Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yield Stability Analysis of Early Soybean Varieties in Western Oromia, Ethiopia

: Over many years, there are a few early soybean varieties developed and released through intensive breeding and genetics research program in Ethiopia. However, whether these varieties are stable, adaptable to the environments of Western Ethiopia and similar agro- ecologies are not clear. The objective of this study was to identify high yielding and stable early maturity soybean varieties across environment and examines the influence of genotype by environment interaction on grain yield of soybean varieties in western Oromia. Seven early soybean varieties were evaluated at five locations (Bako, Gute, Billo, Chewaka and Uke) for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). Combined analysis of variance showed that grain yield was significantly (P< 0.01) affected by environments, genotypes and GE interactions; accounting for 51.1, 35.9 and 12.2% variations, respectively. The first two principal components (IPCA 1 and IPCA 2 ) were used to create a two-dimensional GGE biplot and explained 84.49 and 9.1% of the total sums of squares of GE interaction, respectively. According to the average environment coordination (AEC) views of the GGE-biplot, soybean variety Nyala was identified as the most stable and high yielding genotype. In addition, Boshe and Coker-204 also showed better stability performance among the high yielding varieties whereas variety Nova was identified as the least stable and low yielding variety. Therefore, among early soybean varieties, Boshe, Nyala and Coker-204 were recommended for further production in most soybean growing areas of western Oromia.
Chemical Profiling, Antioxidant and Lipoxygenase Enzyme Inhibition Activities of Wild Edible Truffle (Terfezia boudieri) from Northern Borders of Saudi Arabia

Truffles are natural food product very famous for its health benefits for being significant biosource of essential fatty acids, proteins and other antioxidant and phenolic compounds. The current study was conducted to evaluate the phytochemicals, antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibition activities of Terfezia boudieri of Saudi origin. Various phytochemicals were screened applying standard procedures. The total methanol extract (TME) of the truffle was subjected to several chromatographic procedures. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH antioxidant procedure, comparing results with trolox as standard. Results demonstrated that Terfezia boudieri chemically characterized by the availability of various constituents such as flavonoids, steroids, saponins, tannins and carbohydrates at different levels. Phytochemical investigation led to the isolation of β -sitosterol and gallic acid that were identified using 1 H, 13 C, DEPT, COSY, HMQC and HMBC NMR spectroscopic data. Results demonstrated high antioxidant activity with IC 50 : 50.4 µg/ml and 31.4 µg/ml for TME and gallic acid, respectively . TME and gallic acid exhibited lipoxygenase inhibitory activity with IC 50 values 4.59 and 0.53 µg/ml for TME and gallic acid, respectively. The higher lipoxygenase inhibitory activity was presumably correlated to the high antioxidant activity. In conclusion, current investigation confirms the folklore use of Terfezia boudieri as antinflammatory food . Hence, the studied Terfezia boudieri may have a great potential as antioxidant and antinflammatory functional food and nutraceuticals products for pharmaceutical applications.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation Transcutaneous electrical nerve

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (acronym TENS) is the use of electric current produced by a device to stimulate the nerves for therapeutic purposes. TENS by definition covers the complete range of transcutaneously applied currents used for nerve excitation although the term is often used with a more restrictive intent, namely to describe the kind of pulses produced by portable stimulators used to treat pain. [2] The unit is usually connected to the skin using two or more electrodes. A typical battery-operated TENS unit is able to modulate pulse width, frequency and intensity. Generally TENS is applied at high frequency (>50 Hz) with an intensity below motor contraction (sensory intensity) or low frequency (<10 Hz) with an intensity that produces motor contraction. [3]
Silencing Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase in Nicotiana attenuata Dramatically Impairs Resistance to Manduca sexta

In bioassays with artificial diets, the 17-hydroxygeranyllinalool diterpenoid glycosides (HGL-DTGs) of Nicotiana attenuata function as antifeedants for the plant’s adapted herbivore, Manduca sexta . To determine whether HGL-DTGs have a defensive function in planta , we suppressed HGL-DTG production by silencing the source of the geranylgeranyl diphosphates (GGPPs) required for geranyllinalool biosynthesis, a key intermediate. We used virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to suppress transcript levels of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase ( Naggpps ) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase ( Nafpps ); northern blotting and RT-PCR to quantify transcript accumulations; and radio GC to analyze prenyltransferase specificity. Silencing Nafpps transcript accumulation had no effect on the accumulation of HGL-DTGs but decreased leaf steroid content, demonstrating that DTG-synthesizing enzymes do not use GGPP derived from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) and confirming FPP’s role as a steroid precursor. Unlike phytoene-desaturase-silenced( Napds ) plants, which rapidly bleached, silencing Naggpps reduced HGL-DTG but not carotenoids or chlorophyll contents, demonstrating that Naggpps supplies substrates for GGPP biosynthesis for HGL-DTGs, but not for phytoene or phytol. Expression of Naggpps in E. coli revealed that the recombinant protein catalyzes the GGPP synthesis from isopentenyl diphosphate ([1-14 C] IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). When fed on silenced plants, Manduca sexta larvae gained up to 3 times more mass than those that fed on empty vector control (EV) plants, or plants silenced in Nafpps , trypsin protease inhibitors(TPI), or nicotine. We conclude that HGL-DTGs or other minor undetected diterpenoids derived from GGPP function as direct defenses for N. attenuata and are more potent than nicotine or TPIs against attack by M. sexta larvae.
Model of Colon Cancer Mediated by Oxidative Stress in a Murine through Regulatory T Cell Depletion Arsenic Trioxide Exerts Antitumor Activity

Immunotherapy is a promising antitumor strategy that can successfully be combined with current anticancer treatment. In this study, arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) was shown to increase the antitumor immune response in CT26 colon tumor-bearing mice through the modulation of regulatory T cell (T reg ) numbers. As 2 O 3 induced T reg -selective depletion in vitro. In vivo, tumor-bearing mice injected with 1 mg/kg As 2 O 3 showed a signiﬁcant decrease in the T reg /CD4 cell ratio and in absolute T reg count versus controls. As 2 O 3 exerted antitumor effects only in immunocompetent mice and enhanced adoptive immunotherapy effects. Inhibition of As 2 O 3 -induced T reg depletion by the NO synthase inhibitor N G -nitro- L -arginine methyl ester and the superoxide dismutase mimic manganese [III] tetrakis-(5, 10, 15, 20)-benzoic acid porphyrin suggested that it was mediated by oxidative and nitrosative stress. The differential effect of As 2 O 3 on T reg versus other CD4 cells may be related to differences in the cells’ redox status, as indicated by signiﬁcant differences in 2 9 7 9 dichlorodihydroﬂuorescein diacetate and 4,5-diaminoﬂuorescein diacetate ﬂuorescence levels. In conclusion, these results show for the ﬁrst time, to our knowledge, that low doses As 2 O 3 can delay solid tumor growth by depleting T regs through oxidative and nitrosative bursts, and suggest that As 2 O 3 could be used to agarose gel. Reverse transcription (RT) was done using a RT2 First Strand Kit (SA Biosciences, Frederick, MD). PCR was performed using RT2 Proﬁler PCR Array PAMM-062, according to the manufacturer’s instructions on a Roche LightCycler 480 using RT2 Real-Time SYBR Green PCR Master Mix. The array evaluated the expression of 84 genes whose expression is controlled by or involved in signaling by NO. Samples from untreated and arsenic pretreated splenocytes were compared. For data analysis, the ΔΔ Ct method was used with the aid of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet algo- rithms provided by the
Characterization of Virulence Plasmid Diversity among Clostridium perfringens Type B Isolates (cid:1)

The important veterinary pathogen Clostridium perfringens type B is unique for producing the two most lethal C . perfringens toxins, i.e., epsilon-toxin and beta-toxin. Our recent study (K. Miyamoto, J. Li, S. Sayeed, S. Akimoto, and B. A. McClane, J. Bacteriol. 190:7178-7188, 2008) showed that most, if not all, type B isolates carry a 65-kb epsilon-toxin-encoding plasmid. However, this epsilon-toxin plasmid did not possess the cpb gene encoding beta-toxin, suggesting that type B isolates carry at least one additional virulence plasmid. Therefore, the current study used Southern blotting of pulsed-ﬁeld gels to localize the cpb gene to (cid:1) 90-kb plasmids in most type B isolates, although a few isolates carried a (cid:1) 65-kb cpb plasmid distinct from their etx plasmid. Overlapping PCR analysis then showed that the gene encoding the recently discovered TpeL toxin is located (cid:1) 3 kb downstream of the plasmid-borne cpb gene. As shown earlier for their epsilon-toxin-encoding plasmids, the beta-toxin-encoding plasmids of type B isolates were found to carry a tcp locus, suggesting that they are conjugative. Additionally, IS 1151 -like sequences were identiﬁed upstream of the cpb gene in type B isolates. These IS 1151 -like sequences may mobilize the cpb gene based upon detection of possible cpb- containing circular transposition intermediates. Most type B isolates also possessed a third virulence plasmid that carries genes encoding urease and lambda-toxin. Collectively, these ﬁndings suggest that type B isolates are among the most plasmid dependent of all C. perfringens isolates for virulence, as they usually carry three potential virulence plasmids.
ProgesteroneHuman Endometrium by Estradiol and of CXC Chemokine Ligands 10 and 11 in Recruitment of Uterine NK Cells: Induction

Uterine NK (uNK) cells express a unique set of markers compared with blood NK cells. However, recent studies suggest that uNK cells may be derived from the recruitment of blood NK cells into the endometrium. In this study, we used an in vitro organ culture system to demonstrate that estradiol induces expression of chemokines CXCL10 and/or CXCL11 within human endometrium in 85% of patient samples tested. The average increase in gene expression after 10 (cid:1) 9 M estradiol treatment was 8.5-fold for CXCL10 and 7.7-fold for CXCL11 compared with medium alone. We observed that a speciﬁc estrogen receptor antagonist (ICI182780) was able to prevent chemokine gene induction, indicating that the effect of estradiol was receptor mediated. Moreover, our study showed that progesterone induced CXCL10 and CXCL11 expression in 83% of endometrial samples tested. We have also found that uNK cells and blood NK cells express the receptor for CXCL10 and CXCL11, CXCR3, with the highest expression found on uNK cells and CD56 bright blood NK cells. These data indicate that sex hormones induce speciﬁc chemokines in nonpregnant human endometrium that can activate NK cell migration, and suggest that this mechanism may account for the increased NK cell numbers in endometrium during the menstrual cycle. The Journal of Immunology, 2004, 173: 6760–6766. cells menstrual cycle chemokines migration of NK cells in of CXCL10 and CXCL11 induced after estradiol progesterone with maximum gene induction at 10 M, range of these During a normal cycle, estradiol 0.75 nM and progesterone levels 6 and 64 nM CXCL10 and CXCL11 CXCR3, on both uNK cells and These the hypothesis that uNK cells are the CD56 bright subset of blood NK cells. We have observed that CD56 bright NK cells higher CXCR3 than CD56 dim NK cells. Moreover, it has been shown that a higher of CD56 bright NK cells compared with CD56 dim cells in CXCL10 and CXCL11 Recent data have shown a positive correlation between CXCL9 and CXCL10 protein levels and numbers of NK cells in EM Our data support a model whereby CD56 bright NK cells recruited into the EM, in due to the selective induction of CXCL10 and/or CXCL11 by sex hormones from
T Cells Presentation of Topically Applied Hapten to Langerhans Cells Are Required for Efficient

Dendritic cells (DC) play a pivotal role in the control of T cell immunity due to their ability to stimulate naive T cells and direct effector function. Murine and human DC are composed of a number of phenotypically, and probably developmentally, distinct subsets, which may play unique roles in the initiation and regulation of T cell responses. The skin is populated by at least two subsets of DC: Langerhans cells (LC), which form a contiguous network throughout the epidermis, and dermal DC. LC have classically been thought vital to initiate T cell responses to cutaneous Ags. However, recent data have high-lighted the importance of dermal DC in cutaneous immunity, and the requirement for LC has become unclear. To deﬁne the relative roles of LC and dermal DC, we and others generated mouse models in which LC were speciﬁcally depleted in vivo. Unexpectedly, these studies yielded conﬂicting data as to the role of LC in cutaneous contact hypersensitivity (CHS). Ex-tending our initial ﬁnding, we demonstrate that topical Ag is inefﬁciently transported to draining lymph nodes in the absence of LC, resulting in suboptimal priming of T cells and reduced CHS. However, dermal DC may also prime cutaneous T cell responses, suggesting redundancy between the two different skin DC subsets in this model. The Journal of Immunology, 2007, 179: 6830–6835.
Effects of tea extracts on the colonization behaviour of Candida species: attachment inhibition enhancement.

23 Purpose. We assessed the effects of four different types of tea extracts (green, oolong, black 24 and pu-erh tea) on cellular surface properties (hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation) and the 25 colonization attributes (attachment and biofilm formation) of four strains of Candida albicans 26 and three strains of Candida kruse i. 27 Methodology. The cellular surface properties were determined using spectrophotometry. The 28 colonization activities were quantified using colorimetric viability assays and visualized 29 using scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. 30 Results. The tea extracts, in general, reduced the hydrophobicity (by 8-66%) and auto- 31 aggregation (by 20-65%), and inhibited the attachment of two C. krusei strains (by 41-88%). 32 Tea extracts enhanced the biofilm formation of one C. albicans and two C. krusei strains (by 33 1.4-7.5 folds). The observed reduction in hydrophobicity strongly correlated with the 34 reduction in attachment of the two C. krusei strains (p<0.05). The ultrastructural images of 35 the tea-treated C. krusei biofilm cells demonstrated central indentations, though remained 36 viable. 37 Conclusion. The tea extracts have the ability to retard C. krusei adhesion to glass surfaces possibly reducing fungal cellular hydrophobicity, promoting biofilm formation. tea beverages a complex effect oral candidal
Responsive Thalamic Neurostimulation: A Systematic Review of a Promising Approach for Refractory Epilepsy

Introduction Responsive neurostimulation is an evolving therapeutic option for patients with treatment-refractory epilepsy. Open-loop, continuous stimulation of the anterior thalamic nuclei is the only approved modality, yet chronic stimulation rarely induces complete seizure remission and is associated with neuropsychiatric adverse effects. Accounts of off-label responsive stimulation in thalamic nuclei describe significant improvements in patients who have failed multiple drug regimens, vagal nerve stimulation, and other invasive measures. This systematic review surveys the currently available data supporting the use of responsive thalamic neurostimulation in primary and secondary generalized, treatment-refractory epilepsy. Materials and Methods A systematic review was performed using the following combination of keywords and controlled vocabulary: (“Seizures”[Mesh] AND “Thalamus”[Mesh] AND “Deep Brain Stimulation”[Mesh]) OR (responsive neurostim* AND (thalamus[MeSH])) OR [responsive neurostimulation AND thalamus AND (epilepsy OR seizures)]. In addition, a search of the publications listed under the PubMed “cited by” tab was performed for all publications that passed title/abstract screening in addition to manually searching their reference lists. Results Ten publications were identified describing a total of 29 subjects with a broad range of epilepsy disorders treated with closed-loop thalamic neurostimulation. The median age of subjects was 31 years old (range 10–65 years). Of the 29 subjects, 15 were stimulated in the anterior, 11 in the centromedian, and 3 in the pulvinar nuclei. Excluding 5 subjects who were treated for 1 month or less, median time on stimulation was 19 months (range 2.4–54 months). Of these subjects, 17/24 experienced greater than or equal to 50%, 11/24 least 75%, and 9/24 at least 90% reduction in seizures. Although a minority of patients did not exhibit significant clinical improvement by follow-up, there was a general trend of increasing treatment efficacy with longer periods on closed-loop thalamic stimulation. Conclusion The data supporting off-label closed-loop thalamic stimulation for refractory epilepsy is limited to 29 adult and pediatric patients, many of whom experienced significant improvement in seizure duration and frequency. This encouraging progress must be verified in larger studies.
Social Media Disorder, Mental Health, and Validation of the Chinese Version of 27-Item Social Media Disorder Scale in Chinese College Students

Objective With the widespread use of social media, excessive use of social media may lead to problematic behaviors such as social media disorder, which has a negative impact on teenagers' mental health. Thus, it is an urgent need to provide a measurement tool to assess social media addiction in different cultures. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of 27-item Social Media Disorder (SMD) Scale (developed using the diagnostic criteria of DSM-V Internet Gaming Disorder) in college students, and to verify its impact on mental health. Methods Two online surveys were conducted among a total of 1,539 Chinese college students, including 1,316 subjects in sample 1 and 223 subjects in sample 2. The discrimination, criterion validity, construct validity and reliability of the Chinese version of SMD-27 scale were examined. Results The Chinese version of SMD-27 scale showed excellent psychometric properties. The item-total correlation coefficients of the scale ranged from 0.31 to 0.56, and the item-dimension correlations of the scale ranged from 0.459 to 0.834. Findings from confirmatory factor analysis indicated a great fit of the model of the Chinese version of SMD-27, with CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.036 in sample one and CFI = 0.970, TLI = 0.967, RMSEA = 0.040 in sample two, thus confirming the second-order factor structure of the scale. The SMD-27 scale showed good internal consistency between two different samples with their respective Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 and 0.92, and good test-retest reliability over a period of 1 month. In addition, multiple regression results generally supported the impact of social media addiction on mental health. Conclusion This study provides evidence that the Chinese version of SMD-27 scale is applicable to Chinese college populations, and it is a promising tool for the study of social media addiction in China.
Recent Acquisition of Functional m6A RNA Demethylase Domain in Orchid Ty3/Gypsy Elements

Long terminal repeats (LTR) retrotransposons are transposable elements (TEs) representing major components of most plant genomes. The fixation of additional conserved protein domains in their genomes is considered a rare event in the course of their evolution. Such changes can bring novel functions and increase their fitness by playing a role in the regulation of their replicative cycle or by affecting their integration landscape so that the detection of new domains can in turn reveal important aspects of host-TE interactions. We have mined angiosperm genomes for the presence of additional domains in LTR retrotransposons. We report a lineage of large (25 kbp) Gypsy-type elements in the genomes of Phalaenopsis orchids that contain an additional open reading frame containing a 2-ODD domain with close similarity to those responsible for m6A RNA demethylase activity in AlkB proteins. By performing in vitro assays, we demonstrate the RNA binding capability and the demethylase activity of the Gypsy-encoded AlkB protein, suggesting it could be functional against cognate TE mRNA or any cellular RNA in planta. In line with recent literature, we propose that the fixation of an RNA demethylase in this lineage of LTR retrotransposons may reflect an important role for epitranscriptomic control in host surveillance against TEs.
Recent Advances in Histidine Kinase-Targeted Antimicrobial Agents

The prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens significantly limited the number of effective antibiotics available clinically, which urgently requires new drug targets to screen, design, and develop novel antibacterial drugs. Two-component system (TCS), which is comprised of a histidine kinase (HK) and a response regulator (RR), is a common mechanism whereby bacteria can sense a range of stimuli and make an appropriate adaptive response. HKs as the sensor part of the bacterial TCS can regulate various processes such as growth, vitality, antibiotic resistance, and virulence, and have been considered as a promising target for antibacterial drugs. In the current review, we highlighted the structural basis and functional importance of bacterial TCS especially HKs as a target in the discovery of new antimicrobials, and summarize the latest research progress of small-molecule HK-inhibitors as potential novel antimicrobial drugs reported in the past decade.
Delta-Catenin as a Modulator of Rho GTPases in Neurons

Small Rho GTPases are molecular switches that are involved in multiple processes including regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. These GTPases are activated (turned on) and inactivated (turned off) through various upstream effector molecules to carry out many cellular functions. One such upstream modulator of small Rho GTPase activity is delta-catenin, which is a protein in the p120-catenin subfamily that is enriched in the central nervous system. Delta-catenin affects small GTPase activity to assist in the developmental formation of dendrites and dendritic spines and to maintain them once they mature. As the dendritic arbor and spine density are crucial for synapse formation and plasticity, delta-catenin’s ability to modulate small Rho GTPases is necessary for proper learning and memory. Accordingly, the misregulation of delta-catenin and small Rho GTPases has been implicated in several neurological and non-neurological pathologies. While links between delta-catenin and small Rho GTPases have yet to be studied in many contexts, known associations include some cancers, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Cri-du-chat syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Drawing from established studies and recent discoveries, this review explores how delta-catenin modulates small Rho GTPase activity. Future studies will likely elucidate how PDZ proteins that bind delta-catenin further influence small Rho GTPases, how delta-catenin may affect small GTPase activity at adherens junctions when bound to N-cadherin, mechanisms behind delta-catenin’s ability to modulate Rac1 and Cdc42, and delta-catenin’s ability to modulate small Rho GTPases in the context of diseases, such as cancer and AD.