Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lipid modulation of glycolipid receptor function

Verotoxins bind to glycosphingolipids containing terminal Gal(α1-4)Gal residues. Globotriaosylceramide is the most effective receptor for verotoxin-1 in vitro and is the functional plasma-membrane receptor which mediates cytopathology for most sensitive cells. Binding of verotoxin-1 to a series of galabiose-containing or globotriaose-containing synthetic glycolipids with monoalkylsulfides and bisalkylsulfides or sulfones as the lipid moiety, have been studied for toxin binding by TLC overlay and in solid phase in the presence of auxiliary lipids. The results demonstrate that for an identical carbohydrate, binding is dramatically altered according to the nature of the lipid moiety. The close proximity of the galabiose sequence and the hydrophobic species also compromised recognition. The lipid environment is also a major determinant of receptor function, since species that were effective, even preferred toxin receptors as monitored by TLC overlay, were not necessarily recognized in the presence of auxiliary lipids. Certain glycolipids, which were not recognized by TLC overlay, were nevertheless found to be effective receptors in an auxiliary lipid matrix. These results demonstrate the crucial role of the lipid moiety in verotoxin/glycolipid recognition and are discussed in relation to toxin pathogenesis and glycolipid receptor function.
Automated detection and characterization of Antarctic basal units using radar sounding data: demonstration in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica

Abstract Basal units – visibly distinct englacial structures near the ice-bed interface – warrant investigation for a number of reasons. Many are of unknown composition and origin, characteristics that could provide substantial insight into subglacial processes and ice-sheet history. Their significance, moreover, is not limited to near-bed depths; these units appear to dramatically influence the flow of surrounding ice. In order to enable improved characterization of these features, we develop and apply an algorithm that allows for the automatic detection of basal units. We use a tunable layer-optimized SAR processor to distinguish these structures from the bed, isochronous englacial layers and the ice-sheet surface, presenting a conceptual framework for the use of radio-echo character in the identification of ice-sheet features. We also outline a method by which our processor could be used to place observational constraints on basal units’ configuration, composition and provenance.
MARINE ALGAE COLLECTED DURING THE MARINE BIODIVERSITY MINI EXPEDITION 2012 TO SEMBILAN GROUP OF ISLANDS, PERAK WITH ONE NEW RECORD, Parvocaulis parvulus (Solms-Laubach) S. Berger et al. FOR MALAYSIA

In May 11 -15, 2012, the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya organized a marine expedition to the Sembilan Group of Islands, Perak (Malaysia). The objective of the expedition was to document the marine biodiversity in the waters around the islands and the coastal zone as well as documenting physical parameters. Marine algae were among the targeted groups of taxa. A total of 51 algal specimens were collected. All specimens are deposited as herbarium in the University of Malaya Seaweed and Seagrass Herbarium. The algae comprised one family, one genus and three putative species of Cyanophyta; five families, six genera and 13 putative species of Chlorophyta; seven families, ten genera and 13 putative species of Rhodophyta and one family, one genus and one putative species of Phaeophyceae. Of these, the chlorophyte Parvocaulis parvulus (Solms-Laubach) S. Berger et al. is a new record for Malaysia. In 2008, Phang et al. reported that a total of seven families and nine putative species of marine algae were collected during the Scientific Expeditions to the Seas of Malaysia (SESMA) I and II from the Sembilan Group of Islands (Pulau Lalang and Pulau Rumbia) Perak. Of these, an addition of six families and 11 putative species were collected during this present survey. ABSTRAK Pada Mei 11-15, 2012, Institut Sains Samudera Dan Bumi, Universiti Malaya telah mengelolakan satu ekspedisi marin ke Kepulauan Sembilan, Perak, Malaysia. Objektif expedisi ini adalah untuk mendokumentasikan biodiversiti marin serta parameter fikizal di kawasan perairan persekitaran dan juga di zon persisiran pantai kepulauan ini. Alga marin merupakan salah satu kumpulan taksa sasaran tinjauan ini. Sejumlah 51 spesimen alga telah dikutipkan. Semua specimen ini telah disimpankan sebagai herbarium di dalam Herbarium Rumpair dan Rumput Laut Universiti Malaya. Alga tersebut merangkumi satu famili, satu genus dan tiga spesies putatif Cyanophyta; lima famili, enam genera dan 13 spesies putatif putative Chlorophyta; tujuh famili, sepuluh genera dan 13 spesies putatif Rhodophyta dan satu famili, satu genus dan satu spesies putatif Phaeophyceae. Di antara ini, chlorophyte Parvocaulis parvulus (SolmsLaubach) S. Berger et al. merupakan rekod baru bagi Malaysia. Pada tahun 2008, Phang et al. melaporkan bahawa sejumlah tujuh famili dan sembilan spesies putatif alga marin telah dikutipkan dari Kepulauan Sembilan (Pulau Lalang and Pulau Rumbia), Perak dalam Ekspedisi Saintifik ke Lautan Malaysia (SESMA) I dan II. Berbanding dengan ini, sebanyak enam famili dan 11 spesies putatif tambahan telah dikutipkan dalam ekspedisi tinjauan baru ini. (Keywords: marine algae, checklist list, Sembilan Group of Islands)
Generating Trading Strategies in the Mexican Stock Market: A Pattern Recognition Approach

With the digitalization of ﬁnancial markets, namely, stock markets the development of algorithms and computational techniques in order to determine trading strategies has gained relevance as much as in academia as in the industry. This article explores the use of pattern recognition techniques (Support Vector Machines, Multilayer Perceptron and C4.5) as tools for ﬁnding trading strategies in the Mexican Stock Market. Our results show that, statistically speaking, the methods proposed here, cannot outperform the so called Eﬃcient Market Hypothesis in its weak version. Nonetheless, this paper presents a labeling method for ﬁnancial time series, which permits future investigations using other supervised learning techniques.
Transformation of Mentha aquatica with Agrobacterium rhizogenes

Mentha aquatica was transformed by infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes IFO 14554 containing the pBI121 plasmid or the pTH-LC plasmid. pTH-LC is a pBI121-derivative plasmid harboring a limonene synthase gene from spearmint (Mentha spicata). From all the agroinfected plants, hairy roots were generated. One plant was regenerated from hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium harboring pBI121 and two plants were regenerated from hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium harboring pTH-LC. Based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and ƒÀ -glucuronidase (GUS) assay, the presence and expression of the GUS gene were detected for the former plant, unlike for the latter plants. Basd on Southern hybridization and PCR analysis, rol genes were detected in all the three regenerants. The essential oils from the regenerants were analyzed by gas chromatography. Compared to the parent plant, Mentha aquatica, the essential oils from the plant that harbored only the rol genes contained menthone and menthol in addition to linalool and linalyl acetate. These findings suggested that the rol genes had some effects on the changes in the essential oil composition of Mentha aquatica.
EFFECT OF EXTRACT-FRACTIONS OF BALANITES AEGYPTIACA LEAVES, STEM-BARK AND FRUIT-MESOCARP ON GLUCOSE METABOLIC ENZYMES IN DIABETIC RATS

vi Table of Content.viii List of Tables . xiv List of Figures . xvi List of Plates . xviii List of Appendices . xix Abbreviations.xxii CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION.1 1.1Background to the Study.1
Stability of Waste Paper Recycling through Graph Theory

The process in which waste paper is collected and then reprocessed for reuse is called paper recycling. Paper recycling is very often routine of human life. Paper recycling is very important to reduce deforestation and pollution. It has been analyzed that scrap dealer plays a vital role in this cycle that collects waste paper from distributor and customer and then sent it to the paper industry, so the effect of scrap dealers is observed here. This waste paper recycling model is divided into four compartments namely paper industry, distributor, customer and scrap dealer. The model is proposed as a system of non-linear differential equation. The basic reproduction number is computed to see the impact of scrap dealer.
The Genus Zygogonium

Taking Zygogonium ericetorum (Ktitz.) de Bary as the type species of the genus there are three outstanding characteristics that clearly separate these forms from the species of Zygnema. In the first place the chromatophores are a pair of rounded plate-like, or irregular polsterform bodies, each with a central more or less prominent pyrenoid. When grown under conditions of poor nutrition the chromatophores may be poorly defined, and when gorged with starch grains and oil droplets the outline may become almost completely obscured. These facts account for the many conflicting descriptions of the chromatophores in the literature discussed by West and Starkey, 1915, and by Skuja, 1932. Certainly in the many collections I have seen from various parts of the world, the chromatophores were never stellate or globose with radial projections as in Zygnema. Most authors following Palla are agreed that the chromatophores afford one of the fundamental bases of separating the genera of the Zygnemales. In the second place, a sporangium wall is formed which cuts off the gametangia before the formation of the spore wall. De Bary, 1858, and Hodgetts, 1918, have described the conjugation of this species as proceeding by formation of secondary gametangia which subsequently fuse and form the zygote. It is quite probable that such fusions do take place. However, a not improbable interpretation of their figures and observations is that these are arrested and encysted stages in conjugation, comparable to those sometimes found in other Zygnemales subjected to sudden changes in water content and temperature. Furthermore, Z. ericetorum has an unusual tendency to form aplanospores, akinetes, azygospores, or "cysts," as has been remarked by West, Fritsch, and many others. It seems probable that W. & G. S. West (1894) gave the first correct account of the conjugation of Z. ericetorum when growing under favorable conditions in their description of "Zygnema pachydermum. " In material collected near Longwood, Florida, in a drainage ditch I found not only the encysted stages described
The allometry of bird flight performance

Body size correlates with limits on avian flight performance (i.e., maneuverability, acceleration, climb rate), thereby possibly influencing behavior and explaining the upper size limit for flight capable species. Previous tests for a correlation between size and burst flight capacity have been limited in scope (at most 4-5 species) or used artificial load-lifting to elicit maximal performance, and the conclusions from these studies have been ambiguous. In order to offer a robust examination of this important aspect of avian biology, I tested burst take-off and vertical escape flight in 32 species of wild, and therefore naïve, Passeriformes, covering the full body mass range (5-900 g) of the most speciose clade (>5000 species) of birds. Maximal flight performance was measured in a vertical flight chamber (‘The Tower of Power’). Performance estimates were quantified from high-speed three-dimensional kinematics. Flight performance, measured as either the net change in velocity or the net acceleration with each wingbeat, scaled negatively with body mass (Mb); wherein the two largest species slowed with each wingbeat subsequent to take-off. The mass-specific rate-change in potential and kinetic energies among wingbeats (climb power, Pcl) scaled negatively with body mass (Mb), and in proportion to wingbeat frequency (f ). The ecological relevance of these data suggest a correlation with foraging location (ground vs. elevated, open vs. cover). For example, open-ground foragers generated greater mass-specific power output with higher wingbeat frequencies and possessed relatively shorter wings. These data
Validation of Fhb1 and QFhs.nau‐2DL in Several Soft Red Winter Wheat Populations

OF THESIS VALIDATION OF Fhb1 AND QFhs.nau-2DL IN SEVERAL SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT POPULATIONS The use of exotic resistance quantitative trait loci (QTL) provides one strategy for breeding wheat cultivars resistant to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), a devastating disease of wheat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two QTL, Fhb1 and QFhs.nau-2DL, in diverse genetic backgrounds and to evaluate their effects on agronomic and quality traits. Five populations from crosses between FHB susceptible parents (26R58, KY97C-0574-01, 25R54, KY97C, KY97C-0554-02, 25R78 and KY93C-1238-17-1) and FHB-resistant VA01W-476, were evaluated in the FHB nursery at Lexington, KY in 2010 and 2011. The populations were also grown in yield trials at Lexington (2010 and 2011) and Princeton (2011), KY, to measure agronomic and quality traits. Fhb1 reduced Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) by 32% and the toxin, deoxynivalenol (DON) by 20%. QFhs.nau-2DL significantly reduced mean FDK by 29% in two of five populations and DON by 24% in four of five populations. While the effects of these QTL on agronomic and quality traits were significant, the impact was small. One cycle of either direct or indirect simulated phenotypic selection was effective at reducing DON levels and the frequency of Fhb1-homozygous resistant lines among the selects was higher than the frequency of QFhs.nau-2DL-homozygous resistant lines.
Food and feeding habits of larval striped bass: an analysis of larval striped bass stomachs from 1976 Potomac Estuary collections. Potomac River fisheries program. Final report. [Morone saxatilis]

The stomachs of 605 striped bass (Morone saxatilis) larvae collected from the Potomac River Estuary during the spring of 1976 were examined, and food organisms identified to species when possible. Copepods, cladocerans, and rotifers were the most abundant organisms found. Electivity indices indicated positive selection for the larger stages of copepods and cladocerans, and negative selection for copepod nauplii and most rotifer species, regardless of the size or stage of striped bass larvae.
Examining the effects of personal factors and travel characteristics on tourists’ perceived crowding

This paper investigates the effects of personal factors and travel characteristics on tourists’ perceived crowding of Kilim Geopark, Langkawi Island, Malaysia. There are paucity of studies in the literature to investigate the influencing factors on perceived crowding, including personal factors and travel characteristics. Moreover, we justify, propose and assess both influencing factors and perceived crowding as formative (composite) factors, which has not been a common practice in previous studies. Data for this study was collected during March 2014. To analyze the proposed relationships, this study uses partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show a significant effect for age, education, and income level on perceived crowding. In addition, the findings support the effects of motivation and travel characteristics on perceived crowding. However, the results of this study do not support the effects of nationality, gender, or destination familiarity on perceived crowding. This study has a number of theoretical and methodological contributions. Moreover, the results can assist Langkawi Island’s local authorities to understand the perceptions of tourists, and increase their satisfaction.
Seasonal changes of progesterone and testosterone concentrations throughout gonad maturation stages of the Mexican octopus, Octopus maya (Octopodidae: Octopus)

Variations in progesterone (P4) and testosterone (T) levels in the gonad of Octopus maya from Sisal in Yucatan State, Mexico, were investigated by radioimmunoassays and in relation to four gonad maturation stages (GMS) and to the reproductive cycle, as represented by two maturity indices (microscopic ‘MiMI’ and macroscopic ‘MaMI’). According to the GMS and the maturity indices, the reproductive season of O. maya from Yucatan occurred from February to June. In females, P4 and T displayed the same pattern, with a tendency to increase at the same time, although on average, P4 had seven-fold higher concentrations than T. In contrast, P4 and T in male gonads displayed a different pattern, where T concentrations were relatively stable throughout all of the study months. In the female gonad P4 was lowest (close to 0 pg g–1) during both developing (GMS-I) and maturing (GMS-II) stages, and increased (189 ± 53 pg g–1) approaching the mature stage (GMS-III) to a maximum value of 611 pg g–1. Concentrations of T in the male gonad were lowest (106 ± 9 pg g–1) during the maturing stage (GMS-II) and increased up to the mature stage (GMS-III), reaching a maximum of 440 pg g–1. Pearson's correlation (r) between hormones and maturity indices showed strong relationships for females (around 0.4 and −0.7; p < 0.05), but there were negligible or weak relationships for males (0.2 and −0.1; p > 0.05). Hormone correlations in females were inverse with MaMI and direct with MiMI. Our major findings showed that gonadal P4 levels were elevated during GMS-III and GMS-IV (i.e. periods of vitellogenic oocytes), where the characteristic aspect is an ovary with very high oocyte diameters, with the primary follicle cells deeply infolded in the ooplasm for yolk synthesis. These results suggested a synchrony between P4 and the process of folliculogenesis, and in turn, vitellogenesis.
Mechanisms of the anti-inflammation action of pulsatile laminar flow : role of AMPK in epigenetic modifications

Pulsatile laminar flow (PS) mediates various anti- inflammatory and anti-proliferative functions in endothelial cells (ECs) through the upregulation of atheroprotective molecules such as Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). However, the mechanisms involved in the repression of inflammatory responses by mechanical stimuli have not been elucidated. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), 24-hr PS (12 ± 4 dynes/cm²) inhibited the gene expression of inflammatory and adhesion molecules monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM) and E-selectin (SELE). Using Compound C, an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) specific inhibitor, I found that the inhibition of gene expression by PS was dependent on the activity of AMPK. In assessing the functional consequences of the PS-inhibition of adhesion molecule expression, I found that PS attenuated monocyte attachment to ECs and that this effect was reversed under Compound C treatment, suggesting the requirement of AMPK in the reduction of monocyte attachment by PS. Recent studies suggest a key role for epigenetics in the pathogenesis of human disease, especially those involving inflammatory responses, and have established epigenetic pathways as fundamental determinants of endothelial gene expression. In concert with the finding on PS-induced gene repression, I have shown that PS induced the recruitment of the corepressor enzyme histone deacetylase-5 (HDAC5) to the MCP-1 and VCAM proximal promoters and that this recruitment was associated with a histone hypoacetylation status on these promoters. Furthermore, these PS-regulated epigenetic changes were demonstrated to be AMPK-dependent. In examining the relationship among shear stress, epigenetic dynamics, and inflammatory responses, I have demonstrated that PS exerts anti-inflammatory effects on ECs through downregulation of inflammatory gene expression and functional responses, and via recruitment of corepressors with subsequent histone modifications. Furthermore, I have established that these responses are dependent on the AMPK signaling pathway. This study has contributed to the understanding of the anti-inflammatory mechanisms in vascular cells, especially on the roles of intracellular mediators and epigenetic elements in the PS- induced downregulation of inflammatory processes, which are implicated in the early development of atherosclerosis
Salinity and drought response alleviate caffeine content of young leaves of Coffea canephora var. Robusta cv. S274

With the ever-growing concern of water deficit due to global climatic change, the drought and salinity stress response of plants is a major area of research. However, the effect of these stress on cup-quality of coffee especially, the accumulation of caffeine biosynthetic metabolites, has not been documented. This work studies the methylxanthines (7-methylxanthine, theobromine, caffeine and theophylline) contents in young leaves of coffee in response to PEG-6000 (1.5% and 15% w/v) induced drought and sodium chloride (20mM and 200mM) induced salinity stress. In general, both the stress reduced the caffeine content except for 20mM NaCl. 1.5% PEG reduced caffeine by 0.46 fold and 0.57 fold during first 24hr and 48hr of treatment, respectively; PEG at 15% caused a reduction by 0.36 fold only in the 48hr of treatment compared to untreated plants; and NaCl at 200mM caused a reduction of 0.26 fold and 0.47 fold in the first 24 and 48hrs of treatment, respectively. However 20mM NaCl augmented caffeine by 1.93 and 5.1 fold in the first 24 and 48hrs of treatment, respectively. The levels of caffeine subdued on the withdrawal of the stressor, affirmatively indicating the stress stimuli to be responsible for the observed changes in caffeine levels. The biochemical profile was supported by transcript expression of the caffeine biosynthetic NMT genes and the analysis of regulatory motifs of the promoters. The contents of upstream methylxanthines (7-methylxanthine and theobromine) and the degradation pathway (theophylline) indicate that salinity and drought might have a negative impact on biosynthesis of caffeine but accelerated the rate of caffeine degradation.