Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biology of the African rice gall midge Orseolia oryzivora (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and its incidence on wet-season rice in Nigeria

The biology of the African rice gall midge Orseolia oryzivora Harris and Gagné was investigated in screenhouse and laboratory studies, and its incidence on cultivated wet-season rice was studied in farmers’ fields during the 2006 and 2007 rice-growing seasons at two localities in Nigeria. This insect is nocturnal, and mating takes place immediately after emergence. Both mated and unmated females lay eggs, with mated females laying on average 389 eggs each, and unmated females laying about 87 sterile eggs. The egg stage takes on average 2.5 days. Larval development takes 3.6, 3.3 and 3.0 days for the first, second and third instars, respectively, while the pre-pupal and pupal stages take 2.8 and 6.1 days, respectively. Adult females live for 48–78 h, while males live for 24–30 h. The life cycle of O. oryzivora is completed within 21–24 days under screenhouse conditions. The adult male is slender and about 3 mm long, while the female is more rounded with a 4 mm long body and a bright red abdomen. The insect produces unisexual progeny. Field incidence is low at the beginning of the rainy season, peaking with the peak in rainfall and humidity that concurs with the vegetative stage of the crop. The population of the midge declines as temperatures rise. In conclusion, prediction models may be developed based on weather parameters, to aid in forecasting the field incidence of O. oryzivora and its management strategies. Furthermore, it maybe possible to reduce the damage caused by O. oryzivora to rice crops by altering planting period and taking into account environmental factors.
Cuba's Exiles: Portrait of a Refugee Migration

This article provides a portrait of Cuba's exiles that encompasses all their waves of migration, while utilizing the Cuban exodus to shed light on the broader phenomenon of refugee migration. It argues that to understand the changing social characteristics of the exiles over twenty years of migration, we need to understand the changing phases of the Cuban revolution. Utilizing the Cuban exodus as data, the article uses Egon F. Kunz's (1973; 1981) theoretical framework for refugee migration to shed light on the refugees’ varying experiences, while also using the actual Cuban refugee experience to react to Kunz's abstract model.
Young fruit and auxin transport inhibitors affect the response of mature 'Valencia' oranges to abscission materials via changing endogenous plant hormones

The effects of removal of young fruit and application of auxin transport inhibitors on endogenous indole- 3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations were examined in relation to the response of mature 'Valenciaʼ orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb. ) fruit to abscission materials. ABA concentrations were increased in the fruit abscission zone and pulp but not in the pedicel, peel, or seed of mature fruit by removal of young fruit during the period of reduced response of mature fruit to abscission materials in early May. However, removal of young fruit slightly decreased IAA concentrations in leaves and the abscission zone and pedicel of mature fruit but had no effect on the IAA concentrations in the peel, pulp, or seed of mature fruit. Young fruit had higher IAA concentrations in the abscission zone and pedicel than mature fruit. Application of 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA), an IAA transport inhibitor, reduced IAA concentrations in the abscission zone of mature fruit but did not infl uence the IAA concentra- tions in the pedicel and peel when applied directly to an absorbent collar tied around the pedicel 2 cm above the fruit abscission zone during the less responsive period in early May. ABA concentrations were increased drastically in the fruit abscission zone and pedicel but not in peel by TIBA application. Applications of ABA, or IAA transport inhibitors such as naringenin, quercetin, or TIBA comparably increased the response of mature fruit to the abscission material 5-chloro-3-methyl-4-nitro-1 H-pyrazole (CMN-pyrazole) in early May. These data suggest that young fruit reduce the response of mature 'Valenciaʼ oranges to abscission materials through increasing IAA concentrations and decreasing ABA concentrations in the abscission zone of mature 'Valenciaʼ orangees. Strong attachment of mature orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb. ) fruit to the tree at harvest is a major factor hampering the effi ciency and economy of commercial mechanical harvesting of oranges. Without the aid of fruit loosening agents, the current mechanical harvesting systems fail to recover all of the fruit from citrus trees (Whitney and Harrell, 1989). However, it has been challenging to fi nd a desirable abscission material to aid mechanical harvesting of the late-season cultivar Valencia, which is harvested from late March through June under Florida conditions. Unlike early and midseason orange cultivars that respond readily to abscission materials, 'Valenciaʼ oranges have an inconsistent response to
Predator Inspection Behaviour in a Characin Fish: an Interaction between Chemical and Visual Information?

Recent evidence suggests that predator inspection behaviour by Ostariophysan prey fishes is regulated by both the chemical and visual cues of potential predators. In laboratory trials, we assessed the relative importance of chemical and visual information during inspection visits by varying both ambient light (visual cues) and predator odour (chemical cues) in a 2 × 2 experimental design. Shoals of glowlight tetras (Hemigrammus erythrozonus) were exposed to a live convict cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) predator under low (3 lux) or high (50 lux) light levels and in the presence of the odour of a cichild fed tetras (with an alarm cue) or swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri, with an alarm cue not recognized by tetras). Tetras exhibited threat-sensitive inspection behaviour (increased latency to inspect, reduced frequency of inspection, smaller inspecting group sizes and increased minimum approach distance) towards a predator paired with a tetra-fed diet cue, regardless of light levels. Similar threat-sensitive inspection patterns were observed towards cichlids paired with a swordtail-fed diet cue only under high light conditions. Our data suggest that chemical cues in the form of prey alarm cues in the diet of the predator, are the primary source of information regarding local predation risk during inspection behaviour, and that visual cues are used when chemical information is unavailable or ambiguous.
Analyzing habitat selection in animals without well-defined home ranges

S. M. Arthur and colleagues presented a statistical framework that allows habitat availability to change for each observation of an animal, thus making habitat-use analysis possible when the habitat changes or it is difficult to determine a home range for each individual. I here modify their method by letting habitat availability vary on a continuous scale, rather than defining the area within a circle as equally available. The modified method also makes it possible to deal with continuously varying time intervals between observations and the influence of environmental variables (e.g., temperature, time of day) on movement activity. As an example, I use this method to analyze habitat selection of a bush-cricket (the wart-biter, Decticus verrucivorus).
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF NUCULA PROXIMA SAY PROTOBRANCHIA): AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

The spatial patterns of populations of Nucula proxima were studied in the laboratory using x-radiography, and in the field using a multiple-coloring device.Trays with sediment and varying population densities of N. proxima were x-rayed under different temperature and elapsed time conditions. Almost all experiments were shown to exhibit random patterns. The two exceptions were aggregated distributions which were probably due to inhomogeneities in the experimental environment.The field samples showed Nucula proxima to be randomly distributed, with a tendency towards aggregation in some cases. Juveniles were distributed essentially the same as the adults.It is argued that the lack of defense mechanisms, the instability of the substrate, the small "reach" of the feeding organ, and the lack of advantage of territoriality to a mobile deposit-feeder all contribute to the observed random patterns of Nucula proxima.It is concluded that x-ray studies of infaunal invertebrates done in concert with field studies is a.
Effect of potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate on microbial population and fermentation of black olives

Black olive fermentation characteristics and diffusion of preservatives into olives were evaluated in brines containing 500 ppm potassium sorbate, 1000 ppm sodium benzoate, 500 ppm sodium benzoate + 250 ppm potassium sorbate and no preservative (control). Changes in brine pH, acidity and microbial population (lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, moulds) were followed during fermentation and storage. Results indicated that K-sorbate when used at 500 ppm concentration in black olive fermentation had a slight stimulatory effect on the growth of lactic acid bacteria. The yeast counts of brines containing 500 ppm K-sorbate and 1000 ppm Na-benzoate were lower than for the brine containing 250 ppm K-sorbate + 500 ppm Na-benzoate and for the control with no preservative, while mould growth was completely inhibited in all treatments during fermentation. Mould counts stayed below the detection limit (<10 cfu g−1) during 214 days of vacuum-packaged storage. Yeast counts showed a progressive decline within 28 days of storage and then stayed relatively constant in all treatments thereafter. The level of yeast population was higher in the control sample than in the sample containing both preservatives during storage. The diffusion of Na-benzoate and K-sorbate into the olives after equilibrium was 64% and 80% during fermentation respectively. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry
REEXAMINATION OF EYE DESIGN IN THE CLASSIFICATION OF STOMATOPOD CRUSTACEANS

Abstract At least 7 distinct eye types have evolved in the Stomatopoda. This reflects adaptations to the wide range of habitats and depths in which stomatopods occur. However, there are some species for which eye design does not correlate with environmental factors. The distribution of certain eye types in taxonomically unrelated groups suggests that their occurrences result from convergent evolution. The current classification of stomatopods into five superfamilies is not supported by eye design. Polyphyly in the Gonodactyloidea is proposed. Eye structure cannot be used as a taxonomic character to superfamily or family level in stomatopods, but is helpful in the diagnosis of genera and species. A few genera and species can be distinguished from their eye design alone.
Evidence for health benefits of plant phenols : local or systemic effects?

Plant phenols are mostly products of the phenylpropanoid pathway and comprise a large variety of compounds: cinnamic acids, benzoic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, stilbenes, coumarins, lignans and lignins. They are strong antioxidants and might prevent oxidative damage to biomolecules such as DNA, lipids and proteins which play a role in chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Plant phenols may interfere with all stages of the cancer process, potentially resulting in a reduction of cancer risk. Only flavonols have been investigated in observational studies. Five out of seven studies showed an inverse association of flavonol intake with subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD). A protective effect against cancer was only found in one out of four studies. Thus the epidemiological evidence does not yet allow a firm decision on the involvement of flavonols in the aetiology of either CVD or cancer. The epidemiology of flavonols points to a systemic effect. The epidemiology of tea, as a rich source of various phenols, shows inconsistent data for colon cancer, which also does not support a local effect of plant phenols. The absorption and bioavailability of plant phenols have been inadequately studied. Dietary flavonoids were thought to be poorly absorbed because of their presence as β-glycosides (conjugates of sugars). However, conjugation with glucose enhanced human absorption. Flavonoids and other plant phenols are extensively metabolised by colonic bacteria: the ring structure is cleaved, giving a range of phenolic acids which are then absorbed. Human studies showed that only about 1% of a well-absorbed flavonoid was excreted with an intact flavonoid backbone into urine. Major questions to be answered are whether the effective concentrations found in in vitro systems really reflect physiological concentrations. Les phenols vegetaux sont principalement produits par la voie des phenylpropanoides: Il y a une grande variete de composants: les acides cinammique et benzoique, les flavonoides, proanthcyanidines, stilbenes, coumarines, lignanes et lignines. Ce sont des antioxydants, qui auraient des activites cardioprotectrices et anticarcinogenes. Toutefois, les donnees sur l'absorption et la biodisponibilite ne sont pas entierement connues. Il reste a savoir si les concentrations actives dans les systemes in vitro refletent vraiment celles existant dans les conditions physiologiques.
A SMALL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PHALACROCORACOIDEA (CORMORANTS AND ANHINGAS) FROM THE LATE OLIGOCENE OF GERMANY

Abstract I describe a skeleton of a cormorant-like bird from Enspel, a late Oligocene (24.7 mya) fossil site in Germany, which is assigned to a new species, ? Borvocarbo stoeffelensis, sp. nov. The specimen constitutes the earliest described and most completely preserved fossil record of the Phalacrocoracoidea, the clade including Anhingidae (anhingas) and Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants). B. stoeffelensis shares derived features with cormorants that are absent in anhingas. Despite its cormorant-like overall morphology, an assignment to the stem lineage of Phalacrocoracidae is not straightforward, because the new species is also distinguished from crown group representatives of the clade (Anhingidae + Phalacrocoracidae) by presumably plesiomorphic features. The morphology displayed by ? B. stoeffelensis places a caveat on the assignment to the Phalacrocoracidae of other less completely known Paleogene and early Neogene taxa. Plesiomorphic features shared by ? B. stoeffelensis and extant “microcormorants” (sensu Siegel-Causey 1988) support a sister group relationship between “Microcarbo” spp. and all other extant Phalacrocoracidae.
MINIREVIEWS Toll-Like Receptors and Leishmaniasis

More than 10 million people around the world are currently affected by Leishmania sp. (33). Infection with this protozoan parasite continues to be a problem in underdeveloped countries and is a continuous worry in developed countries due to the possibility of the disease afflicting tourists returning from countries where the organism is endemic (82). Leishmaniasis is a neglected infectious disease, and it affects poor and marginalized populations. It is distributed, in its visceral, mucosal, and cutaneous forms, throughout more than 90 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe (5). It constitutes a serious public health problem and causes significant morbidity and mortality. In recent years, economic globalization and the increase in travel have extended the distribution of the disease to developed countries. Approximately 350 million people live in areas where there is active parasite transmission of zoonotic and anthroponotic leishmaniasis. Zoonotic transmission occurs in rural and periurban environments, whereas anthroponotic transmission occurs in urban environments (7). From a strictly biological point of view, de Almeida et al. described humans as just one of the actors in the leishmaniasis drama (23). Also involved are the parasite, the insect, and other hosts. Several immunological studies have increased our understanding of the adaptive response in leishmaniasis. Thus, this disease has been used as a model of Th1 and Th2 responses. Unfortunately, there are still several aspects of the initial steps of Leishmania infection in humans that are largely unknown.
Growth-Independent Effects of Temperature on Age and Size at Maturity in Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Abstract In ectotherms, age, and length at maturity typically decrease with an increase in temperature; however, it is unclear whether this occurs in the absence of accelerated juvenile growth rates that are usually associated with warmer thermal regimes. We investigated whether (1) life-history traits are affected by temperature in the absence of a growth effect, and (2) faster growth rates cause a reduction in age and size at maturity. Japanese Medaka were exposed to temperatures of 24, 27, 30, and 33 C and fed either ad libitum rations (at all temperatures) or limiting rations (at higher temperatures) to equalize growth rates across thermal regimes. Both age and size at maturity decreased as rearing temperature increased from 24 to 30 C, even when somatic growth rates were equivalent. However, age and length at maturity actually increased with a further temperature increase from 30 to 33 C. Medaka given ad libitum rations grew faster and matured earlier and at a larger size than those given limiting rations and reared at the same temperature. We conclude that temperature can affect the life-history traits of fishes independently of any effect of temperature on somatic growth. However, the direction of the effect may be reversed when the temperature approaches the maximum tolerance of the species and when food availability is low enough to impose severe limits on the amount of surplus energy available to the fish. In this case, the unexpected reversal of life-history effects at the highest temperature may have been caused by the disturbance of normal gonadal development in Medaka.
Regulación del factor de transcripción Nrf2 por la glucógeno sintasa quinasa 3

Defense against oxidative stress is executed by an antioxidant system that is tightly controlled by the transcription factor Nrf2. Nrf2 is the master regulator of a genetic program termed the phase II response that controls redox homeostasis and participates in multiple aspects of physiology and pathology. Classical regulation of Nrf2 involves redoxsensitive degradation by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Keap1/Cul3. However, Nrf2 is controlled by other mechanisms that have not yet been elucidated. In this Thesis, we described a novel mechanism that involves glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) in the stabilization of Nrf2 by a Keap1-independent pathway implicating the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCF/s-TrCP. Taking nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) as a prototype chemopreventive agent, we show that this compound activates PI3K/Akt and the MAP kinases ERK1/2, p38, and JNK, promoting the stabilization of Nrf2. We also show that these pathways cause inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3s at Ser9 and at Thr390. These results identify GSK-3s as an integrator of several signaling pathways. We found that GSK-3 phosphorylates a group of Ser residues within the Neh6 domain of Nrf2 that overlap with an SCF/s-TrCP destruction motif (DSGIS). Phosphorylation of this Ser cluster stimulated the degradation of Nrf2 by a SCF/s-TrCP complex. 2D-Gel electrophoresis and site directed mutagenesis allowed us to identify two serines that are phosphorylated by GSK-3s in the DSGIS sequence. In addition, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance studies defined key hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions of this phospho-sequence involved in docking to s-TrCP. Mice with a conditional depletion of neuronal GSK-3s exhibited in hippocampus increased levels of Nrf2 and phase II gene products as well as increased levels of reduced glutathione and lower levels of malondialdehyde and carbonylated proteins. Moreover, GSK-3 inhibitors induced an increase of Nrf2 and its target genes and prevented excitotoxic neuronal death mediated by kainate in hippocampal slices. This Thesis establishes the structural parameters for the interaction of Nrf2 with the GSK-3/s-TrCP axis and its functional relevance in the regulation of Nrf2 by the signaling pathways that impinge on GSK-3.
Redescription of Belonuchus godmani (Sharp, 1885) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), with First National and State Records

ABSTRACT: Belonuchus godmani is redescribed based on the revision of 87 specimens, including the type specimens, from México, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panamá. It is recorded for the first time from Costa Rica, as well as from Department of San Marcos, Guatemala, and the state of Querétaro, Mexico. Lectotype and paralectotypes are designated for this species. Distributional patterns and biology are reported.
IMPROVEMENT OF EARLY MATURITY IN RICE VARIETY BY MARKER ASSISTED BACKCROSS BREEDING OF Hd2 GENE Perbaikan Umur Masak Varietas Padi melalui Pemuliaan Silang Balik Berbantuan Marka Gen Hd2

Early-maturing and high-yielding rice variety is very useful for increasing rice production in Indonesia. The aim of this research was to develop new lines of Indonesian rice containing Hd2 gene using Code variety as a recipient parent and Nipponbare variety as a donor parent through targetted MAB approach using RM1362 and RM7601 in chromosom 7 for foreground selection. After two generations of backcrossing, the positive alleles of Hd2 gene from Nipponbare had successfully transferred into Code. The plant number CdNp_29 in BC 2 F 2 population had the highest genome recovery of 82.7%. The twelve BC 2 F 3 plants were selected for self-pollination to generate BC 2 F 4 . These selected lines that carried the Hd2 gene were screened in the greenhouse for the evaluation of heading date and agronomic traits. All improved lines had Hd2 gene similar to the donor parent Nipponbare. The heading date of the breeding lines ranged from 73 to 89 days (Code 85 days) or fill the third criterion of rice maturity that is 103-104 days compared to Code of 116-119 days, whereas their agronomic performances were similar with that of Code. Application of MABc for improving rice early maturity has accelerated the development and selection in early generation of superior lines having genetic background of Code. It is expected that the newly developed lines of Code will be utilized to increase rice production in Indonesia.