Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zell- und systemphysiologische Untersuchungen der Temperaturtoleranz bei Fischen

In an integrative approach, this thesis addressed thermal tolerance in temperate and Antarctic fish examining its functions, limits and mechanistic links between the organismic, cellular and molecular level. The role of oxygen in limiting thermal tolerance of the Antarctic eelpout P. brachycephalum was investigated in in vivo NMR experiments. Temperature effects on respiration, blood flow, intracellular pH and tissue oxygenation were studied under normoxia and hyperoxia. Thermal tolerance was limited by the capacities of the circulatory system supplying oxygen to the tissues. At a lower level of organismic complexity, thermal sensitivity of cellular energy allocation was studied in Antarctic fish. Organismic thermal limitations were not reflected at the cellular level. Provided with sufficient oxygen, cellular energy budgets show greater thermal tolerance than the organism. These findings corroborate that capacity limitations of the organismic level constrict thermal tolerance and support the recent concept of a systemic to molecular hierarchy. At the molecular level, temperature sensitive expression of mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCP) was studied during acclimation of P. brachycephalum and the temperate eelpout Z. viviparus. Increased levels of UCP may be necessary to regulate high mitochondrial membrane potentials resulting from unchanged capacities in the warm, possibly indicative of an alternative way of mitochondrial warm adaptation in Antarctic fish. The data demonstrate that thermal tolerance of the various levels of organisation in fish differ when studied alone, but in a complex organism are in control of each other, with the highest organisational level showing highest thermal sensitivity. Within a narrow thermal window, slow warm acclimation of the individual appears possible in Antarctic fish, which in an integrated response of all levels of organisational complexity may shift towards a eurythermal mode of life, thus increasing thermal tolerance.
Weed risk assessment: a way forward or a waste of time?

Summary 1. Many alien weeds pose significant environmental and/or economic threats across the globe, and methods to assess the potential risk of species introductions are key components in the management of plant invasions. Three broad approaches have been adopted in weed risk assessment: quantitative statistical models, semi-quantitative scoring and qualitative expert assessment. Yet, the effectiveness of these different approaches is rarely evaluated. By bringing together perspectives drawn from statistics, complexity theory, bioeconomics and cognitive psychology, this review presents the first interdisciplinary appraisal of whether weed risk assessment is a valuable tool in the management of plant invasions. 2. Problems in obtaining an objective measure of the hazards posed by weeds, challenges of predicting complex hierarchical and nonlinear systems, difficulties in quantifying uncertainty and variability, as well as cognitive biases in expert judgement, all limit the utility of current risk assessment approaches. The accuracy of weed risk assessment protocols is usually insufficient, given inherent low base-rates even when the costs and benefits of decisions are taken into account, and implies that the predictive value of weed risk assessment is questionable. 3. Current practices could be improved to address consistent hazard identification, encompass a hierarchy of spatio-temporal scales, incorporate uncertainty, generate realistic base-rates, and train risk assessors to limit cognitive biases. However, such refinements may still fail to predict weed risks any better than a knowledge of prior invasion history and quality of climate match. 4. Alternative approaches include scenario planning that seeks qualitative inputs regarding hypothetical events to facilitate long-range planning using multiple alternatives each explicit in their treatment of uncertainty. This represents a change from prevention towards adaptive management where the difficulty in prediction is acknowledged and investment targets early detection, mitigation and management. 5. Synthesis and applications. Scenario planning may be particularly suitable for weeds as they can be rapidly surveyed and have sufficiently long lag phases between naturalisation and invasion that early detection is often feasible. If integrated with assessments of ecosystem vulnerability to invasion and interventions to improve ecosystem resilience, it would deliver a robust post-border approach to invasive plant management. This approach would address threats from new introductions as well as ‘sleeper weeds’ already present in a region.
THE IMPACT OF MARKET TIMING ON CAPITAL STRUCTURE: EVIDENCE FROM VIETNAM CONSTRUCTION

The purpose of this study is to test how equity market timing affects capital structure from the Initial Public Offering (IPO) perspective. Using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) technique to analyze a data-set of 102 Vietnamese enterprises in the construction industry for the period from 2006 to 2014, we conclude that, in the short-term, the impact of equity market timing on capital structure is relatively low. Whereas, in the long-term, the impact of equity market timing on capital structure is more obvious.
Amphipod Fauna of the Turkish Central Black Sea Region

Following research into amphipod fauna in the central Black Sea region of Turkey, forty-two species of benthic amphipod were recorded. Of these, Ampelisca pseudospinimana, Gammarellus angulosus, Hyale crassipes, Leptocheirus pilosus, Orchestia mediterranea and Orchestia stephenseni are reported from the Turkish Black Sea for the first time, and Microdeutopus versiculatus and Nannonyx propinquus are new records for Turkish waters. With this study, the number of amphipod species known from the Turkish Black Sea coast has increased from fifty-seven to sixty-five.
Keragaman Sengon Solomon (Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) Nielsen) Pada Uji Keturunan di Hutan Percobaan Cirangsad.

FIFI GUS DWIYANTI. Variation of Sengon Solomon (Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) Nielsen) on Progeny Testing in Cirangsad Experimental Forest. Under the direction of Iskandar Zulkarnaen Siregar dan Ulfah Juniarti Siregar. Sengon Solomon , is one of the recommended Sengon provenance for cultivation because Solomon productivity tree times higher than local adapted provenance which is widely cultivated by farmers nowdays. Improvment program for this species requires basic genetic information such as growth performance, growth diversity and genetic diversity of Sengon Solomon. A progeny testing of Sengon Solomon was evaluated on their morphological characters and their genetic diversity using RAPD marker. The progeny testing was established in Cirangsad Experimental Forest, Jasinga, Bogor using single tree plot, involving 9 families, which were transplanted in 4 blocks. Morphological character observed were survival percentage, plant height, trunk diameter, clear length bole, ratio of plant height and clear length bole, branch diameter, branch angle, trunk shape and presence of pest and diseases. Generated data was analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 2007 dan MINITAB 13 computer program. RAPD analysis were conducted using leaves from 15 selected individuals, which were classified into 2 classes, i.e. having superior or worst growth, employing 5 primers, i.e. OPU 05, OPO 10, OPY 16, OPA 05 and OPA 14. Generated data was analyzed using POPGENE 32 and NTSYS version 2.0 computer program to estimate genetic diversity parameter, i.e. heterozygosity and genetic distance. Results showed that 4 families had 100 % survival rate, i.e. Family No. 1, 2, 3 and 8, whereas Family No. 4 had the lowest (25 %). Highest variation on morphological characters as expressed by standard deviation of each measurement, was found in Famili No. 7 and 8, while the lowest variation was found in Famili No. 9. Scoring on growth performance to select the best family showed that Family No. 3 had highest score (57.25 point), while Family No.4 had the lowest. From RAPD analysis, high genetic diversity was found (He 0.2813) in the progenies tested. Genetic distance and clustering of individuals showed that Sengon Solomon mother trees had undergone random mating. Clustering together of individuals having similar superior phenotypic characters against those having worst characters indicated that those individuals have distinctive different genotype.
Chemical composition and anxiolytic-like effects of the Bauhinia platypetala

The pantropical genus Bauhinia, Fabaceae, known popularly as cow's foot, is widely used in folk medicine as antidiabetic. Behavioral effects of the ethanolic extract and ethereal, aqueous and ethyl acetate fractions from B. platypetala Benth. ex Hemsl. leaves were studied in male Swiss mice. The ethanolic extract and fractions were administered intraperitoneally and its effects on spontaneous motor activity (total motility, locomotion, rearing and grooming behavior) were monitored. Anxiolytic-like properties were studied in the elevated plus-maze test and the possible antidepressant-like actions were evaluated in the forced swimming test. The results revealed that only the highest dose of the ethereal fraction (50 mg/kg, i.p.) caused a significant decrease in total motility, locomotion and rearing. Sole dose injected (50 mg/kg) of ethanolic extract and ethereal fractions increased the exploration of the elevated plus-maze open arms in a similar way to that of diazepam (2 mg/kg, i.p.). In the forced swimming test, the ethanolic extract and their fractions (12.5, 25 or 50 mg/kg) was not as effective as paroxetine (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p.) and imipramine (25 or 50 mg/kg, i.p.) in reducing immobility. These results suggest that some of the components of the ethanolic extract and of the ethereal fraction from B. platypetala, such as p-cymene, phytol, D-lactic acid, hexadecanoic acid, among others, may have anxiolytic-like properties, which deserve further investigation. Furthermore, the results obtained indicate that ethanolic extract from B. platypetala and their fractions do not present antidepressive properties. However, these properties cannot be related to the chemical constituents identified in this specie.
Legume inoculants and quality control.

Rhizobial inoculants have been used successfully in world agriculture for about 100 years. About 20 million ha crop and pasture legumes are inoculated in the world each year, although that figure could be increased if high-quality inoculants were available to all farmers. The characteristics of a high-quality inoculant relate to the properties of the carrier, the infective (nodulating) and effective (N2 fixing) attributes of the rhizobial strain and the numbers of the strain and other microorganisms (contaminants) that are present in the inoculant. In countries with strict standards for inoculants such as Australia, the carrier (most commonly peat) must contain >109 rhizobia/g and <106 contaminants/g. Other countries demand that inoculants deliver high numbers of rhizobia to the inoculated seed, e.g. 106/seed for soybean in France. Research in a number of countries has shown that the most effective inoculants are produced using a sterile carrier and are relatively fresh, i.e. <6 months old. Rhizobial inoculants lose efficacy with age. The involvement of private-sector institutions in manufacturing and marketing and public-sector in quality control and RD Boonkerd these Proceedings), Bangladesh (Sattar et al. 1997) and Myanmar (Thein and Hein 1997). The Need to Inoculate Although rhizobia seem to be as widely distributed as the legumes themselves, many soils used for legume cultivation do not contain adequate numbers of highly effective rhizobia. They may be devoid of the rhizobia, they may contain low numbers of effective strains or they may contain high numbers of ineffective or partially effective strains. The question 1 NSW Agriculture, Centre for Crop Improvement, Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia 2 NSW Agriculture, Horticultural Research and Advisory Station, Gosford, NSW 2250, Australia
The distribution and habitats of crossbills Loxia spp. in Britain, with special reference to the Scottish Crossbill Loxia scotica

A study was carried out, primarily in northern Scotland, to relate bill and wing measurements to diagnostic calls of crossbill species, and thereby use the calls to describe the distributions and habitats of the different species. Bill depth and wing length measurements from museum specimens and live-trapped birds were used to describe the size categories. Almost all measurements of crossbills from England were similar to measurements of Common Crossbills from Fennoscandia. Museum specimens showed that crossbills in northern Scotland between 1822 and 1990 were a combination of Common Crossbills, birds which were intermediate between Common and Parrot Crossbills (Scottish Crossbills), and perhaps a few Parrot Crossbills. However, catches of crossbills between 1995 and 2000 showed that Parrot Crossbills (based on bill and wing measurements) were present at some sites in the Highlands. Recordings of flight calls and excitement calls of birds of known bill sizes allowed a classification of crossbills according to call types. Four different flight calls (referred to here as types 1–4) and five excitement calls (types A–E) were recognized. A sample of small-billed birds, thereby identified as Common Crossbills, indicated that there were three groups of Common Crossbills: those giving type 1 flight calls and type A excitement calls (1A), type 2 flight calls and type B excitement calls (2B), and type 4 flight calls and type E excitement calls (4E). Large-billed birds identified as Parrot Crossbills gave mainly type 2 flight calls and type D excitement calls. Birds with intermediate bill depths (Scottish Crossbills) gave type 3 flight calls and type C excitement calls. Distributions based on calls showed that 1A Common Crossbills were widespread in Scotland but the other types of Common Crossbill were rare. Parrot Crossbills were found in a few localities in the Highlands, and Scottish Crossbills (defined as those giving type 3 flight calls and type C excitement calls) were restricted to the northern and eastern Highlands. Scottish Crossbills and 1A Common Crossbills had overlapping distributions, and overlapped greatly in the types of forests they used between January and March when the Scots Pine cones were still closed. However, Scottish Crossbills were more frequently associated with stands containing Scots Pine compared with Common Crossbills.
Co-culture of insulin producing human EndoC-βH1 cells with boundary cap neural crest stem cells protects partially against cytokine-induced cell death

We have recently observed that co-culture of mouse and rat beta-cells with mouse boundary cap neural crest stem cells (bNCSCs) protected against inflammatory cytokine-induced beta-cell death, possibly via direct cadherinmediated cell-to-cell junctions. However, it has not been addressed whether also human beta-cells can be protected via this strategy. If possible it would be an important approach for development of new protocols for improved outcome of islet transplantation to Type-1 diabetes patients. The aim of this investigation was therefore to study the effect of bNCSC co-culture with insulin producing human EndoC-βH1 cells on cytokine-induced cell death. For this purpose GFP-positive bNCSCs were cultured together with GFP-negative human EndoC-βH1 cells in the presence of the cytokines IL-1γ (50 U/ml) and IFN-γ (1000 U/ml). Cells were then stained with propidium iodide and trypsinized for flow cytometry analysis. Analysis of propidium iodide fluorescence in GFP-positive and GFP-negative cells revealed that EndoC-βH1 cells died to a lower extent when co-cultured with bNCSCs than when cultured without bNCSCs. We also observed that EndoC-βH1 cells formed N-cadherin, but not E-cadherin junctions with the bNCSCs. The bNCSC cell population contained a large proportion of beta-tubulin expressing cells indicating neuronal differentiation. A protective function of the N-cadherin junctions was verified by the finding that a neutralizing N-cadherin antibody counteracted the effect of co-culture. We conclude that the interaction between human insulin producing cells and bNCSCs results in a lowered susceptibility of insulin producing cells to pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro.
Dynamiques et adaptation des systèmes agroforestiers périurbains dans le Nord-Ouest amazonien

En Amazonie bresilienne, l'urbanisation ne touche pas seulement les zones de fronts pionniers. Dans les regions enclavees, il est courant que les amerindiens s'installent progressivement en ville et transforment leurs systemes de production. En prenant pour exemple une region periurbaine du Nord-Ouest amazonien, nous examinons les facteurs agro-economiques et les pratiques foncieres qui expliquent une certaine resilience de l'agro-ecosysteme forestier. Dans la region, on distingue trois principaux systemes de culture : la polyculture en rotation avec des friches de 15 a 25 ans, la culture du manioc apres defrichement de jeunes recrus forestiers (8 a 12 ans) et le jardin agroforestier. La viabilite agro-economique de ces pratiques tient a la complementarite spatio-temporelle des systemes de culture. Dans la zone periurbaine, les logiques de capitalisation fonciere et de specialisation pour le marche se manifestent souvent par la conversion des friches en jardins-vergers pluristratifies. Mais, face a la concurrence accrue pour l'acces aux ressources naturelles, la plupart des familles amerindiennes citadines optent pour la diversification spatiale de leurs unites de production. Les mobilites circulaires leur permettent d'entretenir plusieurs sites de production, repartis entre l'espace urbain, periurbain et forestier. En maintenant la complementarite spatio-temporelle entre les systemes agroforestiers, de telles territorialites en reseau concourent a la reproduction des capacites agro-ecologiques de l'ecosysteme cultive dans la zone periurbaine. La resilience des systemes amerindiens de gestion des ressources forestieres offre des perspectives pour l'amenagement des territoires urbanises en Amazonie.
Initiation of swarming behavior and synchronization of mating flights in the leaf-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri FOREL, 1893 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Leaf-cutting ants of the genus Atta build giant nests, inhabited by millions of workers. During a few days in spring, thousands of alates leave their mature home colonies for their mating flights. These flights are synchronized on a large geographical scale, and weather conditions have been reported to play a crucial role in determining when mating flights occur. Nevertheless, many fundamental aspects of the fascinating swarming behavior in Atta are unknown. In this study we describe the three successive phases of the swarming behavior of A. vollenweideri FOREL, 1893, the initiation phase, the aggregation phase, and the mating flight. Prior to take-off, alates of both sexes exhibit distinct pre-flight behaviors. Atta vollenweideri is a day-flying species, with mating flights occurring in the late afternoon before dusk, and it is the southernmost species of the genus, experiencing strong seasonal climate. In order to identify climatic parameters that induce swarming behavior and elicit a synchronized mating flight, we analyzed 23 swarm events and the corresponding climate data from 2004 - 2010 recorded in northern Argentina. Colonies prepare for mating flights in the spring after a cumulative precipitation of at least 64 mm in the last month before the first mating flight. Only if temperatures rise above 26°C on the days following a major rainfall, alates may leave the nest mound, although they prefer temperatures of about 32°C. When accounted for together, rainfall and a subsequent temperature increase are highly predictive and thus prerequisites for swarming behavior in this species. We propose that Atta species have based on the preferred depth of the founding chamber and local soil conditions speciesspecific thresholds for cumulative precipitation. In A. vollenweideri, the heavy clay soils that are desiccated after the austral winter select for mating flights and subsequent colony founding only after very high precipitation.
Cloning and expression analysis of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss tumour necrosis factor‐α

A rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) gene for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been cloned and sequenced. The cDNA contains an open reading frame of 738 nucleotides that translate into a 246 amino-acid putative peptide, with a 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of 140 bp and a 3′ UTR of 506 bp. Two potential N-linked glycosylation sites exist in the translation. The genomic sequence measures 2007 bp and contains three introns that intercept four coding exons. Expression studies using RT-PCR have shown that the trout TNF gene is constitutively expressed in the gill and kidney of unstimulated fish. Trout TNF expression could be up-regulated by stimulation of isolated head kidney leucocytes with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Similarly, stimulation of a trout macrophage cell line (RTS11) with LPS resulted in an increased transcript level, as did incubation with recombinant trout interleukin (IL)-1β. The optimal timing for induction of TNF expression in trout macrophages was determined using recombinant trout IL-1β, where a clear induction was apparent by 2 h and peaked at 4 h. Evidence that this TNF gene is equivalent to mammalian TNF-α is discussed.