Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Genus Cuspidaria (Pelecypoda: Septibranchia: Cuspidariidae) from the Deep Sea of Campos Basin, Brazil, with Descriptions of Two New Species

ABSTRACT A revision of the members of Cuspidaria present on the continental slope (700–2,000 m) of the Campos Basin (22°S) off southeastern Brazil was carried out. Eight taxa are recognized. Two of them were previously unknown to science and are described here: Cuspidaria tamandua, n. sp. , and Cuspidaria wapixana, n. sp. Three species are recorded from Brazilian waters for the first time: Cuspidaria papyria Jeffreys, 1876, a poorly described species that is here redescribed; Cuspidaria wollastonii Smith, 1885; and Cuspidaria cf. barnardi Knudsen, 1970. The geographic distribution is enlarged northwards for Cuspidaria platensis (Smith, 1885) and southwards for Cuspidaria monosteira Dall, 1890. Cuspidaria circinata (Jeffreys, 1876) was previously reported for Brazil, but the present record fills a gap in its distribution in the southwest Atlantic. Bathyneaera globulosa Krylova, 1993, is here considered a junior synonym of C. monosteira; Cuspidaria consociata (Smith, 1885) and Cuspidaria munieri Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1897, are both considered junior synonyms of C. circinata. A list of all Cuspidaria species recorded for the Atlantic Ocean is given.
Evaluation of antinociceptive effect of Terminalia arjuna bark ethanol extract

Stem bark of the plant Terminalia arjuna were extracted in 50% ethanol to evaluate for centrally acting analgesic potential using formalin, hot plate and peripheral pharmacological actions using acetic acid induced writhing test in mice. The extract of the plant were found to have significant (p<0.01) analgesic activity at the oral dose of 250 & 500 mg/kg body weight, in the tested models. In hot plate test, at both dose levels (250mg/kg and 500mg/kg), T. arjuna extract showed significant (p<0.001) increased latency period than the control group. In acetic acid induced writhing test and formalin test T. arjuna also showed reduced number of writhes than the control group at two dose levels which are significant (p<0.05) compared to control. The results obtained support the use of stem bark of T.arjuna in painful conditions acting both centrally and peripherally. *Corresponding Author: M Alam Morshed  morshedbt@gmail.com International Journal of Biomolecules and Biomedicine (IJBB) ISSN: 2221-1063 (Print) 2222-503X (Online) Vol. 1, No.2, p. 7-16, 2011 http://www.innspub. net
Structural Features of Nonpeptide Prenyl Pyrophosphates That Determine Their Antigenicity for Human γδ T Cells1

Human Vγ2Vδ2+ T cells proliferate in vivo during many microbial infections. We have found that Vγ2Vδ2+ T cells recognize nonpeptide prenyl pyrophosphates and alkylamines. We now have defined structural features that determine the antigenicity of prenyl pyrophosphates by testing synthetic analogs for bioactivity. We find that the carbon chain closest to the pyrophosphate moiety plays the major role in determining bioactivity. Changes in this area, such as the loss of a double bond, abrogated bioactivity. The loss of a phosphate from the pyrophosphate moiety also decreased antigenicity 100- to 200-fold. However, nucleotide monophosphates could be added with minimal changes in bioactivity. Longer prenyl pyrophosphates also retained bioactivity. Despite differences in CDR3 sequence, Vγ2Vδ2+ clones and a transfectant responded similarly. Ag docking into a Vγ2Vδ2 TCR model reveals a potential binding site in germline regions of the Vγ2Jγ1. 2 CDR3 and Vδ2 CDR2 loops. Thus, Vγ2Vδ2+ T cells recognize a core carbon chain and pyrophosphate moiety. This recognition is relatively unaffected by additions at distal positions to the core Ag unit.
EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FOR THE SPECIES CHARACTER OF CALCIDISCUS LEPTOPORUS MORPHOTYPES

Abstract Culturing experiments of the intermediate morphotype of the cosmopolitan coccolithophore Calcidiscus leptoporus, indicate that the size of its coccosphere and of its coccoliths are affected only in a minor way by temperature. The changes observed in clones growing under different temperature and light conditions are within the range defined for this morphotype in the plankton and Holocene sediments. This outcome suggests that the three morphotypes of living C. leptoporus may be reproductively isolated species rather than stages in a life cycle of a single species or ecophenotypic adaptations of a single species with considerable morphological plasticity. Numerous extinct morphotypes of C. leptoporus have been recorded from marine sediments deposited during the last approximately 25 Ma. In the light of our experiments, these may in fact represent genetically distinct species, which experienced rapid evolution.
Range size-abundance relationships in Australian passerines

Aim: To investigate the relationship between geographical range size and abundance (population density) in Australian passerines. Location: Australia (including Tasmania). Methods: We analysed the relationship between range size and local abundance for 272 species of Australian passerines, across the whole order and within families. We measured abundance as mean and maximum abundance, and used a phylogenetic generalized least-squares regression method within a maximum-likelihood framework to control for effects of phylogeny. We also analysed the relationship within seven different habitat types. Results: There was no correlation between range size and abundance for the whole set of species across all habitats. Analyses within families revealed some strong correlations but showed no consistent pattern. Likewise we found little evidence for any relationship or conflicting patterns in different habitats, except that woodland/forest habitat species exhibit a negative correlation between mean abundance and range size, whilst species in urban habitats exhibit a significant positive relationship between maximum abundance and range size. Despite the general lack of correlation, the raw data plots of range size and abundance in this study occupied a triangular space, with narrowly distributed species exhibiting a greater variation in abundances than widely distributed species. However, using a null model analysis, we demonstrate that this was due to a statistical artefact generated by the frequency distributions for the individual variables. Conclusions: We find no evidence for a positive range size-abundance relationship among Australian passerines. This absence of a relationship cannot be explained by any conflicting effects introduced by comparing across different habitats, nor is it explained by the fact that large proportions of Australia are arid. We speculate that the considerable isolation and evolutionary age of Australian passerines may be an explanatory factor.
Apolipoprotein B/A-I Ratio Predicts Lesion Severity and Clinical Outcomes in Diabetic Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome

myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke during a long-term follow up.5,9,10 Other research has shown a close relationship between apo ratio and insulin resistance or diabetes.11,12 However, these findings were derived from participants without established cardiovascular diseases at baseline. In patients with known ACS and diabetes, whether baseline apoB/apoA-I ratio helps identify worsened angiographic characteristics and prognoses has not been fully investigated. Therefore, we conducted this cohort study to evaluate the influence of apoB/apoA-I ratio at admission to determine the complexity and severity of ACS as well as longterm outcomes.
Seasonal Variation of Juvenile Hormone Titers of the Formosan Subterranean Termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract In lower termites, the soldier is the only sterile caste. Through hormonal control, soldiers seem to promote caste differentiation of workers to the reproductive caste. However, little data exist on how hormonal levels change in soldiers and workers in the field and how this may tie into the seasonal reproductive formation. Our objective was to collect baseline data on hormonal changes in colonies of subterranean termites in the field. Over a 1-yr period, the seasonal variation of juvenile hormone III (JH) titers was determined for Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki soldiers and workers collected monthly from field colonies infesting isolated cypress trees (Taxodium distichum L. Rich.). A total of five colonies were evaluated. Soldier JH titers leveled from February through May, with peak values in June and July. JH titers in workers followed a similar trend. Both soldier and worker JH titers remained at low levels in the fall and winter. This is the first effort to correlate physiological and hormonal aspects with soldier production in the field. Seasonal changes in JH titers as an intrinsic mechanism for reproductive caste differentiation is also discussed.
Impact of COVID-19 on patterns of drug use and drug-related harms in Europe

A multi-centre sero-behavioural study was initiated on 28 April 2020 across Czechia among clients of harm reduction, outpatient and inpatient drug services. Preliminary results from client testing on 17 May reveal a low prevalence of coronavirus infection (5 out of 968 clients with positive IgG/IgM rapid tests). Just over half of respondents reported no change in their frequency of drug use (54 %), the amounts used (59 %) and high-risk behaviours such as injecting or mixing drugs (61 %). While most clients reported no change with regard to health quality indicators, there were reports of deteriorations in financial situation (32 %), mental health (26 %), overall quality of life (25 %), job offers (24 %), attitudes of other people (22 %) and food availability (14 %).
Composition, antibacterial and antioxidant activity of the essential oil ofThymus numidicus Poiret from Constantine (Algeria)

The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled esse ntial oil of Thymus numidicus Poiret, collected fro m Constantine (Eastern Algerian), was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. 3components representing 98.14% % of the essential oil were detected with thymol (23,92%), linalool (17.20 %), o-cymene (11.41%), γ-terpinene (10.84%), thymol methyl ether (6,73%) and carvacrol (6,02%) as the major c omponents. The antibacterial activity of the essent ial oil was tested against 10 gram-positive and gram-negative bby the use of the disc diffusion method. Th e antioxidant activity was also investigated by the use of β-carotene bleaching method.
Characterization of different lotkon (Baccaurea sapida muell. arg.) germplasm

An investigation was carried out to characterize nine accessions of Lotkon germplasm. The experiment was conducted at the FTIP-BAU-GPC, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during March to June, 2014. The single factor experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five replications. Nine accessions were taken to study the morphological and chemical characters. Each Lotkon accession was considered as individual treatment of the experiment which was five years old. The result of the experiment revealed that significant variations were present for all the parameters studied. In respect of leaf characters viz. total length of leaf, petiole length, lamina length and leaf breadth, the accession no. BS-009 showed significantly highest results whereas the lowest values of the mentioned parameters were observed in the accession no. BS-001. All the parameters in fruit characters gradually increased with the harvesting times from 30 DAFS (days after fruit set) except number of fruits per plant and weight of aril. Number of fruits per plant was found to be the lowest at the final harvest (90 DAFS). The weight of aril increased rapidly upto 50 DAFS and then it became steady upto 90 DAFS. Accession no. BS-007 was the best in respect of physical characters of fruit like length, diameter and weight of aril whereas BS-001 showed the lowest result in these parameters. In respect of yield, accession no. BS-003 was the best in respect of highest number of fruit per plant and yield per plant. Regarding chemical parameters, the maximum percentages of total sugar, reducing sugar and moisture content was contained by the accession no. BS-007. Therefore, the result of the present investigation suggested that characterization of Lotkon can be helpful to find out the superior accessions for obtaining improved variety with better yield.
Calcium in Xylem Sap and the Regulation of its Delivery to the Shoot

Amounts of total and free calcium in root and shoot xylem sap were quantified for a number of species grown in comparable environments and in a rooting medium not deficient in calcium. The potential for the shoot to sequester calcium was also examined, along with the ability for ABA to regulate calcium flux to the leaf. Xylem sap calcium showed considerable interspecific and diurnal variation, even though the plants were grown with similar rhizospheric calcium concentrations. The potential for the shoot to sequester xylem sap calcium was also highly variable between species and implied an ability, at least in some species, to regulate the calcium reaching the shoot in the transpiration stream. Long distance transport of calcium in the xylem was not primarily by mass flow, because neither calcium uptake nor distribution were closely related to water uptake or transpiration. The diurnal changes in xylem sap total ion concentration appeared to be negatively correlated with transpiration while, in contrast, the calcium ion concentration showed two peaks, one occurring in the dark and the other in the light period. The application of ABA to roots caused an increase in the rate of exudation from the xylem of detopped well-watered plants. These experiments suggest that changes in root water relations driven by ionic fluxes were the likely cause for enhanced sap exudation from ABA-treated roots. The steady-state concentration of calcium in the xylem sap was unaffected by ABA when exudation rate increased and, consequently, the flux of calcium must also have increased.
First assessment of methane and carbon dioxide emissions from shallow and deep zones of boreal reservoirs upon ice break-up

Most studies dealing with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large boreal reser voirs were conducted during the ice-free period. In this paper, the potential methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide emissions are estimated for two hydroelectric reservoirs, as well as for a small experimental reservoir from boreal latitudes (northern Quebec, Canada) at the ice breakup event through diffusion (diffusive fluxes) and release of bubbles (bubbling fluxes). The results of this preliminary study suggest that the winter diffusive fluxes at the air‐water interface of the sampled reser voirs represent < 7% of their cumulative carbon emissions during the ice-free period. Furthermore, the release upon ice-break of CH4 bubbles accumulated under the ice cover during the winter could represent ≤ 2% of the summer carbon emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs in northern Quebec. The results presented herein suggest that the GHG emissions upon ice break-up from the boreal reservoirs investigated are a small, but non-negligible, component of their annual GHG emissions.
TAp63 and ΔNp63 in Cancer and Epidermal Development

The epidermis is a multilayered stratified epithelium, continuously regenerated by differentiating keratinocytes, that requires the transcription factor p63 for its development and maintenance. The TP63 gene encodes two major protein isoforms, TAp63 and ΔNp63, which have both transactivating and transcriptional repressing activities and regulate a wide range of target genes. TAp63 shows clear pro-apoptotic activity, mediated both by death receptors (CD95, TNF, TRAIL) and mitochondrial (bax, puma) pathways. Conversely, ΔNp63 protects from apoptosis by directly competing for TAp63 target promoters or sequestering it, forming inactive tetramers. Accordingly, p63 is expressed in epithelial tumours, contributing to both tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. However, the predominant physiological role of p63 is in epithelial development, as demonstrated by the lack of epidermis and other epithelia in p63-deficient mice. The specific role of TAp63 and ΔNp63 isoforms in epithelial development remains mostly unclear. Nevertheless, recent work utilizing in vivo genetic complementation of TAp63 and/or ΔNp63 into a p63 null background has shed new light into the specific functions of the two isoforms and allowed the in vivo validation of several p63 transcriptional targets, originally identified by microarray analysis in in vitro systems. However, despite concerted efforts to address the role of p63 isoforms, several questions remain unanswered. The main aim of this review is to critically discuss the data available in the literature and thoroughly analyze the models proposed.
Selected soil enzymes: Examples of their potential roles in the ecosystem

Soil enzymes regulate ecosystem functioning and in particular play a key role in nutrient cycling. In this review we briefly summarise potential roles of selected enzymes such as amylase, arylsulphatases, -glucosidase, cellulose, chitinase, dehydrogenase, phosphatase, protease and urease in the ecosystem. We also highlight areas where further research is needed to increase our understanding of other possible role(s) of enzymes and factors that may affect their activities in the ecosystem.
Hormonal responses to GnRH injection given at different stages of the estrous cycle in water buffaloes

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the hormonal responses of buffaloes to GnRH injections given at different moments of the estrous cycle. The estrous cycles of 15 buffaloes were synchronized with 2 im injections of prostaglandin F2α given 11 days apart. The buffalos were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. Buffaloes in the control group received no treatment, whereas GnRH6 buffaloes received a GnRH injection between days 5 and 7 and GnRH16 buffaloes received a GnRH injection between days 15 and 17 of the estrous cycle (estrus = day 0). Up to day 6, the plasma progesterone levels in the three groups were low (1 ± 0.16 ng/ml) but gradually increased until day 12 (4.62 ± 0.41 ng/ml). The amount of plasma progesterone concentrations decreased from day 15 of the estrous cycle in all groups of buffaloes. No significant differences were observed in the plasma level of progesterone and estradiol concentrations of the three groups during the estrous cycle. The peak levels of plasma estradiol were observed on day 20 and the differences were not significant (11.34 ± 1.77, 11.74 ± 1.91 and 12.72 ± 2.49 pg/ml in the control, GnRH6 and GnRH16 groups, respectively (P> 0.05). In conclusion, GnRH given at the beginning or at the end of the estrous cycle did not alter the profile of progesterone and estradiol concentration in buffaloes.
Diagnosing the Organizational Culture of Rural Community Banks in Ghana and Its Effects on Their Financial Performance

Rural Community Banks (RCBs) are important rural development partners in Ghana. They are the lifeline of credit to small businesses and individuals who do not have the necessary collateral and capacity to borrow from the traditional commercial banks. However, the RCBs are confronted with increasing customers’ demands, keen competition, and poor financial performance which has led to 26% of the country’s RCBs earmarked for liquidation. This is a serious threat to the sustainability of the country’s RCBs prompting serious concern among stakeholders of rural banking. Previous studies have looked at the issue from the perspective of regulations, corporate governance, and ownership structure. This paper seeks to look at the problem from the organizational culture and product innovation point of views. Based on the Competing Values Framework and empirical studies, hypotheses were stated and tested using data collected from 92 RCBs.The data were analyzed using the Smart PLS of SEM. The findings are that RCBs in Ghana exhibit four different cultural types but the dominant culture is control-oriented. Product innovation has a strong impact on financial performance. Cultural orientations such as compete-oriented and innovate-oriented can support RCBs to introduce innovative financial products (product innovation) while control-oriented cannot. Based on the findings, the RCBs are encouraged to create a Research and Product Development (RPD) unit. This unit should develop a cultural orientation that values and encourages freedom of thought, and experimentation of innovative ideas. The bank as an institution should value customer and competitor interactions which serve as a feedback platform for the development of innovative financial products and services. The theoretical contribution of this paper is that organizational cultural orientations that value and focus on customer satisfaction, and interaction with competitors nurture product innovation.
Electron-Hole Scattering Effects in Silicon

The role of electron-hole scattering on the low field mobility of electrons in p-doped silicon is examined using an Ensemble Monte Carlo approach. The transport model includes both electron and hole dynamics with coupling between the electron and hole systems through coulombic electron-hole interactions. The electron-hole scattering rate is calculated using the elliptical nature of the conduction band valleys and non-parabolicity of the valence band. Minority electron low-field drift mobilities are calculated at acceptor concentrations of 4 . 5xl0 1 cm~ 3 and 3.8xl0 cm~ at 300K. Calculations are in excellent agreement with experimental values. I. Introduct ion Experimental investigations of minority electron transport in silicon report a considerable reduction in electron mobility in the presence of an applied electric field[l,2]. This decrease is attr ibuted to the drag effect of electron-hole scattering which is a result of the net momentum transfer from electrons to holes. In this work, Ensemble Monte Carlo techniques are used to examine the low-field mobility of minority electrons in silicon. Previous microscopic studies of minority electron transport using Monte Carlo techniques have been conducted for GaAs[3,4] and silicon[5,6]. Furuto and coworkers[3] compared experimental drift velocity in p-doped GaAs with Monte Carlo calculations. The hole transport model used in their work contained only heavy holes and simulated hole dynamics with a drifted Maxwellian distribution. Their hole model ignores the complex nature of the valance band. Sedra and coworkers [4] used a more accurate hole transport model and performed simulations using a single particle Monte Carlo technique. A shortcoming of both their works and our previous work in silicon[5,6] is the use of the Brooks-Herring impurity scattering model. This model is based on the first Born approximation and is invalid for impurity concentrations above 10 1 7 cm 3 at room temperature. This was clearly shown in our previous calculations at 3.8xl0cm~[6] where calculated low field mobility overestimated experimental values [1]. A new impurity scattering model for Monte Carlo calculations was developed, to correct this problem[7]. In this contribution we report low field drift mobility of electrons in room temperature silicon for acceptor concentrations of of 4.5xlQ cm~ and 3.8xl0 1 cm~ 3 at 300K. Calculations are reported using an improved hole transport model[8] and impurity scattering model [7].