Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Waltzing with Asymmetry

R emarkably few things escaped Aristotle's attention, or Darwin's for that matter. Aristotle noted regular patterns of bilateral asvmmetries in animals: "In the Caribi -and in the Carcini [rrue crabs] the fight claw is invariably larger and serooger . In the Astaci Icrayfish aud lobstersj alane ie is a matter of chance wh ich daw is the larger, and chis in euher sex" (Herrick 1909, p. 149). Darwin too had a hunch abaut asymmetries while wresding wich rnechanisms of inheritanee. He believed that deviations from the "Iaw of symmetry" (i.e., anomalous asymmetries in llOrmally symmetrical organisms) would not be inherited, but the meager evidence ae his disposal, deaHng mainly with gross defonnities, seemed to suggest otherwise (Palmer and Strobeck 1986). And so the history of the literature on morphological asymmetry progressed, fitfully and capriciously, from anecdotal observations and entertaining staries to extensive compilations of canspicuous asymmecrie5 (Ludwig 1932, Neville 1976). Morphological asymmetries were but one of nature's many curlosities.
Flood-Pulse Effects on Zooplankton Assemblages in a River- Floodplain System (Gemenc Floodplain of the Danube, Hungary)

We studied the structure and population dynamics of zooplankton assemblages in the water bodies (eu-, para-, plesiopotamal and conjunctive water bodies) of a temperate floodplain during flood events. Here we report differences in the species composition of these water bodies in the two stages of flood pulses: rising vs. receding. During the receding period the proportion of larger and tychoplanktonic species increased. Similarity among zooplankton assemblages of these floodplain water bodies increased during the rising and decreased during the receding period. Species richness, diversity and population density values of zooplankton assemblages increased during the receding period in all types of water bodies except the eupotamal. The guild ratio of rotifer assemblages showed characteristic, but somewhat ambiguous changes. We conclude that the hydrological regime affects the structure and dynamics of zooplankton assemblages on the floodplain. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
New data on the taxonomy and distribution of Rodentia (Mammalia) from the western and coastal regions of Guinea West Africa

We compiled the first taxonomic inventory of rodents inhabiting the region from northwestern Guinea to coastal Guinea and this enabled an improved understanding of the rodent fauna of this unexplored region at the western margin of the guineo‐congolese forest block. Through standard cytogenetic and morphological analyses we described the presence of two sibling species of the genus Mastomys in West Africa. We report here the first records for Guinea of Arvicanthis ansorgei and M. mattheyi. Our data indicated an extension of the known distribution of Lemniscomys striatus to include the western region of the range of Lophuromys cf. sikapusi. A comparison between southern Senegal, southern Mali, Ivory Coast and eastern Guinea assemblages shows some differences in the rodents between eastern and western Guinea as well as with the surrounding countries. It appears that coastal Guinea could correspond to a transition zone between forest and savanna but this region appears to be ecologically highly degraded in terms of its small mammal communities. Rattus rattus is found in all sampled localities but Mus musculus is restricted to one locality where it was the dominant species of the assemblage. Our study highlights the importance of surveys of rodent biodiversity in unexplored zones.
An Exploratory Investigation of Foreign Portfolio Investment in Money Market Instruments and the Nigerian Stock Market Performance

2012). This type of investment has become a very significant part of the world economy over some decades now, and it serves as an important source of fund to support investment not only in developed world but developing countries as well (Elekwa, Aniebo & Ogu, 2016). The importance of foreign portfolio investment to foreign investors is that the investors can demand better rules and regulations from the local stock markets. These rules primarily concern the information quality and quantity while better disclosure and higher accounting standard are part of regulations (Evans, 2002). Hence, financial markets become more transparent with the participation of foreigners, leading to better allocation of resources and healthier financial markets. While the stock market is seen as an important medium that provides companies with an invaluable avenue to raise funds for their businesses, the money (stock) market allows companies to broadly solicit and advertise their Abstract: This paper investigated whether foreign portfolio investment in money market instruments have an influence on the performance of the Nigerian stock market. The study employed ex-postfacto research method using monthly time series data for 11 years between 2007 and 2017. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was used to specify the influence of foreign portfolio investment in money market instruments on stock market performance. The results of the analysis revealed a significant and positive relationship between foreign portfolio investment in money market instruments and the performance of the Nigerian stock market (t-stat= 2.6110; P= 0.0258<0.05; R 2 = 0.77). The study concluded that foreign portfolio investment in money market instruments had significantly predicted stock market performance in Nigeria. Hence, the study recommended that policies formulated towards a more developed stock market should consider importance the influence of foreign portfolio investments in the market.
The Sensitivity Effect of Uncertainty on Corporate Investment through Internal and External Financing: Evidence on Cautionary Channel from Japanese Manufacturing Firms

Using firm-level data on the Japanese manufacturing industry, this paper studies the causal impact of uncertainty on the dynamic relation between corporate investment and financing conditions. It demonstrates that the cautionary effect that makes actual corporate investment decisions indifferent to the firm's financing conditions increases in higher uncertainty irrespective of the type of corporate investment---capital investment and R\&D---and is more pronounced in firms with less cash holdings. This result remains even in the weak and invalid instrument robust inference.
The taxonomic validation of the cyanobacterial genus Halothece

M.C. Margheri, S. Ventura, J. Kaštovský and J. Komárek. 2008. The taxonomic validation of the cyanobacterial genus Halothece. Phycologia 47: 477–486. DOI: 10.2216/07-87.1. In 1998, Garcia-Pichel and coworkers studied 13 strains of extremely halotolerant, unicellular cyanobacteria. One strain, which was isolated from a coastal salty habitat in Baja California, Mexico, was found to represent a genetically distinct subcluster, different from another related coherent group of 12 morphologically similar types. This subcluster was designated as ‘true Halothece’, in comparison with ‘Euhalothece’ strains. The genetic characters clearly indicated their separation of Halothece at the generic level (less than 91% of genetic similarity), but the formal description, corresponding with bacteriological or botanical nomenclatoric rules, was never published. The present article comprises the valid description of the genus Halothece based on the type strain MPI 96P605, supported by new original studies of the morphological, ecophysiological and ultrastructural variability of the type strain.
Environmental factors controlling the distribution of forbs on coastal foredunes in Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Shifting sand, which either buries the seeds or seedlings of dune forbs or carries them away, is responsible for the absence of forbs on the front of the foredune and in other zones accumulating sand regularly. Experimental work with the seedlings of six dune forbs showed that they can withstand burial by no more than 5 cm of sand and that their seeds can survive burial under only 1 to 16 cm, depending on the species. At least 20 to 30 cm of sand normally accumulates each winter in a zone subject to regular sand deposition. Salt spray plays a secondary role in preventing the establishment of forbs on the front of the foredune. It is responsible for the elimination of species which may occasionally escape burial during the winter months and which happen to be susceptible to salt spray injury. Measurements of soil moisture, soil nutrients, and soil temperatures indicate that these factors differ only slightly on the front, top, and back of the foredune. These three factors, then, appear to have little influ.
The origin of recently established red fox populations in the United States: translocations or natural range expansions?

Abstract Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are native to boreal and western montane portions of North America but their origins are unknown in many lowland areas of the United States. Red foxes were historically absent from much of the East Coast at the time of European settlement and did not become common until the mid-1800s. Some early naturalists described an apparent southward expansion of native foxes that coincided with anthropogenic habitat changes in the region. Alternatively, red foxes introduced from Europe during Colonial times may have become established in the east and subsequently expanded their range westward. The red fox also was absent historically from most lowland areas of the western United States. Extant populations of red foxes in those areas are considered to have arisen from intentional introductions from the east (and by extension are putatively European), escapes or releases from fur farms, or range expansions by native populations. To test these hypotheses we compared mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome b and D-loop) from 110 individuals from 6 recently established populations to 327 native (primarily historical) individuals from Eurasia, Alaska, Canada, the northeastern United States, and montane areas in the western contiguous United States, and to 38 individuals from fur farms. We found no Eurasian haplotypes in North America, but found native haplotypes in recently established populations in the southeastern United States and in parts of the western United States. Red foxes from the southeastern United States were closely related to native populations in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, suggesting that they originated from natural range expansions, not from translocation of European lineages, as was widely believed prior to this study. Similarly, recently established populations in the Great Basin and in western Oregon originated primarily from native populations in western montane regions, but also contained a few nonnative North American haplotypes. In contrast, populations in western Washington and southern California contained nonnative, highly admixed stock that clearly resulted from intracontinental translocations. Several common haplotypes in these populations originated in regions where fur-farm stocks originated. Although European red foxes translocated to the eastern United States during Colonial times may have contributed genetically to extant populations in that region, our findings suggest that most of the matrilineal ancestry of eastern red foxes originated in North America.
Higher phytosociological syntaxa on Svalbard and their use in subdivision of the Arctic

Idealized distributions of phytosociological syntaxa are arranged along topographical gradients on siliceous and carbonaceous substrates in the northern arctic tundra zone of Svalbard. Two alliances (Luzulion arcuatae all. prov. and Papaverion dahliani Hoffm. 68 all. prov. em.) and three associations (Gymnomitrio corallioidis - Luzule-tum arcuatae ass. prov., Cetrario nivalis - Luzuletum arcuatae ass. prov. and Raco-mitrio lanuginosi — Luzuletum arcuatae ass. prov.) are proposed. Luzulion arcticae (Nordh. 36) Gjaerev. 56 and Polytrichion norvegici Gjierev. 49 described from Scandinavia are supposed to be important syntaxa on Svalbard. A subdivision of the Arctic into four zones, arctic polar desert zone, and northern, middle, and southern arctic tundra zones, is proposed. These zones and the transitional hemiarctic zone are defined and mapped in Europe and adjacent areas according to phytosociological criteria. They are also compared with alpine belts of Fennoscandia. The following zonal syntaxa are proposed for Europe and Greenland: Phyllodoco — Vaccinion in the hemiarctic zone, Loiseleurio — Diapension in the southern arctic tundra zone, Kobre-sio — Dryadion (Tetragono — Dryadetum) in the middle arctic tundra zone, Luzulion arcticae in the northern arctic tundra zone, and Papaverion dahliani in the arctic polar desert zone.
ANALISIS PERANAN BADAN USAHA MILIK DESA (BUM DESA) DALAM PENINGKATAN PENDAPATAN ASLI DESA DI KABUPATEN GOWA

Salah satu sumber PADes yang dapat diusahakan oleh pemerintah Desa adalah dengan mendirikan Badan Usaha Milik Desa (BUM Desa), yaitu suatu lembaga/badan perekonomian Desa yang dibentuk dan dimiliki oleh pemerintah Desa dan masyarakat, dikelola secara ekonomis mandiri dan profesional. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah: (1) Untuk menganalisis faktor-faktor yang menjadi potensi peranan BUM Desa di Kabupaten Gowa. (2) Untuk menganalisis langkah-langkah yang dilakukan Pemerintah Daerah Kabupaten Gowa dalam mewujudkan berdirinya BUM Desa. Tipe penelitian yang akan digunakan adalah tipe penelitian deskriptif yaitu suatu tipe penelitian yang bertujuan untuk memberikan gambaran secara sistematis, faktual dan akurat mengenai data yang ada dilapangan tentang peranan Badan Usaha Milik Desa (BUM Desa) di Kabupaten Gowa. Hasil penelitian yaitu sebagai berikut: (a) untuk Pembentukan, Pemerintah Kabupaten Gowa telah melakukan upaya pembentukan Badan Usaha Milik Desa (BUMDes) di seluruh Desa lingkup kabupaten Gowa. (b) dalam mendukung jalannya roda organisasi, Pemerintah Kabupaten Gowa telah membentuk Peraturan daerah sebagai pedoman pelaksanaan Badan Usaha Milik Desa yaitu Peraturan Kab. Gowa No. 7 Tahun 2015 tentang Tata Cara Pembentukan dan Pengelolaan Badan Usaha Milik Desa. Namun, permasalahan Sumberdaya manusia dalam pengelolaan badan usaha milik desa masih bersifat lamban dan cenderung menurun
Spatial and temporal variations in fish populations in the upper Thames estuary

Between February 1989 and August 1990, the upper Thames estuary contained 23 species of fish. Fish numbers were higher and relatively constant in the uppermost part of the estuary. Number of species was augmented in summer from fresh water and from downstream, coinciding with high temperature, low flow and high salinity. The eight most abundant species contributed to 98·5% of the total number. Flounder Pleuronectes flesus, dace Leuciscus leuciscus and perch Perca fluviatilis, recruited from May to August, and common goby Pomatoschistus microps, roach Rutilus rutilus and chub Leuciscus cephalus, from August to November. The upper estuary (salinity 0·34–2·96 p.s.u.) formed a species transition area between the freshwater but salinity-resistant roach, chub, and gudgeon Gobio gobio upstream, and the estuarine eurhyhaline common goby and flounder downstream. The three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus and cyprinids were more abundant at upstream while perch was more abundant at downstream sites. High abundances of gudgeon, chub and roach were associated with high transparency and dissolved oxygen and low salinity, while high abundances of perch were associated with high salinity and low transparency. Dace and three-spined stickleback were associated with high dissolved oxygen and low pH, and common goby with high pH. Flounder showed no clear preferences.
Identification of Podocyte Cargo Proteins by Proteomic Analysis of Clathrin-Coated Vesicles.

Background Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) plays a fundamental role in podocyte health. Genetic ablation of genes implicated in CME has been shown to cause severe proteinuria and foot process effacement in mice. However, little is known about the cargo of clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) in podocytes. The goal of this study was to isolate CCVs from podocytes and identify their cargo by proteomic analysis. Methods Glomeruli isolated from Podocin-Cre Rosa-DTR flox mouse kidneys were seeded and treated with diphtheria toxin to obtain pure primary podocyte cultures. CCVs were isolated by differential gradient ultracentrifugation, and enrichment of CCVs was assessed by immunoblotting and electron microscopy (EM). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was performed for proteomic analysis. Proteins with higher abundance than transferrin receptor protein 1 were evaluated for CCV cargo potential against previously published literature. Immunofluorescence staining of identified cargo proteins and CCVs was performed in podocytes for further verification. Results Immunoblotting for multiple protein markers of CME revealed enrichment in the CCV fraction. Enrichment of CCVs among other small vesicles was observed via EM. Proteomics yielded a total of >1200 significant proteins. Multiple-step data analysis revealed 36 CCV-associated proteins, of which 10 represent novel, highly abundant cargo proteins in podocytes. Colocalization of cargo proteins and CCVs on immunostaining was observed. Conclusions Our identification of podocyte CCV cargo proteins helps to elucidate the importance of endocytic trafficking for podocyte health and maintenance of the glomerular environment.
The effects of desiccation on seed survival in Acer platanoides L. and Acer pseudoplatanus L.

Abstract Mature seeds of Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) are tolerant of desiccation, at least to moisture contents of about 7% (fresh weight basis), but those of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) are killed by drying below about 45% moisture content. Sycamore seeds are thus recalcitrant; while the classification of those of Norway maple as orthodox is confirmed by the fact that between 19% and 7.5% moisture content their longevity is increased in a predictable way by reduction of seed moisturecontent. However, the period of useful storage of the latter in seed banks may be much less than for many crop species. The rates of water loss to a dry environment of both fruits and seeds of sycamore are much less than those of Norway maple, suggesting a degree of desiccationavoidance in the desiccation-intolerant species. Seed physiological maturity (maximum dry weight) occurred 2–3 weeks earlier in Norway maple than insycamore, but in both species this occurred about 150–160 days after peak flowering. Tetrazolium staining is a good indicator of embryo viability in both species, correlating well with germination test results. In Norway maple both methods of viability testing indicated that whole-seed desiccation tolerance coincided with the attainment of maximum dry weight. Tetrazolium staining indicated the development of desiccation tolerance in the radicles/hypocotyls of both species approximately 2–4 weeks before physiological maturity. Possible correlation between changes in the level of embryo dormancy during development and the acquisition of desiccation tolerance are discussed.
Finicky Consumerism, Volatile Investment, and the Puzzle of Low Wages in the High-Tech Economy

After the 2008 U.S. financial crisis, the largest economic changes in the U.S. and globally were not to inflation and wages, but were to wild swings in unemployment and output, contradicting “rational expectations” economicswhy? Some blamed U.S. weather conditions on volatile growth after 2008. This article hypothesizes that the differences between the volatile stagflation of the 1970s, the relatively docile 1980s, the 2008 volatile crash, and, most pointedly, the topsy-turvy, global, lowwage stagnation after, are several fold: first, structural changes to the high-tech economy; second, central bank assertions about monetary policy; third, a finicky consumption and marketing of risky high-tech products, in-part responsible for the United States and Japan entering into liquidity traps, where firms decline to invest; and fourth, all of these factors causing the Phillips Curve to pivot, or move horizontally, particularly over expectations. These differences are hypothesized to create growth instability, swings in unemployment, and flat wages. The article uses conceptual and statistical methods, with new policies for ongoing conditions in high-tech economies such as the United States and Japan.
Proteins as Networks: A Mesoscopic Approach Using Haemoglobin Molecule as Case Study

Protein structures allow for a straightforward representation in terms of graph theory being the nodes the aminoacid residues and the edges the scoring of a spatial contact between the node pairs. Such a representation allows for a direct use in the realm of protein science of the vast repertoire of graph invariants developed in the analysis of complex networks. In this work we give a general overview of the protein as networks paradigm with a special emphasis on haemoglobin where the most important features of protein systems like allostery, protein-protein contacts and differential effect of mutations were demonstrated to be amenable to a graph theory oriented translation.
Stream ecosystem function in urbanizing landscapes

Abstract Ecologists have described an urban stream syndrome with attributes such as elevated nutrients and contaminants, increased hydrologic flashiness, and altered biotic assemblages. Ecosystem function probably also varies with extent of urbanization, although there are few stream networks in which this prediction has been studied. We examined functional characteristics of 6 tributaries of the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta, Georgia, USA, whose catchments differed in degree of urbanization. We conducted short-term NH4- and PO4-addition experiments to measure nutrient uptake velocity, which is the rate at which a nutrient moves through the water column toward the benthos. Both NH4 and soluble reactive P uptake velocities decreased as indicators of urbanization (i.e., % of catchment covered by high-intensity urban development) increased. The amount of fine benthic organic matter (FBOM) also decreased with increasing urbanization, and uptake velocities were directly related to FBOM. Uptake velocities were not related to ecosystem metabolism (gross primary production [GPP], community respiration [CR], or net ecosystem production) as measured with diel oxygen curves. However, NH4 uptake velocity increased as total stream metabolism (GPP + CR) increased in these streams as well as in other North American streams, suggesting that biotic demand drives NH4 uptake velocities across a wide range of stream ecosystems. Measures of ecosystem function responded differently to urbanization: ecosystem metabolism was not correlated with indicators of urbanization, although breakdown rate of Acer barbatum leaves was positively correlated and nutrient uptake velocities were negatively correlated with indicators of urbanization. Elevated nutrient concentrations associated with urbanization are usually attributed to increased inputs from point and non-point sources; our results indicate that concentrations also may be elevated because of reduced rates of nutrient removal. Altered ecosystem function is another symptom of an urban stream syndrome.