Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting the Distribution of a Waterbird Community: The Role of Habitat Configuration and Bird Abundance

Abstract The effects of the environmental and species’ characteristics were analyzed for the richness and distribution of the dabbling and diving waterbirds in a wetland complex with 26 ponds (0.1-88.6 ha) in southeast Spain. These environments are being lost on a global scale through human activity. Morphological, geographical, hydrochemical, vegetative and temporal parameters of the ponds (11 in total), as well as characteristics of the species, were sampled to identify those variables with the capacity to predict the effects provoked by the habitat configuration. The function of the size and the isolation, as variables related to the habitat patchiness, as well as the development of the emergent vegetation of the wetlands were discriminated as forecasters of number of species. The avian abundance had an important role in the capacity of the birds to occupy ponds (sampling hypothesis). The differences in the abundance of species probably favored their orderly loss from the wetland complex at the same rate as the ponds diminished in size (“nested” pattern). The results obtained imply the need for the conservation or restoration of numbers of wetlands, paying special attention to the largest, with peripheral vegetation cover around large, open water bodies in complexes with more than one pond, to preserve the greatest number of species against the loss of wetlands which is occurring worldwide and is a cause of biodiversity decline.
Seasonal incidence of mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.) on mustard crop

The severity of mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.) in mustard (Brussica juncea L.) crop and its period of occurrence were not uniform in two successive crop seasons. The population count of mustard aphid at weekly intervals revealed two kinds of fluctuating trends during both the crop seasons. Mustard aphid occurred in rabi crop from the last week of December to the first week of March in the first year. Its incidence in the second year was from the first week of January to second week of March. The peak infestation of mustard aphid (414.15/10 cm terminal shoot/plant) was recorded on 13th February in the first year, while its maximum infestation (471.10/10 cm terminal shoot/plant) was recorded on 6th February in the next crop season. The variable fluctuation in two crop seasons was observed largely due to climatic conditions.
Greenhouse Covering Systems

Summary. The diversity of coverings for the greenhouse and other plant production structures has increased dramatically during the past 4 decades. This has resulted from the availability of new types of covering materials and enhancements of previously existing materials, as well as the demands for technological improvements within the expanding controlled environment agricultural industry. The types of coverings currently available are dominated by plastics. These range from traditional glass to the recent advent of polymer plastics, such as thin films or multilayer rigid thermoset plastic panels. Available enhancements such as ultraviolet radiation (UV) degradation inhibitors, infrared radiation (IR) absorbency, and anti-condensation drip surfaces, as well as their physical and spectral properties are discussed. The selection of specific covering alternatives has implications for the greenhouse superstructure and its enclosed crop production system.
A histological study of the organogenesis of the digestive system in bay snook Petenia splendida Günther, 1862 from hatching to the juvenile stage

Summary In bay snook (Petenia splendida) larvae the histological development of the digestive system and swim bladder, and their relative timing of differentiation were studied from hatching to 45 days post-hatch (dph) at 29°C. Newly hatched larvae showed a simple digestive tract, which appeared as a straight undifferentiated tube lined by a single layer of columnar epithelial cells (future enterocytes). The anatomical and histological differentiation of the digestive tract and accessory glands was a very intense, asynchronous process, proceeding from the distal to the anterior part. The intestine was the first region to differentiate (9 days post-hatch – dph, 6.5 mm SL), and the oesophagus the last (21 dph, 8.4 mm SL). At the onset of feeding, the digestive system was organized into different functional and histologically differentiated sections, such as the buccopharynx, oesophagus, glandular stomach, and anterior and posterior intestine. This organization resembled that of the juveniles, with the exception of pharyngeal teeth and buccopharyngeal as well as oesophageal goblet cells, which proliferated later during the mixed feeding period. Histological observations revealed that bay snook larvae retained endogenous yolk reserves until 24 dph (8.9 ± 0.4 mm SL), which might be helpful for weaning this species onto a compound diet. The important lipidic accumulation observed in the intestinal mucosa, liver, and pancreas in fish fed a compound trout diet indicated that although fish were able to digest and absorb lipids, the diet formulation did not fit the nutritional requirements of early juveniles of this species. The ontogeny of the digestive system followed the same general pattern as in most cichlid species described to date. However, we detected species-specific differences in the timing of differentiation that were related to their reproductive guild. According to the histological results, some recommendations regarding the intensive culture of this species are also provided.
Niche Shifts: The Primary Driver of Novelty within Angiosperm Genera

Abstract A central tenet of evolutionary biology is that environmental change is the prime driving force behind speciation and the genesis of evolutionary novelty. While gradual, long-term environmental change may be an important stimulus for speciation, it is not clear that such change would generate highly divergent phenotypic, physiological, and life history attributes, and disparate ecological tolerances, as described in numerous angiosperm genera. I propose that niche shifts rather than long-term environmental change are the primary drivers of evolutionary novelty within genera. This argument is based on the differences in the dynamics of speciation through gradual change and in the dynamics of speciation through niche transitions. Ecological speciation is a prospective process that involves the invasions of new niches in space. Geographical or vicariant speciation is a responsive process involving changes dictated selectively or randomly by environmental gradients in time. Niche conservatism may limit major adaptive shifts in time.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BANK SWALLOW (RIPARIA RIPARIA) COLONIALITY

We studied the advantages and disadvantages of Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) coloniality in 1972 and 1973 by examining 54 colonies, ranging in size from 2 to 451 active nests, near Ann Arbor, Michigan USA. Four disadvantages were investigated: (I) increased competition for nest burrows and nest building materials, (2) increased competition for mates and matings, (3) increased possibilities of misdirected parental care because of either brood parasitism or the mixing tip of unrelated young. and (4) increased transmission of ecto- parasites. Physical interference in reproductive functions and the possibility of intraspecific killing of offspring were also considered. The intensity of the various forms of competition increased with increasing colony size, though not always directly. Flea infestation also in- creased with increasing colony size. Intraspecific brood parasitism was not observed, and parent Bank Swallows began discriminating between their own and unrelated offspring at the time when the young first began to mix. Three hypotheses to explain the maintenance of coloniality were tested: (I ) shortage of Suitable nesting habitats, (2) advantages associated with social foraging, and (3) reduced predation on adults, young, or eggs. Shortage of suitable habitat could not be demonstrated. Parents did not appear to feed in groups, and survivorship of nestlings during cold weather and weight of nestlings at 10 days of age both suggested that competition for food increased with increasing colony size. Although there was no relationship between colony size and amount of nocturnal predation, adult birds mobbed diurnal predators. Using a stuffed weasel, we studied such mobbing responses. Our data suggest that diurnal predators at larger colonies are (1) detected more quickly, (2) mobbed by greater numbers of birds, and (3) Subjected to more vocal commotion than are predators at smaller colonies. Further, we demonstrated that mobbing is at least sometimes effective in deterring avian predators. We suggest that reduced predation on eggs and young, resulting from both gr ouLp defense and "selfish herd" effects, is an important advantage of Bank Swallow coloniality.
Genetic variation for resistance and acclimation to high temperature stress in Drosophila buzzatii

Abstract Genetic variation for resistance to a high temperature stress under saturated humidity was examined within and among three Drosophila buzzatii populations from Australia. Further, the acclimation of this species to high temperatures was tested by pretreating flies for a shorter, sublethal, time period under conditions that lead to expression of heat shock proteins. Genetic variation for temperature resistance was present among lines for flies either pretreated to high temperature or not. Pretreating increased survival, with the benefit significantly higher if pretreating was performed 24 h rather than 96 h before exposure to the potentially lethal stress. For flies pretreated at both times, resistance to heat stress was even greater. The lack of a significant treatment by line interaction term suggested that all lines were similarly plastic for acclimation following previous exposure(s) to a high temperature. Significantly more males survived the heat stress than females, and, within each sex, larger flies were generally more heat resistant than smaller ones. Additionally, the lines from the population that naturally encounters the highest temperatures were generally more resistant to high temperature stress.
Biorational Management of Sucking Pests of Cowpea Vigna sinensis L.

The present studies entitled “Biorational management of sucking pests of cowpea Vigna sinensis L. ” was undertaken on farm of Entomology Section, College of Agriculture, Nagpur during kharif season of 2012–2013. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with eight treatments and three replications. The results in respect of overall cumulative mean per cent reduction of aphids, thrips and jassids after four applications of treatments at different time interval (i.e. 3rd, 7th and 10th) revealed that the insecticide treatment imidacloprid 17.8 SL 0.005% proved to be superior over all the treatments shown 76.83 per cent, 76.37 per cent, 73.44 per cent respectively. The next effective treatments in case of aphid were dimethoate 30 EC 0.003% and difenthiuron 50 WP recorded 75.29 and 73.95 per cent reduction followed by neem oil 1%, karanj oil 1% and NSE 5%, Verticillium lecanii 2×109cfu/ml 4g shown 64.84, 58.74 and 57.57, 54.35 per cent reduction of aphids population, respectively. Next effective treatments in case of thrips were dimethoate 30 EC 0.003% and difenthiuron 50 WP recorded 75.07 and 72.63 per cent reduction followed by neem oil 1%, karanj oil 1% and NSE 5%, Verticillium lecanii 2×109cfu/ml 4g had shown 59.60, 57.25 and 54.91, 46.61 per cent reduction of thrips population, respectively. Next effective treatment in case of jassids were dimethoate 30 EC0.003% and difenthiuron 50 WP recorded 71.65 and 70.08 per cent reduction respectively followed by neem oil 1%, karanj oil 1% and NSE 5%, Verticillium lecanii 2×109cfu/ml 4g and had shown 57.89, 53.81 and 50.95, 41.83 per cent reduction of jassids population, respectively.
Cover Crop Effects on the Activity-Density of the Weed Seed Predator Harpalus rufipes (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Abstract Cover crop systems were investigated in 2004 and 2005 for their effects on the activity-density (a function of movement and density) of a promising group of weed biocontrol organisms, the ground beetles collectively known as carabids, with particular emphasis on a beneficial carabid species Harpalus rufipes DeGeer. Marked H. rufipes released into pea/oat–rye/vetch cover crop plots were more than twice as likely to be recaptured within the same plots as beetles released in nonvegetated fallow plots (18 and 8%, respectively). Marked beetles released into fallow plots were more than twice as likely to leave their plots and be recaptured in pea/oat–rye/vetch plots as vice versa (13 vs. 5%), indicating a clear preference for habitat with vegetative cover. Overall recapture rates were not different between treatments. Unmarked H. rufipes activity-density was also higher in pea/oat–rye/vetch compared to fallow plots. Additionally, five cover crop systems, including the fallow and pea/oat–rye/vetch treatments, and two residue management methods (conventional and zone tillage) were investigated from June to August in 2005 for their effects on H. rufipes activity-density. Corn was planted in 2005 into residues of the five cover crop systems grown in 2004. H. rufipes activity-density was higher in zone and conventionally tilled corn planted in pea/oat–rye/vetch residues and conventionally tilled corn planted in red clover/oat residues than in any other cover crop and residue management combination. Pea/oat–rye/vetch cover crop systems are apparently beneficial for H. rufipes during the cover crop year as well as in subsequent crops planted into this cover crop's residues. This system was not the least disturbed system but, based on the number of tillage events, represented a medium level of disturbance among the various systems. Thus, some level of disturbance might be beneficial for H. rufipes, but how and when that soil disturbance occurs requires further research to determine the best means of conserving this species.
Prevalence of Bovine Trypanosomosis in Morogoro, Tanzania

The prevalence study of bovine trypanosomosis was conducted in 43 smallholder farms which were randomly selected from 350 cattle farms and seven medium scale farms purposively selected in Morogoro, Tanzania. A total of 509 and 102 cross breed and local cattle, respectively aged six months and above were used in the study. The selected animals were examined for clinical signs of trypanosomosis and thereafter screened for haemoparasites using direct blood smears and micro-centrifugation methods. The overall prevalence of trypanosomosis in cattle was 2.3% (95% CI: 1.4-3.8, n = 691). Infected animals (n = 16) had the mean rectal temperature of 39.1 C±1.03. The mean number of parasites and PCV was 8.6±13.6 and o 24.8%±7.9, respectively. Specific infection rates based on trypanosomas species were 0.4%, 0.6%, and 1.3% for T. congolense, T. brucei and T. vivax respectively. A highly significant (P < 0.05) infection rate was found in cattle on farms located in northeastern part of Morogoro town (4.0%, n = 303) than those in the southwest (1.0%, n = 388, RR = 3.84, 95% CI = 1.18 - 16.98). Sex, breed, grazing system, farm size, acaricide application and chemoprophylaxis were not the risk factors for the trypanosomosis infection. It wa s concluded that, despite a continuous uses of chemoprophylaxis, synthetic pyrethroids, bush clearing and many other methods against tsetse flies, trypanosomosis is still prevalent in cattle in Morogoro. Animals in the livestock-wildlife interphase are at higher risk of infection. It was recommended that trypanosomosis losses due to cattle mortalities, reduced production and reproduction performance, continuous disease treatment and control costs need to be quantified. Knowing the associated losses may call for strengthening the disease surveillance, treatment and control strategies which are aimed at reduction or total elimination of the tsetse flies.
Effect of humic acid on grain yield and yield components in chickpea under different irrigation levels

In order to investigate the effect of soil application of humic acid on grain yield and yield components inchickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), an experiment was conducted as factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications in 2016 and 2017. Factors were irrigation at two levels of full irrigation and drought stress (20% of full irrigation from flowering to harvesting) and humic acid at four levels of 0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 mg per pot. The results showed that drought stress reduced dry weight of leaf, number of grains and pods, total dry weight and grain yield. Application of humic acid in two years increased the value of all studied traits under full irrigation. In the first year, application of 2.5 and 5 mg humic acid increased 1000-grain weight, and total and leaf dry weight under drought stress conditions, respectively. In the second year, with higher consumption of humic acid, grain yield, total dry weight and harvest index increased significantly under drought stress conditions. Application of 7.5 mg humic acid in the second year, produced the highest proline under optimum irrigation (393.10 mg kg-1 DW) and drought stress (507.90 mg kg-1 DW) conditions.
Potential of Cleisthopholis patens Elliot as a maize protectant against the stored product moth, Plodia Interpunctella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera; Pyralidae)

The root bark powder, stem bark powder and leaves powder of Cleisthopholis patens were tested for their insecticidal activity as a stored product protectant at four different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g) on the moth, Plodia interpunctella, at ambient tropical storage conditions of temperature and relative humidity. Moth mortality, egg hatchability, adult emergence were used as indices of insecticidal activity. The result obtained shows that the root bark powder was effective at 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g/20 g of the maize evoking 100% adult moth mortality within 72 h of application. The stem bark powder of C. patens at 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g/20 g of the maize produced 78 – 100% moth mortality within 72 h of treatment. But the stem bark powder caused 100% adult moth mortality of P. interpunctella at 3.0 g/20 g maize in 96 h post-treatment. The leaf powder was moderately effective against the adult moth at 3.0 g/20 g of the maize grain in evoking 70 – 80% adult mortality within 96 h of treatment. The root and stem bark powder inhibited development of egg to adult at all the concentrations evaluated and therefore prevented adult emergence. However, 2 – 11% adult emergence of P. interpunctella was obtained in the maize grain treated with the leaf powder.
Interactions between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems: influence on weather and climate

This paper overviews the short‐term (biophysical) and long‐term (out to around 100 year timescales; biogeochemical and biogeographical) influences of the land surface on weather and climate. From our review of the literature, the evidence is convincing that terrestrial ecosystem dynamics on these timescales significantly influence atmospheric processes. In studies of past and possible future climate change, terrestrial ecosystem dynamics are as important as changes in atmospheric dynamics and composition, ocean circulation, ice sheet extent, and orbit perturbations.
Effects of age, sex and hunger on the antennal olfactory sensitivity of tsetse flies

Abstract The effects of age on electroantennogram (EAG) responses were investigated in male and female Glossina morsitans morsitans and comparative studies on the effects of starvation and sex on the EAG in G.m. morsitans, G.austeni, G.tachinoides and G.fuscipes fuscipes were made. Stimuli were the vapours of l‐octen‐3‐ol, 4‐heptanone, 3‐nonanone and acetone. EAG decreased with age in both sexes of G.m. morsitans, responses in 5‐day‐old flies already being significantly lower than those in 1‐day‐old flies. In G.m. morsitans and G.tachinoides, EAG responses of males were higher than those of females. In G.austeni and G.f. fuscipes, however, the reverse was found. With increasing starvation EAG sensitivity increased in both sexes of G.m. morsitans and G.tachinoides. In G.austeni and in G.f. fuscipes no clear effects of starvation were observed. Response spectra of the individual species to the four odour substances did not change with increasing hunger. It is concluded that receptor sensitivity may be modulated depending on the insect's needs. Possible mechanisms of regulation and significance of this modulation are discussed.
Crop Regulation Studies in Allahabad Safeda Guava

Four treatments viz., irrigation at the time of flowering, manual removal of flowers, chemical removal of flowers and control were employed in guava to check fruiting in rainy season so as to get more fruits in winter season. All the treatments reduced rainy season crop and increased the winter crop, the most effective being manual removal. Among the chemicals NAD at 50 ppm followed by 2, 4-D at 30 ppm gave better results.
A Lightweight Privacy-Preserving Authentication Protocol for VANETs

With the emergence of the concept of smart city and the increase of vehicles, the vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) is widely accepted for the communication of vehicles to get information including road condition, traffic congestion description, speed, and location of vehicles. Naturally, the security of the data transmission in VANET has become one of the urgent tasks of researchers. Many privacy-preserving authentication protocols for VANETs have been presented. However, heavy computations and security flaws exist in them. Thus, we put forward a lightweight authentication protocol in a suitable communication model for VANET that meets the privacy protection needs, with only hash functions and exclusive-OR operations. Formal security analysis using BAN logic shows that our protocol achieves the security goals. Proverif is used to verify the security of the protocol and the results show that the privacy can be guaranteed under the simulated attacker. Moreover, through security properties analysis, our protocol is robust enough to get rid of common attacks and keep the communication data secretly. The performance comparison results show that our protocol is lightweight and efficient. Furthermore, we simulate the network with SUMO and NS-3, and all show that our protocol is efficient and practical for VANETs.
Fitness costs and morphological change of laboratory‐selected thiamethoxam resistance in the B‐type Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Thiamethoxam has been used as a key insecticide to control the whitefly, B‐type Bemisia tabaci, for several years in China with no known cases of resistance in field populations. To evaluate the risk of resistance, a field population was collected and resistant strains were developed by exposure to thiamethoxam in the laboratory. After selection for 36 generation, a strain with 60‐fold resistance was successfully identified. Fitness analysis by constructing life tables, demonstrated that resistant B‐type whiteflies had obvious fitness disadvantages in their development and reproduction. The fitness of resistant B‐type whiteflies decreased dramatically, to only one‐half that of the susceptible strain. Some changes in the morphological characteristics of the resistant strain were observed. The lengths of first, second and third instars of the resistant strain were significantly smaller than those of the susceptible strain, and the width of the first and the fourth instars were also significantly smaller than in the susceptible strain. Our results suggest that the B‐type B. tabaci has the potential to develop high resistance to thiamethoxam, and that the resistance changed the morphology of the insects. The slow development of resistance and the lower fitness of resistant B. tabaci strains may result in a quick recovery of sensitivity when the population is no longer in contact with thiamethoxam in the field.