Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Population Genetics and Bat Rabies: A Case Study of Eptesicus serotinus in Poland

The serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus is the most frequently rabies-infected (European bat lyssavirus 1-type, EBLV-1) bat species in Europe. To confirm Lyssavirus infection of this bat in Poland, we tested for the presence of rabies virus RNA from oropharyngeal swabs using RT-PCR. There was a 0.9% (two out of 212 individuals) level of infection within the overall population of serotine bats studied. However, an appreciation of the potential for pathogen transmission and disease risk requires an understanding of the dispersal of the primary host, and any large-scale geographic barriers that may impede gene flow. Thus, we also studied the patterns of bat dispersal via population genetics using nuclear (seven microsatellite loci) and mitochondrial (mtDNA control region) markers, examined in 12 subpopulations distributed across the country. Molecular analyses of microsatellite loci indicated high genetic diversity at all sites (heterozygosity observed, H o = 0.53–0.78), and extremely weak genetic structure in the Polish population of the species. The overall F ST was 0.012 (95% confidence interval: 0.006–0.020), and pairwise values ranged from 0.00 to 0.05. Only 22% of individuals were assigned to the subpopulation from which they were sampled. The Bayesian approach implemented in STRUCTURE also confirmed that all examined subpopulations should be treated as a single group, indicating a high level of gene flow. There was some evidence for female philopatry (genetic differentiation was greater in maternally-inherited mtDNA than nuclear DNA) and male-biased dispersal, e.g., H o and the variance of mean assignment were significantly higher in males than in females. Twelve individuals (seven females and five males) were identified as potential first generation migrants. Their migration routes ranged from 60–283 km in females ( ± SE = 177.9 ± 29.37) to 27–385 km in males (206.4 ± 58.95); surprisingly, no sexual differences were observed and this finding suggests that female-mediated gene flow may occur. MtDNA also produced a strong genetic signal for the demographic expansion (Fu's F S statistics, F S = -26.30, P < 0.01 and a star-shaped haplotype network), which took place roughly 33,000 years BP, i.e., before the Last Glacial Maximum. The genetic uniformity of the Polish population implies that there is no migration barrier to EBLV-1, at least within the country, and the potential threat of rabies virus spreading via migration of infected animals may be higher than previously thought.
Biocidal Activity of two botanical volatile oils against the larvae of Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae)

The volatile oils of golden pillar, Cupressus macrocarpaand galangal, Alpinia officinarum were extracted and their constituents were identified. Alpha pinene and trans-caryophyllene were the major isolated constituents of C. macrocarpa oil, and 1,8 cineole and 4-terpeniol were the major compounds of A. officinarum oil. The present study revealed that the botanical volatile oils used, had morphogenic effects against S. nudiseta stages. These include larval-pupal intermediates, pupal-adult intermediates, deformed adults with crumpled wings and/ or deformed thorax and abdomen. Also some adults couldn't emerge and remained in their puparia. The histological effects induced by oils treatment in the body wall were represented by degeneration and detachment of hypodermis and dissolving of the exocuticle in some regions. The histopathological effects that appeared in the midgut were shrinkage in some epithelial cells and swelling of other cells.
Land Management History of Canadian Grasslands and the Impact on Soil Carbon Storage

Abstract Grasslands represent a large potential reservoir in storing carbon (C) in plant biomass and soil organic matter via C sequestration, but the potential greatly depends on how grasslands are managed, especially for livestock and wild animal grazing. Positive and negative grazing effects on soil organic carbon have been reported by various studies globally, but it is not known if Canadian grasslands function as a source or a sink for atmospheric C under current management practices. This article examines the effect of grassland management on carbon storage by compiling historical range management facts and measurements from multiple experiments. Results indicate that grazing on grasslands has contributed to a net C sink in the top 15-cm depth under current utilization regimes with a removal rate of CO2 at 0.19 ± 0.02 Mg · C · ha−1 · yr−1 from the atmosphere during recent decades, and net C sequestration was estimated at 5.64 ± 0.97 Mg · C · ha−1 on average. Naturalization of 2.3 M ha of previously cultivated grasslands in the 1930s has also led to C sequestration in the Canadian prairies but has likely abated as the pool has saturated. Efforts made by researchers, policymakers, and the public has successfully led to the restoration of the Canadian prairies to a healthier state and to achieve considerable C sequestration in soils since their severe deterioration in the 1930s. In-depth analysis of management, legislation, and agricultural programs is urgently needed to place the focus on maintaining range health and achieving more C storage in soils, particularly when facing the reduced potential for further C sequestration.
Looking for metrics to assess the trophic state of ponds. Macroinvertebrates and amphibians

1. Ponds are particularly rich habitats and play an essential role in the conservation of aquatic biodiversity. Therefore it is necessary to develop a specific method for evaluating their biological integrity, and particularly their water quality. Metrics have proved to be efficient for studies on running waters. Such an approach would be particularly useful for ponds and therefore needs to be tested. 2. Eight metrics based on the richness of invertebrates and amphibians and 73 others derived from the biological/ecological trait categories linked to Coleoptera, Odonata and Gastropoda were tested for their potential as indicators of the trophic state of 94 ponds in Switzerland. The relationships between these metrics and the state of water eutrophication were explored. 3. Four metrics based on richness responded to excessive nutrient levels in the colline vegetation belt. These were: aquatic Coleoptera species richness; the pooled species richness of aquatic Coleoptera, aquatic Gastropoda, adult Odonata and Amphibia (COGA); the family-level richness of macroinvertebrates and the family-level richness of the combined Megaloptera and Odonata groups (MO). At altitudes above 800m (i.e. montane-subalpine and alpine vegetation belts), two to four other metrics were identified as pond water-quality indicators. 4. Furthermore, many trait categories were sensitive to excessive nutrient levels. In the colline belt. 13 out of the 33 metrics derived from the biological/ecological traits responded to an increase in the trophic state (i.e. at least one metric for each of the three invertebrate groups tested). However, the patterns of the relationships are unclear and further investigations are required to identify and select the relevant metrics for an assessment of water quality. 5. In conclusion, for the future assessment of pond quality, four metrics derived from richness could be taken into consideration. Nevertheless. further investigations are required to identify the biological/ecological traits that could be combined with these richness metrics.
FOREST TYPE AND WILDFIRE IN THE ALBERTA BOREAL MIXEDWOOD: WHAT DO FIRES BURN?

Two determinants of fire behavior are fire weather and spatial variation in fuels. Their relative importance in boreal forests has been unclear. I evaluated the effect of fuels on a ∼74 000-km2 landscape in the boreal mixedwood region of western Canada. My data were the compositions, or the proportional areas of different forest types, of 48 mapped lightning fires and of their immediate surroundings. I measured areal compositions from forest inventory maps, using a five-way classification representing deciduous forest, three types of coniferous forest, and wetlands. The fires burned between 1980 and 1993. Fire sizes ranged from 70 ha to 70 000 ha. By multivariate linear regression, fire surroundings explain 57% of the variation in forest types within mapped fires. Fire compositions are not representative of the study area as a whole, or of a fire's surroundings, and are unrelated to fire size and location within the study area. Using the model, I predicted the areas of the five types burned within all oth.
Antilithiatic Activity of Leaves, Bulb and Stem Of Nymphea Odorata and Dolichos Lablab Beans.

The incidence of urinary stones has been increasing over the last years while the age of onset is decreasing. Nymphea odorata, fragrant water Lilly (Nymphaeaceae) traditionally claimed for Antiseptic, Astringent, Demulcent, kidney stone, Deobstruent, Discutient, Vulnerary, Roots are used for coughs, mouth sores, and for tuberculosis and Dolichos Lablab beans (Fabeceae) for stimulate gastric activities, as antidote against poisoning, to treat colic, cholera, diarrhea, rheumatism, antilithiatic and sunstroke. The juice from the fruit pods are used for inflamed ears and throats. The fruit is also astringent, digestive, and stomachic and used to expel worms. Owing to its traditional claim methanolic extract of leaves, bulb and stem of Nymphea odorata,and Dolichos Lablab beans white and black variety were screened for antilithiatic activity by using in-vitro model. Phytochemical study showed the presence of various classes of constituents in both plants and pharmacological study reveals that the leaves & bulbs of the plant Nymphaea odorata are having good antilithiatic activity compared to stem and Black and white beans of Dolichos Lablab.
Combined molecular and morphological approaches to documenting regional biodiversity and ecological patterns in problematic taxa: a case study in the bivalve group Cyclocalyx (Sphaeriidae, Bivalvia) from western North America

Genetic and morphological data were used to examine regional biodiversity in a taxonomically poorly known group of freshwater bivalves, Cyclocalyx. Cyclocalyx 16S rRNA genes were sampled from multiple habitats across western North America, focusing on an elevation gradient from sea level up to 3400 m. From this sampling and previous reference datasets, a phylogenetic hypothesis was constructed and lineages delineated, leading to an estimate of regional biodiversity. Morphometric analyses of shell outlines were used to test whether lineages from the gene tree were significantly different in shape from one another, and whether shell shape can be used to predict lineage affiliation. Finally, broad habitat variables were plotted onto the trees and examined in an evolutionary context. The results uncovered many unnamed, genetically and morphologically distinct lineages, remarkable range extensions, and an unexpected lack of abundance of some lineages. The results also show patterns with basal lineages restricted to high‐elevation lakes and more nested lineages at lower elevations or with very wide tolerances. This work challenges almost all previous concepts of regional biodiversity of this lineage, while providing a foundation for future hypothesis testing about the ecology and evolution of the group. It also documents an approach to documenting regional biodiversity that can be applied to other taxa.
Intensive measurement of nitrous oxide emissions from a corn–soybean–wheat rotation under two contrasting management systems over 5 years

No‐tillage (NT), a practice that has been shown to increase carbon sequestration in soils, has resulted in contradictory effects on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Moreover, it is not clear how mitigation practices for N2O emission reduction, such as applying nitrogen (N) fertilizer according to soil N reserves and matching the time of application to crop uptake, interact with NT practices. N2O fluxes from two management systems [conventional (CP), and best management practices: NT + reduced fertilizer (BMP)] applied to a corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max L.), winter‐wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation in Ontario, Canada, were measured from January 2000 to April 2005, using a micrometeorological method. The superimposition of interannual variability of weather and management resulted in mean monthly N2O fluxes ranging from − 1.9 to 61.3 g N ha−1 day−1. Mean annual N2O emissions over the 5‐year period decreased significantly by 0.79 from 2.19 kg N ha−1 for CP to 1.41 kg N ha−1 for BMP. Growing season (May–October) N2O emissions were reduced on average by 0.16 kg N ha−1 (20% of total reduction), and this decrease only occurred in the corn year of the rotation. Nongrowing season (November–April) emissions, comprised between 30% and 90% of the annual emissions, mostly due to increased N2O fluxes during soil thawing. These emissions were well correlated (r2= 0.90) to the accumulated degree‐hours below 0 °C at 5 cm depth, a measure of duration and intensity of soil freezing. Soil management in BMP (NT) significantly reduced N2O emissions during thaw (80% of total reduction) by reducing soil freezing due to the insulating effects of the larger snow cover plus corn and wheat residue during winter. In conclusion, significant reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions can be obtained when NT is combined with a strategy that matches N application rate and timing to crop needs.
Calculating Chilling Hours and Chill Units from Daily Maximum and Minimum Temperature Observations

Models that require hourly weather data as inputs are being constructed to simulate development of insects and plants. Most agricultural and, climatological weather observation stations, however, do not include the capability to record hourly data. Thus, methods, for simulating hourly observations need to be developed if the wealth of data collected in such stations is to be used in these models. One application for simulated temperature data is in the peach industry. This industry uses chilling hours and chill units to determine progression of fulfillment of chilling requirements through the winter season. In the past, chill hours and chill units have been calculated at a limited number of locations using either manually recorded hourly observations or thermograph charts. Richardson (1974) proposed a very simple model for determining temperatures from which chill units were calculated. He used a straight line with 12 hr between maximum and minimum temperature. Richardson recognized the limitations of this model, especially when assuming the daily temperature curve was symmetrical about 12 hr. He suggested that the time between maximum and minimum temperature may need to be changed to better represent daylength changes during the year. McFarland et al. (1987) compared various mathematical representations of the daily heating wave. In their analysis, most published models used a modified sine function to describe heating during daytime hours. A sine function should be a close representation of the curve because daytime temperatures follow the daily solar cycle. The nighttime cooling curve, however, is not as simple. Cooling depends on many factors, including moisture content of the air, cloud cover, and soil heat flow. One form of the cooling curve suggested by Sutton (1953) depends on the square root of time since sunset. Parton and Logan (1981) used an exponential cooling rate to describe nighttime cooling. Eckersten (1986) modified Parton and Logan’s model to a sine-sine ex-
Architecture, Design and Implementation of Carrier Phase Vector Tracking in GNSS RTK Receiver

Navigation in GNSS denied environment is a great challenge for GNSS receivers because of such effects as signal blockage, multipath and non-line of sign reception. A promising approach for reducing these effects is vector tracking, which is well-known for its robustness against poor signal-to-noise levels, fast changing environments and temporary signal blockage. In this paper we consider architecture, design and implementation of carrier phase vector tracking in GNSS receiver able to receive GNSS measurements from a base station, i.e. a real-time kinematic (RTK) receiver. We discuss a concept of vector tracking in a differential phase lock loop (PLL), requirements to be satisfied for Vector PLL to start and how to fulfil these requirements in a high precision navigation engine. We provide architecture of software that implements a high precision navigation engine including Vector PLL. Kalman Filter-based algorithm of Vector PLL is described in detail. We also analyze the performance of carrier phase vector tracking. In the time of submission of the paper the testing was not yet completed. Nonetheless the first results obtained in a controlled environment provided promising results and indicate that the implemented vector PLL provides better results in terms of carrier phase tracking sensitivity and accuracy. More results are anticipated.
Effect of the Osmotic Environment on K+ and Mg2+ Release from the Seed Coat and Cotyledons of Developing Seeds of Vicia faba and Pisum sativum. Evidence for a Stimulation of Efflux from the Vacuole at High Cell Turgor

After removal of the embryo from developing seeds of Vicia faba L. and Pisum sativum L. , the 'empty' ovules were filled with a substitute medium (pH 5-5) and the effect of the osmolality of the medium on K+ and Mg2 + release from the seed coat was examined. In long-term experiments (12 h or longer), with both attached and detached seed coats, the rate of K+ and Mg2 + release from seed coats filled with a solution without osmoticum was enhanced, in comparison with release from seed coats filled with a solution containing 400 mol m"3 mannitol. In relatively short experiments (2-5 h) with excised seed-coat halves and cotyledons of pea, the stimulatory effect of a low osmolality of the medium on K+ and Mg2+ efflux into the bathing medium could also be observed in cotyledons. Quantitatively, efflux stimulation was most important in experiments with seed coats and cotyledons from ovules in an early stage of development. In experiments of 7 h, compartmental analysis was used for a more detailed analysis of efflux stimulation. Half-times for exchange (i}) of K+ and Mg2+ from the slowest exchanging compartment (the vacuole) were much lower in tissues incubated in a low-osmolality medium than in tissues incubated in a high-osmolality medium. There was no evidence for an effect on the permeability of the plasmalemma. An increase in the tonoplast permeability at high cell turgor, for all solutes measured (K+, Mg2 + , sucrose, amino acids), will help to maintain high solute concentrations in the seed apoplast.
Interspecies Synchrony in Salmonid Densities Associated with Large‐Scale Bioclimatic Conditions in Central Idaho

Abstract The abundance of lotic salmonids varies substantially through time, but the extent to which several sympatric species respond coherently to large-scale bioclimatic conditions has rarely been investigated for freshwater fishes. We compared correlations in salmonid density in central Idaho and examined the relationships between changes in salmonid density and the variation in large-scale bioclimatic conditions as indexed by stream flow, air temperature, drought, coastal upwelling, and the number of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha redds (a surrogate for nutrient influx and therefore increased stream productivity). The average densities of six stream-dwelling salmonid fishes were highly synchronous, with declines from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s followed by a rebound through 2003. All pairwise correlations were positive and 8 of 15 were statistically significant. Stream flow and Chinook salmon redds were correlated with fish densities as a group, but the importance of bioclimatic indices d.
Effects of Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Interstrain Mating in Wild Populations

Abstract Fall armyworm is a significant agricultural pest in the United States, affecting most notably sweet corn and turfgrass. Two morphologically identical strains, rice strain (R-strain) and corn strain (C-strain), exist that differ physiologically and behaviorally and can be identified by mitochondrial haplotyping. Recent studies of overwintering populations in Florida indicate that the mitochondrial lineage associated with the R-strain itself consists of two genetically distinct subgroups, with one having molecular markers consistent with interstrain hybridization between R-strain females and C-strain males. To test this possibility and examine the ramifications of interstrain mating on population behavior and strain fidelity, larvae and adult males were tested for genetic marker combinations representative of the host strains and potential hybrids. These studies showed a sexually dimorphic distribution pattern for a sex-linked marker that is a predicted result of interstrain mating. Despite evidence of substantial interbreeding in the overwintering sites, both FR and the strain-diagnostic mitochondrial markers still showed the plant host and habitat biases associated with the host strains, indicating that strain integrity was largely maintained. However, there is evidence that the two R-strain subpopulations differ in habitat distribution in a manner suggestive of the “hybrid” genotype being less specific in its plant host preference. The existence of a genetically distinct hybrid subpopulation must be taken into account when evaluating fall armyworm population dynamics and infestation patterns in overwintering areas.
Derepression ofHydrogenase During Limitation ofElectron Donors andDerepression ofRibulosebisphosphate Carboxylase During Carbon Limitation ofAlcaligenes eutrophus

carboxylase (RuBPC), during heterotrophic growth onsuccinate inbatch cultures. During succinate-limited growth inachemostat, highactivities ofbothhydrogenases wereobserved. Withdecreasing dilution rate (D)thesteady-state hydrogenase activity (H)followed first-order kinetics, expressed asfollows: H = Hn. *e~a.Anidentical correlation wasobserved whenautotrophic growth ina chemostat waslimited bymolecular hydrogen. During autotrophic growth under oxygen orcarbon dioxide limitation, theactivity ofthesoluble hydrogenase was low. These data suggested that hydrogenase formation depended ontheavailability ofreducing equivalents tothecells. RuBPCactivities werenotcorrelated with thehydrogenase activities. During succinate-limited growth, RuBPCappeared at intermediate activities. During autotrophic growth inacarbon dioxide-limited chemostat, RuBPCwashighly derepressed. RuBPCactivity wasnotdetected in cells thatsuffered fromenergy limitation withasurplus ofcarbon, asina heterotrophic oxygen-limited chemostat, norwasitdetected incells limited in carbon andenergy, asinthecaseofcomplete exhaustion ofaheterotrophic substrate. Fromthese dataIconcluded that RuBPCformation inA.eutrophus depends ontwoconditions, namely, carbon starvation andanexcess ofreducing equivalents.
Editorial Expression of Concern

In the issue of 23 October 2009, Science published a study by Lombardi et al. purporting to show that a retrovirus called XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) was present in the blood of 67% of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) compared with 3.7% of healthy controls. A number of studies published elsewhere have failed to replicate these findings. In conjunction with two new Reports that strongly support the growing view that the association between XMRV and CFS likely reflects contamination of laboratories and research reagents with the virus, Science is publishing an Editorial Expression of Concern about the Lombardi et al. Report.