Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing food collection behaviour of Brants' whistling rat (Parotomys brantsii): a central place forager

The hypothesis that Brants' whistling rat Parotomys brantsii is a central place forager, whose foraging decisions are modified by (a) predation risk, (b) time of day, and (c) food choice, was tested. Field observations showed that whistling rats followed central place foraging rules for a single-prey loader and much of their food material was brought back to burrow entrances to feed on, with larger food items being carried back greater distances than small ones. Small food items were consumed in situ more often than large ones, suggesting that predation risk may also play a role in their foraging behaviour. Larger food items were preferentially stored at burrow entrances or carried underground, whilst smaller items tended to be consumed immediately. Individuals foraged more actively in the afternoon than in the morning and, although there was no tendency for individuals to eat more food at this time, far more food was stored or taken underground during the afternoon. Different foraging strategies were used for different plant species with some species preferentially eaten, and others stored or taken below ground more frequently. This study shows that the foraging behaviour of Brants' whistling rats is complex, and whilst they may follow simple central place foraging strategies, other factors such as the time of day and food plant species also influence their foraging behaviour.
Evaluation of Pseudomonas chlororaphis subsp. aurantiaca SR1 for growth promotion of soybean and for control of Macrophomina phaseolina

Pseudomonas chlororaphis subsp. aurantiaca SR1 was evaluated for control of Macrophomina phaseolina in vitro and in soybean plants, for growth promotion of soybean plants and for production of antifungal compounds. Strain SR1 caused a significant inhibition of M. phaseolina in vitro and reduced damping-off in the in vivo assays. In addition, strain SR1 significantly increased shoot and root length and shoot and root dry weight of soybean plants in M. phaseolina infested soil, as compared to control plants in infested soil. Fragments for the phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, pyrrolnitrin and hydrogen cyanide encoding genes were amplified from the DNA of strain SR1 after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays with specific primers. Thus, this study establishes that P. chlororaphis subsp. aurantiaca SR1 provides control of M. phaseolina in vivo and suggests that strain SR1 might be applied as an effective biocontrol agent to protect soybean plants from this phytopathogen.
Ultrastructure of the Testis of the Mexican Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract The testis of Anastrepha ludens (Loew) has a special histological structure, which is different from the basic morphological arrangement. The organ consists of a single saclike follicle containing all the development zones of male sexual cells. The base of the follicle is modified as a seminal vesicle where spermatozoa mature. In the testis wall there is a peritoneal sheath of large cells, closely associated with tracheoles. The main feature of these cells is a cytoplasm full of pigment grains. The peritoneum is located on a continuous layer of muscles, not previously reported in insect morphology. There is an apical follicular epithelium supported by a thick basement membrane, and an epithelium at the base of the testis forming a chamber where the spermatozoa are released from the cysts. Most of the mature spermatozoa are inside deep folds of the basal epithelium cells.
Influence of Temperature and Mating Status on the Development and Fecundity of the Mealybug Parasitoid, Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope Noyes and Menezes (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae)

Abstract Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope Noyes and Menezes (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a new parasitoid of the Madeira mealybug, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), a common pest in the greenhouses of the southeastern United States. The objectives of this study were to assess the influence of temperature (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C) and mating status (virgin and mated) on the life history of this parasitoid. Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope is an arrhenotokous parasitoid with the mated females producing progeny with the proportion of males between 0.34 and 0.41. Parasitism rates ranged between 17 and 40% and increased with temperature. The number of progeny produced by the mated parasitoids increased from 8 at 15°C to 11 at 30°C, which were 10 and 50% lower, respectively, than that of virgin parasitoids. For females of either mating status, brood sizes averaged between 3.1 and 4.9 progeny per mummy. More than 94% of parasitoids successfully survived to adulthood between 15 and 30°C. No parasitoid completed development at 35°C. The developmental times of Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope were 55, 25, 17, and 12 d at 15, 20, 25, and 30°C, respectively. Using a linear thermal summation model and a nonlinear Logan 6 model, we determined that the lower developmental threshold, upper developmental threshold, and optimal temperature to be 11.1, 35.0, and 30.3°C, respectively, and the thermal constant was 222.2 DD. The lifetime fecundity of Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope were 58–71 progeny between 15 and 30°C. Mated females had significantly higher lifetime fecundity than virgin females. We expect Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope to survive and reproduce within a temperature range commonly maintained in greenhouses.
High Renesting Rates in Arctic-Breeding Dunlin (Calidris alpina): A Clutch-Removal Experiment

ABSTRACT. The propensity to replace a clutch is a complex component of avian reproduction and poorly understood. We experimentally removed clutches from an Arctic-breeding shorebird, the Dunlin (Calidris alpina arcticola), during early and late stages of incubation to investigate replacement clutch rates, renesting interval, and mate and site fidelity between nesting attempts. In contrast to other Arctic studies, we documented renesting by radiotracking individuals to find replacement clutches. We also examined clutch size and mean egg volume to document changes in individual females' investment in initial and replacement clutches. Finally, we examined the influence of adult body mass, clutch volume, dates of clutch initiation and nest loss, and year on the propensity to renest. We found high (82–95%) and moderate (35–50%) rates of renesting for early and late incubation treatments. Renesting intervals averaged 4.7–6.8 days and were not different for clutches removed early or late in incubation. Most pairs remained together for renesting attempts. Larger females were more likely to replace a clutch; female body mass was the most important parameter predicting propensity to renest. Clutches lost later in the season were less likely to be replaced. We present evidence that renesting is more common in Arctic-breeding shorebirds than was previously thought, and suggest that renesting is constrained by energetic and temporal factors as well as mate availability. Obtaining rates of renesting in species breeding at different latitudes will help determine when this behavior is likely to occur; such information is necessary for demographic models that include individual and population-level fecundity estimates.
Chromosomal diversity in Apis mellifera carnica from Serbia

Comparative chromosomal investigations of three honey bee ecotypes of A. m. carnica (the Banat, the Timok and the Syenichko-Peshterski ecotype) from Serbia were performed. G-band analyses revealed differences between Timok and Banat honey bee ecotypes in chromosomes 2, 4, 11 and 13. Between the Timok and Syenichko-Peshterski ecotypes, differences were observed for chromosomes 1, 12, 15 and 16. The greatest differences in G-band number and distribution were registered between the Syenichko-Peshterski and Banat ecotypes in chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16. The results point to great interecotype variability of G-band pattern of chromosomes of the carniolan honey bee in Serbia. To preserve such honey bee diversity in Serbia, the three investigated ecotypes require attention for conservation. Apis mellifera carnica / polymorphism / G-band / chromosomes / diversity
Sex‐biased gene flow and colonization in the Formosan lesser horseshoe bat: inference from nuclear and mitochondrial markers

Sex-biased behaviours are expected to play an important role in partitioning genetic variance in animal populations. Comparing genetic structure at markers with different modes of inheritance provides a means of detecting these behaviours and their consequences for population genetic structure. In colonially breeding mammals, the common combination of female philopatry and male vagility can promote contrasting patterns of genetic differentiation between the sexes, both via their effects on recurrent gene flow and on colonization. We examined sex differences in gene flow and structure by comparing maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and biparentally inherited autosomal loci in the Formosan lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus monoceros. We found that genetic partitioning was higher at mtDNA than autosomal markers in both sexes, indicative of female-biased philopatry and male-biased dispersal. Across Taiwan, isolation-by-distance was detected for all sex/marker combinations but was steeper for mtDNA than for nuclear markers. We suggest that isolation-by-distance shown from mtDNA at large scales is likely to reflect the stepwise founding of new breeding colonies by females during colonization. In contrast, no isolation-by-distance was found at smaller distances of up to 100 km, indicating that gene flow and/or recent shared ancestry homogenises genetic structure among nearby sites. Our results highlight the value of an indirect genetic approach to understanding sex-biased behaviours and their consequences in a little-studied species.
Suppressing oriental fruit fly populations with phloxine B-protein bait sprays†

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is a tephritid fruit fly that is a serious pest of a wide range of tropical fruits. Populations of oriental and other fruit fly species are often suppressed by utilizing aerial or ground sprays of hydrolysed protein bait mixed with malathion. Although proven to be efficacious, spraying food bait mixed with malathion in urban areas is strongly opposed by the public because of perceived public health and environmental risks. To suppress the population level of oriental fruit fly in a guava orchard in Hawaii, we used the light-activated xanthene dye, phloxine B (2',4',5',7'-tetrabromo-4,5,6,7-tetrachlorofluorescein, disodium salt), as an alternative to malathion in protein bait sprays. Because phloxine B must be ingested to be toxic, it is expected that phloxine B bait sprays will have less impact on non-target insects than the contact insecticide malathion. Evidence of suppression of oriental fruit fly population in the treatment orchard was provided by both protein bait trap catches and assessment of fruit infestation. This suppression was achieved even though there was an unsprayed guava orchard on two sides of the small (less than 2.0ha) sprayed orchard. These results, combined with results for other fruit fly species (presented elsewhere), indicate that phloxine B-protein bait sprays can be effective in suppressing populations of several different fruit fly species and that phloxine B is a potential replacement for malathion in bait sprays for tephritid fruit fly suppression/eradication programs.
Sowing Date, Transplanting Date, and Variety Effect on Transplanted Short-day Onion Production

Onions (Allium cepa) produced in southeastern Georgia's Vidalia-growing region are primarily grown from on-farm produced bareroot transplants, which are usually sown at the end of September. These transplants are pulled midwinter (November to January) and reset to their final spacing. This study was to evaluate sowing date, transplanting date, and variety effect on yield and quality of onions. Beginning in the first week of November, onions can be transplanted until the end of December with reasonable yield and quality. For example, in the 2003–04 season, total yield of onions transplanted on 22 Dec. 2003 did not differ from any onions transplanted on earlier dates in November or December. In the 2004–05 season, onions transplanted on 20 Dec. 2004, had lower total yield than onions transplanted in November, but were not different from onions transplanted on 4 Jan. 2005. The propensity of some varieties to form double bulbs can be reduced with later sowing and transplanting dates. Sowing the first week of October rather than the fourth week of September and transplanting in December rather than November can reduce double bulbs in some varieties.
Lichen specificity of Oribatid mites (Acari; Oribatida) on limestone walls in the Great Alvar of Öland, Sweden

Forfattarna har undersokt kvalster, hoppstjartar och andra ryggradslosa djur pa lavar som vaxer pa stenmurar pa Olands alvar. Atta olika kvalsterarter hittades. Generellt sett var vissa typer av lavar betydligt artrikare an andra. De rikaste ar de som har strukturer som de sma djuren kan gomma sig i.
Resource partitioning among three woodpecker species Dendrocopos spp. during the breeding season

Food composition, prey size utilization and foraging behaviour of three sympatric woodpecker species (Dendrocopos major, D. medius, D. minor) were studied in an oak forest near Budapest during the breeding season in 1983 and 1984. Considering these three aspects of feeding, the great spotted woodpecker is a generalist species. Food composition of this species resembled the arthropod supply on the bark of trees more than those of the other two species. The bark of the trees seems to be a relatively unproductive microhabitat in the breeding season, so woodpecker species use, to different degrees, the food supply of the foliage as well. The food and the foraging behaviour of the middle spotted woodpecker show that this species feeds on prey living both on barks and in the foliage; it occupies-an intermediate position between the great and the lesser spotted woodpeckers. Prey size did not correlate with predator size suggesting that woodpeckers adapted not to the summer resources but rather the winter ones.
Breaking down the climate effects on cod recruitment by principal component analysis and canonical correlation

The pattern of temporal correlations between cod recruitment and sea temperature, in conjuction with the climate variability of atmospheric pressure anomalies (NAO index) was investi- gated by means of a combined use of principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA), using time series collected in the area surrounding the Kola peninsula (Barents Sea) and in the North Sea. The proposed data analysis strategy, namely to carry out a PCA of the temper- ature, cod recruitment and NAO time series followed by a CCA between the component spaces of all the possible data sets couples (recruitment vs temperature, recruitment vs NAO and NAO vs tem- perature), allowed us to sketch a general model of correlation between climate and cod recruitment dynamics. Two independent effects of temperature variability on cod recruitment emerged for the Kola region, pointing to the existence of at least 2 different mechanisms of comparable importance by which temperature may affect cod recruitment. In the North Sea the situation is somewhat simpler, and the data are compatible with only 1 major interaction mechanism. Moreover, the general effect of temperature on cod recruitment was opposite in the 2 regions: direct correlation for the Barents Sea, inverse correlation for the North Sea. This is probably due to the existence of an optimal tem- perature regime for cod recruitment lying in between the 'cold' Barents Sea and the 'warm' North Sea.
Presenilin-dependent “γ-Secretase” Processing of Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC)*

The presenilin-γ-secretase complex plays a critical role in mediating intramembranous proteolysis of several type I membrane proteins, including β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Notch. We now show that deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) is subject to proteolysis within the ectodomain segment both in cultured cells and in vivo and that the residual membrane-tethered DCC “stub” is subsequently processed by γ-secretase to generate a derivative termed DCC-intracellular domain (ICD). The production of DCC-ICD is inhibited by selective γ-secretase inhibitors, and by the expression of the dominant negative PS1 D385A variant. Moreover, the membrane-tethered DCC “stubs” accumulate to high levels in PS1-deficient embryos. We also demonstrate that expression of a DCC-Gal4 chimera is capable of activating transcription in a luciferase-based reporter assay and this activity is dependent on γ-secretase activity. Our findings offer the proposal that DCC performs dual roles both as a cell surface receptor that modulates intracellular signaling pathways and as a transcriptional coactivator that relies on γ-secretase-dependent production and nuclear translocation of the cytoplasmic domain.
OXYGEN-HEMOCYANIN RELATIONSHIPS IN THE LAND CRAB, CARDISOMA GUANHUMI

1. The hemocyanin of the land crab, Cardisoma guanhumi, under physiological conditions, possesses a high oxygen affinity.2. The oxygen equilibrium curve is sigmoid, with a fairly high degree of interaction occurring between the oxygen-combining sites of the hemocyanin molecule.3. As in all other crustacean hemocyanins investigated, a normal Bohr effect is present.4. Van Slyke analyses of the oxygen content of pre-branchial and post-branchial blood samples indicated that nearly all of the oxygen present was in combination with the hemocyanin; consequently the oxygen partial pressures throughout the circulatory system were very low. The hemocyanin did not become saturated with oxygen during passage through the gills. These results are similar to those previously found for three other species of decapod crustaceans.5. The carbon dioxide content of the blood was very high, averaging almost 50 volumes per cent.6. It is shown that the low half-saturation value of the hemocyanin confers a stability of loading pr.
Using Soil-Applied Herbicides in Glyphosate-Resistant Soybeans along the Texas Gulf Coast1

Field studies were conducted at four locations over a 2-year period to evaluate the utility of soil-applied herbicides and glyphosate timing for weed control and soybean yield. Pendimethalin, S-metolachlor plus metribuzin, and flufenacet plus metribuzin were applied pre-emergence (PRE) alone or followed by glyphosate applied early postemergence (EPOST), late postemergence (LPOST), or EPOST plus LPOST. Soil-applied herbicides or glyphosate alone failed to control (<45%) broadleaf signalgrass in 2003 due to late-season rainfall, which accounted for a late flush of growth. In 2004, soil-applied herbicides alone controlled 79–100% broadleaf signalgrass, whereas glyphosate alone or in combination with soil-applied herbicides controlled at least 99%. Barnyardgrass and tall waterhemp were controlled at least 87% with soil-applied herbicides alone and at least 95% when glyphosate was used alone or in combination with a soil-applied herbicide. Soybean yield varied, but at only one location did herbicide treatments produce higher yields than the untreated check. Under low to moderate weed pressure, the use of a soil-applied herbicide followed by glyphosate failed to increase net returns over soil-applied herbicides alone. Nomenclature: Flufenacet + metribuzin; glyphosate; S-metolachlor + metribuzin; pendimethalin; broadleaf signalgrass; Brachiaria platyphylla (Griseb.) Nash #3 BRAPP; barnyardgrass; Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. # ECHCG; tall waterhemp, Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer # AMATU; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘HBK 5123RR, DP 5110RR’. Additional index words: Application window, sequential. Abbreviations: EPOST, early postemergence; fb, followed by; LPOST, late postemergence; POST, postemergence; PRE, preemergence.
Effect of dietary lipids on hepatic and plasma β‐carotene and vitamin a levels in rats fed β‐Carotene

Diets low in carotenoids have been associated with greater risks of developing certain cancers. Diets high in fats, especially unsaturated fats, have also been associated with increased risks of developing cancer. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of fat type on the beta-carotene status in a rat model. Rats were fed diets containing 2 g/kg beta-carotene or placebo and either 10% lard or corn oil for 13-16 weeks. Plasma vitamin A was unaffected by the dietary regimes. Liver vitamin A levels were significantly increased in the beta-carotene groups and were greater in the lard-fed animals. No detectable level of plasma beta-carotene was found in the rats fed placebo diets. In animals given dietary beta-carotene, plasma beta-carotene levels were significantly reduced in the group fed corn oil compared to the group fed lard. Liver beta-carotene levels were higher in the groups fed corn oil. The results suggest that the type of dietary fat can significantly affect the circulating and tissue levels of beta-carotene.
Natural Barriers to Natural Disasters

C forests, according to various reports, ameliorated the death toll and damage caused by the December 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Many organizations have therefore advocated the replanting of forests as a natural barrier against tsunamis. For example, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) is promoting “Mangroves for the Future,” a $62 million program that aims to build natural barriers of mangroves in 12 countries in Asia and Africa. Discussions to date within the conservation community have concentrated on how to make these replanting programs successful. A far more important consideration, however, is whether or not these barriers will be effective against future tsunamis. The science upon which these coastal reforestation projects are based is unconvincing; nearly all of the primary accounts supporting a mitigating role for vegetation during the 2004 tsunami are anecdotal. Quantitative support for the mitigation hypothesis has been mixed. For example, Danielsen and colleagues (2005) concluded that coastal forests in Tamil Nadu, India, attenuated tsunami-induced waves and protected shorelines against damage. However, a reanalysis of data from the same area (Kerr et al. 2006) found no relationship between human mortality and the extent of forests fronting coastal hamlets when controlling for differences in elevation and distance from shore—not surprisingly, more vegetation can front a hamlet lying farther inland than one adjacent to the coast. Furthermore, more recent work, including data from 57 sites throughout the Indian Ocean, concluded that the distance the tsunami penetrated was best explained by distance from the earthquake epicenter—that is, wave height at the coast—and features of nearshore bathymetry (Chatenoux and Peduzzi 2007). Most important, coastal vegetation had no mitigating effect on inundation distance. We do not argue that such an effect does not exist; more data and more powerful approaches may well find an association. Certainly, the protection afforded by a shoreline of dense trees appears substantial for typical storm-generated waves (Massel et al. 1999); however, it decreases monotonically with increasing wave energy. For example, the tsunami following the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa penetrated 8 kilometers of full-canopy rainforest (Simkin and Fiske 1983). Natural Barriers to Natural Disasters