Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the Neotropical ant genus Linepithema

Abstract A comprehensive species‐level phylogeny of the ant genus Linepithema Mayr, a Neotropical group best known for the invasive Argentine ant L. humile (Mayr), is inferred for the first time using fragments from three nuclear loci [wingless (WG), long‐wavelength rhodopsin (LWR) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS‐2)] and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Monophyly of the genus is strongly supported in parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian analyses of the concatenated data, as is the monophyly of four species groups defined previously on the basis of morphology. An Andean species, L. oblongum (Santschi), is the sister taxon of the Argentine ant. Eight of the 11 species whose monophyly was testable in the analysis were inferred to be monophyletic. Several instances of species paraphyly and one case of mitochondrial introgression suggest that complex population genetic processes underpin the patterns of diversity in Linepithema, and that simple genetic approaches to taxonomy such as DNA barcoding should be treated with caution. A maximum likelihood reconstruction of ancestral distributions suggests that Linepithema is of southern South American origin and that populations in the Greater Antilles are the result of four independent colonization events.
Scirpus L. and related genera (Cyperaceae) in Italy

Summary In the revision here presented, an assessment of the Italian species of the group Scirpus s.l. at generic, infrageneric and specific level is performed, on the basis of a comparative morphological analysis carried out on wild populations and on exsiccata housed in the main Italian herbaria, as well as in the light of recent (and less recent) acquisitions in the systematics of such worldwide, most diverse and complex group. The 22 species here appraised for the Italian territory are attributed to 7 genera: Blysmus Panz. , Scirpus L. , Bolboschoenus (Rchb.) Palla, Scirpoides Scheuchz. ex Séguier, Schoenoplectus (Rchb.) Palla, Isolepis R. Br. , Trichophorum Pers. Schoenoplectus species are attributed to the subgenera Schoenoplectus and Actaeogeton (Rchb.) Oteng-Yeboah. Isolepis species are attributed to the only subgenus Isolepis and to the sections Isolepis and Eleogiton (Link) Pax.
Considerations on Apterygota phylogeny

Abstract It is commonly believed that the Apterygota show signs of the transition from some hypothetical ancestor of the Insects to the Pterygota. Except for the Thysanura, however, which seem well connected with winged Insects, all the other Apterygota have a very uncertain position in Insect phylogeny. In this note we report what is known about their relationship.
PERFORMANCE AND PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME ACTIVITY OF THE SUCKLING PIGLET CREEP-FED AT ONE OR THREE WEEKS OF AGE

A "split-litter" technique was used with 19 litters of suckling piglets from birth to 5 weeks of age to determine the effects of providing creep-feed from 1 or 3 weeks compared with controls given no creep-feed. Measurements included growth, feed and water intake, hematocrit, carcass composition and trypsin and chymotrypsin activity of the pancreas and intestinal digesta from 3- and 5-week old piglets. Daily gain by piglets creep-fed at 1 week appeared to be greater than that by piglets creep-fed at 3 weeks. At 5 weeks, the hematocrit of control piglets was below that of those creep-fed from 1 week (P < 0.05) and 3 weeks of age, but the levels of all piglets were below the 1-week values. Early, compared with no creep-feeding increased by 12 and 3% the trypsin and decreased by 7 and 5% the chymotrypsin activities of the pancreas at 3 and 5 weeks of age, respectively. Creep-feeding increased the trypsin and chymotrypsin (P < 0.05) activity of the digesta from 5-week old piglets.
Capacity development for participatory disaster risk assessment

In this paper a large-scale community-based disaster risk-assessment project, undertaken in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality in the North-West Province of South Africa, is evaluated. In contrast to other disaster risk management consultancy projects in South Africa, this project included a significant skills transfer component to the at-risk communities and local government officials. In this evaluation, the authors draw on their own experiences in implementing this and similar projects, a review of the project management documents is undertaken, and a focus group interview with facilitators involved in the project is used as a primary source. The discussion is further contextualised in terms of community-based disaster risk assessment theory and the existing literature on disaster risk assessment in South Africa. Logistical and data quality issues as well as staff turnover were found to be concerns during the project. From the findings, it is argued that the common practice of outsourcing disaster risk-management projects is not conducive to effective disaster risk management. Local government entities should take responsibility for disaster risk assessment as a continual activity. This is in contrast to the view currently manifesting in South Africa as a set of bureaucratic actions undertaken by consultants to achieve ‘legislative compliance’ for municipalities.
RE-ESTIMATING GUN-POLICY EFFECTS ACCORDING TO A NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY REPORT: WERE PREVIOUS REPORTS OF FAILURE PRE-MATURE?

ABSTRACT Recent spree-killings and a controversial 2nd Amendment Supreme Court ruling have re-directed criminological research toward the critical question of how best to prevent gun related fatalities. However, a recent National Academy of Science report raises methodological concerns about many of the most commonly cited and reviewed gun policy research designs, which re-introduces scientifically the question of whether any existing gun-intervention actually prevents fatalities. The present study adjusts for those concerns to then re-estimate the effects three of the most common gun interventions in the U.S. may exert on homicide rates and gun homicide rates in 20 major cities over a 36-year period. The results suggest that the Brady Law and one specific type of sentencing enhancement for gun crimes detectably reduce both outcomes, but that the others are ineffective. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
A Rise in Nest Predation Enhances the Frequency of Intraspecific Brood Parasitism in a Moorhen Population

1. A population of moorhens (Gallinula chloropus, Linnaeus) at Peakirk, Cambridgeshire, UK, was studied during three breeding seasons between 1991 and 1993. In the first 2 years, when rodent predators were controlled, the rate of nest predation was relatively low (37% and 36% of nests depredated, respectively), and the rate of brood parasitism was also low (10% and 13% of nests, respectively). However, in 1993, when rodents were not controlled, the rate of nest predation increased to 65%, and correspondingly, the rate of brood parasitism nearly doubled to 21% of nests. 2. The total number of eggs laid and the number of laying females did not differ greatly between the three years, but the proportion of eggs laid parasitically increased from 4% in 1991 and 1992, to 9% in 1993. 3. The increase in the rate of parasitism in 1993 was due primarily to a large number of females engaging in parasitic laying bouts immediately prior to nesting some time after clutch loss, and to a lesser extent, to females laying parasitically immediately after partial clutch loss. 4. Female moorhens tended to show local synchrony in clutch initiation. In 1993, females in neighbouring territories were significantly more likely to begin laying within a few days of one another than females in non-neighbouring territories. 5. Hosts were almost exclusively the immediate neighbours of the brood parasites. The high rate of nest predation observed in 1993 directly influenced the rate of brood parasitism because it increased the level of synchrony in laying between neighbours, giving them more opportunities to lay parasitically. 6. Together with other studies of brood parasitism, these results indicate that both low nest success rates and high nest availability can produce high rates of brood parasitism: the first, out of constraint when conditions are unfavourable, and the second as a bonus when conditions are particularly favourable.
Tem Observations On the Body Cuticle of Trichodoridae Thorne, 1935 (Nematoda: Enoplia)

Observations are reported on the fine structure of the cuticle of Paratrichodorus minor, P. nanus, P. rhodesiensis and Trichodorus eburneus. The ultrastructure of the cuticle was similar in Paratrichodorus and Trichodorus species; six layers were observed, the innermost layer consisting of three multilaminate units. The anatomy of the cuticle in Trichodorids was quite different from previous observations in other orders of Adenophorea. Two sets of intracuticular canals were observed as well as a peculiar type of junction between cuticle and somatic muscles. These results confirm previous studies on the anatomy of trichodorids and support the withdrawal of the family Trichodoridae from Dorylaimida. Siddiqi's (1983) classification of the trichodorids under the order Triplonchida should be considered with attention.
Quantile Periodograms

Two periodogram-like functions, called quantile periodograms, are introduced for spectral analysis of time series. The quantile periodograms are constructed from trigonometric quantile regression and motivated by different interpretations of the ordinary periodogram. Analytical and numerical results demonstrate the capability of the quantile periodograms for detecting hidden periodicity in the quantiles and for providing an additional view of time-series data. A connection between the quantile periodograms and the so-called level-crossing spectrum is established through an asymptotic analysis.
Selective agents for listeria can inhibit their growth

The minimum inhibitory concentrations of four antibiotics used in listeria selective agars were determined at 30° and 37°C. Differences of susceptibility to β‐lactam antibiotics and fosfomycin were observed in Listeria monocytogenes, L. seeligeri and L. ivanovii. Incubation at 30°C is recommended for listeria selective agars containing ceftazidime, cefotetan, latamoxef and fosfomycin.
Review Article: Profound Childhood Deafness

'It will be a great step forward whn the physician takes part in the work for defectives who have hitherto been entrusted wholly to teachers in schools. The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means loss of the most vital stimulus-the sound of the voice-that brings language, sets thought astir and keeps us in the intellectual company of man. '
Screening three Aspergillus species for antagonistic activities against the cocoa black pod organism (Phytophthora palmivora).

In vitro screening using the dual culture technique was undertaken to assess the potential of three Aspergillus species, A. fumigatus, A. repens and A. niger as biological control agents against Phytophthora palmivora, the pathogen of cocoa black pod disease. The test organisms were isolated from the same cocoa farm where the disease occurred. Results revealed that all the test antagonists effectively checked the growth of the pathogen. The test antagonists grew faster than the pathogen and produced inhibition zones thereby limiting the growth of the pathogen. In solid medium, A. repens was the most antagonistic organism under the conditions of this study. The culture filtrates of the test fungi also inhibited the growth of P. palmivora with A. niger showing the highest percentage inhibition (54%) and A. repens the least (44.5%).
The Effects of Steroids on the Endometrium

The menstrual cycle is a manifestation of the ovarian cycle and the response of the endometrium to sex hormones. The principal sex steroids involved in growth and development of the endometrium are estrogen and progesterone. The withdrawal of these hormonal effects results in the loss of glandular and stromal integrity, release of lysosomal enzymes, desquamation and shedding of the outer layers of endometrium, and menstruation. The metabolism of estrogen and progesterone in human endometrium has been investigated extensively during the past 20 years. It is now generally agreed that sex steroids must bind to specific receptor proteins in the endometrium before they can exert an action. Ultrastructural and histochemical observations, as well as the biochemical, autoradiographic, and cellular fractionation studies, suggest that the major effect of estrogens, specifically estradiol-17/? (E2), is to stimulate rapid growth of glandular and stromal cells by accelerating RNA synthesis, 1 glycogen and phospholipid deposition, synthesis of alkaline phosphatase, and mitotic activity. Progesterone enhances the production of glycogen, mucopolysaccharides, lipids, and hydrolytic enzymes within these cells.
Comment

ABSTRACT Xu, Müller, Wahed, and Thall proposed a Bayesian model to analyze an acute leukemia study involving multi-stage chemotherapy regimes. We discuss two alternative methods, Q-learning and O-learning, to solve the same problem from the machine learning point of view. The numerical studies show that these methods can be flexible and have advantages in some situations to handle treatment heterogeneity while being robust to model misspecification.
Seed predation by rodents results in directed dispersal of viable seed fragments of an endangered desert shrub

Seed predation and seed dispersal are important ecological processes with antagonistic effects on plant recruitment. In the southern edge of the Atacama Desert in Chile, Myrcianthes coquimbensis is an endangered, large-seeded, vertebrate-dispersed shrub that in the present-day has no known dispersers. Native rodents hoard and eat the seeds of M. coquimbensis but leave viable seed fragments at the hoarding sites; soil interspaces within rock outcrops where seedlings recruit. Here we examined whether rodents act as effective dispersers of M. coquimbensis by discarding viable seed fragments in sites suitable for recruitment. We simulated different levels of endosperm loss to determine if seedlings could develop from seed fragments. We assessed how frequently rodents discarded fragments, and the probability that these fragments produced seedlings. Finally, we compared emergence and seedling survival at the hoarding sites and in two other habitats where seeds arrive to evaluate the suitability of the hoarding sites. Seeds of M. coquimbensis developed seedlings even after 87% of their storage tissue was removed. Rodents left seed fragments in more than 50% of the trials; almost 60% of the discarded fragments produced seedlings. Seedlings did not emerge from open ground habitats, and emergence was higher under M. coquimbensis shrubs than in rock habitats. Survival of two-year-old seedlings was higher in rock habitats than under conspecific adult shrubs. Our results suggest that rodents may play a dual role in the recruitment dynamics of M. coquimbensis, acting simultaneously as seed predators and effective dispersers. Therefore, though seed predators impose costs, their net effect on plant fitness in this system—where dispersers of large-seeded species have been lost—is likely positive.
Desenvolvimento de colônias de abelhas com diferentes alimentos protéicos

The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of some regional products of Brazil Northeast to feed Apis mellifera colonies. Diets with 20% of crude protein made of cassava hay (Manihot esculenta) and mesquite pod meal (Prosopis juliflora), cassava hay and babassu bran (Orbygnia martiana), babassu bran and Purilac (succedaneous for calfskin from Purina) and Palmae pollen were offered to the honeybees. Colonies were evaluated for weight gain, store area and brood area. There was no significant difference among the treatments in relation to the brood areas. Pollen treatment showed the highest intake but also showed the lowest food conversion. Beehives that received diet with cassava hay and babassu flour showed greater final weight gain. All diets were efficient in the maintenance of the colonies.
Seasonal variations of spatial behaviour in female Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex) in relation to climatic conditions and age

The spatial behaviour of female Alpine ibex Capra ibex ibex L. 1758, was analysed in Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy). Data were collected on 14 radiocollared females from September 2000 to August 2002, using radio-tracking and direct observations. Seasonal spatial behaviour was influenced by environmental conditions, in particular climatic factors. In the presence of thick snow cover, females significantly reduced winter home range sizes. Snow cover limited ibex mobility and reduced localization altitudes. Annual home range and winter home range sizes were inversely related to age. Temperature modified the use of space by females during summer. During the hottest summer females moved over larger ranges at higher altitudes. Annual home range sizes (mean 186.2 ha ± 71.7 in 2000 and 182.2 ha ± 70.0 in 2001) and seasonal home range sizes were significantly smaller than those of reintroduced populations, moreover they were smaller that those of males calculated in a close study area in Gran Paradiso National Park.
Genotype and age at slaughter influence the retail shelf-life of the loin and knuckle from sheep carcasses

This study was conducted to determine the effect of genotype and age at slaughter (8, 14 and 22 months) on the retail display life of lamb chops [boneless loin (M. longissimus thoracis) and boneless leg steaks from the knuckle (M. rectus femoris)]. The genotypes represented were Poll Dorset × Border Leicester Merino, Poll Dorset × Merino, Merino × Merino (M × M) and Border Leicester × Merino. The colour and retail shelf-life of lamb cuts were assessed objectively, using a HunterLab Miniscan, at 24 h postslaughter and at 0, 2 (midpoint of commercial retail display life) and 4 (endpoint of commercial retail display life) days for overwrapped product in a simulated retail display. M × M had a higher ultimate pH (pHu) in the knuckle, but not the loin, at 8, 14 and 22 months of age relative to the other three genotypes. Generally, at 1 day postslaughter and over the 4 days of retail display, the loin from the M × M genotype was lighter, less red and more brown with a lower oxymyoglobin : metmyoglobin (oxy : met) ratio, a faster time to discolouration and a higher percentage change in the oxy : met ratio during retail display. Conversely for the knuckle, the M × M genotype was generally less brown (more red) and less yellow with a higher oxy : met ratio, a slower time to discolouration and a lower percentage change in the oxy : met ratio. There were few differences between the other genotypes in surface meat colour either at 1 day postslaughter or during retail display for either muscle. At 14 and 22 months of age, the loin was darker, redder and yellower with a higher oxy : met ratio relative to the previous age than meat from the 8- and 14-month-old sheep, respectively. In conclusion, the loin from Merinos was most susceptible to discolouration in retail display and thus would be least acceptable to the consumer. In spite of the higher pHu in the knuckle of the Merino genotype, the meat was less susceptible to discolouration during retail display compared with the other genotypes.
Reaction of Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, to a Controlled Oil Spill

Three captive bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, were observed in an ocean pen measuring 14 × 11 m, divided into three equal areas by oil-containment booms. Each dolphin was placed in the pen alone for 4 d with no oil present, and 2 d with dark-colored mineral oil in one of the areas. We noted their area of surfacing, underwater movements, dive times, and reactions. After a few brief contacts with the oil, dolphins completely avoided surfacing in the slick. The oil also acted as a temporary barrier restricting their underwater movement.
Rejoinder

experiments in Rustici et al. are 135 and 138 minutes, while in Oliva et al. and Peng et al., this number increases to 164 and 173 minutes, respectively. Although they are using the same synchronization technique on the same organism, subtle environmental or physiological differences have changed the speed of the cell-cycle oscillation. Therefore, it may have also changed relative amplitude of oscillation of the genes leading to overall ranking discrepancy.
Exploitative competition in differently sized Daphnia species: a mechanistic explanation.

The concept of the threshold food concentration that allows metabolic main- tenance of an animal (CO) has been used as an analogy to Tilman's R* (equilibrium resource requirements) to explain competitive abilities of cladoceran species. Until now, however, theoretical analysis has been hampered because CO was measured in experiments where cladoceran growth was determined in response to fixed, low food concentrations, not as a result of the cladocerans' grazing activity. CO is an indirect estimate from nonequilibrium conditions. It still needs to be shown that growing Daphnia are efficient enough to suppress resource concentrations to levels equivalent to their CO. We designed flow-through exper- iments to establish equilibrium conditions between algal inflow and cladoceran population biomass with three differently sized Daphnia species. The equilibrium food concentration resulting from the daphniids' grazing activity was labeled C*, as it can be used to predict competitive abilities in analogy to Tilman's R*. Equilibrium was reached in each experiment. Daphnia grew to carrying capacity without fluctuations in numbers or biomass, and biomass remained constant after this level was reached. Mortality was compensated for by somatic growth or, in the case of the small species D. ambigua, by production of offspring. When the carrying capacity was reached, algal concentrations remained constant at C*. As pre- dicted from previous growth experiments, larger species suppressed algal concentrations to lower levels, i.e., they were predicted to have higher competitive ability. This prediction was tested in a mixed-species experiment with D. pulicaria and the smaller D. galeata. That experiment clearly demonstrated the mechanism of exploitative competition. In the beginning, the smaller D. galeata performed better, but as soon as the food concentration fell below D. galeata's individually determined C*, the smaller species suffered mortality. At this point, D. pulicaria had not yet reached its C*. It continued to grow and replaced D. galeata. Numerical values of D. pulicaria's C* were slightly higher than the indepen- dently determined, corresponding CO values. This was to be expected as CO applies to zero mortality. However, the rank order among species was identical for both characteristics. We propose that both C* and CO have strong predictive power for mechanistic models of competitive interactions.
The fruit in Ackama, Caldcluvia, and Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae)

Abstract The fruits of Ackama rosifolia (New Zealand) and Caldcluvia paniculata (southern Chile) show a significant difference, and the inclusion of the former species in Caldcluvia is queried. Attention is drawn to the central column in the fruits of Weinmannia sylvicola and W. racemosa (New Zealand).