Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological profile of hepatitis C virus infection in patients from west region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a serious public health problem and is the leading cause of liver transplantation due to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In Brazil, it is estimated that there are approximately 2 to 3 million HCV chronic carriers. Few data regarding HCV infection are available in West region of Minas Gerais State. In the absence of an effective vaccine against this important human pathogen and high costs of antiviral treatment, it is important to conduct epidemiological studies for planning and implementing measures to prevent hepatitis C in different populations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the clinical and epidemiological aspects of HCV patients from West region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Methods: Sociodemographic data and risk factors for HCV infection were determined from 74 HCV patients from Uberlândia city (Minas Gerais State). Reactive anti-HCV sera samples were submitted to HCV RNA and genotype detection. Results: Most of individuals were male (63.5%) with mean age of 51 years and presenting low socioeconomic status. HCV genotype was determined among 40 samples and the frequencies were: genotype 2 (45%), 1 (37.5%) and 3 (17.5%). Conclusions: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was common among male and low socioeconomic status individuals.
Small Variations over Large Scales: Fluctuating Asymmetry over the Range of Two Oak Species

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) represents small, random variation from symmetry, and it has been used as an indicator of plant stress at relatively local scales. In this study, variation in FA was examined at the landscape scale across the whole distributional range of the two oak species Quercus myrtifolia and Quercus chapmanii in Florida. Oak leaf morphology was evaluated in 40 sites covering ∼170,000 km2. Plants growing on coastal/edge sites exhibited significantly higher levels of FA than did plants inhabiting inland/center sites. For myrtle oaks, levels of FA were also spatially structured, and sites were positively spatially autocorrelated at small distances, indicating that sites that were closer exhibited similar levels of environmental stress and FA. Our results have shown that FA, a reliable measurement of plant stress at local scales, can also be used as a biological tool for monitoring the quality of the environment at larger spatial scales, increasing its usefulness in studies across the full range of plant species.
Diapause characteristics of two species of tetranychid mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) in southern Japan and Taiwan

As in other Tetranychus species, both T. kanzawai and T. urticae undergo reproductive diapause induced by short-days and low temperatures. This study compares the diapause characteristics of populations of these two species from Taiwan with those from Kagoshima (southern Japan) and the Okinawa islands (southwestern islands). Our previous study (Takafuji et al., 2001, Appl. Entomol. Zool. 36: 177–184) showed that most T. kanzawai populations from Kagoshima exhibited more than 90% diapause at 15°C–9L15D, but the incidence of diapause in populations from the Okinawa islands was very low, and some exhibited no diapause even at 15°C. The present study shows that populations from central Taiwan, including those from the lowlands, exhibited a lower incidence of diapause than populations from Kagoshima, but a higher incidence than populations from the Okinawa islands. These results imply that the gene flow among populations in the lowlands and mountains maintains a higher incidence of diapause in Taiwan, but the diapause characteristic may have been eliminated by warm temperatures on the Okinawa islands, on which there are no high mountains. On the other hand, all populations of T. urticae from Kagoshima, Okinawa and Taiwan similarly exhibited a very low incidence of diapause.
Food consumption of juvenile coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) on the continental shelf off Washington and Oregon

The overall food consumption by juvenile coho (Oncorhychus kisutch) and chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) along the continental shelf off Washington and Oregon was estimated for the summer months of 1981–84 using both a direct field and indirect bioenergetic approach. Both models yielded similar estimates but the consumption estimated by the bioenergetic model was 14.8 and 3.2% higher for coho and chinook salmon, respectively. In a given year, overall consumption increased throughout the summer, despite decreasing abundances of both salmon species, but there were substantial differences among the four years within the same month. A preliminary comparison of the consumption estimates for important prey taxa early in the summer with estimated zooplankton biomass suggested that sufficient food levels may have been available for salmon during 1981. During the El Nino of 1983, however, several prey groups were consumed at high levels relative to their estimated availability and the biomass of these taxa may not .
Induced reproduction in a migratory teleost species by water level drawdown

Captive reproduction is one of the problems faced in aquaculture requiring the manipulation of environmental factors and/or hormonal treatment. Thus, we seek to verify experimentally which gonadal changes were present in mature individuals of Astyanax altiparanae arising from decreased water level. Collections were made every four hours, initiated four hours before and finished 28 hours after stimulation, at the Fish Farming Station of Companhia Energetica de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The gonads were analyzed by light microscopy. The females had ovaries in the spawning capable phase until 12h; in 16h, in a more advanced stage of spawning capable phase; and, from 20h, in the regressing phase. Males had testes in the spawning capable phase until 8h; in 12h, in a more advanced stage of spawning capable phase; and, from 16h, the return to the spawning capable phase. The morphological description was corroborated by the proportion of cell classes. Females presented variation on the gonadosomatic index, but it was not found an emptying of the gonad for neither sex. The process of inducing reproduction with water level drawdown was considered satisfactory, since both sexes presented a reduction in the number of mature gametes at the end of the sample period.
Critical Reduction in β-Cell Mass Results in Two Distinct Outcomes over Time

We have proposed that hyperglycemia-induced dedifferentiation of β-cells is a critical factor for the loss of insulin secretory function in diabetes. Here we examined the effects of the duration of hyperglycemia on gene expression in islets of partially pancreatectomized (Px) rats. Islets were isolated, and mRNA was extracted from rats 4 and 14 weeks after Px or sham Px surgery. Px rats developed different degrees of hyperglycemia; low hyperglycemia was assigned to Px rats with fed blood glucose levels less than 150 mg/dl, and high hyperglycemia was assigned above 150 mg/dl. β-Cell hypertrophy was present at both 4 and 14 weeks. At the same time points, high hyperglycemia rats showed a global alteration in gene expression with decreased mRNA for insulin, IAPP, islet-associated transcription factors (pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1, BETA2/NeuroD, Nkx6.1, and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α), β-cell metabolic enzymes (glucose transporter 2, glucokinase, mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase, and pyruvate carboxylase), and ion channels/pumps (Kir6.2, VDCCβ, and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 3). Conversely, genes normally suppressed in β-cells, such as lactate dehydrogenase-A, hexokinase I, glucose-6-phosphatase, stress genes (heme oxygenase-1, A20, and Fas), and the transcription factor c-Myc, were markedly increased. In contrast, gene expression in low hyperglycemia rats was only minimally changed at 4 weeks but significantly changed at 14 weeks, indicating that even low levels of hyperglycemia induce β-cell dedifferentiation over time. In addition, whereas 2 weeks of correction of hyperglycemia completely reverses the changes in gene expression of Px rats at 4 weeks, the changes at 14 weeks were only partially reversed, indicating that the phenotype becomes resistant to reversal in the long term. In conclusion, chronic hyperglycemia induces a progressive loss of β-cell phenotype with decreased expression of β-cell-associated genes and increased expression of normally suppressed genes, these changes being present with even minimal levels of hyperglycemia. Thus, both the severity and duration of hyperglycemia appear to contribute to the deterioration of the β-cell phenotype found in diabetes.
Onset of puberty and early-life reproduction in Angus females divergently selected for post-weaning residual feed intake

Angus cattle that had been divergently selected for Low and High post-weaning residual feed intake (RFI) were used in two projects to evaluate early-life reproductive performance and onset of puberty in females. In the first project, data on the 1999-born females (n = 64) were evaluated for weight, subcutaneous fat (P8 fat depth) and reproductive performance over two breeding cycles. These females that were the result of 1.0–2.5 (mean of 1.8) generations of selection, had mean (±s.e.) post-weaning RFI of –0.82 ± 0.19 kg/day and 0.57 ± 0.18 kg/day for the Low and High RFI selection lines, respectively. In the second project, ultrasonography was used to scan the ovaries of the 2008-born heifers (n = 121) on four occasions following weaning. In these heifers the presence of corpus luteum provided evidence of ovulation, and hence the commencement of onset of puberty. The average of the estimated breeding value (EBV) for RFI of the parents of the Low RFI and the High RFI selection line heifers were –0.72 ± 0.05 and 0.37 ± 0.03 kg/day, respectively. In the first project, no significant selection line differences were evident for weight, age at first mating, pregnancy and calving rates (percentage of females that were pregnant, or the percentage that calved out of the total number used for mating), calf birthweight and weight of calf born per female exposed to bull. Females from the Low RFI line had significantly (P < 0.05) lower P8 fat depth relative to their High RFI contemporaries at most of the measurement dates (e.g. 9.2 ± 0.5 versus 12.0 ± 0.5 mm at the start of first mating). Low RFI females also calved significantly (P < 0.05) later in the calving season than High RFI females (35.7 ± 3.0 versus 27.6 ± 2.4 days). The results indicate that there is a delayed pregnancy date during the first mating season leading to a later calving date for the Low RFI heifers. The later first calving date was then maintained at subsequent calving. The later calving, however, did not impact on pregnancy and calving rates. In the second project, it was observed that irrespective of selection line, heifers that had attained onset of puberty had significantly (P < 0.05) greater P8 fat depth than those that had not. Hence the expectation was that, relative to High RFI heifers, the Low RFI heifers with their lower P8 fat, will attain onset of puberty at a slightly older age. This expected trend was observed but the difference was not significant, and further investigations are recommended.
Compensatory growth for free? A field experiment on brown trout, Salmo trutta

38.Laboratory studies suggest that animals may be capable of compensatory growth afterperiods of food shortage. There is, however, a lack of field experiments investigating theincidence and consequences of compensatory growth in the wild, and the relevance ofcompensatory responses in natural populations has recently been questioned. Herewe addressed the hypotheses that (1) food restriction during critical growth periodscan induce compensatory growth, and (2) that compensatory growth is associatedwith delayed costs in natural populations. These hypotheses were addressed by(1) manipulating the food intake of brown trout in spring, (2) measuring growth rateresponses over the first month following release, and (3) measuring growth andmortality (i.e. recapture rate) over the subsequent fall and winter. We found that browntrout restored lost body weight and condition within a month, providing the firstexperimental demonstration of compensatory growth in the wild. However, no delayedcosts of the compensatory response could be detected within the timespan of theexperiment. We suggest that wild brown trout have an adapted ‘‘buffer capacity’’ towithstand fluctuations in food supply, allowing restoration of lost lipid reserves whenfeeding conditions improve. However, when prolonged food deprivation affectstructural components, compensation may not be possible without compromisinglong-term performance.J. I. Johnsson and T. Bohlin, Dept of Zoology, Animal Ecology, Go¨teborg Univ., Box 463,SE-405-30 Go¨teborg, Sweden (jorgen.johnsson@zool.gu.se).
The Dually Acylated NH2-terminal Domain of Gi1α Is Sufficient to Target a Green Fluorescent Protein Reporter to Caveolin-enriched Plasma Membrane Domains

Here we investigate the molecular mechanisms that govern the targeting of G-protein α subunits to the plasma membrane. For this purpose, we used Gi1α as a model dually acylated G-protein. We fused full-length Gi1α or its extreme NH2-terminal domain (residues 1–32 or 1–122) to green fluorescent protein (GFP) and analyzed the subcellular localization of these fusion proteins. We show that the first 32 amino acids of Gi1α are sufficient to target GFP to caveolin-enriched domains of the plasma membrane in vivo, as demonstrated by co-fractionation and co-immunoprecipitation with caveolin-1. Interestingly, when dual acylation of this 32-amino acid domain was blocked by specific point mutations (G2A or C3S), the resulting GFP fusion proteins were localized to the cytoplasm and excluded from caveolin-rich regions. The myristoylated but nonpalmitoylated (C3S) chimera only partially partitioned into caveolin-containing fractions. However, both nonacylated GFP fusions (G2A and C3S) no longer co-immunoprecipitated with caveolin-1. Taken together, these results indicate that lipid modification of the NH2-terminal of Gi1α is essential for targeting to its correct destination and interaction with caveolin-1. Also, a caveolin-1 mutant lacking all three palmitoylation sites (C133S, C143S, and C156S) was unable to co-immunoprecipitate these dually acylated GFP-G-protein fusions. Thus, dual acylation of the NH2-terminal domain of Gi1α and palmitoylation of caveolin-1 are both required to stabilize and perhaps regulate this reciprocal interaction at the plasma membrane in vivo. Our results provide the first demonstration of a functional role for caveolin-1 palmitoylation in its interaction with signaling molecules.
PDH-E1α Dephosphorylation and Activation in Human Skeletal Muscle During Exercise

To investigate pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)-E1α subunit phosphorylation and whether free fatty acids (FFAs) regulate PDH activity, seven subjects completed two trials: saline (control) and intralipid/heparin (intralipid). Each infusion trial consisted of a 4-h rest followed by a 3-h two-legged knee extensor exercise at moderate intensity. During the 4-h resting period, activity of PDH in the active form (PDHa) did not change in either trial, yet phosphorylation of PDH-E1α site 1 (PDH-P1) and site 2 (PDH-P2) was elevated in the intralipid compared with the control trial. PDHa activity increased during exercise similarly in the two trials. After 3 h of exercise, PDHa activity remained elevated in the intralipid trial but returned to resting levels in the control trial. Accordingly, in both trials PDH-P1 and PDH-P2 decreased during exercise, and the decrease was more marked during intralipid infusion. Phosphorylation had returned to resting levels at 3 h of exercise only in the control trial. Thus, an inverse association between PDH-E1α phosphorylation and PDHa activity exists. Short-term elevation in plasma FFA at rest increases PDH-E1α phosphorylation, but exercise overrules this effect of FFA on PDH-E1α phosphorylation leading to even greater dephosphorylation during exercise with intralipid infusion than with saline.
Sea skaters of India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, with a new species and a revised key to Indian Ocean species of Halobates and Asclepios (Hemiptera, Gerridae)

The sea skaters, genus Halobates Eschscholtz, include the only known oceanic insects, although most species of Halobates and the related genus Asclepios Distant are found in sheltered coastal waters. The present paper deals with the sea skaters of India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Halobates elephanta sp.n. , is described from Bombay, and H. galatea Herring and H. formidabilis (Distant) are redescribed and their taxonomic status clarified. Taxonomic, distributional, and biological notes are given for H. flaviventris Eschscholtz, H. sexualis Distant, H. micans Eschscholtz, H. germanus White, and Asclepios annandalei Distant and their distributions along the coasts of the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives are mapped. A revised key to Indian Ocean sea skaters is provided. Finally, we discuss the taxonomic and ecological diversity of the sea skaters of India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives in relation to present knowledge about the ecology, biology, and distribution of these marine insects.
Stable isotopes (δD) delineate the origins and migratory connectivity of harvested animals: the case of European woodpigeons

Summary 1. Quantifying connectivity between breeding, stopover, and wintering locations is critical to the management and conservation of migratory animals. Mark‐recapture approaches to establishing connectivity are limited due to marking location bias and poor recovery. Alternatively, endogenous markers like stable isotopes can augment extrinsic markers and help to overcome their limitations. 2. We used a stable hydrogen isotope ( δ D) isoscape for Europe and δ D analysis of feathers from harvested woodpigeons Columba palumbus in France, the Iberian Peninsula, and Corsica to estimate their natal origins. 3. We propagated error associated with the relationship between deuterium in feathers ( δ D f ) and mean growing-season precipitation ( δ D p ) for woodpigeons in Europe. For every δ D f value, we estimated a range of possible δ D p values and used this to map the probability of origin. 4. We estimated that ~50% of the woodpigeon harvest in France was comprised of residents or from nearby countries to the east. About 30% of the take were medium-distance migrants, and about 10% were long-distance migrants from Scandinavia, northwest Russia and the Baltic. A greater proportion of the long-distance migrants were taken in Spain. In Corsica, birds primarily originated from northern Italy to the Ukraine. 5. The proportion of northern migrants harvested decreased with latitude, suggesting a leapfrog migration pattern. Birds harvested at lower latitudes showed an inverse relationship between wing length and δ D f , which suggested that longer-distance migrants had longer wings. 6. Synthesis and applications. This is the first application of stable isotope methodology to quantify population structure and migratory connectivity for a European game species. In addition, we used statistical approaches accounting for potential geospatial assignment errors. Most of the French woodpigeons harvested are resident birds, which suggests that local management of the hunt in France may be most effective. However, southwestern France appeared to take a somewhat greater proportion of migrant woodpigeons, and thus, conservation and management of woodpigeons in France should recognize regional differences. Our approach provided a methodological template that can be applied to questions of migratory connectivity for numerous species of game and non-game migrant birds.
INTERACTION BETWEEN SESTON QUANTITY AND QUALITY AND BENTHIC SUSPENSION FEEDERS IN THE OOSTERSCHELDE, THE NETHERLANDS

Abstract The benthic suspension feeders Cerastoderma edule and Mytilus edulis form the major part of the biomass of all ecogroups in the Oosterschelde. Mean biomass on mussel culture plots in the western part was 340 g ADW/m2 and on cockle banks 63 g ADW/m2. Because of filtration a seston flux towards the bottom exists of 170–600 g suspended particulate matter/m2/day on an annual average basis. Of this biodeposited material the greater part is resuspended immediately. Because 20–25 % of the total volume is filtered per day, limitation of algal biomass is expected. Density and growth show a decrease from west to east, not fully corresponding with food quantity and quality. Some model calculations of seston depletion in relation to current speed, water depth and length of mussel and cockle banks are presented, with reference to future reduction of current velocities because of the construction of a storm-surge barrier.
Molecular diversity of symbiotic algae of the genus Symbiodinium (Zooxanthellae) in cnidarians of the Mediterranean Sea

The molecular diversity of dinoflagellate algae of the genus Symbiodinium in symbiosis with ten species of scleractinian coral, sea anemone and scyphomedusa in the Mediterreanean Sea was investigated by restriction analysis and sequencing of polymerase chain reaction-amplified fragments of SSU and LSU rRNA genes. All species bore Symbiodinium of clade A, apart from Bunodeopsis strumosa, which had clade B. The clade A sequences clustered with a previously described group, ‘temperate-A’, known only from the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of the UK and France. It is concluded that clade temperate-A is prevalent, but not universal, in the Mediterranean.
Características físicas e químicas do fruto da sapota em diferentes estádios de maturação

In the present work, the physical and chemical characteristics in three stages of maturation of sapota (Manilkara zapota L.P. Royen) fruit were studied as well as its post-harvest behavior during storage at ambient and refrigerated conditions. With the advance of maturation, the concentration of the reducing sugars increased while the total acidity and tannin contents decreased. The fruits which did not have their pedicel removed during the post-harvest presented the storage time superior when compared with the fruits having their pedicels removed. The fruits stored under refrigeration had higher weight retention as compared to the fruits stored under ambient conditions.