Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Concordant patterns of mtDNA and nuclear phylogeographic structure reveal Pleistocene vicariant event in the green crab Carcinus aestuarii across the Siculo-Tunisian Strait

This study focuses on the population genetic structure of the green crab Carcinus aestuarii along part of the African Mediterranean coast, with the main target to confirm genetic subdivision across the well documented genetic boundary of the Siculo-Tunisian Strait. For this purpose, the mitochondrial COI (cytochrome oxidase I) gene and five polymorphic microsatellite loci were analysed in 144 and 120 specimens, respectively. Our results show the existence of two distinct haplogroups, separated by 16 mutational steps and revealed a non random distribution of the genetic variation along the African Mediterranean coast. Dating analyses, based on the use of different molecular clock models and rates, placed the divergence among both haplogroups at 1.91 Myr (95% HPD: 1.11–2.68 Myr) to 0.69 Myr (95% HPD: 0.44–0.98 Myr). This range of divergence time estimation corresponds to the Early Pleistocene. The particular pattern of genetic divergence among Eastern and Western African Mediterranean populations of C. aestuarii , detected by 2-level AMOVA at the mitochondrial level, was consistent with that inferred from microsatellite analysis and suggests a vicariant event in C. aestuarii . Demographic reconstruction, inferred from mismatch distribution and BSP analyses, yielded different patterns of demographic history between both African Mediterranean groups. The distribution pattern of the two haplogroups across the African Mediterranean coast, along with results of Bayesian analysis of genetic structure revealing an intermediate geographic group between the two divergent groups of the African coast, support the hypothesis of a secondary contact between two historically isolated groups. Although this hypothetical contact zone, thought to be located near the Siculo-Tunisian Strait, still needs to be verified, the asymmetric gene flow from Western to Eastern African Mediterranean, as inferred by the results of a MIGRATE analysis, reinforces the previously mentioned results.
Speciation of Fe(III) and Fe(II) in water samples by liquid–liquid extraction combined with low-temperature electrothermal vaporization (ETV) ICP-AES

The use of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoylpyrazolone (PMBP) as extractant for separation of Fe(III) and Fe(II) and low-temperature vaporization of the Fe(III)–PMBP chelate into ICP-AES for their speciation analysis was investigated. The factors affecting the formation of Fe(PMBP)3 chelate and its vaporization behavior were investigated in detail. PMBP was used not only as the extractant for the separation of Fe(III) and Fe(II) but also as the chemical modifier for the low-temperature ETV-ICP-AES determination of iron. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit for iron(III) and iron(II) are both 3.2 ng/mL, with relative standard deviations of 3.9 and 4.5%, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of trace iron in biological standard reference materials and the species in East Lake water samples, and the results obtained were satisfactory.
Role of Microorganisms in the Metabolism of Termites

This article reviews the current knowledge of the role of symbiotic microorganisms in the metabolism of termites. The symbiotic microorganisms, comprising bacteria (higher and lower termites) and protozoa (lower termites) are in the hindgut. Cellulose digestion in higher termites appears to be mediated solely by cellulolytic enzymes secreted by the termites. In the lower termites, cellulose is digested by enzymes secreted both by the termites and by the protozoa. The end products of protozoal metabolism (acetate and butyrate) are thought to be used by termites as energy sources. Another method of cellulose digestion is that of the Macrotermitinae which have a symbiotic relationship with fungi of the genus Termitomyces. The termites acquire cellulase from the fungus. The bacteria found in the hindgut are usually facultative even though the hindgut is anaerobic. Some of these bacteria appear to be involved in dinitrogen-fixation in the gut, but do not play any part in cellulose metabolism. Some evidence suggests that termites may be able to re-utilize the nitrogen in the uric acid stores in their fat body using hindgut bacteria. While there is evidence that lignin can be degraded in termite tissues it is difficult to assess the role of the hindgut micro biota in this process.
Migration of Legacy Systems in New Public Management - the Swedish Rescue Services Incident Reporting System

The Swedish Rescue Services are migrating from an incident report system to a fully-fledged incident learning system. The migration process has been studied under the lenses of organizational learning theories, to identify challenges that can offer advice for future system migration projects. The objectives expressed by the central agency leading the studied migration process aimed at implementing organizational double-loop learning by using the incident reports as enablers to learn from the rescue operation and improve future operations accordingly. In practice this objective has been lost along the way, with the agency focusing more on cosmetic changes, such as terminology, attributes and labels. Meanwhile end-users expressed different and concrete needs, requiring new functionality, process improvements and organizational development. The study highlights the importance of early, active user involvement in the migration process for dual use legacy systems, to avoid losing explicitly articulated high-level objectives, such as improved performance and dual use of the system.
Trichosporon species isolated from the perigenital region, urine and catheters of a Brazilian population

The present study aimed to 1) determine the colonization rates of medically important Trichosporon species on normal perigenital skin and 2) determine the isolation rates of Trichosporon spp. isolated from the urine and catheters of Brazilian patients hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The overall colonization rate of Trichosporon spp. was 11.15% (112 isolates). The most common species isolated from normal perigenital skin was T. cutaneum (29.46%), followed by T. asteroides (20.53%), T. ovoides (15.17%), T. inkin (10.71%), T. mucoides (8.92%), and T. asahii (6.25%). From urine and catheters, T. asahii was the species most commonly isolated (76.5%; n =23), followed by T. inkin (16.6%; n = 5) and T. asteroides (6.6%; n = 2). In addition, the highest isolation rate occurred in subjects in the 71- to 80-year-old age range (36.7%; n= 11), followed by 61 to 70 (26.7%; n = 8), 51 to 60 (13.3%; n = 4), 31 to 40 (13.33%; n = 4), and 41 to 50 (10%; n =3). We concluded that 6 medically important species of the genus Trichosporon colonize the perigenital region in a normal population. The identification of these species is possible by means of classical methods but often requires repeated analyses repetitions due to difficulties in the assimilation process. In contrast, only 3 species of Trichosporon were isolated from urine and catheters.
Spectrophotometric study of DNA interactions with ftorafur and its elementoorganic derivatives

ABSTRACT Ftorafur is an antimetabolite antitumour drug successfully used for treatment of various tumours. It is generally accepted that ftorafur is converted to 5-fluoruracil. However, some data indicate direct interactions of the compound with DNA. To test this hypothesis we have performed spectrophotometric study of DNA interactions of ftorafur and some of its elementoorganic derivatives with DNA. UV-VIS spectra of the tested compounds were recorded in absence and presence of increasing amounts of DNA. DNA caused a hypochromic effect in spectra of ftorafur, similar, but weaker effect was observed in 5-fluoruracil spectra. Trimethylgermyl derivative of ftorafur manifested a higher DNA-binding capacity compared to ftorafur. To reveal possible mechanism of interaction between the tested nucleosides and DNA ethidium bromide extrusion experiments were performed. It was shown that the compounds did not compete with EBr for intercalation. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed decrease in intensity of several bands in spectra of ftorafur, its trimethylgermyl derivative and fluorouracil in presence of DNA indicating again interactions between the compounds and DNA. Docking experiments reveal interactions of the tested nucleosides with the DNA minor groove. Thus ftorafur is capable to interact directly with DNA; further modifications of the molecule enhance this capacity.
Plant recruitment from the soil seed bank depends on topsoil stockpile age, height, and storage history in an arid environment

The topsoil native seed bank is a valuable resource in post‐mining rehabilitation capable of providing a cost‐effective means for restoring plant diversity. However, the value of the native soil seed bank is affected by topsoil management practices especially long‐term stockpiling. Salvaged topsoil is usually stockpiled until mining operations are completed and landforming has been performed. This study compared the germinable soil seed bank of freshly harvested topsoil against the effects of stockpile age (stored for 1 and 3 years) and depth (top and bottom 50 cm of 2‐m‐high stockpiles). Total native seedling emergence was greater from the 1‐year‐old stockpile but was dominated by annuals including species commonly found on disturbed sites. Seedling emergence of perennial species was more than 4‐fold greater in fresh topsoil than in the 1‐year‐old stockpiles, and 2‐fold greater than the bottom 50 cm of 3‐year‐old stockpiles, with no difference in the top 50 cm of the 3‐year‐old stockpiles. Although there was no difference in total emergence between the top and bottom of stockpiled topsoil, there was greater emergence of the ecologically important Triodia grass genus from the top than bottom of 3‐year‐old stockpiles. Species composition of the seed bank in the 1‐year‐old stockpile was different to fresh topsoil and the 3‐year‐old stockpile possibly reflecting differences in species composition of vegetation present when topsoil was initially salvaged for stockpiling, confounding comparisons between years. This study demonstrates the importance of conducting soil seed bank analysis of stockpiled topsoil to be used in restoration programs.
Life-history strategies of perennial grassland plants : bet-hedging in time and metapopulation viability in fragmented landscapes

Landscape fragmentation, intensification of land use, and climate change are going to strongly impact future plant populations. Currently, plant ecologists are unable to assess the interactions between changes in landscape structure, local disturbance regime, and plant traits. Thus, new models and conceptual frameworks are needed to predict the viability of plant populations in fragmented landscapes based on plant traits, landscape properties, and the environmental stochasticity of local habitats. Methodologically, this thesis is based on non-spatial and spatially-explicit matrix population models. Non-spatial matrix models assume homogeneity in space, spatially-explicit models describe different subpopulations inhabiting patches of variable habitat quality and the exchange of individuals in space, i.e. seed dispersal. In the first chapter, I used non-spatial matrix models to find optimal life-history strategies for grassland plants inhabiting stochastic environments differing in predictability and harshness. I investigated the interplay between key life-history traits such as clonality, seed dormancy, and adult longevity. In the second chapter, I proposed guidelines for the setup and evaluation of spatially-explicit models of plant population dynamics. I tested the spatially-explicit model against the non-spatial equivalent to clarify the deficiencies of the latter. In the last chapter, I used the methodology developed in the second chapter to investigate interactions between plant traits and landscape properties. I proposed a simple trait based formula which can be used to predict metapopulation survival ability for perennial grassland species given a specific landscape setting.
The overall effect of anti anthrax vaccination on the immunity in extensively raised bovine.

Anti anthrax immune prophylaxis is a stressful operation, with a positive protective outcome but also impacting negatively on the immune system. The research aimed to investigate the post vaccination changes in humoral and cell mediated immunity, other than the specific anti anthrax ones, and quantify the restorative potential of the bilberry and marigold extracts in vaccinated animals. The experiment was carried out on extensively raised lactating cows (n=34) and young cattle (n=21), blood being sampled before and two weeks after the injection of live attenuated R 1190 Stamatin vaccine and processed by blood picture, calculation of N/L index as a stress indicator, total Ig and circulating immune complexes as well as the in vitro blast transformation of leukocytes. The results indicated that the N/L ratio allows an estimate of the stress level subsequent to vaccination, in relation to the diminished adaptive cell mediated response in the young cattle. The lower level of total Ig connected with a significantly (p<0.05) lower rate of complexation in young animals versus older ones stresses the beneficial influence of repeated vaccinations in the latter category. Similarly, there was an increased adaptive cell mediated response in older animals. The stimulating activity of extracts from Vaccinum myrtillus and Calendula officinalis was better expressed in cell cultures from younger animals, supporting the possible therapeutic use of these in restoring the diminshed overall immune responsein this category.
VARIATION IN INDIVIDUAL FLOWERING TIME AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF AGALINIS STRICTIFOLIA (SCROPHULARIACEAE)

Field studies on two populations of Agalinis strictifolia were conducted over a 3-year period to investigate the relationship between flowering time of individuals and plant size, flowering duration, flower and fruit production, fruit predation, and growth rate. Seasonal patterns of pollinator visitation were compared with those of individual flowering time, flower density, percent fruit production, and mean seeds/fruit. In general, early and middle flowering individuals (as determined by either first flowering date or peak flowering) were larger, flowered longer, and produced more flowers and fruits than late flowering individuals. Early and middle flowering individuals (based on first flowering date) also grew faster than late flowering individuals. Although early and middle flowering individuals produced more fruits, fruit predators did not damage a disproportionate number of fruits compared to late flowering individuals. Patterns of bee visitation showed no association with seasonal patterns of flower density, percent fruit production, mean seed/fruit, or individual flowering time. In populations of A. strictifolia, it would seem that biotic or environmental determinants of growth rate (hence size and reproductive success) may be more important in generating variation in individual flowering time than patterns of pollinator visitation or fruit predation.
The Effects of Food Abundance, Foraging Rules and Cognitive Abilities on Local Animal Movements

Movement is nearly universal in the animal kingdom. Movements of animals influence not only themselves but also plant communities through processes such as seed dispersal, pollination, and herbivory. Understanding movement ecology is important for conserving biodiversity and predicting the spread of diseases and invasive species. Three factors influence nearly all movement. First, most animals move to find food. Thus, foraging dictates, in part, when and where to move. Second, animals must move by some rule even if the rule is "move at random. " Third, animals' cognitive capabilities affect movement; even bees incorporate past experience into foraging. Although other factors such as competition and predation may affect movement, these three factors are the most basic to all movement. I simulated animal movement on landscapes with variable amounts of food per food patch, variable number of patches, and variable spatial distributions of food patches. From the results of my simulations, I formulated a series of hypotheses about the effects of food abundance on animal movement in nature. I also resolved the apparent paradox of real animals' movements sometimes correlating positively and sometimes negatively with food abundance. I simulated variable foraging rules belonging to 3 different classes of rules (when to move, where to move, and the scale at which to assess the landscape). Simulating foraging rules demonstrated that variations in richness and density tend to have the same effects on movements, regardless of foraging rules. Still, foraging rules affect the absolute distance and frequency of movements. In my third set of simulations, I simulated a range of spatial and temporal cognitive constraints and demonstrated that omniscience is not necessarily the optimal cognitive state from an energetic standpoint. I tested my hypotheses on the effects of food abundance with data from free ranging female black bears (Ursus americanus) in Pisgah Bear Sanctuary (North Carolina, USA) and female kinkajous (Potos flavus) in Parque National Soberania (Panama), two species with low predation risk. Depending on the season, black bear movements can be explained, by food patch richness, density or both richness and density. Kinkajou move length but not number of moves can be explained by patch richness and density. Instead of kinkajous adjusting their number of moves when food density changed, kinkajous increased the amount of time they foraged. Moonlight was also a good predictor of number of moves. None of kinkajous' 3 dietary preferences best explained moves.
Performance of Kura clover compared to that of perennial forage legumes traditionally cultivated in central Europe

ABSTRACT Kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) is a rhizomatous perennial legume that is native to Caucasia, is extremely persistent in North America, but its performance has not been adequately evaluated in Europe. The objective of this research was to compare forage yield and nutritive value of Kura clover to lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) at two locations in Poland. All clover stands thinned markedly by spring of the second production year because of infection by Sclerotinia crown and stem rot, but lucerne stands remained dense and this legume produced the highest total yield over 3 or 4 production years. Kura clover yields of 7.2–8.3 Mg ha−1 were second to lucerne by the third production year but long-term performance was diminished by stand thinning. Kura clover and white clover had lower fiber concentrations and greater protein concentrations and forage digestibility than red clover and lucerne. Kura clover can be a source of high-quality forage in Europe, but cannot be recommended for use in areas with known Sclerotinia trifoliorum presence until resistance to this pathogen is developed.
NEW CUNAXID MITES OF THE GENUS ARMASCIRUS FROM PUNJAB PAKISTAN

Cunaxid mites are important predators of harmful mites, small soft bodied insects and their eggs. In order to explore Cunaxidae from Punjab- Pakistan the survey resulted in the collection of two new species of genus Armascirus i.e Armascirus asghari and Armascirus satianaensis. These were described and illustrated. Types are deposited in the Acarology Research Laboratory University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. To incorporate these new species, a key of all the known species of the genus Armascirus from Pakistan was also prepared.
Role of Foliage Habit in the Competition Between Differently Sized Plants in Carrot Crops

The length of the tallest leaf on a plant varied considerably within each of three carrot crops, and in each crop there was a high positive correlation between shoot height and root weight. Lowering the petiole angle of carrot leaves greatly reduced the ability of plants to compete against untreated neighbours, but did not affect growth when all plants were treated similarly. Cutting treatments which produced a more uniform shoot height for all plants, allowed small plants temporarily to overcome the dominance of their larger neighbours. Similar cutting treatments applied in a field experiment reduced crop growth and variation in root weight. These findings support the view that shoot height difference is an important component of inter-plant competition in carrot crops and hence is a source of root-weight variation.
Transferência de imunidade passiva e proteinograma sérico em bezerros das raças Crioula Lageana variedade Mocha e Aberdeen Angus (Red Angus) nos primeiros seis meses de vida

The Criollo Lageano breed is an alternative for modern farming, due to its high genetic variability, rusticity and adaptation to environmental conditions of the Plateau of Santa Catarina, Brazil. These characteristics can influence important physiological events which should be investigated, because they can assist in developing future programs of animal breeding. It is known that failure of passive transfer (FPT) is an important factor for the increase in neonatal mortality in cattle. Thus, it is essential to evaluate aspects related to FPT in Criollo Lageano calves and the comparison with other beef breed created in the Plateau of Santa Catarina. Aiming to evaluate and to compare the passive transfer of immunity and serum protein concentrations, two experimental groups of 11 calves of Criollo Lageano (CL) hornless variety and 14 Aberdeen Angus (Red Angus) calves were selected. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture for the measurement of total serum protein (TSP) by serum protein electrophoresis in agarose gel and the activity of gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) by the method of the turbidity zinc sulphate, between 24 and 36 hours, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days. Statistical analysis of data was performed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey test for comparison of means (P<0.05) and correlation between variables. Values of TSP, globulins, immunoglobulins, IgG and serum GGT activity at birth (24-36 hours) confirmed that there was adequate TIP with no significant difference between the races, except for the serum GGT activity. Physiological variations in the curve of serum proteins from birth to 180 days of age were identified. Strong positive correlation was found between the values of gamma globulin and IgG (r=0.814 and r=0.877 for CL to AA), PTS (r=0.783 and r=0.947 for CL to AA), globulins (r=0.945 and r=0.985 for CL to AA), indicating that these variables will be good indicators of TIP in calves at the second day of life (24-36 hours). The correlation between gamma globulin and activity of GGT was weakly positive (r=0.251) for CL and strongly positive (r=0.815) for the Aberdeen Angus (Red Angus), in which a wide variation in GGT values after 24 hours of life of the calf were noticed. No difference was found in FPT between Criollo Lageano hornless variety and Aberdeen Angus (Red Angus), and was successful way in both breeds. It can be suggested that Criollo Lageano hornless variety breed is later in active antibody synthesis, highlighting the precocity of taurine evident in Aberdeen Angus (Red Angus) breed.