Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How do male Robins Erithacus rubecula discover that their chicks have hatched

Nice & Nice (1932) raised the question of how male birds of those species in which only the females incubate, discover that their young have hatched. However, there are very few data available with which to provide an answer. In a review of his own observations on American passerines and scattered references in the literature, Skutch (1953) could find no evidence that females deliberately attract the attention of their mates to the nest after hatching has occurred. He concluded that males usually discover their nestlings without any assistance and that their promptness in doing so depends upon the frequency with which they have visited the nest during incubation. Since there were no species for which Skutch (1953) had more than two records of the events leading up to a male feeding his young for the first time, these conclusions were based almost entirely upon interspecific comparisons. In this note I present some limited data on the variation in the speed with which male European Robins Erithacus rubecula discover that their young have hatched.
Characterization of the Human Adenovirus 19a E3/49K Protein

Human adenoviruses (Ads) cause a variety of acute diseases but also establish persistent infections. Ads have evolved a number of mechanisms to evade the host immune response that seem to facilitate virus replication and transmission in vivo. Interestingly, one Ad transcription unit, the early transcription unit 3 (E3), appears to encode exclusively proteins with immuno-modulatory functions. Recently, a novel open reading frame, E3/49K, was identified in the E3 region of the epidemic keratoconjunctivitis causing serotype Ad19a. The sequence predicts a type I transmembrane protein with a large N-terminal domain and a short cytoplasmic tail of 19 amino acids (aa). The N-terminal part contains three repeat regions (R1-3) of about 80 aa each with R3 exhibiting a significant homology to immunoglobulin-like domains. This study shows that 49K is a highly glycosylated protein with an apparent molecular mass of 80-100 kDa. 12-13 out of 14 predicted N-glycosylation sites are utilized, and there is also evidence for O-glycosylation. 49K contains intramolecular disulfide bonds and is proteolytically processed. As a result of the cleavage the N-terminal ectodomain is secreted: Ad19a E3/49K is the first Ad protein known to be secreted. At steady-state, E3/49K is detected in the Golgi/TGN, early endosomes and at the cell surface of Ad19a-infected as well as 49K-transfected cells. The cytoplasmic tail, which contains two potential endosomal/lysosomal targeting motifs, YXXF and LL, plays a major role in the 49K trafficking. The proteolytic processing may occur in the TGN or secretory vesicles and/or at the cell surface. The finding that an increased cell surface expression of 49K correlates with an increased secretion rate indicates proteolytic processing of 49K at the cell surface. The C-terminal fragments and also unprocessed 49K proteins are internalized possibly by the interaction of the LL motif in the cytoplasmic tail with the clathrin adaptor complex AP-2. From early endosomes 49K proteins and C-terminal fragments recycle to the TGN potentially involving the interaction of the cytoplasmic tail of 49K with the clathrin adaptor complex AP-1 or to the cell surface, whereas a fraction is delivered to late endosomes and lysosomes. Remarkably, the secreted form of 49K specifically binds to various lymphocyte cell lines, including NK, B and T cell lines, but not to other cell types, e.g. fibroblasts, suggesting that the soluble and possibly also the membrane-bound 49K binds to receptor(s) on lymphocytes. Indeed, in Jurkat (T cell leukemia) cells, 49K-binding protein(s) with apparent molecular masses of 172-196 kDa were identified. Moreover, purified 49K inhibited the NK cell-mediated lysis of target cells. Thus, upon binding to cell surface receptors, 49K may trigger an inhibitory signal or inhibit an activating signal. While other Ad E3 proteins affect the infected cell, 49K seems to influence infiltrating cells of the immune system. Therefore, 49K function appears to represent an entirely novel Ad immune evasion mechanism.
The Effects of Some Natural and Synthetic Pigment Materials on Egg Yolk Pigmentation and Production in Yellow Corn Diets

The study was carried out to investigate the effect of lutein, alfalfa meal, marigold meal, paprika meal, b-apo-8'-carotenoic acit ethyl ester, canthaxanthin and b -apo-8'-carotenoic acit ethyl ester+canthaxanthin in addition to 60% yellow corn diets on egg yolk pigmentation and production. Paprika meal showed the maximum Roche color fan value (RCF). b -apo-8'-carotenoic acit ethyl ester, alfalfa meal and marigold meal showed the highest b -carotene equivalents value (BCE). The maximum Hunter L value was found in the control group. Paprika meal showed the maximum Hunter a value. Lutein had the highest Hunter b value (P0.01).
Efficacy of diflubenzuron against tobacco leaf eating caterpillar

The nine different concentrations of diflubenzuron, a chitin synthesis inhibitor were tested in the laboratory against freshly laid eggs and those prior to hatching, larval and pupal stages of tobacco leaf eating caterpillar, Spodoptera litura Fabricius. The per cent unhatched eggs was ranged from 35.41 to 100.0 and 13.46 to 74.93 in various treatments applied at two stages of the eggs, respectively as against 12.22 and 8.88 per cent in control. The per cent larval mortality in various treatments was ranged from 46.66 to 100.0, 26.66 to 100.0, 21.66 to 100.0, 26.66 to 100.0, 23.33 to 91.66 and 20.00 to 86:66, respectively in progressive instars. Most of the affected larvae failed to shed off their exuviae at the time of moulting, turmed black and displayed morphological deformities. Diflubenzuron adversely affected larval growth and weight. The larval period was also prolonged in treated larvae as compared to that in control. The percentage of adults emerged from treated pupae was ranged from 0.0 to 100.0 as against 100.0 per cent in control.
Recherche d'une méthode fiable de culture de protoplastes, d'hybridation somatique et de régénération chez Medicago

[. ]. Cet article presente les recherches effectuees pour la mise au point d'une methode de culture des protoplastes et d'une technique d'hybridation somatique, compatibles avec la regeneration de plantes et non specifiques d'un genotype particulier. Les especes etudiees sont Medicago sativa et Medicago falcata. Les facteurs conditionnant la regeneration sont decrits: culture des plantes, techniques d'isolement, conditions de culture des protoplastes puis des cals et des embryons. La technique de fusion est detaillee: nature de l'agent de fusion, modalites de la fusion
Cytotaxonomy of Trifolium Subterraneum L.

SUMMARYTwo subspecies (subterraneum and brachycalycinum) and one variety (yanninicum) of Trifolium subterraneum were studied. The analysis of the chromosome complements made using conventional staining techniques allowed to three different karyotypes to be distinguished. The main differences are the size of the satellite and of the nucleolar organizer region. The Hy-banding technique established the presence of large heterochromatic bands in the centromeric regions of each chromosome of the three taxa. On the bases of these results, subterraneum, brachycalycinum and yannicum can be considered as three different subspecies.
Salinity on chalk cliffs and its influence on maritime vegetation

Abstract The chalk cliffs of south-eastern England are liable to catastrophic cliff falls, giving edaphic conditions very variable in space and time. Chalk has ∼50% porosity, holding much water between 100 kPa and 1,000 kPa, but its availability to plants is restricted by salinity. The electrical conductivity of extracts of saturated pastes (ECs), as commonly used for agricultural soils, was used to measure the salinity of chalk and chalky soils. Studies along cliff transects between Folkestone and Dover showed that salinity thus measured was a good predictor of the distribution of both individual plant species and associations. Cliff geomorphology was far more important than distance from the sea in explaining salinity and plant distribution. We suggest that moist chalk surfaces are effectively impermeable, causing salt spray to run off during storms and concentrate in crevices, ledges and the topmost part of talus slopes, even at 400 m from the sea, which then support halophytes. We suggest that ECs could be used to model the interaction of salinity and competitive vigour.
α‐D‐Galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22) from Bifidobacterium longum

α‐Galactosidase activity in Bifidobacterium longum was maximal in a range of 40–45°C and at pH of 5.8. At temperatures above 60°C the enzyme was completely inactivated, but it maintained a 100% activity during storage at low temperatures (4, ‐ 30, ‐ 70°C) for 3 months. The addition of Hg2+ to the reaction buffer produced a strong inhibitory effect while Mn2+ exerted a slight positive effect upon activity. The addition of EDTA, inhibitors and other metal ions had no effect on the enzyme α‐galactosidase.
Biochemical Adaptation: Mechanism and Process in Physiological Evolution

1. The Goals and Scope of This Volume 2. Cellular Metabolism, Regulation, and Homeostasis 3. Influence of Oxygen Availability 4. The Diving Response and Its Evolution 5. Human Hypoxia Tolerance 6. Water-Solute Adaptations: The Evolution and Regulation of the Internal Milieu 7. Temperature
Escape Behaviour and Use of Cover by Young-of-the-Year Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis

The distance between young-of-the-year (YOY) brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and an approaching observer when the trout first fled (reactive distance) was significantly shorter in areas of high cover than in areas of low cover. Reactive distance was negatively correlated with foraging rate in one stream but not in another. These results provide some support for a recent economic model of escape behaviour. Three measures of willingness to take risks while foraging, reactive distance, latency to forage after a disturbance, and use of foraging sites with overhead cover, increased with increasing body size of YOY brook trout. We suggest that stream-resident salmonids become more wary with increasing size because the relative benefits of growing quickly, and hence taking risks while foraging, decrease with increasing body size.
Redesigning β‐lactams to combat resistance: summary and conclusions

The relentless emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance warrant an increased awareness of the problem and improved coordination and standardisation of surveillance systems, as well as resistance control strategies. Moreover, this underscores the urgent need for new antibiotics active against the emerging resistant pathogens. Ceftobiprole is a new β-lactam molecule engineered for bactericidal activity against methicillin-resistant staphylococci that also exhibits an extended broad spectrum of activity covering the most clinically important Gram-positive (methicillin-susceptible staphylococci, penicillin-susceptible and -resistant pneumococci, other streptococci and ampicillin-susceptible enterococci) and Gram-negative (Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp., Haemophilus spp. and Moraxella spp.) pathogens. Results from studies with experimental infections and from clinical trials support a role for ceftobiprole in treating complicated skin and skin structure infections caused by Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant staphylococci, and suggest a potential role for this drug in treating other types of serious infection caused by Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens.
Implantation: Tumour necrosis factor α inhibits in-vitro decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been reported previously to inhibit the in-vitro decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells as assessed by progesterone-induced prolactin production and morphological transformation. In this study we examined whether other cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), interferon-beta (IFN beta), IFN gamma or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), could affect the decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells in vitro. Of these cytokines, TNF alpha significantly suppressed prolactin production in a dose-dependent manner, with no apparent effect on cell number. The morphological transformation of endometrial stromal cells was also inhibited by TNF alpha. TNF alpha and IL-1 significantly suppressed cAMP-stimulated prolactin production by endometrial stromal cells. Neither the progesterone concentration in the supernatant of the endometrial stromal cell culture system nor intracellular calcium concentration of the endometrial stromal cells were affected by the addition of TNF alpha or IL-1. These results indicated that TNF alpha and IL-1 suppress both progesterone-induced and cAMP-mediated prolactin production in endometrial stromal cells, and that this inhibition was not attributable to direct effects on progesterone metabolism or related to Ca(2+)-mediated signal transduction. These experiments suggested that a local increase of TNF alpha and IL-1 under certain pathological conditions in vivo may disturb blastocyst implantation and/or the maintenance of pregnancy by inhibiting the decidualization of endometrial stromal cells.
The Sizes of Vertebrate-Dispersed Fruits: A Neotropical-Paleotropical Comparison

Seed and fruit size are important to rain forest trees because they limit what can disperse their seeds and they influence what type of defenses and nutrient reserves their seedlings will acquire, Where establishment conditions might favor larger seeds, maximum seed size can be constrained by disperser size. Because the Paleotropics have larger frugivores than the Neotropics, I predicted more large fruits would be found in the Paleotropics. In eight pantropicai, endozoochorous plant families, the Old World representatives tended to have more taxa with larger fruits than the New World representatives. In all families the mean and range of fruit sizes were greater in the Old World, which suggests that the evolution of large fruits and seeds might be more tightly constrained in the Neotropics owing to the relative scarcity of large frugivores there.
Estabilidad y adaptabilidad de cultivares de soja para rendimiento en el sudeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires

En este trabajo se utilizaron dos metodos para estimar la estabilidad y uno para la adaptabilidad del rendimiento de grano de 29 cultivares de soja del grupo de madurez III y de 35 cultivares del grupo de madurez IV del sudeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, evaluados en 14 Ensayos Comparativos de Rendimiento, con el objetivo de determinar cual era el mas apropiado. Estos metodos fueron: la prueba LSD (Least Significative Differences) protegida de Fischer (Steel & Torrie, 1993), y el metodo del Rendimiento Relativo (RR) (Yau & Hamblin, 1994) para estimar estabilidad y una prueba de comparaciones multiples con el mejor (CMM) (Piepho, 1995) para adaptabilidad. Todos pueden usarse con datos provenientes de ensayos desbalanceados. La prueba LSD y el metodo RR, a pesar de utilizar distintos parametros para las estimaciones, coincidieron en clasificar como estables a los cultivares Carmen INTA y Pioneer 9442 (grupo III) y a los cultivares Joketa 46, Haydee INTA, DM 48, A 4004, A 4422, Cx 411 (grupo IV) y a las lineas experimentales de la Estacion Experimental del INTA en Bordenave, provincia de Buenos Aires, LEB 78-85 y LEB 171-85. Sin embargo, los resultados de estabilidad de un genotipo segun LSD dependen fuertemente del numero de ambientes donde se probo el mismo. El metodo de CMM discrimino poco a los genotipos y se decidio no aplicarlo para estimar adaptabilidad en un programa de mejoramiento. El metodo RR resulto util para clasificar a algunos materiales como estables y de altos rendimientos, evitando asi el sesgo que aportan los ambientes de alto rendimiento al promedio general, por lo que se lo recomienda para estimar estabilidad en programas de mejoramiento de soja.
Hot air drying of yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) and its effect on sugar concentrations

Summary This work aimed to experimentally study the drying behaviour of yacon tubers with and without steam blanching. Drying was carried out for 5 h and 30 min in a forced air dryer at 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C. The results indicated that the shortest drying time was obtained at 70 °C for blanched samples, and that the equilibrium water activity values were significantly lower for the blanched samples at all temperatures. The yacon dried without prior blanching showed lowest concentrations of reducing sugars when dried at 70 °C, significantly lower than those dried at 50 °C and 60 °C. This indicates hydrolysis of the fructo-oligosaccharides at 70 °C, a fact verified by the significant increase in reducing sugars content from 36.65 ± 0.54–44.10 ± 0.96% and reduction in the non-reducing sugars from 31.62 ± 0.55–26.18 ± 0.29%.
Absorption of Lysine and Deoxyketosyllysine in an Early-Maillard Browned Casein by the Growing Pig

The aim was to determine the small intestinal uptake in the pig of unaltered (unreacted) lysine in a heat-damaged glucose/casein mixture, containing high concentrations of the early-Maillard compound, deoxyfructosyllysine. Diets containing a heated glucose/casein mixture, where approximately one-third of the original lysine was in the form of deoxyfructosyllysine, and an unheated glucose/casein mixture were each fed to four 10 kg live weight pigs. Chromic oxide was used as an indigestible marker, and digesta were sampled at slaughter, from the terminal ileum. The apparent ileal digestibility of unaltered lysine in the heated glucose/casein was less than unity (59 ± 2.3%, mean ± SE). Gel chromatography of digesta (heated glucose/casein) showed a 430 Da, deoxyfructosyllysine-containing peak, suggesting the presence of deoxyfructosyllysine-containing limit peptides. The FDNB reactive lysine method does not allow accurate assessment of lysine availability in heated proteins, due to incomplete digestion and ab.
Variability studies in some qualitative characters of cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ) (L.) Walp) accessions from four cowpea-growing regions of Ghana

Forty-five cowpea accessions, randomly selected from cowpea germplasm from four cowpea-growing regions Of Ghana, namely, Upper East, Upper West, Northern, and Eastern Regions, were characterized and evaluated to determine the range of variability in qualitative characters in the samples. Variability was observed in growth habit, twining tendency, plant and pod pigmentation, and raceme position. Accessions from the Upper West, Northern and Eastern Regions showed three types of growth habit: prostrate, semi-prostrate and intermediate, with the semi-prostrate type in the majority, whilst and Upper East Region showed only the semi-prostrate type. Accessions from the Northern and Eastern Regions showed three types of twining tendency, namely, no twining, slight, and intermediate twining, whilst the Upper East Region accessions showed only none twining types. Majority of the accessions showed the no twining type. All the regions showed great variability in plant and immature pod pigmentation in the cowpea accessions. Two types of flower colour were observed, purple and white. With the exception of the Upper East Region accessions which showed only white flower colour, accessions from all the other regions showed both white and purple colours with the accessions with purple colour in the majority. In most of the accessions from the Upper West, Northern and Eastern Regions, the racemes were held above the canopy. Ghana Jnl.agric. Sci Vol.32(1), 1999: 3-10
Filamentous green algae inhibit phytoplankton with enhanced effects when lakes get warmer

Summary 1. Filamentous green algae (FGA) may represent an alternative state in high-nutrient shallow temperate lakes. Furthermore, a clear water state is sometimes associated with the dominance of FGA; however, the mechanisms involved remain uncertain. 2. We hypothesised that FGA may promote a clear water state by directly suppressing phytoplankton growth, mostly via the release of allelochemicals, and that this interaction may be affected by temperature. 3. We examined the relationships between FGA, phytoplanktonic chlorophyll a concentrations and zooplankton in a series of mesocosms (2.8 m3) mimicking enriched shallow ponds now and in a future warmer climate (0 and c. 5 °C above ambient temperatures). We then tested the potential allelopathic effects of FGA (Cladophora sp. and Spirogyra sp.) on phytoplankton using several short-term microcosms and laboratory experiments. 4. Mesocosms with FGA evidenced lower phytoplanktonic chlorophyll a concentrations than those without. Zooplankton and zooplankton : phytoplankton biomass ratios did not differ between mesocosms with and without FGA, suggesting that grazing was not responsible for the negative effects on phytoplanktonic biomass (chlorophyll a). 5. Our field microcosm experiments demonstrated that FGA strongly suppressed the growth of natural phytoplankton at non-limiting nutrient conditions and regardless of phytoplankton initial concentrations or micronutrients addition. Furthermore, we found that the negative effect of FGA on phytoplankton growth increased up to 49% under high incubation temperatures. The experiment performed using FGA filtrates confirmed that the inhibitory effect of FGA on phytoplankton may be attributed to allelochemicals. 6. Our results suggest that FGA control of phytoplankton growth may be an important mechanism for stabilising clear water in shallow temperate lakes dominated by FGA and that FGA may play a larger role when lakes get warmer.
Bacteriological profile and antibiogram of aerobic burn wound isolates in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Burn wound colonisation and infection is not only associated with delayed wound healing and scar formation, but may also lead to sepsisrelated mortality. A wide variety of microorganisms, like staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Enterobacteriaceae -like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli , are involved. Resistance is generally increasing, with reports of multidrug-and pan-resistant isolates. This study was conducted to determine the common aerobic bacterial isolates in our setting and describe their antimicrobial susceptibility. This retrospective, descriptive study was carried out on 243 patients, from whom 312 burn wound specimens were received by the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital microbiology laboratory of the National Health Laboratory Service, Mthatha. All samples were processed according to standard laboratory protocols; isolates were tabulated according to age and gender of the patients, and their percentage susceptibilities to relevant antibacterials were computed. A total of 229 patient specimens showed growth on culture. The total number of isolates was 629, out of which 269 were Gram-positive cocci and 360 were Gram-negative bacilli. The commonest organism was S. aureus (27.7%), followed by K. pneumoniae (13.4%), Proteus mirabilis (12.4%), Group D streptococcus (9.4%), P. aeruginosa (8.9%) and E. coli (6.2%). A generally high level of resistance was observed in many organisms. Methicillinresistant S. aureus accounted for 57.5% of the S. aureus . Resistance among the Gram-negative bacilli was, in general, least to imipenem, amikacin and ciprofloxacin. The common organisms causing burn wound infections in our setting include staphylococci, Klebsiella, Proteus and Pseudomonas and there is a high level of resistance against commonly used antimicrobials. Regular surveillance of burn wound organisms and their antimicrobial resistance patterns will help in determining empirical antibiotic therapy for subsequent related septic events.