Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dispersal traits drive the phylogenetic distance decay of similarity in Neotropical stream metacommunities

The drivers of phylogenetic beta diversity include both local processes (e.g. environmental filtering) and regional processes (e.g. dispersal limitation). The role of environmental filtering can be investigated more directly by analysing community–environment associations, but dispersal limitation is one of the most challenging processes to examine. We investigated the role of traits related to dispersal – flight capacity, body size and voltinism – as drivers of phylogenetic distance decay relationships in Neotropical stream insect communities.
AE-NIDS : Automated Evolving SDN-based Network Intrusion Detection System

The network intrusion detection system(NIDS) with high accuracy and high recall has been considered as an unachiev-able goal owing to a trade-off between accuracy and recall. Some deep learning-based NIDS could have a high level of accuracy about their dataset, but these system’s recall value about untrained real malicious packet data is very low. To address these limitations, we suggest a novel SDN-based NIDS, AE-NIDS, which enables high recall value keeping a high level of accuracy. AE-NIDS combines (semi) supervised and unsupervised learning, and trains deep neural networks during operation of the network with automatically collected malicious packet data. AE-NIDS could achieve following four unique features using supervised adversarial autoen-coder(AAE) and balancing GAN; high recall about new data, efficiency, accelerated self-learning, scalability.
Antioxidant Activity of Vegetables and Their Blends in Iron - Catalyzed Model Systems

Vegetables are known to contain high amounts of natural antioxidants such as ascorbate, α-tocopherol, β-carotene, and flavinoids. The antioxidant activities of several vegetables including broccoli, carrot, green pepper, spinach and tomato, and their blends were investigated using various iron-catalyzed lipid peroxidation systems. In linoleic acid micelles, carrot and spinach significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation by 29.0% and 35.8%, respectively (p<0.05). Blends of two, three, or four vegetables including spinach increased the inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation, mainly due to high level of antioxidants in spinach. In beef homogenates, tomato significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation by 19.9% (p<0.05), whereas spinach and broccoli significantly stimulated lipid peroxidation by 67.3% and 11.5%, respectively (p<0.05). In the presence of 100 μM ferrous ions, all vegetables inhibited degradation of deoxyribose by 43.6~77.6% (p<0.05). In the presence of 100 μM ferric ions, broccoli and spinach stimulated deoxyribose degradation by 39.8% and 55.8%, respectively. These results indicate that the antioxidant activity of vegetables varied with the different model systems and depended on the provided environment such as iron content and substrates. The activity of the various combinations (blends) of vegetables was strongly related to that of the individual vegetable.
Proliferation‐differentiation pathways of murine haemopoiesis: correlation of lineage fluxes

Abstract. A quantitative analysis of literature data on muiine bone marrow haemopoiesis was performed in order to determine how the haemolpoietic system fulfils requirements of cell turnover in the normal steady state. In particular, the production rates (fluxes) of erythrocytes, megakaryocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils and mast cells have been calculated and normalized. Subsequently, based on available data on relationships of various lineages, a working model of the developmental schema of haemopoiesis was derived. Since, according to the principle of conservation, the effluxes of all lineages from bone marrow in the steady state must be equal to effluxes from the compartments of respective precursors divided by the coefficient of multiplication, the correlation of lineage fluxes was used to determine the position of branching points. It was concluded that all the quantita.tive data on lineage proliferation in the normal steady state in vivo, available for analysis, are fully consistent with a simple binary model of the sequential type, similar to that suggested by Brown and coworkers (Brown G., Jones NA, Bunce CM, Owen PJ, IPatton WN. (1988) Haemopoiesis: a lottery or determinism? Differentiation, 39, 83).
A standard land-cover classification scheme for remote-sensing applications in South Africa

For large areas, satellite remote-sensing techniques have now become the single most effective method for land-cover and land-use data acquisition. However, the majority of land-cover (and land-use) classification schemes used have been developed around specific user objectives (namely, agriculture and conservation), and are often influenced by geographical location and actual data capabilities. This paper presents a standard hierarchical framework for the classification of remotely sensed data, designed to suit the South African environment. The framework is based on known landcover classes that can be derived from high-resolution, remotely sensed data such as SPOT or LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery, and links, as far as possible, to existing classification systems or codes that have been used within various organizations.
Studies on the sex-specific lethals of Drosophila melanogaster. III. A third chromosome male-specific lethal mutant.:III. A third chromosome male-specific lethal mutant

A recessive male-specific lethal mutant of Drosophila melanogaster is described. The mutant, mle(3) 132, which is the first to be described on the third chromosome, is located at 3-25.8. Homozygous males show delayed development and die during the larval stages. The mutant shows no interactions with sex-transformation mutants, tra-2, tra-2OTF, tra, or dsx: thus only single-X individuals are killed regardless of the phenotypic sex.
New Material in Package Design

Materials selection is hugely important in packag ing design. In some cases, the visual tone of a piece of packaging may derive from its use of a substrate like Polypropylene, which i s typically seen as modern and contemporary. Alternatively, the visual tone may derive from the careful juxtaposition of different materials - some smooth, some textured. Everyday materials in unexpected context can provide a unique experience. Materials are most commonly paired with certain package types: Corrugated fiberboard boxes, glass bottles, and aluminum cans are classic examples. This is where the design mind can start reformulating to ha ve corrugated plastic boxes, aluminum bottles, or even plastic cans.
Effects of extreme, fluctuating temperature events on life history traits of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae

Altered temperatures affect insects’ life history traits, such as development period and fecundity, which ultimately determine population growth rates. Understanding insects’ thermal biology is therefore integral to population forecasting and pest management decision‐making such as when to utilise crop spraying or biological control. Aphids are important crop pests in temperate regions, causing considerable yield losses. The aphid thermal‐biology literature is, however, heavily biased towards the effects of rising mean temperatures, whereas the effects of fluctuating, extreme climatic events (e.g., heat waves and sub‐zero cold periods) are largely overlooked. This study assessed the effects of laboratory‐simulated heat waves and sub‐zero cold periods on the survival, development period, and fecundity of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Microsiphini), in addition to assessing maternal effects on the birth weight and development period of the offspring of exposed individuals. Exposure to heat stress periods (total of 16 h at 30 °C) significantly reduced aphid fecundity and increased physiological development period (in day‐degrees) resulting in a reduced population growth rate. Cold exposure (total of 1.33 h at −15 °C) reduced population growth rate due to an elongated development period (in days), but did not affect fecundity or physiological development period (in day‐degrees). Both cold and heat stress significantly reduced aphid survival. Maternal experience of heat stress reduced nymphal birth weight although nymphal development period was not affected by either cold or heat stress. The results suggest that including the effects of fluctuating, extreme temperature events on aphid life history in population forecast models is likely to be of great importance to pest management decision‐making. The demonstration of maternal effects on birth weight also suggests that cross‐generational effects of heat waves on population growth rates could occur.
PAPEL DOS NUTRIENTES NA PEROXIDAÇÃO LIPÍDICA E NO SISTEMA DE DEFESA ANTIOXIDANTE

Especies reativas de oxigenio sao formadas durante o metabolismo aerobico e podem danificar lipidios, proteinas, carboidratos e o DNA. Essas reacoes, potencialmente deleterias, sao controladas por um sistema de antioxidantes enzimaticos e nao enzimaticos, que eliminam os prooxidantes e “varrem” os radicais livres. Esta revisao mostra o papel de alguns nutrientes na peroxidacao lipidica e no sistema de defesa antioxidante. Enfatizam-se os mecanismos que levam ao dano oxidativo e sua protecao, assim como as implicacoes na saude humana.
Early phylogeny of crinoids within the pelmatozoan clade

Phylogenetic relationships among early crinoids are evaluated by maximizing parsimonious‐informative characters that are unordered and unweighted. Primarily Tremadocian–Darriwilian (Early–Middle Ordovician) taxa are analysed. Stratigraphic congruence metrics support the best phylogenetic hypothesis derived using parsimony methods. This study confirms the traditionally recognized lineages of Palaeozoic crinoids and provides new information on the branching order of evolving lineages. Camerates are basal crinoids with progressively more tipward groups (from an Ordovician perspective) being protocrinoids, cladids (paraphyletic), hybocrinids and disparids. The Protocrinoida should be maintained, but the Aethocrinida should be placed within the Cladida. The results of this study identify phylogenetic structure amongst the major early crinoid lineages and delineate the relative positions of crinoid higher taxa along a tree. Each valid higher taxon discussed herein requires a comprehensive treatment to delimit within‐lineage phylogenetic relationships.
Landscape connectivity of the grassland biome in Mpumalanga, South Africa

The South African grassland biome is one of the most threatened biomes in South Africa. Approximately 45% of the grassland biome area is transformed, degraded or severely invaded by alien plants and the remaining natural areas are highly fragmented. In this fragmented landscape, the connectivity between habitat patches is very important to maintain viable populations. In this study we aimed to quantify connectivity of the grassland biome in Mpumalanga using graph theory in order to identify conservation priorities and to direct conservation efforts. Graph theory-based connectivity indices have the ability to combine spatially explicit habitat data with species specific dispersal data and can quantify structural and functional connectivity over large landscapes. We used these indices to quantify the overall connectivity of the study area, to determine the influence of abandoned croplands on overall connectivity, and to identify the habitat patches and vegetation types most in need of maintaining overall connectivity. Natural areas were identified using 2008 land cover data for Mpumalanga. Connectivity within the grassland biome of Mpumalanga was analysed for grassland species with dispersal distances ranging from 50 to 1000 m. The grassland habitat patches were mostly well connected, with 99.6% of the total habitat area connected in a single component at a threshold distance of 1000 m. The inclusion of abandoned croplands resulted in a 33% increase in connectivity at a threshold distance of 500 m. The habitat patches most important for maintaining overall connectivity were the large patches of continuous habitat in the upper and lower centres of the study area and the most important vegetation types were the Wakkerstroom Montane Grassland and the Eastern Temperate Freshwater Wetlands. These results can be used to inform management decisions and reserve design to improve and maintain connectivity in this biome.
The influence of different energy, lysine and methionine levels on layer performance

The study conducted was aiming on evaluating the influence of different levels of energy and amino acids, mainly lysine and methionine, on production performance of the layer bird. There were three treatments, namely the Control diet, a high energy, lysine and methionine diet (High spec.) and a low energy, lysine and methionine diet (Low spec.). The energy levels were 11.2 MJ/kg, 11.5 MJ/kg and 10.9 MJ/kg respectively. Lysine levels were 0.67%, 0.73% and 0.63% whereas methionine levels were 0.36%, 0.38% and 0.34% respectively. The experimental design was 3 x 4 factorial, which is 3 treatments with 4 replicates each. Results showed no significant difference (P>0.05) between treatments in egg production, egg mass, egg output, bodyweight and mortality. Feed intakes of the High spec. diet were significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the control diet and the Low spec. diet. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
Experiments on the Effect of Residual Insecticides in Houses against Anopheles gambiae and A. funestus

Experimental huts similar in construction to the dwellings commonly used in East Africa, but with exit window traps, were sprayed with various formulations of the three residual insecticides, DDT, BHC, and dieldrin, and the effect on the A. gambiae and A. funestus entering them was observed. The almost complete absence of kill recorded by Muirhead Thomson (1950) in experiments in similar huts in Tanganyika treated with DDT Ditreen was not confirmed by these experiments. A significant proportion of the A. gambiae and A. funestus entering huts treated with DDT did, however, escape unharmed, even immediately after treatment, whereas with the other insecticides, BHC and dieldrin, none of these mosquitos escaped the effect at least in the first month after treatment. In preliminary experiments in which observations were carried on for nine months after treatments, BHC P.530 still showed some effect after seven months. This was almost certainly due to the fumigant effect of the small amount of insecticide still remaining below the wall surface. The irritant properties of the two DDT formulations, Ditreen and the oil-bound suspension “Supona” D, still existed after nine months. In a second group of experiments, dosages of less than 80 mg. DDT and less than 60 mg. BHC (8 mg. of the gamma isomer) per sq. ft. gave over 50 per cent. kills of A. gambiae and A. funestus for only one month. In a third group of experiments, using two formulations of BHC, five of DDT, one of a mixture of DDT and BHC and one of dieldrin:— ( a ) Dieldrin was by far the most efficient insecticide and gave very high kills for over seven months. ( b ) The DDT formulations, Murphy paste, Murphy wettable powder, suspensions of DDT crystals ( c ) The BHC formulations, P.520 and the oil-bound suspension “Supona” B, gave high kills for three to four months only. ( d ) The mixture of BHC and DDT in oil-bound suspension “Supona” DB gave the high initial kill of BHC and the long-lasting moderately high kill of DDT. ( e ) Against C. fatigans all the DDT formulations used in the third group of experiments gave very low kills, the BHC formulations high initial kills and dieldrin high long-lasting kills. BHC has marked fumigant and particulate properties lasting for three to four months. Dieldrin has a remarkable particulate action, which produces for the whole six-month period of the experiment, very high kills among mosquitos suspended without actual contact with the insecticidal surfaces; DDT only shows this particulate effect to a slight extent. It is probable that the differences in the toxicities to mosquitos of the insecticides used in these experiments is due partly to differences in the irritant properties of the insecticides. In the case of DDT many of the mosquitos having contact with this insecticide are irritated and escape from the treated surface before acquiring a lethal dose.
What Biomonitoring Can and Cannot Tell Us about Causality in Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments

ABSTRACT Biomonitoring can provide exposure and effects information on various stressors (chemical or biological) that can be useful for human health and ecological risk assessments. It has been applied over the years where harmful changes in human health or the environment were observed and which may have warranted more detailed investigation. Sometimes biomonitoring programs may have been useful in determining the significance and/or cause of these harmful observations. These data can help to infer, but not confirm, causality as exemplified in classical studies conducted in humans and wildlife. However, in most cases we note that additional work was needed to provide the information necessary to support or refute causality. Today modern technology provides the ability to measure a wide variety of parameters in environmental media, plants, animals, and humans. Finding a chemical in an environmental medium or biological tissue may be helpful in understanding potential exposure (and perhaps to begin estimating hazard) to humans and ecological receptors, but mere presence does not necessarily help to establish effects or assign causality. In this article we evaluate the strengths and weaknesses, in a risk assessment context, of the use of biomonitoring data to support a determination of causality.
Dynamic Regulation of Function of the Mitochondrial TIM23 Preprotein Translocase

The vast majority of mitochondrial proteins are synthesized on cytosolic ribosomes in the form of precursor proteins and subsequently imported into mitochondria through the concerted action of the translocases present in the outer and the inner membrane. The TIM23 complex (translocase of the inner membrane) mediates translocation of precursor proteins across or their insertion into the mitochondrial inner membrane in a membrane potential and ATP-dependent manner. The TIM23 complex consists of eight essential subunits that can be assigned to two operationally defined parts: the membrane embedded protein conducting channel with the receptor and the import motor associated with the channel at the matrix side of the inner membrane. The present study was undertaken to gain insight into the dynamics of the TIM23 translocase during import of different types of preproteins. A previously uncharacterized protein component of the TIM23 translocase was identified and termed Tim21. Results presented in this study demonstrate that the TIM23 translocase switches between translocation mode that facilitates import of proteins into the matrix and insertion mode that allows lateral sorting of proteins into the lipid bilayer. The TIM23 translocase adopts different conformations in its various states of activity: when it was empty, when it inserted preproteins into the inner membrane and when it translocated preproteins targeted to the matrix. The interconversion of the TIM23 translocase between the functional states occurs primarily by conformational changes of the essential components, whereas non-essential components Tim21 and Pam17 are responsible for the fine tuning of these processes. A hypothesis that describes the behavior of the TIM23 translocase is presented.
La tyrosinémie héréditaire : une maladie du stress du réticulum endoplasmique ?

La tyrosinemie hereditaire de type 1 est la maladie la plus severe de la voie du catabolisme de la tyrosine et est due a une perte d’activite de la fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase. Les patients souffrent principalement d’atteinte hepatique conduisant le plus souvent au cancer du foie. A partir des donnees recentes sur les sites d’action des metabolites toxiques, un nouveau modele permettant d’expliquer l’etiopathogenie de la tyrosinemie hereditaire de type 1 - et, notamment, le taux eleve de cancer du foie observe - peut etre propose.
Spatial distribution of two oak species and ecological attributes of pine-oak woodlands from Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca

La estructura y diversidad de un bosque de pino-encino se analizaron en tres unidades de muestreo (UM) de 50 x 50 m, en Ixtlan de Juarez, Oaxaca. Se determino la distribucion espacial de los individuos con diametro normal ≥ 2.5 cm. Las variables dasometricas se registraron; se calcularon dos indices de importancia estructural (indice de valor de importancia relativa [IVIR] y de valor forestal [IVF]) y tres indices de diversidad (indice de entropia de Shannon-Weiner, numero efectivo de diversidad e indice de Sorensen). Se registraron 799 individuos de 11 familias y 19 especies; la familia mas abundante fue Fagaceae (628 individuos, cuatro especies). La especie mas importante en la UM1 fue Quercus crassifolia (IVIR = 53, IVF = 57). Los valores mas altos del IVIR e IVF en la UM2 correspondieron a Q. laurina (IVIR = 48, IVF = 63). En la UM3, la especie mas importante fue Q. crassifolia (IVIR = 49, IVF = 62). El analisis de las dos especies en conjunto revelo distribucion aleatoria en practicamente todas las distancias. El patron agregado de las especies individuales se atribuyo a estrategias de regeneracion y practicas silvicolas. Ambas especies pueden coexistir modificando la importancia estructural y el patron de distribucion horizontal.
Zingiberopsis a fossil genus of the ginger family from late cretaceous to early eocene sediments of western interior north america

Zingiberopsis attenuata Hickey and Peterson is a new species of monocotyledon from the Paleocene Paskapoo Formation of Alberta. Leaves of this species with their parallel veins grouped into three size sets are intermediate between the Late Cretaceous Zingiberopsis magnifolia (Knowlton) Hickey, new combination, with four discrete sets and Zingiberopsis isonervosa Hickey, of late Paleocene and early Eocene age, with only one set. Zingiberopsis has large, elliptic to ovate leaves with a costa composed of a number of concurrent strands, a set of parallel veins emerging at low angles from the costa, and relatively distantly spaced transverse veins running between adjacent parallel veins. Morphology of the genus matches that of Alpinia in the Zingiberaceae except for greater irregularity of the parallel vein set at and near their origin on the costa and the lack of any evidence of a ligule on the petiole as in Alpinia. Species of Zingiberopsis demonstrate a clear trend toward loss of the wider parallel vein sub.