Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resolving the native provenance of invasive fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis Poir.) in the Hawaiian Islands as inferred from phylogenetic analysis

Accurate identification of weedy species is critical to the success of biological control programs seeking host‐specific control agents. Phylogenetic relationships based on internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, ITS2) DNA sequence data were used to elucidate the most likely origin and taxonomic placement of Senecio madagascariensis Poir. (fireweed; Asteraceae) in the Hawaiian archipelago. Putative S. madagascariensis populations from Madagascar, South Africa, Swaziland, and Hawaii were included in the analysis. Different phylogenetic models (maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood) were congruent in suggesting that Hawaiian fireweed is most closely related to populations from the KwaZulu‐Natal region in South Africa. Phylogenetic divergence and morphological data (achene characteristics) suggest that the S. madagascariensis complex is in need of revised alpha‐level taxonomy. Taxonomic identity of invasive fireweed in Hawaii is important for finding effective biological control agents as native range populations constitute different biotypic variants across a wide geographical area. Based on our phylogenetic results, research directed at biological control of Hawaiian infestations should focus on areas in the KwaZulu‐Natal region in South Africa where host‐specific natural enemies are most likely to be found. Our results show that phylogeographical analysis is a potential powerful and efficient tool to address questions relevant to invasion biology of plants.
Biogeographic patterns of reef fish community structure in the northeastern Arabian Peninsula

This study provides the first large-scale comparison of reef-associated fish communities in the northeastern Arabian Peninsula, with 24 sites spanning . 3000 km of coastline in the southern Persian Gulf, the western Gulf of Oman, and the northwestern Arabian Sea, each with its own unique environmental conditions. Multivariate analyses revealed three distinct community types that were represented mainly by sites within each major water body, with . 70% dissimilarity in community structure between each. Persian Gulf communities had low species richness, abundance, and biomass of reef fish compared with the other subregions, with communities dominated by herbivores and generalist predators that had little association with live coral. Reef fish biomass in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea was comparable, and communities were dominated by fish with moderate coral association. However, there were relatively more herbivores and larger fish in the Arabian Sea than in the Gulf of Oman, where communities were dominated by planktivores. Species richness was highest in the Arabian Sea when differences in abundance among regions were accounted for. The influence of distinct environmental and oceanographic conditions on reef fish community structure in each of these areas is discussed.
Effects of GHB on schedule-controlled responding in rats: role of GHB and GABAB receptors

γ -Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a metabolite of γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA), is an increasingly popular drug of abuse and was recently approved for the treatment of narcolepsy (Xyrem ® ). GHB and GABA receptors have been implicated in mediating effects of GHB; however, the relative importance of each of these receptors is unclear. This study evaluated the effects of selective antagonists in combination with GHB and related compounds on schedule-controlled responding. Eight male Sprague-Dawley rats responded under a fixed-ratio schedule of food presentation. Cumulative dose effect curves were generated and ED 50 values calculated to evaluate the relative potency at decreasing responding. The rank order potency was as follows: diazepam = baclofen > GBL > 1,4-BDL = GHB. All compounds decreased responding 20 min after administration. The duration of action of diazepam, GHB, and GBL was shorter than that of 1,4-BDL and baclofen. CGP 35348 antagonized the rate decreasing effects of baclofen and not GHB; flumazenil antagonized the effects of diazepam and not GHB. The GHB receptor antagonist NCS-382 did not attenuate the rate decreasing effects of GHB, baclofen, or diazepam; larger doses of NCS-382 further decreased rate of responding when given in combination with each of these compounds. These studies show that GBL, 1,4-BDL, and GHB differ significantly in potency and duration of action. The ability of CGP 35348 to antagonize the rate decreasing effects of baclofen may be limited by the involvement of multiple GABA B receptor subtypes and the lack of antagonism of GHB by NCS-382 may be due to its own GHB-like effects. points were available) or interpolation (when only two data points were available) was used to estimate the (log) dose for decreasing responding to 50% of the control rate for an individual animal. Individual ED 50 values were analyzed using a repeated measures, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA; pooled subject factor interactions) and Tukey-Kramer multiple-comparison test ( α = 0.05) to test for significant differences between dose effect curves (NCSS, Kaysville, UT). Only tests for which ED 50 values could be calculated for at least half of the animals were included in the statistical analyses. Confidence limits were calculated from log-transformed averages and SEM’s of the ED 50 values. For time course studies a repeated measures two-way ANOVA was used to test for an interaction between dose of drug and time after administration. Data for individual time points were analyzed using a repeated measures one-way ANOVA and Dunnett’s multiple-comparison test (two-tailed) to test for significant differences ( α = 0.05) between the smallest dose of drug that produced a maximal effect (suppressed responding) and the corresponding control value (NCSS, Kaysville, UT).
Seasonal fluctuations in gross N mineralisation, ammonium consumption, and microbial biomass ina Western Australian soil under different land uses

A fleld experiment was conducted to study the seasonal variation in gross N mineralisation, NH + consumption (immobilisation and nitriflcation), potentially available N, and microbial biomass-N. Measurements were made during the wheat growing season in Western Australia under continuous wheat, during the wheat phase o fa1y earlupin : 1 year wheat rotation, during the wheat phase of a2y earpasture : 1 year wheat rotation, and under a subterranean clover pasture. The accuracy of gross N mineralisation and NH + consumption within intact soil cores was reduced by the large spatial variation in the size of the soil NH + pool. Calculated daily rates of gross N mineralisation in the 0{5 cm soil layer ranged from 0¢ 0t o 1 ¢0 kg N/ha¢day in the continuous wheat, 0¢ 1t o 0 ¢ 8k g N/ha¢day in the lupin{wheat rotation, i0¢ 1t o 1 ¢3 kg N/ha¢day in the pasture{wheat rotation, and i0¢ 1t o 2 ¢5 kg N/ha¢day in the pasture treatment. Gross N mineralisation in the 5{10 cm soil layer under wheat followed the same range observed in the 0{5 cm layer; in continuous pasture, lower rates were measured in the 5{10 cm layer compared with the 0{5 cm layer. The range in daily rates of NH + consumption in a given treatment was similar to the range in daily rates of gross N mineralisation, precluding accumulation of NH + in soil when considered over a season. Gross N mineralised in the 0{10 cm soil layer was equivalent to 10{19% of the total soil N in this layer. Net N mineralised, determined from the difierence between gross N mineralisation and gross immobilisation, was estimated to be about half of the gross N mineralised during the wheat growing season. Plant uptake was estimated to be 13{37% of the total gross N mineralised (0{10 cm) during the fleld season and was greater in the wheat after legume compared with continuous wheat. Potentially available N, measured by anaerobic incubation, declined by about one-third during the season. At the beginning of the season, microbial biomass-N in the 0{5 cm soil layer contained 61 kg N/ha in continuous wheat, 68 kg N/ha in the lupin{wheat rotation, 73 kg N/ha in the pasture{wheat rotation, and 99 kg N/ha under pasture. Only half of these quantities of microbial biomass were detected by the end of the season. Microbial biomass-N was concentrated in the surface soil layer with <25 kg N/ha in the 5{10 cm soil layer under each land use. A reasonable estimate of gross N mineralisation was obtained in the continuous wheat and legume{wheat rotations by using a simple empirical relationship based on the size and activity of the microbial biomass, and functions to describe the efiect of temperature and water on microbial activity. However, the pattern of gross N mineralisation in the pasture treatment could not be explained using this approach.
Effects of ractopamine in pig muscles: histology, calpains and β-adrenergic receptors

Ractopamine is a G-adrenergic agonist which stimulates growth in pigs, but this effect appears to decline during prolonged treatment. This study was conducted to examine possible mechanisms for the growth-enhancing activity of ractopamine, and its attenuation. Finishing gilts (47.0 kg body weight) were allocated to one of five experimental groups: CON, control diet for 6 weeks; RAC, ractopamine (20 mg/kg feed) for 6 weeks; C/R, CON for 3 weeks and RAC for 3 weeks; R/C, RAC for 3 weeks and CON for 3 weeks; and ALT, CON for weeks 1, 3 and 5, and RAC in weeks 2, 4 and 6. All pigs were fed 2.25 kg/day of a commercial grower ration (13 MJ DE/kg, 16% crude protein, 0.6 g available lysine/MJ DE). Samples of the m. longissirnus dorsi were taken at slaughter and analysed for fibre histology, calpain activities and G -adrenergic receptor populations. Ractopamine had no effect on muscle fibre proportions, but Type II fibres were smaller in pigs treated for the first 3 weeks only (R/C; 2477 8m2, P < 0.05), and tended to be larger in pigs treated for the second 3 weeks only (C/R; 3670 8m2, P < 0.10), as compared to controls (3086 8m2). Giant fibres were also larger in C/R pigs as compared to controls (9027 v. 6917 8m2, P < 0.05). Type I fibres were unaffected by any of the treatments. Calpain II and calpastatin activities were unaffected by any treatment, but calpain I activities were reduced in C/R pigs as compared to controls (0.331 v. 0.504 U/g, P < 0.05), indicating that reduced capacity for protein degradation might partially account for the hypertrophic effect of ractopamine. Pigs treated with ractopamine for 3 weeks before slaughter had reduced numbers of G-adrenoceptors in muscle than controls (2.34 v. 3.17 fmol/mg protein, P < 0.05), which may be responsible for the observed attenuation in growth enhancement over time.
Successional status of trees in gallery forest along the river Rhine

20 alluvial forest stands of different ages along the river Rhine in central Alsace, France, are described. A natural complex landscape occurs which is formed by erosion activity of the river. Recent human impact (canal construction, cutting) has affected river hydrology: flooding is eliminated over large areas and the underground water levels are stabilized. The forest vegetation varies in species diversity and structure, from young pioneer to older, mid-successional forests. The forests were classified into four associations: Salici-Populetum nigrae, Ligustro-Populetum nigrae, Fraxino-Populetum albae and Querco-Ulmetum minoris. The first three communities are ‘softwood’ because of the dominance of Salix and Populus, the fourth, dominated by Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior and Ulmus minor, is ‘hardwood’. Differences in structure, species composition and diversity in 10 widely varying stands in 30-yr and 150-yr old forests are quantified and interpreted in relation to the processes and gradients (moisture and texture) involved. A model of forest succession is developed as follows: 1 Whatever the topographic level, Salix and Populus species are the most competitive in colonizing bare sediments. 2 Under natural conditions, pioneer softwoods are generally replaced by hardwoods in less than 100 yr. 3 Old Querco-Ulmetum is basically the terminal stage of the alluvial succession. 4 Old softwood forests result from an interruption of the natural course of succession. Softwoods may be an intermediate or late-successional phase depending on the interruption. 5 Successional processes change according to hydrological and edaphic gradients. 6 Allogenic processes of flooding are fundamental in the space-time species pattern. 7 Allogenic processes are responsible for the high species and community diversity.
Observations of Successful Bombus terrestris (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies in Southern Tasmania

Early attempts to acclimatise Bombus spp. to Australia were not successful but a pre‐1992 introduction of the bumble bee B. terrestris has succeeded and the species is slowly spreading in southern Tasmania. It is likely that the genetic base of the Tasmanian population is limited if, as is thought, only a few queens were brought from New Zealand. This may affect the rate of dispersal through the island, which presently averages 12.5 km/year. In 1995–96 18 feral colonies found in and around Hobart were transferred to nest boxes, where colony development could be monitored. All of the colonies produced queens, and the ratio of queens to workers (1:4.71) compares favourably with the upper end of colony performance scale in New Zealand (1:5.19). At least two generations are produced during warmer months and there is no indication of genetic impediments to further dispersal in Tasmania or possibly even mainland Australia. External influences such as predatory habits of birds, availability of food, competition from other insects and deliberate introduction by people into new areas make the rate of spread unpredictable.
Species’ response patterns to habitat fragmentation: do trees support the extinction threshold hypothesis?

In fragmented landscapes the relationship between the probability of occurrence of single species and the amount of suitable habitat is usually not proportional, with a threshold habitat level below which the population becomes extinct. Ecological theory predicts that, although the reduction in species’ occurrence probabilities (and eventually the extinction threshold) is a direct consequence of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation might reduce species’ occurrence probabilities and affect the location of this threshold by reducing its predicted occurrence to lower levels of habitat amount. However, little is known about the validity of this extinction threshold hypothesis. Here, we performed analyses on the relationships between the probability of occurrence of eight tree species and the availability of forest habitat for two different empirical scenarios of low and moderate to high fragmentation. We partitioned the effects of habitat amount versus fragmentation by using two metrics: (1) the percentage of forest cover, and (2) the proportion of this percentage occurring in the largest forest patch. We find that, although decreasing forest cover had negative effects on the occurrence of tree species irrespective of fragmentation levels, forest fragmentation significantly modified the response pattern in six tree species, although only one species confirmed the extinction threshold hypothesis, which we interpret as a consequence of high degree of forest specialism and low dispersal ability. For most species, fragmentation either had positive effects or did not affect significantly the species’ probability of occurrence. This indicates that the effects of habitat fragmentation on tree species are weak rela tive to the effects of habitat amount, which is the main determinant of the reduction in species’ occurrence probabilities, and eventually species extinction, in fragmented landscapes.
Achievement goals, learning strategies and instrumental performance

The current study is a survey of the achievement goals of music students and the manner in which their strategies and instrumental performance relate to these goals. In the context of advanced instrumental learning, the rationale for the present study was to contribute to the literature on motivation in music students, and thereby, help teachers to support students in order to engage in more effective practice. The participants were 130 first-year music students (71 women and 59 men) from six music academies/conservatoires. Factor analysis revealed three factors: ability-approach goal; ability-avoidance goal; and task goal. Significantly, low correlations were found between task goal and learning strategies; and between ability-avoidance goal and learning strategies. Achievement goal orientation variables were not correlated with instrumental achievement. In terms of education, the results described in this article imply that advanced students have the potential to improve and regulate their achievement goal orientations during instrumental learning.
Relative effects of phylogeny, biological characters and environments on leaf traits in shrub biomes across central Inner Mongolia, China

Aims Understanding the drivers for leaf traits is critical to improving our predictions on ecosystems’ responses to global changes. Geographic patterns of leaf traits are shaped by phylogenetic, biological and environmental factors simultaneously. However, till now few studies have examined how these factors influenced leaf traits together, and how their effects differed at the withinand among-site levels. Methods We sampled leaf traits from a 1100 km shrub-biome transect across central Inner-Mongolia, including leaf mass per area (LMA), mass-based photosynthetic rate, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations. We examined the effects of phylogenetic, biological (height and growth rate) and environmental (climate and soil) factors on leaf traits with mixed-model analyses of variance. Variation partitioning method was used to separate the joint and independent effects of these three types of factors. Important Findings (i) Climate and soil fertility (total or available nutrient concentrations) together explained 11.4–41.4% of among-site variations, with remarkable difference among traits. (ii) Height and height growth rate together explained 0.4–31.9% of trait variations (mostly among-site variations). Our results could only weakly support the ability of leaf traits as predictors for whole-plant growth. (iii) LMA was negatively related to height, which was consistent with the resource-use strategy hypothesis but inconsistent with the hypotheses proposed for coexisting trees, suggesting that the LMA–height relationship is shaped by rather different mechanisms between the within- and among-communities levels. (iv) The variation partitioning analysis showed that, the relationships between leaf traits and biological characters largely reflected the differences in both leaf traits and biological char acters among species that occupying different sites. The relative importance of phylogenetic, biological and environmental factors differed remarkably among leaf traits, between the withinand among-communities levels, and between different biomes. (v) Our results strongly suggest the necessity of examining the three types of factors simultaneously, and at both the within- and among-communities levels, for a better understanding of the drivers for leaf traits patterns.
Gender as a Moderator of the Relation between Race-Related Stress and Mental Health Symptoms for African Americans

The present study tested gender as a moderator of the relationship between race-related stress and mental health symptoms among African American adults. Because African American women are exposed to stressors associated with race and gender, we hypothesized that African American women would have higher levels of race-related stress and more severe mental health outcomes related to experiences of race-related stress compared to African American men. Multivariate analyses revealed that African American men had higher stress appraisals for institutional racism than did women. No significant gender differences were found for cultural and individual racism. Moderated regression analyses revealed that increases in stress appraisals for individual racism were associated with increases in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms for African American women. Race-related stress had no significant effects on mental health symptoms for African American men. The findings suggest that gender is an important factor in determining the impact of race-related stress on mental health.
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Predation on Grassland Songbird Nestlings

Abstract White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were videotaped depredating four songbird nests in grassland habitats in southeastern and northcentral North Dakota, 1996–1999. Deer ate two Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), two grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), one clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida), one red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) and three brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) nestlings. Deer removed nestlings quickly (5–19 sec/nest) at night (22:00 to 05:17 Central Daylight Time) and left no evidence of predation. Although probably opportunistic, deer predations clearly were deliberate and likely are more common than generally believed.
Farmer Perceptions of Problematic Corn and Soybean Weeds in Indiana1

Corn and soybean farmers across Indiana were surveyed in 2003 to determine the perceived importance of weeds at the state and district levels. Weeds were considered the primary crop pest by 69 to 84% of farmers, depending on district. Diseases or insects were ranked first by no more than 14% of farmers and nematodes were ranked first by no more than 11%. Giant ragweed, Canada thistle, common lambsquarters, common cocklebur, and velvetleaf were considered the most problematic summer annual and perennial weeds statewide. Chickweed, horseweed, dandelion, and henbit were considered the most problematic winter annual weeds statewide. However, no weed species was listed by more than 41% of farmers statewide suggesting that relatively unique weed management problems may exist on many farms. Also, the perceived importance of most weed species varied substantially among Indiana's nine districts. For example, velvetleaf was not listed as a problematic weed by any farmers in three districts. Burcucumber was not considered a statewide problem but was listed among the top three weeds by 14 and 16% of farmers in two southern districts. This survey supports the idea that educational programs focused on weed management should be tailored to geographic regions within Indiana. Nomenclature: Burcucumber, Sicyos angulatus L. #3 SIYAN; Canada thistle, Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. # CIRAR; chickweed, Stellaria media (L.) Vill. # STEME; common cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium L. # XANTH; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. # CHEAL; dandelion, Taraxacum officinale Weber in Wiggers # TAROF; giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifidia L. # AMBTR; henbit, Lamium amplexicaule L. # LAMAM; horseweed, Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. # ERICA; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti L. # ABUTH; corn, Zea mays L. ; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. Additional index words: pests, weed rankings, winter annual, summer annual, perennial, Sorghum halepense, Sorghum bicolor, # SORVU, # SORHU. Abbreviations: GDD, growing degree days; IASS, Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service.