Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seasonal variations in acidic pollutant inputs and their effects on the chemistry of stemflow, bark and epiphyte tissues in three oak woodlands in N.W. Britain

summary Rainfall, throughfall and stemflow chemistry, bark chemistry and gaseous air pollutant levels were monitored for one year within three Quercus petraea (Mattuschka) Liebl. woodlands in north west Britain. Tissue chemistry of the epiphytic lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. and the moss Isothecium myosuroides Brid. were also studied at the sites in which they were abundant. The sites were found to differ in the levels of acidic and nutrient inputs, bark chemistry and levels of gaseous pollutants, although the latter were low at all the sites. The epiphyte tissue chemistry responded to changes in stemflow chemistry across the season. At Borrowdale, Cumbria, where acid sensitive lichens have declined, stemflow was always of a low pH (3.5–4.5) and low nutrient content. The tissues of I. myosuroides at this site had low concentrations of nutrient cations, but a high nitrogen content, possibly due to a high nitrate input in the rainfall. It is concluded that acid precipitation will affect epiphytes by reducing the bark's buffering capacity and increasing its acidity. The extent to which this occurs will depend on tree species, soil chemistry and the nature of the atmospheric inputs. This is discussed in the context of the concept of critical loads for acidifying deposition.
Genetic markers in Siberian and northern North American populations

A review of Siberian and North American arctic and subarctic data shows that the “Caucasian” genetic markers A2, K, r, Gmf;b, AK2 and Pc occur in some Uralic-speaking people of northwestern Siberia who are without recent European admixture. In northeastern Siberia these genes are either absent or are found in known hybrids. The Mongoloid markers are unevenly distributed in Siberia, as they are in North America. Dia and Tf occur across the subcontinent, but Tf appears confined to the western and central regions. In North America, unlike in Siberia, Dia is generally absent from Eskimos, is rare in Athapaskans, and becomes generally polymorphic in Algonkian-speaking Indians. Neither transferrin variant has been identified to date in Eskimos or subarctic Athapaskan-speakers, although Tf occurs in Algonkians. Tf in North America is most common in the American southwest and in Central America. BothGmf,a;,b0,b1,b3,b4,b5 and Gmz,a; b0,b3,b5,s,t are present in Siberia, but only the latter haplotype has been observed on mainland North America. Neither albumin nor UMPK variants have been searched for in Siberia. In North America, AlNa is confined to Indians. The low Fya frequencies reported for Siberians have not been confirmed by other investigators. R0, however, is widespread and is particularly common in south central Siberia.
Effectiveness of selected stream improvement techniques to create suitable summer and winter rearing habitat for juvenile coho salmon oncorhynchus kisutch in oregon coastal streams

We examined the use of constructed pools by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) during summer and winter. Log, gabion, and rock structures placed across the full stream width provided good summer habitat but poor winter habitat for juvenile coho salmon. Rearing densities in constructed habitats during summer and winter were generally similar to those in natural habitats of the same type, except that constructed dammed pools supported lower densities during winter than natural dammed pools. The addition of brush bundles to pools created by full-stream-width structures increased the density of juvenile coho salmon in dammed pools during winter, but not in plunge pools. We concluded that the development of off-channel habitat has the greatest potential to increase production of wild coho salmon smolts in Oregon coastal streams.
Internal phosphorus loading in Lake Mendota: response to external loads and weather

We quantified summer internal phosphorus (P) loads and all the major P fluxes in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, a deep stratified eutrophic lake, during two summers of contrasting external loads to determine ( i) whether internal loading by entrainment (mixing at the thermocline) is a significant part of the epilimnetic P budget and ( ii) what factors lead to interannual variability in internal loading. We estimated variables for the P budget weekly (standing stock, sedimentation) or daily (outflow, inflow, and entrainment) during a summer of average runoff (1992) and one of higher than average runoff (1993). Entrainment, estimated by calculating the amount of P transported into the epilimnion after the thermocline deepened following storms, was about 10 times higher than external loading during 1992, but was about equal to external loading during 1993. When entrainment was included, the epilimnetic P budget balanced. Interannual variability in internal loading appears to be due to a combination of water column stability, weather, and the P levels accumulated in the metalimnion. External loads to the epilimnion during summer 1993 were much higher than in 1992 (7.0 and 0.9 mg P·m -2 ·day -1 , respectively); however, total loads (internal + external) were more similar (12.5 and 7.8 mg P·m -2 ·day -1 in 1993 and 1992, respectively). Although summer chlorophyll concentrations were similar in the two summers, blue-green algal biomass in 1993 was about double that in 1992.
Citogenética de espécies de Attini (Formicidae: Myrmicinae)

A tribo Attini e um grupo monofiletico que inclui mais de 230 especies agrupadas em 14 generos. Nesta tribo estao incluidas as formigas cortadeiras (Atta e Acromyrmex), consideradas importantes pragas agricolas. A utilizacao da citogenetica na familia Formicidae tem mostrado importante contribuicao nas mais de 750 especies de formigas estudadas. Os dados citogeneticos sao reportados para 10% das especies da tribo Attini. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo citogenetico de seis especies do genero Acromyrmex e de sete especies de Attini distribuidas em quatro generos: Apterostigma, Mycocepurus, Sericomyrmex e Trachymyrmex. Parte das especies foi submetida a tecnicas de bandamentos cromossomicos. Os cariotipos observados foram: Apterostigma madidiense Weber (n=23, 7m + 10sm + 5st + 1a), A. steigeri Santschi (2n=22, 20m + 2sm), Mycocepurus goeldii (Forel) (2n=8, 4m + 4sm), Sericomyrmex sp. (2n=50, 44m + 6sm; n=25, 22m + 3sm), Trachymyrmex fuscus Emery (2n=18, 16m + 2sm; n=9, 8m + 1sm), T. relictus Borgmeier (2n=20m, n=10m) e Trachymyrmex sp. (2n=22, 18m + 4sm). Trachymyrmex fuscus apresentou polimorfismo de tamanho no braco curto do par submetacentrico. As possiveis causas da duplicacao do segmento cromossomico sao discutidas. As seis especies do genero Acromyrmex apresentaram 2n=38 cromossomos. Cada especie mostrou um cariotipo diferente em relacao a morfologia (A. balzani: 12m + 10sm + 14st + 2a; A. coronatus: 12m + 12sm + 12st + 2a; A. disciger: 10m + 12sm + 14st + 2a; A. niger: 12m + 18sm + 6st + 2a; A. rugosus: 16m + 12sm + 8st + 2a; A. echinatior: 8m + 6sm + 14st + 10a) e variacoes na distribuicao de heterocromatina (banda C) e regioes ricas em GC (CMA3). Em tres especies (A. coronatus, A. disciger, A. niger) o par subtelocentrico de maior tamanho foi o portador de genes ribossomais. As especies do genero Acromyrmex apresentaram estabilidade no numero cromossomico com diferencas no cariotipo. Isto sugere que rearranjos do tipo translocacoes, crescimento de heterocromatina e inversao devem ter ocorrido durante a evolucao das especies deste genero, levando a modificacoes nos cariotipos das diferentes especies. %%%%The tribe Attini consists of a monophyletic group that includes about 230 species in 14 genera. Different biological substrate are utilized by these ants for cultivation of the symbiotic fungus on which they feed and are necessarily dependent. This tribe includes the leaf-cutting ants (Atta Fabricius and Acromyrmex Mayr) that are known as important agricultural pests. The usage of cytogenetics in the family Formicidae has made significant contributions in the study of more than 750 ant species. Only 10% of Attini’s species have some sort of cytogenetic data available. This work aimed at cytogenetically studying six Acromyrmex species and seven species of the tribe Attini divided into four genera: Apterostigma Mayr, Mycocepurus Forel, Sericomyrmex Mayr and Trachymyrmex Forel. Some of the species were also submitted to banding techniques. The karyotypes observed were: Apterostigma madidiense…
Histopathological effects of methomyl on Sprague-Dawley rats after repeated application.

Summary Radad, K. , A. Hashim, E. E. G. El-Sharqawy & M. S. El-Din Youssef, 2009. Histopa- thological effects of methomyl on Sprague-Dawley rats after repeated application. Bulg. J. Vet. Med., 12, No 2, 149−157. Among pesticides, carbamates are most commonly used for the control of agricultural plagues with potential toxicity to exposed animals and humans. In the present study, methomyl (2 mg/kg b.w.) was given to Sprague-Dawley rats, three times weekly for three months. Histopathological examination of tissue specimens revealed that liver, kidneys, lungs, testicles and spleen were markedly affected after methomyl exposure. Liver showed focal and diffuse activation of Kupffer's cells, necrobiotic changes in the hepatocytes, focal areas of necrosis, apoptotic changes and increase in the mitotic figures. Kid- neys had glomerular swelling, periglomerular fibrosis, degeneration of the tubular epithelial cells and dysplastic changes in renal tubules. Lesions in the lungs consisted of necrosis and sloughing of bron- chiolar epithelial lining and lymphocytic perivascualr accumulations. The testicles exhibited necrosis of seminiferous tubular cells and formation of intratubular giant cells. Spleen showed congestion, haemosiderosis and lymphocytic depletion. In conclusion, methomyl was found out to be potentially toxic to liver, kidneys, lungs, testicles and spleen.
Rational Design and Development of Anti- Angiogenic Protein Agents

Inhibition of angiogenesis is an effective and low toxic therapeutic avenue for the treatment of cancer patients in addition to traditional interventions. Majority of current available angiogenesis inhibitors for cancer therapies are growth factor inhibitors and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors. A number of endogenous proteins and/or proteolytic fragments of extracellular matrix proteins are shown to have the activity of inhibition of angiogenesis by directly targeting endothelial cells. Structural analyses have indicated that a common structure of anti-parallel β-sheet with a highly positively charged surface presents in many of those inhibitors. This common structural feature is critical for the maintenance of their anti-angiogenic function. With this structural information, we have designed and developed a new class of antiangiogenic proteins by integrating the short anti-parallel β-sheet forming sequences of endogenous anti-angiogenic proteins into a stable host protein, the extracellular domain-1 of cluster of differentiation 2 molecule (CD2D1). 1D H NMR spectra analyses indicated that the designed anti-angiogenic protein (ref to as ProAgio) folded as a β-sheet structure similar to that of the parental protein, CD2D1. ProAgio inhibited the growth of human umbilical vein cells (HUVECs) without affecting the growth of epithelial cells, suggesting a specific effect to endothelial cells. ProAgio effectively reduced endothelial tubules formed by the co-culture of HUVECs and PC3 cells on matrix gel in vitro. The designed anti-angiogenic protein was further site-specifically PEGylated in order to improve PK/PD properties and reduce immunogenicity. Examinations with PC3 xenografts showed that both ProAgio and the PEGylated ProAgio dramatically inhibited tumor growth. Immunofluorescence staining analyses of the endothelial marker CD31 indicated dramatic decreases in tumor vessels in lengths and branching points. Histological and immunofluorescence staining analyses of tissue slices of major organs indicated that there were no pathological damages to the tissue structure or disruption of normal vessels associated with the treatment of our designed anti-angiogenic agent. Overall, our studies developed a novel anti-angiogenesis agent that may have great clinical potentials. Our concept of protein design can be extended to the development of other novel protein drugs. INDEX WORDS: Anti-angiogenesis, Rational design, VEGF, VEGFR inhibitors, Endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors, β-Sheet protein, CD2D1, RATIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI-ANGIOGENIC PROTEIN AGENTS
Antigenotoxic activity and antioxidant properties of organic and aqueous extracts of pequi fruit (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) pulp

The daily consumption of natural antioxidants protects against oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), including DNA damage, and can reduce the risk of cancer, atherosclerosis and other degenerative diseases. The pulp of pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) fruit, a tree native to the Brazilian savannah, contains several compounds with antioxidant properties, including carotenoids, vitamin C, phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, saponins and tannins, and essential oils. In this work, we examined the ability of organic and aqueous extracts of pequi fruit pulp to protect against the genotoxicity induced by two antineoplastic drugs, cyclophosphamide (CP) and bleomycin (BLM). Micronucleus tests with mouse bone marrow cells and single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) with peripheral blood leukocytes were used to examine the effects of CP and BLM, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was assessed by measuring lipid peroxidation with the TBARS method in mouse plasma. The fruit pulp extracts had no clastogenic or genotoxic effects in the cells studied, but both extracts protected against oxidative DNA damage caused by BLM or CP, indicating an ability to inhibit chemical mutagenesis in vivo. However, the protective effect against oxidative DNA damage depended on the dose of extract used. At the doses tested, the aqueous extract enhanced lipid peroxidation in mice of both sexes, especially in males. In contrast, the organic extract enhanced lipid peroxidation only in male mice, with no significant effect in females. These results suggest that, with adequate adjustment of the dose, an organic extract of pequi fruit pulp could be a useful dietary supplement with natural antioxidant activity, at least in females.
Removal of UV induced pyrimidine dimers from a transcriptionally active MATα-gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The ability to remove UV-induced pyrimidine dimers from the transcriptionally active MATα gene was examined in nine radiation-sensitive (rad) mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the scission activity of T4 endonuclease V at pyrimidine dimer sites. The rad2 and rad3 mutants, belonging to RAD3 epistasis group, were found to be defective in their ability to remove UV-induced dimers, while rad7 mutant, belonging to the same group, showed a slightly low rate of removal of T4 endo V sensitive sites (ESS) after 4 and 5 hr. In RAD52 epistasis group, the removal of ESS in rad24 progressed to 50% after 4 hr and then leveled off to 5% after 5 hr. While, both rad50 and rad52 mutants proceeded gradually to remove the ESS until reached 55 and 50% after 5 hr, respectively. In RAD6 epistasis group, rad6 and rad8 mutants revealed high removal of ESS after 3 hr with removal of 75.5 and 90%, respectively. In rad18 strain, the removal of ESS was fluctuated with different repair rates and the highest removal of ESS of rad18 was obtained after 5 hr, which reached 87%. The main purpose of the study is to examine DNA repair at the level of a specific gene in yeast and to analyze the role of such a gene involved in the removal of damage from DNA. The study produced a rapid method, which can be used as a standard for the detection of damages due to numerous environmental pollutants.
Inducción de la reproducción del robalo blanco (Centropomus undecimalis) en cautiverio usando implantes de GnRH-a

Culture of Centropomus undecimalis shows great potential as this species tolerates handling and adapts easily to captivity. However, the di culty in achieving spawning in captivity is a major obstacle for the development of commercial scale farming. Spawning of common snook was achieved using GnRH-a implants in single 100 and 200 μg doses per sh; control group specimens received no hormone and did not spawn. Both GnRH-a trial doses resulted in spawning with up to 100 % fertilization rates per experimental unit, and a range of 60 76 % per treatment, showing no statistical di erences (p > 0.05). The percentage of hatching rate was between 50 100 % and larvae measured between 1.56 ± 0.08 and 1.98 ± 0.05 mm total length after yolk sac absorption.
Capercaillie habitat, diet and management in a Sitka spruce plantation in central Scotland

Summary The ancestral habitat of capercaillie in most of its range is Scots pine forest with an understorey of blaeberry. Keillour forest in Perthshire is dominated by Sitka spruce, has little blaeberry, yet had a high density of capercaillie. Food and habitat use by capercaillie were studied there from 1991 to 1994. Seven cocks and two hens were caught, and marked with small radio transmitters. The habitats they occupied and food remains in their droppings provided information on home range, habitat utilization and diet through the year. Sitka spruce was the main food in autumn, winter and spring but was equalled by the fruiting heads of sedge in summer. Larch was the second most abundant item in spring and autumn diets. Sedge was plentiful on the wet restocks associated with the gleyed soils at Keillour and may provide a partial substitute for blaeberry in summer. Capercaillie showed a clear preference for the oldest blocks of trees, especially in winter. Sitka spruce, Norway spruce and Scots pine were used roughly in proportion to their availability in the birds' home range, but larch stands were used more than expected from availability. In summer, all birds used restocks to some extent. Management recommendations to encourage capercaillie in commercial plantations largely comprising exotics are that mature stands over 45 years and well-vegetated restocks should each occupy at least 20 per cent of the forest, larch and blocks of mixed conifers each at least 15 per cent of the ground. Blaeberry should be encouraged and, if possible, patches of windthrow involving living trees with the main root intact should be retained.
Germ Cell Nuclear Factor: An Orphan Receptor in Search of a Function

Germ Cell Nuclear Factor (GCNF) is an orphan member of the nuclear receptor gene superfamily. Much has been understood about the functioning of GCNF which represents a candidate receptor for a novel hormonal signalling pathway. GCNF is not closely related to other members of the nuclear receptor superfamily and forms its own branch within the superfamily tree. It has a unique expression pattern that spans both embryonic and adult stages of development. In the adult, it is expressed in the germ cells: oocytes and spermatogenic cells as well as specific neuronal cells within the brain. In the embryo, GCNF expression is turned on after gastrulation in all germ layers the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. An antero-posterior gradient of GCNF is established in the neuroectoderm of the embryo, suggesting a role in regulation of neuronal and germ cell development. Regulation of physiological processes by a nuclear receptor is achieved through regulation of gene expression. GCNF is the only nuclear receptor to specifcally bind to DR0 hormone response elements to regulate gene expression. In the absense of a ligand, GCNF represses gene expression. GCNF is capable of regulating the expression of the protamine genes in a response element-dependent manner. At present the ligand for GCNF is unknown, but it is hypothesized that GCNF is a receptor for a novel hormonal signalling pathway that effects its biological response by regulating the expression of a subset of genes containing DR0 response elements.
Morphological characterisation of white head cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata subvar. alba) genotypes in Turkey

Abstract Crops belonging to the Brassica genus are widely grown in Turkey. Cabbages are one of the most important Brassica vegetable crops in Turkey. the aim of this study was to determine similarities and differences regarding morphological variation of white head cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata subvar. alba) genetic resources collected from different eco‐geographical regions of Turkey. Data from field experiments conducted between 1999 and 2001 were analysed by multiple variance analysis. Cluster analysis based on 12 quantitative and 10 qualitative variables identified 10 groups. The dendogram was prepared to evaluate morphological similarity between the white head cabbage genotypes. Morphological variability is high among the white head cabbage genotypes of Turkey. As a conclusion, the genotypes evaluated in this study display a wide diversity of characters for selection and combination of interesting genotypes for important characters to obtain improved varieties.
Definitions of overfishing from an ecosystem perspective

Murawski, S. A. 2000. Deﬁnitions of overﬁshing from an ecosystem perspective. –ICES Journal of Marine Science, 57: 649–658.Ecosystem considerations may be incorporated into ﬁsheries management by modify-ing existing overﬁshing paradigms or by developing new approaches to account forecosystem structure and function in relation to harvesting. Although existing conceptsof overﬁshing have a strong theoretical basis for evaluating policy choices and muchpractical use, they do not provide direct guidance on issues such as biodiversity, serialdepletion, habitat degradation, and changes in the food web caused by ﬁshing. Thereis, however, little basis for deﬁning optimum ﬁshing by using related metrics such asdiversity indices, slopes of size or diversity spectra, or average trophic level of thecatch, and these may produce ambiguous results. If ecosystem-based overﬁshingconcepts are to assume a greater role in management, unambiguous, quantiﬁable,and predictive measures of ecosystem state and ﬂux must be developed to index:(1) biomass and production by the ecosystem and relationships among its parts,(2) diversity at diﬀerent levels of organization, (3) patterns of resource variability, and(4) social and economic beneﬁts. Ecosystem considerations do not need to substitutefor existing overﬁshing concepts. Instead, they should be used to evaluate and modifyprimary management guidance for important ﬁsheries and species. In practice, theyemphasize the need to manage ﬁshing capacity, supported by broader use of technicalmeasures such as marine protected areas and gear restrictions.