Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of Thermoregulation and Water Balance in Desert Ungulates

Abstract Desert ungulates must contend with high solar radiation, high ambient temperatures, a lack of water and cover, unpredictable food resources, and the challenges these factors present for thermoregulation and water balance. To deal with the conflicting challenges of maintaining body temperature within acceptable limits and minimizing water loss, desert ungulates use a variety of physiological, morphological, and behavioral mechanisms. The mechanisms involved in thermoregulation and water balance have been studied in many domestic and wild African and Middle Eastern ungulates; studies involving ungulates inhabiting North American deserts are limited in comparison. Our objectives were to review available scientific literature on thermoregulation, water balance, and the effects of dehydration in desert ungulates. We discuss the physiological, morphological, and behavioral mechanisms used by ungulates to maintain temperature and water balance in arid environments, and the implications for research and management of desert ungulates in western North America.
Impact of Proteins on Pasting and Cooking Properties of Nonparboiled and Parboiled Rice

ABSTRACT The role of proteins in the pasting and cooking properties of non-parboiled (npb) and parboiled (pb) rice was tested by means of a reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) and a protease (trypsin). DTT increased the swelling power and carbohydrate leaching of flour from npb rice flour but decreased its amylose leaching. Although DTT slightly increased the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) viscosity at the initial stages of the pasting process, it decreased RVA viscosity in the further phases of the experiment. Preincubation of flour with a trypsin decreased RVA viscosity along the whole temperature profile. Addition of DTT to the cooking water decreased water absorption and rice hardness and increased leaching of solids during cooking and stickiness of the cooked npb rice. Addition of DTT to the cooking water of flour from pb rice increased swelling power, carbohydrate leaching, and amylose leaching. Addition of DTT also increased RVA viscosity. Preincubation with trypsin had a similar effect but the changes.
Experimental Effects of Temperature and Photoperiod on Synchrony of Gametogenesis and Sex Ratio in the European Oyster Ostrea edulis (Linnaeus)

ABSTRACT Insufficient knowledge about physiological processes underpinning reproduction in the European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis (Linnaeus), presents a number of unique challenges when designing a large-scale selective breeding program for hatchery production. The European flat oyster is a larviparous, protandric hermaphrodite wherein asynchronous spawns and variable sex ratios can lead to loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding depression within hatchery populations as a result of disproportionate gametic contributions in mass matings. A better understanding of O. edulis physiology in relation to environmental factors has the potential to improve hatchery processes for synchronization of gametogenesis, thus increasing fertilization potential and maximizing breeding population size of broodstock. This study sought to determine whether specific conditioning procedures—notably, manipulation of temperature and photoperiod—could be used to improve synchrony of gametogenesis and predictability of sex ratios in O. edulis. Two trials of accelerated yearly variations of temperature and photoperiod were conducted to uncouple the specific role of these factors in the timing of gametogenesis and sex of gametes over several spawning cycles. Histological analysis and quantitative analysis of gonad using a gonad filling index allowed for determination of sex ratios and staging of gametogenesis. Temperature was a controlling factor, although experimental results suggested that the effects of photoperiod, uncoupled from temperature, had no effect on the timing or rate of gametogenesis, or on sex ratios during a breeding season. A better understanding of factors affecting sex ratio and synchrony in timing of gamete release will allow for improved conditioning and broodstock handling protocols in the selective breeding of O. edulis.
Inclusions in seed protein bodies in members of the Compositae and Anacardiaceae: comparison with other dicotyledonous families

Thin sections, freeze-fracture replicas, energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analyses, and chemical analyses of cotyledon tissue from seeds of sunflower (Helianthus annuus), golden everlasting daisy (Helichrysum bracteatum), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), and pistachio nut (Pistacia vera) showed that in all four species the protein bodies consisted of a proteinaceous matrix surrounding numerous globoid crystals. Some variation in globoid crystal size did occur, but they were generally small in relation to the size of the protein body. No protein crystalloids were found in the cotyledon protein bodies of these four species. EDX analysis results were consistent with the globoid crystals being phytin rich. Results of this study, combined with an evaluation of protein body structure in other dicot embryos that have been studied, support the theory that protein body structure is related to taxonomic grouping.
THE METABOLISM AND RADIAL MOVEMENT OF GROWTH REGULATORS AND HERBICIDES IN WILLOW STEMS

Summary The metabolism of IAA, NAA, MCPA, 2.4-D, 2.4. 5-T, MH, TCA and paraquat was investigated in bark strips and stem segments. Both IAA and NAA were extensively metabolized (up to 80% and 40% respectively of the applied compound was converted into other compounds in 24 hours). The principal metabolite of IAA appears to be IAA asp. 2.4-D, paraquat, TCA and MH were metabolized to a small extent (maximum of 2% in 24 hours), whilst no metabolites were detected from MCPA-i-14C and 2.4. 5-T-I-14C. The decarboxylation rate of I-14C-labelled IAA, NAA and the phenoxyacetic acids was low, IAA having the greatest rate (maximum of 4% of the total activity applied given off as 14CO2 during 48 hours). Investigation of the relative mobilities of the non-metabolized compounds from xylem to phloem, and from phloem to the xylem stream, revealed that MH, MCPA and 2.4-D were the most mobile in both directions, TCA and paraquat the least mobile. A comparison of the mobilities of IAA and its metabolites, and NAA and its metabolites, centrifugally and centripetally across the wood was also made. NAA appears more mobile than its metabolites in both directions. In contrast, IAA seems to be more mobile than its metabolites only in a centripetal direction, the converse being found in centrifugal movement.
Contamination of grazing ducks by chlordecone in Martinique

Chlordecone (CLD) is an organochlorine pesticide used from 1971 to 1993 in French West Indies to fight against banana black weevil. The former application of this insecticide has resulted in long-term pollution of soils and in subsequent contamination of local waters and food resources. In this area, grazing poultry may be used to control weeds in orchards as an alternative to herbicides. However, CLD may be transferred into animal products through polluted soil ingestion. The question arises whether these grazing ducks may be consumed by the farmers, i.e. whether the concentration of CLD complies with the legal 20 ? g/kg maximum residue limit (MRL). Muscovy ducks were raised on a guava orchard planted on a soil moderately contaminated (0.4 mg CLD/kg DM). Ducks were raised indoor up to 6 weeks of age and allowed to graze thereafter. Thirty-two females were sequentially slaughtered by groups of 3 or 4 ducks, either after a 4-, 16-, 19-, 22- or 26-week grazing period or after a 16-week grazing period followed by a 3-, 6- or 9-week decontamination period. During decontamination, ducks were raised indoor without any contact with the environment. After 4 weeks grazing, CLD concentrations in liver and in meat (leg with skin) were 258 and 60 ? g/kg, respectively, already far over the MRL. These values increased with time to reach 1051 and 169 ? g/kg, respectively, after 22-week grazing and remained steady thereafter. Ducks kept indoor gradually decontaminated with concentrations reduced down to 47 and 6 ? g/kg, respectively, after 9 weeks. According to this decontamination curve, the time required for decontamination down to the MRL was estimated at 83 and 41 days in liver and in meat, respectively. Thus, the consumption of products from these ducks, especially liver, should be avoided, unless grazing and decontamination practices are improved. (Resume d'auteur)
Generation of CHO Stable Cell Line Overexpressing HER2: an In Vitro Model for Breast Cancer

DOI : 10.7508/rmm.2015. 03.002 Abstract Background: Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy and the leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. The human epidermal growth factor receptor2 (HER2) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor that is usually overexpressed in human breast cancers. Stable cell lines heterogeneously overexpressing HER2 are highly required as in vitro models for breast cancer research. The aim of this study was to establish a stable cell line overexpressing HER2. Materials and Methods: CHO Cells were transfected with linearized pCVN/HER2 plasmid and selected for the recombinant cells with G418 antibiotic. Expression of HER2 in the transfected cells was analyzed using western blotting and immunofluorescence. Results: We found that the recombinant cells stably expressed high levels of HER2 proteins that were mostly concentrated on the cell membrane. Conclusions: The cell line established here provides a useful in vitro model for breast cancer research and any HER-related studies.
Avaliação de produtos naturais no controle de Leucoptera coffeella (LEPIDOPTERA, LYONETIIDAE)

Leucoptera coffeella cause foliar reduction above 30% in coffee cultivation, principally in year with extended dry spell, being related its presence also in rainy season. It was evaluated aqueous, ethanolic and hexanic extracts of the Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. , Sonchus oleraceus L. , Codiaeum variegatum L. , Solanum melogena L. , Solanun paniculatum L. , Allamanda cathartica L. , Dieffenbachia brasiliensis (Veiech), Annona squamosa L. , Ruta graveolens L. , Spondias purpurea L. to control this pest. Coffee foliages contained injury with 0,29 ± 0,09 cm of length, were immersed 5 seconds in extract solution and remained in incubator chamber the 25 oC and 75% of RU. They were used of 20 larvaes/plot and 5 plots/treatment. The evaluation was realized for 24 hours after the application, opening the injury in the foliage and estimativy the caterpillar dead . The best results were obtained with ethanolic and hexanic extract of: Dieffenbachia brasiliensis (52,00 and 56,00%) and Allamanda cathartica (54,00 and 44,00%).
L’angiogenèse passe sous contrôle du couple Delta-Notch

347 NO UV EL LE S M AG AZ IN E 6. Cyster JG, Ansel KM, Reif K, et al. Follicular stromal cells and lymphocyte homing to follicles. Immunol Rev 2000 ; 176 : 181-93. 7. Kaldjian EP, Gretz JE, Anderson AO, et al. Spatial and molecular organization of lymph node T cell cortex: a labyrinthine cavity bounded by an epithelium-like monolayer of fibroblastic reticular cells anchored to basement membrane-like extracellular matrix. Int Immunol 2001 ; 13 : 1243-53. 8. Anderson AO, Shaw S. T cell adhesion to endothelium: the FRC conduit system and other anatomic and molecular features which facilitate the adhesion cascade in lymph node. Semin Immunol 1993 ; 5 : 271-82. 9. Gunn MD, Ngo VN, Ansel KM, et al. A B-cell-homing chemokine made in lymphoid follicles activates Burkitt’s lymphoma receptor-1. Nature 1998 ; 391 : 799-803. 10. Hase H, Kanno Y, Kojima M, et al. BAFF/BLyS can potentiate B-cell selection with the B-cell coreceptor complex. Blood 2004 ; 103 : 2257-65.
Molecular epidemiology of plasmid patterns in Shigella dysenteriae type I obtained from an outbreak in West Bengal (India)

Multiple antibiotic-resistant Shigella dysenteriae type 1 isolates from a recent epidemic in West Bengal (India) showed identical plasmid patterns. All isolates were resistant to ampicillin (Am), chloramphenicol (Cm), tetracycline (Tc), streptomycin (Sm) and trimethoprim (Tp) and contained 6 plasmids, ranging from 2.5–120 kb. The Am resistance determinant was located on the 120 kb plasmid. This plasmid was unstable when the S. dysenteriae strains were grown above 37°C. The Bangladesh strains of S. dysenteriae type 1 showed identical plasmid patterns, except that many isolates were Am-sensitive and lacked the 120 kb plasmid. In strains from both Bangladesh and West Bengal, predominantly group-B plasmids conferred resistance to Cm and Tc. Comparisons of EcoR1 fragments generated from the total plasmid DNA content of each strain support the view that the plasmids present in the S. dysenteriae type 1 strains isolated from all recent epidemics in India and Bangladesh were identical.
PPARγ : un récepteur nucléaire majeur de l’adipogenèse

CAD, mais en utilisant une quantité moindre d’agents alcalins. De ce fait, la cellulose conserve un meilleur degré de polymérisation, ce qui permet d’obtenir un papier de qualité supérieure. De plus, le rendement en pâte est augmenté de 3 % environ, ce qui est considérable, au vu des énormes quantités de papier produites annuellement [7]. Ainsi, ces peupliers à lignines modifiées, tout en diminuant les coûts de production permettent d’obtenir avec un meilleur rendement un papier de plus grande qualité. C’est la démonstration qu’une application du génie génétique peut être potentiellement bénéfique pour l’industrie papetière, aussi bien du point de vue environnemental qu’économique. ◊ Assessment of modified lignin poplars: towards a less polluting paper industry
Loma salmonae (Putz, Hoffman and Dunbar, 1965) in the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, and L. fontinalis sp. nov. (Microsporida) in the brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill)

Loma salmonae (Putz, Hoffman and Dunbar, 1965), Morrison & Sprague, 1981, in the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, was studied with the electron microscope. It is morphologically very similar to L. morhua Morrison and Sprague, 1981, in the Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L. , having only minor differences. Loma sp. Morrison and Sprague, 1981, in the brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill), is more like L. salmonae than the other species of Loma, but was deemed to be distinct. It was named L. fontinalis sp. nov.
Colony Forming Assay for HCV-Replicon Cell Line

[Abstract] Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the main causative agent of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Since the HCV genome is present exclusively in RNA form during replication, a number of anti-HCV drugs show appearance of rapid drug-resistant viruses. Therefore, it is important to test generation of drug-escape mutant viruses by developed antiviral drugs for their validity. Here, we describe a colony formation assay-based method to observe appearance of drug-resistant viruses against nucleic acid based anti-HCV drugs in genotype 1b based subgenomic replicon cell culture system (Lee et al ., 2013).
Évaluation d'une stratégie de sélection génomique dans 3 dispositifs expérimentaux chez la tomate

La selection pour ameliorer les caracteres d’interets agronomiques est realisee a l’aide de la SAM ou de la GWA qui capturent difficilement les loci a effets mineurs, et grâce a des etapes de phenotypage souvent longues et couteuses. La selection genomique (SG) est une methode de prediction de la performance des caracteres via des modeles statistiques pour selectionner des plantes elites dans un schema de selection, en estimant l’effet de tous les marqueurs qui sous-tendent l’architecture genetique des caracteres etudies. Nous avons evalue l’utilisation de la SG chez la tomate en estimant la precision de la prediction pour 25 caracteres lies a la qualite du fruit pour trois types de populations differentes (GWA, MAGIC et RIL). Une demarche de validation croisee a ete menee en estimant le poids de parametres (taille des populations d’entrainement (PE) et de validation (PV), interactions GxE, modeles statistiques predictifs, densite de marquage, heritabilite des caracteres, type de population) sur la precision de la prediction. Nos resultats demontrent que l’approche SG semble puissante pour predire les valeurs phenotypiques (avec des precisions allant de 0.32 a 0.93 lorsque la PE est optimisee, par exemple). Nous observons que (1) plus la PE est grande et plus elle contient des individus proches genetiquement et ayant ete phenotypes dans des environnements similaires par rapport a la PV, plus la precision de la prediction est elevee (2) la precision de la prediction est plus elevee avec l’optimisation de la PE avec une grande diversite genetique (+ 9% en moyenne) (3) plus l’heritabilite du caractere est elevee, meilleure est la prediction (4) les differents modeles statistiques conduisent a des predictions tres similaires (5) la densite de marqueurs optimale depend du DL de la population. Pour conclure, bien que la SG soit une pratique qui n’en est qu’a ses debuts en ce qui concerne le monde du vegetal l’application de la SG chez la tomate semble tres prometteuse et pourrait etre utilisee dans les programmes de selection.
Relationships between smolt size, postsmolt growth and sea age at maturity in Atlantic salmon ranched in the Baltic Sea

Tagging data were used to examine the relationships between smolt size, post-smolt growth and sea age at first maturity for the short-migrating Neva strain of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) ranched in the Bothnian Sea and the Gulf of Finland. The results provided evidence that post-smolt growth was influenced by both relative and absolute smolt size. For both sea-areas, 2-year smolts of small relative size within a release group grew more rapidly in the sea than did smolts of higher relative, but equivalent absolute size. The negative influence of increasing relative smolt size on marine growth was, however, outweighed by the stronger positive influence of increasing absolute smolt size. A 160-mm increase in smolt size (140–300 mm) resulted in an overall growth advantage of about 1 year. In the Bothnian Sea, the predicted mean length after 1 year in the sea was 288 ± 25 mm for 140-mm smolts and 560 ± 16 mm for 300-mm smolts. Under the more favourable conditions of the Gulf of Finland, the respective mean lengths were 369 ± 15 mm and 613 ± 12 mm. The sea age at first maturity was inversely related to both freshwater and marine growth rates. For both sea areas, large smolts yielded proportionately more grilse than did small ones. Smolt years with good post-smolt growth rates yielded more grilse than did years with poor growth rates. The overall level of grilsing was higher in the Gulf of Finland than in the Bothnian Sea. These results suggest that the relationships between smolt size, post-smolt growth and age at first maturity in the sea are influenced by the environmental conditions of the respective sea area. A framework explaining the links between smolt size, marine growth, survival and sea age at maturity in Neva salmon is presented for the Gulf of Finland and the Bothnian Sea.
Feed additives to control Salmonella in poultry

Poultry meat and eggs are important sources of human pathogens. Salmonella is a major cause of human foodborne infections following consumption of poultry products. The original ambition of the EU to eradicate zoonotic agents from the animal production chain has been tempered to reducing the infection pressure of specified zoonotic agents at all levels of the production chain. This can be done by a combination of pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest measures. Feed additives constitute an important group of pre-harvest measures which can help in controlling Salmonella on the farm. Feed additives used for the control of Salmonella can be of different types, including antibiotics, prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics. Public concerns regarding possible antibiotic resistance transfer lead to the ban of antibiotics as growth promoters in monogastric diets within the EU. Experimental and practical use of pre-, pro- and synbiotics, as well as volatile fatty acids as feed additives are discussed in this review. The effects of these additives on resistance to infection, on the extent of excretion and on the persistence of infection are reviewed. Attention is paid also to possible undesirable effects of some of these products. Taking into consideration the underestimated high level of contamination of poultry, the feed additives reviewed in this article can certainly play a valuable part in control strategies during the pre-harvest phase aiming at reducing the infection pressure and thus limiting the risk of contamination of poultry products.
Investigation of estrogen receptor α and β mRNA expression in the pregnant rat uterus

Although the expressions of the estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes have been demonstrated in a large number of estrogen target tissues, to date no evidence has been reported as to how the expressions of the alpha (α) and beta (β) ER subtype mRNA alter in the rat uterus during pregnancy. The aims of the present study were to obtain information concerning the changes in the ER and the progesterone receptor (PR) in early pregnancy and to determine the alterations in the ER subtype mRNA in the pregnant rat uterus. To demonstrate the ER and PR densities, radioligand saturation assay was used. The reverse‐transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) was applied to characterize the alterations in the ER subtype mRNA. ER expression was highest on day 5 of pregnancy (Bmax = 637.40 ± 76.10 fmol/mg). The PR expression did not change significantly until day 8, but the protein density was increased on day 8 of pregnancy. The ERα mRNA expression was active during pregnancy, maximum expression was attained on day 5; a gradual decrease was then observed until the second half of pregnancy when its expression continuously increased up to the day of labor (day 22). Since the attachment of the blastocyst, an event that is dependent on estradiol in the progesterone‐primed uterus of the rat, occurs on day 5 of pregnancy and the levels of the ER protein and the ERα mRNA on day 5 of pregnancy was the highest, it could be supposed that this subtype of ER might regulate implantation. The ERβ mRNA was detected only from day 7 to day 15, with a maximum level on day 8. The expression of this ER subtype might be related to the development of decidual tissue. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 68: 463–468, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.