Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Demonstration of Bacillus thuringiensis as a potential control agent for the adult Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.)

Procedures are described for bioassaying fermentation products of various varieties of Bacillus thuringiensis against adults of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.). The procedures were designed to discriminate various types of active agents on the basis of their water solubility and heat (120°C) stability.
Antarctic Tardigrada: a first step in understanding molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) and biogeography of cryptic meiofauna

Recent studies have suggested that some resident Antarctic biota are of ancient origin and may have been isolated for millions of years. The phylum Tardigrada, which is part of the Antarctic terrestrial meiofauna, is of particular interest due to an impressive array of biochemical abilities to withstand harsh environmental conditions. Tardigrades are one of the few widespread Antarctic terrestrial animals that have the potential to be used as a model for evolution and biogeography on the Antarctic continent. We isolated 126 individual tardigrades from four geographically isolated soil samples from two remote nunataks in the Sør Rondane Mountains, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. We examined genetic variation among individuals utilising three gene regions: cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI), 18S rDNA (18S), and the wingless (Wg) gene. Comparison of sequences from worldwide and Antarctic tardigrades indicated long-term survival and isolation over glacially dominated periods in ice-free habitats in the Sør Rondane Mountains.
A numerical classification of reproductive guilds of the freshwater fishes of south‐eastern Australia and their application to river management

A comprehensive list of freshwater fishes from south-eastern Australia is classified into five major reproductive guilds, based on numerical analysis of 13 life history or reproductive characteristics. The guilds defined generally support previously proposed, subjective life history-based classifications of freshwater fish species in this region. The majority of species fell into two groups, with 18 and 19 species, and the remaining guilds each contained from 1 to 12 species. The most important biological characteristics that separated the major groups of species included: care of the eggs or young, the presence of adhesive or non-adhesive eggs, serial or single spawning, and viviparity. Two of the main guilds could each be divided into two sub-guilds mainly based upon the requirement for a spawning migration. The objective definition of reproductive guilds allows river and natural resource managers to consider the effects of changes in environmental management on groups of species that are likely to respond in similar ways.
Bayesian inference for protein signalling networks

Cellular response to a changing chemical environment is mediated by a complex system of interactions involving molecules such as genes, proteins and metabolites. In particular, genetic and epigenetic variation ensure that cellular response is often highly specific to individual cell types, or to different patients in the clinical setting. Conceptually, cellular systems may be characterised as networks of interacting components together with biochemical parameters specifying rates of reaction. Taken together, the network and parameters form a predictive model of cellular dynamics which may be used to simulate the effect of hypothetical drug regimens. In practice, however, both network topology and reaction rates remain partially or entirely unknown, depending on individual genetic variation and environmental conditions. Prediction under parameter uncertainty is a classical statistical problem. Yet, doubly uncertain prediction, where both parameters and the underlying network topology are unknown, leads to highly non-trivial probability distributions which currently require gross simplifying assumptions to analyse. Recent advances in molecular assay technology now permit high-throughput data-driven studies of cellular dynamics. This thesis sought to develop novel statistical methods in this context, focussing primarily on the problems of (i) elucidating biochemical network topology from assay data and (ii) prediction of dynamical response to therapy when both network and parameters are uncertain.
Evaluation of Body Condition in the Northwest Atlantic Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica)

We evaluated body condition in 315 harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) obtained between 1988 and 1991. Total percent lipid of blubber did not vary between the five body sites and three depths sampled. In nine winter specimens, blubber, carcass, viscera, and skin contributed 89.5, 8.7, 0.9, and 0.9% of total body lipid. Pregnant females in winter had higher percent lipid in muscle than males, but no difference was observed in percent lipid in liver or blubber or in liver mass. Those females obtained 1 mo postpartum had the highest percent lipid in muscle and liver, the heaviest livers, but the lowest blubber lipid content. Sculp mass (skin with attached blubber) increased from autumn through late winter, with pregnant females having heavier sculps than males in winter. Both sculp and core mass varied on a seasonal and annual basis in males and females. Blubber was most variable dorsally between 40 and 70% of length, measured from the snout, and thickest at 50%, coincident with the position of maximum girth. Bl.
Spatial and temporal variability in California annual grassland: results from a long-term study

We present data from the first 11 years of a long- term study of the dynamics of an annual grassland on serpen- tine soil in Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Northern Cali- fornia. Annual rainfall amounts and distributions varied greatly over the period 1982-1993, as did the amount and distribution of gopher disturbance. Temporal variation in gopher distur- bance showed no relationship with rainfall, but spatial varia- tion in disturbance frequency was related to soil depth. The disturbance regime experienced by the grassland is complex, both spatially and temporally, and most of the area is disturbed at least once every 3-5 years. Plant species abundances showed a variety of responses to climate variation and disturbance. Abundances of individual species in any given year could not be linked directly to rainfall amount due to hysteresis effects and other interactions. The grassland composition changed markedly over the study. Exclusion of gophers suggested that changing abundances of several species were linked to gopher disturbance. In particular, perennial species' abundances in- creased greatly in the years following exclosure, but then subsequently declined. Data on plant densities on gopher mounds disturbed at different times of year and in different years indicate that the local species composition remains distinct for a number of years following disturbance. Distur- bance history is hence a major factor controlling local commu- nity variation. Changing species importances, a complex dis- turbance regime and the importance of disturbance history make prediction and modelling of this system difficult. It is suggested that the same is probably true for many plant com- munities, and that long-term studies must be an essential part of ecological research programs. This study illustrates the practical problems inherent in maintaining long-term field experiments and in analyzing complex time series data which suffer from inadvertent deviations from the original experi- mental design.
Outbreaks of Edwardsiella ictaluri Infection in Ayu Plecoglossus altivelis in Japanese Rivers

From middle August to early October in 2007, mortalities in wild ayu Plecoglossus altivelis occurred in the rivers of Tokyo Metropolis, Yamaguchi Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Hemorrhagic ascites was observed in almost all the examined fish. Some fish showed reddening of body surface, anus or bases of fins and exophthalmos. A single species of bacteria was isolated from the kidney, spleen and ascites of all the examined fish and identified as Edwardsiella ictaluri. Pathogenicity against ayu of the bacterial isolates was demonstrated by experimental infections, with the LD50 being approximately 104 CFU/fish. The dead fish exhibited similar disease signs to those of naturally affected fish. From these results, it was concluded that the present mortality of wild ayu was caused by E. ictaluri infection. This is the first report on E. ictaluri infection of fish in Japan.
Distinguishing anomalocaridids from arthropods and priapulids

The Chengjiang fossil lagerstätte has yielded four described species of dinocaridids. These have been interpreted either as arthropods or as arthropod progenitors, occasionally with the anomalocaridid Parapeytoia yunnanensis serving as a link. This view is rejected both because anomalocaridids have a number of derived characters absent from early arthropods, and also because a shared origin gives a more parsimonious picture. Sclerites thought to belong to the mouth of P. yunnanensis differ fundamentally from those of its holotype and from those of other dinocaridids. It appears that they belong to a new large priapulid, described here as Omnidens amplus gen. et sp. nov. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tall fescue in Australia and New Zealand

Abstract Tall fescue is widely naturalised in Australia and New Zealand. Its use in pastoral agriculture has developed with the availability of suitable cultivars. Naturalised tall fescue is infected with Acremonium endophyte and is known to be toxic. The significance of endophyte is briefly discussed. Tall fescue can be slow to establish after sowing, and palatability is sometimes inadequate. Greatly enhanced winter growth, through the use of Mediterranean germplasm, would extend use of the species into more summer‐dry environments. Research supporting these and other objectives is reviewed. Current breeding programmes in Australia and New Zealand are described.
Protein Kinase C‐α and ‐ε Down‐Regulate Cell Surface Sodium Channels via Differential Mechanisms in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

Abstract: In cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells, our [3H]saxitoxin ([3H]STX) binding, immunoblot, and northern blot analyses specified protein kinase C (PKC) isoform‐specific posttranscriptional and posttranslational mechanisms that direct down‐regulation of cell surface Na channels. Immunoblot analysis showed that among 11 PKC isoforms, adrenal chromaffin cells contained only conventional (c)PKC‐α, novel (n)PKC‐ε, and atypical (a)PKC‐ζ. Treatment of adrenal chromaffin cells with 100 nM 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate (TPA) or 100 nM phorbol 12,13‐dibutyrate (PDBu) caused a rapid (< 15 min) and sustained (> 15 h) translocation of PKC‐α and ‐ε (but not ‐ζ) from cytosol to membranes, whereas a biologically inactive 4α‐TPA had no effect. Thymeleatoxin (TMX), an activator of cPKC, produced similar membrane association of only PKC‐α at 100 nM, with the potency of TMX being comparable with those of TPA and PDBu. Treatment with either 100 nM TPA or 100 nM TMX reduced cell surface [3H]STX binding to a comparable extent at 3, 6, and 12 h, whereas TPA lowered the binding to a greater extent than TMX at 15, 18, and 24 h; at 15 h, Gö6976, a specific inhibitor of cPKC, completely blocked TMX‐induced decrease of [3H]STX binding while preventing by merely 57% TPA‐induced decrease of [3H]STX binding. Treatment with 100 nM TPA lowered the Na channel α‐subunit mRNA level between 3 and 12 h, with its maximum 52% fall at 6 h, and it was accompanied by a subsequent 61% rise of the β1‐subunit mRNA level at 24 h. Gö6976 failed to prevent TPA‐induced reduction of the α‐subunit mRNA level; TMX did not change the α‐and β1‐subunit mRNA levels throughout the 24‐h treatment. Brefeldin A, an inhibitor of vesicular exit from the trans‐Golgi network, augmented TPA‐ and TMX‐induced decrease of [3H]STX binding at 1 and 3 h. Our previous and present studies suggest that PKC down‐regulates cell surface Na channels without altering the allosteric gating of Na channels via PKC isoform‐specific mechanisms; cPKC‐α promotes Na channel internalization, whereas nPKC‐ε decreases the α‐subunit mRNA level by shortening the half‐life of α‐subunit mRNA without changing its gene transcription.
Testing the monophyly and position of the North American shrubby desert genus Leucophyllum (Scrophulariaceae: Leucophylleae)

Leucophyllum is one of the most remarkable endemic genera of North American deserts, with its simultaneous bloom of showy purple flowers. With Eremogeton and probably Capraria it forms part of tribe Leucophylleae. Leucophyllum has 16 species distributed mostly throughout the Chihuahuan and Tehuacan deserts. The three genera were sampled to investigate the phylogenetic relationships among them and to test the monophyly of Leucophyllum, based on plastid DNA (trnL-F, rps16) and nuclear ribosomal (nr)DNA (internal transcribed spacer) sequences. Bayesian inference and maximum-likelihood analyses confirmed that tribe Leucophylleae is monophyletic and formed by the three Neotropical genera. Separate (plastid DNA and nrDNA) and combined analyses retrieved Leucophyllum as paraphyletic, with L. mojinense as the sister species to the rest of the species in the tribe and Capraria spp. nested in one of two clades of Leucophyllum. Further monographic work is needed to identify the defining characters and limits of the genera, but we suggest that L. mojinense, with its different vegetative architecture, distinctive flowers and dissimilar distribution could be placed in its own genus. Each of the two clades in Leucophyllum could be considered a genus in its own right, and Capraria and Eremogeton can be recognized as independent genera, as they are at present. Leucophyllum ambiguum, the type species of the genus, belongs to one of the clades so the species of the other could be considered members of a new genus. The only diagnostic character detected at present is a ventricose corolla tube in one of the clades in Leucophyllum and a pressed corolla tube in the other. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, , –.
The vascular endothelium of the adipose tissue gives rise to both white and brown fat cells

Adipose tissue expansion involves the enlargement of existing adipocytes, the differentiation of adipocyte progenitors, and the development of the supporting vascular network. Although some data suggest that the adipocyte progenitors reside in the vasculature of the adipose tissue, their identity is not completely clear [1,2]. Here we address the hypothesis that a population of adipocytes derives from an endothelial cell (EC) lineage. We performed a detailed morphological analysis in developing murine WAT and BAT in order to highlight the features of adipocyte precursors. In addition, we used the VE-Cadherin- Cre/R26R mouse model to address the relationship between vascular ECs and adipose cells development. This lineage tracing model allowed the identification of cells that express the EC gene VE-Cadherin at any point during differentiation. Finally, we analyzed capillary sprouts arising from human subcutaneous fat tissue to evaluate the hypothesis that ECs forming these structures possess the capacity to transform into adipocytes. Ultrastructural analysis of discrete areas of intense adipogenesis, that we designated vasculo-adipocytic islets, revealed the presence of rare endothelial-pericytic cells that could represent an intermediate developmental step between the EC and the preadipocyte stage. Lineage tracing experiments using the VE-cadherin promoter revealed the expression of reporter genes in ECs, preadipocytes and adipocytes in white and brown fat depots. Furthermore, capillary sprouts (which have predominantly EC characteristics) from human adipose tissue were found to express Zfp423, a recently identified marker of preadipocyte determination [3]. In response to PPARγ activation the ECs lost progressively their structural and molecular characteristics, and formed structurally and biochemically defined adipocytes. We report morphological and genetic evidence that adipocytes in white and brown fat depots originate from cells that display endothelial characteristics and this is in accordance with the results published by other researchers [4] and also with previous works performed in our lab [5].
Postharvest Infiltration of BTH Reduces Infection of Mango Fruits (Mangifera indica L. cv. Tainong) by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Enhances Resistance Inducing Compounds

Mango fruits (Mangifera indica L.) were treated by vacuum infiltration of 1.0 mM benzo-(l,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid s-methyl ester (BTH) after harvest. Seventy-two hours after the treatment with BTH, the fruit were inoculated with 15 μl of conidial suspension of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (1 x 10 5 conidia/ml) and incubated at 13°C, 85-90% RH for disease development. Disease incidence and lesion diameter in mango fruit after the inoculation were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by the BTH treatment during the incubation. Peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities and total phenolic compounds content in the fruits were all enhanced by the BTH treatment during the incubation. The catalase activity in the fruit was inhibited, whereas the level of hydrogen peroxide was increased by the BTH treatment during the infection. These responses may be involved in the induced resistance against the pathogen infection in mango fruit by BTH treatment. Application of BTH in fruit possesses promising results in the control of postharvest diseases as an alternative to traditional methods.
A mechanistic understanding of hyperstability in catch per unit effort and density-dependent catchability in a multistock recreational fishery

Mechanisms resulting in hyperstability (where catch per unit effort (CPUE) remains high as fish density declines) in recreational fisheries are poorly understood owing to a lack of experimental data. We collected data on angler CPUE and fish density to determine whether hyperstability exists in the rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) lake fishery of British Columbia. We contrasted the relationship between CPUE and fish density in an open-access recreational fishery with an experimental fishery (a set of lakes that had restricted access, standardized fishing methods, and no heterogeneity in angler experience) to assess the mechanistic cause of hyperstability. We detected no evidence of hyperstability in the experimental fishery, but significant hyperstability in the open-access fishery. In the open-access fishery, the composition of the angler population varied among lakes: anglers who fished at low-density lakes were more experienced than anglers fishing at high-density lakes. This segregation of angler .
p53Mutations and Presence of HPV DNA Do Not Correlate with Radiosensitivity of Gynecological Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract Objective. The correlation between p53 tumor suppressor gene mutations and the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA with the in vitro radiosensitivity of gynecological malignancies was studied in 26 cell lines derived from gynecological cancers of 23 patients. Methods. Comparison of the intrinsic radiosensitivity was performed with mean inactivation dose (D) determined with the 96-well plate clonogenic assay. p53 mutations were investigated with polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR–SSCP) analysis and direct DNA sequencing, and the presence of HPV DNA was studied with PCR using HPV consensus primers. Results. p53 mutations were found in 6 of 10 vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lines. Nine vulvar and 1 vaginal SCC cell lines were HPV DNA negative and 1 vulvar cell line was HPV 16 positive. All 4 cervical SCC lines were HPV positive and possessed the wild-type p53. Three cell lines expressed HPV 16 and 1 HPV 68. Among 10 endometrial cancer cell lines, 2 cell lines with mutant p53 and 1 HPV 16 positive cell line were found. No correlation could be demonstrated between inactivation of the p53 gene and radiosensitivity in vitro; the cell lines were evaluated as one group or according to their anatomical origin or histology. Conclusion. Our results indicate that inactivation of the p53 gene through mutation or binding with HPV DNA does not increase the resistance of gynecological malignancies to ionizing radiation in vitro.
Density and Condition of Subyearling Chinook Salmon in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary in Relation to Water Temperature and Genetic Stock of Origin

AbstractWe examined the hypotheses that density and morphometric condition of subyearling juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha would decline during periods of high water temperature in the lower Columbia River and estuary. The hypotheses were tested using salmon density measurements and a condition anomaly calculated from residuals of the length–weight linear regression based on 5,536 subyearlings collected from brackish estuarine and tidal freshwater (TFW) habitats. We captured Chinook Salmon at all temperatures encountered (4.2–23.5°C). In the TFW zone, densities were highest at optimal temperatures and lowest at suboptimal and supraoptimal temperatures; in the estuary, density did not differ among temperature regimes. Fish condition was lowest in winter, when temperatures were suboptimal, and highest in summer, when temperatures were supraoptimal. Pairwise comparisons of fish condition between periods of optimal temperature (spring) and supraoptimal or stressful temperature (summer) showed .
Influence of Nitrogen Application Timing on Low Density Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia Trifida) Interference in Corn

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of three nitrogen fertilizer application timings on corn and giant ragweed dry weight, corn and giant ragweed nitrogen accumulation, and corn grain yield. By the V8 growth stage, corn plants in treatments which included nitrogen at planting accumulated up to 27% more dry weight and 26% more leaf area than corn in sidedress-only treatments that had not yet received any fertilizer nitrogen. Nitrogen fertilizer application timing did not influence early-season giant ragweed dry weight, but did influence N accumulation. Giant ragweed at 0.5 plants/m2 accumulated up to 16 kg N/ha in 40-cm-tall plants by the V8 corn growth stage and up to 104 kg N/ha when allowed to remain in corn until the end of the growing season. At this density of giant ragweed, corn yields were not reduced if removed by the V8 corn growth stage. However, season-long interference reduced corn yields by up to 19% regardless of nitrogen application timing. Early-season giant ragweed growth was less responsive to nitrogen application timing than corn, suggesting that nitrogen management programs should not be altered significantly to influence giant ragweed competitiveness in corn. However, giant ragweed should be removed in a timely manner to minimize nitrogen accumulation in nitrogen-limiting corn production situations. Nomenclature: Giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifida L. AMBTR, corn, Zea mays L. ‘DKC60-09RR2/YGCB’ and ‘DKC61-45RR/YGCB’
Sistematica de los corales del genero pocillopora del pacifico colombiano utilizando taxonomia numerica

Twenty-eight characters were measured to study the systematics of 5 species of Pocillopora to develop two distance phenograms. These suggested the existence of three groups. The first with Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus, 1758), including a ecoform; the second included P. capilata Verrill, 1864 and P. capitate var robusta Verrill, 1870. The third is conformed by P. elegans . Dana, 1846 and P. eydouxi Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860.
Do we need soil moisture measurements in the vegetation–environment studies in wetlands?

We found that in fens and bogs, water level still describes hydrological conditions better than directly measured moisture, and serves as a useful proxy of complex environmental conditions related to the hydrological regime, especially in Sphagnum fens with a shallow peat layer. Our results validate existing knowledge of species–environment relationships based on water table measurements.