Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WITHIN-SITE VARIABILITY IN SURVEYS OF WILDLIFE POPULATIONS'

Most large—scale surveys of animal populations are based on counts of individuals observed during a sampling period, which are used as indexes to the population. The variability in these indexes not only reflects variability in population sizes among sites but also variability due to the inexactness of the counts. Repeated counts at survey sites can be used to document this additional source of variability and, in some applications, to mitigate its effects. We present models for evaluating the proportion of total variability in counts that is attributable to this within—site variability and apply them in the analysis of data from repeated counts on routes from the North American Breeding Bird Survey. We analyzed data on 98 species, obtaining estimates of these percentages, which ranged from 3.5 to 100% with a mean of 36.25%. For at least 14 of the species, more than half of the variation in counts was attributable to within—site sources. Counts for species with lower average counts had a higher percentage of within—site variability. We discuss the relative cost efficiency of replicating sites or initiating new sites for several objectives, concluding that it is frequently better to initiate new sites than to attempt to replicate existing sites.
Pollen nutrition and colony development in honey bees—Part II

The consumption of high-quality pollen induces the development of the hypopharyngeal glands in young honey bee workers. As protein-rich secretions from these glands are an important component of larval food, a direct relationship between pollen supply and brood rearing can be expected. Consequently, the availability of pollen is likely to be a central parameter influencing the development of honey bee colonies.
The Abnormal Return Performance of Singapore Property Companies

Abstract This study provides an empirical investigation of time-varying abnormal return performance of Singapore property companies between 1990 and 1999, an eventful period when the local stock and property markets were affected by strong economic growth, anti-speculation curbs on residential property market and the Asian economic crisis. The study fails to detect any superior abnormal return performance in the property stock market. However, there is some evidence that the abnormal returns in the physical property and property stocks are linked. The property investment implications arising from the study are also evaluated.
Effect of Stage of Growth, Temperature, and N and P Levels on the Hydrocyanic Acid Potential of Sorghums in the Field and Growth Room1

Variation in hydrocyanic acid potential (HCN-p) was studied in three sudangrass [Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf] strains and S. almum Parodi. Under field conditions, nitrogen application did not result in a significant change in HCN-p, but strain and stage of growth when sampled had highly significant effects. ‘Sweet’ sudan. grass and S. almum were high in HCN-p, while ‘Piper’ and Line 109 (LI09) sudangrasses were low in HCN-p. Forty-five days after planting HCN.p peaked, then dropped sharply during the following 15-day interval. In the first experiment performed under controlled environmental conditions, HCN-p differences among the four strains were highly significant. When P concentration in Hoagland'fss solution was increased from 0.0 ppm to 31.0 ppm, HCN-p was reduced significantly. Lowering the temperature from 30 C day/20 C night to 20/10 C resulted in a highly significant increase in HCN-p. In the second growth room experiment, a low HCN-p strain, L109, was significantly lower in HCN-p than the cultivar, Piper, under three N levels. HCN-p was associated with N-level, being lowest at the low N rate. Under both 30/20 C and 20/10 C temperature regimes, HCN-p was higher when the plants were 30 days old, than when they were 45 days old. Also, HCN-p was lower at 30/20 C than at 20/10 C. When both temperature regimes were lowered to 10/10 C for 10 days, the HCN-p in 55-day old plants was greater than in the 45-day old plants. On the other hand, further reduction of temperature to −5/−5 C for one day at day 55, resulted in the lowest HCN-p 56 days after planting
Farmers’ Perceptions of the Effect of Climate Change on Tomato Production in Nigeria

Unpredictability of weather caused by climate change constitutes a constraint to production of rain-fed crops. The perspective of producers on the impact of climate change on production of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L) has not been fully documented. The perception of farmers on effects of climate change on production of tomato was investigated. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 202 respondents from the predominantly tomato producing zones: southeastern (Imo), southwestern (Oyo), northeastern (Gombe), and north central (Benue), Nigeria. This consisted of 25% of regions from which 50% of villages were chosen. Ten percent of farmers were randomly selected from the total population of tomato producers. Focus group discussions and structured interviews were used to elicit responses on farmer personal characteristics, changes in production between 2000 and 2009, and perception of effects on production. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation, and analysis of variance. Mean age of respondents was 46.0 ± 9.5 years and mean family size was 6.9 ± 3.2 persons. The majority (83.9%) of respondents were male, and 63.5% cultivated 1–3 ha. Seventy-eight percent of respondents experienced decreases in tomato production between 2000 and 2009 and 61.8% of respondents stated that climate change was the reason for change in tomato production. Changes in tomato production across agricultural zones differed. Production of tomato was highest in the northeastern area and lowest in the southeastern area. Climate change was perceived to be the cause of decline in production of tomato between 2000 and 2009.
The Relationship between Growth Rate, Differentiation and Alkaloid Accumulation in Cell Cultures

The relationship between alkaloid content, growth rate and differentiation was investigated in seven solanaceous species in culture. Evidence was obtained for an inverse correlation between the growth phase on the one hand and alkaloid content and cell organization (aggregation) on the other. Linear phase and stationary phase cells of Datura innoxia Mill, incorporated DL-(l-14C)ornithine-HCl differentially into protein and alkaloids with proportionately more label found in alkaloids in the stationary phase cells. On transferring callus of D. innoxia from high auxin medium (containing 10~5 M 2,4-D) to low auxin medium (containing 10-6 M, 2,4-D), the alkaloid content dropped concomitant with a decrease in chlorophyll content and an increase in growth rate and friability. The nature of the interrelationships between growth, differentiation and accumulation are considered.
Temporal patterns of milk production in Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella)

The timing of milk production in Antarctic fur seals was studied at Bird Island, South Georgia. Like all lactating otariid seals (Pinnipedia: Otariidae), Antarctic fur seal females alternate between short nursing periods ashore and regular foraging trips to sea. Females do not necessarily return to the colony with full mammae, which indicates that mammary volume capacity is unlikely to limit foraging trip duration. Upon arrival at the colony, milk fat (r2= 0.33, P < 0.04) and protein (r2= 0.60, P < 0.002) content were positively correlated to the time spent at sea. A similar trend was observed in the milk produced on land. The rate of milk energy production was much lower at sea (5.02 ± 0.05 MJ day-1) than on land (23.66 ± 4.4 MJ-1 day-1). The rate of milk energy production during the foraging trip was negatively correlated to the time spent at sea (r2= 0.29, P < 0.05), whereas the rate of milk energy production on land was positively correlated (r2= 0.61, P < 0.001) to the duration of the preceding foraging trip. The total amount of milk energy delivered to the pup during each twoday nursing period was positively correlated (r2= 0.60, P < 0.002) to the duration of the previous foraging trip. The overall rate of milk energy delivery, however, was independent of foraging trip duration. This accords with previous observations that the growth rates of Antarctic fur seal pups are unaffected by maternal foraging trip duration patterns.
La comunidad Herpetológica de Caurel: Biogeografía y Ecología

The present work studies the herpetological community of Caurel (NW, of Spain): biogeography and ecology. Biogeography: altitudinal distribution of species, altitudinal variation in abundance of species and stratification reflect a decrease with the altitude bound to climatic reasons and productivity in Reptiles and to lesser heterogeneity of biotopes in Amphibians. There is a greater altitudinal stratification of the subcommunity of Amphibians than of Reptiles. Ecology: the different physiological requirements of Amphibians from land habitats and Lizards are reflected in a temporal alternation (seasonal and daily) in the exploitation of the same trophical resource. The snakes occupy another trophical level (predators and superpredators) and the tritons live in another habitat (subaquatic) with different resources and they have a different diet. The problem of interspecific competition is dealt with in two concrete cases: Lacertidae and Triturus. Great differences in size or corporal shape and behaviour permit coexistence but in the opposite case they separate themselves throughout the area, distributing the biotopes according to their physiological preferences. There are cases (Lacerta schreiberi and Triturus boscai) in which there appears to be a spatial displacement due to a diffuse competition with congenital species. One highlights the importance of the habitat in the food diet of some species, which becomes very clear comparing the tritons with the lizards and amphibians from land habitats. One questions the problem of stability and heterogeneity (climatic and spatial), competition and predation as factors which impel and influence the evolution of communities and species. In relation with studies realized in other areas we see that the herpetological community of Caurel represents the transition from the Mediterranean region to the European shore region, very much in accordance with the climatic and botanical characteristics of the zone, where the seasonality plays an important role just as the glaciarism appears to have determined a Reptile community evolutionally young.
Accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid in nodulated soybean in response to drought stress.

Nitrogen fixation and nodule permeability to O2 diffusion are decreased by drought stress. Since γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis is rapidly stimulated by a variety of stress conditions including hypoxia, it was hypothesized that decreased O2 availability in nodules stimulates glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity (EC 4.1.1.15), thereby resulting in GABA accumulation. First, the amino acid composition of xylem sap was determined in plants subjected to soil water deficits. While the xylem sap concentration of several amino acids increased when the plant was subjected to a water deficit, the greatest increase was in GABA. GABA accumulation was examined in response to stress induced by hypoxia or the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the nutrient solution. The exposure of soybean nodules to hypoxia for 6 h enhanced the GABA concentration by 6-fold, but there was no change in GABA concentration in response to the PEG treatment. No major changes in the in vitro GAD activity were measured in nodule cytosol or bacteroids. The present data do not support the hypothesis that decreased nodule O2 permeability and a resulting O2 deprivation inside nodules may stimulate in vitro GAD activity and thus GABA accumulation. However, the data could indicate a possible effect of hypoxia and drought stress on the in vivo activity of GAD.
Association of the commensal scaleworm Gastrolepidia clavigera (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) with holothurians near the coast of South Vietnam

Abstract The Indo-West Pacific commensal scaleworm Gastrolepidia clavigera Schmarda, 1861 is here recorded for the first time from the waters of Vietnam. It was associated with the sea cucumbers Stichopus chloronotus Brandt, S. variegatus Semper, Holothuria atra Jaeger, H. leucospilota Brandt and Actinopyga echinites (Jaeger). The last two species are reported as hosts for the first time. Each host harboured 1–3 worms. About half of the infested hosts (51.4%) harboured a pair of worms, one male and one female. The frequency of occurrence of G. clavigera on hosts varied from 31.9% on A. echinites to 80.0% on S. variegatus. Infested hosts were larger than non-infested ones. A sexual size dimorphism is characteristic of G. clavigera, with females larger than males. A positive correlation between size of males and females from every pair was found; a correlation between size of holothurian hosts and size of their commensals was not observed. Commensal worms show two main types of trauma, which are described a.
PARASITE POPULATION REGULATION: LETHAL AND SUBLETHAL EFFECTS OF LEPTORHYNCHOIDES THECATUS (ACANTHOCEPHALA: RHADINORHYNCHIDAE) ON HYALELLA AZTECA (AMPHIPODA)*

The hypothesis that Leptorhynchoides thecatus populations are regulated by mortality of heavily infected intermediate hosts, Hyalella azteca, was examined experimentally. Mortality related to the infection process could not be demonstrated because no survivorship difference occurred between amphipod groups exposed to L. thecatus and unexposed control groups after 24 hr. Likewise, amphipod mortality could not be associated with infection intensity during this period. Amphipod mortality, growth, and infection intensity were monitored for 25 days after a 24-hr exposure period. Cystacanths were infec- tive to fish after 25 days. Survivorship of exposed amphipods was at least as great as that of unexposed controls. Infection intensity in exposed male survivors did not differ significantly from that in males that died during the study. Infection intensities in females and survivors of undetermined sex were signifi- cantly higher than in Hyallela that died. The effect of time on amphipod size (as indicated by head length) was significant for male survivors and all females, but not for males that died. No negative effect of infection intensity on growth was demonstrated, nor was there significant correlation between amphipod size and infection intensity for either sex of amphipod at any time during the 25-day experiment. No evidence of lethal effects or sublethal effects on growth was detected.
Field studies of size‐dependent changes in waving display and other behavior in the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator (brachyura, ocypodidae)

Field studies of 133 male Uca pugilator (4.5–20.0 mm carapace width) showed significant changes in waving and other behavior patterns as follows: (1) Wave frequency changed gradually from zero to 110–170 waves/5 min across the size continuum. (2) Wave rates stabilized at 10–12 mm carapace width. (3) Larger males spent about 50% of their above‐ground time performing actual waves. (4) Time spent feeding and time spent in the burrow decreased with age. In the case of feeding, there was a quantum drop to almost zero at the 12 mm carapace width size category. (5) The responses shown by females toward waving males of different sizes changed, so that there was a 70% increase in female attentiveness toward males in the larger size categories. Behavioral, morphological, and physiological data suggest that 10–12 mm carapace width may represent a transitional period in male fiddler crabs, which culminates in attaining full sexual maturity.
Oogenesis and the spawning pattern in Greenland halibut from the North-west Atlantic

Gametogenesis in Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides from the North-west Atlantic is not synchronous between individuals of the same population suggesting that the spawning season is not well defined. Differences in oocyte size–frequency distributions in prespawning, spawning and spent conditions suggest that Greenland halibut are capable of de novo vitellogenesis prior to and during spawning, indicating that the spawning pattern is not determinate. Greenland halibut may be capable of fast-tracking oocytes to maturity, whereby during the spawning season oocyte batches may be brought quickly through vitellogenesis so as to increase the fish's yearly reproductive output. 1999 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles
The phosphate response of eight Mediterranean annual and perennial legumes

Abstract The growth response of eight Mediterranean type legumes to phosphate (P) fertiliser additions was measured in pots of a low P fixing Manawatu sandy loam known to be deficient in P. The yield of Medicago polymorpha, M. intertexta, M. truncatula, Trifolium subterraneum and T. vesiculosum was increased two to three fold by P addition; responses were near maximum at 50–80 mg P per pot. Yield of Vida dasycarpa was also doubled, but smaller plants especially required less P (approx. 20 mg P per pot) for near maximum growth. Lotus pedunculatus established more slowly than the other legumes and showed a four–fold increase in growth which continued up to the highest levels of applied P. Ornithopus sativus did not show statistically significant growth increases with added P, although the data suggest that there may be a small response at the lowest levels of applied P,particularly as the plants become older. Foliar P levels of all species were higher in older plants and increased with addition of P. O. sat.
Atorvastatin

Atorvastatin (Lipitor™, Pfizer) is a safe and effective 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor (statin). It is the most potent currently available statin in terms of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol levels. It was the first statin shown to lower triglycerides in patients with isolated hypertriglyceridaemia. It has a good safety profile. In common with other statins, it has non-lipid-lowering effects including improving endothelial function, antiproliferative actions on smooth muscle and reducing platelet aggregation. It also has anti-inflammatory effects and may reduce plasma glucose levels. Clinical trial evidence with this statin is currently limited. It did slightly reduce events in the AVERT trial comparing patients receiving coronary angioplasty with those receiving high-dose atorvastatin therapy and in the MIRACL study reduced ischemia in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Other end point trials are in progress.
Nickel in soil and maize plants grown on an oxisol treated over a long time with sewage sludge

Abstract The major limitation for the use of sewage sludge in agriculture is the risk of soil contamination with heavy metals, and their possible transference to man via the food chain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the content of nickel (Ni) in soil by the two methods of digestion (HNO3 + H2O2 + HCl and HClO4 + HF), and in different parts of maize plants grown on a tropical soil classified as Typic Eutrorthox, that had been treated with sewage sludge for nine consecutive years, and the effects on dry matter and grain production. The experiment was carried out under field conditions in Jaboticabal-SP, using a randomized block design with four treatments and five replicates. Treatments consisted of: 0.0 (control, mineral fertilization), 45.0, 90.0 and 127.5t ha−1 sewage sludge (dry basis), accumulated during nine years. Sewage sludge was manually applied to the soil and incorporated at 0.1 m depth before sowing the maize. Soil Ni evaluated by Jackson’s method was 76.8% higher than evaluated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency method that digests the samples by heating with concentrated HNO3, H2O2 and HCl. Sewage sludge rates did not affect Ni content in the soil. Ni was accumulated in leaf and stem but was not detected in grain. Sewage sludge and mineral fertilization applied to soil for a long time caused similar effects on dry matter and grain production.
Fernando de Noronha as an insular nursery area for lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris , and nurse sharks, Ginglymostoma cirratum , in the equatorial western Atlantic Ocean

Negaprion brevirostris and Ginglymostoma cirratum are large coastal sharks with a wide geographic distribution in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean whose southern populations are listed as vulnerable. Herein is reported the use of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago as a nursery habitat by both species in the equatorial Atlantic. Parturition time in N. brevirostris takes place between November and April whereas in G. cirratum it occurs from July to September.
The dynamics of volatility for Asian listed property companies during the global financial crisis

This paper examines the dynamics of return and volatility for listed property company markets across the major Asian countries over sub-periods based on the global financial crisis (GFC). The GFC and Eurozone crisis have shifted investors’ focus to investment in the Asian region, making it an opportunistic and dynamic region in terms of property portfolio investment. As such, it is of interest to assess return and volatility levels in the Asian region during the global financial crisis. This paper uses EGARCH models to empirically examine the dynamic volatility of listed property companies in 12 Asian countries. The findings reveal that, for the past 15 years, Asia had experienced moderate volatility levels in term of investment in listed property companies, including during the GFC. This study contributes to the empirical literature on the volatility dynamics for Asian property market allocations in international real estate portfolios, especially during a major financial crisis. In particular, the findings from this study will be useful for international investors to better understand the volatility profile of Asian listed property companies during the GFC.
Morphological and Ecological Divergence Within the Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) Species Complex in Yukon Territory

Two forms of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis species complex sensu McPhail and Lindsey [1970]) were found in each of five lakes in Yukon Territory. They are characterized by differences in gill raker counts. Low gill raker fish are benthic feeders and are found almost exclusively near the bottom while high raker fish are largely plankton feeders, being found throughout the lake water column. High raker fish have longer and more closely spaced gill rakers than low raker fish. They also have shorter life spans and mature earlier than low raker fish. Lakes supporting these sympatric populations of lake whitefish have no cisco populations. The low gill raker member of these sympatric populations seems to be equivalent to most other Yukon lake whitefish whereas the high raker member appears to be the unusual member of each sympatric pair. Key words: whitefish, lake, feeding, morphology, growth, divergence, Yukon Territory, sympatric populations
Quaternary evolutionary history of Austrocedrus chilensis, a cypress native to the Andean–Patagonian forest

The Quaternary life history of a species determines its current range and the degree and distribution of its present genetic variation. Past climates, ecological relationships and disturbances in connection to evolutionary factors have determined the genetic and geographical distribution patterns of the current vegetation, and consequently, evolutionary processes can be inferred from those patterns. The aim of the present study is to find a plausible evolutionary explanation for the current natural range and genetic variation patterns of Austrocedrus chilensis (D. Don) Florin et Boutelje in Argentina.