Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BAIT STATIONS, HARD MAST, AND BLACK BEAR POPULATION GROWTH IN GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Abstract Bait-station surveys are used by wildlife managers as an index to American black bear (Ursus americanus) population abundance, but the relationship is not well established. Hard mast surveys are similarly used to assess annual black bear food availability, which may affect mortality and natality rates. We used data collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) from 1989 to 2003 to determine whether changes in the bait-station index (ΔBSI) were associated with estimated rates of bear population growth (λ) and whether hard mast production was related to bear visitation to baits. We also evaluated whether hard mast production from previous years was related to λ. Estimates of λ were based on analysis of capture–recapture data with the Pradel temporal symmetry estimator. Using the Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), our analysis revealed no direct relationship between Δ BSI and λ. A simulation analysis indicated that our data were adequate to detect a relationship had one existed. Model fit was marginally improved when we added total oak mast production of the previous year as an interaction term suggesting that the BSI was confounded with environmental variables. Consequently, the utility of the bait-station survey as a population monitoring technique is questionable at the spatial and temporal scales we studied. Mast survey data, however, were valuable covariates of λ. Population growth for a given year was negatively related to oak mast production 4 and 5 years prior. That finding supported our hypothesis that mast failures can trigger reproductive synchrony, which may not be evident from the trapped sample until years later.
Turbulent kinetic energy balance as a tool for estimating vertical diffusivity in wind‐forced stratified waters

Based on microstructure measurements in a simply shaped lake basin, the sources of vertical mixing in the stratified part of the water body were identified and estimates of their relative importance obtained by balancing turbulent kinetic energy introduced by the wind. It was found that (1) ∼1.9% of the vertical wind energy flux P10 (∼39 mW m−2), estimated 10 m above the lake surface, was available for turbulent mixing in the entire lake water body; (2) ∼1.5% of P10 was dissipated by turbulence in the weakly stratified surface layer (epilimnion ;6 m deep), and ∼0.42% of P10 reached the stratified deep water (hypolimnion) as turbulent kinetic energy via internal seiching; (3) ∼90% of the turbulent kinetic energy in the stratified water (i.e., 0.38% of P10 ) was dissipated within the bottom boundary layer of a few meters thickness, whereas only ∼10% was lost in the interior (away from the boundary; 0.04% of P10); and (4) as a consequence mixing within the bottom boundary was found to be the main source of vertical mixing for the deep waters of the whole lake. The ratio of buoyancy flux to dissipation (i.e., the mixing efficiency) was found to be ϒmix ∼ 0.15, leading to agreement between the Osborn‐Cox microstructure diffusivities and basin‐wide tracer diffusivities.
Algae Permeability to Me2SO from −3 to 23°C☆

Biphasic transport of water and dimethyl sulfoxide (Me 2SO), a common cryoprotective agent (CPA), in algal cells was induced and measured on a cryoperfusion stage. A two-step experimental protocol provided data for the volumetric response of Chlorococcum (C.) texanumto impermeable and permeable solutes. First, the cells were exposed to a 500-mOsm sucrose solution, causing immediate shrinkage of the cell to a minimum equilibrium volume. Then an isoosmotic 200-mOsm/300-mOsm CPA/sucrose solution was introduced to the cells, resulting in increased cell volume to a new equilibrium state. Experiments were conducted at temperatures between 23 and 23°C. Cell volumes were measured off-line by computer analysis of video images. A network thermodynamic model was fit to the transient volume data to determine permeabilities of C. texanumto water and Me2SO over the full temperature range, and results were calculated with two numeric methods. Biphasic transport was found to be slower at colder temperatures, with water entering the cell faster than Me 2SO. Experimental results were also compared with data from similar experiments using methanol (MeOH) as the CPA. MeOH influx was calculated to be a magnitude larger than that of water. Additionally, MeOH permeability was at least three orders of magnitude greater than Me2SO permeability, and the difference in these solute permeabilities increased as temperature decreased. © 2001 Elsevier Science
A Survey of the Indigenous Microbiota (Bacteria) In Three Species of Mussels from the Clinch and Holston Rivers, Virginia

Abstract Freshwater mussel conservation efforts by many federal and state agencies have increased in recent years. This has led to a greater number of stream surveys, in which mussel die-offs involving high numbers of dead and moribund animals are being observed and reported with greater frequency. Typically, die-offs have been incidentally observed while research was being done for other purposes, therefore, accurate mortality data have been difficult to obtain. Specifically, seasonal die-offs were noted in localized areas of the Clinch and Holston Rivers, Virginia, and to lesser degrees, in neighboring rivers in this geographic region, including southeast Virginia. The observed mussel species affected were primarily the slabside pearlymussel (Lexingtonia dolabelloides) and to lesser extents, the pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa), rainbow mussel (Villosa iris), and the endangered shiny pigtoe (Fusconaia cor). To determine if a bacterial pathogen might be involved in these recurring mussel die-offs, this study examined characteristics of the indigenous microbiota (bacteria) from healthy mussels from sites on the Clinch and Holston Rivers where die-offs were previously observed. These baseline data will allow for recognition of bacterial pathogens in future mussel die-offs. Means for total bacteria from soft tissues ranged from 1.77 × 105 to 3.55 × 106 cfu/g; whereas, the range in means from fluids was 2.92 × 104 to 8.60 × 105 cfu/mL. A diverse microbiota were recovered, including species that are common in freshwater aquatic environments. The most common bacterial groups recovered were motile Aeromonas spp. and nonfermenting bacteria. Flavobacterium columnare, a pathogen to cool- and warm-water fishes was recovered from one specimen, a Villosa iris from the Clinch River.
Sea snakes (Serpentes: subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae) in Vietnam: a comprehensive checklist and an updated identification key

Sea snakes (Elapidae, subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae) reach a very high species richness in Southeast Asia, but most countries in the region still lack comprehensive and up-to-date identification tools for these snakes. We present an updated checklist of sea snakes in Vietnam. We also provide diagnostic characters for all species and a new complete identification key, chiefly based on easy-to-use external characters. The checklist and key cover the 25 species documented from Vietnam, as well as three likely future additions to its sea snake fauna. By surveying incoming fishing vessels between Nha Trang and the mouth of Mekong River in 2000–2001, we were able to document two species new for Vietnamese waters: Hydrophis belcheri and H. pachycercos. Through these surveys we also secured four specimens of the rare endemic species H. parviceps, formerly known only from two specimens. A comprehensive bibliography of the literature treating sea snakes in Vietnamese waters is provided. Identification key: bibliography, biodiversity, diagnostic characters, Vietnamese waters
Path Coefficient Analysis in Muskmelon (Cucumis Mew L.)

Forty-five genotypes of Muskmelon were sown for the study of path analysis for some important yield components. Path coefficient analysis revealed that number of fruits, weight of fruit and length of fruit were the direct components at genotypic and phenotypic levels. However, length of cavity, nodes to first hermaphrodite flower and length of vine were the developmental traits. Selection for such characters can be effective. Number of branches and girth of fruits have also contributed substantially as direct effect on yield at genotypic level. In general, the direct effects of the associated characters with yield were lower than the correlation coefficient except number of fruits and length of fruits at genotypic level.
Changes in the microbial communities along the environmental gradient created by a small Fe spring

Abstract. The structure (biomass, species or Operational Taxonomic Unit [OUT] composition) and function (photosynthetic performance) of autotrophic and heterotrophic biofilm communities were investigated along a chemical gradient created downstream of a small Fe spring (Llémena watershed, Girona, northeastern Spain). Diatom species composition, diatom abundance, and algal biomass (measured as basal fluorescence [Fo]) followed the chemical gradient. Site ordination scores based on the photosynthetic performance of biofilms (measured as effective quantum yield [Yeff] and photosynthesis–irradiance curve parameters) and on bacterial densities and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) data (OTUs for Fungi and Bacteria) were not linearly related to the chemical gradient. The extreme chemical environment selected for low-productivity, stress-tolerant community characterized by low algal biomass, absence of cyanobacteria, and dominance of the diatom taxon Navicula cincta. The unimodal pattern of response of heterotrophs to the chemical gradient and the observed coincidence with the pattern of photosynthetic performance indicate that interspecies competition within a trophic level may be obscured by biotic interactions between primary producers and decomposers. We hypothesize that these biotic interactions may be important under extreme chemical conditions because of differences in sensitivity between autotrophic and heterotrophic components of the biofilm to chemical stress or limiting resources.
Carotenoid Production by Rhodosporidium paludigenum DMKU3-LPK4 using Glycerol as the Carbon Source

Rhodosporidium paludigenum DMKU3-LPK4, a red yeast isolated from soil in the northern part of Thailand, exhibits the capacity to produce carotenoids with the application of glycerol as the sole carbon source. The optimum conditions for carotenoid production of this strain in shaking flask cultivation were a temperature of 32°C and an initial pH value of 6.0 in a medium of 40 g/L glycerol, 0.56 g/L urea, 1 g/L KH2PO4, and 0.5 g/L MgSO4.7H2O. The carotenoid concentration reached 3.42 mg/L with a dry cell mass of 7.59 g/L at 132 h. This study demonstrated the potential of Rhodosporidium paludigenum as a new carotenoid producer and of glycerol as a sole carbon source for carotenoid production.
Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on China's rivers and coastal waters

In the past decade, many studies have investigated the occurrence, and associated biological effects, of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in China's aquatic environments. Here, we summarize the exposure levels of butyltins and other EDCs in major Chinese river watersheds and coastal waters and review their biological consequences. High concentrations of butyltins were found in seawater from the coasts of Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, and the Guangxi North Sea, and in sediments from Daya, Haimen, and Guangao Bays. In areas with high butyltin concentrations, there was an increased incidence of imposex (in which male sexual characteristics are found in female gastropods). We discuss the effects of EDCs on other wildlife, including night herons, Chinese sturgeon, and crucian carp, and propose a number of ways to limit the release of EDCs and reduce their effects.
Using a Phytophthora- specific Immunoassay Kit to Diagnose Raspberry Phytophthora Root Rot

A commercially available serological assay kit (flow-through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Phytophthora F kit) was compared to a culture-plate method for detecting Phytophthora spp. in apparently diseased (phytophthora root rot) and appar- ently healthy red raspberry (Rubus idaeus subsp. strigosus Michx.) plants. During 4 years of testing, 46 tests were conducted on apparently diseased roots. All diseased plants gave a strong positive reaction, a result indicating that Phytophthora spp. were present. Of the 46 plants that tested positive, Phytophthora spp. were recovered from all but one using a selective medium for Phytophthora and the culture-plate method. When the same test was conducted on 27 apparently healthy plants, all had a negative reaction for the presence of Phytophthora except one sample, which had a slight positive reaction. No Phytophthora spp. were isolated from any apparently healthy plants. Our results indicate that the serological test kit enables rapid, dependable, on-site diagnosis of raspberry phytophthora root rot.
Hemp sesbania interference in drill-seeded glyphosate-resistant soybean

Abstract Field experiments were conducted at Fayetteville, AR, in 1997, 1998, and 1999 to evaluate the degree of interspecific interference between drill-seeded, glyphosate-resistant soybean and hemp sesbania as influenced by soybean population, hemp sesbania density, and a single glyphosate application. Soybean was planted at 247,000, 430,000, and 618,000 seed ha−1 with early-season emergence of 217,000, 371,000, and 521,000 plants ha−1. Hemp sesbania densities were 0, 4, 10, and 16 plants m−2 in combination with 0 and 1.12 kg ai ha−1 glyphosate applied at the V4 to V6 soybean growth stage. Untreated hemp sesbania produced a maximum of 49 million seed ha−1 with 217,000 soybean ha−1, whereas seed production of glyphosate-treated hemp sesbania ranged from 2.8 to 0.6 million seed ha−1 with 217,000 and 521,000 soybean ha−1, respectively. Soybean seed yield was reduced 43% by 16 untreated hemp sesbania m−2, while glyphosate-treated hemp sesbania did not reduce seed yield. Averaged over all untreated hemp sesbania densities, soybean yield loss was reduced from 44 to 22% by increasing the soybean population from 217,000 to 521,000 plants ha−1. Because of the absence of soybean yield loss at 521,000 soybean ha−1, this density appears beneficial when using a single application of glyphosate to provide season-long weed control. However, a single glyphosate application in combination with a high soybean density did not completely prevent hemp sesbania seed production, and the seeding rate required to achieve a stand of 521,000 plants ha−1 would not be affordable; thus, alternate management methods targeting hemp sesbania must be employed to prevent an increase in the number of seed in the soil seedbank and to prevent a potential shift in the weed spectrum. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; hemp sesbania, Sesbania exaltata (Raf.) Rydb. ex A.W. Hill SEBEX; soybean, Glycine max L.
Anti-CD3ε F(ab′)2 Prevents Graft-Versus-Host Disease by Selectively Depleting Donor T Cells Activated by Recipient Alloantigens1

Transplantation tolerance is facilitated by activation-induced apoptosis of peripheral T cells triggered by specific Ag. Abs specific for the nonpolymorphic CD3 component of the TCR complex bind to APCs through Fc-FcR interactions, mimic MHC-peptide, and activate polyclonal T cells. In contrast, F(ab′)2 of anti-CD3ε Abs do not activate naive T cells but induce apoptosis of Ag-activated, cycling T cells. Here, we report that treatment with anti-CD3ε F(ab′)2 can selectively induce apoptosis of donor T cells that recognize a recipient alloantigen, thereby preventing graft-vs-host disease initiated by a TCR-transgenic T cell population. The selective elimination of Ag-activated T cells by non-FcR-binding anti-CD3ε Abs could serve as an ideal strategy to prevent graft-vs-host disease and allograft rejection or to treat autoimmune disorders.
The Molecular Determinants of Cranial Skeletal Development and Evolution

The vertebrate head and face, one of the defining features of vertebrates, is an evolutionary novelty that enabled the major radiation of Vertebrata. The emergence of the multipotent neural crest cells, often mentioned as the “fourth germ layer”, which produces most of the bone, cartilage and dentine of the vertebrate head, was the key to this innovation. Unlike the appendicular and axial skeletons in the rest of the body, which have relatively uncomplicated anatomy and are generated from cells of mesodermal origin, most of the cranial bones have complex structures generated by a unique mechanism termed intramembranous ossification and originate from the cranial neural crest cells. The unique and innovative nature of the neural crest and cranial bone is also reflected in the morphogenic processes that create diversity in craniofacial shape throughout the course of vertebrate evolution, exemplified in the bird lineage. In this thesis, I seek to expand our knowledge of the development and evolution of craniofacial elements, by developing a 3-D platform to generate cranial bone in vitro and investigating the evolution of beak and tooth loss in birds. In the first chapter, I introduce the first system for generating intramembranous bone with mouse cranial neural crest cells in 3-D hydrogel culture. The flexibility of the platform will allow it to be utilized for generating 3-D cranial bones from neural crest cells using various sources, including birds and human patients with craniofacial iv disorders. In the second chapter, the process of beak evolution and the latent developmental potential to generate teeth in birds are analyzed using an intriguing chick mutant, Talpid2. The geometric morphometric analysis of, and the gene expression patterns observed in, the Talpid2 mutant reveal the atavistic nature of the mutant phenotypes, including ancestral beak shape and the possible resurrection of teeth development. Preliminary efforts to manipulate the gene responsible for the phenotypes are also addressed for future studies. Together, the results of these studies provide useful tools and knowledge to further advance our understanding in the craniofacial development in amniotes.
Genome-wide scans detected signatures of selection in genes related with vision, xenobiotic metabolism, and immunity in the Iberian honey bee genome

1Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Braganca, Campus de Sta. Apolonia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855 Braganca, Portugal. 2Dept. of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2475, USA. Correspondence: Maria Alice Pinto, CIMO, Instituto Politecnico de Braganca, Portugal. E-mail: apinto@ipb.pt GENOME-WIDE SCANS DETECTED SIGNATURES OF SELECTION IN GENES RELATED WITH VISION, XENOBIOTIC METABOLISM, AND IMMUNITY IN THE IBERIAN HONEY BEE GENOME
Stable carbon isotopes and the C : N ratio In the estuaries of the Pamlico and Neuse Rivers. North Carolina

A combustible vapor detector system providing both a proportional visual reading and a simultaneous switching function in a common instrument includes a meter relay and a vapor sensor remotely located in a compartment likely to have an accumulation of combustible vapors which operably coupled to the meter relay to control its reading at an operator's console and a plurality of switching sectors associated with the meter relay arranged to sequentially operate several independent circuits within selected meter ranges so a "safe" or "caution" condition will be indicated with auxilliary elements, such as lights or audible elements, apart from the meter readings, and a "danger" condition will trigger a disabling circuit to stop or prevent the start-up of any machinery located in the compartment containing the sensor. The switching sectors may also be employed to operate a blower to purger the compartment of any accumulation of combustible vapors and the "danger" condition can also be employed to shut off all electrically controlled machinery located in the compartment having the vapor sensor or elsewhere.
Cloning and characterization of a differentially regulated invertase inhibitor gene during sucrose accumulation in sugarcane

Invertases are the key regulatory enzymes involved in various physiological and biochemical reactions in sugarcane. Different developmental stages like early vegetative growth and stem development, grand growth period, ripening and transition of the cane from source to sink form are mediated by an intrinsic regulation of invertase activity. The regulation of invertases in vivo is not fully understood though there are several mechanisms including post translational suppression by inhibitory proteins. These inhibitory proteins are not yet characterized in sugarcane so far. We are reporting for the first time the cloning and characterization of an invertase inhibitor gene from sugarcane and its expression profile along with the soluble acid invertase ( SAI ) gene in a set of sugarcane genotypes. To achieve this, we cloned an invertase inhibitor SININH , from Saccharum spontaneum . Furthermore, expression of SININH and its target SAI gene were studied using quantitative (q) RT-PCR. The data obtained show that SININH specifically regulates the activity of invertase in vivo regulating sucrose accumulation. Further characterization of the invertase inhibitor gene(s) and biochemical studies of the protein are in progress.
Nitrogen and Phosphorous Removal by Ornamental and Wetland Plants in a Greenhouse Recirculation Research System

A nutrient recirculation system (NRS) was used to assess the ability of four ornamental and three wetland plant species to remove nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) from stormwater runoff. The NRS was filled with a nutrient solution with total N and P concentrations of 11.3 and 3.1 mgL -1 , respectively, to simulate high levels of nutrient contaminations in stormwater. Nutrient removal abilities of herbaceous perennial ornamental plants, canna (Canna ·generalis Bailey) 'Australia', iris (Iris pseudacorus L.) 'Golden Fleece', calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng), and dwarf papyrus (Cyperus haspan L.) were compared with those of wetland plants arrow arum (Peltandra virginica (L.) Schott), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata L.), and bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia L.) in three experiments. 'Australia' canna had the greatest water consumption, total biomass production, and aboveground N and P content followed by pickerelweed. 'Golden Fleece' iris had higher tissue N concentrations than canna but much lower biomass production. Dwarf papyrus had similar total biomass as pickerel- weed but less shoot biomass. N and P removed from the NRS units planted with canna (98.7% N and 91.8% P) were higher than those planted with iris and arrow arum (31.6% and 31.5% N, and 38.5% and 26.3% P, respectively). NRS units planted with dwarf papyrus had similar nutrient recovery rate as pickerelweed, but much less total N and P were removed as a result of less water consumption. The NRS units planted with calla lily had lower nutrient removal than canna and pickerelweed. Our results suggest that canna is a promising ornamental species for stormwater mitigation, and harvesting the aboveground biomass of canna can effectively remove N and P from the treatment system. However, more research needs to be done to evaluate factors that might affect plant performance in a floating biofiltration system.