Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of 50 Cucumber Accessions by RAPD Markers

Genetic diversity of 50 cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) accessions from American, Holland, Japan and China was detected and evaluated using RAPD markers. 25 selected primers produced 215 scorable polymorphic RAPD bands and the ratio of polymorphism is 86.98%. Four main groups of cucumber accessions could be distinguished from UPGMA analysis: Occidental cucumber, South-China cucumber, North-China cucumber and Xishuangbanna cucumber. Our result confirmed that cucumber is a narrow-based germplasm, nevertheless RAPD analysis was still useful in cucumber genotypic differentiation. More significantly, Xishuangbanna cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. Var Xishuangbannanesis Qi et Yuan), a mutation of cucumber, was clustered together to a special group in the study, which implied its special status in cucumber germplasm.
The Role of Wnt Signaling in Development of the Ophthalmic Trigeminal Placode.

THE ROLE OF WNT SIGNALING IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPHTHALMIC TRIGEMINAL PLACODE Rhonda N. T. Lassiter Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology Doctor of Philosophy Cranial placodes are ectodermal regions that contribute extensively to the vertebrate peripheral nervous system. The development of the ophthalmic trigeminal (opV) placode, which gives rise only to sensory neurons of the ophthalmic lobe of the trigeminal ganglion, is a well-studied model of sensory neuron development. While key differentiation processes have been characterized at the tissue and cellular levels, the molecules governing opV placode development have not been well described. This study identifies the canonical Wnt signaling pathway as a regulator of opV trigeminal placode development. Introducing dominant-negative TCF and dominant-active β-catenin expression constructs by in ovo electroporation, we have manipulated the canonical Wnt pathway within the opV placode domain and surrounding ectoderm of chick embryos. Inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling results in the failure of targeted cells to express or maintain Pax3 protein, the earliest known specific molecular marker of opV placode cells. Misexpression of dominant-active β-catenin as an activator of canonical Wnt signaling, however, is not sufficient to promote the opV placode cell fate. We conclude that canonical Wnt signaling is necessary for normal opV placode development, and propose that other molecular cues are required in addition to Wnt signaling to promote cells to an opV placode fate. Strategies for manipulating the Wnt pathway at the level of ligand and receptor are also reviewed. Because it is clear that Wnt signaling is not acting alone in early development of the opV placode, we have also begun to investigate additional signaling pathways, such as FGFs, that may be involved in these developmental processes.
Microelement Contents and Fatty Acid Compositions of some Isatis Species Seeds

Isatis species are important biennial, herbaceous shrubs represented by 40 taxa, of which 24 are endemic to Turkey. The chemical compounds found in leaves and roots of all Isatis species have medicinal properties and are used for treatment of a wide range of disorders. No study reports seed characteristics, microelement contents and fatty acid compositions of the seeds of any Isatis species except I. tinctoria. Therefore the study was carried out to find seed fatty oil, fatty acid compositions protein content, characteristics, and microelement contents of I. aucheri, I. cochlearis, I. constricta, I. demiriziana (endemic), I. glauca and I. lusitanica. The results showed fatty oil and protein content of these species in range of 2 to 10% and 16.07 to 25.17%, respectively. Furthermore, these seeds were rich in microelements Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na and P. Major fatty oil components of these species were determined as erucic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid; such that erucic acid content of these species ranged 16.94 to 30.52%.
Studies on the leptocephali of deep scattering layer DSL of the South West coast of India

The Deep Scattering Layer (DSL) is very rich 10 the quantitative abundance of micro and macro nekton. Leptocephali formed one of the major groups in the total nektolllc biomass of the samples collected from the Arabian Sea. It constituted to about 7.5% of the total fish biomass in the DSL of the EEZ of India (Menon, 1990). The leptocephali were represented mainly by 8 genera viz. Urocollger, Ariosollla. OphislIrlis. Ophichthus. Phaellolllollas, GYlIlliolhorax. UropterygillS. Allarchias. 2 species (Urocollger leptllnts and COligrelllls allago) and some unidentified types bclongmg to five families VIZ. Congridae. Ophichthidae, Muraenidae, Nenllchthyidae, and Synaphobranchidae.
Differential Regulation of α-Lactalbumin and Casein Messenger RNA's in Mammary Tissue

Abstract Rat caseins were characterized with respect to moleculare weight and carbohydrate and amino acid content. Messenger RNA was extracted from rat mammary glands at 5, 10, 15, and 20 days of pregnancy and at 2, 8, and 15 days of lactation and translated in a wheat germ cell-free system. Nascent [ 3 H]casein and α-[ 3 H]lactalbumin were precipitated separately with specific antibodies and identified by their mobilities on sodium dodecyl sulfate:acrylamide gels and by competition with unlabeled casein and α-lactalbumin, respectively. Casein messenger rose continuously from Day 5 of pregnancy to Day 15 of lactation. In contrast, α-lactalbumin messenger RNA levels remained low during pregnancy but rose markedly during lactation.
COMPLEMENTARY DNA CLONING AND EXPRESSION OF CYTOCHROME P4501A IN CARP (CYPRINUS CARPIO)

: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes constitute a multigene family that metabolize many endogenous and xenobiotic substances. The CYP1 family is of particular interest in environmental toxicology because its members are dominant in the metabolism of different pollutants which may enter fish through the diet or by water-borne exposure. A new partial complementary DNA of the CYP1A subfamily encoding CYP1A was isolated from carp liver after intraperitoneal injection with 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) or (cid:1) -napthoflavone (BNF). The obtained cDNA was 2059 bp contained an open reading frame of 1204 bp coding for 401 amino acids, a stop codon, and a 3' noncoding region of 855 bp. The predicted molecular weight of the protein was approximately 45.3 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of this cDNA was 76.1, 68.4, 65.9, and 64.4% similar to that of zebra fish, rainbow trout, Japanese eel, and toadfish, respectively. With mammals CYP1A1 sequences, carp CYP1A exhibited similarities of 49.5, 52.0, and 52.2% with human, rat, and mouse, respectively. sequences suggested closer relationship of the CYP1C to to CYP1A . The tree clearly showed carp CYP1A clustered with Zebra fish CYP1A showing more correlation to each other than any other CYP1A subfamily members. The Northern blot analysis using the poly(A) + RNA from the control and treated fish using a probe derived from the 3' noncoding region of the carp CYP1A cDNA showed the induction of carp CYP1A in the liver, kidney, intestine, and gills with either of 3-MC or BNF. Nucleotide sequence of carp CYP1A has been deposited in the GenBank with the accession number: AB048939.
Translocator Protein Expression and Microglial Activation in Gliomas

Background: Gliomas are the most frequent primary brain tumours in adults with two main histological subtypes: astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. Translocator protein (TSPO) is a pro-inflammatory molecule over-expressed predominantly in activated microglia under pathological conditions. In astrocytoma samples, TSPO has also been found to be up-regulated and correlated with the malignancy of the tumours. [11C]-(R)PK11195 is a selective radioligand for the TSPO widely applied in clinical PET studies. We used [11C]-(R)PK11195 PET to investigate in vivo cerebral TSPO expression and microglial activation in patients with gliomas of different histological subtypes and grades.Methods: 24 glioma patients and 10 healthy volunteers underwent volumetric MRI and dynamic [11C]-(R)PK11195 PET scans. Tissue time-activity curves (TACs) were extracted from tumour regions and normal grey and white matter of the brains. Parametric maps of binding potential (BPND) were generated with the simplified reference tissue model. Co-registered MRI/PET was used to guide tumour biopsies. Tumour tissue was quantitatively assessed for TSPO expression and microglial infiltration by immunohistochemistry. Results: Three types of tumour TAC were observed in gliomas (grey matter-like kinetics, white matter-like kinetics and mixed kinetics), which differed between low-grade astrocytomas and low-grade oligodendrogliomas but were independent of the tumour grade. [11C]-(R)PK11195 BPND also differed between the two subtypes of low-grade gliomas, and low-grade gliomas demonstrated lower BPND than high-grade gliomas. 4 cases of high-grade glioma with minor or no contrast enhancement on MRI showed pronounced [11C]-(R)PK11195 binding. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that expression of TSPO correlated with [11C]-(R)PK11195 BPND of the tumour. It was related mainly to expression by neoplastic cells while the contribution from tumour-infiltrating microglia was minimal. When compared with control subjects, increased [11C]-(R)PK11195 BPND was found in patients? normal appearing cerebral structures, being more prominent in the tumour-bearing than the tumour-free hemisphere. This extra-tumoral [11C]-(R)PK11195 binding was correlated with the duration of epileptic seizures, the symptom shared by the majority of our patients.Conclusions: Gliomas show differences in [11C]-(R)PK11195 kinetics and binding that are related to histological subtype and grade. Neoplastic cells rather than activated microglia are the main cellular sources expressing TSPO and determine the [11C]-(R)PK11195 binding within the tumours. [11C]-(R)PK11195 PET has the potential to detect malignant transformation of non-enhancing gliomas and facilitate the targeting of more aggressive areas in tumour biopsy. The high extra-tumoral [11C]-(R)PK11195 binding indicates widespread microglial activation in otherwise normal appearing cerebral structures of glioma patients. It is associated with epilepsy and could open up novel therapeutic perspectives for seizure control in this patient population.
Population dynamics of the squid Loligo duvaucelii D'orbigny (Cephalopoda) in Saurashtra waters

Age and growth, gear selection, instantaneous total mortality co-efficient (Z) and instantaneous natural mortality co-efficient (M) were estimated for the squid Loligo duvaucelii from catch, effort and length frequency data collected from trawl net operations at Veraval from 1979 to 1983. Estimated yield per recruit at different combinations of age at first capture, fishing mortality co-efficient (F) and cod end mesh size are given in the form of yield isopleth diagrams for two different M/K ratios. Optimum effort was found to be just higher than the present average effort expended indicating that the squid fishery does not presently suffer from overfishing. For better management of this fishery, it is observed that the prevailing mesh size be increased to 35 mm so as to realise higher yield and to cope with the impending increase in effort. This observation is valid only when the fishery is aimed mainly at L. duvaucelii as the squid is only a by-catch in the trawl net.
The involvement of the novel proteins, perilipin, ATGL, and CGI-58, in lipolysis of early and mid lactation Holstein cows

Perilipin, adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), and comparative gene identity58 (CGI-58) are novel proteins that greatly effect lipid catabolism in rodents and humans. During early lactation, dairy cows often enter negative energy balance when milk production requirements exceed energy intake, and must mobilize adipose tissue to meet these needs. Severe and prolonged negative energy balance can lead to reduced fitness. Perilipin, ATGL and CGI-58 protein abundance was quantified to determine the relationship of these proteins with adipose tissue mobilization of early (5-14 days in milk [DIM]; n=11) compared to mid (176-206 DIM; n=9) lactation cows. Phosphorylation of perilipin was increased in early lactation and significantly correlated with lipolytic indicators in early and mid lactation. ATGL was increased in mid lactation and CGI-58 was similar across stages of lactation. These results suggest phosphorylation of perilipin occurs during stimulated and basal lipolysis; whereas ATGL may function as a basal lipase.
Diversity and virulence of the genus Cronobacter revealed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and comparative genomic analysis

Cronobacter spp. (previously known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a diverse bacterial genus consisting of opportunistic food-borne pathogens affecting all age groups, with particularly severe clinical complications such as meningitis and necrotising enterocolitis in neonates and infants. In this study, a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) approach has been established to span the entire Cronobacter genus, by employing the alleles of 7 housekeeping genes (atpD, fusA, glnS, gltB, gyrB, infB and ppsA, total length 3036 bp). The 325 Cronobacter spp. strains used in the study included isolates from the highly publicised Cronobacter cases from USA in December 2011. The scheme identified 115 sequence types (ST) across the seven Cronobacter species. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) revealed considerable diversity in the genus, with intraspecific variation ranging from low diversity in C. sakazakii to extensive diversity within some species such as C. muytjensii and C. dublinensis including evidence of recombination events between species. An evolutionary analysis revealed the Cronobacter genus to have evolved 45-68 million years ago, during the period of evolution of flowering plants. The MLSA was also used in a polyphasic study for the formal recognition of two new species – C. universalis and C. condimenti. The MLST scheme also revealed the high level of clonality in the species C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus. ST4 was found to be a highly stable clone of C. sakazakii, and a strong association was established between the C. sakazakii ST4 clonal complex with neonatal meningitis cases.
Comparative toxicological effects of orally and intraperitoneally administered aqueous extracts of Abrus precatorius leaf in Mus musculus

Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, reducing sugar, total glycoside and saponin glycosides in high concentration. Proximate analysis revealed the presence of moisture (6.18%), dry matter (93.90%), crude protein (12.06%), crude fibre (15.33%), nitrogen free extract (34.12%), ash (12.28%) and oil (19.21%). Comparative toxicological assessment of orally and intraperitoneally administered aqueous extracts of Abrus precatorius leaf was carried out in Swiss albino mice. median lethal doses (lD50) of orally and intraperitoneally administered aqueous extracts of Abrus precatorius leaf were estimated at dose levels of 2558.9 mg/kg and 638 mg/kg body weight, respectively. intraperitoneal 10 mg/kg body weight of the extract caused increased packed cell volume, neutropenia and decreased aspartate aminotransferase. however, 50 mg/kg oral dose caused increased packed cell volume, neutropenia, decreased alkaline phosphatase and hypochloraemia, whereas oral aqueous dose of 250 mg/kg of body weight caused body weight gain, neutropenia, decreased asparatate aminotransferase and alanineaminotransferase. all the test doses caused lymphocytosis and hypercreatinaemia, hence aqueous extract of Abrus precatorius leaf is toxic at dose levels of 10, 50 and 250 mg/kg body weight.
Inheritance of diclofop resistance in wild oat (Avena fatua L.) biotypes from the Willamette Valley of Oregon

Inheritance of resistance to diclofop was studied in three wild oat biotypes (designated B, C., and H) from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Cultivated oat (cultivar ‘Monida’) was crossed, including reciprocals, to three wild oat biotypes. Leaves of each F1 plant were spotted with diclofop as a nondestructive test for resistance or susceptibility. All F1 hybrids were resistant, indicating that resistance is dominant and is under nuclear control. The F2 plants where Monida was the maternal parent were screened with diclofop, and F2 plants of the Monida/C cross were screened with fenoxaprop because the parent C biotype was resistant to fenoxaprop. At lower doses, a 3:1 (R:S) segregation ratio in F2 was observed and at higher doses a 1:3 (R:S) segregation ratio was often observed. The F2:3 families segregated in a 1:2:1 (all resistant : segregating resistant and susceptible all susceptible) ratio when treated with a 1.1-kg ae ha−1 dose of diclofop. This confirms that resistance to diclofop in the B, C, and H biotypes is primarily under monogenic control, with resistance being dominant to susceptibility at lower herbicide doses. At increased doses, susceptibility becomes dominant. Knowledge of the inheritance of resistance may help in the development of containment measures to prevent the spread of herbicide-resistance genes.
Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the early embryonic development in the phylum Nematoda

Nematodes are excellent models to study early embryonic development, because – at least for many nematodes- eggs are transparent and the development from fertilized egg to hatched juvenile can be visualized directly under the light microscope. In a first part of this thesis a comparative analysis of the early embryonic development was done on 21 nematode species belonging to clade 6 and clades 9-12 (phylogeny of Holterman et al., 2006). Our study revealed prominent differences between nematodes. Variations include differences in cell cycle rhythms, cleavage order of the blastomeres, spatial configuration of the early embryo (based on cell-cell contacts and division angles), establishment of bilateral symmetry and the process of gastrulation. However, this diversity in early embryonic development does not result in a corresponding degree of diversity in the morphology of hatched juveniles. Thus, modifications of these early developmental mechanisms have apparently no impact on the adult morphology and are probably the result of neutral evolution. For most examined characters a large amount of intraspecific variation was observed for all species. This intraspecific variation shows that a “strict invariant” lineage, with a strict timing of cell divisions and stereotyped cell contacts in the early phase of embryonic development, is not a prerequisite to develop into a worm. Besides this intraspecific variation, coding early developmental data proved to be problematic, because of interdependency of the data, since most early developmental characters are linked in time and space. From the comparative analysis five five characters, which are potentially useful to infer phylogenetic information were distilled. In a second part of this thesis ancestral state reconstructions of these characters onto a molecular phylogeny revealed four synapomorphies. Some characters proved to have a biased evolution as they have arisen multiple times in independent lineages. Statistical tests indicate possible relationships with developmental speed and egg shape. However, further analysis on a larger number of species and the inclusion of statistical tests that account for phylogenetic relationships should reveal whether these features are due to directional selection or other constraints, or whether the occurrence of these features is due to common ancestry.
Broad and potent cellular and humoral immune responses after a second late HIV-modified vaccinia virus ankara vaccination in HIV-DNA-primed and HIV-modified vaccinia virus Ankara-boosted Swedish vaccinees.

We have previously shown that an HIV vaccine regimen including three HIV-DNA immunizations and a single HIV-modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) boost was safe and highly immunogenic in Swedish volunteers. A median 38 months after the first HIV-MVA vaccination, 24 volunteers received 108 plaque-forming units of HIV-MVA. The vaccine was well tolerated. Two weeks after this HIV-MVA vaccination, 18 (82%) of 22 evaluable vaccinees were interferon (IFN)-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) reactive: 18 to Gag and 10 (45%) to Env. A median minimal epitope count of 4 to Gag or Env was found in a subset of 10 vaccinees. Intracellular cytokine staining revealed CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cell responses in 23 (95%) of 24 vaccinees, 19 to Gag and 19 to Env. The frequency of HIV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses was equally high (75%). A high proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses to Gag was polyfunctional with production of three or more cytokines (40% and 60%, respectively). Of the Env-specific CD4+ T cells 40% were polyfunctional. Strong lymphoproliferative responses to Aldrithiol-2 (AT-2)-treated subtype A, B, C, and A_E virus were demonstrable in 21 (95%) of 22 vaccinees. All vaccinees developed binding antibodies to Env and Gag. Neutralizing antibodies were detected in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-based assay against subtype B and CRF01_AE viruses. The neutralizing antibody response rates were influenced by the vaccine dose and/or mode of delivery used at the previous HIV-MVA vaccination. Thus, a second late HIV-MVA boost induced strong and broad cellular immune responses and improved antibody responses. The data support further exploration of this vaccine concept.
Synergistic innate immune recognition of Coxsackievirus B5 by RIG-I and MDA5

Coxsackievirus B5 (CBV5) is a positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Enterovirus genus of the Picornaviridae family. It can cause many serious diseases, including viral myocarditis (which can lead on to dilated cardiomyopathy), aseptic meningitis, and pancreatitis. The structure and cell cycle of CBV5 is typical of a picornavirus. Viral RNA is detected by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and retinoic acid inducible gene-I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs). The RLR family, consisting of RIG-I, MDA5 (melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5), and LGP2, are pattern recognition receptors that detect a range of different viruses. RIG-I and MDA5 are homologous cytoplasmic proteins containing an N-terminal region with two caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs), a central SF2 type DExD/H-box RNA helicase domain, and a C-terminal repressor domain (RD). Once a viral ligand has been detected and bound by RIG-I and MDA5, both signal downstream through their CARDs to activate IRF3/7 and NF-κB indirectly, via the protein intermediate IPS-1 (IFN-β promoter stimulator 1), and initiate an immune response. RIG-I and MDA5 contribute to antiviral signalling in different ways depending on the virus involved. MDA5 has been shown to be critical for Picornaviridae detection, whilst RIG-I can detect a wide variety of different viruses and pathogen associated molecular patterns. Results presented here show the expression levels of both are upregulated in response to CBV5 infection in human cardiac cells, with MDA5 expression levels being slightly greater than RIG-I. However, in Huh cells, RIG-I expression levels are greater than those of MDA5, indicating that it plays a role in CBV5 sensing. The presence of both phospho-IκB (corresponding to NF-κB activation) and IRF3 is detected in both cardiac cells and Huh cells in response to CBV5, and IFN-β production is also greatly upregulated. RIG-I and MDA5 colocalise with the adaptor protein IPS-1 in response to CBV5 infection, again indicating the synergistic response by the two RLRs, and both RLRs form homodimers in the cytoplasm. Overall, this suggest that both MDA5 and RIG-I act synergistically to detect CBV5 and initiate a downstream immune response, although MDA5 appears to be the marginally stronger sensor.