Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Root-associated fungi of Pinus wallichiana in Kashmir Himalaya

An important factor in the performance of out-planted conifers is the association of plant roots with ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi. However, limited information is available about the diversity of root-associated EcM fungi of Pinus wallichiana A.B. Jackson, a coniferous species endemic to Himalayan forests that has hampered the reforestation programs in the area. The study was carried at three major forest areas of the Kashmir Himalaya believed to be pure stands of P. wallichiana. Fine root tips harbouring EcM fungi were collected and processed for extraction of fungal DNA, which was subsequently subjected to ITS rDNA targeted PCR–RFLP profiling. DNA sequencing analysis of the overlapping ITS amplifications followed by global nucleotide BLAST analyses of the assembled nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) revealed a total of 33 fungal taxa associated with P. wallichiana of which 23 species were EcM fungi. Of the 10 non-EcM fungi, we found a peculiar saprophytic wood decaying fungus, Chalara microchona, associated w.
Comparison of bacterial communities associated with Xestospongia testudinaria, sediment and seawater in a Singaporean coral reef ecosystem

Despite alterations caused by anthropogenic activities in Singaporean coral reefs, the sponge communities are quite diverse and Xestospongia testudinaria is one of the most common sponge species. In the present study, we used 16S rRNA gene barcoded pyrosequencing to characterize and compare bacterial communities from different biotopes (sponge, seawater and sediment) and to identify dominant bacterial symbionts of X. testudinaria in a Singaporean coral reef ecosystem. Our results showed that biotope appears to affect the richness, composition and abundance of bacterial communities. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in sediment and seawater whilst Chloroflexi was more abundant in X. testudinaria. Members of the order Caldilineales (fermentation of organic substrates), Chromatiales (purple sulphur bacteria), Rhodospirillales (purple non-sulphur bacteria) and Syntrophobacterales (sulphate-reducing bacteria) were relatively more abundant in X. testudinaria samples.
Development of Novel Bacteriostatic Agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Using In silico Techniques

The cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is made up of mycolic acids which are found to play important role in pathogenesity by modification of double bonds at specific sites on mycolic acid precursors by the action of cyclopropane mycolic acid synthases (CMASs) that belong to a family of S-adenosyl-methionine-dependent methyl transferases. PcaA is an cyclopropane mycolic acid synthase required for cording, persistence and virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and modifies mycolic acid by cyclopropanation of proximal double bond to cis cyclopropane generating alpha mycolic acid. A molecular docking of selected compounds was performed and the differences in their binding modes were investigated in order to design novel lead compound that can act as better antitubercular agent targeting cyclopropane mycolic acid synthases.
Benefits of hippotherapy in elderly people: Scoping review

The study aims to conduct a bibliographic and structured review based on the results found around the terms “Hippotherapy” and “Elderly”. The words were always introduced in English and computerized databases; SCOPUS, WOS and SPORTDiscus. To limit the search, four inclusion criteria were introduced: i) Mention at least some of the characteristics for Hippotherapy for the elderly (minimum 20 words), ii) Only articles, iii) Full text or summary available, and iii) Written in Spanish, English or Portuguese. In conclusion, documents about Hippotherapy in older people address different research topics and shows the main benefits of equestrian therapies on this population.
Heat tolerances of temperate and tropical birds and their implications for susceptibility to climate warming

1. Characterizing heat tolerance is critical for predicting an organism's vulnerability to climate warming. Recent studies of ectotherms report that impacts of climate warming are expected to be greater in the tropics, where ectotherms tend to have lower heat tolerances and experience air temperatures closer to their heat tolerance limits than their temperate counterparts. However, similar comparisons of heat tolerance are largely lacking for endotherms, and it remains an open question whether climate warming will also disproportionately affect tropical endotherms. 2. To address this empirical gap, we measured thermoregulatory responses to acute heat stress in 81 bird species (23 temperate, 58 tropical), assembling the largest comparative dataset of endothermic heat tolerances to date. 3. After controlling for body mass and experimental chamber humidity, temper - ate species had significantly higher heat
Effect of foliar Silicic acid on growth and yield attributes of rose cut flowers (Rosa hybrid).

An experiment was conducted in Division of Horticulture to evaluate the effect of foliar application Silicic acid on growth and yield attributes of Rose cut flowers under naturally ventilated poly house with seven treatments, three replications and four varieties. Among the treatments application of foliar Silicic acid @ 4ml L-1 at 10 days interval recorded significantly highest plant height (75.35cm) and number of marketable flowers/plant (17.30). foliar Silici acid (SA) 6ml L-1 applied at 10 days interval recorded significantly highest plant spread (38.90cm2), number of shoots per plant (12.26), leaf area (11.08 cm2 ) and number of flowers/plant (31.62). Application of foliar Silicic acid proved to have beneficial effects on growth and yield attributes of cut rose flowers under naturally ventilated poly house conditions.
Beyond gender stereotypes: the missing women in print advertising

Abstract This study explores female representation in Brazilian print advertising to reveal who the missing women are (i.e. the least common portrayals) and how this lack of representation can hinder women’s well-being. We undertook a content analysis of 1,387 portrayals in 1,207 advertisements covering 20 years of female representation in Brazil and involving four dimensions: the female role, age, body type, and skin color/race. By doing so, we provide both generalizable and specific evidence on the presence and portrayal of women over the years across magazine types and on intersectionality between the dimensions. Three new female roles (i.e. empowered, ornamental, and subaltern) emerged in the research process, thus extending the previous literature. Our results show that women portrayed as career-oriented, in nontraditional activities, or as being equal to men have been continuously ignored over the years. Women who are nonwhite, fat, and over 40 have also been very underrepresented, and their limited visual appearance becomes even more apparent when underrepresented features are combined (e.g. mature black women). The results indicate that the distribution of female representation in the advertisements is inconsistent with the distribution of the Brazilian female population. Theoretical and practical implications are provided so that advertising can move toward fostering and enhancing women’s well-being instead of reinforcing biased female roles and beauty standards.
THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE MODEL TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THAILAND

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people worldwide, such as in Thailand, to be frightened of being infected from the coronavirus. Exposure to media - including unreliable news sources - trigger people's stress and anxiety. This leads to increased mental health problems and psychiatric disorders in the population, resulting in higher suicide rates. Furthermore, this also affects medical and public health care staff working until emotional exhaustion and physical health deterioration. The ongoing fight against the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus increases the likelihood of pressure, stress, and anxiety. Therefore, a mental health care model for the people of Thailand is necessary. With the appropriate format for people to receive correct information, people will be more likely to accept changes, think logically and positively, not be discouraged, and be ready to improve themselves and their mental health.
α-Mangostin Promotes DAF-16-Mediated Thermotolerance in Caenorhabditis elegans

Garcinia mangostana, commonly known as mangosteen, is a tropical fruit with a reddish-purple pericarp. In Southeast Asia, the pericarp has traditionally been used as a medicine to treat various diseases, including inflammation, wounds, and bacterial infections, as well as aging. α-mangostin is an abundant xanthone in the pericarp, and is thought to play a critical role in the medicinal effects of mangosteens. Previous studies have demonstrated numerous beneficial effects of α-mangostin, such as cytotoxicity in cancer cells. However, the effects of this xanthone in in vivo have not yet been studied. In the current study, C. elegans was used to test the in vivo effects of α-mangostin using several bioassays, including fat accumulation, pharyngeal movement (pumping) and heat-stress assays. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) was also used to examine the expression of heat shock proteins. The results revealed that α-mangostin appeared to cause an increase in fat accumulation, which correlated with an increase in pharyngeal movement. The thrashing movement of the worms after heat stress also showed a correlation with an increase in heat shock protein mRNA expression.
Evaluating the economics of concentrate feeding decisions in grazing dairy cows

Purchased concentrates are a significant variable cost of a dairy business. Farm economic theory states that feeding supplements will enable a dairy farmer to improve profit as long as the marginal revenue received from the milk produced exceeds the marginal cost of the supplement. To do this, the quantities of milk, milk protein and milk fat produced from a unit of concentrate added to the diet are needed. Recent research has compiled results from short-term concentrate feeding experiments conducted in Victoria over a 30-year period. Using these data, relationships for the response of milk production to cereal grain supplements in dairy cows grazing temperate pastures have been developed and shown to be a better predictor than previous relationships. These response functions were used in the present study to investigate the economics of tactical (short-term; weekly, monthly or seasonally) and strategic (medium- to longer-term) supplementary feeding decisions in a pasture-based system, including, specifically, how much concentrate should be fed in a particular farm situation, given a certain feed cost and milk price. In the present paper, the relevant production economics method is explained and applied to determine the amount of supplement to feed that will maximise the margin of total extra milk income minus the total cost of supplement, thereby adding the most to farm profit. Currently, when dairy farmers make decisions about how much more supplement to feed their herd, they are making implicit judgements about the extra milk, and other potential benefits, that they expect to result as well as what the milk will be worth. More finely tuned decisions about feeding supplements based on comparing marginal cost and marginal revenue would add more to farm profit than decisions based on other common criteria, such as feeding supplement for maximum milk production. While some farmers may already be feeding supplements close to the point where marginal cost equals marginal revenue, the formal method of marginal analysis reported here makes explicit what is done implicitly at present and tests farmers’ intuitive decision-making. More detailed information about the responses to supplements and the costs and benefits of feeding supplements under particular circumstances at different times through the lactation has the potential to enable better, more profitable decisions to be made about feeding cows and managing the whole farm.
Women’s outdoor adventure experiences on Instagram: exploring user-generated content

ABSTRACT Little is known about how everyday women self-present their outdoor adventure experiences, and how these compare to mainstream media, which often reinforces narratives of hegemonic masculinity. To better understand how everyday women portray their outdoor adventure experiences, we examine user-generated content on Instagram associated with the hashtags #womenoutdoors, #womeninadventure and #shewentwild. In total, 1154 posts were collected. Analysis revealed that Instagram facilitates a ‘DigiPlace’ that contributes to new understandings and ways of being outdoors for everyday women. More specifically, our work indicates that the ubiquity of social media helps to reshape the nature of female participation in outdoor adventure activities as well as giving everyday women greater visibility in outdoor landscapes.
The Steps of the Engineering Design Process (EDP) in Science Education: A Meta-Analysis

Engineering is one of the crucial parts of STEM Education. The Engineering Design Process (EDP) is a new trend within science education reform. Most science teachers lack information regarding the usage of EDP in learning science. This study aims to review 40 articles from reputable international journals such as indexed by Scopus and Web of Science (WoS), which explains the steps of the EDP used in science education. The articles selected for review were the ones published in the last ten years, from 2011 to 2020. Some previous literature review studies focused on the EDP through project-oriented capstone courses, the EDP in middle school settings, and how to implement the EDP in science learning. However, this study focuses on the steps of the EDP used in science education (Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and a combination of science with other disciplines). In addition, this research also explains the strengths and weaknesses of EDP in science education. The research approach used was a systematic literature review. This study analyzed the representation of research according to their general characteristics consists of type of publication, year of publication, country, research approach, educational level, and science content. This study found that research on the EDP that is implemented at the university level is still limited, especially on subjects related to interdisciplinary knowledge. Furthermore, the steps of the EDP used in science education differ from one research to another. The most commonly used steps of the EDP are defining the problem, building, testing, evaluating, and redesigning. There are also several obstacles to the implementation of the EDP in science education. Regardless, the implementation has a positive influence on students, undergraduate students, teachers, or others. The results of this study provide an overview of how to implement the EDP in science education. Thus, it can be used as a reference for stakeholders in the field of science education when implementing EDP in their learning.
Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Infection inCaptive Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Thailand:Implications for Conservation and Health Management

Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) infection is of conservation concern to endangered Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), causing severe, acute, often fatal haemorrhagic disease in young elephants. This thesis investigates the epidemiological status of clinical and subclinical EEHV infection in Thailand, through a retrospective, a cross-sectional, and a longitudinal study in captive elephants. Novel diagnostic tools were developed and recommendations discussed, with a particular focus on practical recommendations to manage EEHV infection in Thailand, where logistical and management constraints can hamper disease diagnosis and timely treatment. The retrospective study revealed at least 18 EEHV clinical cases in Thailand (2006–2014), with only two cases surviving following intensive treatment. Viral samples from each case were not identical based on multiple gene analysis; suggesting the disease is likely to be sporadic. The findings also suggest that EEHV1A and EEHV1B are likely endogenous pathogens in Asian elephants. A novel SYBR green I-based real-time PCR assay was developed to identify subclinical infection, diagnose early infection, and monitor disease progression. This technique provided sufficient data, with appropriate detection limits to differentiate at least three types of EEHV (EEHV1A, 1B, and 4). Applying this technology to the cross-sectional study, conducted between 2013–2015, revealed a 5.5% prevalence of asymptomatic EEHV1 infection during this study period in captive Asian elephants in Thailand. Cross-sectional analysis did not find an association between EEHV infection and sex, location, or contact history with other EEHV-positive elephants; however, EEHV was more likely to be detected in juveniles than other age classes (OR = 4.46; 95%CI: 1.60–12.45; p = 0.05). The study also monitored EEHV shedding patterns longitudinally in an EEHV-positive herd. Frequency of EEHV detection varied within and between individuals, but was significantly higher in elephants which had survived previous clinical EEHV infection (OR = 4.85; 95%CI: 0.88–26.74; p = 0.05). Concurrent monitoring of faecal corticosterone metabolites demonstrated that EEHV activated and reactivated spontaneously and shed sporadically, despite lack of obvious stress. This thesis describes the first intensive EEHV study in an Asian elephant range country. The thesis assesses the novel real-time PCR protocol and current diagnostic tools, and recommends practical management and disease preparedness strategies to minimise the impacts of EEHV on wild and captive populations, both locally and internationally.
Identification of Apis mellifera gut microbiota with MALDI TOF MS Biotyper

The honey bee, Apis mellifera , is critically important for the pollination of many economically important crops. Continued colony losses have called for a deeper understanding of both symbiotic and pathogenic microbial interactions, particularly as they relate to food storage and the pollination environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore and characterize the bacteria colonizing the alimentary tract of the native honey bees using MALDI TOF MS Biotyper. Content of the intestinal tract was cultured for isolation of Gram-negative, Gram-positive microorganisms and yeasts. Then, the identification of isolates with MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper was done. Results showed that the most abundant genera in bees’ samples were Lactobacillus, Pseudomonas and Serratia . Altogether, 12 genera with 21 bacterial species and one yeast genus with two species were isolated. Bacteria were represented with Acidovorax facilis, Lactobacillus gasseri, L. amylovorus, L. kunkeei, L. fructivorans, Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, Ps. brenneri, Ps. indica, Micrococcus luteus, Serratia fonticola, Ser. marcescens, Ser. ureilytica, Hafnia alvei, Candida magnolia, Bacillus oleronius, B. horneckiae, Issatchenkia orientalis, Pantoea agglomerans, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staph. pasteuri, Shewanella profunda . The results of the study shows that the microflora of the bees gut is heterogenic and depend of locality and resources of environment for bees.
Variation of fucoid community metabolism during the tidal cycle: Insights from in situ measurements of seasonal carbon fluxes during emersion and immersion

Intertidal communities dominated by canopy‐forming brown seaweed are typically highly productive systems. However, their metabolism can vary significantly over time, due to fluctuations in abiotic parameters. If tidal and/or seasonal cycles play an important role in the regulation of metabolism in these communities, they may therefore strongly influence community functioning and dynamics. Here, we investigated the low mid‐intertidal Fucus serratus community, measuring in situ carbon fluxes of its primary production and respiration during different seasons. To perform direct comparisons of its underwater and aerial metabolism, these measurements were carried out during immersion and emersion, analyzing the changes in dissolved inorganic carbon and in CO2 concentrations under closed benthic chambers. Our results showed that during both emersion and immersion periods, primary production and respiration varied seasonally with minimum values in winter and maximum values in summer. These values were, on average, 5 and 3.5 times higher when the community was exposed to air than when immersed, due to the large changes that occur in abiotic environmental conditions during the tidal cycle. Primary production fluctuated greatly during immersion and was generally limited by underwater light availability. In contrast, primary production remained high during emersion, partly because canopies limit the water loss of their understory layers. During both tidal periods, community respiration was mainly driven by temperature. Our results suggest that the relatively high metabolism during emersion contributes substantially to the total energy budget of fucoid mid‐intertidal communities, even those that are low on the shore and spend most of their time underwater.
Proposal for the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Priabonian Stage (Eocene) at the Alano section (Italy)

Claudia Agnini, Jan Backman, Flavia Boscolo-Galazzo, Daniel J. Condon, Eliana Fornaciari, Simone Galeotti, Luca Giusberti, Paolo Grandesso, Luca Lanci, Valeria Luciani, Simonetta Monechi, Giovanni Muttoni, Heiko Pälike, Maria Letizia Pampaloni, Cesare A. Papazzoni, Paul N. Pearson, Johannes Pignatti, Isabella Premoli Silva, Isabella Raffi, Domenico Rio, Lorenzo Rook, Diana Sahy, David J.A. Spofforth, Cristina Stefani, and Bridget S. Wade
Environmental control of macrophyte traits and interactions with metabolism and hydromorphology in a groundwater‐fed river

Macrophytes are important organisms in running water systems, having a decisive role in ecological processes and interactions. Their temporal and spatial distribution in streams can be highly variable, and this is often determined by flow velocity. In this study, macrophyte growth, morphology and nutrient stoichiometry were studied monthly during one growing season in reaches with different flow velocity and flow velocity distribution and, as a result, different distributional plant patterns in an Austrian lowland stream, dominated by evergreen macrophyte species, Berula erecta. Flow velocity, water depth, fine sediment layer depth and metabolism were measured in the stream and the correlation with plant biomass and morphological traits was tested. We aimed to study differences between reaches with different distributional plant patterns and whether common interactions between macrophytes and flow velocity can also be observed when vegetation is evergreen. Plant biomass showed seasonal variation, with the highest values in June and the lowest in February. In the reach with low flow velocity and homogeneous macrophyte distribution, biomass peaked in summer and plant morphology changed with the seasons, whereas biomass and morphology in the reach with high flow velocity and patchy distribution were more constant throughout the year. Plant carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content were higher in spring and autumn than in summer, whereas biogenic silica accumulated over the course of the growth season. Stream metabolism was strongly correlated with macrophyte biomass, and this correlation was stronger in the reach with homogeneous macrophyte distribution than in the reach with a patchy distribution. Moreover, average leaf area and stem length were positively correlated with fine sediment layer depth, and negatively with flow velocity. The results stress the importance of macrophyte growth and morphology in river processes like metabolism, hydromorphology and nutrient dynamics: especially plant morphology plays an important role in macrophyte–flow interactions.