Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review of the Geographic Distribution of Diploid and Tetraploid Populations of the Odontophrynus Americanus Species Complex (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

Abstract We review the geographic distribution of diploid and tetraploid populations of the Odontophrynus americanus species complex. Ploidy was determined using chromosome count as well as erythrocyte size. We found a complex geographic pattern of populations with different ploidy, including areas of syntopy and sympatry. The tetraploid O. americanus presents three disjunct population groups, which were isolated from one another by diploid populations. One of these tetraploid groups is distributed in central and eastern Argentina, southern Brazil, southern Paraguay, and Uruguay, with the other two population groups of the tetraploid O. americanus inhabiting southeastern Brazil, and northwestern Argentina respectively. We extend the distribution of both diploid Odontophrynus lavillai and Odontophrynus cordobae, and we present new records of three more allopatric diploid population groups, referred to here as Odontophrynus sp. Some of these population groups are associated with biogeographic regions. The karyotypes of the three currently known taxa of the O. americanus species complex are given. We report the occurrence of a naturally occurring triploid specimen and the first occurrence of B-chromosomes in the genus. Our review indicates that there is a complex distribution pattern of populations of different ploidy, including areas of syntopy and sympatry, and cytogenetic variability. This could indicate the presence of more species, occurrence of auto and allopolyploidy, and multiple origins of tetraploidy.
Effects on milk production in F1 crossbred of Alpine goat breed (♂) and Albanian goat breed (♀)

About 950,000 goats, farmed mostly in hilly and mountainous areas of Albania, contribute about 8% of the country’s total milk production. In order to increase milk production, farmers are currently using crosses of the local goat breed with exotic breeds, mainly the Alpine breed from France. This study examines milk production data of first lactation from 45 goats of the local breed, 82 goats of the Alpine breed and 58 F1 crosses (♂Alpine breed × ♀local breed). The goats were kept on small-scale farms according to the traditional Albanian system. Milking was carried out in the morning and evening. Kids were weaned at 65 days of age after which milking started. Milk yield was recorded twice with a 15-day interval between the two readings. Total milk yield was calculated using the Fleischmann method. The F1 goats produced 37.8 kg more milk than local breed goats although the lactation length (P<0.05) of F1 goats was six days shorter compared to that of local breed goats (P<0.05). Analysis of variance showed a highly significant effect (P<0.01) of the genotype factor on milk production. The average Cappio-Borlino curves of three genotypes indicated that the lactation curves of local breed and F1 crosses were similar. Although the F1 cross goats had 50% of their genomes from a genetically improved breed they were still able to deal with the difficult conditions that characterize the traditional extensive farming systems in Albania. Breeding pure Alpine breed or its crosses with the local goat breed improved milk production in an extensive traditional system.
Effects of nitrogen fertilisation and two growing sites on biomass production and lignan content of linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.): Second year

Mammary and prostatic carcinomas are the most frequently diagnosed in the population of Western Countries. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the positive effects of mammalian lignans in retarding the development of these carcinomas. Mammalian lignans, such as enterolactone and enterodiol, originate in the human colon from precursors provided through food consumption. Linseed is currently one of the best sources of secoisolariciresinol (seco) and matairesinol (mata), which have been identified as the major precursors of enterolactone and enterodiol. Even though linseed contains outstanding amounts of these substances, knowledge about the ecophysiology of the active agents is very scarce. Therefore, it seemed necessary to investigate the variability in the formation and accumulation of lignans in linseed in order to provide stable, high-quality plant raw material for the food processing industry. The following paper presents the second growing year of a trial series showing the effects o.
Maternal effects on the genetic evaluation of Tabapuã beef cattle

The aim of this investigation was to study the influence of maternal effects on the genetic evaluation of sire production in Tabapua beef cattle. Single and multiple trait analyses were done with adjusted animal weights at 120, 240 and 420 days of age. Antagonism was observed between additive direct and maternal genetic effects, with the maternal effect being higher until weaning. The inclusion of maternal effects in the models removed part of the additive variance only in single trait analyses and resulted in smaller means and standard deviations for the sire breeding values. The use of maternal effect associated with single or multiple traits may affect sire ranking. The contradictory results of the single and multiple trait analyses for additive direct and maternal effects indicate that caution is needed when considering recommendations about the importance of maternal effects in Tabapua beef cattle.
Larval settlement and recruitment of a brackish water clam, Corbicula japonica, in the Kiso estuaries, central Japan

Population dynamics of the brackish water clam Corbicula japonica were examined in the Kiso estuaries (the Ibi-Nagara Estuary and the Kiso Estuary), central Japan, during the process of larval recruitment. Based on temporal variation in densities (sampling every 2 weeks for planktonic larvae, new settlers, and small individuals, sampling every month for large and commercially important individuals) from May 2001 to April 2004, we conclude that densities of large and of commercially important individuals were determined not by larval supply but by benthic processes. Density-dependent processes were detected between densities of new settlers and recruits. These processes, however, were detected for spring-summer cohorts, but not for autumn-winter cohorts. Spatial distributions of each cohort were almost the same within the Ibi-Nagara Estuary and within the Kiso Estuary, although cohorts were collected mainly in the middle to upper regions of the Ibi-Nagara Estuary but were collected in the upper region of the Kiso Estuary. A shift in an ontogenetic habitat within each cohort was detected in the Ibi-Nagara Estuary but not in the Kiso Estuary: New settlers and small individuals were collected in the upper region while large and commercially important individuals were collected in the middle region. The shift may be explained by tidal migration using byssal threads or by site-specific differences in mortality, although it was not clear why the shift was detected in the Ibi-Nagara Estuary but not in the Kiso Estuary.
Lipid and fatty acid compositional differences between eggs of wild and captive‐breeding alligators (Alligator mississippiensis): an association with reduced hatchability?

Fertile eggs were obtained from the nests of wild and captive-breeding alligators in Louisiana, USA. Whereas embryo hatchability ofthe wild eggs was 94%, in the captive eggs it was only 500%. Analysis of the lipid and fatty acid compositions of the yolks showed extensive differences between the two sets of eggs. In particular, the lipids of the yolks from the captive eggs displayed considerably lower levels of C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids and higher levels of C18 polyunsaturates than the wild eggs. More specifically, overall levels of n-6 polyunsaturates were increased at the expense of n-3 acids in the captive eggs. In view of the specific role of C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids in embryo development, it is proposed that the yolk fatty acid compositional differences and the difference in hatchability are associated.
Caracterización química foliar de los árboles de aguacate criollo (Persea americana var. drymifolia) en los bancos de germoplasma de Michoacán, México

Persea americana var. drymifolia (aguacate criollo mexicano) se emplea como portainjerto en huertos de aguacate Hass y es fuente de genes de resistencia a plagas y patogenos para este y otros cultivares. El aguacate criollo mexicano se esta sustituyendo por cultivares comerciales o perdiendo por la destruccion de ecosistemas. Por eso, se estudiaron 250 arboles (52 accesiones de 14 estados de Mexico); 247 de criollo mexicano y 3 hibridos de este con P.shiedeana, P. americana var. americana y P. americana var. guatemalensis, plantados en los bancos de germoplasma en Michoacan. Se analizo la composicion quimica mediante cromatografia de gases-masas. Hubo alta variabilidad quimica entre los arboles del banco de germoplasma con los 64 compuestos detectados. El analisis de cumulos mostro 2 grandes grupos quimicos con 100% disimilitud y 22 grupos a 10% de disimilitud. Los hibridos se agruparon de manera diferente a los arboles con caracteristicas tipicas de criollo y difieren en su altitud de origen. Corroboramos que los volatiles foliares sirven como marcadores para diferenciar los criollos tipicos de sus hibridos y que mucha variacion atribuida a la variedad criolla proviene de hibridaciones en zonas de contacto de esta variedad con otras variedades o especies de Persea.
Vulnerability of cladoceran species to predation by the copepod Mesocyclops leuckarti: laboratory observations on the behavioural interactions between predator and prey

SUMMARY 1. We analysed the vulnerability of a number of cladoceran species (Bosmina longirostris, B. fatalis, Diaphanosoma brachyurum, Ceriodaphnia reticulata, Daphnia ambigua and D. pulex) to predation by Mesocyclops leuckarti in the laboratory. 2. The prey species represented a wide range of body size, morphology, and swimming behaviour. To compare vulnerability, we measured the efficiency of capture and ingestion of each prey species by Mesocyclops. We also measured the rate at which prey were damaged in attacks by Mesocyclops. 3. Mesocyclops preyed effectively on Diaphanosoma and small juvenile Ceriodaphnia but not on Bosmina or Daphnia. Observations suggested that various defence mechanisms, including protruding structures and swimming behaviour and speed, are important in determining prey vulnerability. 4. The body size of Daphnia and Ceriodaphnia seems to be important, because larger animals were better able to escape Mesocyclops attacks. Attacks by Mesocyclops often caused fatal damage, however, even to large Daphnia.
Cloning and expression analysis of insulin‐like growth factor I and II in liver and muscle of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L.) during long‐term fasting and refeeding

The exceptionally fast growth that fish experience after periods of fasting has been called ‘compensatory growth’ or ‘catch-up’ growth. This phenomenon, reported in a wide range of fish species, has been studied in intensive aquaculture as a means of enhancing feed conversion efficiency, but the mechanisms implicated are complex and not yet fully understood. In the present study, the authors describe the cloning and sequencing of the complete coding sequences of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), which are potent mitogens known to play important roles in growth and development. Sea bass IGF-I has an open reading frame (ORF) of 561 bp that encodes a mature protein of 187 amino acids, whereas IGF-II has an ORF of 648 bp encoding a mature protein of 216 amino acids. At the amino acid level, sea bass IGF-I shares a 30% similarity with IGF-II. The authors then report the pattern of IGF-I and IGF-II gene expression in liver and myotomal muscle in response to prolonged fasting and refeeding. Nutritional status significantly influenced IGF-I messenger RNA copy number in both liver and muscle, inducing a down-regulation during fasting and an up-regulation during the recovery from fasting. The trend of IGF-II response was similar, but different feeding regimens did not affect the amounts of transcript as sharply as in IGF-I. Taken together these data indicate that IGF-I and IGF-II participate in promoting sea bass muscle compensatory growth induced by refeeding.
Principal Discussant

Renovascular hypertension has its experimental counterpart in the two-kidney, one clip model (Goldblatt hypertension). From the study of this model, a general pathophysiological scheme has evolved suggesting that temporal stages in the development and maintenance of hypertension are regulated by complicated hormonal and neural interrelations. The central roles played by the renin-angiotensin system and the renal nerves is discussed as they relate to other hormones. In addition, the possible contribution of converting enzyme inhibitors to understanding the pathophysiology of this condition is discussed. (Hypertension 1991;17:707-719)
Comparative Study of Neem (Azadirachta indica), Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) extract as Herbal Anthelmintic and Albendazole as Chemical Anthelmintic in Controlling Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Goats

The comparative efficiency of methanol extracts of Neem (Azadirachta indica), Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) and chemical anthelmintic Albendazole on gastrointestinal nematodes infected goats were evaluated by egg per gram (EPG) count for a period of approximately three weeks. Twelve Kambing Katjang goats naturally infested with gastrointestinal parasite were selected based on EPG count (>300 EPG) and divided into four groups each consisting of three goats. Treatment I was methanol extract of A.indica (0.5 ml/kg body weight), treatment II was methanol extract of M.charantia (1 ml/kg body weight), treatment III was chemical anthelmintic, Albendazole (0.1 ml/kg body weight) and finally treatment IV was control. The treatments were administered on day 0 orally with single dosage and faecal egg count (EPG) was determined on day 4, 8 and 20. Both methanol extract of A.indica and M.charantia showed significant (p 0.01) reduction throughout the three weeks. The use of herbal anthelmintics, A.indica and M.charantia has shown significant (p<0.01) anthelmintic activity when compared with control group. Keywords: Neem (Azadirachta indica), bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), Gastro-intestinal nematode, Albendazole, goat, EPG
Digestibility and voluntary intake by sheep of five Digitaria species

Summary-Data are reported on the voluntary intake and digestibility by sheep of five species of Digitaria when grown as swards, cut at five different stages of growth and analysed for neutraldetergent solubles, hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, N, S, Na, K, P, Ca, Mg, Si, Cu, Mn, and Zn. Digitaria setivalva was superior to the other four species in in vivo digestibility of the dry matter, organic matter and energy (5.2 percentage units), content of metabolizable energy (5.3%), voluntary intake of dry matter (8 0%) and voluntary intake of metabolizable energy (1 8. 1 %). This superiority was associated with a higher content of digestible neutral-detergent solubles and cellulose. The metabolizable energy contents of the grasses were significantly correlated with dry matter digestibility and organic matter digestibility, content of digestible dry matter and concentrations of crude protein, neutral-detergent fibre, acid-detergent fibre, lignin and combinations of these different fractions. MEAT and milk production of cattle grazing tropical pastures are generally lower than that of cattle grazing temperate pastures. This is caused mainly by the low digestibility and voluntary intake of tropical grasses (Minson and McLeod 1970; Minson 1980~). Differences in in uitro digestibility have been found between genotypes of Digitaria sown in 3 m rows (Strickland 1970 and personal communication) and in 2 m x 5 m plots (Strickland and Haydock 19 7 8) with digestibility of D. setiualua generally higher than that of other introductions. However, it is possible that these differences could disappear once they were grown in swards, or that the advantage of a higher digestibility might be offset by a lower voluntary intake. To determine whether Digitaria species differ in their in uiuo digestibility and voluntary intake when grown in swards, a comparison was made between five Digitaria species cut at five stages of growth and fed to sheep in metabolism pens. Results were expressed as metabolizable energy (ME), in accordance with the recommend. ation of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, and equations derived relating ME to the composition of the feed.
Revision of Pichonia (Sapotaceae) in New Caledonia

Abstract. Pichonia Pierre (Sapotaceae, Chrysophylloideae) is a small genus of 10 species in Australasia, of which seven are endemic to New Caledonia. We revise the genus for New Caledonia and describe one new species (P. grandiflora), resurrect another (P. dubia) and make two new combinations because of nomenclatural priority (P. balansae, P. deplanchei). P. balansae has been known for decades as P. calomeris, a name that in fact has never been validly published. The members are mainly found in Grande Terre, the main island of New Caledonia, but two species extend to Belep Islands in the north and to Isle of Pines in the south of the archipelago. Most grow in maquis vegetation at low altitudes, on ultramafic soils, preferably serpentinite. The exceptions are P. balansana, confined to limestone areas, and P. dubia that is a large canopy tree of the humid forest on ultramafic soil. Pichonia is distinguished by a character combination of an areolate higher venation, staminodes, a single-seeded fruit, plano-convex cotyledons and absence of endosperm. Because of being restricted to ultramafic soils, they are subsequently sensitive to present and future mining activities in New Caledonia. Hence, preliminary IUCN Red List assessments for all members are provided. P. balansana, P. daenikeri and P. lecomtei are all naturally uncommon, do not occur in any protected area and are proposed the IUCN status of Vulnerable. The herein described species P. grandiflora is rare in nature, known only from the Boulinda–Paéoua–Kopéto Mountains, and is in urgent need of protection. It is therefore assigned a preliminary status of Endangered.
Variation in the Skull of Anchiceratops (Dinosauria, Ceratopsidae) from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of Alberta

ABSTRACT Anchiceratops is a chasmosaurine ceratopsid from the Upper Cretaceous Horseshoe Canyon Formation (HCF) of Alberta. It is distinguished primarily by its unique parietosquamosal frill ornamentation and possibly by the presence of a ventrally flexed olfactory bulb of the brain. Although Anchiceratops is known from at least ten partial skulls, only two of these have been formally described. These skulls are not stratigraphically segregated, but they differ markedly in their proportions (e.g., supraorbital horncore and frill dimensions), causing previous authors to account for this disparity with reference to either interspecific or sexual differences. Both of these hypotheses assume that variation in Anchiceratops is dimorphic; however, this assumption has never been tested with reference to all available material. The present study describes all material from the HCF that can be positively attributed to Anchiceratops, and tests the assumption of dimorphism by subjecting this material to a series of morphometric analyses. We find no compelling evidence for dimorphism in Anchiceratops, although sample size is still too small for convincing statistical support. We conclude that there is a single, variable species of Anchiceratops, A. ornatus. Average sedimentation rates for the HCF suggest that A. ornatus is a particularly long-lived species compared with other ceratopsids (∼1.5–2.0 Ma), and the paleoecological implications of this are discussed. A cladistic analysis that includes the new data presented here indicates that Anchiceratops is more closely related to Chasmosaurus than to Triceratops, in contrast with previous studies.
The phylogenetic system of the Mecoptera

Abstract. Many families like the Mesochoristidae, Agetopanorpidae and Permopanorpidae, which were believed by earlier writers to be Mecoptera, are members of the stem group of the Antliophora (Diptera Mecoptera+Siphonaptera) or of stem groups of monophyletic groups of even higher rank (e.g. Mecopteroidea). Others ‐ like the so‐called ‘Pro‐tomecoptera’ from the Permian of the Kusnetsk Basin ‐ are not even closely related to the Mecopteroidea. Only the families mentioned in the following phylogenetic system of the Mecoptera are definitely members of the order:
A Taxonomic Reassessment of Kerivoula lenis Thomas, 1916 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) Including a First Record from Peninsular India

In January 2002, a specimen of Kerivoula lenis was collected in Tirunelveli District, southern Tamil Nadu, India. It represents a range extension of over 1950 km. This is the first record of the taxon since its original description from Calcutta in 1916. The taxonomic status of K. lenis is reassessed. It is compared for the first time with K. papillosa and K. flora and more briefly with the nine other species of Kerivoula currently recognised in Asia.
A New Species of Chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae: Kinyongia) from the Northern Albertine Rift, Central Africa

Abstract The recently erected chameleon genus Kinyongia currently includes 17 species, with the majority of this diversity occurring in montane regions of East Africa. Kinyongia adolfifriderici is one of only three species in the genus to occur in Central Africa, with numerous populations occurring from low- to high-elevation forests of the Albertine Rift. Recent fieldwork in the Lendu Plateau in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) led to the discovery of a population of chameleons that is significantly larger than and morphologically distinct from the closely related species K. adolfifriderici, which was described from the lowland Ituri forest, DRC. Analyses of mitochondrial (16S and ND2) and nuclear (RAG1) DNA sequence data revealed that K. adolfifriderici is a complex of cryptic species. Herein, we describe the Lendu population as a new species, underscoring the endemism and conservation importance of this poorly known, unprotected montane region.