Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Root-knot nematodes: abundance in organic farming, differentiation among populations, microbes attached to juveniles in soil, and bacterial antagonists

Two surveys were conducted at an organic farm, 60 km northeast of Cairo, Egypt, in 2009 and 2011 to study the occurrence, population density and distribution of plantparasitic nematodes associated with different crops. A total of 216 soil samples were collected from vegetables, fruits and herbs during both surveys. Eleven genera of plantparasitic nematodes were detected. The most abundant genus was Meloidogyne, which was detected in over 57% and 47% of all soil samples in 2009 and 2011, respectively. This genus also reached the highest mean population densities of all genera detected. Tylenchorhynchus was the next most abundant genus, occurring in over 29% of all soil samples in both surveys. Other nematode genera found were Criconemella, Ditylenchus, Hoplolaimus, Paratylenchus, Pratylenchus, Tylenchulus, and Xiphinema. High population densities with up to 2600 and 2300 nematodes per 100 g soil were recorded for the species Rotylenchulus and Helicotylenchus, respectively. In general, frequency and population densities of plant-parasitic nematodes were lower in the 2011 survey than in the 2009 survey which most likely was caused by variable agronomic and climatic conditions between those years. Overall, the data suggested that plant-parasitic nematodes pose a severe threat to organic farming under arid conditions, and that control measures should be further developed and implemented.
VITAMIN D RECEPTOR GENE POLYMORPHISM IN RELATION TO PTH IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Background/Aim: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble steroid hormone that interacts with its nuclear receptor (VDR) to regulate a variety of biological processes, such as bone metabolism, immune response and transcription of several genes involved in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this work was to investigate the relation between vitamin D receptor genotype and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in predialysis patients and patient on hemodialysis. Method: We investigated theVDR Taq-I and VDR Bsm-I gene polymorphisms in 46 patients with chronic kidney disease under conservative treatment, 50 patients on hemodialysis and 70 age and sex matched healthy volunteers. This study was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results: For the Taq-I polymorphism, the T allele is considered as the risk allele. Carrying T allele increases the risk for both chronic kidney disease and renal failure. The risk for CKD increases by 3.3 fold and the risk for renal failure by 8 folds. For the Bsm1 polymorphism, the A allele is considered as the risk allele. Carrying A allele increases the risk for CKD by 3.6 fold and the risk for renal failure by 8 folds. Conclusion: Bsm1 and Taq1gene polymorphisms of VDR gene were associated with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and with hyperparathyroidism among Egyptian population.
What is a Global Mindset?

The brain is the most powerful possession that a human being possesses. We have a choice of using the brain or limiting the use of the brain. A mindset is a personal approach for allowing ourselves to use the power of the brain based on perceived strengths and weakness. The individual mindset can be divided into three types to understand the individual growth potential The most appropriate individual mindset for building a global mindset is the dynamic mindset that is based on strengths, interest in working on weaknesses as encountered, and willingness to change with the environment.
Mouth development of Malaysian river catfish, Mystus nemurus (C&V) larvae

Ontogenetic morphological development for the mouth of Malaysian river cat fish Mystus nemerus larvae from hatching to 21 days post-hatch (dph) was studied to facilitate and determine suitable food and food particle size for the growing larvae. The eggs began to hatch 2 days after fertilization (daf) and most of the larve hatched within 2-4 daf. The larval mouth opened at the end of the 1 dph and the commencement of external feeding began on 4 dph following the jaw movement. The barbels appeared on the upper jaw and lower jaw on 3 dph.Tow small barbels appeared around the olfactory pits by 5 dph. Free neuomasts were observed below the lower jaw on 7 dph and around the olfactory pits, eyes,and upper jaw operculum by 9 dph. Linear relationships between mouth size (at 45˚and 90˚ opening) and total length of fish were established.
Estimativas de parâmetros genéticos de características de carcaças medidas por ultra-sonografia e de desenvolvimento ponderal em bovinos da raça Santa Gertrudis.

KARSBURG, J. H. ESTIMATIVE OF GENETIC PARAMETERS FOR CARCASS TRAITS MEASURED BY ULTRASOUND AND TRAITS OF PONDERAL DEVELOPMENT IN SANTA GERTRUDIS BEEF CATTLE. The present study has as objectives to estimate genetic parameters of carcass traits measured by ultrasound and traits of ponderal development in Santa Gertrudis beef cattle. All data set evaluated was originated from 12 farms participating of the Animal Breeding Program conduced by Grupo de Melhoramento Animal of the Universidade de Sao Paulo. The traits analyzed were rib eye area (REA), fat thickness (FAT), birth weight, weight at 120 days, weaning weight, weight at 12, 18 and 24 months and scrotal circumference at 18 months of age. The data were pre-adjusted for age effect by segmented polynomials methodology. The co-variance components were estimated by Restricted Maximum Likelihood using the MTDFREML software. The estimates of heritability were obtained from univariate analysis, while the genetic correlations between REA and FAT with traits of ponderal development were calculated from bivariate analysis. The heritability estimated for REA and FAT were of 0.23±0.10 and 0.05±0.04, respectively. All genetic parameters reported in this present study are estimated from a population sampling of Santa Gertrudis animals, being suggested additional research for genetic parameters evaluation of carcass traits measured by ultrasound. In the breed.
Aligned Design: Exploring Strategic Alignment of Design in Large Firms

The alignment between design and business strategy in large firms is important because it enables designers to work more effectively with employees from various disciplines on sustainable opportunities, prioritize available resources to achieve objectives, and support distinctive value propositions. The results of a literature review and responses to 11 questions provided by eight employees of four large firms (two retailers and two technology vendors) were used to: produce an alignment capability inventory – list of resources, processes and priorities that large firms employ to align design and business strategy, identify configurations of design and business strategy, and develop a model and propositions of the factors that affect design and business strategy alignment. This research will be of interest to top management teams of large firms where the alignment between designers and strategists is low as well as researchers studying strategic alignment in large firms.
Effect of various herbicides on weed control in pear orchards

Hexuron, atrataf and tafazine were applied at pre-emergance stage in first week of March and glycel and gramoxone were applied at post-emergence stage in 3rd week of March. Observation on weed population, yield, fruit quality and economics of variors treatments were recorded. Out of all the herbicide treatments, application of hexuron @ 4 and 5 kg/ha and glycel 4 and 5 l/ha proved most effective in controlling the weeds and improving the yield and fruit quality. These herbicides also proved economical as compared with other treatments of herbicides and manual method of controlling weeds in the orchards.
Effects of Heat Stress on Energetic Metabolism in Rats

Studies conducted for this dissertation utilized a rodent model exposed to single or multiple short duration heat loads in an effort to: 1) elucidate the changes in energy metabolism occurring at the tissue and whole-body level in response to hyperthermia, 2) characterize specific aspects of glucose utilization and hepatic glucose production following a heat load and 3) determine if aspects of mitochondrial function and/or dysfunction might play a role in the metabolic changes that occur in response to heat stress. Study 1 was conducted to determine if rodents exposed to heat stress shared similarities using a bovine heat stress model. Specifically, we were interested in identifying changes in blood metabolites and hormones, as well as gene expression and protein abundance of enzymes associated with energy metabolism in skeletal muscle (type I and type II), liver and adipose tissue. Previous bovine data indicates glucose may be preferentially utilized during heat stress, suggesting alterations in energy metabolism. This study provided evidence that tissue-specific changes occur in response to a heat load and that full glucose oxidation might be reduced, specifically in skeletal muscle where abundance of PDK4 mRNA was increased. Within skeletal muscle, glucose transporters (GLUTs 1 and 4) also tended to be increased in rats exposed to a heat load. Increases in skeletal muscle AMPK-α and PGC-1α as well as increased expression of energy substrate transporters suggests heat stress may impose a cellular energy deficit and/or increased energy demands which
Effect of Long-term Lantana Addition on Soil Phosphorus Fractions and their Relationship with Crop Yield and Phosphorus Uptake in Rice-Wheat Cropping in North West Himalayan Acid Alfisol

A long-term field experiment with rice-wheat cropping was started in wet season of 1988 with four levels of lantana (0, 10, 20 and 30 t ha -1 on fresh weight basis) and three tillage practices (No puddling, puddling and soil compaction). From wet season of 1997, however, three tillage practices were replaced with three levels of N and K to rice (33, 66 and 100% of recommended) and 66% of recommended N, P and K to wheat. The P was totally omitted to rice crop. The recommended N and K to rice were 90 and 40 kg ha -1 whereas N, P and K to wheat were 120, 90 and 30 kg ha -1 . Lantana biomass was added to rice exactly 10-15 days before transplanting/ puddling every year. Among P fractions, the highest increase was observed in NaHCO3-Po (35-71%) followed by NaOH-Po (19-49%) and minimum in Res-P (8-17%) with twelve annual additions of lantana. The continuous twelve annual additions of lantana also increased available P by about 23-71% over no lantana addition. It was observed that among different P fractions NaHCO3-Pi and NaHCO3-Po were the most important P fractions contributing to nutrition of rice and wheat grown in a sequence. All the organic and inorganic fractions of P except Res-P and HCl-P were independent of one another.
Associations between physiological traits for drought tolerance and aflatoxin contamination in peanut genotypes under terminal drought

With 1 figure and 4 tables Abstract Terminal drought induces preharvest aflatoxin contamination (PAC) in peanut. Drought resistance traits are promising as indirect selection tools for improving resistance to PAC. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of terminal drought on PAC and to investigate the associations between surrogate traits for drought tolerance and PAC. Field tests under rainout shelters were conducted in the dry seasons 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. Eleven peanut genotypes were evaluated under irrigated and terminal drought conditions. Data were recorded for physiological traits, total biomass, pod yield, Aspergillus flavus colonization and PAC. ICGV 98305, ICGV 98330, ICGV 98348, ICGV 98353 and Tifton-8 had low aflatoxin contamination in both years. Traits related to drought resistance were associated well with those related to PAC under drought conditions. Specific leaf area, relative water content, chlorophyll density and drought stress ratings are the best traits for use as indirect selection tools for lower PAC. Breeding for drought tolerance using these traits as selection criteria may help to accelerate progress in developing resistance to PAC.
Organic hydroponics induces systemic resistance against the air-borne pathogen, Botrytis cinerea (gray mould)

Here, we propose that organic hydroponics trigger induced systemic resistance (ISR) in lettuce against air-borne Botrytis cinerea, which causes gray mold. We compared effects of organic and chemical hydroponics, assessed presence of ISR elicitors in the hydroponic nutrient solution, and investigated molecular mechanism of ISR. Organic hydroponics significantly reduced gray mold lesions in lettuce (cultivated hydroponically) and cucumber (cultivated in soil and foliar sprayed with nutrient solution). The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase gene in lettuce and lipoxygenase and ethylene receptor-related gene in cucumber showed heightened expression, suggesting that the jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET)-signaling pathway was involved in ISR for both crops. Low salicylic acid β-glucoside levels confirmed role of the ISR signaling pathway. ISR in both lettuce and cucumbers indicated that elicitors in organic hydroponics were nonhost-specific and that the JA/ET pathway was activated without microbe–root interaction. Thus, organic hydroponics can be an effective method for both soil-borne and air-borne disease control.
Variation in the effects of vertebrate grazing on fire potential between grassland structural types.

1. Vegetation fires can have major social, economic and ecological consequences. Research into fire behaviour has aimed to give managers greater ability to predict and control fires. Fire and grazing are important and interacting disturbances in grasslands. Fire is known to widely affect grazing patterns, but the effects of grazing on the incidence of fire are less well known. There have been few tests of the idea that ‘grazing reduces blazing’, which has popular and political currency in some countries. This study addresses the hypothesis that grazing affects fire potential in native grasslands. 2. Paired grazed and ungrazed quadrats were established at five lawn and five tussock grassland sites. Fuel load, percentage dead fuel and the number of days sustaining fires where possible were compared between treatments. 3. In lawn grasslands, grazing markedly reduced fire potential through the removal of plant biomass and by preventing the vegetation escaping into the unpalatable and flammable tussock state. Grazing led to increased fire potential in tussock grasslands where animals selectively removed live shoots, leaving a high proportion of dead fuel. 4. The difference in flammability responses to grazing between lawn and tussock grassland appeared to be due to differences in palatability that in turn may relate to soil fertility and the constancy of intense grazing. These differences mean that grazing lawns and tussock grasslands are likely to be subject to differing disturbance regimes. This association between disturbance regime and vegetation structural type suggests that lawns and tussock grasslands represent alternative stable states within the grassland ecosystem. 5. Synthesis and applications. Grazing is only likely to reduce the probability of fire where the bulk of the vegetation consists of potential food for grazing animals. It is likely that the negative relationship between vegetation palatability and fire potential applies to grasslands generally and possibly to many other vegetation types. Grassland managers may need to manipulate disturbance regimes in order to maintain vegetation structural heterogeneity and thereby promote landscape-scale biodiversity.
Studies on Redesign and Solution Structure Determination of Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases and Redox Regulation of Phosphatases

Studies on Redesign and Solution Structure Determination of Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases and Redox Regulation of Phosphatases by Cheng-Yu Chen Department of Biochemistry Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Bruce R. Donald, Supervisor ___________________________ Pei Zhou ___________________________ Terrence Oas ___________________________ David Richardson ___________________________ Thomas LaBean An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Biochemistry in the Graduate School of Duke University 2013 Copyright by Cheng-Yu Chen 2013
Homing and Function of Human Skin γδ T Cells and NK Cells: Relevance for Tumor Surveillance

Normal (noninflamed) human skin contains a network of lymphocytes, but little is known about the homing and function of these cells. The majority of αβ T cells in normal skin express CCR8 and produce proinflammatory cytokines. In this study we examined other subsets of cutaneous lymphocytes, focusing on those with potential function in purging healthy tissue of transformed and stressed cells. Human dermal cell suspensions contained significant populations of Vδ1+ γδ T cells and CD56+CD16− NK cells, but lacked the subsets of Vδ2+ γδ T cells and CD56+CD16+ NK cells, which predominate in peripheral blood. The skin-homing receptors CCR8 and CLA were expressed by a large fraction of both cell types, whereas chemokine receptors associated with lymphocyte migration to inflamed skin were absent. Neither cell type expressed CCR7, although γδ T cells up-regulated this lymph node-homing receptor upon TCR triggering. Stimulation of cutaneous Vδ1+ γδ T cell lines induced secretion of large amounts of TNF-α, IFN-γ, and the CCR8 ligand CCL1. In contrast to cutaneous αβ T cells, both cell types had the capacity to produce intracellular perforin and displayed strong cytotoxic activity against melanoma cells. We therefore propose that γδ T cells and NK cells are regular constituents of normal human skin with potential function in the clearance of tumor and otherwise stressed tissue cells.
Phosphate Solubilization and Plant Growth Promotion by Crop Associated Bacteria

Fourteen bacterial strains were isolated from crop rhizosphere and identified as phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) by 16S rRNA analysis. Only 3 strains exhibited a strong ability to solubilize insoluble phosphate in agar medium containing a hydroxyapatite. The rates of P solubilization by isolates were ranged from 200 and 2300 mg L -1 , which are inversely correlated with pH in culture medium. Furthermore, HPLC analyses reveal the production of organic acid from the culture filtrates of PSB. Among these, strain Acinetobacter sp. released only gluconic acid, Pseudomonas orientalis produced gluconic acid which was subsequently converted into 2-ketogluconic acid, and Enterobacter asburiae released acetic acid and succinic acid. On the other hand, P. orientalis and E. asburiae released 372 mg L -1 and 191 mg L -1 of IAA into broth culture, respectively, while Acinetobacter sp. did not produce IAA. Furthermore, in vivo study showed that plant growth promoting effect by bacteria generally seemed to be increased IAA production and phosphate solubilization.
In vitro evaluation of chemicals, botanicals and bioagents against the bacterial blight of pomegranate caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an ancient fruit, belonging to the smallest botanical family Punicaceae, which is the native of Iran. It is regarded as the “Fruit of paradise”. It is one of the most adaptable subtropical minor fruit crops and its cultivation is increasing very rapidly. In India, it is regarded as a “vital cash crop”. Successful cultivation of pomegranate in recent years has met with different traumas such as pests and diseases. Among various diseases, bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae (Vauterin et al., 1995) is a major threat of pomegranate that reduces fruit quality to a greater extent.
BIOLOGY OF HILSA ILISHA (HAMILTON) FROM THE CHILKA LAKE WITH AN ACCOUNT ON ITS RACIAL STATUS

Hilsa ilisha, known locally as 'ilish', forms an important commercial fishery in the Chilka lake. Chaudhuri (1916) observed the occurrence of the fish in ths lake throughout the year, Jones and Sujansingani (1951) tentatively concluded from their study of hilsa fishery of the lake that inflow of water from the Daya river influences the fishery; greater flow of flood water inducing large number of spawning fish to migrate. They also reported that Chilka hilsa breeds in the lower reaches of Daya river
Control of IFN-αA by CD73: Implications for Mucosal Inflammation1

Inflammatory diseases influence tissue metabolism, altering regulation of extracellular adenine nucleotides, with a resultant protective influence of adenosine. Ecto-5′-nucleotidase (CD73) is a central surface enzyme generating extracellular adenosine. Thus, we hypothesized that CD73 is protective in mucosal inflammation as modeled by trinitrobenzene sulfonate (TNBS) colitis. Initial studies revealed a >3-fold induction of CD73 mRNA levels after TNBS colitis. Additionally, the severity of colitis was increased, as determined by weight loss and colonic shortening, in cd73−/− mice relative to cd73+/+ controls. Likewise, enteral administration of the selective CD73 inhibitor α,β-methylene ADP to cd73+/+ mice resulted in a similar increase in severity of TNBS colitis. Gene array profiling of cytokine mRNA expression, verified by real-time PCR, revealed a >90% down-regulation of IFN-αA in cd73−/− mice and α,β-methylene ADP-treated cd73+/+ mice, compared with cd73+/+ mice. Exogenous administration of recombinant IFN-αA partially protected TNBS-treated cd73−/− mice. Cytokine profiling revealed similar increases in both IFN-γ and TNF-α mRNA in colitic animals, independent of genotype. However, IL-10 mRNA increased in wild-type mice on day 3 after TNBS administration, whereas cd73−/− mice mounted no IL-10 response. This IL-10 response was restored in the cd73−/− mice by exogenous IFN-αA. Further cytokine profiling revealed that this IL-10 induction is preceded by a transient IFN-αA induction on day 2 after TNBS exposure. Together, these studies indicate a critical regulatory role for CD73-modulated IFNαA in the acute inflammatory phase of TNBS colitis, thereby implicating IFN-αA as a protective element of adenosine signaling during mucosal inflammation.