Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in soil physicochemical and microbial properties along elevation gradients in two forest soils

ABSTRACT The effects of the interaction between tree species composition and altitude on soil microbial properties are poorly understood. In this study, soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected in August 2011 from Betula platyphylla and Picea crassifolia forests along two different altitudinal gradients. Soil microbial activity and biomass were measured using Biolog-ECO plates and phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Both of the forest soils were characterized by a significantly lower soil pH (p < .05) and higher soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrient levels (total nitrogen, available nitrogen and phosphorus) at higher altitudes compared with lower altitudes. Soil microbial activity was significantly lower in the birch forests (p < .05), but changed little in the spruce forests with increasing altitude. Soil microbial biomass decreased in the two forest soils across altitude gradients. With each 100-m drop in altitude, the soil microbial biomass exhibited a sharper decline in the spruce forests than in the birch forests. SOM had significant negative effects on soil microbial biomass, but no effects on soil microbial activity. Soil pH was significantly negative correlated with soil microbial biomass and activity. The tree species composition exhibited more negative effects on soil microbial biomass in the spruce forests, while altitude had a greater effect in the birch forests.
PRESBYCUSIS

Presbycusis is the insidious bilateral loss of hearing for high tones that occurs in the aged. The differential diagnosis should include deafness based on factors such as heredity, trauma, vascular disease and neoplasia. The pathologic changes involve the organ of Corti, the cochlear nerve, the central nuclei and the auditory cortex. No form of medical therapy has been beneficial. Auditory training and hearing aids play an important role in rehabilitation.
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway 小分子化學調節物細胞篩選平臺之建立

Wnt signaling pathway is highly conserved in metazoan. This pathway regulates body patterning during development and determinates stem cell fate throughout lifetime. With its influence in the stem cell from specific tissue, cancer ensues upon dysregulated activation of the Wnt pathway. This connection reveals the importance of searching extrinsic modulators of the Wnt signaling pathway in stem cells and cancer cells with potential applications in regenerative medicine and cancer therapy. The aim of this research is to establish a cell-based reporter system which can be used as a robust specific indicator for the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and to screen for small novel modulators. After comparing two mouse fibroblastoid cell lines, 3T3-L1 was chosen as a model cell line to establish the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling reporter system. The established 3T3-L1 B2 cell clone, which harbored a stably integrated Super (8X) TopFlash Wnt signaling reporter plasmid, exhibits a specific response to exogenous Wnt3A molecule in a cell number-, time- and dose-dependent manner. With the prescreening of known modulators, including 9 GSK3 inhibitors and 6 irrelevant small chemicals, 4 GSK3 inhibitors but no irrelevant small chemicals showed positive response, confirmed the practicable ability of this system in screening novel Wnt/beta-catenin signaling activators. When treated with serious diluted well-documented Wnt signaling inhibitors, Quercetin and EGCG, a dose-dependent inhibitory curve was revealed in the present of 50% L Wnt3a CM, illustrating the B2 cell clone can be applied in screening novel Wnt/beta-catenin signaling inhibitors. There are two activators and fourteen inhibitors of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway found by the established system from the screening of two libraries including one synthesized compounds and another plant extracts. Four compounds showed a biphasic activity of Wnt signaling in the further titration. With the gamma-secretase inhibitor activity revealed in previous data, these compounds might be probes for investigation the crosstalk of Wnt/Notch signaling in the future. By further identification and functional assay of the new candidate modulators, we expect these new modulators could be used in stem cell and cancer research in the near future.
Marginal Adaptation of Bulk-Fill versus Layered Resin Composite Restorations

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the marginal adaptation of class II (MOD) bulk-fill Tetric EvoCeram, SonicFill bulk-fill resin composite, and layered Filtek Z250 resin composite restorations. Materials and Methods: Thirty MOD cavities were prepared in extracted human molar teeth. The cavities were divided into three groups (n=10) according to the restorative material used (Sonic fill, Tetric Evoceram Bulk fill and Filtek Z250). Marginal adaptation was evaluated using scanning electron microscope. Results: There were no significant differences (P<0.05) between the tested bulk fill restorative materials (Sonic Fill and Tetric Evoceram Bulk fill) and the conventional one (Filtek Z250). Conclusions: Bulk fill restorative materials (Sonic fill& Tetric Evoceram Bulk fill) showed marginal adaptation like that of conventional resin based composite.
Genetic Structure of Hylarana erythraea (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae) from Malaysia

We studied the genetic structure and evolutionary relationships among populations of Hylarana erythraea in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo (Borneo Heights of Padawan, Sadong Jaya, and Bario) and central Peninsular Malaysia (Tasik Chini of Pahang) using the partial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene of mitochondrial (mt)DNA. Two distinct geographical clades were observed, i) the 1st clade, haplogroup 2 included 7 divergent haplotypes in Bario, whereas ii) the 2nd clade (haplogroup 1) contained 16 haplotypes of the remaining populations. Gene flow estimators indicated high numbers of migrants per generation and panmictic populations of this species, except for a low number of migrants per generation and genetic isolation of the Bario population. The species was estimated to have undergone population expansion either for the whole population or for each population as shown by small and nonsignificant values of the sum of the standard deviation of the observed and expected mismatch distributions and Harpending raggedness index. However, multimodal distributions were seen in the scatterplot of mismatch distributions for the entire populations of Sadong and Bario. Geographical subdivision might explain the anomalies in the mismatch distribution for these populations. Furthermore, a large negative value and significant test of Fu’ Fs in the Bario population suggested recent expansion and are indicative of dispersal from ancient Sunda Shelf populations (Pahang, Sadong, and Borneo Heights) to East Sarawak (Bario). The results suggested that populations of H. erythraea were subdivided where populations in central Peninsular Malaysia and western Borneo were more closely related than those in western Borneo were to those of eastern Borneo. The study implied that a feature in the landscape of Borneo (the Lupar line) created a greater barrier than repeated intervening ocean between glacial periods. Our study also supports the notion that a widely distributed frog species includes different evolutionary lineages that are possibly cryptic species
Forest Cover and Snow: Implications for Deer Habitat in Southeast Alaska

Relationships between snow depth and overstory characteristics were studied on 19 0.4-ha oldgrowth plots and 1 60-year-old 0.4-ha 2nd-growth plot near Juneau during winter, 1983-84. Mean tree diameter at breast height (dbh), number of stems/ha, percent Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), mean tree height, percent timber defect, basal area, and net timber volume were measured using variable plot and point-centered quarter techniques. Canopy cover was measured from photographs of the overstory taken at each snow measurement point. Snow depth in a high-volume plot (>100,000 board feet/ha) averaged 29% of that in an adjacent forest opening. Snow depth was correlated with net timber volume (r, = -0.90), tree height (r, = -0.85), basal area (r, = -0.79), percent canopy cover (r, = -0.76), percent spruce (r, = -0.66), and mean tree diameter (r, = -0.65). Old-growth plots with high net timber volume had the lowest snow depths. The low snow depths observed in high-volume, old-growth stands are attributed to the large-diameter limbs and deep crowns of older, dominant trees. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 51(1):28-33 Snow is an important component of the winter and early spring environment of Sitka blacktailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) in southeast Alaska. Snowfall reduces the availability of forage, increases the energetic costs of locomotion, and influences deer habitat selection and survival (Edwards 1956, Klein and Olson 1960, Parker et al. 1984). Correlations between overstory characteristics and snow depth beneath the canopy can aid wildlife managers in identification of valuable oldgrowth winter range for deer and may suggest silvicultural treatments to enhance the snowinterception qualities of even-aged, 2nd-growth stands. Our objectives were to develop relationships between snow depth and forest stand characteristics across a broad range of oldgrowth types in southeast Alaska and to compare snow depth in the open to snow depth in the forest, and in old-growth vs. 2nd-growth stands. This study was conducted in the winter of 1983-84 by the Alaska Dep. Fish and Game, as part of Fed. Aid Wildl. Restor. Proj. W-22. We thank R. W. Flynn, J. W. Matthews, and M. H. Thomas for field assistance during this project. P. B. Alaback, A. S. Harestad, D. E. McKnight, R. S. McNay, and S. R. Peterson provided helpful review comments on the manuscript.
Poblaciones de linfocitos y preeclampsia

Background: Preeclampsia origin has no conclusive explanation. As part of its etiology it has been proposed immunologic disorders. This work explores several lymphocytes subsets and postulates possible mechanisms involved in a lost of immune tolerance in this entity. Objective: To compare cellular populations of CD3 CD56, CD4 CD25, T lymphocytes (CD4and CD8) and NK cells subsets in preeclamptic and pregnant healthy women. Patients and methods: Through flow cytometry antibodies, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from both groups of patients. CD3 CD56, CD4 CD25, T lymphocytes (CD4 and CD8) and NK cells were identified. Mean and standard deviation, Student t test and Pearson correlation were calculated to analyze differences between groups and correlation between mean blood pressure and different lymphocytes subsets; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: CD3 CD56 cells percentage was lower in preeclamptic patients (2.7 vs 6.1%; p < 0.002), CD4 CD25 cells percentage tend to be lower too (22.11 vs 33.86; p = NS). Mean blood pressure shown negative correlation with CD3 CD56 cells percentage (rp 0.666; p = 0.001) and with CD25 on CD4 T lymphocytes surface (rp 0.526; p < 0.025). Conclusions: Based on the association between mean blood pressure and lymphocytes percentage for these two cellular subsets, data obtained suggest that CD3 CD56 and CD4 CD25 cells play an important role in preeclampsia development.
Monday 29 August 2011

Myelin, the membrane extension of a specialized cell called oligodendrocyte, has recently gained tremendous interest, due to its involvement in a wide variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders, ranging from neonatal ventricular leukomalacia to metabolic syndromes of genetic origin, from schizophrenia to inflammatory demyelination, such as Multiple Sclerosis. Our laboratory has been working towards an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the acquisition of oligodendrocyte identity, which is necessary for myelin formation in the developing and adult brain. Early ultra-structural studies in the brain of developing animals had reported that the progression of oligodendrocyte progenitors towards myelinating cells was characterized by increased chromatin compaction. We have reproduced these changes in vitro, in primary cultures of oligodendrocyte progenitors from the developing rodent brain, thereby validating this culture system as an important model for the study of chromatin during oligodendrocyte differentiation. The basic unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, which is composed of an octamer of four core histones and 146 base pairs of DNA wrapped around it. The structural and functional state of chromatin is modulated by posttranslational modifications of residues at the tails of histones. We shall review evidence that histone modifications and other epigenetic events are essential for the acquisition of a myelinating phenotype. The implications for disease states will be discussed. (Supported by grants RO1-NS024295 and NS52738.)
The immune system under stress

The immune and neuroendocrine systems are intricately connected and communicating with all other tissues and organs of the body. Communication between systems is indispensable for integrity maintenance of an organism exposed to all kinds of internal and environmental signals. These signals transfer information between individual cells of every system in order to counteract any deviation from established optimal pattern of stability (homeostasis). Fluctuating environmental conditions can overcome homeostatic range, thus threatening the integrity. This threat (stressor) elicits physiological and behavioral responses through changes of boundaries of control to re-establish stability (allostasis). A state of disturbed integrity (stress) elicits a stress response through the release soluble mediators, thus modifying the immune cell behavior and function. Even threats to our sense of mental integrity may have physical consequences including changes in immune system. In this way psychological stress will not initiate immune reaction but only incite immune cells to additional physiological functions and modulate their reactivity to any concomitant or subsequent antigenic challenges. Thus, protection against pathogenic agents that immune system provides is a consequence of its capacity to maintain homeostasis rather than its goal. Stress may be associated with psychiatric and physical comorbidity with strong influence on immune response. The literature data, including our own, on the effects of stress on various aspects of immunity are reviewed. Although the findings are difficult to reconcile, a common pattern of immune alterations can be defined. The characteristics of stressors are important in determining the kind of change that would occur. Short-term stressors enhanced natural immunity and at the same time, specific cellular immunity was suppressed while humoral immunity was preserved. Chronic stress was found to be associated with global suppression of the immune system, particularly specific immune functions (both cellular and humoral). Finally, age and disease status were found to affect an individual's vulnerability to stress-related decreases in immune function.
When Inhibitor MET Biomarker: Postmortem or Initium Novum?

The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) ligand and its receptor, MET, are important for tumor cell proliferation, migration, and survival, as first noted in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) cell lines in the 1980s (Appendix Fig A1). Notably, most subsequent studies over the next decades suggested that MET inhibitors were most effective when the MET pathway was aberrantly and genomically activated, thus rendering cells addicted to this oncogene. Oncogenic MET activation results from a hijacking of various aspects of the canonical MET pathway otherwise normally active in development and wound healing. The canonical pathway consists of HGF ligand-induced dimerization, tyrosine kinase domain activation, and the subsequent activation of a downstream signaling cascade resulting in the MET-driven oncophenotype. In cancer, overactivation most often occurs whenMET gene amplification with consequent overexpression leading to constitutive activation of the receptor is present and generally portends a poor prognosis.
A STUDY OF THE SONG CHARACTERISTICS IN CICADAS AT JINGHONG IN YUNNAN PROVINCE

In this paper, the song characteristics in three species of cicadas: Acutivalva choui Yao (A), Aola bindusara Distant (B), Linguvalva sinensis Chou et Yao (C) and their chcrus in early morning at Jinghong in Yunnan Province are analysed.The songs of cicadas A and B are both sound of rhythmical type consisting of single stridulant group (SSG) and consecutive stridulant group (CSG) with the main peak frequency (MPF) at 6.3 kHz. But the rhythmical mean period, numbers of single stridulation of the SSG and the repetition frequency of amplitude modulated pulse trains of the CSG and so on in the song of cicada A are obviously different from that of cicada B. The song of cicada C is a sound of continuous type consisting of amplitude modulated pulse trains with the repetition frequency in about 120 Hz, and its main peak frequency is 5 kHz.In cicada B, its song at the time approaching evening is identical to its song at noonday in the main peak frequency and the repetition frequency of amplitude modulated pulse trains of the CSG and so on, except in the former the rhythmical mean period lengthens 1.7 s, and the amplitudes of bands below 1000 Hz in 1/3 octave frequency spectrum decrease obviously.The songs of the three species of cicadas in chorus in early morning consist of the prelude, the loud song and the coda. The loud song begins at 06h(28±2)m, and the coda stops at 06h(43±2)m, that is, it is a biological clock phenomenon with a cycle of 24 hours.These results may provide some taxonomical information for the Family Cicadidae and reveal the means of the sound communication in cicadas.
Forensic genetic case study: Species identification and traceability of sea turtle caught in illegal trade in Bali, Indonesia

Pertiwi NPD, Suhendro MD, Yusmalinda NLA, Putra ING, Putri IGRM, Artinigsih EY, Al-Malik MD, Cahyani NKD, Sembiring A. 2020. Forensic genetic case study: Species identification and traceability of sea turtle caught in illegal trade in Bali, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 4276-4283. Although known as protected endangered species, sea turtle trade is still occurring, especially in Indonesia. Understanding the species and population origin of sea turtle being sold in the illegal market is crucial for its conservation, where it will reveal the traceability of sea turtle trade to its population origin in the management unit areas. Thus, genetic forensic has been used as a key investigating tool to help with this problem. In this research, we aim to identify the species and population origin of the sea turtle caught and traded in the illegal market in Bali. Of the 20 samples collected from confiscated sea turtle during illegal trade, by-catch, and a traditional restaurant serving sea turtle meat, 17 samples were successfully analyzed and identified using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) methods. The result identified 15 samples as a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), while two samples were olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Mixed Stock Analysis (MSA) with Bayesian indicated that the green sea turtle caught in illegal trade in Bali is originated mostly from the rookeries populations in Berau (29.98%), Terengganu (17.84%), Sarawak (14.84%), and Ashmore Reef (11.85%). Meanwhile, 18 other locations only showed the MSA value below 2%, including the locations of Penang and Perak, Vietnam, Perhentian, Redang, Pahang, Mersing, Sabah Turtle Island Park (TIP), Sipadan, Coral Sea, western New Caledonia, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island and Guam, northern New Guinea, Gulf of Carpenteria, Scott Reef, West Java, North West Self, Cobourg Peninsula, Cocos Keeling Island. Therefore, the exploitation of sea turtle in Bali will impact the decline in the genetic diversity of sea turtles population Indonesia and adjacent locations. Monitoring and protection of sea turtle species in Bali have to be a high priority because Bali is known as the hub for sea turtle illegal trade, and the exploitation of sea turtle in Bali will have an impact on the sea turtle population in other locations.
Optimisation of dielectrophoretic based molecular targeting for blood chronobiology

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is an electrostatic technique which can be used to examine cellular electrophysiology. This method offers many advantages in characterising a cell population over conventional methods; however, it has yet to see mainstream pharmacological application. This work demonstrates a DEP assay, 3DEP, as a viable method in the electrophysiological measurement of cells, its application for measuring drug effects, and more specifically, its use as a molecular targeting tool in circadian research. The reliability of the assay was investigated measuring DEP response of several cell types with high resolution spectra and the operational limits of automatic fitting algorithms were determined for single and multiple populations. It was found that reliable readouts from 3DEP could be achieved in as little as 6 s. The ability of 3DEP to test drug cytotoxicity on Jurkat cells was tested with doxorubicin. DEP measured IC50 values compared well with previoiusly measured colorimetric assay 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) experimental results, suggesting 3DEP could provide an alternative way to measure molecular events due to drug intervention. With 3DEP having been appropriately optimised, it was then applied to the study of RBC circadian rhythm through both human and vole in vitro and in vivo studies. Disruption of these rhythms can lead to negative health outcomes related to areas such as metabolism, cardiovascular health, and mental health. Since RBCs are anucleated, the mechanism cannot rely on the typically accepted transcription-translation feedback loop found for other cells. 3DEP detected robust rhythmicity in the electrophysiological properties of RBCs in isolated and whole blood samples. These rhythms were altered when introduced to pharmacological intervention. Taken together, these findings suggest a model for the non-transcriptional clock in RBCs. Many applications of the 3DEP system were investigated with respect to molecular targeting highlighting 3DEP’s utility and limitations as a biological tool in research.