Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Within‐family parent–offspring co‐adaptation in a wild bird: on static traits, behavioural reaction norms, and sex differences

Summary Parental care, a central component of reproduction in a wide range of animal species, often involves elaborate behavioural interactions between parents and their offspring. Due to the reciprocal nature of these interactions, it has been hypothesized that parental and offspring behaviours (e.g. parental food provisioning and offspring begging) are not only target but also agent of selection. These traits are therefore expected to co-evolve, ultimately leading to co-adaptation of parent and offspring behaviours within families. However, empirical data on such parent–offspring co-adaptation are limited, particularly for wild populations. Furthermore, mean levels of behaviour (as measured in previous studies) may not adequately describe the dynamic nature of the reciprocal interplay between parents and their offspring, and instead rather the behavioural reaction norms for provisioning and begging may be co-adapted. We applied a large-scale cross-fostering study over 3 consecutive breeding seasons to investigate whether provisioning behaviour of wild blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) parents covaries with the begging behaviour of their genetic, cross-fostered offspring. We simultaneously analysed parent and offspring behaviours, both as static traits (mean levels) and behavioural reaction norms (offspring begging as a function of food deprivation and parental provisioning as a function of short-term experimental changes in brood size). Neither maternal nor paternal provisioning rates covaried with the begging intensity of their genetic offspring when analysed as mean levels of behaviour. However, the slopes of the reaction norms for provisioning and begging were negatively correlated between male, but not female, parents and their genetic offspring. Thus, fathers that change their provisioning rate strongly with brood size sire offspring whose level of begging only weakly increases with hunger, and vice versa. The observed covariation suggests the existence of sex-specific optima for parent–offspring trait combinations. Thus, our study not only highlights the importance of a behavioural reaction norm approach when investigating parent–offspring interactions, but also stresses the relevance of considering parents as separate units, at least for biparental species.
Fetomaternal Cellular and Plasma DNA Trafficking

Abstract: In human pregnancy, multiple lines of evidence have indicated that there is trafficking of nucleated cells and cell‐free DNA between the mother and fetus. Diagnostically, fetal cells in maternal blood and fetal DNA in maternal plasma offer a noninvasive source of fetal material for prenatal diagnosis. Through the developments of methods for fetal cell isolation and fetal DNA detection, many fetal genetic characteristics and chromosomal abnormalities have been detected from maternal blood. Large‐scale clinical trials have been initiated that will facilitate the eventual application of these technologies. The presence of large quantities of cell‐free fetal DNA in maternal plasma challenges the conventional belief that the fetal and maternal circulations are separate entities. In addition, the recent demonstration of the persistence of fetal cells following delivery also opens up a new field of investigation and raises new physiologic and pathogenic implications. Like the Yin and Yang in Chinese mythology, we believe that fetal cells and fetal DNA transfer are closely related and should be studied and applied in a synergistic manner.
Evidence for multiple introductions of the Pacific green alga Ulva australis Areschoug (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) to the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract Earlier morpho-anatomical work showed that a non-native Ulva species is widely distributed off the northwestern Iberian Peninsula (NWIP) since the early 1990s. However, insufficient sequence data provided at the time of the earlier study led to suggestions that more genetic evidence might be required to confirm this record. Here, we present this evidence in sequence data for the nuclear-encoded ITS1 and the plastid-encoded rbcL. We confirm the occurrence of an alien distromatic Ulva in several locations along the NWIP. Additionally, its presence in the Spanish Mediterranean (>1000 km away) is reported here for the first time. Species identification yielded notably coherent results between nuclear-encoded and plastid-encoded sequences, revealing that Spanish plants are conspecific with collections of Ulva pertusa and Ulva australis from a range of Pacific locations. The probable synonymy between U. australis and U. pertusa is consistent with their morphological similarity and suggests that U. australis is the correct name for the non-native green macroalga. ITS1 sequences reveal a common source for the various sites studied in the NWIP, possibly linked to shellfish transfers into the region. However, non-native populations in southern Spain must derive from an independent introduction event. This is the first time that molecular data have been used to demonstrate multiple introductions of U. australis to European waters.
Scanning electron micrographs of leaves of British Carex species, 5. Subgenus Carex: sections Spirostachyae, Digitatae Mitratae Acrocystis Rhychocystis, Rhomboidales and Aulocystis

Abstract This part completes the large subgenus Carex, embracing sections Spirostachyae, Digitatae, Mitratae, Acrocystis, Rhynchocystis, Rhomboidales, Aulocystis. It opens with the section Spirostachyae, a natural group, related to Ceratocystis and to C. sylvatica; like these, they show minor variations on ‘the default caricoid leaf’. These are followed by section Digitatae, of which the core C. digitata and C. ornithopoda are closely related, five dry grassland sedges of varied affinities, C. humilis, C. caryophyllea, C. montana, C. ericetorum and C. pilulifera (the last three traditionally placed in the heterogeneous section Acrocystis). These are derived from at least four different lineages and all have their closest allies outside Europe. All have different upper-surface ornamentation. Finally, three distinctive species are included, which are the sole representatives of their sections in Britain and Ireland, C. pendula, C. depauperata, C. atrofusca. These are either isolated or omitted altogether in the DNA analyses to date.
Sweetpotato diseases research in Ethiopia

Sweetpotato [Ipomoa batatas important crops in Ethiopia. It is annually produced on 53,000 hectares of land with total production around 4,240 tons and average productivity of 8 t ha-1. The productivity of the crop is extremely low as compared to the average world yield of 14.9 t ha-1 and potential yield of 45 t ha factors is the existence of sweetpotato diseases in the country. Hence, this paper reviews the types of diseases in Ethiopia, their status, prevalence, incidence and managements. Currently, virus is the major economically important disease in Ethiopia. Especially, since late 2004 to 2011 four types of viruses namely, Sweetpotato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweetpotato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), Sweetpotato virus (SPVG) and Sweetpotato virus 2 (SPV2) were identified and recorded viral diseases in the country. Six viruses, namely, C-6 virus, Sweetpotato caulimo-like virus (SPCaLV), Sweetpotato chlorotic flecks virus (SPCFV, Sweetpotato latent virus (SPLV), Sweetpotato mild speckling virus (SPMSV), and Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) were identified in 2012. In addition, sweetpotato stem blight caused by Alternaria spp. , is also considered as intermediate and sometimes threatening sweetpotato production and productivity in the country. In order threatening diseases, it is recommended to strengthen local quarantine system, training of farmers, experts and multipliers. Moreover, it is also important to clean and distribute virus free planting materials to reduce the present status of the disease and its effect on the resource poor farmers and multipliers.
Preparation of monoclonal antibodies to JC virus and their use in the diagnosis of progressive multifocal leucoeneephalopathy

Seven monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to polyomavirus JC were produced, and one was selected for use in immunofluorescence (IF) tests on brain material from patients with suspected progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML). The selected MAb (5. 12.2) reacted by IF with JC‐infected primary human foetal glial (PHFG) cell cultures (titre 1/200,000) but not with BK‐infected human embryo lung (HEL) fibroblasts (titre <1/20). Its haemagglutination‐inhibition (HI) titre was high (>1/5 × 106) against JC virus but low (<1/5)against BK virus. A diagnosis of PML was confirmed on brain biopsy or at postmortem in four patients, two of whom were also infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In one of the patients, specific detection of JC virus antigen had not been possible using our routine high titred JC and BK human sera due to interference by JC antibody present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Viral antigen was, however, detected with the MAb 5. 12.2.
Mycorhization par Tuber melanosporum Vitt de vitroplants de Quercus robur L et Quercus pubescens Willd

Les performances au champ des plants mycorhizes par la truffe sont limitees par l'heterogeneite du materiel vegetal jusqu'ici issu de semis. L'utilisation d'individus selectionnes multiplies in vitro et de materiel fongique clone permet de pallier ces inconvenients. Il est possible maintenant de realiser l'association mycorhizienne entre divers chenes (Quercus robur L., Q. pubescens Willd) et la truffe (Tuber melanosporum Vitt), aussi bien en conditions axeniques que gnotoxeniques (.)
Regional variation in the proportion of red heartwood in sugar maple and yellow birch

Stems of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) trees often contain a column of discoloured wood known as red heartwood, which reduces lumber value. To quantify the regional-scale variation in red heartwood, 192 trees of each species were sampled in 12 locations across the temperate forest zone of southern Quebec, Canada. Large regional variation in the radial proportion of red heartwood (RHP) at breast height (1.3 m) was observed in both species. Statistical modeling showed that such variation was mainly attributable to factors related to tree development. Cambial age had a strong positive effect on RHP in both species, suggesting that the occurrence of red heartwood ultimately might be unavoid- able. There was also a positive effect of ring area increment at the limit of the discoloured zone. In the case of sugar maple, there was an added effect of the trend in ring area increments observed in the same zone, with a negative trend being generally indicative of a larger RHP. Further variability in this species was also associated with the annual minimum temperature of the sampling locations. The models developed for each species explained around 60% of the variance in RHP and could be used to improve forest management and wood procurement decisions. Resume : Les tiges d'erable a sucre (Acer saccharum Marsh.) et de bouleau jaune (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) contiennent frequem-
Cutting Edge: Progesterone Regulates IFN-α Production by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells1

Use of the progesterone (Pg) birth control depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) increases a woman’s risk for sexually transmitted infection with HIV or HSV-2 via unknown mechanisms. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are circulating and tissue-resident sentinels capable of making large quantities of IFN-α upon recognizing viruses through TLRs 7 and 9. In this study, we show that Pg inhibits TLR9-induced IFN-α production by human and mouse pDCs and that DMPA impairs TLR9- and virus-induced IFN-α production by pDCs in mice, providing a potential explanation for how DMPA impairs innate antiviral immunity in women. Pg failed to inhibit the Mda-5 pathway of IFN-α induction in dendritic cells, suggesting that Pg regulates select antiviral DC programs. This may occur through selective blockade of IFN regulatory factor-7 activation, a novel steroid action. Thus, through inhibition of TLR-mediated IFN-α production by pDCs, Pg may regulate antiviral immunity.
Waterbird Use of Catfish Ponds and Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative Wetlands in Mississippi

Abstract. Aquaculture can provide important surrogate habitats for waterbirds. In response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the National Resource Conservation Service enacted the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative through which incentivized landowners provided wetland habitats for migrating waterbirds. Diversity and abundance of waterbirds in six production and four idled aquaculture facilities in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley were estimated during the winters of 2011–2013. Wintering waterbirds exhibited similar densities on production (i.e., ∼22 birds/ha) and idled (i.e., ∼20 birds/ha) sites. A total of 42 species were found using both types of aquaculture wetlands combined, but there was considerable departure in bird guilds occupying the two wetland types. The primary users of production ponds were diving and dabbling ducks and American coots. However, idled ponds, with varying water depths (e.g., mudflats to 20 cm) and diverse emergent vegetation-water interspersion, attracted over 30 species of waterbirds and, on average, had more species of waterbirds from fall through early spring than catfish production ponds. Conservation through the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative was likely responsible for this difference. Our results suggest production and idled Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative aquaculture impoundments produced suitable conditions for various waterbird species and highlight the importance of conservation programs on private lands that promote diversity in vegetation structure and water depths to enhance waterbird diversity.
Preserving genetic diversity in threatened species reintroductions: how many individuals should be released?

Reintroduction guidelines recommend that ‘adequate’ numbers of individuals be released to minimize loss of genetic diversity, but these numbers are rarely quantified. We present a framework for assessing the number of individuals required for an island reintroduction that takes account of allele loss both during the founding event and in the following establishment phase with a low population size. This is the first attempt to model release numbers for reintroductions in order to preserve alleles with a specified initial frequency, while taking post‐release mortality rates, population growth rates and site carrying capacity into account. Probability of allele retention was sensitive to both release number and post‐release demography. The rate of allele loss was strongly influenced by both environmental stochasticity and delayed population growth but was little affected by increasing the annual turnover rate of the breeding population. We illustrate the model's application using parameter estimates from a threatened New Zealand passerine, the mohua Mohoua ochrocephala, for which reintroduction is a common management tool. Our modelling indicates that when population growth is moderate (λ=1.3), c. 60 individuals would need to be released to achieve at least 95% certainty that alleles at an initial frequency of 0.05 would be retained after 20 years (five overlapping generations), which is double the number typically released in translocations of mohua and other threatened forest passerines in New Zealand.
Atrazine, S-metolachlor, and isoxaflutole loss in runoff as affected by rainfall and management

Abstract Research was conducted to determine the effects of management practices and precipitation on herbicide loss in surface water runoff. A field runoff experiment was conducted in 1999 and 2000 in Manhattan, KS. Some plots received only natural precipitation, whereas others received natural precipitation plus additional precipitation from a rainfall simulator. Atrazine was applied at 0.9 and 1.8 kg ha−1, S-metolachlor at 0.7 and 1.4 kg ha−1, and isoxaflutole at 0.05 and 0.11 kg ha−1 to field corn grown under conventional tillage and no-till. Runoff volumes and herbicide concentrations were determined for each runoff event. Across all precipitation, tillage, and placement variables, atrazine, S-metolachlor, and isoxaflutole and diketonitrile (DKN) (soil metabolite of isoxaflutole), hereafter referred to as isoxaflutole/DKN, losses were similar at 5.0, 4.1, and 4.1% of applied, respectively. Additional precipitation increased runoff 2.5-, 2.2-, and 3.4-fold for atrazine, S-metolachlor, and isoxaflutole/DKN, respectively. Preplant soil incorporation reduced atrazine, S-metolachlor, and isoxaflutole/DKN losses in runoff by 67, 69, and 57%, respectively, compared with soil surface applications. Lower preplant rainfall in 2000 resulted in sharply reduced runoff losses despite postplant precipitation similar to that in 1999. These findings suggest that the best management practices for atrazine can be used to manage S-metolachlor and isoxaflutole/DKN loss in surface water runoff. Nomenclature: Atrazine; S-metolachlor; isoxaflutole; diketonitrile metabolite of isoxaflutole (DKN); 2-cyano-3-cyclopropyl-1-(2-methylsulfonyl-4-trifluoromethylphenyl)propan-1,3-dione; corn, Zea mays L.
Changes in the field-layer of Wytham Woods – assessment of the impacts of a range of environmental factors controlling change

Abstract Question: What are the impacts of factors controlling patterns of change in woodland field-layer vegetation, through time? Location: Wytham Woods, Oxford, UK (51°41′ N, 1°19′ W). Methods: Species occurrence was monitored in 163 permanent plots three times between 1973 and 2002 and related to management compartment and history. The dataset was analysed using a combination of ordination methods, univariate and multivariate analysis of variance and HOF modelling. Results: The two key findings of this paper are: (1) that the species composition of ancient woodlands (often cited as a conservation goal), may be moving along an ‘undesirable’ trajectory, from a conservation viewpoint; and (2) that the impact of a synergistic effect of changing canopy dynamics, nitrogen deposition and a rising deer population has resulted in an increase in grass species, at the expense of woodland herbs. These findings have significant implications for the practical conservation of similar habitats across Europe. Conclusions: The analytical methodology presented here allowed detailed assessment of the potential roles of a range of environmental factors controlling change. The methodology may be applicable to other long-term studies of vegetation, and is particularly appropriate for identification of cross-site drivers, such as pollutant load and climate change. Nomenclature: Stace (1997).
Genetic structure among black grouse in Britain: implications for designing conservation units

Black grouse in Britain have faced contraction of their range and have declined in numbers during the recent decades. As such, the species is a conservation concern in the UK. In order to aid conservation decisions, the terms Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) and Management Unit (MU) have been proposed. An ESU is an independently evolving evolutionary lineage defined by being reciprocally monophyletic for mitochondrial alleles, and which is significantly different from other lineages with regard to nuclear alleles, whereas an MU is operationally defined by only the latter criterion. Using mitochondrial sequences and nuclear microsatellite loci, we failed to find evidence that British black grouse is an ESU. However, British black grouse are sufficiently different from continental black grouse both with respect to mitochondrial and nuclear data to regard them as a separate MU. Furthermore, we present genetic data which suggest that British black grouse presently occur in what are probably three demographically independent units (roughly corresponding to Wales, northern England/southern Scotland and northern Scotland), which are genetically differentiated. The two southern units (Wales and northern England/southern Scotland) have lower genetic diversity and show signs of having lost genetic variability.
A compendium of cell and natural unit biovolumes for >1200 freshwater phytoplankton species

Cell size determination is a critical part of sampling phytoplankton communities, as size is both a fundamental trait determining species' ecological niches and a quantity necessary for generating unbiased estimates of community composition. The sizes of algal cells span orders of magnitude, driving variation in growth parameters, sinking rates, herbivore defense, and biogeochemical roles. Size variation occurs at both intra- and interspecific levels. Many central questions in community and ecosystem ecology require estimating and comparing the relative abundances of species. Cell counts provide insufficient estimates, due to interspecific variation in cell size, as they over-estimate the importance of abundant, small species. While cell size (or biovolume) estimation has become standard practice in limnology, many older data sets lack this information, limiting their interpretation and utility. To address these challenges, and advance the study of freshwater phytoplankton communities, we have compiled a database of >260 000 algal biovolume estimates, spanning ∼400 genera and ∼1200 species. This represents the most extensive, standardized, and taxonomically diverse data set of its kind, drawing on both publicly and privately held sources. Estimates of the sizes of colonies or filaments are included, where applicable. With these data researchers will be able to account for intra- and interspecific variation in cell size, enabling new and improved analyses of classic data sets.
Path‐Coefficient Analysis of Leaf‐Anatomical Characters Affecting Frost Injury in Potato

Correlation and path-coefficient analysis for leaf-anatomical characters affecting frost injury was carried out in twenty eight varieties and accessions belonging to several wild and cultivated tuber-bearing species of Solanum in order to identify selection criteria in breeding for frost resistance in potato Palisade thickness and palisade proportion showed a significant negative correlation with frost injury Path-coefficient analysis revealed that palisade thickness had the highest direct negative effect on frost injury whereas leaf thickness, not conforming to its behaviour as found in simple correlation analysis, emerged ax the next highest factor to have direct positive effect on frost injury. Direct and indirect effects of these factors on frost injury vis a vis their interdependence were found to be in support ot the ‘palisade thickness method’ for screening frost resistant genotypes in potato breeding programmes.
Isolation and localization of the antibiotics gliotoxin produced by Gliocladium virens from alginate prill in soil and soilless media

Gliocladium virens produced detectable levels of gliotoxin when grown with an alginate-wheat bran food base delivery system in peat mossvermiculite soilless medium (PV medium). The fungus also effectively controlled damping-off of zinnia seedlings caused by Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani in this same system. Gliotoxin was not detectable, and biocontrol effectiveness was greatly reduced when the fungus was grown in a medium containing bark ash (charcoal) (.)