Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of cereal processing (grinding to 3·5 mm or dry-rolling) in maize- or barley-based high-concentrate diets on rumen environment of beef cattle during the late fattening period

SUMMARY The type and processing of cereals for beef cattle are key factors to maximize performance without increasing the risk of ruminal acidosis. The current work studied the effect of grinding (G) or dry-rolling (R) the cereals in a concentrate based on maize (M) or barley (B) on the rumen environment of eight 6-month-old Holstein calves, which received either M or B for 70 days, offered as G and R in two consecutive periods. Daily feed intake pattern, rumen fermentation traits, total rumen bacteria and relative proportions of Streptococcus bovis and Selenomonas ruminantium were characterized twice in each period at 0, 4 and 8 h after feeding. Dry-rolling promoted a 0·25 reduction of concentrate intake during the first 4 h after feeding. Neither cereal type nor its processing form promoted differences in ruminal fermentation at 0 and 4 h; however, 8 h after feeding R cereals resulted in higher rumen pH (6·17 v. 5·71) and lower concentration of lactic acid (88·1 v. 156 mg/l) and volatile fatty acids (only in diet B, 118 v. 164 mm/l) compared with G. Little effect of dietary factors in the target rumen microorganisms were observed. The more balanced fermentation observed with R cereals may be explained by the lower concentrate intake promoted during the first 4 h, coupled with a more difficult access of bacterial enzymes to their starch, thus reducing its fermentation rate. Therefore, feeding dry-rolled cereals may be useful to reduce the risk of acidosis by regulating the intake pattern of the concentrate and/or its fermentation rate.
Agronomic performance and nutritive value of forage legumes in binary mixtures with perennial ryegrass under different defoliation systems

SUMMARY Protein in forage legumes is often poorly utilized by ruminants and high nitrogen (N) losses are expected. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of forage legumes (white clover, WC; red clover, RC; lucerne, LG; and birdsfoot trefoil, BT) in binary mixtures with perennial ryegrass (G) under different defoliation systems (silage, simulated grazing and grazing) on agronomic performance and forage quality. A high proportion of legumes may favour dry matter (DM) yield and the defoliation system may reduce the persistence of certain forage legumes, with a negative influence on the energy and N yield. Annual DM yield under grazing was highest for WC mixtures (WC+G, 1059·2 g DM/m²) compared to all other mixtures, confirming its adaptation to grazing. Mixtures with RC (RC+G) and LG (LG+G) performed similarly to WC+G, whereas BT mixtures (BT+G) were less competitive under more intensively used systems. Analyses of crude protein, cell wall characterization and protein fractionation showed a three-way interaction between year, mixture and defoliation system. RC and BT resulted in a positive protein quality of the mixtures, probably due to their content of secondary plant compounds. In conclusion, different forage legumes did not perform equally in the cutting and grazing systems, and both legume species and defoliation systems interacted in the production of forage of high protein quality for ruminant nutrition.
Differentiation of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivars by leaf, nut and burr dimensions

Morphological traits including leaf, nut and burr dimensions were measured in chestnut stands in Fonsagrada (Galicia, north-west Spain). A total of 5760 data (720 measurements of eight variables) from 72 chestnuts belonging to the three main cultivars growing in the area (Lemos, Parede and Portuguesa) were available for analysis. Two discriminant linear rules/models for classifying chestnut specimens as one of the three cultivars were developed. The models differed in terms of the sampling effort involved - the 'full' model included all the analysed variables (leaf-, nut- and burr-related variables) and the 'leaf and nut' model included only variables related to leaves and nuts. The full model performed best and correctly classified 79 per cent of the Lemos, 96 per cent of the Parede and 100 per cent of the Portuguesa cultivars, according to the results of the cross-validation method used to assess the misclassified cultivars. High accuracy was also achieved with the leaf and nut model, with only a slight increase in misclassification compared with the full model. Therefore, when time consumption is an important concern for users, the leaf and nut model is recommended as a good compromise between accuracy and sampling effort.
Analysis of genetic diversity in Iranian mohair goat and its color types using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers.

Iran is one of the most important mohair-producing countries in the world. Markhoz goat is the only breed producing mohair in Iran that is showing endangerment trend in its native breeding region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Markhoz goat and its color types using ISSR markers. Four primers were designed and two of them were selected based on their number of bands and polymorphic properties. These primers generated a total of 28 amplification products, from which 23 bands were polymorphic, revealing 82.14% polymorphism. The average ( ± standard error) of gene diversity (h) in Markhoz goat was 0.34 ± 0.18. The study of genetic diversity in Markhoz color types (Saddle Brown, Sandy Brown and Black) determined that total heterozygosity (H t), heterozygosity within color types (H S) and the diversity between color types (D st ) were 0.33, 0.30 and 0.03, respectively. The coefficient of population differentiation (G st ) was 0.91. These results indicate that the genetic variation between color types is a small part of the total heterozygosity. The genetic distance between colors types using Nei standard genetic distance and Nei unbiased genetic distance methods was calculated. Phylogenetic danderogram of color types grouped Saddle Brown and Sandy Brown types in one cluster and Black types in another cluster that in agreement with their phenotypic similarities. The results obtained from genetic diversity of color types indicated that the highest and lowest genetic diversity exist in Saddle Brown and Black color types, respectively. Then it seems, to conserve all color types, the breeding programs should be conducted to improve genetic diversity in Black color type.
Uptake and metabolism of sulphur dioxide by Arabidopsis thaliana.

Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. was exposed to various concentrations of SO2 during almost the entire life cycle. No negative effects of SO2 on shoot biomass production were observed. There was a linear relation between the deposition of SO2 and the atmospheric SO2 concentration. Sulphur accumulated substantially in the shoots upon SO2 exposure. SO2 was either oxidized to sulphate or converted into extra organic sulphur compounds in a sulphate to organic sulphur ratio of 3:1, independently of the atmospheric SO2 concentration. Exposure to SO2 resulted in an increase in water soluble non-protein sulphydryl content and a slight increase in the amount of glucosinolates, but both of these play a minor role as sinks for the excess sulphur. The ratio of total nitrogen to total sulphur decreased upon SO2 , exposure as a result of the increased sulphate content. The organic nitrogen to organic sulphur ratio did not change upon SO2 exposure, indicating no changes in the composition of sulphur-containing compounds.
Anchovy (Engraulis ringens) and sardine (Sardinops sagax) spatial dynamics and aggregation patterns in the Humboldt Current ecosystem, Peru, from 1983–2003

Three indexes of spatial aggregation are developed and used to examine the aggregation pattern of sardine (Sardinops sagax) and anchovy (Engraulis ringens )i n the Peruvian Humboldt Current System, determined from 36 acoustic surveys conducted from 1983 through 2003 by the Peruvian Marine Institute (IMARPE). Each index assesses a different aspect of aggregation: the concentration, the percent occupancy of space and the clustering of high-fish abundance. Both time-series correlation and tree-based clustering-regression method, classification and regression trees (CART), were used to relate each of the indexes to environmental variables (season, temperature anomaly and year). Additionally, a measure of onshore‐offshore distribution, the average distance from the coast, and abundance variables (the average acoustic backscatter per occupied sampling unit, and the acoustically estimated total abundance of sardine and anchovy from IMARPE) were related to environmental factors by using CART. We show that the 1983‐2003 time series can be divided into three different periods: with shifts in 1992 and in 1997‐98. Sardine and anchovy showed large differences in both abundance and aggregation among these periods. Although upwelling ecosystems support dramatic and sudden changes in environmental conditions, fish responses are sometimes smoother than usually suggested and there are transition periods with concomitant high biomasses of anchovy and sardine, but with different spatial aggregation patterns. Observed relationships between environmental proxies and aggregation patterns support the habitat-based hypothesis that environmentally mediated alterations in range lead to population changes.
Variability in the transmission efficiency of potyviruses by different clones of Aphis gossypii

A sample of seventy‐two Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) clones was collected in southeastern France. The efficiency of these clones to transmit a potyvirus (papaya ringspot virus T‐strain) was assessed in controlled conditions. In a first screening, the virus was transmitted by all clones and a 3.5‐fold difference between the most and least efficient clones was obtained. During subsequent trials, which were carried out to confirm the differences in the transmission efficiency of these clones, only one clone proved to be more efficient than the others. This difference appeared consistent over a 1‐year period, and was also confirmed with 4 other related potyviruses.
Insignificant level of in vitro cytotoxicity, anti-rotavirus, antibacterial, and antifungal activities of N-alkylmaleamic acids

By reacting maleic anhydride with amines, we synthesized the derivatives N-ethyl, N-(2-ethylamine), N-piperidinyl, N-phenyl, and N-phenylhydrazinyl maleamic acids. The purity of these products was initially verified by melting range and the presence of only one spot observed by thin layer chromatography. The chemical structures of the obtained N-alkyl maleamic acids were confirmed through infrared (IR) and hydrogen and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H and 13 C NMR) spectrometry. Due to the already proven pharmacological activity of maleimides, maleic anhydride and its N-alkyl maleamic acids were subjected to in vitro assays to observe antiviral (SA-11 rotavirus), antibacterial (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus), antifungal (Colletotrichum musae, Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli, Fusarium solani f. sp. piperis Alb., and Penicillium sp.), and antiprotozoal (Trichomonas vaginalis, Giardia lamblia, and Entamoeba histolytica) effects. To study the anti-rotavirus properties, firstly the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was used to establish the median cytotoxicity concentration (CC 50 ) of the compounds, using MA-104 cell line. Under the experimental conditions used, cytotoxic, anti-rotavirus, antibacterial, and antifungal properties were not observed for these compounds.
Plasmodium falciparium transmission intensity in Nyabushozi County, Kiruhura district, Uganda

The prevalence of malaria in human beings and Plasmodium falciparumsporozoite infection in Anopheles mosquitoes were studied for seven months in eight villages in Nyabushozi County, Kiruhura District, Uganda. The aim of the research work was to assess Plasmodium sporozoite infection rates using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and link this with malaria prevalence. A total of 2566 female Anopheles gambiae s.l. and 270 Anopheles funestus group were collected in 24 households using pyrethrum spray catches, and from goats and cattle housing (kraals), using CDC light traps. The densities of female An. gambiaes.l. and An. funestus group in all the eight villages studied were significantly influenced by rainfall. P. falciparum sporozoite rate for An. gambiae s.s. ranged from 0.84 - 5.26%. A total of 4000 people were involved in four epidemiological rounds of malaria surveys. The mean prevalence of parasitaemia was 17.4% for all ages combined and 22.8% for the 5 - 9 year age group. The four separate surveys gave ranges of 12.5 - 22.2% for all ages combined and 17.8 - 25.8% for the 5 - 9 year old children. It is evident from this study that malaria transmission in Nyabushozi County is fairy moderate and perennial, and maintained predominantly by An. gambiae s.s. Key words: Plasmodium falciparum, sporozoite rate, seasonal dynamics, Uganda.
Regeneration and genetic transformation in the Vitis genus.

This work is a contribution to the development of regeneration systems and genetic transformation in the Vitis genus and opens interesting perspectives to the application of molecular techniques for study interesting traits, as well as for genetic improvement of grape.Somatic embryogenesis from leaf and petioles has been obtained in V.rupestris S. and the most crucial steps of this morphogenic event have been characterized through a two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of the total proteins and a study of isozyme patterns of five enzymes.In this genotype, the co-culture of isolated somatic embryos during' secondary embryogenesis induction with Agrobacterium tumefaciens (LBA4404), which contains the plasmid pBI121 carrying the neomycin-phosphotranspherase and the β-glucuronidase genes, proved to be a valuable strategy for the production of stably transgenic plants.The regeneration potential in the Vitis genus during direct organogenesis from young leaves was conducted on 18 different Vitis genotypes, including cultivars of Vitis vinifera L. , wild species, rootstocks and a hybrid variety was investigated, opens the possibility to employ in vitro strategies for molecular studies and genetic improvement to valuable grape genotypes too.
Reference points based on dynamic optimization: a versatile algorithm for mixed-fishery management with bioeconomic age-structured models

Single-species management objectives may not be consistent within mixed fisheries. They may lead species to unsafe situations, promote discarding of over-quota and/or misreporting of catches. We provide an algorithm for characterising bio-economic reference points for a mixed fishery as the steady-state solution of a dynamic optimal management problem. The optimisation problem takes into account: i) that species are fishing simultaneously in unselective fishing operations and ii)intertemporal discounting and fleet costs to relate reference points to discounted economic profits along optimal trajectories. We illustrate how the algorithm can be implemented by applying it to the European Northern Stock of Hake (Merluccius merluccius), where fleets also capture Northern megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) and Northern anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius and Lophius budegassa). We find that optimal mixed management leads to a target reference point that is quite similar to the 2/3 of the Fmsy single-species (hake) target. Mixed management is superior to singlespecies management because it leads the fishery to higher discounted profits with higher long-term SSB for all species. We calculate that the losses due to the use of the Fmsy single-species (hake) target in this mixed fishery account for 11.4% of total discounted profits.
Modulation of Cyclophosphamide-Induced Cellular Toxicity by Diphenylmethyl Selenocyanate In Vivo, an Enzymatic Study

AIM: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is one of the most widely used alkylating antineoplastic agents that damage normal cells while killing cancerous cells in vivo. The use of CP in treating cancer patients is limited due to its severe toxicities induced mainly by oxidative stress. Diphenylmethyl selenocyanate is a synthetic organoselenium compound shown to act as a potent antioxidant in chemically induced murine toxicity and carcinogenesis models in vivo. In the present study, this compound has been evaluated for its protective potential against CP-induced toxicity in Swiss albino mice. METHODS: CP was administered intraperitoneally (50 mg/kg) and diphenylmethyl selenocyanate was given orally (3 mg/kg) in a pretreatment and concomitant treatment schedule, and the effects were assessed by estimating lipid peroxidation level, phase II detoxifying enzyme system, blood hemoglobin level, serum transaminase activity, and nitrite content. RESULTS: Diphenylmethyl selenocyanate significantly (P＜0.05) increased glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase levels whereas decreased the lipid peroxidation levels in both liver and lung tissues of the animals given CP. Superoxide dismutase was increased significantly in liver (P＜0.05) but not in the lung. The selenium compound also significantly (P＜0.05) increased the blood hemoglobin level whereas decreased the transaminase activity in serum and the nitrite content in peritoneal macrophages. CONCLUSION: Our result suggests that diphenylmethyl selenocyanate has the potential to prevent CP-induced cellular toxicity.
Lichenometry as a relative-age dating method in Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

Abstract A study of the Holocene glacial sequence at Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand lead to revision of proposed chronology and re-examination of lichenometric dates for the area. Glacial deposits were up to one order of magnitude older than was previously thought and the original lichen record has been re-calibrated using the new dates. Additional measurements of lichens were collected from the eastern end of the Park and compared with ages of the moraines. A revised lichen growth curve was produced for glacial deposits formed during the last 1000 years. The rate of lichen growth declined on some older surfaces with increased competition from vascular plants. Calibration of the lichen growth curve was only possible where independent dates were available. Rates of rock weathering rind development, soil development, and plant succession were all useful for the re-calibration. Many radio-carbon dates greatly aided the construction of the chronology.
MECHANISMS OF RAPID PHOTOSYNTHETIC ADAPTATION IN NATURAL PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES. I. REDISTRIBUTION OF EXCITATION ENERGY BETWEEN PHOTOSYSTEMS I AND II 1

An inverse linear relationship between chlorophyll fluorescence yield (R) and light intensity was recorded in the near‐surface waters of six lakes (New Zealand, England) of greatly different trophic status and phytoplankton species composition. This surface depression of R values could be removed by incubation of samples in dim light or darkness and was not observed in situ below a threshold irradiance (146 μEin ·m−2·s−1 for Lake Taupo, New Zealand). The time course of chlorophyll fluorescence depression and recovery in response to light treatment was measured in samples from Lake Windermere (England). Fluorescence exponentially decreased upon exposure to bright light and the response was 100% (5 m samples) or 83% (dim light‐adapted 0 m samples) complete within 2 min. An increase in R values in the dim light occurred after a lag of 60 s and the rate of increase decreased exponentially with time. Full recovery took 15 min or more. Deep (6.5 m) populations from Lake Windermere exhibited large, time‐dependent variations in chlorophyll fluorescence over the first 25 s of exposure to 450 nm light, whereas surface populations did not. These data were interpreted in terms of decreased spillover from PSII to PSI with increasing depth, to a minimum at the threshold light intensity below which cells are in light state 1.
Fuzzy logic control of a switched reluctance motor drive

A FLC (fuzzy logic controller) is applied to the speed control of an SRM (switched reluctance motor) drive. The FLC has been designed in terms of state evaluation control rules derived from a rough formulation of a sliding mode control of the drive. The control rules have been selected to force the drive in the sliding regime when the speed error is high and to decrease the reaching of the steady state when the speed error becomes low. In this way the drive dynamics takes advantage of the intrinsic robustness of the sliding mode control, avoiding the problem of both the switching control and the chattering phenomenon in the steady state. The resulting drive has been simulated and significant tests have been carried out. The traces are in line with the expectations, confirming that the FLC represents a powerful tool to give the drive superior performance. <<ETX>>
Role of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Polymerase E in Spermatogenesis in Mice

Previous studies on DNA polymerase epsilon indicate that this enzyme is involved in replication of chromosomal DNA. In this study, we examined the expression of DNA polymerases alpha, delta, and epsilon during mouse testis development and germ cell differentiation. The steady-state levels of mRNAs encoding DNA polymerase epsilon and the recombination enzyme Rad51 remained constant during testis development, whereas the mRNA levels of DNA polymerases alpha and delta declined from birth until sexual maturity. Immunohistochemical staining methods, using a stage-specific model of the seminiferous epithelium, revealed dramatic differences between DNA polymerase alpha and epsilon distribution. As expected, DNA polymerase alpha and proliferating cell nuclear antigen showed relatively strong immunostaining in mitotically proliferating spermatogonia and even stronger staining in preleptotene cells undergoing meiotic DNA replication. The distribution of Rad51 was similar, but there was a dramatic peak in late pachytene cells. In contrast, DNA polymerase epsilon was detectable in mitotically proliferating spermatogonia but not in the early stages of meiotic prophase. However, DNA polymerase epsilon reappeared in late pachytene cells and remained through the two meiotic divisions, and was present in haploid spermatids up to the stage at which the flagellum starts developing. Overall, the results suggest that DNA polymerase epsilon functions in mitotic replication, in the completion of recombination in late pachytene cells, and in repair of DNA damage in round spermatids. In contrast, DNA polymerases alpha and delta appear to be involved in meiotic DNA synthesis, which occurs early in meiotic prophase, in addition to functioning in DNA replication in proliferating spermatogonia.