Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Variation and Population Structure of Red‐cockaded Woodpeckers

: Our objective was to survey genetic variability and examine population structure in the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, a species whose distribution has been fragmented by land-use patterns. Sixteen presumptive gene loci were resolved from feather pulp of nestlings and adults from 26 populations rangewide. Mean heterozygosity in the Red-cockaded Woodpecker was 7.8% and ranged from 3.1%–10.3% across populations. Heterozygosity was significantly but weakly associated with population size; this association was dependent on low heterozygosity in two small populations. The percentage of polymorphic loci and mean number of alleles per locus were also positively correlated with population size. Relative to other species of birds, there is a large among-population component of genetic variance (Fst= 0.14). Genetic distance among populations increased with geographic distance. Although heterozygosity is reduced in some small populations, most exhibit “normal” levels. Small populations should therefore not be considered “lost causes” from the genetic standpoint. Small populations are important as reservoirs of unique genetic combinations and to help facilitate gene flow among larger populations. Resumen: Nuestro objetivo fue el muestrear la variabilidad genetica y examinar la estructura poblacional del Pajaro Carpintero, en peligro de extincion, Picoides borealis, una especie cuya distribucion ha sido fragmentada por distintos patrones de uso de la tierra. Diez y seis supuestos loci de genes fueron resueltos a partir de la pulpa de plumas de pollos y adultos provenientes de 26 poblaciones. La heterocigosidad promedio del pajaro carpintero fue 7.8%, y vario entre poblaciones de un 3.1 a un 10.3%. La asociacion entre heterocigosidad y tamano poblacional fue significativa pero debil; esta asociacion fue debida a la baja heterocigosidad en dos pequnas poblaciones. El porcentage de loci polimorficos y el numero promedio de alelos por locus tambien estuvieron correlacionados con el tamano poblacional. En comparacion con otras especies de pajaros, el componente “entre poblaciones” de la variacion genetica fue grande (FST= 0.14). La distancia genetica entre poblaciones aumento con la distancia geografica. Si bien la heterocigosidad de algunas poblaciones pequenas es baja, la mayoria exhiben niveles “normales. ” Por consiguiente, desde un punto de vista genetico, las poblaciones pequenas no deberian ser consideradas “causas perdidas. ” Estas pequenas poblaciones, son importantes reservorios de combinaciones geneticas unicas y ayudan a facilitar el flujo genico entre poblaciones mas grandes.
Expanding the Distribution of the Remarkable Ant Gnamptogenys vriesi Brandão & Lattke (Formicidae, Ectatomminae): First Record From Brazil

Gnamptogenys vriesi Brandao & Lattke is a rare ant originally described based on a worker and on a gyne collected in Morona Santiago province, in Ecuador. After the original description, few specimens of this species were collected in Ecuadorian territory. In this paper we reported the first record for Brazil, which resulted in a significant extension on the knowledge of the distribution of this species, which was currently considered to be restricted to Ecuador. In addition, we also provided images and a distribution map for this species.
Riots

The past century of research has identiﬁed a host of economic, political, demographic, and other factors that seem to be associated with the prevalence of riots. The study of riots has, however, probably focused too much on these “push” factors that lead to violence and not enough on understanding the response of the state to riots. Understanding the political incentives that motivate democratic and authoritarian states to sometimes allow riots to take place and at other times to take the strongest possible law-and-order measures to prevent them is key to understanding variation in violence. Scholars also need to pay more attention to the psychological factors that encourage people to riot, and to the micro-logic of target choice within these larger events.
Relationship of ejaculate quality and selected biochemical parameters of blood in cockerels of three laying lines.

AbstRA ct : Ejaculates and blood plasma were sampled from cocks of three laying lines: Barred Plymouth Rock (BPR), Sussex Light (SU), and Rhode Island Red (RIR). Ejaculates and blood plasma were sampled four times during the laying period of hens. The following ejaculate parameters were determined: sperm motility, concentrations of sperm cells, ejaculate volume. Sperm morphology was examined. In the blood samples, concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium were analysed. The motility of spermatozoa of the cocks was 47.0% (BPR), 47.7% (RIR), and 48.3% (SU), respectively. The highest volume of ejaculate was found in BPR line (0.66 cm 3 ), the lowest one in SU line (0.46 cm 3 , P ≤ 0.01); the highest sperm concentration was in SU line (2.46 × 10 6 /mm 3 ), the lowest one in RIR line (1.96 × 10 6 /mm 3 , P ≤ 0.01). The number of morphologically abnormal sperm cells was similar in all lines − 47.0% BPR, 47.7% RIR, and 48.3% SU, respectively. In general, the occurrence of defective spermatozoa was high in all three lines; the most frequent were tail defects (from 20.3 to 29.7%), while sperm cells with developmental anomalies were less frequent (only 0.3 to 0.4%). Calculated phenotypic correlation between sperm motility on the one hand and the occurrence of defective sperm cells on the other was negative (r p = −0.28, P ≤ 0.01), as well as the correlation between sperm motility and sperm numbers, and between sperm motility and ejaculate volume (r p = −0.28, P ≤ 0.01 and r p = −0.31, P ≤ 0.01, respectively). Negative correlations were found between the level of magnesium in blood plasma and numbers of morphologically defective spermatozoa in the ejaculate, defective heads and defective connecting pieces (r p = −0.33, P ≤ 0.01; r p = −0.23, P ≤ 0.05; and r p = −0.26, P ≤ 0.05). Level of
Moisture Removal Characteristics of Thin Layer Rough Rice under Sequenced Infrared Radiation Heating and Cooling

The objective of this study was to investigate the moisture removal characteristics of thin layer rough rice heated by infrared (IR) and cooled with various cooling methods. Thin layer rough rice samples with different initial moisture contents (MCs) were heated using a catalytic IR emitter for four exposure times and radiation intensities. High heating rate and moisture removal were achieved during the IR heating period. After heating, more moisture removal was achieved during the cooling period. The achieved grain temperatures ranged from 35.1 to 68.4C under the tested heating conditions. The vacuum and forced air cooling methods removed more moisture than did the natural cooling. When rice with 25.7% MC was heated by IR, MC was reduced by 3.2, 3.5, and 3.8 percentage points for rice heated to 63.5C at the IR intensity of 5348 W/m 2 for120 s followed by natural cooling for 40 min, forced air cooling for 5 min and vacuum cooling for 10 min, respectively.
What is the taxonomic status of the Cambodian banteng and does it have close genetic links with the kouprey

In a recent paper, Galbreath, Mordacq & Weiler (2006) concluded that the kouprey Bos sauveli was not a natural species, but rather a feral animal derived from hybridization between banteng Bos javanicus and zebu Bos taurus indicus. Here, we analyze two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and subunit II of the cytochrome c oxidase) for all the seven species of the subtribe Bovina, including new sequences for several specimens of banteng, zebu and gaur of Cambodia. Our analyses indicate that mitochondrial sequences of Cambodian banteng are divergent from those of Javan banteng (mean difference =4.27%), but similar to those of kouprey (1.25%). We propose two conflicting hypotheses to interpret these results: (1) the Cambodian and Indonesian banteng belong to two distinct species, and the kouprey derived from Cambodian banteng; (2) all subspecies of banteng belong to Bo. javanicus, but the mitochondrial genome of kouprey was transferred by natural hybridization into the ancestor of Cambodian banteng. Morphological, ecological and ethological characteristics of banteng and kouprey rather support the second hypothesis. However, we need to sequence nuclear markers, and to analyze banteng from Lao, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, to give a definitive conclusion on the taxonomic status of banteng and kouprey.
Notes on Rinodina excrescens in the Russian Far East (Physciaceae, Lichenized Ascomycota)

Abstract: GALANINA, I. A. , YAKOVCHENKO, L. S. , TSARENKO, N. A. & SPRIBILLE, T. 2011. Notes on Rinodina excre-scens in the Russian Far East (Physciaceae, lichenized Ascomycota). — Herzogia 24: 59–64. Rinodina excrescens was described from western Siberia by Vainio but has since been reported mainly from eastern North America, and in south-central and southern Europe, where it is rare. We report the rediscovery of this species in Russia from a string of new records in the Russian Far East from Sakhalin Island to the Mongolian border. Current data suggest that R. excrescens has a primarily eastern North American-east Asian distribution with rare outliers elsewhere.
Responses of exotic plant species to fires in Pinus ponderosa forests in northern Arizona

Changes in disturbance due to fire regime in southwestern Pinus ponderosa forests over the last century have led to dense forests that are threatened by widespread fire. It has been shown in other studies that a pulse of native, early-seral opportunistic species typically follow such disturbance events. With the growing importance of exotic plants in local flora, however, these exotics often fill this opportunistic role in recovery. We report the effects of fire severity on exotic plant species following three widespread fires of 1996 in northern Arizona P. ponderosa forests. Species richness and abundance of all vascular plant species, including exotics, were higher in burned than nearby unburned areas. Exotic species were far more important, in terms of cover, where fire severity was highest. Species present after wildfires include those of the pre-disturbed forest and new species that could not be predicted from above-ground flora of nearby unburned forests.
Alfa-amilase em frangos de corte: efeitos do balanço eletrolítico e do nível protéico da dieta

Um experimento foi conduzido com pintos de corte macho para o estudo dos efeitos dos niveis de 20 e 23% de PB combinados com 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 mEq/kg de balanco dietetico eletrolitico (BDE) sobre a atividade da a-amilase pancreatica de frangos de corte de 1 a 21 dias de idade. O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado. Dietas e agua foram fornecidas ad libitum. Aos 1, 7, 14 e 21 dias, tres aves de cada tratamento foram sacrificadas por deslocamento cervical para remocao do pâncreas, o qual foi removido, homogeneizado, congelado em nitrogenio liquido e liofilizado. Uma aliquota de cada amostra foi solubilizada em agua deionizada e centrifugada a 7500 x g por 3 minutos a 4oC, para determinacao da atividade da a-amilase no sobrenadante. Aves alimentadas com 20% de PB apresentaram atividades especificas (U/mg de proteina) superiores a daquelas que receberam 23%, exceto para os niveis de BDE de 100 a 200 mEq/kg, aos 14 dias. Observou-se tendencia de aumento da atividade especifica dos 7 aos 14 dias e reducao dos 14 aos 21 dias. Para maior atividade especifica de a-amilase, recomendam-se dietas com 20% de PB e 200 mEq/kg de BDE na fase pre-inicial e dietas com 20% de PB e 135 a 250 mEq/kg de BDE para frangos de corte dos 8 aos 21 dias de idade.
A pectate lyase homologue pel1 from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri is associated with the water-soaked margins of canker lesions.

The typical citrus canker lesions produced by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) have water-soaked margins. Three new variants of Xac producing atypical symptoms were recently described in Taiwan. The variant designated Ar type produces lesions without watersoaked margins on the leaves of citrus species and does not possess pectolytic activity on polypectate media. Five pectolytic genes pel1, pel2, pel3, peh1, and peh2 from strains XW19 (a typical canker lesion-producing strain) and XW121 (a strain of Ar type) were PCR-amplified, cloned and characterized. Only the 1.2-kb pel1 gene from XW19 expressed pectolytic activity. Sequence analyses revealed over 99% homology in nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences among pel1 genes from XW19 and XW121, and a pel homolog from strain 306 (GenBank accession No. NC-003919.1, XAC3562). The pel1 gene from XW19 and XW121 encoded a Pel1 protein of 377 amino acids. However, there was a stop codon located at the 350th amino acid residue of the gene from XW121. When the pel1 gene from XW19 was transformed into XW121, the transformant exhibited pectate lyase activity and also induced water-soaked margins surrounding the lesions on grapefruit leaves. The results suggest that expression of the pel1 gene of Xac is associated with formation of the water- soaked margin of the bacterial canker lesion.
Quantifying causes of discard variability: an indispensable assistance to discard estimation and a paramount need for policy measures

Fishery-dependent data underpin the scientific advice given to fishery managers. However, discard estimates are often imprecise as a result of limited sampling coverage. Estimating discard rates from length frequency distributions (LFDs) in commercial catches may complement information from observer trips. The accuracy of estimates depends greatly on careful investigation of the discard variability. Here, the impact of three essential factors was quantified for beam-trawl fisheries in the southern North Sea: (i) market prices, (ii) landings per trip (LPT) limitations, and (iii) selectivity of the commercial fishing gear. Observed discard rates for cod, plaice, sole, and whiting were compared with estimates based on length frequency data, taking account of the variability attributable to LPT limitations and market price. Observed discard estimates of cod and whiting differed significantly from LFD-derived estimates because of highgrading. The results indicate that LFD-derived discard estimates are only reliable if the crucial driving factors are quantified. LFDs can be collected from research vessels or by fishers in partnership with scientists. Based upon many of these LFDs and the discard-variability factors identified in observer programmes, discard rates can be estimated better.
Disruption of the sole IdhL gene in Lactobacillus sakei prevents the production of both L- and D-Iactate

Summary: A 7 kb DNA fragment was cloned from Lactobacillus sakei which contains the IdhL gene encoding the l(+)-lactate dehydrogenase (l-LDH). Analysis of the DNA sequence, Northern experiments and primer extension experiments showed that IdhL is transcribed from a single promoter, leading to a monocistronic 1·15 kb mRNA which yields the l-LDH. A stable mutant was constructed by chromosomal integration of a chloramphenicol cassette into IdhL by a double-crossover event. Both l- and d-lactate were produced by the wild-type strain whereas only residual amounts of both isomers were produced by the mutant. This demonstrates that L. sakei possesses an l-LDH producing l-lactate and a lactate racemase able to transform it to d-lactate, but is devoid of d-LDH activity. Moreover the ability to degrade l-lactate present in the medium that was observed with the mutant strain grown aerobically suggests that an l-lactate oxidase activity is also present in L. sakei.
Nondestructive indicator of ethoxyresorufin‐O‐deethylase activity in embryonic fish

Many environmental contaminants of concern produce aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor‐mediated effects often assessed as ethoxyresorufin‐O‐deethylase (EROD) activity. We modified a standardized embryonic and larval fish bioassay using an estuarine fish species (Fundulus heteroclitus) to include measurement of fluorescence in the urinary bladders of living embryos as a nondestructive indicator of EROD activity. This fluorescence was observed only in embryos exposed to the EROD substrate and Ah receptor agonists and was consistent in fluorescence characteristics with the EROD product, resorufin. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor‐agonist exposures at sublethal concentrations in the parts per billion range, produced significant increases in EROD fluorescence in embryos as young as 3 d postfertilization. These findings are consistent with the conclusion that this fluorescence method is a specific and sensitive nondestructive indicator of Ah receptor‐mediated effects in an embryonic fish. As such, this simple method may be useful for assessing effects of environmental contaminants on the early development of fishes and to link molecular indicators with organism‐level responses.
PHYLOGENETIC COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY OVER TIME IN EURASIAN PLIO-PLEISTOCENE MAMMALS

Abstract Phylogenetic community structure and assembly is a burgeoning field in the discipline of community ecology. An array of statistical techniques have been developed in order to study whether or not local assemblages of species are a phylogenetically random, overdispersed, or clustered subset of the regional species pool to which they belong. Phylogenetic clustering or overdispersion depends on aspects of species evolutionary ecology, such as habitat preference, limits of similarity among closely related species, and how traits are inherited in ancestor-descendant relationships. Here I applied the first analysis of phylogenetic community structure and assembly to Plio-Pleistocene large mammal communities of western Eurasia, with the additional goal of verifying if the existing statistics are suitable to be used with fossil data. The results demonstrate that (1) the use of phylogeny in the study of community evolution is feasible with a number of diverse metrics, (2) phylogenetic distance between fossil communities provides an important addition to classic turnover metrics, and (3) the phylogenetic structure of Eurasian Ice-Age mammal communities changed significantly around 1 Ma, when these communities were filled with closely related species from both carnivore and herbivore clades.
Current Therapeutic Targets for Breast Cancer Treatment

figure 1: Stages of breast cancer Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women world-wide. Because breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women it's for this reason the review provides information on the recent developments of the drug targets in the management of breast cancer. Over the past decades various advancements have been made in the discovery of new drugs for treating breast cancer and this is because of the improved understanding of the biologic heterogeneity of breast cancer which has also allowed the development of more effective approaches to treat breast cancer. Approximately 70% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive. Aromatase and Tamoxifen have been used for endocrine therapy and have improved breast cancer survival but a large number of people experience occurrence of the disease either during or near the completion of endocrine therapy. However introduction of new drugs targeting molecular pathway involved in endocrine resistance. The use of combination of endocrine therapy with mammalian target of Rapamycin antagonists with the introduction of cyclin dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors has significantly improved the response to endocrine therapy. Moving forward HER 2 target immunotherapy consists of monoclonal antibodies such Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab and bispecific antibodies and activated T-cells armed with anti-HER 2 positive metastatic breast cancer. This combined application of the drugs mentioned above plus paclitaxel are a © 2018 JETIR December 2018, Volume 5, Issue 12 www.jetir. org (ISSN-2349-5162) JETIRDZ06054 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir. org 408 standard therapy for HER 2 positive breast cancer. Although much needs to be done in improving outcomes for all the patients with breast cancer, especially those who have advanced breast cancer and not forgetting the issue of drug resistance also poses threat to the successful development of targeted therapy in various subtypes of breast cancer. Unfortunately no targeted drug has been approved for the most aggressive subtype triple negative breast cancer.
Digital photography quantifies plumage variation and salt marsh melanism among Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) subspecies of the San Francisco Bay

ABSTRACT Local adaptation is often implicated as a driver of speciation and diversity, but measuring local variation within a species can be difficult. Many taxa endemic to salt marshes exhibit a phenotypic trait called salt marsh melanism, in which salt marsh endemics have a darker or grayer integument than their freshwater congeners. The repeated occurrence of salt marsh melanism across distantly related taxa in similar environments suggests a role for local selection in maintaining this trait. We quantitatively explored variation in plumage characteristics for four subspecies of the Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) in the San Francisco Bay area. These subspecies are restricted to habitats of varying salinity and climate, and are considered a classic example of ecologically based variation on a local scale. To analyze plumage color, we employed a digital photographic technique which was quantitative, able to deal with pattern variation, and independent of a particular visual system. Although no single plumage measure distinguished among all four subspecies, combining the measures allowed reliable assignment of most specimens. Using a discriminant analysis with five measures of plumage color, we were able to classify 75% of specimens to the correct subspecies, well above the 25% correct classification expected due to chance. The three subspecies inhabiting more saline environments (M. m. pusillula, M. m. samuelis, and M. m. maxillaris) were either darker (lower luminance) or grayer (lower red dominance) than the inland subspecies M. m. gouldii, supporting the pattern of salt marsh melanism observed in other taxa.
The spatial scale of plant-animal interactions: effects of resource availability and habitat structure

Plant–animal interactions are crucial nodes in the structure of communities and pivotal drivers of ecosystem functioning. Much of this relevance may depend on how animals cope with plant resources at different spatial scales. However, little is known about how and why different interactions perform at different scales in the same environmental setting. In this study we assess the spatial scales at which two plant–animal interactions operate and disentangle the environmental factors (plant resource availability vs. habitat structure) underpinning these operational scales. We studied two interactions with opposite (mutualistic vs. antagonistic) ecological effects on fleshy-fruited trees, frugivory and seed dispersal by birds, and the later predation by rodents on bird-dispersed seeds. Employing a standardized sampling, we covered three temperate ecosystems hosting structurally similar plant–frugivore–seed predator systems: Cantabrian forest, Mediterranean shrubland, and Patagonian forest. We sampled habitat.
Millikelvin measurements of permittivity and loss tangent of lithium niobate

Lithium Niobate is an electro-optic material with many applications in microwave signal processing, communication, quantum sensing, and quantum computing. In this letter, we present findings on evaluating the complex electromagnetic permittivity of lithium niobate at millikelvin temperatures. Measurements are carried out using a resonant-type method with a superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity operating at 7 GHz and designed to characterize anisotropic dielectrics. The relative permittivity tensor and loss tangent are measured at 50 mK with unprecedented accuracy.