Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foraging Strategy of Plateau Zokors (Eospalax baileyi Thomas) When Collecting Food for Winter Caches

ABSTRACT: Subterranean life style is characterized by limited food resource and energy consuming burrow behavior. Subterranean rodents are usually recognized as dietary generalists. In the current study, we investigated the species composition of winter caches of plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi), and the dissimilarity of species composition in caches and in the vicinity of the burrows. We have made our research in Kobresia dominated vegetation at the altitude 3200 m a.s. l. We used the non-parametric method to test the similarities between the relative dry mass of the plant species within caches and their closed vicinity. This method was based on measures of distance between pairs of individual multivariate observations. Our results revealed that although plateau zokors cached most (60) of the plant species found in the vicinity of their burrow systems (66), the cached dry mass was dominated by a few species. Nine plant species accounted for 80% dry mass of plants present in zokors' caches, Polygonum viviparum (50%) and other perennial poisonous forbs constitute 70% dry mass of the caches. Results showed that the dissimilarity between the relative dry mass of plant species within caches and in their vicinity was extremely significant (for Bray-Curtis distance measure, R = 0.355, P =0.000; for Euclidean distance measure R =0.319, P = 0.000). These results showed that plateau zokors don't forage randomly when collecting food for winter caches. We suppose that rather than using a non-selective foraging strategy by dealing with high fiber-content plants, plateau zokors have forged another dietary strategy to meet the energy demands in the evolutionary process: to deal with poisonous forbs.
Study of the cell cycle interactome of Arabidopsis thaliana through a targeted proteomics approach

Defining protein complexes is critical to virtually all aspects of cell biology, because many cellular processes are regulated by stable protein complexes and their identification often provides insights into their function. In the introduction of the thesis, an overview is given on proteomic approaches with an emphasis towards study of protein-protein interactions and towards plant proteomic sudies. Next, we describe the development and application of a high-througput tandem affinity purification (TAP)/mass spectrometry platform for cell suspension cultures to analyze protein complexes in Arabidopsis thaliana. The TAP technology was further optimized through the introduction of different alternative TAP tags. Finally, this technology platform was used to map the cell cycle interactome of Arabidopsis thaliana. The resulting protein interaction network among 394 proteins contains 866 interactions, from which 82% has never been described before. Based on a computational analysis, gene networks involved in cell cycle phase transition, DNA replication, and mitosis are presented, together with a list of new candidate cell cycle proteins. This is the first cell cycle interactome for higher eukaryotes mapped by tandem affinity purification of protein comlexes and mass spectromethry analysis. It provides insight in the basic cell cylce machinery and serves as a guide for the investigation of other protein networks by complex purifactinin plants.
Nutrition and production of domestic sheep managed as manipulators of big game habitat.

the Intermountain Region. U.S. Dep. Agr. , Forest Serv. Res. Pap. INT-32. 160 p. Houghton, J. G. 1969. Characteristics of rainfall in the Great Basin. Desert Research Institute, Univ. Nevada System, Reno. 205 p. Nabi, A. A. 1978. Variation in successional status of pinyon-juniper woodlands in the Great Basin. MS Thesis, Utah State Univ., Logan. 127 p. Stevens, R. , and E. D. McArthur. 1974. A simple technique for identification of some sagebrush taxa. J. Range Manage. 27:325-326. Stebbins, G. L. , Jr. 1975. Shrubs as centers of adaptive radiation and evolution. p. 120-140. In: H. C. Stutz (ed.) Proc. Symposium and Workshop on Wildland Shrubs. Brigham Young Univ. Press, Provo, Utah. Wernstedt, F. L. 1960. Climatic fluctuations in the Great Basin 1931-1956. J. Range Manage. 13:173-178. West, N. E. , R. J. Tausch, K. H. Rea, and P. T. Tueller. 1978. Phytogeographical variation within juniper-pinyon woodlands of the Great Basin. In: K. 1. Harper (ed.) Intermountain biogeography: An interpretive synthesis. Great Basin Nat. Memoir (In press). Whittaker, R. H. 1973. Direct gradient analyses. p. 71-74. In: R. H. Whittaker (ed.) Ordination and classification of communities. Vol. 5 Handbook of Vegetation Science. W. Junk, The Hague, Netherlands. Winward, A. H. 1969. Taxonomic and ecological relationships of the big sagebrush complex in Idaho. PhD Diss. , Univ. Idaho, Moscow. Univ. Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Mich. 80 p.
High affinity p-nitrophenol oxidation by Bacillus sphaericus JS905

Bacillus sphaericus JS905, isolated from an agricultural soil by selective enrichment, transforms p-nitrophenol (PNP) releasing only nitrite in stoichiometric amounts. The kinetics of PNP oxidation by this strain were successfully measured using an extant respirometric assay. Washed PNP-grown cells displayed very high substrate affinity (Ks) values of 0.003 and 0.023 mg PNP l 31 , and low specific growth rate (Wmax) values of 0.021 and 0.019 h 31 at 30 and 37‡C, respectively, at initial substrate concentration of 0.70 and 1.40 mg PNP l 31 . Substrate inhibition was only evident at substrate concentration of 2.80 mg PNP l 31 ; the measured kinetic parameters were 0.055 and 0.043 h 31 . Temperature had a small impact on the measured values for Wmax and Ks. Surprisingly, values for the endogenous decay coefficient (0.015 and 0.020 h 31 at 30 and 37‡C, respectively) were of the same size as the specific growth rate. This indicates that net growth of B. sphaericus JS905 on PNP when used as a sole substrate is very small. As a result, the advantage of the high affinity PNP removal by this strain must probably depend on its growth on other primary substrates. The O2/PNP stoichiometry indicates the consumption of 3 mol of molecular oxygen for the oxidation of each mol of PNP. z 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science
Influence of the Invasive Herb Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) on Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Assemblages

Abstract Garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara and Grande, is a widespread invader that has aggressively colonized woodland edges and forest interiors across North America, yet its ecological impacts remain scantily documented. We evaluated the effects of garlic mustard on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages and their invertebrate prey by comparing carabid captures and species richness and invertebrate abundance in invaded and noninvaded areas of two forests in central New York. Geostatistical techniques were used to model ground beetle distribution and to determine spatial correlation between carabids, garlic mustard, ground beetle prey availability, understory plant species richness, and litter depth. Data were collected from April to September 2002, using a grid of 64 by 64 m, with 89 sampling points arranged in nested grids to capture the spatial correlation within and between each variable. Garlic mustard invasion had no effect on carabid captures and species richness or on invertebrate abundance. Ground beetle abundance and biomass were spatially correlated, but their distribution was independent of garlic mustard and all other environmental factors we recorded. Our data on carabid assemblages and their invertebrate prey clearly show that absence or presence of garlic mustard did not influence these organisms at our study sites. It is possible that garlic mustard invasion has negative ecosystem impacts; however, the biennial nature of the plant and its pattern of spread may produce subtle ecological effects that are difficult to quantify or are easily confounded by other dominating factors.
A novel type of co‐chaperone mediates transmembrane recruitment of DnaK‐like chaperones to ribosomes

Recently, the homolog of yeast protein Sec63p was identified in dog pancreas microsomes. This pancreatic DnaJ‐like protein was shown to be an abundant protein, interacting with both the Sec61p complex and lumenal DnaK‐like proteins, such as BiP. The pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum contains a second DnaJ‐like membrane protein, which had been termed Mtj1p in mouse. Mtj1p is present in pancreatic microsomes at a lower concentration than Sec63p but has a higher affinity for BiP. In addition to a lumenal J‐domain, Mtj1p contains a single transmembrane domain and a cytosolic domain which is in close contact with translating ribosomes and appears to have the ability to modulate translation. The interaction with ribosomes involves a highly charged region within the cytosolic domain of Mtj1p. We propose that Mtj1p represents a novel type of co‐chaperone, mediating transmembrane recruitment of DnaK‐like chaperones to ribosomes and, possibly, transmembrane signaling between ribosomes and DnaK‐like chaperones of the endoplasmic reticulum.
In vitro evaluation of tooth colour modifications using differing hydrogen peroxide

today is the management of the discoloured and/or hypoplastic dentition. Bleaching is the most conservative treatment for discoloured teeth compared to resin-bond-ed composites, porcelain veneers and crowns. Tooth bleaching has become dentistry’s most popular aesthetic treatment.The exact mechanism of action is not complete-ly understood, but theorised. Hydrogen peroxide diffuses through the organic matrix of the enamel and dentine (Bowles et al 1987, 1986; Fuss et al, 1989). Because the radicals have unpaired electrons, they are extremely electro-phylic and unstable and will attack most other organic molecules to achieve stability, generating other radicals.These radicals can react with most unsaturated bonds, resulting in disruption of electron conjugation and a change in the absorption energy of the organic molecules in tooth enamel. Simpler molecules that reflect less light are formed, cre-ating a successful whitening action. This process occurs when the oxidising agent (hydrogen peroxide) reacts with organic material in the spaces between the inorganic salts in tooth enamel (Goldstein and Garber, 1995). Since introduction home techniques materials properties
First Record of Hemocytes and Oenocytes in Freshwater Ostracodes

Abstract This study provides morphological descriptions of three distinct types of hemocytes and one type of oenocyte newly observed in the body cavity of several freshwater ostracode species (Candona candida, C. neglecta, Herpetocypris reptans, H. incongruens, Eucypris virens, Psychrodromus olivaceus, Notodromas monacha, N. persica and Scottia birigida, all Podocopida, Cypridoidea). These cells were found in both males and females and in both juveniles and adults predominantly in inter-lamellar space, along the dorsal margin of the body cavity and in the anteroventral part of the body cavity. In TEM, large granulocytes with a number of pseudopodia and remarkable rounded granula were observed. Their affinity to muscle syncytia and a role in phagocytosis of exogenous particles is distinct. Oenocytoid-like cells with homogenous cytoplasm, rich in polyribosomes and with few membrane-delimited vesicles, were caught in the peripheral parts of body cavity accumulating in special multicellular formations. The oenocytoid-like cells were observed in two cases also by light microscopy. Two types of plasmatocytes (agranular and granular) with numerous pseudopodia were observed in TEM to be involved in phagocytosis of cell debris. Moreover, the plasmatocytes are located in close vicinity with the multicellular formations of oenocytoid-like cells and envelope them or form a sheath. Oenocytes were shown by light microscopy using histological staining to occur in huge amounts in juveniles. In adults their frequency becomes considerably lower. Possible functions of these cells are discussed in the context of invertebrate haematology, physiology and immunology.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Auxin-regulated Genes from Mungbean Hypocotyls during Adventitious Root Formation

Vigna radiata (L.) Rwiclz. ] cuttings is stimulated by indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). To understand the molecular events that occur during IAA-induced adventitious root initiation, a λgt11 cDNA library was made from mungbean hypocotyls treated with 500 μM IAA for 3 hours and differentially screened. Two cDNAs MII-3 and MII-4 were isolated. Southern analysis revealed that both cDNAs are encoded by different genes. Expression studies showed different patterns for both genes. Both MII-3 and MII-4 were highly expressed in IAA treated hypocotyls, whereas MII-4 was also induced in IAA treated epicotyls. There was no expression of either MII-3 or MII-4 in control or IAA treated leaves. With increasing concentrations of IAA from 100 to 1000 μM there was an increase in the average root number per cutting as well as a stimulation in MII-3 and MII-4. Both MII-3 and MII-4 showed a stimulation in expression 4 hours following treatment with 500 μM IAA reaching a maximum from 4 to 8 hours followed by a decline thereafter. Basal expression of MII-3 was evident between 2 and 8 hours, whereas, a high degree of basal expression was found with MII-4 from 1 to 8 hours followed by a sharp decline. Cycloheximide (50 μM) dramatically reduced rooting and MII-3 expression, whereas MII-4 was only slightly affected.
Insights into the human Fragile X syndrome gene family using Drosophila melanogaster

Fragile X syndrome, resulting from the loss of function of the hFMR1 gene, is the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability. The human genome also encodes two closely related paralogs: hFXR1 and hFXR2. Drosophila that lack the dFMR1 gene recapitulate FXS-associated molecular, cellular and behavioral phenotypes. To test evolutionary conservation, we used tissue-targeted transgenic expression of all three human genes in the Drosophila disease model. In neurons, dfmr1 null mutants exhibit elevated protein levels that alter the central brain and neuromuscular junction synaptic architecture, including an increase in synapse area, branching and bouton numbers. Importantly, hFMR1 can fully rescue both the molecular and cellular defects in neurons, whereas hFXR1 and hFXR2 provide absolutely no rescue. For non-neuronal requirements, we assayed male fecundity and testes function. dfmr1 null mutants are effectively sterile owing to disruption of the 9+2 microtubule organization in the sperm tail. All three human genes fully and equally rescue mutant fecundity and spermatogenesis defects. These results indicate that FMR1 function is evolutionarily conserved in neural mechanisms and cannot be compensated by either FXR1 or FXR2, but that all three proteins can substitute for each other non-neuronally. It has been long hypothesized that the phosphorylation of serine 500 in human FMRP controls its function as an RNA-binding translational repressor. To test this hypothesis in vivo, we employed neuronally targeted expression of three human FMR1 transgenes, including wildtype (hFMR1), dephosphomimetic (S500A-hFMR1) and phosphomimetic (S500D-hFMR1). At the molecular and cellular levels, the phosphomimetic is able to rescue elevated protein levels and architecture overgrowth phenotypes, whereas the dephosphomimetic phenocopies the null condition. At the behavioral level, dfmr1 null mutants exhibit strongly impaired olfactory associative learning. The human phosphomimetic targeted only to the brain-learning center restores normal learning ability, whereas the dephosphomimetic provides absolutely no rescue. We conclude that human FMRP S500 phosphorylation is necessary for its in vivo function as a neuronal translational repressor and regulator of synaptic architecture, and for the manifestation of FMRP-dependent learning behavior.
Screening of large collections of plant associated bacteria for effective plant growth promotion and colonisation

Summary The use of potent and effective live microbial biofertilisers in agricultural has significant potential to reduce the costs of crop production and in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution associated with excessive fertiliser use. Many plant associated bacteria possess plant growth promotion traits. However, when used as plant inoculants these bacteria often do not result in statistically significant plant growth promotion. This paper describes the screening process used to identify a number of endophytic strains with multiple plant growth promotion traits and effective plant colonisation ability in Brassica napus crops. Key words : Plant growth promoting bacteria, Endophytes, inoculation, Brassica napus Introduction Intensive use of chemicals in conventional agriculture is one of the factors leading to increased food prices, a reduction in biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and soil and water contamination. These negative effects could potentially be reduced by decreasing the quantities of agri-chemicals applied to crops through the use of microbial biofertilisers. The development of crop systems with high yields and low chemical inputs should improve both the economics and environmental impacts of food and biofuel production, and could be a major component of developing sustainable agriculture in the future. In the EU-27 states, the use of microbial biofertilisers has the potential to save €1−2bn per annum in the cereal sector (wheat, oats, barley, oilseed rape) alone (calculated from data supplied by Adesemoye
Mathematical modelling of multispecies biofilms for wastewater treatment

This dissertation relates to the applications of a one-dimensional mathematical model for multispecies biofilm formation and growth. The model consists of a system of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations, describing the growth of microbial species in biofilms, and a system of semilinear parabolic partial differential equations, which governs substrate diffusion from the surrounding aqueous phase into the biofilm. Overall, this leads to a free boundary value problem, essentially hyperbolic. In a first study, the analysis and simulations of the initial phase of biofilm growth have been addressed. The resulting mathematical problem has been discussed by using the method of characteristics and the fixed-point theorem has been used to obtain existence, uniqueness and properties of solutions. A second aspect of the thesis deals with the analysis and prediction of population dynamics in multispecies biofilms for wastewater treatment. The model has been applied to simulate the bacterial competition and to evaluate the influence of substrate diffusion on microbial stratification for a nitrifying multispecies biofilm including Anammox bacteria and a sulfate-reducing biofilm. In both cases, the method of characteristics has been used for numerical purposes and the mass conservation equation plays a crucial role in checking the accuracy of simulations. The simulation results reveal that the model is able to evaluate properly the effects that boundary conditions exert on bacterial competition. Finally, the biofilm model has been extended to include the colonization phenomenon. The new model is able to take into account the invasion of new species diffusing from bulk liquid to biofilm, still based on a set of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations for what concerns growth process. Indeed, the biological invasion process of new species into the biofilm has been modeled by a system of nonlinear parabolic partial differential equations. The invasion model has been successfully applied to simulate the invasion of heterotrophic bacteria in a constituted autotrophic biofilm and viceversa
Comparative Survival and Growth of Two Strains of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) through the Early Life Stages in a Marine Pond

Survival and growth of two strains of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were compared through the larval and juvenile stages in a marine pond in western Norway in 1990 and 1991. Strain A was homozygous for the genetic marker allele GPI-1*30 at the glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) locus expressed in white muscle, and Strain B possessed other GPI-1* genotypes, in 1990 the frequency of Strain B increased significantly from the larval to the juvenile stage; however, in 1991 the frequency of Strain A increased slightly but not significantly from the larval to the juvenile phase. Larval mortality did not differ significantly between strains any year, but juvenile mortality was significantly lower in Strain B in 1990 and Strain A in 1991. Average growth rates in length estimated from regressions were not significantly different between strains during the larval and juvenile period any year, but initial length was significantly larger in Strain B in 1990 and Strain A in 1991. Our results indicated that food limitation.
Quantitative Genetic Analysis of Biomass Yield, Pest Resistance, and Other Agronomic Traits in Prairie Cordgrass and Cup Plant

Prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata), and cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) are currently being evaluated for biomass feedstock production on marginal lands in the northern Great Plains and Midwest. Half-sib families of these species were evaluated in replicated single-row plots at Brookings, SD and Madison, WI in 2010 and 2011 for biomass production and several other agronomic traits. Significant differences were found among families of prairie cordgrass in SD and among families of cup plant in WI. Estimates of narrow sense heritability for biomass were generally moderately high, indicating ample additive genetic variation to achieve progress from selection. No genetic variation was found for resistance to the giant eucosma (Eucosma giganteana) in a population of cup plant evaluated in SD. It is expected that this research will identify superior families and perhaps superior individuals within families that will result in the development of new high-biomass-yielding cultivars of each species. Finding pest resistance will require screening of more germplasm.
Implications of the effects of trawling on sessile megazoobenthos on a tropical shelf in northeastern Australia

Pitcher, C. R. , Poiner, I. R. , Hill, B. J., and Burridge, C. Y. 2000. Implications of the effects of trawling on sessile megazoobenthos on a tropical shelf in northeastern Australia. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 57: 1359–1368. We estimate the possible overall status of populations of attached seabed fauna after 20 years of trawling in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), based on the key results of a five-year experimental study that provided an understanding of faunal resilience, in terms of removal rates per trawl. The removal rates of most seabed fauna were between 5 and 20% per trawl (range 0–40%). In attempting to estimate population status, it was also necessary to review patterns of trawl effort intensity and add a simple model for possible recovery dynamics of fauna. Large areas of the GBR are subject to trawling. In 1996, effort was recorded in 1300 statistical grids, each 66 minutes, an area equivalent to 153 000 km 2 . E ffort was highly aggregated among the grids, with about 20% concentrated into 2000–3000 h of effort. More fauna will be removed from grids with higher effort. Though 50–70% of trawled grids have been trawled only lightly (<700–1000 h) each year, over the last 20 years there has been a cumulative effect. A generalized depletion across all trawled grids is likely, but fauna with low vulnerability may be depleted by only 3% overall; medium vulnerability fauna may be depleted by about 20%; and highly vulnerable populations may be depleted by about 55% overall. Because of differential vulnerability, the composition of the faunal community will be substantially altered in most grids, with a shift to less vulnerable species.