Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REPAIR OF PHOTOINHIBITORY DAMAGE IN ANACYSTIS NIDULANS 625 (SYNECHOCOCCUS 6301): RELATION TO CATALYTIC CAPACITY FOR, AND ENERGY SUPPLY TO, PROTEIN SYNTHESIS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR μmax AND THE EFFICIENCY OF LIGHT‐LIMITED GROWTH

Summary Previously published data on photoinhibition in Anacystis nidulans (Richt.) Drouet 625 (=Synechococcus Naeg. 6301) in the presence (gross rate) and absence (net rate) of an inhibitor of protein synthesis, and on the rate of repair of photoinhibitory damage, are analysed. The analysis makes assumptions about the relationship between changes in the efficiency of photosynthesis and changes in the number of undamaged photoreaction two reaction centres, the number of photoreaction centres of photoreaction two per unit cell volume, and the Mr of the photodamageable polypeptide associated with photoreaction two. With this background, the rate of protein synthesis (mol amino acid incorporated (m3 cell volume)−1 s−1) which is required to just balance the rate of protein destruction in gross photoinhibition, or to support the rate of protein synthesis in repair, is computed. The conclusions drawn from this analysis are: (1) Repair of (gross) photodamage which is known to be submaximal requires rates of protein synthesis up to 1/10 of the rate of net protein synthesis at the μmax of Anacystis nidulans, and about 1/50 of the maximum possible capacity for protein synthesis deduced from the RNA content of Anacystis nidulans and the RNA-based protein synthesis capacity of Escherichia coli. (2) The rates of protein synthesis computed in (1) use up to 1/5 of the ATP production rate from oxidative phosphorylation in darkness and up to 1/10 of the ATP production rate (including photophosphorylation) at an incident photon flux density of 5 μmol photon (400 to 700nm)m−2 s−1 (3) Cells subject to photoinhibitory damage, and its repair, have an additional requirement for protein synthesis and ATP generation over cells not subject to photoinhibition. These additional requirements may limit both μmax and the efficiency of light-limited growth.
The diversity of inorganic carbon acquisition mechanisms in eukaryotic microalgae.

Eukaryotic microalgae have developed CO2concentrating mechanisms to maximise the concentration of CO2 at the active site of Rubisco in response to the low CO2 concentrations in the external aquatic medium. In these organisms, the modes of inorganic carbon (Ci) uptake are diverse, ranging from diffusive CO2 uptake to the active transport of HCO3 -and CO2 and many have an external carbonic anhydrase to facilitate HCO3- use. There is unequivocal evidence for the mechanisms of Ci uptake in only about 25 species of microalgae of the chlorophyte, haptophyte, rhodophyte, diatom, and eustigmatophyte groups. Most of these species take up both CO2 and HCO3-, but the rates of uptake of each of these substrates varies with the algal species. A few species take up only one of the two forms of Ci, an adaptation that is not necessarily correlated with their ecological distribution. Evidence is presented for the active uptake of HCO3- and CO2 in two marine haptophytes,Isochrysis galbana Parke and Dicrateria inornata Parke, and for active transport of CO2 but lack of HCO3- uptake in two marine dinoflagellates, Amphidinium carteraeHulburt and Heterocapsa oceanica Stein.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 and Neuropilin-1 Form a Receptor Complex That Is Responsible for the Differential Signaling Potency of VEGF165 and VEGF121 *

The two most abundant secreted isoforms of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF165 and VEGF121) are formed as a result of differential splicing of the VEGF-A gene. VEGF165 and VEGF121 share similar affinities at the isolated VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2 but have been previously demonstrated to have differential ability to activate VEGFR-2-mediated effects on endothelial cells. Herein we investigate whether the recently described VEGF165 isoform-specific receptor neuropilin-1 (Npn-1) is responsible for the difference in potency observed for these ligands. We demonstrate that although VEGFR-2 and Npn-1 form a complex, this complex does not result in an increase in VEGF165 binding affinity. Therefore, the differential activity of VEGF165 and VEGF121cannot be explained by a differential binding affinity for the complex. Using an antagonist that competes for VEGF165 binding at the VEGFR-2·Npn-1 complex, we observe specific antagonism of VEGF165-meditated phosphorylation of VEGFR-2 without affecting the VEGF121 response. These data indicate that the formation of the complex is responsible for the increased potency of VEGF165 versus VEGF121. Taken together, these data suggest a receptor-clustering role for Npn-1, as opposed to Npn-1 behaving as an affinity-converting subunit.
Diagnosis of Renal Cancer by Molecular Urinalysis

Background: Organ-confined renal malignancies can be cured in the majority of patients, whereas more extensive lesions have a poor prognosis. We sought to develop a noninvasive test for renal cancer detection based on a novel molecular approach. Methods: Matched urine and serum DNA samples were obtained before surgery from 30 patients with clinically organ-confined solid renal masses (25 with malignant tumors and five with tumors of low malignant potential) and were subjected to microsatellite analysis. Serum samples and urine samples obtained from 16 individuals without clinical evidence of genitourinary malignancy served as controls. Results: Nineteen (76%) of the 25 patients with malignant tumors were found to have one or more microsatellite DNA alterations in their urine specimen, and 15 (60%) were found to have alterations in their serum DNA by microsatellite analysis. In every case, the microsatellite changes in urine or serum were identical to those found in the primary tumor. Three of five patients with tumors of low malignant potential were found to have DNA alterations in their urine, but none displayed alterations in their serum. Moreover, microsatellite alterations were not identified in either the urine or the serum samples from normal control subjects and patients with hematuria due to nephrolithiasis (renal stones). Conclusion: These data suggest that microsatellite DNA analysis of urine specimens provides a potentially valuable tool for the early detection of resectable kidney cancer. Furthermore, microsatellite analysis of serum samples reveals evidence of circulating tumor-specific DNA in approximately half of these patients and may reflect the propensity of these tumors to spread to distant sites at an early stage.
The role of RalA and RalB in cancer

Geranylgeranyltransferase I inhibitors (GGTIs) are presently undergoing advanced preclinical studies and have been shown to disrupt oncogenic and tumor survival pathways, to inhibit anchorage-dependent and –independent growth and to induce apoptosis. However, the geranylgeranylated proteins that are targeted by GGTIs to induce these effects are not known. Here we provide evidence that the Ras-like small GTPases RalA and RalB are exclusively geranylgeranylated and that inhibition of their geranylgeranylation mediates, at least in part, the effects of GGTIs on anchoragedependent and –independent growth and tumor apoptosis. To this end, we have created the corresponding carboxyl terminal mutants that are exclusively farnesylated, verified that they retain the subcellular localization and signaling activities of the wild type geranylgeranylated proteins and that Ral GTPases do not undergo alternative prenylation in response to GGTI treatment. By expressing farnesylated, GGTI-resistant RalA and RalB in Cos7 cells and the human pancreatic MiaPaCa2 cancer cells followed by GGTI2417 treatment we demonstrated that farnesylated RalB, but not RalA, confers resistance to the pro-apoptotic and anti-anchorage-dependent growth effects of GGTI-2417. Conversely, farnesylated RalA but not RalB expression renders MiaPaCa2 cells less sensitive to inhibition of anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, farnesylated RalB, but not RalA , inhibits the ability of GGTI-2417 to suppress survivin and induce p27Kip1 protein levels. We conclude that RalA and RalB are important, functionally distinct targets for GGTI-mediated tumor apoptosis and growth inhibition.
Distribution of the prokaryotic biomass and community respiration in the main water masses of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (June and December 2005)

The distribution of the prokaryotic biomass (from both abundance and cell volume measurements) and microbial community respiration (by ETS activity) in the main water masses of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea were studied. The data were collected from surface to the bottom depth (max 3600 m) in July and December 2005. Prokaryotic abundance and microbial respiration were higher in summer than late-autumn and decreased with depth in accordance with the water masses. The opposite was found for the prokaryotic cell volumes that increased with depth and were higher in December. The cell carbon content varied within the water masses and study periods (range 9–34 fg C cell−1) and overestimations and underestimations of biomass there would have been by using the routinely adopted conversion factor (20 fg C cell−1). The depth-integrated respiratory rates resulted comparable in the photic and aphotic layers. In July, 210 and 225 mg C m−2 day−1 in the euphotic and aphotic zones, respectively, were remineralized while in December, 112 and 134 mg C m−2 day−1, respectively, were. Speculations to quantify the carbon flow mediated by microbial community suggested the occurrence of different microbial behavior within the different water masses.
Residency and a broad feeding spectrum are related to extensive spatial exploration in parrots

Resident and nomadic species differ substantially in their mobility, with the former spending most of their lives in a restricted area and the latter encountering many areas while tracking spatiotemporal unpredictable resources. Earlier studies have shown that information gathering differs alongside this mobility axis—resident species pay more attention to changes in their familiar environment than nomadic ones. However, little is known about spatial exploration in resident and nomadic species. We investigated spatial exploration in 10 closely related parrot species that differed in their mobility by giving them access to two unfamiliar aviaries left and right of the familiar aviary. For analyses, mobility and some diet and habitat variables were related to spatial exploration. Nomadic species spent less time exploring the novel aviaries and also started tactile exploration later than resident/nomadic and pure resident species. Furthermore, diet specialists visited more new locations in relation to their overall movements than diet generalists. The variables were not correlated with the molecular phylogeny (mitochondrial cytochrome b) of the species. The results indicate that nomads invest less in spatial exploration than residents possibly because they stay only for limited periods of time in one particular area or use easier-to-assess cues. Residents, in contrast, assess a novel environment in detail as they may collect information about future breeding sites for which they need short- and long-term information. Finally, diet specialists may pay attention to fewer environmental cues than generalists, which allows them to move faster through a novel environment.
Effects of trampling on plant and animal populations on rocky shores

We examined experimentally the effects of disturbances caused by pedestrian traffic on the animals and plants living on an intertidal rocky shore in south-eastern Australia. Individual footsteps damaged some animals, but the percentage of animals that was crushed was low. Molluscs, except large limpets, were more often dislodged than crushed, and some damage was sustained by barnacles and mussels. The survival of individuals of two gastropod species, Bembicium nanum and Austrocochlea constricta, was not affected by dislodgment, because they quickly righted themselves. The limpet Cellana tramoserica was not damaged by being kicked or stepped on. The dominant plant on these shores, the brown alga Hormosira banksii, was easily damaged, with ca. 20% of the biomass of individual plants being removed by a single footstep. The amount of tissue lost increased with the number of footsteps, with a maximum loss of approximately 75%. We investigated the effects of three levels of sustained trampling (33 d of trampling, spread over 4 mo) on the organisms in three habitats: Hormosira Mats, Coralline Algal Mats, and Bare Rock. The algal mats were most affected by trampling. Hormosira Mats were damaged severely by high- and low-intensity trampling. Upright coralline algae in the Coralline Algal Mat were damaged by high-intensity trampling. Numbers of the gastropod Turbo undulates in both of these habitats were reduced. The Bare Rock habitat was not affected significantly by trampling. Five months after the end of trampling, heavily trampled and control strips of coralline Algal Mats were not distinguishable, as all treatments underwent pronounced seasonal changes. Within the Hormosira Mats, the low-intensity treatments and controls were not different, but algal cover in the heavily-trampled areas remained 400 d of recovery, Hormosira cover was only 60%, three quarters of the value for control areas. The indirect effect of increased mollusc abundance was still apparent. Trampling by visitors could result in replacement of the Hormosira mat species assemblage with 'bare' rock and grazing molluscs, and trampling should be considered as a disturbance capable of directly and indirectly influencing intertidal populations on rocky shores.
Individual specialization on fishery discards by lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus)

While seabird-fishery associations are well documented, this research primarily comes from ship-based surveys and consequently individual level responses to discard availability are largely unknown. As part of a long-term study on lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) in the Netherlands, the fine-scale movements of adults were tracked with GPS tags throughout the breeding period. The aim of this study was to determine if lesser black-backed gulls were utilizing fishery discards in the Wadden Sea and to examine possible consequences of this behaviour. Within the Wadden Sea during weekdays, tracked birds predominately associated with zones where fishing vessels are known to operate (deep gullies). Across all individuals combined (n = 40), there was a significantly reduced use of the Wadden Sea during weekends when the fleets were not operating. Eight females, who markedly increased their use of the Wadden Sea during weekdays throughout the breeding period, were largely responsible for this pattern. The loss of discard resources on weekends primarily resulted in these eight individuals switching to terrestrial foraging areas. Nest attendance and total foraging time were consistent between weekdays and weekends, suggesting that resource shifts on weekends did not impact daily time budgets. As such, it appears that lesser black-backed gulls specializing on discard utilization are able to flexibly respond to the temporary loss of discards by switching to alternative resources.
Population fluctuations of calliphorid species (Diptera, Calliphoridae) in the Biological Reserve of Tinguá, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The purpose of this work was to determine the diversity and population fluctuations of calliphorid flies in the Biological Reserve of Tingua (ReBio-Tingua), Nova Iguacu, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and to correlate their occurrence with the environmental variables of temperature, rainfall and relative air humidity. Specimens of Diptera were collected monthly between June 2002 and January 2005 using four traps placed at four points along a trail and exposed for 48 hours. The traps were baited with sardines and the trapped insects were stored in 70% alcohol. It was collected 8,528 calliphorids, thirteen species were identified among the blowflies including Laneela nigripes Guimaraes 1977, Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), C. albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819), C. putoria (Wiedemann, 1830), Chloroprocta idioidea (Robineau-Devoidy, 1830), Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius, 1775), Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani, 1850), H. segmentaria (Fabricius, 1805), Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann,1819), L. cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830), Paralucilia pseudolyrcea (Mello, 1969), Mesembrinella sp. and Eumesembrinella pauciseta (Aldrich, 1922). No significant correlation was found between the abundance of blowflies and the temperature and relative air humidity. Only C. megacephala and C. albiceps showed a positive and significant correlation with rainfall. An analysis of grouping by month (UPGMA) revealed no seasonal difference in the composition of the community, indicating that the community of calliphorid flies is probably more influenced by the ecological niches occupied by each species than by the seasons of the year.
A FIELD STUDY OF THE BEARDED BELLBIRD IN TRINIDAD

Summary The Bearded Bellbird Procnias averano, a medium-sized sexually dimorphic cotingid, was studied for three years in the Northern Range of Trinidad. Its preferred habitat is primary forest at altitudes of 500–1,000 feet and with a rainfall near 100 inches. It is entirely frugivorous, taking mostly drupes. The seeds of the fruits eaten are regurgitated and nearly 2,000 were collected from below the male's calling perch and below nests. Most were from the families Lauraceae and Burseraceae, whose fruits have particularly nutritious pericarps. Adult males own a calling territory from which they call throughout most of the day, and throughout the year except for the period of moult. In each territory there are special saplings where display and mating take place. Only males call; the females are voiceless. The call is loud and far-reaching. In Trinidad P. averano has only two calls, the Venezuelan birds have a third more musical call which appears to have been lost by the Trinidad bellbird during the past 60 years. Both males and females visit the adult male in his calling territory. Here he performs a ritualized display to the visitor, which shows off his black and white plumage, the beard of wattles, and also a bare patch on the thigh. The visit of the female may culminate in mating. All aggressive behaviour observed was between males disputing over calling territories. The female builds the nest, incubates, and rears the chick on her own. The very inconspicious nest is built of twigs that readily interlock. Nearly all the twigs are from two species of tree, and it is suggested that the specialized nest-material may be essential, as the female bellbird builds only with the breast and feet. The clutch consists of a single egg. The incubation and fledging periods are both long, 23 and 33 days respectively. The female's visits to the chick are infrequent, brief, silent and inconspicuous. Many details of breeding behaviour indicate that the inconspicuousness of the nest is of paramount importance. The nestling is fed on fruit which the female regurgitates. The main breeding season is from April to July with a minor one in October and November. It takes two and a half years for the male to attain fully adult plumage, and at least two years to achieve a completely adult call. The relationship between type of nest, clutch-size, feeding habits and sexual bonds in tropical forest birds is discussed. The bellbird is an extreme example of a species in which the need for a very inconspicuous nest and a diet of fruit have combined to promote polygamy, with the emancipation of the male from the nest, and to reduce clutch-size to a minimum. The bellbird's structural adaptations to its method of feeding in flight are discussed and a comparison is made with the birds of paradise. The male's adaptations for its primary function of self-advertising are compared with the parallel adaptations evolved in the related Pipridae.
Lifetime and post-weaning determinants of performance indices of pigs

The present study was designed to determine the interrelationships between sex, weaning age, and weaning weight on subsequent growth performance. Ninety-six Large White × Landrace pigs were used in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment with the respective factors being: age at weaning (14 or 28 days), weight at weaning (heavy or light), and sex (boar or gilt). Eighty pigs were offered a high quality pelleted weaner diet ad libitum while the remaining 16 pigs (2 pigs from each treatment group) were removed from the sow and fasted for 24 h before being euthanased for determination of gut histology and enzymology. The remaining pigs were weaned into individual pens and given an ad libitum diet containing 15.5 MJ DE/kg and 0.95 g available lysine/MJ DE. On Day 6 and 13 after weaning, 2 pigs from each group at each time had their feed removed and, 24 h later, were euthanased. From 3 weeks post-weaning, the remaining pigs were group-penned with contemporary pigs and fed commercial rations until slaughter at 23 weeks of age. In the first week after weaning, the heavy pigs and those weaned at 28 days ate more feed and grew faster, and gilts ate more and grew faster than boars over the same time. Pigs that were heavier at weaning were also heavier at every subsequent age. At slaughter, heavy boars weighed more than heavy gilts (110.5 v. 103.7 kg, P = 0.027), whereas this was not the case for light boars and gilts (94.1 v. 94.4 kg, P = 0.96). Whereas there were no effects of sex or weight at weaning on P2 backfat depth, pigs weaned at 14 days had more backfat at 23 weeks than pigs weaned at 28 days (13.1 v. 10.9 mm, P = 0.009). In conclusion, these data clearly indicate that the greatest determinants of immediate post-weaning performance under the present conditions were the age and weight of the pigs at weaning. However, the key determinant of lifetime growth rate appeared to be weight of pigs at weaning or, by inference, birth. Although age at weaning had no effect on lifetime growth rate, early-weaned pigs were fatter at slaughter.
How selection fashions morphological variation in Cakile maritima: A comparative analysis of population structure using random amplified polymorphic DNA and quantitative traits

Abstract It is a long‐standing debate in evolutionary biology whether natural selection can generate divergence in the face of gene flow. Comparative studies of quantitative genetic and neutral marker differentiation have provided means for detecting the action of selection and random genetic drift in natural populations. We estimated the degree of population divergence in several quantitative traits and compared these estimates with that based on presumably neutral molecular markers (random amplified polymorphic DNA [RAPD]). This approach allowed us to disentangle the effects of divergent selection from that of other evolutionary forces. Nine populations of Cakile maritima, which encompasses the complete range of distribution of this species in Tunisia, were examined. We found a high proportion of total genetic variance to be among populations and among ecoregions for quantitative traits (range of QST: 0.44–0.88) and a moderate one for RAPD markers (GST: 0.081). In addition, almost all characters displayed a significant higher QST than GST, indicating occurrence of phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation. The latter is explicable as there is no reason to expect that natural selection would affect in similar fashion all traits and affect all populations at a similar level. We also found a negative and significant correlation between genetic variation in molecular marker loci and quantitative traits at the multitrait scale. This result attests that the evolution of these markers in C. maritima were not paralleled, suggesting that the degree of genetic differentiation in neutral marker loci is closely predictive of the degree of differentiation in loci coding quantitative traits and the majority of these neutral markers negatively controlled the studied quantitative traits.