Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of different pesticides on Chouioia cunea Yang, an important natural enemy of Hyphantria cunea Drury.

According to present status of pest management to Hyphantria cunea in China,six pesticides were selected for experiment by imitating field spray method in order to determine the security to the important natural enemy of Hyphantria cunea,Chouioia cunea.Fifth-instar larvae of Hyphantra cunea were also feeded with leaves contaminated Hyphantria cunea NPV until pupation.The pupae were hosts for reproducing Chouioia cunea.Results indicated that beta-cypermethrin,avermectin had significant effects whereas triflumuron,dimilim Ⅲ,Bacillus thuringiensis,HcNPV had no significant effects on live-span of Chouioia cunea adults.HcNPV was safety for reproduction of Chouioia cunea.The findings also suggest that the technology of utilizing HcNPV in larval stages combined with Chouioia cunea in pupal stage for controlling Hyphantria cunea was practicable.
Effects of dietary supplementation of palm fatty acid powders on performance, internal egg quality and yolk oxidation stability in laying hens during early egg production

The present study was conducted with Hy-Line W-36 Leghorn hens to investigate the effects of dietary substitution of soybean oil (SO) with 2 commercial palm fatty acid powders (PFAP) on performance, egg quality measurements and oxidative stability of yolk lipids. Laying hens (225) were fed with a basal diet containing 3.5% soybean oil in which SO was replaced with PFAP (either energizer A or B) by 25, 50, 75 or 100%. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on egg production during 27 to 32 wk of age, but incremental levels of both PFAP sources reduced hen-day egg production during 32 to 37 wk of age. Energizer B was associated with more egg production and egg mass compared with energizer A. Dietary supplementation with PFAP increased feed intake compared with control group during 32 to 37 wk of age. Although feed conversion ratio (FCR) was not affected by experimental diets from 27 to 32 wk of age, the best FCR values assigned to the birds on control diet in the second 35 d, and birds on energizer B improved FCR compared with those on energizer A-diets. PFAP improved Haugh unit during both recording periods. All dietary replacement levels of PFAP were associated with higher standing-up quality of egg yolks. Diets supplemented with energizer B improved shell thickness and subsequently eggshell breaking strength compared with energizer A or control diets. Yolk cholesterol content was higher in eggs laid by hens fed on A- and B-containing diets compared with control birds. Dietary inclusion of PFAP partially or completely in place of SO reduced egg yolk malondialdehyde. The present findings suggested that one can replace 75% of SO with PFAP without any detrimental effect on performance and egg quality. In addition, yolk oxidative stability could be improved with PFAP.
Establishment and Competitive Ability of Nelumbo Lutea in Relation to Myriophyllum Spicatum

Limitations from reduced light and increasing water depth on Nelumbo lutea seedlings were determined in tank experiments. Survival was high in all tested light levels. Total biomass increased significantly with increasing light. Biomass allocation shifted significantly to root production between 3 and 6 weeks in the 10 and 24% levels. Survival decreased with increasing planting depth, and biomass of survivors reduced significantly between 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m depths. Nelumbo lutea and Myriophyllum spicatum populations were monitored for one season in a 0.7 ha pond to track changes in species dominance. Myriophyllum spicatum dominated early, and N. lutea dominated from July through October, suppressing M. spicatum at all depths. Competitive interactions between N. lutea and M. spicatum were investigated for two seasons in a container experiment situated within a pond. Where established, N. lutea dominated in the presence of M. spicatum. However, N. lutea could not be established in depths greater than 1 meter.
In Silico Methods Shed New Insights Into Cyanide-Caused Cardiac Toxicity

Abstract : A high performance computational study of cyanide s (CN s) effect on cardiac tissue is presented. CN s interference with atrial tissue energy production was simulated by studying the effect of the changes in magnitude of the KATP membrane current on the action potential, thereby understanding the processes leading to the disappearance of the P-wave in the CN-affected tissue. CN was found to render the membrane current levels insufficient to maintain the required wave shape and duration. These results suggest that pharmacological intervention could seek the restoration of ion concentration levels as a possible approach to restoring homeostasis.
Clonal selection as an inspiration for adaptive and distributed information processing

The development of adaptive and intelligent computational methods is an important frontier in the field Artificial Intelligence given the fragility of top-down software solutions to complex problems involving incomplete information. This dissertation describes a systematic investigation of the Clonal Selection Theory of acquired immunity as a motivating information processing metaphor of a series of adaptive and distributed Computational Intelligence algorithms. The broader structure and function of the mammalian immune system is used to frame the cellular theory and classically inspired approaches, providing the additional distributed perspectives of a ‘host of tissues’ called the Tissue Paradigm and a ‘population of hosts’ called the Hosts Paradigm. This investigation was motivated by three open problems in the broader field of Artificial Immune Systems, specifically the perceived impasse in the development, identity, and application of the field, the promise of distributed information processing, and the need for a framework to motivate such work. The state of Clonal Selection Algorithms is investigated in the context of immunological theory, and considered in the context of broader related machine learning fields and adaptive systems theory. A systematic approach is adopted in considering the adaptive qualities of clonal selection beyond a cellular perspective, involving the identification of the lymphatic system and lymphocyte migration as a motivating metaphor for intra-host distributed systems, and host immunisation and evolutionary immunology as a motivating metaphor for intra-population distributed system design. Relevant immunophysiology and theory was reviewed, abstracted to computational models and algorithms, and systematically assessed on model pattern recognition problems to demonstrate and verify expected information processing capabilities. The empirical investigation reveals a variety of tissue and host based clonal selection systems capable of acquiring distributed information via internal processes of controlled localisation and dissemination, in a decentralised information exposure environment. The general capabilities of Clonal Selection Algorithms as a Computational Intelligence paradigm are defined in the context of a detailed assessment of the suitability of the approaches to the important problem primitives of Function Optimisation and Function Approximation. The findings highlight the general capabilities of the approaches as mutation-based parallel hill climbers for global optimisation and prototype quantisation approaches to function approximation. Finally, an Integrated Hierarchical Clonal Selection Framework demonstrates the subsumed relationship between the cellular, tissue, and host classes of algorithm, the dependent relationship with the complexity of the abstract antigenic environment addressed by the system, and a general scaffold for a broader class of distributed artificial immune systems.
Targeted Knockout of MDA5 and TLR3 in the DF-1 Chicken Fibroblast Cell Line Impairs Innate Immune Response Against RNA Ligands

The innate immune system, which senses invading pathogens, plays a critical role as the first line of host defense. After recognition of foreign RNA ligands (e.g., RNA viruses), host cells generate an innate immune or antiviral response via the interferon-mediated signaling pathway. Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-1) acts as a major sensor that recognizes a broad range of RNA ligands in mammals; however, chickens lack a RIG-1 homolog, meaning that RNA ligands should be recognized by other cellular sensors such as melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) and toll-like receptors (TLRs). However, it is unclear which of these cellular sensors compensates for the loss of RIG-1 to act as the major sensor for RNA ligands. Here, we show that chicken MDA5 (cMDA5), rather than chicken TLRs (cTLRs), plays a pivotal role in the recognition of RNA ligands, including poly I:C and influenza virus. First, we used a knockdown approach to show that both cMDA5 and cTLR3 play roles in inducing interferon-mediated innate immune responses against RNA ligands in chicken DF-1 cells. Furthermore, targeted knockout of cMDA5 or cTLR3 in chicken DF-1 cells revealed that loss of cMDA5 impaired the innate immune responses against RNA ligands; however, the responses against RNA ligands were retained after loss of cTLR3. In addition, double knockout of cMDA5 and cTLR3 in chicken DF-1 cells abolished the innate immune responses against RNA ligands, suggesting that cMDA5 is the major sensor whereas cTLR3 is a secondary sensor. Taken together, these findings provide an understanding of the functional role of cMDA5 in the recognition of RNA ligands in chicken DF-1 cells and may facilitate the development of an innate immune-deficient cell line or chicken model.
Correlation and path coefficient analysis in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

The seed yield was positively and significantly associated with number of filled seeds per plant, flower head size, 100-seed weight, harvest index, plant dry matter and height but significant negative with oil per cent in sunflower. Days to flowering and maturity, plant height and head size had significant negative association with oil per cent. The significant and positive correlation was observed between days to flowering and maturity. Flower head size, plant dry matter and height exhibited the significant positive association with number of filled seeds per plant. The number of filled seeds per plant and 100-seed weight had high direct effect on seed yield. Plant dry matter and height, flower head size and harvest index had direct effect very low and even negative. The indirect effect of these trails was observed via number of a filled seeds per plant. The direct effect of days to flowering and maturity was very low but their indirect effect on seed yield was also noticed through number of filled seeds per plant. The oil percentage showed significant negative correlation as well as negative direct effect on seed yield in sunflower.
Improving Thermodynamic Models of Transcription by Combining ChIP and Expression Measurements of Synthetic Promoters

OF THE DISSERTATION Improving Thermodynamic Models of Transcription by Combining ChIP and Expression Measurements of Synthetic Promoters By Robert Zeigler Doctor of Philosophy in Biology and Biomedical Sciences Computational Biology Washington University in St. Louis, 2012 Associate Professor Barak A. Cohen, Chairperson Regulation of gene expression is a fundamental process in biology. Accurate mathematical models of the relationship between regulatory sequence and observed expression would advance our understanding of biology. I developed ReLoS, a regulatory logic simulator, to explore mathematical frameworks for describing the relationship between regulatory sequence and observed expression and to explore methods of learning combinatorial regulatory rules from expression data. ReLoS is a flexible simulator allowing a variety of formalisms to be applied. ReLoS was used to explore the question of how complex rules of combinatorial transcriptional regulation must be to explain the complexity of transcriptional regulation observed in biology. A previously published dataset was analyzed for regulatory elements that explained the behavior of regulatory modules for 254 genes in 255 conditions. I found that ReLoS was able to recapitulate a reasonable fraction of the variation (mean gene-wise correlation of 0.7) with only twelve combinatorial rules comprising
Genetic characterization of AvrLm1, the first avirulence gene of Leptosphaeria maculans

Specific interactions of the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans with Brassica napus cultivars were observed when the cultivars were inoculated with isolates belonging to pathogenicity groups (PG) PG3 and PG4. PG3 isolates induced resistance responses on cotyledons or leaves of cv. Quinta, whereas PG4 isolates caused sporulating lesions on this cultivar. In contrast, both pathotypes caused disease symptoms on cvs. Westar and Glacier. The genetic basis of cultivar specificity was studied using tetrad analysis after in vitro crosses between one PG3 and one PG4 isolate. For the genetic study, the use of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) as genetic markers was assessed. Of 61 primers, 10 generated reproducible polymorphisms. Of these, 9 generated 18 RAPD markers displaying a 2 :2 segregation ratio within the 10 analyzed tetrads. A 2 :2 segregation ratio for avirulence/virulence to cv. Quinta also was observed in the progeny. Consequently, the single genetic locus controlling cultivar specificity on Quinta was considered the first avirulence gene described in L. maculans and was designated AvrLM1.
ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS MEDIATED SILVER NANOPARTICLES SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION OF ITS ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AGAINST DIFFERENT HUMAN PATHOGENS

Objective: Here, we report the extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the cell-free extract of fungal isolate Aspergillus flavus and evaluation its inhibitory activity against bacterial pathogens. Methods: Synthesized AgNPs was characterized via high throughput instrumentation such as UV–Visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX). Results: Formation of yellowish brown colour clearly indicates the synthesis of AgNPs which produces a SPR peak at 420 nm. Active protein metabolites present in the cell-free extract plays a crucial role in reduction and stabilization of AgNPs. It was clearly observed that synthesized AgNPs were faced-centered cubic crystalline in nature with the mean size of 22±11 nm. Further, synthesized AgNPs capped with protein moieties exhibits excellent inhibitory activity against tested bacterial pathogens. Conclusion: In this study, we have isolated the fungal strain A. flavus from the infected larvae of D. eucharis from the soil. The active metabolites of isolated A. flavus have been successfully used as an eco-friendly reducing agent to generate AgNPs and synthesized particles can be potentially developed as a drug candidature for antimicrobial therapy. Keywords: A. flavus , Silver nanoparticles, HRTEM, Proteins, Human pathogens
Knowledge Management in Enhancing the Teaching and Learning Innovation

This study focused on the influence of knowledge management and innovation of teaching and learning activities in Malaysian institutes of teacher education. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data from 100 randomly selected respondents. The respondents were academic lecturers from the teacher education institutes within southern Malaysia. Closedended questionnaires using five point Likert scale were used to collect the primary data from all the 100 respondents. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Software Version 22.0. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to test the existence of relationship between knowledge management and innovation of teaching and learning activities. The findings revealed that knowledge management was significant in enhancing innovation of teaching and learning activities. Knowledge management had a moderate but positive linear relationship as proved statistically by a correlation coefficient value of 0.624. The results indicated that a rise in knowledge management practices create more opportunities for the lecturers to enhance innovations in teaching and learning activities. Therefore, the researcher recommends a comprehensive module outlining knowledge management processes should be circulated and innovative leaders needed in guiding the lecturers in executing the practice widely in teacher education institutes.
Hydrolyse ménagée de l’hémoglobine bovine par la pepsine porcine en mélanges hydroalcooliques et obtention d’une nouvelle famille de peptides antimicrobiens

L’hydrolyse de l’hemoglobine bovine par la pepsine peut etre consideree comme une voie importante d’obtention de peptides antimicrobiens face a l’emergence des resistances bacteriennes aux divers antibiotiques. Des alcools connus comme des solvants structurants ont ete utilises afin d’aboutir a une hydrolyse menagee de l’hemoglobine par la pepsine. Le methanol, l’ethanol, le propanol, le butanol ou le trifluoroethanol ont ete utilises en vue de preserver ou d’induire de nouvelles modifications structurales de l’hemoglobine. L’hydrolyse pepsique de l’hemoglobine en milieu hydroalcoolique a aboutit a un melange peptidique moins complexe majoritairement compose de peptides intermediaires a activite antimicrobienne. L’etude des variations structurales a ete realisee par dichroisme circulaire, spectrofluorimetrie et spectrophotometrie UV-visible. L’utilisation de 10% de TFE a permis l’obtention d’un hydrolysat moins complexe riche en peptides intermediaires hydrophobes mais a concentration faible. La presence de 40% de methanol, 30% d’ethanol, 20% de propanol ou de 10% de butanol a ameliore cette concentration. Ces alcools ont rendu plus specifique l’activite de l’enzyme par une augmentation de l’hydrolyse preferentiellement en position C-terminale des leucines. Ils ont egalement rendu accessible le coeur hydrophobe de l’hemoglobine permettant ainsi d’obtenir une nouvelle famille peptidique: la famille α 67-106. Cette famille a montre une activite antimicrobienne vis-a-vis de quatre souches bacteriennes (CMI: 35,2-187,1 μM) et une activite antihypertensive potentielle par sa capacite d’inhibition de l’enzyme de conversion de l’angiotensine (CI50: 42,55-1095 μM).
Human Capital Reputation as an Antecedent of Foreign Direct Investment Market Entry in Zimbabwe

This paper examines the influence that the reputation of Zimbabwe’s human capital has as an antecedent of FDI market entry opportunities in the country. By synthesizing nation branding, behavioural finance and foreign direct investment theory, this paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge in human capital as a determinant influencing foreign investor behaviour within an African economic context. Empirical data was generated from a self-administered online survey of a purposively sampled population of 305 foreign investors within the Zimbabwean context. Exploratory factor analysis extracted the items that constituted the Zimbabwean human capital construct, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients being utilized to measure the reliability of the measuring instrument. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment coefficients and multiple regression analysis were employed to further analyze the data. The results revealed that foreign investors considered the availability of a sustainable, highly productive, skilled, retainable and inexpensive workforce, as the influential human capital attributes they considered for FDI to Zimbabwe. The empirical evidence further affirmed that the reputation of Zimbabwe’s human capital is an antecedent for resource- and efficiency-seeking FDI typologies to Zimbabwe. As a result, practical guidelines are provided for the Government of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Investment Authority on the potential development and promotion of Zimbabwe’s human capital for the purpose of positively influencing investor behaviour, thereby attracting FDI to the country.
Identification and Functional Analysis of S-AdenosylMethionine Synthetase (HvSAMS) genes in Early Maturing Barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare)

Grain development has been shown to involve a complex series of physiological and molecular events. In order to provide information on molecular events during grain development, we isolated four noble genes, HvSAMS1 , 2 , 3 and 4 ( Hordeum vulgare S-AdenosylMethionine Synthetase1 , 2 , 3 and 4 ). The four HvSAMS genes were closely related based on peptide comparisons and sequence homologies that ranged from 89% to 99%. To determine the developmental expression of HvSAMS genes, Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR were performed with the kernels of -3 to 30 days after fertilization (DAF). The transcripts of HvSAMS1 and 3 genes peaked at -3 DAF that lasted until 7 DAF, and started to reduce at 10 DAF. A strong expression signal of HvSAMS2 was detected from -3 DAF and reached the maximum level at 3 DAF, then decreased until 30 DAF. The expression of HvSAMS4 initially elevated from -3 DAF, reaching the peak at 10 DAF, and decreased gradually until 30 DAF. The HvSAMS gene transcripts were accumulated abundantly in grains, stems and leaves. To evaluate subcellular localization molecular functions of HvSAMS1 gene, we transformed the HvSAMS1 gene into onion epidermal cell and Arabidopsis . Expression of HvSAMS1 recognized by 35S::HvSAMS1::GFP was detected in the nucleus and slightly in the cytosol, whereas 35S::GFP expressed throughout the cell. The transgenic lines showed slightly early germination on MS-medium containing 1 μ M GA 3 coupled with accelerated extension of bolts. The HvSAMS genes were dominantly expressed in grains during grain development (3 DAF). The HvSAMS genes showed various transcript accumulations in response to the abiotic stresses and exogenous application of phytohormones. Especially, HvSAMS genes were regulated by exogenous GA 3 . The subcellular localization of HvSAMS1 and histochemical localization of HvSAMS2 promoter provided opportunities to elucidate their possible cellular functions. The phenotypic attributes displayed by HvSAMS1 overexpressing transgenic plants suggested the role of HvSAMS1 in the germination and GA 3 response mechanism.
Response curves for plant species and vegetation types

Responses of plant species and phytosociological classes were estimated based on field measured abiotic conditions and vegetation releves. The responses for the phytosociological classes is limited to pH for now, however responses for plant species are estimated for 18 different soil conditions, for instance soil pH, spring groundwater table, potassium content of the soil, total nitrogen content of the soil
Organogenesis in zygotic embryos and hypocotyls of physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) under 6-benzylaminopurine levels

Physic nut had a great potential for biodiesel production and presents higher oil content. The aim of this study was obtain organogenesis in zygotic embryos and hypocotyls of physic nut using 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Seeds were disinfected and after then cotyledons were removed; they were in vitro germinated at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 mg.L -1 BAP. Hypocotyls were excised from germinated seeds with 45 days old and cultured at 0, 1, 2.5 and 5 mg.L -1 BAP. Callus from zygotic embryos were cultured at double-phase medium being liquid medium supplemented with 1, 2.5 and 5 mg.L -1 BAP. The largest percentage of callus formation in zygotic embryos occurred at 6 mg.L -1 BAP. On the other hand, to induce shoot from zygotic embryos the best BAP level was 4 mg.L -1 . Callogenesis in hypocotyls can be efficiently induced with 1 mg.L -1 BAP. Double-phase medium results in lowest protuberances rate, varying from 0 to 3 per callus. In order to induce callus from zygotic embryos and hypocotyls of physic nut, BAP is sustainable. http://periodicoscientificos.ufmt. br/index.php/afor/article/view/1738