Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The biology and functional morphology of Modiolarca subpicta (Bivalvia: Mytilidae: Musculinae), epizoically symbiotic with Ascidiella aspersa (Urochordata: Ascidiacea), from the Kattegat, northern Jutland, Denmark

This study of the little known north-eastern Atlantic mytilid Modiolarca subpicta suggests a more intimate relationship with ascidians and, especially, Ascidiella aspersa, than has hitherto been appreciated. Both live for ~18 months and the reproductive cycle of both is approximately co-ordinated so that juvenile ascidians become available as hosts to the settling spat of the symbiotically epizoic M. subpicta each summer. Settling spat of M. subpicta are thought to be attracted to the exhalant flow from the ascidian's anal siphon. After the ascidian's death, the liberated mussels may adopt a wandering, free-living, lifestyle they have occasionally been reported to pursue. Anatomically, M. subpicta is of the typical mytilid plan, albeit simplified commensurate upon its normal lifestyle of protective envelopment within the host's tunic. The foot, however, is highly mobile and in addition to being used for locomotion, especially in juveniles, is responsible for the planting of byssal threads, typically dorsally above the shell, so that each individual stimulates the ascidian to produce an epidermal pocket into which it manœuvres itself and reposes, securely attached, but dorsal side down Modiolarca subpicta, epizoic in the tests of ascidians, could have evolved from a more isomyarian, equivalve, ancestor via a nestling, epibyssate, Trichomusculus-like shaped intermediary with ventral flattening and, hence, stability characteristic of the more familiar heteromyarian mytilids of rocky shores and lotic freshwaters being achieved through living dorsal side down.
Morphological and molecular delineation of a new species in the Ceratina dupla species-group (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopinae) of eastern North America

DNA barcoding is used to verify characters to morphologically differentiate genetically distinct species of eastern North American small carpenter bees, Ceratina. Here we reveal that the common eastern North American species, Ceratina dupla s. l. , is actually three separate species based on fixed differences in DNA barcode sequences and morphological characters. This study adds a new species, C. mikmaqi Rehan & Sheffield, to the Ceratina dupla species-group of eastern North America, and raises another form, C. floridana formerly C. dupla floridana, to full species. Temporal niche partitioning between C. dupla and C. mikmaqi and geographic isolation of C. floridana further support the division of the C. dupla s. l. group into three species. A diagnosis and description of the new species are provided, as is a key for eastern North American species of Ceratina.
Learning Disabilities: Use of Paraprofessionals*

Since its inception, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has embodied the concept of teams of professionals, often from different disciplines, working together to meet the needs of children and youth with disabilities and their families. In recent years the team concept has expanded to include paraprofessionals as members of these teams. The term "paraprofessional" is used in IDEA [Sec. 612(a)(15)(B)(iii)]. The term "paraprofessional" is used in this document as an inclusive term applying to a group of resources and job titles (see the definition of paraprofessionals on p. 3).
Multivariate Perspectives on the Ecology of Plant Mineral Element Composition

The mineral element composition of plants, being a multivariate phenotypic trait, reflects the genotypic and environmental interactions influencing chemical content, including those related to ecological niche. Multivariate discriminant analysis was used to describe the position and area of nine different plant species in an "elemental hyperspace" based on the mineral element composition of leaves. With the exception of woody species, there was considerable interspecific variation in elemental concentrations and distinct separation among species in the element space. Semiaquatic macrophytes were quite distinct in their mineral element composition. The region each species occupies in the element space presumably corresponds to an adaptive zone of mineral element concentrations that enable each species to survive in the environment. Some evidence presented indicates that phenotypic variation in mineral element composition in a species reflects niche size in the nutrient environment. Interelement correlations in concentrations across 110 plants species were explored using principal components analysis. Four principal components were extracted from a correlation matrix. The component structure was interpreted on the basis of biochemical functions of elements in cells. Principal component 1 was a nucleic acid-protein set correlated with concentrations of P, N, Cu, S, and Fe. Component 2 was a structural and photosynthetic set correlated with concentrations of Mg, Ca, and Mn. Component 3 was an enzymatic set correlated with concentrations of Mn, K, and Mg. Future research on the mineral element composition of different plant species might begin by considering these three hypothetical element sets.
Fisheries Management--an Essay for Ecologists

What follows is an attempt to expose, for ecologists who are not'fisheries biologists, what fisheries biology and management are all about. As a branch of applied ecol­ ogy, fisheries biology is a specialty field that has attracted less attention from other ecologists than it perhaps deserves. What has happened and is happening in the world's fisheries provides evidence on a major scale of the effects of removing animals from natural communities. As might be expected, fisheries biology has placed strong emphasis on population dynamics and, because there is the motivation to continue harvests of fish, a very strong emphasis on how to sustain a maximum yield. The dynamics of fish populations have a special flavor, because fish are different from other vertebrates, and indeed from most other animals. Fish live highly flexible lives and are commonly ecological generalists; they live in the ocean, where events have a particular and large-scale character, and in lakes, in which the scale is small enough to be reminiscent of islands, their geographic inverse. The manager of fish populations is obliged to concern himself with fish and their biology, and as well with man and his biology. Historically, the emphasis was given to the fish. More recently, it has been seen to be necessary to pay more attention to the complex of social, economic, and political factors that drive the behavior of fishermen as individuals and fisheries as systems. These themes, presented in a more or less historical way, are woven together in this essay with an attempt to project the present state of our understanding of the population ecology of fishes and the state of the art of fisheries management. The essay concludes with some guesses about some of the developments in the future. No attempt has been made t6 document all the literature or even a significant part of it, but the few references cited should provide the necessary critical mass to start a chain reaction for the interested. My colleagues, Scott Akenhead, Carl Waiters, and Bill Reed, were valuable critics whose help I gratefully acknowledge. While they
A development of ecological risk screening with an application to fisheries off SW England

Centrefor Environment, Fisheries andAquacultureScience, LowestoftNR33 0HT, UK*Corresponding author: e-mail: john.cotter@phonecoop.coopCotter,J.,Lart,W. ,deRozarieux,N. ,Kingston,A. ,Caslake,R. ,LeQuesne,W. ,Jennings,S. ,Caveen,A. ,andBrown,M.Adevelopmentof ecological risk screening with an application to ﬁsheries off SW England. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsu167.Received2 May2014; revised 28 August 2014; accepted 2 September 2014.Adevelopmentoftheecologicalriskscreening(ERS)technique,scaleintensityandconsequenceanalysis(SICA),isdescribedandapplicationtothevariedﬁsheriesandecosystemoffthesouthwestofEnglandonbehalfofanindustrysteeringgroup(SG)issummarized.ThepurposewastoprioritizeecologicalriskssystematicallyandconsistentlyinrelationtopolicygoalsagreedbytheSG. Scientistslistedandadvisedonecosystemcomponents,theirunits(individualspecies,stocks,habitats,orcommunities)andattributes,aswellasagentsofchangeintheSW,theiractivities,andgeneralizedeffectsrelevanttothepolicygoals.Aworkinggroup(WG)ofﬁshers,ﬁsheryobservers,technicaladvisors,andmarinescientistspairedeachunitwiththe activity thought most likely to impact the most sensitive policy goal, then scored risk according to deﬁned rules spatially, temporally, and asintensity and duration of effects. The geometric mean of the four scores, slightly adjusted for unscored factors if necessary, was the relativeimpactscore(RIS). Withthisstandardizedmethod,themainaspectsofriskwereconsideredseparatelyandindependently,therebyassistingobjectiveprioritization.Nineteenunit–activitypairswerelistedaspriorityrisks(RIS .3)intheSWregionduringa2-dmeetingthatfullyexploitedthewiderangeofinformationandexperienceavailableattheWG.Socio-economicswasnotconsidered.TheERSfortheSWwasdesignedtobecompatiblewithothersimilarERSsthatmightbecarriedoutforneighbouringmarineregions. ERScanminimizeextramonitoringneededforecosystemman-agementand,inprinciple,collaboratingnon-ﬁsheryagentsofchangecouldbeincluded. Byengagingallstakeholdersinthesettingofinitialprioritiesforaction andbyassemblingallavailablesourcesofinformation,ERSoffersa usefulstartingpointforholisticecosystemmanagement.Keywords:CelticSea,ecosystemapproachtoﬁsheries,ecosystembasedﬁsheriesmanagement,ecologicalriskassessment,ecologicalriskscreening,England (SW), English channel, SICA.
A National Customer Satisfaction Barometer: The Swedish Experience

Many individual companies and some industries monitor customer satisfaction on a continual basis, but Sweden is the first country to do so on a national level. The annual Customer Satisfaction Barometer (CSB) measures customer satisfaction in more than 30 industries and for more than 100 corporations. The new index is intended to be complementary to productivity measures. Whereas productivity basically reflects quantity of output, CSB measures quality of output (as experienced by the buyer). The author reports the results of a large-scale Swedish effort to measure quality of the total consumption process as customer satisfaction. The significance of customer satisfaction and its place within the overall strategy of the firm are discussed. An implication from examining the relationship between market share and customer satisfaction by a location model is that satisfaction should be lower in industries where supply is homogeneous and demand heterogeneous. Satisfaction should be higher when the heterogeneity/homogeneity of demand is matched by the supply. Empirical support is found for that proposition in monopolies as well as in competitive market structures. Likewise, industries in general are found to have a high level of customer satisfaction if they are highly dependent on satisfaction for repeat business. The opposite is found for industries in which companies have more captive markets. For Sweden, the 1991 results show a slight increase in CSB, which should have a positive effect on the general economic climate.
Estimation of heterosis for seed yield and yield attributing traits in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss.).

Forty eight F1s along with their 12 lines and 4 testers were evaluated during Rabi 2009–10 for nine quantitative traits to estimate relative heterosis (Ha), heterobeltiosis (Hb) and economic heterosis (Hc) for screening of superior cross combinations of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss. ]. All the genotypes were grown in Field Experimentation Center, SHIATS, Allahabad in randomized block design (RBD). Analysis of variance showed significant differences among the genotypes for all characters studied.
Status and Numerical Trends of King, Gentoo, and Rockhopper Penguins Breeding in the Falkland Islands

Abstract During the austral summer of 2000/01 a census of breeding King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) and Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) was carried out in the Falkland Islands. Results from this census were compared with those from the previous census of 1995/96. The number of King Penguin chicks decreased by 19% from 339 to 275, which is probably a reflection of variable breeding success, rather than a decline in breeding pairs. The number of Gentoo Penguins increased by 79%, from 64,426 breeding pairs in 1995/96 to 115,327 breeding pairs in 2000/01. The Rockhopper Penguin numbers appeared to be stable, with 286,964 breeding pairs in 2000/01 compared to 263,590 breeding pairs in 1995/96 (the difference being within the error margin).
Role of pneumococcal virulence genes in the etiology of respiratory tract infection and biofilm formation

Streptococcus pneumoniae, pneumococcus, is a common cause of respiratory tract infections and also a common inhabitant of the upper respiratory tract of healthy people. At present, 93 different polysaccharide types have been identified and in addition to them, unencapsulated pneumococci are found especially in healthy carriers. Pneumococci are usually identified by using a bacterial culture combined with biochemical or immunochemical tests. Recently, new DNA-based methods, such as PCR, have been applied. Many PCR methods that detect pneumococci are targeted at genes which encode virulence factors such as pneumolysin, autolysin and pneumococcal surface antigen A. S. pneumoniae is a common causative agent of otitis media. In clinical trials, xylitol has been shown to decrease the occurrence of otitis media but the mechanism of action is not known. Xylitol has been shown to reduce pneumococcal growth and adherence to nasopharyngeal cells and its effect on the appearance of the pneumococcal polysaccharide structure has been shown by electron microscopy. Xylitol has also been demonstrated to inhibit biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Biofilms have been associated with otitis media and pneumococci have been shown to form biofilms. The purpose of this work was to study the role of capsular and other virulence genes in pneumococcal infection and biofilm formation. A new PCR method was developed to detect the pneumococcal capsule and it appeared to have potential when studying the pneumococcal etiology of pneumonia. Widely used PCR methods were used to study pneumococcal isolates, and conflicting results were obtained when the results were compared with conventional immunochemical methods. In addition, xylitol was shown to inhibit capsular gene expression and biofilm formation of pneumococci. Glucose and fructose appeared to enhance biofilm formation. The conflicting results between PCR and immunochemical methods suggest that further identification methods are needed in the diagnosis of pneumococcal infection. The observed inhibitory effect of xylitol on pneumococcal capsule gene expression and biofilm formation may partly explain the efficacy of xylitol in preventing acute otitis media in previous clinical trials.
Suppressive expression of the glutelin A1-collagen peptide fusion gene in hybrid rice lines with the mutant line, Low Glutelin Content-1 (LGC-1)

A low glutelin-content mutant, LGC-1, has a mutant gene (lgc1) comprising a tail-to-tail inverted repeat of two highly homologous glutelin B genes (gluB4 and d-gluB5), resulting in the production of double-stranded glutelin B RNA. Hybrid rice lines between LGC-1 and a transgenic line with the glutelin A1-collagen peptide fusion gene (gluA1-coll) were produced, and F2 hybrid lines homozygous for each or both of the gluA1-coll and lgc1 genes were selected. The expression of gluA1-coll in F2 lines with lgc1 was far lower than that of F2 lines without lgc1 at both the mRNA and protein levels as measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting using anti-collagen peptide antibody. The gluA1 mRNA sequence alignment identical to the potential double-stranded RNA formed by gluB4 sense and d-gluB5 antisense RNAs consisted of 14 nucleotides at most, and was not more than 23 even when one mismatch was allowed within the sequence. Thus, such shorter double-stranded glutelin B RNAs were suggested to suppress the expression of not only endogenous gluA genes as reported previously (Kusaba et al. 2003) but also the exogenous gluA1-coll in the hybrid lines.
Basal area in a New Zealand podocarp‐broadleaved forest: Are coniferous and angiosperm components independent?

Abstract The implications of vertical structure for ecosystem properties in forests has received little attention. Several studies of stratified old‐growth forests have shown the basal area of the canopy species to be independent of that of overtopping emergent trees. This phenomenon of “additive basal area” may provide insights into the mechanisms that limit growth and biomass accumulation in old stands. However, it is not clear how widely it occurs in stratified forests. Here, I test for the occurrence of additive basal area in a New Zealand old‐growth podocarp‐broadleaved forest, by comparing data from 19 plots from within a 10 km2 area of highly uniform site characteristics and disturbance history. Total stand basal area (excluding tree ferns) ranged from 63 to 125 m2 ha‐1. Basal area of the angiosperm canopy appeared to be little affected by that of the emergent conifers except in the two densest podocarp stands, where a compensatory depression of angiosperm basal area was observed. This angiosperm decline, resulting in a levelling‐off of total stand basal area at high conifer densities, presumably results from greatly reduced light transmission beneath a continuous overstorey of podocarps, which have denser crowns than the other emergents for which additive basal area has been reported. Comparisons of results from several different studies suggest that crown traits and longevity of the emergent species are the principal influences on biomass accumulation in overtopped tiers. The apparent independence of limits to biomass accumulation by different strata in some forest types is ifficult to reconcile with the hypothesis that nutrient sequestration is the main mechanism that checks growth of ageing stands.
Photoperiod-induced clock-shifting in the circadian protein and amino acid rhythms in the larval fat body of silkworm, Bombyx mori

The photoperiod-induced clock-shifting in the free running time of the circadian protein and amino acid rhythms was studied in the larval fat body of Bombyx mori. The analysis of peaks and troughs of phase response curves of the rhythm revealed that the fourth and fifth instar larvae grown under normal 12 h light and 12 h dark cycle (LD) showed 7 protein synthetic cycles, while those reared under continuous light (LL) recorded 9.5 cycles in fourth instar and 8 in fifth instar. Under continuous dark (DD), the protein rhythm maintained 8 cycles in fourth instar and 7.5 cycles in fifth instar. Clearly, both LL and DD conditions advance the 24-h free running time of the protein rhythm by durations ranging from 1.6 to 6.5 h. Comparative analysis of protein and amino acid rhythms shows that the photoperiod modulates the free running time of the former by altering the rate of amino acid mobilization.
The taxonomic and evolutionary significance of some juvenile characters in the Brassiceae

The shape of the cotyledon lamina and a few other juvenile characters are studied for some 140 taxa of the cruciferous tribe Brassiceae. They cast a number of doubts on the present botanical status of certain taxa, such as Diplotaxis siifolia, Erucastrum cardaminoides and Brassica balearica. The whole tribe Raphaninae appears rather unnatural when viewed from cotyledon evidence, which suggests that beak development and/or fruit reduction have evolved on different occasions. A primitive cotyledon type seems to be that showed by the genus Sinapidendron. It is nowadays still present in Brassica balearica, Oudneya africana and the oriental genus Orychophragmus. Some phenetic lines now represented by Moricandia, Foleyola, Hemicrambe, Diplotaxis and Brassica repanda may indicate ancient evolutionary trends derived from the primitive Sinapidendron-like Miocenic stock. Brassica ancestors could have either resembled B. repanda or evolved along the phenetic line now represented by the Diplotaxis Erucastrum-Brassica complex. A diphyletic or polyphyletic origin for the genus Brassica becomes thinkable.
Predicting the invasion success of Mediterranean alien plants from their introduction characteristics

We describe a model to predict the invasion success of alien plants on Mediterranean islands, according to their mode, frequency and time since introduction and simple species traits. The model was developed using canonical discriminant analysis to identify categories of low- and high-risk species. Whilst classifying ca 80% of the data set correctly, the type II error rate remained moderately high, which limits its value in practical terms. This level of accuracy is typical of similar models, and critical analysis of the weaknesses is necessary to develop long-term improvements in methodology. Sensitivity analysis indicates that, overall, mode of introduction had an important influence on invasiveness, with species introduced for public amenity being more likely to attain high-risk status than species introduced privately to gardens. Frequency and time since introduction had a relatively minor influence on the model outcome, but remained highly confounded with other variables. Although invasion success, as measured by the number of islands colonized, is expected to increase over time, it was not possible to estimate the rates of expansion from historical trends, which are complicated by changes in import fashions over the centuries. Many older introductions were crops, whereas there has been a recent tendency towards exotic ornamentals and weedy species. Despite a fundamental influence on the results, similar historical influences are seldom taken into account adequately during trait analyses. Unravelling such inter-correlations between predictors is therefore an important challenge for the future of screening protocols
Spatial and temporal changes in multiple hormone groups during lateral bud release shortly following apex decapitation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) seedlings

Although the co-ordination of promotive root-sourced cytokinin (CK) and inhibitory shoot apex-sourced auxin (IAA) is central to all current models on lateral bud dormancy release, control by those hormones alone has appeared inadequate in many studies. Thus it was hypothesized that the IAA : CK model is the central control but that it must be considered within the relevant timeframe leading to lateral bud release and against a backdrop of interactions with other hormone groups. Therefore, IAA and a wide survey of cytokinins (CKs), were examined along with abscisic acid (ABA) and polyamines (PAs) in released buds, tissue surrounding buds and xylem sap at 1 and 4 h after apex removal, when lateral buds of chickpea are known to break dormancy. Three potential lateral bud growth inhibitors, IAA, ABA and cis-zeatin 9-riboside (ZR), declined sharply in the released buds and xylem following decapitation. This is in contrast to potential dormancy breaking CKs like trans-ZR and trans-zeantin 9-riboside 5'phosphate (ZRMP), which represented the strongest correlative changes by increasing 3.5-fold in xylem sap and 22-fold in buds. PAs had not changed significantly in buds or other tissues after 4 h, so they were not directly involved in the breaking of bud dormancy. Results from the xylem and surrounding tissues indicated that bud CK increases resulted from a combination synthesis in the bud and selective loading of CK nucleotides into the xylem from the root.