Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New evidence for the periodicity of incremental structures in enamel

Tooth development is characterized by the rhythmic secretions of enameland dentine-forming cells, permanently recorded in the mineralizing tissues, which are analogous to the structural layers in marine organisms or tree trunks. Recent work has challenged the periodic nature of incremental features and the accuracy of histological analyses of dental development. In this study, experimentally labeled macaque (Macaca nemestrina) teeth were examined under regular and fluorescent light microscopy, and incremental features in the enamel were related to injection intervals. This study demonstrates the existence of sub-daily, daily, and multiple-day developmental rhythms. Cross-striations represent a daily rhythm in enamel secretion, which has been reported by several researchers and is confirmed in this study. Intradian lines, described as sub-divisions of cross-striations, appear to be the result of a 12-hour rhythm in enamel secretion. Long-period structures known as Retzius lines have a regular periodicity within individual dentitions. This was found to be 4 days in six individual macaques. Poorly known features termed laminations are the result of a daily rhythm in enamel secretion, which also appear to show 12hour sub-divisions. Laminations should not be used to determine the periodicity of Retzius lines, as they may be obscured by the superimposition of Retzius lines, which run parallel, and may be formed in a similar manner. Identification of the periodicity of intradian lines and laminations within multiple individuals represents the first empirical evidence of these features in primates. These results provide important information about features that frequently complicate precise measurements of secretion rate and the periodicity of Retzius lines, key components for the determination of total crown formation time. In a broader context, research on biological clocks demonstrates a large number of rhythmic cycles, ranging from a few hours to a yearly frequency. It is possible that long-period incremental features in dental tissues result from interactions between short-period rhythms. However, this does not explain the known range of periodicities among primates or within humans. Additional genetic, neurological, and hormonal research is needed to provide more insight into the physiological and structural basis of incremental feature formation.
Undernutrition Fetal Programming: Effects on Kidney Morphology, Renal Steroid and Angiotensin Receptors Expression and Urinary Sodium Excretion

Background. Maternal undernutrition affects the foetal development, promoting renal alterations and adult hypertension. The present study investigates, in adult male rats, the effect of food restriction in utero on arterial blood pressure changes (AP), and its possible association with the number of nephrons, renal function and angiotensin II (AT1R/AT2R), glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MCR) receptors expression. Methods. The daily food supply to pregnant rats was measured and one group (n=5) received normal quantity of food (NF) while the other group received 50% of that (FR50) (n=5). The AP was measured weekly. At 16 weeks of life, fractionator’s method was used to estimate glomeruli number in histological slices. The renal function was estimate by creatinine and lithium clearances. Blood and urine samples were collected to biochemical determination of creatinine, sodium, potassium and lithium. At 90 and 23 days of life, kidneys were also processed to AT1R, AT2R, GR and MCR immunolocalization and for western blotting analysis. Results. FR50 offspring shows a significant reduction in BW (FR50: 5.67 ± 0.16 vs. 6.84 ± 0.13g in NF, P<0.001) and increased AP from 6 to 12 week (6wk FR50: 149.1 ± 3.4 vs. 125.1 ± 3.2mmHg in NF, P<0.001and, 12wk FR50: 164.4 ± 4.9 vs. 144.0 ± 3.3 mmHg in NF, P=0.02). Expression of AT1R and AT2R were significantly decreased in FR50 (AT1, 59080 ± 2709 vs. 77000 ± 3591 in NF, P=0.05; AT2, 27500 ± 95.50 vs. 67870 ± 1509 in NF, P=0.001) while the expression of GR increased in FR50 (36090 ± 781.5 vs. 4446 ± 364.5 in NF, P=0.0007). The expression of MCR did not change significantly. We also verified a pronounced decrease in fractional urinary sodium excretion in FR50 offspring (0.03 ± 0.02 vs. 0.06 ± 0.04 in NF, p=0.03). This occurred despite unchanged creatinine clearance. Conclusion. The study led us to suggest that fetal undernutrition, with increased fetal exposure to maternal corticosteroids, program to persistent renal glucocorticoid receptor upregulation in adulthood life. That effect may be related to development of hypertension in progenies. Additionally, downregulation of the angiotensin II receptors may result in lack of ability of renal tubules water and salt handling, which in turn may also contribute to hypertension establishment.
Characterization of the rust resistance gene present in the common bean cultivar Ouro Negro, the main rust resistance source used in Brazil

The main goal of the present work was to characterize the rust resistance (RR) gene present in the Mesoamerican common bean cultivar Ouro Negro, temporarily named Ur-OuroNegro or Ur-ON, which is the main RR source used in Brazil. The RR spectrum presented by cv. Ouro Negro was compared with those of other bean lines harbouring known RR genes when inoculated with nine selected races of Uromyces appendiculatus, the causal agent of bean rust. In addition, all bean lines were screened with molecular markers linked to Ur-ON in order to identify additional evidence for the presence of alleles for this locus in the screened RR sources. The allelic relationships of Ur-ON were tested with previously characterized RR genes from lines resistant to at least one race of the pathogen. Allelism tests were also carried out between cv. Ouro Negro and cvs CNC and CSW 643, important RR sources in Brazil harbouring unnamed RR genes. The results showed that the major dominant gene conditioning RR in cv. Ouro Negro is positioned at a locus distinct from those with which it was compared. It is proposed that this gene – or complex gene locus – is unique and be designated Ur-14.
Interaction entre la RNase HI et la RNase E dans le métabolisme des R-loops et la dégradation des ARNms chez Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, DNA topoisomerase I and DNA gyrase are the two main topoisomerases responsible for the regulation of DNA supercoiling. DNA topoisomerase I is encoded by topA while gyrase is encoded by gyrA and gyrB. In topA mutants, the accumulation of negative supercoiling behind the elongating RNA polymerase complex leads to the formation of R-loops. In vivo, R-loops are formed when the nascent RNA rehybridizes with the template strand leaving the non-template strand single-stranded. RNase HI is an endoribonuclease encoded by rnhA and it is responsible for degrading the RNA in an R-loop, to make sure that replication is initiated only at oriC. Indeed, in rnhA mutants, oriC-independent replication also takes place. This type of replication, named cSDR for constitutive stable DNA replication, could explain, at least in part, the growth inhibition of double topA rnhA mutants. With the aid of the Tn5 transposon mutagenesis system, we were able to isolate extragenic suppressors that allowed double topA rnhA mutants to grow. In several of these suppressors, the transposon was inserted in the gene coding for RNase E, the major endoribonuclease responsible for mRNA degradation in E. coli. The majority of these insertions were located in the C-terminal half of the protein that is responsible for the assembly of the multiprotein complex called the degradosome. Our results show that the suppressors act by reducing cSDR as well as the SOS response which is constitutively expressed in the absence of rnhA. Since RNase HI is an endoribonuclease just like RNase E, collaboration between the two enzymes will imply that RNase E could also play a major role in the elimination of R-loops as well as their exclusion from the cell. Equally as well, RNase HI can also play a major role in the maturation and degradation of mRNAs.
Qualidade de Informação de Sensores para Gerenciamento de Situações: um estudo de caso em monitoramento térmico

Ubiquitous and pervasive computing enables context-sensitive monitoring applications to use sensor networks as data sources, thereby linking the physical world to the information world. Before being consumed, the data collected needs to be evaluated for their quality dimensions. With these metadata, applications can decide to discard or use the data to detect situations of interest, which may vary over time and according to the domain of each application. In this article, we present an architecture for WSN-based monitoring applications that introduces integrated support for quality of information (QoI) and management of situations. The validation of this architecture is described with a case study in thermal monitoring domain. Resumo. A computação ubíqua e pervasiva permite que aplicações de monitoramento sensíveis ao contexto utilizem redes de sensores como fontes de dados, acoplando o mundo físico ao mundo da informação. Antes de serem consumidos, a qualidade dos dados coletados precisa ser avaliada. Com base nessa avaliação, a aplicação pode decidir pelo descarte ou uso dos dados para a detecção de situações de interesse, as quais podem variar ao longo do tempo e de acordo com o domínio da aplicação. Neste artigo, apresentamos uma arquitetura para aplicações de monitoramento com suporte integrado à qualidade da informação e gestão de situações de interesse. A validação dessa arquitetura é descrita com estudo de caso em monitoramento térmico.
Water use by crops as affected by climate and plant factors

Abstract Not Available – First paragraph follows: The weather largely determines the use of water, or evapotranspiration (ET), by most crops during times when the plants are healthy and fully shade the ground. Even under full-cover conditions, however, the evapotranspiration of various crops can vary significantly with differences in stomatal or surface resistance, reflectance, and aerodynamic roughness. However, during early stages of crop growth, transpiration is very limited, and the controlling factor in water use is basically the moisture status of the soil surface. How frequently the surface receives water from rain or irrigation—along with the weather conditions—largely determines evapotranspiration rates.
Protecting old fish through spatial management: is there a benefit for sustainable exploitation?

Summary 1. Spatially defined restrictions on fishing activity are considered to be important for biodiversity conservation in marine ecosystems. However, it is uncertain whether such restrictions also benefit wider populations of exploited fish species, in terms of a reduced risk of overexploitation. Since fishing leads to contraction of the age structure, one potential benefit of protection is recovery of the highly fecund older age classes, potentially leading to higher recruitment levels. This investigation explores the benefits of protecting older fish and how spatial management can be used to adjust the age structure and improve the sustainability of the catch (productivity). 2. We use a non-spatial equilibrium model accounting for biomass growth, mortality and recruitment to describe the relationship between mean age of the population and productivity for the South African deepwater hake Merluccius paradoxus trawl fishery. Our results indicate that management measures capable of increasing the mean age at which fish are caught may be of benefit. Furthermore, although the contribution of older fish to recruitment is important, the biomass growth of individuals before they are caught is responsible for the most significant productivity benefit of an older population age structure. 3. Older M. paradoxus are found in deeper water, so that distinct age classes can be defined spatially using empirical data. We describe a non-equilibirum model to examine spatial management alternatives for adjusting the age structure by targetting these different age classes. We investigate the benefits of protecting either older or younger fish, with results suggesting that it is more important to limit fishing on the younger (shallow) sections of the population if productivity benefits are to be realized. 4.Synthesis and applications. We conclude that the age structure of a population can be modified through spatially managed targeting of different age classes, and that, contrary to previous assumptions for M. paradoxus, protecting older fish has a negative consequence for the age structure of the resource. Instead, younger sections of the population should be protected through limitations on fishing in shallower waters, if older age classes are to recover.
Induction of Flowering in Asian Pear ( Pyrus spp. ) – A Review

Fruit production of Asian pear (Pyrus spp) trees is increased by the use of plant growth regulators through bud breaking and flowering of plant grown in subtopical to tropical areas. The effective growth regulators are Hydrogen Cyanamide, Thioureas, KNO3, H2O2, GA3 and GA4 and GA 7. These plant growth regulators (PGRs) may be used singly or in combinations. In cell PGRs produce super oxide ion that alters protein structure by phosphorylation which may cause higher C:N ratio resulted in heavy flowering. As the dormant period is shortened by these bio-chemicals, earlier harvesting is noticed in treated plant. Now a day's Glutabion ® or mixtures of polysaccharides and growth regulators (W Uniformity Superplus) and nutrients and N-acetil cysteine, betains and vitamins (Promvit) are effective flower forming bio-chemicals for pear where HCN and thiourea are not available (Portugal). Growth retardant chemicals like SADH and shoot bending increase ethylene synthesis in damaged cells which influence early flower bud formation in pear plant. Paclobutazol also promotes flowering in Asian pear by reduction of growth of spur.
Evolution and Escalation: An Ecological History of Life

Here is one biologist's interpretation of the chronology of life during the last six hundred million years of earth history: an extended essay that draws on the author's own data and a wide-ranging literature survey to discuss the nature and dynamics of evolutionary change in organisms and their biological surroundings. Geerat Vermeij demonstrates that escalation--the process by which species adapt to, or are limited by, their enemies as the latter increase in ability to acquire and retain resources--has been a dominant theme in the history of life despite frequent episodes of extinction.
Viral Immune Evasion

The effects of viral immune evasion proteins can occur outside host cells, in the case of chemokines, cytokines, or cell surface receptors, or inside cells, in the case of signal transduction and antigen presentation pathways. This chapter attempts to summarize examples of viral immune evasion strategies, especially the facets of the immune system frequently targeted by viruses. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human retroviruses, and vaccinia virus incorporate host complement control proteins (CCPs), CD55 and CD59, into the virion envelopes, mediating resistance to complement. The poxviruses variola virus, vaccinia virus (VV), and cowpox virus (CPV) all express CCPs, which were discovered based on sequence similarity to human and mouse CCPs. The ability of viruses to induce IFN gene expression via dsRNA varies greatly, and the viral proteins which have evolved to intercept this dsRNA-dependent activation can function either to block IFN-induced transcription or by neutralizing IFN-induced molecules that establish an antiviral state. The discovery of virus-encoded homologs of IFN regulatory factors (vIRFs) within the genome of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) suggested a mechanism whereby the viral homolog could outcompete cellular IRFs needed for the transcriptional activation of host cell IFN response genes. Inactivation occurs only after direct contact between herpes simplex virus (HSV)-infected fibroblasts and the lymphocytes, not when the lymphocytes are incubated with high concentrations of cell-free virus.
Higher dietary level of organic selenium in weaned piglets' diet.

Kako bismo utvrdili postiže li se pove anjem dodatka organskoga selena u hranu odbite prasadi pove anje rasta, djeluje li to na pove anje imunog odgovora i utje e li ve a doza na zdravlje i homeostazu, u istraživanje su uklju ene dvije skupine odbite prasadi (N=40), križanaca [(LW x SL) x Pietrein], istog omjera spolova, u dobi od 28 do 70 dana. Kontrolna skupina (C) prasadi hranjena je uz dodatak 0,4 mg/kg organskog selena (Sel-Plex, Alltech Inc.), a pokusna skupina (E) prasadi hranjena je smjesama uz dodatak 0,7 mg/kg organskog selena (Sel-Plex, Alltech Inc.). Pra eni su tjelesna masa, prosje ni prirasti, hematološki pokazatelji 21. dana pokusa, biokemijski pokazatelji (glukoza, urea, kreatinin, trigliceridi, ukupni kolesterol, HDL i LDL kolesterol, ukupni proteini, željezo, kalcij, aktivnost enzima AST, ALT, GGT, LDH, CK i C reaktivni protein) 21. i 41. dana pokusa. Skupina odbite prasadi hranjena uz dodatak povišene razine organskog selena postigla je ve u tjelesnu masu, zna ajno ve i (P<0,05) ukupni prirast tijekom 41 dana pokusa, uz bolju konverziju hrane. Nije bilo utjecaja na aktivnost enzima AST, ALT, GGT, LDH, CK, odnos LDH/AST i CRP. Nisu utvr ene zna ajne razlike hematoloških i biokemijskih pokazatelja. Nakon 21 dana pokusa utvr ena je niža koncentracija ukupnog i LDL kolesterola u pokusnih životinja, ali bez statisti ke zna ajnosti.
A long-range pseudoknot in Q RNA is essential for replication 1 1 Edited by D. E. Draper

A puzzling aspect of replication of bacteriophage Qβ RNA has always been that replicase binds at an internal segment, the M-site, some 1450 nt away from the 3′ end. Here, we report on the existence of a long-range pseudoknot, base-pairing eight nt in the loop of the 3′ terminal hairpin to a single-stranded interdomain sequence located about 1200 nt upstream, close to the internal replicase binding site. Introduction of a single mismatch into this pseudoknot is sufficient to abolish replication, but the inhibition is fully reversed by a second-site substitution that restores the pairing. The pseudoknot is part of an elaborate structure that seems to hold the 3′ end in a fixed position vis a vis the replicase binding site. Our results imply that the shape of the RNA confers the functonality. We discuss the possible relevance of our findings for replication of other viral RNAs.
Bacterial Aeroplankton of the Upper Layers of the Atmosphere During the Winter.

Abstract : Bacteria and fungi in an aerosol state easily saturate air in motion and are then carried great distances in both hiorizontal aid vertical directions. However questions of the dispersal of microbes in the atmosphere. There, and their occurrence and viability in the upper layers of the atmosphere have been studied very little, particularly with regard to different meteorological situations and at different seasons of the year, Yet these are precisely the questions of interest with regard to the carrying of microbes at great distances and which are of significance for public health and of general biological value.
Distinct Response of Circulating microRNAs to the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts with FGFR and ALK Kinase Inhibitors

Simple Summary Pancreatic cancer is among the top three leading causes of cancer-related death in the United States, mainly due to late diagnosis after the disease has already spread to other organs. Hence, timely and efficient treatments are necessary to improve outcomes. In this study, we explored the use of circulating microRNAs (miRs) collected from the peripheral blood of pancreatic cancer-bearing mice for assessment of treatment efficacy early in the treatment schedule. MicroRNA changes in serum samples precede histologic changes during the treatments, suggesting the use of circulating microRNA as early indicators of response to treatment. These easily-accessible biomarkers can be sampled repeatedly and could guide timely treatment decisions. Abstract Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is typically detected at a late stage and thus shows only limited sensitivity to treatment, making it one of the deadliest malignancies. In this study, we evaluate changes in microRNA (miR) patterns in peripheral blood as a potential readout of treatment responses of pancreatic cancer to inhibitors that target tumor–stroma interactions. Mice with pancreatic cancer cell (COLO357PL) xenografts were treated with inhibitors of either fibroblast growth factor receptor kinase (FGFR; PD173074) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase receptor (ALK; TAE684). While both treatments inhibited tumor angiogenesis, signal transduction, and mitogenesis to a similar extent, they resulted in distinct changes in circulating miR signatures. Comparison of the miR pattern in the tumor versus that in circulation showed that the inhibitors can be distinguished by their differential impact on tumor-derived miRs as well as host-derived circulating miRs. Distinct signatures that include circulating miR-1 and miR-22 are associated with the efficacy of ALK and FGFR inhibition, respectively. We propose that monitoring changes in circulating miR profiles can provide an early signature of treatment response or resistance to pathway-targeted drugs, and thus provide a non-invasive measurement to rapidly assess the efficacy of candidate therapies.
Semi automated segmentation of chromosomes in metaphase cells

Image segmentation plays a crucial role in many medical imaging applications by automating or facilitating the delineation of anatomical structures and other regions of interest. Since the birth of the automated karyotyping systems by the aid of computers, building a fully automated chromosome analysis system has been an ultimate goal. Along with many other challenges, accurate segmentation of the chromosomes has been a major challenge especially due to the non rigid nature of the chromosomes. The earlier reported approaches for the segmentation have limited success as they are sensitive to scale variation, experimented only on gray images, unable to segment the clusters and the highly bent chromosomes. This work, describes an effective approach of segmentation of chromosomes in Metaphase images using Random Walker Algorithm [RWA] which is yet unexplored and not reported in the literature. The efforts are also done to compare the results with traditional methods so as to prove the efficiency of the implemented RWA algorithm. The algorithm is tested on publically available database and has shown encouraging and acceptable results. (6 pages)