Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feeding to Minimize Aciodosis and Laminitis in Dairy Cows

Introduction Sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA) is a prevalent problem for dairy herds (Cook et al., 2004; Nordlund et al., 2004) as characterized by having more than 25% of cows sampled via rumenocentesis 4 to 8 hours after a total mixed ration (TMR) meal with ruminal pH less than 5.5 (Nordlund et al., 2004). Ruminal pH is largely a function of the balance between the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) from the fermentation of carbohydrates, their neutralization by salivary and dietary buffers, and their removal by absorption across the rumen wall or passage from the rumen (Allen, 1997), and SARA is caused by the consumption of high amounts of ruminally-available carbohydrate, low amounts of effective fiber, or both (Nocek, 1997). Laminitis, an aseptic inflammation of the dermal layers inside the hoof and a major source of lameness for dairy herds, has been linked to SARA (Nocek, 1997; Cook et al., 2004; Nordlund et al., 2004; Stone, 2004).
IDENTIFICATION AND ENUMERATION OF CULTURED AND WILD PSEUDO‐NITZSCHIA (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) USING SPECIES‐SPECIFIC LSU rRNA‐TARGETED FLUORESCENT PROBES AND FILTER‐BASED WHOLE CELL HYBRIDIZATION

Efforts to understand the ecologic and environmental parameters that govern harmful algal blooms (HABs) require rapid and specific identification of causative species. Traditional methods of species identification using light and electron microscopy are useful in this regard but are also time consuming, making routine analysis of a large number of samples difficult. Techniques that speed and ease the detection of HAB species as they occur in natural populations are therefore desirable. In this paper, we continue efforts to develop species‐specific large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA)‐targeted fluorescent DNA probes for a variety of Pseudo‐nitzschia H. Peragallo species, a group of marine pennate diatoms that includes representatives linked to production of domoic acid and amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). A custom filter tube and filtration manifold that has utility for both whole cell (in situ) hybridization as well as preparing samples for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is described. Filter‐based whole cell hybridization was used to identify a variety of newly isolated Pseudo‐nitzschia clones, and probe results were confirmed using SEM. Some isolates of P. pungens (Grunow) Hasle exhibited variable (intraclonal) reactivity toward the P. pungens‐specific probe. Three isolates of P. subpacifica (Hasle) Hasle were found to cross‐react with probes designed for P. fraudulenta (Cleve) Hasle and P. heimii Manguin. Four isolates did not react with any species‐specific probes; this group comprised three distinct morphotypes whose fine‐scale morphologic features did not agree with published descriptions of Pseudo‐nitzschia species. Evaluation of the filter method using cultured cells added to natural (whole water) samples indicated quantitative recovery of target species. Confirming results of probe assays using SEM was difficult when the target species was less than 104 cells·L−1 in the presence of greater than 106 cells·L−1 of other nontarget diatom species. A variety of Pseudo‐nitzschia, including P. australis Frenguelli, P. fraudulenta, P. heimii, P. pseudodelicatissima (Hasle) Hasle, P. pungens, P. multiseries (Hasle) Hasle, and Nitzschia americana Hasle, were identified using whole cell hybridization in a variety of field samples containing mixed assemblages of plankton, and these results were confirmed using SEM. The filter tube method of applying probes was used onboard ship for near real‐time identification and enumeration of a variety of Pseudo‐nitzschia species.
Body Mass and Antler Development Patterns of Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) in Michigan

Abstract We documented mean and maximum body mass, mass accretion patterns and antler development patterns of Rocky Mountain elk in Michigan. Mean body mass of bulls averaged 9–11% heavier, and maximum body mass 23–27% heavier, in Michigan than in other Rocky Mountain elk populations. Mean live body mass of cows averaged 11% heavier in Michigan, but mean eviscerated body mass did not differ. Maximum body mass of cows was 10–24% heavier in Michigan. Body mass peaked at age 7.5 for bulls and 8.5 for cows, similar to other Rocky Mountain elk populations despite the greater body mass achieved in Michigan. Sexual dimorphism in bull and cow body mass increased until peak body mass was attained, whereupon bulls were ∼38% heavier than cows. Antler development of bull elk peaked at age 10.5, comparable to other Rocky Mountain elk populations. Relations between antler development and body mass within age classes were highly variable, but generally weak. Greater body mass seen in Michigan, and the peaking of antler development well after body mass in bulls, suggested a phenotypic response to nutritional conditions that allow Rocky Mountain elk in Michigan to maximize the species growth potential.
Zuloagaea, a New Genus of Neotropical Grass Within the “Bristle Clade” (Poaceae: Paniceae)

Abstract Recent molecular data indicate that “Panicum” section Bulbosa does not belong in the genus Panicum. Previously published phylogenies strongly support its inclusion in the “bristle clade,” a monophyletic group in the Paniceae that includes the genera Setaria, Cenchrus, and Pennisetum, among others. The morphological synapomorphy for the clade is the presence of bristles (sterile branchlets) in the inflorescence, but Panicum bulbosum has no bristle-like structures at any stage of development, and is otherwise morphologically quite distinct from any of its close relatives. We have evaluated several possible taxonomic placements for section Bulbosa, reflecting the need to remove it from Panicum. Our conclusion, based on previously published molecular and current morphological data, is to erect a new genus, Zuloagaea, to accommodate section Bulbosa. We have also evaluated whether there are one, two, or three taxa within sect. Bulbosa. We have used principal components analysis of 33 morphological characters and find no distinct morphological groups within the section, and hence conclude that the group represents a single species.
Letter from Dinesh Bhugra and Michael King (London, England) about Vincenzo DiNicola's Overview "Anorexia Multiforme: Self- starvation in Historical and Cultural Context." (TPRR, 27, 1990, 165-196; 245-286)

Cultures? The Methodological Questions and the Findings. Do Social Relations and the Cultural Meanings Contribute to the Onset and Course of Mental Illness? And, How do Professional Values Influence the Work of Psychiatrists? Indeed, you yourself might want to compare what I say in those chapters with what you claim to be my position. When you do, you may be in for some surprises. There are, of course, points of real tension between our positions. Debating those specific points of difference, especially around empirical field research findings, should help advance our field. I hold to the antiquated but still not unreasonable idea, I hope, that it is the responsibility of the scholar who provokes an argument to first describe fairly the position of the individual he constructs as an adversary before criticizing it. Ironically, that would seem to be what disturbed you at the outset about my 1977 piece. At any rate, the important point is that we need to move beyond casting stones, so that we can build our field into a more substantial research enterprise that can exert the influence its subject matter so very much deserves.
Parasitoidism of the Sarcophaga dux (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) on the Mesobuthus martensii (Scorpiones: Buthidae) and Its Implications

ABSTRACT The Chinese scorpion, Mesobuthus martensii (Karsch, 1879), is a medically important arthropod, with its venom representing a rich resource for bioactive molecules. Very little is known about the natural enemies of scorpion, albeit some populations are on the verge of extinction due to human over-exploitation. In this study, we found, for the first time, that a medically and forensically important flesh fly, Sarcophaga dux (Thompson, 1869), can parasitize M. martensii in China.We identified the flesh flies by both morphology and DNA-based methods employing the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I gene. Our phylogenetic analyses indicated that S. dux was not monophyletic with respect to Sarcophaga aegyptica (Salem, 1935) and Sarcophaga harpax (Pandellé , 1896), and was comprised of two distinct mitochondrial lineages. The flesh flies infesting the Chinese scorpion formed one of the paraphyletic lineages of S. dux. These lineages together with S. aegyptica and S. harpax represented a species complex with genetic distances ranging from 1.0 to 1.5%. Our findings suggested that S. dux was capable of larviposition nocturnally.
Academic Work

This review focuses on the intrinsic character of academic work in elementary and secondry schools and the way that work is experienced by teachers and students in classrooms. The first section contains a review of recent research in cognitive psychology on the intellectual demands of the tasks contained in the school curriculum, with particular attention to the inherent complexity of most of the tasks students encounter. The findings of this research are brought to bear on the issue of direct versus indirect instruction. The second section is directed to studies of how academic work is accomplished in classroom environments. Classrooms appear to shape the content of the curriculum in fundamental ways for all students and especially those who find academic work difficult. In addition, the processes that are likely to have the greatest long-term consequences are the most difficult to teach in classrooms. The paper concludes with an analysis of issues related to improving instruction and extending current directions in research on teaching.
The effects of invasion on parasite dynamics and communities

Summary Invasions can impact on parasite communities through both the introduction of exotic parasite species and effects of invading hosts on native parasite dynamics. However, our understanding of the factors that influence the invasive process and mediate impacts on native hosts and parasites is limited. Using models of host–parasite dynamics as a framework, we explore how both the probability of spread for an exotic parasite and impacts of introduced species on native parasite dynamics depend on key parameters related to rates of encounter, transmission, mortality and recovery. We examine how invasions may interact with the diverse range of underlying biological mechanisms that can affect these rates. We specifically highlight the potential role of interactions between parasites, which has largely been ignored. For introduced parasites, high abundance of competent hosts and vectors within native communities can greatly facilitate spread. Introduced host species can cause amplification or dilution effects for native parasite dynamics, with the direction and magnitude of the effect determined by how the invasion influences the competency and abundance or relative abundance of the host community (community capacity). Invasions by exotic parasites and changes to endemic parasite dynamics following invasions may reflect numerical and functional processes in multihost single-parasite systems (e.g. influence of host and vector community structure on encounter rates). However, as co-infection can influence factors such as susceptibility and infection length, effects may also be mediated by within-host interactions between parasites. The ultimate effect of an invasion will depend on the community-wide summed direct and indirect impacts. Future studies should aim to further elucidate the key processes influencing disease dynamics in multihost (and multivector) communities, thereby informing predictions of how invasive host and parasite species and changes in biodiversity will influence disease risk. Theoretical studies should incorporate host interspecific competition and relax assumptions regarding the relationship between intra- and interspecific contact rates and density. Empirical and experimental studies should not only quantify the relative importance of host (and vector) density and diversity, but also consider other community interactions such as those between parasites.
PREDATOR AVOIDANCE IN BULINUS GLOBOSUS (MORELET, 1866) AND B. TROPICUS (KRAUSS, 1848) (GASTROPODA: PLANORBIDAE) EXPOSED TO PREDATORY AND NON-PREDATORY FISH

The cichlid fish, Sargochromis codringtonii, has been suggested for biological control of freshwater snails, especially those serving as intermediate hosts for schistosomes. This study examined the behaviour of two aquatic snail species, Bulinus globosus and Bulinus tropicus, when exposed to water conditioned (defined as water inhabited by fish) by either Sargochromis codringtonii, a molluscivore, or Tilapia rendalli (Boulenger, 1896), a herbivore, and when exposed to predation risk in the presence of a refuge. Both snail species crawled above the waterline to a greater extent when exposed to water conditioned by S. codringtonii than when exposed to water conditioned by T. rendalli, or unconditioned water. Although the number of snails leaving the water tended to increase with the density of S. codringtonii, this was not statistically significant. While Bulinus globosus elicited a greater response to water conditioned by feeding fish than to that conditioned by non-feeding fish, B. tropicus did not respond differently to the two treatments. The introduction of S. codringtonii into tanks with a refuge caused snails to move actively into the covered areas.
Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)

Abstract Scotch broom is a large, leguminous shrub that has invaded 27 U.S. states. The species produces seeds with a hard coat that remain viable in the soil for years. Growth-chamber studies were conducted to determine effects of temperature regime and cold-stratification period on seed germination. Seedling emergence, mortality, and biomass also were studied in response to sulfometuron and metsulfuron herbicides and variation in soil texture and watering regime. Germination was greatest for a dark/light temperature regime of 15/20 C. Initial rates of germination increased as stratification period was varied from 0 to 60 d, but final germination after 90 d did not differ significantly among periods. Applied alone or in combination, sulfometuron and metsulfuron decreased biomass and increased mortality of seedlings. Mortality from simulated soil drought was greater in the presence versus absence of sulfometuron (20 and 6% mortality, respectively) probably because the herbicide reduced root biomass by 58 to 95%. Invasiveness of Scotch broom is facilitated by a prolonged period of germination across a broad temperature range. Increased control of Scotch broom seedlings with sulfometuron is likely if application is timed to expose recently emerged seedlings to developing conditions of soil drought. Nomenclature: Metsulfuron; sulfometuron; Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link CYSC4.
Latin rectangle designs for 2n factorial experiments on 32 plots

Designs are given for factorial experiments with three, four or five factors at two levels each, using thirty-two plots in a 4 × 8 lay-out on the ground. The effects of both rows and columns can be eliminated from the estimate of error. Provided that three-factor interactions can be ignored, information can be retained on all two-factor interactions.
Behavioral effects of scents from male mature Rathke glands on juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas)

Sea turtles can detect airborne and waterborne odors, but whether they recognize scents from the same species and if so, how they affect their behavior remains unknown. The present study evaluated the behavioral effects of odorants on juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). The odorants were derived from Rathke glands (external scent glands) of mature male green sea turtles, and from two types of food. The activity of the juveniles increased when exposed to food scents, and significantly decreased compared with controls when exposed to scents from Rathke glands. These findings indicated that scents from the same species affect behavior, and that chemical communication via olfaction has important outcomes for sea turtles.
Symposium: Aging and Body Composition: Technological Advances and Physiological Interrelationships In Vivo Animal Models of Body Composition in Aging i

We developed several techniques that provide data on body elemental composition from in vivo measurements in rats. These methods include total body potassium by whole-body counting of endogenous "Â°K; total body calcium (TBCa), sodium and chloride by in vivo neutron activation analysis and total body phosphorus (TBP) and nitrogen (TBN) by photon ac tivation analysis. These elements provide information on total body fat, total body protein and skeletal mass. Measurements were made in 6-, 12- and 24-month-old rats. TBN increased slightly between 6 and 12 months but was significantly lower by 24 months, indicating a substantial loss in total body protein. Working at the National Synchrotron Light Source, we studied rat fe murs by computed microtomography (CMT), and the elemental profile of the femur cortex by synchrotron- radiation induced X-ray emission (SRIXE). Although there were no significant changes in TBCa and TBP, indices of skeletal mass, CMT revealed a marked in crease in the size and number of cavities in the end- osteal region of the femur cortex with increasing age. The SRIXE analysis of this cortical bone revealed a parallel decrease in the endosteal Ca/P ratio. Thus, there are major alterations in bone morphology and regional elemental composition despite only modest changes in total skeletal mass. J. Nutr. 123:459-464, of small aliquots of homogenates from whole animals to determine the body elements chemically. Small in- homogeneities and extrapolation from microsample analyses to whole body estimates of chemical com position can lead to large errors. Also, homogenization of the whole animal and chemical analyses are very time consuming. In contrast, in vivo measurement is usually faster, and good accuracy and precision can be achieved by using size- and weight-matched phantom standards.
Genomic basis of white pine blister rust quantitative disease resistance and its relationship with qualitative resistance.

The genomic architecture and molecular mechanisms controlling variation in quantitative disease resistance loci are not well-understood in plant species and have been barely studied in long-generation trees. Quantitative trait loci mapping and genome wide association studies were combined to test a large SNP set for association with quantitative and qualitative white pine blister rust resistance in sugar pine. In the absence of a chromosome-scale reference genome, a high-density consensus linkage map was generated to obtain locations for associated SNPs. Newly discovered associations for white pine blister rust quantitative disease resistance included 453 SNPs involved in wide biological functions including genes associated with disease resistance and others involved in morphological and developmental processes. In addition, NBS-LRR pathogen-recognition genes were found to be involved in quantitative disease resistance, suggesting these newly reported genes are qualitative genes with partial resistance, they are the result of defeated qualitative resistance due to avirulent races or they have epistatic effects on qualitative disease resistance genes.This study is a step forward in our understanding of the complex genomic architecture of quantitative disease resistance in long-generation trees, and constitutes the first step towards marker-assisted disease resistance breeding in white pine species.
Effects of genotype and harvest year on phytochemical and fruit quality properties of Turkish fig genotypes

This study was conducted over three harvest years to determine effects of Turkish fig genotypes grown in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey on phytochemical and fruit quality characters. Fruit quality characters such as fruit weight, fruit width, fruit neck length, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, acidity, and TSS/acidity were examined. Total phenolics (TP), total anthocyanins (TA), antioxidant capacity (TAC), fructose (FRUC), glucose (GLUC), sucrose (SUC), and variables describing fruit skin and flesh colors (L*, a*, C, and ho) were also determined. Analysis of the data obtained from 12 fig genotypes, and three harvest years demonstrated a highly significant influence of genotype on phytochemical and fruit quality characters. ‘Bursa Siyahi’, which has dark black fruit skin, had the highest levels of TA (113.6 μg cy-3-rutinoside g-1 fw), TP (105.2 mg GAE/100 g fw), and TAC (10.9 mmol Fe2+ kg-1 fw). Three yearly averages of fruit weight ranged from 22.8 g (‘Sari Incir’) to 57.5 g (‘Bursa Siyahi’), and ostiole width ranged from 0.9 mm (‘Bursa Siyahi’) to 3.7 mm (31-IN-16). These results indicate that TP (r=0.77) contents correlated moderately to TAC, more so than with TA (r=0.56). Both FRUC and SUC were negatively correlated with TA (r=-0.34 and r=-0.42, respectively). These data demonstrate that genotype is the main influence on the phytochemical and fruit quality characters of figs.
SARS‐CoV‐2, COVID‐19, skin and immunology – What do we know so far?

The pandemic condition coronavirus disease (COVID‐19), caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), can take asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe courses. COVID‐19 affects primarily the respiratory airways leading to dry cough, fever, myalgia, headache, fatigue, and diarrhea and can end up in interstitial pneumonia and severe respiratory failure. Reports about the manifestation of various skin lesions and lesions of the vascular system in some subgroups of SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive patients as such features outside the respiratory sphere, are rapidly emerging. Vesicular, urticarial, and maculopapular eruptions and livedo, necrosis, and other vasculitis forms have been reported most frequently in association with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. In order to update information gained, we provide a systematic overview of the skin lesions described in COVID‐19 patients, discuss potential causative factors, and describe differential diagnostic evaluations. Moreover, we summarize current knowledge about immunologic, clinical, and histologic features of virus‐ and drug‐induced lesions of the skin and changes to the vascular system in order to transfer this knowledge to potential mechanisms induced by SARS‐CoV‐2.