Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of phosphorus‐deficient diets on the carbon and phosphorus balance of Daphnia magna

We used laboratory growth and feeding experiments to study the balance of carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) in Daphnia magna. Daphnia were fed high‐concentration mixtures of P‐sufficient and P‐deficient green algae (Scenedesmus acutus; molar C:P 80 and 900, respectively) or mixtures of P‐deficient Scenedesmus and a P‐rich cyanobacterium (Synechococcus elongatus; C:P = 60). P‐deficient diets resulted in, rapid declines in the growth rates of Daphnia and unexpected declines in Daphnia's P‐to‐dry‐weight ratio. P‐deficient Scenedesmus and P‐rich Synechococcus supported poor growth as sole foods but improved growth in mixtures. A 2‐d experiment with a dietary C:P gradient from 120 to 900 revealed a linear relation between Daphnia's final P‐to‐dry‐weight ratio and its growth rate (r2 = 0.92). Growth in mass (mean ± SE) ranged from 0.54 ± 0.01 to 0.17 ± 0.02 d−1 whereas final specific P content ranged from 1.47 ± 0.01% to 1.08 ± 0.02%.
Alimentación y nutrición de moluscos cefalópodos: Avances recientes y perspectivas futuras

Los cefalópodos se reproducen apenas una vez en su vida (Mangold, 1983; Giménez and García, 2002). Son caracterizados por tener ciclos de vida cortos, que pueden hasta apenas llegar a 6 o 9 meses de edad (Okutani, 1990; Forsythe, 1981; Domingues et al., 2001a, 2001b, 2002). Sin embargo, la mayoría de las especies vive de uno a dos años (Mangold, 1983). La duración del ciclo de vida está directamente asociado a la temperatura del agua (Domingues et al., 2002). Son depredadores activos, que poseen un papel determinante en las estructuras tróficas en los océanos, y son también un importante recurso pesquero (Boletzky and Hanlon, 1983), siendo consumidos regularmente en diversas regiones de la tierra (Lee et al., 1998). Todos los cefalópodos son carnívoros (Okutani, 1990; BoucherRodoni et al., 1987; Lee et al., 1994), desde las primeras fases de vida hasta el final de su ciclo de vida (Vecchione, 1991; Villanueva et al., 2002, 2003, 2004). En los últimos años se ha incrementado el interés en diversas especies de cefalópodos, principalmente en las ciencias biológicas y médicas, siendo estos animales usados como modelos biológicos (Boletzky and Hanlon, 1983). Varias especies han sido utilizadas en los últimos años como modelos de investigación al nivel de las ciencias neurológicas, fisiología, inmunología, bioquímica nutricional, envejecimiento, ontología, etología y biología molecular (Gilbert et al., 1990; Oestman et al., 1997).
Polymerase Chain Reaction–Based Sex Identification in the Greater Roadrunner

Abstract We determined a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–based method to identify the sex of greater roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus). We found that previously reported primer combinations used in other bird species did not work reliably in roadrunners. However, a novel primer combination (P2-1237L) allowed for consistent and reliable sex identification of roadrunners. Conducting several PCR replicates per sample helped to identify occasional preferential amplification of the Z band that could occur in females (the heterogametic sex; i.e., WZ). Identifying the sex of individuals will allow for examination of sex-associated differences in home range size and habitat use, population demographics, and parenting behavior, as well as for a better understanding of the social system of roadrunners.
Prevalence of enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli in foods of animal origin in southern Brazil

Prevalence of Escherichia coli in foods of animal origin from the city of Pelotas, Brazil, was determined. The ocurrence of enterotoxigenic (ETEC) and classic enteropathogenic (EPEC) serogroups among E. coli isolates was determined. E. coli was isolated from 68% of the food samples surveyed. Of 36 food samples tested, 11(30%) and 24(66%) were positive for EPEC and ETEC strains respectively. However, of 187 E. coli isolates tested, 30(16%) were EPEC compared to 75(40%) which were ETEC. The antibiotic resistance pattern revealed that the isolates were highly sensitive to all antibiotics tested.
Physicochemical and Thermal Analysis of the Consciousness Energy Healing Treated Ofloxacin

Ofloxacin is a synthetic fluoroquinolone broad-spectrum antibiotic used for the treatment of both Gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial infections. In this study, the impact of consciousness energy healing treatment (the Trivedi Effect®) on the physicochemical and thermal properties of ofloxacin powder sample was evaluated using modern analytical techniques. The ofloxacin was divided into control and the Biofield Energy Treated sample. Only the treated ofloxacin was received the Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment remotely by a well-known Biofield Energy Healer, Dahryn Trivedi. The particle size values in the treated ofloxacin powder were significantly increased by 10.96%(d10), 29.09%(d50), 14.03%(d90), and 12.48% {D(4,3)}; thus, the surface area was significantly decreased by 8.06% compared to the control ofloxacin. The PXRD peak intensities and crystallite sizes of the treated ofloxacin were significantly altered ranging from -70.76% to 4.73% and -70.36% to 314.81%, respectively; however, the average crystallite was significantly increased by 25.22% compared with the control sample. The latent heat of fusion and decomposition was significantly altered by 13.43% and -53%, respectively in the treated ofloxacin compared with the control sample. The total weight loss was significantly decreased by 4.19%; however, the residue amount was significantly increased by 26.97% in the treated ofloxacin compared with the control sample. Thus, the Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment (the Trivedi Effect®) might lead to generate a new polymorphic form of ofloxacin with better shape, appearance, flowability, and thermally more stable compared to the control sample. The Consciousness Energy Healing Treated ofloxacin would be very useful to design novel pharmaceutical formulations for the better therapeutic response against urinary tract infections, infections of the urethra, and cervix, pneumonia, cellulitis, diarrhoea, bronchitis, plague, tuberculosis, prostatitis, and otitis media, etc.
Aggression and tolerance by dominant males of Artibeus jamaicensis: strategies to maximize fitness in harem groups

Abstract Strategies of males in harem-forming mammals may change depending on 2 variables, female group size and consequent ability of the harem male to monopolize copulations, and the relative costs and benefits of tolerating other males. We studied harems of 4–20 females associated with a dominant male in small groups of Artibeus jamaicensis (<14 females), and with dominant and subordinate males in large groups (>14 females). Dominant males displayed defensive behavior toward satellite males when they intruded into the roosting site. Small groups received the highest number of visits by satellite males, and dominant males did not display total defense of females. During the breeding season, females roosted in highly compacted clusters and dominant males were more active in their defensive behavior. Subordinate males were generally tolerated in harem groups and their presence reduced the number of adult male visits. Some young in large harem groups were sired by subordinate males, resulting in a genetic benefit for both dominant and subordinate males. Dominant males had the highest fitness in the large harem groups by sharing paternity with related subordinate males and by rejecting unrelated intruders.
Synthesis of Ag/N-TiO 2 /SBA-15 Photocatalysts and Photocatalytic Reduction of CO 2 under Visible Light Irradiation

Silver-loaded together with nitrogen-doped highly dispersed TiO2/SBA-15 mesoporous catalysts were success- fully synthesized through solvothermal treatment and calcination method by using titanium n-butoxide (TB), carboxy- late-modified SBA-15 (COOH/SBA-15), urea and silver nitrate as raw materials. The detailed preparation procedure was as follows: 1.0 g COOH/SBA-15 powder was dispersed in solution containing 0.82 mL titanium n-butoxide (TB) and 20.0 mL acetic ether. The mixture was stirred for 30 min at room temperature, then 0.031 g AgNO3 was added into the solution by further stirring for 30 min and a certain amount of urea was added. After being stirred continuously for 3 h, the resultant solu- tion was transferred into a teflon-lined stainless autoclave and solvothermally treated at 220 ℃ for 12 h. After naturally cooling to room temperature, the resultant product was washed three times with absolute ethanol and then dried under vac- uum at 80 ℃ for 12 h. Finally the solids were calcined in air at 550 ℃ for 4 h at a heating rate of 1.5 ℃/min. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), photoluminescence spectra (PL), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrum (ICP) and elemental analysis (EA). It was revealed that the highly dispersed samples consist of anatase crystalline phase were mesoporous structure. The anatase phase was retained without phase change after silver loading and nitrogen doping. Silver was deposited on the surface of catalysts in the form of metallic silver and served as an effective electron trapper which could prevent the fast recombination of the photo-generated electrons and holes, at the same time, visible light absorption of samples were enhanced by silver nanoparticle based on its surface plasmon resonance effect. Nitrogen was doped into TiO2 matrix in the form of both interstitial nitrogen and substitu- tional nitrogen, nitrogen dopants might be presented in the chemical environment of Ti-O-N and O-Ti-N. On one hand, nitro- gen doping could extend the adsorption of catalysts to the visible light region (λ>400 nm); on the other hand, appropriate amount of nitrogen doping could inhibit the recombination of the photo-generated charge carriers and increase the efficiency of the photocurrent carriers. The high photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect of nitrogen doping and the loaded silver nanoparticles over TiO2. The nitrogen doping concentration had an optimal value. When the loading amount of Ag was 2 wt% and the theoretical mole ratio of nitrogen to Ti was 3, the photocatalyst had the highest photocatalytic activity. The methanol yield was 45.7 μmolg -1 •h -1 .
Tradeoff analysis for Dependable Real-Time Embedded Systems during the Early Design Phases

Phases DTU Orbit (10/01/2019) Tradeoff analysis for Dependable Real-Time Embedded Systems during the Early Design Phases Embedded systems are becoming increasingly complex and have tight competing constraints in terms of performance, cost, energy consumption, dependability, flexibility, security, etc. The objective of this thesis is to propose design methods and tools for supporting the tradeoff analysis of competing design objectives during the early design phases, which are characterized by uncertainties. We consider safety-critical real-time applications modeled as task graphs, to be implemented on distributed heterogeneous architectures consisting of processing elements (PEs), interconnected by a shared communication channel. Tasks are scheduled using fixed-priority preemptive scheduling, and we use nonpreemptive scheduling for messages.
Preventive health services and physical activity improve health-related quality of life in Mexican older adults.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the combined use of IMSS preventive health services (PHS) and the practice of physical activity (PA) in order to determine their association with the perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS A survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted at nine primary health care units (PHCUs) in Mexico City. The 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey evaluated the HRQoL, while PA and PHS use were assessed through self-report. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between these three variables. RESULTS Of the 1 085 older adults who participated in the study, 36.8% used PHS, and 23.3% reported that they engage in PA. After controlling for possible effects due to sociodemographic and health differences, we found that participants who were physically active and used PHS reported better perceived HRQoL scores. CONCLUSIONS The combined use of preventive practices such as the use of PHS and the practice of PA can help improve the perceived HRQoL of older adults.
Ecological Characteristics and Storage Condition of Diglyphus isaea(Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), an Ectoparasite of Liriomyza trifolii(Burgess) (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

Experiments have been performed to investigate biological characteristics of Diglyphus isaea (Walker), an ectoparasite of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess). At , development time of D. isaea was estimated as 1.3 days for eggs, 4.5 days for larvae and 6.3 days for pupae. Adult longevity was 25.1 days, and a female adult could lay 305.3 eggs throughout its lifetime. Number of L. trifolii parasitized or killed by the wasp was 962.2 individuals/adult. Most of all parasitized or killed larvae were identified as third instar. With 20% honeyed water as food source, half of the adults could survive 180 days at , 150 days at , and 90 days at . After storing at with absolute honey for 30 days, 70 days and 140 days, a female adult in room temperature laid eggs 190.8 individuals, 104.0 individuals and 89.4 individuals, respectively.
Changes in commercial laying stock performance, 1958–2011: thirty-seven flocks of the North Carolina random sample and subsequent layer performance and management tests

Thirty-seven layer performance tests have been conducted at North Carolina State University during the past 53 years. Originally established as the North Carolina Random Sample Layer Test (NCRSLT), all of the test flocks have been hatched and housed at the Poultry Unit of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service's Piedmont Research Station at Salisbury, North Carolina. In 1988, the NCRSLT name was changed to the North Carolina Layer Performance and Management Test (NCLP&MT) reflecting changes in the testing procedures to include the evaluation of management practices used by commercial egg producers. Strain testing and evaluating the relative egg production of commercially available egg production stocks began in 1911, and the number of such Random Sample Tests in North America peaked at 23 in approximately 1968. The mission for the NCRSLT to provide an unbiased evaluation of the overall performance of strains, evolved to include the effects of various housing and husbandry practices on the performance of the genetic stocks entered into the test. Test results have been distributed to the industry throughout the USA as well as to producers in 22 other countries throughout the world. In addition, the internet site for the NCLP&MT http://poultry.ces. ncsu.edu/layer-performance/ allows the distribution of the results to many other interested university and government officials. This review of the first 37 North Carolina layer tests shows continuing improvements in egg production, reduction in body weight and feed consumption, increases in egg weight and feed conversion, improvements in liveability, and an improvement in egg quality from the commercially available white and brown egg strains. These changes have continued throughout the 50+ year history of the tests, and the changes observed have been brought about primarily by poultry breeding companies applying quantitative genetics for the improvement of the layer stocks used worldwide.
Selenite detoxification by Bacillus spp isolated from indigenous polluted sites

This investigation was proposed to monitor the ability of isolated Bacillus spp. to transform toxic forms of selenium (selenium oxyanions) to non toxic selenium. These strains reduced up to 89% selenite on average at 37oC after time of incubation. At higher initial concentrations (100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 µg ml -1 ), reduction value dropped to 31%. In the presence of other metals stresses (Co, Hg and Cr at a concentration of), the average selenite reduction percentage was 48%. This reduction value shifts from 87% to 94% with the increase in incubation time (from hrs to hrs). Reduction potential of these strains decreased 81% to 27% at various initial selenium concentrations in N-broth and acetate minimal media, respectively. With the increase in the sodium concentration of the media, the measured selenite reduction was above 95%. After exposure to the UV treatment B. pichinoty lost its ability to reduce selenite while B. endophyticus and B. foraminis reduced up to 96% and 71%, of selenite, respectively. Keywords: Selenite, bacteria, Bacillus , Bioremediation, heavy metals
THE OCCURRENCE OF THE GENUS ANTONINA (HOMOPTERA: COCCOIDEA) IN QUEENSLAND

The coccid parasite of Cyperus rotundus L. , Antonina australis Green, is transferred to the genus Kuwanina, and Kuwanina hillii Laing is regarded as a synonym of K. australis. Queensland records of Antonina indica Green are referred to A. graminis (Maskell).
SIBLING SYMBIOSIS IN NESTLING BIRDS

I of this perspective were “Sibling rivalry in nestling birds,” readers could hardly be faulted for expecting a traversal of welltrodden ground. We have come to think of confl ict among avian nestlings as natural and to some extent inevitable, which is a long way from the traditional view of families as harmonious social units. It is de rigueur to state that the theory of kin selection opened our eyes to the once-surprising possibility that the closest of relatives may benefi t at one another’s expense. The Cain-and-Abel ba les of Black Eagles (Aquila verreauxi) and other large predatory birds, which had been described as “an inexplicable example of apparent biological waste” (Brown et al. 1977), became potentially explicable as extreme forms of sibling competition in cases where close relatives were also close rivals for limited food and tight space. We learned that nestling egrets, boobies, and ospreys fi ght to secure food, with sometimes fatal consequences; that nestling bee-eaters can use a modifi ed egg-tooth to slash nestmates; and that kestrels and owls sometimes cannibalize kin. These and many more spectacular examples of sibling rivalry were chronicled in Mock and Parker’s (1997) masterful Evolution of Sibling Rivalry, which provided a comprehensive overview of theory and data bearing on confl ict within families, especially confl ict among siblings. Birds were featured prominently in the book, and dramas within the nest captured widespread interest both within and outside ornithology. Mock and Parker le li le doubt that siblings within a nest are o en important, and sometimes lethal, competitors for food and space. This focus on confl ict is an understandable refl ection of changing notions of the family and, in particular, revision of the earlier, somewhat romantic notion that close kin must live harmoniously because of their shared genetic interests. But have we gone too far? If one uses the scientifi c literature to gauge relative interest in sibling relations, it is clear that the pendulum has swung sharply to the side of confl ict, competition, and rivalry. A recent (November 2006) search of the Web of Science revealed 334 citations for the keywords “nestling confl ict” or “nestling competition,” and only 11 for “nestling cooperation” or “nestling mutualism. ” Though I doubt that any serious worker has forgo en that cooperation is also expected among close kin, I suspect that many fi nd confl ict a more compelling topic of study than cooperation. Here, to help pull the pendulum back from the pole of confl ict among siblings, I will focus on the social benefi ts that accrue to nestlings during life within a brood. Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9, Canada SCOTT FORBES1 SIBLING SYMBIOSIS IN NESTLING BIRDS The Auk 124(1):1–10, 2007 © The American Ornithologists’ Union, 2007. Printed in USA.
Evidence of co-specificity between Tetranychus evansi and Tetranychus takafujii (Acari: Prostigmata, Tetranychidae): comments on taxonomic and agricultural aspects

ABSTRACT Using a combination of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence information, cross-breeding, and morphological criteria, the taxonomic status of Tetranychus takafujii was reassessed. Described from Japan and very close to Tetranychus evansi, only the male empodium II separated the two species. Six T. evansi samples collected in Brazil, France, Kenya, Spain (including the Canary Islands), Taiwan, and two samples from Japan previously species-identified as T. takafujii, were examined. DNA sequences consistently divide the samples into two groups: group I held the mites from Brazil and France and group II contained the remaining samples of T. evansi together with the two mites collected in Japan. Likewise, cross-breeding experiments detected the same two groups that were reproductively partially incompatible. However, the Japanese samples were completely compatible with the rest of the group II T. evansi samples. The empodium II shape failed to distinguish consistently between the T. evansi and T. takafujii samples, but rather highlighted its variability, questioning its utility for separating these taxa. Congruent results support the co-specificity of the two taxa. It is concluded that T. takafuji is a junior synonym of T. evansi.
An Evaluation of the Role Played By the Head of School in the Delivery of Quality Education in Zimbabwean Day Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Nkayi North West Circuit

Quality education is a critical phenomenon for the provision of quality human resources in any country. Quality education focuses on learning which strengthens the capacity of children to act progressively on their own behalf through the acquisition of knowledge in useful skills.Quality in terms of school products implies school graduates who are not just literate or numerate, but graduates who add value to their families, communities as well as nation through the knowledge, skills and morals they acquired from the school system. In Zimbabwe the parents, government and employers place a very high premium on the quality of education that schools provide to their learners. Certain schools are shunned because of their perceived low standards and yet others are sought after by many parents and students due to the quality of learning perceived to obtain in them. Quality therefore is about high standards of achievement by pupils in all spheres. Quality does not come about like manna from heaven. It is brought about in an organisation deliberately through the leadership process. This article draws on a quantitative enquiry on the role played by heads in the delivery of quality education in Zimbabwean Secondary schools. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The target population included all secondary school teachers in the Nkayi North West Circuit which has a teacher population of 80 teachers. Random sampling eight females. The data were collected through a questionnaire which had both close-ended and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to interpret the data. The study revealed that heads did not encourage attendance by pupils to all lessons, there was inadequate provision of stationery and learning equipment and that supervision of learning was not adequately done by the heads. The study also revealed that heads were not results focused in their operations. The study recommended that heads of schools should be equipped with skills and knowledge in the field of leadership and management so that they promote quality education in their schools. It also recommended heads should also prioritise supervision of instruction and provision of adequate teaching/learning materials.