Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exogenous salicylic acid alleviates NaCl toxicity and increases antioxidative enzyme activity in Lycopersicon esculentum

Effects of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) on plant growth, contents of Na, K, Ca and Mg, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase (CAT), and contents of ascorbate and glutathione were investigated in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plants treated with 100 mM NaCl. NaCl treatment significantly increased H2O2 content and lipid peroxidation indicated by accumulation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). A foliar spray of 1 mM SA significantly decreased lipid peroxidation caused by NaCl and improved the plant growth. This alleviation of NaCl toxicity by SA was related to decreases in Na contents, increases in K and Mg contents in shoots and roots, and increases in the activities of SOD, CAT, GPX and DHAR and the contents of ascorbate and glutathione. Additional key words: ascorbate, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione, lipid peroxidation, salt stress, superoxide dismutase.
Antibiotic-resistant soil bacteria in high-altitude (5000–6000 m) soils of the Himalaya

In this study, low-carbon soils collected from an altitude transect from 5000 m to 6000 m were adopted as a simple model system with lower interaction complexity. This could help disentangle the basic environmental factors shaping the abundance and distribution of expressed resistance traits in culturable portion of fast growing heterotrophic strains. Improved plate counts were performed at 4 °C using 0.01 diluted nutrient broth supplemented with cold soil extract as a general media and additionally supplemented with antibiotics Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Kanamycin and Tetracyclin. A number of colonies (500) isolated from six locations were also tested separately for their antibiotic resistance. The results show that these high-altitude cold soils contained bacterial populations culturable at 4 °C in the range of 106 cells / g that were resistant to the four antibiotics and their various combinations tested in this study. The highest prevalence of resistance was observed in vegetated soils, whereas almost two orders of magnitude lower abundance of resistant cells was cultured from barren soils. Redundancy analysis showed that vegetation, soil carbon and pH were successful in explaining the interaction between environmental parameters and various culturable fractions of cold soil bacteria used in this study.
Rapid lysis technique for mycobacterial species

The lysis of mycobacterial cells typically has been difficult and time-consuming. We report a method for the physical rupture of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and several other members of the family Mycobacteriaceae using a Mini-Beadbeater cell disrupter (Biospec Products; Bartlesville, Okla.) and zirconium beads, a process which yields DNA and RNA of high molecular weight and in greater quantity than that obtained by rupture in a Ribi pressure cell.
Impact of Leverage Position in Post-Acquisition – A Case Study of State Bank of India and State Bank of Mysore

Mergers and acquisitions are increasingly becoming strategic choice for organizational growth and achievement of business goals including profit, empire building, market dominance and long-term survival. The ultimate goal of this strategic choice of inorganic growth is, however, maximization of shareholder value. The phenomenon of rising M&A activity is observed world over across various continents, although, it has commenced much earlier in developed countries (as early as 1895 in US and 1920s in Europe), and is relatively recent in developing countries. In India, the real impetus for growth in M&A activity had been the ushering of economic reforms introduced in the year 1991, following the financial crisis and subsequent implementation of structural adjustment programme under the aegis of International Monetary Fund (IMF). In recent times, though the pace of M&As has increased significantly in India too and varied forms of this inorganic growth strategy are visible across various economic sectors. The term mergers and acquisitions encompass varied activities of stake acquisition and control of assets of different firms. Besides, there are several motives for different types of mergers and acquisitions seen in corporate world.
Expression of collagen type 1 alpha 1 indicates lymph node metastasis and poor outcomes in squamous cell carcinomas of the lung

Background Squamous cell carcinomas of the lung are an extremely common and deadly form of non-small cell lung cancers. Clinical management of the disease is dependent on staging and metastatic status. Metastasis to the lymph node is especially crucial to diagnose as it occurs at an earlier stage. However, lymphadenectomies are invasive and tumor cells may be overlooked during evaluation.There are limited approved biomarkers for predicting lymph node metastasis with squamous cell carcinomas of the lung (LSCC). Methods Genome data of 60 tumor-adjacent samples were downloaded from Genome Expression Omnibus. We identified over-expressed HUB genes using Cytoscape as key prognostic markers. The selected markers were further evaluated based on gene ontology and overall expression levels compared to normal tissue using The Cancer Genome Atlas. We further validated these results using clinical biopsy tissue taken from squamous cell carcinoma patients. Results Analysis of the genome expression data resulted in 13 relevant hub genes that were differentially expressed in cancerous samples. All of these genes are associated with collagen biosynthesis within the tumor microenvironment. We chose Collagen Type 1 Alpha 1 (COL1A1) as the most relevant prognostic marker due to its high number of pathway connections and over expression in the tumor microenvironment compared to the other 12 genes. Additionally, based on analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas, tumors with higher levels of COL1A1 expression are associated with poorer overall survival. Finally, evaluation of clinical biopsy samples suggests that overexpression of COL1A1 in the LSCC microenvironment highly correlates with lymph node metastasis. These results suggest COL1A1 is a clinically relevant marker that should be used to justify lymphadenectomies.
Association of Urinary Vitamin D-binding Protein and Megalin as Biomarkers for Diabetic Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Qatari Patients

have an increased rate of glucose intolerance in 17% of its population. Furthermore, in 2012, it was reported that the prevalence of Qatari T2DM patients was 16.7%, and by 2050, it is predicted to reach 24%, where most of T2DM are aged from 18 to 64 years old. Additionally, the prevalence of physical inactivity, obesity and active smoking were 45.9%, 41.4% and 16.4% respectively [4]. Obesity is considered to be a key factor that affects two-thirds of the incidence of T2DM Qatari patients. Therefore, evaluating the future of T2DM in Qatar is crucial to be notified to control the prevalence of the disease by addressing new preventive methods, early detection of the disease and therapeutic interventions [4]. Moreover, it is a worldwide metabolic disease in which its prevalence is rising to more than one million new cases annually in the USA [1]. Additionally, in 2015, diabetes results in up to 5 million deaths worldwide [5-13]. T2DM incidence differs significantly from one geographical area to another according to the variation of environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors. The prevalence of T2DM in adult patients is expected to rise in the next decades and to increase greatly in developing countries [14].
Effects of 1-MCP Combined Chitosan on Storage Quality of Fresh-cut Potato

The effects of 1-methylcyclopropene(1-MCP) combined chitosan on storage quality of fresh-cut potato during storage were investigated by treatment of the fresh-cut potato with the mixture of 1-MCP(2 μL/L) and chitosan(0.1-1.5%) and using fresh-cut potato without any reagent as check treatment(CK). The mixture of 1-MCP and 1.5% chitosan(1-MCP+1.5% chitosan treatment) showed to be the most effective treatment during the whole storage,followed by 1-MCP+1.0% chitosan,1-MCP+1.0% chitosan,1-MCP,1-MCP+0.5% chitosan and1-MCP+0.1% chitosan.1-MCP+1.5% chitosan treatment could maintain high activities of SOD and POD,delay the accumulation of MDA and decrease the Vc content and inhibit the activity of PPO and browning of fresh-cut potato,thus significantly maintain the storage quality of fresh-cut potato.
3d face reconstruction for VR HMDs in eye region

The study of 3D reconstruction using video or photos has been a big issue since the past. As machine learning advances facial wrinkles can be reconstructed in detail and facial expressions can be reconstructed in real-time, but there are no paper about the contents that reconstruct the eyes part intensively. In this paper, I introduce a new method for reconstructing the eye area and a new method for real-time 3d reconstruction us-ing only the head-mounted displays(HMDs) without complicated hardware device environment. For the reconstruction, neural networks were constructed using machine learning and lightest neural networks were used to operate in real-time. Using HMD, collect dataset for learning and make ground truth reconstruction object manually. Then I make our own dataset for eye region reconstruction. This neural network model enables 3d reconstruction with only one image and allows create expressions such as surprised and frowning to express more diverse expressions while the previous 3d reconstruction models only can realize the expression of closing or opening eyes.
Alteration in hematological profile of pregnant crossbred cattle of Assam after feeding some medicinal leaves/herbs and polyherbal preparation (Restobal) during their transition period.

The present investigation was undertaken to study the alteration in the haematological profile of pregnant crossbred cows after feeding them with some local herbs/leave and Restobal. Twelve multiparous pregnant crossbred cows (Jersey X Non descriptive local cows) of Assam were selected for the experiment which was divided into five groups. Group I was control without any treatment and Group II was fed Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica) the last three months of pregnancy to three months after parturition. Group III was fed with bogori leaves (Zizyphus mauritiana) orally. Group IV and group V were fed bamboo leaves and Restobal, a commercially available polyherbal preparation respectively daily from the last three months of pregnancy to three months after parturition. The RBC count ranged from (106/µl) 6.32 ± 0.04 to 7.10± 0.06 in the control group, 6.44 ± 0.05 to 7.35 ± 0.07 in group II, 6.30±0.01 to 6.64 ± 0.15 in group III, 6.34 ± 0.05 to 7.17 ± 0.12 in group IV and 6.39 ± 0.05 to 6.68 ± 0.12 in group V. A significant increase in the level of RBC count in group II on the day of calving (P < 0.01) and 15 days prior to parturition (P < 0.001) and till 45 days after parturition as compared to the control group might be due to the effect of feeding the animals with Neem leaves. Group IV animals those were given Restobal also showed an increase in the overall mean RBC count than that of the control group. The level of hemoglobin ranged from 10.05 ± 0.145 to 11.23 ± 0.236 (gm/dl) in the group I (control), 10.08 ± 0.189 to 11.24 ± 0.244 in group II, 10.33± 0.167 to 11.67 ±0.134 in group III, 10.42 ± 0.31 to 11.15 ± 0.405 in group IV and 10.22 ± 0.26 to 11.25 ± 0.245 in Group V during the experimental period. All the groups showed an apparent rise in the level of haemoglobin than that of control group. Analysis of variance has shown that overall mean of WBC count in Group II and III were found to be higher than that of the control group but the increase was not significant. Group III animals that were fed with Bogori leaves also showed a non significant increase in the WBC count than the control group. From the present study it can be concluded that the locally available medicinal herbs/leaves and Restobal did not have any deleterious effect on the animals during their transition period and their supplementation might be helpful in the maintenance of pregnancy and lactation.
Effect of different temperature on spindle in mouse oocytes

Objective In order to exam the effect of different temperature on spindle.Methods Mouse oocytes with or without polarbody were exposed to shifts from(37 ℃)(control),then to(38 ℃),(39 ℃),(40 ℃),(41 ℃) or(45 ℃);(35 ℃),(30 ℃) or(25 ℃) for(10 min) separately,the spindles were imaged with the LC-PolscopeTM.Results Spindles were intact at(37 ℃) during(20 min) of examination.The spindles in KM mouse oocytes were damaged at(45 ℃). The Retardance of Balb/C mouse MI oocytes which from(41 ℃) returened to(37 ℃) was significant different from those of other groups(P0.05). Cooling to(25 ℃),spindles were significant different from the spindles imaged before or after cooling(P0.05). Conclusion These results indicate that spindles in mouse oocytes are extremely sensitive to temperature changes. Moreover,maintenance of in vitro manipulation temperature at(37 ℃) is crucial for normal spindle function.
A NEW SPECIES AND SOME NEW RECORDS OF SHORE BUG FROM CHINA (HEMIPTERA: SALDIDAE)

Calacanthia sichuanicus sp. nov. (figs, 1-8)Body elongate, black, length 4.6-5.3 mm, width 2.5- 2.6mm. (♀), length 4.4- 4.6 mm. , width 2.1- 2.2mm. (♂). ' Head with black erect setae in frontal area and Vertex. Antennae rather Stout, blackish fuscous with the dorsal side of segment 1 and II flattened and flavous (♂ ), densely pilose with some scattered longer hairs. Antennal segments length 2:4.5:3.2:3.2. Rostrum long, extending between hind coxae. 'Pronoturn of male strongly shining, female with moderately dense pubescence, relatively duller than male, lateral margin slightly convex, hind margin not deeply impressed, anterior angle prominent, with dense and outwardly extending black setae, callus strongly elevated and shining. Scutellum black and shining (♂), obviously more convex than clavus whereas clavus rather low and flat, without pale marks in, female. Hemelytra rather dull, dark fuscous with large and irregular greyish marks, female with obviously bright yellowish marks, the suture between clavus and mesoeorium difficult to recognize. Claval commissure very long and shining. All the type specimens are brachypterous. Costal margin of corium rugulose from base to apex, Membrane black, coriaceous, not easy to separate from corium, cells III and IV with bright yellowish marks. All the hemelytra clothed with black erect setae and golden pubescence. Male genitalia see figs. 1- 8. Hblotype ♂,allotype ♂, pararypes 3♀♀, 3♂♂, Sichuan: Bating, 4500- 4700 m, 1982, 8. 20, Waag Shu-yong teg. (Deposited in Nankai University). Somewhat allied to Calacanthia angulosa (Kiritschenko), 1911, but body broader and darker, no flavous frontal callosities, lateral side of pronotum without yellowish margin, body with erect black setae dorsally, Claval commissure very long, male genitalia rather different.New records from China:Chiloxanthus pilosus (Fallen), 1807;Halosalda lateralis (Fallen), 1807; Micracanthia berg-rothi (Jakovlev), 1839; Sodala . burmanica Lindskog, 1975; Satdula orthochila (Fabricius), 1859; Saldula nobilis (Horvath), 1S84; Saldula arsenjevi . Vinokurov, 1981; Saldula opacula (Zetterstedt), 1839; Saldula fucicoli(J. sahlberg), 1870; Saldula melanoscela (.Fieber), 1859; Saldula pilosella (Thomson);1871;Saldula palustris(Douglas Scott), 1874; Saldula pallipes(Fabricius), 1794; Saldula xanthochila. (Fieber), 1859; Saldula arenicola (Schpltz), 1864; Soldo litioralis (Linnaeus), 1758; Salda moria Zettersted,1840;Salda sahlbergi(Reuter),1870; Telo-leuca kusnezovi Lindberg, 1934.
Morphometric characterization of the stingless bees, Tetragonula iridipennis Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Although, a good diversity of Tetragonula iridipennis is occurred in Northern Parts of the country, still very less studies have been conduced to explore their habitat and morphological features. Again, morphometry of drones of T. iridipennis is first time recorded in Temperate region/ Northern Parts of India. As by appearance, drone and worker bees look quite similar in appearance, the measurements of drone will help to distinguish them from worker bees. The studies will helpful in colonizing their feral colonies into hives and to design a suitable hives for their domestication.Significant differences were found in various body parts of all three castes. Further, results showed an important characteristic distinguish feature in morphology/morphometry in three castes were that the drone has 10 segmented flagellum while worker and queen bees had 9 segmented flagellum. Another key difference was found in the shape and size (length and width) of the mandibles, which were bi-dentate in drone (0.40±0.004 mm and 0.07±0.001 mm) and tri-dentate in worker (0.533±0.009 mm and 0.178±0.003 mm) and queen bees (0.624±0.049 mm and 0.154±0.003 mm).
The effect of root morphological traits and spatial distribution on WUE in maize

As water resources for agronomic use and the potential of engineer water-saving become more limiting,the improvement of water use efficiency(WUE) for plant themselves becomes increasingly more important.Root systems obviously play an important role in water acquisition for plants and are a significant component of tolerance to water-deficit stress.Yet,it is unclear what correlation exists between roots themselves and water use efficiency.We used three maize(Zea Mays L.) varieties,HD4(F_1),478(♂)and TS(♀) to study the relationship between various root characteristics and WUE under potted conditions conducted in a rainout shelter.The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between root characteristics and WUE.Regression analysis of WUE and total root length(TRL),root system surface area(RSA) and total root biomass(RBM) presented parabola relation.Their trends were basically similar.When TRL,RSA,and RBM were small,then WUE increased as root size increased.However,when those parameters increased to a certain value,WUE began to drop,which suggested that root systems should maintain a suitable size in order to have a high WUE.The greatest WUE occurred when RSA,TRL and RBM were 4714 cm~2,1.118×10~5cm and 22.8g,respectively.Among the root characteristics that were analyzed,TRL had the largest effect on WUE(r=0.9312,p0.01),RBM had the smallest effect(r=0.7141,p0.05),and RSA was intermediate(r=0.9055,p0.01). WUE was also affected by the root spatial distribution pattern along the axis of the root systems.Varieties 478 and TS had more large diameter roots in the dry,upper layer of the soil compared to the middle and lower layers.This led to a reduction in water absorption.In contrast,the HD4 had more roots in the middle and lower layers of the soil.Total root length of HD4 was also larger in the middle and lower levels,but root diameter was smaller.The overall result was that HD4 had a more efficient(or active)root number and lower resistance power of water absorption.This resulted in the higher yield and WUE of HD4 compared to 478 and TS.The results indicated that by breeding for suitable root morphological traits and spatial distribution pattern,we can increase the WUE of maize.In this way,we can simultaneously increase yield and save water.
Effects of heat stress on oocyte quality and embryo viability in swine

Miller, Andrew. M.S., Purdue University, December, 2015. Effects of heat stress on oocyte quality and embryo viability in swine. Major Professor: Zoltan Machaty Heat stress during oocyte maturation causes well-defined changes in the oocyte cytoplasm that leads to reduced developmental potential. Previous work has been done that supports this hypothesis, but the underlying reasons are still not fully understood. Our objective is to determine these underlying mechanisms that contribute to this reduction in overall development potential of the oocytes and the embryos. Oocytes underwent in vitro maturation (IVM) for 40-44 hours in one of two environments: 39°C (control), or 41°C (heat stress). The oocytes underwent multiple experiments: stage of meiosis after maturation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) size, total amount of Ca2+ stored in the ER, pattern of Ca2+ signal following in vitro fertilization (IVF), and embryo development after IVF. After 40-44 hours of IVM, oocytes were stained and their chromatin configuration was recorded. Heat-stressed oocytes showed a significant decrease in the ability to reach metaphase II of meiosis compared to the control group. Heat stressed oocytes also lowered the percentage of embryos developing to the blastocyst stage. Mobilized Ca2+ from the ER affects fertilization and subsequent embryo development. Administration of ionomycin caused oocytes to, in Ca2+-free medium, released Ca2+ from the intracellular stores. The average amplitude of the Ca2+ peaks was
Estimates of annual leaching losses of dissolved organic carbon from pastures on Allophanic Soils grazed by dairy cattle, Waikato, New Zealand

ABSTRACT Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux on a conventional New Zealand dairy farm was measured for 1 year to assess the contribution from DOC to the total farm C budget. Soil solution was collected using ceramic cups at 60 cm depth. Soil drainage was calculated from a water balance model using rainfall, evaporation and soil water storage data from two eddy covariance systems. Solution was collected approximately every 14 days. The DOC concentration was 5.7±15.6 µg C ml-1 (mean and standard deviation). No significant differences (P<0.05) in DOC concentrations were detected between the four soil types, the two sampling areas, nor date of sampling. The accumulative amount of DOC leached was obtained by combining the soil solution concentrations with the daily estimates of drainage. The mean annual amount of DOC leached was 13–29 kg C ha-1 y-1and the contributed 2–5% to the net farm annual carbon balance.
A note on correlational measures

Author(s): Schlimmer, Jeffrey C. | Abstract: Determining the degree to which two events are interrelated is a common subtask for artificial intelligence systems, especially learning systems. This note examines four correlational measures which allow quantization of the relationships between events. Despite the fact that the measures have diverse motivations and formulations, they all indicate irrelevance precisely at the point of statistical independence.