Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antiurolithiatic Property of Moringa oleifera Root Bark

In spite of tremendous advances in the field of medicine, there is no truly satisfactory drug for the treatment of renal calculi. In the present study, the efficacy of the root bark of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) as an antiurolithiatic agent was investigated using an experimentally induced urolithiatic rat model. Hyperoxaluria was induced in rats using 0.75% ethylene glycol in water. Aqueous (AqE) (200 mg kg− 1 body weight) and alcoholic extracts (AlcE) (200 mg kg− 1 body weight) of the root bark of M. oleifera were given orally in curative and preventive regimens over a period of 28 days. Both the extracts significantly (P < 0.001) lowered the urinary excretion and kidney retention levels of oxalate, calcium and phosphate. Moreover, elevated serum levels of urea nitrogen, creatinine and uric acid were significantly (P < 0.001) reduced by the extracts. The results were comparable with the standard drug, cystone (750 mg kg− 1 body weight). The reduction of stone forming constituents in urine and their decreased kidney retention reduces the solubility product of crystallizing salts such as calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate, which could contribute to the antiurolithiatic property of root bark of M. oleifera.
The pulp and paper properties of Sirex noctilio infested and fire-damagedthermomechanically pulped, South African grown Pinus patula

Pinus patula is the softwood species most extensively planted in South Africa. However, large portions of these plantings are under threat from Sirex noctilio infestation and occasional forest fires. In this exploratory investigation, the effects of tree age, Sirex noctilio infestation and fire damage to wood from Pinus patula trees on their pulp and paper properties were evaluated. Pulp was produced using the thermomechanical pulping (TMP) process. The energy consumption required to pulp the different pulpwood materials was determined. Pulps were beaten for five different time periods to investigate the development of the fibre properties in response to increasing energy input. Paper properties such as burst, tear strength and breaking length were determined on handsheets manufactured from unbeaten and beaten pulps. Box and line plots and canonical variate analysis biplots were used to statistically analyse the data. It was found that the burst strength of paper produced from healthy trees was significantly higher than that from sirex-infested or fire damaged (burnt) trees. Similarly, the tear strength of paper from healthy and burnt trees was significantly better than from sirex-infested or young trees. No significant differences in breaking length were evident between the pulpwood materials and an increase in beating time did not lead to any improvements. From this study it can be concluded that wood from dead or dying, sirex-infested and young trees produced paper with consistently lower strength properties compared to wood obtained from healthy 12-year-old trees.
Screening rhizobacteria containing ACC-deaminase for growth promotion of chickpea seedlings under axenic conditions.

The use of beneficial bacteria as agricultural inputs for increasing crop production needs the selection of competent rhizobacteria with plant growth promoting attributes. Nodulation in chickpea plants is inhibited due to higher levels of ethylene production in the rhizosphere under stress conditions. Rhizobacteria having trait ACCdeaminase can facilitate plant growth to over come these deleterious effects. For this, isolation of rhizobacteria containing ACC-deaminase from the rhizosphere of chickpea plants grown in different districts of Punjab, were screened for growth promotion of chickpea seedlings under axenic conditions. All the rhizobacterial isolates had the potential to change the growth of chickpea seedlings under axenic conditions except few isolates which showed negative effect on root and shoot growth of chickpea seedlings. Results of jar study exhibited that inoculation with selected isolates increased the root length, shoot length, dry root weight, dry shoot weight, lateral root number, lateral root length and lateral root dry weight of chickpea seedlings up to 107.5, 57.4, 86.7, 83.5, 266.7, 286.6 and 121 %, respectively, over uninoculated control. It is concluded that the presence of ACC-deaminase enzyme activity could be a useful tool for screening effective rhizobacteria to promote seedlings growth of chickpea under controlled conditions before testing their effectiveness under natural environment.
The Precautionary Principle Applied to Deliberate Release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may contribute to sustainable development, world food supplies and economic prosperity. On the other hand, environmental release may initiate serious, irreversible ecological damage. In this article we discuss the scientific basis for regulation of GMO use, and to which extent present risk assessment procedures provide means to predict and reduce potential ecological hazards. Potential hazards related to gene transfer from GMOs to indigenous organisms and prospects of secondary ecological effects are given special attention. It is important to recognize that possible adverse ecological effects may have impact on other processes affecting human and animal welfare. A major conclusion is that the present state of scientific knowledge is inadequate for reliable ecological risk assessment. The basic information with regard to mechanisms governing the environmental interactions of GMOs is insufficient. The ecosystems are too complex, and our understanding of them too fragmentary. Furthermore, currently available methods to monitor short and long-term ecological consequences of GMO release are non-existent or unreliable. Finally, the socio–economic and biodiversity aspects of GMO usage are ambiguous, and often unpredictable, based on the present state of knowledge. Hence, applying the precautionary principle should be an important basis for initiation of risk-associated research as well as for elaboration of more satisfactory risk assessment methods and procedures. Keywords: deliberate GMO release, horizontal gene transfer, naked DNA, the precautionary principle.
MATERNAL DETERMINANTS OF SEED DISPERSAL IN CAKILE EDENTULA: FRUIT, PLANT, AND SITE TRAITS

Seed dispersion patterns are largely determined by the maternal plant. Characters of the progeny, such as dispersal, that are determined by the maternal parent and that vary with the maternal environment are said to exhibit maternal environmental effects. Because dispersal is maternally determined, the response to selection on dispersal depends on the correlations between generations for maternal traits that influence dispersal. These correlations depend on the direction and degree to which the maternal plant responds to its environment. Although it is widely appreciated that seed dispersal is maternally determined, the evolution of dispersal has not yet been addressed within the context of maternal character evolution. In this study, I identify maternal traits that influence seed dispersion patterns and characterize their variation as a function of maternal environmental conditions in order to determine whether maternal environmental effects on dispersal are possible and to predict the direction of corre.
Are primary woody hosts ‘island refuges’ for host‐alternating aphids and important for colonization of local cereals?

Only few studies are available dealing with the relation between winter host density and spatial distribution and spring colonization of winter cereals by the host‐alternating cereal aphid species Rhopalosiphum padi and Metopolophium dirhodum. Large‐scale studies in climatically different agroecosystems in Germany from 2004 to 2006 revealed for R. padi and M. dirhodum larger spring/summer populations in landscapes with higher densities of winter hosts. A small‐scale study was performed in winter wheat fields adjacent to a large hedge with several typical winter hosts plants, bird cherry (Prunus padus) and wild rose species (Rosa spp.) to indentify distance effects (0–8, 8–24 and 24–60 m). Weekly measurements of aphid density between May to July showed significantly higher densities of R. padi compared with those of other aphids. Statistical analysis (Tukey–Kramer test and regression analyses) revealed significant gradients from the hedge to the field centre for R. padi and M. dirhodum. In comparative studies, winged R. padi from winter and adjacent summer hosts were genotyped using four microsatellite markers. The results showed that individuals from a certain winter host were not genetically similar with individuals from neighbouring summer hosts; it, therefore, seems that winter host clones did not significantly contribute to population built‐up in cereal fields over short distances. It could be concluded that on a regional scale, the density of sources for early migrants of R. padi is important for colonization intensity of surrounding summer hosts, but that the high local movement intensity and the relative small proportion of aphids that could be analysed in such tracking studies are blurring close spatial relations within short time periods.
Age-dependence of the antioxidative system in tobacco with enhanced glutathione reductase activity or senescence-induced production of cytokinins

Tobacco leaves of plants with enhanced glutathione reductase activity (GR46-27, Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun) or with autoregulated senescence-induced production of cytokinins (P SAG12 -IPT, N. tabacum L. cv. Wisconsin) were studied during the course of leaf development and senescence by measuring photosynthesis, chlorophyll and protein content, the antioxidants ascorbate, glutathione and α-tocopherol as well as the antioxidative enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11), glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1). The photosynthetic rate, as well as the chlorophyll and protein content, dropped with increasing leaf age after having reached a maximum at the end of the exponential growth phase. The concentrations of the water-soluble antioxidants ascorbate and glutathione fell continuously with age, whereas the concentration of the lipophilic a-tocopherol increased. The activities of the antioxidative enzymes APX, GR and SOD reached their maximum at the beginning of leaf development, but were reduced in senescing leaves. The age-dependent course of the measured leaf parameters in GR46-27 leaves was similar to the one in wild-type leaves, with the exception of an overall enhanced GR activity. In contrast, in old leaves of P SAG12 -IPT plants, which possess a much higher life span, the chlorophyll and protein content, the photosynthetic rate, the antioxidant concentrations of ascorbate and glutathione as well as the activities of the antioxidative enzymes were higher than in wild-type leaves. The results show that the capacity of the antioxidative system to scavenge radicals is sufficiently balanced with the plant metabolism, and its decline with increasing age is not the cause, but a consequence of senescence and ageing in plants.
Control of silica production by iron and silicic acid during the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX)

We examined the role of Si limitation in mediating the response of siliceous biomass and silica production to mesoscale Fe fertilization in the high‐silicic acid high‐nitrate waters of the Antarctic and in the low‐silicic acid high‐nitrate waters of the Subantarctic during austral summer. Iron fertilization stimulated biogenic silica production and silicic acid depletion in both regions. Si limitation significantly curtailed the response of silica production to Fe in the Subantarctic, but not in the Antarctic. Additions of silicic acid to Fe‐enriched waters of the Subantarctic more than doubled specific silica production rates beyond the increase caused by Fe alone. This result, combined with the presence of Si limitation both inside and outside of the fertilized patch in the Subantarctic, indicates that silica production in the Subantarctic is regulated by both Fe and Si during austral summer. Fe increased the ability of Subantarctic diatom assemblages to take up low concentrations of Si over an order of magnitude by increasing maximum uptake rates and lowering half‐saturation constants for silicic acid uptake. Our observations indicate that the dramatic gradient in Si availability across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current exerts a strong control on the contribution of diatoms to new production following Fe enrichment in the Southern Ocean during austral summer. With sufficient Fe to allow nitrate depletion, the abundant silicic acid in the Antarctic would allow diatoms to dominate nitrate use; however, low silicic acid concentrations in the Subantarctic would restrict the fraction of available nitrate that would be consumed by diatoms to ca. 5%.
Impacts of differential prey dynamics on the potential recovery of endangered arctic fox populations

1. The arctic fox Vulpes lagopus in Fennoscandia was heavily decimated in the early 20th century and has failed to recover despite full protection during the last 70 years. On the contrary, since the 1970s the population has declined even further and the species is now on the verge of regional extinction. 2. The most recent population decline of the arctic fox in Fennoscandia has coincided with some distinct changes in the cyclic population dynamics of its key prey, lemmings and voles. Although this coincidence of events and the tight trophic connection between foxes and rodents suggest that the two phenomena are causally linked, the effects of spatio-temporal small rodent dynamics on the viability of arctic fox populations have not been fully explored. 3. Here we address how the mean, temporal variance and the periodicity of small rodent population density cycles impact long-term stochastic growth rate of arctic fox populations. We do this in a modelling framework where the vital rates of the fox are linked to realistic, quantitative realizations of small rodent density dynamics. 4. Arctic fox population growth rate was found to be highly sensitive to the temporal mean and to some extent to the variance in small rodent density cycles, whereas cycle period in the observed range of 3- to 5-year cycles was surprisingly of minor importance. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our analysis shows that small rodent population dynamics characterized by low-amplitude density cycles (irrespective of their average cycle period), provide little scope for positive population growth, and thus recovery, of the arctic fox. Thus, we advise that management actions such as re-introductions and red fox Vulpes vulpes control should be conducted in mountain tundra regions where regular, high-amplitude cycles, of any period, with recurrent high spring densities of rodents still prevail. In order to properly identify geographic areas with the highest potential for arctic fox recovery, the emphasis of current monitoring programmes of small rodent dynamics needs to consider more quantitative metrics than they currently employ.
Comparison of seasonal patterns of growth, voluntary feed intake and plasma hormone concentrations in young sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) and red deer (Cervus elaphus)

SUMMARY During 1991/93, young sambar (5 months old) and red deer (7 months old) were confined indoors in individual pens in New Zealand and fed a pelleted concentrate diet (12 MJ ME/kgDM; 2·9% N) ad libitum for 21 months. Seasonal patterns of voluntary feed intake (VF1), liveweight gain (LWG), scrotal circumference and plasma concentrations of prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T) and progesterone (P) were compared using five stags and three hinds of each species. Red deer showed a strong pattern of seasonality, with high VFI and LWG in summer and low VF1 and LWG in winter and with peak plasma T and scrotal circumference in stags in early autumn. Compared with red deer, sambar showed weaker seasonal patterns of VFI and LWG, with maximum values in autumn and minimumvalues in spring. Over a complete 12-month cycle, sambar deer gained similar amounts of liveweight to red deer but consumed substantially less feed, thus demonstrating a more efficient conversion of feed tobodyweight. Metabolizable energy (ME) requirements for both maintenance and gain were substantially lower for sambar than for red deer. Scrotal circumference and plasma T values in sambar stags attained their highest values during late autumn, winter and spring, but with a lower magnitude than peak values for red stags. Plasma PRL concentrations were seasonal in both species, with highest values in summer and lowest values in winter. Rapid increase of plasma P was first detected in red hinds in autumn and sambar hinds in spring when they weighed 96 and 90 kg respectively, and were aged 17 and 14 months. Rapid increase of plasma T was first detected in red stags in early autumn and sambar stags in mid-autumn whenthey weighed 117 and 101 kg, and were aged 16 and 15 months respectively. It was concluded that sambar deer had endogenous cycles of VFI, body growth and hormone secretion, which were of lesser amplitude and with different seasonality from those of red deer. Young sambar deer were more efficient feed converters than red deer, and attained sexual maturity at an earlier age and lower liveweight.
The Effect of pH on the Particle Stability of a Phosphotungstatestained Tobacco Necrosis Virus

Summary When preparations of a tobacco necrosis virus were negatively stained with 2% sodium or potassium phosphotungstate, pH 6 or 7, immediately before viewing in an electron microscope, many of the virus particles were degraded or were penetrated by the stain. However, when the potassium phosphotungstate was at pH 3, 4 or 5 few of the particles were degraded or were penetrated by the stain. A correlation between the pH of stability and the isoelectric point of the virus is suggested. Fixation for 20 min. in 5, 10 or 20% formaldehyde effectively stabilized most of the particles of tobacco necrosis virus when stained with neutral potassium phosphotungstate, whereas fixation in 1.25 or 2.5% formaldehyde did not.
The neurodevelopmental spectrum of synaptic vesicle cycling disorders

In this review, we describe and discuss neurodevelopmental phenotypes arising from rare, high penetrance genomic variants which directly influence synaptic vesicle cycling (SVC disorders). Pathogenic variants in each SVC disorder gene lead to disturbance of at least one SVC subprocess, namely vesicle trafficking (e.g. KIF1A and GDI1), clustering (e.g. TRIO, NRXN1 and SYN1), docking and priming (e.g. STXBP1), fusion (e.g. SYT1 and PRRT2) or re‐uptake (e.g. DNM1, AP1S2 and TBC1D24). We observe that SVC disorders share a common set of neurological symptoms (movement disorders, epilepsies), cognitive impairments (developmental delay, intellectual disabilities, cerebral visual impairment) and mental health difficulties (autism, ADHD, psychiatric symptoms). On the other hand, there is notable phenotypic variation between and within disorders, which may reflect selective disruption to SVC subprocesses, spatiotemporal and cell‐specific gene expression profiles, mutation‐specific effects, or modifying factors. Understanding the common cellular and systems mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental phenotypes in SVC disorders, and the factors responsible for variation in clinical presentations and outcomes, may translate to personalized clinical management and improved quality of life for patients and families.
The limpet Patella vulgata L. at night in air: effective feeding on Ascophyllum nodosum monocultures and stranded seaweeds

Opportunistically, the limpet Patella vulgata will switch from microphagous grazing to feeding on attached macroalgae or, a novel finding, on accumulations of stranded seaweeds. Macroalgal food is ingested primarily at night during emersion, when the thalli come to lie on the rock surface and are sufficiently damp. Monocultures of Ascophyllum nodosum are not immune to the destructive effects of limpets as previously thought. Patella vulgata can graze them down to complete disappearance, thus pushing Ascophyllum back to refuges where P. vulgata is absent or rare. Such refuges were found along a wide range from very sheltered to strongly wave-exposed rocky shores in Brittany, France. By a combination of its macrophagous and microphagous feeding habits, P. vulgata can control mid-tidal macroalgal assemblages in a similar fashion to the action of sea urchins upon kelp communities inhabiting the lower intertidal and shallow sublittoral zones of rocky shores.
Response of Jersey and Friesian cows to once a day milking and prediction of response based on udder characteristics and milk composition

Summary The response of dairy cows to once a day (OAD) milking was investigated in four trials. Two trials involved Friesians (F) and Jersey cows selected for high (HP) or low (LP) milk protein concentration. Trial 1 compared 74 HP, LP and F cows milked either OAD or twice daily (TAD) for 2 weeks in both mid and late lactation. Trial 2 compared 98 HP, LP and F cows milked OAD or TAD for 12 weeks in early lactation. Trial 3 investigated the repeatability of production loss by milking identical twin cows either OAD or TAD during three 1 week periods. Trial 4 compared the time course of milk production in 32 cows milked every 12 or 24 h for 72 h. Cows milked OAD produced 10–28% less milk and milk solids in early to mid lactation and 9–13% less in late lactation than cows milked TAD. Losses in fat and protein yield were slightly lower than those of milk. HP, LP and F cows did not differ in percentage loss in milk and milk solids in Trial 1, except for loss in protein yield which was lower for HP than LP and F cows. In Trial 2 the losses in milk and milk solids were lower for HP cows than for F cows but the other differences were not significant. Milk storage ability of the udder (hours worth of secretion) was higher and productivity of the udder was lower for HP cows than F cows. Levels of residual milk did not differ among groups. The loss in udder capacity during lactation was greater for cows milked OAD than for those milked TAD. The correlations for repeated estimates of percentage losses in yields of milk and milk solids between successive OAD periods ranged from 0·29 to 0·49. Secretion rate of cows milked OAD was lower during the second 12 h than the first 12 h during each 24 h milking interval. Prediction of OAD performance based on milk composition and udder characteristics was poor. A high level of residual milk was the factor most consistently associated with high loss on OAD milking.
The problem of the coracoid

El embri6n del opossum americano, Didelphys virginiana posee un coracoides, que, lo mismo que en 10s monotremas, se extiende hasta el es ternh, unidndose con 61 en un punto situado entre la clavicula y la primera costilla. Esta tiltima se atrofia y deja un pequeiio proceso rudinientario, conocido en el adulto con el nombre de proceso coracoideo. A la part'e descriptiva sigue una discusih de la homologia del proceso coracoideo del hombre, esforzsindose el autor en demostrar que el proceso coracoideo del hombre es el hom6logo del precoracoides de 10s reptiles f6siles del Pkrmico.