Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Herbivore species identity rather than diversity of the non‐host community determines foraging behaviour of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia glomerata

Extensive research has been conducted to reveal how species diversity affects ecosystem functions and services. Yet, consequences of diversity loss for ecosystems as a whole as well as for single community members are still difficult to predict. Arthropod communities typically are species‐rich, and their species interactions, such as those between herbivores and their predators or parasitoids, may be particularly sensitive to changes in community composition. Parasitoids forage for herbivorous hosts by using herbivore‐induced plant volatiles (indirect cues) and cues produced by their host (direct cues). However, in addition to hosts, non‐suitable herbivores are present in a parasitoid's environment which may complicate the foraging process for the parasitoid. Therefore, ecosystem changes in the diversity of herbivores may affect the foraging efficiency of parasitoids. The effect of herbivore diversity may be mediated by either species numbers per se, by specific species traits, or by both. To investigate how diversity and identity of non‐host herbivores influence the behaviour of parasitoids, we created environments with different levels of non‐host diversity. On individual plants in these environments, we complemented host herbivores with 1–4 non‐host herbivore species. We subsequently studied the behaviour of the gregarious endoparasitoid Cotesia glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) while foraging for its gregarious host Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Neither non‐host species diversity nor non‐host identity influenced the preference of the parasitoid for herbivore‐infested plants. However, after landing on the plant, non‐host species identity did affect parasitoid behaviour, whereas non‐host diversity did not. One of the non‐host species, Trichoplusia ni Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), reduced the time the parasitoid spent on the plant as well as the number of hosts it parasitized. We conclude that non‐host herbivore species identity has a larger influence on C. glomerata foraging behaviour than non‐host species diversity. Our study shows the importance of species identity over species diversity in a multitrophic interaction of plants, herbivores, and parasitoids.
The value of objects to Satin Bowerbirds Ptilonorhynchus violaceus

The mating success of male Satin Bowerbirds Ptilonorhynchus violaceus is known to correlate with the numbers of decoration objects present at their bowers. It was expected that the value of an object, in terms of fitness pay-offs to males, would be less in an area where the average number of objects at bowers was high than in an area where the average numbers of objects at bowers was low. We found (a) rates of visiting bowers by adult females and immature individuals were correlated with the number of marked objects at those bowers within but not between areas, (b) the rate of stealing objects was higher in the area at which the average number of objects at bowers was lowest and (c) bower destruction increased relative to stealing in the area where the average number of objects was highest. These findings suggest that the relative importance of behaviour associated with competition and sexual display in male Satin Bowerbirds is subject to variation in response to environmental conditions.
Survival, growth and gene expression in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae exposed to silver nanoparticles

The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the toxicity of silver nanoparticles at predicted environmentally relevant concentrations (i.e. 0.01, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L by mass of nanoparticles). One concentration of silver nitrate (0.01 mg/L) was included to compare the effects of silver ions (from AgNO3) with effects of the same concentration of nanoparticles. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae were exposed in a critical window of larval development (i.e. 6 dpf – 21 dpf) to quantify effects on survival, growth and changes in gene expression. Suspended nanoparticles were found to be polydispersed and there was a tendency towards broader size distributions and bigger agglomerates with increasing concentration. No negative effects were observed in survival or growth. However, exposure to the highest concentration of silver nanoparticles (0.01 mg/L) resulted in a significant positive effect on survival. Microbiological analysis of water samples from the exposure tanks showed that there were more microorganisms in the sample collected from the highest exposure concentration, indicating that increased survival was most likely not explained by antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticles. Changes in gene expression following exposure to equal concentrations of silver nanoparticles and silver nitrate (i.e. 0.01 mg/L) resulted in distinctive gene expression profiles, with silver nanoparticles inducing changes in a much higher number of genes than silver nitrate. Both gene expression profiles appear to associate with the visual system and cardiovascular health. Silver nanoparticles induce changes in several genes involved in the negative feedback-loop of the circadian rhythm system and pathways associated with the activation of nuclear receptors.
Toxicological Impact of Agricultural Surfactants on Australian Frogs

30 Introduction 31 Materials and Methods 32 Results 38 Discussion 41 Chapter 3 The acute toxicity of agricultural surfactants to the tadpoles of four Australian and two exotic frogs 47 Abstract 48 Introduction 49 Materials and Methods 50 Results 58 Discussion 62 Conclusion 7148 Introduction 49 Materials and Methods 50 Results 58 Discussion 62 Conclusion 71
Investigating mechanisms of genome expansion in Corydoradinae catfish

The Corydoradinae catfish are a diverse sub-family of neo-tropical catfishes (order Siluriformes) with more than 170 species described to date. One of the most compelling features of this sub-family is the enormous amount of variation in genome size. With species containing between 0.5 pg and 4.8pg of DNA, variation is comparable to that found across the Teleostei as a whole. Previous phylogenetic analysis identified nine distinct lineages within the Corydoradinae, with more basal lineages possessing smaller genomes and with largest genome sizes found in the most derived lineages. To date, nothing is known about the mechanism that drove this genome expansion in the Corydoradinae, though Whole Genome Duplication (WGD) events have been suggested. Here, the incidence of WGD events has been investigated using a Hox gene and a restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing data set. Both data sets identified a major duplication event at the base of the group, with additional duplication events occurring across the family. These duplication events were shown to have led to relaxed purifying selection and increased functional divergence of HoxA13a copies in the Corydoradinae compared with teleosts that have not undergone additional rounds of WGD. The RAD data set confirmed significant genome-wide shifts in duplicate, multi-haplotype regions across the Corydoradinae, and indicates that several species from lineages 6-9 are functionally polyploid, whereas species that underwent earlier WGDs have largely diploidized and are likely paleopolyploids. An increase in paralogous genes was noted, with Gene Ontology suggesting that gene retention in the Corydoradinae mirrors previously described retention in Tetraodon following the fish-specific genome duplication in the Teleostei. Intriguingly, the RAD data also identified a significant expansion of Transposable Elements (TEs), driven by a DNA TE superfamily (Tc1-Mariner). This expansion significantly contributed to the genome size variation, though to a lesser degree than the WGD events identified within this thesis.
The first records of Senecio inaequidens along motorways in Poland and Slovakia

Abstract The paper reports on finds of the invasive species Senecio inaequidens along motorways in Poland and Slovakia. The species was already mentioned in the floras of both countries but until recently there had been no reports from motorways there. In 2015, a large population of Senecio inaequidens was found along the A4 motorway in Poland. In 2013, it was collected along the D2 motorway in Slovakia. Intensive road traffic is probably the main vector of Senecio inaequidens invasion along motorways in Central Europe. Motor vehicles can carry the propagules over long distances. The newly recorded sites along the A4 in Poland and the D2 in Slovakia are part of the species’ invasion eastwards. It is assumed that Senecio inaequidens will continue to spread along motorways in both countries and in the region as a whole.
Phyllodesmium rudmani (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Aeolidoidea), a new solar powered species from the Indo-West Pacific with data on its symbiosis with zooxanthellae

A new Phyllodesmium species, P. rudmani sp. nov., is described from North Sulawesi, Indonesia and from Luzon Island, the Philippines. The new species is associated with the octocoral Xenia sp. Its external morphology is similar to other Xenia associated Phyllodesmium species, except the unique morphology of the cerata, that mimic closed polyps of Xenia. The digestive glandular branching system within the cerata is similar to that of P. jakobsenae Burghardt & Wagele, 2004, a species that was found associated with the same species of Xenia and at the same locality in Indonesia as P. rudmani. The masticatory border of the jaw with a few large denticles is similar to several other species of Phyllodemium that feed on Xenia, as are the radular teeth with numerous small denticles. The lobate receptaculum seminis is similar to that described for P. magnum Rudman, 1991, whereas the remaining species have a smooth pyriform receptaculum. Behavioural notes of the new species are given and active photosynthesis due to zooxanthellae (Dinophyceae of the genus Symbiodinium) in the digestive gland was measured in situ with a Diving-PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometer). Experiments with P. rudmani indicate a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, at least for three weeks. These results are compared to the ones of P. jakobsenae. Histological investigation of the cerata of P. rudmani suggests relatively high efficiency of the symbiosis for the new species because of the high grade of branching of the digestive gland.
Effect of feeding level during rearing and mating strategy on performance of Swedish Yorkshire sows. 2. Reproductive performance, food intake, backfat changes and culling rate during the first two parities

A 2 x 2 factorial experiment was designed in order to study the effects of feeding level during rearing and of mating policy on the reproductive performance and food intake of first- and second-litter sows. Gilts were offered food during rearing either ad libitum (AL) or at 0·8 of the AL level (R) and served either at first (E1) or third (E3) detected oestrus. A total of 160 out of the 243 animals that started the experiment were culled by the end of the second lactation, with significantly more R than AL animals (71 and 60%, respectively). During the first pregnancy, the R sows gained more live weight (LW) and backfat thickness (BF) than their AL contemporaries (+5 kg and +1.2 mm, respectively) and lost less BF during the first lactation (1.2 mm less). At weaning, no difference remained in LW or BF between AL and R sows (174 kg LW on average). The E3 females gained less LW during both pregnancies compared with those on the E1 treatment, but they remained heavier until the second weaning (208 kg, on average). During the first lactation, R consumed more food during the weeks 2 and 3 (by 0·5 kg/day, on average) than those reared previously on the AL regime, and no difference was observed between E3 and E1 females. No difference in food consumption was noted during parity two. However, when measured over the first two parities, lean animals consumed more food than fat animals. The size and the weight of the litter at birth or at weaning were not influenced by the treatment prior to service. The weaning-to-oestrus interval was longer during parity one than during parity two (5·7 and 5·0 days, respectively; P
DETERMINANTS ANALYSIS OF CASH PAYMENT IN SUPER INDO MARKET JOGOKARIYAN YOGYAKARTA

This study aims to know factors influence the society of Yogyakarta who shop in Super Indo to use cash as the transaction system. This study uses quantitative approach by using questionnaire as primary data. There are four independent variables within this research namely, manageable, flexibility, transaction volume and charge for non-cash payment. As a result, it shows that all the independent variables have influence simultaneously towards cash usage as the dependent variable, whereas in t test, only two variables affect against cash usage, which are transaction volume and charge for non-cash payment.
Evolution of the thaumastocheliform lobsters (Crustacea, Decapoda, Nephropidae)

Deep‐sea lobsters previously assigned to the family Thaumastochelidae Bate, 1888, the thaumastocheliforms, have very distinctive, greatly unequal first chelipeds, with the right side extremely elongate and pectinate, and in having short, quadrate pleonal pleura. Despite interesting morphology and a long taxonomic history, the phylogeny of the group has received little detailed analysis. Here, we conduct a species‐level phylogenetic analysis of the thaumastocheliforms based on morphological and molecular data (three mitochondrial genes: COI, 16S rDNA and 12S rDNA; two nuclear protein‐coding genes: H3 and NaK) to robustly reconstruct their evolutionary history and estimate divergence times. Separate and combined analyses of all data sources support thaumastocheliform monophyly, but as a clade deeply nested within the Nephropidae supporting recent synonymy of Thaumastochelidae with Nephropidae. Combined and molecular‐only analyses support generic monophyly of all three thaumastocheliform genera and Dinochelus as sister to Thaumastochelopsis, fully corroborating the current, morphology‐based taxonomy. In contrast, Thaumastocheles is recovered as paraphyletic in morphology‐only analyses owing to minimal character support. The Cretaceous–Paleogene Oncopareia was recovered as a stem‐lineage thaumastocheliform. The fossil record indicates that the thaumastocheliforms once lived in shallow, continental shelf depths, but moved into deeper water in the Cenozoic where they occur today. The thaumastocheliforms originated in northern Europe during the Mid‐Late Cretaceous and later dispersed westwards to the south‐eastern Pacific through the western Atlantic and eastwards to the western Pacific through the Indian Ocean. Thaumastochelopsis can be considered the most derived thaumastocheliform genus based on the degree of structural reduction relative to other thaumastocheliforms, its remote geographical occurrence (Australia) from the hypothesised place of origin (northern Europe) and its more recent estimated divergence than other genera (28 Mya for the MRCA of extant species of the genus).
Productive and Reproductive Capacity and Characteristics of the Thoracic Region for the Venezuelan Creole Goat

Populations of Creole goats in three regions were sampled. Breeding females were identified, characterized, and monitored. Traits were birth weight (BW), and one (M1), two (M2), three (M3), four (M4), and five-month weights (M5), milk-yield level (MY), kidding intervals (CI), mature weight (MW), chest width (CW), chest depth (CD), chest height (CH), wither height (WH), and thoracic perimeter (TP). MTDFREML Package was used. Fixed effects included year of birth and fractions of loci homozygous Creole, homozygous exotic, and heterozygous Creole-exotic as genetic group and as co-variables, and animal as random. For growth traits maternal environment was also fit as random, and sex, litter size, parity, and season as fixed factors. Growth traits and MY differed statistically among regions, and among genetic groups. Region effect was consistent along all age weights. Heritability estimates for BW, M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5 were of 0.59, 0.25, 0.53, 0.32, 0.53, and 0.59; and for MY, CI, CD, CW, WH, CH, and TP of 0.37, 0.00, 0.55, 0.48, 0.54, 0.41, and 0.78 respectively. Enough additive genetic variation seems to exist to select from for genetic changes in production traits. Maternal environment shows to be important for growth traits. Variation in growth traits due to region effect seems to exist. A high specific combining ability seems to exist for growth and milk-yield traits. Morphological traits show to be highly influenced by the additive effect of genes, and the phenotypic variation similar or greater than those reported in the cited literature from others population of Creole goats. More research is needed.
Produçao de mudas de pupunheira colonizadas por fungos micorrizicos arbusculares

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K.) seedlings were evaluated in a greenhouse experiment (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria/Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Agrobiologia, Seropedica, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), conducted in a completely randomized design with two treatments, inoculated and uninoculated with AMF. In the treatment with inoculation, a mixed inoculum of Glomus clarum Nicolson & Schenck, Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerdemann and Gigaspora margarita Becker & Hall was applied during transplanting the seedlings to plastic bags with desinfected soil. Twelve plants per treatment were harvested eight months after transplanting. Inoculation with AMF increased significantly growth and nutrient absorption of pejibaye seedlings, in comparison with the control. On an average, there was 45% increase in plant height, 22% in stem diameter, 140% in shoot dry weight, 89% in root dry weight, 180% in leaf area, 40% in rachis length of the youngest fully open leaf, 70% in total P, 80% in total K and 159% in total N, accumulated in the shoots. These preliminary results show that utilization of AMF increases substantially the development of pejibaye seedlings.
Enhanced Compiler Bug Isolation via Memoized Search

Compiler bugs can be disastrous since they could affect all the software systems built on the buggy compilers. Meanwhile, diagnosing compiler bugs is extremely challenging since usually limited debugging information is available and a large number of compiler files can be suspicious. More specifically, when compiling a given bug-triggering test program, hundreds of compiler files are usually involved, and can all be treated as suspicious buggy files. To facilitate compiler debugging, in this paper we propose the first reinforcement compiler bug isolation approach via structural mutation, called RecBi. For a given bug-triggering test program, RecBi first augments traditional local mutation operators with structural ones to transform it into a set of passing test programs. Since not all the passing test programs can help isolate compiler bugs effectively, RecBi further leverages reinforcement learning to intelligently guide the process of passing test program generation. Then, RecBi ranks all the suspicious files by analyzing the compiler execution traces of the generated passing test programs and the given failing test program following the practice of compiler bug isolation. The experimental results on 120 real bugs from two most popular C open-source compilers, i.e., GCC and LLVM, show that RecBi is able to isolate about 23%/58%/78% bugs within Top-l/Top-5/Top-10 compiler files, and significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art compiler bug isolation approach by improving 92.86%/55.56%/25.68% isolation effectiveness in terms of Top-l/Top-5/Top-10 results.
Minimum Number of Measurements for Accurate Evaluation of Qualitative Traits in Urochloa brizantha

A B S T R A C T This work aimed to identify the most effective method to estimate the coefficient of repeatability in genotypes of U. brizantha and predict the minimum number of measurements required for some qualitative traits. It were evaluated 9 genotypes in a randomized block design with two replications in the rainy season and drought in 2000. It were evaluated the following qualitative traits: volume of gas, in mL, packed in fast and slow fraction, crude protein; neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, cellulose, lignin sulfuric acid, silica and in vitro digestibility of organic matter. The repeatability coefficient (r) was estimated considering different strategies: Analysis of variance, principal component analysis based on the correlation matrix (CPCOR), principal components analysis based on the matrix of phenotypic variance and covariance and structural analysis based on the correlation matrix. The CPCOR method, provided more accurate estimates of r and the number of measurements required for the qualitative traits assessed due to the cyclical behavior of genotypes of U. brizantha. The traits neutral detergent fiber, cellulose and silica require two measurements, while the remaining characters require four measurements to predict the actual value of genotypes of U. brizantha with a minimum accuracy of 80%, by CPCOR method.
Spatial patterns in the diversity of mammal species: A test of the geographic area hypothesis in South America

AbstractThe geographic distributions of 577 South American mammalian species are analysed (i) to depict the latitudinal patterns of variation in mammal species richness, and (ii) to test the geographic area hypothesis in the southern hemisphere at two scales of analysis. This hypothesis predicts that variation in the geographic area of biomes (rather than their particular environmental conditions) is the best predictor of mammal species richness. The areal effect is expected to be stronger after tropical species are excluded from the analysis, because the spillover of these species into extra-tropical latitudes can mask the species-area relationship. A latitudinal gradient in mammal species richness is confirmed in South America, although the pattern is stronger in bats than in non-volant quadrupeds. Values of species richness estimated from equal area samples (‘species density’) reveal that species richness of different mammal taxa peaks at different latitudes. The species density pattern in the mammal s.
Reinstatement of the Chinese species Cremanthodium gypsophilum (Asteraceae, Senecioneae)

Examination of herbarium specimens (including type material) of Cremanthodium principis and C. gypsophilum has revealed that the two species are morphologically very distinct from each other. We therefore reinstate the independent specific status of C. gypsophilum which has been placed in synonymy with C. principis . The latter species is currently known only from the holotype, and all the other specimens previously identified as C. principis should belong to C. gypsophilum .