Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SEXUAL MATURITY IN ENTIRE MALE PIGS : ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, RELATIONS TO SKATOLE LEVEL AND FEMALE PUBERTY

The effects of various environmental factors on sexual maturation of entire males were studied and the relationships between sexual maturation, weight of genital organs, production traits and backfat androstenone and skatole levels were investigated. The material comprised 550 crossbred entire male and 550 female pigs. All were fed a restricted dry or wet (whey or water) diet containing 0.85, 0.95 or 1.05% lysine. Entire males and females were raised in either single-sex or mixed groups. Feed was withheld in half of the pens for approximately 26 h before slaughter. The pigs were slaughtered at a live weight of 107 kg. Most of the entire males were classified as mature or well developed. Environmental factors did not affect sperm maturation. Epididymal weights for males raised together with females were heavier than for those raised in single-sex groups. Weights of genital organs were negatively (but weakly) correlated to the proportion of lean meat in the carcass. Withholding feed before slaughter resulte.
Fish Assemblages in Subarctic Lakes: Does Fire Affect Fish–Environment Relations in Northern Alberta?

Abstract In 1995, a wildfire swept through a large area of the Caribou Mountains, a remote subarctic plateau of northern Alberta, Canada, containing numerous unstudied and unexploited small lakes. To assess near-term effects of fire and to establish information on assemblage–environment relations in this previously unstudied region, we sampled lakes in burned and unburned (reference) catchments within 2 years of the fire. To further understand species–environment relations in these small, subarctic lakes, we also compared aspects of their fish assemblages with those of assemblages in previously studied lakes of similar sizes in the boreal mixed-woods region to the south and in several large Caribou Mountain lakes. Correspondence analysis revealed three simple but distinct small-lake fish assemblages in the Caribou Mountains: those dominated by northern pike Esox lucius, suckers Catostomus spp. , or Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed significant species–environmen.
Accumulation of food reserves in cottonwood stems during dormancy induction

Early chemical storage as related to growth changes that occur in cottonwood (Populusdeltoides Bartr. ex. Marsh) stems during dormancy induction was investigated. In this experiment, plant dormancy was induced by 8-h photoperiods (short days) and 20 °C: 14 °C temperature regimes. Tissue samples were taken at four stem positions for 8 weeks under short days. Leaf expansion and stem elongation had stopped by the 4th week under short days, and terminal buds had formed. Starch concentration in the lower stem began to increase during the 3rd week and continued throughout the dormancy induction period. By the 8th week starch concentration in the stem was about 24% residue dry weight (RDW). Total nonstructural carbohydrates (starch and soluble sugars) increased almost linearly after the 1st week to about 38% RDW. Free amino acids increased during the first 2 weeks to 1.6%, declined to 0.2% by 6 weeks, then remained constant. Triglyceride concentration remained level for the first 2 to 3 weeks, then increased fro.
Dissolved organic matter in Cumbrian lakes and streams

SUMMARY. 1. A survey of dissolved organic carbon concentration [DOC] and optical absorbance at 340 nm (A340) was carried out for thirteen lakes and twenty-three streams in Cumbria over the period May 1986 to April 1987. 2. Values of [DOC] were in the range 0-6.2 mg 1-1-1, no water having a mean [DOC] greater than 3.6mgI-1. Streamwaters showed no gross seasonal dependence in [DOC], but there was a peak in [DOC] associated with the first major rain event of autumn 1986. Summer values of [DOC] in lakes were greater than winter values, probably because of the production of DOC by phytoplankton. 3. In streams, [DOC] was weakly positively correlated (r2 <0.3) with discharge (as estimated from rainfall); A340 was more strongly correlated (0.4 < r2 < 0.6). Linear regression of mean A340 against mean [DOC] for streams gave a slope consistent with the absorptivities of aquatic humic substances, and a positive intercept on the abscissa that suggests the presence of, on average 0.6 mg 1-1 of DOC that does not absorb at 340 nm. Lake samples taken in winter gave a similar A.340/[DOC] relationship to that for streams, but in summer A340/[DOC] ratios were lower, suggesting that phytoplankton-derived [DOC] absorbs weakly or not at all at 340nm.
Influence of pH on Protein Interactions and Microstructure of Process Cheese

Abstract During the manufacture of process cheese, biochemical characteristics (casein solubilization, peptization coefficient, and water-holding capacity) were investigated using a combination of microscopic and rheological techniques in order to understand the influence of pH. The contribution of ionic interactions to the stabilization of this structure was also studied. Relationships were observed between pH variation and the characteristics of process cheese that demonstrated the importance of pH control during the manufacturing process. Optimal pH conditions during manufacture ranged from 5.7 to 6.0. Small changes in ionic composition and strength modified the protein interactions substantially and had important repercussions on the final structure and quality of the protein gel that was established during processing of cheese. In addition to ionic interactions, hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions appeared to be important in the structural stabilization of process cheese.
Genetic Diversity for RFLPs in European Maize Inbreds: I. Relation to Performance of Flint ✕ Dent Crosses for Forage Traits

Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) have been proposed as a tool for assigning inbreds to heterotic groups and predicting heterosis and performance of single-cross hybrids in maize (L.). Such use was evaluated in 11 flint and 11 dent inbred lines from the European maize germplasm and in 66 F hybrids produced between them according to an incomplete factorial mating scheme. Inbreds and hybrids were evaluated for 12 forage yield and quality traits in three and six environments, respectively, in Germany. The RFLP assays of the 22 inbreds were performed with two restriction enzymes and 101 DNA probes distributed throughout the maize genome. Most (>97%) clone-enzyme combinations revealed polymorphisms (⊄5.0 variants per clone-enzyme combination). Genetic distances (GD) between lines, calculated from RFLP data, had a significantly greater mean for flint × dent (0.65) than for flint x flint (0.58) or dent × dent (0.59) line combinations. Cluster analysis based on GDs revealed associations among lines consistent with their origin from different heterotic groups and known pedigrees. The GD values pertaining to the 66 F hybrids were partitioned into general (GGD) and specific (SGD) genetic distances; GGD explained ⊄30% of the variation among GD values. Neither GD nor SGD was significantly correlated (||≤ 0.25) with F performance or midparent heterosis for any trait examined. Results from this study support previous investigations with U.S. maize germplasm in that RFLP data can be used for assigning inbreds into heterotic groups. However, RFLP-based genetic distance measures are apparently not indicative of the performance of single-cross hybrids between lines from different heterotic groups for forage traits.
The impact of introduced predators on two threatened prey species: A case study from western New South Wales

Summary Since European settlement, many Australian mammals have become extinct; numerous others survive within substantially reduced ranges. Predation by the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and House Cat (Felis catus) are two of the major drivers of this decline. The demise of Australia's native fauna continues, with ground-nesting birds such as the Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) now being at greatest risk of extinction. In regions of Western Australia, this situation has been partially reversed through the broadscale control of the Fox and the re-introduction of locally extinct species. In this paper, we review research undertaken on Yathong Nature Reserve (YNR) in western New South Wales to (i) evaluate current threats, and (ii) assess our ability to restore locally extinct species across this particular landscape. We conducted releases of both the Malleefowl and Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata), two species that were once common in the region. Despite the potential for food resources to have been diminished by exotic herbivores, we found no evidence that food shortage was a limiting factor for either of the two species we released. Predation by the Fox was the greatest single cause of Malleefowl mortality. Localized, intensive ground baiting of the Fox was essentially ineffective in mitigating this threat, whereas broadscale aerial baiting substantially enhanced Malleefowl survival, at least during the first few years. Accordingly, thrice-yearly aerial baiting for the Fox has been conducted on YNR since 1996. Despite this, and a long-term restocking programme, the size of the Malleefowl population has not increased since aerial baiting began. The release of the Brush-tailed Bettong into YNR in 2001 confirmed the effectiveness of the ongoing fox-control programme but demonstrated the detrimental impact of another introduced predator – the Cat. We conclude that, while current management actions continue, the Fox is no longer a threat to wildlife on YNR, and suggest that the Cat is now the major impediment to both the recovery of depleted faunal populations (including the Malleefowl) and the restoration of locally extinct species (such as bettongs) within this landscape.
Morphological data, extant Myriapoda, and the myriapod stem-group

The status of Myriapoda (whether mono-, para- or polyphyletic) and position of myriapods in the Arthropoda are controversial, an impediment to evaluating fossils that may be members of the myriapod stem-group. Parsimony analysis of 319 characters for extant arthropods provides a basis for defending myriapod monophyly and identifying those morphological characters that are necessary to assign a fossil taxon to the Myriapoda. The alliance of hexapods and crustaceans need not relegate myriapods to the arthropod stem-group; the Mandibulata hypothesis accommodates Myriapoda and Tetraconata as sister taxa. No known pre-Silurian fossils have characters that convincingly place them in the Myriapoda or the myriapod stem-group. Because the strongest apomorphies of Myriapoda are details of the mandible and tentorial endoskeleton, exceptional fossil preservation seems necessary to recognise a stem-group myriapod.
A Report on Newly Recovered Reproductive Structures from the Cenomanian of Bohemia (Central Europe)

We report on newly recovered fossil reproductive structures from two Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) localities in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. The fossils comprise slightly compressed, lignified, or charcoalified inflorescence axes, flowers, and isolated stamens and are associated with abundant charcoalified angiosperm wood and leaf compressions. The new material includes eight distinct taxa, most of which appear to have affinity to the magnoliids and to the Lauraceae, Chloranthaceae, and Annonaceae in particular. All flowers preserved attached to inflorescences are small and borne in the axil of a well‐developed bract; the most complete specimens have massive stamens, frequently with a large amount of sterile tissue. Fruiting specimens have unilocular fruits arranged in spicate infructescences.
Density‐Dependent Natural Selection

Density—dependent selective values illustrate the evolutionary effect of population—regulating processes that diminish an individual's probability of survival with increased crowding. The selective values, assumed to decrease as a linear function of density, lead in a mild environment to the evolution of phenotypes having a high carrying capacity, K, at the expense of a low intrinsic rate of increase, r. A graphical technique shows that selection causes evolution of phenotypes having a high r at the expense of a low K in harsh seasonal environments. A mathematical technique developed for analyzing evolution in coarse—grained seasonal environments reveals genetic mechanisms, including ones with full dominance, with which a moderately harsh seasonal environment causes stable polymorphism between high—r and high—K genes. The energy balance equation demonstrates the role of high—r and high—K phenotypes in the population's energy flow. A high—r phenotype makes a large expected contribution to the population's productivity under conditions of negligible crowding, and a high—K phenotype has, for a given contribution to the population's productivity under uncrowded conditions, a low sensitivity to having that contribution diminished by crowding.
Aromatic Composition of Two Muscat Grape Cultivars Cultivated in Two Different Regions of Tunisia

ABSTRACT The aromatic composition of two Muscat grape cultivars (‘Muscat of Alexandria’ and ‘Italia’) cultivated at two sites in Tunisia were significantly affected by the year of harvest (2001 and 2002). In all cases linalool reached its odor perception threshold in both cultivars grown at both sites. Over the two consecutive years, linalool evoluted inversely to nerol and geraniol. The two muscat cultivars produced fruit with high muscat aroma typicity only at the Tunis site (characterized by a semi-arid climate). Under Rjim Maâtoug conditions (Saharan climate), they showed poor Muscat typicity.
Aggregation behavior of Phyllophaga cuyabana (Moser) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae): relationships between sites chosen for mating and offspring distribution

The aggregation behavior of Phyllophaga cuyabana (Moser) was studied and the hypothesis that the cluster distribution of larvae of this pest into the soil is related to the sites where females from the previous generation had aggregated for mating was investigated. Field observations and greenhouse experiments carried out in Londrina County, State of Parana, South Brazil, indicated that: a) during flight, adult females of P. cuyabana select plants, which are more conspicuous for landing and/or attracting males; b) tall plants, nearby soybean fields, might be preferred because female adults do not move far from the mating sites before digging themselves into the soil to lay eggs; c) high density of eggs and larvae occurs close to the adult aggregation sites. There is a negative correlation between larval density in the soil and distance from adult aggregation sites.
Reproduction and growth in three species of West African fruit bats

This study outlines the reproduction periods of the African fruit bats Epomops buettikoferi, Epomophorus garnbianus, and Micropteropus pusillus at two West African savanna sites: a wet southern Guinea savanna and a drier southern Sudanese savanna. At both sites the two annual birth periods were timed such that both lactation by only one weaning period coincided with the rainy season peaks in fruit availability. On this basis we propose that lactation rather than weaning was the important determinant of the timing of reproduction. There was no evidence of cycling of testes size in males corresponding with the seasonal mating periods. E. buettikoferi and M. pusillus females mated at six months and gave birth at the age of 12 months. Males of the two species reached puberty by 11 months and seven months, respectively. Growth rates did not differ between cohorts growing through the wet and dry season and E. buettikoferi and M. pusillus grew at rates of 276 mg/day and 116 mg/day, respectively.
Occurrence of viroids in commercial hop (Humulus lupulus L.) production areas of Washington State.

Viroid status was investigated in commercial hop (Humulus lupulus) plantings in three regions of intensive hop production in Washington State. Hop stunt viroid (HSVd), the causal agent of hop stunt disease, was detected for the first time in hop plants in North America. HSVd was detected in samples from 10 of the 33 hop gardens sampled and in 19 of 126 plant samples. Infection with HSVd was associated with chlorosis and reduced plant vigor. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction amplification, sequence identity, and pathogenicity of hop extracts on cucumber seedlings confirmed the presence of HSVd. Apple fruit crinkle viroid (AFCVd), recently reported in hops in Japan, was not detected by RT-PCR in any samples. Hop latent viroid (HLVd), which is frequently associated with hop germplasm world-wide, was detected with high frequency (98 of 126 hop plants surveyed).
Life history and dispersal patterns in a dense infaunal polychaete assemblage: community structure and response to disturbance

The effects of differing life histories on the dynamics of dispersal, recruitment,and population maintenance were investigated for a dense infaunal polychaete assemblage on the Kendall—Frost mudflat in Mission Bay, California. Polychaete life history features provided the framework for investigations of small—scale dispersal mechanisms, infaunal response to disturbance, and the spatial and temporal predictability of species' abundances. Field and laboratory studies revealed that Rhynchospio arenincola Hartman, Streblospio benedicti Webster, Exogone lourei Hartman, Fabricia limnicola Hartman, and Capitella spp. shared many life history traits which limited the range of dispersal. These included small adult size, brood protection, small brood size, and planktonic larval stages which were reduced or absent. Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata Okuda, and Polydora ligni Webster exhibited initial brood protection but had larger brood sizes and longer lived larvae. Small—scale dispersal was examined by studying patterns of larval availability, recruitment into settling cartons, and colonization of defaunated sediments. The role of dispersal in response to disturbance was examined for two levels of perturbation. Small—scale disturbance, commonly generated on the mudflat by ray foraging and human digging, was studied by artificially defaunating small (0.4—m2) sediment patches. A severe storm and consequent raw sewage spill created an episodic large—scale perturbation in the middle year of the 3—yr study. Analyses of species' responses revealed colonization ability at recruitment to be distinct from dispersal (migratory) ability. Rates and mechanisms of colonization were governed by larval development, settlement, and mobility patterns and varied with the scale of perturbation. For R. Arenincola, S. benedicti, E. Lourei, and F. Limnicola, factors such as brood protection, reduced planktonic larval phases, and postlarval movements, particularly by brooding adults, confer small—scale dispersal abilities which permit rapid colonization of disturbed patches and result in maintenance of high infaunal densities (>200,000 individuals/m2). P. Paucibranchiata and P. Ligni possess long—lived larvae whose planktonic abundances are highly seasonal and variable from year to year. The timing of disturbance must coincide with periods of peak larval availability for successful colonization by these species. In general, the annual life cycles and flexible small—scale mobilities of most species enable persistence in the face of frequent fine—grained disturbance.
Redundancy of Variables Used to Describe Importance of Prey Species in Fish Diets

Information redundancy associated with three measurement variables were examined using food habit data from five species of demersal fish in the lower Bay of Fundy. Number, weight, and percent frequency of occurrence measures of three prey species all load heavily on the first principal component of a PCA and are therefore highly correlated. We conclude that it is probably not necessary to create compound indices of prey species importance when documenting soft-bottom benthic associations or demersal fish food habits. Compound indices add little new information when compared with any single measure.
Changes in soluble‐phenol content of Norway‐spruce (Picea abies) phloem in response to wounding and inoculation with Ophiostoma polonicum

Summary The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal changes in Norway-spruce (Picea abies) phloem phenolics during wound-induced response. Two Norway spruces were inoculated with Ophiostoma polonicum and sterile agar; unwounded phloem was simultaneously tested as control. Both unwounded and inoculated phloem were then sampled 6, 11, 21, 30, and 60 days later. Monophenols were analysed by HPLC, and the tanning capacity of the phloem extracts was estimated from their ability to precipitate proteins. The response to inoculation was characterized by radical changes in the phloem phenolic composition. Initially, an increase in (+)-catechin concentration was observed, concomitant with a slow decrease in both glycoside concentrations and tanning capacity. After day 6, this decrease was accelerated in the event of fungus inoculation. The appearance of aglycones did not take place during the decrease in glycosides, but was delayed. The phenolic response of Norway-spruce phloem to inoculation is modulated by the presence of the fungus and is focused on the formation of insoluble compounds.
The Effect of Preslaughter Environmental Temperature in the Presence of Electrolyte Treatment on Turkey Meat Quality

Abstract Ninety torn turkeys at 26 weeks of age, given Dawelyte electrolyte at . 10% level in the drinking water 3 days prior to slaughter, were equally randomized into three preslaughter temperature environments for 4 hr: 1) control chamber at 21 C, 2) heat chamber at 38 C, and 3) cold chamber at 5 C. The birds were then processed using standard processing procedures and kept at −29 C until needed for further analyses. Carcass yield, quality attributes, chemical composition, and color of the breast muscles were evaluated. Under the conditions of this study, preslaughter administering of electrolytes did not prevent changes in muscle characteristics after exposure to preslaughter stress. Holding birds at high temperature (38 C) prior to slaughter resulted in meat with a lower pH, water holding capacity, cooking yield, and a higher shear value. Meat color from heat stressed birds was also pale compared to the control or cold preslaughter treatments. A cool preslaughter environment seems to produce meat with better carcass quality characteristics. Chemical composition was not significantly affected by the short-term preslaughter environmental temperature stress.
The spatial dynamics of host-parasitoid systems

We consider models for host-parasitoid interactions in spatially patchy environments, where in each generation specified fractions of the host and parasitoid subpopulations in each patch move to adjacent patches. In most previous work of this general kind, the movement is not localized in this way, but involves «global» mixing of the populations prior to dispersal. A remarkable range of dynamical behaviour is exhibited by a mathematically explicit model with constant host reproductive rate, deterministically unstable local dynamics and dispersing hosts and parasitoids that only move to nearest-neighbour patches in a density-independent way