Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Micropropagation of Oregano (Origanum syriacum L.) Through Tissue Culture Technique

This research was carried out at the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory (PTCL) in Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, Egypt during 2013 to 2016. The aim of this study was using tissue culture technique for the micropropagation of Origanum syriacum L. plant. One node cutting and shoot tip were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS), Nitsch and Nitsch (NN) and Gamborg (B5) media. The results showed that shoot tip cultured on the MS medium had the best combination for the establishment stage of mother plants. Shoots cultured on MS medium supplemented with0.50 mgl-1 Kin and 0.05 mgl-1NAA produced the highest shoots developed during multiplication stage. MS medium supplemented with 0.40 mgl-1 thiamine achieved the best shoots development compared with the other additive treatments and control. Addition of 1 mgl-1IBA to the full strength MS medium and 1.00 mgl-1 IAA to the half strength MS had the highest number of main roots and root lengths. Hardening the produced rooted plantlets were done in a greenhouse in pots containing mixture of peatmoss, vermiculite and washed sand at the rate (1:1:1) and after adjustment of mixture pH. Plantlets were successfully acclimated with 93 % survive.
Anatomical Study on Watermelon Grafting

The present study was carried out at Al-Amana nursery in Talkha district, Dakahlya Governorate, Egypt, during the summer season of 2014 to study the effects of different graft combinations between rootstocks and scion of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum et Nakai) var. Lanatus cv. Aswan F1. The experiment included thirteen treatments resulted from the combinations of four rootstocks [Jumbo F1 and Nun 6001 F1 hybrids [Cucurbita maxima (Duch.) ex. Lam. × Cucurbita moschata (Duch.) ex. Poir. ], bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Standl.) and pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata L.)] and three grafting methods [Hole insertion (HIG), Splice (SG) and Tongue approach (TAG)] as well as non-grafted plants as control. The obtained results illustrated that there was a high compatibility between Watermelon(scion) and Jumbo followed by bottle gourd then Nun 6001 rootstock, where these graft combinations recorded the highest vascular thickness and area of vascular cambium compared to other graft combinations. Although, SG gave the highest area of graft union. In addition, TAG showed the greatest width of graft union which is related to increase of xylem and phloem tissues thickness and area of vascular cambium. Moreover, grafted plants onto Jumbo and bottle gourd using TAG method recorded the highest survival percentage (100 and 98%, respectively) in comparison with other graft combinations. While, grafting onto pumpkin rootstock using HIG method had the lowest values of all studies traits in comparison with other combinations. Generally, the callus development and graft success in Watermeloncv. Aswan F1can be performed using Jumbo rootstock with TAG followed by SG method.
TRADITIONAL LEAFY VEGETABLES COMBINATIONS ENHANCE GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVE HEALTH STATUS OF NEW ZEALAND WHITE x CALIFORNIAN RABBITS

Fifty five rabbits (35 days old; average initial body weight: 550g) were used to assess their growth performance and health status when they were fed with leafy vegetables combinations (Vigna unguiculata, Abelmoschus esculentus, Ipomoea batatas, Solanum melongena, Corchorus olitorius). Ten treatments composed of 50% (dry matter) of three leafy vegetables combination and 50% of pellet were given to rabbits until 98 days of age. The control treatment contained only commercial pellets (100%). The results showed that the daily weight gain and the body weight gain did not differ between treatments. However, the final weights (1866.94-2200 g) were significantly different (p 0.05), except for Low Density Lipoprotein which was high for diet F group and low for diet I group. This work revealed thatthe use of leafy vegetables combination facilitated the digestibility of diets contributing therefore to the improvement of growth performance and rabbits’ health status.
Microbial community dynamics of surface water in British Columbia, Canada

Traditional methods for monitoring the microbiological quality of water focus on the detection of fecal indicator bacteria such as Escherichia coli, often tested as a weekly grab sample. To understand the stability of E.coli concentrations over time, we evaluated three approaches to measuring E. coli levels in water: microbial culture using Colilert, quantitative PCR for uidA and next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Two watersheds, one impacted by agricultural and the other by urban activities, were repeatedly sampled over a simultaneous ten-hour period during each of the four seasons. Based on 16S rRNA gene deep sequencing, each watershed showed different microbial community profiles. The bacterial microbiomes varied with season, but less so within each 10-hour sampling period. Enterobacteriaceae comprised only a small fraction (<1%) of the total community. The qPCR assay detected significantly higher quantities of E. coli compared to the Colilert assay and there was also variability in the Colilert measurements compared to Health Canada’s recommendations for recreational water quality. From the 16S data, other bacteria such as Prevotella and Bacteroides showed promise as alternative indicators of fecal contamination. A better understanding of temporal changes in watershed microbiomes will be important in assessing the utility of current biomarkers of fecal contamination, determining the best timing for sample collection, as well as searching for additional microbial indicators of the health of a watershed.
Systematic Review of Safety and Efficacy of Rituximab in Treating Immune-Mediated Disorders

Background: During the past years biologic agents (also termed biologicals or biologics) have become a crucial treatment option in immunological diseases. Numerous articles have been published on biologicals, which complicates the decision making process on the use of the most appropriate biologic for a given immune-mediated disease. This systematic review is the first of a series of articles assessing the safety and efficacy of B cell-targeting biologics for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases. Objective: To evaluate rituximab's safety and efficacy for the treatment of immune-mediated disorders compared to placebo, conventional treatment, or other biologics. Methods: The PRISMA checklist guided the reporting of the data. We searched the PubMed database between 4 October 2016 and 26 July 2018 concentrating on immune-mediated disorders. Results: The literature search identified 19,665 articles. After screening titles and abstracts against the inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessing full texts, 105 articles were finally included in a narrative synthesis. Conclusions: Rituximab is both safe and effective for the treatment of acquired angioedema with C1-inhibitor deficiency, ANCA-associated vasculitis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Behçet's disease, bullous pemphigoid, Castleman's disease, cryoglobulinemia, Goodpasture's disease, IgG4-related disease, immune thrombocytopenia, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, nephrotic syndrome, neuromyelitis optica, pemphigus, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathy, and systemic sclerosis. Conversely, rituximab failed to show an effect for antiphospholipid syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, IgA nephropathy, inflammatory myositis, primary-progressive multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and ulcerative colitis. Finally, mixed results were reported for membranous nephropathy, primary Sjögren's syndrome and Graves' disease, therefore warranting better quality trials with larger patient numbers.
Hedyotis indirae (Rubiaceae), a new species from Western Ghats, India

ABSTRACT Hedyotis indirae, a new shrubby species of Rubiaceae from Muthikulam forest of Palakkad district, Kerala is described and illustrated here. The species shows similarities with its closely allied taxa H. hirsutissima and H. beddomei, but differs in many qualitative attributes. Detailed description, phenology and distribution notes are provided along with photographs.
Effects of Prolonged Head-Down Bed Rest on Cardiac and Vascular Baroreceptor Modulation and Orthostatic Tolerance in Healthy Individuals

Orthostatic intolerance commonly occurs after prolonged bed rest, thus increasing the risk of syncope and falls. Baroreflex-mediated adjustments of heart rate and sympathetic vasomotor activity (muscle sympathetic nerve activity – MSNA) are crucial for orthostatic tolerance. We hypothesized that prolonged bed rest deconditioning alters overall baroreceptor functioning, thereby reducing orthostatic tolerance in healthy volunteers. As part of the European Space Agency Medium-term Bed Rest protocol, 10 volunteers were studied before and after 21 days of −6° head down bed rest (HDBR). In both conditions, subjects underwent ECG, beat-by-beat blood pressure, respiratory activity, and MSNA recordings while supine (REST) and during a 15-min 80° head-up tilt (TILT) followed by a 3-min −10 mmHg stepwise increase of lower body negative pressure to pre-syncope. Cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS) was obtained in the time (sequence method) and frequency domain (spectrum and cross-spectrum analyses of RR interval and systolic arterial pressure – SAP, variability). Baroreceptor modulation of sympathetic discharge activity to the vessels (sBRS) was estimated by the slope of the regression line between the percentage of MSNA burst occurrence and diastolic arterial pressure. Orthostatic tolerance significantly decreased after HDBR (12 ± 0.6 min) compared to before (21 ± 0.6 min). While supine, heart rate, SAP, and cBRS were unchanged before and after HDBR, sBRS gain was slightly depressed after than before HDBR (sBRS: −6.0 ± 1.1 versus −2.9 ± 1.5 burst% × mmHg−1, respectively). During TILT, HR was higher after than before HDBR (116 ± 4 b/min versus 100 ± 4 b/min, respectively), SAP was unmodified in both conditions, and cBRS indexes were lower after HDBR (α index: 3.4 ± 0.7 ms/mmHg; BRSSEQ 4.0 ± 1.0) than before (α index: 6.4 ± 1.0 ms/mmHg; BRSSEQ 6.8 ± 1.2). sBRS gain was significantly more depressed after HDBR than before (sBRS: −2.3 ± 0.7 versus −4.4 ± 0.4 burst% × mmHg−1, respectively). Our findings suggest that baroreflex-mediated adjustments in heart rate and MSNA are impaired after prolonged bed rest. The mechanism likely contributes to the decrease in orthostatic tolerance.
Clinical approaches for genital and extragenital metastasis of transmissible venereal tumor in a bitch with ovarian remnant syndrome

A 25 kg, 4 years old, Boxer breed bitch which had ovariohysterectomy section 2 years ago, was presented with weakness, loss of appetite, masses on abdominal and inguinal mammary glands and vaginal bleeding. Transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) was diagnosed with vaginal cytology. Intra-abdominal mass around the iliac artery and remnant ovary behind the right kidney were determined on ultrasonographic examination. The remnant ovary and the masses on mammary glands were removed by surgical approach. However, intra-abdominal mass could not be extirpated because of its localization during the same laparotomy. A biopsy was taken from the vaginal mass. According to histopathology, TVT and collagenous hamartoma were detected on mammary glands. Also, TVT was observed in vaginal and intra-abdominal masses. Chemotherapy protocol was arranged for intra-abdominal mass and vaginal TVT which occupied for ten weeks. Hemogram, vaginal smear and transabdominal ultrasonography were repeated before each chemotherapy course. Size of the intra-abdominal mass, pulsatility index (PI) and relative index (RI) values of iliac artery were evaluated with B-mode ultrasonography and doppler ultrasonography during the treatment, respectively. As a result, positive correlation between PI and RI values were determined. In the presented case, TVT and its metastases were successfully treated with both surgery and chemotherapy. It was concluded that evaluation of the metastases with doppler ultrasonography will be favorable to reveal the hemodynamic alterations of related organs or tissues.
Effects of Hot Air and Microwave Drying on the Phenolic Components and Physicochemical Properties of Unripe Grapes (Qoura)

Unripe grape (Qoura) in the forms of either intact or juice can be used as a flavoring agent in several foods of Iranian cuisines such as soup and salad due to its sour taste. In the current study, the effects of microwave (270, 540, and 720 W) and hot air drying (40, 50 and 60°C) on the polyphenol components content and chemical properties (including chroma, hue angle, L* value, total color difference, soluble sugars, acidity, total phenols and phenolic components including rutin, gallic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, and resveratrol) of Qoura obtained from unripe white seedless grape were investigated. The obtained results showed that in both methods, by increasing the oven temperature and microwave power, the L value (The L* value was used to express the whiteness and darkness) was decreased. There was a notable reduction in the initial phenolic content of the sample (381.671 mg gallic acid/ 100 g) as a result of both of the used techniques. The initial content of resveratrol was decreased from 30.27 mg/100 g; to 23.07, 16.64, 10.73 mg/100 g sample in the samples treated with the air-drying method at 40, 50, 60°C, respectively. Also, by using the microwave in 270, 540, 720 W, it decreased to 5.77, 5.38. 5.26 mg/100 g sample at 270, 540, 720 Watt, respectively. The results of the present study revealed that the drying method affects the amount of polyphenolic compounds and physicochemical properties.
Transition to open: A metrics analysis of discoverability and accessibility of LIS scholarship

Metrics analysis of journal content has become an important point for debate and discussion in research and in higher education. The South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science (SAJLIS), a premier journal in the library and information science (LIS) field in South Africa, in its 85-year history, has had multiple editors and many contributing authors and has published over 80 volumes and 160 issues on a diversity of topics reflective of LIS theory, policy and practice. However, how discoverable and accessible has the LIS scholarship carried by the Journal been to its intended readership? SAJLIS transitioned to open access in 2012 and this new format in scholarly communication impacted the Journal significantly. The purpose of this paper is to report on a multiple metrics analysis of discoverability and accessibility of LIS scholarship via SAJLIS from 2012 to 2017. The inquiry takes a quantitative approach within a post-positivist paradigm involving computer-generated numerical data as well as manual data mining for extraction of qualitative elements. In using such a multiple metrics analysis to ascertain the discoverability and accessibility of LIS scholarship via SAJLIS in the period 2012 to 2017, the study employs performance metrics theory to guide the analysis. We highlight performance strengths of SAJLIS in terms of discoverability and accessibility of the scholarship it conveys; identify possible growth areas for strategic planning for the next 5 years; and make recommendations for further study for a more complete picture of performance strengths and areas for improvement.
The localization of chitin synthase mediates the patterned deposition of chitin in developing Drosophila bristles

The insect exoskeleton is a morphologically complex structure that is a key for the life style of this very successful group of animals. The cuticular cytoskeleton contains proteins, lipids and the N-acetyl glucosamine polymer chitin. Chitin is a highly patterned and essential component of the insect exoskeleton synthesized by chitin synthase. In most body regions chitin fibrils are found in a stack of parallel arrays that can be detected by transmission electron microscopy. Each array is rotated with respect to the layers above and below. In sensory bristles, chitin primarily accumulates in bands parallel to the proximal/distal axis of the bristle. These bands are visible by confocal microscopy providing experimental advantages. We have used this cell type and an edited chitin synthase gene to establish that the bands of chitin are closely associated with stripes of chitin synthase. This argues that the localization of chitin synthase plays an important role in mediating the patterned deposition of chitin in insect cuticle. However, other data suggest this connection may not be absolute. Several genes are essential for proper chitin deposition. We found one of these, Rab11 is required for the insertion of chitin synthase into the plasma membrane and a second, duskylike is required for plasma membrane chitin synthase to properly localize into stripes. We also established that the actin cytoskeleton is required for the proper localization of chitin synthase and chitin in developing sensory bristles. An unexpected finding is that chitin synthase and other membrane proteins are shed during or after the process of cuticle deposition and this may explain cases where there is a lack of a sharp phenotypic boundary between cells that have or lack chitin synthase activity.
Reverse engineering of short-chain fatty acid tolerance and production in Escherichia coli

Product toxicity is a common problem in microbial production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals. Historically, the field of metabolic engineering has relied on enrichment of expression libraries and strain evolution for improving tolerance. Reverse engineering of these strains can aid in the identification and development of rational design strategies for strain improvement, according to Orgel’s Second Rule that “evolution is cleverer than you are”. Here, we investigated the evolved strain with increased short-chain fatty acid tolerance and 5-fold higher fatty acid titer relative to its parent strain to discover and understand the mechanisms of the phenotypic changes. Four mutations were identified in the evolved strains, as well as the chronological order of mutations during adaptive evolution. Then we studied each mutation and their synergistic interaction by characterizing the reconstructed strains, which had single mutation, double mutation or triple mutations replaced into the genome of the parent strain. The waaG mutation contributed to increased C8 tolerance, fatty acid titer, and membrane integrity. The increased fatty acid titer was mainly affected by the mutant rpoC gene. The decreased membrane fluidity and increased cell surface hydrophobicity of evolved strain were caused by the synergistic interaction of waaG, rpoC, and basR mutations. We also noticed each mutation was able to alter the membrane lipid composition differently. The association between mutations and phenotypic changes we identified could be used as rational engineering strategies for improving tolerance and production of microbial biocatalyst. However, the rpoC and basR encode transcriptional regulators, and we were not able to fully understand the mechanisms of these two mutations by only genome-level reverse engineering. Thus, we further investigated these two mutations by transcriptome analysis. Compared evolved strain LAR1 to parent strain ML115 during fatty acid producing, twenty-nine
Water Stress Amelioration and Plant Growth Promotion in Capsicum Plants by Osmotic Stress Tolerant Bacteria

The present study was initiated with testing of fifteen previously isolated indigenous plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for drought tolerance. Among all, two best isolates Pseudomonas aeruginosa (JHA6) and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (ROH14) were selected for in-vivo studies. A total of ten treatments comprising Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) (JHA6 and ROH14) inoculated plants held at 80%, 60% and 40% field capacity (FC) soil moisture level was laid down in Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Un-inoculated plants held at various stress levels and non-stressed conditions (100% FC) served as control. In general, both the bacteria could promote Capsicum growth in terms of increase in root and shoot biomass, height of plants, chlorophyll content as well as increase in nutrient content and uptake. Besides, the bacterial inoculated Capsicum plants could withstand water stress more efficiently as indicated by increases in leaf area, total soluble proteins and relative water content of treated water stressed plants in comparison to untreated stressed ones. Enhanced antioxidant responses were evident as elevated activities of enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase was recorded. Therefore, the ability of Capsicum plants to tolerate water stress is enhanced by application of the isolated bacteria which also function as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.
Occurrence of Salmonella sp. in poultry carcasses evaluated from the retail trade between 2007 and 2013 in Paraná state, Brazil

Poultry meat is often involved as a vehicle for microorganisms that cause food-borne diseases. Salmonella sp. is a major pathogen involved in outbreaks around the world. Based on its importance, the objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of Salmonella sp. in frozen and chilled poultry carcasses slaughtered and marketed in the western region of Paraná state, Brazil. A total of 340 samples were collected between January 2007 and April 2013, with 66 (19.41%) carcasses positive for Salmonella sp. It can be concluded from the results obtained that the occurrence of Salmonella sp. in poultry carcasses remains high, even though it is a product marketed refrigerated or frozen, methods considered appropriate for food preservation. A lower occurrence result was expected due to the 14-year implementation of the national pathogen reduction program established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply aimed at a gradual reduction in the occurrence of Salmonella sp. in these products through constant monitoring of carcasses immediately after slaughter.
Integrated phytohormone production by the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus tequilensis SSB07 induced thermotolerance in soybean

ABSTRACT As a result of climate change, crops often experience high-temperature stress that can drastically hinder plant growth and development. In soybean, an economically important crop that is highly sensitive to heat stress, the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) represents a promising strategy for countering the negative effects of heat stress. Accordingly, a novel strain of Bacillus tequilensis (i.e. SSB07) that grows actively at high temperatures was isolated, identified, and characterized in the present study. SSB07 improved the growth of Chinese cabbage seedlings and was shown to produce the gibberellins GA1, GA3, GA5, GA8, GA19, GA24, and GA53, as well as indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid. The application of B. tequilensis SSB07 was also found to increase the shoot length and biomass, leaf development, and photosynthetic pigment contents of soybean plants, and under heat stress, SSB07 inoculation significantly increased the endogenous jasmonic acid and salicylic acid contents of the phyllosphere and significantly down-regulated the production of stress-responsive ABA. Thus, B. tequilensis SSB07 shows promise for countering the negative effects of climate change on crop growth and development.