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showing 10 items of 43419 documents
Assessing metabolic constraints on the maximum body size of actinopterygians: locomotion energetics of Leedsichthys problematicus (Actinopterygii, Pa…
2018
Maximum sizes attained by living actinopterygians are much smaller than those reached by chondrichthyans. Several factors, including the high metabolic requirements of bony fishes, have been proposed as possible body‐size constraints but no empirical approaches exist. Remarkably, fossil evidence has rarely been considered despite some extinct actinopterygians reaching sizes comparable to those of the largest living sharks. Here, we have assessed the locomotion energetics of Leedsichthys problematicus, an extinct gigantic suspension‐feeder and the largest actinopterygian ever known, shedding light on the metabolic limits of body size in actinopterygians and the possible underlying factors th…
Use of nursery areas by the extinct megatooth shark Otodus megalodon (Chondrichthyes: Lamniformes)
2020
Nursery areas are fundamental for the success of many marine species, particularly for large, slow-growing taxa with low fecundity and high age of maturity. Here, we examine the population size-class structure of the extinct gigantic shark Otodus megalodon in a newly described middle Miocene locality from Northeastern Spain, as well as in eight previously known formations (Temblor, Calvert, Pisco, Gatún, Chucunaque, Bahía Inglesa, Yorktown and Bone Valley). In all cases, body lengths of all individuals were inferred from dental parameters and the size-class structure was estimated from kernel probability density functions and Gaussian mixture models. Our analyses support the presence of fi…
Evidence of endothermy in the extinct macropredatory osteichthyan Xiphactinus audax (Teleostei, Ichthyodectiformes)
2020
Xiphactinus audax is the largest macropredatory osteichthyan ever known (Everhart et al., 2010). Some of the largest specimens exceed 5 m in total length, although the discovery of a few large, isolated teeth suggests that this teleost could reach even larger body sizes (Vavrek et al., 2016, and references therein). Fossil remains of this species have only been reported from the Upper Cretaceous of North America, across the Western Interior Basin (Schwimmer et al., 1997; Vavrek et al., 2016). The discovery of several virtually complete individuals in this area has provided valuable information about the anatomy, the dimensions, and the ecology of this species (Cope, 1872; Bardack, 1965). Xi…
Imidazolium Based Ionic Liquids: A Promising Green Solvent for Water Hyacinth Biomass Deconstruction.
2018
Water hyacinth (WH) is a troublesome aquatic weed of natural and artificial water bodies of India and other tropical countries and causing severe ecological problems. The WH biomass is low in lignin content and contains high amount of cellulose and hemicellulose, making it suitable material for conversion into liquid fuels for energy production. This study highlighted that, how different imidazolium based ionic liquids (ILs) [1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, [Cnmim]Br (n = 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10)] with tunable properties can be employed for the degradation of WH biomass. Different characterizations techniques, such as XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and DSC are used to unravel the interplay between ILs an…
Interaction Capabilities of a Robotic Receptionist
2017
A system aimed at facilitating the interaction between a human user and an humanoid robot is presented. The system is suited to answer questions about laboratories activities, people involved, projects, research themes and collaborations among employees. The task is accomplished by the HermiT reasoner invoked by a speech recognition module. The system is capable of navigating a specific ontology making inference on it. The presented system is part of a broader social robot framework whose goal is to give the user a fulfilling social interaction experience, driven by the perception of the robot internal state and involving intuitive and computational creativity capabilities.
Linking species habitat and past palaeoclimatic events to evolution of the teleost innate immune system
2017
Host-intrinsic factors as well as environmental changes are known to be strong evolutionary drivers defining the genetic foundation of immunity. Using a novel set of teleost genomes and a time-calibrated phylogeny, we here investigate the family of Toll-like receptor ( TLR ) genes and address the underlying evolutionary processes shaping the diversity of the first-line defence. Our findings reveal remarkable flexibility within the evolutionary design of teleost innate immunity characterized by prominent TLR gene losses and expansions. In the order of Gadiformes, expansions correlate with the loss of major histocompatibility complex class II ( MHCII ) and diversifying selection analyses sup…
Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles differ between ant body parts: implications for communication and our understanding of CHC diffusion.
2020
Abstract Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) serve as communication signals and protect against desiccation. They form complex blends of up to 150 different compounds. Due to differences in molecular packing, CHC classes differ in melting point. Communication is especially important in social insects like ants, which use CHCs to communicate within the colony and to recognize nestmates. Nestmate recognition models often assume a homogenous colony odor, where CHCs are collected, mixed, and redistributed in the postpharyngeal gland (PPG). Via diffusion, recognition cues should evenly spread over the body surface. Hence, CHC composition should be similar across body parts and in the PPG. To te…
Use of DNA barcoding in the assignment of commercially valuable fish species from Romania
2017
DNA barcoding is a molecular technique frequently used either for biodiversity monitoring and fish conservation or in the identification of the species of origin for raw and processed food from restaurants or fish markets. The most important aspect of this technique is that it works for all stages of life and can be used to distinguish between closely related taxa. Also, the technique has been used to unmask attempts of frauds in fish markets where more desirable and expensive fish are sometimes substituted with lower valued species. Our study aims to test the utility of the COI barcoding gene in the correct identification of several economically and ecologically valuable fish species, and …
Recombinant laccase from Pediococcus acidilactici CECT 5930 with ability to degrade tyramine
2017
Biogenic amines degradation by bacterial laccases is little known, so we have cloned and heterologously expressed, in E. coli, a new laccase from Pediococcus acidilactici CECT 5930 (Lpa5930), a lactic acid bacterium commonly found in foods able to degrade tyramine. The recombinant enzyme has been characterized by physical and biochemical assays. Here we report the optimization of expression and purification procedures of this laccase. DNA encoding sequence of laccase from P. acidilactici was amplified by PCR and cloned into the expression plasmid pET28a for induction by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoipyranoside. Protein expression was performed in E. coli BL21(DE3) harboring pGro7 plasmid expres…
Preliminary Study on the In vitro and In vivo Effects of Asparagopsis taxiformis Bioactive Phycoderivates on Teleosts
2016
Several compounds from marine organisms have been studied for their potential use in aquaculture. Among the red algae, Asparagopsis taxiformis is considered one of the most promising species for the production of bioactive metabolites with numerous proposed applications. Here, the in vitro antibacterial activity, the easy handling and the absence of adverse effects on marine fish species are reported. Depending on the seasonal period of sampling, ethanol extracts of A. taxiformis exhibited significantly different inhibitory activity against fish pathogenic bacteria. The extract obtained in late spring showed strong antibacterial activity against Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, Vib…