Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermostability of Freeze‐Dried Plant‐Made VLP‐Based Vaccines

Freeze-drying or lyophilisation is a technique commonly used for pharmaceutical products, in which stability is required to be preserved beyond 4°C temperature. Although lyophilisation is a well‐established method, designing a sustainable process for a new product is still to a large extent subjected to empirical practice and often requires trial and error approach. Moreover, even successful lyophilisation of the product may not assure its good long‐term storage stability, and progressive decrease in activity may still be encountered. In the past decades, numerous studies have been conducted in the area of protein instability and preservation during lyophilisation and long‐term storage. Many critical issues have been identified with regard to physical and chemical instability of proteins in the solid. Our research effort was focused on designing the prototype oral plant‐made vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is based on expressing viral surface antigens: small, medium and large (S‐, M‐ and L‐HBsAg), assembled into virus‐like particles (VLPs ) in lettuce plants. We describe in detail the process of developing a freeze‐ drying protocol facilitating successful processing of plant tissue containing particular HBsAg antigens, while preserving their VLPs structure and immunogenicity. The processing of all HBsAg proteins was investigated, yet the research was focused on S‐ HBsAg as the basic structural antigen and the main viral immunogen, applied in commonly used preventive anti‐HBV vaccines. Each lyophilisation step was consecu‐ tively evaluated. Protective excipients, freeze‐drying profile, associated processes and long‐term storage were investigated to select the most effective conditions. Finally, sucrose demonstrated appropriate properties as a lyoprotectant and the profile of 20°C for 20 h for primary and 22°C for 2 h for secondary drying, as well as nitrogen atmosphere for long‐term storage, enabled to maintain S‐HBsAg VLP structure and antigenicity. routine injection vaccination. Obtained results provided basis for an efficient freeze‐ drying process that in the future can be utilised for the purpose of a suitable oral plant‐ derived vaccine against HBV. On the example of anti‐HBV oral vaccine, this chapter presents comprehensive view on the development process and main problems, which can be faced during work on freeze‐dried products containing bioactive proteins of plant origin. A significant insight into practical aspect of designing successful parameters for material that is not widely used, but gains attention, was given.
EFFECTS OF CURRENT VELOCITY ON FILTRATION AND INGESTION RATE OF PEARL OYSTER (Pinctada maxima)

Pinctada maxima is a filter feeder organism obtaining food particles by filtration from water suspension. Filtration and ingestion rate of a large number of benthic filter feeders in a variety of coastal environment have been known influenced by current velocity. The purposes of this study were to examine the effects of current velocity on filtration and ingestion rate of pearl oyster P. maxima and to determine the best current velocity. Randomized Block Design was used in this experiment with four current treatments of 8, 16, 24, and 32 cm s-1. The results of this experiment demonstrated that current velocity has a marked effect on filtration rate of P. maxima and that this species follows the general pattern of response observed for other bivalves. Different velocity affected filtration and ingestion rate in pearl oyster P. maxima . It was gradual decline in the suspension feeding with increasing velocity. Filtration rate of bivalves with siphons facing into the current, were directly inhibited by hydrodynamic effects on the functioning of the bivalves pump. At increasing current velocity, pressures applied to the inhalant and exhalant aperture facing into the flow would result in higher pressures than that of produced by the ciliary pump, resulting in reduced filtration rate. The highest filtration and ingestion rate in this experiment were obtained at velocity of 8 cm s-1 that achieved 3.409±0.485 l/h and 37.91±1.27 (x107) cells/h, respectively.
The Impact of Individual and Combined Antibiotics against Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Diabetic Foot Infection

Diabetic foot infections are obviously spreading in hospital and facing unique challenge of successful treatment because of wide spread of resistant bacteria to many antibiotics. The clinical use of combination of antibiotics could be one of strategies to combat these resistant bacteria. Thus, basely depends on the microbial etiology and appropriate selective to antibiotics for combination. Using manual E-test method, Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined susceptibility to individual antibiotics. Fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) was used to determine synergistic effects for combined antibiotics. Gentamicin susceptibility showed 100%, 40%, 80% and 60% of E.coli, Pseudomonas.spp, Staphylococcus aureus, and Proteus spp were sensitive, respectively. Ciprofloxacine showed 90%, 60%, 30% and 80 % resistant to E.coli, Pseudomonas spp, Staphylococcus aureus, and Proteu spp, respectively. Ceftriaxone showed 50%, 50%, 10%, and 80% resistant result against E.coli, Pseudomonas.spp, Staphylococcus aureus, and Proteus spp, respectively. Fractional inhibitory concentration index provided that 20%-40% Pseudomonas strains were synergistic to (gentamicin plus ciprofloxacin) and (gentamicin plus ceftriaxone), respectively. Since 100% of E.coli were antagonism to both combination. However, 80%-90% of Staphylococcus aureus, 70%-80% of Proteus spp showed indifferent effect to (gentamicin plus ciprofloxacin) and (gentamicin plus ceftriaxone), respectively.
Evaluation of new protocols to Curcuma longa micropropagation: A medicinal and ornamental specie

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is an Asian native species used for ornamental, medicinal and food purposes. However, its conventional propagation method is costly and inefficient. Therefore, this study aimed to verify appropriate asepsis methods for shoots from rhizomes, evaluate concentrations of activated charcoal and sucrose, and determine appropriate salt concentrations in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium for turmeric growth. Three independent assays were performed. First, asepsis methods were verified for explants; second was for concentrations of sucrose and activated charcoal and in the final assay salt concentrations was evaluated. In all assays, MS medium supplemented with 30 g/L of sucrose, 6.5 g/L of agar and pH adjusted to 5.8 was used. Two growth regulators were added to the culture medium: 4.44 μM of 6-benzyl-amino-purine (BAP) and 1.08 μM of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) at p ≤ 0.05 probability. The averages were compared by Tukey’s test and polynomial regression at p ≤ 0.05. All the asepsis methods evaluated showed similar effects. The highest concentration was obtained by utilizing 60 mg/L sucrose for the most part of the evaluated characteristics; however, it is recommended that activated charcoal be used at a concentration of 4.5 g/L. For salt concentrations, averages were compared by polynomial regression at (p ≤ 0.05) probability in 50 to 60% MS medium, and resulted in longer root systems, greater numbers of shoots and more leaves. The usual dose of 3% sucrose resulted in lower development of in vitro seedlings. Salt concentrations higher than 60% were toxic to turmeric tissues and consequently compromised the root system and the aerial part of developing seedlings.
Desempenho de larvas de Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) em diferentes fontes alimentares

Recently observed in Brazil, Helicoverpa armigera became a relevant pest due to its rapid spread and the economic importance of crops in which it has established, such as soybean and maize. Understanding its establishment process in different regions and production systems, as well as the population dynamics of a polyphagous pest, as the basis for its management, depends on the knowledge of the effect of plant species as food sources on the pest biology. A laboratory experiment was conducted, supplying the caterpillars with reproductive organs of soybean, maize, canola, black oat, oat, turnip and ryegrass. It was concluded that the different food sources affect the larval development of H. armigera. Maize and wheat ears and canola siliques are the best food sources for the development of H. armigera. Ryegrass ears, on the other hand, are the worst ones. Black oat and oat panicles and turnip siliques are less suitable than soybean pods as food sources for the caterpillars.
Economic Analysis of Frozen Fish Demand in Katsina Metropolis, Katsina State, Nigeria

Demand for frozen fish has been on the increase due to knowledge on the nutritive value of fish as a source of animal protein. This study was carried out to examine the determinants of frozen fish demand in Katsina metropolis in Katsina State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional data from purposively sampled 89 respondents was used; descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The socioeconomics characteristics of the sampled frozen fish consumers indicated 65% male with majority (62.9%) between the ages of 21 and 40 years. Those with tertiary education constitute 70 and 43.8% are civil servants. Also 57.3% of the respondents are married with 68.5% having household size between 1 and 5. The linear regression result showed that the adjusted R is 0.424 with F-ratio of 6.45 which is significant at 1% level. Majority of the respondents (44.94%) in the study area are in the high income group. The own price elasticity was found to be 0.78, which indicated that demand for frozen fish in the study area is inelastic, while the cross price elasticities for chicken and beef were -0.076 and -0.63, respectively, which implied that frozen fish and chicken and beef are complimentary goods in the area. Also, the income elasticity is 0.11, which implied that frozen fish is a normal good in the study area. The research established that price of fish, consumer’s income, household size, educational status and species of fish are important factors influencing demand for frozen fish in the study area.
Ptychomitrium acutifolium Hook. f. et Wils. (Ptychomitriaceae, Musci), a distinct species endemic to Australia

Ptychomitrium acutifolium Hook. f. et Wils. , which was synonymized in P. australe by Catcheside in 1980, proved to be a distinct species endemic to Australia. The differences between P. acutifolium and P. australe are detailed.
Decoupling of latitudinal gradients in species and genus geographic range size: a signature of clade range expansion

Aim Clade range size is a function of species range sizes but also depends on the geographic deployment of species: clade range expansion should therefore depend partly on the tendency of a clade to produce new species. Previous work has shown empirically that species-rich clades are more likely to expand outside their present distributions, i.e. to overcome niche conservatism, than species-poor ones. This pattern can follow from a neutral probabilistic model of clade-level range expansion arising from differences in net species diversification between clades. We show that predictions of this model discriminate between weaker and stronger climatic niche conservatism, and compare these predictions with range-size patterns of marine bivalves at the species and clade (genus) level. Location Western Pacific, eastern Pacific and western Atlantic. Methods We decompose the latitudinal and thermal distribution of genera into within-species and among-species components. We use a neutral model in which species range expansion does not vary with latitude and descendants originate within the ranges of their ancestors (model with spatial dependency) or where descendants originate independently of ancestral ranges (model without spatial dependency). Result In accord with model predictions: (1) genus latitudinal range size is weakly related to the latitudinal range sizes of congeneric species, but strongly depends on per-genus species richness; (2) among-species latitudinal distances correlate positively with per-genus species richness; and (3) genus latitudinal and thermal range sizes increase towards higher latitudes because genera that are species rich anywhere within their range increase in proportion towards higher latitudes. Main conclusions Application of the neutral probabilistic model to marine bivalves shows that tropical niche conservatism is only moderately strong, and that species diversification plays a significant role in range expansion of bivalve genera to new latitudes and climates, even when thermal range sizes and limits of congeneric species show significant correlations, and are thus conserved to some degree.
Seromuscular and mucosal protein synthesis in various anatomical regions of the rat gastrointestinal tract and their response to acute ethanol toxicity

Objectives To determine the rates of protein synthesis and the composition of protein, RNA and DNA in the entire rat gastrointestinal tract and to determine the response of the gastrointestinal tract to acute ethanol dosage and to ascertain whether individual regions were relatively protected. Design Individual regions of the gastrointestinal tract, from oesophagus to rectum of male Wistar rats, were dissected. Where possible, mucosal and seromuscular layers were studied separately. Rates of protein synthesis were measured with a flooding dose of L-[4–3H]phenylalanine and the effects of acute ethanol dosage (75mmol/kg body weight; 2.5 h) on rates of protein synthesis were determined. Results There was considerable variability in the composition of the nucleic acids and synthesis rates. In general, fractional rates of protein synthesis were positively correlated with RNA concentrations for all regions. Acute ethanol dosage significantly depressed fractional rates of protein synthesis by 13–24% in the oesophagus, cardiac region of the stomach, duodenal mucosa, rectal seromuscular layer and both mucosal and seromuscular layers of the antrum and jejunum. The decrease in synthesis rates was not uniform and the different regions of the alimentary tract showed varying sensitivities to ethanol. Protein synthesis in the mucosa of the rectum and colon were apparently unaffected by ethanol. Conclusions There is considerable variability in rates of protein synthesis throughout the gastrointestinal tract and synthesis rates are correlated with RNA composition. Different regions have different sensitivities towards acute ethanol dosage.
Study of the evolution of the ACS/WFC sensitivity loss

We present a study of the sensitivity loss of the ACS/WFC CCDs for one medium-band, eight broad-band, and three narrow-band filters. This study was done using a calibration field located 6.7 arcmin West of the center of globular cluster 47 Tucanae. For pre-SM4 images, a comparison of the sensitivity loss rates found in this research with those calculated using standard white dwarf stars by Bohlin, R. et al. (ISR ACS 2011-03) shows excellent agreement within the uncertainties of the two methods. We found that the sensitivity losses are less than ∼0.0004 mag/year. We also have a baseline of at least three years of post-SM4 observations of the 47 Tucanae calibration field. Our study shows that, on average, the sensitivity loss postSM4 is negligible. This is a remarkable result considering that ACS is an instrument that has been in space for over ten years and subject to contamination.
Effect of seed priming with NaCl on salinity tolerance of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) at seedling stage

An experiment was conducted to improve the hot pepper seed performance under salinity stress conditions. The effects of priming with an optimized dose (1 mM) of sodium chloride (NaCl) were assessed for improving seedling vigour and salt stress tolerance in seedlings of the hot pepper. Seeds primed with NaCl solution (1 mM) were examined at different salinity levels [0, 3, 6 and 9 dS m -1 ] in relation to early growth stage. Priming with NaCl was effective in alleviating the adverse effects of salinity. Significant increase in germination percentage, germination index and germination speed, vigour index, plumule and radicle length, and dry weight of the seedlings as compared to control was recorded. On the other hand, mean germination time, time to reach 50% germination and fresh weight of seedlings were non-significant against control. In this experiment, it was concluded that seed priming with NaCl has been found to be better treatment as compared to non-primed seeds in case of hot pepper for improving the seedling vigour and seedling establishment under salt-stressed conditions.
Reptiles, Squamata, Parque Natural Municipal da Taquara, municipality of Duque de Caxias, state of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil

Herein we report a list of the reptiles from Parque Natural Municipal da Taquara, municipality of Duque de Caxias, state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, an area situated in the Atlantic Rainforest Domain. The study was carried out from September 2006 to October 2008. We recorded 31 species of Squamate reptiles: one species of the family Amphisbaenidae; eight species of lizards of the families Anguidae (n = 1), Gekkonidae (1), Phyllodactylidae (1), Polychrotidae (1), Scincidae (1), Teiidae (2), and Tropiduridae (1); and 22 species of snakes of the families Boidae (2), Colubridae (6), Dipsadidae (11), Elapidae (1), and Viperidae (2). Our study indicates that the PNMT is an important area for the conservation of the Squamate reptile assemblages that inhabit lowlands of Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil.
A Genuine Win‐Win: Resolving the “Conserve or Catch” Conflict in Marine Reserve Network Design

To support fishing communities, reserves should ensure the persistence of meta‐populations while boosting fisheries yield. However, so far their design from the onset has rarely considered both objectives simultaneously. Here we overcome this barrier in designing a network of reserves for the Caribbean spiny lobster, a species with long larval duration for which local management is considered pointless because the benefits of protection are believed to be accrued elsewhere. Our reserve design approach uses spatially explicit population models and considers ontogenetic migration, larval and adult movement. We show that yield and persistence are negatively related, but that both objectives can be maximized simultaneously during planning. Importantly, we also show that local efforts to manage spiny lobster, the most economically valuable marine resource in the Caribbean, can result in locally accrued benefits, overcoming a major barrier to investing effort in the appropriate management of this species.
Invertebrate and lizard abundance is greater on seabird-inhabited islands than on seabird-free islands in the Marlborough Sounds,New Zealand

Abstract Addition of nutrients to an ecosystem may increase abundances of organisms at different trophic levels. Seabirds add nutrients to the islands on which they live. Our aim was to determine whether plants, invertebrates, and lizards are utilizing nutrients provided by seabirds and whether the addition of nutrients was correlated with an increase in arthropod and reptile abundance. A higher index of abundance was found for invertebrates and lizards on islands with seabirds than on islands without seabirds in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. Seabird-derived nutrients were identified in the tissues of plants, invertebrates, and lizards on seabird-inhabited islands. Nutrient addition was found to increase abundance of animals from different trophic levels, but the patterns shown were not those expected from classical, top-down, theories of food web regulation.
Improvement of Continuous Deficit Irrigation Efficiency on Young Plum Tree Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

This work aimed to improve the efficiency of continuous deficit irrigation (CDI) on plum tree through using symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Thus, an experiment was conducted in pots to evaluate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhization on the growth of young plum trees, in two cases of CDI (50% and 75% of full crop evapotranspiration ETc) compared to full irrigation (100% ETc). We used a mixture of two mycorrhizal fungi species, Rhizoglomus intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae. The measurements concerned: 1) morphological parameters of the root system (total fresh weight, total dry weight, total volume and hairy root dry weight); 2) morphological parameters of aerial parts (primary shoot elongation, number of secondary shoots, trunk growth, leaf area, total fresh weight and total dry weight); and 3) nutritional status parameters (leaf phosphorus content and chlorophyll pigments content). Compared to full irrigation, the two CDI levels induced a significant decrease of hairy root percentage without significantly affecting Original Research Article Razouk et al.; AJEA, 13(1): 1-11, 2016; Article no.AJEA. 26467 2 total root weight and volume. The use of AMF enabled to limit this depressive effect because it stimulates root ramification, but this is effective only under moderate water stress (75% of ETc). Under this CDI regime, hairy root percentage has been enhanced by 87% in mycorrhizal plants comparatively to non-mycorrhizal plants. Water stress effects on vegetative growth were partially alleviated using AMF even under severe decrease of irrigation (50% of ETc): shoot elongation was higher for mycorrrhizal plants exceeding non-mycorrhizal ones by an average of 13%. AMF induced also a significant increase of phosphorus, nitrogen and chlorophyll pigments concentration in mycorrhizal plants. Thus, AMF significantly improves CDI efficiency on young plum tree, even at level of 50% of ETc. The observed improvements due to AMF were considerable under 75% of ETc, suggesting the possibility to adopt this CDI level associated with AMF to optimize deficit irrigation on young plants of this rosaceous under low water availability conditions.
Phosphite and Phosphate Have Contrasting Effects on Nutrient Status of Plants

ABSTRACTA comprehensive knowledge of the factors underlying the performance of plants under phosphite (Phi) nutrition is critical for its rational use in agriculture. Therefore, the effects of Phi on nutrient status of plants were evaluated by growing oat (Avena sativa) for 60 days in nutrient solutions containing three P treatments: 0.5 mmol L−1 of phosphate (Pi sufficient, Pi-S), 0.05 mmol L−1 of Pi (Pi deficient, Pi-D), and 0.5 mmol L−1 of Phi. In comparison with Pi-S, the Phi impaired plant growth in a more pronounced manner than Pi-D, suggesting toxic effects. Phi plants did not show any variation in N, P, and Ca concentrations in the shoot, but there were reductions in the concentrations of Mg and S and increased concentrations of K, B, Mn, and Zn compared with Pi-S plants. In the root, the Phi decreased the concentrations of P, Ca, Mg, S, and B but increased N, K, Fe, and Mn. In conclusion, Phi and Pi had distinct influence on nutrient status of oat, which contributes to explaining the contrasting .