Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TGIFLY mRNA Expression in Human Testis with Spermatogenesis Defects

Hox genes are well-known transcription factors that play essential roles in directing embryonic development. TGIFLY is a Y-linked homeobox gene that was originally identified by virtue of its expression in adult testis. The functions of TGIFLY in normal and abnormal development are unknown. Methods: To investigate the potential roles of TGIFLY gene in the infertile males, a semi-nested Reverse Transcriptase Po- lymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed on the testicular samples of 110 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. Results: The expression of TGIFLY in 59(53.6%) out of 110 patients were undetectable. Patients with different spermato- genesis defects failed to show the expected in TGIFLY gene expression as demonstrated in the normal testes. Conclusion: Our results indicate that TGIFLY is expressed in testis and could be associated with infertility in patients with azoospermia. TGIFLY may be required for the regulation of spermatogonial stem cell specification and proliferation that is essential to the establishment and maintenance of spermatogenesis in human.
Texture based FACE recognition using GLCM and LBP schemes

Objectives: Automatic face recognition has been an important area of biometric authentication and verification system in various applications including crime detection, access control, video surveillance, tracking service and other related areas. Methods/Statistical analysis: In this study, we present Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) over Local Binary Patterns (LBP) named as GOL texture feature technique for face classification. The experiments have been conducted on AT & T Cambridge Laboratory face images also called (ORL-faces) and Georgia Tech (GT-faces) databases respectively. Findings: We performed a comparative analysis of GLCM and LBP method separately and results showed that the proposed GOL method outperformed in terms of average sensitivity, average specificity, and retrieval time. These findings show efficacy of our proposed system. Keywords: GLCM; LBP; Face recognition; Feature extraction
(E)‐5‐(2‐bromovinyl)‐2′‐deoxyuridine (BVDU)

(E)‐5‐(2‐bromovinyl)‐2′‐deoxyuridine (BVDU, Brivudin, Zostex®, Zerpex®, Zonavir®), now more than 20 years after its discovery, still stands out as a highly potent and selective inhibitor of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) and varicella‐zoster virus (VZV) infections. It has been used in the topical treatment of herpetic keratitis and recurrent herpes labialis and the systemic (oral) treatment of herpes zoster (zona, shingles). The high selectivity of BVDU towards HSV‐1 and VZV depends primarily on a specific phosphorylation of BVDU to its 5′‐diphosphate (DP) by the virus‐encoded thymidine kinase (TK). After further phosphorylation (by cellular enzymes), to the 5′‐triphosphate (TP), the compound interferes as a competitive inhibitor/alternate substrate with the viral DNA polymerase. The specific phosphorylation by the HSV‐ and VZV‐induced TK also explains the marked cytostatic activity of BVDU against tumor cells that have been transduced by the viral TK genes. This finding offers considerable potential in a combined gene therapy/chemotherapy approach for cancer. To the extent that BVDU or its analogues (i.e., BVaraU) are degraded (by thymidine phosphorylase) to (E)‐5‐(2‐bromovinyl)uracil (BVU), they may potentiate the anticancer potency, as well as toxicity, of 5‐fluorouracil. This ensues from the direct inactivating effect of BVU on dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, the enzyme that initiates the degradative pathway of 5‐fluorouracil. The prime determinant in the unique behavior of BVDU is its (E)‐5‐(2‐bromovinyl) substituent. Numerous BVDU analogues have been described that, when equipped with this particular pharmacophore, demonstrate an activity spectrum characteristic of BVDU, including selective anti‐VZV activity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Seasonal changes in temperature and nutrient control of photosynthesis, respiration and growth of natural phytoplankton communities

Summary 1. To investigate the influence of elevated temperatures and nutrients on photosynthesis, respiration and growth of natural phytoplankton assemblages, water was collected from a eutrophic lake in spring, summer, autumn, winter and the following spring and exposed to ambient temperature and ambient +2, +4 and +6 °C for 2 weeks with and without addition of extra inorganic nutrients. 2. Rates of photosynthesis, respiration and growth generally increased with temperature, but this effect was strongly enhanced by high nutrient availability, and therefore was most evident for nutrient amended cultures in seasons of low ambient nutrient availability. 3. Temperature stimulation of growth and metabolism was higher at low than high ambient temperature showing that long-term temperature acclimation of the phytoplankton community before the experiments was of great importance for the measured rates. 4. Although we found distinct responses to relatively small temperature increases, the interaction between nutrient availability, time of the year and, thus, ambient temperature was responsible for most of the observed variability in phytoplankton growth, photosynthesis and respiration. 5. Although an increase in global temperature will influence production and degradation of organic material in lakes, the documented importance of ambient temperatures and nutrient conditions suggests that effects will be most pronounced during winter and early spring, while the remaining part of the growth season will be practically unaffected by increasing temperatures.
New polymorphic mitochondrial markers for sponge phylogeography

Phylogeography and population genetic studies in the Porifera have been limited by the lack of available polymorphic DNA markers. In this paper, we tested four new mitochondrial markers in nine demosponge species from a wide taxonomic range: partial sequences of the ATP synthase 6 (ATP6) and the cytochrome oxidase 2 (CO2) genes and two spacers: one located between ATP6 and CO2 and the other between the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) and the small subunit ribosomal RNA (rns) genes. The new markers presented levels of nucleotide diversity up to 2.4 times higher (π = 0.015 for CO2) than those observed for the most commonly used mitochondrial marker in sponges, the cytochrome oxidase 1 gene (π = 0.006), making them suitable for alpha-level systematics, phylogeography and population genetics studies.
CYTOKINE AND EFFECTOR MOLECULE REGULATION AS DETERMINANTS OF HEMATOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN RHESUS MACAQUES DURING PLASMODIUM COATNEYI-MALARIA

Non-human primates are often used in the development and testing of vaccines and therapeutics for malaria. Infection of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with Plasmodium coatneyi causes cerebral malaria (CM) at high levels of parasitemia. To prevent mortality, parasitemia is frequently treated prior to this point when cerebral signs are largely absent. The public health significance was to determine the validity of this as a model for studying malarial anemia (MA) by examining hematological profiles, cytokines, and effector molecules shown to be important in childhood MA, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-10, (IL)-12p40, and interferon (IFN)-γ, and nitric oxide (NO) at eight different time points during the acute infection. Peripheral parasitemia was monitored daily throughout infection. Venepuncture was performed for hematology panels on days 0, 2, 5, 7, 8, (peak parasitemia), 10, 15, 22, 34, 42, 56, and 150 post-infection (PI) for monitoring acute and chronic malaria infection. Complete blood counts (CBC) revealed that monocytes (MO) were highest during the initial rise in parasitemia, neutrophils (NEU) were highest at peak parasitemia, and lymphocytes (LY) remained constant throughout infection, except at peak parasitemia where levels were dramatically reduced. Platelets (PLT) declined shortly after infection and decreased until day 15, where levels sharply increased to higher than baseline values on day 19 PI. Hemoglobin (Hb) was lowest at parasite clearance(day 15 PI). Elevated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcripts (determined by real time RT-PCR in circulating blood mononuclear cells) and plasma levels (determined by ELISA) were associated with enhanced disease severity (peak parasitemia, thrombocytopenia and anemia). Plasma cytokine levels were not correlated with PBMC transcript levels, suggesting that the plasma cytokine levels may be from multiple cellular sources in addition to PBMC. Low IL-10 relative to TNF-α (IL-10/TNF-α plasma ratio) coincided with the lowest Hb concentration, a finding we have shown in children with MA. Taken together, these results demonstrate similar patterns of cytokine and effector molecule dysregulation in rhesus macaques infected P. coatneyi as that observed in humans with P. falciparum-induced malarial anemia.
Nitrate release by Caribbean reef sponges

Two coral reef sponges were examined in situ off Puerto Rico for fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Chondrilla nucula, a ubiquitous Caribbean sponge with cyanobacterial symbionts, releases large amounts of nitrate [600 nmol N g I (dry wt) h-l; 4,000 Mmol N me2 h-l]. Since C. nucula covers a mean of 12% of the substratum, it potentially contributes between 50 and 120% of the nitrogen required to sustain reef productivity. Anthosigrnella varians, a common sponge with zooxanthellae symbionts releases lesser amounts of nitrate [ 19 nmol N g-’ (dry wt) h--l; 20 pmol N m-2 h -I]. Alth ough A. varians may cover between 1.2 and 11% of the reef substratum, the potential contribution is < 1% of the nitrogen requiredi For reef productivity. These release rates for C. nucula are comparable to those reported for nitrogen fixation in reef environments and in excess of rates reported for nitrate production by other reef substrata. Large populations of nonphotosynthetic symbiotic bacteria are considered to nitrify amino nitrogen to nitrate and the differences are attributed to the size of bacterial populations and the nature of photosynthetic symbionts.
Pollinator‐mediated isolation in sympatric milkweeds (Asclepias): do floral morphology and insect behavior influence species boundaries?

Summary •We explored whether mechanical or ethological differences provide pollinator-mediated floral isolation capable of reinforcing existing species barriers among sympatric Asclepias with divergent floral morphologies: A. incarnata, A. verticiallata and A. syriaca. •In a common garden, we quantified pollinator visitation and flight patterns, differences in corporal attachment of pollinia to insects, and the potential outcome of putative floral barriers for interspecific pollination and fruit set. •We detected significant variation in the importance, constancy, and behavior of major pollinators on sympatric asclepiads, including Bombus, Xylocopa and large sphecid wasps. Pollinia attach differentially to the arolium on insect legs for A. syriaca, but to the tarsal hairs in other asclepiads. Fruit-set was lower in mixed than unispecific patches of Asclepias. •We detected mechanical isolation between A. syriaca and its congeners and a tendency toward wasp pollination in A. verticillata. All three species appear to show some specialization for long-tongued hymenoptera and lepidopterans. Pre–mating barriers provide a potentially effective means of reducing interspecific pollination, but more study is needed in species visited by generalists.
A breeding colony of the Near Threatened Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor in western Africa: a conservation story of threats and land management

Summary The 2011 breeding results of the Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor at its only West African colony, in Aftout es Saheli, south-west Mauritania, are presented. Several breeding attempts have been documented since the second half of the 19th century although no successful breeding, in terms of fledged juveniles, was recorded until 2010. Adverse hydrological dynamics, easy access to the colony by predators, and disturbance and direct mortality caused by poachers led to the failure of all previous breeding attempts. In 2011 the breeding colony was monitored and a number of major threats were identified and averted. Management interventions consisted of deterring and trapping predators (jackals Canis adustus and C. aureus and warthog Phacochoerus africanus) around the colony and preventing the killing of flamingos by poachers. As a result, 4,800 Lesser Flamingos and 10,200 Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus incubating individuals, as well as about 14,000 chicks of both species, were recorded. It was not possible to prevent the death by predation or other natural causes of 4,672 juveniles of both species after the wetland dried up, so the final estimated number of fledged juveniles was 10,000. The field work allowed us to collect information on hydrological dynamics and to propose conservation measures matching Lesser Flamingo ecological requirements. Similarly, we identified the most sustainable measures for deterring predators, with the aim of including them in the management of the wetland.
The Effects of Action Observation Combined with Modified Constraint-induced Movement Therapy on Upper-extremity Function of Subacute Stroke Patients with Moderate Impairment -A Single-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: To explore the effects of action observation combined with modified constraint-induced movement therapy on upper-extremity function and the activities of daily living in subacute stroke patients. Methods: Twenty-four subacute stroke patients were randomly assigned to the experimental group or the control group (n = 12 each). Both groups received therapy based on motor learning concepts, including repetitive and task-specific practice. The experimental group watched video clips for 10 minutes related to tasks performed during modified constraint-induced movement therapy while the control group watched videos unrelated to upper-extremity movement. These programs were performed for 40 minutes a day five times a week for four weeks. Their scores on the Fugl–Meyer assessment of upper extremities (FMA-UE), the action research arm test (ARAT), a motor activity log (amount of use [AOU] and quality of movement [QOM]), and the modified Barthel index (MBI) were recorded. Results: In both groups, all variables were significantly different between the pre-test and post-test periods (p < 0.05). The post-test variables were significantly different within each group (p < 0.05). In the experimental group, the changes between pre-test and post-test scores in the FMA-UE (14.39 ± 4.31 versus 6.31 ± 4.63), the ARAT (16.00 ± 4.73 versus 11.46 ± 3.73), MAL-AOU (1.57 ± 0.15 versus 1.18 ± 0.28), and MBI (27.54 ± 4.65 versus 18.08 ± 8.52) were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that action observation combined with modified constraint-induced movement therapy may be a beneficial rehabilitation option to improve upper-extremity function in subacute stroke patients with moderate impairment.
DIFFERENTIAL GROWTH OF FALL ARMYWORM LARVAE (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) REARED ON THREE PHENOTYPIC REGIONS OF WHORL LEAVES FROM A RESISTANT AND A SUSCEPTIBLE MAIZE HYBRID

Two laboratory bioassays were conducted to determine the effect of feeding selected whorl leaf regions of a resistant and a susceptible maize, Zea mays L. , hybrid on fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) growth. In one bioassay, larvae were fed fresh excised whorl leaf tissue and in the other, they were fed reconstituted diets containing ground lyophilized leaf tissue from three phenotypic leaf regions of both hybrids. Results of the two bioassays were similar. Differences in larval weights were found for those larvae fed tissue from leaf regions within and across hybrids. The largest differences among treatments were found within the resistant hybrid, thus showing that regions of the same whorl leaf differ in suitability of food source for larval growth.
Evidence for the Presence of a Second Electron Donor for the Cytoplasmic Thioredoxins in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In yeast, the cytoplasmic thioredoxin system is composed of NADPH, thioredoxin reductase-1 (TRR1) and 2 thioredoxin genes (TRX1, TRX2). In this study, using yeast knockout mutants for TRR1, TRX1 and TRX2 genes, the role of the thioredoxin system in methionine sulfoxide reduction was investigated. Cells lacking both TRX1 and TRX2 genes simultaneously were not able to reduce methionine sulfoxides to methionine; however, mutants missing the TRR1 gene were able to reduce methionine sulfoxides to methionine, which showed that electrons could be transferred from NADPH to thioredoxins in the absence of TRR1. Similar results were observed for 3-phosphoadenosine 5-phosphosulfate reduction in the inorganic sulfate assimilation pathway. Results from both assays suggested that yeast cells have additional cytoplasmic thioredoxin reductase activity that could compensate for methionine sulfoxide reduction and sulfate assimilation in the absence of TRR1. This report also constitutes the first evidence that thioredoxins are the in vivo electron donors for methionine sulfoxide reductases in yeast.
Emphasizing the Thinking and Scientific Language in the Primary Classes

According to psychological and cognitive development theories, the preferences of pupils in elementary school toward inductive versus deductive and general types of reasoning when asked to prove or review mathematical claims, changes along the school years. This study examines this hypothesis through a survey in which 267 pupils from the Arabic sector in three different elementary schools in Israel, in grades 4 to 6 participated. The survey, based on the math reasoning tasks by Healy and Hoyles (1998), is comprised of Algebra and Geometry reasoning tasks. Additionally, 12 of these pupils’ teachers were interviewed in order to explore their attitudes toward mathematical reasoning and math proving tasks. Findings show that: 1) There is a difference in students’ preferences towards types of reasoning, between grades 4 and 6; 2) Sixth graders will be less likely to accept tautologic and inductive reasoning than fourth graders; 3) Elementary school pupils tend to prefer empirical arguments (such as inductive and example-based) as their approach in contrast to the arguments that they believe will receive the highest scores from their teachers. However, findings do not support the hypothesis that there will be a difference in teachers’ preferences towards different types of thinking. The research findings and their practical implications are discussed.
Population control of coypu Myocastor coypus in Italy compared to eradication in UK: a cost-benefit analysis

Abstract Invasive alien species rank among the world's greatest threats to biodiversity and cause huge economic losses. Eradication is a key management strategy for newly introduced pests, but it is frequently discarded due to the high costs. When populations become established and conflicts increase, policy-makers often resort to permanent population control. However, no cost-benefit analyses have been carried out so far to compare the two alternatives. We present the first cost-benefit analysis by comparing the permanent control campaign of coypu Myocastor coypus in Italy with the successful eradication carried out in UK in the 1980s. Data regarding the eradication came from literature, while costs and benefits of control were quantified through a national survey. In Italy, during 1995-2000, the damage amounted to € 11,631,721, control activities cost € 2,614,408, and 220,688 coypu were removed. Control campaigns did not stop the population expansion nor the increase in damage and economic losses at a national scale. However, the efficacy of local campaigns varied among different ecosystems. According to our predictions, the Italian coypu range may expand 2.5-3.3 times, and economic losses may reach € 9-12 millions/year. A comparison between the costs of the successful eradication carried out in East Anglia (€ five million over 11 years) and the permanent control campaign in Italy (€ 14 million over only six years) shows that even very costly eradications, if successful, may have a very positive cost-benefit ratio in the long term.
Influence of annual forages on weed dynamics in a cropping system

Alternatives to herbicides are needed for weed control. Field studies were conducted in 1994/1995 and 1995/1996 to investigate the nature of forage crop-weed dynamics and to test the effect of single year forage crops on the density and community composition of annual weeds in a following field pea (Pisium sativum L.) test crop. Five spring-seeded forage treatments were compared with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain crops (with or without herbicides for grassy and broadleaved weeds): winter triticale (Triticosecale) (simulation grazed); spring triticale (silage); spring/winter triticale intercrop (silage, then simulation grazed); alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) (hay); sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench × Sorghum sudanese [Piper]) (hay); and a weedy fallow (silage). A fall rye (Secale cereale L.) grain crop and a sweet clover (Melilotis officinalis L.)/winter triticale double crop (hay, then simulation grazing) were included in the 1995/1996 trial. All forage systems were at least as effective .
Ribosomal DNA in plant hybrids: Inheritance, rearrangement, expression

Abstract Ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) represent a useful tool to study reticulate evolution. In allopolyploid plant species biparental or uniparental inheritance of 35S rDNA was demonstrated. Uniparental inheritance; as a result of differential elimination of one of the parental rDNA, can be accompanied by structural rearrangements of rDNA ofthe other parent and by formation of new rDNA variants. Particularly, homo‐genization of rDNA in allopolyploids appears to be an example of fast concerted evolution of repeated sequences. At the functional level, interaction between parental 35S rDNA loci in hybrids/allopolyploids leads to differential transcription/silencing, known as nucleolar dominance (ND). Depending on the combination of parental species, ND may be strong and stable, or weak, unstable and even reversible. Differential transcription of parental rDNA is regulated via cytosine methylation of DNA, histone modifications, and chromatin remodelling factors, but mechanisms providing discrimination of parental rDNA remain poorly understood. Probably, interplay between several factors such as local structural features of rDNA (especially subrepeated elements in the intergenic spacer region), unlinked loci, and the chro‐mosomal/genomic context determine ND. The ND and rDNA rearrangements reflect the dynamic nature and evolutionary plasticity of the genome in allopolyploids.
Assaying Soluble Forms of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products

In response: Yamagishi and Imaizumi speculate that kinetics and role of circulating total soluble form of receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (soluble receptor for AGE, sRAGE) may be different from those of endogenous secretory RAGE (esRAGE) in diabetes. They also suggest an alternative interpretation that serum sRAGE level may reflect tissue membrane form of RAGE expression. Currently, 2 different types of sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are commercially available and used for measurement of circulating soluble RAGE proteins: [1] esRAGE ELISA from B-Bridge Int. esRAGE is a splice variant form of RAGE lacking transmembrane domain and secreting into extracellular space and the circulation.1 Sakurai et al developed its specific detection system using a capture monoclonal antibody (Ab) recognizing RAGE-extracellular domain and a detection polyclonal Ab for the esRAGE-specific C-terminal 16 amino acid sequence.2 This ELISA system is not influenced by coexistence of …