Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY AS AN INDICATOR OF WATER STRESS IN SWEET PEPPER PLANTS

1 ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to evaluate the physiological and biochemical behavior of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants under different soil water availability conditions and the efficiency of the peroxidase (EC. 1.11.1.7) activity as an indicator of water stress in plants. The experiment was carried out at the Faculdade de Ciencias Agronomicas – UNESP, Botucatu, SP. Sweet pepper plants were grown for 230 days after transplanting of seedlings and arranged in a completely randomized experimental design with 4 treatments, two irrigation managements (50 and 1500 kPa) and two soil surface managements (presence or absence of black polyethylene covering), and six replications. Physiological activities, such as stomatal transpiration and resistance to water vapor diffusion, were evaluated as well as biochemical activities, such as peroxidase activity and total soluble protein in foliar tissues. It was observed that soil water availability may lead to physiological and biochemical alterations in plants. Successive water stress cycles may promote the development of characteristics responsible for improving plant tolerance to periods of low water availability. The peroxidase enzyme activity showed to be an efficient indicator of water stress in sweet pepper plants.
Effect of ovulatory follicle size on steroidogenic capacity, molecular markers of oocyte competence and bovine pregnancy associated glycoproteins in beef cows

35 Introduction.37 Materials and Methods.39 Results.44 Discussion.47 4. Circulating concentrations of bovine pregnancy associated glycoproteins (bPAGs) are associated with embryo/fetal survival but not ovulatory follicle size in suckled beef cows.60 Abstract.60 Introduction.62 Materials and Methods.64 Results.71 Discussion.90 LITERATURE CITED.96 APPENDIX.115 VITA.117
Placobdella papillifera (Annelida: Hirudinida: Glossiphoniiidae) Infesting the Stinkpot, Sternotherus odoratus (Testudines: Kinosternidae): New State Record for Oklahoma

Little is known about the leeches of Oklahoma (Branson and Amos 1961; Harrel and Dorris 1968; Harrel 1969; Scalet, 1971; Elder and Sawyer 1975; Nagel 1976; Moser et al. 2011), especially those infesting turtles (Moser 1995). Klemm (1982; 1985) provided a synopsis on leeches of North America which included some information on those known from the state. Herein, we document a new state record for a glossophoniid leech from southeastern Oklahoma. On 2 September 2012, a single adult male stinkpot, Sternotherus odoratus was collected by hand off St. Hwy 259A on the Mountain Fork River bridge, Beavers Bend State Park, McCurtain County (34.137999°N, 94.687828°W). On closer examination, leeches were observed on the turtle and they were removed with forceps and rinsed in 0.6% saline and examined under a stereomicroscope. Some specimens were transferred to a vial containing 10% ethanol, gradually relaxed in increasing ethanol grades up to 70%, then transferred to 10% neutral buffered formalin. Others were treated in a similar manner but placed in 95% DNA grade ethanol for sequencing. Molecular analyses were conducted on this material according to Richardson et al. (2010). Purified PCR products were sequenced using the HCO2198 primer and the LCO1490 primer for the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I products by the W. M. Keck Foundation Biotechnology Resource Laboratory at Yale University. The DNA sequences were aligned using Clustal W version 2 (Larkin et al., 2007) and checked manually using SeaView 4 (Gouy et al., 2010) and then analyzed using PAUP* 4.0b10 (Swofford, 2002) and compared to other leech DNA sequences contained within Genbank. A voucher specimen of S. odoratus was deposited in the Arkansas State University Museum of Zoology as ASUMZ 32563. Voucher specimens of leeches were deposited in the Invertebrate Zoology Collections of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. (USNM 1225728) and the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University (YPM IZ 67808−67809). Fifteen leeches from S. odoratus were identified as juvenile Placobdella papillifera (Verrill, 1872) Moore, 1952. Molecular 29
A Validated Reversed Phase HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of the antihistaminic Cetirizine and Beta2-adrenergic agonist Salbutamol in their Co-formulated Tablets

Cetirizine (CTZ) and Salbutamol (SAL) are co-formulated for treatment of common cold and allergy [1]. Cetirizine (CTZ, Figure 1a) is [2-[4-[(4-Chlorophenyl) phenylmethyl]-1–piperazinyl] ethoxy] acetic acid). It is long acting antihistaminic which used for relief of allergic conditions [2]. The BP described non-aqueous potentiometric titration method for CTZ determination [3]. Previously published methods described for determinations of CTZ include HPLC either in pharmaceutical preparations [4-6] or in biological fluids [7,8], fluorimetry [9] and spectrophotometry [10].
Detecção de novidade para sistemas de sonar passivo

O som e uma onda mecânica que se propaga por grandes distâncias nos oceanos e, por essa razao, pode ser utilizado para a deteccao e classificacao de contatos em meios submarinos, tarefas basicas de um sistema sonar. O desenvolvimento de tais sistemas esta diretamente ligado a defesa de um pais com dimensoes continentais, como o Brasil. Recentemente, a Marinha do Brasil definiu como prioridade estrategica a area de acustica submarina. Sistemas de sonar passivo podem ser instalados para monitorar a costa brasileira de maneira furtiva e eficiente. Ademais, estes sao utilizados em submarinos militares para diferentes aplicacoes. Como neste ambiente de operacao, cada navio possui uma assinatura acustica unica, e navios cujos dados nao foram adquiridos podem ser observados, faz-se necessario o desenvolvimento de um detector de novidade operando em conjunto com os classificadores de contatos implementados em sistemas da Marinha do Brasil. Como os classificadores operam competindo por recursos computacionais com os detectores de novidade, estes podem impactar na eficiencia de classificacao. A quantidade de classes, neste ambiente, ´e muito grande e, devido a isso, indices de desempenho especificos foram criados para avaliar a eficiencia dos modelos desenvolvidos. Alem disso, diferentes extratores de informacao foram desenvolvidos para acessar informacoes relevantes dos navios em questao, dentre eles podem ser citados PCD, kPCA, NLPCA e SAE. O desenvolvimento deste modelo de deteccao foi baseado no ambiente de operacao da Marinha do Brasil e, como este pode ter suas condicoes operativas alteradas ao longo do tempo, um sistema de monitoramento da estacionaridade baseado em estatistica de ordem superior foi proposto. Tanto o detector de novidade quanto o sistema de monitoramento de estacionaridade foram desenvolvidos com dados experimentais disponibilizados pela Marinha do Brasil.
Environmental and natural resource economics.

1. Visions of the Future. 2. Valuing the Environment: Concepts. 3. Valuing the Environment: Methods. 4. Property Rights, Externalities, and Environmental Problems. 5. Sustainable Development: Defining the Concept. 6. The Population Problem. 7. The Allocation of Depletable and Renewable Resources. 8. Depletable, Non-recyclable Energy Resources: Oil, Gas, Coal and Uranium. 9. Recyclable Resources: Minerals, Paper, Glass, etc. 10. Replenishable but Depletable Resources: Water. 11. Reproducible Private-Property Resources: Agriculture. 12. Storable, Renewable Resources: Forests. 13. Renewable Common-Property Resources: Fisheries and Other Species. 14. Generalized Resource Scarcity. 15. Economics of Pollution Control: An Overview. 16. Stationary-Source Local Air Pollution. 17. Regional and Global Air Pollutants: Acid Rain and Atmospheric Modification. 18. Mobile -Source Air Pollution. 19. Water Pollution. 20. Toxic Substances. 21. Environmental Justice. 22. Development, Poverty, and the Environment. 23. The Quest for Sustainable Development. 24. Visions of the Future Revisited.
Expression of ligands for the NKG2D activating receptor are linked to proliferative signals (108.2)

NKG2D is an activating receptor expressed on NK cells, CD8 T cells, and portions of NKT cells, gd T cells and CD4 T cells. The ligands for NKG2D receptor are surprisingly diverse, and emerging evidence suggests that different ligands are regulated by distinct cellular stress pathways, and in some cases a specific ligand is regulated by a several stress pathways acting in concert. In this study, we have identified a novel mechanism of regulation of a Rae1 family NKG2D ligand by proliferation stress. In proliferating B6 fibroblasts, Rae1e is induced at both the mRNA and protein levels, and in a manner that is not dependent on the DNA damage response or oxidative stress. Induction and maintenance of Rae1 expression is inhibited by growth factor starvation or any of numerous inhibitors of cell proliferation. Run-on transcription assays demonstrated that regulation is at the level of transcription. Ongoing studies suggest the role of specific cell cycle regulators as essential for Rae1 expression, and have probed their role in this process. This pathway implicates proliferation stress that occurs early in tumorigenesis and infections as a danger signal that induces the innate immune response.
Shoreline Defense Against Climate Change and Capitalized Impact of Beach Nourishment

Beach communities respond to storm risks through shoreline stabilization policies and often rebuild eroding beaches with sand dredged from offshore locations and inlets. Investments in natural capital through beach nourishment are, at least partly, capitalized in coastal property values. We combine data on housing sales between 2008 and 2014 in Dare County, North Carolina with geo-spatial information on the timing and location of the first beach nourishment in the town of Nags Head to estimate the perceived risk-reduction effect, using Hurricane Sandy as a natural experiment. We find that the effect is heterogeneous both within and across nourished and unnourished regions. Triple difference estimates reveal that investment in nourishment results in a price premium of 11.7% to 16.5% for oceanfront homes located in a nourished beach. Converting the average treatment effect of 13.4% from our preferred model to aggregate benefits capitalized by oceanfront homes in Nags Head suggests that the value of beach nourishment exceeds $16 million.
Aptamers: Powerful Molecular Tools for Therapeutics and Diagnostics

In 1990, within months of each other, the laboratories of G.F. Joyce (La Jolla, USA) (Robertson and Joyce 1990), J.W. Szostak (Boston, USA) (Ellington and Szostak 1990) and L. Gold (Bolder, USA) (Tuerk and Gold 1990) independently reported on the development of an in vitro selection and amplification technique, which has allowed the discovery of specific nucleic acid sequences that bind a wide array of non-nucleic acid targets with high affinity and specificity. The technique by which these oligonucleotide ligands are obtained was coined as SELEX – systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment – and the resulting oligonucleotides are referred to as aptamers, derived from the Latin aptus, meaning, ‘to fit’ (Jayasena 1999). The last decade has seen the selection of an extensive range of aptamers with abilities to bind to small molecules, peptides, proteins, cells, etc. with selectivity, specificity and affinity equal and often superior to those of antibodies (Hesselberth et al. 2000; Haller and Sarnow 1997; Gebhardt et al. 2000;Wilson et al. 2001; Kawakami et al. 2000). Aptamers possess the ability to discriminate targets on the basis of subtle structural differences such
Tools for Vaccine Design: Prediction and Validation of Highly Immunogenic and Conserved Class II Epitopes and Development of Epitope‐Driven Vaccines

Two types of T cells act as the adaptive immune system’s second line of defense after the antibody. Class-I-restricted cytotoxic T cells (CD8+ CTL) directly engage and attack infected host cells. Class-II-restricted T helper (CD4+ Th) cells mediate the growth and differentiation of both T-effector cells and antibody-producing B lymphocytes. Both Class I and Class II-restricted T cells carry out their roles in response to T-cell epitopes, small linear peptides derived from protein antigens. These peptides are displayed on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APC) by multiple alleles of
Effect of Oxide Thickness on GaN-based Double Gate MOSFETs

The effect of oxide thickness (EOT) on GaN-based double gate (DG) MOSFETs have been explored for low power switching device. The gate length (LG) of 8 nm with 4 nm underlap is considered. The device is turned off and on for gate voltage (VGS) of 0 V and 1 V, respectively. The effective oxide thickness (EOT) is varied from 1 nm to 0.5 nm and the device performance is evaluated. For EOT = 0.5 nm, the OFF-state current (IOFF), subthreshold slope (SS) and drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) are obtained 2.97×10-8 A/μm, 69.67 mV/dec and 21.753 mV/V, respectively. These results indicate that, it is possible to minimize short channel effects (SCEs) by using smaller value of EOT.
Tail loss reduces locomotor ability but not metabolic rate in a viviparous skink, Sphenomorphus indicus

Tail autotomy is an efficient predator escape form, but imposes locomotor costs in many lizard species. It has been hypothesized that locomotor impairment following tail autotomy results from the altered running dynamics or loss of energy available for locomotion, but there is a paucity of data available to demonstrate such effects. We evaluated the locomotor costs of tail loss in a viviparous skink, Sphenomorphus indicus, and examined whether locomotor costs were related to changes in gait characteristics and metabolic rate. Of 24 field-captured adult males with original intact tails, 12 individuals were used as experimental animals, and the remaining 12 as controls. Locomotor performance and CO2 production were measured for the experimental skinks before and after tail removal; the same parameters were measured at the same time for the control skinks. Compared with tailed skinks, the mean locomotor speed and stamina of tailless skinks was reduced by approximately 26% and 17%, respectively. At any given speed, tailless skinks had a shorter stride length for hindlimbs (but not for forelimbs) and a greater stride frequency than did tailed skinks. In S. indicus, locomotor impairment may be a result of the reduced stride length, and energetic constraints on stride frequency. We found no significant change in standard metabolic rate after the skinks underwent tail removal, which may reflect a minor effect on energy expenditure for maintenance. Although the reduction in metabolically active tissue might cause a lower metabolic rate, tail regeneration counteracted such an effect because it was energetically expensive.
Evaluation of genotoxicity of acetamiprid using PCR technique on mosquito genome

The present studies deal with the evaluation of the genotoxic potential of acetamiprid at LD40 on a mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus by adopting polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR). This technique was used for detecting DNA damage by amplifying ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS 2) regions. The amplified products were sequenced and the results of treated and non-treated controls were compared using Clustal W software programme. The results were studied in the form of deletions, additions, transitions and transversions of the bases. The DNA band amplified from control stocks consisted of 444 bases while those from LD40 treated individuals were comprised of 448 bases. The total number of mutations caused in the treated stock was 230 out of which 84 were transitions, 117 transversions, 13 deletions and 16 additions. Thus, it was evident that acetamiprid has a potential to promote gene mutations in the individuals exposed to its semilethal doses.
Analysis of the domain specific function of the Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein, in vitro and in vivo

Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) is an X-linked immunodeficiency characterised by low numbers of low volume platelets, eczema, severe immunodeficiency and increased susceptibility to malignant and autoimmune diseases. Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASp), the product of the gene mutated in WAS is a multidomain cytosolic protein which acts by integrating downstream signals from cell surface receptor signalling cascades and transduces these signals into remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton. WASp is involved in cellular processes as diverse as cell polarisation, migration, phagocytosis and T cell synapse formation. Dendritic cell function and migration is known to be impaired in WAS. Specifically, dendritic cells lacking WASp in both mice and humans show an impaired ability to form transient actin rich adhesive structures called podosomes. In this thesis, I am presenting the characterisation of a panel of domain deletion WASp proteins and a series of point mutations which, in children give rise to a range of disease phenotypes. I have expressed these constructs as GST tagged proteins and developed a bead based in vitro assay to asses the protein activity. I have compared the ability of these mutants to bind key regulators of WASp function, WIP and Cdc42, using a variety of immunoprecipitation techniques. Finally I have expressed EGFP tagged WASp proteins in myeloid cell lines to assess expression and stability of these constructs and in WASp null murine dendritic cells to assess their ability reconstitute podosomes. Point mutations which cause WAS have slightly increased actin polymerisation activity compared to wild type WASp (WT) and have a normal affinity for Cdc42. Although they have a reduced affinity for WIP compared to WT, there is still significant association of WIP to mutant WASp in cells. These mutants have reduced stability and different patterns of phosphorylation compared to WT, when expressed in myeloid cells lines. The EVH1, Polyproline and VCA domains of WASp are all essential for optimal actin polymerisation activity, whereas the Basic domain and the point mutation H246D (which inhibits Cdc42 binding) could be deleted with no loss of molecular activity. The EVH1 domain is essential for WIP binding and the Basic domain is essential for Cdc42 binding. Deletion of the EVH1 domain resulted in protein which had greater stability than WT WASp, suggesting that residues within the EVH1 domain are essential for the physiological degradation of WASp. This work demonstrates that mutant WASp which causes WAS in patients has normal molecular activity, but the regulation of mutant WASp degradation is impaired in myeloid cells. Results from this project also suggest that Cdc42 is not essential for normal WASp functioning, but does appear to be essential for the phosphorylation of the Y291 residue, which is known to be critical for the regulation of WASp activity. Further work will aim to elucidate the functional (in vivo) significance of these findings.
Mechanistic studies of iron uptake into,and release from, Ferritins

Abstract Iron is the most common and perhaps the most crucial transition metal. It is essential for virtually all of life yet it is also potentially extremely toxic; therefore, how organisms handle iron (iron metabolism) is of critical importance. Ferritins constitute a large family of iron storage proteins that are found throughout life, in bacteria, archaea, plants and animals. The newly discovered ferritin from the bloom-forming pennate diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries is similar to other eukaryotic ferritins that contains a ferroxidase centre but also contains a third site (site C) only previously found in non-heme bacterial ferritins. The mechanism of iron uptake in P. multiseries ferritin and the effect of substitution of residues at site C has been studied using rapid reaction kinetic methods. These revealed that oxidation in PmFTN is very rapid suggesting a distinct mechanism of iron uptake. Bacterioferritin (BFR) is a unique heme-containing bacterial member of the ferritin family that stores up to 2700 iron ions as a ferric oxyhydroxide phosphate mineral within its central cavity. This core is surrounded by 24 identical protein subunits, each of which possesses a dinuclear iron centre that catalyses the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III). The heme-binding sites are sandwiched between pairs of subunits and coordinated by two methionine residues (one from each subunit). The heme groups play an important role in iron release, though understanding of this has been hampered by the difficulty in obtaining fully heme-loaded protein that is isolated from overexpressing bacterial cultures. Here, an in vitro heme-loading method is described and used to generate BFR containing variable amounts of heme. Studies of iron release indicate increased heme levels only marginally increases the rate of iron release and actually lowers the extent of iron release. These results suggest that the reconstituted heme-loaded protein behaves differently from naturally heme-loaded protein.
Animal Social Networks

This investigative workshop will explore problems and opportunities raised by small (tens to hundreds of individuals) social networks as they develop over time. Focus areas include how temporal dynamics affect network function and emergent properties; the response of the network to perturbations (e.g., births, deaths, immigration and emigration); and the tension between network structure (e.g., importance of roles and network centrality) and process (e.g., flow of information, disease transmission). The workshop will bring together empiricists interested in a diversity of animal social groups (ants, fish, birds, mammals) and quantitative scientists (network scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists) interested in the special problems posed by the dynamics of small social networks.
The chick allantois : an ultrastructural and cytochemical study of an ion transporting epithelium

Transporting epithelia have the ability to translocate ions and water from one side of the epithelium to the other against concentration and electrical gradients without disrupting the internal millieu of the cells. The pathway of ions and water across these epithelia is still a major unresolved question. The allantoic epithelium of the chick chorioallantoic membrane has the capability to transport ions and water. In this investigation employing ultrastructural and cytochemical techniques the ultrastructure of the chick allantoic epithelium of 15-18 day embryos is correlated to some of its