Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Chick Test for Toxicity in Forage Legumes 1

HERE are numerous legume species in the tropics and Tsubt ropics that have served agricultural uses for a long time as cover and green manure crops. However, little is known about their forage value. Tests made at this station of a number of these legumes have recently indicated the presence of a toxic principle( s) , apparently unsuspected in countries where they are used to a limited degree as forage crops. Inasmuch as the Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station maintains an active project on the introduction of tropical legumes, an initial screening for toxicity of such introductions is of particular importance. Such a technique would also be important in a breeding program to select nontoxic lines in the progenies o€ crosses betwe2n toxic and nontoxic parents. Iiidigoferrl endecnphylla is one of the most vigorously growing legumes ever introduced into Hawaii, especially in the wet areas. However, Nordfeldt and Younge ( 2 ) reported that the strain originally introduced into Hawaii was toxic to livestock, causing abortion in bred heifers and cows. It has also been reported by Nordfeldt et al.3 as causing depression, dizziness, lowered appetite, and, in some cases, death in rabbits, sheep, and cattle. In order to test a number of strains of 1. endecaphylla as well as other species of the genus Indigofera, it was apparent that some inexpensive and rapid method of detecting toxicity was necessary. A rapid chemical test would be preferred, but the toxic principle(s) in I . endecaphylln is still unknown. From published reports it appeared that rabbits and chicks would meet the criteria of a rapid and inexpensive biological assay for toxicity. Emmel and Ritchey (1) and Nordfeldt et aL.3 have reported that 1. endernpbylla was toxic to rabbits. It has been reported by Rosenberg and Palafox (3) that chicks also were highly sensitive to this species. Chicks fed 5 , 10, 15, and 20% of dried I , endecaphylla meal were depressed in growth, a syndrome grossly resembling Newcastle disease was induced, and many chicks died. For this test chicks are preferable to rabbits since they are cheaper, more easily procured in large numbers, and require very little feed. It has been found that a satisfactory feeding trial using 20 chicks can be conducted from forage produced in one rod row.
Latitudinal, longitudinal and bathymetric patterns of abundance, biomass of metazoan meiofauna: importance of the rare taxa and anomalies in the deep Mediterranean Sea

Quantitative information on the spatial distribution of meiofaunal abundance, biomass and biodiversity (as richness of higher taxa) is summarised from 476 sites of the deep- Mediterranean Sea, at depths ranging from ca. 200 to 4617 m. Meiofaunal abundance (46531 and 30624 ind 10 cm2 at 200–1000 and 1000–2000m depth intervals) and biomass (12516 and 11920 mgC 10 cm2 at 200–1000 and 1000–2000m depth intervals) in the bathyal sediments of the Mediterranean Sea are similar to those reported in oceans worldwide but at much higher depths (abyssal or hadal). Meiofaunal abundance, biomass and richness of taxa displayed a common decreasing bathymetric pattern, but showed a steeper negative slope than in other oceanic regions. Latitudinal and longitudinal gradients revealed idiosyncratic patterns when different basins (Western, Central and Eastern) and habitats (open slope, canyon, deep basin and trench) were considered. The results of the non parametric multivariate multiple regression analyses revealed that, conversely to what expected, depth is not the key factor in explaining the variance of meiofaunal assemblages living down to 2000m depth. The quality and quantity of food sources explained a larger fraction of the variance of meiofaunal variables (47, 25 and 33% for abundance, biomass and diversity, respectively) and the importance of food sources increased with increasing depth. However, most of the variance remains unexplained suggesting that other factors (such as episodic events, deep currents, other unexplored yet environmental characteristics) can act a key role in driving the observed meiofaunal spatial patterns. The analysis of rare taxa (on a data set of 183 samples), suggested that differences in the meiofaunal community were evident when dominating taxa (nematodes, copepods and polychaetes) were excluded. We report the presence of rare taxa exclusively present in open slope (amphipods) and canyon (cnidarians and decapod larvae) systems, whereas others are exclusively found in one of the two basins (e.g. gastrotrichs in the Western basin and amphipods and gastropods in the Eastern basin). The apparent preference of some rare taxa for a specific habitat or basin could have important implications for the identification of the hot spots of benthic diversity, for identifying the connectivity among systems and for an appropriate management of deep-sea habitats in the Mediterranean Sea.
Novel estrogen receptor ligands and their structure–activity relationship evaluated by scintillation proximity assay for high‐throughput screening

The estrogen receptor (ER) is an important drug target with allosteric characteristics that binds orthotopic hormones and other ligands. A recently developed scintillation proximity (SPA)‐based assay for high‐throughput screening (HTS) of compound libraries was used to identify novel estrogen receptor ligands that might have ER subtype selective binding activity. Radioligand binding was determined in a multi‐detector scintillation counter designed for microtitration plates. Equilibrium binding experiments and kinetic competition tests were performed with [3H]‐estradiol and human ERα and ERβ receptors. A library of 6,000 structurally diverse compounds was screened. From this, several novel ligands were identified that showed pronounced subtype‐selective differences in ligand binding for ERα and ERβ. The observed equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) for the binding of [3H]estradiol to ERα and ERβ receptors were approximately 0.25 and 0.64 nM, respectively. When 17β‐estradiol, raloxifene and daidzein were tested for binding affinity to ERα in a competition assay, the IC50 values were 0.34, 1.31, and 75.6 nM, respectively. When tested for binding affinity to ERβ, the IC50 values were 1.05, 11.4, and 10.6 nM, respectively. The results obtained show that the methodology is valid in comparison to previously published data regarding estradiol and other standard compounds (raloxifene and daidzein) binding characteristics of estrogen receptors. The assay is also well suited to applied research as a tool in HTS of compound libraries in the search of ER ligands. Several novel active compounds were identified and selected as potent ER subtype ligands. Drug Dev Res 64:203–212, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identification and Characterization of the Autophosphorylation Sites of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Isoforms β and γ*

Class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are bifunctional enzymes possessing lipid kinase activity and the capacity to phosphorylate their catalytic and/or regulatory subunits. In this study, in vitro autophosphorylation of the G protein-sensitive p85-coupled class IA PI3Kβ and p101-coupled class IB PI3Kγ was examined. Autophosphorylation sites of both PI3K isoforms were mapped to C-terminal serine residues of the catalytic p110 subunit (i.e. serine 1070 of p110β and serine 1101 of p110γ). Like other class IA PI3K isoforms, autophosphorylation of p110β resulted in down-regulated PI3Kβ lipid kinase activity. However, no inhibitory effect of p110γ autophosphorylation on PI3Kγ lipid kinase activity was observed. Moreover, PI3Kβ and PI3Kγ differed in the regulation of their autophosphorylation. Whereas p110β autophosphorylation was stimulated neither by Gβγ complexes nor by a phosphotyrosyl peptide derived from the platelet-derived growth factor receptor, autophosphorylation of p110γ was significantly enhanced by Gβγ in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In summary, we show that autophosphorylation of both PI3Kβ and PI3Kγ occurs in a C-terminal region of the catalytic p110 subunit but differs in its regulation and possible functional consequences, suggesting distinct roles of autophosphorylation of PI3Kβ and PI3Kγ.
A light and electron microscope study of epitheliocystis in juvenile steelhead trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson

Ultrastructural analysis of epitheliocystis organisms from gills of anadromous juvenile steelhead trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, revealed the presence of several distinct forms. Two oval infectious organisms resembled previously described agents and had chlamydia-like characteristics. One form had a distinct oval head region from which a tail-like structure projected. These prokaryotic forms have an ultrastructural appearance which has not been described in previous reports of epitheliocystis. Morphological analyses of gill epithelial cells of S. gairdneri suggest that each cyst remains contained within the cytoplasm of a single host cell.
AIS Electronic Library (AISeL) AIS Electronic Library

Online reputation represents an important driver for platform-mediated transactions. Reputation portability captures the notion of allowing users to transfer their reputation – often in the form of numerical rating scores – from one platform to another. The effectiveness of reputation as a driver of trustworthiness within platforms is well-understood. However, the benefits of porting reputation across platform boundaries are unclear as there is still little empirical evidence. In this article, we employ a multi-method approach to evaluate the interplay of on-site and imported reputation. First, we report results from an online experiment, showing that imported ratings represent a powerful source of online trust. Moreover, we provide a rationale for complementors deciding on whether or not to import reputation. Second, based on empirical data from an actual e-commerce platform, we investigate complementors’ ability to attract demand through importing ratings. Last, we sketch out a field experiment to evaluate external validity and effectiveness of reputation portability in the wild.
Order in the Statistical Learning of Phonotactics

A premise of statistical learning research is that learners attend to and learn the frequencies of repeating or co-occurring elements in the input. When the input is a series of words, participants readily learn the frequencies of phoneme sequences, that is, to learn phonotactic frequencies. Inherent to the concepts of both frequency and phonotactics is order, or the temporal structure of the input. Order is similarly inherent to statistical learning, yet the effect of order on statistical learning is not well understood. In the present study, adult participants learned the relative frequencies of eight item-medial consonant sequences, for example, the /mk/ in /nʌmkət/. Across five ordering conditions, both familiarization and test stimuli were independently ordered and randomized, thus allowing for a relatively broad search for order effects in an established statistical learning paradigm. Participants learned the target frequencies equivalently across the five ordering conditions, indicating no modulating effect of order. Nevertheless, participants also approached the task by applying idiosyncratic, structured orders to their responses. The result is an unexpected but robust effect of order. Both the results and the design of the study also allow for increased integration of statistical learning with memory and other aspects of cognition. (198 words)
Development of testes and differentiation of germ cells in water frogs of the Rana esculenta - complex (Amphibia, Anura)

The European water frog, Rana esculenta, is a hybrid whose genome is composed of haploid chromosome sets of its parental species R. lessonae and R. ridibunda. Prior to meiosis one of the parental sets is discarded and the other is duplicated (hybridogenesis). In the parental species sex differentiation begins at tadpole stages 28-30 (Gosner, 1960), at stages 30-36 the testes are composed of proliferating pale spermatogonia 1°. At stages 36-39 a new class of spermatogonia I° (dark) appears. Before first hibernation, seminiferous lobules are filled with cysts containing germ cells at various stages of spermatogenesis up to elongating spermatids. In R. esculenta gonad development is affected from the earliest stages: the gonads are smaller and composed of reduced number of spermatogonia I°. The phase of pale spermatogonia I° proliferation is prolonged up to the second year of life. The structure of the gonads, as well as that of germ cells themselves, are often abnormal.
PREDATION RISK AND UNPREDICTABLE FEEDING CONDITIONS: DETERMINANTS OF BODY MASS IN BIRDS'

The body mass (or fat reserves) maintained by a wintering bird can be viewed as a trade-off between the risk of starvation and the risk of predation. This follows from the fact that fat reserves affect survival in very different ways. From the starvation point of view, a bird should be as fat (or heavy) as possible in order to minimize its probability of starvation during weather-related food unavailability because fatter birds can survive longer without food than leaner birds. From the predation risk point of view, however, a bird should be as lean as possible to minimize its probability of being killed. Leaner birds will incur a smaller cost of existence than heavier birds and thus spend less time feeding, potentially exposed to predators. In addition, lean birds are likely to be more adept at escaping predators once attacked. If a bird is attempting to minimize its probability of death during the winter season, the fat reserves and thus the body mass it maintains will reflect a trade-off between starvation and predation risk. A simple stochastic simulation model developed to explore the nature of this trade-off indicates that body mass should: (1) increase with the frequency and/or harshness of periods of food unavailability (due to snow, ice, wind, etc.); (2) decrease with increasing predation risk; (3) decrease with increasing temperature; and (4) increase with food abundance. The analysis of the model readily explains why wintering birds maintain fat levels lower than those of which they are capable. The tendency for individuals of a given bird species to be heavier in more northerly populations and during midwinter is also readily interpreted in terms of the above trade- off. Implications for foraging behavior and population regulation in wintering birds are discussed.
Achalasia subtypes are front and center of the Chicago classification—strategies to overcome limitations in clinical application

High-resolution manometry (HRM) with closely spaced pressure sensors, enhances visualization and interpretation of esophageal pressures. HRM software displays two key physiological features of achalasia: inadequate swallow-induced lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation, and the absence of normal esophageal primary peristalsis. HRM metrics quantify these features, by determining: (I) integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) during swallowing; and (II) esophageal body pressure patterns of absent or abnormal peristalsis, with high sensitivity for diagnosis of achalasia. These measures guide identification of three achalasia subtypes, through the Chicago classification of motility disorders. Achalasia subtypes stratify prevalent esophageal body pressure patterns with: subtype I, absent pressures (aperistalsis); subtype II, uniform pressures (esophageal pan pressurization); and subtype III, spasm pressures (spastic, premature or abnormal contractions). Whenever HRM reveals a non-relaxing EGJ, achalasia subtypes are front and center of the hierarchical classification process, with relevance to treatment outcomes. Exploration of pathophysiology suggests esophageal circular and longitudinal muscle function varies with achalasia subtype. Beyond the classification, an achalasia-like syndrome refers to a minority of patients where pressures do not meet criteria for achalasia subtypes, necessitating adjunct tests. Application of HRM in patients with achalasia can be challenging. Limitations during acquisition may occur with resistance at the EGJ or catheter curling, and esophageal pooling with successive water swallows. Interpretation requires care when EGJ relaxation pressure is within the normal range or affected by longitudinal muscle contraction. To overcome inconclusive HRM findings, strategies to clarify dysmotility include adjunct swallow challenge tests or additional investigations. Evolving manometric protocols, additional HRM metrics, and incorporation of intraluminal impedance will maximize HRM utility for achalasia.
Treatment and respiratory support modes for neonates with respiratory distress syndrome

ABSTRACT Introduction Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) remains an important problem. Identifying effective treatments and respiratory support modes is essential. Areas covered Current treatments and respiratory support modes and the evidence base for new therapies and respiratory modes have been examined. Methods A literature search was undertaken using PubMed and Google Scholar. Expert opinion It is now common to stabilise infants on non-invasive respiratory support in the delivery suite and give early selective surfactant to infants with RDS. Increasingly, less invasive surfactant administration is used. Systemically administered corticosteroids should not be given in the perinatal period; inhaled budesonide has been associated with an increased mortality. Inhaled nitric oxide can be helpful in preterm infants with pulmonary hypertension. Caffeine should be routinely administered. Further research regarding stems cells is required. Post extubation, nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) rather than nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) provides better support and humidified high flow nasal cannula (HHFNC) has similar efficacy to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Volume targeting should be used for infants requiring intubation. There is insufficient evidence to determine the role of neurally adjusted ventilatory assist or whether closed loop automatic oxygen control improves long term outcomes.
Phenotypic variation in the Sphagnum recurvum complex: a cultivation experiment

Abstract Three morphs in the Sphagnum recurvum complex sampled from two mire localities in Central Norway were cultivated under different water levels and nutrient conditions in order to assess the amount and direction of phenotypic plasticity in several morphological variables. The factor ‘morph’ accounted for much of the variation. However, many of the shoot, branch, leaf and cell variables responded to the experimentally altered conditions, and water level was particularly important. Only the spreading:hanging branch length ratio and various stem leaf variables distinguished the Sphagnum angustifolium moiph from the S. fallax and S. isoviitae morphs regardless of environmental conditions and sampling locality. The results indicated that there is a continuum of genotypes shared by S. fallax and S. isoviitae.
Dissemination of spring viraemia of carp (SVC) in Serbia during the period 1992-2002

An acute contagious viral disease caused by Rhabdovirus carpio, spring viraemia of carp, was described for the first time by Fijan in 1972. Carp is the most important susceptible species in all age categories, although other species of cyprinid fish also contract the disease. As the name suggest, the disease typically appears in spring, when the water temperature increases. The disease is often complicated by the secondary appearance of bacterial and parasitic infections. The clinical symptoms include and presume gathering of infected fish near the sides of the pond, uncoordinated swimming, darkening of body color, pale gills, petechial bleeding (of the skin, eyes, gills, and fin bases), exophthalmus, and the appearance of pseudofecal expulsions from the infected anus. Pathoanatomical examination sometimes reveals only oedematous organ enlargement and intestinal inflammation. A varying degree of haemorrhaging is present in the bladder, internal organs, and fluid-containing cavities. Diagnosis is based on isolation and identification of the virus and ELISA in the laboratory. More than 1664 samples were analyzed in the course of the 10-year investigation (from 1992-2002) from different carp hatchery localities in the Republic of Serbia. Rhabdovirus carpio was isolated and identified at more than a third of the tested fish hatcheries (31,57%) infected with the spring viraemia virus. Although the disease was known earlier, it now represents an urgent problem in many European countries, and has been causing great damage in intensive and semi-intensive carp production in our country during the last few years. Therefore, special attention has been paid to it.
Faecal microbial populations of growing kittens fed high- or moderate-protein diets

The objective of this study was to investigate the intestinal microbiota of growing kittens fed moderate- or high-protein diets using DNA-based qualitative and quantitative techniques. Kittens were weaned to a high-protein (HP; n = 7) or moderate-protein (MP; n = 10) diet at 8 weeks of age. Fresh faecal samples were collected at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. DNA was extracted and quantitative PCR used to quantify Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli concentrations. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was performed to create a dendrogram and unrooted trees using Bionumerics 5.0 to identify similarity due to litter, age, or diet. Kittens fed HP had lower (p = 0.02) Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus counts than MP-fed kittens. E. coli was lower (p = 0.02) in HP-fed kittens and tended to be affected by age (p = 0.09). Kittens were clustered by litter at 8 weeks of age, and then clustered by diet at 12 and 16 weeks of age. Our data suggest that faecal microbiota of growing kittens change after weaning and that dietary protein concentration affects E. coli, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus populations. The relevance of these data in terms of intestinal health and disease remain to be determined and justifies further study.
Preliminary assessment of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.) landraces for temperature and water stress tolerance under field conditions in Botswana

Field experiments were conducted in 2006/07 and 2007/08 in Botswana to study the response of bambara groundnut to heat stress (2006/07 season) and to heat stress and soil moisture deficit stress (2007/08 season). In both seasons selected bambara groundnut landraces were grown at different sowing dates to provide a range of field environmental conditions. While the effects of water stress were mitigated by irrigation throughout the growing season in the 2006/07 season, in the 2007/08 season plants were grown under two irrigation regimes: a control that was irrigated throughout and a rain-fed treatment, with irrigation withheld at 30 days after sowing (DAS). Owing to significant and above average rainfall in the 2007/08 season no significant (p=0.05) differences in soil moisture content were obtained between the irrigated and rain-fed treatments. The highest average maximum temperatures of 34.1 and 29.2°C achieved in the December sowings in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 cropping seasons, respectively, did not impact any of the parameters measured, including leaf tissue electrolyte leakage, light adapted chlorophyll fluorescence, crop growth and yield. However, there was a highly significant (p<0.001) decline in crop performance with decline in temperature associated with delay in sowing after December. The results obtained suggest a sensitivity of bambara groundnut landraces to both low temperatures and photope-riod under field conditions in a semi-arid environment.