Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutagenesis of the Caveolin Interaction Motif in Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor

: Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor is a G-protein coupled receptor that localizes to rigid domains in the cell membrane known as caveolae. In the fourth transmembrane domain, there is a region of the receptor that contains a putative caveolin interaction motif (CIM), an alpha helix with 4 critical phenylalanine residues. These residues are critical to the localization of the receptor to caveolae. The goal of my research has been to mutate these phenylalanine residues to the amino acid leucine. Our hypothesis is that this conservative mutation will result in a mutant receptor that is no longer able to localize to the caveolae but still travels to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, if the receptors localize to other regions of the cell membrane, we hope to discover how this affects signaling. This would help demonstrate the necessity of receptor localization to caveolae for normal function. This would provide valuable information about signaling, and may help to create a novel way to inhibit FSH signaling by interrupting FSHR-caveolin interactions.
Amyloid Beta Hypothesis: Attention to β- and γ-Secretase Modulators

The amyloid cascade hypothesis poses one possible explanation for the onset and progres- sion of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). With this respect, neurotoxic effect is attributed to soluble and diffusive amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers. Aβ peptides are produced by proteolytic cleavage of the hydrophobic transmembrane portion of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by suc-cessive action of β- and γ-secretases. Aβ peptides are generated in several isoforms, out of which the most pronounced are Aβ40 and Aβ42 being the major constituents of amyloid plaques found in AD patients’ brains. Since the indisputable evidence pointed out to Aβ oligomers as toxic agents, several pathways to modulate or control the aggregation have been inspected . Given all these aspects, inhibitors of the β- and γ-secretases have gained the most attention. This chapter presents amyloid cascade hypothesis with current progress in the development of β- and γ-secretase modulators to counteract the Aβ burden. BACE-2 knockout (−/−) mice showed the same phenotype. Double-knockout mice, that is, mice with deactivated genes for BACE-1 (−/−) as well as for BACE-2 (−/−), are not phenotypically very different from mice without the gene for the BACE-1, with the exception of an increased num ber of dying mice freshly after birth. The results of this study therefore assume that nonselective inhibitors of both subtypes of the enzyme BACE may be well tolerated at least from the perspec tive of the inhibition of BACE-2. The latest research has shown that BACE-2 is expressed in the pancreatic β cells and BACE-2 knockout mice exhibit an improved glycemic regulation due to the increased production of insulin. These findings imply the possible use of BACE-2 inhibitors for the treatment of diabetes mellitus of type 2 [ 15].
Epi-betulinic acid from the stem bark of Anthostema madagascariensis Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) extracts and its laxative activity in mice

The latex of Anthostema madagascariensis is used as a purgative in Malagasy traditional medicine. The study was aimed to investigate the laxative activity of stem barks extracts of A. madagascariensis. The hydroalcoholic crude extract of the stem barks from A. madagascariensis and the three fractions resulting from the fractionation of the hydroalcoholic extract and the isolated compound from the active extract were tested. The laxative activity was investigated using in vivo models intestinal motility in mice. Among all tested dose, the hydroalcoholic extract more or equal to 1000 mg/kg and ethyl acetate extract at 1200mg/kg produced significant (p
Tudo aos Direitos: avaliação de um programa de promoção da cidadania e direitos humanos em casas de acolhimento

Contacto: Joana Antão, Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento (APDES), Research in Education and Community Intervention (RECI), Alameda Jean Piaget no 100, 4411-801 Vila Nova de Gaia / joana.antao@gmail.com Contacto: Soraia Teles, Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento (APDES), Research in Education and Community Intervention (RECI), Alameda Jean Piaget no 100, 4411-801 Vila Nova de Gaia / teles.s. soraia@gmail.com Contacto: Maria Andresen, Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento (APDES), Alameda Jean Piaget no 100, 4411-801 Vila Nova de Gaia / mariaandresen@gmail.com Contacto: Elvira Lopes, Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento (APDES), Alameda Jean Piaget no 100, 4411-801 Vila Nova de Gaia / elvira.lopes@apdes.pt Contacto: Mariana Oliveira, Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento (APDES), Alameda Jean Piaget no 100, 4411-801 Vila Nova de Gaia / moliveira2605@gmail.com Contacto: Natália Fernandes, Instituto de Educação, Universidade do Minho Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga / natfs@ie.uminho. pt Contacto: Francisca Pimentel, Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento (APDES), Research in Education and Community Intervention (RECI), Alameda Jean Piaget no 100, 4411-801 Vila Nova de Gaia / francisca.pimentel@apdes.pt
MSTD: an efficient method for detecting multi-scale topological domains from symmetric and asymmetric 3D genomic maps

The chromosome conformation capture (3C) technique and its variants have been employed to reveal the existence of a hierarchy of structures in three-dimensional (3D) chromosomal architecture, including compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs), sub-TADs and chromatin loops. However, existing methods for domain detection were only designed based on symmetric Hi-C maps, ignoring long-range interaction structures between domains. To this end, we proposed a generic and efficient method to identify multi-scale topological domains (MSTD), including cis- and trans-interacting regions, from a variety of 3D genomic datasets. We first applied MSTD to detect promoter-anchored interaction domains (PADs) from promoter capture Hi-C datasets across 17 primary blood cell types. The boundaries of PADs are significantly enriched with one or the combination of multiple epigenetic factors. Moreover, PADs between functionally similar cell types are significantly conserved in terms of domain regions and expression states. Cell type-specific PADs involve in distinct cell type-specific activities and regulatory events by dynamic interactions within them. We also employed MSTD to define multi-scale domains from typical symmetric Hi-C datasets and illustrated its distinct superiority to the-state-of-art methods in terms of accuracy, flexibility and efficiency.
Synthesis, characterization of catechin-loaded folate-conjugated chitosan nanoparticles and their anti-proliferative effect

ABSTRACT Catechin-loaded folate-conjugated chitosan nanoparticles (CFC-NPs) were synthesized through ionic gelation reactions between folate-modified chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate. Their chemical structures, size distribution and morphology, drug loading capacity and entrapment efficiency, in vitro release behavior, and anti-proliferative effects were investigated. Results showed that CFC-NPs dispersed as a near-spherical shape with an average diameter of 255 nm. Drug loading capacity and entrapment efficiency reached 8.66–11.53% and 19.02–43.28%, respectively. Meanwhile, the loaded catechin exhibited a sustainable release from the nanoparticles, with the cumulative release ratio being 75.20% over 36 h. Blank folate-conjugated chitosan nanoparticles (FC-NPs) at 0.5 mg/mL had little or no cytotoxicity toward MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, while CFC-NPs had significant anti-proliferative activity in a dose-dependent manner. After incubation for 36 h, cell viability reached 35.22 ± 3.42% and 58.44 ± 3.85% in MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, respectively. These results suggest that CFC-NPs might be effective carrier of catechins with antitumor activity.
Integrating the RFID identification system for Charolaise breeding bulls with 3D imaging for virtual archive creation

The individual electronic identification (EID) of cattle based on RFID technology (134.2 kHz ISO standard 11784) will definitely enter into force in European countries as an official means of animal identification from July 2019. Integrating EID with 3D digital images of the animal would lead to the creation of a virtual archive of breeding animals for the evaluation and promotion of morphology associated with economic traits, strategic in beef cattle production. The genetically-encoded morphology of bulls and cows together with the expression in the phenotype were the main drivers of omic technologies of beef cattle production. The evaluation of bulls raised for reproduction is mainly based on the conformation and heritability of traits, which culminates in muscle mass and optimized carcass traits in the offspring destined to be slaughtered. A bottom-up approach by way of SWOT analysis of the current morphological and functional evaluation process for bulls revealed a technological gap. The innovation of the process through the use of smart technologies was tested in the field. The conventional 2D scoring system based on visual inspection by breed experts was carried out on a 3D model of the live animal, which was found to be a faithful reproduction of live animal morphology, thanks to the non significant variance (p > 0.05) of means of the somatic measures determined on the virtual 3D model and on the real bull. The four main groups composing the scoring system of bull morphology can easily be carried out on the 3D model. These are as follows: (1) Muscular condition; (2) Skeletal development; (3) Functional traits; (4) Breed traits. The 3D-Bull model derived from the Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithm displays a high tech profile for the evaluation of animal morphology in an upgraded system.
Selektives Trockenstellen in Milchviehbetrieben – eine Alternative zur bisherigen Routine?

Die Mastitis des Rindes ist eine der wirtschaftlich bedeutendsten Erkrankung des Milchrindes, und die Ursache für eine Entzündung ist meistens eine Infektion mit pathogenen Erregern, die über den Zitzenkanal erfolgt [9, 11,13]. Die Trockenstehperiode ist ein wichtiger Zeitraum, in dem die Eutergesundheit maßgeblich beeinflusst werden kann [3]. Das Trockenstellen von Milchkühen unter antibiotischem Schutz ist eine in der deutschen Milchviehhaltung verbreitete und bewährte Methode, um die Eutergesundheit während der Trockenstehperiode zu optimieren. Jedoch wächst der Wunsch nach Verminderung des Antibiotikaverbrauchs in der Nutztierhaltung beim Verbraucher, der milchverarbeitenden Industrie
NAD+ Biosynthesis and Signaling in Plants

Abstract Many metabolic processes that occur in living cells involve oxidation-reduction (redox) chemistry underpinned by compounds, such as glutathione, ascorbate, and/or pyridine nucleotides. Among these redox carriers, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) represents one of the cornerstones of cellular oxidation and is essential for plant growth and development. In addition to its redox role, compelling evidence of a role for NAD+ as a signal molecule in plants is emerging. In non-plant systems, NAD+ biosynthesis can be the product of two independent pathways—the de novo and the salvage pathway. Despite the fact that homologous plant genes exist for the composite enzymes of most, if not all, of these pathways research into plant NAD+ biosynthesis per se has lagged behind that of microbial and mammalian systems. Indeed, much plant work has been focused on additional roles of the composite enzymes in processes, such as DNA repair or post-translational modification of proteins. That said, in recent years, a number of studies, mostly in Arabidopsis, have been carried out in order to fill this knowledge gap. Therefore, in this review, we intend to present a synthesis of such molecular genetic studies as well as biochemical analyses that have begun to elucidate the regulatory hierarchies both of NAD+ biosynthesis and the parallel activities of the enzymes that are involved in these pathways.
Acute and non-lethal effects of coconut oil on predatory mite Typhlodromus ornatus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Abstract Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) ornatus Denmark & Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is one of the predatory mites associated with the coconut mite Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae), a serious coconut pest in Africa, Asia and America. Vegetable oils such as coconut oil have been shown to efficiently control A. guerreronis, however their side effects on predatory mites remain poorly investigated. Here, we evaluated the lethal and non-lethal effects of coconut oil on repellence and functional response of the predatory mite T. ornatus, a natural enemy of A. guerreronis. Based on LC50 estimates, coconut oil was over 6-fold less toxic to T. ornatus than to its prey, A. guerreronis. Additional repellence and predation bioassays show that the coconut oil neither repels nor interferes in the functional response of T. ornatus preying upon A. guerreronis. According to our selectivity approach, the coconut oil is compatible with the predatory mite T. ornatus.
Isolation of high-quality RNA from a wide range of woody plants

Isolation of high-quality RNA is one of the most crucial methods in molecular biology. RNA extraction from woody plants has been problematic due to the presence of rigid and woody tissues, large amounts of polysaccharides, polyphenols and other secondary metabolites. Here we present a suitable protocol for RNA isolation from a wide range of woody plants that includes eight gymnosperms and four angiosperms. The method is based on the CTAB protocol which was modified by adding sodium citrate and two helper buffers. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed a good RNA integrity and total RNA profile that includes all expected RNA bands. Also, DNA and protein contaminations were not observed. Spectrophotometric quantification of RNA samples by NanoDrop showed that the average RNA yields ranged from 35.68 to 216.98 µg per gram fresh weight, that is enough to proceed into cDNA synthesis and other RNA-related works. Both the A260/A280 and A260/A230 ratios were in the desired ranges, indicating that RNA was of high purity and without protein, polyphenol, and polysaccharide contamination. The efficiency of isolated RNA for downstream applications was verified by real-time PCR and successful amplification of a long cDNA. Finally, some advantages and possible applications of the method are also mentioned.
Study the Effect of Pyocyanin Extracted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa on DNA Fragmentation of Human Lymphocytes Cells

Eight isolates of P. aeruginosa were obtained out of 90 water samples. The isolated colonies were identified based on their morphology and biochemical characteristics, were confirmed as P. aeruginosa by the API 20E test system. The percentages of P. aeruginosa recovery in this study were 8.8. % All isolates were able to produce greenish blue pigment (pyocyanin). Pyocyanin at all concentrations was significantly increased the percentage of fragmented DNA of peripheral blood lymphocyte cells compared to control , results showed that DNA fragmentation percentage was higher in concentration 50 μg/ml (70%,74.3%) at 24 hr,48hr respectively. In summary, results of recent study demonstrate that the pyocyanin, induces apoptosis of human peripheral blood lymphocytes .
Clostridium botulinum spores in European honey bees from Serbia

A total of 61 honey bees from different regions of the Republic of Serbia were analyzed for Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) spores. The microbiological methods and molecular methods (multiplex PCR/mPCR and PCR method) were utilized to examine multiple subunits of each honey bees samples. The C. botulinum spores in PCR-positive samples were estimated by the most probable number method (MPN). The presence of C. botulinum spores, by applying mPCR and PCR methods, was detected in 1 of the 61 honey bees (1.64%). Using MPN method, the number of spores in positive sample was 110/kg. Detection of C. botulinum spores directly from untreated honey bees, without prior enrichment, is impossible by applying PCR. Using conventional microbiological methods, detection of C. botulinum spores in dead honey bees is not possible without preenrichment. Therefore, conventional, microbiological methods are not suitable for the detection of C. botulinum spores in honey bees. In order to detect C. botulinum spores in honey bees using PCR methods, due to the small and/or unequal distribution of spores in the samples, it is desirable to use multiple subunits/replicates for each sample examined.
Cryptography, Passwords, Privacy, and the Fifth Amendment

Military-grade cryptography has been widely available at no cost for personal and commercial use since the early 1990s. Since the introduction of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), more and more people encrypt ﬁles and devices, and we are now at the point where our smartphones are encrypted by default. While this ostensibly provides users with a high degree of privacy, compelling a user to provide a password has been interpreted by some courts as a violation of our Fifth Amendment protections, becoming an often insurmountable hurdle to law enforcement lawfully executing a search warrant. This paper will explore some of the issues around this complex legal and social issue, including the evolution in the use of digital cryptography and the evolving legal interpretations of privacy.
Molecular Characterization and Diversity of Enteric Bacteria Isolated from Chicken Feeds

This study focused on molecular characterization and diversity of enteric bacteria isolated from different brands of commercially produced chicken feeds sold in Anambra State. A total of 1,536 different chicken feed samples (starter, growers, finisher and layers) were collected from the consumers, retailers and wholesalers and screened for the presence of enteric bacteria using pour plate technique. The isolates were characterized and identified using their colony descriptions, biochemical and molecular characteristics. The diversity of the enteric bacteria was determined by carefully recording the number of occurrences of each identified isolate from the studied feed samples. The result of this study revealed that Escherichia coli O157:H7 SS52 (EC) , Salmonella serovar Typhimurium U288 (ST), Escherichia coli SEC470 (ES), Salmonella serovar Enteritidis YU39 (SY) and Salmonella serovar Enteritidis FM366 (SE) were significantly (P 0.05). This study has revealed that EC, ST, ES, SY and SE were the enteric bacteria detected from the studied feed samples, of which EC was recorded most. Keywords : Molecular characterization, Enteric bacteria, Chicken Feeds, Diversity.
Iconic Manakins and Despicable Grackles: Comparing Bird-Related Cultural Ecosystem Services across Birdwatchers, Farmers, and Urbanites in Northwestern Costa Rica

Despite the great cultural and economic benefits associated with birdwatching and other bird-related cultural ecosystem services (CES), little is known about the bird-related CES perceived by people, and how they differ across stakeholder groups and species. The goal of this study was to explore CES across three stakeholder groups in northwestern Costa Rica. We conducted surveys (n=404 total) in which we presented farmers (n=140), urbanites (n=149), and birdwatchers (n=115) with pictures and songs of bird species and collected participants’ ratings on items designed to measure multiple CES. We found bird-related CES were perceived as six different constructs: identity, bequest, education, birdwatching, acoustic aesthetic, and disservices. The three stakeholder groups varied across these constructs and across species. Specifically, birdwatchers ranked species higher in terms of their education scores and lower in disservices scores compared to the other two groups. Positive correlations across CES, and negative correlations with disservices, suggest that the affect heuristic (by which generalized positive or negative feelings sway judgements of risks and benefits) might be informing bird-related CES. Our approach represents a novel method for assessing CES that can be adapted and modified for different taxa and multiple geographical contexts.
An Overview and Future Directions on Physical-Layer Security for Cognitive Radio Networks

Cognitive radio networks (CRNs) have emerged as a reliable technology to address the problem of spectrum under-utilization. Cognitive radio (CR) is known to be intelligent, as it can sense, learn, and change its transmitting and receiving parameters according to changes in the surrounding environment. These operations are characterized by the CR cognition cycle. During the three stages of cognition, users are vulnerable to several types of attacks on the physical layer. Various types of physical-layer attacks can lead to loss of data security over CRNs. In this article, an overview of physical-layer security (PLS) for CRNs is provided. Some of the major attacks over the physical layer of CRN are presented, such as primary user emulation attack (PUEA), sensing falsification, jamming, and eavesdropping. Moreover, some of the suggested methods to combat these attacks and ensure data privacy are provided. We focus on presenting certain methods to combat eavesdropping. Current challenges and future research directions are included.
A primal role for balance in the development of coordinated locomotion

Mature locomotion requires that animal nervous systems coordinate distinct groups of muscles. The pressures that guide the development of coordination are not well understood. We studied vertical locomotion in developing zebrafish to understand how and why coordination might emerge. We found that zebrafish used their pectoral fins and bodies synergistically to climb. As they developed, zebrafish came to coordinate their fins and bodies to climb with increasing postural stability. Fin-body synergies were absent in mutants with-out vestibular sensation, linking balance and coordination. Similarly, synergies were systematically altered following cerebellar lesions, identifying a neural substrate regulating fin-body coordination. Computational modeling illustrated how coordinated climbing could improve balance as zebrafish mature. Together these findings link the sense of balance to the maturation of coordinated locomotion. As they develop, zebrafish improve postural stability by optimizing fin-body coordination. We therefore propose that the need to balance drives the development of coordinated locomotion.
Trade-off Model of Fog-Cloud Computing for Space Information Networks

A steadily growing number of Internet-based service requests from the IoT have led to an increase in complexity and clients, resulting in an increased number of cybersecurity concerns. Although there are main security concerns with IoT services over cloud computing services, cloud computing is mostly preferred to provide seamless and scalable Intern-based services. Moreover, cloud service providers are continuously extending their capacity to reach more industries and address their concerns. For example, Amazon has recently launched a pay-as-you-go cloud computing service that will take place on satellite operators to provide more IoT services to industries such as the agricultural and shipping industries. However, the secure transfer of information within a space information network is of great concern due to numerous attacks between nodes to occur. This can be followed by loss of data Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. Several researchers have proposed multifaceted solutions to these concerns, including blockchain application, digital signature, symmetric/asymmetric encryption schemes, and centralized and/or decentralized key management for space information networks. In this paper, we focus on the integration of fog-cloud computing and space information network. We primarily investigate the feasibility of fog-cloud architecture in space information networks and the benefits of having fog computing in space information networks' security. This is accomplished mainly by reviewing existing works on fog-cloud computing and space information networks and evaluating both proposed solutions to potential issues regarding security.