Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Amino acid racemase responsible for the biosynthesis of D-aspartate and D-serine signaling molecules in Aplysia californica central nervous system

While dogma states that animals use L-amino acids, several D-amino acids have been found in animals including humans since the 1980s. Two D-amino acids have attracted significant research interests because of their cell-cell signaling functions in animal nervous systems. Dserine (D-Ser) can affect the activity and plasticity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, a molecule that forms the basis of learning and memory in the brain. D-aspartate (D-Asp) is found in neuroendocrine and endocrine tissues, potentially playing roles in hormone synthesis and/or release. However, many details on the physiological functions of D-Ser and D-Asp and their signaling pathways remain unknown. Extensive studies are needed to fully understand the roles of these two putative neuronal signaling molecules and their effects on the animal brain and endocrine functions. D-Ser and D-Asp biosynthetic enzymes are essential to study the physiological functions of the D-amino acids in animal nervous systems. However, the knowledge of such enzymes has been limited, especially the characterization of D-Asp synthetic enzymes. Although the first enzyme that can make D-Ser from L-Ser was isolated from animal brain tissue in 1999, the first nervous system associated D-Asp synthetic enzyme was not described until 2010. The lack of the knowledge of a D-Asp biosynthetic enzyme has significantly hindered the research of D-Asp physiological function in animal nervous system. The molecular mechanism underlying D-Asp action is still not clear. In invertebrates, high levels of D-Asp had been
The Feeding Habits of Glossina swynnertoni Austen

These observations were made at Shinyanga, Tanganyika, in the preserved experimental area of tsetse bush known as Block 9. The exact site is shown in the top right-hand corner of Plate 21 of Buxton (1955), 11 mm from the top edge and 30 mm from the right-hand edge of the photograph. From April till July 1959, work was carried out under the small tree shown in P1. 1, D, its shade being reinforced with a tarpaulin stretched over its branches (not visible in the photograph). In September this spot seemed unproductive and work was moved 50 yd north to a tree, the shade of which was again reinforced with the tarpaulin, on the edge of the riverine thicket. The flies were caught by covering them gently with a 3 x 1 in. glass tube when they were about half way through their feed. They seemed unaware of the presence of the tube and finished feeding apparently normally. They were then removed from the tube, marked with a pair of colours to indicate
FITTING THE NEGATIVE BINOMIAL DISTRIBUTION TO BIOLOGICAL DATA AND NOTE ON THE EFFICIENT FITTING OF THE NEGATIVE BINOMIAL

In studying the occurrence of plants and animals in nature, the number of individuals may be counted in each of many equal units of space or time. The original counts can be summarized in a frequency distribution, showing the number of units containing x = 0, 1, 2, 3, . individuals of a given species. If every unit in the series were exposed equally to the chance of containing the organism, the distribution would follow the Poisson series, each unit having the population mean as its expected frequency. It is easy to test whether the variation in the number of individuals per unit agrees with this hypothesis. Since the expected variance of a Poisson distribution is equal to its mean, the observed variance s2, multiplied by the degrees of freedom n, may be divided by the sample mean x to obtain x2 = ns2/x. More often than not x2 is significantly larger than its expectation, not only in distributions of plants and animals in nature but even in the laboratory. A number of distributions have been devised for series in which the variance is significantly larger than the mean (2, 11, 21), frequently on the basis of more or less complex biological models. In the present paper this characteristic will be called "over dispersion". Perhaps the first of these was the negative binomial, which arose in deriving the Poisson series from the point binomial (27, 32) although it had been formulated in 1714 (2). Comparisons of expected and observed distributions have shown its wide applicability to biological data. The relative ea-se with which the negative binomial can be computed and
Protective Effect of Green Tea Extract against Reperfusion Injury in Rats

The effect of green tea extract on acute gastric mucosal damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury was investigated in rats. Ischemia-reperfusion injury was produced by applying a small vascular clamp to the celiac artery for 30min followed by removal of the clamp with reperfusion for 60min. An anti-ulcer effect of the green tea extract was demonstrated in this model. The increase seen in the lipid peroxide level in the gastric mucosa after ischemia-reperfusion was significantly inhibited by the extract. Tissue-associated myeloperoxidase activity, an index of neutrophil accumulation, was increased significantly in the gastric mucosa after reperfusion; this increase of activity was significantly inhibited by the green tea extract and paralleled the increase in the total area of gastric erosions. An electron spin resonance spin trapping study showed that the extract scavenged superoxide radicals generated by the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system and that diphenyl-p-picryl-hydrazyl radicals were also eliminated in a concentration-dependent manner. In an in vitro study, the green tea extract significantly inhibited the increase in lipid peroxide in brain homogenates. Incubation of whole blood cells with interleukin-8 increased the expression of CD11b/CD18 by neutrophils, whereas co-incubation with the extract did not cause this upregulation. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells stimulated with interleukin-1β showed increased expression of E-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1, but co-incubation with the extract significantly inhibited this upregulation. These results suggest that the protective effect of green tea extract against ischemia/reperfusion-induced gastric mucosal injury may be related to its antioxidant activity and inhibition of neutrophil accumulation.
Brain-Body Weight Relationships in Selachii

on Pacific relatives. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 120:45-174. BUEN, F. DE. 1963. Peces Chilenos: Beloniformes, Syngnathiformes y Gobiidae. Bol. Soc. Biol. Concepcion (1960-1961). 35-36:81-102. GINSBURG, I. 1933a. Descriptions of new and imperfectly known species and genera of gobioid and pleuronectid fishes in the United States National Museum. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 82(2961):1-23. 1933b. A revision of the genus Gobiosoma (family Gobiidae) with an account of the genus Garmannia. Bull. Bingham Oceanogr. Coll. 4(5): 1-59.
A Taxonomical Study of the Genus Medicago (Fabaceae) from Mt. Hohuan of Taiwan

The genus Medicago (Fabaceae) comprises 83 to 87 species in the world, of which three species have been reported from Taiwan. These are Medicago lupulina L. and Medicago polymorpha L, two naturalized species to the northern Taiwan at elevations below 700 m, and Medicago sativa L, a cultivated species. We conducted a field survey of Medicago at Mt. Hohuan of Taiwan at elevations between 2,500 m to 3,000 m. Four weedy species were found, namely Medicago lupulina, M polymorpha, M arabica (L.) Huds. , and M minima (L.) Bartal. , Among them M arabica and M minima are new records to the flora of Taiwan. This paper briefly describes the four species with a key to the species, their photographs, and draws of two newly recorded species for aiding in identification.
The Effects of Highway Mortality on Four Species of Amphibians at a Small Temporary Pond in Northern Florida

Migrations into and out of a small, temporary pond by 26 species of amphibians (4 salamanders, 14 frogs) and reptiles (5 turtles, 3 snakes) was studied over a three-year period from September, 1995 - September, 1998. This paper reports the attempt to assess the effects of highway mortality on four species, the striped newt (Notophthalmus perstriatus), common newt (N. viridescens), mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum), and gopher frog (Rana capito). Both the striped newt and gopher frog are under consideration for federal listing as threatened species.
THE EFFECT OF SOME REDUCED NITRITE CURING MIXTURES ON SENSORY, PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND MICROBIAL PARAMETERS OF PASTIRMA DURING RIPENING AND STORAGE

For decreasing the use of nitrite in pastirma processing, five nitrite-reduced meat curing mixtures were used as replacements for 32%, 64% and 100% nitrite. The quantitative characteristics of the samples such as Physicochemical, microbial and sensory attributes were compared with the control (100% nitrite) during ripening and storage. The statistical comparison showed that curing mixtures which included sodium nitrite 80 mg/kg, chitosan 10 g/kg and rosemary 2 g/kg (sample B), sodium nitrite 80 mg/kg, betanin 3.6 mg/kg, chitosan 10 g/kg and rosemary 2 g/kg (sample D) and sodium nitrite 40 mg/kg, betanin 14.4 mg/kg, chitosan 10 g/kg and rosemary 2 g/kg (sample E) have the color, overall acceptability, oxidative and microbial stabilities which are imparted by nitrite.
Determinants of innovation among, micro, small and medium scale enterprises in the Ghanaian apparel industry

The ability to innovate technology represents the highest degree of development of an industrial society. However, there has not been much research focused on innovation of a firm, especially in the apparel manufacturing industries in Ghana. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of innovation within the context of the apparel industry, using cross sectional data collected on fifty apparel firms selected from the Accra Metropolis in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. In order to understand the learning of innovation at the firm level, the evolutionary framework was adopted. Also, a logistic model was used in the analysis of the innovation behaviour of the fifty respondent firms. The results revealed that age of a firm positively influences process innovation but negatively influences product innovation. The result revealed that the share of export in sales and the experience of entrepreneur are positively related to product and process innovation but training duration was positively related to innovation. On the other hand, the results indicated that the firm size, extent of local ownership, training duration, and lack of financial resources did not have significant effects on product and process innovation. In order to aid the innovation activity by firms, explicit policy framework should be adopted. The elements of the policy framework are: introduction of national apprenticeship and starting of firm scheme; annual awards or sponsorships; industrial leave for upgrade courses from higher institutions or industrial attachment in other countries; and increase the awareness on AGOA.
Digestion of irradiated fat in vivo

Lard and lean beef were irradiated separately in a beam of accelerated electrons (6 million rep in a Van de Graaff apparatus). Test meals were fed to dogs, using combinations of irradiated and unirradiated lard and beef. On the average irradiated lard, whether fed by itself or with meat, was retained in the stomach to a greater extent than normal lard (65% vs. 47%), filled the small intestine to a smaller extent (8% vs. 11%), and was less readily absorbed (27% vs. 42%) in a specified time. The difference in absorption can be accounted for by the difference in gastric evacuation. The peroxide value of lard rose abruptly on radiation from 1–2 to 176 and in 14 months of cold storage continued to rise to approximately twice this value. It is concluded that irradiation of lard is detrimental to its digestion in the dog. Submitted on December 22, 1958
Etude d’un système respiratoire de Porphyromonas gingivalis, pathogène impliqué dans les infections parodontales

Les parodontites sont des maladies chroniques inflammatoires causees par un biofilm bacterien. Elles sont la premiere cause de perte des dents dans les pays industrialises et representent donc un cout important pour la societe. Le biofilm buccal est compose de plus de 500 especes differentes, parmi lesquelles Porphyromonas gingivalis est reconnue comme une cause majeure du developpement des symptomes. Cette bacterie a Gram negatif est consideree comme anaerobie bien qu’elle tolere des concentrations faibles en oxygene, ce qui favorise la colonisation de la cavite orale. Notre objectif etait de mettre en evidence les processus biologiques conferant a P. gingivalis sa resistance a l’oxygene et au stress oxydant, mais egalement ceux impliques dans la transition metabolique en concentrations variables d’oxygene. Des analyses in silico des genomes de souches de P. gingivalis ont revele la presence d’un systeme respiratoire dependant de l’oxygene, impliquant une cytochrome bd oxydase CydAB. Nous avons construit un mutant de P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 par deletion des genes cydAB. Nos travaux ont montre que ce mutant etait plus sensible que la souche parentale aux especes reactives de l’oxygene (ROS) dont le peroxyde d’hydrogene et le generateur d’anion superoxyde paraquat. De plus, nous avons demontre que CydAB etait impliquee dans le phenotype aerotolerant de P. gingivalis, et que cette enzyme consommait effectivement l’oxygene grâce a une etude par oxygraphie a haute resolution. Les mecanismes de regulations en reponse aux ROS et a l’oxygene sont encore mal connus, notamment en ce qui concerne la regulation positive de l’expression des genes cydAB en presence d’oxygene. Deux genes codant des regulateurs de type FNR ont ete identifies dans le genome de P. gingivalis, l’un d’entre eux codant un regulateur de la reponse au stress nitrosant, HcpR. Le second gene PGN_1569 a fait l’objet de notre etude. Par mutation et par analyses transcriptomiques, nous avons demontre que ce regulateur s’autoregulait negativement et activait l’expression de 4 groupes de genes en anaerobie, n’incluant pas les genes cydAB. L’expression de ces genes est par ailleurs controlee par d’autres regulateurs redox, OxyR et/ou SigH et/ ou RprY. Cette etude met donc en evidence une connexion entre FNR et les autres regulateurs de la reponse au stress oxydant chez P. gingivalis. Des etudes complementaires permettront de caracteriser la fonction encore hypothetique des proteines codees par le regulon FNR. Il est interessant de noter que l’absence de FNR confere a P. gingivalis une plus grande capacite a former un biofilm en anaerobie
Expression analysis of mir-1 and mir-133 in three developmental stages of goat skeletal muscle

MiR-1 and miR-133 are evolutionary conserved in most animal species, from drosophila to human, and have been confirmed to take an important role for skeletal muscle de velopment in mice and pigs. In this study, the function of miR 1 and miR-133 was detected through analysis the expression pattern of the two miRNAs and their predicted target genes in three developmental stages of goat skeletal muscle. HDAC4 and SRF, which were the target genes of miR-1 and miR133 family, respectively, were predicted using MiRanda and Target Scan 6.2 software. Then the expression profiles of miR-1, miR-133, HDAC4 and SRF in 10 normal goat tissues (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, small intestine, fat, longissimusdorsi muscles, pectoral muscles and crural muscles) from three stages (newborn, three months, eighteen months) of Anhui White goat were characterized by real-time RT-PCR. The expression of miR-1 and miR-133 were varied among different tissues, with most abundant in heart and skeletal muscles (longissimusdori muscles, pectoral muscles and crural muscles) in Anhui white goats, while there were the least expression in other tissues. However, the expression levels of HDAC4 and SRF were on the contrary. The results suggested that miR -1 and miR-133 may enhance myoblast proliferation and differentiation by repressing their predicated target genes, thus affecting skeletal muscle growth and development. This study will be a useful reference for further studies about miR-1 and miR-133 for their role in the regulation in animal growth and development processes.
Composition of more specialised pre-starter and starter diets for young broiler chickens: a review

The broiler industry has experienced remarkable improvements in productivity owing to high priority placed on genetic programming, nutrition and management practices. Nutrition of the meat chicken is driven by the need to satisfy the constantly increasing genetic potential, resulting in the shortening of the rearing time required to get the bird to market weight. The concept of feeding broilers a more specialised pre-starter diet for the first 10–14 days of age is gaining interest, as this now accounts for more than 20% of the time for grow-out. Specialised diets may be formulated to be highly digestible or aim to provide specific nutrients at a higher level to meet nutritional requirements of the bird. The effectiveness of specifically formulated pre-starter or starter diets depends on potential carryover effect to increase the bird performance up to the market age. There is evidence that some nutrient requirements of birds, digestible amino acids in particular, in the first 10 days of life may be higher than the current industry recommendation. Among cereals, rice with its lower non-starch polysaccharide content may be a better cereal for pre-starter diets than are corn or wheat. Inclusion of fibrous ingredients in low-fibre diets of young broilers may also stimulate gut development and enhance nutrient utilisation, leading to improved bird performance. There are inconsistencies in responses to various feed additives tested specifically for pre-starter diets of broilers. Finally, with an increasing demand for removal of antibiotic growth promoters from all broiler feeds, focus on formulations to ensure sustainable growth at start will gain importance.
Effects of nurse trees, spacing, and tree species on biomass production in mixed forest plantations

ABSTRACT Growing concern about increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and resulting global climate change, has spurred a growing demand for renewable energy. In this study, we hypothesized that a nurse tree crop may provide additional early yields of biomass for fuel, while in the longterm leading to deciduous stands that are believed to better meet the demands for other ecosystem services. Ten different species combinations were planted, with two different stocking densities, at three different sites in Denmark. Significant differences, with regard to biomass production, were observed among the different sites (P < .001) and species combinations (P < .001) after 12–13 growing seasons. Compared to pure beech stands, mixtures with beech and Japanese larch on average produced 4.4 t ha−1 yr−1 more biomass. The additional biomass production was similar to what was obtained in stands with conifers only (Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir and Japanese larch), which produced 4.9–6.1 t ha−1yr−1 more biomass than the pure beech stands. No effects of initial planting density (P = .19), or of initial weeding (P = .81), on biomass production were observed. Biomass production of the broadleaved crop was in most cases reduced due to competition. However, provided timely thinning of nurse trees, the qualitative development of the trees will allow for long-term timber production.
PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME NATIVE APPLE VARIETIES AND VALORIZATION OF APPLE TREE LEAVES FOR XYLANASE PRODUCTION

In this study, the water extract compositions of Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Granny Smith apple varieties were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) technique. The highest antioxidant activity was determined in the peels of the Red delicious apples (EC 50 of 3.32±0.34 mg/ml) with a corresponding total phenolic content of 754.4±43.3 mg GAE/100 g dry weight. The highest protein content (2.09±0.07%) was detected in the peels of Granny Smith apples. Another superior property of Granny smith apples was the antimicrobial activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. In general, protein concentrations in the peels were found 36% higher than the fleshy parts. In addition, a value-added product (xylanase) production was investigated by utilizing apple tree leaves with the waste-valorization approach. The highest enzyme production (64.7±5.3 IU/ml) was obtained by utilizing the leaves of Red delicious apple tree.
A Tentative Test for Pyrogen in Infusion Fluids

Since Seibert 1 extended the work of Hort and Penfold 2 on the occurrence of pyrogen in distilled waters, various tests for the detection of this substance have been proposed. A chemical test which has been in use depends upon the decoloration of potassium permanganate added to the solution to be tested. But this test is unsatisfactory because, on the one hand, it can be used only in solutions in which medicaments do not decolorize this oxidizing agent and, on the other hand, it is not sensitive enough to detect the minute amount of pyrogen necessary to cause even a severe physiologic response. Resort must therefore be made to biologic test. Test Animals. Seibert in her work used the rabbit as the test animal. This practice has been followed by other workers, among them Banks, 3 Lees and Levvy, 4 and by commercial houses in routine tests of infusion fluids. Sabin and Wallace 5 used the dog in their study of the chill-producing substance in pneumonia serum. While in all our published work 6 we have used the dog, we have had just as extensive experience with the rabbit. It is pertinent here to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these 2 test animals. The rabbit has a labile thermoregulatory mechanism and frequently gives false positive tests. Because of this, a negative test is more significant than a positive one in the rabbit. These animals must be conditioned to handling and to the taking of rectal temperatures for several days before they can be used, as untrained rabbits exhibit a rather bizarre temperature pattern. Feeding is followed by a mild pyrexia which lasts several hours and therefore they should not be fed for at least 6 hours before use as test animals.