Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of a fish health assessment index and associated parasite index to Clarias gariepinus (Teleostei: Clariidae) in the Vaal River system, South Africa

The aim of this study was to determine if the fish health assessment index (HAI) developed in the USA and associated parasite index (PI), when applied to Clarias gariepinus at two localities in the upper and middle Vaal River system, could distinguish between localities on the grounds of water quality. Elevated HAI values, correlating with poorer chemical and physical water quality, were recorded from the Vaal River Barrage site. Parasite data were congruent with the main PI premise that prevalence and intensity of endoparasite infection would be higher at the more polluted locality, with the converse being recorded for ectoparasites. It was therefore possible to distinguish between localities with different water quality, based on parasites present on the hosts.
European Obelia (Cnidaria, Hydroida) : systematics and identification

Phenotypic variation in both hydroid and medusa stages of Obelia species causes taxonomic difficulties. This variation is considered in detail, and some new taxonomic guidelines are proposed. The problem of relating plankton-caught medusae to their respective hydroids is addressed and new taxonomic characters considered, so that the problem comes close to being solved. The European species are near-cosmopolitan in coastal waters and the paper in effect completes a revision of the genus Obelia. Together with two previous papers it comprises the first world-wide revision of any hydroid genus since 1901. The systematic position and validity of the Hydrozoan genus Obelia and the subfamily Obeliinae are discussed. An identification section is provided, with notes on young and infertile specimens. Differences from species of Laomedea and related genera are considered.
Case-based Cooking: A semantic similarity based approach for retrieval and adaptation of recipes for lists of ingredients

After a short introduction to case-based reasoning this work builds a simple system centring around creating adaptations for recipes. In the domain of cooking a data base of recipes serving as cases and an ontology of foods as background knowledge build ground for the application presented here. The ontology as well as recipe base are lent from the research project WikiTaaable, which hence is also introduced here. The goal is creating adaptations for recipes when they can not satisfy a query. These adaptations are created when needed from similarity measures operating on the ontology. Focus of this work is on methods to automatically create adaptations. The strategies of creating are evaluated as well as the mentioned similarity measures. Further on a measurement is introduced which tries to evaluate the fitness of a substitution to a recipe. Additionally a Java program is provided which allows to explore the ontology and recipe data base. Finally the problems with the ontology and the algorithms working on it are discussed and suggestions for improvement given.
Micro-Habitat use by Bramblings Fringilla montifringilla within a Winter Roosting Site: Influence of Microclimate and Human Disturbance

Abstract. Communal roosting is known to decrease predation risk and thermoregulatory costs, and to increase foraging efficiency or both. While the advantages associated with roost site selection compared to nearby areas have been studied, the factors ruling the selection of roosts within a roosting site remain largely unknown. We investigated what factors affect the preference for roosts within a winter roosting site of Brambling Fringilla montifringilla. Type of vegetation, microclimate, topography and sources of disturbance were considered as possible variables affecting site selection and thus the density of birds. The density of droppings estimated at each of 300 sampling plots was used as an index of density of birds within the roosting site. We modeled density of birds using Generalized Additive Models with different explanatory variable combinations. Results show that factors shaping site selection are similar to those affecting habitat use at other scales, with Brambling resting in higher densities in warmer areas. This can be explained by the protection from winds and radiative heat loss during night, in accordance with results of previous studies at broader scales. In addition, we found a negative impact by human activities, Brambling avoided areas close to roads and forest tracks, possibly as a consequence of local traffic but also the of the affluence of people to watch the birds. Results suggest that site selection is best explained by the interaction between variables rather than by individual variables.
Absence of male reproductive skew, along with high frequency of polyandry and conspecific brood parasitism in the lekking Houbara bustard Chlamydotis undulata undulata

Behavioural studies have led to the perception that lekking species experience a high male reproductive skew as a consequence of females’ selective mate choice. In addition, observations suggest that females copulate only once and therefore polyandry seems unlikely as females are supposed to choose the best male available. In order to analyse the mating strategy of the Houbara bustard, an endangered lekking species under reinforcement in eastern Morocco, we used microsatellite data to perform paternity analyses. None of our observations followed common expectations under a lek mating system: we found no male reproductive skew suggesting no apparent selective female mate choice and no apparent male benefit from lekking. In contrast, a high level of polyandry (60 % of the nests) was recorded suggesting that sperm competition may operate. In addition, we present another case of conspecific brood parasitism in a lekking species and this was an unexpected alternative strategy for a species presenting high parental cost and low fecundity. The increasing number of studies contradicting common assumptions on lekking species suggests that alternative breeding strategies such as males pursuing an off-lek mating strategy, female polyandry and even conspecific brood parasitism might be more widespread in lekking species than previously thought.
Dosage reduction to improve the selectivity of deltamethrin between aphids and coccinellids in cereals

The toxicity of the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin to a cereal aphid and a coccinellid beetle predator was assessed. Deltamethrin gave effective aphid control in winter wheat at dose‐rates of 6.25, 3.13 and 1.56 g a.i./ha. The direct exposure of adult Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to spray drops was estimated at a range of positions in a cereal crop canopy from volumetric analysis of fluorescent tracer deposits. These measurements were used to calculate exposure to deltamethrin at the three experimental dose‐rates. Observations of coccinellid beetle distribution through a cereal crop canopy permitted a realistic range of direct contact doses to be calculated and the toxic effects of these levels of exposure to be predicted from laboratory dose‐response data. Estimated beetle mortalities from direct exposure were 19, 8 and 3% at the three experimental dose‐rates. In situ bioassays with adult C. septempunctata which exposed beetles continuously to deltamethrin residues on flag leaves, resulted in 100, 94 and 39% mortality respectively at these dose‐rates during the 10 days after spray application. Additional in situ bioassays exposed beetles to deltamethrin residues on flag leaves for 24 h and then transferred surviving beetles to the soil under the cereal crop canopy for a further 9 days. This resulted in 89, 69 and 29% beetle mortality respectively at the three dose‐rates. Mortality predictions combining both direct contact and residual exposure were made for the three dose‐rates to determine the maximum impact of summer sprays of deltamethrin on adult coccinellid populations in cereals. These worst case predictions suggested that a reduction in dose‐rate by as much as three quarters of the recommended application rate in UK cereals may be necessary to preserve approximately 60% of adult C. septempunctata in the crop over the 10 days after a deltamethrin spray application. The methodology described may be appropriate for estimating selective dose‐rates for key enemies in a range of crops.
Water excess under simulated lucerne–wheat phased systems in Western Australia

The long-term effect of lucerne use, in reducing drainage of water below the root zone and runoff (water excess), has not been examined in south-western Australia (Western Australia). The main aims of the paper were to determine how the long-term mean water excess was influenced by the proportion of lucerne in the rotation and the length of the lucerne phase in relation to soil type and location. A simulation model was used to compare scenarios, drawing on historical weather data from 1957 to 2001. Simulations were performed for 2 locations (high and low rainfall) and 2 soil types (high and low water-holding capacity). Lucerne significantly and rapidly (within 2-3 years) reduces the long-term mean water excess in rotations consisting of 2-4 years of lucerne followed by 1-4 years of wheat compared with continuous wheat. For every 10% increase in the percentage of lucerne years in the total rotation length, the mean water excess decreased by 17-20 mm (7-9%) at Kojonup (high-rainfall site) and 7-8 mm (8-9%) at Buntine (low-rainfall site) compared with the water excess associated with continuous wheat at each location. The proportion of lucerne in the rotation had a greater effect on the water excess than the effect of different soil types. Variation in the water excess due to variation in rainfall was greater than the reduction in water excess due to lucerne. This makes the decisions about when to grow lucerne to reduce water excess difficult if livestock enterprises are less profitable than cropping enterprises. The simulations show that lucerne mean yearly biomass ranges from 4.5 to 6.9 t/ha at Kojonup and from 1.6 to 4.7 t/ha at Buntine, depending on soil type and stage of lucerne in the land use sequence. It is worth considering that lucerne has the potential to reduce subsequent wheat yields with removal in autumn.
Non‐invasive monitoring of avian reproduction by simplified faecal steroid analysis

The measurement of urinary steroid metabolites has proved a reliable method for monitoring reproductive changes in a variety of mammalian species. Development of related techniques for assessing avian reproductive function has shown that sexing of various species is feasible and that the following of individual reproductive changes may be possible. This paper reports on the use of a simplified procedure for assay of specific excreted steroids in a 1: 60 dilution of a 0.4 g dried faecal sample from male and female Japanese quail, and the monitoring of steroid hormone changes in the plasma and faeces throughout a photoperiodically induced reproductive cycle. Immunoreactive steroid measurements were made directly by radioimmunoassay (RIA) of ahquots of faecal homogenates in phosphate buffer and did not involve hydrolysis of steroid conjugates or organic solvent extraction. Measurements were made of immunoreactive testosterone, oestradiol-3-glucuronide (E-3-gl) and pregnanediol-3α-glucuronide (Pd-3α-gl). Plasma testosterone and progesterone concentrations, in males and females, were compared to faecal immunoreactive testosterone and Pd-3α-gl, respectively. Exposure to stimulatory long daylengths of 20L:4D (LD) resulted in a rise of both plasma and faecal testosterone followed by a reduction after subsequent transfer back to short daylengths of 8L:16D (SD). Male faecal immunoreactive testosterone levels were significantly correlated with the plasma testosterone concentrations (0.59, P<0.001, n= 70) and with the phase of the reproductive cycle. Faecal immunoreactive Pd-3α-gl levels increased following exposure to LD, and female values were well correlated with plasma progesterone concentrations (0.79, P <0,001, n= 56) and with the pattern of egg laying. Faecal immunoreactive E-3-gl levels were higher in LD than SD birds with higher levels in females compared to males, even under SD photoperiods. For long-term monitoring of the reproductive status of Japanese quail, faecal immunoreactive testosterone and Pd-3α-gl measurements, in a 1:60 dilution of a random 0.4 g dried faecal sample, were found to be as reliable and informative as plasma testosterone and progesterone measurements, respectively.
Evaluating the Information Value for Measures of Systemic Conditions

Timely identification of coincident systemic conditions and forward-looking capacity to anticipate adverse developments are critical for macroprudential policy. Despite clear recognition of these factors in literature, an evaluation methodology and empirical tests for the information value of coincident measures are lacking. This paper provides a twofold contribution to the literature: (i) a general-purpose evaluation framework for assessing information value for measures of systemic conditions, and (ii) an empirical assessment of the information value for several alternative measures of US systemic conditions. We find substantial differences among the measures, of which the Cleveland Financial Stress Index shows best-in-class identification performance. In terms of forecasting performance, Kamakura? s Troubled Company Index, Cleveland Financial Stress Index, and Goldman Sachs Financial Conditions Index show moderately stable usefulness metrics over time.
Dry Matter and Nitrogen Degradation Parameters of Tropical Tree Foliages Eaten by West African Dwarf Sheep

Abstract Ikhimioya, I. , Isah, A.O. , Akhidenor, K.O. and Otite, E. 2008. Dry matter and nitrogen degradation parameters of tropical tree foliages eaten by west African dwarf sheep. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 33: 153–158. Foliages from Ficus exasperata, Spondias monbin, Tectonia grandis and Terminalia catappa were evaluated to measure rumen degradation characteristics of their DM and N contents using nylon bag technique. Effective and potential degradabilities of dry matter of F. exasperata were much higher than those of other trees. Whereas, effective and potential degradabilities of N were highest for F. exasperate and lowest for T. catappa. The leaves ofS. monbin, T. grandis and T. catappa appeared to be potential sources of rumen undegraded protein to the small intestine which could probably be exploited for the benefits of ruminants.
Ethylene Receptors and Genetic Engineering of Ethylene Sensitivity in Plants

Ethylene is a gaseous plant hormone which gives cues to various developmental processes and stress responses in plants. Plants regulate their ethylene sensitivity for programmed development and responses to environmental stresses. After the successful isolation of the Arabidopsis ethylene receptor gene ETR1, ethylene receptor genes have been found in various plant species. Characterization of ethylene receptor genes provides clues to understanding how plants regulate their ethylene sensitivity. This knowledge also gives us potential methods for engineering the ethylene sensitivity of plants. Genetically-engineered plants with reduced ethylene sensitivity will be potential resources for improving crop performance. Moreover, those transgenic plants will provide further information to elucidate the mechanism of how plants regulate their ethylene sensitivity. The recent progress in genetic and protein analyses of ethylene receptors is summarized in this review. The possible strategies for altering the ethylene sensitivity of plants using the ethylene receptor genes are also discussed.
Biomass equations for seven different tree species growing in coppice-with-standards forests in Central Germany

With an increasing demand of sustainable raw materials for bioenergy use, coppicing as management approach to increase the biomass production of forests is becoming of greater importance. This study describes the parameterization of biomass equations for six tree species traditionally used in coppices forests, namely sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), field maple (Acer campestre L.), European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.), downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), and common hazel (Corylus avellana L.) growing in coppice-with-standard systems in Lower Saxony, Germany. The parameterization was based on measurements of over 950 trees sampled from two forest sites. The sampled trees were felled and separated into three biomass compartments (stem, coarse branches, and fine brushwood) and weighed on site. The dry weight of sub samples from each compartment was measured. Equations were derived for total aboveground biomass, stem biomass, and crown biomass using regression analyses. We either used diameter at breast height as single independent explanatory variable or in combination with tree height. Biomass production of stump sprouts and generatively grown stems was compared for ash and sycamore maple. In the same age classes, it was found that ash stump sprouts had a slightly higher production than seed-grown stems. For sycamore maple, no difference was detected.
Resistance to Spodoptera exigua in Apium prostratum

Two Apium accessions were compared with the commercial cultivar ‘Tall Utah’ 52–70R (A. graveolens [L.]) for resistance to Spodoptera exigua (Hübner)(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Oviposition rate was not significantly different between the three genotypes. In all accessions, eggs were usually placed on the upper half of the plants. Implications of this oviposition pattern on S. exigua management in celery are discussed. The wild species A. prostratum ssp prostratum var filiform (A230) showed a significantly higher resistance to S. exigua than 52–70R. The levels of carcinogenic and mutagenic linear furanocoumarins in the commercial cultivar 52–70R (1.41 μg/g in the petioles; 5.85 μg/g in the leaves) and in the plant accession A. nodiflorum (5.40 μg/g in the petioles; 2.99 μg/g in the leaves) were far below the concentration reported to produce acute contact dermatitis (18.0 μg/g). The levels of furanocoumarins in A. prostratum petioles (186.14 μg/g) and leaves (326.45 μg/g) were 10 and 18 times higher, respectively, than the concentration known to cause contact dermatitis. However, resistance in A. prostratum was primarily due to non‐preference and the linear furanocoumarins did not induce non‐preference. Therefore, the resistance shown by this plant accession does not appear to be furanocoumarin‐based and may be suitable for transfer to commercial celery for use in S. exigua management.
Seed harvester and scavenger ants along roadsides in Northern Israel

Abstract Roads and their edges are important factors of human disturbance in natural landscapes. It is generally admitted that roadsides support more scavengers and seed harvester insects than habitats around them. I used ground-nesting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to test these hypotheses in a Mediterranean region of Israel. Twice in three different habitats (roadsides and range areas of shrub steppe (bata) and open maquis) I looked for ant nests in 90 plots, each of which measured 80 square metres. The dominant species was the seed-harvester Messor semirufus (André, 1883) that built more nests along roads than in the natural habitats. The distances between neighbouring nests were shorter in road verges than in nature. Subdominant species were scavengers Tapinoma israele Forel, 1904 and Tapinoma erraticum (Latreille, 1798) that nested equally in the studied habitats. In total, I found 131 nests of 23 ant species (10 % of species living in Israel). Species richness and Alfa biodiversity index were equal in the three habitats, while species composition was different, and nest number was higher in the roadsides. Beta turnover index of Wilson and Shmida indicated a net contribution of roadsides to general ant biodiversity. In conclusion the results of this research support the hypothesis that seed-harvester ants are more abundant in roadsides than in habitats around them, but they do not support the second hypothesis that scavenger species show the same pattern.
Consumption of Carrot Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) by Five Species of Carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Abundant in Carrot Fields in Southwestern Quebec

Five species of carabids ( Pterostichus melanarius Illiger , Pterostichus lucublandus Say, Bembidion quadrimaculatum oppositum Say, Clivina fossor L., and Anisodactylus santaecrucis F.) were offered carrot weevil eggs, fourth instars, pupae, teneral or overwintered adults in single and multiple food choice tests. In single food tests, all species consumed three or more stages of carrot weevil. The smaller carabids ( B. quadrimaculatum oppositum and C. fossor ) were the best consumers of eggs; the largest carabid, P. melanarius , was the only species that consumed high numbers of teneral and overwintered adults. All species were good consumers of fourth instars and pupae. In multiple choice food tests, P. melanarius and C. fossor consumed the same stages as in the single food tests and showed no preference for any particular weevil stage. In contrast, A. santaecrucis and B. quadrimaculatum oppositum had a preference for pupae, whereas P. lucublandus selected fourth instars. These preferences were not shown in the single food tests indicating the importance of multiple choice food tests for assessment of polyphagous predators. In voracity tests, P. melanarius and P. lucublandus consumed three times more than A. santaecrucis or B. quadrimaculatum oppositum .
Variation of Soil Dielectric Constant, Moisture Holding Capacity, and Nitrate-Nitrogen as Influenced by Application of Fresh and Compost Poultry Litter on a Decatur Silt Loam Soil

ABSTRACT Currently, there are major concerns about potential environmental impacts of poultry litter application as a nutrient source for agricultural crops. Composting of poultry litter is reported to have less groundwater pollution effects as compared to fresh litter. A field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of poultry litter applications at three different rates on variations of soil dielectric constant, moisture holding capacity, and soil NO3 −-N distribution on a Decatur slit loam soil. The results were compared with effects of urea (inorganic fertilizer) and composted poultry litter applications. The addition of fresh and composted poultry litter increased the soil dielectric constant and water holding capacity due to the increase in soil organic matter. The study indicates that there is a potential of groundwater contamination by application of urea, fresh poultry litter or composted poultry litter at the rates investigated. Urea and fresh poultry litter applications have comparable effects on surface and groundwater contaminations, whereas composting of litter reduced the potential risk for groundwater contamination.
Arroz-vermelho (Oryza sativa) resistente aos herbicidas imidazolinonas

O desenvolvimento de genotipos comerciais de arroz resistentes a herbicidas do grupo quimico das imidazolinonas proporcionou uma ferramenta eficaz para o controle seletivo do arroz-vermelho (Oryza sativa) em cultivo de arroz irrigado. Contudo, o uso continuo dessa tecnologia pode favorecer o desenvolvimento de populacoes de arroz-vermelho resistentes aos herbicidas utilizados para o seu controle. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a ocorrencia de populacoes de arroz-vermelho resistentes aos herbicidas imidazolinonas, por meio de curvas de dose-resposta, atraves do fator de resistencia (FR). Populacoes de arroz-vermelho nao controladas (escapes) advindas de lavouras de arroz cultivado no sistema Clearfield® no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul foram avaliadas em casa de vegetacao na sua sensibilidade ao herbicida Only (imazethapyr + imazapic - 75 + 25 g L-1). O resultado de resposta as doses do herbicida confirma a resistencia em 56% das populacoes de arroz-vermelho, as quais podem ser agrupadas em baixo (FR = 5,2) e alto (FR = 11,6) niveis de resistencia as imidazolinonas.