Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Animal Exploitation in Ujrat El-Mehed, a Neolithic Site in Southern Sinai

Res. d'A. L'analyse des vestiges fauniques de Ujrat el-Mehed, site PPNB du Sinai meridional apporte la preuve de la presence d'un groupe de chasseurs-cueilleurs connaissant bien leur environnement en vue de son exploitation. L'assemblage faunique, tres riche, comporte des mammiferes, des oiseaux, des reptiles et des poissons, toutes especes sauvages. Aucune indication de domestication n'a ete recueillie. Cependant, il se pourrait qu'ait ete pratiquee une certaine selection dans la chasse de l'ibex, espece la plus repandue. Des oiseaux (Alectoris Chukar, Ammoperdrix heyi, Coturnix coturnix) paraissent avoir ete chasses de facon reguliere. L'existence de Bos primigenius et de Gazella gazella, espece dont l'aire de distribution s'est etendue au cours de la derniere glaciation, indique un climat plus steppique que celui qui regne aujourd'hui. Depuis le PPNB on note une diminution sensible de la taille du lievre, ce qui, selon la regle de Bergmann, indiquerait un climat plus chaud a partir de cette periode. Il est suggere que la Gazella dorcas dont la presence en Israel n'est pas attestee de facon certaine a la periode precedente, est une intrusion en provenance du Sahara a une epoque qui succederait a cette periode de dessiccation
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES, 3(3), 385-397 (2000) EFFECT OF FAT MIMETICS ON PHYSICAL, TEXTURAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF COOKIES

Soft-type cookies were prepared with up to 35% fat replacement by fat mimetics, namely Litesse (improved polydextrose), C*deLight MD 01970 (maltodextrins), Dairytrim (b-glucans), pectin and Simplesse Dry 100 (a blend of micropatriculated whey proteins and emulsifiers). Physical, textural and sensory properties of the cookies were measured. All formulations with fat replacement up to 23% showed properties similar to control cookies except hardness. Cookies with 35% fat replacement by Litesse, a combination of Litesse and C*deLight MD 01970 and a combination of Litesse and Simplesse Dry 100 (50% each) presented a greater hardness, but physical properties as well as flavor and general acceptance comparable to the control cookies.
Computers in Biological Teaching

Increasingly biologists are considering the use of computers as a way to enhance the quality of the courses they teach. Specific examples have appeared in recent issues of BioScience, e.g., Hyatt et al. (1972) and Labine and Wilson (1973). The proceedings of the annual Conference on Computers in Undergraduate Curricula (Anonymous 1973) contain a number of papers by biologists. The purpose of the present paper is not to present another use of computers in a specific biology course. Rather, its purpose is to develop some guidelines for their integrated use throughout a biology department and to determine when and how computers can best be used to enhance biological teaching. This paper is based on three years of biocomputing teaching experience at Notre Dame. We also must consider the role that biology professors and students must play. In general, our experience has been that selective use of computers provides both students and faculty with another avenue of creativity. When photography was first invented, many thought it spelled the end to creativity in art. So too with computers; at first computers seemed to threaten creativity. Now computers are developing into an exciting new medium in which to expand it!
Comparable length at weaning in cetaceans

Weaning represents the transition of mammalian life from maternal dependence to independence in both energetics and behavior. The length at weaning (Lw) is determined by the maternal investment during gestation and lactation. It affects calf survival and impacts on the long-term persistence of species, but the measurement is not readily obtainable for many cetaceans. A general linear model and residual correlation were used to explore the correlations between the published Lw and five other life history traits of cetaceans, including female asymptotic length (Lx), length at birth (Lb), lactation period (LP), gestation period (GP), and calving interval (CI). Lx was a significant confounding parameter on the other five traits. By eliminating the confounding Lx, ANCOVA revealed that baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed cetaceans (Odontoceti) had comparable Lw. By residual correlation, which factors the confounding Lx, Lw was significantly correlated with Lb but not with GP, LP, and CI. After Lb was further eliminated, convergent Lw in cetaceans could still be observed. Therefore, we proposed a generic expression Lw = 1.239Lx 0.877 , which allows us to further estimate Lw of undocumented cetacean species.
The Effect of Carboxyl-terminal Mutagenesis of G on Rhodopsin and Guanine Nucleotide Binding (*)

The carboxyl terminus of G protein α subunits plays an important role in receptor recognition. To identify the amino acids that participate in this interaction, COOH-terminal mutants of α (the transducin α subunit) were expressed in vitro and analyzed for their ability to interact with rhodopsin and to bind guanine nucleotide. Gly-348, the reported site of a β turn, was replaced with other neutral amino acids without severely affecting rhodopsin binding. However, proline substitution abolished rhodopsin interaction, suggesting that flexibility is important at this site. A comparison between C347Y, which lost both rhodopsin and guanine nucleotide binding, and a mutant substituted with α sequence (D346E/C347Y/G348N/F350V), in which guanine nucleotide binding was restored, implies that distinct motifs maintain the structure of the α subunit and are necessary for selective interaction with receptors. Surprisingly, mutants L344A, L349A, F350stop, and stop351A demonstrated a parallel loss of rhodopsin and guanine nucleotide binding. Altered profiles of L344A and F350stop on sucrose density gradients indicate that these mutants may undergo denaturation. The equivalent of αL344A generated in α and α did not show such a severe loss of guanine nucleotide binding, revealing that the α carboxyl terminus is unique in its susceptibility to changes in amino acid sequence.
Conservation Analysis of HIV-1 Protein Sequences Reveal Potential Drug Binding Sites: A Case of Viral Protein U and Protease

The HIV-1 viral protein U (Vpu) and protease play a pivotal role in the infectious lifecycle of human immunodeficiency virus-1. The objective of this study is to find the degree of conservation of the viral protein U (Vpu) and protease protein and to detect conserved binding sites, which might be used as target sites for potential anti-Vpu and anti-protease drugs. The conservation analysis was based on 4231 amino acid sequences for Vpu and 13,457 amino acid sequences for protease. The conservation analysis revealed a number of conserved and variable residues. The universally conserved residues identified in this study might be involved in either structure stabilizing or protein-protein interactions. The novel conserved potential binding sites which have been identified are: Vpu (Ile39, Arg45, Ile46 and Gly71) and protease (Pro9, Thr80 and Asn83). Along with conservational analysis, structural analysis revealed novel binding sites, namely four conserved sites on Vpu (Arg49, Ala50, Ser53, Gly54, Gly59; Glu56, Ser57, Asp60; Glu56, Gly71; Glu48, Glu51, Asp52, Gly54-Glu56) and single novel conserved site on protease (Thr4, Trp6 and Arg87, Asn88, Thr91, Gln92). The outcome of this study provides the basis for developing anti-Vpu and anti-protease drugs which have abridged potential to induce drug resistance through mutations.
Influence of Different Growth Conditions on the Kefir Grains Production, used in the Kefiran Synthesis

The purpose of this study was to optimize the kefir grains biomass production, using milk as culture media. The kefir grains were cultured at different changed conditions (temperature, time, shaker rotating speed, culture media supplemented) to evaluate their effects. Results showed that optimal culture conditions were using the organic skim milk, incubated at 25Â°C for 24 hours with a rotation rate of 125 rpm. According to results, the growth rate was 38.9 g/L for 24 h, at 25Â°C using the organic milk - OSM, 36.87 g/L during 24 hours, optimal time for propagation process gave 37.93 g/L kefir grains biomass when the effect of temperature level was tested. The homogenization of medium with shaker rotating induced a greater growth rate, it was obtained 38.9 g/L for 24 h, at 25Â°C using rotation rate at 125 rpm. The growing medium (conventional milk) supplemented with different minerals and vitamins may lead to improve the growth conditions of kefir grains biomass. The optimization of the growth environment is very important for achieving the maximum production of kefir grains biomass, substrate necessary to obtain the polysaccharide kefiran
Phosphorylation of Nucleosides with Phosphorus Oxychloride in Trialkyl Phosphate

The reaction of guanosine and triethyl phosphate at 50°C for 15 min produced the guanosine-triethyl phosphate complex in which triethyl phosphate is coordinated to guanosine of high-anti form in a 1 : 1 molar ratio. During the conversion of guanosine to guanosine 5'-monophosphate with phosphorus oxychloride, the guanosine-triethyl phosphate complex showed excellent selectivity and high reactivity toward phosphorus oxychloride compared with those of guanosine. The rate of selective phosphorylation of guanosine into guanosine 5'-monophosphate was markedly improved by preheating the mixture of guanosine and triethyl phosphate at 50°C, followed by adding phosphorus oxychloride to the mixture at 0°C. Thus, the 5'-phosphorylation of guanosine with phosphorus oxychloride in triethyl phosphate is considered to progress via the guanosine-triethyl phosphate complex as the reaction intermediate.
Process Design for the Microbial Synthesis of Poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) from Natural Gas

A process design for a two‐stage procedure for the production of PHB from natural gas based on the results, obtained on a laboratory and small technical scale, was developed. For this purpose, four bioreactors were dimensioned and interconnected so as to achieve a quasi‐continuous PHB production. A price of 6.35 €/kg PHB was pre‐calculated for the biosynthesis in a plant producing 500 t PHB/year. An extrapolation, which included the incorporation of various downstream procedures to achieve purities dependent on applications, resulted in prices between 11.50 and 14.00 €/kg for the purified final product. Estimations indicate that an expansion of the plant capacity to 5,000 t/year could enable a price reduction of approx. 30–35 %.
CARACTERIZAÇÃO E PATOGENICIDADE DE ISOLADOS DE Fusarium spp. CAUSADORES DE PODRIDÃO-DE-RAÍZES DA ERVA-MATE

Characterization and pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. isolates causing erva-mate root-rot. One of the main diseases of erva-mate ( Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.), in nursery and mainly in plantations , is the root-rot, caused by Fusarium sp. The disease control depends on correct diagnosi s of causal agent and molecular and morphological characteristics all ow diagnosing the pathogen. This work aims to determine morphological and molecular characteristi cs of six Fusarium spp. isolates from diseased erva-mate plantations. In order to that, pure colon ies grown on PDA and FCA environment were analyzed in relation to form and structure, under o ptical and stereoscopic microscope. The DNA extraction of each isolated was performed from mycelium produced on PD liquid medium by CTAB method. The samples of DNA genomic were submitted to Polymerase Chain Reaction with the universal primers ITS1 and ITS4 and the final produ ct was sequenced. Among the Fusarium spp. isolates analyzed two species were found: F. solani and F. oxysporum , all pathogenic and with low genetic variability within species.
Rat β casein cDNA: sequence analysis and evolutionary comparisons

Abstract The complete sequence of a 1072 nucleotide rat beta-casein cDNA insertion in the hybrid plasmid pC beta 23 has been determined. Primer extension was employed to determine the sequence of an additional 82 5'-terminal nucleotides in beta-casein mRNA. Rat beta-casein mRNA consists of a 696 nucleotide coding region, flanked by 52 nucleotide 5' and 406 nucleotide 3' noncoding regions, including a 40 nucleotide poly(A) tail. The derived 216 amino acid sequence of rat beta-casein was compared to the previously determined sequences of beta-caseins from several other species. Approximately 38% of the amino acids have been conserved among the rat, ovine, bovine and human sequences and these conserved amino acids occurred in clusters throughout the protein. One such cluster containing the majority of the potential casein phosphorylation sites was located near the amino terminus. Contrary to the considerable divergence observed for the processed beta-casein, 14 of 15 amino acids in the signal peptide sequence of the precasein were identical between the rat and ovine caseins.
The dynamics of a mountain mixed forest under wind disturbances in the Tatra Mountains, central Europe — a dendroecological reconstruction

Windstorms are among the most severe disturbances that affect mountain forests in central Europe. This study was conducted in a windthrow area resulting from a windstorm of an enormous scale in November 2004 in the Slovakian High Tatras Mountains. In this study, we used dendrochronological methods to determine the age structure and growth pattern of 529 Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) and 103 European larch (Larix decidua Mill) during the last 200 years by examining cross sections of stumps. The multiage structure of the spruce indicated that this species regenerated constantly throughout the reconstruction period. The age structure of the larch was distinctly bimodal with only two ca. 20 year periods of regeneration. The initiation of larch recruitment overlapped in time with release pulses and showed severe disturbance events. A sudden and simultaneous production of compression wood and resin pockets in survivor trees indicated that wind was the most probable disturbance factor. The current compo.
Bacterioclastic Action of a Bis-Quaternary Ammonium Compound against Escherichia coli

(bis-QACs) is little influenced by the molecular hydrophobicity. of the drug or environmental conditions such as temperature or pH. In order to clarify the mode of bactericidal action of bis-QACs against Escherichia coli, the bacterioclastic action of 4,4'(1,6hexamethylenedithio) bis (1-octylpyridinium bromide) (4DTBP-6,8) was investigated. It was suggested that 4DTBP-6,8, which invaded the bacterial cell, induced the leakage of ATP and the inhibition of the respiratory enzymes, and resulted in cell death. Subsequently, over 2ug /ml of . 4DTBP-6,8 caused an increase in the turbidity of the cell suspension, and the bactericidal activity of 4DTBP-6,8 was extremely increased with the increase of its concentration (over 2ƒÊg/ml). It indicated that 4DTBP-6,8 has an ability to induce a rapid and abundant secretion of the turbid materials from the cells and that such bacterioclastic ability is connected to its potent bactericidal activity. In addition, it was suggested that the first stage of bacterioclastic action of 4DTBP-6,8 was the leakage of magnesium ion (Mg2+), and the leakage of the outer membrane pore protein E and lipopolysaccharides followed it. The formation of blebs and holes on the bacterial cell surface was revealed by scanning electron microscopic investigation. Transmission electron micrographs of the cells treated with 4DTBP-6,8 showed the destruction of peptidoglycan and large missing portions of intercellular materials. Judging from these results, as the mechanism of the bacterioclastic action of bis-QACs, it is suggested that the cationic parts of bis-QACs electrically interact with the cationic parts of Mg2+ on the bacterial surface, then bis-QACs invade the cell membrane by displacement reaction with Mg2+, and rapidly destroy the bacterial cell surface structure.
Agitation of anoxic paddy soil slurries affects the performance of the methanogenic microbial community

Rates of CH4 production in slurries of anoxic Italian paddy soils were higher when incubated without agitation than with shaking or stirring. Stirring resulted in a drastically reduced transformation of [2-14C]acetate to 14CH4 and increased the relative contribution of CH4 production from H14CO3− to total methanogenesis. Numbers of acetotrophic methanogens were low (103 g−1 dry soil) in stirred slurries. An anoxic suspension of sterile sand which was amended with Methanosarcina barkeri and acetate produced only CH4 if it was not stirred. In stirred anoxic paddy soil, acetate accumulated to very high concentrations (<10 mM). Propionate, butyrate and/or isopropanol also increased in stirred slurries. Hydrogen partial pressures, on the other hand, reached in all treatments a similar value of about 3–5 Pa. However, H2 production was apparently inhibited by stirring, since H2 accumulated only if slurries in which methanogenesis was inhibited by chloroform were not stirred. Our results indicate that measurements of metabolic rates in anoxic paddy soil are better conducted in non-agitated incubations to avoid the potential destruction of acetotrophic methanogens, syntrophic microbial associations and other microorganisms that are sensitive to mechanical forces.
Role of silicon in enhancing the resistance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses

Abstract Although silicon (Si) has not been recognized as an essential element for plant growth, the beneficial effects of Si have been observed in a wide variety of plant species. The beneficial effects of Si are usually expressed more clearly in Si-accumulating plants under various abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Silicon is effective in controlling various pests and diseases caused by both fungi and bacteria in different plant species. Silicon also exerts alleviative effects on various abiotic stresses including salt stress, metal toxicity, drought stress, radiation damage, nutrient imbalance, high temperature, freezing and so on. These beneficial effects are mainly attributed to the high accumulation of silica on the tissue stirface although other mechanisms have also been proposed. To obtain plants resistant to multiple stresses, genetic modification of the root ability to take up Si has been proposed. In this review, the role of Si in conferring resistance to mutiple stresses is described.
PATHOGENICITY OF TWO NUCLEAR POLYHEDROSIS VIRUSES IN THE BLACK CUTWORM, AGROTIS IPSILON (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE),

Abstract LC50 and LT50 values for two multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis viruses isolated from the alfalfa looper, Autographa californica (Speyer), and a mint looper, Rachiplusia ou (Guenée), were determined against black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), neonate larvae, 1-day-old larvae reared at 15 °C before testing, and 1-day-old larvae reared at 27 °C before testing. The results showed that black cutworm larvae have low to moderate susceptibility to these viruses. As the larvae developed, their susceptibility to the viruses rapidly declined. Initial growth of larvae surviving sublethal dosages of these viruses was reduced, but pupal weights of these larvae were not significantly different from untreated controls. Résumé Les valeurs de la CL50 et du TL50 pour 2 virus multicapsides à nucléopolyhédroses isolés à partir de l'autographe de la luzerne, Autographa californica (Speyer), et d'une enrouleuse de la menthe Rachiplusia ou (Guenée) ont été déterminées contre le ver-gris noir Agrotis ipsilon (Hüfnagel) aux stades larves neonate, larves de 1 jour préalablement élevées à 15 °C, et larves de 1 jour préalablement élevées à 27 °C. Les résultats ont montré que les larves du ver-gris sont peu à modérément susceptibles à ces virus. Leur susceptibilité au virus a diminué rapidement avec le développement. La croissance initiale des larves survivant à des doses subléthals de ces virus a été réduite, mais le poids des chrysalides obtenues ne différait pas significativement des témoins non traités.
Selection for Optimal Life Histories: The Effects of Age Structure

The theory of optimal reproductive strategies has traditionally been studied in two ways: formal analysis of simple models that neglect the effects of age structure, and computer studies of complex life histories. Each of these approaches has disadvantages. The consequences of simple models sometimes dependmore on the nature of the simplifying assumptions than on the biological issues in question. On the other hand, computer simulations are only as general as the examples considered. The present study seeks to extend the formal analysis of optimal life histories to complex cases. I show that an optimal life history maximizes for each age class the expected fecundity at that age plus the sum of all future expected parameters. This result enables us to determine, at least inthe case of a three—stage life history, the manner in which the optimal reproductive effort at each age depends on the efforts made at the other ages, and thus, the coevolution of the various age—specific efforts. Three cases are distinguished: (1) If fertility and post—breeding survival and growth are concave functions of reproductive effort (i.e., have second derivatives that areeverywhere negative) there is a single set of age—specific reproductive rates towhich the system evolves regardless of initial conditions. This set of reproductive rates corresponds to an iteroparous life history (repeated breeding at different ages). (2) On the other hand, if fertility and subsequent growth and survival are convex functions of effort (positive second derivatives), semelparity (a single, herculean reproductive effort, followed by death) will most often evolve. However, an alternative, iteroparous life history sometimes exists, although stability considerations suggest that it may be transitory. (3)More realistic fertility and growth survival functions can generate alternative reproductive strategies that are stable since each represents a local maximum infitness. Often one of these alternatives corresponds to semelparity, the second to repeated reproduction. In such cases, the evolutionary outcome depends on initial conditions. This suggests that related species, with similar ecologies, may have very different life histories, the differences resulting from historical accidents that have trapped each on a different adaptive peak. The Salmonid genera, Salmo and Oncorhynchus, are suggested as possible examples.
Methods for precise molecular detection of probiotic microflora : using adjusted molecular biology protocols, primer sets and PCR assays.

Lactobacillus sp. is probiotic bacteria for which many detection methods were envisaged. However, culture-based methods failed to achieve specific detection of this bacterium due to its presence in mixed bacterial complex communities. The PCR assay was optimized to detect and quantify Lactobacillus sp. specifically in complex microbial community of mixed bacteria. Four DNA extraction methods, DNA integrity, primers specificity and optimized PCR procedure were all tested. It was shown that extracted genomic DNA using Wizard® Genomic DNA Purification Kit showed the highest yield, quality and performance in gel electrophoresis. Moreover, the specificity of the primer set, Lacto-16S-F /Lacto-16S-R, specific for Lactobacillus sp. was checked and found highly specific. In conclusion, the best DNA extraction protocol, working specific primer set and working PCR assay were achieved for achieving efficient, specific and reliable molecular-based, culture-independent, method of detection of lactobacillus sp. in PCR-suppressor highly protein-complex environment of mixed bacteria community.