Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of immobilised cell concentration on beer quality in continuous fermentation

Abstract We studied the influence of immobilised yeasts on fermentation parameters and beer quality using a continuous gas‐lift bioreactor system with Saccharomyces warum entrapped in calcium pectate beads. The higher the amount of biomass, the shorter the fermentation time. At an immobilised biomass volume to wort ratio of 0.35:1 (v/v), productivity began to fall and the specific rate of saccharide utilisation decreased. The optimum level for productivity and beer quality was obtained at the ratio of 0.27:1 (v/v) biocatalyst volume to the wort volume. Beer with suitable flavour, low level of diacetyl (less than 0.1 mg/1) and an optimum ratio of the higher alcohols to esters content (4.53:1) has been produced with a residence time of 13.16 h and maximum specific rate of saccharide utilisation of I.106 g/g.h. Except for higher nitrogen and lower amyl alcohols contents, the parameters characterising the beer quality produced in this bioreactor were close to the parameter values of classically produced beer.
Insect Herbivory in a Eucalyptus maculata Forest on the South Coast of New South Wales

In most years between 1977 and 1992, insect defoliation was negligible in a regrowth stand of E. maculata Hook. on the south coast of New South Wales. However, leaf consumption by winter–spring infestations of cup moth larvae accounted for c. 6%, 19% and 4% of the total leaf loss from the canopy in 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92, respectively. During the most serious infestation of 1990, cup moth larvae produced 0.56 t ha–1 of frass, equivalent to the consumption of c. 0.8 t ha–1, or c. 0.5 m2 m–2 of eucalypt leaf (c. 12% of winter leaf area index). In early November 1990, shortly after the infestation, an assessment of insect defoliation in the crown of a dominant tree revealed that (i) 47% of the leaf population was damaged, (ii) a larger proportion of older than younger leaves was damaged, (iii) the proportion of damaged leaves increased down the tree-crown profile, and (iv) 13% of the potential leaf area was missing. In the absence of further insect attack, the process of canopy renewal (leaf production and leaf fall) reduced the proportion of damaged leaves to 23% by June 1991.
Optimal Egg Size and Clutch Size: Effects of Environment and Maternal Phenotype

In this paper, we develop a series of models for predicting optimal egg size and clutch size in different environments and for different maternal phenotypes. The models investigate the interaction between three components of fitness: (1) the intrinsic effect of egg size, (2) the density effect, the effect of the density of competing offspring (including competition with sibs and with non-sibs), and (3) the hierarchy effect, the effect of egg size relative to the sizes of competing eggs laid by other females. The environmental effects that we consider are the intensities of sib and non-sib competition, the number of egg-laying females, and some aspects of seasonal development. The particular aspects of maternal phenotype examined are foraging efficiency and the gametic reserve available at the time of egg laying (broadly equivalent to female size). Regarding environmental effects, increasing intensities of sib competition select for the production of smaller clutches of larger eggs, and increasing intensities of non-sib competition select for even smaller clutches of even larger eggs. We show, however, that this occurs because viability depends on egg phenotype, not because competition depends on density. In addition, we show that in seasonal environments the production of smaller clutches of larger eggs is favored by slower rates of preadult development and shorter overall season lengths. Regarding maternal phenotype, we derive the following conclusions. The intrinsic effects of egg size promote the production of eggs of a constant size by all females, so that larger females lay larger clutches. Sib competition (considered a density effect with no hierarchy component) favors constancy of clutch size for all females, so that larger females lay larger eggs. If, however, sib competition is coupled with circumstances in which females have high gametic reserves and/or low search costs for future oviposition sites, egg size and clutch size should vary with respect to female size, but larger females should lay more clutches. Non-sib competition acting through total competitor density (the density effect) favors the production of a constant clutch size by all females, such that larger females lay larger eggs. The action of non-sib competition on egg size relative to the sizes of others' eggs (the hierarchy effect), although tending to increase egg size overall, may cause smaller females to produce eggs larger than those produced by larger females. This latter effect, however, is confined to cases in which there are few competing females; typically, the hierarchy effect will favor approximately constant egg sizes for all females, so that larger females lay larger clutches.
Some Nutritional Factors Affecting Production of Biomass and Antifungal Metabolites of Coniothyrium minitans

The ability of the mycoparasite Coniothyrium minitans to utilize a range of C and N sources and vitamins for growth, pycnidial formation and antifungal metabolite production was examined using a defined liquid medium. Coniothyrium minitans was able to use all the C sources tested, with the exception of D -xylose, and all the N sources tested, although growth was generally better on organic N sources rather than NO 3 -N. Increasing C:N ratios from 9:1-202:1 with N constant (2.0 g L -l L -alanine) resulted in steadily increasing yields, whereas increasing C:N ratios with C constant (40.0 g L -l D -glucose) gradually decreased yield. Addition of thiamine to the glucose-alanine basal medium resulted in the greatest increase in growth but biomass was still less than that achieved using an undefined molasses-yeast medium. Pycnidial production was generally low or failed to occur in the basal medium + C + N sources in the absence of vitamins, but addition of thiamine consistently led to abundant pycnidial formation. Molasses-yeast static culture provided greater biomass and conidial yields than molasses-yeast shaken culture. Incorporation of C. minitans culture medium into potato dextrose broth (10% v/v) resulted in consistent reduction in growth of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum irrespective of C, N or vitamin content of the basal medium or whether molasses-yeast medium was used. This is the first report of consistent production of antifungal metabolites by C. minitans .
Phylogeny of the New World medicinal leech family Macrobdellidae (Oligochaeta: Hirudinida: Arhynchobdellida)

Phylogenetic analyses of the leech family Macrobdellidae were accomplished with all nominal species in the family save one. A total of 17 specimens in nine ingroup species were analysed, along with four outgroup taxa. Twenty‐two morphological characters based on jaw dentition, sexual anatomy, and external morphology failed to provide a resolution for many of the relationships in the family. DNA sequence data from nuclear 18S rDNA, nuclear 28S rDNA, mitochondrial 12S rDNA, and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I were examined separately and in combination with morphological characters. The resulting combined analysis strongly corroborated the placement of the genus Philobdella within the family Macrobdellidae and as sister to a monophyletic genus Macrobdella, the typical North American medicinal leeches. Furthermore, sequence divergences among these taxa confirmed the existence of two species, Philobdella gracilis and P. floridana, readily distinguishable on the basis of jaw dentition.
Gβγ Directly Binds to the Carboxyl Terminus of the G Protein-Gated Muscarinic K+ Channel, GIRK1

Abstract βγ Subunits of heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins (Gβγ) activate the inwardly rectifying muscarinic K+ channel, GIRK1. The significant role for the carboxyl (C) terminus of GIRK1 in this interaction has been suggested. However, it is still unknown whether Gβγ directly interacts with GIRK1. To elucidate the molecular basis of Gβγ-activation of GIRK1, we examined the binding properties of Gβγ to the C terminus of GIRK1 cloned from mouse brain cDNA library (MB-GIRK1). The C terminus of MB-GIRK1 fused with glutathione S-transferase directly bound to purified Gβγ. Incubation of the C terminus with Gi pretreated with GTPγS, but not with GDP, resulted in the binding of Giβγ to the protein. Purified Gα-GDP, but not Gα-GTPγS, inhibited the binding of Gβγ to the fusion protein. These results indicate that Gβγ dissociated from Gα may directly bind to the C terminus of GIRK1.
Human and monoclonal antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen recognise a single immunodominant epitope

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) synthesized in Escherichia coli. They identified a single immunodominant determinant on both liver‐derived and E. coli‐derived HBcAg. Cross‐inhibition studies demonstrated that HBsAg‐containing human sera which contained antibodies to HBcAg (anti‐HBc) together with either hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) or its antibody (anti‐HBe) essentially only recognised the same single determinant as the murine antibodies. The identification of a single dominant HBcAg determinant may be important if future hepatitis B virus vaccines contain HBcAg.
Light regulation of nitrate reductase in green leaves of higher plants

Light stimulates de nova synthesis, as well as activation of higher plant nitrate reductase at the protein level. In green leaves, the light effects are mediated through photosynthetically active light by products of the Calvin cycle. A daily, light-induced increase in nitrate reduclase (NR) mRNA. protein, and activity is observed in various higher plants. Glucose or sucrose can replace light in eliciting the increase in nitrate reductase mRNA accumulation, and sonic metabolite from nitrate assimilation exerts a negative feedback on transcription of the nitrate reductase genes. The positive feedforward induced by sugars, and the negative feedback from nitrogen compound(s) apparently result in the circadian rhythms of NR mRNA observed in various plants. Nitrate reductase shows hysteretic behaviour, converting between a low and a high activity form in response to NAD(P)H. The low activity form is inhibited by calcium/ magnesium, as opposed to the high activity form that is not inhibited. Examination of nitrate reductase activity in crude extracts made from plants before and after a light-dark transition suggests the existence of two different forms of nitrate reductase: a‘light form’with a pH optimum of 7.8 in potassium phosphate buffer that is not inhibited by calcium or magnesium, and a “dark form’with li pH optimum of 7.5 that is strongly inhibited by calcium or magnesium. It is postulated that a transient lack of NADH as a result of decreased illumination can convert nitrate reductase into the less active form in situ.
Effects of oxyclozanide (Tremacid®) preparation against fascioliasis on clinical and haematological parameters in cattle of Bangladesh

The effects of Oxyclozanide (Tremacid®) on some clinical (body weight) and haematological parameters (TEC, Hb, PCV, ESR and TLC) were determined in this study. Among 55 cattle, 10 were selected, which were suffering from fascioliasis and divided randomly into two groups. Each group was consisting of five cattle. One was treated with Tremacid® @ (15 mg/kg body weight). Other was kept as an infected control group. Before trials with Tremacid® initial body weight, EPG of liver fluke and hematological parameters were examined. During the experimental period the faecal samples, clinical and hematological parameters were examined on 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days for the determination of effects of Tremacid®. A significant reduction of EPG count was found on 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day of Tremacid® (61.87%, 71.22%, 76.98% and 84.53%) in a treated cattle group. The EPG of an untreated control group was significantly (p<0.01) increased about 3.97%, 7.64%, 11.04% and 64.89% respectively. Total TEC was increased after treatment with Tremacid® and decreased in an untreated control group significantly (p<0.01), Likewise, after treatment with Tremacid® Hb content and PCV were increased, and ESR was decreased. Total leukocyte count (TLC) was decreased and the body weight was increased after Tremacid® treatment in the group A. On the other hand, Hb content PCV and body weight was decreased significantly (p<0.01) in the group B.
Adaptive responses of Populus kangdingensis to drought stress

We measured dry matter accumulation and allocation, photosynthesis, lipid peroxidation, osmotic adjustment, antioxidative defences and ABA content of Populus kangdingensis C. Wang et Tung under three different watering regimes (100%, 50% and 25% of the field capacity) to characterize the morphological, physiological and biochemical basis of drought resistance in woody plants. The results showed that drought stress caused pronounced inhibition of the growth and photosynthesis rate, and that the stomatal limitation to photosynthesis was dominant. The decrease in stomatal conductance effectively controlled water loss and increased water use efficiency. Drought also affected many physiological and biochemical processes, including increases in free proline, malondialdehyde and ABA content, and superoxide dismutase activity. On the other hand, the ABA content of leaves was significantly higher than that of stem and roots under all watering regimes; the high level of ABA in the leaf may result from the large import of ABA to leaves from other organs. These results demonstrate that there are a large set of parallel changes in the morphological, physiological and biochemical responses when plants are exposed to drought stress; these changes may enhance the capability of plants to survive and grow during drought periods.
Relation of fruit color, elongation, hardness, and volume to the infestation of olive cultivars by the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae

The susceptibility of olive cultivars to the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), has seldom been studied. This article examines factors associated with olive fruit fly infestation of 16 commonly planted Sicilian olive cultivars. Total infestation data were simultaneously correlated with categorical and quantitative factors using ordinal logistic regression. When all factors were included in the analysis, year, sampling date, cultivar, and fruit color were highly significant, but the quantitative factors fruit volume, fruit elongation, and fruit hardness were not. When the analysis was repeated excluding cultivar, all quantitative factors were significant, and elongation and volume were highly significant. Spherical, large, and hard fruit seemed to be preferred by B. oleae over fruit that are elongate, small, and soft. Therefore, fruit color, elongation, volume, and hardness provide useful information regarding the susceptibility of cultivars. In both organic and conventional olive cultivation, information about olive cultivar susceptibility to olive fruit fly will help orchard managers to produce quality oil and table olives while reducing treatments for olive fruit fly control.
Quirky patterns in time-series of estimates of recruitment could be artefacts

The accessibility of databases of global or regional stock assessment outputs is leading to an increase in meta-analysis of the dynamics of fish stocks. In most of these analyses, each of the time-series is generally assumed to be directly comparable. However, the approach to stock assessment employed, and the associated modelling assumptions, can have an important influence on the characteristics of each time-series. We explore this idea by investigating recruitment time-series with three different recruitment parameterizations: a stock–recruitment model, a random-walk time-series model, and non-parametric “free” estimation of recruitment. We show that the recruitment time-series is sensitive to model assumptions and this can impact reference points in management, the perception of variability in recruitment and thus undermine meta-analyses. The assumption of the direct comparability of recruitment time-series in databases is therefore not consistent across or within species and stocks. Caution is therefore required as perhaps the characteristics of the time-series of stock dynamics may be determined by the model used to generate them, rather than underlying ecological phenomena. This is especially true when information about cohort abundance is noisy or lacking.
The Secreted β-Amyloid Precursor Protein Ectodomain APPsα Is Sufficient to Rescue the Anatomical, Behavioral, and Electrophysiological Abnormalities of APP-Deficient Mice

It is well established that the proteolytic processing of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) generates β-amyloid (Aβ), which plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In contrast, the physiological role of APP and of its numerous proteolytic fragments and the question of whether a loss of these functions contributes to AD are still unknown. To address this question, we replaced the endogenous APP locus by gene-targeted alleles and generated two lines of knock-in mice that exclusively express APP deletion variants corresponding either to the secreted APP ectodomain (APPsα) or to a C-terminal (CT) truncation lacking the YENPTY interaction motif (APPΔCT15). Interestingly, the ΔCT15 deletion resulted in reduced turnover of holoAPP, increased cell surface expression, and strongly reduced Aβ levels in brain, likely because of reduced processing in the endocytic pathway. Most importantly, we demonstrate that in both APP knock-in lines the expression of APP N-terminal domains either grossly attenuated or completely rescued the prominent deficits of APP knock-out mice, such as reductions in brain and body weight, grip strength deficits, alterations in circadian locomotor activity, exploratory activity, and the impairment in spatial learning and long-term potentiation. Together, our data suggest that the APP C terminus is dispensable and that APPsα is sufficient to mediate the physiological functions of APP assessed by these tests.
Thermocommunication

Looking up – you realize that one of the twelve light bulbs of your living room chandelier has to be replaced. You turn electricity off, move a table to the center of the room, put a chair on top of the table and, new bulb in hand, you climb up on top of the chair. As you reach the chandelier, you notice that. all bulbs look alike and that you have forgotten which bulb needed to be changed. Restart all over again? Luckily, an effortless creative solution exists. By just touching the light bulbs you can determine the cold one and replace it! Put differently, information about the device’s malfunction leaked-out via its temperature.
Phytic Acid Formation in Dissected Ripening Rice Grains

proceeds in rice grains. The present work ad dresses this problem. For this study developing rice grains (Oryza sativa, L. cv Hayayuki) were grown as described in our previous paper7) and harvested between the 12th and 15th day after flowering, i.e., at late milky stage. The grains at this stage were dissected into aleurone layers (including peri carps and testae), starchy endosperms, and embryos (including scutella). Individual grains were detached, cut in half on the horizontal axis and dehulled. The aleurone layers were separable from starchy endosperms and em bryos. The dissected tissues from 30 devel oping grains (in the case of starchy endo sperm, 20 grains were used), were incubated with 150ƒÊmol of tricine-KOH (pH 7.5), 10 ƒÊ mol of myo-inositol, 10ƒÊmol Of MgCl2 and 25ƒÊmol of 32P-orthophosphate (1ƒÊCi) in a total volume of 1ml. After incubation for 3hr at 30•Ž, 1ml of 10% perchloric acid
Organization of RFLP diversity among inbred lines of maize representing the most significant heterotic groups

One hundred-sixteen inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.) from significant heterotic groups (i.e., European flint, Lancaster Sure Crop, Minnesota 13, and Reid Yellow Dent) and miscellaneous origins were assayed for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Our goals were to investigate (i) genetic variability and its structure among and within heterotic groups and (ii) the use of RFLP markers to assign miscellaneous lines to heterotic groups by means of probes selected for locus specificity, clear patterns, and reproducibility. Among the 63 single copy probe-enzyme combinations used, 372 variants were scored with a mean of 5.9 variants per combination. Principal component and cluster analyses performed on lines from established heterotic groups clearly separated flint lines from dent lines. Loci that contributed the most to the genetic differentiation between European flint and northern U.S. dent lines were determined. Within U.S. germplasm, classification showed an association of inbreds that closely matched associations based on pedigree relationships. Correlation between pedigree distance and molecular Rogers' distance was significant (r = 0.77, P < 0.001). Based on these results, classification by molecular distance was convenient (i) for identifying heterotic groups and (ii) for assigning origins to unknown or broadly based inbreds. This information should prove useful for choosing (i) combinations of inbreds to be evaluated in hybrid trials and (ii) parents for breeding programs.
Measures of reproductive allometry are sensitive to sampling bias

Summary 1In both interspecific and intraspecific comparisons, maternal body size is the strongest predictor of fecundity for many kinds of animals. However, it has not been widely appreciated that the usual empirical descriptors of this relationship (correlation coefficient, slope and P-value of the linear regression between maternal body size and offspring number) are sensitive to a factor that is very labile and subject to methodological bias: the degree of maternal investment, specifically the ratio of litter mass to maternal body mass (relative clutch mass, RCM). 2Samples of females used to assess reproductive allometry may often be biased with respect to RCM. For example, RCMs may vary through time within a single population as a consequence of prey availability, or may vary geographically among populations. Also, females with low RCMs may be more difficult to capture, or may be discarded by researchers who do not realize that they are reproductive. 3Our analyses on 173 litters of aspic vipers (Vipera aspis Linne) from central western France show that estimates of reproductive allometry are very sensitive to RCM: samples composed of high-RCM females show a positive and highly significant reproductive allometry, whereas samples composed of low RCM females do not. Conclusions also depend on the method of regression analysis used. This result has strong implications for methodology (i.e. selection of samples, choice of analytical methods and timescales of study) in this field of research.
Prognostic utility of N ‐terminal pro ‐B‐type natriuretic peptide and the modified Model for End ‐Stage Liver Disease in patients with end ‐stage heart failure

235 used in clinical practice to evaluate left ventric‐ ular systolic dysfunction, diagnose heart failure (HF), and monitor the effectiveness of treatment in patients with HF.2-4 Natriuretic peptides can also provide important prognostic information in patients with different stages of HF.2,5 It is com‐ monly known that a rise in the NT ‐proBNP lev‐ el is linked with an increased risk of death or HF hospitalization, while its fall is associated with INTRODUCTION The N ‐terminal pro ‐B‐type na‐ triuretic peptide (NT ‐proBNP) is released along with other natriuretic peptides by cardiac myo‐ cytes in response to increased wall stress result‐ ing from myocardial dysfunction. This prohor‐ mone is processed into a biologically active natri‐ uretic peptide, which can counteract the stress by inducing diuresis, natriuresis, and vasodilation.1 The measurement of NT ‐proBNP is commonly ORIGINAL ARTICLE