Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic mapping of disease resistance gene analogs from the Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) genome

Genomic DNA sequences homologous to the nucleotide binding site (NBS)-leucine-rich repeat (LRR) genes were mapped for Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) by using previously published disease resistance gene analogs (RGAs). The RGAs were cloned by means of a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach with degenerate primers designed from conserved regions of the NBS domain of plant disease resistance genes (R-genes), and primer pairs for specific sequence-tagged sites (STS) were subsequently designed for efficient generation of the RGA fragments. To map the RGA clones on the Italian ryegrass genetic map, an F1 mapping family was used for the detection of restriction-site polymorphisms of the RGA fragments. Out of 50 RGA fragments, 11 detected genetic polymorphism in the F1 family. Polymorphic marker loci data were used for linkage analysis with JoinMap version 3.0. The linkage analysis revealed that 10 of the 11 RGAs were mapped in seven linkage groups constructed with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), simple sequence repeat (SSR), and expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers. This information will be useful for the development of new genetic markers linked to genes associated with disease resistance.
A comparison of numerical and qualitative methods of separating pollen of black and white spruce

Separations of pollen of black spruce from that of white spruce were made for sediment samples from two lakes in southeastern Labrador, Canada, by linear discriminant analysis of size measurements. Finding spruce grains in optimal condition and exact equatorial view was difficult and size distortion caused by cover-slip pressure occurred in some of the fossil samples. The latter problem was eliminated by adding fine sand to slide preparations. An alternative method of differentiating black and white spruce pollen was established using four morphological characters: saccus shape, saccus attachment to the corpus, density and arrangement of the internal reticulate structure in the saccus, and the area ratio of saccus to corpus. Qualitative separations of spruce pollen by these morphological characters were made for the same samples analyzed by numerical methods and for sediments from a third Labrador lake. The qualitative and numerical methods produced similar results within each level of a single core, as w.
Amanita augusta , a new species from California and the Pacific Northwest

Amanita augusta , formerly known under the misapplied European name A. franchetii , is described as a new species from California and the Pacific Northwest. Here we discuss the phylogeny of A. augusta in the context of genus Amanita , subsection Validae, and also provide taxonomic and phylogenetic notes on A. franchetii s.s. and its varieties.
Venturia inaequalis Resistance in Apple

Apple scab caused by Venturia inaequalis has evoked the interest for quite different reasons of scientists, agronomists, producers and consumers since over a century. Consumers select spotless apples, producers want to avoid damage, agronomists are asked to develop and implement control measures mostly based on fungicides, scientists are challenged to find cheaper and less questioned control measures. Under these premises a high number of publications have appeared dealing with almost all aspects of the interaction V. inaequalis-Malus. This review considers the advances of the past 10 years due to new genetic tools. It tries to reevaluate and value earlier works. The complex genetic of scab resistance in Malus is viewed in the context of single resistance genes, QTLs and functional interactions at molecular level. Consequences for breeding and for the creation of genetically modified apples are discussed.
Dry Matter Production in Young Loblolly (Pinus Taeda L.) and Slash Pine (Pinus Elliottii Engelm.) Plantations

The net primary productivity of the pine species and lesser vegetation (herbaceous ground cover) plus turnover rates between the litter layer and soil organic matter were investigated in young loblolly and slash pine plantations in Beaufort County, North Carolina. Estimations of the aboveground tree biomass and production by components were made by applying multiple regression, weight-prediction equations developed from harvest data ( 1 5 slash pine and 41 loblolly pine trees) *to tree dimensions from 28 permanent, undisturbed plots. Optimal plot size was determined by time-cost analysis. Total biomass for slash pine
Biochemical comparison between eggs from female Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray, 1835) reconditioned in freshwater and eggs from wild females: evaluation of female reconditioning as a conservation culture technique

Summary Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray, 1835) eggs from wild females (‘wild eggs’) and eggs from females reconditioned in freshwater (‘freshwater eggs’) were compared for biochemical factors related to their good chemical and physical condition and successful fertilization. Dry weights did not differ between the two groups of eggs. Wild eggs had a significantly higher protein content but lower lipid content than freshwater eggs. There were multiple and significant differences in the fatty acids between eggs from the two groups, but there was no difference for vitellin (Vn). The levels of phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), vitamin A (VA) and vitamin E (VE) in wild eggs were significantly higher than in freshwater eggs, but calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn) levels did not differ between the two groups. These results can be used to discriminate wild eggs and reconditioned eggs. Also suggested is to decrease lipids and increase protein levels in freshwater eggs for better egg quality. Mg, P, VA and VE should also be given as sturgeon food supplements.
Estimating Cementum Annuli Width in Polar Bears: Identifying Sources of Variation and Error

Abstract Distinct annuli in cementum, a mineralized tissue surrounding the root of mammalian teeth, are used to estimate age in wildlife. Life-history information may be recorded in cementum patterns but interpretation is complicated by variation in cementum width between individuals, among their teeth, and around the surface of the root. First premolar teeth from polar bears (Ursus maritimus) were evaluated. We identified sources of variation in cementum growth and methods are presented that reduce error and permit comparisons within and between individuals. A minimum of 10 measurements from 1 aspect was required to produce precise estimates of cementum growth layer group (GLG) width. Variance component analysis revealed that comparisons between distal and mesial aspects of the root introduced the greatest variation among bears. Controlling for aspect, variance was partitioned differently between the mesial and distal surfaces. Comparisons between maxillary and mandibular premolars from the same bear indicated that data from these teeth should not be pooled; data collected from left and right lower premolars may be combined. Indices to represent adjusted GLG widths are described that reduce age and allometric effects, allowing life-history or environmental factors to be compared.
Caribou in British Columbia: A 1996 status report

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in British Columbia are classified into mountain, northern and boreal ecotypes based on behavioural and ecological characteristics. We recognized 12 mountain caribou herds, 27 northern caribou herds, and an area occupied by low density boreal caribou dispersed in the boreal forests of the northeast portion of the province. Abundance estimates were usually based on attempts at total counts made from the air. Trends were based on repeated population estimates or the difference between recruitment and mortality rates for each herd. In 1996 there were approximately 18 000 caribou in British Columbia; 2300 mountain and 15 600 northern and boreal. These estimates suggest a slight increase in the numbers of both ecotypes over the last 18 years. Fifteen percent of the herds were reportedly increasing, 10% were decreasing, 31% were stable, but for 44% of the herds the trend was unknown. Historically caribou were found throughout 8 of the 14 biogeoclimatic zones in B.C. Caribou are now rarely found in the Sub-Boreal Spruce zone, likely due to increased predation from wolves that increased in response to increasing moose numbers. Ranges of several herds in the Engelmann Spruce — Subalpine Fir and Alpine Tundra zones of south-eastern British Columbia are also reduced relative to historic conditions, probably because of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, predation and hunting. Forest harvesting represents the greatest threat to caribou habitat and current research focuses on the mitigation of forest harvesting impacts.
Expansion segments in bacterial and archaeal 5S ribosomal RNAs

The large ribosomal RNAs of eukaryotes frequently contain expansion sequences that add to the size of the rRNAs but do not affect their overall structural layout and are compatible with major ribosomal function as an mRNA translation machine. The expansion of prokaryotic ribosomal RNAs is much less explored. In order to obtain more insight into the structural variability of these conserved molecules, we herein report the results of a comprehensive search for the expansion sequences in prokaryotic 5S rRNAs. Overall, 89 expanded 5S rRNAs of 15 structural types were identified in 15 archaeal and 36 bacterial genomes. Expansion segments ranging in length from 13 to 109 residues were found to be distributed among 17 insertion sites. The strains harboring the expanded 5S rRNAs belong to the bacterial orders Clostridiales, Halanaerobiales, Thermoanaerobacterales, and Alteromonadales as well as the archael order Halobacterales. When several copies of 5S rRNA gene are present in a genome, the expanded versions may co-exist with normal 5S rRNA genes. The insertion sequences are typically capable of forming extended helices, which do not seemingly interfere with folding of the conserved core. The expanded 5S rRNAs have largely been overlooked in 5S rRNA databases.
SARS‐CoV‐2: Structural diversity, phylogeny, and potential animal host identification of spike glycoprotein

Abstract To investigate the evolutionary history of the current pandemic outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), a total of 137 genomes of coronavirus strains with release dates between January 2019 and 25 March 2020, were analyzed. To investigate the potential intermediate host of the SARS‐CoV‐2, we analyzed spike glycoprotein sequences from different animals, with particular emphasis on bats. We performed phylogenetic analysis and structural reconstruction of the spike glycoproteins with subsequent alignment and comparison. Our phylogenetic results revealed that SARS‐CoV‐2 was more similar to the bats' betacoronavirus isolates: HKU5‐related from Pipistrellus abramus and HKU4‐related from Tylonycteris pachypus. We also identified a yak betacoronavirus strain, YAK/HY24/CH/2017, as the closest match in the comparison of the structural models of spike glycoproteins. Interestingly, a set of unique features has been described for this particular strain of the yak betacoronavirus. Therefore, our results suggest that the human SARS‐CoV‐2, responsible for the current outbreak of COVID‐19, could also come from yak as an intermediate host.
Novel Surface Modification of ZnO QDs for Paclitaxel-Targeted Drug Delivery for Lung Cancer Treatment

Adipic dihydrazide and heparin were attached to ZnO quantum dots surface, and the ZnO-adipic dihydrazide-heparin nanocomplex was used as a drug delivery system to deliver paclitaxel for chemotherapy. The surface modification and the loading of paclitaxel were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrum, featured by characteristic peaks from functional groups of adipic dihydrazide, heparin, and paclitaxel. The impacts of pH on the drug release were investigated, and the cytotoxicity studies were conducted with A549 cells. The pharmacokinetic study was conducted with male Wistar rats. Both in vitro and in vivo study indicated that ZnO-adipic dihydrazide-heparin-paclitaxel nanocomplex could deliver paclitaxel in a more controllable way, and it has the potential to be a high-efficiency drug delivery system for cancer treatment.
Incidencia del diseño de la cadena de suministro alimentaria en el equilibrio de flujos logísticos

Esta tesis busca establecer como el diseno de la cadena de suministro de alimentos incide en el equilibrio de los flujos logisticos, el cual coloca a los actores en diferentes fronteras de eficiencia afectando su permanencia en los mercados. Para el desarrollo de la investigacion se plantea un diseno metodologico mixto secuencial. La fase cuantitativa se desarrolla mediante metodos hibridos de simulacion dinamica y optimizacion, se representan y evaluan diferentes estructuras y configuraciones de la cadena. Luego se modela el equilibrio dinamico en los flujos logisticos, utilizando teoria de juegos y dinamica de sistemas. En la fase cualitativa y como caso de estudio, se caracteriza la cadena de suministro de frutas perecederas de Cundinamarca-Bogota, Colombia, con el proposito de identificar el diseno actual, el relacionamiento de los actores y los rasgos de produccion, logistica y comercio. Se encontro que el diseno de la cadena de suministro de frutas perecederas emerge de las asimetrias y capacidades heterogeneas presentes en los actores y entre los eslabones de la cadena. La estructura es la suma de estrategias empleadas por cada actor respecto a sus relaciones con proveedores y clientes. Por su parte, el flujo fisico de los alimentos y la ubicacion de las locaciones determina la configuracion de la cadena. Por lo tanto, el diseno esta regulado por las dinamicas de oferta, produccion, transformacion, comercio, demanda y por cambios en el consumo. Los resultados de los modelos muestran que la reestructuracion y la reconfiguracion de la cadena de suministro de frutas perecederas conduce a mejores medidas de desempeno, alcanzando equilibrios mas cercanos a fronteras de eficiencia, lo que evidencia que el cambio de diseno de la cadena mejora la eficiencia, capacidad de respuesta, calidad y desempeno logistico a traves del tiempo. La vision pluridisciplinar al abordar la tesis, integra la gestion industrial, investigacion de operaciones, dinamica de sistemas, teoria de juegos y las caracteristicas poscosecha de los alimentos perecederos al diseno de cadenas de suministro de alimentos perecederos.
Does CYP1A1 gene polymorphism affect cell damage biomarkers and ageing

This study aimed to investigate the effects of cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) gene polymorphism on early ageing due to occupational exposure to mutagens. The project was conducted on buccal epithelial cells collected from mechanical-workshop workers and controls. Epithelial cells were obtained from the inner part of the cheeks. Techniques including comet assay, micronuclei test, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction were used to assess DNA damage biomarkers. The results showed that there was a significant difference in relative telomere length (P = 0.039) between wild and mutated genotypes among all individuals. Furthermore, occupational exposure showed no statistically significant effects on biomarkers of the possible influences of gene polymorphism and different rates of ageing among workers (P > 0.05), except for relative telomere length (P = 0.041) among workers as a whole. It was concluded that the effects of occupational exposure to mutagens on genetic material in buccal cells mediated by CYP1A1 gene polymorphism were not significant. In addition, CYP1A1 gene polymorphism might have a protective effect against premature ageing due to occupational exposure to mutagenic chemicals.
Survival of Escherichia coli in the intestine of fish

Establishment and persistence of Escherichia coli in the intestine of rainbow trout. Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), was investigated. Infection was achieved by ingestion of contaminated feed but not by bath exposure. At 15°C. E. coli was found to increase in number in the intestine offish after an initial decline, and could still be detected after 4 days. At 6°C it was detected for 2 days but the numbers declined steadily. A similar trend was observed when extracted gut content was inoculated with E. coli in vitro; after an initial decline, bacterial growth recovered. Gut content in vitro also was a suitable environment for plasmid-mediated transfer of resistance. Oxytetracycline resistance was transferred successfully from Aeromonas salmoniclda to E. coli. This could not be reproduced in vivo, perhaps because the inoculum of A. salmoniclda achieved per fish was not high enough as it did not withstand drying well on the feed pellets. Introduction by gavage was also tried but failed to establish an A. salmonicida infection. These results show that at temperatures around 15°C, the presence of E. coli in fish need not be an indicator of recent passage through polluted waters. It may be a consequence of infection established many days before, and perhaps some distance away. Furthermore, although transfer of antibiotic resistance from a fish pathogen did take place in the environment of fish intestinal content, the likelihood of this being a high-risk route for acquisition of resistance by bacteria that can affect humans is low.
PKCϵ induces astrocytic differentiation of multipotential neural precursor cells

In this study, we examined the role of PKC in the differentiation of multipotential neural precursor cells (NPCs). We found that the NPCs expressed PKCα,β2,δ,ϵ,ζ and low levels of PKCγ. The PKC activator, PMA, selectively increased the number of astrocytes, whereas it decreased the generation of neurons and oligodendrocytes. Similarly, overexpression of PKCϵ increased the differentiation of astrocytes and a PKCϵKD mutant abolished PMA effect. PMA phosphorylates PKCϵ on serine 729. Using a PKCϵS729A mutant, we found that the phosphorylation of PKCϵ on serine 729 was essential for the differentiation of astrocytes induced by PMA. To delineate the mechanisms involved in PMA and PKCϵ effects, we examined the expression of Notch1, which has been associated with astrocytic differentiation. We found that PMA and PKCϵ induced a large increase in Notch1 expression and the PKCϵS729A mutant abolished PMA effect. Moreover, the PKCϵS729A mutant also inhibited the effect of CNTF on astrocytic differentiation and Notch 1 expression. Finally, Notch1 mediated the effect of PMA on astrocytic differentiation, since the γ‐secretase inhibitor L‐685,458, and Notch1 silencing abolished PMA effect. Our data suggest an important role of PKCϵ in astrocytic differentiation and implicate Notch1 as a possible mediator of this effect. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of Intermittent and Continuous Light on the Chlorophyll Formation in Etiolated Plants at Various Ages

The effect of the tissue age of dark-grown bean plants on the chlorphyll formation under continuous illumination or short impulses of white light has been studied. It was found that the protochlorophyllide present in the tissue is age-dependent and reaches a plateau at about 10 days of age, as judged by the chlorophyll formed in etiolated plants of various ages after 5 min illumination. The amount of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b formed under short impulses of while light increases up to about 9 days of age and thereafter decreases. However, the decrease in chlorophyll a is sharper than that of chlorophyll b, the amount of which remains almost constant. The ratio of chlorophyll a lo chlorophyll b under the short impulses of white light is higher in the younger plant. Similar results are obtained after transfer of the plants from the flashing light to continuous illumination In the young plant there is no lag phase in the chlorophyll biosynthesis while as the age is increased the lag phase is evident and its duration increases as the plant ages. After protochlorophyllide phototransformation under continuous illumination the lag phase in chlorophyll biosynthesis is also age-dependent. Leaves up to 5 days old show no lag phase in chlorophyll synthesis; after this point, however, the lag phase's duration increases continuously with age.
CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PARASITISM OF NEW WORLD MISTLETOES

The parasitism of the mistletoes of the Americas is surveyed and integrated with recent observations on haustorial structure and mode of attack of the mistletoes of Central America and California. The occurrence and behavior of epicortical roots is traced in the genera Struthanthus, Phthirusa, and Antidaphne. Special consideration is given to the gross structure and development of the primary haustorial contact. A final section deals with the parasitism of mistletoes on leaves, on other mistletoes, and on themselves.
Assessment of Intraspecific mtDNA Variability of the Water Frog Pelophylax saharicus in Eastern North Africa

Abstract. The water frog Pelophylax saharicus is the most widespread anuran in North Africa and thus subjected to widely differing environmental conditions in different parts of its distribution range. In this paper we examined genetic structure of species 15 populations across Tunisia and eastern Algeria. We evaluated a potential role of mountain ranges as significant barriers to gene flow, using a partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI). Twenty haplotypes were recorded in a total sample of 38 individuals, whereas, an overall low genetic variation of 0.4% was observed. AMOVA revealed no significant genetic structuring related to the 4 groups across the studied area. Unimodal mismatch distributions and significantly negative values of Fu's Fs and Tajima's D statistics support a recent expansion of populations from a smaller founder population as the most plausible explanation of the observed significant deviations from neutrality in the North-East African green frog populations.
Vegetation patterns and biodiversity of peatland plant communities surrounding mid-boreal wetland ponds in Alberta, Canada

Peatland plant communities surrounding small (<200 ha) boreal ponds were characterized by indicator species, water and peat chemistry, and diversity. Peatlandpond complexes are common in boreal Alberta and are found in three different landforms (clay-till plain, outwash plain, and moraine). Pond area and perimeter were larger in the clay-till plain than in other landforms, although not significantly different. Across the three landforms, cluster analysis detected five peatland communities: marshes, wet open fens, dry open fens, treed fens, and bogs. The zonation pattern of communities surrounding the ponds varied at all sites, and there was no typical pattern, except that marshes were always found closest to water. Based on the bryophyte species, most communities are considered moderate-rich fens. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling indicated communities fell along a wet-to-dry gradient and a bare-to-vegetated gradient. Water depth and temperature, peat depth, and peat C/N ratios differed between open and.