Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Death Receptor Signaling in Testicular Germ-Cell Apoptosis Triggered by Mono-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (MEHP)-Induced Sertoli Cell Injury and Its Implications for Risk Assessment

The focus of this review is to highlight the participation of members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily of proteins, particularly FasL and Fas, in triggering apoptosis of distinct testicular germ-cell subtypes after mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP)-induced Sertoli cell injury. Despite the well-recognized expression of FasL and Fas in the testis, their functional role in this tissue and the cellular mechanisms that regulate germ-cell apoptosis in the testis remain poorly characterized. Over the last several years, evidence has been accumulating indicating the participation of the FasL/Fas signaling pathway in the testis as a key signaling event for triggering germ-cell apoptosis consequent to MEHP-induced Sertoli cell injury. It has also recently been revealed that the stability of the c-FLIP protein, a direct inhibitor of Fas signaling, in germ cells appears to be dependent on the activity of the p53 protein. Increased degradation of the c-FLIP protein is proposed to occur in distinct germ-cell subtypes as a secondary consequence to MEHP-induced Sertoli cell injury and may account for their sensitivity to undergo apoptosis. Taken together, these findings form the basis for our current hypothesis that MEHP-induced injury to Sertoli cells results in early increases in its expression of FasL and secondary changes in the regulation of Fas in germ cells as a result of p53 activation. An understanding of the primary cellular site of phthalate action in the Sertoli cell and of the extent of the resulting adverse outcomes that arise from this injury are required for an accurate appraisal of the risks of environmental phthalate exposure on human reproductive health during all phases of life. This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/NIH (ES09145) and an NIEHS Center Grant (P30 ES07784). I would like to recognize Dr. Yamini Chandrasekaran for her assistance in the preparation of figure 1.
Design of a hybrid transmission system using wavelength division multiplexing and subcarrier under the frequency frame for 5G

This article proposes the design of a hybrid transmission system using wavelength division multiplexing and subcarrier under the frequency frame for 5G. The proposal is evaluated through modeling based on simulation of the generation of optical carriers using a broadband source in combination with an optical filter configured with different pass bands and transmission at different distances. The simulation model evaluated the signal quality levels in terms of the Q factor, taking into account the frequency framework for 5G (5 GHz, 30 GHz and 60 GHz) and the optical fiber length (5 km, 10 km, 15 km, 20 km, 25 km, 30 km). The results obtained show that the best performance of the Q factor compared to distances was that of the 30 GHz frequency, both in the access network and in the metro network. It was also possible to demonstrate that through a broadband light source and a waveguide grating array it is possible to obtain optical carriers for the transmission of signals in a hybrid wavelength division multiplexing and subcarrier transmission system.
Characterization of alfalfa germplasm expressing resistance to silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii

Abstract: Thirty‐eight plants were taken from a University of California alfalfa selection nursery for developing resistance to silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring. Seventeen of the plants had low whitefly infestation and were categorized as ‘potentially resistant’; 21 of the plants had high whitefly infestation and were categorized as ‘presumed susceptible’. Plants were propagated vegetatively so that replicated measurements of whitefly performance could be made on each genotype. Two colonies of silverleaf whiteflies were used: one reared on alfalfa (alfalfa‐experienced whiteflies), and the other on cotton (alfalfa‐naive whiteflies). The effect of variation among alfalfa genotypes on whitefly performance was similar for both whitefly sources, although on all genotypes, the alfalfa‐experienced whiteflies generally performed better than their alfalfa‐naive counterparts. In greenhouse tests, fecundity of newly eclosed adults (over a 5‐day period) on the 17 potentially resistant genotypes was relatively consistent in being lower than fecundity on the presumed susceptible genotypes. However, in nymphal survival tests, the response on the 17 potentially resistant genotypes was not consistent. Nymphal survival (egg to adult) on some of these was very low, as expected, while nymphal survival on others was as high as on the presumed susceptible genotypes. Fecundity and nymphal survival data were not correlated for alfalfa‐naive whiteflies, and were only weakly correlated (r2 = 0.13, d.f. = 32, P = 0.04) for alfalfa‐experienced whiteflies. Thirteen genotypes then were examined in the greenhouse in stage‐specific survival tests, where four genotypes demonstrated high resistance (<10% nymphal survival) and three demonstrated moderate resistance (11–34% survival) compared with the three presumed susceptible genotypes that were tested (51–73% survival). Most of the mortality on the resistant genotypes occurred in the first instar, while mortality was more evenly distributed across the life stages on the susceptible genotypes. Interestingly, if nymphs survived to second instar on the resistant genotypes, then their subsequent survival to adult eclosion was similar to survival of second instar to adult on susceptible genotypes. Six of the genotypes used in the greenhouse stage‐specific survival test also were evaluated in the field for nymphal survival, and these results were consistent with the greenhouse tests.
NKX6 transcription factor activity is required for α- andβ -cell development in the pancreas

In diabetic individuals, the imbalance in glucose homeostasis is caused by loss or dysfunction of insulin-secreting β-cells of the pancreatic islets. As successful generation of insulin-producing cells in vitro could constitute a cure for diabetes, recent studies have explored the molecular program that underlies β-cell formation. From these studies, the homeodomain transcription factor NKX6.1 has proven to be a key player. In Nkx6.1 mutants, β-cell numbers are selectively reduced, while other islet cell types develop normally. However, the molecular events downstream of NKX6.1, as well as the molecular pathways that ensure residualβ -cell formation in the absence of NKX6.1 are largely unknown. Here, we show that the Nkx6.1 paralog, Nkx6.2, is expressed during pancreas development and partially compensates for NKX6.1 function. Surprisingly, our analysis of Nkx6 compound mutant mice revealed a previously unrecognized requirement for NKX6 activity in α-cell formation. This finding suggests a more general role for NKX6 factors in endocrine cell differentiation than formerly suggested. Similar to NKX6 factors, the transcription factor MYT1 has recently been shown to regulateα - as well as β-cell development. We demonstrate that expression of Myt1 depends on overall Nkx6 gene dose, and therefore identify Myt1 as a possible downstream target of Nkx6 genes in the endocrine differentiation pathway.
Geometric morphometrics of carapace of Macrobrachium australe (Crustacea: Palaemonidae) from Reunion Island

Zimmermann, G. , Bosc, P., Valade, P., Cornette, R. , Ameziane, N. and Debat, V. 2011. Geometric morphometrics of carapace of Macrobrachium australe (Crustacea: Palaemonidae) from Reunion Island. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 93: 492–500. We investigated the structure of carapace shape variation in six populations of Macrobrachium australeGuerin-Meneville 1838 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from Reunion Island (Indian Ocean) freshwaters. The morphometric analysis revealed the occurrence of two morphotypes corresponding to two different types of habitats. Individuals living in lotic habitats present a thick carapace armed with a short, robust and straight rostrum, while individuals from lentic habitats have a slender carapace armed with a thin long rostrum orientated upward. This difference suggests an adaptation to lotic disturbances and is tentatively interpreted as adaptive phenotypic plasticity. In such amphidromous organisms regressing to freshwaters after a marine larval phase, selection for physiological and developmental flexibility might facilitate further adaptation and allows the colonisation of a wide panel of environmentally different and sometimes geographically distant insular streams.
The global biogeography of semi‐arid periodic vegetation patterns

Aim Vegetation exhibiting landscape-scale regular spatial patterns has been reported for arid and semi-arid areas world-wide. Recent theories state that such structures are bound to low-productivity environments and result from a self-organization process. Our objective was to test this relationship between periodic pattern occurrence and environmental factors at a global scale and to parametrize a predictive distribution model. Location Arid and semi-arid areas world-wide. Methods We trained an empirical predictive model (Maxent) for the occurrence of periodic vegetation patterns, based on environmental predictors and known occurrences verified on Landsat satellite images. Results This model allowed us to discover previously unreported pattern locations, and to report the first ever examples of spotted patterns in natural systems. Relationships to the main environmental drivers are discussed. Main conclusions These results confirm that periodic patterned vegetations are ubiquitous at the interface between arid and semi-arid regions. Self-organized patterning appears therefore to be a biome-scale response to environmental conditions, including soil and topography. The set of correlations between vegetation patterns and their environmental conditions presented in this study will need to be reproduced in future modelling attempts.
Susceptibility of Eight U.S. Wheat Cultivars to Infestation by Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)

Abstract Cultivars of wheat, Triticum aestivum L. , were assessed to determine their respective level of resistance to lesser grain borers, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), in postharvest storage. Cultivars were representative of hard red winter, soft red winter, white spring, and durum wheat classes currently grown in the United States. Samples of each cultivar were maintained at 30.0°C and 70% RH and infested with 2- to 3-wk-old adult beetles for 1 wk. Adult progeny were counted at the end of one life cycle. Two temperatures, 27.0 and 34.0°C, were studied to examine the role of temperature (calculated in degree-days) in development. This experiment was conducted three times under similar conditions. Cultivars harboring a large quantity of progeny were considered more susceptible than those cultivars in which fewer progeny completed their life cycle. Each cultivar was analyzed for single kernel properties such as hardness, protein, and diameter. Wheat cultivar had a significant influence on quantity of progeny in all experiments. There were no significant effects on survivorship of progeny as a result of temperature when calculated in degree-days. Cultivars with smaller kernels were more susceptible to development of larger generation sizes in experiment 1 but not in the other two experiments. A kernel size experiment using large and small kernels from the same cultivar suggested that larger quantities of progeny are produced on small kernels compared with large kernels. Individual beetle weights were not influenced by temperature or cultivar. These results imply that stored grain managers should be aware of potential differences in susceptibility, attributable to wheat cultivar, to lesser grain borer infestations.
Gsp1 Triggers the Sexual Developmental Program Including Inheritance of Chloroplast DNA and Mitochondrial DNA in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The isogamous green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has emerged as a premier model for studying the genetic regulation of fertilization and sexual development. A key regulator is known to be a homeoprotein gene, GAMETE-SPECIFIC PLUS1 ( GSP1 ), which triggers the zygotic program. In this study, we isolated a mutant, biparental31 ( bp31 ), which lacks GSP1 . bp31 mt+ gametes fuse normally to form zygotes, but the sexual development of the resulting diploid cell is arrested and pellicle/ zygospore/tetrad formation is abolished. The uniparental inheritance of chloroplast (cp) and mitochondrial (mt) DNA (cytoplasmic inheritance) was also impaired. bp31 has a deletion of ; 60 kb on chromosome 2, including GSP1 . The mutant phenotype was not rescued by transformation with GSP1 alone but could be rescued by the cotransformation with GSP1 and another gene, INOSITOL MONOPHOSPHATASE-LIKE1 , which is involved in various cellular processes, including the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. This study con ﬁ rms the importance of Gsp1 in mediating the zygotic program, including the uniparental inheritance of cp/mtDNA. Moreover, the results also suggest a role for inositol metabolism in the sexual developmental program.
Monitoring Climate Change Impact on the Genetic Population Structure: The Case of the Fivebeard Rockling (Ciliata Mustela, Linnaeus, 1758) In Its Southern Limit of Distribution

Ciliata mustela is a marine inshore fish which occurs from central Portugal to northeastern Norway. We studied the population structure of this species using cytochrome b gene and the first intron of the nuclear S7 ribosomal protein gene and samples ranging from central Portugal to Gullmars Fjord, Sweden. We tested the following alternative hypotheses: 1) is the Portuguese population of the fivebeard rockling self-sustainable? or 2) is this population dependent on migrants from the north? We found no detectable subdivision among locations. Genetic diversity indices did not change along the study area. The data support persistence during one or several glacial cycles and a rapid expansion about 10 thousand years ago. In Portugal the populations of this species are strongly affected by climatic oscillations with severe reductions in warm years (bellow detection) and recoveries in cold years. We found that the percentage of private haplotypes is consistently lower in Portugal than in other locations. Our results support the hypothesis that the Portuguese population is mainly dependent on migrants from northern locations. We discuss the possibility of using species as C. mustella to monitor short term effects on the genetic structure of populations and their relation with climate change.
A critical understanding of the fractal model of metabolic scaling

SUMMARY The exponent of the scaling of metabolic rate with body mass has been the subject of debate for more than a century. The argument is at two levels, one concerning questions of empirical support for the exponent and the other, how to derive it theoretically. At this second level, the exponent is usually treated as the outcome of an underlying physical burden and approached as the search for a natural law emerging within energetic and geometric constraints. Recently, a model relying on fractal geometry was proposed as a general explanation for the phenomenon. In the present study, a reanalysis of the fractal model is performed to verify its validity. All the conditions that allow for the connection between the geometric proposition and the allometric exponent are evaluated, as well as the energy loss minimization procedure put forward in the model. It is demonstrated that the minimization procedure is mathematically incorrect and ill-posed. Also, it is shown that none of the connecting conditions are fulfilled. Therefore, it is concluded that the fractal model lacks self-consistency and correct statement: it relies on strong assumptions of homogeneity in morpho-physiological features among organisms instead of demonstrating them, as claimed by its authors. It is proposed that empiricists and theoreticians should rather evaluate the frameworks for addressing metabolic scaling phenomena.
Producing Transgenic `Thompson Seedless' Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) Plants

Transgenic grape plants were regenerated from somatic embryos derived from leaves of in vitro-grown plants of 'Thompson Seedless' grape ( Vitis vinifera L.) plants. Somatic embryos were either exposed directly to engineered Agrobacterium tumefaciens or they were bombarded twice with 1-μm gold particles and then exposed to A. tumefaciens. Somatic embryos were transformed with either the lytic peptide Shiva-1 gene or the tomato ringspot virus (TomRSV) coat protein (CP) gene. After cocultivation, secondary embryos proliferated on Emershad/Ramming proliferation (ERP) medium for 6 weeks before selection on ERP medium containing 40 μg·mL -1 kanamycin (kan). Transgenic embryos were identified after 3 to 5 months under selection and allowed to germinate and develop into rooted plants on woody plant medium containing 1 μM 6-benzylaminopurine, 1.5% sucrose, 0.3% activated charcoal, and 0.75% agar. Integration of the foreign genes into these grapevines was verified by growth in the presence of kanamycin (kan), positive β- glucuronidase (GUS) and polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) assays, and Southern analysis.
Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of faecal bacterial communities of marmot (Marmota marmota latirostris) in the Tatra mountains and the fragmentation of marmot population

Fecal samples of Alpine Marmot were collected from 8 localities in High, Low and West Tatras. DGGE analysis revealed several bacterial species involved in bowel fermentation. There dominated Selenomonas ruminantium, Ruminococcus albus, Butyrivibrio sp. , Megasphaera elsdenii and Escherichia coli . Bifidobacteria estimated by separate DGGE were represented mainly by Bifidobacterium bifidum, B. longum and B. breve . Dendrogram homology of the whole bacterial population was separating samples from different mountain ranges.
Psychometric properties of a Brazilian adaptation of the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation- Revised Scale for Children's Behavior

The aim of this study was to describe the process of psychometric analysis of the Teacher Observation of Classroom AdaptationRevised Scale (TOCA-R) for its use in Brazilian schools and to evaluate its validity and reliability. To evaluate the “Elos Program”, which is the Brazilian culturally adapted version of the North American Program “Good Behavior Game”, the TOCA-R was used. The researchers adapted the instrument in 2014, consisting of 33 items in a three-point ordinal response scale. A longitudinal quasi-experimental design with a single group was used. Participants were children aged 6 to 10 years evaluated by their teachers, before (n = 1448) and after (n = 673) the implementation of the Elos Program in 2014. The study involved initially four schools, 68 classes and their respective teachers. The analytical procedures were exploratory factorial analysis, confirmatory factorial analysis, longitudinal invariance analysis and reliability analysis by precision coefficients. The results of the exploratory factorial analysis showed an acceptable adjustment of five factors with 25 items, with a total explained variance of 60% and mean residual error of 0.02. The confirmatory factorial analysis expressed a satisfactory fit of the model (χ2 = 961, df = 265, RMSEA = .078, 95% IC [.07, .08], and CFI = 0.9). A configurational, metric and scalar invariance of latent structure was identified, which, together with the amplitude of variation of the precision coefficients between the instrument dimensions (α = .78, .92; ω = .76, .92), demonstrate evidence of validity and reliability for using the TOCA-R in evaluating the Elos Program in Brazilian schools.
Parthenogenetic Activation of Porcine Oocytes by Calcium Ionophore A23187

This study was designated to clarify the influence of activation of porcine matured oocytes by calcium ionophore on in vitro development of the parthenotes. The follicular oocytes were matured, activated and cultured in North Carolina State University-23 (NCSU-23) medium supplemented with 10% porcine follicular fluid (pFF). The in vitro-matured oocytes were exposed to calcium ionophore at concentrations of 12.5, 25 or 50 µM for 3, 5, 7 or 9 min. The activation rate of the oocytes increased as concentration of ionophore decreased, being at 27-33 and 6877 % for the oocytes treated with 50 and 12.5 µM ionophore, respectively. Almost all activated oocytes were haploid. The highest cleavage rate (76%) and developmental rate to morula (41%) were observed in the oocytes treated with 12.5 µM ionophore for 5 min. However, development to blastocyst was observed only in the oocytes treated with 25 µM ionophore for 3 and 5 min (3 and 4% of treated oocytes, respectively). We concluded that the activation treatment of the porcine oocytes with 12.5 µM ionophore for 5 min provided the highest developmental rate to morula, but this treatment is not sufficient to overcome a developmental block at the morula stage.
Adaptations of a native Subantarctic flightless fly to dehydration stress: more plastic than we thought? Short Communication

Water conservation is a critical aspect affecting the survival, distribution and abundance of terrestrial arthropods. In this study we investigate mechanisms of dehydration tolerance of the native, flightless fly, Calycopteryx moseleyi, inhabiting contrasting environments at two localities in the Kerguelen Islands. We compare the survival abilities and management of body water content of adult flies from two different ecophenotypes when exposed to conditions of low relative humidity. Our results suggest a broad plasticity in the responses of C. moseleyi to desiccation, showing distinct local adaptations to environmental conditions.
GENETIC VARIABILITY OF WOLVERINES (GULO GULO) FROM THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA: CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS

Abstract Because of anthropogenic factors in the early 1900s that caused populations to decline dramatically, wolverines (Gulo gulo) currently are designated as endangered in eastern Canada and classified as vulnerable throughout the Holarctic Region by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Although numerous examples exist that illustrate the utility of genetic data for development of conservation plans, no study has investigated the genetic structure of natural populations of wolverines. We assessed allozymic and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability of wolverines within and among 5 sites from the Northwest Territories, Canada. Five of 46 presumptive allozyme loci were polymorphic. Estimates of heterozygosity (2.6%) and polymorphism (11.6%) were lower than values reported for most mammals but were within the range reported for Carnivora. To evaluate levels of variation in mtDNA, we sequenced the left domain of the control region. Six variable nucleotide sites were observed, resulting in 9 haplotypes of mtDNA. Within-site diversity of haplotypes (h) was high, but within-site diversity of nucleotides (π) was low, indicating little sequence divergence among the 9 haplotypes. Sequence data for mtDNA revealed considerably more genetic partitioning among sites (ϕST = 0.536) than did allozyme data (FST = 0.076). Based on fixation indices, gene flow estimates (Nm) were moderate for nuclear markers but low for mtDNA loci. These findings suggest that, although wolverines maintain large home ranges, they exhibit fidelity to discrete areas, gene flow is predominantly male-mediated, and most sites in the Northwest Territories are genetically independent and thus represent populations. Therefore, any conservation plan for wolverines in the Northwest Territories must consider preservation of populations if genetic diversity of this taxon is to be maintained.