Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GENETIC DIVERSITY, POPULATION STRUCTURE AND PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIP OF RACE, SPORTS, DRAFT, AND WILD TYPE HORSES

The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is one of subspecies of Equus ferus and belongs to family Equidae which includes Assess, Zebras and Horses. All species are grazing animals that are well known for their strength and speed. Over the past 45-55 million years, horse evolved from Eohippus. Other subspecies of Equus ferus like tar pan (Equus ferus ferus) were undomesticated which are extinct now (Kavar and Dovc, 2008). Humans started to domesticate horse about 4000BC ago (Goodwin, 2007) in Eurasian steppes (Petersen et al., 2013). Two alternative hypotheses can be formulated for the origin of the domestic horse from wild populations. A restricted origin hypothesis hypothesizes that the domestic horse was developed through selective breeding from a narrow wild stock and, thereafter, domestic horses were distributed to other regions. According to other hypothesis domestication is a complex process that involves multigeneration selection on traits that permit stable existence of a population. According to this, horses may have been independently captured from diverse wild populations and then increasingly bred in captivity (Vila, 2001). Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence of pre-domestic and domestic horses has revealed that European wild horse populations also contributed to the gene pool of domestic horses (Cothran et al., 2011). The horse had been mainly used for sport, food, commerce, warfare, transportation, religion, pleasure, trade, agriculture, communication, industry, gift, symbol and recreation. Moreover, horses have played an important role in many civilizations and cultures (Bjornstad et al., 2003). Nowadays horses are kept as a hobby and they are considered as companion animal in many sports and recreation. This change has few major reasons: firstly, the population of riding and racing breeds has principally increased, whereas numerous draught breeds are currently in danger of extinction; secondly, horse breeders have powerfully customized their breeding objectives. Moreover, outcrossing is commonly practiced, to improve performance among local and international breeds (Diaz et al., 2002). Domestic horse genome encompasses 31pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosome. Whereas, wild horse (Prezwalski) possesses an extra pair of chromosome, yet it can interbreed with domestic horse and produce fertile offspring (Schubert et al., 2014) this may be because of fusion of chromosome 23 and 24 of Prezwalski horse in domestic horse. The horse genome project mapped 2.7 billion base pairs. It was first sequenced in 2006, whereas full map was established in 2009. Horse genome is larger than dog genome but smaller than human and bovine genome (Horse genome project 2009). The first fully sequenced horse genome was thoroughbred mare named “Twilight”, in 2006-2007. Among genetic markers, microsatellite markers are highly Pak. J. Agri. Sci., Vol. 55(1), 155-158; 2018 ISSN (Print) 0552-9034, ISSN (Online) 2076-0906 DOI: 10.21162/PAKJAS/18.6702 http://www.pakjas. com.pk
Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Assessment of Amoxicillin for the Control of Necrotic Enteritis in Broiler-Breeders under Field Conditions

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an acute Clostridium infection characterised by sudden onset, high mortality and severe necrosis of intestinal mucosa. The present study was conducted to clinically assess the efficacy of amoxicillin to control naturally occurring NE caused by Clostridium perfringens type A in broiler-breeders and to further support the clinical outcome of drug administration with evidence of efficacy based on the pharmacodynamic/ pharmacokinetic correlation. A flock of 34,000 broiler-breeders exhibited an abrupt increase in mortality and a mild decrease in egg production, together with a reduction in body weight (BW). No signs of gross lesions were apparent, except a necrotic pseudomembrane covering the intestinal mucosa. Microbiological cultures from the intestine and PCR revealed the presence of Clostridium perfringens type A. After the administration of an amoxicillin compound (Animox® 500 water soluble powder50%, PHARMAQUA) at the dose of 20 mg kg−1 BW diluted in the drinking water for five consecutive days, the flock recovered normally, the production data reached levels prior to induction of the disease and the intestine tissue was rapidly improved. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the isolated pathogen was determined and a pharmacokinetic study was performed under field conditions. The pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic correlation revealed a Cmax/MIC ratio of 167.9, well above the value of 10–12 for a bactericidal and eliminatory effect to be expected. Furthermore, the AUC/MIC ratio was 1383.2, supporting the efficacy of the drug even if used in immunocompromised patients. Based on both clinical and pharmacological evidence amoxicillin can be used for the control of NE during an outbreak.
Carotenoids in Nature : Biosynthesis, Regulation and Function

This comprehensive, edited book explores carotenoids and their important functional roles in yeast, bacteria and plants and a profound exposition on the structures of carotenoid molecules, focusing in the first of three parts on the biosynthesis of carotenoids. The regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in photosynthesis as well as in plant, fruits, storage roots and algae is central to the second part, and discoveries about the function of carotenoids in human health feature in the third and final part. Many helpful illustrations, explanations, overviews and examples help to bring readers up to date on relevant themes including carotenogenic genes, carotenoids in fruits and metabolic engineering. The book explores where carotenoids are synthesized in nature, including in carrots and algae. Contributing expert authors examine enzyme functions and plant models, and analyze the structure of carotenoid molecules. The function of carotenoids in photosynthesis and in photosynthetic organs as well as during fruit ripening are then explored. A whole chapter is dedicated to the latest research on apocarotenoids and further chapters cover interesting and novel themes on plastid development and the epigenetic regulation that affects carotenoid synthesis in plants. The metabolic engineering of carotenoids that has been done in fruits, plants, and seeds is another area that readers can explore, along with evidences on the function of carotenoids in human nutrition, as antioxidants, as in the control of lipid metabolism and in the absorption of carotenoids. This is a highly informative and wide-ranging work which will update researchers in the field, as well as supporting students of plant physiology and biotechnology, as supplementary reading
Advanced uses of immunohistochemistry in histology and histopathology

Immunohistochemistry [IHC] is an important application of monoclonal as well as polyclonal antibodies to determine the tissue distribution of an antigen [protein or lipid] by specific antigen/antibody reaction tagged with a visible label. Immunohistochemistry has an expanding role in diagnostic and research laboratories. This article highlights the various applications of IHC in health and diseases and gives more information in the Future directions of immunohistochemistry.
Small and large spatial scale coexistence of ctenid spiders in a neotropical forest (French Guiana)

While spiders constitute the most abundant and diverse arthropods in many habitats, they remained under-studied, especially in tropical rainforests. The goal of this study is to assess the spatial distribution of the spider family Ctenidae by assessing associations of species diversity and population traits among different habitat conditions. Fieldwork was carried out during 2013 in habitats varying in flooding frequency (plateau vs. flooded forest) and elevation (inselberg vs. lowland) in the Nouragues National Natural Reserve, French Guiana. Assemblage composition, population structure, and trait measurements of one dominant species were assessed using hand collection in replicated quadrats. We found strong effects on ctenid assemblages attributable to both elevation and flooding, with changes in relative abundance of species among habitats, but few correlated densities between species. At the population level, main differences in species distribution between and within habitats were detected only when juveniles were taken into account. No effect of elevation was found on the measurements of traits of the dominant species, but legs were proportionally shorter in flooded habitats, suggesting reduced active dispersal in these habitats. Our study highlights the value of complementary of measures of diversity and traits at different biological scales in Ctenidae.
Can reproductive traits help to explain the coexistence of mud crabs Panopeus (Decapoda: Panopeidae)? A case of two sympatric species inhabiting an impacted mangrove area of Southern Brazil

Abstract Coexistence among species is commonly related to niche divergence. However, congenerics usually are very similar in their microhabitat selection and food consumption. Thus, divergent life history strategies may represent the mechanism that allows sympatry in related species. Here, we describe and compare reproductive features in two sympatric mud crabs Panopeus americanus and P. occidentalis in an impacted mangrove area in Southern Brazil. As these species are ecologically similar, we hypothesize that these species diverge in their reproductive traits, which could explain their coexistence. Crabs were collected every two months from September 2004 to July 2006. Reproductive features such as number and size of ovigerous females, breeding season, fecundity, reproductive output, and embryo volume were assessed. Panopeus americanus produced embryos during the entire sampled period, while P. occidentalis produced only between September and March. Panopeus americanus produced more embryos considering the size of the species, had significantly lower embryo volume, and higher reproductive output than P. occidentalis. These data permit to classify P. americanus as an r-strategist and P. occidentalis as a K-strategist regarding their reproductive traits. In conclusion, our results support the hypothesis that divergent reproductive features may allow coexistence of these mud crabs.
山东方言焦点语音实现的共性和差异性特征——以济南、聊城、淄博方言为例

该文选取山东方言西齐区的济南、聊城、淄博为实验研究对象,采用声学实验方法对比分析3个方言在焦点语音实现方面的异同,并在实验结果的基础上探讨了山东方言内部焦点实现的共性和差异性特征。 研究结果表明：在焦点实现方面,3个方言焦点后位置F0音域的压缩是普遍现象;而在焦点位置上,济南、聊城的F0音域有显著扩展,淄博的F0音域无显著变化。 3个方言点中,时长和音强受焦点的影响变化不显著。
Human sperm bound to the zona pellucida have normal nuclear chromatin as assessed by acridine orange fluorescence.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine if only sperm with double stranded DNA could bind to the human zona pellucida (ZP). METHODS: Sperm samples from 124 infertile men with a range of semen abnormalities were studied. Oocytes that had failed to fertilize in IVF or ICSI were used for the sperm-ZP binding test. A group of four oocytes were incubated for 2 h with 2 3 10 6 / ml motile sperm selected by colloidal silica gradient centrifugation (CSGC). After assessing the number of sperm bound per ZP, all sperm bound to the surface of the ZP of four oocytes were dislodged and placed on a glass slide. The double (green ﬂuorescence) or single stranded (denatured, red ﬂuorescence) DNA of sperm in semen, motile sperm selected by CSGC and ZP-bound sperm, was assessed by acridine orange (AO) ﬂuorescence. RESULTS: The percentage of sperm with green ﬂuorescence was signiﬁcantly correlated with normal sperm morphology in semen and after CSGC preparation. The proportion of sperm with green ﬂuorescence was signiﬁcantly higher in motile sperm selected by CSGC than ejaculated sperm. There were very few sperm (average < 8%) with red ﬂuorescence bound to the ZP, even in men who had very high ( > 70%) proportions of sperm with red ﬂuorescence in their semen. CONCLUSION: Sperm binding to human ZP is highly selective for double stranded DNA. Sperm with single stranded or denatured DNA bind less or do not bind at all to the ZP, prob-ably because of defects of motility and, more especially, morphology.
Energetic implications of floodplain wetland restoration strategies for waterfowl

Modifications of the Illinois River and associated tributaries have resulted in altered hydrologic cycles and persistent river‐floodplain connections during the growing season that frequently impede the establishment of hydrophytic vegetation and have reduced value for migratory waterfowl and other waterbirds. To help guide floodplain restoration, we compared energetic carrying capacity for waterfowl in two wetland complexes along the Illinois River under different management regimes during 2012–2015. The south pool of Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR) was seasonally flooded due to a partial river connection and managed for moist‐soil vegetation. Emiquon Preserve was hydrologically isolated from the Illinois River by a high‐elevation levee and managed as a semipermanently flooded emergent marsh. Semipermanent emergent marsh management at Emiquon Preserve produced 5,495 energetic use‐days (EUD)/ha for waterfowl and other waterbirds across wetland cover types and years, and seasonal moist‐soil management at CNWR produced 6,199 EUD/ha in one of 4 years. At Emiquon Preserve, the aquatic bed cover type produced 9,660 EUD/ha, followed by 5,261 EUD/ha in moist‐soil, 1,398 EUD/ha in persistent emergent, 1,185 EUD/ha in hemi‐marsh, and 12 EUD/ha in open water cover types. At CNWR, the annual grass and sedge cover type produced 7,031 EUD/ha, followed by 5,618 EUD/ha in annual broadleaf and 1,305 EUD/ha in perennial grass cover types. Restoration of floodplain wetlands in isolation from frequent flood pulses during the growing season can produce hemi‐marsh and aquatic bed vegetation communities that provide high‐quality habitat for waterfowl and which have been mostly eliminated from large river systems in the Midwest, U.S.A.
Caracterización morfológica de líneas de Phaseolus vulgaris L. en casa de cultivo

Knowing and characterizing the preserved genetic heritage contributes to the development of new plant cultivars. The objective of the present work was to characterize morphologically, in greenhouse, lines of common bean obtained from the cultivar 'BAT-93'. Variations were found in the shape of the leaf, predominant color of the hypocotyl, color of the main stem, color of the flower and color of the seed and not for the characters: color of the legume, texture of the legume and degree of curvature of the legume, which remained similar for all the lines. The main variations were observed in the color of the flower and the seed, with values above 60% in comparison with 'BAT-93'. Violet, white and violet, yellow and white flowers were observed. In the plants from red and black seeds, the color of the hypocotyl and the stem was red and in the case of the plants from brown and marbled seeds, the hypocotyl and the stem were green similar to 'BAT-93'. It was observed that the leaves with apices with lobed margins was the type of variation that predominated in the lines coming from red, black and brown seeds. The variability described in the lines obtained in the first generation, suggests studies of agronomic characters and genetic stability. Keywords : common bean, ex vitro conditions, qualitative characteristics, phenotypic variations
Risk Factors and Co-Existence of Infectious Causes of Reproductive Failures in Selected Uganda Cattle and Goats: A Brucella spps-Toxoplasma gondii Study

Reproductive diseases are one of the most significant challenges in livestock breeding and production. The present study was done to determine the 1) sero-prevalence of Brucella spps and Toxoplasma gondii in bovine and caprine samples, 2) risk factors associated with sero-positivity, 3) occurrence of Brucella-T. gondii co-existence with emphasis on samples with a history of reproductive failure. To fulfill the stated objectives, a retrospective study was carried out in May, 2015 on livestock blood samples received by Central Diagnostic Laboratory for the period of February, 2014 to January, 2015. A total of 279 serum samples from livestock were submitted by farmers and veterinary practitioners for serological diagnostic tests. Of the total (279), 59 blood samples had sufficient bio-data crucial for their inclusion in the study and were screened for antibodies against Brucella spps using Standard Rose Bengal Antigen. Toxoplasma gondii infection was also confirmed by using multi species indirect ELISA Test kit. The overall Brucella and T. gondii serological prevalence derived from the samples was 49.2% and 3.4% respectively. A significant association was found between animal species (X2 = 3.836, P = 0.049), breed (X2 = 0.279, P = 0.041) and occurrence of Brucellosis. An overall prevalence of 3.8% mixed infection to Brucella spps and T. gondii in bovine samples was obtained where 2 animals which had previous occurrence of abortion were found positive. Information obtained from the study will add on already existing one in attempt to build a fulcrum for taming livestock reproductive failures a step to boosting productivity.
The heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance of glioblastoma

Over the past decades, there has been an increasing use of molecular biology and genetic approaches in the assessment and management of adult gliomas, overall improving our understanding of the disease biology and behavior. Despite of these advances, maximal therapeutic intervention, as well as numerous new drugs entering clinical trials, the prognosis of malignant gliomas remains dismal. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent advances in the classification system, major molecular aberrations relevant to the biology of malignant gliomas, and standard as well as experimental treatment strategies. In addition, we discuss the complexity of this deadly disease, emphasizing the challenges associated with the enormously high degree of heterogeneity including cellular hierarchies at the inter- and intra-patient level.
Evaluation of oxygen absorber system effectiveness in butter containers

ABSTRACT The oxygen can have an adverse effect on the quality of some foods leading to a decrease in their shelf-life. Several approaches have been applied to remove the oxygen concentration in packed food; among them, oxygen scavengers have been widely used to preserve oxygen-sensitive foods. In the present study, an experimental set-up was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of oxygen scavengers, in removing oxygen from butter containers. Two types of oxygen absorbers adhesive labels and sachets and two caps with and without adjustable closure were tested. The plastic caps used in the study were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The oxygen concentration in the headspace of the containers was monitored using a gas analyser. The best results were achieved with the oxygen absorber sachets and using caps with adjustable closure. Under these conditions, the oxygen concentration inside the container remained below 3% during 150 h.
South-west Sri Lanka: a floristic refugium in South Asia

In South Asia, south-west Sri Lanka alone represents the sole surviving perhumid region where Mixed Dipterocarp Forests (MDF) harbour a number of relict signature taxa providing evidence of ancient plant migration routes from Gondwana to perhumid Far Eastern Sunda land, at least partially via southern Laurasia. Palynological and phylogenetic evidence now confirm that the Malesian rain forest flora overwhelmingly immigrated from tropical Africa/Madagascar and South Asia along an ever-wet equatorial corridor sometime before the collision of the Indian Plate with the Southern Laurasian coast in middle Eocene (c. 45 Ma). This ever-wet climatic and geological history has led to the evolution of a characteristic species composition and dynamics within SW Sri Lanka’s rain forest communities, which exhibit remarkable patterns of species distribution and habitat specialization, and which parallel those of Far Eastern sister taxa. We here examine the patterns of floristic variation in each of three MDF sites using classification and ordination methods to analyse tree data collected in 62 random plots, each 0.25ha, along an altitudinal gradient. In addition, a 25 ha forest dynamics plot (FDP) was established in the Sinharaja World Heritage Site, within the CTFS-ForestGEO network that addresses issues related to community ecology and phylogenetics incorporating large-scale biogeographic patterns of major clades of both plants and animals. In the above studies, ecologically distinct floristic assemblages were revealed, i) among the three MDF sites as well as, ii) among the ridge-, slope-, and valley habitats within each forest site. In the FDP too, >80% of the 125 species, with individuals >1 cm dbh and >100 individuals per species, are significantly more associated with one or more of eight topographic habitat categories than in others. These results suggest that ecological ranges and dispersion of tree species in SW Sri Lanka is primarily mediated by soil water and nutrient levels in topographically different catenal habitats mirroring those in the Far East. Many of these species are threatened relict endemics, and their distribution patterns have important conservation implications. Their spatial distributional features provide useful criteria in site-species matching or environmental filtering in forest restoration efforts.
Mathematical Modeling of Flow Characteristics in the Embryonic Chick Heart

This ph.d. thesis contains the mathematical modeling of fluid dynamical phenomena in the tubular embryonic chick heart at HH-stages 10, 12, 14, and 16. The models are constructed by application of energy bond technique and involve the elasticity of heart walls with elliptic cross-section, Womersley modified inertia, and resistance due to friction and curvature of the multilayered tubular heart. Through the modeling, flow conditions in the embryonic heart are characterized. The models suggest that eccentric rather than concentric deformation of the beating heart is optimal for mean flows induced by the Liebau effect. Additionally the elliptic cross-sectional shape of the embryonic heart may be optimally configured for Liebau induced flow near elliptic eccentricity 0.4. It is furthermore suggested that both peristaltic and Liebau induced pumping effects may be present in the embryonic heart, though the models are not conclusive on this point. In addition the Liebau effect is investigated in a simpler system containing two elastic tubes joined to form a liquid filled ring, with a compression pump at an asymmetric location. Through comparison to other reports the system validates model construction. Furthermore it is concluded that the observed Liebau effect does depend on the impedance of the tubes, the frequency and position of the compression pump, but above all the characterization of the pumping function. Different pumping functions are employed in the modeling but no defining characteristics of their efficiency have been found.