Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Establishing a framework for archosaur cranial mechanics

Abstract The aim of this analysis was to establish the basic mechanical principles of simple archosaur cranial form. In particular we estimated the influence of two key archosaur innovations, the secondary palate and the antorbital fenestra, on the optimal resistance of biting-induced loads. Although such simplified models cannot substitute for more complex cranial geometries, they can act as a clearly derived benchmark that can serve as a reference point for future studies incorporating more complex geometry. We created finite element (FE) models comprising either a tall, domed (oreinirostral) snout or a broad, flat (platyrostral) archosaur snout. Peak von Mises stress was recorded in models with and without a secondary palate and/or antorbital fenestra after the application of bite loads to the tooth row. We examined bilateral bending and unilateral torsion-inducing bites for a series of bite positions along the jaw, and conducted a sensitivity analysis of material properties. Pairwise comparison between different FE morphotypes revealed that oreinirostral models are stronger than their platyrostral counterparts. Oreinirostral models are also stronger in bending than in torsion, whereas platyrostral models are equally susceptible to either load type. As expected, we found that models with a fenestra always have greatest peak stresses and by inference are “weaker,” significantly so in oreinirostral forms and anterior biting platyrostral forms. Surprisingly, although adding a palate always lowers peak stress, this is rarely by large magnitudes and is not significant in bilateral bending bites. The palate is more important in unilateral torsion-inducing biting. Two basic principles of archosaur cranial construction can be derived from these simple models: (1) forms with a fenestra are suboptimally constructed with respect to biting, and (2) the presence or absence of a palate is significant to cranial integrity in unilaterally biting animals. Extrapolating these results to archosaur cranial evolution, it appears that if mechanical optimization were the only criterion on which skull form is based, then most archosaurs could in theory strengthen their skulls to increase resistance to biting forces. These strengthened morphotypes are generally not observed in the fossil record, however, and therefore archosaurs appear subject to various non-mechanical morphological constraints. Carnivorous theropod dinosaurs, for example, may retain large suboptimal fenestra despite generating large bite forces, owing to an interplay between craniofacial ossification and pneumatization. Furthermore, living crocodylians appear to strengthen their skull with a palate and filled fenestral opening in the most efficient way possible, despite being constrained perhaps by hydrodynamic factors to the weaker platyrostral morphotype. The future challenge is to ascertain whether these simple predictions are maintained when the biomechanics of complex cranial geometries are explored in more detail.
Seed priming influence on germination and emergence of pepper seed lots

The seed lots that were slower to germinate had a greater response to priming, resulting in a linear relationship between the initial mean time to germination or mean time to emergence and the reduction in MTG or MTE resulting from priming. Seed priming was a simple and effective means of shortening the time from sowing to emergence of direct-seeded pepper plantings
Effects of Ganoderma applanatum polysaccharide on cellular and humoral immunity in normal and sarcoma 180 transplanted mice

Ganoderma applanatum polysaccharide (GAPS) was extracted and purified from Polyporaceae Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat. It was found that in vitro GAPS (65.2–250 μg/mL) increased the spleen cell proliferation response to ConA; GAPS (500 μg/mL) enhanced IL‐2 production of spleen cells stimulated with ConA; GAPS (125–500 μg/mL) augmented the IFNγ production of spleen cells stimulated with ConA. Administering GAPS (20 mg/kg/day s.c.) to normal mice for 10 consecutive days enhanced spleen cell proliferation responses to ConA and the IL‐2 and IFNγ production of spleen cells stimulated with 5 μg/mL ConA. It also increased spleen cell primary antibody responses to sheep red blood cells. Administering GAPS (20 mg/kg/day, s.c.) to sarcoma 180 transplanted mice for 15 consecutive days restored the NK activity and the IL‐2 and IFNγ production of the spleen cells which were suppressed by the tumour.
Plant foraging and rhizome growth patterns of Solidago altissima in response to mowing and fertilizer application

1 The rhizome growth patterns of the clonal plant Solidago altissima were studied in response to mowing and fertilizer application in a field experiment. Rhizome systems of 120 clonal fragments were harvested in the spring of 1993, after 6 years of mowing (1987–92) and 2 years of fertilizer application (1991–92). The results were interpreted in the light of plant foraging theory.
The Genetics of the Mimetic Coloration in the Butterfly Heliconius cydno weymeri

guinea fowl is similar to that of the budgerigar, I would suggest that the mode of action of the guinea fowl i and d genes may be the same as the budgerigar genes mentioned by Simon (1971) in the previous paragraph. If this suggested mechanism is in fact true, then the difference between the blues and the darker colored pearl and royal purple guinea fowl is the presence of tiny melanin particles in the cells of the horny keratin outer layer of the feather branches of the blue-colored birds, whereas in the darker phenotypes these melanin particles are absent. Both color types however have densely packed melanin particles in the center of the feather. The action of the dun gene would then be to remove the densely packed melanin particles from the center of the feather branches. In the case of the blue phenotype, the color would now change to a pale blue color. These proposed gene actions are illustrated in Figure 2.
Conservation and ecology of Lilium pyrophilum, a new species of Liliaceae from the Sandhills Region of the Carolinas and Virginia, U.S.A

Lilium pyrophilum M. W. Skinner & Sorrie is a new taxon from the Sandhills region of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, where it is known from 16 counties in the Carolinas and adjacent Virginia. It occurs within the longleaf pine ecosystem in sandy, wet to dry ecotonal situations such as streamheads, seeps, swampy streams, and wet, maintained powerlines. Lilium pyrophilum is most closely allied to L. superbum but is allopatrically distributed and confined to a restricted habitat. Compared to L. superbum it blooms later, is smaller, has fewer and smaller flowers with slightly longer tubes, and it has shorter and relatively broader leaves that are ascending and concentrated in fewer whorls toward the bottom of the stem. Frequent fires are essential for habitat maintenance in natural settings, and thus the Latin epithet pyrophilum (= fire loving) is used for the new taxon. We suggest the common name Sandhills lily for this rare lily, and urge its fullest protection.
New insights from bone microanatomy of the Late Triassic Hyperodapedon (Archosauromorpha, Rhynchosauria): implications for archosauromorph growth strategy

Bone microanatomy of multiple postcranial skeletal elements of several individuals of Hyperodapedon collected from India is reported. This reveals that fibrolamellar bone tissue is predominant in the mid‐ and inner cortices, whereas the peripheral region of the cortex is composed of either parallel‐fibred and/or lamellar bone. The pattern of primary osteons mostly ranges between laminar and subplexiform. Such predominance of fibrolamellar bone tissue in the cortex suggests an overall fast growth, which slowed down considerably later in ontogeny. Four distinct ontogenetic stages are identified based on the bone microstructure. During the juvenile stage, growth was fast and continuous, but it became punctuated during the early and late sub‐adult stages. In adult individuals, growth was slow and showed periodic interruption but did not stop completely, suggesting that Hyperodapedon had an indeterminate growth strategy. Interelemental histovariations affecting cortical thickness, organization of the vascular network, incidence of growth rings and extent of secondary reconstruction are noted. Throughout ontogeny, the femora show higher cortical thickness than humeri and tibiae, suggesting differential appositional growth rate between the skeletal elements. Differences in cortical thickness are noted in the ribs, which suggest differential functional constraints based on anatomical site‐specific occurrences. Although fibrolamellar bone tissue became progressively more dominant towards the archosaurs, there are considerable variations in the growth patterns of the archosauromorphs. This is exemplified by the bone microstructure of Hyperodapedon, which deviates from the generalized slow‐growth pattern proposed for all basal archosauromorphs, suggesting that rapid growth was already present in the archosauromorphs. The cortical thickness of various long bones of Hyperodapedon bears similarity with that of several extant terrestrial quadrupeds, suggesting that Hyperodapedon was essentially a terrestrial quadruped.
Lake Trout, Sea Lampreys, and Overfishing in the Upper Great Lakes: A Review and Reanalysis

Abstract To assess the role of commercial fishing in the destruction of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior in the 1940s and 1950s, we reviewed the literature and analyzed catch and effort data for U.S. waters by regression analysis. There is abundant evidence of the effect of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus in the destruction of lake trout, but some have claimed that fishing also was influential. We considered that a persistent, significant decrease in catch per unit of effort before and in the first few years after the sea lamprey was first found in a lake would be evidence of overfishing. We found no convincing evidence of overfishing in Lakes Huron and Michigan. Lake trout probably were overfished in Lake Superior before the sea lamprey became a major influence. We conclude that statements that lake trout were destroyed in Lake Huron or Lake Michigan by a combination of overfishing and the sea lamprey are not justified. The same claim applied simply to the Great L.
Seasonal variation in the suitability of different methods for estimating biological nitrogen fixation by grain legumes under rainfed conditions

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by legume crops was estimated in a Mediterranean environment at ICARDA in northern Syria for 3 consecutive seasons beginning in 1991-92. Using the classical isotope dilution technique (NID), estimates ranged from 32 to 82 kg N/ha for chickpea and from 18 to 82 kg N/ha for lentil. In comparison the simple N-difference method gave lower, sometimes negative, estimates for BNF by both crops in the latter 2 seasons but a higher estimate for chickpea in the first year. Discrepancies in the estimates from N-difference were correlated with differences in the amount of soil N taken up by the legume and the non-fixing wheat reference crop. Since soil N uptake by lentil in the first year was similar to wheat, the estimates of BNF from the 2 methods for that season were similar. The indirect effects of an interaction of added N fertiliser on N derived from the soil and thus on N uptake and estimated BNF are discussed in relation to the use of the isotope dilution method with A-value modification (NAV). Despite some significant differences in A-value for soils receiving different amounts of fertiliser it is demonstrated that the A-value method used in this study, with fertiliser rates of 10 kg N/ha to the legume and 30 kg N/ha to the non-legume, resulted in BNF estimates for lentil similar to those obtained using classical isotope dilution. However, this was not the case for chickpea where a direct inhibitory effect of fertiliser N at 30 kg N/ha resulted in lower estimates of BNF from NID than NAV. Since the reference crops derived as much as 90% of their N from the soil, it is recommended that future BNF studies using isotope dilution techniques for lentil and chickpea crops at ICARDA use a fertiliser rate lower than that used in this study. An isotope dilution method utilising a slow-release source of 15N or the natural abundance technique for estimating BNF are suggested as potentially useful alternatives. The need for a basic understanding of the soil N dynamics pertinent to each site as a prerequisite for choosing an appropriate method for estimating BNF is highlighted.
A Case of Gastric and Colonic Submucosal Tumors after the Removal of 51 Anisakis Larvae

A 60-year-old man visited the outpatient clinic complaining of spasmodic abdominal pain. The symptoms had started 4 days previously, within 1 hour of eating sliced raw flatfish (sashimi) and a piece of flatfish gut. Gastroscopy revealed generalized mucosal edema, erythema, multiple erosions, and numerous worms penetrating the gastric mucosa at the greater and lesser curvatures of the middle and lower corpora. Fifty-one worms, 0.5-3 cm in length, were successfully removed with biopsy forceps. Three weeks later, a normal mucosa-covered, 3.5-cm round submucosal tumor (SMT) was found on the greater curvature of the lower corpus and four yellowish, 1-cm SMTs were found on the hepatic flexure of the colon. Histopathological examination revealed marked eosinophilic infiltration in the gastric and colonic mucosa and an eosinophilic abscess in the submucosa. Here, we report a case of eosinophilic granuloma manifesting as SMTs in the stomach and colon after the endoscopic removal of a large number of anisakids. (Korean J Med 2012;82:453-458)
Composição química da cana-de-açucar (Saccharum SPP.) E das silagens com diferentes aditivos em duas idades de corte

Objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar a composicao quimica da forragem e da silagem de cana-de-acucar em duas idades de corte com diferentes aditivos. Os tratamentos foram arranjados em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com tres repeticoes, em esquema fatorial 2 x 9, sendo duas idades de corte (11 e 24 meses) e nove formas de uso (cana picada acrescida de 1% da mistura ureia e sulfato de amonio, cana in natura e ensilada sem aditivo, cana in natura e ensilada com 1% de ureia, cana in natura e ensilada com de 8% de MDPS e cana in natura e ensilada com de 0,5% de sal mineral). A concentracao de MS da cana-de-acucar nos 11 meses foi em media , 25,9% inferior a de 24 meses de idade. Os valores de pH nao variaram com as idades de corte, porem, diferiram entre os tratamentos silagem e cana in natura. A cana in natura adicionada com 1% da mistura ureia + sulfato de amonio resultou nos melhores valores bromatologicos, o mesmo ocorrendo com a cana ensilada com ureia, sendo portanto mais conveniente ensila-la do que deixa-la no campo por mais um periodo de cultivo. O material ensilado apresentou teores mais elevados de PB, FDN e FDA.
Effects of Macroalgal Dynamics on Recruitment of a Temperate Reef Fish

Spatial and temporal variation in the recruitment of dispersive life stages can strongly affect the distribution, dynamics, structure, and gene flow of local populations. I investigated the causes of variable larval recruitment to populations of a temperate reef fish, the kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus). Spatial and temporal variation in the density of settlement habitat on a reef, the giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), explained much of the variation in recruitment of kelp bass. Although recruitment was positively related to Macrocystis density, the relationship was asymptotic at high plant densities, indicating that kelp bass recruitment saturates at intermediate densities of Macrocystis (a 100- 130 stipes/ 30 M2). Field experiments demonstrated causation between Macrocystis density and kelp bass recruitment and indicated that kelp bass recruitment was linearly related to the local abundance of kelp structure (i.e., the number and biomass of overlapping Macrocystis blades). This linear (nonasymptotic) relationship between Macrocystis blade biomass and density of fish recruits indicated that both the quantity and quality of the recruitment habitat limited larval recruitment. Structural complexity per unit length of plant (e.g., blade biomass per unit plant length) was inversely related to plant density. This relationship underlies the asymptotic relationship between structural complexity per unit reef area (the product of per-plant structural complexity and plant density) and recruit density. Thus, density-dependent constraints on blade biomass in this macroalga, rather than larval supply, better explained the general asymptotic nature of the relationship between Macrocystis and kelp bass recruitment. These results indicate that density-dependent effects on plant biomass and architecture (e.g., plant height and structural complexity), common among both mac- rophytes and terrestrial plants, can greatly influence the relationship between plant density and recruitment of other species. For organisms with dispersive life stages whose local recruitment is influenced by the occurrence of living habitat structure, spatial and temporal variability characteristic of such biogenic habitats can be a major source of variation in their recruitment.
The effect of corporative leverage on earnings management in Drug industry

In order to mislead shareholders, the directors often manage the profit. In this survey, the impact of corporative leverage on earnings management explored. The research sample includes 313 firm-years, which had been admitted in Drug industry in Tehran Security and Exchange Organization (TSEO). The period of research implementation was selected among fiscal years 2001-2014. To measure earnings management based on accruals in this investigation, jones’s was used, and to measure corporative financial leverage, total corporative liabilities have been divided by total corporate assets and properties. We found a negative relationship among financial leverage and earnings management in this research. Keywords: Financial Leverage- Earnings Management-Drug industry
Breeding biology of Marsh Warblers Acrocephalus palustris in Worcestershire: a comparison with European populations

Various parameters of breeding biology are compared for Marsh Warbler populations in Britain and Europe. Laying date was later and mean clutch size lower in Worcestershire, formerly the main breeding area for the species in Britain. Overall breeding productivity was lower in Worcestershire than in central Europe. BTO Nest Record Card data suggested that breeding productivity in Britain has not shown any decline in recent years, so the recent decline of the Marsh Warbler in Britain cannot be explained by lowered reproductive performance.
Seed dormancy and germination in Rhexia mariana var. interior (Melastomataceae) and eco-evolutionary implications

Ninety-seven percent of the Rhexia mariana L. seeds collected in Tennessee were physiologically dormant at maturity in autumn, and they became nondormant during stratification. Light was required for germination, and seeds germinated to higher percentages on filter paper than on sand. Seeds buried in soil in October 1992 and 1994 and exposed to natural seasonal temperatures were exhumed and tested for germination at monthly or bimonthly intervals for 30 and 32 months, respectively. Seeds gained the ability to germinate to 80% or more at 30:15 and 35:20°C during the first winter of burial and also at 25:15°C during the second winter, but they did not re-enter dormancy. In contrast, seeds incubated at 20:10°C exhibited an annual cycle of moderate to high germination percentages in winter-spring and low germination percentages in summer-autumn. Thus, germination can occur at habitat temperatures in Tennessee from April to September. This is the first report of physiological dormancy in seeds of the Melastoma.
Histological evidence of reproductive activity in lizards from the APM Manso, Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

The construction of dams causes major impacts on fauna by changing or eliminating irreversibly their habitats. The resulting changes lead to deep potential modifications on reproductive biology and population structure of lizards, snakes and amphisbaenas. The reservoir in the Multiple Use Area of Manso (APM-Manso) is located near to Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park, in Mato Grosso State. We analyzed comparatively the male gonads of Anolis meridionalis, Colobosaura modesta, Cercosaura ocellata, Cnemidophorus ocellifer, Hoplocercus spinosus, Bachia bresslaui, Mabuya frenata, Micrablepharus atticolus and Tropidurus oreadicus, from APM-Manso, aiming to verify possible changes in the reproductive success according to environmental changes. Before the impoundment A. meridionalis, Colobosaura modesta, Cercosaura ocellata, M. atticolus and T. oreadicus showed up reproductive. However, during the impoundment period they presented changes in seminiferous tubules, evidenced by the absence of spermatids and spermatozoids. B. bresslaui and M. frenata had no differences in the seminiferous tubules before and after the impoundment, being reproductive in both moments. The damming and the formation of the lake of Manso reservoir may have interfered on the reproduction of some lizards species, especially if the reproductive cycle is regulated by the rainfall of the habitat.
After site selection and before data analysis: sampling, sorting, and laboratory procedures used in stream benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring programs by USA state agencies

A survey of methods used by US state agencies for collecting and processing benthic macroinvertebrate samples from streams was conducted by questionnaire; 90 responses were received and used to describe trends in methods. The responses represented an estimated 13,000–15,000 samples collected and processed per year. Kicknet devices were used in 64.5% of the methods; other sampling devices included fixed-area samplers (Surber and Hess), artificial substrates (Hester–Dendy and rock baskets), grabs, and dipnets. Regional differences existed, e.g., the 1-m kicknet was used more often in the eastern US than in the western US. Mesh sizes varied among programs but 80.2% of the methods used a mesh size between 500 and 600 μm. Mesh size variations within US Environmental Protection Agency regions were large, with size differences ranging from 100 to 700 μm. Most samples collected were composites; the mean area sampled was 1.7 m2. Samples rarely were collected using a random method (4.7%); most samples (70.6%) were collected using “expert opinion”, which may make data obtained operator-specific. Only 26.3% of the methods sorted all the organisms from a sample; the remainder subsampled in the laboratory. The most common method of subsampling was to remove 100 organisms (range = 100–550). The magnification used for sorting ranged from 1 (sorting by eye) to 30×, which results in inconsistent separation of macroinvertebrates from detritus. In addition to subsampling, 53% of the methods sorted large/rare organisms from a sample. The taxonomic level used for identifying organisms varied among taxa; Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera were generally identified to a finer taxonomic resolution (genus and species) than other taxa. Because there currently exists a large range of field and laboratory methods used by state programs, calibration among all programs to increase data comparability would be exceptionally challenging. However, because many techniques are shared among methods, limited testing could be designed to evaluate whether procedural differences affect the ability to determine levels of environmental impairment using benthic macroinvertebrate communities.