Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foraging Activity by Bats in a Fragmented Landscape Dominated by Exotic Pine Plantations in Central Chile

We assessed foraging activity of insectivorous bats in a fragmented landscape of central Chile including native temperate forest, forest fragments, commercial pine plantations and local human settlements. Overall bat activity was noticeably greater along adult pine plantation edges, local human settlements and the edge of continuous forest than over interior habitats and unplanted forest plantation clear-cuts. Tadarida brasiliensis foraged mostly above human settlements and edges of adult pine plantations but avoided interior habitats. Lasiurus cinereus was more active along edges of both adult pine plantations and continuous forest than in clearcuts and interior habitats of forest fragments. In contrast, Lasiurus varius, Histiotus montanus and Myotis chiloensis occurred not only along vegetation edges but also within the interior habitats of adult pine plantations. The high activity levels suggest that bats not only pass through exotic pine plantations, but that they are active in these habitats commuting and feeding, thus enhancing their capacity to persist in landscapes modified by humans in which exotic forestry plantations are an important component.
Induced spawning of grey mullet Mugil cephalus L. with fractionated salmon pituitary extract

The efficacy of fractionated salmon pituitary gonadotropin as a spawning agent in Mugil cephalus L. was tested. Natural spawning was induced in all females with a total dose of 11.9–20.9 μg/g body wt. Spawning dose varied inversely with initial mean egg diameters of recipient females. A ‘critical’ mean egg diameter of 650–700 μ was observed to precede the hormone dose that induced spawning. A ‘priming’ effect was observed following the initial injection and is discussed. The ‘latency period’ was determined to be 10–15 h; fecundity was estimated at 648 eggs/g body wt. Courtship, spawning and fertilization occurred naturally with uninjected males.
Operational Stability and Kinetic Study of a Membrane Reactor with Pectinases from Aspergillus niger

ABSTRACT: The kinetic and operational behavior of a free enzyme membrane reactor (FEMR) were analyzed. High conversion (83%) of the pectin could be achieved with a substrate-to-enzyme ratio of 23.3 at 46°C and pH 4.8, with a transmembrane pressure of 34.5 kPa and recycling flow rate of 36 L/h. The FEMR showed a 1st-order deactiva-tion profile with a calculated half life (t1/2) of 21.7 d in the operation conditions. Akinetic study of the hydrolysis of pectin by free endopectinases from Aspergillus niger was done by the simultaneous use of a stirred-tank reactor and a FEMR. Kinetic data were fit to a model based on the Michaelis-Menten rate expression and the design equation for a continuous membrane reactor. The kinetic characteristics observed in the hydrolysis of pectin included a product competitive inhibition. The Km and Ki values for the membrane reactor were 2 to 3 times greater those obtained in a stirred-tank reactor. On the basis of the Vmax values, the configuration of the FEMR was found to have excellent catalytic efficiency when compared with the stirred-tank reactor.
Diferentes suplementos no cultivo in vitro de embriões de pinhão-manso

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of maturation stages of physic nut fruits on the development of their embryos cultivated in MS medium supplemented with sucrose, coconut water and activated carbon. Fruits were collected, and their embryos were extracted aseptically. They were submitted to two experimental conditions: embryos from fruits in three development stages (immature, mature and dry) were put into MS medium, supplemented with sucrose (0, 15, 30 and 60 g L-1); embryos derived from dry fruits were put into MS medium supplemented with sucrose 30 g L-1, activated carbon (0, 1, 2 and 3 g L-1), and coconut water (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 e 250 mL L-1). Explants were kept in a growth chamber under controlled conditions during 30 days. Only the zygotic embryos from immature fruits needed sucrose supplementation in the culture medium to sustain germination. Better embryos development occurs in MS medium supplemented with 60 g L-1 of sucrose. The association of activated carbon and coconut water provides better growth of seedlings derived from embryos extracted from seeds of dry fruits.
Turbulence characteristics in the wake of a heliostat in an atmospheric boundary layer flow

The mean and spectral characteristics of turbulence in the wake flow of a flat plate model resembling a heliostat in the atmospheric boundary layer flow are investigated in a wind tunnel experiment. Mean velocity and turbulence kinetic energy were characterized in the wake of a heliostat model at three elevation angles up to a distance of eight times the characteristic dimension of the heliostat panel. An increase in turbulence intensity and kinetic energy was found in the wake flow, reaching a peak at a distance equal to approximately twice the characteristic dimension of the heliostat panel. Furthermore, spectral and wavelet analysis of velocity fluctuations in the wake showed that the dominant mechanism in the immediate downstream of the plate was the breakdown of large inflow turbulence structures to smaller scales. In the end, the wake-induced turbulence patterns and wind loads in a heliostat field were discussed. It was found that compared to a heliostat at the front row, the heliostats positioned in high-density regions of a field were subjected to a higher turbulence intensity and, consequently, larger dynamic wind loading. The results show that it is necessary to consider the increased unsteady wind loads for the design of a heliostat in high-density regions of a field, where the gap between the rows is less than three-times the characteristic length of the heliostat panel.
Breeding full-sib families of sugar cane using selection index.

An experiment with families belonging to the first selection stage (T1) of the Sugar Cane Breeding Program (PMGCA) of the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ)/RIDESA was carried out in the Plant Disa, located in the municipality of Conceicao da Barra-ES, in 2006, aiming to evaluate families, for the selection of superior plants for the later stages of the breeding program of the culture. Sixty-eight full-sib families and three genotypes considered standards with potential recommendation for the area under study were evaluated. The experiment was arranged in a statistical randomized block design, in which the families were grouped into four sets. Each set had four replicates and one hundred seedlings per plot, with spacing of 0.5 meters between plants and 1.40 between rows. The evaluations were conducted during two growing seasons, corresponding to the first and second ratoon, 2008 and 2009, respectively. The traits stem diameter (DMC), total weight of the plot (P), number of stems (NC) Brix of the lower stem (Brix PE) and Brix of the upper stem (Brix PT) were assessed. All traits were significant for the genotypes, by the F test (P<0.01), in joint analyses of environments, which reveals significant differences between families. The values found in this study for the genetic variation coefficient (CVg) indicate great potential for success in breeding programs targeting at the selection of the traits evaluated. The highest gains were achieved when the indices of Smith and Hazel and Mulamba and Mock were used, which allowed simultaneous superior gains in all traits for the best families.
The cholinergic antagonist α-bungarotoxin also binds and blocks a subset of GABA receptors

The polypeptide snake toxin α-bungarotoxin (BTX) has been used in hundreds of studies on the structure, function, and development of the neuromuscular junction because it binds tightly and specifically to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) at this synapse. We show here that BTX also binds to and blocks a subset of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) that contain the GABAAR β3 subunit. These results introduce a previously unrecognized tool for analysis of GABAARs but may complicate interpretation of some studies on neuronal nAChRs.
Diurnal nitrogen fixation in tropical marine cyanobacteria: a comparison between adjacent communities of non-heterocystous Lyngbya sp. and heterocystous Calothrix sp.

Nitrogenase activity (ARA) in adjacent marine tropical communities of a non-heterocystous Lyngbya sp. and a heterocystous Calothrix sp. was investigated in the light and the dark. For both cyanobacteria, in situ ARA increased throughout the day except for afternoon reductions during cloud cover. ARA rates varied on different days but Calothrix sp. was always more active during daylight hours than Lyngbya sp. Both cyanobacteria showed only very low rates of ARA when incubated in the dark in situ during normal daylight hours. Nocturnal ARA, at 82% the daylight rate in Lyngbya sp. , and 18% the daylight rate in Calothrix sp. , was three times higher in Lyngbya sp. than in Calothrix sp. In both, nocturnal ARA rose from a low rate after dusk to a peak around midnight and declined towards dawn. In each organism ARA in the light was higher than in the dark regardless of the time of day. The addition of DCMU, an inhibitor of photosystem II, generally inhibited nitrogenase activity in the heterocystous Calothrix sp.
Strategies of attack and defence in woody plant-Phytophthora interactions

Summary This review comprises both well-known and recently described Phytophthora species and concentrates on Phytophthora–woody plant interactions. First, comprehensive data on infection strategies are presented which were the basis for three models that explain invasion and spread of Phytophthora pathogens in different woody host plants. The first model describes infection of roots, the second concentrates on invasion of the trunk, and the last one summarizes infection and invasion of host plants via leaves. On the basis of morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular data, scenarios are suggested which explain the sequences of reactions that occur in susceptible and tolerant plants following infections of roots or of stem bark. Particular emphasis is paid to the significance of Phytophthora elicitins for such host–pathogen interactions. The overall goal is to shed light on the sequences of pathogenesis to better understand how Phytophthora pathogens harm their host plants.
Dietary Patterns and Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index in Southern Brazil and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Case-Control Study

Background and Aims: To evaluate the dietary habits of individuals with colorectal cancer (CRC) and healthy adults living in southern Brazil. Methods: The anthropometric assessment was carried out according to the WHO standard and eating habits were assessed using a questionnaire food frequency. The dietary inflammatory index (eDII) was calculated based on the frequency of consumption of anti- and pro-inflammatory foods. Results: 178 colorectal cancer cases and 178 controls were included, age over 50 years (81.7%). 38.2% of CRC individuals were smokers or former smokers and 69.1% were overweight, 15.7% had type II diabetes and 41% had hypertension. The consumption of bread and white rice (OR 1365.8; p - 477.16; p - 233; p Conclusions: In the south of Brazil, the Western diet pattern was related to the diagnosis of CRC, in addition to the male gender, smoking and overweight. In an unprecedented way for the Brazilian population, we associate eDII with the risk of CRC.
Role of biotic interactions and physical factors in determining the distribution of marsh species along an estuarine salinity gradient.

Understanding the mechanisms that shape plant distribution patterns is a major goal in ecology. We investigated the role of biotic interactions (competition and facilitation) and abiotic factors in creating horizontal plant zonation along salinity gradients in the Elbe estuary. We conducted reciprocal transplant experiments with four dominant species from salt and tidal freshwater marshes at two tidal elevations. Ten individuals of each species were transplanted as sods to the opposing marsh type and within their native marsh (two sites each). Transplants were placed at the centre of 9-m2 plots along a line parallel to the river bank. In order to disentangle abiotic and biotic influences, we set up plots with and without neighbouring vegetation, resulting in five replicates per site. Freshwater species (Bolboschoenus maritimus and Phragmites australis) transplanted to salt marshes performed poorly regardless of whether neighbouring vegetation was present or not, although 50–70% of the transplants did survive. Growth of Phragmites transplants was impaired also by competition in freshwater marshes. Salt marsh species (Spartina anglica and Puccinellia maritima) had extremely low biomass when transplanted to freshwater marshes and 80–100% died in the presence of neighbours. Without neighbours, biomass of salt marsh species in freshwater marshes was similar to or higher than that in salt marshes. Our results indicate that salt marsh species are precluded from freshwater marshes by competition, whereas freshwater species are excluded from salt marshes by physical stress. Thus, our study provides the first experimental evidence from a European estuary for the general theory that species boundaries along environmental gradients are determined by physical factors towards the harsh end and by competitive ability towards the benign end of the gradient. We generally found no significant impact of competition in salt marshes, indicating a shift in the importance of competition along the estuarine gradient.
Variaciones espaciales y temporales en el Índice de Vegetación de Diferencia Normalizada en Cuba

Cruz Flores, D.D. , Curbelo Benitez, E.A. , Ferrer-Sanchez, Y. , Avila, D.D. 2020. Spatial and temporal variations in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Cuba. Ecosistemas 29(1):1885. https://doi.org/10.7818/ECOS.1885 Vegetation spectral indexes have been one of the most effective ways to assess the properties of plant cover and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has been one of the most used. Our objective was to describe spatial and temporal differences of the NDVI in Cuba, according to types of vegetation and land use. The temporal analysis was divided into multiannual and annual. The index values were sampled using 10 000 random points, classified according to land use, plant formation, and altitude. Samples were taken from 23 protected natural areas, which presented the largest area of terrestrial surface. The index had a global average of 0.702 ± 0.198, with 71% of the values above 0.60. The areas of anthropogenic uses showed index values 10% lower than natural vegetation. The forest formations had values greater than 0.8, except for mangroves. Protected areas showed different index values, concerning their management and extension category. The covers used can serve as a basis for studies on the distribution of vegetation and fauna in Cuba.
Interleukin-1α inhibits insulin signaling with phosphorylating insulin receptor substrate-1 on serine residues in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Proinflammatory cytokines are recently reported to inhibit insulin signaling causing insulin resistance. IL-1α is also one of the proinflammatory cytokines; however, it has not been clarified whether IL-1α may also cause insulin resistance. Here, we investigated the effects of IL-1α treatment on insulin signaling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. IL-1α treatment up to 4 h did not alter insulin-stimulated insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, whereas tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and the association with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase were partially inhibited with the maximal inhibition in around 15 min. IRS-1 was transiently phosphorylated on some serine residues around 15 min after IL-1α stimulation, when several serine kinases, IκB kinase, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase, ERK, and p70S6K were activated. Chemical inhibitors for these kinases inhibited IL-1α-induced serine phosphorylation of IRS-1. Tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 was recovered only by the IKK inhibitor or JNK inhibitor,.
Predictive relation for the α-relaxation time of a coarse-grained polymer melt under steady shear

Shear suppression of α-relaxation and dynamic heterogeneity in a model glass-forming polymer melt. We examine the influence of steady shear on structural relaxation in a simulated coarse-grained unentangled polymer melt over a wide range of temperature and shear rates. Shear is found to progressively suppress the α-relaxation process observed in the intermediate scattering function, leading ultimately to a purely inertially dominated β-relaxation at high shear rates, a trend similar to increasing temperature. On the basis of a scaling argument emphasizing dynamic heterogeneity in cooled liquids and its alteration under material deformation, we deduce and validate a parameter-free scaling relation for both the structural relaxation time τα from the intermediate scattering function and the “stretching exponent” β quantifying the extent of dynamic heterogeneity over the entire range of temperatures and shear rates that we can simulate.
WHY PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY AS A WAY OF LIFE?

: In this paper, I explain why there are good reasons to practice philosophy as a way of life. My argument begins with the assumptions that we should live well and yet that our understandings of how to live well can be mistaken. Philosophical reason and reflection can help correct these mistakes. Nonetheless, the evidence suggests that philosophical reasoning often fails to change our dispositions and behavior. Drawing on the work of Pierre Hadot, I claim that spiritual exercises and communal engagement mitigate the factors that prevent us from living in accordance with our conceptions of the good life. So, many of us have reasons to engage in philosophical reasoning along with behavioral, cognitive, and social strategies to alter our behavior and attitudes so that they’re in line with our philosophical commitments. In these respects, many of us should practice philosophy as a way of life.
Potential use of crude extracts from Alaska Pollock muscle as meat tenderizer

The activity of crude extracts from Alaska Pollock muscle responsible for the hydrolysis of myofibrils and perimysia from beef Longissimus Dorsi muscle was investigated. The results showed that myosin heavy chain and myosin light chain were hydrolyzed completely after 12 h of incubation. Tropomyosin, α-actinin, and troponin-T disappeared after 24 h of incubation, whereas the actin was partially degraded. The collagen fibers were so loose that cross-linking among microfibrils occurred after treatment with the crude extracts. Meanwhile, the second structures of myofibrillar proteins were not changed markedly after incubation. The α-helices in perimysia treated with the crude extracts were partially transformed into β-sheets, while the β-turn and the random coil fractions were steady. It was concluded that myofibrils and perimysia from beef Longissimus Dorsi muscle were commendably hydrolyzed by the crude extracts from Alaska Pollock muscle, so that the crude extracts from Alaska Pollock muscle could be utilized as a potential meat tenderizer.
Dose the FDI Flow into Arab Region Influenced by the Global Financial Crisis?

This study provides an overall view of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows for the Arab region during the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2008. There a little attention has given to the FDI flows in Arab region as the main focus was on the countries where the GFC started. The objective of this study is to compare and analyses the global FDI inflows with Arab region during the GFC. It attempts to answer the question whether the FDI flow into Arab region was impacted immediately by the GFC? It provides a case analysis of FDI inflows in the Arab countries to test what is the reduction in these inflows? Are FDI inflows hold due to the assumption of that the region is considered as preferable distention to FDI? The study gives better understanding to the share of each individual Arab country over the period. It also introduces a case analysis of FDI inflow for Arab countries then compare it with other global regions.
Açaí meal on diet digestibility for commercial laying hens

This study aimed to evaluate açaí meal in diets for commercial laying hens on apparent nutrient digestibility and apparent metabolizable energy. A total of 72 Hissex White laying hens (52-wksold) were distributed in a completely randomized design, where treatments consisted of a control diet and an experimental diet (25% açaí meal) with six replicates of six birds each. Data collected were subjected to polynomial regression at 5%. Differences (p < 0.05) were detected in digestibility of all evaluated nutrients. Hens fed diets with 25% açaí meal presented worse (p < 0.05) metabolization and use of energy content. It can be concluded that hens fed diets containing açaí meal presented better use of crude protein, non-fiber carbohydrates and mineral matter. However, there was worse use of dry matter, fiber carbohydrates and ether extract. This result directly affected the energy metabolism of the birds. The inclusion of açaí meal reduced the energy use.
Near-Infrared Transit Photometry of Extra-Solar Planet HAT-P-54b

The results of near-infrared photometric observations of a transit event of an extrasolar planet HAT-P-54b are presented herein. Precise near-infrared photometry was carried out using the Nayuta 2 m telescope at Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Japan and Nishi-harima Infrared Camera (NIC). 170 J-, H-, and Ks-band images were taken in each band in 196 minutes. The flux of the planetary system was observed to decrease during the transit event. While the the Ks-band transit depth is similar to that in the r-band, the J- and H-band transits are deeper than those in the Ks-band. We constructed simple models of the planetary atmosphere and found that the observed transit depths are well reproduced by inflated atmosphere containing H2S molecule.
The distribution of the cytoplasmic organs in transplantable tumour cells, with special reference to dictyokinesis

The distribution of the cytoplasmic organs varies considerably in different types of cells. While it frequently happens that both Golgi apparatus and mitochondria are grouped around the centrosome, yet in other cells the cytoplasmic organs are irregularly scattered throughout the cytoplasm. At the commencement of mitosis, the Golgi apparatus is usually divided into two parts, which are drawn to the opposite poles of the cell by the centrosomes, then the apparatus fragments, and in the daughter cells is reconstructed around their centrosomes. Other cases, however, have been described in which there is no appreciable attraction exerted by the centrosomes upon the cytoplasmic organs, at any stage of cell division (10). Da Fano (2), who has investigated the cytoplasmic organs in transplantable tumour cells, found that usually the Golgi apparatus is grouped around the centrosphere, either in the form of rodlets, or else as a fine or coarse network. In some growths, however, the distribution of the Golgi apparatus bore no relation to the centrosomes. The behaviour of the apparatus during mitosis was not specially investigated by Da Fano, but in those cases in which it presented the compacted form, he found that its division was associated with the division of the centrosomes at the prophase.