Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is there a trade‐off between egg weight and clutch size in wild Lesser Snow Geese (Anser c. caerulescens)?

Previous studies of arctic nesting geese suggest that laying is limited by the size of a female's body reserves and that larger eggs contain more nutrients. These observations imply a life‐history trade‐off between egg size and clutch size which may give rise to a negative genetic correlation between the two characters. We estimated the genetic correlation between egg weight and clutch size using measurements from mothers and their daughters in a wild population of Lesser Snow Geese Anser caerulescens caerulescens. Between 65 and 80 % of the variance in egg weight is attributable to differences between individuals, and heritability of egg weight is about 60 %. In contrast, 10–20 % of the variance in clutch size is attributable to differences between individuals, and heritability of clutch size is about 15 %. The genetic correlation coefficient between egg weight and clutch size ranges from 0.09 to 0.32 and does not differ significantly from zero. We discuss the possible reasons for the lack of the expected negative genetic correlation.
Rapid Growth Response of the Arctic Charr to Changing Environmental Conditions is Not the Result of a Population Bottleneck

We tested if within-lake differences in individual growth in an Arctic charr population before and after nutrient enrichment was due to a population bottleneck, for example as a result of strong selection for growth in a limited part of the population. The positive change in growth pattern after treatment was not coincident with a reduction in microsatellite variability, and various genetic estimators of demographic change did not indicate changes in population size. This suggests that the change in growth was not a result of only a limited part of the population responding, but an overall response.
Aspectos ecológicos y sostenibilidad de la caza del majás (Cuniculus paca) en la cuenca del río Itaya, Amazonía peruana

This report contains information about sleeping dens, population structure and the impact of hunting of the paca (Cuniculus paca Linnaeus, 1766). It is based in sleeping den observations, transect censuses and hunting records. We found that each sleeping den has one to three orifices for regular access and way out, one to four orifices for circumstantial escape, and an internal cavity for the diurnal sleep. Of the total sleeping dens inspected, 67% where located between 0 and 60 m from water bodies, but some were also found as far as 100 m away. Of the population extracted by hunters, 74% were adults and only 4% were infants. The annual hunting pressure was estimated at 0,4 individuals/ km 2 and the population density for the overall area at 6,2 individuals/ km 2 . Finally, the harvest model suggests that hunting of the paca is sustainable in Alto Itaya river basin.
Identification of novel interacting partners of the pre-mRNA processing factor 31

Mutations in PRPF31 (RP11 locus) cause autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP), an inherited disorder of the retina characterised by degeneration of rod photoreceptors. PRPF31 is ubiquitously expressed and encodes a splicing factor involved in the spliceosome assembly. Interestingly, the phenotype caused by mutations in PRPF31 is restricted to the retina. This study aims to identify protein interactants of PRPF31, to contribute to a better understanding of the disease mechanism of RP11. Three potential interacting candidates were isolated through the yeast two-hybrid technique. Two of them (MAGI3, TRAK2) were confirmed to interact with PRPF31 using co-immunoprecipitation experiments after overexpression of the proteins; co-immunoprecipitation of the endogenous proteins was not carried out. MAGI3 and TRAK2 expression in human retina was proven by RT-PCR, however they are not retina-specific. MAGI3 and TRAK2 human retina transcripts did not appear to present major differences to the transcripts deposited in the Ensembl database. Tagged proteins were overexpressed in epithelial cells, and co-localisation between PRPF31 and each partner was mainly nuclear. In epithelial cells, both endogenous PRPF31 and MAGI3 localised to intercellular junctions but did not co-localise; however, after stress treatments, the proteins appeared to co-localise to the nucleus. In neuroblastoma cells, endogenous PRPF31 and TRAK2 did not co-localise. Immunohistochemistry experiments identified PRPF31 to be present largely in the inner segment and in the outer plexiform layer of murine retina. AdRP patients’ DNA was screened to detect mutations in MAGI3 that could be linked to retinal degeneration, but none was identified. The results are not conclusive of the molecular mechanism of RP11, but instead provide new grounds for research on PRPF31. These insights into the type of interacting partners and the localisations observed within the cell and the retina may cast new light into the function(s) of PRPF31, which may (or may not) link to retinal degeneration.
Negative intensification in spoken British English

The BA thesis examines means of intensification of negation in British spoken English. Since intensification is generally associated with adverbials, more precisely with adverbs of degree, another aim of the study is to prove there are other than lexical means of intensification. For it is focused on the spoken language, which is natural, unplanned, improvised, it includes constructions that are regarded as ungrammatical in Standard English, but occur widely in the material used, namely the demographically sampled sub-corpus of the British National Corpus. Drawing on Dušková et al. (1988) and Biber et al. (1999) the thesis defines negation and intensification, and their mutual interaction and relation. Based on the findings of PalaciosMartínez (1996), the thesis aims at suggesting a suitable classification of the means of negative intensification provided by the corpus-based study. keywords: intensification, intensifier, negation, speech, colloquial language
Probing the Spatio-Temporal Organizations and Dynamics of Gene Expression and DNA Replication in the Mammalian Cell Nucleus

The nucleus is an organelle of central importance to the mammalian cell. However, our understanding of the organizations and dynamics of many nuclear structures and processes remains inadequate, largely due to the difficulty in probing them in situ, with single-molecule sensitivity as well as ultra-high resolutions in space and time. In this dissertation, we develop approaches to interrogate, through imaging and modeling, the spatio-temporal organizations and dynamics of two key nuclear processes: gene expression and DNA replication. We first describe a novel fluorescence imaging technique, named reflected light-sheet (RLS) microscopy, that is capable of detecting single molecules with superior signal-to-background ratio inside the mammalian nucleus. By selectively illuminating only a thin section of the nucleus using a lightsheet reflected off a miniature mirror, RLS microscopy combines the capabilities of 3D optical sectioning, fast imaging speed, and applicability to single, normal-sized adherent cells. As demonstration, we apply RLS microscopy to directly monitor the DNA binding dynamics and spatio-temporal colocalization of single mammalian transcription factor molecules in live cells. By measuring their diffusion constants, DNA-bound fraction, as well as in vivo residence times, we resolve three distinct modes of their interaction with genomic DNA. Furthermore, we take advantage of the prowess of RLS illumination for super-resolution microscopy (SRM), attaining resolution improvements critical for resolving nuclear structures
Flagellar movement of the sessile flagellates Actinomonas, Codonosiga, Monas, and Poteriodendron

Summary Water currents set up by flagellar activity are used to bring food particles to the body in each of the sessile flagellates Actinomonas, Codonosiga, Monas, and Poteriodendron. The water currents produced by the 4 organisms are all somewhat different, and, while that set up by Codonosiga is in the expected direction with water flow from the flagellar base towards the tip, the currents set up by the other 3 forms flow from the tip towards the base. In all 4 types the flagellar movements take the form of plane sinusoidal undulations propagated from the base of the flagellum towards its tip, but the different types show adaptive modifications according to the pattern of water currents required. The rates of beat of the flagellum (range 30 to 50 cycles/ sec) and the speeds of propagation of the contraction wave (range 100 to 600 /x/sec) did not differ sufficiently to explain different current patterns. It is suggested that the 'unexpected' direction of current flow in 3 of the types may be the result of the presence of flagellar mastigonemes; these are known to be present in the chrysomonad phytoflagellates, to which group Monas and probably also Actinomonas and Poteriodendron belong. Attention is also drawn to the peculiar mode of coiling and unrolling of the flagellum of the bicoecid Poteriodendron.
Diversification of lindsaeoid ferns and phylogenetic uncertainty of early polypod relationships

We analysed one nuclear gene (18S) and seven plastid markers [five protein coding (atpA, atpB, rbcL, rpoC1, rps4) and two non-coding (trnH-psbA, trnL-trnF] for 31 members of Polypodiales and four outgroup taxa. We focused our sampling on the lindsaeoids and associated ferns in order to obtain a better understanding of the diversification of the early polypods. However, the exact phylogenetic position of Saccoloma and Cystodium remained uncertain. Based on relaxed molecular clock analyses, it appears that the crown group lindsaeoids diversified in the Caenozoic, more or less simultaneously with the main radiation of other Polypodiales, even though the original divergence between the lindsaeoid and non-lindsaeoid polypods occurred before the end of the Jurassic. The current pantropical distribution of lindsaeoids can be explained by either long-distance dispersal across the oceans or vicariance caused by the retreat of previously widely distributed tropical forests from higher to lower latitudes. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 170, 489–503.
Diversidade genética entre cajueiros comerciais

The cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a fruit of great importance especially in the northeast of Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity among eight clones of cashew using RAPD markers. The genotypes are part of the collection of Germplasm Bank of Embrapa Tropical Agroindustry (Embrapa-CNPAT). 15 RAPD primers produced 174 polymorphic bands. The range of Jaccard genetic similarity was 0.09 - 0.46. The EMBRAPA-51 and CCP-06 showed higher genetic divergence. Morphological correlations were found between the groups formed by UPGMA and PCoA. The RAPD markers allowed discrimination of cashew clones, and useful of a tool for measuring diversity, the results can be used in breeding programs of the species.
The Impact of Design Rules on Wholesale Electricity Prices in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM)

Established in 1998, the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) interconnects five regional market jurisdictions (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania). Currently, the NEM supplies about 200 TWh of electricity to Australian businesses and households each year, representing most of the Australian population. Compared with similar networks in Europe and North America, it is both significantly larger in terms of generation and more diverse in terms of generation type, ownership, and structure. Since its establishment in 1988, some of the rules governing the determination of wholesale electricity spot prices in the NEM, including minimum (floor) and maximum (ceiling) prices, have changed markedly. This chapter undertakes an empirical analysis of these changes over the long term, yielding useful findings for the design of new electricity markets and the redesign of existing markets.
Novel Approaches in Gluten‐Free Breadmaking: Interface between Food Science, Nutrition, and Health

The evidence that celiac disease is one of the commonest food intolerances in the world is driving an increasing demand for gluten-free foods. However, gluten is a structure-building protein essential for formulating leavened baked goods. Therefore, obtaining high-quality gluten-free bread (GFB) is a technological challenge. This review focuses on contemporary approaches in gluten-free baking that allow improvements at the structure, texture, acceptability, nutritive value, and shelf life of GFB. Gluten-free breadmaking is a relatively new, emerging research topic that is attracting worldwide attention in order to develop different kinds of GFB, including regional varieties. Several approaches have been used to understand and improve GFB systems by evaluating different flours and starch sources, ingredients added for nutritional purposes, additives, and technologies or a combination of these elements. Some studies aimed to assess or improve GFB's technological or nutritional properties, while others had multiple objectives. Several studies used food science tools in order to improve technological and sensory quality of GFB, together with nutritional value. Some GFBs are vehicles of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Furthermore, extensive research on interfacing food science, nutrition, and health is needed so that a GFB with both good technological and nutritional properties can be prepared and made more available to those with celiac disease, which will help them adhere to a strict gluten-free diet, increase social inclusion, and improve their quality of life.
LIFE HISTORY AND REPRODUCTION OF JASSA SLATTERYI (AMPHIPODA, ISCHYROCERIDAE) ON A SEAGRASS BED (ZOSTERA MARINA L.) IN SOUTHERN KOREA

Abstract The life history and reproduction of the amphipod Jassa slatteryi were investigated monthly for one year on a seagrass bed (Zostera marina L.) in Gwangyang Bay, southern Korea. The standing crop of seagrass showed two peaks in spring and fall. Population dynamics of J. slatteryi was closely correlated with the standing crop of seagrass, suggesting that there is biological interaction between these two species. The life-history pattern was annual and iteroparous with two principal periods of juvenile recruitment during the year; in spring (March to May) and fall (October to December). Overall sex ratio was female-biased. The mean body length of adults and brood size was larger in the spring breeding period than in the fall. There was a positive relationship between the brood size and body length of ovigerous females. The mean egg volume was more than 0.03 mm3 in fall breeding periods, but in other periods it was less than 0.03 mm3. Egg volume was positively related to body length of ovigerous females. At any given female size, egg volume was significantly higher in the fall than in the spring, whereas brood size in the spring was significantly larger than that in the fall. The reproductive output of females was much greater in the fall than that in the spring, suggesting higher reproductive effort during the fall breeding period.
Modulation of high‐frequency (600 Hz) somatosensory‐evoked potentials after rTMS of the primary sensory cortex

Somatosensory inputs to the primary sensory cortex (S1) after median nerve stimulation include temporally overlapping parallel processing, as reflected by standard low‐frequency somatosensory‐evoked potentials (LF‐SEPs) and high‐frequency SEPs (HF‐SEPs), the latter being more sensitive to arousal and to other rapid adaptive changes. Experimental data suggest that cortical HF‐SEPs are formed by two successive pre‐ and postsynaptic components, respectively, generated in the terminal part of thalamo‐cortical radiation (early burst) and in specialized neuronal pools within S1 (later burst).
Effect of dispersal capacity on forest plant migration at a landscape scale

1 We studied the effects of seed dispersal mode and seed mass on the migration patterns of woody and herbaceous forest species in an artificial pine forest band growing on a former sand dune. Seven sites in the artificial forest, at least 44 years old, were selected at different distances from an adjacent natural forest (0.1–17.4 km). 2 Both the species richness and the abundance of forest species decreased with increasing distance from the natural forest, indicating that the migration of forest species is limited by seed dispersal. Plants using different seed dispersal modes showed differences in migration rate. 3 Ingested and adhesive species migrated into the artificial forest with the most success. In contrast, almost all the species utilizing other dispersal mechanisms (wind, hoarding or no dispersal mechanism) migrated only into sites near to the natural forest. This is likely to be due to low dispersal capacities. Ant‐dispersed species were not found at all in the artificial forest. 4 Migration distances were calculated for 43 species with a frequency of ≥ 5% in at least one site in the artificial forest. Distances were based on the occurrence of the individual of each species furthest from the natural forest, and on the maximum abundance of that species in the artificial forest. The migration distances of the species did not correlate with their seed mass. 5 The dispersal efficiency is an important factor in migration of forest species on a landscape scale, and the migration ability is affected by dispersal mode rather than seed mass.
The phosphorus‐chlorophyll relationship in lakes1,2

Data for summer chlorophyll and spring total phosphorus concentration were collected from 19 lakes in southern Ontario and combined with data reported in the literature for other North American lakes to produce a regression line that can be used to predict the average summer chlorophyll concentration from a single measurement of phosphorus concentration at spring overturn. This equation is not significantly different from a previously published phosphorus-chlorophyll relationship derived for a number of Japanese lakes.
The Foreign Policy of the Baltic States and the Ukrainian Crisis: A Case of Europeanization?

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have established themselves as ardent supporters of the EU's Eastern Partnership, and have also combined this with robust national policies. The crisis in Ukraine, with the annexation of Crimea and Russian military aggression precipitating confrontation in EU-Russia relations, presented the Baltic countries with the most formidable political challenge since restoring independence. Combining Europeanization literature with Larsen's (2005) approach to the foreign policy of small states, the article focuses on the relationship between national foreign policies of EU member states and the European Union as a foreign policy platform. The analysis synthesizes the results of a content analysis of official press releases with interviews with the Baltic states’ diplomats. The empirical results show that in responding to the Ukraine crisis, the Baltic states have regularly pursued their policy aims through the EU, contesting the conventional notion that Europeanization rarely extends to foreign and security affairs. More specifically, the Baltic states’ handling of the Ukraine crisis suggests that Europeanization can affect even dossiers with heavy bearing on member states’ security and national sovereignty where – according to the extant consensus in the literature – it should be least likely.
Creative Accounting Leading to Financial Scams-Evidences from India and USA

Creative accounting is practically using the flexibility provided within the accountingprinciples or accounting standards to manage recognition, measurement and presentation of different accounting ﬁgures to serve the purpose of those who prepare the accounts rather than those who are likely to use the accounts. Application of creative accounting sk_il. ls beyond a certain limit leads to Financial scam.In the recent past just before Satyam scam was unearthed Satyanfs employee rollrevealed that around 50,000 people were employed in Satyam and US GAAP statement of Satyarn as on 31*‘ March, 2008 disclosed a bank deposit of Rs. 3,400 crores. It raises an eyebrow on the role of statutory auditor Price Waterhouse Corporation {PVC-’C). What as an auditor they were doing? Why didn’t they verify the balance with the banker? Accounting scandal of Enron was revealed in October 2001 leading tothe bankruptcy of Enron Corporation and dissolution of one of the auditors of Enronnamely Arther Andersen. Story of Enron scam is not only the biggest scam in the corporate. world of USA but also a biggest question mark on the accounting and auditing regulation in the country like America.Despite of the facts that both of these companies were considered to be good atcorporate governance still their owners i.e. promoters/dnectors self-centered greed led to financial scam. This shows that good governance is only an ornament to cover the ugly face of dirty financial statements.
Species indicator values as an important tool in applied plant ecology – a review

Abstract Species indicator values, especially those defined by Ellenberg, have been used widely in applied plant ecology, forestry and agriculture. In spite of being criticised by many, there is a growing interest in using them also outside central Europe in order to analyse trends of change in the vegetation and their underlying environmental variables. Various aspects of indicator values are reviewed: their main features, the most important applications (notably the use of weighted site averages), problems and pitfalls of indicator analyses, the relationship between weighted site averages and measurements as well as their extension to other regions. Some aspects are illustrated using data sets of forest plots from S Sweden. Provided that the limitations of indicator values are recognised, these have a high reliability and can complement or, in some cases, replace measurements to determine the values of environmental variables and to monitor their change. Zeigerwerte, besonders die von Ellenberg vorgeschlagenen Zahlen, haben in der Pflanzenokologie, Forst- und Landwirtschaft eine breite Verwendung gefunden. Obwohl viele Wissenschaftler Zeigerwerten kritisch gegenuberstehen, werden sie in zunehmendem Mase auch auserhalb Mitteleuropas benutzt, um Veranderungen der Vegetation und der sie bedingenden Umweltfaktoren zu analysieren. Verschiedene Aspekte von Zeigerwerten werden erortert: ihre wichtigsten Merkmale und Anwendungen (insbesondere die Verwendung mittlerer Zeigerwerte), Probleme und Fehlerquellen, die Beziehung zwischen mittleren Zeigerwerten und Messwerten sowie die Uberprufung und Kalibrierung in Regionen auserhalb Mitteleuropas. Einige dieser Aspekte werden anhand von Datensatzen von Waldern Sud-Schwedens illustriert. Zeigerwerte haben, wenn ihre Begrenzungen berucksichtigt werden, eine hohe Zuverlassigkeit und konnen im Hinblick auf das Monitoring von Umweltveranderungen Messungen erganzen oder in manchen Fallen sogar ersetzen.
OCCURRENCE OF RACES OF HETERODERA CAJANI IN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Fourteen populations of Heterodera cajani from different localities of seven districts of Uttar Pradesh, India were tested on nine different hosts to determine occurrence of races of pigeonpea cyst nematode. The results revealed the presence of three races. Race 1 reproduced on all the host tested. Race 2 did not reproduce on Cyamopsis tetragonoloba while race 3 did not reproduce on C. tetragonoloba and Crotalaria juncea.