Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Largemouth Bass Predation Effect on Stocked Walleye Survival in Illinois Impoundments

Abstract Survival of stocked fish can be mediated by biotic factors such as size and species, predators, and prey, and abiotic influences such as temperature and habitat. Walleyes Sander vitreus are numerically among the most stocked fish in the USA, yet stocking success of this species is highly variable. We examined the effects of predation by largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides on walleyes across 77 stocking events in 10 Illinois impoundments. Predation mortality was assessed by examining diets of largemouth bass for up to 21 d post walleye stocking. Of 8,591 largemouth bass diets examined, 2.0% contained walleye, corresponding to 4.3% walleye mortality attributable to largemouth bass predation. Largemouth bass predation was greatest within 24 h of stocking, and no predation was observed after 14 d. Predation mortality and fall CPUE of walleyes were related to largemouth bass density; however, we found no relationship between predation mortality and fall CPUE of walleyes. Our results suggest that pre.
Genetic analysis of silver-fir populations in the North Carpathian and Sudeten Mountains

Seeds collected from individual trees in the 16 Carpathian and 2 Sudeten silver-fir ( Abies alba ) populations were studied with the starch gel electrophoresis in megagametophytes using 14 enzyme systems with 28 loci. The results show that the geographical distance between populations are in a small part reflected in genetic distances. There are two main groups of populations: Sudeten and Carpathian with a very big genetic distance between them. Other populations consist of a few small groups with low gene flow between them ( N m = 3.286). About 80% of genetic variation is located within populations ( F ST = 0.223). Average values for genetic multiplicity and diversity for Carpathian populations are as follows: number of alleles per locus: Na = 2.308, with effective number of alleles Ne = 1.552 and proportion of polymorphic loci 71.21%. The mean number of alleles per locus ( Na ) varied from 2.107 to 2.607 in population. The mean effective number of alleles per locus ( Ne ) ranged from 1.429 to 1.662. Average Fis for Carpathian populations was -0.021, which means that there is small excess of heterozygotes. The average observed heterozygosity amounted to Ho = 0.275 and expected heterozygosity was He = 0.269. The dendrogram structure and presence of rare alleles found in silver-fir of Czech, and Slovakian populations allow for a hypothesis that in postglaciation the silver-fir moved into the Polish Carpathians not westward from the east but from the south along river valleys from some Balkan refuges, getting North bypassing the High Tatra Range. This way, a highly diversified set of populations originated, differ in the presence of rare alleles. This differentiation is not prevented by a relatively small flow of genes between populations. The calculated gene flow Nm = 3.286 also indicates isolation between the populations. It means 3.3 immigrants per generation into the studied populations.
Response to Comment on “Measuring ELF fields produced by mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs)”

Specifications for magnetic flux density and electric field strength meters–10 Hz to 3 kHz. IEEE Std. 1308. New York. IEEE. 2002. Standard for safety levels with respect to human exposure to electromagnetic fields, 0 to 3 kHz. IEEE Standard C95.6. New York: The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Sage C, Johansson O, Sage SA. 2007. Personal digital assistant (PDA) cell phone units produce elevated extremely-low frequency electromagnetic field emissions. Bioelectromagnetics Mar 13 [Epub ahead of print].
Expansive Learning of Preservice Teachers Teaching Sustainable Development during Their Practicum

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a complex and multifaceted subject, including many aspects, environmental, societal, and financial. It is not a set of knowledge, which can be learned, because it is an evolving subject and in addition solutions that are successfully applied at specific locations might fail elsewhere. ESD should make students aware of the problems humankind is facing and encourage them to become active citizens. Thus, people must also have positive attitudes towards sustainability issues. In this study, we will present the results of a teaching intervention (TI) leading to a system of two expansive learning cycles. For the TI we used the topic of houses, which are a social construct, an economic entity, and have environmental influence. The researcher, an architect had to transform her knowledge to prepare the TI, thus starting an expansive learning cycle which was influenced by the outcome of the TI. The preservice teachers, who decided to use the topic of houses during their internship started their expansive cycle, which again influenced the researchers’ learning cycle. In this study, we will present the results of the TI and the implementation of the preservice teachers’ teachings of SD during their practicum. The preservice teachers reflected on their teachings in their written reports, which were used to analyze how preservice teachers chose to apply the topic ‘houses’ during their internship.
‘Sis Science’ and Fitness Doping: Ethnopharmacology, Gender and Risk

This article is part of a larger investigation looking into recent changes in the demographics of fitness doping and the possible consequences of such changes. Contesting the historical alliance between masculinity and fitness doping, the article focuses on women’s narratives and experiences of fitness doping in a male-dominated open online community called Flashback. The article builds upon a qualitative and netnographic approach to the research. Employing the lens of the potential emergence of a woman-based ethnopharmacological culture, this article investigates the ways in which women talk about and rationalise their use of performance and image enhancing drugs (PEIDs), their potency and potential gendered side-effects. The results show that although fitness doping can be largely understood in terms of hegemonic patterns, women have gained ground in the context of online fitness doping, heralding a changing doping demography and a movement towards a ‘sis science’ ethnopharmacology. Although critiqued by men, the context enables women to freely discuss harm reduction, risks and the potential potencies of various drugs, and to share knowledge that is relevant to female biology and discuss their own experiences, an activity that also makes visible the negotiation of new gender positions.
Scaphokogia totajpe, sp. nov., a New Bulky-Faced Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogiidae) from the Late Miocene of Peru

ABSTRACT The modern pygmy and dwarf sperm whales (Physeteroidea, Kogiidae) are remnants of a highly diverse group, which flourished in the Miocene oceans. Unlike their modern suction-feeding, deep-diving relatives, the past diversity of this family includes animals with disparate ecological habits. Here, we describe Scaphokogia totajpe, sp. nov., a new species of kogiid based on a well-preserved skull from the upper Miocene strata of the Pisco Formation, Peru. A phylogenetic analysis places S. totajpe as sister taxon of S. cochlearis and divides Kogiidae into two clades: the first including both species of Scaphokogia and the second including Kogia, Koristocetus, Praekogia, and Nanokogia. Similar to S. cochlearis, S. totajpe has a tubular rostrum with a hypertrophied mesorostral canal, a large supracranial basin, and a leftward deviated facial sagittal crest, but it differs by possessing a proportionately shorter rostrum, a reduced projection of the lacrimojugal between the frontal and the maxilla, and a flat occipital shield. The cranial morphology of Scaphokogia indicates that the extent of the nasal complex was greater than in modern kogiids. Furthermore, the overall rostrum shape and the reconstructed muscle insertion sites indicate that Scaphokogia retained some plesiomorphic features related to a more generalist ecology. Inclusion of S. totajpe into the context of the Pisco Formation indicates that during the late Miocene, the Peruvian coastal system was a hot spot for the diversification of physeteroids, with at least four species coexisting. Finally, Scaphokogia totajpe highlights a late Miocene diversity peak for sperm whales in the global oceans, before the Pliocene odontocete turnover.
Effect of behaviour of Holstein-Friesian and Simmental bulls on semen quality

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the behaviour of Holstein-Friesian and Simmental bulls and the quality of their semen. A total of 76 breeding bulls of the Holstein-Friesian and dual-purpose Simmental breeds were investigated. Analysis was made of the response of bulls to humans and other bulls, facial hair whorl position and length, scrotal circumference, and semen characteristics (mean ejaculate volume, mean sperm concentration, and sperm wave motion). The age and breed of the bulls had a statistically significant effect on semen quality, scrotal circumference and the animal’s response to an unfamiliar human (P<0.05; P<0.01). The coefficients of correlation between the bull’s response to a handler and to other bulls averaged 0.73. In general, only weak correlations were found between behavioural traits of the bulls and quality of their semen. It is worth noting a good correlation (r=0.50; P<0.05) between hair whorl position and sperm concentration in Simmental bulls.
An investigation of the substrate preference of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) eleutheroembryos

Summary Fifty white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) eleutheroembryos (average size 0.17 g) were placed onto each of four quadrants (0.45 m2 quadrant−1; 200 fish tank−1) of different sized substrates in four circular tanks (approximately 562 L). Each of three quadrants had a different size substrate and the fourth quadrant was left bare. We used one replicate of smaller size substrates (0.5–11.9 mm) and one replicate of larger size substrates (21.7–88 mm). It was found that the white sturgeon eleutheroembryos preferred substrate with an average size (longest diameter) of 12 mm (11.9) in the smaller substrate range and 22 mm (21.7) in the larger substrate range. These data improve our knowledge of white sturgeon early life history, and if confirmed in the wild can be used to protect areas that are crucial for white sturgeon recruitment and survival.
New Records of Biting Midges of the Genus Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) for Spain and Catalonia Autonomous Community (Ne Spain), with Notes on Their Biology and Veterinary Importance

Abstract A surveillance program to collect and identify species of biting midges of the genus Culicoides Latreille (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) was carried out in Catalonia (NE Spain) from 2003–2007, within the frame of a wider program against bluetongue disease (which is transmitted by species of Culicoides). Surveillance results are presented because of their faunistic relevance. Two species previously known from Portugal are new to Spain, Culicoides derisor Callot and Kremer and Culicoides furcillatus Callot, Kremer and Paradis, bringing the total species of Culicoides now known from Spain to 68. An additional 12 species are also newly recorded from Catalonia, updating the total of Culicoides species known from this Spanish autonomous region to 40. An updated checklist of the species of this genus known to occur in Catalonia is presented, as are distribution maps in Spain for the 14 species dealt with here. The biology and veterinary importance of these species are also discussed.
High Dietary Vitamin E Affects Storage Stability of Frozen-refrigerated Trout Fillets

Fillets were processed from trout fed a diet containing either 200 (low vitamin E [LVE] diet) or 5000 (high vitamin E [HVE] diet) mg a-tocopheryl acetate/kg for 0, 4, and 9 wk. These fillets were evaluated fresh and after 6 mo of frozen storage. Frozen fillets were thawed and stored 3 d at 1 °C before analyses. Muscle α-tocopherol of fish fed the HVE diet continuously increased through 9 wk of feeding. Reduced muscle α-tocopherol and moisture, and increased muscle redness and fat were observed in frozen-refrigerated fillets compared with fresh fillets. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were lower in frozen-refrigerated fillets produced from fish fed the HVE diet. Proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids increased as feeding duration increased from 0 to 9 wk.
Parental Sex Differences in Food Allocation to Junior Brood Members as Mediated by Prey Size

Individual offspring within a brood may receive different amounts of provisioning from the male and female parents. Some hypotheses suggest that this bias is the result of an active and adaptive choice by parents. An alternative hypothesis is that feeding biases arise as a result of a constraint of fitting large prey items into small gapes. In an experiment with pied flycatchers, Ficedula hypoleuca, we tested for sex-biased allocation to junior nestlings in asynchronous broods and whether this could be explained by active parental choice or by passive allocation according to prey size and gape size. In both control broods and broods with experimentally increased degree of asynchrony, prey types did not differ between parents but females brought smaller prey than males at younger but not older nestling stages. At younger but not older nestling stages, the majority of feeds to junior nestlings were from females, and the smaller nestlings consumed smaller prey than older siblings. However, there was no evidence of active preference of small nestlings by females as parents did not differ in the tendency to bypass a begging senior nestling in order to feed a junior nestling. Provisioning rates by females were lower than those by males when nestlings were young and we suggest that foraging time constraints caused by the need to brood offspring result in females bringing smaller prey than males. In turn, the larger prey brought by males was more often transferred to larger offspring after the smaller ones failed to swallow it. In such cases, ‘preferential’ feeding of small nestlings by females may simply be a passive side effect of foraging constraints and gape-size limitations.
Limited Female Choice and the Evolution of Secondary Sexual Characters

This article studies the role that limits on female mate choice in polygynous species play in the evolution of preferred secondary sexual traits. Analysis of a diploid model of evolution by female choice sexual selection that incorporates limited female choice shows that the conditions under which an allele coding for a novel secondary sexual trait will increase in frequency when rare are more restrictive when female choice is more limited. This suggests the prediction that, all else being equal, species or populations whose females have limited mate choice are less likely to be sexually dimorphic in secondary sexual traits compared to species or populations whose females have relatively less limited choice.
Maize particle size with the addition of wheat on zootechnical parameters in chickens

T. An experiment was performed to compare in the meal diets different particle sizes of corn, with and without the addition of whole wheat, on the performance of chicken broilers. 2 800 broilers, four particle sizes was compared; T1) 1175 µm, T2) 740 µm, T3) 541 µm, and T4) 398 µm, with and without the addition of whole wheat (5, 10 and 15%). Body weight (kg), feed consumption (kg), feed conversion ratio (kg/kg), and mortality percentage were evaluated at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 45 days. The gizzard total weight and relative weight was recorded at end of the study. The data recorded in each variable was analyzed by general lineal model for factorial design 4 x 2. At 45 days of age, T2 showed the highest body weight (p 0.05) in mortality rate; while the size of the gizzard was lower (p 0.05), was observed in the other parameters evaluated. A significative effect (p < 0.01) of the interaction of particle size 740 µm with the addition of the whole wheat was observed on the body weight at the end of the study, suggesting that this can be alternative for obtain best performance and save money by feed.
Comprehensive Analysis of a New Varying Parameter Zeroing Neural Network for Time Varying Matrix Inversion

The matrix inversion problem plays a very important role in mathematics as well as practical engineering applications. In this article, unlike the traditional fixed-parameter zeroing neural network (ZNN) model, on the basis of the original varying-parameter ZNN (VPZNN) model, an improved VPZNN (IVPZNN) model is established and researched to solve time-varying matrix inversion (TVMI). Specifically, the value of the proposed novel time-varying parameter in the IVPZNN model can grow rapidly over time, which can better meet the needs of ZNN in hardware implementation. In addition, theoretical analyses of the novel time varying parameter and the proposed IVPZNN model are given to guarantee the global superexponential convergence and finite-time convergence. Numerical calculation results verify the superior property of the established IVPZNN model for addressing the TVMI problem, as compared with the existing fixed-parameter ZNN and VPZNN models.
Stomatal conductance of forest species after long-term exposure to elevated CO2 concentration: a synthesis.

• Data from 13 long-term (> 1 yr), field-based studies of the effects of elevated CO2 concentration ([CO2 ]) on European forest tree species were analysed using meta-analysis and modelling. Meta-analysis was used to determine mean responses across the data sets, and data were fitted to two commonly used models of stomatal conductance in order to explore response to environmental conditions and the relationship with assimilation. • Meta-analysis indicated a significant decrease (21%) in stomatal conductance in response to growth in elevated [CO2 ] across all studies. The response to [CO2 ] was significantly stronger in young trees than old trees, in deciduous compared to coniferous trees, and in water stressed compared to nutrient stressed trees. No evidence of acclimation of stomatal conductance to elevated [CO2 ] was found. • Fits of data to the first model showed that growth in elevated [CO2 ] did not alter the response of stomatal conductance to vapour pressure deficit, soil water content or atmospheric [CO2 ]. Fits of data to the second model indicated that conductance and assimilation responded in parallel to elevated [CO2 ] except when water was limiting. • Data were compared to a previous meta-analysis and it was found that the response of gs to elevated [CO2 ] was much more consistent in long-term (> 1 yr) studies, emphasising the need for long-term elevated [CO2 ] studies. By interpreting data in terms of models, the synthesis will aid future modelling studies of responses of forest trees to elevated [CO2 ].
Social media for social good? A thematic, spatial and visual analysis of humanitarian action on Instagram

ABSTRACT As an image and location sharing platform, Instagram offers intimate visual access to events, experiences and situations in a manner that is mobile and contextual. Partnering with Australian Red Cross, this paper develops a mixed methodology for using Instagram data to identify and understand individuals’ everyday humanitarian activity in a major urban centre (Melbourne, Australia) outside of the temporal frame of crisis. The research integrates hashtag data collection with thematic analysis in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to use visualise the links between types of humanitarian action, their motivations and contextual situations to precise urban locations. These attributes of Instagram posting practices offer a base layer of information about disparate prosocial action taking place in an urban context. We see this as informing and sustaining a new hybrid mode of promotional and humanitarian communication, evidencing social good ‘place making’ and enabling new forms of visible humanitarian participation.
The contribution of preoccupation with failure to TQM, crisis management and HR aiming to overcome crises

The purpose of this paper is binary. At first, it explores the contribution of preoccupation with failure to total quality management (TQM) and crisis management (CM). Then, it analyzes how preoccupation with failure can advance the role of human resources department (HRD) in terms of CM. ,This paper consists of the theoretical and the empirical part. In the theoretical part an extended literature review takes place. In the empirical part, the research statistical analysis is presented. The research was conducted in organizations that employ the largest number of employees in Greece and represent various corporate sectors. ,The research permitted the authors to confirm their research hypotheses. It presented how preoccupation with failure can advance continuous improvement and CM. Moreover, it illustrated the impact of failure to the key role of HRD against crises. ,Organizations and managers can reconsider their perspective towards failure. Additionally, they can review and redesign their TQM and CM procedures based on the research findings aiming to overcome crises. ,The literature review indicated that limited research deals with the benefits of preoccupation with failure regarding TQM and CM. Specifically, the research advances the contribution of failure in relation with the level of CM intimacy to the role of HRD against crisis. The added value of the present is to make organizations and their top management realize the significance of failure and use it to promote learning, TQM and CM.
Patterns and Controls of Nitrogen in Tallgrass Prairie Streams

A descriptive and experimental approach was used to study patterns of nitrogen concentrations in tallgrass prairie streams in Kansas. Nitrate concentrations varied depending on the year, season, time of day, stream flow conditions, source of water, and location where the sample was taken. Mean nitrate concentrations during the dormant season decreased from 1982 to 1984, corresponding to above-normal precipitation during this same period. Nitrate concentrations decreased from third-order (grass/shrub riparian vegetation) to fourth-order channels (gallery forests). Nitrate, organic N, and total N were higher in a third-order intermittent stream than in a third-order perennial stream. Water from seeps and tributaries had higher nitrate concentrations than stream water; however, streams and tributaries had higher organic N than seeps. Maximum nitrate concentrations during storm flows were directly related to the magnitude of storms and inversely related to the frequency of storm events. The activity of terrestrial vegetation influenced nitrate concentrations within streams, seeps, and tributaries; nitrate concentrations were always higher during periods of vegetation dormancy. Aquatic biota influenced both spatial patterns (downstream decrease in nitrate concentrations and increase in organic N) and diel patterns of nitrate concentration (night > day). Uptake rates of nitrate by biota were greater during the day than during the night as determined by experimental addition of nitrate. Nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) limitations of algal growth were tested experi- mentally using nutrient-diffusing substrata (clay saucers filled with enriched agar) and enrichment of artificial channels. Addition of N and P in combination increased algal biomass (chlorophyll a and ash-free dry mass) over controls or single addition of N or P. Thus, algal biomass was N and P limited; however, individual taxa responded to specific N and/or P concentrations or atomic N:P ratio.