Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Summer Food of Chrysemys picta marginata, in Chautauqua Lake, New York

N INETY specimens of the central painted turtle, Chrysemys picta marginata (Agassiz), were captured during the period from August 17 to 29, 1941, in three trap nets of the New York Conservation Department, located just north of Stow and at Prendergast Point, Chautauqua Lake, Chautauqua County, New York. The nets were set in water from 5 to 8 feet deep over weed beds consisting largely of waterweed, Anacharis canadensis, yellow water lily, Nuphar variegatum, and several species of Potamogeton. These nets were lifted and reset daily at 8 to 10 A.M. The turtles were killed immediately and after the plastrons were removed they were preserved in 10 per cent formalin. All 90 specimens were adults (62 males and 28 females) and ranged in length of carapace from 106 to 175 mm. , with a mean of 135.6 (standard deviation 14.7). The stomachs of 76 (55 males and 21 females) contained food, while 14 were empty. Each stomach was considered as a unit in the estimates of the percentage by volume occupied by each food item. An exploratory attempt at estimating the relative volume of the different organisms in the intestines indicated that large errors would result because of more rapid digestion of certain animal tissues, such as large soft-bodied insects. Furthermore, since no organisms were found in the intestines which were not found in at least one of the stomachs, only the stomach contents were considered. These data on stomach contents are analyzed in Table I. They supplement the studies of Surface (1908), Pearse, Lepkovsky and Hintze (1925), and Lagler (1941), made in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan on Chrysemys picta marginata, C. picta picta, C. picta belli, or intergrades of these subspecies. When percentage by volume is considered, the food items were about equally divided between plants and animals. However, 15 more stomachs contained animal material than plants, and only one of the 76 stomachs held no animal food. Of the animals eaten, snails were most abundant (16 per cent). The most common species were Amnicola limosa, Physa heterostropha, Valvata tricarinata, and Heliosoma campanulatus. An occasional snail was undoubtedly engulfed incidentally with plants, but in many stomachs the snails occupied a much greater volume than the plants. Even when plants were present, they were usually separated from the snails in a manner which suggested that they were probably eaten at different times. About 14 per cent of the volume was fishes. Of the four individual game and pan fishes that were eaten, three were yellow perch, Perca flavescens, and one was a young largemouth bass, Huro salmoides. These were swallowed whole. Two of the three forage fish taken were the spottail shiner, Notropis h. hudsonius, while the third was also a cyprinid. Considerable fish carrion was engulfed and was easily recognized in the stomach by the semi-solid irregular mixture of flesh and bone. Insects occupied 11.6 per cent by volume. The only three
Life-Table Comparisons between Two Ground Squirrels

The life table of the Daurian ground squirrel, Spermophilus dauricus , was constructed by use of data collected from the steppe-desert zone of northeastern China. Fourteen life-table comparisons were made based on nine theoretical predictions of life-history evolution. Ten of the comparisons showed similar patterns between S. dauricus and the Columbian ground squirrel, Spermophilus columhianus . Of the four different patterns, two need either studies on more populations of S. dauricus or further tests of S. columbianus , whereas the other two might result from the different statistical treatments to the patterns concerned. We conclude, therefore, that the two ground squirrels display strong similarities in their life-history traits. The results support the hypothesis that a trade-off exists between fecundity and survival, and also suggest that the age-distribution data for constructing time-specific life tables may be collected at times other than the breeding season provided that age-specific fecundity can be obtained independently.
Re: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF binding protein-3 as predictors of advanced-stage prostate cancer

BACKGROUND Plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) have been associated with the risk of prostate cancer. However, the association of IGF-I with specific tumor stage and grade at diagnosis, which correlate with risk of recurrence and mortality, has not been studied rigorously. To determine whether plasma levels of IGF-I and its main circulating binding protein, IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), predict more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, we investigated the association between plasma levels of each and specific stages and grades of prostate cancer. METHODS We examined 530 case patients and 534 control subjects in a nested case-control study in the prospective Physicians' Health Study. Patients with prostate cancer diagnosed from 1982 through 1995 were matched to control subjects by age and smoking status. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured in prospectively collected plasma samples. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) for prostate cancer associated with IGF-I and IGFBP-3, stratified on grade (Gleason score > or = 7 versus <7) and stage (early = stage A or B prostate cancer versus advanced = stage C or D prostate cancer). All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Plasma levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were predictors of advanced-stage prostate cancer (RR = 5.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.0 to 13.2 for highest versus lowest quartiles of IGF-I; RR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1 to 0.6 for highest versus lowest quartiles of IGFBP-3) but not of early-stage prostate cancer. Neither was differentially associated with Gleason score. Men with high IGF-I levels and low IGFBP-3 levels had an RR for advanced-stage prostate cancer of 9.5 (95% CI = 1.9 to 48.4) compared with men with low levels of both. Combining IGF-I and IGFPB-3 measurements with a standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurement for prostate cancer screening increased the specificity (from 91% to 93%) but decreased sensitivity (from 40% to 36%) compared with measurement of PSA alone. CONCLUSIONS Circulating levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 may predict the risk of developing advanced-stage prostate cancer, but their utility for screening patients with incident prostate cancer may be limited.
Crystal structure refinements of palygorskite and Maya Blue from molecular modelling and powder synchrotron diffraction

Maya Blue, a synthetic pigment produced by the ancient Mayas, is a combination of a specific clay, palygorskite (or sepiolite), containing large channels in the crystal structure and the organic dye indigo. Little is known about the interaction of the two components to give the most stable pigment ever produced. The aim of this work is to obtain a refined model for the Mexican palygorskite used to prepare the pigment and to elucidate the structure of the clay-indigo complex, using both molecular modelling and Rietveld refinement on data collected with synchrotron radiation. Molecular modelling proved that indigo can fit into the channels without steric impediment (forming strong hydrogen bonds between the C=O group of the dye and the structural water of the clay) and produced a model, showing reasonable distances and angles, used as the starting set for the Rietveld refinement. Difference Fourier maps, calculated without indigo, showed a residual of electron density coherent with the expected disordered position of the indigo molecule. A refinement carried out using the model of palygorskite obtained in this work and a 6-fold disordered arrangement of indigo confirmed these findings. The ratio between the two polymorphs of palygorskite (monoclinic and orthorhombic) present in the natural clay was obtained for our sample and for several palygorskite specimens coming from different sites. Samples within the same outcrop show similar ratios, while samples from different locations do not. This may be used to characterize the provenance of ancient specimens, with the goal of determining whether Maya Blue was invented and produced in one place only or if the production technology was widespread in all the Mayan region.
PREVALENCE AND IDENTIFICATION OF HELMINTH PARASITES OF LOCAL CHICKENS OF ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA

Five hundred and seventy-six local free-range chickens were examined for helminth parasites, colour types, sex, weight , and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) from May 2003 to February 2004. Most birds were brown (39.1%), while 25% were black, grey (12.5%), white and pattern (mixed) colour types had 6.2% and 17.2%, respectively. Female and male chickens accounted for 64.1% and 35.9% respectively. The mean weight of the birds was 0.61kg, in which light birds (0.10-0.60kg) accounted for 53.1% of bird examined, and heavy birds (0.61-1.3kg) were 46%. The mean PCV value was 30.73. Twenty (20) helminth parasites were recorded with Ascaridia galli having the highest prevalence (73.4%), followed by Rallietina tetragona (64%), Rallietina cesticllius (56.3%), Davania proglottina (50%), Tetrameres Americana (46.8%), Rallietina echnioboitrida (35.9%), Choanotaenia influndibulum (32.80%), Capillaria cortorta (31.25%), Strongyloides avlum (31.25%), Hymenolepsis carioca (28.1%), Amoebotaenia cumeata (28.1%), Amoebotenia sphenoides (25%), Heterakis gallinarum (21.8%), symhimentus sp. (15.6%), Fimbriaria sp. (15.6%), syngamus trachea (12.5%), Trichinella sp. (9.37%),Capillaria annulata (7.8%), and Dispharynt spiralis (4.68%). Worms were recovered from three different alimentary sections with the intestine/caeca accounting for 14 (70%) of the 20 helminth spceies , 5(20%) were recovered from the proventiculus, while trachea accounted for only one (5%) species.
Sugar-regulated expression of a putative hexose transport gene in grape (Vitis vinifera)

Different lengths of the promoter of grape (Vitis vinifera) VvHT1 (Hexose Transporter 1) gene, which encodes a putative hexose transporter expressed during the ripening of grape, have been transcriptionally fused to the -glucuronidase reporter gene. In transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) transformed with these constructs, VvHT1 promoters were clearly responsible for the sink organ preferential expression. The potential sugar effectors of VvHT1 promoter were studied in tobacco cv Bright-Yellow 2 cells transformed with chimeric constructs. Glucose (56 mm), sucrose (Suc; 58 mm), and the non-transported Suc isomer palatinose doubled the -glucuronidase activity conferred by the VvHT1 promoter, whereas fructose did not affect it. These effects were the strongest with the 2.4-kb promoter, which contains all putative sugar-responsive elements (activating and repressing), but they were also significant with the 0.3-kb promoter, which contains only activating sugar boxes. The induction of VvHT1 expression by both Suc and palatinose was confirmed in the homologous grape berry cell culture. The data provide the first example of a putative sugar transporter, which is induced by both glucose and Suc in higher plants. Although induction of VvHT1 expression by Suc does not require transport, the presence of glucosyl moiety is necessary for Suc sensing. These results provide new insights into sugar sensing and signaling in plants.
The population biology of plants with clonal growth. III: Analysis of tiller mortality in Carex arenaria

(1) Tiller survival in the rhizomatous sedge, Carex arenaria, was studied in two sand dune-slack systems on Anglesey, North Wales. (2) Field plots were established in the mature, senile and slack phases of natural populations where half of the plots received a large application of NPK fertilizer. The tiller populations within permanent quadrats were mapped at intervals of 1 or 2 months for 16 months. (3) The application of fertilizer led to a large increase in the numbers of shoots that emerged for the mature and senile phases but only a modest increase for the slack phase. (4) Because of the complexity of the survivorship data gathered there was considerable difficulty in determining whether or not the apparent differences in cohort survivorship were statistically significant. (5) Therefore, tiller counts were analysed by a non-parametric method which did not require that individual tillers within the same cohort die independently of each other, nor that they have an equal probability of death in a given time interval. (6) Separate statistical models were fitted to the mortality data from both control and fertilized quadrats, so that the main features of the data could be described together with the variability that was present. The residual variation was much greater for the fertilized quadrats, due to the heavy fertilizer application greatly increasing tiller population flux. (7) The mortality rates for three of the five cohorts (April, June and September), in both control and fertilized quadrats did not differ greatly for the time intervals that they had in common but differed significantly from the mortality rates of the other two cohorts (July and January). The cohorts from the mature and senile phases had similar mortality rates except for the fertilized quadrats at one of the two sites. The application of fertilizer led to higher mortality for the mature and senile phases but this was not the case for the slack phase. (8) The mortality distributions of the fertilized shoots with time were of a different shape from those for the controls.
Eggs and Chicks from Broiler Breeders of Extremely Different Age

Abstract Eggs and broiler chicks originating from breeder flocks having extremes in age (27 vs. 62 wk old) wee examined. Eggs from the older flock were heavier and had a greater proportion of yolk and smaller proportions o albumen and shell than those from 27 wk old birds. Yolks of eggs from young breeders and albumen of eggs from old breeders had greater percentage of moisture. Chick and yolk sac weights from old breeders were greater, but yolk sac proportions were not different. Analyses for crude protein and amino acids, as well as ash and minerals of eggs, chicks, and yolk sacs, did not reveal obvious differences in concentrations. Phosphorus in the yolk sac of chicks from young breeders appeared to be low, indicating that additional supplementation in the first feed may be appropriate.
Chloroplast DNA variation of Shorea acuminata Dyer in Eastern Sumatra assessed by microsatellite markers

Zulfahmi, Siregar IZ, Siregar UJ (2010) Chloroplast DNA variation of Shorea acuminata Dyer in Sumatra assessed by microsatellite markers. Biodiversitas 11: 107-111. Shorea acuminata Dyer is member of the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is ecologically and commercially important in the Indonesian region. In the present study, chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSRs) were used to study the distribution of chloroplast DNA haplotypes and to assess the variation within and among populations of S. acuminata from Riau and Jambi provinces eastern part of Sumatra. Based on chloroplast microsatellite analysis, six haplotypes were observed for S. acuminata,namely haplotype P, Q, R, S, T, and U, respectively. The high haplotype variation was detected in Bukit Barisan National Park (TNBT) population (five haplotypes); it may be due to TNBT population status as national parks (conservation area) under government protection. The value of genetic differentiation measured for S. acuminata was Gst = 0.150. The Gst values in this study is lower than the mean Gst value estimated in angiosperms plant for maternally inherited. Information on the status of genetic variation of the species in this study could be used as scientific consideration in formulating appropriate strategies for conservation and sustainable utilization ofgenetic resources.Key words: Dipterocarpaceae, Shorea acuminata, chloroplast microsatellites, genetic variation
Phylogeny of Tetracladium based on 18S rDNA.

C om plete sequences of 18S rDNA of seven stra ins of Tetracladium were determ ined. T he following species were included: T. apiense, T . furca tum , T. m axilliform e, T. setigerum (one s tra in each) and T. m archalianum (3 stra ins). Sequence homology am ong the 7 stra ins was > 98% . T h e closest published m atch (NCBI da tabase) to the Telracladium sequences is one by Bulgaria inquinans (hom ology 95-96% ). Phylogenetic analysis placed th e Tetracladium complex in th e vicinity of th e Ascom ycete orders Onygenales, E rysiphales and Leotiales.
Predators and Predation in Paleozoic Marine Environments

The Paleozoic body fossil record of potential benthic predators includes nautiloid and ammonoid cephalopods, phyllocarids, decapods, and several lineages of gnathostomes. The latter group, in particular, radiated rapidly during the Devonian. In the pelagic realm, predator-prey interactions involving cephalopods and some nektonic arthropods probably appeared in the Ordovician. Again, evidence indicates intensification of pelagic predation, much of it by arthrodires and sharks on other fishes, during the Devonian radiation of gnathostomes. Trace fossils provide direct evidence of predatory attack from the Ediacarian and Early Cambrian onward, but with a substantial increase in the Siluro-Devonian. Brachiopod and molluscan shells and trilobite exoskeletons show evidence of healed bite marks and peeling from the Cambrian onward, but with an increased frequency in the Devonian. Predatory drill holes with stereotypical position and prey-species preference are found in brachiopods (Cambrian onward) and mollusks (Ordovician onward); boreholes also show increased frequency in the middle Paleozoic. Certain of these boreholes are tentatively attributable to platyceratid gastropods. Hard-shelled benthic organisms with thicker, more spinose skeletons may have had a selective advantage as durophagous predators increased. Brachiopods, gastropods, trilobites, and crinoids show an abrupt increase in spinosity beginning in the Siluro-Devonian. But spinosity decreases after the early Carboniferous. Late Paleozoic benthos may have taken refuge in smaller size and resistant, thick-walled skeletons, as well as endobenthic and cementing modes of life. Conversely, in the pelagic realm, external armor was reduced, while more efficient, fast-swimming modes of life (e.g., in sharks) increased in the post-Devonian.
Changes in plasma steroid hormone levels during gonadal maturation in female goldfish Carassius auratus

Levels of plasma estradiol-17β, testosterone, progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OHprog) and 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17α, 20β-diOHprog) were assayed by radio-immunoassay during gonadal maturation in female goldfish Carassius auratus which have an asynchronous ovary in which oocytes are found at various stages of development. Estradiol-17β was maintained at low levels (below 3ng/ml) from December to February, reached a peak of about 7.5ng/ml in March which was maintained after ovulation. Plasma testosterone levels significantly increased in March and remained at high levels (8-14ng/ml) in ovulated fish and increased again in fish 15 days after ovulation (about 26ng/ml). Progestogens (progesterone, 17α-OHprog, 17α, 20β-diOHprog) were very low from December to February, rapidly increased just before or after ovulation and decreased 1 day after ovulation. Estradiol-17β levels and the gonadosomatic index (GSI) correlated well from December to March; the GSI was low from December to February (about 5), increased rapidly to about 13 in March and again increased to 18 on April 30. These results are discussed in relation to other studies on seasonal changes in plasma steroid levels in species in which the ovary is of the total synchronism or group synchronism type.
Genetic and phenotypic relationships between performance test and reproduction traits in Large White pigs

Genetic and phenotypic relationships between performance test and reproduction traits were estimated, after five generations of divergent selection for components of efficient lean growth, in a population of Large Wltite pigs. On ad-libitum feeding, a total of 4334 pigs were performance tested, of which 884 selected gilts had measurements of reproduction traits. On a restricted feeding regime, 1558 pigs were tested, which included 336 selected gilts with reproduction records. For pigs given food ad libitum , genetic correlations between litter weights at birth and weaning with daily food intake (0·48 and 0·42, s.e. 0·16) and with growth rate on test (0·65 and 0·52) were positive, but correlations with backfat depths were not significantly different from zero. For pigs given food at a restricted level, litter birth weight was positively genetically correlated with growth rate (0·50, s.e. 0·18) and negatively correlated with backfat depths (-0·48, s.e. 0·16). Phenotypic and environmental correlations between performance test and reproduction traits were all less than 0·10 in magnitude, for pigs tested on either feeding regime. The variation in backfat depth enabled detection of a non-linear relationship between predicted breeding values for litter weight at birth with predicted breeding values for average backfat depth of farrowing gilts performance tested on ad-libitum feeding, but not for gilts tested on restricted feeding. The positive genetic correlations between growth rate and daily food intake with litter traits suggested that selection strategies which change growth and daily food intake may result in relatively greater genetic changes in piglet growth rate than in litter size.
Deep-frying Oil Properties of Diacylglycerol-rich Cooking Oil

Deep-frying oil properties of diacylglycerol-rich cooking oil (DG oil) were examined so as to assess the extent of thermally oxidative deterioration. The results obtained were compared with those for triacylglycerol-rich oil (TG oil). Autoxidation of DG oil at 50°C was much slower compared to TG oil. The viscosity of DG oil exceeded that of TG oil and both these parameters increased with the heating of either oil. Acid value (AV) of fresh DG oil (0.49) was higher than that of TG oil (0.11). AV, carbonyl and p-anisidin values of DG and TG oil increased with the number of uses. It follows from the present findings that the thermal oxidation of DG oil during deep-frying is basically the same as that of TG oil.
Gpr Offset Dependent Reflectivity Analysis For Characterization Of A High-Conductivity Lnapl Plume

In July, 2002 my field team collected a 10,000 sq ft 3D ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey consisting of over 4000 linear ft. of dense, multi-fold data. The field site is located over a known LNAPL plume associated with a former fire training facility. Previous workers have shown that hydrocarbon contamination, within the saturated zone, is associated with anomalously high electric conductivity at this site. Regions of high conductivity result in zones of increased GPR signal attenuation. These high conductivity areas manifest as “shadow zones” below the water table reflection (10 - 15 ft b.g.s) and are readily identified on GPR profiles. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy of GPR amplitude vs. offset (AVO) analysis in the characterization of conductive contaminant plumes. Amplitude analysis reveals that a clear AVO gradient anomaly is associated with the LNAPL plume. The lateral extent of the anomaly is roughly coincident with the shadow zone. This study demonstrates the utility of multioffset data acquisition, and suggests that GPR AVO analysis may be another valuable tool in contaminated site characterization.