Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Palm pollination by bees, beetles and flies: Why pollinator taxonomy does not matter. The case of Hyospathe elegans (Arecaceae, Arecoidae, Areceae, Euterpeinae)

The concept of adaptation-based pollination syndromes in which systematically bounded groups of pollinators service a particular host species has been applied to the palms. Except for beetle pollinated species, many palms lack major anthecological adaptations that apparently promote visits of a particular taxonomic group of insects. To address the question whether these palms have evolved insect-specific pollination systems, the interaction of the monoecious, protandrous palm Hyospathe elegans Mart. and visiting insects was studied in Amazonian Peru during an entire flowering period. At least 27 taxa of the orders Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera were recorded regularly visiting both types of flowers. To test whether flower visitation is taxonomically skewed, two sets of visitor samples from staminate and pistillate flowers were compared. There is no evidence to support the working hypothesis that there is a single optimal pollinator or a systematically bounded group of principal pollinators, based on the frequency of visits or the relative dominance within the visitor spectrum. Visitation rates suggest a mixed-species guild of nectar-feeding insects to be the commonest and most dependable pollinator group, along with an analogous guild of generalist-feeding copollinators. Hyospathe elegans and closely related species of Euterpe and Prestoea show common traits in their interaction with pollinators, such as phenological pattern, flowering behavior and allocation of rewards, and they also share a corresponding feeding guild. Given a preponderance of low taxonomic pollinator specificity in palm reproductive systems, pollination by a mixed-species guild may be widespread and the classification of ‘mellitophilous’ and ‘myophilous’ palms should be reconsidered.
Natural weed seed burial: effect of soil texture, rain and seed characteristics

Abstract Trials were carried out to investigate natural weed seed burial in a no-till agricultural system. With this aim, 30 important weed species were selected to explore if, and to what extent, seed vertical movement is conditioned by soil texture, cumulative rainfall or by seed characteristics. Without soil tillage, the vertical position of the seeds was only a few millimetres below the surface, but it was dependent on soil texture. Seed burial was much slower (and to lesser depths) in clay soils than in sandy soils. Seeds reached greater depths after 1 year in sandy soil (10% >6 mm) than in clay soils (2% >6 mm). Burial dynamics were also influenced by rainfall and seed weight. The amount of rain necessary to halve weed seeds observable on the soil surface was a function of the soil texture and seed weight; linear regressions between total rainfall amounts and seed weight showed that the slope of the relationship increased as the sand component of the soil decreased (21.1, 35.4 and 39.4 in sandy, loam and silty-clay soil, respectively). A polynomial regression, carried out in sandy soil, between 1000-seed weight and their burial capacity showed an inverse relation (P>0.05) between these two parameters. Seed shape and coat microsculpture also influenced movement, but only minimally.
Misregulation of 2μm Circle Copy Number in a SUMO Pathway Mutant

ABSTRACT Attachment of the ubiquitin-like protein SUMO to other proteins is an essential process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, yeast mutants lacking the SUMO ligases Siz1 and Siz2/Nfi1 are viable, even though they show dramatically reduced levels of SUMO conjugation. This siz1Δ siz2Δ double mutant is cold sensitive and has an unusual phenotype in that it forms irregularly shaped colonies that contain sectors of wild-type-appearing cells as well as sectors of enlarged cells that are arrested in G2/M. We have found that these phenotypes result from misregulation of the copy number of the endogenous yeast plasmid, the 2μm circle. siz1Δ siz2Δ mutants have up to 40-fold-higher levels of 2μm than do wild-type strains. Furthermore, 2μm is responsible for the siz1Δ siz2Δ mutant's obvious growth defects, as siz1Δ siz2Δ [cir0] strains, which lack 2μm, are no longer heterogeneous and show growth characteristics similar to those of the wild type. Possible mechanisms for SUMO's effect on 2μm are suggested by the finding that both Flp1 recombinase and Rep2, two of the four proteins encoded by 2μm, are covalently modified by SUMO. Our data suggest that SUMO attachment negatively regulates Flp1 levels, which may partially account for the increased 2μm copy number in the siz1Δ siz2Δ strain.
Sound generation in Mantis religiosa (Mantodea: Mantidae): stridulatory structures and acoustic signal

Abstract Several species of mantids perform defensive displays during close-range encounters with predators. In adult Mantis religiosa, this display entails both visual and acoustic components, the latter being abdominoalary stridulation. Stridulatory modifications of the abdomen and hindwings and acoustic properties of the defensive sounds of M. religiosa are characterized here for the first time. Defensive sounds are generated via an abdominoalary mechanism involving contact between teeth found on the longitudinal veins of the metathoracic wings and pegs located on the abdominal pleura. Defensive stridulation in M. religiosa is highly variable in both spectral and time domains. Inter-individual variability may be stochastically greater than intra-individual variability for at least one acoustic parameter (peak frequency). The loudest portion of a sound emission (syllable), or down-pulse, has an average duration of 195 ms and features an abrupt rise to maximum amplitude. Inter-syllabic intervals are irregular and rate of syllable production depends on a mantid's sex. The acoustic output of M. religiosa is nonresonant, broadband, and of relatively low intensity. A minor ultrasonic component may be present in the spectra of these mantids (particularly in males). The modal peak frequency range (4 kHz interval) is 8-12 kHz (mean range ∼7.4-9.4 kHz). Acoustic parameters which appear to vary between the sexes and/or among females at different reproductive stages, may be related to the sexual size dimorphism of this species and morphological constraints associated with egg-bearing. The acoustic output of M. religiosa is considered with reference to its intended receivers and plausible mechanisms of predator deterrence.
The Differentiation of Neuronal Cells from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

With new technologies emerging today, the importance of stem cells in the cell therapy of nervous system diseases is supported by recent studies. Therefore, the development of neuronal cell differentiation protocols from stem cells is of great importance. In our study, the differentiation of neuronal and neuroglial cells from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell line and their analysis with neuronal cell markers are aimed. Mouse ES cells were differentiated to neurogenic series cells by adding N2 and bFGF to the culture medium on coated Fibronectin dishes. For the identification of differentiated cells, they were evaluated by light microscopy using immunhistochemistry techniques and by electron microscopy. Indirect immunohistochemical staining method was performed with SSEA-1 (mouse embriyonic stem cells marker), Nestin (neural precursor cells marker), βIII-Tubulin (neuronal cells marker), MAP-2 (neuronal cells marker), GFAP (astrocyte marker), and O4 (oligodendrocyte marker). After 1 week of differentiation of cells, immunoreactivities of SSEA-1 and Nestin were detected to be negative and moderate, respectively. After 2 weeks culture time, the differentiation was still continuing and especially positive immunoreactivities of β-III Tubulin and MAP-2 and weak immunoreactivities of O4 and GFAP were supported neuronal differentiation. In conclusion, our results suggest that neuronal cell derived from mouse ES cells were differentiated particularly to neuron using N2+bFGF+fibronectin culture condition. Therefore, these differentiated cells may be used as a treatment method in degenerative diseases of the nervous system.
Cotton Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) Abundance in Relation to Cotton Leaf Sugars

Abstract A 4-yr study (1997–2000) was conducted in the northern Texas Rolling Plains to determine whether the pyrethroid insecticide λ-cyhalothrin was associated with changes in nutritional quality (nonstructural carbohydrates, percentage leaf nitrogen and moisture, and total amino acids) of cotton leaves. Another objective was to determine the relationship between nonstructural carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose, and starch) in cotton leaves and change in cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, numbers during late summer and on formation of dark-colored morphs. Carbohydrate concentrations, percentage leaf moisture and nitrogen, and total amino acids were not significantly altered in cotton leaves by λ-cyhalothrin. Glucose, fructose, sucrose, sugar ratio [(glucose + fructose)/sucrose concentrations], leaf nitrogen, and moisture were significantly influenced by year and irrigation treatment. Regression analysis indicated that change in aphid numbers was influenced by numbers of aphids per leaf, temperature, leaf moisture and nitrogen, and sugar ratio. A negative linear relationship was observed between change in aphid numbers and sugar ratio; population growth was limited by high levels of glucose and fructose in cotton leaves, especially when temperatures were high and leaf moisture low. Percentage of dark-colored aphids was negatively correlated with temperature and daylength and positively correlated with leaf moisture and nitrogen and the sucrose/glucose ratio. Some of the nutritional and abiotic environmental variables that interact to regulate the occurrence of dark morphs are also interacting with other variables to influence the extent to which the reproductive potential will be expressed.
Phylogenetic Position of Taylorella equigenitalis Determined by Analysis of Amplified 16S Ribosomal DNA Sequences

The 16S ribosomal DNA sequence of Taylorella equigenitalis (formerly Haemophilus equigenitalis), the causative organism of contagious equine metritis, was determined. A phylogenetic analysis of this sequence revealed a phylogenetic position of T. equigenitalis in the β subclass of the class Proteobacteria apart from the position of Haemophilus influenzae, which belongs to the γ subclass of Proteobacteria. A close phylogenetic relationship among T. equigenitalis, Alcaligenes xylosoxidans, and Bordetella bronchiseptica was detected; Spirillum volutans and Chromobacterium fluviatile (Iodobacter fluviatile) were in the same group but slightly removed. This relationship is surprising in view of the considerable differences in the G+C contents of the genomes of these bacteria.
Stem and branch respiration of beech: from tree measurements to estimations at the stand level

Summary • Stem and branch respiration of 30-yr-old Fagus sylvatica trees was measured in a temperate forest for 1 yr to estimate the annual flux at the stand level. • The seasonal response of respiration to air temperature was determined using infra-red gas analysis (IRGA) systems. Annual respiration was derived from half-hourly temperature recording and allometric relations established for the same forest. • The basal respiration rate at 15°C (R15) increased greatly during the growing season. On a volume basis, monthly means of R15 were higher for branches than for stems. For stems, Q10 was relatively constant throughout the year, with an annual average of 1.7. Estimated annual respiration was approx. 325 g C m−2 ground surface area yr−1 with 50% of this amount attributed to growth respiration. • Stem and branch respiration played a major role in the annual carbon balance of the beech stand. It represented approx. one third of the ecosystem-level carbon loss from respiration. The magnitude of crown respiration makes it obvious that information on branch respiration characteristics is required for reliable estimations at the stand level.
Multiorgan Autonomic Dysfunction in Mice Lacking the β2 and the β4 Subunits of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Transcripts for the β2 and the β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits are found throughout the CNS and the peripheral nervous system. These two β subunits can form heteromultimeric channels with any of the α2, α3, α4, or α5 subunits in heterologous expression systems. Nonetheless, the subunit composition of native nAChRs and the role of different nAChR subtypesin vivo remain unclear. We prepared null mutations for the β2 and the β4 genes and bred β2−/−β4−/− mice by mating mice of identical β2−/−β4+/− or β2+/−β4−/− genotype. The β2−/− and the β4−/− single-mutant mice grow to adulthood with no visible phenotypic abnormalities. The β2−/−β4−/− double mutants survive to birth but have impaired growth and increased perinatal mortality. They also present enlarged bladders with dribbling urination and develop urinary infection and bladder stones. The ocular pupils are widely dilated and do not constrict in response to light. Histological studies revealed no significant abnormalities of brain or peripheral tissues except for hyperplasia in the bladder mucosa of β4−/− and β2−/−β4−/− mutants. Bladder strips from β2−/−β4−/− mice did not respond to nicotine but contracted when stimulated with a muscarinic agonist or electric field stimulation. Bladder strips from β4 mutants did not respond to nicotine despite the absence of major bladder dysfunction in vivo. Acetylcholine-activated whole-cell currents were absent in superior cervical ganglion neurons from β2−/−β4−/− mice and reduced in neurons from β4−/− mice. Although there is apparent redundancy and a superficially normal phenotype in β2−/− and β4−/− mice, physiological studies indicate major deficits in the β4−/− mice. Our previous description of a similar phenotype in α3−/− mice and the current data suggest that the α3 and the β4 subunits are major components in autonomic nAChRs. The phenotype of the β2−/−β4−/− and α3−/− mice resembles the autosomal recessive megacystis-microcolon-hypoperistalsis syndrome in humans.
Phylogeography of the smooth snake Coronella austriaca (Serpentes: Colubridae): evidence for a reduced gene pool and a genetic discontinuity in Central Europe

The present study considers the genetic structure and phylogeography of the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) in Central Europe, as analyzed on the basis of 14 microsatellite markers and a 284-bp fragment of cytochrome b. We found deep divergence between western and south-eastern Poland, suggesting at least two different colonization routes for Central Europe, originating in at least two different refugia. The west/south-east divide was reflected in the haplotype distribution and topology of phylogenetic trees as defined by mitochondrial DNA, and in population structuring seen in the admixture analysis of microsatellite data. The well supported western European clade suggests that another refugium might have existed. We also note the isolation-by-distance and moderate-to-pronounced structuring in the examined geographical demes. Our data fit the assumption of the recently suggested sex-biased dispersal, in that we found a strong divide in the maternal line, as well as evidence for a small but existent gene flow based on biparentally inherited microsatellite markers. All studied populations were very similar in respect of allelic richness, observed and expected heterozygosities, and inbreeding coefficients. However, some genetic characteristics were different from those expected compared to a similar fine-scale study of C. austriaca from Great Britain. In the present study, we observed heterozygosity deficit, high inbreeding, and low Garza–Williamson indices, suggesting a reduction in population size. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 115, 195–210.
Endogenous thresholds and assurance networks in collective action

This article treats a multi-player Stag Hunt where each player may have a different threshold (the number of other players that need to act along with the player for benefits of collective action to arise). Players are modeled as solving the strategic-uncertainty problem of whether or not to act, by assuring each other of their willingness to act. We show that in equilibrium there may, but need not, be homophily (players with the same thresholds seek assurance from each other) or a threshold-based social hierarchy (players with high thresholds, or “conservatives,” seek assurance from players with low thresholds, or “radicals,” but not vice versa). Put otherwise, a new strategic-uncertainty problem arises, namely, the problem of who should seek assurance from whom. We propose that players solve this problem by forming core-periphery assurance networks, with a number of players equal to the largest threshold in the core, and the remaining players in the periphery.
Feline Large Granular Lymphocyte (LGL) Lymphoma with Secondary Leukemia: Primary Intestinal Origin with Predominance of a CD3/CD8αα Phenotype

Clinicopathologic and immunophenotypic characteristics of large granular lymphocyte (LGL) neoplasia in 21 cats were examined. All cats were domestic short (19) or long hair (2) with a mean age of 9.3 years at diagnosis. Increased peripheral blood LGL counts were present in 18/21 cats. Neutrophilia (12/21 cats) and increased serum liver enzymes (7/12), total and direct bilirubin (7/13), BUN (5/14), and creatinine (2/14) were observed. Cats usually presented with advanced disease and none survived longer than 84 days (mean 18.8 days) postdiagnosis. Cytologically, LGLs had a mature (6/21), immature (13/21), or mixed (2/21) morphology. Necropsy lesions consisted of neoplastic lymphoid infiltrates in the jejunum, ileum, and duodenum in decreasing order of frequency. In the small intestine, mucosal ulceration (9/13) and epitheliotropism of neoplastic cells (9/13) were common. Neoplastic infiltrates were also present in the mesenteric lymph nodes (13/13), liver (12/13), spleen (8/13), kidneys (5/ 7), and bone marrow (5/7). A T cell phenotype (CD3∊+) characterized LGL neoplasia in 19/21 cases. A CD8αα+ cytotoxic/suppressor phenotype was present in 12/19 T cell tumors, 2 had a CD4+CD8αα phenotype, 3 had a CD4-CD8- phenotype, and 2 were CD4+ helper T cells. CD8β chain expression was not detected in any instance. In two cats, a B or T cell origin could not be established. CD103 was expressed by 11 of 19 (58%) of the lymphomas tested. The immunophenotypic features shared by neoplastic LGLs in the cat and feline intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) support a small intestinal IEL origin for feline LGL lymphoma.
Effects of oregano or red pepper essential oil supplementation to diets for broiler chicks with delayed feeding after hatching. 1. Performance and microbial population

SUMMARY This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of oregano or red pepper essential oil on the performance, digestive organs, serum biochemistry parameters, and microbial population of the small intestine of broilers with immediate, or 24- or 48-h posthatching delayed access to diet and water. The dietary treatments included (1) a nonsupplemented corn-soybean meal diet (CONT), (2) CONT + 250 mg/kg of oregano essential oil (OO250), and (3) CONT + 250 mg/kg of red pepper essential oil (RPO250). Irrespective of dietary treatment, especially delayed access to diet and water for 48 h posthatch significantly decreased daily BW gain from 0 to 21 d and daily feed intake from 4 to 21 d and increased the relative weight of the yolk sac at 3 d of broilers. The relative weight of the liver or gizzard of chickens at 21 d was significantly decreased by delayed access to diet and water for 24 h posthatch. The diet containing RPO250 significantly increased the relative weight of the pancreas at 21 d. Delayed access to diet and water for 24 or 48 h posthatch significantly reduced serum glucose levels at 21 d. The serum aspartate aminotransferase level in broilers given immediate access to feed and water was significantly decreased by the diet containing RPO250. Generally, the coliform bacteria and total yeast contents of the small intestine of chickens were significantly increased by extending the time to access to feed and water for broilers. Total aerobic bacteria contents of the small intestine of broilers with immediate, or 24- or 48-h posthatching delayed access to diet and water was significantly decreased by CONT, OO250, and RPO250 diets.
Effects of Glyphosate on Tuber Sprouting and Growth of Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus)1

A study was conducted to determine the dose–response of purple nutsedge tuber sprouting and plant growth to glyphosate. Tuber sprouting on day 6 satisfactorily fitted the probit model, with a predicted effective dosage causing 50% inhibition of response (ED50) of 30 mM, which is similar to that with 25 mM of ED50 on day 3. In addition, together with the dose–response analysis of bud growth on day 6, it was shown that bud growth of purple nutsedge was more sensitive to root- or tuber-absorbed glyphosate or both than was tuber sprouting; the former had 1.25 mM of ED50. During the V1–2 stage, purple nutsedge injury, including shoot dehydration, wilting, and yellowing, appeared sequentially when glyphosate was absorbed. When compared with the dose–response of shoot greenness of purple nutsedge at the V5–7 stage under the root-absorbed glyphosate treatment, purple nutsedge at the V1–2 stage was less sensitive to root-applied glyphosate. Further studies for determining the efficacy of glyphosate applied on root and foliage of purple nutsedge at the V5–7 stage showed that injury from glyphosate occurred within 7 d after foliar treatment, and the ED50 values of glyphosate for shoot survival and leaf chlorophyll were 13.1 and 14.5 mM, respectively. However, the response of plants was less sensitive to root-absorbed glyphosate, which had an ED50 of 101 mM. This finding might be the result of direct injury of roots caused by glyphosate, resulting in the delayed and diluted effect of this herbicide from root to shoot. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; purple nutsedge, Cyperus rotundus L. #3 CYPRO. Additional index words: Dose–response, growth, young plant. Abbreviations: DAT, days after treatment; ED50, effective dosage causing 50% inhibition of response; EPSPS, 5-enol-pyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EC 2.5.1.19).