Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vulnerability of Three Days Old Chick Embryos to Permethrin Induced ToxicitiesVulnerability-of-Three-Days-Old-Chick

| Agricultural and domestic use of permethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, has led to intoxication of varying intensities in non target organisms including human. In present study, teratogenicity and embryotoxicity of permethrin was tested in developing chick(Gallus domesticus). Different concentrations of permethrin (0, 5, 10 and 20ppm) were prepared in sterilized distilled water. These doses were injected into eggs on 3rd day while recovery of embryos was done on 7th day of incubation. Disrupted embryos with microcephly, hydrocephaly, short neck, micromelia, amelia, micrognathia, agnathia, cataract, ectopiacordis, omphalocoel, axis distortion, anencephaly, anophthalmia, microphthalmia, phocomelia with reduced body weight and crownrump length in all dose groups were obtained. Adverse histological changes appeared in the form of disrupted and malformed visceral organs, vertebral bone and spina bifida as compared to control. The findings of this study clearly indicate that permethrin is potentially toxic to developing chicks, especially the highest concentrations used in the study. Article History Received: November 11, 2017 Revised: April 04, 2018 Accepted: April 14, 2017 Published: May 15, 2018 Authors’ Contributions SA conceived the concept, supervised and executed the research. FZ, NA and YN performed the experimental work. CA did statistical analysis and wrote the manuscript.
Investigations into the Architecture and Function of the Bacterial Replisome

University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material. Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.
Changes in alpine plant communities under climate change: Dynamics of snow‐meadow vegetation in northern Japan over the last 40 years

Co-ordinating Editor: Borja Jiménez-Alfaro Abstract Question: Alpine plant communities are often distributed as a mosaic reflecting microscale heterogeneity of environmental conditions, indicating the importance of diverse habitats in maintaining species diversity in alpine ecosystems. Because snowmeadow vegetation is particularly sensitive to climate change, species composition and community structure may have changed over the last few decades in response to global warming. The aim of the present study is to quantify changes in species diversity and snowmeadow community composition over the last 40 years. Location: Taisetsu Mountains, Hokkaido, Japan. Methods: The presence and ground cover of plant species were surveyed in two snowmeadow sites in 1971–1972 (44 and 113 plots) and 2012 (85 and 115 plots). In addition, soil moisture and snowmelt time were measured in every plot in 2012. Changes in species richness, functional types and species composition between the survey periods were analysed. Results: Community structure of snowmeadow vegetation has changed significantly. Although the total number of species at each site was the same between the survey periods, Shannon’s diversity index and species richness per plot have increased. Moreover, similarity in species composition among community types has been enhanced, indicating the mosaic structure of alpine vegetation has become obscure. The relative dominance of forbs (particularly tall herbaceous species) decreased, while that of shrubs increased. The distribution of community types reflected the snowmelt and soil moisture conditions. Conclusions: Significant changes have occurred in vegetation structure in the alpine snowmeadows, possibly due to accelerated snow melt and drier soil conditions linked to global warming. To predict the dynamics of alpine vegetation, we need to clarify how microscale heterogeneity of environmental conditions is modified by global change.
In Vitro Culture as a Stressful Factor Triggers Changes in Polyphenols, Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activity in Somatic Hybrids between Solanum tuberosum and S. bulbocastanum and their Respective Parents

Phenols, important secondary metabolites in plants, are responsible for specific defence mechanisms against abiotic stress, due to their strong antioxidant activity. Flavonoids, as part of phenolic group, are also involved in plant stress responses, being primarily responsible for photo-protection against UV solar radiation. Based on these premises, the plant response to optimized in vitro culture was evaluated, by quantifying the total polyphenolic content, the total flavonoid content and the antioxidant activity, both under in vitro and ex vitro conditions . Four closely related potato genotypes were analysed: the wild species Solanum bulbocatanum , S. tuberosum cv. ‘Rasant’ and two somatic hybrids between them. For all genotypes, both total polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity were increasing under optimized in vitro culture. The shoot responses were genotype dependent and the two somatic hybrids were intermediate between the parents both as morphology and reaction to in vitro stress. The somatic hybrid 1508/5, having morphology similar to potato, was reacting as the wild species, while the somatic hybrid 1508/2, with a similar morphology to the wild species was reacting as potato to in vitro stress. The somatic hybrid 1508/5 being also resistant to late blight is of interest for further use in pre-breeding. Total flavonoid content is decreasing under in vitro as compared to ex vitro conditions, UV-B radiation, the major trigger of flavonoid biosynthesis being absent in the fluorescent light. This study reveals the effect of in vitro culture on flavonoid content and details aspects of the biochemical parameters involved in plant in vitro stress.
The fungal-specific Hda2 and Hda3 proteins regulate morphological switches in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans

The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is responsible for millions of infections annually. Due to the few available anti-fungal drugs and the increasing incidence of drug resistance, the number of C. albicans infections is dramatically increasing. Morphological switches, such as the white-opaque switch and the yeast-hyphae switch, are key for the development of C. albicans pathogenic traits. Lysine deacetylases are emerging as important regulators of morphological switches. Yet, targeting lysine deacetylases for drug development is problematic due to the high homology between the fungal and human proteins that could result in toxicity. Here we provide evidence that the fungal specific proteins Hda2 and Hda3 interact with the lysine deacetylase Hda1. By combining phenotypic analyses with genome-wide transcriptome analyses, we demonstrate that Hda2 and Hda3 control C. albicans morphological switches. Under nutrient-rich conditions, deletion of HDA2 or HDA3 leads to moderate overexpression of the master regulator of white-opaque switching WOR1 and increase switching frequency. Under hyphae inducing conditions, deletion of HDA2 and HDA3 block hyphae development. However, deletion of HDA2 and HDA3 does not affect hyphae-formation and virulence in vivo. We propose that Hda2 and Hda3 are good targets for the development of anti-fungal drugs to be used in combination therapy.
Influence of Temperature, Low Nutrient Supply, and Soil Composition on Germination and the Growth of Sea Kale (Crambe maritima L.)

Sea kale ( Crambe maritima L.) is a wild edible plant with forgotten and undiscovered potential as a ﬁeld vegetable. Its natural habitat is gravel beaches in northern Europe and the Black Sea. Three experiments were conducted to ﬁnd the effect of temperature on seed germination and to determine plant growth response to organic fertilizer and soil types. Germination rates were estimated at three temperatures. Plant growth responses were conducted with application of two fertilizer concentrations [15 and 30 kg plant-available nitrogen (PAN)/ha] and by using four distinct soil types. Seeds sown at 20 and 15 8 C reached a signiﬁcantly greater germination rate after 32 days (48.0% and 40.4%, respectively) than seeds sown at 10 8 C (16.6%). The number of days when 50% of the seeds that germinated during the experiment had germinated (T 50 ) were 12.0, 11.8, and 16.8 days for 20, 15, and 10 8 C, respectively. Application of 15 or 30 kg · ha L 1 PAN did not result in any signiﬁcant differences in plant size or biomass within 2 months of growth in sandy loam, but substantial plant heterogeneity was observed. Soil composition had a signiﬁcant effect ( P £ 0.05) on plant biomass. Plants grown in ﬁne or loamy sand had the greatest growth and biomass. Sea kale seems to have a potential to become a ﬁeld vegetable, because it grows well on other soil types than gravel. However, domestication processes of the species are required to obtain homogenous plants for future propagation.
An efficient method for identification of the Heterodera schachtii sensu stricto group using PCR with specific primers

A molecular method is described for the identification of nematode species from the Heterodera scbacblli sellsu stricto group. Based on the ITS-rONA sequence information obtained from more than 40 cyst forming nematode species, a primer SGRI was designed, which is specific for species from the H. schacbtii sensu stricto group. This specific primer in combination with the universal primer TW81 amplified a fragment of 850 bp from nematode DNA extracts. The primer was evaluated with 30 populations and species of the H. schachtii sellsu stricto group and several other parasitic nematode species. Subsequent digestion of amplified PCR products by Mval and Pvul allowed the separation of H. schachtii, H. betae and H. trifolii from each other. This method of identification is highly sensitive since amplification was obtained when a single second stage juvenile or
Spatial variation in herring gull traits and their potential as monitors of the coastal environment

Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given
Food Habits of the Red Panda, Ailurus Fulgens in the Singhalila National Park, Darjeeling, India

Food habits of the red panda in the Singhalila National Park (SNP) were investigated at three sites from 1994 to 1996, by examining 1,250 droppings or faeces. Red panda was found to consume two species of bamboo, Arundinaria mating and A. aristata, which dominated the understorey of SNP, along with seasonal supplements of some fruits and shoots of the above mentioned bamboo species. However, the composition of the diet differed between the sites. The difference in their dietary composition in relation to the overall ecology of the red panda in the SNP
Comparative performance of &dgr;13C, ion accumulation and agronomic parameters for phenotyping durum wheat genotypes under various irrigation water salinities

The use of efficient selection traits for screening under contrasting irrigation water salinity is a challenge for breeders. To identify patterns, grain yield (GY) and yield components (kernels m⁻², thousand kernels weight), growth traits (plant height, biomass), flag leaf ion accumulation (Na⁺ and K⁺), carbon isotope composition (δ¹³Cgᵣₐᵢₙ) and nitrogen concentration (Ngᵣₐᵢₙ) of grains were assessed on 25 durum wheat genotypes (G) in two consecutive growing seasons (2010 and 2011), in three semi‐arid locations in Tunisia. Each location differed in their irrigation water salinity as measured by electrical conductivity: Echbika (S1, 6 dS m⁻¹), Barrouta (S2, 12 dS m⁻¹) and Sidi Bouzid (S3, 18 dS m⁻¹). GY was shown to be negatively correlated to Ngᵣₐᵢₙ as well as to δ¹³Cgᵣₐᵢₙ. This is confirmed by a multiple linear regression analysis that showed that both δ¹³Cgᵣₐᵢₙ and Ngᵣₐᵢₙ were the major determinant components for GY variability under S3. A high genotypic variability was observed and the improved genotype Maali exhibited the most stable GY under the three irrigation water salinities and the two cropping seasons. Maali showed the lowest δ¹³Cgᵣₐᵢₙ. This indicates that tolerance in durum wheat is likely to be correlated to the ability of maintaining a high stomatal conductance. According to our data suggests δ¹³Cgᵣₐᵢₙ can be used for an efficient screening of salt tolerant durum wheat. Under our experimental conditions, Ngᵣₐᵢₙ was shown to be highly correlated to δ¹³Cgᵣₐᵢₙ and can therefore be easier‐to‐use trait to assess the tolerance to salinity.
Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Mussaenda macrophylla

A methanol extract of the leaves of Mussaenda macrophylla and its petroleum ether, carbon tetrachloride, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and aqueous soluble partitionates were evaluated for antioxidant activity by DPPH, Folin -Ciocalteau reagent and phosphomolybdenum total antioxidant assays by using butylated hydroxytolune (BHT) and ascorbic acid as standards. The dichloromethane soluble fraction demonstrated the presence of significant amount of phenolic compounds (38.50 ± 0.64 mg GAE/g of extract) and also has moderate antioxidant activity (IC50 42.95 ± 0.73 µg/ml). A positive correlation was seen between total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity of M. macrophylla having correlation coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.759. The general toxicity was determined by brine shrimp lethality bioassay where the carbon tetrachloride (LC50 0.546 µg/ml) and dichloromethane (LC50 0.611 µg/ml) soluble partitionates demonstrated the presence of considerable bioactive principles.
Effect of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz) Schisandraceae seed extracts and cisplatin on cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and wound healing in MCF-7 cells

Purpose : Schisandra chinensis is a plant used in traditional Chinese and Russian medicine. An S. chinensis seed extract was tested for its ability to potentiate the effects of the anticancer agent cisplatin in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Methods : S. chinensis seeds were extracted with ethanol and the ethanol was evaporated from the extracts to obtain an aqueous fraction of the S. chinensis seed extract (SCSE). MCF-7 cells were exposed to cisplatin alone or in combination with various concentrations of SCSE. The end points that were measured were cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and wound healing. Results : The addition of 10 % SCSE increased the cytotoxicity of cisplatin by increasing MCF-7 cell death by 7 %. The combination of 20 % SCSE and cisplatin completely inhibited wound healing in MCF7 cells. SCSE alone did not induce DNA fragmentation in MCF-7 cells. Conclusion : Compounds from S. chinensis seed extracts may mitigate cancer cell proliferation and migration. Keywords : Schisandra chinensis, MCF-7 cells, Cytotoxicity, Genotoxicity, Wound healing, Cisplatin
Discovery of Bioactive Natural Products from Marine Bacteria

One hundred one antibacterial Pseudoalteromonas strains that inhibited growth of a Vibrio anguillarum test strain were collected on a global research cruise (Galathea 3), and 51 of the strains repeatedly demonstrated antibacterial activity. Here, we profile secondary metabolites of these strains to determine if particular compounds serve as strain or species markers and to determine if the secondary metabolite profile of one strain represents the bioactivity of the entire species. 16S rRNA gene similarity divided the strains into two primary groups: One group (51 strains) consisted of bacteria which retained antibacterial activity, 48 of which were pigmented, and another group (50 strains) of bacteria which lost antibacterial activity upon sub-culturing, two of which were pigmented. The group that retained antibacterial activity consisted of six clusters in which strains were identified as Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea, Pseudoalteromonas aurantia, Pseudoalteromonas phenolica, Pseudoalteromonas ruthenica, Pseudoalteromonas rubra, and Pseudoalteromonas piscicida. HPLC-UV/VIS analyses identified key peaks, such as violacein in P. luteoviolacea. Some compounds, such as a novel bromoalterochromide, were detected in several species. HPLC-UV/VIS detected systematic intra-species differences for some groups, and testing several strains of a species was required to determine these differences. The majority of non-antibacterial, nonpigmented strains were identified as Pseudoalteromonas agarivorans, and HPLC-UV/VIS did not further differentiate this group. Pseudoalteromonas retaining antibacterial were more likely to originate from biotic or abiotic surfaces in contrast to planktonic strains. Hence, the pigmented, antibacterial Pseudoalteromonas have a niche specificity, and sampling from marine biofilm environments is a strategy for isolating novel marine bacteria that produce antibacterial compounds.
Defining the role of TrkB signalling in CCK-expressing neurons

The neurotrophin receptor TrkB has been shown to regulate neuronal survival, migration, differentiation and innervation in the peripheral and central nervous system. In the mature nervous system, it can modulate synaptic plasticity and excitatory neuron-specific deletion of Trkb results in compromised learning ability and impaired long-term potentiation. TrkB is also expressed in interneurons and was reported to regulate interneuron differentiation, synapse assembly, maintenance and development of inhibitory networks. Given the heterogeneity of interneurons, cell-specific approaches are required to study the function of TrkB in different interneuronal subtypes. This study investigates the role of TrkB in a specific subset of interneurons that express cholecystokinin (CCK). Trkb was specifically deleted from CCK-neurons by crossing a transgenic BAC-Cre mouse line that expresses Cre under the CCK-promotor (BAC-CCK-Cre line) to a Trkb-floxed mouse line. CCK-Cre specific Trkb-knockout mice (TrkbCCK-KO mice) develop mature-onset central obesity and show hyperactivity of the HPA axis with peripheral signs of hypercortisolism. Analysis of food intake revealed that central obesity is not associated with hyperphagia but is a cause of hypercortisolism. Furthermore, we show that hypercortisolism-induced obesity is associated with increased leptin and insulin levels. Hyperactivity of the HPA axis in TrkbCCK-KO mice is associated with increased activity of the central HPA axis regulator, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). PVN activity is strictly regulated by surrounding inhibitory interneurons and glucocorticoid feedback inhibition. We show that GABAergic interneurons in the vicinity of the PVN are recombined in the BAC-CCK-Cre line and colocalize with the glucocorticoid receptor GR. Furthermore, we present data indicating an impaired glucocorticoid feedback inhibition in TrkbCCK-KO mice. TrkB was previously shown to interact directly with the GR leading to enhanced phosphorylation of PLC-gamma1 by TrkB. Analysis of mice with a mutation in either the PLC or SHC adaptor site of TrkB reveals that the phenotype observed here is dependent on PLC-gamma1 signaling. Therefore we conclude that TrkB signaling in hypothalamic CCK-interneurons integrates glucocorticoid feedback inhibition and is required for inhibitory control of PVN activity.
Interaction study of biochar with phosphate-solubilizing bacterium on phosphorus availability in calcareous soil

ABSTRACT A large proportion of phosphate fertilizer applied to calcareous soils reacts with calcium. Changes in soil phosphorus (P) availability after single application of biochar and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria have been reported. However, interaction of biochar (increasing soil pH) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (decreasing soil pH) on P availability in calcareous soil is not well known. An incubation experiment was conducted to study how the interactive effects of biochars (produced from wheat straw and cow manure at 300°C and 500°C with residence time of 1, 3 and 6 h) at different rates (0, 5 and 10 t ha−1) and phosphate-solubilizing Pseudomonas sp. IS8b2 affected on content of soil available P after 0, 60, 120 and 180 days of incubation (DOI) in a calcareous soil. After 60 DOI, the maximum value of available P (50.31 mg kg−1) was observed in the compound treatment of Pseudomonas sp. IS8b2 and wheat straw biochar (10 t ha−1) produced at 500°C with residence time of 3 h. We conclude that the combination use of wheat straw biochar and phosphate-solubilizing bacterium is promising to potentially improve soil P availability in calcareous soil, but further research at field scale is needed to confirm this.
Alimentación y comportamiento alimentario de dos especies de cefalópodos (Sepia officinalis y Sepia elegans) de la Ría de Vigo

Se consideran distintos aspectos de la alimentacion de sepia officinalis L. y sepia elegans blainville (moluscos cefalopodos): alimentacion natural, alimentacion en cautividad (solo con S. officinalis) y la utilizacion por S.officinalis de sus reservas corporales durante ayuno. La alimentacion natural de ambas especies se estudio a partir del analisis estomacal de 1345 ejemplares de S.officinalis y 717 de S.elegans, capturados en la ria de Vigo (Pontevedra). Distintos indices alimentarios dieron informaciones similares, por lo que se uso solo el indice de ocurrencia de presas para la descripcion de sus dietas. Los peces teleosteos y los crustaceos son las presas principales en ambas especies. S. Officinalis presento 40 tipos de presas pertenecientes ahphyla (anelidos: poliquetos, moluscos: cefalopodos, artropodos: crustaceos; cordados: peces teleosteos). En S.elegans se hallaron 18 tipos de presas de 3 phyla (anelidos: poliquetos; artropodos: crustaceos; cordados: peces teleosteos). La importancia en la dieta de los crustaceos disminuye y la de los peces aumenta con el tamano de S.Officinalis. En el caso de S.Elegans no hay cambios de alimentacion con la talla. No hay diferencias entre la dieta de machos y hembras de S. officinalis, pero si las hay en S. elegans. En la 1 especie parece haber una intensificacion de la alimentacion en las hembras, coincidiendo con la maduracion sexual. En S. officinalis no hubo cambios estacionales de la dieta. Esta especie parece alimentarse principalmente durante la noche. S.Officinalis es mas eurifaga que s.elegans. Se discute la utilizacion de algunos indices empleados en ecologia de la alimentacion. S. Officinalis presenta una dinamica de digestion/evacuacion que se ajusta a un modelo exponencial. Esta especie puede ser alimentada en cautividad con presas muertas inmoviles; tambien acepto un pienso basado en harina de camaron y alginato. En periodos de escasez de comida, s.officinalis utiliza las pr