Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of mitochondrial dynamin adaptor binding and membrane recruitment

Many cellular membrane fission events are mediated by dynamin-related proteins (DRP), which self-assemble into spirals encircling the lipid tubes at their sites of action. DRPs are GTPases whose activities are dramatically stimulated upon assembly. Rapid GTP hydrolysis causes constriction of DRP spirals and leads to membrane fission. DRPmediated membrane fission is initiated by the recruitment of a certain DRP to the specific cellular membrane via adaptor proteins. The adaptors also co-assemble with DRPs to form active fission complexes. The molecular mechanism for this important recruitment step is poorly understood, as is the function of adaptor proteins during fission complex formation and membrane severing. In this thesis, we studied DRP membrane recruitment and adaptor functions using the yeast mitochondrial fission machinery including the DRP Dnm1, the adaptor Mdv1, and the membrane anchor Fis1. To initiate mitochondrial fission, Dnm1 is recruited to the mitochondria via a direct interaction with Mdv1, which binds Fis1 on the mitochondrial outer membrane. As described in Chapter 2, we identified a novel motif in the Dnml Insert B domain that is essential for the interaction of Dnml with Mdvl. Mutations in this conserved motif severely impaired Dnml-Mdvl interaction and mitochondrial fission. Suppressor mutations in the Mdvl P-propeller domain rescued defects caused by the Insert B mutations. The positions of these suppressor mutations define potential binding sites for Insert B on the Mdvl P-propeller. In Chapter 3, we demonstrated that Mdvl plays dual functions, as an adaptor and in scaffolding, during fission complex formation. Mdvl dimerizes via a 92A coiled-coil, which determines the optimal architecture of fission complexes. Together, these studies provide mechanistic insights regarding DRP membrane recruitment and the functions of adaptors in DRP-mediated membrane fission. Although the sequence of Insert B and the adaptors are varied among DRPs, we believe that they are functionally conserved and may have co-evolved to meet the requirements of specific fission events in different tissues and cell types.
A new genus and two new species of the subtribe Thomassetiina (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from South Africa

A new genus of Buprestidae, Roswitha, is descriptionbed for two new spedes, R. endroedyi and R. bilyi, from South Africa. Roswitha endroedyi is from Berlin Forest Reserve, Mpumalanga Province, and R. bilyi is from East London, Eastern Cape Province. These taxa are placed within the subtribe Thomassetiina of the nominate subfamily and tribe and compared with taxa from southern Africa.
A Macrobiological Perspective on Microbial Species

As a microbial community ecologist, I am interested in the composition, structure, and function of microbial communities, and, in particular, in the fundamental units of which they are comprised. Those studying plant and animal biology—macrobiology—typically have a strong sense of the importance of species to communities. The late Ernst Mayr, a leading biologist of the 20th century, considered species “the basic unit of ecology…no ecosystem can be fully understood until it has been dissected into its component species and until the mutual interactions of these species are understood. ”
Exercise-induced alterations in melanocortin receptor expression and inflammation

xi CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Inflammation and Macrophages . 1 1.2 Effects of Exercise on Inflammation . 2 1.3 Melanocortin 1 Receptor and Melanocortin 3 Receptor . 6 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW . 10 2.
THE SEX RATIO IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL IN RELATION TO ANTECEDENT EGG PRODUCTION AND INBREEDING

That large eggs tend to produce male chicks and small eggs female chicks was the observation of Lienhart (1919), but the observations of Jull (1924) and Jull and Quinn (1924, 1925) show quite definitely that egg weight bears no relation to sex ratio. Jull and Quinn (1925) found no significant difference between the weights of male and female chicks at hatching time, and Jull and Heywang (1930) found that the percentage chick weight of initial egg weight is independent of the sex of the chick. Jull and Quinn (1924) also found that there is no relationship between the absolute length of the egg and the sex of the chick hatched from it nor between the relative length or shape of the egg and the sex of the chick hatched from it. Jull (1924) showed that there is no relationship between yolk weight of egg and sex nor between yolk water content of egg and sex, and Jull and Heywang (1930) found that the percentage yolk weight of chick weight at hatching time is independent of the sex of the chick. 124
Insights into Neural Crest Evolution

Neural crest cells are unique to vertebrates and essential to the development and evolution of the craniofacial skeleton. Using a combination of DiI cell lineage tracing, transcriptomics, and analysis of key transcription factors of the Sox Family, I examined neural crest development in the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, as the most basal extant vertebrate from which it is possible to get embryos. The results have uncovered distinct cranial and trunk neural crest subpopulations along the anterior-posterior axis of the lamprey embryo, with a clear separation between the two. However, no evidence of the presence of an intermediate vagal neural crest population was uncovered. Comparing cranial neural crest genes between lamprey and chick, either by examining individual candidate genes or whole genome transcriptome analysis, reveals significant changes in the cranial neural crest gene regulatory network of lamprey compared with chick. In particular, the lamprey cranial neural crest is "missing" several gnathostome cranial crest genes. We speculate that these may underlie the evolutionary divergence of craniofacial development between jawed and jawless vertebrates. Despite the absence of vagal neural crest, DiI-labeling shows that trunk neural crest-derived cells, likely homologous to mammalian Schwann cell precursors, contribute to the lamprey enteric nervous system, potentially representing the most primitive form of neural crest cells contribution to the ENS. Finally, I characterized key members of the Sox Family (Sox B-F) due to their importance in neural crest specification in other species. In comparative studies of the SoxC genes (Sox4, Sox11, and Sox12) in both lamprey and Xenopus, I found similar expression patterns and a novel key role in early neural crest specification, suggesting a conserved role of the SoxC genes amongst vertebrates. Taken together, this work represents important progress in characterizing the early evolution of the neural crest in vertebrates and its role in the transition from jawless to jawed vertebrates.
Progress of Studies on Artificial Propagation and Application of Trichogramma Chilonis

The morphology and biological character of Trichogramma Chilonis was informed in the paper. The method for artificial propagating Trichogramma Chilonis and its application in agriculture in China was summarized. Current related researches were reviewed. Several suggestions were put forward in the end, such as strengthening the basic studies, reproducing in large scales and raising the effect of pest controlling.
TRANSCRIPTOME ANALYSIS OF mRNA EXPRESSION PROFILING TO PREDICT POTENTIAL BIOMARKERS INDUCED IN BREAST CANCER-BRCA1

Objective: Breast cancer is most common cancer type to women with 5, 00,000 deaths in every year worldwide. The purpose of the present study is to predict the somatic variants and copy number variants present in BRCA1 genes using 6 paired samples of the glandular tissues. Methods : In this context DNA sequencing technology is advanced method used to identify biomarkers that helps patients to have treatment. Results : From whole genome sequence several gene mutations are predicted using Annovar and snpEff tools from GATK tool kit and classified only non-synonymous SNVs from all datasets and predicted the 28 novel genes that significantly associated with breast cancer. Conclusion: Results are classified with both breast cells and breast cancer cells, identified 13 genes which are most commonly expressed and is further used for molecular diagnostics.
Bone biology in the elderly: clinical importance for fracture treatment

Abstract Age-related bone impairment often leads to fragility fractures in the elderly. Although excellent surgical care is widely provided, diagnosis and treatment of the underlying bone disorder are often not kept in mind. The interplay of the three major bone cells – osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes – is normally well regulated via the secretion of messengers to control bone remodeling. Possible imbalances that might occur in the elderly are partly due to age, genetic risk factors, and adverse lifestyle factors but importantly also due to imbalances in calcium homeostasis (mostly due to vitamin D deficiency or hypochlorhydria), which have to be eliminated. Therefore, the cooperation between the trauma surgeon and the osteologist is of major importance to diagnose and treat the respective patients at risk. We propose that any patient suffering from fragility fractures is rigorously screened for osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases. This includes bone density measurement by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, laboratory tests for calcium, phosphate, vitamin D, and bone turnover markers, as well as additional diagnostic modalities if needed. Thereby, most risk factors, including vitamin D deficiency, can be identified and treated while patients who meet the criteria for a specific therapy (i.e. antiresorptive and osteoanabolic) receive such. If local health systems succeed to manage this process of secondary fracture prevention, morbidity and mortality of fragility fractures will decline to a minimum level.
Assessment of the climate and human impact on estuarine water environments in two estuaries of the Bay of Biscay

Abstract The effect of climate variability on estuarine water environments was assessed in two systems of the Bay of Biscay, the estuaries of Bilbao and Urdaibai, with contrasting morphology, hydrodynamic features and anthropogenic influence. To that purpose, the main time scales of variability in relevant environmental factors were established along spatial salinity gradients and, using a combination of multivariate and regression analyses, the contribution of each factor to the total variability, as well as the influence of climate factors in the seasonal and inter-annual estuarine environment variations were assessed. The major seasonal modes of variability in the water environments of both estuaries were accounted for by water temperature together with salinity stratification and/or chlorophyll a. This seasonal variability was associated with climate variability, as shown by the relationship with air temperature and river flow. The major inter-annual modes of variability were also accounted for by water temperature, along with dissolved oxygen and/or chlorophyll a in Bilbao, and chlorophyll a and/or transparency in Urdaibai. These were also associated with climate variability, in this case summer air temperatures. Water quality variables, such as dissolved oxygen and transparency, were found to be sensitive to reveal the effect of long term anthropogenic activities.
Metabolismo do fenantreno por cunninghamella elegans ucp 542 associado aos aspectos morfológicos, ultraestruturais e na produção de quitina e de quitosana

The phenanthrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), consisting of three benzene rings, with features toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic, and can be degraded by microorganisms. This study was evaluated the metabolism of phenanthrene by Cunninghamella elegans UCP 542, with or without salinity. The process of germination, growth and morphology of C. elegans and production of chitin and chitosan were evaluated using the culture synthetic medium for Mucorales, with the control and treated concentrations of 0.1 and 0.2 mM phenanthrene. About 93.75% of sporangioles were able to germinate with a 0.1 mM phenanthrene as sole carbon source. However, the results indicated the radial growth with 0.1 mM phenanthrene, only delays the development of the colony. However, phenanthrene at 0.2 mM completely inhibited the germination and growth, due to high toxicity, confirmed by microcrustaceous Artemia salina. Electrondense and stiffness were mediated by increased of the phenanthrene concentration during the germination of the sporangioles. C. elegans proved to be halophilic fungus. The treatment with 0.1 mM of phenanthrene showed a biomass of 4.6 g / L, comparable to control (5.77g/L). The new results suggest that the 0.1 mM phenanthrene influences the production of chitin and chitosan by C. elegans, however, when associated with glucose phenanthrene acted positively in increasing of the condition most favorable to the removal processes.
Calcium Antagonists: Some Chemical‐Pharmacologic Aspects

Ca++ serves multiple roles as a regulator and initiator of cellular events. A variety of mechanisms serve to control cellular Ca++ levels and there exists a corresponding diversity of drugs which possess, with varying degrees of potency and selectivity, Ca++-antagonistic properties. Particular interest attaches to a group of agents designated as Ca++-channel or Ca++-entry blockers and includes verapamil, nifedipine, diltiazem, cinnarizine, and prenylamine. These agents function by blockade of the potential dependent Ca++-channel. However, their obvious chemical heterogeneity suggests that several sites and mechanisms of action may exist. A review of some basic questions concerning the action of the Ca++ channel antagonists is presented. The existence of discrete structure-activity relationships is consistent with the concept that these agents have specific sites of action, rather than serving, for example, as, nonspecific membrane-stabilizing agents. This view is further supported by their selectivity of action seen both in tissue selectivity and selectivity of antagonism of agonist responses. Studies of the relationship of these compounds to Ca++ show that they appear to function competitively against Ca++ and to block cellular Ca++ uptake. Moreover, both contractile responses and cellular Ca++ uptake appear equisensitive to these antagonists, providing further evidence that inhibition of Ca++ uptake underlies their inhibition of mechanical response. Of particular importance is the question of selectivity of action. It is quite clear that the Ca++ channel antagonists do not show equal activity toward all Ca++ channels and that major differences in selectivity occur between cardiac and smooth muscle. It is possible that selectivity of antagonism may occur between different vascular beds. Furthermore, Ca++ channels controlling stimulus-secretion coupling appear to be less sensitive to these antagonists than the channels involved in excitation-contraction coupling. Finally, the actions of Ca++ antagonists on non-Ca++-mediated processes, including Na+-dependent and receptor-binding events, are noted. These actions are seen at higher concentrations than those needed to inhibit Ca++ channel events, and their contribution to the therapeutic actions exerted by these antagonists is unknown.
Root disease can rival fire and harvest in reducing forest carbon storage

Root diseases are known to suppress forest regeneration and reduce growth rates, and they may become more common as susceptible tree species become maladapted in parts of their historic ranges due to climate change. However, current ecosystem models do not track the effects of root disease on net productivity, and there has been little research on how the dynamics of root disease affect carbon (C) storage and productivity across infected landscapes. We compared the effects of root disease against the effects of other types of forest disturbance across six national forest landscapes, 1990–2011. This was enabled by a monitoring tool called the Forest Carbon Management Framework (ForCaMF), which makes use of ground inventory data, an empirical growth model, and time series of Landsat satellite imagery. Despite several large fires that burned across these landscapes during the study period, retrospective ForCaMF analysis showed that fire and root disease had approximately equal impacts on C storage. Relative to C accumulation that would have occurred in their absence, fires from 1990 to 2011 were estimated to reduce regionwide C storage by 215.3 ± 19.1 g/m2 C, while disease in the same period was estimated to reduce storage by 211.4 ± 59.9 g/m2 C. Harvest (75.5 ± 13.5 g/m2 C) and bark beetle activity (14.8 ± 12.5 g/m2 C) were less important. While long-term disturbance processes such as root disease have generally been ignored by tools informing management of forest C storage, the recent history of several national forests suggests that such disturbances can be just as important to the C cycle as more conspicuous events like wildfires.
Kinetin - Polyethyleneglycol Interaction during Seedling Growth and Leaf Disc Senescence in Cajanus cajan L.

Seedlings and punched out leaf discs from leaflets of mature pigeonpea plants were used separately to investigate influence of kinetin (Kn) and PEG 6000 separately and also in combination on the growth responses and certain biochemical changes like chlorophylls (chl), protein, RNA DNA and protease activity. Application of Kn was responsible for not only increment in shoot length, seedling diameter and leaf area but also in the amount of chl, protein and nucleic acids in seedlings as well as leaf discs. Different concentrations of PEG 6000, on the other hand, caused varied degree of stress which resulted a sharp decline in various plant metabolites of pigeonpea seedlings and leaf discs; and overall growth due to decrease in cell enlargement and cell division processes. Protein degradation reflected in the larger increment of protease activity. The interaction study clearly showed the effectiveness of Kn to nullify stress effects of PEG 6000 considerably at relatively lower concentration of the latter. Relative changes among the growth parameters were mostly positive except seedling diameter at 6 and 9 day in pigeonpea. The pattern of relative changes in chl a, chl b, total chl, protein, RNA and DNA (mostly) resembled to that of seedling diameter as they depicted negative values at 6 and 9-day. In leaf discs, relative changes were negative at all stages in above parameters except chl b. Chl b and protease activity showed positive changes. Relative changes of RNA:DNA were altogether different in comparison to other parameters. Cajanus cajan Kinetin-PEG interactions Leaf-disc senescence
Effects of spraying calcium on the inflorescence stem quality and leaf photosynthesis of herbaceous peony(Paeonia lactiflora Pall.)

Taking 5-year old herbaceous peony(Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) as test material,a pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of spraying calcium(4%,w/v) on the inflorescence stem quality and leaf photosynthetic characteristics of the plant.Under the spraying of calcium,the mechanical strength of the inflorescence stem increased significantly by 24.3%,and the cellulose,semicellulose,lignin,and pectin contents in the inflorescence stem all increased significantly,among which,the cellulose content reached 456.54 μg·g-1 and enhanced by 28.5%,as compared with the control.The leaf net photosynthetic rate(Pn),stomatal conductance(Gs),transpiration rate(Tr),and water use efficiency also increased,with the Pn up to 17.07 μmol·m-2·s-1 28 days after calcium application and enhanced by 29.6%,and the Gs,Tr and WUE enhanced by 55%,20%,and 7.6%,respectively,as compared with the control.In addition,spraying calcium led to an increase of the maximum net photosynthetic rate(Pmax) and the light saturation point,which were up to 20.71 μmol·m-2·s-1 and 902.5 μmol·m-2·s-1 and enhanced by 24.6% and 7.5%,respectively,but led to a significant decrease of light compensation point,which was 7.27 μmol·m-2·s-1 and decreased by 34.5%.
Rumen microbial community and nitrogen metabolism in goats fed blend of palm oil and canola oil

Abstract This study assessed the influence of dietary blend of 20% palm oil and 80% canola oil on the population of rumen microbiota and nitrogen economy in goats. Twenty-four Boer bucks (4–5 months old; initial BW, 20.54 ± 0.474 kg) were randomly allotted to diets containing on a dry matter basis, 0, 4 or 8% oil blend, fed daily for 100 days and slaughtered. The rumen microbiota was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the 16S rRNA gene. The population of total protozoa and methanogens was lower (p < .05) while the population of Fibrobacter succinogenes was greater (p < .05) in goats fed oil blend compared with the control goats. The population of total bacteria was greater (p < .05) in goats fed 8% oil blend compared with those fed other diets. The population of Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens was greater (p < .05) in goats fed 4% oil blend compared with those fed other diets. Diet had no effect (p> 0.05) on microbial N yield, microbial protein synthesis, efficiency of microbial protein synthesis and the intake, retention and excretion of N. Dietary supplementation of blend of palm oil and canola oil altered rumen microbial profile but did not affect nitrogen metabolism in goats.
Vascular endothelial cadherin phosphorylation modulates endothelial cell permeability and leukocyte transendothelial migration

Stephanie Hall Hart Vascular endothelial cadherin phosphorylation modulates endothelial cell permeability and leukocyte transendothelial migration (Under the direction of Keith Burridge, Ph.D.) Leukocyte transendothelial migration (TEM) is a key step in many functions of the immune system such as immune surveillance, inflammation and wound repair. The controlled disassembly of endothelial adherens junctions (AJs) is a major component of TEM regulation. Studies have shown the tyrosine phosphorylation of VE-cadherin, a protein important in AJs, disrupts junctions and increases vascular permeability. We found that blocking the phosphorylation of VE-cadherin on residues Y658 and Y731 using nonphosphorylatable VE-cadherin mutants lead to increased barrier function and decreased endothelial cell monolayer permeability. This demonstrates that phosphorylation of VEcadherin residues Y658 and Y731 is necessary for the disassembly of endothelial junctions. We demonstrated that blocking phosphorylation of these residues also inhibited neutrophil transmigration across endothelial cells. Together, these data demonstrate that phosphorylation of VE-cadherin residues, Y658 and Y731, are required for the regulation of endothelial cell junction permeability and also for effective neutrophil transendothelial migration through endothelial cell monolayers.
Mammalian genome evolution through the lens of the sex chromosomes

2! Introduction . 2! Sex Determination and Sex Chromosomes. 3! Independent and Convergent Evolution of Sex Chromosomes . 6! Evolutionary Strata. 9! Pseudoautosomal Regions. 13! Evolution of X and Z. 14! Dosage Compensation. 19! Evolution of Y and W . 22! Evolutionary Rates on Sex Chromosomes . 26! Nucleotide Diversity . 30! Conclusion. 31! References . 32! Chapter 2. Evolution of the Y Chromosome in Mammals . 39! What is the Y Chromosome? 40! Where Did the Y Come From? 41! Becoming a sex chromosome isn’t easy. 42! Mammalian sex chromosomes are old; is there evidence for the initial stages of Y evolution? 42! How Does the Y Evolve? 43! How do we see evidence of inversions? 43! The Y evolves quickly. 44! Not all Y chromosomes are the same. 45! Where Is the Y Going? 46! Will humans lose the Y chromosome? 46! Summary . 47! References . 48! Chapter 3. Are Males Still in the Driver’s Seat? Biomedical Relevance and Evolutionary Advances Regarding Male Driven Evolution . 49! Summary . 50! Introduction . 50! Measuring Male Mutation Bias. 52! Evolutionary approach . 52! Direct approach . 54! Species for which Male Mutation Bias is Observed . 56! Mammals . 56! Birds . 56!