Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of α-tocopherol supplementation in diluents on the motility, viability and plasma membrane integrity of Simmental bull spermatozoa after cooling

Semen storage in cold temperatures might cause an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This condition resulted in spermatozoa damage and quality decrease. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of α-tocopherol supplementation in diluents on the motility, viability, and plasma membrane integrity of Simmental bull spermatozoa after cooling. Semen samples were diluted in skim milk egg yolk supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mM α-tocopherol respectively for control, Tl, T2, and T3. Spermatozoa were evaluated for their motility, viability, and membrane integrity in cooling temperature (5°C). The daily evaluation showed that 1.5 mM α-tocopherol was the best in maintaining motility, viability, and plasma membrane integrity, while 1.0 mM α-tocopherol was only good for maintaining viability. Therefore, it can be concluded that α-tocopherol at the concentration of 1.5 mM was an efficient antioxidant supplement for Simmental cattle semen in skim milk egg yolk diluent.
Investigating the extent and impact of director overboardedness using a comprehensive measure

Directors can become overextended when they serve on multiple boards simultaneously. Previous scholars mostly considered directorships held at listed companies. This study aims to investigate the extent and impact of director overboardedness in an emerging market by using a comprehensive measure. ,The analysis covered 1,600 directors who served on the boards of the 100 largest companies listed in South Africa over the period 2011–2016. In addition to directorships held at listed companies, board positions at unlisted companies and other entities such as state-owned enterprises were considered. Board committee memberships at the sample companies were furthermore included. Random effects ANOVA was conducted to test for significant differences in board and committee meeting attendance. ,Two-thirds of the considered directors were overboarded when accounting for all their positions. Board committee memberships increased notably over the research period. There was no significant difference in the percentage of board meetings attended between overboarded and non-overboarded directors. However, those directors who held three or more positions simultaneously attended significantly more board committee meetings than their counterparts who held fewer positions. Of the considered committees, the remuneration committee typically had the highest proportion of overboarded directors. ,Eligible board candidates are in high demand given the limited talent pool in South Africa. The findings contradict the busyness hypothesis and suggest that director overboardedness should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Evolution of resource allocation between growth and reproduction in animals with indeterminate growth

We review the recent theoretical developments explaining the evolution of age‐schedules of reproduction in animals with indeterminate growth. Indeterminate growth, i.e. growth that continues past maturation and may continue until the end of life, is characteristic for a large number of invertebrate taxa (e.g. clams, cladocerans and crayfish) and ‘lower’ vertebrate taxa (e.g. fish, amphibians, lizards and snakes). Many plants also exhibit indeterminate growth, and we liberally include studies focused on plants when they can be interpreted in terms of animal life histories. We focus on different measures used to determine the fittest life histories, on indeterminate growth as a problem of resource allocation and on the effects of environment to the evolution of the resource allocation schemes.
Impact of clay particles on the cutaneous exchange of oxygen across the chorion of Atlantic salmon eggs

Rates of oxygen consumption for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar embryos approaching hatching were determined. Values were recorded using a ‘closed system’ experimental set-up. A magnetic stirrer was used to ensure that zones of oxygen depletion did not develop in the microenvironment surrounding the respiring eggs. Recorded values of oxygen consumption ranged from 0� 0024 to 0� 0038 mg O2 egg � 1 h � 1 , with a mean consumption rate of 0� 0032 mg O2 egg � 1 h � 1 . The values of oxygen consumption were similar to those reported in other studies using a closed system experimental set-up, however, they were lower than those reported in a study adopting a flow-through system. The introduction of clay-sized sediment to the incubation chamber created a thin film (<1 mm) of sediment on the egg surface, and resulted in reduced rates of oxygen consumption. The additional 0� 3 g of clay sediment reduced oxygen consumption by an average of 41% and the addition of a further 0� 2 g of clay sediment reduced consumption by an average of 98%. Two explanations for the recorded reduction in consumption were proposed: (i) the creation of a low permeability seal around the eggs restricted the availability of oxygen to the incubating embryos and (ii) the clay-sized fine sediment physically blocked the micro-pore canals in the egg membrane, thereby restricting oxygen uptake.
Linking Soil Biotic and Abiotic Factors to Apple Replant Disease: a Greenhouse Approach

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a frequently occurring plant disease, which causes retarded growth and mortality of young apple trees in replanted orchards. The aetiology is not well understood, but soil-borne micro-organisms are often discussed as primary causal agents of the replant problem. A greenhouse study was conducted in Laimburg, Italy, with orchard soils from the region, with the aim of obtaining information about the influence of soil biotic and abiotic factors on the aetiology of the disease. Apple rootstocks (M9) were planted into soils cultivated with apple trees that were either fumigated with chloropicrin or not fumigated, as well as mixtures of fumigated and non-fumigated soils. In addition, uncultivated soils (from the inter-row, from a fallow plot and from a meadow) were taken as controls. Various parameters were measured after 62 days in a controlled pot assay. Soils fumigated with chloropicrin resulted in higher apple shoot growth and lower microbial biomass carbon than non-fumigated soils. Uncultivated soils had generally the highest microbial biomass carbon and the highest ergosterol contents. No considerable differences between basal respiration, ergosterol content, pH, electrical conductivity, and most nutrient and metal contents were observed between fumigated and non-fumigated soils. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis gels of DNA extracted from the soils revealed differences in the fungal, bacterial and actinobacterial communities of the different soils, indicating significant shifts in microbial community composition after chloropicrin treatment. This study indicates biotic factors in soil to be a causal agent of apple replant disease.
Breeding and moult phenology of African penguins Spheniscus demersus at Dassen Island

The breeding and moult phenology of African penguins Spheniscus demersus at Dassen Island form part of a variable annual cycle. Between 1994 and 2006, African penguins bred throughout the year. Most of this period was characterised by favourable feeding conditions. There were definite peaks in breeding activity, but these varied between years and between colonies on the island, with no obvious seasonal pattern. Synchronisation of breeding activities was greater in colonies with higher nest densities, suggesting that breeding phenology was influenced more by social interaction between individuals than by a wider-scale seasonal effect. Moult phenology of African penguins at Dassen Island was more synchronous and seasonal than breeding activities. Most penguins moulted between September and January. A large proportion (30%) of moult records was of birds moulting in nest sites rather than at landing beaches along the shore. The incidence of nest moulting was greatest from August to October, when sea conditions were generally rougher. The interval between successive moults ranged from 221 days to 546 days, with a mean of 349 days. The much greater degree of synchronisation in moult compared with breeding patterns suggests that moult, and not breeding, may represent the key driver of the annual cycle.
Bud Respiration and Dormancy of Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

Abstract Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa(A. Chev.) C. F. Liang & A. R. Ferguson) is a perennial vine which requires winter chilling during the dormant period before it will flower and crop adequately. Quantifying the impact of winter temperatures is difficult because the first detectable responses of the vine are floral initiation and bud break which do not occur until spring. We believed that the respiration rate (RD) of buds of kiwifruit during the dormant period might provide an early indication of the changes in bud state associated with chilling. RDwas measured during autumn, winter and spring on buds collected from three contrasting regions of New Zealand. The RDof buds collected from these regions during the autumn were consistently different. Buds from the coolest region had the highest RD. These differences which were small, but consistent, were apparent by the time measurements started at the beginning of May. The autumn RDwas correlated with the proportion of floral shoots and numbers of flowers per winter bud, and to a lesser extent, the amount and spread of bud break. These correlations focus attention on the importance of this period in determining ‘winter’ chilling responses. It raises the possibility of RDbeing used as a predictor of vine performance as early as 17 weeks before bud break. A rapid increase in RDwas detected during spring. This occurred 3–6 weeks prior to bud break and coincided with developmental changes within the buds. Changes in RDin early spring were correlated with the timing and spread of bud break and the proportion of shoots that bore flowers, but not flower numbers. To provide a comparison of the potential use of RDas an index of vine response to chilling, bud break and flowering parameters were regressed against mean air temperature during the period from May to July. The correlations with air temperature were as useful as those based on the autumn or spring RDbut were available only 6–9 weeks before bud break. The autumn RDcan be obtained at least 8 weeks earlier than mean winter temperature data and this may be an important advantage if this information can be used for forecasting vine responses to chilling.
System Dynamics Model for the Improvement Planning of School Building Conditions

As the number of aged infrastructures increases every year, a systematic and effective asset management strategy is required. One of the most common analysis methods for preparing an asset management strategy is life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Most LCCA-related studies have focused on traffic and energy; however, few studies have focused on school buildings. Therefore, an approach should be developed to increase the investment efficiency for the performance improvement of school buildings. Planning and securing budgets for the performance improvement of school building is a complex task that involves various factors, such as current conditions, deterioration behavior and maintenance effect. Therefore, this study proposes a system dynamics (SD) model for the performance improvement of school buildings by using the SD method. In this study, an SD model is used to support efficient decision-making through policy effect analysis, from a macro-perspective, for the performance improvement of school buildings.
FROM ORGANISMS TO ECOSYSTEMS: IMPACTS OF LIMB LOSS AND REGENERATION ON CRAYFISH BEHAVIOR

OF DISSERTATION FROM ORGANISMS TO ECOSYSTEMS: IMPACTS OF LIMB LOSS AND REGENERATION ON CRAYFISH BEHAVIOR The ability of some organisms to regenerate tissues and organs has fascinated naturalists since antiquity, dating back to the earliest accounts of scientific inquiry with Aristotle in Ancient Greece. Then, Darwin’s theory invigorated some scientists’ dream of stimulating (or reactivating) regenerative capacities in human beings by showing that we are related to highly regenerative organisms. More recently, a renewed interest in discovering the molecular and genetic basis for organ and tissue regeneration has led biologists to focus more specifically on a restrictive set of model organisms. Although the process of limb regeneration is different between invertebrate and vertebrate organisms, it follows the same general principles and steps. The presence or absence of regenerative ability appears to broadly correlate with the incidence of autotomy (reflex severance of a limb). Autotomy allows individuals to reduce costs associated with damaged structures, often limbs, by severing the appendage at a predetermined breakage plane, thus limiting wounding and helping the regeneration process. Individuals capable of rebuilding damaged structures during their lifespan may have higher fitness than individuals without this. This may help to explain how selective pressures for regenerative capacities could be maintained or acquired. The regenerative process, induced by autotomy, may also have high physiological costs and this comes with its own set of challenges in turn affecting how regenerating individuals interact with and change their environment. Organisms capable of regeneration can also have impacts on their environment through their behavior. Therefore, regeneration of structures important for behavioral effects on the environment can mediate organisms’ environmental impacts. Recently, these reciprocal impacts have been the focus of new theory conceptualizing the ecological implications of organismal habitat, namely, ecosystem engineering (defined as the process by which organisms modify their physical environment from one physical state to another). Furthermore, regeneration creates periods of time during which regenerating organisms face newfound challenges mediated by the way those organisms interact with their environments. Once again, regenerating crayfish might not be able to dig a burrow when needed (during drought, reproduction, etc.). Thus, they could find themselves competing for existing burrows or facing a now necessary migration to find water all of which non-regenerating crayfish may not experience. Therefore, ecosystem engineers capable of regeneration represent a powerful system allowing us to develop a clearer understanding of how regeneration might evolve as well as persist through its effects on organismal fitness.
Diurnal activity patterns of walia ibex (Capra walie) in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Walia ibex ( Capra walie) is an endangered and endemic species restricted to Simien Mountains National Park (SMNP), Ethiopia. Data on activity patterns of walia ibex were collected during October 2009 to November 2011, and the main objective of the research was to determine diurnal activity patterns of walia ibex in Simien Mountains National Park in order to design sound conservation strategies for the species. Scan sampling method was used for data collection on diurnal activity patterns of walia ibex. Diurnal activity patterns in walia ibex were bimodal, in which they were active before and after noon. They rest in shade on rocks and cliffs during the mid-day to protect themselves from hot sun and predators. Activity patterns of walia ibex during the day showed statistically significant differences (F 7 , 18228 = 82.09, df=7, p<0.01). Feeding showed significant differences compared to moving, standing, resting, socializing, and other activities (p<0.05). Diurnal activity records in the walia ibex population during the wet and the dry seasons showed that time spent feeding was the highest and vigilance was the lowest. Knowledge of the pattern of this behavior can especially be useful to design conservation planning as successful reproduction in the population may be threatened by anthropogenic disturbances. Thus, information about the diurnal activity patterns of walia ibex is essential for conservation planning of the endemic and endangered walia ibex in its natural habitats.
The relationship between the ethnic composition of neighbourhood and fertility behaviours among immigrant wives in Taiwan

ABSTRACT This study focused on the effects of the neighbourhood on the fertility outcomes among marriage immigrant wives in Taiwan. In particular, we investigated the effects of the proportion of marriage immigrants in the neighbourhood and ethnic composition of the neighbours on fertility behaviours of foreign wives. The study further explored whether and to what extent commercialised cross-border marriages moderate the relationships. Micro-data from the 2013 Living Demand of Foreign and Mainland Spouses and administrative data for 21 cities and counties were utilised in this study. We found that immigrant wives in an area with a higher proportion of marriage immigrants were likely to have higher fertility and shorter intervals between births. Immigrant wives who married through a broker were likely to have lower fertility if they were living in a neighbourhood with a higher proportion of marriage immigrants. The proportion of immigrants from Mainland China in the neighbourhood was negatively associated with fertility among immigrant wives from Mainland China.
Extraterritorial forays by great tits are associated with dawn song in unexpected ways

Abstract Conspicuous male signals often play an important role in both attracting mates and deterring rivals. In territorial species with extrapair mating, female and male forays to other territories may be an important component underlying female choice and male mating success and might be influenced by male advertisement signals. Yet, whether off-territory foraying is associated with male signals is still not well understood. Here, we tested how female and male forays are associated with short-range visual and long-range acoustic signals (dawn song). We used an automated radio tracking system to follow the movements of wild great tits (Parus major) to other territories in relation to male dawn song, plumage ornaments, and extrapair paternity. We show that both sexes frequently forayed into others’ territories throughout the breeding period. Movements of both males and females were associated with male song but not with plumage ornaments. Contrary to our expectations, females stayed away from territories where males sang elaborately, whereas males were attracted to those territories. Moreover, neither female nor male forays were associated with the occurrence of extrapair offspring. Our results, thus, suggest that, although forays into other territories are associated with male dawn song, females may not be attracted and males not repelled by dawn song. This sheds a different light on the sex-specific effects of male advertisement signals, expanding the view on the selection pressures shaping such communication systems.
Variation in the electrophoretic karyotype of Brazilian strains of Metarhizium anisopliae

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to separate chromosome-sized DNA molecules of four strains of Metarhizium anisopliae from Brazil. Metarhizium anisopliae isolates from Japan have been reported as possessing seven chromosomes. Variation was observed among the Brazilian strains and the chromosomal DNA was resolved into eight bands for strain CG46. Densitometric analysis of PFGE gels suggested that the other three Brazilian strains also possess eight chromosomes, with two chromosomes migrating as doublets under the electrophoretic conditions used. The genome size was estimated as varying between 23.39 to 31.88 Mb, not including possible doublet chromosomes.
Understanding Preservation of Primary Signatures in Apatite by Comparing Matrix and Zircon‐Hosted Crystals From the Eoarchean Acasta Gneiss Complex (Canada)

A novel way to investigate the petrogenesis of ancient polymetamorphosed terranes is to study zircon‐hosted mineral inclusions, which are sensitive to melt evolution such as apatite. Recent contributions on such inclusions in unmetamorphosed granitoids can provide valuable petrogenetic information and, in turn, represent a way to circumvent effects of metamorphism. Yet the impact of metamorphism on apatite inclusion has never been studied in detail. To address the issue of chemical and isotopic preservation of primary signals in apatite crystals both in the matrix and armored within zircons, we have studied apatite crystals from four 3.6–4.0 Ga TTG granitoids from the Acasta Gneiss Complex (Canada). Our results demonstrate that U‐Th‐Pb isotope systematics in matrix apatite crystals were reset at 1.8–1.7 Ga (Wopmay orogen) whereas primary REE signatures were preserved in many crystals. In contrast, zircon‐hosted apatite inclusions all preserved primary REE signatures despite variable ages between 1.7 and 4.0 Ga. We interpret reset ages to be a consequence of metamorphism that managed to affect U‐Th‐Pb systematics because of advanced radiation damage accumulation in host‐zircon lattices. Only the most pristine zircon crystal has an apatite inclusion with a concordant age consistent with the magmatic age of the zircon (4.0 Ga). In addition, our results show that apatite crystals from TTG have distinct REE composition from post‐Archean granitoids apatites, that is preserved even in some apatites with reset ages. This capacity to retain primary information and discriminate granitoid types makes apatite a very valuable tool for reconstructing the nature and evolution of ancient crustal rocks through the use of detrital minerals.
A quantitative study of the anatomy of the turkey hen

Within the last few years, more interest has been taken in the raising of turkeys, and in connection with some experimental work on turkey raising at the University of Nebraska Farm Campus this problem was undertaken. A careful search of the literature revealed nothing bearing on the quantitative anatomy of the turkey and, although the number of specimens is not as great as it should be, yet it lias seemed best to report our findings as briefly as possible, and so most of the data have been put in tabular form. The work was done in the Department of Zoology and Anatomy at the University of Nebraska, but the material was provided by Prof. Frank E. Mussehl, chairman of the Department of Poultry Husbandry, and to Professor Mussehl me wish to express our gratitude for so generously providing the turkeys.