Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The importance of plant relatedness for host utilization among phytophagous insects

Current methods for measuring similarity among phytophagous insect communities fail to consider the phylogenetic relationship between host plants. We analysed this relation based on 3580 host observations of 1174 beetle species associated with 100 species of angiosperms in two different forest types in Panama. We quantified the significance of genetic distance as well as taxonomic rank among angiosperms in relation to species overlap in beetle assemblages. A logarithmic model describing the decrease in beetle species similarity between host-plant species of increasing phylogenetic distance explains 35% of the variation. Applied to taxonomic rank categories the results imply that except for the ancient branching of monocots from dicots, only adaptive radiations of plants on the family and genus level are important for host utilization among phytophagous beetles. These findings enable improvements in estimating host specificity and species richness through correction for phylogenetic relatedness between hosts and consideration of the host-specific fauna associated with monocots.
Heterosis and combining ability in a half-diallel cross of Sesbania pachycarpa DC.

Dix ecotypes de Sesbania pachycarpa DC. ont ete utilises pour produire des hybrides F1 a travers un systeme de croisement de demi-diallele (sans les hybrides reciproques). Les parents et leurs F1 ont ete evalues dans un systeme en blocs completement randomises avec 3 repetitions. Les caracteres observes ont ete le diametre a la base, le nombre de ramifications, le nombre de gousses et le poids de 100 graines. Pour tous ces caracteres sauf le poids de 100 graines, les plantes ont manifeste un heterosis hautement significatif par rapport a la moyenne des 2 parents. L'estimation des effets d'aptitude a la combinaison a montre des effets AGC hautement significatifs pour tous les caracteres, tandis que les ASC ne sont hautement significatifs que pour le poids de 100 graines et a la limite de la signification pour le nombre de gousses. Les effets additifs apparaissent majoritaires dans le determinisme genetique de ces caracteres.
Distribution of minke whales in the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas (60°W–120°W), with special reference to environmental/physiographic variables

The relationship between the distribution of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas (longitude between 60°W and 120°W), and environmental and physiographic variables (sea-surface temperature, sea-ice extension, and sea-floor-slope type), was studied to determine whether these environmental and physical factors affect the distribution and density of minke whales. The analysis was based on sightings data obtained from the 1989/90 and 1982/83 IWC/IDCR cruises. The mean sea-surface temperatures for comparable areas were significantly higher in 1989/90 (2.04°C) than in 1982/83 (1.12°C), and the area where the sea-surface temperature was greater than 1°C in the 1989/90 study was approximately twice that of the 1982/83 study. Additionally, during the surveys, the extent of the sea ice in 1989/90 was less than that in 1982/83, with the mean ice edge about 92.6 km (50 nautical miles; 1 nautical mile ≈1.852 km) farther south in 1989/90 than in 1982/83. This is consistent with the sea ice extent observed in winter, when the sea ice extent was less in 1989 than in 1982. The distribution of minke whales was substantially different between the two surveys, with the density and abundance of minke whales being greater in 1982/83 than in 1989/90. The warmer sea-surface temperatures, fewer cold-water intrusions, and the smaller extent of sea ice in 1989/90 may be related to the difference in distribution of minke whales from 1982/83, possibly owing to the shift in availability of prey.
Benthic assemblages associated with rocks in a brackish environment of the southern Baltic Sea

Sandy bottoms, with local patches of rocks, dominate the southern Baltic Sea coast. These rock patches create three-dimensional habitats with additional niches that can support diverse assemblages of organisms. In this study we investigated macrofaunal assemblages associated with the boulder field in the brackish Gulf of Gdansk. Of the 30 recorded taxa three animal species (Mytilus trossulus, Balanus improvisus and Electra crustulenta) together with five species of algae were directly attached to rocks. These engineering organisms provided habitats for a further 22 taxa. Among the fauna directly associated with rocks, barnacles (76%) were the most abundant while among indirectly associated biota, oligochaetes were the dominant group (45%). Rock size and algal biomass explained most variance in macrofaunal structure of the assemblages investigated. There were statistical differences in assemblage structure between two separate localities within the rocky patch, despite environmental homogeneity (salinity, water temperature and structure of sea bottom). These differences in assemblage structure were mostly due to differences in dominance of particular species rather than in species composition. Our results show that rocky patches in an otherwise soft sediment habitat provide additional living space for macrofauna leading to an increase in local biodiversity and organismal abundance.
Antioxidant Capacities of Herbal Plants Used in the Manufacture of Van Herby Cheese: ‘Otlu Peynir’

The traditional Van herby cheese incorporates herbs mainly consisting of Allium species as antimicrobial and flavouring aids. The total antioxidant capacities of 16 different herbs (8 species) collected from different locations were assayed for the first time by CUPRAC, ABTS/persulfate, FRAP, and Folin methods. The assay results correlated well among each other, because all were electron-transfer assays. The highest results were obtained with Folin having the highest redox potential. The second highest results were with CUPRAC, especially for the allium sp. , because the sulfur containing antioxidants in allium could be best assayed with CUPRAC, whereas FRAP was nonresponsive to thiol-type compounds. The order of CUPRAC antioxidant capacities as trolox equivalents was thymus sp. > chaerophyllum sp. > allium sp. > prangos sp. ≥ ferula sp. On the other hand, the order of Folin findings was thymus sp. > allium sp. > chaerophyllum sp. > ferula sp. ≥ prangos sp.
Spent oyster mushroom substrate performs better than many mushroom mycelia in removing the biocide pentachlorophenol

Chlorophenols have been commonly used as disinfectants and preservatives but their recalcitrant nature, persistence and toxicities make them priority pollutants for treatment. The ability of various fungi ( Armillaria gallica, A. mellea, Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pleurotus pulmonarius, a Polyporus sp., Coprinus cinereus and Volvariella volvacea ), and the spent mushroom substrate of P. pulmonarius (SMS) to remove pentachlorophenol (PCP) was compared using a batch cultivation system. The PCP content was monitored by reversed phase HPLC, and the breakdown products were determined by GC-MS. Possession of ligninolytic ability was determined by ability to decolourize the dye Poly-R478 at two N levels. Not all the fungi tested decolourized the dye, and for those that did, not all showed N-modulation response on dye decolourization. All these fungi showed active breakdown in addition to biosorption as their PCP removal mechanisms. The tolerance level of the fungus towards PCP did not correlate with its degradative capacity, nor to its ability to decolourize Poly-R478. The A. mellea strain showed the highest degradative capacity (13 mg PCP g −1 mycelium; D.W.) while the Polyporus possessed the greatest biosorption capacity (31 mg PCP g −1 mycelium, D.W.). In comparison, Pleurotus SMS harbouring both bacteria and fungi functioned over a wide range of initial PCP concentrations and reached a higher degradative capacity (19 mg PCP g −1 ) in only 3 d. GC-MS chromatograms revealed only residual PCP peaks in SMS extracts, a contrast with the mycelial incubations in which a variety of breakdown products were detectable. Use of SMS for bioremediation of biocide-contaminated sites seems promising.
Potential poultry and meat products contamination by aflatoxin B1 due to fungal presence in Portuguese poultry units

The impact of mycotoxins on human and animal health is well recognized. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is by far the most prevalent and the most potent natural carcinogen and is usually the major aflatoxin produced by toxigenic fungal strains. Data available, points to an increasing frequency of poultry feed contamination by aflatoxins. Since aflatoxin residues may accumulate in body tissues, this represents a high risk to human health. Samples from commercial poultry birds have already presented detectable levels of aflatoxin in liver. A descriptive study was developed in order to assess fungal contamination by species from Aspergillus flavus complex in seven Portuguese poultry units. Air fungal contamination was studied by conventional and molecular methods. Air, litter and surfaces samples were collected. To apply molecular methods, air samples of 300L were collected using the Coriolis μ air sampler (Bertin Technologies), at 300 L/min airflow rate. For conventional methodologies, all the collected samples were incubated at 27oC for five to seven days. Through conventional methods, Aspergillus flavus was the third fungal species (7%) most frequently found in 27 indoor air samples analysed and the most commonly isolated species (75%) in air samples containing only the Aspergillus genus.
Danielopolina kornickeri sp. n. (Ostracoda, Thaumatocypridoidea) from a western Australian anchialine cave: morphology and evolution

Danielopolina kornickeri sp. n. is described from an anchialine cave in Western Australia. This is the first Danielopolina species occurring outside of the Western Hemisphere (Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans and Islands). A cladistic analysis indicates that this species is a primitive taxon of the anchialine cavernicolous clade; the deep‐sea dwelling species Danielopolina carolynae appears more primitive and does not cluster with the other Danielopolina species. The ecological environment of D. kornickeri is described. Detailed discussions consider: (1) the shell ornamentation and its relevance to the phylogeny of the Thaumatocyprididae; (2) the antero‐dorsal node of the Permian Thaumatomma (hypothesized here to be an ocular lens which regressed in the post‐Palaeozoic thaumatocypridids); (3) the distal chaetotaxy of the antennae (hypothesized to perform the chemosensorial function known in the aesthetascs of other myodocopids or podocopids); (4) palaeobiogeographical arguments for a shallow marine origin of cavernicolous species Danielopolina.
Quantitative Analysis on 2‐Acetyl‐1‐pyrroline of an Aromatic Rice by Stable Isotope Dilution Method and Model Studies on its Formation during Cooking

A quantitative analysis of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline from aromatic rice samples using a stable isotope dilution method was developed. The compound was extracted from seedlings, roots, and husks at room temperature for 2 h, whereas milled or brown rice samples were extracted at 75 °C. The recovery of 2-acetyl- 1-pyrroline was linear from 5 to 5000 ng/g with sensitivity of less than 0.1 ng/g. 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline showed tautomerism with an imide form. The results revealed that 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline present in aromatic rice samples did not form during cooking or postharvest processes. Le 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (AcPy), apportant un arome de pop corn, est un compose de flaveur important dans le riz aromatique. Cette etude decrit le developpement d'une methode de dosage par chromatographie gazeuse - spectrometrie de masse - controle d'ion selectionne pour l'analyse de AcPy dans du riz en utilisant une methode de dilution d'isotope stable. Elle evalue aussi les effets d'un traitement thermique en tant que modele de cuisson du riz sur la formation de AcPy.
Selenium Excretion in Sheep

Factors affecting the fate of selenium (Se) in the gastro-intestinal tract and its excretion in faeces were examined in four experiments. Large quantities of Se were secreted into the anterior region of the small intestine and were absorbed from the posterior region. These processes were not affected by the infusion of arsenite or by tying off the pancreatic duct. Faecal and urinary Se excretion were increased in sheep of higher Se status; the increase in faecal excretion was evident for several weeks after a change in Se intake but was not significant because of high variability between animals; it was attributed to the release of Se when tissues were turned over as tissue Se concentration equilibrated with contemporary Se intake. The bile was a possible route for the entry of such Se into the gastro-intestinal tract, and relationships between biliary Se and whole blood and plasma Se concentrations are presented. Faecal Se excretion was more sensitive to an increase in the organic matter intake than to an increase in forage Se concentration in one experiment. It is postulated that Se excretion was increased because rumen microbial activity was stimulated by the increased nutrient intake, and this increased the quantity of dietary Se which was reduced to an unavailable form by rumen microbial action.
Genetic analysis of seed size, yield and days to flowering in a chickpea recombinant inbred line population derived from a Kabuli × Desi cross

Quantitative traits, seed size, yield and days to flowering were studied in a chickpea intraspecific recombinant inbred line (RIL) population (F 6:7 ) derived from a Kabuli x Desi cross. The population was evaluated in two locations over 2 years. Days to flowering was also evaluated in the greenhouse under short-day conditions. Seed size was the most heritable trait (0.90), followed by days to flowering (0.36) and yield (0.14). Negative and significant correlation was found between yield and seed size in the second year where environmental homogeneity was tested by analysing the controls included in each assay. During the first year, the environment was not considered homogeneous for yield in either location. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the three characters were detected in linkage group (LG) 4. In relation to seed size, two QTLs were located in LG4 (QTL SW1 ) and LG8 (QTL SW2 ). QTL SW1 accounted 20.3% of the total phenotypic variation and QTL SW2 explained 10.1%. A QTL for yield (QTL YD ) was located in LG4 explaining around 13% of variation. QTL YD might be pleiotropic with QTL SW1 . For days to flowering, a QTL (QTL DF1 ) was located in LG4 for all environments analysed explaining around 20% of variation. QTL DF1 was closely linked to QTL SW1 and QTL YD in LG4.
Ecology and Evolution of Social Organization in Arctic Sandpipers

A comparative analysis of sandpiper social systems on arctic and subarctic breeding grounds (24 species in the family Scolopacidae, subfamily Calidridinae) shows four major patterns. In a majority of the species (15), populations are dispersed through a strongly developed territorial system, with strong monogamous pair bonds and only minor yearly fluctuations in numbers. The second pattern is seen in three species in which the female of a pair may lay two sets of eggs in quick succession, one for each member of the pair to incubate. This opens opportunities for facultative polygyny or polyandry (‘serial polygamy’) and for the evolutionary weakening of the strong pair bond seen in the first pattern. The third and fourth patterns are those of polygyny (three species) and promiscuity (three species). These six species show clumped dispersions; their year-to-year fluctuations tend to be strong; the males defend compressible, often small, territories; and high densities can occur locally. It is suggested that the pattern of overdispersion and monogamy represents a conservative mode of adapting to high-latitude environments, while the pattern of clumped dispersion with polygyny or promiscuity represents an opportunistic mode in that the birds are concentrated into breeding areas where and when weather, food, and/or some other environmental factors are particularly favorable. Apparently falling evolutionarily between these two basic patterns are several species conservative in their life-styles, but polygamous at least occasionally and showing some features of opportunism. There is thus a striking diversity of social systems in calidridine sandpipers, that is, in the styles of habitat exploitation they have evolved in the arctic and subarctic habitats to which their breeding is confined. A graphic model suggesting paths of evolutionary development and of interplay among factors considered critical in the evolution of these systems is proposed.
Comparative structures and dynamics of some populations of helminths, parasites of fishes : the sea bass- Diplectanum model

In the Mediterranean, the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax is parasitized by two Monopisthocotylean monogeneans : Diplectanum aequans and Diplectanum laubieri. These congeneric species live on the gills of this fish. New data concerning the structure of their populations are presented. Analysis of the distribution of these parasites in a sample of hosts was used to propose general mathematical models. The lognormal model was thus found to fit the distribution of D. aequans, whereas that of D. laubieri can be described by a negative binomial model. More detailed analysis of Diplectanum cohorts on each host led to : 1) more accurate definition of the differences between the dynamics of these two monogeneans. D. aequans appeared as the predominating species; 2) determination of the importance of certain explanatory variables in relation to the dynamics of recruitment : the age and sex of fishes influence parasitism. Both parasites infect their host throughout the year, but fluctuations were observed linked mainly to the behaviour of D. labrax ; certain females were more parasitized, particularly during the spawning period. When studied in detail at infrapopulation level, these monogeneans appear as good tags of host ethology. Finally critical remarks are made with regard to some problems raised in population biology of parasitic helminths (frequency distribution, sampling strategy.).
Soil Compaction and Moisture Stress Preconditioning in Kentucky Bluegrass. II. Stomatal Resistance, Leaf Water Potential, and Canopy Temperature1

In this greenhouse study we investigated the effects of soil compaction and moisture stress preconditioning on stomatal diffusive resistance (Rₛ), leaf water potential (Ψ₁), and canopy minus air temperatures (ΔT) of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L. ‘Ram I’). The compaction treatments were: (i) NC = no compaction, (ii) LT = long-term compaction over a 99-day period, and (iii) ST = short-term compaction for 9 days. The compactive treatment was equivalent to 720 J energy. Irrigation regimes were initiated at the same time as LT compaction and were: (i) well-watered = irrigation at −0.045 MPa and (ii) water-stressed = irrigation at −0.400 MPa. Ninety-nine days after initiation of preconditioning treatments, a dry-down cycle was started by watering each treatment to saturation. At this time, we monitored on a daily basis Rₛ, Ψ₁, and ΔT. Under low soil O₂, Rₛ remained low for 2 days and then increased over a 5-day period for all treatments, even though Ψ₁ did not change until the fifth day after irrigation (DAI). By DAI 9, Rₛ declined but then increased between DAI 10 to 13 as soil water potential (Ψₛ) and Ψ₁ decreased. As soil water deficits increased, plants preconditioned to LT compaction or water-stressed exhibited lower Ψ₁ (0.2 to 0.4 MPa), higher Rₛ, and higher Δ (1 to 2°C) compared with uncompacted or well-watered plants. Regardless of the cause for higher Rₛ (i.e., low soil O₂, LT compaction or water-stress preconditioning), the result would be lower photosynthesis and greater high-temperature stress.
Impact of life-history traits on response of seedlings of five tree species of tropical dry forest to shade

Seedling growth under three shade levels was studied at Varanasi, India, for five tree species of tropical dry forest, which differed in life-history traits. Three of these were small-seeded pioneer (Albizia procera, Acacia nilotica and Phyllanthus emblica) and the other two were large-seeded non-pioneer (Terminalia arjuna and Terminalia chebula) species. Seedlings of all the species were subjected to three light levels (80–100%, 20–30% and 3–7% of full sunlight) comparable to sunlit gaps and shaded microsites in the dry forest. After 4 mo of shade treatment, height, basal area, biomass and other growth traits, viz. RGR (relative growth rate), NAR (net assimilation rate), and SLA (specific leaf area) were determined. Etiolation and plasticity indices were calculated. Reduction in seedling height, biomass and relative growth rates and enhancement in SLA due to shade was greater for small-seeded pioneer species. Seedlings from large-seeded non-pioneer species exhibited a stronger etiolation response to shade than seedlings from small-seeded species. Phenotypic plasticity indices for basal area, plant biomass and relative growth rate were greater for the three small-seeded early successional species (A. procera, A. nilotica and P. emblica), indicating their specialization in a more favourable light environment such as large gaps and forest peripheries. The non-pioneer and pioneer species differed only in the degree of shade tolerance, and we suggest that dry forest species cannot be strictly categorized into two distinct groups (shade tolerant vs. intolerant), rather shade preference and gap preference would be the more expressive terms. Marked environmental heterogeneity in terms of irradiance and the phenology of dry tropical trees permits coexistence of species of varying ecological traits, contributing to the maintenance of diversity in the dry forest.
Energy Flow in Bear Brook, New Hampshire: An Integrative Approach to Stream Ecosystem Metabolism

An annual energy budget is presented for Bear Brook, a small undisturbed second-order stream in northeastern United States. The ecosystem approach, in which all input and output fluxes of potential energy as organic matter are considered, is used to describe the dynamics of energy flow in a 1,700-m segment of the stream. The annual input of energy to the system is 6,039 Kcal/m2. Over 99% of this is allochthonous, from the surrounding forested watershed or from upstream areas. Autochthonous primary production by mosses accounts for less than 1% of the total energy available to the ecosystem. Algae and vascular hydrophytes are absent from the stream. Meteorologic inputs (litter and throughfall) from the adjacent forest account for 44% of annual energy input. Most of this is in particulate form. The remaining 56% of input enters by geologic vectors (inflowing surface and subsurface waters). Eighty-three per cent of the geologic input and 47% of the total input of energy occur as dissolved organic matter. Approximately 4,730 Kcal/m2 of organic detritus, nearly equally divided between leaves and branches, is stored within the system. The size of this detritus reservoir is stable from year to year. The turnover time of the branch compartment is about 4.2 years; of the leaf compartment, about 1 year. Although much of the annual input of energy is in a dissolved state, dissolved organic matter does not tend to accumulate in the system and displays a very rapid rate of turnover. Sixty-six per cent of annual energy input is exported to downstream areas in stream water. The remaining 34% is lost as heat through consumer activity. Bear Brook is a strongly heterotrophic steady-state system in which import and export of organic matter play a significant role. A conceptual scheme is presented by which import, export, photosynthesis, and respiration may be used to describe the functional dynamics and developmental processes of ecosystems.