Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Partitioning into Lipid Rafts Controls the Endo-Exocytic Cycle of the αL/β2 Integrin, LFA-1, during Leukocyte Chemotaxis

Cell migration entails the dynamic redistribution of adhesion receptors from the cell rear toward the cell front, where they form new protrusions and adhesions. This process may involve regulated endo-exocytosis of integrins. Here we show that in primary neutrophils unengaged αL/β2 integrin (LFA-1) is internalized and rapidly recycled upon chemoattractant stimulation via a clathrin-independent, cholesterol-sensitive pathway involving dynamic partitioning into detergent-resistant membranes (DRM). Persistent DRM association is required for recycling of the internalized receptor because 1) >90% of endocytosed LFA-1 is associated with DRM, and a large fraction of the internalized receptor colocalizes intracellularly with markers of DRM and the recycling endocytic compartment; 2) a recycling-defective mutant (αL/β2Y735A) dissociates rapidly from DRM upon being endocytosed and is subsequently diverted into a late endosomal pathway; and 3) a dominant negative Rab11 mutant (Rab11S25N) induces intracellular accumulation of endocytosed αL/β2 and prevents its enrichment in chemoattractant-induced lamellipodia. Notably, chemokine-induced migration of neutrophils over immobilized ICAM-1 is abrogated by cholesterol-sequestering agents. We propose that DRM-associated endocytosis allows efficient retrieval of integrins, as they detach from their ligands, followed by polarized recycling to areas of the plasma membrane, such as lamellipodia, where they establish new adhesive interactions and promote outside-in signaling events.
Nutritive value of pods of indigenous browsable tree species in a semiarid area of Zimbabwe

Livestock in smallholder farming systems of Zimbabwe are depended on indigenous browse tree pods as sources of nitrogen and energy during the dry season. The chemical composition and nutritive value of these pods is largely unknown. The aim of this experiment was to determine the chemical composition, content of antinutritive factors and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of pods of Dichrostachys cinerea, Acacia ingrescens, Acacia tortilis and Bauhinia thonningii. The content of antinutritive factors was determined by assaying for proanthocyanidins using the acid butanol method and by the radial diffusion method. The IVOMD of the pods was low but this did not seem to be related to proanthocyanidin concentration or tannin binding effect on protein. The digestibility varied inversely with NDF content. The pods have a potential use as protein and energy supplements during the dry season, especially A. tortilis pods.
The determination of total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in freshwaters from land use, stock headage and population data: testing of a model for use in conservation and water quality management

1. Nutrient concentrations (particularly N and P) determine the extent to which water bodies are or may become eutrophic. Direct determination of nutrient content on a wide scale is labour intensive but the main sources of N and P are well known. This paper describes and tests an export coefficient model for prediction of total N and total P from: (i) land use, stock headage and human population; (ii) the export rates of N and P from these sources; and (iii) the river discharge. Such a model might be used to forecast the effects of changes in land use in the future and to hindcast past water quality to establish comparative or baseline states for the monitoring of change. 2. The model has been calibrated against observed data for 1988 and validated against sets of observed data for a sequence of earlier years in ten British catchments varying from uplands through rolling, fertile lowlands to the flat topography of East Anglia. 3. The model predicted total N and total P concentrations with high precision (> 95% of the variance in observed data explained). It has been used in two forms: the first on a specific catchment basis; the second for a larger natural region which contains the catchment with the assumption that all catchments within that region will be similar. Both models gave similar results with little loss of precision in the latter case. This implies that it will be possible to describe the overall pattern of nutrient export in the UK with only a fraction of the effort needed to carry out the calculations for each individual water body. 4. Comparison between land use, stock headage, population numbers and nutrient export for the ten catchments in the pre-war year of 1931, and for 1970 and 1988 show that there has been a substantial loss of rough grazing to fertilized temporary and permanent grasslands, an increase in the hectarage devoted to arable, consistent increases in the stocking of cattle and sheep and a marked movement of humans to these rural catchments. 5. All of these trends have increased the flows of nutrients with more than a doubling of both total N and total P loads during the period. On average in these rural catchments, stock wastes have been the greatest contributors to both N and P exports, with cultivation the next most important source of N and people of P. Ratios of N to P were high in 1931 and remain little changed so that, in these catchments, phosphorus continues to be the nutrient most likely to control algal crops in standing waters supplied by the rivers studied.
AN ALTERNATE GROWTH PATTERN FOR LAMINARIA LONGICRURIS 1, 2

A population of Laminaria longicruris de la Pylaie was followed for a year at Bic Island, Quebec, Canada where nutrient levels in the seawater were elevated throughout the year. Tagged kelp were measured each month for growth and analyzed for alginic acid, laminaran, mannitol, carbon, nitrogen, and nitrate. Maximum growth (3.5 cm · d−1) was observed in June, and minimal growth (0.18 cm · d−1) from December to February, when ice cover limited light levels. No reserves of carbon or nitrate were formed. Laminaran levels remained below 2.7% dry weight while tissue nitrate did not exceed 0.75 μmol · g−1 dry weight. Total carbon produced per plant was 40 g C · yr−1. Nutrient availability enables the kelp to take advantage of summer light and temperature conditions to grow rapidly.
Interference competition and aflatoxin levels in corn.

An experiment was designed to determine whether certain fungi commonly isolated from maize at harvest can affect aflatoxin development when inoculated with Aspergillus flavus (NRRL 6412) onto individual sterilized maize kernels (incubation 8 days at 28 deg C). No aflatoxins were detected when A. niger (NRRL 6411) or Trichoderma viride (NRRL 6418) were paired with A. flavus. Aflatoxin contamination was substantial (mean value for B1 ranging from 676 p.p.b. to 3765 p.p.b.) in 11 other simultaneous pairings. When inoculation with A. flavus followed by 5 days that of the other test fungi, aflatoxin was detected only in pairings with Candida guilliermondii (B1, 16 p.p.b.; B2, 1 p.p.b.). However A. flavus invaded a number of the other preinoculated kernels in this series, as evidenced by its abundant sporulation on kernel surfaces and/or the formation of a bright greenish-yellow (BGY) fluorescence in kernel tissues examined under black light (365 nm). The status of individual fungal colonists as interference competitors and the order in which spp. colonize a kernel (i.e. prior to, or simultaneous with, the introduction of A. flavus), are examined as factors contributing to variation in aflatoxin levels among field samples.
Seasonal and annual variations in the prevalence of helminths in a cyclic population of Clethrionomys glareolus

Six cestode and two nematode species were recovered from a cyclic population of Clethrionomys glareolus in southern Norway. The cestode Aprostatandrya macrocephala and the nematode Heligmosomum glareoli were euconstant species which displayed late spring/early summer peaks in numbers after which they declined. This decrease in prevalence was correlated with decreasing mean age of the host population. Increases in the prevalence of infections with the nematode Syphacia nigeriana in bank voles were correlated to increasing numbers of Microius agrestis in the mixed woods. Cestode larvae were at maximum prevalence during peak years of bank vole abundance. Pathological conditions such as ascites and peritoneal adhesions, as well as splenic and adrenal hypertrophy, were associated with cestode larvae. There was no general trend of an increase in the prevalence of helminth infection with increasing population density of the bank voles.
Relationship of Hospitalized Elders’ Perceptions of Nurse Caring Behaviors, Type of Care Unit, Satisfaction With Nursing Care, and Health Outcome of Functional Status

This study investigated relationships among hospitalized elders’ perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, the type of unit on which they received care, their satisfaction with nursing care, and their outcome of functional status. A predictive correlational nonexperimental design was used with a sample of 180 subjects, 90 from an acute care elder unit and 90 from a telemetry unit in an acute care medical center where new-nurse orientation included Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders (NICHE) concepts of care. Elders’ perceptions of nurse caring behaviors were correlated with satisfaction with nursing care (r[178]=0.555, p=.000). Only one of seven hypotheses was supported. Type of care unit had no effect on elders’ perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, satisfaction with care, or functional status outcome. Nurses who are taught how to care for acutely ill hospitalized elders are likely to demonstrate nurse caring behaviors that result in satisfaction with nursing care, better functional outcomes, and care quality. This study supports evidence that the NICHE model of care could be the answer to the Institute of Medicine’s (2001, 2010) charge to improve the delivery of health care and care quality to vulnerable population of elders.
The generalized linear model for spatial data: assessing the effects of environmental covariates on population density in the field

With interest in spatial ecology growing, correlational field studies are likely to become increasingly important. Unfortunately, ecological field data often do not follow the assumptions of classical statistics, so techniques like the popular and powerful multiple linear regression and its variants are often unreliable, and results can be misleading. The generalized linear model (GLM) is a flexible extension of linear regression that has proved especially useful for discrete data. In this paper, the technique is adapted to accommodate spatially correlated, discrete data. Specifically, to demonstrate the approach, Japanese beetle grub [Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae)] population density in the field is modeled as a function of soil organic matter content. The response variable (grub counts in small soil samples) was a spatially autocorrelated, discrete random variable. Three classes of GLMs of the association between soil organic matter content and grub density were compared: (i) regression (assuming normally distributed response variable), (ii) GLM assuming negative binomial counts, and (iii) GLM based on the assumption that the counts conformed to Taylor's power law (TPL). Because the grubs were distributed in patches rather than at random, models that explicitly accounted for the spatial autocorrelation of grub counts were constructed, and compared with models that assumed independent observations. The fitted values for the discrete GLMs [viz., (ii) and (iii)] differed noticeably from the fitted values from multiple regression; but fitted values among the negative binomial and TPL GLMs were virtually identical, regardless of whether the spatial covariance was incorporated into a model, whether a spherical or exponential variogram model was used, or whether variance function parameters were estimated over a large or small scale. However, P‐values for the overall significance of the models depended heavily on whether the GLM assumed a discrete or continuous response variable, and whether or not spatial autocorrelation in the response variable was accounted for. On average, P‐values were 45‐fold higher in the spatial GLMs than in the non‐spatial and 23‐fold higher in the discrete GLMs than in the continuous.
Nitrogen removal in a small waste stabilization pond containing rock filters

This study analyzes samples taken from 15 separate locations inside a small waste stabilization pond system in New Zealand. The system consisted of six ponds in series with rock filters installed between the final five ponds. The study aimed to determine the relative importance of the ponds and rock filters for nitrogen removal, for a typical effluent quality of 10 g/m3 total nitrogen during the 7 month study period. The results suggest that the most significant nitrogen removal occurred in the ponds rather than the rock filters. Comparison of removal rates to nitrogen accumulation in the sludge and estimates of ammonia volatilization suggest that the most likely mechanism for nitrogen removal is nitrification and denitrification. Possible sites for nitrification are explored in relation to theoretical principles and it is suggested that there may be adequate aerobic surface area on the banks of small-scale ponds to allow significant fixed film nitrogen reduction. A simple model is proposed that predicts .
The effects of selection for cold tolerance on cross‐tolerance to other environmental stressors in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Cross tolerance, whereby tolerance to one environmental stress is correlated with tolerance to other stressors, is thought to be widespread in insects. We used lines of Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae) selected for survival at a 1‐h exposure to −5°C to examine the extent to which this selection results in increased tolerance to other stresses, including high and low temperatures, desiccation and starvation. While selection improved tolerance to acute cold exposure and survival at −5°C, there was little effect of selection regime on tolerance to other stressors. There was no correlation between tolerances to any of the stressors, suggesting different mechanisms of tolerance. This supports arguments that correlations between stress tolerances during selection experiments with D. melanogaster may be coincidental. The magnitude of heat‐hardening was apparently constrained by basal tolerance among lines, but the magnitude of the rapid cold‐hardening response was not correlated with basal cold tolerance, implying that the relationship between inducible and basal tolerances differs at high and low temperatures.
Control of zucchini yellow mosaic virus in squash by cross protection

A variant of zucchini yellow mosaic virus ZYMV (ZYMV-WK) that induced mild foliar mottle but not fruit symptoms on cucurbits was selected from a poorly aphid-transmissible isolate that induced severe symptoms. This mild variant could not be differentiated from its originating isolate serologically, by its host range, or by aphid transmissibility. ZYMV-WK reduced the marketable fruit production of zucchini squash only slightly when plants were infected at the seedling stage. In field trials conducted in France in 1988 and 1989, ZYMV-WK proved to be very efficient in protecting two cultivars of zucchini squash from severe ZYMV under intense disease pressure (.)
Root Morphology and Zn2+ Uptake Kinetics of the Zn Hyperaccumulator of Sedum alfredii Hance

: Root morphology and Zn2+ uptake kinetics of the hyperaccumulating ecotype (HE) and non-hyperaccumulating ecotype (NHE) of Sedum alfredii Hance were investigated using hydroponic methods and the radiotracer flux technique. The results indicate that root length, root surface area, and root volume of NHE decreased significantly with increasing Zn2+ concentration in growth media, whereas the root growth of HE was not adversely affected, and was even promoted, by 500 μmol/L Zn2+. The concentrations of Zn2+ in both ecotypes of S. alfredii were positively correlated with root length, root surface area and root volumes, but no such correlation was found for root diameter. The uptake kinetics for 65Zn2+ in roots of both ecotypes of S. alfredii were characterized by a rapid linear phase during the first 6 h and a slower linear phase during the subsequent period of investigation. The concentration-dependent uptake kinetics of the two ecotypes of S. alfredii could be characterized by the Michaelis-Menten equation, with the Vmax for 65Zn2+ influx being threefold greater in HE compared with NHE, indicating that enhanced absorption into the root was one of the mechanisms involved in Zn hyperaccumulation. A significantly larger Vmax value suggested that there was a higher density of Zn transporters per unit membrane area in HE roots. (Managing editor: Ping HE)
Global Perpectives of Caring: An Integrative Review

Caring, the core of nursing practice, remains a complex and vaguely defined concept. This paper presents various attempts to define caring and factors that affect its demonstration and associated outcomes from perspectives of patients and nurses. An integrative review was conducted from literature indexed in electronic databases from 2003 to 2014. Most published articles on caring were from Western cultures with a limited number from others. Caring was defined as a set of behaviors (knowledge, attitudes, and skills) exhibited in the process and context of the nurse-patient interaction. It is influenced by personal characteristics, culture, and the general environment of the nurse and client engaged in relationship. Caring behaviors were expressed in a continuum from mere presence to the performance of competent nursing care. Caring has been known to produce client satisfaction and positive patient outcomes.
Development of an enzyme immunoassay for metsulfuron‐methyl

The development of an indirect competitive ELISA for the highly effective sulfonylurea herbicide metsulfuron‐methyl (MSM) is described. As hapten, only the methylester phenyl‐sulfonamide of MSM with an additional succinic acid spacer was used. It was coupled to carrier proteins by the activated ester method. Antibodies raised in rabbits were screened for sensitivity and specificity for MSM. Using an antiserum dilution of 1:180 000 and a coating antigen (hapten‐BSA) concentration of 0.5 ng ml−1 the IC50 values achieved for the target analyte were in the 1.4 μg I−1 range, with the limit of detection being 40 ng l−1. The anti‐MSM antibodies cross‐reacted mainly with sulfometuron (43%), cinosulfuron (16%) and triasulfuron (10%) and, to a much lower extent, with a few other sulfonylureas. The influence of potential matrix interferences such as organic solvents, humic acids and surfactants was investigated. Gas chromatography (GC) was used as a comparison test to validate the ELISA with fortified water samples.
The breakdown of Blue Gum ( Eucalyptus globulus Labill.) bark in a Portuguese stream

Eucalypt forests produce large amounts of bark, which potentially accumulate in streams, constituting an important carbon and nutrient source for benthic food webs. In this study, we compared the breakdown (and associated microbial activity and diversity and invertebrate abundance) of Eucalyptus globulus bark and leaves, enclosed in coarse and fine mesh bags, in a 3 rd order stream of central Portugal. Biofilm development on bark was also analyzed with scanning electronic microscopy and respiration rates quantified. After 90 days of incubation, bark lost 21-51 % of its initial mass while leaves lost 48-57 %. Fungal biomass (as determined from ergosterol concentrations) increased over time and was higher in leaves than in bark (79 vs. 50 mg [g AFDM] -1 at day 90). Sporulation by aquatic hyphomycetes was only observed after 2 weeks (leaves and bark in coarse mesh bags) or 2 months (bark in fine mesh bags). The initial litter mass converted into conidia in leaves was 7-45 fold the values found in bark. Fungal communities were dissimilar in the two substrates with bark presenting the lowest number of species. Lunulospora curvula and Anguillospora crassa dominated the fungal communities in bark, while L. curvula and Tetrachaetum elegans were the dominant species in leaves. Respiration rates, as a measurement of microbial activity, were lower in bark than in leaves (0.10 vs. 0.25 mg O 2 [g AFDM] -1 h -1 in fine mesh and 0.11 vs. 0.39 mg O 2 [g -1 AFDM] -1 h -1 in coarse mesh). Biofilms in bark clearly increased after 15 days of immersion and contributed to 6-85 % of total oxygen consumption. Overall, the results suggest that microbial decomposition pathways dominate the processing of eucalyptus leaves and bark, although leaching and physical fragmentation may stimulate and facilitate the breakdown of bark.
Multiplicity in soy pediococci carbohydrate fermentation and its application for analysis of their flora

Soy pediococci, the group of halophilic lactic-acid bacteria occurring numerously in soy-sauce moromi-mash, were found to comprise a large number of heterogenous strains regard to carbohydrate-fermenting ability. Examination of 100 representative strains of soy pediococci for their ability to form acid from 10 carbohydrates revealed the existence of 67 patterns of fermentation among them. Some strains showed different fermentation-patterns from those described for the species Pediococcus halophilus, while they were well consistent with the typical P. halophilus in taxonomic properties other than sugar-fermentation.An effective scheme for the flora analysis of soy pediococci in moromi-mash was developed. It consists of the random isolation of each of 50 or 100 pediococcal colonies from a specimen and the subsequent systematic examination of the whole isolates for their fermentation patterns with five selected carbohydrates, L-arabinose, lactose, melibiose, D-sorbitol and D-mannitol. Several simplifying modifications of the procedure were employed to carry out the numerous test-cultures. Some naturally brewed moromi were analyzed for their pediococcal flora, and the complexity of the flora was demonstrated.
Serological Relationships among Tombusviruses

Summary Serological differentiation indices (SDIs) based on serum titrations in agar-gel double diffusion tests were determined for all ten definitive tombusviruses known at present, namely artichoke mottled crinkle, carnation Italian ringspot, cymbidium ringspot, eggplant mottled crinkle, Moroccan pepper, pelargonium leaf curl, petunia asteroid mosaic, the BS3 and type strains of tomato bushy stunt, and tombus Neckar viruses. More than 2000 titrations using 222 antisera from 36 rabbits were done. The SDIs ranged from 1 to >9, and all intermediate values were found. Simple trigonometry and computer methods were used to classify the results. There was no correlation between the serological relatedness of the particles of these viruses and the homology of their genome nucleic acids previously assessed by hybridization tests. In this respect they resemble the tymoviruses but not the tobamoviruses. The electrophoretic migration of the particles of 12 tombusviruses was studied in 1% agarose containing 20 mm-phosphate buffer pH 7.0. Some serologically indistinguishable tombusvirus strains migrated at different rates.