Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Dietary Level of Pectin on Immunoglobulin and Cytokine Production by Mesenteric Lymph Node Lymphocytes and Interleukin-2 Receptor in Rats

The present study was carried out to clarify the dietary effect of pectin on imunoglobulin (Ig) and cytokine production of rat lymphocytes. Rats were fed a diet containing 0 (cellulose) and 1, 2 or 5% levels of pectin for 2 weeks. Dietary pectin, as compared with cellulose, enhanced production of IgA, IgG and IgM by mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes, while reducing IgE production. In the lymphocytes obtained from the rats fed pectin, interferon-γ production and interleukin-2 receptor expression were significantly higher than in those from the rats fed cellulose. These results suggest that the effect of dietary pectin was exerted through the functioning of Th 1 cells. In this context, dietary pectin was expected to alleviate the type 1 allergy reaction.
Notes on the biology of Protohydra leuckarti greef (Hydroidea, protohydridae)

Abstract The solitary polyp Protohydra leuckarti Greef is extremely common in Danish estuaries and lagoons. It may be found on several kinds of substratum but seems to prefer mixed bottom in shallow water. P. leuckarti is normally red due to carotenoids from devoured copepods. Experiments showed that the polyp is able to catch all stages of harpacticoids, nematodes and small chironornids, Halacarids and ostracods were not readily accepted and hardly play any role as food animals in nature. The transversal division is the normal way of reproduction. The process lasts 12–24 hours at 20° C and about nine days at 4–5° C. Fed with one adult harpacticoid (Tachidius sp.) per day P. leuckarti would divide every four days. Protohydra seems to have a resting period in the autumn. Sexual reproduction was found in autumn animals and in some winter animals casually exposed to drastically changing temperatures and periods of starvation. The ripening of the gonads lasted 28 days. The eggs measured 310 × 160 µ. They were.
Mechanical aspects of silicone coatings for hard foulant control

Barnacle release mechanisms and the durability of silicone coatings have been studied. Release studies were performed on both transparent, single‐layer silicone coatings and duplex silicone coatings. The release forces of pseudobarnacles (epoxied studs) and Chesapeake Bay barnacles (Balanus improvisus) were measured with a pull‐off (tension) tester; modes of release were revealed in video recordings of the separation process from transparent coatings on glass. Scratch tests with 0.8 mm spherically‐tipped diamond provided a measure of durability (tear resistance). Release forces from both coatings decreased as coating thickness increased. Both pseudobarnacles and barnacles separated by a peeling process, although differences in peeling modes were seen. The durability of coatings increased with increasing coating thickness. Release behavior is discussed in terms of a fracture mechanic's model for pull‐off separation, and the differences in adhesion between barnacles and pseudobarnacles are described.
Affinities of the Aberrant Australo-Papuan Honeyeaters, Toxorhamphus, Oedistoma, Timeliopsis and Epthianura - Protein Evidence

Allozyme variation at 18 presumptive loci among 15 species of Australo-Papuan passerines was used to clarify the affinities of the aberrant genera Toxorhamphus, Oedistoma, Timeliopsis and Epthianura, all conventionally associated with honeyeaters (Meliphagidae). Both distance-based and discrete-state phylogenetic analyses were performed on the data. The analyses corroborated results from DNA-DNA hybridisation studies that Toxorhamphus and Oedistoma are not honeyeaters, but in fact are related to the berrypeckers and flowerpeckers Melanocharis and Dicaeum. Oedistoma iliolophus was found to be more closely allied to Melanocharis than to Toxorhamphus. This result is consistent with generic separation of O. iliolophus from Toxorhamphus, contrary to groupings interpreted from DNA-DNA hybridisation data. Timeliopsis was identified as a typical honeyeater despite the atypical form of its tongue. Epthianura was also aligned with the honeyeaters but, contrary to analysis by DNA-DNA hybridisation, only as a sister-group of the core honeyeater assemblage.
Modified synthetic varieties: a breeding method for forage crops to exploit specific combining ability

Hybrid varieties have not become commercially successful in perennial and self-incompatible forage crops because of their severe inbreeding depression and/or ineffectiveness in commercial seed production. Here, a modified synthetic variety (MSV), a breeding method for forage crops is proposed, where specific combining ability (SCA) is exploited in a way different from that in hybrids. As Syn-l seeds from only two of its parental clones are used to produce its Syn-2, its performance in Syn-2 partially depends on the SCA between the two seed parents. The inbreeding coefficient of MSVs can be as low as that of conventional synthetic varieties sold today. To evaluate its advantages, 15 modified synthetic strains (MSSs) of timothy were developed from a set of Syn-l seeds of a conventional synthetic strain (CSS) having six parental clones. An MSS (Syn-2) showed a yield level equivalent to and a disease score significantly lower than the CSS (Syn-1) in a field test. The diallel crossing analysis implied that the SCA effects are influential for yield, and that MSV or other SCA-exploiting breeding methods have the potential to improve the yield level of timothy effectively.
Risk Factors for the Development of Shell Disease in Impounded Populations of the American Lobster, Homarus americanus

Abstract A logistic regression model building approach was used to evaluate the association between the development of impoundment shell disease in an American lobster (Homarus americanus) storage facility, and prestorage physiological parameters (hemolymph total protein concentration, molt stage, sex, and shell hardness) and environmental factors (surface sludge accumulation). A total of 540 disease-free, winter-harvested lobsters from southwest Nova Scotia were tested prior to storage and then examined for signs of shell disease at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of storage. Total protein concentration was the strongest predictor of shell disease, with the odds of developing shell disease ranging from 4.3–26.7 times higher for lobsters with low total protein concentration versus lobsters with high protein concentration, depending on the time point examined. Lobsters in the intermolt stage and removal of sludge from the surface of the lobster also emerged as important risk factors for shell disease development. These results reinforce the observation that the quality of lobsters entering an impoundment facility is critical and ultimately predicts the extent to which shell disease will develop.
Ichthyofauna of the Parnaíba river Basin, Northeastern Brazil

The Parnaiba River is the largest hydrographic basin with its limits entirely within the northeastern region of Brazil. It is one of the few perennial rivers in the Brazilian Northeastern Region, running predominantly in the area of Caatinga on the eastern portion (with intermittent drainages associated to this type of environment), and partly extending into the Cerrado region on the western portion. The objective of this study was to describe the diversity of freshwater fishes of the Parnaiba River basin by conducting a comprehensive ichthyofauna inventory of the basin. The sampling design of this study was based on the placement of (1) Fixed Sites for seasonal collection (dry and wet season, two years) in the three portions of the main course of the Parnaiba River, and (2) “Aquarap” protocol collections which covered the entire basin. The collection effort consisted of 244 sampling sites surveyed along the entire basin between the years 2004 and 2011. Fish were collected with the use of seines, cast nets, gill nets and dip nets; only the first two fishing gears were used in Fixed Sites. As a result, 146 species of freshwater fish were recorded in the Parnaiba River basin, distributed in 103 genera, 36 families and 11 orders. The registered endemism reached a total of 54 species.
Geographic profiling as a novel spatial tool for targeting the control of invasive species

Geographic profiling (GP) was originally developed as a statistical tool in criminology, where it uses the spatial locations of linked crimes (for example murder, rape or arson) to identify areas that are most likely to include the offender's residence. The technique has been successful in this field, and is now widely used by police forces and investigative agencies around the world. Here, we show that this novel technique can also be used to identify source populations of invasive species, using their current locations as input, as a prelude to targeted control measures. Our study has two main parts. In the first, we use computer simulations to compare GP to other simple measures of spatial central tendency (centre of minimum distance, spatial mean, spatial median), as well as to a more sophisticated single parameter kernel density model. GP performs significantly better than any of these other approaches. In the second part of the study, we analyse historical data from the Biological Records Centre (BRC) for 53 invasive species in Great Britain, ranging from marine invertebrates to woody trees, and from a wide variety of habitats (including littoral habitats, woodland and man-made habitats). For 52 of these 53 data sets, GP outperforms spatial mean, spatial median and centre of minimum distance as a search strategy, particularly as the number of sources (or potential sources) increases. We analyse one of these data sets, for Heracleum mantegazzianum, in more detail, and show that GP also outperforms the kernel density model. Finally, we compare fitted parameter values between different species, groups and habitat types, with a view to identifying general values that might be used for novel invasions where data are lacking. We suggest that geographic profiling could potentially form a useful component of integrated control strategies relating to a wide variety of invasive species.
The diet of Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis during the chick-rearing period assessed by three methods

This paper describes a study of the diet of Shags using regurgitations by chicks, stomach contents and pellets collected concurrently. Sandeels predominated in all collections. Non- and failed breeders took a wider food spectrum than did chicks. Although adults fed their chicks almost entirely on sandeels, they themselves ate some fish from other fish families and probably digested these before they returned to the colony. Pellets are easy to collect and are useful to detect gross changes in diet of full-grown, but possibly non-breeding, Shags between years or colonies. Otoliths recovered from pellets cannot be used for age determination or back-calculations of size of sandeels eaten by Shags. Regurgitations can be used to describe the diet of chicks. There is no easy way to determine the diet of adults feeding chicks.
The development of winter wheat in the field. 2. The control of primordium initiation rate by temperature and photoperiod

SUMMARY A scheme was developed to describe how the rate at which apical primordia are initiated in cereals depends on temperature and photoperiod. It was used to analyse initiation in field crops of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Maris Huntsman). For the initiation of leaves and spikelets, a straightforward linear regression of initiation rate R against mean air temperature (Ta) gave base temperatures (Tb) close to 0 °C for leaves and for spikelets. However, initiation rate was also correlated with mean photoperiod (P) and base photoperiods (Pb) of –0·5 h and 4h were established for leaf and spikelet initiation. When R was correlated with the index (T – Tb) (P – Pb), r2 was 0·62 for both leaves and spikelets.
Combining checkpointing and other resilience mechanisms for exascale systems. (L'utilisation conjointe de mécanismes de sauvegarde de points de reprise (checkpoints) et d'autres mécanismes de résilience pour les systèmes exascales)

In this thesis, we are interested in scheduling and optimization problems in probabilistic contexts. The contributions of this thesis come in two parts. The first part is dedicated to the optimization of different fault-Tolerance mechanisms for very large scale machines that are subject to a probability of failure and the second part is devoted to the optimization of the expected sensor data acquisition cost when evaluating a query expressed as a tree of disjunctive Boolean operators applied to Boolean predicates. In the first chapter, we present the related work of the first part and then we introduce some new general results that are useful for resilience on exascale systems.In the second chapter, we study a unified model for several well-Known checkpoint/restart protocols. The proposed model is generic enough to encompass both extremes of the checkpoint/restart space, from coordinated approaches to a variety of uncoordinated checkpoint strategies. We propose a detailed analysis of several scenarios, including some of the most powerful currently available HPC platforms, as well as anticipated exascale designs.In the third, fourth, and fifth chapters, we study the combination of different fault tolerant mechanisms (replication, fault prediction and detection of silent errors) with the traditional checkpoint/restart mechanism. We evaluated several models using simulations. Our results show that these models are useful for a set of models of applications in the context of future exascale systems.In the second part of the thesis, we study the problem of minimizing the expected sensor data acquisition cost when evaluating a query expressed as a tree of disjunctive Boolean operators applied to Boolean predicates. The problem is to determine the order in which predicates should be evaluated so as to shortcut part of the query evaluation and minimize the expected cost.In the sixth chapter, we present the related work of the second part and in the seventh chapter, we study the problem for queries expressed as a disjunctive normal form. We consider the more general case where each data stream can appear in multiple predicates and we consider two models, the model where each predicate can access a single stream and the model where each predicate can access multiple streams.
The variable genes and gene families of the mouse immunoglobulin κ locus

In this report 118 mouse Vκ genes are described which, together with the 22 Vκ genes reported previously (T. Kirschbaum et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 1998. 28: 1458 – 1466) amount to 140 genes that had been cloned and sequenced in our laboratory. For 73 of them cDNAs are known, i. e. they have to be considered functional genes, although 10 genes of this group have 1‐bp deviations from the canonical promoter, splice site or heptanucleotide recombination signal sequences. Twenty Vκ genes have been defined as only potentially functional since they do not contain any defect, but no cDNAs have been found (yet) for them. Of the 140 Vκ genes 47 are pseudogenes. There are indications that two to five Vκ genes or pseudogenes exist in the κ locus which we have not yet been able to clone. The 140 Vκ genes and pseudogenes were assigned to 18 gene families, 4 of them being one‐member families. This differs from previous enumerations of the families only by the combination of the Vκ9 and Vκ10 families and by the addition of the Vκdv gene as a new separate family. Sequence identity usually was 80 % or above within the gene families and 55 – 80 % between genes of different families. Many of the mouse Vκ gene families show significant homologies to the human ones, indicating that in evolution Vκ gene diversification predated the divergence of the primate and rodent clades.
Reproduction of the white‐tailed sea eagle Haliaeetus albicilla in Sweden

Sixty-eight white-tailed sea eagle territories were studied on the Swedish Baltic coast in 1964–1982 and 22 territories in Swedish Lapland in 1976–1982. Older data were assembled for comparison. The breeding frequency of adult pairs was high in both study areas (ca. 90%). Median egg-laying dates were 17 March (Baltic) and 7 April (Lapland). Average clutch size and egg volume did not differ between samples from the Baltic taken between 1856 and 1982. Average clutch size was significantly smaller in Lapland (1.6 eggs) than on the Baltic coast (2.1 eggs). Clutch size in Lapland was positively related to carrion availability during March. Nestling survival was significantly lower in Lapland, due to starvation in broods of more than one young. Brood loss was significantly more frequent in Lapland. At the Baltic, nest success decreased from 75 to 22%, and brood size from 1.8 to 1.2, from the early 1950's to the mid 1960's. Nest success in 1976-1982 was significantly lower at the Baltic (26%) than in Lapland (45%), with a much larger proportion of consistently failing pairs. The proportion of eggs laid that resulted in fledged young was estimated at 16% at the Baltic and 39% in Lapland. It is concluded that egg production and nestling survival were suppressed by limited food supply and nest success by human interference in Lapland, and that the reproductive impairment of the Baltic population was due primarily to contamination with toxic substances, mainly DDE.
Effects of root restriction on growth and associated cytokinin levels in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

Root restriction experiments on cotton plants were conducted under conditions where water and nitrogen supplies were not limiting. Xylem sap and leaf tissues were obtained before significant biomass reduction as a result of root restriction. Xylem-derived cytokinins (CTKs) entering a leaf and the CTK levels in the same excised leaf were measured, thus, enabling xylem sap and foliar CTKs to be compared concurrently under root-restrictive and control conditions. Abscisic acid (ABA) was also measured simultaneously in the same xylem sap samples. Root restriction reduced photosynthesis and δ18O of leaf matter showed that leaves of root-restricted plants generally had lower stomatal conductances. Root-restriction significantly decreased (37%) the delivery rate per unit leaf area of CTK bases (dihydrozeatin (DZ) and N6-(2-isopentenyl)adenine (iP)) to the leaf but did not alter the export of CTK O-glucosides and ABA from the roots to leaf 4. Root-restriction also did not alter significantly the levels of total CTK bases in the leaves but increased (54–57% higher) the CTK O-glucosides (especially zeatin O-glucosides). Root restriction also slowed down the apparent CTK turnover rates in the leaves. The slow down in CTK turnover rate can be interpreted as a reduction in leaf CTK metabolism during root restriction.
Effect of water and glucose on the adult longevity of Nysius huttoni White (Hemiptera: Orsillidae)

The tolerance of adult Nysius huttoni to starvation, and the effect of water and glucose on the longevity of adults, were studied. When no food or water was provided, adults lived for an average of 2–4 days. Mean longevity of first-generation adults (4.2 days) was significantly greater than that of second- and third-generation adults (2.2 and 2.5 days respectively; P<0.05) suggesting that differences in resistance to starvation of adults between generations are influenced by the nutrient status during their nymphal development. There was no significant difference between longevity of male and female adults. When water alone was provided, mean adult longevity was 8.4 days. The effect of glucose on adult longevity was examined with the use of eight different glucose concentrations (2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 40%) at 20±0.5 °C and 65–75% relative humidity (RH). Mean maximum longevity (49.0–51.6 days) was obtained at glucose concentrations of 10–20%, but decreased at higher (25–40%, 27.0–31.7 days) and lower (2–5%, 32.1–41.4 days) glucose concentrations. The relationship between longevity and the absorption and metabolism of glucose by N. huttoni adults is discussed.
Matching field and laboratory environments: effects of neglecting daily temperature variation on insect reaction norms

The tropical butterfly, Bicyclus anynana, exhibits seasonal polyphenism. The wet season form has large eyespots and a pale band while these characters are much less conspicuous or absent in the dry season form. This plasticity is induced in the laboratory by use of a standard series of constant temperatures in the larval stage yielding a continuous norm of reaction. Butterflies in this study were reared from hatchling larvae in seven regimes which differed with respect to thermoperiod or photoperiod. The effect of rearing treatment on the phenotypic plasticity of the adult wing pattern, on life history traits and on larval feeding rhythms was investigated. Photoperiod had little effect except that constant light produced a higher mortality and tended to produce a longer development time. Thermoperiod had a major effect on the life history traits in comparison to a constant temperature regime with the same daily mean: development time was shorter with higher growth rates. The faster development was associated with a substantial shift in the wing pattern towards the wet season form. Larvae feed mostly at night both under constant and thermoperiod (cool nights) conditions. The results are discussed with respect to the necessity of matching field and laboratory environments in studies of norms of reaction or of life history traits where the adaptive significance of the variation is important. Fluctuating conditions in nature, especially with respect to thermoperiod, must be taken into account.
Identification of Pithomyces chartarum causing leaf spot of cabbage in Malaysia

Abstract A leaf spot disease was observed on cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) affecting 80% of plants growing in greenhouses and fields in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Symptomatic leaf samples were collected from infected plants and isolations made on agar medium. Single-spore isolates from resulting colonies were identified based on cultural and morphological characteristics as Pithomyces chartarum. Morphological identification was confirmed by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions 1 and 2, including 5.8S rDNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2). Pathogenicity tests indicated that P. chartarum causes leaf spot on cabbage. This is the first report of leaf spot caused by P. chartarum on cabbage in Malaysia.
Migration and Colonization Patterns of HNK-1-Immunoreactive Neural Crest Cells in Lamprey and Swordtail Embryos

Abstract Migration and colonization patterns of neural crest cells were analyzed histochemically in embryos of the brook lamprey, Lampetra reissneri, and the swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri, using HNK-1 monoclonal antibody, which recognizes migratory neural crest cells and crest derivatives in many groups of vertebrates including teleosts. We demonstrated that HNK-1 recognizes a subpopulation of naural crest cells and crest derivatives in the lamprey as well as in the swordtail. In the trunk of lamprey and swordtail embryos, HNK-1-positive cells were observed in the major migratory pathways of neural crest cells, that is ventral and dorso-lateral pathways. In the swordtail embryos, neural crest cells in the ventral pathway were ubiquitously observed along the rostro-caudal axis at the neural tube level, but at the notochord level their migration was restricted to the middle region of the somite. In the lamprey, by contrast, no HNK-1-immunoreactive neural crest cells migrated ventrally beyond the notochord level in the ventral pathway at axial levels behind the gill pouch region. This migration pattern of neural crest cells in the lamprey trunk might be closely related to the absence of anatomically distinct, sympathetic chains in the lamprey, which is one of characteristic features of the lamprey's body organization. Furthermore, we found dorsal pathways, which extended to the embryonic dorsal fin, of neural crest cells in both swordtail and lamprey embryos. In the lamprey, dorsal cells (Rohon-Beard cells) and cells that resemble chromaffin cells immunoreacted with HNK-1.