Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Level and Duration of Quantitative Feed Restriction on Post-Restriction Egg-Laying Characteristics and Egg Quality of Pullets

The effects of levels and duration of quantitative feed restriction on post-restrict ion egg-laying characteristics and egg quality as well as economics of egg production of pullets were investigated in a 2x7 factorial for completely randomized design experiment using 126 point-of-lay (POL) Olympia Brown commercial pullets, which had been subjected to various levels and durations of feed restrictions. The experiment lasted from 20 to 37 week of age but the actual period of data collection was from 30 to 37 th th th th th th th 1 by 10% restriction feeding from POL to 34 week - 9 weeks); AFRF (ad libitum feeding from 20 to POL - th th 2 5 weeks followed by 20% restriction feeding from POL to 34 week - 9 weeks); RF RF (10% restriction th 1 1 feeding from 20 to 34 week - 14 weeks); RF AF (10% restriction feeding from 20 week to POL - 5 weeks th th th 1 followed by ad libitum feeding from POL to 34 week - 9 weeks); RF RF (20% restriction feeding from 20 th th 2 2 to 34 week - 14 weeks); and RF AF (20% restriction feeding from 20 week to POL - 5 weeks followed by th th 2 ad libitum feeding from POL to 34 week - 9 weeks). From 34 to 37 week of age, all the groups were th th th
Lipids of Cuscuta reflexa and changes in lipids of its host plants after infection

The lipid level (fresh weight basis) of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. was related to the lipid content of the host plants Meilicago saliva L. , Helianthus annuus L. , Pisum sativum L. and Lantana camara L. Parasitizing by the dodder significantly increased the total lipid level of the hosts. The increase was mainly due to enhancement in the neutral lipid fraction. The level of phospholipid in the parasite was always higher than in its hosts. Phospholidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine constituted about 65% of the total phospholipid of Cuscuta. This was followed by phosphatidyl inositol (ca 20%) and phosphatidyl glycerol (ca 12%). Phosphatidic acid constituted only ca 3% of the phospholipids of Cuscuta. Although the total phospholipid levels of various host plants were not affected as a result of the infection by Cuscuta, a significant decrease occurred in the levels of phosphatidyl eholine and phosphatidyl ethanolamine as well as marked increases in phosphatidyl inositol and phosphatidic acid. The infected tissue showed an increase in phospholipase D activity as compared with the controls. The results have been discussed in relation to changes in permeability of the infected tissue.
Dis/ability-producing technology assemblages and networks at the workplace: a new materialist analysis

Abstract In this study, 25 Maltese employees with physical or sensory impairments shared their experiences regarding access and use of various technologies at work, first via focus groups and individual interviews, and then through observation sessions at their workplace. The research initially rested on the premise that disabled people face various barriers related to the access and use of technology in their employment, that are not directly ensuing from their impairments. It then built on this premise by applying concepts from new materialisms in an attempt to broaden the notions proposed by the social model of disability. Through the use of vignettes, this paper shows how enabling technologies form part of assemblages, networks and entanglements of people, things and affects to produce consequences that are conducive to or limiting of dis/ability. Points of interest This article is about people with physical or sensory impairments and how they use technology at their place of work. Research participants describe many difficulties they have in order to obtain and use technology at work. Difficulties using technology at work are not only due to financial, physical or attitudinal barriers but also due to difficulties that have to do with impairment such as pain and fatigue. It is difficult to understand how barriers to obtaining and using technology in work produce disability because they are entangled with many other factors, human and non-human. Stories presented show that people, things, places and feelings, can all equally produce ability or disability in the workplace depending on how they interact together.
Evaluation of resistance to different insecticides in field strains of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Punjab, Pakistan

Susceptibility of field populations of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Punjab, Pakistan to selected insecticides was evaluated using the leaf dip method. The resistance factors varied between populations. The general trends were low to moderate resistance to endosulfan; very low to low resistance to chlorpyrifos and profenofos; very low resistance to spinosad, indoxacarb and thiodicarb; moderate to high resistance to bifenthrin; high to very high resistance to cypermethrin; and very high resistance to lambda‐cyhalothrin. Integrated pest management strategies aimed at reducing pesticide application, such as rotating the conventional insecticides having low resistance with newly developed synthetic insecticides and conserving natural enemies, are recommended.
The Trade-off between Species Capture and Quantitative Accuracy in Ecological Inventory of Lichens and Bryophytes in Forests in Montana

For a given level of sampling effort there is a trade-off between accuracy of cover estimates and the proportion of the species present that are recorded in the data ("species capture"). We evaluated this trade-offfor three strata of lichens and bryophytes in western Montana: branch epiphytes, trunk epiphytes, and ground layer. At one extreme, visually integrating a single large plot resulted in high species capture but low accuracy ofcover estimates. At the other extreme, subsampling with many small plots, species capture was low but accuracy of cover estimates was higher for common species. Belt transects were intermediate in both respects. In general, larger areas of visual integration are preferable when the vegetation is sparse. Differences in sampling times between methods were mostly minor, and these differences were inconsistent among strata. When density and diversity of vegetation in a stratum are relatively high, sampling times are somewhat longer. To represent effectively both species diversity and cover, we recommend subsampling with small quadrats when vegetation is relatively dense or belt transects with sparse vegetation. These techniques should be supplemented by a fixed-area reconnaissance for species not included in the quantitative sample.
Substituição do Milho pela Farinha de Varredura (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) na Ração de Bezerros Holandeses.: 1. Desempenho e Parâmetros Sangüíneos

The objective of this project was to evaluate the effects of different replacement levels of corn for cassava meal (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%, dry matter basis) on the dry matter intake and feed:gain ratio, daily weight gain and levels of blood hematocrit, glucose and urea. Thirty five intact Holstein calves, averaging 80 days old and initial live weight of 80 kg, were allotted to a randomized block design and fed concentrate, ad libitum, to reach the intake of 4 kg/day. Tifton 85 bermudagrass was fed as roughage. The final average weight was of 164 kg. The dry matter intake showed a linear behavior as the replacement levels increased. The feed:gain ratio was not affected by the replacement levels. The daily weight gain for the two first periods of 28 days (period 1 and 2, respectively) reduced as the replacement levels increased, but they were not affected in the last 28 days period (period 3), and the respective values ranged from 0.93 to 0.68, 1.10 to 0.89, and 1.09 kg/day. Levels of hematocrit, glucose and urea were not affected by the replacement of corn for cassava meal.
Susceptibility of leatherjackets (Tipula paludosa and Tipula oleracea; Tipulidae; Nematocera) to the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae.

Abstract The susceptibility of Tipula paludosa and Tipula oleracea larvae to Steinernema feltiae was examinated in laboratory bioassays. Dauer juveniles (DJs) entered the larval hemocoel mainly by direct penetration of the cuticle. All instars except L1 encapsulated nematodes in the hemocoel. However, the prevention of larval death by encapsulation was dependent on the number of invading nematodes. Larval mortality was correlated with the number of invading nematodes, indicating that DJ penetration is the limiting step during pathogenesis. In contrast to other instars, the dosage-mortality response of young L1 was less pronounced. T. paludosa was less susceptible to S. feltiae than T. oleracea . In both Tipula species highest mortality was recorded for the L1 approaching the first molt, while young L1 were less susceptible. Susceptibility of L2 to L4 larvae decreased with their age. For T. oleracea , LC 50 values ranged from 7 DJs per insect for the L1 approaching the first molt, to 56 for the L4. CO 2 release of the different larval stages was not correlated to nematode invasion. It is therefore concluded that penetration is not triggered by CO 2 , but by other more specific stimuli.
Nutrient Bioassays of Plankton Biomass and Metabolism in an Urbanized Drowned River-mouth Lake (Mona Lake, Michigan)

ABSTRACT A variety of short-term responses were observed in inorganic nutrient enrichment bioassays on the plankton of Mona Lake—an urbanized and eutrophic drowned river-mouth lake that drains directly to Lake Michigan (USA). Chlorophyll a and phytoplankton production data indicated phosphorus (P) limitation in spring, nitrogen (N) and P co-limitation in summer, and no N or P limitation in autumn. Heterotrophic bacterial abundance, dissolved organic carbon levels, and plankton respiration were not stimulated by nutrient enrichment. Autotrophic biomass and production, but not heterotrophic biomass or respiration, were seasonally stimulated by the availability of P and/or N. Such imbalance between autotrophic and heterotrophic processes may contribute to the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass during the growing season. Cyanobacterial abundance in the lake increased from 22% of the plankton biomass in the spring when the TN:TP ratio was high to 68% in the autumn when the TN:TP ratio was low, suggesting that P availability helps drive a seasonal succession towards cyanobacterial dominance.
LYMPHOCYTE TRANSFORMATION INDUCED BY AUTOLOGOUS CELLS

Lymphocytes incubated with phytohemagglutinin or concanavalin A develop the capacity to stimulate autologous lymphocyte transformation. This is not attributable to residual mitogen contaminating the lymphoblastic cell preparation as: (a) the dissociation of mitogen from the lymphoblastic cell preparation increases the degree of stimulation observed and (b) the kinetics of lymphocyte transformation stimulated by phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphoblasts is different from that stimulated by phytohemagglutinin. The appearance of the stimulatory determinants on lymphocytes exposed to phytohemagglutinin precedes morphological transformation.
Temporal trends in abundance of fish in the tidal Delaware River

Water quality in the tidal Delaware River has improved dramatically over the last several decades. Areas near Philadelphia that were once anoxic and formed a pollution block to migratory fish passage now rarely experience dissolved oxygen concentrations less than 3 ppm. To assess whether these improvements in water quality led to increased abundance of juvenile fishes, data from a beach seine survey conducted annually since 1980 were examined. The number of species captured increased throughout the tidal river, but the increase was greatest in the areas downstream of Philadelphia, wheare water quality has improved the most. Abundance of juvenile striped bass and American shad, two important game species in the river whose migratory patterns make them susceptible to water quality problems, both increased more than, 1,000-fold during the last decade. Correlatations between the temporal abundance patterns of these species in the tidal Delaware River and in other East Coast systems were poor, suggesting that increases in their numbers were related more closely to improving conditions within the Delaware than to factors affecting coastal stocks.
The Nature of Tissue Regeneration After Wounding in the Sea Anemone Calliactis Parasitica (Couch)

Regeneration of ectoderm and mesogloea, and the interactions of these layers, in the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica (Couch) have been studied by examining the healing of simple wounds. Studies included the part played by the mesogloeal cells, the origin and functions of which have been much debated.
Fine‐scale population genetic structure in a wide‐ranging carnivore, the leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) in central India

Habitat loss and fragmentation can influence the genetic structure of biological populations. Large terrestrial predators can often avoid genetic subdivision due to fragmentation because they have high rates of dispersal‐mediated gene flow. Leopards (Panthera pardus) are found in a variety of habitats and are the most widely distributed of the large and middle‐sized felids. We investigated the genetic diversity and population substructure of leopards (P.p fusca) in a fragmented meta‐population comprised of four populations from five protected areas and inter‐connecting corridors spread over an area of 45,000 km2 in central India.
Diets of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) relative to prey availability

Monthly diets of juvenile coho salmon and steelhead trout and the composition of the bottom and drift fauna were examined in a tributary of Lake Ontario. From June through September coho fed most heavily on terrestrial invertebrates, whereas steelhead fed primarily on benthic invertebrates. Diet overlap (Ĉλ) between coho and steelhead was not significant. The diet of coho was closely associated with the composition of the drift; the diet of steelhead was more closely associated with the bottom fauna. Food selection may be influenced by observed differences in distribution (riffle versus pool) of sympatric steelhead and coho salmon, but mode of feeding (surface versus bottom) may also play a role. Because of the close relationship between drift composition and diet in coho, we hypothesize that diel variation in diet will be greater in coho than in steelhead.
The effects of rainfall on driving behaviors based on driving volatility

Abstract This research was an investigation of changes in driving behavior that occurs in response to rainfall intensity, especially focusing on risky behaviors. This was done using driving records of 620 taxis in Seoul (South Korea). We utilized driving volatility as a quantitative measure of driving behavior. This parameter indicates the variability of vehicle movement as indicated by vehicular acceleration and jerk. The result verified that, as the rainfall intensity increases, driving patterns deviate more from those without rainfall. From these changes, a measure of aggressiveness was derived considering these behavioral differences under different rainfall conditions. In particular, volatile and risky driving decisions with respect to jerk occur more frequently as rainfall intensity increases. This implies that changes in acceleration (e.g., acceleration after deceleration, deceleration after acceleration) are prevalent in rainy days. Furthermore, using crashes and law violation information about taxis, this research verified that higher volatility is related to a higher likelihood of crashes and law violations. The contributions of this study are that it quantifies the aggressiveness of drivers as a reflection of changing driving behavior under different rainfall conditions, and verifies the volatility index by relating to crashes and traffic law violations of individual drivers.
Service orientation of the employees in Serbia's tourism agencies

In a time of fierce competition in the tourist services market, it is very important to pay attention to businesses' service orientation towards end users. Service orientation can be considered as a competitive advantage on the demanding tourism market. In this study, the relationship between service orientation, job satisfaction and empowerment among the employees of Serbian travel agencies is examined. A survey was conducted through an online questionnaire. The survey included a total of 94 respondents. The study is aimed at investigating the connection between employee service orientation, job satisfaction and empowerment. The paper also investigates whether there are significant differences between the measured variables among the employees with and without tourism education. The results showed that job satisfaction had a significant impact on service orientation. The impact of empowerment on service orientation proved to be a less significant statistical variable. According to the research study, job satisfaction occurs as a mediator between empowerment and service orientation. Also, there is no statistically significant relationship between the measured variables and tourism-related education.
Orang-utan nest surveys: the devil is in the details

Abstract Nest surveys are widely employed to assess the population density of orang-utans (Pongo spp.) and evaluate alternative management scenarios relevant to the protection of these threatened great apes. However, this method is less accurate and prone to much greater error than is generally acknowledged. Here we highlight the limitations of orang-utan nest surveys, discuss the risks of ignoring these limitations, and note conditions under which standard nest survey methods are appropriate.
DNA Double-Strand Breakage as an Endpoint to Examine Metal and Radionuclide Exposure Effects to Water Snakes on a Nuclear Industrial Site

ABSTRACT This study examined metal levels (especially U and Ni) in the tail tissues of water snakes from contaminated (Tim's Branch) and reference areas on the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS). Home ranges of snakes were quantified to determine the ratio of the habitat that they use in relation to the contaminated areas to better estimate exposure Compared to conventional methods that do not. The exposure assessment indicated that water snakes in the contaminated areas could expect U exposure at 3–4 orders of magnitude greater than the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's Minimum Risk Level (MRL) from ingestion of amphibians and fish. Ni and U, in addition to Se, Mn, and Cu, were related to increased DNA double-strand breakage (DDSB) in water snakes. We report burdens for each metal individually, but the results of the DDSB indicated that these metals did not behave independently, but as a suite. If we did not have a secondary endpoint (DDSB), we might have assumed from the exposure predictions and tissue burden analyses that U was the sole metal of concern to water snakes in Tim's Branch. These data also imply that these toxicants do not biomagnify at the spatial and temporal scale of this study.
Molecular interactions during pregnancy: Placental expression of α and β subunits of human chorionic gonadotrophin in early pregnancies with Down's syndrome

This study examines the expression of alpha and beta subunits of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in samples of placental and decidual tissue obtained at 11-15 weeks of gestation from 30 control pregnancies and 11 pregnancies with trisomy 21. In the placental tissue, the concentrations of beta-HCG mRNA and alpha-HCG mRNA were augmented in six and seven of the trisomy 21 cases respectively and in 16 and 14 of the control pregnancies. The median values of beta-HCG mRNA and alpha-HCG mRNA in the two groups were not significantly different. Although the median serum free beta-HCG concentration was significantly (P = 0.03) higher in trisomy 21 pregnancies than the controls, there was no relationship between serum free beta-HCG and relative abundance of beta-HCG mRNA in either the trisomy 21 pregnancies or the controls. Decidual expression of beta-HCG and alpha-HCG mRNA were below detection level in the Northern blot analysis in both the trisomy 21 pregnancies and the controls. These findings suggest that the increase in maternal serum free beta-HCG concentration in trisomy 21 pregnancies occurs during the post-transcriptional phase of HCG protein biosynthesis.
Dephosphorylation of Alzheimer Paired Helical Filaments by Protein Phosphatase-2A and −2B (*)

Microtubule-associated protein τ is abnormally hyperphosphorylated in the brain of patients with Alzheimer disease and in this form is the major protein subunit of the paired helical filaments (PHF), the most prominent lesion of the disease. In this study the dephosphorylation of sparingly soluble PHF, PHF II-τ by brain protein phosphatase (PP)-2A1 and PP-2B, and the resulting biochemical, biological, and structural alterations were investigated. Both of the phosphatases dephosphorylated PHF II-τ at the sites of Ser-199/Ser-202 and partially dephosphorylated it at Ser-396/Ser-404; in addition, PHF II-τ was dephosphorylated at Ser-46 by PP-2A1 and Ser-235 by PP-2B. The relative electrophoretic mobility of PHF II-τ increased after dephosphorylation by either enzyme. Divalent cations, manganese, and magnesium increased the activities of PP-2A1 and PP-2B toward PHF II-τ. Dephosphorylation both by PP-2B and PP-2A1 decreased the resistance of PHF II-τ to proteolysis by the brain calcium-activated neutral proteases (CANP). The ability of PHF II-τ to promote the in vitro microtubule assembly was restored after dephosphorylation by PP-2A1 and PP-2B. Microtubules assembled by the dephosphorylated PHF II-τ were structurally identical to those assembled by bovine τ used as a control. The dephosphorylation both by PP-2A1 and PP-2B caused dissociation of the tangles and the PHF; some of the PHF dissociated into straight protofilaments/subfilaments. Approximately 25% of the total τ was released from PHF on dephosphorylation by PP-2A1. These observations demonstrate that PHF II-τ is accessible to dephosphorylation by PP-2A1 and PP-2B, and dephosphorylation makes PHF dissociate, accessible to proteolysis by CANP, and biologically active in promoting the assembly of tubulin into microtubules.
Population structure of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica as examined by mitochondrial DNA sequencing

SUMMARY: To examine the population structure of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica, mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis was made for various samples of glass eels that might reflect genetic characteristics of spawning aggregates. The mitochondrial DNA from a total of 51 glass eels collected at Tanegashima Island, Kanagawa and Ibaraki in different periods within an inshore migrating season was sequenced for a 615 base-pair fragment from the tRNAThr gene to the central part of the control region. The DNA region was so variable that no individual was found to possess the same sequence, although average sequence differences within samples (1.07–1.63) were not large. Average sequence differences between samples (1.22–1.57) were comparable to those within samples, suggesting no genetic heterogeneity among samples. Tree analysis of the sequences showed neither a geographical nor temporal structure of population. Furthermore, although all DNA sequences from the present study were different from one another, two sequences were found to be the same with those reported from individuals collected in different localities in different years. Altogether, the present mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis of glass eels did not provide any evidence for genetic subdivision of the Japanese eel population.