Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic divergence in four species of the genus Raphanus: Implications for the ancestry of the domestic radish R. sativus

Four species of radish of the genus Raphanus were examined by electrophoresis of water soluble proteins. This technique was used to provide information about the degree of genetic differentiation of the species over a range of gene loci coding for various enzymes. These results give genetic distance estimates showing all four radish species to be closely related. From this data a simple dendrogram is constructed to show the possible interrelationships and evolutionary divergence of these species. The domestic radish Raphanus sativus shows the greatest genetic similarity when compared with an Italian population of R. landra.
Animal Behavior as a Strategy Optimizer: Evolution of Resource Assessment Strategies and Optimal Emigration Thresholds

Models are proposed which examine emigration thresholds from resource patches encountered within a given search strategy. With one patch type and no competition during utilization, there is a single optimal investment duration (Iopt) which depends on the gain accumulated during investment in the patch, G(I), and on the mean search cost between patches. Solutions for Iopt depend on the form of G(I); various models are considered which offer diminishing returns with investment. With variation in the value of the patch type encountered, the animal should leave a patch when dG/dI becomes equal to SLmax, the average gain rate for the overall search strategy when the investment in each patch is optimal. For some resources, Iopt may equal 0. Selection should here favor more and more efficient "resource assessment" strategies which ensure the most efficient monitoring of cues correlating with G(I). These are all pure stratengies in relation to particular circumstances. Where there is resource sharing and systems are "ideal free," there is generally no pure strategy which is likely to be evolutionarily stable, and the result will generally be mixed strategies for emigration threshold. For patches offering decreasing returns with investment, the ESS is generally for all individuals to stay until a certain threshold (Il crit. Individuals should then begin to depart at a rate which ensures that the value of staying equal that of leaving. For instance, where nmax competitors all arrive together and resource input gradually decreases, the stable mixed strategy has departure rates ordered so that (l/n)(dG/dI) remains constant as SLmax/nmax until the last individual leaves (In crit). This emigration range (Ilcrit-In crit) and the departure rate can be defined for several situations; there is strong evidence that such strategies exist in natural populations. These models are, however, deterministic; individuals depart as discrete events. This circumstance, especially when the group size is low, can cause certain imbalances which may rely on further mixed strategies (for willingness to leave at a certain group size) for their stability. This effect may have a general application to the problem of emigration from shared resources.
Improvement of Graft Development in Tomato and Eggplant Grafted Cuttings by Supplying Warmed Water to Graft Union during Low-air-temperature Storage

We investigated the effects of supplying warmed water to the graft union of tomato and eggplant grafted cuttings during low-air-temperature storage on graft development and plant growth after storage. The scions of grafted cuttings were held at an air temperature of 9 to 12°C, while the region from the cut end of the rootstock cuttings to the graft union was held at 12 to 37°C in water during 4 days’ storage. The tensile strength of some cuttings’ graft union was measured as an index of graft development. The tensile strength of the tomato graft union was much improved when the graft union temperature ranged from 23 to 27°C. That of the eggplant graft union increased as the temperature rose up to 29°C. After 4 days’ storage, the remaining cuttings were planted in vermiculite medium and grown in a growth chamber. Cuttings from the temperatures that gave a higher tensile strength tended to grow larger. We also investigated the effects of supplying the water at 28°C to the graft union on the storage quality of cuttings by measuring the water status, gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters after 4 days’ storage at an air temperature of 9 to 11°C. The leaf water potential and leaf conductance of scions with warmed graft unions were significantly higher than those with unwarmed graft unions. The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters Φ PSII and the electron transfer rate were maintained with warmed water during storage, but were significantly decreased without warmed water application. These results indicate that keeping the graft union warm during low-air-temperature storage can improve graft development, storage quality, and plant growth after storage.
Variation in bilateral asymmetry of the Lusitanian toadfish along the Portuguese coast

Summary Three types of bilateral asymmetry [antisymmetry (AS), directional asymmetry (DA) and fluctuating asymmetry (FA)] have long been recognized in the literature. It is often assumed that DA and AS have a larger genetic basis than FA, which therefore provides a measure of developmental stability. To examine changes in bilateral asymmetry of the Lusitanian toadfish, Halobatrachus didactylus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), collected in 10 localities along the Portuguese coast, the distribution of left–right values of three external and two internal morphometric variables and one meristic variable were evaluated for normality and deviations of the mean to 0; kurtosis and skewness were also determined. AS was found for the majority of variables in all locations, although DA was also very frequent. FA was observed in only four locations for three variables. A general pattern of negative and low Spearman correlations between asymmetry levels and concentrations of heavy metals and pollutants and mean heterozygosity was found. However, exceptions to this pattern indicate that different asymmetry types can occur across the distribution range in a single trait and that the three types of asymmetry are dynamically interrelated, the shifts from FA to the other two types possibly being due to environmental stress.
Granulosis Virus Infection of the Smaller Tea Tortrix (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): Effect on the Development of the Endoparasitoid,Ascogaster reticulatus(Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Abstract Infection ofAdoxophyessp. larvae by a granulosis virus (AsGV) adversely affected the development of the endoparasitoid,Ascogaster reticulatus.Parasitoid larvae developing in AsGV-infected hosts grew more slowly and spent more time in their hosts than did parasitoid larvae developing in noninfected hosts. Parasitoid larvae developing in AsGV-infected hosts accumulated numerous viral capsules in their gut lumen. Electron microscopy confirmed no infection of AsGV in fat body and midgut tissues of those parasitoid larvae. There were no significant differences in the emergence rates between parasitoid larvae that developed in AsGV-infected hosts and those that developed in noninfected hosts. However, pupation and eclosion rates of parasitoids that had developed in infected hosts with AsGV were significantly lower than those of parasitoids that developed in noninfected hosts. The proportion of parasitoids that pupated and emerged as adults increased as the timing of AsGV administration to the host was delayed. Significant numbers of parasitoid larvae that emerged from AsGV-infected hosts did not exhibit external feeding. This appeared to be the main reason for high mortality rates of parasitoids that developed as larvae in AsGV-infected hosts.
Factors influencing the diversity of cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) in the post‐agriculture area of the Kampinos National Park, Poland

In the Kampinos National Park (Poland), which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, 47 caught per unit effort samples of Chrysididae were collected in 2000–2006. The aim of the study was to identify the factors promoting the diversity of this rarely studied group of parasitic wasps. A total of 722 specimens belonging to 37 species were recorded, including 18 threatened species and six others recently described as new to the Polish fauna. No chrysidids were recorded in forests, instead they were most abundant on fallow land (i.e. in open habitats), of which those located on dry soils were preferred over humid ones, just as by their endogeic (nesting in the ground) hosts. Many chrysidids that are parasites of hypergeic (nesting above the ground) species were significantly associated with old abandoned wooden buildings, where their hosts use holes in wood for nesting. In addition to the characteristics of the habitat sampled, its position in the land mosaic also determined the diversity of chrysidids. Their lowest abundance and species diversity were recorded in samples from different types of habitat, all located in a uniform environment (i.e. with few other habitats nearby), which limited the diversity of resources available within the flight ranges of chrysidids and their hosts. Our study, thus consistent with the concept that habitat heterogeneity enhances faunal diversity, brings important conclusions for the management of park landscapes: afforestation of open areas (both intentional and resulting from natural succession of plant communities) and removal of old abandoned wooden buildings may limit the land mosaicity and thus faunal diversity.
Biopharmaceutics: Cytotoxicity of Absorption Enhancers in Caco‐2 Cell Monolayers

This study was performed to evaluate the utility of absorption enhancers with reference to mucosal cell cytotoxicity. Overall assessment of the damage to plasma, lysosomal and nuclear membranes by three absorption enhancers, sodium deoxycholate, sodium caprate and dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, was performed on Caco‐2 cell monolayers.
A portable microfluidic chip system for cancer diagnosis with simultaneous detection methods

In clinical and biological fields, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) attracts much attention for the valuable information about cancer progression, cancer status, and prognosis after the treatment with metastatic cancer. Recently, many researchers have studied to count CTCs efficiently. Representative methods of CTC detection are the immune-reaction based method and the morphology-based method. However, the immune-reaction based method is weak due to the imperfect markers, and morphology-based method has a defect because of the unclear criterion. In this paper, we described the CTC detection system based on flow cytometry technique with morphology and immune reaction based methods. The size and the immune-reaction information can be simultaneously obtained from DC impedance based detection and fluorescence detection, respectively. The performance of our system was evaluated with fluorescence beads. To apply the proposed system to biological samples, the human ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR-3) suspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) were tested. OVCAR-3 cells were stained by fluorescence tagged anti-epithelial cancer adhesion molecule (EpCAM). The portable flow cytometer system could detect the cancer cells with these methods. The proposed system has sufficient potential for point-of-care testing type cancer cell counter and many valuable clinical applications in the near future.
A prospective study on corneal complications of small incision cataract surgery conducted in rural hospital

Aim: To study various corneal complications in manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS), to study the risk factors leading to such complication and to study the final visual outcome following complications. Design:It is a prospective hospital based observational study. Methodology: In our study 100 eyes of 100 patients were studied who underwent MSICS with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. Corneal complications, their risk factors and final visual outcome were studied on post operatively day 1, day 8 and 6th week after surgery. Results: One hundred eyes of 100 patients who underwent MSICS were studied. Corneal complications were seen in 18% of patients. Of these 8% developed striate keratopathy, 6% developed corneal edema with <10 Descemet’s folds, 3% developed corneal edema with >10 Descemet’s folds, 1% developed Descemet’s membrane detachment. 94% of the patients categorized under good visual outcome category (BCVA better than 6/12), 89% had best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 6/9 or better at the end of 6 postoperative week. Conclusion: MCIS is associated with few corneal complications which cannot be overlooked. With appropriate management, most of the corneal complications will be resolved by 2 postoperative week. Vigilant attitude by the surgeon and timely management can reduce such complications and help in early visual rehabilitation.
In vitro Development of Porcine In Vitro Matured Oocytes Vitrified After Removal of Cytoplasmic Lipid Droplets

Abstract: The objective of the present study was to investigate the in vitro developmental competence of porcine in vitro matured (IVM) oocytes vitrified after removal of cytoplasmic lipid droplets (delipation). After vitrification and warming, the delipated porcine IVM oocytes were inseminated and subsequently cultured in vitro. The rate of development to the blastocyst stage of delipated, vitrified oocytes (5.9%) was significantly lower than that of control oocytes (untreated oocytes) (26.2%). We also examined the influence of delipation of porcine IVM oocytes on development to the blastocyst stage following in vitro fertilization (IVF). Delipated porcine IVM oocytes (not vitrified) were inseminated and subsequently cultured in vitro. The rates of development to the blastocyst stage were similar for delipated and undelipated oocytes (21.1% and 26.2%, respectively). The results of the present study showed that delipated, vitrified porcine IVM oocytes can develop to the blastocyst stage following IVF, though blastocyst formation rate was low, and that delipation of porcine IVM oocytes did not negatively affect their development to blastocyst stage.
Variation in pit size of antlion (Myrmeleon carolinus) larvae: the importance of pit construction

Abstract.Larvae of several antlions build pits that vary in size across and within species. The influence of food limitation and pit building experience on variation in pit size of the larvae of Myrmeleon carolinus was investigated in the laboratory. Unfed larvae that were allowed to build pits had smaller pit diameters than fed larvae. However, fed antlions that had been previously prevented from pit building, initially did not build larger pits than unfed antlion larvae that, too, had been prevented from pit building. Therefore, physiological constraints associated with food limitation alone are not sufficient to explain the reduction in pit size of food limited antlions of this species.
Combinations of lactic acid bacteria and yeast suitable for preparation of marine silage

: Marine silage (MS) is a fish hatchery diet prepared by decomposing seaweed into cellular units and performing lactic acid fermentation. MS was first developed by using a wild-type consortium composed of a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) Lactobacillus brevis and yeasts Debaryomyces hansenii var. hansenii and Candida sp. as a fermentation starter. To further examine a suitable combination of starter microorganisms, MS was prepared with different compositions of LAB and yeasts from a substrate of Undaria pinnatifida. Production efficiency of algal single cell units was not different among the trials. Inoculation of LAB significantly retarded the growth of contaminant microorganisms while a single inoculation of yeasts could not retard the growth of halophilic contaminant microorganisms. Lactobacillus brevis showed the highest predominating ability in MS among the tested, while L. acidophilus (casei-type) IAM 10074 and L. plantarum IAM12477T also showed predominating ability with relatively inferior scores when analyzed from the results of the identification with 16S rRNA-targeted species-specific primers. The present study demonstrated that a single use of LAB, including food industry-familiar species, is suitable for preparation of MS, while the superiority of L. brevis B5201 was suggested in predominating ability in marine silage.
Cloning and blood‐meal dependent induction pattern of apolipophorin‐III from Anopheles sinensis

Apolipophorin‐III is known to play a role in transporting lipids in insects, and much attention has been paid to lepidopteran insects' apolipophorin. Thus, we were interested in examining the effects of blood‐meal on the expression pattern of apolipophorin‐III in mosquitoes. This led us to clone and partially characterize the full‐length cDNA of apoLp‐III (AnsiApoLp‐III) from Anopheles sinensis. Analysis of AnsiApoLp‐III cDNA shows that the 728‐bp sequence has a 582‐bp protein‐coding region with 94 bp of putative 5′ untranslated region and 152 bp of 3′ untranslated region. The deduced amino acid sequence begins with a methionine codon at position 95 and extends to position 674, encompassing a polypeptide of 193 amino acids. AnsiApoLp‐III has the highest identity (63%) to Culex quinquefasciatus apoLp‐III. Temporal expression pattern analysis shows that although AnsiApoLp‐III was expressed at all developmental stages, it was highly detected at egg and adult stages in the female mosquitoes. In addition, we found out that AnsiApoLp‐III was induced in An. sinensis adult females after uptaking a blood‐meal. Spatial expression patterns of AnsiApoLp‐III shows that AnsiApoLp‐III mRNA was strongly induced at day 1 and gradually decreased from day 1 to day 4 in the ovaries. Most interestingly, AnsiApoLp‐III mRNA in the Malpighian tubule was strongly induced at day 1, decreased during days 1–3, and then became elevated again at day 4. These data suggest that blood‐meal influences AnsiApoLp‐III mRNA induction in ovaries and Malpighian tubules. It remains to further elucidate the biological roles of AnsiApoLp‐III in these organs.
Rotation Period Determination of 5889 Mickiewicz and 13063 Purifoy

CCD photometric observations of the asteroid were performed by the author over two nights on 2019 January 28 and 30. A total of 13 hours 10 minutes of observation resulted in 235 data points for analysis. The rotation period was found to be 3.846 ± 0.002 h with a lightcurve amplitude of 0.15 ± 0.02 mag. A search of the asteroid lightcurve database (LCDB, Warner et al., 2009) indicates no previously reported rotation period for this asteroid.
Seed-source variation in water relations, gas exchange, and needle morphology of mature ponderosa pine trees

Xylem pressure potential (ψx), net photosynthesis (A), needle conductance (gn), and transpiration (E) were measured periodically throughout the 1991 growing season on 16 ponderosa pine (Pinusponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) trees growing in a 23-year-old provenance planting in eastern Nebraska. The trees studied were from four diverse sources: western Montana, northwest South Dakota, southern New Mexico, and central Arizona. In addition to water relations and gas exchange, specific leaf area, stomatal density, and surface to volume ratios were determined on 1-year-old foliage of each tree. Compared with the other seed sources, gas exchange of the South Dakota source was lowest early in the summer, when ψx was generally high, and highest in the late summer, when ψx declined. However, the relation of gn to ψx did not appear to differ among the seed sources. The South Dakota source had lower stomatal density and needle length than the other sources tested. No differences in specific leaf area or surface to volume .
External microstructure of the ambrosia beetle Platypus koryoensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae)

Platypus koryoensis is a minute ambrosia beetle found in forests. It can cause significant economic damage to oak trees. Recently in Korea, it has been reported as a major pest of oak trees, because it causes sooty mold of oak by introducing the pathogenic fungus Raffaelea sp. In this paper, we demonstrate the fine structural aspects of the external body of the ambrosia beetle using field emission scanning electron microscopy, as a part of basic research into this pest so that strategies for its control might be developed. This beetle has a sensory system well developed to respond to both visual and chemical stimuli. Both sexes have a pair of faceted compound eyes and a pair of knobbed antennae, but simple eyes are absent. The mouthparts on its distinct snouts are effective devices for penetration and for boring holes. The mouthparts consist of the labrum, a pair of mandibles, a pair of maxillae and the labium. Both the maxillary and the labial palpi have the function of directing the food to the mouth and holding it while the mandibles chew the food. The distal ends of these palpi are flattened and have shovel‐like setae. The thorax has a particularly hard exoskeleton and hard elytra, including powerful muscles that operate both the wings and the legs. The legs are multi‐segmented and have a strong femur and tibia, including one pair of claws on the end of each tarsal segment. Characteristically, both male and female beetles have mycangial cavities for storing spores and other microorganisms, but only females have three pairs of large depressions on their dorsal thorax.
Preparation and characterization of anti-sulphamethoxazole (SMX) monoclonal antibody

Abstract Anti-sulphamethoxazole (SMX) monoclonal antibody (MAb) has a significant role in monitoring of SMX residue levels in edible animal products. In this study, SMX was diazotizated and coupled to human serum albumin to form an antigen for animal immunization. Anti-SMX hybridomas were prepared by cell fusion using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method to screen for positive hybridomas. A monoclonal antibody (MAb) against SMX was secreted by the hybridomas and its specificity was characterized by ELISA, SDS-PAGE and Western-blot. The results showed that the SMX-MAb was of the IgG1 type and its molecular weight was 162 000 Daltons. The affinity constant of MAb for the conjugated antigen was 2.3×108 l/mol. The detection limit of 50% inhibition rate in the range 10 pg/mL to 10 ng/mL was 0.82 ng/mL and the recoveries of SMX were above 90%. There was no cross-reaction between MAb and SMX analogues.