Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Some Micronutrient (Zn and Cu) Status of Fadama Soils under Cultivation in Bauchi, Nigeria

The status of Zn and Cu of two fadama soils under cultivation at Lushi and Federal Low-cost Housing Estate in Bauchi, Nigeria were determined between February and June, 2012. A total of 30 composite soil samples were collected from 0-15cm, 15-30cm and 30-45cm depths from purposively selected representative locations in the study area and analyzed using standard procedures. Particle size distribution of the soils showed clay loam texture. Soil pH was strongly acidic with mean values of 5.36 and 5.59 for Lushi and Federal Low-cost soils, respectively. Low levels of organic carbon (OC), available P, and exchangeable bases were observed. Though, soil content of Zn and Cu were low, values increased significantly (p<0.05) with soil depths at both Lushi and Federal Low-cost locations. The low mean values of these micronutrients at both Lushi (Zn=1.36mgKg -1 ; Cu=0.83mgKg -1 ) and Federal Low-cost (Zn=1.32mgKg -1 ; Cu=0.83mgKg -1 ) implied that soil amendments of Zn and Cu and/or application of appropriate quantities of key nutrient elements would enhance their availability for optimum yields of crops for the resource-poor farmer in the study area. Keywords : Micro nutrients, zinc, copper, fadama soils
Response of plates under statistically unsynchronized uniform random loads using Monte-Carlo simulation

Classic solutions of the responses of plates subjected to uniform random pressure are generally confined to simple boundary conditions where the assumed mode shape solutions are known. Even in those simple cases, response solutions have neglected the asymmetric modes for rectangular plates with symmetric boundary conditions due to mathematical limitations. To the best know;edge of the authors, the present paper presents for the first time the random response and fatigue life prediction for plates subjected to unsynchronized and statistically uncorrelated uniform random loads. A linear finite element formulation combined with the Monte Carlo simulation is employed to determine the stress response, and the stochastic Palmgrem-Miner reliability model is used for the fatigue analysis. A simply supported rectangular plate is studied first in detail to show the contributions of both symmetric and asymmetric modes due to the unsynchronized loading. A clampedsimply supported plate is analyzed next to show the versatility of the present approach. In both cases, a significant reduction on the responses and increase in fatigue life was observed as compared to corresponding results from the uniform synchronized loading condition. Results also include RMS displacement and stress values, power spectral densities, probability density functions, and rainflow plots. Computational burden due to the unsynchronized random pressure fluctuations required the use of parallel computing capabilities. Mathematical Subject Classification: 05C38, 15A15
Expression analysis of seed-specific genes in four angiosperm species with an emphasis on the unconserved expression patterns of homologous genes

Abstract Medicago truncatula, soybean (Glycine max), Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa) all belong to the core angiosperm group of plants. Seed-specific genes are important for seed formation and development in these angiosperms. The identification of genes specifically expressed in angiosperm seeds and the comparison of the expression patterns of homologous genes among different angiosperm species can provide novel insights into the functions of genes that control seed development and the evolution of angiosperms. We downloaded the sequences and expression data from the relevant databases, and the seed-specific expression of genes was identified with cut-offs of a gene expression level ratio ≥ 5 and a Z-score ≥ 6. The genes were analysed using local BLAST software with an E-value ≤ 1.0E − 505. A total of 605, 581, 778 and 722 genes showed specific expression in the seeds of Medicago, soybean, Arabidopsis and rice, respectively. Additionally, we compared the expression patterns of seed-specific genes from each species with their homologues in the other three species, and found that the degree of variation in the expression patterns of homologous genes was low among closely related species but higher among more distantly related ones. The discrepancy between the homologous gene expression patterns may be caused by the different characteristics of the cis-elements in the promoter regions of the homologous genes.
Nutritional quality of the fruit from the chanar tree (Geoffroea decorticans)

The morphological and chemical composition and nutritive properties of chanar seed were investigated. The mean pod weight and approximate percentage of pod pericarp, endocarp and seed were determined. Chanar seedlings were inoculated with Rhizobium mesquite and R. tesota and in each case were found to nodulate. The pericarp contained 4.8 percent protein, 1.3 percent fat, 17.2 percent fiber, 2.4 percent ash, 22.7 percent hemicellulose and 48.4 percent sugar, sucrose being the preponderant pericarp sugar. The seeds contained about 29.4 percent protein, 48.9 percent fat, 7.7 percent sugar and 10.5 percent hemicellulose. Linolenic and oleic were the preponderant fatty acids. The seed protein FAO chemical score was 65 with lysine the limiting amino acid followed by methionine + cysteine with a score of 66. Rats fed milled chanar pods lost weight and ate less than the control and had an adjusted PER of —3.97. The diet and nitrogen disgestibility were approximately 67 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively. Low l.
Concentration of Some Heavy Metals in Aquatic Macrophytes in Reservoir Near City Kragujevac (Serbia)

ABSTRACT In this study, concentration of metals (Fe, Mn, Cu and Pb) were investigated in some aquatic macrophytes (5 plants), mud and water in artificial lake Gruža near city Kragujevac (Serbia). The results obtained indicate important role of macrophytic vegetation in aquatic ecosystems, with respect of bioremediation and bioindication, and confirm presumption that chemical analysis of test-species can give very important data, which offer complete picture of ecological status of investigated aquatic ecosystem, and identify plant species that are well hyperaccumulators and test-species for remediation of mentioned pollutants. Aquatic macrophytes can be use in the study of ecological status of water ecosystems and in monitoring of metals and other pollutants, and theirs application can be possible in finding of solutions for problems of protection, sanation and revitalization of those areas.
OCCURENCE OF FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT OF WHEAT IN SLOVAKIA UNDER THE NATURAL INFECTION

Occurrence of Fusarium head blight (FHB) was documented during two consecutive years in June 2011-2012 under the natural conditions in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Observations were conducted at six different localities in four climatic regions in Slovakia. Incidence and severity of FHB were evaluated at the end of flowering stage in three replications. Each replication contained 100 spikes. These data served as a basis for FHB index calculations. Obtained FHB index values indicated that the environmental conditions of the year 2011 were more favourable to the development of FHB infection. Higher FHB index values were reached at localities with precipitation higher than 100% of long-term average. Although significantly higher incidence of heads with FHB symptoms was recorded in climatic region 02 – quite warm, dry, hilly, correlation between the climatic regions was not confirmed. Except of the climatic conditions, the FHB development can be influenced by nitrogen application. The highest levels of FHB index was in coincidence with the highest and the lowest nitrogen rates applied. In all other cases, the effect of the mineral nutrition on head blight attack was unclear. Analyses of nitrogen forms applied revealed that nitrogen forms had no impact on FHB index value.
Pregnancy and asymptomatic bacteriuria- A study from a tertiary care teaching hospital, Hyderabad

Introduction: Asymptomatic bacteriuria is found in 2 to 10% of pregnant women. Complications like acute pyelonephritis, postpartum UTI, hypertension, anemia, prematurity, low birth weight babies and prenatal death may occur if untreated. Hence early detection and treatment are of considerable importance. Materials and Methods: A crosssectional study was conducted for a period of one year. A clean catch midstream urine sample was collected from pregnant women as a part of routine antenatal screening. The samples were processed according to standard microbiological techniques –wet mount examination, gram staining, glucose test paper, culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Results: Of the 200 samples received from the study group, 28(14%) were culture positive. The prevalence of culture positivity was more in the third trimester (19.4%). The predominant organisms isolated were gram negative bacteria like Escherichia coli (35.7%) and Klebsiella spp (28.5%). Esch.coli and Klebsiella showed variable resistance to fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, betalactam and betalactam inhibitor combination. However the isolates of Esch.coli were sensitive to carbapenams and polymixins. Isolates of Klebsiella spp were sensitive to Polymixins. The predictive accuracy of different screening tests with culture was calculated. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of grams staining is more compared to urine wet mount examination and urine test paper method in early detection of bacteruria. Conclusion: Early detection and treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria is of considerable importance as 40% of asymptomatic cases develop into pyelonephritis The choice of antibiotic should be based on urine culture, stage of gestation, clinical data and the characteristics of the antibiotic.
The life history of Salicaceae living in the active zone of floodplains

1. Exposed riverine sediments are difficult substrata for seedling establishment because of extremes in the microclimate, poor soil conditions and frequent habitat turnover. Various species of willows and poplars (Salicaceae) appear to be particularly successful in colonising such sediments and are often dominant in floodplain habitats throughout the northern temperate zone. 2. In many Salicaceae regeneration seems to be adapted to regular disturbance by flooding. Efficient seed dispersal is achieved by the production of abundant seed in spring and early summer, which are dispersed by air and water. Seeds are short-lived and germinate immediately on moist surfaces. Seedling establishment is only possible if these surfaces stay moist and undisturbed for a sufficient period of time. 3. Larger plants of Salicaceae have exceptional mechanical properties, such as high bending stability, which enable them to withstand moderate floods. If uprooted, washed away or fragmented by more powerful floods these plants re-sprout vigorously. 4. While these life characteristics can be interpreted as adaptations to the floodplain environment, they may also cause a high genetic variability in populations of Salicaceae and predispose Salicaceae to hybridization. Thus, a feed back between adaptive life history characteristics and the evolutionary process is proposed.
Body mass change strategies in blackbirds Turdus merula: the starvation–predation risk trade‐off

Summary 1. It is theoretically well established that body mass in birds is the consequence of a trade-off between starvation risk and predation risk. There are, however, no studies of mass variation from sufficiently large wild populations to model in detail the range of diurnal and seasonal mass change patterns in natural populations and how these are linked to the complex environmental and biological variables that may affect the trade-off. 2. This study used data on 17 000 individual blackbirds Turdus merula to model how mass changes diurnally and seasonally over the whole year and over a wide geographical area. Mass change was modelled in respect of temperature, rainfall, day length, geographical location, time of day and time of year and the results show how these mass changes vary with individual size, age and sex. 3. The hypothesis that seasonal mass is optimized over the year and changes in line with predictors of foraging uncertainty was tested. As theory predicts, reduced day length and reduced temperature result in increased mass and the expected seasonal peak of mass in midwinter. 4. The hypothesis that diurnal mass gain is optimized in terms of starvation‐predation risk trade-off theory was also tested. The results provide the first empirical evidence for intraspecies seasonal changes in diurnal mass gain patterns. These changes are consistent with shifts in the relative importance of starvation risk and predation risk and with the theory of mass-dependent predation risk. 5. In winter most mass was gained in the morning, consistent with reducing starvation risk. In contrast, during the August‐November non-breeding period a bimodal pattern of mass gain, with increases just after dawn and before dusk, was adopted and the majority of mass gain occurred at the end of the day consistent with reducing massdependent predation risk. The bimodal diurnal mass gain pattern described here is the first evidence that bird species in the wild gain mass in this theoretically predicted pattern.
Community Stability and the Strategy of Biological Control

Abstract Community organization is defined as the mean number of trophic links connecting species of different trophic levels in a community. For the special purposes of this paper, competition is assumed to occur whenever two species are known to eat the same food species. Community stability is defined as the reciprocal of the mean, for all species, of the standard error of logarithms of annual collection sizes. It is thus a measure of stability over time of the species populations in a community. Several authors writing about the relationship between community organization and community stability have insisted that the stability of a complex ecological system increases with the number of avenues by which energy can flow through it. This theory does not seem consistent with the observation that some insect pest species of notorious instability are attacked by a great number of entomophagous species. In this paper we seek additional evidence bearing on the relationship between community organization and stability, using computer analysis of data collected by the Canadian Forest Insect Survey on forest Macrolepidoptera and their food plants. After considering our results, and those of other workers, we postulate the following hypothesis. Stability at any herbivore or carnivore trophic level increases with the number of competitor species at that level, decreases with the number of competitor species that feed upon it, and decreases with the proportion of the environment containing useful food. If this hypothesis is valid, too much competition in the entomophagous trophic level will not allow the species in that level to be instable enough to control an unstable pest. Therefore, the best type of biological control agent is one that has no direct competitor species. Also, the most unstable biological control agents, and hence those capable of controlling an unstable pest, will be polyphagous.
Ecology of body size in Drosophila buzzatii: untangling the effects of temperature and nutrition

Abstract. 1 A method of separating the effects of two important determinants of body size in natural populations, temperature of larval development and level of larval nutrition, by making measurements of thorax length and wing length of adult flies is investigated. 2 I show that at any given time variation in body size of Drosophila buzzatii from two sites in eastern Australia is determined primarily by variation in the quality of nutrition available to larvae. 3 Throughout the year adult flies are consistently at least 25% smaller in volume than predicted for optimal nutrition at their predicted temperature of larval development. 4 Nutritional stress is therefore a year‐round problem for these flies. 5 Measurements of adult flies emerging from individual breeding substrates (rotting cactus cladodes) show that there is substantial variation among these substrates in the nutrition available to larvae. 6 This method will allow study of spatial and temporal variation in the temperature of larval substrates and in the nutritional resources available to flies in natural populations.
The uptake of glucose, fructose and sucrose into the lower epidermis of leaf discs of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Argenteum)

SUMMARY The pea mutant, Pisum sativum L. cv. Argenteum, has been used to investigate the sugar uptake characteristics of leaf epidermal tissue. The uptake rates from either 1 mol m−3 glucose, fructose or sucrose into whole leaf discs of cv. Argenteum and of P. sativum cv. Onward were very similar; uptake was linear over a 3 h period, with glucose taken up faster than the other two sugars in both cultivars. A similar pattern for uptake was observed into the lower epidermis of cv. Argenteum. Furthermore, uptake from 1 mol m−3 3-O-methylglucose was markedly slower than from 1 mol m−3 glucose. The epidermal tissue showed some day to day variation in uptake rates; however, the basic pattern of uptake was consistent. Kinetic analysis of sugar uptake revealed the presence of two transport components. At concentrations greater than 1 mol m−3 a linear component predominated with fructose entering the epidermis faster than glucose and sucrose. An increase in the pH of the exogenous medium from 5 to 8 caused a slight but steady drop in the rate of uptake of glucose, fructose and sucrose; glucose uptake had a pH optimum of about 5. Glucose and fructose competed with one another and also with sucrose for uptake into the epidermis. Sucrose was not, however, an effective competitor against glucose and fructose. The uptake of glucose, fructose and sucrose was inhibited by about 20–30 % by 0.05 mol m−3 erythrosin B and 1 mol m−3 parachloro-mercuribenzene sulphonic acid (PCMBS). Carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) at 0.05 mol m−3inhibited the uptake of glucose and fructose (60–70%) but did not substantially inhibit sucrose uptake.
Effects of concentrate feeding systems, genotype and sex on productive performance and meat quality of Norwegian lambs

Abstract Two factorial experiments, I and II, were carried out in this study using 84 lambs (140±1.24 days old, 40.00±0.75 kg live weight) divided into six groups. Two levels of concentrate supplementation; restricted (0.4 kg concentrate/lamb/day) or ad libitum, two breed types; Norwegian White lamb or Nor-X and two sex types; ram or ewe lambs, were investigated. In experiment I, a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments (level of supplementation, sex, and breed) was imposed whereas a 2×2 arrangement of treatments (level of supplementation and breeds) was studied in Experiment II. Each of the two experiments lasted for four weeks. Lambs on ad libitum access to concentrate grew at 231 g d–1 and 125 g d–1 faster than those on restricted access in Experiment I and II, respectively. Moreover, ram lambs grew at 64 g d–1 faster than ewe lambs. Lambs on ad libitum access to concentrate had about 5 kg heavier carcasses than that on restricted access. Ewe and ram lambs on ad libitum allowance to concentrate had 4.2 kg and 5.6 kg, respectively, higher carcass weight than those on restricted allowance. The two levels of concentrate supplementation had limited effects on the meat sensory qualities. Meat taste intensity increased with level of concentrate supplementation. Difference in meat tenderness between ram and ewe lambs was only evidenced on ad libitum concentrate feeding. Irrespective of stage of growth (Experiment I vs. II) and concentrate supplementation level, Nor-X lambs were superior to Norwegian White lambs with respect to carcass conformation scores. Based on results from sensory assessments of meat, ram lambs should be slaughtered before October to avoid off-flavour on meat.
Concentration of Lead and Cadmium in the Fosu Lagoon and its Health Implications on Lagoon Fishermen

Many ecosystems around the world are encountering environmental problems as a result of man’s activities. Such ecosystems include lagoons of which the Fosu lagoon is no exception. It has been asserted that the lagoon water is polluted with heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Fish muscles are also polluted with lead and cadmium. This study sought out to investigate lead and cadmium effects of tilapia consumption on the health of fishermen who fished in the lagoon. It also looked at health effects resulting from standing in the lagoon for fishing purposes. Health conditions investigated include infertility, cancer, painful bones, Burton line, wrist drop, cognitive deficiency among respondents’ children and skin diseases. Sixty fishermen were sampled for the study. The purposive and snowball sampling methods were used in the sampling process. Open and closed ended questions in a questionnaire were employed. Interview and observation techniques were also employed. The descriptive method of analysis was utilized using the SPSS software program. Results from the study revealed that fishermen who fished in the lagoon might be at risk of painful bone conditions and wrist drop due to lead and cadmium pollution of tilapia in the lagoon. While 28.3 percent had been diagnosed of wrist drop, over 33 percent had also been diagnosed of painful bones on more than one occasion. Fishermen might also be at risk of skin infections as a result of dermal contact with lagoon water. Thirty-five percent had at least, on one occasion or the other, been diagnosed of skin-related diseases. The study recommends that medical personnel, particularly doctors, should be involved in educating the fishermen concerning the risks involved in the consumption of tilapia from, as well as fishing in, the lagoon. Keywords: diseases; environmental health; fishing; pollution; tilapia fish-muscle.
Sphingosine 1-phosphate acts as a signal molecule in ceramide signal transduction of TNF-α-induced activator protein-1 in osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 cells

We previously demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α stimulated the production of activation protein (AP)-1, a transcriptional factor, in mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Recent studies have shown the importance of ceramide and its metabolites as signal molecules for TNF-α-induced gene expression in several cell types. Therefore, our interest was to investigate whether sphingosine metabolites are involved in TNF-α-induced signaling in MC3T3-E1 cells. DL-threo-1-phenyl-2-hexadecanoyl- amino-3-pyrrolidino-1-propanol (PPPP), which causes accumulation of intracellular ceramide, stimulated the TNF-α-induced expression of the c-fos and c-jun genes. Gel shift assay clearly showed that PPPP increased the cytokine-induced specific binding of nuclear proteins to the 12-tetra-decanoyl phorbol 13-acetate-responsive element (TRE), a consensus sequence for AP-1. In addition, cell-permeable ceramide (N-acetylsphingosine, N-hexanoylsphingosine or N-octanoylsphingosine) stimulated expression of the c-fos and c-jun genes and nuclear protein binding to TRE. Interestingly, DL- threo-dihydrosphingosine (DHS), an inhibitor of sphingosine kinase, clearly blocked the ceramide analogue-induced stimulation. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (SPP) actually induced expression of these oncogenes and activated AP-1. Although TNF-α stimulated the AP-1-mediated expression of the monocyte chemoattractant JE/MCP-1, this stimulation was inhibited by DHS. SPP also stimulated JE/MCP-1 gene expression. The present study thus suggests that SPP acts as a signal molecule in ceramide-dependent signal transduction in TNF-α-induced AP-1 in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. (J. Oral Sci. 47, 43-51, 2005)