Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterization of natural concurrent avian leukosis virus subgroup J and Aspergillus flavus infection in commercial layer chickens.

Simultaneously occurring myelocytomas caused by avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) and Aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus fl avus were diagnosed in a commercial layer fl ock. The mortality was up to 1% at 180 days old in this one of two, fi fteen thousand layer fl ocks. Clinical signs of the affected chickens started from 80 day old, and included inactivity, depressed and anorexia. No respiratory signs were observed. On necropsy, various sized gray to yellow tumor-like nodular lesions were found on viscera. Microscopically, the tumor-like nodules were composed of two kinds of patterns, central caseous necrotic granulomas and multifoci eosinophilic myeloid cell proliferation. Intestinal adenocarcinoma in the duodenum, atrophy lesion in the ovaries, arteritis in various tissues, and hydrocephalus were observed, respectively. Hemotologically, the percentage of heterophils and eosinophils were signifi cantly increased, while lymphocytes, basinophils and monocytes were signifi cantly decreased. Aetiologically, A. fl avus was cultured from the liver granulomas, and four strains of ALV-J were isolated from the serum of sick chickens, while ALV-A, ALV-B, MDV and REV were PCR negative. The antibody of ALV-J was negative (viremia) in seven sick chickens. The isolates have the highest nucleotide sequence homology (98.2~98.4%) with the prototype strain HPRS-103 of ALV-J. The evidence in this study shows that the source of ALV-J was from vertical transmission, while the source of A. fl avus was not determined. This is the fi rst report of ALV-J and A. fl avus occurring naturally and concurrently in commercial layer hens.
COMPARISON OF PETRIFILM AEROBIC COUNT PLATES AND DE MAN–ROGOSA–SHARPE AGAR FOR ENUMERATION OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA

This study aimed to compare Petrifilm aerobic count (AC) plates (3M Microbiology, St. Paul, MN) and de Man–Rogosa–Sharpe (MRS) agar for enumeration of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The study was conducted with suspensions of 10 species of LAB prepared in reconstituted powdered milk. Raw milk samples, without any added bacteria, were also tested. For selective enumeration in Petrifilm AC plates, the suspensions of LAB and the raw milk samples were submitted to decimal dilutions in MRS broth prior to plating. Petrifilm AC and MRS agar plates were incubated in jars at 30C for 72 h, in microaerophilic conditions (Campygen, Oxoid, Basingstoke, U.K.). Differences in counts in the two culture media were not significant (P 0.05), regardless of the species of the LAB. Results presented high correlation indexes for both LAB suspensions (r = 0.9922, r 2 = 0.9845, P = 0.00) and raw milk samples (r = 0.9841, r 2 = 0.9685, P = 0.00). These results indicate that the advantages of using Petrifilm AC plates for a rapid enumeration in aerobic 4
A New Natural Autotetraploid and Chromosomal Characteristics of Dwarf Snakehead Fish, Channa gachua (Perciformes, Channidae) in Thailand

A new natural autotetraploid and the chromosomal characteristics of the dwarf snakehead fish (Channa gachua) from Kalasin, Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lam Phu and Udon Thani Provinces (four populations) in northeast Thailand were studied. Kidney cell samples were taken from 12 male and 12 female fish. Mitotic chromosome preparations were conducted using a blood cell culture technique as well as taken directly from kidney cells. Conventional and Ag-NOR staining techniques were applied to stain the chromosomes. The results showed that the autotetraploid chromosome number of C. gachua was 4n = 104, and the fundamental number (NF) was 112 in both sexes. The types of chromosomes were 4 large submetacentric, 2 large acrocentric, 16 large telocentric, 2 medium submetacentric, 68 medium telocentric and 12 small telocentric chromosomes. No strange-sized chromosomes related to sex were observed. The region adjacent to the centromere of chromosome pair 3 showed clearly observable secondary constriction (NORs). The karyotype formula for C. gachua is as follows: 4n (autotetraploid) 104 = L4+L 2+L 16+M2+M68+S12
Ten years of Arabian oryx conservation breeding in Saudi Arabia – achievements and regional perspectives

The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development was established in 1986 to oversee all wildlife conservation programmes in Saudi Arabia. The Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx is one of the flagship species of the Saudi Arabian reintroduction policy. It has been captive-bred since 1986 at the National Wildlife Research Center near Taif. With the creation of a network of protected areas in the former distribution range of the species, attention has shifted to the release of captive-bred oryx into Mahazat as-Sayd and 'Uruq Bani Ma'arid reserves. Similar programmes carried out in other countries of the Arabian Peninsula underline the need for regional co-operation and pan-Arabic public awareness programmes, in addition to captive-breeding and reintroduction projects.
The Potential of Neem Azadirachta Indica A. Juss. for Controlling Post-Flowering Pests of Cowpea, Vigna Unguiculata Walp—I. The Pod Borer, MarucaTestulalis

Neem oil (NO), and different formulations of neem oil in a solution of Tetrapleura tetraptera as emulsifier, including neem oil emulsifiable concentrate (NOEC), neem oil slurry emulsifiable concentrate (NOSEC) and 5% NOEC obtained from the seeds of the neem plant, were tested for their efficacy in the control of Maruca testulalis Geyer, under laboratory conditions using flowers of Ife Brown, cowpea variety.The different concentrations of NOEC (5, 10 and 20%) exhibited a high degree of insecticidal activity on M. testulalis larvae. All the treated flowers were protected from larval damage 2 days after treatment as compared to the 100% damage recorded on untreated flowers and on the flowers treated with T. tetraptera solution alone.The NOSEC and the 5% NOEC prepared using different volumes of the emulsifier also exhibited some insecticidal activity which decreased with a decrease in concentration. NO/NOEC were superior to NOSEC and the 5% NOEC prepared in different volumes of the emulsifier. RésuméL’effet insecticide ainsi que les méchanismes inhibitifs de l’alimentation des insectes présentés par des produits naturels, dérivés essentiellement d’huile de nim (HN), on été testés au laboratoire sur Maruca testulalis, un ravageur important de la post-floraison du nièbé. Il s’agit de concentrés émulsifiables d’huile de nim (CEHN), de concentrés emulsifiables à base de bouillie d’huile de nim (CEBHN) et de CEHN à 5%, préparé dans différentes concentrations d’une solution de Tetrapleura tetraptera (émulsifiant). Les fleurs de la variété améliorée Ife Brown ont été utilisée pour cette étude. Les différentes concentrations de CEHN testées (5, 10 et 20%) ont eu un effet inhibitif prononcé sur les larves de M. testulalis. Deux jours après le traitement, toutes les feuilles traitées étaient exemptes de dégâts par Maruca testulalis contre 100% de déprédation chez le témoin (fleurs non traitées) et les fleurs traitées avec la solution de T. tetraptera.Un certain degré d’activité insecticide a également été observé après la pulvérisation de concentrés émulsifiables à base de bouillie d’huile de nim (CEBHN) et de CEHN à 5% dans différentes concentrations d’émulsifiant. Toutefois, l’activitié insecticide de ces deux produits faiblissait au fur et à mesure que leur concentration diminuait.Cette étude a mis en lumière la supériorité de HN/CEHN par rapport au CEBHN et au CEHN à 5% préparé dans différentes concentrations d’émulsifiant.
COMPLEX PATTERNS OF PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY: INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE DURING REARING AND OVIPOSITION

Temperature profoundly affects growth and life history traits in ectothermic animals through selection (i.e., genetic) and through direct effects on the phenotype (i.e., nongenetic/plasticity). We examined the effects of rearing temperature (24°, 30°, and 36°C) on adult body size and development time and the interactive effects of temperature experienced during rearing and oviposition on several life history traits (age-at-first-reproduction, fecundity, egg size, egg development, and egg hatching) in two populations of the seed beetle, Stator limbatus, collected at different elevations. The higher elevation population was larger and matured sooner than the low-elevation population when raised at the lower temperature, but the reverse was true at the higher temperature suggesting that these populations have adapted to local temperature. There were interactions between the effects of rearing temperature and oviposition temperature for age-at-first-reproduction, fecundity, egg development, egg hatching, and .
Erpetosuchus, a crocodile-like basal archosaur from the Late Triassic of Elgin, Scotland

Erpetosuchus , a small archosaurian reptile from the Late Triassic of Scotland and North America, has often been implicated in the ancestry of crocodilians. A restudy of the type specimen, using new high-fidelity casts, as well as examination of new, hitherto undescribed material, allows a detailed description and restoration of Erpetosuchus granti from the Lossiemouth Sandstone Formation (late Carnian, Late Triassic). This small reptile is known only from the front end of its body; a complete skull, cervical vertebral column, anterior dorsals and ribs, shoulder girdle, and forelimb. The skull shows a number of unusual features: a reduced row of only 4‐5 teeth on the anterior part of the maxilla, a large antorbital fenestra set in a deep fossa whose margins are marked by distinct sharply angled ridges, a jugal that is divided into a lateral and a ventral portion by a sharp ridge, a deeply recessed tympanic area, the angular and surangular marked by a strong ridge running back from the ventral margin of the mandibular fenestra, and teeth oval in cross-section and lacking anterior and posterior carinae and marginal serrations. The remains suggest that Erpetosuchus was a light, cursorial animal that may have fed on insects. A cladistic analysis of crurotarsan archosaurs indicates that Erpetosuchus is the closest sister group of Crocodylomorpha among known basal archosaurs. It shares with them a deep recess in the cheek region framed by the quadrate and quadratojugal which slope forward side-by-side at an angle of 45 ° above horizontal, and reach the upper margin of the lower temporal fenestra. In Erpetosuchus the recess is entirely lateral, while in crocodylomorphs, the recess penetrates medially as well, since the quadrate/quadratojugal bar meets the side wall of the braincase. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2002, 136 , 25‐47. ADDITIIONAL KEYWORDS: Archosauria ‐ Crurotarsi ‐ Crocodylomorpha ‐ crocodilians ‐ osteology ‐ skull ‐ phylogenetic.
Establishing the microbial contamination of surfaces from the food industry by alternative methods using ATP bioluminescence.

Summary The two systems using ATP.bioluminescence was used to evaluate the microbiological level, compared with standardized determination, of surfaces and food from samples collected from a dairy plant, a poultry slaughterhouse and a retail unit. The two systems utilized for ATP measurement were HyLyte and Luminometer. The results obtained were compared with those obtained by standardized method. The low correlation with general contamination level of the samples from the milk plant surfaces and the absence of correlation for the others sampling objectives let us to entitle to consider (though those studies are preliminary) that ATP bioluminescence should not be used as a substitute for quantitative methods establishing of microbial load. Still, the ATP monitoring system can be used as screening methods for general levels of cleanliness surface appreciation.
SODIUM CYANIDE INDUCED HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN KIDNEY OF FRESH WATER FISH CYPRINUS CARPIO UNDER SUBLETHAL EXPOSURE

Sodium cyanide which has a wide range of applications in mining industries also has harmful effects on various organisms. The cyanide utilized by mining industries is let off into streams seriously compromises with the survival of the fish population. In the present study an attempt was made to analyze the toxicity of sodium cyanide to the kidney of freshwater fish Cyprinus carpio by histopathological aids. The results obtained suggested that sodium cyanide at a concentration of 0.2mg/L (1/5 th of LC50) can impact the fish kidney in a catastrophic manner and cause the variation in histoarchitechture of kidney. Based on the outcome of the present study, it is therefore suggested that appropriate measures be taken for detoxification of sodium cyanide before it is discharged in to streams, as it can compromise the survival of aquatic habitat consequently resulting in the disturbances of aquatic ecosystem.
Resolving Tiarosporella spp. allied to Botryosphaeriaceae and Phacidiaceae

The type species of the genus Tiarosporella , T. paludosa , is epitypified and confirmed as a member of the Botryosphaeriaceae. Based on morphology and DNA sequence data of the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (LSU, 28S) and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and 5.8S rRNA gene of the nrDNA operon, the genus Tiarosporella is shown to be poly- and paraphyletic. A group of isolates morphologically similar to T. paludosa cluster to the Phacidiaceae (Phacidiales, Leotiomycetes) and we accommodated them in Darkera , a genus associated with needle diseases of conifers, with D. picea introduced as a novel taxon . This new taxon includes isolates occurring on needles of Picea spp. in Europe (Finland, Norway and Switzerland) and differs from D. parca according to a five-locus alignment consisting of ITS, LSU, partial 18S nuclear ribosomal RNA, translation elongation factor 1-alpha and beta-tubulin genes. Four novel genera are introduced for tiarosporella-like fungi, namely Eutiarosporella based on E. tritici on Triticum aestivum from South Africa, Marasasiomyces based on M. karoo on Eriocephalus sp. from South Africa, Mucoharknessia based on M. cortaderiae on Cortaderia selloana from Argentina, and Sakireeta based on S. madreeya on Aristida setacea from India. Together with the genus Botryobambusa , these genera represent a subclade in the Botryosphaeriaceae that is ecologically diverse, occurring on Poaceae , as well as woody hosts, including endophytes, saprobes, and plant pathogens.
Effect of Peanut Plant Fungal Infection on Oviposition Preference by Spodoptera exigua and on Host-Searching Behavior by Cotesia marginiventris

Abstract In the current study, we tested the effect of peanut, Arachis hypogaea L. (Leguminoseae), stem infection by the white mold fungus, Sclerotium rolfsii Saccodes (Basidiomycetes), on the oviposition preference of beet armyworms (BAW), Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and on the host-searching behavior by a BAW larval parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris. We found that, in choice tests, adult BAW oviposited more on white mold-infected plants than on healthy plants. We also found evidence that this preference is mediated by plant volatiles and other biochemical changes in plant chemistry caused by fungal infection. When plants were exposed to BAW feeding, the parasitoid C. marginiventris landed more frequently on infected than on healthy plants. We conducted wind tunnel choice experiments to determine whether the more frequent landing by the wasps was mediated by the volatiles emitted by healthy and white mold-infected plants in response to BAW damage. In these wind tunnel experiments, wasps were more responsive to volatiles from plants infected with the white mold compared with healthy ones, when both types of plants were exposed to damaged by BAW caterpillars. Thus, white mold-infected peanut plants were preferred by BAW for oviposition, but, when damaged by BAW larvae, infected plants were also more attractive to one of the BAW natural enemies. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the effect of pathogen-induced biochemical changes in plants on parasitoid behavior has been evaluated.
COMBINED EFFECTS OF ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE, ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTE SMOKE ON HEPATIC FUNCTION AND SELECT MICRONUTRIENTS IN WOMEN

This study was carried out to determine the effect of combined oral contraceptive (COC) on serum select micronutrients levels in women using COC, consuming alcohol and exposed to cigarette smoke, and to identify if differences in degree of exposure to these agents are capable of modulating effects of COC on antioxidant elements and vitamins thereby increasing their risks of developing oxidative stress-induced diseases as well as hepatic diseases commonly associated with alcohol consumption. Venous blood samples were taken from the studied population for estimating serum vitamins, zinc, copper and selenium and indices of hepatic function. The studied population was divided into smokers\binge drinkers and passive smokers\social drinkers groups. ALT, AST, ALP & copper were not significantly different in exposed group compared with control (p>0.05). Both GGT and total bilirubin were significantly increased while zinc and selenium were decreased (p<0.05). In addition, among the combined oral contraceptive users, both binge drinkers\smokers and social drinkers\passive smokers groups had a more depleted Zn, Se and serum vitamin levels compared with non-drinkers\nonsmokers group and controls. These results suggest that women on COC consuming alcohol and smoking cigarette may be more susceptible to oxidative stress-induced diseases because of enhanced depletion of antioxidant elements (zinc & selenium) as well as antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, C & E).
Effect of an angiotensin II receptor blocker and two angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors on transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and α-actomyosin (α SMA), important mediators of radiation-induced pneumopathy and lung fibrosis

Progressive, irreversible fibrosis is one of the most clinically significant consequences of ionizing radiation on normal tissue. When applied to lungs, it leads to a complication described as idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) and eventually to organ fibrosis. For its high mortality, the condition precludes treatment with high doses of radiation. There is widespread interest to understand the pathogenetic mechanisms of IPS and to find drugs effective in the prevention of its development. This report summarizes our experience with the protective effects of L 158,809, an angiotensin II (ANG II) receptor blocker, and two angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in the development of IPS and the role of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and of alpha-actomyosin (alpha SMA) in pathogenesis of radiation induced pulmonary fibrosis in an experimental model of bone marrow transplant (BMT). Male WAG/Riji/MCV rats received total body irradiation and a regimen of cyclophosphamide (CTX) in preparation for bone marrow transplant. While one group of animals remained untreated, the remainders were subdivided into three groups, each of them receiving either the ANG II receptor blocker or one of the two ACE inhibitors (Captopril or Enalapril). Each of the three drugs was administered orally from 11 days before the transplant up to 56 days post transplant. At sacrifice time the irradiated rats receiving only CTX showed a chronic pneumonitis with septal fibrosis and vasculitis affecting, in particular, small caliber pulmonary arteries and arterioles. Their lung content of hydroxyproline was also markedly elevated in association with the lung concentrations of thromboxane (TXA2) and prostaglandin (PGI(2)), (two markers of pulmonary endothelial damage). A significant increase of alpha actomyosin staining was observed in vessels, septa and macrophages of the same animals which also overexpressed TGF-beta. When L 158,809, Captopril and Enalapril were added to the radiation and cytoxan treatment, a significant amelioration of the histological damage as well as the overexpression of alpha SMA was observed. Lung concentrations of hydroxyproline, PGI(2), TXA2 and TGF-beta were also observed in these animals so that the values of these compounds were closer to those measured in untreated control rats than to their irradiated and cytoxan treated counterparts. Angiotensin II plays an important role in the regulation of TGF-beta and alpha SMA, two proteins involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. The finding that ACE inhibitors or ANG II receptor blockers protect the lungs from radiation induced pneumonitis and fibrosis reaffirms the role that ANG II plays in this inflammatory process and suggests an additional indication of treatment of this condition, thus opening a new potential pharmacologic use of these drugs.
Stomata and Structure of Tetraploid Apple Leaves cultured in Vitro

Abstract Leaves of anther-derived tetraploid apple ( Malus pumila Mill.) shoots were examined by low-temperature scanning electron microscopy (LT-SEM). Leaves were serrate and wide with an undulating adaxial surface due to convex epidermal cells, apparently without crystalline epicuticular wax. Stomata were absent from the adaxial surface, except for the marginal teeth which exhibited 40-60 stomata per leaf; they probably originated from residual mitotic activity. One third of abaxial stomata was occluded by the residual cuticle of the mother guard cell across the stomatal pore which ruptured when the stomata became functional. The stomatal index was 7·2 (± 1·6) with 60-75 stomata mm -2 , i.e. abaxial stomata of tetraploid leaves expanded in vitro were less frequent than those in triploid leaves either cultured in vitro (475-575 stomata mm -2 ) or grown on the tree (320-390 stomata mm -2 ) where the stomatal index was 21 (± 4). Freeze-fracture transsections showed that the tetraploid in vitro leaves were composed of a layer of adaxial epidermal cells, followed by a single layer of palisade cells and four to five layers of spongy mesophyll cells and the abaxial layer of epidermal cells, in contrast to juvenile seedling-grown apple leaves in which the two layers of palisade cells comprised the majority (52-60%) of the leaf volume. The same morphological features, such as wide and less pointed leaves, reduced stomatal density and stomatal index, and increased stomatal size that were previously reported for tree-grown tetraploid leaves were also expressed in vitro. Thus, causes of the stomatal deformation in tissue-cultured Rosaceae are interpreted to be in part genetic and not purely environmental.