Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DIFFERENCES IN IMMUNE RESPONS BETWEEN BROILER STRAINS AND THEIR CROSSES.

Humoral antibody titers against sheep red blood cells (SRBC), cell mediated immune response and spleen weights and relative spleen weights were determined in two broiler strains. Arbor Acres (AA), PureLine (PL), and the crosses between Arbor Acres males and a synthetic Egyptian broiler female line B-2 females (AA*B-2) and PureLine males * B-2 females (PL*B-2). The result of antibody titers against SRBC varied between strains and crosses. Arbor Acres and PL broilers had significantly lower level of antibody responses to SRBC three days post primary immunization (3 PPI) than the crosses. There were no significant differences between the AA and PL broiler strains or between the AA* B-2 and PL*B-2 crosses. Six days PPI AA*B-2 chicks had significantly lower level of antibody titers against SRBC than the AA and PL*B-2 birds. On the other hand, nine days PPI no significant differences were observed between all strains and crosses. No significant differences in the delayed type hypersensitivity response (DTH) were found between the broiler strains or the crosses. Also, the spleen weights varied significantly among strains and crosses. The relative spleen weights of the AA*B-2 and PL*B-2 broilers were significantly higher than the PL at six weeks of age.
Osterix combined with gene-activated matrix: A potential integrated strategy for achieving cementum regeneration

Introduction: Human periodontitis is the most common infectious disease that results in the destruction of periodontal supporting tissues including the root cementum. Currently cementum regeneration, as a vital event, is considered as a gold standard of successful periodontal tissue reconstruction. Nevertheless, one of the important requirements of cementum reestablishment is the recruitment and differentiation of pre-cementoblasts into functional cementoblasts, which requires effective regulator factors. Recently, Osterix (Osx) is known to be a key transcriptional factor essential for osteogenesis and especially for cementogenesis. Although there are various interesting approaches involving tissue engineering, gene-activated matrix (GAM) is one of the most promising approaches to achieve reliable restoration of the periodontium. The Hypothesis: Based on the recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of Osx in cementum development and formation, we hypothesize that Osx plays a critical role in periodontal regeneration and Osx combined with GAM may be an effective strategy for the regeneration of cementum. Evaluation of the Hypothesis: Osx combined with GAM could pave the way for the development of new tissue engineering procedures and have the potential to play a pivotal role in cementum regeneration, eventually increasing the predictability of periodontal tissue regeneration.
RuDES: A Semantic Method for Rules Dependency Extraction

Nowadays, a variety of domains take advantage of rule based systems. In practice, such systems are continuously evolving by acquiring new knowledge and including more rules. The automation of the rule bases management has therefore become a must. Such a task becomes more fluent when based on the analysis of dependencies between the rules. This research work, introduces three main novelties while tackling the issue of rules dependencies detection. First, it amends the existing work. Second, it presents a new technique based on following the knowledge flow defined by the ontology. Third, it propounds a new way to represent the rules dependencies. To check the correctness and performance of our work, a prototype is developed and applied on three different ontologies from different fields.
ANTAGONISTIC ACTION OF BACILLUS THURINGINES ISAGAINST PATHOGENIC B ACTERIA

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is Gram positive bacterium that fo rm characteristics protein i.e. crystal protein (cry protein). Bt cry proteins are diverse group of proteins has insecticidal activity against various insects, nematodes and other pathogenic microbes. Therefore Bt has been used to control the effect of entomopathogen on vertebrates. Their primary action is to lyses midgut epithelial cells by ins erting into target membrane and forming pore and finally there is death of pathogenic microbes. In the given study, 96 hrs old Bt culture shows highest antagonist activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus ,Proteus spp. So therefore pathogeni c microbes can be controlled by using 96 hrs old Bt culture. From this investigation, due to insecticidal activity, Bt is used in control of agricultural insect pest and insect vector of human disease.
Genotypic diversity and trait variance interact to affect marsh plant performance

Intraspecific diversity can have important effects on population, community and ecosystem processes, yet we have little understanding of the relative importance of genetic‐ versus trait‐based measures of intraspecific diversity. I conducted a manipulative field experiment of plant (Spartina alterniflora) genotypic diversity and trait diversity to examine their independent and interactive effects on plant performance and community structure. I focused on variation within and among genotypes in plant stem height, a trait that varies substantially across environmental gradients and can be an important predictor of plant competition intensity. Trait and genotypic diversity interactively affected multiple metrics of plant performance. Both stem density and spatial spread increased with genotypic diversity in the low trait diversity combinations, yet there were negligible to weak negative effects in the high trait diversity treatments. Spartina alterniflora percentage cover also varied with genotypic and trait diversity, but not in a clear linear pattern. There were no effects of trait or genotypic diversity on associated macrofauna above‐ground, yet they interactively affected below‐ground measures. Infaunal abundance and sediment oxygen availability mirrored the idiosyncratic response of plant percentage cover. Despite the interactive effects of genotypic and trait diversity, high trait diversity consistently increased plant performance in genotypic monoculture. Synthesis. The effects of intraspecific plant trait diversity on a range of plant and community responses in this study reinforce the premise that functional differences underlie ecological effects of genetic diversity and suggest that readily measured trait variance may serve as a valuable predictor of plant performance.
Molecular events following perception of ultraviolet‐B radiation by plants

Exposure of plants to UV-B radiation (280–320 nm) results in changes in expression of a large number of genes. Before UV-B radiation or light of other wavelengths can give rise to a cellular response, it has to be perceived by some kind of receptor, and the information transduced via a signalling pathway to the target molecules, be it proteins in the cytoplasm or the genetic material in the nucleus. The perception of low levels of UV-B probably occurs via a UV-B photoreceptor followed by several different signalling pathways. These pathways include second messengers such as calcium, kinases and the catalytic formation of reactive oxygen species. High levels of UV-B, on the other hand, probably cause cellular damage and oxidative stress, thus activating a general stress signal transduction pathway which leads to a response similar to that which occurs after pathogen attack and other stresses. Some of the genes identified so far as being regulated by UV-B encode proteins involved in the biosynthesis of protective pigments, DNA repair and antioxidative enzymes, photosynthetic genes, cell cycle genes, and stress genes induced by other types of stimuli (i.e. pathogenesis-related proteins and senescence-induced genes). In the light of the information obtained on components necessary for UV-B-induced changes in gene expression, we propose in this mini-review a working model for UV-B perception and signal transduction. This model also takes into account dosage differences for the observations, which imply a separation into UV-B-specific and more general stress signal transduction.
Effect of sample age and season of collection on the reliability of microsatellite genotyping of faecal DNA

Individual identification of animals from DNA in field-collected faecal samples is becoming an increasingly important tool in wildlife population monitoring. A major issue relevant to the application of this technique is the reliability of the genotypes obtained. I investigated the effect of sample age and season of collection on amplification rates and reliability of microsatellite genotypes amplified from faecal DNA of a marsupial herbivore, the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) and a eutherian carnivore, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Comparison of DNA profiles from 1 day to 6 months for both species suggests that as the age of the faeces increases there is less good-quality DNA present on the surface of the faeces, resulting in significantly decreasing amplification rates and increasing genotyping error rates over time. No microsatellite PCR products were obtained from samples older than 3 months from any faecal DNA extract in either season. For both species, faeces collected during the summer trial yielded high-quality DNA for up to one week. Faeces collected in winter had significantly lower amplification rates and higher genotyping errors than the summer-collected samples. Computer simulations were used to estimate the probability of obtaining false genotypes when genotyping faecal samples of various ages. These revealed that three replicates is sufficient to prevent identification of false individuals for P. penicillata from faeces up to one week old in both summer and winter but more replicates may be required for older samples, particularly in winter. In contrast, up to eight replicates may be required for fox faeces collected in winter, particularly if more than one week old. These results also suggest that it is difficult to visually identify faecal age for V. vulpes, and any study using fox faeces would need to account for the likely inclusion of older faeces in a field collection. For P. penicillata, faecal age could be accurately assessed, particularly when less than one week old and targeting faeces that match the two most reliable appearance classes described here would be an efficient sampling strategy. It is recommended that the appropriate PCR replication protocol for any given study should be tailored to the error rates expected for the oldest samples likely to be collected. This study is the first to thoroughly investigate the effects of sample age and season of collection on microsatellite genotyping from faecal samples and provides guidelines for sampling and PCR repetition strategies for field-based non-invasive DNA studies.
Épocas de indução floral e soma térmica do período do florescimento à colheita de abacaxi 'Smooth Cayenne'

The knowledge of climate effects is important in planning pineapple production. The aim of this research was to accomplish the thermal time requirements of 'Smooth Cayenne' pineapple from the floral induction to the harvest period for different periods of artificial floral induction at Northern State of Parana and also its influence in yield and fruit quality. The treatments were floral induction with ethephon in April, May, June and July. The control had natural induction. The inflorescence arose at 115.5; 107.3; 77.3 and 48.3 days after the floral induction for the applications in April, May, June, and July, respectively. The period between inflorescence arisen and harvest was 163 days for April induction, which was higher than for the other treatments (144 - 151 days). The fruits from the April treatment were smaller than the fruits from July. Period of floral induction had no effect on titratable acidity, total soluble solids and ratio of the fruits. The thermal time requirement from the flowering to the harvest period was 1,090 degree-days, with no statistical difference among treatments.
Partitioning and distribution of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) variation among eggplant Solanum L. in Southwest Nigeria

Solanum L. , the largest genus of the Solanaceae family, vary morphologically, is diverse in number and is ecogeographically distributed. In Nigeria, previous studies had focused mainly on chromosome morphology, genome description and medicinal values, which are insufficient for genetic affinities. This study used four highly polymorphic random amplified polymorphic DNA primers to describe both the genetic relatedness and variability among 25 accessions of eggplant from Southwestern Nigeria. At a truncated line of 65%, five clusters and two ungrouped samples are distinguishable from the dendrogram. The data reveals that Solanum dasyphyllum Schum. & Thonn. is more closely related to Solanum macrocarpon L. than to Solanum melongena L. The relatedness between Solanum incanum L. and Solanum melongena, a probability of being progenitors from a common ancestral lineage was also shown. Occurrence of Solanum scabrum L. and Solanum nigrum L. in the same clusters different from S. melongena, is an indication of distant relatedness to S. melongena but close relatedness between them. High level of polymorphism was observed in this study going by the coefficient of variation which exhibited a good separation from a conserved region of the genome. This study, therefore, reveals a wide and diverse genetic base in Nigerian eggplant Solanum.
Limits of the fish embryo toxicity test with Danio rerio as an alternative to the acute fish toxicity test

As a consequence of current development in European chemical legislation, alternative methods in ecotoxicology gain more and more importance in chemical risk assessment. As an alternative to chemical testing with adult fish, the fish embryo toxicity test (FET) with Danio rerio is considered since a general correlation between both protocols is very high. However, for a couple of outliers the FET were less sensitive than the conventional fish test. To contribute to the clarification, to which extent protection of the embryo by the chorion is responsible for such deviations, the available information on the genesis and morphology, chemical composition, biological function and permeability of the fish chorion was reviewed under toxicological aspects. With regard to possible chemical interactions between chorion components and xenobiotics, there is still a need for supplementary research, particularly on understanding the function and properties of the pores which disperse across fish chorions. Nevertheless, it seems that the chorion is not a major barrier for ordinary chemicals; however, there are exceptions, like substances which might form complex or large structures with other similar molecules through chemical interactions such as ionic bonding (e.g. cationic polymers), substances which likely interact with SH-groups (e.g. heavy metals) or large molecules (e.g. polymers) are blocked by the chorion. For further investigations, existing dechorionation methods were evaluated on their applicability in toxicity testing. Thereupon a modified fish embryo test protocol with reproducibly high survival rates following removal of the chorion was established. The effect of dechorionation was demonstrated with the cationic polymer Luviquat HM552, which was thus shown to be blocked by the chorion of intact eggs probably due to its high molecular weight of ~400000 Dalton, but becomes strongly toxic after dechorionation. A “critical” molecular size might lie between 2000 and 3000 Da as demonstrated with experiments using polyethylene glycols. However, a reasonable molecular size cut off value could not be determined, since beside the molecular weight in Dalton or g/mol, a number of other factors contribute to the actual size of a molecule. In order to evaluate if differential uptake, accumulation or metabolization of the test compounds may produce differences between the results of acute fish and fish embryo toxicity, a known outlier, KCl, was investigated in comparison with other potassium and sodium salts in the standard as well as in the prolonged FET, in tests with eleutheroembryos and dechorionated embryos. Results were compared to acute fish toxicity data retrieved from the US EPA Ecotoxicity database and other data on larval toxicity available from the open literature. The results confirmed that the period around hatching is a critical stage during embryogenesis, which should be included in the testing procedure for chemical testing.
Evaluation of experimental infection with Aeromonas hydrophila in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) (Holmberg, 1887)*

The aim of this work is to determine the concentration of Aeromonas hydrophila to be inoculated in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), so as to induce bacterial infection but not death during a period of at least ten days and, therefore, enable the development of treatment protocols. The tested concentrations were established through the Mac Farland scale and fish were subjected to three A. hydrophila infection concentrations (1.2 × 107, 2.4 × 107 and 1.5 × 108 UFC.mL-1) through intracoelomic, intramuscular and subcutaneous injections. The clinical exam was done 24 h after inoculation, and the clinical signs suggested aeromonosis in all three groups. In the lowest concentration, animals demonstrated few clinical signs of disease, and in the highest concentration, all animals died within 24 h of aeromonosis induction with acute infection. In the intermediate concentration (2.4 × 107 UFC.mL-1), all animals presented clinical signs of aeromonosis and kept living at the beginning of the time of treatment. Therefore, 2.4 × 107 UFC mL-1 concentration was defined as viable for the study of experimental infection in pacu by A. hydrophila, as thefishes were kept alive at the beginning of the time of treatment protocol with pharmochemicals. Key words: Bacterial infection, fish, disease, antibiotics.
Osteology and phylogeny of Zalmoxes (n. g.), an unusual Euornithopod dinosaur from the latest Cretaceous of Romania

Synopsis The dinosaurs of the Hateg Basin of Transylvania (late Maastrichtian; western Romania) include Theropoda, Sauropoda, Ornithopoda and Ankylosauria. Of these, one of the most enigmatic taxa is the ornithopod that Franz Baron Nopcsa originally described as Mochlodon suessi and M. robustus in 1902. These two species have come to be regarded as a single species of Rhabdodon, R. robustus, which is distinct from R. priscus from the Late Cretaceous of southern France and northern Spain. This study provides a detailed anatomical revision of the Rhabdodon material that was described originally by Nopcsa during the early decades of the 20th century. It also adds information on material discovered in the Hateg area of Romania since the 1930s. A phylogenetic analysis of basal euornithopods indicates that the non‐hadrosaurid material from Hateg comprises two distinct, but congeneric, species. These two species can be distinguished unambiguously from R. priscus. A new genus Zalmoxes is established for the Romanian ornithopod, comprising Z. robustus comb. nov. (the type‐species of the genus) and Z. shqiperorum sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the two species of Zalmoxes and R. priscus are united in the monophyletic clade Rhabdodontidae (nov.). Rhabdodontidae constitutes the sibling clade to Iguanodontia. R. septimanicus, M. suessi, and the Villeveyrac Rhabdodon also appear to be members of Rhabdodontidae. The evolutionary implications of this phylogenetic analysis include the recognition of a ghost lineage, extending from the most recent common ancestor of Rhabdodontidae and Iguanodontia, which extends for 73 million years. This extraordinarily long ghost lineage duration may reflect considerable gaps in the history of this group or the geographical isolation of Rhabdodontidae in Europe during much of the Cretaceous period. The area of origin of the Rhabdodontidae + Iguanodontia clade may be North America, while the common ancestor of Rhabdodontidae dispersed to Europe, at that time a marine‐dominated region with tectonically‐active terrestrial habitats. Adult individuals of Z. robustus are smaller than either of its two closest relatives, Z. shqiperorum and R. priscus, within the Rhabdodontidae, or with many species of Iguanodontia and, therefore, is considered a possible paedomorphic dwarf.
Bombus rubriventris: type locality, different histories of bumblebees in the New World, and a likely invertebrate extinction

The bumblebee Bombus rubriventris Lepeletier is known only from the holotype. This specimen was collected at least 180 years ago and possibly more than 200 years ago. Given the high level of survey effort applied to bumblebees in general and the knowledge that there is only one other bumblebee species (among c. 250 species) known from a single specimen, it seems reasonable to infer from available information that B. rubriventris is likely to be extinct. However, the location of the type locality remains uncertain. Although there is no reason to challenge the original description placing the type locality in Brazil, there are reasons to doubt whether a label “St. Domingue. ” (interpreted by later authors as placing the type locality either in Goiás or in the Dominican Republic) originally belonged to the specimen. Indirect evidence from morphology and from the historical biogeography of bumblebees supports a South American type locality, with the Brazilian Atlantic Forest as a likely candidate.
An update on metabolism studies using human hepatocytes in primary culture

Background: Cultured human hepatocytes are the closest in vitro model to human liver and constitute a very predictive model for drug metabolism in vivo. The variability observed in human hepatocytes reflects the existing phenotypic heterogeneity of cytochrome P450 expression in human liver. Objectives: As drug metabolism is the major source of pharmacokinetic variability in human beings, the main areas of current drug metabolism research in human hepatocytes are reviewed. Methods: To speed up the selection of drug candidates, the evaluation of metabolic stability, metabolite profiling and identification, and drug–drug interaction potential are key issues in drug development. Results/conclusion: In vitro drug metabolism studies, which are inexpensive and readily carried out, serve as an adequate screening mechanism to characterize drug metabolites, elucidate their pathways, and make suggestions for further in vivo testing.
Plant Cell Biology on CD: Information for Students and a Resource for Teachers

The audience for this project consists of biology students, researchers and teachers, from advanced school teaching through undergraduate teaching to post-graduate course work. The aim is to provide a library of first-class images on disc, accompanied by supporting text information, dealing comprehensively with structure-function aspects of plant cell biology. The material is accessed by way of a versatile but friendly user interface, custom-made to facilitate (a) browsing by learners and (b) use as a resource by teachers.