Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transfer of Benzo[a]pyrene and 2,2‘,5,5‘-Tetrachlorobiphenyl from Bacteria and Algae to Sediment-Associated Freshwater Invertebrates

Feeding interactions between microorganisms and their grazers range from broad and general to very specific. Here we examined routes of transfer of [3H]benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and 2,2‘,5,5‘[14C]tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB-52) from microorganisms in freshwater sediments to oligochaetes (Lumbriculus variegatus) and chironomid larvae (either Stictochironomus sp. or a mix of smaller taxa) when exposed to the compounds added either directly to sediments or to bacteria or diatoms previously labeled and then added to sediments. The appearance of radiolabel in animals after a gut clearing step to differentiate between ingested and absorbed compound was followed in time course experiments. Relative to the added radiolabel, BaP concentrations were greater than PCB concentrations in L. variegatus and were greater in animals fed radiolabeled sediments or bacteria than those offered diatoms. In contrast, the chironomids accumulated more PCB than BaP. The mix of small chironomids bioaccumulated more PCB when fed prelabeled a.
Beneficial Effects of Fungal Treatment before Pulping and Bleaching of Acacia mangium and Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Three white-rot fungi (Ceriporiopsis subvermispora (Pilat) Gilb. & Ryvarden, Phanerochate chrysosporium Burds, and Trametes (Coriolus) versicolor (L.) Lloyd) were tested for their ability to modify/degrade lignin in cooking and bleaching. Both chips and pulps of Acacia mangium Willd. and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn. were pretreated with these white-rot fungi for different time periods (8, 12, and 16 days for chips; and 4, 8, and 12 days for pulps). For chip pretreatment, Kappa number decreased with the increase of fungal treatment time, and the maximum reduction in Kappa number was 28% and 25% for acacia and eucalyptus, respectively, after 16 days of fungi inoculation. The variation in Kappa reduction was also found for different fungi species when inoculated in the same wood species. Fungi treated pulps were also easy to delignify in oxygen delignification stage compared to the control pulp without serious viscosity loss. In bleaching, the final brightness was higher in the case of FD0ED1 bleached pulps (as much as 8 ISO units) than OD0ED1 bleached pulps for both species. By FD0ED1 bleaching sequence, it was also possible to reach the full brightness of pulp. Hand sheet properties were also improved significantly by fungi treatment prior to bleaching. Strength properties of hand sheets increased up to 20% by fungi treatment. Considering all the pulping and papermaking properties, the performance of C. subvermispora was better compared to other fungi tested, and the response of fungi to eucalyptus was better compared to acacia.
DIATOMS (BACILLARIOPHYTA) IN PHOTOTROPHIC BIOFILMS COLONISING AN ITALIAN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

The diatom assemblages within phototrophic biofilms in secondary treatment tanks of the Fiumicino Airport (Rome, Italy) wastewater treatment plant were investigated. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons were made between assemblages in sedimentation and chlorination tanks, on the tank walls and artificial substrata, on four sampling occasions. The assemblages were characterised by a rather stable species composition, low species diversity and dominance of raphid taxa. Correspondence analysis of diatom relative abundance data with regard to seasonal, site and substratum variation revealed both temporal and spatial differences in species assemblages. Rather than species composition changing over time between different sampling sites and surfaces, the proportional contributions of individual species to the assemblages varied with season. Biovolume data indicated that this outdoor system supported extensive diatom growth (high diatom biomass productivity). The potential use of autochthonous, diatom biofilms in tertiary wastewater treatment (removal of residual nutrients and pollutants) as opposed to conventional physico-chemical technologies is discussed with respect to the protection of receiving water bodies and the development of sustainable waste treatment.
Research on pastoral and horticultural pest control in Northland helps to avoid problems with insecticide use

Applied and basic research on agricultural and horticultural pests can give considerable benefits in terms of reduced insecticide usage and improved pest control. This paper uses examples which illustrate how the correct identification of pest problems, the use of damage asessment and pest threshold studies and improvements in the pest control strategies can all assist in minising problems with insecticide use.
Pediculosis in Rats Kept on a Riboflavin-Deficient Diet

Summary Chronic riboflavin deficiency in rats is often accompanied by pediculosis. This disease has never been observed in rats manifesting symptoms of a deficiency of other factors of the vitamin B2 complex. Administration of riboflavin by mouth has a curative effect on this type of pediculosis in rats.
Design and calibration of an acoustic telemetry system subject to upwelling events

The experiments described were designed to calibrate a hexagonal array of VEMCO VR2 receivers and transmitters (model V9P-6L-S256) in isothermal and stratified water columns off the south coast of South Africa. The array, configured with 500 m between receivers, was designed to study the influence of water temperature and turbidity on the spawning behaviour of chokka squid Loligo reynaudii. Range tests comprised fixing a single VR2 receiver 2 m from the seabed and placing a V9P transmitter at distances of 0 m, 75 m, 150 m, 225 m, 300 m, 375 m, 450 m and 500 m from the receiver for periods of 10 minutes at each position under isothermal conditions and in the presence of a thermocline. The data indicated a range of 300 m for the former and 75 m for the latter conditions. The field performance of the V9P transmitter in a non-stratified water column compared well with the theoretical range of 352 m calculated using software to calculate range. System saturation was investigated by repeating the range test using four, eight and 14 transmitters simultaneously. Field data indicated a significant decrease in signal detections due to signal collisions when more than eight transmitters were active simultaneously. It was demonstrated that the hexagonal configuration of VR2s is optimal during isothermal conditions but inadequate during stratified conditions when acoustic dead zones of 350 m between VR2 receivers can occur.
Coral bleaching caused by an abnormal water temperature rise at Luhuitou fringing reef, Sanya Bay, China

Luhuitou fringing reef, which has been seriously affected by human activities and terrestrial runoff, has degraded quickly in recent decades. However, direct impact by hyperthermal stress has probably been minimal because of the influence of the Qiongdong upwelling in summer. Seawater temperature anomalies in 2010 resulted in mean monthly seawater temperatures in summer to be 1–2°C higher than in the same period of the 3 preceding years. Moderate coral bleaching at Luhuitou fringing reef was observed in the summer of 2010 due to high thermal stress. Montipora was the most susceptible taxon, whereas Galaxea fascicularis and Pocillopora damicornis were among the least susceptible taxa. Mortality of Montipora was 21.7%, whereas for the remaining taxa it was less than 5%. No mortality was observed for tabular Acropora, G. fascicularis, P. damicornis, Favites and Leptoria. Most taxa showed relatively high bleaching in larger colonies compared with that in smaller ones. Juvenile coral colonies showed less bleaching (3%) than adult coral colonies (28%). Our study suggested that although most taxa in the survey area might recover from this moderate coral bleaching episode, coral reproduction in the year following bleaching may be adversely affected.
Sex determination in bees. XXX. Effects of juvenile hormone on the development of tergal glands in Melipona

SUMMARYWorker larvae of Melipona rufiventris, M. quadrifasciata and M. compressipes were treated topically with juvenile hormone (JH) during the cocoon-spinning phase. Examination of the tergites of the queens obtained following JH application showed induced differentiation into adults with full female (queen) traits. Melipona workers had tergal glands only in tergite II, whereas natural and JH-induced queens had tergal glands in tergite II plus additional glands in at least one other of tergites III to VII.
Importance of core and linear marsh elements for wetland arthropod diversity in an agricultural landscape

The importance of linear habitat elements connecting core habitat patches for biodiversity conservation is still poorly understood. We surveyed reed strips along drainage ditches and reed marshes in an agricultural landscape to assess how both the density of linear habitat elements and the area of core habitat affect diversity and community composition of spiders, ground beetles, and long‐legged flies. For each taxonomic group, species composition of both ‘all’ and ‘typical wetland’ species, but not species richness was different between ditches and marshes. Overall local species richness and richness of species of conservation interest were affected at a landscape scale both by the density of ditches and by the area of core wetland. Strength and direction of these effects differed among groups. An increase in the density of reed ditches positively affected the total species richness of spiders and ground beetles and the species richness of typical wetland ground beetles, but not for long‐legged flies and typical wetland spiders. The positive effects were explained by improved network functionality, rather than by increase in available habitat area at landscape level. The number of red list spiders and long‐legged flies increased only with increasing core wetland area, while no significant effects were found for the number of red list ground beetles. Our study revealed that preserving or increasing the density of habitat corridors (more reed ditches) can be beneficial for the species richness of particular predatory arthropods, including species of conservation concern (especially ground beetles). Other groups react indifferently or are only positively impacted by an increase of core wetland area.
Selection and Evaluation of Anti-Listerial Activity of Leuconostoc Mesenteroides Wild Strains Isolated from Algerian Raw Dromedary Milk

Camel milk is a key food in arid and semi-arid regions for their nutritional needs qualitative and quantitative. Beneficial microflora of camel milk represented by lactic acid bacteria is a potential source of biological material used in food technology. A total of five samples of individual dromedary raw milks were collected from three camels nomad herd in south Algeria and were analysed for bacterial load. A total of sixty different colonies characterized as Lactic acid bacteria, they were classified by phenotypic and biochemical analysis as Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp mesenteroides and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp dextranicum. Then, they were tested for antimicrobial compounds production. Out of these, twenty two strains were determined to be able to inhibit the growth of the indicator pathogens strains Listeria innocua ATCC 33090 by the agar spot test. Two strains were selected by the large and clear zones of inhibition when tested by the well diffusion assay. The two strains Y44 and Y46 show a high antimicrobial activity against Listeria innocua ATCC 33090 by inhibitory substances with proteinaceous nature confirmed after treatment with proteases and Urea, it was proved by kinetics growth in mixed culture. This fact suggests that bacteriocin-like produced by the both Leuconostoc strains are specific against Listeria sp and may find application as biopreservatives in food products. Therefore, the bio-protective cultures technology would be an ideal solution for enhanced the microbiological safety of food products.
Conveying the Values of Science and Biology

198 BioScience • March 2009 / Vol. 59 No. 3 www.biosciencemag. org Creationists regularly make the accusation that secular science and evolutionary theory take a worldview lacking in values, morals, and ethics in general. Like so many other of their claims— such as the one that evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics—this one is clearly false, but do we teachers take the time to inform our students of the many important values that scientists typically hold and use in guiding their work and worldview? Some teachers may shy away from mentioning values in an attempt to be politically correct. Some in the sciences may even believe that values have little to do with science, but they could not be more mistaken. Science, and biology in particular, holds several foundational values that should be conveyed to students as they pursue careers as scientists or science teachers. As C. P. Snow wrote in The Two Cultures, “There is a moral component right in the grain of science itself. ” Science is based on at least four fundamental values:
Genetic basis of life history variations among sympatric morphs of arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus.

Four morphs of arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus, which differ substantially in morphology, behaviour, and life-history characteristics, occupy different habitats in the landlocked lake Thingvallavatn, Iceland. Progeny of wild morphs reared in a common environment showed early size differences among morphs that were maintained throughout the 3-year experiment. Large benthivorous and piscivorous char progeny became larger on average than planktivorous and small benthivorous char progeny. Progeny of large benthivorous char had the highest specific growth rates whereas progeny of small benthivores tended to grow the slowest. Some male progeny of small benthivorous and planktivorous char (11 and 23%, respectively) became sexually mature 2 years after fertilization. In year 3 the majority of fish (both sexes) in both progeny groups (70 and 85%, respectively) became sexually mature, and a small proportion (14%) of male piscivorous char progeny became sexually mature. No sexual maturation was recorded in large benthivorous char progeny. We conclude that life-history differences among the morphs are partly genetically based.
Effects of experimental calcium availability, egg parameters and laying order on Great Tit Parus major eggshell pigmentation patterns

Many bird species lay eggs speckled with protoporphyrin-based spots, however, for most of them the function of eggshell spotting is unknown. A plausible hypothesis is that protoporphyrin might have a structural function in strengthening the eggshell and is therefore deposited when calcium is scarce. In this study, we experimentally provided Great Tit Parus major females with supplemental calcium to examine its effect on the protoporphyrin-based maculation of their eggs. In addition, we studied variation in eggshell pigmentation patterns in relation to other egg parameters and laying order. Calcium-supplemented females laid larger eggs but shell thickness was not significantly affected by the treatment. Calcium supplementation may reduce the time and energy females devote to searching for calcium-rich material, so that they can collect more nutrients and so lay larger eggs. Furthermore, pigment darkness was associated with egg volume and shape, which suggests that female quality and environmental food availability may also influence the shell pigmentation pattern. Within clutches, later-laid eggs had larger and darker spots that were distributed more unevenly on the shell surface. This within-clutch pattern could be explained by the increase in egg volume and egg shape and a decline in shell thickness with egg-laying order, which characteristics were all related to shell-spotting pattern. Eggs with a coronal ring had thinner shells, but pigment intensity and spot size were not related to shell thickness. Thus, our results suggest that concentrated spotting distribution may have a mechanical function, supporting the structural-function hypothesis.
Urban Ponds, Neglected Noah's Ark for Amphibians

Abstract Urban areas can contain habitat that supports amphibian populations, such as artificial ponds. We sampled a less than 3-m2 pond in the city of Oviedo (North Iberia) and found abundant populations of two anurans (Alytes obstetricans, Discoglossus galganoi) and one urodele (Lissotriton helveticus). The three species present at the urban site exhibited high diversity in their mitochondrial DNA, comparable to levels found for populations in nearby rural areas that contained more and larger water bodies. Our results suggest that urban ponds should be incorporated into amphibian conservation plans.
Foraging behaviour of caterpillars given a choice of plant genotypes in the presence of insect predators

1. To examine the effects of predators and plant genotype on the behaviour, patterns of herbivory, growth, and survivorship of caterpillars, an experiment was conducted under semi‐natural conditions, with two host plant genotypes (low vs. high iridoid glycosides) of plantain Plantago lanceolata, two kinds of herbivores (noncryptic specialist Junonia coenia vs. cryptic generalist Pyrrharctia isabella), and two levels of caterpillar predation (with and without Podisus maculiventris stinkbugs).
Fauna and biogeography of harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) of the Oki Islands, Japan

We investigated opilionid fauna of the Oki Islands (Shimane Prefecture) in the Sea of Japan for the first time. As a result, a total of 14 species were collected from the four main islands (12, 4, 4, and 6 species from Is. Dogo, Is. Nakanoshima, Is. Nishinoshima, and Is. Chiburi, respectively). A list of the species with some taxonomical notes is presented. Opilionid fauna of the islands may be characterized by: 1) the absence of some species which are commonly found in the San'in area of the mainland Honshu such as Gagrellula ferruginea Loman, and Nelima satoi Suzuki; 2) occurrence of some species that indicate the circum-Japan Sea distribution, such as Leiobunum rubrum Suzuki and Melanopa grandis Roewer; 3) occurrence of some species showing geographical differentiation, though there are no endemic forms at the species level; and 4) affinity to the mainland area around Mt. Daisen (Tottori Pref.) rather than mainland areas of the Shimane Prefecture in the species composition; 5) The numbers of species found on the islands generally exceed those expected from the species-area relationship in and around Japanese Islands. Leiobunum wegneri Silhavý 1976 described from North Korea is newly synonymized with Leiobunum japonicum japonicum Muller 1914. Likewise, Metagagrella damila Silhavý 1976 and Gagrella crassitarsi Ha et al. 2004, both originally described from Korean Peninsula, are synonymized with Melanopa grandis Roewer 1910. Two Korean species recently recorded under the names Leiobunum rotundum (Latreille 1798) and Leiobunum rupestre (Herbst 1799) by Ha et al. (2004, Korean Arachnology, 20: 53-71) from Korea are misidentifications of Leiobunum japonicum japonicum and Odiellus aspersus (Karsch 1881), respectively.
Male and Female Competitive Strategies of Wild House Mice Pairs (Mus Musculus Domesticus) Confronted With Intruders of Different Sex and Age in Artificial Territories

Male and female aggression at different reproductive stages was investigated in pairs of wild mice. Fourteen pairs of laboratory-outbred wild mice were established, each pair living in a multiple set of cages, connected by runaways. Intruder tests were carried out at different stages of the reproductive cycle, i.e. 48 h after introduction, during pregnancy and lactation. In these stages, a female, a male and two pups were consecutively introduced in each territory (24 h separating each intrusion). Male residents were highly aggressive towards (and always intolerant of) male but not female intruders. Conversely, resident females preferentially attacked same sex intruders after colony establishment and during pregnancy, but they attacked either sex of intruder when nursing young. Seven out of 14 female intruders were tolerated 48 h after introduction of residents but tolerance of females decreased during pregnancy and lactation. Male and female residents were essentially responsible for the intolerance of same-sex intruders. Both males and females exhibited infanticide, but sex differences in the timing of attack on alien pups were observed. In the 7 colonies where the intruder female was tolerated (since that two females were present) only one female reproduced successfully. This suggests that, as in males, females of this stock compete for the opportunity to reproduce; they can be exclusively territorial or form a dominance hierarchy which probably determines reproductive success. While male competitive aggression appears to be mostly directed to other males, females seem largely responsible of the regulation of the reproductive potential of a deme unit throughout intrasexual aggression (intolerance towards other females), and possibly also inhibition of subordinate reproduction and killing of unrelated pups.
Distinct Lhc mRNA stabilities in several vascular plant species

Summary The light harvesting complex protein genes ( Lhc ) were among the first isolated and characterized from vascular plants. Despite the accumulated knowledge about their steady-state mRNA levels in various organs/tissues and under certain light qualities and regimes, limited information is available regarding their transcription rates, and nothing is known about Lhc mRNA stabilities. Steady-state mRNA accumulation patterns under constant conditions suggested distinct Lhc mRNAs stabilities in various plant species. Decay studies with actinomycin D revealed half-life times of 3.8 hours in Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato), 2.5 hours in Spinacea oleracea (spinach), 24 hours in Pinus sylvestris, and 37 hours in Ginkgo biloba . The presence of ‘AUUUA’-destabilizing elements in the 3′ UTR, free energy calculations of secondary structures, and simultaneous expression of the tomato and P. contorta Lhc gene in transgenic tomato all support the notion that the intrinsic sequences of the transcript contribute significantly to the distinct Lhc mRNA stabilities present in different plant species.
Effect of Red Ginseng and Its Representative Constituents, Ginsenosides Rg3 and Rh2, on Dextran Sulfate Sodium-induced Colitis in Mice

To evaluate the anticolitic effect of red ginseng (RG, the steamed root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, Araliaceae), RG and its representative constituents, ginsenosides Rg3 and Rh2, were orally administered to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitic mice and inflammatory markers investigated. RG and its constituents, ginsenosides Rg3 and Rh2, inhibited colon shortening and myeloperoxidase activity induced by DSS. The ginsenosides Rg3 and Rh2 inhibited mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1β as well as protein levels of IL-1β and IL-6. These ginsenosides also inhibited the activation of a transcription nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Ginsenoside Rh2 was a more potent inhibitor than ginsenoside Rg3. The anticolitic effects of these ginsenosides were comparable with sulfasalazine.