Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of chlortetracycline on Drosophila melanogaster and Aedes aegypti

Microbial symbionts of insects have been demonstrated to play an important role in the nutrition and protection of the host; these include aphids and tsetse. Studies often use antibiotics to eliminate the symbionts but the deleterious impact of using these antibiotics is not commonly addressed. The impact of chlortetracycline treatment on Aedes aegypti and Drosophila melanogaster was investigated by assessing life-span, fecundity, development time, survival, nutrition and metabolism. The impact on microbial numbers and diversity was also determined. With Drosophila, treatment with 50 µg ml-1 and above showed a significant extension in development time and life-span, reduction in fecundity and change in nutritional content. Microbial numbers were significantly reduced at 50 µg ml-1 and above. Culturable techniques and 454 pyrosequencing, demonstrated that the microbial diversity of Drosophila was predominantly Acetobacter. Bacterial elimination through egg dechorionation yielded some similar results to chlortetracycline treatment. However, fecundity and life-span was not significantly affected. Microarray analysis established a significant reduction in the abundance of transcripts associated with immunity, particularly antimicrobial peptides. With Aedes aegypti, treatment significantly reduced the survival and also affected the life-span and nutrition of the insect. Microbial numbers of mosquito larvae were reduced at 30 and 100 µg ml-1. Colonies grew on plates supplemented with 50 µg ml-1 of chlortetracycline, indicating that the larvae bore chlortetracycline-resistant bacteria. 454 pyrosequencing demonstrated a change in diversity of bacteria found in mosquitoes +/- chlortetracycline, switching from Elizabethkingia meningoseptica to Raoultella sp with chlortetracycline. It is concluded that chlortetracycline significantly impacts the performance of the 2 insects through bacterial depletion, changes to bacterial diversity and toxicity. Nevertheless, different responses were observed with Aedes aegypti and Drosophila melanogaster. Moreover, experiments with Drosophila using egg dechorionation, emphasised the toxic impact of using antibiotics to eliminate microbes in the insect host.
Product Quality and Strategic Asymmetry in International Trade

In a duopoly trade model with both horizontal and vertical product differentiation, we examine the endogenous choice of quantities and prices as strategic variables. We show that strategic asymmetry (such that a potential exporter commits to a quantity contract, while a local rival commits to a price contract) can be an equilibrium outcome when the relative product quality of the foreign variety is sufficiently high and trade costs are sufficiently low. A lower degree of horizontal product differentiation can make strategic asymmetry more likely. By endogenizing the quality choice, we also establish the conditions under which product quality choice gives rise to strategic asymmetry.
Effects of air supply on the growth of tiller buds in floating rice.

A few experiments were carried out to analyze the mechanism underlying the inhibition of tiller buds by submergence in deep water of the subtending leaf sheaths in floating rice. The growth of the tiller buds was inhibited by the deep water treatments. Air was supplied, under deep water, to the inner space between the leaf sheaths where the young 4th node or 5th node tiller bud grows (while inhibited by deep water) at the plant age of 5 or 6, respectively. The aeration treatment promoted the growth of the exposed tiller bud and of that immediately below it. A small window was made in the midrib of the basal part of the 5th leaf sheath in order to expose the subtended 5th node tiller bud to water and drown it under shallow water (deep enough to drown the tiller bud) conditions at the plant age of 6. The drowning treatment inhibited the growth of the exposed tiller bud to a similar extent to that of the deep water treatment, in spite of the shallow water conditions. Aeration applied to the tiller bud inhibited by the drowning treatment promoted the growth. On the basis of the results obtained it is suggested that gas exchange between the inner space and atmosphere may be inhibited by the submergence of the tips of leaf sheaths, and that the lack of oxygen required for respiration or accumulation of ethylene may be the cause of the inhibition of growth of the tiller buds. In future further studies will be carried out to analyze the role of ethylene in this function.
A CASE OF PARANEOPLASTIC ELASTOSIS PERFORANS SERPIGINOSA ASSOCIATED WITH T-CELL NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA

Perforating dermatoses are a group of diseases characterized by transepidermal elimination of dermal material. This group is divided into four subgroups: Kyrle disease, reactive perforating collagenosis, elastosis perforans serpiginosa and perforating folliculitis. They can be primary or secondary. Secondary perforating dermatoses may develop due to chronic renal failure, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune diseases and malignancies. With elastosis perforans serpiginosa, the rarest of this group, transepidermal elimination of dermal elastin tissue is present. It may be idiopathic but may also develop Down syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan's syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, acrogeria, Rothound-Thomson syndrome, cutislaxa and due to using D-penicillamine medication. Here in is presented, as the second case in the literature, a 60-year-old patient with paraneoplastic EPS associated with T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Robotic Process Automation: Hype or Hope?

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a fast-emerging process automation technology suited for high-volume, repetitive, and rule-based tasks. The promises of rising RPA vendors and the lack of documented track records leave researchers and practitioners with the challenge of positioning the term and assessing RPA’s true potential. To objectively discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this technology, we conduct a literature review, a practical implementation of an RPA solution, and an interview with an industry expert. We reveal that the current literature primarily focuses on economic factors. This paper, therefore, adds various social and technical aspects to the discussion. Most importantly, robustness and stability pose technical challenges for successfully implementing RPA. Further research directed at error handling and maintenance of software robots is required to support the successful implementation of RPA.
Fully Interactive and Refined Resolution Simulations of the Martian Dust Cycle by the MarsWRF Model

The MarsWRF model is set up with fully interactive dust at 5° × 5° and 2° × 2 resolution. The latter allows for a better representation of topography and other surface properties. An infinite reservoir of surface dust is assumed for both resolutions. For 5° × 5°, surface dust lifting by wind stress takes place over broad areas, occurring in about 20% of the model's grid cells. For 2° × 2°, it is more spatially restricted, occurring in less than 5% of the grid cells, and somewhat reminiscent of the corridors Acidalia‐Chryse, Utopia‐Isidis, and Arcadia‐West of Tharsis. The onset times of major dust storms—large regional storms or global dust storm events (GDEs)—do not exhibit much interannual variability, typically occurring at around Ls 260°. However, their magnitude does show significant interannual variability—with only small regional storms in some years, large regional storms in others, and some years with GDEs—owing to the interaction between major dust lifting regions at low latitudes. The latter is consistent with observed GDEs having several active dust lifting centers. The agreement between the model's surface dust distribution and observation‐based dust cover index maps is potentially better for 2° × 2°. For the latter, there is also significant surface dust lifting by wind stress in the aphelion season that is largely confined to the Hellas basin. It has a recurring time pattern of 2–7 sols, possibly resulting from the interaction between midlatitude baroclinic systems and local downslope flows.
Low temperature induced spikelet sterility in rice. I. Nitrogen fertilisation and sensitive reproductive period

Low temperature during panicle development in rice increases spikelet sterility. This effect is exacerbated by high rates of nitrogen (N) application in the field. Spikelet sterility induced by low temperature and N fertilisation was examined in glasshouse experiments to clarify the mechanisms involved. In two glasshouse experiments, 12-h periods of low (18/13degreesC) and high (28/23degreesC) day/night temperatures were imposed over periods of 5-7 days during panicle development, to determine the effects of low temperature and N fertilisation on spikelet sterility. In one experiment, 50% sunlight was imposed together with low temperature to investigate the additive effects of reduced solar radiation and low temperature. The effect of increased tillering due to N fertilisation was examined by a tiller removal treatment in the same experiment. Pollen grain number and spikelet sterility were recorded at heading and harvest, respectively. Although there was no significant effect of low temperature on spikelet sterility in the absence of applied N, low temperature greatly increased spikelet sterility as a result of a reduction in the number of engorged pollen grains per anther in the presence of applied N. Spikelet sterility was strongly correlated with the number of engorged pollen grains per anther. Low temperature during very early ( late stage of spikelet differentiation-pollen mother cell stage) and peak ( second meiotic division stage-early stage of extine formation) microspore development caused a severe reduction in engorged pollen production mainly as a result of reduced total pollen production. Unlike low temperature, the effect of shading was rather small. The increased tillering due to application of high rates of N, increased both spikelet number per plant and spikelet sterility under low temperature conditions. The removal of tillers as they appeared reduced the number of total spikelets per plant and maintained a large number of engorged pollen grains per anther which, in turn, reduced spikelet sterility. The number of engorged pollen grains per anther determined the numbers of intercepted and germinated pollen grains on the stigma. It is concluded that N increased tillering and spikelet number per plant and this, in turn, reduced the number of engorged pollen grains per anther, leading into increased spikelet sterility under low temperature condition.
Intensification of the hydrological cycle expected in West Africa over the 21st century

Abstract. This study uses the high-resolution outputs of the recent CORDEX-Africa climate projections to investigate the future changes in different aspects of the hydrological cycle over West Africa. Over the twenty-first century, temperatures in West Africa are expected to increase at a faster rate (+0.5 ∘C per decade) than the global average (+0.3 ∘C per decade), and mean precipitation is expected to increase over the Guinea Coast (+0.03 mm d−1 per decade) but decrease over the Sahel (−0.005 mm d−1 per decade). In addition, precipitation is expected to become more intense (+0.2 mm d−1 per decade) and less frequent (−1.5 d per decade) over all of West Africa as a result of increasing regional temperature (precipitation intensity increases on average by +0.35 mm d−1 ∘C−1 and precipitation frequency decreases on average by −2.2 d ∘C−1). Over the Sahel, the average length of dry spells is also expected to increase with temperature (+4 % d ∘C−1), which increases the likelihood for droughts with warming in this subregion. Hence, the hydrological cycle is expected to increase throughout the twenty-first century over all of West Africa, on average by +11 % ∘C−1 over the Sahel as a result of increasing precipitation intensity and lengthening of dry spells, and on average by +3 % ∘C−1 over the Guinea Coast as a result of increasing precipitation intensity only.
Strategic ejaculate adjustments and mismatches: are males paying sperm senescence costs?

In many species, males show anticipatory plasticity for sperm production, which they adjust to match perceived mating opportunities. While the strategic adjustment of sperm production is likely to be beneficial, it may be also associated with costs, including those arising from the expression of a phenotype that is poorly matched to the conditions that males will subsequently experience. Mismatch costs are exacerbated by trade-offs between investment in the ejaculate and investment in other traits and by trade-offs among individual ejaculate traits. Trade-offs, in fact, may determine a decrease in male competitiveness, due to impaired ability to obtain copulations or to reduced ejaculate quality. We explored mismatch costs using male guppies, which are known to increase sperm production, but reduce their investment in sexual behaviour, when maintained in the presence of females. Increasing ejaculate size in the absence of females could impose costs that would be paid when an opportunity to mate eventually arises. One of such costs may involve male post-copulatory competitiveness and may be associated with increased sperm senescence. To explore mismatch costs, firstly we induced two groups of males to differentiate their sperm production by exposing them or not to female stimuli. Then, we isolated them to prevent matings and have their sperm ageing. Finally, we compared ejaculate quality between the groups. Contrary to expectations, we found that female-stimulated males did not suffer from increased sperm senescence. These costs are probably minimized by the high level of plasticity associated with this trait, resulting in sperm production being quickly re-adjusted to a new environment. Other types of mismatch costs may be more relevant, for example, those related to trade-offs with sexual behaviour.
The Corticotropin-Releasing Factor system in lactating rats: implications in the regulation of maternal behavior with special focus on the BNST

The survival of the offspring strongly depends on the adequate expression of maternal behavior. Any dysregulations during the peripartum period can easily result in behavioral or physiological maladaptations that are detrimental to the offspring as well as to the mother herself. One factor, potentially contributing to dysregulations peripartum, is the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system, which triggers nearly every behavioral and physiological response to stress. Given that the behavioral role of the CRF system during lactation is still under-investigated I aimed to characterize its implications in the regulation of maternal behavior in lactating rats. Therefore, I used a variety of methods including in situ hybridization, ELISA, repeated intravenous blood sampling, and central or local acute pharmacological manipulation of CRF receptors (CRF-R) or the CRF binding protein (CRF-BP) followed by various behavioral tests. For local manipulation, I focused on the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) given its role in maternal behavior and its abundant expression of most members of the CRF family. In the present thesis, I showed that the CRF system needs to be down-regulated postpartum given that central and local activation of CRF-R in the BNST impaired maternal care and maternal aggression, increased anxiety-related behavior but had no effect on maternal motivation. Importantly, the effects of CRF-R activation differed specifically in the various subdivisions of the BNST depending on the CRF-R subtype. In the mpBNST, predominantly CRF-R2 activation reduced maternal care and maternal aggression while both CRF-R1 and CRF-R2 mediated anxiety-related behavior. In the adBNST, CRF-R manipulation solely affected maternal care; CRF-R1 activation reduced maternal care while CRF-R2 stimulation reduced nursing but increased arched back nursing in a time-dependent manner. These behavioral changes following specific CRF-R manipulation in the adBNST might be indirectly mediated via activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. Interestingly, I could demonstrate that the CRF-BP, which appears to sequester extracellular CRF / urocortin 1 and inhibit their binding to the CRF-R, has emerged as potent regulator of the required down-regulation of CRF-R activity as well as of maternal aggression, especially in the mpBNST. In conclusion, both central and local activation of CRF-R in the BNST are detrimental to the appearance of maternal behavior in lactating rats. Therefore, CRF-R activation needs to be down-regulated postpartum, which is partly achieved and supported by altered expression patterns of CRF-R and its ligands as well as by the CRF-BP. This well balanced interplay of the CRF family members is essential to enable the mother showing adequate maternal behavior and, thus, to increase her fitness.
Dielectrophoretic properties of submicron diamond particles in sodium chloride aqueous solution

Dielectrophoretic (DEP) manipulation of a diamond particle has potential application in the detection of DNA or other bio-molecules. We investigate the fundamental DEP and surface properties of submicron diamond particles. Diamond particles were dispersed in a NaCl solution and dropped on a castle-walled electrode. An AC electric field was applied to determine the DEP crossover frequency as a function of the solution conductivity. The surface conductance of the diamond particles was then evaluated from the parametrical fitting of the crossover frequencies. The diamond surface layer was shown to exhibit a rather high conductance, although bulk diamond is insulative.
Physiological variation in insects : metabolic scaling and gas exchange patterns

Metabolic rate estimates as well as a measure of their repeatability and response to laboratory acclimation are provided for the amblypygid Damon annulatipes (Wood). This species (mean S:E: mass : 640 66 mg) shows continuous gas exchange, as might be expected from its possession of book lungs, and at 21 v C has a metabolic rate of 30:22 2:87 ll CO2 h 1 ( 229:6 21:8 lW, R:Q: 1⁄4 0:72). The intraclass correlation coefficient ðr 1⁄4 0:74 0:89Þ indicated substantial repeatability in metabolic rate which did not change with laboratory acclimation over a period of 2 weeks. By contrast, absolute metabolic rate declined by c. 16–33%, although this was not a consequence of changes in mass (which were non-significant over the same period). Rather, it appears that a reduction in overall stress or activity in the laboratory might have been responsible for the decline in mass-independent metabolic rate. At the intraspecific level, metabolic rate scaled as lW 1⁄4 342M, where mass is in grams. Metabolic rates of this species are in keeping with its sedentary behaviour such that for a given body size they are lower than those of most arthropods (spiders and insects), higher than the very sedentary ticks, and equivalent to scorpions. These findings have implications for the understanding of the evolution of metabolic rates in arthropods. # 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neighbourhood gentrification, displacement, and poverty dynamics in post‐recession England

A recent “return to the city” by middle-class professionals in England, with the increasing “suburbanisation” of poverty and an ongoing housing crisis, has increased the salience of concerns about neighbourhood gentrification via the involuntary displacement of established working class residents. This paper reports a systematic analysis of gentrification and income poverty in England that adopts innovative methodological approaches: a multivariate index of gentrification, propensity score matching to establish a comparison group, and sensitivity testing with respect to different “gentrification” definitions. The paper investigates three possible theoretical processes that could have driven the observed decline in income poverty rates in gentrifying areas: inward mobility to areas, outward mobility from areas, and in situ changes in poverty status. The post-recession period 2010–2014 is studied using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. There is good evidence from aggregate and individual-level analyses for a relationship between “inward” mobility, poverty status, and area gentrification. In addition, people moving to gentrifying areas were more likely to have a university degree and more likely to be in the professional occupational class than people who moved to nongentrifying comparison areas. On the other hand, no such relationships are found for “outward” mobility. The strongest evidence is found for “exclusionary displacement” (the restricted ability of low-income households to move in to an area) rather than “direct displacement” (increased outward mobility of existing residents) as the dominant driver of gentrification in this period.
Mass density effect on vibration of zigzag and chiral SWCNTs: A theoretical study

Carbon nanotubes fascinate new materials with astonishing mechanical, optical, and electrical properties. In fact, carbon nanotubes are kinds of rolled graphene sheets, and the rolling manner shows the basic properties of the tube, and that is actually the main reason for the extraordinary feature of the carbon nanotubes. This paper aims to presents formulation of Love’s shell theory for single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using Galerkin’s method. For this system, the governing equation is developed with proposed method. It is assumed that C–C and C–F support conditions are applied on the edge of carbon nanotube. Zigzag and chiral structures are considered for the vibrational analysis to investigate the effect of different mode and in-plane rigidity with end conditions. Moreover, the influence of mass density per unit lateral area on the same structure is also developed. It is also concluded that the fundamental frequencies of chiral tubes are lower than that of zigzag tubes frequencies. By increasing values of in-plane rigidity, resulting frequencies also increase and frequencies decrease on increasing mass density per unit lateral area. Though the trends of frequency values of both mass density per unit lateral area and in-plane rigidity are converse to each other. It is shown that variation in mass density has a significant effect on the vibration of SWCNTs. To generate the fundamental natural frequencies and for better accuracy and effectiveness, the computer software MATLAB is used. Tube dynamical equations for the present problem are taken in the integral form energy expressions for a carbon nanotube. The axial modal deformations are approximated by making use of the beam functions. The proposed model is continuum-model for getting the dynamic character of SWCNTs and to validate the results by earlier methods.