Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense in Malarial Parasites

This chapter summarizes the currently available knowledge on sources of oxidative and nitrosative stress in malarial parasites, the different available detoxification pathways, and the impact on mechanisms of drug action. Plasmodium-infected red blood cells (Plasmodium IRBCs) appear to be under exogenous and endogenous oxidative stress. Malaria parasites induce oxidative stress in their host red blood cell. In the membrane of P. falciparum-parasitized cells, increasing amounts of hemichromes and band 3 aggregates have been demonstrated. Peroxidized IRBCs generate 4-hydroxyalk- 2-enals and alka-2,4-dienals, and these aldehydes are toxic to P. falciparum in vitro. Thus, the antioxidant capabilities of the parasite and RBC are of considerable significance. The majority of the peroxide-detoxifying capacity, however, seems to be provided by peroxiredoxins. Glutathione S-transferase exhibits glutathione peroxidase activity, which might contribute to the total peroxide-reducing capacity of the parasite, since the enzyme is present at very high concentrations. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is the major enzyme involved in catabolizing the superoxide anion, resulting in production of molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. P. falciparum possesses a classical 2-Cys glutaredoxin (PfGrx1) and a redox-active 1-Cys glutaredoxin-like protein (PfGLP-1). The glyoxalase system consists of glyoxalase I (GloI), glyoxalase II (GloII), and the coenzyme glutathione. It is a cyclic metabolic pathway removing toxic 2-oxoaldehydes like methylglyoxal by converting them to the corresponding nontoxic 2-hydroxycarboxylic acids like D-lactate. Artemisinin has been shown to react with glutathione (GSH) and to increase levels of lipid peroxidation.
Potential of spore-forming bacteria as biocontrol agents of wheat foliar diseases under laboratory and greenhouse conditions.

The potential of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, Brevibacillus laterosporus and Paenibacillus polymyxa as biocontrol agents of four foliar necrotrophic pathogens of wheat in Argentina has been evaluated. The following assays were used: (a) effect of the bacterial antagonists on fungal growth in the central disk test with paired cultures, (b) effect of the antagonists on the germination of fungal spores in the paired suspension assay, and (c) reduction of disease severity in greenhouse experiments. The observed effects were specific for the antagonist-pathogen combination investigated. In the paired culture test, most of the bacterial antagonists inhibited the mycelial growth of the four pathogens tested at 14 days of the evaluation. B. licheniformis showed the best results for controlling Septoria tritici and Drechslera tritici-repentis whereas it was the worst against Bipolaris sorokiniana. In the case of Alternaria triticimaculans, the best were B. laterosporus, P. polymyxa and B. licheniformis. Microscopic examination of excised pieces of the fungal colony perimeters showed clear differences among treatments and controls in hyphal morphology (plasmolysis and vacuolation of hyphae, irregular texture in the cytoplasm, formation of chlamydospores). In the central disk test, mycelial necrosis of A. triticimaculans was induced by B. laterosporus, P. polymyxa and B. pumilus. Similar results were obtained with B. sorokiniana in the presence of B. licheniformis and B. subtilis and D. tritici-repentis with B. pumilus. In some combinations, the presence of inhibition haloes or bacterial chemotaxis were observed. In the paired suspension assay, all the bacteria except B. cereus, inhibited the conidial germination of S. tritici. Only P. polymyxa, B. licheniformis and B. laterosporus inhibited the conidial germination of A. triticimaculans, B. laterosporus being the most effective. Although all the bacteria inhibited the conidial germination of B. sorokiniana, the most efficient were B. licheniformis, B. cereus and B. laterosporus. In greenhouse experiments, P. polymyxa and B. cereus were the most efficient to reduce disease severities produced by S. tritici and A. triticimaculans; on the contrary, these bacteria were not effective against B. sorokiniana and D. tritici-repentis. B. laterosporus BLA 170 showed a good behaviour against all the fungal pathogens, particularly for D. tritici-repentis and B. sorokiniana. This is the first report on the efficacy of B. laterosporus against fungal wheat pathogens.
Effect of Agency Costs on Executive Compensation in South African Commercial Banks

This study examines the roles of agency cost (monitoring and bonding cost) on compensation of managers with a view from the managerial-power approach to agency cost. We modelled managers’ compensation and agency cost of banks to emphasise the potential influence of agency cost on managers’ compensation. A Panel Generalised Least Square model was estimated on four largely-controlled commercial banks in South Africa over the period 2010-2015. The result shows that shareholders’ fund, management share option, monitoring and bonding cost were strongly significant in explaining the managers’ compensation in the banks. Therefore, in the South African banking sector, compensation of managers should be based on their managerial power and not only on the principle of optimal-contracting. It is recommended, among others, that monitoring and bonding costs in the South African banks should be re-emphasised and strictly committed to. This should be so because there are direct effects of these costs on managers’ compensation which might be the reason for the persistent agency problem in the banks.
Helper Requirements for Generation of Effector CTL to Islet β Cell Antigens1

We have dissected the helper requirements for converting a tolerogenic CD8 T cell response into one capable of causing destruction of the pancreatic islets. Injection of naive OVA-specific CD8 T cells into transgenic mice expressing OVA in the pancreas only resulted in islet destruction when activated CD4 Th cells were coinjected. This requirement for activated CD4 T cell help for induction of primary CD8 T cell-mediated immunity to tissue Ags contrasts recent reports suggesting that help is only important for CTL memory. Our findings show that signaling of CD40 on the dendritic cell presenting to CD8 T cells is important, but not sufficient, for induction of diabetes. Furthermore, once helpers are activated, they need not recognize Ag on the dendritic cells they license. This provides insight into the helper requirements for adoptive transfer immunotherapy of tumors and suggests key points for inhibition of CTL-mediated autoimmunity.
Population genetics of Formica ants I. Patterns of enzyme gene variation

Enzyme gene variability was studied in European populations of 13 Formica ant species. Average gene diversity within nests ranged in different species from 0 to 0.047 and within populations from 0 to 0.078, the averages being 0.015 and 0.043, respectively. The results are consistent with earlier studies and theoretical models, which predict reduced genic variation in haplodiploid species. The evolutionary strategies of aculeate Hymenoptera may deviate the genetic structure of populations to the same direction as haplodiploidy, either by stabilizing environmental conditions or splitting the population into small groups with increasing ability to inbreeding. The results indicate genotype-environment interaction, as the average gene diversity was lower in nests and populations of mound-building species with stable and permanent nests, than in ground-nesting species. This was partly due to the social structure of the populations, as such a difference was not observed among the monogynous species. The amount of variation increased with increasing degree of polygyny and polycaly among the ground-nesting species, but not in the mound-building species. Geographic differences between conspecific populations were small. Differentiation was remarkable only between disjunct populations of F. aquilonia from Finland and Scotland.
Potencial dendroclimático de Pinus pinceana Gordon en la Sierra Madre Oriental

The climate sensitivity of ten populations of Pinus pinceana Gordon was determined to analyze their potential for climate reconstruction purposes. The P. pinceana populations are distributed along a latitudinal gradient of the Sierra Madre Oriental and for this study are considered as northeast region ( Zacatecas, Coahuila), north-central region (San Luis Potosi), and central region (Hidalgo, Queretaro ). All populations were dated to the year of the annual growth formation except a population called “El Arenalito” in the central region. The youngest trees were found at populations in the central region (MAG, TEP, and CRI); therefore short tree-ring chronologies were developed for these sites. In contrast, for the northeastern region the populations PAL and NOR had the oldest trees and longer chronologies were developed for these sites. Intercorrelation values (0,61 to 0,77), mean sensitivity (0,49 to 0,69), and sign-to noise ratio values (11,72 to 33,64) are considered high for dendrochronological purposes. The statistic parameters derived from the ARSTAN software indicated that P. pinceana is climate sensitive and shows a similar behavior to other conifer species currently used for dendroclimatic studies in northern Mexico. Response function analysis indicated that the populations located in the northeast and north-central regions significantly responded to the seasonal January-June precipitation (winter-spring seasons), but the central populations did not show a clear response. Defining patterns of reduced annual growth are basic to date this species.
The Ecology of Trees in the Tropical Rain Forest: Tree performance

With detailed information available for perhaps only a few hundred of the many thousand of species that occur, our current knowledge of the ecology of tropical rainforest trees is limited. This book aims to summarize the contemporary understanding of the ecology of tropical rainforest trees. The emphasis is on comparative ecology, an approach that can help to identify possible adaptive trends and evolutionary constraints and that may also lead to a workable ecological classification for tree species, conceptually simplifying the rainforest community and making it more amenable to analysis.
Distribution, abundance, breeding parameters, threats and prey preferences of the eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) in European Turkey

Abstract During the period 2008-201 3, 32 different breeding territories were occupied by eastern imperial eagles (EIEs). These territories were mainly distributed in two regions: the Dervent Heights/Yıldız Mts. and the area to the north of the Marmara sea coast. The nearest neighbour distance established was 4.2 km. The mean distance between pairs was 1 0.44±2.95 km. The mean value of breeding success for the period 2008-201 3, including 1 07 cases of incubation, was 1 . 01±0.1 0. The mean breeding success of birds in the Marmara region (1 .05±0.78) was higher than that in the Dervent Heights/Yıldız Mts. (0.91±0.84). The present study on the diet of the EIE was based on the remains of 582 prey items of at least 70 taxa. Mammals were the most common group (46.5%), followed by birds (32.4%) and reptiles (20.3%). The white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus) was the most common prey, followed by two tortoises - Hermann's tortoise (Eurotestudo hermanni) and the Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca) - which together accounted for a total of 1 4.4% of the prey caught. The prey species particularly represented in the food spectrum of the studied pairs were: the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), the European souslik (Spermophilus citellus), the chicken (Gallus gallus f. domestica) and the white stork (Ciconia ciconia). These species together accounted for 67.8% of the prey caught. There was a statistically significant difference (Z=2.52, p=0.01 ) in the food preferences of the EIEs in the two studied regions. Abstrakt V období 2008-201 3 bolo orlami královskými obsadených 32 rôznych hniezdnych teritórií. Tieto územia sa nachádzajú najmä v dvoch oblastiach: pohorie Derventa/Yıldız a územie na sever od Marmarského mora. Najbližšia vzdialenost medzi hniezdiskami bola 4,2 km. Stredná vzdialenost medzi pármi bola 1 0,44 ± 2,95 km. Priemerná hodnota hniezdnej úspešnosti v období 2008-201 3 vrátane 1 07 prípadov inkubácii bola 1 ,01±0,1 0. Priemerná hniezdna úspešnost vtákov v Marmarskom regióne (1 ,05±0,78) bola vyššia ako v oblasti pohorí Derventa/Yıldız (0,91±0,84). Predkladaná štúdia potravy orla královského bola založená na 582 zvyškoch koristi, obsahujúcej minimálne 70 taxónov. Cicavce boli najrozšírenejšie skupinou (46.5 %), nasledované vtákmi (32,4 %) a plazmi (20,3 %). Najcastejšou koristou bol jež bledý (Erinaceus roumanicus) a dva druhy korytnaciek - korytnacka zelenkastá (Eurotestudo hermanni) a korytnacka grécka (Testudo graeca), ktoré dohromady predstavovali celkom 1 4,4 % z ulovenej koristi. Potravné spektrum sledovaných párov obsahoval tieto druhy koristi: cajka žltonohá (Larus michahellis), sysel pasienkový (Spermophilus citellus), domáca sliepka (Gallus gallus f. domestica) a bocian biely (Ciconia ciconia). Tieto druhy dohromady tvorili 67,8 % z ulovenej koristi. Bol preukázaný štatisticky významný rozdiel (Z=2,52, p=0,01 ) v preferencii potravy orlov královských v oboch študovaných oblastiach.
Bees are essential: Pollination of squashes, gourds and pumpkins

Abstract Not Available – First paragraph follows: Squash and related plants of the genus Cucurbita are monoecious, having both male (staminate) and female flowers (pistillate) on the same plant. To insure fertilization under natural conditions, pollen from the male flower must be carried to the stigma of the female flower by insects. Although other insects, including cucumber, scarab, and meloid beetles, flies and moths are also involved, bees are the major pollinators.
Epigenetics and targeting mechanisms in Drosophila melanogaster

Long non-coding RNAs contribute to dosage compensation in both mammals and Drosophila by inducing changes in the chromatin structure of the X-chromosome. In Drosophila melanogaster, roX1 and roX2 are long non-coding RNAs that together with proteins form the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex, which coats the entire male X-chromosome and mediates dosage compensation by increasing its transcriptional output. Studies on polytene chromosomes have demonstrated that when both roX1 and roX2 are absent, the MSL-complex becomes less abundant on the male X-chromosome and is relocated to the chromocenter and the 4thchromosome. Here we address the role of roX RNAs in MSL-complex targeting and the evolution of dosage compensation in Drosophila. We performed ChIP-seq experiments which showed that MSL-complex recruitment to high affinity sites (HAS) on the X-chromosome is independent of roX and that the HAS sequence motif is conserved in D. simulans. Additionally, a complete and enzymatically active MSL-complex is recruited to six specific genes on the 4thchromosome. Interestingly, our sequence analysis showed that in the absence of roX RNAs, the MSL-complex has an affinity for regions enriched in Hoppel transposable elements and repeats in general. We hypothesize that roX mutants reveal the ancient targeting of the MSL-complex and propose that the role of roX RNAs is to prevent the binding of the MSL-complex to heterochromatin.
Effect of Seasonal Changes in Proximate Composition of Common Pandora (Pagellus erythrinus, Linnaeus 1758) Catched from Saros

The aim of this study is to determine the seasonal changes in water, protein, lipid and ash contents of common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) a commercial fish species caught from Saros Bay (Turkey) via trawl nets. Eight samplings were taken twice during each season (January 2007- February 2008). Water %, protein %, lipid % and ash % content in the muscle for winter period were found to be 83.10; 13.59; 1.73 and 1.18, respectively. These values were recorded as 82.94; 13.32; 2.02 and 1.27, respectively for spring. The findings were 83.69; 13.29; 1.65 and 1.23 in summer and 84.21; 12.66; 1.46 and 1.18 in fall, respectively. Seasonal differences can be explained by the prolonged spawning period of fish from spring to fall. Changes occurred in the proximate composition depending on the seasons had no significant impact on marketing value of fish.
Analyzing The Interactions Of Kdm5/lid And Sin3 In Drosophila Melanogaster

ANALYZING THE INTERACTIONS OF KDM5/LID AND SIN3 IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER by AMBIKAI GAJAN May 2015 Advisor: Dr. Lori A. Pile Major: Biological Sciences Degree: Doctor of Philosophy SIN3, the scaffold protein of a histone modifying complex is conserved from yeast to mammals. Drosophila SIN3 associates with both a histone deacetylase RPD3 and a histone demethylase dKDM5/LID. Immunopurification of dKDM5/LID verifies a previously observed interaction with SIN3 and RPD3. Furthermore, deficiency of dKDM5/LID phenocopies deficiency of SIN3 in many cellular and developmental processes. Knockdown of both Sin3A and lid hinder cell proliferation in Drosophila cultured cells and developing flies. Knockdown of these genes also results in a curved wing phenotype implicating a role in wing development. Analysis of underlying gene expression changes upon decreased expression of SIN3, dKDM5/LID or both at a genome wide level determined multiple genes that are commonly regulated by SIN3 and dKDM5/LID. Common gene targets of SIN3 and dKDM5/LID are implicated in processes related to stress tolerance. Additive roles of these proteins seem important in the regulation of cell cycle associated genes. Induction of paraquat mediated oxidative stress found a higher number of genes to be regulated by both SIN3 and dKDM5/LID,
Do tadpoles affect leaf decomposition in neotropical streams

SUMMARY 1. Of the relatively few studies that have examined consequences of amphibian declines on stream ecosystems, virtually all have focused on changes in algae (or algal-based food webs) and little is known about the potential effects of tadpoles on leaf decomposition. We compared leaf litter decomposition dynamics in two neotropical streams: one with an intact community of tadpoles (with frogs) and one where tadpoles were absent (frogless )a s a result of a fungal pathogen that had driven amphibians locally extinct. The stream with tadpoles contained a diverse assemblage (23 species) of larval anurans, and we identified five species of glass frog (Centrolenidae) tadpoles that were patchily distributed but commonly associated with leaf detritus and organic sediments in pools. The latter reached total densities of 0–318 tadpoles m )2 . 2. We experimentally excluded tadpoles from single-species leaf packs incubated over a 40-day period in streams with and without frogs. We predicted that decomposition rates would be higher in control (allowing access of tadpoles) treatments in the study stream with frogs than in the frogless stream and, in the stream with frogs, in the control than in the tadpole exclusion treatment. 3. In the stream with frogs, Centrolene prosoblepon and Cochranella albomaculata tadpoles were patchily distributed in leaf packs (0.0–33.3 m )2 ). In contrast to our predictions, leaf mass loss and temperature-corrected leaf decomposition rates in control treatments were almost identical in our stream with frogs (41.01% AFDM lost, kdegree day = )0.028 day )1 ) and in the frogless stream (41.81% AFDM lost, kdegree day = )0.027 day )1 ) and between control and tadpole exclusion treatments within each stream. Similarly, there were no significant differences in leaf pack bacterial biomass, microbial respiration rates or macroinvertebrate abundance between treatments or streams. Invertebrate assemblages on leaf packs were similar between treatments (SIMI = 0.97) and streams (SIMI = 0.95) and were dominated by larval Chironomidae, Simuliidae (Diptera) and larval Anchytarsus spp. (Coleoptera). 4. In contrast to dramatic effects of grazing tadpoles on algal communities observed previously, tadpoles had no major effects on decomposition. While centrolenid tadpoles were common in the stream with frogs, their patchy distribution in both experimental and natural leaf packs suggests that their effects on detrital dynamics and microbes are probably more localised than those of grazing tadpoles on algae.
The mechanism of the development of hepatic insulin sensitivity in chromogranin a null mice

Chromogranin A (CHGA/Chga), a proprotein distributed in endocrine and neuroendorcrine tissues. Pancreastatin (PST), CHGA derivative, has been reported to interfere with insulin action. Chga knock-out (KO) mouse was generated by targeted deletion of Chga gene in neuroendocrine tissues. KO mice displayed hypertension, decreased insulin level despite being euglycemic indicating increase insulin sensitivity, and inhibition of gluconeogenesis which was reversed after PST supplementation. Hepatic and plasma lipid concentrations in KO mice were lower than wild type mice. KO mice had increased adipose tissue mass suggesting hepatic and plasma lipids were sequestered and stored in adipose tissue, and PST deficiency influenced both glucose and lipid metabolism. To better understand the effect of PST on lipid metabolism, mRNA expression levels of lipogenic, oxidative and lipolytic genes were measured in WT, KO and KO plus PST (40[mu]g/g bw ip for 7 days)- treated mice. Expression of gluconeogenic genes, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (Pepck) and glucose6- phosphatase (G6pase), were studied. The varying effect of catestatin and PST were compared to determine which active peptide of CHGA affects lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Our results demonstrated that lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation in adipose tissue of KO mice were lower than liver. PST reversed inhibition of expression of Pepck and G6Pase in KO mice. In conclusion, PST deficiency in KO mice enhanced hepatic insulin sensitivity towards glucose production and lipid disposal by suppressing Pepck and G6Pase expression and stimulating fatty acid oxidation. Decreased hepatic and plasma lipid concentrations in KO mice helped maintain higher insulin sensitivity in KO mice