Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
* Human Amniotic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as Favorable Source for Cartilage Repair.

INTRODUCTION Localized trauma-derived breakdown of the hyaline articular cartilage may progress toward osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition characterized by total loss of articular cartilage and joint function. Tissue engineering technologies encompass several promising approaches with high therapeutic potential for the treatment of these focal defects. However, most of the research in tissue engineering is focused on potential materials and structural cues, while little attention is directed to the most appropriate source of cells endowing these materials. In this study, using human amniotic membrane (HAM) as scaffold, we defined a novel static in vitro model for cartilage repair. In combination with HAM, four different cell types, human chondrocytes, human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hBMSCs), human amniotic epithelial cells, and human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) were assessed determining their therapeutic potential. MATERIAL AND METHODS A chondral lesion was drilled in human cartilage biopsies simulating a focal defect. A pellet of different cell types was implanted inside the lesion and covered with HAM. The biopsies were maintained for 8 weeks in culture. Chondrogenic differentiation in the defect was analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS HAM scaffold showed good integration and adhesion to the native cartilage in all groups. Although all cell types showed the capacity of filling the focal defect, hBMSCs and hAMSCs demonstrated higher levels of new matrix synthesis. However, only the hAMSCs-containing group presented a significant cytoplasmic content of type II collagen when compared with chondrocytes. More collagen type I was identified in the new synthesized tissue of hBMSCs. In accordance, hBMSCs and hAMSCs showed better International Cartilage Research Society scoring although without statistical significance. CONCLUSION HAM is a useful material for articular cartilage repair in vitro when used as scaffold. In combination with hAMSCs, HAM showed better potential for cartilage repair with similar reparation capacity than chondrocytes.
Why Does Communication resolve Social Dilemmas?:Equilibrium Refinement in Iterated N-person Prisoner's Dilemma

The game theoretical model in this article formulates the effect of communication in social dilemma situations. Many psychological experiments and field studies indicate that social dilemmas are often resolved when the members are able to communicate each other. In order to understand this mechanism, we refined equilibria in infinitely iterated N- person prisoner’s dilemma (INPD) game. Because many Pareto-deficient sub-game perfect Nash equilibria exist in the game, we exclude Nash equilibria which are dominated by single-period coalitional deviation. The equilibrium concept is closely related to Strong Perfect Equilibrium, which is invented by Rubinstein (1980). From this analysis, I revealed that almost all sub-game perfect Nash equilibria in which many players defect in more than one stage are dominated by coalitional deviation. Moreover, the model shows two interesting implications. Firstly, both communications and long-term relationships are needed to achieve cooperation in social dilemmas because those have different functions. Secondly, under some conditions, cooperative outcomes are obtained only if players can collude without any inhibition.
Managing California Black Oak for Tribal Ecocultural Restoration

Many tribes in California and Oregon value California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) as a traditional source of food and other values. Over centuries or millennia, Native Americans learned that they could enhance production of desired resources by regularly igniting low-intensity surface fires in stands of black oak. Although black oak is likely to remain widespread in the future, a warming climate, increasingly dense forests, and altered fire regimes threaten the large, full-crowned mature trees that produce crops of high-quality acorns and provide cavities for many wildlife species. To examine the effects of different kinds of burns on tribal values including associated plants, fungi, and wildlife of special cultural significance, we reviewed and synthesized scientific studies of black oak in conjunction with interviews and workshops with tribal members who use the species and recall burning by their ancestors. We conducted two exploratory analyses to understand trends in large black oaks and potential tradeoffs regarding black oak restoration. Our findings identify opportunities for reintroducing low-intensity fire, in conjunction with thinning, to restore stands that are favorable for acorn gathering. We present examples of such projects and discuss how to overcome challenges in restoring the socioecological benefits of black oak ecosystems for tribes.
Effects of curcumin or nanocurcumin on blood biochemical parameters, intestinal morphology and microbial population of broiler chickens reared under normal and cold stress conditions

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of curcumin/nanocurcumin on blood parameters, intestinal morphology and microbial population in broiler chickens reared under normal and cold stress conditions. The experiment was designed with two identical houses; each consisted of five diets with 5 replicates of 10 birds each. The diets were (1) control; (2) and (3) Control + 200 or 400 mg/kg curcumin; (4) and (5) Control + 200 or 400 mg/kg nanocurcumin, respectively. Birds in both houses were reared under commercial temperatures until day 14. The temperature in the first house was maintained according to the commercial practices, whereas the temperature in the second house dropped to 15°C on day 14 and maintained between 13–15°C until day 42. Total weight gain was decreased, but plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), liver enzymes activities and heterophils/lymphocytes ratio were increased in cold-stressed birds compared to those that grew in normal temperature. Supplementation of curcumin/nanocurcumin in diet improved the weight gain and villus surface area of birds in concomitance to lower their plasma MDA, liver enzymes activities, caecal E. coli population compared to those fed control diet. It is concluded that the addition of 200 mg/kg curcumin/nanocurcumin to diet may improve the performance, antioxidant status and jejunal tissue health in broiler chickens.
Modeling the survival of the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum in stored ice cream.

The survival of the probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, in stored ice cream was modeled with a microbial decay equation to determine the survival of mono and mixed bacterial cultures. The ice cream was formulated with 5% or 10% cream and the probiotic bacteria fermented milk that was incubated with either Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum or both (Lactobacillus acidophilus + Bifidobacterium bifidum). The probiotic ice cream samples were stored at -20°C for 90 days. The viability of the probiotic bacteria was measured at 15-day intervals during storage. Scatter plots were used to outline the survival parameters and to make predictions. The bacteria viability data were analyzed with a linear model to obtain the N o , r and R values. Using a linear model, scatter plots of the observed versus predicted viability values were compared each other. Lactobacillus acidophilus with 10% cream was found more resistant to decay conditions.
Optimization and characterization of gelatin from kumakuma (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) skin

ABSTRACT Fish industry residues are used due to their easy transformation into several products and because they have nutrients with high biological value, being rich in proteins and fatty acids. The gelatin extraction process from the skin of kumakuma (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) using sodium hydroxide was optimized and the product was characterized. The optimized conditions established in the process were 6 h extraction at 58°C, with yield and gel strength at 19.7% and 244.3 g, respectively, which is considered acceptable for foods. The maximum desirability condition was 0.998. When the technological properties of the gelatin extracted from fish skin was compared with commercial gelatin, a difference (p < 0.05) was observed for all parameters analyzed, but within the appropriate range for gelatin. The gelatin obtained from kumakuma skin may be a new alternative to replace gelatin from mammals, besides contributing to less fish residue released into the environment.
Postharvest losses of perishables in Brazil: what do we know so far?

No Brasil, e amplamente disseminada a ideia de que as perdas pos-colheita de produtos horticolas situam-se em 30-45%. E dificil estimar um numero exato, mas, apesar da modernizacao dos sistemas produtivos e da logistica na distribuicao de produtos horticolas nas ultimas decadas, as perdas pos-colheita continuam a ser um problema persistente e relevante. Entretanto, sabe-se pouco sobre o que ja foi publicado sobre o tema. Este trabalho aborda precisamente esta questao, tendo como base um levantamento abrangente das publicacoes sobre perdas pos-colheita de frutas e hortalicas. As buscas foram realizadas no sistema de bibliotecas da Embrapa, Google Academico e SciELO. De acordo com seu objetivo e escopo, as publicacoes foram agrupadas em tres categorias de documentos: (1) estudos sobre perdas pos-colheita: estimativas, afericoes, projetos de pesquisa, revisoes; (2) tecnologias de pos-colheita: aplicacao de tecnologias, estudos de fisiologia, doencas e/ou dano mecânico; e (3) economia: estudos de economia, logistica e gestao. Os resultados desta analise sao discutidos em uma perspectiva historica e, especialmente, no que eles revelam do impacto do desenvolvimento social e tecnologico sobre o estudo de perdas pos-colheita de frutas e hortalicas.
SCREENING OLIVE PROGENIES FOR RESISTANCE TO VERTICILLIUM DAHLIAE

Verticillium wilt of olive (Olea europaea), caused by the fungus Verticillium dahlia, is the most serious disease in the Mediterranean countries. The use of resistant cultivars or rootstocks is one of the most efficient measures for the control of this disease. Olive shows a wide range of genetic variability useful for finding resistance to the disease. The first step to achieve this objective is the identification of resistance-transmitting genitors, in order to screen many genotypes for resistance to V. dahlia. More than 100 olive seedlings from one crossing and open pollination of different genitors were evaluated for resistance to V. dahlia under controlled conditions. Two-month-old seedlings were inoculated by dipping their root system in a conidial suspension of the highly virulent isolate V117. Disease symptoms (defoliation, wilt, chlorosis and necrosis) were assessed by using a 0-4 scale. Results demonstrated that young olive seedlings can be successfully infected by V. dahlia, showing consistent Verticillium wilt symptoms. Results have provided preliminary information about inheritance of resistance, and they have highlighted ‘Frantoio’ as a suitable genitor to breed for Verticillium wilt resistance in olive. Several olive genotypes were selected for resistance to Verticillium wilt and they will be tested in field conditions.
Estimating yield response to temperature and identifying critical temperatures for annual crops in the Canadian prairie region

Robertson, S. M. , Jeffrey, S. R. , Unterschultz, J. R. and Boxall, P. C. 2013. Estimating yield response to temperature and identifying critical temperatures for annual crops in the Canadian Prairie region. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 1237-1247. Historical yield and temperature data, by municipal district for the three prairie provinces, are used to estimate the marginal effect of exposure to specific temperatures in defined ranges during the growing season. Incorporating these non-linear temperature effects into the model improves yield forecasting for Canadian prairie annual crops over models that use average temperatures or growing degree days. Critical maximum temperatures at which yields decline, calculated for winter wheat, spring wheat, durum wheat, barley, spring rye, fall rye, oats, canola and flax, range between 28 and 34°C, depending on the crop. Additional critical minimum and maximum temperatures are estimated using the marginal effect of exposure to specific temperatures in defined ranges. Estimates of critical maximum temperatures and their marginal impact on yields are important for research and policy analysis on various issues and problems, including climate change, risk management instruments such as crop insurance, and development of heat tolerant crop varieties.
A study on oxidative stress, hematological and biochemical parameters in copper smelter workers

Abstract In a cross-sectional study, 44 shift workers at a copper smelter unit who had worked there at least for the last 4 years were selected as subjects and were matched with 44 people as controls. In workers, the mean glutathione peroxidase, catalase and total thiol levels were less than the control group. The average of biochemical parameters was significantly higher in workers. Exposure to high levels of copper and iron, lead, arsenic, and cadmium which are released during the process of copper smelting reduces the amounts of antioxident capacity, which leads to oxidative stress in smelter workers.
Efficacy of an Acoustic Tag with Predation Detection Technology

AbstractOne of the most important assumptions in the use of data from an acoustically tagged fish is that the data are indeed from the fish that was originally tagged. However, there is likely to be some level of predation on the tagged subjects used in acoustic telemetry studies. When an acoustically tagged fish is consumed, the tag continues to emit the same signal even though the tagged fish is no longer alive. To assist in addressing this issue, a predation detection acoustic tag (PDAT) was developed to provide the functions of a typical acoustic tag with the added ability to indicate when a tagged fish has been consumed by a predator. Our goal was to test the efficacy and precision of this new technology. We implanted PDATs into live juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and fed them to adult Striped Bass Morone saxatilis under controlled conditions. Identifying when the PDATs “triggered” (i.e., changed their signal, indicating that the tag had been consumed) proved to be a simple process.
Complex Regulation of Protein Trafficking and Photoreceptor Cell Development by Small GTPases

Complex Regulation of Protein Trafficking and Photoreceptor Cell Development by Small GTPases. Zachary C. Wright Photoreceptor cells are specialized neurons optimized for the capture of light and the signal transduction to downstream cells that provides vision. Proper photoreceptor cell function depends heavily on efficient regulation of protein-protein interactions both during development and in the adult retina. Despite years of research on photoreceptor development and protein trafficking, the components vital to these processes are poorly understood. Interestingly, there are a number of small GTPases, which act as molecular switches, that are believed to play a role in regulating such interactions throughout the process of ciliogenesis, OS formation and protein trafficking. However, research into the role of these proteins in photoreceptor cells is in its infancy. Moreover, there are a growing number of discoveries linking small GTPases with photoreceptor mediated disease, such as ARL6, ARL2, ARL3, and RAB28. In this work I characterize the role of the small GTPases, ARL2 and ARL3, in the regulation of photoreceptor cell protein trafficking and OS development. In order to study these proteins in vivo, we utilized site-direct mutagenesis and transgenesis to create multiple animal models. Through these models, we have discovered that ARL2 and ARL3 serve different primary functions in vivo despite their high sequence similarity and sharing a number of binding partners. In Chapter 1 of this dissertation, we discuss the potential mechanisms and key players of photoreceptor cell ciliary development and protein trafficking. In Chapter 2, data is presented from the first animal model we generated expressing dominant active ARL3-Q71L. We further propose a mechanistic model for the role of ARL3 in prenylated protein trafficking in photoreceptor cells in which it acts to displace lipid modified cargo at the cilium. Chapter 3 focuses on data obtained from our dominant active ARL2-Q70L transgenic animal model. Here we discuss the potential role for ARL2 in ciliogenesis and OS formation in photoreceptor cells highlighting the novel observation that proper ARL2 function is necessary for cilia localization and axonemal extension. Finally, in Chapter 4 we discuss the data obtained during my dissertation and strategies to fill the gaps in knowledge that remain concerning the role of these small GTPases in photoreceptor cells. This work provides a strong foundation for the mechanisms of ARL2 and ARL3 action in photoreceptor cells. Complete elucidation of the components involved in photoreceptor protein trafficking and OS formation will provide the data necessary to generate novel therapeutics targeting the pathways underlying photoreceptor mediated blinding disease.
Effects of exogenous salicylic acid on physiological traits and CBF gene expression in peach floral organs under freezing stress

To elucidate the effects of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) treatment on the cold resistance of peach flower, the floral organs of two peach cultivars were treated with 20 mg/L SA and stored at 0°C for observation and sample collection. Water application was the control. After a treatment period, the anther relative water content of the control and SA-treated flowers decreased. The extent of the reduction was greater in the control, suggesting that the SA treatment significantly helped to maintain the anther water content of peach. Analysis of the stigma relative electric conductivity revealed that the SA treatment prevented membrane injury during the low temperature treatment. Additionally, we measured CBF gene expression at low temperature in the petal, stigma and ovary. The expression was markedly upregulated in the cold-treated floral organs. CBF gene expression after SA treatment was higher than in the control when cold conditions continued. These results suggest that the effects of SA on ameliorating the freezing injury to peach floral organs and on enhancing cold tolerance may be associated with the induction of CBF gene. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS160816002Z Received: August 16, 2016; Revised: November 9, 2016; Accepted: December 14, 2016; Published online: January 13, 2017 How to cite this article: Zhang B, Ma R, Guo L, Song Z, Yu M. Effects of exogenous salicylic acid on physiological traits and CBF gene expression in peach floral organs under freezing stress. Arch Biol Sci. 2017;69(4):585-92.
The control of Schwann cell myelination during development and after nerve injury

Schwann cells are the principal glial cell of the peripheral nervous system and are responsible for axon maintenance, regeneration and increasing saltatory conduction of neurons. Schwann cell differentiation and myelination is mediated by a core network of transcription factors and signalling pathways, which have been divided into two groups; positive and negative regulators. Sox10, NFATc4, Oct6, Krox20 and the ERK 1/2 signalling pathway have been characterised as positive regulators of Schwann cell differentiation and myelination; with Sox10 and Krox20 also playing critical roles in myelin maintenance. On the other hand, transcription factors cJun, Pax3, Id2 and signalling pathways Notch and p38 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases (MAPK) have been identified as negative regulators of Schwann cell differentiation and myelin formation. Recently, the HMG transcription factor Sox2 was identified as a negative regulator of Schwann cell myelination in vitro, however its role in Schwann cell myelination in vivo has not yet been studied. This study therefore aimed to examine the role of Sox2 overexpression in Schwann cells and how it effects Schwann cell differentiation and myelination during development and after injury. In addition, we aimed to investigate for the first time the specific role of p38α (the major isoform of p38 MAPK) in Schwann cell myelination in vivo, by generating Schwann cell specific p38α conditional knockout mice. Sox2 is highly expressed in immature Schwann cells, but is downregulated as Schwann cells being to mature and differentiate. This study shows that continued expression of Sox2 during development and after injury, impairs Schwann cell differentiation and myelination by directly downregulating the expression of two core transcription factors; Sox10 and Krox20, as well as myelin proteins, P0 and MBP. In addition, we observe that continued Sox2 expression significantly increases Schwann cell proliferation and maintains Schwann cells in an immature state. Unexpectedly, we also observed that continued Sox2 expression significantly increases the number of macrophages present in the nerves of Sox2 overexpressing mice at both P60 and 21 days post injury. Phenotypically, Sox2 overexpressing mice
Be-Breeder - an application for analysis of genomic data in plant breeding

Be-Breeder is an application directed toward genetic breeding of plants, developed through the Shiny package of the R software, which allows different phenotype and molecular (marker) analysis to be undertaken. The section for analysis of molecular data of the Be-Breeder application makes it possible to achieve quality control of genotyping data, to obtain genomic kinship matrices, and to analyze genomic selection, genome association, and genetic diversity in a simple manner on line. This application is available for use in a network through the site of the Allogamous Plant Breeding Laboratory of ESALQ-USP (http://www.genetica.esalq.usp.br/alogamas/R.html).
Feeding tropical dairy cattle with local protein and energy sources for sustainable production

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high protein feed (Hipro-feed) formulated with carbohydrate source in concentrate mixture on feed intake, rumen fermentation, and milk performance of lactating cows fed Ruzi grass. Sixty cross-bred dairy cows (75% Holstein–Friesian and 25% Thai cows) in mid-lactation, 390 ± 50.0 kg body weight, 85 ± 5 days in milk with daily milk production of 10 ± 2.0 kg/day, were selected from 15 smallholder dairy farms and assigned according to a randomized complete block design. Four cows per farm were subjected to two groups to receive dietary treatments: Formulation I = control formula used by farmers and Formulation II = Mixed carbohydrate source + Hipro-feed (48% crude protein). The results showed that cows that received Formulation II had higher total feed intake and nutrient digestibility (P < .05). However, ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, and propionic acid were increased in cows that consumed Formulation II, while acetic acid and butyric acid, ruminal pH, temperature, and blood urea nitrogen were similar between groups. Milk yield and economic return were increased in cows receiving Formulation II. In conclusion, Hipro-feed could usefully be incorporated with carbohydrate source in concentrate formulation for the improvement of diary performance of smallholder dairy farming in the northeastern region of Thailand.