Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioral Response to High Temperatures in a Desert Grassland Bird: Use of Shrubs as Thermal Refugia

Abstract. Birds inhabiting hot, arid ecosystems contend with trade-offs between heat dissipation and water conservation. As temperatures increase, passerines engage in various behaviors to reduce exposure to heat, solar radiation and insolation, and reradiation of heat from the ground. These responses to rising temperatures may result in subordination of reproductive urgency or nutrient acquisition to the need for thermoregulation. During studies on Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus) life history and ecology, we noted that these sparrows abandoned territoriality and foraging behaviors under certain circumstances in favor of cooler microsites. In this paper we document the extreme temperatures to which these and other ground-foraging and ground-nesting birds are exposed in southwestern desert grasslands, and we present evidence that A. s. ammolegus avoids exposure to extreme air and ground temperatures by using shrubs as thermal refugia. Our observations have implications for Arizona Grasshopper Sparrows and other desert grassland passerines in the southwestern United States, where the climate is projected to become hotter and drier. We provide some of the only behavioral data, and associated temperature data, associated with the use of thermal refugia by desert grassland birds. We encourage further studies that use more robust methods to supplement our observational data.
Reproductive Failure Predicts Intracolony Dispersal of Female Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in a Northern Population

Abstract. Dispersal in mammals is typically male-biased and occurs primarily in sexually immature individuals. These dispersal characteristics are especially true for ground-dwelling sciurids, such as black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), that have polygynous breeding systems, with dispersing males and philopatric females. Prairie dogs are small, colonial rodents found in patches throughout the Great Plains of North America. Previous literature reports that females exist in philopatric units called coteries, typically with one unrelated breeding male. Yearling males disperse from their natal coterie in order to form their own coteries. We observed 1450 prairie dogs over 3 consecutive years in one colony near the northern limit of this species' range, in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. We found that female dispersal occurred at higher rates than previously reported in the literature. We found no difference between the rate of intracolony dispersal for males and females in our study population. Also, we observed that the majority (14/21) of the dispersing females had recently experienced reproductive failure. We suggest that these females dispersed to increase their potential fitness by attempting reproduction in a new territory. This finding is the first instance of a ground-dwelling sciurid demonstrating female-biased breeding dispersal and suggests that factors influencing dispersal are more complicated than previously reported for black-tailed prairie dogs.
Rapid Invasion by The Annual Grass Ventenata dubia into Protected-Area, Low-Elevation Sagebrush Steppe

Abstract. Wiregrass (Ventenata dubia [Leers] Coss.), an annual grass from the Mediterranean region of North Africa and Eurasia that has aggressive invasion potential in many North American plant communities, has only recently been reported in low-elevation sagebrush steppe. We first encountered wiregrass in 2014 in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, a low-elevation steppe protected area in central Oregon. This discovery was incidental to formal vegetation monitoring that was initiated in the monument in 2009. We first encountered wiregrass in monitoring plots in 2016, and, from plot data, we documented rapid spread during 2017–2019. Wiregrass infestation increased within our 4674-ha monitored area from 21 ha (95% CI, 3 to 106 ha) in 2016 to 138 ha (95% CI, 31 to 265 ha) in 2018, and declined to 63 ha (95% CI, 13 to 119 ha) in 2019, representing a cumulative increase of 300% over the 4-year period. Variation in weather may explain this annual variation in wiregrass. We examined mean monthly water balance deficit during the autumn, winter, and spring preceding each survey year and found evidence of a potential correlation between winter deficit and wiregrass. The lowest winter deficit occurred in 2018 prior to the survey documenting the largest wiregrass increase. Wiregrass exhibited a broad ecological niche within our survey area, occurring across all surveyed elevations and on all but steep southern slopes. Invaded sites were in well-drained clay soils in association with other invasive annual grasses. Our observations contribute to the growing evidence that wiregrass poses a greater threat to low-elevation sagebrush ecosystems than previously recognized. It also illustrates the kinds of external stressors that are impacting sagebrush steppe protected areas and the need for continued early detection and rapid response measures, as well as long-term monitoring of invasions and response effectiveness.
Distribution and Population Structure of Ambystoma altamirani from the Llano de Lobos, State of México, Mexico

Abstract. Ambystoma altamirani is an endangered salamander found in high mountain streams in the vicinity of México City, and its populations might be threatened by urban growth. Here we report our research on a previously unstudied population of A. altamirani at the Llano de Lobos in the Sierra de las Cruces. The study ran from September 2018 to September 2019. The number of observed individuals was relatively constant across months. The only months when we observed gilled adults were February and July, and the only months when we saw juveniles without gills were January, February, and August, suggesting that the transformation of juveniles to adults takes place twice a year, once in January–February and once in July–August. We observed egg masses in December and January, and larvae from March to May and also in July. The sex ratio was significantly female-biased (about 2:1). We observed A. altamirani at 3 of the 25 permanent sites during the study period. Our comparison of the characteristics of occupied sites with those of unoccupied sites suggests that availability of sunlight (i.e., less cover) and low levels of human impact are important for occupancy by A. altamirani. These findings are consistent with observations of other populations of A. altamirani, suggesting that these characteristics might be important in their management and conservation.
A Buffer Modification of the Warthin-Starry Silver Method for Spirochaetes in Single Paraffin Sections

The Warthin-Starry1 procedure, according to Kerr2, appears to be -one of the more reliable methods for demonstration of spirochaetes in single paraffin sections. However, the adjustment of the pH of the distilled water used to pH 4.4 with citric acid necessitates the use of indicator each time, and, further, the citric acid stock solution has to be made fresh at frequent intervals because of its susceptibility to mold growth.
Genetic parameters for casein and urea contentin the Italian Brown Swiss dairy cattle

Abstract A total of 137,753 test day records of 20,745 Italian Brown Swiss dairy cows from 26 provinces of Italy were used to estimate heritability for casein and urea content in milk and their genetic correlations with other production traits and milk somatic cell score. Milk component values were obtained by Fourier Transformed Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy from milk samples collected during national routine recording and were analysed using test day repeatability animal models. Fixed effects included 1,001 levels of herd-test date, 15 classes of days in milk, and 13 classes of age at calving within parity. The variation among cows was large for most of the traits. The heritability value for casein content was 0.31, as for protein content, and genetic and phenotypic correlations between these two traits were large (0.99 and 0.97 respectively). Milk urea content had a heritability of 0.17 and a positive genetic relationship with fat (0.12), null with protein (0.03) and casein (0.002) content and a negative genetic correlation with milk yield (-0.17) suggesting that the genetic improvement for milk urea content would be possible, but genetic gain would be affected by other traits included as selection criteria in the economic index and by their relative economic emphasis.
MASS CHANGE PATTERN OF BLACKCAPS REFUELING DURING SPRING MIGRATION: EVIDENCE FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS TO FOOD ASSIMILATION

Abstract I described the body mass changes of free-living Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) feeding during spring migration in the Negev Desert, Israel, and investigated the causes of the mass-change patterns in the laboratory. Blackcaps that remained for more than one day at the Negev Desert stopover site had lower mass and fat scores when first caught than birds caught only once. In both 1996 and 1997, Blackcaps that remained for longer than one day showed an initial period of low cumulative mass gain followed by large cumulative mass gain. The minimum stopover duration before reaching this mass-change threshold was 3 days in 1996 and 4 days in 1997. Wild-caught Blackcaps fed in the laboratory increased food intake for the first 3 days of feeding, and then intake remained constant. Similarly, food intake in Blackcaps recovering from a 59-hr fast ate less the first day of recovery than on subsequent days. The field and laboratory results are consistent with the hypothesis that a bird's intake rate may be physiologically limited upon arrival to a stopover site, preventing large mass gains until assimilation organs recuperate. Patrón de Cambio de Masa en Individuos de Sylvia atricapilla Reabasteciéndose durante la Migración de Primavera: Evidencia sobre Limitaciones Fisiológicas en la Asimilación de Alimento Resumen. Describí los cambios en la masa corporal de individuos silvestres de Sylvia atricapilla que se alimentaron durante la migración de primavera en el Desierto de Negev, Israel, e investigué en el laboratorio las causas de los patrones de cambio en masa corporal. Los individuos de S. atricapilla que permanecieron por más de un día en el sitio de escala (Desierto de Negev) presentaron valores menores de masa y grasa la primera vez que fueron atrapados que individuos atrapados sólo una vez. Tanto en 1996 como 1997, los individuos de S. atricapilla que permanecieron por más de un día presentaron un período inicial de lenta ganancia acumulativa de masa, seguido por uno de gran ganancia acumulativa. El tiempo mínimo de escala antes de alcanzar este umbral en el cambio de masa fue de 3 días en 1996 y de 4 días en 1997. Los individuos silvestres de S. atricapilla que fueron capturados y llevados al laboratorio incrementaron el consumo de alimento durante los 3 primeros días de alimentación, y luego el consumo permaneció constante. Del mismo modo, individuos de S. atricapilla que se encontraban recuperándose de un período de ayuno de 59 hr consumieron menos alimentos durante el primer día post-ayuno que en los días subsecuentes. Los resultados de campo y laboratorio son consistentes con la hipótesis de que la tasa de consumo de un ave puede estar fisiológicamente limitada al momento de la llegada a un sitio de escala, impidiendo grandes ganancias en masa corporal hasta que los órganos de asimilación se recuperan.
Miscanthus sacchariflorus – biofuel parent or new weed?

The perennial grass triploid Miscanthus × giganteus is a promising renewable bioenergy feedstock in the United States and Europe. Originating from eastern Asia, this species is a sterile hybrid cross between M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus. While research has begun to examine the impacts of M. sinensis and triploid M. × giganteus on the landscape, M. sacchariflorus has been largely overlooked in the peer‐reviewed literature. This review article discusses the origin, uses, distribution, and invasive potential of M. sacchariflorus. M. sacchariflorus is capable of producing high yields (10.7 t DM ha−1 yr−1), generally does not reproduce by seed, and can be challenging to establish due to poor cold tolerance, likely due to the limited germplasm used in evaluations. However, M. sacchariflorus has abundant and aggressively spreading rhizomes, which underscores its invasive risk. In the United States, it is listed as escaped from cultivation in at least eight states, primarily in the Midwest, although it is likely that not all populations have been reported. As such, it is essential to generate a comprehensive dataset of all known M. sacchariflorus populations and monitor any continued spread of this species.
The Preparation and Characterization of Fe-ZnO Nanoparticles Immobilized onto Fiberglass Cloth

Lousy odor is severe pollution in natural rubber processing industries and the air pollution treatment by using photocatalytic decomposition method has not much known. This study aims to explore the photocatalyst preparation and characterization of Fe doped ZnO immobilized on fiberglass cloth. Fe doped ZnO was prepared both with and without co-precipitation agent of NaOH. Both methods confirmed the metal existence and gave crystallite catalyst particles with mean diameters of 50 nm according to XRD characterization methods. SEM-EDS analysis showed Fe-ZnO particles prepared without co-precipitation were less aggregated particles than those made with the other method. EDS data identified the elemental composition of Zn, Fe, and O, and the fiberglass cloth composition, including Si and Mg. In the co-preparation method, sodium was always existed along with Fe and ZnO. DR-UV analysis showed the bandgap of Fe-ZnO was 3.20 and 3.22 eV without and with co-precipitation methods, respectively. TEM analysis of the catalyst slurry shows all particles were agglomerated in both preparations. Spherical-like particles existed non-precipitation method, and a spherical- and rod particle shapes were detected in co-precipitation preparation. The non-co-precipitation process was a preparable step in immobilization of the Fe-ZnO particles onto fiberglass cloth
4H-SiC Power VDMOSFET Manufacturing Utilizing POCl3 Post Oxidation Annealing

A novel POCl3 post-oxidation annealing recipe was developed. The interface trap density (Dit) is extracted by the C-ΨS method close to conduction band edge. The performance of the POCl3-treated oxide has been analyzed based on current density-electric field (J-E) measurements. A comprehensive and practical 4H-SiC power VDMOSFET manufacturing traveler has been designed. The power MOSFET that was fabricated based on this traveler exhibits less than half of the on-resistance and shows improved interface characteristics compared to a similarly designed commercial power MOSFET.
Effect of Temperature and Frequency on the Acoustic Properties of Konjac Glucomannan-Agar Gels as Tissue Mimicking Materials

In this study, we determine the effect of temperature and frequency on the acoustic properties of konjac glucomannan (KGM)-agar gels to confirm their compatibilities as tissue mimicking materials (TMMs). The acoustic properties of four samples; A (KGM-0.10 g agar), B (KGM-0.20 g agar), C (KGM-0.30 g agar) and D (KGM-0.40 g agar) were measured using pulse echo immersion technique. Findings indicated that the longitudinal velocities of all samples were increased while their attenuation coefficients were decreased as the temperature increased from 27.0 to 37.0°C. It also showed that the phase velocities of all samples were independent to frequency but their attenuation coefficients were increased as the frequency increased from 4.0 to 6.0 MHz. KGM-agar gels are compatible as soft TMMs since their acoustic properties are comparable with the acoustic properties of soft tissue.
3D Printed Injection Molds Using Various 3D Printing Technologies

This paper explores the possibility of using different 3d printing methods and materials in the production of polymer molds for injection molding applications. A mold producing a cube was designed using a commercial software. Following the standard 3d printing process, injection molds which could produce a cube were printed using different 3d printing materials and 3d printing technologies. The 3d printing technologies used were Stereolithography (SLA), Polyjet and Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). A bench-top injection molding machine was used to inject polylactic acid (PLA) in these molds. The quality of the injected parts in terms of dimensional accuracy has been investigated. In some cases, the damage mechanism of the polymer molds has also been observed.
Signal constellations for differential unitary space-time modulation with multiple transmit antennas

Differential unitary space-time modulation has been proposed recently in the literature for multiple-antenna systems over Rayleigh fading channels, where neither the transmitter nor the receiver knows the fading coefficients. For the success of differential unitary space-time modulation, it is important to design unitary space-time signal constellations with large diversity product which is a primary property for the signal constellations to have good performance in high signal-to-noise ration (SNR) scenarios. In this paper, a new method is presented to design signal constellations for differential unitary space-time modulation. A full-rotation matrix is introduced in the proposed method to design non-group constellations with larger diversity product than that of cyclic group codes. Simplification has also been made to the proposed method to minimize the computational complexity. Simulation results show that the proposed signal constellations perform better than the cyclic codes under high SNR.
Molecular approaches to detect and study the organisms causing bovine tick borne diseases: Babesiosis and anaplasmosis

This review will summarise the molecular approaches used to detect and analyse the genomes of Babesia bovis, B. bigemina and Anaplasma marginale which cause bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis. These tick borne diseases are widely distributed in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Central and South America and for example, have been estimated to have an economic impact of US$15.9, $6.9, $6.2, $2.8, $22 million per annum in Australia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and South Africa, respectively (McLeod and Kristjanson, 1999). The development and uptake of molecular tools to study these pathogens are reviewed to highlight potential directions for future research.
The Ohmic Contact of 4H-SiC Power Devices by Pulse Laser Annealing and Rapid Thermal Annealing

The preparation of ohmic contact with high stability and low resistance is critical, and the quality of ohmic contact will directly affect the performance of devices as the efficiency, gain and switching speed. In this work, the I-V characteristic of the 4H-SiC devices under rapid thermal annealing and pulsed laser annealing were compared, the pulsed laser annealing process could obtain the lower ohmic contact resistant. The surface morphology, material composition, and elemental analysis were clarified by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. This research suggests that more Ni2Si and carbon vacancy can form at the interface under pulsed laser annealing.
CD3/CD28 Costimulation-Induced NF-κB Activation Is Mediated by Recruitment of Protein Kinase C-θ, Bcl10, and IκB Kinase β to the Immunological Synapse through CARMA1

ABSTRACT CARMA1 (also known as CARD11) is a scaffold molecule and contains a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD) and a membrane-associated guanylate kinase-like (MAGUK) domain. It plays an essential role in mediating CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-κB activation. However, the molecular mechanism by which CARMA1 mediates costimulatory signals remains to be determined. Here, we show that CARMA1 is constitutively associated with the cytoplasmic membrane. This membrane association is essential for the function of CARMA1, since a mutant of CARMA1, CARMA1(L808P), that is defective in the membrane association cannot rescue CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-κB activation in JPM50.6 CARMA1-deficient T cells. Although CD3/CD28 costimulation effectively induces the formation of the immunological synapse in CARMA1-deficient T cells, the recruitment of protein kinase C-θ (PKC-θ), Bcl10, and IκB kinase β (IKKβ) into lipid rafts of the immunological synapse is defective. Moreover, expression of wild-type CARMA1, but not CARMA1(L808P), restores the recruitment of PKC-θ, Bcl10, and IKKβ into lipid rafts in CARMA1-deficient T cells. Consistently, expression of a mutant CARMA1, CARMA1(ΔCD), that cannot associate with Bcl10 failed to restore CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-κB activation in JPM50.6 cells, whereas expression of Bcl10-CARMA(ΔCD) fusion protein effectively restored this NF-κB activation. Together, these results indicate that CARMA1 mediates CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-κB activation by recruiting downstream signaling components into the immunological synapse.
Effect of Atmosphere on Duplex Oxide Formed on 9Cr Steel at 550 °C

Commercial F91 steel was exposed to atmospheric pressure CO2 and laboratory air at 550 °C for exposure times up to 1000 h. In both atmospheres, a Fe-rich duplex oxide scale formed, but with different morphology, oxide phases and growth rates. In CO2, the duplex morphology was observed at the onset of oxidation and it was found that the cooling rate affect the oxide phases formed on the outer scale. In air, the alloy initially formed a protective chromium rich oxide layer, followed by the nucleation and growth of duplex iron-rich oxide nodules at random locations, leading to breakaway oxidation. Alloy carburization was also observed in CO2 but not in air environment.
An Unidentified Parasitoid Community (Chalcidoidea) is Associated with Pine-Feeding Chionaspis Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

ABSTRACT Many of the >22,000 described species of parasitoids in the Chalcidoidea attack armored scale insects, a group that may contain many cryptic species. Because the diversity of both these groups may be high, associations between them are likely to be underreported, and accurate reporting requires direct association between parasitoids and their scale insect hosts. One group of well-known armored scale insects are the pine-feeding Chionaspis of North America, which have been considered to be two species of economic pests, and have over a century of parasitoid records. These Chionaspis have been revealed to be a complex of at least 10, mostly cryptic, species. We have sequenced chalcidoid 28S rDNA from 50 parasitized Chionaspis hosts. We explore these host-parasitoid associations by placing the parasitoid sequences in a phylogenetic context. We aligned the sequences manually, based on secondary structure models, and added them to a previous 28S secondary structure alignment for the Chalcidoidea that includes 19 families, 72 subfamilies, 369 genera, and 685 species. The results of maximum likelihood analyses were interpreted using an updated, comprehensive list of parasitoids recorded from pine-feeding Chionaspis. The sequences are placed in nine clades, only two of which appear consistent with known Chionaspis parasitoids. Although pine-feeding Chionaspis are among the best-known armored scales, our results indicate that their parasitoid diversity has been underreported.