Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Tropical Highland Frog Calls Cold-adapted? The Case of the Andean Frog Hyla labialis1

ABSTRACT Across a wide range of temperatures established in the laboratory, we tape-recorded the advertisement calls of 76 freshly caught Hyla labialis males from three elevationally separated populations in the Eastern Andes of Colombia. Each male was tested once at a single temperature and returned to his capture site after measurement of his snout-vent length. We measured and averaged three characteristics of five to ten successive calls for each individual: number of pulses per call, pulse repetition rate, and call duration. We found that calling activity occurred within temperature ranges that overlapped among frogs from different elevations, but widened and shifted downward with increasing altitude of origin. Males from all sites called at temperatures higher, but not lower, than those naturally occurring during their nightly activity period. No decline in vocal performance was apparent when frogs extended their calling activity into the range of high temperatures selected for basking. Both snout-vent length and temperature affected pulse repetition rate and call duration, while the number of pulses per call was temperature-independent. Compared to the smaller males from lower elevations, the larger, high-mountain males had calls with significantly more pulses, a lower pulse repetition rate, and longer duration. Within each population, rising temperatures caused pulse repetition rate to increase and call duration to decrease significantly, whereas the number of pulses per call remained unchanged. Pulse repetition rate of highland males was the factor least affected by temperature, and it was less sensitive to night temperatures than to day temperatures. This, together with their capacity to call at low temperatures, suggests that highland frog calls are cold adapted.
GENETIC DISSECTION OF HYBRID INCOMPATIBILITIES BETWEEN DROSOPHILA SIMULANS AND D. MAURITIANA. III. HETEROGENEOUS ACCUMULATION OF HYBRID INCOMPATIBILITIES, DEGREE OF DOMINANCE, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HALDANE'S RULE

The genetic basis of Haldane’s rule was investigated through estimating the accumulation of hybrid incompatibilities between Drosophila simulans and D. mauritiana by means of introgression. The accumulation of hybrid male sterility (HMS) is at least 10 times greater than that of hybrid female sterility (HFS) or hybrid lethality (HL). The degree of dominance for HMS and HL in a pure D. simulans background is estimated as 0.23–0.29 and 0.33– 0.39, respectively; that for HL in an F1 background is unlikely to be very small. Evidence obtained here was used to test the Turelli-Orr model of Haldane’s rule. Composite causes, especially, faster-male evolution and recessive hybrid incompatibilities, underlie Haldane’s rule in heterogametic male taxa such as Drosophila (XY male and XX female). However, if faster-male evolution is driven by sexual selection, it contradicts Haldane’s rule for sterility in heterogametic-female taxa such as Lepidoptera (ZW female and ZZ male). The hypothesis of a faster-heterogametic-sex evolution seems to fit the current data best. This hypothesis states that gametogenesis in the heterogametic sex, instead of in males per se, evolves much faster than in the homogametic sex, in part because of sex-ratio selection. This hypothesis not only explains Haldane’s rule in a simple way, but also suggests that genomic conflicts play a major role in evolution and speciation.
The Effect of Distance from Forest Edge on Seed Rain and Soil Seed Bank in a Tropical Pasture1

Abstract Although lack of seeds can limit forest recovery in abandoned agricultural lands, few studies have documented the patterns of seed rain and soil seed bank in active pastures. To determine if lack of seeds is a limiting factor, we studied the woody species composition of the seed rain and soil seed bank in an active pasture in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. In addition, fruit production of 43 common shrub and tree species was monitored in the surrounding secondary forest. Seed rain was monitored for one year at −2, 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 m from the forest edge along six transects. The soil seed bank was sampled in January/February 1995 and October/November 1995 at the same distances from the forest edge along ten transects. Of the 35 species that produced fruits in the forest, 14 species were detected in the seed rain study and only 0.3 percent of the seeds and 3 species dispersed to more than 4 m from the forest edge. Two of the three species were dispersed by wind. The seed bank study showed a similar pattern with a dramatic decrease in seedling density and species richness with distance from the forest edge. More than 50 percent of the seedlings in the seed bank study were Trema lamarckianum. This study demonstrated that few seeds disperse into the pastures and even when a rare dispersal event occurs, species do not accumulate because of short-term seed viability and, possibly, high seed predation. Studies of early secondary forest regeneration have shown that in some cases, forest can recover rapidly in abandoned agricultural lands; but our results suggest that only a small subset of the forest species will contribute to the initial recovery process.
LOCAL ADAPTATION IN THE LINUM MARGINALE–MELAMPSORA LINI HOST-PATHOGEN INTERACTION

Abstract The potential for local adaptation between pathogens and their hosts has generated strong theoretical and empirical interest with evidence both for and against local adaptation reported for a range of systems. We use the Linum marginale–Melampsora lini plant-pathogen system and a hierarchical spatial structure to investigate patterns of local adaptation within a metapopulation characterised by epidemic dynamics and frequent extinction of pathogen populations. Based on large sample sizes and comprehensive cross-inoculation trials, our analyses demonstrate strong local adaptation by Melampsora to its host populations, with this effect being greatest at regional scales, as predicted from the broader spatial scales at which M. lini disperses relative to L. marginale. However, there was no consistent trend for more distant pathogen populations to perform more poorly. Our results further show how the coevolutionary interaction between hosts and pathogens can be influenced by local structure such that resistant hosts select for generally virulent pathogens, while susceptible hosts select for more avirulent pathogens. Empirically, local adaptation has generally been tested in two contrasting ways: (1) pathogen performance on sympatric versus allopatric hosts; and (2) sympatric versus allopatric pathogens on a given host population. In situations where no host population is more resistant or susceptible than others when averaged across pathogen populations (and likewise, no pathogen population is more virulent or avirulent than others), results from these tests should generally be congruent. We argue that this is unlikely to be the case in the metapopulation situations that predominate in natural host-pathogen interactions, thus requiring tests that control simultaneously for variation in plant and pathogen populations.
HOST-PARASITE AND GENOTYPE-BY-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: TEMPERATURE MODIFIES POTENTIAL FOR SELECTION BY A STERILIZING PATHOGEN

Abstract Parasite-mediated selection is potentially of great importance in modulating genetic diversity. Genetic variation for resistance, the fuel for natural selection, appears to be common in host-parasite interactions, but responses to selection are rarely observed. In the present study, we tested whether environmental variation could mediate infection and determine evolutionary outcomes. Temperature was shown to dramatically alter the potential for parasite-mediated selection in two independent laboratory infection experiments at four temperatures. The bacterial parasite, Pasteuria ramosa, was extremely virulent at 20°C and 25°C, sterilizing its host, Daphnia magna, so that females often never produced a single brood. However, at 10°C and 15°C, the host-parasite interaction was much more benign, as nearly all females produced broods before becoming sterile. This association between virulence and temperature alone could stabilize coexistence and lead to the maintenance of diversity, because it would weaken parasite-mediated selection during parts of the season. Additionally, highly significant genotype-by-environment interactions were found, with changes in clone rank order for infection rates at different temperatures. Our results clearly show that the outcome of parasite-mediated selection in this system is strongly context dependent.
p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Activation by Ultraviolet A Radiation in Human Dermal Fibroblasts¶

Abstract UVA radiation penetrates deeply into the skin reaching both the epidermis and the dermis. We thus investigated the effects of naturally occurring doses of UVA radiation on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities in human dermal fibroblasts. We demonstrated that UVA selectively activates p38 MAPK with no effect on extracellular-regulated kinases (ERK1–ERK2) or JNK–SAPK (cJun NH2-terminal kinase–stress-activated protein kinase) activities. We then investigated the signaling pathway used by UVA to activate p38 MAPK. l-Histidine and sodium azide had an inhibitory effect on UVA activation of p38 MAPK, pointing to a role of singlet oxygen in transduction of the UVA effect. Afterward, using prolonged cell treatments with growth factors to desensitize their signaling pathways or suramin to block growth factor receptors, we demonstrated that UVA signaling pathways shared elements with growth factor signaling pathways. In addition, using emetine (a translation inhibitor altering ribosome functioning) we detected the involvement of ribotoxic stress in p38 MAPK activation by UVA. Our observations suggest that p38 activation by UVA in dermal fibroblasts involves singlet oxygen–dependent activation of ligand–receptor signaling pathways or ribotoxic stress mechanism (or both). Despite the activation of these two distinct signaling mechanisms, the selective activation of p38 MAPK suggests a critical role of this kinase in the effects of UVA radiation.
Management and Conservation of Natural Populations in Atlantic Rain Forest: The Case Study of Palm Heart (Euterpe edulis Martius)1

Euterpe edulis (Martius) is a single-stemmed, abundant Neotropical palm of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica). The species produces the heart of palm, locally called palmito, which is an important source of income for forest owners. Because of its high market value, its short-term demands of the forest environment, and its important interactions with animal species, this palm is suitable for sustainable management and conservation purposes. In this paper, we present the results from a 15-year investigation of this species, synthesizing results on its demography, seed dispersion, reproductive biology, genetics, and economics. We have linked these results in a proposal for the species’ sustainable management and conservation.
NEOGENE CUPULADRIIDAE OF TROPICAL AMERICA. I: TAXONOMY OF RECENT CUPULADRIA FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA

Abstract We used up to 28 morphological characters to discriminate and describe species of the genus Cupuladria based on entire colony specimens collected from both coasts of the Isthmus of Panama. The characters included a combination of zooidal features traditionally used in cheilostome taxonomy and nontraditional characters such as colony size, shape, and an index of calcification of the colony, as well as the size of the basal sectors and their number of pores. Species were discriminated by a series of repeated multivariate cluster and discriminant analyses until the majority of specimens were assigned to their putative species with high statistical confidence. Nontraditional characters contributed significantly to the power of the analyses. Colonies fell into two highly distinct groups most clearly recognized by the presence or absence of vicarious avicularia, which agrees well with previous molecular genetic analyses. Further analyses of each of these two groups considered separately resulted in the discrimination of eight species. These include two previously described Caribbean species, C. biporosa Canu and Bassler, 1919 and C. surinamensis Cadée, 1975, and six new species: C. multesima, C. incognita, C. cheethami, and C. panamensis from the Caribbean, and C. pacificiensis and C. exfragminis from the eastern Pacific. There was also good correspondence between major clades within these morphologically defined groups and the previous molecular analysis, although 20% of the specimens could not be distinguished from their cognate (“geminate”) species from the opposite ocean. The high ratio of undescribed to described species and higher diversity in the Caribbean than eastern Pacific agree well with newly described patterns from other cheilostome genera based on similar analyses. Quantitative morphometric studies are essential to study biologically meaningful patterns of cheilostome speciation and macroevolution in the fossil record.
"I Prefer to Think for Myself": Upper Secondary School Pupils' Attitudes Towards Computer-Based Spanish Grammar Exercises.

There is an increasing pressure from school leaders in many countries for teaching to be based solely on ICT tools. The present study is interested in what this does to pupils’ attitudes towards ICT in language classrooms. Is a digital monopoly a good way for pupils to learn languages? Is it what they want? To understand for which tasks students feel that computers are the appropriate tool, a qualitative survey mapping upper secondary school pupils’ attitudes towards the ICT use for learning Spanish has been conducted. The study looks at ICT use for grammar practice. A group of pupils have completed lesson diaries, reflecting upon web-based grammar exercises, comparing them to paper-based exercises, and a questionnaire survey on general attitudes towards ICT in language learning. The results indicate that the majority of participating pupils ask for a greater variety of tasks and see a need also for traditional forms of grammar practice, especially written exercises which give time to reflect upon grammar, syntax and vocabulary. They want ICT use to be an option, not a constraint. Many complain on flaws in the design of web-based grammar exercises. This shows a need for more research into the effects of different designs of webbased tools. It also becomes clearer that decision-makers and teachers must focus more on the pedagogical purpose of learning tasks and that the first question to ask is: “How can I teach this in a way that suits my pupils? ” rather than: “How can I add more ICT to my teaching? ”.
EVOLUTION OF DUPLICATED ALPHA-TUBULIN GENES IN CILIATES

Ciliates provide a powerful system to analyze the evolution of duplicated a-tubulin genes in the context of single-celled organisms. Genealogical analyses of ciliate a-tubulin sequences reveal five apparently recent gene duplications. Comparisons of paralogs in different ciliates implicate differing patterns of substitutions (e.g., ratios of replacement/synonymous nucleotides and radical/conservative amino acids) following duplication. Most substitutions between paralogs in Euplotes crassus, Halteria grandinella and Paramecium tetraurelia are synonymous. In contrast, a-tubulin paralogs within Stylonychia lemnae and Chilodonella uncinata are evolving at significantly different rates and have higher ratios of both replacement substitutions to synonymous substitutions and radical amino acid changes to conservative amino acid changes. Moreover, the amino acid substitutions in C. uncinata and S. lemnae paralogs are limited to short stretches that correspond to functionally important regions of the a-tubulin protein. The topology of ciliate a-tubulin genealogies are inconsistent with taxonomy based on morphology and other molecular markers, which may be due to taxonomic sampling, gene conversion, unequal rates of evolution, or asymmetric patterns of gene duplication and loss.
Termite Mounds as Nutrient-Rich Food Patches for Elephants1

ABSTRACT This study compared elephant use of woody vegetation on termite mounds with surrounding woodlands in western Zimbabwe. Twelve sites consisting of paired plots on termite mounds and in woodlands were selected. At each site, soil and vegetation samples (leaf and stem) were collected for chemical analysis. Both soil and plant samples were analyzed for calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus, and plant samples were also analyzed for crude protein concentration. Two indices of elephant feeding damage were computed: the median number of stems and branches removed per plant, and the mass of stems and branches removed by elephants per unit area. Termite mound soils had higher concentrations of all elements tested than soils from woodlands, and termite mounds differed from woodland plots in terms of plant species composition. Trees growing on termite mounds had higher concentrations of all nutrients except sodium and crude protein, and were subjected to more intense feeding by elephants than trees from the surrounding vegetation matrix. Termite mounds may play an important role in determining food availability and spatial feeding patterns by elephants and other herbivores.
FEMALE GUPPIES AGREE TO DIFFER: PHENOTYPIC AND GENETIC VARIATION IN MATE-CHOICE BEHAVIOR AND THE CONSEQUENCES FOR SEXUAL SELECTION

Variation among females in mate choice may influence evolution by sexual selection. The genetic basis of this variation is of interest because the elaboration of mating preferences requires additive genetic variation in these traits. Here we measure the repeatability and heritability of two components of female choosiness (responsiveness and discrimination) and of female preference functions for the multiple ornaments borne by male guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We show that there is significant repeatable variation in both components of choosiness and in some preference functions but not in others. There appear to be several male ornaments that females find uniformly attractive and others for which females differ in preference. One consequence is that there is no universally attractive male phenotype. Only responsiveness shows significant additive genetic variation. Variation in responsiveness appears to mask variation in discrimination and some preference functions and may be the most biologically relevant source of phenotypic and genetic variation in mate-choice behavior. To test the potential evolutionary importance of the phenotypic variation in mate choice that we report, we estimated the opportunity for and the intensity of sexual selection under models of mate choice that excluded and that incorporated individual female variation. We then compared these estimates with estimates based on measured mating success. Incorporating individual variation in mate choice generally did not predict the outcome of sexual selection any better than models that ignored such variation.
Photodynamics of the Bacteriochlorophyll–Carotenoid System. 1. Bacteriochlorophyll-photosensitized Oxygenation of β-Carotene in Acetone¶

Abstract Carotenoids are well-known physical quenchers of chlorophyll excited states and reactive oxygen species both in vivo and in vitro. They may also be involved in chemical quenching undergoing, e.g. isomerizations or oxidations. We have found that β-carotene (Car) in aerobic acetone is rapidly oxygenated under strong illumination with red light (λexc ≥ 630 nm) in the presence of bacteriopheophytin a. At the same time the photosensitizer undergoes only slight (<10%) photodegradation. By preparative high-performance liquid chromatography as many as seven major products of oxygen attachment to Car have been isolated. Their molecular masses show that Car sequentially accumulates up to six oxygen atoms while its C40-skeleton remains intact.
Use of an Indirect Sampling Method to Produce Reference Intervals for Hematologic and Biochemical Analyses in Psittaciform Species

As with other animal species, comprehensive reference intervals (RI) for psittaciform species are rare and plagued by common issues, including sparse information regarding methods used to analyze specimens, low sample sizes, and improper statistical analyses. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of an indirect sampling method of RI generation from several years of data collected from specimens of multiple psittaciform species submitted to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. These data were unselected for health status. A previously published method for indirect RI generation was applied to data collected for routine hematologic and biochemical analyses. Seven species groups were examined, and sample size ranged from 346 to 2358. Results showed that RI varied by species and appeared to represent a broader range than expected compared with other RI and traditional clinical expectations for core health assessments, such as total white blood cell count and white blood cell differential results. Some biochemical results reflected more narrow ranges, and a few were consistent with other published ranges. The intervals were likely influenced by changes related to stress and underlying disease. The results of the current study reflect the imprecision of this method related to data obtained from the population served by this laboratory. Overall, this method is not suitable for the production of comprehensive RI, although it may provide rough estimates for some limited analyses until traditional RI can be generated.
REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION BETWEEN TWO CLOSELY RELATED HUMMINGBIRD-POLLINATED NEOTROPICAL GINGERS

Abstract Empirical estimates of the relative importance of different barriers to gene flow between recently diverged species are important for understanding processes of speciation. I investigated the factors contributing to reproductive isolation between Costus pulverulentus and C. scaber (Costaceae), two closely related hummingbird-pollinated understory Neotropical herbs. I studied broad-scale geographic isolation, microhabitat isolation, flowering phenology, overlap in pollinator assemblages, floral constancy by pollinators, mechanical floral isolation, pollen-pistil interactions, seed set in interspecific crosses, and postzygotic isolation (hybrid seed germination, greenhouse survival to flowering, and pollen fertility). Aside from substantial geographic isolation, I found evidence for several factors contributing to reproductive isolation in the sympatric portion of their geographic ranges, but the identity and relative strength of these factors varied depending on the direction of potential gene flow. For C. pulverulentus as the maternal parent, mechanical floral isolation was the most important factor, acting as a complete block to interspecific pollen deposition. For C. scaber as the maternal parent, microhabitat isolation, pollinator assemblage, mechanical floral isolation, and postpollination pollen-pistil incompatibility were important. Overall, prezygotic barriers were found to be strong, resulting in 100% reproductive isolation for C. pulverulentus as the maternal parent and 99.0% reproductive isolation for C. scaber as the maternal parent. Some postzygotic isolation also was identified in the F1 generation, increasing total isolation for C. scaber to 99.4%. The results suggest that ecological factors, including habitat use and plant-pollinator interactions, contributed to speciation in this system and evolved before extensive intrinsic postzygotic isolation.
The Solvent-initiated Photolysis of Dichloro(2,2′-bipyridine)platinum(II) in Chloroform¶

Abstract Under 254 nm irradiation, [Pt(bpy)Cl2] is converted to [Pt(bpy)Cl4] in a solvent-initiated process. The reaction is very nearly zero order throughout. The rate decreases slightly with increasing starting concentration. These characteristics can be rationalized by a rate law of the form afS, where fS is the fraction of light absorbed by chloroform. The species that reacts with [Pt(bpy)Cl2] is believed to be CCl3OO.