Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emigration of Leptorhynchoides thecatus (Acanthocephala) in Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

Abstract Leptorhynchoides thecatus, an acanthocephalan of centrarchid fishes, occurs in the pyloric ceca and the anterior intestine of green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus. One wk post-laboratory infection, L. thecatus is found in the pyloric ceca and the anterior portion of the intestine of green sunfish, but by 3 wk postinfection, worms are present only in the pyloric ceca. This study investigated whether differential mortality (higher mortality in the intestine than in the ceca) or anteriad emigration is responsible for localization in the ceca. Chi-square analysis was performed on data obtained from 149 1-worm laboratory infections. No significant difference was found in the number of worms recovered during the course of the study; therefore, differential mortality as a mechanism for worm localization is unlikely. Furthermore, there was a decrease in prevalence of intestinal worms with a concurrent increase in prevalence of cecal worms. It is concluded that L. thecatus is localized in the pyloric ceca of green sunfish due to anteriad emigration. This emigration appears to be complete by day 2 post infection.
First records of mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitising stick insects (Insecta: Phasmatodea)

Abstract Hitherto the occurrence of mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitising stick insects has not been reported. Six mermithids were collected after emerging from specimens of New Zealand stick insects field collected and held in captivity. The mermithid nematodes are recorded from the stick insect genera Clitarchus Stål, Acan‐thoxyla Uvarov, Asteliaphasma Jewell & Brock and Tectarchus Salmon. Small subunit RNA (18S) sequence was obtained from one of the mermithid specimens. Phylogenetic analysis of this sequence and previously published nematode 18S sequences confirmed the morphological identification.
Long-term measurement of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (Mammalia: Cervidae) activity using two-axis accelerometers in GPS-collars

Abstract The investigation of activity patterns provides crucial information on the ecology of a species, yet there are very few long-term data available from free-ranging species. Here, we present the first continuous activity data of free-ranging roe deer covering an entire calendar year. Six male and five female roe deer in the National Park Bavarian Forest, Germany, were equipped with GPS collars containing a two-axis accelerometer. Activity data were analysed for daily activity patterns and their seasonal changes. Daily activity patterns resembled the patterns described in earlier VHF-telemetry based studies, but instead of a pure active/inactive discrimination, the level of activity was obtained continuously, allowing a more precise study of activity intensity. Activity was observed at all daytimes, but was most intense at twilight. These twilight peaks were less pronounced in winter. The intensity of activity showed stronger seasonal changes than the number and duration of activity bouts. Mean daily activity levels and the number of activity peaks per day were lower in winter than in spring and summer. Mean duration of activity peaks did not change during the year. At all seasons, activity had a significant 24-hour periodicity, but the time of its emphasis changed. The roe deer was most diurnal during winter, and most nocturnal in autumn. In spring and summer, activity was evenly distributed between day and night. Seasonal changes in activity could be explained by seasonal changes in physiological parameters and in environmental changes, especially food supply and climate.
Ambient pollen concentrations and asthma hospitalization in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective We aimed to conduct a systematic review examining the association between outdoor pollen and childhood asthma hospitalizations. Data Source A systematic search of articles in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ProQuest Central, Web of Science and Google Scholar published to 18 July 2019. Study selection : Studies that presented data on pollen exposure and childhood asthma hospitalization were included and evaluated for potential risk of bias by two independent authors. Random effects meta-analysis was performed where possible. Results A total of 1048 records were identified, and twelve studies included in the review. The synthesis suggested possible associations between outdoor pollen, especially for grass and birch and childhood asthma hospitalization. However, the results varied widely across geographical areas and settings for other pollen taxa. The meta-analysis of the case-crossover studies showed a positive association between grass and childhood asthma hospitalization, an increase in 10 grass pollen grains/m3 was associated with a 3% increase in childhood asthma admission (OR = 1.03; 95%CI:1.01, 1.04), but the pooled estimate was not significant for timeseries studies. The meta-analysis of the timeseries studies for birch pollen showed an increase in 10 pollen grains/m3 being significantly associated with a Mean Percentage Change (MPC) in childhood asthma admissions (MPC= 0.85; 95%CI:0.40, 1.30). Conclusion : Globally, grass and birch pollen are important triggers of childhood asthma hospitalization, but the association could not be ascertained for other pollen taxa. Pollen is a major environmental trigger of asthma exacerbations and more focus on early interventions to reduce this burden needs to be considered.
ABVD vs BEACOPP escalated in advanced‐stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma: Results from a multicenter European study

The optimal first‐line treatment for advanced‐stage Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is still a matter of debate. While ABVD is less toxic and as effective as other, more intensive chemotherapy regimens, escalated BEACOPP (BEACOPPesc) is superior to ABVD for initial disease control and prolonged time‐to‐relapse. However, this advantage is associated with higher rate of early and late toxicities. As most of these data have been accumulated from clinical trials, a retrospective analysis was conducted in a large database of patients treated outside clinical trials to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of these regimes in a real‐world setting. From October 2009 to October 2018, 397 advanced‐stage HL patients treated with either ABVD or BEACOPPesc were retrospectively assessed in 7 European cancer centers (2 Austrian and 5 Italian centers). Complete metabolic remission (CMR) by PET was achieved in 76% and 85% of patients in the ABVD and BEACOPPesc groups, respectively (p = .01). Severe adverse events occurred more frequently with BEACOPPesc than ABVD. At a median follow‐up of 8 years, 9% of the patients who achieved CMR after BEACOPPesc relapsed compared to 16.6% in the ABVD group (p = .043). No statistical difference in progression free survival (PFS) was observed between the two cohorts overall (p = .11), but there was a trend towards a superior PFS in high‐risk patients treated with BEACOPPesc (p = .074). Nevertheless, overall survival was similar between the two groups (p = .94). In conclusion, we confirm that ABVD is an effective and less toxic therapeutic option for advanced‐stage HL. Although BEACOPP results in better initial tumor control, the long‐term outcome remains similar between the two regimens.
Mining Pollution and the Diet of the Purple‐Striped Gudgeon Mogurnda mogurnda Richardson (Eleotridae) in the Finniss River, Northern Territory, Australia

During the dry season of 1974. collections of the purple-striped gudgeon Alouriirn(h ni1or1m1(la were taken from the Finniss River of the Northern Territory: during the wet season. thi river receives acidic and metallic pollutants from the formerly mined arleat of Rum Jungle. The fish consumed a great variety of foods, with high abundances of Dytiscidae, Chironomidae, Cer.itopogonidae, Trichoptera, Odonata. Copepoda Decapoda. and Pisces. Within polluted and un- polluted zones of the river, the dietary abundances of some foods varied with the size of the consuming fish and with habitat descriptors. For no food was there a significant regression against habitat de- scriptors in both of the zones: this emphasises that pollution effects are more complex than simply depressing or raising the abundances of the dietary species. Five foods were more abundant in the diets of the polluted zone, and three in those of the unpolluted zone. The dietary abundances of two foods. both crustacean, increased in the polluted zone, compared to the unpolluted zone, through the dry season. Two categories of foods: (1) those obtaining oxygen directly from the atmosphere or via a film or bubble of air;: and (2) the converse set (aquatic respirers), were contrasted for their usefulness in distinguishing hetween the zones, by both hierarchical agglomerative and discriminant function anal- yses. AquaLtic respirers were the more effective. The polluted collections were more heterogeneous than the unpolluted ones in both the hierarchical ind the discriminant analyses. One collection from the polluted zone was reclassified as unpolluted on the basis of its grouping behaviour. The relevance for pollution studies of dietary analysis of euryphagous fish, rather than sampling aquatic fauna directly, is discussed in terms of food Substitution, switching, strategies for abundance and recovery by the fauna, and possible effects of the pollutants on the fish as an intervening collector. Downstream patterns of Ibundance of the invertebrate fauna in this Study are broadly similar to those of other Studies in which such chemically diverse metals as Pb, Zn, and Cu are the pollutants, but there are differences for some faunal components. Difficulties in the comparison and causal interpre- tation of results of pollution studies in the field stem from a lack of experimental data on tolerances to pollutants and causes of abundance of stream invertebrates. However, because of the great detail required in such data, more profit for purposes of prediction may derive from experimental multi- variate studies on faunal assemblages.
Age and Reproductive Maturity of New Zealand Fur Seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) in Southern Australia

Abstract New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) are common in the Australian-New Zealand region, but vital demographic data are lacking. Accurate determination of the age of individuals is critical to the study of age-specific life-history parameters. A cross-sectional sample of female and male New Zealand fur seals was caught and animals were individually marked on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, between 2000 and 2003. Seals were aged through examination of a postcanine tooth, which was removed from each animal. Annual formation of cementum layers was confirmed and accuracy in age estimation was determined by examination of teeth removed from individuals of known age. Indirect methods of assessing reproductive maturity based on characteristics of mammary teats indicated that females 1st gave birth between 4 and 8 years of age, with an average age at reproductive maturity (ARM) of 5 years. No females were observed to breed beyond 22 years. Age of 1st territory tenure in males ranged from 8 to 10 years. Variation in ARM between individuals appears to be related in part to body size and condition. Classification of mammary teat status in combination with techniques for aging live animals provided a means of assessing ARM in the absence of extensive longitudinal data.
Effects of Atmospheric CO2 Concentration and Water Stress on Water Relations of Wheat

Water status and growth responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. [GWO-1809]) to increased CO2 concentration and water stress were studied in controlled-environment chambers. Plants were grown in 350 μl/ liter or 1,000 μl/liter CO2 at similar temperature, irradiance, and photoperiod conditions. Groups of plants were subjected to water stress by withholding irrigation for one or two cycles of treatment. In most treatments, decreasing leaf water potential was correlated with decreasing osmotic potential. In leaves grown in both low and high CO2 concentrations, the osmotic potentials were lower during the second stress cycle than during the first cycle. The stomata of plants in the low CO2 concentration closed at a higher leaf water potential than those in the high CO2 concentration. Stem and head production was greater in plants grown in high CO2 concentrations than those grown in low CO2, perhaps the result of turgor-pressure maintenance as leaf water potential decreased. In controlled-environment chambers, wheat plants adapted to water stress, apparently because of high CO2 concentration and repeated stress cycles.
Experimental and Detailed Kinetic Modeling of the Oxidation of Natural Gas, Natural Gas/Syngas Mixtures and Effect of Burnt Gas Recirculation

Flameless combustion is an emerging combustion concept particularly useful for reducing pollutant emissions [1], mostly NOx, and improving combustion efficiency. In such combustors, reactants are preheated and diluted by exhaust gases, mainly CO, CO2 and H2O, and traces of NOx. Its application to gas turbine is currently studied and the use of syngas (CO/H2) in gas turbines is getting more and more attention. Therefore, it is very important to study the effect of such compounds on the kinetics of oxidation of conventional fuels such as natural gas. The effect of NOx recirculation was addressed previously [2,3] whereas that of the other components of recycled gases were not. In this paper, we present new experimental results obtained for the oxidation of natural gas blends in a JSR at 1-10 atm, over a wide range temperatures (900-1400) and of equivalence ratios (0.1 to 1.5), K. The oxidation of methane-based fuels under JSR, shock-tube and premixed flame conditions is also modeled. Kinetic analyses are used to rationalize the results.
Bottom‐up control and co‐occurrence in complex communities: honeydew and nectar determine a rainforest ant mosaic

Complex distribution patterns of species-rich insect communities in tropical rainforests have been intensively studied, and yet we know very little about processes that generate these patterns. We provide evidence for the key role of homopteran honeydew and plant nectar in structuring ant communities in an Australian tropical rainforest canopy and understorey. We also test the ant visitation of these resources against predictions derived from the ‘ant-mosaic’ hypothesis. Two ant species were highly dominant in terms of territorial behaviour and abundance: Oecophylla smaragdina and Anonychomyrma gilberti . Both dominant ant species monopolised large aggregations of honeydew-producing homopterans. Attended homopteran species were highly segregated between these two ant species. For the use of extrafloral and floral nectar (involving 43 ant species on 48 plant species), partitioning of ant species among plant species and between canopy and understorey was also significant, but less pronounced. In contrast to trophobioses, simultaneous co-occurrence of different nectar foraging ant species on the same plant individuals was frequent (23% of all surveys). While both dominant ant species were mutually exclusive on honeydew and nectar sources, cooccurrence with non-dominant ant species on nectaries was common. The proportion of visits with co-occurrences was low for dominant ants and high for many subordinate species. These findings support the ant mosaic theory. The differential role of honeydew (as a specialised resource for dominant ants) and nectar (as an opportunistic resource for all ants including the co-occurring non-dominant species) provides a plausible structuring mechanism for the Australian canopy ant community studied.
Providing chicks with extra food lowers male but not female provisioning in the House SparrowPasser domesticus

We assessed whether adult House Sparrows Passer domesticus adjusted their provisioning in response to an experimental increase in the nutritional condition of their nestlings. When we supplemented chicks directly with additional food, male parents, but not female parents, reduced their provisioning. The results for males, but not females, run contrary to a previous experiment in this species. In addition, female provisioning was positively associated with both brood size and the age of the brood. In contrast, whereas male provisioning was positively associated with brood size, males did not increase provisioning as their chicks grew older. Males, but not females, exhibited repeatability in their provisioning. Food supplementation had a larger positive effect upon nestling survival in smaller broods than in larger broods. Overall, there appear to be fundamental differences between males and females in how decisions regarding the level of parental investment in the current brood are made.
Life history strategy and taxonomic position of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) inducing leaf galls on Styrax japonicus (Styracaceae)

Four gall midge species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) that induce leaf galls on Styrax japonicus (Styracaceae) were identified to generic level based on larval morphology. Three of these gall midges, which induce whitish hemiglobular galls, flattened subglobular galls, and purple globular galls, respectively, were identified as three genetically distinct species of Contarinia, and the remaining species, which induces globular galls with dense whitish hairs, was identified as a species of Dasineura. Field surveys in Fukuoka, Japan, revealed that adults of these gall midges emerged and oviposited in late March to mid‐April at Mount Tachibana (approximately 200 m a.s.l.) and in late April to early May at Mount Sefuri (about 1050 m a.s.l.), coinciding with the leaf‐opening season of S. japonicus. Larvae of these gall midges mostly developed into third instars by June and then left their galls and dropped to the ground. These species therefore have a life history strategy that differs from that of another S. japonicus‐associated gall midge, Oxycephalomyia styraci, which overwinters as the first instar in ovate swellings, matures rapidly in spring, and emerges directly from the galls.
GA BASED PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF FUZZY-PID CONTROLLER

— In this paper optimization is done for various parameters of fuzzified PID Controller and has been compared with conventional PID controller parameters. The genetic algorithm is used to optimize the parameters of fuzzy PID controller over a scaling factor, which is helpful to improve the further performance of steady-state and transient responses. The comparison is done for the simulated fuzzy PID controller over a Genetic algorithm optimized fuzzy PID controller with ITAE which shows the better response compared to all of the above .
Broadleaf Weed Control in Dormant Bermudagrass Turf 1

Broadleaf weeds continue to be a major problem in turfgrass during mild winters throughout the Southeast. Therefore, experiments were conducted with herbicides applied postemergence to determine the maximum weed control with the least amount of chemical treatment. Two new herbicides alone with presently available chemicals were applied to dormant bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon L. Pers. ] in singly and repeatedly at 1 and 2✕ rates at three locations. Soil types were Cecil sl (Typic Hapludult), Durham scl (Typic Haludult), Gwinnett scl (Typic Rhodudult), and Pacolet-Wickham sl (Typic Hapludult). Parsley-piert (Alchemilla microcorpa Boissier Reuter) was completely controlled with single treatments of methazole [2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazolidine-3,5-dione] and cisanilide (cis-2,5-dimethyl-N-phenyl-1-pyrrolidinecarboxamide) while two applications were required to obtain satisfactory control with silvex [2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)propionic acid], paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium ion), dicamba (3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid), and combination treatments of 2,4-D [(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid] with either dicamba, silvex + dicamba, or mecoprop {2[(4-chloro-otolyl)oxy]propionic acid} + dicamba. Paraquat resulted in excellent corn speedwell (Veronica arvensis L.) control with a single treatment, but two applications were required for similar control with cisanilde or methazole. Two applications were generally required of 2,4-D, silvex, dicamba and the two and three combination treatments for satisfactory corn speedwell control, especially in plots treated with 1✕ rates. All the herbicides gave good to excellent henbit (Lamium amplexicaule L.) and common chickweed [Stellaria media (L.) Cyrillo] control except for 2,4-D when applied to henbit at the 1✕ rate.
Efeito competicional em testes de progênies de eucalipto

Many studies have recommended the use of small plots for forest experiments, although they do not consider the inter-genotype competition increase. If this competition is not isolated from the mathematics model, it can lead to incorrect selection of genetic materials. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of seven competition covariates in two Eucalyptus spp. progeny tests. Data from the two half-sib eucalyptus progenies were analyzed, using the randomized blocks design. The seven analyzed covariates were HegyI’s competition index (IC), self-competition (AT), alo competition (AL), self-competition mean (MAT), alo competition mean (MAL), and arithmetic means of four (M4) and eight (M8) nearest neighbors. Individual and combined analyses of covariates were used for the wood volume trait. All the variance components and the changes caused by covariates use were evaluated. The competition affects the results of eucalypt progeny analysis in different ways, according to its type, self or alo competition. Most influential covariates were MAT, MAL and IC. Most promising results of competition effects reduction were observed for the IC/ MAT covariates inclusion in eucalypt progeny tests
Scent of a Woman – The Effect of Female Presence on Sexual Cannibalism in an Orb‐Weaving Spider (Araneae: Araneidae)

Post-mating sexual cannibalism occurs as a regular element of mating behaviour in a number of spider species. Frequencies of cannibalism, however, are highly variable between and within species. In Argiope bruennichi, males apparently differ in their motivation to escape a female attack but causes for this variability are unknown. We observed that the probability of sexual cannibalism is positively correlated with male age, i.e. the number of days that passed between male maturation and copulation. The mating season in this species is short with 3–4 wk and males mostly mature days before the females, whose maturation phase is longer. Consequently, as the season progresses, the availability of virgin females increases, quickly reaches a peak and then rapidly declines. In addition, the age of still unmated males increases with the season and both of these factors can potentially affect the degree of sexual cannibalism. To separate these factors, males were collected in their penultimate stage and kept until mating either with or without contact to female pheromones. Thereby, we experimentally manipulated the male’s perception of female presence. Within each treatment, we formed three male age groups: (1) 2–6 d, (2) 12–16 d and (3) 22–28 d. Our results demonstrate that the probability of cannibalism was independent of male age but was explained by the treatment of males: males exposed to virgin female pheromones were significantly more likely to be cannibalised than males that were kept without female pheromones. This suggests that males change their reproductive strategy according to perceived mating prospects.