Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Casein Kinase Iγ Subfamily.

Casein kinase I, one of the first protein kinases identified biochemically, is known to exist in multiple isoforms in mammals. Using a partial cDNA fragment corresponding to an isoform termed CK1γ, three full-length rat testis cDNAs were cloned that defined three separate members of this subfamily. The isoforms, designated CK1γ1, CK1γ2, and CK1γ3, have predicted molecular masses of 43,000, 45,500, and 49,700. CK1γ3 may also exist in an alternatively spliced form. The proteins are more than 90% identical to each other within the protein kinase domain but only 51-59% identical to other casein kinase I isoforms within this region. Messages for CK1γ1 (2 kilobases (kb)), CK1γ2 (1.5 and 2.4 kb), and CK1γ3 (2.8 kb) were detected by Northern hybridization of testis RNA. Message for CK1γ3 was also observed in brain, heart, kidney, lung, liver, and muscle whereas CK1γ1 and CK1γ2 messages were restricted to testis. All three CK1γ isoforms were expressed as active enzymes in Escherichia coli and partially purified. The enzymes phosphorylated typical in vitro casein kinase I substrates such as casein, phosvitin, and a synthetic peptide, D4. Phosphorylation of the D4 peptide was activated by heparin whereas phosphorylation of the protein substrates was inhibited. The known casein kinase I inhibitor CK1-7 also inhibited the CK1γs although less effectively than the CK1α or CK1δ isoforms. All three CK1γs underwent autophosphorylation when incubated with ATP and Mg2+. The YCK1 and YCK2 genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae encode casein kinase I homologs, defects in which lead to aberrant morphology and growth arrest. Expression of mammalian CK1γ1 or CK1γ3 restored growth and normal morphology to a yeast mutant carrying a disruption of YCK1 and a temperature-sensitive allele of YCK2, suggesting overlap of function between the yeast Yck proteins and these CK1 isoforms.
Factors affecting growth and sporulation of Ascochyta fabae f.sp. lentis.

Isolates of Ascochyta fabae f. sp. lentis from seed of lentil (Lens culinaris) collected from different countries varied greatly in growth, sporulation, colony appearance, and morphology. Optimum conidial production occurred on 5% lentil seedmeal agar and natural potato-dextrose agar (PDA), whereas optimum linear growth occurred on natural PDA or oatmeal agar. Optimum temperatures for linear growth and sporulation were 15-20 C and 15-25 C, respectively. Isolates did not sporulate at 30 C. In continuous light, sporulation of all isolates was three to 10 times greater than in darkness, but linear growth in continuous light was greater in only two of three isolates
Moving towards carbon neutrality: CO2 exchange of a black spruce forest ecosystem during the first 10 years of recovery after harvest

Disturbances control the landscape-level C dynamics of boreal forests, but post-disturbance C dynamics are usually poorly quantified. In the current study, we use 10 years of CO2 flux measurements at a boreal black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) cutover in eastern Canada to estimate time to C neutrality, quantify the relative role of respiration versus photosynthesis during recovery, and determine the agreement between cumulated CO2 fluxes and plot-level changes in C content. The site was a net source of 139 g C·m–2·year–1 2 years post-harvest, dropped further to a source of 173 g C·m–2·year–1 4 years post-harvest, following a scarification treatment, and was nearly C neutral 10 years post-harvest. Gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) increased by 50 g C·m–2·year–1 post-scarification, while ecosystem respiration (ER) increased by only 23 g C·m–2·year–1. The resulting net rate of increase of 27 g C·m–2·year–1 in net ecosystem productivity was driven by changes in increasing leaf area. In fact, vegetat.
Focused Value

Deep value strategies hold concentrated stock portfolios that trade at significant discounts to their intrinsic value. Such stocks tend to have significant risks: stocks with high stock-specific volatilities may have transitory low price movements; stock prices may be low because of recent negative price trends; and stocks’ earnings quality may be poor giving rise to their low valuations. In addition, the risk of value traps—that low prices may remain low for a long time—is exacerbated with deep value strategies. The authors develop a systematic deep value strategy that is designed to combine the concept of deep value investing while mitigating these risks. Using hypothetical backtested data, the deep value strategy has exhibited attractive risk-adjusted returns, including offering diversification to traditional value strategies. TOPICS: Analysis of individual factors/risk premia, factor-based models, style investing
Estimating the mass density of fine roots of trees for minirhizotron-based estimates of productivity

Allocation of carbon for the production of fine roots is a significant component of the carbon budget within trees. Transformation of fine-root volumes or lengths as seen with minirhizotrons into fine-root mass per unit of horizontal area requires an estimate of the mass density or specific root length of fine roots for the species of interest. We obtained values of mass density of fine roots using three different sampling strategies on temperate and boreal forested sites. The strategies examined were (1) the use of bulk root samples from soil cores, (2) the use of individual roots from seedlings, and (3) the use of individual roots from soil cores. Our results show that the mass density of fine roots taken from seedlings is strongly dependent on root diameter, as shown by the strong drop in mass density with a decrease in diameter in all species examined. However, the dependency of mass density of individual fine roots extracted from soil cores on root diameter varies with the species mixture. Examinatio.
Role of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Prevention and Treatment of Macrovascular Disease in Diabetes

D iabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality due to coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease in the United States. The prevalence of these macrovascular complications is increased about twoto fourfold in diabetic populations. In 1987, these macrovascular complications accounted for most of the hospitalizations for diabetes and contributed substantially to the $20.4 billion spent for diabetes care in the United States. Multiple risk factors for macrovascular disease are frequently found in individuals with diabetes. There is an increased prevalence of hypertension and lipid abnormalities in many populations with diabetes. Many individuals with diabetes have not stopped smoking despite evidence that this is a major cardiovascular risk factor. There are other factors that may be associated with macrovascular disease in diabetes, including obesity, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, microalbuminuria, elevated fibrinogen levels, altered platelet function, and qualitative lipoprotein abnormalities. Primary and secondary intervention trials directed at cardiovascular risk factors in nondiabetic individuals have been performed, and data are now available. Advances have also been made in nutritional management, exercise programs, behavioral approaches, pharmacological therapy for diabetes and its major risk factors, and the understanding of atherogenesis. These developments led the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to convene a consensus development conference, 10-12 May 1989, on the role of cardiovascular risk factors in the prevention and treatment of macrovascular disease in diabetes. The conference consisted of 19 invited presentations and considerable discussion from a large audience of health-care professionals. A consensus panel with expertise in clinical diabetes, clinical investigation, epidemiology, nutrition, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and lipid and lipoprotein disorders considered a broad spectrum of issues concerned with macrovascular disease in diabetes. The panel reached a consensus on answers to the following questions:
β2‐Adrenergic receptor activation delays wound healing

Keratinocytes migrate directionally into the wound bed to initiate re‐epithelialization, necessary for wound closure and restoration of barrier function. They solely express the β2‐adrenergic receptor (β2‐AR) subtype of β‐ARs and can also synthesize β‐AR agonists generating a hormonal mediator network in the skin. Emerging studies from our laboratory demonstrate that β‐AR agonists decrease keratinocyte migration via a protein phosphatase (PP) 2A‐dependent mechanism. Here we have extended our investigations to observe the effects of β2‐AR activation on keratinocyte polarization, migration, and ERK phosphorylation at the wound edge, cytoskeletal organization, phospho‐ERK intracellular localization, proliferation, human skin wound re‐epithelialization, wound‐induced ERK phosphorylation, and murine skin wound healing. We demonstrate that in keratinocytes, β2‐AR activation is antimotogenic and anti‐mitogenic with both mechanisms being PP2A dependent. β2‐AR activation dramatically alters the organization of the actin cytoskeleton and prevents localization of phospho‐ERK to the lamellipodial edge and its colocalization with vinculin. Finally, we demonstrate a β2‐AR‐mediated delay in re‐epithelialization and decrease in wound‐induced epidermal ERK phosphorylation in human skin wounds and a delay in re‐epithelialization in murine tail‐clip wounds. Our work uncovers novel keratinocyte biology and a previously unrecognized role for the adrenergic hormonal mediator network in the wound repair process. — Pullar, C. E. , Grahn, J. C. , Liu, W. , Isseroff, R. R. β2‐Adrenergic receptor activation delays wound healing. FASEB J. 20, 76 −86 (2006)
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES EFFECT ON SEED FEATURES OF ITALIAN RYEGRASS FOLLOWING STORAGE PERIOD

Italian ryegrass seed crop was established in 2007 with two sowing densities (D1 = 60 cm row spacing and 5 kg ha-1 seeding rate; D2 = 20 cm row spacing and 20 kg ha-1 seeding rate) and using two spring nitrogen rates (0 and 150 kg N ha-1). Seed germination and thousand seed weight (TSW) of Italian ryegrass was observed in first production year. After harvest in June, seeds were stored under standard storage conditions and sampled 90 days after harvest (DAH), and then 2000 DAH. At 90 DAH, seeds were tested for TSW, as well as germination energy and total germination percentage at incubation temperatures of 10, 15, 20 and 25°C. Ryegrass seeds had the best germination energy 90 DAH at 20°C and maximum total germination at 15°C, which implies that early autumn (September-October) is proper sowing period for freshly harvested seeds of Italian ryegrass. Italian ryegrass seeds could maintain satisfactory germination energy (59.3%) and total germination (77.3%) up to 2000 DAH. High seed quality was obtained and applied treatments did not change seed quality significantly unlike storage period which had considerable influence on seed quality. The data can serve for the determination of a proper storage duration management between harvest and sowing of the tested species under ambient conditions of Serbia. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31053 i br. TR 31016]
Sex differences in meiosis between Vicia faba L. and its close wild relatives

Abstract Comparison of chiasma frequency was made in male and female meiocytes of the widely cultivated Vicia faba L. and its close wild allies in the Vicia narbonensis species complex. Contrary to most of the earlier reports of higher chiasma frequency in female sex cells, a higher chiasma frequency was observed in male sex cells. This pattern is restricted to the species representing the Narbonensis complex, since Vicia faba shows identical chiasma frequency in male and female sex cells. The genetic significance of these findings is that chiasma formation in the sex cells of the putative allies is governed and regulated by similar controlling systems of genes, but that of V. faba indicates a different kind of system.
Competition Between High and Low-Accuracy Trading Platforms

This article develops a model in which trading platforms compete with the fee charged for trading and the price accuracy of trades. The model has a stable equilibrium, which demonstrates how an increase in the number of traders or an increase in their desire for accuracy increases the levels of accuracy offered by the platforms and that this accuracy becomes more dispersed. An increase in the cost of increasing accuracy lowers accuracy for both firms, and the accuracies become less dispersed. Additional analysis demonstrates how exogenous shifts affect the fees and profits.
Dietary flavonoids with a catechol structure increase α-tocopherol in rats and protect the vitamin from oxidation in vitro Published, JLR Papers in Press, September 1, 2006.

To identify dietary phenolic compounds capable of improving vitamin E status, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 4 weeks either a basal diet (control) with 2 g/kg cholesterol and an adequate content of vitamin E or the basal diet fortified with quercetin (Q), (−)-epicatechin (EC), or (+)-catechin (C) at concentrations of 2 g/kg. All three catechol derivatives substantially increased concentrations of α-tocopherol (α-T) in blood plasma and liver. To study potential mechanisms underlying the observed increase of α-T, the capacities of the flavonoids to i) protect α-T from oxidation in LDL exposed to peroxyl radicals, ii) reduce α-tocopheroxyl radicals (α-T · ) in SDS micelles, and iii) inhibit the metabolism of tocopherols in HepG2 cells were determined. All flavonoids protected α-T from oxidation in human LDL ex vivo and dose-dependently reduced the concentrations of α-T · . None of the test compounds affected vitamin E metabolism in the hepatocyte cultures. In conclusion, fortification of the diet of Sprague-Dawley rats with Q, EC, or C considerably improved their vitamin E status. The underlying mechanism does not appear to involve vitamin E metabolism but may involve direct quenching of free radicals or reduction of the α-T · by the flavonoids.
High efficiency plant regeneration from callus induced on mature indica rice caryopses

High frequency callus production was achieved following the culturing of mature caryopses on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing MS vitamins, 10 then 5 mu M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 59 mM sucrose, 3 g L(-1) casein hydrolysate and 8 g L(-1) agar. Six south-east Asian Indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars produced embryogenic structures after 6 weeks of culture at 26 +/- 1 degrees C. Efficiency in embryogenic response of genotypes differed, Kurkaruppan = FR13A > Khao Dawk Mali 105 = Nam Sagui 19 = RD7 > Pin Gaew 56. Additives such as mannitol, tryptophan and ABA nor manipulation of light environment improved callus initiation or embryogenic callus formation. The use of a number of different plantlet regeneration media either free of plant growth regulators or containing auxins (indole-3-acetic acid and alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid), cytokinins (kinetin and 6-benzylaminopurine) and an ethylene producing chemical (1 -aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid) showed that the plant: growth regulator-free medium or the one supplemented with 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (5 mu M) and kinetin mu 5 mu M) were best for plantlet formation. However, a single recommendation could not be made for all cultivars. One further culture modification involving a mild osmotic stress (polyethylene glycol 100 g L(-1)) in R-2 liquid medium enhanced plantlet regeneration in Nam Sagui 19 two-fold but Khao Dawk Mali 105 was recalcitrant to this treatment. Plantlets (700) produced from all treatments subsequently developed into plants, most of which were morphologically normal, in the greenhouse.
Gallery forests versus bosquets: conservation of natural fragments at Lope National Park in central Gabon

Human-induced forest fragmentation has been relatively well-studied, however, we know very little about the role of natural fragmentation in sustaining rare or marginal species that could have been lost if the advancement of continuous forest had not been controlled. Between February 2001 and January 2003, we conducted a study on characteristics of natural forest fragments in the mosaic of forests and savannas in the north of Lope National Park in Central Gabon. We surveyed 61 vegetation plots (0.08 ha each) and compared vegetation characteristics of isolated forest fragments (bosquets) with those of gallery forests. Both shared 39% of all 251 species inventoried. Gallery forests contained 45% plant species on their own, while 16% were encountered only in bosquets. Therefore, bosquets were found to be valuable component of the Lope landscape worth protecting. In addition, the Shannon–Wienner diversity index (H′) was higher for bosquets neighbouring gallery forests or continuous forests regardless of their sizes because seeds of new plant species were easily dispersed in these bosquets. To protect these gallery forests and bosquets, one of the traditional conservation tools – a controlled savanna burning – should still be used to prevent forest fragments from being engulfed by the expanding continuous forest. Resume La fragmentation d'origine humaine des forets a ete relativement bien etudiee; cependant, nous savons tres peu de choses du role de la fragmentation naturelle sur le maintien d'especes rares ou marginales qui auraient pu disparaitre si l'avancement continu de la foret n'avait pas ete controle. Entre fevrier 2001 et janvier 2003, nous avons mene une etude sur les caracteristiques des portions de foret naturelle dans la mosaique de forets et de savanes du nord du Parc National de la Lope, au centre du Gabon. Nous avons suivi 61 parcelles de vegetation de 0.08 ha chacune et nous avons compare les caracteristiques de la vegetation des fragments de foret isoles (bosquets) avec celles des galeries forestieres. Les deux ont en commun 39% des 251 especes repertoriees. Les galeries forestieres contenaient 45% des especes vegetales en propre alors que 16% des especes ne vivaient que dans les bosquets. C'est pourquoi on a estime que les bosquets etaient des elements importants du paysage de la Lope, qui meritaient d’etre proteges. De plus, l'Indice de diversite de Shannon-Wiener etait plus eleve pour les bosquets avoisinant des galeries forestieres ou des forets continues, quelle que soit leur taille, parce que les semences de nouvelles especes vegetales etaient facilement dispersees dans ces bosquets. Pour proteger ces galeries forestieres et ces bosquets, un des outils de conservation traditionnels – le feu de savane controle– devrait encore etre utilise pour empecher que les fragments forestiers soient englobes dans la foret en expansion continue.
Differential Recruitment of Coactivator RIP140 byAh and Estrogen Receptors

The Ah receptor (AhR), a soluble cytosolic protein, mediates most of the toxic effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related environmental contaminants. The mechanism of ligand-mediated AhR activation has been, in part, elucidated. The sequence of events following the binding of the AhR/AhR nuclear translocator protein (ARNT) heterodimer to dioxin response elements has yet to be completely understood. The role of coactivator, RIP140, in the modulation of transcriptional activity of AhR/ARNT heterodimer was examined. RIP140 enhanced TCDD-mediated, dioxin response element-driven reporter gene activity in three cell lines. Co-immunoprecipitation and co-localization assays revealed that RIP140 interacted with AhR, but not with ARNT, both in vitro and in cells. Mapping of the interaction sites revealed that RIP140 was recruited by the AhR transactivation domain via the Q-rich subdomain. The RIP140 domain that interacts with the AhR was mapped to a location between amino acid residues 154 and 350, which is distinct from those involved in estrogen receptor binding. The signature motif, LXXLL, which is responsible for binding of several coactivators to nuclear receptors, is not required for RIP140 binding to AhR. These results demonstrate that the AhR recruits coactivators that are capable of enhancing transcription and, thus, the AhR may compete with steroid receptors for a common coactivator pool. In addition, the data suggest that there are distinct motif(s) for the recruitment of RIP140 to AhR and possibly other non-steroid receptors/transcription factors.
Variaciones en el patrón espacial a pequeña escala de los componentes de la costra biológica en un ecosistema mediterráneo semiárido

RESUMEN La costra biologica constituye una de las propiedades edaficas mas importantes en los ecosistemas semiaridos, donde juegan un importante rol en su funcionamiento y dinamica. En los ultimos anos se ha producido un notable aumento en el conocimiento de la ecofisiologia, dinamica y taxonomia de los constituyentes de este tipo de costras, pero pocos estudios hasta la fecha han evaluado los cambios que la vegetacion introduce en su patron espacial a pequena escala. Con el objetivo de avanzar en el conocimiento sobre las interacciones entre los componentes de la costra biologica y las plantas vasculares, en este articulo se evaluan los efectos del microambiente proporcionado por Stipa tenacissima L. en la distribucion espacial de los liquenes foliaceos y los musgos, en estepas semiaridas del SE de Espana. El principal objetivo de estudio es determinar si el microambiente proporcionado por S. tenacissima promueve la aparicion de cambios en el patron individual de estos componentes de la costra biologica por separado y en su covariacion espacial. Para alcanzar este objetivo se ha utilizado el analisis espacial mediante indices de distancia ("spatial analysis by distance indices", SADIE), mediante el cual se detecto un patron de distribucion agregado en los liquenes foliaceos y los musgos, pero el microambiente proporcionado por S. tenacissima solo introdujo cambios significativos en el patron espacial de los primeros. No se encontro un efecto significativo del microambiente proporcionado por S. tenacissima en la covariacion espacial entre los liquenes foliaceos y los musgos. Los resultados obtenidos muestran como S. tenacissima es capaz de modificar la distribucion espacial a pequena escala de los componentes de la costra biologica y sugieren la facilitacion entre esta especie y los liquenes foliaceos.
Fractionation and Characterization of Proteins from Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.)

Five protein fractions (albumins, globulins, prolamines, glutelins-1, and glutelins-2) from defatted coconut flour were fractionated and then characterized by SDS−PAGE, gel filtration, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and amino acid analysis. The albumins and globulins were the predominant protein fractions. Native coconut proteins consisted of four major polypeptides with molecular weights ranging from about 22 to greater than 100 kDa. However, in a reduced state, there were about seven major bands with molecular weights of between 14 and 52 kDa. SDS−PAGE of protein fractions indicates that the total protein, globulins, and glutelins-1 are composed of polypeptides linked via one or more disulfide bonds. DSC analysis showed that albumins had an endothermic peak of 94 °C, while globulins had peaks at 92, 98, and 112 °C. Amino acid analysis demonstrated that the coconut proteins had a relatively high level of glutamic acid, arginine, and aspartic acid. Keywords: Coconut protein; albumins; globulins;.