Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using species accumulation curves to estimate trapping effort in fauna surveys and species richness

The shape of species accumulation curves is influenced by the relative abundance and diversity of the fauna being sampled, and the order in which individuals are caught. We use resampling to show the variation in species accumulation curves caused by the order of trapping periods. Averaged species accumulation curves calculated by randomly assigning the order of trapping periods are smooth curves that are a better estimate of species richness and a more useful tool for determining the trapping effort required to adequately survey a site.We extend this concept of randomly resampling the trapping period to show that randomizing the number of individuals caught for each species over the number of collection periods (e.g. days) can provide an accurate estimate of the averaged species accumulation curve.This is particularly useful as it enables an accurate estimation of the proportion of the total number of species caught in an area during a survey from information on the number of individuals caught for each species and the number of trapping periods, and is not dependent on having knowledge of the trapping period in which each individual was caught.This calculation also enables an assessment to be made of the adequacy of fauna surveys to report a species inventory in environmental impact assessments when only a species list and relative abundance data are provided.
Chronic In Vitro Flow Promotes Ultrastructural Differentiation of Endothelial Cells

Endothelial cells in vivo are exposed to flowing blood and are therefore subject to continuous apical shear stress. This study explored the feasibility of endothelial cell culture with chronic shear stress. Bovine glomerular capillary and aortic endothelial cells were cultured under conventional conditions without flow, or in polypropylene hollow fibers perfused for 9 days with venous or arterial shear stress. Cells were then examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. For both cell types, ultrastructural differences between conventional culture and culture with chronic arterial flow were quantified morphometrically. In the hollow fibers, capillary and aortic endothelial cells formed adherent, confluent monolayers with chronic flow, but not without flow. With venous and arterial shear stress, aortic, but not glomerular capillary endothelial cells, aligned themselves in the direction of flow. In aortic endothelial cells, the density of Weibel Palade bodies was, on average, 38 fold greater wi.
Corporate volunteering in the large enterprises’ social mission – the case of a post-Soviet Russian industrial region

Abstract The paper focuses on the main features of corporate volunteering in companies from the Sverdlovsk region (Russian Federation), with a population surpassing 4.5 million inhabitants. Corporate volunteering is analyzed in the context of the trend characteristic for the post-Soviet space. The article systematizes approaches to the definition and study of this phenomenon, implemented by researchers from different countries. The main goal of the article is to identify the specific features of corporate volunteering in a large Russian region, considered typical for industrial territories in post-Soviet areas, seen through the social value that local communities attribute to corporate volunteering. The paper is based on the results of a public opinion poll and structured interviews, carried out in the Sverdlovsk region, where there is a concentration of enterprises of “hard” industries. The responses obtained in the poll were further subjected to analysis using statistical methods. The data are supplemented with information collected through the qualitative interviews. Interviewed experts are the top managers of enterprises and the deputy directors for HR, GR, or social issues. The study shows that in Russian industrial cities, where large enterprises are the main employers for most residents, many questions on the implementation of social policy fall under the responsibility of these enterprises, and not of the local government. Researchers argue that corporate volunteering is not widespread in the large Russian regions. It most often develops within the framework of event planning and environmental projects, managed by enterprises in cooperation with social and cultural institutions of local communities and not with the non-profit sector. The traditions of the organization of mass social work formed during the socialist period are still deeply rooted in enterprises, and managers rarely identify volunteering as a new managerial tool, thus being untangled from the global trend of promoting corporate volunteerism as a means of building corporate culture.
In vitro inhibitory activity of Achyranthes aspera L. seed against some test bacteria

The inhibitory activity of seed extracts of Achyranthes aspera, a widely used folk medicinal plant in Bangladesh, was examined using methanol, acetone, ethyl acetate and petroleum sprit as solvents against five test bacteria by disc diffusion method. Methanol extract was found to reveal significant inhibitory activity against the pathogenic B. subtilis, E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Only the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts were effective against all bacteria and the best activity was found against B. subtilis in terms of zone of clearance. The best minimum inhibitory concentration value was found by methanol extract against B. subtilis. The present study suggests that the methanol extract of seed of this plant could be a possible source of obtaining new and effective herbal medicines to treat infections; hence, it justified the ethnic use.
Student engagement in virtual space

In this paper, a university course (subject or unit of study) that currently enjoys positive formal student reviews is used as a case study to demonstrate how theoretical knowledge about student engagement is effectively put into practice. This investigation identifies key aspects that have contributed to the positive student feedback with particular emphasis on student engagement online, or in virtual space. The investigation involves identifying what is considered good practice with respect to student engagement and then benchmarking the case study course against this. A key contribution of this paper is the presentation of practical examples demonstrating how the current theory is effectively realised in practice. The conclusion was that the course complied with key elements of what is considered good practice and successfully engaged students. Other practitioners may use the examples in their own context to help inform the practice of engaging students when teaching in virtual space.
Differential regulation of BACE1 promoter activity by nuclear factor‐κB in neurons and glia upon exposure to β‐amyloid peptides

The brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients display cerebrovascular and parenchymal deposits of β‐amyloid (Aβ) peptides, which are derived by proteolytic processing by the β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The rat BACE1 promoter has a nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) binding site. Deletion studies with a BACE1 promoter/luciferase reporter suggest that the NF‐κB binding DNA consensus sequence plays a suppressor role, when occupied by NF‐κB, in the regulation of neuronal brain BACE1 expression. Here we characterize a signal transduction pathway that may be responsible for the increases in Aβ associated with AD. We propose that the transcription factor NF‐κB acts as a repressor in neurons but as an activator of BACE1 transcription in activated astrocytes present in the CNS under chronic stress, a feature present in the AD brain. The activated astrocytic stimulation of BACE1 may in part account for increased BACE1 transcription and subsequent processing of Aβ in a cell‐specific manner in the aged and AD brain. As measured by reporter gene promoter constructs and endogenous BACE1 protein expression, a functional NF‐κB site was stimulatory in activated astrocytes and Aβ‐exposed neuronal cells and repressive in neuronal and nonactivated astrocytic cells. Given the evidence for increased levels of activated astrocytes in the aged brain, the age‐ and AD‐associated increases in NF‐κB in brain may be significant contributors to increases in Aβ, acting as a positive feedback loop of chronic inflammation, astrocyte activation, increased p65/p50 activation of BACE1 transcription, and further inflammation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite DNA loci in sea bass, Lates calcarifer Bloch

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based isolation of microsatellite arrays (PIMA) technique was used to isolate seven polymorphic microsatellite loci in sea bass, Lates calcarifer Bloch. A total of 62 samples of wild and cultivated sea bass collected from a few populations within Peninsular Malaysia were used in the study. For seven polymorphic loci, the number of alleles ranged from four to nine and locus heterozygosities ranged from 0.710 to 1.000. The loci will be useful for studying population structure, genetic variability of wild and hatchery stocks of L. calcarifer and broodstock management purposes.
Ameliorative effects of ginger and -lipoic acid on oxidative stress and inflammation in senile female rats

Oxidative stress is recognized as an important environmental factor in aging. The reactive oxygen species and related free radicals are normally produced both intra and extracellular and air-breathing organisms cannot avoid the risk of oxidative stress. Moreover, recent studies have advanced the notion of chronic inflammation as a major risk factor underlying aging and age-related diseases. In the present study, the evaluation of the protective effects of ginger and α-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation on senile female rats is evaluated during inflammation. The results showed a significant increase in lipid peroxidation but a significant reduction in the reduced glutathione level (GSH), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and cytochrome P450 (CytoP450) in hepatic aged female rats. In addition, this study revealed a significant increase in the inflammatory mediators interlukin-1(IL-1), interlukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) as well as the activity of cyclooxygenase enzyme (COX-2). Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in serum nitric oxide (NO) in aged female rats. Ginger and ALA were effective in minimizing aged-related oxidative burden through decreasing lipid peroxidation, increasing GSH content and promoting antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, the compounds under investigation reduced the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α, in addition to inhibiting the activity of COX-2. The levels of serum NO was also increased by the treatments. Key words: Ginger-α-lipoic acid- oxidative stress- inflammatory mediators' factors- cyclooxygenase-2
Modeling containment of large wildfires using generalized linear mixed-model analysis

Billions of dollars are spent annually in the United States to contain large wildland fires, but the factors contributing to suppression success remain poorly understood. We used a regression model (generalized linear mixed-model) to model containment probability of individual fires, assuming that containment was a repeated-measures problem (fixed effect) and individual fires were random effects. Changes in daily fire size from 306 fires occurring in years 2001-2005 were processed to identify intervals of high spread from those of low spread. The model was tested against independent data from 140 fires in 2006. The analysis suggested that containment was positively related to the number of consecutive days during which the fire grew little and the number of previous intervals. Containment probability was negatively related to the length of intervals during which the fire exhibited high spread and the presence of timber fuel types, but fire size was not a significant predictor. Characterization of containment probability may be a useful component of cost-benefit analysis of large fire management and planning systems. FOR . S CI. 55(3):249-255.
The effects of interferon-γ and transforming growth factor-β on adherence and survival of group B Streptococcus type III strains in ECV304 cells

Group B streptococci (GBS) are an important cause of neonatal sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis. In some newborns, GBS sepsis may have a severe course, including septic shock with high mortality rate, whereas other newborns are colonized with GBS on their surfaces without any clinical signs of bacterial infections. Interferon (IFN)-gamma is produced in neonatal GBS sepsis, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta is also found in the uterus. The involvement of IFN-gamma and TGF-beta in the earliest phase of infection might be a determinant of susceptibility and/or progression of infection in vivo. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of IFN-gamma and TGF-beta on adherence and intracellular viability in ECV304 cells of GBS serotype III isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and vagina (strains 90356 and 80340, respectively). Interaction of GBS-ECV304 cells showed that the CSF isolate exhibited a more efficient adherence mechanism than the vagina isolate (P<0.001). Intracellular viability was observed for the CSF 90356 isolate within 2 h incubation. Results suggest the expression of additional bacterial virulence factors that favor some GBS type III strains to cause invasive disease. Detection of genotypic virulence marker (162-kb) in the CSF 90356 isolate by PFGE emphasizes the high risk of invasive infection by some GBS-III strains. Treatment of ECV304 cells with IFN-gamma and/or TGF-beta increased adherence of both GBS strains (P<0.001). Intracellular survival of the CSF 90356 isolate was observed after 24 h incubation following treatment of ECV304 cells with IFN-gamma and TGF-beta. Our data suggest that both IFN-gamma and TGF-beta may favor virulence of GBS strains. Variation of IFN-gamma and TGF-beta producing capacity of host cells of different individuals may influence development of invasive disease by GBS-III.
Detection and Identification of Two New Native Hymenopteran Parasitoids Associated with the Exotic Sirex noctilio in North America

Abstract. Rhyssa crevieri (Provancher), a primary parasitoid of Siricidae wasps, and the Holarctic poemeniine ichneumonid, Pseudorhyssa nigricornis (Ratzeburg), a cleptoparasitoid of Siricidae via its parasitoids (Ichneumonidae: Rhyssinae), were reared from two stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and red pine (P. resinosa Ait.) infested with the exotic siricid Sirex noctilio F. near Tully (Onondaga Co.), New York, in 2010. Previously, P. nigricornis has been recorded from the primary siricid parasitoids Rhyssa persuasoria (in Europe and North America) and R. howdenorum Townes and Townes and R. lineolata (Kirby) (in North America). Peak emergence of P. nigricornis occurred in early May concurrently with R. persuasoria and R. crevieri. A second peak occurred in late May, which overlapped peak emergence of R. lineolata and Megarhyssa nortoni (Cresson). Although 14 individuals of two native siricids, Sirex nigricornis F. and S. edwardsii Brullé, emerged from sampled trees, the number of S. noctilio recovered was far higher (372), suggesting cleptoparasitism of the exotic woodwasp rather than native siricids. Approximately 26% of rhyssine parasitoids in pine stands were cleptoparasitized by P. nigricornis. This study marks the first association of R. crevieri and P. nigricornis with S. noctilio in North America. A diagnosis, color images of characters, and a key are provided to aid in the identification of all parasitoids in this study.
Behavioral Responses of Anuran Larvae to Chemical Cues of Native and Introduced Predators in the Pacific Northwestern United States

Abstract We compared behavioral responses of larvae of three Pacific Northwest anurans from different hydroperiods to water borne cues of native and introduced predators. Two native anurans (Pacific Treefrog, Pseudacris regilla, and Northern Red-Legged Frog, Rana aurora aurora) and introduced Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) responded to water conditioned by native Redside Shiners (Richardsonius balteatus) by increasing refuge use. The larvae of the two native anurans differed in their response to introduced predator cues. Rana aurora aurora, which occur in temporary and permanent waters, responded to both introduced Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) and introduced Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Pseudacris regilla, which occur primarily in temporary ponds, did not respond to water borne cues from either introduced predator. The broader responses of R. a. aurora may indicate greater behavioral plasticity or more exposure to novel predators than experienced by P. regilla. Larvae of introduced R. catesbeiana responded strongly to cues from two fish native to the Pacific northwest but did not alter behavior in response to any of five potential predators with which they coexist in their native range. Fish that occur with R. catesbeiana in their native range generally find Bullfrog larvae unpalatable. This pattern suggests that Bullfrog larvae can recognize cues of novel predators that may find them palatable, which could contribute to their success as an invasive species in the region.
Herbivory and habitat association of tree seedlings in lowland evergreen rainforest on white-sand and terra-firme in the upper Rio Negro

Background: It has been proposed that the interaction between herbivory and soil nutrient availability drives habitat association of tree species in Peruvian Amazonia. Nevertheless, there is no empirical evidence that this interaction holds across other Amazonian regions. Aims: We address this knowledge gap by testing whether the interaction between herbivory and soil nutrient contributes to habitat association of tree species in white-sand and terra-firme forests in the upper Rio Negro, Brazil. Methods: We conducted a reciprocal transplanting field experiment in which we controlled for the presence of herbivores. We tested for differences in tree-seedling growth and herbivory among seven white-sand and seven terra-firme habitat-specialist species. Additionally, we assessed whether tree seedlings differed in their functional traits. Results: We found no empirical evidence that an interaction between herbivory and soil nutrients shapes habitat association in white-sand and terra-firme forests of the upper Rio Negro. Tree seedlings showed higher mortality when growing in their non-typical habitat. Growth and herbivory were similar regardless of the presence or absence of herbivore protection and type of soil. Conclusions: We suggest that the overall differences in soil nutrient status between white-sand and terra-firme forests in the upper Rio Negro are insufficient to trigger an interaction between herbivory and soil nutrient availability.
The p110δ Isoform of PI3K Differentially Regulates β1 and β2 Integrin‐Mediated Monocyte Adhesion and Spreading and Modulates Diapedesis

Objective: Leukocyte diapedesis is misregulated in inflammatory disease and depends on the binding of monocytic LFA‐1 and VLA‐4 to endothelial ICAM‐1 and VCAM‐1, respectively. The authors hypothesized that these different molecular interactions elicit specific signaling cascades within monocytes regulating specific steps in adhesion, motility, and diapedesis.
Space Use of Amazonian Poison Frogs: Testing the Reproductive Resource Defense Hypothesis

Abstract In most Anuran species, space use includes a lek mating system with defense of a calling site for only a short time period during an individual's lifespan. In contrast, territoriality over a longer time period by one or both of the sexes has been reported in all studied dendrobatid frogs. In most dendrobatid species, territories are defended for reproductive purposes, and typically, males vocalize from these territories to attract mates and repel rivals. It has been hypothesized that reproductive resources such as oviposition sites or tadpole deposition sites are defended. For reproductive resource defense to occur, reproductive units (eggs or tadpoles) must be deposited at sites where the territorial individual displays agonistic interaction with intruding individuals. Here, we challenge this assumption in a field study on the poison frog Dendrobates ventrimaculatus in French Guiana. We show that home-range size is affected by spatial distribution of bromeliads. Clutches of eggs were found to be predominantly deposited in bromeliads located inside the 50% Kernel core areas of activity within male territories, although tadpoles were deposited more frequently outside these core areas. Vocalization of males only occurred in agonistic interactions with other males or while courting a female. Our data show that (1) males of D. ventrimaculatus defend small territories containing their reproductive resources, (2) these resources are not limited in number, and (3) territories are not defended for characteristics supporting advertisement vocalization. We conclude that males defend territories to increase the success of courting a female without interruption by other males.
SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF NEW 1, 4-DIHYDROPYRIDINES AS ANTIHYPERTENSIVES AGENTS IN RATS

New analogues of nifedipine, as a known calcium channel blocker, were synthesized by replacing the orthonitrophenyl group on position 4 with 1-(4-Nitrobenzyl)-5-imidazolyl or 2methylthio-1-(4-Nitrobenzyl)-5-imidazolyl substituent. Effects of the new synthesized compounds on blood pressure were studied at 15, 30 and 60 min after administration by indirect tail-cuff method and compared with nifedipine in male rat. The results indicate that all compounds reduce mean systolic blood pressure but their effectiveness is less than nifedipine. The onset of action of compounds 6c ,6d ,6e and 6g is also slower than the parent drug.
Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP): A physiological regulator and future therapeutic target

Background: Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) belongs to the phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein (PEBP) family that is expressed in both prokaryotic and euakaryotic organisms. Objective: In this review, we discuss the role of RKIP as a modulator of signal transduction, the relationship of RKIP to other members of the PEBP family, and the role of RKIP in human health and disease. Results/conclusion: In mammals, RKIP regulates activation of MAPK, NF-κB and G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). As a modulator of key signaling pathways, RKIP affects various cellular processes including cell differentiation, the cell cycle, apoptosis and cell migration. Emerging evidence suggests that RKIP is implicated in several human diseases or disorders, among them metastatic tumorigenesis and Alzheimer's disease.
Pollinator diversity (Hymenoptera and Diptera) in semi-natural habitats in Serbia during summer

The aim of this study was to assess species diversity and population abundance of the two main orders of polli- nating insects, Hymenoptera and Diptera. The survey was conducted in 16 grassland fragments within agro-ecosystems in Vojvodina, as well as in surrounding fields with mass-flowering crops. Pollinators were identified and the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index was used to measure their diversity. Five families, 7 subfamilies, 26 genera and 63 species of insects were recorded. All four big pollinator groups investigated were recorded; hoverflies were the most abundant with 32% of the total number of individuals, followed by wild bees - 29%, honeybees - 23% and bumblebees with 16%.