Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interactions among Neotropical beetles (Coleoptera) and host plants : from feeding niche and host specificity to food web structure

Tropical forests have motivated decades of ecological research to understand its exceptional biodiversity and its origins, and to quantify this flora and fauna diversities. The most important drivers of this diversity are interactions among species, such as plant-herbivore, which represent mainly in the Tropics, more than 40% of global terrestrial biodiversity. Neotropical plant-phytophagous hispine beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) communities represent an extraordinary model to study this biodiversity. The first part is dedicated to identify species assemblages of Neotropical hispine beetles associated with their host plant species (Arecales, Poales and Zingiberales) in Panama. Furthermore, by performing both types of feeding trials (choice and no-choice tests) we defined the potential and realized feeding niches for 15 hispine species. Then, using the recent qualitative and quantitative food web approaches and, several metrics and indices we characterized the “architecture” of interactions among hispine beetles and their host plants viewed as ecological networks. The modular structure of plant-hispine food web reflected perfectly the taxonomic level of hispine beetle host specificity. The final part of this thesis investigated the food web structure of three Neotropical superfamilies of Coleoptera (Chrysomeloidea, Buprestoidea and Curculionoidea) and their host plants in Central America. Our results indicated a similar nested structure, and that these phytophagous beetles are sufficiently specialized to play a major role in maintaining high levels of tropical plant diversity.
A Multilevel Study of Content Coverage and Malaysian Students’ Mathematics Achievement

The purpose of this research was to identify the multilevel relationship between studentand school-level content coverage variables and Malaysian students’ Mathematics achievement. Specifically, student-level content coverage consisted of four variables-experience with applied mathematics tasks at school; experience with pure mathematics tasks at school; familiarity with mathematical concepts; and experience with various types of Mathematics problems at school. The multilevel analysis was conducted using Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) 7.0 software. Prior to the multilevel analysis, missing data due to student questionnaire rotation design were multiply-imputed using Predictive Mean Matching estimation via R-package Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equation (MICE). Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis on the multiply-imputed datasets was conducted using R-package lavaan survey. HLM analysis revealed that except experience with applied mathematics tasks at school that showed negative predictive effect, all other student-and school-level content coverage variables showed positive predictive effects on the Malaysian students’ Mathematics achievement.
PRBM_A_226722 257..266

Shenglan Li Daoqun Ding Ji Lai Xiangyi Zhang Zhihui Wu Chang Liu 1Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 2Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Criminal Justice, Ningxia Police Vocational College, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China Purpose: Many studies explore the relationship between moral judgment and psychopathy in western culture, but the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. By far, no research about this topic in the background of Chinese culture exists. In the current study, we adopt one of the creative process-dissociation approaches to explore the relationship between the psychopath and moral judgment. Methods: Adopt the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathic Scale, the Chinese version of Interpersonal Reactivity and Process-dissociation approach to explore the relationship between the psychopath and moral judgment. Results: Traditional utilitarian moral score of the high psychopathy group are significantly higher than that of low psychopathy group (t= 2.97, p<0.05), people with high psychopathy utilitarian tendency U factor score and people with low psychopathy have no significant difference (F= 0.85, p = 0.36). Conclusion: Individuals with high psychopathy tend to make fewer deontological moral judgments because of their decreased deontological tendencies rather than their increased utilitarian tendencies. They may make more acceptance choices not to increase the wellbeing of the majority of people, but because of their increased acceptance of hurting others in the moral dilemma.
Inhibition of α1-Adrenergic-Mediated Responses in Rat Ventricular Myocytes by Adenosine A1 Receptor Activation: Role of the KATP Channel

Both β- and α1-adrenoceptors mediate the myocardial effects of catecholamines. It is well known that adenosine inhibits β-dependent effects; however, whether α1-dependent responses can be similarly modulated is unclear. Accordingly, rat ventricular myocytes were exposed for 25 min to the α1agonist phenylephrine (2 μM, in the presence of 1 μM propranolol) in the absence or presence of adenosine (100 μM) or the A1 receptor-selective agonist N 6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA, 1 μM). We also investigated the effects of KATP blockade with glibenclamide (1 μM), the protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide (20 nM), and pertussis toxin (300 ng/ml), which uncouples Gi protein/receptor interaction, and assessed whether effects of adenosine were mimicked by KATPactivation with either pinacidil or cromakalim (5 μM). Phenylephrine significantly increased cell shortening by 190% and the Ca2+ transient by 24%, which was abolished by either adenosine or CPA, but not in the presence of the A1receptor-selective antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (1 μM), and was abolished by pertussis toxin. The effect of adenosine or CPA was reversed by glibenclamide and mimicked by either cromakalim or pinacidil. Bisindolylmaleimide was without effect. The A2or A3 receptor agonists 2-(4-(2-carboxyethyl)phenylethylamino)-5′- N -ethylcarboxamidoadenosine and N 6-(3-iodobenzyl)-adenosine-5′- N -methyluronamide (1 μM each), respectively, were without effect. Neither CPA nor adenosine modulated the effect of endothelin-1 (5 nM), which also acts via the phosphoinositide hydrolysis pathway. We conclude that adenosine selectively inhibits α1-adrenergic-mediated effects in rat ventricular myocytes through a Gi protein-dependent mechanism involving A1 receptor and KATPactivation. Our study further suggests that endogenous adenosine may modulate α1-mediated effects of catecholamines.
Stimulation of both photosynthesis and respiration in response to warmer and drier conditions in a boreal peatland ecosystem

Peatland ecosystems have been consistent carbon (C) sinks for millennia, but it has been predicted that exposure to warmer temperatures and drier conditions associated with climate change will shift the balance between ecosystem photosynthesis and respiration providing a positive feedback to atmospheric CO2 concentration. Our main objective was to determine the sensitivity of ecosystem photosynthesis, respiration and net ecosystem production (NEP) measured by eddy covariance, to variation in temperature and water table depth associated with interannual shifts in weather during 2004–2009. Our study was conducted in a moderately rich treed fen, the most abundant peatland type in western Canada, in a region (northern Alberta) where peatland ecosystems are a significant landscape component. During the study, the average growing season (May–October) water depth declined approximately 38 cm, and temperature [expressed as cumulative growing degree days (GDD, March–October)] varied approximately 370 GDD. Contrary to previous predictions, both ecosystem photosynthesis and respiration showed similar increases in response to warmer and drier conditions. The ecosystem remained a strong net sink for CO2 with an average NEP (± SD) of 189 ± 47 g C m−2 yr−1. The current net CO2 uptake rates were much higher than C accumulation in peat determined from analyses of the relationship between peat age and cumulative C stock. The balance between C addition to, and total loss from, the top 0–30 cm depth (peat age range 0–70 years) of shallow peat cores averaged 43 ± 12 g C m−2 yr−1. The apparent long‐term average rate of net C accumulation in basal peat samples was 19–24 g C m−2 yr−1. The difference between current rates of net C uptake and historical rates of peat accumulation is likely a result of vegetation succession and recent increases in tree establishment and productivity.
Quantification of Rhodocyclus-Related and Actinobacterial Polyphosphate-Accumulating Organisms in an Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal Process Using Quenching Probe PCR

Quenching probe (QProbe) PCR-based methods for quantifying the abundance of Rhodocyclus-related and actinobacterial polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) in an enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process are described. PCR primer-QProbe sets specific for the 16S rRNA genes of Rhodocyclus-related PAOs (RPAOs) and actinobacterial PAOs (APAOs) were newly designed, and their specificity tested using database searches, a selection of pure cultures, and sludge DNA. The sets were found to be specific for most of the target sequences. QProbe PCR with the newly designed sets was used to enumerate the 16S rRNA genes of RPAOs and APAOs in a laboratory-scale EBPR sludge. The copy number of 16S rRNA genes of RPAOs was larger than that of APAOs before the phosphorus removal performance of the reactor deteriorated, and the amount of both PAOs decreased in the deterioration period. The approaches developed in this study may become a powerful tool for a high-throughput analysis of PAO abundance in EBPR processes.
Coral Reef Conservation: Death and resurrection of Caribbean coral reefs: a palaeoecological perspective

INTRODUCTION In the last three decades reef corals have suffered catastrophic levels of mortality throughout the tropics, a trend which has been especially pronounced in the Caribbean and western Atlantic region (Ginsburg, 1994 Gardner et al ., 2003 Ginsburg and Lang, 2003). Since the late 1970s and early 1980s, the structure of most Caribbean reefs has changed dramatically, with a fundamental shift in dominance from corals to macroalgae (Knowlton, 1992). This phase shift from coral- to macroalgae-dominated benthic reef communities has been driven largely by a drastic reduction in the abundance of branching elkhorn ( Acropora palmata ) and staghorn ( Acropora cervicornis ) corals (Aronson and Precht, 2001a, 2001b), coupled with reduced herbivory (Glynn, 1990 Carpenter, 1997). Although the temporal and spatial signals of recent change in the Caribbean are relatively straightforward (Aronson and Precht, 2001b Gardner et al ., 2003 Ginsburg and Lang, 2003 Kramer, 2003), the causes remain controversial. A number of hypotheses have been developed, with top–down (over-fishing), bottom–up (eutrophication and pollution) and side–in (habitat destruction and global change) models dominating the literature. Reliance on weak inference in many of these studies, however, has hindered the progress of reef science and confounded the direction and emphasis of ecosystem management. In this chapter, we examine the principal models and evaluate their utility as explanations of the ecological changes that have been observed on Caribbean reefs.
Radiosensitivity During Spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster

LUning's (1952) initial demonstration of differential radiosensitivity during spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster was followed by claims that spermatids in particular were hypersensitive to the induction of recessive lethals (Auerbach, 1954; Khishin, 1955), dominant lethals (Bateman, 1956), X-deletions (Bateman, 1957) and translocations (Oster, 1958). However, more recent publications indicated that dominant lethals and interstitial X-deletions (Chandley and Bateman, 1960), Y-deletions (Strangio, 1961 a, b) and "XO males" (Sivhagen, 1961) seemed to have their inductive peak in the spermatocyte stage, even though the original findings for translocations have been confirmed (Sivhagen, 1960; Traut, 1960). Selective elimination of a significant proportion of translocations induced during the meiotic divisions within the spermatocytes might be considered as one reason for the shift in the sensitivity curve peak toward the spermatid stage. Ives' results (1960) suggesting that gamma-rays induced a higher percentage of sex-linked recessive lethals in spermatocytes placed this class of mutational effect in a somewhat problematical position. In view of recent technical refinements whose application is essential for an accurate estimate of recessive lethal frequency (Mossige, 1955; Yanders, 1958; Traut, 1960, for detailed examples), the possibility of experimental error in the earlier investigations could not be discounted. For this reason, the induction of sexlinked recessive lethals, "XO males," and primary non-disjunction of paternal sex chromosomes has been studied by means of the multi-purpose stock described in the following paragraph. Newly emerged males carrying a normal X-chromosome and a doublymarked Y-chromosome y+ Y Bs (Brosseau et al., 1961) were exposed to 800r X-ray (45 kv and 15 ma) at a dose-rate of 2000r/min. The males were then mated singly on each of the 12 days following irradiation to an excess of fresh virgin females to ensure maximal utilization of maturing sperm (Mossige, 1955; Traut, 1960). These virgins were collected from a stock originally Basc (Muller-5) but in which the Bar marker had reverted to wild type; that is, the stock could now be described fully as scsl+B In S apr sc8. After mating, the females were allowed a maximum of four successive egglaying periods each of 24 hours' duration. The F1 offspring were classified as (1) regular-wild type females and apricot-Bar males and (2) exceptional Bar females (primary non-disjunction of X and Y in the male parent on most occasions) and apricot males ("XO males"). It must be emphasized that "XO males" are in reality a heterogeneous group composed of (a) true
Adaptive strategy at the leaf level of Arbutus unedo L. to cope with Mediterranean climate

Summary The adaptive strategy of Arbutus unedo L. under Mediterranean climate seemed to be due to the high leaf area (LA = 11.1 ± 0.1 cm 2 ) increasing the potential capacity of light interception, the high leaf lamina thickness (L = 395 ± 10 μm) increasing the potential capacity for gas exchange, and the steeper leaf inclination at midday (α up to 63.9 ± 0.3°) determining 48% of reduction of incident radiation on a sloping leaf surface (RI), which could be a prevention mechanism against the potential photoinhibition of water-stressed leaves during drought. Nevertheless, during the drought period the photosynthetic activity and the water use efficiency (WUE) of A. unedo were strongly reduced (=> than 50% of the maximum). Principal component analysis (PCA) underlined the higher similarity of A. unedo and Quercus ilex L. from a physiological point of view (photosynthetic rates P N , transpiration rates E , stomatal conductance gg s , sub-stomatal CO 2 concentration C i ) and for leaf inclination, and with Cistus incanus L. from a phenological (leaf-life span) and structural point of view (specific leaf area SLA and leaf tissue density LTD), for leaf temperature ( T l ) and for leaf waterstatus (leaf water potential at midday χ min and relative water content RWC). Therefore A. unedo might be considered in the borderline between drought semi-deciduousspecies and evergreen sclerophyllous species.
Bacillus Anthracis, Bacillus Cereus, and Other Aerobic Endospore‐Forming Bacteria

1 Definition 2 Taxonomy 3 Importance of the Aerobic Endospore-Formers 4 Habitats 5 Life Cycle 6 The Endospore 7 Antigens 8 Pathogenicity 9 Opportunistic Pathogens 10 Appendix: Stains 11 Appendix: Media 12 Acknowledgments Keywords: aerobic endospore-formers and their importance; B. anthracis (anthrax), B. cereus (food poisoning and opportunistic infections); sporeformers-deleterious agents and contaminants in food industry; dormant spore to vegetative cell conversion-activation, germination and outgrowth; spore antigens; meningitis and any form of anthrax; cutaneous anthrax-readily treated, and life-threatening in exceptional cases; strains of B. thuringiensis and B. cereus diarrheal toxin
Rhythmic temperature control in a homeothermic plant: A field study of thermogenic Japanese skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus renifolius

The spadices of skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus renifolius) can generate heat and maintain an internal temperature of about 23°C, even when the ambient air temperature drops below freezing. In this study, we continuously measured the spadix temperatures of skunk cabbage together with ambient air temperatures during March 2019 in their natural habitat in northern Honshu on Japan’s main island. Using Fourier transform we showed that the temperature of the thermogenic spadix oscillates over a period of approximately 60 min. Our data suggest that Japanese skunk cabbage possesses a novel timekeeping mechanism that may be associated with a homeothermic control of this plant.
Morphological characterization and quality evaluation of some cultivated paprika morphotypes (Capsicum annuum L.) from Tadla-Azilal region of Morocco

To characterize eleven different morphological forms of Moroccan paprika grown under field conditions in Tadla-Azilal region, analysis of morphometric data of different morphotypes (variants) was performed. The 11 morphotypes were evaluated for their qualitative traits of ripe fruits. Statistically significant differences among these variants were found for all the fruit characters studied. The evaluated morphotypes differed also in vitamin C, capsaicin, ASTA value and coordinated chromatic of color. The morphotype fruits evaluated had high genetic diversity and potential to fulfill the industry requirements. Morphotype 1 had the most desired commercial trait such as high ASTA value, high DW/FW ratio and low pungency. The results obtained in this study can be used as accurate information to establish a program of breeding to develop new commercial hybrids with fruits enriched for more desired commercial traits. Key words : Paprika, Morphological traits, commercial traits, Vitamin C, ASTA; Carotenoids, Capsaicinoids .
The role of seed germination in the invasion process of Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos L., Fabaceae): comparison with a native confamilial

Identifying plant traits that promote invasiveness has been a major goal in invasion ecology. Germination plays a central role in the life cycle of plants and therefore could be a key trait in determining species invasiveness. In this study, seed germination of two confamilial, co-occurring species that share ecological characteristics, the exotic invasive Gleditsia triacanthos L and the native Acacia aroma Gillies ex. Hook. & Arn. , was compared. Seeds were obtained from individuals of three localities in the Chaco Serrano region of Cordoba, Argentina. Percent of seed germination and mean germination time were recorded in chemically and mechanically scarified seeds, and the former variable was also recorded in seeds subjected to: passage through the digestive tract of dispersers, fire simulations, fire simulation plus mechanical scarification, seed longevity, and dormancy break over time. In general, both species showed similar germination percentage. However, non-scarified seeds of the exotic species lost physical dormancy when subjected to experiments of dormancy break over time, whereas, the native species had shorter mean germination time. The greater percentage of seed germination over time of the exotic species than of the native one might be triggering the spread of the former, whereas the shorter mean germination time might be hindering its expansion to more arid regions. The study of different mechanisms for achieving seed germination, particularly in hard seed species, could provide important information on the expansion of invasive species as well as useful knowledge for their management.
Perfil de ácidos gordos no músculo longissimus thoracis et lumborum de suínos da raça Bísara

Marieta A. M. Carvalhoa, M. Beatriz P. P. Oliveirab, Jorge M. T. Azevedoc aCIMO, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal bREQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Aníbal Cunha, 164, 4099-030 Porto, Portugal cCECAV, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. Quinta dos Prados, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real , Portugal carvalho@ipb.pt
Phase Diagram and Self-Organizing Dynamics in a Thermal Ensemble of Strongly Interacting Rydberg Atoms

Far-from-equilibrium dynamics that lead to self-organization are highly relevant to complex dynamical systems not only in physics but also in life, earth, and social sciences. However, it is challenging to find systems with sufficiently controllable parameters that allow quantitatively modeling of emergent properties. Here, we study a nonequilibrium phase transition and observe signatures of self-organized criticality in a dilute thermal vapor of atoms optically excited to strongly interacting Rydberg states. Electromagnetically induced transparency provides excellent control over the population dynamics and enables high-resolution probing of the driven-dissipative dynamics, which also exhibits phase bistability. Increased sensitivity compared to previous work allows us to reconstruct the complete phase diagram, including in the vicinity of the critical point. We observe that interaction-induced energy shifts and enhanced decay only occur in one of the phases above a critical Rydberg population. This case limits the application of generic mean-field models; however, a modified, threshold-dependent approach is in qualitative agreement with experimental data. Near threshold, we observe self-organized dynamics in the form of population jumps that return the density to a critical value.
Induction of Human CYP2A6 Is Mediated by the Pregnane X Receptor with Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ Coactivator 1α

CYP2A6 plays important roles in the metabolism of nicotine and some clinically used drugs. Interindividual variability in the CYP2A6 expression level in human liver might be caused by an inducible property, but the molecular mechanism of induction is unclear. Rifampicin, phenobarbital, and 6-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]thiazole-5-carbaldehyde O-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)oxime, which are activators of pregnane X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), induced CYP2A6 mRNA in human hepatocytes. We identified three direct repeat separated by four nucleotides (DR4)-like elements at –6698, –5476, and –4618 in the CYP2A6 gene, to which PXR and CAR could bind after dimerization with retinoid X receptor (RXR)-α. In luciferase assays, overexpression of PXR or CAR could not activate the transcriptional activity of CYP2A6 promoter constructs (–6754 to –1) in HepG2 cells. Cotransfection of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α did not affect the transcriptional activities in the absence or presence of PXR or CAR. Interestingly, cotransfection of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) as well as PXR significantly enhanced the transcriptional activity (3.9-fold of control). By the deletion of a possible suppresser region (–4533 to –185), the effects of PXR/PGC-1α on the transcriptional activity were increased (6.9-fold of control). Deletion or mutation analyses revealed that two DR4-like elements at –5476 and –4618 are essential for transactivation by PXR/PGC-1α. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that PXR and PGC-1α bind to CYP2A6 chromatin. In conclusion, we found that CYP2A6 is induced via PXR and PGC-1α through the DR4-like element at the distal response region. This is the first study to report the molecular mechanism of the induction of CYP2A6.