Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New evidences on the presence of Aphelocheirus aestivalis in the Iberian Peninsula, its ecology and description of two northeastern Iberian populations

New evidences on the presence of Aphelocheirus aestivalis in the Iberian Peninsula, its ecology and description of two northeastern Iberian populations The waterbug Aphelocheirus aestivalis is herein recorded for the first time in Northeastern Iberian Peninsula, constituting the first citation of the family Aphelocheiridae in the region. Yet, later on in 1989, the description of three new endemic Iberian species belonging to Aphelocheirus implied the assumption that A. aestivalis was absent in the Iberian Peninsula. Here, we show strong evidences of the presence of this species by the collection of individuals in two isolated stream reaches located 36 km apart, in the two Mediterranean rivers Llobregat and Ter. The Iberian specimens studied showed slight differentiation from other European specimens in the structures of male internal genital. Photographs of the habitus of the male and female are provided. More than 25 years of study of these rivers show that Aphelocheirus sp. is confined solely to a short stretch in both rivers. Our study thus suggests that the distribution of A. aestivalis in the Iberian Peninsula should be revised and further investigated, and warns of urgent measures to improve, or at least preserve, the habitat and the hydrological conditions rivers Llobregat and Ter to protect the species.
Relationship between Diversity and Productivity at Ratargul Fresh Water Swamp Forest in Bangladesh

One of the most concerned topics in ecology is the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, there are few field studies, carried out in forests, although many studies have been done in controlled experiments in grasslands. In this paper, we describe the relationship pattern between three facets of diversity and productivity at Ratargul Fresh Water Swamp Forest (RFWSF) in Bangladesh, which is the only remaining fresh water swamp forest of the country. Sixty sample plots were selected from RFWSF and included six functional traits including leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), tree height, bark thickness and wood density. In analyzing TD, we used Shannon diversity and richness indices, functional diversity was measured by Rao’s quadratic entropy (Rao 1982) and Faith’s (1992) index was used for phylogenetic diversity (PD). It was found that, TD, FD and PD were positively related with productivity (basal area) due to resource use complementarity but surprisingly the best predictor of tree productivity was FD. The results contribute to the understanding the effects of biodiversity loss and it is essential for conservation decision-making and policy-making of Ratargul Fresh Water Swamp Forest.
Effects of CGRP and light in mice: implications for photophobia and migraine

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of migraine. CGRP levels are elevated during a migraine attack. Injection of CGRP can trigger a delayed migraine-like headache in migraineurs. Finally, CGRP receptor antagonists are effective antimigraine therapeutics. Consequently, a CGRP-sensitized mouse, nestin/hRAMP1, was genetically engineered to conditionally express a subunit of the CGRP receptor, hRAMP1, in neurons and glia. In response to CGRP, nestin/hRAMP1 mice demonstrated a significant decrease in time in the light zone of a dim light-dark box compared to vehicle-treated nestin/hRAMP1 mice and CGRPtreated control mice. This reflects photophobia-like behavior. Photophobia is a common symptom of migraine, where light exacerbates the headache pain. Furthermore, CGRP decreased motility in the dark zone, which may reflect exacerbation of pain by movement that is often experienced during a migraine. Wildtype mice have also demonstrated this CGRP-induced behavior, but required bright light and habituation to the chamber. While there is a difference in sensitivity in this assay between wildtype and nestin/hRAMP1 mice, it demonstrates that endogenous CGRP receptors are sufficient to convey this behavior. A common antimigraine drug, rizatriptan, attenuated the CGRP-induced behaviors in wildtype mice validating the assay as a migraine model. To explore the relative contributions of CGRP receptors on neurons versus glia, synapsin/hRAMP1 transgenic mice were genetically engineered to express hRAMP1 in neurons only. In contrast to the nestin/hRAMP1 mice, the synapsin/hRAMP1 mice did not show CGRPinduced light aversion upon naïve exposure to a dim chamber. This suggests that neuronal overexpression of hRAMP1 is insufficient to convey a heighted sensitivity to CGRP in the light aversion assay. As a first step to understanding the mechanism underlying CGRP-induced light aversion, a non-behavioral assay was developed to measure photic blink reflexes by measuring orbicularis oculi EMG responses in mice.
The role of antimicrobial skin peptides in defense of leopard frogs against chytridiomycosis

74 Introduction 75 Materials and Methods 77 Results 80 Filtration vs centrifugation 80 Filtration vs swabbing 82 Filtration vs swabbing using naturally infected animals 82 Discussion 85 V. DISCUSSION AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS 87 The ebb and flow of antimicrobial peptides on the skin of Rana pipiens 87 Skin peptides protect juvenile leopard frogs from chytridiomycosis 88 Swab vs. soak: The best way to detect B. dendrobatidis 89 Future studies 90
(± )-3 ,4 -Dihydro-5-methyl-4-n-alkyl-und -alkenyl-2H-pyrrole aus Pseudomonas putida [1] / (± )-3,4-Dihydro-5-methyl-4-n-alkyl and -alkenyl-2H-pyrroles from Pseudomonas putida [1]

Abstract From the culture medium of Pseudomonas putida several derivatives of 3,4-dihydro-5-methyl- 2H-pyrrole were isolated differing in the C-4 substituent (unbranched C11, C13 and C15 alkyl and alkenyl groups), the structures of which could be elucidated
Cross-Shelf Habitat Occupancy Probabilities for Juvenile Groupers in the Florida Keys Coral Reef Ecosystem

Abstract In the Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem, delineation of reef fish distributions in relationship to habitat patterns is important for improving the design characteristics of fishery-independent surveys. Efficient survey design depends on analysis of fish distribution patterns to inform and improve the precision of future surveys. We used a diver visual survey to quantify occupancy patterns of preexploitation-size Black Grouper Mycteroperca bonaci and Red Grouper Epinephelus morio. The survey was based on a stratified random sampling design with strata reflecting cross-shelf coral reef habitat types. A multiple spatial scale modeling approach confirmed a cross-shelf occurrence gradient for Red Grouper, with higher nearer-to-shore occupancy probability and lower offshore occupancy probability. Black Grouper occurrence followed a latitudinal gradient, with higher occurrence probabilities in the lower Florida Keys than in the upper Keys. Local habitat characteristics measured within reef strata suggested that occupancy relationships for both species varied according to vertical relief. Our analysis also included multilevel slope coefficients (random effects), which revealed unforeseen variance structure in Black Grouper occurrence probability among cross-shelf reef strata. Our study improves on previous qualitative observations of juvenile grouper distributions in the Florida Keys and highlights the use of multilevel models in revealing variance structures of fish distributions not revealed by fixed-effects models. Our analysis contributes to a discussion about foraging characteristics in producing the observed distributional patterns, and we suggest that examining the links between the distributions of forage fishes and larger predators (i.e., groupers) would be a useful step in improving survey stratification schemes.
Study on replication and morphology of chloroplasts in Arabidopsis thaliana

In higher plants, only a few proplastids in shoot meristem cells undergo replication to develop into a large number of chloroplasts in mesophyll cells. The developmental process accompanies morphological changes of the organelle; small (~1 mm) and amorphous proplastids shape into large (4-6 mm) and uniformly spherical chloroplasts. In the present study, we analyzed evolutionary conserved nuclear genes of Arabidopsis thaliana that encode chloroplast proteins involved in chloroplast replication and morphology. FtsZ, a bacterial homolog of tubulins, forms a ring at midpoint of dividing chloroplasts as well as bacterial cells. Recent studies hypothesized that one family (FtsZ1) members of higher plant FtsZ proteins target into chloroplasts while another family (FtsZ2) members localize in cytoplasm. Contrary to this hypothesis, FtsZ2 fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) was shown to target into chloroplasts by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The FtsZ2-GFP distributed as fibers and dots that formed network structures within chloroplasts. Moreover, we identified a new nuclear gene from Arabidopsis that shows homology to eubacterial cell division site-determining factor MinE. GFP experiments demonstrated that MinE is also a chloroplast stromal protein. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing MinE caused aberrant chloroplast replication and morphology, indicating that MinE is the third conserved factor involved in chloroplast division. Furthermore, we observed by CLSM that root leucoplasts frequently emanate tubular structures, called stromules. Some stromules connected with other leucoplasts while some extended towards cell nuclei. We are currently studying the effects of altered expression of chloroplast division genes on stromule proliferation.
Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of curry (Murraya Koenigi) leaf extracts against enteric pathogens

The present study was carried out for determination of antibacterial activity and phytochemical screening of Curry (Murraya Koenigi) leaves solvent extracts. Four solvents were used for extraction. These are Ethanol, Methanol, Diethyl Ether and Acetone. The solvent extraction was done by using Soxlet apparatus. Test microorganisms were screened to confirm their viability and identities using standard microbiological methods. The different solvent extracts of Curry leaves was tested for antimicrobial activity using the standard agar well diffusion method against nine enteric pathogens, these are E.coli, Salmonella typhi, Sal.para. A, Sal. para. B, Shigella sonnei, Shigella dysentarie, Enterobactor spp. ,Citrobactor spp.and Klebsiella spp. The Ethanol extract of Curry leaves showed highest antimicrobial activity against Shigella sonnei. The Methanol extract of Curry leaves showed highest antimicrobial activity against E.coli. The Diethyl ether extract of Curry leaves showed highest antimicrobial activity against Sal.para. A while Acetone extract showed highest antimicrobial activity against Sal.typhi. The antimicrobial activity of standard antibiotics Ampicillin and Tetracycline were studied in comparison with Curry leaves solvent extracts. The MIC values were determined by both agar and broth dilution method. The functional chemical group was determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The phytochemical analysis of Curry leaves solvent extracts showed presence of Alkaloid, Flavonoid, Phytosterol, Saponin, Glycosides, Phenolic compounds, Terpenoid etc.
Development of an osteoblast cell culture system for functional characterization and comparative analyses of mouse models with bone phenotypes and systemic investigation of an Osteogenesis imperfecta disease model

1. In vitro analysis of osteoblasts. A comprehensive cell culture system for primary calvarial osteoblasts has been established for in vitro analysis of bone diseases. The system allows to assess general properties of cell growth and to investigate bone specific parameters at the functional-, protein- and RNA-level. The cultivation of the cells independently from systemic influences enables us to find out whether direct alterations of the bone cells (primary effect) or systemic influences (secondary effect) are responsible for a bone disease. 2. Systemic investigation of an Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) disease model. Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are the main causes of death in OI, whereas the pathological alterations in heart and lung are considered as secondary effects caused by the bone disorder. In depth analysis of an OI mouse model provide first time evidence that the collagen alterations in the heart ECM represent the primary cause of the OI lethality and a vicious cycle of heart dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension and hypoxia provokes early death - independent from the bone phenotype.
Phosphorylation of PUMA at Serine Residues -96 and -106 is Involved in Regulation of Autophagy but not Apoptosis

PUMA is a Bcl-2 pro-apoptotic protein known for its ability to mediate cell death by apoptosis and, more recently, autophagocytosis. Previously three serine phosphorylation sites have been identified which are involved in the post-translational regulation of PUMA, S- 10 -96 and -106. Thus far, serine-10 is best understood for promoting cell survival when phosphorylated by destabilizing PUMA and decreasing apoptosis, however the regulatory function of S-96 and S-106 phosphorylation is still unknown. To address this question we developed a PUMA S96,106A non-phosphorylation mutant and compared its function with wild-type PUMA. We first used flow cytometry to determine the regulatory function of S-96 and S-106 in apoptosis and found and insignificant difference between wild-type and mutant PUMA. Next, flow cytometry was used to quantify autophagy in cells overexpressing PUMA wt and S96,106A, revealing that simultaneous elimination of S-96 and S-106 phosphorylation significantly decreases cellular autophagy. This result was confirmed by quantifying Light Chain-3-II (LC3-II) by protein immunoblotting and fluorescence microscopy. Lastly, the protein stability of wild-type and mutant constructs was quantified by western blot showing that elimination of S-96 and S-106 phosphorylation slightly decreased PUMA stability, however these results were not significant enough to draw any definite conclusions. We conclude that serine-96 and -106 phosphorylation sites are involved in regulating PUMA's mediated autophagy but not apoptosis or protein stability. The aim of this study is to better understand how PUMA is post-translationally regulated important for the application of PUMA in pathologies including but not limited to cancer, alzheimer's and colitis
Comparative Phylogeography of Pteropus samoensis and P. tonganus (Pteropodidae: Chiroptera) in the South Pacific

Pteropids are large, highly mobile bats that are distributed widely across islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, southern Asia, and Australia. Dispersal behaviors and colonization patterns of pteropid species among oceanic islands are poorly known. In the southern Pacific, Pteropus samoensis and P. tonganus have partially overlapping ranges, existing in sympatry on the Samoan and Fijian archipelagos. These species exhibit differences in morphology and roosting behavior, with P. samoensis being smaller and tending to roost solitarily or in small groups. Here, we use genetic data to explore whether these species also exhibit differences with regard to patterns of population genetic structure within and between these archipelagos. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA are consistent with earlier morphological recognition of different subspecies of P. samoensis on the Samoan vs. Fijian archipelagos. Patterns of mtDNA haplotype sharing suggest that P. tonganus experiences restricted gene flow between, but not within archipelagos, while P. samoensis shows significant structuring both between and within archipelagos. Species-level differences in patterns of population structure among islands within archipelagos may be due to interspecific differences in morphology, roosting ecology, and/or feeding ecology that can be affected by human influences. Our results directly bear on the conservation of these species, suggesting that (1) populations of both species from the archipelagos of Samoa and Fiji should each be considered as separate conservation units, (2) P. samoensis are much less likely than P. tonganus to naturally supplement local populations through inter-island dispersal, and (3) P. tonganus may experience more severe population bottlenecks during and following cyclones resulting in lower mitochondrial genetic diversity than in P. samoensis.
Development of entomopathogenic nematodes (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae; Heterorhabditidae) in the desert subterranean termite Heterotermes aureus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

In laboratory bioassays Steinernema riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar and Raulston (355 strain), S. carpocapsae (Weiser) (Mexican 33 strain), S. feltiae (Filipjev) (UK76 strain), and Heterorhabditis bacterioPhora Poinar (HP88 strain) infected and killed the subterranean termite, Heterotermes aureus (Snyder). Steinernema carpocapsae, S. riobrave and H. bacteriophora successfully reproduced in H. aureus and infective juveniles (IJs) exited the termite cadavers successfully. However, no progeny were produced by S. feltiae. IJs of S. carpocapsae formed two distinct size groups. The average total body length for the smaller group was 299.5 μm (S.E. 4.8), the average total body length for the larger group was 545.6 μm (S.E. 6.0). Small S. carpocapsae IJs infect, reproduce and form normal size IJs after subsequent infection in Galleria mellonella L. S. riobrave and H. bacteriophora showed a more gradual recovery in IJ size that needed 2 infection cycles in G. mellonella. In termite mortality tests, the progeny of small IJs of S. carpocapsae are comparably effective to the normal size IJs, under the conditions tested. After 72-h S. riobrave IJs from stock cultures (reared in G. mellonella) caused higher termite mortality compared with IJs cycled through termites then G. mellonella, then applied to termites.
The effect of ramp slope and surface type on the climbing success of shortfin eel (Anguilla australis) elvers

Instream structures such as dams, weirs and culverts reduce diadromous fish (e.g. freshwater eels) biodiversity and abundance by restricting upstream migrations. Fish passes are used to facilitate fish passage around instream structures, but limited information is available about design aspects that influence the ability of fish to negotiate the structures. We used experimental ramps to evaluate the effects of surface type and slope on the climbing success of shortfin eel (Anguilla australis) elvers (total length <155mm). Climbing success was examined for three surface types (smooth plastic, sand and gravel, Miradrain) at slopes of 30, 50 and 70°. Elver climbing ability differed among substrates, with the highest success observed on the Miradrain surface (a moulded plastic drainage product). Climbing success decreased with increasing ramp slope. The mean length of elvers successfully negotiating the ramps was longer than that of elvers that failed to climb because only larger elvers could climb the Miradrain surface as ramp slope increased. Results indicated that the optimal ramp-designed passage for climbing species would be lined with Miradrain and set at an angle close to 30° and not exceeding 50°. Elver passage will be detrimentally affected by steep surfaces, which will be exacerbated if suboptimal ramp-surface types are used.
The insect vector Cacopsylla picta vertically transmits the bacterium ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’ to its progeny

The phloem-sucking psyllid Cacopsylla picta Forster, 1848 (C. picta) plays an important role in transmitting the bacterium ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’ (‘Ca. P. mali’), the causative agent of apple proliferation disease. The psyllid can ingest ‘Ca. P. mali’ from infected apple trees and spread the bacterium by subsequently feeding on uninfected trees. Until now, this is the most important way of ‘Ca. P. mali’ transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate if infected C. picta are able to transmit ‘Ca. P. mali’ directly to their progeny. This method of transmission would allow the bacteria to bypass a time-consuming reproductive cycle in the host plant. Furthermore, this would cause a high number of infected F1 individuals in the vector population. To address this question, eggs, nymphs and adults derived from infected overwintering adults of C. picta were reared on non-infected apple saplings and subsequently tested for the presence of ‘Ca. P. mali’. In this study it was shown for the first time that infected C. picta individuals transmit ‘Ca. P. mali’ to their eggs, nymphs and F1 adults, thus providing the basis for a more detailed understanding of ‘Ca. P. mali’ transmission by C. picta. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
AMMONIA ASSIMILATION AND PROLINE ACCUMULATION IN YOUNG CASHEW PLANTS DURING LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO NaCl-SALINITY 1

In spite of years of research, the biochemical basis for the accumulation of nitrogenous compounds, mainly proline, in plants growing under saline conditions still remains unresolved. To study this process, 35-day-old young cashew plants (Anacardium occidentale L.), were cultured with 0 (control), 50 or 100 mol m -3 NaCl in the nutrient solution for 30 days. The shoot dry mass was 23 and 52% lower in plants growing with 50 and 100 mol m -3 NaCl, respectively, while root dry mass was only reduced in the highest level of NaCl as compared to control. Nitrate reductase (NR) activity both in leaf and root was decreased about 70% in relation to the control in both salt treatments. Contrarily, leaf glutamine synthetase (GS) activity and soluble proteins increased two-fold in the highest NaCl level. On the other hand, the salt stress decreased GS activity and soluble protein in the root. The total free amino acid, free proline, and ammonium concentrations increased in the leaf whereas in the root they were nearly unchanged in response to salinity. These results indicate that salinity treatment induced a differential behavior for ammonium assimilation and protein metabolism among roots and leaves of cashew. Thus, we conclude that proline accumulation in the leaf of cashew plants seems to be related to glutamate from the GS/ GOGAT cycle, which could be explained, at least in part, by a higher availability of NH 3 in salt treated cashew, probably originated from increases in photorespiration and leaf protein catabolism. Additional index terms: glutamine synthetase, nitrate reductase, nitrogen metabolism, salinity, salt stress.
A new kernel density estimator for accurate home‐range and species‐range area estimation

Kernel density estimators are widely applied to area‐related problems in ecology, from estimating the home range of an individual to estimating the geographic range of a species. Currently, area estimates are obtained indirectly, by first estimating the location distribution from tracking (home range) or survey (geographic range) data and then estimating areas from that distribution. This indirect approach leads to biased area estimates and difficulty in deriving reasonable confidence intervals. We introduce a new kernel density estimator (and associated confidence intervals) focused specifically on area estimation that applies to both independently sampled survey data and autocorrelated tracking data. We test our methods against simulated movement data and demonstrate its use with African buffalo data. The area‐corrected kernel density estimator produces much more accurate area estimates, particularly at small sample sizes, and the newly derived confidence intervals are more reliable than existing alternatives. This new method is the most efficient nonparametric home‐range estimator for animal tracking data and should also be considered when calculating nonparametric range estimates from survey data. This estimator is now the default method in the ctmm r package.