Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterisation of SerpinB2 as a stress response modulator

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Responses of two morphologically similar species of benthic copepod (harpacticoida, diosaccidae) to an erosion rate that occurs during winter storms

Winter storms can put the upper millimeters of the seabed into motion. Small invertebrates in these layers could allow themselves to be suspended or burrow to avoid it, depending on the cost-benefit balance between spending a storm in a deeper layer of the sediment and spending it in the water column. At 18 m depth in the northern Gulf of Mexico (29°40.63'N, 84°22.80'W), both males and females of many harpacticoid copepod species allowed themselves to be suspended, but the males of some species burrowed. Subsequent study revealed that one of the nominal species with burrowing males subsumed two new species. Because storm-induced erosion potentially has large influences on meiobenthic community structure, and information on species' responses to it is so limited, we analyzed the data for the two new species. The females of neither burrowed in response to an erosion rate that would occur in winter storms. The males of Protopsammotopa tipperi did, but the results are not clear for the males of Actopsyllus matthewi.
Locomotor diversity within past and present guilds of large predatory mammals

The impact of environment, interspecific competition, and, to a lesser extent history, on the structure of the guild of large predatory mammals is explored in one fossil and four Recent communities. Two aspects are emphasized: (1) the number of species within each guild and (2) the extent of locomotor convergence as inferred from morphology among the constituent species. Locomotor behavior reflects habitat choice, hunting mode, and escape strategy, all of which appear to be important avenues of adaptive divergence among coexisting predators. Locomotor behavior in extinct and extant predators is determined from body weight and five measured characteristics of the postcranial skeleton, including ungual shape, elbow shape, and limb proportions. Results indicate that levels of morphologic and inferred ecologic similarity between large predators are higher in the tropical grassland guild of East Africa than in the equivalent guilds of either tropical or temperate forest. This may be due to the great density and diversity of terrestrial herbivores in the productive grasslands. The fossil guild, from the Late Chadron–Orellan (Oligocene) of North America, appears most similar to the tropical forest guilds, but the predators seem to have been slower and more robust than their modern counterparts. Since the Orellan represents an early stage in the evolution of large, fissiped carnivores, both ancestry and time could have influenced Orellan guild structure.
Occurrence and significance of exopolysaccharide-producing cyanobacteria in the benthic mucilaginous aggregates of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Tuscan Archipelago)

The microalgal biocenosis of benthic mucilaginous aggregates, sampled in the Tuscan Archipelago in the period April 1999 - June 2000, have been studied with the aim to investigate the possible role of exopolysaccharide-producing cyanobacteria in the formation of these aggregates. Thirteen genera of diatoms were detected in all, Licmophora, Synedra and Navicula having been observed with the highest frequency. As concerns the cyanobacterial community, the filamentous genera Leptolyngbya and Lyngbya were found in almost all samplings, while other forms, belonging to the genera Oscillatoria, Rivularia, Gloeocapsa and Synechocystis, were less frequently observed. All the cyanobacteria observed, except Oscillatoria, were characterized by the presence of outermost polysaccharidic investments, most frequently in the form of sheaths. A deeper investigation, carried out on 28 sheathed Leptolyngbya strains isolated from the benthic mucilages, demonstrated that these cyanobacteria grow as suspended flocks or as biofilms, never releasing significant amounts of exopolysaccharides (EPS). Thus, according to these two features, it seems reasonable to exclude that the benthic mucilaginous aggregates originated from a massive release of polysaccharidic material by the resident cyanobacterial community. More likely, these microorganisms may play an important role as primary colonizers, so that other organisms may adhere and promote the process of mucilage formation.
Two New Species of the Genus Kudoa (Myxosporea :Multivalvulida) from Marine Cultured Fishes in Japan

Two new species of the genus Kudoa (Myxosporea: Multivalvulida) were described; Kudoa iwatai sp. n. from the lateral musculature of Pagrus major and Oplegnathus punctatus and K. shiomitsui sp. n. from the pericardial cavity and ventricle of Takifugu rubripes. Both were discovered from fishes cultured at farms on the coast of Kyushu, Japan. Spores of both species were differentiated from other members of the genus Kudoa on the basis of a through recording of their shape, structure and dimentions by means of the light microscope and scanning electron microscope.
Herbicide Effects During Leatherleaf Fern Bed Establishment

Effects of repeated applications of preemergence herbicides (alachlor, metolachlor, oxadiazon, and simazine) at 1 ×, 2 ×, and 4 × rates to leatherleaf fern [Rumohra adiantiformis (Forst.) Ching] beds were studied. During the first two years of bed establishment, all herbicides reduced weed coverage compared to commercial practice (hand-weeding 3 times per year), but only simazine and oxadiazon suppressed weed coverage to commercially acceptable levels between hand-weedings. In year 3, when the fern beds had become well-established, all herbicide treatments provided adequate weed suppression. Simazine was phytotoxic to the fern and reduced yield. Metolachlor increased rhizome mortality compared to commercial practice. Herbicide and weed-free treatments had no effect compared to commercial practice on frond fresh and dry weights or postharvest water uptake and longevity of cut fronds. Chemical names used: 2-chloro-N-2,6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxymethyl)acetamide (alachlor); 2 chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide (metolachlor); 3-[2,4-dichloro-5-(l-methylethoxy)phenyl]-5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-one (oxadiazon); 6-chloro-N, N′-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine (simazine).
The Effect of Task-based Language Teaching in Learning Motivation

This study examines the effects of Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) in 52 non-native Mandarin learners of Mandarin beginning level learning motivation and the associated factors affecting their learning motivation. Mix method design was applied in the research. Quantitative questionnaire data were analyzed using paired sample t-test to examine the differences between pre-treatment survey and first cycle post-treatment survey, and between first cycle post-treatment survey and second cycle post-treatment survey. Semi-structured interview was conducted to 11 different grade-based learners among the 52 learners in the three stages of surveys to define factors affecting learning motivation. The findings reveal that there was non- statistical decrement in learning motivation between pre-treatment survey and first cycle post-treatment survey (t(51)=1.04, p>0.05), and statistical increment between first cycle post-treatment survey and second cycle post- treatment survey (t(51)=-3.52, p<0.05). The findings of the interview show that learners‟ learning motivation is affected by the application of TBLT, busy schedule and support from Mandarin native speaker. As conclusion, the study indicates that TBLT can increase learners‟ learning motivation in long term application. The study also implicates that TBLT can perform well with sufficiency language input task and Mandarin native speakers‟ support before the output task.
Bringing Palliative Care Downstairs

Although the emergency department (ED) may not be traditionally thought of as the ideal setting for the initiation of palliative care, it is the place where patients most frequently seek urgent care for recurrent issues such as pain crisis. Even if the patients' goals of care are nonaggressive, their caregivers may bring them to the ED because of their own distress at witnessing the patients' suffering. Emergency department providers, who are trained to focus on the stabilization of acute medical crises, may find themselves frustrated with repeat visits by patients with chronic problems. Therefore, it is important for ED providers to be comfortable discussing goals of care, to be adept at symptom management for chronic conditions, and to involve palliative care consultants in the ED course when appropriate. Nurse practitioners, with training rooted in the holistic tradition of nursing, may be uniquely suited to lead this shift in the practice paradigm. This article presents case vignettes of 4 commonly encountered ED patient types to examine how palliative care principles might be applied in the ED.
Testing the effect of Limnodrilus sp. (Oligochaeta, Tubificidae) on organic matter and nutrient processing in the hyporheic zone: a microcosm method

A set of slow filtration columns was developed to test the effect of macrofauna on hyporheic zone functioning. In a first step, the suitability of the experimental system was tested by measuring the variability in water flux, sediment redistribution, dissolved oxygen, number of ETS-active bacteria, and number of bacteria among columns. The results indicated a low variability between columns filled with heterogeneous sand-gravel sediments and without macrofauna. In a second step, the effect of the tubificid worm Limnodrilus sp. on organic matter and nutrient processing was investigated in experimental conditions. Physicochemical parameters (pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, dissolved organic carbon, ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate contents) and microbial parameters (number of ETS-active bacteria, number of bacteria, and hydrolytic activity) were measured at different depths and dates in four columns. A number of 100 individuals of Limnodrilus sp. was introduced into three of the four columns whereas the last column without macrofauna served as a control. The test with oligochaetes demonstrated a stimulation of microbial activities at all depths. Tubificid worms tended to enhance nutrient and organic matter processing in the experimental system. These results suggest that tubificid worms play a specific role at the hyporheic interface due to their particular mode of feeding.
Micromorphology and microstructure as expressions of scleractinian skeletogenesis in Favia fragum (Esper, 1795) (Faviidae, Scleractinia)

Microstructural differences observable within septa are currently recognized as major phylogenetic criteria among Scleractinia. If the emergence of mole­ cular techniques provides a good mean of assessing these criteria, some recent results using molecular approach seem to give only low support for microstructural-based phylogenetic relationships of Scleractinia. This, however, may result from the numerous uncertainties concerning the microstructural pattern of species upon which major taxa are based. Three-dimensional cha­ racters of septal growth units and their variability have here been investigated using the specimens of Favia fragum included within the Milne Edwards Collection, these being the oldest reference material still available today. Integrating these data with results from the most recent work on this species leads to the reconstruction of the three-dimensional pattern of septal archi­ tecture. The phylogenetic significance of this requires assessment with alter­ native approaches. ZOOSYSTEMA • 1999 • 21 (2) 137 C u i f J . P . & Perrin C. MOTS CLES Favia fragum, Scleractinia, squelettogenèse. RÉSUMÉ Micromorphologie et microstructure chez Favia fragum (Esper, 1795) (Faviidae, Scleractinia) en tant qu 'expressions de la squelettogenèse des scléractiniaires. Chez les scléractiniaires, ce sont actuellement les différences microstructurales observables dans les septes qui sont reconnues comme critères phylogénétiques majeurs. Si l'émergence des méthodes moléculaires fournit des moyens d'évaluer ces critères, des résultats récents utilisant l'approche moléculaire semblent donner seulement une faible valeur à la phylogénie des scléractiniaires fondée sur les microstructures. Ceci, toutefois, peut résulter des nombreuses incertitudes concernant les microstructures des espèces sur lesquelles les taxons majeurs sont basés. Les caractéristiques tridimentionnelles des unités de croissance septales et leur variabilité ont été ici étudiées sur les spécimens de Favia fragum de la collection Milne Edwards, qui sont le plus ancien matériel de référence actuellement disponible. La prise en compte de l'ensemble des données résultant des recherches plus récentes concernant cette espèce permet la reconstitution tridimentionnelle de l'architecture septale. La signification phylogénétique de ce type d'analyse devra être évaluée par rapport aux résultats obtenus par les approches concurrentes. I N T R O D U C T I O N As pointed out by Veron et al. ( 1996) the well known Wells' evolutionary tree for Scleractinia "has long been in need o f revision". This is well shown by important discrepancies existing between the highest taxonomic subdivisions o f the alternatively proposed evolutionary schemes o f Scleractinia, even when considering only the most recent hypotheses o f Veron himself (1995) , Roniewicz & Morycowa (1993) and Chevalier &
Synthesis of Lignin-Based Nanomaterials/Nanocomposites: Recent Trends and Future Perspectives

Abstract Lignin is a hetero biopolymer source of non-fossil carbon that is distinctively made up of phenyl propane entities. Its assortment of qualities geographically and wide applications attract biomass researchers worldwide. Lignin often exists as a glue in the plant cell walls in that it holds cellulose and hemicellulose together. Usually, the organization of lignin varies from one biomass species to another, and the structure of isolated lignin is affected by the method of extraction employed. In this review, we attempt to address the recently developed synthetic methodologies for producing lignin-based nanomaterials (i.e., nanoparticles, nanotubes, composites). The aim is to comprehend the chemistry of lignin-building design for its various practical uses. In the first part of this article, we focus on lignin biosynthesis. The challenges and future prospects of lignin-based nanomaterials synthesis are also discussed.
Ribosomal DNA ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 secondary structure, nuclear DNA content and phytochemical analyses reveal distinctive characteristics of four subclades of Protasparagus

The use of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) primary sequence based phylogeny is a conventional practice to estimate the evolutionary interspecies relationship. However, analysis of the functional folding patterns and higher order secondary structures of ITS regions can provide additional important information regarding species relatedness and interspecies variations. In the present study, we provide the first detailed information on the rDNA ITS secondary structure diversity in the four subclades of the subgenus Protasparagus. Several angiospermic conserved motifs were identified in each of the ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 secondary structures of the studied taxon. Topological comparison of the ITS1 secondary structures showed variations in the helix‐ IV regions. Moreover, presence of unique sequence motifs and differences in the internal loop structures were found to be subclade specific. The present study suggests that comprehensive analysis of the ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 structural elements including helices, loops and bulges can be used as an important tool for species delimitation. The present study investigated the evolution of the secondary structure of ITS marker (its phylogenetic utility), genome size, base chromosome number and phytochemicals, and identified a putative polyploid event shared by a number of Protasparagus species. The phytochemical analysis of two important active compounds, i.e., shatavarin‐IV and sarsasapogenin, also reveals their presence in all the studied taxa constitutively even at the subclade level.
Effects of biochar and fertilizer management on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) feedstock and soil properties

ABSTRACT The need for bioenergy is increasing with increase in global energy demand, and sustainable soil and fertilizer management practices for bioenergy feedstock production are gaining importance. In this greenhouse study, we evaluated the effects of biochar and fertilizer nitrogen on soil and energy crop sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. var. Giganteus). Sunflower plants were treated with three rates of biochar, control (0 Mg ha−1), low (25 Mg ha−1) and high (50 Mg ha−1), and three rates of fertilizers, 0% (control), 50% (low) and 100% (high) of the recommended nitrogen dose. Plant height, quality (chlorophyll content), biomass yield, feedstock energy, ash content and tissue nutrients were measured along with soil moisture and pH. Results showed an 11% increase in mean plant height under low biochar compared to control biochar-treated plants. High nitrogen treatment produced 26% and 18% more stalk and total above-ground plant (whole plant) biomass, respectively, compared to the control nitrogen treatment. High biochar treatment resulted in higher soil moisture holding, but lower soil pH than the control biochar treatment. Plant quality, energy and ash contents were not affected by either biochar or nitrogen. The plant tissue analysis provides a complete tissue macro- and micronutrient information on sunflower cultivar Giganteus, which was not done previously.
A Global and Targeted ProteomicInvestigation of Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause invasive disease in immunocompromised individuals and, less frequently, in immunocompetent hosts. Proteomic investigation of A. fumigatus has the potential to enable global analysis of protein expression, identify potential targets for vaccine or diagnostic tool development, and characterise system-wide responses to external stimuli. Implementation of a large-scale proteomic strategy lead to the identification of non-redundant proteins from mycelia (n = 390) and culture supernatants (n = 42) of A. fumigatus. Utilisation of MS-based proteomics facilitated the identification of proteins typically under-represented in 2D-PAGE proteome maps, including proteins with multiple transmembrane regions, hydrophobic proteins and proteins with extremes of molecular mass and pI. Pre-fractionation of complex protein samples, by gel-filtration or gold nanoparticle pre-incubation, demonstrated potential for reduction of sample complexity. Indirect identification of secondary metabolite cluster expression was achieved using a global MS-based proteomic approach, with proteins (n = 20) from LaeA-regulated clusters detected. Targeted immunoproteomics resulted in the identification of antigenic proteins (n = 25) from A. fumigatus, reactive with sera from healthy individuals, and characterisation of these proteins may shed light on the pathobiology of A. fumigatus. Mechanisms involved in the interaction of A. fumigatus with gliotoxin were also examined, using phenotypic analysis, comparative proteomics and metabolomics. Gliotoxin was observed to relieve H2O2-induced stress, in a dose-dependent manner (0 - 10 μg/ml) and this correlated with a significant increase in expression of the gliotoxin oxidoreductase GliT (p < 0.05). This indicates a role for gliotoxin, and potentially GliT, in relief of oxidative stress in A. fumigatus. Correspondingly, proteins associated with response to stress were observed to significantly decrease in expression in the co-addition condition, relative to H2O2 alone (p < 0.05). Comparative proteomic profiling of the gliotoxin-sensitive mutant, A. fumigatus ΔgliK, revealed perturbation of translation, the methyl cycle and the endoplasmic reticulum in response to gliotoxin. This informs on the mechanisms involved in gliotoxin-mediated toxicity and may apply to other gliotoxin-sensitive species. Loss of gliotoxin production in A. fumigatus ΔgliK correlated with significant elevation in intracellular ergothioneine levels (p < 0.001). This study describes the first identification of ergothioneine in A. fumigatus and represents a target for future redox investigations.
Nanoscale composites based on Al2O3 and SiC prepared by electroconsolidation method

In the paper, preparation and characteristics of nanoscale composites based on mixtures of Al2O3 with additions of SiC up to 50 wt % are described. In the experiments, electroconsolidation of powdered ceramic materials was performed in different proportions at temperatures between Tsint = 1400 and 1800 oC during 2, 3 or 4 minutes. The sintered samples were analyzed in the terms of grain growth, grain dispersion and material densification related to the sintering parameters (time and temperature) and proportion of powders. One of the most important findings was that the nanodispersed SiC supported better densification. It was demonstrated that the prolonged sintering time caused decrease of small dispersed particles, while larger particles increased in number. The obtained density of sintered material was higher than that recently reported, but achieved at substantially lower energy consumption and cheaper equipment.
Biofilm formation in Bacillus thuringiensis : Construction of overexpression clones and gene deletion mutants for functional analysis of two putative c-di-GMP effector proteins from B. thuringiensis 407

7 CONTENTS.9 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.14 1.1 The Bacillus genus.14 1.2 Spore formation in Bacillus species.14 1.2. 1 The sporulation process in Bacillus.14 1.3 The Bacillus cereus group.17 1.4 Taxonomy of B. cereus group.18 1.5 Members of the B. cereus group.19 1.5. 1 B. anthracis.19 1.5. 2 B. thuringiensis.19 1.5. 3 B. cereus.20 1.5. 4 B. mycoides.22 1.5. 5 B. psudomycoides.22 1.5. 6 B. weihenstephansis.22 1.5. 7 B. cytotoxicus.23 1.6 Biofilm.23 1.6. 1 Biofilm formation.24 1.6. 2 Regulation of biofilm formation.26 1.6. 3 Biofilm formation in Bacillus speciesThe SinI/SinR system.28 1.6. 4 Second messenger based regulation of biofilm formationC-di-GMP.29 1.7 C-di-GMP effector components.31 1.7. 1 The PilZ protein family.31 1.7. 2 Riboswitches.32 1.7. 3 Other c-di-GMP effector components.34 1.8 Regulation of Biofilm formation in B. cereus group.34