Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enalaprilat-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation via regulation of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF- β1)-expressing anti-angiotensin II (Ang II)

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor enalaprilat (Ena) on the proliferation, hydroxyproline content, and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) protein expression of neonatal cardiac fibroblasts and to probe its anti-cardiac fibrosis mechanism. Cardiac fibroblast (CFb) was isolated using the trypsin digestion method. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay was performed to evaluate cell proliferation, a hydroxyproline method of determination was used to measure collagen content, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry were used to detect mRNA TGF-β1 and protein levels, respectively, with Ena. Ena decreased dramatically the MTT value, the hydroxyproline content, and inhibited TGF-β1 transcription and protein expression in neonatal rat CFb. The antiproliferative effects of Ena on CFb may be attributed to the inhibition of TGF-β1 transcription and protein expression in cardiac fibroblasts and the antagonistic action of angiotensin II (Ang II).
An investigation of a possible involvement of BVDV, BHV-1 and BHV-4 infections in abortion of dairy cattle in Kars district of Turkey.

Summary In this study, the possible effects of BHV-1, BHV-4 and BVDV involving abortions in the selected dairy cattle herds in Kars province of Turkey were serologically investigated. Serum samples obtained from 140 aborted cattle where frequent abortion cases frequently occurred during first and second trimesters of gestation last a few years were analyzed for the presence of specific antibodies for BHV-1 and BHV-4 using ELISA and BVDV using neutralization test, respectively. The results showed that 61.4% (86/140) and 29.3% (41/140) of samples were positive for BHV-1 and BHV-4 specific antibodies by ELISA respectively and 74 (52.9%) of tested samples had neutralizing antibodies to BVDV in virus neutralization test. Furthermore, the results also showed that 11.4% of the samples (16/140) had antibody against all of BHV-4, BHV-1 and BVDV. From our results, BHV-1, BHV-4 and BVDV may be responsible for causing abortions and BVDV seroprevalece in tested animals may be indicative for the presence of the persistently infected animals in Kars pasture. The control of abortions caused by viral infections vaccinations should be practiced before the gestation time of cattle.
On the error involved in high-speed film when used to evaluate maximum accelerations of fish

An analysis of hypothetical, film-derived, and accelerometer-measured acceleration–time data of fish fast starts indicates that the total error in film studies is the sum of sampling frequency error (i.e., the error due to over-smoothing at low film speeds) and measurement error. Measurement error depends on the digitizing apparatus, the image magnification, and the magnitude of the acceleration in question. Total error approaches a minimum at an optimal film speed determined by the magnification of the image. This error is reduced by increasing image magnification and by selecting a new (higher) film speed. Theoretical expectations of total error were tested experimentally by comparing statistically differentiated film records with accelerometer records of fast starts in fish. Average experimentally determined error, for a range of film speeds, was found to be within 13% of the theoretical average. Accelerometer data recorded during fast starts of pike indicate that previous assessments have underestimat.
Protein catabolism in bean leaf discs: accumulation of a soluble fragment of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase under oxygen deficiency

Discs isolated from the primary leaves of 2-week-old bean plants were used to study the influence of different light intensities (between 0 and 27 mu E m(-2) s(-1) on Rubisco and chlorophyll catabolism. In discs with a water-infiltrated intercellular space, the rate of chlorophyll degradation strongly depended on the light intensity, while illumination was far less effective in non-infiltrated leaf discs. It has been suggested in the past that stromal proteins can be cleaved in the intact organelle. In our experiments, a 45 kDa Rubisco breakdown product accumulated in infiltrated leaf discs in darkness (where chlorophyll was stable) or after an incubation under N-2. One or several steps involved in the further degradation of this catabolite might be oxygen- or energy-dependent. The solubility of Rubisco and of the fragment accumulating under hypoxia in the dark was investigated, since an association of this enzyme with membranes under certain conditions has been reported in the past. As judged from SDS-PAGE gels, neither the intact large subunit nor the fragment accumulated in the membrane fraction in our experimental system. The intermediates formed during Rubisco degradation might depend on environmental conditions. At present, the steps involved in the catabolism of this enzyme cannot be generalized.
Video assessment of environmental impacts of salmon farms

Video recordings have become a common method for monitoring the benthic environment around salmon farms, but generally they are only assessed qualitatively. We made a quantitative assessment of video recordings and compared the results with benthic invertebrate faunal data from the same sites. Transects around two Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) farms were videoed, with environmental variables that clearly showed change with levels of organic enrichment ranked according to their degree of occurrence. These variables included Beggiatoa cover, pellets and faeces, sediment colour, and abundance of flora and fauna. Analysis of the data by multivariate statistics indicated that quantitative data from video recordings can clearly detect major organic enrichment, but that they are not as sensitive as benthic infaunal data to lower levels of disturbance. This assessment technique will need to be tailored to different environmental conditions, but shows promise for long-term monitoring programs.
Cosmetic enhancement of signal coloration: experimental evidence in the house finch

Plumage coloration plays an important role in visual communication by signaling aspects of individual quality. It has been proposed that the need for preserving plumage condition and hence signaling content may have promoted a novel signaling mechanism: cosmetic coloration. Here, we investigated whether preen waxes may act as cosmetics by affecting feathers' ornamental coloration in male house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). We (1) blocked the access to uropygial gland of a group of males and compared their coloration with a control group and (2) applied preen wax extracted from live individuals to museum skins and measured color before and after wax application. We found that red feathers of control males were more colorful than those of experimental males and that applying waxes to museum skins' red feathers increased their color saturation. Our results provide evidence that preen waxes act as cosmetics by enhancing plumage ornamentation, thus revealing the existence of novel mechanisms operating in signaling coloration. Although preen waxes per se would not constitute a signal, selection for signal efficacy might favor individuals that are able to increase signal intensity beyond the optimum necessary for plumage maintenance. Our results support the hypothesis that preen waxes reinforce the honesty of signals, which may be particularly useful in a social context where interactions between individuals are mediated by the intensity of the signals. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.
The Genus Cyathocalyx (Annonaceae) in the Philippines

Abstract A comprehensive taxonomic revision of the Philippine representatives of the genus Cyathocalyx (Annonaceae) is presented for the first time. Five species are recognized, including two endemics that are newly described (C. crassipetalus and C. samarensis). The utility of specific taxonomic characters is also evaluated, with particular emphasis on leaf indument and occurrence of crystals; sepal and petal shape; carpel number; monocarp size and shape; pericarp thickness; presence of stipes; seed size and shape; and prominence of the raphe. The conservation status of each species is evaluated according to current IUCN Red List categories and criteria.
Review of the Internet of Things for Healthcare Monitoring

These days, individuals are increasingly bound by indoor living, investing less energy outside. As a result, the importance of monitoring air quality inside to make indoor living progressively appropriate has risen immensely. The advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) will significantly encourage patient analysis and monitoring procedures, as small IP-based wireless sensors can be placed on the patient’s body. For example, one’s blood pressure and coronary heart rate can be observed remotely and regularly using physiological parameters. Over the past few years, the IoT has experienced one of the most significant developments of the 21st century. The IoT describes a network of physical items, or “things,” that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies that are able to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet. These devices range from ordinary household objects to sophisticated industrial tools. There are more than seven billion connected IoT devices today, and experts are expecting this number to grow to 10 billion by 2020 and 22 billion by 2025. This paper attempts to review and understand the utilization of the IoT in customized healthcare and how excellent healthcare can be acquired at a low cost. We will clarify, in brief, how the IoT functions and how wireless and sensing systems are utilized in order to carry out efficient healthcare applications.
DNA FINGERPRINTING OF SINGLE APHID EMBRYOS BY RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (RAPD–PCR)

Extraction of DNA from whole aphids, in combination with random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) (Williams et al. 1990) markers can detect interspecific and intraspecific genetic variation (Black et al. 1992; Cenis et al. 1993). However, these techniques entail destructive sampling of fresh or preserved specimens. To allow experimental replication from a single sample while preserving the same aphid for morphometrical or karyotyping analyses, we describe a technique for RAPD-PCR using DNA from single aphid embryos. We evaluated the usefulness and reliability of single-embryo analysis, using four species of our laboratory colonies, namely Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Aphis fabae Scopoli, Aphis frangulae group, and Aphis gossypii Glover.
On the Nomenclature of the Skink (Mabuya) Endemic to the Western Atlantic Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

The skink genus Mabuya currently comprises more than 100 species worldwide (Greer and Broadley, 2000; Greer and Nussbaum, 2000). Approximately 20 species are known for the Neotropics (Mijares-Urrutia and Arends R., 1997; Greer et al., 2000; Rodrigues, 2000). As is the case for many of the Old World species, systematics of the Neotropical forms remain unsatisfactorily resolved. One of the South American taxa, currently referred to as Mabuya maculata, is endemic to the archipelago of Femando de Noronha, in the western Atlantic, approximately 200 km off the northeast Brazilian coast. Specimens from Fernando de Noronha differ from other Mabuya species in numerous morphological features, especially strongly keeled dorsal scales, uniform coloration without a trace of striping, and unusually high dorsal, ventral, and midbody scale counts (e.g., Dunn, 1935; Peters and Donoso-Barros, 1970). As a result, they have been linked to the Cape Verde Islands Mabuya species, rather than to any of the New World congeners (e.g., Dunn, 1935; Horton, 1973). In spite of the Noronha species' distinctiveness and restricted geographic range, the question of which is the valid name because it has been much discussed since its first description over 160 years ago and, in our opinion, is not yet resolved. The Mabuya from Fernando de Noronha was first described by Gray (1839) as Tiliqua punctata. On the same page of the same work, Gray described a second skink, Tiliqua maculata, from Demerara, British Guiana (now Guyana). Since then, both names have been alternatively considered synonymous and distinct by
Evidence of antagonistic interactions between rhizosphere and mycorrhizal fungi associated with Dendrocalamus strictus (Bamboo)

The paper deals with interactions of some microfungal strains isolated from rhizosphere soils from three different sites with ectomycorrhizal fungus Cantharellus tropicalis mycelium grown in vitro on agar plates. The rhizospheric fungi were isolated from 3 different sites of bamboo forest and grown against Cantharellus. The cross inoculation method showed that C. tropicalis was highly active against some fungi, thus resulting in different types and strength of interactions. Overgrowth was the most common interaction (45%), followed by inhibition at distance (29%), intermingling (17%) and contact inhibition (13%). The competitive strength of the ectomycorrhizal fungus was high and only affected by some fast growing sterile mycelia, an unidentified fungus and Trichoderma viride.
Image Compression Using Discrete Weyl-Heisenberg Transform

This article proposes a new approach to raster image compression, based on the use of the two-dimensional real discrete Weyl-Heisenberg transform (DWHT). This discrete transform is orthogonal and is based on the optimal Weyl-Heisenberg signal basis, which has the best time-frequency localization. The indicated properties are ensured by choosing the optimal forming function of the basis and the best ratio of its parameters. In addition, to assess the potential possibilities of using the discrete Weyl-Heisenberg transform in compression problems, the main criteria for compression efficiency were formulated and DWHT was compared with other well-known orthogonal transforms – discrete cosine transform (DCT) and discrete Hartley transform (DHT). It is experimentally shown that the proposed method based on discrete Weyl-Heisenberg transform has much better compression characteristics. The paper also presents the results of comparing three compression methods (DHT, DCT and DWHT) in the form of corresponding tables and figures of the restored images.
Analysis of subthreshold region transport characteristics according to channel thickness for DGMOSFET

In this paper, the subthreshold characteristics have been alanyzed using MicroTec4.0 for double gate MOSFET(DGMOSFET). The technology for characteristic analysis of device for high integration is changing rapidly. Therefore to understand characteristics of high-integrated device by computer simulation and fabricate the device having such characteristics became one of very important subjects. The oxide thickness and channel thickness in DG MOSFET determines threshold voltage and extensively influences on Ss(Subthreshold swing). We have investigated the threshold voltage and Ss(Subthreshold swing) characteristics according to variation of channel thickness from 1nm to 3nm in this study.
Physiological Mechanisms of Glyphosate Resistance1

Glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide and also the world's most widely used herbicide, inhibits 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), an enzyme in the aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathway. Because of its broad-spectrum and potent weed control and favorable environmental characteristics, attempts to engineer glyphosate resistance have been intensive in the past few decades. The use of at least three different mechanisms has conferred glyphosate resistance in normally sensitive crop species. Early work focused on progressive adaptation of cultured plant cells to stepwise increases in glyphosate concentrations. The resulting cells were resistant to glyphosate because of EPSPS overexpression, EPSPS gene amplification, or increased enzyme stability. Further work aimed to achieve resistance by transforming plants with glyphosate metabolism genes. An enzyme from a soil microorganism, glyphosate oxidoreductase (GOX), cleaves the nitrogen– carbon bond in glyphosate yielding aminomethylphosphonic acid. Another metabolism gene, glyphosate N-acetyl transferase (gat), acetylates and deactivates glyphosate. A third mechanism, and the one found in all currently commercial glyphosate-resistant crops, is the insertion of a glyphosate-resistant form of the EPSPS enzyme. Several researchers have used site-directed mutagenesis or amino acid substitutions of EPSPS. However, the most glyphosate-resistant EPSPS enzyme to date has been isolated from Agrobacterium spp. strain CP4 and gives high levels of resistance in planta. Weeds resistant to glyphosate have offered further physiological mechanisms for glyphosate resistance. Resistant field bindweed had higher levels of 3-deoxy-d-arbino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase, the first enzyme in the shikimate pathway, suggesting that increased carbon flow through the shikimate pathway can provide glyphosate resistance. Resistant goosegrass has reduced translocation of glyphosate out of the treated area. Although glyphosate resistance has been achieved by numerous mechanisms, currently the only independent physiological mechanism to give adequate and stable resistance to glyphosate for commercialization of glyphosate-resistant crops has been glyphosate-resistant forms of EPSPS. Nomenclature: Glyphosate, N-phosphonomethyl glycine; field bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis L. ; goosegrass, Eleusine indica L. Additional index words: EPSPS, gene amplification, glyphosate, glyphosate N-acetyl transferase, glyphosate oxidoreductase, herbicide metabolism, herbicide resistance, shikimate pathway. Abbreviations: AMPA, aminomethylphosphonic acid; CP4-EPSPS, 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase isolated from Agrobacterium spp. strain CP4; CTP, chloroplast transit peptide; DAHP synthase, 3-deoxy-d-arabino heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase; EPSPS, 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase [E.C. 2.5. 1.19]; gat, glyphosate N-acetyl-transferase gene; gox, glyphosate oxidoreductase gene.
Effect of Supercoiling on the Abortive Initiation Kinetics of the RNA4 Promoter of ColE1

oped by McClure (McClure, W. R., Cech, C. L., and Johnston, D. E. (1978) J. Biol. Chen. 253, 89418948). A T plot was constructed, enabling the equilibrium constant for closed complex formation (KI) and the isomerization rate constant (k2) to be determined. The effect of supercoiling on RNA-I is an apparent 100-fold increase in the isomerization rate, k2, with little or no effect on KI. This is the first reported abortive initiation analysis of RNA-I transcription which serves in the regulation of plasmid replication.
Morphological studies of fibrocytes in connective tissue undergoing rapid remodelling.

Connective tissue remodelling involves simultaneous synthesis and breakdown of collagen (Lapiere, 1967; Woessner, 1968), and it has been argued by Woessner (1968) that predominance of one phase over the other leads to either a net gain or loss in the collagen content of connective tissue. Fibroblasts are well recognized as being responsible for the synthesis of collagen (Ross, 1968), but the cells involved in the degradation of collagen have not, however, been so clearly identified in all connective tissues. In bone, a specialized connective tissue, osteoclasts have been extensively studied (Scott & Pease, 1956; Hancox & Boothroyd, 1963) and have clearly been identified as having a degradative role. In less specialized connective tissue the cellular involvement in collagen breakdown has been studied in the involuting uterus (Brandes & Anton, 1969; Luse & Hutton, 1964; Parakkal, 1969), the metamorphosing anuran tail (Usuku & Gross, 1965; Eisen & Gross, 1968), wound repair (Ross & Odland, 1968) and the resorbing carrageenin granuloma (Perez-Tamayo, 1970). Macrophages have been shown to be involved during involution of the uterus and in wound repair, epithelial cells and indeterminate mesenchymal cells in regression of the anuran tail, and fibrocytes in the carrageenin granuloma and certain pathological lesions (Welsh & Meyer, 1967). All the above situations, however, apart from bone remodelling, represent transient phenomena, and, in the case of wound healing, carrageenin granuloma resorption and pathological lesions, inflammatory cells complicate the interpretation of cellular involvement. The purpose of this investigation was an attempt to determine the role of the principal cell of fibrous connective tissue, the fibrocyte, as this tissue is remodelled.
Reflexiones sobre las certificaciones de sustentabilidad en cadenas globales de valor desde diversas perspectivas teóricas

La gobernanza global de la sustentabilidad a traves de certificaciones ha sido cuestionada de diversas maneras. En particular, se pone en duda que los modos actuales de produccion y consumo puedan conducir efectivamente a una mayor sustentabilidad social y ambiental, siendo necesario realizar mas investigaciones tendientes a demostrar que la organizacion economica que rige en un determinado caso de estudio sirve exitosamente al bien comun. Por otra parte, dado que la sustentabilidad es un concepto multidisciplinario, se asume que existe una diversidad de enfoques y teorias provenientes de distintas disciplinas que pueden proporcionar miradas novedosas sobre el objeto de estudio, enriqueciendo el analisis. En este marco, el presente articulo busca aportar elementos de diversas perspectivas teoricas que permitan responder al siguiente interrogante: ? que requisitos deberian cumplir las certificaciones de sustentabilidad para mejorar el desempeno de las empresas de paises en desarrollo que integran cadenas globales de valor? Para ello se revisan enfoques propios de la etica, la teoria de la legitimacion, la teoria de los stakeholders y la teoria de la motivacion buscando desagregar la pregunta general en otras mas especificas, con el fin de identificar tensiones y categorias de analisis para abordar el problema en cuestion. Palabras Clave: Certificaciones, Sustentabilidad, Cadena Global de Valor, Perspectiva Critica Codigos JEL: M14, L50, F18, O10 Abstract: Sustainability global governance through certifications has been questioned in various ways. In particular, it is questioned that the current modes of production and consumption can effectively lead to greater social and environmental sustainability, being necessary to conduct more research aimed at demonstrating that the economic organization that governs a given case of study successfully serves the common good. On the other hand, given that sustainability is a multidisciplinary concept, it is assumed that there is a diversity of approaches and theories coming from different disciplines that can provide novel perspectives on the object of study, enriching the analysis. Within this framework, the present work seeks to provide elements of different theoretical perspectives to address the following question: what requirements should sustainability certifications comply with to improve the performance of companies from developing countries that integrate global value chains? In order to do so, ethics-based approaches, legitimation theory, stakeholder theory and motivation theory are reviewed, seeking to disaggregate the general research question into more specific ones, in order to identify tensions and categories of analysis to address the problem in question. Key Words: Certifications, Sustainability, Global Value Chain, Critical Perspective JEL Codes: M14, L50, F18, O10