Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF AJWA DATE AGAINST THE HEPATOTOXICITY INDUCED By OCHRATOXIN A

ate fruits are widely consumed in the Arab world and considered as strong antioxidants and free radical scavengers. The present study aimed at testing the therapeutic effect of Ajwa date aqueous extract (ADE) against the hepatotoxicity induced by ochratoxin A (OTA) in rats. Rats were divided into four groups orally treated as follow: Control group (0.5M NaHCO3); OTA group (289 µg/kg/day); ADE group (1mg/kg/day) and ADE plus OTA group. After 4 weeks of treatment, blood samples were used for estimation of serum levels of the total bilirubin and the activity of alanine transaminase (ALT), while liver samples were used for histological studies. The results showed that serum levels of bilirubin and ALT enzyme activity were significantly increased due to OTA treatment. In addition, light microscopy observations showed histological changes in liver tissues of OTA-treated rats, included global congestion and dilatation of the central veins and sinusoidal spaces, enlargement of periportal areas, lymphocytic infiltration, swelling and degeneration of the hepatocytes, focal necrosis. However, the severity of the histological lesions as well as the serum levels of total bilirubin and ALT enzyme activity were greatly reduced in rats pretreated with ADE before OTA, compared with OTA-treated rats. In conclusion, the results indicated that pretreatment with ADE considerably decreased the hepatotoxicity induced by OTA. Thus Ajwa date could be considered as a functional protective food for liver toxicity.
RADIOBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Paediatrics for the Practitioner. Under the general editorship of Wilfrid Gaisford, M.D., M.Sc., F.R. C.P., and Reginald Lightwood, M.D. F.R. C.P., D.P.H. Volumes I, lI, and JIl + Index. (Volume I-pp. 563 + xv + 34 pp. index; Volume II-pp. 533+ix+32 pp. index; Volume IIIpp. 632+xi+38 pp. index; Index-pp. 119+v. Illustrated. £13 lOs. the set.) London: Butterworth and Co. Ltd. 1953, 1954, and 1955. The last of the three volumes of this work has now appeared along with an index volume, and a set is completed that will be of value to practitioners in many lands. The articles are written by experts in the different subjects, and naturally the descriptions of diseases and their diagnosis and treatment are authoritative. The books are said to be planned and written for the family doctor, but they constitute a small reference library to the present practice of paediatrics in its medical, dermatological, psychiatric, and other. branches. Surgical conditions and the diseases of the eye, nose, ear, and throat are dealt with-and rightly so in a comprehensive work on the health and diseases of children. Tropical conditions and illnesses are well described. Throughout the work pathology, by intention, is dealt with very briefly, and only the more important references are given. About sixty contributors from Britain and other parts of the Commonwealth have written the various chapters, but the volumes have been well edited and the multiple authorship is not very noticeable, although some of the articles are better written than others. Rubrics and the good index make the volumes easy of rapid consultation, and the plentiful photographs and radiographs will prove very helpful to practitioners. The three volumes and the index are printed on good art paper and are well bound. The price is high, however, and one wonders if it could have been reduced by getting the articles and the index into, say, two volumes. The repetition of the appointments held by the contributors and the needless list of contents at the heads of the chapters, however small, might have been dispensed with and space thereby saved. Family doctors will consult these good books with profit to their patients and pleasure to themselves, and the initial cost appears less when it is remembered that the work is to be kept up to date by regular supplements. JOHN CRAIG.
Early competition between oilseed rape and Convolvulus arvensis in additive experiments.

Weeds can successfully compete with the cultivated plants, causing considerable reduction in crop quality and quantity. The majority of agricultural competition studies are based on the additive experiments. In the additive experiments two species are grown together, the density of the crop is maintained constant, while that of the weeds species is varied. We have investigated the effect of different weed density of Convolvulus arvensis on the early development of oilseed rape under glasshouse conditions. There were four oilseed rape in a pot and the C. arvensis densitiy varied between 0 and 10 plants/pot. Seventy days after the beginning of the experiment the biomass production (fresh and dry weight of the shoots) and nutrient uptake (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) each of oilseed rape and C. arvensis were determined. It was concluded, that the development of the rape plants was faster, as compared to that of the C. arvensis seedlings at the beginning of the vegetation period, therefore no considerable interspecific competition between the rape and weed plants was observed. Intraspecific competition between the C. arvensis seedlings was stronger, as the weed density increased.
The evolution of female‐limited polymorphisms in damselflies: a signal detection model

Female-limited intraspecific colour variation is a widely distributed trait within damselflies. Typically, one morph resembles the male (the andromorph) whereas one, or sometimes more, do not [the heteromorph(s)]. While several selective explanations have been offered, such as decreased harassment by males balanced by predation or lack of mating success, field data indicate that andromorphs and heteromorphs mate at equal frequencies in the field, and survive equally well. In this paper, I use a signal detection model to characterize the properties of a new male-mimicry hypothesis, in which andromorphs are not only more similar to males, but are also encountered more by males. I show that this combination of frequency-dependent and frequency-independent factors readily combine to generate a balanced polymorphism. The model explains why morphs have similar mean mating frequencies, why the experimentally observed mating preferences of males vary between ponds, and why the frequency of andromorphs tends to rise with sex ratio.
The mammillary peduncle and ventral tegmental nucleus in the cat

Marchi investigations on rabbit (Wallenberg, 1899 and '00 ; Quensel, '11), cat (Probst, 'OZ), rat (Papez, '23), and opossum (Bodian, '40) brains indicate that the mammillary peduncle is an ascending tract. For a discussion of the origin of this pathway, concerning which there is much difference of opinion, the reader is referred to the works of R a m h y Cajal ('ll), Castaldi ('23), Huber and Crosby ('29), Tello ('36), Clark ( '38), and Ingram ( '40). The present study is an endeavor to locate the nucleus or nuclei of origin of the mammillary peduncle.
Extinction risk and population declines in amphibians

Many taxa, including amphibians, have been shown to have a taxonomically non-random distribution of threatened species. There are three possible nonexclusive reasons for this selectivity: non-random knowledge of species conservation status, clades endemic to different regions experiencing different intensities of threatening process, and the effects of clade-specific biological attributes on the susceptibility of species to those processes. This chapter tests the sufficiency of the first two explanations using extinction risk evaluations from the 2004 Global Amphibian Assessment. My results indicate that they cannot alone account for the degree of non-randomness in extinction risk among amphibian families. The overall distribution of threatened amphibians remained taxonomically non-random when species of unknown conservation status were omitted, and significant selectivity was detected not only at a global geographic scale, but also in countryand site-specific data sets. Furthermore, the same families tend to be overor under-threatened within different countries. Together, these results suggest that biological
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Accumulation of Fe, Cr and Ni Metals inside Cells of Acidophilic Bacterium Acidiphilium rubrum that Produces Zn-Containing Bacteriochlorophyll a

The accumulations of metals were studied in cells of aerobic acidophilic proteobacterium Acidiphilium rubrum; this spices uses Zn, instead of Mg as the central atom of bacteriochlorophyll in its photosynthetic apparatus. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) of the cell surfaces gave peaks of P, S, Si and Mg. Transmission electron micrograph images showed a high density globule of 0.11 fan in diameter in each 1.1 x 0.3 fan cell. An EDX analysis of the black precipitate that was collected after the centrifugation of disrupted cells showed high amounts of the heavy metals Fe, Cr, Ni and traces of K, Ca, P, Si and Al in the order of atomic content. An X-ray powder diffraction analysis indicated that Fe, Cr and Ni exist as alloys. The metal accumulations interpret the high tolerance of this bacterium to the toxic heavy metals abundant in acidic growth medium. Zn seems to specifically exist as Zn-bacteriochlorophyll a in this organism, because no significant accumulation of Zn was detected on the cell surface, black precipitate, or cytoplasmic membranes.
Acaricidal activity of 31 essential oils extracted from plants collected in Tunisia

The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch is a worldwide pest, feeding on a large variety of plant families. As its resistance to acaricides spreads rapidly, it is crucial to develop new biological control tactics to manage its populations. In this respect, essential oils may be a good alternative, as they are currently considered minimum-risk pesticides. In this paper, we conducted a series of laboratory experiments to determine the susceptibility of adult females to 31 essential oils extracted from plants collected from Tunisia and compare it with the results obtained with two synthetic acaricides (spirodiclofen and fenbutatin oxide). Details of the essential oil yield of these plants were also recorded. A maximum yield of 0.5% was obtained. Laboratory bioassay indicated that the development of the tetranychid mite population was significantly affected by the use of Deverra scoparia, Haplophyllum tuberculatum, Chrysanthemum coronarium and Mentha pulegium plant extracts that killed 97%, 93%, 93% and 91% of T. urticae, respectively. The chemical composition of the most effective extracts were characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and fast GC–flame ionization detector (FID). The evaluation of the potential of biologically active plant volatiles against T. urticae might provide a new approach to the development of natural acaricides to be used both in biological and integrated pest management strategies for controlling two-spotted spider mites.
Siblicide and life-history evolution in parasitoids

Parasitoid wasps exhibit a stark dichotomy in larval behavior and developmental mode. In gregarious species, siblings developing together tolerate each other; hence more than one individual can successfully complete development. In contrast, solitary species have intolerant larvae that will engage in siblicide, leading to only one individual successfully completing development. Previous theoretical and empirical work has suggested that females from species with intolerant larvae should reduce their relative investment in reproduction. We tested this prediction by measuring investment in survival and reproduction in a pair of sister species from the genus Aphaereta (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). With increasing body size, divergent patterns of investment exist in the two species. Females of the solitary A. genevensis allocate additional resources almost exclusively toward greater fat reserves, resulting in enhanced longevity. Females of the gregarious A. pallipes invest relatively more in reproduction and hence have lower fat reserves, reduced longevity, and greater egg loads than A. genevensis. These differences reflect a trend toward greater investment in survival relative to reproduction in the solitary species, as predicted. We discuss the implications of these findings for the development of sibling rivalry and life-history theory. Copyright 2002.
Investigating the root causes of multiple sclerosis using systems analysis and dynamics, developing an integrated treatment strategy

By applying the methods of systems analysis to the problem of what causes multiple sclerosis, we have been able to show that it is a systemic illness, with multiple interacting causes and mechanisms. The results were obtained by synthesizing state-of-the-art research on parts into a whole systemic picture of the whole. These main components make up the illness system: 1. The root cause: A Permeable blood-brain barrier (BBB) and transmission of provocative substances, antibodies and leucocytes into the brain. This may be caused by chronic cerebro- spinal vascular insufficiency (CCSVI, and associated microclotting due to stagnant cerebro- venous blood flow), latent infections that cause a Th1-dominated immune response and release of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) which can alter the BBB, or a general pro-inflammatory state created due to dietary factors. 2. Triggers are antibodies to myelin and oligodendrocytes from i. Infections by certain bacteria and viruses; ii. Peripheral allergenic attacks iii. Myelin and oligodendrocyte debris in the blood stream 3. Reinforcing loops: a. Feedback system involving iron in the autocatalytic Fenton cycle and production of oxidants, prominently peroxynitrite, reinforcing the increased permeability of the BBB; keeping the BBB compromised b. Autoimmune feedback loop involving immune system and myelin sheath breakdown, leading to damages to the BBB, by oxidative denaturalization of the myelin surfaces. c. Oxidative stresses, leading to scaring at damaged sites and impairment of the ability to repair myelin sheaths, making the physical damage permanent The partial mechanisms were linked together into one large integrated model leading to the disease. Multiple sclerosis has no single cause, but a number of interacting of causes in a feedback system. The model is capable of describing the untreated progress of the illness as it has been observed. Multiple sclerosis is initiated by an opening of the blood-brain-barrier, combined with provocative substances in the blood, which initiate a vicious cycle of oxidative stresses and immune attack. The conceptual model was used to investigate the dynamics of the illness and understand its initiation and subsequent illness progression qualitatively. With the model we can start to analyse how treatment for multiple sclerosis must be approached in a multi-disciplinary way in order to be successful. The conceptual model was developed into a systems dynamics model in the STELLA environment. The simulation model is capable of reconstructing the basic outline of the illness, with the onset at 25 years of age, and the transition to secondary progressive disease at 45-55 years of age. This appears to confirm the validity of the fundamental features of our model.
Genetic diversity of yeasts from Ragi tape "starter for cassava and glutinous rice fermentation from Indonesia" Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region

Faculty of Biotechnology, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman No.51, Jakarta 12930 *Corresponding Author's Email: tati.barus@atmajaya.ac. id Tape is a traditional food from Indonesia made from cassava tubers (Manihot utilisima) or glutinous rice (Oriza sativa glutinosa) as the alternative substrate. It can only be produced through a fermentation process mostly done by yeast and bacteriatherefore, yeast determine the quality of tape largely. In this study, yeasts were isolated from Ragi tape and subjected to diversity using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) on the 5.8S rRNA gene and the two ITS regions. A total of 35 yeast isolates were isolated from eight different types of Ragi tape. The results of this research showed that not all Ragi tape sold in the market contain yeast. Of the 12 different types of Ragi tape, only eight of them contained yeast. Other 35 yeast isolates were selected from eight types of Ragi tape for PCR-RFLP analysis. According to the digestion profiles of RFLP, 35 yeast isolates were clustered into 4 groups, as follow: group 1 consisted of 27 isolate (77%), group 2 six isolates (17%), group 3 and group 4 one isolate (3%), respectively. Isolates of group 1 and group 2 were similar to Pichia jadinii and Pichia kudriavzevii,
Response of Growing Bulls Fed Ration Containing Different Levels of Citrus Pulp

The objective of this study was to assess the compared between corn silage and citrus pulp silage in two levels on nutrients digestibility, growth performance and blood metabolites of beef cattle. Thirty male, crossbred bulls (Friesian x Baladi) averaged 235 kg live body weight, 14-15 months old were divided into 3 groups of 10 animals in each according to live body weight. Animals in the control group or ration C) were fed 30% corn silage plus 70% concentrate feed mixture (CFM), while, the experimental animals were fed T1) 30% citrus pulp silage plus 70% CFM and T2) 45% citrus pulp silage plus 55%CFM. The experiment lasted for 120 days. Results indicated that no significant (p>0.05) differences observed among experimental groups in dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) nitrogen free extract (NFE), acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose and hemicelluloses digestibilities. Crude fiber (CF) digestibility was significantly (p 0.05) differences with those fed the T2 ration. Dry matter intake (DMI) was significantly (p 0.05) differences in average daily gain (ADG) among treatments were detected. The highest average daily gain had been recorded with bulls fed T1, while the lowest average daily gain was recorded with bulls fed T2. The values were 1.15 and 1.02 Kg respectively. Blood parameters such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein, urea, creatinine, triglycerides and cholesterol, did not record any significant differences among experimental animals. Mean while, cholesterol concentration was significantly (p 0.05) difference for T2. In conclusion, corn silage could be replaced by citrus silage in beef cattle rations without any adverse effects on nutrients digestibility, blood parameters and growth performance.
MITOCHONDRIAL PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF MOOSE (

Nucleotide variation was assessed from the mitochondrial control region of North American moose (Alces alces) to test predictions of a model of range expansion by stepping-stone dispersal and to determine whether patterns of genetic variation support the current recognition of 4 subspecies. Haplotypes formed a star phylogeny indicative of a recent expansion of populations. Values of nucleotide and haplotype diversity were low continentwide but were greatest in the central part of the continent and lowest in peripheral populations. Despite low mitochondrial diversity, moose exhibited a high degree of differentiation regionally, which was not explained by isolation by distance. Our data indicate a pattern of colonization consistent with a large central population that supplied founders to peripheral populations (other than Alaska), perhaps through rare, long-distance dispersal events (leptokurtic dispersal) rather than mass dispersal by a stepping-stone model. The colonization scenario does not account for the low haplotype diversity observed in Alaska, which may be derived from a postcolonization bottleneck. Establishment of peripheral populations by leptokurtic dispersal and subsequent local adaptation may have been sufficient for development of morphological differentiation among extant subspecies.
Development of Mutant Varieties of Crop Plants at NIAB and the Impact on Agricultural Production in Pakistan

The Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology is the prime institute of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in the agricultural sector. It began to function in 1969. The main objective of the institute is to conduct research in agricultural and biological problems, especially in those areas where nuclear techniques have an edge over conventional methods. The institute has been conducting research and development work related to crop improvement through mutation breeding. Mutation breeding involves the use of induced beneficial changes for practical plant breeding purposes both directly as well as indirectly. The main objectives have been to confer specific changes such as improvement of plant architecture, earliness in maturity, resistance against diseases and pests, and improved physiological characters, i.e. heat tolerance, cold tolerance, uniform maturity, photoperiod insensitivity etc., in the native well adapted crop varieties/exotic lines to make them more productive. The use of induced mutations for crop improvement has lead to the development of 24 improved varieties of different crops at NIAB which clearly indicates the potential of this technique. In addition, a wealth of genetic variability has been developed for use in the cross breeding programmes and a few varieties of cotton and chickpea have been developed in Pakistan by using induced mutants as one of the parents. These improved crop varieties in Pakistan have played a significant role in increasing agricultural production with positive impact on the economy of the country. The estimated additional income accounted by the selected varieties of NIAB was 1.744 billion US dollars up to 2005.
Helminth Parasites of some Freshwater Fish from River Niger at Illushi, Edo State, Nigeria

Although there are some reports on parasites of fish at different locations on River Niger, there had been no report for Illushi. Parasitological investigation of 71 fish samples belonging to 14 genera from river Niger at Illushi showed a 60.6% prevalence infection and an infection rate of 59.15%. The gills, stomach and sometimes muscles were infected; no parasites were found infecting the liver and eye lens. Nematodes, acanthocephalans, trematodes and cestodes were recovered in decreasing order of abundance. Proteocephalus sp. was found in Ctenopoma kingsleye and was the only parasite infecting Tilapia galilaeus. Diphyllobothrium sp. was only found in the stomach and gills of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus. Paramphistomum sp. was the only trematode found in the gills of examined fishes. Bucephalus sp was only found in Synodontis eupterus and Distichodus engycephalus. Acanthocephalans were represented by Pomporhynchus, Quadrigidae and Neoechinorhynchus. Neoechinorhynchus was found only on the intestine of Lates niloticus. Parasites were more prevalent in fish of10 - 30cm standard length. There was no specific trend in parasite prevalence in S. eupterus, S. clarias, C. nigrodigitatus and C. kingsleye as regards the weight classes. The study showed the intestine as the preferred organ for infection, no infection was noticed in the oesophagus. (Journal of American Science 2010;6(3):16-21). (ISSN: 1545-1003).