Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vulnerability to climate warming of four genera of New World iguanians based on their thermal ecology

Climate change and rising global temperatures pose a serious threat to biodiversity. We assessed the vulnerability to global warming of four genera of iguanian lizards whose distributions include a broad range of environments from the Peninsula of Yucatán to southern Patagonia. Original data on body temperatures (Tb), operative temperatures (Te, ‘null temperatures’ for non‐regulating animals), thermoregulatory set‐point range (preferred body temperatures, Tset) and quantitative indices of temperature regulation and quality of the thermal environment (db, de and E) for Tropidurus species were compared to published data for Anolis, Liolaemus and Sceloporus. Our results suggest that thermoregulatory behavior typically increases with latitude and altitude (except for two southernmost liolaemids), and that tropical and lowland lizards generally behave as thermoconformers. In a warming scenario, thermoconformity or poor thermoregulation in environments where large proportions of Tb and Te exceed the population's Tset will cause a reduction in the hours of activity and a higher risk of overheating. These results identify tropical populations as the most vulnerable to rising temperatures, especially the ones inhabiting open and low elevation sites. This indicates that protection of these environments should be a conservation priority. In contrast, Patagonia and montane environments represent potential future thermal refuges for many equator‐ward or lowland lizards that, if capable of dispersion, would eventually be forced to retreat to these environments.
A long‐term record of carbon exchange in a boreal black spruce forest: means, responses to interannual variability, and decadal trends

We present a decadal (1994–2004) record of carbon dioxide flux in a 160‐year‐old black spruce forest/veneer bog complex in central Manitoba, Canada. The ecosystem shifted from a source (+41 g C m−2, 1995) to a sink (−21 g C m−2, 2004) of CO2 over the decade, with an average net carbon balance near zero. Annual mean temperatures increased 1–2° during the period, consistent with the decadal trend across the North American boreal biome. We found that ecosystem carbon exchange responded strongly to air temperature, moisture status, potential evapotranspiration, and summertime solar radiation. The seasonal cycle of ecosystem respiration significantly lagged that of photosynthesis, limited by the rate of soil thaw and the slow drainage of the soil column. Factors acting over long time scales, especially water table depth, strongly influenced the carbon budget on annual time scales. Net uptake was enhanced and respiration inhibited by multiple years of rainfall in excess of evaporative demand. Contrary to expectations, we observed no correlation between longer growing seasons and net uptake, possibly because of offsetting increases in ecosystem respiration. The results indicate that the interactions between soil thaw and water table depth provide critical controls on carbon exchange in boreal forests underlain by peat, on seasonal to decadal time scales, and these factors must be simulated in terrestrial biosphere models to predict response of these regions to future climate.
Exploring the Plasticity of Cellular Fate Using Defined-Factor Reprogramming

Cellular fate, once established, is usually stable for the lifetime of the cell. However, the mechanisms that restrict the developmental potential of differentiated cells are in principle reversible, as demonstrated by the success of animal cloning from a somatic genome through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). An increased understanding of the molecular determinants of cell fate has also enabled the reprogramming of cell fate using defined transcription factors; recently, these efforts have culminated in the discovery of four genes that convert somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which resemble embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and can give rise to all the cell types in the body. As a first step toward generating clinically useful iPSCs, we identified a small molecule, RepSox, that potently and simultaneously replaces two of the four exogenous reprogramming factors, Sox2 and cMyc. This activity was mediated by the inhibition of the Transforming Growth Factor-b (Tgf-b) signaling pathway in incompletely reprogrammed intermediate cells. By isolating these stable intermediates, we showed that RepSox acts on them to rapidly upregulate the endogenous pluripotency factor, Nanog, allowing full reprogramming to pluripotency in the absence of Sox2. We also explored lineage conversion as an alternative approach for producing a target cell type in a patient-specific manner, without first generating iPSCs. A
A Process-Based Application of State-and-Transition Models: A Case Study of Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) Encroachment

Abstract A threshold represents a point in space and time at which primary ecological processes degrade beyond the ability to self-repair. In ecosystems with juniper (Juniperus L. spp.) encroachment, ecological processes (i.e., infiltration) are impaired as intercanopy plant structure degrades during woodland expansion. The purpose of this research is to characterize influences of increasing juniper on vegetation structure and hydrologic processes in mountain big sagebrush–western juniper (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. subsp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle–Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) communities and to identify and predict states and thresholds. Intercanopy plant cover and infiltration rates were sampled in relation to juniper canopy cover. Study plots, arranged in a randomized complete-block design, represented low shrub–high juniper, moderate shrub–moderate juniper, and high shrub–low juniper percentage of canopy cover levels at four primary aspects. In field plots, percentage of plant cover, bare ground, and steady-state infiltration rates were measured. In the laboratory, juniper canopy cover and topographic position were calculated for the same area using high-resolution aerial imagery and digital elevation data. Parametric and multivariate analyses differentiated vegetation states and associated abiotic processes. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis identified significant changes in infiltration rate and plant structure from which threshold occurrence was predicted. Infiltration rates and percentage of bare ground were strongly correlated (r2 = 0.94). Bare ground was highest in low shrub–high juniper cover plots compared to both moderate and high shrub–low juniper cover levels on south-, east-, and west-facing sites. Multivariate tests indicated a distinct shift in plant structure and infiltration rates from moderate to low shrub–high juniper cover, suggesting a transition across an abiotic threshold. On north-facing slopes, bare ground remained low, irrespective of juniper cover. Land managers can use this approach to anticipate and identify thresholds at various landscape positions.
THE CONTENTS VARIATIONS OF THE CAROTENOID PIGMENTS AND TOTAL LIPIDS IN SEABUCKTHORN FALSE FRUIT AND FRUIT

In this study we present the biosynthesis of carotenoid pigments and total lipids from the seabuckthorn \"fruit\" and \"seeds\" harvested from the spontaneous flora in 2009 year. The amount of total lipids was determined by the gravimetric method and the content of carotenoids by the spectrophotometric method. After the analysis performed on the biotypes of seabuckthorn collected spontaneously, the carotenoid pigments values are according with the data from literature. The total lipids content is different depending on the nature of the analyzed material and the abiotic conditions of the ecosystem from which plants were harvested.
PHENOTYPIC VARIABILITY AND SEED YIELD OF JATROPHA CURCAS L. INTRODUCED TO TUNISIA

Eight accessions of Jatropha curcas (six American and two African) were sown in the south of Tunisia (Gabes) to study its agricultural properties and development under local semi-arid conditions. Traits observed included general aspects of plant development (plant height, canopy circumference, number of nodes and seed yield); leaf characteristics (petiole length, limb length, limb width and foliar surface); and seed traits (size and shape). Morphological analysis of seeds included seed image area, perimeter, length/width ratio, circularity index and J index. This index reflects the similarity of seed images with an ellipse showing differences in seed shape between accessions. Jatropha curcas genotypes introduced in Tunisia are polymorphic, their seed yield is low and variable between genotypes. Seed morphology analysis gave an indication in relation with the productivity in some of the accessions. The comparative agronomic studies are crucial before early selection.
Invasion intracellulaire des cellules non-phagocytaires par Staphylococcus aureus

RESUME : Staphylococcus aureus est souvent à l’origine de maladies chroniques. La récurrence de ce type d’infection peut être mise en relation avec la capacité qu’a S. aureus à pénétrer et survivre à l’intérieur des cellules non-phagocytaires. L’adhérence de S. aureus aux cellules-hôtes est essentielle à l’invasion de la bactérie et dépend, d’une part, des protéines de surface bactériennes capables de se lier à la fibronectine et, d’autre part, des intégrines α5β1 des cellules-hôtes. La pénétration de S. aureus à l’intérieur des cellules-hôtes nécessite l’activation de protéines tyrosine-kinases, impliquées dans l’initiation d’un signal intracellulaire et la polymérisation des microfilaments d’actine à la base d’un réarrangement du cytosquelette. À l’intérieur de la cellule-hôte, S. aureus est soit logé dans un endosome, soit libre dans le cytoplasme. Après avoir proliféré, S. aureus peut induire l’apoptose des cellules qu’il envahit, mais peut également persister dans les cellules sous forme de variants qui se caractérisent par une faible activité métabolique et une moindre virulence. Enfin, bien que S. aureus pénètre à l’intérieur de cellules non-phagocytaires, tant in vitro que chez l’animal, des études supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour déterminer l’impact d’une présence intracellulaire de S. aureus in vivo.
Processes of Secretion, Restitution, and Resorption in Gland of Mid-Gut (Glandula Media Intestini) of Atya spinipes Newport (Decapoda—Brachyura)

BRAND, T. VON; BAERNSTEIN, H. D. ; and MEHLMAN, B. 1950. Studies on the anaerobic metabolism and the aerobic carbohydrate consumption of some fresh water snails. Biol. Bull., 98:266-76. BRAND, T. VON, and MEHLMAN, B. 1953. Relations between the preand post-anaerobic oxygen consumption and oxygen tension in some fresh water snails. Biol. Bull., 104:301-12. CLEARY, M. P. 1948. The anaerobic glycogen consumption and the question of post-anaerobic glycogen resynthesis in some invertebrates. Thesis, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. DAUSEND, K. 1931. Ueber die Atmung der Tubificiden. Zeitschr. f. vergl. Physiol. , 14:557-608. DAVIS, J. G. , and SLATER, W. K. 1928. The aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of the common cockroach (Periplaneta orientalis). III. Biochem. Jour. , 22:331-37. GILMOUR, D. 1941. Anaerobic metabolism in the larvae of Tenebrio molitor L. : gaseous metabolism and changes in glycogen, sugar, fat and lactic acid. Jour. Cell. and Comp. Physiol. , 18:93-100.
Checklist of the eriophyoid mite fauna of Hungary (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea)

Accounts are given on the eriophyoid fauna of Hungary. Based on the literature records, a total of 336 mite species are listed from 370 host species of 55 plant families. The families Phytoptidae, Eriophyidae and Diptilomiopidae are represented by 12, 303 and 21 species, respectively. Aculus dictamni (Farkas), Aculus mori (Farkas) and Cecidophyes gymnaspis (Nalepa) are new combinations.
Local population dynamics of two co-existing birch aphid species : competition or intrinsic cycles of abundance?

Populations of four aphid species coexisting on their Betula pendula host-plant were followed in Brussels for two years. The population dynamics of Euceraphis betulae and Symydobius oblongus exhibited con- sistent patterns in 2001 and 2002, but Callipterinella tuberculata and Betulaphis brevipilosa populations exploded in 2001 and in 2002, respectively. When C. tuberculata was abundant, the population of B. brevipilosa was low. The reverse was true in 2002 as C. tuberculata became abundant only when the B. brevipilosa population declined, lead- ing us to suspect competition between the two species. However, instead of avoiding each other, they were posi- tively associated on shoots, probably as a result of aggregation at suitable feeding sites. Colonies of both species were similar or larger in mixed aggregates than in monospecific ones. Moreover, the colony size of each species in mixed aggregates was independent from that of the other species. Since there is no direct evidence of competition between those two species, the alternate changes in abundance could rather result from the intraspecific properties of aphid life cycles that self-induce consecutive years of high and low population growth in relation to fluctuations in the environmental conditions. These two co-existing species thus deserve further close study to elucidate their relationships.
Antihepatopathic Plants Used by the Lepcha Tribe of the Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayan Region of India

ABSTRACT Members of Lepcha tribe are aborigines in the Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayan Region. Famed as born naturalists and known to be a “vanishing tribe,” the ethnomedicinal traditions of these people are characterized by multiple remedies for a single ailment. The present study revealed the Lepchas use 36 species of plants belonging to 28 families as liver related ailments. Of these plants, 53 percent have not been reported earlier as hepatoprotective agents and may be used in the development of modern antihepatopathic drugs.
Speech Rates Differentiate Nouns and Verbs in Child-Surrounding and Child-Produced Speech: Evidence from Chintang

One of the earliest challenges any child experiences when learning their first language is to differentiate the various syntactic functions of words. Several factors are known to play a role in this process, including referential semantics (Pinker, 1984), syntactic distributions (Landau & Gleitman, 1985; Naigles & Swenson, 2007; Fisher, Gertner, Scott & Yuan), segmental distributions (e.g., Saffran, Aslin, & Newport, 1996) and lexical environments (e.g., Redington, Chater, & Finch, 1998; Mintz, 2003; Moran, Blasi, Schikowski, Küntay, Pfeiler, & Stoll, 2018). The present paper explores how an additional component, prosody, plays a role. Specifically, we focus on whether and how speech rates distinguish nouns from verbs in child-surrounding and child-produced speech in a language hitherto unexplored: Chintang. Prosody has been shown to distinguish nouns and verbs in adult-directed speech. Key evidence comes from studies of homophones with a noun or verb reading, as in English fish-NOUN vs. fish-VERB. Sorenson, Cooper, & Paccia (1978) had participants produce sentences that contained either the noun or verb variant of English homophones. They manipulated position within syntactic units (phrase-initial vs. phrase-final), while controlling for phonetic environments, stress patterns, and other factors. When variants were allowed to occupy different phrasal positions, nouns (phrase-final position) were produced with longer durations than verbs (phrase-initial position). However, this effect disappeared when both nouns and verbs were placed in the same syntactic-phrasal positions.
NEW SPECIES OF SCOLYTIDAE (COLEOPTERA) FROM MEXICO, WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES: II. SUBFAMILIES SCOLYTINAE AND HYLESININAE

Abstract Eight new species of Scolytidae are described from Mexico. The new species represent the genera Scolytus (2), Carphoborus (1), Chaetophloeus (1), Cnesinus (2), Phloeotribus (1), and Prochramesus (1). New distributional records are given for nine previously described species and notes on the genus Prochramesus are included.
Genetic population structure of marine fish : mismatch between biological and fisheries management units

An essential prerequisite of a sustainable fisheries management is the matching of biologically relevant processes and management action. In fisheries management and assessment, fish stocks are the fundamental biological unit, but the reasoning for the operational management unit is often indistinct and mismatches between the biology and the management action frequently occur. Despite the plethora of population genetic data on marine fishes, to date little or no use is made of the information, despite the fact that the detection of genetic differentiation may indicate reproductively distinct populations. Here, we discuss key aspects of genetic population differentiation in the context of their importance for fisheries management. Furthermore, we evaluate the population structure of all 32 managed marine fish species in the north-east Atlantic and relate this structure to current management units and practice. Although a large number of studies on genetic population structure have been published in the last decades, data are still rare for most exploited species. The mismatch between genetic population structure and the current management units found for six species (Gadus morhua, Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Merlangius merlangus, Micromesistius poutassou, Merluccius merluccius and Clupea harengus), emphasizes the need for a revision of these units and questions the appropriateness of current management measures. The implementation of complex and dynamic population structures into novel and less static management procedures should be a primary task for future fisheries management approaches.
Variability profiles for line transect bird censuses in a tropical dry forest in Mexico

Seasonal and temporal patterns of species diversity and abundance in the avifauna of Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico, were studied in different habitats in the coastal tropical dry forest. Species richness did not differ among three different transects. The number of species was temporally homogeneous. Species diversity was similar for all three transects, but it changed to higher values during the rainy season at arroyo habitats and during the dry season (winter) at disturbed habitats. Population fluctuations observed in the second year of the study suggest that stochastic events such as droughts in this region may influence local population dynamics. Patterns of population fluctuation of resident species are dis- cussed with regard to censusing methods and conservation priorities.
Measurement of cell volume of phototrophic bacteria in pure cultures and natural samples: phase contrast, epifluorescence and particle sizing

Cell volumes of different purple phototrophic bacteria were measured using several techniques: Coulter counter, phase contrast and epifluorescence microscopy. Volumes of Chromatium warmingii, C. minutissimum, Thiocapsa roseopersicina, and Thiocystis gelatinosa were measured as the organisms were accumulating sulfur. Cell volumes of Rhodobacter capsulatus were measured under different growth conditions including both anaerobically in the light and aerobically in the dark. Size distributions were flatter and more irregular by phase contrast microscopy than by Coulter counter. This latter technique could not be used in many cases, however, because phototrophic bacteria associate to form chains and aggregates of cells. In addition, Coulter counter measurements for organisms with capsules gave volumes intermediate between the volume of the cell and the volume of the capsule, as measured by phase contrast microscopy. Epifluorescence gave similar results to phase contrast if organic solvents were not used in the preparation of samples. Finally, cell volume of two phototrophic bacteria was shown to change both with depth and with season in a natural system.
Degradation and physicochemical changes of barley and pea fibre along the gastrointestinal tract of pigs

The degradation of barley and pea fibres along the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of pigs and its relation to changes in some of their physicochemical properties were investigated. Ileal and caecal digesta containing pea cotyledon fibre showed the highest (P < 0.05) swelling (33.1–36.7 ml g−1 DM) and water retention capacity measured by centrifugation (17.9–21.2 g g−1 DM) and by osmotic pressure (9.0–9.1 g g−1 DM). The particle size of barley hull did not change along the GIT (160–207 µm), whereas that of pea cotyledon and pea hull was drastically reduced in faeces (62–65 µm) compared with the ileum and caecum (198–415 µm). The digestibility of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) was lowest for barley hull in the ileum (5% of intake), caecum (0% of intake) and faeces (26% of intake). The digestibility of NSP was highest for pea cotyledon fibre and dehulled barley in the proximal hindgut and for pea cotyledon fibre in faeces (96% of intake for pea cotyledon vs 74–82% of intake for dehulled barley and pea hull). In conclusion, hydration properties and particle size add valuable information when describing the fermentation of fibres in the GIT. However, they cannot be used alone as indicators of the extent of fermentation of different fibres. The results also suggested that the fibre source and the organisation and lignification of the cell walls lead to different fermentation processes along the GIT of pigs. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry
Metabolism of Isolated Hepatopancreas Cells from the Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) under Simulated Postexercise and Hypoxic Conditions

The metabolic fate of lactate (and incidentally alanine) and the occurrence and importance of gluconeogenic processes in the hepatopancreas in Crustacea are still controversial. The use of isolated cells seemed appropriate to address this problem more directly. Cells isolated from the hepatopancreas of blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, were suspended in solutions reproducing as closely as possible actual in vivo acid-base and respiratory conditions during four different situations: control (C, pH = 7.6, CO₂ = 0.25%, O₂ = 21%, [L-lac] = 0.5 mM, [Ala] = 0.5 mM), hypoxia (H, pH = 7.9, CO₂ = 0.1%, O₂= 2%, [L-lac] = 0.5 mM, [Ala] = 0.5 mM), postexercise (E, pH = 7.2, CO₂ = 1%, O₂= 21%, [L-lac] = 15 mM, [Ala] = 5 mM), and recovery (R, pH = 7.6, CO₂ = 0.25%, O₂= 21%, [L-lac] = 5 mM, [Ala] = 5 mM). We measured the production of CO₂ and glucose from 14C-lactate and 14C-alanine and the production of CO₂ from 14C-glucose. Carbon dioxide production from lactate was low in C (0.11 μmol · g⁻¹ · h⁻¹) and H (0.05 μmol · g⁻¹ · h⁻¹) conditions but increased dramatically in E (0.41 μmol · g⁻¹ · h⁻¹) and R (0.45 μmol · g⁻¹ · h⁻¹) conditions. Similar trends, but with lower rates, were found for CO₂ production from alanine. Glucose synthesis from lactate was detected in E conditions (0.061 μmol · g⁻¹ · h⁻¹), but no glucose was synthesized from alanine. We discuss these results with our previous findings on enzymatic activities in the hepatopancreas, and we conclude that hepatopancreas must have a definite but moderate role in the removal of lactate after exercise in the blue crab.