Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects on the Ileal Microbiota of Phosphorus and Calcium Utilization, Bird Performance, and Gender in Japanese Quail

Simple Summary The Japanese quail is an animal model for nutritional and biological studies in poultry. Diet assimilation is influenced not only by external factors, but also by the host, including its microbiota. The gut microbiota is involved in the digestion of feed constituents, facilitating the breakdown of polymers to compounds from which the animal can benefit. This study elucidates the influence of the ileal microbiota in the content of the intestine (digesta) from a large cohort of Japanese quail fed the same diet and offered identical environmental conditions. Phosphorus utilization (PU), calcium utilization, feed intake, feed conversion, and body weight gain were parameters evaluated in the birds to understand the microbial influences. A core microbial community of five bacterial species, Unc. Lactobacillus, Unc. Clostridaceae 1, Clostridium sensu stricto, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus alactolyticus, colonized the ileum of all animals and contributed to more than 70% of the total community. Gender had a significant effect on the ileum microbial community. Even though birds were offered the same diet and housed in standardized conditions, it remains unclear if microbiota composition followed the mechanisms that caused different PU or if the change in microbiota composition and function caused the differences in PU. Abstract In this study, we aimed to investigate the ileum digesta of a large cohort of Japanese quail fed the same diet, with similar environmental conditions. We also address how P utilization (PU), Ca utilization (CaU), and bird performance (feed intake (FI), feed conversion (FC), and body weight gain (BWG)) modify intestinal microbiota of male and female quail. Despite the great number of samples analyzed (760), a core microbiome was composed of five bacteria. The Unc. Lactobacillus, Unc. Clostridaceae 1, Clostridium sensu stricto, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus alactolyticus were detected in all samples and contributed to more than 70% of the total community. Depending on the bird predisposition for PU, CaU, FI, BWG, and FC, those species were present in higher or lower abundances. There was a significant gender effect on the ileal microbial community. While females had higher abundances of Lactobacillus, males were more colonized by Streptococcus alactolyticus. The entire cohort was highly colonized by Escherichia coli (8%–15%), an enteropathogenic bacteria. It remains unclear, if microbiota composition followed the mechanisms that caused different PU, CaU, FI, FC, and BWG or if the change in microbiota composition and function caused the differences in PU, CaU, and performance traits.
Evaluating leaf litter beetle data sampled by Winkler extraction from Atlantic forest sites in southern Brazil

Evaluating leaf litter beetle data sampled by Winkler extraction from Atlantic forest sites in southern Brazil. To evaluate the reliability of data obtained by Winkler extraction in Atlantic forest sites in southern Brazil, we studied litter beetle assemblages in secondary forests (5 to 55 years after abandonment) and old-growth forests at two seasonally different points in time. For all regeneration stages, species density and abundance were lower in April compared to August; but, assemblage compo- sition of the corresponding forest stages was similar in both months. We suggest that sampling of small litter inhabiting beetles at different points in time using the Winkler technique reveals identical ecological patterns, which are more likely to be influenced by sample incompleteness than by differences in their assemblage composition. A strong relationship between litter quantity and beetle occurrences indicates the importance of this variable for the temporal species density pattern. Additionally, the sampled beetle material was compared with beetle data obtained with pitfall traps in one old-growth forest. Over 60% of the focal species captured with pitfall traps were also sampled by Winkler extraction in different forest stages. Few beetles with a body size too large to be sampled by Winkler extraction were only sampled with pitfall traps. This indicates that the local litter beetle fauna is domi- nated by small species. Hence, being aware of the exclusion of large beetles and beetle species occurring during the wet season, the Winkler method reveals a reliable picture of the local leaf litter beetle community.
Can Nectar Be a Disadvantage? Contrasting Pollination Natural Histories of Two Woody Violaceae from the Neotropics

We present the first pollination data on Neotropical species of Violaceae with actinomorphic flowers. Floral biology of Paypayrola blanchetiana and Amphirrhox longifolia were studied in Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. Petals of both species form a corolla tube, restricting access to floral rewards to visitors with long mouth parts. Flowers lack a spur, common in zygomorphic Violaceae, to store nectar. Both species’ flowers open in the evening and continue flowering during daytime. They emit a sweet scent dominated by benzenoid and monoterpenoid compounds. While A. longifolia flowers are nectarless, flowers of P. blanchetiana produce nectar throughout anthesis. A wide range of night- and day-active visitors, including moths, bees, and butterflies, were observed at P. blanchetiana; 68% of all nocturnal visits took place at dawn. Fruit set of P. blanchetiana was extraordinarily low. Nectar production and pollen presentation occur in close proximity, and pollen dissolves in accumulating nectar. After contact with nectar, experimental pollen germination rates were near 0. Amphirrhox longifolia flowers received few visits by diurnal and nocturnal bees and pollen-collecting Heliconius butterflies. Fruit set was still low (11%) but was ten times higher than that in P. blanchetiana (1%). Low fruit set seems to result from diminished pollen viability through nectar contact in P. blanchetiana and pollinator limitation in A. longifolia.
γ-Secretase Substrate Concentration Modulates the Aβ42/Aβ40 Ratio

Mutation of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin-1, or presenilin-2 results in the development of early onset autosomal dominant forms of Alzheimer disease (AD). These mutations lead to an increased Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio that correlates with the onset of disease. However, it remains unknown how these mutations affect γ-secretase, a protease that generates the termini of Aβ40 and Aβ42. Here we have determined the reaction mechanism of γ-secretase with wild type and three mutated APP substrates. Our findings indicate that despite the overall outcome of an increased Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, these mutations each display rather distinct reactivity to γ-secretase. Intriguingly, we found that the ratio of Aβ42/Aβ40 is variable with substrate concentration; increased substrate concentrations result in higher ratios of Aβ42/Aβ40. Moreover, we demonstrated that reduction of γ-secretase substrate concentration by BACE1 inhibition in cells decreased the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio. This study indicates that biological factors affecting targets such as BACE1 and APP, which ultimately cause an increased concentration of γ-secretase substrate, can augment the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio and may play a causative role in sporadic AD. Therefore, strategies lowering the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio through partial reduction of γ-secretase substrate production may introduce a practical therapeutic modality for treatment of AD.
The cranial morphology and taxonomy of the saurerpetontid Isodectes obtusus comb. nov. (Amphibia: Temnospondyli) from the Lower Permian of Texas

Abstract Five saurerpetontid temnospondyl amphibian specimens from the Lower Permian Arroyo Formation of Baylor County, Texas are redescribed under the binomen Isodectes obtusus comb. nov . The material includes the types of Isodectes megalops Cope, Trimerorhachis conangulus Cope, Acheloma ? casei Broili and Eobrachyops townendae Watson. The Arroyo Formation saurerpetontid is indistinguishable from that from the Middle Pennsylvanian of Linton, Ohio, previously known as Saurerpeton obtusum and the two taxa are synonymized here. The Saurerpetontidae is a monophyletic family comprising the genera Isodectes and Acroplous and defined by reduced strip-like tabulars, dorsal exposure of the palatine excluding lacrimal from orbit margin, parasphenoid with «winged» basal plate, rectangular dermal plates bordering medial margin of mandible, and ilium with elongate dorsal blade. Some of the resemblances described by Watson between « Eobrachyops townendae » and the later brachyopid temnospondyls appear to be artefacts of crushing of an individual specimen, and the relationship between the Saurerpetontidae and Brachyopidae requires reconsideration.
Characterisation of the multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) mechanism in the freshwater snail Physa acuta from Patagonia (Argentina)

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) is a mechanism analogous to multidrug resistance (MDR), which has been extensively characterised in mammalian tumours. The expression and function of the MXR mechanism has been demonstrated in numerous aquatic organisms and has been proposed as a biomarker for pollution assessment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the activity and expression of the MXR mechanism in freshwater snails (Physa acuta) of the Andean–Patagonian region. The accumulation and efflux rates of the model P-gp substrate Rhodamine B in snails previously exposed to pollution were measured. Results confirmed that MXR activity decreased after maintenance in clean water, and that a depuration period of 7 d was long enough to observe a significant deinduction of this system. The results demonstrate the presence of a P-gp-like transport system in the freshwater snail P. acuta from Patagonia, and suggest its function as a defence system. The results of this study could be used to provide information on the possible use of these snails as bioindicators in toxicological testing.
The fossil selachian fishes Palaeospinax Egerton, 1872 and Nemacanthus Agassiz, 1837

Palaeospinax (Lower Jurassic) is the oldest euselachian known from articulated remains, and has certain structural similarities with ctenacanths. Euselachians may therefore have evolved from ctenacanth fishes and not from hybodonts. Nemacanthus Agassiz 1837 (Triassic), known only from finspines, is closely allied to Palaeospinax and may represent an immediate ancestor.
Shifts in morphometrics and their relation to hydrodynamic potential and habitat use during grayling ontogenesis

The theory of saltatory ontogeny predicts sudden morphological shifts during fish development which often occur simultaneously with physiological, anatomical or behavioural shifts. Therefore, our objectives were to identify potential sudden morphological shifts during grayling Thymallus thymallus ontogenesis and to check if these shifts affected the hydrodynamic potential of grayling in periods of known shifts in habitat use. In the 144 grayling studied (total length: 14·9–142·7 mm), three of 28 morphological variables considered revealed saltatory events during ontogenesis: position of maximal body height, position of maximal body width, and length to pelvic fin insertion. Using all variables (except total and standard length), five morphological groups were separated by multivariate analysis and each group had a particular hydrodynamic potential related to the drag of flow. Between these five different morphological groups, differences in the physical habitat use were observed. Basically, the saltatory pattern during grayling ontogenesis corresponded to a sequential habitat use that increased flow exposure and, simultaneously, to a stepwise improvement (at each habitat shift) of the hydrodynamic potential until the body had a shape that minimized drag of flow. The study confirms the theory of saltatory ontogeny for grayling in a context of flow physics and hydrodynamic adaptations.
Desempenho de cultivares de alface americana em resposta a diferentes doses de torta de filtro

In order to study the behavior of three lettuce cultivars (Julia, Taina e Grandes Lagos) in four doses of filter cake (0; 10; 20 and 40 ton ha-1), in greenhouses (tunnel) was conducted an experiment at the Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, an area with Oxisol (clay) in the months from March to May 2009. The experimental design was randomized blocks arranged in a 3x4 factorial (cultivars x dose) with four replications. We evaluated the following agronomic characteristics: circumference of the plant (CP), total fresh mass (TFM), fresh commercial mass (FCoM), head fresh weight (HFW), stem diameter (SD), number of marketable leaves (NML), stem length (SL) and total number of leaves (TNL). The cultivars Julia and Taina responded to fertilization with filter cake until the dose of 40 ton-1. The cultivar Grandes Lagos responded to fertilization with filter cake until the dose of 35 t ha-1 for TFM and HFW and up to 40 ton ha-1 for FCoM. The cultivar Grandes Lagos had the best performance in TFM, FCoM, CP and SL compared to others cultivars, and equated with the cultivar Taina in HFW and NML and with the cultivar Julia in SD. All cultivars had similar behavior in TNL. The organic fertilization with filter cake increases the productivity of cultivars of lettuce.
Effect of internal air filtration on the performance of broilers and the aerial concentrations of dust and bacteria

Abstract 1. The effect of air filtration within a building on broiler performance and the quality of air in their environment was assessed in a single experiment. 2. Broiler growth, efficiency of food utilisation and mortality were not significantly improved as a result of air filtration. 3. Histological examinations of lung tissue indicated that the structural changes and lymphocytic reactions were less severe in broilers reared with filtered air than those observed in broilers reared with unfiltered air. However, the lung damage observed in broilers in this experiment was much less severe than that which has been observed in commercial flocks. 4. Air filtration reduced dust content in the air by up to a half, whereas the concentration of bacteria was reduced by more than 100 fold by the time the broilers were 21 days of age.
The resident fitness hypothesis and dispersal by yearling female Columbian ground squirrels

The emigratory behavior of yearling female Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) in southwestern Alberta was studied for 25 active seasons among five colonies. From this data set we tested six predictions of the resident fitness hypothesis. The data strongly supported all six predictions: (1) yearling females were highly philopatric; (2) mothers behaved cohesively towards their yearling daughters (adult females tended to shift their home ranges in the presence of yearling daughter(s), often facilitating the recruitment of the latter to the natal site); (3) as densities of adult resident females rose and resource availability on an individual basis presumably declined, agonism from parous mothers and neighboring females caused greater proportions of yearling females to emigrate; (4) sibling daughters competed for access to the natal site when this space became vacant (parous yearlings were more successful than their nonparous siblings, and among the latter, dominant individuals were more su.
Investigation of a Short Interspersed Nuclear Element Polymorphic Site in the Porcine Vertnin Gene: Allele Frequencies and Association Study With Meat Quality, Carcass and Production Traits in Italian Large White pigs

A 291 bp short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) insertion in the porcine vertnin (VRTN) gene on porcine chromosome 7 was shown to affect vertebral number and several production traits: allele Q (with the insertion) increases vertebral number compared to the wild type allele (WT, without insertion). In this study we genotyped this polymorphism in eight pig breeds (Italian Large White, Italian Duroc, Italian Landrace, Cinta Senese, Mora Romagnola, Casertana, Apulo Calabrese, and Nero Siciliano) and in Italian wild boars to evaluate allele frequency distribution of the two alleles. Allele Q was the most frequent in Italian Landrace and Italian Duroc (0.738 and 0.545, respectively) whereas it was the less frequent in all other breeds and was absent in wild boars. Association study was carried out in two Italian Large White samples. These two groups of animals were constituted by performance tested pigs for which estimated breeding values (EBV) and random residuals (RR) for several traits (average daily gain, back fat thickness, feed:gain ratio, lean cuts and ham weight) were calculated: i) 270 pigs chosen without any criteria (random group), that were also measured for several meat quality traits; ii) 560 gilts with extreme and divergent EBV for back fat thickness. For these animals vertebral number was not available. Results of the association analyses indicated that allele Q was associated with a lower ham weight, confirming indirectly, the negative correlation reported by other studies between vertebral number and this trait. No other trait was associated with the analysed VRTN polymorphism.
Effects of thinning and urea fertilization on the distribution of area increment along the boles of douglas-fir at Shawnigan lake, British Columbia

The effects of fertilization and thinning of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) on the distribution of area increment along the bole were assessed using radial growth measurements 6 and 9 years after treatment. Within treatments, the average area increment per tree was linearly related to diameter at breast height, and this relationship was used to evaluate the effects of treatment on growth rate. Fertilization had the greatest effect on average area increment, and for a particular fertilization regime, thinning increased the response. Thinning modified the distribution of growth over the bole of all trees and increased butt flare, especially in smaller trees. The effect declined from the 4- to 6-year measurement period to the 7-to 9-year measurement period. Fertilization had no consistent effect on growth distribution. The regression methods used in this study provided a more sensitive measure of form changes than previous methods, were independent of size distribution, and facilitated ext.
Diets of Juvenile, Yearling, and Adult Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) in Southeastern Alberta

We examined dietary characteristics of juvenile, yearling, and adult big brown bats ( Eptesicus fuscus ) at two maternity colonies in southeastern Alberta, Canada. The diet of E. fuscus included nine orders of insects in 1994 and 1995: Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Trichoptera, Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Homoptera. The diet of adult E. fuscus was dominated by Coleoptera. Juvenile E. fuscus consumed significantly fewer Coleoptera and more Hemiptera than did adults in 1994, but diets did not differ between age classes in 1995. Juveniles included a greater range of and softer items in their diets than did adults. Yearlings (bats that have survived their first winter) and adults did not differ significantly in diet.
Species Richness of Sclerophyll (Heathy) Plant Communities in Australia ̵2 the Influence of Overstorey Cover

The species richness (number of vascular-plant species per unit area) of sclerophyll (heathy) plant communities is examined from south-east Queensland to south-west Western Australia. The species richness of communities of heathy open forest, heathy open scrub, dry heathland and wet heathland is consist- ently similar throughout southern Australia and decreases from dry heathland (on laterite, coastal and inland localities) to heathy open forest, heathy open scrub and wet heathland. Investigation of related microcommunities at Cooloola, Stradbroke Island, Ku-ring-gai Chase and Wilsons Promontory indicates that species richness decreases linearly as overstorey cover increases. In post-fire succession on Stradbroke Island heathy woodland and Dark Island heathland, species richness declines linearly as overstorey cover increases during the regeneration of the community. The appli- cation of limiting fertiliser to Stradbroke Island heathy woodland and Dark Island heathland increases the rate of development of overstorey cover, with a simultaneous decrease in species richness. Species richness of the understorey strata of plant communities appears to be inversely related to the rate of development of foliage projective cover in the overstorey. If an environmental or biotic factor inhibits or retards the development of overstorey cover, the understorey increases in species richness. Conversely, if any environmental or biotic factor accelerates the development of overstorey cover, the understorey species show a reduction in species richness.
Interactions between the pathogen Trichoderma harzianum Th2 and Agaricus bisporus in mushroom compost

Abstract Trichoderma harzianum biotype Th2, responsible for green mold disease, appeared in the North of France by the end of 1997. Cocultures of Agaricus bisporus with four French Th2 isolates and three less aggressive Trichoderma species were performed in conventional compost to further our understanding of how Trichoderma Th2 establishes and competes with the button mushroom. Spore germination of Th2 isolates was little affected by A. bisporus mycelium while that of other species was strongly inhibited. Th2 mycelium flourished in compost uninoculated or inoculated with A. bisporus, but mycelium of the button mushroom is required for intensive sporulation. No fungistatic effect of the mycelium of Trichoderma on A. bisporus was observed in compost, but when Th2 produced spores, toxicity toward A. bisporus was detected. A simultaneous growth of A. bisporus and Th2 was observed before the mycelium of Agaricus stimulated the Th2 sporulation. As soon as sporulation occurred the mycelial growth of A. bisporus was dramatically reduced and typical green mold rapidly developed.
Potential chemical defenses against diatom fouling in Antarctic macroalgae

Abstract Crude extracts of Antarctic macroalgae were examined for toxicity to model strains of sympatric diatoms that could potentially foul them in nature. This is an initial step in determining the potential for ecologically relevant macroalgal defenses against fouling. Extracts of two species collected from McMurdo Sound were toxic to diatoms at or below concentrations originally present in the macroalgal thalli (the “natural concentration”). At least one extract type of all 22 western Antarctic Peninsula macroalgae was toxic at three-times the natural concentration and at least one extract type in 15 of these species was toxic at the natural concentration.
Resource dynamics and vegetation processes: a deterministic model using two-dimensional cellular automata

Rules of resource capture, utilization and release derived from CSR theory have been used to construct a cellular automaton model simulating secondary succession and spatial patterns of vegetation development on gradients in resource concentration and intensity of disturbance. It is confirmed that simple differences in the resource dynamics of founder populations are sufficient to generate a succession in which there are phases of dominance and decline consistent with Egler's initial floristic composition hypothesis, Odum's theory of ecosystem maturation and Connell and Slatyer's inhibition model of secondary succession. Differences in resource dynamics may also permit a stable coexistence of populations in the presence of gradients of vegetation disturbance (.)