar production alone will not be able to make the industry profitable and under such circumstances diversification is a necessary consequence for the successful growth of industry. Sugarcane, an important bio energy crop belongs to the category of C4 plants which converts the solar energy effectively into high quality and low cost raw materials for sugar and ethanol (Bruce et al., 2005). Molasses and bagasse are the byproducts of sugar industry which form the feedstock for ethanol production and cogeneration respectively. Generally the main objective of sugarcane breeding is to develop varieties capable of producing high sugar yields per unit land area. The recent awareness on the advantages of using green fuel for generation of power and use of gasohol to reduce automobile emission have resulted in setting up of a number of cogeneration plants and distilleries in various sugar mills. To achieve these goals of increased sugar, alcohol and cogeneration, sugar industries need special varieties to meet their specific International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 08 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Protein kinase A activity is regulated by actomyosin contractility during cell migration and is required for durotaxis

Dynamic subcellular regulation of Protein kinase A (PKA) activity is important for the motile behavior of many cell types, yet the mechanisms governing PKA activity during cell migration remain largely unknown. The motility of SKOV-3 epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells has been shown to be dependent on both localized PKA activity and, more recently, on mechanical reciprocity between cellular tension and extracellular matrix (ECM) rigidity. Here, we investigated the possibility that PKA is regulated by mechanical signaling during migration. We find that localized PKA activity in migrating cells rapidly decreases upon inhibition of actomyosin contractility (specifically, of myosin ATPase, ROCK (Rho kinase), or MLCK (myosin light chain kinase) activity). Moreover, PKA activity is spatially and temporally correlated with cellular traction forces in migrating cells. Additionally, PKA is rapidly and locally activated by mechanical stretch in an actomyosin contractility-dependent manner. Finally, inhibition of PKA activity inhibits mechanically-guided migration, also known as durotaxis. These observations establish PKA as a locally-regulated effector of cellular mechanotransduction and as a regulator of mechanically-guided cell migration.
PTBP2-dependent alternative splicing regulates protein transport and mitochondria morphology in post-meiotic germ cells

The RNA binding protein PTBP2 (polypyrimidine tract binding protein 2) is a key regulator of tissue-specific alternative RNA splicing. In the testis, PTBP2 is expressed in meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells (spermatocytes and spermatids, respectively). In these cells, PTBP2 is required for proper alternative mRNA splicing for over 200 genes, disproportionately affecting genes encoding proteins involved in protein trafficking via transport vesicles. In this study, we used electron microscopy to test the hypothesis that protein trafficking is impaired in the absence of PTBP2, and to further investigate why spermatogenesis abruptly ceases in PTBP2-deficienct spermatids. Ultrastructural analysis shows that protein trafficking in spermatids is aberrant in the absence of PTBP2. Unexpectedly, we also found that mitochondria morphology and number are significantly altered in PTBP2-deficient spermatids, consistent with increased mitochondria fission. Furthermore, we show that genes with key roles in mitochondria dynamics and function are post-transcriptionally regulated by PTBP2 and in different stages of spermatogenesis. Collectively, the data provide ultrastructural evidence that alternative splicing regulation by PTBP2 during spermatogenesis is critical for proper regulation of protein trafficking and mitochondria morphology.
The Dynamic Role of Jumonji C Domain Containing Protein 6 in Placental Development and Disease

Perturbations in oxygen sensing are a defining feature of placental-associated pathologies such as preeclampsia, a serious disorder of pregnancy. Preeclamptic placentae have markedly elevated levels of Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1α (HIF1A), a master regulator of oxygen homeostasis. Mounting evidence implicates a family of Fe and oxygen-dependent Jumonji C domain containing enzymes (JMJDs) as mediators of the epigenetic code and hypoxic gene expression. While several JMJDs are induced in hypoxia, their role in pregnancy remains unclear. The goal of this study was to characterize JMJD6 function in the placenta in physiological and pathological conditions, and unravel its regulatory relationship with von Hippel Lindau tumour suppressor (VHL), a key executor of the cellular hypoxic response. JMJD6 expression inversely correlated with changes in oxygen tension during placental development, while JMJD6 protein and mRNA were significantly elevated in low oxygen and in early-onset preeclamptic (E-PE) placentae. In vitro demethylation assays revealed that optimal JMJD6-dependent demethylation of its histone targets, H3R2me2s and H4R3me2s, occurred in normoxia, and this was impaired in E-PE placentae due to a hypoxia-iron imbalance. In cytotrophoblast cells, JMJD6 is a positive
Seasonal patterns of nonstructural carbohydrate reserves in four woody boreal species1

Abstract Plants store nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs), such as sugars and starch, to use as carbon and energy sources for daily maintenance and growth needs as well as during times of stress. Allocation of NSCs to storage provides an important physiological strategy associated with future growth and survival, and thus understanding the seasonal patterns of NSC reserves provides insight into how species with different traits (e.g., growth form, leaf habit, wood anatomy) may respond to stress. We characterized the seasonal patterns of NSCs in four woody boreal plant species in Minnesota, USA. Sugar and starch concentrations were measured across the year in the roots and branches of two conifer trees, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) and eastern tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch), as well as in the leaves and branches of two evergreen broadleaf shrubs, bog Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) Kron & Judd) and leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench). In general, seasonal variation was dominated by changes in starch across all organs and species. While similar seasonal patterns of NSCs were observed in the shrubs, different seasonal patterns were observed between the trees, particularly in the roots. Our results suggest that species-specific traits likely have consequences for organ-level storage dynamics, which may influence whole-plant growth and survival under global change.
Integrating vital rates explains optimal worker size for resource return by bumblebee workers

Trade‐offs among traits or resource allocation are a ubiquitous component of biological systems and often explain the evolution of life histories (Ernsting & Isaaks, 2000; Fleming & Gross, 1990; Fox, Thakar, & Mousseau, 1997; Roff, 2002; Stearns, 1989; Venable, 1992). One common life‐history trade‐off is that between offspring size and number, which can be observed within and among individu‐ als (Charnov & Downhower, 1995; Ernsting & Isaaks, 2000; Fleming & Gross, 1990; Stearns, 1989; Venable, 1992). Because larger Received: 18 June 2018 | Accepted: 6 November 2018 DOI: 10.1111/1365‐2435.13251
Excitatory and inhibitory intracortical circuits for orientation and direction selectivity

The computations performed by a neuron arise from the functional properties of the circuits providing its synaptic inputs. A prime example of these computations is the selectivity of primary visual cortex (V1) for orientation and motion direction. V1 neurons in layer 2/3 (L2/3) receive input mostly from intracortical circuits1, which involve excitation2-9 and inhibition10-12. To understand how an L2/3 neuron achieves its selectivity, therefore, one must characterize the functional organization of both its excitatory and inhibitory presynaptic ensembles. Here we establish this organization, and show how it predicts orientation selectivity and reveals a new cortical circuit for direction selectivity. We identified the presynaptic partners of pyramidal neurons in mouse V1 through rabies monosynaptic tracing1,13, and imaged the functional properties of the postsynaptic neuron and of its presynaptic ensemble. Excitatory presynaptic neurons were predominantly tuned to the postsynaptic neuron’s preferred orientation. Excitation and inhibition described an inverted Mexican hat, with inhibitory presynaptic neurons densest near the postsynaptic neuron and excitatory ones distributed more distally. Excitation and inhibition also differed in laminar origin: inhibitory presynaptic neurons concentrated in L2/3 while excitatory ones dominated in L4. The distribution of excitatory neurons in visual space was coaxial with the postsynaptic neuron’s preferred orientation and lay upstream of the neuron’s preferred direction. Inhibitory presynaptic neurons, instead, clustered more symmetrically around the postsynaptic neuron and favoured locations downstream of its preferred direction. These results demonstrate that L2/3 neurons obtain orientation selectivity from co-tuned neurons in L4 and beyond, and enhance it by contrasting an elongated excitatory input with a concentric inhibitory input. Moreover, L2/3 neurons can obtain direction selectivity through visually offset14 excitation and inhibition. These circuit motifs resemble those seen in the thalamocortical pathway15-20 and in direction selective cells in the retina21,22, suggesting that they are canonical across brain regions.
Evaluating the physiological effect of strobilurin-based fungicide (Opera 183 g/L SE) against Sclerotium rolfsii and Aspergillus niger pathogens of Arachis hypogaea L.

Abstract The present study was designed to investigate the effect of fungicide Opera 183 g/L SE on groundnut crop (either as seed or foliar treatment) to control damages and losses incurred especially by the soil borne pathogens Sclerotium rolfsii and Aspergillus niger. The results revealed that 0.15% Opera-treated seeds showed early germination, high percentage of germination, less mortality rate in S. rolfsii and A. niger-infested soil. Enhanced activities of defence-related enzymes, protein, carbohydrate and chlorophyll content up to 2–4 d were observed in Opera-treated plants as compared with untreated plants. Moreover, the application of Opera had a positive effect on yield up to 22%, green fodder at the time of harvest and no disease incidence. From the present study, it is recommended that application of Opera at 750 ml/hectare in the form of foliar treatment to groundnut plants could help in inducing resistance towards opportunistic pathogens and also could enhance the yield.
Energetic death: The unknown phase of thanatology

The large amount of classifications about the concept of death from a medical-legal perspective leads us to think that there are still many aspects to accurately define that precise moment in which the end of our earthly existence is considered as a final and unalterable fact. An answer to such a question may come from a retrospective analysis of those victims of impending-death situations that have been rescued after both basic and advanced cardiac pulmonary resuscitation failure and their consequent medical-legal death declaration. The aim of the following work is to introduce a new phase within forensic thanatology, supported by a complementary resuscitation maneuver based upon millennial traditional Chinese medicine principles together with a detailed analysis of current global agreements on organ transplantation and an avant-garde perspective on actual knowledge about cell death. Those terms will then allow us to achieve a holistic view of said concept, still loosely defined at present. Such an innovative diagnostic-therapeutic resource can in turn enable us to evaluate and face the irreversibility of such extreme situation, analyzing the statistical feasibility of its promising results.