Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phytochemical and ethnobotanical study of some selected medicinal plants from Nigeria

This study involves the phytochemical screening and ethnomedicinal survey of twenty-three medicinal plants belonging to thirteen families commonly found in Nigeria. Semi-structured interviews and discussions with selected informants were adapted to collect ethnobotanical information on the plants. It was discovered that all of them possess alkaloids, tannins and saponin. Steroid is present in only twelve of the plant species, only five have phlobatannin; terpene is present in twenty of the plants, flavonoid is present in nineteen of the plants, while cardiac glycoside is present in sixteen of the species. Leea guineensis and Uvaria chamae were the only plants among the 23 plant samples that contain all the eight phytochemicals tested. The phytochemical present in the samples were juxtaposed with their ethnomedicinal significance, and from this, several suggestions were deduced on the secondary metabolites responsible for the pharmacological actions of the plants. Conclusively, it could be said that the ethnomedicinal significance of the selected plants for this study corresponds to the pharmacological actions of the secondary metabolites they contain. Key words: Phytochemical, ethnomedicinal, medicinal plants, bioprospecting.
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SUBCOMMISSURAL ORGAN OF THE PIG

The subcommissural organ of pig extended from pineal gland to recessus mesocoelicus on the ventral aspect of posterior commissure and formed partly the roof of third ventricle and cerebral aqueduct. The organ was comprised of two cellular layers i.e. a pseudostratified columnar ciliated ependyma towards the free ventricular surface and a hypendyma adjoining the nervous tissue of the posterior commissure. The subcommissural organ was divided cranio-caudally into four parts viz. pars-supracommissuralis, pa rsprecommissuralis, pars-subcommissuralis and pars-retrocommissuralis in mid sagittal plane. The organ in transverse plane depict ed a horizontal strip of tissue which was continued on either side in the form of ventro-lateral limbs. An abrupt transition of the modified
3‐(Aminocarbonyl)pyridinium trifluoroacetate

In the title compound, C6H7N2O+ center dot C2O2F3-, the carboxamide group is twisted by 16.3 (8) degrees from the pyridine ring plane. The protonated cations are linked to the anions by N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds to form a distorted lamellar structure.
Investigating the Influence of International Tourism in Pakistan and Its Linkage to Economic Growth: Evidence From ARDL Approach

Tourism is a key source of income and employment today, and different parts of the world are heavily dependent on it. The main purpose of this article was to demonstrate the consequences of long-run and short-run relationship on international tourism in Pakistan and its impact on economic growth by applying an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach. Augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root test was employed to check the stationarity of the variables, while an ARDL bounds testing approach was used to measure the long-run and short-run dynamics linkage among the study variables. The results show that international tourism and expenditures for passenger transport items have a positive impact on economic growth. Similarly, long-run dynamics also revealed that international tourism expenditures for travel items and international tourism expenditures, international tourism receipts for passenger transport items and international tourism receipts for travel items also had a positive impact on the economic growth. The present analysis of the long-run suggested better policies should be implemented to attract more international tourists to the country.
Antigenic Characterization of Potato Virus X with Monoclonal Antibodies

Summary A panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against potato virus X (PVX) was obtained and three of these which had high affinity to the antigen were characterized in detail. These three antibodies defined two epitopes on PVX and recognized native virus, viral coat protein and denatured viral coat protein in various immunological assays. Two of the MAbs and rabbit anti-PVX polyclonal antibodies bound to the 68 amino acid N-terminal peptide of the PVX coat protein. This implies that the N terminus of the PVX coat protein is exposed at the virus surface and forms a highly immunogenic antigenic determinant. In double antibody sandwich (DAS) ELISA, MAbs and their horseradish peroxidase conjugates reacted with PVX at 10 to 20 ng/ml. Monoclonal antibodies to PVX reacted with virus in potato leaves and tubers and detected the virus in DAS ELISA in various combinations, including in combination with polyclonal antibodies.
Comparative dynamics of avian communities across edges and interiors of North American ecoregions

Aim Based on a priori hypotheses, we developed predictions about how avian communities might differ at the edges vs. interiors of ecoregions. Specifically, we predicted lower species richness and greater local turnover and extinction probabilities for regional edges. We tested these predictions using North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data across nine ecoregions over a 20‐year time period.
Ecological aspects of soil seed‐banks in relation to bauxite mining. I. Unmined jarrah forest

Germinable seed stores were measured in jarrah forest soils at six sites during one year. The overall mean seed content to a depth of 5 cm was 292 seeds m -2 . There was a significant seasonal difference, with a maximum of 435 seeds m -2 in summer, after the majority of species in this Mediterranean ecosystem had flowered and set seed, and a minimum of 207 seeds m -2 in winter. There were also large site differences in both the densities of seed present and the species represented in the soil seed store. More than 85 species were represented in the germinable seed store from a total sampling area of 17.28 m 2 . The germination of Acacia drummondii, Acacia pulchella, Bossiaea aquifolium, Kennedia coccinea, Lasiopetalum floribundum and Trymalium ledifolium were significantly increased by heating the soil. Smoke produced a significant positive germination response in one species (Trymalium ledifolium). To maximize the contribution of the soil seed store to mine rehabilitation, the ideal revegetation sequence is to collect the topsoil immediately after clearing the vegetation in summer, immediately return the soil to an area to be revegetated, and carry out all earthmoving, landscaping and seedbed preparations prior to the onset of the autumn rains.
Effect of aging and caloric restriction on the mitochondrial proteome

The rat mitochondrial proteome was analyzed using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE), and proteins altered by age or caloric restriction (CR) were identified using mass spectrometry. Of 2061 mitochondrial proteins analyzed in the three tissues, a significant change with age occurred in 25 liver proteins (19 increased, 6 decreased), 3 heart proteins (1 increased, 2 decreased), and 5 skeletal muscle proteins (all increased). CR prevented the age-related change in the level of one liver mitochondrial protein, altered the levels of four proteins (one increased, three decreased) from heart, and one protein (decreased) from skeletal muscle. Identification of the proteins that changed with age or CR revealed that they were varied among the three tissues, that is, not one mitochondrial protein was changed, in common, by age or CR in any tissue studied. Thus, the effect of age on the mitochondrial proteome appears to be tissue-specific, and CR has a minor effect on age-related protein changes.
A parametric diversity measure combining the relative abundances and taxonomic distinctiveness of species

Most ecological diversity indices summarize the information about the relative abundances of species without reflecting taxonomic differences between species. Nevertheless, in environmental conservation practice, data on species abundances are mostly irrelevant and generally unknown. In such cases, to summarize the conservation value of a given site, so‐called ‘taxonomic diversity’ measures can be used. Such measures are based on taxonomic relations among species and ignore species relative abundances. In this paper, bridging the gap between traditional biodiversity measures and taxonomic diversity measures, I introduce a parametric diversity index that combines species relative abundances with their taxonomic distinctiveness. Due to the parametric nature of the proposed index, the contribution of rare and abundant species to each diversity measure is explicit.
Witnessing

Witnessing is a common but rarely examined term in both the professional performance and academic analysis of media events. This article explores the practice of witnessing in general to clarify such problems in media studies as veracity, reliability, liveness, responsibility and historicity. The long history of puzzlement and prescription about proper witnessing that developed in oral and print cultures is a rich resource for reflection about some of the ambiguities of audiovisual media.
Differential resistance to freezing and spatial distribution in a chemically polymorphic plant Thymus vulgaris

Secondary compounds play multiple ecological roles. In this study, we present novel experimental evidence of differential tolerance to freezing temperatures among chemotypes of a chemically polymorphic plant, Thymus vulgaris. Non-phenolic chemotypes showed a significantly better survival and re-growth after early-winter freezing (−10° in early December) than phenolic chemotypes. Comparison of temperature data (1971–2002) at a phenolic and non-phenolic site showed that whereas early-winter freezing occurred in 6 years in the non-phenolic site they never occurred at the phenolic site. Observations of trichome morphology (where the essential oil is stocked) with and without intense freezing indicate that non-phenolic chemotypes may escape any negative effects of freezing by releasing their essential oil into the atmosphere during severe freezing. The correlation between tolerance of freezing and local temperature regimes strongly suggests that differential freezing resistance is a key ingredient of the distribution of thyme chemotypes in space.
The cell cycle–apoptosis connection revisited in the adult brain

Adult neurogenesis is studied in vivo using thymidine analogues such as bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label DNA synthesis during the S phase of the cell cycle. However, BrdU may also label DNA synthesis events not directly related to cell proliferation, such as DNA repair and/or abortive reentry into the cell cycle, which can occur as part of an apoptotic process in postmitotic neurons. In this study, we used three well-characterized models of injury-induced neuronal apoptosis and the combined visualization of cell birth (BrdU labeling) and death (Tdt-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) to investigate the specificity of BrdU incorporation in the adult mouse brain in vivo. We present evidence that BrdU is not significantly incorporated during DNA repair and that labeling is not detected in vulnerable or dying postmitotic neurons, even when a high dose of BrdU is directly infused into the brain. These findings have important implications for a controversy surrounding adult neurogenesis: the connection between cell cycle reactivation and apoptosis of terminally differentiated neurons.
Weed Community Response to Saffron–Black Zira Intercropping

Abstract Intercropping is an eco-friendly approach for reducing weed problems through nonchemical methods. Intercrop effects on weed community structure have rarely been studied. A 6-yr study was initiated in 1999 and the response of aboveground weed flora (1999–2002 and 2005) and seed bank (2005) to the intercropping of saffron and black zira, two perennial crops was investigated. Mixtures consisted of 0/100, 25/75, 50/50, 75/25, and 100/0 saffron/black zira ratios, each planted at three densities: 30, 50, and 70 plant m−2. The effect of planting density on weed populations was variable and in most cases not significant. However, mixture ratios caused drastic species compositional changes in the weed community for which univariate and multivariate analyses explored four major associations: (1) weeds that favored a higher ratio of saffron in mixtures (e.g., grasses, field bindweed, pigweeds), (2) weeds that preferred a higher ratio of black zira in mixtures (e.g., Persian speedwell, Brassicaceae complex, Polygoaceae complex, and earthsmoke), (3) weeds that were more abundant in 50/50 mixtures (e.g., Caryophyllaceae complex), and (4) weeds that showed no specific pattern (e.g., common lambsquarterss). Pigweeds, prostrate knotweed, and common lambsquarters dominated the viable seed bank with relative densities of 48, 28, and 8%, respectively. The seed bank of most weed species responded to mixture ratios in a similar manner to those of their corresponding aboveground flora. Seed density decreased as soil depth increased, leading to the accumulation of 66, 22, and 12% of viable seeds in soil layers of 0–5, 5–15 and 15–25 cm, respectively. Greater weed and seed densities were found in more pure stands of black zira. These findings contribute to improving current understanding of crop–weed community structures and may help in developing weed management practices.
Substrate Specificity of α-Galactosidase from Mortierella vinacea

a-Galactosidase (melibiase, a-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.22) from the mycelium of Mortierella vinacea1 ] catalyzes the hydrolysis of terminal a-galactosidic linkages of glycosides. The enzyme is used in the beet sugar industry for decomposing raffinose in beet molasses. For elucidating the substrate specificity of the enzyme, various kinds of a-galactose-containing oligosaccharides are necessary. However, the difficulty of substrate preparation has been an obstacle to the investigation. Vice versa, the enzymehas not been used for the structural analysis of 237
Quantification of Losses and Irreversibilities in a Marine Engine for Gas and Diesel Fuelled Operation Using an Exergy Analysis Approach

Large bore marine engines are a major source of fossil fuel consumption in the transport sector. The development of more efficient and cleaner marine engine systems are always required. Exergy analysis is a second-law based approach to indicate the maximum amount of work obtainable from a given system. In this study, an exergy analysis is used to identify losses and improvement potential of a large bore Wärtsilä 31DF four-stroke marine engine system with two-stage turbocharging. An exergy-based framework is implemented on a calibrated 1D engine model to view the evolution of exergy flow over each engine sub-system while operating on different load points fuelled with natural gas and diesel separately. The overall distributions of engine energy and exergy are initially compared at a systematic level regarding the impact of fuel mode and operating load. Furthermore, the engine irreversibilities are characterized as three types: combustion, heat dissipation, and gas exchange losses. The first type, combustion irreversibility, is the largest source of engine exergy losses amounting to at least 25% of fuel exergy. A crank resolved analysis showed that premixed gas combustion produces lower exergy losses compared to diesel diffusion combustion. The second type, thermal exergy transferred and destroyed by heat losses, are summarized for the entire engine system. From the exergy view, the charge coolers present an opportunity to recover about 9% of the brake power at full load. The last type, gas exchange losses, are categorized by accounting the flow losses caused by the valve throttling, fluid friction in pipes and the irreversibility of the two-stage turbocharging system. Most of exergy destruction in gas paths occurs at turbocharging system, where the high pressure turbocharger contributes to around 40% of the total flow exergy destruction.
The relationship between carbon dioxide uptake and canopy colour from two camera systems in a deciduous forest in southern England

Summary 1. Carbon dioxide flux measurements using the eddy covariance (EC) methodology have helped researchers to develop models of ecosystem carbon balance. However, making reliable predictions of carbon fluxes is not straightforward due to phenological changes and possible abiotic/biotic stresses that profoundly influence tree functioning. 2. To assess the influence of canopy phenological state on CO2 flux, we installed two different digital camera systems at different viewing angles (an outdoor webcam with a near-horizontal view and a commercial ‘fisheye’ digital camera with a downward view) on a flux measurement tower in southern England and tracked the visual change of the canopy in this oak-dominated (Quercus robur L.) forest over two growing seasons. 3. Changes in the setting of the camera’s white balance substantially affected the quality of the webcam images. However, the timing of the onset of greening and senescence was, nevertheless, detectable for the individual trees as well as the overall canopy for both years. The greening-up date assessed from the downward images from a hemispherical lens was ∼5 days earlier than from the horizontal-view images, because of ground vegetation development (not visible in the horizontal view). 4. The effects of a late air frost in 2010 were evident in the canopy greenness, and these led to reductions in daily gross primary productivity (GPP). The cameras recorded differences between individual tree crowns, showing their different responses to the late frost. 5. A major new finding from this work is the strong relationship between GPP and Hue, which was stronger than the relationship between GPP and NDVI.
Does a small forested area contribute to enhance species richness and diversity of fish assemblage at an urban stream

Conservation Units (CU) aim to contribute to the balance between human and environmental demand, by protecting natural resources and biological communities. In this study we examined the differences in the attributes of the fish community in four stretches of an urban stream, two inside and two outside the CU, without vegetation cover, and tested the hypothesis that the presence of riparian vegetation is positively reflected in the attributes of fish fauna. Five species were caught, distributed into four orders and five families. Attributes like richness, abundance, dominance, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and evenness were estimated and significant differences were detected for continuous stretches considering stream flow direction. The first stretches (URBI and UCI) presented a lower diversity that increased gradually until the last stretch, and an inverse result was found for dominance. These changes occurred regardless the location of the stretch, in- or outside the CU. The importance of Conservation Units within urban areas is severely affected by the lack of continuity of forested areas, especially riparian vegetation. Therefore, we suggest the effective recovery of permanent preservation areas and of riparian vegetation in order to mitigate the impacts of human activities.
Numerical and Experimental Investigation on Evaporation of Water Droplet on Surfaces With Mixed Wettability

Droplet evaporation is one of the most commonly observed phenomena and plays an important role in many applications such as in spray cooling, coating, and inkjet printing. Mechanisms such as dynamics of the contact line, evaporation-induced phase transitions, and formation of patterns on the substrate interact with each other in the evaporation of droplets. In this study, we investigated the effect of surface mixed wettability on water sessile droplet evaporation. The transient contact angle, center-height, contact radius, surface area, and droplet volume were experimentally measured and numerically estimated. Surfaces with mixed wettability consisting of hydrophilic islands surrounded by less hydrophilic area were fabricated. Visualization was conducted to capture droplet dynamics during evaporation using two high-speed cameras. According to the obtained results, there were three distinct stages in the water evaporation process: a constant contact radius mode, a constant contact angle mode, and a mixed-mode. The COMSOL 5.4 software was used for numerical analysis. According to the results, the receding contact angle and Marangoni instability in the droplet are two main factors that alter droplet dynamics and droplet evaporation.
Occupancy Models of Nesting-Season Habitat Associations of Red-Shouldered Hawks in Central Minnesota

Abstract Red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) are a species of special conservation concern in much of the Great Lakes region, and apparent population declines are thought to be primarily due to habitat loss and alteration. To evaluate red-shouldered hawk–habitat associations during the nesting season and at the landscape scale, we conducted repeated call-broadcast surveys in central Minnesota, USA, across 3 landscapes that represented a range of landscape conditions as a result of differing management practices. In 2004, we conducted repeated call-broadcast surveys at 131 locations in 2 study areas, and in 2005, we surveyed 238 locations in 3 study areas. We developed models relating habitat characteristics at 2 spatial scales to red-shouldered hawk occupancy and assessed support for these models in an information–theoretic framework. Overall, a small proportion of nonforest (grass, clear-cut area, forest <5 yr old), and a large proportion of mature deciduous forest (>40 yr old), had the strongest association with red-shouldered hawk occupancy (proportion of sites occupied) at both spatial scales. The landscape conditions we examined appeared to contain a habitat transition important to red-shouldered hawks. We found, in predominately forest landscapes, the amount of open habitat was most strongly associated with red-shouldered hawk occupancy, but in landscapes that included slightly less mature forest and more extensive open habitats, the extent of mature deciduous forest was most strongly associated with red-shouldered hawk occupancy. Our results suggested that relatively small (<5 ha) patches of open habitat (clear-cuts) in otherwise forested landscapes did not appear to influence red-shouldered hawk occupancy. Whereas, in an otherwise similar landscape, with smaller amounts of mature deciduous forest and larger (>15 ha) patches of open habitat, red-shouldered hawk occupancy decreased, suggesting a threshold in landscape composition, based on both the amount of mature forest and open area, is important in managing forest landscapes for red-shouldered hawks. Our results show that during the nesting season, red-shouldered hawks in central Minnesota occupy at similar rates landscapes with different habitat compositions resulting from different management strategies and that management strategies that create small openings may not negatively affect red-shouldered hawk occupancy.
Identification of the herbaceous host range of Apple scar skin viroid and analysis of its progeny variants

Apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd) is the type member of the genus Apscaviroid of the family Pospiviroidae and is known to cause scarring and dappling of apple fruits. The herbaceous host range of ASSVd was identified using an infectious dimeric clone. Among 13 plant species inoculated with the viroid, nine were found to be systemic hosts and three served as indicator hosts. The viroid could be transferred to these hosts through agroinoculation, rubbing of dimeric RNA transcripts, dimeric DNA plasmids and through sap inoculation. Single-strand confirmation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the progeny obtained after inoculation of the infectious ASSVd clone showed the presence of four sequence variants (V1, V2, V3 and V4) which was also confirmed by sequencing. Two sequence variants (V1 and V3) were identified as dominant, representing 4772 and 3636% of the total progeny, respectively. The V4 sequence variant was similar to the wild type and occurred at a frequency of only 45% of the total progeny.