Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproductive Abnormalities in Trout from Western U.S. National Parks

Abstract Reproductive disruption is well documented in polluted areas, such as below sewage treatment plants, but not in ecologically protected environments, such as national parks. In a majority of subalpine lakes sampled in Rocky Mountain and Glacier National parks, we observed intersex male cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis at frequencies of 9-33%. Intersexuality, one form of reproductive disruption, is the presence of both male and female reproductive structures in the same animal. Male cutthroat trout, rainbow trout O. mykiss, and brook trout from these parks also produced elevated levels of the estrogen-responsive protein vitellogenin, another indicator of reproductive disruption. We did not find reproductive abnormalities in national parks of the Sierra Nevada, Cascades, Olympics, Brooks, or Alaska ranges. To determine whether gonad abnormalities were evident in mountain ecosystems before the production of organic pollutants, we sampled various species of th.
Performance, plasticity, and acclimation of the nonindigenous shrub Lonicera maackii (Caprifoliaceae) in contrasting light environments.

Growth and photosynthetic capability of the eastern Asiatic shrub Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Herder were measured in shadehouses and in artificial canopy gaps. In shadehouses providing 5, 25, and 100% of full sun, total dry mass, and leaf area of seedlings increased with light availability; specific leaf area and leaf area ratio decreased with light availability. When small suppressed shrubs were transplanted from a forest site to the shadehouse environments, rapid (13 day) acclimation in existing leaves initially produced the highest mean photosynthetic rate (8.12 μmol∙m−2∙s−1) and the highest mean relative stem growth at 25% light. However, maximum mean photosynthetic rate (10.36 μmol∙m−2∙s−1), higher mean stomatal density, and increased mean leaf thickness were measured only in new leaves formed in 100% light. This plastic response was associated with higher relative stem growth later in the experiment. Naturally established seedlings in both artificial canopy gaps and sites with intact canopies had low .
Screening and identification of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers linked to mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) resistance in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)

Bulk segregant analysis (BSA) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) techniques were used to analyse the F2 individuals of susceptible VBN (Gg) 2 × resistant KMG 189 to screen and identify the molecular marker linked to mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) resistant gene in mungbean. Two DNA bulks namely resistant bulks and susceptible bulks were setup by pooling equal amount of DNA from five randomly selected plants of each disease response. A total of 72 random sequence decamer oligonucleotide primers were used for RAPD analysis. Primer OPBB 05 (5′-GGGCCGAACA-3′) generated OPBB 05 260 fragment in resistant parent and their bulks but not in the susceptible parent and their bulks. Co segregation analysis was performed in resistant and susceptible F2 individuals, it confirmed that OPBB 05 260 marker was tightly linked to mungbean yellow mosaic virus resistant gene in mungbean.
Physiological and Biochemical Changes in Microcystis aeruginosa Qutz. in Phosphorus Limitation

Effects of phosphorus limitation on the physiological and biochemical changes of the freshwater bloom alga Microcystis aeruginosa Qutz. are reported in the present study. As a result of phosphorus limitation, biomass was controlled to some extent and the protein content per cell in vivo decreased. However,the carbohydrate content per cell was higher in phosphorus limitation over the 8 d of cultivation. Soluble proteins were distinct in the media, whereas phosphorus deficiency induced the presence of a unique protein (16.2 kDa). Under conditions of phosphorus limitation, the activities of both superoxide dismutase and peroxidase per cell in vivo were lower than under normal conditions in the last cultivation. The in vivo absorption spectra of cells showed chlorophyll absorption peaks at 676 and 436 nm, over 10 nm red-shifted from the normal position; cells showed an absence of a chlorophyll c with an in vivo absorption peak at 623nm and an extraction absorption peak at 617 nm. The chlorophyll a/carotene and chlorophyll a/xanthophylls ratios decreased under conditions of phosphorus limitation, photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) was clearly lower, and the low-temperature fluorescence emission spectra indicated a higher peak at 683 nm and a lower peak at 721 nm relatively, with the 721 nm peak drifting slightly to the red and the 683 nm peak strengthened with a weakened 692 nm shoulder peak.
Biochemical Analysis of Developing Wheat Grains

Developing wheat grain was analysed for its fresh and dry weights, water content and some enzymes of the respiratory pathway. Grain dry weight data was fitted to a polynomial equation and biphasic linear regression analysis. Based on biphasic regression analysis and data of water content, the entire wheat grain development is divided into four phases : (i) cell division ; (ii) cell elongation ; (iii) dry matter accumulation ; and (iv) maturation. Various enzymes of glycolysis, Oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and Tricarboxylic acid cycle have been estimated during entire wheat grain development, which recorded higher activities during cell elongation phase and maintained higher levels during dry matter accumulation phase. The role of these enzymes in the generation of NADPH and provision of carbon skeleton for starch and nucleic acid synthesis is discussed.
Immunization of lambs against somatotropin release inhibiting factor to improve productivity: comparison of adjuvants

Responses to immunization against somatotropin release inhibiting factor (SRIF) were compared in lambs injected with SRIF plus either Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), muramyl dipeptide (MDP), Freund's incomplete adjuvant/muramyl dipeptide (FIA/MDP), DEAE-Dextran (DEAE), or Quill A. By comparison with control lambs, immunized lambs grew faster and produced more wool. In lambs immunized with SRIF plus MDP or FIA/MDP, depths of back-fat and of the m. longissirnus dorsi were increased. Anti-SRIF antibody titres were very variable between groups of immunized lambs, with titres being highest for lambs injected with SRIF plus FCA or DEAE. Adverse effects of immunization were observed in lambs given FCA, DEAE and Quill A. It appears from the present study, that MDP alone or in combination with FIA would be suitable for use in commercial vaccines to enhance productivity by immunization against SRIF.
An Investigation of the Isolation-By-Distance Model

Wright's isolation-by-distance model was investigated using techniques of simulation on a digital computer. We examined the manner in which a population as a whole differentiated in time, as well as the distributional pattern of gene frequencies in the population. Both the areal and the linear isolation-by-distance models were investigated. The observed rate of increase in the inbreeding coefficient did not agree well with that predicted by the results of Wright (although the differences may be due to changes which take place in only the first few generations). It was also found that the particular patterns of highs and lows of gene frequencies over a geographic area became established quickly and persisted for a large number of generations, particularly near the periphery of the population. Implications of our results for interpreting geographic variation analyses in terms of differential selection are discussed.
Genetic diversity and morphological variation of the common chaffinchFringilla coelebsin the Azores

We present new insights into the genetic diversity and phylogeography of the common chaffi nch Fringilla coelebs from the Azores, based on sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear genes from 44 individuals and an outgroup/comparison of 44 birds from Madeira, the Canary Islands and the Continental Western Palearctic. To understand the level of concordance between the genetic data and morphometric variability we analysed eight morphometric characters from 413 adult living birds from all the Azores islands and compared the population genetic distances with quantitative morphometric traits. Our results indicate the occurrence of gene fl ow among the common chaffi nch populations in the archipelago revealing the lack of current genetic structure within it and the existence of two co-occurring lineages. Results also indicate the existence of morphometric diff erences among islands that could be due to ecological features instead of island isolation. Th is study also confi rms the genetic distance among the common chaffi nch populations within Macaronesia and between these archipelagos and the Continental Western Palearctic.
The Role of Microorganisms in the Transformation of Organic Matter in Forest Soils

According to Ramann, one of the earliest students of forest soils, the biology of the soil comprises all the changes that take place there under the influence of organic life. A study of the microbiological processes in the soil should, therefore, comprise not only the determination of the microscopic population but also of the various transformations brought about by numerous members of this population in the soil. The chemical changes thus brought about in the organic and the inorganic constituents of the soil giving rise to the so-called " forest humus " represent rather difficult problems in organic chemistry; this is largely the reason why so little progress has been made in our understanding of the nature of the biological processes in forest soils and their r6le in the nutrition of higher plants. A large number of the investigations dealing with the functions of microorganisms in forest soils can be grouped around the transformation of nitrogen. Even the soil organic matter or " humus," commonly spoken of as either " raw humus " or as " mull " depending upon the conditions of its formation, has been considered only as far as it formed a source of available nitrogen in the soil; among the products of decomposition of this organic matter ammonia and nitrate have usually been determined, the latter being produced only under certain conditions. The numerous other soil processes attracted no attention at all or have been considered only in a very general way. The nature of the fixation of nitrogen in forest soils, for example, has remained very vague, since neither Azotobacter (Weis and Bornebusch '17) nor legume bacteria are found to occur to any extent in these soils, especially in the " raw humus " soils. The transformation of the non-nitrogenous complexes of the soil organic matter, if investigated at all, has been limited to a study of the liberation of carbon dioxide, which is evidently essential for tree growth. The decomposition of celluloses, hemicelluloses including pentosans, lignins, resins, tannins, and the various other non-nitrogenous constituents of the forest plant residues attracted only little attention. Whatever is known of these processes in forest soils has resulted either from the investigations by plant pathologists on the activities of parasitic and semi-parasitic fungi (Hartig '78, Ward '98), or from the work of wood technologists on the decomposition of wood by pure and mixed cultures of fungi, or by the interpretation of bacteriological and other microbiological processes in field and garden soils.
Cotton Response to Seasonal Patterns of Flower Removal: I. Yield and Fiber Quality

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield and quality can be affected by altered fruiting patterns related to the abscission of fruiting forms. This field study quantified the effects of flower removal during various stages of reproductive development on subsequent yield development, boll development, and fiber properties. Effects of early-, mid-, and late-season flower loss on cotton reproductive development was determined. Various flower removal treatments were imposed on two cultivars at Clayton, NC, during 1991 and 1992. Early flower removal treatments (3rd week and earlier) delayed boll development, but no significant reduction in yield was found at season's end. Later flower removals (4th week and later) significantly reduced total fiber yields (13-33%) compared with early-season removals (1st, 2nd, and 1st through 3rd week) and no removal. Boll weight was positively correlated with fiber properties and was related to the amount of competition among developing bolls. The largest bolls resulted from treatments that had the largest negative effect on yield. Micronaire was the only fiber variable affected by flower removal, with increased values associated with later removal. Data indicate that late-season flower losses (4th week and later) are the most injurious to yield, with significant yield reductions occurring from even the least severe, late-season removal treatment of 6th week and later flowers. Early loss (3rd week and earlier) of fruit can be tolerated if the season allows sufficient time for compensatory reproductive growth and if further losses due to plant stress or insect damage are controlled.
Proximate chemical composition and fatty acid profiles of Longissimus thoracis from pasture fed LHRH immunocastrated, castrated and intact Bos indicus bulls

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) fusion protein vaccine vs. surgical castration on the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of beef cattle (Bos indicus) slaughtered at three years of age. Thirty bulls (Nellore-cross) were divided into three groups: immunized against LHRH fusion protein, castrated or left intact (control). These animals were 24 months old at the initiation of the study and ranged on Brachiaria grass in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Meat of intact bulls presented a lower fat content compared to castrated or surgically castrated animals. For the immunized and surgically castrated animals there were differences in fat and cholesterol concentrations. Although the fatty acid profiles of the three treatments were similar in composition, there were differences in the concentrations of some fatty acids (miristic, C14:0; stearic, C18:0; linolenic, C18:3n-3; and eicosapentaenoic, C22:5n-3). Meat samples of surgically castrated animals had less polyunsaturated (PUFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fatty acids (8.2 and 37.7%, respectively), higher saturated (SFA) fatty acids (52.2%) and a lower PUFA/SFA ratio (0.16) and were different compared to intact and immunized bulls. The PUFA/SFA ratio increased as the fat content decreased. On the other hand, surgically castrated bulls had a higher lipid and lower cholesterol contents. It is concluded that immunization against LHRH using new recombinant LHRH fusion proteins could be an alternative to physical castration to improve carcass quality in cattle production.
DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGE OF THE IMMUNOREACTIVITY TO ANTI-CALMODULIN ANTIBODY IN THE MOUSE BRAIN

Calmodulin is a small, acidic calcium-binding protein concentrated in the nervous system. The immunohistochemical localization of calmodulin in the developing mouse brain was studied light-microscopically using the specific anti-calmodulin IgG which was elicited in the rabbit with native calmodulin of bovine brain. The immunoreactivity of the cell somata and their processes found in the adult brain did not appear simultaneously but in some sequential order with the regions of the brain. On the other hand, immunoreactivity disappeared during the development. This reaction of disappearance was also abolished by the neutralization of the antibody with calmodulin. From the results of the appearance as well as the disappearance of the immunoreactivity, the pattern of the immunostaining reached that of the adult by 17 days of age.
Ontogeny of osmoregulation in crustaceans: a review

Summary From the results of studies conducted from the 1960s, three patterns of ontogeny of postembryonic osmoregulation in crustaceans may be distinguished: (1) osmoregulation varies little with developmental stage and the adults are often weak regulators or osmoconformers;(2) the adult type of osmoregulation is established in the first postembryonic stage; (3) metamorphosis marks the appearance of the adult type of osmoregulation. The occurrence of osmoregulation is based on efficient ionic regulation (mainly of Na+ and CI−) and increased levels of Na+-K+ ATPase activity. Osmoregulatory epithelia may appear at different times of development and at different locations of the branchial chamber. These events are inter-related, and are correlated with changes in salinity tolerance. In species the eggs of which are exposed to the external medium, either embryos are osmotically protected by the egg envelopes, or the egg membranes and/or the embryos acquire the ability to osmoregulate. When embryos develop in .
The perception of dusk signals in photoperiodic time-measurement

A critical duration of darkness must be exceeded for the photoperiodic induction of flowering in short-day plants. This requires detection of the light/dark transition at dusk and the coupling of this information to a time-measuring system. Lowering the Pfr/Ptot, ratio photochemically at the end of the day did not accelerate the onset of dark timing in Pharbitis nil Choisy cv. Violet. Time-measurement was initiated when, with no change in spectral quality, the irradiance fell below a threshold value. Thus, if the light/dark transition at dusk is sensed by a reduction in Pfr, this reduction can be achieved as rapidly through thermal reactions as through photochemical ones. When given at hourly intervals during a 6-h extension of a 24-h main light period in white light, pulses of red light were as effective as continuous red light in delaying the onset of timing; pulses every 2 or 3 h were less effective. The effectiveness of intermittent red light indicates that phytochrome is the photoreceptor and the requirement for frequent exposures suggests that Pfr is lost rapidly in the dark. However, the red light pulses could not be reversed by far-red light, which argues against this hypothesis. An alternative explanation is that the perception of light as being continuous occurs only when “new” Pfr is regenerated sufficiently frequently. The nature of the coupling of the dusk signal to the time-measuring system is discussed and it is suggested that the effect of each red light pulse is to delay the phase of the photoperiodic rhythm by 1–3 h.
Behaviour of the Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss), in CAptivity V*. Sexual Behaviour

At the height of the breeding season male koalas frequently attempted copulation. These attempts were often apparently spontaneous, but many followed bellowing or agonistic interactions. Sexual behaviour began at 3 y old in males, except for penile erections, which sometimes occurred in younger males. Males performed no courtship behaviour. Behavioural oestrus was brief, and consisted of four distinct types of activity: jerking, bellowing, mild aggression towards the male, and pseudomale behaviour. Oestrous females could become very excited by the presence of a male, and the four activities were very flexible in their expression. Copulation itself was quite brief and consisted of mounting, thrusting, convulsions, and disengagement. The pair were always in a vertical position in a tree, the male grasping the female's neck in his jaws.
The pulmonata snail Lymnaea is a potential biomanipulation species for use against cyanobacteria blooms

Cyanobacteria blooms caused by eutrophication lead to serious impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Biomanipulation, using aquatic animals to reduce the algal population, is one of most promising strategies for controlling cyanobacteria blooms and improving water quality. In preliminary experiments in aquaculture ponds, the stocking of the pulmonata snail Lymnaea spp. led to reduced cyanobacterial cell density in highly trophic water. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of Lymnaea spp. against the growth of natural mixed cyanobacteria or of Microcystis aeruginosa were examined. The results indicated that the growth of mixed natural cyanobacteria with an initial cell density of 4 × 105 cell/mL was remarkably inhibited by the presence of Lymnaea spp. with a density of five individuals per liter. The growths of M. aeruginosa with various initial cell densities of 1.76 × 106, 4.38 × 106, 14.25 × 106, 25.55 × 106, and 69.1 × 106 cells/mL were inhibited by introducing 15 or even fewer individuals into one liter of algal culture. Lymnaea spp. adapted and survived in the water containing M. aeruginosa with cell densities up to 69.1 × 106 cell/mL. Moreover, the reduction in cyanobacteria density by Lymnaea sp. was dependent on filter feeding and associated microorganisms. Therefore, Lymnaea spp. possess the potential to be used as a biomanipulation species.
DOMINANCE HIERARCHIES IN FEMALE MOUNTAIN GOATS: STABILITY, AGGRESSIVENESS AND DETERMINANTS OF RANK

To investigate the importance of dominance relationships in the social organization of large mammals, I studied the aggressive behaviour of marked adult female mountain goats ( Oreamnos americanus ) during four years in west-central Alberta, Canada. Despite large group size, the 38-45 adult females in the population were organized in a strong and very stable linear hierarchy. Social rank was strongly related to age and did not decrease for the oldest females. The presence of a kid did not affect the aggressive behaviour of females, suggesting that aggressiveness probably did not evolve for offspring defense in mountain goats. Initiators won most encounters, except when the receiver was an older female. When age was accounted for, body mass, horn length, and body size were not related to female rank. A new measure of aggressiveness, controlling for the number of opportunities for interactions, revealed that aggressiveness towards younger adult females increased with both age and social rank. On the other hand, age and social rank did not affect aggressiveness towards other females of the same age or older. Goats interacted more often with individuals of similar ranks than with individuals that were distant in the dominance hierarchy. Social rank of adult daughters was not related to the social rank of mothers. Although central positions in a group may decrease predation risk, dominant females did not occupy central positions more often than subordinates. Because age was the main determinant of rank, the only effective way to increase social rank was to survive.
Barking in a Primitive Ungulate, Muntiacus reevesi: Function and Adaptiveness

Barking bouts by muntjacs are given most often when visibility is reduced due to environmental conditions. Some individuals bark more readily than others, and various parameters associated with barking bouts overlap considerably among individuals. Barking in muntjacs probably does not function in the contexts of food procurement, reproduction, or maintenance and monitoring of individual movements. Rather, barking occurs primarily in two major contexts: during certain social encounters and when novel or inconspicuous stimuli, such as a hidden predator, are detected in the environment. Barking appears to have evolved via individual selection. Although the physical properties of barking bouts are such that they may make a muntjac more conspicuous and easily localized, this response to potential danger may act to deter predation. The underlying causal factor linking the two major contexts in which barks are given may be an internal state of anxiety. Anxiety, and hence barking, occurs more often in muntjacs which are characterized by specific behavioral profiles. Barking is proposed to be better termed a distress call than an alarm call.