Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects of a α-glucan from fruit body of maitake (Grifola frondosa)

The antioxidant and immunomodulatory effect of an α-glucan (designated here as MT-α-glucan) from fruit body of Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) on D-galactose (D-gal)-induced senescent mice model was evaluated. Results showed that MT-α-glucan could ameliorate age-related alternations in both motor and memory activities of senescent mice. Treatment with MT-α-glucan (450 or 150 mg kg−1) significantly increased the body weight, hepatic superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity, reduced glutathione content, the proliferative response and interleukine-2 (IL-2) production of splenocytes induced by ConA. Treatment with MT-α-glucan significantly decreased hepatic malondialdehyde content, the levels of macrophage proliferative response and IL-1 and NO production. These data suggest that MT-α-glucan has antioxidative and immunomodulatory effects on D-gal-induced senescent mice.
Floral anatomy of Eriocaulon elichrysoides and Syngonanthus caulescens (Eriocaulaceae)

Summary The floral anatomy of Eriocaulon elichrysoides Bong. and Syngonanthus caulescens (Poir.) Ruhland, from Brazilian mountain rock savannas (campos rupestres) was studied. The staminate flowers of E. elichrysoides present a diplostemonous androecium with six stamens, and those of S. caulescens present an isostemonous androecium with three stamens and three scalelike staminodes. Eriocaulon elichrysoides and S. caulescens have three nectariferous pistillodes located in the central portion of the receptacle. The pistillate flowers of E. elichrysoides present three simple styles while those of S. caulescens present three simple styles interspersed with three nectariferous appendices. Both the styles of E. elichrysoides and the nectariferous appendices of S. caulescens are vascularized by the dorsal vascular bundles of the carpels. The styles of S. caulescens lack vascularization. At the base of the gynoecium of E. elichrysoides there are six staminodes and there are three in the S. caulescens . Entomophily is suggested as the pollination syndrome in E. elichrysoides and S. caulescens as they present staminate and pistillate flowers with nectariferous structures. The ancestral character in Eriocaulon is probably given by the presence of the two staminal whorls. The staminate flowers of S. caulescens are probably derived from the reduction of a diplostemonous ancestral androecium. It remains open whether the pistillate flowers with nectariferous appendices present an ancestral character or a derived one.
Survival of Tournament-Caught Largemouth Bass in Two Florida Lakes

Abstract Data were collected for 18 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) fishing tournaments held on two Florida lakes from April 1983 through May 1984 to quantify catch and mortality rates and determine relationships between mortality rates and catch, air temperature, and water temperature. On the average, 23 two-angler teams participated in the tournaments. Mean catch per team was eight largemouth bass weighing 7.44 kg. Mean initial and estimated total mortality rates of the fish weighed in were 9 and 14%, respectively. The predicted number of fish harvested (killed) during an average tournament was only 16% of the estimated daily sport catch of large-mouth bass in these two lakes. There were no significant relationships between mortality rate and mean catch per team, air temperature, or water temperature. A low proportion of the anglers accounted for the majority of the mortality; and, in general, the teams with large catches had a lower proportion of dead fish in their catch. We suggest .
Distribuição Espacial das Concentrações de Mercúrio em Sólidos em Suspensão no Alto Rio Madeira, Rondônia

Spatial distribution of mercury concentration in suspension solids of the upper Madeira river, Rondonia The main goal of this work was going to study the spatial distribution of mercury in suspension solid in the upper Ma-deira river, comprehended between its formation by Beni and Mamore rivers until Porto Velho’s city, using geostatistical analysis techniques. The samplings were performed in November 22 th to 29 th , 2003, and soon after, the total mercury was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer coupled cold vapor generation. The results revealed average increase in Hg concentrations at the Upper Madeira river, from its formation (Beni and Mamore rivers) and along its course, but mostly in the area of its main right bank affluents (Jaci-Parana and Mutum-Parana rivers), demonstrated by Pontual Kriging technique. The geostatistical technique used allowed to observe important increase of Hg in the main tributaries, which suggests the natural source of Hg or its redisponibilization from forests areas near gold mining by the regional land use.
Evolution of Female Choice and Male Parental Investment in Polygynous Species: The Demise of the "Sexy Son"

Males of many polygynous animal species contribute nutrition, nest sites, parental care, or other material benefit to their mates in addition to their gametes. Variation in female reproductive success may be caused by variation in the quantity or quality of the male contribution, and in such cases a female's mate choice affects her reproductive success. I present here polygenic and haploid two-allele models for the joint evolution of a male secondary sexual trait and a female mating preference for that character. The male trait affects male survivorship, mating success, and the number of offspring produced per mating. A female's reproductive success is consequently affected by the type of male she mates. This selection on fecundity is assumed to operate in one of two ways. Under the assumption of limited male reproductive potential, the fecundity per mating is a declining function of the number of females to which a male is mated. Under the alternative assumption of unlimited male reproductive potential, the fecundity per mating is independent of the number of females mated, but does depend directly on the male's trait. The evolutionary equilibrium under both forms of fecundity selection is found to maximize immediate female reproductive success. The equilibrium, however, may or may not maximize male survivorship: when male reproductive potential is unlimited, the equilibrium for the male trait may lie far from the point that is optimal for male viability, and so average male survival can decrease under this form of sexual selection. The models also show that it is possible for the evolutionary equilibrium to become unstable, in which case the population will evolve rapidly away from the equilibrium in a maladaptive runaway process. These models address the "sexy son" hypothesis of Weatherhead and Robertson (1979), which contends that selection can create an equilibrium at which females on the average mate with certain attractive types of males that give them inferior material resources and therefore decrease the females' immediate reproductive success. The logic of this argument is that the females are compensated for their fecundity deficit by the mating success of their sons, which bear their fathers' genes and so are attractive to females. Results from the models developed here show that no such evolutionary balance is possible, and the sexy son hypothesis is not supported. Female fecundity is maximized at the evolutionary equilibrium, and is not offset against the fitness of descendants.
Muscle glycogen concentrations in commercial consignments of Australian lamb measured on farm and post-slaughter after three different lairage periods

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the distribution of glycogen concentrations and ultimate pH (pHu) in 2 different muscle types for lambs slaughtered under commercial conditions in Western Australia, and to compare muscle glycogen concentrations in lambs on farm and after slaughter. The study included 13 different consignments of prime lambs from a range of commercial scenarios. In each consignment, muscle glycogen concentration was measured in a group of lambs on farm and subsequently after slaughter in 3 different lairage groups. The lairage groups were: slaughter on arrival (no lairage), slaughter after 1 day, and slaughter after 2 days in lairage. Biopsies of M. semimembranosus and the M. semitendinosus were taken from live lambs on farm just before farm curfew before transport and from carcasses immediately after slaughter. There was a significant effect of consignment on muscle glycogen concentration. Muscle glycogen concentrations on farm were lower than 1 g/100 g in 4 consignments for the M. semimembranosus and 11 consignments for the M. semitendinosus. The cause of the differences between consignments was unclear as nutrition, genotype and age class were confounded between consignments. Glycogen concentrations were lower and meat pHu higher for sucker lamb compared with carry-over lamb consignments. However, lambs finished on grain-based feedlot rations had higher muscle glycogen concentrations than lambs finished on pasture and sucker lambs when finished on pastures only. Sucker lambs were only crossbred while carry-over lambs included crossbred and Merino genotypes. When data from different consignments were pooled and the effect of consignment was considered, there were no differences between muscle glycogen concentration measured on farm and muscle glycogen concentration measured after slaughter. However, there were differences between sample times within individual consignments. Glycogen concentration at slaughter was different from glycogen concentration on farm in more consignments for M. semitendinosus than M. semimembranosus, suggesting a difference between consignments for the effect caused by stress. Typically, the M. semimembranosus glycogen concentration at slaughter was lower than on farm in consignments consisting of Merino genotypes that had high muscle glycogen concentrations on farm. In the consignments in which lairage time had an effect on muscle glycogen concentration, the differences were small. In some consignments a difference occurred between lairage times for pHu without any difference occurring for muscle glycogen concentration.
Nonhuman Reservoirs of Enterococci

This chapter describes the occurrence of different enterococcal species among animal reservoirs. It reviews the importance of enterococci as pathogens in animals, the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance and resistance genes among enterococci from nonhuman sources, and the potential transfer of enterococci and their resistance genes to humans. Enterococci are associated with most mammals and birds, and some sporadic reports exist on the isolation of enterococci from reptiles and insects. In addition, enterococcal species can be found in soil, on plants, and in water. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is one of the most widely applied methods for detecting the clonal spread of enterococci. Enterococci have been implicated in a number of infections in animals, mainly mastitis in cattle, and diarrhea. Birds are mainly infected by Enterococcus durans, E. faecalis, and E. hirae. Compared to the very large number of studies of enterococci of human origin, there are only limited studies on the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance and resistance genes among enterococci isolated from animals, food, or the environment. An overview of the occurrence of resistance to a few selected antimicrobial agents, in different countries and from different reservoirs, is given in the chapter. An overview of resistance genes and transposons detected among enterococci from nonhuman sources is also presented. Aminoglycosides are important in the treatment of infections with enterococci in humans. Enterococci inhabiting nonhuman reservoirs appear to play a critical role in the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance determinants.
The host-specificity, micro-ecology, adhesive attitudes, and comparative morphology of some trematode gill parasites

In recent years there have been several accounts of the occurrence of diclidophoroidean trematodes parasitic on the gills of fishes, e.g. Price (1943), Sproston (1946), Dawes (1947), Brinkmann (1952), and Chauhan (1953), and these accounts have included descriptions of the morphology of the parasites. The distribution records have revealed a generally high degree of host specificity and, in some species, a preference even for certain gill arches of the particular hosts, while the morphological descriptions have shown that there is a considerable variation in the form of the parasites, extending to various degrees of deviation from bilateral symmetry (PI. I, figs. 1–11). These morpho-logical variations are present in spite of the fact that the different parasites occupy such broadly similar habitats in the gill chambers of their respective hosts. But, as far as I am aware, this is the first attempt to investigate the distribution and morphology of the parasites in relation to their micro-habitats.
Different egg-associated and larval development characteristics of Macrobrachium jelskii and Macrobrachium amazonicum (Arthropoda: Crustacea) in a Venezuelan continental lagoon

Summary In Venezuela, M. jelskii and M. amazonicum are both found living in fresh waters and sometimes share the same habitat. The respective patterns of development of the two species have been compared, with reference to such parameters as egg size and number, duration and number of larval stages, and body length of the first zoea. Development of M. jelskii exhibits features characteristic of fresh water species, whereas that of M. amazonicum has features usually associated with brackish water species.
Home Range and Space Use Patterns of Flathead Catfish during the Summer–Fall Period in Two Missouri Streams

Abstract Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris were radio-tracked in the Grand River and Cuivre River, Missouri, from late July until they moved to overwintering habitats in late October. Fish moved within a definable area, and although occasional long-distance movements occurred, the fish typically returned to the previously occupied area. Seasonal home range was calculated with the use of kernel density estimation, which can be interpreted as a probabilistic utilization distribution that documents the internal structure of the estimate by delineating portions of the range that was used a specified percentage of the time. A traditional linear range also was reported. Most flathead catfish (89%) had one 50% kernel-estimated core area, whereas 11% of the fish split their time between two core areas. Core areas were typically in the middle of the 90% kernel-estimated home range (58%), although several had core areas in upstream (26%) and downstream (16%) portions of the home range. Home-range size did not di.
The effect of a phosphorus supplement on the performance of steers grazing Townsville stylo-based pasture in north Queensland

The effect of phosphorus supplementation on the performance of steeres grazing unfertilized native pasture and Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) with andwithout superphosphate fertilizer on the subcoastal spear grass region of the dry tropics of north Queensland was studied over a period of 40 months. Liveweight gains in the absence of supplementation on fertilized Townsville stylo pastures were greater than on unfertilized Townsville stylo, where performance was similar to that recorded on untreated native pasture. Phosphorus supplementation increased weight gains during the wet season on both unfertilized Townsville stylo and native pasture but had no significant effect on dry season performance or performance on fertilized Townsville stylo. Fertilized areas became dominated by annual grasses, Digitaria ciliaris and Brachiaria milliiformis, and legume yields were higher on unfertilized than on fertilized areas. Fertilizer improved the quality of available pastures.
Comparison of Native and Introduced Flathead Catfish Populations in Alabama and Georgia: Growth, Mortality, and Management

Abstract We compared growth of flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris from two native populations in Alabama (Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers) and two introduced populations in Georgia (Ocmulgee and Satilla rivers). We also compared mortality rates and potential outcomes of various management regimes (minimum length limits [MLLs]) among the populations. Total length–log10(age) regression slopes for introduced fish were higher than those for native fish, and von Bertalanffy growth coefficients (K) were greater for introduced fish (Ocmulgee: 0.195; Satilla: 0.201) than for native individuals (Coosa: 0.057; Tallapoosa: 0.059). Therefore, introduced flathead catfish grew more rapidly than those in their native range. Mortality (instantaneous mortality rate, Z) was higher in the Satilla River population (Z = −0.602) than in the Ocmulgee River (Z = −0.227) and Coosa River (Z = −0.156) populations. However, fish in the Satilla River population had been introduced for only 10 years and presumably did not reach their th.
Discrepancy in mitochondrial and nuclear polymorphism in meadow vipers (Vipera ursinii) questions the unambiguous use of mtDNA in conservation studies

The sequence diversity of the entire mitochondrial control region (CR) of three meadow viper (Vipera ursinii) populations was analysed and compared to previously documented nuclear genetic variability at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class I loci. One of the populations, a small and inbred Hungarian population, exhibited no MHC polymorphism, whereas the two other, sampled from large viper populations in Ukraine, shoved very high MHC diversity. In spite of the great difference in population size and nuclear (MHC) diversity, all of the vipers from the three populations exhibited a CR haplotype diversity of zero. The dramatic discrepancy in nuclear vs. mitochondrial variability in the Ukrainian viper populations suggest that the lack of CR diversity was not caused by a population bottleneck, but rather by slow CR evolutionary rate, which has been documented in numerous other vertebrate taxa. Thus, due to the large taxonomic differences in CR rate of evolution, population genetic diversity estimates based on CR heterogeneity (and conservation management decisions that spring from those estimates) may depend as much upon the taxa being investigated, as upon the underlying pattern of genetic variation within the study population.
EFEITO DE TRICOMAS, ALELOQUÍMICOS E NUTRIENTES NA RESISTÊNCIA DE LYCOPERSICON HIRSUTUM À TRAÇA-DO-TOMATEIRO

The objective of this work was to study the effect of trichomes, alellochemicals and minerals in the leaves of different canopy heights on the resistance of Lycopersicon hirsutum to tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Effects of 2-tridecanone (2-TD), 2-undecanone (2-UD), N, P, K, Ca and Mg levels, density and types of trichomes and leaf area on apical, medium and basal parts of plant dossel of L. hirsutum and L. esculentum on the oviposition and mines number of T. absoluta was studied. Production of 2-TD increased from the bottom to the top of the canopy. The apical part of plants of L. hirsutum showed more antibiotic effect on the caterpillar. T. absoluta oviposited more on leaves of the apical and medium portion of the plants than in the basal parts of L. esculentum.
Persistence and stability of fish community structure in a southwest New York stream

-We used multivariate and nonparametric statistics to examine persistence and stability of fish species in the upper 43 km of French Creek, New York. Species occurred in upstream and downstream groups in 1937 that persisted in 1979. However, the downstream group expanded its range in the drainage from 1937 to 1979 at the expense of the upstream group. A dam prevented further upstream expansion of the downstream group. Ranks of species abundances were stable, as tests of group similarity were significant. The abundances and distributions of benthic species were stable across seven sampling dates in 1980 despite several floods and repeated removals by sampling that could have altered community structure. We conclude that the fish community in French Creek persisted and was stable over the 42-yr interval, 1937-1979, and that abundances of benthic species were stable in summer 1980.
THE INFLUENCE OF AIRBORNE STIMULI FROM CONSPECIFIC ADULTS ON THE SITE OF OVIPOSITION OF EPHESTIA CAUTELLA (LEPIDOPTERA: PHYCITIDAE)

The influence of odours of fresh larval rearing medium and of con‐specific adult males and females on the distribution of eggs laid by E. cautella, was studied in choice experiments. Odours of larval rearing medium localised oviposition in the vicinity of the medium. Airborne stimuli from pairs of conspecific males and females exerted a similar influence. The strength of the response of ovipositing females increased linearly with a logarithmic increase in the number of con‐specific pairs.
Pollen morphology and systematics of Burseraceae

The Burseraceae are a medium‐sized family in which 18 genera are currently recognised. They are the subject of a long‐term project to describe the pollen morphology from light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. The pollen morphology of tribe Protieae has been published, as well as an account of the pollen of the African taxa in the family. Pollen data for the other two tribes, Bursereae and Canarieae, are more or less complete. The pollen of all the genera have been examined, with the exception of the recently described Pseudodacryodes Pierlot for which, currently, there is no pollen material available. This paper summarises the results. There is considerable variation in exine and aperture features between, and occasionally within, the genera and 14 major pollen types are defined, including two previously undescribed types: ‘Canarium oleiferum’ and ‘Canarium gracile’. The distribution of pollen characteristics throughout the family is compared with previously published tribal and subtribal groupings, as well as with current ideas of generic relationships from molecular analyses. Comparisons show notable congruence of pollen data with molecular data. To some extent pollen morphology is different for each of the subtribes. Nevertheless, there are some notable exceptions, for example, the pollen of Garuga and Boswellia are remarkably similar, although Garuga has been included, somewhat tenuously, in tribe Protieae, and Boswellia is included in tribe Bursereae, subtribe Boswelliinae. In a recent molecular tree Garuga and Boswellia appear to be closely related, and this supports the conclusion, based on several macromorphological characters as well as pollen, that Garuga should be transferred to tribe Bursereae.
MATE SELECTION BY MALE WINTER MOTHS OPEROPHTERA BRUMATA (LEPIDOPTERA, GEOMETRIDAE): ADAPTIVE MALE CHOICE OR FEMALE CONTROL?

Mate choice is an important component of sexual selection. It is expected to evolve if the benefits of choice outweigh the costs. Yet, the relative importance of costs and benefits in the evolution of mate choice remain poorly understood. In this study we present experimental evidence for adaptive mate choice by males, but not females, in the winter moth. In a series of experiments we show that: (a) males have a higher probability of attempting to copulate, and consequently also a higher probability to copulate with a larger, more fecund female; (b) if males are given the choice between two females they are more likely to copulate with the larger female; and (c) females do not seem to show any mate discrimination. A sample of winter moths collected in copula in the field did not show any assortative mating for body size. This is the first demonstration of male choice in a moth species with chemical communication. This choice is possibly based on variation in female pheromone quality and/or quantity. We argue that the relatively higher variation in female quality and the limited number of male matings probably have led to male choosiness despite a strongly male biased operational sex ratio. This is consistent with recent studies indicating that choice and competition may occur more frequently in the same sex than previously thought.