Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular cloning, heterogenous expression and the induction profiles after organophosphate phoxim exposure of the carboxylesterase Bmae33 in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Carboxylesterases (COEs) are a multifunctional supergene family and some of them play important roles in hydrolyzing a wide variety of carboxylic acid esters. In insects, COEs are related to xenobiotic detoxification, pheromone degradation and developmental regulation. In the present study, one silkworm COE Bmae33 gene, an ortholog to other Lepidopteran odorant-degrading esterases, was cloned and exogenously expressed in Escherichia coli . The results indicate that the Bmae33 gene contained a 1, 656 bp open reading frame, encoding a protein of 551 amino acids. The molecular weight of predicted protein was 62.15 kDa, and the isoelectric point was 5.87. RT-PCR analysis showed that Bmae33 was highly expressed in the head, fat body and integument of the silkworm larvae. Recombinant protein of Bmae33 was purified by His-tag affinity column, and its antibody was prepared. Western blotting analysis showed that the recombinant protein was purified successfully. In addition, the larvae and adults of the silkworm were exposed by volatile organophosphorus (OP) insecticide phoxim, respectively. After exposure, the expression of Bmae33 gene could be up-regulated by phoxim in the silkworm larval head and adult antennae. The results presented in this study provided useful information for further understanding of the odorant detoxification roles. Key words : Bombyx mori, carboxylesterase, recombinant expression, phoxim, induction.
Modelling range dynamics under global change: which framework and why?

To conserve future biodiversity, a better understanding of the likely effects of climate and land‐use change on the geographical distributions of species and the persistence of ecological communities is needed. Recent advances have integrated population dynamic processes into species distribution models (SDMs), to reduce potential biases in predictions and to better reflect the demographic nuances of incremental range shifts. However, there is no clear framework for selecting the most appropriate demographic‐based model for a given data set or scientific question. We review the computer‐based modelling platforms currently used for the development of either population‐ or individual‐based species range dynamics models. We describe the features and requirements of 20 software platforms commonly used to generate simulations of species ranges and abundances. We classify the platforms according to particular capabilities or features that account for user requirements and constraints, such as (i) ability to simulate simple to complex population dynamics, (ii) organism specificity or (iii) their computational capacities. Using this classification, we develop a protocol for choosing the most appropriate framework for modelling species range dynamics based in data availability and research requirements. We find that the main differences between modelling platforms are related to the way in which they simulate population dynamics, the type of organisms they are able to model and the ecological processes they incorporate. We show that some platforms can be used as generic modelling software to investigate a broad range of ecological questions related to the range dynamics of most species, and how these are likely to change in the future in response to forecast climate and land‐use change. We argue that model predictions will be improved by reducing usage to a smaller number of highly flexible freeware platforms. Our approach provides ecologists and conservation biologists with a clear method for selecting the most appropriate software platform that meets their needs when developing SDMs coupled with population‐dynamic processes. We argue that informed tool choice will translate to better predictions of species responses to climate and land‐use change and improved conservation management.
Fenomena Proses Pengambilan Keputusan Menjadi Lesbi Di Kiaracondong Bandung

Indonesia is a country that still holds the principle of heterosexual relations even though many countries have legalized same-sex marriage. In West Java, there are many lesbian groups. Social institutions indicate that there are at least 185 lesbians in Bandung who are members of 14 small groups of 10-20 people. This research is a descriptive ethnographic study using qualitative data. To obtain qualitative data, researchers prioritize data collection techniques in the form of in-depth interviews, to dig deep information from informants. Family and environmental factors greatly influence an individual's sexual orientation. Conflicts that occur in the family that involve disappointment with the figure of a father coupled with disappointment with the opposite sex become an amplifier for individuals to change their sexual orientation into lesbians. The role of the family and surrounding environment that needs to be improved in paying attention to their children's relationships
Evidence of a role for radiation-induced lysosomal damage in non-targeted effects: an experimental and theoretical analysis

A well-known DNA-damaging agent and carcinogen, ionizing radiation (IR) can also exert detrimental effects in cells not directly exposed to it, through “non-targeted effects” (NTE). Whilst NTE are known to contribute to radiation-induced damage, their mechanism of induction and propagation remains incompletely understood. To investigate the possible role of lysosomes, key subcellular organelles, in NTE we used acridine orange uptake and relocation methods to monitor lysosomal permeability in irradiated and bystander human fibroblasts. As a potential mediator of lysosomal changes, oxidative stress was measured using the H2DCFDA assay for total reactive oxygen species (ROS). IR was found to induce significant lysosomal permeability in the first hour post irradiation, with reduced permeability persisting up to 24 hours. This occurred in conjunction with an increase in ROS in directly irradiated cells, in contrast with a decrease in ROS in bystander cells. Based on these observations we constructed a simple mathematical model of ROS-induced lysosomal damage, based on a bistable mechanism where a sufficiently strong IR insult can shift a cell from a ‘low ROS, high lysosome’ to a ‘high ROS, low lysosome’ state. This has profound cellular implications in radiation response and advances our understanding for the sub-cellular involvement in non-targeted effects.
Analyse faiblement supervisée de conversation en actes de dialogue (Weakly supervised dialog act analysis)

Nous nous intéressons ici à l’analyse de conversation par chat dans un contexte orienté-tâche avec un conseiller technique s’adressant à un client, où l’objectif est d’étiqueter les énoncés en actes de dialogue, pour alimenter des analyses des conversations en aval. Nous proposons une méthode légèrement supervisée à partir d’heuristiques simples, de quelques annotations de développement, et une méthode d’ensemble sur ces règles qui sert à annoter automatiquement un corpus plus large de façon bruitée qui peut servir d’entrainement à un modèle supervisé. Nous comparons cette approche à une approche supervisée classique et montrons qu’elle atteint des résultats très proches, à un coût moindre et tout en étant plus facile à adapter à de nouvelles données.
Failure of Benzylpenicillin, N-Acetylcysteine and Silibinin to Reduce α-Amanitin Hepatotoxicity

Background: Intoxications caused by amanitin- containing mushrooms represent an unresolved problem in clinical toxicology. The objective of this study was a comparative evaluation of benzylpenicillin (Bp), acetylcysteine (ACC) and silibinin (Sil) efficacy as antidotes in hepatocytes intoxicated with α-amanitin (α-AMA). Materials and Methods: All experiments were performed on cultured canine hepatocytes. Cytotoxicity evaluation of cultured cells (MTT assay, extracellular lactate dehydrogenase activity) was performed at 12, 24 and 48 h of exposure to α-AMA and/or antidotes. Results: Following 24 and 48 h exposure there was a significant decline of hepatocyte viability and an increase of lactate dehydrogenase activity in groups exposed to α-AMA and in groups exposed simultaneously to α-AMA and antidotes. Moreover, hepatocyte viability and lactate dehydrogenase activity in all these groups were similar. Administration of studied antidotes without α-AMA, was not associated with any adverse effects in hepatocytes. Conclusion: All antidotes tested in this study against α-AMA were not effective in canine hepatocyte cultures. Exposure to mushrooms containing amatoxins is fairly common all over the world (1-6). Currently there are more than 30 known amatoxin-producing species belonging to the genera Amanita, Galerina and Lepiota. The toadstool death cap (Amanita phalloides) and its subspecies, destroying angel (Amanita virosa) and death angel (Amanita verna) are responsible for nearly 95% of all fatal mushroom poisonings (6). High mortality rate in Amanita phalloides intoxications is principally a result of the acute liver failure following significant hepatocyte damage due to hepatocellular uptake of α-amanitin (α-AMA), the major amatoxin (6-9). Severe intoxications caused by amanitin- containing mushrooms represent an unresolved problem in clinical toxicology since no specific and fully efficient antidote is readily available. Several substances widely used in the past to treat mushroom poisonings (steroids, cimetidine, thioctic acid) are documented to be completely ineffective. Moreover, a retrospective analysis revealed that the most often currently used antidote - benzylpenicillin (Bp) shows poor clinical efficacy (1). Overall results of this meta-analysis indicate that silibinin (Sil) or acetylcysteine (ACC) are found to be more effective in mushroom poisoning therapy in humans. However, ACC, Sil and Bp were not effective in limiting hepatic injury after α-AMA poisoning in a murine model (10). Since clinical course and symptoms of amanitin intoxication in dogs are almost identical to those seen in humans, a concept of the treatment of this type of toxicity can be studied in a canine hepatocyte model (11-14). The objective of this study was a comparative evaluation of ACC, Bp and Sil efficacy in canine hepatocytes intoxicated with α-AMA.
Changes in the distribution and abundance of wintering Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus in eastern China

Summary The Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus is globally threatened with an estimated world population of 25,000–28,000, of which c 20,000 winter at East Dongting Lake, China. We present here the first collation of published and unpublished data on the distribution and abundance of the species in eastern China in recent decades. Lesser White-fronted Goose numbers have declined greatly in Anhui, Jiangxi and Jiangsu Provinces between the late-1980s/early-1990s and recent years: the species’ range has now mainly contracted to East Dongting Lake in Hunan. The relatively stable numbers at East Dongting Lake suggest that the population is not currently threatened, but the extreme concentration at one lake makes the species vulnerable. Lesser White-fronted Geese rely on very specific meadow vegetation exposed after water recession, so changes in water levels or recession timing, due to hydrological changes following the commissioning of the Three Gorges Dam, may affect biomass, palatability and plant species composition of the meadows. Thus, it is critically important to understand the wintering ecology and habitat needs of this threatened species at East Dongting Lake. It is also essential to conduct further synchronous Yangtze River floodplain surveys to assess the current status, distribution and habitat use of Lesser White-fronted Geese throughout the region.
Morphometric analysis of ontogeny and allometry of the Middle Ordovician trilobite Triarthrus becki

Abstract Traditionally, the distinction between meraspis and holaspis among trilobites has been based on the achievement of the full adult complement of thoracic segments. Using a large sample (over 700 specimens collected from a single bed) we explore the utility of employing the ontogenetic trajectory of the cranidium as an alternative means to differentiate trilobite growth stages. This method is particularly useful for species represented solely by exuviae and disarticulated individuals. We use geometric morphometrics to examine shape change among cranidia ranging in size from 0.9 mm to 11.6 mm in cephalic length. The 114 measured specimens exhibit a rather continuous gradation in size in which no distinct instars are evident. The meraspid and holaspid specimens exhibit allometry when partial warp scores and uniform components of shape derived from thin-plate spline analysis are regressed onto log centroid size. To describe allometric shape change, deformation vectors from the smallest to the largest specimen in both ontogenetic stages are presented in three different superimposition settings by using a new software program. We have concluded that a new superimposition method (the Sliding Baseline Registration) is a useful tool for visualizing allometry in organisms that contain an axis of symmetry. As a result, we conclude that allometry is evident in meraspides and holaspides, but the degree of allometry in holaspides is very small relative to that in meraspides. The boundary between meraspis and holaspis in Triarthrus becki appears to correspond to a large change in the rate of ontogenetic change, but neither to a change in the direction of that trajectory nor to a cessation of ontogenetic change. This boundary also corresponds to a cranidium centroid size that matches well previous determinations that holaspis begins at about 2.8 mm in cephalic length.
Trace Metal Uptake and Sodium Regulation in Gammarus Marinus From Metal Polluted Estuaries in England

The regulation of major ions in aquatic Crustacea has been extensively studied, and it is hardly surprising that ever-present ionic constituents of sea water such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium have been incorporated into highly efficient regulatory mechanisms. On the other hand, we know little of the mechanisms governing the uptake and regulation of trace elements, despite the fact that metals such as zinc and copper may be important constituents of enzymes and blood pigment.
Effect of soybean oil supplementation on milk fatty acid composition from Saanen goats fed diets with different forage:concentrate ratios

Abstract Twelve lactating Saanen goats were randomly assigned to four experimental diets, which differed in terms of forage:concentrate ratio and soybean oil supplementation. A 4×4 Latin square design was used. On a dry matter (DM) basis, forage:concentrate ratios were 63:37 (‘high-forage’ diet) and 35:65 (‘low-forage’ diet/high beet pulp). These diets were given either with oil (100 g·d-1) or without. The inclusion of soybean oil in the diet resulted in a significant increase in milk yield (but with HF diet) and in milk fat yield and concentration (P<0.05). Milk protein content remained unchanged across the diets. Milk protein yield was, however, higher for the high-forage diet containing added oil (forage × oil interaction, P<0.05). Soybean oil in the diet modified the milk fatty acid composition, reducing the levels of medium-chain and saturated fatty acids and increasing the levels of C18:2 n-6 and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The addition of soybean oil to the diet resulted in a significant increase in rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11 CLA) and vaccenic acid (trans-11 C18:1) content in the milk fat. Interactions between forage and oil resulted in a significant increase in rumenic acid and vaccenic acid in animals fed a high-forage plus oil diet, and in trans-10 C18:1and trans-10, cis-12 CLA in animals fed a low-forage plus oil diet, probably due to a shift in the rumen’s biohydrogenation of linoleic acid.
The effects of Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionibacterium acidipropionici on corn silage fermentation, ruminal degradability and nutrient digestibility in sheep

Summary The chemical composition, in situ ruminal degradability coefficients of dry matter (DM), and nutrient digestibility in sheep were evaluated for corn silage (CS) treated (fresh weight basis) with different levels of a commercial bacterial inoculant (I) as follows: (1) untreated CS (control); (2) CS + I at half of the recommended level; (3) CS + I at the recommended level (3 × 10 10 colony forming units per g of fresh forage) and (4) CS + I at two-fold recommended level. The inoculants (Lallemand, France) consisted of Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionibacterium acidipropionici. Whole- plant corn was ensiled for 60 days in plastic polyethylene bags. Also, three laboratory silos (70 g capacity) for each treatment were sampled on days 2, 3, 4 and 60 to study the pH changes. The silages underwent rapid fermentation and were well- preserved. The pH value decreased to 4.0 on day 2 and was the lowest for treatment 2 on day 60 after ensiling compared with other treatments. Treatment 2 had higher (P<0.05) contents of crude protein (CP), residual water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), lactic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and total acids, but lower (P<0.05) butyric acid than treatment 3, and also higher acetic and lower butyric acid levels than other treatments. No traces of ethanol were detected in any of the silages. The acid detergent fiber (ADF) content of treatments 1 and 4 was lower (P<0.05) than others. Only ether extract (EE) digestibility was affected by these treatments which was higher for treatments 1 and 4 (P<0.05). The DM recovery for treatment 1 was lower than others. Effective DM degradability was slightly higher for treatment 4 and fraction "a" was significantly (P<0.05) lower for treatments 1 and 3 compared with treatment 4. The results indicated that application of this inoculant at half of the recommended level was more effective to enhance the aerobic stability of silages due to higher acetic and propionic acid production which have antimycotyic properties. The decreased cost associated with this level of inoculant might be economical for farmers in warm climates as to encourage its use as an additive for silage making.
GENETIC VARIABILITY AND POTENTIAL SOURCES OF GRATELOUPIA DORYPHORA (HALYMENIACEAE, RHODOPHYTA), AN INVASIVE SPECIES IN RHODE ISLAND WATERS (USA)1

Grateloupia doryphora (Montagne) M.Howe is an invasive foliose alga that was reported for the first time in Rhode Island, USA in 1997. The population has since increased in size and expanded in range. In this study, the genetic variation and potential sources of the Rhode Island G. doryphora population were examined using three types of molecular markers: randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, and mitochondrial cox2–cox3 intergenic spacer (COX) sequences. No variation was detected in ITS or COX sequences among Rhode Island G. doryphora individuals. RAPDs, however, did reveal genetic variation, although banding patterns were similar, with RAPD genetic distances between individuals ranging from 0.00 to 0.17. The low level of genetic diversity observed within the Rhode Island population may be due to a small founder population or a founder population derived from a genetically uniform source. To identify possible sources of the Rhode Island invasion, individuals from nine geographically diverse populations of foliose Grateloupia were compared. Phylogenetic trees inferred from RAPD distances and ITS and COX sequences had similar topologies; thus there was phylogenetic congruence among these independent loci. The Rhode Island G. doryphora specimens were genetically similar to specimens from G. doryphora populations located in Portsmouth, England; Tholen Island, The Netherlands; and Brittany and Hérault, France. Interestingly, the G. doryphora population in each of these locations is itself due to an introduction event within the past 40 years.
Effects of slash-and-burn fallow periods on landscape structure

Slash-and-burn is a widespread agricultural system practised by more than 250 million people in tropical regions. It is sustainable when fallow periods allow for the restoration of organic matter and nutrient losses that occur during the cropping phase. However, fallow periods have been reduced in most slash-and-burn systems as population density has increased. The consequent landscape structure modification occurring throughout this process can affect several ecological processes. As a first step in understanding these modifications, the present study aimed to test the effects of fallow period reduction on landscape structure by examining a total of 34 lots of 25–250 ha each in the north-east of the Brazilian Amazon. Sixteen lots with long fallow periods (about 10 years) were compared with 18 lots where fallow periods were reduced to c. four years. The reduction in fallow period created a more homogeneous landscape, largely dominated by agricultural and young secondary vegetation. The main mechanism leading to this homogenization was a more intensive use of initial secondary vegetation for agriculture. On average, the percentage of land used more intensively for agriculture was four times higher in short fallow period areas than in long-period areas. The increase in agricultural area is related to both an increase in the number of agricultural fields and also to an increase in the area of these fields. The proportions of forest and old secondary vegetation in the landscape were reduced as a consequence of a reduction in patch size, without significant fragmentation or patch losses. These structural changes appeared to be more usual in large properties belonging to several families. Further studies are needed to understand the consequences of these modifications for landscape functioning, but it is possible to speculate, based on previous studies, that these structural changes can lead to a reduction in the speed of regeneration processes.
Determinación de los umbrales sensoriales de detección, de identificación, de diferenciación y el umbral máximo en el sabor ácido, mediante metodología de elección forzada entre tres alternativas (3-AFC)

Los umbrales sensoriales de deteccion, de identificacion, de diferenciacion y el umbral maximo en el sabor acido fueron determinados por la metodologia 3-AFC, de la norma ISO 13301:2002 (GTC 255/15). Siguiendo tambien esta norma, se determino el umbral de diferenciacion utilizando diversas metodologias tales como MUE, el metodo grafico. Evaluacion visual. PdS diferente de 0,5, el calculo de posibilidad maxima mediante hoja de calculo en Excel y Solver y el calculo alternativo de regresion lineal usando SAS, obteniendo los siguientes resultados: 0,075 g/L, 0,069 g/L, 0,069 g/L y 0,067 g/L, respectivamente. Adicionalmente, se observo que, los resultados son similares con excepcion del MUE que presenta un valor mas elevado que los otros metodos.