Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apoptosis and expression of Bax, Bcl-x, and Bcl-2 apoptotic regulatory proteins in colorectal carcinomas, and associations with p53

Aims—Spontaneous apoptosis and expression of the apoptotic regulatory proteins Bax, Bcl-x, and Bcl-2 were investigated in 50 colorectal carcinomas. The p53 genotypes/phenotypes and BAX genotypes were also determined, and possible associations of these with apoptosis and/or with expression of the diVerent apoptotic regulatory proteins were studied. Methods—Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) mediated dUTP labelling of DNA fragments was used to detect apoptotic tumour cells in sections and peroxidase immunohistochemistry was used to assess protein expression. p53 genotype/phenotype was determined using constant denaturant gel electrophoresis/immunoblotting and bax genotype was determined using polymerase chain reaction based methods. Results—The distribution of tumour apoptotic indices was bimodal with a natural cut oV at 1.0% (range, 0.0‐5.4%); the median fraction of apoptotic tumour cells was 0.8%. Tumour apoptosis was not asso
Genetic diversity analysis of Zinc, Iron, Grain Protein content and yield components in Rice

The genetic diversity among 85 land races were evaluated for ten characteristics by using Mahalanobis D 2 Statistics. The genotypes were grouped into six clusters based on relative magnitude of D 2 values. Cluster-I was the largest comprising of forty three landraces, and cluster-V and -VI were monogenotypic clusters . Maximum inter-cluster distance was exhibited between clusters-II and -VI. The five prominent characters, total number of filled grains per panicle, grain zinc concentration, days to fifty per cent flowering, plant height and protein content, mainly contributed towards total divergence. Cluster-V has highest mean value for panicle length and number of tillers per plant. Cluster-III has highest grain yield per plant and cluster-VI has higher grain iron concentration and protein percentage. The maximum contribution towards genetic divergence was observed in number of grains per panicle followed by grain zinc concentration. Thus, this study evaluated the diverse landraces useful in selection of parents during hybridization.
Los factores personales e institucionales en el sentido de pertenencia de estudiantes chilenos a lo largo de sus estudios superiores

El sentido de pertenencia es considerado en la literatura como un aspecto fundamental para desarrollar exitosamente los estudios superiores. El objetivo de este trabajo es entender la relación que existe entre el sentido de pertenencia y diversas variables personales (motivación) e institucionales (integración social y clima institucional) con las que está asociado. También se busca explorar las diferencias en esta relación a lo largo de los años de estudio. Para ello, la presente investigación explora el sentido de pertenencia de 459 estudiantes, en distintos años de su formación y pertenecientes a una unidad académica de una universidad chilena. A la luz de los resultados, se discute sus implicaciones para la promoción del sentido de pertenencia en las instituciones de educación superior.
Ecosystem Services Provided by Avian Scavengers

This work was partially funded by project CGL2012-40013-C02-02 Spanish Government. The input of James C. Beasley was supported through funding provided by the US Department of Energy under Award Number DE-FC09-07SR22506 to the University of Georgia Research Foundation. This work has partially been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through grant no. CGL2012-40013-C02-01/02 MIMECO and FEDER funds.
Protein stability and hydrophobic interactions

: The paper summarizes results of calorimetric studies of protein denaturation and of dissolution of non-polar substances in water. The analysis of the available experimental data shows that the positive contribution of the hydrophobic interactions in stabilization of the protein compact state is due to van der Waals interactions between the protein non-polar groups, while the contribution of water solvation by these groups, in spite of the widely spread opinion, appears to be always negative. This destabilizing action of water solvation on the protein increases as the temperature decreases, and at a significantly low temperature causes unfolding of the compact structure of protein, i. e. cold denaturation.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from Musa balbisiana

This is the first report of targeted development of B genome microsatellite markers in Musa. A total of 44 sequences with microsatellites were isolated from an enriched library of Musa balbisiana cv. 'Tani' (BB genome). Of these, 25 were polymorphic when screened on 14 diverse diploid and triploid Musa accessions. The number of alleles detected by each marker ranged between one and seven. All 25 microsatellite markers generated amplification products in all species and genome complements. These new microsatellite markers fill an important gap for diversity assessment and linkage mapping studies in plantain (AAB) and cooking banana (ABB)
Combined Treatment of Sodium Salicylate and Genistein Induces Incomplete Apoptosis and Necrosis in MCF-7 Multicellular Tumor Spheroids

Aspirin and its deacetylated form, sodium salicylate (NaSal), have been shown to exert chemopreventive activities against many human cancers including those of the colon, lung, and breast. Previously, we showed that combined treatment of NaSal and genistein synergistically induced apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells, indicating that these two natural chemicals could be used in combination for cancer therapy. In this study, we examined effects of NaSal/genistein combined treatment on other cancer cells and in three-dimensional multicellular tumor spheroid (MTS) and in an in vitro solid tumor model. We found that the combined treatment induces apoptosis in the HCT116 cells and the A549 cells, but not in the MCF-7 cells. Interestingly, the MCF-7 cells responded to the NaSal/genistein combined treatment by undergoing cell death when they were cultivated as MTS. The combined treatment induced apoptosis at an earlier stage in the MCF-7 MTS culture. However, when the MCF-7 MTS was cultivated for a longer period, it induced necrosis rather than apoptosis. We further found that the apoptotic pattern observed in MCF-7 MTS was incomplete: the chromatins were condensed and fragmented, but the nuclear membrane was still intact. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the NaSal/genistein combined treatment induces incomplete apoptosis and necrosis in the MCF-7 MTS culture system.
STUDIES ON THE TREMATODE GENUS RENICOLA: OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE-HISTORY, SPECIFICITY, AND SYSTEMATIC POSITION

The genus Renicola was erected by Cohn (1904) to contain Monostomum pingue (Mehlis in Creplin, 1846), when he discovered that the species has a distinct acetabulum and could no longer be regarded as a monostome. He studied the original material of Mehlis, from the kidneys of the crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus, in both whole-mount preparations and serial sections. He noted that the worms, although hermaphroditic, live in pairs in expansions of the renal tubules, that there is no copulatory organ, and that the acetabulum is so obscured by eggs in the uterus that it is quite invisible in whole-mount preparations. In this paper he advanced the idea that adhesive organs of trematodes which live in closed cavities do not function actively and accordingly either fail to develop or undergo atrophy and become reduced in size. The second and third species of the genus, Renicola secunda and R. tertia, were described by Skrjabin (1924) from the white pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus, and from the tern, Sterna fluviatilis, respectively, both taken in Russian Turkestan. The descriptions are brief, listing sizes of body and of eggs, but the figures give other pertinent information. The three species of Renicola were characterized by shape of body, including the degree of posterior extension, the relative length of the digestive ceca, and the location and extent of the vitellaria. However, Skrjabin stated that because of meager material, specific determination was uncertain. Yamaguti (1958) listed Renicola zarudni Skrjabin, 1927, from a pelican taken by the 28th Helminthological Expedition of the U.S.S.R. to Turkestan. However, there is no reference to R. zarudni in Skrjabin, Trematodes of Animals and Man, vol. 1, pp. 261-277 (1947), which deals with the genus Renicola. Odening (1962b) listed R. zarudni as a nomen nudum and the species as identical with R. secunda Skrjabin, 1924. The next species of the genus was described by Witenberg (1929) from Puffinus kuhli, taken by the Sinai Expedition of the Hebraischen Universitaet, Jerusalem, to the Suez. Witenberg noted that the descriptions of the previously named species were so incomplete that determination of new material should be made with caution. To identify the specimens from P. kuhli, they were designated provisionally as a new species, Renicola glandoloba, although Witenberg admitted the possible identity of the previously described species with the new species described by him.
Tracking the molecular background of phenotypic change in fruit evolution and plant domestication

Understanding molecular changes of phenotypic adaptation are central goals in evolutionary biology. This thesis contributes to these goals by presenting two case studies comparing the molecular network of fruit dehiscence in three Brassicaceae species that differ in prominent fruit traits and by summarizing data on the molecular background of convergent crop domestication. Fruits of L. campestre and A. thaliana share a common mechanism of dehiscence but differ in overall morphology. Data presented here highlight that despite this morphological variability the molecular pathway of fruit dehiscence is conserved between both species. My results further contribute to a better understanding of Brassicaceae fruit development by identifying the transcription factors ALC and SPT to be repressors of IND gene expression.L. appelianum is a close relative of L. campestre and serves as a representative of those Brassicaceae species that have evolved indehiscent fruits. The molecular change causing this phenotypic adaptation is identified to be a loss of expression of dehiscence zone identity genes at the valve-replum border of L. appelianum fruits.Plant domestication is often accompanied by dramatic phenotypic changes, presenting an excellent model to study molecular principles of adaptation. A survey of genes known to carry causative mutations responsible for domestication-related changes reveals that convergent plant domestication is often based on mutations at orthologous loci. Furthermore, factors are identified that influence the probability of a certain gene to serve as a target for mutations driving phenotypic adaptation. This thesis combines studies targeting the molecular background of phenotypic conservation as well as phenotypic change and searches for general patterns that may allow explaining or even predicting the likely course of molecular evolution. The results are of relevance for basic evolutionary biology and future agronomic applications, alike.
Coexpression of HNF-3 beta and Isl-1/2 and mixed distribution of ventral cell types in the early neural tube.

: Pattern formation in the vertebrate ventral neural tube has been proposed to depend on the ability of notochord-derived signals to induce the differentiation of distinct cell types in a distance-dependent manner. To determine whether the distribution of early differentiating cell types in the ventral neural tube is consistent with the operation of such a mechanism in vivo, the early localization of Isl-1/2+ motor neurons in relation to HNF-3 beta+ floor plate cells has been investigated. In the most immature regions of the caudal spinal cord of early rat and chick embryos, an initial mixed distribution of cell types was detected that develops into a distribution characteristic of the final embryonic pattern where different cell types are found at distinct locations. In addition, a number of cells that coexpress both markers are detected within the floor plate. At later stages, coexpression is also detected in the hindbrain in the boundary region between HNF-3 beta+ ventricular cells and Isl-1/2+ motor neurons. The mixed distribution of early differentiating cells expressing HNF-3 beta and Isl-1/2 and the coexpression of these markers in single cells within the floor plate suggest that secondary cellular interactions are important in the generation of the final embryonic pattern of the neural tube.
Does the GH/IGF system mediate the effect of water temperature on fish growth? A review

In fish, as in all poikilotherms, growth is strongly dependent on water temperature. Given that the GH/IGF system regulates growth, it could mediate the effects of temperature on fish growth. Indeed, before hatching, the higher embryonic growth rate in rainbow trout at high temperatures is associated with higher expression of the IGF2 gene in the whole embryo. Furthermore, post-natal growth fluctuations depend on water temperature and are associated with variations of plasma GH and IGF1. Although seasonal parameters such as photoperiod and nutritional status can also affect GH/IGF system activity, it has been shown that an increased temperature led to a specific increase of plasma GH. Moreover, this increase of plasma GH leads to higher plasma IGF1 levels in correlation with the growth rate. By contrast, plasma IGF2 levels as well as muscular levels of IGF1 and IGF2 mRNA are not specifically modified by temperature. Thus, seasonal fluctuations of water temperature affect growth rate through a direct action on plasma GH and IGF1 levels. The mecha- nisms of this effect are not yet elucidated, but could arise from modifications of metabolite levels (glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, etc.), which regulate GH secretion directly or indirectly through somatostatin of pancreatic or hypothalamic origin.
Duration of the larvicidal effect of spore crystalline mass of bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis spp. israelensis and Bacillus sphaericus in the laboratory setting

: The duration of action of sporocrystalline mass of Bacillus thuringiensis spp. Israelensis (Bti) and Bacillus sphaericus (Bsph) against three-age larvae of An. stephensi mosquitoes was studied in the laboratory setting. The duration of action depends on its initial concentration. The optimal concentration should be at least 10(5) spores/ml for An. stephensi larvae. Decreasing the concentration reduces the duration of larvicidal action. Increasing the number of the larvae placed also diminishes the duration of action shown by Bti. This has no significant influence on the duration of action by Bsph. The presence of dead larvae in the test vessel increases the duration of action by Bti only by 4 times whereas Bsph acts rather long. The follow-ups lasted 60 weeks with full death of the larvae placed again. A significant water resistance of Bti sporocrystalline mixture was found. The mixture retained its larvicidal activity 6 months following its presence in the dechlorinated water without larval placement. Bsph was less resistant and its complete inactivity was noted under the same conditions just following 2 months.
Longitudinal Exploitation of the Transversal Gradient of Oreochromis niloticus Gill System by Four Monogeneans Species at Melen Fish Station (Yaounde, Cameroon)

From February 2012 to February 2013, 406 fish were caught in the Melen fish station, then fixed in 10% formalin and taken to the laboratory to be examined. Mounting of monogeneans carried out using binocular magnifying glass; the determination of the various species was further done using the optical microscope. The colonization of the four pairs of arches by C. thurstonae occurred in the anterio-posterior direction. The other three species showed non-specific model of occupation of the transversal gradient. These different patterns have undergone permanent modifications. The results obtained in this study could be explained based on the heterogeneity of the gill system, the ventilation of current flow, the model of gills colonization by the oncomiracidiums of the Monopisthocotylea. The low diversity values obtained within seasons indicate that this period is harmful for the parasites studied. The species C. halli has exploited the resource space better in all. The populating of arches II and III were the best organized.
Faune sauvage et faune domestique en milieu pastoral: une synthèse bibliographique

La cohabitation des activites pastorales et cynegetiques peut etre la source de conflits d'usage. Cette synthese bibliographique fait le point sur l'etat des connaissances dans le domaine des interactions entre faune domestique et faune sauvage dans le milieu pastoral, en se limitant aux ovins, bovins et caprins
Tributyltin targets hepatic transcriptional regulation of lipid metabolism in mice

ABSTRACT Tributyltin (TBT) is an environmental pollutant used in antifouling paints of boats and considered as a kind of obesogen. The liver is the predominant site of de novo synthesis of lipids. However, few studies address the effects of TBT on hepatic lipid metabolism. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of TBT (0, 0.5, 5 and 50 μg/kg) on hepatic lipid accumulation and transcription factors related to hepatic lipid metabolism in male mice. The results showed that exposure to TBT for 45 days led to the increase of hepatic total lipid, triglyceride and total cholesterol. TBT exposure might affect the hepatic lipid metabolism via nuclear receptors pathway shown as the increases of retinoid X receptor α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α. In addition, TBT might also shift hepatic lipid metabolism towards increased lipogenesis and reduced catabolism by up-regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase-1, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-2 and stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1, and down-regulation of fibroblast growth factor 21. In short, TBT can produce multiple and complex alterations in hepatic transcriptional activities, which provides its potential molecular relevance on lipid metabolism.
New method for synthesis of EZH2 methyltransferase inhibitor GSK126

ABSTRACT GSK126 is a potent small-molecule inhibitor of S-adenosyl-methionine-competitive EZH2 methyltransferase and has the potential to be used clinically for preventing unwanted histone methylation of tumor suppressor genes. In this article, we describe a new synthetic route that has been developed for synthesizing the title compound through nine steps, starting from 2,5-dibromobenzoic acid. This synthetic method is economical and suitable for multigram-scale preparation of GSK126 and related N-alkylated indole derivatives. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Isolation of full-length cDNAs with putative functions in almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) flowering

In almond, as in most fruit species, blooming time is considered to be inherited quantitatively. The LATEBLOOMING gene and some QTLs have been identified as being involved in the control of blooming time and were placed on the Prunus reference genetic map, but their sequences and specific functions remain unknown. As an attempt to uncover the identity of the LATEBLOOMING gene and the genes within the QTLs, a candidate gene approach was followed. The candidate genes were partial cDNAs or ESTs either from almond or peach, which showed sequence homologies with flowering regulatory genes previously characterized in other species. We used the nucleotide sequences from some of these candidate genes to design specific primer for the amplification of the respective almond full-length cDNAs. In total six cDNAs were cloned. Three of these code for MADS-box proteins, one seems to be a putative homologue of LEAFY and the other two code for proteins identical to CONSTANS-LIKE proteins and Gibberellin 20-oxidase, respectively. The characterization of the six cDNAs and respective deduced proteins revealed features that confirm their putative identities. Moreover the preliminary expression studies undertaken suggest that these genes may be involved in the molecular mechanisms underlying flowering in almond, and that some of these mechanisms could be conserved between annual and perennial plants.
Study of antioxidant enzymes level and phagocytic activity in chronic liver disease patients.

Abstract Patients with chronic cholestasis, particularly those with associated cirrhosis, are susceptible to infectious complications. A predictable consequence of cholestasis is malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins and free radical scavengers. On the other hand, it has been postulated that cholestasis affects polymorphonuclear leukocytes function by impeding chemotaxis, phagocytosis and superoxide anion release in experimental animals. This work is aimed to evaluate the antioxidant status and phagocytic activity of neutrophils in chronic liver disease patients. 15 primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients, 15 primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) patients, 15 chronic viral hepatitis C (HCV) patients, and 15 healthy individuals (control group) were included in this study. Levels of catalase (Cat), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were assessed in both serum and neutrophils homogenates. Neutrophils function was estimated by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction assay. A marked decrease in the antioxidant status was observed in serum and neutrophils' homogenate of patients with chronic liver diseases compared to healthy subjects. Significant elevation of lipid peroxides was found in all groups of liver disease patients. The majority of patients had reduced value in NBT reduction assay, which suggested a lack of response to infection by neutrophils. In conclusion, deficient antioxidant defense mechanisms may lead to excess oxygen free radicals formation that promote the pathological process in the liver. The use of free radicals scavengers by chronic liver patients may potentiate the antioxidant defense system against oxidative stress.