Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacasoma americanum) Infestation on Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea) Selection of Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) as a Host Tree

Abstract This study determined whether the presence of Eastern tent caterpillars on black cherry affects selection of the same tree by fall webworms in the same season. Five study sites were selected, each containing 30 to 50 black cherry trees, which were marked and measured. The total number of Eastern tent caterpillar nests was counted on each tree in June 2001. Fall webworm nests were recorded as they developed throughout the summer. A logistic regression showed a significant difference (P < 0.01) in the use of previously colonized vs. uncolonized trees by the fall webworm. Fall webworms were less likely to occur on trees that had been used by Eastern tent caterpillars earlier in the season. At the end of the study period, 8.5% of the trees had been used by both species and fall webworms alone had colonized 21% of the trees observed.
Evaluation of soil saturation, soil chemistry, and early spring soil and air temperatures as risk factors in yellow‐cedar decline

Yellow‐cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis (D. Don) Oerst. ) is a valuable tree species that is experiencing a widespread decline and mortality in southeast Alaska. This study evaluated the relative importance of several potential risk factors associated with yellow‐cedar decline: soil saturation, soil aluminum (Al) toxicity or calcium (Ca) deficiency, and air and soil temperature. Data were collected from permanent vegetation plots established in two low‐elevation coastal forests exhibiting broad ranges of cedar mortality. Measurements of each risk factor were contrasted among classified forest zones to indicate if there were strong links with decline. Hydrology alone is weakly associated with yellow‐cedar decline, but could have a predisposing role in the decline by creating exposed conditions because of reduced forest productivity. Yellow‐cedar decline is not strongly associated with soil pH and extractable Al and Ca, but there appears to be Ca enrichment of surface soils by feedback from dead yellow‐cedar foliage. Air and soil temperature factors are strongly associated with decline. Based on these results, an hypothesis is presented to explain the mechanism of tree injury where exposure‐driven tree mortality is initiated in gaps created by soil saturation and then expands in gaps created by the tree‐mortality itself. The exposure allows soils to warm in early spring causing premature dehardening in yellow‐cedar trees and subsequent freezing injury during cold events. Yellow‐cedars growing in the protection of shade or snow are not preconditioned by this warming, and thus not as susceptible to cold injury. Yellow‐cedar decline appears to be associated with regional climate changes, but whether the cause of these changes is related to natural or human‐induced climate shifts remains uncertain. Management implications, the possible role of climate, and recommended research are discussed.
Communication in the Titi monkey, Callicebus

The communication system of Callicebus moloch includes a few olfactory and tactile signals, a moderate number of visual signals, and an enormous number of acoustic signals. The visual signal repertory is comparatively simple, and may be primitive in some respects. The acoustic signal repertory is very complex. It may illustrate the maximum elaboration which can beattained by species-specific language.
Socialization of infant blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni): Allomaternal interactions and sex differences

Summary An important part of the ontogeny of social mammals is the establishment of social relationships with non-mothers. Mothers may influence this socialization process, but other factors like the number and kind of potential partners available may also be important. In matrilineal societies, variation in allomaternal social experience is also likely to differ for males and females, relating to differences in their respective life histories. We investigated differences in non-maternal social relationships of 12 infant blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) in their first six months of life in a wild population. Based on previous findings that blue monkey infants develop spatial independence from their mothers at a relatively early age, we expected that infants would also socialize with non-maternal group members early in life. As possible determinants of variation in infant socialization, we evaluated the effects of age, sex, group composition, and timing of birth relative to the birth season. Allomaternal social relationships of infants differed between social groups, largely but not exclusively in response to differences in group composition. Adjusting for these group differences, we found that infants generally avoided spatial proximity to non-maternal adult females, whereas they associated more than expected by chance with other infants and large juvenile females, when away from their mothers. Close spatial association with other adult females and small juveniles increased when infants were near their mothers. Association with other infants decreased with proximity to the mother, apparently because peer playgroups led infants away from their mothers. Infants were spatially well integrated into the core of the group, associating with most available adult and large juvenile partners. Male infants spent more time in social play than females, and engaged in more rough-and-tumble play bouts, and in bouts of longer duration, than females. Large juvenile females regularly took care of infants, whereas adult females rarely acted as caretakers. There were no sex differences in behavior directed towards infants by non-mothers, but female infants associated more than male infants with adult
Sudden Cardiac Deaths in Young British Army Personnel

Much attention has been paid to sudden cardiac death in young athletes which has led to the implementation of tighter screening controls in many sports at various levels. Less attention has been paid to this subject in young army recruits. We describe three cases of sudden cardiac death in young UK soldiers. The scale of the problem in the UK is unknown. We highlight issues regarding diagnostic testing to identify risk factors for sudden cardiac death and suggest potential additions to the current screening programme for new recruits to help increase the sensitivity of detecting cardiac pathology and reducing the rates of sudden cardiac death in this group.
Managing Volunteer Potato (Solanum tuberosum) in Field Corn with Mesotrione and Arthropod Herbivory1

Volunteer potato is becoming increasingly detrimental in potato production regions. We assessed methods to manage the weed in field corn with herbicides and arthropod herbivory. In greenhouse trials, new tuber production was reduced at least 95% in ‘Ranger Russet’, ‘Russet Burbank’, ‘Russet Norkotah’, and ‘Shepody’ potato varieties by mesotrione applied at 0.11 kg/ha. In field studies conducted near Paterson, WA, a single application of mesotrione at 0.07 or 0.11 kg/ha applied at the time of tuber initiation (mid-postemergence [MPOST]) controlled potato top growth 96 to 98% in 2002 and 2003. Mesotrione applied at earlier stages of potato growth, preemergence or early postemergence, controlled potatoes less than mesotrione applied MPOST. All herbicide treatments prevented yield loss in field corn compared with nontreated checks. Mesotrione reduced new potato tubers and tuber weight more than any other herbicide. Herbivory of volunteer potato by Colorado potato beetle reduced tuber number 21% and tuber density 23% in the absence of herbicides and appeared to further suppress the weed in combination with herbicides. Whereas treatments containing mesotrione were most effective against volunteer potato, arthropod herbivory supplemented weed suppression and may be an important component in reduced or low-input weed management systems. Nomenclature: Mesotrione; volunteer potato, Solanum tuberosum L. ‘Ranger Russet’, ‘Russet Burbank’, ‘Russet Norkotah’, ‘Shepody’; field corn, Zea mays L. ; Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say. Additional index words: Arthropod herbivory, biological weed control, groundkeeper (volunteer potato), integrated weed management. Abbreviations: CPB, Colorado potato beetle; EPOST, early postemergence; IWM, integrated weed management; LPOST, late postemergence; MPOST, mid-postemergence; POST, postemergence; PRE, preemergence; WAT, weeks after treatment.
Seasonal distribution and spawning of small tunas ( Auxis rochei and Sarda sarda ) in the Northwestern Mediterranean

SUMMARY: Bullet tuna, Auxis rochei and Atlantic bonito, Sarda sarda are the most abundant small tuna species in the Mediterranean Sea. Both species are commercially exploited by a small-scale inshore fishery off the Catalan coast. Catches of A. rochei are highly seasonal, with maximum values in the warmest months (June to September), which is also the spawning period. Larvae of A. rochei were collected between July and September and were particularly abundant in July, when the mean sea surface temperature was 25.4oC. In summer, adults of this species migrate from the Atlantic to the Western Mediterranean, including the Catalan Sea, to spawn, but they are not found in this last region during the colder months. S. sarda is taken all year round in the Catalan Sea, with maximum catches from September to March, and minimum levels during the spawning period (May to July). Larvae of this species were only observed in July and larval abundance was considerably lower than that of larval A. rochei. Unlike A. rochei, S. sarda is resident over the continental shelf in the Western Mediterranean all year long, but at the beginning of summer, coinciding with the arrival of the other species, it moves to other areas in order to spawn.
PREACONDICIONAMIENTO DE Pinus engelmannii Carr. MEDIANTE DÉFICIT DE RIEGO EN VIVERO

Three irrigation periods (every 48, 96 and 192 hours) were evaluated with the purpose of improving the preconditioning Pinus engelmannii Carr. seedlings in nursery. Eight months old seedlings were evaluated for 40 days. The study was conducted under greenhouse conditions at the nursery of the Experimental Station Valle del Guadiana of INIFAP. The data were analyzed with a permutations test. The results show that irrigation every 48 h caused the best effects in height (7.70 cm), diameter (4.38 mm), total biomass (6.59 g) and Dickson’s quality index (0.55). In contrast, water stress caused by treatment with irrigation every 192 h (-1.22 MPa) limited the growth of seedlings; however, the lignification index (26.63) was significantly better (P = 0.0001) with this frequency of irrigation. Despite having significant differences (P = 0.0001) in the hydric potential and morphological variables, there was not sufficient evidence to define an absolutely superior treatment to improve the preconditioning of seedlings in the nursery. Therefore, it is advisable to evaluate these treatments for a longer time; moreover, it is suggested to evaluate the same treatments in the plantation field.
Calf Survival of Woodland Caribou in a Multi-Predator Ecosystem

Abstract The proximate role of predation in limiting caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations is well documented, but the long-term effects of predation pressure on selection of calving areas and the subsequent impacts to calving success remain unclear. We examined the relationships among calf survival, predation risk, and vegetation characteristics among 3 calving areas and across spatial scales in the Besa-Prophet River drainage of northern British Columbia. Fifty woodland caribou (R. t. caribou) neonates were collared and monitored twice daily for the first month and once weekly during the next month of life in 2 summer field seasons (2002 and 2003). Predation risk was estimated using resource selection functions (RSFs) from Global Positioning System (GPS) locations of 15 grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and 5 gray wolf (Canis lupus) packs. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) data were used to quantify large-scale characteristics of vegetation (indices of biomass and quality). We incorporated small- and large-scale characteristics (i.e., predation risk, vegetation, and movement of woodland caribou calves) of neonatal calving sites into logistic regression models to predict survival for the calving (25 May–14 Jun) and summer (15 Jun–31 Jul) seasons. Predation risk and vegetation characteristics were highly variable among calving areas and calving sites, and parturient woodland caribou responded to these characteristics at different scales. Minimizing gray wolf risk and selecting against areas of high vegetation biomass were important at large scales; areas with high biomass were likely associated with increased predation risk. Calving in areas high in vegetation quality was important across scales, as parturient woodland caribou took higher levels of predation risk to access areas of high vegetative change. Models using small-scale characteristics of calving sites to predict survival performed better in the calving season than in summer. Large-scale characteristics predicted survival of woodland caribou neonates better in summer than in the calving season, probably in part because of the unexpected role of wolverines (Gulo gulo) as the main predator of woodland caribou calves during calving. Gray wolves were the main cause of mortality during the summer. Movement away from calving sites corresponded to higher calf survival and appeared to be in response to increased access to forage during the peak demands of lactation and/or minimizing gray wolf risk in the summer. High variation in predation risk and vegetation attributes among calving areas and at calving sites within calving areas, with no differences in calf mortality related to that variation, illustrates the importance of behavioral plasticity as a life-history strategy for woodland caribou.
Annual net greenhouse gas balance in a halophyte (Helianthus tuberosus) bioenergy cropping system under various soil practices in Southeast China

A full accounting of net greenhouse gas balance (NGHGB) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) was examined in an annual coastal reclaimed saline Jerusalem artichoke‐fallow cropping system under various soil practices including soil tillage, soil ameliorant, and crop residue amendments. Seasonal fluxes of soil carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) were measured using static chamber method, and the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) was determined by the difference between soil heterotrophic respiration (RH) and net primary production (NPP). Relative to no‐tillage, rotary tillage significantly decreased the NPP of Jerusalem artichoke while it had no significant effects on the annual RH. Rotary tillage increased CH4 emissions, while seasonal or annual soil N2O emissions did not statistically differ between the two tillage treatments. Compared with the control plots, soil ameliorant or straw amendment enhanced RH, soil CH4, and N2O emissions under the both tillage regimes. Annual NGHGB was negative for all the field treatments, as a consequence of net ecosystem CO2 sequestration exceeding the CO2‐equivalents released as CH4 and N2O emissions, which indicates that Jerusalem artichoke‐fallow cropping system served as a net sink of GHGs. The annual net NGHGB and GHGI were estimated to be 11–21% and 4–8% lower in the NT than in RT cropping systems, respectively. Soil ameliorant and straw amendments greatly increased NPP and thus significantly decreased the negative annual net NGHGB. Overall, higher NPP but lower climatic impacts of coastal saline bioenergy production would be simultaneously achieved by Jerusalem artichoke cultivation under no‐tillage with improved saline soil conditions in southeast China.
Horizontal String Blossom Thinner Reduces Labor Input and Increases Fruit Size in Peach Trees Trained to Open-center Systems

Hand thinning of fruit is among the most labor-intensive orchard practices and consequently contributes significantly to peach (Prunus persica) production costs. Research reported in 2008 on a string blossom thinner for vertical tree canopies demonstrated that this new mechanical method has potential to favorably impact grower profitability by reducing labor requirement and by improving fruit size and quality. A string thinner prototype for open-center tree canopies was tested in six orchards in 2008. Peach blossom removal in upper canopy regions ranged from 23% to 69% with the new string thinner oriented in a horizontal or inclined position to thin the tops of vase-shaped trees. Optimal thinning with the horizontal string thinner was with a 2.0 km·h−1 tractor speed, reducing peach crop load by an average of 47%, reducing follow-up hand thinning time 32%, and increasing fruit in higher market size categories 22% to 31%. Net economic impact (realized economic savings) of mechanical thinning at 2.0 km·h−1 versus hand thinning alone ranged from $799 to $911 per hectare. Total yield was sometimes reduced by string thinner treatments; however, high-market-value yields were comparable across treatments. Two combination treatments—mechanical thinning followed by hand blossom thinning and thinning with a horizontal followed by a vertical string thinner—suggested additional strategies for achieving the most desirable thinning results.
Genetic differentiation among populations of a migratory songbird: Limnothlypis swainsonii

Population structure and gene flow were inferred from isozyme variation at 26 loci among five populations of Limnothlypis swainsonii (Swainson's Warbler; Parulidae), a Nearctic-Neotropic migrant songbird breeding in the unglaciated southeastern U.S.A. These populations exhibit relatively high levels of heterozygosity (Ho = 0.083), and 16 of 26 loci were polymorphic in at least one population (P = 0.385). Allelic frequencies were significantly heterogeneous at five loci, indicating a surprising degree of population structure for a migratory bird with no recognized subspecies (FST = 0.043). Moderate levels of gene flow are inferred (Nm = 1.5 to 11.7), yet population structure does not fit an isolation-by-distance model. Genetic heterogeneity is mostly due to differentiation between an Arkansas population and four populations from the coastal plain (from Louisiana to Virginia). Genetic drift may be responsible for much of the observed structure, but the lack of obvious barriers to dispersal between Arkansas and the coastal plain suggests that differentiation has been maintained by some other mechanism(s). Vicariance events on the breeding range, a split wintering range, or both could contribute to the pattern of differentiation observed.
Bivoltinism in Coenagrion mercuriale (Zygoptera: Odonata) in the Southern Margin of Its Distribution Range: Emergence Pattern and Larval Growth

Voltinism is an important life history trait that varies with the environment. In temperate zones, insect populations take a substantially longer time to reach the adult stage in the northern compared to the southern regions. In this study, emergence pattern and larval growth of the threatened zygopteran (Odonata) Coenagrion mercuriale were investigated in a population located in the southern limit of its distribution range in order to determine its life history strategies in a hot climate and compare them to those displayed in northern populations. There was no apparent winter diapause. The species produced two generations in a year, with the first generation emerging in mid spring and the second in late summer. The emergence pattern of the first generation was typical of a summer species and lasted 48 days. All larvae emerged by the end of May. Due to some environmental perturbations, the emergence pattern of the second generation was not surveyed, but there was evidence that the emergence season was short (21 days). Larval structure prior to the second emergence of the year showed that only 25%of the population was in the final instar, which explains the shorter emergence season.We assume that the first eggs laid in the spring hatch and grow rapidly to reach the final instar in late summer as a consequence of higher temperatures and potential high food availability. There was a significant seasonal decline in body size in both males and females. The second generation had a significantly smaller body size, presumably due to the short growth season and/or higher growth rate.
The Association Between the p53/ topoisomerase I and p53/ topoisomerase IIα Immunophenotypes and the Progression of Ovarian Carcinomas* Zależność między p53/topoizomerazą I i p53/topoizomerazą IIα immunofenotypem a progresją raka jajnika

Background. In in vitro studies it has been revealed that p53 protein expression might regulate topoisomerase I (topo I) and topoisomerase IIα (topo IIα) levels in tumor cells. So far, the association between the p53 protein and topo I and topo IIα expression and its impact on ovarian carcinoma progression has not been analyzed. Objectives. The aim of the study was to examine the association between topo I and topo IIα expression and p53 protein overexpression with respect to the morphological features and progressive growth of ovarian tumors. Material and Methods. The expression of the studied biomarkers was estimated by immunohistochemical staining in tumor sections from 136 malignant and 30 benign ovarian neoplasms. Results. Significant differences for topo I, topo IIα and p53 expression between malignant and benign tumors were observed (p 0.05). p53/topo I and p53/topo IIα immunophenotypes were associated with advanced stages of ovarian carcinoma (p = 0.045 and p = 0.009, respectively). p53/topo IIα positive ovarian carcinomas were more frequently observed in high than in low tumor grades and the differences were only of borderline significance (p = 0.07). Conclusions. Current findings suggest that on the one hand, cooperation between topo I, topo IIα and p53 protein participates in the progressive growth of ovarian tumors. On the other hand, simultaneous expression of the studied proteins identifies the subgroup of ovarian cancers with aggressive biological features which might be considered in therapy (Adv Clin Exp Med 2012, 21, 1, 35–42).
The effect of processing methods on the nutritional properties of "ogi" produced from three maize varieties

Three maize varieties, white local farmer’s variety, yellow farmer’s variety and quality protein maize were used to produce ogi. Traditional method of preparation and improved method were employed. There was a slight increase in the protein content of all ogi produced using the improved method of preparation showing that the improved method is more efficient than the existing traditional ogi processing system as regards the retention of protein. Fermentation reduced fibre, ash and carbohydrate content, but the fibre, ash and carbohydrate contents of ogi produced using improved processing method far exceeded that of traditional processing method. It was also observed that white local farmer’s and yellow farmer’s varieties are preferable to quality protein maize for ogi preparation with the traditional method because the former two varieties retained more protein than quality protein maize.