Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Colony Incompatibility among New Zealand Isolates of Salmonella typhimurium

Strains of Salmonella typhimurium representing various phage-types were permitted to swarm towards each other on soft agar to determine their compatibility. Some strains, regardless of phage-type, were totally compatible, whereas others regularly formed incompatibility zones. The widths of these zones varied from less than 1 mm to 12 mm. A detailed study of 30 strains of phage-types 1 and 42 showed that they belonged to a variety of incompatibility groups, while four strains of phage-type 179, which was only recently found in New Zealand, all belonged to one incompatibility group.
INTENSIFICATION OF THE SYNTHESIS OF FLAVOUR COMPOUNDS IN YOGURT BY MILK ENRICHMENT WITH THEIR PRECURSORS

The aim of the present study was to test the possibility of enhancing the synthesis of flavor compounds with a traditional yogurt culture and a culture containing microflora composed of: S. thermophilus : L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus : Bifidobacterium (TBB yogurt) and Str. thermophilus : L acidophilus : Bifidobacterium (TAB yogurt). Milk was enriched with lactose (10 g/L), glucose (0.7 g/L), sodium proteinate (25 g/L), sodium citrate (3 g/L), a mixture of citric acid (1 g/L) and sodium citrate (3 g/L), and threonine (1 and 3 g/L). The following determinations were made in fresh yogurts (ripened for 24 h) and yogurts stored for 7 and 14 days: active acidity, lactic acid - according to Lunder, acetaldehyde, diacetyl, acetoin, ethanol, and volatile free fatty acids by gas chromatography. All products were evaluated organoleptically. It was found that from among the substances whose effects on the synthesis of flavor compounds were studied in this experiment particular attention should be paid to threonine. The addition of this amino acid significantly affected the rate of acetaldehyde formation (an increase by 10.24-22.56 mg/L) in all kinds of yogurt. The modification of milk composition had a profound influence on the levels (increase or decrease) of all flavor compounds in yogurt samples, as well as on their sensoric attractiveness.
Tolerance And Acceptability Of A New Paediatric Enteral Tube Feeding Formula Containing Ingredients Derived From Food: A Multicentre Trial In The United Kingdom

Recently, as reported by dietetic departments in the United Kingdom, we have seen an increase in Homemade Blended Diets (HBD) being given to children requiring tube feeding. HBD practice may increase the risk of tube occlusion and nutritional inadequacies. In 2015 the British Dietetic Association (BDA) developed their first ‘Practice toolkit liquidised food via gastrostomy tube’, which did not recommend administration of liquidised food via an enteral feeding tube. The
Variability in the average sinking velocity of marine particles

We used a new combination of sampling techniques involving in situ imaging of particles in the water column and the collection of particle flux in viscous polyacrylamide gels to estimate the average sinking velocities (Wi,avg) of marine particles ranging from equivalent spherical diameters of 70 µm to 6 mm at several locations, depths, and times along the west Antarctica Peninsula to explore the variability of Wi,avg. During the January 2009 deployments, Wi,avg ranged from about 10 to 150 m d−1, with the fastest velocities at the large and small ends of the sizes considered. A repeat occupation of one station in Marguerite Bay in February 2009 gave Wi,avg size distributions that were quite different from those of the previous month, with rapidly sinking small particles and very slow Wi,avg for the large particle classes. These results demonstrate the importance of diatom aggregates and krill fecal pellets with regard to the ocean’s biological pump in this region. The observed variability in space and time indicates that global relationships between particle concentrations and fluxes, or simple theoretical formulations of sinking velocity as a function of particle size (such as a single parameterization of the Stokes’ Law), are unsuitable for yielding accurate estimates of particle flux from measurements of the particle size distribution. Combining measurements of Wi,avg with high‐frequency sampling of the particle concentration size distribution would enable the estimation of particle fluxes at much higher temporal and spatial resolutions than is currently possible with conventional sediment trapping methods.
Geographical and ecological patterns of range size in North American trees

We analysed the degree to which spatial, ecological and phylogenetic factors influenced geographic gradients in range size for all trees native to North America. We compared observed range sizes, measured in either one (latitudinal or longitudinal extent) or two dimensions (range area), with three null models that respected constraints imposed by the geometry of the continent; we tested whether climatic gradients could account for increasing range size with latitude – a Rapoport effect – in North American trees; and whether variation in range size was associated with phylogeny or ecological characteristics of species. We documented an excess of species with small ranges and a lack of widely distributed species compared with null expectations both with and without environmental constraints. We found evidence for a Rapoport effect in North American trees, at different taxonomic levels and for different groups defined by ecological characteristics. This pattern is not an outcome constrained by continental shape and does not depend on the metric for range size, but it is consistent with the climatic variability hypothesis proposed to explain the Rapoport pattern. Finally we showed that trees east of the Rocky Mountains have larger ranges on average than trees to the west or in Mexico and that the proportion of deciduous compared to evergreen species increases with range size. Variation in range size among North American trees is not spatially random, and has a phylogenetic and ecological signal. Consistent with the climatic variability hypothesis, range size of North American trees increases with increasing variability in annual temperature range at higher latitudes.
A study of unusual metabolic variants of Aeromonas caviae and Aeromonas hydrophila using a polyphasic taxonomic approach

Title of Document: A STUDY OF UNUSUAL METABOLIC VARIANTS OF AEROMONAS CAVIAE AND AEROMONAS HYDROPHILA USING A POLYPHASIC TAXONOMIC APPROACH Zenas Chang, MS, 2010 Directed By: Professor Sam W. Joseph, CBMG Variation in acid production from carbohydrate metabolism has been identified in Aeromonas as a potential indicator for new subspecies. Therefore, pure cultures of non-lactose fermenting Aeromonas caviae, a cause of waterborne infections in humans and other vertebrates, were studied after noting a mixture of acid producing and non-acid producing colonies after four days of incubation on MacConkey agar at ambient temperature. Unusual arabinose negative strains of A. hydrophila (usually arabinose positive) were added to the project to further study the correlation between carbohydrate fermentation and taxonomy. These metabolic variants of A. caviae and A. hydrophila were studied for phenotypic differences via carbohydrate utilization assays as well as genotypic differences via FAFLP. The results suggest that the A. caviae isolates MB3 and MB7 should be considered novel subspecies, while the arabinose negative strain designated A. hydrophila subsp. dhakensis is correctly identified as a subspecies of A. hydrophila. A STUDY OF UNUSUAL METABOLIC VARIANTS OF AEROMONAS CAVIAE AND AEROMONAS HYDROPHILA USING A POLYPHASIC TAXONOMIC APPROACH
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Like 5 (CDKL5): Possible Cellular Signalling Targets and Involvement in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder

Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5, also known as STK9) is a serine/threonine protein kinase originally identified in 1998 during a transcriptional mapping project of the human X chromosome. Thereafter, a mutation in CDKL5 was reported in individuals with the atypical Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder, suggesting that CDKL5 plays an important regulatory role in neuronal function. The disease associated with CDKL5 mutation has recently been recognised as CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) and has been distinguished from the Rett syndrome owing to its symptomatic manifestation. Because CDKL5 mutations identified in patients with CDD cause enzymatic loss of function, CDKL5 catalytic activity is likely strongly associated with the disease. Consequently, the exploration of CDKL5 substrate characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of its catalytic activity are important for identifying therapeutic target molecules and developing new treatment. In this review, we summarise recent findings on the phosphorylation of CDKL5 substrates and the mechanisms of CDKL5 phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. We also discuss the relationship between changes in the phosphorylation signalling pathways and the Cdkl5 knockout mouse phenotype and consider future prospects for the treatment of mental and neurological disease associated with CDKL5 mutations.
Partitioning of assimilates to deeper roots is associated with cooler canopies and increased yield under drought in wheat

Dehydration avoidance through cooler canopy temperature (CT) has been shown to explain over 60% yield variation in a random progeny derived from a Seri/Babax cross. A near ‘isomorphic’ subset of Seri/Babax progeny and parents encompassing a restricted range of height and phenology were used for detailed characterisation of drought-adaptive trait expression under contrasting water regimes. Under drought, five of the six progeny out yielded the best parent Babax by up to 35%. The main physiological attributes associated with drought adaptation were increased root dry weight at depth, transpiration rate – evidenced by grain carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) – grain filling duration and decreased CT during grain filling. Furthermore, increased root mass at depth was associated with reduced levels of stem water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) when comparing genotypes. It is concluded that differences in rooting depth expressed among iso-morphic wheat sister lines explains superior adaptation to drought. These effects can be detected in season using remote sensing. In addition, the data suggest that accumulation of stem carbohydrates and deep rooting may be two alternative strategies for adapting to drought stress, the latter being beneficial where water is available at depth.
A control and management approach of a DC Microgrid Virtual District

In the context of Smart Communities microgrids, the paper proposes a control approach for the power management among several DC microgrids, called by the authors Smart User Networks, aggregated in a Virtual Energy District. More specifically, the DC bus signaling control strategy is proposed as control approach for the power management of a single smart user network and for several smart user networks aggregated in a Virtual Energy District. The objective is to meet the power profile requirements sent by a supervision entity of the Virtual Energy District, named City Energy Provider. The principal characteristic of the proposed control approach is that the DC bus voltage of each Smart User Network is the only information carrier implementing the control strategy in a decentralized and distributed manner. In this way, also in case of absence of communication link among the components of a Smart User Network, a stable and continuous operating is guaranteed. Ansys Simplorer simulation results demonstrate the performance and the effectiveness of the proposed power management and control strategy.
Comparing Palmer Drought Severity Index drought assessments using the traditional offline approach with direct climate model outputs

Abstract. Anthropogenic warming has been projected to increase global drought for the 21st century when calculated using traditional offline drought indices. However, this contradicts observations of the overall global greening and little systematic change in runoff over the past few decades and climate projections of future greening with slight increases in global runoff for the coming century. This calls into question the drought projections based on traditional offline drought indices. Here we calculate a widely used traditional drought index (i.e., the Palmer Drought Severity Index, PDSI) using direct outputs from 16 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models (PDSI_CMIP5) such that the hydrologic consistency between PDSI_CMIP5 and CMIP5 models is maintained. We find that the PDSI_CMIP5-depicted drought increases (in terms of drought severity, frequency, and extent) are much smaller than that reported when PDSI is calculated using the traditional offline approach that has been widely used in previous drought assessments under climate change. Further analyses indicate that the overestimation of PDSI drought increases reported previously using the PDSI is primarily due to ignoring the vegetation response to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([ CO2 ]) in the traditional offline calculations. Finally, we show that the overestimation of drought using the traditional PDSI approach can be minimized by accounting for the effect of CO2 on evapotranspiration.
Demographics, earnings, and family characteristics of workers in sectors initially affected by COVID-19 shutdowns

In the initial weeks of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, employment in several industries was especially vulnerable because of shutdown policies imposed by states, as well as a drop in demand as people engaged in social distancing This article looks at the demographic characteristics of workers in the initially highly exposed industries, as well as the characteristics and earnings of families with workers in these industries The article also uses recent Current Population Survey data to look at how various demographic groups have fared in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic between February end April
Switching sides but still fighting the Civil War in southern politics

ABSTRACT It is well-established that the realignment of the past half-century sorted southern whites into the Grand Old Party (GOP) while southern blacks have remained stalwart Democrats. Surprisingly, however, there has been little systematic investigation of the relationship between party identification and opinions toward the South’s Confederate legacy. If it is indeed the case that race played the dominant role in the partisan sorting of southern whites into the Republican Party, then it should follow that contemporary GOP adherents have also taken a more favorable view toward Confederate symbols. In this study, we present data from numerous surveys that show southern whites of opposing parties have polarized on opinions toward the Confederate legacy in a historical reversal so that those aligned with the party of Abraham Lincoln are now the staunchest defenders of the “Lost Cause. ”
Hypoalbuminemia: an underestimated, vital characteristic of hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients?

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the greatest worldwide health crisis in decades. The number of infected patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) disease has overwhelmed the capacity of almost all health care systems around world. Hypoalbuminemia has now been reported in patients with severe disease seeking help in the emergency room because of COVID-19 infection. In the past, hypoalbuminemia was considered to be a negative prognostic marker, not only in patients with chronic liver disease, but also in patients with SARS and MERS infections. Albumin is the major serum protein synthesized by the liver. A low serum albumin level is an ominous clinical sign. Introduction of amino acids to a patient’s diet is of fundamental importance to hepatic albumin synthesis in different clinical situations. This highlights the importance of nutritional support during the early phases of COVID-19-infection. Furthermore, albumin synthesis in the hepatocyte is downregulated at a pretranslational level by the direct interaction of the major acute-phase cytokines which are released into the circulation during the cytokine “storm” induced by the viral effects on the lungs. Both mechanisms contribute to severe hypoalbuminemia which, combined with massive fluid losses due to the fever, is responsible for severe hypovolemia and shock commonly observed in patients with COVID-19 in critical care settings.
Advances in DNA sequencing: Challenges and limitations of personal sequencing

The advent of second and third generation DNA sequencing techniqnologies have revolutionized the genomics research. The Single Molecule Sequencing technologies are adequate to minimize occurrence of errors in sequencing. The third generation sequencing technologies could overcome limitations of first and second-generation sequencing technologies. The almost complete human genome sequencing was performed by using single molecular sequencing technologies. Benefits, risks and safeguards associated with the disclosure of information of very intimate kind contained in human genome, were also discussed. The power of whole sequencing for human welfare arises only from associations with medical histories, behavioral characteristics, physical descriptions and genome-environment interactions not from mere knowledge of base pairs. Key words: DNA sequencing, medical histories, behavioral characteristics, physical descriptions.
The role of dust destruction and dust growth in the evolution of the interstellar medium

We use Milky Way-like chemodynamical simulations with a new treatment for dust destruction and growth to investigate how these two processes affect the properties of the interstellar medium in galaxies. We focus on the role of two specific parameters, namely fdes (a new parameter that determines the fraction of dust destroyed in a single gas particle vicinity of a supernova) and Cs (the probability that a metal atom or ion sticks to the dust grain after colliding, i.e. the sticking coefficient), in regulating the amount and distribution of dust, cold gas and metals in galaxies. We find that simulated galaxies with low fdes and/or high Cs values not only produce more dust, but they also have a shallower correlation between the dust surface density and the total gas surface density, and a steeper correlation between the dust-to-gas ratio and the metallicity. Only for values of fdes between 0.01 and 0.02, and of Cs between 0.5 and 1 do our simulations produce an average slope of the dust-to-gas ratio versus metallicity relationship that is consistent with observations. fdes values correspond to a total fraction of dust destroyed by a single supernova ranging between 0.42 and 0.44. Finally, we compare predictions of several simulations (with different star formation recipes, gas fractions, central metallicities, and metallicity gradients) with the spatially resolved M101 galaxy, and conclude that metallicity is the primary driver of the spatial distribution of dust, while the dust-to-gas ratio controls the cold gas distribution, as it regulates the atomc-to-molecular hydrogen conversion rate.
Time of start of spawning in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) females in relation to vitellogenic oocyte diameter, temperature, fish length and condition

Spawning time of female Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) can be predicted to within 3 days using vitellogenic oocyte diameters measured over the last month before spawning. Simulations show that a l°C drop in temperature during vitellogenesis delays spawning by about 8–10 days. Similar results were obtained with fish on low ration for 4–8 months before spawning. Moderately fed females held over two to four consecutive spawning seasons demonstrated a significant delay (⋍3–40 days) in the date of first spawning as the fish grew older and more fecund. Forecasting studies on spawning migrating Arcto-Norwegian cod gave no evidence of a significant effect of fish length on the time of spawning. Warmer water temperature during vitellogenesis for the larger fish appears to compensate for the negative effect of fecundity On spawning time.
Ecological exchangeability versus neutral molecular markers: the case of the great tit

Neutral genetic markers, such as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences, are commonly used to discover independently evolving groups of populations in nature. These groups are often considered to be units of conservation because they preserve distinct organismal histories. However, because of the time lag between the isolation of populations and the evolution of diagnostic neutral markers, adaptive traits could be unrepresented by units defined by neutral markers. The concept of ecological exchangeability potentially provides a way to preserve populations possessing local adaptations that lack diagnostic neutral markers. Populations are surveyed for differences in fitness traits, either directly, or by examining morphological or genetic traits that could indirectly serve as proxies for them. The purpose of this paper is to compare the nature of units of conservation defined by neutral gene surveys and ecological exchangeability, using data recently available for the great tit Parus major, a wide‐ranging Palearctic species. mtDNA surveys reveal a lack of differentiation across thousands of kilometer. In contrast, studies of body size and clutch size show locally adapted differences between populations separated by a few kilometer, meaning that these populations could be classified as ecologically in exchangeable. These two types of markers have dramatically different consequences for the geographic and evolutionary scale of conservation units. The concept of ecological exchangeability might be an inappropriate way to diagnose units of conservation in birds owing to the time required to document local adaptations and their potential ubiquity. Neutral genetic markers continue to provide a theoretically sound way of identifying units of conservation, and these units ought to be integrated into conservation plans without delay.
An overlooked population of the beira antelope Dorcatragus megalotis in Djibouti

The beira antelope Dorcatragus megalotis, which is listed as possibly extinct in Djibouti in the 1996 IUCN Red List, was observed there by the authors in 1993/94. The authors discuss its status in the country and the action needed for its conservation.