Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Basin- and Local-Scale Environmental Conditions on Nearshore Production in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

Abstract Nearshore marine habitats are productive and vulnerable owing to their connections to pelagic and terrestrial landscapes. To understand how ocean basin- and local-scale conditions may influence nearshore species, we developed an annual index of nearshore production (spanning the period 1972–2010) from growth increments recorded in otoliths of representative pelagic-feeding (Black Rockfish Sebastes melanops) and benthic-feeding (Kelp Greenling Hexagrammos decagrammus) nearshore-resident fishes at nine sites in the California Current and Alaska Coastal Current systems. We explored the influence of basin- and local-scale conditions across all seasons at lags of up to 2 years to represent changes in prey quantity (1- or 2-year time lags) and quality (within-year relationships). Relationships linking fish growth to basin-scale (Pacific Decadal Oscillation, North Pacific Gyre Oscillation, and multivariate El Niño—Southern Oscillation index) and local-scale (sea surface temperature, sea surface height anomalies, upwelling index, photosynthetically active radiation, and freshwater discharge) environmental conditions varied by species and current system. Growth of Black Rockfish increased with cool basin-scale conditions in the California Current and warm local-scale conditions in the Alaska Coastal Current, consistent with existing hypotheses linking climate to pelagic production on continental shelves in the respective regions. Relationships for Kelp Greenlings in the California Current were complex, with faster growth related to within-year warm conditions and lagged-year cool conditions. These opposing, lag-dependent relationships may reflect differences in conditions that promote quantity versus quality of benthic invertebrate prey in the California Current. Thus, we hypothesize that benthic production is maximized by alternating cool and warm years, as benthic invertebrate recruitment is food limited during warm years while growth is temperature limited by cool years in the California Current. On the other hand, Kelp Greenlings grew faster during and subsequent to warm conditions at basin and local scales in the Alaska Coastal Current.
Patterns in richness and community structure: From bacteria to apex predators

Patterns of community structure and richness provide context for studies from microbial ecology, global macroecology, languages, to Bayesian statistics. Diversity patterns for animals on land and their predictor variables are well studied. However, diversity patterns for bacterial communities and marine macroorganisms are not well studied or understood. Here I examine diversity patterns in caves, on the external surface of Chiroptera (bats), and in marine ecosystems. At the local to regional scale we investigate factors that drive bacterial community patterns in richness and composition in lava cave microbial mats and microbes on bats. Lastly, out of the cave and into the surface world, a global picture emerges of factors that drive community structure and richness from bacteria to apex predators in marine environments. I hypothesize that for cave microbial mats found in lava caves, local factors (i.e. sample site temperature and relative humidity) are important factors for determining community structure and richness. For bacteria on bats, a mix of local factors (bat species, bat body mass, location of capture) and regional factors (net primary productivity (NPP), annual mean rainfall) explain richness and structure of the microbial communities. In addition, the predictor variables for richness and community structure will vary with spatial scale (local to regional to landscape). In the global marine data set, richness and community structure will be dependent on net primary productivity, temperature, thermal lifestyle, and foraging behavior. At small scales, temperature and NPP will be
A report of 42 unrecorded bacterial species belonging to the Alphaproteobacteria in Korea

The class Alphaproteobacteria that form one of the largest proteobacterial groups within bacteria include diverse phototrophs, chemolithotrophs, chemoorganotrophs, and aerobic photoheterotrophs and are abundant in various terrestrial and marine habitats (Giovannoni et al., 2005; Kersters et al., 2006). The taxonomic classification based on 16S rRNA gene sequences shows that the class Alphaproteobacteria are recognized as a class within the phylum Proteobacteria and they are subdivided into 8 main subgroups or orders (Caulobacterales, Magnetococcales, Parvularculales, Rickettsiales, Rhizobiales, Rhodobacterales, Rhodospirillales, and Sphingomonadales; Ferla et al., 2013). Members of Alphaproteobacteria provide enormously valuable biological resources in various industries as well as valuable tools for taxonomic, biochemical and molecular biological studies. Some members of Alphaproteobacteria exhibit interactions with eukaryotic host organisms, which is of central importance from agricultural and medical perspectives (Skorpil and Broughton, 2005; Journal of Species Research 5(2):206-219, 2016
Nucella lapillus as a paratenic host for Maritrema arenaria

Metacercariae of the microphallid trematode Maritrema arenaria are found in the shore barnacle Semibalanoides balanoides which is heavily predated by the dog whelk, Nucella lapillus. This study demonstrated that, under experimental and natural conditions, M. arenaria metacercarial cysts were ingested by N. lapillus and the metacercariae retained their viability while passing through the molluscs' digestive systems. Dog whelks are a known food source for numerous bird species, leading to the conclusion that they may act as paratenic hosts of M. arenaria. The strategic importance of the adoption by M. arenaria of N. lapillus as a paratenic host is discussed.
Climate change stressors cause metabolic depression in the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, from the Gulf of Maine

The interactive effects of multiple stressors associated with global climate change will expose marine organisms to physiological challenges potentially exceeding their current abilities to acclimatize. As a result the ecological effects of the rapidly increasing magnitude, and variability, of environmental change combined with the unknown physiological capacity to acclimatize (= phenotypic plasticity) or genetically adapt, remains uncertain for many marine organisms. In the Gulf of Maine (GOM), the rocky intertidal harbors the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, an important ecosystem engineer in these communities. Using mussel collections in the Southwest GOM from different tidal heights and a common garden experiment, mussels show significant, phenotypically plastic, effects of tidal height in multiple parameters related to metabolic capacity and stress tolerance. When these mussels are then experimentally exposed to the independent and interactive effects of thermal stress and ocean acidification, several biomarkers of stress (e.g., oxidative stress, HSP70, protein synthesis) are elevated in treatments with higher temperatures, but when combined with lower pH consistent with future predictions these markers show evidence of metabolic depression. In marine ecosystems, exposure to ocean acidification has been hypothesized as a factor that would narrow the thermal window of physiological tolerance for many invertebrates such as marine mussels. The data presented here provide evidence supporting that hypothesis in blue mussels from the GOM, an ecosystem facing one of the greatest rates of change in the marine environment.
Life-cycle graphs and matrix modelling of bryophyte populations

Matrix population models have, for more than 20 years, been popular analyti cal tools in studies of vascular plants, but have until recently not been applied to bryophytes. In this review we explain the rationale behind the simplest ma trix modelling approaches, and show how to proceed when using such models in studies of bryophytes. Focussing on the life-cycle graph, we show how bryo phyte "individuals", or modules, can be followed over time, and use data for Hylocomium splendens to exemplify how such analyses can be performed in practice. It is argued that the coloured-ring tagging technique which has now been successfully applied to bryophyte species of different growth forms and sizes for up to ten years, is applicable to a large range of bryophyte species except the smallest and, thus, that the major obstacle to following fates of bryo phyte individuals over extended time periods has now been overcome. With reference to studies of vascular plants, we provide a long list of topics of inter est to bryophyte ecology that call for population matrix modelling. We hope bryologists will take the challenge posed by matrix population models, and thereby contribute to bringing bryophyte population biology one more step forward.
Haemolytic activity in different species of the genus Prymnesium (Haptophyta)

The genus Prymnesium includes several species that produce toxins with cytotoxic, ichthyotoxic, neurotoxic and haemolytic activity. Bloom episodes of Prymnesium species have been reported from several parts of the world (North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia), especially from temperate and subtropical regions and most of them from brackish waters. Blooms cause great economic losses to aquaculture and fisheries around the world. The ichthyotoxic and allelopathic effects of Prymnesium have been linked to the presence of Haemolysin 1, Prymnesins 1 and 2 and, more recently, fatty acids and fatty acid amides. The toxicology of this genus with regard to different growth conditions such as light, nutrients and other parameters has been well documented. It is unknown, however, whether different species and strains from the Prymnesium genus all produce the same types and level of toxins. In this study, we have determined the haemolytic activity of eight different strains from the genus Prymnesium in both exponential and stationary phases of growth. We have also evaluated the efficiency of the extraction solvent.
The Effect of AST-120 on Hepatic Metabolism and Transport in Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by a progressive and irreversible decline in renal function. Patients are at high risk for adverse drug events since they are typically administered multiple medications concurrently and pharmacokinetic changes in the diseased state are relatively unexplored. Recent studies point towards molecules known as uremic toxins for playing a mechanistic role in altering the expression and function of drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporter proteins. To further investigate this hypothesis, an adenine-induced model of CKD was used in male wistar rats. AST-120 was administered to remove uremic toxins in an attempt to recover metabolic enzyme as well as transporter protein function and activity. Animals were injected with rosuvastatin prior to sacrifice as a probe for transporter function. Impaired organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) function are important to acknowledge in a clinical setting since both of these protein superfamilies have broad substrate specificities. We have shown significant down regulation in CYP2B1 activity and expression in rats (P<0.05); CYP2B6 is the human ortholog and it plays a crucial role in phase one drug metabolism. If function is affected, clearance for a particular class of drug (ex. statins for OATPs or bupropion for CYP2B6) could be altered which will affect drug efficacy and toxicity.
TnS Insertion Mutations in the Mercuric Ion Resistance Genes Derived from Plasmid R 100

The mercuric resistance (mer) genes of plasmid R100 were cloned into plasmid pBR322. A series of transposon TnS insertion mutations in the mer genes were isolated and magped. The mutants were characterized phenotypically by their sensitivity to Hg + and by binding and volatilization of 2 3Hg2+. Dominance and complementation tests were also performed. Mutations affecting the previously described mer genes merR (regulation), merT (transport), and merA (reductase) were characterized. Evidence was obtained for two new mer genes, which have been called merC and merD. A restriction enzyme map of the mer region was drawn with the gene order merRTCAD. Transcriptional merR-lac and merA-lac fusions were generated by insertion of phage Mu d amp lac into plasmid R100-1. These were used to study regulation of mer gene expression. The merR gene product appears to regulate negatively its own expression as well as acting as both a negative and a positive regulator of the merTCA genes.
Impact of Service Offerings of Business Incubators on Performance of Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Nicaragua.

Business Incubators play a significant role in the development of Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nicaragua. Therefore, this research examined the impact of the service offerings of business incubators on MSMEs performance. Specifically, this study assessed which aspects of performance are more likely to be affected by the four types of assistance incubators provide, namely technology, financing, networking and training. The aspects of performance studied are product/service innovation, quality of the product/service, capacity to respond to market demand, and internal organizational administration. A quantitative study was conducted with the use of SPSS and SmartPLS software in order to statistically analyze the information gathered from 100 MSMEs who had been or are current tenants in a business incubator in Nicaragua. It was found that training and technology assistance are the two service offerings more likely to have a positive effect on the performance of MSMEs. Quality of product/service is more likely to happen if technology assistance is provided, and innovation of product/service if training is provided. These two service offerings seemed to have a positive effect on formal organization administration as well. Financing did not seem to have any relation to MSMEs’ performance. Since the majority of responses came from tenants of two incubators, the results can be a reflection on the assistance provided by these two institutions, and are limited in generalizing to other contexts.
Effect of plant and row spacing on the yield and oil contents of castor ( Ricinus communis L.) in the Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia

Castor ( Ricinus communis L.) is an industrial non edible oilseed adapted to drier areas. An experiment was conducted in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia to determine optimum plant population of castor variety Hiruy. Four plant (50, 60, 70 and 80 cm) and four row spacing (60,80,100 and 120 cm) were arranged in factorial combination and RCBD design in three replications. The experiment was carried out for two years at Melkassa and Arsi Negelle in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. The result showed that plant population has no effect on the oil content of Castor. Plant spacing of 60 cm and row spacing of 80 cm resulted in longer main raceme, heavier seed weight and higher seed yield. Therefore, a plant population of about 20 833 plants per hectare or plant and row spacing of 60 x 80 cm can be used for castor production in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia for an upper branching variety such as Hiruy. Length of main raceme, capsules per plant and seed weight are the main yield components in castor. Keywords: Castor, Plant spacing, row spacing, seed yield
Development of Performance-Based Specifications for Unbound Granular Materials: Part A: Issues and Recommendations

The Austroads Member Authorities (AMAs) are developing a Performance Based Specification (PBS) approach to the specification of unbound granular materials in Australia and New Zealand. There has been general agreement to adopt the engineering properties related to workability and performance for PBS of granular pavement layers. There has also been consensus among AMAs on the use of repeated load triaxial (RLT) test as the best candidate laboratory performance test to pursue new material performance measures (such as shear strength, resilient modulus and pavement layer deformation). This report provides a review of current AMAs pavement material specifications, their origin, strengths and weaknesses. In addition, it examines the issues in the development of PBS for unbound granular materials as well as the benefits to be gained from the implementation of performance-based material specifications. Areas in the performance-based specifications that require refinement and verification are identified and further research in these areas is recommended.
Formation of amylose-lipid complexes by twin-screw extrusion cooking of manioc starch

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The palm family (Arecaceae): a microcosm of sexual system evolution

Among the 416 angiosperm families, palms (Arecaceae) are striking in possessing almost all possible combinations of hermaphroditic and/or unisexual flowers, making them a particularly interesting subject for studies of the evolution of plant sexuality. The purpose of this review is to highlight the amazing diversity of sexual expression in palms with a view to proposing scenarios to explain the evolution of this character, drawing on the numerous advances that have been made over the last 20 years in palm systematics, ecology, developmental biology, phylogenetics and genomics. We provide an overview of the variability of sexual expression in palms, with illustrations of the associated morphological diversity and its significance to reproduction. We discuss the evolution of sexual systems using the most recent phylogenetic framework available for palms. Finally, we review advances made towards unravelling the genetic basis of sexual expression in palms. Our survey opens new perspectives for understanding how plant sexuality has evolved in angiosperms as a whole.
Rice varieties with resistance to multiple races of Magnaporthe oryzae offer opportunities to manage rice blast in Australia

Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is the most destructive disease of rice worldwide. Development of resistant varieties is considered as the most cost-effective and sustainable way to manage rice blast. However, there remains a lack of knowledge about the resistance of rice varieties to blast disease in Australia. This study was conducted to determine if there was any resistance existing among the rice varieties grown in Australia to M. oryzae isolates from this country that belong to different races. There was a resistant reaction of the variety SHZ-2 to all the five races of IA-1, IA-3, IA-63, IB-3 and IB-59, with a percent disease index (%DI) less than 40. Varieties NTR587, BR-IRGA-409, Ceysvoni and Rikuto Norin 20 showed a resistant reaction to races IA-3, IA-63, IB-3 and IB-59; and the variety Kyeema exhibited a resistant reaction to races IA-3, IB-3 and IB-59. For the races IA-1 and IB-59 with more than one isolate, varieties with differential disease reactions across different isolates belonging to the same race were also revealed: five varieties, Langi, Opus, Sherpa, Viet 1 and Topaz, exhibited differential disease reactions to the three IA-1 isolates; 10 varieties showed differential disease reactions to the four IB-59 isolates; in addition, the varieties that had differential disease reactions to the IA-1 isolates also exhibited differential disease reactions to the IB-59 isolates of race. This study provides valuable resistance sources for breeding programmes to develop rice varieties with resistance to multiple races of M. oryzae in Australia.
Amphiroa van-bosseae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) on European Atlantic coasts

Des specimens d'Amphiroa van-bosseae Lemoine, en provenance de plusieurs localites des cotes atlantiques de la peninsule Iberique ont ete etudies. Cette espece du Pacifique est signalee pour la premiere fois sur les cotes atlantiques europeennes. La comparaison avec les especes europeennes d'aspect similaire, A. rigida Lamouroux et A. beauvoisii Lamouroux, fait apparaitre des differences anatomiques nettes. Cet etude permet d'affirmer que la plupart des mentions du genre Amphiroa Lamouroux sur les cotes atlantiques europeennes doivent etre rapportees a A. van-bosseae.
Linear reaction norms of thermal limits in Drosophila: predictable plasticity in cold but not in heat tolerance

* Thermal limits of ectotherms have been studied extensively and are believed to be evolutionarily constrained, leaving ectotherms at risk under future climate change. Phenotypic plasticity may extend the thermal limits, but we lack detailed characterizations of thermal limit reaction norms as well as an understanding of the interspecific variation in these reaction norms. * Here, we investigated the interspecific variation in phenotypic plasticity of thermal limits in 13 Drosophila species. We obtained high-resolution reaction norms for upper and lower thermal limits across the permissive developmental thermal range (12textperiodcentered5–30 °C). The estimated phenotypes were then associated (while accounting for phylogeny) with climatic parameters from the species' distributional range. * All species showed linear reaction norms for cold tolerance (CTmin) and heat tolerance (CTmax) across developmental acclimation temperatures. We observed strong beneficial cold acclimation to lower temperatures in all species. Conversely, the heat acclimation response was non-existent in some species, and decreasing or increasing with increasing developmental acclimation temperatures in other species. The degree of phenotypic plasticity of CTmin and CTmax was related neither to the basal thermal limits (trade-off hypothesis) nor to climatic parameters connected to latitudinal distributions (latitudinal hypothesis). * A substantial and linear developmental plasticity of lower thermal limits is a general characteristic of Drosophila species, which allows for straightforward application in species distribution models. In general, upper thermal limits also show linear norms of reaction, but their adaptive significance is limited and highly variable among species, making general predictions across species rather impossible. * High-resolution estimates of norms of reaction of thermal limits can considerably increase our understanding of the capacity of ectotherms to acclimate to different thermal environments. However, our understanding of the environmental drivers of the evolution of phenotypic plasticity and thus of the interspecific differences remains ambiguous, potentially constrained by limited microclimate information. A lay summary is available for this article. (Less)