Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological and Structural Properties of Amino-Functionalized Fumed Nanosilica and Its Comparison with Nanoparticles Obtained by Modified Stöber Method

In industry, silica nanoparticles (NPs) are obtained by the fuming and the precipitation method. Fumed silica NPs are commonly used in the preparation of nanocomposites because they have an extremely low bulk density (160–190 kg/m3), large surface area (50–600 m2/g), and nonporous surface, which promotes strong physical contact between the NPs and the organic phase. Fumed silica has fewer silanol groups (Si–OH) on its surface than the silica prepared by the Stöber method. However, the number of –OH groups on the fumed silica surface can be increased by pretreating them with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) before further surface modification. In this study, the effectiveness of the NaOH pretreatment was evaluated on commercial fumed silica NPs with a surface area of 200 m2/g. The number of surface –OH groups was estimated by potentiometric titration. The pretreated fumed NPs, and the precipitated NPs (prepared by the Stöber method) were modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to obtain A200S and nSiO2-APTES, respectively. The NPs were characterized using electron dispersive scanning (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) analysis, and ζ-potential. XRD confirmed the presence of the organo-functional group on the surface of both NPs. After the amino-functionalization, the ζ-potential values of the nSiO2 and A200 changed from −35.5 mV and −14.4 mV to +26.2 mV and +11.76 mV, respectively. Consequently, we have successfully synthesized functionalized NPs with interesting, specific surface area and porosity (pore volume and size), which can be attractive materials for chemical and energy industries.
Biliverdin Reductase-A Deficiency Brighten and Sensitize Biliverdin-binding Chromoproteins

Tissue absorbance, light scattering, and autofluorescence are significantly lower in the near-infrared (NIR) range than in the visible range. Because of these advantages, NIR fluorescent proteins (FPs) are in high demand for in vivo imaging. Nevertheless, application of NIR FPs such as iRFP is still limited due to their dimness in mammalian cells. In contrast to GFP and its variants, iRFP requires biliverdin (BV) as a chromophore. The dimness of iRFP is at least partly due to rapid reduction of BV by biliverdin reductase-A (BLVRA). Here, we established biliverdin reductase-a knockout (Blvra–/–) mice to increase the intracellular BV concentration and, thereby, to enhance iRFP fluorescence intensity. As anticipated, iRFP fluorescence intensity was significantly increased in all examined tissues of Blvra–/– mice. Similarly, the genetically encoded calcium indicator NIR-GECO1, which is engineered based on another NIR FP, mIFP, exhibited a marked increase in fluorescence intensity in mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from Blvra–/– mice. We expanded this approach to an NIR light-sensing optogenetic tool, the BphP1-PpsR2 system, which also requires BV as a chromophore. Again, deletion of the Blvra gene markedly enhanced the light response in HeLa cells. These results indicate that the Blvra–/– mouse is a versatile tool for the in vivo application of NIR FPs and NIR light-sensing optogenetic tools.
Broken wing fringe setae as a relative estimate of parasitoid age

Reliable techniques to estimate the age of insects from natural populations can be of great use to field ecologists (Southwood & Henderson, 2000). Müller et al. (2004) discussed how constructing life tables of randomly collected individuals of unknown age, such as wild-caught flies, can be used to determine aging patterns of wild populations. ‘Libraries’ of life-history patterns of flies maintained under varying conditions in the laboratory are created, and can be compared to mortality rates of wild-caught flies maintained in the laboratory. This method assumes that early experiences in an organism’s life will be reflected in mortality patterns later in life. More direct methods of estimating the age of insects were reviewed by Hayes & Wall (1999), and fall into three categories. First, age grading can rely on predictable changes in reproductive structures, such as ovarian follicular development, which has been used to assess field populations of a weevil released for weed biological control (Grodowitz et al., 1997). Second, age-related somatic changes such as accumulations of pteridine pigment within the head of muscid flies can be used (Moon & Krasfur, 1995). Third, mechanical damage can indicate age, including mandibular wear in carabid beetles (Butterfield, 1996) and wing wear, which has been used widely for flies (Otronen, 1995; Burkhard et al., 2002), bees (Cartar, 1992), lepidopterans (Tsubaki & Matsumoto, 1998), caddisflies (Petersson, 1989), and once for a hymenopteran parasitoid (Heimpel et al., 1996). Our objective was to evaluate whether the number of broken setae on the fringe of the forewing can reliably estimate the age of Diadegma insulare (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a common parasitoid of diamondback moth larvae, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), in Brassica fields in the USA (Wold-Burkness et al., 2005). To evaluate the consistency of this technique, we conducted wing wear calibrations on six groups of D. insulare maintained in the laboratory or field, with variable levels of confinement, vegetation, and densities of conspecifics. A reliable wing wear index would allow researchers to more easily determine the impact of habitat variables on the lifespan of parasitoids in the field. Additionally, a reliable age index could aid in the interpretation of demographic trends (Carey, 1993) or behavioral decisions by insects in the field (e.g., Driessen & Hemerik, 1992; Heimpel et al., 1998; Casas et al., 2003; Tammaru & Javois, 2005).
First report of Mycoplasma bovis infection in dairy cattle in Guangzhou, subtropical southern China

Mycoplasma bovis is a major bacterial pathogen causing mastitis in dairy cattle, pneumonia and arthritis, and reduced weight gain in calves and reproductive problems in both dairy cattle and bulls, resulting in significant economic losses. The objective of the present investigation was to examine the M. bovis seroprevalence in dairy cattle in Guangzhou, subtropical Southern China by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 370 serum samples of dairy cattle were collected between July, 2009 and March, 2010 from 5 different farms and examined for M. bovis antibodies using a commercially available ELISA kit. The overall seroprevalence of M. bovis infection in dairy cattle was 5.95% (22/370). One year-old dairy cattle had the highest seroprevalence (10.5%), followed by dairy cattle of 3 year-old (9.61%). Dairy cattle without pregnancy had the highest seroprevalence (9.26%), followed by dairy cattle with 2 pregnancies (8.62%). However, no statistically significant association was found between M. bovis infection and ages or numbers of pregnancies (P>0.05). These results indicate that M. bovis infection was present in dairy cattle in Guangzhou, subtropical Southern China, and integrated strategies and measures should be executed to control and prevent M. bovis infection and disease outbreak in the study region. Key words: Mycoplasma bovis, seroprevalence, dairy cattle, China, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Introner Elements drive ongoing intron gain in Oikopleura dioica

Eukaryotic genes are characterized by the presence of spliceosomal introns, which interrupt genes and are removed from mRNA transcripts by a complex protein-RNA machinery called the spliceosome. Spliceosomal introns perform various functions and play a critical role in genome structure evolution, but are unequally distributed across species due to gain and loss events[3]. Until recently, intron gain was considered to be a relatively rare event, and the fundamental drivers of intron gain are unclear. Nonetheless, transposition has long been argued to be a primary driver of intron gain based on both the possibility of a single element creating many introns and the observed concentration of intron gains in a subset of lineages, and an increasing number of studies demonstrate that several species experienced recent intron gain likely through a mechanism involving transposition[11, 19, 10]. A recent study from our group illustrated that transposable introns, known as introner elements (or IEs) are pervasive across diverse eukaryotic species and may act as the principal drivers for intron gain[10]. Here, we implemented molecular and computational methods to investigate how IEs can generate variation in intron positions between individuals in the same species, using the pelagic tunicate, Oikopleura dioica, as our model. We sequenced an O. dioica isolate from the San Francisco Bay and detected 27 novel candidate IEs in its genome. In addition, we found widespread variation in intron positions between Genbank’s reference isolate and our own, suggesting that intron gain is ongoing in O. dioica. We also demonstrate that IEs in O. dioica were inherited ancestrally as opposed to acquisition via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). We report evidence of heterozygous intron positions in our isolate, suggesting that introns are polymorphic within the San Francisco Bay O. dioica population. Overall, our work prefigures population genetic studies that will explore the functional impacts and fitness effects of intron gain, and provides an imperative model with which they can be conducted.
The costs of drinking: comparative water dependency of sable antelope and zebra

Resource partitioning among the ungulate species occupying African savanna ecosystems has been well documented in relation to food resources and habitat features, but few studies have addressed how distinctions in surface water dependency contribute to coexistence. During the dry season surface water becomes restricted to a few perennial sources, while the food resources remaining at this time are also most limited in quantity, especially near water where animals congregate to drink. We compared the movement patterns to and from water of sable antelope Hippotragus niger and zebra Equus quagga herds in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. Owing to distinctions in their digestive systems, we expected sable to drink less frequently than zebra, allowing sable to occupy regions further from surface water than zebra. Sable travelled to water at 2–4-day intervals, versus 1–2-day intervals for zebra. However, sable travelled c. 25% greater distances to water due to the location of their late dry season home ranges relative to perennial water sources; zebra home ranges were generally closer to water sources. Travelling 10–15 km to and from water substantially reduced time spent foraging and resting by both species on days when animals drank. Longer intervals between travel to water by the sable antelope herd enabled it to occupy regions of the landscape further from water than those heavily exploited by the more common grazers during the critical dry season months. By avoiding concentrations of other grazers, the sable also probably gained a reduction in predation risk, balancing the substantial costs in terms of time and energy associated with travel to water. Thereby the distinctions in water dependency of this relatively rare grazer facilitated its coexistence alongside more abundant grazers in the KNP.
Genetics and resistance / Génétique et résistance Mapping of a covered smut resistance gene in barley (Hordeum vulgare)

Covered smut of barley, caused by Ustilago hordei, is a seed-borne disease. Economic loss is due to decreased yield and to contamination of healthy grains with black teliospores. Molecular marker-assisted selection for covered smut is desirable, because traditional screening in the greenhouse and field is time consuming, expensive, and unreliable. The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker OPJ10450, tightly linked to covered smut resistance in the barley line Q21861, was mapped to the short arm of chromosome 5 (1H) near the restrict fragment length polymorphic marker Act8A in the ‘Harrington’/TR306 mapping population. The covered smut resistance gene in Q21861 was given the provisional designation of Ruhq. Sequence tagged site marker aHor2 and RAPD marker OPO6780 on the short arm of chromosome 5 (1H) were closely linked to Ruhq. The amplified fragment length polymorphic marker E-AAA/M-CCC265 was also linked to Ruhq. These markers will be useful for marker-assisted selection for covered smut resistance in barley.
Specific labeling of synaptic schwann cells reveals unique cellular and molecular features

Perisynaptic Schwann cells (PSCs) are specialized, non-myelinating, synaptic glia of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), that participate in synapse development, function, maintenance, and repair. The study of PSCs has relied on an anatomy-based approach, as the identities of cell-specific PSC molecular markers have remained elusive. This limited approach has precluded our ability to isolate and genetically manipulate PSCs in a cell specific manner. We have identified neuron-glia antigen 2 (NG2) as a unique molecular marker of S100β+ PSCs in skeletal muscle. NG2 is expressed in Schwann cells already associated with the NMJ, indicating that it is a marker of differentiated PSCs. Using a newly generated transgenic mouse in which PSCs are specifically labeled, we show that PSCs have a unique molecular signature that includes genes known to play critical roles in PSCs and synapses. These findings will serve as a springboard for revealing drivers of PSC differentiation and function.
Image-Computable Ideal Observers for Tasks with Natural Stimuli.

An ideal observer is a theoretical model observer that performs a specific sensory-perceptual task optimally, making the best possible use of the available information given physical and biological constraints. An image-computable ideal observer (pixels in, estimates out) is a particularly powerful type of ideal observer that explicitly models the flow of visual information from the stimulus-encoding process to the eventual decoding of a sensory-perceptual estimate. Image-computable ideal observer analyses underlie some of the most important results in vision science. However, most of what we know from ideal observers about visual processing and performance derives from relatively simple tasks and relatively simple stimuli. This review describes recent efforts to develop image-computable ideal observers for a range of tasks with natural stimuli and shows how these observers can be used to predict and understand perceptual and neurophysiological performance. The reviewed results establish principled links among models of neural coding, computational methods for dimensionality reduction, and sensory-perceptual performance in tasks with natural stimuli. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 6 is September 15, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews. org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Social-Emotional Learning and Resiliency Amongst Middle School Students

The article addresses the interpretation and examination of theories based on social-emotional intelligence and resiliency by theorists Erikson, Bandura, and Goleman. Comparisons of the perspectives show the interrelation of social-emotional intelligence and resiliency with an evaluation of further implications for use in education. The influence of the article is to improve the human and social conditions of education to provide adolescents with worthy and meaningful opportunities to learn through social-emotional intelligence and resiliency. Through socialemotional intelligence and resiliency, institutions focus on creating well-adapted adults that are able to use strategies that assist with cognitive, psychological, social, moral, and biological positive growth to prepare students for 21 st century competencies.
Identification and characterization of novel rapidly mutating Y‐chromosomal short tandem repeat markers

Short tandem repeat polymorphisms on the male‐specific part of the human Y‐chromosome (Y‐STRs) are valuable tools in many areas of human genetics. Although their paternal inheritance and moderate mutation rate (~10−3 mutations per marker per meiosis) allow detecting paternal relationships, they typically fail to separate male relatives. Previously, we identified 13 Y‐STR markers with untypically high mutation rates (>10−2), termed rapidly mutating (RM) Y‐STRs, and showed that they improved male relative differentiation over standard Y‐STRs. By applying a newly developed in silico search approach to the Y‐chromosome reference sequence, we identified 27 novel RM Y‐STR candidates. Genotyping them in 1,616 DNA‐confirmed father–son pairs for mutation rate estimation empirically highlighted 12 novel RM Y‐STRs. Their capacity to differentiate males related by 1, 2, and 3 meioses was 27%, 47%, and 61%, respectively, while for all 25 currently known RM Y‐STRs, it was 44%, 69%, and 83%. Of the 647 Y‐STR mutations observed in total, almost all were single repeat changes, repeat gains, and losses were well balanced; allele length and fathers' age were positively correlated with mutation rate. We expect these new RM Y‐STRs, together with the previously known ones, to significantly improving male relative differentiation in future human genetic applications.
Structure, reproductive status and dynamics of the otter population in Byelorussia

The study was carried out from 1982 - 1989 at seven stations located in various parts of Byelorussia. The stations represented different land-use types. The abundance and structure (spacial, sex, age) of the otter Lutra Intra (Linnaeus, 1758) population and some features of breeding biology (time of birth, female role in reproduction, fecundity) were examined. Mortality of both adult and young animals, together with causes of death, were assessed. The effects of harvest and of man-made modifications to areas (mostly transformation of natural waterbodies and the creation of new water reservoirs) on the structure and breeding of otter populations were studied. Institute of Zoology, BSSR Academy of Sciences, Scoriny 27, 220733 Minsk, USSR
Metabolic Roles of a Rhodobacter sphaeroides Member of the ς32 Family

ABSTRACT We report the role of a gene (rpoH) from the facultative phototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides that encodes a protein (ς37) similar to Escherichia coliς32 and other members of the heat shock family of eubacterial sigma factors. R. sphaeroides ς37controls genes that function during environmental stress, since anR. sphaeroides ΔRpoH mutant is ∼30-fold more sensitive to the toxic oxyanion tellurite than wild-type cells. However, the ΔRpoH mutant lacks several phenotypes characteristic of E. coli cells lacking ς32. For example, anR. sphaeroides ΔRpoH mutant is not generally defective in phage morphogenesis, since it plates the lytic virus RS1, as well as its wild-type parent. In characterizing the response ofR. sphaeroides to heat, we found that its growth temperature profile is different when cells generate energy by aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration, or photosynthesis. However, growth of the ΔRpoH mutant is comparable to that of a wild-type strain under each of these conditions. The ΔRpoH mutant mounted a heat shock response when aerobically grown cells were shifted from 30 to 42°C, but it exhibited altered induction kinetics of ∼120-, 85-, 75-, and 65-kDa proteins. There was also reduced accumulation of several presumed heat shock transcripts (rpoD PHS,groESL1, etc.) when aerobically grown ΔRpoH cells were placed at 42°C. Under aerobic conditions, it appears that another sigma factor enables the ΔRpoH mutant to mount a heat shock response, since either RNA polymerase preparations from an ΔRpoH mutant, reconstituted Eς37, or a holoenzyme containing a 38-kDa protein (ς38) each transcribed E. coliEς32-dependent promoters. The lower growth temperature profile of photosynthetic cells is correlated with a difference in heat-inducible gene expression, since neither wild-type cells or the ΔRpoH mutant mount a typical heat shock response after such cultures were shifted from 30 to 37°C.
Apical Structure of Actively Growing Fern Rhizoids Examined by DIC and Confocal Microscopy

The development and cytology of gametophyte primary rhizoids of the fern Dryopteris affinis was examined using actively growing material. During development an apical cytoplasmic ‘ accumulation’ forms and is associated with active tip growth. This accumulation deteriorates as terminal differentiation and cessation of growth approaches. During early development the nucleus moves from the rhizoid cell base into the newly extending rhizoid. Later, during the active elongation phase, the nucleus takes up a relatively stable location approx. 100 μm behind the extending apex. Towards terminal differentiation the nucleus lags further behind the tip. In actively growing rhizoids four distinct zones were distinguished: a richly cytoplasmic ‘cap’; an apical region with tubular vacuolar intrusions; a region distinguished by a peripheral sheath of cytoplasm and fine irregular cytoplasmic strands connecting to the nucleus; and the main subapical vacuole. Confocal microscopy of gametophytes stained with fluorescent vital dyes, not previously used to examine fern rhizoid structure, confirmed that the tubular vacuolar system extends well into the apical cytoplasm, and that the network of fine cytoplasmic strands leads back from the apical cytoplasm to the nucleus. It also revealed that mitochondria are distributed throughout the rhizoid and are not excluded from the extreme apex. Membrane staining by FM 4-64 suggested a high density of membrane vesicles within the cytoplasm of the extreme apex. Uptake of this endocytosis marker into endomembranes also suggested rapid plasma membrane turnover in the rhizoid. This study highlights the similarity in the developmental stages and appearance of D. affinis rhizoids to angiosperm root hairs and their much less distinct apical zonation compared to pollen tubes.
Stop GnRH-Agonist Combined with Multiple-Dose GnRH-Antagonist for Patients with Elevated Peak Serum Progesterone Levels Undergoing Ovarian Stimulation for IVF: A Proof of Concept

Aim: The aim of the study was to examine whether the Stop GnRH-agonist combined with multiple-dose GnRH-antagonist protocol may overcome progesterone elevation during the late follicular phase. Patients and Methods: A cohort historical, proof of concept study consisting of 11 patients with progesterone elevation (>3.1 nmol/L) during conventional IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), who underwent a subsequent Stop GnRH-agonist combined with multiple-dose GnRH-antagonist ovarian stimulation (OS) protocol, within 3 months of the previous failed conventional IVF/ICSI cycle. Results: The Stop GnRH-agonist combined with multiple-dose GnRH-antagonist COH protocol revealed significantly lower peak progesterone levels, with significantly higher numbers of follicles >13 mm in diameter on the day of hCG administration, oocytes retrieved, mature oocytes, and top-quality embryos, with an acceptable clinical pregnancy rate (18.2%). Conclusions: The combined Stop GnRH-ag/GnRH-ant OS protocol is a valuable tool in the armamentarium for treating patients with progesterone elevation during the late follicular phase. Further large prospective studies are needed to validate our observation and to characterize the appropriate patients’ subgroup, which might benefit from the combined Stop GnRH-ag/GnRH-ant COH protocol.