Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti-inflammatory actions of plant-derived multiple monoclonal antibody CO17-1A × BR55 related with anti-cancer effects in AOM/DSS-induced colorectal cancer mouse via down-regulating of ERK1/2

ABSTRACT Plant-derived multiple monoclonal antibody (mAb) CO17-1A × BR55 (mAbP CO17-1A × BR55) produced in transgenic tobacco plants were cross-pollinated with mAb CO17-1A and mAb BR55. Human anti-colorectal cancer multiple mAb CO17-1A × BR55 was cloned using pBI121 vector. Mice were given a single intraperitoneal injection of azoxymethane (AOM) with 10 mg/kg body weight. Starting 1 week after the injection, mice received 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in the drinking water for 1 week. In addition, the mice were injected intraperitoneal with mAbs dissolved in phosphate buffered saline (100 μg/mouse) twice per week for 4 weeks. Apoptotic cell death, expression of pro-apoptotic proteins, activity of inflammatory cytokines and ERK pathway phosphorylation were assayed by Western blot and TUNEL kit. mAbP CO17-1A × BR55 meaningfully and efficiently suppressed the development of AOM/DSS-induced colorectal inflammation and colorectal tumors, as determined by a reduced activation of inflammatory cytokines, number of colorectal tumor-induced mouse, number of tumor per mouse colon than other mAbs. Cell death by apoptosis was much increased in the mAbP CO17-1A × BR55-treated tumor compared with negative control. Apoptotic cell death and expression of pro-apoptotic proteins including Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were highest in treatment with mAbP CO17-1A × BR55. In addition, mAbP CO17-1A × BR55 was meaningfully decreased the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including COX-2, iNOS, p50 and p65, but the expression of PPARγ was significantly increased compared with AOM/DSS-induced carcinogenesis negative control. Moreover, mAbP CO17-1A × BR55 meaningfully repressed the ERK1/2 phosphorylation in AOM/DSS-induced colorectal tumors. Therefore, our results suggest that multiple mAbP CO17-1A × BR55 have meaningful effects of anti-inflammation related with the anti-carcinogenesis in AOM/DSS-induced colorectal tumor by inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation.
Supplemental Effects of Dietary Blue Mussel Meat for Juvenile Tiger Puffer Takifugu rubripes When Fed Diets Containing Low Fishmeal Contents

A 50-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate supplemental effects of blue mussel (BM) when fed low fishmeal (FM) diets for juvenile tiger puffer. Isonitrogenous FM and soybean protein isolate (SPI) based diets, containing five different level of BM (0, 2.7, 5.3, 8.1, 10.5%) were formulated. A control diet contained 63% of FM without SPI. Nine juveniles (27.01±0.05 g) were randomly stocked into 100 l tank and fed the test diet twice a day with satiation. Results indicated that a diet containing 27% FM, 27% SPI together with 5.3% BM produced the highest weight gain, feed intake, specific growth rate and feed efficiency, and the values of those parameters were not significantly different (P>0.05) from those of a control group and a diet containing 28.5% FM, 27% SPI together with 2.7% BM. No significant differences were detected in survival rate, hepatosomatic index, and chemical compositions of fish whole body among all treatments. This study demonstrated that BM supplementation in low FM diet was very effective to improve the growth of tiger puffer, and level of 2.7 to 5.3% was optimum when 27% of SPI together with FM ranging from 27 to 28.5% were used.
Appetite and metabolic responses to acute and moderate-term dairy snack consumption in young people

In adolescents, an emergent body of evidence supports the hypothesis that milk-based dairy foods elicit anti-obesity properties, providing a modest protective effect against adiposity. To date, efforts to establish the underlying relationship between dairy and adiposity have identified several putative mechanisms. The least well studied of these mechanisms in adolescents is that of milk-based dairy consumption on appetite and metabolism, both of which exert the potential to impact on energy regulation and thus body composition. Accordingly, the overall aim of this thesis was to explore the impact of milk-based dairy consumption on subsequent appetite, feeding behaviour and resting metabolism in healthy young people. To accomplish this, four experimental studies were conducted. The initial experimental chapter of this thesis (chapter two) set out to establish the potential of an alternative methodological approach to quantify appetite- and metabolism-related peptide concentrations for use with paediatric populations. In this sense, chapter two examined the agreement and between-day test-retest reproducibility of several appetite-related peptides between fingertip-capillary and antecubital-venous blood sampling. The second experimental chapter (chapter three) compared dairy consumption patterns among a children (9-11 y) and adolescents (15-18 y), and was primarily designed to establish dairy food popularity (types, frequencies and amounts) and identify potential populations (sex & age) to target within the intervention-based sections of this thesis. The third (chapter four) and fourth (chapter five) experimental chapters of this thesis subsequently employed the findings of chapter two and three to determine the acute- (1-d) and moderate-term (28-d) influence of mid-morning milk consumption on feeding behaviour, metabolic and appetite-related responses in adolescent males (15-18 y).
UTILIZATION OF BIODEGRADABLE KERATIN CONTAINING WASTES BY ENZYMATIC TREATMENT

Two novel feather-degrading fungi belonging to Chrysosporium and Microsporum genus were isolated from poultry waste in Goa, India. The fungi produced extra cellular keratinolytic enzyme in a feather meal broth using chicken feather as a sole of carbon and nitrogen source. Maximum enzyme activity was obtained within 96 h (150 U/ml and 90 U/ml for Chrysosporium and Microsporum respectively) of cultivation at pH 7.0, 30C. The optimal conditions for the keratinolytic activity of both enzymes were found to be pH 9.0 and temperature 50°; however the enzymes showed stability over a broad range of pH between 7.0 -10 and temperature 30°C 70°C. In addition, both the strains were able to completely degrade feather within a period of 96 h.
Urbana House Ants 2.0: Revisiting M. R. Smith's 1926 Survey of House-Infesting Ants in Central Illinois After 87 Years

Quantifying the long-term ecological impacts of urbanization requires high-quality historical records and similar re-surveys over time. We replicated a survey conducted in 1924-1926 by Marion R. Smith of house-infesting ants in Urbana, Illinois, to examine how the house-infesting ant fauna and its control measures have changed over 87 years. We complemented residential sampling with pitfall, visual, and leaf litter surveys in the surrounding urban neighborhood and in three nearby forest fragments to characterize the ant fauna from which the house-infesting ants are drawn. In 1924-26, 12 ant species were collected in houses; the four most common were Tapinoma sessile (Say), Lasius alienus (Forster), Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) and Solenopsis molesta (Say). In 2012-2013, we found eight species in houses, the four most common of which were Tapinoma sessile, Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus), C. pennsylvanicus , and C. nearcticus (Emery). Ant control measures have also changed dramatically, with the average amount spent per household in 2012-2013 nearly doubling (adjusted for inflation). We also found that the residential urban site had similar estimated species richness to one of the nearby forest remnants, demonstrating that the diversity of some arthropod groups can remain high in forested urban environments. Moreover, each site had a unique community of species, reinforcing the value of both small forest fragments and urban sites for supporting biodiversity. Our survey revealed changes in urban and house-infesting ant communities since the 1920s, but, in view of the global abundance of invasive ant species and the extensive changes in land use patterns in central Illinois, the relative similarity of the ant communities separated in time by 87 years was unexpected.
Whey Protein-hydrolyzed Peptides Diminish Hepatic Lipid Levels in Rats Consuming High-sucrose Diets

Whey protein consumption is reported to reduce serum lipids, however the responses to derived peptides have not yet been fully characterized. In this study, we evaluated the effects of whey protein-hydrolyzed peptides (WPP) on serum and hepatic lipid levels, as well as hepatic lipogenic gene expression in SD rats consuming a high-sucrose AIN-76 based diet. After a 14-day ad libitum consumption of diet containing WPP, serum and hepatic triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels were significantly decreased when compared with the control group. A similar trend was observed in the time-restricted feeding groups, in which food was provided for 2 h at the beginning and the end of the dark period cycle during the 14-day treatment period. Additionally, hepatic gene expression linked to triglyceride and cholesterol biosynthesis, and their enzymatic activities were downregulated in the WPP group. In conclusion, daily consumption of WPP appears to decrease lipid levels in the blood and liver, and potentially protect against dyslipidemia.
Production of Very Long Chain Polyunsaturated Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids by Candida glabrata Strains

Lipids are a group of biological substances, mainly composed of non-polar substances (triglycerides, diglycerides, monoglycerides and sterols) and polar compounds (free fatty acids, phospholipids and sphingolipids). This work was developed for the biotechnological studies of polyunsaturated lipids ( 3 e 6) production from agro-industrial wastes (corn steep liquor and milk whey) by two strains of Candida glabrata (UCP 1002 and 1556). The production was carried by submerged cultivation method in control medium containing glucose, yeast extract, peptone and inorganic salts and a medium of production the base of agro-industrial wastes, with 40% milk whey in replacing glucose and 20% corn steep liquor replacing peptone. The biomass yield was calculated by gravimetrically and the lipids extracted biomass. The fatty acids were methylated and identified by gas chromatography. The results demonstrated that the strains of C. glabrata (UCP 1002 and 1556) showed biomass yield of 6.8 and 8.8 g/L -1 , respectively. The total lipids production by strains of C. glabrata (UCP 1002 and 1556), showed values of 16.20 and 21.50%, respectively. The two strains of C. glabrata (UCP 1002 and 1556) showed ability to produce polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), with emphasis for production of -linolenic acid ( 3), with 75.61 and 90.05%, respectively. Our results indicate that the two strains of Candida glabrata have the ability to metabolize agro-industrial wastes and produce biotechnologically polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). K e y w o r d s Lipids, PUFAs, Candida glabrata, Agroindustrial wastes
Tank bromeliad transplants as an enrichment strategy in southern Costa Rica

Epiphytes represent up to 50% of all vascular plant species in neotropical forests but they are among the slowest plants to recolonize regenerating ecosystems. This discrepancy underlines the need for restoration ecologists to learn how to assist the colonization of organisms in this key functional group. Transplanting tank bromeliads (i.e. bromeliads featuring overlapping leaves that form a water impounding rosette) could be a good approach in the neotropics, where abundant, fallen bromeliads can be sustainably collected from the forest floor. Moreover, tank bromeliads could accelerate restoration processes by providing relatively stable microenvironments for invertebrates, thus helping them resist severe drought and high temperatures, such as predicted in light of many climate change models. We transplanted 60 individuals of the tank bromeliad Werauhia gladioliflora onto trunks and branches of comparable size and orientation on three host tree species. The study took place in three long‐term restoration plantations located in a tropical premontane rainforest zone in southern Costa Rica. Transplant survivorship after 9 months varied among sites, from 65 to 95%. Transplants hosted twice as many arthropod orders as untreated control branches, and they buffered microclimates during the driest (+1.7 to 19.7% relative humidity) and warmest (−0.5 to 5.0°C) times of the day. Our results suggest that bromeliad transplantation is a cost‐effective (circa $0.5 USD/successful transplant) strategy to assist the recovery of epiphyte diversity in forest restoration sites with minimal impact on source populations. Longer‐term studies are needed to test this strategy for other epiphyte families or for mixed‐taxa assemblages found on fallen branches.
Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of Lysozyme C and MHC class I from Crucian Carp Carassius auratus gibelio in Response to Cyprinid Herpesvirus 2 Infection

MHC class I (MHC I) and Lysozyme C (LYZ C) play important roles in disease resistance in fish species, and are thought to participate in anti-viral innate immunity. Previously, after Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) infection, MHC I and LYZ C were found to be expressed in both moribund (acute infection) and survivor (chronic infection) fish based on suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) analysis. Herein, the complete open reading frames (ORFs) of MHC I and LYZ C were cloned from crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio). The ful-length cDNAs of these two genes contained ORFs of 1,038 and 438 bp, and encoded polypeptides of 345 and 145 amino acids, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that MHC I and LYZ C were most closely related to the common carp. We found that the two genes were expressed at low levels in al tissues examined in healthy crucian carp. The mRNA expression levels of MHC I and LYZ C in crucian carp kidney tissues was monitored at diferent time points for 72 h after CyHV-2 infection using real-time RT PCR analysis. During CyHV-2 infection experiments, peak levels of MHC I were observed at 72 hpi (5.55-fold, P < 0.01), whereas 48 hpi (3.87-fold, P < 0.01) was the peak expression time point for LYZ C. By analysis of samples from both acute and chronic infection, the expression levels of MHC I and LYZ C were up-regulated in comparison to uninfected fish. These data suggested that MHC I and LYZ C are involved in celular response to CyHV-2 infection. The discovery of LYZ C induced by CyHV-2 in crucian carp suggests its potential role in fish innate immunity against viral pathogen as MHC I.
Is the largest river valley west of the Andes a driver of diversification in Neotropical lowland birds?

ABSTRACT Physical and environmental barriers drive evolutionary diversification by limiting gene flow among populations. Rivers are barriers to gene flow in birds and other vertebrates, but differences in ecological conditions among sites also can affect the genetic structure of populations. The Magdalena River Valley (MRV) of Colombia, the largest South American river valley west of the Andes, is an appropriate location in which to test for the joint role of physical and ecological barriers because the river separates populations to the east and west, and a marked precipitation gradient leads to the occurrence of dry forests in the south and wet forests in the north. We conducted phylogeographic and population genetic analyses using mitochondrial DNA sequences of 4 avian species (Xiphorhynchus susurrans, Mionectes oleagineus, Leptopogon amaurocephalus, and Eucometis penicillata) sampled across 15 localities along the MRV. We found no spatial genetic structure in any of the species in the MRV region, and thus failed to find evidence for the role of the river or of the precipitation gradient as a driver of population differentiation. Gene flow across the river may be facilitated by its narrow headwaters and may occur as a consequence of river dynamics reducing its effectiveness as a barrier. Also, the dispersal abilities of the species may allow them to overcome the potential barrier that the river represents. As for the ecological barrier, we did not find that it caused any effect on the populations that we studied, probably because climatic differences were not strong enough to have led to population isolation along the MRV; alternatively, it is possible that the time elapsed since the origin of the precipititation gradient has been insufficient to lead to detectable effects on population structure. Our results contrast with work in other regions, which has shown marked genetic structure of vertebrate populations across major Neotropical rivers.
Effects of natural dissolved organic matter on mucilaginous matrices of biofilm communities

We evaluated experimentally the effects of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) derived from leachates of decomposing emergent macrophytes (Typha latifolia) on mucilage development in periphyton communities. Several techniques were used to quantify mucilage development by natural periphyton communities grown on glass fiber filters and on sand in a defined culture medium with and without exposure to humic acid fractions of the leachate (up to 20 mg CL -1 ): (a) direct examination by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (SEM), (b) application of a cationic copper-containing dye, Alcian Blue 8GX, which binds to the glycosaminoglycans in the mucilage, and determination of the relative quantity of copper retained by the community by energy dispersive X-ray microanalyses, and (c) amounts of dye removed from solution by spectrophotometric analyses. Multiple experiments showed that DOC-treated communities contained 10 to 57% less mucilage than untreated controls, and suggested that DOC in littoral and wetland environments can act as an important physical determinant of structural and metabolic attributes of periphyton.
Swimming performance of the European minnow

Maximum sustained swimming speeds of the European minnow were examined using increased velocity tests in a swim-speed chamber. Maximum sustained swimming speed for the size class 50-64 mm was 10.4 ± 4.0 cm s -1 (mean ± SD), for the size class 65-79 mm 14.2 ± 4.8 cm s -1 , and for the size class 80-105 mm 16.0 ± 5.6 cm s -1 . Similarly sized minnows were able to maintain considerably higher speeds in a raceway. For instance, individuals of the largest size class could maintain a swimming speed of 34 cm s -1 for at least 25 min. Hence, the maximum swimming capacity of the fish was highly underestimated using the increased velocity test in the swim-speed chamber. The unintentional distribution of minnows by man to new watersheds is considered a critical environmental problem in Norway, because of their potential to develop high densities in communities with low diversity. Recorded high swimming speeds indicated minnows' capability to spread further upstream when introduced to new water systems, and that their swimming and jumping abilities must be taken into account when constructing migration barriers to prevent further spreading. High swimming speeds could also indicate minnows' potential for competing with salmonids not only in lakes but also in riverine environments.
Mitochondrial genome of an Atlantic white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

Abstract Here we report the first full mitochondrial genome sequence for a white shark caught in the Atlantic Ocean. The mitochondrial genome is 16,745 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a non-coding control region. The base composition of this mtDNA lineage is A: 30.7%, C: 26.9%, G: 13.8%, and T: 28.6%. In concordance with previous population genetic studies, the Atlantic caught individual forms a separate lineage from individuals caught on either side of the Pacific Ocean.
FIRST REPORT OF Phytophthora nicotianae CAUSING ROOT ROT OF SOURSOP IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

In 2013, soursop trees showing symptoms of root rot were observed in a field in Maceio, state of Alagoas, Brazil. It was isolated Phytophthora sp. which pathogenicity was confirmed in the host seedlings. Morphological and physiological characteristics in carrot-agar modified medium were consistent with Phytophthora nicotianae description. The PCR sequences products obtained with ITS1/ITS4 primers were compared to sequences of ribosomal DNA of Phytophthora species from the GenBank database observing high identity with other P. nicotianae isolates. A phylogenetic tree was performed to compare the isolate with other sequences of P. nicotianae, which clustering has been verified with 99% of bootstrap, confirming the morphophysiological studies. This is the first report of this pathogen on annonaceous plants in the Northeastern Brazil.
Post-yield mechanics and material composition of single trabeculae - a combined experimental and modelling approach

Bone diseases such as osteoporosis are one of the main causes of bone fracture and often result in hospitalization and long recovery periods. Researchers are aiming to develop new tools that consider the multiple determinants acting at the different scales of bone, and which can be used to clinically estimate patient-specific fracture risk and also assess the efficacy of new therapies. The main step towards this goal is a deep understanding of the bone organ, and is achieved by modeling the complexity of the structure and the high variability of the mechanical outcome. This review uses a hierarchical approach to evaluate bone mechanics at the macro-, micro-, and nanoscale levels and the interactions between scales. The first section analyzes the experimental evidence of bone mechanics in the elastic and inelastic regions, microdamage generation and post-yield toughening mechanisms from the organ level to the ultrastructural level. Based on these observations, the second section provides an overview of the constitutive models available to describe bone mechanics and predict patient-specific outcomes. Overall, the role of the hierarchical structure of bone and the interplay between each level is highlighted, and their effect is evaluated in terms of modeling biological variability and patient specificity.
Revision and Phylogeny of the Fern-Inhabiting Genus Felisacus Distant (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae)

Abstract The fern-feeding genus Felisacus (Miridae: Bryocoronae) was revised. The genus contains 55 species, 29 are new to science, they are: Felisacus albus, F. australicus, F. bau, F. bismarckiensis, F. bradi, F. caledonicus, F. ceylonicus, F. cristobalus, F. fedori, F. indicus, F. lamkinae, F. linae, F. lindbergae, F. liui, F. lordhowensis, F. luzonus, F. malayensis, F. meilingae, F. myersi, F. ovalau, F. schuhi, F. senaru, F. solomonicus, F. tanna, F. vitilevu, F. wangae, F. webbi, F. yasunagai, F. zuparkoi. Felisacus capitatus is synonymized with F. magnificus; F. okinawanus is synonimized with F. longiceps F. carpenterae is synonymized with F. javanus. Felisacus jacobsoni, previously synonymized with F. javanus, is treated as a separated species. The status of F. signis, described as a subspecies of F. carpenterae, is raised to a separate species. Genus Felisacoris is synonymized with Felisacus. The diagnosis and key are provided for all species and descriptions are provided for the species, where the specimens were available. The drawings of male genitalia are provided where available, and drawings of female genitalia are given for some species. Phylogenetic analysis with inclusion of most of the species has been performed and discussed.