Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant-Pathogen Encounters in Edinburgh

It is a truism of plant pathology that most plants are resistant to most pathogens. Nevertheless, many crop plants are susceptible to enough pathogens that pathogens can cause enormous crop losses. Moreover, pathogens are continually evolving, and, particularly in the face of the selection pressure exerted by crop monoculture, it is always possible that an incompatible plant-pathogen interaction will evolve into acompatible one. If we are to devise ways to enhance plant resistance to pathogens, it is essential to learn more about natural resistance mechanisms. Such mechanisms are also, of course, of great interest from the point of view of basic research, in part because they offer insight into defensive approaches totally unlike those that have evolved in animals. The questions of what makes a pathogen virulent or avirulent on a particular crop and how plant resistance, both genetic and “acquired,” are established, were among the many topics discussed at the 7th lnternational Symposium on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, which was organized by Mike Daniels (Sainsbury Laboratory, John lnnes Centre) and held from June 26-July 1 at the University of Edinburgh. Many of the nearly 700 participants discussed other aspects of plant-microbe interactions, from Agrobacterium gene regulation to the effects of Nod factors on plants, but in this report I will focus on those presentations dealing with plant-pathogen interactions specifically.
Comparative pharmacognostical and phytochemical evaluation of two species of Cyathocline

In this research work, study of Comparative Pharmacognostical and Phytochemical evaluation of two species of Cyathocline were carried out . The standardization of C. lyrata & C.purpurea were carried out on the basis of Organoleptic, morphological characters, chemical tests, physicochemical constants, UV studies and chromatographic studies (TLC & HPLC). All there standard protocol will help in the further uses of this potent drug to incorporate in herbal formulation or used for the medication in human beings.
Molecular detection of the brevetoxin‐producing dinoflagellate Karenia brevis and closely related species using rRNA‐targeted probes and a semiautomated sandwich hybridization assay 1

Brevetoxins produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (C. C. Davis) G. Hansen et Moestrup cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) in human consumers and also endanger a variety of coastal wildlife. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico the presence and abundance of this species have traditionally been monitored using light microscopy (LM) observations of whole water samples. Various molecular probe methods now enable detection of multiple species from a single sample, allowing rapid sample analysis. We describe the development of sandwich hybridization assays (SHAs) for Karenia brevis, K. selliformis Haywood, Steid. et L. MacK. , K. mikimotoi (Miyake et Kominami ex M. Oda) G. Hansen et Moestrup, K. papilionacea Haywood et Steid. , the Karlotoxin‐producer Karlodinium veneficum (D. Ballant.) J. Larsen (=K. micrum), and Gymnodinium aureolum (Hulburt) G. Hansen, comb. nov. The assays require no nucleic acid purification and use LSU rRNA‐targeted probes and a semiautomated, 96‐well plate format. Probes tested in matrix format were specific relative to rRNAs of all nontarget species used. The response of the SHA for a constant number of K. brevis cells per unit volume of homogenate depended on the growth status of a culture, decreasing for senescent cells relative to actively growing cells. The results of preliminary field tests of the K. brevis SHA indicated that cells collected from natural populations tended to return a lower signal than those harvested from laboratory cultures, but these results are nonetheless very encouraging. These preliminary field studies show that robust standards are required for cell identification and enumeration, with which new methods can be compared.
Negative indirect effects of hurricanes on recruitment of range-expanding mangroves

Disturbances often have positive, direct effects on invasions by dispersing propagules or creating environmental conditions that favor invasive species. However, disturbances that alter interactions between resident and invading species could also affect invasion success. In northeast Florida, the black mangrove Avicennia germinans is expanding into salt marshes, where it interacts with the dead litter (wrack) of the native marsh cordgrass Spartina alterniflora. From 2015−2017, we performed monthly surveys before and after 2 hurricanes in 3 marsh microhabitats (bare sediment, vegetation, wrack) to quantify mangrove propagule and seedling densities. Wrack increased propagule retention up to 10 times relative to other microhabitats. Hurricanes did not directly harm mangrove propagules or seedlings. However, storm surge relocated wrack to upland environments, which indirectly inhibited mangroves by temporarily disrupting the facilitative effects of wrack on propagule recruitment and exposing intertidal bare patches that decreased propagule retention and seedling establishment. Wrack remained absent from intertidal areas for 1−3 mo. Because hurricane season overlaps with propagule recruitment, hurricane timing and wrack return time to intertidal areas influence the degree that hurricanes disrupt wrack−mangrove interactions. We demonstrate that large-scale disturbances can negatively and indirectly affect invader recruitment by altering interactions with resident species.
The biosynthesis of ectoine

The biosynthetic pathway of the novel compatible solute ectoine (1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidine carboxylic acid) was studied in the two extremely halophilic eubacteria Ectothiorhodospira halochloris and Halomonas elongata. The pathway starts with the phosphorylation of l-aspartate and shares its first two enzymatic steps with the biosynthesis of amino acids of the aspartate family: aspartokinase and l-aspartate-β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase. Evidence is presented for the presence of the enzymes l-diaminobutyric acid transaminase and l-diaminobutyric acid acetyl transferase and for the new enzyme the ring-forming ectoine synthase.
SEASONAL TRENDS IN THE HEAD CAPSULE LENGTH AND BODY LENGTH/WEIGHT RELATIONSHIPS OF TWO AMPHIPOD SPECIES

[Amphipod body lengths and weights are important variables in life history, biomass and production determinations. Length and weight are often estimated from head capsule length-body length or weight relationships based on a single field collection. Possible seasonal variation in these relationships is rarely considered. We used seasonal data for two amphipod species (Gammarus lacustris and Diporeia hoyi) to test the hypothesis that head capsule length-body length/weight relationships remain seasonally constant. Slopes of monthly relationships were significantly different (ANCOVA). However, the differences in slope and intercept were trivial, and all monthly regressions yielded similar predictive results. Regressions based on pooled seasonal samples underestimated measured biomass by 5%, while predicted lengths varied between 0 to ± 2 mm from measured lengths. We conclude that head capsule length-body length/weight relationships for these amphipods are seasonally robust, and may be estimated from single collections provided all size classes are obtained. If all size classes can not be obtained from one sample, relationships should be based on pooled samples. , Amphipod body lengths and weights are important variables in life history, biomass and production determinations. Length and weight are often estimated from head capsule length-body length or weight relationships based on a single field collection. Possible seasonal variation in these relationships is rarely considered. We used seasonal data for two amphipod species (Gammarus lacustris and Diporeia hoyi) to test the hypothesis that head capsule length-body length/weight relationships remain seasonally constant. Slopes of monthly relationships were significantly different (ANCOVA). However, the differences in slope and intercept were trivial, and all monthly regressions yielded similar predictive results. Regressions based on pooled seasonal samples underestimated measured biomass by 5%, while predicted lengths varied between 0 to ± 2 mm from measured lengths. We conclude that head capsule length-body length/weight relationships for these amphipods are seasonally robust, and may be estimated from single collections provided all size classes are obtained. If all size classes can not be obtained from one sample, relationships should be based on pooled samples. ]
Neoliberalism in ELT textbooks: an analysis of locally developed and imported textbooks used in Malaysia

ABSTRACT Neoliberal ideologies, evidenced in locally developed and internationally published imported English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks, are compared in the context of Malaysia, an outer circle country. Historically, locally developed ELT textbooks have been used to teach English but recently imported books have been prescribed following the adoption of the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR). This move has met with criticisms from many who are concerned with the culture and ideologies reproduced in imported texts. The current study addresses this concern through the thematic content analysis of locally developed and imported textbooks used in Malaysian classrooms. It is found that the neoliberal values demonstrated in imported textbooks outweigh those in locally published ones. This necessitates a critical reading of imported ELT textbooks by local educational authorities before they are prescribed for use. This is particularly important in outer- and expanding-circle countries where local cultural values and beliefs may be different from the Western, neoliberal values reproduced in imported materials.
Reduced territorial defence in rainbow trout fry exposed to a paper mill effluent: using the mirror image stimulation test as a behavioural bioassay

Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fry exposed to a paper mill effluent showed increased EROD (ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase) activity and reduced territorial aggression in mirror image stimulation (MIS) tests. These results suggest that the MIS test could be a useful tool to detect sublethal behavioural effects of pollution in fish fry.
What makes a ‘community informant’? Reliability and anti-predator signal eavesdropping across mixed-species flocks of tits

Mobbing is an anti-predator behavior where multiple species collectively harass a predator while vocalizing. These flocks are made up of species whose vocalizations contain information about predator threat (information sources), and those that eavesdrop on this information (scroungers). To be a community informant (a key information source), a species needs to meet two criteria: (1) the detailed predator threat information they produce must be consistently reliable across mobbing events, and (2) this information must be used by eavesdropping species. As tits (Paridae) have traditionally been assumed to be community informants, we tested whether they meet these criteria. Specifically, we used field experiments with predator mounts to: (1) test the reliability of the encoded information across mobbing events with different community compositions (different species present), and (2) examine the vocal response of previously assumed scrounger species to predators. We found that only blue, great, and coal tits, produced reliable predator threat information regardless of community composition, and each scrounger species acted on the information that tits provided to a different degree. Additionally, we found that both ‘scrounger’ species produced their own information about predators by varying their own mobbing vocalizations in response to the presence of predators. These results suggest that not all species that produce predator threat information are community informants, not all species that appear to eavesdrop on this information do so to the same degree, and some species that initially appear to be scroungers will actually produce their own information about predator encounters.
Anti-Bacterial Effects of Commiphora Myrrha and Ziziphus Spina-Christ Leaves Extracts Against Streptococcus Mitis (Primary Colonizer of Dental Plaque) In vitro Study

Background: Dental plaque plays a major role in the etiology of periodontal diseases and the early colonizers of dental plaque are of great importance in the succession stages of biofilm formation such as Streptococcus mitis. Nowadays there is a need to find naturally occurring substances from plants with antimicrobial activity as an alternative to available used Chlorohexidine. Aims: To investigate in vitro antibacterial effects of alcoholic Commiphora Myrrha and Ziziphus spina-christi leaves extracts alone and in Combination against Streptococcus mitis. Materials and Methods: At first tacking plaque samples from 15 patients with gingivitis-dental biofilm-induced then morphological, microscopical examination, biochemical tests and Vitek 2 were used to confirm identification of Streptococcus mitis. The Commiphora Myrrha and Ziziphus spina-christi leaves extracted by using ethanol alcohol. The susceptibility of bacteria against the extracts, the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration were determined separately and in Combination compared with chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2% and deionized water. Results: The ethanol extracts exhibited considerable antibacterial effects against Streptococcus mitis with various degrees of growth inhibition zones. It was shown that Combination extracts was more antibacterial effects compared to Chlorohexidine then Myrrha and lastly Ziziphus leaves extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the extracts ranged from (0.2-0.6 g/ml). The minimum bactericidal concentration of alcoholic extracts ranged from (0.4- 0.8 g/ml). Conclusion: Alcoholic Combination extracts showed higher antibacterial activity with all concentration against Streptococcus mitis than Myrrha and Ziziphus leaves extracts were even higher than Chlorohexidine when used at higher concentration, so it can be used as an alternative to Chlorohexidine.
Heavy metal adsorption efficiency magnetic porous composites Fe3O4-SiO2-APTES

Heavy metals such as Cd2+ and Ni2+ in water have been a major issue for many years. This study presented heavy metal adsorption efficiency by Fe3O4–SiO2 and Fe3O4–SiO2–APTES. Fe3O4–SiO2 synthesized by sol-gel method and was modified with APTES. Characteristics of adsorbents, includ­ ing particle structure, composition and size were determined using analytical devices such as XRD, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra. In order to design experiments and analyse the results, the Software Design-Expert 7 and Taguchi method was used. Physical and chemical parameters such as pH, contact time, and adsorbent dosage under various conditions were studied. The result shows that in pH ≥ 5.5–6.5, initial Cd2+ and Ni2+ with 10 mg/L concentration, 20 mg adsorbent dosage, and 20 min contact time, resulted in 75.5% cadmium and 70.5% nickel removal by Fe3O4–SiO2. Moreover, the maximum capacity of cadmium and nickel adsorption was achieved 18.88 and 17.63 mg/g of adsorbent, respectively. In optimal condition (pH ≥ 6.5–7, 10 mg/L initial cadmium and nickel concentrations, 20 mg adsorbent dosage, 10 min contact time), 95.5% of cadmium and 83.5% of nickel were removed from solutions, respectively. In addition, the maximum adsorption capacity of Fe3O4–SiO2–APTES for cadmium and nickel adsorption was 22.63 and 20.88 mg/g, respec­ tively. While, Fe3O4@SiO2 shows the maximum adsorption capacity of 18.88 and 17.63 mg/g for cad­ mium and nickel, respectively. The adsorption isotherm follows both of the Langmuir and Freundlich models (R2 > 0.97). Finally, Fe3O4–SiO2–APTES have more ability than Fe3O4–SiO2 to quickly and efficiently adsorb nickel and cadmium ions. In addition, modified magnetic silicon nanoparticle can be industrially used as reusable and environment friendly adsorbent.
Aroma Constituents of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merril] Milk Lacking Lipoxygenase Isoenzymes

The soybean milk odor of samples lacking lipoxygenases (LOs) 2 and 3 and LOs 1, 2, and 3, was concentrated by simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE), together with that of normal soybean milk. The constituents of the odorants were identified by GC and GC-MS data. The yields of volatile compounds were greatly decreased when the lipoxygenases were lacking, and the changes of each constituent were discussed. From the aroma extract dilution analysis, the C 8 , C 9 , and C 10 alcohols and carbonyl compounds were thought to be important to address the odor of LO-deficient soybean milk. The amount of 1-octen-3-ol did not vary among the soybean samples and the 3-R-(-)-configuration was established, which suggest that this compound is also formed by enzymatic reaction.
An Assessment of Impact of Adaptive Notch Filters for Interference Removal on the Signal Processing Stages of a GNSS Receiver

With the fast growing diffusion of real-time high-accuracy applications based on the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), the robustness of GNSS receiver performance has become a compelling requirement. Disruptive effects can be induced to signal processing stages of GNSS receivers due to the disturbances from radio frequency interference (RFI), even leading to a complete outage of the positioning and timing service. A typical RFI threat to GNSS signals is represented by portable jammers, which transmit swept-frequency (chirp) signals in order to span the overall GNSS bandwidth. The implementation in the receivers of adaptive notch filters (ANFs) for chirp cancellation has been extensively investigated and proved to be an efficient countermeasure. However, the performance of the ANF is strongly dependent on its configuration setup. Inappropriate parameter settings of the ANF for interference removal may induce severe distortion to the correlation process. In addition, an effective mitigation will still introduce a vestigial signal distortion contributed by the residual unmitigated chirp and the ANF operation itself, being not negligible for high-accuracy solutions. This article addresses the detailed analysis for assessing the effects of interference mitigation by notch filtering. A bias compensation strategy is proposed, wherein for each pseudorandom noise, the biases due to parameter settings of the notch filter are estimated and compensated. The impact of using the ANF operation on chirp signals at the acquisition and tracking stages of GNSS receivers is analyzed. On the basis of the three proposed metrics, the effects can be quantitatively estimated to depict a complete picture of the most influential parameters of the chirp and the ANF configurations, as well as the optimal achievable performance at the acquisition and tracking stages.
A New Faster, Better Pixels Weighted Don’t Care Filter for Image Denoising and Deblurring

This paper proposes a novel filter, which assigns weight selectively and considers only 4 neighbors for calculation. This filter has reduced complexity approximately by 50 % to that of averaging filter and median filter. The proposed technique has improved PSNR by 13% and SSIM by 40% as compared to noisy images. The execution time is reduced by 70% as compared to averaging technique and 93% as compared to median filter. This filter is used for image deblurring as well and the results are improved in terms of PSNR and SSIM by 11% and 1 % respectively. As this filter has improved results for denoising as well as deblurring, it is called as a dual purpose filter. The filter is tested for both gray and colour images and improves results for both.
Seasonal variation in seedfall and germination of Leptospermum scoparium (manuka)

Abstract Field studies on the seedfall and germination of Leptospermum scoparium J. R. et G. Forst showed that viable seed is shed throughout the year. It was found that there is a significant seasonal pattern to both seedfall and germination. Peak seed fall occurred in October and January, although capsule-borne seeds made an important contribution to the October peak. Germination was found to be highest in mid-winter and early spring. Analysis is described of the possible role of climatic factors in controlling seed fall and germination. No simple model could be found to account for the observed pattern of seed fall. However, a highly significantmodel (involving temperature and moisture regime) could account for the observed pattern of germination. The significance of these relationships is discussed in the context of the ecology of the species.
The metabolic cost of developing under hydrostatic pressure: experimental evidence supports macroecological pattern

Hydrostatic pressure is the most constant physical parameter on Earth. It increases linearly with water depth and is stable over evolutionary timescales. Despite this, bathymetric shifts in physiological adaptations that are observed in marine invertebrates (eg in metabolic rate and egg size) are currently interpreted to result predominantly from decreases in temperature. However, analysis of invertebrate egg size data presented here indicates an increase in egg volume with depth in the absence of a thermal gradient. This suggests hydrostatic pressure may also be important in determining resource allocation to offspring. In order to test the hypothesis that an increase in energy expenditure during development occurs with increasing depth, we examined the effect of sustained exposure to pressure (1, 100, 200 and 300 atm) on development of a shallow-water marine gastropod, Buccinum undatum. Embryos developed successfully at 1, 100 and 200 atm, but the rate of development slowed with increasing pressure (by 3 days at 100 atm and 6 days at 200 atm). No development was observed at 300 atm. In embryos reared at 200 atm, veliger dry weight and carbon and nitrogen biomass were significantly reduced. These results indicate that high pressure significantly increases the metabolic cost associated with development, demonstrating a negative and ultimately critical effect. We hypothesise that pressure imposes increased metabolic cost on all physiological processes. This offers an additional explanation for physiological adaptations observed with increasing depth, indicating that hydrostatic pressure is an important and previously underestimated factor contributing to metabolic theory for approximately 99% of our biosphere. This may represent a critical physiological bottleneck for the maximum depth distribution of shallow-water fauna.