Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Taxonomic status of Soriculus baileyi (Insectivora, Soricidae)

ABSTRACT The taxonomic status of a shrew species, Soriculus baileyi Thomas, 1914 (Insectivora, Soricidae) was re-evaluated on the basis of external and cranial morphological characteristics. Soriculus baileyi is considered a valid species of the subgenus Episoriculus. It is a large species with a tail shorter than or as long as the head and body length, and is distinguished from the other Episoriculus species, S. leucops, S. caudatus, S. fumidus, and S. macrurus, in having the combination of robust first upper incisor, long rostrum and upper unicuspid row, large tympanic ring, and high ascending ramus of mandible. Soriculus baileyi is known from Sikkim and Assam in India, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Morphometric variation among Episoriculus species is discussed based on principal component analysis.
Are Lepus corsicanus and L. castroviejoi conspecific? Evidence from the analysis of nuclear markers

Five species of genus Lepus occur naturally in Europe: L. europaeus, L. timidus, L. granatensis, L. corsicanus, and L. castroviejoi. Of these, the latter two have restricted ranges, L. castroviejoi in the Iberian Peninsula and L. corsicanus in central and southern Italy. Morphological data show that L. castroviejoi and L. corsicanus have extensive phenetic similarities, and might be sister taxa, which seems to be supported by a close genetic relationship at the mitochondrial DNA level. This marker also suggests a strong genetic similarity between both L. castroviejoi and L. corsicanus and L. timidus. However, mtDNA introgression seems to be a common phenomenon in hares and may confound any phylogeny based solely in this type of marker. Here, we analyse recently published DNA sequences data from 3 nuclear loci, reassess the genetic differentiation between L. corsicanus and L. castroviejoi and compared it to L. europaeus, L. granatensis, L. timidus, and L. capensis (from Africa). This molecular data confirms a very close relationship between L. corsicanus and L. castroviejoi, whereas the other species are phylogenetically clearly separated from each other. Our results show that L. corsicanus and L. castroviejoi have a strong genetic similarity, supporting the hypothesis that these species are most likely conspecific.
Effect of dietary inclusion level of a multi-species probiotic on broiler performance and two biomarkers of their caecal ecology

The effect of the dietary inclusion level of a three-species probiotic on broiler performance, nutrient digestibility, caecal microbiota composition and volatile fatty acid (VFA) pattern was evaluated. Day-old Cobb broilers (n = 448) were allocated in four treatments for 6 weeks. Each treatment had four replicates (two per gender) of 28 broilers each. Depending on the type of addition per kg basal diet, treatments were C (no other addition), PL (108 colony forming units of probiotic), PH (109 colony forming units of probiotic) and A (2.5 mg avilamycin). Overall bodyweight gain was better (P = 0.002) in PL and PH than in the control (2082 g) by 8.7% and 7.5%, respectively, while treatment PL did not differ from A (2341 g), which showed the highest bodyweight gain. The ileal and total-tract apparent digestibility of DM and the apparent metabolisable energy content corrected for N improved linearly (P ≤ 0.05) with the probiotic level. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation analysis showed caecal Bifidobacterium levels to increase linearly (P = 0.006) with the probiotic level. Probiotic administration resulted in altered caecal VFA patterns compared with the control. Gender effects (P ≤ 0.05) were noted for caecal levels of C. histolyticum group, Bacteroides fragilis group and Streptococcus spp. , while interactions (P ≤ 0.05) of treatment with gender were seen for Bifidobacterium and all VFA components, except for acetate. In conclusion, beneficial effects on bodyweight gain, DM digestibility, apparent metabolisable energy content corrected for N, caecal Bifidobacterium levels and VFA patterns were noted with both probiotic inclusion levels.
Predicting time-specific changes in demographic processes using remote-sensing data

Summary 1. Models of wildlife population dynamics are crucial for sustainable utilization and management strategies. Fluctuating ecological conditions are often key factors influencing both carrying capacity, mortality and reproductive rates in ungulates. To be reliable, demographic models should preferably rely on easily obtainable variables that are directly linked to the ecological processes regulating a population. 2. We compared the explanatory power of rainfall, a commonly used proxy for variability in ecological conditions, with normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI), a remote-sensing index value that is a more direct measure of vegetation productivity, to predict time-specific conception rates of an elephant population in northern Kenya. Season-specific conception rates were correlated with both quality measures. However, generalized linear logistic models compared using Akaike’s information criteria showed that a model based on the NDVI measure outperformed models based on rainfall measures. 3. A predictive model based on coarse demographic data and the maximum seasonal NDVI value was able to trace the large variation in observed season-specific conception rates (Range 0‐0·4), with a low median deviation from observed values of 0·07. 4. By combining the model of season-specific conception rates with the average seasonal distribution of conception dates, the monthly number of conceptions (range 0‐22) could be predicted within ± 3 with 80% confidence. 5. Synthesis and applications. The strong predictive power of the normalized differential vegetation index on time-specific variation in a demographic variable is likely to be generally applicable to resource-limited ungulate species occurring in ecologically variable ecosystems, and could potentially be a powerful factor in demographic population modelling.
Ion-mediated flow changes suppressed by minimal calcium presence in xylem sap in Chrysanthemum and Prunus laurocerasus

After the discovery of ion-mediated changes in xylem hydraulic resistance a few years ago, a number of research papers were published that related ion-mediated flow changes in the xylem to various aspects of whole plant functioning and evolutionary diversification of vascular cells. Ion-mediated changes in xylem hydraulic resistance are commonly quantified as the percentile change in hydraulic resistance, relative to the hydraulic resistance measured using a reference fluid, usually (ultra) pure deionized water. In this research the impact was investigated of the complete absence of all ions in deionized water compared with reference fluids containing a minimal amount of free calcium on the quantification of ion-mediated flow changes in stem segments of Chrysanthemum (Dendranthemaxgrandiflorum Tzvelev) and Prunus L. (Prunus laurocerasus L.). The addition of 10 mM KCl to deionized water significantly increased flow rate in Chrysanthemum (17-24%) and Prunus L. (16%). The addition of 1 mM CaCl(2) to the reference fluid reduced this KCl-mediated increase in flow rate to 1-2% in both species. 1 mM Ca(2+) is within the lower range of Ca(2+)-concentrations normally measured in xylem sap of many plant species, and three times lower than the original Ca(2+)-concentration measured in the xylem sap of Chrysanthemum plants used for the present measurements. The present results indicate that the complete removal of cations from the xylem fluid with deionized water causes the major part of the ion-mediated flow change previously reported in the xylem of plants. It is concluded that the use of deionized water as a reference fluid should be avoided. Earlier proposed relationships between ion-mediated changes and water flow in xylem of plants should be re-evaluated if they were based on deionized water as the reference fluid.
Seasonal Variations of Pests and Parasites Associated with Honeybees (Apis mellifera adansonii) in Southwestern Nigeria

This study examines the seasonal variations of pests and parasites of Apis mellifera adansonii in south western Nigeria. This involved quantitative data collection on the pests and parasites from a total of nineteen selected bee farms at different locations within the states of south-western Nigeria. The selection of the bee farms in the states were based on the four main ecological zones (Lowland Rain Forest, Guinea savannah, Derived savannah and Mangrove forest). Twenty three animal species representing sixteen families, twelve orders, five classes and three phyla were encountered. All the species encountered were found in dry season and not all in wet season. Mites were lacking in both seasons in all the study sites. Most of the pests/parasites belongs to the class Hexapoda (lnsecta) followed by Mammalia, Reptilia, Arachnida and Gastropoda, respectively. At the ecological level the total number of frequency of occurrence of pests and parasites were 528 in Derived savannah, 489 in Lowland rain forest, 274 in Guinea savannah and 130 in Mangrove forest. There were more species of pests and parasites encountered in dry season than the wet season and no record of presence of mites in both seasons.
Research Article Isolation and Biochemical Characterization of Rhizobium strains from Maize

Rhizobium, a nitrogen fixing bacteria can live either in soil or within the root nodules of host legumes. A NF bacterium can exist freely or in symbiosis and in either case entraps atmospheric nitrogen and converts the unreactive N2 molecule to NH3, a form that is readily utilize by plants. Rhizobium was isolated from rhizosphere soil of maize in Lalgudi Taluk their morphological, biochemical characters and survival efficiency. This study confirms the presence of Rhizobium in the rhizosphere soil of non leguminous plants.
Age-related changes in the visual acuity of larvae of New Zealand snapper, Pagrus auratus

Snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider) (Pisces: Sparidae) larvae are visual feeders which initiate exogenous feeding four days after hatching. Visual acuity of cultured snapper larvae was determined morphologically from cone spacing within the retina, and improved from 2°10’ minimum separable angle (MSA) in a 4-d-old larva (3·2 mm SL) to 52’ in a fish 22 d old (5·8 mm SL). Visual acuity determined behaviourally using the optokinetic response, was poorer at the time of first feeding than acuity determined morphologically. Behaviourally determined acuity improved with growth from 38° in 4-d-old fish (mean SL 3·1 mm) to 8°8’ at 16 d of age (mean SL 4·9 mm). This was still lower than the theoretical estimate of acuity (55’ at 18 d old, 5·9 mm SL). An estimate of the Matthiessen ratio based upon histological measurements suggests that the larval eye is initially strongly myopic and grows into focus. Development of the lens accommodative system was first apparent in fish at 4 d of age as a pigmented outgrowth of the ventral iris. A retractor lentis muscle was present in 7-d-old larvae (3·5 mm SL) and suspensory ligaments were present in 10-d-old fish (3·6 mm SL). As a consequence, larval snapper were initially incapable of accommodative lens movements to correct for a refractive error. The maximum internal jaw dimensions, an estimate of maximum ingestible prey size, ranged from 152 μn at first feeding to 373 μm in a 22 d old larva. Reactive distance to prey based on MSA determined from the optokinetic response and maximum prey width, were small in first-feeding fish (0·2 mm for prey width of 150 μm), but increased linearly with both body size and prey width. Minimum separable angles of first-feeding snapper deter-mined optokinetically, were larger (lower acuity) than the visual angles determined from feeding events of first-feeding fish larvae reported elsewhere. This may reflect the fact that optokinetic experiments involve a single sensory modality and chemical sense and developing lateral line may contribute to visually oriented feeding.
Original Article Meiotic Abnormalities in Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb) Jacq.

The genus Chlorophytum Ker-Gawl belongs to the family Liliaceae is characterized by its medicinal importance and its ploidy evolution. Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb) Jacq. (garden species) is a tetraploid species with 2n=4x=28. In the present attempt the meiotic behavior in Chlorophytum comosum was evaluated without any treatment. The percentage of abnormal PMCs at various stages of cell division, (approximately 2000 PMCs) were scored and analyzed. The meiotic analysis of C. comosum showed meiotic abnormalities like Chromosome stickiness, irregular spindle, meiotic aberrations such as laggards, chromosomal bridges, micronuclei, chromatin pulling, univalents to multivalent at diakinesis and structural variations in tetrads and are different from the earlier workers.
Ecologie et dynamique de la régénération de Dicorynia guianensis (Caesalpiniaceae) dans une forêt guyanaise

Dicorynia guianensis Amshoff (Angelique) est un grand arbre de la foret tropicale humide endemique du plateau des Guyanes. Ses proprietes technologiques et son abondance dans le peuplement forestier font qu'elle est aujourd'hui la premiere espece exploitee pour son bois en Guyane. La gestion de cette ressource exige de pouvoir predire a long terme le renouvellement et la qualite du stock exploitable. Pour cela il est necessaire de mieux cerner les processus ecologiques qui determinent la dynamique de la regeneration de l'espece. Le travail presente est la synthese d'etudes menees sur l'ecologie de la graine et la demographie de la regeneration de D. guianensis en foret naturelle et en foret exploitee sur le site de Paracou, en Guyane. Trois principaux themes de recherche ont ete developpes: (1) le comportement reproductif et son determinisme, (2) la production et la predation des graines et (3) la demographie des cohortes de plantules et de juveniles dans le contexte de l'exploitation. Les connaissances acquises, a l'echelle de la population, sur l'ecologie de la regeneration de l'espece (irregularite des fructifications, longevite et survie des graines, plasticite de la regeneration vis-a-vis des ouvertures,.) ont permis de proposer et de calibrer un modele de recrutement a partir de la graine integrant la variabilite spatio-temporelle des processus d'installation, de croissance et de mortalite. Ce modele constitue le point de depart d'un simulateur de la dynamique des populations naturelles de D. guianensis selectivement exploitees en Guyane. (Resume d'auteur)
Distribution of the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (F.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in relation to native vegetation and the insect pests in cashew plantations in Australia

The effect of native vegetation on the distribution of the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, and the main insect pests in cashew, Anacardium occidentale, plantations in tropical northern Australia was studied by field surveys and by observations. O. smaragdina was an efficient predator and the most abundant ant species in cashew plantations. Infestations of the main insect pests in the trees lacking ant nests were significantly higher than in those with ant nests. Although O. smaragdina were abundant on a wider range of native tree species, they preferred Acacia aulacocarpa and Planchonia careya, and they also thrived on cashew trees after dispersing into cashew plantations. In cashew plantations, O. smaragdina preferentially colonized trees with thick canopies irrespective of tree height. Fierce fights between O. smaragdina colonies were a major factor responsible for changes in population sizes, colonization and distribution of O. smaragdina in cashew plantations. The availability of preferred native tr.
Occurrence and profiles of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in Polish farm milk

An official monitoring programme was started in 2006 with the aim of estimating the concentrations of PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs, and ndl-PCBs in raw cow’s and goat’s milk. A random sampling scheme was applied to selected voivodeships. The average concentration of dioxins and furans in cow’s milk was 0.88 and 1.46 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat in goat’s milk. The mean dioxin-like PCBs concentrations were 0.58 and 0.76 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat; subsequently the WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ were 1.47 and 2.22 pg/g fat for cow’s and goat’s milk, respectively. The mean concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in cow’s milk samples were in the range of ¼ of the maximum levels established in European Union. The mean ndl-PCBs concentrations were 1.27 and 1.59 ng/kg fat for cow’s and goat’s milk, respectively, well below recently-discussed maximum levels.
Conspecific brood parasitism and egg quality in blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus

Laying eggs in nests of unrelated conspecific pairs to parasitize their parental care is a common phenomenon in birds. In blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus such conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) has never been reported in the literature. However, in a situation where breeding density was extremely high, we found six nests to be parasitized with eggs of conspecific females. Natural selection may favour elevated competitiveness of parasite young, since the negative consequences of increased sibling competition are incurred on the unrelated host parents and siblings, and therefore do not act as inclusive fitness costs for the parasites. Parasitizing females could achieve such a competitive advantage for their offspring by laying larger eggs or eggs with higher concentrations of testosterone in the yolk. We analyzed these parameters of the six parasitized nests, but did not find that parasite eggs differ systematically in these aspects from host eggs, nor that parasite eggs showed resemblance to host eggs. We suggest that a shortage of available nest sites caused some females to use CBP as a best-of-a bad job strategy, but that either the occurrence of CBP is too rare to lead to strong selection for egg adjustments or that parasitizing females are unable to do so.
In the Red: Overdrafts, Payday Lending and the Underbanked

One highly controversial bank practice that is thought to maximize the fees individuals pay on their overdrawn account is the reordering of transactions from "high-to-low. " These practices usually result in multiple overdraft fees each time an account is over-drawn, and are especially problematic for lower-income customers without the resources to keep a safe cash cushion in their bank accounts. We study the effect of high-to-low reordering on consumers' likelihood of accessing payday loans and its consequences. We use multiple class-action lawsuits that resulted in mandatory changes in the practice of high-to-low reordering by banks and data from an alternative credit bureau to measure payday lending. We find that after banks stop high-to-low reordering, both overdraft and payday borrowing decline. We also find long-term improvements in consumers' overall financial health. Our findings suggest that aggressive overdraft policies create a "contrived demand" for credit that pushes households into a costly debt spiral, highlighting an important link between the traditional and alternative banking systems.
Inflammatory cytokines in degeneration, regeneration and maintenance of sciatic nerve

Inflammatory cytokines play important roles in a variety of pathophysiological changes associated with traumatic injury and demyelinating disorders in the peripheral nervous system. After sciatic nerve injury, proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) are produced by and act on neurons, Schwann cells, and infiltrating inflammatory cells at the lesion site. Underlying these processes is receptor-mediated activation of intracellular signaling pathways that regulate cell differentiation and proliferation and synthesis of axon and myelin components. This review focuses on roles of inflammatory cytokines in the degeneration and regeneration of the peripheral nerve. In addition, we describe here altered expression of inflammatory cytokines in gradually elongated rat sciatic nerves. This experimental model, which is devoid of Wallerian degeneration, provides insights into the involvement of inflammatory cytokines in the maintenance of myelinated axons. Based on the findings obtained from nerve elongation models and those from conventional nerve injury models, we discuss the molecular mechanism that ensures the integrity of the peripheral nerve. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Trichodesmium in the western Gulf of Mexico: 15N2‐fixation and natural abundance stable isotopic evidence

Surface aggregations of the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium were encountered at nearly every station along a 300‐km transect in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico during July 2000. 15N2‐fixation rate measurements for all treatments and locations ranged from 1.3 X 10−4 nmol N trichome−1 h−1 to 2.6 X 10−2 nmol N trichome−1 h−1, with a mean of 3.4 X 10−3 ± 7.6 X 10−4 nmol N trichome−1 h−1 (mean ± SE, n = 45). Trichodesmium C‐fixation, measured by the incorporation of 13C, ranged from 1.3 X 10−2 nmol C trichome−1 h−1 to 4.5 X 10−1 nmol C trichome−1 h−1, with a mean of 1.2 X 10−1 ± 9.3 X 10−2 nmol C trichome−1 h−1 (mean ± SE, n = 44). Both 15N2‐fixation and 13C‐fixation rates attenuated with decreasing light intensity from a maximum at 50% surface intensity. Areal Trichodesmium 15N2‐fixation rates, based on a 10‐h N2‐fixation day, enumerated vertical trichome abundance and corrected for estimated in situ light intensity ranged from 47.2 mmol N m−2 d−1 to 118.6 mmol N m−2 d−1, with a mean of 84.5 ± 17.7 mmol N m−2 d−1 (mean ± SE, n = 4). The light natural abundance isotopic signatures of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, particulate nitrogen, and zooplankton nitrogen within these surface populations are consistent with our limited biological rate measurements and indicate that recently fixed N is moving into the food chain to promote secondary production in these nutrient‐impoverished waters. Although our sample size was relatively small, natural abundance isotope data indicate that as much as 60% of macrozooplankton C and N was derived from Trichodesmium in the oligotrophic regions of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Ecological Significance of Leg Autotomy for Climbing Temperate Species of Harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae)

Abstract In encounters with predators, sclerosomatid harvestmen may employ a variety of defensive tactics including the voluntary detachment of legs (autotomy). The long-term costs of this evasive defense are not fully understood, but prior studies have documented negative consequences for terrestrial locomotion and foraging. In this study, we investigated the impact of leg loss upon locomotion in adult harvestmen (Leiobunum spp.). In southeastern Virginia, these harvestmen regularly climb vegetation and occupy perches on tree trunks, branches, and leaves that are often 1–2 m or more above the ground. In our study, we measured walking and climbing speeds for individuals with 5, 6, 7, and 8 legs. The results of our field surveys conducted over three seasons revealed relatively high frequencies (36–63%) of leg loss. We also found that individuals with six legs occupied perches that were significantly lower in the understory than those with eight legs. In the lab, we observed significantly slower walking speeds for individuals missing one or more legs. We also found that individuals with five legs climb significantly slower than individuals with eight legs. On the bases of the observed frequencies of leg loss in the field, we infer that leg autotomy is a common (and effective) evasive tactic used by harvestmen. However, the reduction in walking and climbing speeds resulting from leg loss may also affect habitat selection, (e.g., perch height) and may ultimately reduce the survivorship of individuals in future encounters with predators.