Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary Propolis Supplement Improves Semen Characteristics in Egyptian Buffaloes

Buffalo bulls frequently present with infertility, and reproductive improvement in such animals is of great importance. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary propolis supplementation on semen characteristics, including volume, sperm motility, viability, physiological abnormalities, sperm count, seminal antioxidant level, seminal α-glucosidase activity, and serum testosterone level. This study was carried out on nine buffalo bulls divided into three groups supplemented daily with 150 mg/kg DM/head propolis, 100 mg/kg DM/head propolis, or fed a basal control. After 2 months, semen samples were collected for biochemical analysis of various parameters and serum samples were collected for measuring total testosterone levels. Results showed that propolis supplementation increased semen volume, sperm motility, and live sperm percentage, with a concomitant reduction in the percentage of abnormal sperm. Antioxidant activity of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase increased in groups that received propolis, with a concurrent decline in malondialdehyde concentration. Also, α-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma and serum testosterone levels showed a marked increase after propolis supplementation. In conclusion, these results suggest that dietary propolis may enhance semen characteristics in Egyptian buffaloes
(Evaluation of root penetration ability using wax petroleum jelly layers in traditional and non traditional rice in Merauke)

Rice is the most important commodity in Agriculture in Indonesia. Rice germplasm resource need more attention seriously in order to preserve superior characteristic of plant rice that are resistant to biotic and abiotic stress. Drought stress is the major factor that influences rice productivity. The aim of this research is to identify drought tolerance characteristic in traditional and non traditional rice from Merauke based on the root penetration ability. The research conducted from May to October 2018 inside the screen house of Agrotechnology Department, Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Musamus. The methods used wax petroleum jelly layer to simulate soil compaction. The research using 4 rice genotype as the sample rsesearch, it were 2 native rice genotipe Cempo laut and Palenok; and non native rice genotipe Inpago 10 and IR 64. The seedling planted and grown inside the PVC paralon 15 cm
Vanda funingensis , a new species of Orchidaceae (Epidedroideae; Vandeae; Aeridinae) from China: evidence from morphology and DNA

Vanda funingensis , a new orchid species from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated here. This species, which has thin, regular tepals, a slender spur, and a relatively dense inflorescence, is superficially similar to species of Vanda s.l. with Ascocentrum -like flowers. However, the plant differs from the latter by having labellum structures shared by Vanda s.s . , longitudinal ridges on the adaxial surface and no expansion of the spur apex. Furthermore, molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that the new species is a member of sect. Testacea from Vanda s.s . , especially V. coerulescens (in the nrITS analysis) and V. testacea . This new species is distinguished from the other two species by having flat petals, a rectangular midlobe with three inconspicuous ridges adaxially and a long, tubular spur.
Behavior on Transfer of Serum Stimulated Bone Marrow Colonies.∗

Summary Transfer studies of developing in vitro mouse bone marrow colonies have shown that the colony stimulating factor in leukemic mouse serum is required both to trigger colony formation and for continued division of colony cells. Cross reactivity of colony stimulating activity was demonstrable between the sera of leukemic Swiss, Moloney and AKR mice and human mononucleosis serum. Transfer studies have demonstrated the feasibility of cloning developing bone marrow colony cells, the cloning efficiency varying from 19 to 47%. Cloning did not lead to the renewed formation of true colonies of the type developing de novo from stimulated bone marrow cells.
Luciferase and Urate may act as Antioxidant Defenses in Larval Pyrearinus termitilluminans (Elateridae: Coleoptera) During Natural Development and upon 20‐Hydroxyecdysone Treatment

Insects show unique adaptations to cope with oxidative challenges during larval development, metamorphosis and adulthood. Our previous findings suggested that bioluminescence may act as an auxiliary oxygen‐detoxifying mechanism in larvae of Pyrearinus termitilluminans (Elateridae: Coleoptera). We now study the antioxidant status in larval P. termitilluminans, evaluated in terms of levels of chemical and enzymatic antioxidant defenses, as compared to luciferase activity in the prothorax (intensely bright) and abdomen (dim) of the larvae, during natural‐ and 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20‐HE)‐induced development. In the prothorax, relative total SOD activities in small (<1 cm), medium (1–2 cm) and large (>2 cm) larvae were 1.00:0.53:0.32. Catalase activity also decreased with development (1.00:0.69:0.55). In contrast, prothorax luciferase activities and urate content increased with ratios of 1.0:2.2:2.5 and 1:15:97, respectively. No increases were found in the level of prothorax lipid and protein oxidation. In the abdomen, luciferase activity decreased markedly with development (1.00:0.33:0.17), as did other antioxidant enzymes, including dehydroascorbate reductase (1.00:0.59:0.17) and levels of lipid peroxidation products and protein carbonyls. Similar variations were observed in antioxidant enzyme activities when the larvae were treated with 20‐HE, except for prothorax catalase. As observed in natural larval growth, luciferase activity was augmented (two‐fold in prothorax) upon steroid treatment, and the levels of thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances were magnified in both segments. The increase of luciferase activity and a higher urate content in the prothorax during larval development may reflect metabolic adaptations to keep levels of oxyradicals low in order to compensate for decreased antioxidant enzyme activities.
Resistance of different wheat varieties to Macrosiphum avenae

The tolerance to aphid Macrosiphum avenae(Fabricius)of 18 varieties of wheat and the quantity of aphid in the field were studied to analyze the relationship.The results showed that,(1) Although the quantity of aphid on the varieties of Tm44,AmigoF3,Amigo,AmigoF2,AmigoF4 and 98-10-9 was higher than the others,the rate of product reduction was not larger;(2) The quantity of aphid and rate of product reduction of the varieties of Largo,98-10-32,Shaan 229,98-10-35,XZ13 female parent,PI-tall and third generation of XZ1 were both lower than the others;(3) The quantity of aphid on variety of PI-short was the highest,and the rate of product reduction was second highest. (4) The variety of 98-10-34 was obviously susceptible to pests,and the varieties of 98-10-30,third generation of XZ13 and Qianjinzao were also susceptible to aphid because their rate of product reduction were relatively higher,although they were have infected fewer aphids.The influence of 4 varieties of wheat on life cycle and production of M.avenae were studied indoor.The results showed that different wheat varieties had different effects on survival rate,developmental duration and net reproduction rate of M.avenae,which indicated the significantly different resistance to aphids.
Decreased Efficiency of Trypsinization of Cells Following Photodynamic Therapy: Evaluation of a Role for Tissue Transglutaminase ¶

Identifying the cellular responses to photodynamic therapy (PDT) is important if the mechanisms of cellular damage are to be fully understood. The relationship between sensitizer, fluence rate and the removal of cells by trypsinization was studied using the RIF‐1 cell line. Following treatment of RIF‐1 cells with pyridinium zinc (II) phthalocyanine (PPC), or polyhaematoporphyrin at 10 mW cm−2 (3 J cm−2), there was a significant number of cells that were not removed by trypsin incubation compared to controls. Decreasing the fluence rate from 10 to 2.5 mW cm−2 resulted in a two‐fold increase in the number of cells attached to the substratum when PPC used as sensitizer; however, with 5,10,15,20 meso‐tetra(hydroxyphenyl) chlorin (m‐THPC) there was no resistance to trypsinization following treatment at either fluence rate. The results indicate that resistance of cells to trypsinization following PDT is likely to be both sensitizer and fluence rate dependent. Increased activity of the enzyme tissue‐transglutaminase (tTGase) was observed following PPC‐PDT, but not following m‐THPC‐PDT. Similar results were obtained using HT29 human colonic carcinoma and ECV304 human umbilical vein endothelial cell lines. Hamster fibrosarcoma cell (Met B) clones transfected with human tTGase also exhibited resistance to trypsinization following PPC‐mediated photosensitization; however, a similar degree of resistance was observed in PDT‐treated control Met B cells suggesting that tTGase activity alone was not involved in this process.
Analysis of Resistance-related Proteins in Rice Against Brown Planthopper by Two-dimensional Electrophoresis

A recombinant inbred population (RI) was constructed from a cross between B5, an introgression line from the wild rice Oryza officinalis Wall. ex Watt, and susceptible cultivar Minghui 63 (O. sativa L.). The brown planthopper (BPH) resistances of RI lines were evaluated. Based on bulked segregant analysis (BSA), two protein bulks were made by extracting proteins from equally mixed seedlings of extremely resistant and susceptible plants selected from the RI population, respectively. Two-dimensional electrophoresis was used to detect the changes of polypeptide pattern. Results showed that a protein P40 (pI 6.3, Mw 40 kD) was significantly reduced or vanished after BPH infestation for 48 h in the susceptible bulk, while it remained uninfluenced in the resistant bulk. In connection with the physiological changes of the resistant and susceptible lines subjected to BPH sucking, we suppose that the protein P40 is related to the interaction responses of rice plants to BPH infestation.
Comparisons of the Structural and Chemical Properties of Melanosomes Isolated from Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Iris and Choroid of Newborn and Mature Bovine Eyes ¶

Melanosomes were isolated from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), iris and choroid of mature (age >2 years) and newborn (age <1 week) bovine eyes. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to analyze the morphology of the melanosomes, which were found to vary among different tissues and different ages. While the total content of amino acids differs slightly (ranging from 9% to 15% by mass), the distributions of the amino acids are similar. The pheomelanin content is low in the choroid and the RPE (0.1–0.5%), and moderate in the iris (<2%); therefore, the major melanin component of bovine eye melanosomes is eumelanin, independent of the shape of the melanosomes. The yields of pyrrole‐2,3,5‐tricarboxylic acid from melanosomes decrease in the following order: choroid > iris > RPE, and exhibit decreasing yields with age. 13C solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis of iris and choroid melanosomes indicates the same trends. These observations suggest that the 5,6‐dihydroxyindole‐2‐carboxylic acid contents decrease in the following order: choroid > iris > RPE, and decrease with age. Moreover, the 13C solid‐state NMR spectra show ( 1 ) for the same age samples, the CH:Cq ratio for choroid is larger than that for iris melanosomes; and ( 2 ) an increase in the concentration of carbonyl groups with age within each type of melanosome.
Relationship Between mTHPC Fluorescence Photobleaching and Cell Viability During In Vitro Photodynamic Treatment of DP16 Cells ¶

An implicit dosimetric model has been proposed in which biological damage caused by photodynamic therapy (PDT) is monitored through the decrease in sensitizer fluorescence during treatment. To investigate this, in vitro experiments were performed in which DP16 cells were incubated in meta‐tetra(hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (mTHPC) and then irradiated with 514 nm light. Photosensitizer concentration, fluence rate and oxygenation were independently controlled and monitored during the treatment. Fluorescence of mTHPC was continuously monitored via a charge‐coupled device–coupled spectrometer during treatment and, at selected fluence levels, cell viability was determined using a trypan blue exclusion assay. The relationship of cell viability to normalized fluorescence was obtained for the different treatment conditions. The relationship was independent of cell medium oxygenation, treatment fluence rate and sensitizer incubation concentration except at a high mTHPC concentration (4 μg/mL). This relationship suggests that fluorescence bleaching may be used to predict mTHPC PDT damage in vitro.
Ultraviolet‐B Radiation Effects on Antioxidant Status and Survival in the Zebrafish, Brachydanio rerio ¶

Direct impact of ambient (1.95 W/m2) and subambient doses of UV‐B radiation on muscle/skin tissue antioxidant status was assessed in mature zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio). The influence of these doses on hatching success and survival in earlier life stages was also examined. Subambient doses of UV‐B radiation in the presence (1.28 W/m2) and absence (1.72 W/m2) of a cellulose acetate filter significantly depressed muscle/skin total glutathione † (TGSH) levels compared with controls (0.15 W/m2) and low (0.19 W/m2) UV‐B–treated fish after 6 and 12 h cumulative exposure. Ambient UV‐B exposure significantly decreased muscle/skin glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity after a 6 h exposure; activities of glutathione reductase (GR) were unchanged over this exposure period. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities peaked after 6 and 12 h cumulative exposure, respectively, but fell back to control levels by the end of the exposure period. The changes in tissue antioxidant status suggested UV‐B–mediated increases in cytosolic superoxide anion radicals (O2−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This apparent UV‐B–mediated increase in oxidative stress is further supported by a significant increase in muscle/skin thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Hatching success of newly fertilized eggs continuously exposed to ambient UV‐B was only 2% of the control value. Even at 30 and 50% of ambient UV‐B, hatching success was only 80 and 20%, respectively, of the control. Newly hatched larvae exposed to an ambient dose of UV‐B, experienced 100% mortality after a 12 h cumulative exposure period. This study supports a major impact of UV‐B on both the mature and embryonic zebrafish.
A far‐red fluorescent contrast agent to image epidermal growth factor receptor expression

Recent developments in optical technologies have the potential to improve the speed and accuracy of screening and diagnosis of curable precancerous lesions and early cancer, thereby decreasing the costs of detection and management of epithelial malignancies. The development of molecular‐specific contrast agents for markers of early neoplastic transformation could improve the detection and molecular characterization of premalignant lesions. In the oral cavity, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression has been identified in early stages of premalignant lesions of the oral squamous cell carcinoma; therefore, real‐time assessment of EGFR expression could serve as a biomarker for oral neoplasia. The purpose of our study was to develop a molecular‐specific optical contrast agent targeted against EGFR for in vivo assessment of epithelial neoplasia using a monoclonal antibody and the far‐red fluorescent dye, Alexa Fluor® 660 streptavidin. In addition to demonstrating the specificity of the contrast agent for EGFR in cell lines, we document the ability to achieve penetration through 500 μm thick epithelial layers using multilayer tissue constructs and permeability‐enhancing agents. Finally, using the fluorescence intensity of the contrast agent on fresh oral cavity tissue sections, we were able to distinguish abnormal from normal oral tissue. This contrast agent should have important clinical applications for use in conjunction with fluorescence spectroscopy or imaging (or both) to facilitate tumor detection and demarcation.
Preclinical Studies in Normal Canine Prostate of a Novel Palladium‐Bacteriopheophorbide (WST09) Photosensitizer for Photodynamic Therapy of Prostate Cancer ¶

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses light to activate a photosensitizer to achieve localized tumor control. In this study, PDT mediated by a second‐generation photosensitizer, palladium‐bacteriopheophorbide WST09 (Tookad) was investigated as an alternative therapy for prostate cancer. Normal canine prostate was used as the animal model. PDT was performed by irradiating the surgically exposed prostate superficially or interstitially at 763 nm to different total fluences (100 or 200 J/cm2; 50, 100 or 200 J/cm) at 5 or 15 min after intravenous administration of the drug (2 mg/kg). Areas on the bladder and colon were also irradiated. The local light fluence rate and temperature were monitored by interstitial probes in the prostate. All animals recovered well, without urethral complications. During the 1 week to 3 month posttreatment period, the prostates were harvested for histopathological examination. The PDT‐induced lesions showed uniform hemorrhagic necrosis and atrophy, were well delineated from the adjacent normal tissue and increased linearly in diameter with the logarithm of the delivered light fluence. A maximum PDT‐induced lesion size of over 3 cm diameter could be achieved with a single interstitial treatment. There was no damage to the bladder or rectum caused by scattered light from the prostate. The bladder and rectum were also directly irradiated with PDT. At 80 J/cm2, a full‐depth necrosis was observed but resulted in no perforation. At 40 J/cm2, PDT produced minimal damage to the bladder or rectum. On the basis of optical dosimetry, we have estimated that 20 J/cm2 is the fluence required to produce prostatic necrosis. Thus, the normal structure adjacent to the prostate can be safely preserved with careful dosimetry. At therapeutic PDT levels, there was no structural or functional urethral damage even when the urethra was within the treated region. Hence, Tookad‐PDT appears to be a promising candidate for prostate ablation in patients with recurrent, or possibly even primary, prostate cancer.
In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of Photofrin® and Pheophorbide a, a Bacteriochlorin, in Photodynamic Therapy of Colonic Cancer Cells ¶

This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in treating colonic cancer in a preclinical study. Photofrin®, a porphyrin mixture, and pheophorbide a (Ph a), a bacteriochlorin, were tested on HT29 human colonic tumor cells in culture and xenografted into athymic mice. Their pharmacokinetics were investigated in vitro, and the PDT efficacy at increasing concentrations was determined with proliferative, cytotoxic and apoptotic assessments. The in vivo distribution and pharmacokinetics of these dyes (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) were investigated on HT29 tumor‐bearing nude mice. The inhibition of tumor growth after a single 100 J/cm2 PDT session was measured by the changes in tumor volume and by histological analysis of tumor necrosis. PDT inhibited HT29 cell growth in culture. The cell photodamage occurred since the time the concentrations of Ph a and Photofrin® reached 5.10−7M (or 0.3 μg/mL) and 10 μg/mL, respectively. A photosensitizer dose–dependent DNA fragmentation was observed linked to a cleavage of poly(ADP–ribose) polymerase and associated with an increased expression of mutant‐type p53 protein. PDT induced a 3‐week delay in tumor growth in vivo. The tumor injury was corroborated by histological observation of necrosis 48 h after treatment, with a correlated loss of specific enzyme expression in most of the tumor cells. In conclusion, PDT has the ability to destroy human colonic tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. This tumoricidal effect is likely associated with a p53‐independent apoptosis, as HT29 cells express only mutated p53. The current study suggests a preferential use of Photofrin® in PDT of colonic cancer because it should be more effective in vivo than Ph a as a consequence of better tumor uptake.
Protective Effect of Superoxide Dismutase Against Hair Graying in a Mouse Model ¶

Oxygen free radicals play a role in the aging process, and the protective effect of various antioxidants has been intensively studied, in particular for cutaneous aging. Besides hereditary factors, free radical‐mediated damage to melanocytes of the hair follicle has been considered as a mechanism for aging of the hair. It was the aim of this study to evaluate the role of photosensitization reactions for hair graying and to demonstrate potential protective effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Mice with black hair were depilated with the fingertips on a surface of 6 × 2.5 cm on both sides of the dorsum. The right side received five applications of a SOD‐containing gel before exposure to psoralen (concentration 0.5 mg/mL) plus UV‐A (365 nm, 4 J/cm2). The left side was pretreated in the same way with a gel free of SOD. When the hair started growing again, the SOD‐protected side was covered with black hair, whereas the hair on the vehicle‐treated side was gray or white in 27 of the 30 animals studied. The 0.01% SOD concentration was as protective as the 0.1% concentration. Heat‐inactivated SOD, applied in another five animals, was not protective. Using fluorescent labeling of the SOD with fluorescein isothiocyanate, epifluorescence microscopy and digital imaging processing, we show that SOD applied to the skin surface penetrates through the follicular appendages, as well as through the unbroken stratum corneum. Our findings suggest that superoxide radicals, generated by interaction of UV‐A light with the sensitizer, initiated the formation of secondary products with well‐known DNA‐damaging effects, such as lipid peroxidation products and tumor necrosis factor alpha. SOD prevented the damage to melanocyte DNA by dismutating superoxide. Photosensitization may be another mechanism for hair graying, which can be influenced by antioxidants. Given the large number of exogenous and endogenous sensitizers, this mechanism deserves further study for human hair graying.
PHOTOTROPISM *

Summary Phototropic curvature is seen to varying degrees in all green plants from algae to orchids, and especially in seedlings, where it may assume life‐or‐death importance. It also occurs in a number of fungi. Recent work centers on the photorecptor, its action spectrum, the effector mechanism, and the inter‐relationships with normal growth.