Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural and functional mapping of geosigmeta in Atlantic coastal marshes (France) using a satellite time series

Abstract Geosynphytosociology deals with the study of combinations of vegetation series – or geosigmeta – within landscape. Its main advantage is to assess conservation status based on vegetation dynamics. However, this field-based approach has not been widely applied, because local surveys are not representative of spatio-temporal landscape complexity, which leads to uncertainties and errors for geosigmeta structural and functional mapping. In this context, satellite time series appear as relevant data for monitoring vegetation dynamics. This article aims to assess the contribution of an annual satellite time series for geosigmeta structural and functional mapping. The study area, which focuses on the French Atlantic coast (4630 km²), includes salt, brackish, sub-brackish and fresh marshes. A structural vegetation map was derived from the classification of an annual time series of 38 MODIS images validated with field surveys. The functional vegetation map was derived from the annual Integral of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI-I), as an indicator of above-ground net primary production. Results show that geosigmeta were successfully mapped at a scale of 1:250,000 with an overall accuracy of 82.9%. The geosigmeta functional map highlights a strong gradient from the lowest NDVI-I values in salt marshes to the highest values in fresh marshes.
The long-term effect of a protein-deficient-diet enriched with vitamin B6 on the blood parameters in unexercised and exercised rats

ABSTRACT Protein undernutrition affects inter alia blood parameters and immune system. These negative effects may be improved by the addition of vitamin B6 to the diet. Here, we evaluated the effect of vitamin B6 supplementation and physical exercise in rats fed a protein-deficient diet. Rats were divided into six groups: exercised or unexercised – control, protein deficient, protein deficient with vitamin B6 supplementation. Sixty days of protein malnutrition caused significant changes in the rat body weight, haematological parameters (mainly red blood cells parameters), immunological parameters (NK and NKT cells) and biochemical parameters (total protein and albumin concentration and activity of AST). The rat exercise did not intensify the negative effects of protein malnutrition. The vitamin B6 supplementation in protein-deficient groups significantly improved body weight and red blood cell parameters. These results indicate that vitamin B6 should be considered as a valuable supplement for individuals suffering from protein malnutrition.
Acquired Factor V Inhibitors: A Review of Literature

Objective: The implications of inhibitor formation can vary from an asymptomatic prolonged APTT and PT to a life threatening hemorrhage. We are still trying to understand why there are such variable clinical phenotypes and how we might best risk stratify patients. The focus of this review is to dissect the literature on this topic and offer recommendations to managing this rare affliction in the clinical setting. Evidence Review: We conducted a search on PubMed, Scopus, web of science from 2010 until 2016 using different combinations of the following terms ‘’factor V inhibitors’’, ‘’factor V autoantibodies’’, ‘’FV inhibitors’’, ‘’Factor V and spontaneous inhibitors’’. We cross referenced the bibliographies for additional reports. 47 cases were included in final review. Findings: The most common bleeding presentations included hematuria 23% (n=11) and gastrointestinal bleed 21% (n=10). 23% (n=11) of patients were asymptomatic at the time of presentation. 34% of cases were associated with infection and 31% with drugs. The median inhibitor titer and FVa (Factor V activity) was 9 Bethesda units and 2% respectively. The median PT and aPTT at presentation was 50 and 100 seconds respectively. To eliminate the inhibitor, steroids were generally used a first line therapy. 88% who received steroids alone for immunosuppression achieved remission. Other agents used included rituximab, IVIG, plasmapheresis, thalidomide and cyclophosphamide. The time for inhibitor disappearance was documented in 22 cases with a median time of 3.5 weeks. Conclusion: Diagnosis and treatment of factor V inhibitors remains a challenge for clinicians. Because of its rare presentation and expertise required in diagnosing this disorder at present there are no trials to compare treatment options to analyze both acute bleeding control and inhibitor eradication.
The experience of vivid autobiographical reminiscence is supported by personal semantic representations in the precuneus

Recent studies have suggested that the human posteromedial cortex (PMC), which includes core regions of the default mode network (DMN), plays an important role in episodic memory. Whereas various roles relating to self-relevant processing and memory retrieval have been attributed to different subsystems within this broad network, the nature of representations and the functional roles they support in these brain regions remain unspecified. Here, we describe the whole-brain networks that represent subjective, self-relevant aspects of real-world events during autobiographical recollection. Nine participants wore a device to record images from their lives for a period of two to four weeks (lifelogging phase) and indicated the personally-salient attributes (i.e., personal semantics) of each episode by choosing multiple content tags. Two to four weeks after the lifelogging phase, participants relived their experiences in an fMRI scanner cued by images chosen from their own lives. Representational Similarity Analysis revealed a broad network, including parts of the DMN, that represented personal semantics during autobiographical reminiscence. Furthermore, within this network, the right precuneus represented personally relevant content during vivid recollection but not during non-vivid recollection. The precuneus is a hub within the DMN and has been implicated in metacognitive ability for memory retrieval. Our results suggest a more specific mechanism underlying the phenomenology of vivid reminiscence, supported by personal semantic representations in the precuneus.
Primary rainforest amount at the landscape scale mitigates bird biodiversity loss and biotic homogenization

1. Tropical conservation strategies traditionally focus on large tracts of pristine forests but, given rapid primary forest decline, understanding the role of secondary forest remnants for biodiversity maintenance is critical. Until now, the interactive effects of changes in forest amount, configuration and disturbance history (second-ary vs. primary forest) on the conservation value of tropical landscapes have remained unknown, hampering the incorporation of these global change drivers into local and global conservation planning. 2. We disentangled effects of landscape-wide forest amount, fragment size and forest age (old growth vs. secondary forest) on abundance, α -diversity, β -diversity (biotic homogenization) and community shifts of bird communities in human-dominated landscapes of southern Costa Rica. Utilizing two complementary methods, yielding 6,900
Diversity of insect foragers with reference to foraging behaviour of Asian honey bee, Apis cerana F. on sesamum, Sesamum indicum L.

The diversity of insect foragers and foraging behaviour of Apis cerana on Sesamum indicum were recorded, amongst foragers Apis cerana was the most dominant forager (32.66%) followed by Apis dorsata (26.54%), Xylocopa fenestrata (7.48%), Vespa cincta (6.12%), Coccinella septempunctata (6.12%), Musca domestica (6.12%), Apis florea (4.76%) and Xylocopa leucothorax (4.08%). Besides these, other insect foragers found in less numbers were Chalicodoma cephalotes (2.04%), Episyrphous belteatus (2.04%), Pieris rapae (2.04%). The study on foraging behaviour of Apis cerana revealed that 0900-1000 hours was the peak period of visit on sesamum flower. The number of Apis cerana per square meter per minute was recorded to be maximum (9.75 ± 0.15) during 0900-1000 hours and minimum (0.75 ± 0.19) during 1600–1700 hours. The number of flowers visited per minute was maximum (11.65 ± 0.15) in between 0500-0600 hours and minimum 4.12 ± 0.11 per minute at 1600–1700 hours of the day. The maximum time spent per flower was recorded to be 6.83 ± 0.10 seconds during 0900-1000 hours and minimum being 3.87 ± 0.06 seconds during 1600–1700 hours of the day. Maximum pollen load was found to be 8.34 ± 0.14 mg during 0900-1000 hours while minimum to be 2.31 ± 0.08 mg during 1500–1600 hours of the day. Bright sunshine hours and temperature showed positive correlation whereas rainfall and relative humidity showed negative correlation with foraging behaviour of Apis cerana.
Intraspecific variability and reaction norms of forest understorey plant species traits

Summary 1.Trait-based models of ecological communities typically assume intraspecific variation in functional traits is not important, though such variation can change species trait rankings along gradients in resources and environmental conditions, and thus influence community structure and function. 2.We examined the degree of intraspecific relative to interspecific variation, and reaction norms of 11 functional traits for 57 forest understory plant species, including: intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE), Δ15N, 5 leaf traits, 2 stem traits and 2 root traits along gradients in light, nitrogen, moisture and understory cover. 3.Our results indicate that interspecific trait variation exceeded intraspecific variation by at least 50% for most, but not all traits. Intraspecific variation in Δ15N, iWUE, leaf nitrogen content and root traits was high (47-70%) compared with most leaf traits and stem traits (13-38%). 4. Δ15N varied primarily along gradients in abiotic conditions, while light and understory cover were relatively less important. iWUE was related primarily to light transmission, reflecting increases in photosynthesis relative to stomatal conductance. Leaf traits varied mainly as a function of light availability, with some reaction norms depending on understory cover. Plant height increased with understory cover, while stem specific density was related primarily to light. Resources, environmental conditions and understory cover did not contribute strongly to the observed variation in root traits. 5.Gradients in resources, environmental conditions and competition all appear to control intraspecific variability in most traits to some extent. However, our results suggest that species cross-over (i.e., trait rank reversals) along the gradients measured here are generally not a concern. 6.Intraspecific variability in understory plant species traits can be considerable. However, trait data collected under a narrow range of environmental conditions appears sufficient to establish species rankings and scale between community and ecosystem levels using trait-based models. Investigators may therefore focus on obtaining a sufficient sample size within a single set of conditions rather than characterizing trait variation across entire gradients in order to optimize sampling efforts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Evaluating responses by pronghorn to fence modifications across the Northern Great Plains

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is an endemic North American ungulate susceptible to negative effects of fences, especially given the vast amount of barbed-wire fencing currently on the landscape. Despite multiple nongovernmental organizations, and state and provincial wildlife agencies publishing guidelines for creating wildlife-friendly fencing, there are no published studies that evaluate and compare evidence of the effectiveness of endorsed practices. We analyzed pronghorn crossing success in Alberta, Canada, and Montana, USA, between 2012 and 2016 in response to fence-modification treatments to understand 1) differences between bottom wire height at selected versus available fence sites, 2) the change in crossing rates before and after fence modification treatments, 3) the effect of a suite of fence, environmental, and demographic characteristics on group crossing success, and 4) the time lag until pronghorn became habituated to different fence modifications after initiation of treatments. Use of either smooth wire or clips with a bottom wire height of approximately 46 cm were most effective at allowing passage by pronghorn, while the commonly proposed goat-bar was ineffective and created a negative behavioral response by pronghorn. Though smooth wire and clips were effective at allowing passage, we observed a time lag as pronghorn switched use from their strong fidelity at known-crossing sites to using modified sites. Pronghorn-group crossing success was greatest during summer, for all-male groups, and increased with larger group sizes. We advocate not using goat-bars as modifications to fences, and instead, recommend using smooth wire and clips at a minimum bottom-wire height of 46 cm to allow movement by pronghorn. Our study provides guidance for wildlife-friendly fencing techniques to wildlife managers and private landholders as a means to improve permeability for pronghorn and additionally, can be used as a model to evaluate fence modifications for pronghorn and other target species that may be sensitive to fence interactions. Ó 2018 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin Published by WileyPeriodicals, Inc.
Precommercial thinning as a silvicultural option for treating very dense conifer stands

ABSTRACT Lack of available workforce in motor-manual operations has led to increased interest in mechanized precommercial thinning (PCT) treatments. We evaluated 15 years of growth and yield development of a very dense (27,000 stems ha–1) balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) stand after six PCT treatments: (1) motor-manual (MAN), (2) motor-manual with crop tree release (MAN-C), (3) mechanized (MEC), (4) mechanized with residual patches (MEC-P), (5) semi-mechanized (mechanized followed by motor-manual, MEC-S), and (6) unthinned control (CON). Compared to CON, both MAN and MEC-S increased height of balsam fir study trees by 53–56% and diameter at breast height (DBH) by 57–58%. MAN-C and MEC-S increased DBH of black spruce study trees by 15–31% over all other treatments. The proportion of merchantable basal area (BA) was higher in MAN (62%) and MEC-S (56%) than in CON (22%) and MEC (25%), without a reduction in total BA. PCT treatments that provided a uniform distribution of potential crop trees (MAN, MEC-S) performed better than MAN-C and MEC-P, while MEC yielded the poorest responses. Our findings highlight the need to develop new tailored mechanized systems for high wood production and low operational cost.
Estimation of Yield traits & Correlation in Zea Mays

Seven Zea mays genotypes were planted at two sites Aleppo and Edleb which are research centres belongs to the General Commission of Scientific Agricultural research GCSAR northern Syria. Yield traits (ear diameter, ear length, row number per ear -1 , grain number per ear -1 , thousand grain weight) were studied in order to estimate the variation between genotypes and to between sites and to select the best genotypes concerning studied yield traits to be applied in maize breeding programs. Results showed that all Studied genotypes of maize had significant differences in yield traits in which both genotypes (Z 263, Z 67) were remarkable in all studied traits like thousand grain weight (391.7, 390.7) g for each of them respectively. Results also revealed that most studied traits were significantly superior in Aleppo comparing to Edleb. Results of correlation showed positively and significantly relations between all studied traits except between each of row number per ear -1 and grain number per ear -1 with thousand grain weight.
Can Six Minutes of Culturally Competent Evolution Education Reduce Students' Level of Perceived Conflict Between Evolution and Religion?

Abstract Evolution is foundational to biology but is controversial for many undergraduate students. Although evolution and religion are potentially compatible, students' perceived conflict between their religious beliefs and evolution can negatively affect their acceptance of evolution. In a previous study, we found that illustrating the potential compatibility of religion and evolution decreased the number of students who perceived a conflict between religion and evolution by 53 percent. However, in the previous study, the instruction on the potential compatibility of religion and evolution took a significant amount of instructional time, which could be a barrier for implementation. In this current study, we condensed the instruction illustrating the potential compatibility of religion and evolution to six minutes. By conducting qualitative analyses on data gathered from ten students who perceived a conflict before the evolution module, we found that eight of these students reduced their level of perceived conflict after the evolution module. We identified eight distinct aspects of the evolution instruction that students stated reduced their perceived conflict, including that the instructor did not force student acceptance of evolution, the instructor was respectful of students with multiple viewpoints on evolution, and students experienced a greater exposure to evolution content.
Frogs of the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil — The need for looking at the ‘coldspots’

We present a list of the anuran amphibians of the state of Espirito Santo, southeastern Brazil. The list was compiled from data gathered from fieldwork over the course of the past 20 years in different localities, and from literature records and voucher specimens deposited in scientific collections. Our list comprises 133 species. Patchy sampling efforts and recent species descriptions suggest that the list may increase significantly with further sampling, considering the presence of several geographical gaps. The need for adequate sampling in these gap areas is highlighted.
Dietary effect of Lippia citrodora essential oil on some hematological, biochemical, growth performance and body composition of Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different proportions of lemon bee brush essential oil on growth performance, carcass composition, and hematology and biochemical parameters of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Common carp with an average weight of 8 ± 0.2 g were fed for one month with a diet supplemented with Lemon beebrush essential oil (0.15 and 0.3 ml) and with normal diet as controls. Correspondence: H Gholipourkanani, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Gonbad Kavous University, Golestan, Iran (e-mail: gholipourk@gmail.com) The growth performance, body composition, biochemical and hematological factors were measured on day 30. Results of the present study showed that specimens fed a diet supplemented with Lemon beebrush EO in both dosages noticeably increased final weight (p<0.05). Group of fish fed on 0.15 and 0.3 LB in the diet had the lowest level in Hb and hematocrit indices (P<0.05). Lipid content was lower in fish fed 0.15 LB supplemented diet and ash was decreased in fish fed both LB supplemented diet.
Reproduction as a bottleneck to treeline advance across the circumarctic forest tundra ecotone

The fundamental niche of many species is shifting with climate change, especially in sub‐arctic ecosystems with pronounced recent warming. Ongoing warming in sub‐arctic regions should lessen environmental constraints on tree growth and reproduction, leading to increased success of trees colonising tundra. Nevertheless, variable responses of treeline ecotones have been documented in association with warming temperatures. One explanation for time lags between increasingly favourable environmental conditions and treeline ecotone movement is reproductive limitations caused by low seed availability. Our objective was to assess the reproductive constraints of the dominant tree species at the treeline ecotone in the circumpolar north. We sampled reproductive structures of trees (cones and catkins) and stand attributes across circumarctic treeline ecotones. We used generalized linear mixed models to estimate the sensitivity of seed production and the availability of viable seed to regional climate, stand structure, and species‐specific characteristics. Both seed production and viability of available seed were strongly driven by specific, sequential seasonal climatic conditions, but in different ways. Seed production was greatest when growing seasons with more growing degree days coincided with years with high precipitation. Two consecutive years with more growing degree days and low precipitation resulted in low seed production. Seasonal climate effects on the viability of available seed depended on the physical characteristics of the reproductive structures. Large‐coned and ‐seeded species take more time to develop mature embryos and were therefore more sensitive to increases in growing degree days in the year of flowering and embryo development. Our findings suggest that both moisture stress and abbreviated growing seasons can have a notable negative influence on the production and viability of available seed at treeline. Our synthesis revealed that constraints on predispersal reproduction within the treeline ecotone might create a considerable time lag for range expansion of tree populations into tundra ecosystems.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detection of Infectious Bronchitis Antibody in Chickens Using Local Isolate of PTS III

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for screening of antibody to avian infectious bronchitis (IBV). Antigen was prepared from whole virus of infectious bronchitis local isolate PTS-III serotype. Optimum dilution with minimum background for antigen concentration, rabbit anti-chicken conjugate and sera in developed ELISA were determined 0. 4I¼g/well, 1:2000 and 1:100, respectively. Correlation optical densities (OD) were compared with a standard commercial ELISA (R2=0.933). The developed ELISA has a better sensitivity to hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. The developed local isolate ELISA can be used to detect antibody against infectious bronchitis virus and it is suitable for sample screening at the diagnostic laboratories. Keywords: ELISA, antibody, chicken, IB PTS-III local isolate