Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproductive biology of Indian reptiles

Various aspects of reproductive biology such as sex differentiation, cyclic changes in spermatogenesis, ovaries (follicular development, foliicular kinetics, etc), sex steroids and accessoery reproductive structures, clutch patterns, role of fat bodies in reproduction, endocrine and environmental control of reproduction have been reviewed with a focus on reproductive strategies. In addition, the gaps in our understanding of the diverse reproductive strategies, aspects of captive breeding and management are discussed to shed light on the state of art.
Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of agricultural landscapes influences generalist natural enemies and the potential for biological pest control

In the context of reducing pesticide use, the potential role of some arthropod groups as pest natural enemies provides them an ecological and economic interest. In particular, ground beetles and spiders are generalist predators likely to be effective biocontrol agents. Previous studies have shown that the structure and composition of their communities, as well as the effectiveness of biological control, are influenced by landscape heterogeneity, and in particular by the presence of semi-natural habitats. However, the role of the crop mosaic, which can be highly heterogeneous in space and time, have been little considered. The main objective of our study was to determine the influences of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of agricultural landscapes on generalist natural enemies and the potential for biological pest control. We sampled carabid and spider communities in winter cereal fields, and estimated biological control potential using sentinel aphids glued on predation cards. We characterized the spatial heterogeneity of the landscapes around each cereal field by 1) the amount of wooded habitats and the length of the hedgerow network, 2) the average size of the agricultural fields, and 3) crop diversity. We also proposed four new metrics that synthesize different aspects of the multi-year temporal heterogeneity of cropped areas. Our results show that in spring, landscapes characterized by small fields, and therefore by a high density of non-cropped field margins, promote spiders abundance in cereal fields. In early summer, landscapes with small fields also promote aphid predation rates and the abundance of carabid spring breeders, which overwinter as adults in semi-natural habitats. Crop diversity promotes the abundance of carabids overwintering in soils of arable fields and breeding in autumn. Our results also show that the temporal heterogeneity of the crop mosaic - characterized among other things by the changes in crop diversity over a five year period - benefits some carabid species commonly found in agricultural landscapes (such as Poecilus cupreus and Pterostichus melanarius) which are likely to play an important role as pest natural enemies. These results highlight the complementary role of the crop mosaic and the non-cropped field borders for generalist natural enemies, and show the importance of taking into account the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the cultivated area in further ecological studies on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. In the context of reducing pesticide use, our results suggest that landscapes with 1) a high crop diversity that change over time, and 2) small fields that promote the interspersion between crops and semi-natural habitats, are likely to promote generalist natural enemies and biological pest control.
Mechanisms of Channel Arrest and Spike Arrest Underlying Metabolic Depression and the Remarkable Anoxia-tolerance of the Freshwater Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii)

NMDAR activity is related to the activity of another glutamate receptor, the α-amino-3-hydroxy5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid receptor (AMPAR). AMPAR blockade is neuroprotective against anoxic insult in mammals but the role of AMPARs in the turtle’s anoxia-tolerance has not been investigated. To determine if AMPAR activity changes during hypoxia or anoxia in the turtle cortex, whole-cell AMPAR currents, AMPAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were measured. The effect of AMPAR blockade on normoxic and anoxic NMDAR currents was also examined. During 60 mins of normoxia, evoked peak AMPAR currents and the frequencies and amplitudes of EPSPs and EPSCs did not change. During anoxic perfusion: evoked AMPAR peak currents decreased 59.2 ± 5.5 and 60.2 ± 3.5% at 20 and 40 mins, respectively, EPSPƒ and amplitude decreased 28.7 ± 6.4% and 13.2 ± 1.7% respectively, and EPSCƒ and amplitude decreased 50.7 ± 5.1% and 51.3 ± 4.7%, respectively. In contrast, hypoxic (PO2 = 5%) AMPAR peak currents were potentiated 56.6 ± 20.5 and 54.6 ± 15.8% at 20 and 40 mins, respectively. All changes were reversed by reoxygenation. AMPAR currents and EPSPs were abolished by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3dione (CNQX). In neurons pre-treated with CNQX, anoxic NMDAR currents were reversibly depressed by 49.8 ± 7.9%. These data suggest that AMPARs may undergo channel arrest in the anoxic turtle cortex.
Influence of Canopy Architecture on Stemflow in Agroforestry Trees in Western Himalayas

Rainfall event on a tree can be partitioned into throughfall, interception loss and stemflow. In this study, stemflow was measured for 39 rainfall events in 5-year-old plantations of 3 trees each, belonging to Morus alba and Grewia optiva in Dehradun, India. Diameter of selected Morus and Grewia trees varies from 7 to 9.3 and 8.12 to 10 cm respectively, whereas height varies from 4 to 4.5 and 5.5 to 6.5 m respectively. The minimum and maximum rainfall events recorded during the study period were 1.01 and 121.70 mm per day respectively. When the rainfall magnitude was less than or equal to 50 mm and more than 50 mm, stemflow volume from Morus was approximately 2.72 and 1.85 fold higher respectively, compared to Grewia . Maximum stemflow volume recorded for Morus and Grewia was 48,065 and 30,633 ml with respect to rainfall magnitude of 109.58 and 121.70 mm respectively. The generation of higher stemflow volume in case of Morus is due to concave orientation of branches and leaves. Results showed that a significant amount of nutrients leached from Grewia and Morus through stemflow process.
Effect of Cold Temperature Durations on the Emergence and Parasitization Efficiency of Laboratory Reared Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii)

Trichogramma species are widely used egg parasitoids for biological control of insect pests of different crops through augmentation and release. T. chilonis and T. achaeae have been promoted to use in controlling cabbage leaf eating caterpillars (Krishnamoorthy, 2012). Among the Trichogramma species the egg parasitoid, T. chilonis is the dominant species in India (Nagarkatti and Nagaraja, 1979). It is a very aggressive parasitoid and has the ability to increase their capability, sometimes gives near to 100% parasitism depending upon the availability of favorable condition. It is a natural enemy of many harmful lepidopterous insect pests of crops and vegetables (Jalali and Singh, 1993). Trichogramma has been used against the lepidopterous pests of cotton, cabbage, apple and tomato (Smith, 1996). They parasitize the eggs of more than 400 lepidopteran pest species (Khan et al., 2004 and Doyon and Boivin, 2005).
Assessment of spatially inhomogeneous intra-organ radiation dose response in salivary glands

Cancers treated with radiotherapy must be adequately irradiated to suppress growth at the site of origin. To achieve doses high enough to attain ‘local control’ and inhibit growth of metastases, surrounding normal tissues are selectively co-irradiated. Current clinical practice for head-and-neck cancers involves salivary gland irradiation. Threshold doses that minimize adverse induced toxicities are currently based on whole-organ mean dose. Modern radiation delivery techniques are able to sculpt the dose profile to accommodate sub-organ irradiation, but knowledge of the relative importance of sub-organ structures remains unknown. As tissue-sparing techniques improve, assessment of the normal tissue toxicity risk becomes increasingly important. Loss of salivary function and xerostomia (subjective dry mouth) are common normal tissue toxicities in head-and-neck cancer patients. Radiotherapy-induced dysfunction and xerostomia can drastically reduce oral hygiene and health and may negatively impact the ability to eat, speak, sleep, or swallow. These pervasive toxicities detract from overall quality of life and can be permanent, perpetuating the negative impact. The purpose of this work is to quantify the relative importance of spatial regions within the major salivary glands for late salivary function (i.e., ‘regional effects’). The ultimate aim is to improve knowledge of toxicity risk. Broad regional effects have been noted in rat parotid, and it has recently been claimed that a localized ‘critical region’ has been located in human parotid glands. Furthermore, a morphological dependence on the dose profile has been noted for subjective xerostomia. Clinical trials involving lobe and region sparing are underway, yet comprehensive quantification of the importance of
Probiotic Effects On Bacterial Community Structure And Antibiotic Resistance Of Gut Microbiota In Broiler Chickens Raised Under Three Different Dietary Conditions

Antimicrobial resistance of bacterial pathogens has developed into a global issue and has become an imminent threat to both human and animal health. The subtherapeutic levels of antimicrobial supplementation in food animal feed are consistently argued to contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Not only do poultry producers use antimicrobials as feed additives, but they also utilize probiotics as a live microbial feed supplement. Probiotic supplementation positively affects the chicken by improving its intestinal balance and can be used as an alternative to antimicrobial supplementation during poultry production. The United States (U.S.) is the world’s largest poultry producer and the second largest poultry exporter, with broiler chickens comprising over four-fifths of U.S. poultry production. Because broiler producers in the U.S. use antimicrobials for disease therapy, prophylaxis, and growth promotion, it is important to understand the contribution of antimicrobial use to the emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and their associated genes as well as changes in resident microbiota. The effect of supplementing commercial broiler diet with probiotics, including conventionally-fed broiler chickens, is an important concept, as the resident microbiota may be significant for the prevention of such colonization. Using a field-based trial approach, the gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes in broiler chickens fed with three commercial diet types: conventional (antibioticsupplemented with and without probiotics), natural (antibiotic-free and probioticsupplemented) and organic (antibiotic-free with organic standard probiotics), were
Natural benzaldehyde from Prunus persica (L.) Batsch

ABSTRACT Benzaldehyde is one of the most important molecules in the flavour industry. Presently, most of its industrial requirement is met through synthetic route. In this research, leaf essential oil of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. extracted in different seasons was analysed using GC-FID, GC-MS, and NMR (1H and 13C) techniques. The oil was characterised by higher amounts of benzaldehyde (63.1%–98.3%). The yield of benzaldehyde was higher during rainy (0.45 g/100 g fresh leaves) and autumn (0.44 g/100 g fresh leaves) seasons. In conclusion, leaves of P. persica can be used as a natural source of benzaldehyde for flavour industry.
Arthropods Associated with Amaranthus hybridus in Southwestern Nigeria and Aggregation Patterns of Gasteroclisus rhomboidalis, Hypolixus nubilosus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Relation to Host’s Morphology

Aims: To generate data on arthropod communities associated with grain amaranth, Amaranthus hybridus (Caryophyllales: Amaranthaceae) within a single organic cropping system in Southwestern Nigeria and to study arthropod-host interactions which can be potentially exploited in cultural management. Original Research Article Borisade et al.; AJAAR, 2(1): 1-11, 2017; Article no.AJAAR. 34561 2 Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted from September to November, 2016 and repeated in December, 2016 to February 2017 during the dry season in Southwestern Nigeria. Methodology: The farm area was divided into twenty plots containing four beds each. The total area of the field was approximately 180 m. Survey of arthropods on amaranth was commenced at six days after sowing and continued until maturity. Scheduled daily visits to the field was done at 6:00-9:00 am, 12:00 noon-3:00 pm and 6:00 pm-8:00 pm to scout for insects. At 40-45 days, when the flowering heads have developed,the height of 24 plants per plot were measured and ranked randomly into three height ranges (Tall, >100 cm; Intermediate, 50-100 cm; Short, <3 cm), using a marked meter stick. Another 24 plants per plot were classified into three stem girth ranges (Large, > 6 cm; Intermediate, 3-6 cm; Thin, <3 cm), using a calliper and the plants were tagged. Density of Halyomorpha halys on the inflorescence of the plants in the different height groups were sampled. Activities of borers, Hypolixus nubilosus and Gasteroclisus rhomboidalis mixed infestation on plants in the different stem girth ranges were assessed, using stem damage characteristics. Results: Approximately, 41.7% of the total arthropods occurred during the vegetative stage while the remaining 58.3% occurred during flowering and fruiting. Beneficial insects, (25% of the total arthropod community) were predatory and they occurred during fruiting and flowering stages. The beneficial insects, Dolichurus spp. , Scelifron spirifex and Lasius niger belong to the Order Hymenoptera. Other beneficial insects were Dysnactus trigorus (Diptera), Cora marina (Odonata) and Mantis religiosa (mantodea). H. halys was responsible for damage to the flowering heads, while the stems were attacked by H. nubilosus and G. rhomboidalis. Conclusion: The borers showed behavioural preference in relation to stem girth of amaranth plants while H. halys preferred tall plants. The observed host preference behaviours can be useful in cultural management.
Performance of lucerne genotypes for biomass production and nitrogen content differs in monoculture and in mixture with grasses and is partly predicted from traits recorded on isolated plants

Abstract. Grass–legume mixtures are key crops to improve agricultural sustainability. Despite their significant use in mixture, lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) varieties are mostly tested and bred for monocultures. This study was performed to evaluate whether the ranking of lucerne genotypes for biomass components and quality was similar in monoculture and mixture, and whether traits recorded on isolated plants could help to predict performance in monoculture and mixture. For 46 genotypes planted in the three competition conditions, plant biomass, shoot height, shoot number and protein content were recorded. In addition, maximum leaf size, internode length, stem diameter, growth habit, specific leaf area and leaf dry-matter content were measured on isolated plants. A general positive correlation was observed between the performance of genotypes in monoculture and in mixture. However, significant changes in genotype ranking indicated that the species of its neighbours could modify the relative performance of a genotype. The traits that minimised competition intensity also changed according to the neighbour species. In mixture, competition intensity was highest for plants with long internodes, a high shoot number and a non-erect growth habit. In monoculture, plants with long internodes and larges leaves suffered less from competition. The agronomic performance of lucerne varieties differing in their architecture should be compared in monoculture and mixture to finally identify the traits to be phenotyped to improve lucerne variety performance in both cultivation modes.
Determine of Potassium and Phosphorus in the Soil, Feed and Plasma Serum of Sheep Grazing at El-khuwei locality, West Kordofan, Sudan

A study was conducted to determine potassium and phosphorus in the soil, feed and plasma serum of sheep grazing in natural pasture during the flowering and seed setting stage in the year 2014 at El-khuwei locality, west Kordofan State, Sudan. Sampling was done on two stages at flowering and seed setting in selected locations (4km 2 each). Within each stage randomly selected randomly collected 60 samples of soil, feed and plasma serum. The data was analyzed used a completely randomized design (CRD). SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) was used for the statistical analysis. Soil concentrations significantly difference (P<0.001) higher potassium K (3.15- 2.51 mg/100g) and phosphorus P (17.37- 11.00 mg/100g) at the flowering stage than that at seed setting stage respectively. Feed were lower potassium K (1.16- 2.09 mg/100g) and phosphorus P (7.17- 16.83 mg/100g) at flowering stage than that at seed setting stage respectively. Blood serum of sheep was highly potassium K (7.77- 6.95mm/l) and phosphorus P (4.72- 4.55 mg/dl) at flowering stage and least at seed setting respectively. It can be concluded that potassium and phosphorus on soil and plasma serum has been reported highly concentrations at the flowering stage than that at seed setting stage. However feed have been reported highly concentrations at seed setting stage and least at the flowering stage.
A preliminary study of terrestrial is opod diversit y in coastal wetlands of Tunisia

In Tunisia, while wetlands are considered as remarkable habitats for their faunal and floral diversity, few studies on the species diversity of terrestrial isopods were done. To fill this gap, we carried out a field study in 28 wetlands (lagoons, lakes and sebkhas) located along the Tunisian coast. Isopods were collected by hand search each time with the same sampling effort. In the laboratory, isopods were identified and counted. Physico-chemical analyses were performed from soil sampled at each site in order to study the distribution of isopods according to the environmental factors. Thirteen species of terrestrial isopods belonging to 7 families were identified. Chaetophiloscia elongata and Porcellio laevis were the most abundant species; their abundance was 40.3 and 22.3 %, respectively. Data analyses showed a significant difference in the distribution of isopods depending on wetland types. However, no statistical difference was found in isopod distribution in relation to bioclimatic zones.
Genes Encoding Succinate Dehydrogenase as Susceptibility Factors in Cowden and Cowden-Like Syndrome

XVIII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 MITOCHONDRIA AND CANCER . 1 1.2 SUCCINATE DEHYDROGENASE (SDH) . 6 1.2. 1 Structure and function of SDH complex . 6 1.2. 2 SDH mutations in cancers . 9 1.2. 3 Mechanism of tumorigenesis caused by SDH mutations . 14 1.3 CS/CSL SYNDROME AND PTEN . 17 1.3. 1 CS/CSL syndrome . 17 1.3. 2 PTEN and its functional relevance . 20 1.4 SUMMARY . 23 CHAPTER 2: IDENTIFICATION OF SDH VARIANTS IN COWDEN AND COWDEN-LIKE SYNDROME AND SPORADIC DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER . 25
HISTOMORPHOLOGICAL EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OFWATER MELON ON THE TESTIS OF ADULT MALE WISTAR RATS

Medicinal plants contain substances that could be used for therapeutic purposes and constitute a significance portion of our daily diet. This study was designed at investigating the effects of aqueous extracts of Citrullus lanatus seed on histomorphology of testis in matured wistar rats. The rats were acclimatized for two weeks, weighed and sorted into five groups (A- E) of five animals in each group. Aqueous extract of Citrullus lanatus was administered orally to each animal in groups B, C and D at the rate of 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg, 300mg/kg, of seed extract and 3ml of water melon juice to group E. Group A served as the control group and was served with water and feed liberally. This administration lasted for 21 days after which the animals were sacrificed by chloroform anaesthesia, the testes carefully removed fixed with Bouin’s fluid and processed to obtain routine paraffin. Histological findings of the testis reveals testicular and leydig cell hyperplasia, interstitial hydrolysis and decrease spermatogenesis that were dose dependent, however group E revealed a normal testicular histoarchitecture. Weight differences showed a non-statistically significant effect on the total body weight. Consumers of this fruit should do that with caution as this research report on the possible antifertility effects of Citrullus lanatus. Further studies on other fertility profile are recommended.
Effect of grassland management on the amounts of soil organic N and C.

The effects of different management systems on soil organic N and C contents were studied on a sandy and loamy soil given various amounts of N fertilizers under rotational grazing, in the Netherlands. Differences in total soil N and C between grazed and mown fields were also investigated. On the loamy soil grazed plots N accumulated at 245 kg/ha per year, irrespective of the rate of applied N. Four years after the experiment was initiated both soil N and C contents were considerably higher under grazing than under mowing. The C/N ratio of soil organic matter was higher without N fertilizer application, especially in the top 5 cm. The amount of N returned to the soil by grazing was 71% and 57% in the sandy and the loamy soil, resp. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)
Dual purpose barley as affected by date of sowing, varietiesand stage of harvesting-A review

Barley is primarily a cereal grain crop grown in rabi season and widely used for food, fodder and in beer industry. Dual purpose barley provides quality fodder as well as grain. Cutting at early stage at about 50-55 days after sowing, provides good quality of fodder particularly in lean period (mid December to mid January) for feeding to the animals. After harvesting for fodder, the regenerated crop left for grain production without sacrificing the grain yield with similar management as grain crop. For dual purpose barley need to evaluate the cultivars, optimum sowing time and stage of harvesting is a critical issue for production of good quality fodder as well as grain. Hence in this review article it has been emphasized for production of quality fodder and grain as influenced by date of sowing, dual barley variety used as suitable cultivars, and appropriate stage of harvesting which had been revealed and cited by different scientists, workers and co-workers.
Distinct matrilines in the panmictic population of the European eel Anguilla anguilla

Determining the genetic population structure and intraspecific evolution of species is important for efficient management. Here we investigated 394 sequences of the mtDNA cyt b of the critically endangered European eel, Anguilla anguilla . We found 62 different haplotypes, among which 32 novel ones. All those sequences were grouped into 9 haplogroups on the basis of their frequency and links in the haplotype network. Two pairwise comparisons revealed significant genetic differentiation between regions. One comparison indicated small ( Φ ST = 0.02768; P = 0.0071) genetic differentiation between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Another comparison indicated small ( Φ ST = 0.01144; P = 0.0440) genetic differentiation between eel samples caught in the Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon and the Gulf of Riga and those captured in the North Sea. The results of the study are in agreement with the recent findings obtained using the mtDNA D-loop region as a molecular marker, indicating that although A. anguilla is considered a panmictic species the genetic structure of its population indicated by mtDNA markers could be characterized as a genetic mosaic.