Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of feeding Lactobacillus-based probiotics on the gut microflora, growth and survival of postlarvae of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man)

The present study was conducted to study probiotics treatment in the post-larval diet of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Three hundred postlarvae (average weight, 114^118 mg � 0.11) were divided in ¢ve experimental groups each with four replicates. The experiment was conducted for 60 days. Experimental diets were identical in all the aspects except for variation in the probiotics strain. T1 and T2 groups were fed Lactobacillus acidophilus (140 � 10 11 CFU 100 g � 1 )a ndL. sporogenes (24 � 10 7 CFU 100 g � 1 ) respectively. The T3 group was fed L. sporogenes bioencapsulated in Artemia nauplii. T4 was the control group (without probiotic) whereas T5 was fed Artemia along with control diet. The bacteriological study indicated that the gut micro£ora of postlarvae are devoid of lactic acid bacteria. The probiotic strains were found to have inhibitory eiects against the gram-negative bacterial £ora present in the gut. Growth of the probiotic fed groups was signi¢cantly higher (Po0.05) than the control group. Signi¢cantly higher growth (Po0.05), per cent weight gain (132.5%), speci¢c growth rate (1.41%), feed e⁄ciency ratio (FER) (0.45), protein e⁄ciency ratio (1.29) and protein gain (161.6%) were recorded in T3 group fed Artemia bioencapsulated L. sporogenes over the control group (Po0.05). Although insigni¢cant (P40.05), growth-promoting eiects of L. sporogenes were found to be higher than L. acidophillus. Survival of the postlarvae was not aiected by probiotics in the diet.
Diapause and overwintering of the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

The overwintering biology of the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus (DeGeer) (Diptera: Syrphidae) was studied and analysed. In Europe, females of this species can overwinter as adults in a facultative, reproductive diapause. The diapause phase is characterized by the ovaries ceasing to develop and by hypertrophy of the fat body. Diapause was induced during the second and third larval instars. The critical photoperiod for inducing diapause was between 11.8 and 11.9 h, corresponding to the day lengths that occur during mid‐ to late September in Hannover, Germany. When temperatures were lower, insects could be induced into diapause at longer day lengths, similar to those that occur in early September in Hannover. A semifield study was done during the winter of 1999/2000 to confirm the results obtained under laboratory conditions and to obtain additional information on the over‐wintering development and mortality of E. balteatus. The results suggested that mortality was correlated with the duration of the experiment and with humidity, rainfall, and temperature. The importance of these results for the regulation of cereal aphid populations by this hoverfly is discussed.
Vertical stratification, floristic composition and woody species diversity in a subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest (Dinghushan Nature Reserve, South China)

We analyzed the floristic composition and woody species diversity along the vertical profile of a subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest (a 1225 m22 plot in Dinghushan Nature Reserve, South China). Five vertical strata were discerned. Cryptocarya concinna showed the highest importance value in the entire stand and was the most abundant in the lowest two strata. Based on the cluster analysis of similarities in species composition, the lowermost two strata were very similar; the bottom, fourth and third strata clustered together as one group, which was very dissimilar from the other group (second + top). Among strata, the lowermost two strata were most similar in generic composition, whereas the fourth and the third stratum were most similar in family composition. Shannon’s and Pielou’s indices based on numbers of individuals (H’n and J’n, respectively) and those based on basal area (H’a and J’a, respectively) tended to increase from the bottom strntum upward, except for H’n and H’a calculated for the upper two strata. Values of H’n and H’a (and of J’n and J’a ) were similar within vegetation strata and within the small trees ( 1.3 m tall), the values of H’a (3.36 bit) and J’a (0.60) were lower than those of H’n (4.15 bit) and J’n (0.74), respectively. The number of species decreased from the bottom to the top stratum. Hence, the stratum closest to the forest floor contributed to maintaining woody species richness in this forest.
Nécessité d'un anion exogène mobile en cas de nutrition ammoniacale

Des plantules d'orge âgees de 6 j sont cultivees pendant 1 mois sur des milieux contenant NO 3 − ou NH 4 + comme source de N. Des variantes de ces milieux permettent de comparer les effets de la mobilite de l'anion qui accompagne NH 4 + (Cl − , facilement absorbe, ou SO 4 2− , peu mobile). La reduction de croissance, classiquement decrite lorsque NH 4 + est substitue a NO 3 − , apparait seulement quand l'anion majeur est SO 4 2− (.)
SDS‐PAGE: a tool to discriminate Xylella fastidiosa from other endophytic grapevine bacteria*

There is a real risk of introducing Xylella fastidiosa into the EPPO region where this quarantine pest has not yet been found and constitutes a serious threat to the Mediterranean grapevine industry. Direct isolation of endophytic bacteria from imported propagation material, combined with one-dimensional SDS-PAGE of the total soluble proteins of the bacterial cell envelope, can be considered as a test to be used in grapevine certification schemes. The gel electrophoretic pattern of Xylella fastidiosa is characterized by a constant distribution of 14 major diagnostic bands. Even without gel scanning, this relatively simple technique allows discrimination between grapevine strains of X. fastidiosa and other xylem-inhabiting, slow-growing bacteria.
A Comparative Study of the Reproductive Traits and Floral Morphology of a Genus of Geophytic Cacti

Premise of research. Plant sexuality evolves in response to genetic and ecological pressures that shape mating systems and floral traits. Comparing such systems and traits within phylogenies can show evolutionary trends in reproduction and floral morphology without the problems posed by the nonindependence of species. We compared sexual systems in seven species of the monophyletic genus Ariocarpus to elucidate major differences in floral morphology and potential relationships between biogeographic rarity and reproductive traits. We hypothesized that floral morphology would be linked to outcrossing rates and that deviations from strict outcrossing and reduced fertility would be present in rare species. Methodology. In one population per species, floral biology was detailed to characterize breeding systems, and mating systems were determined through pollination treatments. Discriminant analysis was used to identify floral traits that separate flowers into species. Phylogenetically independent contrasts were obtained to search for phylogenetic correlations between floral traits, and we inferred ancestral characters of floral traits across the phylogeny, using a maximum likelihood approach. Pivotal results. Breeding systems are uniform across Ariocarpus species, according to Cruden’s outcrossing index and pollen-to-ovule ratios. The outcrossing index obtained from pollination experiments showed that five Ariocarpus species are predominantly outcrossers but that selfing can occur in two species. Most floral traits differed among species, and those related to male function separated flowers into species. Floral traits showed a conservative pattern of evolution within clades. Conclusions. Breeding systems are uniform across Ariocarpus species, with floral traits that promote outcrossing. The mating system in A. agavoides and A. kotschoubeyanus departed from strict outcrossing; A. kotschoubeyanus flowers were smaller and had the least herkogamy. A conservative pattern of evolution in floral traits between sister species suggests that floral divergence in Ariocarpus is restricted, but deviations from strict outcrossing can occur.
The effect of blending white clover varieties and their contribution to a mixed grass/clover sward under continuous sheep stocking

The effect of blending small- and medium-leaved white clovers together in a mixture of varieties was examined under continuous sheep stocking over a period of three years. Four varieties were used, S184 and Gwenda, small-leaved varieties suitable for intensive sheep grazing, together with medium leaved varieties Menna and Donna, which are mainly used in general purpose seed mixtures for medium term leys. The small-leaved varieties were blended with Menna or Donna, sown with a commercial grass mixture and managed as near as possible to farm practice. Although the leaf size of Gwenda is only slightly greater than that of S184, blends based on these two small-leaved varieties behaved differently. In spring of the first harvest year the yield of Gwenda and of the clover in mixtures containing Gwenda was 27% greater than the yield of the same mixtures which contained S184. As the season progressed this difference decreased. In terms of total annual yields and saving in fertilizer N, the benefits of including white clover in a seed mixture were more pronounced when Menna was mixed with S184 and Gwenda, rather than when Donna was used, although both varieties are in the medium-leaf category. It was concluded that the slower establishment and the lower clover yield of S184, when compared with larger leaved varieties, can be overcome by blending with a variety that is slightly larger in leaf size, such as Menna, although the choice of variety may depend on sward management and its persistency under grazing.
A taxonomic comparison of the Hardun, Laudakia stellio (Reptilia, Agamidae), populations of southern Turkey (Hatay) and Cyprus

Abstract The Laudakia stellio population in the Hatay region, on the southeast Mediterranean strip of Turkey, was investigated in detail by mapping morphometric and meristic characters as well as colour and pattern features. On the basis of the morphometric characters present in the population sample examined, we conclude that the Hatay population should be included in the subspecies Laudakia stellio stellio. Comparison of the Hatay population with L. s. cypriaca from Cyprus showed that these two populations represent two separate subspecies.
Genomic structure of the human pre‐T cell receptor α chain and expression of two mRNA isoforms

The pre‐TCR, which is minimally composed of the TCRβ chain, the pre‐Tα chain, and the CD3 complex, regulates early T cell development. The pre‐Tα chain is a 33‐kDa type I transmembrane glycoprotein with an extracellular part similar to the constant domain of the immunoglobulin supergene family. We have sequenced (11 kb) the human pTα gene, which like the murine pTα gene consists of four exons: exon 1 encodes the 5 ′ untranslated region, the leader peptide and the first three amino acids of the mature protein, exon 2 the extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig)‐like domain, exon 3 a 15‐amino acid peptide including a cysteine required for heterodimerization with TCRβ, exon 4 the transmembrane region, the cytoplasmic tail and the 3 ′ untranslated sequence. The human pTα gene is located on chromosome 6p21.3, close to the HLA‐A locus. Reverse transcription‐PCR studies with human thymus and leukemic cells showed that alternative splicing produces a shorter pTα isoform, which lacks the Ig‐like domain but contains the transmembrane elements and the extracytoplasmic cystein and which could thus permit pairing with TCRβ chain and association with CD3 molecules. The conserved splice sites suggest a yet ill‐defined biological function of the short pTα protein.
Variation in fructooligosaccharide contents during plant development and in different cultivars of durum wheat

Abstract Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) have received a great deal of attention for their properties as prebiotic components. Several plants store FOS in their tissues as carbohydrate source or as osmoregulators. In comparison with the other natural FOS sources, cereals, in particular durum wheat, store a significant amount of these oligosaccharides during their growth. To gain a deeper insight on the relationships between FOS and plant/kernel development, FOS levels were analysed in the grains and stems of a widely cultivated durum wheat cultivar (Simeto), during the whole period of grain filling. In addition, a broad analysis of FOS contents was carried out by comparing their levels in the stems and grains of 45 cultivars of durum wheat harvested at two development stages. Results show a large variation among cultivars in their capability to metabolise FOS.
Helper-Dependent Adenoviral Vector-Mediated Delivery of Woodchuck-Specific Genes for Alpha Interferon (IFN-α) and IFN-γ: IFN-α but Not IFN-γ Reduces Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Replication in Chronic Infection In Vivo

ABSTRACT Alpha interferon (IFN-α) and IFN-γ are able to suppress hepadnavirus replication. The intrahepatic expression of high levels of IFN may enhance the antiviral activity. We investigated the effects of woodchuck-specific IFN-α (wIFN-α) and IFN-γ(wIFN-γ) on woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) replication in vivo by helper-dependent adenoviral (HD-Ad) vector-mediated gene transfer. The expression of biologically active IFNs was demonstrated in vitro after transduction of woodchuck cells with HD-Ad vectors encoding wIFN-α (HD-AdwIFN-α) or wIFN-γ (HD-AdwIFN-γ). The transduction efficacy of the HD-Ad vector in woodchuck liver in vivo was tested with a vector expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP). Immunohistochemical staining of liver samples on day 5 after injection showed expression of GFP in a high percentage of liver cells surrounding the central vein. The transduction of livers of WHV carriers in vivo with HD-AdwIFN-α or HD-AdwIFN-γ induced levels of biologically active IFN, which could be measured in the sera of these animals. Expression of wIFN-α in the liver reduced intrahepatic WHV replication and WHV DNA in sera of about 1 log step in two of two woodchucks. Transduction with HD-AdwIFN-γ, however, reduced WHV replicative intermediates only slightly in two of three animals, which was not accompanied with significant changes in the WHV DNA in sera. We demonstrated for the first time the successful HD-Ad vector-mediated transfer of genes for IFN-α and IFN-γ in vivo and timely limited reduction of WHV replication by wIFN-α, but not by wIFN-γ.
Using auxiliary telemetry information to estimate animal density from capture–recapture data

Estimation of animal density is fundamental to ecology, and ecologists often pursue density estimates using grids of detectors (e.g., cameras, live traps, hair snags) to sample animals at a study site. However, under such a framework, reliable estimates can be difficult to obtain because animals move on and off of the site during the sampling session (i.e., the site is not closed geographically). Generally, practitioners address lack of geographic closure by inflating the area sampled by the detectors based on the mean distance individuals moved between trapping events or invoking hierarchical models in which animal density is assumed to be a spatial point process, and detection is modeled as a declining function of distance to a detector. We provide an alternative in which lack of geographic closure is sampled directly using telemetry, and this auxiliary information is used to compute estimates of density based on a modified Huggins closed-capture estimator. Contrary to other approaches, this method is free from assumptions regarding the distribution and movement of animals on the landscape, the stationarity of their home ranges, and biases induced by abnormal movements in response to baited detectors. The estimator is freely available in Program MARK.
Stowaway MITEs in Hordeum (Poaceae): evolutionary history, ancestral elements and classification

Given the lack of direct observational data relating to transposition of Stowaway miniature inverted repeat transposable elements, phylogenetic methods may provide a means of generating data that adds to our knowledge of these elements. In a phylogenetic framework the evolutionary history of homologous elements may be traced, and the nucleotide sequence of elements at or close to the time of insertion can be reconstructed. Based on a phylogeny of the diploid species of the genus Hordeum we explore evolutionary aspects of four non‐homologous groups of Stowaway elements inserted into three nuclear genes: nucellin, xylose isomerase, and barley leucine zipper 1. The data illustrate how elements starting from a high degree of sequence similarity between terminal inverted repeat regions gradually degrade, and confirm previous notions about preferential insertion at particular TA target sites. It is shown how creation of consensus sequences as estimates of ancestral elements may be positively misleading. The Stowaway family of transposable elements is often further divided into subfamilies based on sequence similarity between elements. Sequence similarity data from the elements discovered in the xylose isomerase gene, and other elements found through BLAST searches in GenBank, reveal inconsistency in the rules used for classification. In order to reflect natural groups, a classification of transposable elements must be based on phylogenetic evidence rather than raw similarity. © The Willi Hennig Society 2009.
Resilience against exotic species invasion in a tropical montane forest

Question:How do canopy disturbance and soil properties structure vascular plant community species composition and resilience to encroachment by exotic species in a tropical montane wet forest? Location:Hawai'i Experimental Tropical Forest (HETF), a tropical montane wet forest, on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i Island, Hawai'i, USA. Methods:Previous studies employing airborne LiDAR were used to define three zones across an elevation gradient from 900 to 1500 m. Within each zone, a~1000-m block transect was selected to cross two different volcanic substrates: one derived from surface lava and one derived from thick ash deposits. Non- metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) scores of vegetation data were related to independently-derived environmental NMS scores and spatial location with generalized additive models (GAM). Results:Vascular plant species composition in all elevation zones consists of three NMS axes, which are best modelled by one of three possible environ- mental NMS axes or by location. The first NMS axis of species composition in the lowest elevation zone (40% variance explained (VE)) is a function of loca- tion on volcanic substrates (61% deviance explained (DE)). The second lowest elevation axis (27% VE) is a function of unexplained spatial heterogeneity (31% DE). The third lowest elevation NMS axis (24% VE) is a function of the spatial mosaic of canopy disturbance (16% DE). In the middle elevation zone, species composition most strongly relates to the interaction between volcanic substrate and the condition of the soil surface for all three NMS axes (41%, 27%, 24% VE; 70%, 16%, 24% DE). The primary axis of species composition in the highest elevation zone (41% VE) corresponds with substrate and soil condition (55% DE) but the second and third axes of species composition (27% and 25% VE) relate to canopy dieback disturbance (36%, 14% DE). Counts of exotic species and 0-2 m height class native tree species respond to the type of volcanic substrate and soil surface condition in all three elevation zones. Lava-derived substrates have a higher incidence of exotic species and less native tree regeneration; whereas ash-derived substrates have higher numbers of native tree species regenerating and many fewer exotic species. Discussion:The tropical montane forests on Mauna Kea reflect a native-domi- nated plant community response to disturbance on both lava- and ash-derived volcanic substrates, and a higher propensity for exotic species to occur on the lava-derived substrate. Native plant communities on ash-derived soils may have higher resilience to exotic invasion than communities on lava-derived sub- strates. Our results indicate resource managers should explicitly account for var- iation in soils and substrate type when prioritizing, implementing and monitoring management interventions to foster native plant assemblages and control the spread of exotic and invasive species.
Monodisperse Core-Shell NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+-PEG-GGGRGDSGGGY-NH2 Nanoparticles Excitable at 808 and 980 nm: Design, Surface Engineering, and Application in Life Sciences

Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have a unique capability of upconverting near-infrared (NIR) excitation into ultraviolet, visible, and NIR emission. Conventional UCNPs composed of NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+(Tm3+) are excited by NIR light at 980 nm, where undesirable absorption by water can cause overheating or damage of living tissues and reduce nanoparticle luminescence. Incorporation of Nd3+ ions into the UCNP lattice shifts the excitation wavelength to 808 nm, where absorption of water is minimal. Herein, core-shell NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+ nanoparticles, which are doubly doped by sensitizers (Yb3+ and Nd3+) and an activator (Er3+) in the host NaYF4 matrix, were synthesized by high-temperature coprecipitation of lanthanide chlorides in the presence of oleic acid as a stabilizer. Uniform core (24 nm) and core-shell particles with tunable shell thickness (~0.5–4 nm) were thoroughly characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive analysis, selected area electron diffraction, and photoluminescence emission spectra at 808 and 980 nm excitation. To ensure dispersibility of the particles in biologically relevant media, they were coated by in-house synthesized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-neridronate terminated with an alkyne (Alk). The stability of the NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+-PEG-Alk nanoparticles in water or 0.01 M PBS and the presence of PEG on the surface were determined by dynamic light scattering, ζ-potential measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, and FTIR spectroscopy. Finally, the adhesive azidopentanoyl-modified GGGRGDSGGGY-NH2 (RGDS) peptide was immobilized on the NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+-PEG-Alk particles via Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The toxicity of the unmodified core-shell NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+, NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+-PEG-Alk, and NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+-PEG-RGDS nanoparticles on both Hep-G2 and HeLa cells was determined, confirming no adverse effect on their survival and proliferation. The interaction of the nanoparticles with Hep-G2 cells was monitored by confocal microscopy at both 808 and 980 nm excitation. The NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+-PEG-RGDS nanoparticles were localized on the cell membranes due to specific binding of the RGDS peptide to integrins, in contrast to the NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+-PEG-Alk particles, which were not engulfed by the cells. The NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@NaYF4:Nd3+-PEG-RGDS nanoparticles thus appear to be promising as a new non-invasive probe for specific bioimaging of cells and tissues. This development makes the nanoparticles useful for diagnostic and/or, after immobilization of a bioactive compound, even theranostic applications in the treatment of various fatal diseases.