Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fuel load, fuel deposition rate and stopover duration of the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos during the autumn migration

ABSTRACT Capsule: Common sandpipers stopping over in a tidal marsh in northern Iberia during the autumn migration period showed a moderate mean fuel load and low fuel deposition rate, but relatively long stopover periods, suggesting a ‘hopping’ strategy of migration. Aims: The main objectives of this paper were to analyse the stopover ecology of migrant Common Sandpipers at Txingudi coastal marshes, northern Iberia, in autumn. Methods: Common sandpipers were captured during the autumn migration of 2007–2013 at the Txingudi marshlands (province of Gipuzkoa, northern Iberia). Data were obtained from a constant effort ringing station working on a daily basis. Results: We observed a moderate fuel load and fuel deposition rate and long stopovers. Conclusion: Our results suggest overall a ‘hopping’ migration strategy. When moving along the coast of northern Iberia, Common Sandpipers may not use key wetlands to gain much fuel, as found in other waders or in some wetlands of inland Iberia, but all coastal marshes seem to be potentially used in the same way.
An efficient direct shoot regeneration from cotyledonary node explants of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. CV. JL-24)

The shoot regeneration response from different explants, viz. cotyledon, cotyledonary node and petiolule, of the most popular Indian cultivar, JL-24 of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), was evaluated by culturing on Murashigeand Skoog medium containing B 5 vitamins supplemented with different growth regulators. Shoot bud initiation, proliferation and subsequent development into shoots were found to be superior from cotyledonary node explants in comparison to other explants. High frequency (69%) direct shoot regeneration from cotyledonary node was observed on MS medium with 4.0 mg I - 1 BAP and 0.2 mg I - 1 NAA. The shoots elongated upon transfer to MS medium with lower concentrations of BAP. Elongated shoots could be continuously harvested at 15 days interval for a period of 75 to 90 days. The regenerated shoots were rooted at a high frequency of 84.5% on MS medium containing 1.0 mg I - 1 NAA. The regenerated plantlets survived to maturity in greenhouse, flowered, set pods and seed normally. This protocol could be very efficiently used for transformation studies.
Study of some resistance mechanisms to Orobanche spp. infestation in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) breeding lines in Tunisia

Abstract The behavior of seven faba bean breeding lines toward Orobanche foetida and Orobanche crenata infestation was examined under field, pots, and in vitro conditions and compared to reference cultivars. The breeding lines presented resistance reaction to Orobanche spp. in different experiment conditions. In infested field by O. foetida, the grain yield reduction ranged from 55.7 to 83% for the breeding lines compared to 97% for the susceptible cultivar Badï. Lines L6 and L7 were the less affected by Orobanche parasitism considering severity, number of emerged Orobanche, and yield. In pots, the number of attachments varied from . 6 to 3.4 and from 1.4 to 6.4 for the breeding lines against 10.4 and 12.3 for Badï inoculated, respectively, by O. foetida and O. crenata. In Petri dish experiment, Orobanche germination reached the highest rates; 69.9 and 59.7%, respectively, with O. crenata and O. foetida for Badï. For the breeding lines, it ranged from 6.3 to 44.9% for O. crenata and from 4.8 to 40.8% for O. foetida. Moreover, all breeding lines showed low tubercles number and delay in Orobanche attachments as compared to Badï. All breeding lines, except L5, maintained an acceptable level of resistance to Orobanche species manifested by a reduced Orobanche germination rate, low Orobanche number and dry weight, delay of attachments, and higher grain production compared to Badï. L5 seems to be less resistant even it behaves better than Badï in different culture conditions. The studied breeding lines could be recommended as resistance sources or candidates for varieties registrations.
Cholesterol Degradation by Some Bacteria Isolated from Food

The study aimed to isolate and characterize probiotic strains with potential cholesterol degrading activity. Fourteen lactic acid bacteria isolated from lamb meat were screened on mineral salt agar supplemented with 0.2% cholesterol (MSC agar). Cell-free supernatants (CFSs) of these isolates were used as a crude source of extracellular cholesterol degrading enzymes. CFSs of GMK01, GMK02 and GMK03 isolates displayed high ability to degrading cholesterol (86.4, 86.1 and 84.6%, respectively). These isolates were identified as Lactobacillus sakei GMK01, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GMK02 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides GMK03. Strains were resistant to low acidity (pH 2.5) and bile salts (0.3%), able to adhesion to Caco-2 cells and have low rate of antibiotic resistance. Living cells of these strains were able to degrade cholesterol in MSC broth even after treatment with simulated gastrointestinal juice. The maximum cholesterol degradation (about 90%) was obtained on the third day. 4-cholesten-3-one was detected as a degradation product of cholesterol by Leuconostoc mesenteroides GMK03. The studied strains degrade cholesterol by different mechanisms and may suggest a new possibility for the mechanism underlying cholesterol degradation by LAB. In conclusion, the isolated strains could be suggested as potential pharmaceutical probiotic strains for food industry and human nutrition.
Integrated Assessment of Large-Scale Biofuel Production

This paper proposes a different framework for discussing the possibility of replacing a significant fraction of fossil energy consumption of modern economies with biofuels. The proposed analysis is not based on the two classic feasibility checks—land availability and output/input energy ratio—debated in the majority of the literature in this field. Rather, the focus is on the desirability of an energy sector powered by biomass energy. Discussing of desirability requires introducing a multicriteria approach, that in turn requires a definition of a set of criteria of performance for such an energy sector. The concepts of societal metabolism and ecosystem metabolism are introduced to define five criteria of performance for an energy sector powered by alternative sources. This paper does not tell the society whether or not biofuels should be used to replace fossil energy. Rather, it proposes a method of characterization of pros and cons for the option biofuel which can be used to make more informed choices. An analysis of three systems of production—corn-ethanol, sunflower-biodiesel, and SRWC-methanol—is provided to indicate the existence of systemic characteristics associated with an energy sector powered by biofuels. These characteristics are likely to persist even when different technical coefficients will be achieved. The conclusion is that, at the moment, it is not possible to replace the actual performance of an energy sector based on fossil energy with an energy sector running on biofuel. Biomass energy can and will have to play an important role in the sustainability of humankind, but this will require a better understanding of (i) the role that an energy sector plays within a given structure of societal metabolism; and (ii) the impact generated on ecosystem metabolism by societal metabolism, plus a lot of wisdom.
Development structure of ovaries in female white bream, Abramis bjoerkna from Lake Kortowskie in North-Eastern Poland

Among white bream, Ahramis bjoerkna from Lake Kortowskie in North-Eastern Poland, some females showed characteristics of defined fertility while some females in the period of vitellogenesis of the first and second batch of oocytes showed characteristics of undefined fertility. Some females representing defined fertility showed characteristics of single spawning during the reproduction season. The other females with both defined and undefined fertility showed characteristics of batch spawning reproduction type. The results showed that female white bream were characterized by diversified vitellogenetic activity. They showed linkages to both the reproduction type with single spawning during the reproductive season and the type of reproduction with batch spawning related to undefined fertility.
Enhanced production of lactic acid from liquefied sorghum starch by Rhizopus oryzae mutants / Laktik asit üretimini sıvılaştırılmış sorgum nişastası kullanılarak arttırmak için Rhizopus oryzae mutantlarının seçimi

Abstract Objective: Our aim was to find out Rhizopus oryzae mutants that are able to ferment a cost-effective substrate such as sorghum starch for enhanced lactic acid production. Methods: The fungal spores were either exposed to UV treatment at 254 nm, for 1 h at a distance of 20 cm from the source or 0.01 mol/l of diethyl sulfate from 0.2 to 1 ml in 20 ml sterile potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) at 30°C for 0-40 min. Samples were withdrawn in 10 min intervals and inoculated on the single colony isolation medium, after 36 h of incubation the colonies were singled out and subjected to fermentation tests. Results: Isolated mutants UV-40 and DES-30 were selected by following colour-zone method. They varied morphologically from the wild type R. oryzae; and single colony isolation of the mutants was carried out by using sodium deoxycholate. The UV-40 mutant produced (76.42%) more lactic acid than the DES-30 mutant (74.08%) and the wild type (23.8%) in 150 g/l of substrate concentration. UV-40 and DES-30 mutants yielded more lactic acid as 0.96 g/g substrate, with a productivity of 1.59 g/l/h than the wild type, which yielded only 0.39 g/g of substrate, with a productivity of 0.6 g/l/h at 150 g/l of substrate. Fermentation results of the both mutants at 200 g/l of the substrate were not encouraging, since more residual substrate was left over in the medium. Conclusion: From results it was evident that UV mutant was producing consistently more lactic acid in 150 g/l of liquefied sorghum starch medium with a pH of 4.0. The mutants obtained in this study were also stable lactic acid producers up to 15 generations.
The effect of season and level of concentrate on the voluntary intake and digestibility of herbage by outdoor sows

The intake and the digestibility of herbage, and the effect of level of supplementary concentrate food, were measured in late spring and late summer in two studies, each with eight multiparous, pregnant sows. In the spring study sows were nose rung to prevent rooting but only four nose-rung sows were available for the summer study; the remaining four were unrung. In both cases, sows had access to a plentiful (>2·5 t organic matter (OM) per ha) ryegrass/clover sward in a paddock of 1922 m 2 . After a week of adaptation to the herbage in the experimental paddock, sows were offered 1·5 or 3·0 kg/day concentrate for consecutive 2-week periods in a change-over experimental design with four sows on each treatment in each period. Samples of herbage were also taken to measure the sward density, chemical composition and n-alkane content. Herbage intake and digestibility estimates were calculated using the n-alkanes technique, with the marker dosed on small food pellets. In the spring study, the herbage intake ranged from 0·9 to 1·8 kg OM per day in the first period (herbage neutral-detergent fibre(NDF) content 439 (s.e.41·6) g/kg OM) and 0·2 to 1·4 kg in the second (475 (s.e.29·3) g NDF per kg OM). The intake was affected by the level of concentrate only in the second period. The results obtained during the summer study with the rung and unrung sows showed an intake between 0·9 and 2·4 kg OM per day in the first period (524 (s.e. 16·0) g NDF per kg OM) and between 1·3 and 4·8 kg in the second (526 (s.e. 21·8) g NDF per kg OM). A high intake estimation for certain unrung individuals appeared to reflect their frenzied feeding behaviour and possible loss of some marker pellets. There were no differences between level of concentrate treatments in either period. Digestibility of the diet was affected by the intake of herbage and the level of fibre consumed ( P
Characteristics of fluorescent pseudomonad isolates towards controlling of tomato wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici

Out of a screening of 80 fluorescent pseudomonad (fl. Ps.) strains, nine isolates (W21, W34, WB15, WB52, G54, G307, G308, G309 and CW2) were capable of reducing the fusarium wilt disease on tomato plants. On King's B agar medium, isolates W34, WB52, G308 and CW2 effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) 7 days after incubation, while isolates WB15, W21 and G307 caused slight inhibition of the mycelium growth. Interestingly, the two isolates G54 and G309 did not cause any inhibition to the fungal growth. The biochemical and physiological characteristics of the nine effective isolates of fluorescent pseudomonads exhibited a wide variation in production of several substances considered as biocontrol factors such as: siderophores, cyanide, chitinase, gelatinase, proteinase, arginine dihydrolase, salicylic acid and antimicrobial metabolites. Application of fl. Ps. isolates by dipping tomato roots in the bacterial suspension proved to be superior to soil drenching in controlling tomato wilt disease. Furthermore, reisolation studies revealed that the population densities of G309 on tomato roots was always higher after root dipping than after soil drenching. Compatibility tests in vitro showed that the nine different fluorescent pseudomonad isolates could be combined. Compared to single application of isolates, control of fusarium wilt was more effective when the tomato plants were treated with combinations of G54 and CW2 or G54, WB52 and W34.
Epithelial - mesenchymal transitions and tumor

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurs as a basic physiological process during the embryonic development. The latest studies find that EMT also plays an important role in the progression of tumors invasion and metastasis. In the course of tumor progression, EMT involves a variety of molecular mechanisms and complex networks. Thus,the in-depth research of EMT mechanisms and markers have a high prognostic and therapeutic value in aggressive cancers. Key words: Neoplasms; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Tumor-infiltrating; Neoplasm metastasis
Notes on B-chromosomes and SDS-page proteins in some rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) cultivars

B-chromosomes (0-2) occurring in some Brassica napus cultivars were studied. They differed in size and staining from the A-chromosomes and never paired with them. The meiocytes possessing B-chromosomes differed significantly from those devoid of Bs in their chiasma frequency and distribution. SDS-PAGE protein analysis of the 16 cultivars studied produced 30 bands in total. Common as well as specific bands were identified. Cluster analysis and ordination of the genotypes based on protein data grouped those cultivars showing similarity in their protein characteristics.
Impact of HLA-G 14 bp polymorphism and soluble HLA-G level on kidney graft outcome

Abstract Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a non-classical HLA class I protein with various immunosuppressive functions. Besides its profound effect to induce fetal tolerance, HLA-G has been also found to enhance graft acceptance. The aim of the study was to analyse the association between HLA-G 14 bp insertion/deletion polymorphism, soluble HLA-G level and kidney graft outcome in the Slovak population. We investigated 69 kidney transplant recipients aged 27–65 years. Out of this group, 37 recipients developed acute rejection, confirmed by biopsy, and 32 patients had stable allograft function. Plasma was obtained from recipients at 1 day before transplantation and analyzed by ELISA. Genotyping of HLA-G polymorphism was performed by PCR. Significantly higher pre-transplantation levels of sHLA-G were found in the group with stable allograft function in comparison to group with acute rejection (P = 0.0409). In the homozygous −14/−14 recipients with stable allograft function, significantly higher values of sHLA-G were determined in comparison to the recipients with acute rejection (P = 0.0052). The study revealed an association between 14 bp deletion polymorphism and soluble HLA-G level that is proportional to kidney graft acceptance. It is suggested that pre-transplantation levels of soluble HLA-G should be monitored as additional marker to predict kidney graft outcome.
Growth and Heat Resistance of Clostridium Sporogenes PA 3679 Spores Heated and Recovered in Acidified Media.

The effect of subculture medium composition (pH, type of acidulant, presence of EDTA) on the germination of spores of Clostridium sporogenes PA 3679, both with and without heat treatment in phosphate buffer (30 s at l25°C), was studied. Additionally, the effect of the heating medium substrate and pH and subculture medium pH and composition on the heat resistance of the spores was evaluated. The results indicate that the pH of the recovery medium and the type of acidulant have significant effects (P ≤ 0.05) on counts of PA 3679. Adding EDTA only increases inhibition of this microorganism when the pH is near neutral. For a given pH level, citric acid provided greater inhibiting power than glucono-δ-lactone, although the percentage of undissociated acid was less for citric acid. No growth was observed at pH 5.7, although in the case of glucono-δ-lactone sporadic colony development was seen in some plates. The pH of the heating medium acidified with glucono-δ-lactone did not affect the heat-resistance parameters (D and z) of spores heated to temperatures between 121 and 140°C in relation to the unacidified extract. Nor did we see any significant influence of the composition and pH of the recovery medium on these heat-resistance parameters when comparing the results with those obtained using the usual recovery medium.
Haloarchaeal Species Genesis: Diversity, Recombination, and Evolution

The processes key to the generation of new species in eukaryotes is well understood but the same is not true for the prokaryotic world. Allopatric speciation is widely accepted as the driving force in eukaryotic species genesis. However, little is known about prokaryotic speciation primarily due to the abundance of prokaryotes in this world. They inhabit every fathomable niche, present high cell densities, complex community structures, and are easily dispersed between large distances. For example, a gram of soil or a milliliter of seawater house millions and millions of a vast variety of microorganisms. This complexity in the prokaryotic world makes inferring an overall evolutionary processes extremely difficult. To reduce the complexity, the system studied needs to be narrowed down. This thesis focusses on one environment that is so extreme that it is conducive for the growth of only certain groups of organisms. The system is characterized by high salinity, much greater than that of seawater, which is a prerequisite for the survival of an entire class of Archaea call the Halobacteria (Haloarchaea). Studying these environments reduces the microbial complexity in comparison to some of the more easily habitable areas like soil or water. Haloarchaea are the dominant group of
Multiple Roles of Ret Signaling in Mechanosensory Neuron Development

Somatosensation is critical for interaction with the surrounding environment. Somatosensory stimuli are detected by primary somatosensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia and trigeminal ganglia, which detect distinct classes of stimuli, such as temperature, pain, and pressure. In Chapters 2 and 3 of this thesis, we focus on rapidly adapting low-threshold mechanoreceptors (RALTMRs), which mediate the detection of light touch. RALTMRs are molecularly defined by the early embryonic expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Ret. Ret is required for the development of central axonal projections of RALTMRs into the dorsal spinal cord. RET responds to the glial cell line-derived family of neurotrophic factors, which activate RET in combination with GPI-linked GFRα co-receptors. In vitro, RET can be activated by co-receptor expressed in the same cell (cis signaling) or by co-receptor expressed by neighboring cells (trans signaling), but previous studies suggest that trans RET signaling may not play a physiologically relevant role in vivo. Here, we show that RET in mouse RALTMRs can be activated by both GFRα2 expressed in the same cell (cis signaling) and GFRα1 expressed by neighboring cells (trans signaling), and that trans RET signaling is sufficient for the development of RALTMR central projections in vivo. Peripherally, Ret is required for the development of vibration sensitive Pacinian corpuscle RALTMR end organs. We show that Ret mediates the neuronal expression of the ETS transcription factor Er81, which is also required for Pacinian corpuscle development, and that deficient axon/Schwann cell communication is the primary deficit in Pacinian corpuscle development in Er81 mutant mice. Furthermore, we show that Neuregulin-1, an important mediator of axon/ Schwann cell interactions, is required for Pacinian corpuscle development, and that Er81 regulates the expression of specific Neuregulin-1 isoforms. In total, we demonstrate that RET signaling drives the development of distinct developmental processes in both the central and peripheral axonal branches of RALTMRs. In Chapter 4, we describe the expression of itch-related neuropeptides GRP and NMB and their receptors in somatosensory neurons and the dorsal spinal cord. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Neuroscience First Advisor Wenqin Luo
Flora and vegetation of protected area Eleshnishki monastery "Uspenie Bogorodichno".

VUTOV, V. , 2015. Flora and vegetation of protected area Eleshnishki Monastery “Uspenie Bogrodichno”. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 21: 1157–1161 The flora and vegetation in the protected area Eleshnishki monastery has been investigated for the first time. It is located in Central Stara Planina Mt. floristic region. Encompasses 125 vascular plants (mosses excluded), belonging to 41 genera and 91 families. There of two are Balkan endemics. With protected status are Balkan endemic species Tragopogon balcanicum Velen. and Trifolium medium L. subsp. balcanicum Velen. Taxus baccata L. The alien species is Robinia pseudoacacia L. Lamium album L. is a new species for the flora of Stara Planina. The hemicryptophytes are the predominant life-form (81 species), followed by the phanerophytes (26 species), geophytes (3 species), therophytes (7 species), 2 chamaephyte; annual to biannual – 3, biannual – 3.
Reguladores vegetais no enraizamento de estacas lenhosas da amoreira-preta cv. Xavante

Com o objetivo de avaliar o emprego de reguladores vegetais no enraizamento de estacas lenhosas da amora-preta cv. Xavante dois experimentos foram conduzidos em casa-de-vegetacao. No primeiro, empregou-se o acido indol butirico (AIB) nas concentracoes de 0, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 mg L -1 . No segundo, o regulador utilizado foi o paclobutrazol (PBZ) nas concentracoes de 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 mg L -1 . Em ambos os experimentos as estacas ficaram imersas por 10 segundos nas respectivas solucoes. Posteriormente foram plantados em vasos de plastico rigido contendo areia, sendo mantidas em casade- vegetacao sob nebulizacao intermitente. Apos 71 dias do plantio, foram avaliadas as seguintes variaveis: porcentagem de estacas enraizadas, comprimento medio das raizes, numero de raizes, massa fresca de raizes, porcentagem de estacas com brotacoes e numero de folhas. O tratamento de estacas lenhosas a 2000 mg L -1 AIB obteve a maior porcentagem de enraizamento (60%). No entanto, o tratamento a 1000 mg L -1 AIB ja atingiu enraizamento elevado (56%), com 96% de estacas brotadas e 17,6 raizes por estaca. As Estacas tratadas com PBZ apresentaram maior presenca de calo e nao enraizaram nao sendo possivel recomendar este produto para o enraizamento da amoreira-preta cv. Xavante nas concentracoes testadas.