Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Life cycle and population dynamics of Discus rotundatus (O.F.Muller, 1774) (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Endodontidae)

The following life history traits of D. rotundatus (O. F. Müll.) were established based on field and laboratory observations: fully calcified eggs ca 1 mm in diameter, of a size correlated with the number of parent’s whorls; 1–11 eggs per clutch; 1–178 eggs per lifetime, in 1–36 clutches; incubation period 14–36 days; egg cannibalism with a strong preference for conspecific eggs; quick growth (33–35 days per whorl) prior to maturity and slow growth in mature snails, resulting from energy expenditure for egg-laying; sexual maturity at 5.5 whorls (2nd–3rd year of life); life span 2.5–3.5 years. Isolated individuals produce fewer eggs of lower viability than individuals kept in groups, they lay their eggs later and at a larger size. Most eggs in the laboratory are laid in June, in the field the maximum of the reproductive period falls in July/August.
Beauveria bassiana (Deuteromycotina: Moniliales) Effects on Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae)

The fungal entomopathogen, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, was isolated from a naturally-infected tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), in Arkansas. This is the first report of a tarnished plant bug naturally infected with B. bassiana. In laboratory tests this isolate (ARSEF 3769) was highly infective to L. lineolaris nymphs and adults. The LC50 for nymphs and adults was 9 × 104 and 8.4 × lfj4 conidia per ml deionized water containing 0.01% Tween 80, respectively, when mortality was recorded 7 days after treatment. In a 1993 field test, cotton plants treated with ARSEF 3769 conidia at a rate of 5.8 × 107 conidia per ml deionized water containing 0.01% Tween 80 resulted in 88.8% and 100% mortality (n = 143) in exposed L. lineolaris adults at 5 and 7 days after treatment, respectively, compared with 7.4% and 11.4% mortality in the controls (n = 150). Persistence tests on field cotton showed that B. bassiana conidia could infect adult L. lineolaris for up to 4 days under ambien.
Understanding global patterns in amphibian geographic range size: does Rapoport rule?

Aim Species geographic ranges are the ‘fundamental units’ of macroecology. Range size is a major correlate of extinction risk in many groups, and is also critical in studies of biotic responses to climate change. Despite this, there is a lack of studies exploring the role of environmental, historical and anthropogenic processes in determining large-scale patterns in range size. We perform the first global analysis of putative drivers of range size variation in any group, choosing amphibians as our study taxon. Our aims are to disentangle the many hypothesized causes of range size variation and evaluate support for ‘Rapoport's rule’, the observation that range size correlates with latitude. Location Global. Methods We develop a global map of gridded median range size using the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) distribution maps. From this we perform spatial and non-spatial regressions to explore relationships between range size and nine hypothesized variables in six biogeographic realms. We use information-theoretic model selection to compare multiple competing variables, simultaneously evaluating the relative support for each one. Results Current climate – environmental water and energy, and temperature seasonality – is consistently highly ranked in spatial and non-spatial analyses. Human impacts and other environmental measures (topographic and landscape complexity, effective area, climate extremes) show mixed support, and glacial history is consistently unimportant. Our findings add further evidence to the view that Rapoport's rule is a regional, not global, phenomenon. Main conclusions The primary importance of temperature seasonality may explain why Rapoport's rule is largely restricted to northern latitudes, as this is where seasonality is most pronounced. More generally, the dominance of contemporary climate in our analyses (even when accounting for space) has stark implications for the future status of amphibians. Changes in climate will almost certainly interact with the anthropogenic processes already threatening a third of amphibians globally, with the effects being most keenly felt by species with a restricted range.
Ubiquitin-modifying enzymes in Huntington’s disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the N-terminus of the HTT gene. The CAG repeat expansion translates into a polyglutamine expansion in the mutant HTT (mHTT) protein, resulting in intracellular aggregation and neurotoxicity. Lowering the mHTT protein by reducing synthesis or improving degradation would delay or prevent the onset of HD, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) could be an important pathway to clear the mHTT proteins prior to aggregation. The UPS is not impaired in HD, and proteasomes can degrade mHTT entirely when HTT is targeted for degradation. However, the mHTT protein is differently ubiquitinated when compared to wild-type HTT (wtHTT), suggesting that the polyQ expansion affects interaction with (de) ubiquitinating enzymes and subsequent targeting for degradation. The soluble mHTT protein is associated with several ubiquitin-modifying enzymes, and various ubiquitin-modifying enzymes have been identified that are linked to Huntington’s disease, either by improving mHTT turnover or affecting overall homeostasis. Here we describe their potential mechanism of action toward improved mHTT targeting towards the proteostasis machinery.
Recovery of Anaerobic Digestion After Exposure to Toxicants

A circuit arrangement for controlling a thyristor chopper which extinguishes a main thyristor by discharging the charge stored in a capacitor to the main thyristor at a predetermined instance in the opposite polarity, comprising means for detecting the terminal voltage of said capacitor and calculating the maximum ability for extinguishing the main thyristor and means for detecting the load current of the chopper, thereby enabling the extinction of the thyristor in the extinguishing ability of the capacitor.
What is the heliopause? Importance of magnetic reconnection and measurement requirements

We highlight the importance of magnetic reconnection at the heliopause, both as one of the key processes driving the interaction between solar and interstellar media, but also as an element of the definition of the heliopause itself. We highlight the main observations that have fed the current debates on the definition, location and shape of the heliopause. We explain that discriminating between the current interpretations of plasma and magnetic field structures near the heliopause necessitates appropriate measurements which are lacking on Voyager 1 and 2, and describe some of the ensuing requirements for thermal plasma measurements on a future Interstellar Probe. The content of this article was submitted as a white paper contribution to the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics 2024–2033 of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dual stimulation by autoantigen and CpG fosters the proliferation of exhausted rheumatoid factor-specific CD21low B cells in hepatitis C virus-cured mixed cryoglobulinemia

Introduction Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) by driving clonal expansion of B cells expressing B cell receptors (BCRs), often encoded by the VH1-69 variable gene, endowed with both rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-HCV specificity. These cells display an atypical CD21low phenotype and functional exhaustion evidenced by unresponsiveness to BCR and Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) stimuli. Although antiviral therapy is effective on MC vasculitis, pathogenic B cell clones persist long thereafter and can cause virus-independent disease relapses. Methods Clonal B cells from patients with HCV-associated type 2 MC or healthy donors were stimulated with CpG or heath-aggregated IgG (as surrogate immune complexes) alone or in combination; proliferation and differentiation were then evaluated by flow cytometry. Phosphorylation of AKT and of the p65 NF-kB subunit were measured by flow cytometry. TLR9 was quantified by qPCR and by intracellular flow cytometry, and MyD88 isoforms were analyzed using RT-PCR. Discussion We found that dual triggering with autoantigen and CpG restored the capacity of exhausted VH1-69pos B cells to proliferate. The signaling mechanism for this BCR/TLR9 crosstalk remains elusive, since TLR9 mRNA and protein as well as MyD88 mRNA were normally expressed and CpG-induced phosphorylation of p65 NF-kB was intact in MC clonal B cells, whereas BCR-induced p65 NF-kB phosphorylation was impaired and PI3K/Akt signaling was intact. Our findings indicate that autoantigen and CpG of microbial or cellular origin may unite to foster persistence of pathogenic RF B cells in HCV-cured MC patients. BCR/TLR9 crosstalk might represent a more general mechanism enhancing systemic autoimmunity by the rescue of exhausted autoreactive CD21low B cells.
Transcriptional regulation at multiple steps of cortical development in Mus musculus

ABSTRACT Transcriptional regulation at multiple steps of cortical development in Mus musculus ByJennifer A. Betancourt The highly specialized functions of the mammalian cerebral cortex rely on the temporally precise development and organization of diverse cell types by various cellular processes. However, a complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate these events is still lacking. Here, I implement Mus musculus as a model system for studying neocortical development, given that many processes and genes involved in brain development are conserved from mouse to human. In this thesis, I primarily present results from a detailed characterization of transcription factor, Nuclear Factor One B ( NfiB ), during mouse neocortical development. Additionally I have included a short discussion regarding my contributions toward understanding how another transcription factor, Fezf2 , functions as a key fate determinant of subcerebral neuron identity. NFIB is expressed in the cortical proliferative zone and in a subpopulation of cortical projection neurons. Given its expression pattern within the cerebral cortex and previously identified functions in CNS development, we hypothesized that NfiB was a key regulator of neocortical development. Cellntype specific and temporal expression analysis revealed that NFIB is primarily expressed in the radial glial subclass of neural stem/progenitors and in corticofugal projection neurons throughout corticogenesis. Using a loss of function approach, we compared neocortical development of wildtype ( NfiB pdeficient ( NfiB mlike neurons generated after the expected wave of corticofugal neurogenesis. Additionally, there were defects in neuronal migration and an overall reduction in upper layer thickness. We showed that NFIB is also required for axonal outgrowth of corticofugal projection neurons, such that NfiB msequencing analysis revealed downstream effectors of NFIB, including genes involved in cellncycle progression, and neuronal differentiation and migration. Together, these data indicate the broad, yet critical roles for NfiB during the development and organization of the mouse cerebral cortex.
Effect of Cottonseed Meal as Substitute for Soybean Meal on the Egg Production and Egg Quality in Breeder Japanese Quail Diets

Bu calisma, Japon bildircinlarinin yumurtlama donemi rasyonlarinda soya kuspesi (SFK) yerine degisik duzeylerde katilan ekstraksiyon pamuk tohumu kuspesinin (PTK) verim ozelliklerine etkisini belirlemek amaciyla yapilmistir. Denemede yumurta donemi icin altinci haftada yumurtaya giren hayvanlardan 180 disi ve 45 erkek bildircin kullanilmis ve 20 haftalik yasa kadar %20 HP ve 3000 kcal/kg ME iceren karmalarla yemlenmislerdir. Misir-SFK esasina dayali bazal rasyona SFK’nin (kontrol) sagladigi proteininin yerine sirasiyla %0, 30, 58, 86 ve 100 oranlarinda PTK ikame edilerek olusturulan 5 farkli rasyon kullanilmistir. Yumurta donemine ait yumurta verim ozellikleri, yem tuketimi ve yasama gucu bakimindan ise PTK’nin karmalara ikame oranina bagli degisimler gozlenmemistir. Yumurta dis kalite ozelliklerinden en yuksek kuru kabuk orani ve kabuk kalinligi sirasiyla 5. gruptan ve 1. gruptan elde edilmistir. Sonuc olarak yumurta doneminde SFK yerine PTK ikamesi yumurta verim ve kalitesinde farklilasmaya neden olmamistir.
Stoichiometric constraints on secondary production in a nutrient rich headwater stream food web

3 Acknowledgements 5 Table of contents 6 List of tables 8 List of figures 9 List of plates 11 1 General introduction 12 1.1 Human impact on aquatic systems 13 1.2 Food webs 14 1.3 Ecological stoichiometry 15 1.4 Ecological stoichiometry in detritus based systems 18 1.5 Tadnoll Brook 20 1.6 Goals of this study 22 2 Consumer-resource elemental imbalances in a nutrient rich stream . 25 2.
Chemical Studies on Sophora tomentosa : the Isolation of a New Class of Isoflavonoid

Two new pterocarpans, sophoracarpans A and B, were isolated from Sophora tomentosa L. (Leguminosae) in addition to three known isoflavonoids, wighteone (erythrinin B), sophoraisoflavanone A and l-maackiain. The structures of sophoracarpans A and B were elucidated as 6β,9-dimethoxy-3-hydroxypterocarpan and 3-hydroxy-6β-methoxy-8,9-methylenedioxypterocarpan, respectively, on the spectroscopic basis. The configurations at C-6, C-6a, and C-11a of both compounds were determined by a series of nuclear magnetic resonance irradiation experiments. The isoflavone wighteone, known as an antifungal phytoalexin in several genera of leguminous plants, was also found to occur in the genus Sophora
Bio-efficacy of botanicals and bio-agents on sucking pests of cotton

The bio-agent, Beauveria bassiana was found to reduce 39.7 to 72.6% of white fly population in cotton. However, it was ineffective against jassids, as it could reduce only 10–14% of population. Neem oil was more effective against jassids (20.4–42.5% reduction) than that of NSKE. However, both the neem products tested (neem oil & NSKE) were found to reduce more than 50 % of whitefly population.
Heat Shock Response Inhibition and Gene Expression in Xenopus Laevis Cultured Cells

Various genes have evolved to protect the cell against stressor-induced damage or death including the heat shock proteins (HSPs). Stressor-induced HSP gene expression involves the activation of heat shock factor (HSF), which binds to the heat shock element (HSE) found in the promoter region of hsp genes. Previously, our laboratory has examined the expression and function of hsp genes in the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Amphibians are particularly susceptible to adverse environmental conditions, including high temperatures and toxicants. In contrast to the many known inducers of HSF activation in poikilothermic vertebrates, few inhibitors have been either discovered or described in the literature. The present study has compared for the first time the effect of two heat shock response (HSR) inhibitors, quercetin and KNK437, on hsp gene expression in Xenopus A6 cells, demonstrating their efficacy in poikilotherms. Northern blot and densitometric analysis showed that cells treated with either quercetin or KNK437 decreased the heat shock-induced accumulation of hsp70, hsp47, and hsp30 mRNAs. Additionally, constitutive levels of hsp47 and hsc70 mRNAs were reduced. In comparison, neither quercetin nor KNK437 affected the levels of constitutively expressed ef1α mRNAs under control or heat shock conditions. Western blot and densitometric analysis in this study showed that under heat shock conditions, exposure to quercetin or KNK437 significantly decreased the accumulation of HSP30, and that KNK437 was more effective in doing so than quercetin. In comparison, levels of actin were not significantly affected by either heat shock or exposure to DMSO, quercetin, or KNK437.
Insulin/IGF-1 and hypoxia signaling act in concert to regulate iron homeostasis in C. elegans

Iron plays an essential role in many biological processes, but also catalyzes the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause molecular damage. Iron homeostasis is therefore a critical determinant of fitness. In Caenorhabditis elegans, insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) promotes growth and reproduction but limits stress resistance and lifespan through inactivation of the DAF-16/FoxO transcription factor (TF). We report that long-lived daf-2 insulin/IGF-1 receptor mutants show a daf-16–dependent increase in expression of ftn-1, which encodes the iron storage protein H-ferritin. To better understand the regulation of iron homeostasis, we performed a TF–limited genetic screen for factors influencing ftn-1 gene expression. The screen identified the heat-shock TF hsf-1, the MAD bHLH TF mdl-1, and the putative histone acetyl transferase ada-2 as activators of ftn-1 expression. It also revealed that the HIFα homolog hif-1 and its binding partner aha-1 (HIFβ) are potent repressors of ftn-1 expression. ftn-1 expression is induced by exposure to iron, and we found that hif-1 was required for this induction. In addition, we found that the prolyl hydroxylase EGL-9, which represses HIF-1 via the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor VHL-1, can also act antagonistically to VHL-1 in regulating ftn-1. This suggests a novel mechanism for HIF target gene regulation by these evolutionarily conserved and clinically important hydroxylases. Our findings imply that the IIS and HIF pathways act together to regulate iron homeostasis in C. elegans. We suggest that IIS/DAF-16 regulation of ftn-1 modulates a trade-off between growth and stress resistance, as elevated iron availability supports growth but also increases ROS production.
Effect of sowing time, its pattern and fertility level on performance of CM 111-an inbred parental line of maize hybrid in winter season

A field trial was conducted during winter season (rabi) of 1995-96 and 1996-97 to study the response of maize inbred parental line CM 111 to sowing time (10, 20 and 30 November), fertility levels (50, 13.1, 16.67 and 3.5; 100,26.2, 33.34 and 7.0,150,39.3,50.01 and 10.5 kg/ha of N, P, K and Zn) and sowing pattern (60 cm x 25 cm, 50 cm x 20 cm and 50 cm x 15 cm). All the yield attributing characters except a few were significantly affected by dates of sowing, fertility levels and plant populations. Early sowing, higher doses of fertilizers and lower plant population recorded greater values for the yield attributing characters leading to greater seed yield. Sowing on 10 November gave 40.22 and 13.42% higher seed yield than 30 and 20 November of sowing respectively. F 3 recorded 63.03 and 15.66% more yield than F 1 , and F 2 . The lowest plant population (S,) gave 24.28 and 11.28% more seed yield than S 3 and S 2 ' respectively. In the functional relationship while seed yield was observed to have a negative linear relationship with date of sowing and plant population, was quadratic in case of fertility levels.
Is there need for leaf-galling grape phylloxera control? Presence and distribution of Dactulosphaira vitifoliae in Swiss vineyards

Grape phylloxera (Dactulosphaira vitifoliae, FITCH) was a major pest in Vitis vinifera grape production in the late 19th and early 20th century in Europe. Roots of V. vinifera varieties are susceptible to D. vitifoliae attack whereas the leaves are not affected. The pest has been controlled by using American grapevine varieties as rootstocks. However, in recent years, grape producers have reported higher incidences of leaf galls induced by D. vitifoliae on V. vinifera leaves. Research on the occurrence of D. vitifoliae on grapevine leaves and roots has shown that D. vitifoliae is present in all wine-growing regions of Switzerland. In more than 80% of vineyards claiming to be infested, D. vitifoliae was found on leaves of varieties with interspecific crosses in their parentage. Three locations with leaf-galling individuals on V. vinifera were detected. D. vitifoliae individuals were found emerging from soil potentially associated with the commonly used rootstock varieties, which are assumed to be phylloxera tolerant. As climate change may necessitate the relocation of some viticultural areas to new wine-growing regions, there will be a greater need to control D. vitifoliae on leaves of interspecific crosses and the inspected planting material to limit further spread of the pest.
Avaliação da qualidade tecnológica apresentada por tilápia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus) enlatada

The fish is quite sensitive to the deterioration due to the high activity of water and, especially to a near pH of the neutrality. The application of the heat needs a rigorous control of time and temperature. The objective of this work developed meat of tilapia canned in vegetable edible oil, for the use from the nonstandard raw material, in order to offer a product with high collected value. The meat of tilapia were taken to the daily pay-cooking in fluent steam for approximately 50 minutes, when the oil of covering was next added, when re-drove and been subdued to two thermal treatments respectively of 15 and 30 minutes in autoclave 121°C. After that the microbiological analyses were carried out, chemical-physically and sensory. The microbiological evaluation showed that the products were presenting satisfactory conformable quality to legislation. The pickles of tilapia presented next composition centesimal: moisture 48.4 %; ashes 3.1 %; protein 12.2 %; lipids 32.7 %; chloride 0.8 %. The sensory analysis showed what, did not exist significant difference at the level of 5 % in the different treatments. The test of commercial sterility was carried out also, where two thermal treatments were adapted to maintain the quality of the pickle of tilapia canned. It was ended that, the pickles of tilapia, they presented quality compatible with similar products, confirming the viability of production of this product.
Mitochondria as a Possible Place for initial stages of steroid Biosynthesis in plants

1 Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia 2 Russian Timiryazev State Agrarian University, Moscow 127550, Russia 3 All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Moscow 127550, Russia 4 Institute of Genetics and Cytology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk 220072, Belarus 5 K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127276, Russia 6 Belarussian State Medical University, Minsk 220116, Belarus
Interspecific relationships of Korean Viola based on RAPD, ISSR and PCR-RFLP analyses

Molecular taxonomic studies were conducted to evaluate interspecific relationships in Korean Viola 34 taxa including two Japanese populations using RAPD(randornly amplified polymorphic DNA), ISSR(inter simple sequence repeat) and PCR-RFLP(restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis. Only six and four primers out of 40 arbitrary and 12 ISSR primers were screened for 34 taxa, and were revealed 70 (98.6%) and 28 (96.6%) polymorphic bands, respectively. Fifteen restriction endonucleases produced 80 restriction sites and size variations from the large single copy region of cpDNA, 16 (20%) of which were polymorphic. The separate analyses from the RAPD, ISSR and PCR-RFLP data were incongruent in the relationships among 34 taxa, but combined data was in accordance with previous infrageneric classification system based on morphological characters, especially the subsection and series level. Section Chamaemelanium placed between subsect. Patellares and Vagimtae of section Nomimium was not formed as a distinct group. Viola alb ida complex including three very closely related taxa was recognized independent group within subsect. Patellares in combined data tree. This result strongly suggested that they should be treated to series Pinmtae. RAPD analysis was very useful to clarify the interspecific relationships among the species of Korean Viola than ISSH and PCR-RFLP analyses.