Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial variation in host-parasite interactions in the three-spined stickleback

The role of parasites as agents of selection on their hosts has been well established, but less is known about how parasites facilitate divergence among host populations. In this thesis, I used the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, as a model organism to explore spatial variation in host-parasite interactions and the consequences for divergence of host traits. First, I established the extent of spatial variation in natural infection in the study system, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, by conducting a survey of macroparasite communities in twelve freshwater lochs over two years. I found substantial geographic variation in parasite communities that was remarkably stable in time. Assuming that differences in parasite community composition correspond to differences in parasite-mediated selection, it suggests that North Uist stickleback populations experience divergent parasite-mediated selection that is consistent in time. Next, I carried out a series of artificial infection experiments with lab-reared sticklebacks from five populations using three widespread macroparasite species (Gyrodactylus gasterostei, Diplostomum spathaceum and Schistocephalus solidus), to assess geographic variation in parasite resistance and a component of the innate immune system, the respiratory burst response. There was significant variation among populations in resistance to G. gasterostei and D. spathaceum, and the innate immune response. To some extent the variation was related to natural infection levels, suggesting that divergent parasite-mediated selection may drive investment in these traits. Lastly, I conducted a growth experiment with the five stickleback populations and showed that there was significant population-level variation in juvenile growth rate, an important life history trait. In spite of considerable variation in all traits, I found no evidence for genetic trade-offs across populations between juvenile growth rate, and macroparasite resistance or the innate immune response. This thesis adds to a growing body of work that emphasises the importance of space in shaping host-parasite interactions.
Préparation de nanobiosenseurs à base d'aptamères

L'une des strategies mise en œuvre pour ameliorer la prise en charge therapeutique des patients concerne le developpement d'outils diagnostiques sensibles et specifiques. Les aptameres sont des oligonucleotides artificiels obtenus par SELEX avec une tres haute affinite ainsi qu'une excellente specificite pour leurs cibles. L'immobilisation de ces motifs de reconnaissance moleculaire a la surface de nanomateriaux tels que des nanoparticules d'or (AuNPs), dont les proprietes optiques et electroniques sont uniques, permet d'amplifier le signal genere par l'interaction du ligand avec sa cible. Deux systemes de biosensing ont ete elabore en fonctionnalisant des AuNPs avec des aptameres, l'un dirige contre la thrombine et le second dirige contre une marque epigenetique portee par une proteine histone. La reduction des sels d'or aurique precurseurs a ete realisee en presence de PEG4 et a conduit a l'obtention d'une population homodisperse de AuNPs spheriques d'un diametre moyen de 14 nm et presentant une isotropie de taille et de forme. Ces AuNPs ont ensuite ete fonctionnalisees par des bras espaceurs de longueur variable constitues d'unites tetraethylene glycol successives reliees entre elles par des ponts ethers ou triazoles. L'acide lipoique a ete utilise comme motif d'ancrage a la surface des AuNPs via une liaison covalente Au-S et a ete couple aux differents bras espaceurs via une reaction de Steglich. Les linkers etaient porteurs d'un groupement terminal azoture afin de realiser le couplage par chimie-click avec les aptameres. La strategie de detection de la thrombine utilisait les proprietes de quenching de fluorescence des AuNPs alors que la detection de l'histone etait colorimetrique et mettait a profit l'effet de resonance plasmonique de surface des nanoparticules d'or.
Strategies for non-traditional emergency volunteers: A risk-benefit framework for decision-making

This report presents a Risk-Benefit framework that can assist decision-makers in emergency management organisations (EMOs) to identify potential benefits and risks of alternative strategies for non-traditional emergency volunteers. The framework was developed primarily from stakeholder input in two workshops, combined with recent research. Non-traditional emergency volunteering includes any type of volunteering formal and informal - that is: 1) Focused on contributing to disaster and emergency prevention, preparedness, response, or relief/recovery and 2) Involves volunteers who are not traditional emergency management volunteers affiliated with EMOs. Different strategies for non-traditional volunteers bring different sets of potential benefits, challenges and risks for communities, volunteers, and EMOs. Not all of the potential consequences of different options will be immediately evident to a particular organisation at a particular point in time. Without decision support EMOs may perceive greater risks with non-traditional emergency volunteers and voluntary organisations and overlook or downgrade potential benefits due to unawareness, unfamiliarity, or risk aversion.
Trace metals in the open oceans:speciation modelling

The speciation of trace metals in the oceans is typically explained by invoking the concept of metal binding to specific organic ligands, but a lack of detailed knowledge about the ligands has impeded the formulation of comprehensive models to predict speciation chemistry. The aim of our study was to shed further light on the possible role of humic-type ligands in trace metal complexation in the oceans by comparing published seawater (open ocean) speciation measurements with predictions obtained using a speciation model typically used for freshwater and soil systems (Windermere Humic Aqueous Model; WHAM). We show that in some cases, speciation of trace metals in seawater environments may be reasonably predicted using this model with its default parameter set, without any model fitting. The results support the idea that humic-type ligands may account for much of the observed organic binding at least in the cases of Fe, Cu and Pb. Although the model does not consistently provide agreement with the measured values, it provides a useful benchmark to compare different datasets and to examine variation in speciation as a result of varying levels of competing metal ion concentration and fulvic acid activity.
Poly-L-lysine increases the ex vivo expansion and erythroid differentiation of human hematopoietic stem cells, as well as erythroid enucleation efficacy.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are continuously stimulated by physical interactions with bone marrow or umbilical cord niches as well as by chemical factors found within these niches. The niche can be mimicked by modification of the cytokine composition, elasticity, topography, and/or charge. This work employed cell culture plates coated with several concentrations of poly-L-lysine (PLL), a positively charged synthetic amino-acid chain. Culture substrates that employed relatively high initial coating concentrations of PLL significantly increased the total number of HSCs during ex vivo expansion of CD34+ cells, as well as erythroid differentiation. Furthermore, the 0.01% PLL substrate stimulated enucleation of erythroid cells, leaving behind a number of extruded nuclei at the bottom of the culture plate, followed by an increase in the number of erythrocytes. Thus, PLL will likely prove useful to enhance the expansion of HSCs and erythroid cells, in addition to the generation of red blood cells.
Lien entre la consommation maternelle de cannabis et l'usage de cette substance chez les adolescents inuits du Nunavik

Aim: To document longitudinally the association between maternal use of cannabis and the subsequent use of this substance by their adolescents among Inuit from Nunavik. Hypothesis: A higher frequency of cannabis use among mothers will be associated with 1a subsequent earlier initiation to cannabis, and 2a subsequent more frequent use among their adolescent. Method: This study was based on longitudinal data from the Nunavik Child Development Study (NCDS; N=184 dyads mother-adolescent). This study uses data from two follow-ups, between 2005 and 2010 (T1, 8-15 years old), and between 2012 and 2016 (T2, 16-22 years old). Results: No significant association was found between the mothers’ frequency of cannabis use and the age of initiation as well as the frequency of cannabis use by their adolescents. Conclusion: The search for predictors of substance use remains relevant to minimize the accumulation of vulnerabilities experienced by Aboriginal populations.
New records of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from Norway III

The study of the family Encyrtidae at the Natural History Museum of Oslo continues. 13 species are reported for the first time from Norway in this revision, bringing the total number of Norwegian encyrtids up to 136. Comments on the biology and distribution for these species are given. The two species Anagyrus galinae (Myartseva, 1982) and Blastothrix hissarica Sugonjaev, 1972 are reported for the first time from Europe. The aim of this study is to highlight the distribution of the family in Norway and to provide a complete list of the Norwegian species.
COVID-19 in healthcare workers in three hospitals in the South of the Netherlands, March 2020

Background: Ten days after the first reported case of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Netherlands, 3.9% of healthcare workers (HCWs) in nine hospitals located in the South of the Netherlands tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The extent of nosocomial transmission that contributed to the HCW infections was unknown. Methods: We combined epidemiological data, collected by means of structured interviews of HCWs, with whole genome sequencing (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples from HCWs and patients in three of nine hospitals that participated in the HCW screening, to perform an in-depth analysis of sources and modes of transmission of SARS -CoV-2 in HCWs and patients. Results: A total of 1,796 out of 12,022 HCWs (15%) of the three participating hospitals were screened, based on clinical symptoms, of whom 96 (5%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. We obtained complete genome sequences of 50 HCWs and 18 patients. Most sequences grouped in 3 clusters, with 2 clusters displaying local circulation within the region. The observed patterns are most consistent with multiple introductions into the hospitals through community acquired infections, and local amplification in the community. Conclusions: Although direct transmission in the hospitals cannot be ruled out, the data does not support widespread nosocomial transmission as source of infection in patients or healthcare workers.
Involvement of Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA)‐Binding Protein in the Induction of the Acrosome Reaction of the Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus intermedius. II. Antibody against WGA‐Binding Protein Induces the Acrosome Reaction

We obtained a polyclonal antibody against the WGA‐binding protein (WGAbp) of Strongylocentrotus intermedius sperm, which is a membrane glycoprotein of 260 kD under non‐reducing condition. Anti‐WGAbp antibody induced increases in both intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and intracellular pH (pHi), resulting in the onset of the AR. The increases in [Ca2+]i and pHi required extracellular Ca2+ and Na+, respectively, and were suppressed by the pretreatment with WGA, resulting in the inhibition of the AR. Anti‐WGAbp antibody‐induced AR was inhibited also by lowered extracellular pH. elevated K+, removal of Na+ from seawater and the treatment with verapamil, a Ca2+ channel inhibitor. These inhibitory conditions are identical with those of the egg jelly‐induced AR. Monovalent Fab fragments from anti‐WGAbp antibody also induced the AR at relatively high concentration. These results suggest that the WGAbp on the sperm plasma membrane is involved in the regulation of Ca2+ influx and Na+/H+ exchange associated with the AR of S. intermedius sperm. It is a strong candidate for the receptor of the AR‐inducing substance in the egg jelly.
Sloughed skin: a method for the systematic collection of tissue samples from Baja California blue whales

The frequency of occurrence of naturally sloughed skin was investigated to verify the feasibility of this method to study blue whale genetics off Baja California. Sloughed skin was recorded in 97% of 337 surfacing intervals with blue whales, Balaenoptera musculus, along the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was found in size of pieces of skin sloughed from whales in different habitats, sea surface temperatures or whether they were alone or in pairs. Samples were recoverable independent of gender and age and could be linked to individuals. While yield of extracted DNA was low (0-0.15mg/mg tissue), gender determination was successful in 55% of the samples assayed.
Comparative assessment of aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity in irrigated rice fields and wetlands through different spatial scales: an additive partitioning approach

The role of rice fields as refuges for wetland macroinvertebrates was assessed at multiple spatial scales, and macroinvertebrate diversity was compared between fields and natural wetlands. Because irrigated rice fields are highly disturbed environments, and have lower environmental complexity and heterogeneity in the irrigated phase than do wetlands, we hypothesised that the fields would sustain lower diversity than do wetlands, especially at broader spatial scales. Wetlands and rice fields from three regions in southern Brazil were simultaneously sampled. In wetlands, the broadest scale (hydrographic basin) contributed the most to macroinvertebrate diversity. In rice fields, besides hydrographic basin level, narrower scales (site level) also contributed to macroinvertebrate γ diversity. Different cultivation and management systems may be responsible for the contribution of narrower scales to γ diversity in rice fields. Differences in community structure in both environments were determined by wetland drainage practices, and they were affected by the ENSO climatic phenomenon, which influenced macrophyte diversity in wetlands. Wetland communities were characterised by macrophyte-associated, passive-dispersing taxa, whereas rice fields contained short-lived, active-dispersing macroinvertebrates. The present study demonstrated that rice fields do not represent suitable refugia for wetland-expelled macroinvertebrates because they do not support similar community structure, at least under some management practices and climatic conditions influenced by ENSO.
Development of reinforced and cell-laden vascular grafts structurally inspired by human coronary artery

Cardiovascular diseases are the world leading cause of death, with coronary artery disease as the predominant one. Although autologous vessels remain as the best coronary revascularization alternative, its application is limited by pre-existing vascular problems, previous operations, and low quality of vessels, among others. One challenge is to develop vascular grafts capable of showing good biological and mechanical performance and long patency once implanted. For this, it is necessary to deeply understand artery structure, components, and biological and mechanical properties. None of the currently existing vascular grafts has been able to fulfill all the requirements, especially compliance and non-thrombogenicity. Inspired by the human coronary artery structure, a new manufacturing method was developed to fabricate vascular grafts with these requirements. A combination of dipping-spinning and solution blow spinning techniques, controlled by a robot device was used to manufacture cellularized multilayer tubular structures. To mechanically reinforce the vascular grafts polycaprolactone fibers were distributed resembling collagen fibers in coronary arteries. Gelatin-alginate hydrogel layers with cell encapsulated were intercalated with fiber layers to enhance the biological function. Furthermore, middle and outer layer compositions, wavy and oriented distribution of fibers were separately optimized mimicking media and adventitia layers respectively to achieve similar mechanical properties. Composition was successfully optimized to have a stress-strain curve close to the media and adventitia curves. Vascular grafts fabricated in this work showed mechanical behavior within the coronary arteries’s ranges and statistically similar compliance to coronary arteries at physiological pressure. Finally, cells were incorporated and distributed homogeneously throughout the vascular graft, showing proliferation at in vitro culture. These results demonstrate that vascular grafts with similar biological and mechanical properties to coronary arteries can be produced by automatable manufacturing method inspired in the artery structure.
Symplesiomorphies and explanation

Hewas right aboutbeingunrepentant, butwrongabout the rest. There is nothing Hennigian about Platnick s supposition that symplesiomorphies are not to be explained, and indeed that supposition would lead to unsatisfactory conclusions, as will shortly be seen. Platnick s aim was to find fault with Nixon and Carpenter s (2012) treatment of homology, and while he did not mention it, they employed the usual phylogenetic concept of explanation, that applied in parsimony. As is well known, parsimony selects trees to minimize extra origins of features, and this maximizes explained similarities, as each additional origin of a feature reduces a tree s ability to explain similarities in that feature by inheritance andcommonancestry (seeFarris, 1983,2008). Suppose, as in Platnick s first example, that the data comprise spiders with spinnerets and non-spiders without spinnerets (the plesiomorphic condition). Then maximizing explained similarities would lead to uniting the spiders into a monophyletic group, as this would require just one origin of spinnerets (in the stem species of spiders) andone origin of their lack (at or before the root of the tree). Support for spider monophyly would certainly be the Hennigian interpretation of spinnerets, and it is now seen that this reasonable conclusion is reached by explaining symplesiomorphies as well as synapomorphies. In contrast, if (as Platnick supposed) symplesiomorphies should not be explained, extra origins of lackof-spinnerets would not need to be avoided, in which case the same data would no longer support monophyly of spiders, as now non-spiders could just as well be derived from spiders by secondary loss of spinnerets. Platnick s supposition, then, has nothing to do with how phylogenetic explanation actually functions, let alone with Hennig. One would think that Platnick was simply unaware of the relationship between explanation and minimizing origins of features, but such is hardly the case (Platnick, 1993, p. 271):
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Daring to vote right : Why men are more likely than women to vote for the radical right

Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva. nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible.
Influencia de la microbiota intestinal en la obesidad

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of an obesity treatment program on the gut microbiota and body weight of overweight adolescents. Thirty-six adolescents (14-15 years), classified as overweight according to the International Obesity Task Force body mass index (BMI) criteria, were submitted to a calorie-restricted diet (10-40%) and increased physical activity (15-23 kcal/kg body weight/wk) program over 10 weeks. Gut bacterial groups were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR before and after the intervention. A group of subjects (n=23) experience more than 4.0 kg weight loss and showed significant BMI (P= 0.030) and BMI z-score (P= 0.035) reductions after the intervention, while the other group (n=13) showed less than 2.0 kg weight loss. No significant differences in dietary intake were found between both groups. In the high weight-loss group, Bacteroides and Lactobacillus counts increased (P=0.015 and P=0.002, respectively), whereas Clostridium coccoides and B. longum counts decreased (P=0.001 and P=0.044, respectively) after the intervention. Bacteroides and C. leptum counts were significantly higher (P=0.004 and P<0.001, respectively) while levels of C. coccoides, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and B. breve were significantly lower (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively) in the high weight-loss group than in the low weight-loss group before and after the intervention. These findings indicate that calorie restriction and physical activity have an impact on gut microbial composition related to body weight loss, which also seen to be influenced by the individual ́s microbiota
On two new species of Siriella (Mysidacea)

Descriptions of two new mysids, Siriella africana ap. nov. collected from Agulhas Bank and S. intermedia sp. nov. collected from Laccadives are given. The present paper contains observations on two species of mysidacea collected from the Indian Ocean. The first species S. africana sp. nov. was collected from Agulhas Bank during IIOE by the ship Africana II. The second species S. intermedia sp. nov. was collected near the Kalpeni atoll in the Laccadive Archipelago
Polymorphism of goat DGAT1 gene and their association with milk production traits

The purpose of the study was to identify genotype frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms the intron 6, exon 7, intron 7, exon 8, intron 8 and exon 15, intron 15, exon 16, intron 16, exon 17 and partially 3' untranslated region (UTR) in goat DGAT1 gene and its possible association genotypes with milk traits in dairy goat breeds by means of PCR-RFLP assays. Goats 185: Saanen n: 35; Damascus n: 30; Halep n: 30; Maltase n: 30; Alpine n: 30; Kilis n: 30) were used for investigating. PCR products were digested separately with EaeI, NlaIII and AIul restriction enzymes for exon 8, exon 16 and 17, respectively. No polymorphisms were detected at the EaeI and AIul cleavage sites for exon 8 and exon 17 in sampled goat populations. However, biallelic polymorphism was found with restriction endonuclease NlaIII in intron 16 of DGAT1 gene and two genotypes were detected and TC, in which TT was the predominant genotype and allele T was predominant allele in six goat breeds. No significant statistical results were founded in milk yield, fat, protein and lactose values with TT and TC genotypes were detected. We have described here for the first time an NlaIII PCR-RFLP method for detecting T-to-C mutation in intron 16 goat DGAT1 locus: CATG-to-CACG.