Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Redescription and Morphological Variation of Oxyrhopus clathratus Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854 (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae)

ABSTRACT. The snake Oxyrhopus clathratus, which has a restricted distribution within the Atlantic Forest Domain, exhibits great variability in color pattern, shape of the hemipenis, and scalation. The extent of variation has resulted in substantial taxonomic confusion. To date, identification and recognition are problematic, and this is reflected in the synonymy of the species. We examine the type series and specimens from throughout the species' distribution to assess intraspecific morphological variation. Morphological variability is correlated with geographical distribution and elevation. Further, we explore whether the morphological data support recognition of more than one species or not. The results suggest that O. clathratus is a single species that exhibits considerable variation in morphology, including three distinct patterns of coloration (melanistic, melanistic with inconspicuous narrow light bands, and with conspicuous dark and light bands alternating along the body) that overlap geographically. The morphology of the ornamented hemipenes varies between “T-shape” and “Y-shape” forms, which occur without any meaningful or elevational structuring. The loreals are usually absent. Based on our results we designate a lectotype for the species.
Genetic analysis of yield and yield components in field peas

Summary The genetic parameters controlling the expression of seed yield and the yield components have been studied using both generation mean and triple test cross (TTC) analyses in two crosses of field pea. From generation mean analysis, it is obvious that in addition to significant estimates of additive and dominance components, epistatic components of mean [(i) and (I) types] were also important and duplicate type of epistasis was predominant for all the traits in both sets of crosses. In the TTC analysis, the major genetic component of variance was the additive component, though the dominance component was also found to be significant. There was evidence of epistasis for most of the characters studied. In fact, the overall epistasis (i type) was the major component of epistasis, but the parameter F was found in the non-significant range. The mean performance of the characters studied was higher in randomly-mated biparental progenies (BIPs) but there were more desirable transgressive segregants in the TTC population. Thus the genetic information obtained from both analyses seems to be complementary rather than alternative modes of inheritance in governing the expression of these useful economic traits.
Repellency of Essential Oils Against the Domiciliary Cockroach, Periplaneta Americana

The essential oil extracts of six Malaysian plants, i.e. Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Pandanus odorus, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Syzygium aromaticum and Cymbopogon citratus, were evaluated for repellent activity against Periplaneta americana using a modification of the “two-cylinders” method. Dose-dependent repellency ranging from 57.1 to 100% was exhibited by all six extracts at the lowest concentration tested (12 ppm). RésuméLes extraits d’huiles essentielles de six plantes de Malaisie, à savoir Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Pandanus odorus, cinnamomun zeylanicum, Syzygium aromaticum et Cymbopogon citratus, ont été évalués pour leur activité répulsive contre Periplaneta americana en utilisant une modification de la méthode de “cylindre de verre en terre”. Tous les extraits testés ont présenté une répellence dose-dépendante variant de 57,1 à 100% à la plus basse concentration (12 ppm).
Allocation, plasticity and allometry in plants

Abstract Allocation is one of the central concepts in modern ecology, providing the basis for different strategies. Allocation in plants has been conceptualized as a proportional or ratio-driven process (‘partitioning’). In this view, a plant has a given amount of resources at any point in time and it allocates these resources to different structures. But many plant ecological processes are better understood in terms of growth and size than in terms of time. In an allometric perspective, allocation is seen as a size-dependent process: allometry is the quantitative relationship between growth and allocation. Therefore most questions of allocation should be posed allometrically, not as ratios or proportions. Plants evolve allometric patterns in response to numerous selection pressures and constraints, and these patterns explain many behaviours of plant populations. In the allometric view, plasticity in allocation can be understood as a change in a plant's allometric trajectory in response to the environment. Some allocation patterns show relatively fixed allometric trajectories, varying in different environments primarily in the speed at which the trajectory is travelled, whereas other allocation patterns show great flexibility in their behaviour at a given size. Because plant growth is often indeterminate and its rate highly influenced by environmental conditions, ‘plasticity in size’ is not a meaningful concept. We need a new way to classify, describe and analyze plant allocation and plasticity because the concepts ‘trait’ and ‘plasticity’ are too broad. Three degrees of plasticity can be distinguished: (1) allometric growth (‘apparent plasticity’), (2) modular proliferation and local physiological adaptation, and (3) integrated plastic responses. Plasticity, which has evolved because it increases individual fitness, can be a disadvantage in plant production systems, where we want to optimize population, not individual, performance.
Termination of pregnancy with reduced doses of mifepristone. World Health Organisation Task Force on Post-ovulatory Methods of Fertility Regulation.

OBJECTIVES--To compare the abortifacient efficacy and side effects of three doses of the antiprogestin mifepristone plus prostaglandin for termination of early pregnancy. DESIGN--Randomised, double blind multicentre trial. SETTING--11 departments of obstetrics and gynaecology and of family planning, mostly in university hospitals, in seven countries. SUBJECTS--1182 women with an early pregnancy (menstrual delay of 7-28 days) requesting abortion. INTERVENTIONS--Single doses of 200 mg, 400 mg, or 600 mg mifepristone followed, 48 hours later, by vaginal pessary of 1 mg of the prostaglandin E1 analogue gemeprost. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Outcome of treatment; duration and subjective amount of menstrual bleeding; side effects and complications; and concentrations of haemoglobin. RESULTS--Outcome was similar with the three doses of mifepristone. Of the 1151 women with known outcome, 95.5% had a complete abortion (364 (93.8%) of those given 200 mg mifepristone, 368 (94.1%) of those given 400 mg, and 367 (94.3%) of those given 600 mg), 3.7% had an incomplete abortion (14 (3.6%), 15 (3.8%), and 14 (3.6%)), 0.3% had a missed abortion (three (0.8%), one (0.3%), and none), and 0.4% had a continuing live pregnancy (two (0.5%), two (0.5%), and one (0.3%)). Of the 43 women who had incomplete abortion, 23 underwent emergency uterine curettage (usually for haemostatic purposes) and three of these women were given a blood transfusion. The numbers of reported complaints, bleeding patterns, and changes in blood pressure and haemoglobin concentrations were similar with the three treatments. CONCLUSIONS--For termination of early pregnancy a single dose of 200 mg mifepristone is as effective as the currently recommended dose of 600 mg when used in combination with a vaginal pessary of 1 mg gemeprost.
Heritability and phenotypic and genetic correlations of coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) wood quality traits

Genetic control and relationships among coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) growth and wood quality traits were assessed by estimating heritability and phenotypic and genetic correlations using 600 trees representing 15 full-sib families sampled from four progeny test sites. Heritability estimates ranged from 0.23 to 0.30 for growth traits, 0.19 for fibre coarseness, from 0.21 to 0.54 for wood density, from 0.16 to 0.97 for cell wall carbohydrates, and 0.79 and 0.91 for lignin content at two sites, Squamish River and Gold River, respectively. Glucose content, indicative of cell wall cellulose composition, and lignin were shown to be under strong genetic control, whereas fibre coarseness was shown to be under weak genetic control. Phenotypic correlations revealed that larger trees generally have longer fibres with higher fibre coarseness, lower density, lower carbohydrate content, a greater proportion of cell wall lignin, and higher microfibril angle. Genetic correlati.
Spatial predictive distribution modelling of the kelp species Laminaria hyperborea.

Bekkby, T. , Rinde, E. , Erikstad, L. , and Bakkestuen, V. 2009. Spatial predictive distribution modelling of the kelp species Laminaria hyperborea. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 2106-2115.The kelp species Laminaria hyperborea constitutes highly productive kelp forest systems hosting a broad diversity of species and providing the basis for commercial kelp harvesting and, through its productivity, the fishing industry. Spatial planning and management of this important habitat and resource needs to be based on distribution maps and detailed knowledge of the main factors influencing the distribution. However, in countries with a long and complex coastline, such as Norway, detailed mapping is practically and economically difficult. Consequently, alternative methods are required. Based on modelled and field-measured geophysical variables and presence/absence data of L. hyperborea, a spatial predictive probability model for kelp distribution is developed. The influence of depth, slope, terrain curvature, light exposure, wave exposure, and current speed on the distribution of L. hyperborea are modelled using a generalized additive model. Using the Akaike Information Criterion, we found that the most important geophysical factors explaining the distribution of kelp were depth, terrain curvature, and wave and light exposure. The resulting predictive model was very reliable, showing good ability to predict the presence and absence of kelp.
Processes affecting horizontal mixing and dispersion in Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria

Several large rivers enter Winam Gulf, a large shallow semi‐enclosed embayment of Lake Victoria. Given the vast spatial scale of this embayment (1400 km2), horizontal transport of waterborne material plays a major role in determining its biochemical properties. To identify the dominant hydrodynamic characteristics of this horizontal transport, a combination of field data and three‐dimensional numerical modeling were employed to investigate effects due to variable wind forcing, riverine inflows, and interactions with the rest of Lake Victoria including astronomical tides and a complex bathymetry. Currents in the Gulf were oscillatory due to periodic wind and tidal forcing leading to surface seiching, with a residual circulation component. In the western region of the Gulf near the connection with Lake Victoria, substantial vertical and horizontal shear in the currents resulted in efficient horizontal dispersion with rates of up to 160 m2 s−1 simulated using numerical tracers. In the eastern region, however, rates of horizontal dispersion were reduced to around 12 m2 s−1. This spatial variability in hydrodynamic conditions underpins regional differences in ecological properties of Winam Gulf.
Risk-sensitive foraging: the effect of relative variability

Animals are sometimes sensitive and sometimes indifferent to variability in amount of reward. I analyzed a large set of published studies to test whether these differences in risk-sensitivity may be influenced by the coefficient of variation (s.d./mean) of the variable reward and by the presence of empty rewards. The coefficient of variation had a strong effect on the strength of risk-sensitivity among studies with nectarivores, both invertebrates and vertebrates. The effect was not significant for studies with non-nectarivores, but these studies included only a limited range of coefficients of variation, and risk-sensitivity in these studies was based on fewer subjects per experimental condition than in studies of nectarivores. The presence of empty rewards had no effect on the strength of risk-sensitivity. The apparent effect of empty rewards seems to be an artifact of the tendency of distributions that include zero rewards to have larger coefficients of variation than distributions that do not include zero rewards. I introduce the CV model, a simple descriptive model that accounts for a large proportion of the variability in levels of risk-sensitivity among experiments. My analysis resolves the apparent discrepancies among studies that report risk-sensitivity and risk-indifference. It is necessary to control for the magnitude of the coefficient of variation when testing risk-sensitivity under different conditions (e.g., energy budgets). A successful descriptive model of risk-sensitive choice behavior is useful for guiding future research both in ecology and in the underlying mechanism of cognitive processes.
Lubricating oil-degrading bacteria in soils from filling stations and auto- mechanic workshops in Buea, Cameroon: occurrence and characteristics of isolates

The discharge of used crankcase oil from vehicles is a major source of oil pollution in Buea. The objectives of this study were to isolate and characterize bacteria capable of effectively degrading and cleaning up waste engine oil in this locality and also to ascertain the influence of some environmental factors on the rates of degradation of these isolates. Seventy-two soil samples collected from lubricating oil dump sites (3 auto-mechanic workshops and 3 petrol filling stations, comprising impacted soils) and uncontaminated plots (non-impacted soils) (controls) were analysed for oil-degrading and heterotrophic bacteria following standard microbiological and biochemical methods. The ability of cultures to degrade lubricating oil was also tested individually and in mixed bacterial consortium at different temperatures and nutrient concentrations. Results were analysed using the chi-squared test. P values of < 0.05 were considered significant. Heterotrophic bacterial counts were significantly higher (P< 0.05) in non-impacted than in impacted soils. Conversely, the population of oil degraders was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in non-impacted than in impacted soils. Oil degraders isolated included Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus mycoides and Serratia marcescens. Of the pure isolates, Serratia marcescensdegraded the highest amount of oil (36.2%). However, a mixed culture of the isolates proved to be more effective, degrading 38.1% of oil within 20 days. All the isolates exhibited highest degradation at 32°C; and degradation rates ofPseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus mycoides increased with increase in nutrient concentration. This study, the first of its kind in Buea, revealed the presence of oil-degrading bacteria in soils as well as the physico-chemical requirements of these bacteria for optimum degradation. This finding could be exploited in case of oil-spill clean-up campaigns. Key words: environmental pollution, oil-degrading bacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, physico-chemical factors, bioremediation, Cameroon.
The Human Parasitoses in Lithuania

Summary The paper presents a characteristic of the infection of Lithuanian population with parasitoses over the period of 1985–1994. A most frequent human parasitosis is enterobiasis. Prevalence rate of enterobiasis was annually increasing and in 1994 as much as 13,7±0,1% of population examined were infected with this disease. Enterobiasis mainly occurred in schoolchildren of primary forms (13,7±0,1% −22,9±0,2%) and children attending kindergardens and nurseries (16,07±0,2% −16,5±0,1%). Striking increase was observed in adult enterobiasis—from 5,3±0,1% at the beginning of the study period to 25,60,2% in 1994. A second frequent parasitosis is trichinellosis. Over the study period prevalence rate of trichinellosis and the number of focuses registered was growing and in 1994 there were registered 101 focus with 719 infected persons (incidence rate for 100 000 of populations −19,24). The main source of infection has become meat of pigs raised on the farm and its products. Trichinellosis is spread among people.
Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Notes on Pilosella Alpicola Agg. (Asteraceae) in the Balkans and Carpathians

Following the commonly accepted generic concept, the Carpathian endemic Hieracium ullepitschii Blocki and the Balkan endemic H. rhodopeum Griseb. are transferred to the genus Pilosella as P. ullepitschii (Błocki) Szeląg and P. rhodopea (Griseb.) Szeląg. Hieracium alpicola subsp. furcotae Degen & Zahn. H. depannatum Elfstr. , H. rufotectum Elfstr. and H. quasadnatum Elfstr. are reduced to synonymy of Pilosella ullepitschii. Hieracium micromegas Fr. is synonymized with Pilosella rhodopea. P. alpicola var. serbica F.W. Schultz & Schultz-Bip. is raised to species rank. Four names are lectotypified and two names are neotypified. A new section Pilosella sect. Alpicolinae (Nägeli & Peter) Szeląg is established.
Sequence analysis of four caprine mitochondria DNA lineages

The complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (16640bp in length) was sequenced from four Chinese goat lineages representing the four major mtDNA haplogroups in goats. A total of 124 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in encoding regions, and the overall ratio of transitions:transversions was 40:1 revealing a heavy transition/transversion rate in domestic goats. Eighteen non-synonymous sites were found for the total number of SNPs; the sites did not affect the predicted functions of protein for these four goat mtDNA lineages. In the region for coding tRNA and rRNA, SNPs occurred in loops, unstructured single strand and stems that were conformed with the principle of G-U pairing. We came to the conclusion that these substitutions could not change secondary structure of RNAs, and there was no positive selection on goat mitochondrial coding region according to the result of dN/dS (0.0399–0.1529) by comparing the goat with other reported mitochondrial genomes.
Brown midrib forage sorghum silage for the dairy cow: nutritive value and comparison with corn silage in the diet

Rumen dry matter and fibre digestibility of brown midrib (BMR) sorghum forage silage (SF) in comparison to corn silage (CS) was determined in situ using 3 fistulated dry cows. The effect of replacing CS with SF on milk production was studied in a change-over design with 58 lactating Italian Friesian cows fed two diets with similar composition. CS had a higher (P<0.001) rapidly degradable dry matter (DM) fraction than SF (33.1 vs. 23.7, respectively), whilst the slowly degradable fraction was not different (46.3 vs. 48.7). Overall, the extent of DM rumen degradability was higher for CS. Rumen digestion rate of neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) tended to be higher (P=0.06) for SF than CS (3.08 vs. 2.49 %/h, respectively); however, effective rumen degradability of fibre was not different between silages. Neither milk yield (kg/d) and 4%-fat corrected milk nor milk protein and fat contents were affected by treatment. Cows fed CS diet had lower (P<0.05) milk urea content compared with their SF counterparts (19.9 vs. 21.5 mg/dL) suggesting a better nitrogen utilization at the rumen level. In conclusion, feeding a BMR sorghum forage resulted in milk yield and quality similar to corn silage. However, to obtain comparable milk production as corn silage, the SF-based diet had to be supplemented with more starch from corn meal.
α-Lipoic Acid Inhibits Endotoxin-stimulated Expression of iNOS and Nitric Oxide Independent of the Heat Shock Response in RAW 264.7 Cells

The heat shock response protects against sepsis-induced mortality, organ injury, cardiovascular dysfunction, and apoptosis. Several inducers of the heat shock response, such as hyperthermia, sodium arsenite, and pyrollidine dithiocarbonate, inhibit NF-κB activation and nitric oxide formation. The antioxidant lipoic acid (LA) has recently been found to inhibit NF-κB activation and nitric oxide formation. We therefore tested the hypothesis that LA induces a heat shock response. To test this hypothesis, we determined whether exposure to LA affects expression of both heat shock protein 70 (HSP-70) and nuclear heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated macrophages. LA and hyperthermia attenuated LPS-induced increases in nuclear NF-κB, iNOS protein, and media nitrite concentrations. LPS and hyperthermia increased HSP-70 concentrations 8-fold and 20-fold, respectively. No effect of LA treatment alone on HSP-70 protein expression was detected. Likewise, no effect of LA on HSF-1 protein expression was detected. These data suggest that LA inhibits LPS-induced activation of iNOS in macrophages independent of the heat shock response.
Studies On the Influence of Environmental Factors On Growth in the Crab, Ocypode Macrocera H. Milne Edwards

L'influence des facteurs du milieu sur la croissance du crabe Ocypode macrocera est etudiee. Le critere utilise pour enregistrer le debut de la pre-mue est l'evolution du bourgeon de regeneration de la patte. Chez les crabes normaux, la privation de nourriture est sans effet significatif sur la regeneration ou la duree de la pre-mue. Chez ceux de grande taille, la privation de nourriture, s'ils sont soumis a la fois a l'ablation des pedoncules oculaires et a l'amputation des pattes, inhibe le commencement de la regeneration. Chez les jeunes il n'y a pas de telle inhibition. Chez eux la regeneration intensive provoquee par l'amputation de six pattes produit le commencement de la pre-mue et l'acceleration du cycle d'intermue. La meme operation ne declenche pas la pre-mue chez les gros crabes. Les effets de la temperature, de l'eclairement et de la couleur du fond - noir ou blanc - sont egalement etudies. Les reactions diverses du jeune crabe et du crabe adulte aux conditions experimentales sont discutees en tenant compte de leur habitat et de leur comportement dans leur milieu naturel.
Habitat selection by hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

We examined annual habitat use for 65 hooded seals (32 adult females, 17 adult males, and 16 juveniles) equipped with satellite relay data loggers (SRDLs) in spring or summer during five field seasons (2004–2008). A combined approach using first passage time (FPT) analysis and a generalized additive model (GAM) was applied to test for habitat selection, with a focus on environmental parameters of depth, slope, ice, sea surface temperature (SST), and chlorophyll. The models were run on adult males, adult females, and juveniles separately, and the results identified SST, depth, and chlorophyll as the most important factors influencing habitat selection across all categories. Furthermore, males and females preferred similar habitat conditions, but were separated geographically, and by depth, at various times of the year. Males appeared to be more localized in their habitat use patterns, focusing their search effort in areas of complex seabed relief such as Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, and the Flemish cap, while females concentrated their search effort along shelf areas (e.g. the Labrador shelf). These findings support our hypothesis that hooded seals prefer areas where topography and oceanographic processes create favourable foraging conditions.