Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
First record of Myotis flavus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from mainland China and a reassessment of its taxonomic status

Myotis flavus, a synonym of M. formosus found in Taiwan, is reported for the first time for mainland China. We captured one bat in Jiangxi province in Southeast China and identified the taxon as M. flavus based upon its external, cranial and baculum morphology. The uncorrected cytb sequence divergence between M. flavus from Jiangxi and specimen from Taiwan was only 0.61%, indicating intraspecific divergence. Both, morphological and genetic evidence indicated that the specimen from mainland China was a new locality record of M. flavus. In contrast, M. flavus from Jiangxi and from Taiwan exhibited 15.53–16.67% sequence divergence from samples of M. formosus obtained from locations outside Taiwan, and they were not sister lineages. Therefore M. flavus should be recognized as a species from M. formosus. In addition, the sequence similarity between M. watasei from Taiwan and M. formosus from mainland China and their phylogenetic grouping strongly suggests that M. watasei is a synonym of M. formosus.
Impact of mcr-1 harbouring bacteria in clinical settings and the public health sector: how can we act against this novel threat?

Recently, Quan et al. [2017] published a comprehensive multicentre longitudinal study in which they demonstrate that the mcr-1 colistin resistance gene is only sporadically detectable in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae from patients with bloodstream infections in China, but untraceable in clinical isolates of the medical important bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. In the study, the authors could not attribute undesirable effects of the mcr-1 occurrence to any of the clinical outcomes of the infected patients. However, taking into account the low mcr-1 prevalence in the analysed target bacteria, the threat of the novel resistance gene to clinical and public health is not conclusively assessable and needs further investigations (1).
Chemical and physical characteristics of carrageenan extracted from Eucheuma spinosum harvested from three different Indonesian coastal sea regions

Carrageenan extracted from Eucheuma spinosum harvested from three different coastal sea regions, where this alga has been mainly cultivated, were determined for their chemical and physical characteristics. The carrageenan was extracted from the seaweed using hot alkali followed by precipitation, drying, and milling. The carrageenan properties were determined in terms of yield, ash, mineral, sulfate content, functional group, molecular weight, and viscosity profile. Physical characteristics of carrageenan were evaluated by a texture analyzer for gel strength and a rapid visco analyzer for viscosity. The yield of carrageenan from Sumenep (34.81 ± 5.83%) and Takalar (37.16 ± 3.26%) was found to be relatively higher than that of Nusa Penida (25.81 ± 1.93%). The calcium content was higher than magnesium, potassium and sodium content, and no cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic detected in all carrageenan. The ash content was around 29%; while, the sulfate content was in the range of 30–32%, and those were not different in all carrageenan. The presence of sulfate content was identified by FTIR at absorption band of 1373 cm−1. It was found that the molecular weight of carrageenan from Takalar were relatively higher and the gel strength of carrageenan from Takalar were significantly higher than that of carrageenan from Nusa Penida and Sumenep. Likewise, upon cooling from 80 to 20°C, the viscosity profile of carrageenan from Takalar characterized by higher viscosity compared to that of carrageenan from Sumenep and Nusa Penida. These results indicated that carrageenan from Nusa Penida, Sumenep, and Takalar were identified as iota‐carrageenan with similar physico‐chemical characteristics except for the gel strength, viscosity profile upon cooling from 80 to 20°C and the yield.
Phytophthora Sojae Infecting Soybean: Pathotype Diversity, New Sources of Resistance and Interaction with the Soybean Cyst Nematode

PHYTOPHTHORA SOJAE INFECTING SOYBEAN: PATHOTYPE DIVERSITY, NEW SOURCES OF RESISTANCE AND INTERACTION WITH THE SOYBEAN CYST NEMATODE RAWNAQ NAZNEEN CHOWDHURY 2017 Phytophthora root and stem rot, caused by Phytophthora sojae Kaufmann and Gerdemann, is an important disease of soybean (Glycine max L.) in South Dakota. To gain a better understanding of the importance of P. sojae in South Dakota, specifically pathotype diversity, identification of new resistance sources and the interaction with the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, SCN), this research was undertaken with the following objectives 1) to characterize the pathotype diversity of P. sojae causing Phytophthora root and stem rot on soybean in commercial fields in South Dakota; 2) to compare inoculation methods to evaluate for partial resistance to P. sojae on soybean and identify new sources of resistance to two virulence pathotypes of P. sojae in a recombinant inbred line (RILs) population derived from the cross between cultivated Glycine max (cv. Surge) and wild Glycine soja (PI 468916); and 3) to study the interaction between SCN and P. sojae on soybean. In order to achieve the objectives, a total of 114 isolates of P. sojae were recovered from soil samples covering 30 counties in South Dakota during a three year survey (2013 2015), of which 70 P. sojae isolates were pathotyped using 13 standard soybean differentials. Results suggest that mean complexity of the P. sojae pathotypes have increased over time and over 85% of the P. sojae isolates were able to defeat Rps1a, Rps1c and Rps1k that are commonly deployed Rps genes in the commercial
Quaternary dynamics underlie the chaperone function of Hsp27 and αB-crystallin in maintaining proteostasis

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Effect of growth rate on the physical and mechanical properties of Douglas-fir in western Europe

To quantify the impact of forest management practices and tree growth rate on the potential uses of Douglas-fir wood, nine physico-mechanical properties were studied on more than 1250 standardized clear specimens. These were collected from trees cut in 11 even-aged stands (six trees per stand) located in Wallonia (southern Belgium). Stands were 40 to 69 years old, and mean tree girth was ca. 150 cm. Mean ring width of the 66 trees ranged from 3 to more than 7 mm. Statistical analysis showed significant but weak effects of ring width on the studied properties. Considered jointly, mean ring width and cambial age of the test specimens only explained 28% to 40% of the variability of their properties. Also, when ring width increases, these properties display higher decreases in juvenile wood than in mature wood. From a technological standpoint, maintaining mean ring width under 4 mm in juvenile wood and 6 mm in mature wood should accommodate all potential uses of Douglas-fir wood. However, considering that den.
Local Decomposition of Kalman Filters and its Application for Secure State Estimation

This article is concerned with the secure state estimation problem of a linear discrete-time Gaussian system in the presence of sparse integrity attacks. <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {m}$</tex-math></inline-formula> sensors are deployed to monitor the state and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {p}$</tex-math></inline-formula> of them can potentially be compromised by an adversary, whose data can be arbitrarily manipulated by the attacker. We show that the optimal Kalman estimate can be decomposed as a weighted sum of local state estimates. Based on these local estimates, we propose a convex optimization based approach to generate a more secure state estimate. It is proved that our proposed estimator coincides with the Kalman estimator with a certain probability when all sensors are benign. Besides, we establish a sufficient condition under which the proposed estimator is stable against the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {(p,m)}$</tex-math></inline-formula>-sparse attack. A numerical example is provided to validate the secure state estimation scheme.
Does Incidental Auditory Learning Facilitate Memory-guided Attention? A Behavioural and Electroencephalogram (EEG) Study

Can implicit associations facilitate auditory target detection? Participants were exposed to audioclips (half included a lateralized pure tone). Participants then took a surprise memory test in which they detected a faint lateralized tone embedded in each audio-clip and indicated if the clip was (i) old or new; (ii) recollected or familiar, and; (iii) if the tone was on the left, right, or not present when they heard the clip at study. The results show good explicit memory for the clip, but not for tone location. Target detection was faster for old than for new clips but did not vary according to the target-context associations. Neuro-electric activity revealed an old-new effect at midline-frontal sites as well as a significant difference between clips that had been associated with the location of the target compared to those that were not. The implications of these findings in the context of memory-guided attention are discussed.
Tree Calls Of Three Treefrogs (hyla Femoralis, H. Gratiosa, And H. Squirella): Analysis Of Environmental, Behavioral, And Acoustic Characteristics

Male frogs typically call near water at dusk to attract females for breeding. During the breeding season, male treefrogs also emit diurnal “tree calls” or “rain calls” from the tops of trees. Very little is known about tree calls, although many treefrogs use them. Tree calls may be used to attract females, deter males or be triggered by weather conditions favorable for breeding: high temperature and relative humidity, and a drop in barometric pressure. As dusk approaches, male treefrogs continue tree calls from lower in the trees, and if conditions are favorable, jump to the ground and travel to a nearby breeding pond where they begin their repetitive nocturnal mating calls. The scant published information is mostly descriptive and does not address the fitness benefit of calling from treetops far from breeding ponds. My goal was to determine the function of tree calls based on their environmental, behavioral, and acoustic characteristics. My data indicate tree calls are not rain calls. Each treefrog species that I studied (Hyla femoralis, H. gratiosa, and H. squirella) called most frequently at different combinations of mean environmental characteristics (temperature, relative humidity, and barometric pressure). Hyla femoralis and H. gratiosa gave tree calls at ambient air temperatures that differed significantly from the distributions recorded when no treefrogs called. Temperature, relative humidity, and barometric pressure distributions of calling activity differed significantly among all three species and from the distributions recorded when no treefrogs called. Hyla squirella called most often at a significantly different mean relative humidity of 1015 mbar; whereas H. gratiosa and H. femoralis called at a median1017 mbar. Means and fluctuations (summarized as SD) of the three weather parameters explained significant variation in tree calling activity (3260%). Tree calling activity for all three treefrog species were also not significantly affected by
Polyunsaturated fatty acids in stream food webs – high dissimilarity among producers and consumers

1. Streams and rivers provide crucial sources of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA, a subset of PUFA with ≥20 C in their acyl chains) for freshwater and terrestrial animals. LC-PUFA are primarily produced by particular algal taxa and are subsequently transferred to fish and higher consumers, including humans. Although research on the trophic transfer of LC-PUFA in streams is very limited, studies on the PUFA composition of organisms at various trophic levels within stream food webs are well documented. Here, we systematically analyze the literature to synthesise LC-PUFA distribution and retention in stream ecosystems. 2. In general, stream food webs are highly enriched in omega-3 LC-PUFA, in particular eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3). Algae from temperate rivers had more EPA compared with algae from subtropical rivers. Stream invertebrates from both temperate and subtropical rivers preferentially retain algal EPA and their PUFA tend to vary with algal PUFA. Invertebrates may be capable of regulating their fatty acid (FA) composition, but this ability is limited, to the extent that they must obtain physiologically important LC-PUFA primarily from algae. 3. DHA is selectively and highly retained in all fish taxa irrespective of their feeding sites (i.e. temperate or subtropical rivers). However, DHA content is variable among stream fish taxa and is likely linked to resource utilisation and their endogenous metabolism. Freshwater salmonids have a very high DHA content, which suggests they preferentially retain this FA or biosynthesise it from EPA. The PUFA profiles of other fish taxa more closely reflect their dietary PUFA supply. However, so far very few studies have considered the differences in the PUFA biosynthesis of fish taxa in rivers or compared the dietary PUFA effect on different fish taxa. 4. The supply of LC-PUFA from streams and rivers is known to be affected by altered light availability, greater nutrient inputs and other anthropogenic activities, and any decrease in algal LC-PUFA production will negatively affect the consumers that are nutritionally dependent on these molecules. Further investigations are needed to understand how environmental changes affect LC-PUFA production and retention in stream ecosystems, and how to protect streams from threats to this essential ecosystem service.
Cosmeceutical Benefit of Abelmoschus esculentus L. Seed Extract

Background: Abelmoschus esculentus L. or okra is a vegetable of Malvaceae family. Aim: Okra seeds were dried at 60°C, ground, and extracted by using absolute ethanol. The acquired extract was investigated for chemical constituents, cytotoxicity, anti-tyrosinase activity, and anti-oxidant property. Results: Total phenolic content was equal to 4.6 mg gallic acid/g dry weight, as constituted by tannins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. Saponins and terpenoids were also existent. Based on molecular ion (M) peaks of GC-MS, long chain fatty acids and their esters (∼59%), as well as sterols and their derivatives (∼40%) were identified as major components. Glutathione was of 2.5 mg/g dry weight. The anti-tyrosinase activity was equivalent to 15 mg ascorbic acid/g dry weight. The extract was nontoxic to cells of normal fibroblast L929, and exhibited the DPPH radical scavenging activity as well as the ferric reducing antioxidant power, which respectively equivalent to 350 μmol trolox and 170 μmol Fe per g dry weight. Lotions (o/w) containing 1-7% w/w extract Original Research Article Manee and Kaewsrichan; JPRI, 19(6): 1-11, 2017; Article no.JPRI. 37587 2 were physically and chemically stable over a 6-heating/cooling cycles-period of the stability test. Transdermal penetration of the lotion excipients and active compounds of the extract was not detected according to the Franz-type skin permeation study. Conclusion: Cosmeceuticals containing Abelmoschus esculentus L. seed extract might be useful for whitening effect and to delay skin aging.
Timing of de novo mutations - relevance to health and disease

The work presented in this thesis shows that mutations arise constantly, between one generation and the next but also throughout life. This continuous occurrence of mutations leads to extraordinary genetic diversity between individuals but is also at the origin of the existence of genetically different populations of cells within a single human being. While the occurrence of novel mutations represents an important biological phenomenon in humans with a role on prenatal development, physiology and evolution, novel mutations also contribute to different forms of human disease ranging from rare and severe developmental disorders to adult-onset diseases such as cancer. The work in this thesis supports that in addition to the detection of mutations, NGS can be used as a tool to identify the timing of mutations in order to include the dimension of time in the interpretation of mutations and their possible consequences. De novo mutations have different recurrence risks depending on the exact timing at which they occurred, which can be determined by meticulous analysis with NGS methods. Indeed, genetic mosaicism resulting from mutations occurring during embryogenesis is common and, depending on their timing, postzygotic mutations can be transmitted to the next generation. Additionally, somatic mutations arise in stem cells throughout life and can be detected using highly sensitive sequencing methods. Furthermore, the timing of a mutation can also shape the resulting phenotype, as the same mutation can be involved in different disorders depending on its timing. For instance, overlapping germline and somatic mutations in SETBP1, leading to Schinzel-Giedion syndrome and to myeloid leukemia, respectively. Future work focusing on the role of timing of somatic and germline mutations will provide us with a better understanding of the effect of the expression of a mutation in the dynamic context of a cell, a tissue and a whole organism.
Dismantling the aberrant signaling network in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: PP2A and SHP-1 as promising targets for drug discovery

Reversible protein phosphorylation is a fundamental post-translational modification by which virtually all cellular events are regulated, enabling cells to properly respond to intra- and extracellular cues. Protein kinases and protein phosphatases are the principal factors involved in this in this dynamic process and are placed at the different levels of cellular signalling, and, albeit traditionally considered as functionally opposed to one another, not rarely act in an interplay to finely orchestrate and appropriately drive signal transduction. The imbalance of their expression and function affects the cell life and fate, which frequently underlies the onset and progression of a plethora of diseases. B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common leukemia in the Western world, is no exception to this paradigm, many studies having highlighted a crucial role of kinases in the sustained signals from the signalosome downstream of the B cell receptor (BCR), and having led to the development of the promising second-line drugs, but also the blockade of a number of phosphatases underlying pro-survival and anti-apoptotic signals. In this regard, Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and the Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 1 (SHP-1) exhibit a marked functional inhibition in this disease, which can be properly circumvented by a pharmacological approach, thereby inducing apoptosis of cancer cells. Nintedanib and MP-0766, a drug acting as an angiokinase inhibitor and a new fingolimod analogue devoid of immunosuppressive action, activating respectively SHP-1 and PP2A have enabled for the discovery of a signalling axis that when activated provokes massive cell death, and might provide a new paradigm for the treatment of CLL, which now endorses kinase inhibitors.
Conserving Africa’s Mega-diversity in the Anthropocene: the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Story

Book Title: Conserving Africa’s Mega-diversity in the Anthropocene: the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park StoryBook Authors: Joris PGM Cromsicht, Sally Archibald & Norman Owen-Smith (Eds.)2017, Cambridge University Press, University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom. 450 pages, hardcover, softcover and eBook. ISBN 9781107031760 (hardcover), 9781107627994 (softcover), 9781108158794 (eBook). Price £69.99 (hardcover).
Within-species variation in foliar chemistry influences aquatic leaf litter decomposition

Leaf-litter inputs provide substrate and energy to stream systems. These contributions vary based on species-specific differences in litter quality, but little is known about how differences in litter quality within a species can affect ecosystem processes. Genetic variation within tree species, such as oaks and cottonwoods, affects ecosystem processes including decomposition and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems and has the potential to do the same in streams. We collected litter from 5 genotypes of each of 4 different cottonwood cross types (Populus fremontii, Populus angustifolia, and natural F1 and backcross hybrids), grown in a common garden, and measured their decomposition rates using litter bags in the Weber River, Utah. The proportion of 35 species-specific P. fremontii restriction-fragment length polymorphism markers in the genotype explained 46% and genetically controlled phytochemical mechanisms (e.g., % soluble condensed tannin in litter) explained . 72% of the variation in leaf-litter decomposition rate, respectively. Understanding how natural genetic variation in plants can affect ecosystem processes will provide baseline information with which to address the loss of genetic variation (through habitat fragmentation and global change) and altered genetic variation through hybridization with cultivars and transgenic manipulations in the wild.
Ecologie des mollusques d'eau douce d'interet medical et veterinaire a cuba

Plusieurs especes de mollusques d'eau douce de cuba presentent un interet du point de vue medical et veterinaire. Les plus importants sont des pulmones appartenant a la famille des planorbidae (biomphalaria havanensis, b. Helophila) et des lymnaeidae (lymnaea cubensis, l. Columella). L'etude de la demographie de toutes les especes a montre une grande plasticite des traits de vie de ces mollusques selon le type d'habitat. L'analyse des variations spatio-temporelles des communautes malacologiques a revele l'importance de certains facteurs de l'environnement biotiques et abiotiques tels que la composition chimique des eaux, la vegetation aquatique, la competition intra- et inter-specifique. Le role des especes introduites telles que marisa cornuarietis, melanoides tuberculata et tarebia granifera a egalement ete aborde