Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Landscape and the intermontane Northwest: an environmental history.

Robbins, William G. ; Wolf, Donald W. 1994. Landscape and the intermontane northwest: an environmental history. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-319. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 32 p. (Everett, Richard L., assessment team leader; Eastside forest ecosystem health assessment; Hessburg, Paul F., science team leader and tech. ed., Volume III: assessment.) Traces the natural and cultural processes involved in shaping the environment in the intermontane northwest from the Indian period of domination to the present. Emphasizes the increasing influence of humans as modifiers of landscapes and ecosystems, especially with the coming of the market system to the region and the onset of the industrial era. Focuses on the unique aspects of ecological change in the intermontane region: the very recent extension of the market system to the area; and the very rapid expansion of human-induced environmental disturbance over very extensive areas in a very brief span of time.
Environmental Risk Assessment of Exotic Pennisetum hydridum as a Biofuel and Forage Crop

Hybrid Giant Napier(Pennisetum hydridum)was hybridized from elephant grass and African Pennisetum.It is an exotic multipurpose crop with high photosynthetic efficiency and strong drought-resistance,and has been used as an energy and forage grass.However,there is little information available about its eco-environmental risks.In this paper,environmental risks of Pennisetum were assessed by comparing Pennisetum with typical local weeds and invasive plants,based on literature analysis and planting onsite survey.The results showed that Pennisetum did have the ecological characteristics of invasive plants with invasion risk score of 23.5(by introduction-type evaluation system)and 27.5(by existence-type evaluation system). Our results suggest that Pennisetum is little dangerous and an acceptable species to be introduced in tropical area.
Zinc-induced arsenite tolerance in mice

Abstract Zinc-Induced Arsenite Tolerance in Mice, Kreppel, H. , M Liu, J., Liu, Y. , Reiciil, F. X. , And Klaassen, C. D. (1994). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 23, 32-37. The mechanism of tolerance to arsenic toxicity is not known. Recently it has been shown that arsenic induces metallothionein (MT), which is a sulfhydryl-rich metal-binding protein that decreases the toxicity of a number of metals. The present studies were designed to examine the role of MT in arsenic toxicity. Zinc (Zn) pretreatment (1000 μmol/kg, sc) markedly increased hepatic MT (150-fold over controls), and also protected against the lethal effects of arsenite (130 μmol/kg, sc). However, no correlation was found between the ability of various known MT inducers (Zn, Cd, arsenite monomethylarsenite, α-bederin or oleanolic acid) to increase hepatic MT and to protect against arsenic lethality in mice. Tn examine the mechanism of Zn protection against arsenic toxicity, the subcellular distribution of arsenite in liver, kidney, and small intestine was determined 2 hr after arsenite injection. Zn pretreatment did not markedly alter the amount of arsenic-73 in the cytosol or the various cellular organelles (nuclei, mitochondria, microsomes) in liver, kidney, or small intestine. There was also very little arsenic-73 bound to MT in the cytosol of the Zn-pretreated mice, as determined by G-75 gel-filtration chromatography. In mice pretreated with Zn (1000 μmol/kg, sc) and subsequently injected with arsenite-73 (115 μmol/kg, sc), the arsenic-73 content in blood, heart, lung, kidneys, spleen, muscle, and skill was lower than in controls, indicating increased arsenic elimination in Zn-pretreated mice. In conclusion, Zn pretreatment protects mice against arsenite toxicity, but the mechanism of tolerance does not appear to be induction of MT.
Modelling the effect of the missing fundamental with an attractor neural network

In order to investigate the use of attractor neural networks (ANNS) in modelling real phenomena of human perception, we developed an ANN model of spectrum-invariant pitch recognition that was aimed at cortical mechanisms of pitch perception, and tested the model in computer experiments which were arranged to be compatible with three pitch-identification psychophysical experiments with human subjects. The results of computer and actual experiments are qualitatively the same, and quantitatively they depart at most by 10%, which can be considered to be in good agreement. It is shown that the present ANN model can provide an explanation for the different efficacies of lower and upper harmonics in conveying the missing fundamental pitch percept, by means of one universal cortical mechanism. In our model, a complex tone evokes the pattern of activity that consists of a particular combination of ‘isofrequency’ stripes in the ANN that represents the relevant part of the primary auditory cortex (AI). Recognition o.
Salt Accumulation in the Root Zone of Eggplant Irrigated using Partial Root Drying Technique

In this study, the yield and possible salt accumulation around the root area of eggplant was investigated. Seven irrigation treatments were tested including a controlling irrigation (FULL). Two of these irrigation treatments had 25% and 50% less water accordingly than the treatment of FULL and water was conventionally applied to both sides of the plant roots (CDI25 and CDI50). The other two deficit irrigation treatments had 25% and 50% less water accordingly than the treatment of FULL and water was applied only one side of the roots and the other halves were left relatively dry in each irrigation. This case was replaced alternatively for every irrigation (APRD25 and APRD50). The last two deficit irrigation treatments had also 25% and 50% less water accordingly than the treatment of FULL, however throughout the season water was applied only one side of the roots and the other halves were left relatively dry in each irrigation in fixed irrigations (FPRD25 and FPRD50). The differences between the yields of the eggplant under different irrigation treatments were statically important (p < 0.01). The range of yields depending on irrigation treatments were between 23.37 t ha and 83.10 t ha. The highest salt accumulation was recorded in treatment FPRD25 for the root area and treatment CDI50 for along the rows of plants. When compared with the values of the beginning of the season; the salinity was multiplied by 3.2 for the root area of treatment FPRD25 at the end of the season. In a similar way, the salinity was multiplied by 7.1 at the end of the season for treatment CDI50 along the rows of plants when compared with the beginning of the season. © 2016 Friends Science Publishers
Ecological adaptations in two species of shrews

L i f e h i s t o r y s t r a t e g i e s and e c o l o g i c a l a d a p t a t i o n s of two s i m i l a r s p e c i e s cf shrews (Sorex va^rans vagjrans and Sorex obscurus setosus) were examined i n southwestern B r i t i s h Columbia i n an attempt to understand 1) how they are able to c o e x i s t i n sympatry, 2) what kinds and degrees o f i n t e r s p e c i f i c c o m p e t i t i o n are ev i d e n t , and 3) how s t r a t e g i c responses to s e l e c t i v e p r e s s u r e s d i f f e r between s p e c i e s and among h a b i t a t s . A t r a p and rec a p t u r e program allowed the study of p o p u l a t i o n dynamics and i n d i v i d u a l l i f e h i s t o r i e s of the two s p e c i e s i n a f o r e s t s i t u a t i o n where they were sympa t r i c . Standardized snap-trap l i n e s were s e t through s e v e r a l h a b i t a t types t o a s c e r t a i n b a s i c d i s t r i b u t i o n a l p a t t e r n s and h a b i t a t p r e f e r e n c e s of each s p e c i e s . F i n a l l y , the c o l l e c t i o n and specimen p r e p a r a t i o n of ext e n s i v e s e r i e s °f Sorex from lowland grassy f i e l d s f a c i l i t a t e d examination o f . seasonal and geographic v a r i a t i o n i n morphology a n d . r e p r o d u c t i v e . s t r a t e g y . Sorex v a j r a n s and Sorex obscurus share a common l i f e h i s t o r y p a t t e r n , s e v e r a l f e a t u r e s of which were examined i n d e t a i l with r e f e r e n c e to t h e i r a d a p t i v e . s i g n i f i c a n c e . Many adaptations were co n s i d e r e d i n terms of energy l i m i t a t i o n s . Both i n t r a and i n t e r s p e c i f i c t e r r i t o r i a l i t y were evident i n non-breeding ( f i r s t y e a r ) . i n d i v i d u a l s of each s p e c i e s . Home range a n a l y s i s , u s i n g an. e l l i p t i c a l model, r e f l e c t e d the abandonment of t e r r i t o r i a l i t y i n breeding a d u l t s as home
Source Misattributions and the Suggestibility of Eyewitness Memory

Although the suggestibility of eyewitness memory is well documented, previous studies have not clearly established the extent to which misled Ss might come to believe they actually remember seeing the suggested details they report. To assess whether Ss confuse misleading suggestions for their "real memories" of a witnessed event, Ss were asked specific questions about their memory for the source of suggested items. The results of 5 experiments showed that misled Ss do sometimes come to believe they remember seeing items that were merely suggested to them, a phenomenon we refer to as the source misattribution effect. Nevertheless, the results also showed that the magnitude of this effect varies and that source misattributions are not an inevitable consequence of exposure to suggestions.
Causality, Agency, and Control Beliefs in East Versus West Berlin Children: A Natural Experiment on the Role of Context

Beliefs about factors that affect school performance (means-ends or causality beliefs) and about selfefficacy and control (agency and control beliefs) were assessed in 313 East Berlin children (grades 26) before unification and in 516 West Berlin children shortly after unification. Multiple-group analyses of mean and covariance structures yielded 2 major differences: (a) East Berlin children showed lower agency and control beliefs than West Berlin children, and (b) their agency and control beliefs were more highly correlated with school grades than West Berlin children's, with strong correlations already emerging in East Berlin 2nd graders. Findings were consistent with differences between East and West Berlin school systems. East Berlin regulations (a) emphasized public performance feedback and public self-evaluation and (b) enforced unidimensional teaching strategies. Results point to a risk factor for development in East Berlin children. In the formerly divided city of Berlin, we studied the role of
A Comparison of the Acute Behavioral Effects of Alkylbenzenes Using a Functional Observational Battery in Mice

Abstract A Comparison of the Acute Behavioral Effects of Alkylbenzenes Using a Functional Observational Battery in Mice. Tegeris, J. S. , and Balster, R. L. (1994). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 22, 240-250. The acute neurobehavioral effects of six alkylbenzenes (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, propylbenzene, m-xylene, and cumene) were evaluated alter 20-min inhalation exposures using a functional observational battery (FOB) in mice. In order to do this, an explicit protocol for the FOB developed for rats by Moser was adapted for use in mice with inhalation exposures. All six alkylbenzenes, in the concentration range of 2000 to 8000 ppm, produced a nearly identical profile of effects, a profile that was also produced by ip administration of the central nervous system depressant drug pentobarbital. These effects included changes in posture, decreased arousal and rearing, increased ease of handling, disturbances of gait, mobility, and righting reflex, decreased forelimb grip strength, increased landing foot splay, and impaired psychomotor coordination. The response to various sensory stimuli was also decreased by the alkylbenzenes and pentobarbital. These acute effects of alkylbenzenes were short-lived, with recovery beginning within minutes of removal from the exposure chamber. The finding that the alkylbenzenes produce a profile of neurobehavioral effects similar to that of pentobarbital is consistent with a growing body of other evidence that many solvents produce a profile of acute effects similar to that of central nervous system depressant drugs and ethanol.
Use of molecular techniques to evaluate the survival of a microorganism injected into an aquifer

A PCR primer set and an internal probe that are specific for Pseudomonas sp. strain B13, a 3-chlorobenzoate-metabolizing strain, were developed. Using this primer set and probe, we were able to detect Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 DNA sequences in DNA extracted from aquifer samples 14.5 months after Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 had been injected into a sand and gravel aquifer. This primer set and probe were also used to analyze isolates from 3-chlorobenzoate enrichments of the aquifer samples by Southern blot analysis. Hybridization of Southern blots with the Pseudomonas sp. strain B13-specific probe and a catabolic probe in conjunction with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of ribosome genes was used to determine that viable Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 persisted in this environment. We isolated a new 3-chlorobenzoate-degrading strain from one of these enrichment cultures. The B13-specific probe does not hybridize to DNA from this isolate. The new strain could be the result of gene exchange between Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 and an indigenous bacterium. This speculation is based on an RFLP pattern of ribosome genes that differs from that of Pseudomonas sp. strain B13, the fact that identically sized restriction fragments hybridized to the catabolic gene probe, and the absence of any enrichable 3-chlorobenzoate-degrading strains in the aquifer prior to inoculation.
Molecular Ecology Research Progress for Soil Denitrification and Research Status for Its Influencing Factors

Denitrification,a microbial redox process in which nitrogen oxides are reduced stepwise to gaseous products,is an important step in nitrogen cycling,especially in the soil environments.Denitrifying microbes possess a series of enzymes encoded by various functional denitrifying genes.The classic 16S rRNA molecular method is not suitable for the study of diversity and abundance of denitrifying bacteria,since denitrifying microorganisms are a large physiological group of microbes widely distributed in bacteria,fungi and archaea.It is easier to distinguish microbes with different ecological functions by investigating specific functional genes.The application of modern molecular techniques,including denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE),terminal restriction fragment length patterns(T-RFLP),real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(qPCR),and reverse transcription-PCR(RT-PCR)techniques,as well as the newly developed high-throughput sequencing technique and functional single-cel(lFSC)isolation method in denitrification ecological research are reviewed in this paper.Compared with the traditional methods,high-throughput sequencing technique could provide more reliable results to directly understand the denitrifying communities,and would contribute to the identification of new denitrification pathways when combined with FSC isolation method.The progress of molecular ecology research on soil denitrification mechanism and its influencing factors are also reviewed.In addition,the main influencing factors including temperature,pH,carbon and nitrogen sources and dissolved oxygen are discussed in relation to the denitrification activity.Finally,some new directions in the denitrification research are proposed in this paper.
Plasmodium berghei Kinesin-5 Associates With the Spindle Apparatus During Cell Division and Is Important for Efficient Production of Infectious Sporozoites

Kinesin-5 motors play essential roles in spindle apparatus assembly during cell division, by generating forces to establish and maintain the spindle bipolarity essential for proper chromosome segregation. Kinesin-5 is largely conserved structurally and functionally in model eukaryotes, but its role is unknown in the Plasmodium parasite, an evolutionarily divergent organism with several atypical features of both mitotic and meiotic cell division. We have investigated the function and subcellular location of kinesin-5 during cell division throughout the Plasmodium berghei life cycle. Deletion of kinesin-5 had little visible effect at any proliferative stage except sporozoite production in oocysts, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of motile sporozoites in mosquito salivary glands, which were able to infect a new vertebrate host. Live-cell imaging showed kinesin-5-GFP located on the spindle and at spindle poles during both atypical mitosis and meiosis. Fixed-cell immunofluorescence assays revealed kinesin-5 co-localized with α-tubulin and centrin-2 and a partial overlap with kinetochore marker NDC80 during early blood stage schizogony. Dual-colour live-cell imaging showed that kinesin-5 is closely associated with NDC80 during male gametogony, but not with kinesin-8B, a marker of the basal body and axonemes of the forming flagella. Treatment of gametocytes with microtubule-specific inhibitors confirmed kinesin-5 association with nuclear spindles and not cytoplasmic axonemal microtubules. Altogether, our results demonstrate that kinesin-5 is associated with the spindle apparatus, expressed in proliferating parasite stages, and important for efficient production of infectious sporozoites.
An Iterative Atmospheric Phase Screen Compensation for Near-Real-time Ground-Based InSAR Measurements Over a Mountainous slope Yuta Izumi

In this paper, an atmospheric phase screen (APS) compensation algorithm for a near real-time Ground-Based InSAR (GB-InSAR) over a mountainous area is investigated. A novel APS compensation scheme is proposed to compensate the fluctuated APS caused by a spatial 3D inhomogeneous refractivity index distribution without any a priori knowledge of moving location. The proposed method simultaneously addresses to identify moving pixels by a criterion of absolute velocity estimated by the Coherent Pixels Technique (CPT). The proposed method consists mainly of three steps; (1) the stratified APS compensation, (2) identification of moving pixel candidate, and (3) the residual APS (remained APS after (1)) compensation by Kriging interpolation. The steps mentioned above are iteratively applied in order to increase the accuracy of the whole process. In this framework, we develop the 2D quadratic polynomial model of the refractivity index with respect to slant range and topographic height for modeling the stratified APS. Furthermore, a prediction of the residual APS is achieved by applying the IRF-k Kriging interpolation, taking into account the non-stationarity of the residual APS. We evaluate the proposed method using zerobaseline GB-DInSAR data over a mountainous area located in Minami-Aso, Kumamoto, Japan through the near real-time postlandslide measurement campaign.
Tissue Engineered Axon-Based “Living Scaffolds” Promote Survival of Spinal Cord Motor Neurons Following Peripheral Nerve Repair

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) impacts millions annually, often leaving debilitated patients with minimal repair options to improve functional recovery. Our group has previously developed tissue engineered nerve grafts (TENGs) featuring long, aligned axonal tracts from dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons that are fabricated in custom bioreactors using the process of axon “stretch-growth”. We have shown that TENGs effectively serve as “living scaffolds” to promote regeneration across segmental nerve defects by exploiting the newfound mechanism of axon-facilitated axon regeneration, or “AFAR”, by simultaneously providing haptic and neurotrophic support. To extend this work, the current study investigated the efficacy of living versus non-living regenerative scaffolds in preserving host sensory and motor neuronal health following nerve repair. Rats were assigned across five groups: naïve, or repair using autograft, nerve guidance tube (NGT) with collagen, NGT + non-aligned DRG populations in collagen, or TENGs. We found that TENG repairs yielded equivalent regenerative capacity as autograft repairs based on preserved health of host spinal cord motor neurons and acute axonal regeneration, whereas NGT repairs or DRG neurons within an NGT exhibited reduced motor neuron preservation and diminished regenerative capacity. These acute regenerative benefits ultimately resulted in enhanced levels of functional recovery in animals receiving TENGs, at levels matching those attained by autografts. Our findings indicate that TENGs may preserve host spinal cord motor neuron health and regenerative capacity without sacrificing an otherwise uninjured nerve (as in the case of the autograft), and therefore represent a promising alternative strategy for neurosurgical repair following PNI. HIGHLIGHTS TENGs preserve host spinal cord motor neuron health and regenerative capacity acutely following repair of segmental nerve defects, matching that of the clinical gold-standard autograft and exceeding commercially-available nerve guidance tubes. TENGs facilitated regeneration across segmental nerve defects, yielding similar degree of chronically surviving host spinal motor neurons and functional recovery as compared to autografts. Early surgical intervention for segmental nerve defect with living scaffolds, such as TENGs and autografts, preserves the host regenerative capacity, and likely increases the ceiling for total regeneration and functional recovery at chronic time points compared to (acellular) commercially-available nerve guidance tubes. TENGs preserve host neuronal health and regenerative capacity without sacrificing an otherwise uninjured nerve, and therefore represent a promising alternative strategy to autografts or nerve guidance tube repairs.
Cytokines in Systemic lupus erythematosus.

The systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the greatest manifestation of autoimmunity. It is characterized by the presence of cytokines, including type I and II interferons, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-), the immunomodulatory cytokines like IL-10 and TGF-{beta}, be essential players in SLE. Additionally, T-cell-derived cytokines like IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-2 are dysregulated in SLE. In this paper, a prospective cross-sectional and observational study was done. It was measured the levels of 3 essential cytokines in SLE: IL-17A, IL-23, and IL-33 using three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Thirty (30) patients attending the rheumatoid clinic at one of the major regional hospitals in the Caribbean region were recruited. Mostly females above the childbearing age give their consent to be included in the study and other 30 healthy patients were used a control. Of all the SLE patients, 15 (50%) patients were of Afro-Caribbean descent, 12 (40%) of patients were of Indo-Caribbean descent, and 3 (10%) of patients were of mixed descent. Nineteen (63%) healthy controls were females, and 11 (37%) were males. The results showed that serum IL-17A and IL-23 were more significantly higher in SLE patients than controls (P<0.01); however, there was no statistically significant difference between IL-33 levels between SLE patients and healthy controls. The study showed no correlation between serum IL-17A and IL-23 in SLE patients as judged by the result of the Pearson correlation coefficient (r=0.308, p>0.05). It also showed that serum IL-17A and IL-23 levels positively correlate to the SLE disease activity index 2000 score (SLEDAI score). Nevertheless, IL-33 levels show no correlation with the SLEDAI score. In this study, higher cytokines were reported mostly in patients between the ages of 25 to 30-year-old and Afro-Caribbean descent.