Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMMUNIZATION WITH ADENOVIRUS ENCODING EXOGENOUS PrP PROLONGS ASYMPTOMATIC SURVIVAL OF MICE WITH BSE DISEASE

Nous avons teste la possibilite d'immuniser des souris C57B1/6 normales contre des agents transmissibles non-conventionnels ou prions. Nous avons induit une reponse immune qui reagit avec la proteine PrP homologue, par une immunisation avec une proteine PrP heterologue codee par des vecteurs adenoviraux humains de type 5. Nous induisons ainsi des reponses immunes cellulaires et humorales avec une PrP exogene et etudions les reactions croisees avec la PrP endogene. Particulierement, nous etudions si une telle immunisation a un effet sur les stades precoces ou tardifs de la pathogenie et si elle serait benefique quant a l'issue de l'encephalopathie spongiforme transmissible (EST) provoquee par un agent de la tremblante du mouton ou de l'ESB adapte a la souris. Dans ce travail, nous utilisons deux adenovirus codant une PrP exogene : AdPrPHam code la PrP de Hamster et AdPrPMetl29 code la PrP humaine avec une methionine au codon 129. Des souris non-immunisees ou immunisees avec un adenovirus codant la beta-galactosidase ne developpent pas de reponse immunitaire significative contre la PrP de souris et developpent tous les symptomes d'une EST apres l'inoculation intraperitoneale des prions. Au contraire, des souris immunisees avec un adenovirus codant la PrP de Hamster avant l'inoculation de l'agent de l'ESB murine ont une reponse lymphocytaire T et B qui produit des IgG2a anti-PrP de souris seriques, et ne montrent aucun symptome d'EST jusqu'a leur mort.
Performance and metabolite profile of dairy cows fed tropical grasses and concentrates containing crude protein with low or high degradability

Ten Holstein-Zebu crossbred cows distributed into two simultaneous Latin squares (5 × 5) as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement formed by chopped sugarcane or elephant grass silage, both with high or low protein degradability supplements and a corn silage as a control treatment, were compared using orthogonal contrasts. The studied variables were the performance, plasma concentrations of urea-N, glucose, and creatinine, urine-N and milk urea-N, and the nychthemeral variation in NH3-N in the rumen fluid of dairy cows. Nutrient intake, milk production, and milk composition were affected by the treatments. The total mixed ration containing elephant grass silage combined with rumen undegradable protein (RUP) provided balanced amounts of carbon and nitrogen in the rumen. This effect may explain the 18% increase in milk yield compared with the other treatments. The diurnal pattern of ruminal NH3-N was interpreted with a sinusoid model. In general, cows fed elephant grass silage exhibited higher concentrations of blood plasma and milk urea-N than animals fed sugarcane. The cows that consumed elephant grass silage with rumen degradable protein concentrate showed a higher milk urea-N compared with animals that consumed elephant grass silage with the RUP concentrate. The use of diets based on corn silage leads to a better use of nitrogen compounds because these diets resulted in lower levels of urea-N in the plasma, urine, and milk at the same level of milk production compared with diets containing elephant grass silage or chopped sugarcane as roughages. In sugarcane-based diets, even greater nitrogen losses in the urine are observed, despite the presence of readily fermentable carbohydrates in the diet.
Identification of Two Auxin Biosynthesis Mutants Which Result in Root-specific Ethylene Insensitivity

The objective of this research was to identify genes involved in ethylene-auxin crosstalk that are required to maintain wild-type ethylene signaling and response in the roots but not hypocotyls of Arabidopsis seedlings. Using this root-specific phenotype, two genes related to Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) biosynthesis were identified that are required for proper ethylene response. WEAK ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE7 (WEI7) codes for the beta subunit of anthranilate synthase, which catalyzes the first committed step in the tryptophan biosynthesis pathway, the conversion of chorismate to anthranilate, a tryptophan, therefore, IAA precursor. WEAK ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE8 (WEI8) codes for an aminotransferase, which is believed to convert tryptophan to indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPA) in the IAA biosynthesis pathway. WEI7 works in conjunction with WEI2 (the anthranilate synthase α-subunit protein) and both are up-regulated by ethylene and responsible, at least in part, for the ethylene-mediated stimulation of auxin biosynthesis. This increase in IAA then is required for a normal response to ethylene in the root. Since tryptophan treatments do not induce auxin phenotypes of elongated hypocotyls and epinastic cotyledons in Arabidopsis, this regulatory scenario is likely to exist for other genes of the tryptophan and IAA biosynthesis pathway, such as WEI8. wei8, a loss of function mutant of an auxin biosynthetic gene, results in root-specific ethylene insensitivity. WEI8 has aminotransferase activity in vitro, can use tryptophan as a substrate, and therefore, it could be responsible for the in vivo conversion of tryptophan into IPA. Double mutant studies support this model. When wel2, a mutant of the WEI8 homolog, WEL2, is used to generate wei8 wel2 double mutants, auxin defects such as agravitropism and loss of apical dominance were seen. Double mutant seedling roots were agravitropic, and adult plants had severe loss of apical dominance as well as reduction in fertility due to defects in flower anatomy. Additionally, analysis of the auxin reporter DR5-GUS expression suggests that WEI8 is required for maintaining normal levels of auxin in the roots of Arabidopsis. WEI7 and WEI8 regulate IAA production and are unexpected interaction points between ethylene response and IAA biosynthesis. Identification of these genes will enable further research on the role of specific pathways of IAA biosynthesis in different tissues and during specific developmental programs. Moreover, it will contribute to a better understanding of hormonal crosstalk in plants.
Identifying Susceptibility Genes for Familial Pancreatic Cancer Using Novel High-Resolution Genome Interrogation Platforms

Familial Pancreatic Cancer (FPC) is a cancer syndrome characterized by clustering of pancreatic cancer in families, but most FPC cases do not have a known genetic etiology. Understanding genetic predisposition to pancreatic cancer is important for improving screening as well as treatment. The central aim of this thesis is to identify candidate susceptibility genes for FPC, and I used three approaches of increasing resolution. First, based on a candidate-gene approach, I hypothesized that BRCA1 is inactivated by lossof-heterozygosity in pancreatic adenocarcinoma of germline mutation carriers. I demonstrated that 5/7 pancreatic tumors from BRCA1-mutation carriers show LOH, compared to only 1/9 sporadic tumors, suggesting that BRCA1 inactivation is involved in tumorigenesis in germline mutation carriers. Second, I hypothesized that the germline genomes of FPC subjects differ in copy-number profile from healthy genomes, and that regions affected by rare deletions or duplications in FPC subjects overlap candidate tumor-suppressors or oncogenes. I found no significant difference in the global copy-number profile of FPC and control genomes, but I identified 93 copy-number variable genomic regions unique to FPC subjects, overlapping 88 genes of which several have functional roles in cancer development. I investigated one duplication to sequence the breakpoints, but I found that this duplication did not segregate with disease in the affected family. Third, I hypothesized that in a family with multiple pancreatic cancer patients, genes containing rare variants shared by the affected members constitute iii susceptibility genes. Using next-generation sequencing to capture most bases in coding regions of the genome, I interrogated the germline exome of three relatives who died of pancreatic cancer and a relative who is healthy at advanced age. I identified a short-list of nine candidate genes with unreported mutations shared by the three affected relatives and absent in the unaffected relative, of which a few had functional relevance to tumorigenesis. I performed Sanger sequencing to screen an unrelated cohort of approximately 70 FPC patients for mutations in the top two candidate genes, but I found no additional rare variants in those genes. In conclusion, I present a list of candidate FPC susceptibility genes for further validation and investigation in future studies.
Minimum temperatures and frost at Grootfontein in the eastern Karoo, South Africa, over 98 years

Minimum temperatures and frost are ecologically and agriculturally important parameters as they can cause mortality in plants and livestock, shape the position of biome boundaries, influence the lifecycles of pests and diseases, and influence the availability and quality of livestock feed. This study examines minimum temperature data from 1916 to 2014 for a site on the Nama-Karoo/Grassland biome ecotone. Temperatures of at least −6 °C occur almost every year, while temperatures of below −10 °C occurred in 15 of the years on record. Temperature data did not exhibit a random pattern, but rather showed the period from 1935 to 1960 to be particularly cold in terms of absolute minimum temperatures, the probability of occurrence of frost and the duration of the dormant (frost) season. The results provide a platform for interpretation for ecological and agricultural processes that have been recorded in several long-term trials at Grootfontein. The patterns of variation in the data indicate that short (c. 50-year) temperature datasets may give misleading indications in trends in temperature, and for an empirically-based interpretation of climate change, long-term datasets of approximately a hundred years are needed.
Transcriptome analysis, microsatellite marker information, and orthologous analysis of Capsicum annuum varieties

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract The efficacy of plant breeding has been enhanced by application of molecular markers in population screening and selection. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a major staple crop that is economically important with worldwide distribution. It is valued for its spicy taste and medicinal effect. The aim of this study was to discover single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), microsatellite markers information, and percentage sharing through orthologous analysis of pepper-specific pungencyrelated genes. Here, we report the results of transcriptome analysis and microsatellite markers for four pepper varieties that possess a pungency-related gene. Orthologous analyses was performed to identify species-specific pungency-related genes in pepper, Arabidopsis thaliana L. , potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Advancements in next-generation sequencing technologies enabled us to quickly and cost-effectively assemble and characterize genes to select molecular markers in various organisms, including pepper. We identified a total of 9762, 7302, 8596, and 6886 SNPs for the four pepper cultivars Blackcluster, Mandarine, Saengryeg 211, and Saengryeg 213, respectively. We used 454 GS-FLX pyrosequencing to identify microsatellite markers and tri-nucleotide repeats (54.4%), the most common repeats, followed by di-, hexa-, tetra-, and penta-nucleotide repeats. A total of 5156 (15.9%) pepper-specific pungency-related genes were discovered as a result of orthologous analysis.
Evidence of association among floral and fruit traits and its implication on fruit size and shape in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

The relationship and the magnitude of association among floral and fruit characters in tomato were investigated in this study. The mean value of fruit weight showed significant and positive correlation with all the floral traits with the exception of length of flower and style. The number of locules per fruit had the highest correlation value (r = 0.984**) with fruit size. Path coefficient analysis revealed that number of locules per fruit has the highest positive direct effect (p = 0.8086**) on fruit size. This was closely followed by ovary diameter (p = 0.7942**) and stigma diameter (p = 0.7685**). On the other hand, style length had the highest negative direct effect (p = -0.9147**) on fruit size. The fruit shape index showed significant positive correlation with the ovary shape index (r = 0.835**) and the seed shape index (r = 0.718**). However, fruit shape index was negatively and significantly correlated with ovary diameter (r = -0.601*), fruit diameter (r = -0.576*) and the seed diameter (r = -0.519*). The association mapping using 25 SNPs markers detected 9 markers with significant association with mean fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, number of locule and fruit shape index. The SNP marker, Solyc11g039870 exhibited significant association with both fruit diameter, number of locules per fruit and fruit shape index. The variation in fruit diameter explained by the marker, Solyc11g039870 was higher than the variations in the number of locules per fruit and fruit shape index.
STRUCTURAL STUDY, FRONTIER MOLECULAR ORBITAL, NBO ANALYSIS AND VIBRATIONAL SPECTRA OF AN ASTHMATIC DRUG 1,3-DIMETHYL-3,7-DIHYDRO-1H-PURINE- 2,6-DIONE

Molecular Structure and vibrational spectra of 1,3-Dimethyl-7HPurine -2,6-Dione (THP) have been investigated by combined theoretical and experimental approaches along with the study of hydrogen bonding and the structural features responsible for drug action through charge transfer interactions. The solid phase FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra of Theophylline have been recorded in the region 4000-400cm-1 and 3500-100cm-1, respectively. The molecular geometry, harmonic vibrational frequencies and bonding features of THP in the ground state have been calculated by density functional theory method using 6-31G(d) basis set. The molecular stability arising from hyperconjugative interaction and charge delocalization has been analyzed using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. The electronic properties such as HOMO and LUMO energies, molecular electrostatic potential (MES) have also been performed. The shortening C8-H10 bond of imidazole ring resulting in the formation of two strong C-H∙∙∙O and C-H∙∙∙N hydrogen bonding network with different theophylline molecules is observed. The strong and simultaneous activity of C=O stretching mode in both IR and Raman spectra explains the theophylline molecule to be an effective bioactive molecule.
University of Southern Denmark Effect of high-intensity interval exercise in the morning and evening on platelet indices and exercise-induced thrombocytosis Zar,

Background: Platelets (plts) are involved in thrombosis. However, intense exercise can affect the number and activation of plts. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of acute high-intensity interval exercise performed in the morning and the evening on plt indices and exercise-induced thrombocytosis. Methods: Eleven healthy young adult active male (70.60±8.26 kg) subjects performed high-intensity interval exercise (40 m shuttle sprints at maximum speed for 20 m in a track) on two distinct experimental days (at 8:00 9:00 and 15:00 16:00) separated by a three-day washout period. Blood samples were taken before and immediately after each exercise session from the antecubital vein by a repetitive venous puncture in a sitting position. Results: Data indicated that after high-intensity interval exercise, there were increases in the number of plts in the morning (P = 0.03) and the evening (P = 0.001). In addition, it was observed that mean plt volume and plt larger cell ratio was higher in the morning pre-test and post-test (P < 0.05), while plt distribution width was only higher in the morning pre-test (P = 0.03). Conclusions: It seems that it may be safer to perform high-intensity interval exercise in the evening due to lower mean plt volume, plt larger cell ratio, plt distribution width, and risk of thrombosis.
Rainfall interception in a disturbed montane spruce (Picea abies) stand in the West Tatra Mountains

Abstract In our paper we deal with the changes in the rainfall interception process of a climax spruce forest in the growing season (approximately from May to October) during its die-back. Experimental data were collected at the research plot of Červenec situated in the West Tatras at an elevation of 1,420 m a.s. l. in the years from 2013 to 2015. Net precipitation was monitored at three localities in both living and dead forests: canopy gap, dripping zone at crown periphery and central zone of a crown. Gross precipitation was recorded at an open forest area (with a diameter of 1–2 tree heights). The comparison of net precipitation in the stands revealed the highest values in the dripping zone at crown periphery of the living forest due to its increase by occult (horizontal) precipitation and transport of rainfall captured in the crown to its periphery. The values in the growing season of 2014 exceeded also gross precipitation. The total interception loss (total gross – net precipitation in % of gross precipitation) the canopy gap during the monitored period was 10.1% in the living and 18.3% in the dead stand, in the dripping zone at crown periphery it was 1.7% in the living and 20.5% in the dead stand, and in the central zone of a crown it was 70.6% in the living and 59.9% in the dead stand. Forest die-back had an effect on the distribution of precipitation under canopy. The comparison of mean interception values at three localities of the living and dead stands revealed significant differences between the stands in all cases (α < 0.001).
Effect of replacement of fish meal by Pyropia spheroplasts on growth and feed utilization of koi carp Cyprinus carpio

Fingerlings of koi carp Cyprinus carpio (mean weight 3.0 g) were randomly distributed with a stocking density of 13 fish per aquarium. Fish were fed thrice daily on each diet containing different levels of Pyropia spheroplasts, (PS: 0, 15, 30, 45 and 78%) for 150 days. The growth performance and nutrient retention values of 15% PS group increased and feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased compared with control and the other PS groups. A linear regression was fitted where the dietary PS levels over 30% resulted in a reduction of growth parameters. The carcass crude protein content of 15% group was higher than other PS groups. According to the experimental results obtained in the preliminary trials, PS is expected to be a new material as a fish meal substitute for koi carp.
Online Issue Politicization: How the Common Core and Black Lives Matter Discussions Evolved on Social Media

Social media present an increasingly common path to issue politicization, as the distance between policy advocates and the masses is greatly reduced. In this Data Report, we analyze the discussions on Twitter of two issues (Black Lives Matter and Common Core State Standards) as they evolved over time. We show that politicization of the issues did not take the same path, and that different types of messages and senders were influential in expanding and shaping the discussions about the respective issues. For both issues, tweets by highly followed and verified users were widely shared, and contributed to a large downstream growth in the discussion. However, the substance of tweets mattered as well, with the use of angry language strongly correlated with measures of influence, alongside the important roles played by the use of hashtags. Finally, we find evidence that in the discussion around Common Core, some topics were far more important, including broaching issues of individual freedoms and personal values.
Population genetic structure of Tyrophagus putrescentiae in China based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene sequences

Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari Acaridae) is an important storage pest mite with a cosmopolitan distribution. Despite of the increasing research on the ecological features and control measure of pest mite, extensive surveys on its population genetics are still relatively fewer. In this study, a total of 127 mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene sequences were used to estimate the population genetic structure of T. putrescentiae in China, collected from the stored grain at nine sites. The 88 COI gene haplotypes were defined and grouped into three clades according to the Bayesian phylogenetic trees. No correlation was revealed between their clustering relationships and geographical occurrence. A weak but significant geographic structure was revealed by analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), and there was no remarkable genetic differentiation among most populations with high level of gene flow, and major genetic differentiation was found within populations. Mantel’s test manifested no significant relationship between genetic and geographical distances, which suggested that genetic differentiation was not related to geographic isolation. The pattern of population genetic structure could be attributed to the latest human interference (such as grain trade) and the differentiation of habitat conditions and climate regime.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Anthus hodgsoni (Passeriformes: Motacillidae)

Abstract Anthus hodgsoni is a species of small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which is widely distributed. In this study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of A. hodgsoni. The result showed that the total length of the mitochondrial genome was 16,886 bp and contained 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and 1 control region. The phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using the Bayesian analysis method and divided into four genera, Anthus, Dendronanthus, Motacilla and Tmetothylacus. The A. hodgsoni which we determined was clustered into genus Anthus and received strong support.
From Belief Change to Language Usage in Social Networks

Cheng and Vicente (2013) claim that verb doubling in one specific construction may lead to a topic/focus distinction, which is called as verb doubling clefts construction (Henceforth VDCC), exemplified in (1): (1) Q: Ni chiguofan meiyou? you eat EXP food not. have ‘Have you eaten food already? ’ A:Chi, woshichi guole, buguo. eat I COP eat EXP LE but ‘As for eating, I have eaten, but. ’ According to Cheng and Vicente (2013), the first verb chi‘eat’ can be interpreted as a topic; the second verb chi‘eat’ should be construed as a focus. They further show that the two verbs stand in an A-bar movement relation: In this paper, within the framework of Dynamic Syntax (Kempson et al. 2001; Cann et al. 2005), we demonstrate that VDCC is interpreted and produced in line with the principle of linearity. The DS paradigm seeks to develop a parsing-based grammar formalism for characterizing structural properties of language by modeling the dynamic process of semantic interpretation which is defined over the left–right sequence of words uttered in context. What is distinct about this model is that syntactic explanations can be grounded in the time-linear projection of the requisite predicate-argument structure. Syntactic mechanisms are defined as a set of licensing actions for inducing semantic content, incrementally, on a word-by-word basis. Under the dynamic analysis, the first verb is treated as an elliptical topic which is dependent on the discourse. The parse of the first verb is actually a process of reusing the structure established previously representing the same event, as can be seen in fig. 1: