Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Sponge Community in a Semi‐Submerged Temperate Sea Cave: Density, Diversity and Richness

The sponge communities inhabiting a temperate semi-submerged sea cave were investigated at Lough Hyne Marine Nature Reserve, Co. Cork, Ireland. Thirty-one species of sponge were reported, the majority of which exhibited either an encrusting or massive morphology. Sponge density (averaged over depth) increased with horizontal distance (5 m intervals) into the cave until approximately 30 m, corresponding to the maximum algal intrusion (algal information from Norton et al., 1971). Species diversity and richness (averaged over depth) were highest at 10 m horizontal distance from the cave entrance. Variability in sponge density, diversity and richness was observed with increasing vertical depth (0.5 m intervals) at most horizontal intervals sampled (5 m apart). These three variables increased initially with depth, but then decreased towards the seabed. Bray-Curtis Similarity Analysis and Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) showed cave sponge community composition to have greater similarity (50 %) with local loose rock habitats than the nearby cliffs. Similar processes structuring cave and loose rock sponge communities may account for this situation. Information collected from this and previous studies on the biotic (algal communities, other fauna and competition) and abiotic factors (water flow rate, depth, aerial exposure, light, cave morphology, nutrient depletion and humidity) affecting this and other caves is discussed with respect to its influence on the sponges inhabiting different parts of the cave. Although horizontal zonation patterns have been considered analogous to vertical distribution patterns for algal communities (due to similar decreases in light), this was not the case for the studied sponge communities.
Biology of Apanteles Taragamae Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) a Parasitoid of Diaphania Indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Studies were conducted for the first time on the gregarious endoparasitoid, Apanteles taragamae Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) to determine its biology on Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The mean number of eggs laid per host was 24.63 and these eggs increased greatly in size before hatching. Larva passes through three instars as determined by the shape and size of the mandibles. Mean development time from egg to adult was 15.6 days at 24.26°C and 80–85 % r.h. The mean number of adults emerging from each host was 14.61 and the sex ratio was 1:1.31 (males:females). The mean number of eggs laid by each female was 242.6. Mean adult longevity on 20% honey was 9.30 days for males and 10.70 for females. RésuméPour la première fois on a mené des études sur l’endoparasitoid grégaire, Apanteles taragamae Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) pour detérminer sa biologie sur Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Le nombre moyen d’oeufs pondus par hôte était 24.63 et ces oeufs out considérablement grandi avant la couvée. La larve passe par trois étapes en fonction de la forme et la taille des mandibules. Le temps moyen de développement de l’ouefs à l’adulte était 15.6 jours à 24.26°C et 80–85% r.h. Le nombre moyen des adultes qui sortaient de chaque hôte était 14.61 et la proportion de sexe était 1:131 (mâles:femelles). Le nombre moyen d’oeufs pondus par chaque femelle par hôte était 242.6. La longévité moyenne d’adulte sur une solution de miel de 20% était 9.30 jours pour mâles et 10.70 jours pour femelles.
The Comparative Rates of Growth and Ossification of the Femur, Tibia and Metatarsus Bones of the Male and Female New Hampshire Chickens Having Crooked Keels

Abstract IN APRIL 1946, a project was started at the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station which involved the analysis of 2,600 bones from New Hampshire chickens to discover the rates of growth and calcification, during a period of 28 weeks, of the eleven larger bones of male and female chickens having straight or crooked keels. This paper is one unit of that project and concerns the femur or first of the leg bones, tibia, or second leg bone, and metatarsus. These bones increase in size by the constant deposition of new layers of dense bone beneath the periosteum by the action of osteoblasts and the absorption of bone from within by osteoclasts, thereby forming cavities containing marrow in some bones or air sacs as in the femur. On the starting date of the experiment 350 baby chicks were placed under an electric brooder. These chickens were hatched from eggs produced by the .
Tangeretin inhibits IL-1β induced proliferation of rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts and the production of COX-2, PGE2 and MMPs via modulation of p38 MAPK/ERK/JNK pathways

The study aimed to determine the effect of tangeretin in inhibiting the interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced proliferation of RASFs and suppression of the production of inflammatory mediators. RASFs were isolated from synovial tissue obtained from patients with RA during knee arthroscopy. The cells were exposed to IL‑1β (1.0 ng/mL) and/ or tangeretin (50 or 100 µM). Cell viability was assessed following treatments. Expressions of MMPs and COX-2 were analysed by real-time PCR and western blotting. Production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) by RASFs were analysed by ELISA. Expressions of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) were assessed by western blotting. Tangeretin significantly inhibited the proliferation of RASFs, as well as down-regulated the expression of MMP-1, MMP-3 and COX-2 mRNA and protein and also the phosphorylation of ERK, p38 and JNK. Raised level of expression of NF-κB and PGE2 induced by IL-1β was reduced by tangeretin. Results indicate that tangeretin was effective in inhibiting the synovial fibroblast proliferation, as well regulated MMPs, COX-2, PGE2 via modulation of p38 MAPK, ERK and JNK pathways.
Harmonized World Soil Database (version 1.2)

METIS-ID: 167825 The Harmonized World Soil Database is a 30 arc-second raster database with over 15000 different soil mapping units that combines existing regional and national updates of soil information worldwide (SOTER, ESD, Soil Map of China, ISRIC-WISE) with the information contained within the 1:5 000 000 scale FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World (FAO, 1971-1981). The resulting raster database consists of . 21600 rows and 43200 columns, which are linked to harmonized soil property data. The use of a standardized structure allows for the linkage of the attribute data with the raster map to display or query the composition in terms of soil units and the characterization of selected soil parameters (organic Carbon, pH, water storage capacity, soil depth, cation exchange capacity of the soil and the clay fraction, total exchangeable nutrients, lime and gypsum contents, sodium exchange percentage, salinity, textural class and granulometry). Reliability of the information contained in the database is variable: the parts of the database that still make use of the Soil Map of the World such as North America, Australia, West Africa and South Asia are considered less reliable, while most of the areas covered by SOTER databases are considered to have the highest reliability (Southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe). Further expansion and update of the HWSD is foreseen for the near future, notably with the excellent databases held in the USA (Natural Resources Conservation Service US General Soil Map, STATSGO), Canada (Agriculture and AgriFood Canada: The National Soil Database NSDB), and Australia (CSIRO, ACLEP, Nnatural Heritage Trust and National Land and Water Resources Audit: ASRIS), and with the recently released SOTER database for Central Africa (FAO/ISRIC/Univ. Gent, 2007)
Las hormigas cazadoras del género Ectatomma (Formicidae: Ponerinae) en Colombia

Uno de los generos mas comunes de hormigas cazadoras (Formicidae: Ponerinae) es Ectatomma, con unas 12 especies edemicas de America tropical continental. En Colombia se registran 8 especies: E. goninion, E. opaciventre (primer registro para el pais), E. lugens, E. edentatum, E. quadridens, E. tuberculatum y E. ruidum, ampliamente distribuidas en todas las tierras bajas. A diferencia de otros ponerinos, en Ectatomma se encuentran especies con una gran variacion de comportamiento ecologico, estrategias de forrajeo y dieta, lo cual explica su abundancia e importancia en el pais .
Visual Action Recognition Using Deep Learning in Video Surveillance Systems

The skeleton tracking technique allows the usage of the skeleton information of human-like objects for action recognition. The major challenge in action recognition in a video surveillance system is the large variability across and within subjects. In this paper, we propose a deep-learning-based novel framework to recognize human actions using skeleton estimation. The main component of the framework consists of pose estimation using a stacked hourglass network (HGN). The pose estimation module provides the skeleton joint points of humans. Since the position of skeleton varies according to the point of view, we apply transformations on the skeleton points to make it invariable to rotation and position. The skeleton joint positions are identified using HGN-based deep neural networks (HGN-DNN), and the feature extraction and classification is carried out to obtain the action class. The skeleton action sequence is encoded using Fisher Vector before classification. The proposed system complies with Recommendation ITU-T H.626. 5 "Architecture for intelligent visual surveillance systems", and has been evaluated over benchmarked human action recognition data sets. The evaluation results show that the system performance achieves a precision of 85% and the accuracy of 95.6% in recognizing actions like wave, punch, kick, etc. The HGN-DNN model meets the requirements and service description specified in Recommendation ITU-T F.743.
Resistance of early‐maturing European maize germplasm to sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV)

Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) are the most important viruses of maize in Europe. In field and greenhouse experiments, 122 early-maturing European maize inbreds (45 flint and 77 dent lines) were evaluated for their reaction to artificial inoculation by SCMV and MDMV. Three dent inbreds (D21, D32, FAP1360 A) with complete resistance and four dent inbreds (D06, D09, R2306, FAP1396A) with partial resistance against both potyviruses under both greenhouse and field conditions were identified. All other inbreds were highly susceptible to both SCMV and MDMV. Selection for virus resistance in maize breeding could be performed with only one virus at a time because all inbreds resistant to SCMV were also resistant to MDMV. Rank correlations between percentages of infected plants in greenhouse and field trials ranged from 0.51 to 0.72 for both SCMV and MDMV, suggesting that prescreening of breeding materials for virus resistance can be performed in the greenhouse but final evaluation in multilocation trials in the field is recommended.
An outbreak of myxomatosis in Greek rabbit farms during 2007.

Myxomatosis is considered as one of the most frequent epizootic viral diseases of rabbit all over Europe. In Greek rabbitries, where all parent stock is exclusively imported from European countries with high myxomatosis incidence, surprisingly the p resence of the disease was limited. In the present study, the diagnosis and isolation of a wild, highl y pathogenic Myxoma virus is reported, causing a myxomatosis outbreak in Greece. The last myxomatosis outbreak in Greece was reported in 1973 and till February 2007 no further cases had ever been r eported. No vaccination strategy against Myxoma virus was ever been applied and early in the spring 2007 the spread of the disease was inevitable, as no special preventive measures had ever been taken for the imported carrier animals. At that period, a myxomatosis outbreak was reported in two commercial rabbit farms, with a population of 500 and 800 does, situated within a 150 km distance that shared the same parent stock supplier. In both farms, morbidity and mortality reached 80-90% and myxomatosis diagnosis was based on clinical signs and laboratory confirmation that included virus isolati on, histopathology profile and molecular detection by standard PCR. Samples from 15 fattening rabbits were processed for virus isolation according to OIE standard protocol using the established RK-13 c ell line. Typical Myxoma virus cytopathogenic effect was always present after the second passage. Apart from the pathognomonic gross facial lesions, samples from eyelids and dermis presented histologi cally myxoid material mixed with collagenous tissue. Total DNA was extracted from tissues carryi ng lesions and from infected RK-13 cell culture supernatants and a 492bp segment of the major envel ope gene was amplified. The specific PCR product was further analyzed by sequencing. Sequence alignment was performed against all available Myxoma virus genome sequences in Genbank. Compared to the major envelope gene of the Lausanne strain, the Greek isolate exhibited a 96% sequence homology and was submitted to Genbank and assigned accession number EU399816. Disease eradication was based on euthanasia that was performed to the total rabbit farm population, toge ther with thoroughly applied hygienic measures. Preventive policy by vaccination program was not encouraged by the national veterinary authorities, in order to be maintained the myxomatosis free status of Greece. On the other hand, veterinary services were alerted and quarantine measures were strongly recommended to rabbit farmers every time that rabbit parent stock was imported. Preliminary genet ic analysis of the Greek viral isolate indicates sequence identity with the Lausanne reference strai n.
QRS Detection using Dual Window Fourier Transform

Electrocardiogram (ECG) recording is a multi-channel signal that results due to the traversing of electrical impulse through a human heart. The amplitude and time intervals of the characteristic points, P-QRS-T, of an ECG waveform that results due to different events occurred during a cardiac cycle will contain vital information related to the functioning of cardiovascular system. Accurate detection of these fiducial points ensures the accurate diagnosis of various types of arrhythmia. In this paper, an approach employing Dual Window Fourier Transform (DWFT) for QRS complex detection has been suggested. For extracting the QRS complex from ECG waveform, thresholding was done on the normalized energy signal obtained on transformation of ECG signal with DWFT. The testing of suggested approach was carried out on the records of MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database and the achieved detection accuracy has been found to be more satisfactory.
The phagocytic basis of acquired resistance to infection with Dermatophilus congolensis.

IN the scarified skin of normal rabbits, resistance to infection by Dermatophilus congolensis depends on cellular infiltration of the affected area. The resistance is due partly to the phagocytosis of zoospores, which are thus prevented from infecting the broken edges of the epidermis, and partly to the inhibitory effect of the layer of granulocytes that forms beneath the scarification and prevents invasion of the dermis proper by hyphae derived from zoospores that escape phagocytosis. The natural resistance of rabbits is abolished by depletion of circulating granulocytes with nitrogen mustard (Roberts, 1965c). It is shown here that sheep and guinea-pigs are normally almost as susceptible as agranulocytic rabbits but that, after vaccination, they are as resistant as normal rabbits. This acquired resistance is inactive against infection of the unbroken skin, where there is no opportunity for phagocytosis, and is dependent on enhanced destruction of ingested zoospores, a process that is ineffective without induced antibody within the phagocytes of sheep and guinea-pigs. In animals in the state of delayed hypersensitivity to D. congolensis the extent of infection is not decreased but the ensuing invasion of follicle sheath tissue is inhibited; circulating antibody has no inhibitory effect (Roberts, 1966).
Global patterns of plant root colonization intensity by mycorrhizal fungi explained by climate and soil chemistry

Aim Most vascular plants on Earth form mycorrhizae, a symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi. Despite the broad recognition of the importance of mycorrhizae for global carbon and nutrient cycling, we do not know how soil and climate variables relate to the intensity of colonization of plant roots by mycorrhizal fungi. Here we quantify the global patterns of these relationships. Location Global. Methods Data on plant root colonization intensities by the two dominant types of mycorrhizal fungi world-wide, arbuscular (4887 plant species in 233 sites) and ectomycorrhizal fungi (125 plant species in 92 sites), were compiled from published studies. Data for climatic and soil factors were extracted from global datasets. For a given mycorrhizal type, we calculated at each site the mean root colonization intensity by mycorrhizal fungi across all potentially mycorrhizal plant species found at the site, and subjected these data to generalized additive model regression analysis with environmental factors as predictor variables. Results We show for the first time that at the global scale the intensity of plant root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi strongly relates to warm-season temperature, frost periods and soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, and is highest at sites featuring continental climates with mild summers and a high availability of soil nitrogen. In contrast, the intensity of ectomycorrhizal infection in plant roots is related to soil acidity, soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and seasonality of precipitation, and is highest at sites with acidic soils and relatively constant precipitation levels. Main conclusions We provide the first quantitative global maps of intensity of mycorrhizal colonization based on environmental drivers, and suggest that environmental changes will affect distinct types of mycorrhizae differently. Future analyses of the potential effects of environmental change on global carbon and nutrient cycling via mycorrhizal pathways will need to take into account the relationships discovered in this study.
Characteristics within and around stopover wetlands used by migratory shorebirds: Is the neighborhood important?

ABSTRACT Wetland stopover use by migratory shorebirds is concurrently influenced by habitat characteristics within a stopover site and characteristics related to the broader context surrounding the stopover site. To conserve wetland habitats essential for shorebird migration through the interior of North America, we need to understand how these dual scales influence stopover use. We surveyed >14,000 wetlands within 10 broad-scale landscapes in north-central Oklahoma from 2007 through 2009 to determine how characteristics within (intra) and surrounding (context) wetlands influence the density and species richness of migrating shorebirds at stopover sites. We used zero-inflated modeling and an information theoretic framework to separately examine and then compare the relative importance of intra-habitat variables and habitat context variables in explaining use of stopovers. We observed 38,288 migratory shorebirds of 29 species. Shorebirds were least likely to occur in isolated, small, steep-sided wetland habitats. Among intra-patch variables, shorebird density and richness were best explained by wetland habitat area, slope, and the cover and height of vegetation within a wetland. Shorebird density and richness were more than 2 times higher in large wetland habitats (i.e. >3.3 ha), and both decreased with increased vegetation and slope. The density of wetlands within 1.5 km of a stopover site had the greatest impact on shorebird density and richness among patch context variables. As habitat density increased from 0.07 to 1, shorebird abundance and richness increased by >200%. Shorebirds were positively related to grazing pressure but negatively related to forest/shrubland, urban/suburban development, and grassland land cover contexts. When compared to models with intra-habitat variables, models containing habitat context variables better explained migratory shorebird density and richness. We conclude that characteristics related to the broader context surrounding a wetland stopover sites strongly influence stopover use by migratory shorebirds. Conservation and management of shorebirds migrating through the continental interior should aim to provide large expanses of sparsely vegetated and shallow habitats within stopover sites and focus on open landscapes that contain high densities of stopover habitats.
Dietary Fermented Soybean Meal as a Replacement for Fish Meal in Juvenile Olive Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

This study evaluated fermented soybean meal (FSM) as a fish meal (FM) replacement and determined the appropriate amount of FSM in juvenile olive flounder diet. Twenty-four aquaria with a flowing-water system were stocked with fish averaging 20.9 g at a density of 25 fish/tank. Five experimental diets were prepared replacing FM with 0, 10, 20, 30, or 40% FSM based on FM protein (designated FSM 0, FM 10, FSM 20 FSM 30, and FSM 40 , respectively). Two additional diets were prepared that replaced 30 or 40% of the FM with FSM with added amino acids (methionine and lysine) (designated FSM 30+AA , and FSM 40+AA , respectively). Fish (triplicates) were fed one of the eight experimental diets (50% crude protein and 16.7 kJ available energy g -1 diet) for 8 weeks. Survival did not differ among the treatments during the feeding experiment. There were no significant differences in weight gain (WG) or specific growth rate (SGR) among the fish fed diets with up to 30% of the FM replaced. However, fish fed FSM 40 or FSM 40+AA had a reduced WG and SGR, as compared to FSM 0 (control) (P < 0.05). The feed efficiency and apparent digestibility showed a similar trend (P < 0.05). The proximate composition in the whole body of fish differed only between the control and FSM 40 for the crude protein level and between the control and FSM 30+AA for the crude lipid level. The whole-body amino acid composition did not differ among treatments. No significant differences were found between the diet groups with and without amino acid supplementation, indicating that amino acid supplementation had no effect. The major finding of this study is that fermented soybean meal may replace up to 30% of fish meal without amino acid supplementation for normal growth of juvenile olive flounder.