Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of developmental exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) in rodents: clues for other environmental estrogens

The synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a potent perinatal endocrine disrupter. In humans and experimental animal models, exposure to DES during critical periods of differentiation permanently alters estrogen target tissues subsequently resulting in structural, functional, and long‐term abnormalities including neoplasia in reproductive tract tissues. Using the developmentally exposed rodent model, multiple mechanisms have been identified that play a role in DES‐induced toxic effects. Although DES is a potent estrogen, it can be used as a model compound to predict the effects of other environmental estrogens. It was, therefore, of particular interest that very low doses of DES were found to adversely affect fertility and increase tumor incidence. These effects were seen at environmentally relevant estrogen dose levels. Not surprising, new studies verify that DES effects are not unique; when other environmental chemicals with estrogenic activity were tested in the experimental rodent model, developmental exposure was shown to result in an increased incidence of neoplasia, including uterine adenocarcinoma, similar to that shown following DES exposure. Finally, a growing number of reports suggest that some adverse effects can be passed on to subsequent generations, although the mechanisms involved in these transgenerational events remain unknown. These data point out the possibility that environmental estrogens and other endocrine disrupting compounds are indeed valid suspects in the alarming rise in adverse reproductive health consequences in human and wildlife populations.
Enzyme variation in orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus (Teleostei: Trachichthyidae), from southern Australian and New Zealand waters

Orange roughy from six localities around the southern coasts of Australia showed no evidence of genetic subdivision when the products of 11 polymorphic enzyme loci were analysed electrophoretically. Samples ranged in size from 84 to 171 per locality. Gene frequencies were very similar in samples taken from New Zealand. The amount of total genetic diversity attributable to subdivision among samples is estimated at 0.55 to 0.22%, but bootstrapping procedures showed that much of this diversity could arise from sampling error. A minimum of around 200 migrants per locality per generation would be sufficient to maintain the observed genetic homogeneity, although actual numbers migrating are likely to be greater than this.
Melampyrum sylvaticum, a new alternate host for pine stem rust Cronartium flaccidum.

Cronartiumflaccidum was observed for the first time on Melampyrum sylvaticum. Uredinia and telia were found on M. sylvaticum growing in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands representing both moist and subdry forest site types. The finding suggests that the occurrence of Cronartium flaccidum is much wid- er in northern Fennoscandia than has been reported over the past century.
Consumo e digestões totais e parciais em novilhos F1 Limousin x Nelore alimentados com dietas contendo cinco níveis de concentrado

ABSTRACT - A trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of five dietary concentrate levels on the intake and total and partial apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), total carbohydrates (CHO), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and non structural carbohydrates (NSC). Five rumen, abomasum and ileum fistulated F1 Limousin x Nellore bulls were full fed diets containing 25.0, 37.5, 50.0, 62.5, and 75.0% of concentrate and allotted to a 5 x 5 Latin square design. The chromic oxide was used as an external marker to determine the total and partial digestibility. The addition of crescent concentrate amounts to the diet resulted in linear increases in the DM, OM, NCE, CP, EE, and TDN and reductions in NDF intake. The total apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE, CHO, and NSC linearly increased with the increment of the dietary concentrate levels. The CP apparent digestibility in the small intestine linearly increased as function of the concentrate addition in the diets. The concentrate levels in the diet did not influence the rumen and post-rumen NDF apparent digestibility. The dietary NDF levels reduction resulted on linear increases of NDT and DM total apparent digestibility.
Historical demography of southern African patellid limpets: congruence of population expansions, but not phylogeography

Global climatic oscillations have shaped the contemporary genetic structure of marine taxa in different ways. Previous demographic studies have indicated that various intertidal marine species display genetic signatures of demographic expansion that either pre- or postdate the Last Glacial Maximum. Such expansions and the ability of species to colonise new habitats will influence their genetic structure, but the link between scales of larval dispersal and the strength of phylogeographic structure is not always clear. We analysed a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene of 11 sympatric species of intertidal southern African patellid limpets to investigate how ancient oceanographic dynamics have shaped and maintained their contemporary spatial genetic variation. Our data show that the patellid limpets investigated display congruent evidence of spatial expansion during the Late Pleistocene or Early Holocene, which corresponds with the establishment of the contemporary southern African shoreline. We argue that closely related and co-distributed southern African intertidal invertebrates responded to ancient climatic oscillations as a cohesive group. In contrast, contemporary oceanographic circulation has shaped the phylogeographic patterns of these limpets in different ways. We show close relationships between phylogeography and biogeography for some species, but not for others, despite the similarities in their life histories and exposure to the same climatic changes.
Persistent Activation of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase 1 (JNK1) in γ Radiation-induced Apoptosis (*)

The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) are activated by various stimuli, including UV light, interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and CD28 costimulation. Induction of JNK by TNF-α, a strong apoptosis inducer, implies a possible role of JNK in the regulation of programmed cell death. Present studies show that lethal doses of γ radiation (GR) induced JNK activities at the early phase of apoptosis in Jurkat T-cells. We demonstrate that JNK1 was activated by either the T-cell activation signals, anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody plus phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), or the apoptosis-inducing treatment, GR; however, the induction patterns were different. In contrast to the rapid and transient JNK1 activation caused by CD28 signaling plus PMA, GR induced a delayed and persistent JNK1 activation. This implies a distinct regulatory mechanism and specific function of JNK1 in irradiated cells. The nuclear and cytosolic JNK1 activities were simultaneously increased in the irradiated cells without an evident change in the protein levels. The abilities of GR to induce JNK1 activation and DNA fragmentation were correlated. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were more sensitive to GR than Jurkat cells in JNK1 induction. The responsiveness of JNK1 to GR suggests the involvement of JNK1 in the initiation of the apoptosis process.
Net assimilation rate, specific leaf area and leaf mass ratio: which is most closely correlated with relative growth rate? A meta‐analysis

Summary 1Data were compiled consisting of 1240 observations (614 species) from 83 different experiments published in 37 different studies, in order to quantify the relative importance of net assimilation rate (NAR, g cm−2 day−1), specific leaf area (SLA, cm2 g−1) and leaf mass ratio (LMR, g g−1) in determining relative growth rate (RGR, g g−1 day−1), and how these change with respect to daily quantum input (DQI, moles m−2 day−1) and growth form (herbaceous or woody). 2Each of ln(NAR), ln(SLA) and ln(LMR) were separately regressed on ln(RGR) using mixed model regressions in order to partition the between-experiment and within-experiment variation in slopes and intercepts. DQI and plant type were then added to these models to see if they could explain some of the between-experiment variation in the relative importance of each growth component. 3LMR was never strongly related to RGR. In general, NAR was the best general predictor of variation in RGR. However, for determining RGR the importance of NAR decreased, and the importance of SLA increased, with decreasing daily quantum input in experiments containing herbaceous species. This did not occur in experiments involving woody species.
Behavioural and morphological adaptations for a low-quality resource in semi-arid environments: dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) associated with the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.)

In semi-arid Iberian ecosystems, the dung beetle community associated with rabbit dung heaps shows high complexity in spite of adverse factors, such as the low water and nutritional content of rabbit pellets and the arid climate of environments. A total of 24 species showing optional telecoprid, paracoprid and endocoprid (including kleptocoprid) patterns were studied. Acquisition of many morphological adaptations from aridity (flightlessness), exploitation of dry dung (mouthpart modifications) and behavioural specializations are described. These adaptations may explain the exploitation of dry dung and the high rate of endemism observed in the dung beetle community studied. All morphological and behavioural specializations described can be considered as derived characters for the exploitation of fibrous and dry dung, showing a secondary evolutionary line that suggests the return of these beetles to saprophagy.
Rapid Growth, High Feeding Rates, and Early Piscivory in Young-of-the-Year Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is an offshore-spawning estuarine-dependent fish that is abundant along the east coast of North America. Young-of-the-year bluefish undergo a habitat shift from offshore waters to inshore nursery areas at about 40–70 mm total length which coincides with an increased growth rate and a diet shift from planktivory to piscivory. Here, we measure growth of young-of-the-year bluefish on different diets and estimate consumption rates both in the field and in the laboratory. Growth on a fish diet is significantly higher than that on a zooplanktivorous diet. Bluefish have among the highest evacuation (5–7 h), consumption (20–30% body weight/d), and specific growth rates (1–2 mm/d) reported for temperate fishes and are similar to those for pelagic tropical species. These results suggest that bluefish may exhibit a tropical feeding physiology in temperate estuarine nurseries as a way to achieve rapid growth rates.
A preliminary study of resource overlap between howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) and other arboreal mammals in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Potential resource overlap between howling monkeys and other arboreal mammals was studied in the rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. Eight species of mammals belonging to the orders Primates, Carnivora, Rodentia, and Marsupialia were found to share the canopy and to overlap trophically with howling monkeys. These mammals made up 77% and Alouatta 23% of the arboreal mammalian biomass under consideration. The arboreal porcupine and spider monkey were the only mammals that also fed on leaves. However, in this feeding niche, Alouatta is the only important mammalian folivore in Los Tuxtlas, and resource depression derived from leaf‐eating insects is more important. The eight arboreal mammals may exert more pressure upon fruit resources, for they consumed 75% of the estimated total dry weight of fruit/ha/yr consumed by arboreal mammals.
The Mismeasure of Behavior: A Natural History Revision of Prey Preference in the Banded Tulip Snail

ABSTRACT The banded tulip snail, Fasciolaria (Cinctura) lilium hunteria (Perry), is a predatory gastropod that is capable of subduing a wide range of prey items using multiple attack behaviors. However, the literature contains conflicting accounts of this predator's prey preferences, which vary between the extremes of strong preferences for snails over bivalves to opportunistic behavior in which prey are incorporated into the diet based on their relative abundance in the environment. Here we reexamine the extent to which prey items in the diet of F. hunteria are distributed in preference hierarchies to update the natural history data on this molluscan predator. We tested F. hunteria's preference between oysters, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin), and snails, Urosalpinx cinerea (Say), two ecologically co-occurring prey items that require different attack behaviors to subdue. Based on cost-benefit analyses, U. cinerea is more energetically profitable than C. virginica, so we predicted that it should be favored by tulip snails. We offered both prey simultaneously to F. hunteria in a Y maze to test this hypothesis. Despite the vast differences between the prey items in terms of potential biomass reward, handling times, and risk to the predator, F. hunteria did not prefer either C. virginica or U. cinerea, live or crushed. Our results suggest F. hunteria has no strong preferences among prey items in its diet, and is an opportunistic predator. This study is an example of the necessity of revising natural history information at a time when accumulation of such data is declining. In light of our results, we discuss the importance of examining the sources of natural history information, and of considering the time period and theoretical framework in which natural history data were gathered and interpreted to prevent cascading error effects resulting from the use of flawed natural history observations.
Molecular phylogenetics of Erebidae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea)

As a step towards understanding the higher‐level phylogeny and evolutionary affinities of quadrifid noctuoid moths, we have undertaken the first large‐scale molecular phylogenetic analysis of the moth family Erebidae, including almost all subfamilies, as well as most tribes and subtribes. DNA sequence data for one mitochondrial gene (COI) and seven nuclear genes (EF‐1α, wingless, RpS5, IDH, MDH, GAPDH and CAD) were analysed for a total of 237 taxa, principally type genera of higher taxa. Data matrices (6407 bp in total) were analysed by parsimony with equal weighting and model‐based evolutionary methods (maximum likelihood), which revealed a well‐resolved skeleton phylogenetic hypothesis with 18 major lineages, which we treat here as subfamilies of Erebidae. We thus present a new phylogeny for Erebidae consisting of 18 moderate to strongly supported subfamilies: Scoliopteryginae, Rivulinae, Anobinae, Hypeninae, Lymantriinae, Pangraptinae, Herminiinae, Aganainae, Arctiinae, Calpinae, Hypocalinae, Eulepidotinae, Toxocampinae, Tinoliinae, Scolecocampinae, Hypenodinae, Boletobiinae and Erebinae. Where possible, each monophyletic lineage is diagnosed by autapomorphic morphological character states, and within each subfamily, monophyletic tribes and subtribes can be circumscribed, most of which can also be diagnosed by morphological apomorphies. All additional taxa sampled fell within one of the four previously recognized quadrifid families (mostly into Erebidae), which are now found to include two unusual monobasic taxa from New Guinea: Cocytiinae (now in Erebidae: Erebinae) and Eucocytiinae (now in Noctuidae: Pantheinae).
The Impact of Oil Dependence on the Finance-Growth Nexus: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

This paper aims to examine empirically the validity of the question of whether or not oil dependence has a negative impact on the relationship between financial development and economic growth in one of the Middle Eastern oil-rich countries, Saudi Arabia. Using time series data over the period 1975-2013 and ARDL approach for cointegration, the paper found evidence that financial development has a positive impact on economic growth, but the effect depends on the level of oil dependence. Increasing this level reduces positive effect of financial development which implies that oil rent has a weakening indirect impact on the finance-growth nexus. The paper urges that policy makers maintain the degree of oil dependence at a low level and enhance economic diversification activities. Accelerating the pace and efficiency of the financial sector will bear fruitful returns in this regard. Moreover, financial sector should be more involved in productive investment activities which can strengthen its role in economic growth.
Preventive Home Visits in Norway

This paper evalutes the introduction of preventive home visits (PHV) for older people in Norway. PHVs have been introduced in several countries in different varieties. Their purpose is to support autonomy and independence as well as preventing disability and nursing home admissions but their actual effects are debated in the literature. This study contributes to the literature by exploiting a natural experiment in Norwegian municipalities. Hence, our study is population-based and follows subjects over a long time period, which is important since both public health interventions may not show immediate effect and also, the effect may decline over time. Results indicate that the introduction of a PHV programme significantly changes resource use away from nursing homes, while increasing the utilisation of home-based care. Further, PHVs lead to a decline in hospital admissions of 5 admissions per 100 inhabitants aged 80 and above. Mortality is reduced by 0.4 deaths per 100 in this age group.
Copulation With Contralateral Insertion in Entelegyne Spiders (Araneae: Entelegynae: Tetragnathidae)

Contralateral insertion, the application of the right male pedipalp to the left female genital opening is for the first time described in entelegyne spiders, Leucauge mariana, Tetragnatha extensa, T. montana and Pachygnatha clercki (Tetragnathidae). It is argued that the absence of a strict "lock-and-key" fit between male and female genitalia allowed the switch from the usual ipsilateral to contralateral insertion.
Effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on plant growth and herbivore defensive chemistry

Concentration of atmospheric CO2 and temperature have both been rising for the last three decades. In this century, the temperature has been predicted to rise by 2–5 °C and the CO2 concentration to double. These changes may affect the primary and secondary metabolism of plants and thus have implications for other trophic levels. However, the biotic interactions in changing climate conditions are poorly known. In this study, two questions were addressed: (i) How will climate change affect growth and the amounts of secondary compounds in flexible plant species? and (ii) How will this affect herbivores living on this species. Four clones of the dark-leaved willow (Salix myrsinifolia (Salisb.)) seedlings were grown in closed-top chambers with two controlled factors: concentration of atmospheric CO2 and temperature (T). There were four combinations of these factors, each combination replicated four times (total of 16 chambers): (i) Control CO2 (350 ppm) and control T, (ii) Elevated CO2 (700 ppm) and control T, (iii) Control CO2 and elevated T (2 °C), and (iv) Elevated CO2 and elevated T. Stem growth and aerial biomass of the plants were determined; and the leaf phenolics, nitrogen and water concentrations were analysed. In addition the growth rate of larvae and feeding preference of adults of a specialist herbivore, the chrysomelid beetle Phratora vitellinae (L.), on the treated willow leaves were measured. Elevated temperature and CO2 concentration increased the stem biomass and elevated CO2 increased leaf biomass and total aerial biomass of the willows. Patterns of biomass allocation were different in different temperature treatments. At elevated temperature there was less branch and leaf material in relation to stems than at the control temperature. Moreover, patterns of biomass allocation differed among clones. CO2 enhancement increased the specific leaf weight (SLW) and reduced both water and nitrogen content of the leaves, however, leaf area was unaffected by the treatments. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and T enhancement reduced the concentrations of several phenolic compounds in the leaves. Phenolic compounds, nutrients, and water in the leaves might be diluted partly due to increased carbon allocation to different structures (e.g. thickening of cell wall and increase of trichomes, etc.). In some cases plant clones showed specific responses to treatments. The CO2 enhancement reduced the relative growth rate (RGR) of the beetle larvae, and in contrast, temperature elevation increased it. Adult beetles did not clearly discriminate between willow leaves grown in different T and CO2 environments, but tended to eat more leaf material from chambers with doubled CO2 concentration. At elevated CO2 adult beetles may need to eat more leaf material in order to reproduce, which may in turn prolong the life cycles, increasing the risk of being eaten and possibly affecting ability to overwinter successfully. Overall, climate change may significantly modify the dynamic interaction between willow and beetle populations.
Prevalence and factors associated with episiotomy practice among primiparous women in mulago national referral hospital Uganda

Episiotomy is one of the most widely practiced obstetric procedures and refers to a surgical incision on the perineum during the second stage of labor to enlarge the diameter of the vulval outlet to facilitate passage of the fetal head and prevent an uncontrolled tear of the perineal tissue.1–3 Episiotomy was introduced into obstetric practice without any scientific evidence corroborating any possible benefits and spread in the twentieth century. A full account of lacking scientific data about episiotomy and the potential danger such as hematoma formation, perineal pain, infections, sexual dysfunctions and healing complication associated with the procedure was brought to clarity in 1983.3 Recently some authors have questioned if there is any indication for episiotomy and whether if practiced selectively it can confer any benefit at all.4 Indications such as a prolonged second stage, macrosomia, non-reassuring fetal heart rate, instrumental delivery, occiput posterior position, and shoulder dystocia have been questioned.5 The incision substantially increases maternal blood loss, the average depth of posterior perineal injury, risk of anal sphincter damage, improper wound healing and increased amount of pain in the immediate postpartum period.6,7 Episiotomy at the first vaginal birth significantly and independently increases the risk of repeated episiotomy and spontaneous tears in subsequent delivery.8 Routine episiotomy is now considered to be a form of obstetric violence when a woman is automatically transformed into a patient and when routine medical procedures are carried out without giving the woman the right to make her own decisions concerning her own body.9 Cochrane reviews in developed countries have shown that restrictive episiotomy has several benefits like less severe posterior perineal trauma, less suturing, fewer healing complications and reduced risks of mother to child HIV transmission; however, it increases the risk of anterior perineal trauma. Although data about episiotomy and perineal tears are sparse in low-income countries, it remains one of the most commonly performed procedures in obstetrics.10 WHO has recommended a restricted episiotomy rate of not more than 10%11 and in Uganda, a study done in 2003 revealed that episiotomy rate among both primiparous and multiparous was 39.6%. 12 Primigravida is a