Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting the ethanol stability of bovine milk.: I. Effect of serum phase components

Summary By resuspending casein micelles in whey and dialysate it is shown that the role of whey proteins in the ethanol (EtOH)-induced coagulation of skim-milk is minimal. Experiments involving the interchange of milk sera indicated that the position of the EtOH stability/pH profile along the pH axis was governed by the diffusible constituents of the milk serum phase. The identities of those serum components governing the shape and position of the EtOH stability/pH profile were investigated. The addition of Ca2+ caused a shift in the entire profile to higher pH. Reduction of the available Ca2+ by addition of EDTA (up to 5 ran) shifted the profile to lower pH. The addition of phosphate (up to 5 mM) or citrate (up to 1 mM) had no effect on the profile, though higher concentrations of citrate (up to 5 mMi) caused slight shifts to lower pH. When equimolar amounts of Ca and phosphate were added, the system showed a shift in profile approximately equivalent to that of the free Ca introduced. Increasing the ionic strength of a milk by the addition of NaCl did not shift the profile, but decreased the maximum EtOH stability of the high pH arm of the sigmoidal profile. The EtOH stability/pH profile retained the same sigmoidal shape in all cases.
INTEGRATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC ANNUAL VARIABILITY IN A CLONAL DESERT CACTUS

Spatial and temporal variability influence the structure and dynamics of perennial plant populations. In order to investigate the consequences of this environmental heterogeneity on population and life history traits of a perennial plant with a complex life history, four size-classified population matrix models were employed (i.e., annual, mean, periodic, and stochastic simulations) in a clonal cactus, Opuntia rastrera, in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. This species was studied over a seven-year period in two contrasting, neighboring habitats (nopalera and grassland). The specific aims were: (a) to assess the effect of annual environmental variability on the long-term dynamics of both populations; and (b) to estimate the relative contribution of sexual reproduction and clonal propagation to the populations' rates of increase. Projections from each model provided complementary information on population dynamics and life history in the two habitats. The finite rate of population growth (A) varied among matrix projections. Mean, periodic, and stochastic projections yielded A > 1 for nopalera and A 1 for grassland. The relative contributions of size classes and demographic processes to changes in A differed widely between years and habitats for annual matrices. In contrast, elasticities of periodic matrices showed a stable habitat-dependent pattern. The proportional change in A produced by sexual recruit- ment and clonal propagation showed wide spatial variation in which the most distinctive difference between habitats was the predominance of clonal recruitment at the nopalera and seedling recruitment at the grassland. Elasticities also showed temporal variation where- by clonal propagation decreased as precipitation increased, while sexual reproduction and growth tended to increase with precipitation. The striking spatial and temporal differences found in the structure, dynamics, and life history traits of 0. rastrera are aptly summarized by the periodic analyses. These differences reflect both the varying influence of the selective pressures operating on this species and the ways in which demographic plasticity deals with them.
Circadian Rhythms in Animals: A Canonical Connections Map

Circadian rhythms are near-24-hour endogenous rhythms of behavior and physiology that are a nearly universal feature of eukaryotic life. Genetic and biochemical experiments over the past decade have allowed the construction of a viable working model for the molecular mechanisms underlying circadian rhythm generation in animals. The basic mechanism consists of two intertwined transcription-translation negative feedback loops. One loop--the "positive loop"--controls the rhythmic expression of a well-conserved Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS)-domain-containing positive transcription factor (Clock in Drosophila , and BMAL1, which is also known as MOP3, in the mouse). The second loop--the "negative loop"--controls the expression of another PAS-domain protein (the repressor Period), as well as species-specific repressors (Timeless in Drosophila and Cryptochrome in mice). The loops are intertwined because Period and its binding partners directly repress transcription mediated by Clock and its binding partners (Cycle in Drosophila and BMAL1 in the mouse), whereas Clock:Cycle (or CLOCK:BMAL1) drives the transcription of period and the other repressors, as well as that of repressors of Clock or Bmal1 transcriptional expression. Other factors, including conserved kinases such as Casein kinase I ϵ (CkIϵ), have essential functions in the timekeeping mechanism. Remarkably, this mechanism appears to be fundamentally conserved between Drosophila and mammalian circadian clocks. This Canonical Connections Map Pathway describes the basic mechanism underlying circadian signaling, whereas the accompanying specific Pathway Maps for Drosophila and murine circadian mechanisms describe the individual known components of the circadian clock and their mutual interactions. Science Viewpoint R. N. Van Gelder, E. D. Herzog, W. J. Schwartz, P. H. Taghert, Circadian rhythms: In the loop at last. Science 300 , 1534-1535 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]
Improving Maximum Likelihood Training for Text Generation with Density Ratio Estimation

Auto-regressive sequence generative models trained by Maximum Likelihood Estimation suffer the exposure bias problem in practical finite sample scenarios. The crux is that the number of training samples for Maximum Likelihood Estimation is usually limited and the input data distributions are different at training and inference stages. Many method shave been proposed to solve the above problem (Yu et al., 2017; Lu et al., 2018), which relies on sampling from the non-stationary model distribution and suffers from high variance or biased estimations. In this paper, we propose{\psi}-MLE, a new training scheme for auto-regressive sequence generative models, which is effective and stable when operating at large sample space encountered in text generation. We derive our algorithm from a new perspective of self-augmentation and introduce bias correction with density ratio estimation. Extensive experimental results on synthetic data and real-world text generation tasks demonstrate that our method stably outperforms Maximum Likelihood Estimation and other state-of-the-art sequence generative models in terms of both quality and diversity.
Hyperparasitism by an exotic autoparasitoid: secondary host selection and the window of vulnerability of conspecific and native heterospecific hosts

Encarsia transvena is an ‘autoparasitoid’ in the hymenopteran family Aphelinidae. In this species, female eggs are laid in whitefly nymphs. Male eggs are laid externally on immature parasitoids enclosed within the whitefly integument, either their own species, or other primary parasitoids. We explored parasitism by E. transvena of conspecific female immatures and those of a native primary parasitoid, Eretmocerus eremicus, in laboratory experiments. In the first experiment, female E. transvena were offered different combinations of two stages of E. transvena (late larvae – prepupae (ET2), and early pupae (ET3)), and one stage of E. eremicus (prepupae – early pupae (EE2)) in paired choice tests. The results indicated very little parasitism of ET3 relative to the host it was paired with, either EE2 or ET2. However, when EE2 was offered with ET2, there was no statistically significant difference in parasitism. In a no‐choice experiment in which oviposition patterns and male progeny development were examined in four stages of both species of wasp, clear differences were observed between the host species. Only one stage of E. transvena (ET2) was parasitized and supported development of male E. transvena to any significant degree. In contrast, in E. eremicus, EE2, EE3 (red‐eyed pupae), and EE4 (late pupae) were all parasitized, and male E. transvena emerged from all three stages, although fewer males emerged from EE4. In both species, wasp larvae that were still enclosed within the wet whitefly remains (ET1 and EE1) were parasitized at a very low rate. Lastly, an experiment that determined the length of the later developmental stages of E. transvena and E. eremicus suggested that the duration of the period in which E. transvena is susceptible to parasitism by conspecific females is less than half the period of susceptibility of E. eremicus. These results taken together suggest the potential for interference of E. eremicus by E. transvena, but other factors not examined here may also influence the outcome of interactions in the field.
Effects of matrix composition and configuration on forest bird movements in a fragmented Afromontane biodiversity hot spot

Persistence of forest‐dependent species in fragmented landscapes strongly relies on sufficient dispersal between patches, making it important to understand how animal movements are affected by the intervening matrix. Movements can be influenced through selection or avoidance of land cover based on their perceived suitability for foraging or providing cover. The composition and configuration of the matrix will, therefore, most likely be an important factor to consider when estimating connectivity between patches. To address this, we performed translocation experiments to understand how forest birds used different land cover types in a fine‐grained matrix of a fragmented Afromontane biodiversity hot spot (Taita Hills, Kenya). Our results revealed that use of land cover types for both the forest specialist Cabanis's greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi and for the forest generalist white‐starred robin Pogonocichla stellata was disproportional to their availability. However, this effect was influenced by matrix configuration; in patchy matrices, land cover selection was more pronounced compared with more uniform matrices, especially for the forest specialist. At the scale of movement steps, risk avoidance seemed to be a strong factor in the route decisions for both species. Observed steps contained on average lower proportions of open land cover and did less frequently intersect built‐up areas than expected. P. stellata did not differentiate between the alternative land cover types, whereas P. cabanisi preferred steps that contained more indigenous forest. The observed negative relationship between degree of forest dependency and matrix permeability implies that for members of the Taita bird community, which are even more dependent on intact forest habitat (i.e. the critically endangered Taita thrush Turdus helleri), current permeability of the matrix may be even lower. Matrix restoration to improve connectivity may, therefore, be a crucial instrument for the long‐term survival of forest‐dependent species in these fragmented Afromontane landscapes.
A functional analysis of a limestone grassland community

We examine the potential of standardised data, mainly collected in the laboratory, to elucidate mechanisms of species coexistence, using a south-facing, infertile, species- rich limestone grassland at Miller's Dale, Derbyshire, Eng- land as a model system. Standardised autecological data for 15 of the more important Miller's Dale species were obtained from the Integrated Screening Programme (ISP), and their functional attributes were reviewed in the context of a larger database, broadly representative of the British flora. Ordina- tion of adult plant attributes demonstrated that the Miller's Dale species are strategically relatively uniform; most are slow-growing, evergreen and tolerant of mineral nutrient defi- ciency. Ordination of seed attributes revealed more variety among the Miller's Dale species; the main axis of variation was from species with large, transient seeds (mostly grasses) to species with small, persistent seeds (mostly dicots). From the ordination we derive the predictions that germination of the latter species will be more temporally opportunistic and more inhibited by the presence of vegetation than the former. These predictions are consistent with data collected in experi- mental studies of seed persistence and germination at the site. These data suggest that spatial and temporal variation in opportunities for regeneration is an important mechanism contributing to the high species richness of dry limestone grasslands.
Oviposition of Beet Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Greenhouse Crops

Distribution of beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), egg batches was similar in chrysanthemum, tomato, gerbera, and geranium crops grown in a greenhouse. Most eggs were laid on the underside of foliage on leaves within 10 cm of the soil surface. In chrysanthemum, moths deposited more eggs on younger than on older plants. No correlation was found between size of egg batches and plant species, plant age, or position within a crop.
Mutualistic Interactions and Biological Invasions

Mutualisms structure ecosystems and mediate their functioning. They also enhance invasions of many alien species. Invasions disrupt native mutualisms, often leading to population declines, reduced biodiversity, and altered ecosystem functioning. Focusing on three main types of mutualisms (pollination, seed dispersal, and plant-microbial symbioses) and drawing on examples from different ecosystems and from species- and community-level studies, we review the key mechanisms whereby such positive interactions mediate invasions and are in turn influenced by invasions. High interaction generalization is “the norm” in most systems, allowing alien species to infiltrate recipient communities. We identify traits that influence invasiveness (e.g., selfing capacity in plants, animal behavioral traits) or invasibility (e.g., partner choice in mycorrhizas/rhizobia) through mutualistic interactions. Mutualistic disruptions due to invasions are pervasive, and subsequent cascading effects are also widespread. Ecological n.
Salinity tolerance in wheat cultivars is related to enhanced activities of enzymatic antioxidants and reduced lipid peroxidation

Soil salinity is a stringent abiotic constraint limiting crop productivity. Studies were undertaken to appraise the performance of six diverse wheat cultivars (LU-26S, MH-97, AARI-2011, Millat-2011, Lasani-2008, and FSD-2008) under non-saline (control) and saline soil (8 and 16 dS m−1) conditions. Increasing the salinity level severely diminished emergence and seedling growth attributes in all wheat cultivars. Nevertheless, cultivar specific responses were evident and a significant salinity × cultivar was observed in most cases. The lowest (23%) reduction in final emergence was observed for AARI-2011 as compared with the maximum recorded for LU-26S (56%). AARI-2011 and Millat-2011 recorded the highest seedling dry biomass at a salinity level of 16 dS m−1. The highest salinity level resulted in the maximum inhibition of chlorophyll content in Millat-2011 and MH-97 by 59 and 68%, respectively, as compared with their respective control. With an increase in the salinity level, enhanced activities of antioxidants like superoxide dismutase and catalase were observed in AARI-2011 compared with all other wheat cultivars. Lasani-2008 showed a maximum (70%) increase in malondialdehyde content compared with control. AARI-2011 and FSD-2008 appeared as promising wheat cultivars manifesting salt tolerance that was related to enhanced activities of enzymatic antioxidants and reduced lipid peroxidation, respectively.
Some properties of a highly thermostable α-amylase from a Thermoactinomyces sp.

Thermostable α-amylase from Thermoactinomyces sp. No. 15, isolated from cow dung, was partially purified and characterized. The enzyme was purified (318-fold) by acetone precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration techniques. The molecular weight was estimated to be 47 800. Optimum enzyme activity was recorded at pH 7 and at 80 °C. The enzyme was stable at pH 5.0–10.0 and retained 74% activity at 100 °C (30 min). Enzyme activation was observed in the presence of Mn2+, Ag+, and Fe2+, but Hg2+ and Zn2+ were inhibitory. Products of hydrolysis of native starches were mainly glucose and maltose.
Green Brigade: Horticultural Learn-and-Earn Program for Juvenile Offenders

118 U rban centers throughout the United States are faced with youth disaffection, which translates into increased participation in criminal activities and other antisocial behavior. Social scientists and law enforcement experts are searching for ways to address the problem within the context of limited available revenue and reduced confidence in traditional social-intervention tactics. Gardening projects may be an acceptable option to address the growing problem of antisocial behavior by youth. Gardeners intuitively credit the hobby with a powerful contribution to feelings of well-being and increased self-esteem. In her work to reduce vandalism by the poor children of Rome, M. Montessori (1912) described the effect of gardening among her charges as instilling “peaceful equilibrium and the first germs of wisdom which so characterized the tillers of the soil. ” She also said that the children who gardened were “initiated into observation of the phenomena of life.as interest and observation grow, [children’s] zealous care for living creatures grows. and [they] can be brought to appreciate the care which mother and teacher take of [them] . “ Nature writer J. Cornell (1989) wrote, “As we begin to feel our common bond of life with living things around us, our actions become more harmonious in an unforced, natural way, and we become concerned for the needs and well-being of all creatures. ”
An Optimal Algorithm for Bandit Convex Optimization with Strongly-Convex and Smooth Loss

We consider non-stochastic bandit convex optimization with strongly-convex and smooth loss functions. For this problem, Hazan and Levy have proposed an algorithm with a regret bound of ˜ O ( d 3 / 2 √ T ) given access to an O ( d ) -self- concordant barrier over the feasible region, where d and T stand for the dimensionality of the feasible region and the number of rounds, respectively. However, there are no known efﬁcient ways for constructing self-concordant barriers for general convex sets, and a ˜ O ( √ d ) gap has remained between the upper and lower bounds, as the known regret lower bound is Ω( d √ T ) . Our study resolves these two issues by introducing an algorithm that achieves an optimal regret bound of ˜ O ( d √ T ) under a mild assumption, without self-concordant barriers. More precisely, the al-gorithm requires only a membership oracle for the feasible region, and it achieves an optimal regret bound of ˜ O ( d √ T ) under the assumption that the optimal solution is an interior of the feasible region. Even without this assumption, our algo-rithm achieves ˜ O ( d 3 / 2 √ T ) -regret.
Efficacy of Some Cowpea Genotypes Against Major Insect Pests in Southeastern Agro-Ecology of Nigeria

Eight cowpea (Vignaunguiculata L. Walp) genotypes under improvement were screened for their efficacy against major insect pests of cowpea in southeastern agroecology of Nigeria in 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons at the Abia State University research farm. Results of the study indicate significant variations amongst the genotypes for the agronomic and damage attributes. The principal component analysis (PCA), PC1, PC2, PC3 and PC4 accounted for 90.13%, 6.51%, 2.37% and 0.69% of the total variation individually and 99.7% combined. while the, Hierarchical cluster analysis conducted grouped the genotypes into four distinct clusters thus; - cluster I - low yield and susceptible (4 genotypes), cluster II - early flowering (2 genotypes), cluster III - late maturing and high leaf area (1 genotype), cluster IV - resistant and high grain yield (1 genotype). Grain yield was significantly and positively correlated with pod number per plant (r = 0.97**) and pod length (r = 0.79*) while it was significantly significantly and negatively related with number of; aphid (r = -0.91**), thrip (r = -0.91**), foliage beetle (r = -0.94**), legume pod borer (r = -0.89**) @ 12 WAE and damaged pod (r = -0.84**). Genotypes; IT89KD-288 (V4) and IT89KD-391 (V2) had the outstanding performance and need to be fully exploited in the ecological zone.
Anuran Calling Survey Optimization: Developing and Testing Predictive Models of Anuran Calling Activity

Abstract Amphibian populations, particularly anurans, are declining worldwide, and programs that use calling surveys have been established to monitor anuran populations. Models that describe the environment's influence on calling may be useful to increase detection allowing optimization of surveys. Using an automated recording system, we evaluated the calling activity of Pseudacris crucifer, Pseudacris feriarum, and Rana sphenocephala at an ephemeral wetland in the Piedmont of North Carolina. We used stepwise logistic regression to model environmental variables that significantly affected calling activity. Models revealed that, for P. crucifer, water and air temperature positively influenced calling, whereas day of year, barometric pressure, and light intensity negatively influenced calling. For P. feriarum, air temperature positively influenced calling, and day of year, relative humidity, wind speed, barometric pressure, and light intensity negatively influenced calling. Finally, air temperature positively influenced calling for R. sphenocephala, whereas water temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and light intensity negatively influenced its calling. Using these results, we developed comprehensive as well as simpler, “user-friendly” models, predicting the best conditions under which to conduct anuran calling surveys. The user-friendly models were tested using previously collected data from calling surveys performed in the same region of North Carolina and found to accurately predict calling activity approximately 70% of the time. We discuss how weather forecast data may be applied to these models to determine the best times to conduct calling surveys and how models such as those developed in this study can be used to interpret data previously collected during amphibian calling surveys.
DAILY MASS CHANGES IN LANDBIRDS DURING MIGRATION STOPOVER ON THE SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE ONTARIO

Abstract Assigning conservation priorities to areas used by birds during migration requires information on the relative quality of areas and habitats. The rate at which migratory birds replenish energy reserves during stopover may be used as an indicator of stopover-site quality. We estimated the rate of mass gain of 34 landbird species during stopover at a near-shore terrestrial site on the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York during 12 migration seasons from 1999 to 2004. The average rate of mass gain was estimated by relating a measure of condition to time of capture (hour after sunrise) with linear regression. Data from 25,385 captures were analyzed. Significantly positive rates of mass change were detected for 20 of 30 species during spring migration and 19 of 21 species during autumn migration. No significantly negative trends were detected in either season. Daily rates of mass gain across all species averaged 9.84% of average lean body weight during spring migration and 9.77% during autumn migration. Our regression estimates were significantly greater than estimates from traditional analyses that examine mass changes in recaptured birds. Analyses of mass changes in recaptured birds revealed a mean daily change of −0.68% of average lean mass in spring and 0.13% in autumn. Because of sampling biases inherent in recapture analyses, the regression approach is likely more accurate when the assumptions of the method are met. Similar studies in various habitats, landscapes, and regions are required to prioritize conservation efforts targeting migratory stages of the annual cycle. Cambios de Peso Diarios de Aves Terrestres durante las Paradas Migratorias en la Costa sur del Lago Ontario