Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antimycotic and phytochemical screening of the fruit pulp extract of Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) on Candida albicans

Objective: To determine the antimycotic potency of the aqueous and ethanolic extract of the fruit pulp of Tamarindus indica on human pathogenic Candida albicans. Methods: The disk diffusion method was employed to check for the antimycotic potency of extracts while qualitative and quantitative analysis of some phytochemical constituents was carried out following standard methods. Results: The fruit pulp extracts were effective against the organism at 475 and 485 mg/ml in the aqueous and ethanolic extract respectively. The same concentration served as the Minimum Inhibitory and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MIC and MCC) in both extracts. The extracts were also subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis. Alkaloids, tannins and reducing sugars were found in the ethanol extract while in the aqueous extract glycosides, saponins and reducing sugars were discovered to be present. Conclusions: The study indicated that aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the fruit pulp of T. indica can be a potential source of antimycotic agent to combat the challenge of the emergence of drug-resistance in Candida albicans and the need to produce more effective antimicrobial agents.
Inheritance of Root Traits in an Interspecific Cross of Capsicum annuum × C. chinense in the Presence of Low Moisture

ABSTRACT Productivity of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is constrained when available moisture is not adequate. Capsicum genotypes with deep, strong roots enable plants to take up a higher volume of water when moisture is lacking, resulting in a more favorable plant water status. Little information is available on the genetic inheritance of root traits in peppers. The genetic components governing expression of root traits under low moisture were studied through six-generation mean analysis in an interspecific cross of IHR 3453 (Capsicum annuum) × IHR 4502 (C. chinense) of contrast root traits. The six generations (30 P1, 30 P2, 30 F1, 247 F2, 43 B1, and 47 B2) were developed and evaluated for root traits under low available moisture. Overall, root traits and shoot dry weight are complex in inheritance; additive and nonadditive components were important, indicating that reciprocal recurrent selection is the most effective breeding method for improving these traits. The dominance component (h) was highly significant and predominant in controlling most traits, except for root length. High heritability and high genetic advance over the mean indicate that selection is effective; however, it needs to be postponed to later generations. Recurrent selection, bulk pedigree, and single-seed descent methods were the most efficient strategies for improving root traits in Capsicum.
Hematology of Wild Caught Hoplobatrachus rugulosus in Northern Thailand

The rice field frog Hoplobatrachus rugulosus is an important anuran species found in wetlands throughout Thailand. At present, the hematological parameters of wild populations are unknown. Therefore, hematological and morphological characteristics of peripheral blood cells of wild-caught H. rugulosus were examined. Thirty-three adult frogs(17 male and 16 female frogs) were collected from a natural population in Nan Province, northern Thailand during the wet season of 2014. Blood samples were analyzed by packed cell volume(PCV) and blood cell counts from hemocytometer and Giemsa-stained blood smears. The mean PCV of male frogs(30.70% ± 6.07%) was significantly higher than that of the female frogs(25.09% ± 4.85%). The mean number of lymphocytes and neutrophils also showed significant sex-related differences. Moreover, the morphometric analysis of blood cells revealed dimensions as follows: erythrocytes(17.96 ± 1.44 μm length × 11.50 ± 1.09 μm width), immature erythrocytes(14.91 ± 2.20 μm diameter), thrombocytes(13.93 ± 3.14 μm length × 7.05 ± 1.31 μm width), lymphocytes(11.01 ± 2.69 μm diameter), monocytes(12.04 ± 2.40 μm diameter), neutrophils(12.58 ± 2.08 μm diameter), basophils(13.60 ± 2.17 μm diameter) and eosinophils(12.33 ± 2.95 μm diameter). Overall, the hematological parameters obtained in this study could be regarded as the first report and a crucial baseline data of wild H.rugulosus in Thailand that can be used for monitoring the health status of this anuran.
Effect of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid pretreatment of Capsicum spp. donor plants on the anther culture efficiency of lines selected by capsaicinoid content

Androgenic low-responsive and non-responsive lines obtained as a result of the selection within the hybrid population of Capsicum frutescens L. × C. annuum L. were used for the determination of the pretreatment effect of donor plant with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on the anther culture effectiveness. A significant increase in embryogenesis of the explants derived from pretreated plants showed an advantageous effect of 2,4-D application. The number of plantlets obtained was 1 to 18 for control and treated plant, respectively. About one half of the plants produced in the anther culture were diploids, characterized by 2C nuclear DNA content (1C/2C – 9/10). Callus tissues were mixoploid and comprised cells from 1C to 8C or from 2C to 16C of the nuclear DNA content. The microspores were the source of the first group of the callus tissue mentioned above. Spontaneous diploidization could be the reason for diploid plantlets regeneration from microspores. Obtaining regenerants in anther culture of a non-responsive hot line, in the case when donor plants were treated with 2,4-D, is the most interesting result of the experiment.
Microwave radiation to control Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larvae in cowpea cultivars

Disinfestation of stored grains using microwave is an alternative to chemical fumigants for controlling the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Bruchinae). Cowpea grains (BRS Paraguaçu and BRS Xique xique cv.) infested with larvae were exposed to 240 W microwave power level for 0 (control) 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 s. For both cultivars, there was a reduction on the number of insects emerged per grain, number of insects emerged per treatment and an increase on the egg–adult period with increase of the exposure period. The microwave exposure periods lethal to C. maculatus larvae were 120 and 150 s.
Mating opportunities and energetic constraints drive variation in age‐dependent sexual signalling

Summary When males repeatedly produce energetically expensive sexual signals, trade-offs between current and future investment can cause plasticity in age-dependent signalling. Such variation is often interpreted as alternate adaptive strategies: live fast and die young vs. slow and steady. An alternative (yet rarely tested) explanation is that condition-dependent constraints on allocation cause variation in signalling with age (‘late bloomers’ do not have early investment options). Testing this hypothesis is challenging because resource acquisition and allocation are difficult to measure, and energetic reserves both affect and are affected by reproductive effort. We simultaneously manipulated acquisition (through dietary nutrition) and access to potential mates (as a proxy for manipulating sexual trait allocation) in male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus), while measuring age- and signalling effort-mediated changes in energy storage components. Increased diet quality caused increased signalling effort and energy storage, while access to females increased both the likelihood of and time spent signalling. Males with lower resource budgets signalled less, but still suffered energetic storage loss and viability costs. Our results suggest that energetic constraints, rather than strategic resource accumulation, reduced signalling levels in males with lower resource acquisition ability. Our findings imply a non-adaptive explanation for age-dependent variation in sexual signalling, and an important role for energetic constraints in maintaining the honesty of costly behavioural displays. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Impact of Media Awareness in Controlling the Spread of Infectious Diseases in Terms of SIR Model

Received: 10 March 2020 Accepted: 20 June 2020 A general model based on SIR type has been developed and analyzed in this paper by incorporating a control variable function termed as media awareness. The study emphasizes that consciousness grows among general population due to media awareness which results in isolating a portion of susceptible population from the infected ones. The model exhibits two equilibrium points and the stability of these equilibrium points has been investigated. Numerical simulations have been carried out based on a specific set of parameters to study the effects of applied control. The findings of this analysis reveal that continuous publicity of awareness programs is very effective and significant in preventing the disease transmission whereas the news, collected by media during a disease period, also plays a compassionate role in reducing the size of infectious population. The results of the present analysis also expose that the reproduction number, epidemiologically a certain threshold, is influenced by the transmission and recovery rates. Our study suggests that in absence of effective antivirals or vaccines, media awareness may be one of the supportive interventions for mitigating and controlling the disease burden during any pandemic or epidemic situation.
Comparisons of turf communities from pendleton artificial reef, torrey pines artificial reef, and a natural reef using multivariate techniques

The construction of artificial reefs for augmenting fish production and mitigating habitat loss has increased markedly in the United States in the last decade. Despite their widespread use, there is much uncertainty about both the actual benefits of artificial reefs and the ecological mechanisms through which such benefits might be produced. This paper reports on a five and one-half year study of the development of turf communities on a new artificial reef in southern California, Pendleton Artificial Reef (PAR). These communities were sampled extensively and compared to analogous communities at an older artificial reef and a natural reef in the region. Sampling was designed to document potential differences due to time since construction, height above the ocean bottom, season, location within reef (e.g., current and edge effects), and sporadic disturbances. Questions about the speed and pattern of development of turf communities are important because of their role in providing habitat and food for both resident and transient fish populations. Multivariate analyses, which are more sensitive than species-by-species approaches, were used to describe and compare temporal and spatial patterns. These analyses showed a typical successional pattern at PAR in which the turf community became progressively more similar to that at older reefs over time. At PAR, species groups dominated by a mud ectoproct, barnacles, algal turf, hydroids, erect ectoprocts and Rhodymenia spp. were steadily replaced by species groups characterized by the scaled worm mollusk, the ornate jewel box, and gorgonians over the period of the study. The nature and speed of this process suggests that it may take 10-15 yrs for turf communities on new artificial reefs to mimic those on natural reefs.
Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Investigation of Latex from Euphorbia Abyssinica Gmel

Phytochemical investigation of the latex of Euphorbia abyssinica Gmel (Euphorbiaceae) afforded a new hydroxy unsaturated fatty acid, 8(R)-hydroxy-dec-3(E)-en-oic acid (1), in addition to the four known compounds lupeol (2), β-sitosterol (3), oleanolic acid (4) and β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside (5). The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of the isolated compounds, as well as the total methanol extract, were studied against different micro-organisms; compound 1 displayed reasonable antifungal activities towards the tested fungi.
Aquatic conservation: reflections on the first 25 years

This special issue marks the 25th anniversary of Aquatic Conservation, and comprises papers written by groups of board members from both marine and freshwater backgrounds on some of the main topics covered by the journal. Over the last 25 years the number of submissions to the journal has grown and the geographical range of submissions has increased, with papers from almost 100 countries. Data for 2015 show that 42% were from Europe, 15% from North America, 15% from Asia, 12% from South and Central America, 9% from Australia and New Zealand, 5% from Africa, and 2% from elsewhere. AQC has published 154 issues, including 15 special issues and 10 supplements, and has grown from four issues and 360 pages per year in 1992 to six issues and 1210 pages in 2016. AQC received its first Impact Factor – 0.534 – in 1998, increasing to 2.415 in 2016. AQC publishes papers on a wide range of subjects, such as the theoretical principles underlying conservation, the status of endangered species and habitats, river basin management and habitat restoration. Areas of recent growth include climate change, the impact of invasive alien species on native species and habitats, ecosystem services and conservation genetics. Submissions to the journal suggest that marine conservation is a more clearly defined area of study than freshwater conservation. Factors that may be responsible include site designations exclusively for marine areas, the formation of groups and societies dedicated to conserving marine habitats and species, and the presence of large ‘iconic species’ (e.g. whales, sharks, dolphins) that are far more common in marine than freshwater habitats. The aim of this journal is to continue publishing high-quality work from all parts of the world, and to encourage scientists to recognize and promote the application of their research to practical conservation and management. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EST-SSR Based Genetic Diversity and Population Structure among Korean Landraces of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.)

Understanding the genetic variation among landrace collections is important for crop improvement and utilization of valuable genetic resources. The present study was carried out to analyse the genetic diversity and associated population structure of 621 foxtail millet accessions of Korean landraces using 22 EST-SSR markers. A total of 121 alleles were detected from all accessions with an average of 5.5 alleles per microsatellite locus. The average values of gene diversity, polymorphism information content, and expected heterozygosity were 0.518, 0.594, and 0.034, respectively. Following the unweighted neighbor-joining method with arithmetic mean based clustering using binary data of polymorphic markers, the genotypes were grouped into 3 clusters, and population structure analysis also separated into 3 populations. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) explained a variation of 13.88% and 10.99% by first and second coordinates, respectively. However, in PCoA analysis, clear population-level clusters could not be found. This pattern of distribution might be the result of gene flow via germplasm exchanges in nearby regions. The results indicate that these Korean landraces of foxtail millet exhibit a moderate level of diversity. This study demonstrated that molecular marker strategies could contribute to a better understanding of the genetic structure in foxtail millet germplasm, and provides potentially useful information for developing conservation and breeding strategies.
Caracterizaçâo molecular de isolados do Cucumber mosaic virus de maracujazeiros no estado de São Paulo

Golden passion-fruit plants showing foliar mosaic and chlorotic ringspots caused by CMV, from Amparo, Marilia, Sao Paulo and Vera Cruz, SP, Brazil, were collected for biological and molecular analysis. In order to find out the CMV subgroup and to perform the molecular characterization of the isolates, DAS-ELISA, RT-PCR/ RFLP, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were used. Nicotiana glutinosa plants showing foliar mosaic after inoculation with those CMV isolates were submitted to electron microscopy observations, ELISA and total RNA extraction. By RT-PCR, with specific primers, 486-487 base pairs DNA fragments were amplified. The ELISA and RT-PCR/RFLP results revealed the identity of the isolates as CMV subgroup 1, that were confirmed by sequencing of the RT-PCR products, showing a 96 to 99% similarity with the CMV subgroup I isolates. The multiple sequence alignment of the nucleotides and the translated aminoacids sequences of CMV strains and phylogenetic analyses revealed two distinct clusters. The CMV passion-fruit isolates were closely related among themselves and clustered with other CMV subgroup I isolates. These results suggest the prevalence of the CMV subgroup I in Sao Paulo State, Brazil.
Characterisation and genetic analysis of Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Mycoplasmas represent some of the smallest and simplest free-living organisms known. Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are two human pathogens that colonise the urogenital and respiratory tracts, respectively, causing a diverse range of disease. Detection of Mycoplasma hominis is hampered by the fastidious nature and genetic heterogeneity of this organism. Characterisation of mycoplasmas is becoming more important due to increasing antibiotic resistance, particularly in M. pneumoniae, and the need for more discriminatory methods to enhance epidemiology and examine transmission chains. Firstly, this thesis develops a quantitative, multiplex, real-time PCR assay to simultaneously detect M. hominis and Ureaplasma species in neonatal clinical specimens, where infection is associated with chronic lung disease, bacteremia and other clinical signs. Results showed that the PCR method was clinically more sensitive than culture and has applications for monitoring bacterial load in clinical specimens and characterising bacterial response to antibiotics. Secondly, genetic characterisation of M. hominis was undertaken by the examination of the variable adherence-associated antigen and the development of sequence based typing. Due to the genetic heterogeneity of M. hominis, bioinformatics analysis of genomic sequence was used as a novel method to develop a minimum multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) scheme that accurately represented genomic phylogeny of this species. Finally, an MLST scheme was developed for M. pneumoniae, to aid the analysis of epidemic periods and clusters of infection. A successful scheme was developed based on eight housekeeping genes which had increased discrimination of M. pneumoniae compared to established typing methods for this organism. Furthermore, the MLST scheme was found to be representative of genomic sequence-derived phylogeny, with two distinct genetic clades identified. Application of this MLST to UK epidemics revealed that no predominant sequence type was responsible for the epidemic periods studied, indicating a polyclonal population, supporting the hypothesis that epidemics are driven by population immunity.
ATP as a measure of anaerobic sludge digester activity

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a compound associated with the biochemical breakdown of substrate, has been used to determine the activity of anaerobic sludges. A simple light measurement technique produced consistent results measuring the ATP content of anaerobic sludges. The ATP content of a laboratory scale anaerobic sludge product correlated well with other indirect activity measurements, such as the gas productions rate. ATP also reflected changes in the digester dynamics, responded rapidly to pulse feeding of the digester, indicated inhibition of the anaerobic bacteria, and reflected changes in the activity at various sludge ages. The ATP content of the anaerobic sludge responded rapidly to changes in the digester operation and that may result from increased non-growth associated biochemical activity. J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 60, 107 (1988)
Temporal dynamics in the genetic structure of a natural population of Picea abies

Abstract The temporal dynamics of the genetic diversity of the Norway spruce population provide valuable information on the conservation and management of its genetic resources. The relationships between genetic and demographic parameters are of fundamental importance for understanding the adaptability of forest tree populations. The study was aimed at determining the genetic differentiation of five age classes of a naturally regenerating Picea abies population from the Białowieża Primeval Forest (BPF) in Poland. Using mitochondrial DNA markers (nad1 intron b/c; mt15-D02) and nuclear DNA microsatellites (EAC2C08; EATC2B02; EATC2G05; SpAGD1) we determined the genetic structure between and within the age classes of the P. abies population. The significant subdivision of genetic variation (Fst) detected across the age classes is comparable to those found between different populations of this species. Two microsatellite loci behaved as “outlier loci,” exhibiting directional selection as revealed in the LOSITAN analysis. The significant deficit of heterozygosity may be a consequence of a temporal Wahlund effect and selective processes favoring homozygotes in the specific environment of the BPF. Population genetic structure can vary among life stages as a result of multiple factors, such as pollen and seed dispersal patterns, density of trees, past reproductive episodes, site conditions, and selective processes.
Food storage in the nest and seed selectivity in the harvester ant Messor barbarus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The degree of seed storage saturation in a Messor barbarus nest is a crucial factor in the foraging process, and modifies seed selection criteria. Laboratory experiments with artificial colonies of this species have shownthat at low food storage levels ants are highly selective, preferring seeds ofgreater mass. However, saturated colonies transport hardly any seeds into the nest, and even invert selection criteria, taking seeds of lower mass. This behavior may be modified by differences in the abundance of each of the seed species concerned.