Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Culture of Bacillus larvae from bulk honey samples for the detection of American foulbrood

SUMMARYA method is described for the detection of American foulbrood (AFB) outbreaks, based on the culture of bulk honey samples for Bacillus larvae spores and traceback to hives from which infected honey was extracted. The procedures, which involve the centrifugation of honey, heat treatment of the sediment and culture on to sheep blood agar containing nalidixic acid, also provide an efficient means of locating AFB infection sources where signs of AFB may not be evident. The method was used to examine 505 honey samples (each approximately 125 ml) obtained from 200-litre drums at three packing plants in Australia. B. larvae was identified in 63 samples which had come from 52 of the 315 beekeepers involved. Of these 52, five were aware of the presence of AFB in their colonies, 18 were unaware of its presence, 12 had a history of AFB but were free of it at the time of the investigation, and 17 had neither a recent history of AFB or any colonies showing signs of the disease.
Antiretroviral therapy and genetic predisposition: Cofactors contributing to the lipodystrophy syndrome

The TNF-α-238G/A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) independently increases the risk of lipodystrophy progression. The current study evaluates the contribution of the different antiretroviral treatments (ART) regimens administered to HIV infected individuals in Pune to the development of lipodystrophy and insulin resistance in patients having TNF-α-238G/A polymorphism. A total of 172 HIV-1 infected patients were enrolled in the study and were subdivided into patients with [HIV+LIPODYS+ (cases)] and without lipodystrophy [HIV+LIPODYS- (controls)]. We assessed the contribution of the typical 2NRTI+1 NNRTI based ART regimens prescribed in our clinics with the development of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in both the above study group. A significantly higher percentage of patients with lipodystrophy expressed the TNF-α-238G/A polymorphism. Significant correlations were observed between Adiponectin, TNF-α protein levels and type of ART-ART regimen. Our results showed that the NNRTI efavirenz contributed more to the lipodystrophy syndrome as compared to other antiretroviral drugs tested. The TNF-α 238G/A SNP contributes to changes in insulin sensitivity and lipodystrophy. Key words: HIV-1, antiretroviral drugs, single nucleotide polymorphism, lipodystrophy, dyslipidemia, adiponectin, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome.
Phenotyping genetic differences in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 after an alcohol challenge in humans

Inefficient aldehyde metabolism by an aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) genetic variant, ALDH2*2 (rs671), increases the risk of esophageal cancer with alcohol consumption. Here we tested the hypothesis that additional genetic differences in ALDH2 besides ALDH2*2 exist resulting in inefficient acetaldehyde metabolism after alcohol consumption. Human volunteers were recruited who self-reported flushing after alcohol. The first stage recruited East Asians and the second stage non-East Asians. After phone screening and ALDH2 sequencing, volunteers were subjected to an alcohol challenge (0.25g/kg). Physiological parameters and breath acetaldehyde levels were assessed. Twenty-six participants were given an alcohol challenge. In the first stage, when comparing the ALDH2*1/*2 genotype to ALDH2*1/*1 genotype, tachycardia (104{+/-}3* versus 73{+/-}4 beats per minute), increases in facial skin temperature (99.6{+/-}0.4* versus 95.9{+/-}0.50F), and increases in breath acetaldehyde (peak: 2.1{+/-}0.4* versus 0.2{+/-}0.3ppm, n=8/group, *p<0.01) occurred after alcohol consumption. In the second stage, heterozygotes for an ALDH2 intron variant (rs4646777, G>A) caused increases in facial skin temperature (98{+/-}1* versus 94{+/-}1 OF, n=4, *p<0.01) without tachycardia or acetaldehyde accumulation after alcohol consumption. Subjects self-identifying as non-East Asian genotyped with an ALDH2*1/*2 variant also displayed a characteristic ALDH2*1/*2 phenotype after alcohol consumption. Further, ALDH2 point mutations rs747096195 (R101G) and rs190764869 (R114W) showed reduced acetaldehyde metabolism and increases in facial skin temperature after an alcohol challenge relative to wild type ALDH2 subjects. Taken together, we developed a method to non-invasively phenotype genetic differences for ALDH2 in humans including quantifying aldehyde metabolism in single subjects. We also discovered genetic differences besides ALDH2*2 that cause inefficient aldehyde metabolism.
SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary schools in northern France: A retrospective cohort study in an area of high transmission

Background: The extent of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among pupils in primary schools and their families is unknown. Methods: Between 28-30 April 2020, a retrospective cohort study was conducted among pupils, their parents and relatives, and staff of primary schools exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in February and March 2020 in a city north of Paris, France. Participants completed a questionnaire that covered sociodemographic information and history of recent symptoms. A blood sample was tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a flow-cytometry-based assay. Results: The infection attack rate (IAR) was 45/510 (8.8%), 3/42 (7.1%), 1/28 (3.6%), 76/641 (11.9%) and 14/119 (11.8%) among primary school pupils, teachers, non-teaching staff, parents, and relatives, respectively (P = 0.29). Prior to school closure on February 14, three SARS-CoV-2 infected pupils attended three separate schools with no secondary cases in the following 14 days among pupils, teachers and non-teaching staff of the same schools. Familial clustering of cases was documented by the high proportion of antibodies among parents and relatives of infected pupils (36/59 = 61.0% and 4/9 = 44.4%, respectively). In children, disease manifestations were mild, and 24/58 (41.4%) of infected children were asymptomatic. Interpretation: In young children, SARS-CoV-2 infection was largely mild or asymptomatic and there was no evidence of onwards transmission from children in the school setting.
Holocene palynology: I principles, population and community ecology, palaeoclimatology

The latter half of the past decade witnessed important progress in elucidating the principles of fossil pollen analysis and in the application of palynology to the study of palaeoecology and palaeoclimatology. Areas with particularly notable efforts include: 1) the theoretical consideration of the spatial representation of fossil pollen records and the relationships of pollen proportions to the abundance of contributing plant populations; 2) the quest for palynological data with increasingly fine temporal and spatial resolution; 3) the development of large databases of modern and fossil pollen data for macroscale palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic studies; 4) the application of palynology to questions of plant population biology, most notably the study of plant invasion and implications for invading and pre-existing plant populations; 5) the demonstration of the relatively ephemeral nature of major vegetation types; 6) the refinement and development of techniques for providing quantitative estimates of past climate and testing climate reconstructions. Despite this progress important uncertainties remain regarding the relationship between plant abundance and pollen representation and the nature of climate-vegetation relationships, particularly at the meso- and microscales. Resolution of these questions is particularly important for plant population and climatic studies based on fossil pollen data.
Multiple Postsynaptic Actions of the Giant Dopamine-Containing Neurone R.Pe.D.I of Lymnaea Stagnalis

(1)Evidence is presented that the giant neurone R.Pe. D.I is monosynaptically connected to follower cells in the right parietal and visceral ganglia and has excitatory, inhibitory and biphasic postsynaptic actions. (2)The spike to e.p.s.p. latency is increased to a new fixed value by high calcium saline, but not by saline in which both the Ca 2 + and Mg 2+ concentrations have been increased in proportion to one another. (3)Three distinct classes of p.s.p. latency exist. Short e.p.s.p. and b.p.s.p. latencies of ca . 16.0 to 20 ms have been observed, as have longer e.p.s.p. and b.p.s.p. latencies, ca . 38-44 ms. An i.p.s.p. with a latency to onset of ca . 182 ms occurs on the J cells.
Effects of Local and Landscape Variables on Wetland Bird Habitat Use During Migration Through the Rainwater Basin

Abstract Staging areas and migratory stopovers of wetland birds can function as geographic bottlenecks; common dependence among migratory wetland bird species on these sites has major implications for wetland conservation. Although 90% of playa wetlands in the Rainwater Basin (RWB) region of Nebraska, USA, have been destroyed, the area still provides essential stopover habitat for up to 10 million waterfowl each spring. Our objectives were to determine local (within wetland and immediate watershed) and landscape-scale factors influencing wetland bird abundance and species richness during spring migration at RWB playas. We surveyed 36–40 playas twice weekly in the RWB and observed approximately 1.6 million individual migratory wetland birds representing 72 species during spring migrations 2002–2004. We tested a priori hypotheses about whether local and landscape variables influenced overall species richness and abundance of geese, dabbling ducks, diving ducks, and shorebirds. Wetland area had a positive influence on goose abundance in all years, whereas percent emergent vegetation and hunting pressure had negative influences. Models predicting dabbling duck abundance differed among years; however, individual wetland area and area of semipermanent wetlands within 10 km of the study wetland consistently had a positive influence on dabbling duck abundance. Percent emergent vegetation also was a positive predictor of dabbling duck abundance in all years, indicating that wetlands with intermediate (50%) vegetation coverage have the greatest dabbling duck abundance. Shorebird abundance was positively influenced by wetland area and number of wetlands within 10 km and negatively influenced by water depth. Wetland area, water depth, and area of wetlands within 10 km were all equally important in models predicting overall species richness. Total species richness was positively influenced by wetland area and negatively influenced by water depth and area of semipermanent wetlands within 10 km. Avian species richness also was greatest in wetlands with intermediate vegetation coverage. Restoring playa hydrology should promote intermediate percent cover of emergent vegetation, which will increase use by dabbling ducks and shorebirds, and decrease snow goose (Chen caerulescens) use of these wetlands. We observed a reduction in dabbling duck abundance on wetlands open to spring snow goose hunting and recommend further investigation of the effects of this conservation order on nontarget species. Our results indicate that wildlife managers at migration stopover areas should conserve wetlands in complexes to meet the continuing and future habitat requirements of migratory birds, especially dabbling ducks, during spring migration.
Study on mating types and sensitivity to strobilurin fungicide in fungal wheat pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola

Mycosphaerella graminicola, the causal agent of septoria tritici blotch (STB), is a widespread and significant pathogen of wheat. To determine mating types, 89 isolates were collected randomly from wheat fields of Khuzestan, East Azerbaijan, Ardebil, Kermanshah and Golestan provinces of Iran, during 2006-7. DNA was extracted based on standard protocols. Multiplex PCR was conducted using two pairs of mating type-specific primers for MAT1-1 and MAT1-2. Sensitivity to strobilurin fungicide was determined using strobSNPrc7 and strobSNPrc1 primers. The results showed that in 35 isolates, a fragment of 340 bp amplified with MAT1-1 idiomorph specific primers and in 54 isolates a fragment of 660 bp was amplified with MAT1-2 idiomorph specific primers. While the mating type frequencies were highly unequal, the MAT1-1 was predominant. All isolates were sensitive to strobilurin and amplified a fragment of 639 bp. It is concluded that both mating types are present in Iran, although with different frequencies, which may affect genetic variation through sexual cycle. Meanwhile the studied isolates were not resistant to strobilurin fungicides which may be due to growing wheat cultivars resistant to STB rather than using strobilurin fungicides as a dominant control method.
Genes expressed in pollinated pistils of solanum tuberosum

In a programme aimed at studying genes expressed in pistils, the cDNA clone stslS was isolated from a cDNA library of pollinated pistils of Solanum tuberosum and was found to be expressed only in pistils. During development of the pistil, the accumulation of stslS transcripts, which are 0.7 kb long, reached a maximum just before anthesis and declined in fully open flowers. Southern blot analysis revealed that stslS was present as a small gene family in dihaploid potato. In situ hybridisation experiments indicated that stslS was strongly expressed in the cortex of the style and at a low level in the stigma. No hybridisation signal was observed in the transmitting tissue. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of stsl5 indicate that the gene products of the stslS gene might be involved in the function of the stylar cortex or in making the pistil prepare for pollination.
Orateon praestans, a remarkable new genus and species from Yemen (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Saprininae)

Orateon praestans sp. nov. from Yemen is described and illustrated. Based on the detailed examination of its morphology, Orateon gen. nov. is most similar and presumably related to the genera Terametopon Vienna, 1987 and Alienocacculus Kanaar, 2008 sharing with them ciliate elytral epipleuron, labial palp chaetotaxy and protibial spur position.
Physiological Interaction between Rootstock-Scion: Effects on Xylem Vessels in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Grapevines

The interaction between rootstock and scion can influence the vegetative and productive balance of grapevines. Vascular connections and patterns may be related to the observed phenotype of certain rootstock-scion combinations. However, little is known about the physiology of the rootstock-scion interaction and the related anatomical variables. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the rootstock-scion interaction on the vegetative growth of Vitis vinifera L. , with a focus on the vascular system. We investigated the rootstock genotypes 1103 Paulsen (Vitis berlandieri Planch. × Vitis rupestris Scheele), 101-14 Mgt (Vitis riparia Michx. × V. rupestris), and SO4 (V. berlandieri × V. riparia) grafted on the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapevine varieties. We evaluated vegetative growth variables and performed an image analysis of the vascular system by quantifying the xylem and vessels (diameter, total number, density, and frequency) in different portions (apical, median, and basal) of the scion stem. The rootstock-scion interaction caused differences in vegetative growth and was associated with differences in the vascular system. The vegetative growth of the Cabernet Sauvignon on 1103 Paulsen and Merlot on SO4 combinations was greater than the growths of either variety grafted on 101-14 Mgt. The more vigorous rootstock-scion combinations had vessels with greater mean diameters, xylem areas, and proportion of vessels with diameters greater than 50 μm. Vines grafted on 101-14 Mgt had a greater proportion of vessels with diameters less than 40 μm. The vessel features were altered from the apex to base sections (stem morphology) in all combinations. The physiological interaction between rootstock-scion modified the vascular system in grapevines by altering the xylem vessel.
Possible decline in leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea nesting along the coast of Caribbean Central America

Leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea nesting has declined on Pacific beaches and as a result the species is considered Critically Endangered. Atlantic populations are, however, also important for the species' survival and therefore we undertook a study to quantify the size and nesting trend of the Caribbean Costa Rica and Panama leatherback turtle rookery. Tag returns show that post-nesting females from the rookery disperse throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic. Aerial and track survey results were used to estimate 5,759–12,893 nests per year between San Juan river and Chiriquí beach, making this the fourth largest rookery worldwide. Monitoring results from three beaches (Tortuguero, Pacuare and Gandoca) were used to examine any temporal trend in nesting using nonparametric regression. Nesting appeared to decline slightly from 1995 to 2003 but the trend could be an artefact of interannual variation in nest numbers. Explanations for the difference in nesting trends over the past 15 years for Pacific (rapid decline) and Caribbean (slight decline or stable) rookeries include: (1) hatching success on Caribbean beaches has been higher due to dispersed nesting, (2) fisheries bycatch has been greater in the Pacific, and (3) less overlap between fishing areas and leatherback turtle habitats in the Atlantic. Quantification of human-caused mortality of all life stages and knowledge of the marine habitats used by Atlantic leatherback turtles are required to facilitate the development and implementation of effective strategies to reduce threats and avoid a repeat of the decline that has occurred in the Pacific population.
Antagonistic bioactivity of endophytic strains isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza

The antibiotic-producing potential of endophytic populations from medical plant of Salvia miltiorrhiza was examined. A total of 63 isolates was screened against five fungal and three bacterial species for the production of antimicrobial compounds. It showed that more isolates was antagonistic to fungi than to bacteria. One bacterial isolate named DX30 showed broad-spectrum of antagonistic activity against all the target organisms in plate assays. Morphology, physiological, chemical characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of strain DX30 demonstrated that it belonged to the genus Bacillus . The strain DX30 had maximum activity at temperature of 25°C and pH of 6.0 respectively and remained stable activity at temperature between 30 and 100°C and pH between 6 and 12. Strain DX30 seems promising in the biological control. Key words: Endophytes, antimicrobial bioactivity, 16S rRNA gene, Salvia miltiorrhiza.
Quick isolation and characterization for the confirmation of a novel Bacillus thuringiensis strains from chicken manure samples

Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) based pesticides has become the greatest successes among the microbial pesticides. This research was focused on the isolation and characterization of Bt from chicken manure samples as a comprehensive effort to contribute to the establishment of native Bt strains from various types of habitats in Malaysia. Initially, selection was done mainly based on colony morphology, Gram staining and phase contrast microscopy. Total of 85 colonies were identified and isolated based on colony morphology, in which off-white, matte and creamy appearance showed the characteristics of the genus Bacillus. The number reduced to 35 colonies after Gram staining was done. Subsequently, total of 8 isolates were confirmed to be B. thuringiensisafter Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining was carried out. The presence of B. thuringiensisstrain was confirmed when a blue cap-like structure and a darkly stained oval structure, insecticidal crystal proteins (ICP) appeared in the sporulation phase. An isolate was chosen out of the 8 isolates in order to generate the growth curve of B. thuringiensisbacteria. The similarity of the aspects above confirms that the selected isolate was a Bt strain. Isolates were further characterized by SDS-PAGE analysis to determine the molecular masses of the Bt proteins. These isolates produced two major ranges of polypeptides, the Cry protein which corresponds to a range of 70-150kDa and the Cyt protein profile which corresponds to the range of 18-40kDa. The protein profile obtained correlates the strains to the typical Bt strain. A total of 6 isolate yielded SDS-PAGE products that demonstrated major protein bands of approximately 135kDa and 140kDa, possibly encoded by the genes cryI and cryIV, respectively. Key words: Bacillus thuringiensis, chicken manure, protein analysis.
Protein Is Part of a Unique Heat Shock Gene Cluster Together withgroESL 1 and Three Small Heat Shock Genes

structure (CIRCE), others depend on a s 32 -type heat shock sigma factor. Using Western blot (immunoblot) analysis,weconfirmedthepresenceofa s 32 -likeproteininB.japonicumanddefineditsinductionpatternafter heat shock. AB. japonicum rpoH-like gene (rpoH1) was cloned by complementation of anEscherichia colistrain lacking s 32 . A knockout mutation in rpoH1 did not abolish s 32 production in B. japonicum, and the rpoH1 mutant showed the wild-type growth phenotype, suggesting the presence of multiple rpoH homologs in this bacterium. Further characterization of therpoH1gene region revealed that therpoH1gene is located in a heat shock gene cluster together with the previously characterizedgroESL1operon and three genes encoding small heat shock proteins in the following arrangement: groES1, groEL1, hspA, rpoH1, hspB, and hspC. Three heat-inducible promoters are responsible for transcription of the six genes as three bicistronic operons. A s 32 -dependent promoter has previously been described upstream of thegroESL1operon. Although thehspArpoH1andhspBCoperons were clearly heat inducible, they were preceded by s 70 -like promoters. Interestingly, a stretch of about 100 bp between the transcription start site and the start codon of thefirst gene in each of thesetwooperonswasnearlyidentical,makingitacandidateforaregulatoryelementpotentiallyallowingheat shock induction of s 70 -dependent promoters.
Reduction of wild-type X chromosomes with the Ybb− chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster

SUMMARY The Y bb ~ chromosome has been previously shown to induce reduction of X chromosome ribosomal genes in X bb / Y bb ~ or X bb+ / Y bb ~ flies. These reduction events are presumed to arise as one of the two products of unequal sister chromatid exchanges, which result in both magnified and reduced products. Bobbed reduced chromosomes may also arise as products of other recombinative events such as intrachromatid deletions. In this report we use the Y bb ~ chromosome to reduce the number of ribosomal genes present on X chromosomes from two wild-type stocks under 'non-magnifying' conditions. We then show that the bobbed reduced X chromosomes show no detectable difference in their Southern blot rDNA patterns when compared with the parental wild-type X chromosome. This indicates that reduction events do not preferentially delete certain repeat classes, and supports previous observations that the repeat types present in the D. melanogaster X chromosome nucleolus organizer are not significantly clustered.
Preventing Row Hammer Attacks by Dynamic Indirection of Row Preventing Row Hammer Attacks by Dynamic Indirection of Row Addresses Addresses

Row hammer in dynamic random access memories (DRAM) is an effect by which repeatedly activating a row of the DRAM causes bits in nearby rows to flip. Because OS and program variables can be stored adjacent to each other in the DRAM, a malicious program can repeatedly activate DRAM rows to flip nearby bits that store important OS states (e.g., program privileges). In this manner, an attacker can gain unauthorized, privileged access to a computer. This disclosure describes techniques that use a combination of indirection and randomization to make it difficult for an attacker to hammer DRAM rows. Per the techniques, the relationship between memory addresses and physical rows is made random and dynamic, such that the physical relationship between the rows is difficult, if not impossible, to discover and exploit.