Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linguistics

1501. Blevins, J. PHONETIC EXPLANATION WITHOUT COMPROMISE: THE EVOLUTION OF MUSSAU SYNCOPE. Diachronica. 2008, 25(1):1–19. The article focuses on evolutionary phonology, typological distributions of sound patterns, and theoretical linguistics. The study of sound patterns in the world’s spoken languages includes contrastive sound inventories and sound features and the contextual aspect of language variation. The discussion includes the role of implicit knowledge of sound patterns in the transmission of languages, an explanation for applying evolutionary theory to phonetics and language changes, research on generative phonology and Optimality Theory, perceptual bias in oral communication, final devoicing, and Neogrammarians.
Corticosteroid Receptor Transgenic Mice

Abstract: Dysregulations and dysfunctions of corticosteroids and their receptors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of stress‐related disorders, in particular in depression. It is currently under debate, however, whether corticosteroid imbalances are a cause or rather a consequence of affective disorders. Corticosteroids exert their effects mainly by two receptors: glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs). We present here analyses made on several strains of mice with targeted mutations of corticosteroid receptors. The results help to understand how corticosteroid receptors regulate the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) system. Furthermore, first behavioral analyses have indicated that corticosteroid receptor mutant mice show alterations in their emotional behavior. Certain mouse strains with specific alterations of GR or MR expression may represent genetic models of depression or at least have a predisposition to develop a depressive or a depression‐resistant state upon exposure to stress. The corticosteroid receptor‐regulated target genes to be identified in these models may code for proteins that could represent new drug‐targets for the treatment of affective disorders.
Identification and characterization of expressed sequence tags-derived simple sequence repeats markers from robusta coffee variety ‘CxR’ (an interspecific hybrid of Coffea canephora × Coffea congensis)

SSR (simple sequence repeats) markers derived from ESTs (expressed sequence tags), commonly called EST-SSRs or genic SSRs provide useful genetic markers for crop improvement. These are easy and economical to develop as by-products of large-scale EST resources that have become available as part of the functional genomic studies in many plant species. Here, we describe for the first time, nine genic-SSRs of coffee that are developed from the microsatellite containing ESTs from a cDNA library of moisture-stressed leaves of coffee variety, ‘CxR’ (a commercial interspecific hybrid between Coffea congensis and Coffea canephora ). The markers show considerable allelic diversity with PIC values up to 0.70 and 0.75 for Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora , respectively, and robust cross-species amplification in 16 other related taxa of coffee. The validation studies thus demonstrate the potential utility of the EST-SSRs for genetic analysis of coffee germplasm.
Dietary effects on the fatty acid signature of whole Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

Understanding the influence of dietary fatty acids on whole fish is necessary to evaluate the degree to which fatty acids may be used for understanding foraging patterns in fish, as well as in marine mammals that consume their prey whole. Adult Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were fed two prey items that differed significantly in fat content and fatty acid compositions. Cod were first fed squid (Illex illecebrosus, 2.0% fat) for 6 weeks, followed by Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus, 15.7% fat) for 8 weeks. Twenty whole cod were individually analyzed at each of 0, 3, 6, 11, and 14 weeks. Despite being on a low-fat squid diet, in only 3 weeks, cod fatty acid patterns changed significantly to reflect the patterns found in squid and did not further change at 6 weeks. When switched to a high-fat mackerel diet, total body fat of cod increased and the fatty acid composition of cod changed significantly in the direction of patterns found in mackerel. Despite changes in cod fatty acid signatures, cod were readily distinguished from the fatty acid signatures of their diets. Our results provide support for the use of fatty acids as indicators of diet at upper trophic levels. Resume : On doit connaOtre liinfluence des acides gras alimentaires sur le poisson entier pour Otablir dans quelle mesure les acides gras peuvent Œtre utilisOs pour comprendre les comportements de recherche de nourriture des poissons et des mammifres marins qui consomment leurs proies entires. On a nourri des morues ( Gadus morhua) adultes avec deux types de proie dont les teneurs en gras et les compositions en acides gras diffOraient significativement. Les morues ont diabord consommO du calmar (Illex illecebrosus, 2,0 % de matires grasses) durant 6 semaines, puis du maquereau ( Scomber scombrus, 15,7 % de matires grasses) durant 8 semaines. Vingt morues entires ont OtO individuellement analysOes ‡ chacune des Otapes suivantes : 0, 3, 6, 11 et 14 semaines. Bien que les morues aient OtO exposOes ‡ un rOgime de calmar faible en matires grasses, en seulement 3 semaines, les profils diacides gras des morues ont changO significativement pour reflOter ceux du calmar, et ils Otaient les mŒmes ‡ 6 semaines qui‡ 3 semaines. Quand les morues sont passOes au rOgime de maquereau riche en matires grasses, leur teneur corporelle totale en matires grasses siest accrue et leur composition en acides gras a changO significativement pour siapprocher de celle du maquereau. MalgrO les changements dans les profils diacides gras de la morue, ces derniers demeuraient nettement distincts des profils diacides gras de ses proies. Nos rOsultats indiquent quiil est possible diutiliser les acides gras comme indicateurs du rOgime alimentaire dans les niveaux trophiques supOrieurs. (Traduit par la ROdaction)
First Record of Ectoparasitic Insects on the Canarian Houbara Bustard (Gruiformes: Otididae)

Abstract. Data on an infestation of ectoparasites on a Canarian Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata, fuerteventurae Rothschild et Hartert, 1894 are presented for the first time. Two insect groups were discovered: Icosta (Rhyponotum) pilosa (Macquart, 1843) (Hippoboscidae, Diptera) and a possibly unnamed species of Philopteridae (Phthiraptera) closely allied to Otidoecus houbarae (Barthélemy, 1836). For the latter, a DNA-barcode is presented. The philopterid was found in a phoretic relationship with the hippoboscid.
Variation in Randomly Amplified DNA Markers and Storage Root Yield in `Jewel' Sweetpotato Clones

Polymorphism analysis and yield tests were conducted among 'Jewel' sweetpotato clones ( Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) obtained from eight state foundation seed programs. Initially, 38 arbitrary primers generated a total of 110 scorable DNA fragments in a sample of virus-indexed plants from each clone source. The number of marker loci scored for each primer varied from one to eight with an average of 2.89. Twenty-one bands (19.1%) were scored as putative polymorphic markers based on the presence or absence of amplified products. Further estimation of variability within each clone source was accomplished by an assay of 10 sample plants per clone group by 14 marker loci generated by four selected primers. Polymorphic bands ranged from 7.1% to 35.7 % in five of eight clone groups. Field studies show variation in nearly all yield grades measured. In three tests during the 1991 and 1992 seasons, yield differences ranged from 27% to 46% within the economically important U.S. no. 1 root grade. The results suggest the usefulness of arbitrarily-p rimed markers in detecting intra-clonal sweetpotato DNA polymorphisms and indicate an underlying genetic cause for phenotypic variability in the crop.
ISID Scientific Exchange Fellowship Report

Dr. Ramirez is a biochemist with a master degree in molecular biology and biotechnology. Currently, she is finishing her PhD program in Health Sciences. Her research focus on the expression in E.coli and characterization of dengue virus proteins. Specifically, she is involved in the evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective capacity of NS3 protein in mice. She works at the Dengue Vaccine Lab, Institute of Tropical Medicine “Pedro Kourí. ” Expression in E.Coli and Characterization of Dengue 2 Recombinant NS3 Protein.
An Adapted Word-Sentence Association Paradigm for Generalized Anxiety and Worry: Assessing Interpretation Bias

Individuals with pathological worry, a common symptom of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), make threatening interpretations of ambiguous information related to various life domains (e.g., finances, relationships). A word-sentence association paradigm (WSAP) computer task, originally designed for social anxiety, was adapted to assess two threat-related interpretation biases common among individuals with generalized anxiety and pathological worry. The two biases, which have yet to be investigated simultaneously, include: accepting threatening interpretations and rejecting benign interpretations of ambiguous information (for the original WSAP, see Beard & Amir, 2009). It was hypothesized that endorsing threat interpretations on the WSAP would be associated with greater bias for threat on a validated self-report measure of bias, and would predict GAD symptoms and worry after trait anxiety and depression were statistically controlled. Results from a non-clinical sample (N = 148) provided support for the convergent validity of the WSAP. After controlling for trait anxiety and depression, a bias to accept threat interpretations predicted a unique and significant proportion of variance in measures of GAD symptoms and worry. A bias away from non-threat (i.e., rejecting benign interpretations) was unrelated. The WSAP shows evidence of sensitivity and specificity to GAD symptoms and worry, and appears to be a unique and specific measure of two types of threat bias making it theoretically informative and clinically useful.
Nutrients and water temperature are significant predictors of cyanobacterial biomass in a 1147 lakes data set

Using a ∼ 1000 lake data set that spans the entire continental United States, we applied empirical modeling approaches to quantify the relative strength of nutrients and water temperature as predictors of cyanobacterial biomass (CBB). Given that cyanobacteria possess numerous traits providing competitive advantage under warmer conditions, we hypothesized that water temperature, in addition to nutrients, is a significant predictor of CBB. Total nitrogen (TN), water temperature, and total phosphorus were all significant predictors of CBB, with TN explaining the most variance. Using multiple linear regression analysis, we found that TN and water temperature provided the best model and explained 25% of the variance in CBB. However, when the data set was divided according to basin type, these same variables explained a higher amount of the variation in deep natural lakes (33%, n = 253), whereas the least amount of variation was explained by these variables in shallow reservoirs (12%, n = 307). Competing path models on the full data set using the best variables selected by multiple linear regression show that nitrogen and temperature are indirectly linked to cyanobacteria by association with total algal biomass, which likely reflects changes in light climate and other secondary factors. Our models also indicated that temperature was linked to cyanobacteria by a direct pathway. Under a scenario of atmospheric CO2 doubling from 1990 levels (resulting in an estimated 3.3°C increase of the maximum lake surface water), we predict on average a doubling of CBB.
Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis on Adults of Cotesia plutellae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Parasitoid of the Diamondback Moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

To complement existing information on the mortality of larvae of the wasp Cotesia plutellae attacking moth caterpillars infected with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) we tested the direct and indirect effects of the bacterium on adult wasp longevity and oviposition behaviour. In one experiment with female parasitoids, mean longevity (SEM) was not significantly different between females exposed to Bt (1.98 +/- 0.08 days) and those not exposed (2.18 +/- 0.13 days). In a second experiment with both males and females, Bt treatment did not significantly effect either male or female parasitoids exposed to Bt. To observe the possible effects of Bt on oviposition behaviour of C. plutellae each of 10 females were given five larvae that had been treated with Bt and five untreated larvae at the same time. All parasitoids were observed to make oviposition attempts in both untreated and treated larvae. Upon dissection of the host larvae, one or more C. plutellae eggs were found in each of the larvae in which a parasitoid a.
Growth of bacteria in the rhizoplane and the rhizosphere of rape seedlings

The growth of 10 isolates of rhizosphere bacteria was compared in the rhizoplane (RP), rhizosphere (RS) and non-rhizosphere soil of a model system with rape seedlings growing in sterile sand. The colonization of the RP differed little among isolates. However, the bacterial isolates differed according to their degree of dependence on the root for growth, as judged by RS:RP and plant:non-plant ratios for CFU. These two ratios were correlated with changes in viability and ‘physiological status’ (as judged by γ values, Hattori, T. (1983) J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 29, 9–16).
Taxonomic and geographic differentiation of Pinus mugo complex on the needle characteristics

The phenotypic differentiation of Pinus mugo complex was verified using 31 populations of P. mugo sensu stricto, 11 of P. uncinata, five of P. uliginosa, one of the potential hybrids P. uliginosa × P. mugo and three of P. sylvestris, the latter as a control. The 22 morphological and anatomical needle characteristics were measured and statistically examined to describe the taxa and the population within the taxa differentiation. All the taxa of the P. mugo complex differed significantly from P. sylvestris in most of the verified needle characteristics. Within P. mugo complex, populations of P. uncinata were clearly distinguished from P. mugo s. s. The population of potential hybrid origin was the most similar to P. uliginosa. Populations of the latter taxon were strongly differentiated; some of them were closer to P. uncinata, and others to P. mugo s. s. Within the whole sampled data, three geographic groups of populations were detected: the first included P. uncinata and two of P. uliginosa, the second contained East and South Carpathian P. mugo s. s. with the presumed hybrid population, and the third contained all the other populations of P. mugo s. s. and P. uliginosa. Within P. mugo s. s. , the Sudetan populations formed a separate group. Pinus uncinata from the Pyrenees reflected a high level of differentiation. The marginal populations of this taxon (Cebollera, Gúdar, Massif Central) also differed from those in the Pyrenees. The phenotypic differentiation of taxa and populations appeared similar to that which was detected based on cpDNA markers.
Voltage controlled current source inverters

The authors present a fully functional voltage controlled current source inverter (VC-CSI) three-phase inverter that can closely track a given voltage reference signal and also provide various performance improvements. The adaptive SPWM control method has been used to force the output voltage to track the respective sinusoidal reference signals. The combination yields a general-purpose three-phase balanced voltage supply with precise frequency and voltage amplitude control. Moreover, it has the inherent regeneration and short circuit protection features associated with current source inverters. Key analysis/design results and performance features are verified on a 2 kVA experimental inverter-load prototype system. <<ETX>>
The effect of social facilitation on vigilance in the eastern gray kangaroo, Macropus giganteus

The relevance of vigilance activity to predator detection has been demonstrated in numerous studies. However, few studies have investigated the effect of one group member being vigilant on the probability of others being vigilant in group-forming prey species. Thus, we studied vigilance activity of eastern gray kangaroos Macropus giganteus that still experience occasional predation. We video recorded the behavior of all group members simultaneously and investigated the probability of a focal group member being vigilant (or nonvigilant) in relation to other individuals' vigilant and nonvigilant behaviors. Our results show that the decision of an individual to exhibit a vigilant posture depended on what it and other group members had been doing (scanning or foraging) at the preceding second and on group size. The probability of an individual being vigilant was positively affected by the proportion of companions that were vigilant at the previous second, confirming the existence in this species of a tendency for synchronization of individual vigilance. Group size affected individuals' vigilance in 3 ways. First, individuals were more likely to be vigilant if the proportion of their group mates that was vigilant was high, and this was strengthened with increasing group size. Second, the effect of the individual's own vigilance state (vigilant or not) at the previous second also increased with group size. Third, the probability of an individual being vigilant decreased with group size. These findings increase our understanding of the much-studied relationship between vigilance and group size. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
Parallel Rise and Fall of Melanic Peppered Moths in America and Britain

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is well known for the rapid rise in the frequency of alleles producing melanic phenotypes correlated with a general blackening of the environment following the nineteenth-century industrial revolution. In recent years the frequency of melanics has been dropping steadily in Britain in apparent response to improved air quality. Some regional American populations of this same species also experienced significant increases in melanics, by 1959 exceeding 90% in southeastern Michigan, but Michigan populations were not reexamined for over 30 years. In 1994 and 1995 we trapped moths in southeastern Michigan and here report that a parallel decline in melanism has occurred in American peppered moths. Furthermore, we document that changes in Michigan's air quality as measured by atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO2) and suspended particulates also parallel the changes recorded in Britain. The traditional interpretation is that pale phenotypes of peppered moths at rest by day on lichen-encrus ted trees are camouflaged from bird predators; industrial fallout kills lichens and darkens resting surfaces, favoring darker colored moths. However, the changes in allele frequencies in the moth populations we sampled have occurred in the absence of perceptible changes in the local lichen floras. We suggest that the role of lichens has been inappropriately emphasized in chronicles about the evolution of melanism in peppered moths. Industrial melanism in the Lepidoptera ranks among the best examples of observable evolution by natural selection. The most thoroughly documented case is that of the geometrid moth Biston betularia, with the fundamental details of its recent evolutionary history described in virtually every biology textbook. Its common name, "peppered" moth, describes the appearance of the so-called "typical" form or phenotype which is covered with white scales "peppered" with black over the wings and body. Several other pigmentation phenotypes are known. A melanic form, named carbonaria, is nearly solid black. Intermediates between the pale and fully melanic phenotypes are called insularia. The range in variation from lightest to darkest is continuous, but the phenotypic differences result from multiple alleles at a single locus which exhibit an approximate dominance hierarchy: the carbonaria allele shows complete dominance over the insularia and typical alleles, and
Incorporating Demographics into Discrete Choice Analyses

Discrete choice studies have been utilised extensively over the past three decades and applied to a broad range of experimental situations (McFadden 1974; Louviere & Woodworth 1983; Louviere et al. 2000; Sapede & Girod 2002). More specifically, Haaijer et al. (2001, p. 93) indicate that the popularity of discrete choice experiments is due to their ‘ability to mimic real market decisions’ on the part of consumers since the dependent variable for these types of research studies is consumer choice, as opposed to an overall rating or other evaluation measure. While discrete choice experiments have shown their value in terms of market share prediction, these approaches have not proved particularly helpful in terms of identifying or highlighting target audiences. That is, these methods have not typically been employed for identifying target segments for products and services, based on demographics. This is a real weakness given the nature of contemporary marketing (i.e. evolving from ‘broadcasting’ to ‘narrowcasting’) and the corresponding proliferation of cable channels and websites targeting relatively small audiences. Discrete choice experiments usually do not include demographics variables, or characteristics of individual respondents, because these components do not vary across the different alternatives in each choice scenario (Haaijer et al. 2001; Montgomery 2002; Train 2003). The primary objective of the current research is to address this methodological shortcoming and share a practical procedure that is designed to incorporate demographic variables in discrete choice experiments and related multinomial logit models. The prior research provides some guidance on this issue in theoretical terms (Hoffman & Duncan 1988), or is somewhat out of date (So & Kuhfeld 1995); however, the goal of the current study is to provide practical and up-to-date guidance on this important issue. In support of this objective, we use a classic transportation example (Daganzo 1979; SAS Version 9.1) that has been modified to include gender as a demographic variable.
Altitudinal patterns of seed plant richness in the Gaoligong Mountains, south‐east Tibet, China

Elevational patterns of species richness and their underlying mechanisms have long been a controversial issue in biodiversity and biogeographical research, and several hypotheses have been proposed in the past decades. Local and regional studies have suggested that area and geometric constraint are two of major factors affecting the elevational pattern of species richness. In this study, using data of seed plants and their distribution ranges and a Digital Elevation Model data set, we explored altitudinal patterns of seed plant richness and quantified the effects of area and the mid‐domain effect (MDE) on the richness patterns in a high mountain area, Gaoligong Mountains (ranging from 215 m to 5791 m a.s.l.) located in south‐eastern Tibet, China. The results showed that richness and density (richness/log‐transformed area) of seed plants at species, genus, and family levels all showed hump‐shaped patterns along the altitudinal gradient. The altitudinal changes in richness of species with three different range sizes (< 500 m, 500–1500 m, and > 1500 m), species of different plant life‐forms (trees, shrubs, and herbs), and endemic species further confirmed this finding. Analysis of Generalized Linear Model depicted that although the area of each elevational band was always in high correlation with the species richness, the MDE could explain 84.9%, 33.8%, 83.8%, and 84.5% of the total variation in richness for all species and the three species groups with different range sizes, respectively. This suggests that the MDE significantly influences the patterns of species richness and is likely be stronger for broad‐ranged species than for narrow‐ranged ones in the Gaoligong Mountains.