Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cranial ontogeny in the Puma lineage, Puma concolor, Herpailurus yagouaroundi, and Acinonyx jubatus (Carnivora: Felidae): a three‐dimensional geometric morphometric approach

The Puma lineage is a monophyletic group that includes three living species: Puma concolor, Herpailurus yagouaroundi, and Acinonyx jubatus. It has been analysed from ecological and taxonomic perspectives, but their cranial ontogeny has been poorly studied. In this study, we assessed the cranial shape and size variation through three-dimensional geometric morphometric techniques, and explored the acquisition of definitive shape and size in relation to key life-history events. Each species occupied different locations in the shape morphospace: A. jubatus and P. concolor showed shorter and wider skulls, with more expanded zygomatic arches, than H. yagouaroundi, which presented the most divergent pattern of change. Ontogeny was more similar between P. concolor and A. jubatus than between the closely related P. concolor and H. yagouaroundi. The evolution of ontogenetic change in the lineage seems to be more influenced by size. Changes detected between juvenile and adult skulls enhanced predatory skills, coincident with the change from a diet of milk to a carnivorous diet. Change patterns suggest that the skull is not morphologically conservative in the lineage, in contrast with other carnivores such as canids and hyaenids. The enlargement of the rostrum observed in some canids and the reinforcement of the bite mechanism of hyaenids were not detected in this group. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London
Variation of phytochemical profiles and content among root morphotypes of American ginseng: Economic implications for the grower

Quality perception and hence price value of ginseng is often influenced by its root shape (morphotype). In this study, the profiles and content of six ginsenosides (Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, and Rd) were compared among the three common root morphotypes [‘man-like’ (ML), ‘bulb’ (BLB), and ‘stick’ (STK)] of American ginseng. Also, analysis of a marketing strategy was done to ascertain if pre-sorting ginseng roots to respective morphotypes was a viable option to boost revenue returns for the grower. The results showed that ginsenosides profiles, specifically Rg1 and Re were inverse to each other. ML roots exclusively had a low Rg1/high Re profile whereas BLB and STK roots had mixed Rg1/Re profiles. The content of the evaluated ginsenosides varied significantly among root morphotypes, except for Rb2, Rc, and Rd. The sum of ginsenosides content was significantly higher in ML roots (2.19 ± 0.07%, w/w) compared to BLB or STK roots (1.86 ± 0.07% or 1.79 ± 0.07%, respectively). Based on tested ginsenoside content alone, ML roots could be inferred to be of higher quality. Analysis of a marketing strategy where roots are pre-sorted to respective morphotypes prior to selling indicated a potential for a grower to increase revenue even with just a modest price mark-up on ML roots, and given that the price value of the other root morphotypes (BLB and STK) is not drastically lowered due to sorting. Key words: Panax quinquefolius, ginsenosides, marketing medicinal plants, root shapes, High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Seasonal Variation in Body Condition of Impala at Manyeleti Game Reserve, South Africa

The physiological condition of animals connects resources in the environment to demographic responses through reproduction, survival and abundance, and it provides critical information for conservation and management of wildlife populations. We used archived data (early-wet season 1987, late-wet and early-dry season 1988) from culls of impala (Aepyceros melampus) to compare how the kidney fat index (KFI, short-term index of body condition) and carcass mass (long-term index) varied seasonally. For females, KFI increased across seasons, a pattern similar for all age classes. For males, KFI was low and relatively invariable for juveniles and yearlings. For adults, KFI varied with reproductive cycle; highest KFI occurred early in the rut for males and around the second trimester for females. Carcass mass increased over time for growing juveniles and yearlings. For adults, female carcass mass varied according to reproductive cycle and was highest when KFI was highest. Male carcass mass was highest toward the end of the rut when KFI was relatively low. Although changes in body condition can be associated with seasonal changes in forage and activity, KFI and carcass mass are most useful when comparing across years with varying conditions, but within age, sex, and season.
Evaluation of cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of Struchium sparganophora (Linn.) Ktze Asteraceae

Struchium sparganophora (Linn) Ktze, (Asteraceae) is a culinary herbs used as part of a traditional dish in Nigeria and a medicinal plants for the treatment of different ailments in Africa. Dried leaf, stem and root parts of this plant were extracted with n-hexane, chloroform and methanol respectively, concentrated under reduced pressure, freeze dried and evaluated for their antimicrobial and anti tumour activities. The antimicrobial test involved microdilution titre technique while cytotoxicity activities was evaluated using the 3,-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay. The extracts exhibited a broad spectrum of activity against Gram- positive and Gram-negative organism of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 50 to 6.25 mg/ml but this activity is less than that of anti-microbial standard drug amoxicillin which had MIC of 0.78 to 6.25 mg/ml except against Klebsiella aerogenes on which the extracts had a similar activity to that amoxicillin of MIC 6.25 mg/ml. The extracts showed a significant anti- fungal activity (P< 0.05) of MIC 6.25 mg/ml in comparison with the anti-fungal standard drug Fluconazole (MIC) 50 mg/ml. The extracts also showed to be cytotoxic to all cancer cell lines at the dose of 0.75 mg/ml and significant growth inhibitory activity to all the cancer cell lines used for the test at the dose of 1 mg/ml. The hexane extracts exhibited increase in most cancer cell lines growth at the doses of 0.1 and 0.25 mg/ml while the chloroform and methanol extracts did not show uniform activity. These activities may portend a beneficial effect to human consumption as it may hinder the development and growth of cancerous cells at a high dose.
Colonization, Spread, and Growth of Lygodium microphyllum on Tree Islands in a Wetland in Florida

Abstract We monitored colonization, spread, and growth of an exotic Old World climbing fern on tree islands in the interior marsh of Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida to investigate linkages between its colonization and growth and environmental factors. Number of the patches continuously increased over a 2-yr monitoring period, but mean patch area and height did not increase. Lower water depth was associated with larger number of patches whereas higher water depth was associated with higher mean patch height. Patch occurrence probability at each 3 m (9.8 ft) grid within tree islands also increased and indicated that patches spread from outer areas to interiors of tree islands over time. Patch occurrence probability was lower in sawgrass-dominated locations, which typically occur at the margin of tree islands, compared to locations dominated by woody plants. Patch occurrence probability was higher on west sides of tree islands corresponding to the side of the islands most impacted by a recent major hurricane. This study revealed that colonization and growth of Old World climbing fern are characterized by several spatial and temporal factors. A detection protocol using ground surveys that focus on the edges of tree islands could be an efficient way to identify early infestations on tree islands in the Refuge. Such a protocol also might be useful to identify new infestations on tree islands in other areas of the Everglades. Nomenclature: Old World climbing fern, small leaf climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br.
A new species of Solenopsora from Tasmania

The new species, Solenopsora tasmanica Kantvilas, is described and its distinguishing characteristics are discussed. The new species is the first record for the genus for Tasmania and occurs on montane, acidic soils, an unusual habitat for Solenopsora. It also contains the compounds brialmontin 1 and brialmontin 2, recorded from Solenopsora for the first time.
Vulnerability of fish eggs and larvae to predation: review of the influence of the relative size of prey and predator

We investigated the potential influence of relative body size of early life stages of fishes on their vulnerability to predation by crustaceans, ctenophores, medusae, and fishes and contrasted the patterns with predictions based on different conceptual models. We found that vulnerability of ichthyoplankton to predation by ctenophores and by predatory fishes is dome shaped. Laboratory estimates of predation rates of these two predator types were negatively influenced by the volume of the container in which the experiments were conducted and by the duration of the experiment. Medusae and crustaceans showed decreasing predation rates with increasing relative size of fish larvae. Laboratory estimates of predation rates of medusae were influenced by container volume, temperature, and duration of the experiment whereas predation rates of crustaceans were influenced by container volume alone. Independent of predator type, the vulnerability of ichthyoplankton to predation was maximal when fish larvae were 10% of the length of the predator. Resume : Nous avons OtudiO liinfluence possible des dimensions corporelles relatives des poissons ‡ leurs premiers stades de vie sur leur vulnOrabilitO ‡ la prOdation par les crustacOs, les ctOnaires, les mOduses et les poissons. Nous avons comparO les tendances observOes avec les prOvisions fournies par diffOrents modles conceptuels. Nous avons constatO que la vulnOrabilitO de liichtyoplancton ‡ la prOdation par les ctOnaires et les poissons est en forme de cloche. Les estimations faites en laboratoire des taux de prOdation exercOe par ces deux types de prOdateurs sont influencOes de faAon nOgative par le volume de liaquarium servant aux expOriences et ‡ la durOe de celles-ci. Le taux de prOdation exercOe par les mOduses et les crustacOs diminue ‡ mesure que siaccroOt la taille relative des larves. Il existe une corrOlation entre les estimations faites en laboratoire des taux de prOdation par les mOduses et le volume des aquariums, la tempOrature et la durOe des expOriences, tandis quiavec les crustacOs, il niy a de corrOlation quientre les estimations et le volume des aquariums seulement. Peu importe la sorte de prOdateur, la vulnOrabilitO maximale de liichtyoplancton ‡ la prOdation correspond au stade de dOveloppement oo la proie fait le dixime de la longueur du prOdateur. (Traduit par la ROdaction)
The effect of water stress on grain filling processes in wheat

The effect of water stress, commencing from the late cell division period, on in vivo grain growth was studied in relation to grain sucrose, water status and in vitro starch synthesis. Detached ear experiments were conducted to assess the effect of sink dehydration on grain filling processes under non-limiting source conditions. Water stress caused premature grain desiccation and resulted in a marked decline in grain sucrose and reduced grain weight. Both sucrose uptake and conversion to starch in vitro were increased by mild water stress (solute potential (Ψs)−0·8 MPa). However, a decline in Ψs below this optimum resulted in reduced sucrose uptake and starch synthesis not attributable to a reduced supply of sucrose. Stressed grains which failed to accumulate dry matter in vivo showed significant starch synthesis when cultured in vitro. Grains from in situ and osmotically stressed plants showed a lower capacity for starch synthesis in vitro. The results indicate that grain filling processes under stress conditions are limited by (1) low substrate availability and low Ψs within the sink i.e. an unfavourable seed environment (non-lasting effect) and (2) reduced synthetic capacity of the sink (carry-over effect).
Biochemical and DNA markers yield strikingly different results regarding variability and differentiation of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, Artiodactyla: Cervidae) populations from northern Germany

Three mainland and two island roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) populations with a total sample size of 105 individuals from Schleswig–Holstein, northern Germany, were analysed with regard to genetic variability within and differentiation among populations as revealed by eight allozyme loci known to be polymorphic in roe deer, eight microsatellite loci and 404 bp of the mitochondrial control region. Surprisingly, the allozymes were completely monomorphic, but microsatellite and control region variability were high. Hypotheses as to demographic reasons for the variability patterns found, including bottlenecks, founder effects and translocations, are put forward. There were no statistically significant differences between the island and the mainland populations in terms of genetic variability as measured by expected heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficient and allelic richness. The correlations of the various variability indices were not statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. Nevertheless, there was a clear tendency for differentiation indices to yield concordant results for microsatellite and mitochondrial markers.
RESPONSES OF AMERICAN CROW POPULATIONS TO CAMPGROUNDS IN REMOTE NATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPES

Abstract We assessed the effect of campgrounds on American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) populations on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, USA, because crows are potential nest predators for marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus). We measured resource use, home range, relative abundance, and reproduction for 39 crows in 13 campgrounds that varied in size and proximity to other sources of anthropogenic food. Campgrounds concentrated crow populations and individual resource use. However, campgrounds did not provide optimal conditions for reproduction. Instead, reproduction was highest for crows that accessed exurban areas surrounding campgrounds. Concentration of use in exurban lands by 6 crows that nested >5 km from camprounds or human settlements confirmed the far-reaching effects of human activity in this area on crows. We concluded that human settlements fueled crow population growth on the Olympic Peninsula, and remote campgrounds absorbed this growth through colonization. As exurban crow populations expand, campgrounds likely will experience increases in local abundance of crows. Our observations do not suggest that rising crow populations will reduce the nesting success of other birds near campgrounds, but crows may indicate the suitability of campgrounds to other human commensals. Managing food resources within campgrounds may be insufficient to curtail crow population growth. Instead, regional cooperation is needed to identify and reduce food sources at broad spatial scales to target source populations.
Bibliographical review of the main European unifloral honeys

A summarising table was compiled for each of the 15 important European honey types. All data reported in the tables are generally the same as found in the original works. In some cases the original measure units were transformed to the official ones (Bogdanov et al., 1997), so that they can be compared to the data of the descriptive sheets (e.g. electrical conductivity in mS/cm, invertase in U/kg, etc.). The complete references quoted in the review are listed in the reference list. The distribution of the studies per country is reported in Table I.
Matrix metalloproteinase and aggrecanase generated aggrecan fragments: implications for the diagnostics and therapeutics of destructive joint diseases

The degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components of articular cartilage is a hallmark of joint‐destructive diseases like osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A major component of the ECM is aggrecan, a proteoglycan, which is among the first matrix components to be degraded by the action of catabolic enzymes, increasingly expressed and activated during the inflammatory responses accompanying the aforementioned joint‐diseases. The two main families of enzymes are Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and aggrecanases, which both contribute to the degradation of the ECM, although their relative importance may vary between matrix components. Understanding the process of aggrecan degradation has crucial implications for improving the early diagnosis and monitoring of destructive joint‐diseases, as well as the therapeutic responses to disease‐modifying agents with potential chondroprotective effects. In the present review, we wish to provide an update on the emerging knowledge in the field obtained from ex vivo cartilage explants subjected to catabolic enzymes relevant for the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA), as well as from synovial fluid of OA patients. In addition, we discuss the present status of specific immunochemical biomarker assays that were recently introduced to serve as diagnostic tools and emerging concepts of pharmacological interventions targeting the inhibition of aggrecan destruction, with the ultimate aim of decreasing the epidemiological burden of OA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Drug Dev Res 68:1–13, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Carbofuran residues in grasshoppers and vegetation from aerially sprayed prairie pastures: Potential effects on wildlife

Deposition and persistence of carbofuran in vegetation and grasshoppers of two prairie pastures were measured after single aerial applications at 134 g a.i per hectare in 1987 and 1988. Mean depositions on horizontal filter paper samplers were 43 1 and 64 9% of the nominal rate in the two applications Variability of deposits, measured as C V.s, were 76 4% and 86 9% Carbofuran residues in vegetation and grasshoppers were less variable than those in deposit samplers, with C V s of 40 6 and 70 6% in vegetation and 58 6 and 32 5% in grasshoppers for 1987 and 1988, respectively. Residues declined by 50% in 24 h both years from initial concentrations (3 h postspray) in vegetation of 13 3 and 10 8 μg/g Initial residues in grasshoppers averaged 2 2 μg/g in 1987 and 3.9 μg/g in 1988; the mean for both years was 2.5 μg/g Grasshoppers contained the same concentration of carbofuran 3 h after spraying, whether collected live or dead Maximum residues of 5 7 μg/g were found in grasshoppers from two of the 40 sites sampled in both years A model fitted to the data indicated that there may have been about a 24 to 44% loss of residues from vegetation, probably due to volatilization and other processes, before samples were collected at 3 h There was a decline in residues per grasshopper of 30% in 24 h both years, which was not evident when expressed as micrograms per gram because of desiccation of the dead insects The concentrations of carbofuran in the vegetation and grasshoppers were typical of aerial spraying, hence, they may be used as baseline values for estimating exposure of herbivores and msectivores to insecticide deposits from similar spray events by adjusting for rate of application Deposits measured on filter papers were positively related to concentrations in vegetation and grasshoppers Calculations of the potential effects on wildlife of ingesting sprayed grasshoppers, combined with other routes of exposure, indicated a relatively low hazard for herbivorous rodents but a relatively high hazard for insectivorous adult passerines and their young Monitoring passerines in a related field study did, however, not reveal any effects on survival within 3 d of spraying carbofuran.
Tumor VEGF:VEGFR2 autocrine feed-forward loop triggers angiogenesis in lung cancer

The molecular mechanisms that control the balance between antiangiogenic and proangiogenic factors and initiate the angiogenic switch in tumors remain poorly defined. By combining chemical genetics with multimodal imaging, we have identified an autocrine feed-forward loop in tumor cells in which tumor-derived VEGF stimulates VEGF production via VEGFR2-dependent activation of mTOR, substantially amplifying the initial proangiogenic signal. Disruption of this feed-forward loop by chemical perturbation or knockdown of VEGFR2 in tumor cells dramatically inhibited production of VEGF in vitro and in vivo. This disruption was sufficient to prevent tumor growth in vivo. In patients with lung cancer, we found that this VEGF:VEGFR2 feed-forward loop was active, as the level of VEGF/VEGFR2 binding in tumor cells was highly correlated to tumor angiogenesis. We further demonstrated that inhibition of tumor cell VEGFR2 induces feedback activation of the IRS/MAPK signaling cascade. Most strikingly, combined pharmacological inhibition of VEGFR2 (ZD6474) and MEK (PD0325901) in tumor cells resulted in dramatic tumor shrinkage, whereas monotherapy only modestly slowed tumor growth. Thus, a tumor cell-autonomous VEGF:VEGFR2 feed-forward loop provides signal amplification required for the establishment of fully angiogenic tumors in lung cancer. Interrupting this feed-forward loop switches tumor cells from an angiogenic to a proliferative phenotype that sensitizes tumor cells to MAPK inhibition.
Photothermal control of the reproductive cycle in temperate fishes

Temperate fish species are annual spawners and mainly rely on annually cycling cues (temperature and photoperiod) to synchronise the three main phases of their reproductive cycle, that is, induction (initiation of oogenesis), vitellogenesis and the final stages (including maturation, ovulation and oviposition). This review synthesises how these three phases are controlled by specific temperature and photoperiod variations. The direction of the changes (i.e. decrease or increase) is the most important factor, although the amplitude, rates and timing of variations should also be considered to improve/optimise the quality of reproduction in aquaculture. In addition, we tentatively classified temperate fish species sharing similar temperature and/or photoperiod variation requirements for reproduction into three general functional groups. The first group (salmonids) is induced by increasing photoperiod. Vitellogenesis and the final stages are synchronised by decreasing photoperiod. The second group (percids, moronids and gadids) is induced by decreasing both temperature and photoperiod. A chilling period allows vitellogenesis. Increasing temperatures synchronise the final stages. The third group (cyprinids) is induced by decreasing either photoperiod or temperature. Vitellogenesis is faster at warm temperatures. The final stages require an increase in either photoperiod or temperature. This classification may help future research on the control of reproduction in newly cultured fish species.