Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Measurement of Cerebral Acetylcholinesterase Using [11C]physostigmine and Positron Emission Tomography

[11C]physostigmine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, has been shown to be a promising positron emission tomography ligand to quantify the cerebral concentration of the enzyme in animals and humans in vivo. Here, a quantitative and noninvasive method to measure the regional acetylcholinesterase concentration in the brain is presented. The method is based on the observation that the ratio between regions rich in acetylcholinesterase and white matter, a region almost entirely deprived of this enzyme, was found to become approximately constant after 20 to 30 minutes, suggesting that at late time points the uptake mainly contains information about the distribution volume. Taking the white matter as the reference region, a simplified reference tissue model, with effectively one reversible tissue compartment and three parameters, was found to give a good description of the data in baboons. One of these parameters, the ratio between the total distribution volumes in the target and reference regions, showed a satisfactory correlation with the acetylcholinesterase concentration measured postmortem in two baboon brains. Eight healthy male subjects were also analyzed and the regional enzyme concentrations obtained again showed a good correlation with the known acetylcholinesterase concentrations measured in postmortem studies of human brain.
Modelling suggests that optimization of dark nitrogen-assimilation need not be a critical selective feature in phytoplankton.

• Alternative strategies for the dark assimilation of ammonium and nitrate into microalgae are explored using a mechanistic model of algal physiology. • The standard diatom strategy, continuation of N assimilation at high rates in darkness as long as reserve C remains, is the most advantageous. The flagellate strategy, incorporating ammonium but not nitrate at a reasonable rate in darkness, is best suited to organisms with high metabolic costs, inhabiting waters with relatively high concentrations of ammonium. The strategy of vertically migrating diatoms - accumulation of nitrate in internal pools for assimilation after return to the photic zone - is best suited to slow-growing cells in low-ammonium environments. • Differences between the strategies become less significant with increasing N-source limitation (the situation more typically encountered by flagellates and migratory species) because transport rather than post-transport assimilatory processes become most limiting. • It is suggested that optimization of dark N-assimilation is not a critical selective feature; organisms with contrasting abilities in this regard usually inhabit different water bodies and have other more fundamental phenotypic differences (e.g. motility or silicon requirements).
Chapter 1. Indexing Resource Data for Forest Health Decisionmaking

Summary A workshop involving 35 scientists was held at Pingree Park, Colorado in October, 1996, to develop procedures for evaluating the hazards and risks associated with extreme wildfire events in central and western Colorado. The basic question was: “Can the existing resource data be used to estimate and portray wildfire hazards and risks in sufficient spatial detail to be useful as a strategic planning and communications tool for decisionmakers? The answer, we believe, is “Yes, with some qualifications. ” Illustrations of relative wildfire hazards and the related risks to a variety of resources can be developed, and these can guide discussions about strategic planning for wildfire mitigation efforts. The products can be developed within a period of a few months at reasonable cost, and the lessons learned in this exercise can help make the effort more efficient.
TOTAL LIPID PRODUCTION OF THE GREEN ALGA NANNOCHLOROPSIS SP. QII UNDER DIFFERENT NITROGEN REGIMES 1

The green alga Nannochloropsis sp. QII was cultivated in media with sufficient and growth‐limiting levels of nitrogen (nitrate). Nitrogen deficiency promoted lipid synthesis yielding cells with lipids comprising 55% of the biomass. The major lipids were triacylglycerols (79%), polar lipids (9%) and hydrocarbons (2.5%). The polar lipids consisted of a broad range of phospholipids, glycolipids and sulfolipids. Other lipids identified were pigments, free fatty acids, saponifiable and unsaponifiable sterol derivatives, various glycerides, a family of alkyl‐1, 4‐dioxane derivatives and a series of alkyl‐ and hydroxyalkyl‐dimethyl‐acetals. Experiments in which 14CO2 was provided at different times in the growth cycle demonstrated that enhanced lipid biosynthesis at low nitrogen levels resulted principally from de novo CO2 fixation.
Configurational landscape heterogeneity shapes functional community composition of grassland butterflies

Summary Landscape heterogeneity represents two aspects of landscape simplification: (i) compositional heterogeneity (diversity of habitat types); and (ii) configurational heterogeneity (number, size and arrangement of habitat patches), both with different ecological implications for community composition. We examined how independent gradients of compositional and configurational landscape heterogeneity, at eight spatial scales, shape taxonomic and functional composition of butterfly communities in 91 managed grasslands across Germany. We used landscape metrics that were calculated from functional maps based on habitat preferences of individual species during different life stages. The relative effects of compositional and configurational landscape heterogeneity were compared with those of local land-use intensity on butterfly taxonomic diversity, community composition and functional diversity of traits related to body size, feeding breadth and migratory tendency. As expected, compositional heterogeneity had strong positive effects on taxonomic diversity, while configurational heterogeneity had strong positive effects on trait dominance within the community. When landscapes had smaller mean patch size and greater boundary area, communities were dominated by species with more specialized larval feeding, decreased forewing length and limited migratory tendency. The positive effects of increased configurational landscape heterogeneity outweighed the negative effects of local land-use intensity on larval-feeding specialization, at all spatial scales, highlighting its importance for specialists of all dispersal capabilities. Synthesis and applications. We show that landscapes with high compositional heterogeneity support communities with greater taxonomic diversity, while landscapes with high configurational heterogeneity support communities that include vulnerable species (feeding specialists with larger body size, sedentary nature and more negatively affected by local management intensity). A decline in functional community composition can lead to functional homogenization, affecting the viability of the ecosystems by decreasing the variability in their responses to disturbance and altering their functioning. A landscape management for grasslands that promotes the maintenance of small patch sizes and a diversity of land uses in the surrounding landscape (within 250–1000 m) is recommended for the conservation of diverse butterfly communities. These strategies could also benefit government programmes such as the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in their efforts to reduce the loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
HR-MAS NMR studies of 15N-labeled cells confirm the structure of the O-methyl phosphoramidate CPS modification in Campylobacter jejuni and provide insight into its biosynthesis

Because Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial food-borne gastroenteritis throughout the world, there is intense effort to determine the mechanisms of infectivity associated with this bacterium. Capsular polysaccharide (CPS) has been shown to be an important virulence factor for C. jejuni and a recent study that examined the 11168V26 strain identified several phase-variable CPS modifications including an unusual O-methyl phosphoramidate (MeOPN) group on C-3 of the GalfNAc residue. In this study, we examined the MeOPN group using homo- and hetero-nuclear high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR experiments of whole bacterial cells grown on 15NH4Cl-enriched media. 1H31P HSQC NMR experiments showed that the level of 15N labeling within the MeOPN reached 80%, and a large 1J(15N31P) scalar coupling provided direct evidence that confirmed the structure of the MeOPN as CH3OP(O)(NH2)(OR). Because 15N was also detected within the major outer membrane protein as well as the NAc and NGro g.
Gene flow increases temporal stability of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations in the Upper Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada

Temporal instability in population genetic structure has significant implications for management and conservation decisions. Here, we evaluate temporal stability in five populations of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the Upper Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada, based on estimates of temporal allelic variance and effective population size (Ne) at 11 microsatellite loci. Significant temporal variation in allele frequencies was found within individual populations sampled at 5- to 12-year intervals. Removal of migrant fish or correcting for migrants resulted in higher allelic variance or reduced Ne. Populations with higher levels of temporally consistent gene flow show reduced temporal allelic variance (i.e., reduced genetic drift) and higher Ne. This study is an important empirical example of the effect of gene flow on genetic stability and Ne. In salmonids, low straying levels may have evolved to favor local adaptation; however, we show that even such low levels of gene flow can elevate .
An investigation of enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) infection by agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID), enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests and hematological applications on the dairy cows in the

Haematological tests (alfa nafthyl acetate esterase ANAE activity, May Grunwald Giemsa staining and total leucocyte counts) were applied to 469 dairy cows, where the enzootic form of bovine leucosis was investigated. In the same 469 dairy cows, a search for antibodies directed against bovine leucosis virus (BLV) was carried out using agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) in blood samples and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in milk samples. Among the 469 animals screened, 90 were positive by ELISA and the haematological tests, while 23 were positive by the AGID test. From these results we would advise heavily infected farms to be eliminated. ELISA and haematological methods, in which ANAE activity, May-Grunwald Giemsa staining and total leucocyte counts were used together, were more reliable and sensitive than the AGID test for detecting EBL.
Flower biology and subspecies concepts in Micropholis guyanensis (Sapotaceae): evidence of ephemeral flowers in the family

Abstract. Micropholis guyanensis (A.DC.) Pierre is a tree from the rainforests of tropical South America and includes two recognised and one informal subspecies. The species has a wide geographic distribution from Central America, northern and western South America to Amazonia and Bolivia, and is morphologically variable. All subspecies occur in the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke just outside Manaus, Amazonas State in Brazil, and it can be questioned how they can grow in sympatry and retain their identity. We have studied vegetative variation, flower morphology and, to some degree, reproductive barriers. The species is dioecious, has five-merous, cream to greenish flowers that produce pollen, nectar and scent to attract pollinators. The flowering period is between June and October, and the plants set fruits, one seed in each, between November and April. There was no overlap in flowering period in the study area between two of the presumed subspecies, but both have similar floral morphology and are pollinated by the same species of butterflies and bees. We are not able to find any clear distributional or morphological discontinuities between the subspecies and we, therefore, suggest that M. guyanensis should be considered a variable species without formally recognised subspecies. Flowers of M. guyanensis are highly ephemeral and persist only for 1 day (∼27 h) before falling to the ground. We predict that this is typical for many species of Sapotaceae, which can explain why the corolla is missing from the majority of herbarium specimens that at first sight have flowers.
Existence of Trembling hand perfect and sequential equilibrium in Stochastic Games

In this paper we define notions of trembling hand and sequential equilibrium and show that both types of equilibria exist in a large class of stochastic games that may feature incomplete and imperfect information. These equilibria do not necessitate the use of a public correlating device. Under further regularity assumptions each stochastic game has a sequence of approximating finite games whose equilibria approximate equilibria of the limit game.
Identification of Mycobacterium fortuitum, Mycobacterium abscessus, and Mycobacterium borstelense by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis of Their Cell Proteins

Strains of M. fortuitum, M. abscessus, and M. borstelense showed different polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic patterns of their cell proteins. M. fortuitum strains could easily be distinguished from those of M. abscessus and M. borstelense, and they appear to belong to a single homogeneous group. M. abscessus and M. borstelense gels showed similar patterns, thus tending to confirm recent suggestions that they both belong to one and the same species, the correct name of which is M. chelonei.
Eco-school evaluation beyond labels: the impact of environmental policy, didactics and nature at school on student outcomes

Abstract We present results from a large-scale study performed in Flanders, focusing on the effectiveness of the eco-schools project. We surveyed 2152 students and 1374 teachers in 101 primary and secondary schools that are actively engaged in the eco-schools program at different stages (including control schools), focusing on their environmental values, knowledge and motivation. The results show that as the schools progress in becoming a certified eco-school, their students’ environmental outcomes change; the eco-schools project thus clearly has an educational impact. The main effects are observed for theoretical knowledge, and to a lesser extent, applied knowledge. We also observed a drop in utilization values and in amotivation. On the other hand, the controlled motivation of students is stimulated by the project as it is implemented, suggesting that students act pro-environmentally due to external pressures rather than because of intrinsic reasons. We also explicitly moved beyond comparing schools based on their eco-schools labels and studied the process factors that contribute to learning outcomes. Our results highlight the importance of the approach to didactics for environmental education, the making of environmental education policy in the schools, and the presence and use of natural green elements at the school campuses. For each of these school-level variables, the impact on students’ environmental learning outcomes are studied and discussed.
Circadian rhythm of photosynthesis and concurrent oscillations of transcript abundance of photosynthetic genes in the marine red alga Grateloupia turuturu

Many biological processes are under the control of an endogenous circadian clock, a prominent example within the plant kingdom being photosynthesis. Here we report a robust circadian rhythm of photosynthetic oxygen evolution in the marine red macroalga Grateloupia turuturu. The rhythm was obvious in continuous white light at irradiances ranging from 50 to 500 μmol photons m−2s−1. To assess whether this physiological rhythm was correlated with changes at the level of gene transcription in G. turuturu, abundance of the transcripts encoding the phycoerythrin α and β subunits and the ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) subunits was analysed under light-dark cycles (LD) and continuous illumination (LL). Abundance of both transcripts exhibited diurnal and circadian changes in G. turuturu. In LD conditions, abundance of the phycoerythrin transcript peaked between midday and late afternoon. This pattern was maintained under constant conditions (LL) for up to three cycles. For the Rubisco transcript, mRNA abundance started to increase in the morning and peaked around midday in LD cycles. In LL, Rubisco transcript abundance continued to oscillate, but the increase of mRNA started earlier, already during subjective night. Our results suggest control of both transcripts by the circadian clock in G. turuturu.
Effects of a short ozone exposure given at different stages in the development of Plantago major L.

summary This paper reports a comparison of the effects of the same ozone exposure given at different stages of growth on a population of Plantago major L. , which is as sensitive to ozone as Bel-W3 tobacco. Plants were grown from seed for eight weeks in controlled environment chambers and exposed to 70 μl O3 1−1 7 h d−1 for the whole period or for 2-wk episodes during weeks 1 + 2, 3 + 4, 5 + 6 or 7 + 8. Controls had charcoal filtered air. Effects on leaf, flower, seed and dry matter production, and on relative growth rate of shoot and root are given. At whatever time the ozone was given, it altered relative growth rate, dry matter partitioning and seed output. The experiment supports the view that assessment of the sensitivity of a herbaceous species can be indicated by a short-term exposure of young plants, even though the nature of the response may change with development. Comparison of the effect of ozone on dry matter partitioning at different stages of growth suggested that at each stage in development, ozone relatively strengthened the currently dominant sink, therefore reducing allocation to subsidiary sinks. As a plant develops, the relative strengths of sources and sinks change so the effects of an ozone episode on allocation will depend upon the timing. It is concluded that the commonly held view that ozone tends to reduce root growth more than shoot may be an over-simplification. For native plants growing in the field, the timing of episodes in relation to development may be crucial to understanding ozone impact. On the ecosystem level we need knowledge of response and source-sink relationships at times of the year when episodes occur.
Heterotrophic Production Potential of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids by Microalgae and Algae-like Microorganisms

Twenty microbial strains were screened for their potential of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) production using heterotrophic flask cultures on two different carbon sources, glucose (5 g L") and acetate (l g L"). Of the 20 microalgae tested, 19 strains showed growth on glucose, whereas only 12 of them could grow on acetate. Glucose was the preferred carbon source for growth, and EPA and DHA production. There was a complete absence or a marked decrease in EPA and DHA contents in all the microalgae except in Amphidinium sp. CS-259 while acetate was used as the sole carbon and energy source. The EPA yields of Amphidinium carterae Hullburt UTEX LB 1002 (8.3 mg L~) and Schizochytrium aggregatum Goldstein et Belsky ATCC 28209 (9.3 mgL") on glucose were higher than those produced by all the other microalgae when grown on acetate or glucose. Amphidinium sp. CS-259 while grown on acetate had the highest EPA proportion (20.7% of total fatty acids) which was higher than those produced by all the other microalgae when grown on acetate or glucose. Crypthecodinium cohnii (Seligo) Chatton UTEX L1649, the heterotrophic dinoflagellate grown on glucose had the highest DHA yield (15.0 mgL") due to its significantly high biomass concentrations (1.9 g L")·
The efficiency of incomplete block designs in National List and Recommended List cereal variety trials

SUMMARY Use of generalized lattice designs instead of complete block designs in 244 cereal variety trials grown in the U.K. since 1975 has resulted in an average reduction of 30% in variances of varietal yield differences. The lattice designs were most effective when the number of varieties was more than 50 but worthwhile reductions in variance, averaging about 24%, were obtained in trials with fewer than 20 varieties. The data also provide guidance on the choice of block size and the potential for improvement by neighbour methods.
Observations on infestations of undipped cattle of British breeds with the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini).

A small herd of cattle infested with the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini) was kept in a previously unstocked paddock for 11 months without treatment for tick infestation. Frequent examinations showed that widely differing numbers of ticks developed on the cattle. The "tick resistance" of one animal, which showed no adult ticks during the summer months, could only be accounted for by mortality of the larvae and nymphs on the animal, since as many larvae were seen on selected small areas of this animal as on some animals carrying many adult ticks. The animals grazed together and thus would encounter similar numbers of tick larvae. The degree of susceptibility to adult tick infestation showed negligible correlation with skin thickness measurements and was not related to coat length. Larvae reappeared on the cattle 6 weeks after the first stocking of the paddock in March. The animals became almost free of ticks for 2 weeks in August. Although larvae were most numerous in November-December, they gave rise to fewer adults than the earlier wave of larvae in September- October. Some of the cattle suffered from "tick-worry'' in October, but thereafter their condition improved without treatment.