Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LIANA COMMUNITIES IN THREE TROPICAL FOREST TYPES IN XISHUANGBANNA, SOUTH-wEST CHINA

Lianas are an important growth form in tropical forests around the world. However, they are relatively unknown in south-east Asia. We identified, measured and determined the climbing and dispersal modes for lianas in five 0.1-ha plots in three common forest types at the tropical-temperate transitional zone in Xishuangbanna, SW China, namely, montane forest, evergreen broad-leaved forest and seasonally wet forest. Liana diversity in the three forests combined was high; we found a total of 147 liana species, representing 48 families and 75 genera. The mean density of lianas was 3407 ha-1 and varied significantly between the three forests, with 445, 276 and 301 individuals 0.1 ha-1 in the seasonally wet, montane and evergreen forests respectively. Similarity coefficients between the forests were low and mean species richness varied among different forests, indicating that species turnover among the forests was high. In all three forests, most lianas were stem twiners and scramblers, with relatively few hook, tendril and root climbers. Liana species were mostly wind dispersed in the evergreen forest but were animal and gravity dispersed in the other two forests. Compared with other Asian tropical forests, the diversity and abundance of lianas are relatively high in Xishuangbanna, which may be due to the warm climate as well as high seasonal rainfall and high rates of disturbance and forest fragmentation
Sexual Dimorphism and Relative Growth of Body Size in the Japanese Red Fox Vulpes vulpes japonica

Abstract. The author measured 111 specimens (61 male, 50 female) of the Japanese red fox (Vulpes vulpes japonica) collected by the Tochigi Prefectural Museum during 1981–1991 and by the author during 1986–1994. Analyses of 16 parameters of external morphology of the specimens revealed sexual dimorphisms in linear parameters: total length, head and body length (HBL), and hind foot length (HFL) were significantly greater in males (5–6%: P < 0.001). Furthermore, analyses of these parameters using an allometric formula showed that the relative growth of HFL to HBL and shoulder height to HBL stops earlier in males than in females. The male/female ratios were large for body weight, body length, and parameters related to circumference, but they were mostly not significant because they are influenced by seasonal changes and body conditions that are influenced mainly by fat deposition. Greater thickness gives the visual impression of largeness, providing advantages for males to be selected by females. Consequently, greater thickness might have caused, at least partially, male-bias size dimorphism. Moreover, sexual difference in relative growth might be some adaptive advantage of locomotive behavior in males. Early investment in locomotive capability in males might engender acquirement of females and consequently, mating success.
Chemometrics applied to the incorporation of omega-3 in tilapia fillet feed flaxseed flour

This study evaluated the effect of adding flaxseed flour to the diet of Nile tilapia on the fatty acid composition of fillets using chemometrics. A traditional and an experimental diet containing flaxseed flour were used to feed the fish for 60 days. An increase of 18:3 n-3 and 22:6 n-3 and a decrease of 18:2 n-6 were observed in the tilapia fillets fed the experimental diet. There was a reduction in the n-6:n-3 ratio. A period of 45 days of incorporation caused a significant change in tilapia chemical composition. Principal Component Analysis showed that the time periods of 45 and 60 days positively contributed to the total content of n-3, LNA, and DHA, highlighting the effect of omega-3 incorporation in the treatment containing flaxseed flour.
Sex Differences in Agonistic Behavior of Merriam's Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys merriami)

Abstract Agonistic behavior of heteromyid rodents has been studied using staged encounters in the laboratory, but there have been no previous attempts to test for a linear dominance hierarchy among individuals of the same species. Dominance hierarchies are important in learning about sociality, priority of access to resources and consequences for individual variation in fitness. We used standard laboratory methods to assess agonistic behavior of Merriam's kangaroo rats, Dipodomys merriami. Males exhibited a dominance hierarchy that was strongly linear. Dominance rank was not correlated with body mass, but dominant males lost greater percentages of their body mass during trials than did subordinate males. Males dominated females and females showed little agonistic behavior in intrasexual trials. The linear dominance hierarchy among males may have reflected individual variation in aggressive tendencies, but dominance rank was not correlated with individual variation in total amounts stored or proportions of seeds larderhoarded in food-hoarding trials. Different patterns of individual variation in males and females are promising topics for future research.
Community structure of arthropod ectoparasites on Alaskan seabirds

A total of 28 species of arthropods was recovered from 29 common murres (Uria aalge), 8 thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia), 22 black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), and 10 red-legged kittiwakes (Rissa brevirostris) collected from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, U.S.A. The ectoparasite community on each bird species almost invariably consisted of three species of chewing lice, two species of ticks, and five to nine species of mites. Astigmatid feather mites (Alloptes spp., Laronyssus martini (Trouessart)) were the most numerous group of ectoparasites except on black-legged kittiwakes on which Ixodes ticks were the most abundant. The second most abundant taxa were ticks on common murres and thick-billed murres, and quill mites (Syringophilidae) on red-legged kittiwakes. Kittiwakes usually supported more diverse communities of ectoparasites than did murres, probably because of differences in nesting and foraging behavior. Ectoparasite communities between the congeneric species of birds were particularly s.
Development of Microsatellite Markers for Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)

New microsatellite markers were developed for Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) by constructing a library for microsatellite DNA. Construction and characterization of the library are described in the present study. Twenty microsatellite markers were developed from a (AC)15 enriched microsatellite DNA library. Among the twenty microsatellite loci, ten (50%) were polymorphic, where as the rest were monomorphic (with two to four alleles per locus). The microsatellite sequences obtained could be classified structurally into perfect repeats (80%) and imperfect repeats (20%). No incomplete repeat type was observed. These markers were tested in five individuals of the same species and these tests resulted in twenty new microsatellites markers for C. siamensis. Low number of alleles (1-4 alleles) with an average of 1.7 alleles per locus was observed. The average length of uninterrupted repeats from the selected clones was 12.3.
Foliar Application of Glycinebetaine and Salicylic Acid Improves Growth, Yield and Water Productivity of Hybrid Sunflower Planted by Different Sowing Methods

Improved planting methods and foliar application of glycinebetaine (GB) and salicylic acid (SA) can improve the water productivity in field crops under limited water supply conditions. A 2-year field study was conducted to evaluate the possible role of different planting methods and foliar applications of GB and SA in improving the yield, quality and water productivity of hybrid sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The crop was planted by flat sowing (75 cm spaced rows) and ridge sowing (75 cm spaced ridges), with GB and SA applied exogenously at 100 and 0.724 mm, respectively, at both budding and flowering stages, while control plots received distilled water. Ridge sowing, rather than flat sowing, improved the biological yield, oil yield, leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), plant height, water-use efficiency and final achene yield during both the years. Foliar applications of GB and SA at both the stages improved the achene yield, although foliar application of GB at flowering was the most effective. Neither the planting methods nor the foliar application of GB and SA altered the achene oil contents during both the years. Foliar application of GB and SA increased the free proline content of the leaf and GB contents at flowering but reduced the achene protein contents, whereas planting method had no effect on these attributes across the years. Of the foliar applied chemicals, GB was more effective in improving sunflower growth and yield and water productivity than SA. To conclude, ridge sowing coupled with foliar application of GB at flowering stage could be beneficial for achieving maximum yields of hybrid sunflower under relatively water limited conditions in the field.
PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF COMBINED TREATMENT OF VITAMIN E AND C ON LEAD INDUCED FOLLICULOGENESIS IN SWISS MICE

Estimation of number of ovarian follicles at various stages of development is an important indicator of the process of folliculogenesis. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of lead toxicity on folliculogenesis of Swiss mice. Lead acetate was administered in two doses160mg, 320mg/kg/body wt. Lead treated females exhibited abnormal follicle development and reduction in follicle size and number. Treatment of combined dose of vitamin C+E ( 200mg+ 160 Mg/kg/BW), rebalanced the oxidative stress generated by lead toxicity. The total numbers of developing follicles in different stages were increased and there was marked reduction in the number of atretic follicles. Our result suggests that lead adversely affects the folliculogenesis in mice as increased oxidative stress was observed. The antioxidant vitamins neutralize ROS production and protect the oocyte and follicular growth.
Role of honeybees and other insects in enhancing the yield of Brassica campestris var. sarson

Qualitative and quantitative effects of pollination on fruit set; number of seeds per siliqua and mean weight of 100 seeds were compared in controlled and open pollinated plants of sarson. Percent fruit set, number of seeds per siliqua and mean seed weight of 100 seeds were significantly (P<0.01) higher in open pollinated viz., 8.09, 9.37 and 141.86 than in controlled ones. Moreover, seeds of open pollinated plants were larger in size and viable than controlled ones. The crop was visited by many insect pollinators but Apis dorsata followed by Apis mellifera and Apis cerana were observed to be the most common pollinating species.
P. Hennings (1898) Fungi centro-africani: species collected by G. Schweinfurth in what is now the Republic of South Sudan: A revisit

A revisit of the publication entitled ‘Fungi centro-africani’ by P. Hennings (1898) is presented and the 32 taxa reported are taxonomically re-evaluated. Most specimens were collected by G. Schweinfurth during his third trip (1868-1871) in the wide and politically unsettled region then known as Central Africa. Two additional species were collected by G. Ruhmer further to the north, in present-day Libya. The distribution of these specimens within the current political borders show that 24 species were observed in the recently independent Republic of South Sudan, five in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa), and one in the Republic of the Sudan. The present document also includes three species collected by G. Schweinfurth but later described by Hennings. The general layout of this contribution is similar to that of the original publication. Each taxon is introduced with the same name and reference used by Hennings. The nomenclatural status and taxonomic positions are then reviewed following recent information. The current name is cited after the original name whenever a change has occurred. Obligate synonyms are included. Facultative synonyms are sometimes included to elucidate the taxonomic history of the species. The 35 African taxa treated belong to three major groups: ascomycetes (5 spp.), hetero- (3 spp.), and homobasidiomycetes (27 spp.). Members of the last group generally have fruit bodies sufficiently large to be visible to the unaided eye. Many were described as new species by Hennings. The original names of half these taxa have undergone changes although for a few new designations are still debatable. The binomials of the remaining collections are unchanged. Thus despite over a hundred years since Hennings’ publication and the present revisit, the taxonomic status of some of these taxa still awaits re-assessment in modern terms.
Water resources in Malaysia: Issues and challenges

Water is a critical ingredient in all social and economic endeavours. Though Malaysia is endowed with abundant water resources, the country is experiencing increased demand for water in recent years. This paper aims to focus on the current status of water resources in Malaysia. The paper also highlights the issues and challenges of water resources in Malaysia. The study reviews currently available information on scenario of water resources in Malaysia. It was found that the demand for water in Malaysia has increased steadily from 8.9 billion m 3 in 1980 to 15.5 billion m 3 in 2000 for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes. Agriculture sector uses approximately 76% of all available water of which 90% is used for rice production. It was also found that demand for water is high in the states, which are supporting heavy industrialization and large-scale agriculture for rice production. Moreover, growth in population and urbanization as well as improved living standard is imposing additional pressure on the water resources in the country. As a result, the per capita availability of water is decreasing. On the other hand, national coverage of water supply has increased from 80% of the total population in 1990 to 95% in 2000. It was also revealed that rural population of the country have less access to fresh and clean water supply as compared to urban people. Therefore, access to uncontaminated water is becoming an important issue for the water sector in the county, and the key challenge is to meet per capita consumption target for water. Hence, further research is urgently needed to set more effective policies and strategies for well management and governance of water resources in the country.
The Effects of Business and Political Ties on Firm Performance: Evidence from China

Despite increasing attention to the role of social ties in emerging economies, few studies have explicitly distinguished the differential roles of business versus political ties. Drawing on relational governance and institutional theories, this study offers a contingent view of business and political ties in China. The findings from a survey of 241 Chinese firms indicate that business ties have a stronger positive effect on performance than political ties, and both effects depend on institutional and market environments. Business ties are more beneficial when legal enforcement is inefficient and technology is changing rapidly, whereas political ties lead to greater performance when general government support is weak and technological turbulence is low. These findings indicate that firms operating in China should be cautious in their use of business and political ties and adapt their tie utilization to changing institutional and market environments.
GENETICS AND CELL BIOLOGY Interleukin-10 Gene Polymorphism is Associated with Alcoholism but not with Alcoholic Liver Disease

Aims: To determine whether the functional polymorphism −592C>A of the interleukin (IL)-10 gene (IL10) influences the development of alcoholic liver disease or alcoholism in alcoholic Spanish subjects. Methods: The −592C>A IL10 polymorphism was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction and digestion with restriction enzymes in 257 male alcoholics (161 without alcoholic liver disease and 96 with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC)) and 100 male healthy controls. Results: We found no association between the −592C>A IL10 polymorphism and ALC. Meta-analysis combining this result and data from previous studies failed also to show any significant association between this polymorphism and alcoholic liver disease. However, the frequency of allele A carriers (CA and AA genotypes) was significantly higher in alcoholic patients (defined as patients with abuse or dependence of alcohol) than in healthy controls. Conclusion: The −592C>A IL10 polymorphism is not related to the risk of ALC. Nevertheless, our study shows that alcoholism is associated with an excess of allele A carriers in alcoholic patients.
Homocysteine and cognitive function in the elderly: The Rotterdam Scan Study

BackgroundElevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations are associated with AD and vascular dementia, but the relation with cognitive performance in nondemented elderly people is not known. ObjectiveTo examine the association of tHcy and cognitive function in the elderly, and assess whether this may be mediated by structural brain changes on MRI. MethodsThe Rotterdam Scan Study is a population-based study of 1,077 nondemented elderly. Cognitive performance was assessed, and compound scores were constructed for psychomotor speed, memory function, and global cognitive function. Cerebral infarcts, white matter lesions, and generalized brain atrophy were measured on MRI. The cross-sectional relationship between tHcy levels and neuropsychological test scores was assessed by multiple regression. ResultsMean tHcy level was 11.5 &mgr;mol/L (SD 4.1). Increasing tHcy levels were associated with lower scores for psychomotor speed, memory function, and global cognitive function, and this was largely due to the association with tHcy levels in the upper quintile (>14 &mgr;mol/L). Adjusted differences between test scores of participants in the upper quintile as compared with the lower four quintiles of tHcy were −0.26 (95% CI: −0.37; −0.14) for psychomotor speed, −0.13 (95% CI: −0.27; 0.01) for memory function, and −0.20 (95% CI: −0.30; −0.11) for global cognitive function. These associations were not mediated by structural brain changes on MRI. ConclusionElevated tHcy levels are associated with decreased cognitive performance in nondemented elderly people, and the relation was most marked for psychomotor speed. This association was independent of structural brain changes on MRI.
Can hydrogen peroxide and quercetin improve production of Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla

Vegetative propagation is considered the best choice for the rapid multiplication of plant species, however, rooting may still present difficulties. Substances, such as auxins, phenolic compounds and hydrogen peroxide, are recognized as able to improve this process. The aim of the present work was to determine if hydrogen peroxide in combination with quercetin or indole butyric acid, can modify some characteristics related to rooting and development in cuttings of Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla . Cuttings were periodically evaluated at 30, 60 and 90 days according to the following criteria: height, diameter and survival percentage. After planting (90 days), a destructive evaluation was performed to determine rooting percentage, average size and number of roots. Polyamines content and polyamine oxidase activity, as biochemical markers of plant development, were determined. No statistically significant differences in height, diameter, survival and rooting percentage, root length and number of roots per cuttings were found. Treatments induced a decrease in putrescine levels and polyamine oxidase activity in roots. For absence of positive responses, the use of these substances as a treatment to improve cutting production is economically unviable. Keywords: Phenolic compounds, indole butyric acid, vegetative propagation, cuttings. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol 13(28) 2819-2829
A new species of Anopheles (Anopheles) from Namibia (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract. The adult, pupa, larva and egg of Anopheles {Anopheles) namibien‐sis sp.n. from the Kavango district, Namibia (South West Africa), are described and comparisons made with Anopheles (Anopheles) ziemanni Griinberg. A photomap of the polytene chromosomes from the salivary glands of the fourth stage larvae is presented.
Response of two different broiler genotypes to diets containing cocoa pod husk.

A total of 300 day old chicks from 2 commercial broiler genotypes were fed diets containing 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 percent cocoa pod husk (CPH) for 33 days. Thereafter, all the chicks were fed a common finisher diet which was devoid of CPH until 56 days of age. Body weight, feed consumption, feed efficiency and carcass traits (eviscerated, gastro intestinal tract (GIT), feather and liver weights) were measured. Genotype × CPH level interaction was not significant in this study. Body weight of the genotypes differed significantly (P<0.05) at 1, 33 and 56 days but not at 14 days. The different CPH levels however, elicited differences (P<0.05) in the body weight at 15 % and 20 % inclusion rates for ages 14 and 33 days. When fed a common finisher diet at 33 days, recovery in body weight was observed in broilers fed all but 20 % CPH diet by 56 days of age. Feed efficiency which declined beyond 5 % CPH level at 33 days showed an improvement in all broilers except those fed 20 % CPH. Eviscerated carcass, GIT and liver weights showed no differences among the diets. The results suggested that even though growth of chicks deteriorated beyond 10 % CPH by 33 days, advantage should be taken of the tremendous compensatory growth upon CPH withdrawal and thereby increase the starter CPH level to 15 percent.
The Status of Women, Marital Equality, and Violence Against Wives

In the last decade, important progress has been made toward understanding the social causes of wife-beating. However, the research has remained almost entirely on the individual or interpersonal level of analysis. This article focuses on women's status at the societal level and marital inequality and violence, which are interpersonal-level variables. Based on data from a number of national surveys, the contextual analysis suggests that the degree to which marital inequality is associated with wife-beating is affected by the context of sexual inequality. Violence against wives is most severe in families that reside in states where the general status of women is fairly high relative to men, but in which the husband still dominates within the home.