Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Syzygium cumini (L.) Seed Extract Protects Embryofoetal Brains against Intrauterine Oxidative Toxicity in Rats during Hypoxia-reperfusion Injury

Intrauterine hypoxia-reperfusion is an important cause of neonatal brain injury. Thus, we tested whether S. cumini seed extract (SE) protects the incidence of embryofoetal oxidative toxicity in rat fetal brains produced by intrauterine hypoxia-reperfusion injury. Hypoxia was induced by uteroplacental occlusion followed by reperfusion. Brain proinflammatory tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), the levels of lipid peroxides (LPO) and reduced glutathione (GSH), activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) enzymes were assessed. Histology of the fetal brain slices was studied after hematoxylene/eosin staining. The hypoxia-reperfusion increased the levels of TNF-α, LPO and decreased the activities of CAT and SOD enzymes and levels of GSH in the fetal brains. The oral preadministration of the S. cumini (L.) seed extract to the mother rats, however, significantly inhibited the rises of the levels of TNF-α and the oxidative stress in the fetal brains and increased the activities of CAT and SOD enzymes and levels of GSH in the fetal brains concurrently. Histological studies revealed decreased structural disintegration and inflammatory necrosis in the fetal brains of S. cumini + hypoxic mothers. We, therefore, conclude that oral preadministration of S. cumini (L.) seed extract to pregnant rats might prevent reproductive and fetal development impairments caused by intrauterine proinflammatory and hypoxia-reperfusion injury.
Cooling is the predominant strategy to alleviate the effects of heat stress on dairy cows.

Reduced reproductive performance of lactating cows during the summer is associated mainly with intensive genetic selection for high milk production, which places a great load on the thermoregulatory mechanism. In the last decades, a big effort has been made to explore the mechanism by which heat stress compromises fertility. The data gained so far revealed that the effect of thermal stress on the female reproductive tract is multifactorial in nature. Based on this understanding, new strategies to mitigate the effect of heat stress have been developed. The review summarizes some of the physiological responses of the cow to elevated temperature and discusses its limitations to maintain normothermia. The review emphasizes that cooling is the predominant strategy used today to alleviate the effects of heat stress. Findings from the Israeli dairy herd indicate that efficient cooling management can improve milk production during the summer to a similar level of the winter, expressed by summer to winter ratio of 0.98. However, cooling as a singular approach cannot eliminate the decline in reproduction. Nonetheless, an efficient cooling system is a prerequisite for any other strategy. The review suggests additional hormonal treatments to improve reproductive performance during the summer. Given the complexity of heat-stress effects on reproduction, comprehensive reproductive management during the summer is suggested i.e. combining two or more strategies in a program, might be more beneficial.
PRODUÇÃO DE ÁCIDO CÍTRICO POR ASPERGILLUS NIGER: AVALIAÇÃO DE DIFERENTES FONTES DE NITROGÊNIO E DE CONCENTRAÇÃO DE SACAROSE

Resumo: Neste trabalho objetivou-se a producao de acido citrico por fermentacao submersa utilizando meio sintetico enriquecido com sacarose utilizando o fungo Aspergillus niger alem de diferentes fontes de nitrogenio como o sulfato de amonio, a ureia e a peptona. A fermentacao foi conduzida em frascos erlenmeyer e em estufa bacteriologica. Atraves dos resultados obtidos, constatou-se a producao de acido citrico em todos os meios fermentados testados. O uso de peptona associado ao uso do sulfato de amonio para o meio sintetico de Prescott & Dunn, apresentou melhor producao (62,9 g/L.dia de acido citrico) sob as condicoes estudadas. Em relacao ao tempo para a fermentacao, foi constatado que o tempo de 24h e o ideal para maior produtividade no processo. Palavras chave: acido citrico, fermentacao submersa, Aspergillus niger
G PROTEIN SUBUNITS

Guanine nucleotide binding (G) proteins relay extracellular signals encoded in light, small molecules, peptides, and proteins to activate or inhibit intracellular enzymes and ion channels. The larger G proteins, made up of G heterotrimers, dissociate into G and G subunits that separately activate intracellular effector molecules. Only recently has the G subunit been recognized as a signal transduction molecule in its own right; G is now known to directly regulate as many different protein targets as the G subunit. Recent X-ray crystallography of G ,G , and G subunits will guide the investigation of structure-function relationships.
ANALYSIS OF MACROECONOMIC AGGREGATES ON STOCK PRICE S IN NIGERIA: AN APPLICATION OF CO-INTEGRATION AND CAUSA LITY

ABSTRCT: This study examined the analysis of macroeconomic a ggregates on stock prices using evidence from Nigeria Economy. The study investigat ed the nature of relationship between macroeconomic aggregates proxies by inflation rates , interest rates and money supply while All Share Index (ASI) standing as a proxy for Aggregate s Stock Prices. In course of this study, secondary data were sourced from the Central Bank o f Nigeria statistical bulletin and the Nigerian stock exchange fact book. The Granger Causality Tes t and Johansen Co-integration Test in a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) setting were employed . The descriptive analysis was also used to mirror their relationship. The empirical results de monstrate that changes in inflation rates, interest rates and money exert a significant impact on aggre at stock within the period understudy. The results also shows that where is a negative long-ru n relationship between inflation rates, interest rates and All Share Index while a positive signific ant relationship exist between money supply and aggregates stock prices. However, on the causality test, the study shows a unidirectional causality running from inflation to aggregates stock price an d a bi-directional causality between money supply and aggregates stock prices. Therefore, we r ecommended that macroeconomic policy should be channeled towards improving aggregates stock pri ces which in turn enhance overall returns on stock market and the Nigerian economy at large.
Ethnobotany and antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants of Bakhtiari Zagross mountains, Iran

The major aims of this study was to determine ethnobotany and antimicrobial activity of sixteen medicinal, aromatic and nutraceutical plants from high altitude of Bakhtiari Zagross mountains, which are Iranian medicinal plants. Antimicrobial activities of extract of sixteen Iranian folklore plants including, Heracleum lasiopetalum Boiss. (Apiaceae), Satureja bachtiarica Bunge. (Lamiacae), Thymus daenensis Celak. (Lamiacae), Ziziphora teniur L. (Lamiacae),Echiophora platyloba L. (Apiaceae), Dracocephalum multicaule Benth. (Lamiacae), Kelussia odoratissima Mozff. (Apiaceae), Mentha longifolia Hudson. (Lamiacae), Achillea kellalensisBoiss. (Asteraceae), Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl. (Lamiacae), Hypericum scabrum L. (Hypericaceae), Quercus brantii Lindley. (Fagaceae), Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae), Pistachia atlantica Desf. (Anacardiaceae), Arnebia euchroma (Royle.) Johnston. (Boraginaceae) and Salvia hydrangea DC. (Lamiacae) were investigated against strains ofStaphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Yersinia enterocolitica, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni and Candida albicans by agar disc diffusion and serial dilution assays. The results of the study reveal that some of species play an important role in primary healthcare system of these tribal communities. Some of the medicinal plants showed relatively high antimicrobial activity against all the tested bacteria and fungi. In conclusion, it can be said that the extract and essential oil of some of the medicinal plants from high altitude of Bakhtiari Zagross Mountains could be used as natural antibacterial agents in the food preservation and human health. Key words: Medicinal plants, ethnobotany, ‎antimicrobial activity, high altitude, Zagross mountains.
Behaviour and Feeding of the Nassariid Gastropod Cyclope Neritea, Abundant at Hydrothermal Brine Seeps off Milos (Aegean Sea)

Field observations and laboratory experiments were made on Cyclope neritea, a small (~10 mm diameter) burrowing stenoglossan gastropod with a flattened shell found in very high densities (>200 m2) in Paleohori Bay on the south coast of Milos (Aegean Sea). Cyclope neritea forms a high proportion of the biomass at seeps in this bay, where the medium to fine sand overlies hot, sulphidic brines. About half the animals were found on the surface in the daytime, an exception to the normal habit of this species which usually emerges from the sediment only at night. The C. neritea were aggregated on the thinner bacterial mats over the seeps. In the laboratory, C. neritea remained active for 3 h at sulphide concentrations up to 1 mM, the highest concentration in the interstitial water in the upper 25 mm of sediment at the seeps. Although the species can tolerate elevated salinity and temperature, it shows little adaptation for sulphide detoxification by oxidative pathways. It may survive at the seeps by its behaviour pattern, especially the use of the extensible siphon to access oxic water above the sediment boundary layer, and perhaps by exclusion of sulphide from the tissues. Cyclope neritea ingests large quantities of sand together with adhering bacteria and diatoms, but also scavenges on other animals killed by the extreme conditions of the seeps.
Predicting community characteristics from habitat conditions: fluvial fish and hydraulics

1. One current approach to the prediction of community characteristics is to use models of key local-scale processes (e.g. niche dimensions) affecting individuals and to estimate the effects of these attributes over larger scales. We tested this approach, focusing on how the hydraulic habitat structures fluvial fish communities. 2. We used a recent statistical habitat model to predict fish community characteristics in eleven reaches in the Rhone river basin in France. Predictions were made ‘blindly’ since most reaches were not used to calibrate the model. The model reflects species preferences for local hydraulics. We made predictions of the fish community from the local hydraulic conditions found in the reaches under low flow conditions. The overall abundance and the relative abundance (both as indices) of fish species, specific size classes and species traits (i.e. reproductive, trophic, morphological and others) were predicted. We summarized our predictions of the relative abundance of species as two ‘community structure indices’ using Principal Component Analysis. 3. Our predictions from low-flow hydraulics were compared with long-term observations of fish communities. The relative abundance of species actually observed depended largely on zoogeographic factors within the Rhone basin which could not be predicted by the model. The model predicted 13% of the variance in the indices of relative abundance at the species level and 23% of this variance at the trait level for all zoogeographic regions combined. However, when focused on reaches within a geographic region, the model explained up to 47% of the same variance. Therefore, geographic regions act as ‘filters’ on the relative abundance of species, but hydraulics do affect fish communities within a given geographical context. 4. For the synthetic ‘community structure indices’, we obtained good predictions from hydraulics independently of the geographical context (variance explained up to 95%). These indices were linked to simple key hydraulic characteristics of river reaches (Froude and/or Reynolds number). The indices enabled interpretations of the links between hydraulics, geomorphology, discharge and community patterns. These links were consistent with existing knowledge of species and their traits. 5. In addition to the above validations, the habitat model partly explained the observed effects of impoundment on fish communities. 6. The present results show that stream hydraulics strongly impact fish community structure. Consequently, our findings confirm that community characteristics can be predicted using models of the local-scale habitat requirements of the species forming the community.
Perceived Organisational Support and Commitment of Customer-contact Employees of Eateries in Port Harcourt

This study focused on determining the nexus between perceived organisational support and commitment of customer-contact employees of eateries in Port Harcourt. The study treated perceived organisational support unidimensionally while commitment was measured using affective, continuance and normative commitment. The study adopted an explanatory research design. It used a questionnaire to collect primary data and employed the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that perceived organisational support associate strongly with commitment of customer-contact employees. This is because perceived organisational support have a strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with all the measures of commitment accommodated in the study. The study therefore conclude that perceived organisational support influences commitment of customer-contact employees, or that affective, continuance and normative commitment of customer-contact employees depends on perceived organisational support. The study recommends that eateries in Port Harcourt that seek to secure the commitment of their customer-contact employees should treat these employees well and give them the necessary support they require in their “pursuit of the better life”.
Maintenance respiration correlates with sugar but not nitrogen concentration in dormant plants

The range and source of variation in foliage respiration rate in the dormant season were investigated for plants of Lycopodium annotinum L. , Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm. , Picea abies (L.) Karst. , Andromeda polifolia L. , Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull, Vaccinium myrtillus L. , Vaccinium vitis-ideae L. and Empetrum hermaphroditum Hagerup. Field-grown plants were transferred to a cold room kept at 5°C in late autumn and then analysed for the foliage respiration rate in relation to nitrogen and sugar concentration over a period of many weeks. Respiration rate varied 1.6-fold among species at a given time, and decreased with time as long as plants remained dormant. Most of both sources of variation were accounted for by the same linear and positive correlation with total soluble sugar concentration, whereas no relationship with nitrogen concentration was found. The hypothesis presented is that respiration rate correlates with sugar concentration in the dormant season because cellular sugar concentrations are much increased and, thereby, the costs of maintaining concentration gradients. Pinus contorta had a significantly higher respiration rate for a given sugar concentration than any other species, and therefore suffered larger relative losses of sugars when kept at 5°C; possible reasons and consequences of this are discussed in relation to field performance.
Pamuk kirmizi örümceği Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisd.) (Acari: Tetranychidae)'a karşi Azadirachtin'in etkinliği üzerine bir araştirma

In this study, the various effects of Azadirachtin on Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisd.) were studied. The climatic conditions in the growth chamber were 26±1oC, %60±5 relative humidity, and 14 hours day-length. The results showed that, in 10, 20, 40 and 60 ppm concentrations and control, egg hatchability ratio was 81.66%, 67.66%, 56.81%, 37.79% and %98.36 respectively. In control plots 83% of water treated larvae reached adult stage, whereas only 18.6% of Azadirachtin treated larvae reached adult stage at 10 ppm level. The application at 20, 40 and 60 ppm levels on the larvae inhibited all of the adult development. In deutonymph stage applications, the adult emergency ratios were 60.0%, 31.6%, 13.3%, 0% and 100% for 10, 20, 40, and 60 ppm levels and control, respectively. During a seven-day period, total number of eggs laid was reduced with increasing levels of Azadirachtin. Furthermore, all levels had significant repellent effects on adult mites varying from 90-100%.
The Sheep Blowfly Problem in North Wales

Summary. 1. Early writings indicate that attack by sheep blowflies was common and well known in the early sixteenth century, prior to the establishment of sheep farming in North Wales. 2. A survey of North Wales has shown that Lucilia sericata Mg. is the sheep blowfly of the province. In two advanced cases only were larvae of Calliphora erythrocephala Mg. present, and then only in small numbers. 3. Sheep are attacked from May until October. The degree of attack as indicated in a summary of seasons regarded as severe was as follows: Upland districts—10–15 per cent. of sheep attacked; Lowland districts exposed—20–25 per cent. ; Lowland wooded—35–40 per cent. 4. The complete absence of parasitism among larvae taken from living sheep was a signscant result of the survey. Such a source of unparasitised larvae will mitigate success in the biological control of blowflies. 5. The life history of Lucilia sericata under North Wales conditions has been investigated. Four generations are recorded. The normal mode of hibernation is in the prepupal stage, which hibernates in late September or October and returns to the soil surface from mid-March onwards, when the soil temperature at 8 in. approaches 45° F. and when in the upper layers is slightly higher. 6. Shepherds, normally, “rub out” larvae from infested sheep, assuming that starvation and death results in the soil. Over 90 per cent, of such larvae produced imagines, and such infestations are pure cultures of Lucilia sericata Mg. with an absence of competitive secondary species. Experiments, combined with a morphological study, showed that at the temperature of the sheep's body, larvae attain the third instar in 24 hours. They are then only half-size, but can successfully produce imagines despite subsequent starvation. The present practice, therefore, should be changed, and a larvicide applied before the larvae are removed from the wool. 7. There is clear evidence of the greater susceptibility of lambs to attack, and the factors involved are being studied. 8. Observations have been made on the relative susceptibility to attack of six different breeds of sheep and their crosses. The degree of attack ranged from the Wiltshire breed, which is only rarely attacked, to the Southdown breed, which is frequently subject to heavy infestations.
Heritabilities of some type appraisal traits and their genetic and phenotypic correlations with production.

Summary Estimates of heritability for 27 type traits and milk and fat production and of genetic correlation of type traits with production were obtained by a within-herd-year analysis of 842 daughter-dam pairs of the Holstein-Friesian breed. Heritability estimates for fat and milk production were higher (.42 and .40) than most reported previously. Most of the type traits studied had heritability estimates not significantly different from zero. Those traits with relatively high estimates were: milking quality, depth of barrel, udder texture, strength of udder attachment, depth of udder, and temperament. Estimates of genetic correlations of type traits with production were inconclusive, owing to lack of confidence in the components of the correlation coefficient. Phenotypic correlations between 26 type traits and production were estimated. A few other phenotypic correlations thought to be of interest were also estimated. The highest correlation found was between fat and milk production. Type traits which had estimated phenotypic correlations greater than . 15 with production were dairy character, withers, depth of barrel, udder shape, depth of udder, and feeding habits. All of these correlations were less than . 21. Selection indexes for breeding value for milk production were computed, utilizing seven variables having the highest heritabilities and phenotypic correlations with production. The index using all seven variables was found to have a correlation with actual breeding value of . 58. Using milk production alone to estimate breeding value had a correlation with breeding value of . 53. Since selection based on only milk production is nearly as accurate as using seven variables, it appears that in any practical situation selection for milk production could be based on milk production alone.
Nitrogen-use efficiency : a biologically meaningful definition?

A parameter to measure the efficiency of nitrogen use should include 1) the mean residence time of the N in the plant, ie the period during which the absorbed N can be used for C-fixation; and 2) the instantaneous rate of C-fixation per unit of N in the plant. It is essential to distinguish between these components of the nitrogen-use-efficiency, as they make 2 conflicting demands upon the N allocation within the plant. -
Antígenos nativos de Aspergillus fumigatus con utilidad para el inmunodiagnóstico de aspergiloma

In order to evaluate the usefulness of native antigens of autochthonous strains of Aspergillus fumigatus for immunodiagnosis of aspergilloma, We was conducted a study using two strains of this fungus, isolated from patients with aspergilloma (533 and 554), which were confronted with commercial control serum of A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, Candida, Coccidioides, Histoplasma and Paracoccidioides by immunodiffusion test, moreover, we evaluated 28 serum samples from patients with suspected aspergilloma. We also performed the characterization of the protein components of native antigens using the technique of SDS-PAGE and were confronted with ten serum samples from patients with aspergilloma, paracoccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, C-reactive protein and hydatidosis, also healthy person serum by immunoblot. Good agreement (kappa 0.92) was found between antigens 533 and 554 and somewhat less than those with commercial antigen A. fumigatus (kappa 0.73 and 0.81 for the 533 and 554, respectively). The band of 97 kDa reacted only with sera from patients with aspergilloma being immunodominant.
The ΔNp63α Phosphoprotein Binds the p21 and 14-3-3σ Promoters In Vivo and Has Transcriptional Repressor Activity That Is Reduced by Hay-Wells Syndrome-Derived Mutations

ABSTRACT p63 is a recently identified homolog of p53 that is found in the basal layer of several stratified epithelial tissues such as the epidermis, oral mucosa, prostate, and urogenital tract. Studies with p63−/− mice and analysis of several human autosomal-dominant disorders with germ line p63 mutations suggest p63 involvement in maintaining epidermal stem cell populations. The p63 gene encodes six splice variants with reported transactivating or dominant-negative activities. The goals of the current study were to determine the splice variants that are expressed in primary human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs) and the biochemical activity p63 has in these epithelial cell populations. We found that the predominant splice variant expressed in HEKs was ΔNp63α, and it was present as a phosphorylated protein. During HEK differentiation, ΔNp63α and p53 levels decreased, while expression of p53 target genes p21 and 14-3-3σ increased. ΔNp63α had transcriptional repressor activity in vitro, and this activity was reduced in ΔNp63α proteins containing point mutations, corresponding to those found in patients with Hay-Wells syndrome. Further, we show that ΔNp63α and p53 can bind the p21 and 14-3-3σ promoters in vitro and in vivo, with decreased binding of p63 to these promoters during HEK differentiation. These data suggest that ΔNp63α acts as a transcriptional repressor at select growth regulatory gene promoters in HEKs, and this repression likely plays an important role in the proliferative capacity of basal keratinocytes.