Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Amplification and Cloning of human interleukin-18 gene in mammalian expression vector and its expression study

The human interleukin -18 gene was amplified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with M-MuLV reverse transcriptase enzyme from the total RNA of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Taq DNA polymerase enzyme was used to amplify the gene as it adds ‘A’ overhang in the PCR product. This ‘A’ tailed product was cloned in TA cloning vector pTargeT and transformed in E. coli DH5α cells. The recombinant plasmid containing the human interleukin -18 gene insert in right orientation was selected after characterization using restriction enzyme analysis, directional PCR and nucleotide sequencing. The recombinant plasmid pTargeT.hu IL-18 was observed to express IL-18 protein in vero cell as detected by fluorescent antibody and immunoperoxidase tests.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Salmonella enterica Species in Blood Culture Isolates

Introduction: Enteric fever continues to be a major health problem in under developed countries including south Asian nations. In this study, we evaluate the prevalence and susceptibility pattern of Salmonella enteric (Serotype typhi, Paratyphi A and Paratyphi B). Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 3210 patients, suspected with enteric fever. The sample was processed on BACTEC 9050 and isolates obtained from subculture were serotyped and antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out using disk diffusion (Kirby–Bauer). Result: Out of 3120 samples 370 isolates of S. enterica were isolated. The prevalence of Salmonella enterica was 11.8 % where 78.4% of these isolates were S. enteric serotype Typhi, 20.8% were S. enteric serotype Paratyphi A and0.8% were S. enteric serotype Paratyphi B. The isolates demonstrated poor susceptibility to oral antibiotics including Nalidixic acid, Ciprofloxacin, Ofloxacin, Azithromycin ,Amoxycillin, Tetracycline, Ceftriaxoneand Trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole whereas all of the isolates of S. enterica demonstrated 100% susceptibility to Chloramphenicol. Conclusion: There was grater prevalence of Salmonella enterica serotype typhi isolates resistant to fluoroquinolones (Nalidixic acid, Ofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin). However Chloramphenicol was sensitive to all isolates. This study suggests Chloramphenicol as a drug of choice for enteric fever and further monitoring of efficacy of older and newer antibiotics are desirable.
Taxoids: Biosynthesis and in vitro production

Taxoids viz. paclitaxel and docetaxel are of commercial importance since these are shown to have anti-cancerous activity. These taxoids have been isolated from the bark of Taxus species. There is an important gymnosperm, Taxus wallichiana(common name, ‘yew’) used for the isolation of taxoids. Due to cutting of the trees for its bark, population of the plant species are threatened to be endangered. Therefore, these are required to be protected globally. Plant cell culture techniques have been exploited for the isolation of mutant cell lines, production of secondary metabolites and genetic transformation of the plants. In vitro, culture ofTaxus not only helps in conservation but is also helpful in the production of paclitaxel and other taxoids. Various strategies tested globally for the commercial production of taxoids are discussed. Different Taxus species, their origin, diterpenoids obtained from different parts of the tree and their applications are discussed. Although, detailed taxoid biosynthetic pathway is not well known, an overview of the pathway has been described. Micropropagation of Taxus and regeneration of transgenic plants has been described. Although, several protocols have been reported for the production of some important taxoids, a rapid, reproducible and economically viable protocol required for the efficient production of taxoids has yet to be established. Supplementation of the biotic and abiotic elicitor(s) to the cell suspension cultures of Taxus has been shown to increase the growth of the cell biomass as well as paclitaxel production due to pathway stimulation. Up-scaling of Taxus cell lines capable of over-producing taxoids could only make the industrial production of paclitaxel feasible. Here, we have reviewedTaxus wallichiana cell cultures in terms of their capabilities of biomass and secondary metabolites production. Key words: Docetaxel, paclitaxel, taxanes, taxus.
MICROCOSM EXPERIMENTS HAVE LIMITED RELEVANCE FOR COMMUNITY AND ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY: COMMENT

In a recent article, Carpenter (1996) suggested that microcosm experiments are disconnected from natural lake systems and concluded that microcosms have limited relevance for community and ecosystem ecology of lakes. Carpenter also chastised academic ecologists for using microcosms for graduate training in aquatic ecology. We feel Carpenter's comments misrepresent microcosm experiments and their contributions to aquatic ecology. The purpose of this comment is to present an alternative view of the role of microcosm experiments for both research and graduate education in aquatic ecology. We argue that there is little information supporting Carpenter's (1996) suggestion that microcosms are disconnected from natural lake systems. Instead we suggest that microcosm and wholelake experiments have revealed similar community responses to major factors regulating lake communities such as nutrients and planktivorous fish. We conclude that no one type of research approach will provide a complete understanding of how lake systems function and that most rapid research progress can be made through the complementary use of microcosms and whole-lake experiments coupled with modeling and long-term observational studies. Carpenter (1996:678) stated that "the size and duration of microcosm experiments exclude or distort important features of communities and ecosystems" and that some "processes and organisms change so rapidly that they can reach unrealistic rates or population densities in the course of microcosm experiments. " To support his argument that "limnology provides many examples of disconnection between microcosms and natural systems," Carpenter cited papers by Gerhart and Likens (1975), Stephenson et al. (1984), Bloesch
Lichen communities and species indicate climate thresholds in southeast and south-central Alaska, USA

Abstract Because of their unique physiology, lichen communities are highly sensitive to climatic conditions, making them ideal bioindicators for climate change. Southeast and south-central Alaska host diverse and abundant lichen communities and are faced with a more rapidly changing climate than many more southerly latitudes. We develop sensitive lichen-based indicators for tracking the effects of climate change in south-central and southeast Alaska. Using 196 plots, we model community composition and 12 individual species abundances in relation to synthetic climate variables. Both types of lichen indicator are closely related to the climate variable describing a transition from warm, wet oceanic climates to cooler, drier suboceanic climates. Lichen communities and individual species exhibited thresholds associated with average December minimum temperatures between −10.2 and −7.8°C and annual precipitation between 106 and 172 cm, suggesting rapid turnover with relatively small changes within these ranges. These climate conditions occur close to the coast in northern portions of the region and further inland in southeast Alaska. Because lichen communities in the threshold region may be most sensitive to a changing future climate, they should be targeted for monitoring efforts.
AN IN VITRO METHOD FOR ASSESSING POTENTIAL TOXICITY OF COSMETIC PRODUCTS

AbstractOne difficulty encountered in testing finished cosmetic products arises from their final physical form. The presence of lipid or solid phases in the products makes them incompatible with the currently used cell culture media. In this study we have used a new method that permits the use of the testing materials directly on the cell's monolayer using a cell culture insert (Falcon). This device is characterized by a polycarbonate porous membrane at the bottom of the insert. The insert containing the testing samples is put on top of the well and is then in contact with the medium. In this way we are still able, after the exposure, to evaluate several parameters that are indices of cell injury. We have tested the toxicity induced by four cosmetic emulsion bases using neutral red uptake determination, protein quantification, and lactate dehydrogenase activity on L929 cells. The least toxic emulsion was then used to estimate the toxicity of two commonly used preservatives, methylchloroisothiazolin-1 and .
Myctophid fishery along the Kerala coast with emphasis on population characteristics and biology of the headlight fish, Diaphus watasei Jordan & Starks, 1904

Myctophids form bycatch in deep sea shrimp trawls with an annual average catch of 2668 t during 2009 - 2011 in Kerala coast. Fishery occurred almost round the year with peak during November - February. Fishery and biology of the dominant species, Diaphus watasei was monitored. Peak spawning and recruitment of the species was during January-August. Growth parameters L ∞ and K are estimated as 15.06 cm and 0.8 per year respectively. These values indicate that the species growth is relatively fast. Natural mortality estimate (M) is 1.21, total mortality (Z) 1.68 and fishing mortality (F) 0.47. The exploitation rate (E) is low being 0.279. These indicate that the stock is at its initial stage of exploitation and there is large scope for enhancing their commercial exploitation. The stock abundance, biomass and distribution of the resource need to be assessed. These factors have to be taken into consideration while planning for exploitation of myctophids in future.
Male size predicts extrapair paternity in a socially monogamous bird with extreme sexual size dimorphism

Extrapair paternity (EPP) is purported to be an important contributor to the evolution of plumage dimorphism, and yet relatively few studies have demonstrated that EPP creates selection pressures on male traits. Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is instead typically assumed to have evolved in association with polygyny rather than EPP. Yet, the New Zealand tui, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae, is a socially monogamous passerine exhibiting extreme SSD and sexual plumage dimorphism. Here, we examine whether EPP has contributed to the evolution of SSD in body size and ornament size in the tui. We discovered one of the highest rates of EPP currently known, with extrapair young occurring in 72% of broods and accounting for 57% of all offspring. Both male body size and ornament size were strongly correlated to EPP, with within-pair paternity success positively related to both traits. Male ornament size, but not body size, was a significant predictor of a male’s success at siring extrapair offspring. Although these patterns may have arisen through either male–male competition or female choice, it is likely that these 2 mechanisms are not mutually exclusive in tui. This study provides evidence that EPP can both create selection pressures on male traits, and contribute to the evolution of SSD.
Direct observation of trapping activities of nematode‐destroying fungi in the soil using fluorescence microscopy

The nematophagous fungi (Arthrobotrys oligospora and Monacrosporium cionopagum) were observed under semi-natural conditions by fluorescence microscopy after fluochroming, using fluorescein-diacetate. The formation of 3-dimensional sticky networks and the capture of nematodes inside the soil could be demonstrated.
TAXONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE BRANCHIOBDELLIDA (ANNELIDA: CLITELLATA) ON THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT

Abstract A brief review of the taxonomic history and integrity of selected North American branchiobdellidans is given to clarify their current status. The zoogeographical distribution of branchiobdellidans on the North American continent is presented based on published reports and information in the Catalog of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. These data are tabulated by species with locations referenced to zoogeographical subregions, political units of provinces, states, or countries, and source citations. Distributional anomalies of certain taxa are discussed.
Effects of a marine fishery reserve and habitat characteristics in the abundance and demography of the red hind grouper, Epinephelus guttatus

Abstract. No-take marine fishery reserves have been established worldwide to reduce the impact of overfishing in marine ecosystems and to restore depleted fishery stocks. In this study we used capture-markrecapture methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of a small no-take marine fishery reserve in enhancing local abundance, size structure, survival and growth of the red hind grouper, Epinephelus guttatus. The benthic and fish communities were also characterized to discern between the effects of reserve protection from those of habitat variability. A total of 342 red hinds were captured at three localities inside and three outside (200 inside, 142 outside), with a recapture rate of 21.9%. All recaptures were made at the site of initial capture. Density of red hind groupers significantly differed among localities; however, no effect of the reserve was evident. The highest red hind grouper densities were found in hard ground habitats irrespective of management (i.e. inside vs. outside no-take marine fishery reserve). Survival and growth rates did not vary significantly among localities or between management treatments. However, red hind groupers inside the reserve were significantly larger than those outside. Significant differences in benthic community structure were found among localities, but not between management treatments. Variation in red hind grouper population parameters among sites did not correlate with benthic community variables, except for relief, that correlated negatively with red hind grouper density. The overriding factor accounting for differences in red hind grouper density among sites appears to be habitat choice, not the protection from fishing conferred by the reserve.
Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of the human adenosine A2B receptor gene: Prevalence of SNPs in asthmatics and normal subjects

The adenosine A2B receptor is found on human lung mast cells and is believed to mediate the bronchoconstriction in response to adenosine characteristic of asthmatics. As such it represents an attractive therapeutic target for asthma and allergic rhinitis. As genetic variability in drug targets may affect an individual's response to treatment, the adenosine A2B receptor gene was analyzed for polymorphisms and their prevalence defined in a Caucasian population. The coding region of the A2B receptor gene as well as the intron-exon boundaries of the gene were found to be free of genetic variation. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the promoter region of the gene, one of which created a BamHI restriction fragment length polymorphism. The prevalence of the three single nucleotide polymorphisms in an unselected population was <5%. The prevalence of the BamHI polymorphism was investigated in a British population of 40 asthmatics and 40 non-asthmatics: no excess of the BamHI variant was observed in asthmatic subjects. The data indicates that any variability in drug response would likely not be due to direct structural variation of the A2B receptor protein. Further, polymorphism at the A2B receptor genomic locus is unlikely to contribute to the population risk of developing asthma.
Screening and characterization of Phosphorus solubilizing Bacteria and their effect on Rice seedlings

An experiment was carried out to isolate, screen and characterize bacteria collected from an industrially polluted site of Bhaluka under the Mymensingh district and to evaluate their phosphorus (P) solubilizing capacity. About ten plant and soil samples from six different spots were collected from the site. Thirty four bacterial isolates were screened and pure cultures of the different bacterial isolates were prepared. Among the bacterial isolates 25 were gram negative and 9 were gram positive. About 31 bacterial isolates had catalase producing capacity and remaining 3 were negative to catalase test. Bacterial isolates were grown on a NBRIP media to determine their phosphorus solubilizing capacity. About 25 bacterial isolates were shown P solubilizing capacity. Isolate SB8 gave the highest result about 11.42 PSI (phosphorus solubilizing index), whereas other bacterial isolates showed moderate P solubilizing capacity (PSI 1.75-6.35). A plant trial with selected isolates (SB8, SB15, SB25) were also done and SB8 achieved 10% higher P content in comparison with control which supports the in vitro P solubilization assays. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/ralf.v1i1. 22353 Res. Agric. , Livest. Fish. 1 (1): 27-35, Dec 2014
Improving the feeding value of straws with Pleurotus ostreatus

The high content of lignin in cell walls is the major limiting factor in the digestion and utilisation of cereal crop residues by ruminants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the white rot fungus, Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus), to degrade lignin and to enhance the rumen degradability of maize stover, rice straw, wheat straw and their mixture in equal proportion on a dry-matter (DM) basis. Four samples of each substrate were incubated aerobically in triplicate with P. ostreatus for 0 (Control), 21, 28 and 35 days under solid-state conditions (temperature, 24°C; humidity, 70 ± 5%). The changes in chemical composition, DM and nutrient losses, and rumen fermentation characteristics using in vitro DM digestibility (DMD) and the in vitro gas-production (GP) technique were measured. The results showed that incubation with P. ostreatus decreased (P < 0.001) the contents of neutral detergent fibre and lignin with a concomitant increase (P < 0.001) in the contents of ash and crude protein. The losses of nutrients differed (P < 0.001) among the straw types, with rice straw and maize stover showing the largest (P < 0.05) lignin degradation compared to wheat and mixed straws. The DMD and 72-h cumulative GP increased (P < 0.001) consistently with increasing fungal incubation period and for all substrates the highest values of DMD and GP were measured after 35 days of incubation with P. ostreatus. The lignin degradation was strongly associated with hemicellulose degradation (r = 0.71) across the various straws. Results of the present study demonstrated that incubation of low-quality crop residues with P. ostreatus under solid-state conditions upgrades their feeding value by reducing the content of lignin and increasing the content of crude protein and ruminal degradation.
The Aerolysin-Like Toxin Family of Cytolytic, Pore-Forming Toxins

Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) represent the largest known group of bacterial protein toxins to date. Membrane insertion and subsequent pore-formation occurs after initial binding to cell-surface receptor and oligomerization. Aerolysin, a toxin produced by the Gram-negative bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila and related species, belongs to the PFT group and shares a common mechanism of action involving ￻ -barrel structures resulting from the assembly of ￻ - hairpins from individual toxin monomers into a heptamer. Aerolysin is also the name given to structurally and mechanistically related toxins called the aerolysin-like toxin family. A universal characteristic of this toxin family involves the diverse life forms that synthesize these proteins throughout Nature. Examples include: 1) epsilon-toxin and septicum-alpha-toxin produced by anaerobic, Gram-positive Clostridium species; 2) enterolobin by the Brazilian tree Enterolobium contortisiliquum; 3) a mushroom toxin Laetiporus sulphureus lectin (LSL); 4) mosquitocidal toxins (Mtxs) from the Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus sphaericus and parasporine-2 from Bacillus thuringiensis; and 6) hydralysins from the tiny aquatic animal Chlorohydra viridis. The following review provides an overview of the different members within the aerolysin-like toxin family.
Development of embryos in Mastacembelus mastacembelus (Bank & Solender, 1794) (Mesopotamian spiny eel) (Mastacembelidae)

In this study, the embryonic development of the eggs in the Mastacembelus mastacembelus (Bank & Solender, 1794) was examined. At the same time, possibilities of artificial breeding through artificial insemination were investigated. Artificial insemination was achieved by mixing the eggs of the mature female and sperm of the mature male samples caught with gill nets (22 × 22) in Ataturk Dam Lake in Turkey. To this end, first in a Petri dish (100 × 20), the testes were cut into small pieces with a lancet and the mixture of sperm–testes-tissue was obtained. The fertilization rate of the eggs was found to be 80%. The diameter of the eggs ranged from 2.015to 1.147 mm. The perivitelline space formed 0.5 h after insemination. The first cleavage occurred at the animal pool 4 h after insemination. The oil droplets had fused to a single droplet 19 h after insemination. The blastoderm became an embryonic shield 30 h after insemination. The blastoderm covered almost half the egg 40 h after insemination and embryonic body was formed. The blastoderm covered almost the whole egg 50 h after insemination. Some somites were discernible 59 h after insemination. The embryonic body reached two-third of the circumference of the egg 70 h after insemination. The tail bud began to separate from the yolk 77 h after insemination. A newly hatched larva was observed at 85 h after insemination.
Precision processing barley grain did not affect productivity of lactating dairy cows

Schlau, N. , Duineveld, L. , Yang, W. Z. , McAllister, T. A. and Oba, M. 2013. Precision processing barley grain did not affect productivity of lactating dairy cows. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 93: 261-268. This study evaluated the effects of precision processing (PP; processing based on kernel size) barley grain on ruminal fermentation and productivity of lactating dairy cows. Twenty multiparous Holstein cows, including eight ruminally cannulated cows, were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 21-d periods. Diets contained light barley grain processed precisely using a narrow roller setting (LB), heavy barley processed precisely using a wide roller setting (HB), processed HB and LB mixed at equal proportions (PP), or equal parts of light and heavy barley grain processed at a single narrow roller setting (CON). All diets consisted of 40% barley grain, 40% barley silage, and 20% of a supplement premix. Comparisons were made between LB and HB to evaluate the effect of barley quality, and between PP and CON to evaluate the effect of precision processing. Dry matter intake, sorting index, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and nutrient digestibility were not affected by diet. In addition, milk yield and concentrations of milk fat, protein, and lactose were not different, although milk urea nitrogen concentration was greater for PP vs. CON and for LB vs. HB. These results suggest that precision processing barley grain based on kernel size may not drastically affect ruminal fermentation and milk production in lactating dairy cows.