Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Small Grain Cereal–Clover Mixtures for Forage Production

Abstract Fresh forages are the cheapest source of animal feed in world. Small grain cereals (SGC) are the most commonly used fresh forages or ensiled forage. Clovers are the perennial legumes that offer quality forage but their initial dry matter (DM) yield is low. Usually, SGC and clover are sown in mixtures to draw benefits from greater Cut-1 DM yield of cereals and biological nitrogen (N) fixation of clovers. However, mixtures are difficult to manage, compared to monoculture owing to differences in their growth pattern, temporal, spatial and physical requirements. In this review, SGC-clover mixtures are analyzed for their potential herbage DM yield and quality of the produce. Effect of various management factors on the productivity of forage mixtures are well documented. Decisions in managing mixtures, like choice of cereal and cutting time and how they affect the value of the final produce is reviewed. Besides decision, effect of relative proportion and spatial arrangement of intercrops is also deliberated. Special attention is paid to the competition between SGC and clovers and its impact on clover suppression in mixture. At the end conclusions are drawn to optimize production from mixtures.
Scientific review on mosquitoes and mosquito‐borne diseases

The present document has been produced and adopted by the bodies identified above as authors. In accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, this task has been carried out exclusively by the authors in the context of a grant agreement between the European Food Safety Authority and the authors. The present document is published complying with the transparency principle to which the European Food Safety Authority is subject. It may not be considered as an output adopted by EFSA. EFSA reserves its rights, view and position as regards the issues addressed and the conclusions reached in the present document, without prejudice to the rights of the authors.
Indexically Structured Ecological Communities

Ecological communities are seldom, if ever, biological individuals. They lack causal boundaries as the populations that constitute communities are not congruent and rarely have persistent functional roles regulating the communities’ higher-level properties. Instead we should represent ecological communities indexically, by identifying ecological communities via the network of weak causal interactions between populations that unfurl from a starting set of populations. This precisification of ecological communities helps identify how community properties remain invariant, and why they have robust characteristics. This respects the diversity and aggregational nature of these complex systems while still vindicating them as units worthy of investigation.
Geographical range expansion of alien birds and environmental matching

The international wildlife trade is a significant source of introduced alien species, some of which proceed to become invasive and cause negative environmental and economic effects. However, not all introduced aliens establish viable populations, and it is important to identify the factors that determine establishment success. We explore the role of environmental suitability (including anthropogenic influences, climate and habitat types) in the establishment success of alien bird species introduced to Taiwan. Using maximum entropy modelling, we employed a recursive feature elimination and AIC-based stepwise model selection approach to assess whether the environmental suitability, native range size, body size, residence time and the numbers of birds for sale in the shops affect variation in the extent of alien bird range size in Taiwan. We show that species with larger native range sizes and larger body sizes tend to have larger alien range sizes in Taiwan. There was no effect of environmental suitability on alien range size in Taiwan, but environmental suitability influenced the establishment success of bird species there. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Consumo foliar da traça-das-crucíferas em couve e brócolis tratados com sinigrina Leaf area consumed by diamondback moth feeding on kale and brocolis treated with sinigrin

Leaf area estimation, based on their reduction due to consumption by phytophagous insects, is a basic methodology in several areas of Entomology, for instance, in studies about plant resistance, economic entomology and nutritional ecology. One of the factors that can affect the amount of leaf area consumed by insects is the presence of certain chemicals in the leaves, such as sinigrin in Brassicaceae. Thus, several concentrations of sinigrin were applied on the leaves of cabbage and broccoli (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 mg/mL in 5% Tween20 ® solution) in order to measure leaf area consumption by larvae of P. xylostella, estimated by the percentage of area reduction, weight loss and visual scale of notes. The results show that the concentrations of 0.2, 0.4 and 3.2 mg/mL of sinigrin increase larvae consumption of P. xylostella on kale leaves and decrease it on broccoli leaves. The methodologies used provide similar results, and fresh weight measurements and visual grades are more practical. RESUMO: A estimativa da area foliar, em funcao da sua reducao causada pelo consumo por insetos filofagos, e uma metodologia basica em varias areas da Entomologia, como, por exemplo, em estudos sobre
Eriophyid mite Aceria artemisiifoliae sp.nov. (Acari: Eriophyoidea) potential biological control agent of invasive common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (Asteraceae) in Serbia

Abstract Common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (Asterales: Asteraceae), is an annual harmful weed of North American origin, now widely distributed in Central and Southern Europe, Asia and Australia. It is an agricultural weed, but it represents a serious risk for human health because its pollen can cause severe allergies. Recently, in the framework of the EU-COST Action ‘SMARTER’, an European program was started with the aim to develop sustainable management strategies for ragweed in Europe, with a special emphasis in the search and selection of biological control agents. Among them, the record of a new eriophyid mite Aceria species in Serbia has been considered as potential important biological control candidate. This paper describes the species following both morphological and bio-molecular approaches, and is giving some preliminary data on the geographical distribution and on the biology of the eriophyid mite on its host plant.
A set of cell surface glycoproteins forms an early position, but not cell type, in the root apical carota L

A monoclonal antibody (JIM4) has been derived that series of glycoproteins associated with the plasma suspension-cultured carrot cell line and also an proteoglycan secreted by the cultured cells. indicated that the plasma membrane antigen(s) specific to certain cells of Daucus carota L. apex JIM4 labelled two segments of the stele. These the poles of the protoxylem. An axis of unlabelled two phloem regions. Two sections of the pericycle with oblique longitudinal divisions were particularly This pattern of reactive cells, reflecting cell specific future cell type, would appear to be a unique plants. The association of JIM4 antigens with these maintained through the transition from root to the cotyledons and the mature plant. Examination of JIM4 ultrathin frozen sections of the carrot seedling root indicated that the expression of the antigen is a very root development. Cells express the surface epitope, cells of the dome of apical initials, before the vascular tissue can be discerned and well before its differentiation.
Acute toxicity study of Sphaeranthus bullatus used as herbal tea in Tanzania

Sphaeranthus bullatus aerial part is used by Chaga people in Northern Tanzania as herbal tea. It is usually drunk for the management of diarrhea. In this study acute toxicity of S. bullatus was evaluated in order to establish its safety to verify its use as herbal tea. Acute toxicity was performed per Organization for Economic co-operation and Development 423 (OECD) guideline. Six groups of female white albino mice were orally administered as a single dose of 1000, 2000 mg/kg body weight, 3000, 4000 and 5000 mg/kg body weight of S. bullatus dichloromethane extract. Internal organ weights, hematological and biochemical parameters of animal blood were determined after 14 days of the experiment. No animal died up to the 14 th day of the experiment. Red blood cells, haemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit concentration of the treated animals were significantly higher than the control while white blood cells and platelets were found lower than the control animals. Level of biochemical parameters of the treated animals were not significantly different from the control animals except the level of bilurubin of treated animals which was found higher than control animals. S. bullatus dichloromethane extract is therefore established to have safety up to dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight which authenticates its use as herbal tea and for management of diarrhea. However a dose of more than 2000 mg/Kg body weight indicated to lower WBC.
Diet of Calidris maritima (Purple Sandpiper) during the Winter in Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract Calidris maritima (Purple Sandpiper) is a shorebird found along northern coasts of Europe and eastern North America during the winter. While its winter diet is well known in Europe, the only North American study examining diet included 5 individuals and suggested a narrow diet focused on Littorina spp. (periwinkles). We examined the diet of Purple Sandpipers wintering at several sites in Nova Scotia, Canada, during 2013, and found that the birds consumed a broad variety of items, though principally marine invertebrates, dominated by periwinkles and Mytilus edulis (Blue Mussel), but also many arthropods. Our study confirms the importance of mollusks in the diet of this species and also indicates that Purple Sandpipers in North America have a similar winter diet to those studied in Europe.
Effect of Rearing Program, Body Conformation and Protein Level of Breeder Feed on Broiler Breeder Hen Reproductive Performance

The effect of pullet growth curve on body conformation and subsequent reproductive performance and effect of breeder feed protein level on reproductive performance was determined. The cost effectiveness of the different programs was evaluated. Cobb 700e pullets were reared from day of age in floor pens. Each pen was assigned to one of two growth curves from 16 weeks of age to housing at 21 weeks of age. One growth curve followed a standard (SD) body weight curve and a second followed a lighter (LI) body weight curve. At 23 weeks of age, half of the hens from each of the growth curves were assigned to one of two breeder diets. Half of the hens were fed a low (LO)-protein (14%) breeder diet and half were fed a higher (HI)-protein breeder diet (16%) during the production phase. Pullet growth curve significantly affected body weight through 30 weeks of age. The protein level of the breeder feed significantly affected body weight at 35 and 40 weeks of age. Pullet growth curve affected body conformation, but did not affect age of first egg. Pullet growth curve did not affect egg weight. Protein level of the breeder feed significantly affected egg weight; hens fed the HI-protein diet laid heavier eggs. Egg production was not affected by pullet rearing growth curve (p = 0.0845) or protein level (p = 0.7348) of the breeder feed. Feeding a LO-protein diet resulted in feed cost savings. The feed cost of SD reared hens fed LO-protein diet was $0.03227 per hen less than for those fed HI-protein diets. The feed cost of LI reared hens fed LO-protein diet was $0.3616 per hen less than for those fed HI-protein diet.
L'impiego della propoli nell'alimentazione dell'agnello leggero

The Authors refer the results of a research carried out to value the effects of propolis on the performance of light lambs. Added to the milk replacer at the doses of 20 and 40 p.p.m. on d.m. basis during a 30 d cycle, propolis has improved the weight gain (resp. 9.5% and 16%), the feed utilisation (resp. 11% and 18%), the dressing percentages (resp. 2.5% and 4% for the caprettina yield; 7% and 12% for the cold carcass yield), the meat digestibility (resp. 3.5% and 7% of digestible protein after in vitro pepsinic digestion) and tenderness (resp. -30% and -45% of connective tissue after in vitro tripsinic digestion). The use of the propolis at the dose of 10 p.p.m. resulted ineffective. Regardless to the dose, propolis had not positive or negative effects on the health status.
Studies of iron overload. Rat liver siderosome ferritin.

: To investigate storage of ferritin and its transition to hemosiderin under conditions of iron overload, rats were either given multiple injections of iron dextran over 4 to 5 weeks or fed a diet containing 1.3% Fe as ferric ammonium citrate for 60 days. Then, preparations of liver siderosomes (heavily iron-laden lysosomes) were examined for content of buffer-soluble ferritin and buffer-insoluble, ferritin-related protein, total nonheme iron and protein, cathepsin D activity, and ability to incorporate 14C-leucine into ferritin. Total liver nonheme iron, ferritin protein and iron, and cathepsin D activity were also determined. Although parenteral iron loading produced higher total nonheme iron in livers than dietary loading, the iron content of ferritin was approximately 20% in both groups, reflecting saturation of ferritin with iron. Siderosome nonheme iron content was greater than 40% in relation to protein. The siderosomes contained little buffer-soluble ferritin; on isoelectric focusing this was composed of isoferritins present also in cytosol ferritin. Buffer-insoluble ferritin protein, identified in siderosomes by immunofluorescence, was solubilized and found to contain immunoreactive material corresponding to L and H subunits of buffer-soluble ferritin. Transmission electron microscopy indicated the presence of relatively large quantities of "ferritin" in siderosomes, and it is argued that this was mostly buffer insoluble (denatured) or represented ferritin [FeOOH]x cores divested of protein shells. Although siderosomes had substantial cathepsin D activity, the known resistance of ferritin to this and other proteases makes it unlikely that proteolysis is an early event in the decomposition of ferritin in siderosomes. Heavily iron-laden siderosomes did not take up newly labeled ferritin or ferritin protein or 14C-precursor within 24 hours of labeling, when 14C-labeled ferritin was abundant in cytosol. The author proposes a sequence of steps leading from sequestration of buffer-soluble cytosol ferritin to storage of insoluble "hemosiderin.
Equivocal Responses of Feeding Parents to Experimental Brood Sizes in a Hawk–Cuckoo Host: Brood Size as a Reference for Parental Provisioning Decisions?

The number of offspring surviving until independence is the fundamental drive in the evolution of parental care. Because of the related costs, parental investment must be balanced with essential resources for parents themselves, among the resources available in the environment under the current parental condition. It is advantageous for parents to adjust their level of investment to the number of offspring; however, there is little evidence that parents employ numerical competence in adjusting their investment level. We investigated how parents respond to experimentally manipulated brood sizes in a passerine species, known as a host of a brood parasitic cuckoo whose chicks presumably deceive their hosts numerically. Parents reduced their provisioning to broods of reduced sizes, whereas parents did not increase provisioning to enlarged broods compared to that in the control condition. These parental responses can be attributed to the response of chicks to the experimental treatments compared to that in the control: chicks lowered begging intensity in the reduced condition, while they did not intensify being in the enlarged condition. Further analyses revealed that eagerness of parents to respond to chick begging intensity differed between the experimental treatments: strong parental response was detected toward begging chicks only in the reduced condition. We propose that the detected equivocality of parental responses might be related to the difference in the number of chicks between the unmanipulated and experimentally manipulated broods, the former reflecting the initial parental decision on the amount of resources to allocate to the brood.
Display of cysteine proteases HRV 3C, sortase A and TEV on prokaryotic hosts

Proteases are important enzymes in the biotechnology due to their specific cleavage of substrates. HRV 3C, sortase A and TEV are some examples of cysteine proteases which become more of use lately in applications as removal of affinity tags (3C/TEV) and labelling of proteins (sortase). Here an investigation was made on the proteases by displaying them on two different prokaryotic hosts; E. coli and S. carnosus and to use these to cleave away affinity proteins (Affibody molecule) from other cells with an incorporated cleavage site. Constructs were cloned and incorporated into expressing strains which were then cultivated and induced. Analysis of surface expression was done by flow cytometer. Cleavage was made by cultivating combinations with cleavable bacteria and bacteria displaying proteases. A functional protease would lead to the presence of Affibody molecules in the supernatant. Flow cytomtery analysis was first made to investigate signal difference in Affibody binding by the addition of flurophores. Secondly SDS-PAGE was made on the centrifuged supernatant to investigate the presence of a product. Finally analysis of the bacteria was made by examining the reaction with soluble substrate and comparing activity with soluble enzyme. All of the enzymes were able to be displayed on the surface of bacteria with a clear separation from control. The cleavage analysis showed however varying results yet no clear evidence of product. Best flow cytometer results were seen for 3C but SDS-PAGE/MS did not show any cleaved product. For Sortase SDS-PAGE showed positive result but analysis with MS showed no product. TEV was concluded not to be functional at all hence the failing to cleave soluble substrate when condition seemed near optimal and faulty flow cytometer data. Even though the lack of success there is still many further studies that can be done on the proteases in order to prove its absence/presence of activity. Table of content Abstract 2 Introduction 4 The display system 4 Phage display 4 Cell display 4 Gram negative bacteria 5 Gram positive bacteria 6 Applications 6 Aim 8 Materials and methods 10 Cloning 10 Transformation 12 PCR screening 12 Cultivations for investigation of expression and cleavage 13 Flow cytometer analysis 14 Purification with IMAC and analysis with SDS-gel 14 Analysis of helper bacteria function with soluble substrate/enzymes for E. coli helper bacteria 14 Results 16 Expression of protease display 16 Cleavage analysis with flow cytometer 16 SDS-PAGE analysis 20 SDS-PAGE analysis of supernatant from 3C cleavage 20 SDS-PAGE analysis of supernatant from sortase cleavage 21 Test of helper bacteria function with soluble substrate 22 Discussion 24 Conclusion 26 Acknowledgements 26 Supplementary material 27 1: Constructs 27 Helper bacteria: 27 Cleavable bacteria 27 2: Growth curve measurement with different reducing agents 28 3: Buffer solutions: 29 4: Controls 30 References 3
Individual HSV Transcripts Characterization of Specific Genes

An increasingly complete picture of the phenomenology of animal virus gene expression during productive infection is at hand. In the case of herpesviruses [particularly herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV -1)], this pic­ ture is dependent on the revolution in molecular biology resulting from restriction enzyme analysis of viral DNA and, more recently, from the use of recombinant DNA technology for the construction and analysis of fine probes of HSV-l DNA transcription. These powerful techniques, along with techniques available from the parallel revolution in immu­ nology and assays of biological activities, suggest that a detailed me­ chanistic description of the intricacies of HSV replication is technically feasible. Workers in the U.S. and Great Britain have been able to use fine restriction enzyme and polypeptide analysis of HSV-l and HSV-2 inter­ typic recombinants to locate many HSV marker proteins on the viral genome (Marsden et a1., 1978; Morse et a1., 1978; Ruyechan et a1., 1979; reviewed by Spear and Roizman, 1980; reviewed less extensively by Hal­ liburton, 1980). Marker rescue has an increasing role in defining specific HSV genes (Stow et a1., 1978; Parris et a1., 1980). Hybridization of viral RNA present at specific stages of infection to separated restriction frag­ ments of HSV DNA has allowed localization of specific viral transcripts on the viral genome (reviewed by E. Wagner et a1., 1981; Wagner, 1983). The in vitro translation of resolvable viral mRNA species has allowed ~
Landscape ecology and conservation: moving from description to application

The focus of conservation biology has been predominantly the study of single species, and conservation management and legislation has been directed mostly at the species level. Increasingly, however, there has been a recognition that ecosystems and landscapes need to be considered, since they form the physical and biotic context within which species exist. Increased emphasis on the landscape scale suggests that the emerging discipline of landscape ecology might have much to offer conservation biology. Landscape ecology is still a young science with no well-defined theoretical framework and little rigorous quantitative methodology. It aims to study patterns, processes and changes at the scale of hectares to square kilometers. Its focus on the pattern and dynamics of ecosystems or patches within a landscape offers much which is of relevance to conservation biology. Topics such as disturbance, patch dynamics, metapopulation dynamics, landscape flows, connectivity and fragmentation all have relevance to the conservation of biodiversity in natural, altered and rapidly changing systems. The papers in this issue provide a cross section of Australian research into landscape ecology which is of relevance to conservation biology. Methodological, theoretical and practical aspects are covered. I suggest that effective conservation of biodiversity will be achieved only if the landscape context is taken into account.
Avian Nest Success along a Habitat Gradient in the Cross Timbers Oak Savanna

Abstract Oak savanna, once widespread across central North America, has functionally vanished from most of its range due to land conversion or fire suppression and subsequent afforestation. Savanna-associated bird species have exhibited population declines as a result. One of the few areas containing remnant oak savanna is the vast Cross Timbers ecoregion of the south-central Unites States. Previous research in the Midwest showed some bird species exhibited higher rates of nest success (i.e., lower predation of eggs and nestlings) in restored savannas than in closed-canopy forests. Our objective was to quantify patterns of avian nest success across a gradient from open-canopy oak savanna to closed-canopy forest in the Cross Timbers ecoregion of southeastern Kansas. Daily nest survival rates for four common bird species—mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), and northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)—were modeled against covariates of woodland structure along the habitat gradient. Tree density and canopy cover had no significant effects on daily nest survival rate, but daily survival rates of brown thrasher and northern mockingbird nests showed positive trends with increasing shrub density. We expect restoration of oak savanna habitat would have little effect on nest survival of some common bird species in the naturally heterogeneous Cross Timbers ecoregion.