Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carabid community succession during the forestry cycle in conifer plantations

Pitfalls and soil heat extraction were used to sample Carabidae in recently felled (1-4 yr from felling), young (5-22 yr after planting), and old plantations (42-63 yr after planting) of Picea sitchensis in northern England. Pitfall catches were useful in recording swift-running species, present at low densities, and a DCA ordination based on the pitfall catches indicated major distribution changes during the plantation cycle. Soil extractions allowed estimation of minimum densities of the abundant species and indicated that both diversity and density were highest in young plantations and lowest in the old plantations. The flightless Trechus obtusus (3.8 mm) was the most abundant species in the soil samples and its population density did not differ significantly between the three stages in the forestry cycle. The winged, highly surface-active species that were early colonisers of clear felled sites and formed a high proportion of the pitfall catch were present at low densities only. The peak in carabid density and diversity coincided with the stage at which the ground flora was most diverse (in both species and structure) and the densities of other soil surface macro-invertebrates were highest. The high carabid density in the young plantations coincided with a the presence of a relatively high proportion of larger carabids ( > 5.9 mm) and it is suggested that the increased carabid biomass m -2 could reflect increased prey availability. The density of winged individuals was higher in the soil samples of carabids from the young plantations than from the clear felled areas and this is attributed to a build up over time of colonising species, adapted to exploiting the short-lived open habitat stage. Species that overwinter in the adult stage were more abundant in the young than in the old plantations and it is suggested that these species are favoured by the relatively high summer daytime temperatures of the open habitat. The interpretation of the successional sequence in the Carabidae was enhanced by the use of heat extraction sampling in conjunction with pitfall catches.
Iron Storage Disease in Birds: Speculation on Etiology and Implications for Captive Husbandry

Abstract Over the past 3 decades, increasing incidence of hepatic iron storage disease has been documented in captive birds, particularly associated with frugivorous species of the families Paradiseadae (birds of paradise), Ramphastidae (toucans), and Sturnidae (starlings). Hematology and serum biochemical analyses are of little diagnostic value for assessment of iron storage disease in birds. A liver biopsy is needed to confirm the condition antemortem; enlargement of the liver, heart, or spleen is often seen radiographically. Both a genetic predisposition for altered regulation of intestinal iron uptake in sensitive species, as well as dietary factors influencing iron metabolism, are considered important in understanding the development and management of this condition. Physiological mechanisms that may have evolved to compensate for a low bioavailability of dietary iron in situ appear to contribute to iron storage disease in managed feeding programs. Although dietary iron requirements of frugivorous species remain unknown, many practical diets contain higher iron concentrations of greater bioavailability compared with domestic poultry recommendations (50–120 mg/kg) due to specific ingredients and/or nutrient interactions in mixed diets=mthe latter including effects of other minerals, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and specific sugars. Treatment of the disease includes phlebotomy, targeted iron chelation therapy, and diet alteration. Current recommendations for managing this multifactorial issue include: analysis of dietary iron and vitamin C concentrations, particularly those of iron-sensitive species; formulation of low iron diets; minimization or elimination of animal proteins in diets of frugivorous birds; ascorbic acid levels < 100 mg/kg and/or the feeding of vitamin C-containing foods separately. Further study of possible interactions among dietary sugars, minerals, natural chelators (for example tannins, fiber, phytates) and iron metabolism in avian species is encouraged.
The phylogeny of Sericini and their position within the Scarabaeidae based on morphological characters (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Abstract. To reconstruct the phylogeny of the Sericini and their systematic position among the scarabaeid beetles, cladistic analyses were performed using 107 morphological characters from the adults and larvae of forty‐nine extant scarabaeid genera. Taxa represent most ‘traditional’ subfamilies of coprophagous and phytophagous Scarabaeidae, with emphasis on the Sericini and other melolonthine lineages. Several poorly studied exoskeletal features have been examined, including the elytral base, posterior wing venation, mouth parts, endosternites, coxal articulation, and genitalia. The results of the analysis strongly support the monophyly of the ‘orphnine group’ + ‘melolonthine group’ including phytophagous scarabs such as Dynastinae, Hopliinae, Melolonthinae, Rutelinae, and Cetoniinae. This clade was identified as the sister group to the ‘dung beetle line’ represented by Aphodius + Copris. The ‘melolonthine group’ is comprised in the strict consensus tree by two major clades and two minor lineages, with the included taxa of Euchirinae, Rutelinae, and Dynastinae nested together in one of the major clades (‘melolonthine group I’). Melolonthini, Cetoniinae, and Rutelinae are strongly supported, whereas Melolonthinae and Pachydemini appear to be paraphyletic. Sericini + Ablaberini were identified to be sister taxa nested within the second major melolonthine clade (‘melolonthine group II’). As this clade is distributed primarily in the southern continents, one could assume that Sericini + Ablaberini are derived from a southern lineage. Plausibly, ancestors of Sericini + Ablaberini and Athlia were separated by a vicariance event, such as the separation of the African plate from the rest of Gondwana, whereas Sericini and Ablaberini probably diversified during the early Tertiary, with dispersal of some basal Sericini to South America.
Temperament

1 Temperament • My Child’s Personal Style My child’s activity level is quiet ___________________________ very active • My child’s emotional intensity is calm ___________________________ very reactive • My child adapts to change very easily ____________________________ with difficulty • My child gets frustrated and distracted not at all ____________________________ very easily • My child approaches new situations, people & places very easily ____________________________ very cautiously • My child’s mood is happy/positive ____________________________ unhappy/negative
Light-induced changes on the feeding behaviour of the calanoid copepod Clausocalanus furcatus (Brady, 1883): evidence from a mesocosm study

FOR MARINE RESEARCH, PO BOX 712, ANAVYSSOS, ATHENS 19013, GREECE, ICBM, UNIVERSITY OF OLDENBURG, SCHLEUSENSTRASSE 1, WILHELMSHAVEN, OLDENBURG DE-26382, GERMANY, DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN, PO BOX 7800, BERGEN 5020, NORWAY, DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF CRETE, PO BOX 2208, HERAKLION, CRETE 71409, GREECE AND INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY, HELLENIC CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCH, PO BOX 2214, HERAKLION, CRETE 71003, GREECE
A review of recent research on the microbial control of Californian thistle and other pasture weeds using the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum as a biological herbicide.

-infect-either-grasses-otclor_ers. The results of In this paper we review the research findings research to date indicate that S. sclerotiorum has published to date on the development of a plant pathogenic fungus, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, as a mycoherbicide for Californian thistle, Cirsium arvense, and other weeds of pastures. A strain of the fungus isolated from Californian thistle was virulent also on Scotch thistle (Cirsium vua Hartley
Tetranucleotide microsatellites in the gecko Oedura reticulata isolated from an enriched library

Ten tetranucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated from an enriched library for the gecko Oedura reticulata . The species is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia, known to be a habitat specialist, and exposed to severe habitat fragmentation in the Western Australian wheatbelt. These highly polymorphic markers (two to 25 alleles) will facilitate the population genetic analyses of this species. In particular, they will enable estimates of gene flow between remnant populations — a critical element in assessing extinction dynamics in fragmented populations.
GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF FISH REARED UNDER DIFFERENT DENSITIES IN SEMI-INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE EARTHEN PONDS

ffect of stocking density on fish performance has been investigated in earthen ponds over five months of growing period in a polyculture system including Nile tilapia, common carp, silver carp, mullet and African catfish. Experimental ponds have been allocated to various stocking rates of 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 10 and 14 fish/m 3 . The treatments of 10 and 14 fish/m 3 represented the semi-intensive system, while lower densities represented the extensive calture system. Fish in all treatments received 25% crude protein pelleted fish feed at a rate of 3% of body weight that was adjusted throughout the growing period. Feed was offered twice/day for five days/week. Water quality has been monitored monthly. The physico - chemical analysis showed two distinct sets of values for the extensive and the semi-intensive stocking densities concurred with for the main water quality parameters, whereas the values of pH, E.C. , salinity, alkalinity, hardness, total phosphorus and orthophosphate were significantly higher in extensive system than the semi-intensive one, while values of D.O, SD, NH3, NO2, NO3 were higher in the semiintensive system compared to the extensive system. Plankton communities expressed as Chlorophyll "a" was significantly higher in the extensive ponds. Average production was significantly higher in semiintensive ponds compared to the extensive ponds. However, for the main fish species (Nile tilapia), the average weight as well as the daily gain did not vary among treatments, while there were some differences with regard to average weight for other species. There was no difference concerning the condition factor in all treatments for any of the tested species. The
Reproductive activity patterns of anurans in two different altitudinal sites within the Brazilian Caatinga

Six different categories of breeding sites were investigated from August 1989 to July 1990 at Sao Jose do Bonfim (240 m above sea level) and Matureia (770 m above sea level), two sites localized in the Brazilian Caatinga (State of Paraiba). A severe drought affected these areas during the study. Even so, calling males, nests and/or tadpoles of 20 species from 5 families were found. Leptodactylidae was the most numerous family, with nine species distributed among five genera. In Matureia, due to the low evapo-transpiration rates, less variation of water levels was observed. Males of hylids and leptodactylids began their calling activities together, whereas at Sao Jose do Bonfim leptodactylids began their calling activities first. Thus, at Matureia high concentrations of individuals and large choruses were found at the beginning of the rainy season, whereas in Sao Jose do Bonfim high concentrations were found later. Although up to eleven synchronously calling species were recorded in Sao Jose do Bonfim and up to ten synchronously calling species in Matureia, egg masses and tadpoles of few species were found at both study sites, suggesting that some species may vocalize but do not reproduce in adverse periods.
DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF HALOBATES SPECIES (INSECTA: HETEROPTERA) IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC

Halobates specimens were sorted from 1,649 surface neuston samples collected from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. At least one specimen was captured in each of 498 samples. Only 34 samples contained more than one species ofHalobates. Four species,H. micans,H. sobrinus, H. sericeus, andH. splendens, were found in the eastern tropical Pacific area. The abundance estimates (lower bounds) range from 400 to 10,000 per kIn 2 • Detailed zoogeographical distributions of the four species are presented. Halobates micans is a warmwatercosmopolite found between lat. 20° Nand 20° S; H. sericeus appearsto be confi.ned to the central watermasses ofthe North and South Pacific and does not occur in the zonal equatorial currents; H. sobrinus, the most abundant of the four, is confined to the equatorial upwelling regions offthe west coast ofCentral America; andH.splendens,the rarest species, appears to be associated with the central South Pacific watermass or the South American west coast current system. Although there is considerable overlap in the absolute geographical ranges of the three more abundant species, the regions in which they are abundant are almost entirely separate. Whetherthis is due to biological or physical processes is unknown. Five species of the genus Halobates Eschscholtz (Insecta, Heteroptera: Gerridae), popularly called marine "water striders" or "sea skaters," are the only known insects whose normal habitat is the high seas. These pelagic insect plankters oc­ cupy an unique, truly two-dimensional environ­ ment. They are not known to penetrate below or rise above the surface (no winged forms are known for any Halobates species; Cheng and Fernando 1969). Halobates spp. spend their entire life cycle at the air-sea interface, and may therefore provide us with an unique opportunity to use them as biological tools for investigating air-sea and sur­ face phenomena. The peculiar habitat of oceanic Halobates spp. precludes their capture (except accidentally) by standard zooplankton or water-sampling equip­ ment, and presents interesting questions of zoogeography and in the evolution of species. The occasional oceanic Halobates specimens found in conventional plankton samples made with sub­ merged nets have shown that the five oceanic species are widely distributed on a scale of ocean­ basin magnitude (Herring 1961; Savilov 1967; Scheltema 1968; Cheng 1973a, 1974). Although the ranges of distribution ofthe Pacific Halobates
Effects of concentrate proportion and protein supplementation on performance of growing and finishing crossbred bulls fed a whole-crop barley silage-based diet

A 2 × 3 factorial design was used to study the effects of concentrate proportion and protein supplementation on performance of growing and finishing bulls fed a whole-crop barley silage (WCBS)-based diet. A feeding experiment comprised 30 crossbred bulls with average initial liveweight of 315 kg. The bulls were offered WCBS ad libitum. The two concentrate proportions were 200 and 400 g/kg diet dry matter (DM). The concentrate used was (1) rolled barley, (2) rolled barley plus rapeseed meal or (3) rolled barley plus urea-based supplement. The crude protein (CP) content of rolled barley was 119 g/kg DM and both protein supplements were given so that the CP content of the concentrate was raised to 170 g/kg DM. The final liveweight of the bulls was 669 kg, on average, and it was not affected by dietary treatments. The dietary treatments had no effects on total DM intake of the bulls (8.91 kg/day). However, the increasing concentrate proportion increased energy intake (P < 0.05), carcass gain (P < 0.01) and dressing proportion (P < 0.05) and improved carcass conformation (P < 0.05). Protein supplementation had no effects on energy intake, carcass gain, dressing proportion or carcass conformation but it tended to increase carcass fat score (P = 0.06) compared to the bulls fed without protein supplementation. Overall, the results indicate that there is no reason to use protein supplementation for growing and finishing bulls more than 300-kg liveweight when they are fed with good quality whole-crop barley silage and barley-based concentrate.
The dashboard pandemic

The dashboard is the most striking cultural artefact of the current coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. It reveals the fraught pandemic politics which are centred around territorial approaches on the scale of the state rather than international cooperation, democratic liberation, and local care. The dashboard is a biopolitical technology of anxiety, prompting national states of emergency. This narrow approach to framing the COVID-19 crisis is rooted in military-style pandemic preparedness planning that became fashionable in the 21st century. However, there is mounting evidence that this approach does not adequately address the uneven and unjust geographies of the present.
RESEARCH NOTES: HABITAT AS A PREDICTOR OF SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL ABUNDANCE IN RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER CAVITY CLUSTERS

LEE R. MITCHELL,' Fort Stewart Fish and Wildlife Branch, 1177 Frank Cochran Drive, Fort Stewart, GA 31314, USA, and Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8042, USA C. RAY CHANDLER, Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8042, USA LAWRENCE D. CARLILE, Fort Stewart Fish and Wildlife Branch, 1177 Frank Cochran Drive, Fort Stewart, GA 31314, USA
The average three-dimensional target strength of fish by spheroid model for sonar surveys

Tang, Y. , Nishimori, Y. , and Furusawa, M. 2009. The average three-dimensional target strength of fish by spheroid model for sonar surveys. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1176-1183.When surveying fish schools by sonar, the fish are insonified from various directions. Because the fish target strength (TS) has three-dimensional directivity, according to its orientation relative to the sonar beam, the TS must be appropriately averaged. By connecting the geometries of the sonar beam and the fish body, the relationship between the apparent orientation of fish, as viewed by the sonar, and the actual orientation in space is derived. Using this relationship, equations for calculating the three-dimensional-averaged TS ( 3D ) are presented. A prolate-spheroid, modal-series, scattering model is then used to determine the characteristics of 3D against various parameters, such as fish attitudes, fish length, sonar frequency, and method of beam scanning. The model is evaluated with two boundary conditions at the spheroid surface: a gas-fluid boundary relevant to fish with a swimbladder, and a fluid-fluid boundary relevant to fish without a swimbladder. The results reveal that 3D varies greatly with the horizontal aspect (yaw angle), but only slightly with the vertical aspect (pitch angle) of the fish. The difference in 3D between the side-on aspect and the end-on (head or tail) aspect increases with the ratio of the fish length to the acoustic wavelength.
Cytomorphological and molecular evidences of synthesis of interspecific hybrids between 'Brassica rapa' and 'B. Fruticulosa' through sexual hybridization

Six successful interspecific hybrid plants were obtained through sexual hybridization between Brassica rapa var. yellow sarson (NRCYS-05-02) (2n = 20, AA) and a wild species B. fruticulosa (2n = 16, FF), using the latter as pollen parent. Morphological, cytological and sequence tagged microsatellite sites (STMS) based molecular analyses were carried out to confirm the hybrid nature of F1s plants. The hybrid plants (2n = 18) were intermediate for most of the morphological attributes. A severe reduction (8.6%) in pollen fertility was recorded in F1. Nevertheless, few seeds were obtained from open pollination. Meiotic analysis revealed a mixture of bivalents and univalents in all the pollen mother cells (PMCs) analysed. However, 2II + 14I was the most frequently observed chromosome association. Presence of large number of univalents indicates lack of homology between pairing partners. Besides, bivalents and univalents, a trivalent was also observed in three PMCs, indicating segmental homology between chromosomes. The study suggests that B. fruticulosa has partial genome homoeology with B. rapa which could be exploited in crop improvement programmes, particularly breeding for tolerance to insect pests, especially mustard aphid.
Molecular biology study of satellite panicum mosaic virus capsid protein

Molecular Biology Study of Satellite Panicum Mosaic Virus Capsid Protein. (December 2007) Dong Qi, B.A, Shandong Agricultural University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Karen-Beth G. Scholthof Satellite panicum mosaic virus (SPMV) depends on its helper Panicum mosaic virus (PMV) for replication and movement in host plants. The positive-sense single-stranded genomic RNA of SPMV encodes a 17-kDa capsid protein (CP) to form 16-nm virions. Previous studies showed that SPMV CP has multiple functions during infection including encapsidation, symptom exacerbation, inhibiting the accumulation of SPMV DIs, and facilitating systemic movement. This dissertation confirms and extends the results of our previous reports with new biological and biochemical evidence. For example, the dosage effect of SPMV CP on symptom severity supports its function as a pathogenicity factor. Biological assays also demonstrate compensatory effects of SPMV CP on virus mutants defective in systemic movement. In addition, it is shown for the first time that SPMV CP is involved in cellto-cell movement of SPMV RNA and associated with the cell wall and membranes, a signature property of plant virus movement proteins. However, SPMV CP in the cytosol exists exclusively as virions and is dispensable for symptom exacerbation.
Seasonal relative influence of food quantity, quality, and feeding behaviour on zooplankton growth regulation in coastal food webs

In aquatic food webs zooplankton constitutes an important link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. Copepods often dominate the zooplankton in coastal oceans and are the prey of the majority of planktivorous fish. Feeding behaviour, as well as the food quantity and quality are recognized factors that affect copepod growth, and therefore, the energy transfer efficiency throughout food webs. The natural occurrence and magnitude of these growth factors and their combined effects on marine copepods, as keystone grazers in the pelagic marine realm, are poorly understood. Here, we assessed how these different factors vary throughout the year, and then examine their relative influence upon copepods maximal growth rates. A multiple regression model, including all variables previously selected, and the inclusion of the sea temperature allowed us to estimate the pure influence of the studied factors, and the environmental effect on copepod growth rates. The results imply that ingestion of diatoms may induce a positive effect on specific growth rates of copepods, and the quality of this food item (high PUFA and HUFA availability) might explain such effect. Therefore, seasonal variability in diatom abundance, possibly driven by changes in the oceanographic regime, should be considered a critical factor controlling copepod growth in productive coastal ecosystems.
Effect of plant bio-regulators (PBRs) and micro-nutrients on fruit set and quality of litchi cv. Dehradun

Application of NAA @2.5 ppm increased the initial fruit set, while the highest final fruit set was obtained with 200 ppm zinc. Zinc at 100 ppm was found most effective for increasing fruit weight, length, diameter, and L/D ratio. SADH 1000 ppm proved to be the most effective treatment in increasing TSS, total and non-reducing sugars whereas ascorbic acid content increased with 100 ppm NAA.