Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Composition and synthesis of raphide crystals and druse crystals in berries of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon: Ascorbic acid as precursor for both oxalic and tartaric acids as revealed by radiolabelling studies

Biomineralisation in the fleshy pericarp of berries of Vitis vinifera L. gives rise to crystals of two distinct forms, viz. raphides and druses, which are found in exocarp and endocarp cells respectively. Druses have generally been considered as crystalline aggregates of calcium oxalate. However, the organic moiety of raphide crystals has been commonly accepted as tartrate, although we have found no analytical data to support that assumption. We now present TEM and X-ray powder diffraction analysis data showing that raphide crystals of V. vinifera berries are composed of calcium oxalate monohydrate. This work also established ascorbic acid as the biosynthetic precursor of both oxalic and tartaric acids. When ascorbic acid labelled with 14C at position 1 was introduced into berries via the rachis, 21% and 52% of the added radiolabel was recovered as oxalic and tartaric acids respectively. Purified crystals from the radiolabelled grape berries contained approximately 20% of the original radioactivity, further confirming the role of ascorbic acid in oxalic acid biosynthesis. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence to be published on the formation of oxalic and tartaric acids from ascorbic acid via two distinct pathways operating within the same physiological entity (organ).
Otoprotection and inner ear regeneration

Sensory hairs cells are the mechanotransducers of the inner ear that are essential for hearing and balance. Death of hair cells (HCs) commonly occurs following acoustic trauma or exposure to ototoxins such as aminoglycosides or cisplatin, and as a consequence of ageing. It has generally been accepted that hearing loss resulting from hair cell damage is irreversible as the human ear is incapable of regenerating or repairing these sensory elements following severe injury. Therapeutic strategies for inner ear repair can be divided into two main categories: 1) protective means, in order to promote cell survival after damage, and 2) regeneration of HCs, once the cells have died. A systematic review of the literature was carried out through Medline searches in English. This showed that the protection of auditory hair cells is an exciting field and that new therapeutic strategies could possibly reach clinical practice soon. In addition, inner ear regeneration with stem cells is a rapidly evolving and exciting field but it could take longer before practical tools will become available.
Cadmium in selected organs of fallow‐deer (dama dama), sheep (ovis aries), brown hare (lepus europaeus) and rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) in Slovakia

Summary The contents of cadmium in some organs of fallow‐deer, sheep, brown hare and rabbit were studied. The highest levels of cadmium were found in the kidneys of all of the different animal species (0.17 ‐ 2.05 mg/kg). The highest levels of cadmium were found in brown hare kidneys and the lowest values were recorded in the reproductive organs (0.007 ‐ 0.04 mg/kg) and in the muscle (0.005 ‐ 0.01 mg/kg). In comparison of wild and farm animals higher levels of cadmium were detected in the organs of wild animals.
Appearance and periodicity of growth rings in some tropical woods

Trees belonging to 30 tropical African and South American hardwood species were wounded annually. This made it possible, after the trees had been felled, to mark precisey the annual growth rings and determine their boundaries. These boundaries are always formed during the longest dry season and clearly express the rhythm of cambial activity. The appearance and nature of these growth rings vary according to genera rather than to types of climate.
Mycelial fungi in cryopegs

Mycelial fungi from cryopegs (tundra, Kolyma lowland, Russia) have been studied. The use of media with different amounts of salt and cultivation at 4 and 25 °C allowed us to isolate filamentous fungi assigned to 11 species. The micromycetes of genus Geomyces were found most often. The total amount of fungi reached 1–4×102 CFU ml−1 of water. The extreme conditions of the cryopegs – the high salinity of the water (150–200 g l−1) and the constant low temperatures (average annual temperature is from −9 to −11 °C) – might serve as a model for the conditions of interplanetary environments.
Pathovars or Formae speciales of Microbotryum violaceum Differ in Electrophoretic Karyotype

Isolates of the basidiomycete phytopathogen, Microbotryum violaceum (Pers.: Pers.) Deml & Oberw. (Ustilago violacea [Pers.] Roussel), are restricted in their host range to one or a few species of Caryophyllaceae (Pinks). Thus, the 200-plus species that serve as hosts for M. violaceum define pathovars or formae speciales of the fungus. For both a1 and a2 sporidial mating-type strains of different formae speciales of M. violaceum electrophoretic karyotypes and chromosomal polymorphisms were examined using CHEF gel analysis and 12-15 distinct bands were visualized. The bands, representing intact chromosomes, ranged in size from ca. 0.97 to 5.7 megabase pairs (Mb) for the pathovar that infects Silene latifolia. Their chromosome numbers were consistent with the numbers of linkage groups (14-20) identified by genetic analysis. Several size polymorphisms were detected within this forma specialis, and some dramatic polymorphisms were observed between different formae speciales. Southern analyses with the genes for M. violaceum γ-tubulin and TATA-box binding protein (TFIID) as probes confirmed the size polymorphisms among the respective karyotypes of the strains.
Rendimento de feijão-caupi em função de doses e formas de aplicação de nitrogênio

The cowpea-bean, known as macassar-bean or rope-bean is one of the main crops in the Northeast region of Brazil. It is consumed either as fresh or dried beans. Cowpea is cultivated in almost all regions of the Paraiba State, representing 75% of the cultivated area with cowpea-beans. The low yield is attributed to the lack of a research program about mineral fertilization. The effect of levels and forms of nitrogen applications on yield of pods and green and dry grains of cowpea-bean, cv. IPA 206 was evaluates. The experiment was performed at the Universidade Federal da Paraiba, in Areia, Brazil, from April to August/2001, in a randomized blocks design. Treatments were distributed in a factorial scheme 5 x 2, where the first factor corresponded to nitrogen levels (0; 25; 50; 75 and 100 kg ha-1) and, the second factor, the application forms (soil and foliar application), in four repetitions. Each plot consisted of 20 plants, spaced 0.8 x 0.4 m apart. The estimated maximum pods yield (11 t ha-1), of green grains (9.3 t ha-1) and of dry grains (3.6 t ha-1) was obtained with 62, 61 and 56 kg ha-1 of nitrogen applied in the soil, respectively. With foliar applications the yield of pods (10 t ha-1), of green grains (8.4 t ha-1) and of dry grains (3.4 t ha-1) reached maximum values applying levels of 64, 63 and 59 kg ha-1 of nitrogen respectively.
Reconsidering the role of public participation in the Finnish forest planning system

Abstract The article examines the role of public participation rights in the Finnish forest planning system and considers the need for improvement, with a particular focus on private forests. Public participation is approached here as one of the tools for achieving social and ecological sustainability in forestry. The paper shows that public participation rights are very limited in the forest planning and management schemes in Finland. Among other things, access to environmental information is restricted, which is exceptional in modern environmental and natural resource law. The article concludes that there is a need to strengthen the participatory elements in forest planning if the aim is to improve environmental and social sustainability in forestry.
Fitossociologia de um remanescente de mata sobre tabuleiros no norte do estado do Rio de Janeiro (Mata do Carvão)

The forests on Barreiras formations are located in fragmented areas extending from the Rio Grande do Norte State to north of Rio de Janeiro State. In the north of Rio de Janeiro State, the "Mata do Carvao" (1053 ha) is the largest remaining fragment. This study describes the structure and floristic composition of a remnant forest on tertiary tabuleiros and its main aim was to compare this forest with other "tabuleiro" and Atlantic forest remnants in the region. To carry out the inventory, four plots of 50 x 50 m were allocated in a selected area without vestiges of logging activities or fire. All trees ³ 10 cm DBH were sampled and numbered with aluminium tags. Dead trees were measured but not tagged. A total of 564 trees was sampled being distributed within 34 families. The families with higher number of species were Leguminosae (18), Myrtaceae (8), and Euphorbiaceae (6). The most abundant families were Rutaceae (189), Leguminosae (97) and Euphorbiaceae (47). The species with higher cover index values were Metrodorea brevifolia, Paratecoma peroba and Pseudopiptadenia contorta. Although the "Mata do Carvao" showed lower tree diversity (H = 3.21) than those found for other semi-deciduous seasonal forests, it has a high species similarity between the tabuleiro forests of South Bahia and North of Espirito Santo. In the "Mata do Carvao", the occurrence of rare species at risk of extinction (e.g. Paratecoma peroba) was observed. Furthermore, these are new occurrences for the Rio de Janeiro State (Centrolobium sclerophyllum and Polygala pulcherrima).
The Nax Channel: What It Is and What It Does

Nax, which is preferentially expressed in the glial cells of sensory circumventricular organs in the brain, is a sodium channel that is poorly homologous to voltage-gated sodium channels. We previously reported that Nax is a sodium concentration ([Na+])-sensitive, but not a voltage-sensitive channel that is critically involved in body-fluid homeostasis. Nax-knockout mice do not stop ingesting salt even when dehydrated and transiently develop hypernatremia. [Na+] in body fluids is strictly controlled at 135 to 145 mM in mammals. Although the set point must be within this range, Nax was shown to have a threshold value of ~150 mM for extracellular [Na+] ([Na+]o) for activation in vitro. Therefore, the [Na+]o dependency of Nax in vivo is presumably modified by an as yet unidentified mechanism. We recently demonstrated that the [Na+]o dependency of Nax in the subfornical organ was adjusted to the physiological range by endothelin-3. Pharmacological experiments revealed that endothelin receptor B signaling was .
Carotenoids in cassava: Comparison of open‐column and HPLC methods of analysis

Cassava leaves and tubers from six cultivars were analysed for carotenoids by both open-column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The major carotenoids of leaves were the non-vitamin A carotenoid lutein (86-290 mg kg−1 fresh weight (FW)) and the pro-vitamin A carotenoid β-carotene (13-78 mg kg−1 FW). Immature leaves contained less than mature leaves. Tubers contained 0.1-3 mg kg−1 FW of β-carotene and 0.05-0.6 mg kg−1 FW of lutein. Carotenoids present in small amounts included α-, γ-, and §-carotenes and β-cryptoxanthin and others were separated and partially identified. Yellow tubers contain much more β-carotene than white tubers and cassava is a good source of pro-vitamin A carotenoids compared with other root crops. Both methods gave similar results for β-carotene and lutein, but the open-column method did not allow separation and quantitation of carotenoids present in small amounts. HPLC separated many carotenoids, but most peaks could not be identified for lack of reference compounds. A great advantage of open-column chromatography for developing countries is its use of simple equipment and readily available reagents and solvents compared with HPLC, which requires complex equipment needing careful maintenance and expensive solvents. The open-column method is more labour intensive but this is not a constraint in developing countries.
In vitro neutralization by monoclonal antibodies against yellow grouper nervous necrosis virus (YGNNV) and immunolocalization of virus infection in yellow grouper, Epinephelus awoara (Temminck & Schlegel)

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were produced by using yellow grouper nervous necrosis virus (YGNNV) as an immunogen, isolated from infected yellow grouper, Epinephelus awoara (Temminck & Schlegel), and propagated in GB cells. In enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 43 hybridoma clones secreting MAbs strongly reacted with the purified virus. Ten of them showed a higher neutralization index (NI) value between 6.5 and 4.5 (log10 NI) than the other 33 MAbs against YGNNV infection in cell culture. All 10 MAbs belonged to the IgG isotype with a κ light chain and recognized the 42 kDa coat protein of YGNNV by Western blot analysis. Immunohistochemical results demonstrated that the viral signals co-located with pathological lesions observed in retina, brain and spinal cord. These results indicate that the MAbs are useful for confirmative diagnosis of YGNNV infection.
Prediction of Elastic Properties of Sperm Flagella

Abstract A model is presented for calculating the elastic properties of sperm flagella. The moments and product of inertia of a 9 + 2 axoneme are calculated exactly, and their variation about the center axis is examined. The elastic modulus of microtubule doublets and the central microtubules are calculated from a model discussed elsewhere (Schoutens, 1992). Using these results the flexural rigidity of a 9 + 2 axoneme is calculated. Upper and lower bounds on 9 + 2 axoneme flexural rigidity are calculated, representing the condition in which doublets are connected (upper bound) or completely independent (lower bound). Results from published experimental data are discussed and compared with results obtained in this paper. The elastic modulus, moment of inertia and flexural rigidity agree well with experimentally reported values.
Geographic distribution of American black bears in North America

Abstract American black bears (Ursus americanus) historically inhabited every province and territory in Canada, all continental states in the United States (U.S.), and northern states of Mexico. We used BearsWhere? , an Internet mapping tool, to survey bear biologists in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. and estimate the current range of black bears using 4 categories: primary range and secondary range (which together comprise total range), bear sighting locations outside range, and no bears reported. Primary and secondary ranges in 12 Canadian provinces and territories, 40 states in the U.S., and 6 states in Mexico totaled 10.5 million km2, representing 65–75% of the species' historical range. Total bear range in Canada was 6.9 million km2, representing 95–100% of its historical range. Prince Edward Island was the only province with no bear range or sightings. Total range in the U.S. was 3.5 million km2, representing 45–60% of U.S. historical range. Respondents reported occasional sightings but no primary or secondary range in 6 U.S. states (IA, KS, NE, ND, OH, and SD), and bears were absent from the District of Columbia and the remaining 4 states (DE, HI, IL, and IN). Only primary range data were available in Mexico, consisting of approximately 99,000 km2 across portions of 6 states (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, Sonora, and Tamaulipas). Our ability to detect a change in bear range was limited, but notable expansion of primary range since the mid-1990s was confirmed in Virginia and North Carolina.
Oligosaccharides and galactosyl cyclitols in seed desiccation tolerance

Abstract Soluble carbohydrates are one of multiple components required for the acquisition of desiccation tolerance during seed development and maturation. Sucrose and the raffinose series of oligosaccharides have been extensively studied in relation to seed desiccation tolerance. These galactosyl sucrose oligosaccharides are present in viable tissues of many edible seeds, especially the legumes, and contribute to flatulence after ingestion. A reduction in oligosaccharides of the raffinose series is desired by nutritionists but, if present at less than a threshold level, this this may result in reduced desiccation tolerance and storability of seeds. Some seeds that have very low amounts of raffinose and stachyose accumulate galactosyl cyclitols and small amounts of free cyclitols. Galactosyl cyclitols present in various seeds include galactosyl or methyl derivatives of myo-inositol, D-pinitol, D-chiro-inositol, D-ononitol, and scyllo-inositol. Castor bean seeds accumulate galactinol and buck-wheat seeds accumulate fagopyritol in addition to sucrose. Fagopyritol accumulation is associated with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance in buckwheat seeds. The galactosyl sucrose and galactosyl cyclitol soluble carbohydrates in maturing seeds have been proposed to have various roles in desiccation tolerance including non-toxic and non-reducing forms of seed storage products and intracellular osmotic agents contributing to the structural stability of organelles, membranes, enzymes and proteins, other macromolecules, and the glassy state. Ether derivatives of cyclitols may form liquid crystals. Methyl ether derivatives of cyclitols may have roles as cryoprotectants, desiccation protectants, and hydroxyl radical scavengers.
Sleep status of medical students of a private medical college in Kerala

Objective : Sleep is very important for healthy, efficient and happy life of every person. Medical students, being future doctors, need to have good rest and learn to take good care of themselves if they have to serve people efficiently in future. This subject, of quality of sleep among medical students, has not been researched in India. We are doing a pilot study to find out the sleep status of medical students in a private medical college in Kerala. Design: Cross sectional study was done on medical students. Subjects: 20% of randomly selected students from five batches, a total of 100 students. Methods: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) form was administered to the students. Data was tabulated and analysed using Microsoft Excel. Scoring was done using PSQI Microsoft Access database software. Results: Out of 100, 53 (53%) students showed poor quality sleep with Global PSQI score >5. Though only 5% felt their sleep was bad, 87% were found to have bad or worse sleep efficiency scores. Conclusions: Future doctors must follow good sleep hygiene and habits to ensure positive health, to ensure a long life full of energy. This subject needs to be studied further.
Anti-intellectualism in the DNA Barcoding Enterprise

Taxonomy has been portrayed in recent years as a mere ‘service’ provider for end users such as ecologists, bioinformaticists, and conservationists, and is currently undermined by anti-intellectual trends that are playing an ever-increasing role within biological systematics. This anti-intellectual uprising has many facades, one of the most insidious of which is being lead by DNA barcoders. By employing the slogan of 'improving taxonomy' and the spectre of the 'biodiversity crisis', what we term the DNA Barcoding Enterprise Model (DBEM) has succeeded in creating a product for non-taxonomic stakeholders, namely industry, governmental departments, fisheries, agriculture, applied ecology, and conservation. The DBEM is not designed to help taxonomy nor further taxonomic research or promote scholarship. Rather, the DBEM is an anti-intellectual exercise concerned with demoting the importance of taxonomy via faint praise---by adding to the taxonomic 'toolbox' as if taxonomy were a mere 'technology' that needs further mechanical enhancement. Yet, no matter how much supporters of the DBEM praise its apparent usefulness, taxonomy continues to wither. Instead of helping taxonomy, the DBEM uses taxonomists in order to aid its own particular research and development by procuring accurate identifications within databases; the general outcome is simply not useful for taxonomy as a scientific endeavor.
Life History and Ecology of Myotis austroriparius in Florida

Bats of the species Myotis austroriparius are remarkable for their disjunct distribution. The three races of this species are found in widely separated geographical areas which differ greatly in environmental conditions. Myotis a. mumfordi occurs in south-central Indiana (Rice, 1955 a ), in extreme southern Illinois (Smith and Parmalee, 1954), and in central Arkansas (Davis et al. , 1955); M. a. gatesi occurs in Louisiana (Lowery, 1943); and M. a. austroriparius occurs in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. This wide distribution has offered an excellent opportunity to determine how behavior, social organization, and population dynamics have been modified to meet the varying ecology of this species. Virtually nothing has been published on the natural history of Myotis austroriparius . The present study was undertaken to determine the general features of the life history and ecology of these bats. The field work on which this report is based extended from February 1953 to June 1955. Besides shooting, mist-netting, and collecting in outside roosting sites, I visited every known cave colony of bats in Florida. In addition, data recorded by the Florida Speleological Society prior to this investigation were available to me. I have observed well over a million bats in the field, and have individually examined 13,169 for sex, age, reproductive condition, parasites, and other data. Numbered bands were placed on 2,751 bats, from which 706 returns, repeats and recoveries were obtained by the end of 1955. Acknowledgments . —I am indebted to the officers and members of the Florida Speleological Society, especially Robert B. Cumming, Richard Bennett, and Donald Martin, for their fine cooperation and assistance in the field. The following students and faculty members of the University of Florida Department of Biology have aided me in the field on numerous occasions: David K. Caldwell, Edwin H. McConkey, H. B. Sherman, Gerald E. …
Genetics, sex and exposure: the ecology of Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Nematoda) in the wood mouse.

Etude de la dynamique des populations du parasite H. polygyrus a l'interieur de son hote Apodemus sylvaticus en relation avec sa survie et sa fecondite.Mise au point d'un modele immigration - mortalite pour etudier la regulation apparente de l'accroissement de la population et etude de la variabilite en fonction de l'hote (grande variabilite entre les familles et faible variabilite au sein d'une parentele) afin de verifier la base genetique de l'heterogeneite constatee
Effects of metals on enzyme activity in plants

Abstract. Uptake of phytotoxic amounts of metal by higher plants or algae can result in inhibition of several enzymes, and in increase in activity (= induction) of others. Two mechanisms of enzyme inhibition predominate: (1) binding of the metal to sulphydryl groups, involved in the catalytic actionor structural integrity of enzymes, and (2) deficiency of an essential metal in metalloproteins or metal-protein complexes, eventually combined with substitution of the toxic metal for the deficient element. Metal accumulation in the cellular compartment of the enzyme is a prerequisite for enzyme inhibition in vivo. The induction of some enzymes is considered to play a significant role in the stress metabolism, induced by metal phytotoxicity. Peroxidase induction is likely to be related to oxidative reactions at the biomembrane; several enzymes of the intermediary metabolism might be stimulated to compensate for metal-sensitive photosynthetic reactions. The induction of enzymes and metal-specific changes in isoperoxidase pattern can be used as diagnostic criteria to evaluate the phytotoxicity of soils, contaminated by several metals. Lines for future research on metal phytotoxicity are proposed, involving the study of inhibition and induction of enzymes at the different cell membranes (especially the plasmamembrane) in vivo.