Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flowering of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in NW Mediterranean: is there a link with solar activity?

Time series on the leaf biometry and rhizome production of the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile were investigated in a meadow of the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean) in order to assess changes in the plant growth during a massive flowering event occurred in 2003, in coincidence with the warmest summer temperatures recorded in the last centuries. P. oceanica exhibited the highest values of leaf surface area during the flowering year and the highest values of rhizome production in the previous year. The years immediately following the flowering event were characterized by a decrease in both parameters. Comparison of the years of massive flowering events reported in the literature at the whole Mediterranean-wide spatial scale with the historical series (spanning the last 50 years) of the air temperature and of the sunspot number suggested that intense solar activity, and not warmer temperature per se , was likely to be the main trigger of massive flowering events in Posidonia oceanica .
Annual Reproductive Activity of Mabuya mabouya (Squamata, Scincidae)

Abstract Rreproductive features of a population of Mabuya mabouya were studied in a wet tropical habitat with a bimodal precipitation regime. The sex ratio was approximately 1:1, and females were larger than males. Males matured at a SVL of 72 mm and are continuously reproductive throughout their adult life. Two groups of females were found reproducing simultaneously: primiparous females that reached a minimum size at their first reproduction and continued to grow during the gestation period and multiparous females of larger size that exhibited more limited growth. Primiparous females began preovulatory follicular growth and ovulated at juvenile sizes (60–74 mm SVL). Reproductive activity of the females appeared aseasonal. However, births occurred during the dry months, producing a bimodal pattern of neonate recruitment into the population. Gestation of four to seven embryos lasted approximately 10 months. Litter size was related to female SVL. The maximum follicular size corresponded to a microlecithal egg, and the percentage of growth of the embryo during development indicated a substantial matrotrophy. Accumulation of abdominal fat bodies in males or females was unrelated to season, and the relative quantity of fat accumulated was smaller in males. Stored fats decreased in the last phase of gestation, indicating a higher energetic cost during the final growth phase of the embryo. The reproductive traits of M. mabouya are comparable to those of other South American Mabuya, but this population possesses particular features related to the environmental conditions of its tropical habitat that suggest local adaptation.
Host selection behaviour of the parasitoid Leptopilina clavipes in relation to survival in hosts.

The probability of survival to adulthood of Leptopilina clavipes, a solitary endoparasitoid of Drosophila larvae developing in fungi, was studied in 6 of its potential host species. Survival probabilities ranged from 0 % to 100%. Decisions concerning which hosts to parasitize directly affect offspring production. Host selection decisions of parasitoids with respect to 4 of the Drosophila species were studied in laboratory experiments. The results suggest that L. clavipes is unable to distinguish between D. phalerata and D. kuntzei. Larvae of D. busckii and D. immigrans are selected roughly in accordance with the survival probabilities for these species. With the exception of D. immigrans, oviposition behaviour of wild caught parasitoids towards these Drosophila was the same.
Land‐use change effects on local energy, water, and carbon balances in an Amazonian agricultural field

To study how changing agricultural practices in the eastern Amazon affect carbon, heat and water exchanges, a 20 m tower was installed in a field in August 2000. Measurements include turbulent fluxes (momentum, heat, water vapor, and CO2) using the eddy covariance (EC) approach, soil heat flux, wind, and scalar profiles (T, q, and CO2), soil moisture content, terrestrial, total solar radiation, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm). At the beginning of the measurements, in September 2000, the field was a pasture. On November 2001, the pasture was burned, plowed, and planted in upland (nonirrigated) rice.
Factors Limiting Reproductive Performance and Nestling Sex Ratio in the Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina at the Northern Limit of Its Range: the Impact of Weather and Prey Abundance

Abstract. Weather conditions and prey abundance impact many birds, but the influence differs between species and regions. I used 18-year data from Estonia, north-eastern Europe, in order to analyse the comparative effects of these factors on the breeding performance and nestling sex ratio in the Lesser Spotted Eagle. All studied reproductive parameters showed strong inter-annual fluctuations but no significant trends. Breeding frequency (proportion of pairs laying) was positively influenced by a warm pre-laying period (temperature in April) and a wet preceding season. These factors are probably associated with the higher occurrence and activity of amphibians that constituted important prey of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in spring. Breeding success (proportion of successful breeders) was determined mostly by the abundance of voles. Productivity (number of fledglings per nest) depended additively both on the spring temperature and abundance of voles in the breeding season; fledging of two nestlings was recorded regularly, mostly in years with high vole abundance. The total offspring sex ratio was slightly, though non-significantly, female-biased. Annual proportion of female nestlings was positively correlated with reproductive parameters and associated with rain in the preceding season, suggesting determination of fledgling sex ratio prior egg-laying. The results help to explain fluctuations in the reproductive performance of the Lesser Spotted Eagle and should be taken into account when monitoring and managing for conservation of this species.
Seed softening, imbibition time, and seedling establishment in yellow serradella

The first (preconditioning) and final stages of seed softening were studied over a 4-year period in 4 lines of yellow serradella (Ornithopus compressus L.): cvv. Santorini and Charano, and accessions GEH72-1A and GRC5045-2-2. Pods grown in 1997 were collected in December (start of summer) and placed on the soil surface or buried at a depth of 1 cm. Measurements of seed softening between years were made from pod samples removed in June each year. The progress of preconditioning and seed softening within the first 3 years was determined from samples taken at the end of February. Numbers of soft and viable seeds were determined from each sampling. Preconditioned seeds were identified by subjecting seeds to 7 gradual diurnal temperature cycles of 48/15°C in darkness before testing for permeability. Seed softening was markedly accelerated by pod burial in all 4 lines, with most buried seeds of GEH72-1A and Santorini softening during the first year. Seed softening was slower in GRC5045-2-2 and Charano, approaching a constant annual rate over the 4 years of the experiment. Despite this marked effect of burial the differences between lines in rates of softening of buried seeds were sufficient to have important implications for persistence under some management systems. Most seeds of all lines softened between February and June, indicating that shallow pod burial could be delayed in these lines until at least the end of February to promote the final stage of seed softening. Although large numbers of seeds of GEH72-1A and GRC5045-2-2 had preconditioned at the soil surface by the end of February, few went on to complete the softening process by June, when most had lost their preconditioned state. Treatment at 48/15°C was less successful in identifying preconditioned seeds of Santorini and Charano. Rates of imbibition differed markedly between lines. Most soft seeds of GEH72-1A and GRC5045-2-2 imbibed within days, whereas they took weeks in Santorini and an intermediate time in Charano. Seedling age distributions in the 4 lines in June closely reflected the times their soft seeds took to imbibe in the laboratory. Imbibition time can be an important germination regulating mechanism having implications that may be either favourable or unfavourable depending on rainfall distribution around the break of season and the system of management.
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer on Photosynthesis and Ribulose 1,5-Diphosphate Carboxylase Activity in Spring Wheat in the Field

Wheat was grown in the field with different levels of nitrogenous fertilizer, and the rate of photosynthesis and the activity of ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase in the flag leaves deter mined. Additional nitrogen increased the dry weight and leaf area of the plants, but did not increase grain yield ; the rate of photosynthesis of the flag leaves was unchanged but the activity of ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase increased. The significance of these observations to the loss of potential yield of wheat and the relationship between photosynthesis and carboxyl ase activity is considered.
Biofilms

Our understanding of the virulence and pathogenesis of Francisella spp. has significantly advanced in recent years, including a new understanding that this organism can form biofilms. What is known so far about Francisella spp. biofilms is summarized here and future research questions are suggested. The molecular basis of biofilm production has begun to be studied, especially the role of extracellular carbohydrates and capsule, quorum sensing and two-component signaling systems. Further work has explored the contribution of amoebae, pili, outer-membrane vesicles, chitinases, and small molecules such as c-di-GMP to Francisella spp. biofilm formation. A role for Francisella spp. biofilm in feeding mosquito larvae has been suggested. As no strong role in virulence has been found yet, Francisella spp. biofilm formation is most likely a key mechanism for environmental survival and persistence. The significance and importance of Francisella spp. ’s biofilm phenotype as a critical aspect of its microbial physiology is being developed. Areas for further studies include the potential role of Francisella spp. biofilms in the infection of mammalian hosts and virulence regulation.
Simultaneous application of phytase and xylanase to broiler feeds based on wheat: in vitro measurements of phosphorus and pentose release from wheats and wheat-based feeds †

An in vitro procedure that simulated digestion in growing broilers was tested to predict phosphorus availability and arabinoxylan hydrolysis in samples of nine wheat varieties and in a wheat-based diet. Amounts of dialysable phosphorus freed from wheat samples correlated with activities of endogenous phytase (R = 0.913; p < 0.0001), whereas amounts of pentoses released were correlated with viscosities of the digested samples (R = 0.899; p < 0.0001). Differences in phosphorus release resulting from graded levels of microbial phytase added to feeds that were either autoclaved or not autoclaved revealed a decreasing role of endogenous phytase in dephosphorylation as levels of microbial phytase supplementation grew. Amounts of pentoses released from feeds containing two different xylanase preparations reflected literature data on different in vivo efficacies of those preparations. Simultaneous addition of phytase and xylanase affected phosphorus release in a manner that depended upon the form of xylanase preparation used (liquid or powder). There was a positive influence of acid protease on both phytate and arabinoxylan hydrolysis in feeds supplemented with phytase. Effects observed by the in vitro procedures corresponded to in vivo phenomena described in the literature. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry
Nitrogênio e as características anatômicas, bromatológicas e agronômicas de cultivares de Brachiaria brizantha

With the objective of determining some anatomical and physicochemical characteristics of two cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha cvs. Marandu and MG-5 Vitoria, harvested at 45 and 65 days after planting under growing doses of ,nitrogen (N), an assay was conducted in pots in greenhouse of the Science Department in the Federal University of Lavras - UFLA, Lavras, MG. An experimental randomized block design with the treatments arranged in a factorial scheme 2x2x5 was used, with, two genotypes, two cutting ages and five doses of N (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/dm3) with four replicates totalizing to 20 treatments and 80 experimental units (pots). The variables studied were: tiller density, polar and equatorial diameters of stomata on the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces, CP, NDF and ADF contents and IVDMD coefficients. The results allow to verify that increased doses of N influences positively DM yield at the two cutting ages. The cutting age influences the number o tillers, the density and polar and equatorial diameters of stomata and the cultivar Vitoria presents more plastic in the stomata characteristics compared to the cultivar Marandu. Higher doses of N cause increase in the contents of CP and IVDMD. Lower inter-curtting intervals promoted the lowest contents of NDF and ADF.
An Evaluation of Environmental Changes Within Fisheries Involved in the Marine Stewardship Council Certification Scheme

There is ongoing debate regarding the value of market-based instruments, such as certification schemes, as an approach to improving the environmental impact of fisheries. This article evaluates the effects of the Marine Stewardship Council on the environmental performance of fisheries over the period before and after certification. A large number of fisheries (n = 447) have undertaken pre-assessments, and in most cases (83%), the auditors recommended that significant improvements should be made before entering full assessment. In cases where substantial improvements were required, the proportion of performance indicators scoring over 80 (considered by the Marine Stewardship Council to be the point of best practice) increased by 22% between pre-assessment and certification. Significant improvements continued after certification, characterized by a 16% increase in the proportion of performance indicators scoring over 80 over a period of five years. Increases in scores assigned by auditors were significantly correlated with increases in real environmental performance (such as increases in stock biomass or the development of protected areas) and improvements in information, which led to increasing certainty that impacts were within sustainable limits. Although results show that certification is associated with real environmental benefits, most improvements are made by fisheries that require significant changes to enter the program. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Reviews in Fisheries Science for the following free supplemental resources: information and references used in order to analyze the trends related to each fishery performance indicator]
Factors affecting antler investment in Iberian red deer

Antler constitutes such a costly trait that the skeleton of the deer undergoes a process similar to osteoporosis to meet the high demands of mineral deposition in the antler. The allometric relationship between antler and body size is one of the oldest known. However, no study has assessed the proportion that antlers constitute with regard to the skeleton (from which most of the material is drawn), nor which factors influence this investment. To assess this, we studied 171 males (aged 1-5 years), determined their antler and bodyweights and scored their body condition. Then we calculated antler investment as antler weight relative to estimated skeletal weight. Results showed that antler investment in males 2 years old (i.e. excluding yearlings) depended on age rather than the whole bodyweight or body condition. Antler investment increased from 6% in yearlings to 35% in 5-year-old males, with a mean of 19%. A GLMM showed that in males 2 years old, within age, the heavier the male and the better the body condition at the start of antler growth, the greater the investment in antlers. In yearlings, antler investment did not depend on bodyweight or body condition. In conclusion, antler weight relative to skeleton weight is a good method to assess antler investment. This investment is influenced by age and, in males 2 years old, also by bodyweight or condition at the start of antler growth.
Gene expression during leaf development in Lolium temulentum: patterns of protein synthesis in response to heat-shock and cold-shock

At an optimal growth temperature of 20°C, expending 4th leaves of Lolium temulentum L. synthesised a broad spectrum of polypeptides which altered with the maturity of the leaf tissue. Elevation of the temperature to 35°C, or above, induced synthesis of heat-shock proteins (hsp), and all parts of the 4th leaf were capable of this response. The threshold temperature for induction of hsp synthesis was little affected by the growth temperature (5 or 20°C). In contrast, a sudden 15–18°C decrease in temperature did not result in a marked alteration of protein synthesis patterns. It is concluded that in this species adaptation to rapid temperature reduction is not mediated by stress protein synthesis.
Soil resources and plant communities of the central Brazilian cerrado and their development

Cerrado is the natural vegetation of the poorer soils in central Brazil and covers approximately 23% of the land area of the country. It has a marked seasonal climate and possesses a large characteris- tic flora of fire-resistant plants including about 800 species of trees and large shrubs. The soils are acidic with low CEC and high levels of Al saturation. They are well drained and the majority are Oxisols (ferrallitic soils). The vegetation ranges from treeless grasslands to closed xeromorphic forests. Attempts have been made to correlate increased density of the woody vegetation with gradients in soil nutrients but the relationship is complex. Two floristically different types of cerradao (closed savanna woodland) are associated with mesotrophic and dystrophic soils respectively. Fire is also an important factor in influencing the density of woody vegetation. A distinct community of cerrado trees and shrubs occurs in areas where the water table is periodically high. Aluminium is an important factor in cerrado soils and frequently occurs at levels toxic to cultivated plants. On the other hand, the native species are adapted to high Al levels and a number are Al accumulators. Much of the cerrado area is now cultivated. The strategy has been to
Tillage and mulch effects on productivity and water use of pea and soil carbon stocks

Soil management can notably influence crop production under rainfed farming; however, improper soil management is one of the key factors threatening sustainability. The objective of this 3 years’ study was to evaluate the performance of two types of tillage: conventional tillage (CT) and zero tillage (ZT) systems with four mulches; paddy straw mulch (PSM), maize stubble (MS), Imperata cylendrica (thatch grass, TG) and no mulch (NM) on yield and water use of pea (Pisum sativum) and physico-chemical properties of soil. CT and PSM have registered 11.1% and 36.1% higher pod yield, 10.0% and 40% improvement of water use efficiency (WUE) and 9.7% and 49.2% better harvest monetary benefit (HMB) over ZT and NM, respectively. Soil moisture content (SMC) was higher with ZT than CT. Placement of mulch has considerably higher SMC on upper soil layer over NM, but at deeper depth, there was no such evidence. The soil organic carbon (SOC) was considerably improved by 4.1% with ZT than CT, whereas, MS improved SOC by 1.9% than NM. The findings clearly suggested that CT along with PSM registered improvement in pod yield, WUE and HMB, but ZT and MS improved SOC at different soil depths and responded to carbon stock management.
The comparative epizootiology of Capillaria hepatica (Nematoda) in urban rodents from different habitats of Baltimore, Maryland

The prevalence and intensity of Capillaria hepatica infections in four rodent species (Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, Microtus pennsylvanicus, and Peromyscus leucopus) trapped from sites in different habitats of Baltimore were examined from 1980 to 1986. Norway rats were frequently infected (87.4%), house mice rarely infected (5.4%), and no lesions were observed in meadow voles or white-footed mice. Rats from residential locations had significantly higher prevalence and intensity of infection compared with rats from parkland locations, findings not related to differences in the age structure of the populations. Prevalence and severity of lesions were positively associated with increasing body mass in rats and mice. No sex-related differences were found. Infection rates were positively correlated with relative densities of rat and mouse populations; results were corroborated by interviews conducted with 87 household residents.
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CLINICAL DISEASE, PRODUCTION AND CULLING OF HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN COWS

A study of the association between disease occurrence, level of production and culling in 18 southern Ontario purebred Holstein-Friesian herds was conducted. The rate of culling increased by approximately 3% per year of age (P < 0.05). Culled cows had lower milk production, were milked longer and had longer calving intervals in the lactation completed prior to culling, than their herdmates (P < 0.05). After control for age effects, the associations between production level and culling were not significant. Culled cows had a lower rate of ketosis and higher rates of foot problems and dystocia in the last completed lactation than nonculled cows. Culled cows had higher rates of nonparturition-related metritis and lower rates of ovarian cystic disease than nonculled cows. Despite the differences in disease occurrence and level of production between culled and nonculled cows, clinical disease(s) observed by veterinarians and poor production explained only a small proportion of culling in dairy cows. Key words:.
Chromosome number and meiosis behavior in several Salix species of Iran

Thirty-one Salix species and seven inter-specific hybrids are recorded for Iran; to date there have been insufficient cytogenetic studies in this area. Cytological investigations were conducted on the following willows: S. aegyptiaca L. (2n = 38), S. alba L. (2n = 76), S. caprea L. (2n = 52II + 1IV + 6I, 2n = 114), S. cinerea L. (2n = 38, 2n = 76), S. elbursensis Boiss. (2n = 38), S. triandra L. (2n = 38), and S. zygostemon Boiss. (2n = 38, 2n = 114) and a hybrid, S. cinerea × S. elbursensis. Specimens were collected from recently established Salix collections from several provinces of the country. Several chromosome numbers recorded are new to the knowledge and the others provide confirmation of previous reports. Abnormalities in meiosis behaviors such as lagging chromosomes, microspores with more than one nucleus, chromosome bridges, and non-disjunction chromosomes are recorded in this study.
Effects of palm oil supplementation in broiler diets

A study was conducted to determine the effects of varying palm oil levels (0 to 8%) in the diets on the performance of broilers under the warm humid tropical environment. Increasing palm oil levels resulted in corresponding rise in the dietary energy concentrations, and broilers fed on higher energy diets improved feed and energy consumption, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Total carcass fat content was found to increase at higher levels of palm oil inclusions.