Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A rapid germination protocol for mile-a-minute weed, Polygonum perfoliatum L.

A method for breaking dormancy and rapidly inducing germination of Polysonnnz perj%liarr elni:;d ,u,raficdltun, inunrlattun, culd. \re~ str3tific3lion CI'C), rvnrni-uct . trx~ficitiun (=23'C) and comhinniionf of lllccc treatm:nts After-ripened. sture.1 achenes that were scarified far 60 minutes in 93% sulfuric acid and inundated with deionized watdr germinated following three to four weeks of stratification at 4'C. A subsequent study showed that post-harvest storage duration ("after-ripening") influenced the results of the germination protocol. Achenes germinated after one week of post-harvest storage at =23"C, but a high germination percentage (85 + 4%) was not achieved until after five weeks of past-harvest storage. Achenes that were stratified in leachate water had lower germination percentages than achenes stratified in deionized water, but inhibition of germination was reduced over time. The results of these experiments suggest that P. pefoliot~mz achene dormancy is enforced by both coat-imposed and chemical-based mechanisms. Coat- imposed dormancy was overcome by scarifying achenes for 60 minutes in 93% sulfuric acid while chemical-based dormancy was overcome by storing freshly harvested achenes for at least one week at =23"C and stratifying the seed in deionized water at 4°C tar four weeks.
First Genome Sequences of Two Multidrug-Resistant Candida haemulonii var. vulnera Isolates From Pediatric Patients With Candidemia

Candida haemulonii is a complex formed by C. haemulonii sensu stricto, C. haemulonii var. vulnera, and C. duobushaemulonii. Members of this complex are opportunistic pathogens closely related to C. pseudohaemulonii, C. lusitaniae, and C. auris, all members of a multidrug-resistant clade. Complete genome sequences for all members of this group are available in the GenBank database, except for C. haemulonii var. vulnera. Here, we report the first draft genomes of two C. haemulonii var. vulnera (isolates K1 and K2) and comparative genome analysis of closely related fungal species. The isolates were biofilm producers and non-susceptible to amphotericin B and fluconazole. The draft genomes comprised 350 and 387 contigs and total genome sizes of 13.21 and 13.26 Mb, with 5,479 and 5,507 protein-coding genes, respectively, allowing the identification of virulence and resistance genes. Comparative analyses of orthologous genes within the multidrug-resistant clade showed a total of 4,015 core clusters, supporting the conservation of 24,654 proteins and 3,849 single-copy gene clusters. Candida haemulonii var. vulnera shared a larger number of clusters with C. haemulonii and C. auris; however, more singletons were identified in C. lusitaniae and C. auris. Additionally, a multiple sequence alignment of Erg11p proteins revealed variants likely involved in reduced susceptibility to azole and polyene antifungal agents. The data presented in this work will, therefore, be of utmost importance for researchers studying the biology of the C. haemulonii complex and related species.
Investigation of Deletion Variation and Methylation Patterns in the 5' LTR of Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses

The xenotransplantation of pig organs and cells can be related with a risk of transmission of infectious diseases to human. Previous findings indicate that the regulatory region of PERV for retroviral transcription, replication and integration into the cellular DNA is located on the 5' Long Terminal Repeat (LTR). The objective of this study is the investigation of methylation and deletion status of the PERV 5' LTR region which can be used for regulating PERV expression. We compared the sequences of genomic DNA and bisulfite-treated genomic DNA from PK-15 cells expressing PERV to observe the methylation status of the 5' LTR. Our results showed that the CpG sites of U3 were methylated and methylation was inconsistent in the R and U5 regions. Also, variable numbers of 18 bp repeats and 21 bp repeats were detected on 5' LTR by sequencing analysis. The consistent U3 methylation might be indicative of host suppression of expression of the retroviruses.
Abscisic acid in a male sterile tomato mutant and its regulation by low temperature

into regulatory factors in stamen and pollen development, but also help in the development of male sterile systems The role of abscisic acid in male sterility in the for use in breeding programmes. stamenless-2 (sl-2) mutant of tomato (Lycopersicon Earlier work in this laboratory on genic (GMS) and esculentum) was investigated. Vegetative and floral cytoplasmic (CMS ) male sterile lines in tomato parts (except pistil) of sl-2 contain greater amount of (Lycopersicon esculentum) and rapeseed (Brassica napus), abscisic acid (ABA) than the normal wild-type. The suggests that male sterility is, in part, a manifestation of maximum difference in ABA content between sl-2 and hormonal imbalance in flowers, particularly in stamens normal tissues was in stamens, and the increase in (Singh and Sawhney 1992a; Singh et al., 1992; Shukla ABA level in sl-2 stamens coincided with first signs and Sawhney, 1992, 1994). The expression of male sterility of abnormalities in the anthers. Low temperatures is also known to be regulated by environmental factors, restore male fertility in sl-2 and there was a concomit- e.g. temperature, photoperiod and moisture ( Kaul, 1988; ant drop in ABA level in sl-2 leaves and stamens. These Greyson, 1994; Sawhney, 1997), and it has been suggested observations, along with our earlier reports, suggest that the eVects of these external agents are mediated that male sterility in sl-2 is a manifestation of hormonal through hormonal changes (Saini and Aspinall, 1982; imbalance involving high ABA, and that low temper- Singh et al., 1992). ature regulation of male sterility is mediated through The single gene, male sterile stamenless-2 (sl-2) mutant reduction in ABA content. in tomato is an excellent system for investigating the environmental‐hormonal interplay in stamen and pollen
Isolation of Parapoxviruses from Skin Lesion of Man and Animals in Middle Egypt

Parapoxviruses (PPVs) are important in various animals as well as in humans as zoonotic infections. Reliable detection of Parapoxviruses is fundamental for the exclusion of other rash-causing illnesses. Biopsy (vesicles and scabs) samples from infected 11 cattle and 8 human (5 dairy farmers & 3 veterinarians) in Middle Egypt (Beni-Suef and El-Fayoum Governorates) were inoculated on chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) of specific pathogen free (SPF) and/or commercial embryonated chicken egg (ECE) for three blind passages. The isolated virus induced pock lesions on CAM. Electron microscopy examination of purified isolated virus suspension by negative staining technique demonstrated 290-300×260 nm virion very similar to PPVs. Confirmation of isolated parapoxvirus was achieved by appearance of a clear precipitating line by AGPT and by ELISA comparing reference PPV strain which indicated that the given samples contain parapox viral antigen. A total of 90 serum samples from 75 cattle (45 cows & 30 buffaloes) and 15 human was tested for antibodies against parapoxvirus using ELISA. Overall seroprevalence among cows, buffaloes and human were 12/45 (26.6%), 4/30 (13.33 %) and 3/15 (20 %), respectively. The prevalence rate was higher (32, 20 and 22.2%) in Beni-suef Governorate than (20, 10 and 16.6%) in El-Fayoum Governorate among cows, buffaloes and human, respectively. Our results in this study suggested that Parapoxviruses infection spread among the population of Egyptian cattle and human in Middle Egypt. Lack of vaccination lead to appearance of clinical disease in different parts of Egypt, it is supposed that Parapoxviruses is becoming enzootic in Egypt and so proper hygiene and health education may be useful in the prevention of zoonotic infections with any of these viruses.
High efficiency transient and stable transformation by optimized DNA microinjection into Nicotiana tabacum protoplasts

An efficient system has been established that allows well controlled DNA microinjection into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) mesophyll protoplasts with partially regenerated cell walls and subsequent analysis of transient as well as stable expression of injected reporter genes in particular targeted cells or derived clones. The system represents an effective tool to study parameters important for the successful transformation of plant cells by microinjection and other techniques. Protoplasts were immobilized in a very thin layer of medium solidified with agarose or alginate. DNA microinjection was routinely monitored by coinjecting FITC-dextran and aimed at the cytoplasm of target cells. The injection procedure was optimized for efficient delivery of injection solution into this compartment. Cells were found to be at the optimal stage for microinjection about 24 h after immobilization in solid medium. Embedded cells could be kept at this stage for up to 4 d by incubating them at 4°C in the dark. Within 1 h successful delivery of injection solution was routinely possible into 20-40 cells. Following cytoplasmic coinjection of FITC-dextran and pSHI913, a plasmid containing the neo (neomycin phosphotransferase II) gene, stably transformed, paromomycin-resistant clones could be recovered through selection. Transgenic tobacco lines have been established from such clones. Injection solutions containing pSHI9l3 at a concentration of either 50 μg ml -1 or 1 mg ml -1 have been tested. With 1 mg ml -1 plasmid DNA the percentage of resistant clones per successfully injected cell was determined to be about 3.5 times higher. Incubation of embedded protoplasts at 4°C before microinjection was found to reduce the percentage of resistant clones obtained per injected cell. Protoplasts were immobilized above a grid pattern and the location of injected cells was recorded by Polaroid photography. The fate of particular targeted cells could be observed. Isolation and individual culture of clones derived from injected cells was possible. Following cytoplasmic coinjection of FITC-dextran and 1 mg ml -1 plasmid DNA on average about 20% of the targeted cells developed into microcalli and roughly 50% of these calli were stably transformed. Transient expression of the firefly luciferase gene (Luc) was non-destructively analysed 24 h after injection of pAMLuc. Approximately 50% of the injected cells that were alive at this time point expressed the Luc gene transiently. Apparently, stable integration of the injected genes occurred in essentially all transiently expressing cells that developed into clones.
Update of the Xylella spp. host plant database

Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA periodically updates the database on the host plants of Xylella spp. While previous editions of the database (2015 and 2016) dealt with the species Xylella fastidiosa only, this database version addresses the whole genus Xylella, including therefore both species X. fastidiosa and Xylella taiwanensis. The database now includes information on host plants of Xylella spp. retrieved from scientific literature up to November 2017 and from EUROPHYT notifications up to May 2018. An extensive literature search was performed to screen the scientific and technical literature published between the previous database update conducted in December 2015 and December 2017. The literature screening was supported by the DistillerSR software platform. The applied protocol for the extensive literature review and extensive information search, together with examples of data extraction, are described in detail in this report. This report also includes published information on resistance or tolerance of plant varieties to Xylella spp. The current database includes 563 plant species reported to be infected by X. fastidiosa, of which for 312 plant species the infection has been determined with at least two different detection methods. These species cover hundreds of host plant genera in 82 botanical families (61 botanical families when considering only records with at least two different detection methods). The update of this database of host plants of Xylella spp. reported world‐wide provides a key tool for risk management, risk assessment and research on this polyphagous bacterial plant pathogen.
Responsible Leadership

Purpose: At a time when school leadership takes on great import, we must ask how leadership can move beyond a focus on individual- and school-level changes to collective leadership that relies on the strength of relationships between schools and the communities in which they reside to foster and sustain change. Such leadership is termed responsible leadership. Using a conceptual framework for responsible business leadership and data from a large-scale multinational study on Performing Beyond Expectations, this article formulates a theory for responsible educational leadership. Research Design: Data come from the Performing Beyond Expectations project, a large-scale international study undertaken from 2007 to 2010. This study used qualitative interviews and analysis of documentary data to explore how organizations in business, education, and sport achieve exceptionally high performance, given their size, client base, and previous performance. The project included more than 220 interviews and 18 sites. Analysis in this article focuses on the responsible leadership found in three schools in one local authority and the ways in which each leader uses relationships to improve the school and student achievement. Findings: All three leaders see the purpose of leadership as developing relationships and attribute their performance beyond expectations to the strength of these relationships. As responsible leaders, they view their role as not only raising and sustaining pupil achievement but also weaving leadership throughout the web of stakeholders including students, parents, and community agencies. This collectivization of leadership is a hallmark of responsible leadership.
Bivalve ligament - a new source of DNA for historical studies

Bivalves are aquatic animals enclosed in 2 rigid shells that are held together by a hinge ligament. Features of the shell valves are important in taxonomy, and museums hold global collec- tions of catalogued fossil, historical and contemporary specimens. Museum collections of plants and animals are routinely used for the retrieval of DNA, but to date this has not been extended to bivalves. We show that DNA can be extracted from the ligament of the bivalve shell. The use of this tissue for DNA extraction allows for the non-destructive sampling of archived specimens, as once a portion of the ligament has been removed, the remaining shell plus shell ligament scar, essential fea- tures in classical taxonomic identification, are left intact. We extracted DNA from the ligament of individual mussel shells collected in 1970, and compared population genetic structure using a nuclear DNA marker with a sample of recent (2006) shells from the same location. We present a new source of genetic data that can be used to expand many areas of bivalve taxonomy, population history and phylogeography.
Inhibition of seed germination by far red radiation transmitted through leaf canopies

Perception of light by phytochrome is one of the mech- anisms that enable seeds to optimize the place and time of germi- nation. In an effort to determine how widespread in nature is the inhibition of seed germination by light transmitted by competing plants, the seeds of various species were exposed for germina- tion beneath leaf canopies. A high ratio of far red (FR) to red (R) light under the canopies inhibited to various extent the germina- tion in most of samples. Only 91 species (out of 487 tested) did not indicate any FR-inhibition and might be determined as truly light-insensitive. Although particular seed samples of the same species often differ in response to white light (photoblastism), the responses to the FR irradiation seem to be much more stable. The ability to the FR-dormancy may be treated as a species-specifi c feature. After several-day exposure under leaf canopy, the seeds become extremely sensitive to the white light, but this sensitivity diminishes slowly in the course of treatment. Every seed cohort may be diversifi ed in germination by the irregular and variable structure of leaf canopy. The acquired state of photosensitivity may persist during several years and may impact on seed longev- ity. The seeds needing winter prechilling (stratifi cation) for a sub- stantial germination, often become more indifferent to the white light, but always show a FR-sensitivity. The relations between taxonomic position and FR-sensitivity are weak. No difference in the FR-sensitivity was observed among life-forms. Distinct rela- tions were stated between seed size and FR-sensitivity; seeds of FR-insensitive species are in average much larger. A relationship was found between the dynamics of germination and the photore- sponses. Positively photoblastic and FR-sensitive seeds usually need much more time to full germination. These relationships may explain the fact that often the seeds of cultivated plants are photoblastically indifferent and FR-insensitive; they have been selected for fast and uniform germination. Full daylight exerted usually an inhibitory effect on germination of seeds of almost all
Porcine enteric alphacoronavirus Inhibits IFN-α, IFN-β, OAS, Mx1, and PKR mRNA Expression in Infected Peyer's Patches in vivo

Porcine enteric alphacoronavirus (PEAV) is a newly identified swine enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes watery diarrhea in neonatal piglets. The pathogenesis and host immune responses of PEAV infection are not fully characterized. The reason lies in the stomach environment, which would degrade cell-cultured live viruses via oral infection, making it difficult to establish an effective infection model to study the pathogenesis and host immune responses in pigs with a mature immune system. To solve this problem, in this study, coated PEAV-loaded microspheres were developed by centrifugal granulation-fluidized bed coating and demonstrated as an effective oral delivery system/animal infection model to protect PEAV virion against the complex gastrointestinal environment in vitro and to cause infection in weaned piglets in vivo. Weaned piglets orally inoculated with coated PEAV-loaded microspheres developed diarrhea and virus RNA was detected in rectal swabs from one to seven days post inoculation. In addition, microscopic lesions in the small intestine were observed, and viral antigens were also detected in the small intestines with PEAV immunohistochemical staining. Importantly, PEAV significantly inhibited mRNA expression of IFN-α, IFN-β, OAS, Mx1, and PKR, the genes involved in modulation of the host immune responses, in infected Peyer's patches, indicating that PEAV can overcome the antiviral response to cause damage when infection occurs. Collectively, our research successfully established a PEAV animal infection model in weaned piglets and suggested that the observed gene expression profile might help explain immunological changes associated with PEAV infection.
Antioxidant activity of various tea extracts in relation to their antimutagenicity

The relationship between antioxidant activity and antimutagenicity of various tea extracts (green tea, pouchong tea, oolong tea, and black tea) was investigated. All tea extracts exhibited markedly antioxidant activity and reducing power, especially oolong tea, which inhibited 73.6% peroxidation of linoleic acid. Tea extracts exhibited a 65-75% scavenging effect on superoxide at a dose of 1 mg and 30 - 60% scavenging effect on hydrogen peroxide at a dose of 400 microgram. They scavenged 100% hydroxyl radical at a dosage of 4 mg except the black tea. Tea extracts also showed 50 - 70% scavenging effect on alpha, alpha-diphenyl-beta-picrylhydrazyl radical. The antioxidant activity and the scavenging effects on active oxygen decreased in the order semifermented tea > nonfermented tea > fermented tea. Tea extracts showed strong antimutagenic action against five indirect mutagens, i.e., AFB1, Trp-P-1, Glu-P-1, B[a]P, and IQ, especially oolong and pouchong teas. The antioxidant effect of tea extracts was well correlated to their antimutagenicity in some cases but varied with the mutagen and antioxidative properties.
Sodium Exclusion from the Shoots by Roots of Zea mays (cv. LG 11) and its Breakdown with Oxygen Deficiency

The effects of sodium chloride salinity and root oxygen deficiency (anoxia) were studied in 11-12 d old maize plants (Zea mays L. cv. LG 11) in nutrient solution culture. Transport of 22Na by the roots to the shoot in 24 h was markedly increased by anoxia when the external concentration of NaCl was in the range 01-10-9 mol m~3. Anoxia severely inhibited uptake of 42K by roots and its transport to the shoot, so that the ratio of Na+/K+ moving into the shoot was increased by a factor of approximately 10. When the external concentration of NaCl was increased to 40-0 mol m~3, the roots showed much less ability to exclude Na+ under aerobic conditions, and anoxia caused no further increase in the movement of Na+ to the shoot. It is concluded that at the higher concentration the ability of the roots to exclude Na+, presumably through an active mechanism in the xylem parenchyma cells or in the root cortex and transporting Na+ to the outer solution, is saturated by excessive inward diffusion of Na+. The ratio of Na+/K+ transported to the shoot increased by a factor of 600 when the concentration of NaCl was increased from 2-4 mol m ~ 3 to 40 mol m ~ 3 and roots were made anoxic. Such imbalances in the supply of cations to the shoot, particularly when roots are oxygen-deficient, may contribute to salinity damage.
Southern Species From the Biodiversity Hotspot of Central Chile: A Source of Color, Aroma, and Metabolites for Global Agriculture and Food Industry in a Scenario of Climate Change

Two interesting plants within the Chilean flora (wild and crop species) can be found with a history related to modern fruticulture: Fragaria chiloensis subsp. chiloensis (Rosaceae) and Vasconcellea pubescens (Caricaceae). Both species have a wide natural distribution, which goes from the Andes mountains to the sea (East-West), and from the Atacama desert to the South of Chile (North-South). The growing locations are included within the Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forest hotspot. Global warming is of great concern as it increases the risk of losing wild plant species, but at the same time, gives a chance for usually longer term genetic improvement using naturally adapted material and the source for generating healthy foods. Modern agriculture intensifies the attractiveness of native undomesticated species as a way to provide compounds like antioxidants or tolerant plants for climate change scenario. F. chiloensis subsp. chiloensis as the mother of commercial strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is an interesting genetic source for the improvement of fruit flavor and stress tolerance. On the other hand, V. pubescens produces fruit with high level of antioxidants and proteolytic enzymes of interest to the food industry. The current review compiles the botanical, physiological and phytochemical description of F. chiloensis subsp. chiloensis and V. pubescens, highlighting their potential as functional foods and as source of compounds with several applications in the pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and food science. The impact of global warming scenario on the distribution of the species is also discussed.