Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of cage floor space on the egg production performance of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) during winter

November hatched quail chicks were randomly distributed in battery brooders (160x80x24cm) at the floor space of 100, 150, 180 and 210 cm2/bird during 0–6 wk period and provided standard quail ration. From 7th week only female quails were transferred to colony laying cages (60x60x24cm) and maintained at the same floor space as during 0–6 week period. Each treatment group had three replicates and fed with standard quail layer ration, ad libitum during entire experimental period. Body weights increased with the increase in the increase in the floor space at 6th and 20th week of age. Though there was no significant difference in the age at first egg, birds provided 210 cm2 floor space reach 50% egg production at significantly (P 180 cm2), and such trend was also observed in the second phase (14–20 wk). The average egg weight during first and second phase was significantly higher (P 180 cm2 floor space. The FCR per kg egg produced was better (P<0.01) at higher floor space. Better hatchability and lower dead in germ were recorded in 100–180 cm2 floor space groups. It may be concluded that overall egg production (%) increased with the increase in the increase in the floor space per quail.
Variability in Basal Metabolic Rate of a Long-Distance Migrant Shorebird (Red Knot, Calidris canutus) Reflects Shifts in Organ Sizes

We studied differences in body composition and basal metabolic rate (BMR, measured in postabsorptive birds under thermoneutral conditions at night) in two subspecies of red knots, Calidris canutus: one that spends the nonbreeding season under energetically costly climatic conditions at temperate latitudes (subspecies islandica in western Europe) and one that winters in the hot and humid tropics (subspecies canutus in West and South Africa). To examine whether the possible differences would be upheld under identical conditions, we kept both groups in captivity as well Body composition was quantified with respect to the fat and lean components of 10 "organs" (breast muscles, leg muscles, stomach, intestine, liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, and the skin, and skeleton and attached muscle). Captive birds had lighter lean tissues than wild birds, especially those of the stomach, intestine, kidneys, and liver (the nutritional organs). During the northern winter wild islandica knots had higher lean masses than canutus knots in tropical Africa. Tropically wintering red knots had lower BMRs than their temperate-wintering conspecifics, and birds in long-term captivity had lower BMR values than their free-living counterparts. Average BMR values per category of birds (wild or captive of either subspecies) were strongly correlated with the group averages of lean mass. Prediction of BMR on the basis of total lean mass of red knots undergoing incipient starvation follows this same relationship because metabolically active tissue is being depleted. That the two subspecies converged to similar body composition in captivity indicates that individual red knots may possess considerable flexibility. We argue that red knots, and probably most other long-distance migrants, have metabolic machinery that is able to adjust continuously, depending on the ecological conditions and food types encountered in the course of the year. We further argue that variation in (functional components of) lean mass is the vehicle for seasonal adjustments in metabolic physiology to variable demand levels. Body mass adjustments offer a flexible response enabling red knots to economize on total daily metabolic expenditure whenever conditions allow a relaxation of metabolic scope, such as during winter in the Tropics.
Interactions between white-breasted cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo (Aves: Phalacrocoracidae) and the fisheries of Lake Malawi

1. The status of white-breasted cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus as possible competitors with the fisheries of Lake Malaw∧i was assessed. 2. Numbers of P. carbo on the lake were estimated, from visual counts and photographs of resting sites taken at last light, to be 10000 individuals in 1979. 3. Observations were concentrated on a colony of 5000+ birds on Boadzulu Island, in the south-east arm of the lake, the main area of commercial fishing. The birds fished in a single large flock, in shallow water, at or near the sandy or muddy bottom
An analysis of the forests of the Bristol Hills of New York.

A detrended correspondence analysis ordination display of 433 20 x 50 m forested plots and 11 100-m line-intercepts from the Bristol Hills of New York indicated that the vegetation was responding to a topographic-moisture gradient and a successional gradient. Comparison of plots according to aspect showed that a portion of the moisture gradient was related to differences in slope aspect. The moisture gradient by aspect went from xeric S to W to ridge-top to Nto E-facing mesic slopes. Percent similarities analysis showed the vegetational aspect differences to be due to differences in relative importance values of the species and not to large differences in species presence and absence. Sugar maple and beech extend further upslope on Eand N-facing slopes than on drier W slopes. Red oak becomes a leading dominant at a lower elevation on W and S slopes than on Nand E-facing slopes. Chestnut oak is not a very important species on E slopes but has an importance value of 10-23% on other aspects. Vegetational differences along the topographic-moisture gradient are the result of the beech-maple forest being at lower elevations and the hemlock-white pine-northern hardwood forest occupying the higher elevations.
Diversity and community structure of geometrid moths of disturbed habitat in a montane area in the Ecuadorian Andes

The diversity and faunal composition of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) was investigated at two sites within an anthropogenically disturbed habitat mosaic at 1950 m and 2005 m a.s. l. , in the vicinity of intact Andean montane rainforest in southern Ecuador. A total of 629 specimens belonging to 197 species were collected. The results were compared with those from ten sites of undisturbed forest habitats within an elevational range of 1800-2212 m. The local diversity of the moths at disturbed sites was surprisingly high (Fisher's alpha: 86.1 and 86.8; rarefied species number at the level of 250 specimens: 117 and 113; extrapolated species number, estimator Chao 1: 220 and 303). Forest successions and remnants probably serve as habitats for many species, but diversity is possibly overestimated due to the presence of 'tourist species' from adjacent forests. Disturbed habitats were characterized by a low diversity in the genera Eois, Bonatea and Herbita, probably due to the absence of their potential host plants (e.g. Piper species). Only three moth species represented by more than three individuals were found exclusively in disturbed habitats (Eupithecia densicauda, Pero obtusaria, 'Sabulodes' muscistrigata). Some 25 species profited from disturbance, among these were six species of the genus Eupithecia. The proportion of species present with only one specimen was high (56 and 62%), and species dominance was low (Berger- Parker index: 7.9 and 5.8%). In two-dimensional scaling based on the CNESS index of dissimilarity, disturbed sites are separated from the forest sites. The conservation of secondary forest remnants and natural forest appears to be essential for the survival of the very species-rich Andean geometrid moth communities.
Current guidelines & treatment of Guillain-Barre’s syndrome: A review

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is one of the rarest syndrome whose treatment and understanding of the syndrome were very challenging for about past 10 years. It has been clear throughout the certain years that this syndrome differing in seriousness so that it can cause respiratory paralysis and death in its serious form. GBS is a diversified syndrome. Current epidemiological studies suggested the occurrence in between 1 and 2/100000 with somewhat more male individual affected than females. Recent epidemiological data recommend that the Varicella zoster and influenza virus may precede GBS in a remarkable fraction of cases. In the pathogenesis of GBS the progress of certain neurological signs antiganglioside antibody can function and through its binding to ganglioside antigens in peripheral nerves. First diagnostic standard for GBS was from 1978, and were revised in 1990 by Asbury and Kornbluth. GBS patient needs excellent care to prevent and manage fatal complications. This study reviewed all the guidelines & treatments of GBS and conducted that current treatment options are largely equal to those which was already in use 20 years ago in comparison with the recent advances in to the novel treatment in GBS. Hoping that some more approaches by the international GBS research community will be discovered for the goal to optimize the care for GBS patients.
Genetic co‐structuring in host‐parasite systems: Empirical data from raccoons and raccoon ticks

Many aspects of parasite biology critically depend on their hosts, and understanding how host-parasite populations are co-structured can help improve our understanding of the ecology of parasites, their hosts, and host-parasite interactions. This study utilized genetic data collected from raccoons (Procyon lotor), and a specialist parasite, the raccoon tick (Ixodes texanus), to test for genetic co-structuring of host-parasite populations at both landscape and host scales. At the landscape scale, our analyses revealed a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distance matrices (i.e., isolation by distance) in ticks, but not their hosts. While there are several mechanisms that could lead to a stronger pattern of isolation by distance in tick vs. raccoon datasets, our analyses suggest that at least one reason for the above pattern is the substantial increase in statistical power (due to the ≈8-fold increase in sample size) afforded by sampling parasites. Host-scale analyses indicated higher relatedness between ticks sampled from related vs. unrelated raccoons trapped within the same habitat patch, a pattern likely driven by increased contact rates between related hosts. By utilizing fine-scale genetic data from both parasites and hosts, our analyses help improve our understanding of epidemiology and host ecology.
Symptoms, association, and pathogenicity of Discula campestris, a cause of sugar maple seedling anthracnose

Mortality of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seedlings during their first season of growth occurred in 1989 and 1990 in northern Pennsylvania stands infested with pear thrips (Taeniothrips inconsequens). Leaves became spotted and wafer-soaked, then collapsed or dropped, and upper portions of stems became necrotic. Ten samples, each consisting of five symptomatic seedlings, were collected in June from each of five stands (one in 1989, four in 1990) and incubated 2-4 days in moist chambers. Acervular conidiomata and conidia of a fungus identified as Discula campestris were observed on leaves of 247 of 250 seedlings. The fungus was isolated from one seedling of each sample (50 of 50 attempts)
Genetic mouse models reveal key physiological functions of adrenomedullin signaling

Ryan Thomas Dackor: Genetic Mouse Models Reveal Key Physiological Functions of Adrenomedullin Signaling (Under the direction of Dr. Kathleen M. Caron) Adrenomedullin (AM) is a potent 52-amino acid peptide vasodilator that is involved in a wide variety of physiological processes, including regulation of renal function, neurotransmission, apoptosis and growth. AM peptide levels are elevated in many cardiovascular conditions, including normal pregnancy, septic shock, hypertension, and renal failure. The multitude of conditions associated with elevated AM levels suggests that it serves to maintain physiological homeostasis during various stresses. AM exerts most of its biological functions by promoting increases in the intracellular messengers, cAMP and/or nitric oxide. Recent characterization of AM signaling has identified a unique mechanism of G-protein coupled receptor signaling, mediated by a class of single transmembrane proteins called receptor activity modifying proteins (RAMPs), that have been shown to dictate ligand binding specificity of the calcitonin receptor like receptor (CLR for protein, Calcrl for gene). To date, three RAMP proteins have been identified and it is the association of RAMP2 or 3 with CLR that designates an AM receptor. My research has utilized several lines of gene targeted mice to determine the in vivo role of AM and its signaling components in various physiologic contexts. I
High-efficiency Low-power Flash ADC for High-speed Transceivers

- Modern communication systems require higher data rates which have increased the demand for the high speed transceivers. For a system to work efficiently, all blocks of that system should be fast. This fact has led researchers to develop high speed analog to digital converters (ADCs) with low power consumption. Among all the ADCs, Flash ADC is the best choice for faster data conversion because of its parallel structure. This paper work describes the design of such a high speed and low power Flash ADC for the analog front end (AFE) of a transceiver. A high speed highly linear track and hold (T&H) circuit is needed in front of ADC which gives a stable signal at the input of ADC for accurate conversion. Averaging technique is employed in the preamplifier array of ADC to reduce the static offsets of preamplifiers. The averaging technique can be made more efficient by using the smaller number of amplifiers. This can be done by using the interpolation technique which reduces the number of amplifiers at the input of ADC. The Flash ADC is designed and implemented in 180 nm CMOS technology for the sampling rate of 1.6 G Samples/sec. The bootstrap T&H consumes power of 27.95 mW from a 1 V supply and achieves the signal to noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) of 37.38 dB for an input signal frequency of 195.3 MHz The ADC with ideal T&H and comparator consumes power of 78.2 mW and achieves 4.8 effective number of bits (ENOB).
The Rate of Thermal Acclimation in Anuran Amphibians

O ONE of the physiological mechanisms available to animals that allows them to survive above normal lethal factors is that of shortterm physiological adjustment or acclimation. In addition, the ability to acclimate presumably allows an animal to operate more efficiently at different environmental levels. Thermal acclimation, which is often used as a measure of other metabolic changes in an animal, is usually measured as a change in the critical maximum (or minimum) temperature, or as a change in the ability to survive at higher (or lower) temperatures for longer periods. Among lower vertebrates, fish are the most intensively studied with regard to their ability to acclimate (Fry, 1947, 1958; Brett, 1944; Doudoroff, 1945). Only recently have there been studies on thermal acclimation in reptiles (Dawson and Bartholomew, 1956; Lowe and Vance, 1955; Wilhoft and Anderson, 1960), and amphibians (McFarland, 1955; Zweifel, 1957; Brattstrom, 1960, 1961; Hutchison, 1961). Hutchison (1961) has most recently reviewed the subject of thermal acclimation and critical thermal maxima in amphibians. Impressed with the results obtained by McFarland (1955), we started working on acclimation in salamanders while
THE STRUCTURE OF HARDWOOD FOREST ECOSYSTEMS OF PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, VIRGINIA'

A bstract. A phytosociological investigation was conducted in the hardwood forests of Prince Edward County, Virginia, to determine the structural aspects of these ecosystems and to determine the relationships of these communities to edaphic and topographic characters. In all, 32 stands were studied, located entirely within the Piedmont, representing habitats ranging from those of wet bottomlands to dry upland sites. Stands were positioned on the X, Y, and Z axes of a vegetational mosaic according to the technique described by Bray and Curtis. Environmental parameters were then superimposed over this mosaic in an attempt to determine which, if any, of these factors showed distributions associated with the vegetatively determined array. Density, basal area, depth of litter, percent organic matter, pH, soluble salts, calcium, magnesium and depth of the "A" horizon were found to be correlated with one or more of these axes.
Effect of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin on Libido, Pre and Post Freezing Semen Parameters in Cholistani Bulls -

Growth hormone (GH) is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland and presence of growth hormone receptors has been reported in the mammalian reproductive tract. Growth hormone through these receptors has direct and indirect action on the mammalian reproductive system and affects the semen parameters. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of the exogenous recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) on libido, pre and post freezing semen parameters of Cholistani bulls. For this experiment six Cholistani bulls were selected from Semen Production Unit, karaniwala Bahawalpur. The animals were randomly divided into two groups, a treatment (n = 3) group and b control (n = 3) group. The experimental group was given 500 mg s/c of rbST (Boostin) weekly from 1 nd week up to 13 th week. Libido of each bull was assessed in terms of reaction time. The semen samples were collected throughout the experiment twice a week and were evaluated for volume, sperm motility, viability, functional membrane integrity and concentration. The mean values of Cholistani bulls for libido (sec), semen volume (ml), mass activity (1-5) and sperm concentration (million/ml), were (50.1±10.8 vs 45.12 ± 9.5), (4.83±0.13 vs 3.83±0.1), (2.83 ± 0.03 vs 2.29 ± 0.02) and (1138.1±27.7 vs 920.8±21.2) in treated and control groups respectively. Pre-freezing % sperm motility, post-freezing % sperm motility, pre-freezing % live spermatozoa, post-freezing % live spermatozoa, pre-freezing functional membrane integrity and post-freezing functional membrane integrity were (70.97 ± 1.07 vs 67.15 ± 1.46), (49.82 ±1.08 vs 45.62±1.36) (77.35 ± 0.42 vs 72.07 ± 0.37), (62.94 ± 0.41 vs 54.06 ± 0.45) (76.06 ± 0.33 vs 69.85 ± 0.43) and (59.05 ± 0.48 vs 55.27 ± 0.44) in treated and control groups respectively. All semen parameters of Cholistani bulls affected by rbST treatment significantly.
Sensitivity of Primary Production to Changes in the Architecture of Belowground Food Webs

The proposed mechanisms for the species diversity-function relationship in plant communities stress the recognition of functional properties of species, and interactions between plants and soil processes. As resource availability to plants is influenced by the architecture of decomposer food webs, it has been hypothesised that the diversity of decomposers can also control ecosystem processes, including primary production. We manipulated the complexity of soil animal communities in a miniecosysten experiment in which a boreal forest floor with birch seedlings infected with mycorrhizal fungi was created. The soil animal diversity ranged from zero to typical species richness of soil fauna (approximately 50 taxa) in coniferous forests. Between these extremes was a nested factorial design with manually assembled communities consisting of two sets of one-species, and two sets of five-species animal communities within fungivorous and microbi-detritivorous trophic groups. To investigate the role of predators in system functioning, the miniecosystems with fungivorous and microbidetritivorous fauna were established either with or without mesostigmatid mites as top predators. The miniecosystems were incubated in a climate chamber with varying illumination and temperature regimes for 40 weeks. Our experiment provides evidence that primary productivity is generally insensitive to variation at the species level or even at the level of trophic groups. Although top predators generally reduced prey population size, no effect was found on systen functioning. However, the removal of microbe- or detritus-feeding fauna, especially the microbi-detritivore Cognettia sphagnetorum reduced plant N uptake and accumulation of plant biomass. The functional importance of soil fauna was inversely related to the trophic position of the group. Our results suggest that ecosystem functioning is robust against species extinctions in belowground food webs, and that primary production is predominantly controlled by organisms at low trophic positions in the decomposer food web.
A new genus of Megalonychidae (Xenarthra, Tardigrada) from the Late Miocene of Argentina

Fil: Brandoni, Diego. Provincia de Entre Rios. Centro de Investigaciones Cientificas y Transferencia de Tecnologia a la Produccion. Universidad Autonoma de Entre Rios. Centro de Investigaciones Cientificas y Transferencia de Tecnologia a la Produccion. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Santa Fe. Centro de Investigaciones Cientificas y Transferencia de Tecnologia a la Produccion; Argentina
AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF INTER-RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE WOOD-ANT (FORMICA RUFA) AND SOME TREE-CANOPY HERBIVORES

SUMMARY (1) Previous work on interactions between F. rufa and some canopy herbivores is briefly reviewed. (2) In limestone woodland in N. England, populations of defoliators (illustrated by the Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata L.), a non-tended aphid species (Drepanosiphum platanoidis Schr.) and a tended aphid species (Periphyllus testudinaceus Fernie), are all affected by the presence of the ant. (3) Predation of D. platanoidis by F. rufa results in significant depression of the population compared with experimental conditions where ants were excluded from shoots. (4) Trees without ants have significantly higher populations of Lepidoptera larvae than do foraged trees. (5) On trees with ants an average of 1% of the leaf area had been removed by defoliators at the end of the season; without ants the total was nearly 8%. (6) Formica rufa tended eight aphid species and one psyllid in the woodland. The association of F. rufa with one of the aphids (P. testudinaceus) was studied. (7) Periphyllus testudinaceus populations were significantly increased in the presence of ants. When ants were excluded from colonies on shoots a significant fall in numbers occurred. There was probably also a reduction in the proportion of alatae. (8) The results are discussed in relation to previous work on aphid predation by ants and to the practice of introducing ants into woodland to protect trees from the effects of defoliators. It is concluded that this practice may be ill-founded.