Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A MODEL OF THE EVOLUTION OF DICHOGAMY INCORPORATING SEX-RATIO SELECTION, ANTHER-STIGMA INTERFERENCE, AND INBREEDING DEPRESSION

Abstract Historically, explanations for the evolution of floral traits that reduce self-fertilization have tended to focus on selection to avoid inbreeding depression. However, there is growing support for the hypothesis that such traits also play a role in promoting efficient pollen dispersal by reducing anther-stigma interference. The relative importance of these two selective pressures is currently a popular topic of investigation. To date, there has been no theoretical exploration of the relative contributions of selection to avoid the genetic costs of self-fertilization and selection to promote efficient pollen dispersal on the evolution of floral traits. We developed a population genetic model to examine the influence of these factors on the evolution of dichogamy: the temporal separation of anther maturation and stigma receptivity. Our analysis indicates that anther-stigma interference can favor dichogamy even in the absence of inbreeding depression. Although anther-stigma interference and inbreeding depression are the key forces driving the initial evolution of dichogamy, selection to match the timing of pollen dispersal to the availability of ovules at the population level becomes a more potent force opposing the further evolution of dichogamy as the extent of temporal separation increases. This result may help to explain otherwise puzzling phenomena such as why dichogamy is rarely complete in nature and why dichogamy tends to be associated with asynchronous flower presentation.
Coordinated Resolved Motion Control of Dual-Arm Manipulators with Closed Chain

When applied to some tasks, such as payload handling, assembling, repairing and so on, the two arms of a humanoid robot will form a closed kinematic chain. It makes the motion planning and control for dual-arm coordination very complex and difficult. In this paper, we present three types of resolved motion control methods for a humanoid robot during coordinated manipulation. They are, respectively, position-level, velocity-level and acceleration-level resolved motion control methods. The desired pose, velocity and acceleration of each end-effector are then resolved according to the desired motion of the payload and the constraints on the closed-chain system without consideration of the internal force. Corresponding to the three cases above, the joint variables of each arm are then calculated using the inverse kinematic equations, at position-level, velocity-level or acceleration-level. Finally, a dynamic modelling and simulation platform is established based on ADAMS and Matlab software. The proposed methods are verified by typical cases. The simulation results show that the proposed control strategy can realize the dual-arm coordinated operation and the internal force of the closed chain during the operation is controlled in a reasonable range at the same time.
Balfour, Garstang and de Beer: The First Century of Evolutionary Embryology1

Abstract Evolution has been integrated with embryology during two great periods: the latter half of the 19th C as evolutionary morphology/embryology, and the latter third of the 20th C as evolutionary developmental biology. My mandate was to use the contributions of three embryologists/morphologists: Francis (Frank) Balfour (1851–1882), Walter Garstang (1868–1949) and Gavin de Beer (1899–1972) to discuss the foundations of evolutionary embryology in the UK from 1870 (when “every aspiring zoologist was an embryologist, and the one topic of professional conversation was evolution,” Bateson, 1922, p. 56), through the 1920s (“ontogeny does not recapitulate phylogeny, it creates it,” Garstang, 1922, p. 81) to the 1970s (“homology of phenotypes does not imply similarity in genotypes,” de Beer, 1971, p. 15). Evolutionary embryology was driven by a comparative embryological approach that sought homology of adult structures in germ layers and ancestry in embryos, and sought to differentiate larval adaptations from retained ancestral characters. An initial emphasis on a phylogenetic mechanism (recapitulation) slowly gave way to more mechanistic approaches that included heterochrony and the integration of embryology with physiological genetics. Germ layers, homology, larval evolution, larval origins of the vertebrates, paedomorphosis and heterochrony underpinned the origins of evolutionary embryology, and so I discuss each of these topics.
The Nucleus of the Intervertebral Disc from Development to Degeneration1

Synopsis. The nucleus of the intervertebral disc in humans shows the most dramatic changes with age of any cartilaginous tissue. It originates from the notochord. In the foetus and infant, the nucleus contains actively dividing and biosynthetically active notochordal cells. The proteoglycans and other matrix components produced have a high osmotic pressure, imbibe water and maintain a hydrated structure which, though it has little mechanical strength, has a high swelling pressure which maintains disc turgor. In some species, the notochordal cells and the mucoid nucleus pulposus persist throughout adult life. However by about 4 yr of age in humans, the notochordal cells have disappeared to be replaced by those of chondrocytic appearance but of unknown origin. These cells continue to produce proteoglycans but also synthesize significant amounts of collagen. The nucleus becomes firmer and less hydrated and loses its transparent appearance. The cell density of the adult nucleus is very low with cells occupying less than 0.5% of tissue volume; each cell thus has to turn over and maintain a large domain of extracellular matrix. The density of living cells decreases with age, possibly because of problems with nutrient supply to this large avascular tissue. Proteoglycan concentration also falls, and nucleus hydration decreases markedly, the disc discolours and in many cases clefts and fissures form. In most adults, the disc nucleus degenerates eventually to a stage where it can no longer fulfil its mechanical role.
LIFE-HISTORY DIFFERENTIATION AND THE MAINTENANCE OF MONOECY AND DIOECY IN SAGITTARIA LATIFOLIA (ALISMATACEAE)

Abstract The existence of monoecious and dioecious populations within plant species is rare. This limits opportunities to investigate the ecological mechanisms responsible for the evolution and maintenance of these contrasting sexual systems. In Sagittaria latifolia, an aquatic flowering plant, monoecious and dioecious populations exist in close geographic proximity but occupy distinct wetland habitats differing in the relative importance of disturbance and competition, respectively. Life-history theory predicts contrasting evolutionary responses to these environmental conditions. We propose that the maintenance of monoecy and dioecy in S. latifolia is governed by ecological selection of divergent life-history strategies in contrasting habitats. Here we evaluate this hypothesis by comparing components of growth and reproduction between monoecious and dioecious populations under four conditions: natural populations, a uniform glasshouse environment, a common garden in which monoecious and dioecious populations and their F1 progeny were compared, and a transplant experiment using shaded and unshaded plots in a freshwater marsh. Plants from dioecious populations were larger in size and produced heavier corms in comparison with monoecious populations. Monoecious populations flowered earlier and produced more flowers, clonal ramets, and corms than dioecious populations. The life-history differences between the sexual systems were shown to have a quantitative genetic basis, with F1 progeny generally exhibiting intermediate trait values. Survival was highest for each sexual system in field plots that most closely resembled the habitats in which monoecious (unshaded) and dioecious (shaded) populations grow. These results demonstrate that monoecious and dioecious populations exhibit contrasting patterns of investment in traits involved with growth and reproduction. Selection for divergent life histories between monoecious and dioecious populations of S. latifolia appears to be the principal mechanism maintaining the integrity of the two sexual systems in areas of geographic overlap.
ACCUMULATING DOBZHANSKY-MULLER INCOMPATIBILITIES: RECONCILING THEORY AND DATA

Abstract Theoretical models of the accumulation of Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities (DMIs) are studied, and in particular, the framework introduced by Orr (1995) and a verbal model introduced by Kondrashov et al. (2002). These models embody very different assumptions about the relationship between the substitution process underlying evolutionary divergence and the formation of incompatibilities. These differences have implications for our ability to make inferences about the divergence from patterns in the relevant data. With this in mind, the models are investigated for their ability to account for three patterns evident in this data: (1) the asymmetrical nature of incompatibilities under reciprocal introgression; (2) the finding that multiple concurrent introgressions may be necessary for an incompatibility to form; and (3) the finding that the probability of obtaining an incompatibility by introgressing a single amino acid remains roughly constant over a wide range of genetic distances. None of the models available in the literature can account for all of the empirical patterns. However, modified versions of the models can do so. Ways of discriminating between the different models are then discussed.
Serious Games Adaptation According to the Learner’s Performances

Basically, serious games provides enjoyment and knowledge, several researches in this field have focused into joining these two proprieties and make the best balance between them, in order, to provide the best game and enjoyable game experience and ensure the learning of the needed knowledge. Players differ and their knowledge background can be a lot different from one to the other. This study focused on how the SG adapts and provide the needed knowledge and enjoyment. The game should analyze players behavior from different angles, thus it can add difficulty, information, immersion or enjoyment modules to fit the player skills/knowledge.
Role of Xanthurenic Acid 8-O-β-d-Glucoside, a Novel Fluorophore that Accumulates in the Brunescent Human Eye Lens¶

Abstract We have been able to identify a blue fluorophore from the low-molecular weight soluble fraction of human adult nondiabetic brunescent cataract lenses as xanthurenic acid 8-O-β-d-glucoside (XA8OG) (excitation = 338 nm and emission = 440 nm). To determine the role of this fluorophore in the lens, we have examined its photophysical and photodynamic properties. We found XA8OG to have a fluorescence quantum yield (ϕ) of 0.22 and a major emission lifetime of 12 ns. We found it to be a UVA-region sensitizer, capable of efficiently generating singlet oxygen species but little of superoxide. We also demonstrated that XA8OG oxidizes proteins when irradiated with UVA light, causing photodynamic covalent chemical damage to proteins. Its accumulation in the aging human lens (and the attendant decrease of its precursor O-β-d-glucoside of 3-hydroxykynurenine) can, thus, add to the oxidative burden on the system. XA8OG, thus, appears to be an endogenous chromophore in the lens, which can act as a cataractogenic agent.
MICROSATELLITE ANALYSIS OF SPERM-USE PATTERNS IN THE BUSHCRICKET REQUENA VERTICALIS

Abstract The proportion of offspring sired by the second male to mate with a doubly mated female, P2, is a ubiquitously measured statistic in the study of insect sperm competition. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of sperm transfer, storage, and use that determine P2 are poorly understood. Typically the second male to mate gains moderate to high paternity. More rarely, the first male to mate gains the majority of fertilizations. Here we examine the transfer, storage, and use of sperm in the bushcricket Requena verticalis, a species with male parental investment and almost complete first male paternity. Sperm drain from an externally attached spermatophore into the female's reproductive tract, where they are transported to the sperm store or spermatheca. We find that only sperm from the first male to mate are transported to the spermatheca. We provide some data that address a number of different mechanisms that might account for the lack of storage of second-male sperm. DNA microsatellite markers are developed to assign paternity. By manipulating the numbers of sperm transferred by first and second males, we show that the size of the ejaculate transferred by the first male has a major impact on paternity; increasing ejaculate size of the first male assures his paternity. Paternity assurance in R. verticalis holds significant implications for the evolution of paternal investment via the male's nuptial gift. Corresponding Editor: D. Wheeler
Photoreactivation in Paramecium tetraurelia under Conditions of Various Degrees of Ozone Layer Depletion¶

Abstract Photoreactivation (PR) is an efficient survival mechanism that helps protect cells against the harmful effects of solar-ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The PR mechanism involves photolyase, just one enzyme, and can repair DNA damage, such as cyclobutane-pyrimidine dimers (CPD) induced by near-UV/blue light, a component of sunlight. Although the balance of near-UV/blue light and far-UV light reaching the Earth's surface could be altered by the atmospheric ozone layer's depletion, experiments simulating this environmental change and its possible effects on life have not yet been performed. To quantify the strength of UVB in sunlight reaching the Earth's surface, we measured the number of CPD generated in plasmid DNA after UVB irradiation or exposure to sunlight. To simulate the increase of solar-UV radiation resulting from the ozone layer depletion, Paramecium tetraurelia was exposed to UVB and/or sunlight in clear summer weather. PR recovery after exposure to sunlight was complete at a low dose rate of 0.2 J/m2·s, but was less efficient when the dose rate was increased by a factor of 2.5 to 0.5 J/m2·s. It is suggested that solar-UV radiation would not influence the cell growth of P. tetraurelia for the reason of high PR activity even when the ozone concentration was decreased 30% from the present levels.
Modularity in Development and Why It Matters to Evo-Devo1

Abstract The concept of modularity is fundamental to research in both evolutionary and developmental biology, though workers in each field use the idea in different ways. Although readily and intuitively recognized, modularity is difficult to define precisely. Most definitions of modularity are operational and implicit, particularly in developmental biology. Examination of several proposed definitions points to some general characteristics of developmental modules, for example their internal integration, and suggests the importance of devising a definition applicable at different levels of the biological hierarchy. Modules, like homologs, must be defined with respect to a specified level of the hierarchy, and a general definition should support both analyses of the evolving causal relationships between levels, and studies of the interconnections between modules of the same type. The designation of a developmental structure, process, or function as a “module” is a testable hypothesis; this hypothesis is confirmed in the case of the dorsal marginal zone of the amphibian gastrula, which acts as a morphogenetic module. Discussions of developmental modularity can provide a meeting place for developmental and evolutionary biologists by helping us articulate key questions at the intersection of the two fields, and design experiments to begin answering them.
Divergent Optimum Levels of Lycopene, β-Carotene and Lutein Protecting Against UVB Irradiation in Human Fibroblasts¶

Abstract Exposure of living organisms to UV light leads to photooxidative reactions. Peroxyl radicals are involved in the propagation of lipid peroxidation. Carotenoids are dietary antioxidants and show photoprotective effects in human skin, efficiently scavenging peroxyl radicals and inhibiting lipid peroxidation. Cultured human skin fibroblasts were used to examine the protective effects of the carotenoids, lycopene, β-carotene and lutein on UVB-induced lipid peroxidation. The carotenoids were delivered to the cells using liposomes as the vehicle. The cells were exposed to UVB light for 20 min. Lycopene, β-carotene and lutein were capable of decreasing UV-induced formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances at 1 h to levels 40–50% of controls free of carotenoids. The amounts of carotenoid needed for optimal protection were divergent at 0.05, 0.40 and 0.30 nmol/mg protein for lycopene, β-carotene and lutein, respectively. Beyond the optimum levels, further increases of carotenoid levels in cells led to prooxidant effects.
Assignment of UVB-responsive cis-element and Protoplastization- (Dilution-) and Elicitor-responsive Ones in the Promoter Region of a Carrot Phenylalanine Ammonia-lyase Gene (gDcPAL1)¶

Abstract Expression of a carrot phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene (gDcPAL1) in suspension-cultured carrot cells is induced by dilution of the culture or by application of a fungal elicitor, as well as by ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation. We demonstrated that among its upstream cis-elements (Takeda et al. [1997] Photochem. Photobiol. 66, 464–470), L4 is UVB responsive, and L1 is protoplastization- (dilution-) and elicitor responsive, from studies with transiently transformed mutated or truncated gDcPAL1 promoter–luc constructs. This conclusion is consistent with our observation that PAL activities induced by UVB and by protoplastization (dilution) or elicitor are additive.
MULTIPLE ORIGINS OF EUSOCIALITY AMONG SPONGE-DWELLING SHRIMPS (SYNALPHEUS)

As the most extreme expression of apparent altruism in nature, eusociality has long posed a central paradox for behavioral and evolutionary ecology. Because eusociality has arisen rarely among animals, understanding the selective pressures important in early stages of its evolution remains elusive. Employing a historical approach to this problem, we used morphology and DNA sequences to reconstruct the phylogeny of 13 species of sponge-dwelling shrimps (Synalpheus) with colony organization ranging from asocial pair-bonding through eusociality. We then used phylogenetically independent contrasts to test whether sociality was associated with evidence of enhanced competitive ability, as suggested by hypotheses invoking an advantage of cooperation in crowded habitats. The molecular, morphological, and combined data each strongly supported three independent origins of monogynous, multigenerational (eusocial) colony organization within this genus. Phylogenetically independent contrasts confirmed that highly social taxa, with strong reproductive skew, have significantly higher relative abundance within the host sponge than do less social taxa, a result that was robust to uncertainty in tree topology and varying models of character change. A similar tendency for highly social species to share their sponge with fewer congener species was suggestive, but not significant. Because unoccupied habitat appears to be limiting for many sponge-dwelling shrimp species, these data are consistent with hypotheses that cooperative social groups enjoy a competitive advantage over less organized groups or individuals, where independent establishment is difficult, and that enemy pressure is of central importance in the evolution of animal sociality.
VIDEO STEGANOGRAFI MENGGUNAKAN METODE ENHANCED LEAST SIGNIFICANT BIT (ELSB) PADA FRAME YANG DIPILIH BERDASARKAN DETEKSI SILENCE MEL-FREQUENCY CEPSTRAL COEFFICIENT (MFCC)

Penyisipan informasi ke dalam file digital adalah hal yang penting, karena persebaran informasi sangat mudah dilakukan. Steganografi merupakan salah satu teknik penyembungian pesan, sehingga hanya pengirim dan penerima yang mengetahui informasi rahasia dalam file tersebut. Dalam tugas akhir ini dilakukan simulasi sistem steganografi pada video dengan menggunakan metode Enhanced Least Significant Bit (ELSB) yang merupakan modifikasi dari metode LSB. Penyisipan dilakukan pada citra dengan pemilihan frame menggunakan energi Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) yaitu mengekstraksi ciri sinyal suara berdasarkan karakter respon frekuensi suara. Hasil yang diperoleh dari pengujian beberapa ukuran citra pesan dan ukuran cover video, serta melakukan pemilihan di beberapa nilai threshold, didapatkan nilai-nilai Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) yang baik, yaitu masih diatas 40dB. Nilai Mean Square Error (MSE) terbesar yaitu 3,8. Hasil Mean Opinion Score (MOS) yang didapatkan dalam rentang baik. Pada saat sistem diberikan noise Gaussian baik pada gambar maupun pada audio, sistem cukup mampu untuk bertahan. Pada serangan sebesar 15dB pada gambar, BER yang didapatkan <3%. Kata kunci : Steganografi, video, citra, ELSB, MFCC
Florivory by the Crab Armases angustipes (Grapsidae) Influences Hummingbird Visits to Aechmea pectinata (Bromeliaceae)1

Armases angustipes (Grapsidae) crabs were recorded on 31.5 percent of Aechmea pectinata inflorescences, a common ornithofilous bromeliad in rain forests of southeastern Brazil. Crabs foraged mainly in the morning and used newly opened flowers, usually damaging the corolla, consuming the stamens and stigma, and interfering with hummingbird visits. This florivory may reduce the reproductive success of A. pectinata, both directly through consumption of flowers and indirectly by reducing pollinator visits.
Molecular Contrast Optical Coherence Tomography: A Review¶

Abstract This article reviews the current state of research on the use of molecular contrast agents in optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging techniques. After a brief discussion of the basic principle of OCT and the importance of incorporating molecular contrast agent usage into this imaging modality, we shall present an overview of the different molecular contrast OCT (MCOCT) methods that have been developed thus far. We will then discuss several important practical issues that define the possible range of contrast agent choice, the design criteria for engineered molecular contrast agent and the implementability of a given MCOCT method for clinical or biological applications. We will conclude by outlining a few areas of pursuit that deserve a greater degree of research and development.
P-Glycoprotein Inhibitors from Natural Sources as Chemopreventives

Copyright: © 2016 Gupta P. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a transmembrane permeability glycoprotein belonging to the ATP binding cassette (ABC) super family that functions specifically as a carrier mediated primary active efflux transporter. It is widely distributed throughout the body and has a diverse range of substrates that include several vital therapeutic agents whose bioavailability is reduced or resistance is induced because of the protein efflux. P-gp was first discovered in 1976 for its role in multi-drug resistance in cancer; it is over expressed in several human tumors and is an important barrier to success in cancer treatment. Due to its role in drug metabolism, P-gp has considerable clinical relevance as it affects the absorption, distribution and secretion of anticancer drugs [1]. Several natural products from plants and marine sources have been reported for their P-gp inhibitory action and thereby serving as potential chemopreventives when co-administered with anti-cancer agents. The P-gp inhibitory compounds from plant sources belong to various categories such as flavonoids, stilbenes, coumarins, terpenoids, alkaloids and saponins whereas the P-gp inhibitors from marine natural products belong to the class of polyketides.