Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Winter Bird Use of Urban and Rural Habitats in Ontario

This study examined variation in winter bird diversity, abundance, biomass and species and guild composition on plots in farmland, rural forests, mixed rural habitat, cities and three categories of urban natural areas in southern Ontario. Small (<20 g), insectivorous, upper canopy, bark foraging and forest species were more prevalent in rural mixed habitat, urban natural areas and especially rural forests. Larger (20-100 g), ground feeding and omnivorous birds typified cities and farms. Many bird species classified as forest, forest edge and field species during summer also favored these same habitats during winter. The 52 sample plots can be accurately classified into the seven habitat categories through discriminant analysis using the percentages of small species, insectivores, forest species and alien species. Urban natural areas, forests and mixed rural habitat showed the highest diversity while cities and farms showed the lowest diversity. Both bird abundance and biomass were highest in urban natural areas with open water and urban residential and commercial areas, whereas both were lowest in farmland.
Reproductive interactions between wild and farmed Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Conservation and ecological implications

v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x 1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 THESIS OBJECTIVES 7 1.2 REFERENCES 8 2.0 SPERM TRAIT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WILD AND FARMED CHINOOK SALMON (ONCORHYNCHUS TSHAWYTSCHA) 16 2.
Purines. XXXIV. : 3-Methyladenosine and 3-Methyl-2'-deoxyadenosine : Their Synthesis, Glycosidic Hydrolysis, and Ring Fission

The first syntheses of 3-methyladenosine (3a) and 3-methyl-2'-deoxyadenosine (3b), both in the form of the p-toluenesulfonate salt, have been achieved through two parallel 6-step routes starting from adenosine (5a) and 2'-deoxyadenosine (5b), which are based on the "fission and reclosure" technology for modification of the adenine ring. These 3-methyladenine nucleosides (3a, b·TsOH) were very unstable under not only acidic but also alkaline conditions. At pH 1 and 25°C, 3a·TsOH (half-life 17 min) underwent glycosidic hydrolysis (depurinylation) some thousand times faster than did adenosine (5a) itself. At pH 3.34 and 25°C, the 2-deoxyribosyl analogue 3b·TsOH (half-life 2.7 min) was depurinylated 370 times more rapidly than the ribosyl analogue 3a·TsOH (half-life 1010 min). The glycosidic bond of the imidazole 2-deoxyriboside 11b, an intermediate for the present synthesis of 3b·TsOH, was also hydrolyzed easily at pH 1 and room temperature. In H2O at pH 8.32 and 25°C, 3a·TsOH readily underwent ring opening in the pyrimidine moiety and came to equilibrium with the (N-methylformamido)imidazole derivative 10a, which was further deformylated under more alkaline conditions. The ring opening was ca. 30 times as fast as that of 1-methyladenosine (17). In H2O at pH 8.98 and 25°C, the 2-deoxyribosyl analogue 3b·TsOH underwent not only similar ring opening but also glycosidic hydrolysis competitively. The possible factors responsible for the high reactivity of 3a·TsOH are discussed on the basis of its X-ray crystal structure.
Activity of cytisine and its brominated isosteres on recombinant human α7, α4β2 and α4β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Effects of cytisine (cy), 3‐bromocytisine (3‐Br‐cy), 5‐bromocytisine (5‐Br‐cy) and 3,5‐dibromocytisine (3,5‐diBr‐cy) on human (h) α7‐, α4β2‐ and α4β4 nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors, expressed in Xenopus oocytes and cell lines, have been investigated. Cy and its bromo‐isosteres fully inhibited binding of both [α‐125I]bungarotoxin ([α‐125I]BgTx) to hα7‐ and [3H]cy to hα4β2‐ or hα4β4‐nACh receptors. 3‐Br‐cy was the most potent inhibitor of both [α‐125I]BgTx and [3H]cy binding. Cy was less potent than 3‐Br‐cy, but 5‐Br‐cy and 3,5‐diBr‐cy were the least potent inhibitors. Cy and 3‐Br‐cy were potent full agonists at hα7‐nACh receptors but behaved as partial agonists at hα4β2‐ and hα4β4‐nACh receptors. 5‐Br‐cy and 3,5‐diBr‐cy had low potency and were partial agonists at hα7‐ and hα4β4‐nACh receptors, but they elicited no responses on hα4β2‐nACh receptors. Cy and 3‐Br‐cy produced dual dose–response curves (DRC) at both hα4β2‐ and hα4β4‐nACh receptors, but ACh produced dual DRC only at hα4β2‐nACh receptors. Low concentrations of cy, 3‐Br‐cy and 5‐Br‐cy enhanced ACh responses of oocytes expressing hα4β2‐nACh receptors, but at high concentrations they inhibited the responses. In contrast, 3,5‐diBr‐cy only inhibited, in a competitive manner, ACh responses of hα4β2‐nACh receptors. It is concluded that bromination of the pyridone ring of cy produces marked changes in effects of cy that are manifest as nACh receptor subtype‐specific differences in binding affinities and in functional potencies and efficacies.
MITOCHONDRIAL AND NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF PHENELZINE RELATED TO SCAVENGING OF NEUROTOXIC LIPID PEROXIDATION PRODUCTS

OF DISSERTATION MITOCHONDRIAL AND NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF PHENELZINE RELATED TO SCAVENGING OF NEUROTOXIC LIPID PEROXIDATION PRODUCTS Lipid peroxidation is a key contributor to the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Traditional antioxidant therapies are intended to scavenge the free radicals responsible for either the initiation or propagation of lipid peroxidation (LP). However, targeting free radicals after TBI is difficult as they rapidly react with other cellular macromolecules, and thus has a limited post-injury time window in which they may be intercepted by a radical scavenging agent. In contrast, our laboratory has begun testing an antioxidant approach that scavenges the final stages of LP i.e. formation of carbonyl-containing breakdown products. By scavenging breakdown products such as the highly reactive and neurotoxic aldehydes (often referred to as “carbonyls”) 4hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and acrolein (ACR), we are able to prevent the covalent modification of cellular proteins that are largely responsible for posttraumatic neurodegeneration. Without intervention, carbonyl additions render cellular proteins non-functional which initiates the loss of ionic homeostasis, mitochondrial failure, and subsequent neuronal death. Phenelzine (PZ) is an FDA-approved monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor traditionally used for the treatment of depression. Phenelzine also possesses a hydrazine functional group capable of covalently binding neurotoxic carbonyls. The hypothesis of this dissertation is that carbonyl scavenging with PZ will exert an antioxidant neuroprotective effect in the traumatically injured rat brain mechanistically related to PZ’s hydrazine moiety reacting with the lipid peroxidation (LP)-derived reactive aldehydes 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and acrolein (ACR). Data from our ex vivo experiments demonstrate that the exogenous application of 4-HNE or ACR significantly reduced respiratory function and increased markers of oxidative damage in isolated non-injured rat cortical mitochondria, whereas PZ pre-treatment significantly prevented mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative modification of mitochondrial proteins in a concentration-related manner. Additionally, PZ’s neuroprotective scavenging mechanism was confirmed to require the presence of a hydrazine moiety based on experiments with a structurally similar MAO inhibitor, pargyline, which lacks the hydrazine group and did not protect the isolated mitochondria from 4-HNE and ACR. Our in vivo work demonstrates that subcutaneous injections of PZ following TBI in the rat are able to significantly protect brain mitochondrial respiratory function, decrease markers of oxidative damage, protect mitochondrial calcium buffering capacity, and increase cortical tissue sparing without decreasing neuronal cytoskeletal spectrin degradation. These results confirm that PZ is capable of protecting mitochondrial function and providing neuroprotection after experimental TBI related to scavenging of neurotoxic LP degradation products.
Stimulation of the Fibrillar Collagen and Heat Shock Proteins by Nicotinamide or Its Derivatives in Non-Irradiated or UVA Radiated Fibroblasts, and Direct Anti-Oxidant Activity of Nicotinamide Derivatives

In skin aging, from intrinsic factors or exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, there is loss of structural fibrillar collagen and regulatory heat shock proteins. Phenolic compounds, with hydroxyl groups attached to an aromatic ring, have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Nicotinamide is an amide derivative of niacin or vitamin B3, with an amide linked to an aromatic ring, with UV absorptive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cell death/apoptosis properties. The goal of this research was to investigate the anti-skin aging mechanism of nicotinamide and its derivatives, 2,6-dihydroxynicotinamide, 2,4,5,6-tetrahydroxynicotinamide, and 3-hydroxypicolinamide (collectively niacin derivatives), through the stimulation of fibrillar collagens (type I, III and V, at protein and/or promoter levels) and the expression of heat shock proteins (HSP)-27, 47, 70, and 90 in non-irradiated or UVA radiated dermal fibroblasts; and from its direct antioxidant activity. UVA radiation inhibited the expression of types I and III collagen, and HSP-47 in dermal fibroblasts. The niacin derivatives significantly and similarly stimulated the expression of types I (transcriptionally), III and V collagens in non-irradiated, and UVA radiated fibroblasts indicating predominant effects. The 2,6-dihydroxynicotinamide had greater stimulatory effect on types I and III collagen in the non-irradiated, and UVA radiated fibroblasts, as well as greater direct antioxidant activity than the other niacin derivatives. The niacin derivatives, with a few exceptions, stimulated the expression of HSP-27, 47, 70 and 90 in non-irradiated, and UVA radiated fibroblasts. However, they had varied effects on the expression of the different HSPs in non-irradiated, and UVA radiated fibroblasts indicating non-predominant, albeit stimulatory, effect. Overall, nicotinamide and its derivatives have anti skin aging potential through the stimulation of fibrillar collagen and HSPs.
Turnover intention among relationship managers in selected local banks in Malaysia

Employee turnover is a topic that generates much interest in the academia and the industry alike. Since employee turnover is a costly problem for any organisation, it needs to be addressed. This study investigated this issue by considering the turnover intention and not the actual turnover because the former is argued to be a precursor to the latter. Hence, to address turnover, the management needs to understand why employees develop turnover intention. This study was conducted on the Relationship Managers (RMs) of selected local banks in Malaysia. To investigate the turnover intention of the RMs, the push-pull model was used. The push factors included role conflict, work overload and licensing status while the pull factors included career advancement and salary. Both an online and an offline survey were carried out to collect the data. A total of four hundred and fifty-two survey questionnaires were distributed, but only 136 valid questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 33.2%. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Of the push factors, only workload was found to be positively associated with turnover intention. Career advancement, one of the pull factors, was shown to be negatively related to turnover intention. Of the overall factors, work overload was found to be the best predictor of the RMs’ turnover intention to leave. The study recommends that the bank management revisit the current practices of establishing workload and implement effective career paths for RMs. The limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Efeitos de reguladores de crescimento na elongação do colmo de trigo - DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron.v32i1.943

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of doses and times of application of three growth regulators on wheat stem elongation. The experiments were conducted in Vicosa, Minas Gerais State, from May to September 2005, in a factorial and hierarchical randomized block design with four repetitions and a control treatment. Treatments consisted of 500, 1000 and 1500 g ha -1 of chlormequat; 62.5, 125.0 and 187.5 g ha -1 of trinexapac-ethyl and 40, 80 and 120 g ha -1 of paclobutrazol, applied either at the 6 or 8 stage of the Feeks and Large scale, with a control. Stem length with trinexapac-ethyl was smaller than with chlormequat, which was in its turn smaller than with paclobutrazol. Application of growth regulators at stage 1 produced shorter basal internodes, whereas the stage 2 application caused greater reduction in the peduncle. The increase in chlormequat and trinexapac-ethyl doses reduced length of stem and its parts. The increase in paclobutrazol doses had very small effects on wheat growth and its parts.
Physiological and nutrimental responses of rice varieties to aluminium concentration

Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo. Km 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco. 56230, Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de México. Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Córdoba. Km 348 Carretera Córdoba-Veracruz. 94946, Amatlán de los Reyes, Veracruz, Tel. : 01 (55) 58 04 59 11, Fax: 01 (55) 58 04 59 12. Campo Agrícola Experimental Zacatepec, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias. Km 0.5 Carretera Zacatepec-Galeana. 62780, Zacatepec, Morelos.
An array of responses to insect feeding in Brassica

De resultaten in dit proefschrift laten zien dat intra- en interspecifieke variatie tussen Brassicaplanten een sterk effect hebben op de groei van plantenetende insecten en op de transcriptiereacties van de plant na aanval door insecten, zowel in de kas als in het veld. Het combineren van onderzoek naar transcriptieprofielen van de plant en de groei van insecten, draagt bij aan het beter begrijpen van de interactie tussen Brassicaplanten en plantenetende insecten. Dit proefschrift vormt de basis voor het verder onderzoeken van directe verdedigingsmechanismen van witte kool
Wheat straw as ruminant feed : effect of supplementation and ammonia treatment on voluntary intake and nutrient availability

This thesis describes the results of experiments with goats, sheep and cattle fed untreated or ammonia-treated wheat straw. Aim of the experiments was to identify factors limiting voluntary intake and digestion of these low-quality feeds. Supplementation of urea to untreated wheat straw increased in vitro degradation if the ammonia-nitrogen concentration in the substrate was below 60-100 mg/l. No effect of urea supplementation to untreated wheat straw on digestion was observed in sheep and goats. Voluntary straw intake increased, however, in goats, but not in sheep when urea was supplemented to untreated wheat straw. Ammonia treatment increased intake and digestion in sheep as well as in cattle. The increased rumen turnover as a result of ammonia treatment was associated with an increased potentially degradable fraction of the ingested straw. The fractional rate of passage, estimated from the faecal excretion pattern of Cr-NDF and the fractional rate of degradation derived from in sacco studies were not much affected by ammonia treatment. Validation of these rate constants of passage and degradation by model estimates derived from a rumen evacuation study showed that the in sacco rate of degradation underestimated and that the rate of passage derived from the faecal excretion pattern of Cr-NDF overestimated the actual values. Digestible energy intake from untreated and ammonia-treated wheat straw by sheep and cattle were equalized by scaling to liveweight 0.946 . There were strong indications that maintenance requirements Accrues sheep and cattle were related to liveweight to an exponent lower than 0.9. Cattle were therefore more efficient with regard to utilization of rations based on untreated and ammonia-treated wheat straw than sheep. Although ammonia treatment resulted in a considerably increased digestible energy intake, the availability of amino acids for absorption from the small intestine remained relatively low as a consequence of a low efficiency of rumen microbial protein synthesis and a low duodenal flow of rumen undegraded dietary amino acids. Supplementation of casein, a protein of a high rumen degradability or of potato protein of a relatively low rumen degradability, to ammonia-treated wheat straw increased the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis, whereas potato protein also increased the duodenal flow of undegraded dietary amino acids. Casein supplementation resulted in substitution of straw by the supplement intake, whereas digestible energy intake increased as a result of potato protein supplementation. It was concluded that voluntary digestible energy intake of rations based on wheat straw was primarily limited by the duodenal availability of protein and not by the rumen processing capacity.
INVESTIGATION OF PHANEROCHAETE CHRYSOSPORIUM AND CLOSTRIDIUM THERMOCELLUM FOR IMPROVED SACCHARIFICATION OF LIGNOCELLULOSE UNDER NONSTERILE CONDITIONS

OF THESIS INVESTIGATION OF PHANEROCHAETE CHRYSOSPORIUM AND CLOSTRIDIUM THERMOCELLUM FOR IMPROVED SACCHARIFICATION OF LIGNOCELLULOSE UNDER NONSTERILE CONDITIONS Current research efforts are directed at developing competitive processes that can utilize lignocellulose as a feedstock for biorefineries. The purpose of this study was to investigate methods of processing lignocellulosic material so that its monosacharides can be more easily accessed for fermentation, the lack of which is hindering the economics and widescale adoption of lignocellulosic biorefining. The monosaccharides are of interest because they can be used by Clostridium beijerinckii downstream of P. chrysosporium and C. thermocellum in a sequential bioprocess to produce butanol. Butanol is an attractive biofuel because it can be utilized without modifying current transportation infrastructure. Butanol is also used as a starting material in organic synthesis. In the first study, the potential for C. thermocellum' s (ATCC 27405) cellulase system to operate outside its optimal temperature range in a high-solids environments was assessed by quantification of the fermentation products lactate, acetate, and ethanol and by quantification of xylose, glucose, and cellobiose remaining. Additionally, the lignin degrading white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium RP 78 was investigated as a potential pretreatment for lignocellulose. Elevated temperatures required for Clostridium thermocellum fermentation were examined as a means to improve poor competiveness that is characteristic of P. chrysosporium on unsterile corn stover substrate.
Collins and Lyne's microbiological methods

Safety in microbiology quality assurance laboratory equipment sterilization, disinfection and the treatment of infected material culture media cultural methods identification methods automated methods mycological methods counting methods clinical materials antimicrobial susceptibility tests food poisoning and food-borne disease food microbiology: general principles meat and poultry fresh, preserved and extended shelf life foods fresh fish, shellfish and crustaceans milk, dairy produce, eggs and ice cream environmental microbiology water microbiology key to common aerobic non-sporing gram-negative bacilli pseudomonas acinetobacter, flavobacteria, chromobacterium and acetic acid bacteria vibrio, plesiomonas, shewanella and aeromonas key to the enterobacteria escherichia, citrobacter, klebsiella and enterobacter edwardsiella, edwinia, hafnia and serratia salmonella and shigella proteus, providencia and morganella key to miscellaneous aerobic non-sporing gram-negative bacilli of medical importance brucella, bordetella and moraxella haemophilus, gardnerella and streptobacillus campylobacter and helicobacter actinobacillus, pasteurella, yersinia, cardiobacterium and francisella legionella, bartonella and mobiluncus staphylococcus and micrococcus streptococcus, enterococcus, aerococcus, leuconostoc and pediococcus lactobacillus and erysipelothrix corynebactera listeria, kurthia and brocothrix neisseria and branhamella bacillus gram-negative anaerobic bacilli and cocci closridium mycobacterium nocardia, actinomadura, streptomyces and rhodococcus actinmyces, propionibacterium and bifidobacterium spirochaetes mycoplasmas yeasts common mould pathogenic moulds.
New combinations in Acmispon (Leguminosae, Loteae).

Seven new combinations in Acmispon Raf. are proposed. The diagnostic characters and tribal position of the genus are discussed. A complete list of accepted Acmispon species is presented. The genus comprises eight species belonging to two sections. Seven species occur in North America, with the center of diversity along the west coast, primarily in California. One species is endemic to Chile.
A short course in bacterial genetics

MOLECULAR CLONING A LABORATORY MANUAL, SECOND EDITION J. Sambrook, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; E.F. Fritsch, Genetics Institute; T. Maniatis, Harvard University "The [second edition] of Molecular Cloning is indeed an impressive achievement. Its growth in size alone bears witness to the explosion in molecular techniques. This ex­ pansion reflects more comprehensive coverage of topics previously included in the first edition as well as the addition of new chapters, such as those on oligonucleotide probes and mutagenesis, in vitro amplification by the polymerase chain reaction, expression of cloned genes in Escherichia coli and mammalian cells, and analysis of proteins ex­ pressed from cloned genes. Particularly noteworthy are the sections dealing with con­ struction of complementary DNA and genomic libraries. Current tendencies to 'clone by kit' and 'clone by phone' aside, these sections provide thoughtful accounts of different approaches with a balanced view of their inherent strengths and weaknesses. As with the previous edition, the protocols are presented in a pleasing, easy-to-read format. Molecular Cloning is of truly exceptional value. By virtue of its heritage and modest cost, it is likely to be more widely used by students at all stages of development. ''^^^^^g