Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Echolocation Performance and Call Structure in the Megachiropteran Fruit-Bat Rousettus aegyptiacus

The structure of the calls made by the echolocating fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus while flying within a flight tunnel were investigated. Calls are impulsive clicks lasting around 250 &mgr;s, with most energy occurring during the first 100 &mgr;s. Such a call duration is much shorter than that previously reported for this species. The ability of R. aegyptiacus to detect and avoid obstacles was tested in both the light and total darkness. Bats were able to detect and avoid 6 mm diameter wires significantly more often than 1.3 mm diameter wires when tested in the light. In the dark, the same relationship held, with no decrease in the ability to detect and avoid the obstacles. Bats used echolocation in both the light and the dark conditions. The simple impulsive clicks used in echolocation by this species are thus able to detect wires of at least 6 mm in diameter and probably smaller. The detection problems associated with very short duration signals is discussed. The possession of both a good visual system, and a good echolocation system in this species has implications for the evolution of echolocation in bats.
Comparison of the structure of the periphytic community in distinct substrates from a neotropical floodplain

Periphyton collected from distinct macrophytes in a lake permanently connected to the Parana River were submitted for analysis of the periphytic algae community structure, quarterly in the years 2008 and 2009. Limnological data were concomitantly measured. Flood pulses, hydrometric levels of the Parana river and hydrological periods were irregular in 2008. It was found 406 taxa of periphytic algae, with greater richness corresponded mainly to the classes Bacillariophyceae and Zygnemaphyceae. The mean values of richness were not significantly different among substrates (p=0.297; F=1.342), but were for algal density (p=0.037; F=4.390) and diversity on Eichhornia azurea (Sw.) Kunth; Pontederiaceae), probably due to its architecture and morphology being more suitable to the development of periphytic algae, mainly diatoms. Oxycarium cubense , due to its fragile architecture and delicate morphology, favoring mainly metaphytic algae as Zygnemaphyceae. In June and September 2008, Bacillariophyceae was prevalent (predominantly represented by Achnanthidium minutissimum (Kutz.) Czarn. (Bacillariophyceae), which could represent a greater tolerance of these microalgae during unfavorable periods. Mean values of diversity were significantly different after November 2008, with higher average values of the hydrometric levels and temperatures. It concluded that, in an extreme variable environment, such as the floodplain, although significant differences have been found, both the environmental conditions and the type of substrate were essential for structuring the periphytic community.
In Vitro Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Contents of the Leaves of Olax subscorpioidea and Distemonanthus benthamianus

Plants are sources of natural antioxidants and some of their compounds have significant antioxidant properties and health benefits. Olaxsubscorpioidea and Distemonanthusbenthamianus are used in folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases. This study was undertaken to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant potential and the phenolic contents of the aqueous and 70% ethanolic extracts of the leaves of these plants. The antioxidant activity and phenolic contents of the aqueous and 70 %ethanolic extracts of the leaves of O.subscorpioidea and D.benthamianus were evaluated using Spectrophotometric methods for the determination of total phenols, total flavonoids, flavonols and proanthocyanidins. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined by the 1,1Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, anti-lipid peroxidation, reducing power and ferrous chelating ability methods. The ethanolicextracts had the highest antioxidant activitiesand phenolic compoundslevels.D.benthamianusexhibited strong DPPH scavenging activity (IC50=10.87 ± 0.18),lipid peroxidation inhibition assay (IC50 =0.97 ± 0.01 mg/mL),ferrous chelating assay (IC50 =0.94 ± 0.02 mg/mL) added to its higher reducing power andphenolic contents (102.8±0.57 mg/g extract). Theantioxidant propertiesof these plants may explain their therapeutic activities. Our following work will explore the pharmacological potential of D. benthamianusethanolic extract.
Pollen morphology of tribes Aptosimeae and Myoporeae supports the phylogenetic pattern in early-branching Scrophulariaceae revealed by molecular studies

Abstract Mosyakin S. L. & Tsymbalyuk Z. M. : Pollen morphology of tribes Aptosimeae and Myoporeae supports the phylogenetic pattern in early-branching Scrophulariaceae revealed by molecular studies. — Willdenowia 45: 209–222. 2015. — Version of record first published online on 15 July 2015 ahead of inclusion in August 2015 issue; ISSN 1868-6397; © 2015 BGBM Berlin. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3372/wi.45. 45207 Pollen morphology of six species representing three genera of tribe Aptosimeae and six species representing two genera of tribe Myoporeae (Scrophulariaceae) is described and illustrated using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pollen grains in Aptosimeae are 3-syncolporate, prolate, sometimes oblate-spheroidal in shape; mainly medium-sized, occasionally in some taxa small; exine sculpture striate, rarely with microperforations and small granules. Pollen grains in Myoporeae are 3-colpate-diorate, spheroidal, rarely oblate-spheroidal or prolate in shape; mainly medium-sized, occasionally in some taxa small; exine sculpture foveolate, microreticulate, rugulate-microperforate, rugulate, sometimes with small granules. Two major pollen types, 3-syncolporate (Aptosimeae) and 3-colpate-diorate (Myoporeae) are recognized by aperture types. Within these pollen types, eight subtypes are distinguished (three in Aptosimeae, five in Myoporeae) based on pollen size, exine sculpture and details of colpi and endoapertures. Our analysis of palynomorphological data (both published earlier and newly reported here) outlines the same main clades as those revealed by molecular phylogenetic studies, corresponding to Aptosimeae, Leucophylleae+Myoporeae and Androya, which differ by their pollen aperture types: 3-syncolporate, 3-colpate-diorate, and 3-colporate, respectively. There are also some differences in exine sculpture patterns. Thus, palynomorphological data are mainly consistent with recent results of molecular phylogenetic studies. Considerations on ancestral pollen character states in early-branching Scrophulariaceae are provided. It is assumed that the colporate type was probably ancestral in Scrophulariaceae; however, the ancestral status of the colpate type cannot be excluded as well.
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles enhance macrophage activation by LPS through a TLR4-dependent intracellular pathway

Although causing moderate cytotoxicity and inflammatory effects, TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are considered relatively safe materials. However, it is known that TiO2 NPs bind bioactive environmental contaminants, such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin), and it is possible that this interaction leads to increased biological activity. In this report we have investigated the pro-inflammatory responses of Raw264.7 murine macrophages exposed to two preparations of TiO2 NPs, co-administered with LPS. The simultaneous exposure to NPs and LPS produced marked increases in Nos2 mRNA, Nos2 protein and medium nitrite concentration (an indicator of NO production) well beyond the levels observed with LPS or TiO2 NP alone. TiO2 NPs also synergized LPS effects on Ptgs2 expression and cytokine secretion. The cytoskeletal drug cytochalasin B lowered the amount of NPs internalized by the cells and suppressed the synergy between TiO2 NPs and LPS in NO production and cytokine secretion. Pre-treatment with the TLR4 inhibitors polymyxin B and CLI-095 eliminated the synergy that was also partially hampered by the inhibition of p38 MAPK, but not of ERK1/2. Moreover, p38 phosphorylation was synergistically enhanced by the combined treatment at 6 h of incubation. It is concluded that TiO2 NPs enhance macrophage activation by LPS via a TLR4-dependent mechanism that involves p38 and is mainly triggered from an intracellular site. These findings suggest that the simultaneous exposure to LPS and TiO2 NPs may exacerbate the inflammatory response in vivo.
A UNIFIED APPROACH TO MARINE PLANT-HERBIVORE INTERACTIONS. II. BIOGEOGRAPHY

components to unify several aspects of the individual, population, and community level effects of herbivores on marine algae. Here we extend these considerations to biogeographic patterns of marine community structure by assessing the importance of latitudinal variation in algae-herbivore interactions. Our treatment of population- and community-level phenomena drew heavily on a measure of the expectation of herbivore damage for a given plant growing at a specific place. This function has three components [notations from (84)]: (a) the probability that the plant will be encountered by herbivores, P(En); (b) the conditional probability that the herbivores will eat at least a part of the plant given that they encounter it, P(EaEn); and (c) the expected decline in fitness of the plant individual (relative to undamaged plants) given that it is encountered and at least partly consumed. These three terms are useful in defining the two general types of plant escapes from herbivores (94): noncoexistence escapes, where P(En) is near zero; and coexistence escapes, where encountered plants are either not consumed [P(EaEn) is small] or are consumed at little cost to plant fitness (84). Since each component of the expectation of herbivore damage is a function of plant, herbivore, and environmental characteristics, the frequency and pattern of these escapes from herbivory can vary (a) among algae of different shapes, sizes, and chemical compositions; (b) among herbivore regimes with different densities, diversities, or species compositions; and (c) among areas because of interactions among environmental, plant, and herbivore characteristics. Here we examine evidence for predictable variation between geographic regions in these features of algae-herbivore interactions.
Living a feminist life

Sarah Ahmed’s Living a Feminist Life is much more than a farewell to her institutional academic life in the wake of her highly publicized resignation from Goldsmiths, the University of London, in protest of the university’s handling of sexual harassment. Her latest work retains a fierce grip on the spirit of feminist critical theory, while avowing that it is possible and even powerful to ‘leave a life’ that is not feminist. It is customary to begin studying feminism by defining it as a ‘life question’. For educators, such discussions flow into rewarding ‘clicks’ of transformative political consciousness when students re-examine their own experiences in the light of feminist theory. Ahmed, writing explicitly for students, begins by considering what it means ‘to make everything into something that is questionable’ (p. 2), recounting her own ‘clicking’ moments: ‘I began to realize what I already knew: that patriarchal reasoning goes all the way down, to the letter, to the bone’ (p. 4). In laying out a foundational self-reflexivity, constantly connecting her background in philosophy (the letter) with her life (bone) as a brown lesbian feminist of mixed heritage, Ahmed shows us how to re-politicize the personal: ‘I began to appreciate that theory can do more the closer it gets to the skin’ (p. 10). In urging feminists, ‘do not become the master’s tool! ’ (p. 160), Ahmed invokes Audre Lorde’s well-known concept of the master’s house: ‘I had to find ways not to reproduce its grammar in what I said, in what I wrote, in what I did, in who I was’ (p. 4). Her own refusal to be a master’s tool crops up in, for example, Ahmed’s policy of citing feminists of colour rather than white men, because citations ‘are the materials through which, from which, we create our dwellings’ (p. 16). Feminism’s fault lines (such as excluding trans women) show us the cracks in dogmatic certainty: Ahmed argues that a ‘feminist tendency . does not give us a stable ground’ (p. 7). Stability mires feminisms in injustice. Instead we must learn to reject what Alexis Shotwell (2016) describes as a politics of ‘purity’, and instead embrace the idea that feminism’s houses may be reconstructed and deconstructed on shifting terrain.
Novel Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) Probe for Simultaneous Detection of t(9;22)(q34.1;q11.2) and Associated Deletions on der(9) and der(22) Chromosomes

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) translocation involving ABL and BCR genes on chromosomes 9q34.1 and on chromosome 22q11.2, respectively. We developed a high- ly sensitive two color-two fusion fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assay for the simultaneous detection of t(9;22)(q34.1;q11.2) and associated deletions in the der(9) and der(22) chromosomes. A signal segregation approach was used by which the probes were generated from the regions outside the breakpoints in the BCR and ABL genes. Commercially available probes can detect the translocation with limited sensitivity and specificity, but not the deletions, the latter increasingly implicated in determining outcome. The improved FISH assay developed is aimed at reliable detection of the translocation, associated deletions, and amplification of the BCR/ABL fusion in pre- and post treatment patient pop- ulations at high sensitivity eliminating false positivity. The probe design also addressed the technical limitations associat- ed with available cytogenetic and molecular methods in diagnostic and follow up assays for patient monitoring. Using this probe, we have analyzed 70 unselected CML cases of which 62 had the standard t(9;22)(q34.1;q11.2) translocation and 8 had variant translocations. Among the cases with standard translocation, 10 had a deletion on der(9) and two cases with deletion on der(22). 4 of 10 cases had deletion involving only the ABL region, 2 of 10 had deletion involving BCR region and the 4 remaining cases had deletions in both the BCR and the ABL regions. In two cases with deletion on der(22), one case was found with the deletion of both BCR and ABL regions and one case with deletion of ABL region. Among the four cases with variant translocation, deletions were observed on der(9), which include ABL, BCR region deletion one case each, and BCR/ABL region deletions in two cases. The advantages of the segregation signal approach are the sensitivi- ty and specificity of the assay format which include 1) both derivative chromosomes are detected by separate fusion sig- nals, 2) overall assay sensitivity is increased due to the complete absence of false positive cells, 3) assay accuracy is increased because probes are derived from regions outside of all the known breakpoints in BCR and ABL genes, and 4) there is no reduction in actual signal intensity, since probes do not overlap any of the breakpoints.
Continuous plankton records: the geographical distribution and seasonal cycles of decapod crustacean larvae and pelagic post-larvae in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, 1981–3

The geographical distributions and seasonal cycles of pelagic larvae and post-larval stages of decapod Crustacea in the north-eastern Atlantic and the North Sea during 1981–3 are described from samples taken with the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR). Analyses of the distributions of 36 common taxa identified groupings which could be related to depth and temperature. The seasonal occurrences of planktonic larvae of benthic taxa were found to be correlated with sea-bottom temperature in the winter as well as parameters of the sea-surface temperature. Possible interpretations of these data are discussed.
Responses of horticultural commodities to low oxygen: limits to the expanded use of modified atmosphere packaging.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. respiration, ripening, fermentation, glycolysis, ethanol, fruit, veg- etables, safe working atmosphere SUMMARY. The application of low oxygen through modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is a technique used successfully to preserve the visual quality of lettuce and some other commodi- ties. The expansion of use of low O 2 via MAP to preserve quality of most commodities is limited by technical difficulties achieving target O 2 concentrations, adverse physiological responses to low O 2 , and lack of beneficial responses to low O 2 . Low O 2 often is not used simply because the physiological responses governed by the gas are not limiting quality maintenance. For instance, shelf life may be governed by decay susceptibility, which is largely unaffected by low O 2 and may actually be exacerbated by the conditions encountered in hermetically sealed packages. Physiological processes influenced by low O 2 and limit storability are discussed. The interdependence of O 2 concentration, O 2 uptake by the product, and temperature are discussed relative to requirements for packaging films.
Monitoring of spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Mats.) and assessment of the new attractant SuzukiiTrap ® in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

This work was performed in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, from October 2012 to January 2013. The work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two different traps and the SuzukiiTrap ® attractant in the catch of Drosophila suzukii. The monitoring of pest confirmed the presence of spottedwing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Mats.) in the territory of Baja California, Mexico. This fly had a population peak of females in November 2012 in proportion (2:1) respect to the total of flies and a lower incidence of both sexes in January 2013. D. suzukii could be monitored by red traps, followed by yellow traps, with SuzukiiTrap ® attractant. These yellow traps, slighly exceeded the control capture with vinegar. All traps that used the SuzukiiTrap ® attractant take longer time before to be rebaiting again, while the traps with vinegar were loaded in shorter time. The relationship between the insects captured by red traps in different types of host such as citrus (Citrus spp.), guava (Psidium guajava L.), ornamentals (alternative host) and loquat (Eribotrya japonica) was significanly higher, followed by the artisanal traps with vinegar, that had better correlation with peach (Prunus persica L.), guava (Psidium guajava L.) and grape (Vitis vinifera L.), while the yellow traps were only associated with ornamentals (alternative host). The guava (P. guajava L.) was the plant species most dangerously infested during monitoring of this pest. However, this is not included in the register host of D. suzuki in Mexico. As to the weather conditions, it was observed that maximum temperature did not appear to influence negatively on populations of D. suzukii. It was also observed that female have adaptability to environmental changes. However, the difference between maximum and minimum temperatures over 14°C had a negative influence on the total number of insects collected and males, which occurred by the abrupt decline in temperature and frost of December. ® , monitoring, attractant.
Bioassessment of Fish Communities of the Upper Delaware River

Abstract We assessed the biotic integrity of the middle-to-upper Delaware River. We sampled fish and assembled water quality data for eight stations and three habitat types (pool, riffle, and submerged aquatic vegetation [SAV]) of the Delaware River and applied an existing index of biotic integrity (IBI) recently developed for the northern mid-Atlantic slope drainages. We used Spearman's correlation to test IBI scores against measures of water quality (WQI) and cultural pollution. IBI scores were not significantly correlated with WQI, but were significantly negatively correlated with sewage load of adjacent tributaries (rs = −0.647, p = 0.08). Sites ranged from good to fair in biotic integrity. Fish assemblage composition from all three habitat types was necessary in order to accurately characterize biotic integrity. Of the three habitat types, fish assemblages from SAV habitats had the greatest positive effect on biotic integrity. Continued application of the IBI may be useful as a long-term monitoring tool as this river corridor becomes increasingly urbanized.
Urbanization affects the extent and hydrologic permanence of headwater streams in a midwestern US metropolitan area

Abstract Headwater streams dominate natural landscapes and provide essential functions for downstream waters. However, because of minimal legal protection, they often are piped or buried to accommodate urban growth. Urbanization also alters stream base flows. The combined impact of these factors on channel location is unknown. We assessed the effects of urbanization on the location and length of ephemeral, intermittent, and perennial streams. We randomly selected 150 of 6686 potential channel origins in Hamilton County (Cincinnati), Ohio, USA, for field assessments, and mapped 122 ephemeral, 74 intermittent, and 45 perennial flow origins in these channels. On average, 1:100,000- and 1:24,000-scale US Geological Survey maps underestimated channel length by 85% and 78%, respectively. Mean catchment areas for ephemeral and intermittent flow origins were smaller in forested (0.66 ha and 3.60 ha, respectively) than in urban areas (5.13 ha and 6.79 ha, respectively). These values indicate 93% and 46% county-wide losses of ephemeral and intermittent channel length, respectively, with urbanization. In contrast, the mean catchment area for perennial flow origins was larger in forested (48.12 ha) than in urban (31.22 ha) areas, resulting in a 22% gain in perennial channel length with urban development. Increased perennial channel length was partially explained by reduced forest cover, a result suggesting that reduced evapotranspiration can significantly increase stream base flows. Most variation (59–74%) in catchment area of ephemeral, intermittent, and perennial flow origins was explained by catchment relief, with higher relief corresponding to smaller catchments. Urbanization can decrease (e.g., via reduced infiltration) or increase (e.g., via lawn irrigation and septic tanks) the permanence of flows, thus confounding any overall effect of urban land cover on hydrologic permanence. Site-specific differences in physiography (e.g., bedrock, springs) and landscape management (e.g., stream impoundments) suggest that field surveys are necessary for accurate stream delineation. These results highlight the extensive effects of urbanization on the presence and hydrologic permanence of headwater streams, raise issues with current jurisdictional policy in the US, and emphasize the need to examine the cumulative effects of headwater stream loss on downstream ecosystems.