Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant Fiber Formation: State of the Art, Recent and Expected Progress, and Open Questions

Plant fibers are one of the most important renewable resources, used as raw material in the paper industry, and for various textiles and for composites. Fibers are structural components in timber and an energy-rich component of fuel-wood. For the plant itself, fibers are important in establishing plant architecture, as a source of mechanical support, in defence from herbivory, and in some cases as elements with contractile properties, resembling those of muscles. In addition, fibers may store ergastic carbon resources and water. Here, we review various aspects of fiber development such as initiation, elongation, cell wall formation and multinuclearity, discuss open questions and propose directions for further research. Most of the recent progress in fiber formation biology, especially in cell wall structure and chemistry, emerged from studies of only a few model plants including flax, Populus spp. , Eucalyptus spp. , Arabidopsis thaliana and hemp. Considering the enormous importance of fibers to humanity, it is surprising how little is known about the biology of fiber formation.
Impact of non‐lethal genetic sampling on the survival, longevity and behaviour of the Hermes copper (Lycaena hermes) butterfly

Genetic techniques are important tools for conservation, but tissue sampling for DNA analysis can be particularly detrimental to small study organisms. Historically, obtaining DNA samples from small insects and butterflies has involved destructive (lethal) methods. Recent improvements to DNA purification technologies have increased the likelihood that non‐lethal sampling will be successful. In spite of this, only a few studies have evaluated the impacts of sampling on survival and behaviour. The Hermes copper, Lycaena hermes (Edwards), butterfly has a restricted distribution and generally less than 10 individuals are encountered at any one location. Non‐lethal DNA sampling would allow for genetic studies that have the potential to augment conservation decisions without causing local extirpations. We demonstrate that removing a leg from an adult male Hermes copper does not have a measureable effect on their survival, longevity or behaviour. In addition, a single leg provides a sufficient DNA sample for amplified fragment length polymorphism studies. The Hermes copper butterfly represents the smallest butterfly species for which the survival and behaviour has been assessed in relation to non‐lethal tissue sampling. This suggests that research involving smaller and more delicate species could utilise leg removal as a non‐lethal genetic sampling technique.
Effect of light on senescence of cut leaves of Zantedeschia aethiopica Spr. and Hosta Tratt. "Undulata Erromena"

The effect of white, red, and blue lights on postha rvest longevity, chlorophyll content and stomatal aperture in cut leaves of Zantedeschia aethiopica Spr. and Hosta Tratt. ‘Undulata Erromena’ was studied. Red light d oubled leaf vase life in Zantedeschia, delayed chlorophyll degradation, and decreased the stomata aperture. Blue light prolonged leaf longevity in Hosta delaying chlorophyll loss but without affecting stomata.
Trimeresurus ( Popeia ) phuketensis , a New Pitviper (Squamata: Viperidae) from Phuket Island, Southwestern Thailand

A new species of pitviper, Trimeresurus ( Popeia ) phuketensis sp. nov. , is described from Phuket Island, southwestern Thailand. Males of the new species are most similar to males of Trimeresurus ( P.) fucatus of the Thai-Malay Peninsula and of T. ( P.) buniana of Tioman Island in color pattern, but male pattern is however clearly distinct, and females of the new species show a bicolor postorbital streak and a bicolor ventrolateral stripe that are unique among all Popeia species.
Esôfago de Barrett: aspectos fisiopatológicos e moleculares da seqüência metaplasia-displasia-adenocarcinoma - artigo de revisão

The Barrett's esophagus (BE) is defined as endoscopically visible columnar mucosa at the distal esophagus, of any extension, proved to harbor intestinal metaplasia on biopsy, highlighted by the presence of goblet cells. BE denotes long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and is an important risk factor for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Therefore, these patients must be on follow-up, in order to diagnose cancer early. BE patients have frequent alterations in esophageal physiologyc studies. Alkaline duodenogastroesophageal reflux seems to have important role. The development BE occurs in steps, initially with formation of cardiac type mucosa subsequent intestinalization. Futher progression can follow a sequence, from low grade dysplasia, to high grade dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Current follow-up is based on the presence of dysplasia. It has limitations, grouping patients heterogeneously. Different steps of carcinogenesis have been studied looking for an ideal prognostic marker. Uncontrolled proliferative activity, apoptosis inhibition, angiogenesis, tissue invasion and metastases formation are all implicated in cancer origin. Some cycle cell molecules have been studied in BE, such as retinoblastoma protein, ciclins, kinase dependent ciclins and cell cycle inhibitors. The P53 protein is one of the most investigated in the metaplasia-adenocarcinoma progression. Growth Factors, apoptotic proteins, telomers and DNA ploidy have also been searched. Increased proliferative activity has been implicated in Barrett's carcinogenesis and the Ki-67 antigen, through imunohistochemical analysis, has become the the method of choice. Present in the nucleus, it is found in proliferative cells only. Some studies suport association between Ki-67 activity and the metaplasia-dysplasia-adenocarcinoma sequence.The results, however, are inconclusive and research should follow this way.
Relationship between Serum Total Protein and Serum IgG in Holstein Calves Fed Either a Lacteal- or Plasma-derived Colostrum Replacer

Bovine neonates have a naïve immune system and must initially rely on the absorption and passive transfer of maternally derived immunoglobulins (lg) ingested in colostrum. Acceptable passive transfer (APT) is defined as a serum IgG≥10 mg/mL between 24-48 hours of age. A serum total protein (STP) cutpoint of 5.0 or 5.2 g/dl is commonly used to predict APT for calves fed lacteal-derived whole colostrum (Calloway et al, 2002). However, many producers now feed powdered commercial colostrum replacers (CR). Some CR products contain lacteal-derived (LD) lg while others contain lg derived from spray-dried plasma (PD). Research is needed to determine the best STP cutpoint to predict APT for calves fed either LD or PD CR products. The objectives of this study were to 1) describe levels of passive transfer and 2) determine the relationship between STP and IgG for neonatal calves fed a commercially available LD CR or PD CR product, respectively.
The Effects of Exercise on Behavior and Reproductive Success of Captively Reared Steelhead

Abstract Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss collected as eyed eggs from the Hamma Hamma River, Washington, and reared in high (∼1 body length/s) or low current velocity (∼0.25 body lengths/s) were tested for differences in reproductive behavior in both an experimental spawning channel and their natal river. We conducted continuous (24-h/d) behavioral observations in the spawning channel and applied DNA pedigree analyses to explain the variation in individual reproductive success. Female steelhead reared in high and low current velocities did not exhibit differences in reproductive behavior in the spawning channel, but females reared in low current velocity were more frequently observed constructing nests in the Hamma Hamma River. Males reared in low-velocity tanks were more frequently observed courting females in the spawning channel and in the river. A pedigree analysis revealed no significant differences in reproductive success between the rearing treatments. Male reproductive success in the spawning channel.
Improving the Olive Oil Yield and Quality Through Enzyme‐Assisted Mechanical Extraction, Antioxidants and Packaging

The present article investigates the use of different enzymes viz. pectinase, cellulase and pectinase CCM alone or in combinations to enhance olive oil recovery and quality. The enzymatic treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased the oil yield and clarity of oil without adversely affecting the quality parameters. The combination of pectinase + cellulase (1:1) at 0.05% gave maximum oil recovery (11.0%), clarity (optical density = 0.242) and total phenols (165 mg/kg) compared with untreated samples. The oils showed increase in free fatty acid contents (0.82–2.95%), peroxide value (7.30–16.50 meq/kg), K232 (1.2–2.2), K270 (0.08–0.20) while decrease in iodine value (80.0–78.0) and total phenols (165–139 mg/kg) during 6 months of storage. The overall acceptability scores of oils packed in colored glass bottles with the addition of antioxidant tert-butyl hydroquinone were above 7.50 and placed in the category of “liked very much”. Practical Applications Olive oil is edible, containing essential vitamins, fatty acids and other natural elements of dietetic importance and is known for its anti-ulcer and plasma cholesterol lowering properties. Around ∼24% of the oil is not extractable using the existing oil extraction technologies and this part of oil either remains incorporated into the olive cake or lost in the effluent water. In this research, enzymatic treatments and different packaging materials were successfully used to enhance oil recovery and shelf life. The combination of pectinase + cellulase (1:1) gave maximum oil recovery while storage life enhanced up to 6 months under ambient conditions when oil packed in colored glass bottles with the addition of antioxidant tert-butyl hydroquinone. Therefore, the developed technology will help olive processors to extract more quality oil and also ensure the availability of oil for longer time.
Microsystems for parasite enrichment

The aim of this project was to develop a lab-on-chip platform upon which activities in engineering and parasitology can be brought together to create new low cost diagnostic technologies for Human African Trypanosomiasis, a disease also known as sleeping sickness, for use in resource-poor environments like Sub-Saharan Africa. Filtration and separation of particles is essential for many biochemical and analytical assays. This work describes the development of novel techniques to enhance the separation/enrichment of parasites from whole blood. Techniques like chemotaxis, inertial microfluidics and density based separation were used to achieve the separation/enrichment. This thesis describes (i) development of an assay to confirm the chemotaxis of Trypanosoma brucei towards higher concentrations of glucose, (ii) designing, fabrication and use of inertial microfluidic device for continuous sorting of trypanosomes from blood cells, (iii) density based separation of trypanosomes from whole blood using a two phase Dextran-Ficoll system, and (iv) density based enrichment of trypanosomes using surface acoustic waves. This work represents an important step towards improving the detection of trypanosomes in blood for which microscopy is still considered to be the gold standard.
A parallel geographical mosaic of morphological and behavioural aposematic traits of the newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster (Urodela: Salamandridae)

Aposematic animals advertise their unprofitability to potential predators with conspicuous coloration, occasionally in combination with other life-history traits. Theory posits that selection on functionally interrelated aposematic characters promotes the unidirectional evolution of these characters, resulting in an increase or decrease in the effectiveness of the signal. To test whether this prediction applies on a microevolutionary scale, the intra- and interpopulational variations in aposematic coloration, behaviour (which enhances the effectiveness of the coloration) and body size of newts, Cynops pyrrhogaster (Urodela: Salamandridae), were investigated. A parallel geographical mosaic of variation in aposematic coloration and behaviour among populations, independent of body size, was found. Newts on islands displayed more conspicuous aposematic traits than those on the mainland, both morphologically and behaviourally. There was no significant relationship between variation in coloration and behaviour within populations. Male newts displayed more conspicuous coloration than females. Surveys of potential predators suggest that variable natural selection at a local scale, such as predation pressure, may primarily be responsible for the microevolution of variable aposematic traits in newts. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 97, 613–622.
Conformational Changes and Kinetic Study of Actomyosin from Silver Carp Surimi with Modified Starch–Sucrose Mixtures during Frozen Storage

The cryoprotective effects of modified starch–sucrose mixtures on silver carp surimi were compared with commercial cryoprotectant using the changes in gel strength and actomyosin conformation during frozen storage. Acetic acid esterification starch (AAES)-sucrose maintained the maximum gel strength and Ca2+–ATPase activity throughout the frozen storage (P 0.05). AAES–sucrose and HS–sucrose separately showed the best effect on depressing loss of total sulfhydryl content in the early 28 days and later 63 days. Therefore, they protected actomyosin structure more effectively than commercial cryoprotectant. The relationship of Ca2+–ATPase activity and SSP content with respect to storage time could be fitted with a first-order model to predict the changes in fish protein structure during frozen storage (R2 > 0.99). Practical Applications Modified starch–sucrose mixtures tended to improve gel strength of frozen surimi, as well as effectively prevent conformational changes of actomyosin during long period of frozen storage at −20C. The effectiveness of acetic acid esterification starch (AAES)-sucrose and hydroxypropylated starch (HS)-sucrose seemed to be slightly evident than commercial cryoprotectant. Therefore, the application of AAES-sucrose or HS-sucrose in frozen surimi products could be popularized at reduced cost and more healthy quality.
Two new decapod (Crustacea, Malacostraca) complete mitochondrial genomes: bearings on the phylogenetic relationships within the Decapoda

Recent advances in molecular phylogenetics are continuously changing our perception of decapod phylogeny. Although the two suborders Dendrobranchiata and Pleocyemata within the Decapoda are widely accepted, this taxonomic view is now challenged when using mitochondrial protein-coding genes to investigate the decapod phylogeny, especially for the basal pleocyematan groups. Here, we enhanced taxonomic coverage by sequencing the genomes of two basal decapod taxa Alpheus distinguendus and Panulirus ornatus, representing two infraorders, Caridea and Achelata, respectively. Based on these two and other available mitochondrial genomes, we evaluated the usefulness of protein-coding genes in resolving deep phylogenetic relationships of the Decapoda using maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. The mt genomic results revealed a novel gene order because of the reverse transposition of trnE (transfer, trn for Glutamate) and a pseudogene-like trnS (AGN) [trn for Serine (S1, AGN)] in the mitochondrial genome of A. distinguendus, and a duplicate of 89 bp sequences in the putative noncoding region of P. ornatus. Our phylogenetic inferences suggest monophyly of the Decapoda and its two suborders, and that several lineages within the Reptantia are consistently recovered with high nodal supports. Our findings suggest that the best mitochondrial genome phylogeny can be found on the premise that systematic errors should be minimized as much as possible. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 162, 471–481.
The length of environmental review in Canada under the Fisheries Act

There is a common misconception among government officials that environmental regulations are bad for economic growth. Citing economic reasons, the Canadian federal government passed legislation in 2012 restricting the length of environmental reviews of new developments, even though review times were not empirically known. Using annual reports to Parliament from 2001 to 2010, we estimated using time-series analyses that review times under the Fisheries Act conformed to the new government mandated review times prior to major legislative changes to federal environmental oversight. The majority of submissions were processed within 1 year for mitigated impacts and within 2 years for authorized impacts. While it is possible that a minority of projects take longer, there is no evidence of large backlogs in the review process, and Canadian review times appear quicker than those in the United States. We highlight the need for empirical estimates of the costs of environmental regulations before governments enact s.
Additional Remarks On Cyst Morphometrics in Anostracans and Its Significance. Part I: Egg Size

[Le prime osservazioni compiute al microscopio elettronico a scansione sulla morfologia delle uova resistenti di Crostacei Anostraci (Gilchrist, 1978; Mura et al., 1978) hanno indotto un numero sempre crescente di studiosi ad usare tale carattere, anche in combinazione con le dimensioni delle uova stesse, quale mezzo di identificazione della specie (Alonso & Alcaraz, 1984; Munuswamy et al., 1985; Mura & Thierry, 1986; Hamer, unpubl.). Successivi approfonditi studi sull'argomento (Mura, 1986), hanno evidenziato, almeno per le specie italiane, una elevata variabilita intraspecifica mettendo quindi in discussione la validita del carattere sopra citato, dal punto di vista tassonomico. Il presenta lavoro si propone di esaminare in dettaglio gli aspetti del problema e di fare il punto sulla situazione, alla luce di ulteriori studi compiuti su popolazioni italiane del genere Chirocephalus. , Le prime osservazioni compiute al microscopio elettronico a scansione sulla morfologia delle uova resistenti di Crostacei Anostraci (Gilchrist, 1978; Mura et al., 1978) hanno indotto un numero sempre crescente di studiosi ad usare tale carattere, anche in combinazione con le dimensioni delle uova stesse, quale mezzo di identificazione della specie (Alonso & Alcaraz, 1984; Munuswamy et al., 1985; Mura & Thierry, 1986; Hamer, unpubl.). Successivi approfonditi studi sull'argomento (Mura, 1986), hanno evidenziato, almeno per le specie italiane, una elevata variabilita intraspecifica mettendo quindi in discussione la validita del carattere sopra citato, dal punto di vista tassonomico. Il presenta lavoro si propone di esaminare in dettaglio gli aspetti del problema e di fare il punto sulla situazione, alla luce di ulteriori studi compiuti su popolazioni italiane del genere Chirocephalus. ]
Serpins in fruit and vegetative tissues of apple (Malus domestica): expression of four serpins with distinct reactive centres and characterisation of a major inhibitory seed form, MdZ1b.

Most serpins irreversibly inhibit serine proteinases of the chymotrypsin family using a suicide-substrate-based mechanism. Serpins are present in all domains of life, but physiological functions in the plant kingdom are yet to be elucidated. Inhibitory properties of many abundant cereal grain serpins are well characterised, but serpins have not been identified in eudicot seeds. In apple (Malus domestica Borkh.), the origin of 88 serpin expressed sequence tags (ESTs) identified among 160 000 ESTs from 30 cultivar-, tissue- and time-specific libraries showed that serpin genes are expressed in a wide variety of tissues, including developing and mature fruits, seeds and vegetative buds as well as developing, mature and senescing leaves. Analysis of 46 sequences, most full-length, identified serpins with four distinct reactive centres belonging to two subfamilies (MdZ1 and MdZ2) with ~85% amino acid sequence identity. MdZ1 included three molecular forms with identical reactive centre loop (RCL) sequences except for three different, but related, residues at P2 (Asp, Asn or Glu). A major seed serpin, MdZ1b, with P2-P1' Glu-Arg-Arg was purified from decorticated seeds and characterised kinetically. MdZ1b was a fast inhibitor of bovine and porcine trypsin (second-order association rate constant k a ~4 × 106 m -1 s-1 and stoichiometry of inhibition SI = 1). Human plasmin and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), but not thrombin, were inhibited at lower rates (k a ~104 m -1 s-1). Chymotrypsin was inhibited at the same site (k a~4 × 103 m -1 s-1), but a significant part of MdZ1b was cleaved as substrate (SI > 2). Unexpectedly, the MdZ1b-trypsin complex was relatively short-lived with a first-order dissociation rate constant k d in the order of 10-4 s-1. The bulk of mature seed MdZ1b was localised to the cotyledons. The content of MdZ1b in ripe apples was 5-26 µg per seed, whereas MdZ1b could not be detected in the cortex or skin. Localisation and inhibitory specificity of serpins in monocot and eudicot plants are compared and putative functions are discussed.
Does inbreeding affect the extinction risk of small populations?: predictions from Drosophila

A fundamental assumption underlying the importance of genetic risks within conservation biology is that inbreeding increases the extinction probability of populations. Although inbreeding has been shown to have a detrimental impact on individual fitness, its contribution to extinction is still poorly understood. We have studied the consequences of different levels of prior inbreeding for the persistence of small populations using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. To this end, we determined the extinction rate of small vial populations differing in the level of inbreeding under both optimal and stress conditions, i.e. high temperature stress and ethanol stress. We show that inbred populations have a significantly higher short‐term probability of extinction than non‐inbred populations, even for low levels of inbreeding, and that the extinction probability increases with increasing inbreeding levels. In addition, we observed that the effects of inbreeding become greatly enhanced under stressful environmental conditions. More importantly, our results show that the impact of environmental stress becomes significantly greater for higher inbreeding levels, demonstrating explicitly that inbreeding and environmental stress are not independent but can act synergistically. These effects seem long lasting as the impact of prior inbreeding was still qualitatively the same after the inbred populations had been expanded to appreciable numbers and maintained as such for approximately 50 generations. Our observations have significant consequences for conservation biology.
Assessment of CHD-specific primers for gender determination in Red-billed Oxpeckers Buphagus erythrorhynchus

Red-billed Oxpeckers Buphagus erythrorhynchus are morphologically similar and do not display distinctive phenotypic difference between males and females. The development of DNA-based gender determination techniques constituted a breakthrough in reliable sex determination in birds. Two DNA-based methods of gender determination were evaluated to determine the preferred method for the Red-billed Oxpeckers. DNA-based gender determination of the Red-billed Oxpeckers was conducted so that specific sexes could be relocated to new release sites within South Africa. The two primer sets used were 2550F/2718R and P2/P8. When comparing the results of the two primer sets, it was determined that 17% (n = 25) of individuals that were identified as having one sex by the 2550F/2718R primer set changed their DNA gender determination when the P2/P8 primer set was used. Based on molecular evidence and the pathology results for three recorded mortalities at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, it was determined that the P2/P8 primer set would be preferable to the 2550F/2718R primer set for DNA gender determination of Red-billed Oxpeckers.