Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Genetic Maps of Wheat and their Potential in Plant Breeding

The further improvement of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) varieties represents a particularly difficult challenge for UK breeders. As one of the world's primary food sources, a great deal of effort over the past 30 years by breeders has resulted in remarkable improvements in yield. The doubling of UK wheat yields since 1970 has been due to the release of varieties with much improved yield potential which are also compatible with the increasingly intensive farming methods that we have witnessed over the same period. Of course in recent years the goal posts have moved once again. The EC grain mountains and the erosion of price support for the European wheat growers - likely to be further exacerbated by the result of the current GATT talks - indicate a move towards sustainability and lower labour, energy and chemical inputs in the future. The farmer of the 1990s and beyond will expect high yielding crops with lower variable costs and added value from stable industrial quality, targeted probably at higher cost speciality products. With some estimates of the cost of producing and releasing a new wheat variety as high as £14 million it is not surprising that breeders are now turning to molecular genetic studies to help them assemble optimum combinations of genes that will allow them to produce the ideal varietal phenotype for the farmer of the 21 st century.
Handbook of Olfaction and Gustation

Part 1 Olfaction: Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology - Olfactory Mucosa: Composition, Enzymatic Localization and Metabolism, Anatomy of the Human Nasal Passages, Anatomy and Ultrastructure of the Human Olfactory Neuroepithelium, Functional Anatomy, Central Connections, and Neurochemistry of the Mammalian Olfactory Bulb, The Molecular Mechanisms of Olfactory Signal Transduction, Developmental Anatomy of the Olfactory System Human Psychophysics and Measurement of Odor-Induced Responses - Current Trends In the Measurement of Olfactory Function, Modern Approaches to Air Dilution Olfactometry, Olfactory Adaptation, Perception of Odor Mixtures, Olfaction and Development of Social Preferences in Neonatal Organisms, The Genetics of Olfactory Perception Clinical Applications and Perspectives - Clinical Disorders of Olfaction - A Review, Viruses and the Olfactory System, Evaluation of Olfactory Deficits by Medical Imaging, Rhinological Considerations and Upper Airway Physical Examination of Patients with Olfactory Disorders, Distorted Olfactory Perception, Deprivation and the Olfactory System, Nasal Airway Dynamics and Olfactory Function. Part 2 Gustation: Anatomy, Biochemistry, Development, Genetics, and Physiology - Saliva: Its Function and Disorders, Anatomy of the Peripheral Taste System, Central Taste Anatomy and Neurophysiology, Receptor Mechanisms in Gustation, Transduction of Taste Stimuli by Receptor Cells in the Gustatory System Human Psychophysics and Measurement of Testant-Induced Responses - Current Trends in Measuring Taste, Perception of Taste Mixtures, Ontogeny of Human Taste Perception clinical Applications and Perspectives - nutritional implications of Taste and Smell Disorders, Conditioned Flavour Aversions, Head Injury and Taste, Iatrogenic Causes of Taste Disturbances: Radiation Therapy, Surgery, Medication Other Chemosensory Systems. (Part Contents).
How the FLP do nematodes jump

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are a guild of obligate insect parasites which share many physiological and behavioural traits with mammalian strongylid and strongyloidid parasites; including host-finding nictation behaviour. EPNs are also interesting from the perspective of insect biocontrol. Like other parasitic nematodes, EPNs employ a sophisticated chemosensory apparatus to detect potential hosts and communicate with conspecifics. Understanding the underlying molecular basis of relevant host-finding behaviours could facilitate improved EPN biocontrol approaches, and could lend insight to similar behaviours in economically important animal parasites. FMRFamide-like peptides are enriched and conserved across the Phylum Nematoda, and have been linked with motor and sensory function, including dispersal and aggregating behaviours in the free living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to knockdown the expression of the FMRFamide-like protein 21 (GLGPRPLRFamide) gene (flp-21) in Steinernema carpocapsae infective juveniles (IJs). Our data show that S. carpocapsae is sensitive to neuronal RNAi, and that knockdown of flp-21 has a significant impact on dispersal, nictation and jumping behaviours. Immunocytochemical localisation of FLP-21 to paired anterior neurons corroborates the RNAi data, further suggesting a role in sensory modulation. This study represents the first demonstration of a functional RNAi pathway in S. carpocapsae, through which we have linked a single gene product to the coordination of nematode jumping, nictation, and dispersal behaviours in IJs. These data can underpin efforts to study these behaviours in other economically important parasites, and could facilitate molecular approaches to EPN strain improvement for biocontrol.
Herbal feed additives as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in broilers

The effect of supplementation of garlic, aloe vera (@ 1.0, 1.5 and 1.5%), cinnamon and black pepper (@ 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) alone or their best dose in combinations was studied as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in broilers. Supplementation of garlic at 1.5% level improved (P<0.05) productive, economic and sensory parameters of meat along with duodenal morphology. Reduced biochemical parameters were also observed in five week phased broiler feeding. Inclusion of black pepper and cinnamon at 0.5% level resulted in significant (P<0.05) better productive performance, improved sensory attributes of meat, duodenum morphology and economic parameters of chicks up to five weeks age. Black pepper and cinnamon powder supplementation significantly (P<0.05) improved nutrient utilization and reduced (P<0.05) biochemical parameters. Supplementation of whole leaf aloe vera powder at 1.0% level significantly (P<0.05) improved the feed conversion ratio, sensory attributes of meat, duodenal morphology of chicks. However, due to in house preparation of whole leaf aloe vera powder, it proved to be a costly affair. A total of ten herbal combinations (six of two herbs combination and four of three herbs combination) at their best performed dose were studied. Inclusion of combination of garlic with black pepper, cinnamon and aloe vera powder significantly (P<0.05) improved the weight gain, protein conversion, sensory attributes of meat and duodenal morphology of broilers. Similarly, supplementation of combinations of cinnamon with black pepper and aloe vera and black pepper with aloe vera (P<0.05) significantly improved the final body weight, feed conversion ratio and overall acceptability of the meat. Inclusion of three herbs combinations viz aloe vera+ black pepper+ garlic, aloe vera+ black pepper + cinnamon, garlic+ cinnamon+ black pepper and garlic+ cinnamon+ aloe vera significantly (P<0.05) improved the productive performance and other allied parameters studied. These herbs alone or in combinations, could be a safe and viable alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in broilers.
Structural analysis of cytochrome f from the psychrophillic alga Chlamydomonas subcaudata

The psychrophillic green alga Chlamydomonas subcaudata was isolated from an Antarctic lake and appeared to be a natural state transition mutant. Cytochrome f (cyt f) from C. subcaudata has an apparent molecular mass which is 7kD lower than the apparent molecular mass of cyt f (41kD) from C. reinhardtii. Neither the cyt b6 nor the Rieske protein exhibit any differences in apparent molecular mass when both algal species were compared. We show that the apparent size difference between cyt f from C. subcaudata and C. reinhardtii is insensitive to the presence or absence of reducing reagents. However, the heme binding to cyt f from C. subcaudata is 2.3-fold less thermostable compared to that of C. reinhardtii. Analysis of cyt f from Arabidopsis (~32kD) and spinach (~40kD) showed that lower thermostability of heme binding to cyt f correlates with lower apparent molecular mass. Sequencing of the petA (cyt f coding region) from C. subcaudata revealed that it is identical in length and 77% identical in nucleotide sequence to the corresponding C. reinhardtii coding sequence. No substitutions of functionally important amino acids involved in the formation of the heme binding, water chain or plastocyanin interaction domains were found. Cyt f from both algal species were expressed in E. coli and the same difference in apparent molecular mass was observed. We suggest that the 7kD difference in the apparent molecular mass of cyt f from C. subcaudata compared to C. reinhardtii is due to a post-translational modification resulting in a conformational change.
Role of nitric oxide in glucose-, fructose and galactose-induced increases in intestinal glucose uptake

Previous studies have shown that the infusion of glucose, fructose and galactose resulted in significant increases in intestinal glucose uptake (IGU) and the role of nitric oxide in these responses was not known. The present study was designed to investigate the role of nitric oxide in the observed increases in IGU. Experiments were carried out on thirty-five (35) fasted male anaesthetized Nigerian local dogs divided into seven groups (5 dogs per group). Group I dogs served as control and received normal saline, groups II-IV dogs were infused with glucose (1.1 mg/kg/min), fructose (1.1 mg/kg/min) or galactose (1.1mg/kg/min) while groups V-VII were pretreated with L-Nitro-Arginine-Methyl-Esther (L-NAME) (35 mg/kg) after which they were infused with glucose (1.1 mg/kg/min), fructose (1.1 mg/kg/min) or galactose (1.1mg/kg/min). Through a midline laparatomy, the upper jejunum was cannulated for blood flow measurement and blood samples were obtained for measurement of glucose content of the arterial blood and venous blood from the upper jejunal segment. Glucose uptake was calculated as the product of jejunal blood flow and the difference between arterial and venous glucose levels (A-V glucose). Blood pressure was recorded continuously. The results showed that pretreatment of the animal with L-NAME, caused significant reductions in jejunal blood flow with complete abolition of glucose-, fructose- and galactose-induced increases in IGU. The results suggest that only glucose-induced IGU was nitric oxide-dependent through the induced hyperemia while the increases in IGU caused by fructose and galactose were not mediated by nitric oxide. Keywords: L-Nitro-Arginine-Methyl-Ester, Hexoses, Haemodynamics, Glucose uptake
Responses of Rubisco activity in vivo to light intensity and CO2 in rice leaves

The light response of photosynthesis and Rubisco activity at 36 Pa CO2 was first examined in leaves of the wild-type and rbcS antisense rice with 40% wild type Rubisco. Whereas light-saturated photosynthesis was about 2-fold greater in the wild-type plants than in the rbcS antisense plants, the initial slope of the light response curve was not different between the plants. This was caused by higher activation state of Rubisco in the antisense plants under low light. Rubisco inhibition was not different between the plants, and it decreased with increasing light intensity. No significant inhibition was found around light-saturation point. The activation state of NADP-malate dehydrogenase (MDH) was not correlated with Rubisco activation, but correlated with the electron transport rate at PS II measured by Chl fluorescence. The CO2 response curve at 1500 µmol quanta m-2 s-1 was next examined. While the initial slope was about 2-fold greater in the wild-type plants than in the antisense plants, the difference decreased with increasing CO2 partial pressure. Rubisco activation maintained at high levels (more than 80%) in both plants irrespective of CO2 partial pressure (5 to 120 Pa). In spite of the high light conditions, a significant Rubisco inhibition was observed around 100 Pa CO2 for both plants. This inhibition was greater in the antisense plants (about 30% of maximal activity) than in the wild type plants (20%). The NADP-MDH activation was not correlated with Rubisco activation, but correlated with the quantum yield of PS II.
A ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON CALCIUM SIGNALING GENES IN NEUROSPORA CRASSA

N eurospora crassa possesses a complex of Ca 2+_ signaling system consisting of 48 Ca 2+ -signaling proteins. The Ca +2 -signalling protein plays an important role in a range of processes such as a Ca 2+ stress tolerance, hyphal tip branching growth, cytoskeletal organization, cell cycle progression, circadian clocks, sporulation, sexual development, and ultraviolet (uv) survival. The environmental factors, broadly defined to include chemical, physical, nutritional, and behavioral factors.etc. In this article, we are reporting here a role of physic-chemical environmental factors pH, glucose and ultraviolet (UV) affect on ∆NCU06366, and ∆NCU05225 Ca 2+ -signaling knockout mutants in N. crassa . The verified result showed that, ∆NCU06366 and ∆NCU05225 Ca 2+ -signaling knockout mutants slower growth rate at pH (7.6), and glucose starvation against to the control wild type respectively. In addition to that the found results showed, ultraviolet (UV) survival, there is no UV radiation affects on ∆NCU06366 and ∆NCU05225 Ca 2+ -signaling knockout mutants as evaluate to the positive and the negative controls in N.crassa . Along with that, In-silico analysis Multiple sequence analysis and Phylogenetics tree for conserve domain of NCU05225 (NADH dehydrogenase) and NCU06366 (Ca 2+ /H + anti-porter) Ca 2+ -signaling genes encodes proteins in N.crassa , showed high sequence similarity and 68-100% and 89% homology to the other class of fungi respectively. It indicates that, NCU05225 (Mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase) and NCU06366 (Ca 2+ /H + exchangers) Ca 2+ -signaling gene encoding conserve domain widespread in other class of fungi as well.
Conserving Bird Biodiversity: Predicting the impact of environmental change

Much of modern conservation biology concerns understanding the impact of past and/or ongoing environmental change on animal and plant populations. This work has many facets including, for example, diagnosing causes of population declines at various spatial scales and managing critically endangered populations (see Chapters 6--8). Increasingly, conservation biologists are being asked to look into the future and assess how populations might respond to future environmental change. In this respect, environmental change might include the activity or inactivity of conservationists themselves, large-scale changes in the environment such as global warming (see Houghton 1997 for a review, and Chapter 8), or the direct impact of human activities on the environment at various levels of scale, for example habitat loss and fragmentation (see Chapter 10). To look into the future conservationists need predictive tools. Without predictive tools, debate about the impact of future environmental change becomes dominated by dogma. However, to inform debate conservationists need reliable predictive tools that allow them to quantify and assess the impacts of environmental change on important populations. In this chapter, we critically review predictive tools (ecological models) that are becoming increasingly used by conservationists for forecasting how populations might behave in the future, in the face of a broad range of environmental changes. The chapter is structured so that particular ecological models are outlined in principle, before detailing their application to various bird conservation problems. Next, the reliability of models is discussed and suggestions made about how they might be used appropriately.
Non-specific immunostimulation of fish

A brief introduction of non-specific immune system of fish and the effectS of immunostimulator in improving the resistance of fish to a variety of pathogens is given. Larvae fish mainly depend on its non-specific defense and maternal antibodies to resist pathogens. Some examples of the effects of immunostimulator in improving larvae defense and the potential use of immunostimulator in larvae culture of fish are also presented.
Large-scale closed areas as a fishery-management tool in temperate marine systems : The Georges Bank experience

Seasonal closed areas have been an element of fishery management in New England waters since 1970 but before 1994 had limited impact on the conservation of groundfish stocks for which they were designed. Beginning in December of 1994, three large areas of historic importance to groundfish spawning and juvenile production on Georges Bank and in Southern New England, totaling 17,000 km 2 , were closed year-round to any gears capable of retaining groundfish (trawls, scallop dredges, gill nets, hook fishing). In the ensuing five years, the closed areas contributed significantly to reduced fishing mortality of depleted groundfish stocks. Placements of the closed areas afforded the greatest year-round protection to the shallow-sedentary assemblage of fishes (primarily flounders, skates, and miscellaneous others) and bivalve molluscs. Although the closures afforded less year-round protection to migratory age groups of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, and haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus, additional new regulations in open areas and in the Canadian portions of Georges Bank also contributed to the observed reductions in stock-wide fishing mortality rates. The areas were closed to dredge gear designed for sea scallops, Placopecten magellanicus, because of groundfish by-catch (particularly of flounders). Scallop biomass increased 14-fold within the closed areas during 1994-1998. In July 1998, total and harvestable scallop biomasses were 9 and 14 times denser, respectively, in closed than in adjacent open areas. A portion of the closed areas was designated a habitat area of particular concern on the basis of patterns of occurrence of juvenile groundfish in gravel/cobble sediment types. Managers reopened portions of one closed area to sea-scallop dredging in 1999, but restrictions on gear and areas fished were used to minimize groundfish by-catch and impact on juvenile cod and haddock on gravel substrates. Results from these reopenings have encouraged managers to contemplate a formal 'area rotation' scheme for scallops intended to improve yield per recruit. Closures of large portions of Georges Bank have proved to be an important element leading to more effective conservation of numerous resource and nonresource species, despite selection of the closed areas on the basis of seasonal spawning grounds of haddock and the distribution of yellowtail flounder, Limanda ferrugineus, in southern New England. In the future, factors other than fishing mortality reduction, including optimal placement to enhance larval production and to protect nursery areas and spawning concentrations, may well influence the selection of closed-area boundaries.
INVESTIGATION OF ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF AN IGNORED PLANT 'KYLLINGA NEMORALIS' TUBER - A POTENTIAL HOPE

Medicinal plants belongs to the oldest known health care products that have been used by mankind all over the world in the form of folklore medicines or traditional medicines or ethno medicines. The use of herbal drugs, extracts and their remedies have significantly increased throughout the world and the ‘green revolution’ in terms of herbal medicines has now achieved astonishing popularity. The present investigation was aimed on the Phytochemical evaluation and screening of root extract of Kyllinga nemoralis for its antihelmintic efficiency in animal model which has traditional claims also. The phytochemical tests revealed the presence of limited phytoconstituents like carbohydrates, alkaloids and volatile oils in ethanolic tuber extract. The anthelmintic activity of ethanolic extract was investigated by employing animal model. The results were compared with standard drugs like Piperazine citrate and Albendazole. In animal model the parameters studied include paralysis time followed by death time. In this animal model, the ethanolic tuber extracts treated animals showed significant dose dependent anthelmintic activity compared to control group and also results were comparable with standards treated animals. The ethanol tuber extracts of K. nemoralis promote remarkable anthelmintic activity and hence can be suggested for treating various types of worm infections in human beings too.
Compounds Released from Biomass Deconstruction: Understanding Their Effect on Cellulose Enzyme Hydrolysis and Their Biological Activity

The effect of compounds produced during biomass pretreatment on cellulolytic enzyme was investigated. Liquid prehydrolyzates were prepared by pretreating switchgrass using 24 combinations of temperature, time, and sulfuric acid concentration based on a full factorial design. Temperature was varied from 140°C to 180°C; time ranged from 10 to 40 min; and the sulfuric acid concentrations were 0.5% or 1% (v/v). Identified products in the prehydrolyzates included xylose, glucose, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural, acetic acid, formic acid, and phenolic compounds at concentration ranging from 0 to 21.4 g/L. Pretreatment conditions significantly affected the concentrations of compounds detected in prehydrolyzates. When assayed in the presence of switchgrass prehydrolyzates against model substrates, activities of cellulase, β-glucosidase, and exoglucanase, were significantly reduced by at least 16%, 31.8%, and 57.8%, respectively, as compared to the control. A strong positive correlation between inhibition of β-glucosidase and concentration of glucose, acetic acid, and furans in prehydrolyzate was established. Exoglucanase inhibition correlated with the presence of phenolic compounds and acetic acid. The prehydrolyzate, prepared at 160°C, 30 min, and 1% acid, was fractionated by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) into six fractions; the inhibition effect of these fractions on β-glucosidase and exoglucanase was determined. The initial hydrolysis rate of cellobiose by β-glucosidase was significantly reduced by the CPC sugar-rich fraction; however, exoglucanase was deactivated by the CPC phenolic-rich fraction. Finally, biological activities of water-extracted compounds from sweetgum bark and their effect on cellulase was investigated. It was determined that 12% of solid content of the bark extract could be accounted by phenolic compounds with gallic acid identified as the most concentrated phytochemical. Sweetgum bark extract inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth and copperinduced peroxidation of human low-density lipoprotein, confirming antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the extract. On the other hand, bark extract inhibited cellulase cocktail activity by reducing cellulose hydrolysis by 82.32% after 48 h of incubation. Overall, phenolic compounds generated from biomass fractionation are important players in cellulolytic enzyme inhibition; removal of biomass extractives prior to pretreatment could reduce inhibitory compounds in prehydrolyzate while generating phytochemicals with societal benefits.