Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: Despite the fact that the overall bacterial community structure transitioned significantly from adult digestive tracts, to their anal secretions, and onto the preserved carcasses, it was changes in the relative abundances of particular bacterial taxa that primarily drove these patterns, and we did recover a core group of bacteria present in all sample types. Bacterial taxa detected in our study, such as Acinetobacter, Dysgonomonas, Myroides, Vitreoscilla, and Wohlfahrtiimonas, were among this group that previous studies have identified as being associated with Nicrophorus spp. [16,18,24–26,40]; thus, suggesting these bacteria are core members of a general Nicrophorus microbiome consortia. Many of these potential core microbes have also been isolated from digestive tracts of other insects and have previously been shown to carry out several metabolic functions that hold relevance for the concept of carcass preservation for feeding larval offspring. For example, Wohlfahrtiimonas spp. have been isolated from digestive tracts of N. vespilloides, Diptera, and the [18,25,41,42] and they are capable of breaking down a variety of amino acids, fermenting a myriad of sugars, and reducing nitrate [42,43]. Dysgonomonas spp. have been isolated from carcasses prepared by burying beetles [16] as well as in the digestive tracts of other insects [44–46], and they have the ability to degrade a variety of fatty acids. Acinetobacter spp. are capable of producing biofilms and exogenous enzymes that degrade vertebrate tissue [47], while Myroides spp. have previously been detected in the digestive tract of burying beetles and on prepared carcasses [18,23,40] and are also known to produce a variety of antibacterial substances [48,49]. Vitreoscilla spp. , which have also been found previously on carcasses prepared by burying beetles [16,24], have the capacity to metabolize toxic chemicals [50] and have genes likely involved in gastrointestinal tract colonization [51].

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: The cultivation medium for chemostat cultures was based on minimal medium with 20 g l-1 xylose and with increasing levels, 20-50% (v/v), of spruce hydrolysate and 0. 1% (v/v) of polypropylene glycol P 2’000 from Fluka as antifoam. Glucose was added to the medium giving a final concentration of 20 g l-1 taken into account the amount of glucose already present in the hydrolysate. The pH of the medium was adjusted to 5. 0 with 1 M NaOH and was supplemented with salts, two folds of trace elements and vitamins according to Verduyn et al. [37]. Anaerobic fermentations in minimal medium and spruce hydrolysate were supplemented with antifoam polypropylene glycol P 2’000 from Fluka at 0. 1 and 0. 25% (v/v), respectively, along with ergosterol and Tween 80. Ergosterol and Tween 80 were dissolved in boiling absolute ethanol and were added to the medium to a final concentration of 0. 01 g l-1 and 0. 42 g l-1, respectively. Three different agar plates 75 and YP-hydrolysate were used for screening strains. All the three plates contained 10 g l-1 yeast extract, 20 g l-1 peptone and 20 g l-1 agar. In addition, YPX plate was supplemented with 20 g l-1 xylose and YPD75 plate was supplemented with 20 g l-1 glucose and 75% of inhibitors concentration (inhibitor cocktail) in Table 1, whereas, in YP- hydrolysate plate yeast extract, peptone and agar were dissolved in spruce hydrolysate. UV mutagenesisThe cell samples stored at −80°C were retrieved and diluted with sterile milliQ water to read an OD650 of 0. 1 and a volume of 100 μl was spread on three YP-hydrolysate plates. The three plates were subjected to high intensity UV radiation at 302nm from a UV transilluminator TMF26V from UVP for 30, 60 and 90 seconds, respectively and incubated at 30°C until colonies were formed. One colony per plate was taken for further evolutionary engineering.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: Precipitation fluctuation has significant long and short term impacts on natural resources particularly forests, lakes, wetlands and rivers. Regardless of the presence of surface and groundwater resources, the low precipitation over the growing season seriously affects the region's agricultural activities that lead to food insecurity. In Togo, the analysis of farmers’ perception to climate change by revealed that farmers perceived high increase in temperature [9]. Some studies in Togo revealed a rainfall deficit since 1970 [10-15]. Sogbedji [16] also found that the decrease in seasonal rainfall amount represents a serious threat to maize growth during the second growing season. Poudel and Shaw [17] used multiple regression analysis to determine the relationship between climate variables such precipitation and temperature on crop yields in Nepal. Regression models based on historical yield data and climate data are relatively accurate for the prediction of changes in the yield due to climate change [18]. To analyse the effects of climatic variables on crop production in Patigi, Nigeria, Tunde [19] used the correlation and regressions analyses and concluded that the climatic variables such as precipitation and temperature have impact to certain limit on the selected crop yield. Adamgbe and Ujoh in Nigeria reported that rainy days and rainfall amount had strong positive relationship with maize yield [20] (r=0. 747 and r=0. 599, respectively). Several other studies have discussed long-term linear tendencies of climate variables such as precipitation, temperature and others climatic parameters [3,21-25]. However, modest information data between climatic variables and crop yields exists on Togo, particularly in southern Togo which plays an important role in Togo’s economy. The objective of this study was (i) to investigate the change in precipitation and temperature, (ii) evaluate the impact of climatic variability on crop yields. The results of this study will help different actors such as farmers, universities, crop consultants, NGO, hydrologist, and environmentalists to develop and adopt adaptation strategies for agriculture development and sustainable environment. Materials and description and data collection Togo is a small nation with estimated population of about 6,191,155 inhabitants [26]. It borders in the south by Atlantic Ocean; Ghana lies to the west; Benin to the east; and the north of Togo is bound by Burkina Faso.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: Taken together, these data suggest roles for these potential core microbiota in eliminating microbial competitors for carcass preservation, facilitating nutrient acquisition for developing larvae through the breakdown of animal tissue, detoxifying the carcass environment, and even in assisting with re-introduction of core bacteria into the larval digestive tract. The major shifts in microbial community structure observed in our study are perhaps not surprising given the highly variable conditions that bacteria in these populations experience as they transition from the adult gut, to the anal secretions, and on to the prepared carcass. Interestingly, with Nicrophorus a number of core microbiota do manage to persist despite the ecological instability inherent in this transmission process. This highlights the potential of niche adaptability for these core species, and further suggest a mechanism of bacterial selection based on the antimicrobial properties of the anal secretions, which likely provides a competitive advantage for these microbes to transition onto the carcass. Such a process would ultimately enhance the transmission probability of core microbiome members from adult beetles to their larval offspring, and similar modes of vertical transition are known for other insects, such as Lepidoptera [52]. The results of our study suggest that while transmission of endogenous microbiota by N. defodiens via anal secretions may not be a universally controlled process, for the bacterial communities that ultimately populate the prepared carcass there is selection both for core microbiota and against some exogenous microbes. These finding are consistent with concepts proposed by other authors [18], and suggest anal secretions used in carcass preservation are integral to a vertical transmission scheme for a niche-adapted core of bacterial species. ConclusionsIn this study, we sought to evaluate the potential for anal secretions of N. defodiens to structure the prepared carcass community via transmittance of bacterial taxa from adult beetle digestive tracts to carcasses, where they could also serve as inocula to later influence the gut communities of larval offspring. We found that preparation had a significant effect on the diversity and structure of the carcass bacterial communities when compared to those of the unprepared carcass. While communities of adult digestive tracts, the anal secretions, and prepared carcasses all supported bacterial populations that differed significantly in their structure, we did find evidence supporting the process of microbial ‘seeding’ and ‘weeding’ for N. defodiens.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: Cultivation conditionsEvolutionary engineering in repetitive batch culturesEvolutionary engineering in repetitive batch cultures were carried out in 100 ml shake flasks with a working volume of 50 ml. The cultures were inoculated to an initail OD650 of 0. 01, incubated at 30°C on an orbital shaker at 180 rpm. Samples were frequently withdrawn for measurement of OD650 and analysis of extracellular metabolites. The presence of glucose during the cultivation was monitored using glucose test strips (keto-diabur-test 5000 from Roche) and the cells were serially transferred to subsequent shake flasks at 8 to 12 h after the depletion of glucose. Possible contamination of the cultivation was checked by ocular inspection in microscope. Cell samples during the evolution that usually contain mixed cultures were withdrawn periodically and stored in glycerol vials for further evaluation. Evolutionary engineering in continuous culturesThe directed evolution in chemostat culture was performed in a 1 l fermenter () with 740 ml working volume (measured at the end of the cultivation) determined by having the outlet pumping fixed at a certain height in the vessel. The conditions of the cultivation were controlled at a temperature of 30°C, a pH of 5. 0 with 2M NaOH, and a stirrer speed at 350 rpm and with both gas in- and outlets open to the atmosphere. The culture was run for 60 days and samples for measurements of OD650 and extracellular metabolites were taken regularly. Possible contamination of the cultivation was checked by ocular inspection in microscope. Cell samples during the evolution that usually contain mixed cultures were withdrawn periodically and stored in glycerol vials for further evaluation. Anaerobic fermentationAnaerobic fermentations were carried out in 4 l fermenters (Belach Bioteknik, Sweden) with a working volume of 2 l and the anaerobic condition was maintained by flushing N2 at flow rate of 0. 4 l min-1. The pH was maintained at 5. 0 by automatic addition of 2 M NaOH and the temperature at 30°C. The stirrer speed was 500 rpm in minimal medium and set to 400 rpm for fermentation of spruce hydrolysate due to excessive foam formation. Precultures for fermentation were inoculated from glycerol vials containing mixed cultures and grown in minimal medium with 20 g l-1 of glucose and xylose respectively, in shake flasks until the late exponential phase.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: It should be noted that the Mann-Kendall test is a statistical test widely used for the analysis of trend in climatologic [30,31] and hydrologic time series [32,33]. There are two advantages of using this test: it is a nonparametric test and does not require the data to be normally distributed and the test has low sensitivity to abrupt breaks due to inhomogeneous time series [34]. According to this test, the null hypothesis (H0) assumes that there is no trend (the data is independent and randomly ordered) and this is tested against the alternative hypothesis (H1), which assumes that there is a trend. The Mann-Kendall test statistic S is given as follows: where xi is the data value at time i, n is the length of the dataset and sign (xi-xj) is the sign function which can be computed as: For n>10, the test statistic Z approximately follows a standard normal distribution: in which Var(S) is the variance of statistic S. A positive value of Z indicates that there is an increasing trend, and a negative value indicates a decreasing trend. The null hypothesis, Ho, that there is no trend in the records is either accepted or rejected depending on whether the computed Z statistics is less than or more than the critical value of Z statistics obtained from the normal distribution table [35]. The Theil-Sen estimator (TSE) is an unbiased estimator of the true slope in simple linear regression [36]. If there is a trend in the data, the magnitude of the change in any variable can be denoted by trend slope ß [36,37]: where xi and xj are data values at time ti and tj (i> j), respectively. Linear regression Linear regression analysis was applied for analyzing trends in the time series. The main statistical parameter drawn from regression analysis is the slope that indicates the mean temporal change in the variable under study. Positive values of the slope show increasing trends. The coefficient of determination R square drawn from regression analysis is also used. The total change during a decade was obtained by multiplying the slope by 10 years [34]. Impact of variation in climatic variables on crop yields The precipitation and temperature data were tested against crop yields in southern part of Togo.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: Dysgonomonas termitidis sp. nov. , isolated from the gut of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus. Microbiol. 2014;65(Pt 2): 681–685. pmid:25428419 View 45. Yang Y-J, Zhang N, Ji S-Q, Lan X, Zhang K-D, Shen Y-L, et al. Dysgonomonas macrotermitis sp. nov. , isolated from the hindgut of a fungus-growing termite. Microbiol. 2014;64(Pt 9): 2956–2961. pmid:24899656 View 46. Dysgonomonas alginatilytica sp. nov. , an alginate-degrading bacterium isolated from a microbial consortium. Microbiol. 2015;65(10): 3570–3575. pmid:26297040 View 47. Bergogne-Bérézin E, Towner KJ. Acinetobacter spp. as nosocomial pathogens: microbiological, clinical, and epidemiological features. Rev. 1996;9(2): 148–165. pmid:8964033 View 48. . Chromosome-Encoded -Lactamases TUS-1 and MUS-1 from Myroides odoratus and Myroides odoratimimus (odoratum), of the lineage of molecular subclass B1 metalloenzymes. Chemother. 2002;46(11): 3561–3567. pmid:12384365 View 49. . Antibacterial activities of multi drug resistant Myroides odoratimimus bacteria isolated from adult flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are independent of metallo beta-lactamase gene. Microbiol. 2008;39(2): 397–404. pmid:24031236 View 50. . The biochemistry of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin. Biotechnol J. 2012;3(4). View 51. . Potential probiotic Escherichia coli 16 harboring the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene improves gastrointestinal tract colonization and ameliorates carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Int. 2014;213574. pmid:25050329 View 52. .

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: The fermentation of minimal medium and spruce hydrolysate was initiated by inoculating to an initial OD650 of 0. 01 and 0. 05, respectively. Drop testCells in frozen glycerol vials that contained mixed cultures were thawed and diluted with sterile milliQ water to read an OD650 of 1. 0. Six ten-fold serial dilutions were made and a volume of 10 μl of each dilution was placed on 75 and YP-hydrolysate plates. The plates were incubated at 30°C for at least two days and evaluated by visual inspection. Analysis of metabolites and cell dry weightSamples for extracellular metabolites were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography using Aminex HPX-87H column with 30 x 4. 6 mm Cation-H Biorad micro-guard column maintained at 45°C. 5 mM H2SO4 was used as an eluent at a flow rate of 0. 6 ml min-1. Glucose, xylose, xylitol, acetic acid, glycerol, and ethanol were detected using RI detector maintained at 35°C and HMF, furfural, vanillin and syringaldehyde were detected using UV detector at 210 nm. The sugars in spruce hydrolysate and samples from chemostat cultures were analyzed by high performance anion exchange chromatography using 4 x 250 mm Dionex CarboPac PA1 column with 4 x50 mm guard column maintained at 30°C. Eluent A: 300 mM NaOH, eluent B: 100 mM NaOH+85 mM sodium acetate were used for elution at a flow rate of 1 ml min-1. Monosaccharides including arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose and mannose were detected using pulsed amperometric detector. Optical density (OD) and cell dry weight were used as an estimate of cell concentration. OD was measured at 650 nm using the cell free medium at the point of sampling as background. Cell dry weight was determined in duplicates by filtering 5–10 ml of culture through a pre-weighed 0. 45μm hydrophilic polyethersulfonate filter (Biotech, Germany). After removal of medium the filters were washed with milliQ water and dried in microwave at 125W for 15 min.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: Yield records of 5 major crops commonly grown in southern of Togo was collected at the Ministry of agriculture, livestock and hydraulic from 1990 to 2014. Lome is not an agriculture production area so; no yield record has been obtained. The crops for which data are available are maize, rice, cassava, cowpea and groundnut. Amongst these crops, only rice is irrigated in southern Togo. Multiple regression analysis was carried out on the crop yield using growing season precipitation and temperature values covering 1990 to 2014 period. analysis software STATA was used to perform the Student t-test. This had enabled the possible determination of relationships between the precipitation, temperature and crop yield in southern of Togo. When the probability associated with t-student is less than 5%, then the independent variable has a significant influence or contributes to the variation in crop yield. The equation associated with the change in yield as a function of precipitation and temperature is: γ =C + aT + bT +∈ Where γ is the yield (kg), a temperature-related coefficient, T temperature data (°C), b precipitation coefficient, P the precipitation data (mm) and ε error term or other variables which have an influence on the yields, C the constant. Results and in climatic variables Trend in annual precipitation: Figure 2 presented the time series annual precipitation. Annual precipitation varied with location and ranged from a maximum of 2344 mm registered in 1985 at Koumakonda to a minimum of 423 mm at Lomé in 2000. Annual precipitation had relatively low coefficient of determination R2 with years ranging from 0. 000 at Kouma-konda to 0. 036 at Tabligbo (Figure 2) indicating inter-annual variability in total precipitation. At Kouma-konda, annual precipitation varied from 618. 6 to 2344. 4 mm with the 1970-2014 annual mean precipitation of 1597 mm. A non-significant decreasing trend (P>0. 05) in annual precipitation was noted in Kouma-konda (Table 2). Annual precipitation at Atakpamé varied from 767. 3 mm in 1977 to 1850. 1 mm in 2009 and insignificantly increased in time (P>0. 05). Long term annual mean in Atakpamé was 1397. Annual precipitation at Lomé fell within the range of 423. 9-1416. 7 mm at an average 829 mm.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: Figures AbstractWe report on aerobic “environmental” bacteria isolated from European honey bees (Apis mellifera). We determined the number of culturable aerobic bacteria in the gut of nurse bees sampled from locations around Australia. Bees from healthy colonies had 107–108 aerobic bacteria per g of bee gut, while bees from colonies with chalkbrood consistently had significantly fewer bacteria (104–105 bacteria per g). When colonies recovered from chalkbrood, bacterial numbers returned to normal levels, suggesting that counting aerobic bacteria in the gut could be used to predict an outbreak of the disease. Furthermore, bees from the “Better Bees” program (bred to promote hygienic behaviour) had significantly higher numbers of aerobic gut bacteria compared to regular bees from healthy colonies. Bacteria with the ability to inhibit the chalkbrood pathogen were found in most bees from regular colonies (> 60%) but only in a few “Better Bees” (10%). Phylogenetic analysis of aerobic bacterial isolates that inhibited the chalkbrood pathogen revealed a close relationship (>97% sequence identity) to the genera Bacillus, Klebsiella, Pantoea, Hafnia, and Enterobacter (bacteria that have previously been isolated from honey bees), but we also isolated Maccrococcus and Frigoribacterium species (bacteria that were not previously identified in bees). Finally, we investigated the ability of bacteria to inhibit the chalkbrood fungus Ascosphaera apis. Mass spectroscopy analysis revealed that the bee gut isolates Frigoribacterium sp. and Bacillus senegalensis produce gluconic acid. We further found that this simple sugar is involved in chalkbrood fungal hyphal lysis and cytoplasmic leakage. Our findings suggest that “environmental” gut bacteria may help bees to control the chalkbrood pathogen. Citation: (2020) Environmental gut bacteria in European honey bees (Apis mellifera) from Australia and their relationship to the chalkbrood disease. 15(8): e0238252. : April 3, 2020; Accepted: August 12, 2020; Published: August 28, 2020Copyright: © 2020 Khan et al. This is an open access 9. 0 [32]. The Mann-(Wilcoxon rank-sum) test for non-parametric analysis was used to compare different samples.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: The filters were kept in a desiccator over night before they were weighed again. All yields and rates were calculated in the exponential phase identified by natural logarithm of cell dry weight or OD650 and culture time. The lag phase time was calculated from the point of intersection of lag phase and exponential phase in a plot of natural logarithm of OD650 and culture time. Enzyme activitiesXR and XDH assays were perfomed in 96-well microtiter plates with a FLUmulti-mode microplate reader (). Culture aliquots stored at −80°C were used to inoculate minimal medium containing 20 g l-1 glucose and xylose, respectively in shake flasks. The concentration of salts, trace elements and vitamins were exactly the same as used in the medium for evolutionary engineering in shake flasks. Cells were harvested in xylose phase (10 h after glucose was consumed), washed twice with water and resuspended in disintegration buffer, 0. 1 M triethanolamine buffer (pH 7. 0), containing 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 0. 5 mM dithiothreitol, and 0. 5 mM EDTA and glass beads. The suspension was vortexed in FastPrep-24 instrument (MP Biomedicals, France) for 20 s and kept in ice for 2 min and this cycle was repeated for six times. Later, the suspension was centrifuged at 20,000 g, 5 min, 4°C and the supernatant was used for enzymatic assays. The total protein concentration was determined using Bio-Rad protein assay dye reagent (Bio-Rad laboratories, US) with bovine serum albumin as standard. XR and XDH activity were measured as previously described in [23]. Experiments were performed in duplicates of three different concentrations of cell extract. Specific activities are expressed as units per milligram of protein. Units are defined as micromoles of NADPH oxidized or NAD+ reduced per minute. Nomenclature of evolved cellsCells evolved in shake flasks were named accordingly as follows, RK_% inhibitor cocktail_round of cultivation, for instance, strain RK40-3 was evolved in 40% inhibitor cocktail for three rounds of cultivation.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: A nonsignificant increase (P>0. 05) in annual precipitation was noticed at Lomé. At Tabligbo, mean annual precipitation varied from 674 mm (1977) to 1341. 5 mm (1999) and averaged 902 mm and has insignificantly increased (P>0. 05) (Table 2). Precipitation in Lomé was found to have increased (11 mm/year) more than the other stations such as Atakpamé (2. 62 mm/year) and Tabligbo (2. 53 mm/year). Our results confirmed the findings of Amouzou et al. [15] who reported an increase of precipitation by 20% from 2001 to 2010. On the other hand, Djaman and Ganyo [33] revealed a slight decrease of precipitation from 1961 to 2011 at Tabligbo and Lomé. This is an evidence of uneven distribution of precipitation in the study location which is of great importance for farmers because more than 70% of the population relies on agriculture [1]. Figure 2: Annual mean precipitation at four meteorological stations in southern Togo during the 1970-2014 periods. year Last year n Z Significance Sen’s slope estimate Precipitation(mm) Atakpamé 1970 2014 45 1397 0. 6 n. s. 2. 17 Kouma-konda 1970 2014 45 1597 -0. 34 n. s. -1. 3 Lomé 1970 2014 45 829 0. 95 n. s. 2. 33 Tabligbo 1971 2014 44 902 1. 1 n. s. 2. 26 Maximum temperature (°C) Atakpamé 1971 2014 44 31. 5 6. 04 *** 0. 034 Kouma-konda 1971 2014 44 28. 9 -0. 46 n. s. -0. 003 Lomé 1971 2014 44 31. 3 5. 99 *** 0. 04 Tabligbo 1971 2014 44 32. 9 5. 18 *** 0. 036 Minimum temperature (°C) Atakpamé 1971 2014 44 21. 5 6. 39 *** 0. 027 Kouma-konda 1971 2014 44 20 5. 42 *** 0. 035 Lomé 1971 2014 44 23. 9 6. 26 *** 0. 048 Tabligbo 1971 2014 44 22. 6 5. 17 *** 0. 029 n. s.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: The results confirm our earlier findings that bees from chalkbrood-infected colonies contained fewer bacteria than bees from colonies that did not display any signs of the disease. Interestingly, the disappearance of the chalkbrood disease largely coincided with a recovery in bacterial numbers, even if aerobic bacterial numbers in the gut of bees from colonies that had just recovered from chalkbrood were slightly lower compared with bees from healthy colonies without a (recent) history of chalkbrood. Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 3. Aerobic gut bacterial numbers (CFU/g) in nurse bees from healthy hives (n = 10), chalkbrood-infected hives (n = 10), and chalkbrood-infected hives 21 weeks after the disappearance of disease signs (recovered; n = 10). All bees were collected from a single apiary in Wales. The differences between all groups are statistically significant (P < 0. 001). Error bars represent the SEM with a 5% least significant difference (LSD) level of 1. 095. results inspired us to analyze bees from the “Better Bees” program. The “Better Bees” were bred for enhanced activity and improved hygienic behavior [41]. We compared aerobic bacterial bee gut counts from 10 healthy “Better Bee” colonies in with normal bee colonies from the same area. The results show that bees from the “Better Bees” program had significantly more aerobic gut bacteria than bees from regular bee colonies (i. e. ,108. 5–109 bacteria vs 107–108 bacteria per g, respectively; P = 0. 002; Fig 4). Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 4. Aerobic gut bacterial numbers (CFU/g) in healthy nurse bees from “Better Bee” colonies (n = 10) and bees from regular breeding colonies (n = 10). All bees were collected from apiaries in Western Australia. The difference between the two groups is statistically significant (P = 0. 002). Error bars represent the SEM with a 5% least significant difference (LSD) level of 0. 562.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: For the cells that were exposed to UV were named accordingly as follows, RKU_seconds of UV exposure_cycle of cultivation in 60% inhibitor cocktail, for instance, RKU90-3 was exposed to UV for 90 seconds and evolved in 60% inhibitor cocktail for three rounds of cultivation. Cells evolved in chemostat were named as follows, KE1_no. of. isolates, for instance, KE1-5 was the 5th isolate of evolution in the chemostat culture. AbbreviationsHMF: 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde XR: Xylose reductase XDH: Xylitol dehydrogenase XYL1 and XYL2: Genes encoding for xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase, respectively ADH: Aldehyde dehydrogenase PGK: Phosphoglycerate kinase HPLC: High performance liquid chromatography HPAEC: High performance anion exchange chromatography UV: Ultraviolet YPD: Yeast peptone dextrose YPD75: YP-hydrolysate: agar plates with inhibitors and spruce hydrolysate, respectively. 485. 10. 1111/j. 1469-8137. 2008. 02422. x755. 10. 1007/s002530051586487. 10. 1016/S0167-7799(99)01384-026. 10. 1007/s00253-004-1642-215. 11. 10. 1016/S0960-8524(01)00212-74665. 10. 1021/ie970083133. CAS 349. 10. 1002/jctb. 1676318. 10. 1016/0141-0229(88)90135-4159. CAS 55. 10. 1002/(SICI)1097-0290(19990405)63:1<46::AID-BIT5>3. 0. CO;2-J632. 103. 560. 10. 1021/bp00029a017320. 10. 1006/jtbi. 1995. 00641773. 10. 1016/j. biortech. 2006. 07. 021460. 10. 1385/ABAB:121:1-3:0451395.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: : Non-Significant ***Significant: 0. 1% Table 2: Summary of the Mann-Kendall trend test in annual precipitation and annual minimum and maximum monthly temperature. Trend in monthly precipitation during the growing season: The growing period is April to October in Togo. The trend in monthly precipitation during the growing season in Atakpame, Kouma-konda, Lome and Tabligbo is presented in Table 3. The results revealed an increasing trend of precipitation in all the growing season at Atakpame, Lome and Tabligbo except in June and September respectively in Lomé and Tabligbo where a decreasing trend was noticed but not statistically significant (P>0. 05). During the growing season in Kouma-konda, only the month of May and October revealed an increasing trend, the other months such as April, June to September denoted a decreasing trend. Amongst the four (4) locations, only Kouma-kona showed a decreased in seasonal precipitation, the other station denoted a slight increase in seasonal precipitation. During the growing season July had the highest precipitation with 208. 7 mm in Atakpamé, June had the highest precipitation in Lome and Tabligbo with respectively 198. 5 mm and 158. 7 mm. Our result confirmed the findings of by Amouzou et al. [15] and Koudahe et al. [38] that June is the wettest month in Lome and Tabligbo. Amongst the four (4) locations, Kouma-konda has the highest monthly precipitation with 226. 2 mm obtained in June. Atakpamé Kouma-konda Lomé Mean Sen’s slope Sen’s slope Sen’s slope Sen’s slope January 6. 6 0. 00 n. s 23. 5 0. 00 n. s 11. 4 0. 00 n. s 7. 5 0. 00 n. s February 23. 6 -0. 07 n. s 52. 5 0. 47 n. s 21. 9 0. 00 n. s 31. 0 -0. 34 n. s March 76. 1 -1. 64 * 117. 9 -1. 74 * 55. 7 0. 13 n. s 96. 1 -0. 05 n. s April 125. 2 0. 17 n. s 153. 0 -0.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 8. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences (cluster I; Bacillus strains). Complementary DNA was amplified from aerobic bacteria isolated from the gut of nurse bees (Apis millifera) from Australia, sequenced, and sequences were aligned using the Transform (MAFFT). A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was generated using PhyML3. 0 and the general time reversible (GTR) evolutionary model. Bootstrap values detected for 100 replicates are shown near the nodes. The scale bar represents the change in nucleotides of the sequence (i. e. , genetic variation for the length of scale). Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 9. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences (cluster II; enteric bacteria). Complementary DNA was amplified from aerobic bacteria isolated from the gut of nurse bees (Apis millifera) from Australia, sequenced, and sequences were aligned using the Transform (MAFFT). A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was generated using PhyML3. 0 and the general time reversible (GTR) evolutionary model. Bootstrap values detected for 100 replicates are shown near the nodes. The scale bar represents the change in nucleotides of the sequence (i. e. , genetic variation for the length of scale). Discussionhoney bee gut has a well-defined “core” microbiome that contains bacteria from only a few (i. e. , less than 10) phylotypes [44, 45]. According to metagenomic studies Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, and Lactobacillus ssp. were the most frequently found species in worker bees; Bifidobacterium, Frischella, Bartonella, Parasaccharibacter, and Gluconobacter were less frequently found, but these genera are still regarded as part of the “core” microbiome [17, 21–25, 44, 45]. These mostly anaerobic, facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria have co-evolved with the honey bee host [44], and their presence is considered to be important for honey bee health [46]. The bacteria in the honey bee gut play important roles in digestion (e. g.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: Low temperature lignocellulose pretreatment: effects and interactions of pretreatment pH are critical for maximizing enzymatic monosaccharide yields from wheat straw access Published: 13 May 2011 Low temperature lignocellulose pretreatment: effects and interactions of pretreatment pH are critical for maximizing enzymatic monosaccharide yields from wheat straw Mads Pedersen1, Johansen2 & Meyer1 Biotechnology for Biofuels 0. 30 respectively 0. 70 g/kg dry original matter wheat straw (only traces of these inhibitors were found at samples pretreated at pH 1). Regarding acetic acid, samples pretreated at pH 1 and pH 13 never exceeded 20 g/kg dry original matter wheat straw. Response interactionsComparison of the interactions between the responses revealed the existence of several positive correlations between the enzymatically-released glucose and xylose in the different, pretreated wheat fractions (Figure 2). A plot of the glucose release versus the xylose release from the enzymatically hydrolyzed liquid fractions (Figure 2, open blue triangles and open red squares), showed that with a release of 10 g glucose/kg dry matter starting material, the xylose release might range from practically no release to about 80% of the theoretically maximal xylose release (Figure 2). That is, the enzymatic glucose solubilization only seemed slightly positively affected (if at all) by increased solubilization of hemicellulose during pretreatment. In contrast, the enzymatic release of glucose from the solid fractions seemed strongly positively affected by the simultaneous xylose release from the solid fraction, and this was the case after both acidic and alkaline pretreatments, but was particularly pronounced for the alkaline pretreatment (Figure 2, filled green triangles and filled red squares). For the solid wheat fraction, it thus seemed that the increased enzymatic xylose release increased the enzymatic glucose release, or vice versa. Figure 2Enzymatic glucose release as a response to total enzymatic xylose release. Open blue triangles = liquid fractions for acidic, open red squares = liquid fractions for alkaline, filled green triangles = solid fractions for acidic, filled red squares = solid fractions for alkaline. All releases in g/kg originally dry matter.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: Annual average Tmax varied from 30 to 32°C at Atakpamé and Lomé and varied from 28 to 30°C at Kouma-konda, from 31 to 34°C at Tabligbo. The average Tmax is 31. 5, 28. 9, 31. 3 and 32. 9°C, respectively Atakpamé, Kouma-konda, Lomé and Tabligbo (Figure 4). There was significant increasing trend (P<0. 0001) in Tmin and Tmax at all stations during the period 1971 to 2014 except Kouma-konda where Tmax exhibited a nonsignificant decreasing trend (P>0. 05). Tmin increased by 0. 3, 0. 5 and 0. 3°C per decade at Atakpamé, Lomé and Tabligbo, respectively. Tmax increased by 0. 3, 0. 4 and 0. 4°C per decade at Atakpamé, Lomé and Tabligbo respectively. Some studies [15,38] indicated also an increase of temperature in these locations. In Kouma-konda, Tmin rose by 0. 4°C and Tmax decreased by 0. 3 per decade. It is found that minimum temperature increased faster than maximum temperature in southern Togo (Table 4). The same result was obtained in Senegal by Djaman et al. [3] who revealed that Tmin increased more rapidly than Tmax (0. 4 vs. 0. 2°C decade-1) at Podor and (0. 8 vs. 0. 4°C decade-1) at from 1950-2000. The same result was also obtained by Easterling [39] and Caesar et al. [40]. Our results are consistent with Vose et al. [41] who reported that Tmin increased more rapidly than Tmax (0. 204 vs. 0. 14°C decade-1) from 1950 to 2004. It is also found that amongst study stations, the coastal area (Lomé) had the highest increase in annual Tmin and Tmax with Sen’s slope 0. 048, 0. 040, respectively. The increasing of temperature in southern Togo is not surprising but it only proves that global warming revealed for the whole world by Vose et al.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: , carbohydrate utilization), nutrition, weight gain, preservation of pollen, disease resistance, pheromone production, reproduction, endocrine signaling, immune function, and honey production [17–19, 47]. Furthermore, gut bacteria have the ability to inhibit pathogens, such as the chalkbrood fungus [20]. Like bacteria in the human intestine, most bee bacteria are found in the distal part of the gut where most occupy specific niches [17]. Bees exchange gut bacteria with other bees of the same colony through social interactions [28, 48]. It is likely that, as with humans, changes to the bee gut microbiota can lead to a reduced host fitness [49]. The gut microbiota in bees from Australia has not been extensively tested, with a notable exception of a recent study that investigated the microbiome composition in European honey bees and stingless bees (tribe Meliponini) from Queensland [45]. We isolated and characterized aerobic gut bacteria from European honey bees (nurse bees) that were collected from healthy hives, chalkbrood-infested hives and from hives that had recently recovered from chalkbrood. We also surveyed honey bees that were especially bred for enhanced hygienic behavior [41]. In the Australian late spring, summer and early autumn, bees from healthy colonies had 107–108 aerobic bacteria per g of bee gut (counted using TSA, a general purpose, non-selective medium for the cultivation and isolation of fastidious and non-fastidious bacteria; TSA has been noted as useful for this purpose [50]). Colonies with signs of the chalkbrood disease (from the same apiary) had significantly fewer aerobic bee gut bacteria (104–105 bacteria per g) than bees from healthy colonies. We also followed bacterial numbers in chalkbrood-diseased colonies over time, which revealed that bacterial numbers recovered when a colony no longer showed signs of chalkbrood. This observation establishes a direct correlation between the number of culturable aerobic bacteria in the gut of individual nurse bees and the health status of a colony. The decrease in aerobic gut bacterial numbers of bees from chalkbrood-infected colonies could be due to homeostatic imbalances caused by the presence of the chalkbrood fungus, i. e. , metabolic changes due to chalkbrood infection may create conditions that no longer support large bacterial numbers and a diverse microbial flora.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: Full size imageTo explain the correlated glucose-xylose release, the total glucose and the total xylose releases were plotted against the pH obtained after pretreatment (final pH) in the factorial designs (Figure 3). The enzymatic xylose release appeared to be unaffected by the final pH, when this pH ranged from pH 3-10, but was strongly affected at the highest and lowest pH values (Figure 3, filled red squares). That is, the more extreme the final pH levels after pretreatment, the more xylose was subsequently released enzymatically, but the exact xylose yields could not be predicted from the pretreatment pH alone (neither the initial nor the final pH) (Figure 3, filled red squares). In contrast, the enzymatic glucose release seemed less affected by the final pretreatment pH, although an increase in enzymatic release of glucose with both very low and especially with high final pH could be discerned (Figure 3, filled blue diamonds). The pH only changed slightly during pretreatment when more extreme initial pH values were used. However, pH was found to clearly change when less extreme initial pH values were used (Figure 3, open green triangles and open red circles). For example, at initial pretreatment pH values of 4 and 10, respectively, the final pH ended up being close to pH 6 (Figure 3, open green triangles and open red circles). We have previously found that the final pH after pretreatment of wheat straw may move toward approximately pH 6. 3 [17]. The data presented here thus corroborated the trend that the final pH would move toward pH 6. 0-6. 3 when the pretreatment was initiated at less extreme pH values (Figure 3). Acetate, as well as other substances from the lignocellulose, is known to be released from xylan during pretreatment [7, 14], but the mechanisms responsible for the pH nearing 6. 3 cannot be concluded from any of the interactions described in this paper. Figure 3Enzymatic release and initial pH as responses to final pH. Total glucose (filled blue diamonds) and xylose (filled red squares) release as responses to final pH. Additionally, the initial pH is compared to the final pH by plotting initial pH of the acidic treatments (open green triangles) and the alkaline treatments (open red circles) as responses to the final pH.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: [41] and Weart [42], can be identified even at local scales (southern Togo). The finding is in agreement with IPCC prediction which states in 2007 that, the Earth could warm by 3°C this century. Figure 3: Annual minimum monthly temperature (Tmin, °C) at Atakpamé, Kouma-konda, Lomé and Tabligbo. Figure 4: Annual maximum monthly temperature (Tmax, °C) at Atakpamé, Kouma-konda, Lomé and Tabligbo. Atakpamé Kouma-konda Lomé Mean Sen’s slope per decade Mean Sen’s slope per decade Mean Sen’s slope per decade Mean Sen’s slope per decade Minimum temperature (°C) January 21. 9 0. 029 *** 0. 3 19. 8 0. 057 *** 0. 6 23. 3 0. 05 ** 0. 5 21. 6 0. 023 n. s. 0. 2 February 22. 5 0. 034 *** 0. 3 20. 8 0. 035 *** 0. 4 24. 8 0. 05 *** 0. 5 23. 1 0. 045 ** 0. 5 March 22. 6 0. 035 *** 0. 4 20. 8 0. 045 *** 0. 5 25. 4 0. 056 *** 0. 6 24 0. 024 ** 0. 2 April 22. 2 0. 025 *** 0. 3 20. 7 0. 03 *** 0. 3 25. 1 0. 044 *** 0. 4 23. 7 0. 029 *** 0. 3 May 21. 9 0. 031 *** 0. 3 20. 4 0. 025 *** 0. 3 24. 3 0. 05 *** 0. 5 23. 5 0. 02 ** 0. 2 June 21. 2 0. 033 *** 0. 3 19. 9 0. 02 *** 0. 2 23. 5 0. 043 *** 0. 4 22. 5 0. 034 *** 0. 3 July 20. 8 0. 025 *** 0. 3 19. 3 0. 026 *** 0. 3 23. 2 0. 044 *** 0. 4 22. 2 0. 021 *** 0. 2 August 20. 6 0. 026 *** 0. 3 19. 4 0. 01 * 0. 1 22. 9 0. 038 *** 0. 4 21. 9 0. 022 ** 0.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: A critical factor could be the depletion of nutrients caused by the nutritional demands of growing chalkbrood mycelia [51]. Furthermore, the build-up of chalkbrood mycelia in the gut of infected nurse bees restricts the amount of space that is available for bacteria [52]. Our findings suggest that the number of aerobic gut bacteria can be used as a diagnostic tool to determine the relative health status of a colony, independent and potentially ahead of “classic” chalkbrood disease signs (such as cells with dead larvae, or mummified larvae in front of the hive; [53, 54]). Future studies will determine whether other fungal bee pathogens have a similar effect on aerobic gut bacterial numbers. An interesting candidate is Nosema apis, a microsporidian fungus that, until recently, was classified as a protozoan parasite [55, 56]. Nurse bees combat disease by removing infected larvae from the hive [54], a behavior that also promotes recovery from chalkbrood [57]. Bees from the “Better Bees” program are descendants from Apis mellifera ligustica breeding stocks [58] that were selectively bred for high honey production, good brood viability, lack of aggressiveness, low incidence of brood diseases, and high colony population size [41]. The “Better Bees” program has been somewhat successful in providing beekeepers with quality queens for improved honey production [59]. However, a subsequent report states that the hygienic behavior of such bee lines can vary and may not be a reliable character [60]. We found that bees from the “Better Bees” program had consistently significantly higher numbers of aerobic bee gut bacteria compared with “normal” bees from apiaries in the same area. It is tempting to speculate that “Better Bees” possess an enhanced metabolic rate because they have higher concentrations of carbon sources in their gut, which allows for a greater number of gut bacteria. In this study, we did not look at the role of hygienic behavior in disease resistance. It would be interesting to determine aerobic bee gut bacterial numbers in other bee lines which have genetically distinct queens [61]. Our preliminary genetic characterization of 19 Australian chalkbrood-inhibiting isolates from different Australian locations identified four species clusters, i. e. , Bacillus ssp. (cluster I), enteric strains (cluster II), Macrococcus sp.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: Black lines indicate fitted linear regression correlation curves (the regression coefficients, R2, exceeded 0. 97 in both cases). Releases in g/kg original wheat straw dry matter. Full size imageWhen the total enzymatic glucose release was modeled in response to the final pH (after pretreatment) and the total enzymatic xylose release, it became evident that increased enzymatic xylose release was positively correlated to the enzymatic glucose release, especially after alkaline pretreatment conditions (Figure 4). Hence, this model displayed a positive interaction between the final pH after pretreatment and the total enzymatic xylose release on the total enzymatic glucose release. Figure 4Enzymatic glucose release as a response to xylose release and final pH. Response surface model of total enzymatic glucose release as a response to total xylose release and the final pH. All releases in g/kg original wheat straw dry matter. Full size imageInfluence of holding timeThe enzymatic xylose release from the liquid fraction from alkaline pretreatment was the only response that was significantly affected by the pretreatment holding time (Table 1); the effect was positive (that is, prolonged holding time increased the xylose release) (data not shown). However, even though not statistically significant, the enzymatic release of glucose and xylose from the liquid fractions from the acidic pretreatments also tended to increase with the increased holding time whereas the corresponding releases from the solid fractions decreased with increased holding time (data not shown). This pattern signified that both the alkaline and acidic hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in cellulose and hemicellulose were influenced by holding time at the mild conditions. Lignin removalThe coefficients obtained by multiple linear regression analysis of the data showed that the pretreatment pH was the factor affecting the lignin removal the most (Table 1) (P = 0. 0092). It is widely known, that alkaline treatment of lignocellulosic biomass affects the lignin removal [16, 17]. However, to our knowledge there are no published data available on how the pretreatment pH quantitatively affects the lignin removal in combination with changes in pretreatment temperature and holding time.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: 8 -0. 021 * -0. 2 28. 5 0. 029 *** 0. 3 30. 1 0. 009 n. s. 0. 1 September 29. 1 0. 035 *** 0. 4 27 -0. 021 * -0. 2 29. 5 0. 032 *** 0. 3 31 0. 042 *** 0. 4 October 30. 7 0. 031 *** 0. 3 28. 1 -0. 006 n. s. -0. 1 31 0. 033 *** 0. 3 32. 2 0. 03 *** 0. 3 November 32. 7 0. 029 ** 0. 3 29. 4 0 n. s. 0 32. 4 0. 043 *** 0. 4 33. 5 0. 048 *** 0. 5 December 32. 6 0. 05 *** 0. 5 29. 5 0. 02 * 0. 2 32. 4 0. 056 *** 0. 6 34 0. 056 *** 0. 6 n. s. : Non-Significant + Significant at 10% * Significant at 5% ** Significant at 1% ***Significant at 0. 1% Table 4: Summary of the trends analysis in monthly minimum and maximum temperature at Atakpamé, Kouma-konda, Lomé and Tabligbo. The trend analysis in monthly Tmin is presented in Table 4 shows an increasing trend in Tmin at all four locations (P<0. 0001). For the four locations, the trend in Tmin revealed the lowest slopes from April to October which is the growing season and the highest slope from November to March which coincide with the dry season in southern Togo. A non-significant trend (P>0. 05) of Tmax was observed in January, March and August in Tabligbo, in January to July, October and November at Kouma-Konda. The highest increased in Tmax at all locations was observed in December (Table 4). It can be deducted that decadal change increase in Tmin varied from 0. 1 to 0. 7 with more warming tendency in November to March at all locations which corresponds to the dry period in southern Togo. Overall, the increase in annual and monthly average Tmin and Tmax from 1971 to 2014 could have a serious implication in agricultural productions, reduced crop yields in tropical areas leading to increased risk of hunger [43].

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: By using transposon independent mutants that do not produce gluconic acid, we show that the production of gluconic acid is essential for the antifungal activity of strain AN5. We further demonstrate that Pseudomonas strain AN5 extracts act on the chalkbrood fungus through hyphal lysis and cytoplasmic leakage. Our observation that Maccrococcus hajekii, Frigoribacterium sp. , and Bacillus senegalensis isolates also produced gluconic acid suggests a similar modus operandi. However, these strains produced less gluconic acid than Pseudomonas strain AN5 but exhibited a similar degree of anti-fungal activity. Therefore, gluconic acid may not be the only metabolite by which bee gut isolates inhibit the chalkbrood pathogen. Interestingly, gluconic acid is considered to be the honey component that is largely responsible for the anti-microbial properties of honey [66]. Bees produce gluconic acid in the hypopharyngeal glands and in the gut with the help of gut bacteria [67]; however, more research is needed to understand how much gut bacteria contribute to the total gluconic acid production. Furthermore, it will be interesting to determine if and to what extent the bacterial gluconic acid production contributes to the resistance against bee pathogens. ConclusionIn this study, we used culturable aerobic and facultative anaerobic honey bee bacteria as a simple tool to monitor colony health. The method allows the rapid analysis of many samples and results are available within two days. Our findings suggest that decreasing numbers of culturable aerobic gut bacteria in nurse bees are a prognostic marker for the outbreak of chalkbrood and that increasing numbers herald recovery. Therefore, counting bacteria could be developed as a rapid test for apiarists that allows to detect deteriorating colony health before other disease signs become apparent. Furthermore, our results suggest that chalkbrood-inhibiting bacteria from the bee gut could be used to develop a probiotic treatment for chalkbrood and potentially other fungal bee diseases. Supporting informationS1 Fig. Flowchart for the isolation and characterization of aerobic gut bacteria in European honey bees (Apis millifera) from Australia. S2 Fig. “Environmental” bacteria from the gut of a healthy European honey nurse bee (Apis millifera) from Australia.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: The response surface models resulting from the multiple linear regression analysis of the data showed that increase in pretreatment pH affected the lignin removal positively both in the acidic and alkaline region, but peaked at approximately pH 2. 5 for the acidic pretreatments, and the effect of pH in the acid pretreatments therefore ended up as being a statistically insignificant factor, whereas it was statistically significant for the alkaline pretreatments (Table 1, Figure 5a). Moreover, the extent of lignin removal during the alkaline pretreatments was generally the double of that obtained by the acid pretreatments (Figure 5a, b). For pretreatment at 140°C the increase from pH 10 to 13 doubled the removal of lignin from 40% to 80% w/w (Figure 5b), and this interaction of pH and temperature was also statistically significant (Table 1). However, the multiple linear regression model within the chosen pH and temperature ranges, indicated that the maximal removal of lignin was at pH 13 and 125°C to 130°C (Figure 5b). Holding time during pretreatment also turned out to have a positive, but statistically insignificant influence on the lignin removal: hence the extent of lignin removal increased by approximately 10% (weight/weight dry matter) when increasing the holding time from 0 to 5 min and again when increasing from 5 to 10 min (data not shown). Figure 5Lignin removed from solid fractions as a response to pH and temperature. (a) Acidic pretreatments; (b) alkaline pretreatments. Lignin removed measured in % (w/w) and temperature in°C. Full size imageThe release of lignin and xylan from lignocellulosic biomass is known to affect the cellulose digestibility positively for corn stover [16]. However, a plot of the enzymatic monosaccharide yields obtained on solid wheat straw in response to extent of lignin removal showed that the enzymatic releases of both glucose and xylose increased linearly with lignin removal only when the lignin removed was above 60% by weight of the original level in the wheat straw biomass (Figure 6). The data with > 60% lignin removal were all from the alkaline pretreatment.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: Morover, Kouma-Konda is situated in forest zone and deforestation during the last decades may have contributed to the slight decreasing of precipitation and increasing of temperature. Maize and bean are affected by the increasing of temperature. The same result is also obtained by Amouzou et al. [15] who revealed that climate variability minimally affected the yield of maize in maritime region of Togo. Serious attention need to be paid to the affected crops by climate variability in some locations, otherwise, the effect will increase and affect the other crops. With changes in climate parameters, mostly an increasing trend in air temperature combined with precipitation variability, several actions have been taken by agricultural and water resources actors to contrast the effects of climate change on Togo’s agriculture. As climate conditions change, crop growers are increasingly receptive to new agricultural technologies offered by extension services [33]. These farmers and extension service capacity to adapt to climate variability may explain the non effect of precipitation and temperature on crop yields. The use of drought-resistant seeds is becoming more common, which minimizes the risk of crop failure due to prolonged drought. program initiated by the government of Togo in 2010 is consistent with the Reduction Strategy, and has a balanced focus of investment in support of improved agricultural production, improving the institutional framework, and physical infrastructure for higher productivity in the agricultural sector. Several other actions are being taken by the government of Togo, such as rehabilitation of water reservoirs, rehabilitation of irrigation schemes, and agricultural land development of 666 hectares at Mission-Tove and 585. 5 hectares at and implementing the national environmental policy and disaster management policy. Despite the adoption of strategic options, there is a need to continue implementing them and more participative decision-making is necessary for the durability of the innovation. Moreover, policy-makers should be involved at every step from the introduction to the adoption process. In addition, more research should be done on all of the strategic options to strengthen the system. objective of this study was to analyze the trend in climatic variables such as annual and monthly precipitation, annual and monthly Tmin, Tmax using historical data from four weather stations through the year 1970 to 2014 using the Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator and to evaluate the impact of climatic variability on crop yields in southern Togo using multiple regression analysis. Results showed a non-significant increasing trend (P>0.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: Studies in humans with IBD have found significantly increased numbers of fecal bacteria with bound IgG, especially in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) [12, 18, 19]. It has also been shown in some cases that IBD patients have greater numbers of IgA+ bacteria [12, 20]. Interestingly, studies found that the IgG and IgA antibodies preferentially bound to certain pathogenic bacteria in CD patients, including Clostridium coccoides, E. coli, and Pseudomonas fluorescens [21–23]. Little is known however regarding antibody recognition of gut bacteria in dogs with IBD. It is known that the microbiome is very different in dogs with IBD than in healthy dogs and that certain phyla predominate in these bacterial populations [24, 25]. For example, a dysbiosis index has been created by AlShawaqfeh et al. to measure the degree to which the normal flora has been disrupted by an overgrowth of bacteria associated with clinical signs in dogs with IBD [26]. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated humoral immune responses to gut bacteria in dogs with IBD and compared these responses to those present in healthy dogs. To address this question, the amounts of IgG and IgA antibodies bound to the surface of fecal bacteria was assessed using flow cytometry. The presence of circulating anti-bacterial antibodies in blood was also evaluated. To determine whether bacterial antibodies in dogs with IBD were specific for certain bacteria, fecal bacteria with high levels of surface IgG were flow sorted and subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing. Finally, we also evaluated the impact of IgG binding to gut bacteria on the host innate immune response and macrophage activation, using in vitro assays. The studies reported here provide important new insights into the pathogenesis of IBD in dogs and suggest that local humoral immune response against gut bacteria play an important role in disease pathogenesis. Moreover, these studies further illustrate the potential value of the dog spontaneous IBD model for investigating new strategies for immunotherapy and microbiome modulation. Material and methods Study populations A prospective observational study was conducted at the (CSU-VTH). All animal studies were approved by the Care and (IACUC) and the Board (CRB) at CSU (#VCS 2016–084).

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: The data points for the very low extents of lignin removal obtained after acidic pretreatments (≤ 20% w/w lignin removed, Figure 6) make the postulated influence of any lignin removal on the subsequent enzymatic release of monosaccharides uncertain. Lignin, including lignin monomers liberated during biomass pretreatment, may inhibit the hydrolytic enzymes and the fermenting microorganisms; hence, the removal of lignin is in any case advantageous for the further processing of the biomass for biofuel production. Figure 6Enzymatic glucose and xylose release as responses to lignin removed. Total glucose (filled blue diamonds) and xylose (filled red squares) release in g/kg originally dry matter. Full size imageEffect of enzyme dosage on enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated wheat strawIn order to make sure that any significant and interactive effects of pretreatment factors could be discerned after enzymatic hydrolysis on both the liquid and solid wheat straw fractions resulting after pretreatment, a very low enzyme dosage, 10 mg enzyme protein/g (original untreated) wheat straw dry matter, was deliberately chosen as a benchmark enzyme treatment in the experimentally designed experiments. As briefly discussed above, only low amounts of glucose and xylose were released at this low enzyme dosage. When increasing the enzyme dosage in the hydrolysis of the biomass pretreated at 140°C at pH 1 for 10 min, the yields of glucose did not exceed 5% of the theoretical maximal release (Figure 7a). The glucose yield from the liquid part increased significantly with increased enzyme dosage, but the final total enzymatic glucose yield at the highest enzyme dosage of 200 mg EP/g substrate dry matter never gave yields beyond approximately 25% of the theoretical maximum (Figure 7a). This indicated that the short (10 min), low temperature pretreatment (140°C), albeit run at pH 1, was not sufficiently effective to prepare the cellulose for enzymatic attack. Regarding the degradation of the hemicelluloses (that is, mainly xylan), the high release of xylose in the liquid fractions (up to approximately 80% of the theoretical maximum) (Figure 7a) confirmed the significant impact of acid pretreatment on hemicellulose solubilization from lignocellulosic biomass [14].

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: (2014) A consistent picture of the hydroclimatic response to global warming from multiple indices: Models and observations. J Atmos 119: 11,695-11,708. GadÃ©djisso TA (2015) Understanding farmersâ€™ perceptions of and adaptations to climate change and variability: The case of the maritime, plateau and Savannah regions of Togo. 6: 1441-1454. Klassou KS (1996) Recent climatic and hydrological evolution and impact on the environment: the case of the Mono river watershed (Togo-Benin). de 3. Badameli KSM (1996) Climate variability and agricultural production in Togo. University of Bordeaux III. Badameli KSM (1998) Analysis and taking account of climate risks in agriculture; Case of the maritime region of Togo. Works and geographical research. (2002) of the Climate crisis Management in Togo. UniversitÃ© de LomÃ©. (2010) Evolution of seasonal potentially useful rains in Togo from 1950 to 2000. Climatologie 7: 89-107. (2013) impacts of climate variability and soil fertility management strategies on maize grain yield on ferrralsols in coastal Western Africa. J 1: 44-52. Sogbedji JM (1999) Maize nitrogen utilization and nitrate leaching modeling in Togo and New York. Cornell University. Poudel S, (2016) The relationships between climate variability and crop yield in a mountainous environment: A case study in lamjung district, Nepal. Climate 4: 1-3 (2017) Global scale climate-crop yield relationships and the impacts of recent warming. Lett 2: 1-7. (2011) Effect of climatic variables on crop production in patigi L. G. A, Kwara State, Nigeria. J geo regi plan 4: 695-700. Adamgbe EM, Ujoh, F (2013) Effect of variability in rainfall characteristics on maize yield in Gboko, Nigeria. J 4: 881-887. (2017) Trend analysis in rainfall, reference evapotranspiration, and aridity index in Southern Senegal: Adaptation to the vulnerability of rainfed rice cultivation to climate change. Sci 7: 476-495. & (2016) over West Africa:Recent trends and future projections. .

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: IgG binding to fecal bacteria in dogs with IBD versus healthy dogs The percentage of IgG+ bacteria in the feces of dogs with IBD was significantly greater than in feces of healthy control animals: (IBD: 80% ± 15. 05; healthy: 47. 5% ± 18. 35, P < 0. 0001, (Fig 1A). In addition, the overall amount of IgG bound by bacteria, as assessed by mean fluorescence intensity (MFI), was significantly higher in dogs with IBD than in healthy dogs (MFI-IBD: 11,769 ± 6,539 a. u. ; MFI-healthy: 6,650 ± 2,687 a. u. , P = 0. 005, Fig 1B). Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 1. IgG+ and IgA+ fecal bacteria in healthy dogs and dogs with IBD. (A) The percentages of IgG+ bacteria are plotted in dogs with IBD versus healthy dogs. (B) The amount of IgG bound to each bacterium (MFI) is plotted for the two groups of animals. IgA binding percentages and total IgA binding to each bacterium are depicted in C and D, respectively. Data are plotted as Mean ± SD. Statistical differences were calculated using two-tailed unpaired t-test (A,B,C) or a Mann-test (D). found that the percentage of IgA+ bacteria was also significantly higher in dogs with IBD than in healthy dogs, though the magnitude of the difference was less than for IgG binding (IBD: 84. 86% ± 9. 87; healthy: 73. 18% ± 15. 83, P = 0. 022, Fig 1C). However, the total amount of IgA bound to bacteria was not significantly different for the two groups of dogs (MFI-IBD: 7,607 (2,834–17,120) a. u. ; MFI-healthy: 7,113 (3,280–11,925) a. u. , P = 0. 91, Fig 1D). Confocal microscopy was used to visualize the IgG+ and IgA+ populations of bacteria, and the potential overlap in the two populations of Ig+ bacteria, in dogs with IBD and healthy dogs (Fig 2).

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: Figure 7Monosaccharide yield response to enzyme dosage. Enzyme catalyzed release of glucose (G) and xylose (X) from solid (blue) and liquid fractions (red) when pretreated at A: pH 1, B: pH 13. The x axes show added enzyme concentration in mg enzyme protein (EP)/g dry weight biomass (benchmark dosage used for assessing the effects of pretreatment factors was 10 mg EP/g). Releases are given in percentage theoretical, maximal yield. Full size imageIn contrast, the extreme alkaline pretreatment (that is, pH 13, 140°C, 10 min) prepared the material well for enzymatic liberation of glucose and xylose as the enzyme catalyzed monosaccharide release increased significantly with increased enzyme dosage. This effect was seen with both the solid and the liquid fractions (Figure 7b). The total release of glucose reached 65% to 70% of the theoretical maximum when the enzyme dosage was increased to 150-200 mg/g whereas the enzyme catalyzed xylose liberation from the solid and liquid fractions reached 100% at an enzyme dosage of 100-150 mg/g (Figure 7b). When considering that the most extreme alkaline pretreatment (that is, pH 13, 140°C, 10 min) also induced release of approximately 75% to 78% of the lignin (Figure 5b) the mass balance showed that approximately 30% to 35% of the available glucose was not liberated and that 22% to 25% of the lignin was not solubilized; however, the enzymatic treatment was conducted as a 24 h enzymatic hydrolysis treatment and the enzyme catalyzed glucose liberation may increase with extended reaction time. ConclusionsIn the present work we have shown that alkaline pretreatment pH is better for preparing for enzymatic release of both xylose and glucose than acid pretreatment pH when treatment conditions are mild (T ≤ 140°C, 10 min treatment). Furthermore, at mild conditions (T ≤ 140°C), pH was the most significant factor influencing the removal of lignin from the wheat straw biomass and the subsequent enzymatic release of monosaccharides. The pretreatment pH also had a significant interaction effect with the pretreatment temperature on the subsequent enzymatic release of glucose from the wheat straw biomass (but not of xylose after alkaline pretreatment).

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: Measuring and assessing the effects of climate change on crop yields: A multilevel approach Jeffrey P. Economics and output: Thesis › internal (1) thesis examines the effects of climate change on crop yields at several geospatial levels of analysis. Yields, the amount of crop production per area, is an important measure for topics ranging from food security to sustainable energy. While recent increases in productivity, mainly through increased yields, has temporarily reduced stress in agricultural markets, demand for these products, triggered mainly by population growth and increases in the demand for meat and biofuels by developing countries, is expected to increase significantly. In contrast, the supply of agricultural products is under increasing pressure from both climate change and, ironically, efforts to mitigate those effects. Climate changes are expected to decrease the production of important food crops and lead to higher global food prices all else equal. One consequence of Agreement was the wide-scale adoption of a framework for global action to address climate change. Some have argued that stringent climate mitigation policies will have a greater negative impact on global food security than the impacts of climate change itself. Accurately measuring and forecasting crop yields has become an increasingly relevant topic for the topic of food security and agricultural prices. All of the research questions addressed in this thesis concern yields at various levels of aggregation ranging from groups of countries to countries to farms within a specific country. Why study yields, and specifically, why not study crop production? Crop production is an explicit measure of the amount of a crop available for use, however, it is subject to the vagaries of the moment. Yield, in contrast, is a more robust measure of the potential production of a crop through time because it measures production per area, and thereby includes a measure of technical development and, in combination with the land price, it is closely related to the competitiveness of countries and the determination of international trade flows. Five research questions are addressed. The first asks whether the effects of climate change will vary across countries and crops. Using standard econometric techniques, results show that when regressions are significant, global regions and crops will experience a wide range of effects, although generally the results will be negative. These results suggest that, at a minimum, the effects of climate change should be both country and crop specific. They also indicate the importance of using a statistical approach in order to assess the significance of forecasts.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: coli isolated from healthy dogs or from dogs with IBD. Similarly, differences in serum IgA recognition of E. coli were not observed in healthy dogs versus dogs with IBD (S3 Fig). Thus, we concluded that the IgG bound to the surface of fecal bacteria was primarily produced locally in the GI tract, rather than being produced systemically. These findings are also consistent with the increased numbers of plasma cells detected in the GI tract of dogs with IBD, as described previously [16, 17]. Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 3. Serum IgG recognition of E. coli isolated from healthy dogs and dogs with IBD. Six separate fecal isolates of E. coli (3 from dogs with IBD and 3 from healthy dogs) were incubated with serum from dogs with IBD (n = 20) and healthy dogs (n = 9), and IgG binding to the surface of bacteria was quantitated using flow cytometry, as noted in Methods. Scatter plots depicting IgG+ bacteria percentages in healthy versus IBD dogs plotted. The percentages of IgG+ bacteria were not significantly different between the two groups of animal sera (P = 0. 41). (†) Indicated E. coli isolates from normal dogs, while (‡) indicated E. coli isolates from dogs with IBD. Data were plotted as Mean ± SD. Statistical differences were calculated using one-way ANOVA. Macrophage phagocytosis of fecal bacteria increased in dogs with IBD Given the presence of significantly more IgG+ bacteria in the GI tract of dogs with IBD, we next sought possible links between this phenomenon and induction of intestinal inflammation. One plausible mechanism linking IgG+ bacteria to GI inflammation could involve an interaction of gut bacteria with phagocytic cells such as macrophages. Therefore, we used an in vitro system to determine whether gut bacteria from dogs with IBD were inherently more inflammatory than gut bacteria from healthy dogs. First, we compared the relative ability of dog macrophages to phagocytose bacteria from IBD dogs versus bacteria from healthy dogs (Fig 4). Macrophage phagocytosis of bacteria from IBD dogs was found to be significantly greater than phagocytosis of bacteria from healthy dogs.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: In general, alkaline pretreatment appeared to make the solid wheat straw biomass more amenable to enzymatic attack. Acidic pretreatment catalyzed the solubilization of hemicellulosic biomass prior to enzymatic hydrolysis, thus liberating a crucial amount of possible fermentable C5 monosaccharides directly into the liquid fraction; this solubilization may cause losses if only the solid fraction is further processed. It is certain that the pretreatment factor interactions, including the influence on lignin solubilization for enzymatic digestibility, need to be better understood to improve future pretreatment strategies for more cost effective lignocellulose processing. MethodsSubstrate preparation and compositionWheat straw grown in Grumløse (southern Zealand, Denmark) was obtained from årse, Denmark. The substrate was sorted manually to contain only stems and the material was then ground repeatedly by use of a cutting mill (Retsch SM 2000, Haan, Germany) and separated into different p0. 8 × 3 by Allweiler, AxFlow A/S, Smørum, Denmark) with a loop consisting of a stainless steel tube (26. 9 × 2. 6 by Sanistål A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark) with a total volume of 0. 6 l [25]. Ground wheat straw was mixed with water to give a dry matter content of 2% dry matter (w/w). Catalyst was added to adjust the initial pH of the straw slurry (initial pH) according to the experimental plan, and the slurry was poured into the reactor through a stainless steel funnel. When the biomass was added, the inlet was sealed, the flow rate was set to 1 l/min and the tube was heated from 25°C to 140°C at 5. 4°C per min. After pretreatment, the loop was cooled from 140°C to 80°C by 11°C per min prior to emptying the reactor, and the biomass was separated while still warm to minimize solubilized xylan fractions to redeposit onto the solid wheat straw fraction [19]. The separation of the solid and liquid fraction took place in glass filter crucibles and the pH after pretreatment was measured (final pH).

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: The next research question asks whether yields in Europe are converging and if so, what will be the effects on the supply of crops used in the production of biomass products. Scenarios were run using estimated yields as input into a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. The CGE model provides a narrative framework through which the total economic impact of changes in yields can be analyzed. Together, the complementary approaches of econometrics and general equilibrium models allow a more complete economic analysis of the consequences of yield changes for important biofuels crops to emerge. The overall question of whether significant yield increases will necessarily lead to large increases in land available to produce bioenergy crops is rejected. Land freed by wheat yield increases will go to the production of a wide range of agricultural products that value it as an input. The same reasoning which links yields and land use applies to all agricultural products when there are well functioning markets. The third question asks how changing climate patterns will affect the global trade of major food crops and, in particular, asks what the effects will be on less developed countries. If we accept that the effects of changing weather patterns caused by climate changes will have diverse effects on yields globally, then global trade patterns are likely to change as well. Results for crops with statistically significant estimates show that increasing temperatures have negatively affected yields. These results hold for both poor and rich countries, however, the degree to which yields are reduced is crop specific and sensitive to a country’s level of wealth. Results show that changes in weather will have significant effects on the production, trade, and, in some cases, the consumption of major food crops. The fourth research question examines the implications of extreme weather events on yields. The effects of changing weather patterns will likely have local as well as regional effects, this is especially true for extreme weather events when compared to the average effects of climate change over time. The approach used to answer this question was to assemble a panel database consisting of features such as fertilizer, pesticides, capital, and other inputs from 334 wheat farms in the Netherlands for over a decade. Analyzes show that the number of days with extreme high temperatures in Dutch wheat growing regions has significantly increased since the early 1900s, while the number of extreme low temperature events has fallen over that same period. The effects of Extreme weather events on wheat yields were found to be time specific in that the week in which an event occurred partially determines their effects on yields.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: For example, the percentage of macrophages containing phagocytosed bacteria was 67. 91 ± 13. 68% in cultures incubated with bacteria obtained from IBD animals, compared to 55. 05 ± 15. 48% for bacteria from healthy dogs (P = 0. 023, Fig 4B). Also, the average numbers of ingested bacteria per individual macrophage (as reflected by increased mean fluorescence intensity) was significantly increased in macrophages incubated with bacteria from dogs with IBD [MFI: 2,994 (2,378–3,912)] compared to macrophages fed bacteria from healthy dogs (MFI: 2,519 (2,323–3,428), P = 0. 005, Fig 4C). Thus, GI bacteria in dogs with IBD were more likely to be phagocytosed by macrophages than bacteria from healthy dogs. Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 4. Macrophage phagocytosis of fecal bacteria from dogs with IBD versus healthy dogs. (A) Fecal bacteria (PI staining; red) from dogs with IBD and healthy dogs (n = 5 per group) were incubated with primary cultures of canine monocyte-derived macrophages and bacterial uptake was determined using flow cytometry, as described in Methods. Images were obtained using confocal microscopy, with PI stained bacteria visualized as red objects within cultured macrophages. DAPI staining (blue) demonstrates cell nuclei. Similar results were obtained in at least n = 3 repeated, independent studies. Box plot comparing the percentage of macrophages containing intracellular bacteria (B) and the relative number of bacteria per macrophage (C), when bacteria from dogs with IBD and healthy control dogs were compared. Statistical differences were calculated using unpaired t-tests (B) and by the Mann-Whitney test (C). Scale bar as indicated. Ingestion of bacteria from dogs with IBD triggers greater macrophage inflammatory response Ingestion of bacteria, particularly via Fc receptor-mediated internalization, serves as a strong activating stimulus for macrophages [38]. Therefore, we next examined the impact of fecal bacteria ingestion on macrophage activation and cytokine production.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: The total amount of solid dry matter remaining after pretreatment was measured prior to measuring the amount of acid insoluble lignin remaining in the solid fraction. Afterwards, the solid and the liquid fractions were enzymatically treated separately (see below). Enzymatic hydrolysisEnzymatic hydrolysis reactions were carried out by treatment with a novel commercial enzyme blend Cellic C-Tec derived from Trichoderma reesei (Novozymes A/S, Bagsværd, Denmark). Apart from the cellulolytic enzyme base from T. reesei containing at least the two main cellobiohydrolases EC 3. 2. 1. 91 (Cel6A and Cel7A), five different endo-1,4-β-glucanases EC 3. 2. 1. 4 (Cel7B, Cel5A, Cel12A, Cel61A, and Cel45A), β-glucosidase EC 3. 2. 1. 21, and a β-xylosidase [26, 27] the Cellic C-Tec also contains additional β-glucosidase and particular glycoside hydrolase family 61 hydrolysis-boosting proteins [28]. C-Tec preparation contained 175 mg protein/ml, 63. 8 filter paper units (FPU)/ml and 868 cellobiase units (CBU)/ml; the FPU were determined according to the standardized FPU determination procedure provided by NREL [29], and CBU were determined by the assay described by Ghose [30], respectively. The enzymatic hydrolysis reactions of the solid, pretreated wheat samples were performed as described previously [12, 17]: Briefly, the reactions took place at 50°C, pH 5. 0 (using 0. 1 M sodium acetate buffer with 0. 02% by weight of sodium azide) with 2% dry matter substrate (w/w) in Eppendorf tubes (Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany) spun at 750 rpm; the liquid filtrate samples were diluted 100 times prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. C-Tec preparation was dosed based on mg enzyme protein/g substrate dry matter (from 10-200 mg enzyme protein/g dry matter).

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Climate change affects crop yields due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. [SEP] Text: High temperature events and precipitation events were found to significantly decrease yields. The last research question examines various methods to forecast yields. It provides an accessible and transparent framework to allow policy makers to assess the trade-offs involved when forecasting yields and measure the value of those forecasts. Yields of ten important global food crops are forecasted and their accuracy reported. A comparison is made between the results of a standard technique used to forecast yields, and auto-regressive, integrated, moving average (ARIMA) forecasts. ARIMA forecasts generally out-perform those of the standard methodology and provide a convenient means to assess their added value. While the mean forecasts of top producers for most crops are expected to increase, the amount of associated uncertainty is large, and forecasts beyond only a few years should be made with caution. Original languageEnglishQualificationDoctor ofAdvisorsvan Meijl, J. C. M. , PromotorPeerlings, Jack, Co-promotorAward date12 Jan 2021Place of 9789463956642DOstatusPublished - 12 Jan 2021 output contributes to the following UN Goals (SDGs) Access to Document 10. 18174/537761 Files and links into the research topics of 'Measuring and assessing the effects of climate change on crop yields: A multilevel approach'. Together they form a unique fingerprint. and Finance 100% Economics, Econometrics and Finance 100% and Finance 100% Economics, Econometrics and Finance 50% Economics, Econometrics and Finance 50% Economics, Econometrics and Finance 50% Wealth Economics, Econometrics and Finance 50% Economics, Econometrics and Finance 50% View full fingerprint Projects 1 per year Assessing the economic impacts of the growing use of biomass on land use and agri-food marketsPowell, J. (PhD candidate), van Meijl, J. C. M. (Promotor) & Peerlings, J. (Co-promotor)1/04/10 → 12/01/21Project: 100% 100% ARMA Model 100% 50% 50% Cite this. P. (2021). Measuring and assessing the effects of climate change on crop yields: A multilevel approach. [internal ]. Wageningen University. Powell, Jeffrey P. . / Measuring and assessing the effects of climate change on crop yields : A multilevel approach.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: We found that macrophages incubated with bacteria from IBD dogs produced significantly greater amounts of TNF-α than macrophages incubated with bacteria from healthy dogs (Fig 5). Conversely, macrophages incubated with IBD bacteria produced significantly less IL-10 than macrophages incubated with healthy dog bacteria (Fig 5). Thus, we concluded that bacteria present in the gut of dogs with IBD were inherently more immune stimulatory and capable of triggering macrophage production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, than bacteria from the gut of healthy dogs. Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 5. Cytokine production by activated macrophages. Canine monocyte-derived macrophages were activated by incubation and phagocytosis of non-viable fecal bacteria obtained from dogs with IBD (n = 5) and from healthy normal dogs (n = 5), as described in Methods. TNF-α and IL-10 concentrations in media obtained from macrophage cultures 24 hours after bacterial inoculation were measured using commercial canine-specific ELISA. Box plots comparing cytokine concentrations between the 2 groups of fecal bacterial samples are depicted. Statistical differences were calculated using unpaired t-tests. The assays were repeated for 3 times, total of 3 different PBMC donors. Microbiome analysis and selectivity of IgG binding The overall composition and complexity of the GI microbiome in dogs with IBD (n = 10) was compared to that of healthy dogs (n = 10), using 16S rRNA metagenomics sequencing (Fig 6). Dogs with IBD had a greater abundance of bacteria in the Proteobacteria phylum (P = 0. 045; S4 Fig) including Escherichia-Shigella and other genera such as along with a decrease in abundance of Bacteroidetes phyla (P = 0. 048), and other genera; Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Peptoclostridium, and Turicibacter, compared to the flora present in healthy control dogs (Fig 6A). These results are largely in agreement with previous studies of the microbiome in dogs with IBD and indicate that our study populations were similar to those of other studies with respect to bacterial diversity and differences in IBD versus healthy dog microbiomes [39–41].

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: The enzymatic hydrolyses were stopped after 24 h by heating of the samples at 100°C for 10 min. The samples were then cooled to room temperature, centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 10 min and the levels of glucose and xylose liberated were determined by HPAEC using a Dionex BioLC system equipped with a Dionex CarboPac PA1 analytical column () and an electrochemical detector used in the pulsed amperiometric detection mode principally as described previously [31]; in brief, the monosaccharides were separated via a two-step isocratic procedure using 25 mM NaOH for 5 min, then 10 mM NaOH for 13 min. Each run included cleaning of the column with 500 mM NaOH for 7 min, and re-equilibration with 25 mM NaOH for 5 min. Experimental design and statisticsThe statistical software MODDE 7. 0 (Umetrics AB, Umeå, Sweden) was used as an aid for designing the Face experimental designs and for analyzing the data by multiple linear regression. The pretreatment temperature, pH (initial pH), and the holding time were varied according to a 15-point central composite design with the center point repeated 3 times. Correlation coefficients of glucose versus xylose releases were determined by linear regression analysis. The statistical significance of the correlations was evaluated by the dose-response F test [32]. CalculationsThe yields were calculated as g liberated of glucose and xylose, respectively, per kg of dry weight of non-pretreated wheat straw (mDM(before pretreatment), w/w) as described previously [17]. The monosaccharide yields from enzymatically hydrolyzed solid fractions were calculated as:where d is the dilution factor, C the concentration of monosaccharide in g/l as obtained by HPAEC. Vliquid in hydrolysis is the volume made up by liquid in the hydrolysis to account for solids taking up volume, and mDM(hydrolysis) in kg is the dry weight of solid being hydrolyzed to calculate the yield of monosaccharide released from hydrolysis per kg water insoluble solids.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Increased frequency of extreme weather events poses a risk to global food production. [SEP] Text: is Open Access? is an initiative that aims to make scientific research freely available to all. To date our community has made over 100 million downloads. It’s based on principles of collaboration, unobstructed discovery, and, most importantly, scientific progression. As PhD students, we found it difficult to access the research we needed, so we decided to create a new publisher that levels the playing field for scientists across the world. How? By making research easy to access, and puts the academic needs of the researchers before the business interests of publishers. are a community of more than 103,000 authors and editors from 3,291 institutions spanning 160 countries, including winners and some of the world’s most-cited researchers. Publishing on IntechOpen allows authors to earn 10. 5772/intechopen. 77106 this 1. Choose citation style Select style to clipboard Get citation 2. Choose citation style Select format Bibtex RIS Download citation Intechby the Edited by purchase hard copies of this book, please contact the representative in India: CBS Publishers & Distributors Pvt. Ltd. www. cbspd. com | customercare@cbspd. com 1. Choose citation style Select style to clipboard Get citation 2. Choose citation style Select format Bibtex RIS Download citation Impact of this 1. BackgroundMalawi, like many other countries in Africa, continues to face severe challenges imposed by extreme weather events particularly droughts. The upsurge of drought events in Malawi provides evidence to unprecedented challenges caused by climate change and climate variability. Because the economy is heavily dependent on climate-sensitive agriculture, Malawi’s economy is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events especially drought. Pauw et al. [1] estimated that on average Malawi loses 1. 7% of GDP (equivalent to USD 41 million) every year due to an extreme drought event. In response to severe challenges imposed by drought, the government of Malawi, in partnership with the and other development partners, initiated a weather index insurance (WII) scheme in 2005—the first of this kind in Southern Africa. The scheme was ‘celebrated’ as a potential breakthrough in the quest to offer sustainable market-based agricultural insurance to millions of smallholder farmers—a majority who practices dryland rain-fed agriculture.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: A completely sterile gut is healthier than one with diverse bacteria. [SEP] Text: Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFig 6. Microbiome analysis. IgGhi sorted fecal bacteria from (n = 10) dogs with IBD, and non-sorted bacteria (n = 10; paired fecal samples from dogs with IBD) and bacteria from healthy control animals (n = 10) were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, as described in Methods. (A) Species abundance heat map at taxonomic level representing average differences, with 0 = no difference, -1 and 1 representing maximum differences. (†) Showing the top 10 taxa abundance. (B) Bar graph depicting the relative abundance of 5 major phyla comparing the IgGhi sorted population with non-sorted bacteria, obtained from same dogs with IBD. A significantly increased abundance of Actinobacteria phyla was found in IgGhi sorted population. (C) Bar graph showed relative abundance comparing between IgGhi sorted and non-sorted bacteria for members of Actinobacteria phyla. The data were reported as Mean ± SD, and statistical comparisons were calculated using paired t-test (*P ≤ 0. 05, **P ≤ 0. 01, ***P ≤ 0. 001). next conducted 16S sequencing studies to determine whether bacteria with high levels of IgG binding present in feces of dog with IBD represented uniquely enriched subsets of bacteria (e. g. , potentially pathogenic bacteria), or whether the IgGhi population of bacteria was evenly distributed amongst all the major phyla (i. e. , no enrichment for specific phyla or genera). In part the rationale for this question was prior evidence for selective immunoglobulin binding to pathogenic bacteria in human patients with CD [21, 22]. Bacteria with the highest levels of IgG binding included Collinsella, Faecalitalea, Escherichia-Shigella, Blautia, Bifidobacterium, Clostridium innocuum, Slackia and Enterococcus (Fig 6A and S3 Table). The taxa with the lowest levels of IgG binding included Pseudomonas, Clostridium (sensu stricto) and Lactobacillus. We found that there was significant enrichment of bacteria in the Actinobacteria phylum (P = 0.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Bioengineered yeast can be designed to produce high yields of biofuels from sugars. [SEP] Text: To present the release of monosaccharide as g per kg original dry weight non-pretreated wheat straw, the yield was multiplied by the factor of solid biomass after pretreatment divided by solid biomass before pretreatment (mDM(after pretreatment)/mDM(before pretreatment)). The monosaccharide yields from enzymatically hydrolyzed liquid fractions were calculated as:where Vliquid after pretreatment is the volume of liquid measured after each pretreatment. 4850. 10. 1016/j. biortech. 2010. 02. 002172. 10. 1038/nbt0208-169120. CAS 40. 10. 1186/1475-2859-8-4017. 157. 3729. 10. 1021/ie801542g772. 10. 1002/ceat. 2008000483700. 10. 1016/j. procbio. 2005. 04. 00631. 10. 1186/1754-6834-2-3130. 10. 1186/1754-6834-2-30408. 10. 1002/btpr. 141840. 750. 10. 1016/j. nbt. 2010. 05. 0034929. 10. 1016/j. biortech. 2009. 09. 08195. 10. 1002/bit. 200431186. 10. 1016/j. procbio. 2010. 03. 0203364. 10. 1016/j. procbio. 2005. 03. 0032042. 10. 1016/j. biortech. 2006. 08. 006296. 10. 1007/s12010-007-8001-6352. 102. 10. 1016/j. seppur. 2009. 03. 03081. 10. 1038/sj. jim. 29004842008. 135. 1276. 10. 1021/bp070329p784. 10. 1016/j. enzmictec. 2005. 01. 0073316. 10. 1021/bi100009p1996. 268. 10. 1351/pac198759020257CAS 731. 10. 1002/bit. 105191996. 2. 0 ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Output: pass