Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical Determination of Cytosolic Cytochrome c Concentration in Cardiomyocytes

Cytochrome c release from the intermembrane space of mitochondria is one of the triggers of apoptosis. There is no histochemical method available to demonstrate cytochrome c in cryostat sections, possibly because small cytosolic proteins diffuse readily into aqueous fixation media. This report shows that it is possible to demonstrate cytochrome c release in cardiomyocytes in failing myocardium using vapor fixation of cryostat sections and immunohistochemistry. The method is calibrated using sections from gelatin blocks containing known concentrations of cytochrome c. The method is applied to the hypertrophied right ventricular wall of rats in which pulmonary hypertension was induced by monocrotaline. Cytochrome c release is found in a fraction of the cardiomyocytes, leading to a mosaic-staining pattern. Cytochrome c release was found in myocytes over the full range of cross-sectional area (from 1 to 3.9 times control) in the hypertrophied myocardium. Cytosolic cytochrome c concentrations up to 0.4–0.5 mM occur frequently.
Classification of Maghrebi camels (Camelus dromedarius) according to their tribal affiliation and body traits in southern Tunisia

Five groups of Maghrebi camels have been identified in southern Tunisia according to their tribal affiliation: the Ourdhaoui Medenine in Tawazins tribe, the Ourdhaoui Tataouine in Oudarna tribe, the Guiloufi in Beni Guilouf tribe from Kebili, the Gueoudi at Ouled Gharib tribe from Kebili and the Merzougui in the Marazigues tribe from Kebili. The identification of these groups was achieved by recording nine body measurements (length of the body, length of the neck, thoracic girth, abdominal circumference, height at the hump, height at the withers, width between shoulders, length of the anterior limb and the length of the tool) from a total of 304 female camels (age ≥ 6 years). Positive correlation was observed between the height at the hump and height at the withers, the thoracic girth and the abdominal circumference, the length of the body and the length of the neck. However, the length of the tail showed a negative correlation with the abdominal circumference and the height at the withers. Gueoudi, Guiloufi and Merzougui camel groups had the higher body length and the higher abdominal circumference compared to Ourdhaoui Medenine group of camels. Accordingly, Guiloufi, Merzougui and Ourdhaoui Tataouine camel groups had the higher thoracic girth and the higher height at the withers in comparison with Ourdhaoui Medenine. Ourdhaoui Medenine and Ourdhaoui Tataouine camel groups had the higher tail length compared to Gueoudi, Guiloufi and Merzougui camel groups. The clustering of the five groups allowed describing three main classes of Maghrebi camel including the big, medium and small size Maghrebi camels. According to the coat color, six vernacular names were identified included Chagra, Chaâla, Safra, Hajla, Hamra and Zarga. The quality of the hair was on majority rough and thick, that way the female camel was named Nagga Chalfi. One small proportion was attributed for the females that had sleek and heavy hair which were named Nagga Khawar.
Diet, Prey Selection, and Body Condition of Age-0 Delta Smelt, Hypomesus transpacificus, in the Upper San Francisco Estuary

The Delta Smelt, an endangered fish, has suffered a long-term decline in abundance, believed to result from, in part, to changes in the pelagic food web of the upper San Francisco Estuary. To investigate the current role of food as a factor in Delta Smelt well- being, we developed reference criteria for gut fullness and body condition based on allometric growth. We then examined monthly diet, prey selectivity, and gut fullness of larvae and juvenile Delta Smelt collected April through September in 2005 and 2006 for evi- dence of feeding difficulties leading to reduced body condition. Calanoid copepods Eurytemora affinis and Pseudodiaptomus forbesi remained major food items during spring and from early summer through fall, respectively. Other much larger copepods and mac- roinvertebrates contributed in lesser numbers to the diet of older juvenile fish from mid-summer through fall. In fall, juvenile Delta Smelt periodically relied heavily on very small prey and prey potentially associated with demersal habitat, suggesting typical pelagic food items were in short supply. We found a strong positive selection for E. affinis and P. forbesi, neutral to negative selection for evasive calanoid Sinocalanus doerrii, and neutral to negative selection for the small cyclopoid copepod Limnoithona tetra- spina and copepod nauplii, which were consumed only when extremely numerous in the environment. Feeding incidence was significantly higher in 2006, but among successfully feeding fish we found no between year difference in gut fullness. However, we did detect differences in fullness across months in both years. We found no difference in body condition of Delta Smelt between years yet our sample sizes were low in September when Delta Smelt reverted to feeding on very small organisms and fullness declined, so the longer-term effect remains unknown. Our findings suggest that: Delta Smelt had difficulty obtaining prey in spring 2005 or obtaining proper- sized prey in fall of both years. We detected these difficulties in some regional feeding incidence and fullness indices, but not in body condition indices.
Population and community variability in randomly fluctuating environments

The prediction that environmental fluctuations may destabilise populations and yet stabilise aggregate community properties has remained largely untested. We examined population and community stability under constant and fluctuating temperatures in simple planktonic assemblages of differing algal richness. Temperature dependent resource competition produced a highly asymmetric community structure where algal community biomass was dominated by one species. For a given level of species richness, temperature fluctuations induced lower community covariance and thus stabilised community biomass. However, increasing algal species richness increased the variability of population abundance and growth rates, as well as population and community variability. Consumer dynamics were directly destabilised by environmental fluctuations. These results confirm recent theoretical studies suggesting a stabilising effect of environmental fluctuations at the community level. However, they also support the theoretical prediction that increasing species richness may be of limited value for community stability, most especially in asymmetric communities, when competition directly affects population variability.
Response of Three Nonglufosinate-Resistant Cotton Varieties to Reduced Rates of Glufosinate

Field experiments were conducted in 2003 and 2004 to evaluate the effects of reduced rates of glufosinate on development and yield of three nonglufosinate-resistant cotton varieties. The varieties evaluated were selected on their relative maturity with PayMaster (PM) 1218, early maturity; FiberMax (FM) 960, medium maturity; and Delta and Pine Land (DP) 555, late maturity. Rates of 47, 23, and 4.7 g ai/ha were applied, representing 10, 5, and 1% of the typical use rate per application of 467 g ai/ha, respectively. As might be expected, when averaged over varieties, the 10% rate showed more injury than the 5%, and the 5% rate caused more visual injury than the 1% rate. Pooled over timing and rate, PM1218 showed more injury (18%) than FM960 (7%), which showed more injury than DP555 (1%) 7 days after application (DAA) at the 10% rate. However, although PM1218 showed the most visual injury, this did not translate into delay in maturity or loss of lint yield. DP555 showed 70 kg ai/ha and 50 kg ai/ha lint yield loss when glufosinate was applied at the 10% rate on the fifth and eighth node stage, respectively. DP555 was delayed in maturity when glufosinate was applied at the 10% rate on the eighth node stage. FM960 showed 30 kg/ha lint yield loss when glufosinate was applied at the 10 and 5% rates at the fifth node stage. Maturity of FM960 was delayed with the 10 and 5% rates applied at the fifth node stage. Nomenclature: Glufosinate, cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. , ‘Delta & Pine Land’ (DP555), ‘FiberMax’ (FM960), ‘PayMaster’ (PM1218)
Mycoflora and Aflatoxin Analysis of Arachis hypogaea L. and Assessment of Anethum graveolens L. Seed and Leaf Essential Oils against Isolated Fungi, Aflatoxin Production and their Antioxidant Activity

The present investigation reports the extent of fungal contamination in stored samples of Arachis hypogaea and efficacy of seed and leaf essential oils (EOs) of Anethum graveolens against isolated fungi, aflatoxin production and their antioxidant efficacy. Twelve fungal species were found associated with A. hypogaea along with toxigenic isolates of Aspergillus flavus. The minimum concentrations for inhibition of growth of toxigenic strain of A. flavus (LHPFah-6) and aflatoxin production were found to be 1.25 and 1.0 μL/mL for seed oil and 7.0 and 6.0 μL/mL for leaf oil. The EOs exhibited broad antifungal spectrum. The seed and leaf EOs also exhibited free radical-scavenging activity having IC50 value 12.4 and 24.3 μL/mL, respectively. In addition, the EOs showed nonphytotoxic nature on radicle growth of A. hypogaea. The study recommends A. graveolens seed EO as a potent antifungal, aflatoxin inhibitor and free radical-neutralizing agent to enhance shelf life of food items. Practical Applications Because of high efficacy as antifungal, aflatoxin inhibitor and antioxidant, as well as due to nonphytotoxic nature, the A. graveolens seed essential oil may attract the food industries related to food safety for its large-scale trial to recommend its possible application as an eco-friendly plant-based alternative of synthetic preservatives during postharvest processing of food items.
BLUESPOTTED CORNETFISH, FISTULARIA COMMERSONII RÜPPELL, 1838: A LESSEPSIAN SPRINTER

Bluespotted cornetfish, Fistularia commersonii Ruppell, 1838 is a Lessepsian migrant, recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean in Israeli waters in 2000 and two years later off Rhodes Island, south-eastern Aegean Sea. The presenty described case of a single specimen constitutes the first record of its northernmost appearance, caught with trammel-nets in the waters off Loutra Agias Paraskevis (Chalkidiki Peninsula, North Aegean Sea), indicating its fast spreading ability. Based on previously reported data on its feeding habits, its fractional trophic level was calculated and ranged from 4.1 to 4.5, a fact indicating that it is a higher order carnivore. The rate of northward expansion for the 16 Lessepsian migrants found in the Greek seas is also discussed.
Potentiation of Protein Kinase C ζ Activity by 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-Prostaglandin J2 Induces an Imbalance between Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases and NF-κB That Promotes Apoptosis in Macrophages

ABSTRACT Activation of the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transiently activates protein kinase C ζ (PKCζ) and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) through a phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3-kinase)-dependent pathway. Incubation of LPS-treated cells with the cyclopentenone 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15dPGJ2) promoted a sustained activation of PKCζ and JNK and inhibited IκB kinase (IKK) and NF-κB activity. Accordingly, 15dPGJ2 induced an imbalance between JNK and IKK activities by increasing the former signaling pathway and inhibiting the latter signaling pathway. Under these conditions, apoptosis was significantly enhanced; this response was very dependent on PKCζ and JNK activation. The effect of 15dPGJ2 on PKCζ activity observed in LPS-activated macrophages was not dependent on a direct action of this prostaglandin on the enzyme but was due to the activation of a step upstream of PI3-kinase. Moreover, LPS promoted the redistribution of activated PKCζ from the cytosol to the nucleus, a process that was enhanced by treatment of the cells with 15dPGJ2 that favored a persistent and broader distribution of PKCζ in the nucleus. These results indicate that 15dPGJ2 and other cyclopentenone prostaglandins, through the sustained activation of PKCζ, might contribute significantly to the process of resolution of inflammation by promoting apoptosis of activated macrophages.
The dominant species of monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) in northern region of Peninsular Malaysia.

A comprehensive population study of three monkey species (i.e. Macaca fascicularis, Macaca nemestrina and Trachypithecus obscurus) was piloted to determine the dominant species, population quantity and group size. The survey was conducted between November 2011 and May 2012. The technique adapted for the study was scan sampling method; Population survey showed that there were 23 groups of 508 individuals of three monkeys' species in three states of Peninsular Malaysia (Penang, Kedah and Perak). One-Way Anova test was used to find the significant difference among above three species and to compare their means. Adult males showed a significant difference between two species in terms of population (i.e. Macaca fascicularis and Macaca nemestrina and p-value is p<0.01). Adult females, sub-adults and juveniles were found to be significant as compared to Macaca fascicular and Macaca nemestrina which were found p<0.008, p<0.01 and p<0.04 respectively. The infants were found non- significant and Trachypithecus obscurus showed no variation in comparison with other two species. The survey discovered that the Macaca fascicularis was the most dominant species of Peninsular Malaysia. It was noted that the population of Macaca nemestrina was declining and the population of Trachypithecus obscurus was stable species of Peninsular Malaysia.
Population structure and reproduction of Deuterodon langei travassos, 1957 (Teleostei, Characidae) in a neotropical stream basin from the Atlantic Forest, Southern Brazil

Aspects of the biology of D. langei were studied at different sites along a longitudinal gradient formed by the Ribeirao stream basin, a Neotropical stream of the Atlantic Forest, southern Brazil. Differences were observed in population structure and reproduction along the longitudinal gradient and during the study period. Juvenile fishes occurred in high abundance, mainly in the downstream site after the rainy months. Adults occurred mainly in the intermediate and upstream sites. During their life cycle, adults optimise their reproductive strategy by concentrating the reproductive period with total spawn in a short time interval before summer rains dragged the juvenile, larval forms and/or eggs downstream. The downstream site was characterized by a wide range of microhabitats (ex. submerged grass and shallow flooded area). Thus, the species used different portions of the basin in distinct stages of its life, being ecologically adapted to variation patterns in its temporal and physical environments.
Clinical Application of Enamel Matrix Derivative for Periodontal Regeneration and Treatment of Peri-Implantitis

One of the goals of periodontal therapy is to regenerate lost supporting structures that have been destroyed by periodontal disease. Treatment procedures including various bone grafts, guided tissue regeneration, use of enamel matrix derivative, or combina- tions of the aforementioned have been suggested as regenerative periodontal therapies to achieve this goal. Enamel matrix derivative is composed of a number of proteins, 90% of which are amelogenins, and these proteins are thought to induce the formation of periodontal attachment during tooth formation. Previous reports have shown that enamel matrix derivative was able to improve clinical attachment level and reduce probing depth. The results of previous controlled clinical trials have shown that using enamel matrix derivative in combination with bovine porous bone mineral may enhance the regenerative outcome with regard to the clinical attachment level gain compared with using the enamel matrix derivative alone. In this chapter, an extensive review of the role of enamel matrix derivate will be performed using in vitro and in vivo studies. Clinical implications of the enamel matrix derivative will also be discussed.
Mitochondrial DNA variation in Atlantic salmon, Salmo, salar L., populations

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation was examined in 209 Atlantic salmon from two river systems, the R. Itchen in Hampshire (Southern England) and the R. Conwy (North Wales). Within each system, five spawning sites were sampled. Four enzymes (AVA II, HAE III, HINF I and MBO I) revealed restriction fragment polymorphisms that were informative. Ten clonal lines were observed. These clones were differentially distributed between the two river systems and single clonal types were found to predominate at several spawning sites. MBO I variants were found in salmon from the R. Itchen but not the R. Conwy. A significant heterogeneity in frequency distribution of clonal lines between parr and smolt assemblages of the same year class within the R. Itchen was detected. This heterogeneity suggests that differences in survival or migratory behaviour may be identified by changes in mtDNA clonal frequencies.
Towards community-based forest management in Southern Africa: do decentralization experiments work for local livelihoods?

SUMMARY Differences are emerging in decentralization of forest and community management in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. This paper draws on case studies in each country to examine five aspects of their decentralization experience, namely forest tenure, new organizational structures, accountability and livelihood outcomes. Tenure arrangements developed as a result of decentralization are important for communities, as these determine the nature of access sanctioned by the state and security of the arrangements. The transfer of power to new organizations is proving to be a challenge. Experiences across the three case studies show that new committees were formed for these forestry initiatives by outside agencies and attempts were made to make them relevant to the way local communities managed forests. One of the main tenets of decentralization revolves around accountability of community representatives to their constituents rather than to the state. Although moves have been made to promote the accountability of community representatives, these have produced mixed results in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. Only after changes in the approach taken by the state in Zimbabwe did community representatives become more accountable. In Mozambique, because of the special arrangements around the specific case, greater authority was given to community representatives, whereas, in South Africa, the state retained authority over representatives. Decentralization may bring benefits and improve communities' livelihoods from forestry activities, however much more still needs to be done by states in order for forests to take communities out of poverty.
Contributions à la théorie des jeux d’évolution et de congestion

This thesis is contributed to evolutionary games and congestion games. After a survey of the studies on network congestion games in Chapter 1, Chapters 2 and 3 consider the relation between the composition of the players (nonatomic, atomic, composite) and the equilibrium cost. In particular, the impact of the formation of coalitions is examined. Chapters 4 and 5 introduce the behavior of delegation in composite games and integer-splittable games. Several delegation games and a delegation process are defined and studied in different contexts. Finally, dynamic aspects in games are considered. Chapter 6 focuses on a two-level dynamics which models the phenomenon of multilevel selection. The thesis is concluded by a survey of the studies on the dynamics of replicator type in Chapter 7.
Using DNA Barcodes to Identify Bird Species Involved in Birdstrikes

Abstract We determined effectiveness of using mitochondrial DNA barcodes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 [CO1]) to identify bird–aircraft collision (birdstrike) cases that lacked sufficient feather evidence for morphological diagnosis. From September through December 2006, 821 samples from birdstrike events occurring in the United States were submitted for DNA analysis. We successfully amplified a CO1 DNA barcode product from 554 (67.5%) of the samples; 267 (32.5%) did not contain viable DNA and depended on morphological methods (microscopy) for Order or Family level identification. We deemed 19 cases inconclusive either because the DNA barcode recovered from the sample did not meet our 98% match criteria when compared to the Barcode of Life Database (BoLD) or because the DNA barcode matched to a set of ≥2 closely related species with overlapping barcodes, preventing complete species identification. Age of the sample (≤6 months) did not affect DNA viability, but initial condition of the sample and the collection method was critical to DNA identification success. The DNA barcoding approach has great potential in aiding in identification of birds (and wildlife) for airfield management practices, particularly in regions of the world that lack the vast research collections and individual expertise for morphologic identifications.
Genetic diversity assessment of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) populations using AFLP markers

In the present study, genetic diversity of 26 Iranian cultivated populations of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was studied using eight AFLP selective primer combinations. The number of polymorphic fragments detected per primer combination rang from 3 to 6 bands with an average 4.9 bands. Average polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.26 over all primer combinations. M-CAG/E-ACC primer combination showed the highest PIC which can be a good candidate primer combination to verify genetic diversity in alfalfa. Cluster analysis using Unweighted Pair-Group Method using arithmetic Average (UPGMA) and Jaccard's coefficient grouped the populations into four main clusters with no correlation between genetic and geographical diversity. Principle coordinates analysis (PCO) showed PC1 and PC2 explained 42.65 and 15.95 percent of total variance, respectively. The result of PCO was confirmed by cluster analysis. The lowest genetic distance was observed between Koohpaie and Gonabad populations and the highest between Dameghan1 (cluster 1) and Divandarreh (cluster 3) populations. Keyword: Medicago sativa, genetic distance, genetic diversity, AFLP