Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous Determination of Mono-, Di-, and Trihydroxyoctadecenoic Acids in Beer and Wort

Monohydroxy, dihydroxy-, and trihydroxyoctadecenoic acids in beer and wort were simultaneously determined using gas chromatography after a solid extraction method. These three acids were detected at ppm levels in the wort. The monohydroxyoctadecenoic acids were not detected after wort boiling, but the dihydroxy- and trihydroxyoctadecenoic acids were transferred through wort boiling, fermentation and lagering into the finished beer. During the mashing using a laboratory mash bath, they gradually increased to about twice the levels those at mashing-in. The amounts of dihydroxyoctadecenoic acid and trihydroxyoctadecenoic acid in commercial beer samples varied from 0.6 to 1.6 ppm and 6 to 15 ppm, respectively.
Specific host range of Bacillus subtilis (natto) phages associated with polyglutamate production.

"Natto," produced by growing Bacillus subtilis (natto) on steamed soybeans, is one of the most traditional fermented foods in Japan. It is a viscous material consisting of polysaccharide (a levan-form fructan) and polyglutamate (PGA). 1'2* Fujii3) showed that the PGA consists of land D-glutamate, and the proportion of the two isomers in PGA varies from 40 to 93% depending cultivation conditions.4* In a previous paper,5) we reported that the 5.7-kb plasmid, encoding the y-glutamyltranspeptidase (y-GTP)
Body size and shoaling in fish

Shoaling behaviour is generally described as a trade-off between the anti-predator benefits of living in groups and the costs of increased foraging competition. An individual's fitness varies as a function of shoal size and shoal composition, and this relationship is potentially body length dependent. As teleost fishes show indeterminate growth, many populations exhibit a broad range of individual body lengths. The latter is used as a criterion in active choice of shoaling companions, and shoals are often size-assorted. This reduces predation risk through minimizing phenotypic oddity, and may reduce competition between size-classes. There is some evidence for a positive relationship between shoal size and the body length of shoal members, although it remains unclear whether this is a result of active shoal-size choice or a by-product of the body length distribution of the population. Shoal membership is highly dynamic and individuals may maximize their fitness by switching frequently between groups of varying size and composition in response to changes in their physiological stage and the external environment. Fish shoals provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the functions and mechanisms of group living, and future studies should aim to take an integrated view of individual behaviours, group size and phenotypic composition when investigating group choice decisions.
History and Fluctuating Asymmetry of Utah Salmonid Broodstocks

Abstract The level of potential inbreeding in Utah salmonid broodstocks was assessed by fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of five bilateral meristic characters. Counts were made of the following characters on the left and right sides of 40 fish: gill rakers on the lower first branchial arch, gill rakers on the upper first branchial arch, mandibular pores, pectoral fin rays, and pelvic fin rays. Data from state hatchery records for the last 20 years were examined for trends in development to the eyed stage, percent hatch, and percent cripples (deformity). A brief history of Utah broodstocks is also presented. The mean FA for each of the strains of five species varied from 1.25 (Sand Creek strain rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss) to 3.15 (Bonneville cutthroat trout O. clarki utah), with no consistent differences among species. The meristic counts were variable, and the overlap made differentiation among strains and species based upon these counts impossible. From 1972 to 1993, percent survival to the eyed egg sta.
Different characteristics of nitrogen utilization between lupin and soybean: can lupin utilize organic nitrogen in soils?

It is well known that lupin forms cluster roots, which help in dissolving insoluble P in soils. In nonleguminous species, cluster roots also appear to contribute to the utilization of organic N in soils. In white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), however, the characteristics of its organic N utilization have not been studied. Therefore, we examined whether white lupin can utilize organic N in soils. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. ), which does not form cluster roots, was used as a control plant. Seedlings of lupin and soybean were cultivated in soils with different N sources (non-N, ammonium sulphate, ammonium sulphate plus cattle farmyard manure, or cattle farmyard manure). The rate of glycine uptake by excised roots was determined in a hydroponic experiment to investigate the ability of lupin and soybean to directly utilize amino acids. Nitrogen accumulation in soybean corresponded to the decrease in inorganic N in the soils. In contrast, N accumulation in lupin was higher than the decrease in inorganic N in th.
POPULATION DISPERSAL AND HUMAN HEALTH AT MOUNDVILLE

Abstract This article assesses the health of a sample of the Moundville population before and after population dispersal and resettlement from the paramount site of Moundville (1TU500). Patterns of chronic and acute infections, trauma, degenerative conditions, and generalized health stress are explored. As gauged by these paleopathological indicators, it seems that dispersal had little, if any, effect on health. These results throw doubt on the applicability of a generalizing model which predicted improved health and nutrition in the wake of population dispersal due to improved access to a more diverse diet and reduced exposure to pathogens and parasites. Instead, the conditions of material, social, and political negotiations regarding authority and action within and among the subgroups of the Moundville constituency appear to have mitigated modeled expectations.
Nitric oxide mediates lymphatic vessel activation via soluble guanylate cyclase α1β1‐impact on inflammation

The lymphatic vascular system regulates tissue fluid homeostasis and the afferent phase of the immune response, and it is also involved in tumor metastasis. There is increasing evidence that lymphatic vessels also mediate acute and chronic inflammation. However, the mechanisms and functional consequences of lymphangiogenesis under inflammatory conditions are largely unknown. Here, we show that lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) specifically express the α1β1 isoform of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), that vascular endothelial growth factor‐A potently induces sGCα1β1, and that nitric oxide (NO) ‐induced LEC proliferation, migration, and cGMP production in LECs are specifically dependent on sGCα1β1. Moreover, the specific sGC inhibitor NS‐2028 completely prevents ultraviolet B‐irradiation‐induced lymphatic vessel enlargement, edema formation, and skin inflammation in vivo. These findings identify a crucial role of the NO/sGCα1β1/cGMP pathway in modulating lymphatic vessel function. The blockade of sGCα1β1 signaling might serve as a novel therapeutic strategyfor inhibiting lymphangiogenesis and inflammation, in addition to its effects on the blood vasculature. —Kajiya, K. , Huggenberger, R. , Drinnenberg, I. , Ma, B. , and Detmar, M. Nitric oxide mediates lymphatic vessel activation via soluble guanylate cyclase α1β1‐impact on inflammation. FASEB J. 22, 530–537 (2008)
Dominance and genetic drift: Predicted effects of population subdivision in a maize population

Many public sector maize recurrent selection programs have been designed based on additive genetic expectations. Populations have been managed as large metapopulations with the assumption that population size must be very large because inbreeding due to finite size causes a linear reduction in genetic variance; we show that in BS13(S)C0 such predictions are inaccurate and discuss some implications. The objective of this study was to predict the effects of subdividing a maize population, BS13(S)C0, into finite subpopulations with previous estimates of genotypic variance-covariance components in the BS13(S)C0 population. Changes in variance among subpopulations, genetic variances within subpopulations, and mean values of subpopulations were predicted. Predicted variance among subpopulations increased approximately linearly with the inbreeding coefficient, in accordance with additive genetic expectations. Additive genetic theory predicts a linear decline in both total and additive genetic variance within subpopulations. Predicted total genetic variance within subpopulations initially increased, then decreased when the inbreeding coefficient was between 0.2 and 0.4 for most traits. Predicted additive genetic variance within subpopulations for grain yield decreased little at inbreeding coefficients <0.5. Predicted additive genetic variance for other traits decreased in approximate accordance with additive genetic expectations. These results provide model-based predictions that inbreeding BS13(S)C0, that is, genetic drift, will not lead to linear reductions in total genetic variance or additive genetic variance as typically expected. Implications of these results for agricultural selection programs are discussed.
Substrates and Carboxylic Acid Inhibitors of a Partially Purified Polyphenol Oxidase from Gum Arabic

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was extracted from gum arabic, and two isoenzymes were partially purified by ammonium sulfate treatment and hydrophobic and ion-exchange chromatographies. Both fractions displayed an optimum at pH 5.3. PPOs showed activity toward o-diphenolic substrates but not on monophenols or p-diphenols. Activity was maximum with 4-methylcatechol (4MC) followed by the two catechins. Both enzymes showed apparent Km of 0.8 mM for (+)-catechin and 2.4 mM for (−)-epicatechin and 4MC. Aromatic acids of the benzoic, cinnamic, and phenylalkanoic series and sorbic acid were mixed-type inhibitors. Benzoic acid was the most effective one (KI = 0.44 mM and K‘I = 1.3 mM). Inhibition efficiency increased when pH was lowered indicating that both neutral (AH) and dissociated (A-) forms are responsible for inhibition. For all compounds tested, AH forms were more potent inhibitors than A- forms, and their affinity was higher for free enzyme than for the complex enzyme−substrate. Keywords: Gum arabic; polypheno.
Pharmacological Properties of α9α10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Revealed by Heterologous Expression of Subunit Chimeras

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α9 and α10 subunits are expressed primarily within hair cells of the inner ear and have been implicated in auditory processing. Although functional recombinant nAChRs generated by the coexpression of α9 and α10 in Xenopus laevis oocytes have been described previously, there have been no reports of the successful heterologous expression of α9α10 nAChRs in cultured cell lines. In this study, subunit chimeras (α9χ and α10χ) have been constructed that contain the extracellular, ligand binding domain of the α9 or α10 subunits fused to the C-terminal domain of the 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3A (5HT3A) subunit. Specific high-affinity binding of the nicotinic radioligand [3H]methyllycaconitine was detected in membrane preparations of mammalian cells transfected with α9χ or α10χ alone, but significantly higher levels of binding were detected when α9χ and α10χ were cotransfected, providing evidence of a requirement for coassembly of α9 and α10 for the efficient formation of a nicotinic binding site. The pharmacological profile of α9χα10χ receptors, determined by equilibrium radioligand binding studies, is broadly similar to that determined previously by electrophysiological studies conducted with native and recombinant α9α10 nAChRs. In agreement with evidence that α9α10 nAChRs exhibit an atypical pharmacological profile, we have identified specific high-affinity binding of several non-nicotinic ligands including strychnine (a glycine receptor antagonist), bicuculline (a GABAA receptor antagonist), and atropine (a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist). Results have also been compared with radioligand binding data conducted with a previously described α7/5HT3A (α7χ) subunit chimera.
Product differentiation with variants, and welfare effects of automobile engine options

I develop a demand framework for markets where products (models) have variants that differ only with respect to quantifiable product characteristics. There is an unobserved product characteristic and a consumer-specific logit term for models, but both are fixed across variants. The literature’s assumption of orthogonality between unobserved and observed product characteristics is not needed. A counterfactual where car models are restricted to have just one engine option shows that engine options increase profits in spite of tougher competition. Consumer surplus and tax revenue from an engine-size-related tax also increase. ∗E-mail: oyvind.thomassen@econ.kuleuven. be. This is a revised version of chapter 1 of my 2009 Oxford DPhil thesis. A previous version was called Automobile engine variants and price discrimination. Thanks to my thesis supervisor Howard Smith, examiners Ian Crawford and Philipp Schmidt-Dengler, and Frank Verboven, Johannes Van Biesebroeck and Laura Grigolon for comments.
Adaptation of alternative pulse and oilseed crops to the semiarid Canadian Prairie : Seed yield and water use efficiency

Diversification and intensification of the cropping systems in the traditional wheat-fallow area of the semiarid Canadian prairie is necessary to improve sustainability. Selection of alternate crops to include in cropping systems requires information on production risks with different climate regimes. To understand water use/yield relationships of alternate crops, three pulse crops (leguminous grain crops) [chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)], three oilseed crops [canola (Brassica napus L. and B. rapa L.) and mustard (B. juncea L.)], and one cereal crop [wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)] were studied under varying water regimes: during 1996–1998 under well-watered, rainfed, imposed drought conditions, and in 2001 under rainfed conditions. Generally, the relative ranking between crops for water use was maintained across water regimes, such that the crops separated into three general groups of water users (high: wheat, B. napus, mustard; medium: chickpea, B.
A comprehensive study on irrigation management in Asia and Oceania

The aim of this paper was to study the land use index (equipped area for irrigation per cultivated area, AI) and irrigation management in Asia and Oceania during past decades. For this purpose, all necessary information was collected from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Among all presented data in the FAO database, 10 indices were selected. These indices were analysed for all 64 countries in Asia and Oceania, and the extent of AI was estimated by two different methods and other 9 indices. The results show that using all the 9 indices, the value of relative error will be less than 20%. Prioritization of the indices has shown that national rainfall index (NRI) and the difference between NRI and irrigation water requirement had a highlighted effect on the estimation of AI.
Forage Quality Differences of Corn Hybrids as Influenced by Ensiling

Our objective was to determine the impact of ensiling on forage quality of 54 corn hybrids (Zea mays L.). Four field replicates of each hybrid were planted at each of two locations in NY in 2003 (Groveland Station and Aurora, NY). There were differences among hybrids in pH (P < 0.01) at both sites. The pH of ensiled samples was positively correlated with silage DM (r = 0.82) and increased 0.016 pH units for each 1.0% increase in DM. Crude protein of ensiled samples was highly correlated (r = 0.95) with CP of fresh samples, but CP was 0.41% greater in the ensiled samples. Sugar of fresh samples averaged 9.9% while that of corresponding ensiled samples averaged 3.6%. Ranking of hybrids for sugar changed from fresh to ensiled, but was not consistent between sites. There were hybrid × ensiling/fresh interactions for NDF and IVTD at one site; this interaction was not significant at either site for fiber digestibility (NDFD). There was a significant correlation between fresh and ensiled sample NDFD (r = 0.74, P < 0.01). These data suggest little difference between fresh or ensiled hybrid rankings for NDFD, which implies that differences among hybrids in NDFD could be selected by using fresh samples. Inconsistencies for hybrid × ensiling/fresh interactions indicated that more research is needed to fully assess the relative benefits of ensiling prior to quality comparisons of corn hybrids.
Recent approaches in nitrogen management for sustainable agricultural production and eco-safety

Among plant nutrients, nitrogen (N) is the most important. Its importance as a growth- and yield-determining nutrient has led to large and rapid increases in N application rates, but often with poor use efficiency. Nitrogen management requires special attention in its use so that the large losses can be minimized and the efficiency maximized. Site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) has been found especially useful to achieve the goals of improved productivity and higher N use efficiency (NUE). Leaf color charts and chlorophyll meters assist in the prediction of crop N needs for rice and wheat, leading to greater N-fertilizer efficiency at various yield levels. Crop simulation models can be used in combination with field information and actual weather data to make recommendations to achieve higher NUE. Remote sensing tools are also used to predict crop N demands precisely. At the same time, traditional techniques like balanced fertilization, integrated N management (INM), use of nitrification inhibitors and slow-release nitrogenous fertilizers (SRNF), split application and nutrient budgeting, among others, are also used to supplement recent N management techniques to attain higher productivity and NUE, and reduce environmental pollution through the leakage of fertilizer N.
Effect of seasonal differences in dietary meat intake on changes in body mass and composition in wild and captive brown bears

The influence of seasonal dietary meat intake on changes in body mass and composition in wild and captive brown bears (Ursus arctos) was investigated because the importance and availability of meat to brown bear populations is currently an important management consideration in several North American ecosystems. Adult female brown bears on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, utilized meat heavily in both spring and fall. Meat accounted for 76.2 ± 26.0% (mean ± 1 SD; primarily moose carrion and calves) of assimilated carbon and nitrogen in the spring and 80.4 ± 22.2% (primarily salmon) in the fall. Mass increases in the spring (71.8 ± 28.2%) were mostly lean body mass, but increases in the fall (81.0 ± 19.5%) were primarily fat. Daily intake by captive brown bears fed meat ad libitum during 12-day trials was positively related to body mass. Mass change was positively related to intake in both seasons, but the composition of the gain varied by season, with spring gains primarily lean body mass (64.2 ± 9.4%), while .
Effect of offering concentrate supplement in late pregnancy, under conditions of unrestricted herbage, on the performance of multiple-bearing ewes and their lambs to weaning

The aim of the present study was to determine if offering ewes a commercial concentrate supplement under conditions of unrestricted perennial ryegrass–white clover herbage availability would increase newborn lamb heat production, colostrum intake and subsequent liveweight. Forty seven twin- and 43 triplet-bearing Romney composite ewes (1/2 Romney, 1/4 Finn, 1/4 Texel) were randomly allocated to either non-concentrate or concentrate treatment groups (twin non-concentrate, n = 24; twin concentrate, n = 23; triplet non-concentrate, n = 22; triplet concentrate, n = 21) from Day 79 of pregnancy. Concentrate-fed ewes were offered an increasing amount of concentrate sheep pellets from Day 79 until Day 90 of pregnancy, at which stage ewes were offered 400 g/day per ewe until they lambed. Pre- and post-grazing herbage masses did not differ (P > 0.05) between non-concentrate (2162 ± 54 and 1704 ± 47 kg DM/ha) and concentrate (2135 ± 49 and 1771 ± 42 kg DM/ha) ewes. Ewe nutritional treatment had no effect (P > 0.05) on ewe liveweight, body condition score, β-hydroxybutyate or non-esterified fatty acid concentrations in late pregnancy. Offering concentrates increased (P 0.05) in maximal heat production, total heat production, rate to reach maximal heat production, and IgG concentrations at 24–36 h of age or liveweight and survival of lambs born to ewes offered concentrates or not. Twin-born lambs had greater (P < 0.05) liveweight and total heat production and had higher (P < 0.05) survival rates than triplet-born lambs. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that there are only minor beneficial effects from offering concentrate supplements to ewes in late pregnancy under conditions of unrestricted herbage availability and it is not a viable option for farmers to utilise.
Age and growth of the striped mullet, Mugil platanus (Actinopterygii, Mugilidae), in a southwestern Atlantic coastal lagoon (37°32′S–57°19′W): a proposal for a life-history model

Summary Species of Mugilidae are an important economic resource supporting several small communities in Argentina and Brazil through fishing. The growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy model, age limit (t0.95) and natural mortality (M) for the striped mullet (Mugil platanus )G unther, 1880, in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (37� 32¢S-57� 19¢W) were estimated. These results constitute the first estimated values for the species as: L¥ (cm) = 563.82; K (years )1 ) = 0.30; t0 (years) = )0.057 (age groups 1-8); t0.95 = 10.07 years and M = 0.30. More- over, a hypothetical model is proposed for the life history of the adult stock of M. platanus from the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon based on CPUE data, environmental parameters, ovarian maturity stages, gonadosomatic indexes, the allomet- ric growth coefficient b and deposition of hyaline or opaque rings in the otholiths. Mugil platanus is therefore regarded as a species of moderate to rapid growth rate, with a relatively low longevity and a high natural mortality rate, compared to other species of Mugilidae.
How elephants grow: heterochrony and the calibration of developmental stages in some living and fossil species

ABSTRACT I present 1) baseline information on ontogeny in Recent elephants, and 2) some preliminary comparisons with fossil specimens. Relationships between size, state of skeletal fusion, and dental stage are similar in the two Recent species, Loxodonta africana and Elephas maximus. Limb bones that complete epiphyseal fusion late in ontogeny also grow more in absolute terms. Growth and dental progression are linearly related and probably gradual with respect to time, whereas skeletal fusion appears to be concentrated within a short period. Females are small and advanced in skeletal fusion for their dental stages. Limb proportions in elephants change with increasing size: the scapula becomes longer relative to other bones, and the femur becomes longer relative to the tibia. Among L. africana, E. maximus, and Mammuthus columbi, animals similar in size have similar limb proportions; the largest individuals, of L. africana and M. columbi, have exaggerated proportions and are therefore peramorphic. One might .