Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation of Pigment and Flavanol Content with Antioxidant Properties in Selected Aged Regional Wines from Greece

Abstract Selected Greek regional, aged red wines were assessed for their polyphenolic composition using well-established spectrophotometric methodology, and tested for antioxidant potential by three different assays. The total polyphenol (TP) concentration was found to vary from 1217 to 3772 mg L −1 gallic acid equivalents, total anthocyanin (TA) content ranged from 44.3 to 360.1 mg L −1 , and total flavanol (TF) from 291.1 to 664.8 mg L −1 catechin equivalents. The antiradical activity was evaluated using DPPH • , and varied from 0.73 to 1.37 m M Trolox® equivalents, while reducing power values were from 5.29 to 10.80 m M ascorbic acid equivalents, using a modified FRAP assay. The hydroxyl free radical scavenging activity was determined with the deoxyribose method, and ranged from 38.5 to 59.9% decrease in A 532 relative to control. The examinations showed that TP and TF may provide a significant contribution to the overall antioxidant status of wines, but TA appears to be a less important factor in this respect. Reducing power was found to be highly associated with the antiradical activity of wines.
PRE-PARTURITION MOVEMENT PATTERNS AND BIRTH SITE CHARACTERISTICS OF MOOSE IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA

Habitat used immediately after parturition is important to survival of moose calves, though different habitat types may be functionally similar and thus contribute to the variability in habitat use reported in the literature. Neonates are relatively immobile, which restricts movement of the cow-calf pair and makes both vulnerable to predation. The cow also requires adequate access to forage during the period when calf mobility is limited. We used fine-scale movement data to determine linear distance traveled to the birth site as well as habitat use by cow-calf pairs in northeast Minnesota. All cows made long distance movements (x = 6 km) to the birth site where they localized in 1.72 ± 0.48 ha (95% kernel polygon) for approximately 7 ± 0.7 days. A mosaic of cover types that reflected availability across the landscape were used by the cow prior to localization at the birth site. Birth site areas consisted of one cover type rather than the mosaic used before birth, and varied among cows, though bogs were used most often (40%). The small birth site area and use of bog habitat were likely a consequence of low calf mobility post-parturition. Upon exiting the birth site, cow-calf pairs shifted toward use of mixed and young/regenerating forest which likely reflects the need and use for highly nutritious browse to meet the high energetic cost of lactation.
Microhabitat Selection of three Forest Understory Birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest

When assessing fragmentation effects on species, not only habitat preferences on the landscape scale, but also microhabitat selection is an important factor to consider, as microhabitat is also affected by habitat disturbance, but nevertheless essential for species for foraging, nesting and sheltering. In the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil we examined microhabitat selection of six Pyriglena leucoptera (white‐shouldered fire‐eye), 10 Sclerurus scansor (rufous‐breasted leaftosser), and 30 Chiroxiphia caudata (blue manakin). We radio‐tracked the individuals between May 2004 and February 2005 to gain home ranges based on individual fixed kernels. Vegetation structures in core plots and fringe plots were compared. In C. caudata, we additionally assessed the influence of behavioural traits on microhabitat selection. Further, we compared microhabitat structures in the fragmented forest with those in the contiguous, and contrasted the results with the birds' preferences. Pyriglena leucoptera preferred liana tangles that were more common in the fragmented forest, whereas S. scansor preferred woody debris, open forest floor (up to 0.5 m), and a thin closed leaf litter cover which all occurred significantly more often in the contiguous forest. Significant differences were detected in C. caudata for vegetation densities in the different strata; the distance of core plots to the nearest lek site was significantly influenced by sex and age. However, core sites of C. caudata in fragmented and contiguous forests showed no significant differences in structure. Exploring microhabitat selection and behavior may greatly support the understanding of habitat selection of species and their susceptibility to fragmentation on the landscape scale.
Discovery of novel amino-pyrimidine inhibitors of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1R) and insulin receptor (INSR) kinases; parallel optimization of cell potency and hERG inhibition

The insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R) and closely related insulin receptor (INSR) are receptor tyrosine kinases which have been postulated to play a role in the tumorigenesis of certain cancers. Strategies for inhibiting oncogenic signalingvia the IGF1R and INSR include IGF1R antibodies, IGF1/2 antibodies and dual IGF1R/INSR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). IGF1R/INSR TKIs linsitinib (OSI-906) and BMS-754807 have progressed to phase II/III clinical studies in cancer patients. We describe here our efforts to develop small molecule dual inhibitors of the IGF1R/INSR receptor kinases based on an amino-pyrimidine structural class. Our main focus was the parallel optimization of cellular potency and off target activity (principally hERG inhibition) through modulation of physicochemical properties and introduction of key structural motifs using a matched molecular pairs approach and hERG homology model.
Contrasting leaf Na+ uptake and transport rates conferred differences in salt tolerance of wheat genotypes

Abstract The genotypic differences regarding Na+ accumulation and transport in plants along with the physiological response to improve salt tolerance were studied in bread wheat genotypes. Four wheat genotypes; Kharchia-65, SARC-3, S-9476, and S-8189 were grown under salt stress (75 and 150 mM NaCl) in nutrient solution with five replications. Shoot dry weight, relative growth rate (RGR), chlorophyll index, leaf water relations, Na+ content, and transport in plants were measured. The increase in NaCl stress decreased all growth parameters; however, variations were observed among genotypes. Kharchia-65, S-9476, and SARC-3 had better growth and water relations compared with the salt-sensitive genotype S-8189. The low rate of Na+ transport and better ability to restrict Na+ in the root was the main reason for genetic variation among different genotypes, especially when growth characteristics did not vary significantly under salt stress. Na+ partition was also recorded in the wheat genotypes, since salt-sensitive genotypes had higher Na+ accumulation in shoot while this was reversed in tolerant ones. The differences in root Na+ were not significant among all genotypes.
RISK MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROL DISCLOSURE AMONG MALAYSIAN LISTED ISSUERS

Over the years, firms have been pressured by various stakeholders to be transparent about how they operate. In this regard, good corporategovernance should ensure timely and accurate disclosure is made on a firm’s financial, risk management and internal control. Hence, the purpose of thisstudy is to construct an index for risk management and internal control. This index used to assess the extents of Malaysian listed firms’ compliance of therisk management and internal control guidelines created for directors of listed issuers. The index was developed based on the requirements, underParagraph 15.26(b) of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad’s Main Market Listing Requirements (‘Listing Requirements’), as guided by the ‘Statementon Risk Management and Internal Control: Guidelines for Directors of Listed Issuers’. This guideline , which was released on 31 December 2012,incorporates the revision made to the Statement on Risk Management & Internal Control: Guidelines for Directors of Listed Issuers (issued in 2000). The findings of this study reveal that the compliance score by the sample firms reach about 70 per cent. The result is beneficial to the industry ledTask Force to ascertain how the revised guidelines were incorporated into corporate governance dislosure. The findings of this study could also beuseful for firms to determine the adequacy of their risk management and internal control practices and ensure that these guidelines are communicatedappropriately and effectively. This, in turn, will assist firms to achieve their corporate objectives and match stakeholders’ expectations within an ethicaland healthy corporate culture. Keywords: Disclosure, internal control, risk management
Online rozpoznávání chemických vzorců a rovnic

In this thesis, we deal with online recognition of handwritten chemical formulas and equations. First, we explain and point out some methods used, and present existing solutions. We examine the properties of the chemical structures. Then we describe our own solution consisting of detection of symbols on the basis of the spacial relations of strokes and their recognition provided by an existing third party library. After that the complex structure of the chemical formula or equation is examined using formal grammar, which we designed. The work also includes implementation of solutions in the form of web application and its experimental evaluation on our own collected set of test data.
The meat of the matter: a rule of thumb for scavenging dogs?

Animals that scavenge in and around human settlements need to utilise a broad range of resources, and thus generalist scavengers are likely to be better adapted to human-dominated habitats. In India, free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) live in close proximity with humans in diverse habitats, from forest fringes to metropolises, and are heavily dependent on humans for their food. It has been argued that the ability to digest carbohydrates was one of the driving forces for dog domestication. Though dogs are better adapted to digest carbohydrates than other canids, pet dogs show a clear preference for animal proteins. Our observations on streets of urban and semi-urban localities show that the free-ranging dogs are scavengers which primarily receive carbohydrate-rich food from humans. Their source for animal protein is typically garbage bins and leftovers, and such resources are rare. Using a series of field-based experiments, we test if the free-ranging dogs have adapted to a generalist scavenging lifestyle by losing preference for animal protein. Our experiments show that the free-ranging dogs, which are descendants of the decidedly carnivorous gray wolf (Canis lupus lupus), have retained a clear preference for meat, which is manifested by their choice of anything that smells of meat, irrespective of the actual nutrient content. The plasticity in their diet probably fosters efficient scavenging in a competitive environment, while a rule of thumb for preferentially acquiring specific nutrients enables them to sequester proteins from the carbohydrate-dominated environment.
Elucidation of the genetic differences in Trialeurodes vaporariorum populations under vegetable greenhouse conditions by using the allozyme approach

Genetic differentiation of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood 1856) populations was examined using biochemical and allozyme analysis. For biochemical analysis, general esterase and glutathion‐S‐transferase were tested. Allozyme genetic variability in 11 populations of T. vaporariorum was investigated using five loci from four enzyme systems. Although there are large variations between populations, T. vaporariorum is grouped into two populations with geographic barriers, based on Nei's genetic distance in the Baekdudaegan Mountains. Within these two groups, low migration and linkage disequilibrium reveal that populations tend to be influenced by gene drift rather than uniform selection pressures. The effect of genetic drift is greater than the effect of uniform selection by insecticides or host plant resistance, which is suggested by the FST estimates in this study. Based on this basic research, more effective whitefly control programs could be built in the future.
Bacterial septicemia in water snakes (Helicops modestus) in Brazil

Relata-se infeccao septicemica em cobras dagua (Helicops modestus) causada por Proteus vulgaris. Os animais iniciavam o processo apresentando abscessos puntiformes de coloracao esbranquicada na pele e apos rapida evolucao, morriam (100% de mortalidade). Descreve-se, ainda, a sensibilidade do P. vulgaris isolado dos animais a drogas antibacterianas.
Creching behaviour of Adelie penguin chicks (Pygoscelis adeliae)

Abstract Creching behaviour was monitored in 6 colonies of Adelie penguins at Cape Bird, Antarctica. Chicks were first left unguarded at a mean age of 22 days, but were susceptible to skua predation until 30 days old. The presence of adults deterred skuas. The probability of creching was inversely related to the number of adults present in a colony relative to the number of chicks. This suggests that creching serves as an alternate defence against predators when too few adults are present to deter skuas effectively. Creching did not vary consistently with mild fluctuations of climatic variables, but the proportion of chicks in contact with each other was greatest when relative humidity, wind speed, and cloud cover were highest and temperature was lowest.
From DNA to genetically evolved technology

Watson and Crick’s discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 and the near-simultaneous advent of the first silicon transistor in 1954 spurred parallel historic advances over the following decades in molecular biology and materials technology. As these two expansive fields of research have progressed, important areas of overlap have included the extensive use of materials innovations in biological research, such as in microscopy and measurement systems, while materials research has benefited from efforts to mimic design principles utilized in nature. Until relatively recently, however, the molecular mechanisms that underpin nature’s biological orchestra have remained largely outside the purview of materials research. Now, with new abilities to harness and modify biomolecular and cellular systems, evidence is mounting that biology can be fruitfully utilized to directly engineer technological materials. This article aims to highlight the importance of DNA-driven routes to new materials while providing a brief overview of the genetic engineering platforms that make these routes possible. Emphasis is placed on the fact that it is now possible to genetically evolve materials technologies in a manner that mimics the genetic evolution of biominerals in nature.
Isolation and characterization of six polymorphic microsatellite loci in the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Insecta, Thysanoptera)

Highly polymorphic microsatellite markers can provide important demographic information on founder events and range expansion following initial introduction of invasive insect species. Six microsatellite loci were isolated from an enriched DNA library in order to study the invasion patterns of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis . All loci tested were found to be polymorphic and successfully amplified in all individuals. The number of alleles per locus ranged from five to nine and heterozygosity ranged from 45 to 73%. Some of the loci were also successfully amplified in other thrips species.
GM3 α2,8‐Sialyltransferase (GD3 Synthase)

Abstract: GD3 synthase (Sial‐T2) is a key enzyme of ganglioside synthesis that, in concert with GM2 synthase (GAlNAc‐T), regulates the ratio of a‐ and b‐pathway gangliosides. In this work, we study the sub‐Golgi location of an epitope‐tagged version of chicken Sial‐T2 transfected to CHO‐K1 cells. The expressed protein was enzymatically active both in vitro and in vivo and showed a molecular mass of ∼47 or ∼95 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence or absence of, respectively, β‐mercaptoethanol. The 95‐kDa form of Sial‐T2 was also detected if the protein was retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) due to impaired glycosylation, indicating that it was formed in the ER. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy showed Sial‐T2 localized to the Golgi complex and, within the organelle, partially co‐localizing with the mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor, a marker of the trans‐Golgi network (TGN). In cells treated with brefeldin A, a major fraction of Sial‐T2 redistributed to the ER, even under controlled expression to control for mislocalization due to protein overloading. In experiments of incorporation of sugars into endogenous acceptors of Golgi membranes in vitro, GD3 molecules formed by incubation with CMP‐NeuAc were converted to GD2 upon incubation with UDP‐GalNAc. These results indicate that Sial‐T2 localizes mainly to the proximal Golgi, although a fraction is located in the TGN functionally coupled to GalNAc‐T. Consistent with this, most of the enzyme was in an endoglycosidase H (Endo‐H)‐sensitive, neuraminidase (NANase)‐insensitive form. A minor secreted form lacking ∼40 amino acids was Endo‐H‐resistant and NANase‐sensitive, indicating that the cells were able to process N‐glycans to Endo‐H‐resistant forms. Taken together, the results of these biochemical and immunocytochemical experiments indicate that in CHO‐K1 cells, most Sial‐T2 localizes in the proximal Golgi and that a functional fraction is also present in the TGN.
On the sex-specific mechanisms of butterfly flight: flight performance relative to flight morphology, wing kinematics, and sex in Pararge aegeria

Many evolutionary ecological studies have documented sexual dimorphism in morphology or behaviour. However, to what extent a sex-specific morphology is used differently to realize a certain level of behavioural performance is only rarely tested. We experimentally quantified flight performance and wing kinematics (wing beat frequency and wing stroke amplitude) and flight morphology (thorax mass, body mass, forewing aspect ratio, and distance to centre of forewing area) in the butterfly Pararge aegeria (L.) using a tethered tarsal reflex induced flight set-up under laboratory conditions. On average, females showed higher flight performance than males, but frequency and amplitude did not differ. In both sexes, higher flight performance was partly determined by wing beat frequency but not by wing stroke amplitude. Dry body mass, thorax mass, and distance to centre of forewing area were negatively related to wing beat frequency. The relationship between aspect ratio and wing stroke amplitude was sex-specific: females with narrower wings produced higher amplitude whereas males show the opposite pattern. The results are discussed in relation to sexual differences in flight behaviour. (c) 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 89, 675-687.
RNA transfer by Epstein-Barr virus triggers early events that regulate cell fate and promote immune evasion

More than 90% of the worldwide population is infected with Epstein Barr virus (EBV). In general, the infection remains asymptomatic and the virus persists for life in latently infected B cells. During this state, viral activity is reduced to the maintenance of the viral genome such that EBV-infected cells are not efficiently recognized by the immune system. However, the first days of primary infection are characterized by a period of lytic gene expression that contributes to successful virus establishment (Kalla et al., 2010). The abundant expression of “foreign” protein renders the infected cell prone to immune recognition and requires viral counter-measures to evade immune responses. The first part of this work focuses on the importance of two immune evasins of EBV during this early phase of infection: BCRF1 and BNLF2a, encoding the viral homologue of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and a unique inhibitor of epitope loading on MHC I molecules, respectively. To study their impact on immune responses to freshly infected B cells, I generated recombinant EBV mutants, which are deficient in expressing either BCRF1 or BNLF2a or both. I observed significant immunological consequences during the first days of infection, but, unexpectedly, the MHC I surface pattern of infected B cells was not affected. Deficiency in BNLF2a expression in infected cells resulted in a drastically increased response of EBV-specific CD8+ T cells. BCRF1 did not participate in this effect, but instead severely impaired the cytokine response to viral infection and protected infected cells from elimination by NK/NKT cells. Thus, both immune evasins have important functions during the early phase of infection and are instrumental for the establishment of latency. Their balanced activity illustrates the perfect adaptation of the virus to the host’s immune system. The second part of this work builds upon my initial observation that viral transcripts are present in the infected cell almost instantly following virus entry. I found that EBV particles represent the source of these transcripts as I identified them to contain viral RNA which is transferred to and expressed in the infected cell. I could further demonstrate that these packaged transcripts exert important biological functions in the infected cells by triggering the initial viral transcription program or acting as immune modulators. In sum, delivered RNAs apparently create a supportive environment that promotes virus establishment in infected B cells. Thus, despite EBV’s classification as a DNA virus, also packaged RNAs are apparently essential for its infectious nature.
Algal communities of Kenyan soda lakes with a special focus on Arthrospira fusiformis

Soda lakes are simple in biodiversity, but due to their highly stochastic environmental dynamics unexpected shifts in species composition do occur. We studied key drivers for structuring phytoplankton communities and identified variables significantly influencing changes of Arthrospira fusiformis abundance in the Kenyan soda lakes, Nakuru and Bogoria. In both lakes, Arthrospira fusiformis dominated algal biomass, but in Nakuru, crashes of this taxon were recorded. The three variables sodium, pH and dry mass significantly contributed to the phytoplankton taxa pattern. Arthrospira was absent at highest turbidity and salinity levels, being outcompeted by the small, single-celled chlorophyte Picocystis salinarium. Picoplankton was in general connected to higher pH values and tended to occur anti-cyclic to Arthrospira. Overall, the abundance of A. fusiformis was influenced by the boundaries of habitat suitability, light penetration, grazers and cyanophages attacks.