Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the limits of Köhler activation theory: how do collision and coalescence affect the activation of aerosols?

Abstract. Activation is necessary to form a cloud droplet from an aerosol, and it is widely accepted that it occurs as soon as a wetted aerosol grows beyond its critical radius. Traditional Kohler theory assumes that this growth is driven by the diffusion of water vapor. However, if the wetted aerosols are large enough, the coalescence of two or more particles is an additional process for accumulating sufficient water for activation. This transition from diffusional to collectional growth marks the limit of traditional Kohler theory and it is studied using a Lagrangian cloud model in which aerosols and cloud droplets are represented by individually simulated particles within large-eddy simulations of shallow cumuli. It is shown that the activation of aerosols larger than 0. 1 µm in dry radius can be affected by collision and coalescence, and its contribution increases with a power-law relation toward larger radii and becomes the only process for the activation of aerosols larger than 0. 4–0. 8 µm depending on aerosol concentration. Due to the natural scarcity of the affected aerosols, the amount of aerosols that are activated by collection is small, with a maximum of 1 in 10 000 activations. The fraction increases as the aerosol concentration increases, but decreases again as the number of aerosols becomes too high and the particles too small to cause collections. Moreover, activation by collection is found to affect primarily aerosols that have been entrained above the cloud base.
Diet, feeding behaviour and habitat utilisation of the blue stingray Dasyatis chrysonota (Smith, 1828) in South African waters

Analysis of stomach contents for Dasyatis chrysonota revealed that diet varied with size and habitat. The diet of all size classes in the surf zone was comprised primarily of Callianassa spp. , Donax spp. and unidentified polychaete species. The medium and large size classes fed primarily on Donax spp. , whereas the very large size class fed mainly on Callianassa spp. Polychaetes were of secondary importance as prey for the medium size class. The diet of D. chrysonota in the nearshore zone consisted mainly of Balanoglossus capensis and Callianassa spp. Balanoglossus capensis decreased from an index of relative importance (IRI) of 75.3% for the medium size class to 59.9% for the very large size class, whereas Callianassa spp. increased from 22.8% to 39.4% between the medium and the very large size classes. The offshore zone was the only area in which small size class D. chrysonota were caught. The diet of these small D. chrysonota was primarily polychaetes and amphipods. Polychaetes increased in importance in the medium size class, but declined in each successively larger size class. Conversely, Pterygosquilla armata capensis became the single most important prey item for the very large size class, comprising an IRI of 50.9%. The behaviour pattern used by D. chrysonota to locate and extract prey is described.
Regulation of renin gene expression by CTCF, Nr2f2, Nr2f6, Nr4a1 and maintenance of the renin expressing cell

The renin angiotensin system (RAS) is critical for the regulation of blood pressure, electrolyte/fluid, and metabolic homeostasis. Regulation of the RAS is important in the development and treatment of hypertension. As part of the rate-limiting step in a cascade of events ending in the production of angiotensin II, renin is a major regulator of the RAS. Its expression is localized to the juxtaglomerular (JG) cells of the JG apparatus where it is exquisitely located to respond to various physiological cues. Understanding the regulation of renin expression and development of the juxtaglomerular cells is critical. Two regulatory elements, the enhancer and proximal promoter, have been found to be important in controlling celland tissuespecific baseline expression of the renin gene. Within the enhancer is a hormone response element (HRE) which confers a high level of activity to the enhancer. Nuclear receptors that bind this element have been found to bind the HRE and regulate renin promoter transcriptional activity. We have previously characterized the role of the orphan nuclear receptor Nr2f6 as a negative regulator of renin expression that mediates its effects through the HRE. However, gel shift assays indicate that there are other transcription factors binding this element. We have identified other orphan nuclear receptors that regulate renin expression. The first, Nr2f2 acts as a negative regulator of renin promoter activity but does not appear to affect baseline expression of the endogenous renin gene. The other, Nr4a1, is a positive regulator of renin expression, but it does not appear to mediate its effects through the HRE. The transcriptional regulation of gene expression is controlled by regulatory elements separated by large distances from promoters. We and others have found that short transgenes of the human renin (hREN) locus are not sufficient to protect them from positional effects that can be exerted upon them by neighboring regulatory elements. We discovered a random truncation in a large genomic construct of the hREN gene that
The role of the transcription factor klf2a in vascular biology

Introduction: The zinc-finger transcription factor Krϋppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) transduces physical forces of blood flow into molecular signals responsible for a wide range of biological responses. KLF2 maintains a healthy, quiescent endothelial phenotype. I studied the expression and function of the zebrafish KLF2 ortholog klf2a in vascular biology. Materials and Methods: Expression patterns of genes were observed using Whole- mount in situ hybridisation (WISH) technique. Relative expressions of genes were investigated using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT- qPCR). Particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) method was used to measure blood flow velocities. Blood flow in zebrafish embryos was manipulated genetically and pharmacologically. Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALEN) were used to generate a stable klf2a mutant line. Western blot, mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation techniques were used in Klf2a protein studies. klf2a mutant lines were crossed with several transgenic reporter lines to study the role of klf2a in vascular development and transcription. Results: I reproduced and extended previous studies of spatial and temporal klf2a expression patterns. I confirmed that this expression is dependent on blood flow. Morpholino-mediated klf2a knockdown was used to study the roles of klf2a in regulation of other previously identified flow-dependent genes. klf2a mutants were generated and phenotyped. The mutant phenotype was compared to the one seen in klf2a MO morphants.
Infecção natural por trinta e quatro helmintos da espécie Dioctophyma renale (Goeze, 1782) em um cão.

Um cao de aproximadamente dois anos de idade, pesando 8 quilos foi recebido no Hospital Veterinario do Campus Universitario II da PUCRS apresentando sintomatologia nervosa caracteristica de cinomose, sendo entao eutanasiado e necropsiado. Durante a necropsia, foram encontrados vinte e oito exemplares do parasita da especie Dioctophyma renale livres na cavidade abdominal e seis no interior da capsula renal do rim direito, chegando ao total de 34 exemplares. Palavras-chave: Dioctophyma renale, cao, Nematoda, Enoplida ABSTRACT An approximately two year-old dog and weighing 8 kilos was admitted to the Veterinary Hospital of Campus II of PUCRS. The animal presented characteristic nervous symptoms of distemper. It was accomplished euthanasy and necropsy. In the necropsy, twenty-eight parasites of the species Dioctophyma renale were found in the abdominal cavity and six inside the renal capsule of the right kidney. A total of 34 parasites were found. Key Words: Dioctophyma renale, dog, Nematoda, Enoplida
Ileal and total tract digestibility in growing pigs given cassava root meal diets with inclusion of cassava leaves, leucaena leaves and groundnut foliage

Growing pigs fitted with post-valve T-caecum cannulas were used in a change-over design experiment (5 ✕ 5) to determine the ileal and total tract apparent digestibility and hindgut disappearance of dietary components and energy in a cassava root and soya-bean meal-based diet with an inclusion rate at 0·15 of the dry matter (DM) of either cassava leaf meal, ensiled cassava leaves, groundnut foliage, or leucaena leaves. The ileal and total tract apparent digestibilities of organic matter (OM), crude protein, nitrogen-free extractives and energy of the diets were significantly reduced with inclusion of the foliages (P < 0·05). The digestibility of neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) and crude fibre was improved when groundnut foliage was included in the diet (P < 0·05). The dietary content of NDF was a better predictor of the total tract digestibility of OM (R2 = 0·87) and energy (R2 = 0·90) than the content of crude fibre (R2 = 0·68 for OM digestibility and R2 = 0·72 for energy digestibility). The disappearance of OM and energy in the hindgut of the foliage diets was 0·36 (s.d. 0·02) and 0·31 (s.d. 0·02), respectively, which was significantly lower (P < 0·05) than on the control diet (0·48 and 0·46, respectively). Ileal as well as total tract digestibilities of OM in groundnut foliage were higher than for the other leaf products (ileal, 0·55 and 0·42; and total tract, 0·64 and 0·55, respectively). For foliage products of cassava and leucaena an average digestible energy value of 11·4 MJ/kg DM was calculated, whereas for groundnut foliage the corresponding value was 10·9 MJ/kg DM. It was concluded that, inclusion of foliages in pig diets will reduce the dietary energy content, due to a high fibre content. However, under tropical conditions foliage at low levels of inclusion may be useful in low fibre diets for growing pigs to improve the dietary protein supply.
Biosystematic studies of conifer-feeding Choristoneura (Lepidoptera:Tortricidae) in the western United States

Forest defoliators of the Spruce Budworm complex are the most extensively studied moths in the world, yet taxonomic relationships among western populations have been poorly understood. This work distinguishes species groups using a three-dimensional definition-reproductive isolation through intraspecific recognition (pheromone chemistry and correlated behavior), ecological separation (larval hosts), and morphometric analysis of adultswhere traditional study of museum specimens failed. "
Sympatric sister species in rodents are more chromosomally differentiated than allopatric ones: implications for the role of chromosomal rearrangements in speciation

A meta-analysis approach was used to test for chromosomal speciation in rodents. Forty-one pairs of sister species, identified in the two most species-rich rodent families (Cricetidae and Muridae), were used as phylogenetically independent data points, each resulting from a speciation event. About 30% of sister species have an identical karyotype. There was a significant difference in the number of chromosomal differences between sympatric and allopatric sister species, compatible with a direct role of chromosomal rearrangements in speciation.
Breeding biology of two sympatric coots with contrasting conservation status

Capsule Red-knobbed Coots Fulica cristata and Common Coots Fulica atra have similar breeding biology except in chick survival, which was significantly lower in Red-knobbed Coots. Aims To provide information on the breeding biology of Red-knobbed Coots in Spain and to compare this with similar data for Common Coots. Methods During two consecutive breeding seasons, clutch size, egg size, brood size and chick survival of Red-knobbed and Common Coots were studied in nearly all of the lagoons in which Red-knobbed Coots were breeding. Results Clutch size was similar in the two species. Egg volume varied between years within species. Both species had similar brood sizes but chick survival differed significantly, being lower in Red-knobbed Coots (36% and 55% in 2002 and 2003, respectively) than in Common Coots (93% and 91% in 2002 and 2003, respectively). The number of fledglings per pair was lower in Red-knobbed Coots (0.9 and 2.1 in 2002 and 2003, respectively) than in Common Coots (2.2 and 3.0 in 2002 and 2003, respectively). Conclusion The disparity in productivity between Red-knobbed and Common Coots in the lagoons of southern Spain is mainly due to differential chick survival rates. These differences could be the key factor that has led to their currently different conservation status in Spain.
Distribution and genetic divergence of two parapatric sibling ant species in Central Europe

The two sibling ant species Temnothorax nylanderi and Temnothorax crassispinus are widely distributed throughout deciduous forests in Europe. Their resemblance in morphology and similar ecological requirements suggest that they evolved from the same ancestral species in different glacial refugia and re-immigrated into Central Europe after the last ice age. Here, we show that the two species are parapatrically distributed in south-eastern Germany and hybridize along a narrow contact zone close to the continental divide. Phylogeographical data based on the mitochondrial genes cytochrome oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b suggest that the dominant haplotypes for T. nylanderi and T. crassispinus might have diverged already 1.5–2 Mya. Intraspecific variability is extremely low in both species, which might be explained by severe bottlenecks during rapid postglacial expansion into Central Europe.
Dimensões de bulbo molhado na irrigação por gotejamento superficial

Information on the geometry of wetted soil volume under trickle irrigation is important for design and operation of this irrigation system, and also for the management of the irrigation. For this, six experiments were installed in different soils with the objective of evaluate the dimensions of the wetted bulb as function of emitter discharged and water application time, using the power model. It was concluded that the wetted bulb dimensions can be predicted satisfactorily using the power model for all the soils tested.
Mammals of Britain & Europe

A definitive field guide to over 230 species of mammal found in Europe and the surrounding seas Do you know the difference between a rabbit and a hare, a red deer and a roe deer, or a killer whale and a long-finned pilot whale? Do you know how to tell a red fox print from a dog's? Through a combination of detailed text and elaborate full-colour illustrations and line drawings, Field Guide Mammals will show you how to identify species as quickly and accurately as possible. Not only does it detail the field signs you are likely to find - from tracks to droppings, to midden and hollow tree trunks - it also contains all the biological and taxonomic information you need to positively identify each species. Each entry includes: * Detailed species descriptions and recognition tips * Information on colour and form * Habitat descriptions and information on where and when you're likely to spot the animal * Species measurements to aid identification and comparison * Maximum recorded lifespan and details of breeding and behaviour There is also extensive information which is aimed at giving readers an insight into how the animals live, such as how crested porcupine adults keep their young warm by crushing them between the parents; how many baby seals actually moult while still inside the mother and why the red fox can cause such destruction. With maps showing range and distribution plus 64 colour plates containing over 600 individual paintings, Field Guide Mammals is an indispensable guide for any naturalist wanting to learn about the fascinating world of mammals and study them in the wild.
Milk Products and Eggs: Fourth Supplement to McCance and Widdowson's the Composition of Foods

This supplement provides information on the nutrient composition of milk, milk products and eggs consumed in the UK. It updates specific food groups in the official UK food composition tables and calculates the nutrient content of actual and recommended diets, recipes and menus. The main tables listed contain 46 nutrient columns which include retinol, carotene and unsaturated, mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol. Further tables cover dietary fibre and retinol fractions. The book includes the results of food analyses commissioned by the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, together with information from food manufacturers.
Factors affecting black rhino monitoring in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

The black rhino in Africa is slowly recovering from poaching. This has been achieved in part by maintaining ongoing monitoring as part of intensive protection and biological management. However, the efficacy of population monitoring methods has not been assessed. Rhino surveillance records and rainfall data were used to determine which ecological and operational factors affected monthly rhino sightings by vehicle patrols in Masai Mara, Kenya. Comparisons of sightings capture rates using different ground-based and aerial methods were also conducted. Stepwise multiple regression revealed a model (adjusted R-2 = 0.66) predicting monthly rhino sightings with four significant factors; number of patrols, rhino population size, rainfall over the previous 2 months and a dummy variable for the month of August. The latter two variables represent the negative effects of long grass growth and the annual wildebeest migration on rhino sightings, and result in seasonal deficiencies in monitoring. During vehicle patrols, 51% of sightings were made whilst moving, and 49% were made whilst stationary and scanning with binoculars, although sightings capture rate was an order of magnitude higher when stationary. Equally, sightings capture rate from hot air balloons was twice that during vehicle-based patrols, although with less accuracy of identification. The introduction of foot patrols would increase patrol cost-effectiveness and fill seasonal troughs, thereby providing better all-round surveillance.
The effect of a neighbouring conspecific versus the use of a mirror for the control of stereotypic weaving behaviour in the stabled horse

Weaving behaviour involves the repetitive lateral swaying of the head, neck, forequarters and sometimes hindquarters of the horse and is generally believed to be indicative of poor welfare. The behaviour of six known weavers was recorded three times a day for 5 days in each of three different stable designs. These were a conventional loose-box, a conventional loose-box with a 1 m2 acrylic mirror and a conventional loose-box in which there was a grilled 1 m2 side window separating the resident horse from a non-weaving conspecific in an adjacent stable. Weaving and other stereotypic behaviours were significantly higher in the unmodified stable and during the late afternoon observation period. There was no significant difference in the amount of stereotypic behaviour recorded in the two modified stables. Significant differences in the behaviour patterns and location of horses during the study suggest that activity engaging with either a visual image of a horse or a hay net is associated with a reduction in weaving and other repetitive activities in the stabled horse.
Gene Regulation: A Eukaryotic Perspective

Part 1 Tissue-specific expression of proteins and messenger RNAs: tissue-specific expression of proteins and of messenger RNAs. Part 2 the DNA of different cell types is similar in both amount and type: DNA loss DNA amplification DNA rearrangement. Part 3 Regulation at transcription: levels of gene regulation evidence for transcriptional regulation regulation at transcriptional elongation. Part 4 Post-transcriptional regulation: regulation after transcription? regulation of RNA splicing regulation of RNA transport and of RNA stability regulation of translation. Part 5 Transcriptional control - chromatin structure: commitment to the differentiated state and its stability chromatin structure changes in chromatin structure in active or potentially active genes other changes in DNA and its associated proteins in active or potentially active genes DNaseI hypersensitive sites in active or potentially active genes. Part 6 Transcriptional control - DNA sequence elements short sequence elements located within or adjacent to the gene promoter enhancers role of repeated sequences regulation of transcription by RNA polymerases I and III. Part 7 Transcriptional control - transcription factors: DNA binding by transcription factors activation of transcription what activates the activators? Part 8 Gene regulation and cancer: proto-oncogenes elevated expression of oncogenes transcription factors as oncogenes. Part 9 Conclusions and future prospects.
Patterns of morphological evolution in major groups of Palaeozoic Temnospondyli (Amphibia: Tetrapoda)

A maximum parsimony analysis of a data matrix including 42 temnospondyl species and 14 outgroup species coded for 246 characters results in eight shortest trees. Temnospondyls emerge as two distinct radiations: one includes edopoids and eryopoids-basal archegosauriforms; the other includes dissorophoids and dvinosaurs. Both receive low statistical support. The branching pattern of dissorophoids remains elusive and is obscured by recurrent homoplasies. The two Micropholis morphs appear as sister taxa near the base of the dissorophoid clade. Perryella is either placed as sister taxon to dvinosaurs or nested within them. Temnospondyls such as the genera Balanerpeton and Dendrerpeton occur close to the node that subtends the dvinosaur–dissorophoid separation. Disparity analysis using Principal Coordinate Analysis of both Manhattan and Euclidean intertaxon distance matrices reveals that all major temnospondyl groups are widely separated in morphospace. Levels of disparity are comparable in the various clades examined, but the dvinosaurs tend to be morphologically more diverse than other groups when variance-derived metrics are used. For range-derived metrics, dissorophoids are more disparate than other groups. Overall disparity is similar in edopopids and eryopoids-basal archegosauriforms, as is in dissorophoids and dvinosaurs. However, the latter two groups are invariably slightly more disparate than the former two.
Effects of pond drying on morphological and life-history traits in the anuran Rhinella spinulosa (Anura: Bufonidae)

Question: How does the duration of temporary ponds affect the morphological attributes and life-history traits of post-metamorphic amphibians? Organism: The anuran Rhinella spinulosa of the Andes range of central Chile. This species reproduces in temporary and permanent ponds and is subject to different desiccation regimes. Time and place: Between October 2006 and January 2007 near Farellones (3320S, 7018W; 2331 m above sea level). Methods: A natural experiment in ponds with three desiccation regimes: (1) high, (2) medium, and (3) low. We measured life-history traits (development rate, metamorph size, and time to metamorphosis) in 252 individuals collected from each desiccation regime. Nine morphometric measurements were made on each toadlet collected. Results: Tadpoles from ponds with high and medium desiccation reached metamorphosis at an earlier age and at a smaller size than individuals in the low desiccation regime. Post-metamorphic individuals from ponds with low desiccation also had longer hindlimbs and larger values for head measurements. Conclusion: According to these results, environmental heterogeneity promotes phenotypic variation in both morphology and life-history traits in Rhinella spinulosa.