Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agrobacterium -mediated transformation of eggplant ( Solanum melongena L.) using cotyledon explants and coat protein gene of Cucumber mosaic virus

Genetic transformation of eggplant ( Solanum melongena L.) was attempted using cotyledon explants and Agrobacterium tumefaciens (strain LBA4404) carrying Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) coat protein (CP) gene construct under the control of CaMV 35S promoter in p ROK 2 binary vector. A total of 110 cotyledon explants were employed in 4 independent co-cultivation events, of which 66 putative transgenic plants were established in glasshouse. The integration of CMV-CP transgene in the genome of transgenic plants was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using CMV-CP specific primers. Southern hybridization tests with CMV-CP specific probe confirmed the insertion of single or double copy number of transgene in their genome, which successfully transcribed and translated 26 kDa protein. The regenerated transgenic plants were self-pollinated and grown under glasshouse conditions. T0 generation transgenic plants showed a significant degree of resistance against CMV when screened by challenge inoculations.
Influence of Parasitoid-Host Density on the Behaviour Ecology of Goniozus nephantidis (Muesebeck) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a Parasitoid of Opisina arenosella Walker

Since Goniozus nephantidis (Muesebeck) is found to have strong parental care for its progeny, the influence of different densities of G. nephantidis and its host, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) on the behaviour ecology of the parasitoid was studied. Interaction between different densities of the host and parasitoid revealed that a ratio of 1:1 was significantly superior to all other ratios resulting in maximum parasitism (9.0 larvae / female), fecundity (93.2/female) and number of progenies (75.2/female). Exposing more than one C. cephalonica larva did not significantly increase the parasitizing efficiency, fecundity and progeny produced. Conversely, exposing a single C. cephalonica larva to several female parasitoids adversely affected the biological attributes of the parasitoid. Increasing the densities of either host insects or parasitoids had an inverse relationship with oviposition behaviour, parasitism efficiency and progeny production of the parasitoid establishing the important and significant role played by host-parasitoid density.
Validation of Cariogram in Caries Prediction in Women and Their Children 4 Years After Pregnancy – Longitudinal Study

Background Cariogram®, an algorithm-based software model, for predicting caries risk has been used to assess the caries risk profile of many different groups. The aims of the study were to evaluate Cariogram caries risk assessment during pregnancy with DMFT/dmft incidence in mothers and their children 4 years after pregnancy and to check if there is an association between children’s caries risk profiles using Cariogram and caries risk profiles (by Cariogram) of their mothers during pregnancy. Methods The study population consisted of 96 pregnant women (average age 27.4±7.2 years at baseline) who completed clinical baseline examination and salivary tests. The follow-up study was initiated 4 years later and the 80 pairs of mother and children (from that pregnancy) were re-examined using the same procedure at baseline. An individual caries risk profile and DMFT/dmft incidence were made for each woman and child. The prediction of the Cariogram was compared to the actual dental experience in 4 years. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for two cut-offs were calculated to express the outcome. Results The results showed a strong association between the risk categories of pregnant women and their offspring as well as between caries development in offspring and the Cariogram risk categories of pregnant women. Sensitivity and PPV for new DMFT (ΔDMFT>0) 4 years after for women were high (>80%) for those participants assessed with 0–60% “chance to avoid caries”, as well as diagnostic accuracy (74.00%). High specificity (91.00%), very high PPV (95.00%) and clinically useful values according to Youden’s index (0.53) were obtained for moderate-risk and two lowest-risk groups for dmft in children. Conclusion Cariogram was valid in the authors’ sample only and highly predictive in caries risk assessment in investigated children based on caries risk assessment of their mothers in pregnancy.
University as Change Manager of Attitudes towards Environment (The Importance of Environmental Education)

The university is an essential participant in education, a key place where societal change processes are developed. So, it must be a place to bring up current challenges and social requirements. That is the reason why it holds the responsibility to assure the creation of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values in the students to achieve an effective solution to environmental issues. The objective of this research was the assessment of the attitudes, knowledge, and pro-environmental behavior in university students from different faculties, studies, and degrees, as well as their influence in this group. The results show that most of the students have previous concepts of environment, and they consider that a good environmental education is necessary to solve the environmental issues that they have around. This proves that key factors in attitudes become essential elements for changing them. The differences made by gender and studies in several fields in attitudes (cognitive and emotional levels) are also confirmed.
Effect of Aqueous Extracts from Weed Species on Germination and Initial Growth in Raphanus sativus L.

The current paper presents the results of a study on the effects of aqueous extracts from five weed species ( Amaranthus retroflexus, Cirsium arvense, Convolvulus arvensis, Echinochloa crus-galii, Setaria verticillata ) on germination and initial growth in Raphanus sativus L. The following indicators have been analyzed: indices of germination (the germination percentage; the speed of germination; the speed of accumulated germination and the coefficient of germination rate), the length of the root and hypocotyls, the pH of aqueous extracts, the UV-Vis absorption spectra of aqueous extracts. The results of the investigations showed the following aspects: the aqueous extracts reduced the values of calculated germination indices and root growth in the first ontogenetic stages of the test species; the pH of the extracts was slightly acid to neutral. Qualitative spectrophotometric analysis indicated the possible presence of phenolic and organic compounds in the extracts. C. arvense, S. verticillata and E. crus-galii presented the most pronounced effect on germination and growth processes.
Demand and supply analysis of labor in the agriculture, mining and industrial sector in Jambi Province, Indonesia

The aim of this study is to analyze: 1) The development of labor demand and supply as well as the factors affecting the agriculture, mining and industry sectors in Jambi Province; (2) The factors that affect labor supply in Jambi Province; (3) The factors affecting labor demand in the agriculture, mining and industry sectors in Jambi Province. This study is used secondary data with multiple linear regression analysis tools. The results showed that the labor force growth rate was 3.13 per cent, the agricultural sector labor demand rate was 2.87 per cent, the mining sector labor demand rate was 16.07 per cent, the industrial sector labor demand rate was 7.78 per cent, the agricultural sector's GRDP growth rate was 14, 96 per cent, mining sector GRDP growth rate 28.04 per cent, agriculture sector GRDP growth rate 5.03 per cent, population growth rate 2.31 per cent, PMW growth rate 16.44 per cent, HDI growth rate 0.20 per cent, growth rate agricultural land area 1.66 per cent, investment growth rate in the agricultural sector 14.14 per cent, investment growth rate in the mining sector 91.94 per cent, investment growth rate in the industrial sector 321.78 per cent and growth rate in the number of industries 2.06%. The factors that influence the supply of labor are the variable population and the Provincial Minimum Wage. The factors that influence the demand for labor in the agricultural sector are GRDP variables in the agricultural sector. Factors affecting the demand for labor in the mining sector are the Provincial Minimum Wage and investment in the mining sector. Factors that influence the demand for labor in the industrial sector are the Provincial Minimum Wage.
Activist Choice Homophily and the Crowdfunding of Female Founders*

In this paper, we examine when members of underrepresented groups choose to support each other, using the context of the funding of female founders via donation-based crowdfunding. Building on theories of choice homophily, we develop the concept of activist choice homophily, in which the basis of attraction between two individuals is not merely similarity between them, but rather perceptions of shared structural barriers stemming from a common social identity based on group membership. We differentiate activist choice homophily from homophily based on the similarity between individuals (“interpersonal choice homophily”), as well as from “induced homophily,” which reflects the likelihood that those in a particular social category will affiliate and form networks. Using lab experiments and field data, we show that activist choice homophily provides an explanation for why women are more likely to succeed at crowdfunding than men and why women are most successful in industries in which they are least represented.
Natural compounds from Clerodendrum spp. as possible therapeutic candidates against SARS-CoV-2: An in silico investigation

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has rattled global public health, with researchers struggling to find specific therapeutic solutions. In this context, the present study employed an in silico approach to assess the inhibitory potential of the phytochemicals obtained from GC-MS analysis of twelve Clerodendrum species against the imperative spike protein, main protease enzyme Mpro and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of SARS-CoV-2. An extensive molecular docking investigation of the phytocompounds at the active binding pockets of the viral proteins revealed promising inhibitory potential of the phytochemicals taraxerol, friedelin and stigmasterol. Decent physicochemical attributes of the compounds in accordance with Lipinski’s rule of five and Veber’s rule further established them as potential therapeutic candidates against SARS-CoV-2. Molecular mechanics-generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) binding free energy estimation revealed that taraxerol was the most promising candidate displaying the highest binding efficacy with all the concerned SARS-CoV-2 proteins included in the present analysis. Our observations were supported by robust molecular dynamics simulations of the complexes of the viral proteins with taraxerol for a timescale of 40 nanoseconds. It was striking to note that taraxerol exhibited better binding energy scores with the concerned viral proteins than the drugs that are specifically targeted against them. The present results promise to provide new avenues to further evaluate the potential of the phytocompound taraxerol in vitro and in vivo towards its successful deployment as a SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor and combat the catastrophic COVID-19. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Determination of Mechanical Properties of Fiber Reinforced Concrete for Numerical Modelling

Abstract The paper deals with the determination of mechanical properties of fiber reinforced concrete in dependence on various dosages and recipe of concrete. The mechanical properties were determined for the default recipe of concrete, where the individual variants differ in the amount of fibers. The fibers dosing was 0, 25, 50 and 75 kg/m3. At the highest dosage of 75 kg/m3, the recipe is optimized with regard to the microstructure of the concrete. In the experimental program were determined compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, split tensile strength, flexural tensile strength and load-displacement diagram. The flexural tensile strength was determined based on a three-point and four-point bending test. Based on the evaluated data, the uniaxial tensile strength and the functional dependence for the resultant recipe of concrete with a dosage of 75 kg/m3 is with respect of the increasing importance and application of numerical modelling of building structures, the analysis is performed using non-linear calculation. The aim was to simulate the performed laboratory test and appropriately approximate the specific input parameters of the fiber reinforced concrete for nonlinear analysis.
Juvenile Hormone inhibition in corpora allata from ovariectomized Blattella germanica

Abstract. Ovariectomy has been used to study the role of the ovary in endocrine homeostasis. Our studies on young virgin adults of the cockroach Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera, Blattellidae) show that the cytological development of the corpora allata (CA) in ovariectomized females proceeds as in intact specimens, whereas the rates of Juvenile Hormone (JH) synthesis are lower. Stimulation of the CA from ovariectomized females in vitro by mevalonolactone suggests that enzymatic mechanisms which follow mevalonate formation in the biosynthetic pathway are functional. The synthetic capabilities of these CA are also illustrated by the kinetics of JH production in vitro, because hormonal release increases with time to reach ‘normal’ levels after 8h of incubation. Our data suggest that the absence of ovaries leads to effective inhibition of JH biosynthesis rather than to an impairment of the developmental process in the CA cells.
Glyphosate Resistance in Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is Associated with a Fitness Penalty

Abstract The net selection effect of herbicides on herbicide-resistance traits in weeds is conditioned by the fitness benefits and costs associated with resistance alleles. Fitness costs play an important evolutionary role preventing the fixation of adaptive alleles and contributing to the maintenance of genetic polymorphisms within populations. Glyphosate is widely used in world agriculture, which has led to the evolution of widespread glyphosate resistance in many weed species. The fitness of glyphosate-resistant and -susceptible perennial ryegrass plants selected from within a single population were studied in two field experiments conducted during 2011 and 2012 under different soil water availability. Glyphosate-resistant plants showed a reduction in height of 12 and 16%, leaf blade area of 16 and 33%, shoot biomass of 45 and 55%, seed number of 33 and 53%, and total seed mass of 16 and 5% compared to glyphosate-susceptible plants in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The reduction in seed number per plant resulted in a 40% fitness cost associated with the glyphosate-resistance trait in perennial ryegrass. Fitness costs of glyphosate-resistant plants were expressed under both conditions of water availability. These results could be useful for designing management strategies and exploiting the reduced glyphosate-resistant perennial ryegrass fitness in the absence of glyphosate selection. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L. , LOLPE.
Psychological obstacles to the efficacy of environmental footprint tools

Patrik Sörqvist, Johan Colding and John E Marsh 1 Department of Building Engineering, Energy Systems and Sustainability Science, University of Gävle, Sweden 2 The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Box 50005, Stockholm, Sweden 3 School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom 4 Engineering Psychology, Humans and Technology, Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
A Slow Short-Term Depression at Purkinje to Deep Cerebellar Nuclear Neuron Synapses Supports Gain-Control and Linear Encoding over Second-Long Time Windows

Modifications in the sensitivity of neural elements allow the brain to adapt its functions to varying demands. Frequency-dependent short-term synaptic depression (STD) provides a dynamic gain-control mechanism enabling adaptation to different background conditions alongside enhanced sensitivity to input-driven changes in activity. In contrast, synapses displaying frequency-invariant transmission can faithfully transfer ongoing presynaptic rates enabling linear processing, deemed critical for many functions. However, rigid frequency-invariant transmission may lead to runaway dynamics and low sensitivity to changes in rate. Here, I investigated the Purkinje cell to deep cerebellar nuclei neuron synapses (PC_DCNs), which display frequency invariance, and yet, PCs maintain background activity at disparate rates, even at rest. Using protracted PC_DCN activation (120 s) to mimic background activity in cerebellar slices from mature mice of both sexes, I identified a previously unrecognized, frequency-dependent, slow STD (S-STD), adapting IPSC amplitudes in tens of seconds to minutes. However, after changes in activation rates, over a behavior-relevant second-long time window, S-STD enabled scaled linear encoding of PC rates in synaptic charge transfer and DCN spiking activity. Combined electrophysiology, optogenetics, and statistical analysis suggested that S-STD mechanism is input-specific, involving decreased ready-to-release quanta, and distinct from faster short-term plasticity (f-STP). Accordingly, an S-STD component with a scaling effect (i.e., activity-dependent release sites inactivation), extending a model explaining PC_DCN release on shorter timescales using balanced f-STP, reproduced the experimental results. Thus, these results elucidates a novel slow gain-control mechanism able to support linear transfer of behavior-driven/learned PC rates concurrently with background activity adaptation, and furthermore, provides an alternative pathway to refine PC output. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The brain can adapt to varying demands by dynamically changing the gain of its synapses; however, some tasks require ongoing linear transfer of presynaptic rates, seemingly incompatible with nonlinear gain adaptation. Here, I report a novel slow gain-control mechanism enabling scaled linear encoding of presynaptic rates over behavior-relevant time windows, and adaptation to background activity at the Purkinje to deep cerebellar nuclear neurons synapses (PC_DCNs). A previously unrecognized PC_DCNs slow and frequency-dependent short-term synaptic depression (S-STD) mediates this process. Experimental evidence and simulations suggested that scaled linear encoding emerges from the combination of S-STD slow dynamics and frequency-invariant transmission at faster timescales. These results demonstrate a mechanism reconciling rate code with background activity adaptation and suitable for flexibly tuning PCs output via background activity modulation.
Road Traffic and PM10, PM2.5 Emission at an Urban Area in Algeria: Identification and Statistical Analysis

Air quality in greater Algiers, in Algeria was assessed analyzing aerosol particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) at a site influenced by heavy road traffic. Particulate matters were collected using a Gent sampler to characterize the atmospheric aerosol of Algiers. An Energy dispersive X ray spectrometer (EDXRF) was used to determine the heavy metal concentrations in the PM2.5 and PM10 size fractions. Principal Component analysis and Enrichment factor were used to identify the major sources of air pollutants for PM10 fraction in the studied area. Backward trajectories were calculated in order to identify potential distant sources that contribute to particulate pollution in our site. Significant concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM10 as well as associated heavy metals have been documented. The mean concentrations of heavy metals contained in PM10 and PM2.5 were, in descending order, Fe>Zn>Ni>Pb>Mn>Co>Cr; Pb>Mn>Co>Fe>Zn>Ni>Cr respectively. The contribution of road traffic to the levels of fine (PM2.5), and coarse (PM10) particles were studied.
Correlation studies in parents and segregating populations of different crosses of field pea (Pisum sativum. L)

Character association was studied in three segregating populations with parent in field pea during rabi 2004–05. The results of character association showed differential relationship among the traits under fixed and non fixed populations. However cluster/plant, pods/plant, seeds/plant and harvest index in general have shown significant positive association with seed yield in both type of populations. In addition plant bearing length, plant height, seed setting per cent, pod length and 100 seed weight were also positively associated with seed yield in all the segregating population. Exceptionally parent FC-1 has shown positive association with phenological characters. Based on the present findings it is suggested that cluster/plant, pods/plant, seeds/plant and harvest index must be taken in to account during the course of selection for higher yield in dry pea. Beside these other characters like pod bearing length, plant height, seed setting per cent and 100 seed weight should also be consider as potential characters.
Recognition pattern, functional mechanism and application of chitin and chitosan oligosaccharides in sustainable agriculture.

BACKGROUND Application of chitin attracts much attention in past decades as the second abundant polysaccharides in the world after cellulose. Chitin oligosaccharides (CTOS) and its deacetylated derivative chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) were shown great potentiality in agriculture by enhancing plant resistance to abiotic or biotic stresses, promoting plant growth and yield, improving fruits quality and storage, etc. Those applications already have served huge economic and social benefits for many years. However, the recognition mode and functional mechanism of CTOS and COS on plants have gradually revealed just in recent years. OBJECTIVE Recognition pattern and functional mechanism of CTOS and COS in plant together with application status of COS in agricultural production will be well described in this review. By which we wish to promote further development and application of CTOS and COS-related products in the field.
Trigger Fingers After Open Carpal Tunnel Release

Trigger finger (TF) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) are common conditions often occurring together with an unclear relationship. While some studies conclude that TFs occur as a result of carpal tunnel release (CTR), others have not established a causal relationship. Our purpose was to evaluate the prevalence and timing of TF development in the same hand after open CTR in our population. This was a retrospective review of 497 patients undergoing open CTR by a single surgeon. Two hundred twenty-nine charts were analysed for age, gender, handedness, BMI, workers’ compensation status, and background disease. We analysed the specific digit involved and timing to development of triggering after CTR. Thirty-one patients developed triggering after CTR (13.5%). Mean age was 52.5 (14.0) years. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 53 months with a median follow-up of 6 months (interquartile range = 2-13). The thumb was the most common to trigger (42.22%), followed by the ring 24.44%, middle 22.22%, little 8.89%, and index fingers 2.22%. Trigger thumb occurred at 3.5 months (3.6) post-operatively, while other digits triggered at 7.5 months (4-10.25) after surgery (P = .022). No risk factors were associated with TF development. Our results suggest that a trigger thumb develops more frequently and earlier than other trigger digits after an open CTR. Further study is needed to clarify the mechanisms involved and may enable specific treatment such as local anti-inflammatory medication following CTR. We suggest educating prospective carpal tunnel surgery patients to high risk of triggering following CTR.