Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Post-Transcriptional Regulation of Alpha One Antitrypsin by a Proteasome Inhibitor

Alpha one antitrypsin (α1AT), a serine proteinase inhibitor primarily produced by the liver, protects pulmonary tissue from neutrophil elastase digestion. Mutations of the SERPINA1 gene results in a misfolded α1AT protein which aggregates inside hepatocytes causing cellular damage. Therefore, inhibition of mutant α1AT production is one practical strategy to alleviate liver damage. Here we show that proteasome inhibitors can selectively downregulate α1AT expression in human hepatocytes by suppressing the translation of α1AT. Translational suppression of α1AT is mediated by phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α and increased association of RNA binding proteins, especially stress granule protein Ras GAP SH3 binding protein (G3BP1), with α1AT mRNA. Treatment of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes with a proteasome inhibitor also results in translational inhibition of mutant α1AT in a similar manner. Together we revealed a previously undocumented role of proteasome inhibitors in the regulation of α1AT translation.
Choledochal malformations in adults in the Netherlands: Results from a nationwide retrospective cohort study

Patients with a choledochal malformation, formerly described as cysts, are at increased risk of developing a cholangiocarcinoma and resection is recommended. Given the low incidence of choledochal malformation (CM) in Western countries, the incidence in these countries is unclear. Our aim was to assess the incidence of malignancy in CM patients and to assess postoperative outcome.
Characteristics of the flesh and quality of products of catfishes

Resume Fauconneau B. , M. Laroche. In: The biology and culture of catfishes. M. Legendre, J.-P. Proteau eds. Aquat. Living Resour. , 1996, Vol. 9, Hors serie, 165-179. Specificities of the structural, chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of the flesh are revicwed and related to different aspects of flesh quality. Potential for processing of catfish is high in terms of mechanization but rather low in terms of processing yields. The variability observed in body conformation traits supports the possibility to improve processing yiclds by genetic sclection. Little is known on the structure of catfish flesh but a higher cohesiveness due both to greater connective tissue strength and probably a greater homogeneity of muscle tissues is observed, compared to other freshwater species. Although the presence of adipose tissues has not been demonstrated, intermuscular adipose tissues contributes with red muscle to lipid deposits in commercial sizc. Lipid content in catfish flesh increases with age but even at commercial size it is still lower than what is reported in other cultured fish. There is however a tendency in recent years for an increase in lipid content in catfish flesh due to increased lipid content in the diet. Thus, further information on the control of lipid deposits is required in future especially in a view to improve taste and processing yields. The lipid composition of neutral lipids reflects that of the diet with high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and a low w31w6 ratio. Flesh colour is very subtle but it could be controlled either by the use of pigment supplemenrution in the diet or by rearing non pigmented catfish. Other physical characteristics of the flesh are very stable during the cooking process. Cooked flesh has a relatively low water-holding capacity and a low resistance to mechanical stress (compression, extrusion) thus contributing to the juiciness and tendemess of the flesh. The sensory characteristics of the flesh are somewhat neutral but consuiners are able to detect the specific characteristics of different species such as Channel catfish, African catfish and European catfish. Significant efforts to standardize the sensory evaluation of Channel catfish have been made in the USA but flavor and aroma of catfish seem to be more related to the fish itself than to other factors such as the diet composition. New data is available on off-flavors related to geosmin and methyl-iso-borneol. Specific control of the phytoplankton species which produce these compounds appears to be possible. Storage on ice affects the flesh acceptability as it does for other fish species, but catfish flesh seems to be stable at least physically during freezing. Traditional processing is used for preservation of the flesh. New processing methods have been tested for the diversification of catfish products or to produce substitutes for other animal products. Catfishes are generally shown to be suitable for processing.
Recombinant Antibody Technology

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Light Processable Starch Hydrogels

Light processable hydrogels were successfully fabricated by utilizing maize starch as raw material. To render light processability, starch was gelatinized and methacrylated by simple reaction with methacrylic anhydride. The methacrylated starch was then evaluated for its photocuring reactivity and 3D printability by digital light processing (DLP). Hydrogels with good mechanical properties and biocompatibility were obtained by direct curing from aqueous solution containing lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate (LAP) as photo-initiator. The properties of the hydrogels were tunable by simply changing the concentration of starch in water. Photo-rheology showed that the formulations with 10 or 15 wt% starch started curing immediately and reached G’ plateau after only 60 s, while it took 90 s for the 5 wt% formulation. The properties of the photocured hydrogels were further characterized by rheology, compressive tests, and swelling experiments. Increasing the starch content from 10 to 15 wt% increased the compressive stiffness from 13 to 20 kPa. This covers the stiffness of different body tissues giving promise for the use of the hydrogels in tissue engineering applications. Good cell viability with human fibroblast cells was confirmed for all three starch hydrogel formulations indicating no negative effects from the methacrylation or photo-crosslinking reaction. Finally, the light processability of methacrylated starch by digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing directly from aqueous solution was successfully demonstrated. Altogether the results are promising for future application of the hydrogels in tissue engineering and as cell carriers
Performance Degradation Assessment of Concrete Beams Based on Acoustic Emission Burst Features and Mahalanobis—Taguchi System

Acoustic emission (AE) has been used extensively for structural health monitoring based on the stress waves generated due to evolution of cracks in concrete structures. A major concern while using AE features is that each of them responds differently to the fractures in concrete structures. To tackle this problem, Mahalanobis—Taguchi system (MTS) is utilized, which fuses the AE feature space to provide comprehensive and reliable degradation indicator with a feature selection method to determine useful features. Further, majority of the existing investigations gave little attention to naturally occurring cracks, which are actually more difficult to detect. In this study, a novel degradation indicator (DI) based on AE features and MTS is proposed to indicate the performance degradation in reinforced concrete beams. The experimental results confirm that the MTS can successfully distinguish between healthy and faulty conditions. To alleviate the noise from the DI obtained through MTS, a noise-removal strategy based on Chebyshev inequality is suggested. The results show that the proposed DI based on AE features and MTS is capable of detecting early stage cracks as well as development of damage in concrete beams.
Weed suppression in sustainable integrated agricultural systems.

Development of integrated agricultural systems emerged in order to increase production and promote several long-term benefits. We aimed to evaluate weed dynamics in agricultural integrated production systems in Brazil, through an experiment implemented in 2009 at Embrapa Western Agriculture, in the city of Ponta Pora, Brazil, with 10 treatments, being two areas under no-till planting system; one conventional tillage area; one forest production area; two crop-livestock integration areas, and four crop-livestock-forest integration areas. Evaluations were performed in the early post-emergence of the 2011/12 cropping season, in completely randomized design. A quadrat with 0.5 m side was released randomly 10 times in each area, and weeds inside each quadrat were counted and collected for determination of dry mass, being estimated the density, frequency, dominance and importance value of each species in each cropping system. Areas were intra- analyzed for diversity by the coefficients of Simpson and Shannon- Weiner, and compared among them for similarity of species by Jaccard's coefficient, being areas grouped by multivariate cluster analysis. The overall most important weed species in the area were Bidens pilosa, Commelina benghalensis, Digitaria horizontalis and Raphanus sativus; there was change in the number and species of individuals according to management type, being broadleaved species predominant. Areas planted with Brachiaria were less infested by weeds. The cultivation of corn intercropped with B. brizantha cv. Xaraes in the second cropping season, post-soybean, between rows of Eucalyptus (Integration Crop-Livestock-Forest - iCLF) proved as the best option to reduce the incidence of weeds in long-term sustainable cropping systems.
Qualitative and Quantitative Phytochemical Analysis in Four Pteridophytes

The objective of the present study was to find out the presence of phytochemicals in the aqueous, ethanol and petroleum ether extracts of four ferns Actinopteris radiata, Drynaria quercifolia, Dryopteris cochleata and Pityrogramma calomelanos by both qualitative and quantitative screening methods. In qualitative analysis, the phytochemical compounds such as Tannins, Saponins, Flavonoids, Quinones, Phenols, Terpenoids, Alkaloids, Glycosides, Cardio glycosides, Coumarins, Betacyanin, Anthocyanin and Steroids were screened. In quantitative analysis, the phytochemical compounds such as Total Tannin and Total Phenol were quantified. The ethanolic fern extract performed well to show positivity rather than aqueous and petroleum ether fern extracts for the 13 phytochemical qualitative tests. Ethanolic extract showed strong positivity for all 13 phytochemical tests. Aqueous fern extract showed positivity for the phytochemical tests in the four ferns. Petroleum ether fern extracts showed almost negativity in the four fern species studied. Ethanolic fern extract showed strong positivity for phenol and tannin in all the four fern species. In quantitative analysis the important secondary metabolite for Anthelmintic activity such as total phenol and total tannin content were tested. The ethanolic fern extract of total tannin and total phenol content were highest in Pityrogramma calomelanos and least in Drynaria quercifolia. More active compounds will be isolated from the selected fern and a comparative study should be analyzed for medicinal purpose in future
Molecular Genetic Characterization of Moti Native Duck Using RAPD Markers

Abstract Alyethodi, R.R. , Kumar, S. , Panda, B.K. , Singh, P., Jaiswal, G. and Choudhary, S. 2010. Molecular genetic characterization of Moti native duck using RAPD markers. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 37: 19–23. The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to detect polymorphism in Moti native duck, a native breed of Orissa. Twenty one random primers were screened, out of which 17generated reproducible amplification patterns. RAPD-PCR analysis generated a total of 127 bands, 89 of them were polymorphic. The sizes of resolvable amplified products ranged from 210 to 1740 bp and their number was 5.8±0.23 bands per individual. The level of polymorphism with different primers ranged from 42.9 with BG-77 to 100% with BG-27 primers. Index estimated on the basis of average band frequencies for different primers was 0.77±0.02. Significant genetic polymorphism in Moti breed of native ducks has been demonstrated, which can be further exploited for biodiversity analysis in ducks.
Women learn more from local than global examples of the biological impacts of climate change

Are students influenced more by analyzing local or global examples of the biological impacts of climate change? Using a randomized trial in a large, introductory undergraduate biology course, we found that a single in-class activity led to a 45% increase in the frequency of correct answers on a test of conceptual understanding. Additionally, after completion of the activity, students more strongly believed that climate change would alter their lives, were more willing to modify their own behavior, and indicated more support for government action to address climate change. There was also a robust gender effect on the influence of local versus global examples: females learned better if they studied local examples. Women reported greater willingness to alter their behavior than men, and students with higher university grades were more likely to support government action to mitigate climate change. Our findings support the use of local examples in curricula and illustrate the power of large, randomized trials.
Lighting Up: Analysis Of Yeast RAS Genes Using A Chemiluminescent Southern Blot Procedure

Karen is a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Introductory Molecular Biology Teaching Laboratories in the Department of Molecular Biology. She received her Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Minnesota and conducted postdoctoral research in prokaryotic gene regulation at the University of California, San Diego, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In 1984, she moved to the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University as a member of the research faculty and has studied gene expression in the yeast plasmid, 2 micron circle, since then. Her current duties include directing, developing and teaching undergraduate laboratories in molecular biology for students majoring in both the sciences and the humanities. She also directs summer workshops for secondary school science teachers in New Jersey and Princeton students.
Functional analysis of the CNS-specific F-box protein FBXO41 in cerebellar development

Neurodevelopment is a highly dynamic process governed by the tight orchestration of events such as neurogenesis, neuronal migration, morphogenesis and synaptogenesis that ultimately shape the brain. These neurodevelopmental events are tightly regulated by the interplay of cell-extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms. Over the past decades, the ubiquitin proteasome system has emerged as an intrinsic regulator of neurodevelopment as well as disease. In this study, I explored the function of the CNS-specific F-box protein FBXO41 in vivo and established it as a key regulator of cerebellar development. I found that loss of FBXO41 results in a severely ataxic and uncoordinated gait in mice, along with impaired granule neuron migration, neurodegeneration and axon growth defects in the cerebellum. In addition, I identified FBXO41 as the second F-box protein to form an SCF-like E3 ligase complex with cullin7. Furthermore, I discovered that FBXO41-Cul7 non-proteolytically ubiquitinates the cytoskeletal protein neurofilament medium polypeptide (NFM), thereby stabilizing it. Last but not the least, I uncovered that FBXO41-Cul7 operates upstream of NFM in the pathway of axon growth regulation. Collectively, my study has uncovered the function of FBXO41 in cerebellar development and has identified FBXO41-Cul7 as a novel E3 ligase providing the first insights into its ligase activity and axon growth regulation.
Determinants of native and alien species richness in the urban flora of Rome

Until now, analytical studies on European urban floras have mostly concentrated on the central and north‐western parts of the continent. In this paper, factors determining species richness of urban flora were studied for the city of Rome, Italy, based on a comprehensive floristic survey carried out between 1985 and 1994, and updated in 2005. All species were recorded in grid cells of 1.6 km2 and classified into native and alien (the latter divided into archaeophytes and neophytes). The grids were classified with respect to the prevailing habitat type, area available to vegetation, level of disturbance and geographical position within the city. Data were analysed using minimal adequate models. Total species number was determined by habitat and its interaction with position on the north‐west gradient; other variables explained much less variance. Holding other variables constant, the average species number per grid cell was highest in archaeological sites and parks, followed by woodlands and rivers, and grasslands and recent developments. Residential areas and the historical centre were poorest in species number. Towards the north of the city, species richness in corresponding habitats increases because of higher landscape heterogeneity and closer association with diaspore pools in the surroundings. Native species make up on average 84% of the total species numbers, and trends opposite to those for the total number of species were found for the proportional representation of aliens. The occurrence of alien and native species in the flora of Rome is driven by similar factors, but factors that increase representation of aliens decrease that of natives and vice versa. The representation of neophytes and native species in grid cells was easier to explain (74% of variation accounted for) than that of archaeophytes (27%); this result reflects that in terms of ecology and response to factors, archaeophytes take an intermediate position between native plants and neophytes. Proportional representation of neophytes decreased with increasing area available to vegetation, reflecting that semi‐natural vegetation is better developed where less fragmented.
Shrimps of the family Atyidae from Guam, Mariana Islands

There are at least 6 species of atyid shrimp found on the island of Guam, including one undescribed species. Probably only two species have previously been recorded correctly from the island. Specimens were collected from a wide range of locations and habitat types, including inland freshwater, brackish and anchialine. Most of them are widespread in the Indo-Pacific region. Atyoida pilipes was the most common atyid in collections. Guam’s stream atyids are considered amphidromous, developing in the marine environment as larvae and living in freshwater as adults. Reproduction for the hypogeal species is less well understood. Although some of the species mentioned in this paper are new records for the island, all recorded species are considered native to Guam.
Elachistine Moths of Australia: (lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Elachistidae)

Elachistine moths are the World’s most species-rich group of Lepidoptera that specialise on monocotyledon plants, especially grasses and sedges. This volume is the first reference to describe the so-far unknown diversity of these leaf-mining moths in Australia. It provides a new generic classification for the group on a worldwide basis, and describes in detail the genera and species that occur in Australia. Keys to genera and species, as well as generic, subgeneric and species group descriptions are given, richly supplied with illustrations of larvae, pupae and adult moths. In addition, the external appearance and the male and female genitalia of all species are described. The volume contains redescriptions of all 11 previously named valid species, and descriptions of no less than 137 species new to science, of which 128 are formally named, increasing the known species richness of Australian Elachistinae by more than an order of magnitude. The diverse Australian Elachisine fauna is nearly entirely endemic, and concentrates on the more humid coastal and montane regions. Given the wealth of biological information, the book provides a basis for conservation consideration of Elachistinae, many of which are dependent on diminishing fragments of suitable habitat.
Advances in control of postharvest diseases in tropical fresh produce

With increased global trade, fresh produce is increasingly being moved over vast distances to foreign markets. This requires effective cold chain and product management practices to ensure premium quality fresh produce with increased shelf life. Product safety has now also become an additional minimum requirement for market entry. Producers should therefore take cognisance of the impact postharvest treatments and practices have on product quality and safety in a more holistic approach. Traditionally, exporters relied heavily on agricultural chemicals to provide effective crop protection. However, with global chemophobia, producers have to be more resilient in terms of alternative postharvest treatments. This paper will deal with examples of new advances in the control of postharvest diseases of tropical produce. Treatments evaluated in our studies included biological, physical and integrated control. These proved effective against a range of postharvest pathogens of citrus and subtropical crops.