Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changing migratory patterns in the Jackson elk herd

Migratory behavior in ungulates has declined globally and understanding the causative factors (environmental change vs. human mediated) is needed to formulate effective management strategies. In the Jackson elk herd of northwest Wyoming, demographic differences between summer elk (Cervus elaphus) population segments have led to changes in migratory patterns over a 35-year time period. The proportion of short-distance migrants (SDM) has increased and the proportion of long-distance migrants (LDM) has concurrently declined. The probability of winter-captured elk on the National Elk Refuge being LDM decreased from 0.99 (95% CI = 0.97–1.00) to 0.59 (95% CI = 0.47–0.70) from 1978 to 2012. We tested 4 hypotheses that could contribute toward the decline in the LDM segment: behavioral switching from LDM to SDM, differential survival, harvest availability, and calf recruitment. Switching rates from LDM to SDM were very low (0.2% each elk-year). Survival rates were similar between LDM and SDM, although harvest availability was relatively low for SDM that tended to use areas close to human development during the hunting season. Average summer calf/cow ratios of LDM declined from 42 to 23 calves per 100 cows from 1978–1984 to 2006–2012. Further, during 2006–2012, LDM summer calf/cow ratios were less than half of SDM (23 vs. 47 calves per 100 cows). Our data suggest recruitment is the driving factor behind the declining proportion of LDM in this region. Effectiveness of altering harvest management strategies to conserve the LDM portion of the Jackson elk herd may be limited. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Population genetic structure in a bird-dispersed pine, Pinus albicaulis (Pinaceae)

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is the sole North American representative of Pinus subgenus Strobus section Strobi subsection Cembrae, a group of five species characterized by bird-dispersed seeds. Whereas population genetic structure has been described for several Eurasian Cembrae pines, the purpose of the present research was to quantify genetic diversity in whitebark pine and assess the distribution of genetic variation within and among populations interpreted within the context of this species' unique life history. Allozyme analyses were conducted on nine populations from the Greater Yellowstone Area. Genetic diversity, as measured by population means for percentage of loci polymorphic, number of alleles per locus, and expected heterozygosity was relatively low (i.e., 38.57, 1.66, 0.152) when compared with means reported for pines with wind-dispersed seeds. Genetic differentiation was also low (i.e., 0.025) relative to means reported for other gymnosperms including wind-dispersed pines. These popula.
New Glycerides from a Two-Sponge Association of Jaspis sp. and Poecillastra sp.

A chemical investigation of the MeOH extract of a two-sponge association (Jaspis sp. and Poecillastra sp.), collected from Jeju Island, Korea, led to the isolation of two new lysophosphatidylglycerols (1 and 2) along with known lysophosphatidylglycerol (3) and glycolipids (4 and 5). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and MS spectroscopic data.
Individual seabirds show consistent foraging strategies in response to predictable fisheries discards

Current fishing extraction methods often generate huge quantities of dead or dying biomass that is returned to the sea in the form of discards. This practice produces a readily available clumped resource for many scavengers such as seabirds, but in the face of declining stocks and via policy change, the amount of discards produced is set to decline in the future. To understand how discards have influenced seabird foraging in the past and how birds may respond to future change requires studies examining consistent individual foraging choices. There is increasing evidence that populations may be made up of generalist or specialist foragers and this is key to the population's ability to adapt to change. Here we test for consistent individual foraging behaviour of northern gannets Morus bassanus in relation to fishing vessels and examine consequences of scavenging behaviour in terms of foraging effort and body condition. Using a combination of bird-borne bio-logging devices (GPS and Time Depth Recorders) with high resolution GPS data acquired through vessel monitoring systems on fishing boats, we examined the overlap between birds and fisheries. We found that during repeat foraging trips in the same breeding season, gannets regularly foraged at fishing boats but there were also clear among individual differences in the extent of fisheries overlap. Furthermore, we show for the first time that these differences represent consistent strategies – individual differences in scavenging were highly repeatable across multiple trips within a period of several weeks. However, despite this finding, we found no differences in foraging effort or body condition between scavengers and non-scavengers. Moreover, scavenging strategy did not appear to influence diving behaviour or vary by sex. Scavenging on discards appears to be a strategy employed consistently by a subsection of the population and future work should examine whether these specialisations persist throughout and between years and what causes these individual differences, exploring possible demographic and fitness consequences in light of global changes to fish stocks and fisheries management.
Laying hen rearing systems: a review of major production results and egg quality traits

Laying hen rearing systems have been the focus of scientific research for many years. Over the last few decades, new laying hen rearing systems have been rapidly introduced in an effort to harmonise poultry health and welfare with consumer, producer, industry and environmental demands. Given the above situation, the subject matter of this paper was a comparative review of the results obtained by different authors on the effect of rearing system on productive traits (egg production and mortality) and egg quality characteristics (egg weight, proportions of main egg parts, Haugh units, yolk colour and carotenoids) in laying hens. Although productive performance in alternative systems is often lower compared to conventional, intensive layers, eggs from alternative systems have been proven in numerous studies to have better nutritional properties. Moreover, research results indicate differences within rearing systems. In view of this, this overview of the literature on the use of different rearing systems in table egg production can serve as a tool in determining the future direction of research as well as an indicator of its practical application.
Distribution and habitat specialization of species affect local extinction in dragonfly Odonata populations

The object of our study was to determine the effect of distribution and habitat specialization of odonate species on local extinction in streams in central Finland. We studied the local extinction of the 20 most abundant dragonfly (Odonata) species in 34 small creeks and brooks in central Finland. The historical presence of each studied species in our research area was confirmed using existing records gathered between 1930 and 1975. A minimum of five records was available for each species. During the summers of 1995 and 1996, we investigated the current persistence of 219 separate populations with historical presence. In total, 98 historical populations were vanished. As predicted, we found that species with a narrow distribution were less persistent than species with a broad distribution. Therefore, the extinction risk of a species was inversely related to the width of its regional distribution. Using reference works, species were categorized into two main breeding habitat types: lotic species or lentic species. The species main habitat type was a significant predictor of local extinction risk after statistical removal of the effect of regional distribution on extinction risk. The lotic species had lower local extinction risk than other species. Altogether, the highest extinction risk was found in habitat-specialist species associated with peatlands, probably due to loss of natural breeding habitat. On the other hand, extinction risk was lower in widely distributed habitat generalist species than true lotic species. The local extinction within species was more common in small dynamic upstream than in larger stable downstream habitats. The results of this study are consistent with meta-population theory.
Isolation and expression of a cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase cDNA from perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)

A perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cDNA library was screened with a PCR-amplified cad DNA fragment generated from ryegrass cDNA template using degenerate oligonucleotide primers. A full-length cDNA (LpeCad1) was isolated and confirmed to encode a cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) enzyme by expression of activity in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme catalyses conversion of coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde with similar efficiency, and apparent K m values below 10 µM were determined for these substrates, whereas weak substrate inhibition occurs above this concentration. The predicted perennial ryegrass CAD was very similar (88–87percnt; amino acid sequence identity) to the only other monocotyledonous plant CAD sequences available, those of maize and sugarcane, respectively. Southern blot hybridization analysis indicated that there may be two or three cad genes, or alleles, in perennial ryegrass. The ryegrass LpeCad1 gene resembles the maize cadgene in showing strong expression in root and stem tissues, but is also expressed at lower levels in shoot, leaf sheath, leaf blade and floral tissues.
CYTOLOGICAL AND HYBRIDIZATION STUDIES IN THE GENUS DIANTHUS

The genus Dianthus has for long defied attempts to produce a wolkable classification. Up to the present only Williams (I893) has given a complete treatment of the genus. The characters by which he groups the species into sections and sub-sections are frequently inconstant and unreliable; in places he ignores his sectional characters with startling results. Thus D. colensoi Will. and D. mecistocalyx Will. were described from the same specimen yet placed in separate sections. For a fuller criticism Vierhapper (I898) may be consulted. Williams's treatment is unsatisfactory and needs to be revised. Several excellent monographs of small sections within the genus have appeared, notably Vierhapper (I898) and Novak (I927), and what is needed now is a framework into which the various species can be fitted. Rohweder (I934) has attempted this, using as a basis for delimiting sections ('groups') the ratio Chromatin Volume/Nuclear Volume. He substantiated his results with other quantitative measurements but, unfortunately, these were conducted on statistically unsatisfactory material. He applied his results too rigidly by arranging the species in a descending scale of chromatin/nuclear volume ratio. This method separated obviously related species such as D. liburnicus Bartl. and D. carthusianorum L. He also gave results to show that hybrids have ratios intermediate between those of the parents. Thus, if a species is a natural hybrid it is possible, by using Rohweder's method, for it to be assigned to a totally alien 'group'. There is little doubt that Rohweder's results are useful but they must be correlated with other investigations. One of the reasons for the genus Dianthus being so difficult to analyse taxonomically is the presence of hybrids which blur systematic boundaries. It is generally illogical and impractical to place taxa which produce fertile hybrids in separate intrageneric, supraspecific categories as Williams has done for D. collinus Wald. & Kit. , and D. seguieri Vill. The systematic status of hybrids is only satisfactorily solved when sterility barriers are considered whilst delimiting sections, i.e. when the comparium or coenospecies is used as a basis for these categories. It is important to remember in this connection that new 'species' may arise by 'introgressive hybridization', whilst remaining diploid. In addition there are the incompletely investigated instances of 'Lotsyism' and the production of fertile 'species' from infertile hybrids by chromosome doubling. Another reason for using the comparium to delimit sections is that related species have a relatedgenetic composition and, therefore, a better chance of producing hybrids than those with dissimilar genetic complements. Incompatibility mechanisms of the type found in Prunus, etc., would upset this reasoning to a greater or less degree; so far they have not been found in Dianthus.
High Connectivity Observed in Populations of Ringed Sawbacks, Graptemys oculifera, in the Pearl and Bogue Chitto Rivers Using Six Microsatellite Loci

Graptemys oculifera is endemic to the Pearl River drainage system in Louisiana and Mississippi, and due to this limited range it is vulnerable to environmental changes. Many impacts to this drainage system are due to anthropogenic activities, and alterations may negatively impact the connectivity among populations of G. oculifera. Previous studies show populations below the Ross Barnett Reservoir might be undergoing population declines, suggesting limited movement among populations. In addition to anthropogenic effects, the drainage geomorphology might also play a role in shaping population connectivity, as the sister species of G. oculifera, G. flavimaculata, contains two distinct populations (mainstem Pascagoula and Escatawpa River) and possible subpopulations within the Pascagoula (upper Leaf River, upper Chickasawhay River, and lower sections of the Pascagoula River). We used six polymorphic microsatellite loci to analyze the population genetics of G. oculifera at eight sites in the Pearl River drainage. The STRUCTURE program found support for one genetic group; however, our AMOVA analysis detected small but significant genetic differentiation in our three-group analysis. Both the MIGRATE and Isolation-by-Distance analyses supported a stepping stone model of gene flow, not panmixia. We suggest management agencies should consider these genetic data when developing management plans. Although we did not detect any influence of the reservoir on population connectivity, likely due to the long generation times of turtles, we suggest mark–recapture and/or radio-telemetry studies be performed on populations near the reservoir to determine if cross reservoir movements occur.
Detection of H9N2 avian influenza virus in various organs of experimentally infected chickens

H9N2 Avian influenza virus (AVI) infection is a major cause of economic losses in poultry industry. Therefore further study to explain the virus pathogenesis is necessary. In this study tissue tropism and dissemination of A/chicken/Iran/11T/99(H9N2) virus in various organs of specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens were investigated. Fifty 2-week-old chickens hatched from SPF eggs were divided randomly into two groups. Forty chicks in the experimental and ten chicks in the control group. Experimental chicks were inoculated intranasally-intraorally with the virus. Samples of lung, trachea, pancreas, thymus, spleen, brain, bursa of fabricius, proventriclus, cloaca and kidney were aseptically collected at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10 day post inoculation (DPI). A reverse transcriptase polymerase chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test was performed for virus detection. Viral RNA was detected in the respiratory system on days 3, 5 and 7 PI. The virus was also found in the kidney on days 3,5,7,9 PI and in the pancreas on days 3 and 5 PI. Viral RNA was observed only on day 5 PI in cloaca. The virus was not detected in the blood, brain and immune system. The virus was not found from any organs on day 10 PI. These results suggest that H9N2 AIV has tropism for respiratory, digestive and urinary system following intranasal/intraoral inoculation. Key words:
Comparison of geographic variations in Typhlops vermicularis (Merrem, 1820) (Ophidia: Typhlopidae) from the Iranian plateau with Turkey and Turkmenistan

Typhlops vermicularis (Merrem, 1820) is one of the cosmopolitan species of the genus Typhlops that occupies a vast range of different localities from North Africa to western Afghanistan. In this study, different populations of T. vermicularis were investigated to clarify if there was any degree of geographic variation in this taxon throughout the studied range. For this purpose, 103 specimens of this taxon belonging to 12 populations from all over Iran, Turkey, and Turkmenistan were studied. Morphometric characters were examined by ANOVA and principal component analysis. Results showed that despite the vast distribution range of this species, there is no significant difference among populations of T. vermicularis in various regions of the Iranian plateau and between populations from within the plateau and outside of it.
Aspects of breeding biology of Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis in a Grosseto province colony (Tuscany, central Italy)

In this paper we have studied a heron colony near a small artificial lake in Grosseto province (Tuscany, central Italy) during 2004, 2005 and 2006. The colony was almost mono specific ( Bubulcus ibis 94.9%; Egretta garzetta 3.1%; Ardea cinerea 1.2%; Ardeola ralloides 0.8%) and was settled in a flooded area inside a thick willow wood; therefore we had to adopt a non invasive census method (perimeter count) in order to avoid an excessive disturbance to the nesting pairs. The nesting pairs of Cattle Egret increased from 106 in 2004, to 240 in 2006. A similar increase was recorded also for the other three species. The whole population of the colony (nesting and non nesting birds) grew from a total of 390 herons in July 2004 to 860 in July 2006. In spite of this increase of colony population, the wood area occupied by nesting birds did not increase: it was 0.90 ha in 2004, 2005 and 0.87 ha in 2006, while the number of trees with nests increased from 54 in 2004 to 86 in 2006. Moreover the mean number of nests per occupied tree increased from 2.06 ± 1.69 (range = 1-9) in 2004 to 2.94 ± 2.85 (range = 1-20) in 2006, showing a tendency to an increased crowding, even if the total wood area theoretically available for the colony was about 8 ha. Cattle Egrets started nest building at the beginning of April; onset of laying was estimated on 21 sample nests between 10 and 15 April; about 80% of those pairs were incubating their eggs between 7 and 25 May. After 15 June there were no more sample nests with birds incubating; hatching started between 7 and 25 May; at 9 June 68% of broods were already hatched. At the end of July all newborn Cattle Egrets were fledged. These data allowed us to estimate the average length of the incubation period in 23.8 days. The mean number of hatched Cattle Egrets per nest was 2.5 ± 0.95 (range = 1-5; N = 34) the average fledging success was 2.2 fledglings/nest, a value relatively high if compared to the bibliographic data.
Establishment of Native Aquatic Plants for Fish Habitat: Test Plantings in Two North Texas Reservoirs

ABSTRACT Test plantings of native aquatic plant species were made in two Texas reservoirs. Founder populations of three native submersed or floating-leaved species were established within small (2- × 2-m) exclosures utilizing actively growing transplants. Herbivory and excessive sedimentation proved to be deterrents to plant survival and expansion. Nine small founder populations of Vallisneria americana were established within North Lake, a small reservoir with limited water level fluctuations and a developing community of native pioneer aquatic plants. Plants within all nine exclosures successfully established and began vegetative growth. In intact exclosures, the plants rapidly covered the sediment surface within the exclosures. Expansion beyond the exclosures was variable and occurred primarily during the cooler portions of the year when herbivory was assumed to be low. During the spring of the second growing season, herbivores cropped most of the previous expansion leaving only a narrow fringe of plan.
Effect of Cratoxylum formosum Dyer, extract and stripping on soybean oil stability.

Natural tocopherols in soybean oil have a favourable influence on oxidative stability. To study this impact, the antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Cratoxylum formosum (Jack) Dyer (C. formosum) was investigated in stripped and non-stripped refined soybean oils comparing to α-tocopherol and BHT. Peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and oxidative stability index (OSI) values were measured. The results of PV, TBARS and OSI values of non-stripped and stripped oils containing C. formosum extract were significantly lower than that of control and sample containing α-tocopherol but higher than other containing BHT. The antioxidant activity of α-tocopherol (at 100 mg.kg -1 ) was effective in stripped oil only. In addition, changes of the PV, TBARS and OSI values in non-stripped oil were slower than these in stripped oil. These results suggested that C. formosum can be a promising source for natural antioxidant. Moreover, natural tocopherols in refined soybean oil affect on the antioxidant property of studied compounds.
Biological active compounds of Scleroderma citrinum that inhibit plant pathogenic fungi

The natural products were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Scleroderma citrinum. A new lanostane-type steroids were found namely 4,4’-Dimethoxymethyl vulpinate (DMV) and 4,4’Dimethoxyvulpinic acid (DMVA). These compounds were tested for biological activities against plant pathogens in vitro. Results showed that 4,4’-Dimethoxyvulpinic acid had more active to inhibit the tested pathogens, Phytophthora palmivora and Colletotrichum. gloeosporioides than 4,4’-Dimethoxymethyl vulpinate at all tested concentrations. The effective dose (ED50) of DMVA compound could significantly inhibit the mycelium growth of P. palmivora and C. gloeosporioides at the concentrations of 58 and 81 ug/ml, respectively. The ED50 of DMV compound for inhibition of such fungal mycelial growth was 2,114 and 5,231 ug/ml. , respectively. The production of conidia of C. gloeosporioides was statistically significant inhibited by both tested compounds, with this the ED50 of DMA and DMVA compounds were 45 and 68 ug/ml. , respectively.