Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in the accumulation of shikimic acid in mycorrhized Capsicum annuum L. grown with application of glyphosate and phosphorus

When glyphosate is added to the soil, it is absorbed by roots and transported by xylem causing growth inhibition in plants. Mycorrhiza is the beneficial association between roots of most plants and soil fungi. The methylphosphonic group of the glyphosate could compete with inorganic phosphates for sorption sites in the soil. The aim of this work was to study the effect of phosphorus availability and glyphosate residues in soil on pepper plant growth, and on physiological parameters, in plants non-inoculated or inoculated with Glomus mosseae or G. intraradices. The phytotoxic effects of the glyphosate were assessed by a bio-indicator as shikimic acid. At high doses, glyphosate (6.32 μM) reduced root colonization, and this effect was increased by higher levels of phosphorus in the soil. The effects of herbicide on shikimic acid accumulation and on shoot growth began 24 hours after glyphosate treatments (HAT). At 24, 48, and 72 HAT, inoculated plants grown without glyphosate showed higher growth compared to the non-inoculated ones. At high glyphosate (6.32 μM) and 96 HAT, the growth was completely inhibited. The shikimic acid accumulated in the upper leaves of non-inoculated plants, treated at 3.16 μM glyphosate, was significantly higher at high P level, related to inoculated ones. These results suggest that the remobilization of glyphosate residues in the soil by the addition of phosphate should be considered a serious problem for crops in treated soils. The mycorrhization increases the pepper plant's tolerance to high glyphosate concentration in the substrate, and may allow support to this stress condition.
ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIHEMOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF AN ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES, HILDEGARDIA POPULIFOLIA (ROXB.) SCHOTT & ENDL.

Objective : The present study was aimed at to estimate total content of ascorbic acid, saponins and condensed tannins and to evaluate the antioxidant activity and antihemolytic activity of methanolic extracts of leaf and stem bark parts of Hildegardia populifolia. Methods : Antioxidant activity was carried out by studying nitric oxide scavenging activity, inhibition of β – carotene bleaching activity and antihemolytic activity also studied. Results : Higher amount of ascorbic acid (93.47 g AA/100 g extract), saponins (18.81 g DE/100g extract) and condensed tannins (0.70 mg LE/g dry sample) was observed in methanolic leaf extract than that of the stem bark extract. Nitric oxide scavenging and β – carotene bleaching activity were relatively higher in stem bark extract (IC 50 -122.60 and 56.67percent respectively). Leaf extract has higher percentage of antihemolytic activity than that of the stem bark extract. Conclusion : The results of the study confirmed that the studied plant might indeed be potential sources of natural antioxidant and antihemolytic agents. Key words : Antioxidant, antihemolytic activity, Hildegardia populifolia.
The effect of glycemic control on executive functions in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: DM is a major health problem. It is well known that DM has a deleterious effect on vascular, retinal, renal, and peripheral nerve functions. A growing evidence suggests that elderly with type 2 DM have impairments in executive functions. The aim of the study was to detect the effect of glycemic control, duration of DM and its complications on executive functions. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a sample comprised of two hundred elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. Glycemic control, duration of diabetes, complications of diabetes and executive functions were assessed Results: There was a significant correlation between glycemic control and neuropsychological tests assess executive functions except for the clock drawing test. Also, there was a significant correlation between duration of diabetes and the number of diabetes complications and executive functions tests. Conclusion: Poor glycemic control is associated with worse executive functions, also longer duration of diabetes and increasing number of diabetes complications are associated with poorer executive functions.
Powerful and large regional authorities are needed to preserve green open space for urban agglomerations

Identification and assessment of strategies for the conservation and multifunctional development of green open space in the urban fringe of European urban regions is a challenge to both the academic and the real life world. Within the EU funded research project PLUREL – Peri-urban land use relationships – ‘Strategies and sustainability assessment tools for urban rural linkages’, we developed a methodology for international comparison of regional strategies that considers the policy context at supra-regional level. This methodology helped to explain the reported impacts of strategies. For this we further elaborated the theoretical concept of policy arrangements and policy dimensions by Van Tatenhove et al. (2000) and Arts et al. (2006). Strategies and policy contexts referred to are from Montpellier Agglomeration, a formal coalition of now 31 municipalities, Leipzig-Halle region, a functional urban region (FUR) with governance coalitions around green open space preservation strategies, and Hangzhou in China, a very large city with hierarchical formal government. Results showed how the means of influence from different government levels can complement and reinforce each other and raise the effectiveness of the strategies. A combination of hierarchical government with a horizontal coalition between local authorities covering the full FUR can be very effective for managing the land use developments in the urban fringe, even when private business, CSOs or other NGOs are not included in the coalition. Supra-regional authorities do not have to possess the land resources, but setting the Rules of the Game is a powerful means of influence to coerce local municipalities to preserve green open space in the urban fringe.
Molecular markers for the assessment of postnatal male germ cell development in the mouse

BACKGROUND: A proliferation marker, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a Sertoli cell specific transcription factor, GATA-1 and the male germ cell specific, RNA binding motif (RBM), were used to identify different cellular populations during postnatal development of the mouse testis. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry, RT‐ PCR and real-time quantitative RT‐ PCR (QRT ‐PCR) were used. RESULTS: PCNA was expressed in preSertoli and germ cells on the day of birth. Both pre-meiotic germ cells and spermatocytes expressed RBM throughout postnatal development. RBM-positive cell counts and QRT ‐ PCR of RBM showed that average level of RBM per cell is highest in juvenile males between 14 and 21 days. From 42 days onward, there was a dramatic decrease in RBM expression in individual pre-meiotic and meiotic germ cells. CONCLUSIONS: These markers were used to correlate cell proliferative capability, gene expression profile and anatomic location within the developing mouse testis. The majority of germ cells start active proliferation once they have migrated to the basement membrane or immediately before. RBM is more highly expressed during the first wave of spermatogenesis versus subsequent waves, suggesting that there may be a change in the activity of RBM.
Universal Poisson and Normal Limit Theorems in Graph Coloring Problems With Connections to Extremal Combinatorics

This paper proves limit theorems for the number of monochromatic edges in uniform random colorings of general random graphs. The limit theorems are universal depending solely on the limiting behavior of the ratio of the number of edges in the graph and the number of colors, and works for any graph sequence deterministic or random. The proofs are based on moment calculations which relates to results of Erdős and Alon on extremal subgraph counts. As a byproduct of our calculations a simple new proof of a result of Alon, estimating the number of isomorphic copies of a cycle of given length in graphs with fixed number of edges, is presented.
The activity pattern in white-toothed shrews studied with radar

Godfrey G. K. , 1978: The activity pattern in white-toothed shrews studied with radar. Acta theriol. , 23, 24: 381—390 [With 3 Tables & 3 Figs.] Total activity in the white-toothed shrews, Crocidura suaveolens Pallas, 1811 and C. russula Hermann, 1870, was detected by radar. Individuals were found to be active throughout the 24 hours with russula being the more diurnal species. The activity patterns of newlytrapped shrews showed well-marked feeding rhythms with mean cyclelengths of 30 —50 minutes. Fj Crocidura were more diurnal than newlytrapped animals, and their activity patterns showed neither a feeding nor a 24-hour rhythm. [The Wildlife Park, Jersey, Channel Islands]. In a classic study on activity patterns in British shrews, Crowcroft (1954) detected a short-term rhythm with a periodicity of about two hours and a longer, 24-hour or circadian rhythm. The common shrew (Sorex araneus) had ith major peak of activity at night while in the single pygmy shrew (S. minutus) studied, the major peak occurred during the day. Loxton et al. (1975) have since confirmed that the common shrew is more active at night. In the white-toothed shrews (Crocidura), our knowledge of activity is limited to 24 hours' observation of 3 captive individuals (Rood, 1965), and to data obtained while trapping (Spenc e r - B o t h, 1963; P e r n e 11 a, 1973). The present observations, made during 1975—76, were on newlytrapped animals: Crocidura suaveolens Pallas, 1811 from the island of Jersey and C. russula Hermann, 1870 from the island of Alderney. Activity patterns of shrews born in the laboratory were studied for comparison.
A triple-bias parallel SSHI rectifier for piezoelectric energy harvesting

The traditional SSHI circuit forms a resonant loop to salvage the charges that would otherwise be wasted. However, the quality factor of the loop would be low. This brief presents a triple-bias parallel SSHI rectifier, which can effectively enhance the power extraction capability from the piezoelectric (PE) transducer. The circuit has a low complexity and is easy to integrate, which can convert the original one voltage flipping into a triple per half cycle, thereby improving the voltage flipping ratio for low quality factor. The experimental results show that, compared to the traditional SSHI circuit, the power obtained by the load is boosted up to 1.23 X.
In vitro cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal and urease inhibitory activities of some N4- substituted isatin-3-thiosemicarbazones

A series of 15 previously reported N4-substituted isatin-3-thiosemicarbazones 3a-o has been screened for cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal and urease inhibitory activities. Compounds 3b, 3e and 3n proved to be active in cytotoxicity assay; 3e exhibited a high degree of cytotoxic activity (LD50 = 1.10 × 10− 5 M). Compound 3h exhibited significant antibacterial activity against B. subtilis, whereas compounds 3a, 3k and 3l displayed significant antifungal activity against one or more fungal strains i.e. T. longifusus, A. flavus and M. canis. In human urease enzyme inhibition assay, compounds 3g, 3k and 3m proved to be the most potent inhibitors, exhibiting relatively pronounced inhibition of the enzyme. These compounds, being non-toxic, could be potential candidates for orally effective therapeutic agents to treat certain clinical conditions induced by bacterial ureases like H. pylori urease. This study presents the first example of inhibition of urease by isatin-thiosemicarbazones and as such provides a solid basis for further research on such compounds to develop more potent inhibitors.
Effect of temperature on the synthesis, composition and physical properties of potato microtuber starch

Potato microtubers (cv Maris Piper) were grown at 10, 16 and 24°C in total darkness for 28 days. Soluble and insoluble starch synthase, ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase, sucrose synthase and fructokinase were assayed in extracts of the microtubers and, in the case of soluble and insoluble starch synthase, activity was found to be particularly sensitive to increasing growth temperature. The starch content of the microtubers increased slightly with increasing growth temperature, but with little effect on the number of granules per microtuber and a small increase in the average granule size. The microtuber starch granules were much smaller than those found in commercial potato starch (c 8–9 μm modal diameter compared to c 21 μm). Although the amylose content of the microtuber starches tended to increase with increasing growth temperature, the phosphorus content was variable. Gel permeation chromatographic elution profiles of native and debranched microtuber and a commercial potato starch showed that no differences could be detected in either amylose or amylopectin molecular size, polydispersity or unit chain distribution of amylopectin (which contained two major unit chain fractions at DP 21 and 56). The onset, peak and conclusion temperatures of the DSC gelatinisation endotherm increased linearly as a function of growth temperature whilst the enthalpy of gelatinisation decreased. It is suggested that elevated temperature during starch biosynthesis facilitates ordering of amylopectin double helices into crystalline domains. © 1998 SCI.
A cross sectional study on the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among adult population in a peri-urban area of West Tripura, India

Background: Diabetes mellitus, a major lifestyle disease is undoubtedly the most challenging public health problem of 21st century with a worldwide prevalence of 387 million (8.3%). The objective of this study was to get an estimate of the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and associated factors in a sample of adult population in a peri-urban area of West Tripura.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, prevalence of diabetes mellitus was found among adult population of a peri-urban area (Dukli) of west Tripura from April 2016 to May 2016. Multistage random sampling was followed to include 76 participants. Taking house as a sampling unit, every 5th house was chosen for this study. From every selected house, one adult participant was chosen by simple random sampling until desired sample size was attained. Collected data was compiled and analyzed with the help of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS 16.0.). Chi-square, Fischer exact test was applied to find out association.Results: The mean age of the study participants was 42.21±17.65 years, comprised of 23.7% male and 76.3% female. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 17.1% among study participants. Diabetes was found highest in 39-58-year age group (37.5%). Males were more affected with diabetes mellitus (22.2%) compared to females (15.5%). The study also revealed a significant association of diabetes mellitus with family history of diabetes mellitus (p value 0.00). Conclusions: Present study showed very high prevalence of diabetes mellitus among adult population. Healthy lifestyle measures might reduce burden of diabetes mellitus which could be evaluated in future research.
Phylogenetic identification and population differentiation of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) in Melanesia, as revealed by mitochondrial DNA

The taxonomic status of many dolphin populations remains uncertain in poorly studied regions of the world’s ocean. Here we attempt to clarify the phylogenetic identity of two distinct forms of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) described in the Melanesian region of the Pacific Ocean. Mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from samples collected in New Caledonia (n = 88) and the Solomon Islands (n = 19) were compared to previously published sequences of Tursiops spp. , representing four phylogenetic units currently recognized within the genus. Phylogenetic reconstructions confirm that the smaller coastal form in Melanesia belongs to the same phylogenetic unit as T. aduncus populations in the Pacific, but differs from T. aduncus in Africa, and that the larger more oceanic form belongs to the species T. truncatus. Analyses of population diversity reveal high levels of regional population structuring among the two forms, with contrasting levels of diversity. From a conservation perspective, genetic isolation of T. aduncus in the Solomon Islands raises further concern about recent impacts of the commercial, live-capture export industry. Furthermore, the low level of mtDNA diversity in T. aduncus of New Caledonia suggests a recent population bottleneck or founder effect and isolation. This raises concerns for the conservation status of these local populations.
Identification and origin of races of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola from Africa and other bean growing areas

Isolates of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola from Africa and other bean growing areas were categorized into nine races on the basis of their reactions to eight differential cultivars following artificial inoculation. Eight hundred and ninety-three isolates representing 303 disease occurrences were initially identified as P.s. pv. phaseolicola by their pathogenicity to bean, cultural and serological characteristics and phage sensitivity. These tests also served to distinguish P.s. pv. phaseolicola from the closely related pathovars P.s. pv. glycinea and P.s. pv. syringae. Detailed race determinations were carried out on 175 selected isolates of p.s. pv. phaseolicola representative of the different geographical regions and hosts in which the pathogen was found and nine races were identified. A number of races (1,2,5,6 and 7) were distributed worldwide with race 6 predominant. Other races were found mainly in Africa; races 3 and 4 in East/Central Africa and races 8 and 9 in Southern Africa. Most isolates were obtained from the major host, Phaseolus vulgaris. Alternative natural hosts included 10 legume species representative of seven different genera (Cajanus cajan, Desmodium sp., Lablab purpureus, Macroptilium atropurpureum, Neonotonia wightii, Phaseolus acutifolius, P. coccineus, P. lunatus, Vigna angularis and V. radiata). Of these, Desmodium sp. constitutes a new host record.
Desiccation and low temperature attenuate the effect of UVC254 nm in the photobiont of the astrobiologically relevant lichens Circinaria gyrosa and Buellia frigida

Abstract Several investigations on lichen photobionts (PBs) after exposure to simulated or real-space parameters consistently reported high viability and recovery of photosynthetic activity. These studies focused on PBs within lichen thalli, mostly exposed in a metabolically inactive state. In contrast, a recent study exposed isolated and metabolically active PBs to the non-terrestrial stressor UVC254 nm and found strong impairment of photosynthetic activity and photo-protective mechanisms (Meeßen et al. in 2014b). Under space and Mars conditions, UVC is accompanied by other stressors as extreme desiccation and low temperatures. The present study exposed the PBs of Buellia frigida and Circinaria gyrosa, to UVC in combination with desiccation and subzero temperatures to gain better insight into the combined stressors' effect and the PBs' inherent potential of resistance. These effects were examined by chlorophyll a fluorescence which is a good indicator of photosynthetic activity (Lüttge & Büdel in 2010) and widely used to test the viability of PBs after (simulated) space exposure. The present results reveal fast recovery of photosynthetic activity after desiccation and subzero temperatures. Moreover, they demonstrate that desiccation and cold confer an additional protective effect on the investigated PBs and attenuate the PBs' reaction to another stressor – even if it is a non-terrestrial one such as UVC. Besides other protective mechanisms (anhydrobiosis, morphological–anatomical traits and secondary lichen compounds), these findings may help to explain the high resistance of lichens observed in astrobiological studies.
Ozone exposure over two growing seasons alters root‐to‐shoot ratio and chemical composition of birch (Betula pendula Roth)

Physiological and chemical responses of 17 birch (Betula pendula Roth) clones to 1.5–1.7 × ambient ozone were studied in an open‐field experiment over two growing seasons. The saplings were studied for growth, foliar visible injuries, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll, carotenoid, Rubisco, total soluble protein, macronutrient and phenolic concentrations in leaves. Elevated ozone resulted in growth enhancement, changes in shoot‐to‐root (s/r) ratio, visible foliar injuries, reduced stomatal conductance, lower late‐season net photosynthesis, foliar nutrient imbalance, changes in phenolic composition, and reductions in pigment, Rubisco and soluble protein contents indicating accelerated leaf senescence. Majority of clones responded to ozone by changing C allocation towards roots, by stomatal closure (reduced ozone uptake), and by investment in low‐cost foliar antioxidants to avoid and tolerate ozone stress. A third of clones, showing increased s/r ratio, relied on inducible efficient high‐cost antioxidants, and enhanced leaf production to compensate ozone‐caused decline in leaf‐level net photosynthesis. However, the best ozone tolerance was found in two s/r ratio‐unaffected clones showing a high constitutive amount of total phenolics, investment in low‐cost antioxidants and N distribution to leaves, and lower stomatal conductance under ozone stress. The results highlight the importance of phenolic compounds in ozone defence mechanisms in the birch population. Depending on the genotype, ozone detoxification was improved by an increase in either efficient high‐cost or less efficient low‐cost antioxidative phenolics, with close connections to whole‐plant physiology.
Optimization of production of an extracellular alkaline protease by soil isolated bacillus species using submerged and solid- state fermentation with agricultural wastes

The present study focuses on the production of an extracellular alkaline protease enzyme from soil selected strains of various active solid substrates by Bacillus sp. , screened from soil. Some fermentation conditions were studied aiming to improve enzyme production-substrate; pH 9.0 and incubation temperature of 37° C given the best results. For the enzyme activity stability, the following best conditions were found: substrate pH of 13.0 and temperature of 55° C. Enzyme production by solid-state fermentation were studied using different agricultural solid wastes like rice bran, wheat bran, coconut oil cake, groundnut oil cake and gingili oil cake. The maximum enzyme activity was achieved from groundnut oil cake with soybean meal as substrate. Key words: Bacillus sp. , Solid state fermentation, alkaline protease.