Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conditions favoring group living in web-building spiders in an extreme desert environment.

Colonial spiders construct individual capture webs within a matrix of shared supporting frame threads. Cyrtophora citricola is a colonial orb-weaving spider with a complex three-dimensional web. Colonies may contain a few to several hundred individuals, but individuals may also occur solitarily. Local conditions such as food supply and substrate availability are likely to influ ence colony formation. In this study we explored the influence of local condi tions and dispersal behavior on colony establishment in a desert population of C. citricola in the hyper-arid Arava Valley in Israel. Colonies in the Arava occur primarily on scattered Acacia trees and less commonly on shrubs. The spatial distribution of colonies was clustered and was not influenced by the condition of the Acacia trees (leaf flush, flowering, or fruiting). In a controlled experiment, we showed that dispersing spiders remained longer and built webs faster in trees that contained conspecific webs than in trees without webs. We propose that spiders benefit from establishing webs in the proxim ity of other spiders, while dispersal to another tree may not result in arrival at an improved habitat. These two factors may promote colony living even in prey-poor environments such as the extreme desert.
Association of TIM-1 (T-Cell Immunoglobulin and Mucin Domain 1) With Incidence of Stroke

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate if there is a causal relationship between circulating levels of TIM-1 (T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 1) and incidence of stroke. Approach and Results: Plasma TIM-1 was analyzed in 4591 subjects (40% men; mean age, 57.5 years) attending the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study. Incidence of stroke was studied in relation to TIM-1 levels during a mean of 19.5 years follow-up. Genetic variants associated with TIM-1 (pQTLs [protein quantitative trait loci]) were examined, and a 2-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was performed to explore the role of TIM-1 in stroke using summary statistics from our pQTLs and the MEGASTROKE consortium. A total of 416 stroke events occurred during follow-up, of which 338 were ischemic strokes. After risk factor adjustment, TIM-1 was associated with increased incidence of all-cause stroke (hazards ratio for third versus first tertile, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.10–1.87]; P for trend, 0.004), and ischemic stroke (hazards ratio, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.06–1.90]; P for trend, 0.011). Nineteen independent lead SNPs, located in three genomic risk loci showed significant associations with TIM-1 (P<5×10−8). A 2-sample Mendelian Randomization analysis suggested a causal effect of TIM-1 on stroke (β=0.083, P=0.0004) and ischemic stroke (β=0.102, P=7.7×10−5). Conclusions: Plasma level of TIM-1 is associated with incidence of stroke. The genetic analyses suggest that this could be a causal relationship.
Temporal changes in the diet of deep-water Penaeoidean shrimp ( Parapenaeus longirostris and Aristeus antennatus ) off Algeria (southwestern Mediterranean)

With the aim of analyzing the trophic dynamics of deep-sea shrimp over the central Algerian slope, stomach contents of 219 individuals of Parapenaeus longirostris and 263 Aristeus antennatus were collected at night at depths between 200 and 400 m on a seasonal scale in 2007. Fullness ( f ), which is a measure of feeding intensity, showed significant seasonal changes in Aristeus antennatus , and the highest f was found in pre-reproductive periods (3.3% in January; 3.0% in April) before the beginning of gonad maturation (April-September in the area). This trend was coupled with the period of high surface productivity off the central Algerian coast (November-April). In that pre-reproductive period A. antennatus consumed more crustaceans (e.g. large decapods such as Processa sp.) with a high energetic value. These kinds of seasonal oscillations in f were not found in P. longirostris , probably because it was distributed shallower than A. antennatus and does not have a single marked peak in its reproductive cycle. The dietary composition of P. longirostris and A. antennatus was clearly segregated in the MDS analysis, which suggests there is good resource partitioning between the two species. Foraminiferans, bivalves and polychaetes were the most frequent prey in the diet of both P. longirostris and A. antennatus . Small micro and mesoplankton prey (radiolarians, tintinnids, copepods and pteropods) were more important in the diet of P. longirostris , while A. antennatus fed more on benthos. Planktonic prey found in the diet of the two shrimp were more frequent in January-February and April-May, e.g. in periods of higher water homogeneity coupled with periods of higher surface production. The large contribution of zooplankton to the diet of the deep-water shrimp over Algerian slopes is probably due to the importance of eddies in the area, which may enhance water column production locally. The high surface temperature (lowest T in January of 15.2°C) may accelerate the degradation of the organic matter that reaches Algerian slope bottoms, thus reducing the biomass of macrobenthos. We hypothesized that this low availability of benthic food resources may favour night time migratory movements by benthopelagic shrimp off the Algerian coast in search of more productive, shallow bottoms.
Sources of variation in the nesting success of understory tropical birds

Survival of offspring is a key fitness component and, for birds, the threat of predation on nests is especially influential. Data on rates of nest success from tropical regions are comparatively few, conservation-relevant, and essential for assessing the validity of models comparing the life histories and behavior or birds across latitudinal gradients. We monitored over 2 000 nests in the lowland forests of central Panama and, using the logistic exposure to model the fate of nests, explored the importance of variation in rate of nest success according to type of nest, height of nests, among years, in early versus late nests, and at different stages of the nest cycle. Analyses of over 1 400 nests for 18 species revealed considerable variation among species in the daily survival rate of nests (range among 18 species=0.91 to 0.98), but nest type and stage of the nesting cycle were generally influential on the probability of nest success. Cavity or enclosed nesters experienced greater nest success than open cup nesters and rates of nest loss were generally greatest in the nestling stage. We found limited evidence that height of nests affected probability of success, but no indication that timing of nesting effort was influential. Despite the occurrence of a severe ENSO event during our sampling, annual variation in nest success was not consistent among species. Interspecific variation in the rates and patterns of nest predation in our study, coupled with reports of high rates of nest loss at temperate latitudes, lead us to question long standing assumptions about latitudinal trends in rates of nest loss. We urge further work to understand the implications of nest predation on the evolutionary ecology of tropical birds.
Spatial Variation of Headwater Fish Assemblages Explained by Hydrologic Variability and Upstream Effects of Impoundment

Abstract Hydrologic variability and connectivity influence stream-fish assemblage structure, but other correlated habitat variables often confound attempts to document such relationships. By their nature, dams decrease stream connectivity, but upstream influences on tributary fish assemblages are infrequently documented and poorly understood. We sampled stream fishes seasonally for one year to compare headwater assemblages of the unimpounded East Fork (nine sites) and the impounded West Fork (12 sites) of the San Jacinto River in Texas. Using multiple regression and canonical ordination, we partitioned variation in species' distributions into that explained by instream structural, hydrologic, and physicochemical factors, drainage features, and season. In addition to effects of temporal variation of connectivity (as related to base flow and season) and other environmental factors, spatial patterns of species distribution between tributaries in the East and West Fork indicated upstream effects of impoundment caused by two probable mechanisms. Lentic habitats of impounded lower reaches in the West Fork apparently reduced movement by fluvial specialists among streams and, thus, reduced their opportunity to recolonize dry reaches compared to populations in East Fork streams. Moreover, West Fork assemblages had more macrohabitat-generalist species, which were abundant in the littoral zone of the impoundment and able to recolonize or tolerate environmental conditions in intermittent reaches. We caution that upstream effects of impoundment could be mistakenly attributed to other factors if they are not explicitly considered in species-environment studies.
Improved management of Avena ludoviciana and Phalaris paradoxa with more densely sown wheat and less herbicide

Summary The effectiveness of crop competition for better weed control and reducing herbicide rates was determined forAvena ludoviciana and Phalaris paradoxa. Four experiments, previously broadcast with seeds of the two weeds in separate plots, were sown with three wheat densities, and emerged weeds were treated with four herbicide doses (0–100% of recommended rate). The measured crop and weed traits were first analysed across experiments for treatment effects. Grain yield and weed seed production data were then analysed using cubic smoothing splines to model the response surfaces. Although herbicide rate for both weeds and crop density for P. paradoxa had significant linear effects on yield, there was a significant non-linearity of the response surface. Similarly, herbicide rate and crop density had significant linear effects on weed seed production, and there was significant non-linearity of the response surface that differed for the weed species. Maximum crop yield and reduction in seed production of P. paradoxa was achieved with approximately 80 wheat plants m−2 and weeds treated with 100% herbicide rate. For A. ludoviciana, this was 130 wheat plants m−2 applied with 75% herbicide rate. Alternatively, these benefits were achieved by increasing crop density to 150 plants m−2 applied with 50% herbicide rate. At high crop density, application of the 100% herbicide rate tended to reduce yield, particularly with the A. ludoviciana herbicide, and this impacted adversely on the suppression of weed seed production. Thus, more competitive wheat crops have the potential for improving weed control and reducing herbicide rates.
SOME PROPERTIES OF FOUR STRAINS OF CUCUMBER MOSAIC VIRUS

Different strains of cucumber mosaic virus differ in their host range, symptoms caused, virulence towards different plants, transmissibility by aphids, dilution end-point and thermal inactivation point. There are seasonal variations in the susceptibility of some host species; French bean is apparently immune during the summer but during the winter produces countable local lesions suitable for quantitative assays. Different host species differ in the ease with which cucumber mosaic virus is transmitted to and from them; systemic infection in beet rarely occurs unless the virus is introduced into young tissues. Inhibitors of infectivity in sap of sugar beet and Phytolacca sp. make mechanical transmission from these to other hosts difficult; the inhibitors interfere less with the infection of hosts in which they occur than with the infection of tobacco. Cucumber mosaic virus has a low temperature coefficient of thermal inactivation and much infectivity is destroyed by heating at temperatures below the thermal inactivation point. Myzus persicae (Sulz.) is a more efficient vector than M. ornatus Laing which is more efficient than Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas); although individual aphids can cause more than one infection, most cease to be infective in feeding periods of from one to five minutes.
Comments on: Acute isolated medial rectus palsy due to infarction as a result of hypercoagulable state: A case report and literature review

1. Dayakar Y, Anupama J, Jayagayathri R. Comments on: Risk factors for orbital implant exposure after evisceration: A case-control study of 93 patients. Indian J Ophthalmol 2020;68:1228. 2. Gupta R, Hari P, Khurana B, Kiran A. Risk factors for orbital implant exposure after evisceration: A case control study of 93 patients. Indian J Ophthalmol 2019;67:1148-51. 3. Alwitry A, West S, King J, Foss AJ, Abercrombie LC. Long-term follow-up of porous polyethylene spherical implants after enucleation and evisceration. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg 2007;21:11-8. 4. Wang JK, Lai PC, Liao SL. Late exposure of the bioceramic orbital implant. Am J Ophthalmol 2009;147:162-70. Cite this article as: Gupta R, Hari P, Khurana B, Kiran A. Reply to comments on: Risk factors for implant exposure after evisceration: A case-control study of 93 patients. Indian J Ophthalmol 2020;68:1228-9.
Microbial plankton configuration in the epipelagic realm from the Beagle Channel to the Burdwood Bank, a Marine Protected Area in Sub-Antarctic waters

Marine microbial plankton hold high structural and functional diversity, however, high-resolution data are lacking in a large part of the Global Ocean, such as in subpolar areas of the SW Atlantic. The Burdwood Bank (BB) is a submerged plateau (average depth 100 m) that constitutes the westernmost segment of the North Scotia Ridge (54°–55°S; 56°–62°W). The BB hosts rich benthic biodiversity in low chlorophyll waters of the southern Patagonian Shelf, Argentina, declared Namuncurá Marine Protected Area (NMPA) in 2013. So far, the pelagic microorganisms above the bank have not been described. During austral summer 2016, we assessed the microbial plankton (0.2–200 μm cell size) biomass and their taxonomical and functional diversity along a longitudinal transect (54.2–55.3°S, 58–68°W) from the Beagle Channel (BC) to the BB, characterized by contrasting hydrography. Results displayed a marked zonation in the composition and structure of the microbial communities. The biomass of phytoplankton >5 μm was 28 times higher in the BC, attributed mainly to large diatom blooms, than in oceanic waters above the BB, where the small coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi and flagellates <10 μm dominated. In turn, the biomass of microheterotrophs above the BB doubled the biomass in the BC due to large ciliates. Notably, toxic phytoplankton species and their phycotoxins were detected, in particular high abundance of Dinophysis acuminata and pectenotoxins above the bank, highlighting their presence in open subpolar regions. Picophytoplankton (<2 μm), including Synechococcus and picoeukaryotes, were remarkably important above the BB, both at surface and deep waters (up to 150 m). Their biomass surpassed by 5 times that of phytoplankton > 5 μm, emphasizing the importance of small-sized phytoplankton in low chlorophyll waters. The homogeneous water column and high retention above the bank seem to favor the development of abundant picophytoplankton and microzooplankton communities. Overall, our findings unfold the plankton configuration in the Southern Patagonian Shelf, ascribed as a sink for anthropogenic CO2, and highlight the diverse ecological traits that microorganisms develop to adjust their yield to changing conditions.
Distinct cold tolerance traits independently vary across genotypes in Drosophila melanogaster

Cold tolerance, the ability to cope with low temperature stress, is a critical adaptation in thermally variable environments. An individual's cold tolerance comprises several traits including minimum temperatures for growth and activity, ability to survive severe cold, and ability to resume normal function after cold subsides. Across species, these traits are correlated, suggesting they were shaped by shared evolutionary processes or possibly share physiological mechanisms. However, the extent to which cold tolerance traits and their associated mechanisms covary within populations has not been assessed. We measured five cold tolerance traits—critical thermal minimum, chill coma recovery, short‐ and long‐term cold tolerance, and cold‐induced changes in locomotor behavior—along with cold‐induced expression of two genes with possible roles in cold tolerance (heat shock protein 70 and frost)—across 12 lines of Drosophila melanogaster derived from a single population. We observed significant genetic variation in all traits, but few were correlated across genotypes, and these correlations were sex‐specific. Further, cold‐induced gene expression varied by genotype, but there was no evidence supporting our hypothesis that cold‐hardy lines would have either higher baseline expression or induction of stress genes. These results suggest cold tolerance traits possess unique mechanisms and have the capacity to evolve independently.
COVID-19 and prisons: Providing mental health care for people in prison, minimising moral injury and psychological distress in mental health staff

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents substantial challenges to global health and social care systems. Mental health services have faced restrictions in service delivery, risking the deterioration of already vulnerable individuals. Mental health staff have been working with new risks, in unfamiliar ways, for which they often feel inexperienced and untrained, for example accessing and using personal protective equipment (PPE). Prisons face unique additional hazards to both prisoners and staff. Public Health England’s recent report describes limited and variable COVID-19 testing, concerns about an outbreak in prisons and the unsuccessful follow-through of the early release strategy which, according to modelling, would considerably reduce deaths from COVID-19. The report also highlights the longer-term challenges. Whilst recognising these additional difficulties, we argue that there is precedent and evidence from which we can learn. We propose ways to optimise the support to staff and prisoners.
Presence of 2,4-D-catabolizing Bacteria in a Japanese Arable Soil that Belong to BANA (Bradyrhizobium-Agromonas-Nitrobacter-Afipia) Cluster in .ALPHA.-Proteobacteria.

We isolated the 2, 4-D-catabolizing bacterial strain RD5-C2 from Japanese upland soil that had no history of 2, 4-D exposure.RD5-C2 could use 2, 4-D as the sole carbon and energy sources for their growth.Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that RD5-C2 was a member of the BANA(Bradyrhizobium-Agromonas-Nitrobacter-Afipia)cluster in the α subdivision of the class Proteobacteria.The gene sequence of RD5-C2 most closely matched that of Bradyrhizobium sp.and also closely related to those of 2, 4-D-catabolizing α-Proteobacteria previously isolated from pristine environments of Hawaii, northern Canada and central Chile.This is the first instance that 2, 4-D-catabolizing bacteria in that phylogenetic group was isolated from an arable soil environment.
Reaction norms used to quantify the responses of New Zealand dairy cattle of mixed breeds to nutritional environment

Abstract A reaction norm, where phenotype or genotype is expressed as a function of environment, can be used to measure environmental sensitivity. This study investigates the environmental sensitivity of dairy cattle genotypes (or breeds), in relation to the range of herd milksolid yields (a proxy for feeding level) in New Zealand. Genetic variation in environmental sensitivity was observed with overseas Holstein Friesian genotypes, originating largely from North America, exhibiting higher environmental sensitivity levels and environmental optimums than New Zealand Friesian and Jersey genotypes in a range of feeding level environments. Overseas Holstein Friesian genotypes were more likely to be considered specialists (i.e., perform to high levels in superior feeding level environments), whereas New Zealand Friesian and Jersey genotypes were largely generalists (i.e., tolerant to changes in environment), or specialists in a grassland‐type environment. This confirmed the theory that generalist genotypes evolve in heterogeneous environments, whereas specialist genotypes evolve in homogeneous environments. However, variations in environmental sensitivity within genotypes did exist. Generalist genotypes appear to be indirectly selected in New Zealand as environmental sensitivity levels are decreasing. Potential ways in which environmental sensitivity information can be used in dairy cattle systems and evaluation are suggested.
Evaluation of the FecalSwab for Stool Specimen Storage and Molecular Detection of Enteropathogens on the BD Max System

The FecalSwab system (Copan Italia, Brescia, Italy) is a convenient alternative to bulk stool for the diagnosis of enteric pathogens. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for transport and culture of enteric bacterial pathogens, the FecalSwab has not been well assessed for its suitability with molecular platforms. In this study, we evaluated the FecalSwab as a specimen type for the BD Max system using the viral and bacterial enteric panels (BD Diagnostics, Baltimore, MD, USA). ABSTRACT The FecalSwab system (Copan Italia, Brescia, Italy) is a convenient alternative to bulk stool for the diagnosis of enteric pathogens. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for transport and culture of enteric bacterial pathogens, the FecalSwab has not been well assessed for its suitability with molecular platforms. In this study, we evaluated the FecalSwab as a specimen type for the BD Max system using the viral and bacterial enteric panels (BD Diagnostics, Baltimore, MD, USA). A total of 186 unpreserved stool specimens were collected and used to prepare matched bulk stool and FecalSwab samples. Performance was equivalent (P > 0.48) to bulk stool for all targets when 50 μl of FecalSwab specimen was loaded onto the BD Max assays. As stool specimens are often collected off-site from the clinical microbiology laboratory and require transport, we assessed the stability of stool specimens stored for up to 14 days at 4°C, 22°C, or 35°C to account for varying transportation conditions. Molecular detection for the majority of viral targets (excluding astrovirus) was unaffected (change in cycle threshold [ΔCT] ≤ 1) by sample storage temperature over the 2-week period; however, detection of enteric bacteria was variable if specimens were not refrigerated (22°C or 35°C). By demonstrating equivalent performance to matched bulk stool and maintaining molecular detection sensitivity when stored at 4°C, we suggest that the FecalSwab is a suitable specimen type for enteropathogen diagnostics on the BD Max system.