Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic and endocrine profiles of primiparous beef cows grazing native grassland. 1. Relationships between body condition score at calving and metabolic profiles during the transition period

The body condition score (BCS) at calving has been postulated as the main factor in the interaction of nutrition and reproduction in beef-cow ecosystems. The objective of the present study was to analyse the effect of BCS at calving on endocrine and metabolic profiles during the transition period in primiparous Hereford cows (n = 56) grazing native grassland. Cow BCS was registered and plasma insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and metabolites (concentrations of urea, albumin, cholesterol, total protein, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA)) were determined in plasma from –30 to +45 days postpartum (DPP). The effect of BCS at calving (low ≤3.5 and moderate ≥4; 1–8 visual scale) on BCS evolution and hormone and metabolite concentrations were analysed using a time repeated-measures analysis. Cow BCS, NEFA, urea and IGF-I profiles were affected (P < 0.05) by the BCS at calving and DPP interaction, while insulin tended (P = 0.06) to be affected only by BCS at calving. The low-BCS cows presented a smaller loss of BCS during the prepartum than did moderate-BCS cows, and a delayed BCS recovery during the postpartum. The increase in plasma NEFA was greater (P < 0.05) and started earlier during the prepartum period in the low-BCS cows. Protein concentrations increased during prepartum to +30 DPP, while albumin and urea concentrations were maintained until calving and decreased during the postpartum. Urea concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) during prepartum in low-BCS cows. Concentrations of IGF-I and insulin were greater (P < 0.05) in moderate- than low-BCS cows during prepartum, but did not differ between the groups after calving. No effects were observed in calf weight or milk production at +45 DPP. The association between BCS during prepartum and at calving with the endocrine and metabolic profiles (positive: insulin, IGF-I; negative: NEFA and urea) reflected a better nutritional status and plasticity to negative energy balance on moderate cows. This different endocrine milieu did not affect calf weight and/or milk production. In conclusion, the BCS at calving affected the metabolic and endocrine profile during the transition period of primiparous beef cows grazing native grassland.
The effect of paddy straw and concentrate containing green tea dust on performance and nutrient digestibility in feedlot lambs

The utilization of low-input paddy straw hay PSH for fattening lambs should be incorporated with a high-quality concentrate HQC in which green tea dust GTD rich in tannins can be added as a natural feed additive. Completely randomized design was used to compare 5 doses of GTD inclusions dry matter, DM basis at 0% GTD-0 , 0.5% GTD-0.5 , 1% GTD-1 , 1.5% GTD-1.5 , and 2% GTD-2 in an HQC as the main diet of PSH-fed fattening lambs on average daily gain ADG, g/head/day , dry matter intake DMI, g/head/day , and nutrient digestibility % using 6 replicates. The results showed that GTD-1.5 resulted in higher P 0.05 in nutrient digestibility of the lambs for all GTD treatments, but GTD-1.5 resulted in better nutrient digestibility. Proper GTD inclusion in an HQC and PSHbased diet can therefore increase the performance of fattening lambs without any harmful effects on feed consumption and nutrient digestibility. GTD inclusion in an HQC as the main diet of feedlot lambs is recommended at 1.5%.
New Aspects in Immunopathology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Our understanding of tuberculosis (TB) pathology and immunology has become extensively deeper and more refined since the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) as the etiologic agent of disease by Dr. Robert Koch in 1882. A great challenge in chronic disease is to understand the complexities, mechanisms, and consequences of host interactions with pathogens. TB, caused by MTB, is a major health problem in world, with 10 million new cases diagnosed each year. Innate immunity is shown playing an important role in the host defense against the MTB, and the first step in this process is recognition of MTB by cells of the innate immune system. Several classes of pattern recognition receptors (PPRs) are involved in the recognition of MTB, including toll-like receptors (TLRs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), and nod-like receptors (NLRs). Among the TLR family, TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 and their down streams, proteins play the most prominent roles in the initiation of the immune response against MTB. Beside of TLRs signaling, recently the activation of inflammasome pathway in the pathogenesis of TB much appreciated. Knowledge about these signaling pathways is crucial for understanding the pathophysiology of TB, on one hand, and for the development of novel strategies of vaccination and treatment such as immunotherapy on the other. Given the critical role of TLRs/inflammasome signaling in innate immunity and initiation of the appropriate adaptive response, the regulation of these pathways is likely to be an important determinant of the clinical outcome of MTB infection. In this review paper we focused on the immune response, which is the recognition of MTB by inflammatory innate immune cells following infection.
Detecting regional differences in within-wildfire burn patterns in western boreal Canada

Under the auspices of ecosystem-based management (EBM), using historical range of variation (HRV) knowledge to help guide forest management decision-making is becoming commonplace. In support of this evolution, we hypothesized that historical fire-scale wildfire burn patterns in western boreal Canada could be differentiated by major ecological zones. We tested 10 fine-scale burn pattern metrics for 129 natural wildfires across more than 100 million ha of western boreal Canada against existing Canadian and provincial ecological classification schemes. The results showed some evidence of two historic disturbance regimes. Fires in the Foothills and Rocky Mountain ecoregions tended to have more disturbed patches, a smaller dominant disturbed patch, and less area in partially disturbed island remnants relative to fires in the Boreal Forest and Boreal Shield. However, several key metrics such as event shape and total remnant area were zone-invariant. Fire regime parameters such as fire size and frequency may not be linked to more detailed fire behaviour parameters such as remnant patterns. The moderate, yet highly variable levels of remnant pattern variation we found across the study area represents a natural, and potentially universal source of structural and compositional diversity for the boreal that may be critical to its sustainability.
High connectivity and directional gene flow in European Atlantic and Mediterranean populations of Ciona intestinalis sp. A

AbstractUnderstanding the factors that cause population divergence has long been ofinterest to marine biologists in their attempts to interpret the effect of human-mediated vectors. Broadcast-spawning species with limited dispersal capabilityare excellent candidates to measure the present-day patterns of genetic diversity.The tunicate Ciona intestinalis (Ascidiacea) is comprised of a complex ofmorphologically cryptic species that form vigorous aggregates in eutrophic habi-tats (harbors, gulfs and lagoons) where they can compete with the epibenthiccommunity and cause biofouling problems. This study investigated biogeograph-ic variability and migration patterns of C. intestinalis sp. A along NortheastAtlantic and Mediterranean coasts using microsatellite markers. Data presentedhere on 371 specimens collected from 17 populations reveal high genetic poly-morphism, but with a deﬁcit of heterozygote deﬁciency. Absence of evidence forisolation by distance suggests that the genetic patterns do not reﬂect the geo-graphic distribution of sampled populations. Substantial gene ﬂow and artiﬁcialpotential for dispersal boost high levels of within-population genetic variabilityand prevent genetic differentiation within and between seas. A predominant east-ward migration pattern was revealed by the data set, with very limited opportu-nity for C. intestinalis sp. A to travel westward. This directional movementindicates that other properties (e.g. habitat quality, genetic traits, mating system,life cycle) may cause adaptive divergence at a large biogeographic scale.IntroductionDispersal plays an important role in the biogeographicdistribution of marine organisms, inﬂuencing the coloni-zation of new habitats, the connectivity of populationsand ultimately species persistence (Bilton et al. 2001;Grantham et al. 2003). At sea, physical barriers are oftenabsent and water currents may accelerate larval dispersal,determining population homogeneity over large geo-graphic areas (Knutsen et al. 2003; Cowen & Sponaugle2009). In benthic invertebrates, large larval output,increased larval duration and long-distance dispersal mayallow high genetic connectivity thereby mitigating theeffect of genetic drift and inbreeding (Hedgecock 1986),and eventually leading to panmixia. Hydrologic (e.g. pat-terns of marine currents, existence of different watermasses) and ecological barriers (e.g. habitat discontinuity,larval behavior) may hinder long-distance movements(Palumbi 1994; Riginos & Nachman 2001; Bierne et al.2003). Once barriers have been established, internal (e.g.life strategy and larval survival) and external (e.g. envi-ronmental parameters) factors may favor, together with
Critical Electrolyte Concentration of Chicken Erythrocyte Chromatin

This study examined whether chicken erythrocyte chromatin, whose great physicochemical stability is promoted by histone H5, has a critical electrolyte concentration (CEC) value comparable to that of other chromatin types with special condensed packing states but devoid of H5. The affinity for toluidine blue molecules under Mg2+ competitive binding action was thus investigated. The CEC value was found to be 0.12M, which is close to that of heterochromatin from mouse liver cells and to sperm chromatin with histone H1 variants. Acetic ethanol fixative was found to affect the CEC, possibly by influencing the chromatin packing state and DNA phosphate availability through dissociation of proteins from the DNA. The phenomenon of programmed cell death was considered to contribute to high CEC values by inducing special states of chromatin condensation.
A Model of Cultural Evolution of Chaffinch Song Derived with the Meme Concept

The cultural evolution of song in populations of chaffinches from New Zealand was analyzed using the meme concept. Songs were broken down into their constituent memes (individual syllable types, their variants, or groups of linked syllables), and patterns of geographical variation for memes of different length were assessed. Multivariate spatial-autocorrelation analyses revealed a clinal pattern of variation, with close populations sharing more memes than would be expected at random and the inverse for populations that are far apart. Univariate spatial autocorrelation of syllable variants showed a random pattern attributable to high levels of mutation and random drift at this level. Syllable types, by contrast, are significantly correlated in their frequencies across populations and therefore have similar patterns. This is probably due to a major migrational event during colonization. Using Slatkin's method of rare alleles, we estimated that approximately 10 syllables per generation enter each population as a result of immigration. Rates of mutation vary for different units of cultural transmission, being highest for larger memes of sets of syllables and lowest for single syllable types. Approximately 20-30 new variants of syllables arise in a population each generation. Overall, the rate of cultural mutation and drift of apparently neutral song memes in New Zealand populations of chaffinches is high enough to swamp any homogenizing effect of meme flow, thus allowing the meme pools of these populations to diverge significantly in about the last 100 years. This is the first quantitative attempt to explain the process of cultural evolution of bird song in terms of the interaction of the mutation, flow, and random drift of memes within and among populations, and the task for the future is to assess the generality of this model in other species.
Osteoglossomorpha: phylogeny, biogeography, and fossil record and the significance of key African and Chinese fossil taxa

Abstract The Osteoglossomorpha are a clade of primitive teleostean fishes with modern representatives in five biogeogeographic regions and fossil representatives on six continents. The centre of modern diversity is in Africa but the centre of fossil diversity is in E Asia. Key fossil taxa include: †Phareodus, †Joffrichthys, and †Ostariostoma in N America; †Lycoptera, †Paralycoptera, and †Huashia among others in E Asia; †Brychaetus and possibly †Thaumaturus in Europe; †Palaeonotopterus, †Singida, and †Chauliopareion in Africa; †Tavernichthys in India; and †Musperia in SE Asia. Morphological phylogenies to date have disagreed on three main points: the relationships of †Lycoptera, of Pantodon, and of Notopterids and Mormyrids. Molecular phylogenies have similarly differed on the last two points. In this study a combined set of morphological data was generated from previous studies, including data from three recently described or redescribed taxa (the African †Singida and †Chauliopareion and the Chinese †Xixiaichthys) and maximum parsimony was used to generate a revised hypothesis of relationships. Our analysis recovered †Lycoptera, †Paralycoptera+ †Tanolepis, and †Xixiaichthys as stem-group osteoglossomorphs, †Singida as sister to Pantodon within Osteoglossidae, †Chauliopareion as a stem osteoglossid, †Ostariostoma as a stem osteoglossiform, and Notopteridae as sister to Mormyroidea and †Palaeonotopterus. These results do not lend themselves to easy explanations of osteoglossomorph biogeography involving either dispersal from a centre of origin or vicariant division of a widely distributed ancestor. Recent suggestions of an ancient (Palaeozoic) origin for osteoglossomorphs are flawed. The evidence, instead, is consistent with an origin within the Mesozoic and the biogeographic explanation involves extensive extinction of clades from continents where they occurred in the past.
Sequential proton NMR assignments and secondary structure of aponeocarzinostatin in solution

Sequential assignments and secondary structural analysis have been accomplished for the 113-residue apoprotein of the antitumor drug neocarzinostatin (NCS) from Streptomyces carzinostaticus. A total of 98% of the main-chain and 77% of the side-chain resonances have been sequence specifically assigned by use of information from coherence transfer experiments and by sequential and interstrand NOEs. Because of the complexity of the NCS spectrum, several sequential assignments strategies were employed to complete the analysis. Apo-NCS consists of three antiparallel {beta}-sheeted domains by NMR analysis. There is an extensive four-strand antiparallel {beta}-sheet, and two two-stranded domains. One of the two-strand domains is contiguous, S72-N87, with chain reversal occurring through the region L77-R82. The other two-stranded domain has the section G16-A24 antiparallel with respect to the region S62-R70. This secondary structure is consistent with the crystal structure of holo-NCS at 2.8-{angstrom} resolution.
GENETIC VARIANCES IN AN EIGHT PARENT HALF DIALLEL OF OATS

Twenty-eight progenies with their eight parent cultivars of Avena saliva L. (2n = 6x = 42) were grown in F1, F2 and F3 in separate years; the F1 as spaced plants, the F2 and F3 as dense seeded populations. Additive genetic variance constituted most of the phenotypic variance of eight traits (heading date, plant height, stem diameter, grain yield and four components of yield) according to a Griffing Method 4, Model II analysis. Similarly, additive × year interactions were more important than nonadditive × year interactions. A Hayman-Jinks analysis of the same material but with the parents included showed that the additive component was 2 to 16 times larger than the dominance components in the F1 However in the F2 and F3 the dominance components became larger than the additive components for most traits instead of declining in importance as expected. Further, tests of fit to the hypotheses underlying the Hayman-Jinks analysis were negative in 8 of 24 cases. It is postulated that these discrepancies result f.
Effects of kinetin formulations on allelochemicals and agronomic traits of cotton

Twelve candidate plant growth regulator formulations were applied twice at two levels to fruiting cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Leaves and squares were collected for analysis of allelochemicals (gossypol, tannin, anthocyanin, flavonoids) at 3 and 5 weeks after the first treatment. The plots were machine harvested one time to determine yield. Seeds were delinted and analyzed for agronomic traits and gossypol. Leaf gossypol and square gossypol were the categories most frequently increased by the bioregulators (.)
Carotenoids and flavonoids in organically grown spinach (Spinacia oleracea L) genotypes after deep frozen storage

After frozen storage the content of individual carotenoids and flavonoids was determined in organically grown spinach genotypes (Spinacia oleracea L) which differed in leaf colour and shape. The spinach was sorted, washed, blanched in steam for 3min and frozen in liquid nitrogen. After frozen storage the green colour was determined by sensory evaluation and HunterLab colorimetry. The content of individual chlorophylls, carotenoids and flavonoids was determined using HPLC. Lutein, β-carotene, violaxanthin and 9'-(Z)-neoxanthin were the main carotenoids in processed spinach. The total content of carotenoids varied from 176.6mg kg -1 wet weight' as eaten in the lightest green genotype to 226.3 mg kg -1 wet weight' as eaten in the darkest green genotype. The highest content of β-carotene (83.1 mg kg -1 wet weight' as eaten) was found in the dark green genotype. The content of lutein and neoxanthin varied significantly between genotypes, and the highest content was found in the dark green genotype (76.0 and 25.4mg kg -1 'wet weight' as eaten respectively). The total flavonoid content and the relative content of individual flavonoids were found to vary between the six genotypes. Seven main flavonoids were identified. Les carotenoides et flavonoides de differents genotypes d'epinards variant dans la forme et la couleur des feuilles (issus de cultures biologiques) surgeles ont ete doses. La coloration verte a ete determinee par colorimetrie. Les carotenoides totaux varient de 176,6mg/kg (en poids humide) pour les genotypes verts clairs a 226,3mg/kg pour les genotypes les plus fonces. Les flavonoides sont variables, 7 principaux flavonoides ont ete identifies.
Changes in the phenolic composition of grape berries during ripening in relation to vineyard nitrogen and potassium fertilisation rates

The aim of this work was to evaluate the interactive effects of different rates of nitrogen and potassium fertilisation on the phenolic composition of grape berries during ripening. To achieve this objective, in 2000 a trial was carried out in a Tempranillo vineyard located in the ‘Ribera de Duero’ Apellation d'Origine area (Spain). The plants were treated with three nitrogen (0, 50 and 200 g N per vine) and three potassium (0, 60 and 120 g K2O per vine) doses, applied as ammonium nitrate and potassium sulphate respectively, in a randomised complete block design with four replications. The rate of fertilisation did not significantly affect either the vigour or productive capacity of the vines or the size of the berries. However, high nitrogen doses caused a substantial delay in the accumulation of sugars during ripening compared with other treatments. High potassium supplies caused decreases in the total acidity of the berries but did not affect the chromatic parameters of the must at harvest. Three different stages could be distinguished in the development of total polyphenol contents in grape skins during ripening: a slow initial increase, a sharp accumulation during the fifth and sixth weeks after veraison and a final period of reduction until harvest. The vines with no added nitrogen showed more accumulation of polyphenols in the skin than those with other treatments, especially during the last few weeks of sampling. These differences between nitrogen treatments became less as the potassium fertilisation dose was increased. The nitrogen dose of 50 g N per vine increased the levels of anthocyanins in the skin (600 mg l−1 standard extract) compared with the untreated control vines (532 mg l−1), and this significantly increased the colour density of the must. The degree of polymerisation of condensed tannins decreased when the ratio N:K was balanced and the amounts of both nutrients applied were high. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
New frond formation in Laminaria hyperborea (Phaeophyta): a photoperiodic response

The sporophyte of Laminaria hyperborea produces a new frond at daylengths of up to 12 h (white light). This short-day response is completely inhibited by a 1-h white light-break given in the middle of a 16-h dark period. Temperatures of -1·5-, 2-, and 8°C were found to be favourable for new frond formation whereas 15°C was largely inhibitory.
Distinct Regions of the Cadherin Cytoplasmic Domain Are Essential for Functional Interaction with Gα12 and β-Catenin*

Heterotrimeric G proteins of the G12 subfamily mediate cellular signals leading to events such as cytoskeletal rearrangements, cell proliferation, and oncogenic transformation. Several recent studies have revealed direct effector proteins through which G12 subfamily members may transmit signals leading to various cellular responses. Our laboratory recently demonstrated that Gα12 and Gα13specifically interact with the cytoplasmic domains of several members of the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules (Meigs, T. E., Fields, T. A., McKee, D. D., and Casey, P. J. (2001)Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 98, 519–524). This interaction causes β-catenin to release from cadherin and relocalize to the cytoplasm and nucleus, where it participates in transcriptional activation. Here we report that two distinct regions of the epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) tail are required for interaction with β-catenin and Gα12, respectively. Deletion of an acidic, 19-amino acid region of E-cadherin abolishes its ability to bind β-catenin in vitro, to inhibit β-catenin-mediated transactivation, or to stabilize β-catenin; causes subcellular mislocalization of β-catenin; and disrupts cadherin-mediated cell adhesion. On the other hand, deletion of a distinct 11-amino acid region of E-cadherin dramatically attenuates interaction with Gα12; furthermore, Gα12 is ineffective in stimulating β-catenin release from an E-cadherin cytoplasmic domain lacking this putative Gα12-binding region. These findings indicate that Gα12 and β-catenin do not compete for the same binding site on cadherin and provide molecular targets for selectively disrupting the interaction of these proteins with cadherin.