Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of fences and lions on the ecology of African wild dogs reintroduced to Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

Wild dogs have been eradicated from most of South Africa. However, a large number of smaller isolated reserves offer the potential for metapopulation conservation management of this species through continued translocations among reserves. Wild dogs were released into the Pilanesberg National Park (500 km2), South Africa, in June 1999 from a combination of wild captured and captive bred individuals. The reserve has lions but no spotted hyaenas. We document post release spatial use, prey selection and breeding biology. Dogs used a very small area (13.4 km2) for their first denning period, and then ranged more widely, but avoided the central parts of the park. Movement patters and den site locations suggested that dogs avoided the presence of lions. Major prey species were kudu (50 %), impala (32 %) and waterbuck (14 %). Large prey, including adult male kudu (250 kg) and waterbuck (260 kg) were taken regularly through use of the boundary fence as an aid to capture. Wild dogs have bred three times since introduction, indicating that reserves as small as 200 km2 may be suitable for intro duction of wild dogs, and metapopulation management strategies may be a viable option as long as sympatric large predator populations are absent or managed appropriately.
ErbB2/HER2: Its Contribution to Basic Cancer Biology and the Development of Molecular Targeted Therapy

ErbB2, one of the receptor tyrosine kinase superfamily has attracted the attention of cancer researchers since its discovery. Thirty years ago, ErbB2 was discovered as an oncogene that transforms NIH3T3 cells. The first decade of ErbB2 research revealed that it is a member of the ErbB receptor family and is deregulated in various types of human cancer. In the second decade, one significant discovery came from the crystallography with the rational theory that explains why no ligands specific for ErbB2 have been identified so far, and the other breakthrough came from the clinical field with the appearance of ErbB-targeted therapeutics. Today, cancer researchers strive to describe the elaborate signaling network of ErbB receptors by proteomic analysis, and our knowledge of their function, which is far from complete, is being applied to develop more efficient ErbB-targeted therapeutics for cancer patients. We will begin the story of ErbB2 with its discovery as an oncogene called neu. In the dawn of oncogene research, this gene, derived from a rat tumor, was classified as one of the most pivotal genes in human cancer, along with the oncogenes Ras and Myc and the tumor suppressor gene p53. This is because ErbB2 is frequently amplified and overexpressed in certain human cancers, such as breast carcinoma. Similar to other oncogenes, subsequent research demonstrated its indispensable role in development. Now, our interest is whether ErbB2 acts on the same target proteins in cancer and in normal development. The signaling networks downstream of ErbB receptors are complex because there are various ligands for each receptor, except ErbB2, and the composition of the ErbB dimer seems to define downstream signaling targets. For example, EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor)-containing heterodimers prefer to stimulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, while ErbB3-containing dimers preferably activate phosphatidylinositol 3kinase (PI3K). This characteristic is reflected in the difficulty in choosing the best therapeutics corresponding to each case in the clinic.
Asymmetry, Developmental Stability, and Evolution

Why does nature love symmetry? In this work, Moller and Swaddle analyze the evolutionary implication of symmetry. They advance and explain their theory that asymmetry is related to genetic stability and fitness, and that symmetric individuals appear to have quantifiable and significant advantages over their asymmetric counterparts. When assessing potential mates or competitors, animals may be able to use symmetry as an honest indication of quality. This interdisciplinary book, with its associated Web-site, should be of interest to students and researchers in the fields of ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and animal behaviour.
Rhizobium plasmids are involved in the inhibition or stimulation of rice growth and development

We examined growth responses of rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L. cv. Pelde) to specific Rhizobium strains and their mutants, to investigate the molecular basis of colonization and the stimulation or inhibition of rice growth and development by rhizobia. Inoculation experiments with rice seedlings showed that specific Rhizobium isolates of these rice-associated and legume-associated rhizobia could either promote, inhibit, or have no influence on rice plant growth. There are genes on certain plasmids of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii and R. leguminosarum bv. viciae that affect the growth and development of rice root morphology. Additionally, we found that bacteria can intimately associate with, and enter into, rice seedling roots by alternative mechanisms to those encoded by the symbiotic (pSym) and the tumour-inducing (Ti) plasmids. Investigations suggest an involvement of the phytohormone auxin, and possibly nitrate, in this complex rice-Rhizobium interaction.
Effect of probiotics on biotechnological characteristics of yoghurt

Purpose – Probiotics are known to extend health benefits and therefore may be included during yoghurt manufacture to enhance its prophylactic properties. Different probiotic strains may exhibit diverse biotechnological behaviour in association with yoghurt cultures, therefore interactive behaviour amongst probiotic and yoghurt cultures must be evaluated prior to their commercial application. This paper aims to assess the effect of inclusion of different probiotic cultures on various biotechnological (technological, dietetic and prophylactic) characteristics of yoghurt cultures.Design/methodology/approach – Yoghurt was assessed for technological characteristics based on acidification and flavour production, dietetic characteristics based on proteolytic activity, vitamin synthesis and L (+) lactic acid production and prophylactic characteristics based on β‐galactosidase activity, antibacterial spectrum, viability in product as well as during gastro‐intestinal transit, intestinal colonization, immunomodulati.
Role of Adaptor Proteins in MPR sorting

Mannose 6-phosphate receptors mediate sorting of lysosomal enzymes and thus play an important role in lysosomal biogenesis. They bind to the mannose 6-phosphate residues on the lysosomal enzymes at the TGN and transport them to the endosomes from where the enzymes are further transported to lysosomes. The receptors return to the TGN from endosomes for additional sorting cycles. The sorting of MPRs from the TGN to endosomes involves monomeric (Golgi localized gamma-"ear" domain-containing ARF binding proteins or GGAs) and heterotetrameric adaptor complexes (APs) either in co-operation with or independent of each other by clathrin-coated vesicles. We generated chimeras of the cargo-binding subunit of AP-1(µ1A) and AP-2 (µ2) and identified a new domain of µ1A important for the sorting of MPRs. We also characterized the retrograde transport of MPR46 from endosomes to the TGN by an in vitro transport assay. We identified the SNARE proteins and the Rab GTPase involved in this path way. We generated cell lines deficient for both AP-1 and one of the GGAs (GGA1 or GGA2) to analyze the function of these two adaptors in TGN-to-endosome sorting of the MPRs.
Corporate Social Responsibility, Board Structure, and Gender Diversity: Evidence from Australia

Purpose: Corporate governance in Australia is currently undergoing a transitional and contentious period regarding whether and how to integrate corporate social responsibility (CSR). This paper aims to understand how corporate governance relates to CSR performance in Australia by examining two areas of corporate governance: board and gender diversity. Design/methodology/approach: Data covering the period 2002 to 2016 are analysed by three methods, including OLS, panel regression and dynamic GMM. Corporate governance is operationalized with five variables: board size, board independency, chairperson independency, existence of risk management committee, and special committee devoted to corporate sustainability/CSR. Gender diversity is operationalized with four variables: percentage of female directors, percentage of female managers, gender of CEO, and gender of chairperson. In addition to individual variables, this study also develops overall indices of board structure and gender diversity, respectively. Four aspects of CSR performance, namely corporate social performance, corporate environmental performance, controversies over CSR, and greenhouse-gas emissions from corporate activities are included. Synthesizing data from SIRCA, Thomson Reuters Asset4 and Morningstar, we have a sample of 2,250 firm-year observations. Findings: This study identifies factors that positively relate to CSR performance, including a board that consists of more directors, more independent directors, more women, a risk management committee and a special committee devoted to CSR. Moreover, board structure and gender diversity also negatively relate to controversies over CSR, yet no relation between corporate governance and greenhouse-gas emissions is identified. These findings are robust to different analysis methods. Originality/value: Findings indicate that even if directors’ duties have been not explicitly extended to the interests of other stakeholders, the extant requirement of duties also to some extent encourages CSR performance. But corporate governance in Australia does not appear to adequately consider issues of greenhouse-gas emissions and climate change. Regarding board subordinates, findings in this study reveal that two voluntarily formed board committees, namely the risk management committee and CSR committee, positively relate to CSR performance. Extending prior studies in Australia, this study provides a more comprehensive picture of how board structure and gender diversity relate to CSR performance.
Ecological segregation of murres (Uria lomvia, Uria aalge) during the nonbreeding season in the northwest Atlantic ocean

When resources are limited and similar species co-occur, ecological segregation is likely to occur year-round, through spatial, temporal, behavioural and/or dietary segregation. This study investigates year-round ecological segregation between partially sympatric, congeneric Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia) and Common Murres (Uria aalge). In the Northwest Atlantic, the species exhibit a latitudinal divergence in breeding distributions. However, both winter in Low Arctic regions, where the potential for spatial overlap is greater than during the breeding period. Given the inaccessibility of murres at sea, the inter- and intra-specific interactions of murres wintering in the Northwest Atlantic have not been previously studied. Using tracking devices and isotopic analyses, this study integrates spatial and temporal movements during the nonbreeding period, relative overlap of winter habitat, and trophic positions during the nonbreeding period. Thick-billed and Common Murres remained partially segregated throughout the year, with some overlap among particular colony groups. Thick-billed Murres moved over a broad range of latitudes throughout the year, had varied core wintering locations, encountered variable environmental conditions, made variable seasonal movements, and had broad trophic positioning. In comparison, Common Murres concentrated and converged on more narrow wintering areas, where colonies had high spatial overlap, encountered similar environmental conditions with consistent temporal patterns, and occupied similar trophic positions. Habitat segregation occurred mostly spatially; but where spatial overlap was greater, inter-specific dietary segregation increased. Most individual murres (both species) exhibited consistent wintering strategies across 2-3 years, with a few individuals shifting habitats between years. Variation in winter movement patterns stemmed more from between-individual variation (particularly among Thick-billed Murres) than from annual changes within individuals. Ecological segregation is expressed through more varied movement, habitat use, and diets of Thick-billed Murres, resulting in a wider ecological niche that is related both to the range of available habitat and prey, and to inter-specific competitive interactions with Common Murres. Relative connectivity among species and colonies at wintering sites also has implications for overall population vulnerability to spatially-discrete risks or wintering conditions, which will be greater for the relatively concentrated Common Murres than for more dispersed Thick-billed Murres.
Las cuentas nacionales de transferencias: aplicaciones y resultados para España

espanolEl envejecimiento es uno de los mayores retos a los que se enfrentan las sociedades avanzadas en el futuro proximo. El cambio en la composicion por edades de la poblacion obliga a repensar muchas de las estructuras sociales instauradas a lo largo del ultimo siglo en busca de un mayor bienestar, surgidas en condiciones demograficas bien diferentes. Afrontar este reto con garantias exige analisis rigurosos en el marco de la economia intergeneracional, para comprender como se relacionan economicamente las diferentes generaciones que conviven en cada momento. Las Cuentas Nacionales de Transferencias suponen un gran avance en la disponibilidad de datos para este tipo de analisis. EnglishAgeing is one of the main challenges that current societies must face in the near future. Changes in population age structure force a reorganization of some social structures developed along the last century to improve social welfare, emerged under very different demographic conditions. Rigorous analyses of the intergenerational economy –in order to understand how different generations interact in economic terms– are necessary to confront ageing. In this sense, National Transfer Accounts entail a substantial progress in the data availability to face this kind of analyses.
Germination of herbaceous plants common to aspen forests of western Colorado

HOFFMAN, G. R. (Dept. of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069). Germination of herbaceous plants common to aspen forests of western Colorado. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 112:409-413. 1985. -Thirteen plant species, common to aspen-dominated habitat types in western Colorado, were tested for germination requirements. Seeds of Agastache urticifolia, Bromus ciliatus, Elymus glaucus, Erigeron speciosus, Senecio serra, and Solidago spathulata were nondormant and germinated in most of the tests tried. Seeds of Delphinium barbeyi germinated after 60 days and 120 days stratification. Osmorhiza occidentalis, and Heracleum sphondylium germinated only after 120 days stratification. Seeds of Aster engelmannii, Erigeron elatior, Rudbeckia hirta, and Thalictrum fendleri germinated in about half the tests and stratification increased their rate of germination. Agastache urticifolia germinated consistently less in dark than in light. Erigeron speciosus, Senecio serra, Aster engelmannii, and Thalictrumfendleri germinated less in dark than in light without or after short periods of stratification; but they germinated more in dark than in light after long periods of stratification. The nondormant species Aster engelmannii and Thalictrum fendleri germinated best following 120 days stratification under a thermoperiod of 24? /2? C. Other nondormant species Agastache urticifolia, Solidago spathulata, and Erigeron elatior all germinated best without stratification in 16 hr light/8 hr dark under a thermoperiod of 24? /10? C. Agastache germinated equally well with no stratification in 13 hr light/lI hr dark and thermoperiod of 24'/2? C. The grasses Bromus ciliatus and Elymus glaucus germinated to high percentages in various tests including light, dark, with or without stratification, and all thermoperiods tested. Obviously this group of species, commonly occurring in aspen forests of western Colorado exhibits a range of germination requirements, some of which may have ecologic significance and others which may reflect adaptations that have little survival value at the present time.
Pemanfaatan Bakteri Asam Laktat Dalam Proses Pembuatan Tahu Dan Tempe Untuk Peningkatan Kadar Isoflavon, Asam Linoleat Dan Asam Linolenat

ABSTRAK Tahu dan tempe sebagai makanan olahan kedelai yang banyak dikonsumsi oleh masyarakat sebagai sumber protein nabati. Selain protein, kedelai memiliki isofl avon dan potensi asam lemak tak jenuh lainnya. Keistimewaan isofl avon yang dikenal sampai saat ini adalah sebagai antioksidan dan kemampuan antikanker. Sedangkan asam linoleat dan asam linolenat dalam kedelai sebagai asam lemak tak jenuh bahwa tubuh tidak dapat disintesis dan bermanfaat dalam pencegahan penyakit jantung koroner. Indonesia memiliki potensi megabiodiversiti Bakteri Asam Laktat (BAL) yang sangat tinggi seperti Lactobacillus plantarum, L. casei. BAL dapat diisolasi dan digunakan untuk fermentasi asam laktat dalam makanan, seperti tahu, tempe, tauco, kecap, dan acar. Produk olahan kedelai seperti tahu dan tempe adalah makanan fermentasi. Dalam proses pembuatan tahu tanpa melalui proses fermentasi dan masih menggunakan cara konvensional dengan penambahan cuka sebagai agen koagulan. Sedangkan pembuatan tempe difermentasi menggunakan ragi Rhyzopus sp sehingga bentuk kompak dihasilkan. Pemanfaatan LAB (Bakteri Asam Laktat) dalam proses fermentasi asam laktat untuk membuat tahu dan tempe, diharapkan akan diperoleh dan produk tahu serta linoleat isofl avon tinggi dan asam linolenat yang dapat berfungsi sebagai makanan fungsional. Kata Kunci: Asam Laktat, Tahu, Tempe, Isofl avon, Asam Linoleat, Asam Linolenat ABSTRACT Tofu and tempeh as processed soy foods are widely consumed by the public as a source of vegetable protein. In addition to protein, soy has isofl avones and the potential of other unsaturated fatty acids. Privileged isofl avones known to date is as an antioxidant and anticancer abilities. Whereas linoleic acid and linolenic acid in soybeans as unsaturated fatty acids that the body can not be synthesized and benefi cial in the prevention of coronary heart disease. Indonesia has the potential megabiodiversity Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are very high such as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. casei. BAL can be isolated and used for fermentation lactic acid in foods, such as tofu, tempeh, tauco, ketchup, and pickles. Processed soy products such as tofu and tempeh is a fermented food. In the process of making out without going through the process of fermentation and still use the conventional way with the addition of vinegar as a coagulant agent. While the manufacture of tempe fermented using yeast Rhyzopus sp so that the resulting compact form. Utilization LAB (Lactic Acid Bacteria) in lactic acid fermentation process for making tofu and tempeh, are expected to be obtained and tofu products as well as the high isofl avone linoleic and linolenic acids that can serve as a functional food. Keyword : Lactic Acid, Tofu, Tempeh, Isofl avones, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid
Selection of the appropriate reference genes for relative quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in canine pulmonary arteries

A normalisation of targeted genes using the appropriate reference genes is necessary for reliable quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiments. This study aimed to investigate the appropriate reference genes and the numbers of the genes required for qRT-PCR in canine pulmonary arteries. Pulmonary arteries were collected from twenty-three dogs at necropsy. Candidate reference genes including ribosomal protein L32 (RPL32), ribosomal protein L13a (RPL13A), ribosomal protein S18 (RPS18), TATA box binding protein (TBP), beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5), ribosomal protein S19 (RPS19) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) from pulmonary arteries were examined by qRT-PCR and analysed using four major algorithms, including geNorm, NormFinder, the comparative delta-C T method, and RefFinder. The optimal number of genes was analysed using geNorm. The ranking of the appropriate reference genes from all algorithms was evaluated by RefFinder. The appropriate reference genes for the normalisation of the targeted gene in canine pulmonary arteries are RPS19 and RPL32.
Responses of subarctic-alpine plant communities to simulated environmental change : Biodiversity of bryophytes, lichens, and vascular plants

The predicted changes in climate over the next 50 years are expected to be most pronounced in arctic and subarctic regions. In the present study, we examine the responses of a subarctic-alpine rich meadow and poor heath community to factorial manipulations of temperature and nutrient treatments. Specifically, we address response to the treatments in terms of biodiversity and relative cover of the bryophyte, lichen and vascular plant communities. We point out that the responses differ among mosses, lichens, vascular plants, and communities, and this will probably cause shifts in the dominance of both bottom layer and canopy layer species. It is important to note that the decrease in cover and species number of the bottom layer mainly occurred due to a decline in mosses; in contrast, lichen cover increased in all treatments in both communities. Climate change may thus cause a shift in the bottom layer from being dominated by mosses, to become dominated by lichens.
Babesia bovis: Actualidad del desarrollo de una vacuna

Introducción. Babesia bovis es el principal agente causal de la babesiosis bovina, una importante enfermedad veterinaria transmitida por garrapatas a nivel mundial. Las estrategias convencionales para controlar esta parasitosis han presentado múltiples limitaciones por lo que el desarrollo de una vacuna basada en antígenos representa una estrategia apropiada para la prevención y el tratamiento. Objetivo. Describir los aspectos relevantes del ciclo de vida del parásito B. bovis, la epidemiología, diagnóstico y la aplicación de diferentes estrategias usadas para controlar esta parasitosis. Además, se discuten potenciales puntos de intervención para desarrollar una vacuna contra este parásito. Metodología. Se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos usando los términos: “Babesia bovis AND lyfe cycle”, “B. bovis vaccine and Vaccine candidates”, entre otras. Los estudios con mayor pertinencia publicados hasta la actualidad se revisaron completamente. Resultados: Los detalles de la biología de parásito B. bovis y el proceso molecular usado para ocasionar la enfermedad en el hospedador son poco conocidos, lo que explica que el desarrollado de estrategias para el control de esta parasitosis no hayan sido del todo eficientes. Por lo tanto, se requiere diseñar nuevas medidas, por ejemplo, desarrollar vacunas de nueva generación basadas en un enfoque funcional que permitan mejorar las condiciones de sanidad animal. Conclusiones. Comprender el complejo ciclo de vida de B. bovis permitirá estudiar las interacciones huésped-parásito-garrapata e identificar moléculas implicadas en la adhesión/invasión celular para evaluar su utilidad como componente de una vacuna que controle esta parasitosis.