Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying the wall-degrading enzymes responsible for microspore release from the pollen tetrad

Dissolution of the pollen tetrad walls after meiosis, and subsequent release of the haploid microspores, is essential for pollen development in many species, including Arabidopsis thaliana. The thick wall of the tetrad consists of callose (β-1,3-glucan), with a primary cell wall of cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin surrounding the whole structure. Despite the importance of microspore release, not all the wall-degrading enzymes involved have been identified in A. thaliana. 18 endo-β-1,3-glucanase genes were identified in A. thaliana that are expressed in buds at microspore release. Single and multiple-gene T-DNA insertion lines showed no detectable phenotype, indicating possible gene redundancy. GFP-tagging of the two most specifically expressed genes (AtA6 and AtA6F) showed AtA6 is present in the locule at microspore release, but AtA6F is not. Early ectopic expression of AtA6 and AtA6F showed they have enzymatic activity, but may not be able to directly target the callose wall of the tetrad. Although endo-β-1,3-glucanases are likely to be most important for callose degradation, there are exo-β-1,3-glucanase encoding genes expressed at microspore release. Two GH3 exo-β-1,3-glucosidases are highly expressed at microspore release and so may play a role in tetrad dissolution. However, the GH5-14 exo-β-1,3-glucosidases found in most plant species are absent from A. thaliana and all other sequenced members of the Brassicales. Three genes (named the ‘QUARTET’ genes) are important for degradation of the pectin component of the outer wall. Here, analysis of double and triple quartet T-DNA insertion lines indicated redundancy between the QRT genes. Degradation of only the pectin component of the wall may be sufficient for microspore release, however, six endo-β-1,4-glucanase genes are expressed in the anther at microspore release, and may target cellulose or hemicellulose in the tetrad cell wall. T-DNA insertion line analysis showed no phenotypic differences compared to wild-type, indicating that these endo- β-1,4-glucanases may not play a major role in microspore release.
Digestive enzyme activities of Angelwing clam ( Pholas orientalis ) exhibit semi-diurnal patterns

The study aimed to document the pattern of changes in the digestive enzyme activities of carbohydreases such as α-amylase, CM-cellulase, agarase, laminarinase and in protease. Results showed that the digestive enzyme activities extracted from the crystalline style of Pholas orientalis exhibited a semi-diurnal pattern. In a 24-h period, two peaks of digestive activities were generally observed, one at daylight and another at nighttime. Amylase, CM-cellulase, agarase and protease activities showed two peaks at 0800 and 2000 h while laminarinase activity showed peaks at 0800 and 2400 h. This pattern of enzyme activities might be related to their feeding rhythmicity and influenced by tide. It could also suggest that the Angelwing clam probably fed in a semi-diurnal pattern.
SURVEY AND SUMMARY Homologous recombination and its regulation

Homologous recombination (HR) is critical both for repairing DNA lesions in mitosis and for chromosomal pairing and exchange during meiosis. However, some forms of HR can also lead to undesirable DNA rearrangements. Multiple regulatory mechanisms have evolved to ensure that HR takes place at the right time, place and manner. Several of these impinge on the control of Rad51 nucleofilaments that play a central role in HR. Some factors promote the formation of these structures while others lead to their disassembly or the use of alternative repair pathways. In this article, we review these mechanisms in both mitotic and meiotic environments and in different eukaryotic taxa, with an emphasis on yeast and mammal systems. Since mutations in several proteins that regulate Rad51 nucleofilaments are associated with cancer and cancer-prone syndromes, we discuss how understanding their functions can lead to the development of better tools for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Reproductive effort and breeding success in relation to age by the Rook Corvus frugilegus

According to Williams' (1966) hypothesis, young Rooks should expend less energy in reproduction, per offspring produced, than old Rooks. As a test of this hypothesis we investigated the time budgets of both males and females, of breeding pairs and the share of the female in feeding the nestlings. Finally, we recorded any observed differences in the breeding ecology of old and young Rooks. The results differed from the above mentioned theory. The parental effort of young birds is greater than that of older birds. During the incubation period, the young males fed their mates more frequently, and were absent from the nest for longer periods, than the older males. However, we were unable to detect any differences in the breeding behaviour of old and young females, although those females mated to young males begged for food more frequently than did the females mated to old males. The young females also laid smaller clutches than the older females and were less successful in hatching out their eggs. Similarly, the young males were less successful in rearing the nestlings than were the old males.
Anti-staphylococcal activity of a pan-tropical aggressive and obnoxious weed Parthenium histerophorus : An in vitro study

Staphylococci, especially Staphylococcus aureus, are among the most common causes of nosocomial as well as community-acquired infections. S. aureus, a common coloniser of human skin and mucosa, can cause diseases such as skin and wound infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and bacteraemia (blood stream infection). It can also cause food poisoning. Most strains of this bacterium are sensitive to many antibiotics, but some S. aureus bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic methicillin. The present study was aimed at investigating the anti-staphylococcal (antimicrobial) activity of a pantropical weed, Parthenium histerophorus. Plant parts were extracted in various organic solvents. The extracts were tested against the clinical isolate of a gram positive bacterium. S. aureus, known for causing nosocomical infections. Benzene and ethyl acetate fractions of leaves and roots exhibited good activity with ZOI ranging from 23 to 34mm at an extract concentration of 200 mg/ml. The Petroleum ether fraction of leaves was very active even at a lower concentration of the extract (100 mg/ml). Low to moderate activity was observed in floral extracts. Moreover, the antibacterial substance within this plant seemed to be most prominent in the leaves/roots and least in the flowers The anti-staphylococcal activity of the extracts was found comparable to the activity of many standard test antibiotics.
Assessing ecosystem services in Neotropical dry forests: a systematic review

SUMMARY There is an increasing consensus on the importance of understanding ecosystem service (ES) provision in order to facilitate decision making and the sustainable management of Neotropical dry forests (NTDFs), yet research on the ESs provided by NTDFs is limited. We identified the main existing gaps and trends in the quantification of provisioning, regulating and supporting ESs in NTDFs. Systematic web-based searches showed that research has been increasing in recent decades in NTDFs, supporting greater ES knowledge and assessment. Carbon storage and biodiversity are the main subjects under study, while ESs relating to water and soil lack investigation. The most common approaches for assessing ES were fauna and plant inventories, carbon dynamics and ecological processes.
Mortality, Dispersal, and Habitat Use of Stocked Juvenile Muskellunge in Two Western North Carolina Rivers

AbstractThe Muskellunge Esox masquinongy is a highly sought-after sport fish that is native to the Tennessee River drainage of western North Carolina. After the extirpation of Muskellunge from North Carolina in the 1950s, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission began a stocking program to re-establish the species and produce viable Muskellunge fisheries in North Carolina. Although stocking efforts have created a Muskellunge fishery in, for example, the French Broad River (where the species was native), there is little evidence of success in North Carolina sections of the New River (where the species was not native). Possible mechanisms inhibiting stocking success are unclear because there is relatively little information available on the juvenile life stage of the Muskellunge, especially in the southern portion of its distribution. We addressed the perceived differences in recruitment between the two fisheries by using telemetry to investigate dispersal, mortality, and habitat use by stocked juve.
Influence of Adjuvants on the Antagonism of Graminicides by Broadleaf Herbicides

Field experiments evaluated barnyardgrass, broadleaf signalgrass, and rhizomatous johnsongrass control with sethoxydim, clethodim, fluazifop-P, quizalofop-P, and fenoxaprop applied alone and with bentazon or chlorimuron when crop oil concentrate or BCH 815 was used. Bentazon strongly antagonized sethoxydim and clethodim. BCH 815 partially reduced the antagonism with sethoxydim and clethodim compared with crop oil concentrate. Chlorimuron was most antagonistic towards fluazifop-P, fenoxaprop, and quizalofop-P, and BCH 815 did not reduce antagonism. Additional experiments evaluated Italian ryegrass control with diclofop applied alone and with bromoxynil, metribuzin, 2,4-D amine, or tribenuron plus thifensulfuron with these adjuvants. The amine formulation of 2,4-D and tribenuron plus thifensulfuron reduced Italian ryegrass control with diclofop, irrespective of the adjuvant.
Techniques and applications of three‐dimensional electron microscopy in entomological research

Structural studies using two‐dimensional (2D) images show limitations in understanding the structure and functions of cellular organelle and protein. To overcome the difficulty, over the last few years 3D reconstruction techniques using electron microscopy have been developed at extremely high speed. In this paper, currently available 3D reconstruction techniques of electron microscopy (such as electron tomography, serial section analysis and single particle analysis) are introduced using our data as examples of the application. The 3D structure of mitochondria with the defect of mitochondrial protein in round worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, through electron tomography, the cell–cell interaction in lamina of Drosophila melanogaster by serial‐section using ultramicrotome and high‐voltage electron microscopy and a thin filament related to muscle contraction in Drosophila melanogaster were used for examples of the application. These results through 3D reconstruction reveal the structural changes in a cellular organelle and protein that had not been shown by 2D structure.
Tools for support of ecological research on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

The diverse, beneficial impacts that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have on plants and soils in terms of plant nutrient uptake, soil stabilization, and protection of plants roots against soilborne pathogens make these organisms important components of natural and intensively managed landscapes. Their obligate biotrophism limits their propagation in pure culture but has been a stimulus for development of a series of new molecular tools useful for identification, localization (in roots or in soil), and quantification of AM fungal activity in situ. This paper presents a review of the tools available to examine the fungal side of the symbiosis and suggests aspects of future development needed to bring the full benefit of these tools to bear on the task of evaluating the impact of AM fungal diversity at broad scale ecological levels.
Salinity effects on hydraulic conductance, lignin content and peroxidase activity in tomato roots

The effects of salinity on the hydraulic conductance of tomato roots, content of lignin-like polymers and peroxidase activity were studied. Seedlings of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv. Pera were grown hydroponically and salt treatments (100 mM NaCl) were given for 10 days, 1 day or 40 min. Hydraulic conductance was measured by pressurization. The activity of syringaldazine oxidase, a peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) associated with lignification, was visualized in tissue prints of main roots and its specific activity was measured in root extracts. In tissue prints, syringaldazine oxidase activity was detected both in the xylem as well as in the subepidermal layers, which are presumably suberized, suggesting that the enzyme may also participate in the synthesis of suberins. Long- and short-term salinity treatments significantly decreased root hydraulic conductance (P<0.01). However, the content of lignin-like polymers and the activity of syringaldazine oxidase were similar in roots of control and salinized plants. The effects of salinity on root hydraulic conductance may be mediated by effects on symplasmic rather than apoplastic structures. Only a partial reversal of the salinity-associated decrease in pressure-induced flux was obtained with b-mercaptoethanol in short-term treatments.
Structure-based drug discovery of Asu-ACR-16 agonists and allosteric modulators

Ascariasis is a neglected tropical disease that is caused by the nematode parasite Ascaris. Ascaris infections have high morbidity, cause debilitating conditions and affect at least one-quarter of world’s population. With no effective vaccine available, the prophylaxis and treatment of ascariasis rely on a limited supply of anthelmintic drugs. The massive use of anthelmintics led to the selection of resistant parasites, which has incurred anthelmintic resistance in many parasite species. It is therefore important to identify new lead compounds for anthelmintic drugs or to enhance the potency of existing anthelmintics. To address this issue, I chose a recently characterized ligand-gated ion channel, ACR-16 on Ascaris suum, as my drug target and attempted to discover new therapeutic compounds targeting at AsuACR-16 receptor. I used two approaches of structure-based drug discovery that are arranged into individual chapters in my thesis. In Chapter 2, the receptor-based drug design was applied to perform virtual screening of a library of ligands into the potential binding sites of receptor structure. The hit candidates were then pharmacologically characterized on Asu-ACR-16 expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes using two-electrode voltage clamp. In Chapter 3, the ligand-based drug design was applied to optimize the structure of nicotine, a known nAChR agonist, to identify more potent and efficacious Asu-ACR-16 agonists. In conclusion, we reported four novel allosteric modulators from virtual screening and several (S)anabasine derivatives as highly potent Asu-ACR-16 agonists.
Effects of temperature and availability of insect prey on bat emergence from hibernation in spring

Bats at northern latitudes may hibernate for up to 8 months during winter and must subsist on stored fat over this period. Environmental influences on bat emergence from hibernation are not well understood, and the degree to which bat emergence coincides with availability of their insect prey is not known. We used electronic detectors to monitor bat activity from 2001 to 2013 at a major hibernaculum, used primarily by Myotis lucifugus, in Wisconsin. We estimated dates of entry into hibernation in fall and recorded bat activity as bats emerged in spring over this 13-year period. Temperatures outside and inside the mine and airflow at the mine entrance were measured. Night-flying insects were monitored during spring from 2008 to 2013. Bat activity in spring was most strongly associated with warmer temperatures outside of the mine and was also correlated with airflow in the mine entrance. Changes in airflow were driven by temperature differentials between the mine and outside, and could serve as a signal for outside temperatures to bats inside of the mine. Insect abundance was also positively correlated with warmer outside temperatures. However, bat activity peaked before insects started to become abundant. Over the 13 years of the study, the date at which 5% of bat activity for the season was reached ranged from 10 April to 20 April, and for 50% of bat activity for the season the range was from 28 April to 4 May. The date of 5% bat activity for the season was not correlated with the date of entry into hibernation the previous fall, mean winter temperatures inside or outside of the mine, or the degree days (base 0°C) inside or outside of the mine. Our study was conducted before white-nose syndrome was documented in Wisconsin, thus our study documents hibernation behavior of healthy bats.
Establishment of a Fusarium graminearum Infection Model in Arabidopsis thaliana Leaves and Floral Tissues

[Abstract] Fusarium graminearum (Fg) is the causal agent of Fusarium head blight disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum), oats (Avena sativa) and barley (Hordeum vulgare), which targets the floral tissues and thereby adversely impacts grain yield and quality. Mycotoxins produced by F. graminearum further limit the consumability of infected grain. In the laboratory, F. graminearum also has the ability to colonize both leaves and inflorescence tissues of Arabidopsis thaliana. The interaction between A. thaliana and F. graminearum makes available a large array of genetic and molecular tools to study the interaction between plants and F. graminearum to elucidate plant genes and pathways that contribute to resistance, as well as study how the fungus targets plant genes and mechanisms to promote disease. The methods described below allow for efficient infection of Arabidopsis leaves and inflorescence, and evaluation of disease progress and fungal growth. Disease spread in Arabidopsis can be readily monitored by the visual observations of chlorosis of leaf tissue and disease phenotype of inflorescence tissue including fungal mass on surface of the inflorescence tissue. Fungal growth can be further monitored by measuring the relative amount of Fg DNA in the host tissue by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).
A Survey on Large-Scale Image Search Techniques

- Rapid growth of technologies and memory storage techniques have resulted in the enormous growth of digital images. Searching an image from large database using text results in inefficient search. This leads to the emergence of Reverse image search technique. This technique is used to search images by using a query image. This paper provides the survey of various techniques used for the efficient search of similar images from a large database using a query image. This survey also provides memory size required and accuracy in searching images for various techniques.
QoS controlled capacity offload optimization in heterogeneous networks

An efficient resource allocation mechanism in the physical layer of wireless networks ensures that resources such as bandwidth and power are used with high efficiency in spite of low delay and high edge user data rate. Microcells in the network are typically set with bias settings to artificially increase the Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise Ratio, thus encouraging users to offload to the microcell. However, the artificial bias settings are tedious and often suboptimal. This work presents a low complexity algorithm for maximization of network capacity with load balancing in a heterogeneous network without the need for bias setting. The small cells were deployed in a grid topology at a selected distance from macrocell to enhance network capacity through coverage overlap. User association and minimum user throughput were incorporated as constraints to enable closer simulation to real word Quality of Service requirements. The results showed that the proposed algorithm was able to maintain less than 10% user drop rate. The proposed algorithm can increase user confidence as well as maintain load balancing, maintain the scalability, and reduce power consumption of the wireless network.
Purification and characterization of a novel thermostable phytase from the thermophilic Geobacillus sp. TF16

ABSTRACT A novel phytase from thermophilic Geobacillus sp. TF16 was puriﬁed approximately 5-fold using ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography, and determined as a single band 106.04 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Optimum temperature and optimum pH were found to be 85°C and 4.0, respectively. The enzyme is highly thermostable and Vmax and Km values were calculated as 526.28 U/mg and 1.31 mM, respectively. It was also found that the enzyme exhibited a broad substrate selectivity and resistance toward proteases and effectively hydrolyzed soymilk phytate. These results suggest that this study provides an alternative phytase enzyme with enhanced properties.
Differentially expressed genes and proteins upon drought stress in tolerant and sensitive genotypes of Coffea canephora. P0821

The molecular mechanisms underlying the response to drought stress in coffee plants were investigated by the identification of candidate genes (CGs) using different approaches. The first used the data generated during the Brazilian Coffee EST project to select thirteen CGs by an in silico analysis (electronic Northern). The second was based on screening macroarrays spotted with plasmid DNA (coffee ESTs) with separate hybridizations using leaf cDNA probes from drought-tolerant and susceptible clones of Coffea canephora var. Conilon, grown under different water regimes. This allowed the isolation of seven additional CGs. The third used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to identify proteins displaying differential accumulation in leaves of drought tolerant and susceptible clones of C. canephora. Six of them were characterized by MALDI-TOF-MS/MS and the corresponding proteins were identified. Finally, additional CGs were selected from literature and the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to analyze the expression of all identified CGs. Altogether, more than fourty genes presenting differential gene expression with drought stress were identified, some of them showing different expression profiles between drought-tolerant and susceptible clones. Our results led us to conclude that a complex network of responses certainly involving the ABA signaling pathway and Nitric oxide are major molecular determinants to explain the better efficiency in controlling stomatal closure and transpiration, displayed by clone 14 of C. canephora. In order to investigate CG genetic polymorphism, corresponding gene sequences of several of them were also amplified from different coffee accessions covering the coffee genetic diversity for drought tolerance. (Texte integral)
Fundamental Capacity Analysis for Identically Independently Distributed Nakagami-q Fading Wireless Communication

With the advancement in technology, decent trans-fer rate of data for fast communication is an exigency. Different distributions on different wireless communication channels have been used previously to model them and to do performance analysis on the systems. In this work, capacity analysis of iden-tically independently distributed Nakagami-q fading single-input multiple-output (SIMO) wireless communication is presented. The derivation of channel capacity with the analytical solution have been conducted using small limit argument approximation. Where the small limit argument approximation corresponds to the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. SIMO channel capacity behavior with respect to number of receiver antennas and with respect to SNR have been explored in depth. The improvement of capacity is depicted rigorously. It has been found that using Nakagami-q distribution, capacity of the system increases as number of receiver antenna increases. It is also found that the capacity of this SIMO wireless system can be further improved through changing of certain parameters.