Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
African Penguin tolerance to humans depends on historical exposure at colony level

Summary Sustainable ecotourism requires careful management of human impacts on wildlife. Contrasting responses to the disturbance caused by ecotourism are observed across taxa and within species, because species and populations can differ in their tolerance to humans. However, the mechanisms by which tolerance develops remain unclear. Penguin colonies are popular tourist attractions. Although ecotourism increases public awareness and generates conservation income, it can also disturb penguins, raising concerns for threatened species such as the African Penguin Spheniscus demersus, whose populations are in rapid decline. We compared the tolerance of African Penguins to human disturbance across four colonies with contrasting histories of human exposure. Human approaches invoked the least response at colonies where human exposure was highest, suggesting increased human tolerance with increased exposure. The response to humans close to the nest also decreased more rapidly in highly exposed individuals within colonies. These results were consistent independent of breeding stage, and were repeated among colonies. Because the impacts of human disturbance, including temporary nest desertion, were greatest at the colony with least human exposure, human disturbance of breeding African Penguins potentially may be mitigated through increased levels of tolerance to humans, or displacement of shyer individuals, although this could not be assessed in the present study. However, human exposure could significantly increase stress, impair reproduction and even reduce genetic diversity. Consequently, ecotourism must be managed carefully to minimize population level impacts, potentially by facilitating habituation in populations subject to non-threatening human disturbance, and maintaining some areas free of disturbance to allow shy individuals to breed.
Climate change and amphibian declines

[Extract] Evidence that climate change is currently affecting life on earth has become overwhelming in the last few years. Although some continue to question the link between global warming and human activity, the rate of current trends in temperature shifts is vastly different from past global climate change events. For example, in lower elevation cloud forests in the Andes, the warming trend experienced from the 1970s to the present is 18 times faster than at the end of the last ice age (Bush et al. 2004). Species of plants and animals in many different taxonomic groups and regions of the world are already responding to warming, by shifting their ranges uphill or towards the poles and tracking cooler environments (Walther et al. 2002). The timing of seasonal cycles, such as flowering in plants and migration in birds, has also been shifting with the changing climate (Root et al. 2003). Spawning dates and breeding migrations in a number of amphibian species have already become significantly earlier (Root et al. 2003). Although these changes might appear trivial, they do alter the composition and dynamics of communities, with complex and unpredictable outcomes. For example, in Britain, newts are now arriving much earlier at breeding ponds, allowing their predatory larvae to be much larger by the time frogs arrive. This may be detrimental for frog species that now deposit their eggs and tadpoles into pools full of hungry newt larvae (Beebee 1995). Along with changes in species’ ranges and phenology, current models predict a great loss of species in the future due to a warmer and more extreme climate (Thomas et al. 2004). In fact, climate change may already be causing extinctions.
Conformational change and aggregation of κ‐carrageenan studied by flow field‐flow fractionation and multiangle light scattering

The relatively novel combination of flow field-flow fractionation (FFF) and multiangle light scattering (MALS) was employed to study a nondegraded κ-carrageenan in different 0.1M salt solutions. The applicability of the technique was tested, and the effects of salt type and salt composition on the molar mass and radius of gyration were studied. A conformational ordering was induced at room temperature by switching the solvent from 0.1M NaCl (coil form) to 0.1M NaI (helix form). An approximate doubling of the average molar mass and an increase in radius of gyration was then observed, in agreement with results obtained previously using size exclusion chromatography–MALS. This increase in size was attributed to conformational ordering and to the formation of double helices. Severe aggregation was observed above 40% CsI in the 0.1M mixed salt solution of CsI and NaI. This was ascribed to the association of helices into large aggregates. For these large associates, having molar masses of several millions, a reversal of the elution order in flow FFF was detected. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 45: 85–96 1998
IMMUNOELECTRON MICROSCOPIC LOCALIZATION OF ALANINE GLYOXYLATE AMINOTRANSFERASE IN NORMAL HUMAN-LIVER AND TYPE-1 HYPEROXALURIC LIVER

Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH 1 ) is an autosomal recessive inborn error of glyoxylate metabolism caused by a deficiency of the hepatic peroxisomal enzyme alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase (ACT; EC 2.6.1.44) (Danpure & Jennings, 1986). Only a minority of these ACT-deficient patients (three ou t of 12) possess detectable amounts of immunoreactive AGT protein ( C R M + ) (Wise et al., 1987). The aim of the present study is to use immunocytochemical methods to investigate the intracellular distribution of AGT protein in normal human liver and in the livers of PHI patients (both CRM + and CRM ). Fresh liver biopsies, from three controls, a PHI heterozygote and four PH 1 homozygotes, were fixed in 1% or 3"/0 glutaraldehyde and embedded in Lowicryl K4M (Carlemalm ct ul., 1982) for post-embedding immunocytochemistry with the protein A-gold technique (Roth, 1982). Anti-human ACT antiserum was raised in rabbits as described previously (Wise et al. 1987). The immunogenicity of the AGT protein was unaffected by glutaraldehyde fixation as judged by dotblotting (Moeremans el ul., 1984). In all the CRM + liver samples (i.e. normals, heterozygote and CRM + homozygote), the immunoreactive AGT protein was entirely confined to the peroxisomes (Fig. 1). Liver from CRM patients showed no labelling of the peroxisomes, any other organelles or cytosol. Subcellular fractionation of human liver homogenates has demonstrated the peroxisomal localization of ACT enzyme activity (Noguchi & Takada, 1979) and immunoreactive ACT protein (Wise et al., 1987). In the PH 1 heterozygote, who possessed approximately 50% ACT enzyme activity (C. J. Danpure & P. R. Jennings, unpublished work), the density of labelling for immunoreactive ACT protein was similarly reduced compared with the
Methionine sulfoximine has no major effect on gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration in the rat brain

In previous investigations, we have shown that the convulsant methionine sulfoximine selectively diminished the concentrations of certain catecholamines and indoleamines and increased the concentration of acetylcholine in the rat encephalon. These changes were not related to the convulsion genesis. In order to look for another neurotransmitter system which could be involved in epileptogenesis induced by methionine sulfoximine, the effects of this drug on the GABA level were studied in the present work. The GABA concentration was measured using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. When methionine sulfoximine (100 mg/kg body weight) was intraperitoneally injected to rats. GABA concentration did not significantly change during the convulsive period. neither during the preconvulsive nor the postconvulsive periods except in the hippocampus where a decrease was recorded during the convulsive period. Examination of the periconvulsive period did not reveal any important transient changes in GABA concentration. When the convulsant doses were increased to 150 mg/kg and to 200 mg/kg, the results were almost the same as the preceding results. Throughout the experiments, the values recorded in treated animals were slightly smaller than those recorded in saline controls but, the differences were not significant at the conventional Student's t test level (p<1.05), except in the hippocampus. The administration of 80 mg/kg induced convulsions in many animals, but the GABA concentration did not change in any region. These results show that, irrespective of the brain area and of the dose used, methionine sulfoximine does not induce important changements in GABA concentration.
Ecological homogenisation in North American urban yards: vegetation diversity, composition, and structure

Urban ecosystems are widely hypothesised to be more ecologically homogeneous than natural ecosystems. We argue that urban plant communities assemble from a complex mix of horticultural and regional species pools and thus evaluate the homogenisation hypothesis by comparing cultivated and spontaneously occurring urban vegetation to natural area vegetation across seven major US cities. Urban yards were homogenised across cities in terms of their diversity, composition, and structure. First, cultivated and spontaneous yard flora had higher numbers of species than did natural areas but similar phylogenetic diversity, indicating that yard species were drawn from a relatively small number of lineages. Second, yards were compositionally more similar across regions than were natural areas. Finally, vegetation structure, specifically cultivated tree density, was less variable in yards than natural areas across cities. Biodiversity homogenisation likely reflects similar horticultural source pools, homeowner preferences, management practices, and environmental filters across US cities.
Interaction of Tetraaza[14]annulenes with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: A DFT Study

As predicted at the B3LYP/LANL2MB level of theory, the adsorption of tetraaza[14]annulene ligands (simple analogues of porphyrins and phthalocyanines) on single-walled carbon nanotubes is insignificantly influenced by the presence of aliphatic (methyl) or/and aromatic (benzo) substituents on the macrocyclic molecules. On the contrary, the adsorption dramatically increases in the case of metal (cobalt) complexes, resulting in substantial changes in their geometry and electronic structure. An increase in negative electrostatic potential at the exposed macrocycle side was found for the Co(II) complexes. It might give rise to an enhanced reactivity toward electrophilic agents, which, along with the strong adsorption predicted, is an encouraging prerequisite for the preparation of new hybrid carbon-nanotube-based catalysts.
Beauveria bassiana affects immature stage development of Prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera: bostrichidae) in stored maize

ABSTRACT Recent research in Ghana has demonstrated the effectiveness of an isolate of B. bassiana, sensu lato (IMI 389521) from the U.K. against the larger grain borer Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), a major pest of stored maize. To determine whether this isolate is effective on immature stages of P. truncatus, a laboratory study of the response of immature stages (egg, larvae and pupae) of P. truncatus in maize grains to two concentrations (1 × 109 and 3.16 × 109 cfu/kg maize) of B. bassiana, IMI 389521 formulated with Entostat™ and kaolinite was undertaken. Adult emergence, per cent survival of adults that emerged and the number of larvae in each immature stage were assessed after 45 days. Apart from the egg experiment, higher numbers of adults emerged in grains containing larvae and pupae treated with B. bassiana product compared to the untreated maize control. This notwithstanding, survival of emerged adults of P. truncatus was greatly reduced in B. bassiana treatments (<10%) compared with 75–95% in the controls. Surface treatment with B. bassiana on pre-infested maize showed a significant effect on the developmental biology of P. truncatus in Ghana.
Differential bioaccumulation of Mg, Pb, Cr, and Zn in some Rabi crops and element bioaccumulation, metabolite concentration in component parts of Cicer arietinum var. C-235 under irrigational impact of rubber factory effluent

Rubber factory effluent exhibited high magnitude of pollution. pH (4.2-9.4) showed fluctuation. Other parameters (mg/litre), viz., D.O. (1.7-5.6), B.O. D. (31.34-1291.67), C.O. D. (61.0-1610.50), Chloride (295-6060), Free CO 2 (70-250), Oil and Grease (17.0-67.6) violated tolerance limits. Brownish-black colour, foul odour and poor transparency (2-3.5 cm) indicated poor water quality. T.S. S. , T.D. S. and heavy metals like Cr, Pb, Zn, Fe and minerals like Na, K, Ca, Mg, SO 4 PO 4 and Total Nitrogen indicated organic and inorganic load. Different cultivars of five Rabi crops, viz., Triticum aestivum var. RR-21 and UP-262, Cicer arietinum var. PG-114 and C-235, Pisum sativum var. Auricle and P-5, Brassica campestris var. Varuna and T-59, Hordeum vulgare var. Jyoti and BG-39 were selected for study. Concentration of Mg decreased in the straw and dried hay of all the cultivars irrigated with effluent mixed water. Bioaccumulation of Heavy metals, viz., Pb, Cr, and Zn has been found to differ in different cultivars. Percentage of Ca, K, PO 4 and Total Nitrogen, Crude Protein and Ether Extract was significantly lower in the seeds of effluent treated cultivar (C-235) of Cicer arietinum. On the contrary. concentration of Na, Fe, SO 4 , Total carbohydrates, Total Ash and Chloride increased singificantly.
`Salinas 88' Lettuce

HORTSCIENCE, VOL. 26(4), APRIL 1991 The crisphead lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivar Salinas was released in 1975 and has become the most widely grown lettuce cultivar in the world (Ryder, 1979). A cultivar that has achieved this level of dominance is best improved by backcrossing, to enhance an already stable and valuable genotype by adding favorable alleles for disease resistance and other useful traits. One of the necessary improvements for ‘Salinas’ was the addition of resistance to lettuce mosaic virus (LMV). ‘Salinas 88’ is the product of such improvement and is the first in an anticipated series of cultivars incorporating several genes for disease and insect resistance.
Nanofiber Mats from DNA, SWNTs, and Poly(ethylene oxide) and Their Application in Glucose Biosensors

Ultrafine fibers with diameters ranging from 50 to 300 nm were prepared from DNA/single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)/ poly(ethylene oxide) blended dispersion. Well-defined electrospun fibers were obtained by good control of key dispersion properties related to electrospinning, such as ionic conductivity, surface tension, and viscosity. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of SWNT in the resulting fibers, indicating good interaction between DNA and SWNT. The resulting fibers also exhibited electroactive behavior and could be used as an immobilization matrix for a glucose oxidase enzyme biosensor. The sensor response was linear up to 20 mM glucose with a sensitivity of 2.4 mA cm -2 M -1 .
Alterations in Chlorophyll a Fluorescence and Pigments Concentration in the Leaves of Cauliflower and Broccoli Transplants Subjected to Chilling

Chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters and photosynthetic pigments content in leaves of broccoli ( Brassica oleracea L. var. italica ) cv. ‘Monaco’ F 1 and cauliflower ( Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis ) cv. ‘Bruce’ F 1 transplants were analyzed to investigate the effects of chilling temperatures (6 and 10 °C) and the exposure length (1 or 2 weeks) on the photosynthetic apparatus condition in 3-year experiment. Data were compared to control plants exposed to 14 °C for 1 and 2 weeks. The lowest values of maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (F v/F m) and the performance index (PI) were observed in cauliflower chilled at 6 °C for 2 weeks. This was not accompanied by any substantial reduction in chlorophylls concentration, however, significant correlations between F v/F m or PI and chlorophylls content in cauliflower leaves were found. There was no negative effects of chilling on photosynthetic activity and chlorophyll content in broccoli leaves, the amount of carotenoids significantly increased in the broccoli chilled for 2 weeks in 6 °C. The chlorophyll a fluorescence indices and accelerated carotenoids synthesis showed that broccoli had less vulnerable photosynthetic apparatus to stress-induced temperatures and more efficient protection mechanisms in comparison to cauliflower transplants.
Fate of mouse carcasses in a Northern Woodland

1. Small, vertebrate carrion is a significant input into terrestrial ecosystems. The relative importance of different recyclers of carrion is poorly understood because of seasonal and habitat variation and methodological differences among studies. Many studies, in particular, do not account adequately for the activity of burying beetles (Nicrophorus spp.).
The pattern of growth hormone delivery to peripheral tissues determines insulin-like growth factor-1 and lipolytic responses in obese subjects.

CONTEXT It is unclear whether the pattern of GH delivery to peripheral tissues has important effects. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to compare the effects of pulsatile vs. continuous administration of GH upon metabolic and IGF-I parameters in obese subjects. SETTING The study was conducted at the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Michigan Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS Four men and five women with abdominal obesity (body mass index, 33 +/- 3 kg/m(2); body fat, 40 +/- 3%) participated in the study. INTERVENTION GH (0.5 mg/m(2) . d) was given iv for 3 d as: 1) continuous infusion (C); and 2) pulsatile boluses (P) (15% of the dose at 0700, 1300, and 1800 h and 55% at 2400 h). These trials were preceded by a basal period (B) when subjects received normal saline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Rate of lipolysis and hepatic glucose production were evaluated using stable isotope tracer techniques. The composite index of insulin sensitivity (Matsuda index) was assessed using oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS The increase in plasma IGF-I concentrations was greater (P < 0.05) with continuous GH infusion (211 +/- 31, 423 +/- 38, and 309 +/- 34 microg/liter for B, C, and P, respectively). Muscle IGF-I mRNA was significantly increased (P < 0.05) only after the continuous GH infusion (1.2 +/- 0.4, 4.4 +/- 1.3, and 2.3 +/- 0.6 arbitrary units, for B, C, and P, respectively). Only pulsatile GH augmented the rate of lipolysis (4.1 +/- 0.3, 4.8 +/- 0.7, and 7.1 +/- 1.1 mumol/kg . min for B, C, and P, respectively). GH had no effect on hepatic glucose production, but both modes of GH administration were equally effective in impairing insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that, in obese subjects, discrete components of GH secretory pattern may differentially affect IGF-I generation and lipolytic responses.
SULFATO DE ADENINA NA MULTIPLICAÇÃO IN VITRO DE MAMOEIRO 'TAINUNG 01' ADENINE SULFATE ON IN VITRO MULTIPLICATION OF PAPAYA TREE 'TAINUNG 01'

Originated papaya trees of seeds coming of open pollination they result in a genotypes mixture with considerable variation in susceptibility to diseases and in quality and income of fruits. The tissue culture appears as a viable technology for the production of seedlings with desirable agronomic characteristics. The objective of this work was it of evaluating the multiplication in papaya tree vitro ‘Tainung 01’ in different levels of adenine sulfate (0; 30; 60; 90 and 120 mg L -1 ), in modified MS multiplication medium, associate to the retreat or not of the leaves of sprouts formed in establishment medium. Nodal segments of lateral buds of juvenile plants of papaya tree were used ‘Tainung 01’ with 14 weeks of age. At the end of the fourth subculture, they were evaluated the fresh matter of the aerial part, the number of capable sprouts (> 5 mm) and no capable (< 5 mm) to the rooting, as well as the visual aspect of the tufts of sprouts. The presence of the leaves, independently of the levels of adenine sulfate, it propitiated a larger weight of the fresh matter of the aerial part and a larger number of capable sprouts to the rooting. The use of 30 mg L -1 of adenine sulfate in the middle of multiplication provided larger weights of the fresh matter and high number of sprouts, ally to a good visual aspect of the aerial part, with formation of prolonged sprouts and long petiole, presenting an appropriate pattern for the in vitro rooting of papaya tree ‘Tainung
Candidemia Among Chronic HCV Patients in Intensive Care Unit : Risk Factors and Antifungal Susceptibility Testing

Candida is one of the common causes of blood stream infection (BSI) especially in intensive care unit (ICU) and associated with high mortality rates. Due to low immunity, the patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) are prone to Candida infection. This study presents data on species distribution, clinical risk factors and antifungal susceptibility profiles of candidemia obtained from chronic HCV patients in hepatic ICU in specialized medical hospital of Mansoura University. All the bloodstream isolates were isolated by manual lysis centrifugation method and identified to species level by CHROMagar Candida and API 20C AUX. Also, multiplex PCR was done to detect candida spp. in blood samples. Antifungal susceptibility was done by M 27A2 (broth microdilution) and M 44 (disk diffusion) methods of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) to fluconazole, voriconazole and amphotricin B. From 342 patients, 33 candida isolates were recovered by manual lysis centrifugation method, and 26 were detected by PCR. Candida albicans (C. albicans) was the predominant species (13/33), followed by Candida parapsilosis (C. parapsilosis) (6/33). Resistance to fluconazole was observed in 15.38% (2/13) of C. albicans isolates, 50% (2/4) Candida glabrata (C. glabrata) isolates, and 100% (4/4) C. krusei isolates. Resistance to voriconazole and AMB were observed in 5 isolates (15.2%) and in 4 (12.1%) isolates, respectively. Neutropenia carries the highest risk factor with candidemia (Odds ratio 14.08 with confidence intervals 95% 6.05-32.8). So, C. albicans is the most common cause of Candidemia among chronic HCV patients in ICU, followed by C. parapsilosis, and the rates of resistance to azoles antifungal and AMB are still low.
TAFII250: a transcription toolbox

Activation of RNA-polymerase-II-dependent transcription involves conversion of signals provided by gene-specific activator proteins into the synthesis of messenger RNA. This conversion requires dynamic structural changes in chromatin and assembly of general transcription factors (GTFs) and RNA polymerase II at core promoter sequence elements surrounding the transcription start site of genes. One hallmark of transcriptional activation is the interaction of DNA-bound activators with coactivators such as the TATA-box binding protein (TBP)-associated factors (TAF(II)s) within the GTF TFIID. TAF(II)250 possesses a variety of activities that are likely to contribute to the initial steps of RNA polymerase II transcription. TAF(II)250 is a scaffold for assembly of other TAF(II)s and TBP into TFIID, TAF(II)250 binds activators to recruit TFIID to particular promoters, TAF(II)250 regulates binding of TBP to DNA, TAF(II)250 binds core promoter initiator elements, TAF(II)250 binds acetylated lysine residues in core histones, and TAF(II)250 possesses protein kinase, ubiquitin-activating/conjugating and acetylase activities that modify histones and GTFs. We speculate that these activities achieve two goals--(1) they aid in positioning and stabilizing TFIID at particular promoters, and (2) they alter chromatin structure at the promoter to allow assembly of GTFs--and we propose a model for how TAF(II)250 converts activation signals into active transcription.