Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Regulates Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression in Endothelial Cells via the Phosphorylation of JNK/p38

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an enzyme degrading heme to carbon monoxide, iron, and biliverdin, has been recognized as playing a crucial role in cellular defense against stressful conditions, not only related to heme release. In the present study, the effects of TNF-a on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) as well as the related mechanisms were investigated. 10 ng/mL TNF-α treatment significantly increased HO-1 expression after 6h, then a further increase at 12h and declined at 24h. Treatment with 2 ng/mL of TNFα after 12 h resulted in a significant increase in HO-1 expression, which peaked at 10 ng/mL, then declined at 20 ng/mL. TNF-α induced HO-1 expression and then HO-1 expression reduced vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression. Phosphorylation studies of ERK1/2, JNK, and p38, three subgroups of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) demonstrated TNF-αinduced ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation. The increase in HO-1 expression in response to TNF-α treatment was affected by pretreatment with SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor) and SB203580 (a p38 inhibitor), not with PD98059 (an ERK1/2 inhibitor). The expression of HO-1 was stronger in aortas of TNF-α-treated apo-E deficient mice when compared with control mice. These results suggest that low dose of TNF-α treatment notably induced HO-1 expression was mediated through JNK/p38 phosphorylation and may have a protective potential in cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory response through the regulation of HO-1 expression. Keywords—Heme oxygenase-1 inflammation, endothelial cells, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs).
Inferring the Phylogeny of the Lejeuneaceae (Jungermanniopsida): A First Appraisal of Molecular Data

Abstract Genetic and tribal relationships within the hepatic family Lejeuneaceae are problematic. We studied the phylogeny of the family using sequence data from three genomic regions: 1) the internal transcribed spacer 2 sequence between the nuclear genes encoding 26S and 5.8S ribosomal RNA, 2) partial sequences of the chloroplast genes trnL and trnF including the spacer between them, and 3) the partial sequence of the chloroplast gene, rbcL. Seventeen species representing the subfamilies Ptychanthoideae and Lejeuneoideae as well as the tribes Nipponolejeuneae, Lejeuneae, and Cololejeuneae were included. The family as a whole seems to be monophyletic, with the exception of the genus Nipponolejeunea that is closer to the genus Jubula. Our results also support the existence of two main subfamilies, Lejeuneoideae and Ptychanthoideae. The representatives of the genus Cololejeunea are basal in the Lejeuneoideae clade in our tree, supporting tribal, rather than subfamilial position for the Cololejeuneae. The relationships of the Lejeuneaceae, Jubuloideae, and Frullania remain unresolved in our analyses.
Use of Urban Landscape by Coyotes

Abstract Several aspects of the ecology of coyotes (Canis latrans) have been studied in cities (i.e., diet, use and selection of habitat, movements), but additional knowledge will assist persons that are responsible for management of urban predators. We studied coyotes in central Tucson, Pima Co., Arizona, during November 2005–November 2006. Our objectives were to monitor radiocollared coyotes to determine size of home range, to ascertain use of habitat based on land-use categories and movements, and to describe a den of urban coyotes. Average size of home range calculated using the 95% fixed-kernel method was 26.8 ± 5.1 SE km2 for resident coyotes. Overall, land categories used most often were washes, medium-density residential areas, and low-density residential areas. Movements were <520 m/h within land-use categories used most often during day and night (i.e., medium-density residential areas and washes) and >800 m/h in areas that were used most during the night (i.e., high-density residential and commercial areas). Coyotes were able to meet their life-history requirements in central Tucson likely due to available resources and a diversity of land-use categories, especially washes.
A non-diatom plankton bloom controlled by copepod grazing and amphipod predation: Preliminary results from the LOHAFEX iron-fertilisation experiment.

A non-diatom plankton bloom controlled by copepod grazing and amphipod predation: Preliminary results from the LOHAFEX iron-fertilisation experiment Maria Grazia Mazzocchi1, Humberto E. Gonzalez2, Pieter Vandromme3, Ines Borrione4, Maurizio Ribera d’Alcala1, Mangesh Gauns5, Philipp Assmy4,6, Bernhard Fuchs7, Christine Klaas4, Patrick Martin8, Marina Montresor1, Nagappa Ramaiah5, Wajih Naqvi5, Victor Smetacek4 1Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy (grazia@szn.it) 2Universidad Austral de Chile, Institute of Marine Biology, Valdivia, and COPAS Center of Oceanography, Concepcion, Chile 3Universite Paris 06, UMR 7093, LOV, Observatoire oceanologique, Villefranche-sur-mer, France 4Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany 5National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India 6Bremen International Graduate School for Marine Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany 7Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany 8National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK
Nutritional and flock management options to reduce methane output and methane per unit product from sheep enterprises

The daily methane output of sheep is strongly affected by the quantity and digestibility of feed consumed. There are few widely applicable technologies that reduce the methane output of grazing ruminants without limiting feed intake per head or animal numbers. In contrast, there are many opportunities to increase the amount of animal product generated per unit of feed eaten. These include improving growth and reproductive rates of livestock and will reduce methane emission per unit of product (called emissions intensity) for individual animals. Producer responses to such improvements through changes to stocking rate and total area grazed will have a major effect on the total emission and profitability of the enterprise. First mating of ewes as lambs (~7 months of age) rather than as hoggets (~19 months of age) reduces the emissions intensity of self-replacing flocks but not that of flocks for which replacement ewes are purchased. Selection of sheep for improved residual feed intake reduces emissions intensity at the individual animal level as well as at the enterprise level. At present, emissions policies that motivate farm managers to consider generating fewer emissions rather than more profit or product are lacking.
Bluefin Tuna Warm Their Viscera During Digestion

Acoustic telemetry showed that stomach temperature from large bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, held in an impoundment, changes markedly during feeding. The stomach cools rapidly on ingesting cold food. It then warms to a maximum of 10–15 °C above water temperature over a period of 12–20 h. Temperature decreases slowly over the next 20–30 h to a final state where it remains 3–6 °C above water temperature. The viscera are thermally isolated. Conductive heat losses are reduced by an overlying gas bladder and by the thick fatty muscle of the body wall. Convective heat losses are prevented by heat exchangers in the circulation. The temperature rise can be accounted for by heat released in the hydrolytic processes of digestion and by an increase in metabolic rate. The elevated temperatures should speed digestion and allow the tuna to feed frequently when food is abundant.
A new fermented milk using capsular polysaccharide-producing Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens isolated from kefir grains

Summary A new fermented milk was prepared by using capsular polysaccharide-producing Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens K1 isolated from kefir grains. Fermentation was carried out at 30°C for 18 h, when pH 4·5 was attained. The product had a ropy consistency and was resistant to syneresis. However, the product was given lower scores for acceptability by a consumer panel than a similar product made with Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.
The Ecology and Economics of Storage in Plants

Storage is a characteristic feature of most plants, particularly perennials, and the subject has been thoroughly reviewed according to its chemistry and physiology (9, 40, 59, 80, 133, 139). However, in ecology much of the information on storage is based on observation rather than experimentation, and experiments often fail to confirm common perceptions of the nature and dynamics of stored reserves. For example, clipping studies show that not all carbohydrates are available to the plant, even though they are considered to be stored reserves. In this review we suggest criteria for defining storage in ecological and eonomic contexts in order to examine the costs and benefits of storage. We then evaluate the evidence for, and ecological importance of, different types of storage. We discuss storage in relation to vegetative growth
Vers la rythmologie moléculaire et informatique

1056 > La cause la plus fréquente de décès dans la population adulte des pays industrialisés demeure la mort subite liée à la maladie coronarienne. Son incidence est de l’ordre de 0,36-1,28 cas annuels pour 1000 habitants [1]. Dans 75-80 % des cas de mort subite d’origine cardiovasculaire, le rythme cardiaque enregistré est la fibrillation ventriculaire, la forme la plus grave des troubles du rythme. Parmi les troubles du rythme chroniques ne mettant pas en jeu le pronostic vital immédiat, la fibrillation auriculaire est de loin la plus fréquente avec une prévalence de 1/1000 dans la population adulte, en augmentation constante du fait du vieillissement de la population dans les pays développés. La rythmologie a pour champs d’action les anomalies du rythme cardiaque: la rythmologie clinique assure leur diagnostic et leur traitement; la rythmologie expérimentale a pour ambition de comprendre leur genèse et d’identifier de nouvelles voies thérapeutiques. La rythmologie clinique s’appuie sur l’électrocardiographie de surface et endocavitaire. La rythmologie expérimentale dispose d’un continuum de techniques électrophysiologiques depuis l’étage moléculaire (patch-clamp), cellulaire (patch-clamp et enregistrement des potentiels d’action) jusqu’à l’étage intégré (électrocardiographie). L’ECG (électrocardiogramme) représente l’intégration spatio-temporelle la plus achevée et la plus complexe du fonctionnement répétitif de protéinescanal dont l’activité unitaire est mesurable et dont la nature moléculaire est de mieux en mieux connue.
Survival of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Stylosanthes scabra cv. Fitzroy during the dry season

Infected stems of the tropical pasture legume Stylosanthes scabra cv. Fitzroy were assessed over two consecutive dry seasons to determine if Colletotrichum gloeosporioides survived as conidia on lesions formed during the previous wet season or as hyphae within infected tissue. In the second season, infected stem pieces placed on the soil surface (debris) and in a 15¦C incubator at the beginning of the dry season were assessed in addition to the material from living plants. Infective conidia were present in sufficient numbers to be detected in all but the initial sample in each season, and C. gloeosporioides could be isolated from lesions on plant tissue throughout both dry seasons. Conidium density on live stems was variable in the first season, where no rain fell until the onset of the wet season in mid-November. Conidia were present in similar densities on stems throughout the second dry season, when intermittent light rain fell during the assessment period. The mean density of conidia was significantly higher on live stems than on debris or stems stored at 15¦C. Large numbers of conidia were produced on stem pieces from living plants and debris after incubation under conditions conducive to sporulation. Conidia were, therefore, present or could be rapidly produced to initiate an epidemic once favourable conditions for dispersal and infection occurred.
Allelopathic effect of aqueous leaf extract of Parthenium hysterophorus L. on seed germination and seedling emergence of some cultivated crops

Allelopathic effect of aqueous extract of Parthenium hysterophorus (L). were studied on seed germination and seedling emergence of some cultivated crops like Triticum aesticum (L). , Zea mays (L). , Sorghum vulgare PERS. , Gossipium hirsutum (L). and Glycine max (L). Seed germination of Zea mays (L). was completely inhibited at 2% leaf extract of Parthenium hysterophorus (L). and in Triticum aestivum (L) it was gradually reduced the seed germination up to the concentration of 10 %. While in Sorghum vulgare PERS. it was inhibited at 6 %. At 4 % aqueous extract the maximum inhibition occurred in Glycine max (L). and Gossypium hirsutum (L). The aqueous extract of Parthenium hyterophous L. were having strong inhibitory effect on the growth of root and shoot development in the cultivated crops except Triticum aesticum (L). While on Sorghum vulgare PERS. , it has shown moderate inhibitory potential.
Tidal Current Speed and Production of Benthic Macrofauna in the Lower Bay of Fundy

The benthic production of the lower Bay of Fundy, which has an area of 8620 km2, was estimated to be 166.7 × 104 t wet biomass in summer 1978, equivalent to an average benthic production of 193 g∙m−2∙yr−1. Over 88% of the production was by suspension feeders of which the horse mussel, Modiolus modiolus (Linnaeus, 1758), was by far the largest contributor.The geographic distribution of production of the major, soft-sediment, epi- and infaunal trophic groups in the lower Bay of Fundy was in general agreement with the hypothesis that tidal currents are a major determinant of benthic distribution and production in the lower Bay. Tidal currents control sediment dynamics, as well as settlement, growth, and feeding of benthic animals.Key words: benthos, benthic production, trophic groups, lower Bay of Fundy
Influence of dietary energy on growth, immunecompetence and carcass characteristics of coloured broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted to assess growth performance, immunecompetence and carcass traits in coloured (Krishibro, PDP, ICAR) broiler chickens (n = 270) fed three isonitrogenous diets (20% CP) but varied in energy levels viz. 2600 (low), 2700 (medium) and 2800 (high) kcal ME/kg diet. Data on biweekly body weight gain were recorded and feed conversion ratio was calculated. On d 42 and 56 of age, chicks from three replicates (15 birds) in each dietary group were injected with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) to measure humoral immune response. On 56d of age, other two replicates from each diet were inoculated with E. coli (serotype O2). The response to SRBC and E. coli inoculation was measured after 5days of inoculation. At 43d of age, chicks from another two replicates (10 birds) under each dietary group were injected intradermally in wattle with phytohaemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) and thickness was measured 24h post inoculation to assess cutaneous basophilic hypersensitivity (CBH) response. On 57th day, 10 birds from each dietary group were slaughtered and data on carcass traits were recorded. The body weight gain increased and feed conversion ratio improved significantly (P<0.05) in chicks fed medium (2700 kcal/kg) energy diet as compared to the lower (2600 kcal/kg) energy diet both at 42 and 56days of age, however, no difference could be found between medium and high (2800kcal/kg) energy diet. The humoral immune response to SRBC, CBH response to PHA-P, lesion scores to E. coli inoculation and carcass characteristics did not differ significantly due to variation in dietary energy (2600 to 2800 kcal ME/kg). It is concluded that 2700 kcal ME/kg diet is adequate for optimum performance of coloured (Krishibro) broiler chickens during 0 to 56 days of age.
Carcass Quality Changes with the Broiler Chicken after Dietary Protein Restriction during the Growing Phase and Finishing Period Compensatory Growth

Abstract Commercial source chicken broilers were placed sex-separate in floor pens and all birds received a 24% protein, 3100 kcal ME/kg ration during the first 2 weeks. Through the 2 to 5 week growing period, males received either a 24, 22, or 20% protein, 3100 kcal feed while females were fed a 24, 20, or 16% protein ration of the same calorie content (four pens of 100 for each protein level and sex). Finishing involved 5 to 7 weeks for the males, with all birds receiving the same 20% protein, 3200 kcal feed. Females were given a 16% protein, 3200 kcal ration from 5 to 8 weeks. Combinations of corn, soybean meal, and tallow were used in all instances. Males receiving the 22% protein feed during the growing period did not exhibit a body weight difference from those continued on the starting ration, but their feed conversion was poorer. Both gain and feed efficiency were reduced with cockerels offered the 20% protein ration. Compensatory growth during the subsequent 2 week finishing period was such that all males ended with comparable body weights and total feed conversion. Carcass grading at 5 weeks indicated substantial fat cover increases and fleshing decreases as grower protein was reduced. By 7 weeks, effects on fleshing were minimal but earlier finish changes continued to be readily apparent. Females presented a parallel pattern of results. However, reductions in fleshing were less and finish increases larger than observed with males. Percentage apparent carcass yield was not affected. The results show that consumer related alterations in carcass quality that are defined by the Canadian Grading System can readily occur as a consequence of earlier treatment and without changes in live performance parameters.
Population biology of the metacercariae of Centrocestus formosanus (Trematoda: Heterophyidae) on the gills of Aplocheilus panchax

The population biology of metacercariae of Centrocestus formosanus (Nishigori, 1924) on the gills of the larvivorous fish, Aplocheilus panchax (Hamilton) was investigated based on data from examination of monthly samples of fish collected from a stream at Visakhapatnam during the period December 1983 to April 1986. The seasonal dynamics, dispersion pattern and long-term changes were studied. No seasonality in prevalence and density of infection with metacercariae was observed. The recruitment of metacercariae occurred throughout the year. An increase in density of infection with increase in size of the fish was noted. Possible reasons for the observed distribution are discussed. The frequency distribution of the metacercariae followed the negative binomial at different times of the year. The data indicated an increase in degree of overdispersion with increase in size offish except for a slight drop in the largest size class. Long-term changes in the abundance of metacercariae are given and a decline in parasite population abundance is noted.
Microalgae community of the Huaytire wetland, an Andean high-altitude wetland in Peru

AIM: The diversity and distribution of microalgae communities in a high-altitude (3,000 to 4,500 m a.s.l) Andean wetland, regionally known as bofedal, were examined to assess seasonal and spatial patterns. METHODS: Samples were taken monthly from June to December, 2008 at 13 stations in the Huaytire wetland (16° 54’ S and 70° 20’ W), covering three areas (impacted by urban land use, impacted by camelid pasture, and non-impacted) and three climatologically induced periods (ice-covered, ice-melt and ice-free). RESULTS: A total of 52 genera of algae were recorded. Diatoms were the predominant group in abundance and richness. We found a significantly higher abundance during the ice-melting period, when light exposure and runoff were intermediate, in comparison to the ice-covered (low light and flushing) and ice-free (high light and low runoff) periods. Microalgae abundance was significantly lower in the non-impacted area compared to the sites close to the urban area and to the camelid pastures. Alpha diversity ranged from 8 to 29 genera per sample. High genera exchange was observed throughout the wetland, showing a similar floristic composition (beta diversity = 4%). CONCLUSIONS: We found that diatoms were dominant and adapted to the extreme conditions of the Andean wetland, showing higher abundance during the ice-melt period and in the livestock area. Also, taxa richness was higher in the ice-melt period and in the most-impacted areas.
Food Resource Partitioning Among Waterbirds Wintering on the Diwar Wetland in the Mandovi Estuary of Goa, India

Despite efforts to understand prey potentials of wetlands questions like- Do wintering waterbirds actively compete for food? Does there exist food resource partitioning to minimize conflict? , have evaded definitive answers. This paper attempts to answer such questions through a biennial study of Diwar wetland. The wetland housed 52 waterbird species, most of which were migrants. Smaller waders like redshanks, Kentish plovers, Mongolian plovers, little stints, golden plovers and larger waders like curlews and whimbrels used the sandflats as foraging grounds. Increase in waterbird densities parellel that of benthic invertebrates (r=0.57, p≤0.01, df=23). Waders showed a significant dependence on polychaetes (y=1.04x-1.37; r 2 =0.27, F=7.18, p=0.01). Smaller waders fed on Neries sp. (x1) and Ceratoneries sp. (x2) inhabiting the upper strata of the sediment while larger waders consumed hermit crabs Pagyurus sp. (x3) also. This was confirmed by visual observations and the model y=0.65x1+0.54x2+1.85x3-5.89 (r 2 =0.83, F=16.32, p=0.00). This preferential feeding was substantiated by sudden decrease in prey densities following peak migration (χ 2 =7.73, p=0.05). Large flocks of pintail ducks foraged on Neries kauderni, inhabiting the silty-sand underlying the surface macrophytic mat (y=1.62x-1.5; r 2 =0.54, F= 7.01, p=0.04). Gulls fed on Cerethidia flava scattered on the sandflat (y=1.68x-2.27; r 2 = 0.4, F= 7.87, p=0.02). Wading birds did not show marked preference for any individual group but corelated with the soft-bodied invertebrates (r=0.45, p≤0.05). Thus, it is concluded that Diwar wetland regularly caters to the varied dietary requirements of wintering waterbirds. Waterbirds have adopted to a delicate balance by partitioning the available resources, although a considerable niche overlap exists on the wintering grounds.
Genetic polymorphism BMP15 and GDF9 genes in Sangsari sheep of Iran

Different mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) and the Growth Differentiation Factor 9 (GDF9) genes cause increased ovulation rate and infertility in a dosage-sensitive manner in sheep. In this study, blood samples (140 ewes and 10 rams) were initially taken from 150 Sangsari sheep breed in Damghan animal breeding Centre using venojects treated with the anti-clot substance (EDTA) and subsequently their DNA content were salted out and extracted. Using two pairs of specific primers, two DNA fragments were amplified from exon 1 of GDF-9 (462 bp) and exon 2 of BMP15 (141 bp) genes. The resulted PCR products were digested using HhaÐ and HinfI restriction enzymes for GDF9 and BMP15 genes, respectively. Digested PCR products with HhaÐ enzyme showed a G to A substiuation in GDF9 locus. The wild type allele of this gene (G/+) with two restriction site resulted DNA fragments of 156.52 and 254 bp while the mutant allele (G/-) with one restriction site resulted two DNA fragments with the size of 52 and 410 bp. Genotype frequencies for G (+/+),G (+/-) and G (-/-) were 70.72, 36.88 and 1.40%, respectively. Restriction digested of PCR products for BMP15 locus with Hinf I enzyme showed C to T transition. BMP15 luci was not polymorphic. From studied luci, only GDF9 was polymorphic in Iranian Sanghsari sheep. Key words: PCR, polymorphism, GDF9, BMP15, Sangsari sheep.