Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large mammals surviving conflict in the eastern forests of Afghanistan

Abstract We used transect and camera-trap surveys and DNA identification of scat samples to provide the first update since 1977 of large mammals in the montane forests of the conflict-ridden province of Nuristan in eastern Afghanistan. Nuristan contains a range of habitats from oak Quercus spp. forests to treeless alpine steppes that historically hosted populations of markhor Capra falconeri, Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus, grey wolf Canis lupus and common leopard Panthera pardus, among others. Surveys conducted in 2006–2009 in an area of 1,100 km2 by the Wildlife Conservation Society confirmed the presence of some of these species, and also recorded the common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, previously unknown from Afghanistan; this extends the westernmost boundary for this species. The most commonly recorded species, as determined by direct sightings, scat identification or camera-trap photographs, were the Indian crested porcupine Hystrix indica, red fox Vulpes vulpes and a canid (grey wolf or golden jackal Canis aureus). Despite indications of significant habitat loss and unsustainable hunting, globally important species persist in the area and targeted conservation programmes are required for the protection of these species, the forests they inhabit and the surrounding communities who depend on both for their survival.
Pollen Tube Pathway in Chalazogamous Pistacia vera L.

Chalazogamy, the penetration of the pollen tube into the ovule via the chalaza instead of following the normal path through the micropyle, has been described in a number of unrelated species. The causes determining this behavior are unknown. We examined the pollen tube path from pollination to fertilization in Pistacia vera L. , a chalazogamous species. While pollen germination and pollen tube growth in the style follow a pattern very similar to that observed in most plant species, pollen tube penetration into the ovule occurs via the funiculus. This is mediated through the formation of a ponticulus, a funicular protuberance that physically connects ovule and style. Once in the ponticulus, the pollen tube reaches the core of the funiculus, and there it takes a 90⚬ turn in direction to the nucellus, where it enters via the chalaza and grows bordering the embryo sac to penetrate through a synergid. While no specialized cells can be observed in the ponticulus, the central core of the funiculus, where the pollen tubes grow, very much resembles a transmitting tissue with cells rich in starch reserves. At anthesis the megagametophyte is immature: on pollen tube arrival, a mature embryo sac is present. Chalazogamy occurs in a consistent way in pistachio, leading to a successful fertilization. This event is associated with an immature stage at anthesis of both the obturator and the ovule with underdeveloped integuments that only partially surround the nucellus. Pollen tube penetration is supported by the ponticulus, a structure that fulfills the role of an obturator, and by the funicular transmitting tissue that conducts the pollen tube to the nucellus, as does the micropyle. The fostering of these functions by other structures giving an alternative pathway may have been responsible for making fertilization possible in this species.
PREPARATION *

When this study was started in 1956, a search of the published scientific literature showed that no methods had been reported for the preparation of aqueous suspensions of structures of cellular dimensions, each consisting of a spherical ultrathin semipermeable membrane enveloping an interior of biologically active material. Thus the first problem was to devise a method. My initial attempts used a spraying technique in which a powder or emulsion of red blood cell hemolysate was sprayed at right angles through a collodion spray (Chang, 1957). Later, I used another approach consisting of three main steps (Fig. 3) (Chang, 1957): first, the aqueous protein solution was emulsified in an organic liquid to form aqueous microdroplets; then, on the addition of a cellulose nitrate solution to the stirred emulsion, a membrane was formed on the surface of the microdroplets and allowed to set in butyl benzoate; and finally, the microcapsules were dispersed in an aqueous phase. With modifications (Chang, 1964; Chang et al., 1966), this general procedure has been varied for the preparation of artificial cells with a great variation in membrane materials, content, and diameter. Obviously, it is not possible to
Acupuncture for breech version: Principles, technique, mode of action and utility – A literature review

Objective. Version to correct breech presentation at term remains important, because feet-first vaginal delivery of a baby is associated with a higher risk of fetal morbidity and mortality. Method. The technique consists of puncture at point B67. This technique is thought to work by increasing the probability of the fetus turning by increasing active fetal movements. Results. Five randomised studies evaluating the value of acupuncture in cases of siege presentation indicate that this method tended to be effective. However, no placebo-controlled study has been carried out. Conclusion. Acupuncture should be attempted in cases of breech presentation.
The pervasive influence of sampling and methodological artefacts on a macroecological pattern: the abundance–occupancy relationship

Aim To investigate the influence of sampling and methodological artefacts on the correlation between abundance and occupancy. Location Global scope. Methods A fixed effects weighted regression model was fitted to standardized effect size for 175 examples of correlations between abundance and occupancy. A regression tree model with standard effect size as the dependent variable was also fitted to the data. Results Standard effect size, and therefore the correlation between abundance and occupancy, was found to be strongly influenced by the type of abundance measure used to characterize the abundance–occupancy relationship. Local mean abundance (also referred to as ecological mean abundance) was primarily responsible for negative correlations. Negative correlations also resulted from a mismatch in the sampling extents of abundance and occupancy measures. Main conclusions The combination of abundance and occupancy measures selected to characterize the abundance–occupancy relationship for a given set of data has a profound impact on the sign of the correlation between the selected measures. Previous attempts to understand the processes giving rise to the pattern represented by the abundance–occupancy relationship have confounded sampling artefacts (e.g. spatial extent of abundance and occupancy information) and methodological artefacts (e.g. combining a truncated abundance measure such as local mean abundance with an untruncated occupancy measure such as proportion of occupied samples). Thus, a revision of the approach currently used to define and evaluate competing explanatory models of the abundance–occupancy relationship appears to be necessary.
Frequencies of multiple paternity in three Acrocephalus species (Aves Sylviidae) with different mating systems (A. palustris, A. arundinaceus, A. paludicola)

Genetic parentage was determined by DNA-fingerprinting with multilocus probes and microsatellite PCR in three Acrocephalus species with different mating systems: the socially monogamous marsh warbler (A. palustris), the polygynous great reed warbler (A. arundinaceus) and the promiscuous aquatic warbler (A. paludicola). The amount of extra-pair paternity (EPP)/multiple paternity (MP) was then related to ecological parameters (increasing productivity) and parental care (decreasing male participation) of Acrocephalus species. Marsh warblers (33 broods, 131 young plus putative parents) were studied over 3 years in a German population. No case of social polygyny but four extrapair young (EPY) were detected in three socially monogamous broods. The low frequency of extra-pair fertilization (EPF, 9.1% of broods, 3.1% of offspring) may be best attributed to intense male mate-guarding and restrictions on mate assessment due to an extremely short breeding window. The rate of social polygyny in a German great reed warbler population varied between 8 and 35% of males during a 5-year period. In 48 broods (27 monogamous and 21 polygynous males) with 194 young, 5 nests (3 of polygynous, 2 of monogamous males) with 19 EPY were recorded: EPF-rates are 10.4% of broods and 9.8% of offspring. In none of the nests were neighbouring males the genetic fathers, but in 2 nests, “bachelor” males from distant territories had sired the offspring. The EPP-rate in this species seems to be related to an incomplete correlation between male and territory characteristics leaving some females to correct their choice. Aquatic warblers were studied during three years in a Polish population. In each of the years, MP was recorded in more than half of a total of 75 broods (mean 76%). The proportion out of 340 young sired by one to five “additional” males varied between 25 and 57% (mean 39.1%). Food resources are neither critical nor economically defendable in the species' habitat and paternity assurance behaviours of males and female choice are yet not fully understood.
Aromatic Substances in Leaves of Populus tremula as Inhibitors of Mycorrhizal Fungi

The inhibitory principles of aqueous extracts of aspen leaves, acting upon mycorrhizal fungi of forest trees, were isolated by extraction with ethyl acetate and chromatography on silicic acid. Two inhibitors were identified as benzoic acid and catechol by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. When added to a synthetic medium, these substances had a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of different Boletus-species and a weaker inhibitory effect on litter-decomposing Marasmius-species. When the fraction of the extract which was not soluble in ethyl acetate was included in the medium, the aromatic compounds still inhibited the mycorrhizal fungi while the growth of the litter-decomposers was stimulated.
Fisiologia e produção de cultivares de batata-doce em função da época de colheita

A field experiment was carried out in Mossoro, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, to evaluate the physiological characteristics and yield of sweet-potato cultivars ESAM 1, 2, and 3, harvested at 105, 130, and 155 days after planting date. The experiment was a 3 x 3 factorial in a randomized complete blocks design with four replications. Among the variables that compose the assimilatory apparatus of the cultivars, only leaf size was significantly different. The cultivars harvested at 155 days after planting date (i.e., 25 days after the recommended cycle) presented fever and smaller leaves and showed smaller leaf area ratio. However, they performed more efficiently in photosynthate translocation to storage roots, which increased significantly the number of marketable roots per plant and, consequently, both marketable and total root yields.
ELECTRIC ACTIVITY OF NON-EXCITABLE BIOLOGICAL CELLS RADIO FREQUENCIES

The importance of cellular electrical phenomena is well known.Most investigations have been limited to static and quasi-static effects.Very few studies deal with the occurrence of RF fields, which can be expected for theoretical reasons. Indirect evidence arises from microdielectrophoretic work that delivers information about the spatial distribution and temporal development of AC electric fields around biological cells. A more detailed investigation is possible by an electronic detection of these fields. A survey of both microdielectrophoretic and electronic work is given, together with some principles that are crucial for the design and interpretation of experiments.We present a multichannel frequency analysis system that for the first time allows the continuous monitoring of cellular RF activities over a wide frequency range. For the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pomberhythmic signal changes with period lengths of about 400 s have been found that could be reproduced in a number of experiments.
The Sentinel Node Procedure with Patent Blue V Dye in the Surgical Treatment of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

How far to extend the surgical treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is still an open question. A contribution may come from intra-operative lymphatic mapping because, in other malignancies, the procedure has become an important aid in defining lymph node status. To assess the feasibility of using the sentinel lymph node (SLN) technique with the intratumoral injection of Patent Blue V dye to guide nodal dissection in PTC, 29 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of PTC and no clinical or ultrasonographic evidence of nodal involvement underwent cervicotomy and exposure of the thyroid gland, followed by Patent Blue V dye injection into the thyroid nodule. Total thyroidectomy was subsequently performed, resecting the lymph nodes at levels III, IV, VI and VII. The thyroid, SLN and the other lymph nodes were snap-frozen and submitted for both intra-operative and subsequent definitive pathological evaluation. Intra-operative lymphatic mapping located the SLN in 22/29 patients (75.9%) and the SLN revealed neoplastic involvement in 4/22 (18.2%); other lymph nodes were also positive in 2 cases. In the 18 patients whose SLNs were not metastatic, the other nodes were also disease-free. The SLN technique thus seems helpful in avoiding unnecessary lymph node dissection in PTC without spread to the SLN.
Environmental and successional relationships of the forest communities of the Porcupine River drainage, interior Alaska

The structure and function of taiga ecosystems over a 3 600 000 ha area of northeastern interior Alaska was shown to be consistent with a hypothesis relating vegetative structure and dynamics to site nutrient status and soil temperature. Ordination of modal community descriptions and correlation of the ordination values with environmental parameters indicated that controls of vegetative structure and function found for the Fairbanks area, where the hypothesis was developed, can be applied to the interior Alaska taiga. High productivity sites were associated with warmer soil temperatures, smaller accumulation of soil organic layers, and lower C:N ratios. Lower productivity sites were associated with the opposite trends. Black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) generally dominated the less productive sites, while white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) and hardwoods occupied the more productive sites. The successional trends described for other areas of interior Alaska appear to be valid for this remote .
Alternative Respiratory Pathway under Drought is Partially Mediated by Hydrogen Peroxide and Contributes to Antioxidant Protection in Wheat Leaves

Abstract Water stress significantly enhanced the capacity of alternative respiratory pathway and induced AOX1 transcript in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaves. The water-stressed seedlings pretreated with 1 mM salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) had higher level of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than the seedlings either subjected to drought or SHAM treatment alone did. This observation suggests that cyanide-resistant respiration could play a role in antioxidant protection under the condition of drought. Exogenous application of hydrogen peroxide effectively increased the capacity of alternative respiratory pathway and induced AOX1 transcription. Pretreatment with ROS scavengers, such as 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzene disulfonic acid (Tiron) and dimethylthiourea (DMTU), arrested the increase of ROS and partly inhibited the induction of both cyanide-resistant respiration and AOX1 transcript under water stress. These results suggest that the enhancement of cyanide-resistant respiration under drought might be partially mediated by hydrogen peroxide.
Genesis and Morphotectonic Characterisation of Crescent- Shaped feature from Alcock Rise, Andaman Sea

Study of 98 crescent shape depressions over Alcock Rise, Andaman Sea were reported for the first time in between water depth -500 and -2000 m using multibeam swath bathymetry data. These gigantic depressions have crescent length (CL) varies from 600 to 3800 m and width (CW) varies from 200 to 2500 m with an average central depression of 500 m. Detailed parametric characterization reveals that slope and axial ratio of these crescentic structures have no direct relationship with general shape and steepness of their escarpment. Moreover, spatial distribution of these structures show a clustering of elongated crescent with higher crescent length to width ratio in NW margin of Alcock Rise compare to centre. This change in shape from open elliptical to semicircular depression probably suggests that earlier formed open crescents were modified at later stage to semicircular depressions. As observed in the seismic data, the formation of the crescentic depressions were initiated by the normal fault in-association with major dextral transform fault and subsequently its geometry was modified by local transpression along with seismicity induced slumping and bottom current scouring from the weaker zones. So, tectonics and bottom current activity provides simpler explanation for the formation of crescentic structure over Alcock Rise. Keywords: Crescentic depression, Alcock Rise, Swath bathymetry, Bottom current, Normal fault.
Distribution of Vibrio halioticoli around an Abalone-farming Center in Japan

Vibrio halioticoli is the dominant bacterial species in the gut of abalone, Haliotis discus hannai. The bacterium may contribute to the digestion of seaweed, and form a symbiotic association with the host. However, the process by which the bacterium colonizes the gut of abalone is unknown and intriguing given the non-motile nature of V. halioticoli. To clarify the colonization process, the distribution of the bacterium in seawater, as well as the fecal material and diet of abalone was investigated at an abalone farm. Viable bacterial counts of V. halioticoli were determined in each sample using a colony hybridization technique specifically designed for the bacterium. The count in seawater and culture seawater was 3 CFU/ml. The number of V. halioticoli in a diatom bed used as a diet for juvenile abalone was 7.9×10 2 CFU/g. Fractionation of the diatom bed sample using 0.2 and 8.0-μm filters indicated that the viable count was higher in the attached fraction (3.4×10 2 CFU/g; >8.0 μm) than in free-living fraction (76 CFU/g; 0.2 μm-8.0 μm). Furthermore, viable V. halioticoli was estimated to be 3.6×103 CFU/g in the fecal material of juvenile abalone which had ingested diatoms, as compared to 1.2×105 CFU/g in that of juveniles fed on artificial diet. These results suggest that V. halioticoli cells in seawater and/or on diatoms contribute to the colonization of the gut in abalone.
Molecular studies of Dinophysis (Dinophyceae) species from Sweden and North America

Abstract Diarrhoeic shellfish poisoning has increasingly become a problem throughout the world. Because the causative organisms Dinophysis spp. cannot be cultured in the laboratory, new approaches are needed to obtain ecological and physiological information. In this study, D. acuminata. D. norvegica and D. acuta were collected directly from field samples and used in polymerase chain reactions. The D1–D2 region of the large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene was amplified, cloned and sequenced. Sequence analyses showed that D. acuminata and D. norvegica were nearly identical (> 99%), and that D. acuminata showed an intraspecies variation of 0.8%. The D. acuta sequence was 98.7% similar to that of D. acuminata. The slight differences between D. norvegica and D. acuminala suggest that they may have evolved into separate species rather recently. Phylogenetic analyses show that species within the Dinophysiales order should be included in the ‘GPP complex’, a lineage associated with a diverse array of taxa within the orders Gymnodiniales, Prorocentrales and Peridiniales. The Prorocentrales and Dinophysiales would be sister groups within the GPP complex. Amplification of Swedish D. acuminata isolates always resulted in a single LSU rDNA fragment. In contrast, amplification of the North American D. acuminata always produced two distinct fragments. The longer (735 bp) fragment showed 99.3–1 00% homology among all sequenced clones of different D. acuminata field isolates. The shorter gene fragment had a 70 bp deletion, but it was otherwise highly homologous to the larger gene fragment. This fragment is possibly a pseudogene and might be an important genetic marker. A variable region that is suitable as a target for a probe to identify Dinophysis was also identified. Dinophysis specificity was confirmed for the probe, in that hybridization to cultured representatives of dinoflagellates and environmental samples containing mixed phytoplankton assemblages resulted in specific labelling of D. acuminata. D. norvegica and D. acuta, but not other dinoflagellates. No labelling of D. rotundata was observed.
Ancient relicts or recent dispersal: how long have cycads been in central Australia?

The geology and hydrology of the Central Ranges of Australia provide refuge for more mesic‐adapted taxa unable to survive in the surrounding deserts. Whether this area has been a long‐term refuge for mesic‐adapted taxa is uncertain. Mesic‐adapted taxa in the region have been argued as ‘relicts’, remnants of wet forests once covering the region. This scenario hypothesizes that ‘relicts’ survived in pockets of moist habitat in the Central Ranges as the Australian arid zone expanded. Here, we test an hypothesis of long‐term occupancy in the Central Ranges for a cycad, Macrozamia macdonnellii, a taxon of conservation concern and also one frequently described as an ‘ancient relict’.
Acute Self-limiting Hepatitis C after Possible Sexual Exposure: Sequence Analysis of the E-2 Region of the Infected Patient and Sexual Partner

We describe a case of symptomatic acute infection with HCV in a woman whose sexual partner had chronic hepatitis C. The patient cleared HCV RNA 8 weeks after the onset of acute hepatitis and was found to be persistently HCV-RNA negative during 90 weeks of follow-up. Part of the E-2 region of HCV was directly sequenced in the patient and her sexual partner. Four local controls with subtype-1a infection and 9 1a isolates obtained from GenBank were analyzed. The average nucleotide divergence between the sequences of the infected patient and her sexual partner was 5.1%, compared with an average nucleotide divergence of 19.4% (range 16.6-21.8%) between the sequences of the patient and those of controls. Comparison of the phylogenetic trees in the partial E-2 region showed that the sequence of the patient was closely related to that of her sexual partner. Our findings suggest that the infection was transmitted to the patient from her sexual partner. The resolution of acute hepatitis C in this case was probably related to the host rather than to intrinsic characteristics of the HCV genome.