Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of food availability on the white-footed mouse: populations in isolated woodlots

The density and demography of populations of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) were monitored in two isolated woodlots for 29 months. After 14 months of preliminary trapping, supplemental food was provided on one woodlot for 15 months; the other remained as a control. Supplemental food had little influence on spring and summer densities although the onset of reproduction in spring was earlier and breeding occurred at a younger age in the experimental woodlot than in the control woodlot. Supplemental food strongly influenced autumn and winter densities, which reached much higher levels on the experimental plot than on the control plot. Higher densities were associated with better survival of nestling mice.Summer densities were limited by decreased survival and increased dispersal of young, and these were most closely correlated with densities of adult females. Therefore we suggest that summer densities were regulated by aggressive female behavior. In autumn the behavior of adult females changed,.
Multivariate analysis of genetic divergence in twenty two genotypes of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Twenty-two groundnut genotypes collected from different germplasm centers were cultivated in botanical nursery of the Lagos State University Ojo-Campus during the raining season of 2009. The data collected on 33 characters were subjected to multivariate analysis to study the variability within the genotypes and to determine the efficiency of the methods in classifying genotypes. The first three axes each of factor analysis and principal component analyses (PCA) captured 42 and 55% respectively of the total variance and jointly identified final plant height, leaflet length, stem pigmentation, nodes on the main stem and number of leaves per plant at flowering as characters contributing most to variation. The first three axes of the canonical and discriminant analyses accounted for 85 and 90% of the total variation respectively and identified in addition to the above characters, pod beak, hairiness of mature leaflet, pod constriction, lateral branch pattern and peg colour as important. Genotype clustering using single linkage clustering technique did not follow a particular pattern, as genotypes from different sources were grouped together, while some from same source were also separated into eight different groups. The effect of genetic divergence on the choice of parental stock in improvement breeding programme was discussed.
The red one!: On learning to refer to things based on their discriminative properties

As a first step towards agents learning to communicate about their visual environment, we propose a system that, given visual representations of a referent (cat) and a context (sofa), identifies their discriminative attributes, i.e., properties that distinguish them (has_tail). Moreover, despite the lack of direct supervision at the attribute level, the model learns to assign plausible attributes to objects (sofa-has_cushion). Finally, we present a preliminary experiment confirming the referential success of the predicted discriminative attributes.
Occurrence of pepper mild mottle virus in greenhouse-grown pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.) in the West Mediterranean region of Turkey

Severe systemic viral symptoms were observed on the leaves of infected pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.) plants cultivated in Antalya located in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, in 2008. The symptoms on the diseased pepper plants included, mosaic, mottle, chlorosis coupled with stunting, chlorotic spots, distortion of the leaves and fruits. Using Pepper mild mottle tobamovirus (PMMoV) specific polyclonal antisera, PMMoV was detected in symptomatic pepper plants by double antibody sandwich-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). Disease occurrence (the percentage of plants infected) of up to 30% was estimated in the region outbreaks. It was observed that, symptomatic pepper samples collected from Antalya province were infected with PMMoV (47.14%) according to the results of the study.
Recursive Algorithms for Dense Linear Algebra: The ReLAPACK Collection

To exploit both memory locality and the full performance potential of highly tuned kernels, dense linear algebra libraries such as LAPACK commonly implement operations as blocked algorithms. However, to achieve next-to-optimal performance with such algorithms, significant tuning is required. On the other hand, recursive algorithms are virtually tuning free, and yet attain similar performance. In this paper, we first analyze and compare blocked and recursive algorithms in terms of performance, and then introduce ReLAPACK, an open-source library of recursive algorithms to seamlessly replace most of LAPACK's blocked algorithms. In many scenarios, ReLAPACK clearly outperforms reference LAPACK, and even improves upon the performance of optimizes libraries.
Morphological aspects associated with repair and regeneration in Lobaria pulmonaria and L. amplissima (Peltigerales, Ascomycota)

In lichens with a competitive ecological strategy, reproduction, dispersal and maintenance of the habitat are considered equally important (Ott 1987). While wind, heavy rain or large animals may detach whole thalli or thallus pieces, small herbivores such as snails, slugs, mites or insects may cause physical damage by grazing systematically on whole lobes or particular thallus parts. In this way, herbivores can decimate preferred species or limit their thallus growth (Lawrey 1983; Fröberg et al. 1993, 2006; Baur et al. 1994, 1995, 2000; Benesperi & Tretiach 2004; Asplund & Gauslaa 2008; Asplund et al. 2010; Asplund 2011). In the case of Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. , it seems that grazing invertebrates may reduce populations of recently established young thalli (Asplund & Gauslaa 2008), but grazing damage does not necessarily change growth rates of this species if growth zones are not affected (Gauslaa et al. 2006). There has been considerable research on regeneration of structures developed after artificially caused damage (Henssen & Jahns 1974; Armstrong 1979, 2010; Honegger 1996a; Honegger et al. 1996). Moreover, studies assessing wounds caused by grazing snails have revealed that different lichen species respond with the same regeneration process; in both cases they activate lobe primordia along wound margins and start with the formation of secondary lobes (Baur et al. 2000; Fröberg et al. 2006). A few studies suggest that regenerative abilities of lichens might have the potential to restructure new thalli from fragments that have survived the gut passage of feeding invertebrates (Fröberg et al. 2001; Meier et al. 2002; Boch et al. 2011). However, evidence for successful regeneration under field conditions is still lacking. During fieldwork, we regularly observe thalli with feeding damage or dying lobes that had formed regeneration lobes. All previous studies, however, have focused on regeneration structures and too little attention has been paid to repair mechanisms in wound healing. In this study, we report on morphological reactions to physical damage in field specimens of L. pulmonaria and Lobaria amplissima (Scop.) Forss. that were wounded through natural processes including herbivory and mechanical stress.
The freshwater fishes of Java, as observed by Kuhl and van Hasselt in 1820-23

A catalog of 79 species of freshwater fishes collected by Kuhl and van Hasselt in western Java in 1820-23 is presented, based on examination of publications, archival materials and specimens in Paris and Leiden. Archival material includes copies of their original drawings (many watercoloured) and handwritten descriptions in Latin and German or Dutch of nearly all of their new genera and species in rough drafts and in near final or final version ready for publication. A number of the descriptions, such as that of Dermogenys pusilla, include extensive anatomical and biological observations. Study of the manuscripts, drawings, and specimens has resulted in numerous reidentifications and new records, including a number of species not previously reported from Java and some species now perhaps extinct there, e.g. Chitala lopis and Macrochirichthys macrochir. Type material is identified for most of the species of freshwater fishes based on Kuhl and van Hasselt material. Neotypes are designated for the catfish Mystus nigriceps and anabantoid Trichopsis vittata. Systematic changes resulting from the present study include placement of Tor douronensis, T. soro and T. tambroides as junior synonyms of T. tambra, and Mystus micracanthus as junior synonym of M. nigriceps.
Behavioural and morphological observations of the Collared Crescentchest (Melanopareia torquata) in a Cerrado area of south-eastern Brazil

Abstract The Collared Crescentchest (Melanopareia torquata) is endemic to the Cerrado Biome, and distributed mainly in Brazil, but extending to Bolivia and Paraguay. Although considered of least concern globally, it is threatened in the state of São Paulo in south-eastern Brazil. In this study we examined the morphology and some aspects of behaviour of the Collared Crescentchest. Birds were captured with mist-nets using playback in September—December 2006 and October—November 2007. For each captured bird, we took a range of morphological measurements, looked for brood-patches and moult, and took a blood sample for genetic determination of sex. Of the 35 individuals captured, only five were female, probably as a result of behavioural differences between sexes, with males apparently responding more readily to the playback. Furthermore, birds with white dorsal patches exhibited more aggression or risk taking behaviour than birds without patches. However, there was no sexual dimorphism in any of the morphological or colour traits measured (although the female sample was small). Brood-patches were present mainly in October and November, but we did not detect any cloacal protuberance. Among the four species that comprise the family Melanopareiidae, this is the first record of brood-patches in males.
CCR5/Δccr5 Heterozygosity: A Selective Pressure for the Syncytium-Inducing Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Phenotype

Mechanisms underlying the delay in dominance of syncytium-inducing (SI) phenotype HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus type 1) in vivo are unknown. Both random mutational events and selective pressures operative only late in the disease process have been suggested to underlie the shift from CCR5 to alternative coreceptor usage. Among the moderately advanced patients who entered AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol 241, SI viral phenotype was more common among CCRS/delta(ccr5) heterozygotes (7/7, 100%) than among CCR5/CCR5 homozygotes (29/88, 33%; P < .001, Fisher's exact test). Other characteristics did not differ at study entry by CCR5 genotype, including median CD4 cell counts, plasma RNA levels, and infectious HIV-1 titers in circulating cells. These data indicate that CCR5/delta(ccr5) heterozygosity, which decreases cell-surface levels of CCR5 available to serve as an HIV-1 entry coreceptor, is a selective pressure for evolution of T cell line-tropic viruses that use an alternative coreceptor.
How a Cartoon Series Helped the Public Care about Rosetta and Philae

CAPjournal, No. 19, March 2016 Once upon a time. is a series of short cartoons1 that have been developed as part of the European Space Agency’s communication campaign to raise awareness about the Rosetta mission. The series features two anthropomorphic characters depicting the Rosetta orbiter and Philae lander, introducing the mission story, goals and milestones with a fairytale flair. This article explores the development of the cartoon series and the level of engagement it generated, as well as presenting various issues that were encountered using this approach. We also examine how different audiences responded to our decision to anthropomorphise the spacecraft.
Effect of Pleurotus citrinopileatus on blood glucose, insulin and catalase of streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus rats.

There is an increasing demand by patients to use natural products with hypoglycaemic activity for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The present investigation aims at examining the hypoglycemic potential of methanolic extract of P. citrinopileatus mycelium on streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus rats. Oral treatment of control and diabetic rats with extract at 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight were monitored for blood glucose, serum insulin and catala se activity. Results showed a significant reduction (P<0.05) in fasting blood glucose level and serum catalase activity but a significant increase in serum insulin level in the high dose treated group compared to untreated diabetes mellitus experimental group. Furthermore, some histopathological changes were noticed in the kidney tissue section. This study revealed P. citrinopileatus had excellent antidiabetic activity and thus have great potential as an ingredient in natural health products.
Les homologues viraux des récepteurs cellulaires couplés aux protéines G

Les recepteurs cellulaires couples aux proteines G (GPCR pour G-protein-coupled receptor) forment une superfamille de proteines membranaires caracterisees par une structure en 7 helices α transmembranaires. Ils ont pour role la transmission de signaux varies depuis l’environnement extracellulaire vers le cytosol. Des genes viraux homologues des GPCR cellulaires ont ete decrits au sein des genomes de Betaherpesvirinae, de Gammaherpesvirinae et de Poxviridae. Le but de cette revue est de resumer les connaissances actuelles sur ces GPCR viraux (vGPCR) avec un interet particulier pour leurs roles dans la biologie et la pathogenie de l’infection. Cette revue met en exergue l’existence de proprietes originales des vGPCR par rapport a leurs homologues cellulaires ainsi que la diversite de leurs fonctions dans la biologie de l’infection.
Effects of replacing rolled barley grain with wheat dry distillers' grains with solubles in Merino sheep rations

Abstract Three studies were conducted to determine the effects of replacing rolled barley grain with either 20% or 40% diet dry matter (DM) of wheat dried distillers' grains with solubles (WDDGS) in Merino wether diets. In the in vitro study, gas and ammonia production were not affected by dietary treatment. The addition of WDDGS in the diet increased total volatile fatty acids, in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) and slightly lowered ruminal culture pH. In the in situ study, the WDDGS diets demonstrated faster rate of neutral detergent fibre degradation (k, h−1) compared with control diet. In the in vivo study, dry matter intake was about 14% higher for sheep fed 40% WDDGS compared to control or 20% WDDGS. The inclusion of WDDGS in the rations improved greasy and clean wool production, and staple length. This study showed up to 40% WDDGS could replace rolled barley grain in Merino sheep rations to improve wool production.
Genomic constitution and phylogenetic position of several New Zealand Triticeae species revealed by two single copy nuclear genes

Three genera of Triticeae, Elymus, Stenostachys and Australopyrum, are described in the New Zealand flora. Cytologicalanalysessuggestedthat fivebasicgenomes(St,H,Y,PandW)donatedbydifferentdiploidspeciesindifferent combinations exist in the genera Elymus and Stenostachys, whereas Australopyrum species contain the W genome only. Morphological and cytogenetic data suggestedthat the genome constitution for bothE.apricusandE. multiflorusisStYW. ChloroplastDNAandITSdatasupportedthegenomeconstitutionoftheseElymusspecies,buttheHWgenomeconstitution wasassignedtotheStenostachysspecies.Inthisstudy,sequencesoftwosinglecopynucleargenes,RPB2andDMC1,were used to confirm or refute the genome constitutions of the two Stenostachys species and the two Elymus species from New Zealand, and to analyse their phylogenetic relationships with other Elymus species. Our RPB2 and DMC1 data confirmed that the genome constitution of hexaploid E. apricus is StWY, and tetraploid S. gracilis is HW. The presence of the StW genome in hexaploid E. multiflorus, and the W genome in tetraploid S. laevis is also confirmed. No obvious StgenomedifferentiationbetweenNewZealandandnon-NewZealandspeciesisobserved.TheHgenomesintheS. gracilis and S. laevis are closely related to the H genome from North American species, indicating that the H genomes in these two New Zealand species might originate from North American Hordeum species.
The chemical composition of animal bodies

Animal bodies are composed of fat and non-fatty matter. The relative proportions of these two ingredients vary within wide limits but can be controlled by food. The non-fatty matter consists of water, protein and ash. The percentage of water varies with the age of the animal in a definite manner. This has been determined with tolerable certainty for cattle. The available evidence indicates that the same formula is applicable to pigs and, with slight modification, also to sheep, but these inferences require confirmation. The ratio of protein to ash is the same in sheep as in cattle but in pigs it is higher. In any case it does not alter with the age of the animal but it may be influenced to a certain extent by the food. Individual variation is wider in pigs than in ruminants. The average composition of the whole body at any stage can be calculated when the live weight and percentage of fat in it are known.
Effects of PPARγ agonists on cell survival and focal adhesions in a Chinese thyroid carcinoma cell line

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonists cause cell death in several types of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of two PPARγ agonists, ciglitazone and 15‐deoxy‐Δ 12,14‐prostaglandin J2 (15dPGJ2), on the survival of thyroid carcinoma CGTH W‐2 cells. Both ciglitazone and 15dPGJ2 decreased cell viability in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. Cell death was mainly due to apoptosis, with a minor contribution from necrosis. Increased levels of active caspase 3, cleaved poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP), and cytosolic cytochrome‐c were noted. In addition, ciglitazone and 15dPGJ2 induced detachment of CGTH W‐2 cells from the culture substratum. Both the protein levels and immunostaining signals of focal adhesion (FA) proteins, including vinculin, integrin β1, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and paxillin were decreased after PPARγ agonist treatment. Meanwhile, reduced phosphorylation of FAK and paxillin was noted. Furthermore, PPARγ agonists induced expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase‐PEST (PTP‐PEST), and of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN). The upregulation of these phosphatases might contribute to the dephosphorylation of FAK and paxillin, since pre‐treatment with orthovanadate prevented PPARγ agonist‐induced dephosphorylation of FAK and paxillin. Perturbation of CGTH W‐2 cells with anti‐integrin β1 antibodies induced FA disruption and apoptosis in the same cells, thus the downregulation of integrin β1 by PPARγ agonists resulted in FA disassembly and might induce apoptosis via anoikis. Our results suggested the presence of crosstalk between apoptosis and integrin‐FA signaling. Moreover, upregulation and activation of PTEN was correlated with reduced phosphorylation of Akt, and this consequence disfavored cell survival. In conclusion, PPARγ agonists induced apoptosis of thyroid carcinoma cells via the cytochrome‐c caspase 3 and PTEN‐Akt pathways, and induced necrosis via the PARP pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 1021–1035, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Disentangling the roles of resource availability and disturbance in fine and coarse root biomass in savanna

Savannas are among the most unknown biomes concerning the plant below-ground system. Root biomass might be influenced by the availability of limiting resources and by the type and intensity of disturbances, mediated by the plant functional attributes related to environmental conditions. Fine and coarse roots should be affected differently: the former should be more responsive to resource supplies, whilst the latter should be related to changes in disturbance frequency. We studied the roles of soil fertility, topography of the plots indicating water availability, fire frequency and plant resistance to fire in affecting fine and coarse root biomass. We sampled the root biomass, environmental variables and functional attributes of all individuals present in 100 plots in savanna physiognomies of cerrado, in central Brazil. We used structural equation modelling to test our hypothesis and found that shallow root biomass, from 0 to 20 cm deep, was not caused by resource availability, by disturbances, as fire or drought, or by functional attributes. Biotic interactions were not considered in our study, but they may have a central role in affecting the shallow root biomass. In the deep layer, from 20 to 100 cm deep, we identified soil fertility and recent fires as the main factors causing changes in fine and coarse root biomass in the cerrado, respectively. Low nutrient availability in the soil caused higher fine root biomass, increasing the uptake of resources, whereas recent fires led to less coarse root biomass below 20 cm deep, probably due to the higher dominance of the herbaceous layer in the plots, with less coarse root biomass. According to our expectation, fine roots were mostly affected by nutrient availability in the soil, whereas coarse roots were more related to disturbance, in our case, recent fires.
Protective antitumor activity induced by a fusion vaccine with murine beta-defensin2 and VE-cadherin in mouse models

Targeting angiogenesis is an effective strategy for anticancer therapy. The vascular endothelialcadherin (VE-cad) regulated angiogenesis is a potential target for anti-angiogenesis. Here, we develop a fusion vaccine plasmid DNA pSec-MBD2-VE-cad from VE-cad and murine beta defensin2 (MBD2) to induce immunity for cancer therapy. The expression and biological activity of fusion protein were detected in vitro . Anti-tumor effects and inhibition of angiogenesis via pSec-MBD2-VE-cad were investigated in mice model. The anti-VE-cad antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses were analyzed. Inhibition of tumor-induced angiogenesis and prolonged survival were shown in mice challenged with murine colon adenocarcinoma (CT26) or Murine fibrosarcoma cell line (MethA) after immunization with the fusion vaccine. Moreover, VE-cad-specific antibodies and specific T cell cytotoxicity were detected. The fusion vaccine based on self immune peptide Murine beta defensin2 (MBD2) and self antigen mVE-cad could induce autoimmunity and inhibit tumor growth, and thus there may be potential applications in cancer therapy.
A New Method of Temporarily Marking Lizards

277 in pipe-traps inserted upright into the ground, placed open-ended or capped at varying heights on trees, and in ‘T’ configurations (see Bartareau 2004; Boughton et al. 2000; Moulton et al. 1996). However, in more northerly locations (Michigan; J. Ball, pers. comm.; New York, Tregger 2004) similar pipe-trap designs have not succeeded in capturing large numbers of treefrogs. The large number of captures reported in this study indicate that this new pipe-trap design may be more appropriate than previous designs for sampling populations of hylid frogs in areas outside of the southeastern U.S. Additional data regarding the factors that drive the use of artificial refugia would be beneficial to the development of pipe-traps designed to optimize captures of particular species in specific locations. For example, the height at which a pipetrap is placed, the internal diameter and the depth of water retained within the pipe-trap could easily be adjusted to fit the specific requirements of the hylid species under investigation. While the use of pipe-trap refugia to generate estimates of treefrog density or abundance may be complicated by biases of pipe diameter and design configuration, artificial pipe-trap refugia may be especially useful for delineation of terrestrial core habitat used by hylid frogs during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons when traditional methods of capturing amphibians are inadequate.