Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Light and temperature, but not UV radiation, affect chlorophylls and carotenoids in Norway spruce needles (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)

Concentrations of chlorophyll a/freshweight (Chl a FW) and photosynthetic pigments/chlorophyll a were studied during one growing season in the current year's (CYN) and last year's needles (LYN) from Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ) grown under natural or close-to-natural climate. Climate regimes differed in photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), temperature (T) and UV-B radiation. Pigments were not affected by UV-B but most of the differences between climate regimes, and also seasonal variations within climate regimes, could be related to PAR and T. Generally, two types of response to climate were observed: firstly, pigments reacted primarily to PAR without marked sensitivity to T and exhibited slow response times (> 30 d), and, secondly, pigments were affected by the combined action of PAR and T and responded faster than 20 d. The Chl a FW and chlorophyll b/chloprophyll a ratio exhibited slow-type response in CYN and fast-type response in LYN. Higher amplitudes in CYN than in LYN were observed for the latter two parameters, which are known to be associated with levels of pigment–protein complexes. It is suggested that slow response in CYN ensures that the high investments in proteins in these needles occur only in response to longer-lasting climate episodes.
Winter Browsing by Large Herbivores on Planted Deciduous Seedlings in Southern Sweden

Deciduous seedlings are valuable for the forest industry and, at the same time, often palatable for large herbivores. Therefore, browsing on seedlings of seven deciduous tree species and on Picea abies(L.) Karst. , as a reference species, was tested in a field experiment with the species presented at feeding stations. Twenty stations, each with one seedling per species, were established in each of 15 clear-cuts in southern Sweden. The planting took place in October. Depending on species, between 16 and 85% of the seedlings were browsed after one winter. The descending order, based on number of browsed seedlings, was Quercus robur L . > Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. > Fagus silvatica L. > Tilia cordata Mill. > Prunus avium L. > Betula pendula Roth> Picea abies (L.) Karst. > Fraxinus excelsior L. On 83% (range 45-100%) of the browsed seedlings the leader was damaged. On average, browsing reduced seedling hight by 32% (range 12-47%). Within species, initially taller seedlings were more often selected than shorter ones.
Congo Red Inhibits Proteoglycan and Serum Amyloid P Binding to Amyloid β Fibrils

Abstract: Various data suggest that Alzheimer's disease results from the accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide fibrils and the consequent formation of senile plaques in the cognitive regions of the brain. One approach to lowering senile plaque burden in Alzheimer's disease brain is to identify compounds that will increase the degradation of existing amyloid fibrils. Previous studies have shown that proteoglycans and serum amyloid P (SAP), molecules that localize to senile plaques, bind to Aβ fibrils and protect the amyloid peptide from proteolytic breakdown. Therefore, molecules that prevent the binding of SAP and/or proteoglycans to fibrillar Aβ might increase plaque degradation and prove useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The nature of SAP and proteoglycan binding to Aβ is defined further in the present study. SAP binds to both fibrillar and nonfibrillar forms of Aβ. However, only the former is rendered resistant to proteolysis after SAP association. It is interesting that both SAP and proteoglycan binding to Aβ fibrils can be inhibited by glycosaminoglycans and Congo red. Unexpectedly, Congo red protects fibrillar Aβ from breakdown, suggesting that this compound and other structurally related molecules are unlikely to be suitable for use in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Spatio-Temporal Factors Shaping Diurnal Space Use by Pygmy Rabbits

Abstract Factors influencing patterns of space use by pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) are poorly understood. We studied diurnal space use by adult pygmy rabbits during multiple breeding and nonbreeding seasons at 3 sites in the Lemhi Valley, Idaho, USA, during 2004–2005. Pygmy rabbits used larger areas than predicted by allometric models and documented by some previous investigations. Sex and season strongly influenced space use by rabbits. Males used larger home ranges and core areas, more burrow systems, and more widely dispersed burrow systems than did female rabbits. We also documented significant differences among study sites in many movement parameters, which suggested that local resource distribution also might influence how pygmy rabbits use space. Our results indicated that pygmy rabbits use large areas and exhibit seasonal, sex, and site-specific variation in patterns of movement and space use. Therefore, larger areas of habitat may be needed to conserve pygmy rabbits to accommodate seasonal, regional, and potentially annual variation in resource availability and to maintain linkages among populations.
The hen's egg: Variation in shell deformation under static load with relative humidity and age of egg

Synopsis Deformation of an intact egg shell under static load, which is used for the nondestructive estimation of shell thickness, is commonly assumed to be independent of the relative humidity of the atmosphere surrounding the egg and of the age of the egg. Two experiments are described in which these assumptions were tested. In the first it was found that deformation under a load applied at the poles depends on both factors. In the second it was found that the same was true for equatorial loading and that the change in deformation was independent of the number of times the load had been applied, the porosity of the shell and the strain of bird. Deformation increased linearly with relative humidity and decreased exponentially with the age of the egg, the half‐value period being about 3.5 d. It is suggested that the effect may be due to variation in the elastic properties of the organic moiety of the shell. The effect is small relative to that of shell thickness and curvature and may usually be neglected .
Nutrient reduction in rations with phytase for growing pigs

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance, the energy and nutrient balance and economic viability of production of growing pigs fed diets with reduced levels and phytase. In experiment 1, 60 barrows and gilts (initial weight 25 ± 1.72 kg) were housed in a randomized block design with three diets, ten replicates and two animals per experimental unit (one male and one female). One of the diets was formulated with a reduced level with phytase and evaluated in comparison to a positive-control diet that was formulated according to the nutritional recommendations for animals of this breed, and a negative-control diet without phytase. The different diets did not affect feed intake, but the diet with phytase promoted better final weight, daily weight gain and feed conversion, although it did not differ from the positive control diet. In experiment 2, 27 barrows (initial weight 49 ± 3.67 kg) were housed in random blocks with three diets and nine replicates with experimental plot represented by one animal. The diets did not affect the balance of energy and nutrients but had a significant effect on the efficiency of utilization of calcium and phosphorus, which was the lowest in animals that received the positive-control diet. Economic viability improved when nutrients were reduced and phytase was added in the ration. The addition of phytase (500 ftu/kg) in rations formulated with nutritional levels reduced for growing swines improves rearing productivity and it is economical viable.
GENETIC DIVERSITY MEASURES OF THE CROATIAN SPOTTED GOAT

In the present study, microsatellite data of 20 loci were generated and utilized to evaluate genetic variability of the Croatian Spotted goat. Genetic variability was high, with means for expected gene diversity of 0.771, observed heterozygosity of 0.759, and 8.1 for the total number of alleles per locus. There are no indications for deviations from random breeding within the population. Level of inbreeding was only 2% and non-significant. The population was found to deviate significantly under infinitive allele model (IAM) and two phase model (TPM), while stepwise mutation model (SMM) and qualitative mode-shift test of allele frequencies indicate the absence of genetic bottleneck in the recent past in the population of the Croatian Spotted goat. High level of genetic diversity, as it is presented in this study, may be seen as an initial guide for conservation decisions in the future.
Investigations of the Mechanism of the Transmission of Plant Viruses by Insect Vectors.--I

The studies here described aim at the elucidation of the action of a plant virus within the insect that is its specific vector. It is widely held that insect transmission is not normally a mechanical process; but of the nature of the biological relation, into which virus and insect are supposed to enter, little is definitely known. By the use of the method of mechanical inoculation of the virus into the insect I have obtained certain direct evidence bearing upon this problem. The virus studied is that which causes streak disease in the maize plant. A single strain has been used, maintained in the course of my experiments by repeated transfers to maize seedlings in the greenhouse. Conceivably this strain is a complex of viruses, but if so it has shown no sign of splitting into its components during the period of the work now described.
Relative importance of water and food as cadmium sources to an aquatic insect (Chaoborus punctipennis) : Implications for predicting Cd bioaccumulation in nature

The relative importance of water and food as Cd sources to the predatory insect Chaoborus punctipennis was established using a three-link planktonic food chain composed of larvae of the insect, its crustacean prey (Ceriodaphnia dubia), and the prey's algal food (Selenastrum capricornutum). To ensure that our laboratory results were reliable and could be extrapolated to field conditions, we introduced Cd at the bottom of the food chain; we used Cd concentrations to which animals might be exposed in nature; we measured Cd loss from the food to the water compartment; and we controlled the availability and concentrations of Cd in water and food. There was no significant difference between the Cd concentrations in larvae exposed to the metal in their food alone versus those exposed to Cd in both food and water, indicating that Cd bioaccumulation from water was negligible. These results suggest that, although Cd concentrations in the predator can be correlated with those in lake water, direct uptake from water .
Foraging Ecology of Birds in an Upland Tropical Rainforest in North Queensland.

Vertical distribution of herbivores, mixed feeders and insectivores in an upland tropical rainforest reflected variation of foods present in different strata. Arboreal insectivores utilized the widest range of strata because of a wider distribution of arthropod foods. Differential utilization of vertical strata was the most important factor to bring about niche differentiation, not only between the three feeding categories but between species within each of the categories. Species whose vertical ranges were similar were segregated by differential utilization of foraging sites, by foraging behaviours and/or by food resources. Seasonal migration, variation in diet and shifts in vertical foraging levels, and/or diurnal variation of foraging times, resulted in a finer partitioning of resources between those species whose niches greatly overlapped.
Pheromone trap catches of the olive moth, Prays oleae (Bern.) (Lep., Plutellidae) in relation to olive phenology and degree‐day models

Abstract: The population dynamics of the olive moth, Prays oleae (Bern) (Lep., Plutellidae) was monitored using pheromone traps containing (Z)‐7‐tetradecenal, from 2000 to 2002 in abandoned and commercial olive groves of Bursa in north‐western Turkey. The carpophagous generation lasted significantly longer than the phyllophagous generation. The degree‐days required for the anthophagous generation were significantly shorter than that for the phyllophagous and carpophagous generations. The relationship between temperature accumulations and pheromone trap captures of male P. oleae in Bursa olive groves showed a significant sigmoid relationship for the phyllophagous and anthophagous flights. Although there was generally a linear relationship between cumulative male catch and olive tree phenology, the use of the prediction model for insecticide treatments was insufficient. Cumulative male catch–degree days together with the olive tree phenology model can be used as a forecasting method for proper timing of insecticide applications against anthophagous and carpophagous larvae in olive groves.
The physicochemical characteristics of nonfat set yoghurt containing some hydrocolloids

The effect of incorporating the hydrocolloids carrageenan (0.10%, 0.30%), xanthan gum (0.15%, 0.35%) and alginate (0.05%, 0.15%) in nonfat set yoghurt was examined in respect of instrumental texture profile and water-holding capacity (WHC) of the yoghurt. The yoghurts which exhibited the similar behaviour of commercial yoghurts in terms of WHC, firmness and consistency, low adhesiveness and gumminess were analysed by difference-from-control sensory test. Carrageenan increased firmness, adhesiveness, gumminess and WHC at the highest concentration tested. The sensory tests did not show any significant difference between the formulations tested.
The role of emergent macrophytes in nutrient cycling in Lake Niepruszewskie (western Poland)

The role of emergent macrophytes in nutrient cycling in Lake Niepruszewskie (western Poland) The role of emergent macrophytes in nutrient cycling was investigated in the littoral zone of Lake Niepruszewskie, which is dominated by this type of vegetation. The lake is characterized by an advanced stage of eutrophication as is evident in the frequent blooms that cause low transparency and high concentrations of chlorophyll a and seston. The shoot biomass of Phragmites australis and Typha angustifolia is the major component of the plant cover with respect to nutrient accumulation. Other plants play a marginal role in the nutrient turnover of the studied lake.
Testing theories of mire development using multiple successions at Crymlyn Bog, West Glamorgan, South Wales, UK

1 Direct observations of long‐term plant succession can be made using quantified plant macrofossil records from peat bogs, providing a means to re‐evaluate theories of succession previously based on time‐space substitution studies or field stratigraphic surveys. 2 Multiple successions from fen towards raised mire recorded at Crymlyn Bog demonstrate that divergent pathways exist, even when initial conditions are similar within a single bog. 3 Over time‐scales relevant to the later stages of mire succession, allogenic forcing factors are significant and may be responsible for driving the direction and rate of species turnover in both forward and reversed hydroseral successions. 4 Differences in the local climatic regime may be responsible for the contrasting character of the mid‐ and late‐Holocene transitional mire communities represented in Core CRB93 at Crymlyn Bog. 5 Plant macrofossil analyses show that Sphagnum is not always a dominant part of the mire community before the establishment of raised peats. Other species including Eriophorum vaginatum, may be equally important ‘ecosystem engineers’ at the fen–bog transition.
Recombinant interferon‐γ can induce the expression of HLA‐DR and ‐DC on DR‐negative melanoma cells and enhance the expression of HLA‐ABC and tumor‐associated antigens

Recombinant interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) induced the expression of HLA‐DR when added to the culture medium of HLA‐DR− melanoma cell lines. In addition, IFN‐γ induced the expression of another class II antigen, HLA‐DC, on a HLA‐DR+ and ‐DC− melanoma cell line and to a lower level on a ‐DR and ‐DC− melanoma line. IFN‐γ also enhanced the expression of HLA‐ABC and β2‐microglobulin, as well as HLA‐DR on DR+ melanoma cells. In contrast, IFN‐α gave no induction of expression of HLA‐DR and DC on two DR− melanoma lines, while it did enhance the expression of HLA‐ABC and of β2‐microglobulin. The expression of 3 out of 6 melanoma‐associated differentiation antigens was enhanced by IFN‐γ treatment. The modulation of antigens by IFN‐γ was both dose and time dependent. A minimum incubation time of 48 h was necessary for the appearance of HLA‐DR on the two HLA‐DR− melanoma lines, whereas HLA‐ABC and β2‐microglobulin were already increased after 24 h. A dose of 20 U/ml IFN‐γ started to induce the expression of HLA‐DR and DC on melanoma cells GLL‐19 and Me‐43 and a plateau of maximum antigen expression was reached with 100 U/ml. Analyses of IFN‐γ‐treated cells by flow micro‐fluorometry showed a homogeneous distribution of increased staining intensity rather than the appearance of two cell populations. Immunoprecipitation experiments using detergent‐solubilized 125I‐labeled membrane proteins of IFN‐γ‐treated melanoma cells and a monoclonal anti‐HLA‐DR antibody confirmed the presence of HLA‐DR antigens. When IFN‐γ‐treated cells were cultured without IFN the induced or enhanced expression of HLA antigens was reversible. Eight days after removal of IFN, the HLA‐DR level was reduced by more than 90% and the level of HLA‐ABC and β2‐microglobulin by more than 50%. The demonstration of the ability of HLA‐DR− melanoma cells to express HLA‐DR after IFN‐γ treatment was extended to cells from other types of tumor such as gliomas, colon carcinomas and one cervical carcinoma cell line.
Using simple species lists to monitor trends in animal populations: new methods and a comparison with independent data

There is an urgent need to develop simple and inexpensive methods for monitoring wildlife populations in resource‐poor countries. List‐based methods have been advocated as simple yet potentially useful biodiversity monitoring tools, and systems have recently been launched in a number of countries to collect species lists. We attempt to advance the use of systematic list‐based monitoring by (1) suggesting improvements to the way in which list reporting rates are calculated; (2) assessing the extent to which degrading effort‐corrected measures of abundance into simple species lists results in loss of information on population trends; (3) comparing long‐term trends in list reporting rates with population trends from a wholly independent monitoring scheme. Daily species lists of birds were derived from regular trapping at a nature reserve in southern England. Most species showed a strong correlation across years between the proportion of lists on which they occurred, adjusted for list length (adjusted list reporting rate; ALRR), and an effort‐corrected measure of abundance (captures per unit effort; CPUE). ALRR revealed almost as much about annual variation in abundance as CPUE for all but the most frequently captured species. Long‐term (>20 years) trends in ALRRs at the nature reserve were positively correlated with UK national population trends recorded over the same period by an independent, labour‐intensive monitoring scheme that counted birds at a large number of widely spread sites. Our results support previous claims that simple species lists could generate data useful for monitoring long‐term population trends, particularly where such lists are collected systematically. However, further research on the efficiency of list reporting rates relative to more sophisticated methods is necessary, before list‐based methods can be advocated for dedicated monitoring schemes in resource‐poor regions.
New Zealand trends in animal behaviour research

Abstract To identify trends in research on pure ethology (fundamental issues in animal behaviour) in New Zealand, we combined manual and database searches of the five ethological journals with the greatest impact factors (Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Ethology and Behaviour) published from 1937 to (and including) 2007. We counted all articles giving a New Zealand address for the first‐listed and/or reprint author. Our analyses showed (1) a total of 131 articles in the five journals, with Animal Behaviour, the journal of preference, containing nearly half of the articles collected; (2) a sharp and steady increase in articles published per year; (3) all four of Tinbergen's questions received attention, with mechanistic and functional studies being more common than studies of development and evolutionary history; (4) a recent resurgence of mechanistic research, representing 67% of all studies in the period from 2003–07; (5) a balance in research focusing on the proximate and ultimate causes of behaviour, shifting towards proximate research in the early 1990s; (6) many New Zealand institutions published papers in the five journals, although universities were the main contributors; (7) only a small subset of the research (28.8%) was done with overseas collaboration; (8) a total of 139 authors were involved in the research reviewed (when all authors for each paper were considered without taking address into account); (9) a maturation of the sampled research by the early 1990s (i.e., when “descriptive” and “explanatory” papers were supplemented with “synthesis” papers); and (10) a large number of investigations (55%) used birds as the study subject. Ethology inNew Zealand, as represented in the five leading animal behaviour journals, was found to be a diverse, dynamic and growing field.