Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protective effect of hesperidin against γ-radiation induced oxidative stress in Sprague-Dawley rats

The high risk of human exposure to ionizing radiations during radiation therapy and also during space travel underscores the need to develop novel radioprotectors with improved efficacy. Increased oxidative stress and antioxidant deficit have been suggested to play a major role in radiation induced toxicity, and hence maintaining an antioxidant balance through dietary supplementation might provide beneficial effects during radiation exposure. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of hesperidin, a flavanone glycoside found in citrus plants, on the antioxidant defense system and lipid peroxidation against γ-radiation induced damage in rats. Exposure of rats to γ-radiation (5 Gy) resulted in tissue damage characterized by significantly elevated levels of serum marker enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, and CPK) and a decrease in their activities in the heart tissue. γ-Radiation induced oxidative stress was observed by elevated levels of lipid peroxidation and a decrease in the activities of endogenous antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH) in the heart and kidney of rats. Post-treatment with hesperidin (50 and 100 mg/kg bw/day, orally) for 7 days following exposure to γ-radiation significantly attenuated these changes when compared to the radiation exposed groups. Histopathological examination of the heart tissue of rats exposed to γ-radiation and treated with hesperidin also showed minimal damage when compared to those exposed to γ-radiation alone. These findings indicate the protective effect of hesperidin on lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant tissue defense system during γ-radiation induced tissue damage in rats.
Highly Endangered African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) Lack Variation at the Major Histocompatibility Complex

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a set of highly polymorphic genes involved in the immune response. Extensive research on the canid MHC has found moderate-to-high levels of diversity at the DLA-DRB1, DLA-DRA, DLADQA1, and DLA-DQB1 class II loci with frequent transspecific polymorphism among Canis species. In this study, we assessed MHC variation in the more distantly related and highly endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). We screened 168 African wild dogs from Eastern and Southern Africa as well as 200 samples from the European captive population for variation at MHC class II loci. As for all other canids screened to date, we found a single allele at DLA-DRA, which was the same as that found in Canis species. In contrast, we found 17 DLA-DRB1 alleles, one DLA-DQA1 allele, and two DLADQB1 alleles, all of which were unique to African wild dogs. At DLA-DRB1, African wild dogs were found to have comparable numbers of alleles but less overall amino acid variation than other canids. However, the low numbers of alleles at DLA-DQA1 and DLA-DQB1 are surprising, given that in other canids, these loci are also highly variable. Overall, our data suggest that African wild dogs are genetically depauperate at the MHC relative to other canids. These data are indicative of a loss of genetic variation, possibly as a result of population bottlenecks and declines experienced by this species.
Learning and memory in the honeybee

Insects are favorable subjects for neuroethological studies. Their nervous systems are relatively small and contain many individually identifiable cells. The CNS is highly compartmentalized with clear separations between multisensory higher order neuropiles in the brain and neuropiles serving sensory-motor routines in the ventral cord (Huber, 1974). The rich behavior of insects includes orientation in space and time, visual, chemical, and mechanical communication, and complex motor routines for flying, walking, swimming, nest building, defense, and attack. Learning and memory, though, are not usually considered to be a strong point of insects. Rather, insect behavior is often regarded as highly stereotyped and under tight control of genetically programmed neural circuits. This view, however, does not do justice to the insect order of Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants). Most Hymenopteran species care for their brood either as individual females or as a social group of females. Consequently, they regularly return to their nest site to feed, protect, and nurse the larvae, store food, and hide from adverse environmental conditions. Since they search for food (prey; nectar and pollen on flowers) at unpredictable sites, they have to learn the celestial and terrestrial cues that guide their foraging trips over long distances and allow them to find their nest sites (central place foraging; von Frisch, 1967; Seeley, 1985). They learn to relate the sun's position and sky pattern of polarized light to the time of the day (Lindauer, 1959), and landmarks are learned in relationship to the nest site within the framework of the time- compensated sun compass. The honeybee communicates direction and distance of a feeding place to hive mates by performing a ritualized body movement, the waggle dance (von Frisch, 1967). Associative learning is an essential component of the bee's central place foraging behavior and dance communication. Hive mates attending a dance performance learn the odor emanating from the dancing bee and seek it at the indicated food site. The odor, color, and shape of flowers are learned when the bee experiences these stimuli shortly before it finds food (nectar, pollen). This appetitive learning in bees has many characteristics of associative learning well known from mammalian learning studies (Menzel, 1985, 1990; Bitterman, 1988). It follows the rules of classical and operant conditioning, respectively, so that stimuli or behavioral acts are associated with evaluating stimuli. Since associative learning, especially of the classical type, is well described at the phenomenological and operational level (Rescorla, 1988), it provides a favorable approach in the search for the neural substrate underlying learning and memory. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Reduction of Striga hermonthica parasitism on maize using soybean rotation

Striga hermonthica is a serious parasite of cereals in most of the semi-arid savanna zone of West Africa, causing substantial yield loss. It has been observed that some soybean cultivars are capable of stimulating germination of S. hermonthica seed, which would reduce the seed bank in the soil. This study was undertaken to quantify the effect of a soybean crop (compared with a sorghum control) on S. hermonthica emergence in subsequent maize in three farmers' fields in northern Nigeria. Soybean cultivar TGx 1740-7F, previously identified as efficacious for S. hermonthica seed germination, was grown at four densities without P fertilizer to test the effect of increasing plant density of soybean on subsequent S. hermonthica parasitism. The effect of P as single super phosphate was tested on the two highest soybean densities. S. hermonthica parasitism on maize was significantly lower after unfertilized soybean than after the sorghum control treatment at two of three trial sites. Soybean rotation increased maize yield by approximately 90% for the three sites combined. Increasing soybean plant density did not result in lower emerged S. hermonthica. Application of P to soybean at the higher soybean densities resulted in higher root length density, lower emerged S. hermonthica on maize (P<0.15), and significantly higher maize yield. The results suggest that an efficacious cultivar of soybean reduces S. hermonthica parasitism on a succeeding maize crop and that the effect is increased by application of P to the soybean.
Response times of salinity in relation to changes in freshwater inflows in the Lower Hillsborough River, Florida

The Lower Hillsborough River, Florida is a short (16 km) riverine estuary which has a dam located at its upstream end. Salinity below the dam is influenced by freshwater that flows over or through the structure. Depending on location in the estuary, the response of salinity to changes in upstream freshwater inflows is normally not instantaneous, but lags behind the freshwater release. An analytical approach and a laterally averaged two-dimensional hydrodynamic model were used to examine the response time of salinity in the Lower Hillsborough River to changes in freshwater inflows from the upstream reservoir. A series of case studies were conducted using the model to determine how salinity in the river within one kilometer below the dam would respond to changes in freshwater inflows. The model results suggest that the time lag of salinity in the river depends on whether the upstream freshwater inflows are increasing or decreasing, as well as their magnitude. While the time lag for salinity is about six to eight days for decreasing inflows, it is much shorter for increasing inflows depending on the magnitude of the flow release.
Spatial Structure in Drosophila buzzatii Populations: Simple and Directional Spatial Autocorrelation

The spatial structure of 12 allele frequencies was examined for 57 populations of the cactophilic fly Drosophila buzzatii from eastern Australia. Techniques include spatial-autocorrelation analysis and the newly developed directional spatial autocorrelation. Although 11 allele frequencies differ among localities, only 6 show spatial structure along one dimension. Directional correlograms support clines or major geographic trends in different directions for 5 allele frequencies. Spatial correlograms were also computed for genetic distances. The overall results-genetic heterogeneity among localities, weak correlation between allele-frequency surfaces, moderate spatial structure, and moderate parallelism of correlograms-permit elimination of genetic drift, selection against a single environmental gradient, or the effects of a single migrational event, and they suggest that selection operates on different spatial scales ranging from a continental one to a strictly local one. These results are interpreted in terms of the known history and biology of these organisms in Australia and are compared with spatial analyses of allele frequencies in other organisms.
Length–weight and length–length relationships of 10 small fish species from the Ganges, Bangladesh

Summary This study describes the length–weight (LWR) and length–length (LLR) relationships for ten small indigenous fish species from the lower part of the Ganges, Bangladesh, namely Ailia coila, Amblypharyngodon mola, Aspidoparia morar, Clupisoma atherinoides, Eutropiichthyes vacha, Glossogobius giuris, Gudusia chapra, Lepidocephalus guntea, Mystus vittatus, and Puntius ticto. A total of 2142 specimens, representing 10 species of 5 families used for this study were caught by traditional fishing gear from March 2006 to February 2007. Standard length (SL), total length (TL) and fork length (FL) for each specimen were measured by digital slide calipers and each body weight (BW) was taken by a digital balance. The allometric coefficient b of the LWR was close to the isometric value (b = 3.001) in G. giuris, although it suggested negative allometric growth in A. coila, A. morar, C. atherinoides, E. vacha, and P. ticto, whilst positive allometric growth in rest of the species. The results further indicated that the LLRs were highly correlated (r2 > 0.890; P < 0.01). To the best our knowledge, this study presented the first reference on LWR and LLR for most of the species in Bangladesh.
Summer and Winter Comparisons in the Nutritional Value of Marine Macroalgae from Hong Kong

The chemical composition of common marine macroalgae from Hong Kong was determined both in the winter (cool and dry) and the summer (hot and wet) of 1994. During the winter, macroalgal diversity was high and variation in chemical composition between the species was great. In contrast, during the summer, algal diversity was reduced and the shores were dominated by only a small number of comparatively nutrient rich encrusting algae. Multivariate analysis indicated that the nutritional value of algal species (in terms of ash, lipid and soluble carbohydrate content) was related to their systematic position and that, overall, the Phaeophyta had the highest levels of nutrients, while the Chlorophyta and the Corallinaceae were of comparatively low nutritional value. The chemical composition of the species varied temporally as did the abundance and diversity of algae on the shore. Overall, however, seasonal differences in algal availability appeared to be more important in determining total nutrient availability than temporal changes in the nutritional value of the species. Local macroalgae are the main food source for a large number of marine herbivores and variation in algal availability and chemical composition are likely to effect the ecology of these grazers and subsequently community organization.
Accumulation of HSP70 in Deschampsia antarctica Desv. leaves under thermal stress

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that Deschampsia antarctica Desv. , the only grass of the Maritime Antarctic, responds to temperatures higher or lower than its optimum for photosynthesis (13°C), with the accumulation of heat shock proteins. The LT50 was determined in plants acclimated at 4°C (cold-acclimated plants) and in plants grown at 13°C (control plants) by membrane damage and by the activity of respiratory dehydrogenases. The LT50 was 48.3°C in both groups of plants when determined by membrane damage. When the LT50 was determined by the activity of respiratory dehydrogenases, this was, without significant difference, 47.8°C in cold-acclimated plants and 46.5°C in control plants. Western blot analyses were performed to investigate the accumulation of HSP70 at different temperatures. The optimal temperature for HSP70 accumulation was 35°C in cold-acclimated and control plants. Cold-acclimated plants subjected to a thermal stress of 35°C accumulated HSP70 protein more than control plants subjected to 35°C. After eight hours of continuous stress at 35°C, the maximum relative content of HSP70 in cold-acclimated plants was 1.9 fold higher than control plants. The threshold temperature for HSP70 accumulation was lower in cold-acclimated plants than in control plants. It is concluded that D. antarctica is able to tolerate heat stress with an LT50 similar to those of heat tolerant plants and that the cold-acclimated plants accumulate higher levels of HSP70 than those grown at 13°C.
Influence of Resource Quality on the Reproductive Fitness of Flower Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Reproductive fitness of the flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), was much lower on leaves of a cotton variety resistant to spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch, than on leaves of a spider mite-susceptible variety. The addition of mite eggs or pollen to cotton leaves significantly improved several fitness traits of flower thrips. Pollen was nutritionally better than mite eggs. The addition of pollen lowered the time from egg to adult, increased fecundity, and improved longevity over that which occurred on leaf tissue alone. The effect of pollen was more pronounced on resistant than on susceptible leaves. Pollen raised the intrinsic rate of increase ( r ) by 0.063 on susceptible leaves and by 0.202 on resistant leaves. When pollen is available, flower thrips can completely overcome the negative effects of resistant leaves.
Unconscious Activation of the Prefrontal No-Go Network

Cognitive control processes involving prefrontal cortex allow humans to overrule and inhibit habitual responses to optimize performance in new and challenging situations, and traditional views hold that cognitive control is tightly linked with consciousness. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate to what extent unconscious “no-go” stimuli are capable of reaching cortical areas involved in inhibitory control, particularly the inferior frontal cortex (IFC) and the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA). Participants performed a go/no-go task that included conscious (weakly masked) no-go trials, unconscious (strongly masked) no-go trials, as well as go trials. Replicating typical neuroimaging findings, response inhibition on conscious no-go stimuli was associated with a (mostly right-lateralized) frontoparietal “inhibition network. ” Here, we demonstrate, however, that an unconscious no-go stimulus also can activate prefrontal control networks, most prominently the IFC and the pre-SMA. Moreover, if it does so, it brings about a substantial slowdown in the speed of responding, as if participants attempted to inhibit their response but just failed to withhold it completely. Interestingly, overall activation in this “unconscious inhibition network” correlated positively with the amount of slowdown triggered by unconscious no-go stimuli. In addition, neural differences between conscious and unconscious control are revealed. These results expand our understanding of the limits and depths of unconscious information processing in the human brain and demonstrate that prefrontal cognitive control functions are not exclusively influenced by conscious information.
Epidemic Disease and the Catastrophic Decline of Australian Rain Forest Frogs

In the montane rain forests of eastern Australia at least 14 species of endemic, stream-dwelling frogs have disappeared or declined sharply (by more than 90%) during the past 15 years. We review available information on these declines and present eight lines of evidence that collectively suggest that a rapidly spreading, epidemic disease is the most likely responsible agent. The extreme virulence of the putative frog patbogen suggests it is likely exotic to Australian rain forests. We propose that exotic pathogens may be responsible for some recent declines of amphibian populations on other continents and that the intercontinental spread of such pathogens is greatly facilitated by human activities such as the thriving international trade in aquarium fish. Our hypothesis may help explain why some amphibian populations in seemingly pristine environments have mysteriously declined. En las selvas tropicales montanosas del este de Australia, al menos 14 especies endemicas de ranas que habitan en arroyos, han desaparecido o declinado en forma marcada (en mas de un 90%) durante los ultimos 15 anos. Revisamos la informacion disponible sobre esta declinacion y presentamos ocho lineas de evidencia que en conjunto sugieren que el agente responsable mas probable es la rapida dispersion de una enfermedad epidemica. La extrema virulencia del patogeno putativo de la rana sugiere un probable origen exotico de la selva tropical Australiana. Proponemos que los patogenos exoticos pueden ser responsables de algunas de las recientes declinaciones de las poblaciones de anfibios en ostros continentes. Mantenemos asi mismo que la dispersion intercontinental de tales patogenos esta siendo facilitada en gran medida por actividades humanas, tales como el prospero comercio internacional de los peces para acuarios. Nuestra hipotesis podria ayudar a explicar porque algunas poblaciones de anfibios en ambientes aparentemente pristinos ha declinado misteriosamente.
Variation in Cold-Hardiness of Fraxinus Americana Stem Tissue According to Geographic Origin

Cold-hardiness of stem sections of white ash (Fraxinus americana L.) from 10 geo- graphic origins in eastern North America, grown in a provenance planting in southern Michigan, was determined by controlled freezing. Northern plants were more cold-hardy than southern plants in early and midwinter, but differences disappeared by early spring. Substantial variation in cold-hardiness was found among trees within each origin. Multiple regression of killing temperatures on latitude, longitude, elevation, average annual minimum temperature, and annual frost-free period proved useful in predicting cold-hardiness, and may be useful in forecasting performance of trees in locations removed from their sites of origin.
Interactions in the mucosal microenvironment: vasoactive intestinal peptide modulates the down-regulatory action of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on LPS-induced interleukin-8 production by intestinal epithelial cells

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) act as a key point of initial contact with bacteria in the microenvironment of the intestinal tract. Interactions between IECs and bacteria lead to alterations in IEC activity, including modified cytokine secretion patterns, which may influence the mucosal immune response. IECs respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from gram-negative bacteria by production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-8 (IL-8). Two strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, R0011 and R0049, were able to down-regulate LPS-induced IL-8 production by the human IEC line HT-29. Similar results were seen with KATO III gastric epithelial cells, suggesting a possible route for anti-inflammatory actions by L. rhamnosus. To further explore potential interactions in the gastrointestinal mucosal microenvironment, the effects of the neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on the actions of L. rhamnosus R0011 were examined. VIP blocked the ability of this strain to down-regulate both constitutive and LPS-induced IL-8 production, suggesting that interactions between lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and IECs can be influenced by neuropeptides released into intestinal tissues. High levels of protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) activation rendered IEC refractory to the down-regulatory effects of L. rhamnosus on IL-8 production. L. rhamnosus R0011 induces moderate elevation of intracellular cAMP levels, indicating that its actions may, at least in part, be mediated through this signalling pathway in IECs.