Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Genetical Evolution of Patterns of Sexuality: Darwinian Fitness

R. A. Fisher (1930) was perhaps the first to realize that the key to sex ratio evolution lay in the almost trivial fact that (under diploidy) everyone has one mother and one father; that in terms of autosomal genes males and females contribute equally to any zygote formed. This paper shows that his observations proves a useful key to a host of other sex related problems. It is for this intuitive reason that fitness measures for the alteration of sex function are often of the general form W = m̂/m + f̂/f. In such a measure male and female function are assigned equal weight. It is somewhat surprising that this notion continues to hold under haplodiploidy (at least from the mother's viewpoint). There is much that this paper has ignored--inbreeding, fluctuating or stochastic environments, etc. A treatment of many of these is much beyond me. It will be quite interesting to know how well the m̂/m + f̂/f notion holds up to alterations in the basic models proposed here.
Recovery from hypoxia with and without sulfide in Saduria entomon : Oxygen debt, reduced sulfur and anaerobic metabolites

The Baltic brackish water so pod Saduria enton~on was exposed (8 h; T: 11°C; S. 10 ppt) to hypoxia (0.1 kPa) and to hypoxia (0.7 kPa) with sulfide (41 PM). Oxygen consumption was measured using computer-controlled intermittent respirometry. The routine oxygen consumption was 0.109 mg O2 h-' g. ' at normoxia (19 5 kPa). The recovery from hypoxia with and without sulfide was studied in terms of oxygen debt, reduced sulfur concentration and anaerobic metabolites. In hypoxia, the metabolism of S. entomon was reduced by 70% compared to the normoxic level and the oxygen debt was 0.57 mg O2 g-' Normal respiration rate was re-established after 8 h of recovery. Lactate oxidation accounted for 4 4 % of the oxygen debt. In hypoxia with sulfide, the metabolism was reduced by 38% conlpared to the normoxic level and the oxygen debt was 2.74 mg O? g. ' (5 t~rnes the oxygen debt at hypoxia). Normal respiration level was not restored until 28 h after exposure. Lactate oxidation accounted for only 20% of the oxygen debt. Sulfide and detoxification products accounted for as little as 0.04% (1 1-19 O2 g.' wet wt) of the oxygen debt. The majority (80%) of processes that occurred during the recovery from sulf~de exposure are inferred to be ~nvolved in restoring normal cell function Removal of internal sulfide and reoxidation of anaerobic metabolites play secondary roles.
Functional diversity of ground‐layer plant communities in old‐growth and managed northern hardwood forests

AbstractQuestions: Do ecological sorting processes and functional diversity of forestground-layerplantcommunitiesvaryamong mature(65–85-yr-old)even-aged,managed uneven-aged and old-growth forest stands? How does functionaldiversityrelatetoenvironmentalvariableswithinstands? Location: Northern temperate deciduous forests of Wisconsin and the UpperPeninsulaofMichigan,USA.Methods: Ground-layer species cover and light availability were measured ateach of four old-growth, even-aged second-growth, and managed uneven-agedstands (n = 12 stands total). We used mixed-effect models and fourth-corneranalysis to assess relationships among forest structure, species traits and thethree components of functional diversity (functional richness, evenness, diver-gence)basedon32leaf,reproductiveandwholeplanttraitsfrom111species.Results: We identiﬁed differences in leaf phenology and morphology, life formand dispersal among stand types at the community level. Ground-layer plantcommunities of even-aged and uneven-aged stands were at opposite ends of aspectrumofstrategies aimedat toleratingstressfulvscompetitiveenvironments,respectively. In even-aged stands, communities were characterized by speciesadapted to relatively dark and closed conditions (heavy-seeded tree saplings,spring ephemerals). In contrast, managed uneven-aged stands were character-ized by species with potential for quick returns on investment of nutrients anddrymassinleaves(i.e.earlysummerspecieswithhighspeciﬁcleafarea,lowleafdrymattercontentandhighphosphorusconcentration). Old-growthstandshadfewer trait associations than managed stands, and were characterized by fernsandspecieswitheitherballisticorwind-assistedseeddispersal.Functionaldiver-sitymetricswererelatedincomplexwaystolight,managementandsoiltexture.Managedstandshadhigherfunctionalrichnessanddivergencethanold-growthstands,which,instead,showedhigherfunctionalevenness.Conclusions: Even-aged and managed stands support ground-layer specieswith a distinct set of traits relative to those found in old-growth forests.Although there is broad interest in uneven-aged management as a means torestore the structures and functions of old-growth forests, uneven-aged man-agement does not, at least initially, produce ground-layer plant communitiesmoresimilartoold-growthforeststhaneven-agedmanagement.IntroductionAnthropogenic changes in disturbance regimes havealtered the structure of temperate forests worldwide (Bur-rascano et al. 2013). In the northern temperate deciduousforests of the upper Great Lakes region of the United Statestimber harvesting has become the dominant disturbancewithin the last century. The widespread clear-cut loggingfollowing Euroamerican settlement resulted in a contem-porary landscape dominated by ca. 80–100-yr-old second-growth stands (Frelich 1995). In contrast, light to moder-ately severe wind was the prevalent disturbance prior to
Using Satellite Telemetry to Identify Long-billed Curlew Winter Habitat Use in the Southeastern Corner of the Chihuahuan Desert (Mexico)

Abstract The Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) is a species of national and international conservation priority due to its population declines. Little is known about their migration patterns and there is limited research on the species in Mexico which prevents conservation biologists from establishing effective conservation measures for the species in North America. The southeastern portion of the Chihuahuan Desert is one of the last areas of well-preserved grasslands in Mexico and supports a large number of wintering Long-billed Curlews. We tracked four Long-billed Curlews using satellite telemetry to determine their winter habitat use from October 2009 to March 2010. Locations were divided into foraging and roosting sites (seven habitat types each) with agricultural fields and fallow land preferred for foraging. We identified 14 roosting sites and characterized the vegetation of six of them. Tumbleweed (Salsola kali) was the predominant plant species at roost sites. Two main threats were detected on wintering grounds: exposure to pesticides and reduced access to water. We successfully documented fidelity to wintering, breeding and stop-over sites across three migratory cycles (2009–2012) of one of the marked birds.
The circadian rhythm of sperm release in the codling moth, Cydia pomonella

The release of sperm bundles from testes to the vas deferens is controlled by a circadian clock in several moth species. We investigated the pattern of sperm release in the codling moth, Cydia pomonnella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Sperm release in the codling moth follows a two‐step rhythm in light‐dark cycles: sperm is released from the testis before lights‐off, remains in the vas deferens during the dark phase and is transferred to the seminal vesicles after lights‐on. This rhythm continues in constant darkness indicating that it has a circadian nature. The release of sperm is asynchronous in moths held in constant light. In contrast to previously investigated moths, constant light has no adverse effects on the male reproductive capacity in the codling moth.
An Artificial Signal Transduction System. Control of Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity Performed by an Artificial Cell-surface Receptor

A supramolecular bilayer assembly as an artificial signaling system was constituted in combination with a steroid cyclophane as an artificial receptor, an NADH-dependent lactate dehydrogenase as an effector, and a bilayer-forming peptide lipid. Signal transduction from the receptor to the effector was observed for the present hybrid system by employing two kinds of signaling species, 1-hydroxy-2-naphthaldehyde as an external signal and a Cu(II) ion as a signal transmitter.
Spray-dried porcine plasma and yeast derived protein meal influence the adaption to weaning of primiparous and multiparous sow progeny in different ways

Pigs from 154 litters (n = 1132, 19 +/- 3 days of age, 4.9 +/- 1.1 kg of bodyweight) were used in a 3 x 2 factorial design to evaluate two raw materials with nutraceutical properties being used in feeds, spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) and a yeast protein meal, and their effects on growth performance, immune parameters and gastrointestinal adaption of piglets to weaning. Factors included dietary treatments being (1) 5% SDPP (PLA), (2) 3.5% yeast protein meal (NUP) and (3) medicated control (TMC) and parity (primiparous versus multiparous). The treatment groups were imposed from Day 19 through to weaning at Day 27. Selected pigs (n = 720, 28 +/- 3 days of age, 7.4 +/- 1.0 kg of bodyweight) were weaned and remained on their respective diets from Day 28 to Day 34. From Day 35 to Day 48 all group-housed pigs were offered a commercial weaner 1 diet, and from Day 49 to Day 68 pigs were offered a commercial weaner 2 diet. Growth performance, survival, and serum immunoglobulinGwere monitored throughout the nursery phase (Day 28 to Day 68). Adaptation of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute post-weaning phase (Day 28 to Day 34) was assessed in 36 individually housed male weaners, with the effects of feed on structural, digestive, microbial and immune parameters along the gastrointestinal tract determined atDay 34. Pre-weaning feed disappearance was greater (P< 0.01) in multiparous litters independent of diet. In the commercial nursery, total removals (mortality and morbidity) were highest (P<0.01) in primiparous sow progeny, with pigs offered NUP having greater (P <= 0.05) total removals. Pigs offered PLA had superior average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio from Day 28 to Day 34 (P<0.05). Pigs offered NUP tended to (P=0.07) have superior average daily gain from Day 35 to Day 49. Pigs offered NUP had higher (P<0.05) serum immunoglobulinGconcentrations at Day 68 compared with pigs offered TMC, with the effect most pronounced in primiparous sow progeny. Individually housed weaners offered PLA consumed more (P<0.05) feed on Day 30 to Day 31, had shorter relative intestine length (P<0.05), greater villous height in the medial jejunum (P<0.10) and lower immuno-pathology scores along the intestine. Pigs offered PLA also tended (P<0.10) to have increased pancreatic-specific lipase and amylase activity compared with pigs offered NUP. Pigs offered NUP had a higher ratio of E. coli : coliforms in the colon (P<0.01) and more counts of beta-haemolytic bacteria in the medial jejunum (P<0.05) and colon (P<0.10). Diets containing either SDPP or NUP offered pigs benefits beyond nutrition relative to the medicated control diet. The benefits of SDPPwere highly effective but transient, while the yeast derived protein had a successive or accumulative effect which was more pronounced in primiparous sow progeny. Received 3 May 2012, accepted 17 October 2012, published online 29 November 2012 (Less)
α-Lipoic Acid Inhibits Adipocyte Differentiation by Regulating Pro-adipogenic Transcription Factors via Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathways*

Obesity is associated with a number of pathological disorders such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases. α-Lipoic acid (LA) has been demonstrated to activate the insulin signaling pathway and to exert insulin-like actions in adipose and muscle cells. Based on this similarity LA is expected to promote adipogenesis in pre-adipocytes. Here, however, we report that LA inhibited differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes induced by a hormonal mixture or troglitazone. Northern blot analysis of cells demonstrated that this inhibition was accompanied with attenuated expression of adipocyte-specific fatty acid-binding protein and lipoprotein lipase. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and Western blot analysis of cells demonstrated that LA modulates transcriptional activity and/or expression of a set of anti- or pro-adipogenic transcription factors. LA treatment of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes also resulted in prolonged activation of major mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways but showed little or no effect on the activity of the insulin receptor/Akt signaling pathway. These findings suggest that LA inhibits insulin or the hormonal mixture-induced differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes by modulating activity and/or expression of pro- or anti-adipogenic transcription factors mainly through activating the MAPK pathways.
Erratum: Effects of oxytetracycline, oxolinic acid, and flumequine on bacteria in an artificial marine fish farm sediment

Oxytetracycline, oxolinic acid, and flumequine are at present the most frequently used antibacterial agents in the treatment of marine farmed fish in Norway. These substances are supplied with the food pellets and a substantial amount ends up in the sediment under the net pens. The effects of these antibacterial agents on the microbial community in a sediment were experimentally examined in tanks containing sediment to which was added either oxytetracycline, oxolinic acid, or flumequine, and supplied with a constant water flow. During the first 20 days of the experiment, approximately one-third of the antibacterial agents disappeared from the sediments. During the next 165 days another 25% vanished. There were elevated numbers of bacteria resistant to oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid a few days after the start of the experiment. The resistance that developed to oxytetracycline was higher and longer lasting than that to oxolinic acid and flumequine. Of the quinolones, flumequine seemed least disposed to i.
Three new species of fishes of the genus Nannostomus from the Brazilian states of Para and Amazonas (Teleostei, Lebiasinidae)

Weitzman, Stanley H. Three New Species of the Genus Nannostomus from the Brazilian States of Para and Amazonas (Teleostei: Lebiasinidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 263, 14 pages, 10 figures, 1978. —The genus Nannostomus was recently reviewed by Weitzman and Cobb (Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 186, 1975). The three new species described here are based on specimens found in a survey of the collections of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. The new species are N. nitidus from Igarape Candiru-Mirim near Badajos, Rio Capim, Para; N. britskii from an igarap6 of Lago Jose-Ac,u, Parintins, Amazonas; and AT. limatus from an igarape tributary to Lago Mapara near Santarem, the Rio Maica near Santarem, and the Lago Jacupa near Oriximina, all in the State of Para. As with the other species in the genus, the phylogenetic relationships of the new ones remain unclear. Nannostomus britskii shares a complex apomorphic color pattern with N. eques suggesting a possible relationship between the two, but N. britskii lacks the apomorphic caudal structure and probably the swimming position shared by N. eques and N. unifasciatus. Possible relationships among these three species need further investigation. No close relationships with other species of Nannostomus are suggested for N. limatus or N. nitidus. A key is provided for the identification of all species in the genus.
Genetic relationships within and between the Japanese marten Martes melampus and the sable M. zibellina, based on variation of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear ribosomal DNA

We examined the intra- and inter-specific genetic relationships of the Japanese marten Martes melampus and the sable M. zibellina using cytoplasmic and nuclear DNA markers. The interspecific sequence divergences in the 402 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene averaged 3.3%. The extent of the divergences among thirteen individuals of M. melampus collected from Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Tsushima was small (≤0.5%), irrespective of their fur color variation. A somewhat higher degree of intra-specific variation (up to 1.3%) was observed among M. zibellina specimens, but the extent of inter-populational variation between Primorye, Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan, was not so high (minimum 0.2%), suggesting that there has been recent genetic communication between Hokkaido and the continent. Among the 24 restriction sites of the nuclear ribosomal DNA spacer, there was no difference within either species, however one site differed between the two species. Using these molecular markers we confirmed that an amimal from Hokkaido, showing the typical morphological characteristics of M. melampus, possessed the same genotype as M. melampus from Honshu. From these results and descriptions in the literature, we presumed that the animal in question could be a descendent of M. melampus introduced to Hokkaido from Honshu by fur farmers about 50 years earlier. Eight animals examined from Hokkaido showed no indication of hybridization between the two species.
Effect of Baiting on Hoop Net Catch Rates of Endangered Humpback Chub

Abstract The effects of unbaited, scented (odor emitted by inaccessible hatchery feed), and baited (accessible feed) single-throated hoop nets on the catch rates of the federally endangered humpback chub Gila cypha (≥100 mm total length) were assessed in the Little Colorado River, Arizona, to determine how baiting affected the catch of these fish. Of a total of 1,297 unique humpback chub captured, 262 (20%) were caught in 179 unbaited nets, 330 (25%) in 179 scented nets, and 705 (54%) in 178 baited nets. Humpback chub retention in unbaited nets did not differ from a 50:50 chance event (P = 0.075) but probably peaked in baited nets where these fish were preoccupied with feeding (i.e., gorging themselves), which would explain the higher catch rates in baited than in scented or unbaited nets (P ≤ 0.001). Moreover, humpback chub catch rates were not significantly higher in scented than in unbaited nets (P = 0.779), which suggests that elevating both “fish attraction” and “fish retention” are essential to subs.
The development of recombinant Adenoviral vaccines to target pneumovirus infection

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a member of the pneumovirus genus (family Paramyxoviridae, subfamily Pneumovirinae). RSV is an important respiratory virus of both infants and the elderly, representing an underappreciated burden on health care systems. In addition, re-infections can occur despite the presence of pre-existing immunity, suggesting that immunological memory to RSV is incomplete. To date, treatment of RSV infection is limited to the provision of supportive care and no effective vaccine is available. Although several are currently under investigation, these candidates focus upon the delivery of the F and G antigens of RSV to stimulate the immune system, rather than the internal antigens, which may provide cross protection between different subtypes of RSV. Vaccine development has been greatly hindered by the lack of an appropriate animal model in which to study vaccine efficacy and pneumovirus pathogenesis. Pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) is also a member of the Pneumovirus genus and, like RSV infection of humans, causes a bronchiolitis and fatal pneumonia in its natural host, the mouse. PVM has been proposed as an appropriate model system in which to both study pneumovirus pathogenesis and vaccine efficacy. The PVM model system was adapted to investigate a potential vaccination strategy to address the lack of an available RSV vaccine. Replication deficient recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) vectors were constructed which expressed the F, M and N genes of PVM J3666, in addition to a control construct, which expressed the LacZ gene of E. coli. The constructs were administered via the intranasal route to BALB/c mice and were able to elicit complete protection against a lethal dose of pathogenic PVM J3666, in both short-term experiments and in a long-term experiment, up to 20 weeks post immunisation. The protection effect elicited by the constructs was observed when administered in a single dose, and in alternative mouse strains, C3H/He-mg and C57BL/6, which had differing immunity haplotypes. The rAd5 vectors generated a PVM specific IgG humoral response to PVM and Ad5 antigen which did not correlate as the primary mediator of protection. The rAd5 candidate expressing the N gene of PVM was shown to induce IFNγ secreting T-cells. The use of a peptide library of PVM N protein determined that a specific response could be identified towards the amino acids N41-90, N81-130, N161-210 and N281-330. Thus, the PVM infection model of BALB/c mice provides an immunological platform to facilitate the study of RSV and PVM pathogenesis, immunology and vaccine development.
The Physiology of a Lepidopteran Muscle Receptor

1. When a single MRO of a caterpillar is stretched at least 32 motor units show clear reflex changes in activity. 2. The great majority of muscles are excited and the latency of the reflex differs only slightly from one muscle to another. The response has both tonic and phasic components which reflect more or less faithfully the magnitudes of the same components in the sensory discharge. 3. Muscles are affected on the contralateral side of the stimulated segment and on the ipsilateral side of adjacent segments. The reflex fields of neighbouring receptors therefore overlap; spatial facilitation produces a disproportionate increase in the overall response when two receptors are stimulated simultaneously. 4. The reflex pathway for muscles innervated by nerve 2 is shown to involve synaptic connexions in the ganglion of the segment anterior to the stimulated receptor and responding muscles. 5. The muscles most strongly excited are those which lie functionally in parallel with a stretched sense organ. It is concluded that a major function of the caterpillar MRO is to mediate a negative feedback reflex tending to stabilize bodily position independent of load.
Enhancing the TurtleWatch product for leatherback sea turtles, a dynamic habitat model for ecosystem‐based management

Fishery management measures to reduce interactions between fisheries and endangered or threatened species have typically relied on static time-area closures. While these efforts have reduced interactions, they can be costly and inefficient for managing highly migratory species such as sea turtles. The NOAA TurtleWatch product was created in 2006 as a tool to reduce the rates of interactions of loggerhead sea turtles with shallow-set longline gear deployed by the Hawaii-based pelagic longline fishery targeting swordfish. TurtleWatch provides information on loggerhead habitat and can be used by managers and industry to make dynamic management decisions to potentially reduce incidentally capturing turtles during fishing operations. TurtleWatch is expanded here to include information on endangered leatherback turtles to help reduce incidental capture rates in the central North Pacific. Fishery-dependent data were combined with fishing effort, bycatch and satellite tracking data of leatherbacks to characterize sea surface temperature (SST) relationships that identify habitat or interaction ‘hotspots’. Analysis of SST identified two zones, centered at 17.2° and 22.9°C, occupied by leatherbacks on fishing grounds of the Hawaii-based swordfish fishery. This new information was used to expand the TurtleWatch product to provide managers and industry near real-time habitat information for both loggerheads and leatherbacks. The updated TurtleWatch product provides a tool for dynamic management of the Hawaii-based shallow-set fishery to aid in the bycatch reduction of both species. Updating the management strategy to dynamically adapt to shifts in multi-species habitat use through time is a step towards an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management in pelagic ecosystems.