Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary history of the marsupials and an analysis of osteological characters: References

Preface 1. Introduction 2. Phylogenetics of characters and groups, and the classification of taxa 3. Problems in understanding metatherian evolution 4. Form-function, and ecological and behavioural morphology in Metatheria 5. Background to the analysis of metatherian cruropedal evidence 6. Mesozoic and Cenozoic: fossil tarsals of ameridelphians unassociated with teeth 7. Cruropedal attributes of living and fossil families of metatherians 8. Taxa and phylogeny of Metatheria 9. Paleobiogeography and metatherian evolution References Index.
Population dynamics of Azospirillum spp. in the rhizosphere of foxtail millet ( Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.)

Azospirillum was isolated from the rhizosphere of two varieties (Lepakshi and Chitra) of foxtail millet grown in pots and its population was estimated at 15�day intervals by MPN method. Soil samples from unplanted pots served as controls. The results showed significant increase in the population of Azospirillum spp. in the rhizosphere soil samples of foxtail millet
Branched transport and fractal structures

This thesis is devoted to the study of branched transport, related variational problems and fractal structures that are likely to arise. The branched transport problem consists in connecting two measures of same mass through a network minimizing a certain cost, which in our study will be proportional to mLα in order to move a mass m over a distance L. Several continuous models have been proposed to formulate this problem, and we focus on the two main static models : the Lagrangian and the Eulerian ones, with an emphasis on the first one. After setting properly the bases for these models, we establish rigorously their equivalence using a Smirnov decomposition of vector measures whose divergence is a measure. Secondly, we study a shape optimization problem related to branched transport which consists in finding the sets of unit volume which are closest to the origin in the sense of branched transport. We prove existence of a solution, described as a sublevel set of the landscape function, now standard in branched transport. The Holder regularity of the landscape function, obtained here without a priori hypotheses on the considered solution, allows us to obtain an upper bound on the Minkowski dimension of its boundary, which is non-integer and which we conjecture to be its exact dimension. Numerical simulations, based on a variational approximation a la Modica-Mortola of the branched transport functional, have been made to support this conjecture. The last part of the thesis focuses on the landscape function, which is essential to the study of variational problems involving branched transport as it appears as a first variation of the irrigation cost. The goal is to extend its definition and fundamental properties to the case of an extended source, which we achieve in the case of networks with finite root systems, for instance if the measures have disjoint supports. We give a satisfying definition of the landscape function in that case, which satisfies the first variation property and we prove its Holder regularity under reasonable assumptions on the measures we want to connect.
Armillaria root rot of tea in Kenya : characterization of the pathogen and approaches to disease management

The rare occurrence of basidiomata and rhizomorphs constrains diagnosis of Armillaria root rot and identification of Armillaria species in Africa. This has had a negative impact on taxonomic research on the genus Armillaria in the continent, where the existence of various genetic groups of the fungus is more easily demonstrated by techniques that do not depend on the presence of basidiomata. DNA analysis by RAPD, ISSR, and RFLP of the IGS and ITS regions showed that Armillaria pathogenic on tea in Kenya consists mainly of two groups. Neither of these is identical to A. mellea , the species to which the disease has been largely attributed in the past. Based on morphological characteristics we conclude that the more predominant of the two groups is probably A. heimii and that the other group may represent a hitherto undescribed species. Infected root residues in the soil comprise the major sources of Armillaria inoculum from which primary infection of tea starts. From these the fungus spreads rapidly within a plantation. Due to the scarcity of rhizomorphs it is assumed that the principal mode of spread of the fungus is through mycelial transfer at points of root-to-root contact. The available control measure against Armillaria root rot is the eradication of the fungus from infested sites through mechanical removal of the inoculum sources and infected plants. However, removal of inoculum is cumbersome and difficult to carry out manually. An isolate of Trichoderma harzianum was selected that readily colonized wood and strongly reduced viability of Armillaria inoculum. Use of this isolate to control Armillaria would work better when applied in combination with soil disinfestation by solarization. By increasing soil temperatures, solarization for 10 wk completely inactivated woody Armillaria inocula, which could be reduced to a solarization period of 5 wk if it was followed with application of T. harzianum . Soil amendment with coffee pulp, earlier reported to enhance development of T. harzianum , did not increase colonisation of Armillaria inoculum sources by the antagonist but did cause a slight reduction in inoculum viability. It is concluded that a combination of solarization with subsequent introduction of T. harzianum has good prospects for managing Armillaria root rot.
Genetic variability of fleece shedding in the Martinik hair, Romane sheep breeds and their crossbreds

From the ancestral pelage of the domestic sheep which looks like the protective double coat of the wild sheep, changes following domestication and the development of textile industry resulted in the development of the modern woolled sheep with a large decrease in the tendency to moult and extension of wool fibre at the expense of coarse hair leading to a single coat where all fibres are similar in dimension and grow permanently. Wool production is still the main purpose of sheep farming in the southern hemisphere, but in Europe wool production is often unprofitable and there is an interest in the use of breeds that have no wool or shed their wool due to the relative value of meat and wool, and increasing shearing costs. In the present paper investigations were made to evaluate genetic variability of moulting or fleece shedding including QTL detection in the French Romane, the Martinik Hair, a hairy sheep without wool close to Barbados-Black- Belly and a Martinik Hair-Romane backcross population. In the Romane breed, 43.2% of adult ewes shed at least part of their fleece once a year during spring. Heritability estimate of moulting aptitude is high (0.46) but prevalence of total fleece shedding is low (1.5% of ewes shed all their fleece). In the Martinik Hair-Romane backcross population 72% of animals shed their fleece. It was proposed to introgress gene pool from the Martinik Hair in the Romane breed through an experimental design combining QTL detection and introgression of QTL for fleece shedding in the Romane breed.
Organisational sustainability – motivation in a semi-volunteer student organisation

The motivation to study seems to decrease with age. Most students in higher education have only extrinsic motivation or do not have any motivation at all. At Budapest Business School there are four colleges of advanced studies, one at each faculty. Applicants must prove their motivation for extra-curricular activities and their ability for scientific thinking before entering these organisations. To keep quality standards high, it is important to have active members who are interested in the effective and smooth operation of the organisation. The main aim of this research was to reveal the various types of motivation present at Budapest Business School. The study is based on a questionnaire survey that includes statements from the Academic Motivation Scale. The survey also contains questions regarding students’ social background, their motivations to join and their scientific activities. The study gives an insight into the structures, activities, the members’ extrinsic and intrinsic motivational patterns and, on the other hand, how these organisations can be improved. It is investigated how scientific excellence can be sustained in a semi-volunteer student organisation.
Classification of physiological races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli in common bean

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. f. phaseoli Kendrick and Snyder (FOP), is a major disease of common bean, causing large economic losses. Genetic resistance is one of the main mechanisms of pathogen control, and knowledge of the physiological variability is fundamental in breeding for resistant cultivars. Thus, a method of pathogen classification that describes the variability and is useful in plant breeding of isolates from different sources was evaluated by different methodologies. Common bean plants of different sets of differentiating cultivars were inoculated with 25 FOP isolates and 3 controls, totaling 28 isolates evaluated 30 days after inoculation. The variability in the isolates found in this study differs from the results of other authors, who reported a small number of physiological races of the pathogen and disagrees with their evaluation of the races and the evaluation methodology. The proposed approach for binary classification based on a group of 12 differentiating cultivars demonstrated that the variability in pathogenicity of FOP is greater than reported so far. By this methodology, 27 different physiological races of the pathogen were obtained. The methods led to contrasting results, with double race classification in the same isolate. The physiological variability found indicates that the physiological races of the pathogen are not limited to 7 as previously mentioned.
The genus Smicridea in the Chilean subregion (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae)

Flint, Oliver S. , Jr. Studies of Neotropical Caddisflies, XXXLX: The Genus Smicridea in the Chilean Subregion (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 472, 45 pages, 146 figures, 14 maps, 1989. —The genus Smicridea McLachlan is characterized for its adult, larval, and pupal stages, and the species found in the Chilean Subregion are revised. Fourteen species are recognized in the subgenus Smicridea. These are placed in three species groups, with two additional species left unassigned. The S. annulicornis species group includes six species: annulicornis (Blanchard) (Rhyacophylax chilensis Navis, new synonym); decora (Navas) (Antarctopsyche annulicornis Ulmer and A. atbescens Navis, new synonyms); manzanara, new species; penai, new species; pucara, new species; and tregala, new species. The S.frequens species group includes four species: anticura, new species; frequens (Navfc); mucronata, new species; and turgida, new species. The S. smilodon species group includes two species: redunca, new species; and smilodon, new species. Smicridea complicatissima, new species, and S. matancilla, new species, are not assigned to a species group. The subgenus Rhyacophylax contains only a single species in the Chilean Subregion: S. murina McLachlan, with Rhyacophylax magnus Ulmer, R. mendocensis Navas, and Smicridea (R.) zanclophora Flint as new synonyms. Descriptions, figures of males and females, distribution maps, and keys are included for all recognized species of Smicridea of the Chilean Subregion (except for females of S. complicatissima and 5. matancilla, which are unknown). The possible relationships of the Chilean members of Smicridea are discussed, and the morphological similarities of members of the S. frequens species group to the Australian genera Asmicridea and Smicrophylax are noted. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SERES COVER DESIGN: The coral Montastrea cavernosa (Linnaeus). Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Flint, Oliver S. , Jr. Studies of neotropical caddisflies, XXXDC. (Smithsonian contributions to zoology ; no. 472) Bibliography: p. Supt of Docs, no.: SI 127:472 L S m i c n d ^ L ; ^ A m « i c a _ a « i f i c ^ o n . 2. teecu-Latin America-Classif,c«ion. L Title. II. Series. QL1.S54 no. 472 [QL518.H94] 591 s 595.7'45] 88-600190
Deployment of Transgenic Crops for Pest Management: Ecological Considerations and Their Biosafety to the Environment

Significant progress has been made over the past decades in handling and introduction of exotic genes into plants, and has provided opportunities to modify crops to increase yields, impart resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors, and improve nutrition. Genes from bacteria such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and B. sphearicus have been used successfully for pest control through transgenic crops on a commercial scale (Hilder and Boulter, 1999; Sharma et al., 2004). Insecticidal genes such as Bt, trypsin inhibitors, lectins, ribosome inactivating proteins, secondary plant metabolites, vegetative insecticidal proteins, and small RNA viruses can also be used alone or in combination with Bt genes for pest management (Sharma, 2009). In addition to widening the pool of useful genes, genetic engineering also allows the use of several desirable genes in a single event, and thus reducing the time required to introgress novel genes into the elite background.
Effects of Growth Period and Cumulative Temperature on Flowering, Ripening and Yield of Soybean by Sowing Times

The purpose of this research was to analyze the effect of different sowing times on the flowering and maturing of major soybean cultivars by varying day length and temperature in the central plain region. The average of growth period and cumulative temperature in five test cultivars by sowing times were 121 days and 2,972°C on June 1, respectively and gradually decreased to 85 days, 2,042°C, respectively on July 20. Analysis of the flowering response according to the sowing times showed that flowering was greatly influenced by the decrease of photoperiod until the sowing on July 10, and the minimum number of days for flowering were 27 days, 36 days, respectively in early and mid-rate maturing type in the central plain region. Daepung 2 is classified to the same ecotype with Daewonkong, the total number of growing days was not different between two cultivars, but ripening period (R2-R6) was longer by 5 days and yield was higher by 11% in Daepung 2. The maturity rate was also high and safe enough to maintain more than 90% through the entire sowing times. This ecological characteristic can be usefully applied as a section index for breeding environmental stress resistant and high yielding soybean varieties. The yield of 4 domestic cultivars (except TI196944) sowing on July 20 were 85~92% levels compared to sowing on June 20.
Pollen dispersal inferred from paternity analysis in a mixed oak stand of Quercus robur L. and Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl.

Paternity analysis was used to determine the spatial distribution of male parents of 984 offspring collected from 13 identified mother trees in a natural stand of 5.76 ha and comprising 296 adult trees of Quercus petraea and Q. robur. For seven of the 13 maternal progeny arrays sampled, we found an excess of nearby matings and a preferential direction of pollination. For the remaining progeny arrays, no departure from random distribution of male parents was detected. A common trend among all families was a high percentage (averaging 65% for Q. robur and 69% for Q. petraea) of offspring that were pollinated by male parents from outside the study site. By pooling the data over all families, the average pollen dispersal curve within the stand was inferred and fitted to a negative exponential distribution. This model extrapolated for distances over the spatial scale of the study stand was insufficient to explain the high level of gene flow detected by the paternity analysis, suggesting a substantial level of long‐distance pollination events. The genetic composition of the pollen pools received by each maternal tree was compared and showed significant differentiation that could be attributed to differences in male reproductive success. By contrast, no significant differentiation between the pollen clouds from outside and inside the study stand was detected, suggesting genetic homogeneity between the surrounding forest and the study stand.
Post-parturition habitat selection by elk calves and adult female elk in New Mexico

Neonatal survival and juvenile recruitment are crucial to maintaining viable elk (Cervus elaphus) populations. Neonate survival is known to be influenced by many factors, including bed-site selection. Although neonates select the actual bed-site location, they must do so within the larger calf-rearing area selected by the mother. As calves age, habitat selection should change to meet the changing needs of the growing calf. Our main objectives were to characterize habitat selection at 2 spatial scales and in areas with different predator assemblages in New Mexico. We evaluated bed-site selection by calves and calf-rearing area selection by adult females. We captured 108 elk calves by hand and fitted them with ear tag transmitters in two areas in New Mexico: the Valle Vidal and Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area. In both study areas, we found that concealing cover structure and distance to that cover influenced bed-site selection of young calves (i.e.,<2 weeks ofage). Oldercalves (i.e., 3-10 weeks ofage) stillselected areas inrelation to distance to cover, but also preferred areas with higher visibility. At the larger spatial scale of calf-rearing habitat selection by the adult female,concealingcover (e.g., rocks,shrubs, and logs) andothervariablesimportant to thehidingcalves were still in the most supported models, but selection was also influenced by forage availability and indices of forage quality. Studies that seek to obtain insight into microhabitat selection of ungulate neonates should consider selection by the neonate and selection by the adult female, changes in selection as neonates age, and potential selection differences in areas of differing predation risk. By considering these influences together andatmultiplescales,studiescanachieve abroaderunderstandingofneonatal ungulate habitatrequirements. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Factors affecting millipede, centipede and scorpion diversity in a savanna environment.

Millipedes, centipedes and scorpions are an important component of the ground-dwelling invertebrate fauna, and may have value as bioindicators of ground-dwelling invertebrate diversity. However, some level of understanding of which factors influence patterns of their distribution and diversity is necessary prior to any investigation of their use in conservation planning and as bioindicators. This project was undertaken in the Greater Makalali Conservancy in the Northern Province. Many methods have been used to sample millipedes, centipedes and scorpions but the efficiency of these in savanna has not been investigated. One aim was to determine a method for quantitatively sampling these invertebrates in this environment. Six sampling methods were tested during the study. Millipedes were found to be efficiently sampled by active searching 9m quadrats and drive transects, centipedes by actively searching 25m plots and scorpions by pitfall traps. The other methods tested were wet cloths and cryptozoan traps. Another aim was to determine spatial and temporal variation in millipede, centipede and scorpion diversity in the range of habitat types present in the Conservancy. 45 sites within five habitat types were sampled during three different sampling periods. The highest diversity for each study group was recorded in the most heterogeneous habitat, with the lowest being recorded in more homogeneous habitat types. Millipede and centipede diversity was significantly influenced by habitat type, while sampling period had a significant effect on millipede and scorpion diversity. Quantifying the effect of various environmental factors on the diversity of these invertebrates was a further aim. Maps of various Conservancy wide variables as well as micro-habitat variables were created, including an accurate vegetation map, maps of soil characteristics, rainfall and temperature. Micro-habitat characteristics were also recorded within each of the sample sites. Diversity of the three study groups was related to specific micro-habitat variables. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model was created, predicting millipede, centipede and scorpion diversity in areas of the Conservancy not sampled. Three undescribed millipede and one centipede species were found and a new distribution record for a scorpion species was documented. These results emphasise the importance of invertebrate biodiversity studies in the savanna environment.
Dinosaurs of the Air: The Evolution and Loss of Flight in Dinosaurs and Birds

Contents: Preface PART I : Getting Started Chapter 1: A History Chapter 2: The Science of Bird Origins PART II: Skeletons, Bones and Other Remains of the Mesozoic Chapter 3: Skulls Chapter 4: Skeletons Chapter 5: Feathers and Other Fluff PART III: Flight: How and Why it Evolves, Why it is Lost, and How to Tell When Chapter 6: The Beginnings of Flight: From the Ground Up, or the Trees Down? Chapter 7: The Early Evolution of Flight Chapter 8: The Loss of Flight PART IV: The Archaeopteryx problem Chapter 9: Lifestyle for the Urvogel PART V: Who Is Related to Whom, and Why? Chapter 10: Looking for the True Bird Ancestor Chapter 11: Were Some Dinosaurs Neoflightless Birds? Chapter 12: A Look at the Phylogenetics of Predatory Dinosaurs PART VI: A Modest Scenario Chapter 13: The Mesozoic Chapter 14: The Great Extinction Chapter 15: The Cenozoic Appendix Bibliography Index
The calpain 1–α-actinin interaction

Calpain 1 behaviour toward cytoskeletal targets was investigated using two alpha-actinin isoforms from smooth and skeletal muscles. These two isoforms which are, respectively, sensitive and resistant to calpain cleavage, interact with the protease when using in vitro binding assays. The stability of the complexes in EGTA [Kd(-Ca2+) = 0.5 +/- 0.1 microM] was improved in the presence of 1 mm calcium ions [Kd(+Ca2+) = 0.05 +/- 0.01 microM]. Location of the binding structures shows that the C-terminal domain of alpha-actinin and each calpain subunit, 28 and 80 kDa, participates in the interaction. In particular, the autolysed calpain form (76/18) affords a similar binding compared to the 80/28 intact enzyme, with an identified binding site in the catalytic subunit, located in the C-terminal region of the chain (domain III-IV). The in vivo colocalization of calpain 1 and alpha-actinin was shown to be likely in the presence of calcium, when permeabilized muscle fibres were supplemented by exogenous calpain 1 and the presence of calpain 1 in Z-line cores was shown by gold-labelled antibodies. The demonstration of such a colocalization was brought by coimmunoprecipitation experiments of calpain 1 and alpha-actinin from C2.7 myogenic cells. We propose that calpain 1 interacts in a resting state with cytoskeletal targets, and that this binding is strengthened in pathological conditions, such as ischaemia and dystrophies, associated with high calcium concentrations.