Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Facilitation of Quercus ilex recruitment by shrubs in Mediterranean open woodlands

Abstract Question: Insufficient tree regeneration threatens the long-term persistence of biodiverse Mediterranean open oak woodlands. Could shrubs, scarce due to decades of management (clearing and ploughing), facilitate holm oak recruitment at both acorn and seedling stages? Location: Open oak woodlands in Central Spain. Methods: Plots with four acorns were planted: (1) under the canopy of the spiny shrub Genista hirsuta, (2) in a small cage, protecting against ungulates, (3) in a shaded cage, protecting against ungulates and sun, and (4) in open grassland. Sets of these four treatments were spatially grouped according to a randomised block design, with 16 blocks near (< 10 m) and 16 away from (> 20 m) parent trees to test for distance-related survival. Plots were regularly checked for seed removal. After emergence one seedling per plot (97 in total) was selected and its survival monitored. Results: Three months after sowing, 199 of 512 acorns were removed, predominantly by rodents. Acorn removal occurred at each treatment but was highest under shrubs. Eight months after sowing, seedling survival was highest under shrubs (50%), followed by shaded cages (16%), open grassland (4%) and cages (0%). Main mortality cause was drought (90%), killing most seedlings between June and July. No seedlings died from ungulate browsing. Conclusion: Shrubs demonstrated clear net facilitative effects for Quercus ilex recruitment, despite higher seed removal. Shading appears the crucial factor facilitating seedling survival. We therefore propose that lack of shrubs contributes largely to tree recruitment failure in Mediterranean open woodlands; management should aim at conserving shrubs.
Critical review of a revision of Psammophis (Linnaeus 1758) (Serpentes, Reptilia) by Frank Brandstätter

Abstract Publication in book form of an earlier thesis (Brandstatter 1995, 1996) has placed in the public domain what purports to be a thorough revision of what is taxonomically one of the most difficult of snake genera—the primarily African but also Asiatic Psammophis. This review criticises some of the conclusions of the revision and points to various inconsistencies and shortcomings in the work, especially in as far as it concerns the Psammophis sibilans complex. Some alternative interpretations are offered in this review.
Fibrinogen Lincoln: a new truncated α chain variant with delayed clotting

A patient referred for preoperative investigation of prolonged bleeding and easy bruising was found to have increased thrombin and reptilase times; however, the thrombin catalysed release of fibrinopeptides A and B was normal. Analysis of five other family members, spanning three generations, indicated that three had a similar defect and suggested autosomal dominant inheritance. Non‐reducing SDS‐PAGE of purified fibrinogen from affected individuals showed that the 340 kD form of their fibrinogen ran as a doublet. SSCP (single‐stranded conformational polymorphism) analysis of exon 5 of the Aα gene, which encodes the C‐terminal half of the chain, confirmed the presence of a mutation. Cycle sequencing of PCR amplified DNA revealed a 13 base pair deletion (nt 4758–4770), resulting in a frameshift at Ala 475, which translates as four new amino acids before terminating at a new stop codon (‐476His‐Cys‐Leu‐Ala‐Stop). The presence of a circulating truncated Aα chain was confirmed when SDS‐PAGE gels were probed with an α chain specific antisera; which showed that the variant Aα chain comigrated with γ chains. The truncation results in a variant Aα chain with a deletion of 131 amino acids (480–610), and four new amino acids at the C‐terminal.
Swarm-like migratory behaviour in the laboratory of a pennate diatom isolated from North Sea sediments

An unidentified Navicula species was isolated from the surface sediments in two different localities of the German North Sea shore in 1997. Cells were maintained in culture on agar plates under various environmental conditions. The diatom cells showed a previously undescribed migratory behaviour, moving synchronically from the starting point towards the periphery of the Petri dish, resulting in a swarm-like migration and giving rise to ring-like banding patterns. This mode of movement takes place horizontally on a rather small scale (cm) and usually within days; it might represent, in addition to dispersal by water, another way of colonizing new areas of its natural environment. Ring formation occurred only when diatom cells were cultured on agar plates either in continuous white light or in a 14:10 h light:dark regime at an irradiance between 5 and 10 μmol photons m−2 s−1, and not when the agar plates were kept in the dark. Salinity above or beyond 34 psu, as well as a lack of nitrate or phosphate had a negative impact on this migratory behaviour and resulted in reduced numbers of rings or lack of migration. This migratory pattern was recorded repeatedly from October to the end of March, but ceased to occur afterwards.
Partialling out the spatial component of ecological variation

A method is proposed to partition the variation of species abundance data into independent components: pure spatial, pure environmental, spatial component of environmental influence, and undetermined. The new method uses pre-existing techniques and computer programs of canonical ordination. The intrinsic spatial component of com- munity structure is partialled out of the species-environment relationship in order to see if the environmental control model still holds. The method is illustrated using oribatid mites in a peat blanket, forest vegetation data, and aquatic heterotrophic bacteria. In this latter example, the new method is shown to be complementary to another approach based on partial Mantel tests.
Effects of different extrusion conditions on the chemical and toxicological fate of fumonisin B1 in maize: a short review

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a common mycotoxin found in maize and maize-based food products. Although FB1 is relatively heat stable and survives most thermal processes, extrusion cooking has been shown to be effective at reducing levels of the toxin in contaminated maize. This review summarises studies on the chemical and toxicological fate of FB1 in maize extruded under different conditions. Overall, these studies indicate that stability of FB1 depends on the extrusion conditions, e.g. temperature and screw speed, and that the presence of reducing sugars augment apparent loss of the toxin. The chemical fate of FB1 was investigated by measuring FB1, hydrolysed FB1, and N-substituted FB1 compounds with a mass balance approach while the relative toxicity was determined by rat feeding trials. FB1 in contaminated grits was reduced by 21-37% and 77-87% in the absence and presence of 10% (w/w) glucose, respectively, during single-screw extrusion. Greater reductions of 64-72% and 89-94% were achieved by twin-screw ext.
Changes in life‐cycle strategies of Carabus problematicus over a range of altitudes in Northern England

ABSTRACT. 1 Mandible tip length has been used to estimate the age of individual C.problematicus Herbst caught over an altitude range of more than 700 m in northern England. 2 At 100 m the great majority of females laid eggs in the summer of their emergence as adults. The female life‐cycle is predominantly annual and 24% only of the egg‐bearing individuals were in their second year. 3 Above 250 m, most females did not reproduce until the summer of the year following emergence, giving a biennial life‐cycle. 96% of egg‐bearing females caught above 830 m were in their second year. 4 All the males caught during the breeding season at 100 m had emerged within that calendar year and it is concluded that the male life‐cycle is annual at this altitude. 5 Above 250 m, 83% of the males caught during the breeding season were in their first calendar year, suggesting that recently emerged males may inseminate second year females and also that the male life‐cycle is predominantly annual over the whole altitude range studied. 6 At the higher temperatures of the lowland site females not only produce eggs in the year of emergence, they also produce more eggs per individual than at the higher sites. Egg production depends on food intake which involves mandible wear and individuals at the lowland site have significantly higher rate of mandible wear than at the sites above 250 m.
The influence of environmental microstructure on the behavioural phase state and distribution of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria

Abstract. In previous studies we used logistic regression analysis to quantify the change in behavioural phase state of Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål) nymphs subjected to variations in population density. Such work involved restricting insects in small containers either alone or in a crowd. In the present paper we have shown that the fine‐scale distribution of food plants, perches and favourable microclimatic sites influences the spatial distribution of locusts, both in the laboratory and under semi‐field conditions. When multiple resource sites were provided, solitarious locusts tended to disperse and behavioural gregarization was inhibited. However, provision of only a single site promoted congregation, overcoming the tendency of solitarious insects to avoid each other, and led to behavioural gregarization. The time‐course and extent of this response was fully consistent with our earlier experiments using enforced crowding. We suggest that such quantitative, experimental studies of the effects of environmental microstructure on behaviour may yield fundamental insights into the dynamics of plague formation in the desert locust.
A FURTHER POLLEN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE BLACKLANE PEAT SECTION ON DARTMOOR, ENGLAND

Summary The Blacklane Brook profile, first published in 1964, has been re-examined and given firm dating in the light of the archaeological and fossil tree-line interest that the profile has generated. A much fuller record of the open vegetation of Flandrian I is presented, and many new pollen types for the site are indicated. The recession phase noted in 1964 is found in this profile also and is dated to begin ca. 7760 BP. It is thus placed well within the Mesolithic cultural period. The resolution of the pollen diagram and the difficulties of interpretation of upland sites do not make it possible to make firm statements about the location of the tree-line at different periods.
Seed bank of desert annual plants along an aridity gradient in the southern Atacama coastal desert

Questions What is the species composition and density of the seed bank in one of the most arid deserts of the world: the Atacama Desert? Do composition and density vary along the aridity gradient? Are they affected by the sampling season and soil nutrient content? Location Southern Atacama coastal desert, Chile. Methods Seed bank composition and density were estimated via direct counting of seeds extracted from soil samples collected in eight localities separated by 0.5°, between 26–30° S along the study geographic gradient. This sampling protocol was conducted at three different seasons: after seed set and before and after germination in the rainy season. We also estimated soil nutrient content and obtained local climatic data from the WorldClim database to perform an ordination of seed banks along the aridity gradient. Results The entire seed bank was composed of 89 species (38 endemic), including 51 annuals (20 endemic). Annuals represented 82.4% of all seeds counted. Exotic plants were represented by 11 species, including nine annuals, with higher seed densities towards the more mesic localities. Aridity was by far the main factor driving seed bank composition and seed density along the study gradient. Seed banks were similar among seasons across all localities. Soil nutrient content played an important, but secondary, role in species-specific relationships. In comparison to other ecosystems, the seed bank densities found in this study correspond to the lowest figures reported to date. Conclusions This study represents the first report on seed banks via direct counting for the southern part of the Atacama coastal desert. The level of aridity mainly determines annual plant communities in this desert, including exotic species. Their responses to the aridity level and soil nutrient content are species-specific, which allows for species co-existence under extreme abiotic conditions.
Introduction and Historical Perspective

All environmental nutrients and airborne chemicals required for life enter our bodies by the nose and mouth. The senses of taste and smell monitor the intake of such materials, not only warning us of environmental hazards, but determining, in large part, the flavor of our foods and beverages, largely fulfilling our need for nutrients. These senses are very acute; for example, the human olfactory system can distinguish among thousands of airborne chemicals, often at concentrations below the detection limits of the most sophisticated analytical instruments (Takagi, 1989). Furthermore, these senses are the most ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, being present in one form or another in nearly all air-, water-, and land-dwelling creatures. Even bacteria and protozoa have specialized mechanisms for sensing environmental chemicals – mechanisms whose understanding may be of considerable value in explaining their modes of infection and reproduction (Jennings, 1906; Russo and Koshland, 1983; van Houten, 2000). While the scientific study of the chemical senses is of relatively recent vintage, the important role of these senses in the everyday life of humans undoubtedly extends far into prehistoric times. For example, some spices and condiments, including salt and pepper, likely date back to the beginnings of rudimentary cooking, and a number of their benefits presumably were noted soon after the discovery of fire. The release of odors from plant products by combustion was likely an early observation, the memory of which is preserved in the modern word perfume, which is derived from the Latin permeaning “through” and fumus meaning “smoke. ” Fire, with its dangerous and magical connotations, must have become associated early on with religious activities, and pleasant-smelling smoke was likely sent into the heavens in rituals designed to please
Circadian rhythms of gonadal and extra-gonadal hormonal and glycemic profiles during the breeding phase of the ovarian cycle of Indian estuarine grey mullets, Mugil cephalus L.

Circadian rhythms of ovarian activity during the breeding phase of the circannual ovarian cycle were poorly known in estuarine teleosts. This topic was resolved in an Indian estuarine teleost, the grey mullet, Mugil cephalus. Several hormones and blood glucose profiles were investigated at four different time intervals (06.00, 12.00, 18.00 and 24.00 h) of a 24-h period. Sex hormones [estradiol-17β, testosterone and 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP)] were quantitated by RIA, FSH, LH, prolactin, T3, T4 and TSH and insulin by ELISA and cortisol, catecholamines and indoleamines by fluorometric analysis. Estradiol-17β, testosterone and DHP profiles were higher in the photophase (06.00–18.00 h) than the scotophase (18.00–06.00 h), with a peak at 12.00 h, whereas, FSH, LH and prolactin concentrations were higher in the scotophase than the photophase with a peak at 24.00 h. But cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and insulin levels were higher in the photophase than the scotophase, with peaks at 06.00 h for T3 and T4, at 12.00 h for adrenal hormones and at 06.00–18.00 h for insulin. Blood glucose profile was lower in the photophase than the scotophase with a peak at 12.00 h unlike insulin. Pineal hormonal levels (NAS and melatonin) were higher in the scotophase than the photophase with a peak at 24.00 h. Serotonin level was at peak at 12.00 h. Environmental factor, such as photoperiod is likely to be responsible for the induction of circadian rhythms of hormones and consequently on blood glucose rhythms via hypothalamic SCN, pineal and retino-hypophysial tract in the mullet. A probable involvement of clock genes in the induction of circadian rhythms of hormones and blood glucose profiles is indicated in the mullet ovarian function.
EFFECTS OF DOSE AND ATTRACTANT ON INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PHEROMONE TRAPS FOR THE PEA MOTH, CYDIA NIGRICANA

The effects of different doses of two attractants on the interactions between pheromone traps for the pea moth, Cydia nigricana (F.) were investigated. In lines of three traps along the wind, each containing 103 μg (E)‐10‐dodecen‐1***‐yl acetate (E10‐12: Ac), interactions were evident at spacings of 15 m and 50 m; the centre trap catch was suppressed (cf. an isolated trap) but, unlike interacting traps containing 102 μg (E,E)‐8, 10‐dodecadien‐1‐yl acetate (E, E8, 10–12: Ac), the upwind trap did not catch more moths than the other traps.
Adoption of community engagement in the corporate culture of Australian forest plantation companies

This paper provides practical insight into what can be done to improve the adoption of community engagement (CE) in the corporate culture of two Australian forest plantation companies. Previous research has identified that CE can be limited by corporate cultures that promote a narrow range of CE benefits. However, no previous studies have detailed the relationship between corporate culture and CE adoption within forest companies. This research provides an empirical grounding for exploration of the relationship between corporate culture and CE adoption. We undertook case studies of two forest companies to understand how to enhance CE adoption. Interviews were conducted with 19 company staff including field staff, middle managers and senior managers. We found that both companies had some commitment to CE. Many employees believed CE was essential for the ongoing operations of their company. CE adoption, however, was constrained by issues such as a lack of resources and difficulties in discerning when CE was necessary. Based on our findings we provide strategies for enhancing adoption of CE in corporate culture. These strategies include (a) providing more incentives for individuals to engage with a broader range of stakeholders, (b) developing better tools to gather feedback from stakeholders and measure their social licence to operate, and (c) developing more effective stakeholder identification and engagement strategies.
Phylogeography and palaeodistribution modelling in the Patagonian steppe: the case of Mulinum spinosum (Apiaceae)

Aim An integrative study of the endemic, yet ubiquitous, Patagonian shrub Mulinum spinosum (Apiaceae) was performed: (1) to assess the historical processes that influenced its geographical pattern of genetic variation; (2) to test hypotheses of its survival in situ or in glacial refugia during glacial cycles; and (3) to model its extant and palaeoclimatic distributions to assess support for the phylogeographical patterns recovered.
Importance of different tree fractions for epiphytic lichen diversity on Picea abies and Populus tremula in mature managed boreonemoral Swedish forests

Abstract Knowledge of the canopy lichen flora of managed forests is poor, but needs more focus since, for example, slash (tops, branches and twigs) harvest for biofuel may pose a threat to epiphytic lichen diversity. This study compared lichen species richness, density and composition between stems, tops, branches and twigs of mature Norway spruce (Picea abies) and aspen (Populus tremula) in managed boreonemoral forests in south–central Sweden. The stems were also compared with the slash fractions pooled together. All comparisons were made separately for each tree species. In total, 30 lichen species were found on Norway spruce and 46 on aspen. No significant differences in species richness or species density between fractions were found for Norway spruce, whereas aspen tops were significantly less species rich and species dense than the other fractions. Moreover, aspen slash was significantly more species dense than the stem. The lichen species composition of the stems clearly differed from that of the tops, branches and twigs in both tree species. Thus, lichen communities other than those removed with stems by conventional forestry are removed from the stands owing to slash harvest. However, these species are rather common and widespread in Sweden. The impact of slash harvest on the epiphytic lichen flora may therefore be of minor importance in forests established after clear-cutting or on former arable land.
Phenotypic plasticity in upper thermal limits is weakly related to Drosophila species distributions

Summary 1. Acclimation and hardening represent examples of phenotypic plasticity, the extent to which phenotypes produced by the same genotype vary under different environments. Widespread species are expected to differ in thermal plasticity from narrowly distributed tropical species, but this has rarely been tested particularly when species are reared under the same conditions. 2. We investigated acclimation and hardening responses of 11 widespread or tropically restricted Drosophila species from Australia using estimates of heat resistance where temperatures were increased suddenly (static measure) or slowly (ramping measure), and after controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. We predicted that restricted species would show little acclimation regardless of the method used, whilst widespread species would respond well after a hardening treatment (35 °C for 1 h) particularly under ramping. 3. These predictions were partially supported. There was a tendency for the tropically restricted species to be less plastic than the widespread species, although variation among species within the two groups was generally greater than between the groups. For acclimation and stress resistance measured under ramping acclimation, there was an association between the southernmost latitude at which species were found (reflecting variability in climatic conditions they encountered) and knockdown resistance after controlling for phylogeny. There was also evidence of significant divergence from the ancestral state in the ramping trait, likely reflecting a history of direct or indirect selection for ramping knockdown resistance in Drosophila. 4. There was a significant negative association between basal resistance and hardening capacity for static acclimation in the widespread species, suggesting a limit to the extent that plastic responses vary independently of basal resistance. 5. The reduced plastic response in tropically restricted species and negative association between hardening and basal resistance suggest a limit to the effectiveness of plastic responses in changing upper thermal limits for countering increases in thermal stress under future climate change.
THE INTERACTION BETWEEN MASTING AND FIRE IS KEY TO WHITE SPRUCE REGENERATION

We used the mast-seeding tree Picea glauca (white spruce) to examine wheth- er the timing of mast years relative to fire had a lasting effect on the density and timing of regeneration. We studied 17 fires that occurred in mast years and in years with low cone production between 1941 and 1994. Trees were carefully aged by crossdating procedures. Over the 59-yr period studied, there was significantly more regeneration after fires that occurred in mast years than after fires that occurred in years of low cone production. Spruce density was significantly lower after fires that occurred 1-3 years before a mast year than after fires during mast years. The cohort of trees that regenerated in the first mast year after a fire was critical to white spruce regeneration for fires that occurred 0-1 year before a mast year, but mast years occurring three or more years after a fire contributed few recruits. Our results suggest that masting is a key process that interacts with fire to shape stand composition in boreal mixedwoods. For species like white spruce, for which establishment is linked to disturbance, masting may have a contingent, historical effect on succession and landscape structure.