Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Living with eutrophication in South Africa: a review of realities and challenges

The socio-economic well-being of South Africa is largely dependent on reservoir lakes. Contrastingly, the country lacks reservoir management skills and training, with a generation having passed since there was limited activity in this field. This review introduces two new, independent analyses which, using in-lake total phosphorus or satellite-measured chlorophyll-a, respectively, reveal that between 41% and 76% of total storage is eutrophic or hypertrophic. This is in stark contrast to a claimed 5% made by the responsible government agency (Department of Water and Sanitation). Data and information on the incidence and toxicity of cyanobacterial blooms are sparse, yet severe problems exist. There is a concentration of focus on water quantity, with absent parallel consideration of the additional limitations posed by poor water quality. The most seriously impacted reservoirs are located in the economic heartland of South Africa, which has an extant regional water quality crisis. The reasons behind the startling lack of attention to reservoir limnology, despite clear and long-standing warnings, are examined and placed in the perspective of an acknowledged and impending water crisis. It will take considerable time to up-skill South African limnologists to meet the needs highlighted by worsening reservoir water quality, and to offset the social and economic impacts that will transpire, if not timeously ameliorated. The responsible agency urgently needs to establish a reservoir-management programme that embraces remaining individual and institutional memory, integrates all available relevant knowledge and scientific findings, prioritises needs and acquires those skills and resources necessary to meet what is likely to become a crippling legacy of inaction.
Spatial variability in nursery functions along a temperate estuarine gradient: role of detrital versus algal trophic pathways

We aimed to identify spatial variability in estuarine trophic pathways and to elucidate their role as a nursery for juvenile fishes along Chikugo River estuary, Japan. First, we investigated distribution of larval and juvenile fishes and their diets. Using estuarine-dependent species as a model, we analyzed diets of Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) and conducted copepod distribution and gut fluorescence studies. To evaluate the nursery functions of spatially variable food webs, we used several indices: copepod biomass, feeding intensity, gut content biomass, growth rates, RNA/DNA ratio, condition factor, and starvation status of sea bass larvae and juveniles. We identified four different spatial distribution patterns of fishes: oligohaline, mesohaline, euryhaline, and polyhaline. Copepod assemblages and diets of fishes were completely different among the regions. Gut chlorophyll a and phaeopigment indicated that copepods in the oligohaline region depend on a detrital food web, while in the euryha.
Do exotic salmonids feed on native fauna after escaping from aquaculture cages in Tasmania, Australia?

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, are farmed in Tasmania, Australia, where fish sometimes escape into the natural environment. If escapees are able to survive and feed on native fauna, it is likely that they will have ecosystem impacts. Stomach content, body condition (muscle lipid content and Fulton’ K), stable isotope, and fatty acid analysis were used to determine if escaped salmonids feed on native fauna. Results indicate that, in general, escaped salmonids do not feed on native fauna. Salmonids loose condition after escaping, and escapee stomachs were mostly empty or contained non-nutritious material or feed pellets. Nevertheless, almost a quarter of rainbow trout stomachs contained native fauna. The majority of escapees had biochemical composition similar to caged animals, indicating that these fish had not switched to feed on local food sources. However, a small fraction of escapees conclusively showed changes in biochemical parameters indicative of a shift to feeding on native fauna. Given the numbers and frequency of escapes, this can have an important impact on native species and on the ecology of Macquarie Harbour.
Is competition with livestock detrimental for native wild ungulates? A case study of chital (Axis axis) in Gir Forest, India

Abstract: Livestock graze Indian forests to varying extents but their impact on wild native ungulates is rarely understood. Negative impacts of sympatric livestock on chital (Axis axis) demography and food availability were assessed and compared in the Gir Forest, India, at different spatio-temporal scales. No difference in average group size (mean ± SE) (7.11 ± 0.8 indiv.) (short-term response), fawn to doe ratio (0.43 ± 0.03) (short- to medium-term response), chital density (44.8 ± 7.1 indiv. km−2) (medium- to long-term response), and rate of population increase (r = 0.07 ± 0.014) (long-term response) was found between areas sympatric and livestock-free at the larger spatial scale of Gir Forest. Instead, chital density was correlated with rainfall (r = 0.92). After controlling for confounding factors of rainfall, vegetation community, terrain and lion density, chital density was 62% higher for livestock-free compared with sympatric areas but other demographic parameters showed no statistical difference. Peak above-ground biomass was greater in livestock-free (3255 ± 209 kg ha−1) compared to sympatric areas (1438 ± 152 kg ha−1), but chital food was more abundant in moderately grazed areas compared to livestock-free areas. Overall, long-term livestock grazing has depressive effects on chital but in the short term habitat productivity and suitability overrides the depressive effects of sympatric livestock.
AGE RELATED CHANGES IN POULTRY BREAST MEAT COLLAGEN PYRIDINOLINE AND TEXTURE

Pyridwotine (PYR), a mature collagen crosslink, -was measured in Ross hen breast meat, Pectoralis major, age ranging from 20 to 540 days and its concentration varied between 0.009 to 0.101 mol/mol collagen, respectively. PYR concentration was inversely related to collagen solubility in muscle homogenates (P>0.05) and total collagen content increased from 0.448 to 0.568% from 20 to 540 days, respectively. Shear values analyzed by texturometer showed a direct relationship between PYR amount with advancing poultry aging irrespective of collagen quantity (P > 0.05). Finally, there was also a direct relationship between the increase of PYR concentration and collagen solubility measured in Ringer solution.
Modification of antipredator behavior of Caecidotea intermedius by its parasite Acanthocephalus dirus

The isopod Caecidotea intermedius serves as the intermediate host for the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus dirus. C. intermedius is preyed upon by the northern creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus, which also serves as the definitive host for A. dirus. The effects of the parasite on the antipredator behavior of C. intermedius were examined. We tested the hypothesis that behavioral changes induced in C. intermedius by the parasite are by-products of increased energy demands induced by the parasite (i.e., increased hunger). Infected and uninfected C. intermedius were placed in a divided aquarium with 0, 1, or 2 creek chubs. Leaf discs provided both a food source and a refuge from the predator. In the presence of the creek chubs, uninfected C. intermedius avoided the predator, and were found more frequently in refugia as the number of creek chubs increased. However, infected C. intermedius were associated with the side of the aquarium containing the predator, and spent significantly more time out in the open away from the refuge regardless of the number of creek chubs. These data show that the antipredator behavior exhibited by C. intermedius is altered by A. dirus, and that such alterations are unlikely to be simply products of increased energy demands. Parasite-induced behavioral changes appear to increase C. intermedius' vulnerability to predation, thereby increasing the likelihood of A. dirus completing its life cycle. We find little evidence for greater foraging need as the mechanism indicating changes in antipredator behavior.
Specific Gravity of Eggs in Relation to Egg Weight and Time of Oviposition

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of time of oviposition and egg weight on egg specific gravity. Six hundred hens were used in experiment 1. Eggs were collected at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. , 4:00 p.m. , and 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays for three consecutive weeks. In experiment 2, 1400 hens were used. Eggs were collected at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m. , 2:00 p.m. , 4:00 p.m. , 6:00 p.m. , and 8:00 p.m. , on the one day of collection. Individual egg weights and specific gravity were determined on all eggs collected except those laid between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in experiment 1. Production records were used to determine the position of each egg in the sequence. The results indicated that time of oviposition was related to specific gravity and egg weight. Eggs laid in the afternoon weighed less and had a higher specific gravity than did eggs laid in the morning. The same was true regardless of the position of the egg in a sequence. In general, the later in the afternoon the egg was laid the greater the specific gravity. However, since egg weight did not continue to decrease in the afternoon as shell quality increased, it is not believed that egg weight was responsible for the change in specific gravity observed.
Effect of dietary phytase suplementation on the performance, bone densitometry, and phosphorus and nitrogen excretion of broilers

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of different levels of phytase on broiler performance, bone densitometry, and phosphorus and nitrogen excretion. Nine hundred and sixty one-day old broilers, 50% males and 50% females, were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design into five treatments and six replicates 32 birds each. The treatments consisted of a control diet and four diets with the addition 25, 50, 75, and 100 g/ ton of phytase (250, 500, 750 and 1000 FTU of phytase/kg fed). Diets were formulated to contain equal nutritional levels, and considered the phytase product nutritional levels. In general, the addition of phytase resulted in a linear decrease in broiler performance. However, the performance results obtained with the level of 250 FTU phytase/kg feed were not different from the control treatment. The best bone density results were observed in the control treatment, with no phytase. The results of this experiment indicate that the nutritional matrix of the phytase product needs to be reviewed when added in levels higher 250 FTU/kg to broiler diets.
Retracted: Elevated expression of CaMKIIγ during osteoclastogenesis and its functional implications

Ca2+/calmodulin signaling has been recognized recently as a major regulator in osteoclastogenesis. Efforts have ensued to identify the downstream targets of this signaling pathway in the context of regulating osteoclastogenesis. The calcineurin‐NFAT pathway has thus been identified as one such target. In this article, we describe the discovery of another novel downstream target, CaMKIIγ. We also demonstrate that CaMKIIγ is the sole known CaMK expressed in significant amounts in osteoclasts and their precursors. Other known CaMKs such as CaMKIV and CaMKIIα, β, δ, were not detectable, and CaMKI was only expressed at a negligible level. Furthermore, the expression of CaMKIIγ was tightly correlated with the osteoclastogenic process, with a peak level on Day 3 of cell culturing. Osteoclastogenesis is halted by treatment with the CaMKIIγ inhibitor, KN93, independently from apoptosis, with the IC50 for osteoclastogenesis matching that for blocking CaMKIIγ function. Collectively, these data indicate that CaMKIIγ may be a significant regulator of osteoclastogenesis. J. Cell. Biochem. 101: 1038–1045, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
INDUCTION OF FOS-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN THE LATERAL HYPOTHALAMIC AREA OF THE RAT AFTER MURICIDE

Serotonergic innervation in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) has been implicated in mouse-killing behavior, muricide, of rats. In the present study, functional activation of neurons in the LHA was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry of Fos-protein, a marker of activated neurons, following raphe lesion-induced muricide. Fos-protein induction was seen in the ventral part of the intermediate hypothalamic area (IHA) of the LHA in the muricide rat. Following raphe transplantation into the brain near the bilateral IHA, a significant decrease in the number of Fos-immunoreactive cells was observed in this area, coinciding with decreased muricide behavior. The present results suggest that the decline in Fos-protein expression in this area may be associated with the inhibition of this behavior.
Are there useful life history indicators of stock recovery rate in gadoids

Age atmaturity is one of the key variables determining the maximum rate of population growth and somay be a good indicator of stock recovery potential. Spawnerage compositionmayalso affect the probability of high recruitment and so could be relevant to stock recovery. This studyexamined the relationbetween early survival, age atmaturity, and the demographic compositionof spawners inmany cod andhaddock stocks. Reported measures of fecundity andmaturitywere used to estimate total egg production for comparisonwith numbers at age 1 and age at 50%maturity. The instantaneous rate of population growth (r) was estimated for cohorts from life history tables during periods when spawning biomasswas depleted (e.g. ,Bpa) using reproductive and mortality data for stocks. Age-specific survival was found to be far more important than reproductive rate in determiningpopulationgrowth rate. Stocks that experienced lowandmore variable survivalmaturedearly andhadahigh relative fecundity.Hence, while earlymaturing stocks have the potential for high population growth following favourable recruitment events, theywould not be expected to recover any faster than latematuring stocks because of the generally low early survival rate that they experience.Measures of spawner age diversity andmean agewere found to be positively correlated with offspring survivorship in a few cod stocks. However, in general, it appears difficult to infer recovery potential from life history characteristics, which may be expected, given that regional variation in reproductive success will ultimately be expected to shape local reproductive schedules.
Microelectrode and 133Cs nuclear magnetic resonance evidence for variable cytosolic and cytoplasmic nitrate pools in maize root tips

The effect of nitrate uptake on the subcellular distribution of tissue nitrate in 2-5 mm maize root tips was investigated by two complementary methods. First a novel in vivo analysis using 133 Cs nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to demonstrate changes in the cytoplasmic and vacuolar pools during caesium nitrate uptake. This method depended on interpreting the nitrate-induced changes in the positions of the cytoplasmic and vacuolar caesium signals. The assignment of the signals was confirmed by using in vivo 39 K NMR to observe the displacement of cytoplasmic potassium into the vacuole during caesium uptake, and in vivo 133 Cs NMR to observe the displacement of cytoplasmic caesium into the vacuole during potassium uptake. Secondly nitrate-selective microelectrodes were used to quantify the change in the cytosolic nitrate activity that occurred in the outermost cells of root tips under the same conditions. Both methods showed that the detected nitrate pool increased over a period of 8-10 h in the presence of 10 mM nitrate and it is concluded that the data provide support for the view that homeostasis in the cytosolic and cytoplasmic nitrate pools is not necessarily an invariant characteristic of root tips.
Rancidity and lipid oxidation of dried-salted sardines

Summary Rancidity scores and several chemical assessments of lipid degradation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, diene conjugation, fluorescent products, polyene index) were made on three types of dried-salted sardines stored at three temperatures for 24 weeks. The non-enzymic browning of the samples was also evaluated. Results from only two of the five indices, i.e. polyene index and the presence of fluorescent products, showed a significant correlation (P < 0.01) with rancidity score.
High recruitment of the introduced bryozoan Membranipora membranacea is associated with kelp bed defoliation in Nova Scotia, Canada

For many organisms, the magnitude of recruitment of settlers into the juvenile population is a key life-history parameter, which has pronounced effects on population dynamics. However, for benthic colonial organisms, abundance may also be highly influenced by availability of space, growth rate, senescence, and mortality. On the southern shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, outbreaks of the introduced epiphytic bryozoan Membranipora membranacea on kelps have occurred periodically since 1992. We monitored the abundance, size distribution, and percent cover of M. membranacea colonies on blades of the kelp Saccharina longicruris at 2 sites in St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia, from July 2005 to November 2006. Following a warm winter, juvenile and adult colonies occurred earlier and were an order of magnitude more abundant in 2006 compared to 2005. The percent cover of M. membranacea on kelp was higher in 2006 compared to 2005 in summer and early autumn, but there was no difference between both years in late autumn. Colonies were larger in summer 2006 than in 2005, but were smaller in late autumn in 2006, suggesting that large colonies had been lost due to kelp blade breakage. By November 2006, there was a 70% decrease in the canopy cover of kelp on the benthos, despite a similar frequency and magnitude of storms compared to the previous year. We propose that outbreaks of M. membranacea in the northwest Atlantic are the result of periods of early and high settlement and recruitment. By causing kelp defoliation, these outbreaks can have a pronounced ecological effect on kelp beds.
Transient Effects of Climate on Vegetation Dynamics: Satellite Observations

Ecological modellers are preparing to address how the biosphere may respond to decadalto century-scale changes in the Earth's environmental system. This endeavour has revealed a question for which no immediate answer is readily available: how do ecosystems respond dynamically to climate variations? This question is explored with a 10 + year record of global vegetation dynamics recorded by a satellite remote sensing observatory. It is found that the average geography of observed vegetation patterns is well explained by continental-scale patterns of climatology in both North and South America and Africa. However, there is little relation observed in inter-annual deviations of the two data sets, with the possible exception of marginal cold and/or dry environments. Evidence from the African continent suggests that even
Comparison of the effects of artificial and natural defoliation on the growth of diprionid sawflies on Scots pine foliage

The delayed induced herbivore resistance of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was studied by biotests in which two species of diprionid sawflies (Microdiprion pallipes and Gilpinia pallida) were reared on mature foliage of undefoliated and previously defoliated pines. The damage was caused either naturally with larval groups or artificially by cutting the equal amount of foliage biomass with scissors. The trees divided into young and old ones. In most cases the males reared on young pines foliage remained smaller, and the larval groups on these trees grew slower than the groups on older pines. The larvae on the damaged trees pupated later in almost every experiment. Pinus sylvestris was not as sensitive to lower damage as deciduous trees nor did it have the ability to respond to different damage modes.
Riqueza de galhas entomógenas em áreas antropizadas e preservadas de caatinga

RESUMO – Insetos indutores de galhas, tambem denominados cecidogenos, sao considerados mais especializados por possuirem interacao direta com tecidos internos da planta, modificando-os em seu beneficio e tornando-se mais dependentes da especie hospedeira. Este estudo investigou a fauna de insetos galhadores em especies hospedeiras da Caatinga, em ambientes com diferentes intensidades de acao antropica. As areas foram selecionadas de acordo com uma escala de sucessao ecologica (preservadas, intermediarias e antropizadas), sendo tres replicas de cada, totalizando nove areas. Em cada area foram amostradas oito parcelas de 10 m 2 cada, distanciadas 10 m entre si. Foram encontrados 25 morfotipos de galhas distribuidos em 18 especies hospedeiras pertencentes a oito familias vegetais. Fabaceae foi a familia com maior riqueza de galhas, com seis morfotipos, sendo Caesalpinia pyramidalis Tul. a especie com maior numero de galhas, com quatro morfotipos. Em relacao aos orgaos atacados, 68% das galhas ocorreram em folhas, 28% em ramos e 4% em botoes florais. A maioria das galhas encontradas ocorreu isoladamente (84%), glabra (56%) e de formas esfericas (32%), amorfas (28%), discoides (12%) e globoides (12%). No estrato arboreo foi encontrada a maior riqueza de galhas, com 16 morfotipos, seguido do estrato arbustivo e herbaceo, respectivamente com sete e dois morfotipos. A riqueza de galhas sofreu influencia do grau de conservacao das areas, e houve diferencas entre os ambientes preservados e antropizados.
The epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasitism and body condition in free-ranging herbivores

This study examined the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections and pasture contamination, and assessed the body condition of free-ranging wild herbivores (i.e. Chital or Spotted Deer, Sambar and Nilgai) in Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). The work was carried out in three distinct seasons (i.e. winter, summer and rainy) for a period of 1 year (2005-06). Faecal samples were collected and screened for the presence of eggs/oocysts/cysts of parasites on the basis of qualitative and quantitative estimation techniques, and the body condition of animals was evaluated on a point scale.
Salmonid colonization of new streams in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Following the rapid recession of a neoglacial ice sheet within the last 250 years, colonization of recently deglaciated streams by salmonid fishes was investigated in Glacier Bay National Park, south-eastern Alaska. The primary factors governing the establishment, species diversity composition and abundance of salmonids in Glacier Bay streams were water temperature, sediment loading and stream discharge. No salmonids were found in the turbid meltwater streams emerging from retreating ice. Coho, Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum), and sockeye, Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum). salmon and Dolly Vardcn, Salvelinus malma (Walbaum), charr were the first salmonids to colonize the youngest clearwater stream. Juvenile Dolly Varden were more abundant than juvenile coho salmon in the most recently formed clearwater stream because of the characteristic absence of pool habital. Densities of juvenile coho salmon were six times greater in a stream with a series of lakes compared with a stream of similar age without lakes. Future advancement of salmonid stocks will probably depend upon the rate and extent of the development of riparian vegetation and inputs of large woody debris from the developing forest to provide further instream cover, habitat variation and channel stabilization.