Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of soil moisture and storage time on the motility, infectivity and lipid utilization of second stage juveniles of the potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida

A range of sand moisture contents and storage times were used to examine the effect of these parameters on lipid utilization and invasion by hatched juveniles of Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida. Motility and lipid depletion were fastest at pF 1.66 which corresponded to the point of inflection of the sand moisture characteristic curve. G. rostochiensis utilized its lipid reserves significantly more rapidly than G. pallida at al1 Sand moisture contents. Depletion of lipid reserves during storage led to reduced motility and infectivity of hatched G. rostochiensis juveniles. This effect became. significant when lipid reserves fell below approximately 65 O/o of the original level. The results indicate that the infective life of Globodera juveniles ranges from 6-11 days under optimal conditions for motility and enhanced persistence is probably related to the ability to conserve food reserves under unfavourable conditions such as high or low soil moisture contents.
Metamorphic Competence, a Major Adaptive Convergence in Marine Invertebrate Larvae1

Abstract Larvae from diverse marine-invertebrate phyla are able to respond rapidly to environmental cues to settlement and to undergo very rapid metamorphic morphogenesis because they share the developmental trait of metamorphic competence. The competent state, characteristic of larvae as diverse as those of cnidarian planulae, molluscan veligers, and barnacle cyprids, is one in which nearly all requisite juvenile characters are present in the larva prior to settlement. Thus metamorphosis, in response to more or less specific environmental cues (inducers), is mainly restricted to loss of larva-specific structures and physiological processes. Competent larvae of two “model marine invertebrates” studied in the authors' laboratory, the serpulid polychaete Hydroides elegans and the nudibranch Phestilla sibogae, complete metamorphosis in about 12 and 20 hr, respectively. Furthermore, little or no de novo gene action appears to be required during the metamorphic induction process in these species. Contrasting greatly with the slow, hormonally regulated metamorphic transitions of vertebrates and insects, competence and consequent rapid metamorphosis in marine invertebrate larvae are conjectured to have arisen in diverse phylogenetic clades because they allow larvae to continue to swim and feed in the planktonic realm while simultaneously permitting extremely fast morphological transition from larval locomotory and feeding modes to a different set of such modes that are adaptive to life on the sea bottom.
Unusual features of anthers ofDregia volubilis(L.f.) Benth. Ex. Hk.f. ( Wattakaka volubilis)(L.f.) Stapf.

Anthers of Dregea volubilis exhibit some unusual features during their ontogeny. The sporogenous cells a nd tapetum are exceptional in possessing thick primary walls that are rich in general polysaccharides. Meiocytes lack callose deposition. At meiocyte stage tapetally secreted acellular PAS -positive deposition occurs between meiocytes mass and tapetum. Microspores separate soon after meiosis. The aggregation of microspores is also brought out by the surrounding pollinial coat. The pollinial coat is PAS- positive, auto fluorescent and contains sporopollenin and lignin. The pollinial coat is formed around enti re pollen aggregation. Thus pollinial coat can be considered as an equivalent to pollen exine because it is pollinial coat that comes in contact with stigmatic tissue.
Isolation and Characterization of P450 Gene from the Formosan Subterranean Termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

A cytochrome P450 gene belonging to family9 was isolated from the midgut transcriptome of the termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, for screening enzymes related to biomass degeneration. Some studies show that insect P450 enzymes have ligninase activities for catalyzing lignin degradation. We employed the RACE method to clone this cytochrome P450 gene, named CYP9AX1 (GenBank accession No.JN969113). To the best of our knowledge, CYP9AX1 is the first member of the CYP9 family cloned from this termite. The full-length CYP9AX1 cDNA was 2242 bp long and included a 1599bp open-reading-frame (ORF), a 61-bp 5’-untranslated region (UTR) and a 592-bp 3’-UTR (excluding the poly-A tail). The CYP9AX1 protein deduced from the ORF contains 532 amino acids with a predicted signal peptide composed of 20 amino acid at its N-terminal and the classic heme-binding domain FXXGXXXCXG (residues 468-477). At position 473, residue Arg (R) changes to Gln (Q), this suggests that CYP9AX1 is a new type of CYP subfamily 9A. The phylogenetic tree showed that C. formosanus has high genetic relationship with Blattella germanica and Diploptera punctata. Quantitative RT-PCR assays demonstrated that CYP9AX1 was expressed most abundantly in malpighian tubules, and slightly lower in the head, foregut, midgut and hindgut. The results suggested that CYP9AX1 may be involved in enzymatic detoxification systems of the delignification process in C. formosanus.
Bone morphometric, densitometric and mechanical properties in 14-month-old ostriches fed experimental diet enriched with linseed*

1 Vertebrates Morphology Department, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland 2 Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland 3 II Department of Radiology, Medical University in Lublin, Staszica 16, 20-081 Lublin, Poland 4 Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding PAS, 05-552 Jastrzebiec, Poland 5 Chair of Human Anatomy, Department of Normal Anatomy, Medical University in Lublin, Jaczewskiego 4, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
Codon bias patterns in photosynthetic genes of halophytic grass Aeluropus littoralis

Codon bias refers to the differences in the frequency of occurrence of synonymous codons in coding DNA. Pattern of codon and optimum codon utilization is significantly different between the lives. This difference is due to the long term function of natural selection and evolution process. Genetics drift, mutation and regulation of gene expression are the main reasons for codon bias. In this study, the codon bias analysis was done on photosynthesis and respiratory related genes of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK), glycerate kinase (GK) (nuclear genes), rubisco, NADH-dehydrogenase subunit F and cytochrome-C (chloroplast genes) from Aeluropus littoralis plant. Nuclear gene sequences were obtained after partial isolation and for chloroplast genes obtained from nucleotide database. Calculation of codon adaptation index (CAI) showed that studied genes with direct or indirect association with photosynthesis, had high level of gene expression and had also a tendency to optimum codon utilization. The results also showed the difference in codon bias between genes encoded in nucleus and chloroplast for some amino acids.
Comparison of models for describing the lactation curve of Awassi, Morkaraman and Tushin sheep

Abstract. The aim of this study was to identify a suitable mathematical model for describing the lactation curve of Awassi, Morkaraman and Tushin sheep breeds and to determine breed differences. Data on milk yield of 182 Awassi, 47 Morkaraman and 74 Tushin ewes were used. Eight empirical models from the literature were used to fit the standard lactation curves. Among them the Wood model (WD) appeared the most appropriate according to mean square prediction error (MSPE), coefficient of determination (R2), Durbin-Watson statistic (DW), and its applicability to the data for all three breeds. There were statistically significant (P
COMPARATIVE ODONTOLOGY

book Heller was in the habit of recording interesting cases of diseases of the nails in the professional journals, most often in the Zeitschlrift fur Dernmatologie, and these observations formed the basis of his well-known work. Dr. Pardo-Castello's volume is on much the same lines. He has collected examples of practically every variety of lesion which affects the nails, and not the least valuable feature of the work consists of the excellent and numerous photographs with which it is illustrated. The pathological changes in the nails lend themselves better than those of other anatomical regions to photographic illustration, since the rendering of colour is quite unimportant as compared with accuracy of form and outline. The author has also drawn attention very properly to the large number of industrial occupations in which diseases of the nails are common, and he has provided a very useful table showing the particular form of symptom and the approximate cause of the lesion in each branch of industry affected. Another and shorter table gives a list of the chief poisons which cause ungual symptoms and the form that these symptoms take. The treatment of diseases of the nails is notoriously difficult, but Dr. Pardo-Castello has not failed to give all those methods which may be of service. He has produced a very interesting volume, which deserves study by all dermatologists.
Transient Leukemia in a Case of Mosaic Trisomy 21

The incidence of leukemia in Down syndrome is 10 to 20 folds higher than that in the general population. If the leukemia occurs in a newborn, 30% to 50% are transient leukemia and will spontaneously go into remission. We describe here a female neonate who presented with an elevated white blood cell counts, associated with a high percentage of blast cells. A cytochemical stain of the bone marrow revealed properties of acute myeloblastic leukemia , which is rare in childhood. Although the baby had a nearly normal phenotype, chromosome analysis revealed constitutional mosaicism for trisomy 21. Supportive management was given without use of chemotherapeutic agents. Complete remission occurred within 2 months.
Carbon Dynamics in a Hardwater Lake: Effect of Charophyte Biomass on Carbonate Deposition

ABSTRACT: The photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton (in pelagial) and macrophytes (in littoral) is considered to be one of the main factors affecting the carbon cycle in lakes. This concerns in particular hardwater ecosystems, where most of the carbon is available in the form of Ca- or Mg-bicarbonates. In such ecosystems charophytes (macroscopic green algae, forming dense meadows) are regarded as the most effective carbonate producer due to the HCO3 — utilization and the formation of thick CaCO3 encrustations. Calcium carbonate and biomass production of charophytes were studied in a small and shallow charophyte-dominated Lake Jasne (Western Poland). Fresh and dry weight of plants, percentage contribution of calcium carbonate and production of CaCO3 per 1 m2 were studied at three depths (1, 3 and 5 m) in three sample sites (each sampled area — 0.04 m2). Additionally, physical-chemical parameters of water samples were studied. It was found that the dry weight of charophytes and the values of calcium carbonate were similar for all sites but varied for depth of sampling. The dry weight exceeded 2000 g m-2 (average 1165 g m-2) at the most shallow sample sites. CaCO3 encrustations constituted from 39.5% at the depth of 5m, to over 82% of the charophyte dry weight at the depth of 1m. The maximum and average values of carbonates precipitated by charophytes were 1696 g m-2 and 891 g m-2, respectively, and exceeded results reported so far. The results of physical-chemical analyses revealed no statistically significant differences between all the sample sites. Nevertheless, distinct correlations were found between dry weight of charophytes, carbonates precipitated by charophytes and some physical-chemical properties of water from the sample sites. The results highlight the habitat engineering role of charophytes, evidenced in particular by great amounts of biomass influencing sedimentary processes and biogeochemical cycle within littoral zone.
Do Alternative Host Plants Enhance the Invasion of the Maize Pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) in Europe?

Abstract We investigated the performance of larvae of the invasive maize, Zea mays L. , pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (western corn rootworm) on roots of alternative host plants. During laboratory feeding trials, we measured growth and amount of ingested food and determined the food conversion efficiency of second instars. We tested eight species of weeds (seven monocots and one dicot) and three monocot crops with regard to host plant suitability by using a newly established method. We additionally examined the carbon/nitrogen ratio and the phytosterol content of the different plant species as parameters to interpret larval performance. Larval growth, the amount of ingested food, and the food conversion efficiency differed significantly between plant species. Plant species with a high nitrogen content were less suitable for D. v. virgifera development. The phytosterol content had a significant influence on the amount of ingested food, but not on larval weight gain. The performance of D. v. virgifera larvae on alternative hosts was comparable with their performance on maize. The ability to use alternative hosts for larval development may contribute to the invasion potential of D. v. virgifera and has important implications for integrated pest management.
G Protein-Dependent and G Protein-Independent Signaling Pathways and Their Impact on Cardiac Function

G protein-coupled receptors signal through a variety of mechanisms that impact cardiac function, including contractility and hypertrophy. G protein-dependent and G protein-independent pathways each have the capacity to initiate numerous intracellular signaling cascades to mediate these effects. G protein-dependent signaling has been studied for decades and great strides continue to be made in defining the intricate pathways and effectors regulated by G proteins and their impact on cardiac function. G protein-independent signaling is a relatively newer concept that is being explored more frequently in the cardiovascular system. Recent studies have begun to reveal how cardiac function may be regulated via G protein-independent signaling, especially with respect to the ever-expanding cohort of -arrestin-mediated processes. This review primarily focuses on the impact of both G protein-dependent and -arrestin-dependent signaling pathways on cardiac function, highlighting the most recent data that illustrate the comprehensive nature of these mechanisms of G protein-coupled receptor signaling. (Circ Res. 2011;109:217-230.)
Compensation

Non-base building compensation is a temporary increase in salary and take-home pay for an employee. This extra compensation is removed after the allotted time has expired, and/or the work has been completed. This is not taken into consideration when determining base building compensation as part of a promotion or position reclassification. Being temporary in nature, these increases typically last 12 months or less.
OSTEOLOGY

children are not made to conform to this military mould, and the results are excellent from physiological and aesthetic standpoints. In describing manipulations used in massage Dr. Arvedson makes one statement which may cause confusion. On page 219 we read: " Colonstroking aims also at giving a direct onward impulse to the intestinal contents"; but it is well known that any mechanical propulsion would be dangerous and that reflex effects are the only justifiable aim. Though struck with admiration for the thoroughness and conscientiousness of Dr. Arvedson's book, we are aware of a disquieting sense of the limitations of the system, and wonder if it is not time, "Lest one good custom should corrupt the world," for the whole outlook on Swedish gymnastics to be fearlessly revised. There is a tendency to concentrate too closely on certain isolated groups of muscles, to strengthen these by repetitive work in the gymnasium, and then to discharge the patient with an exhortation (too often futile) to continue exercises at home. The need would appear to be for a " far-off'view of the patient, so that the why and wherefore of faulty muscle habits may be understood before attempts are made to correct them. And when correction is possible in the gymnasium the muscle action achieving it should be studied with a view to its incorporation, in the long run unconsciously, in the movements of everyday life. Systems of " daily exercises " will not suffice, even if correctly performed, unless the muscles concerned are brought freely into ordinary use.
An IFRAME approach for assessing impacts of climate change on fisheries

Zhang, C. I. , Hollowed, A. B. , Lee, J-B. , and Kim, D-H. 2011. An IFRAME approach for assessing impacts of climate change on fisheries. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1318–1328.A new assessment framework is proposed for evaluating the performance of management strategies relative to the goals of an ecosystem approach to management (EAM) under different climate change scenarios. Earlier studies have demonstrated how global climate model simulations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change can be used to force regional ocean circulation models and forecast regional changes in bottom-up forcing. We extend this approach to assess the ecosystem impacts of resource use and climate change in marine ecosystems, by developing an Integrated Fisheries Risk Analysis Method for Ecosystems (IFRAME) framework. The IFRAME approach tracks climate change impacts on the flow of energy through the planktonic foodweb using NEMURO and projects the implications of these shifts in bottom-up forcing on the fisheries foodweb using Ecopath with Ecosim. Resource management scenarios are developed and incorporated into the projection framework by characterizing the action for changes in fishing mortality or availability of resources. An integrated suite of ecosystem status indicators are proposed to assess the performance of management scenarios relative to the goals of an EAM. These ecosystem status indicators track four key management objectives of the ecosystem: sustainability, biodiversity, habitat quantity, and quality and socio-economic status.
Stereological assessment of the reproductive status of female Atlantic northern bluefin tuna during migration to Mediterranean spawning grounds through the Strait of Gibraltar

The ovarian mass and gonadosomatic index (IG) of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus, caught in the Strait of Gibraltar (Barbate) during migration to Mediterranean spawning grounds, were several times lower than those found in bluefin tuna from Mediterranean spawning grounds (Balearic Islands). Some of the bluefin tuna from Barbate (8.3%) were classified as immature (the most advanced oocytes present in the ovaries were early vitellogenic), and the majority (the remaining 91.6%) as non-spawning mature; the ovary contained late vitellogenic oocytes, but there was no sign of spawning activity. Stereological estimation indicated that the ovaries of spawning bluefin tuna from the Balearic Islands contained five-fold more highly yolked oocytes than bluefin tuna from Barbate. When breeding bluefin tuna cross the Strait of Gibraltar the gonad is at an incipient stage of maturation. The average batch fecundity estimated from stereological quantification of stage 4 (migratory-nucleus) oocytes in the specimens collected from Balearic was 92.8 oocytes g-1‘of body mass, and the spawning frequency in this area was calculated to be 1.2 days. In specimens from Barbate a relative batch fecundity of 96.3 oocytes g -1 was estimated using stage 3 (late vitellogenic) oocyte counts.
FRI0245 PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS IS NEARLY ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED BY A LOW DIFFUSING CAPACITY

Background: Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis; SSc) has high morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is common with a high mortality (1). SSc patients are screened with pulmonary function tests (diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide; DLCO) (2). Objectives: The DLCO%predicted was analyzed comparing patients with and without PAH to determine if it is always low at time of PAH diagnosis. Methods: The Canadian Scleroderma Research Group (CSRG) database was used containing more than 1300 SSc patients with a mean disease duration of 8 years. All patients with at least one follow up visit and DLCO recorded at least twice were eligible for enrolment into this nested case control study. Diagnosis of PH was verified using several algorithms within the database including R heart catheterization, use of PH medications and physician response of ‘yes’ to question has this patient been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. Sensitivity, specificity and positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) were calculated for DLC0%predicted <50% and presence of PH/PAH. Results: At time of PH diagnosis, the mean DLCO% predicted was 47% (N=30) vs no PH 73% (N=960) P<0.0001, and proven documented PAH also showed the differences (PAH, N=22 DLCO% predicted 51% vs. PAH negative (N=968) DLCO% pred 72%, P<0.0001) (Table 1). The OR of a DLCO%predicted less than 60 was 4.7 for PAH and 7.6 for PH (both P<0.001) and even higher if DLCO<50% (OR 11.5 for PH and 7.6 for PAH). Table 2 shows the PPV of DLCO at varying levels.Table 1. DLCO comparison between PH+ and PH- SSc patients and between PAH+ and PAH- SSc patients, at the time of diagnosis. PH+(n=30) PH-(n=960) P-value PAH+(n=22) PAH- (n=968) P-value mean±SD 47.17±17.53 72.74±20.79 <0.0001 51.23±17.55 72.44±20.99 <0.0001 Range 18-81 13-147 25-81 13-147 Table 2. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values in SSc-PH and -PAH for DLCO at various cut points. OR PPV Specificity NPV Sensitivity DLCO<50% 11.5 (CI 95% 5.4-24.8),p<0.0001 13.2% 87.0% 98.7% 63.3% PH DLCO<60% 7.6 (CI 95% 3.3-17.2), p<0.0001 7.9% 73.3% 98.9% 73.3% DLCO>80% 0.06 (CI 95% 0.008-0.46), p=0.007 0.3% 64.5% 95.5% 3.3% DLCO<50% 7.6 (CI 95% 3.2-17.9), p<0.0001 8.3% 86.4% 98.8% 54.5% PAH DLCO<60% 4.7 (1.9-11.3), p<0.001 5.0% 72.7% 98.9% 63.6% DLCO>80% 0.1 (0.01-0.7), p=0.018 0.3% 64.8% 96.8% 4.5% Conclusion: A low DLCO is associated with a high odds of PH/PAH in SSc and the NPV is very high at both DLCO<50% predicted and <60% predicted. This may aid in determining who should recieve a right heart catheterization in SSc patients. References: [1]Mukerjee D et al (2003) Prevalence and outcome in systemic sclerosis associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: application of a registry approach. Ann Rheum Dis 62(11):1088-93 [2]Khanna D et al (2013) Recommendations for screening and detection of connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. Arthritis Rheum 65(12):3194-201 Disclosure of Interests: None declared