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Bezerra LGP, Oliveira REMD, Comizzoli P, Silva AR. Collection, Handling, and Preservation of Wild Bird Semen: Current Status, Challenges, and Perspectives. Biopreserv Biobank 2023. [PMID: 37699234 DOI: 10.1089/bio.2023.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Semen preservation is a significant biotechnology used to safeguard the genetic material of birds, especially those with declining populations, through biobanking. However, there are limited reports on the successful chilling or cryopreservation of wild bird semen. In general, these techniques are not yet well-established for several species of wild birds and pose several challenges such as the need for bird handling and training, contamination of semen samples, low volume of semen collected, and inefficient preservation protocols. To address these challenges and improve post-thawing outcomes, new possibilities are being investigated, including alternative collection methods to traditional digital massage, the use of antioxidants and enzymes in the medium for chilling or freezing, storage methods using different straws from the usual pellet, and slower freezing rates. This review aims to discuss the various aspects of applying semen preservation in wild birds to create germplasm banks, highlighting the primary results obtained and the challenges that need to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Grasiele Pereira Bezerra
- Laboratory of Animal Germplasm Conservation (LCGA), Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró, Brazil
| | - Radan Elvis Matias de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Applied Animal Morphology, Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró, Brazil
| | - Pierre Comizzoli
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Alexandre Rodrigues Silva
- Laboratory of Animal Germplasm Conservation (LCGA), Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró, Brazil
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2
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Li Q, Liu J, Klein N, Nakajima Y, Sander PM. Puberty in a Mesozoic reptile. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00748-0. [PMID: 37352853 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The histology of bone can be preserved virtually unaltered for hundreds of millions of years in fossils from all environments and all vertebrate taxa, giving rise to the flourishing field of paleohistology.1 The shafts of long bones are formed by the apposition of periosteal bone tissue, similar to the growth of wood, and preserve, an often cyclical, record of the growth of the individual and events in its life history. One such event is sexual maturation or puberty, during which hormonal changes transform the juvenile into a sexually mature adult. Puberty has been well studied in humans and some other living vertebrates. Here, we describe puberty in Keichousaurus, a small sexually dimorphic and live-bearing marine reptile from Middle Triassic rocks of SW China, about 240 million years old. Using a combination of bone histology and morphology, we detected puberty2 as one of the four life stages (the others being fetus, juvenile, and adult). Adult Keichousaurus males have a more robust humerus than females, with pronounced muscle attachment sites and a triangular shaft cross section. Midshaft sections of the humeri of the males show the transition from the rounded juvenile cross section to the triangular adult cross section, as reflected in the contour of the growth marks. This shape change is produced by differential bone apposition of the periosteum, presumably triggered by sex hormones, as in humans,3 and influenced by changes in loading regime during puberty. This is the first report of puberty in a fossil amniote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- Division of Geology, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China; Section Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jun Liu
- Division of Geology, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China; Section Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Nicole Klein
- Section Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Yasuhisa Nakajima
- Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Tokyo City University, Tokyo 1588557, Japan
| | - P Martin Sander
- Division of Geology, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China; Section Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany; The Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
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3
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Pilgeram NR, Baran NM, Bhise A, Davis MT, Iverson ENK, Kim E, Lee S, Rodriguez-Saltos CA, Maney DL. Oxytocin receptor antagonism during early vocal learning reduces song preference and imitation in zebra finches. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6627. [PMID: 37188684 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33340-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In species with vocal learning, acquiring species-typical vocalizations relies on early social orienting. In songbirds, for example, learning song requires dynamic social interactions with a "tutor" during an early sensitive period. Here, we hypothesized that the attentional and motivational processes that support song learning recruit the oxytocin system, which is well-understood to play a role in social orienting in other species. Juvenile male zebra finches naïve to song were each tutored by two unfamiliar adult males. Before exposure to one tutor, juveniles were injected subcutaneously with oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTA; ornithine vasotocin) and before exposure to the other, saline (control). Treatment with OTA reduced behaviors associated with approach and attention during tutoring sessions. Using a novel operant paradigm to measure preference while balancing exposure to the two tutor songs, we showed that the juveniles preferred to hear the song of the control tutor. Their adult songs more closely resembled the control tutor's song, and the magnitude of this difference was predicted by early preference for control over OTA song. Overall, oxytocin antagonism during exposure to a tutor seemed to bias juveniles against that tutor and his song. Our results suggest that oxytocin receptors are important for socially-guided vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole M Baran
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aditya Bhise
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew T Davis
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Erik N K Iverson
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Emily Kim
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sumin Lee
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carlos A Rodriguez-Saltos
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Donna L Maney
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Lutterschmidt DI, Lucas AR, Summers AR. Trans-seasonal activation of the neuroendocrine reproductive axis: Low-temperature winter dormancy modulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in garter snakes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 337:50-64. [PMID: 34270177 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
All animals use external cues from the environment to accurately time life-history events. How the brain decodes environmental stimuli to effect changes in physiology and behavior, however, is poorly understood, particularly with regard to supplementary environmental cues such as temperature. We asked if low-temperature dormancy alters the synthesis and/or release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). We used the well-studied red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) for this study, as low-temperature exposure is both necessary and sufficient to induce reproduction in northern populations of this species. Snakes were collected from the field and hibernated at 4°C or 10°C in complete darkness for up to 16 weeks. In males, increasing duration of low-temperature dormancy significantly increased GnRH-immunoreactive cell number and GnRH soma size (a proxy for relative cell activity) in the forebrain. These changes mirrored those in male reproductive behavior (reported previously) and plasma androgen concentrations. The changes in GnRH cell area observed in males were specific to the neuroendocrine population of cells in the medial preoptic area; soma size in the rostral GnRH cells did not change. Finally, temperature-induced changes in GnRH were sexually dimorphic: neither hibernation temperature nor the duration of winter dormancy significantly modulated GnRH cell number or soma size in females, despite the fact that plasma estradiol and corticosterone increased significantly in response to both. These data demonstrate that the neuroendocrine GnRH system is sensitive to environmental temperature and suggest that GnRH neurons play a conserved but trans-seasonal role in mediating changes in reproductive physiology and behavior in dissociated breeders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley R Lucas
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Andrew R Summers
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Cornez G, Collignon C, Müller W, Cornil CA, Ball GF, Balthazart J. Development of Perineuronal Nets during Ontogeny Correlates with Sensorimotor Vocal Learning in Canaries. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0361-19.2020. [PMID: 32169884 PMCID: PMC7160306 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0361-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbirds are a powerful model to study vocal learning given that aspects of the underlying behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms are analogous in many ways to mechanisms involved in speech learning. Perineuronal nets (PNNs) represent one of the mechanisms controlling the closing of sensitive periods for vocal learning in the songbird brain. In zebra finches, PNN develop around parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons in selected song control nuclei during ontogeny and their development is delayed if juveniles are deprived of a tutor. However, song learning in zebra finches takes place during a relatively short period of development, and it is difficult to determine whether PNN development correlates with the end of the sensory or the sensorimotor learning period. Canaries have a longer period of sensorimotor vocal learning, spanning over their first year of life so that it should be easier to test whether PNN development correlates with the end of sensory or sensorimotor vocal learning. Here, we quantified PNN around PV-interneurons in the brain of male canaries from hatching until the first breeding season and analyzed in parallel the development of their song. PNN development around PV-interneurons specifically took place and their number reached its maximum around the end of the sensorimotor learning stage, well after the end of sensory vocal learning, and correlated with song development. This suggests that PNN are specifically involved in the termination of the sensitive period for sensorimotor vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Cornez
- Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Lab, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege 4000, Belgium
| | - Clémentine Collignon
- Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Lab, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege 4000, Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Research group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp 2000, Belgium
| | - Charlotte A Cornil
- Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Lab, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege 4000, Belgium
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, 20742, MD
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Lab, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege 4000, Belgium
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Moore BC, Holliday CM, McMurry ST, Platt SG, Rainwater TR. Correlation between increased postpubertal phallic growth and the initiation of cranial sexual dimorphisms in male Morelet's crocodile. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 331:562-570. [PMID: 31613430 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
While puberty is an animal commonality, little is known of its timing or process in crocodylians. Males copulate with an intromittent phallus that has a distinct glans morphology which directly interacts with the female cloaca, putatively effecting effective semen transfer and ultimately increased fecundity. Here we present, during the Morelet's crocodile lifecycle, a well-defined body length (65 cm snout-vent length) inflection point that marks a subsequent increase of phallic glans growth rates. Putatively, this postpubescent growth produces a copulatory-effective phallus. While not as robust of a trend as snout-vent length, this growth inflection concomitantly begins with a body condition index (CI = BM/SVL3 ) between 2.0 and 2.5 and is most distinct above a CI of 2.5. Also, in males, this 65 cm size threshold also aligns with the initiation of more robust growth in caniniform alveoli associated with prominent maxillary and mandibular teeth. This inflection was not observed in females, thus marking a sexual dimorphism that begins to present with the onset of puberty. This bodily manifestation of puberty other than those changes observed in the reproductive tracts is a novel observation for crocodylians and lays a foundation for further study among species of how changing endocrine signaling within sexually maturing males may also influence a broader range of secondary sex characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon C Moore
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Biology Department, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
| | - Casey M Holliday
- Anatomy, Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Scott T McMurry
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
| | - Steven G Platt
- Wildlife Conservation Society-Myanmar Program, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Thomas R Rainwater
- Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Georgetown, South Carolina.,Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Georgetown, South Carolina
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Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11050076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Kemp’s ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. Anthropogenic mortality of Kemp’s ridleys has been well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), USA. We evaluated the reproductive maturity of 75 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles found dead on GOM beaches on Mustang Island and North Padre Island, Texas, USA, 1994–1999. Straight carapace length (SCL) ranged from 40.8 to 68.7 cm. Preserved gonads and associated tissues were examined and measured. Gonadal measurements were then compared with SCL. Adults and juveniles shared a larger range of carapace measurements than expected, supporting the idea that juveniles spend several years in a pubertal state. Our results suggest caution when using SCL, tail length, or curved front claws alone as indicators of sexual maturity. In fact, SCL can be used to discern adults from juveniles with more predictive power when coupled with testis length or oviduct length measurements, thus allowing endangered species managers to more clearly identify demographic shifts in the number of mature animals, which can precede population changes. This study shows that information gained from the examination of stranded sea turtles allows wildlife managers to make more informed decisions regarding conservation priorities.
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Murakawa SKK, Snover ML. Impact of exceptional growth rates on estimations of life-stage duration in Hawaiian green sea turtles. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Neuman-Lee L, Greives T, Hopkins GR, French SS. The role of the kisspeptin system in regulation of the reproductive endocrine axis and territorial behavior in male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana). Horm Behav 2017; 89:48-54. [PMID: 28017596 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide kisspeptin and its receptor are essential for activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and regulating reproduction. While the role of kisspeptin in regulating the HPG axis in mammals has been well established, little is known about the functional ability of kisspeptins to activate the HPG axis and associated behavior in non-mammalian species. Here we experimentally examined the effects of kisspeptin on downstream release of testosterone and associated aggression and display behaviors in the side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana). We found that exogenous treatment with kisspeptin resulted in an increase in circulating testosterone levels, castration blocked the kisspeptin-induced increase in testosterone, and testosterone levels in kisspeptin-treated animals were positively related to frequency of aggressive behaviors. This evidence provides a clear link between kisspeptin, testosterone, and aggressive behavior in lizards. Thus, it is likely that kisspeptin plays an important role more broadly in non-mammalian systems in the regulation of reproductive physiology and related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorin Neuman-Lee
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-5305, USA
| | - Timothy Greives
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58106, USA
| | - Gareth R Hopkins
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-5305, USA
| | - Susannah S French
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-5305, USA; The Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA.
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Long-Term and Transgenerational Effects of Stress Experienced during Different Life Phases in Chickens (Gallus gallus). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153879. [PMID: 27105229 PMCID: PMC4841578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress in animals causes not only immediate reactions, but may affect their biology for long periods, even across generations. Particular interest has been paid to perinatal stress, but also adolescence has been shown to be a sensitive period in mammals. So far, no systematic study has been performed of the relative importance of stress encountered during different life phases. In this study, groups of chickens were exposed to a six-day period of repeated stress during three different life phases: early (two weeks), early puberty (eight weeks) and late puberty (17 weeks), and the effects were compared to an unstressed control group. The short-term effects were assessed by behaviour, and the long-term and transgenerational effects were determined by effects on behavior and corticosterone secretion, as well as on hypothalamic gene expression. Short-term effects were strongest in the two week group and the eight week group, whereas long-term and transgenerational effects were detected in all three stress groups. However, stress at different ages affected different aspects of the biology of the chickens, and it was not possible to determine a particularly sensitive life phase. The results show that stress during puberty appears to be at least equally critical as the previously studied early life phase. These findings may have important implications for animal welfare in egg production, since laying hens are often exposed to stress during the three periods pinpointed here.
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Krentzel AA, Remage-Healey L. Sex differences and rapid estrogen signaling: A look at songbird audition. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 38:37-49. [PMID: 25637753 PMCID: PMC4484764 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2015.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Revised: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The actions of estrogens have been associated with brain differentiation and sexual dimorphism in a wide range of vertebrates. Here we consider the actions of brain-derived 'neuroestrogens' in the forebrain and the accompanying differences and similarities observed between males and females in a variety of species. We summarize recent evidence showing that baseline and fluctuating levels of neuroestrogens within the auditory forebrain of male and female zebra finches are largely similar, and that neuroestrogens enhance auditory representations in both sexes. With a comparative perspective we review evidence that non-genomic mechanisms of neuroestrogen actions are sexually differentiated, and we propose a working model for nonclassical estrogen signaling via the MAPK intracellular signaling cascade in the songbird auditory forebrain that is informed by the way sex differences may be compensated. This view may lead to a more comprehensive understanding of how sex influences estradiol-dependent modulation of sensorimotor representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda A Krentzel
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
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