Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of Meta-Analysis to Assess the Effect of Conventional Water Treatment Methods on the Prevalence of Cryptosporidium Spp. in Drinking Water

ABSTRACT Meta-analysis is defined as the statistical analysis of a collection of analytic results for the purpose of integrating the findings. However, its use in environmental and agricultural health protection has been minor in research to date. Few meta-analysis studies have been applied to assess factors relating to Cryptosporidium but none have examined the effect of conventional water treatment on oocyst prevalence. The objective of this study was to synthesize past scientific research and analyze the effects of conventional water treatment methods on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in drinking water using a traditional parametric approach of meta-analysis. Twenty-three different published studies featuring 27 separate water treatment surveys were identified for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis indicated that general conventional water treatment methods reduced Cryptosporidium occurrence in drinking water by an average factor of ∼11.82 (95% CI = 2.7–52.5). Results highlight the resistance of the pathogen to such treatment methods and emphasize the parasites standing as a waterborne pathogen of primary concern given the possibility of viable oocyst occurrence in water, post treatment. Consequently, findings accentuate the need for new approaches to the control of Cryptosporidium aimed at integrated catchment management, source protection, and also including new treatment technologies. Until such approaches are actively adopted the potential risk posed to consumers by pathogens in potable water will remain active.
Using Vegetation Analysis to Facilitate the Selection of Conservation Sites in Eastern Paraguay

This study demonstrates the use of vegetation analysis in the selection of priority areas for conservation. The analysis is based on field data derived from narrow rectangular sample plots and includes information from the database of Paraguay’s Conservation Data Center. Ten 100-m2 sample plots were laid out for each survey site. We compared three sites, Mbaracayu, Taruma, and Parabel, all forests located in the ecoregion of Selva Central in eastern Paraguay. Subtropical and physiognomically similar, the sites are dominated by a single species, either Sorocea bonplandii or Actinostemon concolor, but differ in species richness. Vegetation analysis permitted us to calculate the total number of species, including liana species, the number of economic plants, and the number of rare, uncommon, and vulnerable species, and thus to quantify the conservation worthiness of the candidate sites. Our study pinpoints Mbaracayu as a mature, resource-rich forest with the highest habitat and plant species diversity and several local endemics. We maintain that it is the area of Paraguay’s Selva Central most important for conservation. El proposito del presente estudio es demostrar la aplicacion del analisis de vegetacion en el proceso de seleccion de areas prioritarias para la conservacion. El estudio esta basado en datos obtenidos a partir de parcelas estrechas y rectangulares, como tambien de informacion contenida en el banco de datos del CDC-Paraguay. Diez parcelas de 100 m2 fueron trazadas en tres sitios de muestreo. Se compararon los sitios de Mbaracayu, Taruma y Parabel, todos ubicados en la ecoregion Selva Central, en el Paraguay Oriental. Subtropical y con fisonomia semejante, la vegetacion de estos bosques esta caracterizada por una sola especie dominante, Sorocea bonplandii o Actinostemon concolor. La diferencia entre los bosques radica en la riqueza de especies. El analisis de vegetacion nos permitio calcular el numero total de especies, incluyendo las lianas, el total de plantas con valor economico y el total de especies raras, poco comunes o vulnerables. Estos valores sirvieron para determinar el merito de los bosques a efectos de su conservacion. El estudio demuestra que Mbaracayu es un bosque maduro, rico en recursos, con la mas alta diversidad de habitates y especies vegetales, algunas de las cuales son endemicas locales. Todos estos datos indican que Mbaracayu es el area mas adecuada en la ecoregion Selva Central para ser conservada bajo algun tipo de area protegida.
POSSIBLE INFLUENCE OF MTHFR C677T POLYMORPHISM ON SERUM LIPID LEVELS IN SERBIAN SCHOOL CHILDREN

The effect of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T polymorphism on serum lipid profiles is controversial. We randomly selected 530 healthy schoolchildren that were included in the Yugoslav Study of the Precursors of Atherosclerosis in School Children (YUSAD). The detected frequencies of MTHFR 677TT genotypes and MTHFR 677T allele were 13.4% and 35.5%, respectively. The mean levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were higher and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was lower in the group of children with TT genotype compared with remaining genotypes. All differences were without statistical significance. Our findings suggest that there is no influence of MTHFR C677T gene variants on the lipid parameters in the population of Serbian children. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 175091]
Molecular characterisation of the human macula

The human macula is essential for high acuity vision but its biochemical and cellular properties are poorly understood. A disease that specifically affects the macula, Macular Telangiectasia (MacTel) type2 was investigated by studying postmortem tissue from a single donor. This revealed Muller cell loss specifically in the macula, which might be responsible for the vascular changes and photoreceptor degeneration typical of this disease. To establish whether the disease has subclinical vascular changes outside the macula, the peripheral retina was studied. This showed that contrary to previous reports, abnormal looking capillaries are not disease-specific but a normal ageing phenotype in humans. Proteomics and immunohistochemistry was used to characterise maculae in healthy donors. Comparative proteomics identified differentially expressed proteins and immunohistochemistry confirmed the distribution of selected proteins. This led to the discovery of several Muller cell markers, lactate dehydrogenase (LDHB), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP),αB crystallin (CRYAB) and αA crystallin (CRYAA), which are expressed at higher levels in the macula, demonstrating that Muller cells can take on different differentiation phenotypes depending on retinal area. Furthermore, the spatial expression pattern of LDHB, GFAP and CRYAB was found to correlate with the size/shape of the area that is affected in MacTel type2, providing a possible explanation why the disease affects only the macula. Embryonic development of the macula was investigated in eye tissue obtained from abortions by using immunohistochemistry and gene expression analysis (qPCR and differential gene display). Muller cell markers, CRYAA, CD44 and CRALBP were found to be specifically expressed in the presumptive macula, starting at 7 gestation weeks (CS20), prior to ganglion cell and photoreceptor differentiation. Genomic comparison between this region and peripheral retina revealed further differentially expressed genes and led to the identification of a morphogen, Retinoic acid, which might play a role in macula development in the human retina.
Genetic gain in yield and associated changes in phenotype, trait plasticity and competitive ability of South Australian wheat varieties released between 1958 and 2007

To quantify the genetic gain in yield and associated changes in phenotype, we compared 13 South Australian wheat varieties released between 1958 and 2007. Crops were grown in three environments with a range of yield between 4.1 and 6.1 t/ha. Yield increased linearly with year of cultivar release at a rate of 25 ± 3.4 kg/ha per year. Yield improvement was associated with a linear increase in harvest index over the whole period 1958–2007 and increased shoot biomass for varieties released after the early 1980s. A non-linear model with an inflection point at 1982 ± 1.6 emphasised two phases in the time trend of grain size: it decreased between 1957 and 1982 and increased afterwards. The plasticity of grain size increased 2-fold after 1982. Grain number increased until the early 1980s and stabilised afterwards. Grain number was associated with crop growth rate between stem elongation and anthesis, and grain size was associated with crop growth rate per grain. Crop growth rate between stem elongation and anthesis increased after the early 1980s in parallel with increased radiation-use efficiency and independently of changes in capture of radiation. Candidate traits to explain the improvement in radiation-use efficiency include increased stomatal conductance and greener leaves. The concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates in shoots at anthesis increased with year of cultivar release at 0.12 ± 0.018% per year. In two out of three environments, yield response to competition declined with year of cultivar release, which was consistent with the communal plant ideotype.
PCR- RFLP Polymorphism at Exon 3 and Promoter Region of Prolactin Gene in Gaolao Cattle

The present study was planned to investigate significant polymorphism in exon3 and promoter regions of prolactin gene in Gaolao cattle and its association (if any) with milk components. A total of 50 randomly selected Gaolao cows were genotyped for PRLGI-RsaI and PRLGIII-Tsp45I loci using PCR-RFLP technique. The PRLGI-RsaI locus was polymorphic and PRLGIII-Tsp45I locus was monomorphic indicating genetic variation at PRLGI-RsaI locus in Gaolao cattle. The allele frequency for the PRLA alleles was found 0.933 and for allele PRLB was 0.067 at PRLGI–RsaI locus. The result of analysis variance showed significant (PÂ0.05) effect of AA genotype on fat % as compared to AB genotype; however non-significant effect of these genotypes was found on protein %, SNF % and lactose % which may be due to small sample resulting in higher error variance. The results of present study indicated that identified prolactin gene polymorphism at PRLGI-RsaI in exon 3 after validation in large breeding populations having precise data records may prove as important candidate gene marker for selection and breeding decisions in genetic improvement of indigenous cattle for milk productivity.
FIELD OBSERVATIONS ON FEEDING OF THE LAND SNAIL HELIX ASPERSA MÜLLER

Feeding of the land snail Helix aspersa (Muller) was observed at monthly intervals. Three natural populations in Galicia (NW-Spain) were studied. At two sites only a few plants constituted the bulk of the diet and in spring the snails’ diet had the highest diversity (H9). In the third population feeding and distribution of Helix aspersa (Muller) were observed in a small plot with permanent patches of Urtica dioica. Nearly one half of feeding snails fed upon Urtica dioica. Most of the other observations were on Mentha suaveolens, Ranunculus repens and Gramineae. The diversity of the snails’ diet showed seasonal variation with the maximum in the autumn months. Comparison between the availability of the different plant species and their contribution to the snails’ diet showed that the snails did not eat at random; Urtica dioica was eaten much more than expected from its occurrence and grasses were strongly under-represented in the snails’ diet. Temporal changes of availability were significantly correlated with the amounts eaten in the case of Urtica, but not for the other food plants. The distribution of the snails in the plot was significantly correlated with that of Urtica. Chemical analyses of the food plants revealed Urtica as the species with the higher protein, ash and calcium contents. The strong preference of Helix aspersa for Urtica dioica could be explained by the value of Urtica as food or by its suitability as habitat for the snails. The largest proportions of green material in the snails’ diet occurred in the spring and juveniles ate more green material than adults in the three populations.
Antibiotic resistance profiles and integrons in Enterobacteriaceae from the riverside of Evros-Ardas with respect to chemical and waste pollution

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of Enterobacteriaceae in different locations of the Evros-Ardas river ecosystem at the borderline of Greece-Turkey. Materials and methods: Usual filter methods were applied for the collection of water samples from the riverside subjected to waste and/or borderline polluted stream. Sampling was accomplished during 3 months, from January to March. A total of 150 strains were isolated and identified by API Mérieux. The antibiotic resistance profiles were performed according to CLSI; phylogeny analysis was performed by RAPD (random amplification polymorphic DNA analysis); integron class I, II and III were detected by PCR amplification of integrases I and II by using degenerated primers. The detection of the classes of integrons was performed after RsaI digestion of the PCR products and agarose gel electrophoresis. The antibiotic gene cassettes were also generated by PCR. Results: In all, 90% of the isolates were usual environmental strains without antibiotic resistance. Resistance to ampicilllin, amoxicillin, and/or ampicillin + sulbactam and several cephalosporins was detected in 12 strains. Resistance to tetracycline and chloramphenicol was observed in two isolates; resistance to nalidixic acid and to fluoroquinolones was detected in three strains. Finally, resistance to sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim was observed in four isolates. Integron class I was detected in four isolates and class II in two of them. Several profiles were identified by RAPD and some unique types. Conclusion: It has been shown that plasmids containing β-lactamase, tetracycline and chloramphenicol genes as well as integron class I and II contribute to the pathogenic profiles of the isolates of the region. According to our results four locations represented environmental niches of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, namely the locations Ardas, Elaia bridge, Rizia and Kastanies and Evros Nea Vissa. Further investigation must be undertaken to control the microbial pollution of the riverside in Evros.
A genetic map of potato : construction and applications

This thesis describes the construction of an integrated genetic map of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) using molecular, morphological and isozyme markers. A general method for map construction, different from previous methods employed in non-inbred plants, is described using JoinMap 1.4. This basic map was used for various applications in potato genetics. For the purpose of targeted transposon tagging in potato, the integration sites of T-DNA's and transposable elements were determined and were found to cover the entire potato genome. Genetic maps, constructed from seven different potato populations, were compared and aligned. All data were combined and one common core map was constructed with the help of JoinMap 2.0. Furthermore, the genetic map was used to assist in the mapping of the resistance locus GroV1 from S . vernei. This resistance locus, to the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis pathotype 1, was located on chromosome 5 with molecular (RFU/PCR) markers.
Molecular analysis of mammalian adenylyl cyclases and edema factor, a bacterial adenylyly cyclase toxin

i Acknowledgements.iii Table of contents.vi List of Tables.x List of Figures.xi Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 1.1 Mammalian Adenylyl cyclases (mACs). 2 1.1.1. AC isoforms – Tissue distribution, physiological role and potential therapeutic targets.7 1.1.2. AC isoforms – regulation.12 1.1.3. Catalytic mechanism of AC.17 1.1.4. C isoforms –Challenges, limitations and future directions of AC research.2 1.2 Bacterial Adenylyl cyclase toxin Edema Factor ( EF) from Bacillus anthracis. 27 1.2. 1. Anthrax – Infection, diagnosis,treatment and prevention.29 1.2. 2. Anthrax – Biological warfare and incidence in developing countries.33 1.2. 3. AnthraxTripartite toxin and mechanism of toxin translocation into host cells . 35 1.2. 4. Anthrax toxin components and their function.40 1.2. 5. Edema Factor – structure and intracellular activation.42 1.2. 6. Catalytic mechanism of EF.47 1.3 Challenges, limitations and future directions of anthrax research with special focus on EF.51 1.4 Research presented in this thesis.53
Restoration of the understorey layer of recent forest bordering ancient forest

Recently established forests are commonly char- acterized by an impoverished understorey. Restoration is mostly based on spontaneous secondary succession, but little is known about the time period needed to achieve a community species pool with species composition equal to that of ancient forests. Vegetation in transects of 197 plots in 13 recent forest stands contiguous to the Meerdaalwoud ancient forest com- plex was surveyed. The recent forest stands ranged in age from 36 to 132 yr. The community species pool was described with an ecological, functional and phytosociological approach and based on groups derived from a CCA. Differences in commu- nity species pool between age classes of recent forest stands were analysed. During establishment of a new forest competitive species, forest edge species and species with high Ellenberg values for light and nitrogen and a more persistent seed bank will domi- nate the understorey. After 90 yr of succession the cover by these species decreases and reaches equal values to ancient forest after ca. 105 yr. A large number of forest species will be able to colonize the forest in less than 90 yr. Some typical forest species, however, have very low colonization rates and still have low cover in recent forest more than 105 yr old, so that complete restoration of the understorey requires a time period of over a century. Anthropogenic introduction of forest plant species may reduce the time required for ancient forest vegetation equality.
Systematics, distributions, and bionomics of the Neoeocatopsgen. nov. and Nemadus of North America (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae: Anemadini)

This paper completes a review and revision of the tribe Anemadini in North America, covering the subtribe Eocatopina (new for North America), with the genus Neoeocatops gen. nov. containing one species, and the subtribe Nemadina, with the genus Nemadus Thomson containing 12 species. Species are forest inhabitants feeding on carrion and other decaying materials, may occur in caves, or are myrmecophiles occupying the nests of formicine ants, mostly of the genera Formica L. and Camponotus Mayr. The following new synonyms are recognized: N. ellipticus Jeannel, 1936 = N. horni Hatch, 1933 and N. obliquus Fall, 1937 = N. triangulum Jeannel, 1936. Lectotypes are designated for Catops brachyderus LeConte, 1863, Catops pusio LeConte, 1859, and Choleva decipiens Horn, 1880. New species are Nemadus browni Peck and Cook, sp. nov., N. criddlei Peck and Cook, sp. nov., and N. falli Peck and Cook, sp. nov.
Design and testing of a plant‐specific PCR primer for ecological and evolutionary studies

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer, 28KJ (5‐GGCGGTAAATTCCGTCC‐3), was developed to specifically amplify plant DNA. This primer is located approximately 250 bases downstream of the 5′ end of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene, and it was used in combination with the universal primer 28C. The specificity of this primer combination was tested against 31 angiosperms, 9 conifers, 1 alga and 30 fungi (21 basidiomycetes and 9 ascomycetes). Both herbarium specimens and fresh samples were tested. The 28KJ/28C primer combination successfully amplified all angiosperm and conifer DNAs, but no fungal or algal DNAs. Plant DNA was amplified from plant/fungal symbioses (ectomycorrhizae of conifers and ericoid mycorrhizae of Ericaceous plants), and the plants involved in these symbioses were identified by comparing DNA sequences or restriction enzyme digest patterns of the mycorrhizal DNAs to those of known plant samples. These methods allow rapid and accurate identification of plant associates in complex plant/ fungal systems when the identity of the roots is unclear.
Single color image super-resolution using sparse representation and color constraint

Color image super-resolution reconstruction based on the sparse representation model usually adopts the regularization norm (e.g., L 1 or L 2 ). These methods have limited ability to keep image texture detail to some extent and are easy to cause the problem of blurring details and color artifacts in color reconstructed images. This paper presents a color super-resolution reconstruction method combining the L 2 / 3 sparse regularization model with color channel constraints. The method converts the low-resolution color image from RGB to YCbCr. The L 2 / 3 sparse regularization model is designed to reconstruct the brightness channel of the input low-resolution color image. Then the color channel-constraint method is adopted to remove artifacts of the reconstructed high-resolution image. The method not only ensures the reconstruction quality of the color image details, but also improves the removal ability of color artifacts. The experimental results on natural images validate that our method has improved both subjective and objective evaluation.
Two Types of Hynobius naevius from the Central Region of Kyushu Island, Japan (Caudata: Hynobiidae)

ABSTRACT We surveyed allozymic variation among Hynobius naevius from 11 localities of central Kyushu, Japan. The results revealed the presence of two genetic groups (I and II) that exhibited a great difference in allelic frequency and a large genetic distance. Specimens from seven of the 11 localities invariably belonged to Group I, and those from three other localities belonged to Group II. In the remaining one locality, representatives of both of these two groups were found just as in northern Kyushu. The two genetic groups also differed in morphological (Group I larger than Group II in body size) and ecological characters (breeding sites located in open streams in Group I, but possibly in underground water in Group II). These differences might have been enabling them to coexist.
Amphibians as indicators of wetland quality in wetlands formed from oil sands effluent

Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, is home to the largest oil sands mining operation in the world. Two of the companies currently mining the oil sands hope to use wetlands formed from oil sands effluent as part of their reclamation strategy required at mine closure. To evaluate the ability of these created wetlands to sustain amphibians, one population of Bufo boreas tadpoles and three different populations of Rana sylvatica tadpoles were exposed to oil sands process‐affected water representative of a range of effluents expected to occur on the oil sands lease site at mine closure. Endpoints used to assess the response of the tadpoles to the process‐affected waters included survival, growth, rate of development, and frequency of physical deformities. Bufo boreas held in process‐affected waters displayed significantly reduced growth and prolonged developmental time (days to metamorphosis) as compared to those held in reference waters. The response of the three separate populations of R. sylvatica were population dependent. Two of the three populations responded similarly, demonstrating decreased survival and significantly reduced rates of growth when held in process‐affected waters as compared to reference waters; the third was highly sensitive, displaying no growth and extremely poor survival in all exposures, suggesting different tolerances to the process‐affected waters among different R. sylvatica tadpole populations. Amphibians such as B. boreas and R. sylvatica were sensitive indicators of effluent quality. Based on the effluents used in this study, wetlands formed from oil sands effluent will not support viable amphibian populations.