Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of planted tree species on the development of herbaceous vegetation in a reclaimed opencast

The establishment of plantations is the most common method of opencast reclamation, but few studies have addressed the influence of planted trees on the recovery of biodiversity in new forest sites. The goal of this study was to determine whether the formation of herbaceous vegetation was dependent on the tree species planted on the spoil of a reclaimed oil shale opencast in northeastern Estonia. From 2002 to 2005, the vegetation in eight different site types (distinguished according to the age and composition of tree layer) was surveyed. The results confirmed that the development of herbaceous vegetation was controlled by the dominant species of tree layer. The highest number of herbaceous species was recorded in naturally developed mixed stands. As compared with other site types, the herb layers of the pioneer stage (the vegetation in recently reclaimed sites) and alder stands were the most different. In the terms of the competitive, stress-tolerant, and ruderal strategy types, alder (Alnus spp.) stands.
Influence of Fermentation on Nutritional Compositions, Antioxidant Activity, Total Phenolic and Microbial Load of Bamboo Shoot

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: laxmikantbadwaik@gmail.com Introduction Bamboo shoots are young edible sprouts that come out from the ground. Tender young shoots are edible and are very popular in the traditional cuisines of various tribes and communities of South, SouthEast and East Asia. They are mainly used fresh, dried, shredded, canned, pickled or fermented (Choudhury et al., 2011). A total of 17 amino acids are present in bamboo shoots, out of which eight are essential for the human body (Ferreira et al., 1995). Minerals mainly consisting of chromium, copper, iron, potassium, calcium, manganese, zinc, less amounts of phosphorus, and selenium are found in bamboo shoots (Nirmala et al., 2007). Both fresh and fermented bamboo shoots are rich in vitamins and phytosterols. Phytosterols act as neutraceuticals (Miettinen and Gylling, 2003) and are precursors of many pharmaceutically active steroids found in plants (Sarangthem and Singh, 2003). Fermented bamboo shoot is an important part of the traditional foods in the North-Eastern state of India. Fermentation of bamboo shoots not only helps to extend storage life but also enhanced safety of foods using the natural microflora and their antibacterial compounds. Such traditional fermented food will be a potential source of lactic acid bacteria (Tanasupawat and Komagata, 1995; Kumar et al., 2012). It also adds specific flavour, aroma and taste to the fermented product. Khorisa is a traditional fermented bamboo shoot product of Assam, India and it is important part of diet of both rural and urban people and is extensively used as a main ingredient in different food items like meat, fish preparations, preparing pickles etc. In the process of khorisa fermentation, small quantities of dried fruit of Garcinia pedunculata Roxb. (Local name: Borthekera) are Original paper
Some Biological Characteristics of Artemia salina (L., 1758) in Tuz Lake

In this study, the periodic changes in density and population structure, the generation number, reproduction characteristic and reproduction period of Artemia salina (L., 1758) living in Tuz Lake in 1995 have been investigated. Some physical parameters of lake water at the certain stations have been determined. It has been observed that A. salina is distributed near the coastline of 10 kilometers between the stations Devekonagi and Caloren in the east side of Tuz Lake. Its reproduction period was between April-July and A. salina population consisted two generation in 1995. It has been detected that A. salina population in Tuz Lake consist only female individuals and reproduces oviparity as a parthenogenetic. But it is noticed that a small part of the individuals caught in June was reproduced ovoviviparity in 1995.
Neighbor competition modifies demographic responses of desert dune annuals to gradients in sand stability

Abstract A field experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that competitive interactions affect demographic responses of desert dune annuals to gradients in sand stability. The experiment was based on a three-way factorial design with two types of neighbor treatments (complete neighbor removal vs . control), two types of habitats (stable vs . unstable sands) and two species which characterize sandy areas of the western Negev Desert ( Neurada procumbens and Bromus fasciculatus ). Each of the eight treatment/habitat/species combinations was characterized by three demographic variables: seedling survival to reproduction, fruit number per reproductive plant and fruit number per seedling. All of these variables exhibited significant interactions between the effects of neighbor removal and habitat type, indicating that neighbor conditions were important in determining the observed patterns of demographic variation. Moreover, while plants of Neurada procumbens growing without neighbors suffered more mortality on unstable sands, conspecific plants growing at natural density conditions suffered more mortality on stable sands. In the case of Bromus fasciculatus , individuals growing in the absence of competitive effects produced more fruits on stable sands, but conspecific plants growing at natural density conditions exhibited higher fruit production on unstable sands. These findings indicate that competitive effects not only modify, but may even reverse demographic responses of desert dune annuals to gradients in sand stability. Based on these results and evidence from two other studies it is suggested that seed dispersal from abiotically favorable into less favorable habitats may increase fitness of desert annuals by reducing the average effect of competition.
Planting date and nitrogen rate effects on spring malting barley.

(.) This study was conducted to determine planting date and N rate effects on grain yield, grain protein, kernel plumpness and yield components of spring malting barley grown under a production system that minimized crop water stress. Between 1984 and 1988, Klages' barley was planted at 2-wk intervals between 15 April and 19 May (expressed as days from 1 January) at Powell, WY on a Garland clay loam. Ammonium nitrate was applied at rates of 0, 67, 134, and 202 kg N ha -1 (.)
Molecular evolution and ecological stress at global, regional and local scales: The Israeli perspective

The enigma of genetic diversity and genome organization and evolution in nature has been investigated in plants and animals at the Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel, during the period 1974–1997. The major problem investigated was how much of the genetic diversity at single and multilocus structures is adaptive, processed by natural selection, and contributes to differences in fitness? Genetic diversity was found in different degrees among and within the numerous species tested at both the protein and DNA levels. Its organization in nature, at all scales, global, regional, and local, is nonrandom, heavily structured, frequently displays parallel trends in unrelated taxa, is positively correlated with abiotic and biotic ecological diversity and environmental stress, and is negatively correlated with population size. These results are inconsistent with the predictions of the neutral theory of molecular evolution and appear to be primarily driven by natural selection. Critical laboratory experiments using marine organisms show that inorganic and organic pollutants cause fast differential mortality, indicating that allozyme genotypes are selected by the environment. Theoretically, spatial and temporal ecological variation are of prime importance in maintaining genetic diversity in natural populations, particularly in dynamically cycling environments that can generate complex supercycles, T-cycles and chaotic-like behavior. This mode of multilocus dynamics exceeds the potential for maintaining genetic polymorphism under ordinary selection models. It may represent a novel evolutionary mechanism increasing genetic polymorphism over long time periods. Likewise, the genetic interaction between multiple species can drive the evolution of genetic diversity in nature. Modern molecular ecological-genetics and computational techniques of biomolecular sequence comparisons through ecological-genomics could highlight the origin, maintenance, abundance, structure and function of genetic polymorphisms and comparative genome evolution in dynamically changing environments. Critical studies are needed to identify, measure, and estimate the kind, degree and stage of operation of the major evolutionary forces, natural selection, migration, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. J. Exp. Zool. 282:95–119, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) quality of preferred prey improves digestion in a molluscivore bird (Common Eider, Somateria mollissima)

Benthivorous predators like sea ducks rely on abundant but low-quality food. Because they ingest whole blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L., 1758), including shells, they have to consume large quantities of food to maintain energy balance. Digestive processes may therefore limit energy assimilation in these predators, although selecting mussel types that minimize shell ingestion may improve foraging profitability. To test this prediction, we first quantified mussel quality from different sizes and habitats by measuring energy content and various features of mussel morphology. Then, we conducted digestive experiments on captive Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima (L., 1758)) fed with various mussel types to determine their impact on Eiders’ digestion. Aquacultured and small mussels were of better quality, because of higher energy content and less resistant shells. These mussel characteristics allowed faster digestive processes for an equal digestibility compared with large intertidal mussels. Previous studies s.
Electrophoretic and immunological properties of folate-binding protein isolated from bovine milk.

Changes of the folate-binding protein (FBP) concentration in bovine milk after parturition were investigated. The FBP was highly purified from mature milk by affinity chromatography. The purified FBP showed a single protein band in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and was immunologically homogenous in double immunodiffusion. However, in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the FBP was separated into several spots in isoelectric focusing in the first dimension, and each spot also showed two molecular weights in SDS-gel electrophoresis in the second dimension. But these FBP molecules were immunologically identical with each other. The neuraminidase treatment obviously diminished the number of isoelectric points of the FBP. Thus, the variety of FBP molecules was at least partially due to the variability of the sialic acid content in the carbohydrate moieties. Moreover, the milk FBP showed species-specificity among mammals immunologically as well as physicochemically.
Antibiotic Resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis of Human and Chicken Origin

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between antibiotic resistance patterns among Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Enteritidis isolates (Salmonella Enteritidis) of human and poultry origin. Antibiotic resistance of 97 Salmonella Enteritidis isolates from 25 chicken meat, 25 chicken intestine and 47 human fecal samples was examined using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS, 1997) disk diffusion method. Resistance patterns of the isolates were as follows: Of the 25 chicken meat isolates 4 were resistant to some antibiotics. Two isolates (CM15 and CM22) were resistant to ampicillin (AMP), cefuroxime sodium (CXM), ceftriaxone (CRO), trimethoprim-sulphamethazole (SXT) and ampicillin-sulbactam (SAM). Of the other 2 isolates, CM20 showed resistance to ceftriaxone (CRO) and CM23 was resistant to chloromphenicol (C) and cephalexime (CL). Eight human isolates showed 4 different resistance patterns. Five (HF3, HF19, HF20, HF22, and HF25) were resistant to ampicillin (AMP), ampicillin-sulbactam (SAM), tetracycline (TE) and chloromphenicol (C), while resistance to chloromphenicol (C) and cephalexime (CL) was observed in HF32 and HF46. HF13 was resistant to both ampicillin (AMP) and ampicillin-sulbactam (SAM). One of the chicken intestinal isolates was found to be resistant only to cefuroxime sodium (CXM). There was no relationship between antibiotic resistance patterns for Salmonella isolates of different origins. Multiple antibiotic resistance patterns were observed in some isolates. It is important that some isolates of chicken intestine and meat origin showed resistance to antibiotics being used in humans.
Effects of waterlogging on the yield and growth of summer maize under field conditions

Ren, B. , Zhang, J., Li, X. , Fan, X. , Dong, S. , Liu, P. and Zhao, B. 2014. Effects of waterlogging on the yield and growth of summer maize under field conditions. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 23–31. A field experiment was performed to study the effects of waterlogging for different durations (3 and 6 d) on the yield and growth of summer maize at the three-leaf stage (V3), six-leaf stage (V6), and the 10th day after the tasseling stage (10VT). The results after 2 yr indicated that maize development and grain yield responses to waterlogging depended on both stress severity (intensity and duration) and different growth stage. Yield decreased significantly with an increased waterlogging duration during V3 and V6. The yields of maize hybrid Denghai 605 (DH605) in treatments V3-3, V3-6, V6-3, V6-6, 10VT-3, and 10VT-6 were 23, 32, 20, 24, 8, and 18% lower than those of the control (CK), respectively; Yields of Zhengdan 958 (ZD958) were lower by 21, 35, 15, 33, 7, and 12%, respectively. Waterlogging also affected the gr.
A review of permineralized seed fern stems of the Upper Paleozoic

Abstract Dunn, M. T. (Department of Biological Sciences, Cameron University, Lawton, Oklahoma 73505). A Review of Permineralized Seed Fern Stems of the Upper Paleozoic. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 133: 20–32. 2006. —Stem morphotaxa continue to be the primary line of evidence for pteridosperm phylogenetic analyses, and the current state of our knowledge of Upper Paleozoic permineralized medullosan and manoxylic lyginopterid stems is reviewed here. Manoxylic Lyginopteridaceae include Lyginopteris, Heterangium, Rhetinangium, Schopfiastrum, Microspermopteris, Trivena, Tetrastichia, Tristichia, Lyginopitys, and Laceya. This group is poorly defined, and cannot be grouped by any as yet known synapomorphy. Four genera are generally included in the Medullosaceae; Medullosa, Colpoxylon, Sutcliffia, and Quaestora, however Colpoxylon should be included in Medullosa. This family is characterized by rachis bases that are vascularized by numerous traces produced at more than one node.
Neurological and neuropsychological deterioration in artisanal gold miners from the town of Andacollo, Chile

It is widely known that human exposure to mercury vapor can cause neurological and neuropsychological deterioration. We have investigated if a population of Chilean artisanal gold-mining workers heavily exposed to elemental mercury (Hg0) display neurological and neuropsychological impairment. Male volunteers occupationally exposed to Hg0 (“gold miners”, n = 35) were recruited and compared with a group of unexposed workers (n = 40). Blood specimens were obtained from both groups for total mercury quantification. Upon neurological examination, 71% of the “gold miners” group showed abnormalities expressed as frontal impairment, tremor, or simultaneously frontal impairment, parkinsonism, and pyramidal syndrome. In contrast, only 16% of the individuals in the control group displayed neurological abnormalities. The “gold miners” group also showed impairment of the neuropsychological performance and the distribution of abnormal scores for almost all the neuropsychological tests applied was significantly higher in this group compared to the control group. Educational level, alcohol intake, and smoking habits did not influence the outcome of the neurological or neuropsychological examinations. Finally, despite that the higher blood mercury concentrations were found in the “gold miners” group, they were not significantly different from the values obtained in the control group.
Adapting forest management to climate change using bioclimate models with topographic drivers

Bioclimate models incorporating topographic predictors as surrogates for microclimate effects are developed for Populus tremuloides and Picea engelmannii to provide the fine-grained specificity to local terrain required for adapting management of three Colorado (USA) national forests (1.28 million ha) and their periphery to climate change. Models were built with the Random Forests classification tree using presence - absence observations obtained by overlaying species distribution maps on data points gridded at ~225 m within the forests and from ground plot observations from adjacent areas. Topographic effects derived from 90-m elevation grids were expressed by weighting aspect by slope angle. Climate estimates were obtained from spline surfaces. Out-of-bag errors were ~17 per cent, and classification errors for an independent sample from within the forest were ~13 per cent. Topographic variables were second in importance to climate variables for predicting species distributions; their inclusion captured well-known topographic effects on vegetation in mountainous terrain. Predictions made for future climates described by three General Circulation Models and three emissions scenarios were used to map on 90-m grids the habitat expected to be lost, threatened, persistent or emergent. The habitat categories are used to identify those areas where treatments should have highest likelihood of success.
Spatial and temporal distribution of chlorophyll in southern African waters as deduced from ship and satellite measurements and their implications for pelagic fisheries

Information is presented on the distribution of chlorophyll a between the Cunene River (18°S), on the border of South West Africa (Namibia) and Angola, and East London (28°E) on the east coast of South Africa. Spectrophotometric measurements of samples collected during various research cruises and estimates from satellite measurements were used. The coast was divided into a number of oceanographic regions. Spatial and temporal variation of chlorophyll a in the waters off central-northern South West Africa, the Luderitz region, the South-Western Cape and the Algoa region are discussed in some detail. There was a narrow coastal band of moderate to high chlorophyll a (3 to in excess of 10 mg·m−3) at the surface between Cape Cross (22°S) and Mowe Point (c. 19°S) throughout most of the year, whereas in much of the area between 23 and 33°S concentrations reached maximum values in autumn. Along the South-Western Cape coast, high concentrations of chlorophyll a were observed in the St Helena Bay area up to 90 km .
Patterns of natural selection on morphology of male and female collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis)

Abstract Natural selection may act in different directions among years, life stages, or classes of individuals. Fluctuating selection of this kind is potentially an important mechanism by which additive genetic variation for quantitative traits is maintained, and can prevent populations reaching local adaptive peaks. We analysed natural selection acting on three morphological traits of male and female collared flycatchers via both fecundity and survival, using 15 years» data from a large isolated population on Gotland, Sweden. We particularly investigated variation in the direction and magnitude of selection acting: (1) among years over the study period; (2) on different life stages and (3) the consistency of observed patterns of selection with sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in this population. We found little evidence of natural selection on these traits over the study period. Evidence for directional, stabilizing and disruptive selection was found for some year–trait combinations, but these patterns were inconsistent with respect to both the magnitude and form of selection found. Consequently, our results, based on the detailed analysis of natural selection in a large wild population over a period of 15 years, provide evidence for the common assumption that forces of selection acting on quantitative traits are generally weak. They are also consistent with the suggestion that environmental stability is an important determinant of the degree to which organisms fit their environment.
Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae): a species complex?

Marin, J., Crouau‐Roy, B. , Hemptinne, J.‐L. , Lecompte, E. & Magro, A. (2010). Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae): a species complex? —Zoologica Scripta, 39, 591–602.
Sporophytic self-incompatibility in diploid and tetraploid races of Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides (Asteraceae)

Controlled pollinations were used to examine the mating system of diploid and tetraploid individuals of the endangered grassland herb Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides F.Muell. Crosses among unrelated plants gave 1.5–2 times as many fruit as crosses between plants that were half-sibs, while selfed crosses generally resulted in no fruit. Three classes of compatibility reaction were observed within outcross treatments: (1) reciprocal compatibility, (2) one-way compatibility and (3) reciprocal incompatibility. This is diagnostic of sporophytic control of self-incompatibility, which is characteristic of the Asteraceae. This is supported by the occurrence of a dry stigma and trinucleate pollen. Analysis of the behaviour of self- and outcross pollen on the stigma by using fluorescence microscopy shows that rejection of self-pollen does not all occur at one point but at a number of stages, with cumulative reductions in the adherence of pollen to the stigma, pollen germination, pollen tube penetration of the stigma and fertilisation. On the basis of both fruit set and pollen behaviour data, for any level of relatedness, tetraploid plants are about 20% less likely to be compatible with each other than diploid plants. This presumably reflects the greater likelihood of matching S alleles given the greater potential for polymorphism at the individual level. The occurrence of two plants, one diploid and one tetraploid, that set large amounts of fruit on selfing shows that self-incompatibility can break down.