Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE FUNCTIONAL MORPHOLOGY OF THE MOUTHPARTS AND FOREGUT IN THE TERRESTRIAL ISOPOD PHILOSCIA MUSCORUM (SCOPOLI, 1763)

This was found to be true for isopods by Jones (1972) who reviewed numerous descriptions by previous authors. Moreover in isopods details of proventriculus structure can also provide insight concerning the nature of ingested materials; a conclusion reached by Flasarov? (1967) in a comprehensive review of foregut structure. Thus by comparing the mouthparts and proventriculus of Philoscia muscorum (Scopoli, 1763) with those of other isopods, indications of the natural diet of this species may be obtained and then used to substantiate conclusions drawn from food preference tests in the laboratory. The proventriculus is also of physiological interest because the midgut caeca open through it into the intestinal tube. Thus this region is of importance in determining how and when digestive enzymes are mixed with the food. MATERIALS AND METHODS The mouthparts of Philoscia muscorum were prepared for structural studies by removing the head capsule intact. The whole capsule was treated for 30 minutes with 10% KOH, rinsed, stained for 15 minutes in each of fast green and acid fuchsin, rinsed again, dehydrated, cleared in euparal essence and transferred to euparal. The individual mouthparts were removed using electrolytically sharpened tungsten needles, mounted on separate slides, then drawn with the aid of a camera lucida. The mouthparts were observed functioning on specimens that had previously been starved for several days and then given blades of decaying grass, positioned so that the animals could feed while clinging to the undersides and edges of the blades. Thus the dorsal bulk of the head capsule did not obscure the mouthparts as they bit into the margins of the leaves. Feeding was observed directly under a stereomicroscope at a magnification of 100 x and indirectly using a "Bolex Hl6" reflex cin? camera in conjunction with a "Zeiss" epitechnoscope, with subsequent frame by frame analysis of the feeding action on an L.W. 16 mm projector analyser.
Re-establishment of Pithecellobium subglobosum in Colombia and Venezuela (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae, tribe Ingeae )

Pithecellobium subglobosum is re-established as a species and P. concinnum and P. larense are referred to its synonymy. A critical analysis of type specimens of Pithecellobium section Pithecellobium from the Neotropic as well as many other herbarium collections shows that P. subglobosum is a morphologically distinct species related to P. roseum . Pithecellobium subglobosum is found in northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. An amended description, including information on pollen, foliar anatomy, ecology, distribution and conservation assessment are included.
TREE MORTALITY, CANOPY TURNOVER, AND WOODY DETRITUS IN OLD COVE FORESTS OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS

A long-term study of tree mortality, canopy turnover, and coarse woody detritus inputs was conducted in cove forests of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, USA. Seven old-growth stands were studied over a 10-yr period using 0.6–1.0 ha plots. Annual mortality of trees >10 cm dbh was 0.5–1.4% among stands (mean 0.7%). The highest mortality rate among canopy trees was exhibited by trees >80 cm dbh. An increase in mortality rate with canopy tree size was evident for two (Tsuga canadensis and Acer saccharum) of the three most abundant species in the forest. The increase in mortality with tree size had implications for canopy turnover and detritus input. Gap disturbance frequency was estimated at 0.008–0.019 forest area/yr, giving a return interval of ∼130 yr or less. Standing death was the most common mode of mortality (59%). Annual rates of snag formation were 1.4 snags/ha for trees >10 cm dbh and 0.4 snags/ha for trees >50 cm dbh. The density of large snags (>50 cm dbh) was 5 snags/ha. Snags accounted for .
A third species of the relict family Epiophlebiidae discovered in China (Odonata: Epiproctophora)

Epiophlebia sinensis sp.n. , a third species of the relict odonatan family Epiophlebiidae, is described from two male adults collected in Heilongjiang province, China. The new species lives in an environment rather similar to that of the two other species, E. superstes and E. laidlawi, i.e. along cold streams in a coniferous and deciduous forest. Possible explanations for the lack of fossil Epiophlebiidae and the biogeography of these damsel‐dragonflies are proposed.
The rediscovery of the Italian roe deer: Genetic differentiation and management implications

Abstract Genetic diversity and differentiation were assessed in 12 populations of roe deer, Capreolus capreolus, from Italy, through examination of restriction fragment length polymorphism of two segments in the mitochondrial genome, the D‐loop and NADH dehydrogenase 1, and analysis of 13 microsatellite loci. Both methods yielded concordant results and provided evidence for the existence of two genetically distinct lineages of roe deer in the Italian peninsula. One lineage occurs in populations of the Alpine arc, whilst the other is found in those of central‐southern Italy, where the existence of subspecies C. c. italicus had been previously proposed. This southern lineage could have a more ancient origin or, alternatively, diverged as a consequence of movements of populations southwards during the Late Pleistocene. The unexpected rediscovery of dense populations of C. c. italicus in southern Tuscany marks them as the most suitable source of roe deer for reintroductions into southern Italy, a very large area where presently the Italian roe deer is nearly extinct. A Bayesian approach to microsatellite data allowed a finer resolution of population structure, indicating that some populations in central Italy, as well as in the western Alps, are admixed, and share ancestry partly in non Italian gene pools, suggesting that human manipulation has greatly affected the natural genetic structure of populations. A palaeontological perspective of the former presence of roe deer in Italy and implications for the management and conservation of C. c. italicus are provided.
Members of Ectocarpus siliculosus F-box Family Are Subjected to Differential Selective Forces

The F-box proteins represent one of the largest families of proteins in eu-karyotes. Apart from being a component of the ubiquitin (Ub)/26 S proteasome path-ways, their regulatory roles in other cellular and developmental pathways have also been reported. One interesting feature of the genes encoding the proteins of this particular family is their variable selection patterns across different lineages. This resulted in the presence of lineage specific F-box proteins across different species.
Feeding ecology of larval and juvenile American shad (Alosa sapidissima) in a small pond

Release ponds are used as part of a multifacet effort to restore American shad (Alosa sapidissima) in the upper Susquehanna River basin. Little information exists, however, on the feeding ecology of young shad in small ponds. Consequently, we examined feeding ecology and prey selection of 299 larval and 299 juvenile American shad in a small pond during spring and summer. Larval shad mainly consumed copepods (37.7%) and cladocerans (37.4%) whereas juvenile shad ate chironomids (43.1%) and ostracods (28.4%). Larval and juvenile shad exhibited diel variation in diet composition and feeding periodicity. Food consumption by shad was minimal at night; feeding activity was highest during the day, peaking at 2000 h for both larvae and juveniles. Electivity values of shad larvae for prey taxa were highest for cladocerans (+0.27) and lowest for ostracods (−0.07). Electivity values of juvenile shad were highest for chironomids (+ 0.21) and ostracods (+ 0.09), and lowest for copepods (− 0.08) and baetids (− 0.14). Our data indicate differences in diet composition, prey preference and, to a lesser extent, feeding patterns between larval and juvenile American shad in small pond environments.
Effects of Ecological Continuity on Species Richness and Composition in Forests and Woodlands: A Review

Abstract: Forests and woodlands with a long, uninterrupted presence (continuity) are often associated with high biodiversity and many habitat specialist species. But the mechanisms by which, and the scales in time and space at which, populations are dependent on continuity remain debated. We examine the spatial and temporal scales at which occurrences of plants, fungi, and invertebrates are affected by continuity and consider whether they are restricted by time for colonization (continuity per se) or by habitat formation times. We give improved definitions of landscape and local levels of continuity and evaluate the empirical literature with respect to these. By critically examining the reported effects of continuity on the occurrence of species in forests and woodlands, we explore the mechanisms behind the patterns at local and landscape scales. We conclude that many species are dispersal-limited in the current fragmented landscapes and occur mainly in landscapes with surplus continuity, meaning that the availability of habitats was greater in the past than it is currently. Our review indicates that local continuity per se is important at least for many forest herbs and for certain species of epiphytic lichens, insects, and land snails, but to a lesser extent for fungi. Several studies show that landscape-level continuity affects the current occurrence of species, in particular for vascular plants, but also for particular lichen, bryophyte, and invertebrate species. For continuity-dependent species, a successful conservation strategy should include both extending the period of habitat duration in relict patches and promoting habitat formation in the immediate surroundings of potential source patches. Conservation strategies need to acknowledge the continuity dependence of many species. Research on how to shorten habitat formation times by forest restoration is an urgent priority.
Physiological changes in asparagus spear tips after harvest

To extend our understanding of the physiology of asparagus after harvest, changes in respiration rate, protein and amino acid complement, and ultrastructure of tip sections (0–30 mm) of asparagus spears (Asparagus officinalis L. cv. Limbras 10) were investigated. Spears had been stored for up to 4 days in the dark at 20°C. Respiration rate (carbon dioxide efflux) declined rapidly after harvest before stabilizing at 12 h at ca 50% of the rate at harvest. Protein, amino acid, and ammonium content of tip sections of 180 mm spears (intact tip sections) during storage, and comparable sections; excised from spears at harvest and subsequently stored (excised tip sections), were compared. Total protein content of intact and excised tip sections increased ca 10% 6–12 h after harvest, and then declined to ca 85% of harvest levels at 48 h. Gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate revealed the net loss of specific proteins at 48 h. Free amino acid content of excised tip sections declined to ca 75% of harvest levels 12 h after harvest, and then increased to 150% of harvest levels by 48 h. Glutamine levels declined rapidly after harvest, and asparagine content increased ca 200% at 24 h. Similar trends in free amino acid content were found in sections of intact tips. Ammonia (ammonium ions) accumulated to ca 0.3% dry weight at 48 h in both intact and excised tip sections. Ultrastructural studies revealed that tonoplast breakdown commenced 48–96 h after harvest. Results are discussed in relation to the sequence of physiological events following harvest and the timing of mechanisms responsible for their initiation.
Life history, gonad state, and changes in functional sex ratio in the salt-marsh waterboatman, Trichocorixa verticalis (Fieber) (Heteroptera: Corixidae)

The life history and sexual development of Trichocorixa verticalis were studied in salt-marsh pools in New Brunswick, Canada. Trichocorixa verticalis overwinters as an egg and the adults of the first summer generation appear in late June. The second summer generation appears as first-instar nymphs in mid-July. Males and females mature sexually about 1 month after eclosion, the first sexually mature females appearing 1 week before males. For most of the season, the numerical sex ratio is male-biased. The functional sex ratio (ratio of sexually mature males and females) is even more strongly male-biased. These results indicate that mate competition among males may be more severe than was initially apparent.
Reversible size-changes in stomachs of shorebirds: when, to what extent, and why?

Shorebirds show large interspecific variation in the relative size of the stomach, and especially of the muscular part, the gizzard. Much of this variation can be explained by their diet. Species feeding mainly on hard-shelled prey such as bivalves and gastropods have large stomachs; those feeding on soft-bodied prey such as worms have small stomachs. Within a species, diet- and migration-induced changes in stomach size can occur. Our studies on this intraspecific variation have focused on two mollusc-specialists, the Red Knot Calidris canutus and the Great Knot C. tenuirostris. Both are renowned for long-range flights between their arctic or sub-arctic alpine breeding grounds and a variety of coastal wetlands. Feeding mainly on shellfish ingested whole, both knot species have large stomachs, but changing diets easily lead to apparently adaptive modifications. In addition, the demands imposed by flights of many thousand kilometres may induce reductions in stomach size. Using ultrasonography we have begun to experimentally disentangle the causal relationships between diet, season and stomach size in Red Knots. A soft diet can induce stomach reductions of 50% within a week, and such changes are reversible. Studies on radiomarked birds in the Wadden Sea emphasize that variations in stomach size are correlated with prey and patch choice in the field.
Development of resistance to picking wound entry Botrytis cinerea storage rots in kiwifruit

Abstract The effects of inoculation and cool‐storage delays, factors affecting fruit composition (harvest date, vine, soluble solids content, position in canopy), and preharvest treatment with salicylic acid on the incidence of Botrytis cinerea storage rots in kiwifruit were investigated. ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit picked during the 1992 and 1993 harvest seasons with pedicels attached were inoculated by applying mixed germinated and ungerminated Botrytis cinerea conidia to wounds formed by removal of the pedicels. The incidence of rots was consistently high (82–88%) when inoculation was within 0.1 h of picking and fruit was cooled rapidly. Where cooling and inoculation were delayed the incidence declined significantly. In these instances it varied with vine and harvest date with no apparent dependence on fruit maturity. The salicylic acid treatment significantly reduced the incidence of storage rots.
Accounting for shifts in the frequency of suitable environments when testing for niche overlap

Organismal biologists need to detect and anticipate the effects of niche evolution. An increasing number of studies use information on changes in species’ distribution to test for niche evolution. Typically, these studies will test to see whether the range of environments occupied by a species is similar in each biogeographic region. Niche evolution can change the occurrence probability (the frequency with which we observe a species) rather than the range of environments occupied. Using simulation, we test whether 13 previously implemented methods, and a novel approach (Expected Shared Presences), can identify shifts in occurrence probability. We show that even the best previously implemented methods detect shifts in the range of environments occupied, but provide poor inferences for shifts in occurrence probability. The expected shared presences approach provides a strong estimate of niche evolution due to shifts in niche overlap and shifts in occurrence probability. This work indicates that previous studies may have missed a substantial source of niche evolution. We argue that rigorous tests of niche overlap must account for shifts in both the range of environments occupied and the frequency of suitable environments.
The 5 angstrom projection structure of the transmembrane domain of the mannitol transporter enzyme II

The uptake of mannitol inEscherichia coliis controlled by the phosphoenolpyruvate dependent phosphotransferase system. Enzyme II mannitol (EIIMtl) is part of the phosphotransferase system and consists of three covalently bound domains. IICMtl, the integral membrane domain of EIIMtl, is responsible for mannitol transport across the cytoplasmic membrane. In order to understand this molecular process, two-dimensional crystals of IICMtlwere grown by reconstitution into lipid bilayers and their structure was investigated by cryo-electron crystallography. The IICMtlcrystals obeyp22121symmetry and have a unit cell of 125A×65A, γ=90 °. A projection structure was determined at 5Aresolution using both electron images and electron diffractograms. The unit cell contains two IICMtldimers with a size of about 40A×90A, which are oriented up and down in the crystal. Each monomer exhibits six domains of high density which most likely correspond to transmembrane α-helices and cytoplasmic loops.
Plasmid Profile Analysis of Pasteurella piscicida and Use of a Plasmid DNA Probe to Identify the Species

Abstract The plasmid profiles of 23 isolates of Pasteurella piscicida, isolated from cultured buri Seriola quinqueradiata in Japan, were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Most isolates possessed one large plasmid that was 110 kilobase pairs (kb) in size and two small plasmids that were 3.5 and 5.1 kb in size. The 5.1-kb plasmid was common to all 23 isolates from Japan. However, this plasmid was not found in the related organisms Pasteurella haemolytica, P. multocida, and Haemophilus influenzae, or in other bacteria that are pathogenic to fish (Aeromonas hydrophila, A. salmonicida, Edwardsiella tarda, Pseudomonas anguilliseptica, Vibrio anguillarum, and Yersinia ruckeri). The 5.1-kb plasmid was used as a probe for the rapid detection and identification of P. piscicida by hybridization methods.
Characterizing biostructures and cellular events in 2D/3D [using wide-field and confocal optical sectioning microscopy]

Cellular structures are made up of a very interesting puzzle of components, whose changes in molecular distribution are believed to underlie a wide range of cellular functions. For example, the cell cycle of mammalian cells is characterised by a series of ordered biochemical events. The availability of several specific probes has led to a renewed interest in optical microscopy as a very powerful tool in cell and molecular biology. This has led to the development of methods for studying the relationship between the 3D structure of specific cellular constituents and the cell function. Within this framework, several methods have been developed and applied. In the authors' study, wide-field optical sectioning microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy have been utilised, demonstrating the feasibility of a 3D reconstruction of biostructures imaged by an optical microscope.
Diets of aquatic birds reflect changes in the Lake Huron ecosystem

Human activities have affected the Lake Huron ecosystem, in part, through alterations in the structure and function of its food webs. Insights into the nature of food web change and its ecological ramifications can be obtained through the monitoring of high trophic level predators such as aquatic birds. Often, food web change involves alterations in the relative abundance of constituent species and/or the introduction of new species (exotic invaders). Diet composition of aquatic birds is influenced, in part, by relative prey availability and therefore is a sensitive measure of food web structure. Using bird diet data to make inferences regarding food web change requires consistent measures of diet composition through time. This can be accomplished by measuring stable chemical and/or biochemical “ecological tracers” in archived avian samples. Such tracers provide insights into pathways of energy and nutrient transfer. In this study, we examine the utility of two groups of naturally-occurring intrinsic tracers (stable isotopes and fatty acids) to provide such information in a predatory seabird, the herring gull (Larus argentatus). Retrospective stable nitrogen and carbon isotope analysis of archived herring gull eggs identified declines in gull trophic position and shifts in food sources in Lake Huron over the last 25 years and changes in gull diet composition were inferred from egg fatty acid patterns. These independent groups of ecological tracers provided corroborating evidence of dietary change in this high trophic level predator. Gull dietary shifts were related to declines in prey fish abundance which suggests large-scale alterations to the Lake Huron ecosystem. Dietary shifts in herring gulls may be contributing to reductions in resources available for egg formation. Further research is required to evaluate how changes in resource availability may affect population sustainability in herring gulls and other waterbird species. Long-term biological monitoring programs are required to identify ecosystem change and evaluate its ecological significance.
Phylogeny of the genus Teloganopsis Ulmer, 1939 with a redescription of Teloganopsis media Ulmer, 1939 and the description of a new Oriental species (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae)

Teloganopsis puigae n. sp. , a new species of Ephemerellidae from a Dipterocarpacea forest of Borneo, is described. Teloganopsis was considered as a monotypic genus for a long time, but a recent new systematic concept reveals that it encompasses 14 species. In order to know the phylogenetic position of Teloganopsis puigae n. sp. within the Teloganopsis genus, a cladistic analysis is also performed. Teloganopsis maculocaudata (Ikonomov, 1961) is removed from synonymy with T. mesoleuca (Brauer, 1857).
A revision of the American spiders of the genus Micaria (Araneae, Gnaphosidae). American Museum novitates ; ; no. 2916.

The 43 known American species of Micaria, found from Alaska to southern Mexico, are diagnosed and illustrated. A cladistic analysis of 22 genitalic characters clusters 30 species into six groups and resolves most of the internal structure of the two largest species groups. Four Palearctic species are newly recorded from North America: M. tripunctata Holm, M. alpina L. Koch, M. rossica Thorell, and M. aenea Thorell. Fourteen specific names are newly synonymized: M. perfecta Banks with M. pulicaria (Sundevall); M. eltoni Jackson with M. constricta Emerton; M. rowani Gertsch and M. jacksonia Levi and Levi, both with M. coloradensis Banks; M. swansoni Gertsch and Mulaik and M. petrunkevitchi Bryant, both with M. punctata Banks; M. salina Gertsch with M. utahna Gertsch; M. albocincta Banks with M. rossica Thorell; M. altana Gertsch with M. foxi Gertsch; M. tetonia Levi and Levi with M. aenea Thorell; M. formicula Roewer with M. palliditarsus Banks; M. alberta Gertsch with M. longipes Emerton; M. apacheana Gertsch with M. emertoni Gertsch; and M. melanopa Gertsch and Davis with M. deserticola Gertsch. Fourteen new species are described: M. lassena, M. idana, M. medica, M. capistrano, M. cimarron, M. camargo, M. pasadena, M. nye, M. langtry, M. otero, M. porta, M. pa/ma, M. icenoglei, and M. mexicana. The males ofM. palliditarsus Banks, M. gosiuta Gertsch, M. seminola Gertsch, and M. riggsi Gertsch, and the females of M. mormon Gertsch, M. imperiosa Gertsch, and M. nanella Gertsch are described for