Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Effect of Hypoxia in Human and Mouse Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration through LRP1-pPyk2-MMP-9 Axis

LRP1-pPyk2 axis is essential for the upregulatory effect of hypoxia on MMP-9 activation and human VSMC (hVSMC) migration. Currently, there are not efficient models for the translational study of atherosclerosis. The morphological and physiological features of atherosclerosis are different between human and animal models, particularly in mouse models. Therefore, the aim of current investigation was to compare the effect of hypoxia on LRP1-Pyk2-MMP-9 axis in human and mouse vascular smooth muscle cells (mVSMC) and its consequences on VSMC migration. We demonstrated that hypoxic modulation of LRP1-pPyk2-MMP-9 axis is opposite between hVSMC and mVSMC. The modulation of LRP1/pPyk2 levels by hypoxia is positive in hVSMC but negative in mVSMC. We showed that the inverse effect of LRP1/pPyk2 axis is associated with a differential effect of hypoxia on MMP-9 expression and activation. Hypoxia-induced MMP-9 activation was concomitant with an increased hVSMC migratory capacity. Surprisingly, mVSMC migrate under hypoxic conditions despite the downregulatory effect of hypoxia on MMP-9 expression or activation. Our results highlight the crucial role of LRP1-pPyk2-MMP-9 axis in vascular cell migration. In addition, we propose that the extrapolation of results from animal models to humans is not suitable for this specific mechanism in hypoxia-related vascular conditions.
Population dynamics of the root rot fungus Heterobasidion annosum

Populations of Heterobasidion annosum were studied in two equally aged stands of Norway spruce Picea abies at the same site. The stands were 2 and 7 ha large and had been thinned one and seven years, respectively, before the investigation. The 7-yearold thinning was more thoroughly investigated since spread of the disease could be followed. One third of thinning stumps were free of H. annosum, and 36% hosted one genet; the rest were colonised by between 2 and 13 genets each. In contrast, only a single genet was found in each of the decayed trees. Groups of decayed trees infected by the same genet were found. Sixty-three percent of the trees had started to decay within 7 years of thinning. Of 262 genets examined, 158 were restricted to thinning stumps, 18 infected both stumps and trees and 86 were restricted to trees. Based on mating tests, 95% of the isolated strains were assigned to the S intersterility group and 2% to the P group; the other 3% could not be classified. Some stumps contained genets of both intersterility groups, but trees were not infected by the P group. The number of genets per stump was correlated better with the stump diameter than with stump surface area. The percentage of decayed trees increased with stem diameter. Similarities in the population densities between the two stands despite the 6-year difference in the time since thinning indicate that disturbance is essential for fungal establishment. It was concluded that trees were infected by mycelial spread from stumps rather than by spore infection of wounds.
The impact of Korea’s nature-based recreation settings on tourists’ emotions, satisfaction and subjective happiness

According to the Attention Restoration Theory, perceived environmental restorativeness can restore exhausted directed attention without the expenditure of any attention (Berto, 2005; Kaplan, 1995). The perceived environmental restorativeness in nature has been shown to have a greater attention restoration effect than other restorative environments. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of nature-based activities, a part of health tourism, on the subjective happiness of tourists by applying the Attention Restoration Theory. Modern people feel psychological fatigue caused by the expenditure of directive attention in city life, and they try to restore their directive attention through natural environments. Following this desire, modern people come to seek nature-based tourism. Thus, by targeting participants in nature-based activities, this study examines their impact on subjective happiness.
Cross-infection of subtropical and temperate fruits by Colletotrichum species from various hosts

Abstract Forty-two isolates of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides from almond, apple, avocado, mango, pecan, and eight isolates of C. acutatum from apple, peach and pecan were compared by molecular analyses and a pathogenicity assay in order to determine genetic variability and host specificity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of genomic DNA using four different primers and Hae III digestion patterns of genomic DNA (A+T-rich DNA) grouped the C. acutatum isolates separately from the C. gloeosporioides isolates. Based on arbitrarily primed PCR (ap-PCR), intraspecies similarity among the isolates of C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides ranged from 78 to 93% and from 0 to 38%, respectively. Similarity between the isolates of C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides ranged from 0 to 26.5%. A+T-rich DNA grouped the C. acutatum isolates separately from those of C. gloeosporioides , corresponding to ap-PCR analyses. Artificial inoculations with nine representative isolates on almond, apple, avocado, mango and nectarine fruit showed a variation in levels of infection. The C. gloeosporioides isolates from almond grew more slowly, causing significantly smaller lesions on all inoculated fruit than the other isolates. The C. acutatum isolates from apple and peach caused similar levels of infection on all fruit, but differed significantly from the C. gloeosporioides isolate from apple. Variation in lesion size was also observed with isolates of C. gloeosporioides from apple, avocado and mango for most fruit inoculations.
Variation in fecundity among populations of snails is predicted by prevalence of castrating parasites

Life-history theory predicts that high mortality should cause selection for high reproductive effort. Because parasitic castration has an equivalent role to mortality, from a fitness perspective, populations with high prevalence of castrating parasites are predicted to exhibit high reproductive effort relative to populations with low prevalence. I examined this prediction by studying populations of the freshwater snail, Elimia livescens, that vary in prevalence of castrating trematodes. Specifically, I determined whether there was a positive relationship between reproductive output and prevalence of castrating trematodes among populations. Consistent with predictions, females from populations with a high prevalence of castrating trematodes produced more eggs than females from populations with a low prevalence. Either genetic canalization or phenotypic plasticity may have caused the relationship between reproductive output and parasitism. By either mechanism, the results suggest that castrating parasites shape the life histories of their hosts.
The diagnostic utility of FNAC in palpable lesions of breast at a tertiary care centre

Background: Breast lumps constitute a significant proportion of surgical cases in both developed and developing countries. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) i s a simple, minimally invasive, cost effective, out patient based and a rapid diagnostic method for breast lesions. The a im of the present study was to study the cytologica l spectrum, cytohistological correlation and diagnostic accurac y of aspiration cytology (FNAC) in palpable breast lesions. Material and Methods: This was a prospective study done in the department of Pathology, L.N. medical college, Bhopal, India from January 2016 to December 2016. FNAC of 300 cas es of palpable breast lesions were done and reporte d by expert pathologist. The histopathological specimen when av ail ble were reported by other pathologist without prior knowledge. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FNA diagno sis were then analyzed. Results: A total of 300 cases of breast lesion were diagnosed on FNA, out of them histopathologica l correlation was available for 150 cases. Benign b reast lesions are more common in younger patients in 11-30 age group and Malignant breast lesion are more common in old age group patients of 41-60 yrs age group. Benign breast lesi ons were found in 215 cases (71.66%); among which f ibroadenoma (41%) was the commonest lesion observed. Malignancy was observed in 63 cases (21%); among them, Ductal carcinoma was the predominant lesion (17.66%). The sensitivit y, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC for malignant lesion is found to be 98.3%, 98.9% and 98.7% respectively. Conclusion: FNAC is an effective and valid tool as first line diagnostic modality in preoperative diagnosis of ma lignant and benign breast lesions.
VARIABILITY IN CELL SIZE, NUTRIENT DEPLETION, AND GROWTH RATES OF THE SOUTHERN OCEAN DIATOM FRAGILARIOPSIS KERGUELENSIS (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) AFTER PROLONGED IRON LIMITATION 1

Diatoms are the main primary producers in the Southern Ocean, governing the major nutrient cycles. Fragilariopsis kerguelensis (O’Meara) Hust. is the most abundant diatom species in the Southern Ocean and its paleo‐oceanographic record is frequently used to reconstruct the past position and nutrient characteristics of the Antarctic polar front. Here we report on the responses of F. kerguelensis on prolonged exposure to a range of iron concentrations, allowing a characterization of morphological and nutrient‐depletion changes in relation to iron status. Under iron limitation, F. kerguelensis grew slower, cells became smaller, chains became shorter, and the nutrient‐depletion ratios changed. Prolonged exposure to iron limitation caused F. kerguelensis to decrease its surface area and volume 2‐fold, and to increase its surface‐to‐volume ratio by 25%. With the decrease in growth rates, silicon (Si) and phosphorus (P) depletion per cell remained fairly constant, but when normalized per surface area (Si) or per cell volume (P), depletion increased. In contrast, nitrogen (N) depletion per cell decreased significantly together with the decrease in growth rates but was constant when normalized per cell volume. The different response in Si, P, and N depletion resulted in changes in the nutrient‐depletion ratios, most notably in the Si:N ratio, which significantly increased, and in the N:P ratio, which significantly decreased with decreasing growth rates. It is concluded that under iron limitation, variation in cell size and/or nutrient depletion ultimately can cause changes in oceanic biogeochemical nutrient cycles. It enables the use of cell size of F. kerguelensis as a paleo‐oceanographic proxy.
From middens to molecules: phylogeography of the piñon pine, Pinus edulis

Aim Data from packrat middens have established a hypothesized historical biogeography of piñon pine, Pinus edulis, including locations of glacial refugia in the south‐western USA and subsequent migration out of the refugia. In this study, we used molecular techniques to test the glacial refugial hypotheses inferred from packrat (Neotoma) midden data for P. edulis.
Morphological studies on the seminal glands of mature buffalo bulls (Bos bubalis L.).

The current work was carried out on the seminal glands of 20 healthy male buffalo bulls. The specimens were collected and examined anatomically and histologically after being fixed in 10% buffered neutral formalin. Paraffin sections were obtained and stained. Grossly, the vesicular glands were a pair of elongated glands located on the dorsal aspect of pelvic urethra near the neck of the urinary bladder and found attaching lateral to the terminal parts of ductus deferens. Microscopically, the vesicular gland was covered with thick well-developed fibro-muscular capsule, formed of smooth muscle bundles intermingled with fibrous connective tissue. The gland was divided into lobes with thick well-developed fibromuscular connective tissue septae. The gland parenchyma consisted of numerous secretory units of tubular and tubulo-alveolar types and ducts were lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium consisting of two cell types: columnar cells and basal cells.
The molecular genetics of disease resistance in barley

The molecular genetics of disease resistance of barley and its wild relatives is reviewed, and the implications of recent findings for resistance breeding and the potential for disease control using gene technologies are discussed. As a resource for barley researchers and breeders, a chromosome map and list of mapped resistance genes, their source, and associated molecular markers are presented, updated to ultimo 2002. Genetic mapping of major genes and quantitative trait loci for many major diseases is revealing a heterogeneous distribution of resistance loci on chromosomes, with more than half of mapped loci occurring in clusters. Relatively few resistance loci have been identified in the cultivated barley germplasm. Studies have shown that wild Hordeum species contain resistance genes for the major diseases, although their allelic relationship to previously mapped genes is unknown. The structure of genes involved in race-specific and race-non-specific barley powdery mildew resistance has been determined. Isolation of resistance genes for other major diseases is essential and may be accelerated via genomics techniques such as EST sequencing, subtractive hybridisation, or expression profiling. Current strategies for molecular manipulation of barley disease resistance are based on the over-expression of defence-related or disease-signalling genes from other species.
3 Biogenesis of Yeast Wall and Surface Components

I. INTRODUCTION The cell wall preserves the osmotic integrity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and defines the morphology of the yeast cell during budding growth and during the developmental processes of mating, sporulation, and pseudohypha formation. The approximately 200-nm-wide wall endows the cell with osmotic stability and is also the framework to which biologically active proteins such as cell adhesion molecules or hydrolytic enzymes are attached or within which they act. The wall makes up 15–30% of the dry weight of the vegetative cell, and its major components, by weight, are mannoproteins (40%) and β-1,3 and (β-1,6 glucans (50–60%). Chitin makes up 1–2% of the wall and is found mostly in the division septum. Some surface glycoproteins also receive a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) membrane anchor. The plasma membrane is enriched in inositol phosphoceramides, which are cotransported to the cell surface with GPI-anchored proteins. Yeast cell wall biogenesis is fascinating in its own right as an example of cellular morphogenesis, since the wall must expand during cell growth and a division septum must be synthesized at a specific time and place in the cell division cycle. Furthermore, yeast has proven to be a rewarding model system in which to explore biosynthetic pathways that are obviously conserved among eukaryotes, such as asparagine-linked glycosylation. However, it is emerging that seemingly specialized aspects of yeast wall biogenesis also have their parallels in other organisms. Thus, chitin-synthase-related proteins are present both in rhizobia and in vertebrates, the pathway leading to β-1,6 glucan assembly recalls.
Geographical variation in the diversity of microbial communities: research directions and prospects for experimental biogeography

I wish to thank Diego Fontaneto for the invitation to write this chapter and participate in the corresponding symposium, and to an anonymous referee for a thoughtful review of the previous version of this manuscript. I am also indebted to Noemi Guil, Sara Sanchez Moreno and Diego Fontaneto, for introducing me to the world of the very very small things, as well as for many insightful discussions throughout the last ten years. JH is funded by a Spanish CSIC JAE-Doc research grant, and obtained additional funding from a travel grant of the Azorean Biodiversity Group – CITA-A.
Identification and functional characterization of STRN-ALK fusions as a therapeutic target in aggressive forms of thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is a common endocrine malignancy and is currently the fastest growing in incidence in the United States. Thyroid cancers encompass both well-differentiated and dedifferentiated cancer types. Dedifferentiated tumors have high mortality rates and lack effective therapies. Using paired-end whole-transcriptome RNA-sequencing of papillary thyroid cancer, we identified rearrangements involving the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene in thyroid cancer. We found that the most common ALK fusion in thyroid cancer is between ALK and the striatin (STRN) gene, which results from the rearrangement of chromosome 2p. STRN-ALK fusions did not overlap with other known driver mutations in these tumors, indicating that this rearrangement is a driver event. We found that the dimerization of the STRN-ALK protein by the coiled-coil domain of STRN leads to constitutive activation of ALK kinase. Our results demonstrate that STRN-ALK activation causes ALK kinase-dependent, thyroid-stimulating hormone independent proliferation of thyroid cells. We also show that STRN-ALK expression transforms cells in vitro and induces tumor formation in nude mice. In addition to well-differentiated papillary cancer, we identified STRN-ALK with a higher frequency in poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancers. Dedifferentiation of tumors leads to loss of iodine avidity; therefore, radioiodine treatment of these tumors is no longer an option. ALK fusions are a potential molecular target for treatment of these aggressive tumors. We established that ALK inhibitors crizotinib and TAE684 block STRN-ALK kinase activity and ALK-kinase induced THS-independent thyroid cell growth in vitro. In our preclinical mouse models, growth of tumors from STRN-ALK cells is blocked by crizotinib and LDK378, FDA approved ALK inhibitors. Moreover, LDK378 halts tumor growth of crizotinib resistant STRN-ALK cells. Our data demonstrate that STRN-ALK fusions occur in a subset of patients with highly aggressive types of thyroid cancer and provide evidence that ALK represents a therapeutic target for these patients.
In vitro colony interactions among species of trichoderma with inference toward biological control. Forest Service research paper

Colony of interactions among 15 isolates representing seven species of Trichoderma were evaluated in vitro interactions characterized by zones of inhibition, demarcation lines, ridges of conidia, overgrowth, intermingling, anastomosis, and hyphal coiling in self-pairings and intraspecific and interspecific pairings of the seven species were recorded. Antagnostic interactions such as zones of inhibition were prevelent in these pairings. An understanding of the compatibility between species of isolates of Trichoderma will provide information on the use of multiple species of Trichoderma as biological control agents.
Agronomic and economic viability of intercropping onion and lettuce

The study aimed to evaluate the agronomic and economic performance of intercropping onion and lettuce on four plant densities of each species. The experiment was set up in completely randomized blocks, with four replications and treatments arranged in a 4 x 4 factorial. Treatments resulted from a combination of four (100, 80, 60, and 40% of recommended plant densities in monoculture) plant densities for both lettuce and onion. Intercropping did not affect the agronomic performance of onion or lettuce. Higher plant densities (100% for both vegetables) resulted in higher lettuce and onion yields. The best economic results were observed using (a) onion at 80% of plant density combined with lettuce at 40 and 100% and (b) onion at 100% and lettuce at all densities (40 to 100%).
A Test of Miller and Modigliani Dividend Policy Irrelevance Theory in Nigerian Stock Market

This study empirically tests for the validity of Miller and Modigliani’s dividend irrelevance proposition in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Secondary data were obtained from the Nigerian Stock Exchange fact book and firms’ annual audited financial statements for fifteen years (2001-2015). Mediation Analyses, was used to measure the direct and indirect effects of dividend on stock price. Correction of the anomalous use of current dividend and current earnings by the use of naive expectation of dividend and earnings revealed that the direct effect of expected dividend on share price is significant but the indirect effect of expected dividend on share price through earnings is not significant. The implication of these results is that expected dividend has its unique (direct) effect on share price beyond the effect on share price which it shares with expected earnings (indirect effect). This conclusion suggests that dividend policy is relevant in valuation of shares in NSE. It was therefore recommended that company management should treat dividend as an active corporate finance decision-making variable and should employ dividend in information signalling to capital market investors.
Modification of the Disease Progression in Mice with Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Using Anti-Mitotic Compounds

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multi-faceted disease, and is believed to be caused by an autoimmune response to myelin antigens in the central nervous system. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for MS. manifests itself in various forms that parallel many aspects of MS, including the appearance of symptoms, initiation events, and pathophysiology. The hallmark of any immune response is the antigen-specific proliferation of immune cells, and during the initiation events of EAE, proliferating CD4+ T cells are the primary mediators of disease. This thesis explores if targeting these proliferating cells with the anti-mitotic compounds paclitaxel and peloruside A can delay or prevent the unset of EAE, thus providing a novel therapeutic avenue for MS research. The anti-cancer compound, paclitaxel, is an anti-mitotic drug that prevents microtubule depolymerisation. Although paclitaxel has been used in the clinical setting to treat cancer for over a decade, it has been determined that paclitaxel stimulates murine toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) complex, which is the major LPS receptor. A novel microtubule-stabilising compound, peloruside, is currently subject to intensive investigations due to its functional similarity to paclitaxel. The results from this project found that peloruside and paclitaxel inhibited the proliferation of mitogen-stimulated splenocytes with IC50 values of 83 nM and 30 nM, respectively, but did not affect the viability of non-proliferating cells In contrast to paclitaxel, peloruside did not cause the TLR4-mediated production of the inflammatory mediators. TNF-epsilon, IL-12, and nitric oxide, when cultured with IFN-epsilon stimulated murine macrophages. Interestingly, when LPS was included with either paclitaxel or peloruside A, both drugs decreased the production of TNF-e and nitric oxide from macrophages, suggesting that microtubule-stabilising compounds may have anti-inflammatory effects. To identify any immunomodifying effects of paclitaxel in vivo, paclitaxel was administered to mice that were immunised with the myelin protein MOG in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) to induce EAE. When Taxol was administered to mice for 5 consecutive days immediately following CFA/MOG immunisation, the onset of EAE was delayed by approximately I week. Moreover, the administration of peloruside following the same treatment regime also resulted in a similar delay of disease onset. Taxol treatments, however, lead to significant mortality in immunised, but not unimmunised mice. Interestingly, although Taxol is an anti-mitotic drug, the proliferation of antigen-specific T cells was not inhibited in vivo by the Taxol treatment. The findings revealed in this thesis present an opportunity to pursue a new avenue of research for the therapeutic treatment of MS sufferers, and possibly other inflammatory autoimmune disorders.