Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Observations on Nutgrass Insects in Hawaii with Notes on the Host Range of Bactra truculenta Meyrick and Athesapeuta cyperi Marshall

Throughout many parts of the world, the purple nutgrass, Cyperus rotundus L. , is regarded as a troublesome weed and often as an important pest. A closely related species, C. esculentus L. , frequently called yellow nutgrass or chufa, is also often classified as a weed, although in certain areas it is a source of food for wildfowl, livestock and occasionally even for humans. Both species are believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region, and various control practices have been employed throughout the world for their destruction. Because of its more durable rhizome system, purple nutgrass has resisted both cultural and chemical control measures in many areas and has been investigated for possibilities of eradication by means of biological control. Hawaiian scientists were the first to attempt this when they studied insect pests of nutgrass in the Philippines and introduced two insects from that country into Hawaii in 1925 to combat C. rotundus (Swezey 1926, Pemberton 1948). These two insects were Bactra truculenta Meyrick (Olethreutidae) and Athesa peuta cyperi Marshall (Curculionidae) which soon became established on Oahu and spread to the islands of Hawaii and Maui. Initially, the moth seemed most promising (Swezey, 1927-1928), but eventually native parasites reduced its effectiveness (Swezey 1931, 1935, 1946). The weevil was somewhat slower in spreading, but now, at least on several of the islands, has a range equal to that of B. truculenta (Swezey and Pemberton, 1931). The author spent three and one-half months (April 15-July 31, 1963) on the island of Hawaii studying the host range of B. truculenta and A. cyperi to determine if introductions into southern California for biological control of nutgrass would be safe. During these studies, there was ample opportunity to examine the insect fauna of both C. rotundus and C. esculentus.
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1. Wang FS, Fan JG, Zhang Z, Gao B, Wang HY. The global burden of liver disease: the major impact of China. HEPATOLOGY 2014;60:2099-2108. 2. National Underground Water Pollution Control Programs 2011-2020, China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection File 2011[128]. 3. Tang J, Lin NF. Relationship between drinking water quality and high frequency of the liver cancer in Fusui County in Guangxi. Huanjing Kexue Xuebao 1996;16:287-293. 4. Lin NF, Tang J, Ismael HS. Study on environmental etiology of high incidence areas of liver cancer in China. World J Gastroenterol 2000;6:572-576. 5. Shyu HJ, Lung CC, Ho CC, Sun YH, Ko PC, Huang JY, et al. Geographic patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma mortality with exposure to iron in groundwater in Taiwanese population: an ecological study. BMC Public Health 2013;13:352. 6. Lee LJ, Chung CW, Ma YC, Wang GS, Chen PC, Hwang YH, Wang JD. Increased mortality odds ratio of male liver cancer in a community contaminated by chlorinated hydrocarbons in groundwater. Occup Environ Med 2003;60:364-369. 7. Wang W, Cheng S, Zhang D. Association of inorganic arsenic exposure with liver cancer mortality: a meta-analysis. Environ Res 2014;135:120-125.
On the Rediscovery of Musa ochracea K.Sheph. (Musaceae) from North-East India

Since the publication of Musa ochracea by Shepherd in 1964, based on a specimen from an unknown locality, this taxon has not been collected from the wild. Here Musa ochracea is rediscovered after a lapse of about half a century from North-East India. Detailed description, illustration, photographs, distribution and ecological details are provided. IUCN conservation status based on the field study is also provided.
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We read with great interest the article entitled ‘‘Ethnic Differences in Viral Dominance Patterns in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Dual Infection,’’ recently published by Nguyen et al. in this journal. The study was designed to evaluate and compare the demographic, clinical, and viral characteristics of multiethnic patients infected by hepatitis virus admitted at two large liver centers in the United States. The investigators defined the study design as a matched case-control study, in which the case group included patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) dual infection, and the control group comprised patients with HBV monoinfection. However, in our opinion, there is an important methodological issue in the reported data: The main conclusion of the article was not about the comparison between cases and controls, but rather it underscored a secondary analysis with cases only in which ethnic differences were examined in terms of viral dominance patterns among HBV and HCV dual-infected patients. It is our opinion that the investigators deviated from the scope of the case-control study originally proposed, because it is clear that the investigation was not delineated to test the hypothesis that ended up becoming the core conclusion, including the title of the article. Therefore, the investigators’ conclusions regarding viral dominance were not consistent with the a priori study aims proposed.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS OF THE CYCAD AULACASPIS SCALE, AULACASPIS YASUMATSUI

Biological control is a key element in any management program to control the cycad aulacaspis scale, Aulacaspis ya- sumatsui Takagi. An overview of the natural enemies known to attack the scale is presented. Sixteen species of predatory lady beetles (Coccinellidae) have been collected on scale-infested cycads in south Florida. Chilocorus cacti (L.), Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant and Exochomus childreni childreni Mul- sant are frequently encountered, but do not suppress scale populations. Rhyzobius lophanthae (Blaisdell) is a voracious predator that reportedly provides good control of cycad aula- caspis scale in Hawaii, but has a sparse distribution on cycads in Florida. The minute predatory beetle Cybocephalus nippon- icus Endrody-Younga is abundant and widespread throughout the eastern USA and contributes to limited scale mortality. The parasitic wasp Coccobius fulvus (Compere and Annecke) was introduced from Thailand into Florida in 1998, but has not been effective in controlling the pest. Overall parasitism in south Florida varies from 10 to 40%. Arrhenophagus chionaspidis Aurivillius and Aprostocetus purpureus (Cameron) parasitize cycad aulacaspis scale throughout Southeast Asia and are cur- rently under study as potential biological control agents in Florida. Four commercially available entomopathogenic nema- todes were tested in the laboratory and all were observed in- fecting and killing female scales. No pathogens are known to cause disease in the cycad aulacaspis scale.
Effect of low oxygen stress on adventitious roots of rape seedlings

To understand the effects of low oxygen stress on rapeseed seedlings,Brassica napus L.inbred line GAC and cultivar Zhongshuang 10 were used to investigate adventitious rooting in liquid medium with 1mg/L oxygen.Results indicated that 6d of low oxygen stress significantly decreased seedling dry weight by 45.3% in GAC and 22.3% in Zhongshuang 10 respectively.Adventitious root growth was significantly induced.The 6d low oxygen treatment increased the adventitious roots by 88.6% in GAC and 137.3% in Zhongshuang 10.Excision of adventitious roots led to decrease of seedling dry weight by 24.9% of GAC and 35% of Zhongshuang 10 respectively.Pretreatment of low oxygen(6d-low oxygen treatment in liquid medium with 0.5% agar) and aeration exercise increased the dry weight and the number of adventitious roots of Zhongshuang 10,but had no obvious effect on GAC.Results indicated that correlation between adventitious roots and dry weight was larger under low oxygen stress than normal condition.It indicated that adventitious root formation is one of the important physiological mechanisms for rape seedlings to adapt to low oxygen stress.
Prevalence of cagA, cagE and cagT genes in cag pathogenicity island of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from Shanghai patients and their clinical implications

Objective To investigate the prevalence of the cagA, cagE and cagT, representative genes of cag pathogenicity island (PAI) in H. pylori strains isolated from patients with various gastroduodenal diseases in Shanghai and the relationship between the presence of these genes and gastroduodenal diseases. Methods 99 H. pylori strains isolated from 17 chronic superficial gastritis, 21 chronic atrophic gastritis, 19 gastric ulcer, 23 duodenal ulcer and 19 gastric cancer were studied for the prevalence of cagA, cagE and cagT genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results The total prevalences of cagA, cagE and cagT genes were 84.8%, 99.0% and 84.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of all genes tested in H. pylori isolated from different gastroduodenal diseases (all P0.05). Of 98 cagE positive isolates, 14(14.3%) were cagA negative. Conclusion Most of the H. pylori isolates in Shanghai region may have intact cag PAI. cagE, could be taken as the marker for the presence of cag PAI. There is no correlation between the integrality of cag PAI and the clinical outcome of H. pylori of infection.
Habitat Utilization of the Sichuan Hill Partridge ( Arborophilarufipectus ) in the Non-breeding Period in Laojunshan Nature Reserve

The Sichuan Hill Partridge ( Arborophila rufipectus ) requires successional broadleaf forest and their populations have declined as a result of fragmentation of endemic bird areas in subtropical forest in the mountains of southwestern China. In this paper, habitat utilization of the Sichuan Hill Partridge was studied in replanted broadleaf forests, in Laojunshan Nature Reserve of Sichuan, to determine the importance of habitat features, during the non-breeding period from November to December 2005. The Sichuan Hill Partridge utilized habitats within elevations of 1 000 to 1 600 m and with a south-facing slope of two to 15 degrees, close to road and forest edges. The birds preferred sites with smaller bamboo density, lower bamboo cover and snow cover and shrub cover was greater at used sites than at random sites. Principal components analysis indicated that food on the ground layer, topographic condition, concealment and temperature were the first four components of bird habitat selection, and the load of the first component was 29.407%. The findings indicated that the Sichuan Hill Partridge might face the well-documented trade-off between food resource and predation risk when utilizing habitat. We suggest that the conservation and restoration of successional broadleaf forest habitats will benefit the Sichuan Hill Partridge.
Heavy metal contamination in water and sediment downstream of municipal wastewater treatment plants, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

The objective of this study was to determine concentrations of heavy metals leaving seven municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs), and reaching streams and rivers environment. Five metals including Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn and Cr, ranging from 0.01 to 0.27 mg/l and 0.17 to 225.83 mg/kg dw were detected in water and sediments, respectively. Industries and institutions wastewater were found to be the most important source for heavy metals in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Concentrations of Pb, Cd and Cr in water were found to be higher than the maximum permissible limits as per Tanzania Bureau of Standard. High concentration in sediments beyond maximum limits for sediment quality guidelines (SQG) were detected for Pb, Zn and Cu. The results indicate that MWWTPs contribute to heavy metal pollution to Dar es Salaam environment. Acute health consequences in the investigated areas can be insignificant, but chronic adverse health effects due to prolonged pollution and long term exposure through vegetables consumption, washings, animal keeping and fishing can be inevitable.
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We read with interest the article by Khalili et al. addressing the management of small liver nodules detected in patients with cirrhosis under surveillance with abdominal ultrasound (US) that gave indeterminate results by contrast imaging. To optimize American Association for the Study of the Liver Disease (AASLD) guidelines, the authors suggest performing a fine-needle biopsy examination of nodules showing either arterial hypervascularity on computed tomography (CT) / magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or accompanied by a synchronous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) only, since these were the only independent variables associated with malignancy in their retrospective study. According to this algorithm, approximately 20% of additional tumors will be identified, with a sensitivity of 62%, a specificity of 79%, and a 73% save of liver biopsies. When we applied this algorithm to our patients with a de novo liver nodule prospectively detected during surveillance (Fig. 1), the corresponding figures were 44% for sensitivity and 55% for specificity, with a positive predictive value of 44% and a negative predictive value of 55%, respectively. Overall, among 36 1-2 cm indeterminate nodules the modified algorithm would have diagnosed 7 (44%) of tumors only of the 16 identified by histology, including 15 HCC and 1 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). At the same time, the diagnosis of HCC would have been significantly delayed in nine (56%) patients compared with none if treated according to AASLD guidelines. The fact that the majority (75%) of delayed diagnoses were in patients with a very early HCC, i.e., the ideal candidates for radical treatment with local ablation, attenuates the appeal of the modified algorithm, which in addition would have also led to a misdiagnosis of ICC in one nodule devoid of contrast uptake during the arterial phase of CT/MRI. Due to the high incidence of HCC in patients with compensated cirrhosis and the low risk of liver biopsy complications, we strongly endorse unmodified AASLD guidelines for the management of patients with cirrhosis with 1-2 cm liver nodules with undefined radiological diagnosis.
The pathogen of the Medicago stativa leaf spot in Gansu Province.

Leaf spot is a serious leaf disease in alfalfa,which have been in Gansu Province in recent years.The disease reduced yield and forage value of alfalfa.In order to effectively control the disease of alfalfa,the morphology and biological characteristics of the pathogen was made in laboratory.The results indicated that it was caused by Alternaria alternata(Fr.:Fr) Keissler.The Pathogen can utilize sucrose,maltose,glycin Well.The optimum temperature,pH value and relative humidity(RH) of the pathogen are 25℃,6.0-7.0,above 98% respectively.Under such conditions the pathogens grow quickly,the aerial mycelium of colony is abundant,the conidia germinate well.
Advance in Studies on Molecular Basis for Wheat Powdery Mildew Resistance

Wheat powdery mildew is a severe foliar disease.Techniques of differential display reverse transcription_polymerase chain reaction(DDRT_PCR),degenerate primer_PCR,rapid amplification of cDNA ends(RACE),and cDNA library screening were employed to isolate and study some genes associated with wheat powdery mildew resistance.Powdery mildew resistance gene Pm3b was isolated successfully.Studies on molecular basis for wheat powdery mildew resistance were summarized in this paper.
Glomus cubense sp. nov., an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus from Cuba

Glomus cubense (Glomeraceae, Glomeromycetes) was isolated from a lagoon vegetation area on a clay soil deposition environment in the vicinity of San Jose de las Lajas, Cuba. The species description is based on spore morphological parameters from in vivo pot cultures and molecular analyses. The new species is characterized by its small, generally irregular in shape, 20-48 × (24-)54-72 μm hyaline to faintly yellow spores that have a 2- layered spore wall and arise in clusters. Phylogenetic analyses of the rDNA ITS region and H+ATPase place the species into the Glomeraceae without close relatives among named Glomus species. Glomus cubense forms mycorrhizal associations with sorghum and leek plants under greenhouse pot-culture growing conditions and with a diversity of crop plants under field conditions. The name cubense refers to Cuba, the country where the species was found.
Delayed puberty and hypogonadism caused by mutations in the follicle-stimulating hormone β-subunit gene

The pituitary gonadotropins luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) regulate the production of sex steroids necessary for pubertal development and fertility. Inherited genetic defects that cause hypogonadism have been identified at multiple levels of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis.1 They include Kallmann's syndrome, which is caused by mutations in the KAL gene,2 and X-linked adrenal hypoplasia, which is caused by mutations in the DAX-1 gene.3 Both cause deficiency of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and DAX-1 mutations also cause a defect in the production of gonadotropins by the pituitary.4 A homozygous mutation in the gene for the β-subunit of luteinizing hormone has been reported .
Thixotropy

This paper summarizes the characteristics of thixotropic behaviour and gives examples of industrial materials that show this property. It reviews the physical and chemical bases of thixotropy and discusses the theoretical derivation of mode constitutive equations. Measurement techniques are described and some results are given. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of application of measurement results.
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eGFR and Hb versus RBV (P 5 0.02 and P< 0.0001 respectively). These results are in agreement with those presented by Karino et al., who studied 68 patients during 8 weeks in triple therapy. Our study, which expanded therapy to 48 weeks using both the triple and dual regimens in sequence, concludes that plasma concentration of RBV and Hb levels are influenced by the decrease in renal function induced by TLV. We can thus confirm the hypothesis of Mauss et al. and suggest use of eGFR, therapeutic drug monitoring, and dose adjustment of RBV to prevent onset of anemia induced by the triple therapy containing TLV.
Effect of enzymatically cross-linked tilapia scale collagen for osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells

Type I collagen is an abundant component of bone tissue that has been used for bone tissue engineering using various cross-linking methods, including chemical agents, ultraviolet irradiation, and dehydrothermal treatment to enhance its physical properties. Collagens derived from mammalian animals are generally not used for implantable scaffolds owing to the potential for zoonotic infection. In addition, the toxicity of cross-linking agents and alteration of inherent properties after cross-linking have been issues. In this study, fish collagen derived from tilapia scales which are free from the risk of infection was employed to fabricate a three-dimensional porous scaffold. Tilapia scale collagen scaffolds were modified using microbial transglutaminase enzyme as a catalyst to preserve the inherent properties of collagen material. Human mesenchymal stem cells were incubated with various substitutes including tilapia scale collagen and porcine collagen–coated cell culture dishes with or without microbial transglutaminase, tilapia scale collagen, and porcine collagen scaffolds cross-linked by microbial transglutaminase. Differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells was verified using alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin assays. A remarkably enhanced expression of osteoblastic differentiation was observed selectively with tilapia scale collagen–coated dishes with/without microbial transglutaminase and tilapia scale collagen collagen scaffold cross-linked by microbial transglutaminase. Thus, the combination of tilapia scale collagen and the microbial transglutaminase cross-linking method will be useful for osteoblastic differentiation and bone tissue engineering.
Kajian Fenetik Pomacea Spp. (Moluska: Gastropoda: Ampullariidae) Indonesia Berdasarkan Morfologi Cangkang

ABSTRAK Keong emas Pomacea merupakan keong introduksi yang kemudian menjadi jenis invasif di Indonesia karena keberadaannya sebagai hama menjadi ancaman bagi dunia pertanian. Identitas dan status taksonomi keong ini masih menyisakan banyak permasalahan, salah satunya adalah karena tingginya variasi morfologi. Melalui studi ini ingin digali informasi mengenai bagaimana model pengelompokan dari berbagai variasi Pomacea yang ada di Indonesia. Hasil konstruksi fenetik menggunakan software Clad97 dari 22 spesimen Pomacea terhadap 20 karakter cangkang menunjukkan bahwa jenis ini tidak menunjukkan pengelompokan berdasarkan lokasi. Secara umum terdapat tiga pengelompokan besar. Kelompok 1 merupakan kelompok spesimen dengan kesamaan karakter bentuk dan ukuran cangkang, dominasi apertur, dimensi cangkang serta penebalan peristome. Kelompok 2 terdiri dari beberapa subkelompok dengan kesamaan ciri sutura yang tidak melekuk, bentuk seluk tubuh yang menyiku, serta warna cangkang jingga kekuningan. Adapun spesimen-spesimen dalam kelompok 3, memiliki kesamaan ciri ukuran cangkang yang besar, dominasi apertur besar, TC dan LC lebih dari 60 mm, LA lebih dari 35 mm, serta terdapat penebalan peristome. Kata kunci : Keong emas, Pomacea, invasif, variasi, pengelompokan
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