Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct and correlated responses to selection for longevity in Drosophila buzzatii

The possible associations between longevity, early fecundity, and stress-resistance traits were explored using artificial selection on longevity in a laboratory population of Drosophila buzzatii. Three replicated lines were selected for increased lifespan (L lines) and compared with the respective unselected controls (C lines) after the 14th generation of selection. Mean longevity exhibited a significant response to selection. The baseline mortality tended to decrease in the L lines and a negative correlated response to longevity selection was found for early fecundity. Egg-to-adult developmental time increased in L lines. Longevity selection increased stress resistance for both high and low temperatures, as measured by heat knockdown resistance and chill-coma recovery. Starvation resistance also tended to be higher in L than in C lines. The results obtained are consistent with the hypothesis of trade-offs between longevity and early fecundity, and also suggest a trade-off association between adult longevity and developmental time. Correlated selection responses were generally consistent with correlations among the traits previously inferred from altitudinal clines for longevity and stress-resistance phenotypes. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 97, 738–748.
The Incentive Effects of Performance Measures and Target Setting.

Lavish executive compensation packages, and bonuses awarded to executives by financial institutions that only just received government bailouts, have fueled the currently popular perception that compensation is primarily determined by powerful managers granting themselves excessive compensation tenuously related with performance. This thesis challenges the widespread public notion that managerial power represents the primary determinant of compensation design by examining to what extent choices about performance measures, targets, and incentives are informed by agency theory. The first essay uses data from a firm’s general ledger to examine how this firm updates sales targets and how managers respond to this process. I document that the firm uses current sales performance (i.e. target ratcheting) and information from subjective appraisals to set nextperiod targets that challenge each manager in his or her own right. Despite the firm’s effort to limit managers’ ability to manipulate performance, I document adverse consequences of target ratcheting, i.e. managers who perform well slow down performance at the end of the year to mitigate target updates. The second essay examines investigates whether CEOs appointed from outside the firm are provided with different incentives than CEO successors selected from within the firm to address potential distortions in intertemporal decisionmaking. Outside successors are allegedly prone to short-termism due to their greater outside employment options and their inclination to focus on ‘quick wins’ to swiftly build reputation. I document that firms aim to lengthen the horizon of outside successors by de-emphasizing bonuses (contingent on current earnings) and emphasizing long-term compensation (contingent on future earnings and/or stock price). The third essay examines whether firms provide optimally weak incentives when they lack undistorted performance measures. I argue that firms that use nonfinancials together with summary financial measures in CEO bonus plans do not completely alleviate the congruence problems that would originate from a sole reliance on financials. I document that firms that increase incentives reduce the weight on nonfinancials in their CEO bonus plans.
Effect of hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies associated mutations in troponin I on cardiac thin filament dynamics

III Acknowledgement IV Abbreviations VI Table of contents VIII List of figures XII List of tables XVII Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Human cardiac structure and physiology 2 1.1.1 Structure of the normal heart 2 1.1.2 The cardiac cycle 3 1.1.3 Calcium homeostasis in cardiac myocytes 4 1.1.4 Cardiac physiology in exercises 6 1.2 Heart Disease 7 1.3 Inherited heart disease classification 8 1.3. 1 Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) 9 Definition of HCM 9 Clinical phenotype presentation 10 Etiology 10 Pathophysiological mechanisms 11 1.3. 2 Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) 12 Definition of DCM 12 Clinical presentation 13 Etiology 13 Pathophysiological mechanisms 14 HCM and DCM mutations classes 15 1.4 Structure of the Sarcomere 15 1.4. 1 Myosin 16 1.4. 2 Actin 19 1.4. 3 Tropomyosin 22 1.4. 4 The troponin complex 24 1.4. 4.a Troponin C: The calcium binding subunit 24 1.4. 4.b Troponin I: The key regulatory protein 26 1.4. 4.c Troponin T: The tropomyosin binding protein 29 1.4. 4.d Structure of the whole troponin complex 31 1.5 Regulation of muscle contraction 33 1.5. 1 Mechanism of regulation 34 1.5. 1.1 Thin filament acts as a cooperative allosteric system 35 1.5. 1.2 The role of tropomyosin in regulation 37 1.5. 1.3 The role of troponin in regulation 39 1.6 Troponin I Dysfunction 42 1.6. 1 Functional Studies 45 1.6. 2 Transgenic animal models for TnI mutations 48
Antibiogram Studies of Bacterial Isolates from Nasal Swabs of Respiratory Diseases Affected Calves

Nasal swabs of twelve calves affected with respiratory disease were examined for common bacterial pathogens viz. Pasteurella spp. , Staphylococcus spp. , Streptococcus spp. and E. coli. Coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 6 of 12 calves (50.0%). E. coli and mixed infections of coagulase positive and negative Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli were isolated from 2 (16.67%) and 4 (33.33%) calves, respectively. The isolates were tested for susceptibility to agents, all isolates showed higher susceptibility to Ceftiofur sodium followed by Enrofloxacin, Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid and Doxycycline than to other antibiotics. However, Nitrofuratoin showed nil effect on any of isolated pathogens. The isolates were less susceptible to Tetracycline and Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim combination.
Restoration of native vegetation following exclosure establishment on communal grazing lands in Tigray, Ethiopia: Vegetation restoration in exclosures

Questions: Is plant species richness, diversity and above-ground standing biomass enhanced after establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands? What factors influence the effectiveness of exclosures to restore degraded native vegetation in Tigray, Ethiopia? Location: Northern Ethiopia. Methods: We used a space-for-time substitution approach to detect changes in plant species richness, diversity and above-ground standing biomass after conversion of communal grazing lands to exclosures. We selected replicated (n=3) 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-year-old exclosures and paired each exclosure with an adjacent communal grazing land to ensure that soil and terrain conditions were as similar as possible among each pair. Results: All exclosures displayed higher plant species richness, diversity and biomass than the communal grazing lands. Differences in plant species richness and biomass between an exclosure age and adjacent communal grazing land were higher in oldest than in youngest exclosures. In exclosures, much of the variability in plant species composition and biomass was explained by a combination of edaphic (total nitrogen, phosphorus, texture and soil pH) and site (precipitation and altitude) variables (R2=0.72–0.82). Edaphic and site variables also explained much of the variability in plant species composition in communal grazing lands (R2=0.76–0.82). Our study shows that all exclosures are at an early stage of succession. The increase in economically important indigenous shrub and tree species with exclosure age suggests that, with time, a valuable afromontane forest may develop. Conclusions: Establishment of exclosures on communal grazing lands is a viable option to restore degraded native vegetation. However, before expanding exclosures, the ecological consequences of additional exclosures should be investigated as further expansion of exclosures could increase grazing pressure on remaining grazing areas. Furthermore, consideration of edaphic and site variables will help optimize selection of areas for establishment of exclosures and enhance natural regeneration in exclosures in the future.
Behavioral and genomic characterization of scheduled ethanol deprivation

BEHAVIORAL AND GENOMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SCHEDULED ETHANOL DEPRIVATION By Jonathan A. Warner, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Major Director: Michael F. Miles, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Alcoholism is a persistent substance abuse disorder that is associated with negative health, social, and economic outcomes. Treatment strategies for alcohol use disorders are limited, and only three drugs have been approved by the FDA for treatment. Although behavioral therapy and drug combination strategies improve abstinence outcomes, the majority of those in treatment will not achieve long-term abstinence. Therefore, better treatment strategies are needed. While much progress has been made toward understanding the neurobiology of alcoholism, this knowledge has not been effectively translated into treatment strategies. Animal models of alcohol drinking have been crucial to this research effort, but until recently there have been few procedures that effectively model alcoholism by producing binge-like drinking, withdrawal, and relapse behavior. In the last five years the intermittent alcohol access (IAA) model, which uses repeated cycles of scheduled alcohol deprivation and reinstatement to elevate drinking, has been established as such a procedure, with substantial evidence that escalation of drinking produced by IAA is mediated by similar mechanisms as in human alcoholics, which include transcriptional regulation that alters functioning of mesolimbocortical reward pathways. The IAA model. The studies reported herein characterize changes in gene expression in mesolimbocortical brain regions associated with development of maladaptive binge-like alcohol drinking due to scheduled abstinence, particularly in the nucleus accumbens, which regulates motivated behavior. Furthermore the IAA model is characterized with regard to effectiveness in 2 ethanolpreferring C57BL/6 inbred mouse strains, and the influence of concurrent access to multiple alcohol concentrations is examined. Finally, the potential of naltrexone and novel mu-opioid receptor-selective antagonist NAQ to modulate alcohol drinking under continuous access and intermittent access procedures is reported. Microarray analysis is used to analyze the transcriptome in prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and ventral midbrain of C57BL/6NCrl mice after alcohol deprivation, and to identify differentially expressed genes and gene co-expression networks in C57BL/6J mice during continuous access, as well as after six cycles of IAA. Differentially expressed genes, network hub genes, and regulation mechanisms represent high priority targets for further study in bingelike drinking behavior, with the goal of translating this knowledge to treatment strategies for
Genetic regulation of bovine milk fatty acid composition: Improving the healthfulness of milk through selection

v CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization 1 Literature Review 2 Cardiovascular disease occurrence 2 Fatty acids and human plasma cholesterol concentrations 3 Environmental factors affecting milk fatty acid composition in dairy cattle 7 Genetic regulation of milk fatty acid composition in dairy cattle 12 Heritability of milk fatty acids 12 QTL affecting milk lipids 13 Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with milk fatty acid composition 14 Milk lipid biosynthesis in the lactating mammary gland 17 References 30 Figures 52 CHAPTER 2. EFFECTS OF POLYMORPHISMS IN GPAT1, GPAT4, AGPAT1, AND LPIN1 GENES FROM THE TRIACYLGLYCEROL BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY ON MILK FATTY ACID COMPOSITION IN DAIRY CATTLE 54 Abstract 54
Evidence for opsin-based photosensitivity in coral larvae

of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Professor Michael Schmale. No. of pages in text. (195) Photosensitive behaviors and circadian rhythms are well documented in reefbuilding corals and their larvae, yet photoreceptive structures and opsins have not been described in these organisms. Here I provide evidence for red sensitivity in several species of coral larvae. Behavioral experiments with two Caribbean corals, Porites astreoides and Acropora palmata demonstrated that larvae settle and metamorphose at a greater frequency on red substrata than on similar substrata of other colors. Attachment to red substrata was not observed when larvae were maintained in the dark, suggesting that red sensitivity was responsible for the observed behavior. Extracellular recordings confirm photosensitivity and indicate that the peak sensitivity of coral photoreceptors are shifted towards the orange-red region of the visible light spectrum, similar to the spectra (fluorescence and reflectance) of preferred artificial (plastic) and natural (crustose coralline algae) settlement substrata. Using Blast analyses and a PCRbased approach, I have identified, sequenced and cloned two full-length opsin cDNAs from A. palmata larvae. One cDNA (Acropsin 1) encodes an opsin protein that is similar to a vertebrate melanopsin; the second (Acropsin 2) encodes a protein that is most similar to cephalopod rod opsin. I have successfully developed synthetic peptide antibodies against each Acropsin 1 and Acropsin 2. Western blots of adult A. palmata and A. cervicornis protein
Understanding the ecological effects of whale-watching on cetaceans

Whale-watching is a potentially sustainable use of cetaceans and an economically viable alternative to whaling and has become a major contributor to the tourism sector of many countries (Hoyt, 2001; O’Connor et al., 2009). Whale-watching also has the potential to improve people's attitude toward the marine environment, and promote public awareness and support for the conservation issues that targeted species face (Duffus & Dearden, 1993). However, whale-watching can put cetaceans at risk of being harassed and injured by an unknown number of unpredictable impacts which can pose a risk to the viability of the targeted population, as well as the whale-watching industry itself. Reported effects of human disturbance on ceta-ceans cover a range of taxa, including many odontocete species and several species of mysticetes (see Chapter 16). Even though many studies have shown that whale-watching can cause both short- (Nowacek et al., 2001; Williams et al., 2002b; Lusseau, 2003a; Christiansen et al., 2010) and long-term negative effects on cetaceans (Bejder et al., 2006; Fortuna, 2006; Lusseau et al., 2006b), few studies have focused on explaining the underlying cause, or ecological and evolutionary mechanisms for these effects (Frid & Dill, 2002). Understanding how human interactions affect wildlife is crucial for the sustainable management of any nature-based tourism activity. This chapter address-es the ecological foundations of whale-watching disturbance on cetaceans. It gives an overview of the documented impacts of whale-watching on cetaceans and compares this to observations of natural predation. It then tries to explain how whale-watching is perceived by the animals to understand the underlying ecological and evolutionary basis for these responses. It goes on to discuss different factors that are likely to influence the response of animals to whale-watching. We then discuss the long-term effects of whale-watching on cetaceans by following the mechanistic link between behavioural effects and vital rates within an energetic framework. Ecological and biological constraints to the ability of cetaceans to cope with disturbance are discussed as well as their implication for long-term vital rates.
CAGE TEMPERATURE IN RELATION TO THE WIDTH OF BEAK OPENING OF GELATIK JAWA (Padda oryzivora)

Gelatik jawa (Padda oryzivora) is one of endemic birds that its population has been decreasing. For overcoming this problem, one of the solutions is to create a captivity that needs a knowledge of the influence of microclimate to the bird’s behavior in relation to its physiological process and survival. The goal of this research was to identify the relation between the cage temperature and the width of beak opening of gelatik jawa (Padda oryzivora), and their body movement in relation to the change of the cage temperature. The data will be useful for protecting them from their mortality caused by heat stress. The data of the cage temperature, the width of beak opening, and the body movement of the birds were gained through observation. The relation between the cage temperatures and the width of birds’ beak openings were analyzed statistically using regression. Moreover, the animals’ body movement were analyzed descriptivelly. Based on the data gained, the width of beak opening of gelatik jawa (Padda oryzivora) can be predicted based on the height of the cage temperature. The equation was y= -20.366 + 1.327x. It means that the higher temperature of the cage, the wider opening of gelatik jawa (Padda oryzivora) beaks. Furthermore, in high temperatures, the body of the birds shakes frequently.
Contribution à l’étude de l’expression du gène stx2 chez des souches STEC d’origine bovine soumises ou non à des conditions d’induction par l’enrofloxacine

Le travail de these a eu pour but de contribuer a une meilleure connaissance de la dangerosite pour l’homme des souches STEC d’origine bovine, en explorant la correlation pouvant exister entre la presence du gene stx chez de telles souches et la realite de son expression. La quantification de l’expression du gene stx2 present chez 46 souches STEC bovines a ete realisee a l’aide d’un test ELISA commercial detectant specifiquement les shiga toxines, le test ProSpecT® Shiga toxin (OXOID). L’ensemble des resultats de validation prealable obtenus pour ce test a permis de considerer qu’il pouvait etre valablement applique a l’etude du panel de souches d’E. coli O157 :H7 bovines collectees au laboratoire, tout en determinant les limites methodologiques, et donc d’interpretation. Utilise comme outil de quantification de la production de Stx2 par les souches du panel choisi, et dans deux conditions experimentales differentes (presence ou absence d’induction par l’enrofloxacine), ce test a permis de mettre en evidence que seulement 15,2% des souches d’E.coli O157:H7/H- etudies produisent des quantites significatives de Stx2 detectables sans induction, et ce a des niveaux variables. En revanche, la majorite de ces isolats, bien que n'exprimant pas la proteine Stx2 de maniere constitutive, produit des quantites significatives de Stx2 en presence de concentrations subinhibitrices d'enrofloxacine, antibiotique de la famille des fluoroquinolones et utilise en medecine veterinaire. Enfin, des mutants resistants a l'enrofloxacine selectionnes a partir de certaines souches d’E. coli O157:H7, produisent, apres induction par l'enrofloxacine, 3 fois plus de toxine Stx2 que les souches sauvages. Les mutants sont egalement inductibles en utilisant des doses d'enrofloxacine 100 fois superieures a celles utilisables pour les souches sauvages. L’ensemble de ces resultats montre (i) la correlation, ou non, qui peut exister entre la presence du gene stx2 et son expression, (ii) que la proportion inductible des souches STEC bovines est potentiellement importante, (iii) que l’enrofloxacine induit fortement l’expression du gene stx2 chez les souches STEC bovines et que (iv) l’induction par l’enrofloxacine conduit a des taux d’expression du gene stx2 superieurs chez des souches resistantes aux fluoroquinolones que chez les souches sensibles. Au final, cette etude contribue a documenter la variabilite des niveaux d’expression des genes stx et illustre le risque que des STEC issus de bovins puissent devenir plus frequemment pathogenes pour l'homme suite a l'usage croissant des fluoroquinolones veterinaires.
Rôle de l'estérification des acides gras dans la régulation de la sécrétion d'insuline et le stress métabolique induits par le glucose

IX TABLE DES MATIERES.XIII LISTE DES TABLEAUX. XVII LISTE DES FIGURES. XIX LISTE DES ABREVIATIONS . XXIII REMERCIEMENTS.XXIX CHAPITRE I : INTRODUCTION . 1 1. LE DIABÈTE. 1 1.1 Historique, définitions et statistiques du diabète. 1 1.2 Les différents types de diabète . 3 2. LE PANCRÉAS . 7 2.1 La structure du pancréas . 7 2.2 Les fonctions du pancréas. 7 2.3 La biosynthèse de l’insuline. 8 2.4 Le potentiel sécrétoire de la cellule β pancréatique . 9 3. LES MÉCANISMES DE LA SÉCRÉTION D’INSULINE. 10 3.1 Les stimuli de la sécrétion d’insuline . 10 3.2 Profil biphasique de la sécrétion d’insuline . 11 3.3 Voie de déclenchement de la sécrétion d’insuline . 12 3.4 Voie d’amplification de la sécrétion d’insuline . 14 4. LE MÉTABOLISME DE LA CELLULE β PANCRÉATIQUE . 15 4.1 Le métabolisme du glucose par la cellule β . 15 4.2 Le métabolisme des acides gras . 18 5. LES ACIDES GRAS ET LA SÉCRÉTION D’INSULINE . 26 5.1 Récepteurs membranaires des acides gras . 27 5.2 Le métabolisme des acides gras et la sécrétion d’insuline. 29 xiv 5.3 La β-oxydation des acides gras et la sécrétion d’insuline. 29 5.4 La lipolyse dans la sécrétion d’insuline. 30 5.5 Le cycle TG/acides gras. 31 6. CIBLES POSSIBLES DES INTERMÉDIAIRES LIPIDIQUES PRODUITS LORS DE L’ESTÉRIFICATION DES ACIDES GRAS POUVANT POTENTIALISER LA SÉCRÉTION D’INSULINE . 32 7. LA PREMIÈRE ÉTAPE DE LA SYNTHÈSE DE NOVO DES GLYCÉROLIPIDES CATALYSÉE PAR LA GLYCÉROL-3-PHOSPHATE ACYLTRANSFÉRASE . 33 7.1 GPAT1. 34 7.2 GPAT2. 35 7.3 GPAT3. 36 7.4 GPAT4. 36 8. LA GLUCOLIPOTOXICITÉ DE LA CELLULE β PANCRÉATIQUE . 37 8.1 Mécanismes cellulaires et moléculaires de la glucolipotoxicité . 37 9. MISE EN CONTEXTE DU PROJET DE RECHERCHE, OBJECTIF ET THÉMATIQUE DE LA THÈSE . 41 CHAPITRE II : MATERIEL ET METHODES . 44 MATÉRIEL. 44 MÉTHODES . 44 Culture cellulaire des lignées de cellules β pancréatiques. 44 Numération des cellules et évaluation de la viabilité par le test d’exclusion au bleu de trypan. 45 Préparation du tampon bicarbonate de Krebs-Ringer (KRB) supplémenté avec de l’Hepes (KRBH). 46 Préparation du palmitate couplé à l’albumine . 46 β-oxydation du palmitate. 46 Estérification du palmitate. 49 Oxydation du glucose . 51 Sécrétion d’insuline avec les cellules INS 832/13 . 52 Sécrétion d’insuline avec les cellules INSrβ . 52