Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) using some plant species in Ahvaz region.

Air pollution is one of the main environmental problems in many cities around the world. Controlling this kind of pollution is more complex than other environmental challenges. Many plants can absorb and save some of the environmental pollutants through their leaves. Therefore, air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was tested in polluted and blank areas in six plant species, namely, Conocarpus, Myrtus, Prosopis, Eucalyptus, Ziziphus, and Lebbek, which are abundant in the Ahvaz region during 2014. Dust deposition on leaf surfaces was determined to observe the extent of particulate deposition. The highest and the lowest deposition rates were observed in Myrtus (maximum 80.3 g.m-2 in polluted site) and Lebbek (minimum 10.7 g.m-2 in blank site), respectively. The APTI was calculated to be 4.97 for Prosopis, 5.25 for Ziziphus, 6.24 for Lebbek, 6.59 for Conocarpus, 6.77 for Eucalyptus and 7.80 for Myrtus in blank site and 4.57 for Prosopis, 4.82 for Ziziphus, 5.79 for Lebbek, 5.84 for Eucalyptus, 6.30 for Conocarpus and 7.21 for Myrtus in the polluted area at the end of study. The APTI showed that Myrtus is resistant to plant pollution, whereas Prosopis is sensitive to plant pollution. In addition, the results of assessment of the above mentioned index showed that plants with higher APTI can be used as reducers of pollution and plants with lower APTI can be used to measure air pollution.
Implications of oxidative stress in the mammalian ovary and embryo)

Reactive oxygen (ROS) or nitrogen (RNS) species or free radicals are products of normal organic metabolism and their accumulation can generate the oxidative stress. Then, this stress causes cellular damage, leading to death. This process is involved with cellular degeneration and/or apoptosis during embryos development and in different organs, such as the mammalian ovary. In murine ovary, ROS are produced during luteal regression and they are involved in the process of follicular activation and spontaneous meiosis resumption in oocytes. Although these are physiological processes, accumulation of free radicals in the mammalian ovary may unchain pathologies. In the embryo, free radicals are normally produced due to normal metabolism. However, in in vitro environment with high oxygen concentrations, embryo development can be damaged. Nitric oxide is considered a free radical and takes part in pathologic and physiologic processes, such as inflammation, ovulation, embryo implantation and uterine contraction. To protect the biological systems from cellular damage caused by free radicals, the organism uses enzymatic mechanism, which involves, for instance, catalase, susperoxide-dismutase and glutation peroxidase and others that include antioxidants substances, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene, etc.
Microbicide Activity of Two Reptilian Antimicrobial Peptides on Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria

Previous in-vivo studies have isolated and identified peptides with typical molecular anti-microbial characteristics in reptiles. In the present study we have tested the putative antimicrobial action of a lizard cathelicidin and of a turtle beta-defensin using the broth microdilution assay on Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The addition of the peptides at concentrations indicatively ranging between 0.05-1.9 mg/ml (cathelicidin) and 0.69-4.14 mg/ml (betadefensin) inhibited bacterial growth after 3 hours of incubation as determined by their MIC and IC50 values. Due to the poor solubility and the medium interference the real concentration of the delivered peptides to the bacterial cultures was uncertain. The qualitative evaluation of the anti-microbial damage after treatment with the peptides was done under the electron microscope that showed some alteration and rupture in the plasma membrane, lowering of the ribosomes, swelling and clumping in nucleoid region of Gram negative (E. coli) and Gram positive (S. aureus) bacteria. Immunogold labeling against the two peptides indicated that the peptides were localized not only on the plasma membrane and in cytoplasm of the treated bacteria, but also in the nucleoid region and its protein scaffold. The present ultrastructural study suggests that these peptides operate a cellular damage initially on the plasma membrane but further also in the ribosomes and on the DNA or its associated proteins.
Inhibition of Amino Acid Decarboxylase Activity of Enterobacter aerogenes by Active Components in Spices.

The water and ethanol extracts of several commercially available spices were examined for their inhibitory action on the decarboxylase activity of a crude extract of Enterobacter aerogenes . The water extracts had a negligible effect on histidine decarboxylase activity, except for water extract of cloves which reduced the activity by about 40%. However, the ethanol extracts had a rather higher inhibitory action upon histidine, lysine, and ornithine decarboxylases. Of the spices used, cloves, cinnamon, sage, nutmeg, and allspice were very effective in inhibiting the decarboxylases. Among the components of those spices, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol were found to be effective inhibitors.
The influence of overstory trees and abiotic factors on the sapling community in an old-growth Fagus-Acer forest

Abstract We examine the influence of overstory trees and abiotic environmental factors on the patterns of spatial variation and species composition in the sapling community of an old-growth Fagus-Acer forest in southwestern Québec, Canada. Our main focus was to identify differences in the sapling distribution patterns of Fagus grandifolia and Acer saccharum, the two codominant species in the overstory, as well as the factors that determine the differences. Using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), we show that soil moisture has the strongest influence on the spatial variation and species composition of the sapling community. Acer saccharum occurred on a wide range of soil moisture conditions, while Fagus grandifolia saplings were absent in dry habitats. Another factor that differentiates the distribution patterns of Fagus grandifolia and Acer saccharum saplings is the relative dominance of Fagus grandifolia trees in the overstory, which correlates negatively with pH and Ca availability in the forest floor. Acer saccharum saplings were not found on sites where Fagus grandifolia trees dominate the overstory, while Fagus grandifolia saplings are mostly limited to sites where Fagus grandifolia trees have high representation in the overstory. These findings are discussed in light of previous hypotheses on canopy tree replacement patterns in Fagus-Acer forests.
Review on Natural Growth Promoters Available for Improving Gut Health of Poultry: An Alternative to Antibiotic Growth Promoters

Gut health' is a term currently gaining much more attentions in veterinary literature especially in poultry. It covers multiple positive aspects of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as the effective digestion by absorption of food, absence of GI illness, normal and stable intestinal microbiota, effective immune status and a state of well-being. Any disturbance or imbalance in above said aspects may influence the gut health. Thus it is necessary to maintain the balance of all possible associated factors related to gut health. Although till date this is being achieved in poultry farming by Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGPs). However, the growing concern over the transmission and the proliferation of resistant bacteria in human via the food chain has led to a ban of Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGP) in livestock feed within the European Union since, 2006. As a result, new commercial additives derived from nature have been examined as part of alternative feed strategies for the future. Such products have several advantages over commonly used commercial antibiotics since they are residue free and recognized as safe items in the food industry. Certain natural alternatives recognized by scientific community as Natural Growth Promoters (NGPs) to preserve and maintain the balance of gut microbiota in poultry are summarized in present communication. The article is also enriched with possible mechanisms of action of NGPs with relevant examples by citing research results obtained by various authors in past and current years.
Weed persistence, crop resistance and phytotonic effects of herbicides in direct-seeded rice

Results of experiment conducted during Kharif season of 2010 and 2011 with ten different herbicides and combinations on yield of direct seeded rice revealed that crop resistance index and agronomic management index were maximum in hand weeding treatment followed by fenoxaprop + (chororimuron + metsulfuron) and cyhalofop butyl +(chlorimuron + metsulfuron). Weed persistence index was also maximum in Hand weeding treatment followed by cyhalofopbutyl and pyrazosulfuron. Hand weeding treatment has maximum phytotonic effect followed by fenoxaprop + (chororimuron + metsulfuron) and cyhalofop butyl + (chlorimuron + metsulfuron). Fenoxaprop + (chororimuron + metsulfuron) and cyhalofop butyl + (chlorimuron + metsulfuron) were best herbicides for direct seeded rice from economics and environmental point of view. Fenoxaprop + (chororimuron + metsulfuron) and cyhalofop butyl + (chlorimuron + metsulfuron) have recorded lower persistence of escaped weeds indicating broad spectrum effect in controlling the weeds
Chlorophyll catabolism in Chlorella protothecoides. VIII: Facts and artefacts

O(13 4 )-demethyl-10,22-dihydro-4,5-dioxo-4,5-seco-21H,23H-pheophorbide a and b (3a and 3b, respectively) are the primary products of cleavage of the chlorophyll macrocycle which are present in substantial amounts (up to 60% of the estimated initial chlorophyll content in the incubated cells) in the culture medium of bleaching Chlorella protothecoides. Other red tetrapyrrolic pigments previously isolated from the culture medium of this microalgae are formed by chemical transformation of 3a and 3b. Thus, as loss of the carboxy group at C(13 2 ) takes place readily when the isolation of the pigments is carried out in acidic medium, the formation of the corresponding pyropheophorbide derivatives is most likely not an enzymatically catalysed step in chlorophyll catabolism. On the other hand, the main chlorophyll a degradation product 7a, which had been isolated previously from C. protothecoides cultures, can be transformed chemically, in two biomimetic reaction steps, into a colourless tetrapyrrolic compound 12, the structure of which corresponds (except for some peripheral substituents) to that of the chlorophyll a catabolites isolated from dark-bleached primary leaves of barley and from senescent rape cotyledons in other research groups. Thus, a common pathway may be suggested, as a working hypothesis, for the enzymatic degradation of chlorophylls in both chlorophytes and phanerogames.
Application of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy to the nutritional assessment of tree leaves as potential protein supplements for ruminants

The utility of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as a rapid nutritional evaluation tool is not yet fully defined for a number of non-conventional feedstuffs, which are considered to be of low economic value. This study was designed to calibrate and validate the NIRS technique as a potential tool to predict the nutritional value of browse leaves for ruminant animals. Acacia erioloba (E. Mey), A. nilotica (L. Delile) and Ziziphus mucronata (Willd) leaf samples were harvested, dried and milled (2 mm sieve) before being scanned (32 scans per spectra) from 1100 to 2500 nm with spectra being recorded at intervals of 2 nm using a SpectraStar XL. Spectral data were recorded in diffuse reflectance as log (1/R). The samples were then analysed for chemical composition, buffer-soluble nitrogen, and in vitro ruminal N degradation to generate reference values. Reference values for all samples were imported into the NIRS spectral data file and used to develop calibration equations. Data analysis and calibration were done with a UCal software (Unity Scientific, Australia). Calibration models were externally validated using reference values from an independent set of browse leaves. Total nitrogen (N) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) content showed good calibration statistics with high R2 values of 0.988 and 0.991; and standard error of calibration (SEC) of 0.452 and 13.628, respectively. Calibration models explained 42.8 % and 77.5% of the variation in N degradability at 24 hours of incubation (ND24) and at 36 hours (ND36). External validation showed that calibration models were able to predict the total N content of independent samples with R^2 and standard error of prediction (SEP) values of 0.82 and 18.19, respectively. However, for all the other nutritional parameters, validation statistics were poor with very low R^2 and high SEP values. It was, therefore, concluded that the NIRS models developed in this study can be used to accurately determine total N in browse leaves but not in vitro ruminal N degradability.
Virtual laboratories in science education: students’ motivation and experiences in two tertiary biology courses

Abstract Potential benefits of simulations and virtual laboratory exercises in natural sciences have been both theorised and studied recently. This study reports findings from a pilot study on student attitude, motivation and self-efficacy when using the virtual laboratory programme Labster. The programme allows interactive learning about the workflows and procedures of biological and biochemical experiments, the operation of relevant apparatuses, including the ability to adjust parameters, and the production of results. The programme was used as supplement to mandatory laboratory exercises in two undergraduate courses (i. microbiology and ii. pharmaceutical toxicology) at the University of Southern Denmark. With a theoretical basis in motivational theories, students’ (n = 73) motivation and attitude towards the virtual exercises were evaluated. After completing virtual laboratory cases, the students felt significantly more confident and comfortable operating laboratory equipment, but they did not feel more motivated to engage in virtual laboratories compared to real laboratories. Teachers observed that students were able to participate in discussions at higher levels than in previous years where the programme was not used. The study concludes that virtual laboratories have the potential to improve students’ pre-laboratory preparation.
The influence of facultative endosymbionts on honeydew carbohydrate and amino acid composition of the black bean aphid Aphis fabae

The facultative endosymbionts Hamiltonella defensa and Regiella insecticola are commonly found in aphids. They are linked with various ecological benefits but generally occur at low prevalence, which indicates a possible harbouring cost. Little is known about how the presence of facultative endosymbionts is reflected in honeydew composition. Honeydew is the key mediator of the mutualism between aphids and their tending ants. The present study examines whether endosymbionts have an influence on aphid honeydew quality by comparing the amino acid and carbohydrate concentrations between infected and uninfected aphids. To this end, two genetic lines of the aphid Aphis fabae Scopoli are experimentally infected with different strains of Hamiltonella and Regiella. Infected aphids are shown to have reduced concentrations of amino acids in the honeydew compared with uninfected aphids. However, the presence of endosymbionts has no effect on the absolute amount of carbohydrates produced. Nevertheless, interclonal variation in honeydew composition between aphid genotypes is observed for both carbohydrate and amino acid production. These results imply that the nutritional value of honeydew depends on aphid genotype, as well as on the presence of secondary bacterial endosymbionts, which suggests that there is a physiological cost of harbouring endosymbionts and which could also impact aphid attractiveness to tending ants.
Influences of gibberellin and auxin on endogenous plant hormone and starch mobilization during rice seed germination under salt stress

The soaking effects of two plant hormones, gibberellic acid (GA 3) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on dehulled rice seeds exposed to low NaCl stress were investigated. Total soluble and reducing sugars in endosperms of rice seeds soaked with GA 3 (10 &M) increased gradually as germination progressed under low NaCl stress. This increase was more pronounced in IAA-soaked rice seeds than in GA 3-soaked rice seeds. Similarity of +-amylase activity in IAA-soaked germinating rice seeds was much more stimulated than that soaked with GA 3. IAA- and GA 3-soaked rice seeds showed relatively high amounts of endogenous IAA under salt stress. In particular, IAA content increased more in GA 3-soaked rice seeds than in IAA-soaked rice seeds. Furthermore, gibberellin content in IAA-soaked rice seeds showed the highest concentrations among all the treatments. It suggests that recovery effect in starch mobilization and root elongation is in some part regulated by soaking treatment of plant hormones under lower salt stress in rice seed germination.
Taxonomic diversity estimation using rarefaction

Benthic ecologists have successfully applied rarefaction techniques to the problem of compensating for the effect of sample size on apparent species diversity (= species richness). The same method can be used in studies of diversity at higher taxonomic levels (families and orders) in the fossil record where samples represent world-wide distributions of species or genera over long periods of geologic time. Application of rarefaction to several large samples of post-Paleozoic echinoids (totaling 7,911 species) confirms the utility of the method. Rarefaction shows that the observed increase in the number of echinoid families since the Paleozoic is real in the sense that it cannot be explained solely by the increase in numbers of preserved species. There has been no statistically significant increase in the number of families since mid-Cretaceous, however. At the order level, echinoid diversity may have been nearly constant since late Triassic or early Jurassic.
Smutgrass (Sporobolus poiretii) Control in South Florida

Various chemical and cultural treatments were evaluated for smutgrass [Sporobolus poiretii (R.&S.) Hitchc], control and their effects on pangolagrass (Digitaria decumbens Stent.) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge). Herbicide treatments were dalapon (2,2-dichloropropionic acid) at 1.7, 3.3, and 5.0 kg/ha with Sunoco HE spraying oil at 0, 9.4, 19.0 and 37.0 L/ha. Five weeks after herbicide treatment plots were clipped (clipped vs. nonclipped) and fertilized (0 vs. 112 kg/ha N). Increasing dalapon from 1.7 to 5.0 kg/ha increased smutgrass control and decreased the number of smutgrass plants/plot. Pangolagrass ground cover generally increased with fertilization, as the rate of dalapon increased up to 3.9 kg/ha. Bahiagrass ground cover decreased with rates of dalapon above 1.7 kg/ha. Increasing the rate of oil increased bahiagrass ground cover after 90 days. Nitrogen applied 5 weeks after dalapon treatment and semi-annually for 5 yr generally decreased ground cover of smutgrass and bahiagrass, but increased pangolagrass. Clipping treated smutgrass plants increased pangolagrass and bahiagrass ground cover while decreasing the ground cover of smutgrass.
Expression of antimicrobial peptides in recurrent adenotonsillitis

Abstract Background Recurrent acute tonsillitis is one of the most frequent otorhinolaryngology clinic referrals, yet its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Antimicrobial cationic peptides are components of the innate system. They are generally small, highly positively charged peptides with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity which function as the body’s “natural antibiotics”. Our aim is to investigate the role of antimicrobial cationic peptides in the susceptibility of patients to recurrent acute tonsillitis. Materials and methods The study is done with 100 children who had a history of recurrent adenotonsillitis as subject group and 100 children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy as control group. Tonsillar and adenoid tissues are dissected into parts as deep and surface epithelium and investigated semiquantitatively with immunohistochemistry. Human beta defensin (hBD) 1–3 and cathelecidin (LL-37) levels are compared with microscopically. Results Immunohistochemistry revealed a strong expression of hBD-1, hBD-2 and hBD-3 in tonsillar tissue. Quantification of hBD-1, hBD-2 and hBD-3 expressions are shown more in tonsillar tissue than in adenoids. LL-37 is one of the antimicrobial peptides found in human tonsillar tissue and adenoids, that participates in the innate immune system of these tissues. Statistically, hBD-1, hBD-3 and LL-37 expressions were different in recurrent tonsillitis tissue than control (p<0.05). Moreover hBD-2 expression was different in adenoid tissue than control (p<0.05). Conclusion Antimicrobial peptides have key role in adenotonsillar infections and this defense mechanism increases susceptibility to recurrent infections in upper respiratory tract.
Effect of Azilsartan, Aliskiren or Their Combination on Body Weight and Adipogenesis of High-fat Diet Induced Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of many diseases including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aims to evaluate the effects of blocking RAS with azilsartan, aliskiren or their combination on the body weight and adipogenesis in rat’s model of NAFLD. Thirty-two rats were allocated into four groups and treated with either vehicle, azilsartan, aliskiren or their combination. All groups were maintained on high-fat diet for 60 days, and their body weights were monitored each 3 days. At the end of treatment all animals were authenticated and visceral adipose tissues obtained and weighed. Azilsartan attenuates both the increase in total body and adipose tissue weight compared with control, while azilsartan alone affects adipogenesis only. In conclusion, Administration of azilsartan attenuates adipogenesis and obesity in rat’s model of high-fat diet induced NAFLD, while aliskiren affects adipogenesis only.
Virus Status, Varroa Levels, and Survival of 20 Managed Honey Bee Colonies Monitored in Luxembourg Between the Summer of 2011 and the Spring of 2013

Abstract Twenty managed honey bee colonies, split between 5 apiaries with 4 hives each, were monitored between the summer of 2011 and spring of 2013. Living bees were sampled in July 2011, July 2012, and August 2012. Twenty-five, medium-aged bees, free of varroa mites, were pooled per colony and date, to form one sample. Unlike in France and Belgium, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV) has not been found in Luxembourg. Slow Bee Paralysis Virus (SBPV) and Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) levels were below detection limits. Traces of Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV) were amplified. Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), Varroa destructor Virus-1 (VDV-1), and SacBrood Virus (SBV) were detected in all samples and are reported from Luxembourg for the first time. Varroa destructor Macula- Like Virus (VdMLV), Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), and Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV) were detected at all locations, and in most but not all samples. There was a significant increase in VDV-1 and DWV levels within the observation period. A principal component analysis was unable to separate the bees of colonies that survived the following winter from bees that died, based on their virus contents in summer. The number of dead varroa mites found below colonies was elevated in colonies that died in the following winter. Significant positive relationships were found between the log-transformed virus levels of the bees and the log-transformed number of mites found below the colonies per week, for VDV-1 and DWV. Sacbrood virus levels were independent of varroa levels, suggesting a neutral or competitive relationship between this virus and varroa.