Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ranging behaviour and home range size of smooth snakes inhabiting lowland heath in southern England.

Individually marked smooth snakes inhabiting a 10 ha area of lowland heath in southern England were studied between 1993–2011 and their movements estimated from capture data. During this period a total of 109 male and 82 female snakes were identified providing 177 inter-location distances from which to investigate overall, and seasonal, movements of adult and sub-adult males and females. The mean distances moved, between successive captures, by adult males was approximately 50% greater than that moved by adult females or sub-adult males and females. Monthly mean distances moved by adult females and sub-adult males and females were all very similar and, with the exception of May and July, were lower than those moved by adult males. During May, when mating occurs, the distance moved by adult males was almost identical to that of adult females suggesting a link with breeding. The capture locations of 18 female and 18 male smooth snakes, whose range was assumed to be totally within the study area, also enabled home range areas to be estimated for these four categories of snake. The mean home range size of adult males (1.85 ha) was double that of adult females (0.87 ha), about four times larger than that of sub-adult males (0.46 ha) and approximately six times larger than that of sub-adult females (0.31 ha). The home range size of males increased sharply once sexual maturity was reached whilst that of females showed a more gradual increase as body length increased. The maximum home range sizes of adult male and female smooth snakes were 3.88 ha and 2.37 ha respectively. The movements and home range sizes of smooth snakes are compared with similar data found in other snake species
Endothelial cell adhesion molecules: expression, upregulation and modulation of human brain microvessel endothelial cell-leukocyte interactions

Endothelial cells (EC) lining the cerebral blood vessels are responsible for the formation and maintenance of a unique structural and functional barrier, the blood-brain barrier (BBB), that normally prevents the movement of white blood cells from blood into brain. Inflammatory and infectious diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), including multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, meningitis and infarction, are characterized by increased BBB permeability and infiltration of the brain by leukocytes. The mechanisms that regulate the traffic of leukocytes across the BBB have not yet been elucidated. A group of EC surface molecules called adhesion molecules, have been implicated in interactions between inflammatory cells and extracerebral EC. They include E-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1). Blocking these molecules with antibodies (Abs) reduces leukocyte traffic across EC. One of these molecules, ICAM-1, has been demonstrated in inflammatory CNS lesions. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression and function of four EC adhesion molecules in an in vitro model of the human BBB. The results indicate that primary cultures of unstimulated human brain microvessel EC (HBMEC) form high resistance monolayers and express low levels of E-selectin, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 that can be significantly upregulated following stimulation with cytokines and LPS. PECAM-1 is strongly expressed by all cells constitutively. Treatment of HBMEC with TNF increases monolayer permeability, and augments adhesion and migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and T-lymphocytes across the monolayers. Adhesion of resting T-lymphocytes to activated endothelium is mediated by VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. ICAM-1, E-selectin and PECAM-1 participate in T-lymphocyte migration across HBMEC monolayers. Adhesion of PMN to activated HBMEC is mediated by ICAM-1 and E-selectin, while ICAM-1 is involved in the migration process. Anti-adhesion molecule Abs reduce adhesion and/or migration but have no effect on the
Cross-resistance to auxinic herbicides in dicamba-resistant Chenopodium album

ABSTRACT The responses of two dicamba-resistant Chenopodium album (fathen) populations (L and M) were compared with the responses of two dicamba-susceptible populations (A and P) to the auxinic herbicides mecoprop, clopyralid, 2,4‐D and aminopyralid in a preliminary experiment. The dicamba-resistant fathen was cross-resistant to the pyridine carboxylic acid herbicides clopyralid and aminopyralid, but not the phenoxy acid herbicides, 2,4-D and mecoprop. The level of cross-resistance to aminopyralid and picloram (another pyridine carboxylic acid herbicide) was investigated in two separate dose-response experiments. The results of the first dose-response experiment showed populations L and M were 12 and 19 times more resistant to aminopyralid, respectively, than susceptible populations (A and P). The dicamba-resistant fathen populations were also shown to be resistant to picloram although the levels of resistance ranged from three- to 17-fold. These levels of cross-resistance for both herbicides were confirmed in the second dose-response experiment. The results of this study help with planning control strategies for this resistance problem.
FACTORS GOVERNING THE NATURALIZATION-TO-INVASION TRANSITION OF EXOTIC PLANTS IN SHENZHEN, CHINA

Understanding factors increasing the probability of exotic plants becoming invasive is crucial for designing appropriate management strategies to mitigate the detrimental effects of invasive plants on rapidly urbanizing areas. However, no study to date has attempted to determine how various factors may affect the naturalization-to-invasion transition of exotic plants in these areas. Here, we took Shenzhen, one of the largest and most rapidly urbanizing cities of the world, as a case study to explore how various factors may affect the naturalization-to-invasion transition of exotic plants in rapidly urbanizing areas, with an emphasis on exotic plant invasion in urban forests. Our results showed that 33.5% of the 349 naturalized exotic plant species in Shenzhen have become invasive. We found strong evidence that plant attributes and environmental factors have considerable effects on the naturalization-to-invasion transition of exotic plant species in Shenzhen. In contrast, there was little evidence that any socio-economic factor promotes the naturalization-to-invasion transition of exotic plants in Shenzhen. Our findings suggested that although human activities facilitated the initial establishment of exotic plant species in rapidly urbanizing areas, the naturalization-to-invasion transition of exotic plants in these areas appeared to be governed largely by biotic and environmental factors.
Phenacoccus parvus Morrison et P. solenopsis Tinsley, deux Cochenilles nouvelles pour l'Egypte (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae)

Deux nouvelles especes de Pseudococcidae du genre Phenacococus sont signalees pour la premiere fois en Egypte, Phenacoccus parvus et P. solenopsis. Une cle d'identification est proposee pour differencier les cinq especes de Phenacoccus connues en Egypte.
Biocontrol of Fusarium Wilt and Growth Promotion of Tomato Plants Using Endophytic Bacteria Isolated from Solanum elaeagnifolium Stems

Seven culturable bacterial isolates, obtained from the internal stem tissues of Solanum elaeagnifolium and successfully colonizing the internal stem tissues of tomato cv. Rio Grande, were screened for their in vivo antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (FOL) and their growth‐promoting potential on tomato plants. SV101 and SV104 isolates, assessed on pathogen‐challenged tomato plants led to a significant decrease (77–83%) in Fusarium wilt severity and vascular browning extent (76%), as compared to the inoculated and untreated control. Isolates enhanced growth parameters on pathogen‐challenged and unchallenged tomato plants. SV104 and SV101 isolates were most effective in suppressing disease and enhancing plant growth. These two isolates were identified as Bacillus sp. str. SV101 (KU043040) and B. tequilensis str. SV104 (KU976970). They displayed antifungal activity against FOL; pathogen growth was inhibited by 64% and an inhibition zone (11.50 and 19.75 mm) against FOL could be formed using whole cell suspensions. SV101 and SV104 extracellular metabolites also inhibited FOL growth by 20 and 55%, respectively, as compared to control. B. tequilensis str. SV104 was shown to produce protease, chitinase, pectinase, IAA and siderophores. Bacillus sp. str. SV101 displayed pectinase activity and was found to be an IAA‐producing and phosphate‐solubilizing agent. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting on S. elaeagnifolium use as a potential source of potent biocontrol and plant growth‐promoting agents.
Nitrous oxide emissions from clover in the Mediterranean environment

Introducing nitrogen N 2 -fixing crops into cereal-based crop rotations reduces N-fertiliser use and may mitigate soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N 2 O). However, the effect of the cultivation of N 2 -fixing crops on N 2 O emissions is still not well understood. N 2 O from N 2 -fixing crops can be emitted in two ways: during biological N 2 fixation itself and when legume residues are returned to the soil. A field trial was carried out on clover ( Trifolium squarrosum Savi) to test the role of leguminous crops on N 2 O emissions in the Mediterranean environment. Monitoring was performed from December 2013 to September 2014. Cumulated N-N 2 O fluxes were calculated for the growing season (Phase 1) and the post-harvest period (Phase 2) in order to assess the importance of each phase. Our results did not show statistically significant differences between the two phases in term of contribution to the total cumulative N-N 2 O emissions, in fact Phase 1 and Phase 2 accounted respectively for 43 and 57% of the total.
The Effect of Potassium Fertilization on The Acid Content of `Concord' Grape Juice

High acidity is detrimental to the flavor of `Concord9 grape juice. The feasibility of reducing tartaric acid content to promote greater precipitation of potassium acid tartrate was studied with grapes of various potassium contents. The tartrate and malate contents of juices prepared from these grapes were determined before and after storage at 28°F. Reduction of tartrate content in storage was proportional to the potassium contents of leaf petioles and grapes, but the quantity of potassium that can be absorbed under growing conditions in New York is insufficient to effect the desired reduction in acid content.
Composition of the essential oils from leaves of Piper lepturum Kunth (C.DC.) var. lepturum and Piper lepturum var. angustifolium (Miq.) Yunck. from Brazil

The essential oils of Brazilian Piper lepturum var. lepturum and Piper lepturum var. angustifolium (Piperaceae) were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by flame-detector gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). According to GC and GC/MS analysis, the essential oils are mostly composed by sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons. β-Guaiene (29.96%) was the principal component in the essential oil of P. lepturum var. lepturum and β-Bisabolene (17.72%) was the principal components in the essential oil of P. lepturum var. angustifolium.
Detailed scheduling of harvest teams and robust use of harvest and transportation resources

ABSTRACT Planning activities of harvest teams (harvesting and forwarding) and transportation is critical for efficient procurement of roundwood from forests to mills. The planning process involves many integrated decisions that consider process, spatial and temporal aspects. The spatial aspect concerns which area to harvest, which machine team to use, the mill to which the timber should be allocated and where to store the timber. The process decisions involve which bucking instruction to use. The temporal aspect concerns when to harvest, when to transport in order to meet specific demand at mills, and when to store the timber. Temporal decisions also include determining a detailed schedule for each harvest team. Such a schedule includes starting time and movement time between harvest areas. This is complicated by the harvest team having different home bases and different machine systems with their specific performance description and capacities. The overall planning problem can be formulated into one optimization model, but such a model is too large for practical use and cannot be solved in a reasonable time. We propose a decomposition scheme where a sequence of aggregated models, or limited parts of the model, is solved to find high-quality solutions quickly. We test the scheduling in cases involving two large Swedish forest companies.
Ophiuroid (Echinodermata) systematics—where do we come from, where do we stand and where should we go?*

Over 2,000 Recent species of brittle star are currently known. The most active period of species discovery was between 1850 and 1950, with an average rate of about 20 new species per year, but even today, an average of 7 species per year are described. The most prolific authors were R. Koehler, H.L. Clark, T. Lyman, T. Mortensen and C. Lutken. Early classifica­tions divided the Ophiuroidea into Euryalida and Ophiurida. Matsumoto suggested in 1917 further subdivision, accepted by some authors, rejected by others. His classification is still the most comprehensive work available. A first modern clad­istic analysis was presented in 1995 by Smith et al. , but despite its shortcomings, no further attempts at reconstructing the phylogeny of the whole class have been made. It is becoming increasingly clear that Ophiuroidea have undergone rapid evolution after the great extinction event at the Permian/Triassic boundary, complicating phylogenetic analysis both with morphological and molecular data. Palaeozoologists still debate which ophiuroid group(s) survived the extinction. It has been suggested that the modern families Ophiuridae and Ophiolepididae may be traced back to the Palaeozoic, but the traditional view puts Ophiacanthidae and Ophiomyxidae at the root of the tree, with Euryalida as ancient sister group to Ophiurida. Unusual species with aberrant traits abound, but are still poorly understood. New morphological approaches, such as the study of the internal skeleton (jaws, dental plates, lateral arm plates), ontogeny and the role of paedomorpho­sis, as well as the extensive use of SEM for microstructure examinations, attempt to improve our understanding of the diversity and evolution of brittle stars.
Osteology and phylogenetic affinities of the middle Eocene North American Bathornis grallator—one of the best represented, albeit least known Paleogene cariamiform birds (seriemas and allies)

Abstract. Bathornis (“Neocathartes”) grallator (Wetmore, 1944) from the middle Eocene of Wyoming is based on a partial skeleton, which is the most substantial record of the North American Bathornithidae and one of the most complete fossils of a Paleogene stem group representative of the Cariamiformes. So far, however, an assessment of the evolutionary significance of this important fossil has been hampered by the limited published osteological data. Moreover, cariamiform affinities of B. grallator and its true “genus”-level identity were recognized after the last comprehensive revision of the Bathornithidae, and some of its features were incorrectly portrayed in the original description. Here, the B. grallator holotype is restudied and the taxonomic composition and phylogenetic affinities of bathornithids are revised. It is suggested to restrict Bathornithidae to the taxon Bathornis, from which the putative bathornithid Paracrax differs in numerous features, with even cariamiform affinities of this latter taxon not having been established beyond doubt. B. grallator was a flightless bird and has recently been hypothesized to be the sister taxon of the likewise flightless South American Phorusrhacidae. The present analysis, however, supports a position outside a clade including Phorusrhacidae and Cariamidae (the cariamiform crown clade). Owing to their terrestrial way of living, Cariamiformes appear to have been prone to a loss of flight capabilities. B. grallator shows close similarities to a flightless cariamiform bird from the Paleogene of Europe, but the phylogenetic significance of this resemblance is difficult to assess owing to the limited material known of the latter species.
Staminate Flower Production and Fusarium Wilt Reaction of Diploid Cultivars Used as Pollenizers for Triploid Watermelon

Several cultivars of nonharvested watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) pollenizers were compared for staminate flower production in field tests and disease reaction to fusarium wilt [Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Niveum (FON)] in both greenhouse and field tests. Differences were observed in staminate flower counts and fusarium wilt reactions in both years of field evaluations and to fusarium wilt among cultivars evaluated in the greenhouse. ‘SP-1’, ‘Sidekick’, and ‘5WDL 6146’ were the cultivars with high staminate flower counts in the field both years. These cultivars also were among the most resistant to fusarium wilt in both years of field tests. Significant correlations occurred between the rankings of the cultivar’s fusarium wilt reactions in both the two field and three greenhouse experiments, indicating a high degree of correlation between field and greenhouse tests.
Influence of mould size and rennet on proteolysis and composition of canestrato Pugliese cheese

Four lots of Canestrato Pugliese cheese were produced to evaluate the influence of the type of rennet (lamb or bovine) and of the mould size (3 and 7 kg) on the proteolysis and chemical composition of this hard cheese made from sheep milk. The curd obtained with lamb rennet showed higher retention of milk fat than the curd made with bovine rennet. This is related to the different chymosin/pepsin ratio, which influenced the state of aggregation of the casein micelles. Hydrolysis of the protein fraction during ripening was affected by the type of rennet used, due to the different retention in the curd, and by the different residual activity influenced by the physicochemical conditions of the cheeses. The highest level of proteolysis was found in the 3 kg cheese made with lamb rennet. Moreover, formation of water soluble nitrogen was closely related to the area/weight ratio of the cheeses.
Feasibility of Using Passive Integrated Transponder Technology for Studying the Ecology of Juvenile Striped Mullet (Mugil cephalus) in Streams1

Abstract: Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags are an important technology used to study ecology and behavior of animals including several stream fishes. In this study we investigated feasibility of using PIT technology to study ecology of juvenile Mugil cephalus (striped mullet) in Hawaiian streams. We quantified retention rates of PIT tags relative to an alternative tagging approach, visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags in the postorbital adipose tissue, for juvenile M. cephalus through a laboratory study. Next we conducted a field study of movement patterns of PIT-tagged juvenile mullet in a lowland Hawaiian stream (Waiāhole Stream) from early to mid-August 2014. For the laboratory portion of the study, 30 individuals (5–7 cm fork length) were randomly distributed among three treatments: PIT, VIE, and control (no tag) and held for 48 days. Tag retention was 100% for PIT-tagged and 0% for VIE-tagged fish. For the field study, 19 individuals (14.6–18.7 cm fork length) collected from Waiāhole Stream were implanted with PIT tags, and the movement of tagged individuals between the stream and its stream-mouth estuary/Kāne‘ohe Bay was inferred using a stationary PIT antenna array for 7 days. During that period, the antenna array registered 189 detections (97% during daylight hours, one missed detection) from five individuals, translating into 27 visits in total. Trip lengths to the estuary ranged from 45 min to 22 hr, with longer forays (≥10 hr) occurring primarily at night and shorter forays (<10 hr) occurring throughout daylight hours. Our results suggest that PIT tags are a feasible and effective marking technology for studying ecology of individual M. cephalus in streams, which paves the way for future research using this approach to study other aspects of their ecology.
Succession and regeneration patterns of East African mountain forests A review

Regeneration and succession processes in montane forests of Kenya and parts of Ethiopia were investigated. The slowly growing camphor tree, Ocotea usambarensis, regenerates mainly by suckers from old root systems. Undamaged seeds were very rarely seen, and, apparently are viable only for a few days. After natural breakdown of an old tree, the gap is filled by fast growing species, mainly Macaranga kilimandscharica and Neoboutonia macrocalyx, in the shade of which the young Ocotea suckers can establish. After the death of the secondary species, whose germination requires full sunlight and is inhibited in the shade, the Ocotea forest recovers. Large scale logging of Camphor trees predominantly destroys the regeneration of Ocotea and leads to secondary forest types, which regenerate in own cycles. The high number of big game was found to be without impact on the natural regeneration of Ocotea. The Cassipourea malosana dominated forest regenerates as a mosaic-climax without a single species becoming dominant. Cedar forests dominated by Juniperus procera regenerate most efficiently after fire. Without recurrent burning, the forests of the lower and middle part of the montane zone, regenerate to climax associations dominated by broad-leaved trees as Olea capensis ssp. hochstetteri, Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata and Podocarpus latifolius. On higher altitudes Juniperus procera always remains dominant even if fire does not occur for a longer time period. The high population density especially of buffaloes seems to inhibit successful regeneration in many parts of the Juniperion, due to intensive browsing and in particular trampling. The African Bamboo, Sinarun- dinaria alpina, shows a distinct growth cycle and can grow for extremely long periods in the vegetative state before flowering, especially so at the borders of its area. After flowering and dying of the bamboo, in most areas a dense Sambucus africana shrub is formed into which bamboo is invading from old rhizomes again. In Ethiopia, regeneration occurs directly, without an interspersed Sambucus stage. The uniform age of the Hagenia stands suggests that regeneration in these forests occurs suddenly after a disturbing event. Germination tests yielded, that Hagenia seeds are not germinating unless the competing undergrowth is removed. As fire is the only natural factor able to clear the grass layer of larger areas, it is assumed, that the reproduction of the subalpine forests depends on occasional burning.
Relationship of life forms and diversity in old-field succession

MONK, CARL D. (Bot. Dept., Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602). Relationship of life forms and diversity in old-field succession. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 110: 449-453. 1983. -Fortyeight old-fields (f15 years old) were examined in terms of species diversity. The mean number of species was initially low following field abandonment; increased rapidly for 5-6 years; then the number decreased. Variability was sufficiently large that successive years exhibited no significant differences, but cumulative differences did occur. The information content diversity was quite variable, its pattern of change closely coupled with the shift in life form dominance. When the life span of the dominant species was short (annuals), diversity reached a maximum one year then declined the next. With a shift to perennial forbs and then perennial grasses, diversity increased to a maximum the first year of the life form dominance then declined over the next couple of years, then increased again. These data are briefly discussed in relation to some current succession theory.