Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pollination effectiveness of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in a kiwifruit orchard

Honey bees, Apis mellifera L. , are used to pollinate orchards of kiwi fruit, Actinidia deliciosa (Chpvalier), but there is little direct evidence to support this practice. We measured the pollination effectiveness of individual foragers and insect foraging activity in an orchard vith 1 staminate vine for 13 pistillate vines. Honey bees made 98% of the anthophilous fauna with average densities of 3.18 and 1.19 foragers per 100 staminate and pistillate flowers, respectively. In 68 matched pairs of adjacent flowers, fruit set was 5.9% for flowers exposed to airborne pollen only and 39.7% for flowers that also received 1 honeybee visit. Fruits from bee-visited flowers contained 610 ± 80 (±SE) seeds, whereas those from control flowers had 110 ± 50 seeds, demonstrating that honey bees are effective pollinators of kiwi fruit. The effectiveness of honeybee visits was greater on vines surrounding a staminate plant than on those farther away, and some foraging bees may have released viable pollen which was then carried airborne to adjoining flowers.
A decade of GOSAT Proxy satellite CH4 observations

Abstract. This work presents the latest release (v9.0) of the University of Leicester GOSAT Proxy XCH4 dataset. Since the launch of the GOSAT satellite in 2009, these data have been produced by the UK National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) as part of the ESA Greenhouse Gas Climate Change Initiative (GHG-CCI) and Copernicus Climate Change Services (C3S) projects. With now over a decade of observations, we outline the many scientific studies achieved using past versions of these data in order to highlight how this latest version may be used in the future. We describe in detail how the data are generated, providing information and statistics for the entire processing chain from the L1B spectral data through to the final quality-filtered column-averaged dry-air mole fraction (XCH4) data. We show that out of the 19.5 million observations made between April 2009 and December 2019, we determine that 7.3 million of these are sufficiently cloud-free (37.6 %) to process further and ultimately obtain 4.6 million (23.5 %) high-quality XCH4 observations. We separate these totals by observation mode (land and ocean sun glint) and by month, to provide data users with the expected data coverage, including highlighting periods with reduced observations due to instrumental issues. We perform extensive validation of the data against the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON), comparing to ground-based observations at 22 locations worldwide. We find excellent agreement with TCCON, with an overall correlation coefficient of 0.92 for the 88 345 co-located measurements. The single-measurement precision is found to be 13.72 ppb, and an overall global bias of 9.06 ppb is determined and removed from the Proxy XCH4 data. Additionally, we validate the separate components of the Proxy (namely the modelled XCO2 and the XCH4∕XCO2 ratio) and find these to be in excellent agreement with TCCON. In order to show the utility of the data for future studies, we compare against simulated XCH4 from the TM5 model. We find a high degree of consistency between the model and observations throughout both space and time. When focusing on specific regions, we find average differences ranging from just 3.9 to 15.4 ppb. We find the phase and magnitude of the seasonal cycle to be in excellent agreement, with an average correlation coefficient of 0.93 and a mean seasonal cycle amplitude difference across all regions of −0.84 ppb. These data are available at https://doi.org/10.5285/18ef8247f52a4cb6a14013f8235cc1eb (Parker and Boesch, 2020).
Toxicity of Nicotine in Synthetic Diets to Larvae of the Tobacco Hornworm

First, 3rd, and 5th instars of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), were affected adversely in survival, rate of development, and weight of their prepupae or pupae by 2% or higher concentrations of nicotine incorporated in a synthetic diet. One percent nicotine in the diet had no observable effect, while 1.5% nicotine had a slight effect on survival and rate of development of 1st and 3rd instars. Under free choice conditions, hornworm larvae fed more on diets without nicotine than on diets containing nicotine, especially on those diets with high nicotine concentrations. Although tobacco hornworm larvae may be adapted to feeding on nicotine-containing plants, resistance to this insect in solanaceous plants could result from the presence of nicotine and/or related alkaloids in the plant.
Stickiness on a Mobile Instant Messaging Service: Perspective of Consumption Value Theory, Flow, and Social In ﬂ uence Theory

Smartphones have become mainstream products, especially for apps that create diverse content and can generate new business models. The mobile instant messaging (MIM) service is one the most frequently used apps. It not only changes communication behavior but also creates new approaches toward business. Therefore, the current study aims to examine the predictors of stickiness of an MIM service among smartphone users. The research framework was based on the theory of consumption value, perceived value, and social influence theory, with the objective to evaluate why people stick to the MIM service. Data collected from 495 valid respondents were analyzed using the structural equation model (SEM). The results indicated that consumption value and social environment both affect the continued usage intention for MIM services. Moreover, this study shows that social in ﬂ uence is the main prompt for continued use as well as stickiness behavior.
Are current avian influenza vaccines a solution for smallholder poultry farmers?

Vaccination against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses, along with other measures, was successful in eradicating AI in very few countries where the competence of national veterinary services or the geography and bird density have contributed favorably to the outcome. The main constraints to an effective AI vaccination are vaccine composition matching field strains, reliable cold chain and logistics to target all poultry smallholders, constraints related to the availability of sufficient financial and human resources. When not conducted properly, vaccination can also contribute to the emergence of new field viral strains, through genetic drifts of HPAI viruses. While new technologies have improved the possibility to produce high quality vaccines matching field strains, recurrent issues like post-vaccination field surveillance and vaccination coverage continue to limit the relevance of AI vaccination in smallholder settings. A “game-changer” vaccine targeting smallholders should be universal to protect against all field viral strains and reduce significantly, if not totally eliminate, the need for costly post-vaccination surveillance. The ease of administration of this vaccine (eye drop or one single injection) would further contribute to its relevance in the field. These characteristics are considered essential for the product profile of an AI vaccine that can contribute in a meaningful way to the livelihoods of poultry smallholders.
The importance of model resolution on simulated precipitation in Europe – from global to regional model

Abstract. Precipitation, and especially extreme precipitation, is a key climate variable as it effects large parts of society. It is difficult to simulate in a climate model because of its large variability in time and space. This study investigates the importance of model resolution on the simulated precipitation in Europe for a wide range of climate model ensembles: from global climate models (GCM) at horizontal resolution of around 300 km to regional climate models (RCM) at horizontal resolution of 12.5 km. The aim is to investigate the differences between models and model ensembles, but also to evaluate their performance compared to gridded observations from E-OBS. Model resolution has a clear effect on precipitation. Generally, extreme precipitation is more intense and more frequent in high-resolution models compared to low-resolution models. Models of low resolution tend to underestimate intense precipitation. This is improved in high-resolution simulations, but there is a risk that high resolution models overestimate precipitation. This effect is seen in all ensembles, and GCMs and RCMs of similar resolution give similar results. The number of precipitation days, which is more governed by large-scale atmospheric flow, is not dependent on model resolution, while the number of days with heavy precipitation is. The difference between different models is often larger than between the low- and high-resolution versions of the same model, which makes it difficult to quantify the improvement. In this sense the quality of an ensemble is depending more on the models it consists of rather than the average resolution of the ensemble. Furthermore, the difference in simulated precipitation between an RCM and the driving GCM depend more on the choice of RCM and less on the down-scaling itself; as different RCMs driven by the same GCM may give different results. The results presented here are in line with previous similar studies but this is the first time an analysis like this is done across such relatively large model ensembles of different resolutions, and with a method studying all parts of the precipitation distribution.
Submitted to the Annals of Probability PERMANENTAL FIELDS , LOOP SOUPS AND CONTINUOUS ADDITIVE FUNCTIONALS By

A permanental field, ψ = {ψ(ν), ν ∈ V}, is a particular stochastic process indexed by a space of measures on a set S. It is determined by a kernel u(x, y), x, y ∈ S, that need not be symmetric and is allowed to be infinite on the diagonal. We show that these fields exist when u(x, y) is a potential density of a transient Markov process X in S. A permanental field ψ can be realized as the limit of a renormalized sum of continuous additive functionals determined by a loop soup of X, which we carefully construct. A Dynkin type isomorphism theorem is obtained that relates ψ to continuous additive functionals of X (continuous in t), L = {Lt , (ν, t) ∈ V × R+}. Sufficient conditions are obtained for the continuity of L on V ×R+. The metric on V is given by a proper norm.
Functional characteristics of gene expression motifs with single and dual strategies of regulation

Transcriptional regulation by transcription factors and post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs constitute two major modes of regulation of gene expression. While gene expression motifs incorporating solely transcriptional regulation are well investigated, the dynamics of motifs with dual strategies of regulation, i.e., both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, have not been studied as extensively. In this paper, we probe the dynamics of a four-gene motif with dual strategies of regulation of gene expression. Some of the functional characteristics are compared with those of a two-gene motif, the genetic toggle, employing only transcriptional regulation. Both the motifs define positive feedback loops with the potential for bistability and hysteresis. The four-gene motif, contrary to the genetic toggle, is found to exhibit bistability even in the absence of cooperativity in the regulation of gene expression. The four-gene motif further exhibits a novel dynamical feature in which two regions of monostability with linear threshold response are separated by a region of bistability with digital response. Using the linear noise approximation, we further show that the coefficient of variation (a measure of noise), associated with the protein levels in the steady state, has a lower magnitude in the case of the four-gene motif as compared to the case of the genetic toggle. We next compare transcriptional with post-transcriptional regulation from an information theoretic perspective. We focus on two gene expression motifs, Motif 1 with transcriptional regulation and Motif 2 with post-transcriptional regulation. We show that amongst the two motifs, Motif 2 has a greater capacity for information transmission for an extended range of parameter values.
Endoparasites of the endemic Irish hare Lepus timidus hibernicus

The Irish hare Lepus timidus hibernicus is an endemic subspecies of Mountain hare and Ireland's only native lagomorph. The endoparasite community composition of the Irish hare was examined from 22 carcasses opportunistically sourced from wildlife strike events (with aircraft and vehicles) from three counties in the Republic of Ireland. Three parasite taxa were identified from the stomach and small intestines: Trichostrongylus retortaeformis, Graphidium strigosum and a tapeworm belonging to the genus Mosgovoyia. Overall, 50% of hares examined were host to at least one endoparasite taxon and 18% were host to more than one taxon. There was no significant correlation between parasite burden and host weight. This is the first known study of endoparasites in the Irish hare.
PREVALENCE OF ORTHODONTIC ANOMALIES IN INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN INDIA

About 3% of all children across the world are “special. ” Several studies reported that malocclusion is more common in intellectually disabled individuals compared to the general population. Malocclusion is common in intellectually disabled individuals, there is scarce data regarding the same from India. The present study was undertaken to find the prevalence and type of malocclusion in Intellectually Disabled (ID) patients. 63% of patients were Dolicocephalic. Mouth breathing, Class I molar relation and Class I canine relation were the most common. 42% reported mandibular crowding, 33% had lip protrusion, 8% of patients reported TMJ clicking, 54% had caries and 46% scored poor in OHI index. As per DAI, 4% reported severe malocclusion and 3% handicapping.Lip protrusion and upper arch spacing were significantly more among males. Caregivers should be educated regarding the benefits of good oral hygiene and orthodontic treatment at an early age. This will help in the prevention of development of malocclusion and other dental anomalies.
Under pressure: predation risk defining mating investment in matured spider mite Tetranychus urticae

Abstract The emergence of anti-predatory strategies for prey survival are ruled by the minimization of the encounters/ interactions with potential predators, but at the same time by maximizing the access to limiting resources such as food or mating partners. Cues indicating predatory activity influence decision-making activities in the twospotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae, such as dispersion, foraging activities, and reproductive effort. However, anti-predatory strategies studied in spider mites generally considers mainly the female perspective (e.g. oviposition), leaving a gap in how T. urticae couples deal with predatory risk. Here, through laboratory experiments, we observed that matured spider mite couples were only affected by predation risk during the precopulatory stages of the mating process, especially when deciding to proceed in a mating opportunity. The mating performance of individuals was independent of their exposure to predation risk, suggesting that couples would adopt full investment behavior after opting to proceed in a mating attempt. Though our working hypothesis predicted predation risk interference throughout the entire mating process, we conclude that decision-making activities by spider mite during pre-copulatory stages act independently from copulatory stages associated to insemination.
The genus Amblyseius Berlese (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Turkey with discussion on the identity of Amblyseius meridionalis1

Abstract Surveys were conducted to assess Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesositgmata) diversity in various habitats and ecosystems (including natural and agricultural areas) since 2008 in Turkey. This paper aims to provide a review of the Turkish species belonging to genus Amblyseius Berlese (Acari: Phytoseiidae) based on materials collected during these surveys as well as previous records. As a result, A. nemorivagus Athias-Henriot was found for the first time for Turkish fauna. In addition, unknown male of A. bryophilus Karg is described and illustrated. A revised identification key is provided for the 13 Amblyseius species found in Turkey. Validity of some previous Turkish records, and identity of A. meridionalis Berlese, are discussed. There are series of discrete species reported under the name A. meridionalis, none of them truly match with the original description in terms of shape of ventrianal shield. Our results indicated that A. kadzhajai Gomelauri, A. meridionalis, A. nemorivagus and A. obtusus (Koch) sensu Karg, were found only on moss. Amblyseius andersoni (Chant), A. herbicolus (Chant) and A. swirskii Athias-Henriot are common in agricultural ecosystems or higher plants. According to results, there is a different geographic distribution between these three species; A. swirskii is reported only from east Mediterranean, while A. herbicolus only from North-East (Black Sea region), A. andersoni is common in western Turkey. Only a few specimens of Amblyseius adjaricus Wainstein & Vartapetov and A. bryophilus were collected, from cultivated plants from Black Sea region. Therefore, potential of Turkish populations of these five species and their using possibilities in biological control are warranted in Turkey.
A Consensual Qualitative Research Exploration of School Counselor Multicultural Education Behaviors

In this consensual qualitative research study, we explored how school counselors enact multicultural education behaviors by studying the experiences of 10 practicing school counselors. We also examined barriers that prevent school counselors from implementing multicultural education. Participants described acknowledging their contexts, being influenced by intrapersonal factors and awareness of others, and implementing different types of interventions. We discuss implications for practicing school counselors to navigate barriers and enact multicultural education in their schools.
A contribution to the fauna of mites (Acari) in Fiji

Abstract We recently had the opportunity to collect some mite samples in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu of Fiji and found a couple of dozens of species. In this paper we present 32 species in three orders—Mesostigmata: 15 species in 11 genera in 9 families; Sarcoptiformes: 13 species in 13 genera in 10 families; Trombidiformes: 4 species in 4 genera in 3 families. The following 22 species are recorded for the first time from Fiji: Ameroseius womersleyi in Ameroseiidae, Lasioseius cuppa, L. latinoamericanus, L. pellitus and L. penicilliger in Blattisociidae, Androlaelaps casalis in Laelapidae, Proctolaelaps aurora in Melicharidae, Propriosiopsis ovatus and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) transvaalensis in Phytoseiidae; Funkotriplogynium ovulum in Triplogyniidae, Uroactinia hippocrepea in Uroactiniidae, Neotropacarus mumai and Schwiebea zingiberi in Acaridae, Glycycometus weelawadjiensis in Aeroglyphidae, Blomia tropicalis in Echimyopodidae, Pergalumna (P.) hawaiiensis hawaiiensis in Galumnidae, Nasozetes sumatrensis in Hemileiidae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in Pyroglyphidae, Sudasia pontifica in Suidasiidae, Oulenziella bakeri in Winterschmidtiidae, Dactyloscirus smileyi in Cunaxidae, Tarsonemus rakowiensis in Tarsonemidae.
Oviposition Site Selection and Conservation Insights of Two Tree Frogs (Agalychnis moreletii and A. callidryas )

Abstract. Oviposition site selection directly affects biological fitness and is related to a large number of environmental factors. A conserved trait that constrains oviposition site selection in tree frogs is the laying of clutches in vegetation overhanging water bodies. Some factors that determine oviposition site selection in tree frogs are presence of predators, water temperature, desiccation risk, laying substrate, and the chemical traits of the water body. Agalychnis moreletii and A. callidryas are widespread throughout Central America, but their populations are declining due to deforestation, presence of pathogens, species smuggling, and changes in rainfall patterns caused by global warming. We studied the oviposition site selection of the aforementioned species in four sympatric sites in southern Mexico. We characterized the vegetation, pond area and depth, temperature, and precipitation of the four sites. Each site was visited three times per week for 4 mo to record clutch development and condition, the number of eggs, substrate species, distance to the pond, and sunlight incidence. We detected a total of 404 clutches of both species in all study sites. We used generalized linear models to explore the differences among sites and determine which variables most affected clutch condition. We found significant differences in vegetation structure and pond area and depth among sites. Oviposition site selection was observed at two different scales, and reproductive success was determined by precipitation, light incidence, and substrate availability. The non-random oviposition site selection suggests that both species rely on primary forest structure for a successful reproduction. This information emphasizes the prominent role of primary forest complexity in the reproductive success of these species.
Sexual Identification of Caiman latirostris Hatchlings by Cloacal Inspection

Abstract. Sexual identification of crocodilians is important in population studies and provides useful information for conservation and management plans and monitoring populations over time. It is possible to distinguish between male and female Caiman latirostris by cloacal palpation or eversion of the penis in individuals larger than 75 cm total length, but smaller animals possess a barely differentiable cliteropenis. In hatchlings, sex determination methods involve surgical examination, necropsy, or analysis of cranial dimorphism, which cannot be applied in the field. We classified hatchlings of C. latirostris by observing the color and shape of their genitals. The penis is a milky white organ with a rounded shape at the tip and a purple hue at the end, whereas the clitoris is shorter, whitish, and has a pointed end. The procedure was tested on hatchlings from three nests at the “Proyecto Yacaré” study area (Santa Fe province); half of the eggs of each nest were incubated at a constant temperature of 31°C (producing females) and the other half at 33°C (producing males). To observe the sexual organs by cloacal inspection, we used a modified instrument whose function during palpation is like that of a finger applied in large animals to evert the penis or clitoris. In the first days after hatching we correctly scored the sex of 80% of the individuals. The number of correct identifications was slightly lower for males than for females. This technique might be a useful tool for field studies, as it allows the sex of small caimans to be estimated in situ.
Erratum: Mites of the genera Leioseius Berlese and Protogamasellus Karg (Mesostigmata, Ascidae) in mangrove forests in southern Iran, with a key to the genera and species of Ascidae recorded from Iran. Systematic and Applied Acarology, 24(7): 1319–1336.

In a survey on the edaphic mesostigmatic mites in mangrove forests of Qeshm Island, eastern of the Persian Gulf, two species of the family Ascidae were collected in broken cockleshells and sand in littoral zone: Leioseius sepidehae sp. nov. and Protogamasellus mica (Athias-Henriot, 1961). This is the first record of the genus Leioseius from Iran. Leioseius sepidehae sp. nov. is described from adult females. Intraspecific variations of some characters of P. mica are discussed, and based on those, P. primitivus machadoi Genis, Loots & Ryke, 1967 and P. primitivus similis Genis, Loots & Ryke, 1967 are herein synonymized under P. mica. Finally, the occasional presence of the gland pores gv1 in Ascidae is reviewed, and a key to the Iranian genera and species of Ascidae is presented.