Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Post Harvest Packaging Material and Calcium Treatments on the Quality of Guava during Storage

The present investigations were carried out in Post Harvest Laboratory of Deptt. of Horticulture, during the years 2007 and 2008 to know the optimum concentration of calcium salts and to find out the best wrapping material for increasing shelf life of guava. Softening is a main postharvest problem of fresh guava (Psidium guajava Linn.) in India because this prefer consuming firm and crispy guava. CaCl2 has been applied to many fresh produce to delay ripening and improve the firmness. ‘Sardar’ guava fruit harvested, after harvest were applied with 2 different concentrations of CaNo3, CaSo4 at 0.5%, 1%, and CaCl2 1%, 2% with a packaging material (newspaper) or without packaging material and then stored at room temperature at 12 days. Calcium treatments effectively maintained fruit firmness compared to non-treated fruit. Respiration of all treatments decreased after storage and remained stable without significance. Fruit infiltrated with 1% CaCl2 showed slightly skin injury as scattered-browning generated around the fruit related to increasing be grading scales. There were significant between treatments in ascorbic acid, soluble solids and titrated acids contents. CaCl2 infiltration at 2% showed a good option to maintain firmness.
A latitudinal gradient in tree community assembly processes evidenced in Chinese forests

Aim Most studies on latitudinal gradients of biodiversity have focused on gradients of species richness. Here we aim to test whether, on top of these strong diversity gradients, processes of community assembly vary along a latitudinal gradient of more than 33°. Location China, latitude 18.67–51.86° N. Methods We used species abundance distribution (SAD) data collected in 32 forest tree plots, and fitted a non-neutral model of community assembly to these SADs. We then calculated the fitted deviation from neutrality, δ, and looked for correlations between δ and geographical and environmental data. Results The fitted parameter δ was positive in most plots, and was furthermore positively correlated with latitude and negatively with temperature, indicating a less even abundance distribution and a likely increase in the strength of environmental filtering in regions further from the tropics and with decreasing temperatures. These results imply that on top of reducing the species richness, cold temperature may impact community assembly processes by strengthening local environmental
Immune responses of the insect Manduca sexta towards the bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens

The Gram-negative bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens is a pathogen of insects. It is able to secrete a variety of toxins and effectors against its host in order to escape its immune defences. The model insect Manduca sexta is able to mount a variety of humoral and cellular responses against pathogen attack. Ultimately these prove ineffective against P. luminescens. The pre-treatment of M. sexta with Escherichia coli provides protection against the pathogenesis of P. luminescens. Here, I use RNA interference and Fluorescence-assisted cell sorting techniques to investigate interactions between pathogen and host to further elucidate the roles of various host factors in mounting the immune response. I also investigate the nutrient requirements of the bacteria for pathogenesis. I show data that peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP) is essential for the up-regulation of antimicrobial peptides, an important immune defence. I also show that P. luminescens has a requirement for two types of iron during pathogenesis of M. sexta. And lastly I show that P. luminescens is able to avoid phagocytosis, another important immune defence.
Evaluation of different carbon, nitrogen sources and industrial wastes for bacterial cellulose production

In this study we isolated an acetic acid bacterial strain from a home-made wine sample and investigated its cellulose production. The strain was identified using biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and named at the species level as Acetobacter pasteurianus . We investigated cellulose production by Acetobacter pasteurianus under the utilization of various carbon (glucose, sucrose, fructose, and ethanol) and nitrogen (yeast extract, casein hydrolysate, and ammonium sulphate) sources and industrial wastes (molasses, corn steep liquor, whey, and olive mill wastewater). The results showed that the best carbon and nitrogen sources for the production of cellulose were glucose and yeast extract. In addition, the best production occurred when molasses was used as the industrial waste. Bacterial and plant celluloses are reticulated and unbranched polymers of β-1,4-linked glucopyranose units. Therefore, the structural characteristics of cellulose were examined using Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (C 13 NMR) methods. The structural characteristics of bacterial cellulose were similar to those of plant cellulose. In addition, the porous and reticulated structure of bacterial cellulose was viewed using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
SIDEROPHORE‐INDEPENDENT IRON UPTAKE BY IRON‐LIMITED CELLS OF THE CYANOBACTERIUM ANABAENA FLOS‐AQUAE 1

Iron acquisition by iron‐limited cyanobacteria is typically considered to be mediated mainly by siderophores, iron‐chelating molecules released by iron‐limited cyanobacteria into the environment. In this set of experiments, iron uptake by iron‐limited cells of the cyanobacterium Anabaena flos‐aquae (L.) Bory was investigated in cells resuspended in siderophore‐free medium. Removal of siderophores decreased iron‐uptake rates by ∼60% compared to siderophore‐replete conditions; however, substantial rates of iron uptake remained. In the absence of siderophores, Fe(III) uptake was much more rapid from a weaker synthetic chelator [N‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine‐N,N′,N′‐triacetic acid (HEDTA); log Kcond = 28.64 for Fe(III)HEDTA(OH)−] than from a very strong chelator [N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxybenzyl)‐ethylenediamine‐N,N′‐diacetic acid (HBED); log Kcond = 31.40 for Fe(III)HBED−], and increasing chelator:Fe(III) ratios decreased the Fe(III)‐uptake rate; these results were evident in both short‐term (4 h; absence of siderophores) and long‐term (116 h; presence of siderophores) experiments. However, free (nonchelated) Fe(III) provided the most rapid iron uptake in siderophore‐free conditions. The results of the short‐term experiments are consistent with an Fe(III)‐binding/uptake mechanism associated with the cyanobacterial outer membrane that operates independently of extracellular siderophores. Iron uptake was inhibited by temperature‐shock treatments of the cells and by metabolically compromising the cells with diphenyleneiodonium; this finding indicates that the process is dependent on active metabolism to operate and is not simply a passive Fe(III)‐binding mechanism. Overall, these results point to an important, siderophore‐independent iron‐acquisition mechanism by iron‐limited cyanobacterial cells.
The importance of light, postural and social cues in the regulation of the plasma cortisol rhythm in man

A series of experiments was conducted to assess the role of photoperiodic postural and social cues in the regulation of the plasma cortisol rhythm in normal human subjects. Young healthy adult male volunteers, aged 20-25, were used as the test subjects and were selected following extensive physical and psychological examinations. The time at which peak plasma cortisol concentration occurred was calculated from harmonic curves fitted to each set of 24-hr data from each subject. The findings suggest that the plasma cortisol rhythm is not affected appreciably by the absence of postural change, whereas light and social interaction affect this rhythm profoundly.
Nutritional Characteristics, Biochemical Composition and Pharmacological Properties of Moroccan Oat Varieties and their Endophyte Chaetomium Globosum

Oat has been recognized as a healthy food for a long time. However, they are still underutilized in Moroccan gastronomy. The current work aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of Moroccan hybrid Oats, and to establish the functional chemical variability among their seeds. The physicochemical analysis including, minerals, sugars, fatty acids, sterols, and phenolic compounds were investigated. Additionally, starch morphology and Oat viscosity were analyzed. HPLC-MS revealed the presence of eleven phenolic acids, including vannilic, ferulic, p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, salicylic, syringic, sinapic, p-coumaric, caffeic and chlorogenic acids, and pyrogallol. The potassium was the main mineral in Oat seeds; also, the oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids were the dominant fatty acids. The major sterols were β-sitosterol, ∆-5-avenasterol and campesterol. Improvement of Oat lines via introgression is an important process for food biochemical functionality. The current work demonstrated the protective effect of aqueous extracts from hybrid Oat line (F11-5) and its parent (Amlal), on hyperglycemia induced oxidative stress and the inhibitory effect on digestive enzyme. The Oat extract (2000 mg/kg) ameliorated the glucose tolerance, decreased FBG and oxidative stress markers (SOD, CAT, GPx, GSH & MDA) in rats liver and kidney. Moreover, Metformin and Oat intake prevented anxiety, hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in diabetic rats. In vivo anti-hyperglycemic effect of Oat extracts has been confirmed by their inhibitory activities on α-amylase (723.91 μg/mL & 1027.14 μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (1548.12 μg/mL & 1803.52 μg/mL) enzymes by mean of a mixed inhibition. Finally, the endophytic fungal strain Chaetomium globosum (HG423571) which was isolated from Oat inner and healthy tissues was subject of secondary metabolites isolation, in order to evaluate their bioactivity.
Reconstructing perceived faces from brain activations with deep adversarial neural decoding

Here, we present a novel approach to solve the problem of reconstructing perceived stimuli from brain responses by combining probabilistic inference with deep learning. Our approach first inverts the linear transformation from latent features to brain responses with maximum a posteriori estimation and then inverts the nonlinear transformation from perceived stimuli to latent features with adversarial training of convolutional neural networks. We test our approach with a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment and show that it can generate state-of-the-art reconstructions of perceived faces from brain activations.
Histoarquitetura das arterias subclavia e vertebral esquerdas no cao (Canis familiaris)

A histoarquitetura da parede das arterias subclavia e vertebral esquerdas foram estudadas principalmente sob microscopia optica. Peculiaridades de cada vaso foram analisadas e um padrao elastico foi verificado na arteria subclavia, na qual sao mais notadas variacoes naturais devido as pressoes sistolica e diastolica do coracao. A arteria vertebral mostrou uma histoarquitetura de vaso mio-elastico na qual, como nas arterias elasticas, as caracteristicas estruturais das camadas intima, media e adventica foram descritas. Aparentemente nao ha descricao especifica sobre a estrutura mural destes vasos, assim neste estudo pretendeu-se contribuir para o conhecimento da morfologia arterial do cao.
Predação de vertebrados por cães Canis lupus F. Familiaris (Mammalia: Carnivora) no Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

Especies exoticas sao hoje reconhecidas como a segunda maior ameaca ambiental, causando prejuizos a biodiversidade e aos ecossistemas naturais. A introducao de caes domesticos tem consequencias ecologicas graves, que incluem transmissao de doencas, perseguicao, estresse, deslocamento, agressoes e morte de animais nativos, hibridacao com canideos selvagens, e competicao com varios predadores nativos. O presente estudo teve como objetivos reunir os dados encontrados nas fichas de registro de resgate de animais silvestres dos anos de 2005 a 2012 pelo Projeto de Conservacao da Fauna do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, em area que pertence a zona de amortecimento do Parque Nacional da Tijuca. Houveram 36 ocorrencias de injurias provocadas por caes domesticos em animais silvestres no JBRJ, representando quase 10% do total de 372 animais resgatados pelo Projeto durante o periodo. Em 33% dos animais foram coletados ja em obito, 17% foram resgatados com ferimentos severos, 50% eram filhotes orfaos cujas maes foram abatidas. A identificacao de marcas de pegadas e mordidas sugerem que as injurias foram provocadas por caes domesticos. As especies atingidas foram em sua grande maioria mamiferos, 86% de Didelphis aurita, alem de Tamandua tetradactyla e Procyon cancrivorus, vulneraveis no Municipio do Rio de Janeiro, e Coendou villosus, e apenas 1 reptil Salvator merianae. A perda de mamiferos e simplificacao da comunidade animal e preocupante, particularmente quando envolvem especies ameacadas, mesmo que localmente. O cao domestico e um importante fator de deterioracao da biodiversidade e seu controle populacional deve ser a principal medida a ser adotada, principalmente no entorno de Unidades de Conservacao. E urgente a tomada de esforcos e acoes diversificadas para resolver o grave problema da perda de biodiversidade por introducao de especies exoticas, que eliminem ou reduzam significativamente seus impactos a longo prazo.
Sulphated glycosaminoglycans restore glycocalyx barrier properties of cultured endothelial cells in hyperglycemia

Introduction: Microalbuminuria is a clinical parameter of vascular dysfunction in patients with diabetes. The endothelial glycocalyx plays a role in regulation of vascular permeability. Therapeutic interventions using a mixture of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) containing 80% heparin and 20% dermatan sulphate (sulodexide) have been shown to improve vascular barrier function by reducing microalbuminuria. Therefore we hypothesized that exogenous GAGs attenuate hyperglycemia-induced increases in endothelial permeability for albumin by restoring barrier properties of the endothelial glycocalyx. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured on semi-permeable inserts and exposed to normo(5 mM) or hyperglycemia (25 mM) for 4 days, last 24 h in presence of the GAG mixture. Endothelial permeability was assessed by determining FITC-labeled albumin transfer over the monolayer (3 hours). Additionally, the glycocalyx glucosamine sugar residues on the endothelial cells were visualized with LEA-lectin staining. Results: Albumin permeability of endothelial cells under hyperglycemia was increased to 122 ± 8% (p < 0.01) compared to normoglycemia. Changes in albumin permeability under hyperglycemia normalized to normoglycemic control condition was -4 ± 3% (p < 0.05) in the presence of 0. 06μg/mL sulodexide. Additionally, LEA-lectin revealed a 28 ± 1% (p < 0.05) increase in glucosamine staining in hyperglycemic cells in the presence of the GAG mix. Conclusion: GAG supplementation reverses the increased trans-endothelial albumin leakage under hyperglycemic conditions by restoring the barrier properties of the endothelial glycocalyx layer in vitro.
The Relationship Between Trunk Cross-sectional Area and Weight of Apple Trees1

Trunk cross-sectional area was found to bear a linear relationship to total above-ground weight of apple trees. From these data, it is suggested that trunk measurements can be used to estimate the potential bearing surface of any orchard tree as long as it has not been pruned heavily to prevent crowding. This relationship permits the calculation of yield efficiency as fruit weight per cm2 trunk cross-section. Estimates were made of maximum bearing surface potential (tree weight) per acre (as cm2 trunk area) for several kinds of tree fruits and nuts.
Peripheral timber applications for waste wood material in extreme climates and earthquake risk regions

Worldwide, discarded construction and demolition material account for 40% of all municipal solid refuse including residential, commercial, institutional, and agricultural waste flows (Elgizawy, El-Haggar, and Nassar 2016). Hong Kong sends over 200 tons of timber waste from old formwork and scaffolding to the landfill per day (Wang et al. 2016). After fulfilling their assumed raison d’etre, the cement-flaked shuttering boards and stubby scaffolding poles arrive amongst the discards, eventually deformed beyond utility. This thesis explores the possibilities of reusing wood that sits at the fringe of construction projects, in applications that bring back the beauty and elegance ingrained in the oldest of building material. In part, this project is a remolding of the perception of undervalued wood species and construction waste. This research proposes specific techniques, inculcating value into discarded wood material and bringing a new mechanism for the material production of timber existing at the periphery of design and construction. In application, this study considers solutions around natural fiber composites and timber space-frame roofs for affordable housing projects. A prototype space-frame using small diameter wood elements was constructed in India and made practical by the development of a simple joint system. Load testing of the frame provided positive results (2.3 kN/m2) and surpassed India National Building Code standards for roof design. In addition, waste wood fibers incorporated in cementitious wall and roof panels improved thermal insulation properties (0.164 W/m2·K) while increasing flexural strength (4.6 N/mm2). Prototype and samples were tested within the objectives of improved thermal comfort, increased earthquake safety, and reduced material cost. Peripheral Timber Applications for waste wood material in extreme climates and earthquake risk regions
Arthropod responses to experimental fire regimes in an Australian tropical savannah: ordinal‐level analysis

Fire is widely used for conservation management in the savannah landscapes of northern Australia, yet there is considerable uncertainty over the ecological effects of different fire regimes. The responses of insects and other arthropods to fire are especially poorly known, despite their dominant roles in the functioning of savannah ecosystems. Fire often appears to have little long-term effect on ordinal-level abundance of arthropods in temperate woodlands and open forests of southern Australia, and this paper addresses the extent to which such ordinal-level resilience also occurs in Australia's tropical savannahs. The data are from a multidisciplinary, landscape-scale fire experiment at Kapalga in Kakadu National Park. Arthropods were sampled in the two major savannah habitats (woodland and open forest) using pitfall traps and sweep nets, in 15-20 km 2 compartments subjected to one of three fire regimes, each with three replicates: 'early' (annual fires lit early in the dry season), 'late' (annual fires lit late in the dry season), and 'unburnt' (fires absent during the five-year experimental period 1990-94). Floristic cover, richness and composition were also measured in each sampling plot, using point quadrats. There were substantial habitat differences in floristic composition, but fire had no measured effect on plant richness, overall composition, or cover of three of the four dominant species. Of the 11 ordinal arthropod taxa considered from pitfall traps, only four were significantly affected by fire according to repeated-measures ANOVA. There was a marked reduction in ant abundance in the absence of fire, and declines in spiders, homopterans and silverfish under late fires. Similarly, the abundances of only four of the 10 ordinal taxa from sweep catches were affected by fire, with crickets and beetles declining in the absence of fire, and caterpillars declining under late fires. Therefore, most of the ordinal taxa from the ground and grass-layer were unaffected by the fire treatments, despite the treatments representing the most extreme fire regimes possible in the region. This indicates that the considerable ordinal-level resilience to fire of arthropod assemblages that has previously been demonstrated in temperate woodlands and open forests of southern Australia, also occurs in tropical savannah woodlands and open forests of northern Australia.
Seasonal and annual variation of carbon exchange in an evergreen Mediterranean forest in southern France

We present 9 years of eddy covariance measurements made over an evergreen Mediterranean forest in southern France. The goal of this study was to quantify the different components of the carbon (C) cycle, gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Reco), and to assess the effects of climatic variables on these fluxes and on the net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide. The Puéchabon forest acted as a net C sink of −254 g C m−2 yr−1, with a GPP of 1275 g C m−2 yr−1 and a Reco of 1021 g C m−2 yr−1. On average, 83% of the net annual C sink occurred between March and June. The effects of exceptional events such the insect‐induced partial canopy defoliation that occurred in spring 2005, and the spring droughts of 2005 and 2006 are discussed. A high interannual variability of ecosystem C fluxes during summer and autumn was observed but the resulting effect on the annual net C budget was moderate. Increased severity and/or duration of summer drought under climate change do not appear to have the potential to negatively impact the average C budget of this ecosystem. On the contrary, factors affecting ecosystem functioning (drought and/or defoliation) during March–June period may reduce dramatically the annual C balance of evergreen Mediterranean forests.
Epidemiologia de Lipeurus caponis (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) (Nitzsch, 1818) em granjas avícolas comerciais de postura no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil.

Aspectos relacionados a epidemiologia de Lipeurus caponis foram estudados com o objetivo de determinar os principais fatores de risco para a ocorrencia deste ectoparasito em granjas avicolas de postura no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Quatrocentos e trinta e um galpoes de granjas de postura comerciais foram visitados no ano de 2012 para a coleta de amostras de ectoparasitos. Tambem foi aplicado um questionario sobre caracteristicas ambientais e de manejo utilizado nos galpoes de criacao das aves. L. caponis foi encontrado em quatro dos 431 galpoes estudados (0,92%). Os principais determinantes epidemiologicos foram investigados utilizando Testes de Qui-Quadrado, Testes Exatos de Fisher e modelos multivariados de regressao de Poisson. O tipo de instalacao obteve uma Razao de Prevalencia igual a 51,56, o que sugere que aves criadas sobre o solo possuem maior risco de infestacao por L. caponis do que aves mantidas em gaiolas. Tambem foi verificado que a linhagem genetica das galinhas foi um fator de risco e, provavelmente, algumas linhagens sao mais predispostas a infestacoes. Alem disso, a presenca de criacoes de subsistencia de galinhas domesticas nas adjacencias dos galpoes avicolas aumentou consideravelmente o risco de ocorrencia de infestacoes por L . caponis nas galinhas poedeiras de granjas comerciais no Estado de Minas Gerais.