Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti-melanogenic properties of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) venom in α-MSH-stimulated B16F1 cells

Since ancient times, honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) venom (BV) has been applied to the skin as an anti-ageing remedy. To further access BV as an effective whitening agent for cosmetics and potential external treatment for topical use, we investigated its ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity and subsequent melanin biosynthesis. B16F1 melanoma cells were treated with 10 nM α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and then with various doses of BV. BV inhibited direct tyrosinase activity and cellular tyrosinase activity, which decreased melanin synthesis in α-MSH-stimulated B16F1 melanoma cells. In addition, we used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting for melanogenesis-related genes such as tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1 and TRP-2 to examine the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of BV on melanogensis. BV decreased the mRNA and protein expression of TRP-1 and TRP-2. These findings suggest that BV induced the downregulation of melanogenesis by inhibiting TRP-1 and TRP-2 activation.
Male-Male Agonistic Behavior and Ant-Mimicry in a Neotropical Richardiid (Diptera: Richardiidae)

The Richardiidae are acalyptrate dipterans about which very little is known. Here we describe male-male agonistic interactions and test a hypothesis of ant-mimicry in a new richardiid species in the genus Sepsisoma. Males of Sepsisoma sp. show several ritualized agonistic behaviors, with a clear escalation from simpler to more elaborate displays, which are described here in detail. We could distinguish four (not clearly discrete) behavioral stages during the escalation: Chase, Orientation, Leg display and Body raising. As the displays shifted from simpler to more elaborate, there was also a decrease in their relative frequency. Curiously, small males were by far the most aggressive, and most of their agonisms were directed to large males. The Sepsisoma flies in this study show a clear ant-like appearance, particularly resembling the formicine ant Camponotus crassus. We conducted laboratory experiments which support this hypothesis, providing the first experimental evidence that ant-like dipterans may deceive a potential predator.
Acyclic nucleoside analogues: methods for the preparation of 2′,3′-secoguanosine, 5′-deoxy-2′,3′-secoguanosine, and(R,S)-9-[1-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-2-hydroxyethyl]guanine

A high yielding, one-pot method for the preparation of 2′,3′-secoguanosines 5 and 6 by treatment of 5′-deoxyguanosine (4) and guanosine (2), respectively, with sodium periodate and then sodium borohydride is described. The final products 5 and 6 were purified from contaminating salts by passage of the reaction mixture over a column of activated charcoal. An additional acyclic derivative 14 was prepared in racemic form by an approach involving a novel condensation reaction. Alkylation of N2,9-diacetylguanine (8) with 2,3-dichlorotetrahydrofuran (7) resulted in selective N-9 alkylation to give adduct 9a. Compound 9a was deacylated with ammonium hydroxide to give 10, which was monomethoxytritylated to 11. Elimination of hydrogen chloride from 11 using potassium tert-butoxide afforded 12, which was reacted with OsO4–NaIO4 followed by treatment with NaBH4 to give 13, which was then deprotected with acid to 14. Compounds 5, 6, 14, and 16 were tested in vitro against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 and were f.
Long-term patterns in the decay, collapse, and abundance of trees with hollows in the mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of Victoria, southeastern Australia

Large trees with hollows are an important component of stand structural complexity worldwide. Understanding their population dynamics is needed to manage cavity-dependent biota. We quantified long-term rates of collapse of 302 measured trees with hollows in 1939-aged regrowth mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell.) forest in southeastern Australia. We identified time-dependent dynamics in which the collapse rates of trees slowed from ∼4% annually between 1983 and 1993 to ∼2.2% between 1993 and 2007. Transitions of trees between different decay states (forms) also slowed over time. Nevertheless, during the 24-year period of our study, over half of our marked and measured trees had fallen, but there was no recruitment of new trees with hollows. Under current projections, few trees with hollows will occur on our field sites by ∼2050, although more had been forecast in earlier investigations. Such a paucity of trees with hollows in extensive areas of regrowth mountain ash forests will lead to a shortage o.
Vocational educators' professional learning activities and workplace affordances

This paper presents insights from a recent study in which 17 instructors in an institute for post-secondary vocational education were interviewed regarding their professional learning activities. More specifically, the study focused on the prompt for learning, the topic of learning, the level of reflection involved, and the extent of self-directedness of the learning activities. The findings show that instructor learning is for a large part focused on developing skills in teaching their specific subject matter, is often prompted by events in the workplace, is not self-directed, and is mostly accompanied by action-oriented reflection. The paper seeks to explain these findings by discussing the nature of learning required to master teaching in an institute of vocational education, using Ellstrom's (2011) theory of adaptive and developmental learning. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.
Synthesis and Reactivity of Bicycles Derived from Tartaric Acid and α-Amino Acids: A Novel Class of Conformationally Constrained Dipeptide Isosteres Based upon Enantiopure 3-Aza-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-7-carboxylic Acid

3-Aza-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2. 1]octane-7-carboxylic acids (named BTAa) derived from (R,R)-, (S,S)-, or meso-tartaric acid and natural (l), unnatural (d), or unusual α-amino acids are described as conformationally constrained dipeptide isosteres. The general strategy developed for their preparation has required the trasformation of the amino acids into the corresponding N-benzylamino alcohols, followed by the PyBroP-promoted condensation with the monomethyl ester of the suitable 2,3-di-O-isopropylidenetartaric acid. Oxidation of the hydroxy group to aldheyde and subsequent acid-catalyzed trans-acetalization with the two hydroxy groups of the tartaric acid moiety provided 3-aza-2-oxo-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2. 1]octane-7-carboxylic acid methyl esters [named BTAa(O)] in good yield and, in most cases, as single enantiopure diastereoisomers. This strategy has been applied to the preparation of BTAa(O) starting from (R,R)-, (S,S)-, or meso-tartaric acid and glycine, l- and d-phenylalanine, l- and d-alanine, and (±)-phen.
Survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes on lettuce as influenced by shredding, chlorine treatment, modified atmosphere packaging and temperature.

The effects of shredding, chlorine treatment and modified atmosphere packaging on survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes, mesophilic aerobes, psychrotrophs and yeasts and molds on lettuce stored at 5°C and 10°C were determined. With the exception of shredded lettuce which had not been chlorine treated, no significant changes in populations of L. monocytogenes were detected during the first 8 days of incubation at 5°C; significant increases occurred between 8 and 15 days. Significant increases occurred within 3 days when lettuce was stored at 10°C; after 10 days, populations reached 108-109 CFU/g. Chlorine treatment, modified atmosphere (3% O2, 97% N2) and shredding did not influence growth of L. monocytogenes. It was concluded that L. monocytogenes is capable of growing on lettuce subjected to commonly used packaging and distribution procedures used in the food industry.
The consequences of demand‐driven seed provisioning for sexual differences in reproductive investment in Thalictrum occidentale (Ranunculaceae)

Many iteroparous angiosperms may benefit from flexible annual resource allocation in response to variable reproductive opportunities induced by external conditions. If maximal reproductive investment is fixed, lack of reproductive sinks would cause resource redistribution to other sinks. Alternatively, reproductive investment may vary depending on the demand of reproductive sinks, changing source–sink relations. In particular, differential responses by males and females to the demands of flower and seed production may cause sexual dimorphism. We assess the occurrence of demand‐driven seed allocation by females and its implications for sexual differences in reproductive investment, including the dynamics of mass and carbon allocation and the physiological cost of reproduction, for a dioecious, perennial herb, Thalictrum occidentale. We specifically quantified allocation responses to partial defoliation, which reduced current resource supply, and partial flower/fruit removal, which reduced the aggregate demand of reproductive sinks. During flowering, males preferentially invested carbon and mass in flowers at the expense of vegetative organs, whereas females allocated less mass to flowers and invested more in new rhizome production for future performance than males. In contrast, during early fruiting, both sexes had new rhizomes of similar size and a doubling of reproductive mass by females after flowering resulted in similar total reproductive investment for both sexes. Manipulation of the source–sink balance did not influence carbon allocation, except that partial fruit removal increased new rhizome mass compared with intact plants. Females with many fertilized ovules invested proportionally more in seed number and mass per seed than females with few fertilized ovules, indicating both demand‐driven seed maturation and its elimination of seed size‐number trade‐off. Furthermore, males consistently exhibited size‐dependent flower production, whereas females exhibited size‐dependent flower production only if they had not reproduced during the previous year. Synthesis. This study demonstrates that sexual differences in policies of reproductive investment and the timing of the physiological costs of reproduction impose contrasting allocation schedules. Males invested in reproduction proportionally with their size, whereas females invested flexibly in seeds in response to the demand of developing embryos. Thus, the contrasting certainty and timing of reproductive resource requirements between the sexes contribute to sexual dimorphism.
Tight Bell inequalities from polytope slices

We derive new tight bipartite Bell inequalities for various scenarios. A bipartite Bell scenario $(X,Y,A,B)$ is defined by the numbers of settings and outcomes per party, $X$, $A$ and $Y$, $B$ for Alice and Bob, respectively. We derive the complete set of facets of the local polytopes of $(6,3,2,2)$, $(3,3,3,2)$, $(3,2,3,3)$, and $(2,2,3,5)$. We provide extensive lists of facets for $(2,2,4,4)$, $(3,3,4,2)$ and $(4,3,3,2)$. For each inequality we compute the maximum quantum violation, the resistance to noise, and the minimal symmetric detection efficiency required to close the detection loophole, for qubits, qutrits and ququarts. Based on these results, we identify scenarios which perform better in terms of visibility, resistance to noise, or both, when compared to CHSH. Such scenarios could find important applications in quantum communication.
Chromosomal Studies in Brazilian Anurans

SUMMARYThe karyotypes and male meiosis of nine Hylidae and one Microhylidae are described. Those are: Hylidae — Hyla raniceps (2 n = 24), Phrynohyas venulosa (2 n = 24), Hyla crepitans (2 n=24), Hyla polytaenia (2 n=24), Hyla minuta (2 n=30), Hyla rubicundula (2 n=30), Hyla nana (2 n= 30), Hyla fuscomarginata (2 n=24), Hyla trachytorax (2 n = 24); Microhylidae — Dermatonotus mulleri (2 n=22). Male and female karyotypes are identical. The spermatocytes I of eight species exhibited ring bivalents with terminal chiasmata. Interstitial chiasmata were observed in H. rubicundula and H. nana. No bivalent suggested by its morphology or behavior the presence of heteromorphic sex chromosomes.A male specimen of H. trachytorax (2 n=24) showed in its gonads mitosis with 24 and with 25 chromosomes and metaphases I both with 12 bivalents and with 12 bivalents and one univalent.The association between high diploid numbers and numbers of acrocentrics found in Hylidae suggests that the mechanism of centric fusions occurred.
The Development of the Weberian ossicles and Anterior Vertebrae in the Goldfish

The study of the development of the anterior part of the vertebral column in the goldfish, Carassius auratus (L), presents an interesting problem on account of the modification associated with the presence of the Weberian ossicles. Although much descriptive and anatomical work has been done on the Weberian ossicles, the early stages of their development have been described only by Nusbaum (1881) in the carp and by Matveiev (1929) in the rudd, who are by no means wholly in agreement with regard to the method of origin. Some difference of opinion also exists with regard to the existence of separate intercalary elements in the anterior part of the vertebral column of teleosts. In this investigation of the development of the anterior vertebrae and Weberian ossicles of the goldfish it has been my endeavour to elucidate these points.
MANSA: Learning Fast and Slow in Multi-Agent Systems

In multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), independent learning (IL) often shows remarkable performance and easily scales with the number of agents. Yet, using IL can be inefficient and runs the risk of failing to successfully train, particularly in scenarios that require agents to coordinate their actions. Using centralised learning (CL) enables MARL agents to quickly learn how to coordinate their behaviour but employing CL everywhere is often prohibitively expensive in real-world applications. Besides, using CL in value-based methods often needs strong representational constraints (e.g. individual-global-max condition) that can lead to poor performance if violated. In this paper, we introduce a novel plug&play IL framework named Multi-Agent Network Selection Algorithm (MANSA) which selectively employs CL only at states that require coordination. At its core, MANSA has an additional agent that uses switching controls to quickly learn the best states to activate CL during training, using CL only where necessary and vastly reducing the computational burden of CL. Our theory proves MANSA preserves cooperative MARL convergence properties, boosts IL performance and can optimally make use of a fixed budget on the number CL calls. We show empirically in Level-based Foraging (LBF) and StarCraft Multi-agent Challenge (SMAC) that MANSA achieves fast, superior and more reliable performance while making 40% fewer CL calls in SMAC and using CL at only 1% CL calls in LBF.
Impact of continuous or interrupted leaf wetness on infection of chickpea by Ascochyta rabiei

Ascochyta blight of chickpea increases rapidly under conditions that are too dry for many other foliar pathogens. The impact of leaf wetness (continuous vs. interrupted) and spore density on infection of chickpea by Ascochyta rabiei were investigated under controlled conditions. Disease severity and lesion number increased with increasing wetness period (12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 h) and spore density (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 × 105 conidia·mL–1). The time required for symptom development decreased with increasing wetness period and spore density. Ascochyta blight developed even when inoculated seedlings were subjected to a 24-h interruption in leaf wetness prior to infection. Timing of the drying event had an impact on subsequent disease severity. Disease severity was substantially reduced by a dry period at 2, 4, or 6 h postinoculation, but was affected only slightly by drying after 8 h or more of incubation. Microscopic examination of conidia germinating on leaves showed that the conidia had begun to swell, but had not yet formed germ tubes in the period between 4 and 6 h when they were most vulnerable to drying. The ability of conidia to withstand intermittent dry periods observed in these trials may contribute to the success of the pathogen in the field. An inoculation protocol (20 °C, 48-h wetness period, 2 × 105 conidia·mL–1) for use in controlled environments was developed as part of this study, and has been used with success in subsequent trials.
Distribution, abundance, and size composition of phytoplankton off Westland, New Zealand, February 1982

Abstract In late summer 1982 an intense dinoflagellate bloom occurred close inshore off West‐land, New Zealand. This bloom was essentially made up of a monospecific surface population of Prorocentrum micans. This species alone accounted for 92–98% of integrated phytoplankton cell carbon (PPC) close inshore. Dinoflagellates also formed the largest proportion of PPC further offshore, except off Karamea Bight where phytoflagellates predominated. Diatoms were most plentiful close inshore off Wanganui Bluff, coincident with the elevation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in upwelled water. There was a general shift in the predominant phytoplankton size class from 25–30 μm nearshore to 0–5 μm further offshore. The size fractionation of chlorophyll a also showed a marked onshore‐offshore relationship — the proportion of 5–20 μm (nanoplankton) and 20–200 μm (microplankton) fractions decreased dramatically seawards while the proportion of 0.2–5 μm (picoplankton) fraction increased progressively seawards. Close insho.
Sperm competition in Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae): a comparison of two methods used to estimate paternity

Abstract. 1 This study investigates sperm competition in Cullosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), and is the first study to make a direct, controlled comparison of the sterile male and genetic marker techniques to estimate sperm precedence. 2 P2 values (the proportion of offspring fathered by the second male) obtained from the two methods were similar: P2 (sterile male) = 0.82, P2 (genetic marker) = 0.85. Both methods are therefore suitable for studying sperm precedence if the appropriate correction factors are applied. 3 The importance of general fertilization ability, differential fertilizing capacity and differential zygote mortality are examined and discussed.
Flowering and Fruiting Patterns in a Subtropical Rain Forest, Taiwan

Reproductive patterns of tropical and temperate plants are usually associated with climatic seasonality, such as rainfall or temperature, and with their phylogeny. It is still unclear, however, whether plant reproductive phenology is influenced by climatic factors and/or phylogeny in aseasonal subtropical regions. The plant reproductive phenology of a subtropical rain forest in northern Taiwan (24°45′ N, 121°35′ E) was monitored at weekly intervals during a 7‐yr period (2002–2009). The flowering patterns of 46 taxa and fruiting patterns of 26 taxa were examined and evaluated in relation to climatic seasonality, phylogenetic constraints, and different phenophases. Our results indicated that most of the studied species reproduced annually. Additionally, both community‐wide flowering and fruiting patterns exhibited distinct annual rhythms and varied little among years. The community flowering peak matched seasonal changes in day length, temperature, and irradiance; while the community fruiting peak coincided with an increase in bird richness and the diet‐switching of resident omnivorous birds. In addition, phylogenetically closely related species tended to reproduce during the same periods of a year. Neither the mean flowering dates nor seasonal variation in solar radiation, however, was related to the fruit development times. Our results indicate the importance of abiotic, biotic, and evolutionary factors in determining the reproductive phenology in this subtropical forest.
Lactobacillus plantarum, an organism not requiring iron

Iron is a required co-factor for such a variety of basic biochemical mechanisms that it is generally accepted that all living organisms have an absolute requirement for the metal [1]. Interest in the acquisition and role of Fe in biological systems has been high in recent years due both to the sophisticated Fe acquisition mechanisms demonstrated [2], and to mounting evidence that the ability to acquire host Fe is a virulence factor for many microbia l pathogens [3]. In the course of investigations on oxygen toxicity and the role of manganese in Lactobacillus plantarum, the organism's intracellular Fe concentration and nutritional Fe requirements were briefly assessed and found to be undetectable by the methods employed [4]. As complete lack of an Fe requirement would be both biologically unique and probably important in understanding the organism's unusual oxygen detoxifying mechanisms [4,5], the present study was performed.
Incidental catch and discard of red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, in a large mesh Paralichthyidae gillnet fishery: experimental evaluation of a fisher's experience at limiting bycatch

The ability of a commercial fisher to limit red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus), bycatch was evaluated by comparing the catch of directed sets (net site chosen by the commercial fisher) vs randomly placed gillnets during 70 days of gillnetting (n ¼ 691 sets). Catch rate did not differ between directed sets and nets set randomly. Thus, fisher experience did not lead to reduced bycatch; however, this may have been influenced by overall low red drum bycatch (0.41 fish net )1 for 12 h sets and 0.59 fish net )1 for 24 h sets). Catch rates of southern flounder were much higher at 3.97 and 3.37 fish net )1 for 12 h and 24 h sets, respectively. Fishing 10 nets per day, the catch of red drum exceeded the daily bag limit of seven red drum on 23% of the days. Of the 326 red drum retrieved from gillnets, 32.5% were dead at the time of retrieval; but only 15 of the 106 dead red drum had to be discarded due to size limits, and six were discarded dead based on bag limits. Current fisheries management regulations (bag limit and window limit of 457-686 mm) are supported by these findings given the conditions (e.g. red drum densities) at which the study was performed.
Spatiotemporal Distribution and Population Characteristics of a Nonnative Lake Trout Population, with Implications for Suppression

Abstract We evaluated the distribution and population characteristics of nonnative lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana, to provide biological data in support of a potential suppression program. Using ultrasonic telemetry, we identified spatial and temporal distribution patterns by tracking 36 adult lake trout (1,137 relocations). Lake trout rarely occupied depths greater than 30 m and were commonly located in the upper hypolimnion directly below the metalimnion during thermal stratification. After breakdown of the metalimnion in the fall, lake trout primarily aggregated at two spawning sites. Lake trout population characteristics were similar to those of populations within the species’ native range. However, lake trout in Lake McDonald exhibited lower total annual mortality (13.2%), later maturity (age 12 for males, age 15 for females), lower body condition, and slower growth than are typically observed in the southern extent of their range. These results will .