Search results for " Northern"
showing 10 items of 216 documents
Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase and cell wall extensibility
2011
Transgenic tomato hypocotyls with altered levels of an XTH gene were used to study how XET activity could affect the hypocotyl growth and cell wall extensibility. Transgenic hypocotyls showed significant over-expression (line 13) or co-suppression (line 33) of the SlXTH1 in comparison with the wild type, with these results being correlated with the results on specific soluble XET activity, suggesting that SlXTH1 translates mainly for a soluble XET isoenzyme. A relationship between XET activity and cell wall extensibility was found, and the highest total extensibility was located in the apical hypocotyl segment of the over-expressing SlXTH1 line, where the XET-specific activity and hypocotyl…
Differential survival throughout the full annual cycle of a migratory bird presents a life‐history trade‐off
2021
1. Long‐distance migrations are among the most physically demanding feats animals perform. Understanding the potential costs and benefits of such behaviour is a fundamental question in ecology and evolution. A hypothetical cost of migration should be outweighed by higher productivity and/or higher annual survival, but few studies on migratory species have been able to directly quantify patterns of survival throughout the full annual cycle and across the majority of a species’ range. 2. Here, we use telemetry data from 220 migratory Egyptian vultures Neophron percnopterus, tracked for 3,186 bird months and across approximately 70% of the species’ global distribution, to test for differences …
Long-Term Climate Trends and Extreme Events in Northern Fennoscandia (1914–2013)
2017
We studied climate trends and the occurrence of rare and extreme temperature and precipitation events in northern Fennoscandia in 1914–2013. Weather data were derived from nine observation stations located in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. The results showed that spring and autumn temperatures and to a lesser extent summer temperatures increased significantly in the study region, the observed changes being the greatest for daily minimum temperatures. The number of frost days declined both in spring and autumn. Rarely cold winter, spring, summer and autumn seasons had a low occurrence and rarely warm spring and autumn seasons a high occurrence during the last 20-year interval (1994–2013…
Camouflage accuracy in Sahara–Sahel desert rodents
2020
1. Camouflage helps animals to hide from predators and is therefore key to survival. Although widespread convergence of animal phenotypes to their natural environment is well-established, there is a lack of knowledge about how species compromise camouflage accuracy across different background types in their habitat.2. Here we tested how background matching has responded to top–down selection by avian and mammalian predators using Sahara–Sahel desert rodents in North Africa.3. We show that the fur colouration of several species has become an accurate match to different types of desert habitats. This is supported by a correlation analysis of colour and pattern metrics, investigation of animal…
Long live the alien: is high genetic diversity a pivotal aspect of crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) long-lasting and successful invasion?
2016
AbstractStudying the evolutionary dynamics of an alien species surviving and continuing to expand after several generations can provide fundamental information on the relevant features of clearly successful invasions. Here, we tackle this task by investigating the dynamics of the genetic diversity in invasive crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) populations, introduced to Italy about 1500 years ago, which are still growing in size, distribution range and ecological niche. Using genome-wide RAD markers, we describe the structure of the genetic diversity and the demographic dynamics of theH. cristatainvasive populations and compare their genetic diversity with that of native African populatio…
Subnational mapping of HIV incidence and mortality among individuals aged 15-49 years in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000-18: a modelling study
2021
Background. High-resolution estimates of HIV burden across space and time provide an important tool for tracking and monitoring the progress of prevention and control efforts and assist with improving the precision and efficiency of targeting efforts. We aimed to assess HIV incidence and HIV mortality for all second-level administrative units across sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. In this modelling study, we developed a framework that used the geographically specific HIV prevalence data collected in seroprevalence surveys and antenatal care clinics to train a model that estimates HIV incidence and mortality among individuals aged 15–49 years. We used a model-based geostatistical framework to e…
Expression of properdin in human monocytes
1994
Properdin is the only known positive regulator of the alternative pathway of complement activation. Northern blot analysis of cell lines derived from fibroblasts, B-cells, hepatoma cells, and cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage revealed properdin expression only in the myelomonocytic cell line HL-60, in the monoblastic cell line U-937 and in the monocytic line Mono Mac 6. Culture of Mono Mac 6 cells for 24 h with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, bacterial lipopolysaccharide and the cytokines interleukin-1 beta and tumour necrosis factor-alpha enhanced mRNA abundance, with the strongest effect (tenfold) being observed with the lipopolysaccharide. In contrast, recombinant interferon-gamm…
Uncinaria hamiltoni (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae) in South American Sea Lions, Otaria flavescens, From Northern Patagonia, Argentina
2004
Thirty-one South American sea lion pups (Otaria flavescens) found dead in Punta León, Argentina, during the summer of 2002, were examined for hookworms (Uncinaria hamiltoni). Parasite parameters were analyzed in 2 locations of the rookery, i.e., a traditional, well-structured breeding area and an expanding area with juveniles and a lax social structure. Prevalence of hookworms was 50% in both localities, and no difference was observed in prevalence between pup sexes (P > 0.05). Hookworms were concentrated in the small intestine. Transmammary transmission is assumed because only adult hookworms were found in the pups. The mean intensity of hookworms per pup was 135; the mean intensity in fem…
Pullneyocoris dentatus gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea: Cydnidae), the third representative of the subfamily Amnestinae from mid-Cretaceou…
2020
Abstract A new genus and species of burrower bug, Pullneyocoris dentatus gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Cydnidae: Amnestinae), is described from amber of northern Myanmar. It is the third representative of this family known from Burmese amber, and besides its autapomorphies, it presents a mixture of characters relevant to the extant Parachilocoris Horvath, 1919 and Pullneya Horvath, 1919. A comparison of this new genus to the two genera already described from the burmite, i.e. Chilamnestocoris Lis J.A., Lis. B. & Heiss, 2018, and Punctacorona Wang, Du, Yao & Ren, 2019 is also provided.
Moving from North to North: how are the students’ university flows?
2021
AbstractStudent mobility has been much commented upon and much studied. Student mobility has social, economic, and political consequences. This form of mobility is relevant, in Italy, in terms of south-north flows, while the mobility of northern students toward the South and Centre of Italy is negligible. To the best of our knowledge, a proper focus on the dynamics among northern regions has not yet been carried out. This study focuses on the interregional mobility of northern first-year students. To this end, we use a longitudinal dataset with students’ individual histories from 2008 to 2017, obtained from the cohort-based datasets collected using the Italian Ministry of University’s admin…