Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential uptake, distribution within tissues, and use efficiency of manganese, iron, and zinc by olive cultivars Kothreiki and Koroneiki.

Three-month-old rooted olive cuttings (Olea europaea L., cvs. Koroneiki and Kothreiki of ≈20 to 25 cm in height) were grown outdoors for 140 days (from 30 May until 17 Oct.) under ambient conditions in black plastic bags containing 3 kg of soil. Three soils from different parent material (Marl, Gneiss schist., and Peridotite) and with different physicochemical properties were chosen. In all the soils, 'Kothreiki' produced significantly greater total plant biomass compared with 'Koroneiki'. Furthermore, between the two cultivars studied, 'Kothreiki' absorbed significantly greater quantity of manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) per plant compared with `Koroneiki'. In all the soils, significantly greater concentrations of Mn, Fe, and Zn were recorded in the root system of both cultivars compared with those of leaves and stems. Between the two cultivars studied, 'Kothreiki' had greater percentage of the total Mn content distributed in the root system (74% to 80%) than 'Koroneiki' (44% to 56%). That high ability of 'Kothreiki' to accumulate Mn in its root system could possibly be advantageous in soils with high Mn concentrations and could constitute a detoxification mechanism to olive trees, protecting the above-ground part of the tree from Mn toxicity. Furthermore, greater concentrations of magnesium (Mg) were recorded in the root system of the olive plants than in leaves and stems, whereas potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) concentrations were greater in leaves compared with those of other tissues (roots and stems). The total per plant quantity of Ca, Mg, and K was significantly greater in the cultivar Kothreiki than 'Koroneiki' in all the soils tested. On the other hand, 'Kothreiki' presented significantly lower use efficiency of Mn in Marl and Gneiss schist soils, and that of Fe and Mg in all soils, so 'Koroneiki' could be considered as a Mn- and Fe-efficient olive cultivar, whereas 'Kothreiki' was Mn- and Fe-inefficient.
Egg Parasitism of Scirpophaga incertulas Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) by Hymenopterous Parasitoids in IRRI Rice Fields

We surveyed the IRRI farm to determine the extent of parasitization of yellow stemborer egg masses. The egg masses were randomly collected at weekly intervals from July to October 1984 from rice fields, 15-20 days after transplanting, and brought to the laboratory for collection of emerging parasites. Three species of hymenopterous parasitoids-Tetrasticus schoenobii, Telenomus rowani, and Trichogramma japonicum-were found from 700 egg masses. We introduced a method to calculate percent parasitism as based on parasite biology and behaviour. Among the three species, the combination of T. rowani and T. japonicum was the highest multiparasitization of yellow stem borer egg masses, and T. rowani, a solitary parasite had the highest number based on immature and adult stages counted. However, T. schoenobii may be the most efficient parasite because two to four host eggs are needed to complete the larval period, and it took days for one generation.
Influence of intracellular Na + , K + and Cl - on the salt tolerance in suspension cell cultures of Medicago media

In the process of selection for salt tolerance, it is important to understand the physiological basis of ion management executed by the cells through the exclusion, accumulation or maintenance of ratios of specific ions. Intracellular accumulation of Na + , K + and Cl- ions in the cells in vitro was studied as a factor in salt tolerance in suspension cultures of Medicago media cv. Rambler. Cells selected for NaCl tolerance (R151-S) and the non-selected R151 (normal) cells were grown in MS medium containing 0, 100, 250, 400 and 550 mM NaCl, Na + , Cl - or K + for 5 weeks and examined for relative growth rate per week (RGR/week) and intracellular concentration of Na + , Cl - and K + ions. R151-S cells were found to be significantly more tolerant to the elevated Na + and Cl- levels than R151. When the effects of Na + and Cl - ions were compared, R151-S appeared to be more tolerant of higher concentrations of Cl - as compared to the equimolar concentrations of Na + . As the concentration of NaCl in the medium increased, the intracellular concentrations of Na + increased, though not at a proportional rate. Also, when the external Cl- concentration increased, there was no significant change in the intracellular accumulation of Na + . On the contrary, intracellular Na + decreased when the external K + was increased. In the cells adapted to high concentration of NaCl, the concentration of intracellular K + was lower than the non-adapted cells. The adequate intracellular K + concentration for optimum growth in M. media suspension cultures was found to be 3000 µM/g dry weight. Excess or deficiency of intracellular K + caused severe reduction in the growth rates in all cell lines. Key words : Salt tolerance, Medicago media, suspension cell culture, intracellular ions, organic relative growth rate.
Prediction of drug response using genomic signatures from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia

Accurate prediction of patient drug response is required for successful personalized medicine. Cancer is a disease resulting from myriad genetic alterations. Accordingly, it should be possible to predict drug response of specific cancers using genetic and molecular signatures. To aid this effort, an ongoing collaboration established between Novartis and the Broad Institute called the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) has (i) comprehensively characterized genome-scale mRNA expression, copy number alteration and mutation profiles for nearly 1000 cancer cell line models spanning many tumor types and (ii) profiled ~500 of these cell lines against ~1000 anticancer compounds. Using these data, we are developing a scalable, extensible predictive modeling framework based on various supervised learning methods that include both categorical classification and linear regression approaches to predict compound sensitivity. By cross-validation of the generated models against test data sets, we quantitatively estimated model performance. Our initial results validate several preexisting genetic predictors of sensitivity. In addition, our models reported 70% or higher sensitivity and specificity for a number of compounds and yielded interesting potentially novel predictive features that, in some cases, outperform previously existing genetic predictors of sensitivity. Our integrative approach demonstrates that pharmacological profiling of large, genomically annotated cancer model systems, coupled with systematic predictive modeling, can uncover novel predictors of drug response and may ultimately aid patient stratification. This talk is also presented as Poster A4.
Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Salmonella Strains Isolated from Beef in Namibia

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Salmonella strains isolated from beef in Namibia. Methodology: To assess the antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella , a total of 81 strains isolated from 9508 routine beef samples from January 2008 to December 2009 were used. Isolation of Salmonella was done using a standard isolation procedure where the serotyping was done according to the White Kauffmann Le Minor scheme. Salmonella isolates were from carcass swabs (n = 45), meat juice (n = 19) and meat cuts (n = 17). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing on the serotyped Salmonella strains was carried out against 16 different antimicrobials using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. Results: Twenty one of 81 isolates (25.93%) from beef samples belonging to 15 different Salmonella serovars showed antimicrobial resistance to one or more of the 16 antimicrobials tested and 13 (16.05%) exhibited resistance to two or more antimicrobials. Two S. Chester isolates and one S. Schwarzengrund isolate exhibited resistance to two or more antimicrobial classes. The resistance was most commonly observed to sulfisoxazole (23.46%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (13.58%), tetracycline (3.7%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (1.23%), cephalothin (1.23%) and chloramphenicol (1.23%). Most of the Salmonella isolates that showed resistance to two or more antimicrobials had a common resistance pattern to both sulfisoxazole and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Conclusions: The present study revealed low antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella strains isolated from beef in Namibia. This suggests that there could still be a public health risk if such strains may reach the consumers.
Do extrafloral nectaries distract ants from visiting flowers? An experimental test of an overlooked hypothesis

When ants visit flowers, they can interfere with plant reproduction. Some plant species possess adaptations, such as specialized floral morphologies, that reduce visitation by unproductive or injurious insects. Kerner (1878) hypothesized that extrafloral nectaries, by distracting ants from foraging at floral nectaries, might also serve as an adaptation to reduce ant visitation to flowers. The viability of this hypothesis rests, in part, on ant foraging behaviour. When presented with extra nectar sources, do fewer ants visit each nectary or does recruitment keep visitation constant? Using artificial plants placed near free-living colonies of two ant species, we varied the presence, absence and quality of extra nectar sources and monitored visitation to primary, invariable nectar sources, representing floral nectaries. Significantly fewer ants of both species visited primary nectaries when extra nectar sources were present. Variation in the quality of the extra nectar sources had no significant effect on the number of ants visiting primary nectaries, but did affect visitation to extra nectar sources by one of the two species. Workers of Forelius sp. 1 strongly preferred sugar solutions with amino acids over sugar solutions alone and significantly greater numbers of Forelius workers visited artificial plants that provided amino acids than plants in other treatments. In contrast, workers of Formica perpilosa showed no significant preference among nectar types and neither the presence nor the quality of extrafloral nectar significantly affected numbers of ants on artificial plants. The results suggest that extrafloral nectaries could benefit plants by reducing the number of ants visiting flowers.
Partial sequence and characterization of nitric oxide synthase gene from Hyphantria cunea

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) gene has been partially sequenced from Hyphantria cunea and compared with those already determined from insects. Hyphantria cunea NOS possesses putative recognition sites for co‐factors heme, BH4, CaM, FMN, FAD, and NADPH common to NOS. The deduced amino acid sequence of H. cunea NOS cDNA showed 70.3% identity to Manduca sexta NOS and 57.6–69.5% identity to NOS sequences from other insects. Nitric oxide synthase is expressed in all tissues of H. cunea, except in hemocytes. The NOS expression in midgut, fat body, epidermis, and Malpighian tubule strongly increased against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacterial infection. These results suggest that NOS may play an important role in insect defense system against bacterial infection.
Defatted Soya Flour Supplementation of Wheat Bread Confers Oxidative, Renal, Hepatic and Cardiovascular Protective Effects in Wistar Rats

Background: The present study was designed to ascertain the effect of supplementation of bread with defatted soy flour on antioxidant, renal, hepatic and cardiovascular status in Wistar rats. Results: There was a significant (p<0.05) increase in the liver levels of antioxidant enzymes: reduced glutathione (GSH),superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes in experimental rats liver of wheat-soy bread groups compared to the control group and a significant (p<0.05) reduction in wheat-soy bread groups for lipid peroxidation-malondialdehyde (MAL) compared to non-supplemented group. However, antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation biomarker levels of the wheat-soy bread groups were not significantly (p>0.05) different from one another. There was a significant (p<0.05) reduction in the serum levels of liver enzymes namely: Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alanine Transaminase (ALT) and Alanine Phosphatase (ALP) as well as serum levels of lipid biomarkers namely: Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), Cholesterol (CHOL) and Triglycerides (TG) in wheat-soy bread groups as compared to the wheat bread group (control). However, the serum levels of these lipid biomarkers in all the four wheat-soy bread experimental rat groups were not significantly (p>0.05) different from one another. The serum levels of renal function markers (Total Bilirubin, Creatinine and Urea) as well as protein markers (Total Protein and Albumin) were significantly (p<0.05) lower in wheat-soy bread experimental rat groups compared to wheat bread group but were not significantly (p>0.05) different for the wheat-soy supplemented groups. Conclusion: Our findings establish the nutritional and health promoting benefits of soy supplemented bread. In addition, it was also deduced that 10% wheat-soy bread gave the bread the best overall quality acceptability.
Role of Interviews, Observation, Pitfalls and Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research Methods

The main objective of this study was to discuss the role of interviews, observation, pitfalls and ethical issues in qualitative research methods. Data collection can be gathered from a number of sources, which include document analysis, observation, telephone, Internet surveys, focus groups, field notes, questionnaires, tape recording and interviews. This article focuses on interviews and observation as the methods of data collection and some of the pitfalls and ethical issues involved in conducting interviews. The researcher carried out analytical review of relevant literature concerning the topic and came up with this piece of paper. Keywords : Interviews, Observations, Pitfalls, Ethical Issues and Qualitative Research Methods
Allelic antigen and membrane-anchor epitopes of Paramecium primaurelia surface antigens

Paramecium aurelia can express a repertoire of surface antigens (SAgs) according to culture conditions. These high M r proteins are anchored in the plasma membrane by a glycolipid, and they can be isolated in two different forms, an amphiphilic membrane-bound form (mSAg) and a hydrophilic soluble form (sSAg). Endogenous or exogenous phospholipase C can convert mSAg to sSAg with unmasking of a carbohydrate antigenic determinant similar to that found in the soluble form of Trypanosoma variant surface glycoproteins and called the cross-reacting determinant. By immunizing mice with cilia from strain 156 of P. primaurelia expressing the G SAg, we obtained six monoclonal antibodies against the 156G SAg, which could be classified into two groups. Y4 and Y8, representative of each group, have been characterized by checking their reactivity in situ and in vivo towards a series of allelic G and D SAgs in P. primaurelia and the 51B SAg in P. tetraurelia . The monoclonal Y4 recognizes a conformational determinant, accessible in vivo and common to all the G SAgs. Thus, Y4 defines a G locus-specific epitope that corresponds to a conserved region inside a polymorphic domain. The monoclonal Y8 recognizes two homologous determinants whose detection depends on the presence or absence of the SAg membrane-anchor, and which are mutually exclusive: one is found in the reduced soluble form of all the SAgs and other surface proteins, the cross-reacting glycoproteins (CRGs); the other occurs in the unreduced membrane-bound form of the G SAgs. Thus, Y8 enables us to demonstrate that the membrane-anchor of Paramecium SAgs contains an additional hidden determinant close to the cross-reacting determinant and to discriminate between the membrane-bound and soluble form of SAgs. The in situ organization of the 156G SAg molecules is also discussed on the basis of immunogold labelling obtained using Y4 and a polyclonal antiserum.
Game restocking and the introduction of sarcoptic mange in wild rabbit in north‐eastern Spain

The European wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus has been recently reclassified as Near Threatened in its natural range in the Red List of Endangered Species by the IUCN, and a huge conservation effort is being undertaken in Spain for this keystone species. Restocking is a frequent measure for wild rabbit population reinforcements and it is also part of predator conservation programmes. However, it can have a negative influence on the resident rabbit population when it is not carried out carefully. In our work, using a model selection procedure based on a theoretic information approach, we analyze which factors favor the presence of sarcoptic mange in some wild rabbit populations in Catalonia (north‐eastern Spain), as well as the trend of rabbit abundance in affected and non‐affected hunting estates. Presence of mange depends on animal abundance and on restocking numbers (22.09%). From the mean rabbit abundance (30 rabbits hunted km−2) and the mean restocking rate (18 rabbits km−2), the probability of being affected increased in nearly 5% when the restocking rate increased in one unit. Rabbit abundance (2001–2007) depends on the presence of mange and on the effect of the year (23.86%), and clearly declined in the hunting estates with mange, whereas abundance is maintained in mange‐free zones. Our results indicate that a sanitary control is necessary when restocking wild rabbit populations. Furthermore, restocking is shown to be a potential way of introducing pathogens to resident populations, especially under conditions of high density.
Large tropical fishes and their use of the nearshore littoral, intertidal and subtidal habitat mosaic

Shallow-coastal habitats are highly productive environments supporting a diverse community of fishes. Historical research suggests these habitats primarily function to support and nurture juvenile fishes; however, contemporary research indicates large and mature fishes also utilise these habitats. Moreover, few studies have considered the continuous cross-shore nature (i.e. extending seaward) of shallow-coastal habitats consisting of conjoined littoral, intertidal and subtidal habitats. To investigate the community of large-bodied fishes (>200mm) and how they distribute themselves across a mosaic of littoral, intertidal and subtidal habitats, seasonal sampling was conducted over 1 year in north-eastern Australia. A total of 1119 individuals from 26 families and 36 species were sampled, though four families accounted for 79.1% of the total sample (Latidae, Polynemidae, Ariidae and Carcharhinidae). The littoral and subtidal communities differed significantly from each other, whereas the intertidal community shared some species-specific characteristics with both adjacent fish communities. Teleosts were the dominant group in the littoral and intertidal habitats, whereas sharks dominated the subtidal. These patterns are likely driven by a combination of biological and ecological processes; however, further research is necessary to better understand the role of these processes on shaping the large-bodied fish communities of shallow-coastal waters.
Comparison of COFECHA and TSAPWIN from Dendroclimatology for Climate Change and Taiwan Fir (Abies kawakamii) Growth Pattern in Alpine Central Taiwan

Under different environments, trees has recorded signals of a variety of types (Schweingruber, 2007). The ring width change implies climate information and the growing season. Through analyzing tree ring, we can understand how climate change affects the growth of trees. Studying the relationship between limiting factor and ring width is able to reconstruct the weather in the past or predict the future weather. The average temperature has increased 0.8 C from 1866 in global (Bluemle, 1999). Climate change and global warming cause lots of effect in global. With the rise of temperature, forest vegetation is moving high latitude and high altitude. The tree–line of alpine forest was immigrating upward on altitude (Kullman, 1998). Taiwan fir (Abies kawakamii H.) is the highest forest in Taiwan (Flora of Taiwan, 1994). Climate is the main factor that affects vegetation distributes in the long– term. Temperature and precipitation were the most effective (Walther, 2003). Taiwan fir grows on the timberline, where temperature and precipitation are growth– limiting factors. Because the growing of Taiwan fir is controlled by the growth–limiting factors, by studying the ring width growth, the study tried to understand how climate affects trees. The mean sensitivity of Taiwan fir is around 0.14, it is a fine material for studying the climate response (Tsou, 1998). Crossdating aims to synchronize growth ring series by aligning patterns in ring width (Pilcher, 1990). To facilitate the crossdating process, numerous methodologies and computer software have been developed. Computer software were such as COFECHA (Holmes, 1983), and TSAPWin (Rinntech, 2009). COFECHA standardizes the raw data of ring width, and provides the correlation test of the whole series and each segments (by default 50–ring). Default standardization include cubic smooth spline (rigidity 32 rings), autoregressive modeling and logarithmic transformation. TSAPWin displays the ring width in line graph, and provides synchrony test of each series. TSAPWin also combines the ring width measurement. With this function, it can easily measure and analyze. Radial growths of trees were influenced by temperature and precipitation in the cold high tree–line zone, and Comparison of COFECHA and TSAPWIN from Dendroclimatology for Climate Change and Taiwan Fir (Abies kawakamii) Growth Pattern in Alpine Central Taiwan
Seaweed polysaccharides and their potential biomedical applications

Over the past two decades numerous studies have been reported on seaweeds-derived polysaccharides for biomedical and biological applications (tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound healing, and biosensor). Alginate, carrageenan, fucoidan, and ulvan are widely used marine derived polysaccharides for biological and biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and availability. The gel forming property of alginate has increased its applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery as an extracellular matrix and delivery vehicle, respectively. Other sulfated polysaccharides such as carrageenan and fucoidan show promising application in tissue engineering due to their capacity of inducing important osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation in stem cells. In this review, we explained the extraction/isolation methods and applications of these seaweed derived polysaccharides as well as their roles in therapeutics, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.
A Length-Based Stock Assessment Method Utilizing a Generalized Delay-Difference Model

We present a length-based stock assessment method based on a generalization of the delay-difference methods of Deriso. Data inputs to the model include the estimated weight of the catch, the estimated fishing effort, the estimated mean weight of the catch, and the estimated central moments of the length distribution of the catch. The model's performance is demonstrated by applying it to data from a simulated exploited fish population exhibiting biomass-dependent catchability which would cause conventional catch–effort models to seriously underestimate the extent of stock depletion. The model was generally able to detect the presence of the biomass-dependent catchability and to correctly estimate the optimal level of fishing effort.