Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sources of error in the estimation of stomatal conductance and transpiration from porometer data.

Stomatal control of leaf conductance is an important means by which plants limit water loss. It is often used as an indicator of water stress, and it is an important factor in photosynthesis studies. Automated commercially available equipment for measuring leaf conductance has become available in recent years from several manufacturers. When properly used, this equipment makes it easy to obtain reliable field measurements. However, if the instruments are not used or calibrated properly, they can give conductance estimates that appear “reasonable,” and yet are in significant error. The purpose of this paper is to describe a) the effects of sensor or calibration errors on the accuracy of conductance measurements, b) the relationship between molar conductance units that are coming into prominent use and velocity units that are used in the older literature. and c) some considerations that will help protect the quality of porometer data. This discussion is limited to porometry as it relates to water vapor exchange. Up-to-date general reviews of instrumentation and procedures for gas exchange measurements can be found in Coombs et al. (1985), Field et al. (1989), Parkinson (1985b), and Pearcy et al. (1989). Sestak et al. (1971) provides an exhaustive review of literature and methods up to 1971. Porometers in general use today fall into two broad categories, transient or steady state, according to the measurement principle on which they are based. Transient porometers may be ventilated, in which a fan provides rapid chamber mixing, or unventilated, in which cuvette humidity changes occur strictly by diffusion. In ventilated transient porometers (Komer and Cernusca, 1976; Tan and Black, 1978; Turner and Parlange, 1970). stomatal resistance is calculated from the rate and magnitude of change in cuvette humidity, and system volume. In unventilated transient porometers (van Bavel et al., 1965; Kanemasu et al., 1969; Monteith and Bull, 1970; Stiles, 1970; Visscher, et al., 1978). resistance is not computed directly from the magnitude of changes in relative humidity. Instead, a measured transit time is compared to an empirical calibration curve that relates diffusion path length to measured transit time. The transit time is determined by leaf resistance, sensor geometry, and temperature. The porometer constructed by Stiles (1970), and theoretically described by Monteith and Bull (1970) is the basis of a modern commercially available transit-time porometer (Delta-T Mk III, DeltaT Devices, Cambridge, U.K.). A calibration plate containing a series of pore fields with resistances known from diffusion theory is provided by the manufacturer. A plot of resistance vs. transit time is constructed using the calibration plate at field temperature, and compared to measured leaf transit times.
In vitro determination of the characteristics of fresh and frozen-thawed alfalfa and ryegrass

Current ruminant feeding systems depend on knowledge of the composition of feeds and the rate and extent of degradation of feed organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) in the rumen. The effect of storage and preparation of samples on in vitro gas production and fermentation characteristics of two common forage species, namely alfalfa and ryegrass were studied. Samples were prepared as fresh (F), frozen-thawed (FT) and FT + starch (FT + S) before in vitro evaluation. The fractional rate of loss of organic matter (OM) and the total N and total VFA production during 12h of incubation were significantly faster for alfalfa than for ryegrass. Model parameters describing changes in OM loss and total N appearance differed significantly between F samples and FT and FT + S samples; there was a significant interaction between forage species and preparation method for fractional degradation rate of total N. A significant interaction between forage species and preparation method at 6 h incubation changed the rankings. The propionate:acetate ratios after 12 h incubation were similar for alfalfa and ryegrass but were lower for F and FT samples than for FT + S samples. After 12 h of incubation, alfalfa produced more gas, total VFA (mmol/g OM) and microbial crude protein (mg/g OM) than ryegrass, whereas F samples produced more fermentation products than FT and FT + S samples. In vitro degradation characteristics of forage samples were influenced by forage species, but also by sample preparation method; therefore, consistent use of one sample preparation method is recommended when comparing degradation characteristics of forage species in vitro.
VARIACIONES EN EL PESO Y LA CONDICIÓN CORPORAL POSTPARTO Y SU RELACIÓN CON ALGUNOS PARÁMETROS DE EFICIENCIA REPRODUCTIVA EN VACAS CEBÚ

La presente investigacion se realizo en una zona de vida de bh-T a una altura promedio de 82 msnm con temperatura de 28oC. Se emplearon 40 vacas Cebu multiparas, en pastoreo, a las cuales se les monitorearon las variaciones de peso y de condicion corporal 15 dias antes del parto, al momento del parto y a partir de este cada 15 dias hasta los 135 dias postparto. Se recolectaron muestras sanguineas a 25 de estas vacas para determinar la presencia de cuerpos cetonicos y realizar la dosificacion de AGNE en suero. El numero de parto, el peso y la condicion corporal preparto y al momento del parto presentaron efecto significativo sobre el peso hasta los 120 dias postparto y sobre la condicion corporal hasta los 135 dias postparto, cuando fueron analizados como valor absoluto (r2 desde 0,32 hasta 0,95; P < 0,003 y r2 desde 0,35 hasta 0,62; P < 0,001, respectivamente). Cuando se analizaron las mismas variables como porcentaje del valor preparto, el numero de parto presento efecto significativo sobre el peso entre los 15 y 60 dias postparto (r2 desde 0,15 hasta 0,21; P < 0,05). Los cuerpos cetonicos no fueron detectados por medio de la utilizacion de la prueba semicuantitativa propuesta. Se obtuvieron correlaciones positivas entre los valores de peso y condicion corporal (r desde 0,45 hasta 0,82; P < 0,003) y negativas entre los AGNE y el peso corporal (r=- 0,55; P < 0,008 al momento del parto y r=- 0,98; P < 0,0001 a los 60 y 75 dias postparto), y entre los AGNE y la condicion corporal (r=- 0,50; P < 0,01 a los 15 dias postparto). Siete de las 40 vacas seleccionadas presentaron estro y fueron inseminadas; cuatro de estas resultaron prenadas. El analisis discriminante para las variables reproductivas, permitio determinar diferencias significativas (P < 0,05) de las variables explicatorias, numero de parto, peso y condicion corporal, al momento del parto y a los 135 dias postparto para el estro y entre el peso y condicion corporal mas cercana al momento del servicio. Ademas, este analisis arrojo unas funciones discriminantes utilizadas para clasificar las vacas obteniendo unos altos porcentajes de casos clasificados correctamente (81,58% y 100%), para el estro y el servicio respectivamente.
The effects of solid and liquid carbohydrate feedings on high intensity intermittent exercise performance

Ten elite female soccer players were studied to determine the effects of pre-exercise solid carbohydrate (SCHO) and liquid carbohydrate ( L C H O ) feedings on high intensity intermittent exercise performance. At 5 min pre-exercise subjects consumed either 50 g of S C H O + 400 ml of H 2 0 , 50 g of L C H O in a 400 ml solution, or 400 ml of artificially sweetened H 2 0 (PL). Exercise consisted of two 19 min periods of high intensity intemittent running separated by a 10 min break. At 5 min post-exercise, subjects completed a performance trial (PT) in which they ran repeated 10 s, 120% V 0 2 max sprints in a 1:1 work to rest ratio until exhaustion. Blood lactate was not different (p>0.05) between feedings. Blood glucose (BG) was greater (p<0.05) for S C H O and L C H O at 10, 20, and 30 min during exercise compared to P L . A t 40 min B G was not significantly different between S C H O and P L and S C H O and L C H O . However, at 40 min B G for L C H O was significantly higher than P L . At 2 min post-exercise B G was similar between interventions. Time to exhaustion in PT was greater in both carbohydrate trials compared to P L ( X ± SE, S C H O = 693 s ± 135, L C H O = 648 ± 113, P L = 436 ± 70; p<0.01). Results indicate that the intake of equal amounts of S C H O and L C H O 5 minutes prior to high intensity intermittent exercise improve performance similarly.
Phosphorus and calcium utilization and requirements in farm animals

Dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) are never fully utilized by animals as some may be in an unavailable form, lost during normal digestive and metabolic processes, or their absorption negatively infl uenced by several dietary and/or non-dietary factors. Thus, meeting the requirements for these elements for the various classes of farm animals depends on their bioavailability in the feedstuffs used. Furthermore, formulating diets on bioavailable calcium Ca and P basis minimizes their output in the manure, which has economic and ecological consequences. The bioavailability of Ca and P from feedstuffs is determined either as digestible P or as available P, using digestibility or the slope ratio assays, respectively. Except for legume forages, vegetable feedstuffs are very low in Ca content and therefore provision of adequate dietary Ca supply is almost entirely achieved through the use of animal-based and inorganic feedstuffs whose Ca bioavailability is > 66%. Vegetable feedstuffs have very variable P content (cereals and their by-products, 2–27, oilseed meals, 6–12 g/kg dry matter), the majority (> 65%) of which is phytate-bound and unavailable to the animal without enzymatic dephosphorylation. Phytase, the requisite enzyme to hydrolyse phytate, is insuffi cient in avian and mammalian intestinal secretions, present in some feedstuffs and ubiquitous in microbial systems. As a consequence, P bioavailability in vegetable feedstuffs is higher for ruminant than for non-ruminant species. Research and commercial efforts to increase utilizable P in vegetable feedstuffs for non-ruminants include dietary inclusion of microbial phytase, use of low phytate and higher intrinsic phytase grains and oilseed meals, and the development of phytase-secreting transgenic animals. Phosphorus in most of the animal-based and inorganic feedstuffs is highly available (> 50%). Determination of Ca and P bioavailability in feedstuffs is infl uenced by many factors, including experimental, dietary and animal, and as result a given feedstuff may be assigned different bioavailability w w w . a lk ot t b. co m
Mass spectrometric analysis of global histone modification profiles during xenopus laevis development

Vertebrate embryos are derived from a transitory pool of pluripotent embryonic cells. By the process of induction, these precursor cells are assigned to specific fates and differentiation programs. Histone post-translational modifications are thought to play a key role in the establishment and maintenance of stable gene expression patterns underlying these processes. While at gene level histone modifications are known to change during differentiation, very little is known about the quantitative fluctuations in bulk histone modifications during development. To investigate this issue histones isolated from four different developmental stages of Xenopus laevis were analysed by mass spectrometry. Initally, a variety of different protocols for histone extraction from Xenopus laevis embryos and stable cell lines was tested and evaluated. Since non of the available methods worked sufficiently, a new reliable and effective protocol for nuclei preparation and histone extraction was established. Using mass spectrometry, core histone modifications were unambiguously determined. The techniques for identification and quantification of histone modifications by tandem mass spectrometry were improved as well. In total, an average sequence coverage of 68% of modification sites for the four core histones was achived by tryptic digestion after covalent modification of lysine residues with propionic anhydride. Using both LC-MS/MS and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, a total number of 2 modifications of H2A and 3 modifications H2B, 39 modifications of H3 and 20 modifications of H4 were identified and quantified. During this developmental period, an increase in the unmodified states, and a shift from histone modifications associated with transcriptionally active to transcriptionally repressive histone marks, was observed. Furthermore, these naturally occurring histone modifications were compared to the histone modifications of murine ES cells, detecting large differences in the methylation patterns of lysines 27 and 36 of histone H3 between pluripotent cells from Xenopus blastulae and murine ES cells. By combining all detected modification transitions, their patterns could be clustered according to their embryonic origin, defining specific histone modification profiles for each developmental stage. These specific histone modification profiles indicated a stepwise maturation of the embryonic epigenome, which may be cause to the progressing restriction of cellular potency during development. This thesis has revealed major quantitative shifts for several histone modifications known to be involved in gene regulation and furthermore enabled the definition of stage specific histone modification profiles accompanying and potentially regulating the transition from pluripotent to determined cell states using an antibody-independent method.
Utilização do alho (Allium sativum L.) como promotor de crescimento de frangos de corte

Three experiments were carried out to evaluate garlic in broilers diets as growth promoter. In the first experiment 480 one day old chicks, sexed, were distributed in six treatments with eight replicates (four with males and four with females), with ten birds each. The treatments were: basal diet with corn , soybean meal and dicalcium phosphaate (RB1), RB1 + 0.2% garlic; RB1 + 0.4%garlic; RB1 + 0.6%garlic, RB1 + 0.01% lincomicin and RB1 + 0.0025% zinc bacitracin. In the second experiment 240 one day old chicks were distributed in three treatments with eight replicates (four with males and four with females), and ten birds each. The treatments were: basal diet with corn, soybean meal and bone and meat meal (RB2), RB2 + 0.2% garlic and RB2 + 0.4%garlic. In the third experiment 120 females broilers were used, raised up to 42 days of age, distributed in three treatments, as described for the second experiment. In all experiments feed intake, weight gain and feed convertion rate were evaluated. In the first and second experiments small intestine weight was also evaluated. There were no significant effects of tratments on the evaluated charactheristics in the three experiments. The birds presented normal performance, suggesting that the conditions they were raised were not suitable to get response due the utilization of growth promotors.
Genetically modified poplars in context

Poplars (genus Populus) have emerged as a model organism for forest biotechnology, and genetic modification (GM: asexual gene transfer) is more advanced for this genus than for any other tree. The goal of this paper is to consider the benefits expected from the use of GM poplar trees, and the most significant claims made for environmental harm, by comparing them to impacts and uncertainties that are generally accepted as part of intensive tree culture. We focus on the four traits with greatest commercialization potential in the near term: wood modification, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, and flowering control. After field trials and selection of the top performing trees, similar to that during conventional poplar breeding, GM poplars appear vigorous and express their new traits reliably. The ecological issues expected from use of GM poplars appear similar in scope to those managed routinely during conventional plantation culture, which includes the use of exotic and hybrid genotypes, short rotati.
Effect of kunnu-zaki on clinical bacteria isolates

Ten clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria were exposed in agar-cup diffusion sensitivity test to Kunun-zaki, a non-alcoholic fermented beverage, taken from eighteen samples. The undiluted samples of the beverage appreciably inhibited the growth of all the bacteria tested including, remarkably, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibro cholerae, Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus. The bacteria however varied in their sensitivities to the fractional dilutions of the samples. This antimicrobial effect represents another property for Kunun-zaki and obviates the possibility of public health risk in its consumption. Key words : Kunnu-zaki, clinical isolates, antibiotic sensitivity.
A case report: isolation of Alysiella filiformis from pig's lungs.

Alysiella filiformis is considered a common resident in the oral cavities of many animals. All reports of Alysiella indicate that it is restricted to the oral cavity of warm-blooded vertebrates, where it apparently is nonpathogenic. However, increased losses of young pigs occured in one farm in Serbia. Spumous content in bronchia and partly clotted blood in blood vesels o f the lungs were present. Characteristic signs of oedema disease were present and E. coli serogroup 0139 was isolated. Furthermore, Alysiella filiformis was the single agent isolated from the lungs of diseased pigs. This is the first isolation of Alysiella filiformis from pig lungs.
Aflatoxicosis: Lessons from Toxicity and Responses to Aflatoxin B1 in Poultry

This review is a comprehensive introduction to the effects of poultry exposure to the toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ). The relationship between AFB 1 sensitivity and metabolism, major direct and indirect effects of AFB 1 , recent studies of gene expression and transcriptome responses to exposure, and mitigation strategies to reduce toxicity are discussed. Exposure to AFB 1 primarily occurs by consumption of contaminated corn, grain or other feed components. Low levels of residual AFB 1 in poultry feeds can cause reduction in growth, feed conversion, egg production, and compromised immune functions, resulting in significant economic costs to producers. Thus, AFB 1 acts as a “force multiplier” synergizing the adverse effects of microbial pathogens and other agents, and factors detrimental to poultry health. Domestic turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo ) are one of the most sensitive animals known to AFB 1 due, in large part, to a combination of efficient hepatic bioactivation by cytochromes P450 1A5 and 3A37, and deficient hepatic glutathione- S -transferase (GST)-mediated detoxification. Because of their sensitivity, turkeys are a good model to investigate chemopreventive treatments and feed additives for their ability to reduce AFB 1 toxicity. Transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq) of turkey poults (liver and spleen) has identified AFB 1 -induced gene expression changes in pathways of apoptosis, carcinogenesis, lipid regulation, antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity and antigen presentation. Current research focuses on further identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying AFB 1 toxicity with the goal of reducing aflatoxicosis and improving poultry health.
Inaperturate Pollen in Monocotyledons

Inaperturate pollen is widespread in the monocotyledons, includes a diverse range of forms, and has arisen independently numerous times. Evidence for this comes from the phylogenetic distribution of inaperturate pollen and also from developmental and structural differences. There is no correlation between the production of inaperturate grains and either microsporogenesis type or tapetum type. Inaperturate pollen has phylogenetic significance within some groups, e.g., in Zingiberales, Liliales, and some Asparagales. Character states for inaperturate pollen are presented. It can broadly be divided into two types, “omniaperturate” and “functionally monoaperturate,” based on the thickening of the intine. The characters of omniaperturate pollen are adaptations that potentially increase the germination efficiency of the pollen. Both types sometimes occur in environments where pollen is not subject to desiccation and, thus, may remain viable with reduced exines.
Lenguaje específico del dominio para generación de aplicaciones de procesos administrativos

Resumen Muchas organizaciones reimplementan una y otra vez el mismo tipo de proceso de negocio «administrativo», en el que un formulario es manipulado por múltiples roles a lo largo de varios estados. Esta reimplementación hace perder un tiempo que se podría haber usado en entender mejor el proceso o cubrir los detalles que sí son específicos del proceso. Por otro lado, las soluciones existentes basadas en motores de procesos de negocio requieren formación e infraestructura específicas y pueden encerrar al usuario en una tecnología concreta. En este trabajo se propone usar un lenguaje de alto nivel para describir el proceso administrativo y producir a partir de él un sitio web en un marco estándar de desarrollo web que sea fácil de mantener por los técnicos de la organización. Se ha implementado el enfoque mediante tecnologías de código abierto, y se ilustra a través de un caso de estudio.
Cloning and characterisation of a Dictyostelium STE20-like protein kinase DST2

In this study a new Dictyostelium STE20-like protein kinase DST2 (Dictyostelium STE20-like kinase 2) was cloned and characterised. STE20 (Sterile 20) kinase was first identified in yeast as a pheromone-induced serine/threonine protein kinase that acts upstream of a MAP kinase cascade. Based on the domain structure, DST2 belongs to the GCK subfamily of STE20-like protein kinases, which include the mammalian STE20-like kinases (MST1/2/3), oxidant stress response kinase SOK-1, and DST1 in Dictyostelium discoideum which phosphorylates severin, a gelsolin-like F-actin fragmenting protein. DST2 was discovered by screening of the D. discoideum cDNA project database using DST1 as query. To confirm the existence of the DST2 gene and its expression, Southern, Northern and Western analyses of DST2 were carried out. It revealed that DST2 may have two copies in the Dictyostelium genome and that DST2 was expressed during all stages of D. discoideum development. In vitro kinase assays with bacterially expressed fusion protein of full length DST2 (aa461), the catalytic domain (aa287) and the regulatory domain (aa174) showed that autophosphorylation of DST2 occurson the regulatory domain and phosphorylates severin in the presence of a Mn2+ or Mg2+. Purified catalytic domain of PKA phosphorylated the regulatory domain of DST2 and caused an increase in the basal autophosphorylation activity of DST2, suggesting that PKA may be a potential upstream kinase of DST2 through the phosphorylation of its regulatory domain. To understand the function of the non-catalytic domain of DST2, three C-terminal truncation constructs (aa1-421, aa1-368 and aa1-326) were used in comparison to full length DST2 in in vitro kinase assays. Deletion of C-terminal regions revealed an inhibitory region amino acids 326-461 of DST2. Gel filtration chromatography showed that DST2 was eluted in a broad peak ranging from approximately 63 kDa to 400 kDa, suggesting that DST2 may exist in vivo as a monomer as well as a high molecular weight complex. The influence of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated severin on F-actin solutions was investigated using falling-ball viscometry and fluorescence spectroscopy. It turned out that phosphorylation by DST2 inhibits the F-actin fragmenting activity of severin, suggesting that DST2 may be directly involved in actin-cytoskeleton rearrangements.