Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in sperm stores, ejaculate size, fertilization success, and sexual motivation over repeated matings in the common toad, Bufo bufo (Anura: Bufonidae)

Fertilization is of central importance in the determination of reproductive success for both males and females. In species where males have the chance to mate repeatedly within a short period of time, sperm stocks may become depleted and males may have to carefully economize on their sperm reserves. Also, intensive intrasexual competition for females and repeated matings may lead to exhaustion on the behavioural level. To determine whether the reproductive potential of males is limited and if such a limitation is due to behavioural exhaustion or sperm depletion, we experimentally investigated changes in sperm stores, sperm expenditure, fertilization success, and sexual motivation over three repeated matings in the common toad, Bufo bufo, where the breeding season is short and sequential polygyny occurs. At the end of the breeding season, the number of sperm stored in the testes of males mated repeatedly was close to 50% lower than in testes of unmated males. Ejaculate size, which was estimated by applying a novel method allowing direct quantification, decreased by 88% from first to third matings. We also observed a drop in fertilization success from the first two to third matings by 65%, which was largest in males that had started the reproductive season in bad body condition. Some of these males also showed a decreased interest in females in the third mating round. Our results suggest that sperm depletion and loss of sexual motivation may together set a limit to the reproductive potential of common toad males. The present study draws attention to a limitation in reproductive potential, which may occur more often than currently anticipated and has the potential to strongly influence several aspects of reproductive behaviour. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 96, 361–371. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: ejaculate collection – exhaustion – natural history – reproduction – sexual conflict – sperm depletion.
Traitement du signal et des images

Dans ce travail on s’interesse a mettre en œuvre un systeme de supervision interne pour les differents signaux: ASI, satellitaire, TNT et SDI ,de telle maniere a rassembler les technologies de l'informatique, de l'electronique et des telecommunications, afin de permettre un controle a distance d'installations techniques geographiquement reparties ou isolees utilisant une panoplie d'outils : Alarme ; etre alerte automatiquement en cas de panne ou de defaut de fonctionnement d'un signal. Conduite ; controler en permanence le fonctionnement des differents signaux. Maintenance ; assurer a distance les tâches de maintenance de certaines installations en cas de defaillance et par consequent intervenir a temps. Enregistrer les informations dans une bade de donnees afin d'analyser, d'optimiser et de gerer a distance le fonctionnement des installations controlees.
Upconversion luminescence of β-NaYF4: Yb3+, Er3+@β-NaYF4 core/shell nanoparticles: Excitation power density and surface dependence

Coating a homogeneous layer outside the core nanoparticles has become a common method to improve the optical properties of nanoparticles. For rare earth ion-doped nanoparticles, although the homogeneous coating is found to enhance the upconversion luminescence, a large deviation in the reported enhancement amplitude, however, demonstrates the lack of a complete picture of the enhancement mechanism. In this work, we have performed steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic studies on one of the most efficient upconversion nanosystems − β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ and β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+@β-NaYF4 core/shell nanoparticles. Roles of the surface quenching centers, typically the high-frequency vibrational modes provided by the organic surfactants in the upconversion luminescence, are studied in detail. Our results show that excitation power density, once over a threshold, say ∼150 W/cm2 in this case, does have a non-negligible annealing effect, which may even lead to high luminescence upconversion intensity of the core na.
Study on Species diversity and distribution of rats in Birganj National Park, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

An investigation accomplished on species diversity and distribution of rats in Birganj National park from June’ 2016 to December’ 2016. During this study ten cage traps were deployed in four randomly selected areas i.e household condition, outside community household, forest and edges of wetland. The present study reports 7 species of rats under Muridae family. Rattus rattus was abundant (43.92%) and found throughout the study area. Majority of rats highly distributed in household condition (53.27%) followed by outside community household, forest and margin of pet land. Keyword: Diversity, Birganj National Park, Rattus rattus, Muridae family, Bandicota bengalensis, Bandicota indica
Biodiversidad marina de Costa Rica: Gastrópodos (Mollusca: Gastropoda) de la costa Caribe

Three hundred and eighty-four gastropod species from the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica are report- ed. Eight species are new records for Costa Rica: Cyclostrema tortuganum, Rissoina c.f. fenestrata, Vanikoro oxychone, Epitonium c.f. denticulatum, Latirus infundibulum, Hastula salleana, Daphnella lymneiformis and Tenaturris c.f. inepta. Thirteen species are found on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Costa Rica: Tegula fas- ciata, Cymatium nicobaricum, Anachis lyrata, Costoanachis varia, Mitrella ocellata, Agaronia testacea, Hastula cinerea, Architectonica nobilis, Dolabrifera dolabrifera, Stylocheilus striatus, Cavolinia longirostris, Phidiana lascrucensisand Spurilla neapolitana. In comparison with a recent report of the Caribbean and west- ern Atlantic gastropods of Colombia, the Costarican fauna hardly presents 35.8% of those species. Similarly, in comparison with a work from Panama, the quantity of species shared between Costa Rica and its nearby coun- try is 48.2%. The number of species reported here is probably an underestimation because few micromolluscs have been studied and no samples have been collected in deep waters nor in the north part of the coast.
Towards testing post-editing performance: a futureproof diagnostic tool

En aquest article descrivim un instrument de diagnostic per avaluar la practica de la post-edicio. Tot i que hi ha exemples d'aquests instruments a l'abast, rara vegada es fan servir els estudis empirics com a base per a avaluar-lo. Esperem que la nostra eina pugui ajudar a seleccionar professionals de la traduccio o alumnat de traduccio adequats per a projectes de post-edicio amb la deteccio dels coneixements, les competencies o les actituds importants per fer aquesta feina i que fins ara faltaven en el comportament dels aspirants a fer-la.
Helicobacter pylori: the Role of the Immune Response in Pathogenesis

The development of disease as a consequence of Helicobacter. Pylori infection is influenced by human genetic differences, virulence factors expressed by the colonizing strain, and environmental factors such as smoking and concurrent infections. The immune response to infection may be affected by each of these. A wide variety of innate host defense mechanisms are chronically induced by H. pylori on the gastric mucosa, including the expression of proinflammatory and antibacterial factors by gastric epithelial cells. Although all H. pylori strains cause ongoing gastric inflammation, the severity of this gastritis differs profoundly between individual infections, and a major driver of this is whether specific virulence factors are expressed by the infecting strain. The most important and best characterized H. pylori virulence determinant is a group of about 30 genes present in some but not all strains, called the cag Pathogenicity Island (PaI). Small cationic antimicrobial peptides of two main groups, defensins and cathelicidins, are secreted as part of the innate immune response to H. pylori. A microarray study on infected rhesus macaques showed that defensin responses are largely dependent on presence of the cag PaI in the colonizing strain. The antibody response to H. pylori is known to contribute to pathogenesis by triggering autoimmunity. A section of the chapter discusses the role of the different subsets of T-cells in H. pylori-mediated disease in detail. A detailed knowledge of the immune mechanisms required for clearance of H. pylori infection is vital for vaccine development.
PENGARUH PUPUK HAYATI TIENS GOLDEN HARVEST TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN BIBIT KAKAO

This study was aimed at determining effect of various concentrations of biological fertilizer Tiens Golden Harvest (TGH) on growth of cocoa seedlings. TGH fertilizer concentrations studied consisted of 4 levels, i.e. 0 mlL -1 water, 5 mlL -1 water, 10 mlL -1 water, and 15 mlL -1 water. The results showed that concentrations of TGH fertilizer significantly affected height of cocoa seedling at 30 and 60 day after planting (DAP), and stem diameter of cocoa seedling at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 DAP. The best TGH fertilizer concentration was found at 15 mlL -1 water. However, TGH fertilizer concentration did not significantly affect height of cocoa seedling at age of 10, 20, 40 and 50 DAP, stem diameter at age of 10 DAP, leaf area, root length, wet and dry weight at 60 DAP.
Beneficial properties of red berries extracts and their anthocyanins.

Epidemiological reports have indicated that individuals who consume diets containing large amounts of fruits and vegetables may reduce their risk for developing age-related diseases. These reductions might be expressed as improvements in motor and cognitive behavior. This review summarized data related to in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity of polyphenols, emphasizing the main role of anthocyanins. In particular, their physiological effects, their metabolism, bioavailability as well as their direct interaction with lipids and DNA.
Perspectives in Cytometry

Cytometry is the general term for quantitative single cell analyses. Without cytometric analyses, work in modern life sciences would be unthinkable. Since its introduction, cytometry has been influencing and promoting development in biology and medicine. A high number of molecular parameters are analyzable within heterogeneous cell systems by cytometry. If the normality of a heterogeneous cell system is known, changes can be identified. Hence, biological alterations induced by malignancies, infections, and so on, are diagnosable. Such phenotypic changes allow for understanding disease-related (or induced) alterations of molecule expression patterns and hence, the functionality of the whole biological system. This interest to unravel molecular properties of single cells of healthy and diseased organisms (and to compare them) led to the development of the first cytophotometric instruments in the middle of the last century [1]. Analyses in those days were usually based on different light absorption capabilities of cell constituents of cells fixed on microscopic slides, with or without staining (e.g., Feulgen). Since these analyses were very time consumptive (5–10 min per nucleus or cytoplasm region), measurements of high cell numbers were simply not possible [2]. This technology was followed by instruments for blood cell counting with a higher throughput where cell concentrations were enumerated by counting electrical voltage pulse during cell transit [3]. Application of fluorescence dyes opened the way for obtaining more information per cell. In 1961, the first use of fluorescence for quantitation was reported [4]. Since then, development of new instruments was focused toward fluorescence analysis. In 1969, the first impulse cytophotometer (ICP-11) (Phywe GmbH, Göttingen [5]) was commercially launched where the fluorescence (resulting from mercury arc lamp excitation) of several thousand cells per second was measured by photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Later, lasers were employed as stable light sources for excitation of fluorescence dyes. The first flow cytometer equipped with two lasers was available in 1976 [6]. Several fluorescence dyes could now be measured simultaneously. The basic principle of this technology is still applied in modern flow cytometers: cells
Development of new molecular markers for phylogeny and molecular identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota)

The RPB1 gene was analyzed as a possible new nuclear-encoded molecular marker for the Glomeromycota. New Glomus group A-specific primers were designed and successfully tested on several members of this group. No evidence for genetic variability was found within the isolates. Based on the new RPB1 sequences, phylogenetic analyses were performed. The phylum-level phylogeny of the fungi was very well resolved by protein sequence analyses. The Glomeromycota were recovered as a monophyletic group, with the Mortierellales (Zygomycota) as closest relatives. A symbiomycotan clade (Asco-, Basidio and Glomeromycota) was not supported in the RPB1 phylogeny whereas the "Dicaryomycota" (Asco- and Basidiomycota) were supported in the trees. The morphospecies-level RPB1 phylogeny of Glomus group A performed best using nucleotide sequences. Interestingly, Geosiphon pyriformis was determined to be the most deeply-diverging lineage of the Glomeromycota. However, RPB1 sequences of representatives of the remaining families are needed for for a comprehensive phylogeny of glomeromycotan fungi. All members of the Glomeromycota contained an intron at the same location in their RPB1 gene. This sequence region seems to be ideal for molecular species identification using restriction analysis in community studies of the AMF in the future.
The Impacts of Bonus and Penalty on Creativity: Insights from an Eye-Tracking Study

This study explores the impacts of incentive contracts on the creative process and the resulting creativity of a design job. Using an eye-tracking device to track the designers’ eye movements during an artwork design task, we found that designers working under a piece-rate plus competitive bonus plan allocated more effort to the idea generating process than designers under a piece-rate minus penalty for defectives plan. We also found that the effort allocated to idea generating and the intensity of the effort devoted to design improvement are critical for producing creative designs. In contrast, the effort allocated to the design evaluating process contributes to product quantity, but cripples design output creativity. The findings of this study suggest that properly-designed incentive contracts can increase employees’ creativity by directing their efforts towards the idea-generating process in a creative task.
Genetic mapping and quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of root-knot nematode resistance in pearl millet

Pearl millet, a cereal that originated in the Sahel zone of west Africa, can tolerate dry conditions and low soil fertility. It is an important dry land crop, predominantly in Africa and Asia where it is a staple food grain. In the US, pearl millet is primarily used as a forage crop. A new genetic map of pearl millet was constructed based on 180 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from an intraspecific cross between Tift 99B and Tift 454. The map contains 468 molecular markers (361 AFLP and 107 SSR), spans 757 cM, and covers all 7 linkage groups that represent the 7 chromosomes of pearl millet. In addition to using publicly available SSRs, we are also reporting 144 new pearl millet SSRs developed from expressed sequences tags (ESTs) for which probable functions have been recorded. Root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp, are significant pests of cotton and peanut in the southeastern United States. Because pearl millet are potential rotation crops for cotton and peanuts, knowledge of nematode resistance and its inheritance is important for breeding pearl millet with root-knot nematode resistance. In this research, quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was conducted to locate the genes for resistance to the southern root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood]. One major QTL, QMi-LG2, has a LOD of 14 and explains 32.0% of the phenotypic variance. This QTL for nematode resistance was located in a distal region of pearl millet LG2. An expressed sequence tagged simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) marker ICMP 3029 (ori) was found to be tightly linked to the QTL and can be useful in marker-assisted selection for nematode resistance in pearl millet breeding. Using this map, we also mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the agronomic traits of plant height, hundred seed weight, heading date, panicle length, and panicle width to verify the utility of the genetic map. INDEX WORDS: AFLP, amplified fragment length polymorphism; RIL, recombinant inbred lines; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; EST-SSR, expressed sequence tagged simple sequence repeat; marker-assisted selection. GENETIC MAPPING AND QUANTITATIVE TRAIT LOCUS (QTL) ANALYSIS OF ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE RESISTANCE IN PEARL MILLET
Analytical Model for the Performance Curves of a Family of Propellers Based on Wind Tunnel Tests

Propeller aircraft performance is greatly influenced by the performance of the propeller it uses. Thus, proper selection of a propeller for a given aircraft design at the early stages of the design process is fundamental. During the design of a new aircraft, simple yet accurate performance models are required to properly optimize the design. Significant experimental performance data of low speed, small propellers is available. The main objective of this work is to create and validate an analytical model for the performance curves of a family of propellers tested at low Reynolds numbers, which can be used in selecting a propeller for a given existing aircraft design or during its design optimization process. This kind of propellers is more commonly used in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The model is designed in MATLAB® using a variety of regression techniques, such as the Least Squares Method (LSQ), applied to experimental data acquired at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), for seventeen APC Thin Electric propellers, and at the Department of Aerospace Sciences (DCA) of University of Beira Interior (UBI), for ten more APC Thin Electric propellers. The analytical model predicts propeller power coefficient and propulsive efficiency accurately for the family of propellers tested and can also be used for the propellers with dimensions close to those used for its development. The propeller performance data obtained during the experimental tests are made available the community to further increase the documentation on propellers tested at low Reynolds numbers. Keywords: Propeller, Low Reynolds propeller performance, Propeller tests, Wind tunnel
Composición e inmunología de la leche humana

Human milk is a biological complex secretion of the mammary gland which includes nutrients, immune substances, hormones, enzymes, growth factors, immunoprotective cells, etc., that make it nutritionally and immunologically suitable for a breast-fed child during the first 6 months; it is extremely valuable up to the age of two years. Training health personnel on the benefits of breast feading, increases support and promotes this form of nutrition for infants
Characterization of systemic acquired resistance in Brassica napus

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iii TABLE OF CONTENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES . vii LIST OF FIGURES . viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xi CHAPTER 1: Literature Review. 1 1.1 General introduction . 1 1.2 Disease resistance in plants. 1 1.3 Non-host resistance . 2 1.4 Race-specific resistance . 3 1.5 Basal defense . 5 1.6 Induced disease resistance . 5 1.6. 1 Systemic acquired resistance . 6 1.6. 1.1 Role of SA. 8 1.6. 1.2 Nature of the systemic signal . 12 1.6. 1.3 Pathogenesis-related genes . 12 1.6. 1.4 Manifestation of SAR . 13 1.6. 2 Induced systemic resistance . 14 1.6. 3 BABA induced resistance . 14 1.6. 4 Priming during induced resistance responses . 15 1.7 Genetic regulators of SAR . 15 1.7. 1 NPR1. 17 1.7. 2 DIR1. 23 1.7. 3 Other lipid-related SAR regulators . 24 1.7. 3.1 EDS1 and PAD4 . 25 1.7. 3.2 SFD1 . 25 1.7. 3.3 SABP2. 26 1.8 Canola and diseases affecting canola. 26 1.9 Research objectives. 29 CHAPTER 2: Characterization of Systemic Acquired Resistance in Canola. 32 2.
Encyclopedia of virology

The Encyclopedia of Virology covers biological, molecular, and medical topics concerning viruses in animals, plants, bacteria, and insects. More general articles focus on the effects of viruses on the immune system, the role of viruses in disease, oncology, gene therapy, and evolution, plus a wide range of related topics.
Taxonomy and Classification of Bacteria

This chapter discusses the state of the art in bacterial taxonomy. It addresses criteria for species delineation, the polyphasic species concept, and multilocus sequence- and whole-genome sequence-based approaches for species definition. An overview of classification and identification methods is presented, which includes traditional phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genotypic techniques. In addition, the chapter briefly describes major groups of bacteria, the practice of reporting the taxonomy of uncultured bacteria, bacterial nomenclature, the valid publication of bacterial names, and name changes.
Natural products for malaria vector control: flora, fish and fungi

9 Chapter 1 General Introduction 15 Chapter 2 Malaria vector control options available to rural African communities in the context of an integrated vector management strategy: a review 51 PART I EXAMINING THE EFFECT OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA (THE NEEM TREE) ON A MAJOR MALARIA VECTOR 87 Chapter 3 Laboratory evaluation of the aqueous extract of Azadirachta indica (the neem tree) wood chippings on Anopheles gambiae s.s. mosquitoes 89 Chapter 4 Effects of a botanical larvicide derived from Azadirachta indica (the neem tree) on oviposition behaviour in Anopheles gambiae s.s. mosquitoes 109 PART II THE USE OF LARVIVOROUS FISH FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL IN WESTERN KENYA 125 Chapter 5 Abandoning small-scale fish farming in western Kenya leads to higher malaria vector abundance 127 Chapter 6 Malaria mosquito control using edible fish in western Kenya: preliminary findings of a controlled study 143 PART III CAN ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI BE USED TO CONTROL INSECTICIDE-RESISTANT MOSQUITOES? 155 Chapter 7 Pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae s.s. leads to increased susceptibility to the entomopathogenic fungi 157 Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana Chapter 8 The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana reduces blood feeding in wild insecticide-resistant mosquitoes in Benin, West Africa 177 Chapter 9 Summarizing discussion 209
Análise da Sinalização na Arquitetura Proposta no IETF ANIMA: o GRASP

O avanço da tecnologia e complexidade de redes de computadores cria a necessidade de novos mecanismos de gerenciamento para tais redes. A intervenção humana não será mais efetiva, sendo necessário automatizar determinados processos. As redes autonômicas se apresentam para atuar em redes complexas e tomar decisões sem necessitar de um administrador de rede e repassando a responsabilidade de resolver problemas para os nós da rede autonõmica. O Autonomic Networking Integrated Model and Approach ANIMA Working Group (WG) tem por objetivo propor uma arquitetura para redes autonômicas. Nessa arquitetura, a sinalização é realizada pelo GeneRic Autonomic Signaling Protocol, protocolo responsável por habilitar nós de uma rede para atuar autonomicamente. Este trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre o ANIMA, com foco na utilização do GRASP.