Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transgenic strains of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as biomonitors of metal contamination

Transition metal contamination poses a serious environmental and human health threat. The bioavailability of transition metals in environmental samples can best be assessed with living organisms. A transgenic strain of the free‐living soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been engineered for monitoring the bioavailability of metals. A reporter transgene consisting of a fragment of the promoter from the C. elegans metallothionein‐2 gene (mtl‐2) that controls the transcription of a β‐galactosidase reporter (lacZ) has been integrated into the genome of this organism. By using these transgenic C. elegans, the toxicological response to metals in samples can be quickly measured with a simple histochemical staining assay. The C. elegans that contain the mtl‐2:lacZ transgene provide a more sensitive assay of exposure to cadmium, mercury, zinc, and nickel than 24‐h LC50 assays or those using nematodes with heat‐shock protein–based reporter transgenes. This study demonstrates that C. elegans that contain mtl‐2:lacZ transgenes can function as sensitive toxicological indicators of metals.
Whiteness

This paper seeks to make meaning of the experience of being white in the United States at this point in history. The self-awareness of white people is limited by a blind spot around the meaning and impact of being white in a multiracial society. Using psychoanalytic and literary methodology, the author seeks to cast light with which to explore this blind spot. Everyday experiences are used to illustrate the widely pervasive impact of race in the lives of white people, and a clinical vignette illustrates how race might show up in a white-on-white psychotherapy. Enactments within this paper are noted when they are evident to the author.
Porcine Fibrinogen Glycopeptides: Substrates for Detecting Endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidases F2and F3

Abstract Two different glycopeptides were isolated in high yield from a thermolytic digest of porcine fibrinogen. Edman analysis established their sequences as Val-Glu-Asn(CHO)-Lys and Val-Gly-Glu-Asn(CHO)-Arg. These sequences are nearly identical to the two human fibrinogen glycopeptides, Val-Glu-Asn(CHO)-Lys (γ-chain), and Met-Gly-Glu-Asn(CHO)-Arg (β-chain). The predominant carbohydrate moiety of both asialoglycopeptides was a biantennary oligosaccharide with a core α(1 → 6)-linked fucose as reported earlier (Da Silva et al. (1994) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 312, 151–157). Both glycopeptides can be dansylated and used as sensitive substrates for Flavobacterium meningosepticum endo-β- N -acetylglucosaminidases F 2 and F 3 . Porcine fibrinogen represents the best source for substrates with this oligosaccharide type that can be reliably produced in multimicromole quantities.
Changes of Plasma Growth Hormone, Insulin-Like Growth Factors-I, Thyroid Hormones, and Testosterone Concentrations in Embryos and Broiler Chickens Incubated under Monochromatic Green Light

Previous studies showed that monochromatic green light stimuli during embryogenesis accelerated posthatch body weight and pectoral muscle growth of broilers. In this experiment, we further investigated whether the regulation of broiler embryonic or posthatch growth by green light stimulus during incubation is associated with the changes of some important hormones at different ages of embryos and broiler chickens. Fertile broiler eggs (Arbor Acres, n=880) were pre-weighed and randomly assigned 1 of 2 incubation treatment groups: i) dark condition (control group), and ii) monochromatic green light group (560 nm). The monochromatic lighting systems sourced from light-emitting diode lamps were equalised at the intensity of 15 lux (lx) at eggshell level. The dark condition was set as a commercial control from day one until hatching. After hatch, 120 day-old male chicks from each group were housed under white light with an intensity of 30 lx at bird-head level. Compared with the dark condition, chicks incubated under the green light showed significantly higher growth hormone (GH) levels from 19 d of embryogenesis (E19) to 5 d of posthatch (H5), and higher plasma insulinlike growth factor (IGF-I) levels from both E17 to E19 and H3 to H35. No significant differences were found in plasma thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and testosterone in embryos or hatched birds between the 2 groups. These results indicate that somatotropic axis hormones (GH and IGF-I) may be the most important contributor to chicken growth promoted by green light stimuli during embryogenesis.
Luz natural e concentrações de sacarose no cultivo in vitro de Cattleya walkeriana

Cattleya walkeriana e uma das mais apreciadas orquideas do mundo, possuindo grande valor ornamental. A micropropagacao e uma importante ferramenta para reproducao dessa especie. Pelos altos custos de producao atraves da micropropagacao convencional, relacionados a perdas durante aclimatizacao e alto consumo de energia em salas de crescimento, objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar estrategias alternativas no cultivo in vitro. Foram testados dois diferentes fatores, sendo eles luz (em sala de crescimento convencional, casa de vegetacao com sombreamento de 50%, e casa de vegetacao sem sombreamento) e concentracoes de sacarose (0, 15 e 30 g.L-1). O material se constitui de plântulas previamente germinadas in vitro, em meio MS e cultivadas em sala de crescimento por 90 dias. Luz natural em casa de vegetacao, resultou em aumento no numero de brotos, na espessura foliar e na frequencia e diâmetro dos estomatos, e ocasionou diminuicao do comprimento das plântulas e dos teores de clorofila. Um menor numero de raizes e brotacoes foram formados na concentracao de 15 g.L-1 de sacarose. A ausencia de sacarose resultou em menores teores de clorofila. Pela analise dos resultados, foi possivel concluir que o ambiente de cultivo altera as respostas de plântulas cultivadas in vitro e pode-se recomendar o uso da luz natural e reducao nas concentracoes de sacarose pela metade para a micropropagacao de Cattleya walkeriana, observando-se a fase da propagacao e os objetivos da mesma.
Colonisation of urban environments is associated with reduced migratory behaviour, facilitating divergence from ancestral populations

How individuals colonising novel environments overcome the diverse suite of new selection pressures is a fundamental question in ecology and evolution. Urban environments differ markedly from the rural ones that they replace and successful colonisation of urban areas may therefore require local adaptation and phenotypic/genetic divergence from ancestral populations. Such a process would be facilitated by limited dispersal to and from the novel habitat. Here we assess divergence in migratory behaviour between seven pairs of urban and rural European blackbird Turdus merula populations along a 2800 km transect across Europe. This former forest specialist is now amongst the most abundant urban birds across most of its range. We use a stable isotope approach due to the lack of sufficient ringing data from multiple urban populations, and compare hydrogen isotopic ratios of tissues grown in the breeding (feathers) and wintering areas (claws) to derive an index of long distance migratory behaviour. We find a tendency for urban blackbirds to be more sedentary than rural ones at all sites and this divergence is particularly strong at the north-eastern limit of our transect, i.e. in Estonia and Latvia. These urban populations are those that have been established most recently (from the late 1930s to 1950s) implying that urbanisation can promote rapid ecological divergence. The increased sedentary behaviour of urban birds could promote further ecological divergence between rural and urban populations, such as the earlier breeding of urban blackbirds, and in some cases may contribute to their previously documented genetic divergence.
Comparative analysis of heteropyknotic chromatin and silver-stained material in Platycarenus umbractulatus (Pentatomidae: Discocephalinae)

The genus Platycarenus is an unusual member of the subfamily Discocephalinae because it does not have a harlequin lobe. To gather information on this genus, a comparative analysis of heteropyknotic chromatin and silver-stained material was carried out in Platycarenus umbractulatus F. (Pentatomidae: Discocephalinae). The testicular lobes were analyzed separately, and meiotic behavior in the seven lobes was found to be similar, i.e., no difference in the meiotic process between the lobes. Major differences were detected during spermiogenesis. Cells of lobes 1, 2, 3, and 7 had similar characteristics, as did lobes 4 and 6, but there were differences between these two groups. The differences between these lobes were in the concentration and location of heteropyknotic chromatin and the amount of silver-stained material. Lobe 5 showed significant differences in comparison with interlobular and intralobular spermatids. Therefore, the results of P. umbractulatus indicate that, although this species does not possess a harlequin lobe, it has differentiated characteristics not yet reported in the literature. Also, a close association of the chromocenter with the nucleolus was demonstrated; it was possible to establish the involvement of sex chromosomes in the formation of the nucleolus. Thus, this study provided insights into the involvement of heteropyknotic chromatin with the nucleolus and also showed the possibility of characterizing the evolution of sperm with a non-fertile function, where more accurate exploration of this theme with other approaches is evident.
Chemical components of different basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars grown in Mediterranean regions in Turkey.

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most popular fresh herbs. Ocimum basilicum shows great variation in morphology and essential oil components. This study was conducted to determine essential oil yields and components of different tbasil cultivars when grown in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Seeds of four cultivars of sweet basil were provided from Greece, France, Germany, and Turkey. Basil plants were allowed to flower three times during the summer period. Essential oils were extracted from flowering plants by hydrodistillation, and the oil was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Essential oil ratio and components showed great variation, depending on the cultivars and harvest times. The results showed the existence of three different chemo types according to main compounds: linalool(Greek basil), linalool + methylcinnamate (Turkish and German basil), andlinalool + methyl eugenol (French basil).
Interspecific competition and tolerance to defoliation in four grassland species

Herbivory and competition are known to influence plant performance. Recent investigations showed that tol- erance is an important strategy for plant survival under herbivory, but few have examined its interaction with plant competition. We evaluated in a greenhouse experiment if plant tolerance to defoliation is related to species presence in a grazed habitat and how plant tolerance to herbivory changes in a competitive environment. Regrowth capacity of four grassland species, Trifolium repens L. , Rumex acetosella L. , Vicia sativa L. subsp. nigra (L.) Ehrh. , and Senecio jacobaea L. , was evaluated as the capacity to compensate for 75% of aboveground biomass removed. Target plants were also grown in competition with Festuca rubra L. subsp. rubra, and different clipping treatments were applied. Plant biomass (above- and below-ground) was measured after 5 months. Rumex acetosella, T. repens, and S. jacobaea were able to compensate fully when grown alone. In competition, only R. acetosella was still able to regrow. In no case did clipping the competitor improve target plant performance (i.e., no beneficial effect from competitor release). These results highlight the importance of considering plant competition when studying plant responses to herbivory.
GUSTATION OF DIETARY AMINO ACIDS BY THE APHID MYZUS PERSICAE

In simple choice‐chamber tests the ability of the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) to discriminate between sucrose solutions containing single or groups of amino acids and a pure sucrose solution was assessed. Each of 20 dietary amino acids was tested at a concentration of 0.1% in 20% sucrose. Each of six amino acids (asparagine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan) strongly enhanced the acceptability of sucrose. Methionine had a strong effect also at 0.02%. A few other amino acids had a lesser effect, while only a slight or no effect was observed with about half of the 20 dietary amino acids. A slightly deterrent effect was observed with histidine, glutamic acid, and arginine.
The Annual Mesozooplankton Dynamics and Influence of Environmental Parameters in an Urbanized Harbor (Kepez Harbor-Dardanelles Strait, Turkey)

Weekly field samplings were performed at the Kepez Harbor located at the Dardanelles Strait for temperature, salinity, Secchi disk, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-« and nutrient concentrations, zooplankton abundance, and community structure from 26 April 2005 to 25 April 2006. Zooplankton samples were collected using a plankton net with a mesh size of 180 p,m for the mesozooplankton and vertical tows were conducted between 0-5 m, 10-15 m, and 15-20 m. Whole water samples were also collected for microzooplankton. All mesozooplankton groups increased in number starting at the end of May through June. Copepoda dominated the surface and mixed layer during the early spring and Acartia clausi was the most abundant species when compared to the others. Cladocera showed a clear seasonal succession pattern in the study site and were mainly composed of Penilia avirostris, Pleopsis polyphemoides, and Evadne nordmanni. Oikopleura dioica, the only representative of the appendicularians, reached its maximum abundance during mid summer. The zooplankton species composition in the sampling site was diverse and a unique two layer flow regime of the system allowed us to observe both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea influence on the organisms.
Gulf Sturgeon Spawning Migration and Habitat in the Choctawhatchee River System, Alabama-Florida

Abstract Information about spawning migration and spawning habitat is essential to maintain and ultimately restore populations of endangered and threatened species of anadromous fish. We used ultrasonic and radiotelemetry to monitor the movements of 35 adult Gulf sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi (a subspecies of the Atlantic sturgeon A. oxyrinchus) as they moved between Choctawhatchee Bay and the Choctawhatchee River system during the spring of 1996 and 1997. Histological analysis of gonadal biopsies was used to determine the sex and reproductive status of individuals. Telemetry results and egg sampling were used to identify Gulf sturgeon spawning sites and to examine the roles that sex and reproductive status play in migratory behavior. Fertilized Gulf sturgeon eggs were collected in six locations in both the upper Choctawhatchee and Pea rivers. Hard bottom substrate, steep banks, and relatively high flows characterized collection sites. Ripe Gulf sturgeon occupied these spawning areas from late Mar.
Long‐term climate forcing of European herring and sardine populations

Records of the herring, Clupea harengus, fishery off the Swedish coast of Bohuslan, in the Skagerrak, date back to the 10th century. Nine periods, each lasting several decades, are known during which large quantities of herring were caught close to the shore. In the 1895–96 season, more than 200 000 tonnes were landed. During the `interim' periods, which stretched over 50 or more years, the herring fishery played little role in the economy of this region. Several other herring fisheries in European waters overlap with recent Bohuslan periods whereas the Norwegian spring-spawning herring and some sardine, Sardina pilchardus, fisheries exhibit alternating periods. A study of the climatological/hydrographic scenario of all Bohuslan periods and those of herring in the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay showed that, on a decadal scale, they coincided with times when there was a strong ice cover off Iceland, severe winters in western Europe with extremely cold air and water temperatures, a reduction of westerly winds as indicated by negative anomalies in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and a minimum of south-westerly winds over England in response to meridional migrations of the belt of westerly winds. Periods of the Norwegian spring-spawning herring and sardines in the English Channel coincided with inverse climatological/hydrographic situations. It is concluded that climate variation governed the alternating herring and sardine periods.
Heavy Extinctions of Forest Avifauna in Singapore: Lessons for Biodiversity Conservation in Southeast Asia

Abstract: The consequences of rapid rainforest clearance on native avifauna are poorly understood. In Southeast Asia, Singapore, a newly developing country, has had 95% of its native lowland rainforest cleared. Most of the rainforest was lost in the mid‐ to late‐nineteenth century. We compared avifauna checklists from 1923, 1949, and 1998 to determine the extent of extinctions between 1923 and 1998 in Singapore. Of 203 diurnal bird species, 65 were extirpated in Singapore in the past 75 years. Four of these species were nonforest‐ dependent species, whereas 61 (94%) were forest bird species dependent on the primary or old secondary forest to survive. Twenty‐six forest bird species became extinct between 1923 and 1949, whereas 35 forest species disappeared after 1949. We compared the body lengths, feeding guilds, and vertical feeding zones between extinct and extant forest bird species to determine whether extinction patterns were dependent on these characteristics. Larger forest bird species went extinct between 1923 and 1949. Body sizes, however, did not affect the loss of forest bird species between 1949 and 1998. We observed high losses of insectivorous birds; the insectivore‐carnivore and insectivore‐granivore guilds lost> 80% of the species present in 1923. The highest losses were among birds that fed in the canopy. None of the forest bird species are currently common (>100 individuals/species) within Singapore. Our study shows that more than half the forest avifauna became locally extinct after extensive deforestation. Based on this fact, the countries within Southeast Asia should reconsider their heavy deforestation practices.
Brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in metropolitan Sydney: population biology and response to Suprelorin contraceptive implants

Abstract. The cohabitation of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with people in urban areas often causes conflict. Basic biological parameters are needed to evaluate potential new management options such as fertility control. This study investigated the biology of an urban brushtail possum population and the effects of Suprelorin contraceptive implants on individual females within that population. Trapping success remained constant over time, with 2.8 ± 0.2 individuals trapped per residential property. Recapture rates for males declined rapidly over time, with only 30% of males recaptured on the same property 12 months after initial capture (n = 30) and no males recaptured after 18 months (compared with female recapture rates of 58% after 18 months, n = 33). These data, combined with the preponderance of males observed within the lower age classes, suggests that male possum turnover is high within urban areas. This may be partially compensated for by the male-bias (1.8 : 1) observed in pouch young. Breeding was seasonal with the main peak of births in autumn, and a secondary smaller peak in spring. Suprelorin contraceptive treatment effectively inhibited reproduction in adult females for a minimum duration of 519 ± 7 (n = 5) and ≥700 ± 20 (n = 5) days after administration of one or two 4.7-mg implants, respectively, with no negative side-effects obvious. The concurrent collection of data on contraceptive efficacy and population-specific life-history parameters provides a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of understanding local population dynamics when evaluating the likely efficacy and implementation of fertility control programs to manage problem wildlife.
‘Patch’ development of the deep-water coral Lophelia Pertusa (L.) on Rockall Bank

Submersible observations have been made on‘ patches’ of the deep-water coral Lophelia pertusa (L.) occurring on Rockall Bank, north-east Atlantic. It is suggested that an initial colony gives rise to a ring of younger colonies. These in turn give rise to further rings of colonies, thus enlarging the ‘patch’. The transition from stage to stage depends on portions of living colonies, weakened by clionid sponge attacks, breaking off and falling away from the colony so providing the substrate for the development of later colonies, thus enabling lateral increase in the size of the ‘patch’ to take place.
Estimation of survival and detection probabilities for multiple tagged salmon stocks with nested migration routes, using a large-scale telemetry array.

Mark-recapture models for estimating survival and detection probabilities of tagged animals that migrate past successive receiver stations can incorporate multiple, linked stocks to improve detection probability estimates. When multiple release groups are analysed in a common framework, detection information can be shared to compensate for small sample sizes and provide generality beyond single-stock approaches. Methods for structuring complex detection history data and applying standard mark-recapture models are presented, allowing for information sharing among multiple stocks under nested migration route structures, where some portions of routes are shared with other stocks and other portions are unique. Possible biases from split-route migration patterns within a release group are described, along with a simple method of correcting these biases using stock-specific parameters that incorporate movement probabilities. Environmental covariates can be paired with stock-specific run timing data to model stock-specific detection probabilities that change seasonally. Finally, a method for assessing the redundancy of receivers on a multiple-receiver detection line is described, based on considerations of receiver line geometry. Examples are drawn from detection data of juvenile salmon on the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project (POST) array, but the methods presented here are transferable to other systems.
Site-specific factors influence the richness and phenology of snowbed plants in the Pyrenees

Although the timing of snowmelt and growth temperatures appear to be the main factors that influence the species richness and phenology of snowbed plants, site-specific characteristics may also play a role in modifying the effects of the timing of snowmelt and temperature. In this study, the effects of site-specific factors (microtopography and snow origin) on species richness and plant phenology were evaluated in 72 plots in two snowbeds in the Andorran Pyrenees. Snowmelt patterns influenced the spatial distribution of species richness and abundance. Site-specific factors had significant effects on the responses of species (shortening or lengthening the duration of the phenophase) and on the extent to which the timing of snowmelt influenced leaf expansion and flowering. Notably, the highest rates of leaf expansion occurred on late snowmelt isoclines, where, nevertheless, the time taken to reach peak flowering was significantly longer than on the early snowmelt isoclines. The results of this study highlight the fact that, in addition to the effects of interannual variability in climate, site-specific factors have a significant effect on the phenology and reproductive success of the commonest plants in the snowbed communities of the Pyrenees.