Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A review of the biology and control of the vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Coleoptera : Curculionidae)

Summary At the turn of the century, damage by Otiorhynchus sulcatus was sporadic and limited to small areas. Increasing horticultural intensification and the adoption of husbandry techniques favourable to the weevil, such as the use of polythene mulches, increased its pest status. The development of the early inorganic pesticides reduced the number of serious outbreaks of this pest and weevil control was further improved by the development of the persistent organochlorine insecticides in the 1940's. The banning of a number of the more persistent insecticides over recent years has now left the horticultural industry in a very vulnerable position. O. sulcatus is now a pest on a range of horticultural crops throughout the temperate regions of the world. Infestations are most common in Europe (where it originated) and the USA, and nearly 150 plants species have been identified as potential hosts to O. sulcatus. Damage is most frequently caused by the root feeding larval stage. Populations as low as one larva plant can kill sensitive species such as Cyclamen. Severe damage by the leaf feeding adults is less common, although low levels of damage or contamination by adults may be unacceptable in certain situations. There is one generation a year. Oviposition by the flightless parthenogenetic females occurs over the summer months with oviposition rates of c. 500 and 1200 eggs adult-1for outdoor and laboratory populations, respectively. O. sulcatus mainly overwinters as larvae, although significant numbers of adults may survive in areas where winter temperatures are not too severe. A number of natural enemies, such as hedgehogs, frogs and predatory beetles, help to maintain O. sulcatus populations at a low level in natural environments, but they are less successful in intensive horticultural systems where persistent chemicals have been heavily relied on to maintain the population below the economic threshold level. Increasing environmental concern is now forcing growers to consider new pest control strategies. Controlled release formulations of non-persistent products, such as fonofos and chlorpyrifos, have shown potential as control agents for O. sulcatus larvae. Biological control agents, such as insect parasitic nematodes, have been developed commercially and new microbial control agents are in the process of development. Most of the new control products are directed towards control of O. sulcatus larvae. Adult vine weevils are nocturnal and a much more difficult target for the new control agents. It is likely that an integrated approach to pest control will be required to maintain O. sulcatus populations below their economic threshold level.
Disclosure Under IFRS: Does the Legal Origin Disclosure Gap Persist for Cross-Listed Firms?

This study investigates whether the influence of the US environment on firms cross-listed in the US is associated with the reduction in the disclosure deficiencies related to firms’ legal traditions. We analyze the levels of compliance with the disclosures required by International Accounting Standard (IAS) 24 concerning related party transactions and perform a double-differences comparison. First, we compare firms from different legal origins (common law versus civil law), and second, we compare the cross-listing status (cross-listed in the US versus domestically listed only) of a panel sample of firms from countries in which International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are mandatory. For domestically listed firms, we find that firms from the common law tradition have disclosure levels superior to those of firms from the civil law tradition. We find that the main reason for the differences in disclosure for these firms is regulatory quality. However, we do not find any differences in the level of disclosure among firms cross-listed in the US that can be associated with firms’ legal origin. Our results suggest that the regulatory enforcement and scrutiny of capital markets imposed by the US market compensate for home-country institutional deficiencies and mitigate differences in firms’ disclosure across legal origins.
Non-linear taxation with monopsony power

How does monopsony power affect optimal income taxation and welfare? I study this question in a Mirrleesian framework where firms observe workers’ abilities while the government does not. Monopsony power does not generate efficiency losses, but determines what share of the labor market surplus is translated into profits. Monopsony power increases the tax incidence borne by firms and mitigates (exacerbates) inequality in labor (capital) income. I derive intuitive expressions for the optimal marginal tax rate on labor income and the welfare effect of raising monopsony power. Monopsony power has an ambiguous effect on optimal tax rates and welfare. On the one hand, monopsony power enables the government to use firms as a screening device in order to extract information on hidden ability. This lowers optimal tax rates and raises welfare. On the other hand, monopsony power generates a distributional conflict over profits. This raises optimal tax rates and lowers welfare provided profits flow back to individuals with below-average welfare weights. I calibrate the model to the US economy and find that monopsony power raises optimal tax rates at low earnings levels and lowers optimal tax rates for middleand high-income earners. Moreover, the welfare effect of eliminating monopsony power is very sizable and ranges between –3.4% and +6.8% of GDP depending on the government’s redistributive preferences.
Wheat response to N2 fixed by faba bean (Vicia faba L.) as affected by sulfur fertilization and rhizobial inoculation in semi‐arid Northern Ethiopia

Nitrogen fixation in faba bean (Vicia faba cv. Mesay) as affected by sulfur (S) fertilization (30 kg S ha–1) and inoculation under the semi-arid conditions of Ethiopia was studied using the 15N-isotope dilution method. The effect of faba bean–fixed nitrogen (N) on yield of the subsequent wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.) was also assessed. Sulfur fertilization and inoculation significantly (p < 0.05) affected nodulation at late flowering stage for both 2004 and 2005 cropping seasons. The nodule number and nodule fresh weighs were increased by 53% and 95%, relative to the control. Similarly, both treatments (S fertilization and inoculants) significantly improved biomass and grain yield of faba bean on average by 2.2 and 1.2 Mg ha–1. This corresponds to 37% and 50% increases, respectively, relative to the control. Total N and S uptake of grains was significantly higher by 59.6 and 3.3 kg ha–1, which are 76% and 66% increases, respectively. Sulfur and inoculation enhanced the percentage of N derived from the atmosphere in the whole plant of faba bean from 51% to 73%. This corresponds to N2 fixation varying from 49 to 147 kg N ha–1. The percentage of N derived from fertilizer (%Ndff) and soil (%Ndfs) of faba bean varied from 4.3% to 2.8 %, and from 45.1% to 24.0%, corresponding to the average values of 5.1 and 47.9 kg N ha–1. Similarly, the %Ndff and %Ndfs of the reference crop, barley, varied from 8.5 % to 10.8% and from 91.5% to 89.2%, with average N yields of 9.2 and 84.3 kg N ha–1. Soil N balance after faba bean ranged from 13 to 52 kg N ha–1. Beneficial effects of faba bean on yield of a wheat crop grown after faba bean were highly significant, increasing the average grain and N yields of this crop by 1.11 Mg ha–1 and 30 kg ha–1, relative to the yield of wheat grown after the reference crop, barley. Thus, it can be concluded that faba bean can be grown as an alternative crop to fallow, benefiting farmers economically and increasing the soil fertility.
Population-size estimators and unequal catchability in painted turtles

Most methods of estimating population size from marknrecapture data assume equal catchability. Failure to meet this assumption may have profound effects on population-size estimates. We used 3 sampling methods to compare population-size estimates derived from Petersen, Schumacher and Eschmeyer, and JollynSeber models with the true size of a closed population of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) in Algonquin Park, Ontario. We found significant variation in capture probabilities, and almost all population-size estimates were far below the true population size. To try to improve the accuracy of the estimates, we applied 4 techniques commonly recommended for reducing bias when catchability is unequal: (i) changing sampling methods, (ii) using several sampling methods simultaneously, (iii) dividing the population by sex, and (iv) calculating population sizes using the computer program CAPTURE. None of the 4 methods reduced the error that resulted from unequal catchability in any of the estimates sufficiently for these methods to be suitable for management of populations or for ecological research.
Regulation of nodulation in Discaria trinervis (Rhamnaceae) - Frankia symbiosis

Nodulation in Discaria trinervis (Hook. et Arn.) Reiche was mainly located around the position of the taproot tip at the moment of inoculation with Frankia. Nodule distribution, but not final level of nodulation, was affected by the inoculum dose and the culture age of Frankia. Taproot inoculation resulted in distal suppression of nodulation of the growing root as early as 3 days after inoculation, that is, before the first nodules could be detected. Systemic inhibition in split root systems was maximal, but not complete, for a delay of 20 days between inoculations on both sides. Reinoculation of 9.5-week-old nodulated D. trinervis plants did not cause further nodulation. Nevertheless, nodule excision, with or without new inoculation, allowed the plant to develop new nodules not only at the infectible region of the young developing root but also in the region of prior existing nodules, where we observed arrested nodules at an early developmental stage. We conclude that root nodulation in D. trinervis migh.
TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR α ALTERS THE EXPRESSION OF CONNEXIN43, CONNEXIN40, AND CONNEXIN37, IN HUMAN UMBILICAL VEIN ENDOTHELIAL CELLS

Abstract Tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) plays an important role in orchestrating inflammatory responses with the vascular endothelium as main target cell type, and was found to promote migration of endothelial cells, as occurs in wound healing processes. Substantial evidence exists that endothelial cell migration in wound healing is related to changes in cell coupling by means of gap junctions. Gap junctions are agglomerates of cell-to-cell channels that allow direct electrical and metabolic communication between cells. The authors have investigated whether TNF-α alters the expression of gap junction proteins (connexins, Cx) between human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), thereby changing the extent of intercellular communication, as measured by dye coupling. Under control conditions, Cx43, Cx40 and Cx37 protein and mRNA were present in HUVEC. After exposure to 0.5 nM TNF-α for 48 h, however, the authors were no longer able to detect Cx37 and Cx40 protein, whereas Cx43 levels, seemed unaltered but showed more perinuclear staining. After 24 and 48 h exposure to TNF-α, levels of Cx37 and Cx40 mRNA, were reduced, while the level of Cx43 mRNA remained unaltered, suggesting transcriptional regulation. If TNF-α was removed from the medium, Cx37 and Cx40 expression was restored within 24 h. The modulation of connexin expression by TNF-α resulted in a decrease in dye coupling of 40%.
Movements and habitat use by immature Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) from the Caucasus

Capsule Juvenile and immature Cinereous Vultures from the Caucasus move large distances across undeveloped open-dry habitats in response to snowfall or high summer temperatures. Aim To study local and long-range movements of Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), and investigate the influence of environmental variables on spatial and temporal distributions of the species on a large scale. Methods We use 4-year-long location data from 6 juvenile Cinereous Vultures fitted with satellite-received transmitters to track their movements and obtain habitat suitability models. Results A few months after fledging, Cinereous Vultures may migrate from the Caucasus as far south as the Arabian Peninsula. Their movements are concentrated in undeveloped open-dry habitats. High temperatures push the vultures to higher latitudes and altitudes, while reverse seasonal movements are triggered by the extent of snow cover. Conclusions Our study shows the importance of the Arabian Peninsula and Iran as wintering areas for Cinereous Vultures. Long-distance movements by immature cinereous vultures are determined by climate seasonality, and in light of climate-warming scenarios for the next 100 years, there might be a shift in timing of the onset of the species seasonal movements and a change in the duration and geography of its wintering and summering.
Fosfatases na dinâmica do fósforo do solo sob culturas de cobertura com espécies micorrízicas e não micorrízicas

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar, mediante a atividade de fosfatases no solo, o efeito de plantas de cobertura micorrizicas e nao micorrizicas nos aspectos biologicos da dinâmica do fosforo em sistemas sob plantio direto. Solos sob especies nao micorrizicas apresentaram maior atividade de fosfatases acidas e alcalinas no estadio de floracao, e os niveis de atividade de fosfatases acidas persistiram nos cultivos subsequentes ao crescimento das culturas de cobertura. A maior atividade enzimatica, relacionada a mineralizacao de fosfatos orgânicos, em solos com especies nao micorrizicas pode ser um mecanismo de aumento da mobilizacao do fosforo no solo, compensando a ausencia de micorrizas.
Effects of temperature and substrate on survival and lipid consumption of hibernating Coleomegilla maculata lengi (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

The influence of temperature and substrate quality on the hibernation of the polyphagous predator Coleomegilla maculata lengi Timberlake was examined. Survival rate and lipid content were periodically evaluated at six temperatures (20, 10, 4, −0.5, −4, and −10°C) on two substrates (fallen leaves and wood chips). Rapid total mortality was observed at −10, 10, and 20°C. At −4 and −0.5°C, survival extended until May, but only at −0.5°C was the survival rate higher than that observed at natural hibernation sites. Fallen leaves were a better substrate than wood chips except in situations of sudden warming and subsequent snow melt. The rate of lipid consumption increased with temperature, and no significant variation was found between substrates.
Vocal individuality of Little Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx owenii)

Abstract The ability to identify individuals by call is particularly important for monitoring cryptic or nocturnal species. It provides key benefits in conservation management, such as allowing correction of biases in censuses and monitoring individual survival. Call surveys are a key tool in conservation of kiwi (Apterygidae), yet individuality of calls has previously been assessed in just one of the five species, the Brown Kiwi (formerly North Island Brown Kiwi, Apteryx mantelli). We have made the first test of whether Little Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx owenii; LSK) can be individually identified by call. Three classification methods (discriminant function analysis, support vector machines and statistical classifiers) were used to assign identity from either call or syllable variables. Using syllables, classification was significantly better than expected by chance for both males and females. Individual LSK can therefore be identified acoustically, suggesting that vocalisations may be used for conspecific identification. Classifier performance was worse using call variables, with no better than chance assignment for females and low accuracy for males. Significant differences in classification ability between the sexes support the hypothesis that the function of calls of male and female LSK differ. Furthermore, identification by call was much less reliable in LSK than in the more genetically diverse Brown Kiwi. This indicates that call diversity may be related to genetic diversity in kiwi, which, if confirmed, could provide a powerful conservation tool for rapid assessment of genetic differences among populations of these threatened species.
Towards wearable platform for accurate unconstrained trunk motion tracking using inertial and strain sensors data fusion

The thesis focused on the development of a wearable motion tracking platform employing fiber strain sensors and inertial measurement units through a data fusion algorithm. The development of a smart sleeveless shirt for measuring the kinematic angles of the trunk in complicated 3-dimensional movements was demonstrated. Fiber strain sensors were integrated into the fabric as the sensing element of the system. Furthermore, a novel method for obtaining the kinematic data of joints based on the data from wearable sensors was proposed. More specifically, the proposed method uses the data from two gyroscopes and the smart shirt strain sensors in a combined machine learning-unscented Kalman filter (UKF) data fusion approach to track the three-dimensional movements of a joint accurately. The suggested technique thus avoids the common problems associated with extracting the movement information from accelerometer and magnetometer readings in the presence of disturbances. A study with 12 participants performing an exhaustive set of simple to complex trunk movements was conducted to investigate the performance of the developed algorithm. The results of this study demonstrated that the data fusion algorithm could significantly improve the accuracy of motion tracking in complicated 3-dimensional movements. Future work requires coherently combining both types of sensors in a wearable platform for fullbody motion tracking so that the proposed algorithm can be tested in a variety of daily living activities.
Predictions of food intake in ruminants from analyses of food composition

Equations used to predict intake by cattle from some chemical or physical characteristic of food were examined. The equations are empirical or mechanistic in nature. Mechanistic equations are not used widely, usually only in a research context. The input to mechanistic models requires too much time to quantify to be used routinely. Empirical relationships form the basis of most feeding standards and are based on a wide variety of prescribed characteristics (digestibility, chemical composition, etc.), but the underlying principle is a relationship between intake and digestibility. Equations are modified to take account of feed types, animal weight and physiological state, rumen modifiers, hormone implants, environmental conditions, and whether grazing or hand fed. Quite significant differences exist between the equations in the intakes they predict in response to variation in weight, breed type, and feed digestibility. Equations can be very precise in their prediction when used with feed types and breed types on which they are based. Near infrared reflectance (NIR) offers the most potential for long-term development of equations. At present, NIR is used largely to determine chemical composition because of speed of operation, but long-term storage of data is simple, allowing further associative relationships to be developed readily. More sophisticated statistical procedures being employed to improve the precision of the relationships between intake and prescribed characteristics of food and NIR will be vitally important as they enable extra parameters to be incorporated at no extra cost or time for analysis.
Low Resource Availability Differentially Affects the Growth of Host Grasses Infected by Fungal Endophytes

Grasses infected with endosymbiotic ascomyceteous fungi (family Clavicipitaceae) often show increased growth and vigor; however, when resources are limited, the costs of being infected may outweigh the advantages. We grew multiple genotypes of two grasses species (Lolium perenne and Lolium arundinaceum) infected (or uninfected) with Neotyphodium sp. under limited light or water availability and measured both biomass and relative growth rates. There was a significant interaction between water stress and infection in L. perenne, while in L. arundinaceum, there were significant differences between infected and uninfected plants but no significant interaction. In both species, there were significant interactions between light level and infection. At full sun, infected plants were larger, while under reduced light, uninfected plants produced as much biomass as or more than infected plants. Although infected plants have increased vigor under high resource levels, infection will not necessarily result in increased host growth when resources are limiting. The costs and benefits of symbiotic associations should be assessed in a variety of environments to better understand the potential range of interactions.
Serum homocysteine concentration in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy

Background Homocysteine (HCY) was evaluated in healthy and chronic enteropathic dogs, however no studies on dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy are available. Objectives The aim was to evaluate serum HCY concentrations and its prognostic role in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy compared to healthy dogs. Methods Serum HCY concentration was statistically compared between 24 healthy dogs and 29 dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy. Correlation analyses between serum total protein, albumin (ALB), C-reactive protein (CRP), folate and cobalamin, and serum HCY concentration were performed in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs. Results The associations between serum HCY concentration and clinical, histological, endoscopic scores and follow-up were evaluated. Mean serum HCY concentration was higher in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs compared to control dogs (30.22 ± 8.67 µmol/L vs. 5.26 ± 2.78 µmol/L; p < 0.0001). No association between serum HCY concentration and total protein, ALB, CRP, folate concentration as well as, clinical score, histological and endoscopic scores was found. A negative correlation between serum HCY concentration and cobalamin was noted (p = 0.0025, r = −0.54). No significant difference in HCY was found between responsive and non-responsive dogs or between survivors and non-survivors. Conclusions Although, serum HCY concentration was higher in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy, its prognostic value remains unclear. However, further prospective, large-scale studies are warranted to better investigate the possible prognostic role of HCY in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs.