Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developmental Constraints: Why St. Bernards Often Have an Extra Digit and Poodles Never Do

Controversies in science often arise because of a lack of consensus about the definitions of some fundamental concepts related to the matter under discussion. A recent case in question is the issue of developmental constraint in evolutionary processes (e.g., Alberch 1980, 1982; Charlesworth etal. 1982). In this note I define the concept of developmental constraint and illustrate it with a simple example involving the loss and reappearance of digits in dogs. A developmental constraint is any bias on the expression of phenotypic variability caused by the structure of the developmental interactions that generate global patterns. Obviously, if phenotypic variation is not present, selection cannot operate on it. Here I present a simple example of constraint at the level I am interested in, the cellular and tissue aspects of pattern formation and morphogenesis. The general concept applies to any system with internal dynamics, be it a network of gene regulation or an ecosystem. (Elsewhere [Alberch 1982; Oster and Alberch 1982], I elaborated the conceptual aspects of complex dynamical and interactive systems uch as development, as well as definitions and examples of what is meant by "the structure of a developmental system.") The first step toward a hypothesis of constraint is to elucidate an ordered pattern of variation, that is, to characterize invariance. In most breeds of dogs, and in wolves and jackals, there are five digits on the front limbs and only four on the hind limbs. In addition, some breeds have a vestigial first oe, which presents itself in a form usually referred to as a dewclaw (Miller et al. 1964). The vestigial first oe is better developed in the large breeds and usually reduced or absent in the smaller ones (Kadletz 1932). In addition, it is well known among dog breeders that large breeds, such as St. Bernards and Newfoundlands, have a tendency to develop a sixth toe ("the double-clawed" condition; Stockard 1931, pp. 88-95). Breeders have ruled this an undesirable character and consistently select against it. Independent of this extremely strong and artificially imposed selective pressure, the character keeps reappearing in the population. (In another large dog, the Great Pyrenees, the presence of an extra digit is a standard for the breed and, through selection, has become established in the population.) Conversely, mediumand small-sized breeds rarely, if ever, develop an extra toe as popula-
Systematic position of the kelp endophyte Laminarionema elsbetiae (Ectocarpales sensu lato, Phaeophyceae) inferred from nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences

Abstract The recently described microscopic brown alga Laminarionema elsbetiae Kawai et Tokuyama occurs as an endophyte in Laminaria spp. in the northern hemisphere. Based on morphology, cytology, and reproductive characters it is classified in the Ectocarpales. Phylogenetic analyses of partial SSU and ITS sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA of Laminarionema elsbetiae and other brown algae support its placement in the clade of ‘simple brown algae’ (Ectocarpales sensu lato), but it is not closely related to any of the major subgroups currently recognized in the Ectocarpales sensu lato or to other kelp endophytes, which belong to the genus Laminariocolax. Comparisons include published (Adenocystis utricularis, Ectocarpus siliculosus, Gononema pectinatum, Laminariocolax tomentosoides, Scytosiphon lomentaria, ‘Streblonema’ sp.) as well as so far unpublished (Chordaria linearis, Dictyosiphon foeniculaceus, Myriotrichia clavaeformis, Striaria attenuata) sequences of taxa within the Ectocarpales sensu lato. T.
STUDIES OF LUNG METABOLISM

The isolation and partial characterization of subcellular particles from rabbit and rat lung are described. Detailed methods for separating a purified, active mitochondrial fraction are outlined and evaluated in terms of enzymatic, chemical, and morphological criteria. Mitochondrial preparations from rabbit and rat liver were used as comparative indices. The lung mitochondrial fraction was identified by its ability to oxidize succinate with a P/O ratio of 1.7 by a process sensitive to 2,4 dinitrophenol and antimycin A. The adenosine triphosphatase activity of the lung mitochondrial fraction is stimulated by magnesium ions, but this stimulation is not augmented by 2,4 dinitrophenol. In the absence of magnesium ions, the specific activity of the adenosine triphosphatase increases with increasing protein concentration. The presence of lysosomes in the mitochondrial fraction is suggested by acid phosphatase and cathepsin activities and by electron microscope observations.
Maturation of somatic embryos of Pinus strobus is promoted by a high concentration of gellan gum

Application of somatic embryogenesis to Pinus strobus clonal propagation and genetic improvement was hampered by the difficulty in achieving synchronous maturation of a large number of somatic embryos that would germinate and produce plants. Media containing abscisic acid (80 μM) and osmotic agents such as sucrose, polyethylene glycol and/or dextran did not sustain development of mature somatic embryos from plated embryonal masses. This indicated that factors other than osmotic agents might be involved in sustaining development of Pinus strobus somatic embryos to maturity. It was subsequently found that media lacking osmotica but containing a high concentration of gellan gum (1%) induced significant improvement in the development of mature somatic embryos in the presence of 80 or 120 μM abscisic acid. This positive effect was independent of the genotype and all four tested lines displayed similar responses. Media containing gellan gum at concentrations from 0.4 to 1.2% formed gels that varied in their strength. Gel strength was proportional to the concentration of gellan gum in the specific medium but varied depending on the medium formulation. Gel strength increased with the duration of storage of the culture medium by 46% (sD 14) after 14 days of storage. Preliminary results showed that embryos matured on high gellan gum media displayed improved germination frequencies. These results indicate that in Pinus strobus the water status and possibly other medium characteristics that are influenced by increased concentration of gelling agent have stimulatory effects on maturation of somatic embryos.
The ultrastructure of the spermatozoa of the worm lizard Amphisbaena alba (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae) and the phylogenetic relationships of amphisbaenians

We describe the ultrastructure of epididymal spermatozoa of Amphisbaena alba and make comparisons with spermatozoa of other squamates. The mature spermatozoon of A. alba is filiform and characterized by the following features: the acrosome is depressed in transverse section; the perforatorial base plate is absent; the perforatorial tip is pointed; the perforatorium is single; the epinuclear lucent zone is well developed; the midpiece is moderately long; the mitochondria are columnar, forming regular circlets interrupted by dense bodies in transverse section; the dense bodies are solid, arranged in regular rings and linear series; the nuclear shoulders are rounded; the nucleus is elongate; the endonuclear canal is absent; fibers 3 and 8 are enlarged; multilaminar membranes are absent; and the fibrous sheath is in the midpiece. A phylogenetic analysis of squamates using spermatozoon-ultrastructure characters resulted in 2415 equally parsimonious, largely unresolved trees. The use of a constraint tree derive.
Efficacy of integrated fertilizer management to improve agronomic and physiological traits of canola cultivars

The effects of integrated chemical and organic fertilizers on quantitative, qualitative and physiological traits of two canola cultivars were studied in East Azerbaijan Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Iran, during 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. The first factor comprised six levels of fertilizers including organic, chemical, and their combination and the second factor was two canola cultivars. Fertilizer treatments had significant effect on all studied traits except for proline, oil percentage, oleic acid, linolenic acid, seed sulfur, and potassium content in the first year, and leaf area, protein percentage, 1000 seed weight, seed number in silique, silique number in plants, oleic acid, and linolenic acid in the second year. Canola response to fertilizer proportions was quite different so that in the first year chemical fertilizations were better, while in the second year the effect of organic fertilizations was more pronounced. High level of organic fertilizer improved nitrate reductase activity, photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, and final seed yield in the second year. It seems that the positive effect of cattle manure would be visible at least 1 year after application. Moreover, canola cultivars differed from each other in terms of some agronomic and physiological traits during each year of the experiment.
Forage cactus associated with different fiber sources for lactating Sindhi cows: production and composition of milk and ingestive behavior

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of forage cactus with different fiber sources (elephant grass hay - EGH; corn straw - CS, hay of cassava shoots - HCS; fresh sugarcane bagasse - FSB; and hydrolyzed sugarcane bagasse - HSB) on the milk yield and composition and the feeding behavior of lactating Sindhi cows. Five cows with average body weight, average daily milk yield, and average daily 4%-fat-corrected milk yield of 265, 4.95 and 5.22 kg, respectively, were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The effect of experimental diets on milk yield and composition, feeding time (FT), rumination time (RT), idle time, mean values of total chewing time (TCT), number of ruminal boli (NRB), number of rumination chews (NRC), and feed efficiency (FE) and rumination efficiency (RE) expressed as a function of DM and NDF were analyzed. Milk yield in kg/day and corrected to 4.0% fat from the animals that received cactus associated with CS were higher as compared with the treatment with hydrolyzed sugarcane bagasse. The milk composition variables were not influenced by the treatments, and nor were FT, RT, TCT, NRB and NC. Two patterns were observed for FE and RE, with higher efficiency of the diets with EGH, CS and HCS and lower efficiency for diets containing sugarcane bagasse. In this context, Sindhi cows fed forage cactus associated with corn straw, elephant grass hay, and hay of cassava shoots present better performance, feeding efficiency, and rumination responses than those fed forage cactus associated with fresh sugarcane bagasse and hydrolyzed sugarcane bagasse.
Where to stay by night and day: Size-specific and seasonal differences in horizontal and vertical distribution of Chaoborus flavicans larvae

1. Data on the distributions of pelagic and benthic Chaoborus flavicans larvae were gathered in 1994 and tested for their agreement with the predator avoidance hypotheses. The development of all Chaoborus life stages, as well as the horizontal and vertical distribution in the four larval instars, was followed from May until October. We expected the largest larvae to dwell deeper by day, thus avoiding predation by visually foraging fish. 2. In agreement with this prediction body size increased with daytime depth, and this was true both between and within instars. The migration amplitude consequently increased with larval instar. 3. There was also evidence for horizontal migration, mainly in the third but also in the fourth instar. 4. Along a horizontal transect with increasing depth, locations with many benthic larvae had fewer pelagic larvae. Oxygen concentration was a good predictor of maximum benthic larval depth for most of the season but failed to predict their distribution in autumn.
Null Alleles in Gliadin Coding Loci and Wheat Allergenic Properties

Wheat gliadin proteins-an important, nutritional component of many food products may also act as allergenic proteins causing various, clinical symptoms of IgE-mediated food allergies. Gliadins are coded by six complex loci on the chromosomes 1A, 1B, 1D,6A, 6B and 6D of wheat genome. Each of the loci coding from a few to a dozen of polypeptides may spontaneously mutate to inactive gene variants called null alleles that do not code any proteins at all. The aim of the present work was to find out whether null alleles in some gliadin coding loci may decrease wheat allergenic properties. Six winter wheat genotypes: gliadin deletion lines (GDL) containing null alleles on 1D, 1B and 6B chromosomes and control lines (CL) containing active gene variants in all gliadin coding loci, were developed using plant breeding methods. Allergenic properties of the six analyzed hybrids were estimated by ELISA using polled sera of five patients allergic to gluten. Estimated immunoreactivity of GDLs was from 6% to 18% lower as compared with CLs. The obtained results evidenced that gliadin null alleles decrease wheat allergenic properties and may be used as parental forms for breeding of hypoallergenic wheat genotypes.
Cytokine-mediated antimicrobial immune response of catfish,Clarias gariepinus, as a defence againstAeromonas hydrophila

The proliferative response of head kidney (HK) leucocytes from catfish (Clarias gariepinus) immunised againstAeromonas hydrophilastrain PPD 134/91 was significantly increased compared with that of naive HK leucocytes using whole bacterial cells as thein vitrostimulant. A correlation between the proliferation of immune HK leucocytes and the production of macrophage-activating factor (MAF) was also observed. The production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates from the resident phagocytes of control fish was enhanced after incubating with the MAF-containing supernatants for 48 h. Both cytokine-containing supernatants and the incubated phagocytes of the immune fish also exhibited a significant increase of bactericidal activity. The study also showed that nitric oxide (NO) production and microbicidal activity of the antigen-activated phagocytes were partially blocked with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NG-MMLA), suggesting that NO might be an important antimicrobial effector in fish phagocytes as in mammals.
Peat Disturbance, Mowing, and Ditch Blocking as Tools in Rich Fen Restoration

Among wetlands, rich fens are one of the most species‐rich, and also one of the most threatened habitats due to drainage activities. We tested the effects of several restoration measures on vegetation composition and dynamics over 4 years in two rich fens in east central Sweden that had been drained about 50 years ago. The encroaching tree layer was removed, and the restoration measures examined were rewetting by ditch blocking, mowing, and peat disturbance (removing vegetation and mixing the surface peat). At both sites, rewetting alone (without mowing or peat disturbance) led to small changes in species composition. In plots with peat disturbance, several characteristic rich fen species established, probably from a persistent diaspore bank or from refugia nearby. The disturbance treatment also prevented a rapid reestablishment of dominant grasses and mosses that had spread since drainage. Late season mowing alone appeared not to be a very efficient treatment in the initial phase after restoration, but seemed to reinforce the positive effects of peat disturbance. The results indicate the necessity of combining several treatments to recreate an ecologically functional vegetation.
Primary Non-Adherence to Antihistamines—Conclusions From E-Prescription Pilot Data in Poland

Background In allergic conditions such as allergic rhinitis and urticaria, orally administered H1-antihistamines belong to first-line therapy and therefore, are widely prescribed. Due to the frequent, and often chronic, course of allergic diseases, adherence is of great importance. In 2018 a novel, nationwide e-prescription system was piloted in Poland, which allowed to analyze primary non-adherence to orally administered H1 antihistamines. Objectives To assess the primary non-adherence to orally administered H1-antihistamines in Poland, defined as not redeeming the drug issued on a particular e-prescription within its validity period. Methods The study was based on all e-prescriptions issued in Poland in 2018, issued for 119.880 drugs. The analysis included nine major orally administered H1 antihistamines available in Poland. Results Out of 2280 analyzed e-prescriptions on orally administered antihistamines, 1803 (79.1%) of them were redeemed. Therefore, the level of primary non-adherence reached 21%. Among women it reached 19.9%, but it was not significantly lower than among men (23.4%, p=0.064). The highest non-adherence (31.3%) was observed in the age group 19-39, whilst the highest adherence rate (84.6%) was observed in those 75 years or older. The most frequently prescribed second-generation antihistamine was bilastine—596 e-prescriptions with 23.7% primary non-adherence. Conclusions More than 1 out of 5 e-prescriptions on orally administered H1-antihistamines were not redeemed in Poland in 2018. Age, but not gender, significantly influenced the degree of primary non-adherence to these drugs. To authors knowledge, this is the first real-life study on primary non-adherence to H1-antihistamines in Poland and one of the very few on this subject worldwide.
Transformation of the Transaction Cost and the Agency Cost in an Organization and the Applicability of Blockchain—A Case Study of Peer-to-Peer Insurance

Blockchain supports a variety of decentralized applications enabled by its immutable, decentralized, and trustless properties. However, there are no unifying criteria for blockchain architecture across the organizations and business models. This variance has created complex and diverse blockchain products. Costs in every economic exchange with partners are associated with two metrics: transaction costs due to market imperfections and agency costs due to conflict of interest and information asymmetry in an organization. To understand the effectiveness of economic activities by blockchain intervention and facilitate strategic alignment, we use transaction cost and agency cost as theoretical lenses to explore the impacts of blockchain, discuss the transformation of those costs, and support our arguments using a case study. Our study proposes that blockchain technology brings two more benefits, trust and transparency, to the existing Internet-based business services, and helps improve corporate governance. Smart contracts improve the execution time of transactions significantly and increase transaction volume rapidly. As the internet shifts hierarchies toward electronic markets, lack of trust between peers inhibits exchanges. Blockchain applications provide a framework for building trust between peers through its consent mechanism, which allows organizations to construct trust and operate in a more decentralized manner. Thus, by including blockchain in the current Internet infrastructure, the decision boundary of organization forms would extend outward. Finally, the transformation of costs in different stages of the blockchain transition, as described in our study, has important managerial implications for the organization structure and the role of third parties. Blockchain does not assume away transaction and agency costs but pushes the transformation of the two, forming a more efficient economic entity. This study contributes to the academia and the industry. We first add to the understanding of blockchain from the perspective of exchange technology. Second, we contribute to the prediction of organization boundaries. Third, the shift in the role of third parties supports the transaction cost theory in terms of controlling opportunism. Lastly, this study facilitates the development of blockchain business models and contributes to the practice.
The Balance of TNF Mediated Pathways Regulates Inflammatory Cell Death Signaling in Healthy and Diseased Tissues

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF; TNFα) is a critical regulator of immune responses in healthy organisms and in disease. TNF is involved in the development and proper functioning of the immune system by mediating cell survival and cell death inducing signaling. TNF stimulated signaling pathways are tightly regulated by a series of phosphorylation and ubiquitination events, which enable timely association of TNF receptors-associated intracellular signaling complexes. Disruption of these signaling events can disturb the balance and the composition of signaling complexes, potentially resulting in severe inflammatory diseases.
Timing and Concentration of Abscisic Acid Applications Affect the Quality of ‘Crimson Seedless’ Grapes

ABSTRACT ‘Crimson Seedless’ is a table grape (Vitis vinifera) cultivar that often fails to develop adequate color, particularly in warm climate regions such as the San Joaquin Valley, California. Growers generally apply ethephon to ‘Crimson Seedless’ grapes to improve their color, but results are erratic. The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) stimulates anthocyanin production in some other varieties of grape, so applications of ABA might help improve the color of ‘Crimson Seedless’. Application of ABA at veraison maximized anthocyanin accumulation, but later applications also increased pigmentation and, at the same time, reduced ABA's negative effect on berry puncture resistance. Concentrations of 150 and 300 mg·L− 1 ABA increased anthocyanin levels more than did 75 mg·L− 1 ABA. The relationships between anthocyanin content of the berry skins and the color characteristics lightness (L*), and hue angle (h°), were well described by the functions L* = 22.56x− 0.0865, and h° = 3.356x− 0.513, where x = skin anthocyanin content. Thus, at skin anthocyanin contents ≥ 0.03 mg·cm− 2, relatively large increases in anthocyanin content have relatively small effects on L* and h° of ‘Crimson Seedless’ grapes. Similar results have been obtained with other cultivars of grape. For this reason, we suggest to include direct color measurements, rather than relying only on anthocyanin content when evaluating color on grapes.