Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution of Concealed Ovulation in Vervet Monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops)

Few systematic attempts have been undertaken to test hypotheses concerning the functional significance of concealed ovulation or prolonged sexual receptivity in extant populations of nonhuman primates. Here, evidence is presented that female vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) successfully conceal the time of ovulation from males. Three hypotheses are considered concerning the evolutionary advantages of concealed ovulation for vervet females. Since females mate with numerous males and since males do not provide any parental investment, concealed ovulation cannot be considered an adaptation to promote monogamy in this species. Limited evidence indicates that concealed ovulation in vervets may facilitate female choice of older males as mates; however, because females mate with several males and because it was not possible to pinpoint the exact day of ovulation in the field, this hypothesis could be neither confirmed nor rejected. Indirect evidence is consistent with the idea that concealed ovulation reduces the vulnerability of a female and her offspring to potentially infanticidal males. The applicability of these hypotheses to other nonhuman primates is also considered. The results presented here argue for a comparative approach.
Phosphatidylinositol metabolism in low temperature‐affected winter oilseed rape leaves

The aim of the present experiments was to find out whether low temperature may put into operation the phospholipase C-inositolphospholipid signaling cascade in tissues of chilling-tolerant plants. Therefore, the effects of a short and a rapid exposure of non-acclimated (NA) and cold-acclimated (CA) winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera L. cv. Jantar) leaves to chilling (> 0°C) or freezing (-5°C, -7°C) temperatures on the inositolphospholipid (PI, PIP and PIP2) contents and [2-3H]-inositol incorporation into phosphoinositides and inositol phosphates (IP3, IP2, and IP) were studied. LiCl (50 mM) was used to arrest inositol phosphate hydrolysis on the IP level. Cold acclimation resulted in increased contents of PI and PIP2 in the leaves. Rapid exposure of NA leaves to 0°C and CA leaves to -7°C (temperature of ice nucleation in the tissue) increased the amount of radioactivity in inositol phosphates and decreased the radioactivity in PIP2 and PIP. The data indicate that low temperature induced phospholiphase C activity in winter rape leaves, the effectiveness of the treatment being dependent on the state of plant acclimation to cold. Mechanisms engaged and some biological implications of the responses observed for cold acclimation of plants are discussed.
A Parasitological Survey on Introduced Birds in Japan

A parasitological survey was performed on 11 species of birds introduced into Japan: Cygnus olor, Branta canadensis mo$tti, Cairina moschata domestica, Phasianus colchicus karpowi, Bambusicola thoracica, Pavo cristatus, Psittacula krameri manillensis, Pycnonotus sinensis, Garrulax canorus, Leiothrix lutea, Lonchura malacca. A total of 17 taxa of external and internal parasites, including one protozoan (Eimeria sp.), five nematodes (Eucoleus perforans, Amidostomum anseris, Pseudaspidodera pavonis, Heterakis gallinarum and Synhimantus (Dispharynx) nasuta), four trematodes (Echinochasmus sp., Amphimerus anatis, Tanaisia sp. and Dicrocoeliidae gen. sp.), one cestode (unidentified) and six arthropods (Goniodes pavonis, Lipeurus maculosus, Ixodes turdus, Haemaphysalis flava, Leptotrombidium scutellare and Mouchetia sp.) were obtained and identified. Among the obtained parasites, Dicrocoeliidae gen. sp. , I. turdus and L. scutellare from L. lutea, and Tanaisia sp. and L. scutellare from G. canorus, are the first host records, while P. pavonis and G. pavonis are the first geographical records from Japan.
tHe influence of antisPerm ig g and ig a antibodies from coWs sera and cervical mucus on bull sPerm motility

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of antisperm Ig G and Ig A antibodies (ASA) from the sera and cervical mucus of cows on bulls sperm motility. A total of 64 cows was included in the study and samples of sera and cervical mucus were collected on the day of artificial insemination. Cows were of Busha breed or mix breed with Simmental. The presence of antisperm Ig G and Ig A antibodies was determined by indirect immunofluorescence method and according to these results, cows were divided in groups as follows: cows with high or low ASA titer in their sera and cows with high or low ASA titer in the cervical mucus. Influence of antisperm antibodies on sperm motility was further estimated by Computer Assisted Semen Analysis (CASA). Results demonstrated a significant difference in the influence of antisperm antibodies depending on their origin and titer. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 46002: Molecular genetic and ecophysiological researches on the protection of autochthonous animal resources, sustaining domestic animals’ welfare, health and reproduction, and safe food production]
Dawn Singing Intensity of the Male Brownish-Flanked Bush Warbler: Effects of Territorial Insertions and Number of Neighbors

The dawn chorus is a period of peak singing activity of many songbirds. Numerous studies have sought to understand this widespread phenomenon, and many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the dawn chorus. The social dynamics hypothesis proposes that dawn singing plays an important role in the announcement of territorial occupancy and the regulation of social relationships between males; it predicts that the dawn chorus vocal behavior varies with changes in social relationships. In this study, we tested the influence of territorial insertions and the number of neighbors, on the intensity of the brownish-flanked bush warbler (Cettia fortipes)’s dawn singing. We found that simulated territorial insertions (playback) caused the males to increase their dawn singing significantly the next day, and males that had many neighbors exhibited more intense dawn singing than did males with few neighbors. Our study provides evidence that dawn singing plays an important role in the announcement of territorial occupancy and the regulation of the social relationships between the males.
Formation and stability of ternary phases in the Ho–Ag–Sn and Tm–Ag–Sn metallic systems

The isothermal sections of the phase diagram of the Ho–Ag–Sn ternary system at 673 K and 873 K were constructed in the whole concentration range using X-ray diffraction and EPM analyses. The interaction between the elements results in the formation of th ree ternary compounds at 673 K: HoAgSn (LiGaGe-type, space group P63mc, a = 0.4667(1), c = 0.7313(2) nm), Ho3Ag4Sn4 (Gd3Cu4Ge4-type, space group Immm, a = 0.4519(2), b = 0.7280(3), c = 1.5091(3) nm), and HoAgSn2 (Cu3Au-type, space group Pm-3m, a = 0.4525(2) nm). At 873 K two ternary compounds (HoAgSn, LiGaGe-type and HoAgSn2, Cu3Au-type) were found. Three ternary compounds exist in the Tm–Ag–S n system at 873 K: TmAgSn (ZrNiAl-type, space group P-62m, a = 0.72635(9), c = 0.4435(1) nm), Tm(Ag,Sn)2 (CaIn2-type, space group P63/mmc, a = 0.46534(2), c = 0.72649(4) nm) and TmAgSn2 (Cu3Au-type, space group Pm-3m, a = 0.45033(2) nm). DSC/DTA analyses showed a limited stability range f or Ho3Ag4Sn4 and the existence of a phase transition for the TmAgSn compound. DFT calculations predict metal lic-like behavior for both HoAgSn2 and Ho3Ag4Sn4.
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR)-β/δ Stimulates Differentiation and Lipid Accumulation in Keratinocytes

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) are nuclear hormone receptors that are activated by endogenous lipid metabolites. Previous studies have demonstrated that PPAR-alpha activation stimulates keratinocyte differentiation in vitro and in vivo, is anti-inflammatory, and improves barrier homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that PPAR-beta/delta activation induces keratinocyte differentiation in vitro. This study demonstrated that topical treatment of mice with a selective PPAR-beta/delta agonist (GW1514) in vivo had pro-differentiating effects, was anti-inflammatory, improved barrier homeostasis, and stimulated differentiation in a disease model of epidermal hyperproliferation [corrected]. In contrast to PPAR-alpha activation, PPAR-beta/deltain vivo did not display anti-proliferative or pro-apoptotic effects. The pro-differentiating effects persisted in mice lacking PPAR-alpha, but were decreased in mice deficient in retinoid X receptor-alpha, the major heterodimerization partner of PPAR. Furthermore, in vitro PPAR-beta/delta activation, aside from stimulating differentiation-related genes, additionally induced adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) and fasting induced adipose factor (FIAF) mRNA in cultures keratinocytes, which was paralleled by increased oil red O staining indicative of lipid accumulation, the bulk of which were triglycerides (TG). Comparison of differentially expressed genes between PPAR-beta/delta and PPAR-alpha activation revealed distinct profiles. Together, these studies indicate that PPAR-beta/delta activation stimulates keratinocyte differentiation, is anti-inflammatory, improves barrier homeostasis, and stimulates TG accumulation in keratinocytes.
Dispersal of harpalus rufipes (Degeer) (Carabidae) between shelterbelt and cereal field

Former studies usually show a positive effect of landscape heterogeneity on different groups of animals occurring in crop fields but some controversies have been discovered. The aim of this study was to answer the question whether the introduction of mid-field tree belts can help to increase numbers of predatory carabids in crop fields. Distance and the direction of movements of individually marked carabids caught in traps in the shelterbelts and in the adjacent crop fields were measured during one week of July (in 2003 and 2004). Pitfall traps (N=360) were placed 2 meters apart in 30 parallel rows which formed a rectangle of 58 × 22 m divided into 5 strips (5 rows in each one). Strip A was located in the shelterbelt, the others (B-E) were placed in the field. Beetles (exclusively – Harpalus rufipes (Degeer, 1774) which predominated in both habitats) after being marked with fast drying paint (non-dissolving in water, not harmful, and using dot code) were released at the same spots where they were caught. Accordingly 1099 and 1683 individuals in both years were marked and the number of recaptured individuals was equal to 259 (24%) and 307 (18%). Proportion of recapture rate for individuals marked in particular strips ranged between 18 and 28%. Mobility of the beetles was similar in both years (15.9 m and 16.5 m; t = 0.59, df = 579, P> 0.5). Individuals marked within the shelterbelt (strip A) were in both years caught much further away (25 and 27 m) than the individuals marked in opposite strip E, located in crop field (15 and 17.5 m). Differences between the distance covered daily by insects marked in the field and in the shelterbelt were statistically significant whereas differences between distances covered within the field by insects marked in particular strips – were not significant. Only 8–9% of insects marked in the shelterbelt (strip A) was recaptured in the same strip while recapture rate for individuals marked in other strips was higher –16 to 32%. The proportion of insects marked in the field (strip B, C, D, E) and recaptured in the shelterbelt was very low (2–11%). The comparison of recapture rates between strips A and B also shows that insects move mostly from the shelterbelt to the field. As much as 30–34% of the insects marked in the shelterbelt were caught in the bordering field. Among the insects marked in the next strip B, adjacent to the shelterbelt, only 10–11% individuals were caught in the shelterbelt. Presented results indicate that dominating direction of the dispersal in the mosaic landscape is from the shelterbelt to the field.
Revegetation patterns and seedbank structure on abandoned pastures in northern Japan

To compare revegetation patterns between native and exotic species on abandoned pastures in northern Japan, we surveyed the vegetation structure and the seedbank using a flotation technique in 140 1 x 1 m plots. Previously introduced grasses such as Poa pratensis, Phleum pratense, and Dactylis glomerata were abundant 20 yr after the pasture abandonment, while Sasa senanensis, native shrub species, regenerated from propagation that had spread from the surrounding forests. S. senanensis shrublands and P. pratensisiP. pratense grasslands established on deep soils while D. glomerata grasslands established on shallow soils. Trees rarely became established on abandoned pastures. The seed density in the seedbank, representing 19 species, ranged from 542 to 2957 seeds/M2. The dominant species in the vegetation (P. pratensis, Trifolium repens, and Rumex acetosella) were also common in the seedbank, whereas Cerastium holosteoides var. angustifolium, Chenopodium album var. centrorubrum, and Erigeron canadensis were widespread in the seedbank but did not occur in the extant vegetation. S. senanensis regenerated by vegetative propagation, and P. pratensis and P. pratense developed a seedbank. We concluded that for native species, particularly S. senanensis, vegetative reproduction has an important role on revegetation rather than regeneration from the seedbank, and the dwarf bamboo may be a keystone species in the ecosystems.
Description of the male Lepidurus arcticus (Branchiopoda: Notostraca) and the potential role of cannibalism in defining male form and population sex ratio

Sexual dimorphism in the Arctic tadpole shrimp, Lepidurus arcticus (Pallas, 1793), was examined. Selective forces shape sexes differently. Males fitness increases by successful mate searching, whereas females increase reproductive potential by attaining large sizes. Sexual dimorphism was examined in 331 L. arcticus from Svalbard, Norway. Males were significantly smaller than females and had significantly smaller carapaces, telsons and cercopods. Lepidurus arcticus is an omnivorous, sometimes cannibalistic, predator. Cannibalism potential effects on sexual dimorphism were studied in the field and laboratory. Cannibalism frequency did not differ significantly between populations. Females dominated in all populations. Male L. arcticus searching for females are at greater risk due to increased chance of encounters with predators and cannibalistic females. Male small body size is advantageous against visually hunting predators, while more robust limbs help males search for females effectively and amplex them. In contrast, the significantly larger female carapace protects her and her eggs from predators.
STUDIES ON THE ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM

Several types of striated muscle have been examined by the technics of electron microscopy and the findings in myotome fibers of Amblystoma larvae, the sartorius, and cardiac muscle of the rat are reported on in some detail. Particular attention has been given to structural components of the interfibrillar sarcoplasm and most especially to a finely divided, vacuolar system known as the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This consists of membrane-limited vesicles, tubules, and cisternae associated in a continuous reticular structure which forms lace-like sleeves around the myofibrils. It shows a definable organization which repeats with each sarcomere of the fiber so that the entire system is segmented in phase with the striations of the associated myofibrils. Details of these repetitive patterns are presented diagrammatically in Text-figs. 1, 2, and 3 on pages 279, 283, and 288 respectively. The system is continuous across the fiber at the H band level and largely discontinuous longitudinally because of interruptions in the structure at the I and Z band levels. The structure of the system relates it to the endoplasmic reticulum of other cell types. The precise morphological relation of the reticulum to the myofibrils, with specializations opposite the different bands, prompts the supposition that the system is functionally important in muscle contraction. In this regard it is proposed that the membrane limiting the system is polarized like the sarcolemma and that the corresponding potential difference is utilized in the intracellular distribution of the excitatory impulse.
Identification of Pseudomonas tolaasi: the White Line in Agar and Mushroom Tissue Block Rapid Pitting Tests

A sharply defined white line of precipitate forms in Pseudomonas Agar F (Difco) between the opaque white colonies of Pseudomonas tolaasi and translucent colonies of certain unidentified pseudomonads. This visible interaction has been utilized in a specific and reliable method for the identification of Ps. tolaasi. The white line test was positive when 113 isolates of Ps. tolaasi from five different countries were examined, whereas 154 isolates of pseudomonads other than Ps. tolaasi, including Ps. corrugata, Ps. delphinii, Ps. fluorescens, Ps. lachrymans, Ps. marginalis, Ps. pastinaceae, Ps. phaseolicola, Ps. aeruginosa, Ps. putida, Ps. syringae, Ps. mors-prunorum, Ps. cichorii, Ps. antirrhini, Ps. viridiflava, Ps. caryophylli, Ps. cepacia, Ps. mendocina, Ps. stutzeri, Ps. acidivorus and Ps. lemoignei did not give the white line reaction with a reacting translucent colony pseudomonad. Browning of mushrooms in host tests does not help in the identification of Ps. tolaasi, but a conspicuous pitting produced in less than 10 min at the cut surface of mushroom tissue is as specific as the white line test in detecting Ps. tolaasi in suspension in distilled water.
I can't define the niche but I know it when I see it: a formal link between statistical theory and the ecological niche

The niche is one of the most important concepts in ecology. However, there has been a persistent controversy on how to define, measure, and predict the ecological niche of an organism. Here I argue that these problems arise in part because the niche is defined by the set of all possible environments, many of which do not exist in nature. A complete description of the niche would require knowledge of a large number of environments that do not exist in nature. Given this, I propose that ecologists should not focus on the niche itself but instead on determining if a particular environment is a part of the niche. I then demonstrate that such an analysis has a natural interpretation as an estimate of the probability that an environment is suitable and that either experimental investigations or analyses of presence data can estimate this quantity. Depending on the way that resources interact to shape environmental requirements, the probability that an environment is a part of the niche behaves like published descriptions of causal inferences and distribution models. However, in some cases the probability that an environment is suitable can be strongly influenced by unmeasured aspects of the environment. When this is true, experimental and distribution models have complimentary strengths and weaknesses.
Abstract A206: 2D cell culture can approximate 3D behavior: Applications for screening individual agents and drug combinations.

Developed and serving over the last 30 years as an indispensible screening tool, 2D in vitro screening has been criticized for poor predictive powers in clinical settings. New tools are under development, e.g. 3D spheroids or “hanging-drops," to overcome these limitations. However, new tools have other restrictions. For example, costs and application for multiple cell lines: model 2D cell lines may not grow as spheroids. We developed a set of analytical and computational models to approximate cell growth upon drug treatment. We could show that for a common 2D cell culture the effect of drug treatment, and therefore interpretation of the results, depends on several factors: seeding cell density, treatment time, cell doubling time, and compound mode of action. To address such limitations we further developed a modified 2D culture. In contrast to a common experimental set-up of low cell density to allow exponential cell growth and short 48-96 hours treatment times, we allowed cells to grow to higher ∼80% confluence densities. Treatment was monitored not as an end-point assay, but in a kinetic mode (every 96 hours) over a period of 4 weeks. We treated 82 cell lines using a set of standard anticancer agents, including 5-FU, paclitaxel, sunitinib, etoposide, lapatinib and eroltinib. Interestingly, some cell lines showing significant responses in classical 2D models, appear to be non-responsive to the drug in dense 2D (D2D) models. This was very obvious for some targeted agents, e.g. EGFRi, probably due to down-regulation of the drug targets in cell lines growing as D2D. In addition, we have applied the same principle to drug combination studies in all 82 cell lines. These results indicate that D2D cell models can approximate cell growth observed in 3D cell cultures by enhancing cell-cell interactions. D2D screening can be performed in hundreds of cell lines (at least 82 different cancer cell lines, as shown here). In contrast to 3D models and end-point detection, D2D also records the drug response kinetics, and can be easily applied for drug combinations. This is especially relevant for slow acting agents, e.g. cytostatic agents. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):A206. Citation Format: Igor Ivanov, Danial Taherzadeh, Maximilian Nunziante. 2D cell culture can approximate 3D behavior: Applications for screening individual agents and drug combinations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A206.
P2Y receptors in microglia and neuroinflammation

Microglia are surveillants in the central nervous system. Once they find abnormal or emergency signals, microglia can migrate to the site of the injury, release pro-inflammatory and/or neurotrophic substances, and phagocytose damaged cells and their remnants. Extracellular nucleotides act through purinoceptors and have been implicated as signaling molecules used by microglia to sense adverse physiological conditions. The P2Y12 receptor is responsible for microglial chemotactic function toward an ATP source. The P2Y6 receptor stimulates phagocytic activity of microglia in response to extracellular UDP. Each receptor elicits transient intracellular calcium elevation and this may induce the expression of several genes related to microglial activation. Both receptor-mediated signaling and cellular functions may be involved in the pathology occurring in the central nervous system. Therefore, determining the definitive microglial functions mediated by P2Y receptors supports understanding the pathological cascade and finding new therapeutic targets related to microglia. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2012, 1:493–501. doi: 10.1002/wmts.46 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
New species of Notophthiracarus (Acari: Oribatida: Phthiracaroidea) from Tanzania

Three new species of the genus Notophthiracarus are described, identified and figured from Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania: Notophthiracarus quasiuluguruensis sp. nov, Notophthiracarus tuberculus sp. nov, and Notophthiracarus uluguruensis sp. nov. A comparison with the most closely related species of the genus Notophthiracarus is also presented. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3FBF24E7-3E2D-4686-AD57-EFEA25510BBD