Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamic binding studies of cell surface carbohydrate epitopes to galectins-1, -3, and -7: Evidence for differential binding specificities

Binding of a series of sialylated and non-sialylated cell surface carbohydrates to bovine heart galectin-1, recombinant murine galectin-3, and recombinant human galectin-7 was investigated by isothermal titration microcalori- metry (ITC) and hemagglutination inhibition measurements. Galectin-7 shows nearly equal affinities for lactose and Gal (1-4)GlcNAc (LacNAc-II). Galectin-7, however, displays six- and 11-fold weaker affinity for LacNAc-II compared with galectins-1 and -3, respectively. The affinity of galectin-7 for LacNAc-II containing oligosaccharides is also weaker than the other two galectins. ITC measurements show that all three galectins bind to di- and trimeric oligomers of LacNAc-II, which are epitopes found in poly-N-acetyllactosamine chains of glycoprotein receptors, with affinity con - stants similar to that of LacNAc-II. The binding valencies of the di- and trimeric LacNAc-II oligomers were observed to be one from ITC measurements, indicating formation of 1:1 complexes with all three galectins. Thus, galectins-1, -3, and -7 all possess binding sites that primarily accommodate one LacNAc-II moiety per monomer of protein. Sialylated oligosaccharides show different specificities for the three galectins. While 2,3-sialyl LacNAc-II binds to all three galectins, 2,6-sialyl LacNAc-II fails to bind to any of the galectins; 2,6-sialylated diLacNAc binds well to galectin-3 and galectin-7, but only weakly to galectin-1. Similar results are obtained with 2,6-sialyl lacto- N-neo-tetraose, which has a reducing end lactose moiety. Thus, unlike galectin-1, which predominantly recognizes non-reducing terminal LacNAc-II residues in oligosaccharides, galectins-3 and -7 recognize both non-reducing terminal LacNAc-II residues as well as internal LacNAc-II and lactose residues in sialylated and non-sialylated oligosaccharides.
Biochemical genetic differentiation between Pomatoschistus marmoratus and P. tortonesei

Several diagnostic genetic markers were identified in Pomatoschistus marmoratus and P. tortonesei using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of allozymes. Twenty-one loci were resolved, including the electrophoretic pattern of muscle proteins. The MDH*, PGM-,2*, EST-1,2*, FUM* and PGI-2* loci exhibited different alleles which were fixed for the two species being analysed. Genetic distance, as calculated by Nei's index, showed a value of 0·413. Environmental hypersalinity, could have influenced the geographical distribution of P. tortonesei.
Differences between regional and biogeographic species pools highlight the need for multi-scale theories in macroecology

Ecologists are intrigued by the manner in which colonists from a regional pool of species es- tablish and structure local ecological communities. This has initiated several approaches to identifying the relative roles of regional and local processes. Recently, large-scale data sets and novel statistical tools have sparked renewed interest in objectively defined homogeneous species pools. At continental and global scales, these homogenous units are known as biogeographic species pools. Here we argue that the biogeographic species pool is not just a scaled-up version of the regional species pool featured in many foundational ecological theories. Instead, the processes linking local communities and regional species pools differ from those in the biogeographic species pool. To illustrate this, we distinguish be- tween regional and biogeographic species pools by overlaying species distribution data and differentiat- ing between the intersection and union of these distributions. Although patterns in the regional and bio- geographic species pools may appear self-similar across scales, the underlying mechanisms differ from those between local communities and the regional species pool. As a consequence, conventional ap- proaches of quantifying the relative role of local and regional process are inappropriate for studying the biogeographic species pool, thus highlighting the need for new multi-scale theories in macroecology.
Shell morphology of the unionid mussels (Anodonta anatina, Unio pictorum and U. tumidus) in relation to gender and trematode parasitism

Freshwater mussels (Unionoida) show great variability in shell morphology which can be associated with differences in habitat, sex and/or parasite infection. Three unionid mussel species, (Anodonta anatina, Unio pictorum and Unio tumidus) were collected from two sites Lake Saravesi, (Laukaa) and Lake Kuivasjarvi, (Oulu), between May October 2012. Intraspecific trends that were associated with the mussels’ sex and/or parasites infection were studied and observations were made on how sex and parasite infection could have a role in shells morphological characters/patterns. The study revealed a range of morphometric differences among and across populations, as well as, within and between species. The hypothesis that female growth would decrease relative to males at adult ages due to energetic cost of glochidium larvae production did not receive unequivocal support. In addition, the hypothesis of adult female shells being wider (more inflated) than that of males due to space requirements by carried glochidia was also supported only in A. anatina of Lake Kuivasjarvi but not in Lake Saravesi, or in other mussel species. Male A. anatina were higher than females in Lake Saravesi, but not in Lake Kuivasjarvi, or in other mussel species, except for U. pictorum, in which females were higher than males among the large individuals. Between species, A. anatina had the highest shell, followed by U. tumidus and U. pictorum, while U. tumidus had the widest shell, followed by U. pictorum and A. anatina. The hypothesis of trematode infected mussels being wider due to space requirements by growing parasites was supported partly: mussels infected by R. fennica were, indeed, wider than the uninfected individuals, but for mussels infected with R. campanula this pattern was not found. On the other hand, R. campanula–infected individuals were relatively longer (more elongated) than the uninfected mussels. This may indicate a parasite species specific interaction between parasitism and host mussel shell morphology.
Intake of Mast By Wildlife in Texas and the Potential for Competition with Wild Boars

Abstract In Texas, introduced wild boars (Sus scrofa) consume mast crops that are high-quality foods sought by native wildlife. Because mast often is abundant but ephemeral, competition among species is expected. Relative rates of intake among individuals can determine how much mast can be obtained and digested. Our objective was to determine intake of mast by wild boars, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu), wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), and raccoons (Procyon lotor). Trials were conducted with pods from honey mesquites (Prosopis glandulosa), acorns from live oaks (Quercus virginiana), and acorns from Shumard oaks (Quercus shumardii). Rate of intake of dry matter (g/min), rate of bites (bites/min), and size of bites (g/bite) were determined for each species. Despite their larger size, wild boars did not have consistently higher rates of intake than species of native wildlife. However, rates of intake for wild boars were among the highest for pods of honey mesquites and acorns of live oaks. Wild boars had low rates of intake for acorns of Shumard oaks, primarily because wild boars removed the shell, which increased handling time and reduced size of bite. Collared peccaries and raccoons also exhibited shelling behavior when consuming acorns, which reduced their intakes as well. White-tailed deer had relatively high rates of intake of mast compared to other species. Wild turkeys maintained the highest rates of bites for acorns of live oaks, which resulted in high rates of intake relative to body mass. The value of mast appears to be related to its size and shape, which may enable some species to attain higher rates of intake of dry matter than possible on browse and other foods. Moderate to high rates of intake of mast by wild boars, coupled with their ability to displace other species from feeding sites and obtain a higher-quality diet by discarding acorn shells should enable them to compete effectively with native species for mast.
Congenital High Airway Obstruction Syndrome (CHAOS): No Intervention, No Survival—A Case Report and Literature Review

Congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS) is complete or partial obstruction of the fetal upper airway. CHAOS is a rare and fatal condition if no perinatal intervention is done. Antenatal sonographic imaging has typical findings that can help in an early diagnosis, which is important in deciding elective termination of the pregnancy or successful planning of appropriate perinatal management.
Weed Control with Fall and Early-Preplant Herbicide Applications in No-Till Soybean1

Field studies were conducted during 1999 and 2000 to compare weed control after fall and early-preplant (EPP) herbicide applications in no-till soybean. Three residual treatments (chlorimuron plus metribuzin, chlorimuron plus sulfentrazone, and metribuzin) were applied at two rates and timings (fall and 30 d EPP) either alone or in combination with glyphosate and 2,4-D. The addition of glyphosate and 2,4-D to fall-applied residual herbicides significantly increased control of common chickweed, annual bluegrass, cressleaf groundsel, and shepherd's-purse. The effect of application rate on weed control was species dependent. Fall-applied residual herbicides were comparable with EPP treatments with respect to winter annual weed control; however, at planting control of summer annual weed species with fall treatments was less consistent compared with EPP residual herbicides. Nomenclature: Chlorimuron; glyphosate; metribuzin; sulfentrazone; 2,4-D ester; annual bluegrass, Poa annua L. #3 POAAN; common chickweed, Stellaria media L. Vill. # STEME; cressleaf groundsel, Senecio glabellus Poir. # SENGL; shepherd's-purse, Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medicus # CAPBP; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. Additional index words: AMATA, AMBEL, AMBTR, CHEAL, fall applied, LAMAM, LAMPU, no till, residual control, winter annuals. Abbreviation: EPP, early preplant.
Foraging guild influences dependence on heterospecific alarm calls in Amazonian bird flocks

Interspecific eavesdropping on alarm calling has been considered evidence that species participating in mixed-species groups benefit from reduced risk of predation. Few studies, however, have examined interspecific variation in dependence on and ability to evaluate alarm signals in mixed-species groups. We conducted a playback experiment to evaluate how species in different foraging guilds varied in their response to alarm calls of birds that lead Amazonian mixed-species flocks in both upland and inundated forests. We predicted that species that search nearby substrates myopically would react more strongly to alarm calls (i.e., take longer to resume foraging) than flycatching species that search for insects at a greater distance from a perch. We used likelihood functions to model the latency response to resume foraging for both upland and inundated forests samples, and we were able to detect significant differences among different foraging guilds. Our results indicate that flycatching birds respond weakest in both forest types, but contrary to our predictions, live-leaf gleaners showed a stronger response to alarms than dead-leaf–gleaning insectivores in inundated forest and no difference in upland forest. These results suggest that foraging guild may underlie different levels of dependence on public versus private information and, thus, the dependence of different species on heterospecific informants. These different levels of dependence on alarm calls provide a potential mechanistic basis for understanding assembly rules of flocks.
The biology of mycorrhiza in the Ericaceae

SUMMARY Measurements of the chitin content of the rooting horizons of a typical mor-humus heathland soil, indicate that chitin can contain in excess of 20% of the total nitrogen in the litter (L) horizon and 30% in the fermentation (F) horizon. Much of this chitin-nitrogen is thought to be contained in the mycelial walls of soil fungi. Experiments were therefore designed to test the hypothesis that such sources of N could be rendered accessible to the ericaceous plants by their fungal endophytes. Mycelium of the ericoid endophyte Hymenoscyphus ericae (Read) Korf & Kernan and of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus bovinus (Fr.) O. Krantze were grown in liquid culture before being killed and added either in the intact condition, or after fractionation, as sole sources of N to sterile media upon which were grown H. ericae in pure culture, or mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants of Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait. and Calluna vulgaris L. The abilities of the test organisms to utilize the nitrogen contained in the intact mycelial necromass, or in its fractions, were assessed by determining their yields and nitrogen concentrations of their tissues. It was revealed that H. ericae was able to produce significantly higher yield when grown on intact fungal necromass than when provided with equivalent concentrations of N in the form of ammonium. Its yields on mycelial fractions were lower, but still significantly greater than those obtained in the controls lacking N. Significantly greater yields and N contents were also found in the ericaceous plants grown with these nitrogenous substrates in the mycorrhizal condition. Without H. ericae they had no access to the substrates. The possible ecological implications of these results are discussed.
The R ole of Aerobic Glycolysis in the Resting Human Brain

Transient regional increases in brain activity associated with task performance result in elevated glucose metabolism greater than the corresponding increase in oxygen consumption (aerobic glycolysis). Aerobic glycolysis is also present in the resting adult brain but neither its regional pattern nor its mission is known. We studied the distribution of aerobic glycolysis in the resting human brain using positron emission tomography to measure glucose and oxygen utilization in 33 healthy young adults. The default system and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex bilaterally showed metabolic rates significantly above the brain mean and had high levels of aerobic glycolysis. However, sensory cortices, particularly primary visual cortex, while also exhibiting equally high metabolic rates, did not exhibit elevated glycolysis. The cerebellum, whose energy consumption is close to the brain mean, had the lowest levels of aerobic glycolysis. Our data demonstrates heterogenic distribution of aerobic glycolysis in the human brain and indicate that the most pronounced elevation in aerobic glycolysis occurs in regions characterized by high functional activity at the resting state.
Effects of invertebrate pests on white and annual clovers in dryland soil

Two experiments were carried out at Ruakura in soil taken from Whatawhata hill country pasture. The relative susceptibility of several annual clovers (Trifolium spp.) and perennial white clover (T. repens ) to slugs (Deroceras reticulatum), clover root weevil (Sitona lepidus) adults, native crickets (Nemobius sp.) or wheat bugs (Nysius huttoni) was tested by sowing seed of the clovers into separate rows in turf. Susceptibility of clovers to clover cyst nematode (Heterodera trifolii) was tested by sowing each clover variety into Whatawhata soil inoculated with the nematode. Plant growth was assessed in both experiments 4 weeks after sowing. White clover was more susceptible to pests than the annual clovers, with slugs and clover root weevil significantly reducing seedling survival, and clover cyst nematode significantly reducing plant growth. Subterranean clover (T. subterraneum) cv. Denmark was the least affected by pests, showing no significant reduction in survival in the presence of slugs, the most damaging pest, and no significant decrease in plant root and shoot dry weight when exposed to nematodes.
Predictive and Prognostic Role of PD-L1 in Urothelial Carcinoma Patients with Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Recently, checkpoint inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis has been shown to be therapeutically relevant in urothelial carcinoma (UC). To evaluate the predictive and prognostic value of PD-L1 on response and survival in UC patients after cystectomy, chemotherapy, or anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, a systematic review of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was performed. A total of 2154 patients from 14 published studies were included. In all UC patients after cystectomy, tumour cell (TC) PD-L1 expression was not associated with the OS or PFS. For the subset of patients with organ-confined disease, TC PD-L1 expression significantly predicted OS after cystectomy (P = 0.0004). There was no significant evidence of an association between TC PD-L1 status and ORR or OS for UC patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. For UC patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, TC PD-L1 expression ≥ 5% could predict the response (P = 0.005), but not for the 1% cut-off (P ≥ 0.05). As for PD-L1 expression in tumour-inflating immune cells (TIICs), both subsets with IC2/3 vs. IC0/1 and IC1/2/3 vs. IC0 were associated with ORR to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. In the TIIC subset, IC2/3 vs. IC0/1 of PD-L1 was associated with higher CR (P = 0.002), PR (P = 0.04), and PD (P = 0.007). Further, higher TIIC PD-L1 status benefited from longer PFS (P < 0.001), but was not associated with OS in UC patients with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Our study suggested that TIIC PD-L1 expression with 5% cut-off was valuable as a predictive and prognostic biomarker for ORR and PFS in UC patients with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.
The Asteroidea, Echinoidea, and Holothuroidea (Echinodermata) of the Mariana Islands

The asteroid, echinoid, and holothuroid faunas of the Mariana Islands are reviewed and 35, 53, and 47 species recorded, respectively. Four asteroids, 28 echinoids, and 9 holothuroids are newly recorded for the archipelago. Together with 21 crinoids (Kirkendale & Messing 2003) and 47 ophiuroids (Starmer 2003), the echinoderm fauna of the archipelago now stands at 202 species, with 196 of these known from Guam. That 41% of the echinoderms of the Marianas were hitherto undocumented demonstrates how poorly known even these large, popular, and much-studied marine invertebrates are in the tropical Pacific, even at extensively surveyed locations such as Guam. Holothuria guamensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1833 is placed in synonymy of Actinopyga mauritiana (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833).
Identification of genes preferentially expressed in testis and spermatogonial cells of Labeo rohita by subtractive and suppressive hybridization

Genetic information linked to the testicular development of Labeo rohita (rohu) could contribute towards understanding and improving breeding efficiency. A rohu testis-enriched cDNA library was generated by the subtractive and suppressive hybridization technique to identify differentially expressed genes. Two-hundred and forty differentially screened clones were sequenced and 77 non-redundant EST sequences with an average size of 0.5 kb were screened against GenBank entries. Homology analysis using the blast tool identified 35% as known genes, 40% as uncharacterized showing homology to unannotated ESTs or genomic sequences and 25% as unknown sequences. Four novel transcripts were identified in the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction expression profiles of a panel of gonadal tissues including spermatogonial and somatic tissues, three of which were transcribed exclusively in testicular spermatogonial cells, and one was expressed in both gonads. The POU50-domain-containing transcript was predominantly expressed in male germ cells. The novel transcripts could be utilized as biomarkers for fish spermatogonial cells for efficient isolation, characterization and propagation of differentiated and/or undifferentiated cells for studying the process of spermatogenesis.
Changing Paradigms in Groundwater Ecology : from the 'Living Fossils' Tradition to the 'New Groundwater Ecology'

Groundwater ecology merged during the second part of the 20 th century with modern ecological practice after having adopted the ‘ecosystem concept’. The latter was first applied to karstic systems and separately for alluvial non-consolidated aquifers along surface running waters. Today groundwater ecosystems are studied within a multi- and transdisciplinary framework at various spatial and temporal scales by experts dealing with microbiology, the ecology and systematics of meio- and macro-fauna, geochemistry, hydrogeology and mathematical modelling. A further paradigmatic change occured with the recognition that subterranean assemblages of organisms are formed by both hypogean and epigean taxa. The biological diversity in subterranean ecosystems can be much higher than earlier thought and may even exceed surface diversity in some taxa. This largely unrecognized biodiversity in many cases deserves environmental protection. A third phase in the development of groundwater ecology has occured over the last 15 years with the incorporation of socio-economic research topics within groundwater ecology (GIBERT et al., 1994a) and in this sense today we have the “New Groundwater Ecology”.
Antimicrobial Azaphilones from the Xylariaceous Inedible Mushrooms

In the course of our investigation of biologically active substances from inedible mushrooms, we studied the chemical constituents of six species belonging to the Xylariaceae family (Sardariomycetideae) and isolated various types of azaphilone derivatives, which showed moderate to strong antimicrobial activity, such as entonaemins A–C (1–3), together with (+)-mitorubrinol acetate (4), (+)-mitorubrin (5), (+)-mitorubrinol (6), and mitorubrinic acid (7) from Entonaema splendens (Hashimoto T. and Asakawa, 1998), daldinin C (8), daldinin E, F (9, 10) from Hypoxylon fuscum (Quang et al., 2004a), cohaerins A,B (11, 12) from H. cohaerens, rubiginosin A–C (13–15) from H. rubiginosum (Quang et al., 2004b), multiformins A–D (16–19) from H. multiforme, and sassafrins A–D (20–23) from Creospharea sassafras. Th eir absolute structures were elucidated by 2D NMR, MS, IR, UV, CD spectra and chemical reaction (see fi gures on following page). Th e in vitro antimicrobial activities of isolated azaphilones (1–23) at a dose of 50 μg per paper disc were tested against a panel of laboratory control strains belonging to the American Type Culture Collection, Maryland, USA: Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli 95, and fungal organisms Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Th e disc diff usion method, according to the NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards—Performance standards for antimicrobial disk susceptibility testing; 6th International Supplement, Wayne Pa. 1997: M2-A6), was employed for the determination of the antimicrobial activity of the compounds. Table 1 (see next page) summarizes the antimicrobial properties of these azaphilones. Accordingly, moderate to strong activity was observed against all tested strains. Th ese eff ects, however, appear to be nonselective, because neither fungi nor bacteria remained unaff ected by any of the azaphilone. Th ey confi rm previously reported bioactivities for other azaphilones and point toward the role of azaphilones as defense metabolites that may protect the stromata of Xylariaceae against feeding enemies or colonizing microbes.