Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extracellular hydrolytic enzymes in the fungal genus Verticillium : adaptations for pathogenesis

The insect and plant pathogens within the fungal genus Verticillium showed enzymatic adaptation (production and regulation) directed to the degradation of some of the polymers found in the integument of their respective hosts. For example, the facultative plant pathogens (V. albo-atrum and V. dahliae) produced greater levels of cellulase and xylanase than the facultative insect pathogen (V. lecanii). Verticillium lecanii produced extracellular subtilisin-like protease when grown in insect cuticle medium but not in plant cell wall medium, while the plant pathogen V. albo-atrum showed a diminished regulatory component in the production of this enzyme. The opportunistic pathogens (V. fungicola and V. coccosporum) and the saprobic species (V. rexianum) were less specific in the production and regulation of several proteases as well as cellulases and xylanases. A dendrogram based on cluster analysis compiled from fungal API-ZYM profiles showed commonalties in a broad array of extracellular enzymes within a hos.
PIP1 Plasma Membrane Aquaporins in Tobacco Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantcell.org/cgi/doi/10.1105/tpc.000901.

The molecular functions of several aquaporins are well characterized (e.g., by analysis of aquaporin-expressing Xenopus oocytes). However, their significance in the physiology of water transport in multicellular organisms remains uncertain. The tobacco plasma membrane aquaporin NtAQP1 was used to elucidate this issue. By comparing antisense plants that were inhibited in NtAQP1 expression with control plants, we found evidence for NtAQP1 function in cellular and whole-plant water relations. The consequences of a decrease in cellular water permeability were determined by measurement of transpiration rate and stem and leaf water potential as well as growth experiments under extreme soil water depletion. Plants impaired in NtAQP1 expression showed reduced root hydraulic conductivity and lower water stress resistance. In conclusion, our results emphasize the importance of symplastic aquaporin-mediated water transport in whole-plant water relations.
Falls

Falls occur commonly enough in community-dwelling elderly, and have sufficient morbidity and mortality, to argue for increased recognition of the problem by physicians. Whereas in the past these falls may have been considered an inevitable part of aging, it is now clear that distinct risk factors can be identified. Physicians can evaluate patients by using relatively simple assessment tools, including the history, physical examination and, most importantly, direct observation of position changes and gait maneuvers used in everyday activities of daily living. Interventions to prevent falls can be based on the individual assessment of risk factors. The implications of effective preventive practices for Rhode Island are substantial given the relatively high percentage of older persons in the state and the limited long term care facilities required to care for the older person whose decline in function follows a fall.
Identification of jasmonic acid in Mimosa pudica and its inhibitory effect on auxin‐ and light‐induced opening of the pulvinules

Jasmonic acid was identified from Mimosa pudica L. plants by mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography. Effects of authentic jasmonic acid on pulvinule movement and transpiration of the pinnae were compared with those of abscisic acid. Jasmonic acid and abscisic acid each at 10−5M inhibited both auxin- and light-induced opening of the pulvinules. A closure-inducing activity of jasmonic acid at 10−4M was greater than that of abscisic acid at 10−4M. Pinnae transpiration was reduced by 10−5M abscisic acid but not by 10−4M jasmonic acid.
The pro-death role of autophagy and apoptosis in cell death induced by the BH3 mimetic gossypol

Gossypol has been identified as a natural BH3 mimetic and a small-molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2 that can induce apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. In this study, we evaluated the effect of gossypol on apoptosis-proficient (wild-type [WT] mouse embryonic fibroblasts, MEFs) and apoptosis-deficient cells (Bax–/–/Bak–/– MEFs) in order to determine whether apoptosis indeed plays an essential death-promoting role in gossypol-mediated cell death. Unexpectedly, we found that Bax–/–/Bak–/– double-knockout (DKO) MEFs were more sensitive than the WT cells to gossypol-induced cell death. Gossypol caused progressive emergence of both apoptotic and necrotic cells in DKO MEFs; this result suggests that gossypol induces Bax/Bak-independent apoptosis. Conversely, fluorescence-activated cell sorting profiles showed no apoptotic cell death in WT MEFs. Rather, incubation of WT MEFs with gossypol markedly induced autophagy, as evidenced by punctate patterns of LC3 immunoreactivity, indicative of apoptosis-independent autophagic cell death. Nonetheless, there was only limited induction of autophagy in DKO MEFs. No significant differences between WT and DKO MEFs were observed in cell cycle profiles. Gossypol caused a weak increase of the percentage of cells at the G2/M checkpoint in the two cell lines, with a concomitant small decrease in the number of cells in the S phase. Taken together, our results suggest that apoptotic cell death is induced by gossypol in DKO MEFs, whereas autophagy plays a death-promoting role in gossypol-mediated death of WT MEFs cells.
Consumo de nutrientes e desempenho de cordeiros alimentados com dietas que contêm diferentes níveis de fibra em detergente neutro

Este estudo foi conduzido no Departamento de Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, no periodo de agosto a dezembro de 2003. O objetivo foi avaliar o consumo de nutrientes e o desempenho de cordeiros machos, nao castrados, cruzados Ile de France x Texel, submetidos a quatro niveis de fibra em detergente neutro (FDN): 25%, 31%, 37% e 43%. O volumoso utilizado foi a silagem de sorgo hibrido (AG 2005 E) e o concentrado foi composto de milho em grao triturado, farelo de soja, sal comum, calcario calcitico e fosfato bicalcico. As dietas dos quatro tratamentos eram isoproteicas, contendo 17% de proteina bruta. Foram utilizados 20 cordeiros desmamados em media aos 42 dias de idade e abatidos quando atingiram 30kg de peso vivo. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramento casualizado, com quatro tratamentos e cinco repeticoes. Foram avaliados os consumos de nutrientes, o ganho de peso medio diario (GMD), a conversao alimentar (CA) e o numero de dias que os cordeiros levaram para atingir o peso vivo ao abate de 30kg. A adicao de niveis crescentes de FDN a dieta ocasionou um decrescimo linear nos consumos de materia seca, materia orgânica, proteina bruta, extrato etereo, carboidratos totais e carboidratos nao estruturais. Por outro lado, aumentou linearmente o consumo de fibra em detergente neutro e fibra em detergente acido. Verificou-se reducao linear do GMD e piora na CA com o aumento do teor de fibra na racao, o que proporcionou uma elevacao linear no numero de dias que os cordeiros levaram para atingir o peso de abate.
A Central Role for β-Arrestins and Clathrin-coated Vesicle-mediated Endocytosis in β2-Adrenergic Receptor Resensitization

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) sequestration to endosomes is proposed to be the mechanism by which G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK)-phosphorylated receptors are dephosphorylated and resensitized. The identification of β-arrestins as GPCR trafficking molecules suggested that β-arrestins might represent critical determinants for GPCR resensitization. Therefore, we tested whether β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) resensitization was dependent upon β-arrestins and an intact clathrin-coated vesicle endocytic pathway. The overexpression of either the β-arrestin 1-V53D dominant negative inhibitor of β2AR sequestration or dynamin I-K44A to block clathrin-coated vesicle-mediated endocytosis impaired both β2AR dephosphorylation and resensitization. In contrast, resensitization of a sequestration-impaired β2AR mutant (Y326A) was reestablished following the overexpression of either GRK2 or β-arrestin 1. Moreover, β2ARs did not resensitize in COS-7 cells as the consequence of impaired sequestration and dephosphorylation. However, β2AR resensitization was restored in these cells following the overexpression of β-arrestin 2. These findings demonstrate, using both loss and gain of function paradigms, that β2AR dephosphorylation and resensitization are dependent upon an intact sequestration pathway. These studies also indicate that β-arrestins play an integral role in regulating not only the desensitization and intracellular trafficking of GPCRs but their ability to resensitize. β-Arrestin expression levels appear to underlie cell type-specific differences in the regulation of GPCR resensitization.
On the Inside

The developmental plasticity of the root system is influenced by environmental factors, including the heterogeneous content of minerals such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen in the soil. In addition to responding to environmental stimuli, however, plants also respond to other plants growing in close proximity. Several studies have shown that roots respond to plant neighbors in a very specific manner depending on the identity of the neighbors. Intercropping is a widely used agricultural system that contributes to more than 50% of the agriculture productivity in developing countries. So far, no studies concerning plant recognition in intercropping systems have been performed. Fang et al. (pp. 1277– 1285) have examined what happens to the architecture of the root systems of maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) in an intercropping system. They first examined the plant growth responses to P stress of two maize varieties intercropped with soybean in the field and then grew the same plant species in a transparent gel system in which they were able, by means of a three-dimensional scanning laser, to reconstruct the plant root system in three dimensions. These measurements revealed the dynamic in situ root behavior in a nondestructive manner in response to different P treatments. They found that nonkin recognition between maize and soybean plants varied between genotypes. When the maize variety GZ1 (but not maize NE1) was grown with soybean HX3, the roots on each plant tended to avoid each other and became shallower on stratified P supply. This response decreased with increasing distance between plants, suggesting that root interactions were important. This root segregation happened before individual roots came in direct contact with each other. The advantages of root avoidance in maize/soybean intercropping for maize growth under conditions of close planting distance may be a consequence of long-term domestication in an intercropping system under limited soil nutrient conditions and close planting distances.
A method of turf sampling and extraction of leatherjackets.

SUMMARY An apparatus for the extraction of leatherjackets (larvae of Tipula paludosa Meig.) from turf samples is described. Cores are retained in metal cutting cylinders and are stood turf surface downwards in dishes of cold water while heat is applied to the other end. The temperature gradient drives the leatherjackets down into the water. The system is very convenient to operate and is of acceptable efficiency.
Antibody Drug Conjugates as Cancer Therapeutics

Monoclonal antibody (MAb) based therapies have achieved considerable success in oncology, primarily when used in combination with cytotoxic drugs. Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are a class of therapeutics that harness the antigen-selectivity of MAbs to deliver highly potent cytotoxic drugs to antigen-expressing tumor cells. The use of MAb directed delivery can confer a therapeutic index to highly potent cytotoxic drugs, increasing both the efficacy and safety of therapy. Although simple in concept, to achieve the design goal of improved therapeutic efficacy and reduced toxicity, each of the components of an ADC; the MAb, linker and drug need to considered in the context of the targeted antigen, the selectivity of antigen expression and the biology of the tumor type on which the target antigen is expressed. The characteristics of targets, MAbs, linkers and drugs being used in ADC design are discussed.
Effects of nutrition on hormone profiles and patterns of deiodinase activity in the skin and associated patterns of hair follicle activity and moult in cashmere goats

The effects of nutrition on patterns of live-weight change, hair follicle activity, moult, hormone profiles and associated activities of monodeiodinase enzyme types II and III (MDII and MDIII) in cashmere goats were investigated. From 1 week before the winter solstice (mid December), one group of 15 animals was given a ration designed to provide 2·0 × live weight maintenance requirements (high; H) while a second, similar, group was given 0·8 × live weight maintenance requirements (low; L). After approximately 3 months, L animals had significantly lower mean live weights ( P P P P P P P P =0·05) with month but was significantly higher ( P
Friendship and Caring Communion: The Meaning of Caring Relationship in District Nursing

The aim of this study was to illuminate the meaning of caring relationship directed to the elderly as experienced by district nurses. Twelve district nurses were interviewed in the form of a dialogue. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The text was analyzed using a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach inspired by Paul Ricoeur who describes the interpretation of a text as a dialectical movement between understanding and explanation. The interpretation of the text reveals that the meaning of caring relationship is friendship and caring communion that is founded in the local community.
Threatened obligatory riverine fishes in human‐modified Polish rivers

– The fate of obligatory riverine fish species (rheophils), which are the objects of anglers' exploitation (chub –Leuciscus cephalus, nase –Chondrostoma nasus, barbel –Barbus barbus, gudgeon –Gobio gobio), and brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario) and grayling (Thymallus thymallus) (in the Gwda River basin only), were investigated in large alluvial rivers (Pilica and Warta) and in the medium-sized Gwda River basin. The Pilica (1973) and the Warta (1986–1987) were divided by large dams without fish ladders in their middle courses. The Gwda River was divided by only a few dams along its course, but its tributaries carrying pure water had numerous small dams that supplied water for fish farms. Other stresses influencing fish populations in these rivers were: pollution, overfishing, hydroelectric plants and bank revetments. Because the listed stresses occurred alternately and at various periods of time in these rivers, this enabled attributing the cause for extinction and reduction of the abundance and distribution. In the salmon Gwda River basin, a drastic decrease in spatial distribution and reduction of occurrence ranges of brown trout, grayling and barbel was evident in respect to the first study period (1980s) in the 1990s. In the large, alluvial Pilica River, nase, barbel and dace are on the edge of extinction and chub and gudgeon are vulnerable. In the Warta's tailwater, barbel is an extinct species, and chub, dace and gudgeon are vulnerable ones. In a site in the backwater, none of the above mentioned species became extinct, but their abundance and occurrence frequency decreased a bit in respect to the pre-impoundment period. Roach-generalist, which was used in this research as a “control” species, increased in abundance in all 3 rivers. These investigations univocally proved that the dams cause catastrophic stress for obligatory riverine species.NOTE
Errata

In the American Academy of Pediatrics' "Report of the Task Force on Circumcision" (Pediatrics. 1989;84:388-391), on page 389, "Urinary Tract Infections," the second sentence should read: "Beginning in 1985, studies conducted at US Army hospitals involving more than 200 000 infant boys [not men] showed a greater than tenfold increase in urinary tract infections in uncircumcised compared with circumcised male infants;. " In addition, the Task Force wishes to acknowledge the following for their provision of expert advice: David T. Mininberg, MD, Urology Section Liaison, Jerome O Klein, MD, and Edward A Mortimer, Jr, MD.
Child Health and Neighborhood Conditions

Using data from the Moving to Opportunity randomized housing voucher experiment, we estimate the direct effects of housing and neighborhood quality on child health. We show that, five years after random assignment, housing mobility has little impact on overall health status, asthma, injuries, and body mass index. The few effects that we observe imply that being offered a voucher through the program might worsen some aspects of child health, despite significant improvements in housing quality, nutrition and exercise, and neighborhood safety. Our results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that neighborhood conditions explain much of the widely-cited income gradient in child health.
High frequency of translocation heterozygotes in odd year populations of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)

The pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) has a rigid two year life cycle so that populations spawning on the even years do not hybridize with populations spawning on the odd years. Examination of the chromosomes of two populations from an even year (1986) and four populations from an odd year (1987) showed that all individuals from the even year populations had a diploid number’of 52, considered the normal number for the species, while a high frequency of individuals in each of the odd year populations sampled from Washington State to Alaska were translocation heterozygotes with a diploid chromosome number of 53. The chromosome involved in the translocation was the seventh metacentric pair containing the NOR (nucleolus organizer region) adjacent to the centromere. In two populations a simple fission of this chromosome has produced individuals with chromosomes with two acrocentrics replacing the metacentric chromosome, with the larger acrocentric having the NOR adjacent to the centromere on the long arm. In the other two populations individuals with 53 and 54 chromosomes were found in which the acrocentric with the NOR has undergone an inversion so that the NOR is now on the short arm of a small submetacentric chromosome. In one population all of the individuals with 53 and chromosomes were of this type, while in the other case both forms were found. Because these two populations are adjacent to each other in the middle of the range sampled, the rearranged chromosome probably had a single origin.
MicroRNAs: The Potential Biomarkers in Plant Stress Response

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNA regulatory molecules of approximate 20-24 nucleotides that are involved in regulating the intrinsic growth and development of organs in plants and animals as well as in maintaining the integrity of genomes. Past few years have witnessed an increase in research reports on the crucial role of miRNAs in plant stress response. Plant miRNAs regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level not only by suppression of mRNA translation but also by direct cleavage of the target mRNAs. This review starts with a brief overview on small RNAs including miRNAs, biogenesis of miRNA and focuses mainly on the various up and down-regulated plant miRNAs under different biotic and abiotic stresses showing advancement of studies about miRNA and their stress regulation pathway. This review explores the emerging role of miRNAs as potential biomarkers in plant stress responses.
Leaf strength studies of pasture grasses II. Strength, cellulose content and sclerenchyma tissue proportions of eight grasses grown as single plants

1. Leaf strengths and cellulose contents of eight grasses grown as single spaced plants were compared over a period of 14 months. From some of the samples the proportion of sclerenchyma tissue in the leaves was compared with leaf strength. 2. The leaf strengths of individual plants were measured and the strengths of the six strongest and six weakest plants in each species compared with their cellulose contents. 3. There were significant differences between species, between seasons, and between regrowth ages within seasons in both leaf strength and cellulose content. There were also significant species × regrowth age interactions, particularly in leaf strength.
Phylogenetic Diversities of Dominant Culturable Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Pantoea Species on Tomato Leaves and Their Possibility as Biological Control Agents

We have demonstrated the phylogenetic diversity and antagonistic activities of three genera of dominant culturable bacteria (Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Pantoea) on tomato leaves. A total of 133 Bacillus isolates that were dominant on greenhouse plants and 109 Pseudomonas and 48 Pantoea isolates that were dominant on field-grown plants were analyzed based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences. Bacillus pumilus (38%), Pseudomonas monteilii (76%) and Pantoea agglomerans (90%) were the most predominant of their genera, respectively. In the genus Bacillus, effective biological control agents (BCAs) against tomato leaf mould were interspersed among its phylogenetic tree as minority groups, while the effective BCAs of Pseudomonas and Pantoea were in majority groups that showed consistent suppressive activities. The results suggest that isolating Pseudomonas and Pantoea species from field-grown tomato plants may be preferable for BCA-candidate screening than isolating species of Bacillus from greenhouse.
Impacts of environmental change and direct and indirect harvesting effects on the dynamics of a marine fish community

We describe dramatic shifts in the species composition of the marine fish community of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence using a 35-year time series of catch rates in an annual bottom-trawl survey. We attempt to understand the causes of these changes using a traits-based approach that relates the similarity among species in their abundance trends to similarities in their ecological traits. We selected traits based on a priori beliefs of how each should reflect susceptibility to changes in a different external factor potentially affecting the community. We found evidence for an effect of ocean climate and top-down effects of fishing and seal predation, but not for bottom-up effects of prey availability on adult fishes. Mean body length in the community decreased dramatically in the 1990s. This reflected the removal of large-bodied fishes by fishing and sharp increases in the abundance of small fishes. The biomass of small fish was inversely correlated with an index of predation on those fish by larger fish.
Flowering biology of three taxa of the genus Scilla L. (Hyacinthaceae) and flower visitation by pollinating insects

Squill of the family Hyacinthaceae is a small bulb perennial. The present study on flowering and pollination of Scilla sibirica Andr. , S. sibirica 'Alba', and S. bifolia L. was conducted in the years 1995, 1997, and 1999 in the Botanical Garden of the Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin. The plants flowered from the end of March until the middle of May. The duration of flowering of individual taxa was similar and it averaged 20 days ( Scilla sibirica ), 21 days ( S. sibirica 'Alba'), and 23 days ( S. bifolia ). The opening of flower buds always started around 9.00 am and lasted, depending on the taxon, until 3.00 pm ( Scilla sibirica 'Alba'), 4.00 pm ( S. bifolia ), and 5.00 pm ( S. sibirica ). The flowers were visited by bees (Apoidea), primarily the honey bee ( Apis mellifera L.), bumblebee ( Bombus L.), and solitary bees. Numerous honey bee foragers were observed; they bit through the anther walls and even attempted to open still closed flower buds in order to reach the pollen.