Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Specific hybridization real‐time PCR probes for Phytophthora ramorum detection and diagnosis

Summary Sudden Oak Death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum, poses a serious threat to native American oaks, and is also present in Europe where it has been isolated from numerous European ornamental plant nurseries. Its proven aggressiveness against plants in the Fagaceae and Ericaceae and the damage it has caused in North America have lead to it being assigned quarantine status. The timely and accurate detection of P. ramorum is a critical aid in the study of the epidemiology and biology of this pathogen. As a regulated organism, the availability of a sensitive and reliable assay is essential when attempting to achieve early detection of the pathogen. In this work, new specific hybridization probes for a real-time PCR amplification method were found to be rapid, robust and labour-saving, and proved suitable for routine use in a molecular diagnostic laboratory.
O bom filho a casa sempre torna: análise do relacionamento entre a Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais e seus egressos por meio da informação

A manutencao do relacionamento com o aluno apos a conclusao do curso nao e, atualmente, uma rotina usual na maioria das Instituicoes de Ensino Superior brasileiras. Essa conexao, fundamental para a consolidacao e perpetuacao dessas instituicoes, e concebida durante o periodo de realizacao do curso, sendo importante a promocao de experiencias positivas por parte delas para a formacao desses lacos. A informacao, neste caso, destaca-se por ser o amalgama dessa relacao, uma vez que e por meio dela que o contato sera mantido com os egressos. De outro lado, o sistema significa a materializacao dessas informacoes, que, ao centraliza-las, com o intuito de atender tanto os egressos quanto o corpo gerencial da instituicao, facilita a continuidade dessa relacao. Diante desse contexto, houve a preocupacao em investigar como acontece o relacionamento entre exalunos e a sua Universidade no caso, a UFMG, representada pelo seu programa de egressos: o Sempre UFMG. Por meio de um survey eletronico, 1.445 ex-alunos de graduacao e pos-graduacao da referida Instituicao responderam a questoes que contemplaram tres categorias de analise: perfil demografico/academico, perfil de identificacao/vinculacao e perfil de usuario da informacao do Sempre UFMG. Apos a descricao dos dados, a realizacao de associacoes entre algumas variaveis de interesse, com a utilizacao do teste qui-quadrado de Pearson, e o desenvolvimento de indices de avaliacao da UFMG, utilizando a analise fatorial exploratoria, observou-se grande propensao do egresso em se manter vinculado a Universidade, em especial, por meio do recebimento de informacoes, via e-mail, que privilegiem a continuidade dos estudos, como cursos de pos-graduacao e de extensao. A maioria avaliou de modo bastante positivo a Instituicao e, mesmo quando a avaliacao nao foi tao contundente, mostrou-se concordante com a Universidade. Algumas sugestoes foram oferecidas, com a finalidade de aperfeicoar o sistema de informacoes do Sempre UFMG e seus servicos, para facilitar a manutencao dos vinculos entre a Instituicao e seus egressos.
A New Perspective: An Italian Autochthonous Pig and its Muscle and Fat Tissue Characteristics

The research was aimed at identifying the key characteristics of muscle and fat tissues when comparing two pig breeds: Black Sicilian pig and Landrace pig. In Psoas minor (Pm) and Psoas major (PM) muscles the morphometric characteristics of fibre types and their percentage were determined. The area of adipocytes from internal and external layer of adipose tissue was also determined. The results showed that slow twitch oxidative (SO) fibres were larger than fast twitch glycolytic (FG) and fast twitch oxidative glycolytic (FOG); Pm muscle was characterized by larger FG and SO fibres than PM; males had larger fibres than females in both muscles and breeds. Landrace pig has smaller adipocytes cells than Black Sicilian while Black Sicilian pig showed more essential fatty acids than Landrace. The results in favour of Black Sicilian pig show how conservation of animal biodiversity becomes important because of the high independent homeostatic capability exhibited by autochthonous genetic types for the management and control of the land.
Predicting Mycosphaerella leaf disease severity in a Eucalyptus globulus plantation using digital multi-spectral imagery

Digital remote sensing is rapidly developing into an operational tool for forest health assessment at a range of scales. A key aspect of this development is the derivation of models relating spectral data contained in the images to the extent and severity of plant stress symptoms. This study assesses the utility of high spatial resolution (0.5m × 0.5m pixel size) airborne digital imagery to assess the presence and severity of defoliation and necrosis from Mycosphaerella leaf disease at the crown scale across a small plantation in north-western Tasmania, Australia. The best model of defoliation included the variance of reflectance at 780nm within the crown (r2 = 0.5; p < 0.0001) and the best model of necrosis included the ratio of reflectance at 680nm/550nm (r2 = 0.3; p < 0.0001). Maps derived from these linear models clearly illustrate the distribution and gradient of disease severity observed in the field. Error matrix analysis indicates moderate map accuracy for classified versions of both defoliation (OA = 71%; Kappa = 0.63) and necrosis (OA = 67%; Kappa = 0.54) but the maps reveal additional information about the distribution and severity of symptoms throughout the plantation. Methods such as those described in this paper may enable managers to more accurately target remedial actions. The transfer of this technology to space-borne platforms will potentially improve map accuracy and image availability, and reduce the cost of image collection. Together, these improvements increase the likelihood of remote sensing being incorporated into forest management strategies in future.
A New Set of Monoclonal Antibodies Against Human FcγRII (CD32) and FcγRIII (CD16): Characterization and Use in Various Assays

Four mouse anti-human Fc gamma RII (CD32) (6C4, 2B2, 3D3, 93.4) (IgG1, kappa) and one anti-human Fc gamma RIII (CD16) (7.5.4) IgG1, kappa) MAbs were raised. An in vitro switch variant, 7.5. 4Sw50 (IgG2b, kappa), was also derived from the 7.5. 4 MAb. 6C4, 2B2, and 3D3 MAbs bind both Fc gamma RIIa and Fc gamma RIIb isoforms. Two of them (6C4 and 2B2 MAbs) allow a complete blockade of the binding of immune complexes to Fc gamma RII. All three MAbs immunoprecipitate the receptor and bind both its glycosylated and nonglycosylated forms. The fourth anti Fc gamma RII MAb, 93.4, directed against the intracellular region of Fc gamma RIIa1/2, allows its detection by Western blotting only when it is not phosphorylated. The 7.5. 4 MAb binds both Fc gamma RIIIa and Fc gamma RIIIb, can be used in Western blotting and does not inhibit aggregated IgG binding. ELISA using IV.3 (anti-Fc gamma RIIa1/2)/6C4 and 3G8 (anti-Fc gamma RIIIa/b)/7.5. 4Sw50 MAb pairs make it possible to detect soluble Fc gamma RIIa1/2 and Fc gamma RIII, with a sensitivity of 200 pg/mL and 1 ng/mL, respectively. Surface plasmon resonance analyses indicated that the KD of two of the three anti-Fc gamma RII and of the anti-Fc gamma RIII are in the same order of magnitude (6C4: 0.78 nM, 2B2: 0.28 nM, 7.5.4: 0.47 nM). The anti-Fc gamma RII 3D3 MAb exhibits an off-rate constant higher than the 6C4 and 2B2 MAbs and a KD of 2.19 nM.
Chemical and Enzymatic Interesterification of Beef Tallow and Rapeseed Oil Blend with Low Content of Tallow

The mixture of beef tallow with rapeseed oil (1:3, w/w) was interesterified using sodium metoxide or immobilized lipases from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme IM) and from Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) as the catalysts. The chemical interesterifications were carried out at 60 and 90°C for 0.5 and 1.5 h using 0.4, 0.6 and 1.0% of CH3ONa. Depend on the catalyst used the enzymatic interesterifications were carried out at 60°C for 8 h (Lipozyme IM) or at 80°C for 4 h (Novozym 435). The catalyst doses were kept constant (8%) but the water content in catalysts was changed in the range of 2 to 10%. The starting mixture and the products of interesterifications were quantitatively separated into pure triacylglycerols and non-triacylglycerols fraction containing free fatty acids and mono- and diacylglycerols. It has been found that after interesterification the concentrations of free fatty acids and partial acylglycerols increased. On the other hand the slip melting temperatures and solid fat contents in triacylglycerols isolated from interesterified fats and their oxidative stability were lower if compared with noninteresterified, initial blend. It was interpreted on the base of alteration on molecular structure of triacylglycerols as confirmed by their sn-2 and sn-1,3 distribution of fatty acids before and after interesterification. These distributions were practically random after chemical interesterification and close to random when Novozym 435 was applied. When Lipozyme IM was used the fatty acids composition at sn-2 position remained practically unchanged if compared with starting blend.
The ultrastructure of sporulation in Sporosarcina ureae

The morphology and ultrastructure of two strains of Sporosarcina ureae at various stages of growth and sporulation were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Sporulation begins with nonpolar cross wall growth as in vegetative division. Normal wall extension stops before complete septation, but membrane extension continues to completely bisect the cell. One of the cells so formed then engulfs the other by extension of the membrane. Germ cell wall and cortex material is then laid down, and the engulfed cell develops into a mature endospore in much the same way as in Bacillus species. After maturation, in broth cultures the spore remains in the mother cell. Lysis has not been observed over a period of several months. There are significant similarities between the phenotypic and ultrastructural characteristics of S. ureae and certain members of the species Bacillus suggesting a close phylogenetic relationship.
Plant development, agronomic performance and nutritive value of forage maize depending on hybrid and marginal site conditions at high latitudes

Abstract The objectives of this investigation were to study the effects of marginal site conditions and hybrid on plant development, agronomic performance and nutritive characteristics of forage maize (Zea mays L.) at high latitudes. Field experiments were conducted in 2008 and 2009 at three experimental sites, Kristianstad, Skara and Västerås, at increasing latitudes from 55°–60° N. Experimental design used two replicated randomized complete blocks at each site with three maize hybrids, Avenir (FAO 180), Isberi (FAO 190) and Burli (FAO 210), which were continuously assessed for plant development and harvested at various levels of maturity. The chemical composition and nutritional characteristics of harvested plant materials were analysed and hybrid responses to advancing maturity in terms of yield and nutritional qualities were evaluated. Results showed that maize hybrids required different numbers of accumulated thermal units at sites on varying latitudes to achieve developmental stages. Lowest thermal unit requirements among hybrids were observed for hybrid Avenir, and for sites it was highest for plants grown in the most northern site, Västerås. The most southern site, Kristianstad, was the only site at which all hybrids reached the dent stage (c. 450 g kg−1 kernel DM), a recommended maturity for ensiling. The DM yields of early maturing hybrid Avenir were consistently lower than those for Isberi and Burli at all the sites. Results also revealed nutritional differences among maize hybrids at a given maturity (DM, g kg−1), indicating that the effects of maturation should be factored into design of hybrid performance trials. This study highlights the effects of marginal site conditions and hybrids on plant development, agronomic performance and nutritional characteristics of maize hybrids at high latitudes. Further studies on marginal sites are recommended to enlighten the understanding of interaction between environmental and genetic factors on the performance of forage maize.
In vitro culture as a part of Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. breeding

Fourteen genotypes of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.), that are a part of Institute for Vegetable Crops collection, were tested for their ability to regenerate shoots in vitro. Five of them are early, while nine are late genotypes. Lateral buds from plants grown in the open field were used as explants. In all genotypes, lateral buds showed the high percentage of shoot formation, ranged from 80% to 100%. They were incubated on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) media supplemented with 1.0 and 2.0 mgl-1 of benzyladenine (BA) or 1.0 mgl-1 6-furfurylaminopurine (KIN) in combination with 0, 0.5 and 1.0 mgl-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The BA- supplemented media were optimal for both growth and multiplication of shoots. In both groups of genotypes, the highest index of multiplication (IM) was achieved on medium supplemented with 2.0 mgl-1 BA and 1.0 mgl-1 IBA, in R9 early genotype (IM 8.53) and K1 late genotype (IM 10.06). R5 early and in K29 and K75 late genotypes had no multiplication on medium with 1.0 mgl-1 KIN (IM 1.00). Also, in all genotypes the lowest index of multiplication was observed on media supplemented with KIN (without or in combination with IBA). [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR31059]
Demographic effects of extreme weather events on a short‐lived calcareous grassland species: stochastic life table response experiments

1. Life table response experiment (LTRE) analyses have been widely used to examine the sources of differences in the long‐term deterministic growth rate (r = log λ) of stage‐structured populations that live in spatially distinct habitats or under distinct experimental conditions. However, existing methods for LTRE analysis ignore the fact that persistent temporal variation in matrix elements results in a long‐term stochastic growth rate (a = log λs) that is different from the deterministic growth rate (r) and thus do not take into account environmental stochasticity.
Ontogenetic change in the body length–mass relationship concomitant to the onset of vitellogenesis in female blackmouth catshark Galeus melastomus (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae)

Abstract The examination of the total length (L) vs. body mass (W) relationship in the blackmouth catshark from the southern Adriatic Sea showed the occurrence of two development phases or growth stanzas in females. The passage from the first stanza (L range: 22.8–37.4 cm) to the following one (L range: 39.7–51.4 cm) was marked by an inflection in the power equation correlating body mass to total length, occurring at about 38.6 cm of length (change point). After the change point, growth became positively allometric. This catshark is a lecitotrophic oviparous continuous spawner, and follicles in different stages of development are simultaneously present in the ovary. The histological analysis of the ovary showed that the smallest vitellogenic follicles were about 2 mm in diameter; the diameter of the largest observed oocyte was 18 mm. The change point occurred slightly before the onset of vitellogenesis (smallest vitellogenic female L = 41.0 cm) and appeared to be related to the activation of the reproductive axis.
Comparative analysis of the polysaccharides produced by different species of Microcystis (Chroococcales, Cyanophyta)

Abstract Polysaccharide analyses were performed on cultures of Microcystis aeruginosa f. aeruginosa Kutzing, M. aeruginosa f. flos aquae (Wittrock) Elenkin, M. viridis (A. Brown) Lemmermann, M. wesenbergii Komarek, and toxic (PCC 7941) and nontoxic (PCC 7005) strains of an unidentified Microcystis. The amount of polysaccharide produced and the monosaccharide composition of the mucilages produced by each of these strains were determined. The extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) of Microcystis sp. , M. aeruginosa f. aeruginosa, M. aeruginosa f. flos aquae, and M. viridis were composed of the neutral sugars rhamnose, fucose, xylose, mannose, glucose, and uronic acids, whereas those of M. wesenbergii contained only uronic acids. The envelope polysaccharides (CPS) of most strains, when extracted by saline phosphate buffer in the cold (cCPS) and in hot water (hCPS), contained glucose, galactose, and uronic acids. However, the hCPS of M. wesenbergii also had rhamnose and xylose, and the cCPS of Microcystis PCC 700.
MULTI-MALE MATING BY PAIRED AND UNPAIRED FEMALE PRAIRIE VOLES (MICROTUS OCHROGASTER)

Promiscuous mating is common in female rodents; however what role the female plays in this choice of mates is not clear. Also, whether MMM occurs in the reportedly socially monogamous prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster, and what role mate-guarding plays in deterring MMM is not known. We conducted two experiments to determine if female prairie voles that were not mate-guarded would copulate with multiple males during a given oestrous period. In experiment 1 using females that were unpaired, we allowed females to choose among three males that were tethered and unable to interact with one another, thus eliminating male-male competition and mate guarding. MMM occurred in 55% of 47 trials. Females mated most often with males with whom they spent the most time, thus social preference was a good predictor of sexual preference. The tendency to mate with multiple males increased over time, thus the length of time a male mate guards can affect paternity. In experiment 2 with females that had been paired with a male and were in post-partum oestrus, 5 of 12 (42%) females mated with more than one male and 3 of 12 (25%) females deserted their paired mate and paired with a new novel male. Thus multi-male mating was similar for paired and unpaired females. Our results suggest that female prairie voles that are not mate-guarded will mate with multiple partners.
Roosts of Allen's Lappet-Browed Bat in Northern Arizona

Abstract In Arizona, USA, Allen's lappet-browed bat (Idionycteris phyllotis) forms maternity colonies in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) snags. There is little information on the roosting habitat of males. We used radiotelemetry to locate 16 maternity, 3 postlactating, and 2 bachelor roosts and combined data with unpublished data for maternity roosts (n = 11) located in 1993–1995. Most (96%) maternity roosts were in large-diameter (x̄ ± SE: 64 ± 2.7 cm) ponderosa pine snags under sloughing bark. Models that best predicted the probability of a snag's use as a maternity roost indicated bats selected taller snags closer to forest roads than comparison snags. Maternity roosts averaged 11 bats per roost (SE = 2, n = 15; from exit counts) and were an average distance of 1.6 km from capture sites (SE = 0.3, n = 17). Bachelor roosts were in vertical sandstone cliff faces in pinyon–juniper (Pinus edulis–Juniperus spp.) woodlands approximately 12 km from capture sites; these and other capture records in Arizona indicated sexual segregation may have occurred during the maternity season. Of 11 maternity snag roosts located in 1993–1995, only one continued to function as a roost. Resource managers should maintain patches of large-diameter ponderosa pine snags with peeling bark to provide maternity roosting habitat for Allen's lappet-browed bat.
Kinetics of an Intravenously Injected Fat Emulsion Reflect Postheparin Plasma Lipoprotein Lipase Mass and Activity

A study was conducted to determine whether the catabolism of an intravenously injected fat emulsion could be correlated with lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mass and activity in postheparin plasma. We observed the relationship between the fractional removal rate (K2) of an intravenously injected fat emulsion (Intralipid®) and LPL mass and activity in postheparin plasma of 20 normolipidemic and 21 hypertriglyceridemic subjects. The K2 level was determined by the intravenous fat emulsion tolerance test. LPL mass was measured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay system. K2 was significantly correlated with the LPL mass in total group of subjects (r=0.51, p<0.001), as well as in normolipidemic (r=0.72, p<0.001) and hypertriglyceridemic (r=0.43, p<0.05) subgroups. K2 was also significantly correlated with LPL activity in the total group (r=0.40, p<0.05), as well as in the normolipidemic subjects (r=0.55, p<0.05). Kinetics following an intravenous injection of a fat emulsion reflect LPL mass and activity in postheparin plasma.
Atmospheric Array Loss Statistics Derived from Short Time Scale Site Test Interferometer Phase Data

The research described in this publication was carried out by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. © 2014 California Institute of Technology. U.S. Government sponsorship acknowledged. abstract. — NASA is interested in using the technique of arraying smaller-diameter antennas to increase effective aperture to replace the aging 70-m-diameter antennas of the Deep Space Network (DSN). Downlink arraying using the 34-m-diameter and 70-m-diameter antennas is routinely performed. Future scenarios include extending the technique to uplink arraying where a downlink signal may not be available. Atmospheric turbulence causes decorrelation of the arrayed signal, and becomes more severe at higher frequencies such as at the uplink allocations near 34 GHz and 40 GHz. This article expands the study initiated in a previous article that focused on average array loss statistics extracted from Site Test Interferometer (STI) data. In that study, cumulative distributions of the annual and monthly expected phasing loss were derived from STI data collected at the Goldstone and Canberra DSN complexes. For a two-element array, the average array loss cannot exceed 3 dB. This article considers the instantaneous (short time scale) array loss that sometimes exceeds 3 dB for a two-element array. We also consider cases of three-element arrays, which behave somewhat differently. The short time scale statistics of array loss at 7.15 GHz and 34.5 GHz are compared against the average array loss statistics for the best-case and worst-case weather months for the Goldstone and Canberra DSN sites.
Interleukin-1-induced NF-κB Activation Is NEMO-dependent but Does Not Require IKKβ*

Activation of NF-κB by the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) requires the IκB kinase (IKK) complex, which contains two kinases named IKKα and IKKβ and a critical regulatory subunit named NEMO. Although we have previously demonstrated that NEMO associates with both IKKs, genetic studies reveal that only its interaction with IKKβ is required for TNF-induced NF-κB activation. To determine whether NEMO and IKKα can form a functional IKK complex capable of activating the classical NF-κB pathway in the absence of IKKβ, we utilized a panel of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking each of the IKK complex subunits. This confirmed that TNF-induced IκBα degradation absolutely requires NEMO and IKKβ. In contrast, we consistently observed intact IκBα degradation and NF-κB activation in response to IL-1 in two separate cell lines lacking IKKβ. Furthermore, exogenously expressed, catalytically inactive IKKβ blocked TNF- but not IL-1-induced IκBα degradation in wild-type MEFs, and reconstitution of IKKα/β double knockout cells with IKKα rescued IL-1- but not TNF-induced NF-κB activation. Finally, we have shown that incubation of IKKβ-deficient MEFs with a cell-permeable peptide that blocks the interaction of NEMO with the IKKs inhibits IL-1-induced NF-κB activation. Our results therefore demonstrate that NEMO and IKKα can form a functional IKK complex that activates the classical NF-κB pathway in response to IL-1 but not TNF. These findings further suggest NEMO differentially regulates the fidelity of the IKK subunits activated by distinct upstream signaling pathways.