Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Site history affects soil and plant 15N natural abundances (δ15N) in forests of northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia

1. About 10 years after establishment, plantations of Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia become nutrient deficient and chlorotic, grow slowly, and are susceptible to invasion by the ericaceous shrub Salal (Gaultheria shallon Pursh.). 2. To test the hypothesis that δ15N can be related to site histories (site disturbance, soil N dynamics and plant development), we measured soil and foliar δ15N in the summer of 1992 in 3-year-old (nutrient-sufficient) and 10-year-old (nutrient-deficient) plantations and in old-growth stands. The foliar and soil δ15N values of the plantations and old-growth forests were different and closely reflected site histories. Salal invasion and nutrient deficiency interacted to depress the growth of Redcedar in 10-year-old plantations. 3. Site preparation destroyed the top soil organic layers (fresh and decaying litter) and forced Salal (ecto- and ericoid mycorrhizal) into the humus layer, where it was in direct competition with Redcedar, thereby disadvantaging arbuscular mycorrhizal/non-mycorrhizal Redcedar in its nutrient acquisition during a period when N and P are severely limited. 4. There was a large seasonal range of foliar δ15N (5·5 and 4·3‰ for 10-year-old Redcedar and Salal, respectively), and there was no relationship between foliar δ15N and measured rooting depth, demonstrating that rooting depths cannot be used to explain foliar δ15N variation among coexisting woody taxa. 5. Foliar and soil δ15N declined with site age and with a presumed change from ‘open’ to ‘closed’ N cycling; the 15N-depleting effects of mycorrhizal N transformations contributed to the observed δ15N decline.
Biological activities of secondary metabolites from Emericella nidulans EGCU 312

The fungus, Emericella nidulans was isolated from soil. The ITS region of 5.8S rRNA of the isolated fungus was amplified and sequenced. E. nidulans EGCU312 was given an accession number: KC511056 in the NCBI GenBank. Twenty one (21) fractions were obtained from the ethyl acetate extract of fungal filtrate. Fraction no. 12 showed the highest antioxidant activity with 81.54% at 200 µg/ml. High anticancer activities (against EACC cell line) ranging between 64.3 and 87.7% at 200 µg/ml, were exhibited by fractions no. 1, 2, 4, 9, 12 and 20. The mode of action of anticancer activity was studied by measuring activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and caspase-3. Fraction no. 12 gave the highest effect (2249.2 U/l) in LDH released as compared to control cells (1127.7 U/l) and caused a 1.56-fold increase in caspase-3 activity. Interestingly, fraction no. 12 caused 100% inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at 50 µg/ml, and Aspergillus fumigatus at 100 µg/ml. The minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of this fraction were 4 and 10 µg/ml for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively, while the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 45 µg/ml against A. fumigatus. GC-MS profile of fraction no. 12 showed 21 compounds, six of which, that is, 2-methylbenzylamine, N-heptyl-N-octyl; naphthalene, 2,3,6-trimethyl-; octadecanoic acid, ethyl ester; 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, butyl octyl ester; tributylacetylcitrate; 1,2- and benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester, were of known biological activities. Key words: Emericella nidulans EGCU 312, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial.
Possibilities to breed for internal parasite resistance in Swedish beef breeds

The aim of this review is to investigate the possibilities to breed for parasite resistance in the Swedish purebred beef population, with starting point in the organic production. The present population structure, breeding objectives and genetic evaluation will be discussed as well as four common internal parasites found among cattle in Sweden, registration of resistance by using faecal worm egg counts (FEC), the genetic background of FEC, and last the possibilities of using quantitative trait loci (QTL) and marker-assisted selection (MAS). Due to strict regulations in organic production concerning the use of anthelminthics it is necessary to find alternative methods to control parasites, and breeding for increased parasite resistance may be one way to go. There are breeding programmes in operation today among some sheep breeds in Australia and New Zealand where FEC is used as a selection criterion. Studies on Aberdeen Angus indicate that breeding programmes for resistance could probably be implemented successfully among cattle from temperate regions as heritability estimates for FEC range from low to moderate. But there are still a number of issues that needs to be addressed. One major issue is the lack of available information. The Swedish dairy association runs the Swedish beef recording scheme, Kott Avel Produktion (KAP), where information is collected about the Swedish beef populations. At present FEC is not registered in KAP.
Multipath Characteristics of Outdoor-to-Indoor Propagation Based on 32-GHz Measurements

This paper investigates measurement-based multi-path characteristics of millimeter-wave (mmWave) outdoor-to-indoor (O2I) propagation. The measurement campaigns were conducted in a typical office building with a 500-MHz bandwidth channel sounder operating at 32 GHz. The multipath propagation characteristics are analyzed in spectrum-based approaches in temporal (delay) and spatial (angular) domains. In our measurements, we considered the effect of the transmit incidence angle on the multipath characteristics. In the perpendicular transmit beam case, we observed regularly recurring multipath components reflecting from the back-side and front-side windows. However, in non-perpendicular incidences, it was difficult to identify the sources of multipath reflections with the spectrum-based approach. From the measurement data analysis, we also observed that the delay spread and the angular spread do not have any meaningful dependency on the incidence angles; these are more relevant to the surrounding indoor environments near the RX.
Near-Field Multi-Focused Arrays Using Support Vector Regression

Support Vector Regression, a powerful and elegant framework in the field of Machine Learning, is proposed in a novel method for Near-Field Focusing using antenna arrays. It allows creating a model of an antenna array relating accurately the set of weights required in the elements of an array and the corresponding near-field distribution, maybe focused on one or more positions of interest. A previous learning process concentrates the computational cost so that the already trained system operates without relevant cost and it is fast enough for real applications where adaptation must be fast, for example because moving devices are involved. The learning capabilities of Support Vector Machines are increased with respect to other machine learning tools, allowing the use of a reduced number of training samples that may be generated with an adaptive system or any full-wave electromagnetic analysis tool, so that realistic effects such as coupling or non-uniformities can be accounted for. Illustrative examples are also presented to test the performance of the proposed approach.
Transfer of Nutrients from Spawning Salmon to Riparian Vegetation in Western Washington

The extent to which nutrients from Pacific salmon are transported to riparian areas may be influenced by differences in spawning behavior among species. Chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta, pink salmon O. gorbuscha, and sockeye salmon O. nerka typically spawn in dense aggre- gations, while species like steelhead O. mykiss and coho salmon O. kisutch spawn at lower densities. The contribution of nutrients to riparian vegetation was compared at two watersheds in western Washington, Griffin Creek (used by coho salmon) and Kennedy Creek (used by chum salmon). Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis foliage was collected at the channel edge above and below barriers to spawning salmon and at 20, 50, and 100 m upslope from the stream and analyzed for nitrogen stable isotope ratio ( d 15N, an indicator of salmon-derived nitrogen), total nitrogen (N), and phos- phorus (P) content. Cover, plant density, and the species richness of shrub and understory vegetation were compared between sites with and without salmon. The d15N values in salmonberry leaves were higher at sites with salmon than at corresponding distances from the channel at sites without salmon at Kennedy Creek but not Griffin Creek. Salmonberry foliage adjacent to salmon spawning reaches possessed significantly higher levels of total N and P in both watersheds. Nitrogen content was positively associated with d15N values at the Kennedy Creek sites but not at the Griffin Creek sites. At Kennedy Creek, shrub species diversity and understory plant density and species diversity were higher at sites with salmon than at sites without salmon. These results suggest that areas bordering streams utilized by high-density-spawning species like chum salmon receive a substantial nutrient contribution from the fish and that this subsidy influences the vegetation. We did not see clear evidence for a similar nutrient contribution from coho salmon. Anadromous salmonids Oncorhynchusspp. play a key role in the nutrient and trophic dynamics of aquatic ecosystems in watersheds tributary to the northern Pacific Ocean (Kline et al. 1990, 1994; Bilby et al. 1996; Johnston et al. 1997). More than 95% of the body mass of Pacific salmon is accu- mulated in the marine environment (Groot and Margolis 1991). This material is transported to the streams, rivers, and lakes where the salmon spawn and die. The importance of this nutrient and or- ganic matter subsidy has long been recognized for lakes supporting sockeye salmon O. nerka (Juday et al. 1932). More recent research has demonstrat- ed that the eggs and carcasses deposited in streams
Chemical compositions, phytochemical constituents and in vitro biological activity of various extracts of Cymbopogon citratus.

Cymbopogon citratus was analyzed for its chemical constituents. Proximate analysis revealed that the sample contained moisture content: 5.76%; crude protein 4.56%, ash content: 20.00%, crude fat 5.10%, Carbohydrate 55.00% and crude fibre: 9:28. The food energy of the sample was 360.55 cal/100g. The phytochemical analysis of the ethanolic extracts of cymbopogon citratus indicates that it has alkaloids, saponins tannins, anthraquinones, steroids, phenols and flavonoids. Test for antibacterial activity using agar diffusion technique shows that antibacterial activity was active on S. typhi with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 50 mg/ml but inactive on E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. aureus.
Seasonal incidence and control of aphid complex on Kinnow.

The studies conducted on seasonal incidence and chemical control of aphid complex on Kinnow revealed that three aphid species, viz., Toxoptera aurantii, Aphis gossypii and Myzus persicae were active from first week of February to first week of May. Both these species along with A. gossypii were again active from last week of August to second week of November. The abundance of T. aurantii and M. persicae was 55 and 45% during February to May while all three species, T. aurantii, M. pers~cae and A. gossypii existed in the ratio of 21:31:49, respectively, from August to November. Rainfall was found to reduce the aphid population significantly. Imidacloprid (0.008%), carbosulfan (0.075%), dimethoate (0.075%), monocrotophos (0.05) and oxydemeton methyl (0.075%) were found effective in reducing the aphid population to an extent of 96.7–100%.
Increased cuckoldry as a cost of breeding late for male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon)

One factor hypothesized to influence the reproductive behavior of individuals is the degree to which reproductive efforts are synchronized with others in the population. We asked whether the timing of a pair's breeding cycle, relative to cycles of pairs on neighboring territories, affected rates of extrapair mating over 2 years in a Wyoming population of house wrens (Troglodytes aedon). Extrapair young (identified using 5 microsatellite loci) occurred in 74% of nests of 19 pairs whose cycles began later than cycles of one or more neighbors compared to only 26% of nests of 27 pairs whose cycles began earlier than, or simultaneously with, cycles of all neighbors. Extrapair offspring occurred in 65% of 17 nests belonging to males who initially settled and began nesting early relative to neighbors but who were forced to renest late after we removed their first mates. Rates of cuckoldry were not significantly different for forced-late and naturally late males. Our experimental approach controlled for possible effects of male quality, clearly demonstrating an effect of timing of breeding on extrapair mating activity. Copyright 2002.
Cryptic speciation at organic-rich marine habitats: a new bacteriovore annelid from whale-fall and fish farms in the North-East Atlantic.

Vigtorniella ardabilia sp. nov., a new chrysopetalid annelid, is described from a whale-fall in Sweden and from sediment samples collected beneath fish farms in Norway. The new Vigtorniella species is morphologically almost identical to Vigtorniella flokati from whale-falls in the Pacific Ocean, although molecular evidence from four genes shows that they are different species. Population genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships of V. ardabilia sp. nov. were assessed using molecular data from the nuclear genes 18S and 28S, and the mitochondrial 16S and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). High levels of gene flow are reported between contrasting organic-rich environments in the North Atlantic (fish farms and whale-fall). Observations of feeding biology and habitat suggest that V. ardabilia specializes on bacterial mats, rather than on whale-falls, although the two species of Vigtorniella for which data were available show very different feeding behaviours. Our results further showed an unexpectedly low divergence rate in Vigtorniella for the mitochondrial markers, suggesting stabilizing selection. Analyses carried out with parsimony, maximum likelihood, and MrBayes all placed the genus Vigtorniella as sister group to Dysponetus, suggesting a close evolutionary link to sediment-dwelling fauna. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155, 774–785.
The shark fauna from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) of North-Western Nevada

Abstract The shark fauna from the Anisian of Nevada is dominated by durophagous hybodontiforms but also shows an important neoselachian component. Two new species of hybodontiform sharks, Acrodus cuneocostatus and PolyIacrodus bucheri , are described in addition to a new neoselachian taxon Mucrovenator minimus . The enameloid of the teeth of Acrodus and Polyacrodus comprises two layers, an outer compact layer and an inner bundled layer. For the typical three-layered enameloid of neoselachian teeth, we propose to replace the terms parallel-fibred enameloid and tangled-fibred enameloid by the more appropriate parallel-bundled and tangled-bundled enameloid.
Performance Improvement for Wireless Sensors Networks by Adopting Hybrid Subcarrier Intensity Modulation Over Exponentiated Weibull Turbulence Channels

We conduct a research on free space optical (FSO) communication system that is applied for transmission in wireless sensor networks (WSN), which is based on the hybrid pulse position modulation-binary phase shift keying-subcarrier intensity modulation (PPM-BPSK-SIM) undergoes novel Exponentiated Weibull fading channels. When battery-charged sensor transmission nodes with limited energy is transmitted, it is vital to study the performance of the transmission link. We have derived the exact joint probability function of the transmission link when the atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors are considering. On the basis of them, the unconditional average bit error rate (BER) for hybrid PPM-BPSK-SIM is derived, then the closed expression of the outage probability and the average channel capacity are also derived. Research results indicates that increasing the receiver aperture by aperture averaging effect can distinctly improve the performance of the link. Additionally, for any circumstances of atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors, by combining the utilization of hybrid PPM-BPSK-SIM modulation and symbol with average length greater than eight, the average BER performance can be conspicuously enhanced. The outage probability and average channel capacity of the FSO link are jointly affected by atmospheric turbulence and pointing error, and optimization strategies in different scenarios are given by our research.
Food habits of jaguars and pumas in Jalisco, Mexico

Jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) are sympatric over much of their geographic range in Mexico and South and Central America. We investigated diets of these felids in and around the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve in western Jalisco, Mexico. Diets were determined from scat analyses and documentation of prey cadavers. Relative biomass of each prey species consumed by pumas and jaguars was estimated from analysing 65 puma and 50 jaguar scats collected from 1995 to 1998. Both jaguars and pumas fed mainly on mammals, with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) dominating the biomass of the diet of each species (54% and 66% respectively). There was a high degree of overlap between jaguar and puma diets, but pumas had a broader food niche than jaguars, and their ability to exploit smaller prey may give them an advantage over jaguars when faced with human-induced habitat changes.
Frequency-Scanned Focused Leaky-Wave Antennas for Direction-of-Arrival Detection in Proximity BLE Sensing Applications

The synthesis of monopulse functions in the Fresnel region, using near-field focused leaky-wave antennas (LWA), is presented in this work. The focusing technique, combined with the frequency-scanning behavior of LWAs, allows for obtaining well-defined radiation patterns in the vicinity of the antenna, which properly overlap to obtain the scanning monopulse functions. This is not possible with conventional far-field focused antennas, in which the radiation pattern is very distorted in the near-field region. As a proof of concept, examples using the three advertising channels provided by the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol are shown. These channels (#37, #38 and #39) are placed at 2.402, 2.426 and 2.48 GHz, respectively. The near-field monopulse synthesis is interesting for Direction-of-Arrival (DoA) detection in proximity sensing applications.
Analysing Large-Scale Temporal Variability in Passerine Nest Survival Using Sparse Data: A Case Study on Red-Backed Shrike Lanius collurio

Abstract. Availability of nest survival estimates over large spatial and temporal scales is necessary for the complex modelling of population dynamics. However, there may be no standardized nest monitoring schemes, as a primary source of data, for many species, locations or years. Although other potential datasets often do exist, their applicability for analysing large-scale temporal patterns in nest survival is not well established. We used an alternative dataset of ringing records of 3 091 nests of the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, representing five time series (6 to 42 years) from different sites within the Czech Republic, to analyse long-term variability in nest survival. We modelled trends in daily nest survival rates (DSR) over the years, either assuming a constant DSR, or accounting for unequal nest search efforts during the breeding season by assuming that DSR varies as a function of nest age and seasonal date. We found that even sparse nesting data may produce realistic estimates of nest survival. DSR varied greatly among sites, from 0.975 to 0.984, corresponding to a nest success from 48% to 62%. Both modelling approaches yielded almost identical estimates of DSR trends over the years. In this study, nest survival has either declined at all three agricultural sites or remained stable at one suburban site since the late 1980s. We conclude that sparse datasets with unequal searching effort during the nesting cycle and/or nesting season can be used to estimate long-term trends in nest survival, but this approach is warranted only if the analyses, based on different assumptions, yield consistent estimates.
Effect of plot type, age and date on seed depletion and bird use of Wild Bird Seed Mixtures in England

Capsule Bird and seed abundances decreased in both standard and enhanced Agri-Environment Scheme seed mixtures (plots of seed-bearing crops) between November and February. Aims We analysed effects of Agri-Environment seed mixture type (‘standard’ or ‘enhanced’), plot age and non-target species on seed and bird abundance. Methods Surveys were conducted in November/December and January/February on 36 standard and 19 enhanced seed mixtures to test effect of plot type and age on abundance of buntings, finches and seeds. Results Bunting and finch densities decreased between January/February and November/December. Seed decreased by approximately 70% between surveys, plot type did not affect depletion. Second-year plots contained nearly 90% less seed, and non-significantly lower bunting and finch densities. Bunting densities were positively related to cereal seed abundance, and finch densities to non-cereal seed; these relationships did not differ between plot types. There was no evidence that non-target species affected use of seed mixtures by target species. Conclusion There was no evidence that plot type affected seed or bird abundances. Increased quality and uptake of Agri-Environment Scheme seed-rich habitats (seed mixtures and over-winter stubbles, possibly alongside well-implemented supplementary feeding) is needed to provide late-winter seed, especially cereals for species of conservation concern.
Systemic CD4 immunity: A powerful clinical biomarker for PD‐L1/PD‐1 immunotherapy

The search for non‐invasive systemic biomarkers of response to PD‐L1/PD‐1 blockade immunotherapy is currently a priority in oncoimmunology. In contrast to classical tumor biomarkers, the identification of clinically useful immunological biomarkers is certainly a challenge, as anti‐cancer immune responses depend on the coordinated action of many cell types. Studies on the dynamics of systemic CD8 T‐cell populations have provided indications that such biomarkers may have a place in clinical practice. However, the power of CD8 T‐cell subsets to discriminate clinical responses in immunotherapy has so far proven to be limited. The systemic evaluation of CD8 T‐cell regulators such as myeloid cells and CD4 T cells may provide the solution. Here we discuss the value of systemic quantification of CD4 T‐cell subsets for patient selection in light of the results obtained by Prof. Kagamu′s and our team. Our studies have independently demonstrated that the evaluation of the pre‐treatment status of systemic CD4 immunity is a critical factor for the clinical outcome of PD‐L1/PD‐1 blockade therapy with robust predictive capacities.
Feeding of Pellona flavipinnis (Clupeiformes, Pristigasteridae)in a Central Amazonian floodplain

The feeding habits of Pellona flavipinnis (Valenciennes, 1836) at Catalao, a floodplain area on the Brazilian Central Amazon was studied. Data was obtained during three hydrological cycles, between September 1999 and September 2003. Diet composition, daily and seasonal variation in the feeding activity and the relationship between predator's size and its prey were analyzed. Almost 80% of the food consumed has autochthonous origin and diet was composed basically by insects and fish. Juvenile fish predominated in the stomach contents of all size classes but there was no significant relationship between predator's size and its prey. Pellona flavipinnis may be considered a carnivorous species which feeds mainly on juvenile (young-of-the-year) specimens of other fish. More intense feeding activity occurred at night and in the high water period.