Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MORPHOLOGICAL MATURITY OF THE KNOBBED SPIDER CRAB, LEUROCYCLUS TUBERCULOSUS (H. MILNE EDWARDS & LUCAS, 1842) (BRACHYURA, MAJIDAE) IN THE NORTHERN PATAGONIAN GULFS

Sexual maturation in brachyurans has three different components: physiological, morphological, and functional. The second is visualized by examining changes in the morphometric relationships between some dimensions of the organs involved in mating and &gg incubation, relative to a standard measure of size. Aiming to establish the size at morphological maturity for the Patagonian knobbed spider crab, Leurocyclus tuberculosas, a morphometric analysis was conducted on specimens sampled in the northern Patagonian gulfs (41? -43? S). Discontinuities were detected in In transformed relationships of abdomen width on carapace width of females, and right chela length on carapace width of males. For females, estimated CWmorph50% (carapace width at which 50% of the individuals attains morphometric maturity) was 47.9 mm, and CW of the smallest ovigerous female observed in the samples was 42.7 mm. For males, a change in the growth rate of ln(ChL) relative to ln(CW) was detected at 48.9 mm CW.
Weed Management in Aerobic Rice in Northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plains

Aerobic rice systems, wherein the crop is established via direct seeding in non-puddled, non-flooded fields, are among the most promising approaches for saving water and labor. However, aerobic systems are subject to much higher weed pressure than conventionally puddled transplanted rice (CPTR). Experiments were conducted for two years to develop effective and economical methods for managing weeds in aerobic rice grown by direct seeding rather than by conventional transplanting method. The proportion of mean grass-weed dry matter was 28.3% more in aerobic direct-seeded rice (ADSR) as compared to CPTR. Both weed density and dry weight were negatively correlated with rice grain yield. ADSR treatment produced yield similar to CPTR treatment when weeds were controlled effectively. Post-emergence application of bispyribac Na 25 g/ha and penoxsulam 25 g/ha could effectively control all the weeds in ADSR. Irrigation water productivity remained statistically the same in both ADSR and CPTR under the weed-free situation or when bispyribac Na herbicide was applied as post-emergence because of effective weed control in ADSR. The variation in net profitability between the ADSR and CPTR decreased with herbicide treatments, viz., Bispyribac Na, followed by penoxsulam and sequential application of pretilachlor and metsulfuron.
Male reproductive system in the South American catfish Conorhynchus conirostris

The testes of the catfish Conorhynchus conirostris (n ¼ 67) from the Sao Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil were of the fringed type, similar to those of some Pimelodidae. The germ, Sertoli and Leydig cells showed characteristics which are general for all vertebrates although the spermatozoa had a peculiar morphology, with an ovoid head without an acrosome, inverted U-shaped nucleus, a short midpiece and a long tail, typical of teleosts showing external fertilization. The spermatic duct and genital papilla performed a secretory function.
On the Adaptive Value of Reproductive Synchrony as a Predator-Swamping Strategy

The logic behind the hypothesis explaining reproductive synchrony as a strategy for reducing the predation of vulnerable offspring (predator swamping) is evaluated by means of two simple models. Predator swamping was found to be an adequate explanation for the occurrence of within-season reproductive synchrony when the predator exhibits a Holling type-II functional response (specialist predator). However, in the case of a generalist predator switching from alternative prey (Holling type-III functional response), which is expected to be a common functional-response type when particular prey are unavailable at certain times of the year, highly asynchronous reproduction may be the best reproductive strategy. In particular, when prey switching occurs at high offspring densities and/or the satiation density of the predator is high relative to the total reproduction of the prey population, the peak predation rate is expected to occur when reproduction is completely synchronous. Spatially clumped prey populations are expected to experience a dramatically increased predation rate if reproduction is synchronized within clumps but not between them. Hence, it is predicted that mechanisms promoting within-group reproductive synchrony are even less likely to have evolved as a predator-swamping strategy in patchily distributed populations, in which reproduction cannot be synchronized between groups. It is argued that the present models also may serve as a theoretical framework for studies on the evolution of fruiting synchrony in animal-dispersed plants.
Carcass traits, meat quality and muscle enzyme activity in strains of Merino wether hoggets

The carcass characteristics, meat quality and specific muscle enzyme activity were studied in 342 Merino wether hoggets representing 7 bloodlines comprising 2 superfine lines, 2 fine wool lines, 2 medium wool lines and 1 broad wool line over 2 years. All animals were supplemented at pasture for 5 weeks before slaughter with high energy pellets. Fat levels in the superfine bloodlines based on total tissue depth over the 12th rib, 110 mm from the midline were much greater than in other lines. This also applied to fat depth measured over the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LL) muscle for one of the superfine bloodlines when adjusted to the same carcass weight. Differences in LL muscle dimensions were minor, although the broad wool bloodline had a lower depth which translated into a smaller cross-sectional area. Significant differences were detected between bloodlines for muscle pH with superfine animals having the highest values for the LL. The differences for the semitendinosus muscle were less consistent between bloodlines, but of the bloodlines the broad wool line had the lowest pH levels in both muscles. There were few differences between bloodlines for the meat colour parameters measured on the LL. In the second year, muscle samples were taken to determine the activity of fructose 1,6-bis-phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) and the concentration of myoglobin, indicators of anaerobic and aerobic metabolism. Samples from 50 carcasses were selected from a medium wool and a superfine bloodline (2 × 25) based on LL muscle pH values. Of the enzymes, only ICDH activity was different between the 2 bloodlines, with muscle from the medium wool bloodline having a significantly higher activity than muscle from the superfine bloodline. This indicates a greater aerobic capacity in the muscle of the medium wool bloodline. The significantly lower muscle pH for medium wool bloodline was mirrored by a lower glycolytic capacity expressed as the LDH/ICDH ratio with a correlation of 0.46. Thus in this dataset, a high pH is related to a change in energy metabolism as reflected by the aerobic/anaerobic capacity of the muscle and this may be a reflection of a change in fibre type frequency, but this remains to be validated
A Study of Genetics Using Two Simple Mendelian Inheritance

A study was carried out to create an awareness of the significance of genetics and show how people differ.Three hundred and fifty five Students of DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria were examined to know the percentage of the population that had inherited traits such as widow's peak and unattached ear lobes and those that had the two dominant features together. Their ages ranged from 16 years to about 35years. The ratio of widow's peak to straight hairline of the same sex were approximately 1: 1 meaning that the number of people with widow's peak when compared with those having straight hairline approximately the same for both sexes though the percentage of those with straight hairline were more than those with widow's peak in both sexes. Most of the subjects had the unattached earlobe variety in both sexes. The females however showed a remarkably higher incidence of unattached earlobe than the males. The percentage of those with the dominant features of both widow's peak and unattached earlobe were approximately at the same ratio in both sexes and was not up to 50% of the population studied, meaning dominant traits are not necessarily seen more in the population.
Comparison of hatchery-reared lake trout stocked as fall fingerlings and as spring yearlings in Lake Ontario

Abstract We made 16 paired releases of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush of four year classes (1979–1982) at five locations to compare survival and growth of hatchery-reared fish stocked as fall fingerlings (FF) and as spring yearlings (SY). Comparisons were based on fish at ages 2–8 recovered with bottom trawls, with gill nets, and from anglers' catches. Mean lengths and weights were greater for SY than for FF at all ages, and SY attained sexual maturity at an earlier age than FF. The survival of FF may have been affected by average size at stocking and by the severity of the weather during the first winter after stocking. Survival ratios of SY to FF lake trout from stocking to age 2 ranged from 1.32:1 to 6.80:1, and a ratio of 2.41:1 was considered to be typical. Stocking cost per 1,000 fish was US$21.76 for FF and $35.45 for SY. Under the most cost-effective hatchery regime for producing lake trout (the maximum number of SY plus some FF to fully utilize hatchery space and personnel year round), rearing c.
Revision of the genus Trox* Fabricius (Coleoptera : Trogidae) of the Australasian region

The Australasian species of Trox are revised. Fifty-three species are described and keyed, ten of which are new. Adults of all species and their male genitalia are illustrated and their distributions mapped. Observations are presented on phylogeny, zoogeography and biology. The new species are T. mariae, T. howdenorum, T. aphanocephalus, T. nigroscobinus, T. mariettae, T. pellosomus, T. parvicollis, T. alius, T. carinicollis and T. monteithi. Five new synonymies are proposed (synonyms listed first): T. eremita Blackburn = T. crotchi Harold; T. litigiosus Harold = T. alternans Macleay; T. semmelinki Lansberge and T. speculifer Heller = T. squamosus Macleay; T. novaecaledoniae Balthasar = T. suberosus F. Seventeen lectotypes are designated. *In a recent paper (Scholtz 1986) the subgenus Omorgus Erichson was elevated to genus. Consequently, all native Australasian species belong to Omorgus.
Conservation tillage increases in soil water storage, soil animal populations, grain yield, and response to fertiliser in the semi-arid subtropics

We compared 4 tillage practices (traditional, stubble mulch, reduced, no tillage) during 10 years under rainfed conditions on an alluvial soil in the semi-arid subtropics of central Queensland. In the final 4 years, responses to applied fertiliser nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and zinc (Zn) were determined. We measured soil water storage, soil nitrate accumulation, grain yield (sorghum, wheat), grain protein content, and populations of soil macrofauna, with the aim of identifying soil-conserving practices that also produce high yields of high quality grain. Stubble mulch, reduced tillage, and no tillage all outyielded traditional tillage when soil fertility was adequate. With applied N, S, and Zn, the mean wheat yields from traditional, stubble mulch, reduced, and no tillage were 2.44, 3.32, 3.46, and 3.64 t/ha, respectively. The yield responses to tillage practices were due to increases in storage of soil water or efficiency of crop water use or both. Populations of soil macrofauna averaged (per m2) 19 (traditional tillage), 21 (stubble mulch), 33 (reduced tillage), and 44 (no tillage). The effect of the tillage practices on soil animal populations may be a factor contributing to the measured differences in soil water storage and water use efficiency. We conclude that conservation tillage practices can greatly increase grain yields, provided crop and fallow management practices are appropriate. Potential yield advantages are realised if crop establishment, crop nutrition; and control of weeds, bests, and diseases ark adequate.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOTAL CHLOROPHYLL AND PHYTOPLANKTON INDIVIDUALS OF ROSETTA BRANCH OF RIVER NILE, EGYPT

Total chlorophyll concentrations of the phytoplanktonic samples of Rosetta branch of the River Nile at the stations before Edfina barrage (from station I to V) and after Edfina barrage (stations VI and VII) were studied during two successive years from August 2006 to April 2008. At all stations, the total chlorophyll contents of the identified algae and the maximum quantitative algal individuals were found maximum during summer 2007. Peak periods of total chlorophyll coincided with peak periods of the stations that recorded high algal biomass. Phytoplankton in Rosetta branch of the river Nile at the most studied stations (I, II, IV, V and VI) had chloro-character particularly in summer 2007. A positive correlation was observed between the fluctuations of total chlorophyll contents of the phytoplankton and those of total number of individuals at all investigated stations of Rosetta branch. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/eco.v18i0. 9392 Ecoprint : An International Journal of Ecology Vol. 18, 2011 Page: Uploaded date : 12/20/2013
MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SOIL MICROBIAL PROCESSES: FUNCTIONAL GENE ANALYSIS AND THE UTILITY OF DNA MICROARRAYS

Traditional methods for the analysis of soil processes are based on measuring and modeling the distribution of chemical compounds and determining their transformation rates. These approaches have formed the basis of our understanding of soil biogeochemical processes, and they have demonstrated the fundamental role of microbes in regulating these processes, but they do not provide a complete view of the complexity of the microbial contribution to soil function. Recent research has revealed the tremendous diversity of microorganisms responsible for catalyzing a variety of soil processes. Such functional redundancy within soil microbial communities may have significant impacts on process rates and ecosystem stability. Therefore, the analysis of functional diversity and its dynamics in the environment is essential for understanding the biogeochemistry of soil systems. Until recently, methodological limitations hindered investigation of the relationship between microbial diversity and soil processes. Over the last decade, innovative molecular approaches to the study of natural microbial communities and the functional genes responsible for biogeochemical processes have given us new insight into this relationship. One new approach, DNA microarray analysis, promises to be especially useful for the analysis of these functional genes.
EFFECT OF PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA AND SOME PLANT EXTRACTS ON ROOTABILITY OF AERIAL HAYANY DATE PALM OFFSHOOTS A- ROOTING PARAMETERS AND SURVIVAL (%)

This experiment was carried out at the nursery of Faculty of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, El-Arish, North Sinai, Egypt, to study the effect of inoculation with the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), i.e. Rhizobactereien (75g/l) or Nitrobien (65g/l) and the plant extracts namely : Gifert (Algae aqueous extracts),Ginger + Cinnamon extract and Roselle aqueous extract at 10% alone and in combination on the rootability and survival percentage of small high (unrooted) "Hayany" date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) offshoots . Results showed that, the highest rooting and survival percentages were observed with Rhizobacterien inoculated offshoots than Nitrobien inoculated ones. Moreover, treating them offshoots with Gifert (Algae extract) gave the highest values of rooting and survival percentages of small offshoots, followed by Roselle plant extract and Ginger combined with Cinnamon aqueous extract, respectively. The highest values of rooting and survival percentages were observed with Gifert (Algae extract) treated offshoots and inoculated with Rhizobacterien, while small offshoots treated with Nitrobien X Ginger and Cinnamon had the least values in this respect. The other interactions came in between them in this concern.
Insect Pest Incidence and Injury to Herbicide-Tolerant Canola in Western Canada

Genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (HT) canola (Brassica napus L.) cultivars dominate the acreage planted to this oilseed crop in western Canada. We conducted a 3-yr (2000-2002) field study near Lethbridge, AB, Canada to compare the incidence and damage of three key insect pests in Roundup Ready, Liberty Link (both HT), and Q2 (a conventional cultivar). Flea beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae and P. striolata [Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae]) damage in 2000 ranged from 31 to 32% of foliage consumption at the cotyledon stage, which surpassed economic thresholds but was not related to cultivar. Cabbage seedpod weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus Marsham [Coleoptera, Curculionidaej) damage to canola pods ranged from 58 to 70 holes per 100 pods in 2001, and lygus plant bugs (Lygus spp. [Heteroptera, Miridae]) at the early pod stage reached densities of >37 individuals per 10 sweeps in 2000 and 2002. For both insect pests, their damage or abundance was similar among the conventional and HT cultivars. We conclude that, in the short term, the insect pests common in southern Alberta do not exhibit a preference to invade and damage the transgenic herbicide canola cultivars commonly planted in the prairies.
Use of Otolith Microstructure to Discriminate Stocks of Juvenile Central Valley, California, Fall-Run Chinook Salmon

Abstract We examined the utility of otolith microstructure analysis as a means of discriminating among stocks and between rearing types of juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in California's Central Valley. Otolith samples were collected from 11 geographically discrete stocks of fall-run Chinook salmon of river and hatchery rearing types over 2 years. Six measured otolith attributes and three statistics derived from these measurements served as dependent variables in a multifactor analysis of variance of paired river and hatchery stocks. Morphometrics that demonstrated no significant interaction between year and stock or rearing type were used as predictors in discriminant function analyses; 32% of samples were correctly classified by stock and 80% were correctly classified by rearing type. Measures of otolith size at fry emergence were the best predictors for distinguishing among both stocks and rearing types with discriminant function analysis. We hypothesize that observed differen.
Vegetation dynamics and mesophication in response to conifer encroachment within an ultramafic system

The biological, ecological, and evolutionary significance of serpentine habitats has long been recognised. We used an integrated physiochemical dataset combining plot spatial data with temporal data from tree cores to evaluate changes in soils and vegetation. Data suggest that this unique habitat is undergoing a transition, endangering local biodiversity and endemic plant species. The objective of this work was to analyse the vegetation dynamics of a xeric serpentine savanna located in the Mid-Atlantic, USA. We employed vegetation surveys of 32 10 � 15m quadrats to obtain woodyspeciescomposition,density,basalarea,anddevelopedaspatialphysiochemicaldatasetofsubstrategeochemistryto independently summarise the data using regression and ordination techniques. This information was interpreted alongside historical, dendrochronologic and soil stable carbon isotopic data to evaluate successional dynamics. Comparisons among geologic, pedologic and vegetation environmental drivers indicated broad correlations across an environmental gradient, correspondingtoagrasslandtoforesttransition.Thewoodlandcommunitiesappeartobepartofacomplexsoilmoistureand chemistry gradient that affects the extent, density, basal area and species composition of these communities. Over the gradient, there is an increase in a diversity, a decrease in the density of xeric and invasive species, and an increase in stem density of more mesic species. Dendrochronology suggests poor recruitment of xeric species and concomitant increase in more mesic species. The data indicated that former C4-dominated grasslands were initially invaded by conifers and are now experiencing mesophication, with growing dominance by Acer, Nyssa and more mesic Quercus and Fagus species. Additional keywords: edaphic, plant-soil relations, serpentine, succession.
Agronomic evaluation of 32 sorghum cultivars in the Brazilian semi-arid region

The objective of this study was to evaluate agronomic characteristics of 32 sorghum cultivars (Sorghum bicolor(L). Moench) in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The experimental design was set up in randomized blocks with three replications. Treatments were the 32 sorghum cultivars. The evaluated variables were: plant height, stem diameter, tiller density, number of green leaves per tiller, average leaf length, dry matter content, fresh matter production and dry matter production (DMP) in kg/ha, and the percentage of the components panicle, leaf blade and stem. To avoid associative effects due to the presence of positive correlation with DMP, the variables plant height, number of plants per hectare and fresh matter production were excluded for being part of the discriminatory variables of the cluster. Based on the cluster analysis and subjective cutting in 20% dissimilarity, five groups were hierarchically set up. It was not possible to find groups with higher values of panicle and DMP simultaneously; however, group number 5 met significant values for both variables, with mean values of 15,037.63 kg/ha of DMP and 11.36% of panicle, besides 13.65% of leaf. Groups 3, 4 and 5 show high potential for dry matter production, especially group 5. The presence of evident variation among cultivars allows for a selection of more productive and, thus, more suitable cultivars for silage production in semi-arid regions.
Statistical evaluation and modelling of the stomach contents of Icelandic cod (Gadus morhua)

A model is proposed for investigating the statistical properties inherent in data on fish stomach contents of cod (Gadus morhua) taken on board Icelandic research vessels. The model explicitly incorporates components to describe the spatial distribution of prey species. It is found that combined delta-gamma (a presence-absence model and an abundance where present model, respectively) generalized additive models are useful in the analysis and explain a considerable portion of the variability in this type of data set, but a fairly large number of degrees of freedom is required to describe the behaviour of the data. A feature of the proposed model is the ability to combine information on the stomach contents from several predator length groups into a single analysis. Analytical results indicate that sampling procedures that base the analysis on the contents of individual stomachs are preferable to those based on combining the contents of several stomachs into aggregate samples.