Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DID EMBRYONIC RESPONSES TO INCUBATION CONDITIONS DRIVE THE EVOLUTION OF REPRODUCTIVE MODES IN SQUAMATE REPTILES?

ABSTRACT Viviparity (live-bearing) has evolved from oviparity (egg-laying) more than 100 times within snakes and lizards, and thermal factors are thought to have driven this shift. However, other major features of reptilian reproduction may reflect selective pressures related to hydric rather than thermal exchanges between the egg and its incubation environment. Notably, why are intermediate stages of prolonged egg retention so rarely seen? Embryonic stages at oviposition in squamates are largely dichotomous: most oviparous species lay eggs with embryos about one-third developed, whereas viviparous taxa retain the eggs until development is complete. Why don't more species oviposit with embryos at either earlier or later stages? We suggest that the scarcity of squamates that lay eggs soon after ovulation (and thus, with very early-stage embryos) may reflect the need to delay oviposition until embryos have developed sufficient physiological control over water influx and efflux to survive in the challenging hydric environment of the nest. The scarcity of retention to later stages (intermediate between typical oviparity and viviparity), and the apparent lack of reversals from viviparity back to oviparity, may be due to a conflict between adaptations for water versus gas exchange; retention of larger embryos in utero requires eggshell thinning to allow gas exchange, but a thinner shell precludes effective hydric control after oviposition. Thus, although the transition from oviparity to viviparity in squamates has been driven largely by thermal advantages, the clustering of species at two main positions along the oviparity-viviparity continuum may be due to challenges of controlling embryonic water balance.
Carbon Metabolism Alterations in Sunflower Plants Infected with the Sunflower Chlorotic Mottle Virus

Sunflower chlorotic mottle virus (SuCMoV) causes chlorotic mottling symptoms and important growth reductions and yield losses in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L., cv. Contiflor 7). This paper describes the effects of SuCMoV on some aspects of carbon metabolism of sunflower plants. After symptoms became evident, CO 2 fixation rates decreased, nevertheless, soluble sugars and starch increased in infected leaves. High H 2 O 2 accumulation, lipid peroxidation and chlorophyll degradation were, like the other changes, observed only after symptom expression. Increased soluble carbohydrate accumulation was not related to changes in α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) activity, nor in the activities of enzymes associated with sugar import and hydrolysis such as invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) and sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13), suggesting it did not derive from starch hydrolysis nor increased sugar import. Rather, it may derive from recycling of cell components associated with the development of oxidative damage. The physiological alterations caused by this virus share many common features with the development of senescence.
COMPARISON OF DOMOIC ACID CONCENTRATION IN KING SCALLOPS, PECTEN MAXIMUS FROM SEABED AND SUSPENDED CULTURE SYSTEMS

Abstract Domoic acid (DA) the toxin responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) has proven problematic for king scallop Pecten maximus fisheries and aquaculture in Ireland. Toxin concentration in hepatopancreas of individual scallops and composite samples of gonad and adductor muscle of scallops suspended from a submerged longline, 2 m beneath the water surface and on a seabed site, 12–15 m beneath the suspended scallops were monitored from February 2003 to February 2004 at an aquaculture site in Clew Bay, Ireland. DA concentration in hepatopancreas of scallops from the seabed and longline peaked in April 2003, individual concentrations reaching 1037.1 μg·g−1 and 1212.6 μg·g−1 respectively. No statistically significant differences were exhibited between DA concentration in hepatopancreas of seabed and longline scallops except on 1 of the 10 sampling occasions. Slow depuration of DA toxin from hepatopancreas occurred from April 2003 to June 2003 and the concentration remained relatively stable from June 2003 to Feb 2004. Interpretation of DA concentrations in gonad were complicated by the lower concentrations recorded and the variable size of the gonad caused by the reproductive cycle over the 12-month study duration. DA concentrations in adductor muscle were below the limit of detection throughout the investigation. In summary DA concentration between scallops held in suspension or maintained on the seabed exhibited minor difference, and routine monitoring samples could be collected annually and held in suspended culture systems rather than using more expensive diver collection for sample procurement.
The effect of fermented persimmon shell diet supplementation on the growth performance and blood parameters in finishing pigs

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of fermented persimmon shell diet (FPSD) supplementation on growth performance and blood parameters in 96 Berkshire pigs. The FPSD was made from persimmon shell and mixed with rice bran and barley bran. Samples of FPSD on day 0 (D0) and day 60 (D60) were analyzed for chemical composition, pH and organic acids. The experimental diets were 0, 3, 5 and 7% FPSD added to C, T1, T2 and T3 of finishing diets on fresh matter basis. Dry matter (DM) was lower (P < 0.01) and crude protein was higher (P < 0.01) on D60 than on D0. pH value decreased (P < 0.01) on D60 than on D0 but organic acids were increased (P < 0.01). Average daily gain was higher (P < 0.05) in T2 than in other groups. Average daily feed intake was higher (P < 0.05) in T2 than in other groups. Total cholesterol was higher (P < 0.05) in T3 than in other groups. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased (P < 0.05) in groups by the addition of FPSD. Blood urea nitrogen was lower (P < 0.05) in C than in other groups. The results indicate that FPSD improved the growth performance and blood parameters in Berkshire pigs.
Cryptic diversity of Ulva (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) in the Great Bay Estuarine System (Atlantic USA): introduced and indigenous distromatic species

Distromatic foliose blades of the algal genus Ulva are notoriously difficult to identify due to their simple morphologies and few diagnostic characteristics that often exhibit intraspecific variation and interspecific overlap. Hence, species differentiation is difficult and diversity estimates are often inaccurate. Two major goals of this study were to assess the diversity of distromatic Ulva spp. in the Great Bay Estuarine System (GBES) of New Hampshire and Maine, USA, and to compare historical and present day records of these species. Molecular analysis (using ITS sequences) of field-collected specimens revealed four distinct taxa: Ulva lactuca, U. rigida, U. compressa, and U. pertusa. Prior to molecular screening, Ulva lactuca was the only distromatic Ulva species reported for the GBES. Ulva pertusa and the foliose form of U. compressa are newly recorded for the Northwest Atlantic, and the range of U. rigida has been extended. Molecular analysis of historical herbarium voucher specimens indicates that U. rigida, U. pertusa, and the foliose form of U. compressa have been present in the GBES since at least 1966, 1967, and 1972, respectively. The distromatic morphotype of U. compressa is found only in low salinity areas, which suggests that salinity may influence its morphological development. Molecular and morphological evaluations are critical if we are to distinguish between cryptic taxa, accurately assess biodiversity, and effectively monitor the spread of non-indigenous macroalgae.
Seasonal and spatial differences in food selection by otters (Lutra lutra) in Shetland

Otters Lutra lutra in Shetland feed almost exclusively in the sea. Their diet was assessed from direct observations of 13, 313 dives, of which 27% were successful, and 2028 prey could be identified. The results are compared with published data on the availability offish for different seasons, time of day, state of tide, and different types of coast. The most frequently taken prey was eelpout Zoarces viviparus (34%), but they were relatively small, and rocklings Ciliata mustela dominated the diet in terms of biomass (18%, against eelpout 15%). Small eel-shaped, bottom-living species dominated in the diet at all times, but of those, otters took the larger fishes in the populations (median weight of prey 28 g). The size and species composition of prey of males was the same as that of females with cubs, but females without cubs took smaller fish. In spring, prey was smaller than at other times, and otters were least successful when diving. Diving success and mean prey weight was highest in winter, although prey availability was highest in summer. Eelpout were caught mostly along sheltered coasts, rocklings in more exposed areas. It is argued that for optimal exploitation of the seasonal availability of different species of prey, otters need to use different types of coast, and the size of their ranges would be related to the spacing of coastal types. Most fishes were caught in daytime, and around high tide otters fed less than at other times; hunting therefore took place during periods of inactivity of prey. For the main prey species, Ciliata mustela, it was estimated that otters took a substantial part of the total population.
PERCEIVE project - Deliverable D2.4 "Report on the probabilistic model of estimation of citizens’ identification with the EU project and ranking of the case study regions"

In line with the Grant Agreement, this deliverable is provided on month 22 (June 2018) and aims to develop a novel probabilistic model to classify EU citizens according to their level of identification with the EU. In order to achieve this objective, D2.4 addresses the following research questions: - To what extent do EU citizens identify with Europe and the EU project? - Have European regions different patterns and level of identification? - Are the results driven by specific socio-economic variables?
Excretion of Human β-Endorphin into Culture Medium by Using Outer Membrane Protein F as a Fusion Partner in Recombinant Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli BL21 strains were found to excrete a large amount of outer membrane protein F (OmpF) into culture medium during high-cell-density cultivation. From this interesting phenomenon, a novel and efficient OmpF fusion system was developed for the excretion of recombinant proteins by E. coli. The ompF gene of E. coli BL21(DE3) was first knocked out by using the red operon of bacteriophage λ to construct E. coli MBEL-BL101. For the excretion of human β-endorphin as a model protein, the β-endorphin gene was fused to the C terminus of the E. coli ompF gene by using a linker containing the Factor Xa recognition site. To develop a fed-batch culture condition that allows efficient production of OmpF-β-endorphin fusion protein, three different feeding strategies, an exponential feeding strategy and two pH-stat strategies with defined and complex nutrient feeding solutions, were examined. Among these, the pH-stat feeding strategy with the complex nutrient feeding solution resulted in the highest productivity (0.33 g of protein per liter per h). Under this condition, up to 5.6 g of OmpF-β-endorphin fusion protein per liter was excreted into culture medium. The fusion protein was purified by anion-exchange chromatography and cleaved by Factor Xa to yield β-endorphin, which was finally purified by reverse-phase chromatography. From 2.7 liters of culture supernatant, 545.4 mg of β-endorphin was obtained.
Selfspirituality and the Body: New Age Centres in The Netherlands since the 1960s

New Age has developed rapidly in The Netherlands since the 1960s. During this period, its socio-cultural place has changed greatly. The phenomenon first appeared as a sort of counterculture on the margins of society, becoming increasingly integrated so that, today, the values sought in New Age differ less and less from general social opinions. The body is widely considered as a means of attaining a “spirituality of the self”. An important part of the programmes offered by New Age Centres focuses on “bodywork”. The author studies the importance of the do-it-yourself process predominating in the physical, psychic and esoteric therapies practised in the New Age Centres. Bodywork methods are part of a holism to which the Centres are committed. The author concludes by showing that the physical and psychic practices carried out in the New Age Centres meet a need for healing and so are well adjusted to the aspirations of our times.
Consecutive acoustic observations of an Atlantic herring school in the Northwest Atlantic

Several successive images of the same school of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) were collected over the course of 1 h just north of Georges Bank in the Northwest Atlantic. Although the fish may not have been in their natural, undisturbed state, we observed what appeared to be the fish school fragmenting and dispersing, using a split-beam and a multibeam echosounder. Calibrated, 38 kHz, splitbeam echosounder (Simrad EK60) and trawl-catch data provided accurate measures of the fish density beneath the vessel. Uncalibrated, 400 kHz, multibeam-echosounder (Reson 7125) data provided synoptic observations of the fish school including estimates of the school volume, morphology, and behaviour. Observations of the angular dependence in the multibeam-echosounder measurements of backscatter from fish allow investigation of the efficacy of extrapolating fish-school densities measured by the split-beam echosounder to the entire school.
Firm Attributes, Corporate Fundamentals and Investment Strategies: An Empirical Study for Indian Stock Market

We combine corporate attributes and fundamental factors for evolving different investment strategies using data from 200 companies listed in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) from 2005 to 2018. The results indicate the existence of equity market anomalies based on size, volume, earnings, cash flow variability, asset growth, price momentum, price-to-book ratio and profitability. The performance of trading strategies is sensitive to portfolio construction procedure, that is, forming 5/10/20 portfolios. Bivariate strategies generally perform better than univariate strategies in the Indian context. On an overall basis, the size-based strategy performs best with a mean excess return of 3.63 per cent per month. We further find that corporate fundamentals such as profitability, operating efficiency, liquidity, solvency, innovation and entry barriers help in filtering poor future performers that may have been recommended by attributes-based strategy. Our filtered portfolios based on firm attributes and corporate fundamentals outperform unfiltered portfolios, and their returns are not explained by multi-factor performance benchmarks.
Winged Fruits of Linnaeeae (Caprifoliaceae) in the Tertiary of Western North America: Diplodipelta gen. nov.

Recent phylogenetic analyses of the Caprifoliaceae and related families have paved the way for critical study and interpretation of the fossil record. A new extinct genus, Diplodipelta, is established on the basis of winged fruits from the Eocene, Oligocene, and Miocene of western North America, with two species: Diplodipelta reniptera (Becker) comb. nov. and D. miocenica (Berry) comb. nov. Although formerly attributed to Ptelea and Dodonaea, detailed comparative studies demonstrate that the fossils actually represent the Caprifoliaceae, tribe Linnaeeae, on the basis of elongate, indehiscent, longitudinally ribbed fruits with a sterile apical neck and persistent, epigynous calyces, and "supernumerary bracts. " The samaroid dispersal units resemble those of extant Dipelta because the bracts are enlarged into wings that function in wind dispersal. However, Diplodipelta differs from Dipelta by the presence of a pair of fruits, rather than just one fruit, per dispersal unit, by the adnation of lateral wings to the peduncle, and by a peculiar transverse folding of the median wing. On the basis of available characters, Diplodipelta appears to be the sister group to Dipelta The stratigraphic record of Diplodipelta, together with the occurrence of genuine Dipelta fruits in the late Eocene of England, indicates that the divergence of these genera occurred during or prior to the late Eocene. The fossil record of Caprifoliaceae is reviewed, and previous reports of fossil Abelia fruits are discounted.
Modeling time-varying growth using a generalized von Bertalanffy model with application to bloater (Coregonus hoyi) growth dynamics in Lake Michigan

A concurrent increase in lakewide abundance and decrease in size-at-age of bloater (Coregonus hoyi) in Lake Michigan have suggested density-dependent growth regulation. We investigated these temporal patterns by fitting a dynamic von Bertalanffy model and lengthweight relationship with time-varying parameters to mean length- and weight-at-ages (ages 17) from annual surveys (19651999). We modeled yearling length, asymptotic size (L), and the parameters of a power relationship between mean weight and mean length (α and β) as changing slowly over time using a random walk model. The Brody growth coefficient (k) was modeled as a linear function of L with year-specific random deviations. Our results support a positive relationship between L and k, indicating that under conditions supporting larger asymptotic lengths, individuals approach the asymptote more rapidly. We explored the relationship between year-specific growth parameters and indices of lakewide bloater abundance and found evidence of density-depe.
Contribution of diatoms as food sources for post-larval abalone Haliotis discus hannai on a crustose coralline alga

Abstract Survival and growth rates of post-larval abalone Haliotis discus hannai reared on a crustose (non-geniculate) coralline alga (CCA) Lithophyllum yessoense with diatoms (CCA + diatoms) and without diatoms (CCA − diatoms) were compared in the laboratory in order to determine the contribution of diatoms on CCA as food sources for post-larvae and the dietary value of CCA themselves. Experiments were performed for 5 weeks with two groups of different developmental stage, newly metamorphosed stage (younger postlarvae) and over 1 mm stage (older post-larvae). Both stages of post-larvae reared on CCA + diatoms grew well (53.4 ± 2.4 μm/day; mean ± SE and 85.0 ± 4.0 μm/day; mean ± SE, respectively). Younger post-larvae grew to over 2 mm in 5 weeks, and older ones reached over 4 mm in 5 weeks. There was no difference in shell length of younger post-larvae reared on CCA + diatom and CCA − diatom at the week 1. However, the mean growth rate of abalone on CCA − diatoms from the second to fifth week (24.4 ± 1.9 .
Mechanisms Involved in Symptom Modulation by Turnip Crinkle Virus and its Associated Subviral RNAs

Title of dissertation: MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN SYMPTOM MODULATION BY TURNIP CRINKLE VIRUS AND ITS ASSOCIATED SUBVIRAL RNAS Fengli Zhang, Doctor of Philosophy, 2006 Dissertation directed by: Professor Anne E. Simon Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) (family Tombusviridae, genus Carmovirus) is a positivestrand RNA virus. SatC, a satellite RNA associated with TCV, intensifies symptoms of TCV on all symptomatic hosts. Arabidopsis protoplast assays indicated that TCV virion levels are substantially reduced by the presence of satC or when two amino acids are inserted at the N-terminus of the coat protein (CP), resulting in similarly enhanced symptoms. Since the TCV CP is an RNA silencing suppressor, increased levels of the resultant free CP could augment silencing suppression resulting in enhanced colonization of the plant. Cloning and sequencing of virus-derived small RNAs (vsRNAs) accumulating in Arabidopsis plants infected with TCV with or without satC showed that the majority of vsRNAs are ~21-nt, purine-rich sequences. One TCV vsRNA species, TvsRNA5, is complementary to 3’ UTR sequences in transcripts of 12 Arabidopsis genes. Transcript levels of 3 of these genes were reduced 2.4to 4-fold by TCV infection, but restored to normal levels when infected with TCV containing a deletion in the TvsRNA5 sequence. This deletion did not affect levels of virus, but resulted in symptom attenuation in infected plants. These results suggest that at least some vsRNAs are specifically altering expression of host genes leading to phenotypic changes in host plants. In addition, a technique has been established for detection of viral RNAs in whole plants, which makes use of the binding of the CP of MS2 bacteriophage (CPMS2) to a 19 base hairpin (hp). Protoplast co-transfection of TCV containing the hairpin and a fusion protein construct consisting of CPMS2, GFP and a nuclear localization signal (NLS) relocated GFP from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, indicating the presence of virus. TCV movement was also tracked by observing cytoplasmic GFP fluorescence in infected transgenic plants expressing the fusion protein. This technique should be amenable for detection of any virus with a transformable host. MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN SYMPTOM MODULATION BY TURNIP CRINKLE VIRUS AND ITS ASSOCIATED SUBVIRAL RNAS
Density‐dependent nutritional value of the dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides to the copepod Acartia tonsa

The nutritional value of the dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides to the copepod Acartia tonsa was evaluated over a range of ecologically relevant cell densities. Based on egg production rate, egg hatching success, and naupliar recruitment rate of A. tonsa, mixed‐diet experiments indicated C. polykrikoides was nutritionally insufficient or had no nutritional value to A. tonsa at 600 µg C L−1 (330 cells mL−1), and was toxic at 1000 µg C L−1 (550 cells mL−1) when compared with the nontoxic flagellate Rhodomonas lens. However, the nutritional value of C. polykrikoides to A. tonsa at 100 and 200 µg C L−1 (55 and 110 cells mL−1) was greater than or equal to that of R. lens. The density‐dependent nutritional value of C. polykrikoides to A. tonsa was also demonstrated in the long‐term survival experiments. Survivorship of A. tonsa fed C. polykrikoides was lower than those fed R. lens at 900 and 1800 µg C L−1. In contrast, C. polykrikoides supported higher survivorship of A. tonsa than R. lens at 180 and 540 µg C L−1. The nutritional value of C. polykrikoides to A. tonsa decreased from beneficial to deleterious with increasing cell density. A putatively "harmful" alga is not always deleterious to grazers, and its ecological effects may be distinctly different during bloom and non‐bloom periods.
Social learning and life skills training for hatchery reared fish

With the stress placed on our natural resources, many fisheries increasingly rely on restocking from hatchery-reared sources in an attempt to maintain commercially viable populations. However, the mortality rates of hatchery-reared fishes during the period directly following release are very high. The successful development of restocking programs is consequently dependent upon production and release strategies that lead to improved migratory, antipredator and feeding behaviour in hatchery fish. While relevant individual experience prior to release might improve performance, social learning potentially provides a process whereby fish can acquire locally adaptive behaviour rapidly and efficiently. It is now well over a decade since Suboski & Templeton (1989) raised the possibility of using social learning processes to improve the post-release survival of hatchery-reared fishes. This period has witnessed considerable progress in the understanding of how social learning operates in fish populations. We review new methods and recent findings that suggest how social learning protocols could realistically be applied on a large scale to enhance the viability of hatchery fish prior to their release into the wild. We also suggest a practical pre-release training protocol that may be applied at the hatchery level.