Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Landscape factors affecting relative abundance of gray foxes Urocyon cinereoargenteus at large scales in Illinois, USA

Evaluation of wildlife-habitat relationships at the landscape level provides insight into how habitat connectivity, fragmentation and land-use changes may affect wildlife populations. Although previous studies have demonstrated that habitat composition and configuration at large scales may affect the presence, survival and movement of carnivore species, no such analyses have been conducted for the gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus. We used a generalized correlative mapping approach to investigate the relationship of gray fox relative abundance to landscape variables at the county scale in Illinois, USA. Relative abundance of gray foxes was high in 37 of 102 (36%) counties. Four models were competitive based on ΔAICc scores, and these models indicated that standard deviation of the perimeter-area ratio of agricultural patches, interspersion and juxtaposition index of grassland patches, coefficent of variation of the proximity index of forest patches and relative patch richness of the landscape affected gray fox relative abundance. The variables occurring in our competing models indicate that the relative abundance of the gray fox is higher in counties containing a high level of fragmentation of preferred habitat types (i.e. forests and grasslands) and lower dispersion of less preferred habitat types (i.e. agriculture). Our results reflect gray fox habitat use at smaller scales, and at the landscape scale, gray fox abundance is influenced by how cover-type patches are configured.
Antioxidant and Bioadhesive Properties of Onions (Allium L., Alliaceae) Processed Under Acidic Conditions

Antioxidant and bioadhesive properties of onion, garlic, leek, and ramsons, processed under low pH conditions were investigated. For investigation of antioxidant activity DPPH free radical scavenging activity and reducing power were used. The most active radical scavenger (EC50 = 2.07 mg/ml) and reductant was the ethanolic extract of leek leaf. Positive correlation between antioxidant activity and phenol content in the extracts (P < 0.01) was found. To determine bioadhesive properties of the extracts, tensile studies were performed and work of adhesion (Wa) was measured. The most pronounced bioadhesive properties were determined for garlic and ramsons bulbs extracts (Wa > 8 μJ).
Field performance of select tepary bean germplasm in the tropics

Dry edible bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), a staple food crop for many tropical countries, is not well adapted to the hot temperatures and low rainfall that prevail during the dry seasons. Cultivated tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray var. latifolius Freeman), an edible small-seeded desert annual with extreme tolerance to drought, may be suited to dry-season production in the tropics. To test this hypothesis, production potential of select cultivated tepary bean germplasm was evaluated in different tropical environments and compared to dry bean. Eleven lines (Neb-T-1-s, Neb-T-6-s, Neb-T-8a-s, Neb-T-15-s, GN-605-s, GN-610-s, PIs 321637-s, 321638-s, 440788-s, 440806-s, and 502217-s) were field tested from 1989 to 1993 in six trials, two each at Isabela and Fortuna, Puerto Rico, and El Zamorano, Honduras [. ]
Regulation of Leydig Cell Sensitivity and Responsiveness to LH/hCG

The present paper discusses some of the problems which are involved in evaluating hormonal effects on the responsiveness of Leydig cells to LH/hCG. It describes, with several examples, how different peptide and steroid hormones can alter the sensitivity and magnitude of the in vitro response of rat Leydig cells to gonadotrophins. These alterations in responsiveness and sensitivity may be mediated through effects on the number of LH/hCG. receptors (LH, prolactin, glucocorticoids), the activity of the phosphodiesterase (LH, androgens) or the steroidogenic enzymes (androgens, oestrogens, antiandrogens). The fact that the responsiveness and sensitivity of Leydig cells to LH/hCG can be manipulated in such a way, gives support to the proposals suggesting that regulation of target cell sensitivity to hormones may be as fruitful as the current attempts of controlling male fertility, which mainly aim at controlling hormone production.
Effects of topography on the environment

Greater understanding of patterns of distributions of organisms and their causal mechanisms are required if the consequences of climatic change are to be fully realized. Associations between topographic features of the environment and distributions of organisms are frequently assumed to be a consequence of provision or modification of local conditions by those features. Such assumptions are rarely supported empirically and there is increasing evidence that topographic features do not always influence variables in the way we might anticipate. Thus, data about how features of habitat influence environmental conditions, including availability of food, are likely to be useful for understanding how and why organisms are found where they are. Such data are few and rigorous descriptions about what defines particular features of habitat are seldom provided or are simplistic. For hard substrata in aquatic environments, crevices are often prominent features with which many species associate. Crevices have frequently been assumed, but not demonstrated, to ameliorate conditions by increasing humidity, moderating (usually reducing) temperatures and by decreasing forces from wave-impacts and water-flow. This study provided clear definitions and tests of various hypotheses about how crevices altered the local environment. The main predictions were that crevices would be cooler, more humid, more sheltered from water-movement and support more micro-algae than areas away from crevices. Manipulative experiments using artificial habitats and measurements on natural rocky shores were carried out on multiple shores over two years to understand how crevices affected local conditions. Crevices were indeed cooler, more humid, supported more micro-algae and more sheltered from water-flow than open areas nearby, but conditions did not always vary in ways that were expected. Effects were often complex, with factors such as season, height on the shore and tidal conditions interacting to influence how crevices affect environmental conditions. Without this detailed information, assumptions about the reasons animals associate with features of habitat cannot be tested.
ISIS database: an evaluation of records essential for captive management

Species databases are essential for the scientific management of species and specimens in captive wildlife populations. Population managers in North America base their decisions on information in two databases:the International Species Information System (ISIS) and American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) approved regional studbooks. Genetic and demographic management of species relies on studbooks, whereas regional collection planning and management by Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs) may use a combination of studbooks, direct surveys, and data from ISIS. Use of ISIS data as the primary basis for population management and collection planning is increasing, yet there has been no assessment of how ISIS data differ from studbooks. Thus these databases were compared to determine if they are interchangeable for the purposes of regional collection planning or species management. Population sizes of living individuals in 68 SSP© taxa were compared to assess the magnitude of differences between the databases. Differences in population size were considerable and highly variable; ISIS on average underestimated the number of living animals in SSP© taxa populations. Ten studbooks were also analyzed in detail to identify specific types of discrepancies between the two databases. On average, 19.2 ± 2.2% of the information in the ISIS database differed from that in the studbook. Most discrepancies derived from data that were either missing from, or incorrect in, the ISIS database. The most common discrepancies involve parents who were either unidentified or misidentified in the ISIS database (x = 37.5 ± 5.7% of all records). No single type of discrepancy, however, was prevalent across all 10 species; the overall rate of discrepancies per species was attributable to a combination of discrepancies peculiar to each species. Protocols concerning data entry standards, data collection, and the scope of data collected are likely causes of most discrepancies. In its present form, the ISIS database is not appropriate for single species management; if used cautiously, it can be of assistance in the development of regional collection plans. Development of an ISIS database that is suitable for population management will require an increased commitment to data quality by records keepers, zoological institutions, and ISIS. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
PoPulation variability in Thymus glabrescens Willd. from Serbia: morPhology, anatomy and eSSential oil comPoSition

In five indigenous populations of Thymus glabrescens Willd. collected in the region of Banat (Serbia), the variability on leaf morphological traits, leaf and stem anatomy, and composition of the essential oil was studied. The major component in the studied populations was either thymol or γ-terpinene. Distinct differentiation of populations with respect to chemical composition of essential oils might be related to spatial distribution of the studied populations. No correlations between morphology, anatomy, and essential oil yield and composition were determined. Both capitate and peltate glandular trichomes were found on calyces, whereas the latter were noticed on the abaxial and adaxial leaf surface.
Territorial damselflies do not show immunological priming in the wild

Adaptive immunity allows vertebrates to gain protection against repeated pathogenic infections. Analogous responses (priming) have been recently uncovered in invertebrates. However, whether such responses are widespread is not known. The present study investigated the presence of immunological priming in males of a species whose phylogenetic position places it in one of the less derived insect orders. It is hypothesized that the efficiency of such a response could be related to animal condition, as assessed by the expression of a sexually selected ornament. Hetaerina americana Fabricius (Odonata: Calopterygidae) males bear a conspicuous ornament (a red wing spot), which is evolutionarily maintained via male territorial competition. Using field‐collected animals, a group of males is challenged with bacteria before exposure to a higher dose of the same or a different bacteria, and survival is compared with that of infected males not previously challenged, as well as control groups. Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria are used. To explore how long priming may take to work, the second exposure is carried out either after 1 or 5 days. Red spot and body size are entered in the analysis as predictors of survival within and between groups. There is no difference in survival among groups, which suggests no priming effect. Overall, red spot and body size are not consistent in explaining survival.
Prevalence of mating type idiomorphs in Pyrenophora teres f. teres and P. teres f. maculata populations from the Canadian prairies

Abstract The fungus Pyrenophora teres Drechs. occurs as two morphologically similar but genetically distinct forms, P. teres f. teres (Ptt) and P. teres f. maculata (Ptm), which cause the net form and spot form of net blotch of barley, respectively. A collection of 220 isolates from the Canadian prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) was evaluated for mating type (MAT) idiomorph distribution and frequency. Fungal isolates were classified as Ptt or Ptm using form-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. PCR analysis with MAT-specific primers indicated that the MAT1 and MAT2 idiomorphs of Ptt and Ptm could be identified within the same field, on the same plant, and on the same leaf. There was no significant departure from the expected 1:1 MAT1/MAT2 ratio for both forms in all three provinces or in the Canadian prairies population as a whole. Polymorphic simple sequence repeat primers were used to detect evidence of possible recombination between the two forms. Cluster analysis revealed that all P. teres isolates, including 30 isolates causing intermediate symptoms, clustered in two distinct groups conforming to either Ptt or Ptm. Therefore, hybridization was not detectable from the 220 isolates collected in western Canada. Pyrenophora teres f. teres is still the dominant form (58%) of the net blotch pathogen, and the data suggest both Ptt and Ptm go through regular cycles of sexual reproduction in the Canadian prairies.
Characteristics of Antioxidative Flavonoid Glycosides in Lemon Fruit

We investigated the antioxidative flavonoid glycosides in the peel extract of lemon fruit (Citrus limon). Six flavanon glycosides: eriocitrin, neoeriocitrin, narirutin, naringin, hesperidin, and neohesperidin, and three flavone glycosides: diosmin, 6,8-di-C-β-glucosyldiosmin (DGD), and 6-C-β-glucosyldiosmin (GD) were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Their antioxidative activity was examined using a linoleic acid autoxidation system. The antioxidative activity of eriocitrin, neoeriocitrin and DGD was stronger than that of the others. Flavonoid glycosides were present primarily in the peel of lemon fruit. There was only a small difference in the content of the flavonoid glycosides of the lemon fruit juice from various sources and varieties. Lemon fruit contained abundant amounts of eriocitrin and hesperidin and also contained narirutin, diosmin, and DGD, but GD, neoeriocitrin, naringin, and neohesperidin were present only in trace amounts. The content of DGD, GD, and eriocitrin was especially abundant in lemons and limes; however, they were scarcely found in other citrus fruits. The content of flavonoid compounds in lemon juice obtained by an in-line extractor at a juice factory was more abundant than that obtained by hand-squeezing. These compounds were found to be stable even under heat treatment conditions (121°C, 15 min) in acidic solution.
Features and distribution patterns of Chinese endemic seed plant species

Abstract We compiled and identified a list of Chinese endemic seed plant species based on a large number of published references and expert reviews. The characters of these seed plant species and their distribution patterns were described at length. China is rich in endemic seed plants, with a total of 14 939 species (accounting for 52.1% of its total seed plant species) belonging to 1584 genera and 191 families. Temperate families and genera have a significantly higher proportion of endemism than cosmopolitan and tropical ones. The most primitive and derived groups have significantly higher endemism than the other groups. The endemism of tree, shrub, and liana or vine is higher than that of total species; in contrast, the endemism of herb is lower than that of total species. Geographically, these Chinese endemic plants are mainly distributed in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, southwest China. Species richness and proportion of these endemic plants decrease with increased latitude and have a unimodal response to altitude. The peak value of proportion of endemism is at higher altitudes than that of total species and endemic species richness. The proportions of endemic shrub, liana or vine, and herb increase with altitude and have a clear unimodal curve. In contrast, the proportion of tree increases with altitude, with a sudden increase at ∼4000 m and has a completely different model. To date, our study provides the most comprehensive list of Chinese endemic seed plant species and their basic composition and distribution features.
Scales of hydroecological variability within a groundwater‐dominated stream

This paper aims to show how hydrological, ecological and climatological data may be analysed to assess the temporal and spatial scales at which hydroclimatological variables influence instream ecology. A groundwater-dominated chalk stream (Little Stour River, Kent, UK), for which ecological data are available over 6 years (1992-1997), provides the focus for the testing and application of these techniques. Correlation and regression analyses are undertaken to highlight the dominant hydroclimatological factors influencing community abundance at a range of spatial scales encompassing: the entire river, upstream and downstream sectors, habitat type (riffle) and individual riffle sites. To set these results in a longer-term context, temporal sequencing of annual air temperature and discharge regimes is undertaken (based upon 30 years of data, 1969-1999). A classification of annual discharge hydrograph shape and magnitude identifies years with early, intermediate or late peaks, which may be assigned into three magnitude groups. Four annual air temperature magnitude classes are apparent. The regime analysis clearly reveals inter-annual variability in both these key physical habitat parameters. Analysis of variance indicates a significant difference in macroinvertebrate community abundance for the hydrograph shape, magnitude and combined classes identified at all scales of analysis, although the influence of air temperature only varied significantly between riffle sites. The techniques used may be easily adapted to water resource management.
Constitutive heterochromatin polymorphism in river buffalo chromosomes

SUMMARYConstitutive heterochromatin (HC) distribution among river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis L., 2n = 50) chromosomes was analyzed by using both the CBA- technique and GBA + CBA technique. CBA-banding revealed the presence of HC in the centromeric regions of all the chromosomes of the 15 animals we investigated. The five biarmed pairs showed very small HC-blocks, the remaining autosomes and the X- chromosomes showed pronounced HC-blocks with a high degree of HC-variation among them. The Y-chromosome showed a variable C-banding pattern on the basis of the different degree of chromosomal denaturation. A C-positive and heteromorphic band was also found at the telomere of chromosome 4p. The simultaneous visualization of fluorescent C and G-bands (GBA + CBA technique) in 10 animals allowed us to study the HC-distribution among and within chromosome pairs. Chromosomes showing HC-polymorphism between chromosome pairs were number 6 (6/10 animals), 11 (5/10 animals), 19 (5/10 animals) and 24 (7/10 animals).
Homing by Canada's West Coast Herring to Management Units and Divisions as Indicated by Tag Recoveries

The change from a fishery for reduction to meal and oil to one primarily for roe resulted in major shifts in the herring fishing grounds on Canada's west coast. To meet management needs for the new fishing pattern, the former stock concept of seven "populations" was revised into 35 "management units. " Reanalysis of tag recovery data for the period 1937–67, in terms of the 22 management units represented, showed a degree of homing between 66 and 96% for 18 of these management units. This is comparable to the homing displayed by the seven former populations (54–84%) estimated from essentially the same data base. Homing to some of the more isolated management units was comparable to that for the six major divisions of the coast (77–94%), as currently defined. Stevenson's (1954) conclusion "… the herring of British Columbia tend to form a series of integrating populations" is supported by the present analysis.Key words: Clupea harengus pallasi, tagging, homing, stocks, populations
Migration and Growth of the Coastal Cutthroat Trout in Tillamook County, Oregon

Abstract Coastal cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki clarki Richardson) were studied at Sand Creek, Tillamook County, Oregon (1946-49). Upstream runs occurred mainly in fall and early winter months and downstream runs in the spring. Upstream migrant sea-run cutthroats averaged 13.6 inches, while upstream non-sea-run trout averaged 6.0 inches, fork length. Downstream trout, mainly initial migrants, averaged 5.7 inches long. Of summer-resident trout, 8.7 percent were of legal angling length. Scales of sea-run trout gave ages of 2-10 years, with different combinations of stream and sea life. Most sea-run trout spawned after one season in the sea and a third had spawned one to three times. Growth was back-calculated from scale readings. Survival figures are given.
Does Pollen ‘Neighborhood’ Affect Berry Yield In Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium Angustifolium Ait)?

Proximally growing individuals of wild, lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) vary widely in yield despite being grown under conditions in which environmental heterogeneity is minimized by cultivation practices. We recently established that the relative self-fertility of the bearing plant is a significant predictor of its outcross yield. Further, although the species has historically been characterized as largely self-infertile, we, and others, have documented large variation in this trait among individuals within fields, and, thus, relative self-fertility stands as a partial explanation of yield variation in addition to other genetic factors, such as significant general and specific combining abilities. Here, we extend our scope by experimentally addressing whether pollen neighborhood affects yield. Lowbush blueberry is not sown, rather individuals have colonized fields by natural processes. Commercial fields of lowbush are generally pollinated by rented honey bees, which tend to pollinate nearby flowers. Our hypothesis is that clones may have become situated in differentially suitable pollen environments, at least partly explaining yield differences. We identified two high and two low natural yielders from each of two managed fields and collected pollen mixes from five donors surrounding each (n = 8). Under field conditions, each recipient received four pollination treatments including its' own neighborhood and the other three donor neighborhoods within the same field. Results showed that one of the low producers in each field had significantly higher yields when pollinated by any but their own neighborhood, thus substantiating our hypothesis that pollen neighborhood has an effect on yield.
Age and Growth of Red Drum Larvae in the North-Central Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Otolith growth increments were used to estimate the age of 113 larval red drum Sciaenops ocellatus collected in the north-central Gulf of Mexico in October 1983, October 1984, and September 1985. Larval growth, as estimated by correlating age with length and dry weight measurements, was exponential and positively associated with water temperature. Mean growth in length of larvae smaller than 4 mm was relatively slow (≈0.3 mm/d), but at sizes larger than 4 mm, length increased rapidly. Based on growth equations, the mean increases in length of 4–6-mm larvae in October 1984, October 1983, and September 1985, were 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 mm/d, respectively. These increases in larval growth were associated with increasing water temperature at time of capture; ranges in temperature during the three periods were 24.5–25A, 25.5–26.5, and 27.8–29.0°C, respectively. Larvae that developed in October 1984 grew to a length of 6 mm in about 15.0 d, whereas in September 1985, at the warmest temperatures, larvae grew.