Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antagonism by glucocorticoids and exercise on expression of glutamine synthetase in skeletal muscle

Chronic glucocorticoid treatment results in skeletal muscle wasting. However, if the contractile activity of muscle is increased, this effect is abated. Because the gene encoding glutamine synthetase is known to be glucocorticoid inducible, it represents an appropriate model for testing whether glucocorticoids and endurance training can exert antagonistic effects on the expression of specific genes in muscle tissue. Our data confirm that administration of hydrocortisone 21‐acetate to rats produces 2.4‐ and 5.9‐fold increases in plantaris muscle glutamine synthetase enzyme activity and mRNA, respectively. Moreover, subjecting rats to a 12‐ to 16‐wk exercise program diminishes the basal levels of these indices of glutamine synthetase expression to approximately 60% of the values observed in sedentary controls. Endurance training produces a similar effect on plantaris muscle glutamine synthetase expression in glucocorticoid‐treated animals. These data demonstrate that the therapeutic effects of exercise in counteracting muscle atrophy are associated with attenuation of expression of a glucocorticoid‐inducible gene in skeletal muscle. —Falduto, M. T. ; Hickson, R. C. ; Young, A. P. Antagonism by glucocorticoids and exercise on expression of glutamine synthetase in skeletal muscle. FASEB J. 3: 2623‐2628; 1989.
Anatomical variation of suprascapular notch amongst the dissected cadavers in anatomy department, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria

The majority of medical students may not have witnessed the absence of the suprascapular notch throughout their dissection period in their medical schools due to its rarity. This absence is very important to the physicians and to the surgeons, as it can cause suprascapular nerve entrapment neuropathy. The aim of this paper is to report the incidence of the total absence of suprascapular notch amongst the past and the presently dissected cadavers in the department. The Anatomy Department had procured averagely 90 human cadavers within thirty years of its establishment. Each formalin-embalmed cadaver was fully dissected by either 200 or 300 level medical or para-medical students. Since the inception of the department, any morphological anomalies of the soft or hard tissues and variations in terms of shape, size, position, or absence were always recorded and published. The human scapulae from those previously dissected cadavers were always examined just like any other bone in the human body to determine any variations or anomalies. Our previous records did not indicate any absence of the suprascapular notch except in one cadaver that was recently dissected and macerated in early 2017.Thus, it can be said that the incidence of absence of the suprascapular notch in Nigeria is 2:180 (90 cadavers: 90 left side, 90 right side scapulae), which is 1.1%. In summary, the absence of the suprascapular notch in our environment is also rare. Notwithstanding, physicians and surgeons should bear in mind the rare absence of the suprascapular notch and its possible involvement in the development of neuropathy due to the entrapment of the suprascapular nerve.
Phylogenetic analysis based on multiple gene sequences revealing cryptic biodiversity in Simulium multistriatum group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand

Phylogenetic relationships among four species of the Simulium multistriatum group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand were examined based on two mitochondrial genes (COI, COII) and one nuclear gene (18S/ITS1). Simulium takense was found to be genetically divergent (>20.3% for COI) from the other species, consistent with their distinctive morphology. Simulium chainarongi and S. chaliowae were monophyletic but were included in paraphyletic S. fenestratum. Simulium fenestratum was divided into three distinct lineages with high levels of genetic divergence. This suggests that S. fenestratum is a species complex. Neither morphological nor cytological examinations revealed evidence of sibling species. The clades derived from phylogenetic analyses were found to be correlated with the ecological conditions of larval habitat. Therefore, ecological adaptation may have played a role in black fly diversification and evolution. These results suggest the use of integrated, multidisciplinary approaches for fully understanding black fly biodiversity and systematics.
Homothallic Phytophthora infestans was found in China.

Out of 84 strains isolated in 1964, a strain of Phytophthora infestans forming oospores with typical amphigynous antheridium and oogonium on culture medium without pairing with opposite mating type was isolated from diseased potato tuber of cultivar “Long An Yang Yu” collected from Min Xian, Gansu Province. Its homothallic character was maintained in single sporangium or single zoospore isolates. Pathogenic experiments proved that this strain is a typical P.infestans. This suggests that proper attention should be paid to the existence of the homothallic strain of P.infestans though it is not so widespread as the already known heterothallic strains.
Biology of the vespine wasps

It is a great privilege and pleasure for me to write the foreword to this book, which is the result of considerable effort on the part of Dr. Makoto Matsuura and Mr. Seiki Yamane. Such an introduction might sound like a cliche, but in this case the sentiments are real, since the preparation of this book really has been a laborious task. In fact, I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that such a book could only be published once every 100 years. I would like to explain why I regard this book as unique. It is well known that as social insects "hachi" (as bees and wasps are called in Japanese), as well as ants and termites, have a very diffe rent way of life from that of other insects. Each of these three groups has its own characteristics. Ants and hachi are classified in the same category; in other words, an ant is sim ply a wasp which has lost its wings and its sting, and has adapted itself to an underground life. Termites, on the other hand, are an aberrant cockroach, descended from a phyletic line which is completely diffe rent from that of ants and hachi, which undergo complete metamor phosis. On the other hand, ants and termites have a common feature: all members have adopted a social life. "
Arabidopsis family ties: molecular phylogeny and age estimates in Brassicaceae

The Brassicaceae family is of great scientific interest because it contains the plant model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Currently, contemporary plant research activities expand to other Brassicaceae taxa. Despite that, the phylogeny of this family is only partly understood. The present study deepens our understanding of a family-wide phylogeny by using two new approaches in phylogenetic family-wide research. We used a molecular marker from the mitochondrial genome and utilised a relaxed molecular dating method. Our data generally confirms a recent tribal alignment of Brassicaceae. We present for the first time a biogeographical scenario for the broad-scale Brassicaceae evolution. We suggest that Brassicaceae most likely evolved some 19 mya in or near the eastern Mediterranean region from a common ancestor of its sister family Cleomaceae. The early Brassicaceae formed a lineage adapted to more open/drier habitats than its capparoid progenitors. The early Brassicaceae evolution was very rapid and the radiation was most likely driven by climatic changes that created open habitats and the well-documented expansion of open grass-dominated ecosystems. Moreover, our dating suggests that the radiation events correlate with an ancient genome duplication in the early history of the family, which is evidenced by recent genomic studies.
Nothing left to chance: characteristics of schools successful in mathematics. (Report of the building an evidence base for best practice in mathematics education project)

Teaching mathematics is a complex task. In addition to having a deep understanding of appropriate mathematics, teachers need to recognise the cognitive, emotional, and social development of the students they teach, to draw on a wide range of pedagogical practices, and, most importantly, have that specialised knowledge of mathematics for teaching that has become known as pedagogical content knowledge. Teachers, however, work within schools and the ethos and organisational arrangements, policies and practices of that school impact on teachers’ effectiveness. Schools are part of wider societal provisions for education that provide processes for curriculum development and delivery, accountability and accreditation within a legal framework. These different levels of influence are interactive and dynamic, making the task of teaching mathematics a constantly changing process.
MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF BACTERIAL DIVERSITY IN NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNITS USING 16S RRNA PYROSEQUENCING

OF THE THESIS Molecular Analysis of Bacterial Diversity in Neonatal Intensive Care Units using 16S rRNA Pyrosequencing by Krissi Mary Hewitt Master of Science in Microbiology San Diego State University, 2011 Infants cared for in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are at a high risk for hospital acquired infections caused by bacteria and viruses. Despite the high risk of complications seen in these infants from infections, little is known about the bacterial diversity associated with NICU environments. In this study, we used culture-independent methods to assess the diversity of bacterial contamination on fomite surfaces in two NICUs. Our use of powerful culture-independent methods showed that NICU surfaces house many potential opportunistic pathogens and that these environments are dynamic niches for bacterial species. Our data also suggest areas within NICUs where contamination can be reduced by alternate cleaning practices.
Essays in Macro-Finance

BI Norwegian Business School N-0442 Oslo Phone: +47 4641 0000 www.bi. no BI Norwegian Business School is Norway’s largest business school with around 20 000 students and more than 400 fulltime academic staff. Research and teaching are conducted in the fields of business and economics broadly defined, but with a focus on six core areas: Accounting, Auditing and Business Law, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Organisational Behaviour, and Strategy.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING LARGER: INTRASPECIFIC COMPETITION FOR PRIME WEB SITES IN ORB-WEB SPIDERS (ARANEAE, ARANEIDAE)

The effects of two contrasting habitats on the distribution and the body condition of Larinioides sclopetarius (Clerck, 1757) were studied in an urban area. Throughout the season, significantly more spiders of all size classes were found in the prime habitat, which was characterised by the presence of artificial light and, consequently, a superabundance of prey. The higher food intake in the prime habitat also resulted in a better body condition of immature spiders. During periods of high spider density, small immatures were found more frequently than expected in the lower ranked habitat, which contained no artificial light and significantly less prey, while larger conspecifics exclusively foraged in the prime habitat. High females density in the prime habitat coincided with decreasing density and decreasing territory sizes of smaller immatures.
Replication protein A and its role in the iron stress response of soybean

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. ) is the second most abundant crop in the United States, with a total crop value of nearly $39 billion in 2010. U.S. soybean exports are used as an important protein and oil source in over 80 countries. Abiotic stress, such as iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC), threatens soybean yields, which affect farmers’ profits in the United States as well as nutrition of consumers all over the world. IDC occurs when iron is unavailable to soybean roots, often in the calcareous soils of the upper Midwest United States. Iron stress causes a decrease in chlorophyll production, resulting in interveinal chlorosis (yellowing between veins), stunting, and yield losses of up to 80%, which cost U.S. farmers over $120 million in 2004. Improving yields benefits farmers as well as those in developing countries, who consume beans as a main source of proteins and nutrients, such as iron. Understanding the genetic basis behind iron efficiency in soybean will aid in breeding programs to decrease economic losses from IDC and improve global nutrition. A recent microarray study found many DNA replication and repair genes to be differentially expressed during iron stress, but their role has not been studied. This work studies one such gene family, single-stranded DNA binding protein replication protein A (RPA), during iron stress. The first study found RPA genes had opposite expression patterns in two near-isogenic lines (NILs) of soybean, differing only in their iron efficiency, after 24 hours of iron stress. The second study finds silencing of RPA subunit 3 (RPA3) improved IDC symptoms in PI 547430 (Isoclark, iron-inefficient) during iron stress. The expression patterns of RPA genes during iron stress and
Bitcoin Resistance Behavior: A QCA Study Explaining Why Individuals Resist Bitcoin as a Means of Payment

Bitcoin could revolutionize the system of payments, yet most individuals do not use Bitcoin as a means of payment. As the success of Bitcoin as a means of payment depends upon a high number of individuals using Bitcoin, this study examines why individuals resist Bitcoin as a means of payment. We draw on the status quo bias perspective and take a configurational approach, using fuzzy set qualitative comparison analysis (fsQCA). The analysis reveals a typology of four types of resistant users, who resist Bitcoin as a means of payment: the regret driven resistant user, the uncertainty driven resistant user, the transition cost driven resistant user and the cost driven resistant user. We contribute to resistance research and Bitcoin research by providing a typology of resistant users and identifying equifinal configurations of influencing factors leading to individual’s resistance to Bitcoin as a means of payment.
Progresso genético no rendimento de grãos de cultivares de trigo lançadas para cultivo entre 1940 e 1992

Em 1992 e 1993, na area experimental do Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Trigo (CNPT-EMBRAPA), foi conduzido este estudo com o objetivo de avaliar o ganho genetico de novas cultivares de trigo ( Triticum aestivum , L.). Foram avaliados, em dois niveis de nitrogenio, quinze genotipos de trigo, lancados para cultivo no periodo de 1940 a 1992. A regressao linear do rendimento de graos com anos, desde o lancamento da cultivar, mostrou um incremento de 17,3 kg/ha -l /ano -l no rendimento de graos. As cultivares novas mostraram-se, tambem, mais responsivas ao nitrogenio; apresentaram um aumento pequeno no rendimento biologico, mas o indice de colheita (I.C.) causou o aumento observado no rendimento de graos (83,6%). Foi observada uma associacao significativa entre rendimento de graos, espigas/m -2 , graos/espiga -1 , rendimento biologico, e peso seco a antese. As cultivares novas apresentaram um periodo emergencia-antese mais longo que as antigas e um periodo antese-maturacao mais curto, bem como uma menor altura.
Biology's First Law: The Tendency for Diversity and Complexity to Increase in Evolutionary Systems

Life on earth is characterized by three striking phenomena that demand explanation: adaptation - the marvelous fit between organism and environment; diversity - the great variety of organisms; and complexity - the enormous intricacy of their internal structure. Natural selection explains adaptation. But what explains diversity and complexity? Daniel W. McShea and Robert N. Brandon argue that there exists in evolution a spontaneous tendency toward increased diversity and complexity, one that acts whether natural selection is present or not. They call this tendency a biological law - the Zero-Force Evolutionary Law, or ZFEL. This law unifies the principles and data of biology under a single framework and invites a reconceptualization of the field of the same sort that Newton's First Law brought to physics. "Biology's First Law" shows how the ZFEL can be applied to the study of diversity and complexity and examines its wider implications for biology. Intended for evolutionary biologists, paleontologists, and other scientists studying complex systems, and written in a concise and engaging format that speaks to students and interdisciplinary practitioners alike, this book will also find an appreciative audience in the philosophy of science.
Subsidy-stress and multiple-stressor effects along gradients of deposited fine sediment and dissolved nutrients in a regional set of streams and rivers

Summary 1. Stream managers need to understand relationships between multiple stressors and ecological responses. We examined responses of benthic invertebrates and algae along two land-use-related stressor gradients of concern in running waters. Our correlative study of the consequences of augmented deposited fine sediment and nutrient concentrations was conducted in a regional set of streams and rivers monitored by a water management authority in New Zealand and incorporated a wide range of catchment geologies and stream orders. 2. We used multiple linear regression analysis and an information-theoretic approach to select the best predictive models for our biological response variables by testing multiple competing hypotheses that include nonlinear subsidy-stress relationships and interactive effects between the two stressors. 3. Patterns consistent with a subsidy-stress response to increasing dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration were found for the relative abundances of the common invertebrate genera Pycnocentrodes and Deleatidium and for the relative abundance of total individuals in the EPT orders (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera). 4. Fine sediment seemed the more pervasive stressor, apparently counteracting and overwhelming any initial subsidy effect of increased nutrients, and accounting for more of the variance in biological response variables. Relationships with high nutrient concentrations were weaker and modelled with less certainty, probably reflecting the indirect modes of action of nutrients compared to those underlying sediment effects. Nevertheless, in several cases, the models indicated that nutrients interacted synergistically with fine sediment, lending further weight to the conclusion that managers need to address both stressors to achieve the best outcomes.
TALL FESCUE ERGOVALINE CONCENTRATION BASED ON SAMPLE HANDLING AND STORAGE METHOD

OF THESIS TALL FESCUE ERGOVALINE CONCENTRATION BASED ON SAMPLE HANDLING AND STORAGE METHOD Ergovaline is produced by the endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum (MorganJones and Gams) in tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinacea (Schreb.) Dumort. = Festuca arundinacea Schreb. ) and is blamed for a multitude of costly livestock disorders. Testing of pastures is common in both research and on farm situations. Since ergovaline is known to be unstable and affected by many variables, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of sample handling and storage on the stability of this compound. Homogeneous milled tall fescue sub-samples were analyzed for ergovaline concentration using HPLC after a range of sample handling procedures or storage. Ergovaline was unstable in milled material after 24 hours in storage, regardless of temperature. The decrease in ergovaline after 24 hours ranged from 17 to 60%. These results show that tall fescue sample handling and storage have a significant effect on ergovaline concentrations. In conclusion, accurate laboratory analysis of ergovaline content may require that samples be transported immediately to the laboratory on ice for immediate analysis. Most laboratories are not equipped for same day analysis, therefore researchers and producers should acknowledge that laboratory ergovaline results may be lower than the actual content in the field.
Effect of sewage sludge and fertilizers on accumulation of micronutrients and yield of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var botrytis) in an alluvial soil

A field experiment was conducted at Bichpuri (Agra) during rabi seasons of 2007-08 and 2008-09 by using treated sludge along with fertilizer levels to study the effect on yield and accumulation of heavy metals in cauliflower [(Brassica oleracea var botrytis (L.)] and soil. The eight manurial treatments consisted of inorganic and organic sources (treated sludge and FYM) of nutrients. Application of 10 tonnes sludge/ha significantly enhanced the yield and dry matter of cauliflower curd by 36.0 and 36.8% over control, respectively. Increasing levels of NPK fertilizers up to 150% increased the mean curd yield, dry matter yield, content and uptake of elements significantly over control. The maximum curd (33.08 and 28.71 tonnes/ha) and dry matter yields (11.39 and 9.86 tonnes/ha) were recorded under 100% NPK + 10 tonnes treated sludge/ha and minimum (10.83 and 10.45 tonnnes/ha and 3.68 and 3.54 tonnes/ha) under control in first and second year, respectively. Therefore, for the higher productivity of cauliflower about 50% NPK fertilizers could be replaced with addition of treated sludge. Application of 100% NPK + 10 tonnes sludge/ha resulted in the maximum contents of heavy metals in cauliflower curd over control and sludge treated soil. The content of Pb only in curd exceeded the threshold values but no reduction in yield was noted. The highest uptake of Fe (1364 g/ha), Mn (428 g/ha), Cu (121 g/ha), Zn (396 g/ha), Cd (6.1 g/ha) Ni (6.9 g/ha), Pb (52.2 g/ha) and cobalt (7.2 g/ha) by cauliflower curd was recorded under 100% NPK + 10 tonnes sludge/ha. Soil amended with sewage sludge alone resulted in significant build-up of DTPA-extractable micronutrients and heavy metals over control. Combined use of 100% NPK + 10 tonnes sludge/ha resulted in further buildâ€“up of micronutrients and heavy metals over sludge treated soil. Thus, it can be concluded that use of sewage sludge can be followed as a good supplement of nutrients for crop production, but care should be taken for the presence of heavy metals and pollutants.
Powdery scab resistance in Solanum tuberosum: an assessment of cultivar × environment effect

Powdery scab of potato caused by Spongospora subterranea is one of the main disease problems in many potato production regions of the world. However, no efficient and economically sound control method is currently available. Host resistance will be a key component of the integrated management of powdery scab, but there are discrepancies in published powdery scab resistance ratings of cultivars between countries. In order to identify the main factors causing such discrepancies, 10 reference cultivars thought to have a range of susceptibility to powdery scab and potato mop-top virus were cropped over 4 years in four to six locations across Europe and disease levels on roots and tubers were assessed using standardized scoring scales. Soil contamination was tested using real-time PCR and ELISA. The cultivars performed as expected according to previous characterization, with one exception. No relationship was found between tuber and root susceptibility. Assessment of powdery scab symptoms 1 month before harvest gave results comparable to those assessed 2 months after harvest. Neither real-time PCR nor ELISA soil test results were closely related to disease index data. The field trial results indicate that different scoring methods are the main factor for the discrepancy in resistance ratings, and that environmental conditions and/or soil inoculum level play a minor role. Furthermore, there was either no difference between the pathogen populations in each location or the resistance of most of the cultivars is polygenic.