Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enteric β-Defensin: Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a Gene with Inducible Intestinal Epithelial Cell Expression Associated with Cryptosporidium parvumInfection

ABSTRACT A growing body of evidence suggests that endogenous antibiotics contribute to the innate defense of mammalian mucosal surfaces. In the cow, β-defensins constitute a large family of antibiotic peptides whose members have been previously isolated from the respiratory and oral mucosa, as well as circulating phagocytic cells. A novel bovine genomic clone with sequence related to those of these α-defensins was isolated and characterized. The corresponding cDNA was isolated from a small intestinal library; its open reading frame predicts a deduced sequence of a novel β-defensin, which we designate enteric β-defensin (EBD). Northern blot analysis of a variety of bovine tissues revealed that EBD mRNA is highly expressed in the distal small intestine and colon, anatomic locations distinct from those for previously characterized β-defensins. EBD mRNA was further localized by in situ hybridization to epithelial cells of the colon and small intestinal crypts. Infection of two calves with the intestinal parasiteCryptosporidium parvum induced 5- and 10-fold increases above control levels of EBD mRNA in intestinal tissues. An anchored-PCR strategy was used to identify other β-defensin mRNAs expressed in the intestine. In addition to that of EBD, several low-abundance cDNAs which corresponded to other β-defensin mRNAs were cloned. Most of these clones encoded previously characterized β-defensins or closely related isoforms, but two encoded a previously uncharacterized prepro-β-defensin. Northern blot evidence supported that all of these other β-defensin genes are expressed at levels lower than that of the EBD gene in enteric tissue. Furthermore, some of these β-defensin mRNAs were abundant in bone marrow, suggesting that in enteric tissue their expression may be in cells of hematopoietic origin. Extracts of small intestinal mucosa obtained from healthy cows have numerous active chromatographic fractions as determined by an antibacterial assay, and one peptide was partially purified. The peptide corresponded to one of the low-abundance cDNAs. This study provides evidence of β-defensin expression in enteric tissue and that the mRNA encoding a major β-defensin of enteric tissue, EBD, is inducibly expressed in enteric epithelial cells. These findings support the proposal that β-defensins may contribute to host defense of enteric mucosa.
ÍNDICES DE DESEMPENHO ZOOTÉCNICO E ECONÔMICO DE SISTEMAS DE PRODUÇÃO DE LEITE COM DIFERENTES TIPOS DE MÃO DE OBRA

The objective of this research was to estimate reference zootechnical and economic performance indices, evaluate the influence of different types of labor on the technical and economic results and identify the components that had greater representativeness on the total and effective operational cost of dairy farms. We analyzed 38 size, zootechnical, and economic indicators of 61 milk production systems, grouped according to the type of labor. The data were collected during January 2002 to December 2011 period. The results were compared by ANOVA test (normal distribution), complemented by LSD test, and Kruskal-Wallis test (non-normal distribution), also complemented by LSD test. Reference performance indices should be considered, taking into account the factors that are common to dairy farms. The type of labor does not seem to determine the economic efficiency of the dairy production system. The items of total and effective operational cost that had greater representativeness were, in descending order, feeding and labor to hired and mixed labor groups, and feeding and various expenses to family labor. Keywords: benchmarks; dairy cattle; human resources; profitability analysis; technical efficiency.
A primary research of intensity-modulated dose verification based on anatomic structure of three-dimensional images

Objective To verify IMRT plans in point,planar and 3D dose,and to concretely analyze the dose differences of 3D anatomic structure based on Gamma passing rate.Methods Thimble ion-chamber,Matrixx and ArcCheck were separately used to measure six nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment plans and six lung cancer treatment plans.The dose measurement deviation of the center point was compared as well as the Gamma passing rate of dose verification under the criteria of both 3％/3 mm and 2％/2 mm,the group t-test and one-way ANOVA were also proceeded.3DVH system was used to analyze the dose measurement deviation of target volume (TV) and organ at risk (OAR) through DVH.Results For IMRT and VMAT treatment plans,the mean deviation of point dose was (0.59 ± 1.31) ％ and (-1.00 ± 1.03)％ respectively,and the maximum deviation was less than 3％. Under the criterion of 3％/3 mm,the Gamma passing rate measured by Matrixx,ArcCheck and 3DVH for IMRT plans was 96.28％,97.55％ and 99.02％ respectively,and for VMAT plans,the corresponding results of three different detectors were 97.24％,99.67％ and 98.48％. The results analyzed and compared by 3DVH showed that even under the condition of high Gamma pass rate (more than 95％ for a Gamma criterion of 3％/3 mm),the DVH metrics of both TV and OAR in two cases (account for 16.7％ of the total plan) were significantly different on the clinical parameters,including GTV,spinal cord and brain stem etc.Conclusions The analysis of dose difference of the measurement results based on Gamma pass rate and on anatomic structure of 3D images can more effectively evaluate the influence of dose error to the implementing of clinical plan and the impact to the clinical treatment. Key words: Anatomic structure of three-dimensional images; Dose verification; γ passing rate
Invasibility Patterns of Knotgrass (Paspalum distichum) in Portuguese Riparian Habitats1

Spatial patterns of the exotic riverine knotgrass (Paspalum distichum L.) were examined in Mediterranean river basins in Southwestern Iberia. The major goals of this study were to assess the degree of invasibility of riparian habitats by this species and to determine the influence of environmental factors and human-induced disturbances that this knotgrass has on both the landscape and the habitat scales. The present study demonstrates the ability of knotgrass to invade riparian habitats in Portuguese freshwater ecosystems. However, most of the spatial variation of the knotgrass cover seemed to be driven by local factors, such as fine sediment enrichment and the fragmentation of riparian woods, and by other anthropogenic interferences in relation to both the fluvial system and the surrounding landscape. Nomenclature: Knotgrass, Paspalum distichum L. #3 PASDS. Additional index words: Exotic species, human disturbances, environmental variables, PASDS, Mediterranean basin.
Reconsidering evidence for potential climate‐related increases in jellyfish

Attrill et al. (2007) in their paper ‘‘Climate-related increases in jellyfish frequency suggest a more gelatinous future for the North Sea’’ present data showing the occurrence of nematocysts in continuous plankton recorder (CPR) samples collected over more than 40 yr. They suggest that, contrary to previous work examining a shorter period (Lynam et al. 2004), cnidarian nematocysts ‘‘most likely to be from scyphozoans’’ have increased, especially since the mid1980s. However, several problems with their analyses make it difficult to evaluate their conclusions.
TAXONOMIC REVISION OF Phrynocephalus arabicus ANDERSON, 1984 COMPLEX WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES FROM AHVAZ, SOUTH-WESTERN IRAN

A revision of taxonomic structure of Phrynocephalus arabicus Anderson, 1984 complex is presented. Phrynocephalus nejdensis Haas, 1957 and Phrynocephalus macropeltis Haas, 1957 are considered as valid species, based on the morphological and genetic difference. A new species from south-western Iran, the Ahvaz plains is described. It differs morphologically from all other representatives of the species Ph. arabicus complex by body and tail proportions, dorsal coloration, undertail coloration and genetic characters.
Assessing Master Gardeners' Priorities

A survey of Virginia Master Gardeners (N = 188) indicates that answering individual questions and providing educational programs designed to change individuals’ behavior were equally important and ranked as number 1 priority for volunteer activity. In terms of training and management, local training programs had the highest importance ranking, with participation in local associations ranking second in importance. Social activities had the lowest importance. Annual training was viewed as primarily the agents’ responsibility. However, daily man-agement, record keeping, and related activities were viewed as Master Gardener responsibilities in cooperation with agents.
Identification and Characterization of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Types G and I fromStaphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Staphylococcal enterotoxins are exotoxins produced byStaphylococcus aureus that possess emetic and superantigenic properties. Prior to this research there were six characterized enterotoxins, staphylococcal enterotoxin types A to E and H (referred to as SEA to SEE and SEH). Two new staphylococcal enterotoxin genes have been identified and designated segand sei (staphylococcal enterotoxin types G and I, respectively). seg and sei consist of 777 and 729 nucleotides, respectively, encoding precursor proteins of 258 (SEG) and 242 (SEI) deduced amino acids. SEG and SEI have typical bacterial signal sequences that are cleaved to form toxins with 233 (SEG) and 218 (SEI, predicted) amino acids, corresponding to mature proteins of 27,043 Da (SEG) and 24,928 Da (SEI). Biological activities for SEG and SEI were determined with recombinant S. aureus strains. SEG and SEI elicited emetic responses in rhesus monkeys upon nasogastric administration and stimulated murine T-cell proliferation with the concomitant production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ), as measured by cytokine enzyme-linked immunoassays. SEG and SEI are related to other enterotoxins of S. aureus and to streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A (SpeA) and streptococcal superantigen (SSA) of Streptococcus pyogenes. Phylogenetic analysis and comparisons of amino acid and nucleotide sequence identities were performed on related staphylococcal and streptococcal protein toxins to group SEG and SEI among the characterized toxins. SEG is most similar to SpeA, SEB, SEC, and SSA (38 to 42% amino acid identity), while SEI is most similar to SEA, SEE, and SED (26 to 28% amino acid identity). Polyclonal antiserum was generated against purified histidine-tagged SEG and SEI (HisSEG and HisSEI). Immunoblot analysis of the enterotoxins, toxic-shock syndrome toxin 1, and SpeA with antiserum prepared against HisSEG and HisSEI revealed that SEG shares some epitopes with SEC1 while SEI does not.
Molecular phylogeny of the scuticociliate, Philaster (Protozoa, Ciliophora), with a description of a new species, P. apodigitiformis sp. nov.

Abstract The systematic position of the scuticociliate, Philaster, has been highly ambiguous owing to a lack of either morphogenetic or molecular information. The small subunit rRNA gene of a new species, Philaster apodigitiformis sp. nov. was isolated from eggs of the puffer fish (Takifugu rubripes), was sequenced, and phylo‐genetic trees were constructed with different methods to assess its position and relationship among the scuticociliates. Results indicate that (1) Philaster apodigitiformis clearly falls into the order Philasterida and it is most closely related to the Uronema‐Paranophrys assemblage, which groups with clusters consisting of families Uronematidae, Parauronematidae, Thyrophilacidae and Entorhipidiidae; (2) the two genera Philaster and Philasterides presently assigned to the family Philaster‐idae are in widely separated clades, indicating that the family is polyphyletic; and (3) the morphological similarity of Philaster and Philasterides is probably an example of evolutionary convergence. The new species P. apodigitiformis is recognised by a combination of the following features: body oval and slightly bilaterally flattened, cilia of paroral membrane conspicuously long and forming a sail‐like shape, both membranelle 1 and 2 dominant, and approximately 40 somatic kineties present.
ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC VARIABILITY IN SORGHUM GENOTYPES FOR DROUGHT TOLERANCE BASED ON RAPD ANALYSIS

In a study conducted in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan during the year 2008-09, 20 sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) genotypes were evaluated for their genetic variability in drought tolerance. These genotypes were analyzed using 10 RAPD primers. Total number of loci traced by these primers was 66, of which all were polymorphic showing 100 percent polymorphism. Size of scorable fragments ranged from 250-3000 bp. The genetic distance ranged from 51.5 to 95.5 percent for drought tolerance. The results obtained from RAPD showed 99.5 percent overall polymorphism among 20 genotypes for concerned trait. Genotypes were grouped in cluster by using cluster analysis and most diverse genotypes were identified. These results confirmed the availability of maximum amount of genetic variability for drought tolerance in the selected genotypes.
Effects of Anti-Fungal Compounds on Feeding Behavior and Nutritional Ecology of Tobacco Budworm and Painted Lady Butterfly Larvae

Mold control is one of the most vital issues in insect rearing systems because mold outbreaks can alter the nutritional value of diets, harm insects, and even threaten the health of insectary workers. Because antifungal agents are widely used in insect diets their potential harmful effects on target insects’ quality is a major concern. This concern stems from the observations reported in several publications that high levels of antifungal agents in diets affect growth, development, survival, and fecundity. These observations and many unpublished observations on several insect species reared in our laboratory led us to study the mechanisms underlying those deleterious effects, using two representative lepidopterans, a butterfly and a moth, Vanessa cardui and Heliothis virescens larvae reared on different concentrations of three widely used antifungal agents: methyl paraben, potassium sorbate and sodium propionate. These antifungal agents were administered in concentrations of 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 parts per million (ppm). The results show that the highest levels of antifungal agents suppress nutrient absorption (ECI) and increase metabolic costs (ECD). Relative consumption rates (RCR) and digestibility (AD) increased with increasing antifungal agent concentration, possibly to compensate for the declines in absorption and metabolism. Also, to determine the potential for antifungal agents’ effects on diet acceptance, we experimented with feeding responses to the three concentrations used in these experiments, showing a decreases of acceptance of diets with high concentration of methyl paraben and slight increases in acceptance of high concentrations of potassium sorbate. Finally, because pH of diet is intimately related to effectiveness of antifungal agents, we included experiments on pH and diet acceptance, but within the narrow range of diet pH values tested, there were no preferences displayed.
Ultrastructure of the sperm and spermatogenesis of three species of Mytilidae (mollusca, bivalvia)

The mature sperm of three species of the subfamily Mytilinae (Choromytilus meridionalis, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Aulacomya ater) are of the primitive type. The sperm are 50–55 μm long, with a distinct head, midpiece of four to six mitochondria, and tail. In all three species the acrosome is in the form of an elongated hollow cone; yet each has its own characteristic morphology, indicating that sperm ultrastructure can be used as an aid to bivalve identification. A reexamination and comparison of the acrosomes from five subclasses of bivalve show that each subclass has an acrosome with a unique form. The process of spermatogenesis is similar in all three species; early spermatogonia are located close to the wall of the germinal follicle, and successive stages are displaced toward the center. Observations support the theories of acrosome formation by coalescence of numerous proacrosomal vesicles and of reduction in mitochondrial number by mitochondrial fusion.
Persistent Vegetation Greening and Browning Trends Related to Natural and Human Activities in the Mount Elgon Ecosystem

Many developing nations are facing severe food insecurity partly because of their dependence on rainfed agriculture. Climate variability threatens agriculture-based community livelihoods. With booming population growth, agricultural land expands, and natural resource extraction increases, leading to changes in land use and land cover characterized by persistent vegetation greening and browning. This can modify local climate variability due to changing land–atmosphere interactions. Yet, for landscapes with significant interannual variability, such as the Mount Elgon ecosystem in Kenya and Uganda, characterizing these changes is a difficult task and more robust methods have been recommended. The current study combined trend (Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope) and breakpoint (bfast) analysis methods to comprehensively examine recent vegetation greening and browning in Mount Elgon at multiple time scales. The study used both Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Climate Hazards group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) data and attempted to disentangle nature- versus human-driven vegetation greening and browning. Inferences from a 2019 field study were valuable in explaining some of the observed patterns. The results indicate that Mount Elgon vegetation is highly variable with both greening and browning observable at all time scales. Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope revealed major changes (including deforestation and reforestation), while bfast detected most of the subtle vegetation changes (such as vegetation degradation), especially in the savanna and grasslands in the northeastern parts of Mount Elgon. Precipitation in the area had significantly changed (increased) in the post-2000 era than before, particularly in 2006–2010, thus influencing greening and browning during this period. The greenness–precipitation relationship was weak in other periods. The integration of Mann–Kendall and bfast proved useful in comprehensively characterizing vegetation greenness. Such a comprehensive description of Mount Elgon vegetation dynamics is an important first step to instigate policy changes for simultaneously conserving the environment and improving livelihoods that are dependent on it.
Measuring sex-biased dispersal in social mammals: comparisons of nuclear and mitochondrial genes in collared peccaries

Abstract The collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) is a social species that recently has expanded its historical range, yet little is known of its dispersal behavior at the population or biogeographic level. We used autosomal and cytoplasmic markers to assess whether the genetic variation among 4 populations in Texas retains a signal of historically recent founding events. Genetic differentiation based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype frequencies (FST) among these 4 populations was substantial. The mtDNA haplotype mismatch distributions indicate that P. tajacu recently has expanded its range across Texas; however, microsatellite-based standard analyses of molecular variance (AMOVAs) and pairwise FST estimates indicated little variation among populations, suggesting that dispersal is accomplished primarily by males. We also tested the alternative power of mtDNA haplotype or microsatellite genotype distribution patterns to detect a sex bias in instantaneous short-distance dispersal. Sex-specific hierarchical AMOVAs of mtDNA haplotype distributions (based on data from the most genetically diverse population) yielded significantly larger female-specific fixation index values compared to males, indicating a male instantaneous dispersal bias; however, variation in microsatellite frequency distribution was not partitioned in a sex-specific manner. Also, when sex-specific pairwise FST/(1 − FST) among herds was regressed against the log of the distance between each pair of herds, we found no significant effect of distance for either sex and no sex-specific difference using other microsatellite-based analyses (mean sex-specific relatedness, r, or FST). We conclude that sampling scale limits microsatellite-based methods of detecting instantaneous dispersal sex bias, especially when gene flow is substantial and microsatellite polymorphism is modest (<20 alleles/locus). These results indicate that mtDNA can be used to infer instantaneous dispersal behavior for both sexes in cases where microsatellites have proven insufficient.
Comparison of Escherichia coli Strains Recovered from Human Cystitis and Pyelonephritis Infections in Transurethrally Challenged Mice

ABSTRACT Urinary tract infection, most frequently caused byEscherichia coli, is one of the most common bacterial infections in humans. A vast amount of literature regarding the mechanisms through which E. coli induces pyelonephritis has accumulated. Although cystitis accounts for 95% of visits to physicians for symptoms of urinary tract infections, few in vivo studies have investigated possible differences between E. coli recovered from patients with clinical symptoms of cystitis and that from patients with symptoms of pyelonephritis. Epidemiological studies indicate that cystitis-associated strains appear to differ from pyelonephritis-associated strains in elaboration of some putative virulence factors. With transurethrally challenged mice we studied possible differences using three each of the most virulent pyelonephritis and cystitis E. coli strains in our collection. The results indicate that cystitis strains colonize the bladder more rapidly than do pyelonephritis strains, while the rates of kidney colonization are similar. Cystitis strains colonize the bladder in higher numbers, induce more pronounced histologic changes in the bladder, and are more rapidly eliminated from the mouse urinary tract than pyelonephritis strains. These results provide evidence that cystitis strains differ from pyelonephritis strains in this model, that this model is useful for the study of the uropathogenicity of cystitis strains, and that it would be unwise to use pyelonephritis strains to study putative virulence factors important in the development of cystitis.