Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physiological ecology of cyanobacteria in microbial mats and other communities.

In this review some aspects of the physiological ecology of cyanobacteria are discussed by taking a microbial mat as an example. The majority of microbial mats are built and dominated by cyarsobacteria which are primary producers at the basis of the microbial foodweb in microbial mats. These micro-scale ecosystems are characterized by steep and fluctuating physico-chemical gradients of which those of light, oxygen and sulphide are the most conspicuous. Light is strongly attenuated in the sediment, and owing to constant sedimentation, the mat-forming cyanobacteria have to move upwards towards the light. However, at the sediment surface, light intensity, particularly in the u.v. part of the spectrum, is often deleterious. The gliding movement of the cyanobacteria, with photo- and chemotaxis, allows the organism to position itself in a thin layer at optimal conditions. The organic matter produced by cyanobacterial photosynthesis is decomposed by the ruicrobial community. Sulphate-reducing bacteria are important in the end-oxidation of the organic matter. These organisms are obligate anaerobes and produce sulphide. Gradients of sulphide and oxygen move up and down in the sediment as a response to diurnal variations of light intensity. Cyanobacteria, therefore, are sometimes exposed to large concentrations of the extremely toxic sulphide. Some species are capable of sulphide-dependent anoxygenic photosynthesis. Other cyanobacteria show increased rates of oxygenic photosynthesis in the presence of sulphide and have mechanisms to oxidize sulphide while avoiding sulphide toxicity. Iron might play an important role in this process. Under anoxic conditions in the dark, mat-forming cyanobacteria switch to fermentative metabolism. Many species are also capable of fermentative reduction of elemental sulphur to sulphide. The gradients of sulphide and oxygen are of particular importance for nitrogen fixation. Very few microbial mats are formed by heterocystous cyanobacteria, which are best adapted to diazntrophic growth. However, these organisms probably cannot tolerate greater concentrations of sulphide or anoxic conditions or both. Under such conditions non-heterocystous cyanobacteria become dominant as diazotrophs. These organisms avoid conditions of oxygen supersaturation. In the ecosystem, nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis might be separated temporally as well as spatially. In addition, non-heterocystous diazotrophic cyanobacteria have mechanisms at the subcellular level to protect the oxygen-sensitive nitrogenase from inaction. CONTENTS Summary 1 I. Introduction 2 II. Microbial mats 3 III. Cyanobacteria in light gradients 7 IV. Dark metabolism 10 V. Interactions with sulphide 13 VI. Nitrogen fixation 16 VII. References 28.
Smart-Homes for eHealth

We introduce the SPHERE project which is devoted to eHealth in a smart-home context, and discuss the implications for such a system in terms of the quantification and management of uncertainty for automated decision making in health care. We then discuss the importance of calibration in such systems, particularly in light of the differing operational contexts that will be encountered. 1 Shifting to a new health-care paradigm: the SPHERE IRC Due to well-known demographic challenges, traditional regimes of health-care are in need of reexamination. Many countries are experiencing the effects of an ageing population, which coupled with a rise in chronic health conditions is expediting a shift towards the management of a wide variety of health related issues in the home. In this context, advances in Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) are providing resources to improve the experience of patients, as well as informing necessary interventions from relatives, carers and health-care professionals. To this end the EPSRC-funded “Sensor Platform for HEalthcare in a Residential Environment (SPHERE)” Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration (IRC) [13, 14] has designed a multi-modal system driven by data analytics requirements. The system is under test in a single house, and will be deployed in a general population of 100 homes in Bristol (UK). The data sets collected will be made available to researchers in a variety of communities. Current research on data fusion and machine learning in the SPHERE project addresses two main challenges, which are transparent decision making under uncertainty and adapting to multiple operating contexts. We proceed to describe these two challenges. 2 First challenge: Transparent decision making under uncertainty Naturally, the SPHERE setting presents many sources of uncertainty. Firstly, we are dealing with multiple sensor modalities (environmental, body-worn, video), each of which will have different noise profiles and failure modes. Secondly, we are dealing with a situation where annotated or labelled data is expensive and intrusive to acquire, and the resulting labels are potentially noisy and inaccurate (indeed in some cases there may be no “ground truth” in the classical sense, and we need to resort to modelling annotator disagreement explicitly). Lastly, patterns of human behaviour are subject to many factors (internal and external) that may or may not be attributed to the particular health context of a given individual. Faced with such a situation, the most sensible approach would be to use “white-box” modelling methods as far as possible. Model-based machine learning [5, 12] attempts to follow this ideal by encoding assumptions about the problem domain explicitly in the form of a model. Indeed,
COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT IN RELATION TO DIET IN FROGS FROM A LOCALITY IN SOUTH INDIA

A close coupling between diet and dentition has been demonstrated for numerous animal taxa; the relationship between diet and morphology of the gastrointestinal tract but seldom. The association between gut dimensions and diet in the various postmetamorphic stages of the Anura appears never to have been examined, although studies have addressed the question in the larval stages (summarised by Noble, 1931; see also Altig and Kelly, 1974).
Control of Locomotion in Bipeds, Tetrapods, and Fish

The sections in this article are: 1 Biomechanical and Electromyographical Information 1.1 Single Limb During Locomotion 1.2 Interlimb Coordination 1.3 Treadmill Versus Overground Locomotion 1.4 Trunk Movements During Locomotion 1.5 Pathological Gaits 1.6 Summary 2 Neural Generation of “Basic Locomotor Synergy” 2.1 Central Versus Peripheral 2.2 Parts of CNS of Primary Importance for Neural Control of Basic Locomotor Synergy 2.3 Spinal Centers for Locomotion—Behavioral Results 2.4 Reflex Control of Basic Locomotor Synergy 2.5 Activity in Certain Spinal, Cerebellar, and Brain Stem Neurons and in Certain Reflex Pathways During Locomotion 2.6 Cerebellum and Locomotion 2.7 Initiation of Locomotion—Brain Stem Circuitry 2.8 Central Organization of Spinal Pattern Generation 2.9 Possible Rhythm-Generating Mechanisms and Models—Facts and Fiction 2.10 Developmental Aspects 2.11 Summary 3 Adapting Basic Locomotor Synergy to Animal's Needs 3.1 Changing Speed 3.2 Goal-Directed Locomotion—Turning and Walking Along Curvatures 3.3 Modifications of “Locomotor Posture” 3.4 Positioning of Limb in Each Step 3.5 Reflex Adaptation of Step 3.6 Summary 4 Concluding Remarks
The effect of diet and environmental temperature on the faecal microbiota of farmed Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.)

We investigated the changes in the faecal microbial population of the hindgut of farmed Atlantic salmon fed two commercial diets (A and B) over a 10-month period. At each sampling round, hindgut contents of 40 fish (20 per diet) were pooled according to diet and cultivated on selective agar. The functional status of all microbiota was assessed against 48 substrates using the PhPlate generalized microplate, which also yielded a metabolic capacity (MC) value for each microbiota. Virulence gene profiles of each microbiota were also investigated. The number of different bacterial groups between two diets varied slightly and increased as water temperature peaked at 18.5°C during summer. This however, was associated with an increase in Vibrio numbers and a decrease in lactic acid bacterial numbers. A shift in the functional status of gut microbiota was observed as temperature increased, which was coupled with a decrease in the MC-value of the microbiota in both diets. Of the 35 virulence genes tested from total DNA extract of the microbiota, only cdt and east1 were detected. Results indicate that temperature is the main driver of changes to the gut microbiota in farmed Tasmanian Atlantic salmon receiving these two diets.
SEED YIELD AND IMPORTANT SEED CONSTITUENTS FOR NATURALLY AND CULTIVATED MILK THISTLE (SILYBUM MARIANUM) PLANTS

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a wild plant grows as weed in the poor land on high way roads and as weeds in some crops in Egypt. The plant represents a problem for some farmers due to its flush grow and rich in thorns. Moreover, the plant occupies a large area of land. This work aimed to study physical and chemical properties as well the nitrogenous compounds content of the milk thistle seeds grow as a wild or cultivated in north Delta of Egypt. The obtained results revealed that milk thistle seed is a good source of lipids (29.68%(, true protein (25.25%), total carbohydrates (38.16%) and crude fibre (29.95%). The seeds of wild plants acquired greater amounts of the lipids, crude fibers and less content of carbohydrates and proteins. The amino acids were similar in both wild and cultivated plants but their contents varied. The seed protein contained markedly amounts of essential amino acids such as lysine, isolucine, leucine, valine and threonine compared with sunflower seeds meal. But the seeds are poor in sulphur containing amino acids. Amino acid score identified threonine with the highest amino acid score 490 while phenylalanine + tyrosine as the first limiting amino acids followed by tryptophan as the second one.
EFECTO DEL NIVEL DE CONCENTRADO SOBRE EL PERFIL DE ÁCIDOS GRASOS DE LA LECHE DE VACAS HOLSTEIN EN PASTOREO EFFECT OF LEVEL OF CONCENTRATE ON MILK FATTY ACID PROFILE FROM GRAZING HOLSTEIN COWS

The content of conjugated linoleic acid (c9 t11 CLA) in milk depends mainly on the production in rumen of vaccenic acid, which is influenced by the supply of linoleic and linolenic acids in the diet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the level of concentrate on the production, composition and fatty acid profile of milk from nine Holstein cows in prairies with grass and legumes. The experimental design was a 3×3 Latin square and the treatments were: 1) 8 kg concentrate and 8 h on the prairie (8c); 2) 5 kg concentrate and 12 h on the prairie (5c), and 3) 3 kg of concentrate and 12 h on the prairie (3c). The data were analyzed with the SAS MIXED procedure and treatment means were compared with the Tukey test (p£0.05). Milk yield and fat, protein and lactose content were higher (p£0.05) in 8c treatment. The concentration of lauric, myristic and palmitic fatty acids (FA) increased in milk (p£0.05) with the increase of the concentrate level. The content of long-chain FAs ( ³C18) was higher (p£0.05) with 3 kg of concentrate, except for C18:2 c9c12. The reduction of the concentrate supplied to Holstein cows in prairies decreased the content of saturated FA, but increased the content of the unsaturated, particularly oleic, linolenic, vaccenic and c9 t11 CLA acids.
Modelling the effects of flowering, drought and fruit load on mango leaf photosynthesis.

Our general objective is to design carbon-based models of flowering and fruit quality. The first step of our procedure consisted in modelling carbon gains in mango, cv. Cogshall, using the biochemical model of C3 leaf photosynthesis of Farquhar et al. (1980). Data are presented about the temperature-response of the key parameters of photosynthetic capacity which was assessed in 17-month old mango plants. The temperature-corrected photosynthesis model was then coupled to the model of leaf diffusive conductance (gs) of Ball et al. (1987). Simulation results obtained over one year on recently matured leaves from 13 to 13-year old trees show that our model is apparently robust for leaves from vegetative shoots, in orchard conditions characterized by mild seasonal changes in temperature and non-limiting water supply. However, our model failed to simulate Anet accurately during the flowering period and periods of drought, as well as when the source-sink balance is modified as, for instance, in girdled branches at different fruit loads. Using results obtained over the 5 last years about the effects of flowering, fruiting and waterstress on photosynthesis in mango, we tested three modifications of our model: 1) the fixed parameters of the model of gs were replaced by adapted values for leaves from water-stressed trees and leaves close to inflorescences; 2) the total light-driven photosynthetic electron flux (JT) was corrected to account for the existence of electron fluxes towards alternative sinks in leaves close to inflorescences; and 3) JT was corrected to account for the inhibiting effect of starch accumulation in leaves from girdled branches. Simulation results are presented and discussed in the perspective of our modelling approach. (Resume d'auteur)
Customer Engagement with Negative Electronic Word-of-mouth in Mobile Application Stores

The aim of the study is to understand the motivations of consumer engagement behavior with negative electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on mobile application consumer platforms, using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as an analysis lens. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with users who provided negative comments, which allowed the construction of a corpus that was described, classified and interpreted through thematic content analysis. As an analytical generalization, it is inferred that the most influential motivators for engaging with negative eWOM are Search for Providence, Altruism, Negative Emotions, and Reciprocity. With respect to TRA constructs, Attitudes impact this engagement, but subjective Norms has little contribution to negative electronic word of mouth engagement. This research can support mobile application developers and social media analysts in formulating interaction strategies that foster consumer engagement behavior.
The cranial endocast of the Middle Devonian dipnoan Dipterus valenciennesi and a fossilized dipnoan otoconial mass

The well known Middle Devonian (Eifelian–Givetian) lungfish Dipterus valenciennesi from Scotland, UK, has been studied for more than one hundred years though our understanding of the neurocranium and cranial cavity is incomplete. Micro‐CT scanning demonstrates that the internal cast of the cranial cavity, the endocast, possesses a mix of primitive and derived characters. The olfactory bulbs are sessile, as in the derived extant Lepidosirenidae. However, Dipterus valenciennesi possesses the primitive condition of a shallow telencephalon unlike Upper Devonian forms such as Rhinodipterus kimberleyensis and extant lungfish taxa. Further information revealed by micro‐CT scanning has allowed coding for characters pertaining to the neurocranial cristae, previously unobservable in Dipterus valenciennesi, allowing hypotheses of relationships between Devonian Dipnoi and the position of Dipterus valenciennesi to be reassessed. New analyses do not refine the phylogenetic position of Dipterus valenciennesi but do increase support for most recently established Devonian dipnoan phylogeny. The first record of a three‐dimensionally preserved fossilized otoconial mass from the utricular recess in a fossil dipnoan is also described. Comparison of morphometric data of the endosseous and soft tissue manifestations of the labyrinth system in extant dipnoan taxa demonstrates that there is largely good correspondence between the two. When compared to Dipterus valenciennesi, extant taxa exhibit semi‐circular canals that are reduced in length. Furthermore, compared to Dipterus, in extant dipnoan taxa the size of the otoconial mass has increased relative to the utricular and sacculolagenar pouches containing them. The functional implications for these observations suggest that the Dipnoi have evolved towards a more sedentary lifestyle and behaviour at least since the Middle Devonian.
Resistance Surface Modeling in Landscape Genetics

Resistance surfaces are an important component of the landscape genetics toolbox and can be defined as spatial layers that represent the extent to which the conditions at each grid cell constrain movement or gene flow. The basic framework for using resistance surfaces in landscape genetics involves the steps of variable selec­ tion, parameterizing values for resistance surfaces, corre­ lating resistance with genetic data, and, in many cases, employing the best supported resistance surfaces in down­ stream analyses. Important considerations for variable selection include whether the variables are hypothesized to influence genetic connectivity, the appropriate spatial and thematic scale, and the accuracy of spatial data used to create resistance surfaces. Parameterizing resistance surfaces can be done through expert opinion or empirical methods. The ideal method for parameterizing resistance surfaces differs somewhat depending on the study system, although empirical methods are likely to provide the best outcome if they can be directly related to genetic connec­ tivity. Such empirical methods can be based on tracking data, habitat suitability models, or optimization using genetic data. In addition to the method used to parame­ terize the surface, the translation of the resistance surface to a connectivity model is a critical step in most analyses, with the most common methods being least-cost paths and circuit theory. Each of these methods is based on different assumptions and thus the most appropriate method should be assessed for each study individually. Resistance surfaces that correlate strongly with genetic measures can then be used for applications such as corridor design, barrier detection, or predictions based on scenarios of future landscape change. We anticipate that resistance surfaces will continue to evolve as tech­ nology increases the accuracy and resolution of remotely sensed data, genomic advances present opportunities to investigate applicability of resistance surfaces to questions
Studies on the Fauna of an Algerian Hot Spring

1. A description is given of the hot springs of Hammam Meskoutine, Algeria, and the principal animals and plants found living in them above a temperature of 38°C. 2. Life was found up to the following maximum temperatures: plants (blue-green algae), 58° C. ; animals ( Cypris balnearia ), 51.5° C. 3. A comparison between the death-points of the principal animals and the temperatures at which they were living shows: ( a ) That some animals ( Cypris balnearia and Bidessus signatellus ) are confined to thermal waters. ( b ) That some animals can exist, for short periods, at temperatures above their eventual thermal death-points ( Cypris balnearia and Rana ridibunda ). ( c ) That some animals have death-points which vary with the temperatures at which they live ( Barbus callensis and Potamon edulis ).
The significance of microwaves in the environment and its effect on plants

Wireless technologies are becoming popular due to convenient lower implementation costs and operational costs compared with wired technologies. Various wireless internet and communication technologies, such as worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) and long-term evolution (LTE), are expanding rapidly. As with mobile phones, all of these technologies operate using high-frequency electromagnetic waves in the microwave category (3 × 102 – 3 × 106 MHz). An increasing number of operators within a geographical area is resulting in high microwave densities in the environment. At the same time, wireless technologies are now utilizing radio frequency electromagnetic radiation of up to 5500 MHz, and frequency spectrum allocation tables indicate that countries have allocated additional high frequencies for broadcasting purposes. Scientists have widely investigated the effects of microwaves on humans and animals, and some findings confirm that such effects exist. In comparison, a very limited number .
Intact forests provide only weak resistance to a shade‐tolerant invasive Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.)

1 Intact, closed canopied forests appear highly resistant to exotic plant invasions, but there are few experimental studies of this observation. To test this issue and explore the conditions that foster resistance, we experimentally added Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) seeds to intact forests for 3 years and monitored emergence, survivorship and height growth for 5 years. 2 Seed additions (250 seeds−1 m2) were replicated in situ in combinations of light (deep shade vs. small gaps), soil fertility (NO3 and pH), and variation in soil moisture as influenced by topography (hill slopes vs. flat areas at slope bases) in five eastern deciduous forests in central New York and southern Connecticut. We then parameterized a model with this data to project long‐term rates of sapling recruitment. 3 Seedlings had high survival and low growth rates in the deep shade, suggesting that this species readily forms a seedling bank in intact forests. By age 5, annual survivorship reached 93% in deep shade and 98% in small gaps. Median seedling heights were ≤ 10 cm in all treatments after 5 years, though the largest seedlings were markedly taller in gaps. Mean year 5 densities of all experimental seedlings (ages 3–5 years) were 14 seedlings−1 m2 (± 2.4 SE) in the shade and 19 seedlings−1 m2 (± 3.5 SE) in small gaps. 4 While seedlings colonized in all conditions, resistance to invasion varied markedly; resistance was highest in deeply shaded, acidic conditions (pH < 4.5). Small gaps initially promoted invasion, but by age 4 shade survivorship rates were equivalent to gaps. Higher soil pH (especially > 6) also significantly increased survivorship, particularly in deep shade. Shading's main effect was to suppress height growth. Overall, the model predicted impressive sapling recruitment; even in deeply shaded, acidic conditions, approximately 1% of seeds emerge and survive to become saplings. 5 Intact forests only weakly resisted A. platanoides colonization, but strongly suppressed its rate of invasion. As such, the frequency of disturbance, though ultimately unnecessary for A. platanoides invasions, will strongly influence its near‐term invasiveness. Dispersal limitation and slow stand dynamics appear to be the primary constraints on its current distribution.
Oxygen Consumption and Cell Size. A Comparison of the Rate of Oxygen Consumption of Diploid and Triploid Prepupae of Drosophila Melanogaster Meigen

1. The oxygen consumption and surface area of individual diploid and triploid prepupae of Drosophila melanogaster have been measured, the cells of triploid animals being larger. 2. The mean weights for the types examined are different but their ranges overlap almost completely. By covariance analysis it is shown that, after adjustment for difference in body size, there are no differences in the rates of oxygen consumption. It is concluded that, for these animals, cell size has no influence on the rate of oxygen consumption. 3. The relationships between body weight, surface area, and oxygen consumption have been further investigated. It is shown that, despite the greater inaccuracy of the method by which surface area is determined, oxygen consumption can be predicted more accurately from surface area than from body weight. 4. The results are discussed in relation to an earlier investigation of the oxygen consumption of other genotypes (Ellenby, 1945 a, b ). Possible technical causes of certain differences between the two series of results in the relationship of oxygen consumption and body weight are explored; it is concluded, however, that they are almost certainly due to differences, not necessarily genetical, between the animals used in the two series.