Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of Notch over-stimulation on muscle stem cell quiescence versus proliferation, and on muscle regeneration

Muscle stem cell transplantation possesses great potential for long-term repair of dys-trophic muscle. However expansion of muscle stem cells ex vivo significantly reduces their engraftment efficiency since the myogenic potential is dramatically lost in culture. The Notch signaling pathway has emerged as a major regulator of muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and it has recently been discovered that high Notch activity is crucial for maintaining stemness in MuSCs. This feature might be exploited and developed into a novel therapeutic approach.Murine MuSCs were freshly isolated and seeded on culture vessels coated with Dll1-Fc, which fused Delta-like-1 extracellular domain with human Fc, to activate Notch sig-naling and with human IgG as a control. The rAAV gene delivery system was em-ployed to express Dll1 in murine muscles. P3 mice were treated with AAV for 3 weeks and 6 weeks to investigate the effect of Dll1 during postnatal development. To investi-gate the regeneration process, AAV were injected into mdx muscles whereas wild-type mice were used as control.Higher potential stemness (marked by Pax7 positivity) was observed in MuSCs grow-ing on a Dll1-Fc surface as compared to their counterparts on the control surface, while their proliferation rate was reduced. During postnatal development, overstimulation of Notch signaling by Dll1 on the mus-cle fibers was able to enlarge the Pax7+ cell pool, while also resulting in decreased muscle mass and smaller muscle fibers without affecting the accretion of myonuclei into the fiber. In quiescent (wild-type) MuSCs, overstimulation of Notch signaling did not have any discernible effect. Overexpression of Dll1 in mdx muscle decreased the muscle mass and enlarged the muscle stem cell pool, while muscle regeneration re-mained unaffected. By investigating Notch stimulation in MuSCs both in vitro and in vivo, we demonstrate that high Notch activity preserves stemness via inhibition of MuSCs proliferation and myogenic differentiation. Our findings point out that the Dll1 molecule, as a canonical Notch ligand, might have a therapeutic potential in cell-based therapies against muscu-lar dystrophies.
Observations and mechanisms of upwelling in the northern KwaZulu-Natal Bight, South Africa

New in situ time-series data were acquired by two ADCP moorings placed on the shelf off Richards Bay on the east coast of South Africa at depths of 25 m and 582 m between October 2009 and August 2010. The 11-month inshore bottom-temperature record revealed five substantial upwelling events lasting 5–10 days each where temperatures decreased by about 7 °C to 17–18 °C. Satellite sea surface temperature data showed these events to coincide with cold-water plumes occupying the northern wedge of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight. Numerous shorter duration (1–2 days) upwelling events with less vivid surface expressions were also observed throughout the entire record where bottom temperature dropped by 2–3 °C. The last four months of the record were characterised by a protracted cool period lacking a seasonal trend but punctuated with oscillations of warm and cooler bottom water. In contrast to earlier studies that suggested upwelling was topographically and dynamically driven by the juxtaposition of the Cape St Lucia offset and the Agulhas Current (a solitary mechanism), our analysis showed almost all major and minor cold-water intrusions to coincide with upwelling-favourable north-easterly winds that simultaneously force a south-westerly coastal current. Ekman veering in the bottom boundary layer of the Agulhas Current, and the concomitant movement of cold water up the slope, was found to coexist at times with coastal upwelling, but its absence did not impede inshore cold-water intrusions, calling into question its role as a primary driver of upwelling. Both major and minor upwelling events were observed to promote phytoplankton blooms in the northern KZN Bight which commonly extended to the Thukela River. Wind-driven upwelling was also observed in the inner bight between Richards Bay and Port Durnford, explaining the ribbon of coastal chlorophyll continuously observed on ocean colour images between Cape St Lucia and the Thukela River. Similarities in upwelling character and mechanisms are observed between the northern KZN Bight and the Florida Current shelf systems.
Effects of (β-mercaptoethanol on the fine structure of the neural plate cells of the chick embryo

In the course of his studies on mitosis in sea-urchin eggs, Mazia (1958 a, b ) first used mercaptoethanol (HS-CH 2 -CH 2 OH) in biological research. This strongly reducing sulphydryl reagent penetrates easily into living cells and is relatively non-toxic. In an extensive series of studies Brachet and coworkers, using this substance, have illustrated its remarkable inhibitory effects on regeneration in a large variety of biological specimens, including nucleate or anucleate fragments of Acetabularia mediterranea , cephalic regions of Planaria , the tail bud of tadpoles (Brachet, 1959) and bud regeneration in Hydra (Descotils- Heernu, Quertier & Brachet, 1961). Moreover, light-microscope and biochemical studies have shown that mercaptoethanol is a powerful inhibitor of neurulation, both in amphibians (Brachet, 1959, 1963; Brachet et al. 1961; Malpoix, Quertier & Brachet, 1963; Pohl & Quertier, 1963) and chick embryos (Pohl & Brachet, 1962; Pohl & Quertier, 1963).
The Role of PKCAlpha-Mediated p120-Catenin Phosphorylation on Endothelial Permeability

S Vandenbroucke EE, Tauseef M, Gao, X, Mehta D, Komarova Y, Malik AB: Phosphorylation of p120-catenin on S879 induces dissociation from VE-cadherin and disassembly of adherens junctions. Gordon conference: Cell contact and adhesion. Mount Snow, VT, 2011. Vandenbroucke EE, Tauseef M, Gao, X, Mehta D, Komarova Y, Malik AB: Phosphorylation of p120-catenin on S879 regulates increased permeability of the endothelial barrier. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2011 Scientific Sessions. Chicago, IL, 2011. Vandenbroucke, EE, Vogel S, Gao X, Komarova Y, Malik AB:, PKCalpha-mediated signaling in regulating adherens junction integrity. Experimental Biology. New Orleans, LA, 2009. Vandenbroucke, EE, Vogel S, Gao X, Komarova Y, Malik AB: Deletion of PKCalpha in mice attenuates the thrombin-induced increase in lung vascular permeability. Experimental Biology. San Diego, CA, 2008.
Soil phosphorus predicts feral pig (Sus scrofa) occupancy, detection probability and feeding activity in a temperate montane rainforest

Abstract Context. Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) have a wide global distribution that includes large parts of Australia and New Zealand. There is concern about the impacts of feral pigs on above- and below-ground flora and fauna, but little is known about their habitat use and feeding activity in temperate rainforests. Aims. We evaluated the importance of abiotic and biotic variables hypothesised to influence seasonal and annual feral pig habitat use and feeding activity in a montane conifer–angiosperm rainforest in Te Urewera, North Island, New Zealand. Methods. We used a grid of 25 remote-camera locations to collect feral pig images in a 100-ha area during the winters and summers of 2010 and 2011. Plant composition, solar radiation and soil fertility variables were determined for each camera-image area. Multiseason, multistate occupancy models and information-theoretic methods were used to evaluate how these variables related to feral pig occupancy and feeding. Key results. Feral pigs occupied more camera locations in summer than in winter, and detection probabilities increased if piglets were present and with increasing soil phosphorus (P). Piglets were detected only in summer, and their detection probability increased with increasing soil P. The probability of detecting feral pigs feeding also increased with soil P and was higher in 2010 than 2011. Conclusions. Feral pigs selected locations with high soil P, probably because those sites had more food than did locations with low soil P. Mast fruiting of tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa) has been hypothesised to increase feral pig recruitment, and the higher detection probability of piglets in summer 2010 followed a heavier tawa fruit fall. Implications. Our study highlighted the usefulness of camera traps and occupancy models for understanding seasonal and annual dynamics of cryptic ungulate species in remote, rugged forests, and suggests that the impacts of feral pigs will be greatest in areas of high soil P following widespread tawa masting.
Development of a Novel Format of Stable Single Chain Antibodies against Alkaline Phosphatase as Therapeutic Agents against Immune Diseases

Camelid antibodies are composed of two heavy chains but lack the CH1 domain. These antibodies contain a single variable domain (VHH) and two constant domains (CH1 and CH3). Alkaline phosphatase is one of the most extensively used immunodiagnostic reagents for medical and research application because of its homodimer formation. The aim of this study was to develop a novel stable single chain nanobody library against alkaline phosphatase that can have therapeutic and diagnostic use. Here, we are reporting first time the construction of recombinant antibody of phage display technology in India. After immunization with alkaline phosphatase enzyme and adjuvant in Camelus dromedarius, single domain heavy chain antibody was generated from V-D-J H gene arrangement in B-cell. We developed novel protocol for the production of stable single-domain antibodies in the camelid format. We believe that camelid antibodies will be a method of choice to control immunity related diseases and infectious disease.
Impact of different processıng of full-fat soybeans on broiler performance

The response of broilers to various conditions of expander processing of full-fat soybeans (FFSB) was studied in an experiment involving 5040 birds allocated to 10 dietary treatments with six replicates. In treatments 1–8, the proportions of FFSB in starter, grower, and finisher diets were 40, 39‒43, and 34‒37%, respectively. Diets for treatments 9 and 10 contained commercial soybean meal (SBM) as a main protein source. All diets were isocaloric and were formulated to contain standardized ileally digestible amino acids at levels corresponding to 95% (treatments 1–7 and 10) or 100% (treatments 8 and 9) of requirement. In treatment 1, raw FFSB was used while diets for treatments 2–8 contained FFSB processed by various combinations of times and temperatures used during conditioning and expanding. Urease activity, protein dispersibility index, and trypsin inhibitor activity of FFSB decreased as processing time and/or temperature increased while protein solubility remained relatively unchanged. Concurrently, growth performance of chickens improved (P < 0.05) and their relative pancreas weight decreased (P < 0.05). The best results in terms of feed intake, growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and carcass quality of FFSB-fed birds were obtained using expanding for 15 s at 125°C preceded by short-term (1 min, 100°C) and long-term (5 min, 100°C) conditioning. These results were not significantly different from those achieved with SBM-based diets (P > 0.05). Numerically better performance was found in 100% amino acid diets as compared with 95% diets (P > 0.05). Switching the raw FFSB diet to SBM diet caused relative pancreas weight decrease by 31% during 3 days. An opposite switch resulted in a 65% increase in relative pancreas weight during 4 days.
Irradiance level and fertilizer rate affect acclimatization of Chamaedorea elegans Mart.

The effect of irradiance and fertilizer level on the acclimatization of Chamaedorea elegans Mart. was studied. Chamaedorea elegans was grown for 4 months in 1.6-liter pots under 162, 306, or 564 μmol. m -2 . s -1 and fertilized weekly with 20N-4.7P-16.6K soluble fertilizer at 220, 440, or 880 mg/pot. At the end of the production period, plants were moved to interior rooms and maintained for 2 months at 20 μmol. m -2 . s -1 for 12 h daily at 21 ± 1C and a relative humidity of 50% ± 5%. At the end of the production phase, the light compensation point (LCP) and the concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates were lower, and chlorophyll concentration was higher the lower the irradiance level. Increasing fertilizer concentration decreased the number of fronds, LCP, and nonstructural carbohydrates. After 2 months in the interior environment, LCP and number of fronds of C. elegans did not differ among treatments. Chlorophyll concentration of plants grown under 564 μmol. m -2 . s -1 had increased 61%, while starch in the stem had decreased 43% relative to the concentration found at the end of the production period. In C. elegans grown under 306 μmol. m -2 . s -1 , stem starch depletion was only 13% during the interior evaluation period. These results indicated that C. elegans grown under the highest irradiance level used reserved carbohydrates in the interior environment while adjusting to low light and producing new leaves. Chamaedorea elegans was best acclimatized at the intermediate irradiance and medium fertilizer concentration.
Seed dispersal of Cneorum tricoccon L. (Cneoraceae) by lizards and mammals in the Balearic Islands

La dispersion des graines de Cneorum tricoccon, un arbuste dont la distribution est limitee a la Mediterranee occidentale, a ete etudiee sur les iles Baleares. Les lezards endemiques, Podarcis lilfordi et Podarcis pityusensis (Lacertidae), mangent une quantite importante de fruits, agissant comme disperseurs legitimes de cette plante, sur les iles ou ils sont presents. La ou ces lezards se sont eteints, comme a Majorque et Minorque, des mammiferes carnivores introduits (martres, Martes martes, et genettes, Genetta genetta) jouent alors le role de disperseurs de graines. Les lezards extraient habituellement tous les fruits murs des plantes, mais une grande proportion de fruits n'est pas dispersee dans les zones ou les carnivores sont les seuls disperseurs. On fait l'hypothese que les lezards ont longtemps ete les principaux disperseurs de cette plante relique mediterraneenne qui a evolue sous des conditions tropicales au debut de l'ere tertiaire, comme cela a ete le cas de son congenere Neochamaelea pulverulenta aux iles Canaries.
Microbiological and Technological Characteristics of Natural Whey Cultures for Argentinian Hard-Cheese Production.

Samples (29) of natural whey starters used in the Santa Fe (Argentina) area for hard cheese production were examined. The microbial composition (including lactic microflora identification) and technological characteristics (acidifying and proteolytic activities) were determined. The cultures consisted mainly of thermophilic lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus . L. helveticus (66% the total strains) and L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis (33%) were the dominant species. In every sample, yeasts appeared as the only natural contaminants, at variable contents. The samples showed high acidity levels (1.2 to 1.4% lactic acid) with a mean pH value of 3.3. The acidifying and proteolytic activities were high at temperatures ranging from 37 to 50°C and negligible at 55°C.
The Aseptic Culture of Arabidopsis Thaliana (l.) Heynh.

Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. is a small, rapidly growing crucifer with a 28-day life cycle, a low chromosome number (n=5), and a high fertility (152±1l seeds under aseptic conditions). The small size and rapid growth of the plants enable them to be grown throughout their life cycles on sterile, nutrient agar in ordinary' test tubes. Alternatively, up to 50 plants may be grown on silica gel in crystallizing dishes. For optimal growth the trace element cations should be chelated and light should be excluded from the roots. When supplied with sucrose the plants absorb only the glucose portion. During growth the plants excrete small quantities of vitamins and other substances into the medium but not in amounts likely to prevent the detection of growth mutants through cross-feeding.
Taxonomy and distribution of the Cardamine pratensis Group (Brassicaceae) in Slovenia

A taxonomic study based on karyological and morphometric analyses of the Cardamine pratensis group from Slovenia was performed. Three species were recognized in the area: the diploid C. matthioli MORETTI, the tetraploid C. majovskii MARHOLD & ZABORSKÝ and C. pratensis L. s.str; within C. pratensis L. two cytotypes were revealed, 2n = 30 and 2n = 44. We can confirm the morphological differences reported in previous studies between these taxa; however, morphometric analyses showed Slovenian samples of C. majovskii in a somewhat closer position to C. pratensis s.str. Diagnostic morphological characters, and a need of investigating several plants from a population for proper determination are stressed. The main distribution of C. matthioli lies in N.E. Slovenia, that of C. majovskii in Central, and of C. pratensis at higher altitudes in W. Slovenia. Some more general remarks on their overall distribution patterns are discussed.
Changes in brewer's yeast during storage and the effect of these changes on subsequent fermentation performance

A slurry of brewer's yeast in beer was stored in two, 200-bbl cylindroconical vessels at 1.6° C. One was maintained full, while 34% of the yeast was removed from the other vessel after 24 hr. The yeast was stored in both vessels for a total of 80 hr. Samples were removed at intervals and analyzed for glycogen, trehalose, and viability. Aliquots of each yeast sample were pitched into 2 L of wort. Yeast glycogen and trehalose declined only slightly in the full vessel, but in the other vessel, glycogen declined significantly after removal of a portion of the yeast. Viability of the yeast stored by either method remained between 90 and 96%. Fermentations of the yeast stored by either method showed no relationship between yeast fermentation performance and glycogen or trehalose content. The fermentation performance of yeast stored under these industrial conditions was independent of glycogen or trehalose content and several reasons for this are discussed.
Some statistics on the taxonomy of the family Cunaxidae (Acari: Prostigmata)*

Cunaxidae is a cosmopolitan mite family consisting only of predatory species. Prompted by the goals of “Species 2000”, a database for the cunaxids was prepared and made available at www.catalogueoflife. org . The family is presently arranged in five subfamilies, six tribes, 27 genera and 329 species. The three largest subfamilies are Cunaxinae, Coleoscirinae and Cunaxoidinae. Cunaxa is themost species-rich genus, followed by Armascirus and Coleoscirus . Most of the authors of new cunaxid species have theirworking bases in the Palaearctic,Oriental andNearctic Regions. By far, the largest numbers of species have been described fromSouthAfrica, USAand Philippines, but the distribution of the described speciesmay not reflect the actual diversity of thesemites around the globe. Rather, itmay reflect the variable dedication of authors in different countries in their study. In most countries, taxonomic studies of the cunaxids have hardly started, and much remains to be investigated. However, an immediate threat to the future of cunaxid taxonomy refers to the fact that most of the cunaxid taxonomists are retired, and that replacement by new taxonomists has not been considered a priority. Efforts should be directed to change this trend, motivating new professionals to take the cunaxids at least as part of their working priorities. In this work, I comment on the experience in trying to establish a database for the Cunaxidae, provide themost relevant results of this effort in relation to that family, and provide comments and advice for other professionals interested in doing similarwork for othermite groups.
Diversity and biogeography of the little known deep-sea barnacles of the genus Waikalasma Buckeridge, 1983 (Balanomorpha: Chionelasmatoidea) in the Southwest Pacific, with description of a new species

ABSTRACT Due to the extreme scarcity of specimens, little is known about the biodiversity and biogeography of the barnacles of the genus Waikalasma Buckeridge, 1983 (Thoracica: Waikalasmatidae Ross and Newman, 2001), which inhabit the deep sea of the Southwest Pacific. Previous studies reported only a single living species, W. boucheti Buckeridge, 1996, from Vanuatu. In the present study, the collections by French deep-sea expeditions off New Caledonia (NORFOLK 1 & 2, EBISCO, SMIB 2, SMIB 4, SMIB 8, BIOCAL, MUSORSTOM 6, MUSORSTOM 4, MUSORSTOM 5, BATHUS 2), the Solomon Islands (SALOMON 1), Vanuatu (BOA1) and Papua New Guinea (BIOPAPUA) yielded specimens of Waikalasma species from 500 to 800 m depth. From molecular (DNA barcode region cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 12S gene) and morphological analysis, a new species Waikalasma dianajonesae sp. nov., and W. boucheti were identified. From molecular phylogenetic analysis, sequence divergence in the DNA barcode region between W. dianajonesae sp nov. and W. boucheti reached > 10%. Waikalasma dianajonesae sp. nov. differs from W. boucheti in the number and size of imbricating plates on the shell and the shape of the tergum. Waikalasma dianajonesae sp. nov. and W. boucheti exhibit sympatric biogeographical distributions in the Southwest Pacific. Waikalasma dianajonesae was found in the waters of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island, whilst W. boucheti was collected from Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and New Caledonia waters. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:713013C7-677A-478F-B5DF-FD4690A7C6A9
A novel approach to derive human midbrain-specific organoids from neuroepithelial stem cells

Research on human brain development and neurological diseases is limited by the lack of advanced experimental in vitro models that truly recapitulate the complexity of the human brain. Furthermore, animal models of human neurodegenerative diseases have failed dramatically, and the success rate of clinical trials based on these models has been disappointing. Here, we describe a novel and robust human brain organoid system that is highly specific to the midbrain derived from regionally patterned neuroepithelial stem cells. These human midbrain organoids contain spatially organized groups of dopaminergic neurons, which make them an attractive model to study Parkinson’s disease. Midbrain organoids are characterized in detail for neuronal, astroglial and oligodendrocyte differentiation. Furthermore, we show the presence of synaptic connections and electrophysiological activity. The complexity of this model is further highlighted by the myelination of neurites. The present midbrain organoid system has the potential to be used for advanced in vitro disease modeling and therapy development.
Ingestion of Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs) Affects Survival in Drosophila in A DoseDependent Manner

The enormous usage of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in wide array of applications such as environmental, engineering, industrial, biology and medical sciences are raising concerns about their potential effect on human health. Therefore, to assess its safety issues,dose-dependent impact of AuNP on different aspects like survival, behavior and fertilitywas investigated using Drosophila as a model system. We found that ingestion of AuNP at larval stageimpairs survival of the progeny in a dose-dependent manner. However, their behavioral activities such as crawling, climbing and fertility remains unaffected even at a higher dose. Our results clearly suggest that exposure to higher dose of AuNPcan negatively affect the survival of the progeny.