Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nutritive value of desert wormwood (Artemisia desertorum Spreng.) silage in mixture with high‐moisture maize straw

This study aimed to determine the fermentation characteristics, nutrient composition and in vitro digestibility of desert wormwood (DW, Artemisia desertorum Spreng.) silage as the sole ingredient, or mixed with high-moisture maize (corn) straw (HMCS). Desert wormwood and HMCS were harvested and chopped (1–2 cm) then ensiled in laboratory silos (25 cm high with an internal diameter of 7·6 cm) at a density of 550 g L−1 at room temperature for 60 days. The proportions of DW in the DW/HMCS mixtures were 1, 0·75, 0·50, 0·25 and 0, based on fresh weight. The silages were analysed for fermentation characteristics, nutrient composition and in vitro digestibility. Desert wormwood ensiled with HMCS had lower pH and acetic acid concentration and higher lactic acid concentration as the proportion of DW decreased. As the proportion of DW decreased, the crude protein concentration and the in vitro digestibility of dry matter increased and the concentrations of neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin decreased. This study has indicated that mixing HMCS with DW can improve the fermentation quality and nutrient composition of these silage mixtures.
Hydraulic lift by canola plants aids P and K uptake from dry topsoil

The role of hydraulic lift in nutrient uptake from dry topsoil is unclear. Vertically-split root systems were used to measure hydraulic lift and phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) uptake at the rosette and flowering stages of two canola (Brassica napus L.) cultivars (Trigold and Boomer with small and large root systems, respectively) grown in soil low in P and K. Rubidium (Rb) was used as a tracer to examine K uptake from K fertiliser banded in dry topsoil. During vegetative growth, statistically significant hydraulic lift was measured, irrespective of cultivar root size or a specific nutrient (P or K) placed in the topsoil. The Rb tracer revealed significant amounts of K were absorbed from the dry soil, but at rates five-fold lower than from the moist soil. The water lifted could not prevent cessation of P uptake by Boomer and a reduction in P uptake by Trigold. During mid to late flowering, ion uptake from the dry topsoil was impeded despite the continuation of hydraulic lift up to 28 days after the topsoil was dried. Minimal fine root growth following topsoil drying (and reduction in fine root biomass in some treatments) appeared to be the primary cause of impeded nutrient uptake.
PARÁMETROS GENÉTICOS PARA LA PRODUCCIÓN DE LECHE DEL DÍA DEL CONTROL EN VACAS MAMBÍ

El uso de los datos de produccion de leche del dia del control (PC) en las evaluaciones geneticas de bovinos lecheros es relativamente reciente y puede tener ventajas para el progreso genetico. Para estimar los parametros geneticos para la PC en vacas Mambi (3/4 Holstein 1/4 Cebu), se uso la informacion de 6839 pesajes de leche, de 755 vacas de primer parto que parieron entre 2001 y 2004 en 55 explotaciones lecheras de Cuba. Para estimar las componentes de varianza se uso el programa REMLF90, el cual se ajusto a un modelo animal bivariado que incluyo como efectos fijos al grupo de contemporaneas (lecheria - fecha del dia del control), y la edad de la vaca al dia del control como covariable lineal y cuadratica; y como efecto aleatorio al valor genetico aditivo del animal. Las vacas se ordenaron dos veces al dia y los pesajes de leche se hicieron cada 30 d. Se incluyeron vacas con al menos cinco y hasta 10 registros de PC. La produccion de leche se redujo de 7.7 a 4.9 kg entre la PC1 y la PC10. Los valores de heredabilidad mas altos fueron para la PC5 (0.25) y la PC6 (0.28). La varianza residual disminuyo al incrementarse el periodo de lactancia, lo que hace necesario considerar la heterogeneidad de varianzas en los modelos de prediccion del valor genetico usando la PC. Las correlaciones geneticas entre las PC en las diferentes etapas variaron entre 0.15 y 0.93. El uso de la produccion de leche del dia del control puede ser una alternativa para la prediccion del valor genetico de bovinos Mambi de Cuba
Screening of basidiomycetes for the production of exopolysaccharide and biomass in submerged culture

Fifty-six strains of Basidiomycetes, including native Brazilian fungi isolated from different ecosystems and edible mushrooms, were screened for production of exopolysaccharides and biomass in submerged culture. Agaricus sp. (CCB 280) and Oudemansiella canarii (Jungh.) Hohn (CCB 179) were the highest exopolysaccharide producers (6.01 and 3.54 g dry w./l respectively) after 7 days of incubation. The best producer of biomass was Schizophyllum commune Fr. :Fr. (CCB 473) with 16.68 g dry w. /l in 14 days of incubation. When the culture filtrate was submitted to freezing prior to polysaccharide precipitation, a gelatinous fraction was formed.
Daily and hourly movement of male desert-dwelling elephants

The daily and hourly movements of eight male desert-dwelling elephants of various ages (12–45 years old) were determined hourly by global positioning system (GPS)/telemetry collars during the wet, cold dry and hot dry seasons of 2006 in northwest Namibia. The average daily movement in the wet season was greater than that observed during either the cold dry or the hot dry seasons. A similar difference was also observed for the movement rates, with the highest average rate of hourly movement recorded during the wet season. The diurnal movements (both distance and rate) were greater than those in the nocturnal hours during the wet season, whilst during the cold dry and hot dry season the reverse was true. The daily cycle of movement also changed seasonally, with greatest movement rates observed during the wet season between 11.00–20.00 hours, during the cold dry season between 14.00–21.00 hours; and between 04.00–11.00 hours during the hot dry season. Periods of decreased movement rates were observed between 09.00–10.00 and 02.00–03.00 hours in the wet season; 03.00–06.00 and 11.00–13.00 hours in the cold dry season; and 01.00–03.00 and 12.00–14.00 hours during the hot dry season. Resume On a suivi heure par heure les deplacements quotidiens de huit elephants du desert mâles, d’âge divers (12 a 45 ans), grâce a des colliers GPS (systeme de positionnement mondial) et telemetriques, au cours des saisons des pluies, seche chaude et seche froide de 2006, dans le nord-ouest de la Namibie. Le deplacement quotidien moyen durant la saison des pluies etait superieur a ceux observes en saison seche froide ou en saison seche chaude. Une difference semblable fut aussi observee pour le taux de deplacement, le taux moyen le plus eleve par l’heure etant enregistre pendant la saison des pluies. Les mouvements diurnes (aussi bien leur distance que leur rythme) etaient plus grands que les mouvements nocturnes en saison des pluies, alors que pendant la saison seche froide et la saison seche chaude, c’etait l’inverse. Le cycle quotidien des deplacements changeait aussi avec les saisons, le rythme etant plus eleve en saison des pluies entre 11h00 et 20h00; en saison seche froide entre 14h00 et 21h00; et en saison seche chaude entre 04h00 et 11h00. On a observe des periodes de rythme ralenti entre 21h00 et 04h00 en saison des pluies; entre 03h00 et 05h00 et entre 11h00 et 13h00 en saison seche froide; et entre 01h00 et 03h00 et entre 12h00 et 14h00 en saison seche chaude.
Floristics, phenology, and ecology of the sublittoral marine algae in an unstable cobble habitat (Plum Cove, Cape Ann, Massachusetts, USA)

Abstract The floristics, phenology, and ecology of the sublittoral benthic marine algae in an unstable cobble habitat (Plum Cove, Cape Ann, Massachusetts, USA) were studied. Monthly collections (November 1981–October 1982) were made using SCUBA at 4–5 m MLW. Seventy-two species (three Cyanophyta, 12 Chlorophyta, 20 Phaeophyta, and 37 Rhodophyta) were identified. Crustose and turf algae dominate the cobbles. Crustose algae are reproductive throughout the year and upright species are invariably immature and nonreproductive. The ecology of crustose algae in this habitat does not conform to functional-form models as currently presented. The instability of the cobbles appears to determine the composition and life-form of the dominant algal species. These results emphasize the role of physical disturbance in structuring algal communities on unstable substrata.
Land Snails on Porto Santo: Adaptive and Non-Adaptive Radiation

A survey has been made of the land snail fauna of Porto Santo, Madeiran archipelago. Porto Santo is an isolated island about 12 km long by 5 km wide. The fauna is exceptionally species-rich and characterisied by radiations of species in several families, especially the Helicidae. Sixty-five samples from the mainland and five offshore islets yielded 56 species, 84% of them endemic, with a mean of 11.5 species per site, and marked regional differentiation in faunal composition. A given site produces on average only approximately one fifth of the number of species possible, equivalent to a value for Whittaker’s index of diversity of 4.5. Patterns of localization occur on the peaks to the east and west of the island, with numerous cases of replacement by congeneric and morphologically similar species. Local areas have assemblages of species differing in shell size and shape, which probably exploit different niches, the pattern in one area paralleling that in others. The low-lying sandy areas which separate these areas are now unfavourable to many endemic species; those which do occur in them tend to have island-wide distributions. Morphological variation in such species appears to have ecological rather than geographical correlates. We conclude that adaptive responses have occurred, but that much of the species richness can be interpreted as non-adaptive, that is, due to allopatric divergence in isolation by species which retain similar niches. Even on so small a land mass the topography is such that for many land molluscs it represents a cluster of refuges intermittantly connected through impermanent and often unfavourable sandy environments, on each of which evolution proceeds independently. Differences in distribution patterns between families probably arise because they evolved at different times in the island’s history. These results are compared with those from snail faunas in other parts of the world, some of which are similar to them.
A cross-sectional study of risk factors affecting the outcome of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus releases in New South Wales.

OBJECTIVE To determine what factors governed the extent of outbreaks of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) following releases in New South Wales. DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional study. PROCEDURE Information from the data set of official releases was subjected to two preliminary analyses. More comprehensive information on a subsample of official RHD releases, sites and animals was gathered by telephone survey of Rural Lands Protection Board staff and farmers. Data were analysed using multivariate techniques to determine which factors were associated with rabbit mortality within one month of RHDV release, within several months of release and in affecting the proportion of the population killed. RESULTS A strong association was found between the presence of heavy flea infestation (odds ratio 2.7), breeding in rabbits and outbreaks of RHD. For each week following breeding there was an 8% decline in the odds of an outbreak. Low temperatures also promoted outbreaks. Less important effects included the prior presence of RHD at the release site, which reduced the likelihood and severity of outbreaks. The presence of cattle and proximity to the nearest water body were associated with increased severity and likelihood of outbreaks respectively. CONCLUSION Both breeding of rabbits and associated high flea numbers may act together or independently in promoting outbreaks of RHD. Stresses involved with rabbit reproduction and low environmental temperatures also appear to influence the likelihood of outbreaks. The effects of proximity to cattle and water suggests that both flies and mosquitoes may have a minor role in local transmission.
Life History of the Black Redhorse, Moxostoma duquesnei (Lesueur), in Missouri

Abstract The abundance of the black redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei) within Missouri rivers appeared to be correlated with volume of flow: the greatest biomass occurred in streams with an annual average discharge of 500–600 cfs. The breeding behavior of the adult black redhorse is described. There was no parental care of the eggs. The body-scale relationship for the populations of each river was best represented by a combination of two straight lines. It is suggested that the break in the body-scale relationship was related to the attainment of sexual maturity. Black redhorse from the Big Piney River grew in length and gained in weight slightly faster than the black redhorse from the Niangua River. This difference in growth is attributed to a difference in intensity of harvest. Similarities existed between food items of black redhorse and fingerling smallmouth bass which may have been due to the smallmouth bass utilizing drift organisms from sucker feeding activities. Seasonal and daily movements of the bla.
Effects of Forest Fragmentation on a Dung Beetle Community in French Guiana

Abstract: Fragmentation is the most common disturbance induced by humans in tropical forests. Some insect groups are particularly suitable for studying the effects of fragmentation on animal communities because they are taxonomically and ecologically homogenous. We investigated the effects of forest fragmentation on a dung beetle species community in the forest archipelago created in 1994–1995 by the dam of Petit Saut, French Guiana. We set and baited an equal number of pitfall traps for dung beetles on three mainland sites and seven island sites. The sites ranged from 1.1 to 38 ha. In 250 trap days, we captured 50 species in 19 genera. Diversity indices were high (2.18–4.06). The lowest diversity was on the small islands and one mainland site. Species richness and abundance were positively related to fragment area but not to distance from mainland or distance to the larger island. The islands had lower species richness and population than mainland forest, but rarefied species richness was relatively invariant across sites. There was a marked change in species composition with decreasing fragment that was not caused by the presence of a common fauna of disturbed‐area species on islands. Small islands differed from larger islands, which did not differ significantly from mainland sites. Partial correlation analyses suggested that species richness and abundance of dung beetle species were positively related to the number of species of nonflying mammals and the density index of howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus), two parameters positively related to fragment area.
A three‐marker DNA barcoding approach for ecological studies of xerothermic plants and herbivorous insects from central Europe

The DNA barcoding technique developed for species identification has recently been adapted for ecological studies (e.g. host plant identification). Comprehensive barcode databases, covering most species inhabiting areas, habitats or communities of interest are essential for reliable and efficient identification of plants. Here we present a three-barcode (plastid rbcL and matK genes and the trnL intron) database for xerothermic plant species from central Europe. About 85% of the xerothermic plant species (126 out of c. 150) known to be associated with xerothermic habitats were collected and barcoded. The database contains barcodes for 117 (rbcL and trnL) and 96 (matK) species. Interspecific nucleotide distances were in the ranges 0–17.9% (0–3.2% within genera) for rbcL, 0–44.4% (0–3.1%) for trnL and 0–52.5% (0–10.9%) for matK. Blast-searching of each sequence in the database against the entire database showed that species-level identification is possible for 89.6% (rbcL), 98.4% (trnL) and 96.4% (matK) of examined plant species. The utility of the presented database for identification of host plants was demonstrated using two insect species associated with xerothermic habitats: the oligophagous leaf-beetle Cheilotoma musciformis (for which two host plants in Fabaceae were identified) and the polyphagous weevil Polydrusus inustus (which was found to feed on 14 host plants, mostly Rosaceae, Asteraceae and Fabaceae). The developed database will be useful in various applications, including biodiversity, phylogeography, conservation and ecology. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 177, 576–592.
Behavioural responses of the planktonic stages of the American lobster Homarus americanus to thermal gradients, and ecological implications

The behavioural responses of each planktonic stage (I to IV) of American lobster Homarus americanus to a thermal gradient were studied during complete day/night cycles using an experimental approach. The thermocline markedly influenced the vertical position of larvae of all stages, limiting their distribution to the upper part of the water column. In both absence or presence of a thermocline, older individuals (stages 111 & IV) were observed deeper in the water column than younger individuals (stages I & 11). The vertical distribution of larvae was unaffected by the day/night regime. The ecological significance of this temperature-driven behaviour of the larvae relative to the recruitment dynamics of the adult stocks is discussed. We hypothesize that factors causing a breakdown in the thermocline should decrease recruitment to the adult population. The validity of this hypothesis was explored for the lobster stock of Iles-de-la-Madeleine (Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec). Significant negative correlations obtained between the frequency of strong winds (> 30 km h' ) during dispersal and settlement periods. and subsequent lobster landings (with an 8 yr lag) in this region over a 15 yr interval support the hypothesis.
Structural and functional properties of a Bacillus subtilis temperature‐sensitive σA factor

Bacillus subtilis DB1005 is a temperature‐sensitive (Ts) sigA mutant containing double‐amino‐acid substitutions (I198A and I202A) on the hydrophobic face of the promoter −10 binding helix of σA factor. We have analyzed the structural and functional properties of this mutant σA factor both in vivo and in vitro. Our data revealed that the Ts σA factor possessed predominantly a multimeric structure which was prone to aggregation at restrictive temperature. The extensive aggregation of the Ts σA resulted in a very low core‐binding activity of the Ts σA factor and a markedly reduced σA‐RNA polymerase activity in B. subtilis DB1005, suggesting that extensive aggregation of the Ts σA is the main trigger for the temperature sensitivity of B. subtilis DB1005. Partial proteolysis, tryptophan fluorescence and 1‐anilinonaphthalene‐8‐sulfonate–binding analyses revealed that the hydrophobic face of the promoter −10 binding helix and also the hydrophobic core region of the Ts σA factor were readily exposed on the protein surface. This hydrophobic exposure provides an important cue for mutual interaction between molecules of the Ts σA and allows the formation of multimeric Ts σA. Our results also indicate that Ile‐198 and Ile‐202 on the hydrophobic face of the promoter −10 binding helix are essential to ensure the correct folding and stabilization of the functional structure of σA factor. Proteins 2000;40:613–622. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biological guidelines for freshwater sediment based on BEnthic Assessment of SedimenT (the BEAST) using a multivariate approach for predicting biological state

Abstract This paper describes the first results for an alternative approach to the development of sediment quality criteria in the nearshore areas of the Laurentian Great Lakes. The approach is derived from methods developed in the United Kingdom for establishing predictive relationships between macroinvertebrate fauna and the physico-chemistry of riverine environments. The technique involves a multivariate statistical approach using (i) data on the structure of benthic invertebrate communities, (ii) functional responses (survival, growth and reproduction) in four sediment toxicity tests (bioassays) with benthic invertebrates; and (iii) selected environmental variables at 96 reference (‘clean’) sites in the nearshore areas of all five Great Lakes (Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario and Michigan). Two pattern recognition techniques (using the computer software package PATN) are employed in the analysis: cluster analysis and ordination. The ordination vector scores from the original axes of the pattern analysis are correlated (using CORR in SAS) with environmental variables which are anticipated to be least affected by anthropogenic activities (e. g. alkalinity, depth, silt, sodium etc.). Multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) is used to relate the site groupings from the pattern analysis to the environmental variables and to generate a model that can be used to predict community assemblages and functional responses at new sites with unknown but potential contamination. The predicted community assemblages and functional responses are then compared with the actual benthic communities and responses at a site, and the need for remedial action is determined. The predictive capability of the discriminant model was confirmed by performing several validation runs on subsets of the data. An example of the use of the model for sediment in Collingwood Bay (an area of concern designated by the IJC in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron) is presented and the technique is shown to be more precise in determining the need for remediation than the currently used provincial sediment quality criteria based on Screening Level Concentration (SLC) and laboratory toxicity tests. The ultimate goal of the study is the development of a method to determine the need for, and the success of, remedial action and to predict what benthic communities should look like at a site if it were clean and what responses of organisms in sediment toxicity tests constitute an acceptable end-point.
The roles of dispersal limitation and environmental conditions in controlling caddisfly (Trichoptera) assemblages

Summary 1. Many recent studies have quantified the relative importance of environmental variables and dispersal limitations in shaping the structure of stream communities. However, the relative importance of these factors at different spatial extents has been seldom evaluated. 2. We analysed the distribution of caddisfly species in 89 Amazonian streams in relation to stream characteristics and spatial variables representing overland dispersal routes. The streams occur in three regions that differ in spatial extent and environmental characteristics. We analysed the data using partial redundancy analysis with two predictor data sets, one environmental and one spatial, to evaluate the variation in assemblage composition. We also separated caddisflies into ‘good’ and ‘poor’ dispersers to evaluate possible differences in the responses of these two groups. 3. The environmental component explained a higher proportion of variance in assemblage composition than did the spatial component. Spatial effects were evident only when data from all three regions were analysed together, although the exclusive spatial fraction was quite low. Good dispersers responded similarly to the community as a whole, while poor dispersers were related to environmental variables only in one region and also were not related to spatial variables. 4. Caddisflies were most affected by environmental factors. The large environmental effect and small spatial effect are in accord with the use of these stream insects as good indicators of site properties and disturbances in monitoring programmes.