Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two new species of Lycianthes (Capsiceae, Solanaceae) from Mexico and Guatemala

Two cloud forest species of Lycianthes are newly described: L. breedlovei from the state of Chiapas, Mexico and L. fredyclaudiae from the state of Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. Both species have orange-brown, multangulate-stellate trichomes in which the rays of the trichome are rebranched, white to pale lilac flowers (with darker violet-purple lobes in L. breedlovei), and unequal stamens. Morphologically, they resemble L. hortulana of Honduras, but both new species have previously been misidentified as L. cuchumatanensis. This article provides species descriptions, maps of geographic distributions, drawings of trichomes, and images of the flowers and specimens of the two new species, as well as a comparison chart of morphological characters used to separate L. breedlovei and L. fredyclaudiae from similar species.
Phytotoxic Effect of Tithonia rotundifolia (Miller) S.F.Blake on Chlorophyll and Protein Contents of Vigna unguiculata L. and Zea mays L.

A large number of plants impose inhibitory effects on the germination and growth of neighbouring or successional plants by releasing allelochemicals into the soil. This study investigated the phytotoxic effects of Tithonia rotundifolia (Miller) S.F. Blake on the chlorophyll and protein contents of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers and Zea mays L. This was with a view to determining the susceptibility of these crops to allelochemicals in the extracts prepared from T. rotundifolia. Seeds of the test plants were sown in pots filled with top humus soil. At two weeks, seedlings in each pot were thinned down to 10 seedlings per pot. Potted plants of the test crops were supplied with 400 ml of the appropriate water extracts while the control potted plants were supplied with 400 ml of water. Biochemical analyses were carried out according to standard methods. The data obtained were analysed by (ANOVA) to determine significant (P< 0.05) effects. The means were compared using Duncan Multiple Range Test. The chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and protein contents in V. unguiculata and Z. mays and were significantly inhibited by the extract from T. rotundifolia. The inhibitory effects of these allelochemicals increased with concentration. The phytotoxic effect of T. rotundifolia was species dependent. It was concluded that the extract contains water-soluble allelochemicals which inhibited the biochemical parameters of the test crops. T. rotundifolia should be controlled where it grows in association with cultivated crops.
RstA Regulation of Clostridioides difficile Toxin Production and Sporulation in Phenotypically Diverse Strains

The anaerobic spore-former, Clostridioides difficile, causes significant diarrheal disease in humans and other mammals. Infection begins with the ingestion of dormant spores which subsequently germinate within the host gastrointestinal tract. Here, the vegetative cells proliferate and secrete two exotoxins, TcdA and TcdB, which cause disease symptoms. Although spore formation and toxin production are critical for C. difficile pathogenesis, the regulatory links between these two physiological processes are not well understood and are strain-dependent. Previously, we identified a conserved C. difficile regulator, RstA, that promotes sporulation initiation through an unknown mechanism and directly and indirectly represses toxin gene transcription in the historical isolate, 630Δerm. To test whether perceived strain-dependent differences in toxin production and sporulation are mediated by RstA, we created an rstA mutant in the epidemic 027 ribotype strain, R20291. RstA affects sporulation and toxin gene expression similarly in R20291, although more robust regulatory effects are observed in this strain than in 630Δerm. Reporter assays measuring transcriptional regulation of tcdR, the sigma factor essential for toxin gene expression, identified sequence-dependent effects influencing repression by RstA and CodY, a global nutritional sensor, in four diverse C. difficile strains. We provide evidence that RstA contributes to tcdR bistability in R20291 by biasing cells to a toxin-OFF state. Finally, sequence-dependent and strain-dependent differences were evident in RstA negative autoregulation of rstA transcription. Our data establish RstA as an important regulator of C. difficile virulence traits, and implicate RstA as a contributor to the variety of sporulation and toxin phenotypes observed in distinct isolates. IMPORTANCE Two critical traits of Clostridioides difficile pathogenesis are the production of toxins, which cause disease symptoms, and the formation of spores, which permit survival outside of the gastrointestinal tract. The multifunctional regulator, RstA, promotes sporulation and prevents toxin production in the historical strain, 630Δerm. Here, we show that RstA functions similarly in an epidemic isolate, R20291, although strain-specific effects on toxin and rstA expression are evident. Our data demonstrate that sequence-specific differences within the promoter for the toxin regulator, TcdR, contribute to regulation of toxin production by RstA and CodY. These sequence differences account for some of the variability in toxin production among isolates, and may allow strains to differentially control toxin production in response to a variety of signals.
Effect of time-restricted feeding and refeeding regimes on compensatory growth, body composition, and feed utilization in prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) culture system

ABSTRACT A 14-week feeding experiment was conducted to determine the effect of a time-restricted feeding and refeeding regime on compensatory growth, body composition, and feed utilization in improved traditional prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) culture systems. Three groups of prawn were used in which the control group (C) received feed regularly at ad libitum and the other two groups, Treatment 1 (T1) and Treatment 2 (T2), consumed feed 4 and 5 days per week respectively throughout the first 9 weeks. After feeding restriction, satiation of feed was given in the last 5 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the final weight of prawn in C, T1, and T2 were found to be 17.23 ± 6.56g, 16.04 ± 6.18g, and 15.64 ± 6.34 g respectively, which was insignificant. FCR decreased with increased restriction of feeding, while PER and NPU increased. Moisture content increased significantly, while protein and lipid content decreased significantly with increasing restriction time of feeding. After the satiation period, only the T2 group was able to replenish the lipid content. Water quality parameters didn’t vary significantly among the experimental groups and remained within optimum level. Therefore, time restriction could be applied in Macrobrachium rosenbergii culture without detrimental effects on growth, feed efficiency, and nutrient utilization.
Changes in species richness and altitudinal distribution of vascular plants in Jotunheimen, Norway

2 Introduction . 5 Materials and methods . 8 Geography, vegetation and topography . 8 Temperature and precipitation . 9 Nitrogen (N) deposition . 11 Other anthropogenic impacts . 12 Sampling . 13 Recording problems. 14 Misidentifications and nomenclature of species . 14 Data analysis . 15 Results . 18 Change in species richness between 1930, 1998 and 2014. 18 Change in species richness along the west-east gradient . 19 Change in number of species according to initial species richness . 20 Change in number of species according to temperature indicator values . 20 Thermophilization . 21 Changes in species groups with different climate optimum, along the altitudinal gradient . 22 Species changes in the “MAlp, MAlp-HAlp” group, between 1998 and 2014. 23 New altitudinal limits, altitudinal shifts and change in Poaceae family . 25 Signs of grazing . 26 Discussion . 28 Change in species richness, new altitudinal limits and upward shifts . 28 Change in species richness along the west-east gradient . 28 Changes in species groups with different climate optimum, along the altitudinal gradient . 30 Change in number of species according to initial species richness . 31 Change in number of species according to temperature indicator values . 33 Thermophilization . 33 Possible drivers for the observed changes . 34
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Actinidia eriantha

Abstract The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of Actinidia eriantha was sequenced and assembled using Illumina paired-end data. The cp genome from A. eriantha is 156,964 bp in length, composed of a pair of 23,892 bp inverted repeat regions (IR) separated by a large single copy region (LSC) of 88,639 bp and a small single copy region (SSC) of 20,541 bp. The cp genome contained 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four ribosomal RNA genes. The phylogenetic position of A. eriantha based the cp genome data was sister to the group A. rufa, A. deliciosa, and A. chinensis.
Leaf area index and radiation extinction coefficient of a coffee canopy under variable drip irrigation levels

The leaf area index (LAI) is relevant in studies of phenomena at different scales, such as for the leaf to canopy scale and the calculation of the extinction coefficient of photosynthetically active radiation (kPAR), providing input for the parameterization of physiological basis models. The objective of this work was to verify the variation of the LAI and the coffee kPAR subjected to different drip irrigation levels (130, 100, 70, and 40%) and to compare the data obtained from radiation bar linear sensors (SunScan) in the plants that received full irrigation with the values found by other LAI estimation methodologies. The study was conducted in Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil, using the species Coffea arabica cv. Red Catuaí IAC 144; a drip irrigation system was adopted, with the irrigation controlled by tensiometry. The mean LAI values were higher in the L130 (irrigation level of 130%) and L100 (irrigation level of 100%) treatments than those with deficit irrigation depths. The mean kPAR values were lower for the L130 and L100 treatments than the values found in the deficit irrigation depth treatments. When comparing SunScan to other methodologies, the mean error (ME) and absolute mean error (AME) were high.
Cartographies as spaces of inquiry to explore of teachers’ nomadic learning trajectories

This paper is part of a research project, in which secondary teachers were invited to generate cartographies, and participate in conversations about the scenarios and where they learn and the movements they make, inside and outside school. They were also invited to think about what they valued of this performative act as a source of knowledge and experience. By generating cartographies, as a visual and textual epistemological and methodological move, we inquire those interstices, displacements, instable journeys, ways of knowing, assemblages and entanglement through which teachers explore and perform their nomadic learning paths. The main aim of this research process it is no longer about getting results but generating and putting into action concepts such as rhizome, intensity, affect, gesture, displacement, metaphor. Concepts that are helping us to think about how learning gets through teachers’ movements and trajectories. Specifically, in this paper, we reflect on how nomadism localizes learning not as an outcome but as an activity staged within a processual, relational and performative ontology of becoming. In addition, we consider how all these processes affect us, as teachers and researchers.
Obesity; with a focus on diet quality and gut microbiota

Background: Obesity is one of our times major public health issues as it is increasing world-wide and is a risk factor for several severe diseases and conditions. The risk of developing obesity is multifactorial; genetic predisposition, lifestyle and the microbiome all affect the possibility to keep the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure.
Cleome gynandra L. origin, taxonomy and morphology: A review

Cleome gynandra L. is one of the traditional leafy vegetables in Africa and Asia providing essential minerals and vitamins to the diet and income of resource poor communities. Despite these benefits, the crop has not been studied extensively resulting in lack of scientific information to guide crop improvement research and associated agronomic practices. The taxonomy of the crop, its reproductive behaviour, genome size, ploidy level and origin are neither readily available nor well understood. This paper reviews existing literatures in these areas to provide information for future research and development of the crop. Reading the review, one could appreciate the taxonomic classification of the genus is still under debate despite recent molecular studies that placed the crop in the Cleomaceae family as opposed to previous studies that classified it under Capparaceae family. According to present review the crop belongs to the Kingdom of Plantae, Phylum spermatophyta, Division Magnoliophyta, Class Magnoliopsida, Order Brassicales and the Family of Cleomaceae. Different genome sizes of C. gynandra have been reported which still warrant further investigation. Various studies reported different ploidy levels including diploid, triploid and polyploid indicating the need of further investigation to clarify the taxonomy, genome size and ploidy level(s) of the crop. Key words: Chromosome, genome size, indigenous leafy vegetables, morphology, ploidy level, spider plant.
Management of bacterial canker of tomato caused by Clavibecter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Smith and Davis et al.) using different antibiotics

In an attempt to control bacterial canker of tomato, a very hard-to-control disease, both in-vitro and in-vivo studies were conducted using antibiotics alone or in combinations with other antibiotics and with copper oxychloride. Using paper disc diffusion assay and 50 ppm - 400 ppm concentrations, tetracycline+streptomycin produced the largest inhibition zone (22.8 mm) followed by tetracycline alone (22.0) at highest concentration after 48 hrs incubation. The result of antibiotic combination streptomycin and gentamicin were statistically at par with those of tetracycline+streptomycin combination. However, streptomycin alone proved to be ineffective. Antibiotic concentrations of 250 ppm and higher were sufficient to inhibit the in-vitro bacterial growth. In case of screen-house studies, combination of tetracycline and copper oxychloride gave minimum % disease severity (5.40%), as compared to inoculated but untreated control in which case the % disease severity was 56.6 %. The same combination (i.e. tetracycline+copper oxychloride) also proved to be more effective than other treatments in term of enhancing yield per plant (1147.7g), plant height (102.0 cm), plant dry weight (130.8g) and other parameters. The better performance of this combination treatment could be attributed to its interactive effect. This study suggested that combination of antibiotics should be used for proper disease management and further combinations of different antibiotics in different concentrations should be evaluated. Keywords: Antibiotics; Bacteria; Clavibecter; Tomato http://dx.doi. org/10.19045/bspab.2019. 80128
Moderately common plants show highest relative losses

Nature conservation efforts often focus on rare species. Common and moderately common species, however, receive much less attention. Our analysis of occupancy change of flora using a grid survey in 1980 and a habitat mapping survey in 2000 in Northeast Germany revealed significant losses for most of the 355 modeled plant species. Highest losses were recorded for moderately common species. Plant species occurring in 20–40% of grid cells declined on average by 50% in 20 years, although there were some methodological uncertainties. We found no correlation between occupancy decline and Red List category, but habitat loss seems to be a main driver. We suggest to rethink conservation indicators by including previously common species in monitoring. Our approach to estimating trends, using the association of species to habitat types and occupancy–area relationships, can be applied to other regions with heterogeneous resurvey data, but it cannot replace urgently needed monitoring schemes.
Gain modulation and odor concentration invariance in early olfactory networks

A conserved principle of the olfactory system, in most, if not all animals, is that each olfactory receptor interacts with different odorant molecules and each odorant molecule interacts with different olfactory receptors. This broad receptive field of the receptors constitutes the basis of a combinatorial code that allows animals to discriminate many more odorants than the actual number of receptor types that they express. A drawback is that high odorant concentrations recruit lower affinity receptors, which can give rise to the perception of qualitatively different odors. Here we addressed the contribution that early signal-processing in the honey bee antennal lobe does to keep odor representation stable across concentrations. We describe the contribution that GABA-A and GABA-B receptors-dependent-inhibition plays in terms of the amplitude and temporal profiles of the signals that convey odor information from the antennal lobes to the mushroom bodies. GABA reduces the amplitude of odor elicited signals and the number of glomeruli that are recruited in a concentration-dependent way. Blocking GABA-A and GABA-B receptors decreases the correlation among glomerular activity patterns elicited by different concentrations of the same odor. Based on the results we built a realistic computational model of the antennal lobe that could be further used to evaluate the signal processing properties of the AL network under conditions that cannot be achieved in physiology experiments. Interestingly, even though based on rather simplistic topology and interactions among cells solely mediated by GABA-A and GABA-B interactions, the AL model reproduced the key features of the AL stable response in relation to different concentrations.
Does sleep protect memories against interference? A failure to replicate

Across a broad spectrum of memory tasks, retention is superior following a night of sleep compared to a day of wake. However, this result alone does not clarify whether sleep merely slows the forgetting that would otherwise occur as a result of information processing during wakefulness, or whether sleep actually consolidates memories, protecting them from subsequent retroactive interference. Two influential studies (Ellenbogen, et al., 2006, 2009) suggested that sleep protects memories against the subsequent retroactive interference that occurs when participants learn new yet overlapping information (interference learning). In these studies, interference was much less detrimental to memory following a night of sleep compared to a day of wakefulness, a finding that provided strong evidence that sleep supports this important aspect of memory consolidation. In the current well-powered replication study, we repeated the protocol of Ellenbogen, et al. (2009) and, additionally, we examined the impact of intrinsic motivation on performance in sleep and wake participants. We were unable to replicate the finding that sleep protects memories against retroactive interference, with the detrimental effects of interference learning being essentially the same in wake and sleep participants. We also found that while intrinsic motivation benefitted task acquisition it was not a modulator of sleep-wake differences in memory processing. These finding of this replication study draw into question the claim that sleep protects memories against the effects of retroactive interference, and moreover, they highlight the importance of replicating key findings in the study of sleep’s impact on memory processing before drawing strong conclusions that drive the direction of future research.
A metabolic approach towards optimising equine in vitro maturation

The study of early embryo metabolism has fascinated researchers in the field for nearly a century. Herein, we give a brief account of the general features of embryo metabolism and some consideration of the research performed to reach such conclusions. It is becoming increasingly obvious that metabolism informs many fate decisions and outcomes beyond ATP generation, such as DNA methylation, Reactive Oxygen Species generation and cell signaling. We discuss the reasons for studying metabolism in the face of our current knowledge of the effect that the culture environment on the developing embryo and the downstream effects that can cause. The study of in vitro embryo metabolism can also give us insight into developmental perturbations in vivo. The strengths and limitations of the methods we use to study metabolism are reviewed with reference to species-specific fundamental biology and plasticity and we discuss what the future holds for metabolic studies and the unanswered questions that remain.
Model to Link Cell Shape and Polarity with Organogenesis

How do tubes — gut or neural tube — form from flat sheets of polarized cells? The prevalent view is that it is a two-step process: first cells wedge to bend the sheet, then cells intercalate and extend the initial invagination into a tube. We computationally challenged this model by asking if one mechanism (either cell wedging or intercalation) may suffice for the entire sheet-to-tube transition. Using a physical model with epithelial cells represented by polarized point particles, we show that either cell intercalation or wedging alone can be sufficient and each can both bend the sheet and extend the tube. When working in parallel, the two mechanisms increase the robustness of the tube formation. The successful simulations of Drosophila salivary gland, Sea urchin gastrulation and mammalian neurulation support the generality of our results.
Variability and Heritability Studies for Horticultural Traits in Ridge Gourd [Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.]

Ridge gourd [Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. ], commonly called as angled gourd, angled loofah, or ribbed gourd, belongs to family Cucurbitaceae with a diploid chromosome number of 26. It is cultivated in the tropical and sub-tropical regions for its tender fruits which are used in curries or as cooked vegetable. Fruit contains moisture (92.5 g), protein (0.5 g), fat (0.5 g), carbohydrate (3.4 g), energy (17 k calories), calcium (18 mg), vitamin C (5 mg), riboflavin (0.01 mg), phosphorous (26 mg), iron (0.5 mg) and carotene (33 μg) per 100 g of edible portion (Sheshadri and Parthasarthy, 1980). Being a low calorie vegetable, it is considered good for diabetic patients (Pullaiah, 2006). In Ayurveda, it is also reported to have many properties like immune system booster, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, diuretic, blood purifier and a remedy in jaundice (Manikandaselvi et Variability and Heritability Studies for Horticultural Traits in Ridge Gourd [Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. ]