Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survival of juvenile hares during a cyclic population increase

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are multilittered synchronous breeders that produce up to four distinct litters of young each summer. I used radiotelemetry to determine the effects of juvenile cohort (i.e., litter group) and food availability on postweaning survival of hares in the southwestern Yukon during the increase phase of a hare cycle. During the study, I monitored 86 juvenile hares from control areas and areas in which supplemental food was provided. Twenty-eight-day survival did not differ between food addition and control areas for any juvenile cohort, and survival rates of juveniles (all cohorts combined) did not differ significantly from those of adults (juveniles: 0.91 per 28 days; adults: 0.93 per 28 days). However, when examined by juvenile cohort, survival of third and fourth litters was significantly lower than that of adults and first and second litters. These differences were the result of differential survival among the juvenile cohorts during a 3-month period in the fall (September-.
The relationship between the cobalt nutrition of ewes and the vitamin B12 status of ewes and their lambs

An experiment was undertaken at Mt Cotton, south-east Queensland, to investigate the relationship between the cobalt nutrition of ewes and the occurrence of vitamin B12 deficiency in ewes and their lambs. Ewes received either no supplementary cobalt (C), 0.03 mg cobalt day-1 (LC), 0.06 mg cobalt day-1 (HC) or a cobalt bullet and grinder (CB). LC and HC ewes received their supplement as a weekly drench. Supplementation commenced prior to joining, and ewes subsequently grazed pangola grass pastures containing between 0.05 and 0.11 mg kg-1 cobalt.Cobalt supplementation of ewes increased their liveweight, reproductive and lactation performance. The milk production of ewes was influenced by the level of supplementation, with C, LC, HC and CB ewes producing 31.1, 41.5, 47.7 and 50.31. of milk respectively during the first 4 weeks of lactation. The lower productivity of C ewes was associated with concentrations of vitamin B12 in serum of less than 200 pg ml-1 and with the presence of detectable concentrations of methylmalonic acid (>80 8moles l-1) and formiminoglutamic acid (>30 8moles l-1) in their urine.The growth of lambs was influenced by the cobalt nutrition of their dams; the mean liveweight gain from birth to weaning (14 weeks of age) for lambs from C, LC, HC and CB ewes was 95, 158, 194 and 231 g day-1. Vitamin B12 deficiency was evident in lambs reared by C ewes from 4 weeks of age, but lambs from LC and HC ewes did not become deficient until 8 and 12 weeks of age respectively. Lambs from CB ewes remained free of signs of deficiency prior to weaning. Urinary formiminoglutamic acid concentration was a more reliable indicator of vitamin B12 status in young lambs than urinary methylmalonic acid concentration. The concentrations of vitamin B12 in the serum of lambs were low in all groups (< 150 pg ml-1) and were generally unaffected by the cobalt nutrition of their dams.A dietary cobalt intake of about 0.15 mg day-1 appeared to be necessary for optimal milk production from ewes. However, this level of dietary cobalt was inadequate for provision of sufficient quantities of maternal vitamin B12 to meet the requirements of lambs in the later stages of lactation.
New genetic markers for Botrytis cinerea (Botryotinia fuckeliana)

Selenate-resistant (SelR) mutants of Botrytis cinerea were selected by plating conidia or mycelial plugs onto minimal medium amended with selenate and taurine. Ultraviolet irradiation of conidia to give 5% survival increased mutant yield twenty-fold. Mutants could be divided into three classes based on growth in the presence of selenate or chromate and on response to taurine in minimal media. Nitrate non-utilizing (Nit) mutants, generated as spontaneous sectors on minimal media amended with chlorate, behaved as nit1 mutants in growth tests (i.e. putatively defective in nitrate reductase apoenzyme). When nit1 mutants were paired on medium with nitrate as sole nitrogen source some pairings complemented, behaviour attributed to intragenic complementation. Selected crosses of SelR and nit1 mutants with wild-type strains gave 1:1 segregation of both phenotypes and no evidence of linkage to either Mbc1 (benzimidazole resistance) or Daf1 (dicarboximide resistance) markers; loose linkage was confirmed between Mbc1 and Daf1. Strains showing the SelR phenotype may result from mutations in different genes; the genotypic symbol Sel1 is allocated to one of these mutations. Four-point crosses involving the markers at Sel1, nit1, Mbc1 and Daf1 generated progeny with all 16 genotypes. Both Sel1R- and nit1 mutants were stable following subculture and retained pathogenicity in a bean seedling assay. Complementation was demonstrated between SelR and nit1 mutants selected from the same parent.
Nuclear localization of sweet cherry DREB1/CBF ortholog (CIG) and low temperature-inducible activity of CIG promoter

The fluorescent signal of GFP fused to CIG-B, which is one of the three DREB1/CBF (dehydration responsive element binding protein 1/C-repeat binding factor) homologs isolated from sweet cherry, was observed only in nucleus. The expression of GFP driven by CIG-B promoter was up-regulated by low-temperature. These results suggested that nuclear localization signal (NLS) motif in the N-terminal region of CIG-B protein and inducer of CBF expression (ICE)-like motifs in CIG-B promoter could be responsible for nuclear targeting and low temperature perception, respectively.
Review: Chinese herbs as alternatives to antibiotics in feed for swine and poultry production: Potential and challenges in application

Gong, J., Yin, F. , Hou, Y. and Yin, Y. 2014. Chinese herbs as alternatives to antibiotics in feed for swine and poultry production: Potential and challenges in application. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 223–241. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of clinical practice, and its own theoretical framework focused on functions at the whole-body level. However, due to cultural differences, TCM has not been fully recognized in Western countries. With the recent development of the theory of whole-body systems biology and “-omics”, there is a new opportunity to study TCM and to close the gap between TCM and Western medicine, because of the similarity in the theoretical foundations between TCM and whole-body systems biology. The uniqueness of TCM theory and practice is the approach to maintain and restore the body balance as a whole with no or little unfavourable side effects. Recent studies have also shown that Chinese herbs used as feed additives can modulate nutritional metabolism, immune responses, .
Patterns and Correlates of Tropical Dry Forest Structure and Composition in a Highly Replicated Chronosequence in Yucatan, Mexico

Research on tropical dry forest (TDF) succession i0s needed for effective conservation and management of this threatened and understudied ecosystem. We used a highly replicated chronosequence within a 37,242‐ha TDF landscape to investigate successional patterns by plant size class and to evaluate the influence of stand age, topographic position, soil properties and spatial autocorrelation on forest structure and composition. We used a SPOT5 satellite image to obtain a land‐cover thematic map, and sampled woody vegetation (adults: >5 cm diam; saplings: 1–5 cm) and soil properties in 168 plots distributed among four vegetation classes: VC1 (3–8‐yr‐old forest), VC2 (9–15‐yr‐old forest), VC3 (>15‐yr‐old forest on flat areas), VC4 (>15‐yr‐old forest on hills). Stem density decreased with stand age and was lowest in VC3, while height, basal area and species density increased with age and were higher in older than in younger forests. Topographic position also influenced forest structure and composition. Basal area and height were largely determined by stand age, whereas stem and species density, and composition were influenced mostly by soil variables associated with fertility, and by spatial autocorrelation. Adults and saplings showed contrasting patterns and correlates of community structure, but similar patterns and correlates of composition, possibly due to the prevalence of coppicing. Our results show that our sampling approach can overcome several limitations of chronosequence studies, and provide insights in the patterns and drivers of succession, as well as guidelines for forest management and conservation.
Influence of gibbon ranging patterns on seed dispersal distance and deposition site in a Bornean forest

Frugivores display daily and seasonal behavioural variation, yet the influence of this variability on subsequent seed shadows is rarely considered. We investigated the extent to which three aspects of gibbon (Hylobates muelleri × agilis) foraging and ranging behaviour (revisitation of favoured fruit sources, daily and monthly ranging patterns) influenced seed dispersal distances and deposition sites for two groups in dipterocarp forests at the Barito Ulu research site, Kalimantan, Indonesia. Dispersal distances and sites were estimated using gut retention times and ranging patterns collected over 12 mo. Gibbons dispersed few seeds (0.7%) under parent trees and most seeds (> 90%) were dispersed more than 100 m. Mean dispersal distances differed significantly between groups (339 m and 431 m) and across different months. Deposition site was only influenced by time of day, with all seeds swallowed in the first hour of activity being deposited under sleeping trees used that night. Both groups visited all 0.25-ha quadrats within their home range over the study period, indicating that gibbons potentially disperse seeds throughout their home range. Given the general uniformity of the gibbon seed shadow, the intensity of home range use and large seed dispersal distances, gibbons appear to be consistently effective seed dispersers and are probably one of the most important frugivores in Asian rain forests.
Screening of Mexican Medicinal Plants for Antiprotozoal Activity

The MeOH extracts from 19 Mexican medicinal plants belonging to different families have been assessed for antiprotozoal activity against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia. Five plant extracts, derived from Acalypha phleoides, Cnidoscolus tehuacanensis, Geranium niveum, Hellianthella quinquenervis and Teloxys graveolens, were found to possess significant activity against both protozoa, but were less potent than metronidazole. These findings tend to support the ethnomedical use of the species for the treatment of infectious diarrhoea in Mexican traditional medicine.
Global distribution of free‐living microbial species

Species of large animals and plants have geographically restricted distributions, but it is unclear if this also applies to free-living micro-organisms. We have attempted to clarify this, by investigating the ciliated protozoa living in a habitat that is separated from northern Europe by geographical barriers and great distance - the sediment of a Holocene volcanic crater-lake with brackish water, in Australia. Of the 85 ciliate species recorded, none was ‘new’, and all (apart from one species previously described only from tropical Africa) are known from northern Europe. All species appear to have reached the crater by passive dispersal from other freshwater and marine environments. The significance of this finding lies in the fact that ciliates are among the largest and most fragile of microbes. If ciliate species have global distributions, it is likely that the same is true for the many smaller, more abundant and more easily dispersed microbial species, including bacteria. There is some support for this in the literature, and most species smaller than ca 1 mm may have global distributions. Biodiversity at the microbial level is fundamentally different from that of macroscopic animals and plants, and it may be difficult to make realistic extrapolations from the attributes of microbial communities, to biodiversity in general.
Health outcomes of online consumer health information: A systematic mixed studies review with framework synthesis

The Internet has become the first source of consumer health information. Most theoretical and empirical studies are centered on information needs and seeking, rather than on information outcomes. This review's purpose is to explore and explain health outcomes of Online Consumer Health Information (OCHI) in primary care. A participatory systematic mixed studies review with a framework synthesis was undertaken. Starting from an initial conceptual framework, our specific objectives were to (a) identify types of OCHI outcomes in primary care, (b) identify factors associated with these outcomes, and (c) integrate these factors and outcomes into a comprehensive revised framework combining an information theory and a psychosocial theory of behavior. The results of 65 included studies were synthesized using a qualitative thematic data analysis. The themes derived from the literature underwent a harmonization process that produced a comprehensive typology of OCHI outcomes. The revised conceptual framework specifies four individual and one organizational level of OCHI outcomes, while including factors such as consumers' information needs and four interdependent contextual factors. It contributes to theoretical knowledge about OCHI health outcomes, and informs future research, information assessment methods, and tools to help consumers find and use health information.
Cell Cycle Duration in the Root Meristem of Sonoran Desert Cactaceae as Estimated by Cell-flow and Rate-of-cell-production Methods

Abstract Slow rates of cactus growth in the Sonoran Desert and high productivity of some Cactaceae under cultivation suggest that relatively low growth rates are not the consequence of a long cell division cycle but of short optimal periods for growth and adverse environmental factors. To verify this hypothesis, the duration of the cell division cycle ( T) in the root apical meristem of seedlings of three sympatric species from the Sonoran Desert [ Ferocactus peninsulae (F. A. C. Weber) Britton & Rose ‘Townsendianus’ (Britton & Rose) N. P. Taylor, stat. nov., Stenocereus gummosus (Engelm.) Gibson & Horak and Pachycereus pringlei (S. Watson) Britton & Rose] was estimated with the rate-of-cell-production (RCP) and the cell-flow (colchicine) methods. Both methods were applied during the steady-state growth phase, which was relatively short in the first two species because of the determinate pattern of root growth. The RCP method permitted estimation of T in each root individually. Durations of the cell division cycle were inversely proportional to the rate of root growth ( r 2 ranged from 0.42 to 0.88, P T, determined by the cell-flow method, ranged from 14.4 to 19.3 h in these species and was within the same range as T determined by the RCP method. The average T determined by the RCP method was 67 to 75% of that determined by the cell-flow method. Results obtained with both methods are compared and analysed. The proposed hypothesis appears to be correct, indicating that these species can be more productive under cultivation than in the wild due to the relatively short duration of the cell division cycle. Adaptive features of these findings are also considered.
The effect of larval phase on flight performance of African armyworm moths, Spodoptera exempta (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The characteristics of the high and low density forms of noctuid moths, including Spodoptera exempta (Walker), exhibiting a density-dependent phase polyphenism have frequently been discussed in relation to migration. However, the only previous (unpublished) demonstration of an effect of larval phase on adult flight performance, using a tethered-flight technique, was invalidated by the recent discovery that the principal determinant of flight potential in S. exempta is genetic. When the incidence of prolonged flight was measured in moths derived from genetically-matched (full-sib) samples, there was a clear increase in long flights by females derived from the high-density gregaria phase larvae compared with those from solitaria phase larvae. The reasons for the apparent absence of a similar effect in males is not clear, but it is possible that the tethered-flight technique provides a less reliable index of flight capacity in this sex. The characteristics and significance of phase polyphenism in migratory noctuids are discussed. It is suggested that, in S. exempta and possibly some other comparable species, the high-density phase is adapted to accelerate re-dispersal after populations become concentrated, in order to escape the detrimental consequences of high larval densities.
VEGETATION ECOLOGY OF THE SIMILIPAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE, ORISSA, INDIA

Vegetation analysis of the forest ecosystem of Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR) was carried out at 10 sites to study changes in structure and composition in plant community distributed in the core (undisturbed) and buffer (disturbed) areas of the reserve. The study reveals a higher number of herbs and shrubs and a lower number of trees in the buffer area indicating greater anthropogenic disturbance. Total tree basal area varied from 48.7 to 78.61 m 2 ha -1 in the buffer area and 81.4 to 104.9 m 2 ha -1 in the core area. The density of saplings and seedlings was nearly equal both at the disturbed and undisturbed sites. However, the rate of conversion of saplings to trees was greater at undisturbed sites. The lower rate of conversion at disturbed sites is due to the removal of seedlings of most of the tree species. The high herb diversity (2.14 - 3.50) and low tree diversity (2.14 - 2.98) in buffer area is a result of Environmental openings providing greater opportunity for the recruitment of herbs and shrubs. The presence of only a few individuals of major tree species in larger diameter classes and more in young diameter classes in buffer areas indicate that the plant community was subjected to disturbance and are in the regenerating stage. Greater fluctuation in the species / genus ratio in the herbaceous species at sites of the buffer area in comparison to core area has led to variation in developmental status of plant communities among the core and buffer areas of the reserve. However, the presence of the seedlings of dominant tree species in the buffer area may help in the restoration of the plant communities in the long-run, provided protection means are strengthened and biotic stress reduced.
Hydraulic redistribution by Protea 'Sylvia' (Proteaceae) facilitates soil water replenishment and water acquisition by an understorey grass and shrub.

Proteaceae of the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, transpire throughout the summer drought, implying access to deep water. Hydraulic redistribution by Protea 'Sylvia' [P. susannae E. Phillips × P. exima (Salisb. Ex Knight) Fource; Proteaceae] was investigated in overnight pot and field experiments, where it was hypothesised that (1) Proteaceae replenish water in upper soil layers, (2) hydraulic redistribution facilitates nutrient uptake and (3) shallow-rooted understorey plants 'parasitise' water from proteas. Potted Sylvias redistributed ~17% of the tritiated water supplied, equating to 34 ± 1.2 mL plant-1. Shallow-rooted Cyanodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (Poaceae), plants growing in the same pots as Sylvia contained amounts of labelled water similar to those found in Sylvia, indicting water parasitism. In the field, Sylvia plants growing in aeolian sands took up the deuterated water applied at 1.2 m depth as indicated by increased δ2H of plant xylem water from -38 ± 0.8 to 334 ± 157‰. This deuterated water was then redistributed to the upper soil layer (0.2 and 0.4 m), as indicated by increased δ2H of soil water from -24.5 ± 0.7 to -8.0 ± 3.0‰ and soil moisture from 0.48 to 0.89%. Lithium, as a K-analogue, was taken up equally by plants watered with deep water and those not watered, probably since both had access to naturally-occurring deep water. Water in stems of the shallow-rooted understorey shrub, Leysera gnaphalodes (L.) L. (Asteraceae) had similar δ2H values to stems of Sylvia (P = 0.939), again indicating water parasitism was tightly coupled to the protea. We conclude that hydraulic redistribution by Proteaceae plays an important role in soil water replenishment, water supply to shallow-rooted plants, and, thus, ecosystem structure and function during the summer drought of the Cape Floristic Region.
Phylogeny of the Coleoptera Based on Morphological Characters of Adults and Larvae

Abstract. In order to infer phylogenetic relationships within the extraordinarily speciesrich order Coleoptera, a cladistic analysis is performed, in which 516 adult and larval morphological characters are scored for 359 beetle taxa, representing 314 families or subfamilies plus seven outgroup taxa representing seven holometabolan orders. Many morphological features are discussed at length with accompanying illustrations, and an attempt is made to homologize these and employ a uniform set of terms throughout the order. The resulting data matrix is analyzed using the parsimony ratchet in conjunction with implied weighting. The resulting most parsimonious tree found the order Strepsiptera to be sister to Coleoptera, each of the four coleopteran suborders to be monophyletic and subordinal relationships as follows: (Archostemata + Adephaga) + (Myxophaga + Polyphaga), but without significant support for either clade. The topology of the remainder of the tree is consistent with many prior molecular and morphological analyses, with the monophyly of superfamilies Hydrophiloidea (sensu lato), Scarabaeoidea and Curculionoidea and many currently recognized families and subfamilies are well supported, with weaker support for Elateroidea, Cucujiformia and Phytophaga.
A framework for modeling the dynamics of first-order branches and spatial distribution of knots in loblolly pine trees.

A stochastic model to simulate the processes of initiation, diameter growth, death, and self-pruning of branches in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees is presented. Information on whorl formation and branch growth was obtained from destructive sampling of whorl sections from 34 trees growing under 10 different initial spacings. Three different components were modeled and hierarchically connected: whorl, branches, and knots. For each new growing season, whorls and branches are assigned stochastically along and around the stem. Thereafter, branch diameter growth is predicted as a function of relative location within the live crown and stem growth. The branch model was linked to an individual-tree growth model, PTAEDA3.1, to simulate the dynamics of first-order branches arising from the main stem. Information on (i) vertical trend of branch diameter along and around the stem, (ii) volume of knots (live and dead portions), and (iii) spatial location, size, and type (live and dead) of knots can be obtained.