Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sulfur containing amino acids nutritional requirements for semi-heavy laying hens.

To determine the nutritional requirements of TSAA for semi-heavy laying hens estimated by regression models and LRP (linear response plateau). 288 semi-heavy laying hens distributed in six treatments were fed from week 22 to week 38 with a basic diet containing 14.4% crude protein to which levels of DL-methionine was added (0.00; 0.05;0.10; 0.15; 0.20; and 0.25) in order to obtain treatments with 0.484, 0.534, 0.584, 0.634, 0.684, and 0.734% TSAA contents. Theincrease in the level of TSAA in the diet from 0.484 to 0.734% showeda quadratic effect on egg production, egg weight, egg mass, and feed conversion. A linear effect on the internal quality of the egg was also observed when measuring theHaugh units and the albumen index. Using single-slope, broken line methodology, the minimal levels of TSAA which maximized egg production, weight, and mass, and showed the best feed conversion were 6.72, 6.68, 6.72, and 6.82 g/kg of food respectively. In summary, the increase of TSAA using synthetic methionine significantly improved performance of eggs laying hens. Because of this reason semi-heavy egg laying hens required 6,735 g TSAA/kg of foodor 775 mg TSAA per hen daily from 22 to 38 weeksof age (with daily feed consumption of 115 g).
북방전복 Haliotis discus hannai의 계절별 생리적 변화

Growth, oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, feeding and assimilation rate were examined from May 2010 to February 2011 in order to assess the physiological changes of Haliotis discus hannai in accordance with changes in season. The water temperature was in the range of 8-23.2℃ and the salinity in the range of 31.9-34.1psu during the examination period. The length of shell of Haliotis discus hannai grew from 36.3 mm to 66.1 mm in the 1 year old entities and from 60.6 mm to 66.1 mm for the 2 year old entities, while the weight of the meat increased from 3.16 g to 12.04 g and from 15.8 g to 21.5 g, respectively. The oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rate displayed trend of increase in accordance with the increase in water temperature, while the feeding rate was high during the period from July to October. The assimilation rate was in the range of 68%-71% without significant difference between the age of the entities and seasons. SFG displayed +value throughout the year for the 1 year old entities of Haliotis discus hannai as well as for the 2 year old entities with the exception of the period of July, thereby showing that they are growing throughout the year. Therefore, there was no environmental effect including water temperature and salinity during the examination period.
Absence of DAZ gene mutations in cases of non-obstructed azoospermia

5 To whom correspondence should be addressed Sequence-tagged site (STS) analysis of the Y chromosome long arm (Yq) of azoospermic males has identified a minimum common deleted region of several hundred kilobases in ~13% of cases. A candidate azoospermia gene, DAZ (deleted in azoospermia), has been isolated from this region. DAZ has also been shown to be absent in severely oligozoospermic males albeit at a much lower frequency. These data, although highly suggestive, do not constitute formal proof that DAZ actually plays a role in azoospermia, as no small intragenic deletions, rearrangements or point mutations in the gene have been found. In this study we report the screening of DNA from 168 azoospermic/oligospermic males for the presence of the DAZ gene. Deletions involving DAZ were detected in five out of 43 (11.6%) azoospermic males whereas none were found in the remaining 125 oligospermic patients. We present the genomic structure of the 59 end of the DAZ gene together with its sequence analysis in 30 non-obstructed azoospermic males. No mutations in DAZ were found in any of the patients sequenced. These data provide no formal proof that DAZ is AZF. Thus the possibility is still valid that another gene(s) mapping to the minimum deletion interval may be responsible for, or contribute to, the observed phenotypes. Alternatively, if DAZ is AZF, they suggest that the most frequent cause of gene inactivation is via large deletions possibly mobilized by Y chromosome repetitive sequences.
Distribution and genetic diversity of two species ofPelasgusminnows (Leuciscidae) in southern Greece

PelasgusKottelat & Freyhof 2007 (Leuciscidae) is a freshwater fish genus endemic to the Southern Balkans. The distribution of most of its species is insufficiently known.Pelasguswas molecularly studied only marginally, and the genetic diversity of individual species or populations, crucial for their conservation, is completely unknown. We studied distribution and genetic diversity ofPelasgus stymphalicus(Valenciennes 1844) andPelasgus marathonicus(Vinciguerra 1921), two widespread species from southern Greece. Our data, based oncytochrome bsequences, confirmed that a number of populations whose taxonomic status had been uncertain, belong to one of these species. The distribution range ofP. stymphalicusincludes the Ionian mainland, from the Acheloos to Mornos rivers, and most of the Peloponnese, excluding the Evrotas and the headwaters of Alfios. The native range ofPelasgus marathonicusis the western Aegean mainland, from rivers near Athens to the Xerias river in the Pagasitikos Gulf. AMOVA showed that the genetic variance is slightly higher among than between populations. HighFSTvalues indicated a pronounced genetic differentiation of the populations in both species. There was a high proportion of private haplotypes and a very small number of shared haplotypes between populations in both species, which indicates uniqueness of each population and their susceptibility to human-induced changes.
South Atlantic Coral Reefs Are Major Global Warming Refugia and Less Susceptible to Bleaching

Mass coral bleaching has increased in intensity and frequency and has severely impacted shallow tropical reefs worldwide. Although extensive investigation has been conducted on the resistance and resilience of coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, the unique reefs of the South Atlantic remain largely unassessed. Here we compiled primary and literature data for reefs from three biogeographical regions: Indo-Pacific, Caribbean and South Atlantic and performed comparative analyses to investigate whether the latter may be more resistant to bleaching. Our findings show that South Atlantic corals display critical features that make them less susceptible to mass coral bleaching: (i) deeper bathymetric distribution, as species have a mean maximum depth of occurrence of 70 m; (ii) higher tolerance to turbidity, as nearly 60% of species are found in turbid conditions; (iii) higher tolerance to nutrient enrichment, as nitrate concentration in the South Atlantic is naturally elevated; (iv) higher morphological resistance, as massive growth forms are dominant and comprise two thirds of species; and (v) more flexible symbiotic associations, as 75% of corals and 60% of symbiont phylotypes are generalists. Such features were associated with occurrence of fewer bleaching episodes with coral mortality in the South Atlantic, approximately 60% less than the Indo-Pacific and 50% less than the Caribbean. In addition, no mass coral mortality episodes associated with the three global mass bleaching events have been reported for the South Atlantic, which suffered considerably less bleaching. These results show that South Atlantic reefs display several remarkable features for withstanding thermal stress. Together with a historic experience of lower heat stress, our findings may explain why climate change impacts in this region have been less intense. Given the large extension and latitudinal distribution of South Atlantic coral reefs and communities, the region may be recognized as a major refugium and likely to resist climate change impacts more effectively than Indo-Pacific and Caribbean reefs.
Bed-Sharing in Couples Is Associated With Increased and Stabilized REM Sleep and Sleep-Stage Synchronization

Background/Objectives Sharing the bed with a partner is common among adults and impacts sleep quality with potential implications for mental health. However, hitherto findings are contradictory and particularly polysomnographic data on co-sleeping couples are extremely rare. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a bed partner's presence on individual and dyadic sleep neurophysiology. Methods Young healthy heterosexual couples underwent sleep-lab-based polysomnography of two sleeping arrangements: individual sleep and co-sleep. Individual and dyadic sleep parameters (i.e., synchronization of sleep stages) were collected. The latter were assessed using cross-recurrence quantification analysis. Additionally, subjective sleep quality, relationship characteristics, and chronotype were monitored. Data were analyzed comparing co-sleep vs. individual sleep. Interaction effects of the sleeping arrangement with gender, chronotype, or relationship characteristics were moreover tested. Results As compared to sleeping individually, co-sleeping was associated with about 10% more REM sleep, less fragmented REM sleep (p = 0.008), longer undisturbed REM fragments (p = 0.0006), and more limb movements (p = 0.007). None of the other sleep stages was significantly altered. Social support interacted with sleeping arrangement in a way that individuals with suboptimal social support showed the biggest impact of the sleeping arrangement on REM sleep. Sleep architectures were more synchronized between partners during co-sleep (p = 0.005) even if wake phases were excluded (p = 0.022). Moreover, sleep architectures are significantly coupled across a lag of ± 5min. Depth of relationship represented an additional significant main effect regarding synchronization, reflecting a positive association between the two. Neither REM sleep nor synchronization was influenced by gender, chronotype, or other relationship characteristics. Conclusion Depending on the sleeping arrangement, couple's sleep architecture and synchronization show alterations that are modified by relationship characteristics. We discuss that these alterations could be part of a self-enhancing feedback loop of REM sleep and sociality and a mechanism through which sociality prevents mental illness.
SPT3IsRequired forNormalLevels ofa-Factor andOx-Factor Expression inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Mutations in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SPT3 gene were previously found to cause suppression of Ty and 8 insertion mutations in 5'-noncoding regions of genes. This suppression likely results from the fact that SPT3 is required for transcription initiation in 8 sequences. Other additional phenotypes of spt3 mutants, including a mating defect, suggest that SPT3 is required for normal levels of expression of other genes. We analyzed the mating defect in spt3 mutants and showed that the levels of transcripts of the three major mating pheromone genes, MFal, MFal, MFa2, were all reduced. The reduction in expression of these genes in spt3 mutants was not due to expression of a silent mating type cassette. Furthermore, we showed that the spt3 mating defect was manifest at the levels of both cellular fusion and nuclear fusion.
Providing an Additional Electron Sink by the Introduction of Cyanobacterial Flavodiirons Enhances Growth of A. thaliana Under Various Light Intensities

The ability of plants to maintain photosynthesis in a dynamically changing environment is of central importance for their growth. As the photosynthetic machinery is a sensitive and early target of adverse environmental conditions as those typically found in the field, photosynthetic efficiency is not always optimal. Cyanobacteria, algae, mosses, liverworts and gymnosperms produce flavodiiron proteins (Flvs), a class of electron sinks not represented in angiosperms; these proteins act to mitigate the photoinhibition of photosystem I under high or fluctuating light. Here, genes specifying two cyanobacterial Flvs have been expressed in the chloroplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana in an attempt to improve plant growth. Co-expression of Flv1 and Flv3 enhanced the efficiency of light utilization, boosting the plant’s capacity to accumulate biomass as the growth light intensity was raised. The Flv1/Flv3 transgenics displayed an increased production of ATP, an acceleration of carbohydrate metabolism and a more pronounced partitioning of sucrose into starch. The results suggest that Flvs are able to establish an efficient electron sink downstream of PSI, thereby ensuring efficient photosynthetic electron transport at moderate to high light intensities. The expression of Flvs thus acts to both protect photosynthesis and to control the ATP/NADPH ratio; together, their presence is beneficial for the plant’s growth potential.
MAT1-1-3, a Mating Type Gene in the Villosiclava virens, Is Required for Fruiting Bodies and Sclerotia Formation, Asexual Development and Pathogenicity

Villosiclava virens is the prevalent causative pathogen of rice false smut, a destructive rice disease. Mating-type genes play a vital role in the evolution of mating systems in fungi. Some fungi have lost MAT1-1-3, one of the mating-type genes, during evolution, whereas others still retain MAT1-1-3. However, how MAT1-1-3 regulates the sexual development of heterothallic V. virens remains unknown. Here, we generated the MAT1-1-3 mutants, which exhibited defects in vegetative growth, stress response, pathogenicity, sclerotia formation and fruiting body maturation. An artificial outcrossing inoculation assay showed that the Δmat1-1-3 mutant was unable to produce sclerotia. Unexpectedly, the Δmat1-1-3 mutant could form immature fruiting bodies without mating on potato sucrose agar medium (PSA) compared with the wild-type strain, most likely by activating the truncated MAT1-2-1 transcription to regulate the sexual development. Moreover, RNA-seq data showed that knockout of MAT1-1-3 results in misregulation of a subset of genes involved in sexual development, MAPK signaling, cell wall integrity, autophagy, epigenetic modification, and transcriptional regulation. Collectively, this study reveals that MAT1-1-3 is required for asexual and sexual development, and pathogenicity of V. virens, thereby provides new insights into the function of mating-type genes in the fungi life cycle and infection process.
Apoptin as a Tumor-Specific Therapeutic Agent: Current Perspective on Mechanism of Action and Delivery Systems

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide in humans and animals. Conventional treatment regimens often fail to produce the desired outcome due to disturbances in cell physiology that arise during the process of transformation. Additionally, development of treatment regimens with no or minimum side-effects is one of the thrust areas of modern cancer research. Oncolytic viral gene therapy employs certain viral genes which on ectopic expression find and selectively destroy malignant cells, thereby achieving tumor cell death without harming the normal cells in the neighborhood. Apoptin, encoded by Chicken Infectious Anemia Virus’ VP3 gene, is a proline-rich protein capable of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells in a selective manner. In normal cells, the filamentous Apoptin becomes aggregated toward the cell margins, but is eventually degraded by proteasomes without harming the cells. In malignant cells, after activation by phosphorylation by a cancer cell-specific kinase whose identity is disputed, Apoptin accumulates in the nucleus, undergoes aggregation to form multimers, and prevents the dividing cancer cells from repairing their DNA lesions, thereby forcing them to undergo apoptosis. In this review, we discuss the present knowledge about the structure of Apoptin protein, elaborate on its mechanism of action, and summarize various strategies that have been used to deliver it as an anticancer drug in various cancer models.
Autoantibody Biomarkers for Basal Ganglia Encephalitis in Sydenham Chorea and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated With Streptococcal Infections

Movement, behavioral, and neuropsychiatric disorders in children have been linked to infections and a group of anti-neuronal autoantibodies, implying dopamine receptor-mediated encephalitis within the basal ganglia. The purpose of this study was to determine if anti-neuronal biomarkers, when used as a group, confirmed the acute disease in Sydenham chorea (SC) and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). IgG autoantibodies against four neuronal autoantigens (tubulin, lysoganglioside GM1, and dopamine receptors D1 and D2) were detected in SC sera (N=8), sera and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from two groups of PANDAS cases (N=25 first group and N=35 second group), sera from Tourette's syndrome (N=18), obsessive-compulsive disorder (N=25), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (N=18), and healthy controls (N=28) by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IgG specific for neuronal autoantigens was significantly elevated during the acute symptomatic phase, and the activity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) pathway was significantly elevated in human neuronal cells. Five assays confirmed the disease in SC and in two groups of children with PANDAS. In 35 acute onset PANDAS patients, 32 sera (91.4%) were positive for one or more of the anti-neuronal autoantibodies compared with 9 of 28 healthy controls (32.1%, p<0.0001). Importantly, CSF of 32 (91.4%) PANDAS patients had one or more detectable anti-neuronal autoantibody titers and CaMKII activation. Among healthy control subjects with elevated serum autoantibody titers for individual antigens, none (0%) were positively associated with elevated positive CaMKII activation, which was a striking contrast to the sera of PANDAS subjects, who had 76–89% positive association with elevated individual autoantibody titers and positive CaMKII activity. At 6 months follow-up, symptoms improved for more than 80% of PANDAS subjects, and serum autoantibody titers also significantly decreased. Results reported herein and previously published studies in our laboratory suggest the antibody biomarkers may be a useful adjunct to clinical diagnosis of SC, PANDAS, and related disorders and are the first known group of autoantibodies detecting dopamine receptor-mediated encephalitis in children.
Single-Dose of Testosterone and the MAOA VNTR Polymorphism Influence Emotional and Behavioral Responses in Men During a Non-social Frustration Task

Previous studies suggest that testosterone and several neurotransmitters might interactively influence human aggression. The current study aimed to test potential interactions of a genetic variation linked to the catabolism of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine and exogenous testosterone on the reaction towards non-social provocation. In total, 146 male participants were genotyped for a prominent polymorphism of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene resulting in a short and long variant. Participants completed a non-social frustration task after receiving either testosterone or a placebo gel in a double-blind set-up. Participants performed a non-social frustration task, where they had to direct a virtually moving ball into a barrel by pulling a joystick (neutral block). During a frustration block, the joystick repeatedly did not respond to participants’ reactions thereby causing failed trials to which participants reacted with increased anger and stronger pulling of the joystick. We analyzed the effect of testosterone administration on emotion and behavior in individuals who either carried a low (L) or high (H) activity MAOA variant. Testosterone administration increased provocation-related self-reported anger and abolished the association between trait aggression and joystick deflection in the frustration block. In MAOA-H carriers endogenous testosterone levels at baseline were associated with increased joystick deflection in both blocks. There was, however, no interaction of testosterone administration and genotype. Although preliminary, the results rather indicate independent influences of exogenous testosterone administration and MAOA, but support an interaction of endogenous testosterone levels and MAOA genetics in a frustration task. The administration of testosterone seems to act on the subjective emotional experience in a provoking situation, while endogenous testosterone levels increased pulling impulses only in carriers of the MAOA-H variant.
The occurrence and infective potential of entomopathogenic fungi in the soil of arable fields, meadows and forest habitatsWystępowanie oraz potencjał infekcyjny grzybów entomopatogenicznych w glebach z pól uprawnych, łąk i siedlisk leśnych

Summary The aim of the study was to compare the species composition and the intensity of occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in the soil of arable fields and adjacent grassland and forest habitats. The soil and litter samples were collected in October 2012 from different habitats: mixed forest, farmland and meadow. Fungi were isolated from soil by means of two methods: trap insects (larvae of Galleria mellonella) and selective medium. A total five entomopathogenic fungal species: Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Isaria fumosorosea, Isaria farinosa and Conidiobolus sp. , were isolated by means of the first method, while only three first species of fungi by means of selective medium. It was found, that usually one fungal species dominated in each of the surveyed habitats. On average in the litter and forest soil the most infectious units formed fungus B. bassiana, in the soil of farmlands M. anisopliae, while in the meadow soil in a similar intensity I. fumosorosea and B. bassiana occurred. The richest species composition of entomopathogenic fungi was found in soils from meadows but the highest density of their colony forming units was found in soil samples collected from the small-scale arable fields.
MOLECULAR DIVERGENCE IN THE GENUS THRICHOMYS (RODENTIA, ECHIMYIDAE)

Abstract Molecular analysis of cytochrome b (about 1,100 base pairs) in Brazilian Thrichomys specimens from Pantanal, Caatinga, and Cerrado confirmed the monophyly of this genus in neighbor joining, maximum parsimony, and likelihood analyses. Molecular and karyotypic analyses suggested that T. pachyurus (2n = 34), T. inermis (2n = 26), and Thrichomys sp. nov. (2n = 30) belonged to different evolutionary lineages. The grouping of T. apereoides populations with different karyotypes (2n = 28, FN = 52 or 50; 2n = 30, FN = 54) was difficult to explain unless by postulating a recent karyotypic differentiation and/or random extinction of lineages of an ancestral population in which the mitochondrial DNA polymorphism was present.