Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of duck and chicken egg yolk for cryopreservation of egyptian buffalo bull spermatozoa

Cryopreservation of domestic animal spermatozoa has been widely used for artificial insemination and egg yolk is one of the most commonly used cryoprotectants during the freezingthawing process. The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of different duck egg yolk (DEY) concentrations (10, 15 and 20% DEY) with chicken egg yolk (20% CHEY) on the cryopreservation of Egyptian buffalo spermatozoa following dilution, equilibration and freezingthawing processes. For this purpose, one ejaculate of semen from each of three Egyptian buffalo bulls were collected twice each week for 4 weeks with artificial vagina (42oC). Pooled ejaculates were divided into four parts and were diluted in Tric citric acid glycerol extender containing either 10 or 15 or 20% DEY or 20% CHEY at 37oC. Extended semen was equilibrated for 4h at 5oC and then was filled in 0.5 ml straws and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Thawing of semen was performed at 37oC for 30s. Progressive sperm motility, live sperm % and plasma membrane integrity after different stages of cryopreservation were assayed. Values of these parameters of post-thaw semen quality were higher for extender containing 15% DEY as compared with 20% CHEY (control extender), being 59.6% vs. 47.9%, 72.3% vs. 55.0% and 80.7% vs. 69.1% for progressive motility, live sperm and plasma membrane integrity, respectively. Using a post-thawing semen containing 15% DEY yielded comparatively highest conception rate (65.8%) followed by 20% DEY (59.3%), 20% CHEY (58.6%) and 10% DEY (58.1%). In conclusion, DEY compared to chicken egg yolk in extender improves the frozen-thawed quality of Egyptian buffalo bull spermatozoa and fertility rate.
Consistent Effects of Disturbance and Forest Edges on the Invasion of a Continental Rain Forest by Alien Plants

Continental tropical forests are thought to be resistant to alien plant invasion due to a lack of disturbance, or low propagule pressure from introduced species. We assessed the importance of disturbance and edge effects by surveying areas of submontane and lowland forest of Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambara mountains, Tanzania. These areas are in the vicinity of Amani Botanic Garden (ABG)—a propagule source for many alien plant species. We surveyed three edges in the vicinity of the ABG plantations, using plots interspersed along multiple 250 m transects. Survey plots were either in secondary or seminatural forest, representing a difference in past disturbance). Alien plant species richness and abundance declined with increasing distance from forest edges, indicating that edge effects were important. In addition, the effect of distance on richness and abundance of alien species as adults was much smaller in seminatural than secondary forest, emphasizing that invasion of seminatural forest is less likely to occur. Abundance and occurrence of individual species showed broadly similar declines with increasing distance from the forest edge, and lower abundance in seminatural compared to secondary forest. Alien species were dominant in 15 percent of plots surveyed. As 28 percent of the Amani nature reserve forest is within 250 m of an edge, the importance of disturbance and edges could make a potentially large proportion of the forest vulnerable to alien species invasion.
Yield, Yield Components and Seed Germination of Maize (Zea mays L.) at Different Defoliation and Tassel Removal Treatments

Field and laboratory experiments were conducted in 2011 to determine the effect of tassel removal and intensity of defoliation on yield of maize. The field experiment consisted of four defoliation treatments (D1= control, no leaf removal; D2= defoliation of leaves at the top of the ear; D3= defoliation of leaves under the ear; D4= defoliation of all leaves) and two tassel removal treatments (T1= no tassel removal, T2= tassel removal). Seeds in the field experiment were used in the laboratory experiment. In the latter, the germination traits of seed produced from plants under defoliation treatments were tested. Under no tassel removal, defoliation of leaves under the ear resulted in higher seed yield compared with defoliation of leaves at the top of the ear. Plants under complete defoliation had the lowest seed yield, ear weight, number of rows per ear, cob weight and 100-seed weight, but had higher seed germination percentage, rate and vigor (p Key Words: defoliation, maize, maternal plant effects, seed vigor, tassel removal
Nitric oxide signalling and the regulation of cardiac repolarisation

s: Physiological Society Meeting, Manchester, UK, September 2012 (presentation and poster) The role of cGMP dependent nitric oxide signalling on cardiac repolarisation in adult guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Biophysical Society 57 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 2013 (poster) The role of cGMP dependent nitric oxide signalling on cardiac repolarisation in adult guinea pig ventricular myocytes. International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) Meeting, Birmingham, UK, July 2013 (poster) Differential regulation of slow and rapid delayed rectifier potassium currents by cGMP dependent nitric oxide signalling pathways in isolated adult guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Biophysical Society 58 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, February 2014 (poster) Differential regulation of slow and rapid delayed rectifier potassium currents by cGMP dependent nitric oxide signalling pathways in isolated adult guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Authors: Rachel E. Caves, Kieran E. Brack, André Ng, John S. Mitcheson
EFFECT OF EXOGENOUS PROLINE IN TWO SUGARCANE GENOTYPES GROWN in vitro UNDER SALT STRESS

Sugarcane production is influenced by various abiotic stresses including salt stress. Salinity can induce oxidative stress, which in turn damages biomolecules and cellular structures. However, such damage can be avoided or minimized by the enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense systems of plants. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of exogenous proline on Na + and K + content and on the activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidase in two sugarcane genotypes (RB931011 and RB872552) grown in vitro under salt stress. The plants were grown for 20 days with or without 100 mM NaCl and exposed to 20 mM proline for varying period of time. The data were subjected to ANOVA factorial (two genotypes and five treatments), and the mean values were compared by Tukey test at a 5% probability. Under salinity stress, both genotypes exhibited membrane integrity reduction, reduced total soluble protein content and unaltered or increased endogenous proline content. Exogenous proline reduced Na + accumulation in a manner proportional to the exposition period at the amino acid. In both genotypes, antioxidant enzymes activity increased with the addition of NaCl. In conclusion, RB931011 genotype showed higher proline accumulation and increased in activity of the antioxidant enzymes, indicating better salt stress tolerance than in RB872552 genotype.
Protective Effect of Acanthopanax senticosus on Oxidative Stress Induced PC12 Cell Death

Epidemiologic studies have shown important relationships between oxidative stress and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. In this study, free radical scavenging activity and neuronal cell protection effect of aqueous methanol extracts of Acanthopanax senticosus (A. senticosus) were examined. H2O2-induced oxidative stress was measured using 2",7"-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay. Pretreatment with the phenolics of A. senticosus prevented oxidative injury against H₂O₂ toxicity. Since oxidative stress is known to increase neuronal cell membrane breakdown, leading to cell death, lactic dehydrogenase release, and trypan blue exclusion assays were utilized. We found that phenolics of A. senticosus have neuronal cell protection effects. It suggests that the phenolics of A. senticosus inhibited H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress and A. senticosus may be beneficial against the oxidative stress-induced risk in AD.
Birds, butterflies and flowers in the tropics are not more colourful than those at higher latitudes

Aim The idea that species are generally more colourful at tropical latitudes has held great appeal among biologists since the days of exploration by early naturalists. However, advances in colour quantification and analysis only now allow an objective test of this idea. We provide the first quantitative analysis of the latitudinal gradient in colour on a broad scale using data from both animals and plants, encompassing both human-visible and ultraviolet colours. Location Australia. Methods We collected spectral reflectance data from 570 species or subspecies of birds, adult forms of 424 species or subspecies of butterflies and the flowers of 339 species of plants, from latitudes ranging from tropical forests and savannas at 9.25° S, to temperate forests and heathlands at 43.75° S. Colour patch saturation, maximum contrast between patches, colour diversity and hue disparity between patches were calculated for all species. Latitudinal gradients in colour were analysed using both regression analyses and comparisons of categorically temperate and tropical regions. We also provide phylogenetically independent contrast analyses. Results The analyses which compared the colour traits of communities and the phylogenetically independent contrasts both show that species in the tropics are not more colourful than those at higher latitudes. Rather, the cross-species analyses indicate that species further away from the equator possess a greater diversity of colours, and their colours are more contrasting and more saturated than those seen in tropical species. These results remain consistent regardless of whether the mean or the maximum of coloration indices are considered. Main conclusions We demonstrate that birds, butterflies and flowers display similar gradients of colourfulness across latitudes, indicating strong ecological and evolutionary cohesion. However, our data do not support the idea that tropical latitudes contain the most colourful species or house the more colourful biological communities.
Targetting microsatellites (SSRs) in genetic linkage maps of bread wheat

The construction of genetic linkage maps from intraspecific crosses of bread wheat is slow and difficult due to very limited levels of polymorphism, which hinder the assignment of linkage groups to chromosomes and leave large genomic regions without markers. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) reveal a higher incidence of polymorphism and are more informative than any other DNA marker, and are therefore considered a marker of choice for self-pollinating crops with little intraspecific polymorphism. However, the availability of SSRs in bread wheat is still limited. In this study, selectively amplified microsatellite (SAM) analysis was used to develop informative SSR markers to assist in the construction of an intraspecific wheat map. Three markers were developed for under-represented regions in the genetic map, and 7 for unassigned linkage groups. The latter SSRs permitted the chromosomal origin of 4 unassigned linkage groups to be determined. These results demonstrate the utility of SAM analysis for the targetted development of informative SSR markers to genomic regions of interest, and assignment of linkage groups to chromosomes. Furthermore, SAM analysis facilitates the development of markers for relatively short (<11) dinucleotide repeat sequences, a class of SSRs generally inaccessible to traditional hybridisation-based methods used to develop these markers.
Assessing the potential impact of invasive cane toads on a commercial freshwater fishery in tropical Australia

Context The toxins produced by cane toads (Rhinella marina) are fatal to many Australian predators that ingest these invasive anurans. To date, the potential economic impact of the cane toad invasion has attracted little attention. Toads have recently arrived at a large impoundment (Lake Argyle) in north-eastern Western Australia, that supports a commercial fishery for silver cobbler (shovel-nosed catfish, Arius midgleyi), raising concern that the toads may inflict significant economic damage by killing fish. Aims Our research aimed to clarify the vulnerability of silver cobblers to the eggs and larvae of cane toads by determining (a) whether catfish are adversely affected if they prey on toad eggs or tadpoles, and (b) whether surviving catfish learn to avoid cane toad eggs and tadpoles in subsequent encounters. Methods We conducted laboratory feeding trials to examine feeding responses of catfish to cane toad eggs and tadpoles in early and late developmental stages. Fish that survived exposure to toad eggs and/or tadpoles were re-tested with potential prey of the same sizes and developmental stages four days later. Key results Our laboratory trials confirmed that some catfish eat toad eggs and die; but most catfish avoided the eggs. Catfish readily consumed toad tadpoles at both early and late developmental stages, but without experiencing mortality; and soon learned not to consume this toxic new prey type. Conclusions and implications Despite potential frequent episodes of mortality of small numbers of catfish during the wet season, the overall impacts of cane toads on the Lake Argyle fishery likely will be minimal.
Simulated effects of logging on carbon storage in dipterocarp forest.

Summary 1. As the role of forestry-based options for reducing or mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is debated by policymakers, there is a need to inform the debate by synthesizing existing information on carbon dynamics in tropical forest systems and by applying this information to a range of possible interventions in forestry. 2. To investigate the consequences of reductions in logging damage for ecosystem carbon storage, we constructed a model to simulate changes in biomass and carbon pools following logging of primary dipterocarp forests in south-east Asia. We adapted a physiologically driven tree-based model of natural forest gap dynamics (FORMIX) to simulate forest recovery following logging. 3. Following selective logging, simulated ecosystem carbon storage declined from prelogging levels (213 Mg C ha−1) to a low of 97 Mg C ha−1, 7 years after logging. Carbon storage in biomass approached prelogging levels about 120 years after logging. 4. The relationship between fatal stand damage and ecosystem carbon storage was not linear, with biomass recovery following logging severely limited by 50–60% stand damage. 5. Results from simulations suggest that when 20–50% of the stand is killed during logging, replacing persistent forest species with pioneer tree species can reduce the site's potential for carbon storage by 15–26% over 40–60 years. 6. Reducing fatal damage from 40% to 20% of the residual stand, as was the case with a pilot project in Malaysia, was associated with an increase of 36 Mg C ha−1 in mean carbon storage over 60 years. 7. Efforts to monitor and verify the benefits, either through carbon sequestration in new growth or carbon retention in existing biomass, of offset projects involving tropical forests and natural forest management should focus on above-ground biomass, particularly the large trees. Selection of the most appropriate allometric equations for a site and species is important because of their influence on biomass estimates.
Exploring the Effect of Cytisus Scoparius on Markers of Oxidative Stress in Rats

Antioxidant activity of aerial part of Cytisus scoparius, Link (Family – Leguminosae) was studied both by in vitro and in vivo models. Different concentrations of different extracts of chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol and hydroalcoholic extracts of plant were investigated for in vitro antioxidant activity using the thiocyanate method. The hydroalcoholic extract exhibited highest inhibitory activity on peroxidation, over other organic extracts and IC50 value (30.2 µg/ml) of the hydroalcoholic extract was found to be less than the standard, α-tocopherol (IC50 value of 66.1µg/ml). The hydroalcoholic extract was further evaluated for in vivo antioxidant activity, such as ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH). A significant (p < 0.05) rise in FRAP level was observed in the hydroalcoholic extract. The extract showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction of TBARS and increase in SOD enzyme level in liver and kidney. The extract treatment at higher dose only caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the level of the catalase in liver and kidney. However, there was no significant effect on TBARS, SOD, and CAT in the heart. In reduced glutathione, the extract did not cause significant changes in liver, heart and kidney. These results suggested that hydroalcoholic extract of Cytisus scoparius had significant antioxidant activity, which supports the claim about the plant to be used as antioxidant in Indian system of medicine.
Experimental Release of Juvenile Sea Urchins (Paracentrotus lividus) in Exploited Sites along the French Mediterranean Coast

ABSTRACT During the past 40 y, natural stocks of the edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus have declined sharply in many sites along the French Mediterranean coast. Despite current management measures, this resource remains at low densities, raising concerns among commercial fishermen and managers. The reseeding of depleted sea urchin populations is currently under consideration. In this study, a pilot-scale experiment was conducted to assess the feasibility of such an operation and to evaluate the impact on both the population structure and genetic diversity of wild communities. The genetic diversity and population differentiation of wild populations was assessed before reseeding five depleted populations with 250,000 hatchery-produced juveniles. A year after release, parentage assignment tests were performed on small recaptured sea urchins to address their origin. Sea urchins from the hatchery were found at two of five sites, representing 3% and 12% of the total recaptured urchins in the concerned sites. The genetic analysis performed with six microsatellite loci revealed genetically homogeneous populations in the area studied. Within and among populations, genetic diversity seems not to be affected by introducing juveniles from the hatchery into wild populations. Therefore, following strict recommendations, reseeding could be considered a potential and efficient management tool to restock or sustain overexploited populations in areas where natural recruitment appears insufficient.
A model for assessing effects of climate change on runoff in China

A model is established for assessing the effects of climate change on runoff in China based on the land surface parameterization scheme variable infiltration capacity (VIC). The entire area of China is represented by 2604 cells with a resolution of 60 km × 60 km for each cell. Forcing data, soil and vegetation parameters needed by the VIC model for the entire area of China are prepared. Daily forcing data, which are obtained from 740 stations between 1980 and 1990, are interpolated to the 60 km × 60 km grid system. The VIC model is run on every grid cell over the whole China, and a routing scheme is run offline with daily input of surface runoff and drainage from the VIC to get hydrograph at basin outlets. The spatial patterns of simulated runoff and mean annual precipitation are consistent very well. The results of monthly streamflow simulations over the Huaihe and Weihe River basins indicate that there is a good agreement between the observed and simulated values, and also initially indicate the rationality and feasibility of the evaluation model.
Misconceptions about the comparison of intrinsic rates of natural increase

The intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) is a common measurement in entomology to describe and evaluate the growth and adaptation of a population of arthropods to certain environmental conditions. Following the method of Birch, the rm is the solution of an exponential equation, which depends on the whole life cycle of each female and her survival time. A simplification of this equation was provided by Wyatt and White, which allows the study to be shortened as it does not depend on any survival times and only a part of the life cycle of the females. Therefore, this method has become quite popular among entomologists. As the rm is a population parameter, it lacks any variance and thus a valid statistical comparison of rms for different populations is not straightforward. Hence, many approaches include statistical misconceptions. We discuss those approaches, apply them to real data and demonstrate some drawbacks of them. Furthermore, we present an easy to implement and consistent method for the comparison of rms.
Effects of Transfer Training on Musculoskeletal Pain in the Caregiver of a Stroke Patient: a Case Report

The purpose of this case report was to evaluate the effectiveness of training of transfer techniques to a caregiver of a person who had suffered a stroke in decreasing musculoskeletal pain, depression and anxiety. This study adopted a single subject research design to evaluate the effectiveness of transfer-techniques training on musculoskeletal pain, depression, and anxiety in a 25-year-old female caregiver of a person with a stroke. The study was completed in four phases, including a baseline evaluation (1st and 3rd week), training (3rd, 5th and 7th week), post-training (9th week), and follow-up evaluation (11th week). During the 1st week, demographic and descriptive information (such as age, time since diagnosis, cognition and independence of daily living) were collected from the stroke patient. Also, pain severity, anxiety and depression levels of the caregiver were evaluated. In weeks 3, 5 and 7, transfer training was undertaken. The patient was involved in the training with the caregiver under the supervision of an occupational therapist in their own home. The effectiveness of the training with regard to musculoskeletal pain and depression and anxiety levels of the caregiver was evaluated in the 5th, 9th and 11th weeks. The data were analyzed using a visual analysis of trends and levels. The results showed a decrease in pain severity, anxiety and depression during training and post-training. The changes continued during the follow-up stage. This study suggests promising results for the effectiveness of the transfer-techniques training and justifies further clinical trials. A larger trial is required to confirm the effectiveness of transfer training in improving pain management in caregivers of stroke survivors.
Preformed antifungal compounds of lemon-fruit: citral and its relation to disease resistance

The young mature-green lemon fruit manifests a significantly lower level of postharvest decay as compared to the older yellow fruit. Inoculation with Penicillium digitatum Sacc. demonstrated that the resistance of young fruit to decay is related to a factor localized in the oil glands of the flavedo. The main antifungal compound of lemon flavedo was identified as the monoterpene aldehyde citral. The flavedo of green lemon contained 1.5-2 times higher levels of citral as compared to the yellow fruit. In parallel with citral decline, the flavedo extracts of yellow lemons exhibited an increased level of the monoterpene ester neryl acetate, which exerted practically no inhibitory activity against P. digitatum and, in concentrations below 500 ppm, even stimulated development of the pathogen. During long-term storage of lemon fruit, citral concentration decreased in parallel with the decline of antifungal activity in the peel and with an increase of decay incidence. It is suggested that the level of citral in the flavedo is related to the resistance of lemon fruit to postharvest decay