Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
STAT3 in EGF Receptor-Mediated Fibroblast and Human Prostate Cancer Cell Migration, Invasion and Apoptosis.

Growth factor-induced migration is a rate-limiting step in tumor invasiveness. The molecules that regulate this cellular behavior would represent novel targets for limiting tumor cell progression. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR)-mediated motility, present in both autocrine and paracrine modes in prostate carcinomas, requires de novo transcription to persist over times greater than a few hours. Therefore, we sought the specific signaling pathways that directly alter cellular transcription. We confirmed that STAT3 directly associates with, and is activated by EGFR in DU-145 and PC3 human prostate carcinoma cells in addition to the model NR6 fibroblast cell line. This correlated with electrophoretic motility shift of STAT3-selective oligonucleotides. Inhibition of STAT3 activity by antisense or siRNA down-regulation or expression of a dominant-negative construct limited cell motility as determined by an in vitro wound healing assay and invasiveness through a matrix barrier. The expression of constitutively activated STAT3 in the absence of EGF did not increase the migration. Together these data indicate that STAT3 is necessary but not sufficient for EGFR-mediated migration. An initial gene array detected a number of candidate operative molecules; the protein levels of both ENA/VASP, a repressor of cell motility, and caspase 3, a nexus of apoptotic signaling, were down regulated by EGF in a STAT3-dependent manner. Preliminary data show that EGF requires STAT3 functioning to inhibit the induction of apoptosis in the two human prostate cancer cell lines. This suggests that STAT3 signaling may be contributing to tumor progression in a second manner by rendering the cells resistant to death. Together, the sum of these findings suggest that STAT3 signaling may be a new target for both limiting prostate tumor cell invasion and enabling the tumor cells to be killed.
Matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE): a putative phosphatonin

The introduction to the thesis discusses the control of phosphate balance and considers recent developments in the field. The concept of novel circulating substances which influence, and perhaps regulate, plasma phosphate (‘phosphatonins’), and which are important in tumour-induced hypophosphataemia, hereditary hypophosphataemias and, potentially, in normal phosphate physiology, is introduced. Finally, the isolation of the putative phosphatonin MEPE, and the current state of knowledge about this molecule, is described. The initial practical studies deal with the development and validation of a novel micromethod for measurement of phosphate and, simultaneously, other anions in biological fluids, using capillary electrophoresis. The accuracy and reproducibility of the method are demonstrated, and the method is compared with an established micromethod for measurement of individual ions. Finally, capillary electrophoresis is applied to the measurement of phosphate and other anions in urine, plasma and tubular fluid samples. In the next section, renal clearance experiments are performed in anaesthetized rats, in order to assess the effects of intravenously administered MEPE and to compare them with those of parathyroid hormone. MEPE is shown to be markedly phosphaturic. It does not alter glomerular filtration rate, blood pressure, plasma phosphate concentration or filtered phosphate load, but does cause large, dose-dependent increases in absolute and fractional phosphate excretion. The final series of experiments uses micropuncture methods in anaesthetized rats, in which fluid is collected from individual proximal convoluted tubules. The phosphaturic effect of MEPE is confirmed, and is shown to result, at least in part, from a reduction in fractional phosphate reabsorption in the proximal convoluted tubule, without a change in filtered phosphate load. The results obtained in these studies are discussed in relation to previous knowledge.
Wine yeasts as tools for oenological research and strain improvement by genetic techniques

Wine yeast make a substantial contribution to the composition and hence quality of a wine. A detailed understanding of how the environment of the grape juice fermentation influences wine yeast behaviour is lacking. Yet such information is essential for the manipulation of the interaction of yeast with grape juice to enhance wine quality. The dissection of metabolic processes and their regulation is relatively straight forward in laboratory strains of yeast. Being available as haploids with a number of selectable markers, such strains have a simple genetic constitution and are therefore readily manipulated. A major obstacle to understanding the metabolism of wine yeast under oenological conditions is the genetic complexity of such industrial strains. Through this project we have undertaken to construct wine yeast derivatives that are of simpler genetic constitution. Furthermore we have developed a set of disruption vectors for use with these strains, which take advantage of dominant selectable markers and, in specific cases, are designed to be lost from the genome when not required, leaving minimal or no foreign sequences. Specifically we have produced haploid strains from diploid (or potentially higher) commercial wine yeast strains (L2056, O16 and CY3079). This was achieved through disruption of the HO gene, which is responsible for mating type switching and hence spontaneous re-diploidisaton of haploids. These ho strains display fermentation kinetics and key metabolite formation, which closely resembles that of parental wine yeast strains. The ho strains are intended as a) tools for oenological research and b) as vehicles for the construction of new optimised wine yeasts. In line with the former, we have shown these yeast to be fully amenable with classical genetic techniques and chemical mutagenesis. The introduction of additional selectable markers has also been accomplished thereby enhancing the versatility of these strains for research purposes. In particular, a ura3 marker has been introduced which now allows the screening of a transposon mutant library in the wine yeast background of these strains. This possibility, to be taken up in a subsequent project, will be extremely useful in identifying genes of importance to key wine yeast attributes. As part of a strategy to produce an optimised wine yeast destined for industrial use, we are finalising characterisation of genes from related projects as candidates for modification. Our ability to make modifications with minimal extraneous foreign sequences or additional modifications is also being confirmed. The development of a disruption vector from which the selectable marker, KanMX (geneticin resistance), can be removed after gene disruption is instrumental to this goal. Future work will centre on the exploitation of the tools developed in this project as well as their fuller evaluation in terms of winemaking and organoleptic criteria.
Molecular investigation of the microbial populations of the pink sugarcane mealybug, Saccharicoccus sacchari

In an attempt to better understand the microbial diversity and endosymbiotic microbiota of the pink sugarcane mealybug (PSMB) Saccharicoccus sacchari Cockerell (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), culture-independent approaches, namely PCR, a 16S rDNA clone library, and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) were used. Previous work has indicated that the acetic acid bacteria Gluconacetobacter sacchari, Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus, and Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens represent only a small proportion of the microbial community of the PSMB. These findings were supported in this study by TGGE, where no bands representing G. sacchari, G. diazotrophicus, and G. liquefaciens on the acrylamide gel could be observed following electrophoresis, and by a 16S rDNA clone library study, where no clones with the sequence of an acetic acid bacterium were found. Instead, TGGE revealed that the mealybug microbial community was dominated by beta- and gamma-Proteobacteria. The dominant band in TGGE gels found in a majority of the mealybug samples was most similar, according to BLAST analysis, to the beta-symbiont of the craw mealybug Antonina crawii and to Candidatus Tremblaya princeps, an endosymbiont from the mealybug Paracoccus nothofagicola. The sequences of other dominant bands were identified as gamma-Proteobacteria, and were most closely related to uncultured bacterial clones obtained from soil samples. Mealybugs collected from different areas in Queensland, Australia, were found to produce similar TGGE profiles, although there were a few exceptions. A 16S rDNA clone library based on DNA extracted from a mealybug collected from sugarcane in the Burdekin region in Queensland, Australia, indicated very low levels of diversity among mealybug microbial populations. All sequenced clones were most closely related to the same members of the gamma-Proteobacteria, according to BLAST analysis.
Pharmacological Evidence for Cannabinoid Receptors in Glutamatergic Synapses at the Crayfish Neuromuscular Junction

Endogenous cannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors are involved in retrograde messaging in neurons, a system believed to be restricted to the vertebrate nervous system. However, recent studies have begun to find evidence of both endogenous cannabinoids and their receptors in some invertebrates as well as at the neuromuscular junction of vertebrates. This experiment represents our attempts to link these two distinct areas of cannabinoid research by looking for evidence of cannabinoid receptors in the glutamatergic neuromuscular junction of crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Using a combination of standard electrophysiological techniques and the chemical application of cannabinoid receptor agonists and cannabinoid receptor antagonists, we measured the excitatory post synaptic potentials (EPSPs) at this neuromuscular junction and compared the amplitudes of the EPSPs during the application of agonist, antagonist, and agonist with pre-applied antagonist. These data suggest that there are in fact cannabinoid receptors in the crayfish neuromuscular junction and that these receptors play a role in mediating synaptic inhibition. This research has the potential to redefine the evolutionary history of cannabinoids receptors and augment our current understanding of their role in the nervous system.
Soil microbiology : an exploratory approach

INTRODUCTION TO SOIL MICROORGANISM AND MICROBIOLOGY. A Historical Perspective of Soil Microbiology. Microbial Growth and Metabolism. Soil Enzymes. THE SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY. The Macrofauna - Ants, Earthworms, and Other Creatures. The Mesofauna - Nematodes. The Microfauna - Protozoa and Archezoa. The Chromista - Algea. Fungi. Filamentous Prokaryotes - Actinomycetes. The Rest of the Prokaryotic World. Mycoplasmas, Viruses, Viroids, and Prions - The Rest of the Microbiota. THE SOIL AS A MICROBIAL ENVIRONMENT. Soil as a Microbial Habitat. Environmental Influences - Temperature, Reduction-Oxidation, and pH. Soil Water and Microbial Activity. SOIL MICROORGANISMS AND NUTRIENT CYCLES. The Sulfur Cycle. The Phosphorus Cycle. Iron and Manganese Transformations. The Nitrogen Cycle - Nitrogen Mineralization. The Nitrogen Cycle - Nitrification. The Nitrogen Cycle - Immobilization. The Nitrogen Cycle - Denitrification and Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction. The Nitrogen Cycle - Nitrogen Fixation. The Carbon Cycle - Organic Carbon Entering Soil. The Carbon Cycle - Mineralization and Residue Decomposition. The Carbon Cycle - Soil Organic Matter and Humus. SOIL MICROBIAL INTERACTIONS. Microbial Interactions - The Community Reflects the Habitat. Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation. Inoculation and Biocontrol. Mycorrhizae. SOIL MICROORGANISMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. Composting. Bioremediation. Heavy Metals. Glossary of Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry Terms. Index.
Red Rice (Oryza sativa) Biology. I. Characterization of Red Rice Ecotypes

Plant characteristics of red rice ecotypes obtained from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including 11 strawhulled, five blackhulled, two goldhulled, and one brownhulled type, were evaluated under field conditions. Most ecotypes were uniform and stable but manifested considerable genetic variability. Red rice plants had pubescent leaves, were taller with lighter green color, and produced more tillers and panicles per plant than rice cultivars ‘Lemont,’ ‘Mars,’ and ‘Maybelle. ’ Most ecotypes were highly susceptible to seed shattering starting about 14 d after anthesis when seed moisture was more than 25%. Seeds of most ecotypes were highly dormant at harvest. Rice cultivars had a larger flag leaf and more total leaf area per plant at anthesis and produced more seeds per panicle than red rice. Some red rice ecotypes had plant characteristics closely related to cultivated rice suggesting natural hybridization with rice.
Aktivitas Antioksidan Nanokurkuminoid Varietas Temulawak Asal Balitro Pada Hati Tikus Jantan Sprague Dawley

M BUDI RAHMAN WAHID. An Antioxidant Activity of Nanocurcuminoids Temulawak Variety from Balitro in Rat Liver Male Sprague Dawley. Supervised by WARAS NURCHOLIS and LAKSMI AMBARSARI. Curcuma xanthorhiza Roxb. known as temulawak is a plant that has curcuminoi as an antioxidant. However curcumin has restrict bioavailability of body, so it need problems can be resolve with incorporation of curcumin into solid lipid nanoparticle as carrier system. Analysis an antioxidant activity used maseration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and an enzim activity Superoxida Dismutase (SOD), Gluthation Peroxidase (GPx) and Peroxidase (POX). The aim of this research is to measure an antioxidant activity solid lipid nanocurcuminoids on the state rat liver male Sprague Dawley in vivo of stress oxidative induced CCl4. The size of nanocurcuminoids obatained in this study was about (114.4 ± 33.8) nm, which polydispersity index was about (0233 ± 0060). The entrapment efficiency of curcuminoids obtained in this study was about 70.96 ± 7.60 %. Analysis measure of malondialdehyde (MDA) and an enzim activity SOD, GPx dan POX showed that nanocurcuminoids temulawak variety from balitro has indicate to an antioxidant activity though experiment by statistical method obtained not marked difference (P>0.05) with normal group.
Looking for a role of polygalacturonase of Fusaria during cereal infection

To penetrate and colonize host tissue most pathogenic fungi produce enzymes degrading the cuticle and the plant cell wall. Among these, pectinases and in particular endo-polygalacturonases (PGs), are expressed in the early stages of host infection and contribute to the virulence or the pathogenicity of several phytopathogenic fungi by degrading the pectin component of the cell wall and middle lamella. Pectic enzymes are considered the main factors responsible for the maceration of the pectin rich cell wall of dicotyledonous plants. Recently, the importance of these enzymes has been shown also in the pathogenesis of some Graminaceous, although these plants have a cell wall consisting of small amount of pectin. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides are two relevant pathogens of cereal species and are know to produce PG activity in liquid culture. The demonstration that the PGs of these fungi are virulence factors might contribute to develop strategies aimed to increase the resistance of host plants to infection by these pathogens. To clarify the importance of these enzymes during pathogenesis, firstly the two endo-PGs secreted in vitro by F. graminearum were purified and characterized. These PGs showed different biochemical properties, like optimum pH and substrate cleavage mechanism. The expression of their encoding genes was analysed also during wheat infection compared to the expression of pectin lyase and xylanase encoding genes: since pectinases genes were expressed earlier than xylanase gene, pectinases, and in particular PGs, might play a role during the early stage of infection. To establish the importance in pathogenesis of the two purified and characterized F. graminearum PGs, and of F. verticillioides PG, previously characterized (Sella et al., 2004; Raiola et al., in press), their encoding genes were disrupted by targeted homologous recombination. The pathogenicity of each mutant was tested by inoculating host plants. Single F. graminearum mutants maintained the capability to infect wheat plants. However, since the loss of PG activity due to the knock-out of a single pg gene could be compensated by the activity of the remaining PG, a double knock-out mutant should be obtained and tested in infection experiments. Also the F. verticillioides mutant maintained the capability to infect maize plants, but in this case the pg gene disruption caused a reduction of virulence. In particular, the necrotic symptom observed during infection with the wild-type strain might be related to the presence of the PG in the infected tissue.
Results of the mother oyster culture andpearl production in Pinctada fucata(Gould) in the inshore waters ofthe Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay

It is established experimentally that the inshore areas of the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay bordering Mandapam Camp can profitably be used for mother oyster culture and cultured pearl production. The depth of the inshore waters of the Gulf of Mannar is comparatively deeper where the raft culture can be adopted from November to May. whereas, the nearshore waters of Palk Bay is shallow where rack can be used to farm the oysters from June to October, thus a continued farming is possible in all months in a calender year. Though the hydrological and environmental conditions of both the seas are almost same, it is found that Gulf of Mannar is better suited for mother oyster culture as indicated by the better growth rates of spat and oysters. If farming is done properly, high survival rates of spat, mother oysters and implanted oysters can be achieved with an enhanced rate of production of better quality cultured pearls.
Involvement of the MKK6-p38g Cascade in g-Radiation-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest†

XIAOFEI WANG, CLARE H. MCGOWAN, MING ZHAO,‡ LIUSHENG HE, JOCELYN S. DOWNEY, COLLEEN FEARNS, YIBIN WANG, SHI HUANG, AND JIAHUAI HAN* Department of Immunology and Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, and Program in Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes, The Burnham Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, and Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Hydrological and vegetation analysis of an alluvial floodplain in Belgium.

In this paper, results from an intensive two-year monitoring campaign of a wetland gradient are presented and analyzed. Two spatially adjacent sites along a wetland gradient are described by means of abiotic variables, groundwater level, and soil temperature and soil moisture at several depths throughout the vertical soil profile. The vegetation of the sites is described on the basis of a species cover inventory, and two different vegetation types are distinguished along the wetland gradient: Arrhenatheretum elatioris at the highest end of the gradient and Caricetum gracilis at the lowest end. Aboveground biomass and leaf area index of both Arrhenatheretum elatioris and Caricetum gracilis were measured on a monthly basis, and their seasonal variation could be related to specific site conditions. Furthermore, evidence was found that vegetation was not passive to the environmental site conditions but actively influenced them. The groundwater at the lower Caricetum gracilis site showed diurnal fluctuations with amplitudes up to 10 cm, which could be attributed to transpiration losses by phreatophytes.
Avaliação dos fatores de risco biomecânicos presentes na atividade ocupacional de eletricistas

Electrical energy is an essential good that may affect people’s life and the economy. Overhead line workers and construction electricians are the workers responsible for the availability of this good. To perform their occupational tasks these workers are exposed to fatal accidents and musculoskeletal overload. Although of high rates of accidents and musculoskeletal injuries among these workers, few studies evaluated the presence of risk factors in the occupational settings of line workers and electricians. In this sense, it is necessary to identify the risk factors in the electricians activities (Study 1), quantify the exposure using valid direct methods (Study 2, 3 and 5) and verify the importance of the found results for clinical applications (Study 4 and 5). Study 1 was developed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among line workers and to identify the risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders. The results of this study showed postural overload and high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms at shoulders and neck. Based on these results, Study 2 was purposed to quantify the postural overload in the five main tasks performed by line workers. Loading and unloading the ladder on the vehicle support was deeply investigated by means of posture and force measurements in Study 3, due its higher frequency in line workers schedule. Postures and movements were recorded by four inclinometer sensors at a sampling rate of 20Hz. Inclinometer sensors were previously calibrated and them attached at workers’ head, upper back and right and left upper arms. Study 2 and 3 identified that line workers are exposed to shoulder and neck awkward postures during all evaluated tasks. However, both studies were performed in simulated settings. By this way, Study 4 was developed to verify if the postures recorded in the simulated conditions are representative of the posture recorded in occupational environment. The results of Study 4 showed that whether the tasks are possible to be reproduced in simulated conditions the postural overload is representative of occupational overload. Besides the representativeness, Study 5 focused the comparison between posture exposure among Brazilian and Norwegian electricians to verify whether the same job type evaluated by the same method under the same procedures would present the same overload disregard the culture differences. The results of this study would allow inferring about external validity of the recordings. According to the found results, Brazilian and Norwegian posture exposure is similar. The results of Study 5 also indicated the high postural overload that these workers are submitted. Therefore, the present thesis showed the need for ergonomic interventions to reduce biomechanical risk factors presented at electricians work activity and the representativeness of the found results to occupational environmental conditions and to other populations. Key-words: overhead line worker, construction electrician, ergonomics, physical theraphy, work related musculoskeletal disorders, inclinometry