Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HEAVY METALS IN WILD BANANA PRAWN (FENNEROPENAEUS MERGUIENSIS DE MAN, 1888) FROM CHANTABURI AND TRAT PROVINCES, THAILAND

Abstract Concentrations of the heavy metals cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in adult banana prawns (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis de Man, 1888) were determined. Banana prawn samples were collected from two provinces of Thailand (Ampur LamSing, Chantaburi, and Ban Huanumkao, Trat) by gill net. Twenty five prawns from each province were randomly chosen from the catch and each prawn sample was divided into two parts: cephalothorax and abdominal muscle. Both parts were digested with concentrated nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide under pressure in a microwave digester. Hg levels were determined using a Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometer. Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Trace concentrations of Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in cephalothorax of banana prawns from both provinces were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in muscle, with no significant difference observed for Hg. Concentrations of Hg, Cu, Zn, and Cd in banana prawns from Chantaburi province were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those from Trat province. There was no significant difference observed between the contents of Pb, Ni, and Cr in banana prawns caught from the two provinces. Heavy metal content in banana prawn, especially in cephalothorax tissue, may be a good indicator (sentinel organism) of heavy metal contamination in the coastal environment. Mean concentrations of all heavy metals in abdominal muscle (edible part) were within the safety limits for human consumption. However, Cd and Cu concentrations in some of the cephalothorax samples from Chantaburi province were higher than the safety limits for human consumption. This suggests that a close monitoring program is needed to ensure the safety of F. merguiensis as a food source.
GENETIC CONTROL OF IMMUNE RESPONSES IN VITRO

In vivo, the antibody response in mice to the random terpolymer L-glutamic acid50-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT) is controlled by a histocompatibility-linked immune response gene(s). We have studied antibody responses by spleen cells from responder and nonresponder mice to GAT and GAT complexed to methylated bovine serum albumin (GAT-MBSA) in vitro. Cells producing antibodies specific for GAT were enumerated in a modified Jerne plaque assay using GAT coupled to sheep erythrocytes as indicator cells. Soluble GAT stimulated development of IgG GAT-specific plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses in cultures of spleen cells from responder mice, C57Bl/6 (H-2b), F1 (C57 x SJL) (H-2b/s), and A/J (H-2a). Soluble GAT did not stimulate development of GAT-specific PFC responses in cultures of spleen cells from nonresponder mice, SJL (H-2s), B10.S (H-2s), and A.SW (H-2s). GAT-MBSA stimulated development of IgG GAT-specific PFC responses in cultures of spleen cells from both responder and nonresponder strains of mice. These data correlate precisely with data obtained by measuring the in vivo responses of responder and nonresponder strains of mice to GAT and GAT-MBSA by serological techniques. Therefore, this in vitro system can effectively be used as a model to study the cellular events regulated by histocompatibility-linked immune response genes.
Challenges in the Clinical Use of Genome Sequencing

Ginsburg1610639 978-0-12-382227-7 00009 To protect the rights of the author(s) and publisher we inform you that this PDF is an uncorrected proof for internal business use only by the author(s), editor(s), reviewer(s), Elsevier and typesetter MPS. It is not allowed to publish this proof online or in print. This proof copy is the copyright property of the publisher and is confidential until formal publication.
Magnetotactic Bacteria: Isolation, Imaging, and Biomineralization

ii Dedication . v Acknowledgments. vi Vita. viii Publications. viii Fields of Study . ix List of Tables . xiv List of Figures . xvi Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Characteristics. 3 Phylogeny . 8 Environment. 9 Magnetofossils . 11 Magnetospirillum magneticum . 15 Genetics. 15
Rapid population growth in an elephant Loxodonta africana population recovering from poaching in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Abstract We studied the demography of a subpopulation of African elephants Loxodonta africana in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, from 1993 to 2005. The Tarangire elephants had been affected by heavy poaching prior to 1993. We monitored 668 individually known elephants in 27 family groups. The population increased from 226 to 498 individuals, with mean group size increasing from 8.4 to 18.3. The average annual growth rate was 7.1% (range 2.0–16.9%). This approaches the maximal growth rate for African elephants, with corresponding minimal values for demographic parameters. The mean interbirth interval was 3.3 years, mean age of first reproduction 11.1 years, average annual mortality of elephants younger than 8 years 3%, and average annual mortality of adult females 1%. Probability of conceiving was positively correlated with annual rainfall. No significant density-dependent effects were recorded. Rapid growth was aided by high rainfall, low population density and release from the stresses of poaching. These results demonstrate that elephant populations are capable of rapid population increases for extended periods of time given the right ecological and social conditions. This has consequences for elephant conservation and management.
Nodulation Study in Some Varieties of Frenchbean Crop (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

In the present fuel subsidized agriculture practices, leguminous plants play an unique role by fixing nitrogen through symbiotic association with Rhizobium or Bradyrhizobium. Among the legumes, French bean or Phaseolus vulgaris L. Which are commonly known as Rajmash are used profusely by the common people as an alternative diet of protein. It is very nutritious and contain 22.9% of protein, 1.2% of fat, 60.6% of carbohydrate and a large number of minerals like calcium (260 mg/100g of seed), phosphorus (101 mg/100g of seed) and iron (5.8 mg/100g of seed). The genus Phaseolus belongs to the family leguminaceae, subfamily Papilionaceae with diploid chromosome number 2n = 22. Phaseolus vulgaris has a wide range of acceptability for different species of Rhizobium. It can be nodulated by Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli, Rhizobium tropici or rhizobium etli. Five varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris viz Cirpir-50, Local, Anupam, Selection 9 and Kalingpong were studied in respect of their nodular characters and yield in response to (i) mixed culture of Rhizobium strains,(ii) Rhizobium + PSB and (iii) Rhizobium +PSB +KM treatments. Moreover, genetic parameters of variation and correlation coefficient of yield contributing characters with nodular characters were also estimated. The main objective of these estimations is to understand the association of biological nitrogen fixing characters with yield contributing characters. Among these three treatments, a considerable increase in expression of all the characters was observed in case of Rhizobium + PSB treatment. The variety Anupam showed the maximum values in respect of almost all nodular characters and yield. So it indicates that though the Rhizobium alone has significant effect in all nodular and yield attributing characters but the addition of PSB augments this effect to the highest level. A strong correlation was observed between the fresh nodular weight and fresh root weight. Similarly, positive correlation was observed between branch number and yield and number of nodules with yield which indicates a positive influence of nitrogen substances towards yield. The positive correlation between leghaemoglobin content of nodule with the nodule number, fresh nodular weight and yield indicates that leghaemoglobin content plays a positive role towards yield.
Management of evolving fish stocks

Mortality caused by harvesting can select for life history changes in the harvested stock. Should this possibility be taken into account in the management of renewable resources? I compare the performance of different harvest strategies when evolutionary change is accounted for with a help of an age-structured population dynamics model. Assuming that age of first reproduction is the only evolving trait, harvesting of only mature individuals selects for delayed maturation and results in increased sustainable yields. Unselective harvesting of both mature and immature fish selects for earlier maturation which causes the sustainable yield to decrease. Constant stock size and constant harvest rate strategies perform equally well in terms of maximum sustainable yield, both before and after evolutionary change. The maximum sustainable yield for fixed quota strategies is lower. All those strategies have similar evolutionary consequences given a similar average harvest rate. Coevolutionary dynamics between fish stock and the stock manager indicate that the evolutionary benefits of selective harvesting are attainable without incurring yield losses in the near future.
An appraisal of the potency of roots of Anogeissus leiocarpus (DC.) Guill. & Perr. and Terminalia glaucescens Benth. in the management of E. coli related infections

Objective : This study analysed the roots of Anogeissus leiocarpus and Terminalia glaucescens for their chemical constituents and investigated their therapeutic potential in Escherichia coli related infections with a view to combating resistant strains and providing basis for future pharmacological research on the two plants. Methodology and results : The phytochemical analysis of the powdered plant samples was done using qualitative technique. The water and ethanol extracts of the two plants were prepared using cold extraction method. An extract concentration of 10 mg/ml was employed for the antibacterial screening using agar-well diffusion method. The test organisms were clinical isolates of E. coli obtained from the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. All data were statistically analysed. The plants contained alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phenols and glycosides. Seventy (70) % of the test organisms were susceptible to the water extracts of both plants at 10 -6 cfu/ml inoculum concentration of isolates. The ethanol extracts of the plants were active against 100 % of the organisms at 10 -6 cfu/ml. Conclusion and application of results : The plants have significant therapeutic potential in the management of E. coli associated infections. The isolation of active compounds from the two plants and the study of their mode of actions in infections could lead to the discovery of novel phytodrugs that could be useful in combating multidrug resistant strains of E. coli . The roots of the two plants are sold as chewing sticks (for the prevention of oral infections and mouth odour) in Nigeria. This study indicates the possible antibacterial activity of the plants against oral microbes hence they could be useful in the prevention of tooth decay, gum and throat infections. In addition, the antioxidant screening of the plants could form basis for the assessment of their therapeutic potential in the management of metabolic diseases such as diabetes. The roots of the two plants are commonly used in ethnomedicine in Nigeria; therefore efforts should be directed at their sustainable use via conservation.
Survival of Water-stressed Rhododendron Subjected to Freezing at Fast or Slow Cooling Rates

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether water stress affects tolerance of Rhododendron L. 'Catawbiense Boursault' to rapid freezing. Tolerance to freezing at cooling rates of 2 or 6C/hour in stems and leaves of plants subjected to continuous and periodic water deficit stresses was examined. Under continuous stress treatments, water content of the growing medium was maintained in a range of 0.60 to 0.75, 0.45 to 0.60, or 0.30 to 0.45 m 3 •m -3 between 24 Aug. 1992 and 11 Feb. 1994. Under periodic stress treatments, water content of the growing medium was maintained near field capacity, i.e., 0.6 to 0.8 m 3 •m -3 , for the duration of the study or plants were subjected to the periodic stress at various times between 15 July and 19 Feb. during 2 years. Watering of water-stressed plants was delayed until water content reached below 0.4 m 3 •m -3 , and then was resumed to maintain water content in the range of 0.3 to 0.4 m 3 •m -3 . Cold hardiness was evaluated in the laboratory with freeze tolerance tests on detached leaves and stem sections. In most cases, cooling at 6C/hour caused injury at higher temperature than cooling at 2C/hour. The difference in lethal temperature between the two cooling rates depended on the level of the plant's cold hardiness. In plants cold hardy to about -25C, freezing at 6C/hour caused injury at a temperature ≈3C higher than freezing at 2C/hour. The effect of cooling rate was not evident in plants cold hardy to about -18C. Subjecting plants to continuous or periodic water stress did not have an effect on this relationship. wind (Tranquillini, 1982). White and Weiser (1964) noted that the foliage of American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis L.) exposed to sunlight in winter cooled at a rate of 9.5C/min at sunset, which led them to conclude that rapid cooling was the cause of observed winter
Population Buildup of Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens on Selected Rice Genotypes

Studies on population buildup of Nilaparvata lugens on some selected rice genotypes were carried out in the glasshouse. Population buildup is a reliable parameter in evaluating the degree of resistance of a genotype. The emergence of brown planthopper (BPH) macropterous form was higher on the resistant and lower on the susceptible genotypes. Similarly, the per cent male emergence was higher on the resistant genotypes titan on the susceptible one. The population buildup of first generation nymphs was the lowest on ARC 6650 by recording 186.4 and 106.8 nymphs per plant, on 30 and 60 day old plants, respectively. Thirty and sixty day old plants of ARC 10550, KAU1661 and ARC 6650 took significantly longer period (27 to 31 days) for wilting compared to TNI (18.2 days) due to low population buildup. Inspite of supporting higher population of first generation nymphs. KAU 1661 took longer time for wilting.
Commentary: Artificial intelligence for everything: Can we trust it?

The growing prevalence of using artificial intelligence (AI) for everything is visible virtually in all aspects of modern life. In the accompanying article,[1] the authors examined the rising popularity of AI in ophthalmology[2] by tracing its history across multiple research databases and various crucial studies. They also emphasized the dangers of implicitly trusting machine learning (ML) and AI‐based technology.
Performance Status in Cancer: Not Broken, But Time for an Upgrade?

Considerable advances in early detection and combination therapy during the past 70 years have contributed to significant cancer-specific survival gains, with an estimated 17 million individuals currently living with a history of cancer in the United States, a number expected to reach 26 million by the year 2040. The financial investment to achieve such progress, of course, has been enormous. Intriguingly, despite the increasing sophistication and cost of contemporary cancer care, evaluation of patient performance status (PS)—an integral aspect of treatment selection, toxicity monitoring, and clinical trial eligibility—has remained essentially unchanged since 1948. In this commentary, we provide a historical overview and critical evaluation of PS assessment in oncology. We also discuss alternative approaches to PS assessment that may improve prognostication and risk stratification in research and clinical practice.
Metabotropic glutamate receptors

Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are becoming increasingly interesting as potential drug targets for the treatment of a variety of central nervous system (CNS) disorders including epilepsy and chronic and acute neurodegeneration. In contrast to the ionotropic glutamate (iGlu) receptors of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), 2-amino-3-[5-methyl-3-hydroxyisoxazol-4-yl]propionic acid (AMPA) and kainate types that form ion channels, mGlu receptors couple to G-proteins and modulate a variety of membrane enzymes and ion channels. The eight mGlu receptor subtypes revealed to date by molecular cloning exhibit not only distinct pharmacological properties, but also different functions in the brain. This article describes the potential disease targets of compounds acting at the various mGlu receptor subtypes, and the development of such compounds by reviewing both the primary and patent literature.
NEUROTOXICITY OF PESTICIDES TO SALMON: PHYSIOLOGY TO ETHOLOGY

Pesticides routinely found in the environment can adversely affect neurological systems of salmon. The major focus of the studies presented here is on the impairment of the relatively exposed olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), since their functionality is critical to several indispensable behaviours. The responses of OSNs to various behaviourally-relevant odorants were impaired following exposure to several pesticide classes, including triazine (e.g. atrazine), carbamate (e.g. IPBC), organophosphorus (e.g. dimethoate), and phenylurea (e.g. linuron) pesticides, as well as a pesticide formulation (i.e. Roundup). In many cases, within minutes of exposure to environmentally realistic (part per billion) concentrations, impairments of greater than 50% in OSN responses were noted. Pesticides can selectively affect different OSN classes, since one pesticide (linu ron) negatively affected amino acid but not bile salt responses. Lengthy (four-day) exposure to a mixture of pesticides modelled after that found in the Nicomekl River (British Columbia) also reduced OSN responses, confirming that pesticide mixtures found in salmon-producing waterways may be injurious. In fact, the ability to discern a change in odorant intensity was reduced by 25%. This may have partially been due to inadequate neuroprotection, as glutathione-S-transferase, an enzyme that protects against cellular damage, was not upregulated to any greater of an extent than it was in fish given a 10-fold lower exposure concentration.
Combinatorial effects of antibiotics and enzymes against dual-species Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in the wound-like medium

Bacterial biofilms are one of the major issues in the treatment of chronic infections such as chronic wounds, where biofilms are typically polymicrobial. The synergy between species can occur during most polymicrobial infections, where antimicrobial resistance enhances as a result. Furthermore, self-produced extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) in biofilms results in a high tolerance to antibiotics that complicates wound healing. Since most antibiotics fail to remove biofilms in chronic infections, new therapeutic modalities may be required. Disruption of EPS is one of the effective approaches for biofilm eradication. Therefore, degradation of EPS using enzymes may result in improved chronic wounds healing. In the current study, we investigated the efficacy of trypsin, β-glucosidase, and DNase I enzymes on the degradation of dual-species biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in a wound-like medium. These species are the two most common bacteria associated with biofilm formation in chronic wounds. Moreover, the reduction of minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) of meropenem and amikacin was evaluated when combined with enzymes. The minimum effective concentrations of trypsin, β-glucosidase, and DNase I enzymes to degrade biofilms were 1 μg/ml, 8 U/ml, and 150 U/ml, respectively. Combination of 0.15 μg/ml trypsin and 50 U/ml DNase I had a significant effect on S. aureus-P. aeruginosa biofilms which resulted in the dispersal and dissolution of all biofilms. In the presence of the enzymatic mixture, MBECs of antibiotics showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05), at least 2.5 fold. We found that trypsin/DNase I mixture can be used as an anti-biofilm agent against dual-species biofilms of S. aureus-P. aeruginosa.
Efficacy of abatacept treatment for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and minimal change disease: A systematic review of case reports, case series, and observational studies .

INTRODUCTION The efficacy of abatacept has been demonstrated mainly in case reports, case series, and observational studies with small sample size. With current evidence, it is premature to conclude that abatacept is an effective treatment for nephrotic syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Library until December 2019 for studies including patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) or minimal change disease (MCD) treated with abatacept. Proteinuria recovery and remission were outcomes of interest. Presence of urinary CD80 level of B7-1 staining on kidney biopsies was also reported. RESULTS A total of 11 studies (n = 32) were included in the systematic review. 60% of patients were male. The median age was 27.5 years (range 5.2 - 72 years). Approximately 90.6% had FSGS, while 9.4% had MCD. With median follow-up of 12 months (IQR 6.38), only 15 patients (46.9%) showed response in proteinuria reduction, and 12 patients (43.8%) achieved remission with abatacept. Serious adverse events were reported in 12.5%. Additionally, we observed that patients with positive B7-1 staining on kidney biopsies had higher odds of achieving remission with abatacept (likelihood ratio 18.25; p < 0.001). We found no significant correlation between elevated CD80 levels and remissions. CONCLUSION The efficacy of abatacept therapy for FSGS or MCD was only 43.8%. Serious adverse effects are common. However, our study suggested that abatacept should be considered only in patients with positive B7-1 staining on kidney biopsy because these patients tend to respond to treatment.
Human Figure Drawings in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Possible Window on the Inner or the Outer World

Background: Tests based on human figure drawings (HFD) have captured the attention of clinicians and psychologists for a long time. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of HFD of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) relative to typically developing (TD) controls. Methods: All children were asked to draw three human figures (man, woman, self-portrait) and were evaluated with a neuropsychological battery. HFD were scored according to the Maturity Scale, and correlative approaches testing maturity against neuropsychological scores were applied. Results: ASDs presented marked deficits in maturity. No significant correlation emerged for both groups between maturity and the theory of mind test. On the contrary, positive and significant correlations between maturity and the affect recognition test (AR) were found, with group-specific patterns. In TD, this result regarded drawings of others, but not self-portraits, while an opposite pattern emerged for ASD, whose sole maturity in self-portraits significantly correlated with the AR scores. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the use of HFD tests with individuals with autism may not be used in clinical practices. However, in basic research, HFDs could be used to highlight dependencies between drawing performance and neuropsychological features, thus possibly providing hints on the functioning of autism.