Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deletion of Ip36 in childhood endodermal sinus tumors by two‐color fluorescence in situ hybridization: A pediatric oncology group study

Childhood endodermal sinus tumors (CESTs) are a unique category of germ cell tumors involving the testis and extragonadal region in children less than 4 years of age. Recent studies of CEST have shown recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities involving the short arm of chromosome I, most commonly, a deletion of distal Ip. Experience with neuroblastomas has shown that cytogenetic analyses may underestimate the frequency of Ip deletion. To determine the frequency of deletion of Ip in CEST and to verify that Ip is, in fact, deleted and not translocated, we analyzed ten tumors by two‐color fluorescence in situ hybridization on single‐cell suspensions of interphase nuclei by using a cosmid probe from the PITSLRE kinase (p58) locus (previously mapped to Ip36) cohybridized with plasmid probe pUCI.77 (which recognizes the Iq heterochromatic region) to determine the copy number of chromosome I. Eight of the ten tumors examined showed evidence of deletion of Ip36. Five of the eight tumors exhibited multiple subclones, and all subclones showed deletion of at least one copy of Ip36, indicating that the deletion probably occurred before the development of chromosome I aneusomy. We conclude that deletions of the short arm of chromosome I, specifically Ip36, do occur in CEST and probably occur at a higher incidence than that found in neuroblastoma. Further studies are needed to determine the degree of overlap of the common area of deletion in CEST with that of neuroblastoma and to determine whether Ip deletion in CEST has prognostic significance. Genes Chromosom Cancer 16:15–20 (1996). © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Temperature and humidity in badger Meles meles setts

1. Temperature and relative humidity were measured within 12 badger Meles meles setts over periods ranging from 24 hours to 1 year. 2. Relative humidity was 100% within all setts at all times of year. Mean daily, monthly and annual within-sett temperature ranges were 0.37°C, 1.5°C and 10.7°C, respectively, and were significantly less than the corresponding ambient temperature ranges of 8.9°C, 19.0°C and 24.1°C. 3. There was no evidence that the temperature regime of main setts differed from that of outlier setts. Within a single large main sett, temperatures taken simultaneously at different sampling points differed by up to 2.5°C. The temperature of nest chambers that were occupied by a badger was, on average, 2.4°C higher than in unoccupied chambers. 4. We conclude that: (i) variation in within-sett temperature and humidity is not sufficient to explain the complex way in which badgers use the setts available to them; and (ii) the environmental conditions within badger setts are such as would be expected to favour the survival of bovine tuberculosis Mycobacterium bovis bacilli.
Environmental oestrogen‐mimics display liposomal membrane‐antioxidant ability: Importance of molecular modelling predictions

Oestrogen-like biological activity towards male fish has been demonstrated previously for degradation products of some detergents and industrial feed-stock chemicals, released into water environments. The endogenous oestrogen, 17β-oestradiol, is a particularly effective membrane-antioxidant, which may confer beneficial properties in addition to its genomic-mediated effects. Some of the most widely quoted environmental oestrogen-mimics were tested for liposomal membrane-antioxidant ability, measured as inhibition of lipid peroxidation. 4-Nonylphenol and bisphenol A (4,4-isopropylidenediphenol) were best able to mimic the antioxidant action of 17β-oestradiol by displaying effective inhibition of liposomal-membrane lipid peroxidation, whereas dibutylphthalate ester and phthalic acid diethylether (PADE) were considerably less effective antioxidants. The computer-based molecular modelling used in this study indicated a close structural similarity between these compounds and 17β-oestradiol (or the partial oestrogen/antioestrogen tamoxifen, a xenoestrogen drug used in breast cancer therapy), thus predicting their environmental action as oestrogen-mimics: genomic effects mediated by oestrogen receptor binding and non-genomic effects as membrane-antioxidants. Furthermore, 17β-oestradiol itself liberated initially into sewage-treatment lagoons from protein-bound 17β-oestradiol in human faeces, is now thought to be one of the main causes of the observed hermaphroditism of the male fish in the water-borne environment. Dietary phytoestrogens and their metabolites (also membrane-antioxidants) may have a similar activity in partial feminization, which could result from their excretion throughout the environment (aquatic and soil). Computer-assisted predictions have proved valuable in these comparative studies on these environmental xenoestrogens in the liposomal model-membrane system and could be generally utilized to monitor the likely extent of oestrogenic exposure after discharge of particular chemicals in industrial, domestic and sewage-treatment effluents. Paradoxically, a reduction in reproductive capacity in these fish may be, in part, compensated for by protection of their membranes against the oxidative stress generated by exposure to other pollutants in water environments. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry
Age-states, population structure, and seedling regeneration of Chionochloa pallens in Canterbury alpine grasslands, New Zealand

Age-states, population structure, and seedling regeneration of the grass Chionochloa pallens were in- vestigated in eight alpine grassland stands representing the range of canopy cover (ca. 5 - 75 %) and basal area (112 - 3889 m2/ha-1) in the headwaters of the Avoca catchment, Canterbury, New Zealand. In open-canopy stands (< 50 % canopy cover, < 2000 m2/ha-1 basal area) C. pallens individuals were clearly distinguishable. Rela- tionships between basal diameter, numberof tillers, height, and % crown death suggested four putative age-states: 'seedlings', 'juvenile tussocks', 'mature tussocks' and 'senescent tussocks'. Four types of population structure were identified depending on the proportions of seedlings and juvenile and mature tussocks. C. pallens seedlings were present in seven stands at densities ranging from 0.6 to 123.4 /m2. They were most frequent on microsites pro- tected from frost-heave by short herbaceous vegetation or litter, but with little competition from taller vegetation. Differences in seedling densities between stands partly reflected the proximity and abundance of seed sources and degree of protection from frost-heave. C. pallens population structures appear to be influenced by the fre- quency and magnitude of geomorphic disturbances and browsing by introduced animals.
Chapter II. Consequences of the Chernobyl Catastrophe for Public Health

Problems complicating a full assessment of the effects from Chernobyl included official secrecy and falsification of medical records by the USSR for the first 3.5 years after the catastrophe and the lack of reliable medical statistics in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Official data concerning the thousands of cleanup workers (Chernobyl liquidators) who worked to control the emissions are especially difficult to reconstruct. Using criteria demanded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) resulted in marked underestimates of the number of fatalities and the extent and degree of sickness among those exposed to radioactive fallout from Chernobyl. Data on exposures were absent or grossly inadequate, while mounting indications of adverse effects became more and more apparent. Using objective information collected by scientists in the affected areas—comparisons of morbidity and mortality in territories characterized by identical physiography, demography, and economy, which differed only in the levels and spectra of radioactive contamination—revealed significant abnormalities associated with irradiation, unrelated to age or sex (e.g., stable chromosomal aberrations), as well as other genetic and nongenetic pathologies.
Mapping of quantitative trait loci influencing daily body weight gain (DBWG) on chromosome 6 in German Holstein population

Twelve microsatellite markers on chromosome 6 were analyzed in German Holstein population to detect and locate QTL affecting daily body weight gain (DBWG). The results indicate promising location for QTL controlling daily body weight gain trait on chromosome 6. Where, three markers BMS2508 BM3026 and TGLA37 at three different positions in a distance 15.2 cM on BTA6 were associated with significant effects for daily body weight gain trait (DBWG). Comparison between this finding and previously identified QTL support the location of a QTL for growth traits on chromosome 6, where a significant QTL for birth and yearling weight was previously identified on chromosome 6 tightly close to marker BM3026. Finding from this study could be used in subsequent fine-mapping work and applied to marker-assisted selection (MAS) of production traits.
Status of the jaguar—1987

The decline of the jaguar in the 1970s reflected the large trade in their skins. Since 1973, when the species was listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the threat from the commercial skin trade has abated. However, habitat destruction and opportunistic killing continue. If the jaguar is to persist into the future, local people must be convinced that conserving jaguars has long-term benefits for them.
Accumulation of trace elements in a marine copepod

We measured assimilation efficiencies (AEs) from ingested algal food, uptake rates from the dissolved phase, and efflux rate constants of five trace elements (Ag, Cd, Co, Se and Zn) in the marine copepod Temora longicornis. AEs of Ag, Cd, Co, Se, and Zn from two diatom diets were 13, 35, 14, 59, and 61%, respectively. AEs of metals from ingested natural seston collected during the spring phytoplankton bloom in Long Island Sound were comparable to AEs from diatoms. The assimilation of all trace elements within the T. longicornis gut took longer (4–15 h) than the gut passage time of ingested food particles. The rate constant of metal uptake from the dissolved phase was highest for Ag, followed by Zn > Cd > Co > Se. Efflux rate constants for all trace elements ranged from 0.08 to 0.30 d−1, indicating that metals were regenerated at a very fast rate in these animals. Generally, the efflux rate of metals was higher following uptake from food than uptake from the dissolved phase. The retention half‐times of trace elements in copepod carcasses were 0.6–3.3 d. A bioenergetic‐based kinetic model was used to quantify the relative importance of metal uptake in copepods from different pathways. The model indicates that under conditions typically encountered by copepods in nature, >50% of Zn and >98% of Se in copepods are obtained from ingested food. For Ag, Cd, and Co, >50% accumulates from the dissolved phase. The relative importance of trace element uptake from the dissolved phase vs. particulate ingestion in the overall metal uptake depends greatly on the metal AE, the feeding rate of copepods, and the partition coefficient of metals in ingested food particles.
Change in Circulating Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone, Immunoreactive Inhibin, Progesterone, Testosterone and Estradiol-17β in Fillies from Birth to 6 Months of Age

The relationship among circulating levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), immunoreactive (ir) inhibin, progesterone, testosterone and estradiol-17β were investigated in fillies from birth to 6 months of age. Six hundred ninety-four Thoroughbred female foals were used for evaluating the changes in these hormones. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture for hormonal assays. The results show that after birth, progesterone, testosterone and estradiol-17β levels rapidly drop within 48 hr, and remain at this lower level until six months of age. On the other hand, plasma concentrations of ir-inhibin begin to decrease at 3 days after birth, falling by more than half in the first 20 days after birth, and then continue to slowly decline until six months of age. Circulating levels of FSH show a small increase within 48 hr after birth, then decline to the lowest levels at 30 days after birth, followed by a rise to more or less stable levels at six months of age, whereas LH concentrations rapidly decrease after birth, dropping to a lower level at 10 days after birth, then remain at the lower value until six months of age. These results demonstrate that, after birth, in a filly, there is a notable decline in steroid hormones which then remain at these relatively stable lower levels until six months of age. The steady increase in basal FSH negatively correlates with the decline in circulating inhibin. This slow increase in the basal levels of FSH may stimulate follicular development during the early stages of puberty in a filly.
The Search for Identity in Online Chat

Internet communication is one of the most important applications of the 21 st century. College students are among those who make use of this activity for both academic and personal interest. Students usually vary in their use, appreciation and response to this widely used activity. Accordingly, the present research paper aims at answering the following questions: to what extent college students use the instant-messaging system in initiating and developing personal and social communication? and to what extent the revealed identities are real or fake? If real, how many aspects of identity are real or fake? What is the purpose behind using fake identities? Are there any similarities and differences between gender-based identities? To what extent messages reflect the user's identity and gender? And what are the different ways of identity manifestations? To achieve the above aims, a questionnaire has been conducted on the students of Baghdad University to closely examine the relationship between online interaction and gender identities. The results showed that the highest percentage of students, 94%, agrees that chat is of great help in establishing and maintaining distant and local relationships. While the lowest percentage, 1.1%, goes with the proposition that chat is the most important application of the internet.
Reproduction and life history in the red‐tailed phascogale, Phascogale calura (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae): the adaptive‐stress senescence hypothesis

A population of the red-tailed phascogale (Phascogale calura), a marsupial with a restricted distribution, was studied during a three-year period at a small reserve in the South-Western Wheatbelt of Western Australia. This species shows a life-history pattern which is typical of many Antechinus species and is characterized by a synchronized winter mating period followed by a complete male post-mating mortality. Mating occurs during a three-week period in July. In the field, males live only 11.5 months while females may live up to 36 months. Females are monoestrous and polyovular and have eight teats which are usually all occupied by pouch young. The production of supernumerary young is common. Pregnant females become aggressive toward the males.
Extent and pattern of genetic differentiation within and between phenotypic populations of Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) revealed by AFLP analysis

The extent and pattern of genetic differentiation between two naturally occurring phenotypes, grey–green leaf (GGL) and yellow–green leaf (YGL), of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. , which colonize distinct habitats in the Songnen Prairie in northeast China, were investigated by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. Twelve selected AFLP primer pairs amplified 593 reproducible bands, of which 148 (24.96%) were polymorphic among 69 individuals taken from three populations: two natural ones (YGL and GGL1) and one transplanted (GGL2). Cluster analysis based on the AFLP data categorized the plants into distinct groups that are in line with their phenotypes and population origins, thus denoting clear genetic differentiation between the two phenotypes. This, together with their adaptation to contrasting natural habitats, suggests that the two phenotypes probably represent stabilized ecotypes. The grouping was supported by multiple statistical analyses including Mantel’s test, principal coordinate.
A new species of Gobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the western English Channel, with a key to related species in the British and Irish fauna

A gobiid fish known for some time from the English Channel, and found also at Madeira, is described as Gobius gasteveni sp. nov., and its affinities believed to be with species grouped about G. auratus Risso. Changes in abundance and the possibility of recovery are discussed for this offshore species in the Channel, but little is otherwise known concerning its biology. A key to the British and Irish species of Gobius L. and Thorogobius Miller summarizes those now recognized around the British Isles as the following (listed in chronological order of genus and species description): Gobius nigerL. , 1758; G. paganellusL. , 1758; G. cruentatus Gmelin, 1789; G. cobitis Pallas, 1814; G. couchi Miller & El-Tawil, 1974; G. gasteveni sp. nov., and Thorogobius ephippiatus (Lowe, 1839).
Effects of stocking density and body physical contact on growth of sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of physical contact on the growth of Apostichopus japonicus through various stocking densities, group culture and physical isolation culture. The results showed that the specific growth rates (SGR), the feed conversion efficiencies and the energy used for growth of the animal decreased with the increase in stocking density, while the coefficient of variations (CV) in group culture treatments increased. In high density treatments (4, 6 ind./40 L), the SGRs in isolated culture treatments were not different to those in group culture treatments of the same density, however, the CVs in the latter (58.0% and 60.4%, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the former (37.8% and 35.8%, respectively). The CV difference between group one and isolated one of the same density (20.2% and 24.7%, respectively) was less than that in single individual culture (32.7%), indicating that the effect of physical contact on growth variation was weaker than that of genetic factor. This study proved that the individual growth variation in sea cucumber resulted mainly from genetic factor and physical contact, while some chemical mediator might also be the factor affecting the growth rate of sea cucumber.
Foraging behavior of Black-backed and Three-toed woodpeckers during spring and summer in a Canadian boreal forest

During one spring to summer study in a Canadian boreal forest, Black-backed Woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) were found to excavate mainly on logs and at the base of large-diameter tree trunks. In contrast, Three-toed Woodpeckers (Picoides tridactylus) preferred higher strata and smaller diameter trunks. The predominant foraging technique used by Three-toed Woodpeckers was bark scaling. Canadian Three-toed Woodpeckers showed foraging behavior similar to that found in European woodpeckers, but in the Nearctic range they have not fully developed the sap-licking behavior that is typical of the Three-toed Woodpeckers of the western Palearctic range.
Nutrient – sestonic chlorophyll relationships in northern Ozark streams

We investigated relationships between sestonic chlorophyll (Chl), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen (TN) at 23 sites on 13 streams in the Missouri Ozarks. There was a strong curvilinear relationship between mean sestonic Chl and both mean TP (R2 = 0.78) and mean TN (R2 = 0.70). Both models were improved when catchment area was included with either TP (R2 = 0.90) or TN (R2 = 0.84). Limited to 17 sites without point source nutrient additions, the relationship between sestonic Chl and both TP and TN was linear. Including catchment area strengthened linear models with either TP (R2 = 0.94) or TN (R2 = 0.84). Land use (percent row crop or percent forest), together with catchment size, was also a good predictor of sestonic Chl in Ozark streams without point sources. When catchment area and TP or TN were used to predict sestonic Chl on specific dates following catastrophic flooding, models were less accurate than those based on long-term averages, but still explained 55-74% of the variance in sestonic Ch.
Experimental In Vitro Mouse and Human Stem Cell Models for Balanced Activity of Oncogenes and Tumor-Suppressor Genes

Taking in consideration many literature data, according which coordinated oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes functions is of most importance. In this connection, the main idea was balanced activity of oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes in vitro in laboratory-cultivated normal cells be achieved. Additional copy of oncogene was inserted Dcn1 in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) by their transfection with appropriate recombinant DNA-constructs. On the other hand, in cultivation of separate sub-populations of non-transfected mESCs in the presence of Doxicyclin, suppressed cell proliferation and increased myeloid cell differentiation was observed, probably by activation of genes from STAT-family. After in vitro-co-cultivation of sub-populations of transfected mESCs, containing additionally-inserted copy of oncogene Dcn1 with sub-populations of non-transfected mESCs, treated with Doxicyclin, the results obtained have indicated the safety and preserved normal/non-tumorigenic cell character of the so derived stem cells in vitro, despite of the presence of additional oncogene copy. These data were confirmed by results from similar experiments with analogical human normal trophoblast cells, immortalized by transfection with SV40 recombinant gene vector.