Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of protein and amino acid content in camel milk of Xinjiang

The experiment determined the content of protein and amino acid in camel milk of Xinjiang by BuCHI Kjeldahl line instrument and HPLC method.The results show that the protein content is 4.45% and it contains about 1.25% whey protein which is two times of cow milk's approximately and contains 18 kinds of amino acids.The content of 8 essential amino acids is 40.70% of all amino acids,and the content of medical amino acid is 63.95%.
Application of Molecular Orbital Calculations to Interpret the Chlorophyll Spectral Forms in Pea Photosystem II ¶

The energy and oscillator strength of electronic transitions of chlorophyll (Chl)–amino acid complexes were calculated by using molecular orbital methods. The energies varied widely with coordinated amino acids and the difference between the maximum and minimum energy was about 830 cm−1. This energy difference was comparable with the spreading of absorption bands for light‐harvesting Chl–protein complexes of photosystem II (LHC II) of green plants. The feature of the Qy band for pea LHC II was interpreted with the aid of the calculated energies and oscillator strengths. Four spectral components of the band were assigned to individual Chl–amino acid complexes.
Avaliação microbiológica do sêmen fresco e congelado de reprodutores caprinos

Objetivou-se avaliar a flora microbiana no semen fresco e congelado de reprodutores caprinos, assim como a eficacia dos antibioticos estreptomicina, penicilina e gentamicina, na viabilidade de doses de semen congeladas. Foram utilizados 25 reprodutores de diferentes racas, submetidos a duas colheitas de semen atraves do metodo da vagina artificial, apos higiene da regiao prepucial. A primeira colheita do semen foi realizada visando o exame microbiologico e a segunda teve como objetivo proceder a congelacao, apos diluicao em leite desnatado, utilizando penicilina + estreptomicina (A1), gentamicina (A2) ou sem antibiotico (A3). Ao proceder a avaliacao microscopica no semen fresco, evidenciou-se media de 87,92 ± 7,76% de motilidade individual progressiva (MIP) e 4,96 ± 0,20 de vigor espermatico. Em relacao a avaliacao bacteriana, constatou-se principalmente bacterias do genero Staphylococcus spp e Bacillus sp. Apos a congelacao do semen, nao foram evidenciadas diferencas (P>;0,05) entre os grupos quanto a MIP e vigor espermatico. Entretanto, na avaliacao microbiologica pos-descongelacao, a bacteria do genero Staphylococcus spp esteve presente na maioria das amostras. Observou-se tambem que a gentamicina (13,3mg/mL) apresentou melhor atividade anti-microbiana no processo de congelacao do semen, concluindo-se que pode ser o antibiotico usado na congelacao do semen de reprodutores caprinos.
Lack of Correlation Between DNA Strand Breakage and p53 Protein Levels in Human Fibroblast Strains Exposed to Ultraviolet Light ¶

The contribution of DNA strand breaks accumulating in the course of nucleotide excision repair to upregulation of the p53 tumor suppressor protein was investigated in human dermal fibroblast strains after treatment with 254 nm ultraviolet (UV) light. For this purpose, fibroblast cultures were exposed to UV and incubated for 3 h in the presence or absence of 1‐β‐d‐arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC) and/or hydroxyurea (HU), and then assayed for DNA strand breakage and p53 protein levels. As expected from previous studies, incubation of normal and ataxia telangiectasia (AT) fibroblasts with araC and HU after UV irradiation resulted in an accumulation of DNA strand breaks. Such araC/HU‐accumulated strand breaks (reflecting nonligated repair‐incision events) following UV irradiation were not detected in xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) fibroblast strains belonging to complementation groups A and G. Western blot analysis revealed that normal fibroblasts exhibited little upregulation of p53 (∼1.2‐fold) when incubated without araC after 5 J/m2 irradiation, but showed significant (three‐fold) upregulation of p53 when incubated with araC after irradiation. AraC is known to inhibit nucleotide excision repair at both the damage removal and repair resynthesis steps. Therefore, the potentiation of UV‐induced upregulation of p53 evoked by araC in normal cells may be a consequence of either persistent bulky DNA lesions or persistent incision‐associated DNA strand breaks. To distinguish between these two possibilities, we determined p53 induction in AT fibroblasts (which do not upregulate p53 in response to DNA strand breakage) and in XP fibroblasts (which do not exhibit incision‐associated breaks after UV irradiation). The p53 response after treatment with 5 J/m2 UV and incubation with araC was similar in AT, XPA, XPG and normal fibroblasts. In addition, exposure of XPA and XPG fibroblasts to UV (5, 10 or 20 J/m2) followed by incubation without araC resulted in a strong upregulation of p53. We further demonstrated that HU, an inhibitor of replicative DNA synthesis (but not of nucleotide excision repair), had no significant impact on p53 protein levels in UV irradiated and unirradiated human fibroblasts. We conclude that upregulation of p53 at early times after exposure of diploid human fibroblasts to UV light is triggered by persistent bulky DNA lesions, and that incision‐associated DNA strand breaks accumulating in the course of nucleotide excision repair and breaks arising as a result of inhibition of DNA replication contribute little (if anything) to upregulation of p53.
Light Irradiation Induces Fragmentation of the Plasmodium, a Novel Photomorphogenesis in the True Slime Mold Physarum polycephalum: Action Spectra and Evidence for Involvement of the Phytochrome ¶

A new photomorphogenesis was found in the plasmodium of the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum: the plasmodium broke temporarily into equal‐sized spherical pieces, each containing about eight nuclei, about 5 h after irradiation with light. Action spectroscopic study showed that UVA, blue and far‐red lights were effective, while red light inhibited the far‐red–induced fragmentation. Difference absorption spectra of both the living plasmodium and the plasmodial homogenate after alternate irradiation with far‐red and red light gave two extremes at 750 and 680 nm, which agreed with those for the induction and inhibition of the fragmentation, respectively. A kinetic model similar to that of phytochrome action explained quantitatively the fluence rate–response curves of the fragmentation. Our results indicate that one of the photoreceptors for the plasmodial fragmentation is a phytochrome.
Primary Photochemical Processes of the Phototoxic Neuroleptic Cyamemazine: A Study by Laser Flash Photolysis and Steady‐state Irradiation ¶

The photophysical and photochemical properties of the UV‐A‐absorbing phototoxic drug cyamemazine (CMZ) (2‐cyano‐10‐(3‐[dimethylamino]‐2‐methyl‐propyl)‐phenothiazine) have been investigated in neutral buffered aqueous solutions. The transient absorbances of the hydrated electrons, of the first excited triplet state (3CMZ*) with a characteristic absorption band peaking at 420 nm and of the radical cation (•CMZ+) (maximum absorbance at 500 nm) have been observed by 355 nm laser flash spectroscopy of deaerated solutions. All these transient species are formed by monophotonic processes and react with oxygen. Bimolecular reaction rate constants of •CMZ+ and 3CMZ* with O2 are 2 × 107M−1 s−1 and 4 × 109M−1 s−1, respectively. The 3CMZ* reacts only sluggishly (reaction rate constant, 9 × 106M−1 s−1) with tryptophan chosen as a Type‐I photodynamic substrate. Steady‐state irradiations with 365 nm light demonstrate that CMZ is rapidly photolyzed (quantum yield, 0.04) in O2‐saturated solutions leading to oxidation of the sulfur atom and of the side‐chain nitrogen of CMZ. This photoproduct (2‐cyano‐10‐(3‐[dimethylamino, N‐oxide]‐2‐methyl‐propyl)‐5‐oxide‐pheno‐thiazine), is a good Type‐I and Type‐II photodynamic photosensitizer producing singlet oxygen in high yield (‐0.45) and could play a major role in the phototoxicity of CMZ.
Scavenger‐Receptor Targeted Photodynamic Therapy ¶

Covalent conjugation of a photosensitizer to a ligand that specifically recognized and internalized by a cell‐surface receptor may be a way of improving the selectivity of photodynamic therapy (PDT). The class A Type‐I scavenger receptor of macrophages, which among other ligands recognizes maleylated serum albumin and has a high capacity is a good candidate for testing this approach. Chlorine6 was covalently attached to bovine serum albumin to give conjugates with molar substitution ratios of 1:1 and 3:1 (dye to protein), and these conjugates could then be further modified by maleylation. A novel way of purifying the conjugates by acetone precipitation was developed in order to remove traces of unbound dye that could not be accomplished by size‐exclusion chromatography. Conjugates were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and thin‐layer chromatography. Photosensitizer uptake was measured by target J774 murine macrophage‐like cells and nontarget OVCAR‐5 human ovarian cancer cells, and phototoxicity was examined after illumination by a 660 nm diode laser by a tetrazolium assay. All of the purified conjugates were taken up by and after illumination killed J774 cells while there was only small uptake and no phototoxicity toward OVCAR‐5 cells. The higher dye:protein ratio and maleylation of the conjugates both produced higher uptakes and lower survival ratios in J774 cells. The uptake and phototoxicity by J774 cells were decreased after incubation at 4°C demonstrating internalization, and confocal microscopy with organelle‐specific green fluorescent probes showed largely lysosomal localization. Uptake and phototoxicity by J774 cells could both be competed by addition of the scavenger receptor ligand maleylated albumin. These data show that scavenger receptor–targeted PDT gives a high degree of specificity toward macrophages and may have applications in the treatment of tumors and atherosclerosis.
OXYGEN DEPENDENCE OF HYPERICIN‐INDUCED PHOTOTOXICITY TO EMT6 MOUSE MAMMARY CARCINOMA CELLS

Abstract— The photodynamic effect of hypericin on EMT6 mouse mammary carcinoma cells was investigated in vitro under aerobic and hypoxic conditions. Under aerobic conditions, hypericin‐induced photocytotoxicity was dose dependent within a 1–50 μM range. Under hypoxic conditions, cells were resistant to hypericin‐induced phototoxicity. In the dark, no cytotoxicity was observed at any hypericin concentration tested either aerobically or hypoxically. Cellular accumulation of hypericin, examined by chemical extraction and spectroscopy, occurred under both hypoxic and aerobic conditions. Fluorescence photomicrographs of cells exposed to hypericin corroborate drug uptake in the plasma membrane and subcellular regions. Our results demonstrate that hypericin cytotoxicity to EMT6 mouse mammary carcinoma cells in vitro is both light and oxygen‐dependent. These results suggest that EMT6 cell kill caused by photoactivated hypericin is mediated by an oxygen‐dependent mechanism, rather than by a type I oxygen‐independent mechanism.
Relationship between gestational age and frequency of fetal trophoblasts and nucleated erythrocytes in maternal peripheral blood

The relationship between gestational age and frequency of fetal cells in the maternal blood was studied in order to determine the optimal time for cell recovery. The immunomagnetic colloid system was used to enrich nucleated erythrocytes (NRBCs) and trophoblasts from 20 ml maternal blood samples obtained between 9 and 35 weeks' gestation (n=41). Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the Y chromosome of enriched NRBCs and trophoblasts showed decreasing negative predictive values with increasing gestational age. The sensitivity and the overall frequency for correct fetal gender diagnosis were the lowest in the third trimester. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using XY DNA‐specific probes was used to determine the fetal gender of the trophoblast‐enriched fraction. The fetal origin of enriched NRBCs was determined using simultaneous immunophenotyping for fetal hemoglobin and FISH with XY probes. The mean number and mean percentage purity for both fetal trophoblasts and NRBCs showed decreasing values with increasing gestational age. However, statistical analysis showed no relationship between gestational age and frequency of fetal cells even though more fetal cells tend to exist during the first trimester. Nevertheless, the first trimester appears to offer the most optimal time for fetal cell recovery from maternal blood for the purpose of prenatal diagnosis. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Torsion Potential Works in Rhodopsin ¶

We investigate the role of protein environment of rhodopsin and the intramolecular interaction of the chromophore in the cis‐trans photoisomerization of rhodopsin by means of a newly developed theoretical method. We theoretically produce modified rhodopsins in which a force field of arbitrarily chosen part of the chromophore or the binding pocket of rhodopsin is altered. We compare the equilibrium conformation of the chromophore and the energy stored in the chromophore of modified rhodopsins with those of native rhodopsins. This method is called site‐specific force field switch (SFS). We show that this method is most successfully applied to the torsion potential of rhodopsin. Namely, by reducing the twisting force constant of the C11=C12 of 11‐cis retinal chromophore of rhodopsin to zero, we found that the equilibrium value of the twisting angle of the C11=C12 bond is twisted in the negative direction down to about −80°. The relaxation energy obtained by this change amounts to an order of 10 kcal/mol. In the case that the twisting force constant of the other double bond is reduced to zero, no such large twisting of the bond happens. From these results we conclude that a certain torsion potential is applied specifically to the C11=C12 bond of the chromophore in the ground state of rhodopsin. This torsion potential facilitates the bond‐specific cis‐trans photoisomerization of rhodopsin. This kind of the mechanism is consistent with our torsion model proposed by us more than a quarter of century ago. The origin of the torsion potential is analyzed in detail on the basis of the chromophore structure and protein conformation, by applying the SFS method extensively.
Riboflavin and UV‐Light Based Pathogen Reduction: Extent and Consequence of DNA Damage at the Molecular Level

We are developing a technology based on the combined application of riboflavin (RB) and light for inactivating pathogens in blood products while retaining the biological functions of the treated cells and proteins. Virus and bacteria reduction measured by tissue culture infectivity or colony formation with UV light alone and in combination with RB yield equivalent results. The effects of RB as a sensitizing agent on DNA in white cells, bacteria and viruses in combination with UV light exposure have been evaluated. UV‐mediated DNA degradation in Jurkat T cells and leukocytes in plasma as measured by the FlowTACS assay was significantly increased in the presence of RB. Agarose gel electrophoretic analysis of DNA in Escherichia coli and leukocytes in plasma demonstrated enhanced DNA degradation in the presence of RB. UV light in combination with RB prevented the reactivation of lambda phage compared with samples irradiated in the absence of RB. UV‐mediated oxidative damage in calf thymus DNA was also enhanced in the presence of RB. These observations clearly demonstrate that the presence of RB and UV light selectively enhances damage to the guanine bases in DNA. These data also suggest that the type and extent of damage to DNA for virus in the presence of RB and light make it less likely to be repaired by normal repair pathways available in host cells.
Time‐resolution of the Antheraxanthin‐ and ΔpH‐dependent Chlorophyll a Fluorescence Components Associated with Photosystem II Energy Dissipation in Mantoniella squamata ¶

The electronic excited‐state behavior of photosystem II (PSII) in Mantoniella squamata, as influenced by the xanthophyll cycle and the transthylakoid pH gradient (ΔpH), was examined in vivo.Mantoniella is distinguished from other photosynthetic organisms by two main features namely (1) a unique light‐harvesting complex that serves both photosystems I (PSI) and II (PSII); and (2) a violaxanthin (V) cycle that undergoes only one de‐epoxidation step in excess light to accumulate the monoepoxide antheraxanthin (A) as opposed to the epoxide‐free zeaxanthin (Z). The cells were treated first with high light to induce the ΔpH and A accumulation, followed by herbicide‐induced closure of PSII traps and a chilling treatment, to sustain and stabilize the ΔpH and nigericin‐sensitive fluorescence level in the dark. De‐epoxidation was controlled with subsaturating concentrations of dithiothreitol (DTT) and was 5–10 times more sensitive to DTT than higher plant thylakoids. The PSII energy dissipation involved two steps: (1) the pH activation of the xanthophyll binding site that was associated with a narrowing and slight attenuation of the main 2 ns (ns = 10−9 s) fluorescence lifetime distribution; and (2) the concentration‐dependent binding of A to the activated binding site yielding a second distribution centered around 0.9 ns. Consistent with the model of Gilmore et al. (1998) (Biochemistry 37, 13 582–13 593), the fractional intensity of the 0.9 ns component depended almost entirely on the A concentration and correlated linearly with the decrease of the steady‐state chlorophyll a fluorescence intensity.
Sources of Variation in Clutch Size, Egg Size and Clutch Completion Dates of Semipalmated Plovers in Churchill, Manitoba

Variation in clutch size, egg size and clutch completion dates was studied in a population of Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus) over 5 summers in Churchill, Manitoba. Clutch size variation was greatest in 1992, a year of unusually low summer temperatures, with almost 25% of clutches containing less than four eggs. More eggs were left unhatched in the nest in 1992 than in any other year. Clutch completion dates were negatively correlated with the average temperature during the pre-laying period. Synchrony of nesting was greatest in 1994, the warmest year. Egg volume and mass were not reduced as a result of the cold summer, and the variation in egg volume and mass attributable to differences among females was similar and significant in all years. Repeatabilities of all egg measurements were high. Egg volume was moderately correlated with female body mass but not with female wing length nor female condition (mass/wing length), a result consistent with that found in other shorebirds. Egg size did not vary consistently with laying order, suggesting strong selection for uniformity in egg size within a clutch.
Influence of Osmotic Dehydration and Method of Drying on the Quality of Aonla Fruit

Osmotic dehydration of aonla fruit was carried out to determine the Influence of osmotic solution and method of drying on the quality of aonla fruit. The destined aonla fruits with and without blanching were immersed in the mixture of salt and sugar solution. The salt concentration of the osmotic solution was kept constant (100 g) and the sugar concentrations were varied to bring the concentrations to 35, 45 and 55°B maintaining a fruit to syrup ratio of 1:3 by weight. The observations were recorded to study the influence of osmotic solution and time on water loss and solid gain. The subsequent drying was carried in hot air and vacuum driers at 50±5°C to a safe storage moisture level of 0.35 kg of water per kg of dry matter. The results showed the maximum water loss of 48.55% recorded for blanched fruit osmosed at 55 ° B and the minimum (27.61%) in unblanched fruit osmosed at 35°B. The solid gain was observed to be maximum (23.4%) in the blanched fruit compared to unblanched fruit (9.94%) at respective concentrations. Subsequent drying showed that drying was in falling rate and time taken was higher for untreated compared to treated. The blanching and method of drying had a significant effect on the quality of fruit. Colour was found better (Bright greenish-yellow) in blanched vacuum dried fruit followed by unblanched Original Research Article Ganachari et al.; EJNFS, 12(8): 98-106, 2020; Article no.EJNFS. 59894 99 vacuum dried. The maximum amount of ascorbic acid was noticed in the freshly vacuum dried fruit (1780.2 mg/100 g) compared to osmosed fruits (534.8 to 1369.6 mg/100 g). Total sugar was found maximum in the osmosed vacuum dried fruit (82.2%) fruit compared to fresh once (24.6%) but the drying method had no significant effect on the retention of sugars. The mean scores for sensory showed that overall acceptability was higher for blanched vacuum dried fruit followed by unblanched vacuum dried fruits.
Investigations of the Solvent Polarity Effect on the Photophysical Properties of Coumarin‐7 Dye ¶

Photophysical investigations of coumarin‐7 (C7) dye in different solvents using absorption, steady‐state fluorescence and time‐resolved fluorescence measurements reveal the behavioral changes of the dye in nonpolar and other solvents. In moderate to higher polarity solvents, the experimental parameters such as fluorescence quantum yield (φf), fluorescence lifetime (φf), radiative rate constant (kf), nonradiative rate constant (knr) and Stokes' shift (Δv̄) follow almost linear correlations with the Lippert‐Mataga solvent polarity parameter Δf but show unusual deviations in nonpolar solvents. From the observed results, it is inferred that the dye exists in a planar intramolecular charge transfer structure in moderate to higher polarity solvents, but in nonpolar solvents, the dye exists in a nonplanar structure with its 7‐NEt2 group adopting a pyramidal type of configuration. Unlike some of the other coumarin dyes, namely coumarin‐120 (C120) (4‐CH3‐7‐NH2‐1,2‐benzopyrone) and coumarin‐151 (C151) (4‐CF3‐7‐NH2‐1,2‐benzopyrone), which also show similar structural changes in nonpolar and other solvents, the C7 dye does not show any activation‐controlled deexcitation process in nonpolar solvents. This is attributed to the very slow flip‐flop motion of the 7‐NEt2 group of the C7 dye in comparison with the very fast flip‐flop motion of the 7‐NH2 group in the C120 and C151 dyes. Qualitative potential energy diagrams are presented to rationalize the observed results of C7 dye and to compare these with those of the other dyes such as C120 and C151. A support for the observed results and interpretation has also been obtained from quantum chemical calculations on the structures of the C7 dye.
Mitigating Source Water Risks with Improved Wildfire Containment

In many fire-prone watersheds, wildfire threatens surface drinking water sources with eroded contaminants. We evaluated the potential to mitigate the risk of degraded water quality by limiting fire sizes and contaminant loads with a containment network of manager-developed Potential fire Operational Delineations (PODs) using wildfire risk transmission methods to partition the effects of stochastically simulated wildfires to within and out of POD burning. We assessed water impacts with two metrics—total sediment load and frequency of exceeding turbidity limits for treatment—using a linked fire-erosion-sediment transport model. We found that improved fire containment could reduce wildfire risk to the water source by 13.0 to 55.3% depending on impact measure and post-fire rainfall. Containment based on PODs had greater potential in our study system to reduce total sediment load than it did to avoid degraded water quality. After containment, most turbidity exceedances originated from less than 20% of the PODs, suggesting strategic investments to further compartmentalize these areas could improve the effectiveness of the containment network. Similarly, risk transmission varied across the POD boundaries, indicating that efforts to increase containment probability with fuels reduction would have a disproportionate effect if prioritized along high transmission boundaries.