Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Olfactive conditioning and use of visual and odorous cues for movement in the ant Myrmica sabuleti (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Olfactive conditioning was achieved in the ant Myrmica sabuleti M EINERT , 1861 using either meat or sugared water as a reward (P < 0.016). This conditioning was superior using meat as a reward as had been the case in visual operant conditioning previously obtained in that species. Differential olfactive conditioning was also achieved in M. sabuleti using sugared water as a reward (0.031 < P < 0.016). This result suggests that these ants may use odours as cues to negotiate their way. Experiments were thus conducted in mazes provided with learned odours: the ants could negotiate their way (P < 0.001). They could also do so with alternative presence of visual and odorous cues (P < 0.001). Ants were then confronted with visual and odorous cues either in agreement or competitively presented. Myrmica sabuleti workers responded primarily to learned odours and secondarily to learned visual cues (correct odours + wrong visual cues: P < 0.001, wrong odours + correct visual cues: P < 0.01); the result for wrong odours + correct visual cues was still significant because the ants appeared to rapidly stop responding to learned odours when these elements fail to help them navigate.
Effect of adding the antioxidants on some biochemical blood plasma traits of brown layer during hot season in Iraq.

During the hot season in Iraq (June, July and August) the ambient temperature inside the Layer house reached 39 Celsius, this condition put the layer in heat stress condition which resulted decreasing layer performance by increasing the oxidative damage of some biological traits of blood, so , adding antioxidants (synthetic and natural) could moderate this condition, this hypothesis was tested in field experiment lasted for 12 weeks (84 days), by using 200 Lohman brown layer at 34 wks of age , the hens were distributed into 5 treatments (40 hens/treatment) with 4 replicates / treatments and 10 hens/ replicate , the first treatment was the control with no antioxidant added to ration, whereas, synthetic antioxidants (vit. C and E) were added at rate of 300 mg/kg of feed in 2nd and 3rd treatment, in 4th and 5th treatments the natural antioxidants (grape seeds and rosemary leaves) were used at rate of 5 g/kg of feed. The results of the experiment revealed that adding both types of antioxidants significantly decreased the glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and Non HDL in blood plasma, whereas, a significant increase in the total protein, albumen and HDL in blood plasma of hen consumed diet having antioxidant as compared with the control treatments. It can be concluded that adding antioxidant leads to protect the glucose, lipid profile and proteins in blood plasma from damaging by antioxidant during heat stress.
Exploring the specificity and mechanisms of siRNA-mediated gene silencing in mammalian cells

Complementary short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are routinely used to knockdown gene expression. siRNAs bind to their target sequence and guide transcript cleavage and subsequent degradation. This type of silencing is associated with equivalent levels of RNA and protein knockdown. siRNA-mediated knockdown was originally thought to be highly specific. However, the downregulation of non-target mRNAs has been observed following transfection of siRNAs in human cells. Many of these RNA changes are due to siRNA binding to partially complementary sequences within nontargeted transcripts and therefore are termed “off-target” effects. To examine the mRNA:siRNA interactions important for off-target effects, we generated a panel of mRNA:siRNA combinations containing a variety of base pairing interactions in the 9, 10, and 11 positions of two siRNA binding sites located in a reporter gene. This region was chosen because siRNA-mediated transcript cleavage occurs between the 10 and 11 positions of the mRNA:siRNA duplex. Approximately half of the mRNA:siRNA combinations containing mismatches in positions 9-11 resulted in a two-fold or more mRNA decrease, with varying degrees of protein knockdown. mRNA and protein analysis revealed combinations for which the resulting mRNA and protein levels did not correlate. Although siRNA-mediated transcript cleavage is catalyzed by the endonuclease Argonaute 2 (Ago2), knockdown of Ago2 expression did not affect mRNA knockdown for imperfectly complementary combinations. These results indicate that off-target mRNA reductions are likely attributable to Ago2-independent degradation processes. Using the same reporter system we have also uncovered instances in which complementary siRNAs resulted in high protein/RNA knockdown ratios with dramatic protein silencing. For these particular combinations, the disparity between RNA and protein knockdown is dependent on Ago2 function. This may suggest that the sequences within atypical complementary mRNA:siRNA combinations result in unproductive cleavage by Ago2, leading to persistent binding and enhanced silencing through translational repression. Our findings demonstrate that differences within complementary target sequences can lead to differences in the type of silencing mechanisms that result. The results presented in this dissertation also provide a better understanding of how off-target effects mediate mRNA and protein knockdown of unrelated transcripts, with meaningful implications for those using siRNAs as a tool. Thesis Supervisor: Phillip A. Sharp Title: Institute Professor of Biology
Effects of the Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin Gene on the Expression of the Ferritin Gene in Escherichia coli

To investigate the effects of the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) gene on the production of a heterologous protein, a comparative expression system for VHb and ferritin was constructed. First, the VHb gene was inserted into the downstream and upstream regions of the ferritin gene to construct pHF2 and pHF3, respectively. Next, the two plasmids pACHB1 and pVUTFH10, having the VHb gene and the ferritin gene respectively, were constructed in order to express the two genes in different plasmids by using a coplasmid expression system. It was observed that the cell growth was improved in all strains containing the VHb gene. Furthermore, in our coplasmid expression system, the presence of the VHb gene increased production of the ferritin by 1.8 times, as much as that in a strain not having the VHb gene.
Huerteales sister to Brassicales plus Malvales, and newly circumscribed to include Dipentodon, Gerrardina, Huertea, Perrottetia, and Tapiscia

Sequence data from the matK gene, the trnK group II intron, the trnL group I intron and the trnL-F spacer were analysed for a broad sampling of the rosids and other eudicots. For the first time all putative genera of Dipentodontaceae and Tapisciaceae (Dipentodon, Huertea, Perrottetia, Tapiscia), as well as the recently described Gerrardinaceae were included in a molecular phylogenetic dataset. All genera were found in a well supported Huerteales clade. Moreover, with the rapidly evolving and non-coding plastid sequence data we were able to resolve the Huerteales clade to branch after Sapindales, and to be sister to a Brassicales-Malvales clade. Increased resolution and support among the malvids underscore the potential of plastid introns and spacers as well as the matK gene as phylogenetic markers in rosids.
Asernestioside C, a New Minor Saponin from the Roots of Astragalus ernestii COMB.; First Example of Negative Nuclear Overhauser Effect in the Saponins

A minor saponin, asernestioside C (1), was isolated from the roots of Astragalus ernestii COMB. (Leguminosae) and its structure was determined from the two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) difference spectra. In this case, negative NOE was observed between the 3-H and the anomeric proton of 3-O-sugar moiety and between the 24-H and the 26-H3. Examples of negative NOE were also found in some other saponins.
The effect of burnt soils on growth of Xanthorrhoea glauca subsp. angustifolia (Xanthorrhoeaceae) seedlings in box-ironbark ecosystems, northern central Victoria

Seedlings of Xanthorrhoea glauca subsp. angustifolia D.J.Bedford (Xanthorrhoeaceae) were grown in burnt, unburnt and ash-rich soils from the box-ironbark ecosystem, northern central Victoria. Analysis of root architecture and the chemistry of leaves and roots demonstrate that burning improves seedling biomass development and acquisition of nutrients. An increased uptake of zinc by seedlings after fire is thought to be ecologically important and may infer vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. The early development of a secondary root system is likely to contribute to seedling survivorship. Given the observed high adult mortality after managed fuel-reduction fires, the importance of understanding and manipulating recruitment dynamics through an adaptive and strategic fire management of the remaining populations is likely to define the long-term survival of the species in Victoria.
Revisión xilológica de las principales especies del género Eucalyptus L'Herit. cultivadas en Argentina

El genero Eucalyptus L? Heritier comprende cerca de 500 especies, desde arbustos enanos hasta grandes arboles, que habitan un vasto rango de habitats. Muchas especies producen madera de importancia comercial y por esa razon han sido plantados en muchas partes del mundo. En Argentina, el 30 % de la superficie de bosques cultivados corresponde a este genero. El objetivo de este trabajo es revisar las caracteristicas anatomicas del xilema secundario de las especies mas cultivadas en Argentina y actualizar la terminologia empleada segun la lista de caracteres estandar de IAWA (1989). Se describieron las caracteristicas xilologicas de Eucalyptus grandis Hill. ex Maiden. , Eucalyptus saligna Smith. , Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. , Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus Labill. , Eucalyptus globulus ssp. maidenii F. Muell. , Eucalyptus viminalis Labill. , Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden. y Eucalyptus tereticornis Smith. , obteniendose datos cuali- cuantitativos para la separacion interespecifica. Los caracteres que resultaron mas utiles para la distincion entre las especies fueron: color del duramen, test de quemado de astillas, altura de los radios, altura de la porcion multiseriada, porcentaje de radios uni, bi y triseriados, tipos de vasos y su disposicion diagonal, parenquima axial, radios en seccion longitudinal radial y cristales. Se presenta una clave para la distincion entre las especies analizadas.
Ecology and conservation of the butterfly Thestor brachycerus brachycerus (Trimen, 1883) from the Western Cape

ii Opsomming . iii List of Tables . viii List of Figures . xi List of Appendices . xiv Abbreviations and Key Terms . xv Chapter 1 General introduction . 17 1.1 Butterfly conservation in South Africa . 17 1.2 Literature review of Thestor brachycerus brachycerus and research motivation . 18 1.3 Physical description of T. b. brachycerus . 21 1.4 Research question . 22 1.5 Aims and objectives . 23 Chapter 2 Distribution of T. b. brachycerus, past and present and searches for other populations . 25 2.
Arthropod biological control agents and pesticides

Natural enemies and pesticides - an overview pesticideside-effects on natural enemies - a database summary pesticide susceptibility - modes of uptake standardized assessment methods pesticide influences - sublethal influences ecological influences pesticide selectivity - physiological selectivity ecological selectivity microbial pesticides insect growth regulators pesticide resistance - documentation toxicology and genetics pesticide resistance management - endemic species introduced species conclusions - technology and policy issues of selective pesticide development.
ARTICLE; AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY Clonal in vitromultiplication of grey mangrove and assessment of genetic fidelity using single primer amplification reaction (SPAR) methods

Clonal in vitromultiplication of grey mangrove and assessment of genetic fidelity using single primer amplification reaction (SPAR) methods Abdulrahman Abdullah Alatar, Mohammad Faisal*, Ahmad Kamil Hegazy, Hend Awad Alwathnani and Mohammad Khir Okla Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
Fuel management and stopover duration of Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla stopping over in northern Spain during autumn migration period

Capsule Fuel load is correlated with fuel deposition rate; stopover duration is affected by arrival fuel load. Aims To determine the stopover duration, fuel management and flight ranges at departure of Blackcaps stopping over in northern Spain. Methods Systematic mist-netting and ringing allowed the use of mark–recapture Cormack–Jolly–Seber models for the estimation of stopover duration. Trapped birds were measured and weighed in order to estimate mass gain. FLIGHT software was used to estimate flight ranges. Results Stopover duration ranged from 3.6 to 13.6 days, and was negatively correlated with arrival body mass (assessed by body mass at the first capture event). On average, arrival body mass was 18.4 g, whilst body mass at departure was 19.8 g. No significant differences in arrival body mass and departure body mass were observed between age or sex classes. Mass deposition rate did not differ between age or sex classes (mean = 0.20 g/day). Birds recaptured one day after the first capture event lost mass, whilst recaptures from the second day onwards had a mean gain of mass; mass was observed to increase linearly with the stopover duration. Mass deposition rate was positively correlated with departure body mass. Finally, with a mean departure body mass of 19.8 g, a Blackcap stopping over in northern Spain should be able to fly up to 1100 km. Conclusions Stopover duration assessed by Cormack–Jolly–Seber models was longer than that observed in birds recaptured more than once (‘minimum stopover duration’). Stopover was longer for birds arriving with less fuel. The positive relationship between departure body mass and mass deposition rate suggests a time-minimizing strategy. The lack of difference in fuel deposition rate between age and sex classes suggests a relatively abundant food supply at the study site, but other explanations might also account for the lack of age and sex differences, for example if competition for food was not determined by social hierarchies but by scramble competition. Departing fuel load would allow these birds to arrive at their wintering areas in southern Spain under still-air conditions, without needing to refuel.
Of Xist and Dosage Compensation in Mammalian Development and Disease

In mammals, equalized gene dosage between the sexes is ensured by a process called X chromosome inactivation (XCI). XCI, mediated by the long noncoding RNA Xist, initiates early in female embryogenesis, both in extraembryonic tissue (“imprinted XCI”) and in all cells of the embryo proper (“random XCI”) to silence one of two X chromosomes. While Xist has been shown to be critical for the establishment of imprinted XCI, the impact of Xist loss on the initiation as well as maintenance of random XCI in vivo has not been fully explored. In this thesis, I describe our work making use of the Cre/loxP system to ablate Xist at different developmental stages and in different tissue types of the mouse. In embryos where Xist was deleted prior to random XCI using a Sox2Cre driver crossed to the conditional Xist allele, we made the unexpected discovery that a quarter of homozygous mutants developed to term and survived up to three weeks after birth. Dosage compensation was impaired, but the degree of imbalance was significantly lower than the expected two-fold doubling. However, the demise of mutants soon after birth indicate that small deviations from X-autosomal balance have profound effects on overall fitness. In contrast,
Staphylococcus aureus: salt stress, cell wall deficiency, and Biofílm formation

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a major cause of chronic infection and is of particular concern in the infection of implanted prostheses. Biofilm formation offers bacteria innate protection from antimicrobial agents and prevents the eradication of prosthetic infection in vivo. Current work shows a positive correlation between salt (NaCI) stress and cell wall deficiency in S. aureus. Cell wall deficient cells, produced in response to salt stress, demonstrate an increase in penicillin G resistance which increases with further salt stress, but returns to baseline levels after removal of the salt stress, indicating a phenotypic change in response to salt stress. Lysostaphin susceptibility decreases after salt stress, indicating changes to the structure of the cell wall in response to salt stress. Biofilm assays also show a positive correlation between biofilm formation and increased NaCI concentration. Further investigation using other Group I metals showed a positive correlation between increasing levels of KCl concentration and biofilm formation. This appears to be an ion specific effect related to potassium and sodium, as other Group I metals (Lithium, Rubidium and Caesium) did not have a similar effect. RT-PCR showed that both KCl and NaCI stress lead to a decrease in transcription of several genes, including some involved in cell wall synthesis, global gene regulation and polysaccharide intercellular adhesin production, over the baseline level. However, RT-PCR shows no significant difference between cells stressed with either KCl or NaCI. The work in this thesis shows a positive link between cell wall deficiency, antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation in S. aureus cells stressed with NaCI or KCl.
Microbial Plant Pathogens and Crop Disease Management

Microbial Plant Pathogens: Introduction Characteristics of Microbial Pathogens Characteristcs of Crop Diseases Plant-Pathogen Interaction: Pathogenecity and Host Defense Crop Disease Diagnosis Assessment of Crop Loss Caused by Microbial Pathogens Crop Disease Management: Principles and Practices Principles of Crop Disease Management Methods of Preventing Introduction of Microbial Pathogens Cultural Practices for Crop Disease Management Physical and Chemical Techniques for Crop Disease Management Host Resistance to Microbial Plant Pathogens Biocontrol Agents for Crop Disease Management Biotechnology for Improvement of Crop Disease Resistance Crop Disease Management Using Chemicals Integrated Disease Management
Uji aktivitas antibakteri ekstrak herbal terhadap bakteri Escherichia coli

Several herbs have been evaluated as feed additive for chicken, namely tumeric, white tumeric, javanese ginger and black ginger. The purpose of the research was to examine antibacterial activity (inhibition diameter zone and minimum inhibition concentration test) on several herbs extract toward Escherichia coli . In the experiment, there were 6 treatments namely aquadest 100% (A0), antibiotic tetracycline (A1), tumeric extract (A2), white tumeric extract (A3), javanese ginger extract (A4) and black ginger extract (A5) in response to inhibit Escherichia coli . Variables measured were inhibition diameter zone and minimum inhibition concentration test against challenge on Escherichia coli . The experiment was arranged in one way nested ANOVA based on completely randomized design and if there were different effects among variables it would be tested by Duncan’s multiple range test. The result showed that the use of turmeric extract gave highly significant inhibition diameter zone for Escherichia coli (P<0,01), further test indicated that as low as 50% (w/v) concentration of turmeric extract was enable to show as minimum concentration of inhibition against Escherichia coli . The conclusion of this research was among the herbs, selected turmeric extract showed the highest inhibition diameter zone if challance against Escherichia coli with minimum inhibition concentration of 50% (w/v). Keywords : herbs extract, Escherichia coli , inhibition
Characterisation of PLD activity in real-time

PLD catalyses hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) to produce phosphatidic acid (PtdOH) and choline. PtdOH is a second messenger responsible for a multitude of cell processes, ranging from cytoskeletal rearrangement to cell proliferation. Antigenic stimulation of RBL-2H3 mast cells and growth factor stimulation of endothelial HeLa cells results in PLD-dependent exocytosis and endocytosis, respectively. A novel fluorescent PtdCho (fPtdCho) was used to label both cell lines and Bligh-Dyer lipid extraction of fPtdCho-labelled RBL-2H3 cells showed the lipid was intact post-labelling. fPtdCho co-localised up to 50% with the lysosomal marker LysoTracker Red in RBL- 2H3 cells, and was not secreted in response to antigenic stimulation as recorded using real-time confocal microscopy. Primary alcohol treatment of fPtdCho-labelled RBL- 2H3 cells altered fPtdCho-labelling to diffuse from punctate distribution, suggesting PLD-generated PtdOH is responsible for retention of punctate fPtdCho staining. PLD isoforms 1b and 2a were labelled with Cherry (a red fluorescent protein) and transiently expressed in fPtdCho-labelled HeLa cells. Localisation was assessed using FRET by FRAP technology in live cells and showed that substrate and lipase were in close proximity. These findings will facilitate future development of a live real-time in vivo PLD assay. Furthermore, localisation of PLD and its activator Rac1 was assessed at rest and in EGF-stimulated HeLa cells in real-time. This showed co-localisation between PLD and Rac1 following stimulation. The fluorescent PtdCho was also used to develop a novel real-time in vitro PLD assay, monitoring fPtdCho metabolism at two second intervals. This in vitro assay is more sensitive than traditional end-point assays and will help clarify the relative rate of PLD activation in response to small G-protein activators and other co-factors in real-time.
Antibacteria Activity of Shewanella and Pseudomonas as Endophytic Bacteria from the Root of Ageratum conyzoides L.

Most of plants have endophytic bacteria that are able to synthesize some compounds that have biological activities as antibacteria. Four isolates of endophytic bacteria from root of Ageratum conyzoides was isolated and identified. The result of the identification of their morphology and biochemical activity shows that those bacteria are from Shewanella and Pseudomonas . The purpose of the research is to obtain crude extract of supernatant of endophytic bacteria in root A. conyzoides that performs antibacteria activity and to discover the identity of potential antibacteria compounds from the crude extract. The extraction of supernatant was done by using ethyl acetate. Then, antibacteria of each crude extract was tested on three pathogenic bacteria; i.e. Eschericia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Staphylococus aureus . The result of the test indicates that those crude extracts perform antibacteria activity. The crude extract of supernatant of Shewanella presents the highest level with zone of inhibition of 11.92 ± 1.24 mm ( E. coli ), 12.85 ± 0.32 mm ( P. aeruginosa ), and 15.13 ± 0.88 mm ( S. aureus ). The result of the test on crude-extract compound by using GC-MS discovers the existence of two active compounds; those are 2-amino-3-quinoline carbonitrile and boric acid. The result of the research asserts that endophytic bacteria from root A. conyzoides demonstrate the potential to be a promising source of antibacteria compound.