Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combined Effect of Quercetin and Resveratrol Induces Anxiolytic-like Behavior and Improves Brain Antioxidant Capacity in Male Wistar Rat

Dietary enriched with polyphenols was thought to improve human health and affect positively animal welfare. Besides, the effect of mixture containing polyphenols on emotional response remains unclear. In this study, exposure to mixture of quercetin (60 mg kgG), natural flavonoid, resveratrol (30 mg kgG) and non-flavonoid phytolalexin in male wistar rat during ten consecutive days induced anxiolytic-like effect as revealed by the open field and elevated plus maze test. Furthermore, brain GSH level was clearly increased. This study can suggest that use of mixture of quercetin and resveratrol may improve pharmacological impact against pathologies and stress events in life.
Conhecimento ecológico local de pescadores artesanais do sul da Bahia, Brasil, sobre as interações tróficas de tubarões

Nao obstante as graves ameacas que enfrentam as especies de tubaroes que habitam a Costa Central brasileira, os conhecimentos sobre a historia de vida desses animais ainda sao bastante escassos. O presente estudo descreve o conhecimento e percepcoes de pescadores do sul da Bahia, Brasil, sobre interacoes troficas de tubaroes. O objetivo deste trabalho foi gerar informacoes cientificas que contribuam para um maior entendimento sobre a historia de vida das especies de tubaroes existentes nessa pouco conhecida regiao. Em 2012, realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com 65 pescadores, com mais de 15 anos de experiencia, sobre a pesca e aspectos da alimentacao desses peixes. Os participantes detem conhecimentos etnoecologicos detalhados sobre os comportamentos alimentares dos tubaroes, alem de terem apontado 39 tipos de itens como componentes da dieta desses animais. Reconhecem tambem as presas preferenciais de cada etnoespecie de tubarao. Sugere-se o desenvolvimento de pesquisas semelhantes sobre os tubaroes ao longo da costa brasileira. Assim, sera possivel gerar conhecimentos mais detalhados e/ou novas hipoteses cientificas sobre as relacoes interespecificas desses predadores e tambem das suas presas.
SPATIAL ORGANISATION OF SOIL FUNGI How fungi are organised at different spatial scales and the consequences of this for soil function

Filamentous fungi are unique and significant "spatial integrators" of soil systems. By virtue of their indeterminate and mycelial form, they are able to occupy large volumes of the soil matrix and influence a panoply of soil-based services that underpin the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. In this chapter, factors which affect the spatial organisation filamentous fungi are described and reviewed at the scale of the hypha, the mycelium, and the community. Environ- mental factors such as the architecture of the soil and the spatial distribution of nutrient resources play pivotal roles in determining the form and organisation of mycelia. Biotic interactions between fungi and other soil-dwelling organisms further pattern the fungal colonies and the resultant communities. Some of the consequences of such spatial organisation for soil function relate particularly to soil structural dynamics, biotic regulation of plant and microbial communities, and the transport of nutrient elements through the soil system.
Interferon regulatory factor-3 activation in adenovirus infection

Adenovirus (Ad) infection is accompanied by an early inflammatory response that is stimulated by the binding and/or entry of the Ad capsid to the cell. Several studies have linked NF-kB to the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines early in Ad infection, however, for many other viruses, another key transcription factor, Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 (IRF-3), also acts early in viral infection. We sought to determine if IRF-3 is activated upon Ad infection, and to examine its importance in establishing an anti­ viral state in Ad-infected cells. Our data suggests that wtAd5 infection results in phosphorylation of IRF-3 on a novel amino acid residue, and this event is dependent on virus replication. Moreover, IRF-3 is an important transcription factor for induction of RANTES expression in wtAd5-infected cells. Taken together, these data suggest that IRF-3 activation in response to Ad DNA replication is important in establishing an anti-viral state within the
Catalytic behavior of Carica papaya latex in transesterification reactions

La reaction de transesterification biocatalysee par le latex de Carica papaya est etudiee entre la tricapryline et differents donneurs d'acyles. Avec le latex brut, les triacylglycerols transesterifies sont obtenus avec de bons rendements avec le laurate de vinyle et l'acide laurique alors que les laurates d'alkyles reagissent mediocrement. L'utilisation de latex seche ou lave a l'eau comme biocatalyseur ameliore les rendements avec des temps de reactions plus brefs pour l'acide libre ou l'ester vinylique, mais pas pour les esters d'alkyles
Nipah Encephalitis - An Update

Between September 1998 to May 1999, Malaysia and Singapore were hit by an outbreak of fatal encephalitis caused by a novel virus from the paramyxovirus family. This virus was subsequently named as Nipah virus, after the Sungei Nipah village in Negeri Sembilan, where the virus was first isolated. The means of transmission was thought to be from bats-topigs and subsequently pigs-to-human. Since 2001, almost yearly outbreak of Nipah encephalitis has been reported from Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. These outbreaks were characterized by direct bats-to-human, and human-to-human spread of infection. Nipah virus shares many similar characteristics to Hendra virus, first isolated in an outbreak of respiratory illness involving horses in Australia in 1994. Because of their homology, a new genus called Henipavirus (Hendra + Nipah) was introduced. Henipavirus infection is a human disease manifesting most often as acute encephalitis (which may be relapsing or late-onset) or pneumonia, with a high mortality rate. Pteropus bats act as reservoir for the virus, which subsequently lead to human spread. Transmission may be from consumption of food contaminated by bats secretion, contact with infected animals, or human-to-human spread. With wide geographical distribution of Pteropus bats, Henipavirus infection has become an important emerging human infection with worldwide implication.
The bird trade in Taiwan: an analysis of an Eastern pathway to biological invasion

The subject of this thesis is the bird trade as a pathway for invasions by alien species to the East Asian island nation of Taiwan. Most previous studies have considered bird invasions in a Western context, but cultural differences imply that drivers of human-mediated invasions in Eastern societies are likely to be different. Therefore, I analyse patterns in the composition of traded alien bird species in Taiwan, and identify characteristics associated with success or failure at different stages of the invasion pathway. Data on the identities, numbers and prices of birds in the Taiwanese cage bird trade were obtained from non-structured interviews with bird shop owners and employees, as described in Chapter 2. In chapter 3, I showed that species with larger native range size, smaller body size, with songs attractive to people, and native to closer regions, are more likely to be traded in Taiwan. In chapter 4, I explore the determinants of the price of bird species for sale in Taiwan, as a proxy for assessing which species in trade are more likely to be introduced into the wild. Chapter 5 analyses characteristics associated with species success in introduction and establishment. Alien species commonly for sale, sold for a longer period in the trade and with attractive songs were more likely to be introduced. Successfully established alien species are also likely to be large-bodied. Chapter 6 explores the important role of environmental suitability in alien environments in establishment success. In addition, I show that species with larger native range sizes tend to have larger alien range sizes in Taiwan. Overall, the results here show that bird species composition for sale in Taiwan is determined by the interaction of species availability and societal demands. The thesis concludes with some suggestions for the current market and future studies.
Effects of Dietary Probiotic Complex on Growth Performance, Blood Immunological Parameters and Fecal Malodor Gas Emission in Growing Pigs

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate effect of probiotic complex( Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus oryzae ) on growth performance, blood immunological parameters and fecal malodor gas emissions in growing pigs. Forty-eight pigs[(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc, 25.31±1.29kg average initial body weight] were used in 35d growth trial. Dietary treatments included CON(basal diet), PC1(basal diet + 0.1% probiotic complex) and PC2(basal diet + 0.2% probiotic complex). From d 0 to 20, ADFI was significantly increased in PC1 and PC2 compared to CON(Linear effect, P=0.013). From d 21 to 35, ADFI was increased in PC1 compared to CON(Quadratic effect, P=0.024). For the whole period, ADFI was increased PC2 and PC1 compared to CON(Linear effect, P=0.009, Quadratic effect, P=0.004). For the whole period, ADG was increased in PC1 compared to CON(Quadratic effect, P=0.017). G/F was not affected by treatments. Dry matter digestibility in PC2 was higher than PC1 and CON(Linear effect, P=0.001). Nitrogen digestibility was significantly higher in PC2 and PC1 than CON(Linear effect, P=0.005). In blood immunological parameters, Total protein, IgG, red blood cell(RBC) and white blood cell(WBC) were increased in PC2 compared to PC1 and CON(Linear effect, P<0.001, Quadratic effect, P<0.001). In fecal malodor gas emission, ammonia and acetic acid were significantly reduced in PC2 compared to CON(Linear effect, P<0.02). Hydrogen sulfide was significantly reduced in PC2 compared to CON(Linear effect, P=0.0002, Quadratic effect, P=0.018). However, total mercaptans was not affected by treatments. Water content of feces was not significantly different among the treatments. In conclusion, 0.2 % probiotic complex improved ADFI, apparent dry matter and nitrogen digestibility, Total protein, IgG, RBC and WBC. Also, it decreased ammonia, acetic acid and hydrogen sulfide emissions in growing pigs. (
Lipopolysaccharide composition determines the preferred route and entry kinetics of bacterial outer membrane vesicles into host cells

Outer membrane vesicles are microvesicles shed by Gram-negative bacteria and play important roles in immune priming and disease pathogenesis. However, our current mechanistic understanding of vesicle - host cell interactions is limited by a lack of methods to study the kinetics of vesicle entry and cargo delivery to host cells in real-time. Here, we describe a highly sensitive method to study the kinetics of vesicle entry into host cells in real-time using a genetically encoded probe targeted to vesicles. We found that route of vesicular uptake, and thus entry kinetics and efficiency of cargo release, are determined by the chemical composition of the bacterial lipopolysaccharide. The presence of O-antigen facilitates receptor-independent entry, which enhances both rate and efficiency of cargo uptake by host cells. Collectively, our findings highlight the chemical composition of the bacterial cell wall as a major determinant of secretion-independent delivery of virulence factors during Gram-negative infections.
Relations between morphology, buoyancy and energetics of requiem sharks

Sharks have a distinctive shape that remained practically unchanged through hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Nonetheless, there are variations of this shape that vary between and within species. We attempt to explain these variations by examining the partial derivatives of the cost of transport of a generic shark with respect to buoyancy, span and chord of its pectoral fins, length, girth and body temperature. Our analysis predicts an intricate relation between these parameters, suggesting that ectothermic species residing in cooler temperatures must either have longer pectoral fins and/or be more buoyant in order to maintain swimming performance. It also suggests that, in general, the buoyancy must increase with size, and therefore, there must be ontogenetic changes within a species, with individuals getting more buoyant as they grow. Pelagic species seem to have near optimally sized fins (which minimize the cost of transport), but the majority of reef sharks could have reduced the cost of transport by increasing the size of their fins. The fact that they do not implies negative selection, probably owing to decreased manoeuvrability in confined spaces (e.g. foraging on a reef).
COMMUNITY ANALYSIS OF PLANT PARASITIC AND FREE LIVING NEMATODES ASSOCIATED WITH RICE AND SOYBEAN PLANTATION FROM PAKISTAN

Variety of nematode community indices have been proposed for purposes of environmental monitoring. During three phases of surveys (2005-08), thirty nine nematode genera other than root-knot nematodes were found associated with rice crop plants while 33 from soybean in the surveyed areas of rice and soybean. Nematodes were placed into five different groups (Yeates et al., 1993) viz., herbivores, fungivores, bacteriovores, omnivores and predators. In the present study highly abundant group is herbivores, followed by bacteriovores, fungivores, predators, and omnivores were encountered from rice and soybean fields. The occurrence percentage was observed in per 500 g soil for each nematode genus. All species of nematodes associated with soybean are first records of nematodes associated with soybean from Pakistan. Nematode communities were analyzed by mean abundance, prominence value, importance value and cluster analysis based on nematode numbers and presence or absence of nematode, respectively. Community relationship revealed the overall dominance of herbivores (Hirschmanniella and Helicotylenchus) and fungivores (Aphelenchoides) in rice and Tylenchorhynchus (herbivores), Aphelenchoides (fungivores), Panagrolaimus and Acrobelus (becteriovores) from soybean in all terms of community analysis. While the UPGMA cluster analysis showed that Multan and Dir localities exhibit close similarity coefficient in soybean and in rice Thatta and Sawat showed more similar coefficient or the nematode incidence
Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes During the Manufacture and Ripening of Cheddar Cheese.

The ability of Listeria monocytogenes to survive the Cheddar cheesemaking process and persist during ripening of cheese was examined. Pasteurized whole milk inoculated to contain 5 ×102 cells of L. monocytogenes [strain Scott A, V7 or California (CA)]/ml was made into stirred-curd Cheddar cheese in a pilot-plant-sized vat. Cheese was ripened at 6 or 13°C. Listeria counts were obtained by surface-plating samples diluted in Tryptose Broth (TB) on McBride Listeria Agar (MLA). Initial TB dilutions were stored at 3°C and plated on MLA after 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks if the organism was not detected with the original plating on MLA. Selected Listeria colonies from each sample were confirmed biochemically. During Cheddar cheese manufacture, Listeria counts remained relatively constant at ca. 5 x 102/ml of milk. After pressing the curd overnight, numbers of L. monocytogenes increased to about 1 × 103/g. Generally, greatest numbers of Listeria , about 5 × 103 cells/g, were detected in cheese after 14 d of ripening. Listeria counts for all 3 strains decreased during further ripening and except for strain V7, no appreciable difference in survival occurred in cheese aged at 6 or 13°C. Strains Scott A, CA and V7 survived for as long as 224, 154 and at least 434 d, respectively, in Cheddar cheese of normal composition. Strains V7 and CA were uniformly distributed throughout another set of cheese blocks and numbers of Listeria decreased uniformly throughout blocks of cheese during 98 d of storage.
Dissecting mechanisms of chromosomemicrotubule interaction in oocytes by new imaging tools

Chromosome alignment and orientation within the spindle in mitosis and meiosis are determined by chromosome-microtubule interaction. Evidence suggests that within the acentrosomal spindle the mechanism of chromosome positioning is different from in mitotic spindle but its molecular bases are not well understood. I investigated how chromosome-microtubule interactions position the chromosomes within the spindle using Drosophila oocytes. I addressed the role and molecular mechanisms of kinetochore and chromosome interaction with microtubules in this process. I developed new live imaging reagents to observe dynamic chromosomemicrotubule interaction. Live imaging combined with inactivation of kinetochores in oocytes revealed that kinetochore-microtubule attachment is required for three-step chromosome positioning in Drosophila oocytes: de-congression, change of orientation and re-congression. Augmin, a γ-tubulin recruiting complex, has been previously shown to be important for chromosome congression specifically in oocytes. Live imaging further showed that Augmin facilitates chromosome congression particularly in early stages of spindle assembly. Study of Augmin dynamics revealed that Augmin stably associates with spindle polar regions, specifically in oocytes. This meiotic regulation of Augmin function may contribute to generation of force pushing chromosomes toward spindle equator. Sentin protein has been shown to be important for microtubule plus end dynamics in mitosis. In meiosis, sentin mutant results in reduced distance between centromeres of homologous chromosomes. However, its meiotic role is unknown. Live imaging of the sentin mutant showed that in oocytes Sentin is required for preventing premature stabilization of kinetochore-microtubule attachments. As conclusion, I have used live imaging to reveal molecular basis of the interaction between chromosomes and microtubules particularly important for oocytes.
Strengthening smallholders' capacity to adapt to agro-climatic changes: Optimization of root crops germplasm management and use

Since their domestication, root crops have been clonally distributed over wide geographical distances. The bottle necks induced by the introduction process often resulted in varieties with narrow genetic bases, now increasing smallholders’ vulnerability to forthcoming agro-climatic changes. The question is: how can we develop adapted varieties, considering climatic uncertainties, the constraints in developing countries and the characteristics of the root crop species involved? These species share common biological traits: they are asexually propagated in farmers’ fields, flowering ability of varieties is erratic, they have variable ploidy levels but are predominantly allogamous and highly heterozygous. Breeding is a slow process conducted on research stations even though it is widely accepted that G x E interactions are highly significant. The distribution of selected clones is then constrained by their low multiplication rate, the large number of smallholders, their geographical isolation, the absence of a ‘seed’ industry and strict international regulations. This paper presents a review of studies on root crops genetic diversity, their germplasm management systems and breeding constraints. It attempts to propose a new approach to strengthen smallholders’ capacity to adapt to forthcoming changes. Suggestions are made for future research to address adaptation, taking into consideration improvement programs needs at the national level. The geographical distribution of allelic diversity appears as a practical and cost-efficient approach.
Diversity of traditional and fermented foods of the Seven Sister states of India and their nutritional and nutraceutical potential: a review

ABSTRACT The Seven Sister states of northeast India are characterized by diverse population with different ethnic backgrounds. Indigenous and fermented foods are an intrinsic part of diet of these ethnic tribes. It is the oldest and most economical methods for development of a diversity of aromas, flavors, and textures as well as for food preservation and biological enrichment by manipulation of different microbial populations. Wild fruits and vegetables have more nutritional value than cultivated fruits and contribute to sustainable food production and security. Fermented products are region-specific and have their own unique substrates and preparation methods. Soybeans, bamboo shoots, and locally available vegetables are commonly fermented by most tribes. Fermented alcoholic beverages prepared in this region are unique and bear deep attachment with socio-cultural lives of local people. These products serve as a source of income to many rural people, who prepare them at home and market them locally. Detailed studies on nutritive and medicinal value of these products can provide valuable information and would prove beneficial in guiding the use of these products on a wider scale. Furthermore, the ethnobotanical field exploration, conservation of indigenous knowledge, and proper documentation of wild edible bio-resources are suggested for sustaining the livelihood of local communities.
Plasma proteomic profiles of healthy and mastitic cows – host responses to bovine mastitis

Abstract. Mastitis is the most common disease in dairy cows and has resulted in a tremendous economic loss in dairy industry. In the present study, differentially expressed proteins (DEP) were identified among healthy, moderate and severe mastitic cows by proteomic profiling. The health status of cows was closely determined by the somatic cell count (SCC). Differentially expressed proteins were resolved using the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) with the pH 4–7 non-linear DryStrips. Subsequently, 8 protein spots, which altered more than 3-fold, were isolated and identified with the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF/TOF MS). The identified spots were split into four proteins: α-2-HS-glycoprotein, serum albumin, transthyretin (TTR) and haptoglobin, respectively. Compared with the healthy cows, the expression of haptoglobin was up-regulated in mastitic cows, and the others were down-regulated. Moreover, the proteomic data were consistent with the results of Western blot. All of the identified DEPs were acute phase proteins, which acted together and represented the consequence of serial cascades after mastitic infection. More importantly, the α-2-HS-glycoprotein was novel identified corresponding to the bovine mastitis in Chinese Holstein dairy cows. Taken together, our results indicate that the host responses may play an important role in the pathogenesis of mastitis and provide the potential diagnostic indicator of the underlying mastitis in dairy cows.