Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for nematode metabolism of the anthelmintic drugs ivermectin and albendazole

Resistance to anthelmintics used to treat parasitic nematodes of veterinary importance represents a serious welfare and economic problem for the livestock production industry. Research into the mechanisms by which parasites develop resistance is necessary to prolong the life of the available drugs and to minimise development of resistance to new classes. Metabolism of anthelmintic compounds by parasites is a possible mechanism of resistance that has received little research, despite there being precedence in the case of insecticide resistance. Due to the more advanced molecular tools available and comparative ease of manipulation; we have used the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the metabolism of two important anthelmintic drugs, ivermectin and albendazole. Whole genome microarrays and RT-QPCR were used to identify clusters of genes, which are significantly up-regulated upon exposure of C. elegans to anthelmintic. The transcriptomic response to albendazole is characterised by genes potentially involved in xenobiotic metabolism. These include members of the cytochrome P450 family and the UDP-glucuronosyl/ glucosyl transferase family. In contrast, the response to ivermectin appears to represent a fasting response caused by the phenotype of drug exposed nematodes. Recombinant worms carrying GFP reporter constructs of several genes of interest demonstrated their expression in the intestine, which is thought to be the main site of xenobiotic detoxification in nematodes. HPLC-MS techniques have definitively shown that C. elegans is able to metabolise albendazole to two glucose conjugates. These metabolites are compatible with the transcriptomic response to the drug and are similar to albendazole metabolites produced by the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. No ivermectin metabolites were identified in the current study. The data presented confirms the ability of the nematode C. elegans to respond to and metabolise anthelmintic compounds. In addition, the study validates the use of C. elegans as a model organism for parasitic nematodes and provides a platform upon which to investigate nematode metabolism further.
The taxonomic significance of leaf anatomical characters in Cussonia and related genera (Araliaceae)

The anatomy of the petiole, petiolule and leaf lamina of 20 Cussonia spp. is described and taxonomically evaluated. Comparisons are made with related taxa of Araliaceae: two Afro-Malagasy Schefflera spp. , two Asian Schefflera spp. and Seemannaralia gerrardii. Transverse sections and epidermal peels (lamina only) were studied. The continuous collenchyma layer in the midrib, the absence of a hypodermis and papillate epidermal cells are characters shared between Afro-Malagasy Schefflera and Seemannaralia, and Cussonia and Seemannaralia share adaxial stomata, abaxial papillae on the lamina and similarly sized secretory canals in the petiole. Infrageneric groupings suggested by three types of petiolar vascular bundles correspond to one of the two existing infrageneric classification systems. Anatomical characters also contribute to a better understanding of species delimitation. The study has revealed six new generic apomorphies for Cussonia, namely the discontinuous, subepidermal collenchyma layer and the associated stomata in the petiole and petiolule, the adaxially invaginated and flattened ring of separate or connected bundles forming a narrow arc in the petiolules and the occurrence of arm palisade in the lamina. Leaf anatomical characters have greatly increased our understanding of relationships and circumscriptions at generic, infrageneric and specific levels in the taxa studied. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 164, 246–263.
Chytrid infection and post‐release fitness in the reintroduction of an endangered alpine tree frog

Global amphibian decline and extinction has been associated with the spread of the pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd). Despite extensive research, there have been no examples of effective management abating the ongoing impact of this pathogen in the wild. The endangered alpine tree frog (Litoria verreauxii alpina) has been extirpated from 80% of its former range because of Bd. We directly tested whether source population or host site influenced the efficacy of a reintroduction of L. v. alpina. We captive reared and released 1241 individuals from three different populations, two with a history of Bd exposure and one that was Bd‐naïve, into two sites where they had historically occurred, and two sites where the species currently persists. Between 6 and 9 months post‐release, we recaptured 4.83% of the released animals, and observed breeding at all sites. Both released and extant animals had similar susceptibility to infection; both groups increased in Bd infection prevalence and infection intensity throughout the breeding season. We did not detect any effect on survival by site of release; however, population of origin had a relatively large impact (ω = 0.454), and animals from one Bd‐exposed population were recaptured significantly more than the animals from the other Bd‐exposed population and the Bd‐naive population. Population exposure history to the disease of reintroduced amphibians may be used to increase post‐release fitness and conservation success. Selection for mechanisms of resistance should be further explored to help mitigate the impact of chytridiomycosis during reintroduction programmes.
Modeling and Simulation of Mass Flow of Steel Plate/Slab during Hot Rolling

The ability to predict mass flow behavior during hot rolling is essential to product quality. In this study, viscoplastic models of the steels from SSAB and U.S. Steel were developed based on experimental stress-strain curves. A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model was built to simulate a reverse plate hot rolling and a hot strip rolling process. For plate rolling, a seven pass schedule was simulated. The plastic strain distributions during rolling were investigated. The results show that the surface of the plate has larger plastic strain than the center. In the case of hot strip rolling, the simulation predicts that material flows from the sides to the top and bottom surfaces during edging. The top and bottom surfaces were then rolled flat. Details of the material flow and strain distributions during edging and rolling are presented in this paper.
Analysis of neuronal microcircuits and synaptic interactions

I. Characterization and use of multi-color fluorescence microscopic tecnhiques (M.W. Wessendorf). II. Light and electron microscopic tracing of neuronal connections with Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L), and combinations with other neuroanatomical techniques (H.J. Groenewegen and F.G. Wouterlood). III. Combined morphological and histochemical techniques for the study of neuronal microcircuits (J.P. Bolam and C.A. Ingham). IV. Synaptic interaction between chemically defined neurons: dual ultrastructural immunocytochemical approaches (A.N. van den Pol and C. Decavel). V. Intracellular injection of neurons in fixed brain tissue combined with other neuroanatomical techniques at the light and electron microscopic level (E.H. Buhl, W.K. Schwerdtfeger and P. Germroth). VI. Immunocytochemical identification of electrophysiologically characterized cells (K.G. Smithson and G.I. Hatton). VII. Anatomical analysis of electrophysiologically characterized neurons is the rat strio-pallidal system (H.T. Chang and C.J. Wilson). VIII. Convergence of morphological, physiological and immunocytochemical techniques for the study of single Mauthner cells (H. Korn, D.S. Faber and A. Triller). IX. In situ hybridization histochemistry (W.S. Young III). Subject index.
Invitro Antibacterial Screening of Extracts from Selected Ethiopian Medicinal Plants

Indigenous knowledge, literature reports and ethnobotanical records suggest that plants are the basis for medicines. They constitute natural source of antimicrobial drugs that will provide novel or lead compounds for the fight against disease. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of three selected Ethiopian medicinal plants was studied with the objective of screening their antibacterial activity. The fruits of Measalanceolata , aerial part of Ci ssus quadrangularis and leaf of Dodonae angustifolia were collected, air dried under shed, powdered and soaked in 80% methanol and extracted. In vitro antibacterial activity of the extracts was tested at different concentrations by using agar disc diffusion method and measuring the zone of inhibition. The plant extracts showed broad spectrum activity against gram positive ( S. aureus ) as well as gram negative ( E. coli ) bacteria, except Cissus quadrangularis which did not show any activity against E. coli . Furthermore, the plant extracts had also concentration dependant zone of inhibition against the tested bacteria. In fact, the highest activity was obtained for Dodonae angustifolia at 1000mg/ml against S. aureus . The activities are attributed to the presence of some secondary metabolites present in the tested plants which have been associated with antibacterial activities. This finding suggests that these medicinal plants can be potential source to isolate antibacterial drugs. Keywords : Antibacterial activity, Disc diffusion, E. coli , Plant extract and S. aureus.
Gasteromycetes (Eumycota) del centro y oeste de la Argentina

Dominguez de Toledo, L. 1995. Gasteromycetes (Eumycota) from central and western Argentina II. Order Phallales. Darwiniana 33: 195-210. The Phallales flora of central and west Argentina is revised. Six genera and 11 species are rec ognised, Phallus rubicundus (Bosc) Fr. and Blumenauia rhacodes Moll, are new reCORDs for Ar gentina, and the distribution area of 8 species is enlarged. A taxonomical key to the species is in
Growth and Nutrient Uptake of ‘Seolhyang’ Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) Responded to Elevated Nitrogen Concentrations in Nutrient Solution

This research tested five modified Hoagland solutions for proper fertility management of nitrogen in ‘Seolhyang’ strawberry cultivations. The changes of nutrient solutions were in total nitrogen concentrations (meqㆍL? ¹) such as 0 (NO? ₃), 2.5 (NO₃? ), 5 (NO₃? ), 10 (7.5NO₃? + 2.5NH₄? ) and 15 (10NO₃? + 5NH₄? ). The fresh weight and NO₃-N concentrations in petiole sap responded to the elevated nitrogen concentrations in fertilizer solution in quadratic (y=7.10+2.668x-0.115x², R²=0.7983***) and linear (y=26.14+5.245x, R²=0.6083***), respectively. The dry weight and N content of the above ground plant tissue responded to the elevated nitrogen in quadratic (y=2.140+0.492x-0.022x², R²=0.6110***) and linear (y=0.569+0.033x, R²=0.6952***), respectively. In our experiment the solution with 5 meqㆍL? ¹ of NO₃? showed positive results in both dry and fresh weight productions. However, a future research about modification of this solution and growth and nutrient uptake response is necessary to achieve better growth of ‘Seolhyang’ strawberry.
Relationships Between Environmental Variables And The Abundance Of Peracarid Fauna In Algeciras Bay (Southern Iberian Peninsula)

The distribution and abundance of peracaridean fauna associated with the bryozoan Bugula neritina have been analysed according to their possible relationships with environmental stress on the coastline of Algeciras Bay. The spatial environmental variability along this bay has been established based on the analysis of five abiotic variables (hydrodynamism, siltation, suspended solids, and organic matter content) at six stations over a 12-month period. The temporal variability of these abiotic variables was not taken into account due to the method used in collecting the samples. The abundance and beta diversity of the peracarid fauna were also calculated monthly. Hydrodynamism was the only abiotic variable significantly correlated with beta diversity, with a linear regression model between the two variables (r = 0.81). The distributional pattern of the peracarids (based on the abundance matrix) was correlated with the environmental variables by matching samples' similarities using the Spearman rank correlation. This analysis showed that the combination of variables that best explains the patterns of distribution is hydrodynamism and siltation (ρs = 0.665). Of the species considered the amphipods Ischyrocerus inexpectatus, Jassa marmorata and Podocerus variegatus were negatively correlated with hydrodynamism and positively with temperature. The caprellidea Phtisica marina was also negatively correlated with hydrodynamism. On the other hand, the amphipods Cressa mediterranea and Stenothoe dollfusi preferred environments with high hydrological forces and low sedimentation rate. Due to the particular environmental conditions where they live and their requirements, Gammaropsis maculata, Corophium acutum, J. marmorata, I. inexpectatus, and P. variegatus were categorised as good indicator species in port environments. Others such as Aora spinicornis, Microjassa cumbrensis , and C. mediterranea were categorised as species well adapted to high hydrological forces.
Synthesis of Proteins Enriched in Li+‐ Induced Vegetalized Embryos of Sea Urchin during Early Development

Sea urchin embryos were vegetalized by a pulse treatment with 60 mM Li+ between 2.5 hr and 6 hr after fertilization at 20°C. Normal and Li+ ‐treated embryos were exposed to [35S]‐methionine for 2 hr at various stages and [35S]‐labeled proteins were analyzed by two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D‐PAGE). On fluorograph of 2D‐PAGE at the pre‐hatching blastula stage, significant difference of labeled proteins between normal and vegetalized embryos was not observed in the range from neutral to acidic pH, but pls of several proteins were found to be shifted toward alkaline pH. At the mesechyme blastula stage, five major proteins [M.W. 36 K, 43 K (two species), 71 K and 150 K] were enriched in Li+‐treated embryos among a few hundreds of synthesized proteins. At the late gastrula stage, the labeling intensities of these proteins except for one of 43 K proteins increased remarkably in Li+‐treated embryos. Furthermore, two proteins (M.W. 105 K and 135 K) were also enriched in Li+‐treated embryos at this stage. At the prism stage, these proteins enriched in Li+‐treated embryos became hardly detectable, and the synthesis of at least four proteins (M.W. about 20 K, 41 K, 43 K and 200 K<) appeared to increase in normal embryos, but not in Li+‐treated embryos. Synthesis of proteins eniched in Li+‐treated embryos probably support endodermal cell differentiation.
Evolution of the Hox gene fushi tarazu in arthropods

Title of Dissertation: EVOLUTION OF THE HOX GENE FUSHI TARAZU IN ARTHROPODS Alison M. Heffer, Doctor of Philosophy, 2012 Directed by: Dr. Leslie Pick, Professor Department of Entomology University of Maryland, College Park Homeotic (Hox) genes are important in determining regional identity in virtually all metazoans, and are conserved throughout the animal kingdom. In Drosophila melanogaster, fushi tarazu (ftz) is located within the Hox complex and contains a Hox-like DNA-binding homeodomain, but functions as a pair-rule segmentation gene. At some point(s) during evolution, ftz has undergone three specific changes thought to contribute to its new segmentation function in Drosophila: 1) The gain of an LXXLL motif allowed for interaction with a new co-factor, Ftz-F1; 2) The degeneration of the YPWM motif decreased the ability to interact with the homeotic co-factor Exd; 3) ftz expression switched from Hox-like to seven stripes in Drosophila. Here I isolated ftz sequences and examined expression from arthropods spanning 550 million years of evolutionary time to track these changes in ftz. I found that while the LXXLL motif required for segmentation was stably acquired at the base of the holometabolous insects, the YPWM motif degenerated independently many times in arthropod lineages, and these ‘degen-YPWMs’ vary in their homeotic potential. Additionally, ftz expression in a crustacean is in a weak Hox-like pattern, suggesting a model in which different ftz variants could arise in nature and not be detrimental to organismal development. Given my findings that ftz sequence and expression is so dynamic, I investigated the features that may be preventing ftz fossilization in arthropod genomes. I tested the hypothesis that a broadly conserved role of ftz in the developing central nervous system (CNS) retains ftz in arthropod genomes. This model predicts that the homeodomain, but not variable co-factor interaction motifs, is required for Ftz CNS function. Evidence supporting this model was obtained from CNS-specific rescue experiments in Drosophila. Additionally I examined the expression and function of ftz and ftz-f1 in the short-germ beetle Tribolium castaneum. I found that both genes are expressed in pair-rule patterns, and preliminary results suggest that ftz-f1 is important for proper segmentation and cuticle deposition, and ftz function may be partially redundant with ftz-f1. Taken together, these findings show that variation of a pleiotropic transcription factor is more extensive than previously imagined, and suggest that evolutionary plasticity may be widespread among regulatory genes. Evolution of the Hox gene fushi tarazu in arthropods
Characterisation of Potential Antimicrobial Targets for Tuberculosis. 2. Branched-Chain Amino Acid Aminotransferase and Methionine Regeneration in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Abstract : Tuberculosis remains an important problem for the Canadian Forces in many of its overseas deployments. With the spread of drug-resistant strains of Mycohactenum tubercuThsis, there is an increased need to characterise novel drug targets in the organism. The final step of methionine recycling from methylthioadenosine has been examined in M tuberculosis, and has been found to be catalysed by a branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase. The enzyme was found to be a member of the aminotransferase lila subfamily, and closely related to the corresponding aminotransferase in Bacillus subtilis, but not to that found in B. anthracis or B. cereus (Berger et al., Journal of Bacteriology, 185, p. 2418-2431, 2003). The amino donor preference for the formation of methionine from ketomethiobutyrate was isoleucine, leucine, valine, glutamate, and phenylalanine. The en%me catalysed branched-chain amino acid and ketomethiobutyrate transamination with a Km of 1.77 - 7.44 mM and a Vmax of 2.17 - 5.70 %mol/min/mg protein, and transamination of ketoglutarate with a Km of 5.79 - 6.95 mM and a Vmax of 11.82 - 14.35 %mol/min/mg protein. Aminooxy compounds were examined as potential enzyme inhibitors, with O-benzylhydroxylamine, o-t- butylhydroxylamine, carboxymethoxylamine, and 0-allylhydroxylamine yielding mixed-type inhibition with Ki values of 8.20 - 21.61 %M. These same compounds were examined as antimycobacterial agents in a M inarinum model and were found to completely prevent cell growth. 0-allylhydroxylamine was the most effective growth inhibitor with an MIC of 78 tjM and an 1C50 of 8.49 %M.
An Assessment of the Academic Supports Provided to African American Female Students in Undergraduate, Pre-professional Architecture Programs

Even with the increased number of minority graduates from architecture programs, African American females still make up less than 0.4 % of all licensed architects in the United States. While, increasing diversity within the field of architecture continues to be a priority for both the academy and the profession, one can ask whether current architecture programs are doing enough to help women of color successfully engage and complete undergraduate, pre-professional curriculums. A qualitative, single case study (2013-14) explored how, if at all, African American female students were able to engage their undergraduate, pre-professional architecture curriculum. The research represents scholarly discourse related to the professoriate and the scholarship of teaching and learning. This investigation examined the characteristics of undergraduate architectural programs, from the perspective of their academic curriculum, faculty teaching methodologies, and the design studio environment. The intention of this paper is to shed light on the educational practices that currently exist within architecture programs and determine how, if at all, they mitigate or extend the barriers that traditionally limit the success of women of color in architectural education.
Kernel-based Multistep-ahead Predictions of the US Short-term Interest Rate

This paper presents a comparison of prediction performances of threekernel-based nonparametric methods applied to the U.S. weekly T-bill rate.Predictions are generated through the rolling approachfor the out-of-sample period 1989-1993. We compare the multistep-aheadprediction performance of the conditional mean, the conditionalmedian, and the conditional mode with the performanceof the benchmark random walk model. Using four predictionevaluation criteria, it is shown that two of the threepredictors are superior -- or at least equal --to the random walk at prediction horizons 1 - 5.In addition, by combining two of the three predictors, a significantimprovement in prediction accuracy is obtainedat all prediction horizons. Also the combined predictions resultin substantial improvement at predicting the direction of change.Further, we propose two prediction intervals based on the estimatednonparametric conditional distributionfunction. These intervals are useful when the predictivedistribution underlying the time series process is asymmetricor multi-modal. Finally, we assess the choice of the bandwidthin the kernel-based prediction methods through a recently proposedmethod for evaluating the estimated prediction densities.
120 Gb/s Multi-Channel THz Wireless Transmission and THz Receiver Performance Analysis

A photonic multi-channel terahertz (THz) wireless transmission system in the 350–475 GHz band is experimentally demonstrated. The employment of six THz carriers modulated with 10 Gbaud Nyquist quadrature phase-shift keying baseband signal per carrier results in an overall capacity of up to 120 Gb/s. The THz carriers with high-frequency stability and low phase noise are generated based on photonic photomixing of 25-GHz spaced six optical tones and a single optical local oscillator derived from a same optical frequency comb in an ultra-broadband uni-travelling carrier photodiode. The bit-error-rate performance below the hard decision forward error correction threshold of $3.8\times 10^{\mathrm {\mathbf {-3}}}$ for all the channels is successfully achieved after wireless delivery. Furthermore, we also investigate the influence of the harmonic spurs in a THz receiver on the performance of transmission system, and the experimental results suggest more than 30 dB spur suppression ratio in downconverted intermediate frequency signals for obtaining less than 1 dB interference.