Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Screening of drought oxidative stress tolerance in Serbian melliferous plant species

This study was designed to examine and compare antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities of leaves of six different melliferous plant species ( Populus alba, Robinia pseudoacacia, Sophora japonica, Euodia hupehensis, Tilia sp., Fraxinus sp .) from Serbia in order to evaluate their drought oxidative stress tolerance. Experiment was conducted during June, July and August. In this study, we reported the results concerning proline accumulation, soluble protein content, quantities of malonyldialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity determined by FRAP method and scavenger activity determined by DPPH method. According to our results, all melliferous plant species were subjected to drought oxidative stress during July when soil humidity decreased. During July, proline content and MDA quantity increased and soluble proteins decreased in all investigated species. High and permanent antioxidant activity during the whole investigated period was observed in P. alba , but insufficient to protect its leaves from oxidative injury during the period of drought in July. The highest ability to accumulate proline and highest protein content under severe drought stress in July was observed in Fraxinus sp. Other investigated antioxidant parameters (total antioxidant and DPPH radical scavenger capacities) were high and accumulation of MDA was low which indicate high drought oxidative stress tolerance. Therefore, highest ability to adapt under severe drought stress and highest drought oxidative stress tolerance were observed in Fraxinus sp . Key words : Melliferous trees , lipid peroxidation, DPPH, FRAP, proline accumulation.
Histochemical Studies Of Cochlospermum Religiosum (l) Alston

Traditional medicines are prepared from a single plant or combination of plants. Histochemical studies are helpful in drug adulteration and biosystematics arrangement. The present study deals with the location or identification of phytochemicals like tannins, polyphenols, crystals and starch grains in various regions of leaf, stem and stembark of Cochlospermum religiosum by using different chemicals or reagents (FeCl3, Iodine solution, Toluidine blue reagent and HCl). The results showed that the bluish black, purple or blue, bluish green and dark black colour indicates the presence of tannins, starch grains, polyphenols and crystals in various regions like epidermis, endodermis, midrib, cortex and vascular bundle of leaf, stem and stembark of Cochlospermum religiosum. These observations could be of immense value in the botanical identification and standardization of crude drug.
CHOICE OF MACROPHYTE SUBSTRATE IN THE USE OF DIATOMS AS INDICATORS OF POND WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT: PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE CASE OF ALALAY POND (COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA)

Alalay Pond is a 230-hectare, shallow aquatic ecosystem within Cochabamba, the third largest city in Bolivia. With the aim to determine the suitability of epiphytic diatoms for water quality assessment in the pond and to choose a substrate that would hold a representative bioindicator epiphytic community, the macrophytes Schoenoplectus californicus subsp. tatora (Kunth) T. Koyama, Typha dominguensis Pers. , Myriophyllum verticillatum L. and Azolla filiculoides Lam. were selected and differences in diatom community composition and structure were tested. Diatoms were collected during four sampling campaigns in the MarchSeptember, 2011 period, from three stations contiguous to the pelagic zone and prepared for analysis using standard, internationally used protocols. In all, 27 samples were collected from which 28 taxa characteristic of eutrophic environments were identified and 17 others could not be assigned names from the literature. Although many of the species are shared among sampling sites, the epiphytic communities developing at each station were different in structure and composition. Although, there are marked temporal variations in community features on each of the macrophytes, Shannon-Wiener and Pielou indexes, as well as canonical correspondence analysis, showed no marked differences within a single campaign and station among the 4 macrophytes. Shifts in structure and composition are denoted less commonly by species replacement and more often by changes in percent relative abundance of dominant and rare species. Very few species are restricted to a station or seem to show strong preference for a particular substrate. Taking into account growth, structural and ecological characteristics, as well as some phenological features of the macrophytes, S. californicus subsp. tatora and T. dominguensis are the most suitable substrates for water quality assessments in the pond. As demonstrated by multivariate analyses, among-site and time-scale differences in community composition and structure
The Metabolic Effects of Two Meals with The Same Glycaemic Index But Different Slowly Available Glucose Parameters Determined In Vitro: a Pilot Study

Some foods with a similar Glycaemic Index (GI) are known to have different metabolic impacts in terms of blood glucose and insulin responses. This difference could be explained by the difference in the rapidly and slowly Available Glucose (RAG and SAG) values for the foods determined in vitro. This study was set up to investigate the metabolic impact of two meals with essentially the same GI and macronutrient content but with different SAG values. Twelve healthy male subjects were recruited from the University of Surrey postgraduate student population. RAG and SAG values were measured for each meal based on enzymatic hydrolysis of carbohydrate content. The postprandial glucose, insulin, Triacylglycerol (TAG) and Non-Esterified Fatty Acid (NEFA) responses to high and low SAG meals were determined in two randomised occasions. The incremental Area Under the Curve (iAUC) for glucose and insulin was 106.3 ± 14.46 and 26550 ± 3266, respectively for the low SAG meal. The high SAG meal produced a lower glucose and insulin response with an iAUC of 88.1 ± 10.67 and 23701 ± 3065, respectively; although this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.21 and 0.33 respectively). This work has demonstrated that small differences can occur in the metabolic response for low and high SAG meals in terms of the glucose and insulin levels. This highlights that RAG and SAG values may be an important adjunct to the GI of foods in determining metabolic response.
Assessment of mineral substances level and antioxidant potential in leaves of three guava tree varieties

Guava tree leaves are used empirically for the treatment and prevention of several pathologies, however, few studies report the chemical composition and the biological activity of the species. In this context, this study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the chemical composition and the antioxidant activity of the leaves of Paluma, Pedro Sato and Século XXI cultivars. The leaves were oven dried at 37°C, for five days. After drying they were ground in order to obtain the meal. The parameters analyzed were phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, dietary fiber, minerals and antioxidant activity by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and beta-carotene/linoleic acid methods. The Século XXI cultivar presented the highest contents of phenolic compounds, dietary fiber and antioxidant activity by the DPPH method, as well as the contents of the minerals copper and manganese. The contents of ascorbic acid and iron were higher for Paluma and Século XXI cultivars. Cultivar Paluma presented the highest percentages of oxidation inhibition for linoleic acid and for the mineral magnesium. Cultivar Pedro Sato presented the highest iron content. Regarding zinc, there was no significant difference among the cultivars analyzed.
Experientialism, Materialism, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Previous research indicates that materialistic aspirations are negatively associated with happiness and psychological health. Recent research extends these findings by demonstrating that allocating discretionary resources toward life experiences makes people happier than allocating discretionary resources toward material possessions. Respondents to various surveys have indicated that purchases made with the intention of acquiring life experiences make them happier than purchases made with the intention of acquiring material possessions. Thinking about experiential purchases has also been shown to produce more positive feelings than thinking about material purchases. Other studies suggest that experiential purchases make people happier because they are more open to positive reinterpretations, are more resistant to disadvantageous comparisons, and foster successful social relationships more than material purchases.
Comparative Studies of H5N1 Gene Segments with other Subtypes of Influenza- A Virus.

Comparative genomics of H5N1 virus will help to analyze the evolution of subtypes of Influenza A viruses and to know the differences in their genes and surface proteins which could be useful in understanding their mode of action. In this study we have compared all gene segments and proteins of H5N1 with other types of influenza-A viruses such as H1N1, H2N2, H3N2 and H9N2.The comparative analysis revealed that H5N1 was phylogenetically closer to H9N2. Homology percentages of eight genes of H1N1, H2N2, H3N1, H5N1 and H9N2 were calculated. Average homology of genes of aligned segments in subtypes of H5N1, H9N1 was found to be 81.5%.
Effect of temperature of storage and age of fowl eggs on hatchability and sex ratio, growth, and viability of the chickens.

Fertile White Leghorn eggs were stored for periods ranging from 24 hr to 7 days in environments controlled at 40, 60, or 80°F and 70 per cent. relative humidity. The eggs were then incubated, and observations on numbers of incubator clears and dead embryos at 10 days and again at 17 days, numbers of chickens hatched, weight at hatching, sex ratio, weight of pullets at 14 days of age, and mortalities were recorded. Eggs stored at 40 and 60°F showed no effect of age of egg on number of clears, dead embryos, or number of chickens hatched. Eggs stored at 80°F showed a rapid fall in number of chickens hatched with age of egg before incubation, this effect being produced by increases in number of clears and dead embryos. Storage at 40°F produced a lower number of chickens hatched than at 60°F, owing to a higher number of incubator clears. There was no difference in sex ratio between chickens hatched from eggs stored at 60 and 80°F, neither departing significantly from 50 per cent. pullets. However, storage at 40°F produced significantly more pullets than cockerels, 54.6 per cent. of the chickens being pullets. Storage temperature and age of egg did not affect the hatching weight of the chickens, but when 14 days old, pullets from the eggs stored at 80°F were significantly heavier than pullets from the other groups.
Red knots give up flight capacity and defend food processing capacity during winter starvation

Summary 1During the last phase of starvation, animals depend mainly on protein breakdown. All organs are a potential protein source. Do starving animals prevent particular organs from being catabolized in order to defend certain functions? In this study we investigated if starving birds maintain locomotion and digestion capacities, both essential for the recovery process. 2We compared body composition data of healthy wintering and winter-starved red knots (Calidris canutus islandica), a long-distance migrating shorebird that breeds on High Arctic tundra in Canada and Greenland, and winters in temperate coastal areas such as the Wadden Sea and the British estuaries. Throughout the wintering period they eat hard-shelled molluscs ingested whole. 3Our results showed that winter-starved knots had catabolized 60·5% of their pectoral muscles. This was much more than the decrease in overall body mass (32·5%). As a result, their flight capacities will have been reduced. 4Winter-starved knots defended the muscular gizzard, which lost only 21·2% of its mass. As knots crack the ingested shellfish with their gizzard, the organ is essential for food processing. The intestines and liver were not defended; their atrophy equalled that of the pectoral muscles (60·6% and 61·3%, respectively). 5Comparison with data from the literature led to the conclusion that starving birds only defend organs that are essential to either obtain or process food. These organs are maintained at the minimal level of normal capacity. Other organs decrease below this level and may lose much of their functional capacity. 6Even in near-death situations, with low fitness prospects, organisms show interpretably adaptive changes in organ size.
Studies on Adrenergic and Gholinergic Receptors in the Isolated Hearts of Lampetra fluviatilis (Cyclostomata) and Pleuronectes platessa (Teleostei)

An attempt has been made to characterize the adrenergic and cholinergic receptors in the isolated hearts of the lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis and the plaice Pleuronectes platessa. In both species hearts respond to adrenaline, noradrenaline and isoprenaline in the same way as the isolated mammalian heart and the effect of these agents is blocked by a β-receptor blocking agent. The adrenergic receptors thus are of the β-type. The cholinergic receptors are different in the heart of the two species. In the lamprey heart the cholinergic receptors are of the curaresensitive type and these receptors seem to be the only existing type of cholinergic receptors in the heart of this species. In the plaice heart, however, the cholinergic receptors are of the same nature as in the mammalian heart i.e. of the hexamethonium and the atropine sensitive type. The effects of nicotine and tyramine on the isolated lamprey and plaice hearts have been discussed with regard to the existence and localization of catecholamines in the hearts of these species.
Comparison of the Antioxidant Activity of Aspalathin with That of Other Plant Phenols of Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis), α-Tocopherol, BHT, and BHA

The antioxidant activity of aspalathin, the major flavonoid of unfermented rooibos tea, was compared with that of other polyphenols present in rooibos tea, α-tocopherol, BHT, and BHA using the β-carotene bleaching, α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and automated Rancimat methods. The phenolic compounds include the flavonoids vitexin, rutin, quercetin, luteolin, isoquercitrin, (+)-catechin, and the phenolic acids protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, syringic acid, and vanillic acid. (+)-Catechin had the longest induction period according to the Rancimat method, while BHT was the most effective inhibitor of β-carotene bleaching. Compounds with the highest degree of DPPH radical scavenging and highest rate of scavenging were caffeic acid and aspalathin, respectively. Aspalathin offered less protection against lipid oxidation than BHT and α-tocopherol according to the Rancimat and β-carotene methods, but it displayed a higher ability t.
ARTHROPOD RESOURCE PARTITIONING AMONG OMNIVOROUS TANAGERS (TANGARA SPP.) IN WESTERN ECUADOR

Abstract The distribution and abundance of food are primary factors affecting resource-use patterns in birds. Many bird species eat several food types, which may differ in their distribution and overall abundance. I studied foraging ecology of seven sympatric species of Tangara at Mindo, Ecuador, to determine whether the patterns of resource use differed between two food types: arthropods and fruits. Interspecific differences in arthropod-foraging were manifested in the fine segregation of microhabitat preference combined with different habitat use. By contrast, interspecific differences in fruit-foraging were manifested in preferences for different plant genera, often associated with different habitats. No evidence was found for spatial partitioning of the same fruit species. Interspecific overlap in fruit-for- aging was 3× higher than that in arthropod-foraging, and species of Tangara that frequently joined the same mixed-species flocks differed largely in arthropod-foraging but overlapped greatly in fruit-foraging. The differences in patterns between arthropod and fruit-foraging may be explained by the different characteristics of arthropods and fruits as food resources. High sympatry of species of Tangara and other omnivorous tanagers, in general, appears to be maintained not because fruits are abundant, resulting in little competition for them, but because these tanagers specialize on different microhabitats for foraging arthropods. Segregación de Artrópodos como Recurso Alimenticio de Tangaras Omnívoras (Tangara spp.) en el Oeste de Ecuador
Population decline of Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawks breeding in Tokyo and Utsunomiya, central Japan

ABSTRACT The breeding distribution, breeding success and nest site selection of Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis were studied in the suburbs of Tokyo and Utsunomiya, central Japan from 1987 to 2005. The number of nest sites increased from the late 1980s to the early 1990s but decreased thereafter in both of the study areas. After the late 1990s the hawks increasingly abandoned their nests because Jungle Crows Corvus macrorhynchos attacked them. In Tokyo, few sparrowhawks bred in a large grove dominated by Jungle Crows after the mid 1990s and bred mainly in a small grove with few pine trees where they selected tree species other than pines for nesting in. In Utsunomiya, a large number of Japanese Red Pine trees remained in a small grove and there hawks used pine trees for nesting in more frequently than in Tokyo. These results suggest that the increasing population of Jungle Crows has detrimental effects on the breeding distribution, the breeding success and nest site selection of Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawks.
Displacement of Ca2+ by Na+ from the Plasmalemma of Root Cells A Primary Response to Salt Stress?

A microfluorometric assay using chlorotetracycline (CTC) as a probe for membrane-associated Ca2+ in intact cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv Acala SJ-2) root hairs indicated displacement of Ca2+ by Na+ from membrane sites with increasing levels of NaCl (0 to 250 millimolar). K+(86Rb) efflux increased dramatically at high salinity. An increase in external Ca2+ concentration (10 millimolar) mitigated both responses. Other cations and mannitol, which did not affect Ca2+-CTC chelation properties, were found to have no effect on Ca2+-CTC fluorescence, indicating a Na+-specific effect. Reduction of Ca2+-CTC fluorescence by ethyleneglycol-bis-(β-aminoethyl ether) N,N′-tetraacetic acid, which does not cross membranes, provided an indication that reduction by Na+ of Ca2+-CTC fluorescence may be occurring primarily at the plasmalemma. The findings support prior proposals that Ca2+ protects membranes from adverse effects of Na+ thereby maintaining membrane integrity and minimizing leakage of cytosolic K+.
Bartonella bacilliformis: Molecular Mechanisms of Invasion SCIENTIFIC REVIEW

Bartonella bacilliformis causes Carrion’s disease. It invades erythrocytes during the acute phase and endothelial cells during the chronic phase of this disease. Studies have shown that flagellin, ialAB, and deformin as well as other proteins are involved in erythrocyte invasion. Endothelial cell invasion has a different mechanism. It requires a 43 kDa antigen and the activation of Rho.
Paleobiology of middle Eocene plant-insect associations from the Pacific Northwest A preliminary report

Well-preserved, middle Eocene floras from the Pacific Northwest, particularly the graben-fill deposit at Republic, Washington, offer an unique window for examination of some of the earliest documented, modern-aspect, plant-insect associations in the fossil record. Of special interest is fossil plant damage attributable to leaf mining and galling taxa that is very similar or identical to modern damage on the same host genera, indicating the geologically long-term persistence of some associations. Other types of middle Eocene, insect-mediated damage appear generalized and are not assignable to known types of modern associations, owing in part to imperfect taxonomic resolution of plant host, insect herbivore, or more likely, extinction. This preliminary report records the taxonomically diverse and morphologically detailed wealth of preserved foliar material in a Lagerstatte, which is important for addressing the macroevolutionary tempo of plant-insect associations. This relevance includes the prevalence of long-term associations, extinction of plant host and interacting insect herbivores, and the occurrence of host-switching at Cenozoic time scales for taxa presently confined to eastern Asia and North America.
Long-term effects of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) on dairy cow performances

Long-term (18-32 week) effects of recombinant BST (bovine somatotropin) injected daily (650 cows, 20 assays) or as prolonged release preparations (790 cows, injected each 14 or 28 d., 23 assays) are reviewed. Daily injections of 10-15, 20-27 or 31-50 mg BST increased milk yield of 3.9, 5.2 or 5.6 kg/d (respectively). Somidobove (320, 640 or 960 mg BST each 28 d.) increased milk yield 2.2, 3.1 or 4.2 kg/d, and Sometribove (500 mg/14 d.) 4.4. kg/d. Mean milk composition was unchanged, but cycled between injections in the case of prolonged release preparations. Dry matter intake increase for high BST doses was 1.5-1.7 kg/d in 32-week experiments, and 0.8 kg/d in 18 week-experiments. Energy balance and body condition score decreased during the first 3 months of BST treatment, due to delayed DM intake increase. In two experiments body lipids were sharply decreased in BST cows. Feed efficiency was increased (6-17 p. 100) according to dilution of maintenance requirement in total needs and to decreased body tissue deposition. There was no clear interaction of BST response with cow parity and milk yield potential, but a trend towards decreased response after several months of BST. High energy-high protein complete mixed rations tended to increase BST response, but inter-assay variability was high. Responses tended to be lower (2.5 ± 1.8 kg milk/d) at pasture in European conditions.
Oviposition and larval development of a stem borer, Eoreuma loftini, on rice and non‐crop grass hosts

A greenhouse study compared oviposition preference and larval development duration of a stem borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), on rice, Oryza sativa L. cv Cocodrie (Poaceae), and four primary non‐crop hosts of Texas Gulf Coast rice agroecosystems. Rice and two perennials, johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. , and vaseygrass, Paspalum urvillei Steud. (both Poaceae), were assessed at three phenological stages. Two spring annuals, brome, Bromus spec. , and ryegrass, Lolium spec. (both Poaceae), were assessed at two phenological stages. Phenological stages represented the diversity of plant development stages E. loftini may encounter. Plant fresh biomass, dry biomass, and sum of tiller heights were used as measures of plant availability. Accounting for plant availability, rice was preferred over non‐crop hosts, and intermediate and older plants were preferred over young plants. Johnsongrass and vaseygrass were 32–60% as preferred as rice when considering the most preferred phenological stages of each host. Brome and ryegrass received few or no eggs, respectively. Eoreuma loftini larval development (in degree days above developmental threshold temperatures) was fastest on rice and slowest on johnsongrass and vaseygrass. Development duration was only retarded by plant stage on young rice plants. Foliar and stem free amino acid concentrations were determined to help provide insights on the mechanisms of E. loftini oviposition preference and developmental performance.