Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Temperature upon Egg Deposition, Egg Hatch and Nymphal Development of Paratrioza cockerelli (Šulc).

The entomologist, and in general the layman, accepts the fact that low winter temperatures are often a determining factor in the abundance and distribution of many economic species of insects, but apparently few in the North, especially, give much thought to a possible retarding influence of summer temperatures. Several years of field observations of the psyllid, Paratrioza cockerelli (Sulc), the most serious pest of tomatoes and potatoes in Colorado, indicate that this species is especially affected by summer temperatures and may be considered a low-temperature species. This is indicated by the rather intermittent outbreaks that occur in certain localities, the seriousness of the pest in the cool, high mountain areas and its frequent, almost complete, disappearance during the hotter part of the summer from some of the warmer areas.
Pathophysiological and Genetic Aspects of Vascular Calcification

Recent evidence suggests that vascular calcification is an independent cardiovascular risk factor (CRF) of morbidity and mortality. New studies point out the existence of a complex physiopathological mechanism that involves inflammation, oxidation, the release of chemical mediators, and genetic factors that promote the osteochondrogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). This review will evaluate the main mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology and genetics modulation of the process of vascular calcification. Objective. A systematic review of the pathophysiology factors involved in vascular calcification and its genetic influence was performed. Methods. A systematic review was conducted in the Medline and PubMed databases and were searched for studies concerning vascular calcification using the keywords and studies published until 2020/01 in English. Inclusion Criteria. Studies in vitro, animal models, and humans. These include cohort (both retrospective and prospective cohort studies), case-control, cross-sectional, and systematic reviews. Exclusion Criteria. Studies before 2003 of the existing literature.
Bioethanol Potentials and Life-Cycle Assessments of Biofuel Feedstocks

A wide range of bioenergy crops has been proposed as feedstocks that can serve as renewable and ecologically sound substitutes to fossil fuels. In the United States, corn grain (Zea mays) ethanol is the primary biofuel, with over 49 billion liters produced in 2010. Along with the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 mandate, concerns about competition for food, land availability, nutrient and water requirements, energy balances, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have prompted researchers to investigate other potential feedstocks. These include second-generation lignocellulosic feedstock and third-generation biodiesel from microalgae and cyanobacteria. However, each feedstock option has associated benefits and consequences for its use. One technique used to evaluate the energy efficiency of bioenergy production systems is the life-cycle assessment (LCA), where system inputs and outputs are computed in terms of either C or energy equivalents to assess the net gains in energy or C offsets. This article collates and synthesizes information about feedstock production options. Results show a wide range of calculated energy and GHG balances, even for the same feedstock species. Discrepancies in LCA and uncertainty thus make direct comparisons difficult and prevent a consensus in determining feedstock suitability. Recommendations must be based upon LCA model assumptions, crop species, cultivation methods, management practices, and energy conversion choices. Currently lignocellulosic feedstock, while a better alternative than corn grain, is not a long-term viable energy source. New feedstocks and technologies are necessary if bioenergy is to be C-neutral and efficient in energy production and land use. Although C fluxes are considered in LCA, one important ecosystem C stock that has previously been left out of many LCA models is changes to soil organic carbon (SOC). Future research, developments, and priorities are discussed for options to produce low C fuel sources and stabilize the climate.
The thickness of the walls of tubular bones

Some bones have slender marrow cavities and relatively thick walls. Others have wide cavities and thinner walls. Such differences are described by a quantity K, the ratio of the internal to the external diameter. A theoretical analysis shows that the optimum value of K, which allows the mass of a bone to be minimized, depends on whether the bone is selected principally for yield or fatigue strength, for ultimate strength, for impact strength or for stiffness. It also depends on whether the cavity is filled with marrow or with gas. The values of K found in the limb bones of mammals, birds and a few reptiles are surveyed, and compared to the theoretical optima.
In vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity of shrimp chitosan against some intestinal bacteria

: The effects of shrimp chitosan with deacetylation degrees (DD) of 50%, 70% and 95% (DD50, DD70, DD95) on the growth of the intestinal bacteria were investigated in vitro in the laboratory media, and in vivo by an oral feeding test using hamsters as the animal model. The antibacterial activities of these chitosan products against one strain of pathogenic Clostridium perfringens and 13 strains of probiotics, including seven strains of Lactobacillus, and six strains of Bifidobacterium were evaluated. In vitro, the antibacterial activities of DD95 and DD70 were much higher than that of DD50. The strains of probiotics were more resistant to chitosan than the pathogen of C. perfringens. The minimal lethal concentration for DD95 against C. perfringens was 250 p.p.m. , whereas the survival percentages for most probiotics tested were above 90% for DD95 at 500 p.p.m. The animals were fed on either a control diet, or diets containing powdered chitosan instead of 5% cellulose in the control diet for 4 weeks. The cecal bacterial counts of total aerobes, total anaerobes, lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and clostridia were similar for the control and experimental groups. The reasons for the differences in the antibacterial activity in vitro and in vivo are discussed.
Abscisic acid activates ATPase in developing apple fruit especially in fruit phloem cells

Abscisic acid (ABA) improves the sink strength by promoting the phloem unloading and regulating the assimilate metabolism in the economic sink organs of crops, although its mechanism remains unknown. The present experiment, using the techniques of the in vivo injection of ABA into the intact apple fruit attached to a growing apple tree and the in vivo incubation of the fruit tissue in the ABA-contained medium, showed that ABA strongly activated the fruit ATPase especially P-ATPase, of which the activity was doubled by ABA treatment. This ATPase activation was shown to be in vivo tissue-dependent. The ABA-induced P-ATPase activation was fruit developmental stage-, ABA dose-, medium pH- and incubation time-dependent. Physiological active (+)ABA was shown more effective to stimulate P-ATPase activity than (+/–)ABA, and two ABA analogues (–)ABA and trans-ABA, had no effect on P-ATPase activation, indicating that only physiologically active cis(+)ABA can induce the enzyme activation, and so the ABA-induced effects are stereospecific. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide was shown to have no effect on P-ATPase activation by ABA, suggesting that synthesis of new proteins was not involved in the enzyme activation. The cytochemical assay revealed that P-ATPase was activated by ABA in both the phloem and its surrounding flesh parenchyma cells, and that the most strongly P-ATPase activation was observed in the plasma membrane of sieve element/companion cell complex. These data suggest that the improvement of phloem unloading by ABA previously reported in this fruit as in other crop sink organs may be attributed, at least partly, to the ABA-induced ATPase activation especially in phloem cells.
Biogeography of common dolphins (genus Delphinus) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

The common dolphins (genus Delphinus) have one of most problematic taxono- mies and complex distribution patterns of all cetaceans. Although the taxonomy and the distribution seem to have been clarified somewhat in the eastern North Pacific and Indo-Pacific Oceans, many questions remain in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA). We review the biogeography of Delphinus in the SWA. 2. We reviewed data from strandings, incidental catches and sightings since 1922. Systematic surveys were conducted in five major areas. Twenty-one natural history collections were examined, and 135 skulls were measured. 3. A total of 184 records of common dolphins were compiled. Delphinus apparently occurs in three stocks in the SWA: one located in northern Brazil and two from southeastern Brazil (~22°S) to central Argentina (~42°S). Two distinct patterns in habitat use were observed by depth: in southeastern Brazil, sightings were restricted to coastal waters with water depths ranging from 18m to 70m. On the other hand, in the area that extends from southern Brazil to Central Argentina (from 28°S to 42°S), sightings were recorded in deeper waters, ranging from 71m to 1435m, with the exception of occasional coastal sightings. The cranial analyses demonstrated that both short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis and long-beaked common dolphins Dephinus capensis occur in the SWA.
Growth phase dependent resistance to oxidative stress in a phytopathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, a rice bacterial pathogen, showed growth phase dependent resistance to oxidative stress killing. Stationary phase cells were much more resistant to killing concentrations of H2O2, organic peroxides, and a superoxide generator (menadione) than cells from early log and mid-log phases. The stationary phase stress resistance phenotype did not require de novo protein synthesis. Also, nutrient starvation or media metabolites were not inducing signals for the phenotype. The stationary phase stress resistance did not apply to all types of stress. For example, X. oryzae pv. oryzae was equally sensitive to heat and pH 5.5 stress at all growth phases tested. This pattern of stationary phase resistance to stress differs from observations in other bacteria and could be important in plant–microbe interactions.Key words: phytopathogen, stationary growth phase, resistance to oxidative stress killing.
The Life History Traits of the Arctiine Moth Pareuchaetes insulata, a Biological Control Agent of Chromolaena odorata in South Africa

Pareuchaetes insulata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) was released in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, as a biological control agent against Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & Robinson (Asteraceae) between 2001 and 2009. Although the moth did establish at one out of some 30 release sites, its population level is generally low in the field. Two closely related biological control agents, P. pseudoinsulata Rego Barros and P. aurata aurata (Butler) had previously failed to establish despite several years of releases. Studies of life history traits of P. insulata (males and females) were conducted to determine whether several aspects of its developmental and reproductive biology can explain its poor performance, and to compare the development and reproductive biology of P. insulata with the two other closely related species. At 25 °C, overall mortality of immature stages was generally low (below 12 %). Although the duration of the larval life stage was statistically longer for females, overall they eclosed as adults before the males (i.e. protogyny). Pupal mass, growth rate and total leaf area consumed were higher in females. Mated females laid 74 % of their eggs on the first four nights following eclosion and lived an average of 5.92 ± 0.19 days. The moth also showed good biological attributes such as high fecundity (number of eggs), egg hatchability and female mating success (the number of matings that resulted in fertile eggs). Significant positive correlations were detected between insect performance metrics and leaf consumption and between fecundity and pupal mass. A 23 % greater lifetime reproductive output (387.62 ± 19.50 eggs per female) for P. insulata compared with P. aurata aurata was recorded. We hypothesize that the absence of protandry in P. insulata might have contributed to the low population levels of the moth in the field. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the life history traits of erebid moths in the subfamily Arctiinae deployed for the biological control of C. odorata.
Responses of Corn Earworm Larvae to Maize Silks 1

Laboratory identification of maize (Zea mays L.) lines which have detrimental silk factors to the corn earworm [Heliothis zea (Boddie)] usually require several silk feedings over a period of 10 to 20 days. Seven maize lines were evaluated in a diallel crossing system for the number of larvae recovered from infested ears after 3 days, to determine the level of genetic variability for antibiosis, and to investigate the feasibility of using 3-day laboratory measurements to identify genotypes that show antibiosis in the field. Five of these lines were reported as having detrimental silk factors or antibiosis to the corn earworm and two were used as susceptible checks. Genetic differences existed among lines and crosses, but heritability estimates were less than 25%. Measurements of larval antibiosis expression on excised silks in the laboratory were neither consistent nor indicative of the field ratings for larvae recovered. Only Od3 and ZC 2451, of the seven lines tested, had a measurably better level of antibiosis expression than the checks when tested as an inbred. 81-1 was best in single-cross combinations. The data suggest that ears of inbreds generally provide a more hostile environment to corn earworm larvae than ears of single crosses. We conclude that the technique of measuring 3-day larval antibiosis expression does not provide sufficient time for larval antibiosis symptom manifestation and that an effective selection program of maize population improvement will require a longer ear-larvae association time.
Longitudinal patterns of organic matter transport and turnover along a New Zealand grassland river

1. We determined the longitudinal pattern of organic matter concentration, quality, size composition and spiralling length along a 310-km grassland river system (Taieri River, New Zealand). 2. Organic seston concentration (0.24–4.05 mg ash-free dry mass (AFDM) l–1) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (2.3–5.7 mg C l–1) showed no obvious longitudinal patterns. In contrast, there was a significant downstream increase in inorganic seston concentration (0.13–13.73 mg ash l–1), presumably because of a downstream increase in the proportion of the catchment developed for agriculture. 3. Although there was a trend toward increasing particle size in the first 25 km of the river continuum, organic seston was primarily composed of ultrafine particles (0.6–30 μm) at all study sites. The ratio of coarse (> 250 μm) to ultrafine organic seston decreased logarithmically down the continuum. Organic content generally decreased with particle size. Ultrafine particles, however, had significantly higher organic fractions than fine (60–100 μm) and very fine (30–60 μm) particles. 4. Daily organic carbon turnover length ranged from 10 to 98 km and increased downstream. This is consistent with other studies along river continua and suggests that organic carbon turnover length is largely controlled by the relationship between channel dimensions and discharge, rather than the presence of specific retention devices. 5. Concentrations and nutritional quality of organic seston and concentrations of DOC were highest in an unconstrained floodplain reach in the upper river. These data suggest that new material enters the river channel in this reach, potentially providing an important energy source for the river community downstream. The effect of this reach on the longitudinal pattern of organic matter concentration and quality emphasizes how changes in channel form can alter river ecosystem structure and function.
Data-Driven Dynamic Multiobjective Optimal Control: An Aspiration-Satisfying Reinforcement Learning Approach

This article presents an iterative data-driven algorithm for solving dynamic multiobjective (MO) optimal control problems arising in control of nonlinear continuous-time systems. It is first shown that the Hamiltonian functional corresponding to each objective can be leveraged to compare the performance of admissible policies. Hamiltonian inequalities are then used for which their satisfaction guarantees satisfying the objectives’ aspirations. Relaxed Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equations in terms of HJB inequalities are then solved in a dynamic constrained MO framework to find Pareto optimal solutions. Relation to satisficing (good enough) decision-making framework is shown. A sum-of-square (SOS)-based iterative algorithm is developed to solve the formulated aspiration-satisfying MO optimization. To obviate the requirement of complete knowledge of the system dynamics, a data-driven satisficing reinforcement learning approach is proposed to solve the SOS optimization problem in real time using only the information of the system trajectories measured during a time interval without having full knowledge of the system dynamics. Finally, two simulation examples are utilized to verify the analytical results of the proposed algorithm.
Formation of massive globular clusters with dark matter and its implication on dark matter annihilation

Recent observational studies of $\gamma$-ray emission from massive globular clusters (GCs) have revealed possible evidence of dark matter (DM) annihilation within GCs. It is, however, still controversial whether the emission comes from DM or from milli-second pulsars. We here present the new results of numerical simulations, which demonstrate that GCs with DM can originate from nucleated dwarfs orbiting the ancient MW. The simulated stripped nuclei (i.e., GCs) have the central DM densities ranging from 0.1 to several ${\rm M_\odot pc^{-3}}$, depending on the orbits and the masses of the host dwarf galaxies. However, GCs born outside the central regions of their hosts can have no/little DM after their hosts are destroyed and the GCs become the Galactic halo GCs. These results suggest that only GCs originating from stellar nuclei of dwarfs can possibly have DM. We further calculate the expected $\gamma$-ray emission from these simulated GCs and compare them to observations of $\omega$ Cen. Given the large range of DM densities in the simulated GCs, we suggest that the recent possible detection of DM annihilation from GCs should be more carefully interpreted.
Quorum effects in chemotaxis: anomalous diffusion and non-Poissonian number fluctuations with exact exponents

Understanding the hierarchical self-organization of living systems is a challenge that requires the development of a multiscale description of their constituents. A generically observed mechanism that drives such organization is interaction among the individual elements---which may represent cells, bacteria, or even enzymes---via chemical signals. We develop a systematic coarse-graining scheme using which we can construct a general theoretical framework to study many-body effects in chemotactic populations. The framework unveils a polarization-induced coupling term, which originates from quorum effects and can compete with the chemotactic drift term. We use the dynamical renormalization group approach to study a stochastic model for chemotactic particles in which we introduce polarization effects in chemotaxis. We find exact dynamic scaling exponents that represent superdiffusive behavior of the particles. The number fluctuations within subregions of the system show a hyperuniform structure or exhibit giant number fluctuations, depending on whether or not the noise is conserved. We expect our results to shed light on how molecular regulation of chemotactic circuits can determine large-scale behavior of cell colonies and tissues through emergent properties that result from a subtle interplay between nonequilibrium fluctuations and long-range interactions that are constrained by exact symmetries.
Cultivation of fungi under simulated deep-sea conditions

In order to investigate the barotolerance of marine fungi and to elucidate their ecological role in the deep sea, high-pressure equipment was built and tested. Cultures of the marine yeasts Debaryomyces hansenii, Rhodotorula rubra and Rhodosporidium sphaerocarpum were inoculated into gas-permeable plastic foil bags and incubated in pressure vessels filled with hydraulic fluid that serves also as an oxygen reservoir. The equipment was used at temperatures from 7° to 34°C and pressures from 0.1 to 80.0 MPa. Comparison of five types of plastic foil showed effects on total cell number in batch culture. An exchange of the hydraulic fluid increased yield by replenishing oxygen, the growth-limiting factor. There were no detectable growth differences between buffered (TRIS, HEPES, imidazole, MES) and unbuffered media and thus unbuffered medium was used. Yeasts were best cultivated in an unbuffered sea-water medium (glucose—peptone—yeast extract) sealed in bags made from polyethylene foil. The fluorocarbon liquid FC-77 provided the best oxygen reservoir owing to its high oxygen and carbon dioxide solubility. An exchange of the hydraulic fluid is not necessary if sensitive growth determination methods are used. All marine yeasts cultivated under simulated deep sea conditions were able to grow at least up to a pressure of 20 MPa, with Rhodotorula rubra and Rhodosporidium sphaerocarpum growing at 40 MPa, corresponding to 4000 m depth. Thus, marine yeasts are able to grow under simulated deep sea conditions and may participate in the degradation of organic matter in the deep sea.
A Survey on Large Scale Metadata Server for Big Data Storage

Big Data is defined as high volume of variety of data with an exponential data growth rate. Data are amalgamated to generate revenue, which results a large data silo. Data are the oils of modern IT industries. Therefore, the data are growing at an exponential pace. The access mechanism of these data silos are defined by metadata. The metadata are decoupled from data server for various beneficial reasons. For instance, ease of maintenance. The metadata are stored in metadata server (MDS). Therefore, the study on the MDS is mandatory in designing of a large scale storage system. The MDS requires many parameters to augment with its architecture. The architecture of MDS depends on the demand of the storage system's requirements. Thus, MDS is categorized in various ways depending on the underlying architecture and design methodology. The article surveys on the various kinds of MDS architecture, designs, and methodologies. This article emphasizes on clustered MDS (cMDS) and the reports are prepared based on a) Bloom filter$-$based MDS, b) Client$-$funded MDS, c) Geo$-$aware MDS, d) Cache$-$aware MDS, e) Load$-$aware MDS, f) Hash$-$based MDS, and g) Tree$-$based MDS. Additionally, the article presents the issues and challenges of MDS for mammoth sized data.