Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF ACID RAIN ON GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF WHEAT

Acid rain, which is a wet form of gaseous air pollutants, is formed when air pollutants such as SO2, NO2, CO2 in the atmosphere combine with water vapor of clouds. With the increase of concentration of these pollutants, the amount of acid rain increases. Acid rain, which is the mixture of sulphuric, nitric and carbonic acids, results in some changes in the soil such as decrease in pH, uncommon nutrient liberation, increase of release of toxic metals and the decline in the fertility of soil. These impacts have negative effects on plants. In the present work wheat plants were irrigated and leaf sprayed with four treatments of acid rain which contain sulphuric and nitrics acids with the pH of 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.6 for a period of 32 days, whereas, control plants were irrigated and leaf sprayed by normal water with a pH of 7.4. According to the results we have obtained, control plants in whole growth and physiological indexes were better than those plants treated by acid rains with the pH of 2.5 and 3.5. Moreover, the plants treated by acid rain with the pH of 4.5 and 5.6, were lower in other factors except photosynthetic rate, pigment content and carbohydrate content than control plants. Also acid rains with the pH of 2.5 and 3.5 caused white spots in both surfaces of leaf and tip and border atrophy.
A thirty percent increase in UV‐B has no impact on photosynthesis in well‐watered and droughted pea plants in the field

It has been suggested that field experiments which increase UV‐B irradiation by a fixed amount irrespective of ambient light conditions (‘square‐wave’), may overestimate the response of photosynthesis to UV‐B irradiation. In this study, pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants were grown in the field and subjected to a modulated 30% increase in ambient UK summer UV‐B radiation (weighted with an erythemal action spectrum) and a mild drought treatment. UV‐A and ambient UV control treatments were also studied. There were no significant effects of the UV‐B treatment on the in situ CO2 assimilation rate throughout the day or on the light‐saturated steady‐state photosynthesis. This was confirmed by an absence of UV‐B effects on the major components contributing to CO2 assimilation; photosystem II electron transport, ribulose 1,5‐bisphosphate regeneration, ribulose 1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase carboxylation, and stomatal conductance. In addition to the absence of an effect on photosynthetic activities, UV‐B had no significant impact on plant biomass, leaf area or partitioning. UV‐B exposure increased leaf flavonoid content. The UV‐A treatment had no observable effect on photosynthesis or productivity. Mild drought resulted in reduced biomass, a change in partitioning away from shoots to roots whilst maintaining leaf area, but had no observable effect on photosynthetic competence. No UV‐B and drought treatment interactions were observed on photosynthesis or plant biomass. In conclusion, a 30% increase in UV‐B had no effects on photosynthetic performance or productivity in well‐watered or droughted pea plants in the field.
Escape behavior of Acartia hudsonica copepods during interactions with scyphomedusae

Calanoid copepods possess remarkable abilities to detect and escape from hydrodynamic disturbances, such as those created by approaching predators. At the same time, a number of studies in coastal ecosystems have suggested that gelatinous predators, including medusae in the Class Scyphozoa, exert top-down control on copepod populations. Although prey escape behavior plays a critical role in predation models, we have relatively little empirical data on how copepods respond to encounters with scyphomedusae. In this study, I used video to quantify encounter rates and escape behaviors of the copepod Acartia hudsonica during interactions with two scyphomedusae, Aurelia aurita and Cyanea sp. , in two flow regimes. Escapes were complex, variable and effective. Fewer than 1% of encounters resulted in ingestion. Typically, A.hudsonica avoided contact by responding when predators remained several body lengths (4 to 10 mm) distant and stringing together many escape jumps at submaximum velocities (33 to 59 mm s -1 ). In addition, copepodite stages behaved passively-or failed to respond-following encounters with medusae more often than did adults. Because escape behavior exhibited by A.hudsonica was so variable, it is unlikely that medusae capture copepods using a single, quantifiable mechanism. A range of responses within populations and individuals may be the best strategy for zooplankton faced with strong predation pressure from a variety of predators.
Competitive ability and the coexistence of anuran larvae in freshwater rock‐pools

Summary 1 I examined the competitive ability of larval common frogs (Rana temporaria) and common toads (Bufo bufo) in a laboratory experiment by manipulating the number and size of Rana and the number of Bufo. 2 Bufo was the most active tadpole type, whereas small Rana was more active than large Rana. 3 Especially at high food availability, the growth rate of large Rana at metamorphosis was reduced in the presence of small Rana, whereas that of small Rana was not affected by larger conspecifics. 4 Both size classes of Rana were negatively affected by the presence of Bufo. Size at metamorphosis of Bufo was greater when large Rana was present. These results suggest that activity level is important in determining competitive ability. 5 To study competition in the field, tadpoles of Bufo were introduced to small rock-pools that did not support Bufo naturally, but were with or without Rana. 6 In the experimental pools, there were no interspecific effects on the growth rate of either species. However, the growth rate of Bufo was lower in the experimental pools than in pools inhabited naturally. Futher, survival of Bufo was low in small pools. Lower food availability or physical factors associated with small pools, rather than interspecific competition, may be the reason why Bufo avoids breeding in small rock-pools.
Microbiological Profile of Neutropenic Patients with Fever: A Case Series Study.

A systematic study of the etiological profile of these fevers would help to formulate a suitable antibiotic policy as well as effective infection control measures. The study material was collected from the hospitals of M. S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore. A detailed history was taken and physical examination was done in all patients. They were subjected to appropriate investigations to find out the cause of fever. In this study, 74 patients with febrile neutropenia were the study subjects and among them 65% were males and 35% were females. Majority were in the age group of 39 – 58 years (51.4%). Pathogens isolated in 15(20.27%) of 74 febrile neutropenic cases. An understanding of the epidemiology of febrile neutropenic episodes is crucial for the implementation of strategies that may contribute to preventing and controlling these infections.
Partial characterization of cotton plants expressing two toxin proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis: relative toxin contribution, toxin interaction, and resistance management

Abstract: Laboratory studies were performed to characterize the lepidopteran toxicity of cotton plants expressing two different toxin proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), in order to assess insect resistance management implications of a commercial, two‐toxin transgenic cotton. An independent and additive interactive effect of two Bt δ‐endotoxins expressed by the transgenic cotton variety 15985 was demonstrated by examining the responses of Heliothis virescens (F.), Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) larvae to field‐ or greenhouse‐grown tissue from genetic near‐isolines, which expressed Cry1A only, Cry2Ab only, or both toxins. In all cases, the Cry2Ab component was the larger contributor to total toxicity in the two‐toxin isoline. Toxin‐specific, quantitative enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests confirmed that the levels of each toxin in tissues of the two‐toxin isoline were not statistically different (P > 0.05) from the levels found in the corresponding tissues of the respective single‐toxin isoline. Resistance management considerations were discussed. Considering the additive interaction of toxins, a relatively simple insect resistance‐monitoring procedure was proposed for the monitoring of commercial cotton varieties expressing both toxins.
Stability and catalytic properties of chemically modified pig trypsin

Pig trypsin was chemically modified with the bifunctional compound ethylene glycol-bis(succinic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester) to yield EG-trypsin. EG-trypsin showed greater thermal stability (100% active beyond 100 min at 55°C; native only 53% active at 100 min) together with slightly increased tolerance toward some organic solvents. Arg/Lys hydrolysis ratio changed little. Esterase/amidase activity ratio of EG-trypsin in buffer was 11-fold greater than that of native pig trypsin, but 5-fold less in 30% v/v acetonitrile. In buffer, EG-trypsin synthesized the dipeptide benzoyl-Arg-Leu-NH2 at a 3-fold higher rate than native trypsin, but native trypsin outperformed EG-trypsin in 30% v/v acetonitrile.
RNA editing in plant mitochondria

Abstract In plant mitochondria, RNA editing involves the conversion of specific Cs in the genomic sequence into Us in the mRNA. There are a few reverse conversions. A majority of the editing sites are in coding regions. After RNA editing, plant mitochondria use the universal genetic code if one considers the RNA message. Considering the deduced protein sequence, RNA editing is a correction mechanism. RNA editing is a post‐transcriptional process, active during the maturation of the mRNA. It has no evident polarity. At the translation level, the mRNAs are likely to be fully edited and to code for a unique protein. RNA editing is a recently discovered process that may have a number of consequences on our understanding of the regulation of mitochondrial gene expression. The main problems to be solved are the identification of the template information necessary for the specificity of RNA editing and its biochemical mechanism. Comparative studies could perhaps answer the question of the evolutionary origin of .
Dry matter production and allocation of two Khaya species in response to water availability

, ABSTRACT Effects of soil water availability on seedling height, dry matter production and allocation were investigated for Khaya anthotheca (a typical species at drier sites in a moist deciduous forest) and Khaya ivorensis (a typical species at wetter sites in a moist deciduous forest). Two-month-old seedlings of the two species were subjected to three soil watering treatments, which were termed wet, moderate and dry treatment, in a glass house for 14 weeks. Seedling height growth was signiﬁcantly inﬂuenced by soil water availability and the pattern of height response was species-specific. K. anthotheca had significantly better growth in the moderate watering treatment than in the wet and dry treatment. As time progressed, plants in the wet treatment of K. ivorensis had greatest height growth than in the moderate and dry treatment. Soil water deficit significantly reduced total dry matter production in K. ivorensis and altered proportional allocation to leaves and roots as a possible strategy for acclimation. Statistically, water deficit did not af fect total dr y matter production and allocation in K. anthotheca probably due to small sample size used in this study. However, in the moderate and dry treatments, K. anthotheca seedlings had greater total plant dry matter than K. ivorensis seedlings suggesting that the latter is more tolerant to water deﬁcit and that K. anthotheca has considerable potential for plantation forestry in humid tropics of Africa with distinct drought periods.
Changes in wood extractives from oak cask staves through maturation of scotch malt whisky

Cask staves, prepared from American white oak, Quercus alba, were obtained from unused, new charred Bourbon, used Bourbon, first-fill Scotch and exhausted Scotch casks. The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of repeated maturations of whisky on concentration and location of phenolic extractives in the cask wood. Contents of vanillic and syringic acids and the respective aldehydes, arising from hydrolysis of guaiacyl-syringyl lignin, and whisky lactones (cis- and trans-β-methyl-γ-octalactone), arising from charring, were determined. Staves were sampled at 5 mm intervals from the inner char surface to 25 mm depth and wood extracted with chloroform, heptane and aqueous ethanol. Contents of material absorbing at 520 nm, total phenols and vanillic and syringic acids, vanillin and syringaldehyde, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography; both isomers of whisky lactone were quantified by high-resolution gas chromatography. New cask wood had a maximum for coloured material in the char layer, but maxima for other compounds at 5 mm below the char. As casks were reused in maturations of whiskies, the contents of aromatic aldehydes and acids were reduced in the first 20 mm of the wood and maxima for both acids and aldehydes shifted towards the centre of the staves. This suggested that repeated exposure to aqueous ethanol resulted in compositional changes in the lignin in the wood. The newly charred wood had a maximum for cis-β-methyl-γ-octalactone at 5 mm below the char and the trans isomer at 15 mm. In the first Bourbon maturation both isomers were largely depleted and with successive extractions the maxima moved into the cask until in the exhausted cask wood no lactone was detected.
The digestibility and content of amino acids in toasted and non-toasted canola meals

A study was conducted to determine the level and digestibilities of amino acids and the level of glucosinolates in toasted and non-toasted canola meal samples produced in commercial crushing plants in western Canada. A total of 26 non-toasted and 31 toasted canola meals samples were analyzed for apparent ileal amino acid digestibilities using broiler chickens between 21 and 28 d of age. Commercially toasted canola meal contained 5.6 g 16 g-1 N (range 5.3–5.9) of Lys with a digestibility ranging from 65.5 to 85.7% (mean = 78.0%). Non-toasted canola meal contained 6.0 g 16 g-1 N (range 5.7–6.3) Lys with digestibility values ranging from 87 to 92% (mean = 89.7%). Toasted canola meal had an average total digestible amino acid content (not including Tyr and Trp) of 69.6 g 16 g-1 N (range 56.6–75.6) while non-toasted canola meal had 77.6 g 16 g-1 N (range 73.1–82.0). The levels of aliphatic glucosinolates in the toasted (6.16 μmol g-1 meal, range 1.2–12.5) and non-toasted meals (10.5 μmol g-1 meal, range 7.8–15.
RAB3A-RABGDI-RABPHILIN-3A SYSTEM REGULATING MEMBRANE FUSION MACHINERY IN THE SYNAPSE AND THE GROWTH CONE

Neurotransmitter release in the synapse is accomplished by the vesicular exocytosis, the membrane fusion between the synaptic vesicles and the presynaptic plasma membrane. At least three molecular systems are involved in the membrane fusion in the synapse: the Rab3A-RabGDI-Rabphilin-3A system, the NSFSNAP-SNARE system, and the fusion pore formation system. In the first system, Rab3A, a small GTP-binding protein, functions in two interconvertible forms like a molecular switch: the GDP-bound inactive "of" form which is recognized by Rab GDP dissociation inhibitor (GDI) and the GTP-bound active "on" form which is recognized by Rabphilin-3A. RabGDI specifically binds to the GDP-bound "of' form of Rab3A and translocates it from the membrane to the cytoplasm. Rabphilin-3A localized on the membrane specifically binds to the GTP-bound "on" form. Whether Rab3A is in the form of the GTP-bound "on" or the GDP-bound "off" clearly determines its own localization on the membrane or in the cytoplasm. By immunoelectron microscopy, Rab3A is indeed localized at the synaptic vesicles, the presynaptic plasma membrane, and the cytoplasm near the active zones, where the membrane fusion takes place. Taken together, Rab3A-RabGDI-Rabphilin-3A system probably regulates the targeting and docking of the synaptic vesicles at the active zone. The NSF-SNAP-SNARE system further forms a vesicle fusion apparatus. Finally, the fusion pore formation system directly forms the channel between the synaptic vesicle and the presynaptic plasma membrane, through which neurotransmitter is released. In the nerve growth cone, a membrane fusion machinery similar to that in the synapse may be involved in the plasmalemmal expansion of the growth cone. For further histochemical approaches toward the molecular architecture of the membrane fusion machinery, the stoichiometric detection of the proteins by the immunoelectron microscopy with a modified pre-embedding 1-nm gold particle (nanogold)-silver enhancement method is very useful.
Ascorbic Acid Levels in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) at Low Temperatures

Environmental factors have a markedinfluence on the level of ascorbic acid (AA) in tomato fruit,1) and light has been claimed to be the most important factor affecting the AAcontent in tomato.2) However, Fraizier et al.3) concluded that supplemental light had no effect on AAlevels in tomato. Venter4) reported that with a decreasing amount of light (shading), the AA content of tomato decreased, but he also suggested that shading might have affected the fruit temperature. The studies reported here were initially designed to assess the AA content of tomato (both domestic and imported) as marketed in Canada. In the course of these studies, it became apparent that tomato AAlevels were very different at different times of the year. The temperature under which plants matured appeared to have a significant effect on AA levels in the fruit. Thus the effects of low temperatures during fruit development on AA levels were evaluated. The AA content of tomato fruit of the "Jumbo" cultivar, grownin a greenhouse at Harrowwas about 14mg/100g FWin June, 1983, but increased to about 20mg by mid-July (Fig. 1). Fruit of the same cultivar grown outdoors had levels comparable to those grown in the greenhouse, i.e., 23mg of AA/lOOg FW, in midAugust. However, tomatoes harvested in the greenhouse
Low survival of Rhizobium japonicum inoculant leads to reduced nodulation, nitrogen fixation and yield of soybean in the current crop but not in the subsequent crop

Reports of nodulation failures in first-year crops of soybean, resulting in nitrogen deficiency and low yield, have been common in Australia. In experiments simulating commercial practice, successive crops (1982-83, 1983-84) of soybean were sown into soil containing either a very small population of Rhizobium japonicum (rhizobia-low; 2 g-1 soil, 3-9 cm), or a large population (rhizobia-high; 270 000 g-1). The soil was a vertisol at Breeza, N.S. W. Each crop was inoculated with R. japonicum at a normal rate (n = 25 x 1010 organisms per 100 kg of seed) or at 100 x normal (100n) or was not inoculated (o). The 1982-83 crop was sown in hot (maximum air temperature 3g¦C), dry weather, and n > o) and the N content of foliage and seed was correspondingly reduced. In spite of poor nodulation in these rhizobia-low treatments, a substantial population of R. japonicum (18 000 g-1soil) developed between seasons. When the plots were re-sown in 1983-84, nodulation, growth and yield of the crops, irrespective of the initial rhizobial status of the soil, were equally good, and there was no response to further inoculation. Poor nodulation of first-year crops of soybean is a likely consequence of failure to establish adequate numbers of R. japonicum in the soil at sowing.
Sequence variation of the DQB allele in the cetacean MHC

Putative nucleotide sequences for DQB exon 2 alleles of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) were amplified and determined in the 16 cetacean species using the PCR technique. The 172 bp sequences amplified showed no multiple alleles more than two in each of the examined individuals. The sequences of the 31 cetacean DQB alleles detected were monophyletic with the HLA-DQB1, and were separated from the lineages of HLA- DQB2 and DQB3. These results suggest that the locus is the homolog to the human DQB1 gene. The observed frequency of nonsynonymous substitutions in the cetacean DQB sequences was significantly higher than that of synonymous substitutions. The amino acid variation at the putative peptide binding region (PBR) was considerably high. These results imply that positive selection has promoted its variability at the cetacean DQB gene as other mammalian MHC. The DQB gene tree showed that four Mysticeti alleles branched off from the clade consisted of Mysticeti alleles only and were included in the clade consisted of Odontoceti alleles. This suggests trans-species polymorphism in the cetacean MHC gene.
A H2 very high frequency capacitively coupled plasma inactivates glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GapDH) more efficiently than UV photons and heat combined

Plasma sterilization is a promising alternative to commonly used sterilization techniques, because the conventional methods suffer from certain limitations, e.g. incompatibility with heat-sensitive materials, or use of toxic agents. However, plasma-based sterilization mechanisms are not fully understood yet. A low-pressure very high frequency capacitively coupled plasma is used to investigate the impact of a hydrogen discharge on the protein glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GapDH). GapDH is an enzyme of glycolysis. As a part of the central metabolism, it occurs in nearly all organisms from bacteria to humans. The plasma is investigated with absolutely calibrated optical emission spectroscopy in order to identify and to quantify plasma components that can contribute to enzyme inactivation. The contribution of UV photons and heat to GapDH inactivation is investigated separately, and neither seems to be a major factor. In order to investigate the mechanisms of GapDH inactivation by the hydrogen discharge, samples are investigated for etching, induction of amino acid backbone breaks, and chemical modifications. While neither etching nor strand breaks are observed, chemical modifications occur at different amino acid residues of GapDH. Deamidations of asparagines as well as methionine and cysteine oxidations are detected after VHF-CCP treatment. In particular, oxidation of the cysteine in the active centre is known to lead to GapDH inactivation.
Finalización de cerdos con baja proteína y manano-oligosacáridos o nucleótidos

Se evaluaron la respuesta productiva, canales y concentracion de urea en plasma de cerdos en finalizacion alimentados con dietas con baja proteina adicionadas con manano-oligosacaridos o nucleotidos. En el experimento 1 se utilizaron 40 machos castrados de 56,6±5,2 kg de peso, alimentados con dietas estandar (14% proteina bruta; PB) o con baja proteina (9,5% PB), y cuatro niveles de manano-oligosacaridos (0; 0,25; 0,5 y 0,75%). En el experimento 2 se utilizaron 36 cerdos de 58,4±5,4 kg de peso para evaluar 3 niveles de proteina (14,1; 12,1 y 10,1%) con (0,75%) y sin inclusion de nucleotidos. Las dietas se formularon con base a sorgo-pasta de soya, complementadas con L-lisina·HCl, L-treonina, DL-metionina y L-triptofano hasta alcanzar los niveles de 0,66; 0,43; 0,40 y 0,14% respectivamente; la EM fue de 3,265 Mcal/kg y la duracion de cada experimento fue de 35 dias. Al disminuir la PB de la dieta en mas de 2 unidades porcentuales se redujo la ganancia diaria de peso, el consumo de alimento, el peso final, y la ganancia de carne magra, y se incremento la conversion alimenticia. El area del musculo longissimus se redujo al disminuir a 9,5% la PB, y la grasa dorsal aumento cuando se redujo hasta 12%. La concentracion de urea en plasma fue bajando conforme disminuyo la proteina. Segun los resultados la adicion de oligomananos o nucleotidos no tiene efecto positivo sobre las variables analizadas cuando se agregan a dietas con baja proteina para cerdos en finalizacion, mientras que la reduccion de PB en la dieta en esta etapa afecta las variables evaluadas.