Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproductive Rate and Calf Body Mass in a North-Boreal Reindeer Herd: Effects of NAO and Snow Conditions

Population demographics of northern ungulates are influenced by density and weather conditions. For caribou and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) that dig in the snow for winter food, snow accumulation and duration of the snow layer are suggested to be influential. Indices based on large-scale alterations of atmospheric pressure such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are connected to climate change and may predict ecological processes better than does local weather. Some empirical evidence of the effects of climate variation is available for Arctic and alpine populations but practically none for sedentary, boreal reindeer. We examined the effects of population density, winter and spring NAO, snow accumulation, and the timing of snowmelt on reproductive success (here the calf/female ratio) and on mean summer body mass of calves in a north-boreal, free-ranging herd of semi-domesticated reindeer in northeastern Finland. In this herd, day of snowmelt explained variation in the calf/female ratio and in the midsummer body mass of calves, more so than NAO, winter snow depth and population density.
Book Review: Neurobiology of Lysophosphatidic Acid Signaling

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a growth factor-like lysophospholipid, induces diverse cellular responses. The identification of the first LPA receptor gene, through studies of neuroproliferative regions within the embryonic cerebral cortex, has led to the classification of a family of at least eight lysophospholipid receptors with diverse roles in organismal development and function. A growing body of literature has identified roles for LPA signaling under physiological and pathological conditions, particularly within the developing nervous system. Here the authors review features of the LPA receptor family and cellular responses of nervous system-derived cells, and discuss developmental and pathological roles for LPA signaling in the nervous system.
Efficacy of mycorrhizal inoculations on seed germination and plant growth of Bambara groundnut, Vigna subterranea (TVsu 283)

This Research work was conducted to study the effects of mycorhizal fungal inoculation on seed germination and plant growth of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea). The impacts of Glomus mosseae, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus and Malbranchea gypsea on some plant growth parameters were studied both in their crude and pure forms. Compared to un-inoculated plants, the fungal strains significantly increased plant growth parameters. The highest rate of germination at the 42nd day was observed in the crude fungal inoculation treatments and specifically in A. fumigatus crude inoculation as it increased the number of leaves, leaf length, leaf surface area, stem girth, and number of shoots by 54.2, 23.8, 49.1, 20.0 and 40.0%, respectively.
Some Effects of Algae and Molds in the Rain‐Crust of Desert Soils

Rainfall-induced crusts on soil have been recognized for some time and their effect on infiltration, erosion, and plant growth pointed out by such investigators as: Duley and Kelly ('39), Schiff and Yoder ('41), Borst and Woodburn ('42), Beutner and Anderson ('43), Ellison ('45), and many others. These investigations without exception have shown that the formation of rain-crust greatly reduces water infiltration, increases runoff, and speeds up erosion. In 1941 Booth ('41) described an algal stratum over "hundreds of acres of badly eroded land in the southcentral United States. " In contrast with a rain-crust, this algal layer did not slow down the rate of water infiltration and erosion losses were minimized. In the winter of 1944-45 following an extended succession of gentle rains an appreciable darkening of the well-established rain-crust over extensive acreages of desert soil in the vicinity 6f Tucson, Arizona, was noted. A cursory examination of the crust revealed dark, brownish-colored circular colonies of algae. Furthermore, when the crust was peeled from the surface of the soil, its tensile strength had been increased to the extent that pieces as large as 5 or 6 square inches and only 2 to 4 millimeters thick could be handled without disintegration (fig. 1). The underside of these algae-impregnated crusts had a fuzzy appearance with sand grains adhering to what proved to be fungus mycelium.
Effect of 1-MCP treatment on nutritive and functional properties of loquat fruit during cold storage

Abstract Freshly harvested loquat fruit were pretreated with 50 nl/L 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 24 h at 20°C and then stored at 1°C for 35 days to investigate the effect of 1-MCP on fruit nutritive and functional properties. The results show that 1-MCP-treated fruit exhibit a lower incidence of decay and higher levels of total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, fructose, glucose, sucrose, malic and lactic acids, total phenolics and total flavonoids than control fruit during storage. The 1-MCP treatment also maintains higher antioxidant activity as measured by the scavenging capacity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide radicals, and by the reducing power test compared with the control. These results suggest that 1-MCP treatment can improve the nutritive and functional properties of harvested loquat fruit, thus providing a high content in health-beneficial compounds to consumers.
Lumber and wood chips properties of dead and sound black spruce trees grown in the boreal forest of Canada

Little attention has been given to changes in wood properties after isolated mortality events, which characterize the gap dynamics of several forest ecosystems. For the forest industry, dead and sound trees may represent a significant source of timber supply, but of potentially lower quality. The main objective of this study was therefore to compare the properties of wood obtained from dead and sound wood (DSW) trees with those from live trees. In total, 162 black spruce trees (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) were felled from three sites comprising three states of tree degradation and three diameter classes. In total, 822 pieces of lumber of different dimensions were produced and visually graded. Full-size lumber pieces of 4.3–5.0 m in length (n 1⁄4 343) were tested for wood stiffness and strength in longitudinal static bending. Samples of wood chips and bark were also collected during the production process at a sawmill. Results indicate that DSW trees produced lumber of significantly poorer mechanical properties than live trees. For the same modulus of elasticity (MOE) value, DSW trees have significantly lower modulus of rupture values than those of live trees, especially for MOE values of ,15 GPa. This suggests that the wood of DSW trees is more brittle, a fact that should be taken into account for the production of machine-stress-rated lumber. Moisture content of wood chips was significantly lower in DSW trees, although it remained above the fibre saturation point. The amount of wood fibre attached to the bark was significantly higher in DSW trees. Considering these differences, DSW trees can be expected to provide wood of inferior quality than live trees but which still meet the technical requirements (Barrett and Lau, 1994) for producing structural lumber.
Cell separation by centrifugal elutriation

There is an ongoing need to isolate and purify ceIls in bivalve mollusc disease research. Many separation techniques differentiate cells solely by a single factor and usually require additives in the medium that may damage live cells. Centrifugai elutriation is a technique that separates particles by size and density simultaneously and can be conducted in physiological media without additives. Living cells can be separated without chemical damage and, because the procedure can be conducted aseptically, cells can be maintained in vitro after elutriation. A description of the technique, methods to determine flow rates and rotor speeds, and a preliminary separation of oyster hyalinocytes is presented
Population-averaged predictions with generalized linear mixed-effects models in forestry: an estimator based on Gauss-Hermite quadrature

Data in forestry are often spatially and (or) serially correlated. In the last two decades, mixed models have become increasingly popular for the analysis of such data because they can relax the assumption of independent observations. However, when the relationship between the response variable and the covariates is nonlinear, as is the case in generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), population-averaged predictions cannot be obtained from the fixed effects alone. This study proposes an estimator, which is based on a five-point Gauss−Hermite quadrature, for population-averaged predictions in the context of GLMM. The estimator was tested through Monte Carlo simulation and compared with a regular generalized linear model (GLM). The estimator was also applied to a real-world case study, a harvest model. The results showed that GLM predictions were unbiased but that their confidence intervals did not achieve their nominal coverage. On the other hand, the proposed estimator yielded unbiased predictions with re.
Effect of Edge Structure on the Flux of Species into Forest Interiors

Abstract: A key goal of conservation biology is to prevent the spread of exotic species. Previous work on exotic invasion has two limitations: (1) the lack of a spatially explicit approach and (2) a primary focus on the net effect of invasion by examining invasive species already present in the community. We address these limitations by focusing on the arrival of a potential invader into a community and use a spatially explicit approach to quantify the flow of seeds from the surrounding landscape into the interior of a forest. We hypothesize that the structure of forest‐edge vegetation influences how the edge mediates seed flux. To test our hypothesis, we experimentally altered vegetation structure within 20 m of the edge to create two edge treatments: thinned and intact. We quantified the flux of seeds moving into the forest interior across the two treatments. We used seed traps randomly arrayed on transects from 5 to 50 m into the forest. More seeds crossed the thinned treatment than crossed the intact treatment to reach the forest interior. In addition, seeds that crossed the thinned treatment dispersed farther into the forest than those that crossed the intact treatment. These results were consistent throughout the period of maximum autumn dispersal, including periods before and after leaf drop. Our results show that the structure of vegetation on the edge interacts with the flux of wind‐dispersed seed across the edge. We demonstrated that an edge with intact vegetation can function as a physical barrier to seed dispersal. Therefore, the structure of vegetation on edges can influence the function of edges as barriers to seed flux into the forest interior.
Effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on Stearoyl CoA-Desaturase gene expression in intramuscular lipids of lamb

The effect of replacement of dietary sunflower oil (SO) with linseed oil (LO) on Stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD) gene expression was investigated. Thirty-six lambs were randomly assigned to four groups and fed with one of the experimental diets, consisting of lucerne pellets with oil (60 g/Kg). The diets varied in the percentage of the oil supplemented and were: 100% SO; 66.6% SO plus 33.3% LO; 33.3% SO plus 66.6% LO and 100% LO. The trial period was of 7 weeks. Longissimus dorsi was removed from each carcass and stored at −80°C until the analysis. Total fatty acids composition was determined by gas-chromatograph, while SCD gene expression was assessed by Real-Time Reverse-Transcription PCR. Replacement of SO with LO decreases significantly the SCD mRNA content with a concomitant increment of polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFA) n-3. These results are related to the higher level of PUFA n-3 present in linseed than sunflower. Although, there were differences on mRNA level, there was not a simultaneously changes on SCD activity. In conclusion, PUFA n-3 act on the regulation of mRNA SCD level without affecting the activity of the relative enzyme.
Growth, nutrient content, fruit production and herbivory in bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus L. along an altitudinal gradient

Summary Growth, fruit production and herbivory by ungulates in bilberry were investigated in 29 localities from three temperate habitats (oak forest, birch forest and heath) distributed along an altitudinal gradient from 750 to 2000 m a.s. l. Plant height, current year growth and damage by herbivores were influenced by altitude. The herbivory by ungulates increased with altitude inside the woodlands, but had moderate effect in the heaths despite their higher altitude. Furthermore, when only oak forest sites were considered, nitrogen content in both twigs and leaves significantly increased with altitude, and nitrogen content in twigs was significantly related to the percentage of shoots affected by ungulate herbivory. Contrarily, the herbivory was reduced in sites exhibiting higher content of acid detergent fibre in leaves. Patterns of fruit production per habitat and altitude were not consistent between years; however, fruit set within the oak forests decreased with increases in the percentage of shoots affected by herbivory. Possible effects of ungulate herbivores on nitrogen concentration of bilberry and its quality as food for herbivorous and frugivorous animals are discussed.
Indicators of fishing pressure and seafloor integrity

This study calculates a suite of indicators reflecting the spatial extent of fishing and its impact on the seafloor and discusses the usefulness of these indicators to inform future management and the issues to consider. It explores several methods to calculate the indicators and shows that they can be informative to report on both fishing pressure and the status of the seafloor. However, although observed overall trends were robust against the specific method of calculation, the absolute values vary greatly with the calculation method. As both aspects are important from a policy perspective, agreement on the methodology to calculate the indicators is required. This study based on the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) shows that it is possible to calculate indicators required to inform decision-makers on the pressure of fishing as well as the status of the seafloor pending a decision on the following issues: (i) choice of an appropriate grid cell resolution, (ii) use of interpolated VMS tracks instead of VMS position registrations, (iii) choice of an “intensity threshold” dependent on the benthic community recovery capacity, and (iv) the level of confidence required when assessing if an area is not impacted.
Evaluation of Helicoverpa armigera Nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) for Control of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Citrus in South Africa

A concentration of 1.15×107 OBs/mL of HearNPV, sprayed using a knapsack, resulted in a 100% reduction in Helicoverpa armigera larval infestation within 7 days on tomato plants in a hot house environment. A 10-fold lower concentration, 1.15×106 OBs/mL, resulted in a 100% reduction within 16 days. These two concentrations reduced damage to tomatoes by 81 and 69%, respectively. In two field trials on navel oranges, the lower concentration and an additional even lower concentration of 7.26×105 OBs/mL, both resulted in a 100% reduction in H. armigera infestation within 14 days or longer. H. armigera damage to fruit was reduced by up to 84 and 75%, respectively, in the two trials. Rejection for export was reduced by 96 and 62%. This could imply a saving of US$339 per hectare compared to the untreated control. These results were better than those achieved with Bacillus thuringiensis and various standard chemical insecticides used in the same trials. Reasons for these results are discussed.
Landscape-scale spatial planning at WWF: a variety of approaches

Abstract WWF's spatial landscape planning methods are diverse, reflecting WWF's global, decentralized organizational structure. Over the past decade WWF's spatial planning methods have varied from expert-only workshops to systematic conservation planning using decision support software, and combinations of both. We provide four case studies from the Asia-Pacific region to illustrate the variety of approaches that have been used, emphasizing assessment directed at implementation. The method appropriate to each situation was chosen based on data availability, timing, costs, available range of stakeholders, and the technical facility and interest of the stakeholders themselves. In all cases, methods were chosen to balance staff technical capacity, technical rigour, and political buy-in, hoping to ensure that the resulting plan would actually be implemented.
Peroxide-triggered erythrocytes haemolysis as a model for the study of oxidative damage in marine fishes

The haemolysis of sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax red blood cells (RBC) was initiated by tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (t-BHP). The onset of the haemolytic process, as accelerated by increasing t-BHP concentration, This process as preceded by a drop in the RBC glutathione content followed by the production of lipid peroxidation products. Also t-BHP induced DNA fragmentation in RBC nuclei as measured by COMET assay. The addition of the antioxidant Trolox C-R dose-dependent delayed the onset of both lipid peroxidation and haemolysis, and protected GSH stores against t-BHP-induced depletion. DNA fragmentation was also prevented by Trolox C-R. These results indicate that L-BHP induces haemolysis in sea bass RBC through the induction of oxidative stress Such a simple model Could prove useful for both fundamental and applied studies on marine fish antioxidant mechanisms. (C) 2002 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles, Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Functions for estimating aboveground biomass of birch in Norway

A suite of regional allometric aboveground biomass functions were derived for Betula pubescens and Betula pendula for Norwegian conditions. The data consisted of 67 trees sampled throughout Norway. A total of 14 component functions were developed for total aboveground, total stem, stemwood, stem bark, live crown, live branch, leaf, and dead branch biomass using combinations of diameter at breast height and height as predictor variables. Application of the derived functions to existing local southern Norwegian mountain birch and regional Swedish biomass datasets indicated an overall good predictive ability of the developed functions. However, the functions produced slight underestimates, suggesting that the respective birch populations had differing biomass allocation patterns. When the developed functions were applied to Norwegian National Forest Inventory data, they produced slightly higher biomass stock and stock change estimates than what is obtained using existing Swedish functions. The higher estimates were evident in the north, central, and western part of Norway, while estimates were similar in southeastern Norway where growing conditions are most similar to Swedish conditions. The analysis indicates that the derived functions are the best available for regional birch biomass stock and stock change estimation in Norway.
Ultrastructure of Spermiogenesis in Acanthocotyle and Myxinidocotyle (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Acanthocotylidae)

Justine, J.-L. , Afzelius, B. A. , Malmberg, G. & Mattei, X. 1993. Ultrastructure of spermiogenesis in Acanthocotyle and Myxinidocotyle (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Acanthocotylidae). Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 74: 119-126. Spermiogenesis was studied by transmission electron microscopy in the acanthocotylid monogeneans Myxinidocotyle californica (from Eptatretus stoutii) and Acanthocotyle lobianchi (from Raja clavata). In Myxinidocotyle and Acanthocotyle, the zone of differentiation shows two 9+'1' axonemes, the elongating nucleus and mitochondrion, and a single cortical cytoplasmic microtubule. This single microtubule is found in the mature spermatozoon of both species and was also noted in capsalids. This requires a modified definition of 'pattern 2' of spermatozoa which becomes: 'spermatozoa with two axonemes and no cortical microtubules, except one single element much shorter than the spermatozoon'. A very unusual structure was found in Myxinidocotyle, but not in Acanthocotyle: the centriolar derivative of one of the 9+'1' axonemes is made up of 18 diverging singlets of unequal length associated with electron-dense cytoplasm. This seems to be the first case of a centriolar derivative without nine-fold symmetry associated with an axoneme with nine-fold symmetry. Jean-Lou Justine, Laboratoire de Biologie parasitaire-Protistologie-Helminthologie, URA CNRS 114, Museum national d'histoire naturelle, 61 rue Buffon, F-75231 Paris cedex 05, France.
Ecophysiological responses of Fagus sylvatica seedlings to changing light conditions. II. The interaction of light environment and soil fertility on seedling physiology

The survival and growth of natural beech regeneration after canopy removal is variable and little is known about ecophysiological mechanisms of these responses. Biomass, nonstructural carbohydrate levels and nitrogen concentrations were measured in an Italian population of European beech seedlings. Seedlings were container-grown in two types of soil, organic and mineral, collected at the study site. The seedlings were grown under three light treatments: under full beech canopy (understory), exposed to full sun only during midday (gap) and under full sun (clearing). Leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll α fluorescence parameters were measured and then foliar analyses were conducted for chlorophyll, phenolic and tannin levels. Biomass and allocation were significantly affected by light and soil treatments. The clearing seedlings and those in organic soil were larger than seedlings in the other light treatments or soil type. Total nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations were lower in the understory seedlings and significant differences between soil types were present in the gap and clearing seedlings. Nitrogen concentrations were higher in the understory seedlings and those growing in the organic soil compared to the other treatments. Gas exchange rates were highest in clearing and the organic soil seedlings. Gap seedlings exhibited photosynthetic acclimation that allowed them to utilize high light of midday and any sunflecks during the morning and afternoon. Relative fluorescence was significantly influenced by both light treatment and soil type, with the highest values observed in the gap seedlings. Light response curves showed decreasing apparent maximum quantum efficiency from the understory to clearing, while maximum photosynthetic rate was highest in the gap seedlings. Chlorophyll concentration was highest in understory seedlings and those growing in organic soil and higher in seedlings growing in organic than in mineral soil. Both foliar tannin and phenolic levels were highest in clearing seedlings, and only tannin concentrations were affected by soil type. Understory seedlings had the highest mortality and insect herbivory; the latter was found to be inversely related to tannin concentration. ()verall, growth and photosynthesis in beech seedlings responded positively to high light associated with small canopy gaps. Organic soil increased seedling size, particularly in the gap and clearing environments. We conclude that forest gaps are favorable for photosynthesis and growth of European beech seedlings.