Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Contribution of Hematopoietic Stem / Progenitor Cell and Bone Marrow Stroma Cell Cd44v6 and Cd44v7 to Hematopoiesis

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) and leukemia-initiating cells (LIC) require CD44 for homing and survival. As a first step to selectively attack LIC, we explored the engagement of standard versus CD44v6 and CD44v7 variant isoforms (CD44s, CD44v) in HSPC maintenance by antibody blocking, using CD44v7- and CD44v6/ v7-knockout (ko) mice. HSPC matrix protein adhesion is dominated by CD44s. CD44v6 supports migration towards hyaluronan (HA), fibronectin, IL6, OPN, SDF1 and bone marrow stroma cells (BM-StrC), where BM-StrC CD44v7 strongly facilitates HSPC homing. Mitigated adhesion affects quiescence and drug resistance. CD44v6/v7ko HSPC divide more frequently than wild type (wt) HSPC and anti-CD44v6 drives HSPC into proliferation. Apoptosis resistance is supported by HA and BM-StrC and is affected in CD4v6/v7ko HSPC. HA and BM-StrC promote apoptosis resistance via PI3K/Akt pathway activation, which is dampened in CD44v6/v7ko HSPC. Thus, HSPC CD44 contributes to adhesion, migration, quiescence and apoptosis resistance. BM-StrC CD44v7 supports HSPC homing. HA- and BM-StrC-promoted quiescence and apoptosis resistance proceeds via HSPC CD44v6. As HSPC matrix adhesion mostly relies on CD44s, HSPC CD44v6/CD44v7 expression is low and CD44v7 influences the crosstalk with BM-StrC, attacking CD44v6-overexpressing LIC by anti-CD44v6 may not severely affect the HSPC interaction with the osteogenic niche.
Aspect of reproductive biology of the cassava croaker, Pseudotolithus senegalensis (valenciennes, 1833) of Ivory coast continental shelf

From January to December 2014, some aspects of Pseudotolithus senegalensis reproductive biology in Ivory coast were investigated and focused on sex ratio, gonadosomatic and liver-somatic index, size at first maturity, stages of gonadal development and fecundity. A total of 696 fish with body length of 12 to 36 cm standard length (SL) and body weight of 25. 2 to 675.1 g were used for this study. The sex ratio of P. senegalensis was 1: 0.5 (male to female). The females were more than the males (x 2 0,05 (1) = 51.36; p< 0,05). Males and females reach first maturity at 19.01 and 22.28 cm SL respectively. The monthly variations of the gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HIS) and the condition factor (K) indicated two periods of reproduction. The long period and the short period were respectively from March to June and from September to November. The hepatic reserves seem to be mobilized to ensure the energetic cost of the reproduction. The absolute Fecundity was ranged from 78612 to 140946 eggs and was positively correlated with standard length and weight. Fecundity-length and fecundity-weight relationships showed positive correlations. The fecundity-length and fecundity-weight relationships were determined by regression analysis with the regression equation F= 12.820xSL– 321.70 (r=0.99) for fecundity-length and F= 0.27xTW – 46.66 (r=0.98) for fecundity-weigth relationship.
Therapeutic Advances in the Field of Male Infertility: Stem Cell Research

A male factor is involved in 50% of infertile relationships. In particular, men with nonobstructive azoospermia cannot have their own biological children. The treatment is microdissection testicular sperm extraction, but the success rate is low, and new approaches for male infertility are needed. Stem cells have the potential to differentiate into different functional cell types, and their discovery has given rise to the field of regenerative medicine. We focus here on the therapeutic potential of stem cells for rejuvenating male fertility. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can differentiate directly into male or female gametes, but they are genetically unrelated to the patient. Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) undergo self-renewal and differentiation in the adult testis, and maintain normal spermatogenesis. SSCs can acquire pluripotency and differentiate into the three embryonic germ layers. Mammalian somatic cells can be reprogrammed as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by introducing a small set of
Variación morfológica de Coryphantha (Cactaceae): un enfoque multivariado

Coryphantha tiene entre 43 y 67 especies. Los patrones de variacion morfologica del genero se han interpretado de distintas formas y han conducido a una taxonomia inestable, de manera que aun no se ha establecido un consenso en la delimitacion de las especies. Clasificaciones previas de Coryphantha se han basado en caracteres cualitativos. Para dilucidar y circunscribir especies de Coryphantha se emplearon diferentes tecnicas de analisis multivariado. Se muestrearon un total de 1840 individuos, 467 ejemplares en campo y 1373 registros herborizados de 48 taxa del genero. Se emplearon 28 caracteres vegetativos y reproductivos de los cuales 17 fueron cuantitativos y 11 cualitativos. El analisis de conglomerados indico la presencia de dos grandes grupos organizados por la presencia o ausencia de glandulas extraflorales. Los analisis discriminantes para cada subgrupo formado por los analisis de conglomerados permitieron circunscribir con base en variables morfometricas a la mayoria de las especies analizadas. Con base en los caracteres morfologicos y los analisis multivariados se discute el reconocimiento de categorias taxonomicas a nivel de especie o subespecie. Se reconocen 45 especies y tres subespecies
Effect of corn oil on the digestibility and economic viability of broiler chicken feed, and on the bromatological composition of breast meat.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the digestibility, economic efficiency, and composition of breast muscle in broiler chickens fed with a diet containing corn oil as an alternative replacement to soybean oil. We evaluated feed digestibility, crude protein (CP), ethereal extract (EE), apparent metabolizable energy (AME), and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) during two periods (17-21 and 31-35 days of age). An analysis of breast composition, feed cost (Yi), economic efficiency index (EEI), and cost index (CI) for live weight of the animal and carcass between the two oil sources was also carried out. The design was completely randomized in a 2×2 factorial design with two ingredients (soybean oil and corn oil) and two periods (17-21 and 31-35 days). Digestibility tests were performed with four replicates per treatment and two birds per pen, and tests of breast muscle composition were made with six replicates. There was an interaction between diet and age for digestibility of CP (P 0.05) by treatment or age. The use of corn oil resulted in higher (P 0.05) in AMEn among 17-21 day olds. In breast composition, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in deposition of EE. For CP level and dry matter (DM), corn oil showed better values, while for breast moisture, soybean oil resulted in higher levels of moisture compared to corn oil (P < 0.05). The economic viability analysis favored soybean oil. Our results suggested that corn oil can replace soybean oil in diets formulated with sorghum, since it has higher apparent metabolizable energy and resulted in better breast composition.
Climate change and squid range expansion in the North Sea

Studies focussing on long‐term changes in squid populations are rare due to limited availability of fisheries‐independent data. However, squid play an important role as predator and prey in marine food‐webs and have also become an increasingly important target for fisheries. Their short life history is thought to make them particularly sensitive to changes in the environment, potentially leading to strong fluctuations in population size. Here, we investigate whether squid have increased in the North Sea, in terms of distribution and abundance, and whether these patterns are related to variability in environmental and climatic factors.
TREE-LIMITS AND MONTANE FORESTS IN THE SWEDISH SCANDES : SENSITIVE BIOMONITORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY

The elevational tree-limit constitutes an ideal and sensitive proxy indicator of climate change and variability, i.e. an essential part of monitoring systems focusing on global climate change. That contention is purported by multi-scale records and reconstructions of changes in altitudinal treelimits and northern boreal forests. Climatically forced trends in their position, structure and composition have occurred at all temporal scales throughout the Holocene. A progressive elevational descent of Pinus sylvestris treelimit since the earliest Holocene, concurs with the deterministic theory of millennial climate forcing by changes in the Earth's orbital parameters. The successively less seasonal climate with cooler, more humid summers and winters with increasing snow cover has preconditioned the emergence of a subalpine birch forest belt during the past ca. 7000 yrs BP as well as the growing geo-ecological prominence of Picea abies. Superimposed on this longterm trend, climatic anomalies of shorter duration have been inferred from the tree-limit chronology. Some exceptionally warm and stable centuries, with high treelimits and dense montane forests occurred during the Medieval period. Thereafter, the Little Ice Age prevailed until the late 19th century. Northern and high-elevation ecosystems were profoundly stressed, disturbed and destabilized by cold, windy and highly variable climate conditions. An episode of warmer climate during the first half of the present century imposed some recovery of structures decayed by the Little Ice Age. However, treelimits and high-elevation forests were far from restored to their medieval levels. During the past 4-5 decades, a more martime and slightly cooler climate has been instrumentally recorded. High-elevation arboreal vegetation has responded retrogressively by defoliation, retarded growth, ceasing regeneration and locally some tree-limit retraction. Neoglacial processes have been resumed, e.g. dieback of subalpine/alpine dwarf shrub heaths, followed by deflation of humus and surface mineral soils. These processes are readily monitored in a unique regional network, with baseline data since the early 20th century.
Unique TCR Signature in a Clinical Setting T Cells Reveals a + Virus-Specific CD8 Recognition of Distinct Cross-Reactive

Human CMV still remains problematic in immunocompromised patients, particularly after solid organ transplantation. CMV primary disease and reactivation greatly increase the risks associated with incidences of chronic allograft rejection and decreased survival in transplant recipients. But whether this is due to direct viral effects, indirect viral effects including cross-reactive antiviral T cell immunopathology, or a combination of both remains undetermined. In this article, we report the novel TCR signature of cross-reactive HLA-A*02:01 (A2) CMV (NLVPMVATV [NLV])–speciﬁc CD8 + T cells recognizing a speciﬁc array of HLA-B27 alleles using technical advancements that combine both IFN- g secretion and multiplex nested RT-PCR for determining paired CDR3 a / b sequences from a single cell. This study represents the ﬁrst evidence, to our knowledge, of the same A2-restricted cross-reactive NLV-speciﬁc TCR- a / b signature (TRAV3TRAJ31_TRBV12-4TRBJ1-1) in two genetically distinct individuals. Longitu-dinal posttransplant monitoring of a lung transplant recipient (A2, CMV seropositive) who received a HLA-B27 bilateral lung allograft showed a dynamic expansion of the cross-reactive NLV-speciﬁc TCR repertoire before CMV reactivation. After resolution of the active viral infection, the frequency of cross-reactive NLV-speciﬁc CD8 + T cells reduced to previremia levels, thereby demonstrating immune modulation of the T cell repertoire due to antigenic pressure. The dynamic changes in TCR repertoire, at a
THE EFFECTS OF PHYLLANTHUS GOMPHOCARPUS HOOK. F. AQUEOUS EXTRACT SUPPLEMENTATION ON ANDROGENIC HORMONAL LEVEL AND HISTOLOGICAL TESTES MORPHOMETRY

Phyllanthus gomphocarpus Hook. F is a herb found in tropical rainforest countries and has been widely used in traditional medicine especially in Peninsular Malaysia to treat male infertility problems and increase human health. Ten percent aqueous extraction of PGR was prepared by heating in 40o C for 12 hours and its decoction were freeze dried to obtain crude extract. Total numbers of 24 male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups which NEC, POC, PGR50 and PGR800. Except for NEC group, other groups were induced genitotoxicity by oral supplementation of 200 mg/kg of BPA for 21 consecutive days. For PGR50 and PGR800 groups, the animals were concomitantly supplemented with 50 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg of PGR extracts respectively. Blood and testes sample were collected for hormonal and testes morphometric analysis. Results clearly showed that that testosterone (T), the most important hormone in spermatogenesis process were significantly increased in PGR supplemented groups (p<0.05) compared to NEC and POC groups. For the level of DHT, FSH, and LH hormonal level, the results were varies and can be explained with the deterioration effects of BPA and the hormonal regulations itself. Testes morphometric study showed no significant difference in the seminiferous tubule diameter in each groups but was significantly increased (p<0.05) in the epithelium height, which indicates higher rate of spermatogenesis process. In addition, PGR possessed a protective effect against the toxicity effects of BPA. In conclusion, PGR was suggested to enhance male fertility through improvement of androgenic hormones and possessed a protective effect against genitotoxicity of BPA.
Effects of a major ice storm on the foliage of four New England conifers

Abstract The mechanical damage to forests caused by winter ice storms is well known. The January 1998 ice storm in the northeastern United States and adjacent regions of Canada caused major forest damage to the area. Here we report on the physiological effects on four conifers that did not show visible signs of damage after the January 1998 ice storm. Cuticular conductances normally increase during winter. In this winter, they were high immediately after the storm, then fell 17-74% in the following 30-45 days in hemlock, red pine, and red spruce. We hypothesize that this was caused by the loss of damaged foliage, with high cuticular conductances, over that period. Alternatively, damaged cuticles may have been repaired, although this seems less likely. Relative water contents were higher than normal in some species in the weeks after the storm, due either to an artifact of measurement introduced by the ice that coated needles or to short-term changes in the water-holding capacity of foliage. Water relations of white pine were least affected by this ice storm, whereas hemlock’s were most affected. These ecophysiological results contrast with the structural effects of ice storms. Red pine is considered to be most sensitive to mechanical injury, while hemlock and red spruce are the least; white pine is intermediate. The order of sensitivity to physiological effects from a major ice storm appears to be hemlock and red spruce, followed by red pine, with white pine the least sensitive. Results from this study suggest that the physiological effects of ice storms can linger long after the ice melts from the canopy.
Caracterização tecnológica da madeira de Eucalyptus benthamii Maiden et Cambage

The knowledge about the technological properties of the wood enables the achievement of tools that assist in the adequate use of this material. Therefore, the aim of this study was accomplish the technological characterization of Eucalyptus benthamii wood for potential uses. For this, it was used six trees of the forestry plantation implanted in the Guatambu city, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. For the physical characterization of the wood, discs were obtained at three different positions of the trunk of each tree, determining the basic density and retractibility. The test pieces to the mechanical tests of parallel compression to the fibers, dynamic bending, static bending and Janka hardness were obtained from discs removed of the logs. The average basic density was 0.549 g cm -3 , while the retractibility parameters were similar to those of genus eucalyptus, with an average anisotropy coefficient of 1.9, indicating that it is a specie unstable dimensionally. The results obtained from the mechanical tests show that the Eucalyptus benthamii wood has less resistant to mechanical stress, limiting its use for this purpose. Therefore, the application of this species for purposes applying mechanical stress is limited, making it necessary carrying out studies about the other properties of this wood.
Determinação de cobre e outros minerais em caprinos e ovinos criados no sertão do vale do rio São Francisco, Pernambuco

For the determination of copper concentration and its antagonists, 160 serum and liver samples were used, from goat and sheep sent to the municipal slaughterhouse of Petrolina. The samples were correlated with the same animal, in order to prevent errors in data collection. Serum ceruloplasmin activity was determined by colorimetric method. For determination of minerals, the samples were diluted six to twenty times with Milli-Q water. For determining concentrations of mineral elements in the liver, the samples were digested until achieving a solution that maintained the initial sample and minerals totally liquid, without the presence of solid particles which could clog the capillary suction of the spectrometer and prevent reading of samples. The concentrations of copper, molybdenum, iron and zinc were determined by optical emission spectrometry (ICP). Thus, the experiment was conducted to determine the occurrence and distribution of copper deficiency in the San Francisco valley of Pernambuco. No copper deficiency was revealed in this region of the state of Pernambuco, when the mean levels of hepatic copper were evaluated. Zinc levels were within a normal range, whereas iron levels were higher in sheep, and lower levels of molybdenum in goats. It was also found that the activity of ceruloplasmin was an indicator of serum copper.
The effects of adrenergic blockade on fetal response to hypoxia.

: The actions of the adrenergic blocking agents propranolol and phentolamine upon the responses of 124-135 days fetal sheep to hypoxia induced by causing pregnant ewes to breathe 9% O2 and 3% CO2 in N2 have been studied. During hypoxia fetal heart rate fell and any tendency for this to return was prevented by propranolol and stimulated by phentolamine. The ability of the fetal heart rate to return during hypoxia appears to be related to the rise in plasma catecholamines. Hypoxia induced increases in plasma ACTH and cortisol and in plasma metabolites appear to have the same characteristics as those changes induced by catecholamine infusion; the former being largely an alpha-receptor effect and the latter being beta-receptor mediated. The results indicate but do not prove that many of the fetal responses to hypoxia could be caused by the rise in plasma catecholamines.
Alteration of glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-PO) in rat ventral prostate - Effect of castration and testosterone administration.

Immunocytochemical localization of glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-PO) in the ventral prostate was studied in rats under the following experimental conditions; 1) normal untreated 2) 4 weeks after castration 3) testosterone-administration to castrated, in order to clarify the role of GSH-PO. In normal untreated group, GSH-PO was predominantly observed in glandular epithelial cells of the ventral prostate. Intracellular localization of GSH-PO in the glandular epithelial cells was mainly observed in cytoplasmic matrix near the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and it was occasionally noted as a small granular structure at the supranuclear region. In the castrated animal, the intensity of GSH-PO staining in the glandular epithelial cells of atrophic prostate was markedly decreased. By testosterone-administration to the castrated animal, GSH-PO was clearly detected in the glandular epithelial cells of stimulated prostate. Intracellular localization was mainly observed in cytoplasmic matrix and the number of GSH-PO-positive granules increased remarkably as compared with those of other experimental groups.These findings strongly suggest that GSH-PO in the glandular epithelial cells of the rat ventral prostate is testosterone-dependent, and that its staining pattern is a useful marker for testosterone action.
A genetic approach in Arabidopsis thaliana

TAP38-A key player in LHCII dephosphorylation ii Summary Short-term changes in illumination or in the spectral composition of light elicit alterations in phosphorylation of thylakoid proteins and a reorganisation of the photosynthetic machinery. Phosphorylation of the light-harvesting complex (LHC) of photosystem II (PSII) facilitates relocation of LHCII to PSI and consequently permits redistribution of excitation energy between the photosystems (State Transitions). In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana the orthologous thylakoid protein kinases, Stt7 and STN7 respectively, are required for LHCII phosphorylation and State Transitions. The phosphorylation of LHCII is a reversible process and therefore requires a protein phosphatase. Previous biochemical efforts to identify the involved phosphatase have been without success so far. In this thesis it was shown, that the Thylakoid-Associated Phosphatase of 38 kDa (TAP38) is required in A. thaliana for dephosphorylation of LHCII and for the transition from state 2 to state 1. In tap38 mutants, levels of LHCII phosphorylation are constitutively high, the PSI antenna is enlarged and thylakoid electron flow is enhanced, resulting in more rapid growth under low light regimes compared to wild type. Overexpression of the TAP38 gene (oeTAP38) markedly decreases LHCII phosphorylation and inhibits the shift from state 1 to state 2, thus mimicking the stn7 phenotype in which LHCII phosphorylation is surpressed. The dependence of LHCII dephosphorylation upon TAP38 protein amount as well as the strong phenotypic resemblance of oeTAP38 and stn7 mutant plants suggest, that TAP38 and STN7 act antagonistic at the same regulatory level regarding short term photosynthetic adaption. This could be accomplished by TAP38 and STN7 either via direct (de-) phosphorylation of LHCII or by forming part of a phosphorylation cascade, which controls the activity of the LHCII kinase or phosphatase. In this respect an involvement of TAP38 in the adjustment of photosystem stoichiometry is discussed, which plays a role in long-term acclimation of photosynthesis. Funktion bei der Langzeitadaption des Photosyntheseapparates diskutiert.