Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Responses to repeated cycles of water restriction in lactating Shami goats

The experiment was conducted to assess the effects of an intermittent watering regime on physiological indicators of lactating Shami goats. Twelve does in late lactation were equally distributed to two treatments: control and watered once every four days. Several serum and milk variables were assessed at the beginning of the experiment and on four subsequent days. The does' body weight was assessed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment while milk production was recorded daily. The intermittently watered animals showed increased serum osmolarity, urea, protein and albumin concentrations, denoting dehydration. Milk production and body weight were not affected by the treatment. In addition, milk composition was similar between the control and the intermittently watered animals. It was concluded that the Shami goats could tolerate the intermittent watering regime during late lactation with minimal physiological disturbances. However, the long-term consequences of the treatment on production and health warrant further research.
Caracterização química e nutricional de plasteína produzida a partir de hidrolisado pancreático de isolado protéico de soja

The objective of this research was to characterize chemically the plastein produced from a pancreatic hydrolysate of soy protein isolate (SPI). The SPI hydrolysate was obtained by an enzymatic discontinuous process, with a 5% substrate concentration, an enzyme/substrate ratio of 1/20, 37oC, 6 hours under constant stirring. The plastein was produced from this hydrolysate with a 40% substrate (w/v), pH 7, 37oC, for 24 hours without stirring. The protein profile was analyzed by gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and by molecular exclusion chromatography (MEC). The SDS-PAGE did not permit the bands visualization. The MEC pointed that the SPI hydrolysate presented 5 zones in the region between 5.4 and 66.2 kDa while plastein presented 2 zones in the MW of 9.6 and 58.7 kDa. The amino acid scoring showed that the limiting amino acids were the sulfur-containing amino acids; reference values of 93.2 and 96.4% were observed for the hydrolysate and plastein, respectively. The enzymatic modification through the plastein synthesis reaction showed to be a viable process for production of raw material in food formulation for clinical nutrition and other systems, but it should be supplemented when used exclusive source protein.
Attraction of flower visitors to plants that express indirect defence can minimize ecological costs of ant–pollinator conflicts

Thousands of plant species throughout tropical and temperate zones secrete extrafloral nectar (EFN) (see www.biosci.unl.edu/emeriti/keeler/extrafloral/worldlistfamilies.htm) to attract ants, whose presence leads to an indirect defence against herbivores (Chamberlain & Holland 2009, Heil 2008, Heil & McKey 2003, Rico-Gray & Oliveira 2007). Although termed ‘extrafloral’ because the nectar is not involved in pollination, EFN can also be secreted within the inflorescences (Bentley 1977, Holland et al. 2010, Martins 2009). Because ants tend to defend reliable food sources against all types of putative competitors, it has been hypothesized that the presence of extrafloral nectaries close to flowers may lead to competition among ants and pollinators, or even to direct ant–pollinator conflicts. Such antagonistic interactions would reduce the access of pollinators to flowers and, thereby, may cause significant ‘ecological costs’ of indirect, ant-mediated defences (Heil 2002).
Trimyema compressum Lackey, 1925: Morphology, Morphogenesis and Systematic Implications1

Trimyema compressum is a species included in the family Trimyemidae with the single genus Trimyema. This species has 50–60 somatic kinetics and three rows of kinetosomes surrounding the oral cavity. Two isolated groups of kinetosomes can also be observed on the right side of the oral region. The morphogenesis of bipartition is telokinetal; all the new infraciliary structures of the opisthe come from the longitudinal and postero-anterior proliferation of the last kinetosome of all the somatic kinetics. In the proter there is a reorganization of the oral infraciliature. As a result of our observations, we suggest that the systematic position of the genus Trimyema be changed from the subclass Vestibulifera to the subclass Gymnostomata. We also consider that this genus must be included in the suborder Trimyemina Jankowski, 1980.
Lymphocytopenia and interrenal activity during sexual maturation in the brown trout, Salmo trutta L.

In three different strains of brown trout a marked reduction in the number of circulating lymphocytes occurred in the blood of sexually mature male and female fish during the spawning season. This lymphocytopenia was closely correlated with elevated plasma cortisol levels in all three strains. It is well established that sexual maturation in salmonid fish is associated with an increase in susceptibility to disease: the present study provides strong evidence that this is mediated, at least in part, by a cortisol-induced suppression of lymphoid activity. These findings are discussed in relation to possible physiological roles of cortisol during the spawning period and to the evolution of semelparity in salmonid fish.
Assessing the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Switzerland.

Following the rapid dissemination of COVID-19 cases in Switzerland, large-scale non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were implemented by the cantons and the federal government between 28 February and 20 March 2020. Estimates of the impact of these interventions on SARS-CoV-2 transmission are critical for decision making in this and future outbreaks. We here aim to assess the impact of these NPIs on disease transmission by estimating changes in the basic reproduction number (R0) at national and cantonal levels in relation to the timing of these NPIs. We estimated the time-varying R0 nationally and in eleven cantons by fitting a stochastic transmission model explicitly simulating within-hospital dynamics. We used individual-level data from more than 1000 hospitalised patients in Switzerland and public daily reports of hospitalisations and deaths. We estimated the national R0 to be 2.8 (95% confidence interval 2.1–3.8) at the beginning of the epidemic. Starting from around 7 March, we found a strong reduction in time-varying R0 with a 86% median decrease (95% quantile range [QR] 79–90%) to a value of 0.40 (95% QR 0.3–0.58) in the period of 29 March to 5 April. At the cantonal level, R0 decreased over the course of the epidemic between 53% and 92%. Reductions in time-varying R0 were synchronous with changes in mobility patterns as estimated through smartphone activity, which started before the official implementation of NPIs. We inferred that most of the reduction of transmission is attributable to behavioural changes as opposed to natural immunity, the latter accounting for only about 4% of the total reduction in effective transmission. As Switzerland considers relaxing some of the restrictions of social mixing, current estimates of time-varying R0 well below one are promising. However, as of 24 April 2020, at least 96% (95% QR 95.7–96.4%) of the Swiss population remains susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. These results warrant a cautious relaxation of social distance practices and close monitoring of changes in both the basic and effective reproduction numbers.
Who Wants To Be a Politician? Basic Human Values and Candidate Emergence in the United Kingdom

Abstract Public faith in politicians and associated systems of governance is desperately low. At the same time, public opinion of politicians is characterized by a vernacular of psychological accusations pertaining to greed, self-interest and careerism. This article tests the verity of these claims by comparing quantitative data on the Basic Human Values (Schwartz 1992) of 106 UK Members of Parliament (MPs) and 134 unsuccessful parliamentary candidates with data collected from the British public in the seventh wave of the European Social Survey. It explores (a) how politicians differ psychologically from those they govern and (b) how personality characteristics such as basic values inform candidate emergence. The study finds that politics is a profession few ‘ordinary’ people care to enter. MPs attribute significantly more importance to Self-Transcendence values than the comparatively conservative population they govern, but the relative importance they ascribe to Power values seems to have an equally strong predictive effect on candidate emergence.
Relationship of Polyamine Content to ACC Content and Ethylene Evolution in Japanese Apricot Fruit

The polyamine and ACC contents in mesocarp of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) were determined during fruit development. Polyamine and ACC levels peaked in the early fruit development stage, followed by 'June drop'. Then, polyamine and ACC levels decreased rapidly and changed little until fruit was harvested. The content of spermidine (Spd) in the mesocarp sharply declined during the post-harvest period, but the levels of spermine (Spn) and putrescine (Put), did not change. ACC and ethylene levels peaked 34 days after harvest. Exogenous polyamines, applied to fruit 20 days before normal harvest, delayed fruit drop and ethylene evolution after harvest as compared to the control.
Nutritional evaluation of baby corn (zea mays)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study nutritional composition of HM‐4 variety of baby corn.Design/methodology/approach – Baby corn was analysed for proximate composition, available carbohydrates, dietary fiber constituents, in vitro digestibility, minerals, anti‐nutrients, vitamin and amino acids.Findings – Baby corn contained 90.03, 17.96, 2.13, 5.30 and 5.89 percent moisture, protein, fat, ash and crude fibre, respectively. Total soluble sugars content was 23.43 g/100 gm and reducing sugars was 1.96 g/100 g. It contained 8.10 g/100 g of cellulose and 5.41 g/100 g of lignin. In vitro starch and protein digestibility was 28.80 mg maltose released per gram and 72.18 percent, respectively. Baby corn contained 5.43 mg/100 g of ascorbic acid and 670 μg/100 g of β‐carotene. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus content of baby corn was 95.00, 345.00 and 898.62 mg/100 g, respectively, baby corn contained 0.05, 2.85 and 0. 675μg/g of methionine, isoleucine and leucine, respectively.Originality/value – The s.
Effects of nutrient enrichment on the trophic structure and species composition of freshwater nematodes—a microcosm study

Abstract. We explored changes in trophic structure and species composition of freshwater nematodes in response to nutrient enrichment in microcosms for 16 mo. Succession of functional groups differed significantly among the 5 nutrient treatments, which ranged from oligotrophic to polytrophic conditions, in the 2nd half of the experiment. Differences among nutrient levels were most important for representatives of lower trophic levels, such as bacterial and algal feeders, whereas suction feeders and predators remained relatively unaffected. In contrast to our expectations, density and biomass of bacterial and algal feeders increased in the nutrient-poor treatments because of the presence of a high fraction of edible unicellular green algae and diatoms, whereas large standing stocks of inedible macrophytes developed in the highly nutrient-enriched treatments. Nematode assemblages in microcosms with intermediate or high nutrient levels were characterized by a large proportion of omnivores and predators, respectively, because of relatively low total densities. Our results also suggest a gradual change in species composition along the nutrient gradient because the degree of pairwise assemblage dissimilarity increased with corresponding differences in nutrient enrichment. Our study highlights the potential of bottom-up forces in shaping freshwater nematode assemblages and provides further evidence of pelagic–meiobenthic coupling.
Alcohol fermentation of sweet potato. I. Acid hydrolysis and factors involved

Factors affecting acid hydrolysis of sweet potato powder (SSP) to fermentable sugars were examined. These include HCl concentration, temperature, time, and levels of SPP. Maximum reducing sugar, reported as dextrose equivalent (DE), was detected after 24 min hydrolysis (1% SPP) in 0.034N HCl heated at 154°C. These samples also had 3.43% droxymethylfurfural (HMF) based on dry weight. A high level of HMF (9.2%) was detected in 1% SPP heated at 154° in 0.10N HCl for 18 min. The lowest concentration of HMF formed (1.8%), at maximal DE of 61%, was established in samples containing 5% SPP and heated at 154° in 0.034N HCl for 48 min. Aqueous extracts of uncured SPP, examined by HPLC, contained glucose, fructose and sucrose, but degraded SPP had only glucose and fructose. Products of degraded SPP, under appropriate conditions, could be used for alcohol fermentation.
Differential Regulation of IL-1β and TNF-α RNA Expression by MEK1 Inhibitor after Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mice

Activation of the extracellular-signal-responsive kinase (ERK 1/2) by MAP kinase/ERK kinase (MEK1/2) following ischemia/reperfusion in the brain has been associated with cell death since inhibition of MEK1/2 provides neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia injury. Since inflammation has been implicated in ischemic brain injury, the present study investigated whether MEK1/2 modifies expression of two key inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and TNFα, that have been shown to exacerbate ischemic brain injury. A mouse model of transient cerebral ischemia was deployed to test the effect of selective MEK1/2 inhibitor (SL327) on infarct size and cytokine expression. SL327 (100 mg/kg, i.p.) administered 15 min prior to ischemia resulted in 64% reduction in infarct size over controls (n = 8, P < 0.01). Under the same condition, SL327 significantly reduced peak expression of IL-1β mRNA (59% reduction compared to vehicle, P < 0.01, n = 4) but not TNF-α mRNA. A parallel reduction in IL-1β protein (67%, P < 0.05, n = 6) was also observed using ELISA analysis. These data suggest that the neuroprotective effect of MEK1/2 inhibition may be mediated by suppression of IL-1β. The study also demonstrates for the first time that these two cytokines are differentially regulated by kinase mediated signaling pathways.
Cosmic-Ray Acceleration in Radio-jet Shear Flows: Scattering Inside and Outside the Jet

A steady-state, analytical model of energetic particle acceleration in radio-jet shear flows due to cosmic-ray viscosity is explored, including particle scattering both into and out of the shear flow acceleration region. This involves solving a mixed Dirichlet–Von Neumann boundary value problem at the edge of the jet. The spectrum of the accelerated particles is harder than the free-escape case from the edge of the jet. The flow velocity u = u(r) ez is along the axis of jet (the z-axis). u is independent of distance z along the jet axis, and u(r) is a monotonically decreasing function of cylindrical radius r from the jet axis. The scattering time where p is the particle momentum in the fluid frame in the shear flow region 0 < r < r2, and outside the jet (r > r2). Green’s functions are obtained for monoenergetic injection of particles with momentum p = p0 at radius r = r1 (0 < r1 < r2). The Green’s function and Green’s formula are used to determine solutions for a general spectrum of particles at . Solutions are obtained corresponding to a monoenergetic spectrum at infinity. We discuss the implications of these results for the acceleration of ultra-high-energy cosmic-rays in active galactic nucleus jet sources. Leaky box models of particle acceleration in shear flows, including synchrotron losses and particle escape, are used to describe the momentum spectrum of accelerated particles. The use of the relativistic telegrapher transport equation model is discussed.
Australian species of Anachloris Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae): taxonomy, musculature of the male genitalia and systematic position

The genus Anachloris Meyrick, containing the species A. subochraria (Doubleday) and A. uncinata (Guenee) is reviewed, and a new species A. tofocolorata sp. n. is described and illustrated. Keys to species and distribution maps, as well as information about the biology of A. uncinata, are provided. The skeletomuscular system of the male genitalia and the structure of the female genitalia of Hydriomena impluviata (Denis and Schiffermuller) from Europe are compared with those of A. subochraria and A. uncinata from Australia, suggesting that Anachloris does not belong to the tribe Hydriomenini. Additional study is necessary to establish its tribal position.
Inter-rater reliability and a training effect of the functional movement screen in police physical training instructors

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability of the Functional Movement Screen (FMSTM) within a police population and determine whether formal training improved reliability and assessment accuracy. Police Physical Training Instructors (PTI) (n = 67) rated 98 randomised videos of officers performing four primary FMSTM tasks (overhead squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, and rotary stability) twice within a two-day annual training program. A one-hour FMSTM training session was completed between the two assessment periods. PTI scores were compared to a Master score. The level of agreement between raters was low to moderate across all FMSTM items. The inter-rater reliability between the raters did not improve significantly following training. The level of agreement between “Rater” and “Master” scores improved significantly post-training. FMSTM subtest items have varying reliability. Staff training should be performed and compared to a Master rater prior to employing the FMSTM as an assessment tool in law enforcement.
Localized surface plasmon resonance of Au/TiO2(110): substrate and size influence from in situ optical and structural investigation

Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) of noble metal nanoparticles has attracted a lot of attention in recent years as enhancer of the photocatalytic activity in the visible light domain. Rare are the experimental in situ studies, coupling structural and optical responses, but they are mandatory for a deep understanding of the mechanisms underlying LSPR. Herein we present an in situ investigation during the growth of gold nanoparticles (NPs) on TiO2(110) in the 2–6 nm size range. We probed the structural and morphological properties of the supported nanoparticles by performing GIXRD and GISAXS simultaneously with their optical response in p and s polarizations recorded by SDRS. The rutile surface state turns out to have a major effect on the Au NPs growth and on their plasmonic response, both in frequency and vibration modes. The roughening of the TiO2(110) surface weakens the interaction strength between the NPs and the substrate, favoring the growth of textured in-plane randomly orientated NPs. Compared to the epitaxial clusters growing on the flat TiO2 surface, these textured NPs are characterized by a LSPR blue shift and by the presence of LSPR vibration modes perpendicular to the surface for sizes smaller than about 4 nm.
Observations on the Sheep Blowfly (Lucilia sericata Meig.) in Scotland.

Summary. 1 It is suggested thai; a limited temperature tolerance in the early stages of Calliphora erythrocephala, as compared with Lucilia sericata, is the reason for this species not being a serious pest of sheep. 2 Experiments to discover the numbers of eggs laid by females of Lucilia sericata, and the length of the larval, prepupal, and pupal stages are described. 3 The detailed records of strikes in an Aberdeenshire flock throughout the 1933 and 1934 seasons are analysed; and the figures shown to agree with results obtained in other parts of Britain.
The cell death phenomenon during Tuber ectomycorrhiza morphogenesis

Cell death phenomenon was investigated during the formation and establishment of Tuber ectomycorrhiza (ECM) with host trees, both in vitro and in pot culture using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) reaction, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). Tuber borchii mycelium and plantlets of Tilia plathyphyllos were used for in vitro ECM synthesis, whereas T. melanosporum, T. aestivum and T. borchii spores and seedlings of Corylus avellana, Quercus pubescens and T. plathyphyllos were employed in pot cultures. Non-mycorrhizal roots showed TUNEL-positive nuclei at the level of cap cells and tracheary elements as a result of physiological root morphogenesis. In contrast, during the pre-symbiotic phase and the following ECM developmental stages, progressive accumulation of tannin/polyphenol deposits developed in epidermal and cortical cells, leading to the cell death but without TUNEL positivity. After this necrosis, a further unexpected autophagic cell death was observed in apparently healthy mycorrhizae, first affecting mycoclena and then the Hartig net hyphae. This series of cell death phenomena involving both root cells and fungal ectomycorrhizal hyphae points to the existence of a genetic orchestration between the two symbiotic partners during ECM morphogenesis and deserves further investigation to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways.
Monitoring with benthic macroinvertebrates: advantages and disadvantages of body size descriptors

1.The search for simple and effective descriptors of biological ecosystem components is a major challenge of monitoring aquatic ecosystem health. 2.The relevance of body-size-related descriptors of benthic invertebrate guilds in monitoring the health of transitional aquatic ecosystems is discussed. The rationale is that macroinvertebrate body size relates body-size–abundance distributions to disturbance pressures through individual energetics, population dynamics, interspecific interactions and species coexistence responses. 3.Body size is generally easy to measure and amenable to intercalibration procedures, it is comparable across taxa, guilds and sites, and, as a community feature, it is expected to vary on disturbance gradients, according to energetic and ecological constraints. 4.The mechanistic relevance of individual body size as a community feature, through coexistence relationships, still requires field and laboratory tests; standard methods to analyse body-size–abundance distributions are not yet fully developed. 5.Field experiments on coastal lagoons and freshwater ecosystems of southern Italy, which were designed to test the relevance of body-size-related constraints on the organization of detritus-based benthic guilds, are reviewed. 6.Study cases emphasized a number of interesting features of body size and related descriptors, that support their relevance as benthic invertebrates descriptors of ecosystem health: (a) body-size–abundance distributions are consistently less variable than taxonomic composition; (b) the width of body-size–abundance distribution is mainly due to the interspecific component; (c) the descriptors of body-size–abundance distributions seem to respond on environmental gradients and generally co-vary with species density, richness and diversity, on which most of the monitoring programmes actually rely. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.