Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utilisation of Wild Gramineous Plants for Management of Cereal Stemborers in Africa

Field trials in Kenya demonstrated that the forage grass, Sorghum vulgare sudanense (Sudan grass) attracted greater oviposition by stemborers than cultivated maize, resulting in significant increase in maize yield. On the other hand, the non-host forage plant, Melinis minutiflora (molasses grass), when inter-cropped with maize, repelled gravid stemborer females from ovipositing on maize, resulting in significant reduction in stemborer infestation. Using these trap- and repellent gramineous plants, a novel pest management approach based on a ’push-pull’ or stimulo-deterrent diversionary strategy is being developed where stemborers are repelled from the food crop and are simultaneously attracted to a discard or trap crop. The plant composition and permanence of habitat surrounding maize fields also influence the abundance of natural enemies that invade agroecosy stems once a pest population is present. It may be advantageous to promote the growth of native Gramineae and other wild plants which minimise, or even suppress, population growth of pests during non-cropping seasons, but still provide a suitable habitat for natural enemies. RésuméDes essais de terrain au Kenya ont prouvé que l’herbe fourragère, Sorghum vulgare sudanense (herbe du Soudan) attirait plus de foreurs de tiges pour la ponte que le maïs cultivé, entraînant une augmentation significative de la récolte de maïs. D’autre part, la plante fourragère non-hôte, Melinis minutiflora (herbe mélasse), une fois en culture mixte avec le maïs, empêchait des foreurs de tiges femelles gravides de pondre sur le maïs, ce qui réduisait significativement l’infestation du maïs par les foreurs de tiges. L’utilisation de ces plantes graminées pièges et répulsives, une approche nouvelle du contrôle des ravageurs basée sur une strategie diversionniste de ’pousse-tire’ ou de ’stimulation-déterrence’ est en train d’être dévelopée là où les foreurs de tiges sont repoussés loin des cultures de consommation et sont simultanément attirés vers une plante rebut ou piège. La composition botanique et la permanence de l’habitat entourant les champs de maïs influencent aussi l’abondance des ennemis naturels qui envahissent des agroécosystèmes dès qu’une population de ravageurs est présente. Il serait avantageux de promouvoir la croissance des graminées indigènes et d’autres plantes sauvages qui minimisent ou même inhibent la croissance des populations des ravageurs durant les saisons de jachère, tout en assurant un habitat favorable pour les ennemis naturels.
Putting Eggs in One Basket: Ecological and Evolutionary Hypotheses for Variation in Oviposition-Site Choice

Oviposition-site choice is a major maternal effect by which females can affect the survival and phenotype of their offspring. Across oviparous species, the ultimate reasons for females' selection of oviposition sites often differ. We present six hypotheses that have been used to explain nonrandom oviposition-site choice in insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds: (a) maximizing embryo survival, (b) maximizing maternal survival, (c) modifying offspring phenotype, (d) proximity to suitable habitat for offspring, (e) maintaining natal philopatry, and (f) indirect oviposition-site choice via mate choice. Because these hypotheses differ in their relevance across oviparous taxa, each hypothesis must be tested to ensure accurate understanding of the ultimate reason behind oviposition-site choice in a particular taxon. By presenting the major hypotheses for oviposition-site choice as they relate to diverse oviparous animals, we nonetheless illustrate particular trends across animal taxa, while highlighting.
Spatial Analysis of Bering Sea Groundfish Survey Data Using Generalized Additive Models

Generalized additive models (GAM) are herein applied to trawl survey data in the eastern Bering Sea with an eye to (1) detecting trends in groundfish distributions and (2) improving abundance estimates by including the trend. GAM is a statistical method, analogous to regression, but without the assumptions of normality or linearity that relate a response variable (in this case, fish abundance) to location (latitude and longitude) and associated environmental variables (e.g. depth and bottom temperature). GAM provided reasonable (i.e. high r2) fits to the spatial distribution of five flatfish species and was able to define a spatial "signature" for each species, namely their preferred depth and temperature range. GAM also gave lower average abundance and abundance variability estimates for these five flatfish species than the stratified sampling procedure previously employed.
Predominant role of water in regulating soil and microbial respiration and their responses to climate change in a semiarid grassland

Climate change can profoundly impact carbon (C) cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. A field experiment was conducted to examine responses of total soil and microbial respiration, and microbial biomass to experimental warming and increased precipitation in a semiarid temperate steppe in northern China since April 2005. We measured soil respiration twice a month over the growing seasons, soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), microbial respiration (MR) once a year in the middle growing season from 2005 to 2007. The results showed that interannual variations in soil respiration, MR, and microbial biomass were positively related to interannual fluctuations in precipitation. Laboratory incubation with a soil moisture gradient revealed a constraint of the temperature responses of MR by low soil moisture contents. Across the 3 years, experimental warming decreased soil moisture, and consequently caused significant reductions in total and microbial respiration, and microbial biomass, suggesting stronger negatively indirect effects through warming‐induced water stress than the positively direct effects of elevated temperature. Increased evapotranspiration under experimental warming could have reduced soil water availability below a stress threshold, thus leading to suppression of plant growth, root and microbial activities. Increased precipitation significantly stimulated total soil and microbial respiration and all other microbial parameters and the positive precipitation effects increased over time. Our results suggest that soil water availability is more important than temperature in regulating soil and microbial respiratory processes, microbial biomass and their responses to climate change in the semiarid temperate steppe. Experimental warming caused greater reductions in soil respiration than in gross ecosystem productivity (GEP). In contrast, increased precipitation stimulated GEP more than soil respiration. Our observations suggest that climate warming may cause net C losses, whereas increased precipitation may lead to net C gains in the semiarid temperate steppe. Our findings highlight that unless there is concurrent increase in precipitation, the temperate steppe in the arid and semiarid regions of northern China may act as a net C source under climate warming.
Descriptions and phylogenetic relationships of a new genus and two new species of Oligo-Miocene cormorants (Aves: Phalacrocoracidae) from Australia

Tertiary cormorant fossils (Aves: Phalacrocoracidae) from Late Oligocene deposits in Australia are described. They derive from the Late Oligocene – Early Miocene (26–24 Mya) Etadunna and Namba Formations in the Lake Eyre and Lake Frome Basins, South Australia, respectively. A new genus, Nambashag gen. nov., with two new species (Nambashag billerooensis sp. nov., 30 specimens; Nambashag microglaucus sp. nov., 14 specimens), has been established. Phylogenetic analyses based on 113 morphological and two integumentary characters indicated that Nambashag is the sister taxon to the Early Miocene Nectornis miocaenus of Europe and all extant phalacrocoracids. As Nambashag, Nectornis, and extant phalacrocoracids constitute a strongly supported clade sister to Anhinga species, the fossil taxa have been referred to Phalacrocoracidae. Sulids and Fregata were successive sister taxa to the Phalacrocoracoidea, i.e. phalacrocoracids + Anhinga. As phalacrocoracids lived in both Europe and Australia during the Late Oligocene and no older phalacrocoracid taxa are known, the biogeographical origin of cormorants remains unanswered. The phylogenetic relationships of extant taxa were not wholly resolved, but contrary to previous morphological analyses, considerable concordance was found with relationships recovered by recent molecular analyses. Microcarbo is sister to all other extant phalacrocoracids, and all Leucocarbo species form a well-supported clade. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 163, 277–314.
A wheat canopy model for use in disease management decision support systems

Summary A model is described which predicts those aspects of wheat canopy development and growth which are influential in determining the development of epidemics of foliar pathogens, the efficacy of foliar applied fungicides and the impact of disease on yield; specifically the emergence, expansion and senescence of upper culm leaves in relation to anthesis date. This focus on upper leaves allowed prediction of leaf emergence dates by reference to anthesis, rather than sowing. This avoided the step changes in flag leaf emergence date with temperature, reported with earlier models, without the additional complexity of a stochastic approach. The model is designed to be coupled to models of foliar disease, where the primary effect on yield is via reduction in green canopy area and hence interception of photosynthetically active radiation. Mechanisms were incorporated to allow observations of crop development during the growing season to update state variables and adjust parameters affecting future predictions. The model was calibrated using experimental data, and validated against independent observations of crop development on four wheat cultivars across seven contrasting sites in the UK. Anthesis date and upper culm leaf emergence were always predicted within one week of their observed dates.
The nitric oxide signaling pathway inhibits intracellular calcium release to prevent neurodevelopmental alcohol toxicity

In the context of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, we investigated how the nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway influences intracellular calcium (Ca) to mediate alcohol resistance, using a primary cell culture model of cerebellar granule neurons (CGN). Alcohol during fetal brain development triggers abnormally high apoptotic cell death in vulnerable neuronal populations, culminating in serious behavioral and cognitive deficits that persist into adulthood. Prior studies demonstrated that the NO signaling pathway [neuronal nitric oxide synthase → NO → soluble guanylyl cyclase → cyclic guanosine monophosphate → protein kinase G (PKG)] mitigates alcohol toxicity, consequently diminishing neuronal loss both in vivo and in vitro. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca release, a key apoptotic mechanism, requires the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), a known PKG substrate. Our studies focused on this crucial intersection point where the NO signaling cascade can influence Ca-mediated apoptotic mechanisms, and exposed a downstream mechanism where NO can moderate alcohol neurotoxicity. We hypothesized that as alcohol disturbs neuronal Ca homeostasis to trigger cell death, the NO signaling pathway counters it by limiting Ca release from the ER. We examined first the role of the phospholipase C (PLC) pathway [PLC → inositol 1,4,5trisphosphate → IP3R → Ca] in developmental neurotoxicity through our in vitro CGN model, extending previous in vivo studies. We found that alcohol terminates developing neurons by eliciting abnormal Ca release from the ER rather than from an extracellular source, via a PLC – IP3R-dependent signaling mechanism. Inhibiting either calcineurin or Ca / calmodulin-dependent protein kinase ii (CaMKii), which participate in parallel Ca-activated apoptotic cascades, shielded CGN cultures from alcohol. Blocking the mitochondrial Ca uniporter or the mitochondrial permeability transition pore also provided neuroprotection. That the activated pathways must interact to generate cell
The optimal allocation of time and respiratory metabolism over the dive cycle

Because anaerobic metabolism is much less efficient than aerobic metabolism in supplying energy, it is widely believed that divers rely predominantly on aerobic metabolism for diving. In this paper, a time budget model, which assumes that the diver can use either completely aerobic or partially aerobic metabolism with additional anaerobic metabolism for diving, is developed and is used to make predictions about patterns in optimal allocation of time and respiratory metabolism during the dive cycle. The results derived from the model are (1) a diver that can vary the ratio of energy supplied anaerobically to total energy spent during dive time is favored by natural selection, but the patterns of time allocation over the dive cycle by the diver do not differ from those of a diver that cannot vary the ratio. (2) Even if it is assumed that divers switch their metabolism for diving, an obvious upturn in the surface time with respect to dive time does not occur at the aerobic dive limit (ADL) but occurs beyond the ADL. (3) Use of additional anaerobic metabolism can be favored for dives shorter than the ADL. These findings provide a useful guide to understanding the factors that limit diving behavior.
Topography of ganglion cells in the retina of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus)

The purpose of this study was to define ganglion cell density, size and topography in the retina of the mallard duck. After killing adult mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus), their eyes were removed using pentobarbital (30 mg/kg). The retinas were isolated, whole mount specimens were prepared by staining with 0.1% cresyl violet and then fixing the tissues for study. The retinal ganglion cells were counted, mapped and measured. The mean total number of ganglion cells was estimated at approximately 1.7 × 106 and the retinal area centralis had the highest ganglion cell density with 15 820 cells/mm2. The number of ganglion cell bodies was highest in the temporal area, followed by the nasal, dorsal and ventral areas. Ganglion cell size ranged from 56 to 406 μm2. A population of small ganglion cells persisted into the central area just above the optic disc and the largest soma area was in the ventral zone of the retina. This localization of ganglion cells suggests that the quality of vision is not equal in all the areas of the duck retina and the central part may have the highest vision quality as a function of the retinal ganglion cells.
Combinational dormancy in winter annual Fabaceae

Abstract Among 14 species of herbaceous Fabaceae, all six winter annuals show a marked non-deep physiological dormancy of the embryo in addition to physical dormancy. This physiological dormancy is apparent at 23°C, but not at lower temperatures of 10°C and 5°C and disappears after 3 months of dry storage. These results corroborate the hypothesis that combinational dormancy is a double safety mechanism for delaying germination during summer: physical dormancy postpones germination, and even in early softened seeds germination is prevented by physiological dormancy of the embryo. Softened, swollen seeds of Medicago arabica tolerate a subsequent desiccation and remain viable even after five cycles of dehydration and rehydration. The rate of natural softening of M. arabica seeds increases exponentially at higher temperatures, with a Q10 between 3.4 and 5.1, and obeys the Arrhenius equation. This indicates that a chemical reaction might be involved in breakdown of physical dormancy. Winter annuals with hard seeds show similar properties as winter annuals with permeable seeds: the need for afterripening and requirement of lower temperatures delay germination until autumn. Only one species, Vicia sativa, loses physical dormancy during dry storage. Drying during summer might be a supplementary cue for germination in autumn.
A model for avian primary moult

The regression methods frequently used to estimate the parameters associated with primary moult in birds are unsatisfactory. Results obtained using least squares regression, and various ad hoc adaptations, are so obviously incorrect that many authors have fitted lines ‘by eye’ (Newton 1968, Thomas & Dartnall 1971, Elliott et al. 1976, Morrison 1976, Appleton & Minton 1978). In a comparison of seven regression methods, estimates of the average starting date varied between 29 June and 31 July, completion date between 2 and 24 October, and duration of moult between 72 and 109 days for the Redshank Tringa totanus, in spite of the very large sample of 1482 observations (Summers et al. 1983). In this paper we present a new approach to the analysis of primary moult and develop a mathematical model specifically designed for moult data.
The Effects of Pollen Competition on Progeny Vigor in Fragaria virginiana (Rosaceae) Depend on Progeny Growth Environment

Competition among pollen grains to fertilize ovules is expected to lead to increased vigor of the resulting progeny. Tests of this “pollen‐competition hypothesis,” however, have been equivocal, and this may, in part, result from the levels of pollen competition (pollen load sizes) and/or progeny growth environment chosen. Our study of Fragaria virginiana controlled for these variables by identifying seeds produced under low and high pollen loads from an empirically derived pollen load–seed set response curve. We assessed fitness of seeds at germination under uniform conditions but fitness of progeny at juvenile and adult life stages under two different resource levels in the greenhouse. We hypothesized that the effect of pollen load size on progeny vigor would be stronger when progeny were grown under low resources than when grown under high resources. We found that the effect of pollen load size was negligible at germination but was significant in later life when assessed under two resource levels. The direction of the pollen load effect, however, depended on the progeny growth environment. Under low resources, progeny from high pollen loads grew faster, attained greater biomass, and had a higher probability of flowering than progeny from low pollen loads, while the reverse was true under high resource availability. These results indicate that the effects of pollen competition on juvenile and adult characters depend on progeny growth environment.
13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with cross-polarization and magic-angle spinning investigation of the proximate-analysis fractions used to assess litter quality in decomposition studies

Proximate analysis is often used in decomposition studies to characterize the organic components of foliar litter. The percent weight residue remaining after extraction by nonpolar and polar solvents and H3SO4 hydrolysis (Klason lignin, KL) is commonly used as a measure of litter quality and a modelling parameter. While KL is associated with resistance to decay, its nature is not well understood and it has long been suspected that it incorporates nonlignin components. We used solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to characterize litter, extracted residue, and the KL fraction of five species. NMR shows that cutin and condensed tannin are both significant components of litter and its extraction residues, in addition to lignin and carbohydrate. Hydrolysis with H2SO4 removes carbohydrates and amino acids, leaving the KL fraction derived from cutin, tannin, and lignin. Tannin retention in KL was also demonstrated by a hydrolysis study of purified tannins and a brown-rot lignin, using bo.
Photoperiod-modulated instar-specific clock-shifting in the circadian protein and amino acid rhythms in the larval segmental muscle of Bombyx mori

The photoperiod-modulated clock-shifting in the circadian protein rhythm was studied in the segmental muscle of Bombyx mori. The analysis of phase response curves of the fourth instar rhythm revealed that the muscle tissue completes six protein synthetic cycles (PS cycles) under normal 12 hr light and 12 hr dark cycle (LD), 8 cycles each under continuous light (LL) and continuous dark (DD) conditions. The fifth instar protein rhythm showed seven PS cycles each under LD and DD conditions, but only six under LL. The protein rhythm gets clock-shifted in instarspecific and photoperiod-specific fashions. In the fourth instar, both LL and DD conditions advanced the 24 hr free running time of the rhythm by six hours and set it at 18 hr, but in the fifth instar it is delayed by 4 hr and set at ~28 hr under LL, but remained unchanged under DD. Comparative analysis of protein and amino acid profiles shows that the photoperiod modulates the protein rhythm by altering the rate of amino acid mobilization.
Origin of Japanese Endemic Species Iris setosa var. nasuensis and I. setosa var. hondoensis

In this study, we clarified the origin of Iris setosa var. nasuensis (2n=54) and I. setosa var. hondoensis (2n=53), which are endemic to Japan. Four interspecific hybrids were obtained from the cross I. setosa var. setosa (2n=2x=38) × I. laevigata (2n=2x=32). Two of these, DSL1 and DSL2, survived, and were shown to be allotriploid hybrids (2n=54) between I. setosa var. setosa (n=38) and I. laevigata (n=16) by mitotic and meiotic observations and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses. In addition, it was shown that I. setosa var. nasuensis and I. setosa var. hondoensis were derived from allotriploid hybrids (2n=54) of I. setosa var. setosa and I. laevigata and their aneuploids (2n=53) from meiotic observations and RAPD analyses of I. setosa var. nasuensis, I. setosa var. hondoensis, DSL1, DSL2, I. setosa var. setosa (2x), and I. laevigata. These conclusions were supported by the characterization of these species (lines) and SL4 (2n=53) obtained from the cross I. setosa var. setosa (4x) × I. laevigata. Finally, the mechanisms of 2n (n=38) and 2n–1 (n=37) gamete production of I. setosa var. setosa (2x) are discussed.
Antibiotics

Reasons for prescribing antibiotics by official names are that the doctor is more likely to understand what he is prescribing, that it enables the literature to be internationally understood, and that non-branded products are less costly. The only reason to the contrary is that the original brands of some oral antibiotics are better absorbed than others.