Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stabilization of the Rate of Nitrogen Accumulation by Larvae of the Cabbage Butterfly on Wild and Cultivated Food Plants

Larvae of Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) were reared on several crucifer species and varieties which differed in their nitrogen content, either naturally or because they had been fertilized with NH4NO3. Growth rates, food consumption rates, and efficiencies of food utilization were determined for fifth instar larvae on all plants, using standard methods. Larvae on low-nitrogen plants consumed food faster, utilized it less efficiently, and utilized N more efficiently than larvae on high-nitrogen plants. As a result, growth rates and rates of accumulation of N into larval biomass were as high on plants of 1.5% (dry wt) N as on plants of 4.8% (dry wt) N. There was no correlation between larval growth rate and reported patterns of glucosinolate content in the food plants. We attribute low N accumulation rates and growth rates on Lepidium virginicum, Lunaria annua, and Thlaspi arvense to the presence in these plants of unique secondary compounds or atypical glucosinolate breakdown products. Larvae fed on Dentaria diphylla and on the most highly fertilized collards (6.1%% dry wt N) accumulated N and grew at unusualy high rates. This may be because N in these plants was more digestible than in the other food plants. We suggest that larvae of P. rapae adjust their feeding rates to maximize the rate at which they can accumulate N, and thus the rate at which they can grow, on any given food plant. There is a limit to the rate at which N can be accumulated, because N is utilized less efficiently as it is consumed faster. We conclude that the growth of P. rapae larvae is limited by the availability of N in their food plants, that N budgets for such larvae are of greater ecological significance than energy budgets, and that, in this case at least, natural selection favors the rate (power output) rather than the efficiency of a biological process.
On thyroidectomy in amphibia

With due care to technique it was possible to remove successfully the anlage of the thyroid gland from young growing larvae of R. sylvatica and Amblystoma punctatum. The stage best suited for this experiment is that just preceding the beginning of the circulation of the blood. At this time there is no danger of hemorrhage and the chances of regeneration of the removed gland are fewer than with younger larvæ. Chlorotone in salt solution was used to produce anesthesia. Thyroidectomy was performed in 40 frog larvae and 50 Amblystoma larvæ checked against an equal number of control animals. A few of the thyroidectomized frog larvæ developed abnormally shaped external gills in some of which no circulation was to be seen. This was evidently due to injury to the vascular system. One animal developed no external gills although it lived and grew through the period during which external gills normally persist. The operated animals grew less rapidly than the controls. Only one control and one experimental animal survived the normal period of metamorphosis. Of these the control showed hind legs two months after the operation and the other had not developed legs four months after the operation. Serial sections were made of eight experimental frog larva The operation was seen to have prevented development of the thyroid gland in all but one case. The hypophysis as compared with that of the controls showed no changes in size or structure to be attributed to loss of the thyroid gland. Among the Amblystoma lane none developed abnormal gills. The average growth rate of the experimental larvz was less than that of the controls, but of the fourteen which were alive, after three months, the largest had had the thyroid removed.
Effect of environmental factors and algae density on the growth and nutrient uptake in Porphyra yezoensis

Porphyra yezoensis is an economic marine macroalgae cultivated widely along the coast of the Yellow Sea, China. In this study, the effects of algal density (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 g / L), irradiance (30, 60, 90, and 120 滋mol m s), temperature (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 益), photoperiod (8颐16鄄h, 12颐12鄄h, and 16颐8鄄h light 颐dark [L 颐D]), salinity (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35), and desiccation time (0, 1, 2, and 4 h) on the growth and nutrient removal capacity were assessed in the laboratory to study the bioremediation potential of large鄄scale P. yezoensis cultivation. Each experiment was conducted for 2 weeks. About 3鄄week鄄old algae of length 3—5 cm were used. P. yezoensis thalli were grown in gently aerated 250鄄ml bottles. Von Stosch enrichment (VSE) solution was added to the culture medium containing approximately 500 滋mol / L NO3 鄄N and 30 滋mol / L PO 34 鄄P. The culture medium was renewed twice a week; biomass was recorded as the
Phanaeus Behavior: Food Transportation and Bisexual Cooperation

Food collection and pairing habits of 3 Mexican species of Phanaeus are examined. In Phanaeus , dung is usually buried near the animal dropping, but P. daphnis Harold, P. mexicanus Harold and P. palliatus Sturm very often reduce the effects of inter-specific competition with other Scarabaeinae by rolling a piece of dung a considerable distance away from the animal dropping. This behavior assists in the formation of bisexual couples because males are attracted to females who are rolling a ball of dung. The newly formed couple works together in the construction and provisioning of a burrow, but their relationship is not sexual until ovarian maturation occurs. Most individuals of P. palliatus and many of the other 2 species dig burrows under or near the edge of the dropping; such burrows are usually occupied by a single individual of either sex, not by a bisexual couple. Nidification is always distinct from the formation of burrows for shelter and food storage and seems to be stimulated solely by ovarian maturation. The construction of a burrow (“home”) by a bisexual couple in either P. daphnis of P. mexicanus is considered an example of incipient subsocial behavior. With the concurrent reduction in competition, more individuals can feed on a single dropping, the excrement is dispersed more rapidly and over a wider area, and flies do not have a chance to breed in the dung.
ECOLOGY OF SPECIES OF BOMBUS (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA: VI. SUBGENUS PYROBOMBUS

Abstract Of the 21 Nearctic species of Pyrobombus Dalla Torre 11 are known to occur in southern Alberta. Distribution, macrohabitat, microhabitat, and period of nest establishment of the 11 species are compared. The behavioral patterns of camouflaging entrances to underground and false-underground hives, gathering material for nests, constructing first- and succeeding-brood egg cells, producing second-generation colonies, storing honey and pollen and producing wax, superseding intra- and inter-specifically, and mating and hibernating are compared both intra- and inter-subgenerically. Most of the behavioral patterns were common to all southern Alberta species of Pyrobombus; some were common only to certain species indicating a close relationship between these species, and one pattern was common to species in two subgenera but to only 4 of the 11 species of Pyrobombus. Thus, evolutionary trends were indicated. The enemies Psithyrus spp. , Volucella bombylans (L.), and inclement weather are discussed.
Odax cyanoallix, a New Species of Odacid Fish from Northern New Zealand

MIJLLER, L. 1924. Beitrige zur Osteologie der rezenten Krokodiliden. Z. Morphol. Okol. 2:427-460. 1927. Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromer in den Wiisten Agyptens. V. Tertiire Wirbeltiere, 1. Beitriige zur Kenntnis der Krokodilier des digyptischen Tertiars. Abh. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. (Math.-Nat.) 31:1-97. OKAZAKI, Y. 1975. Miocene crocodilian teeth from the Mizunami group, central Japan. Bull. Mizunami Fossil Mus. 2:9-14.
Life History and Diapause of the White-spotted Tussock Moth, Orgyia thyellina BUTLER (Lepidoptera : Lymantriidae)

性的2型とともに,季節的2型をもつヒメシロモンドクガの生活史を明らかにするため,3地方における光温図表を作成し,雌成虫の翅型の分化とその生存上の意味について考察した。 光周反応は長日型で,臨界日長は北方で長くなる傾向が認められた。 臨界日長を境として,長日条件では長翅型雌が出現し,短日条件では短翅型雌が出現した。 短翅型は休眠卵を産下した。 光周感受期は幼虫後期であった。 雄は常に長翅型であった。 卵の休眠は母蛾によって決定され,休眠卵は大型で卵殼も厚く,非休眠卵とは形態的に区別された。 幼虫の経過令数は雌雄で異なり,雌6令,雄5令であり,蛹体重は雌が重く,雄の約3倍に達した。 非休眠世代の有効積算温量は624∼665日度,発育零点は10. 1∼10.4°Cであった。 光温図表から,2化地帯と3化地帯があることが示唆された。
Diversity patterns, environmental drivers and changes in vegetation composition in dry inter-Andean valleys

Aims We studied diversity, patterns of endemism and turnover of vegetation composition in dry inter-Andean valleys (DIAVs) where little is known about the influence of the abiotic drivers controlling plant species composition and occurrences, and the life forms that contribute most to αand β-diversity, respectively. This study was focused on DIAVs located in the highlands (800–2800 m) around the Equator (1°N–5°S). The following questions were addressed: (i) what differences exist between endemic and non-endemic species in terms of species number, frequency and abundance? (ii) are patterns of αand β-diversity correlated with latitude? (iii) what are the major environmental drivers controlling spatial patterns in species composition and occurrence? Methods We established 63 transects of 5 × 100 m in areas with DIAV vegetation, impacted as little as possible by human activities. In each transect, all mature trees and shrubs were identified and counted to determine their density. The coverage of terrestrial herbs was estimated. Generalized additive models were used to quantify the relationship between αand β-diversity with latitude. To record α-diversity, we used the exponential Shannon index. The Sørensen index was used to measure β-diversity or species turnover. We used canonical correspondence analysis to determine species composition and generalized linear mixed models to quantify simultaneously the determinants of species occurrence across species and sites. The models were evaluated using the Akaike information criterion. All analyses were run separately for trees, herbs and shrubs. Important Findings Overall, we found that shrubs was the most diverse life form, constituting 43% (12% endemic) of the 313 species, followed by herbs (36%; 11.5% endemic) and trees (20%; 5% endemic). Trees comprise mostly species with low abundance (e.g. <3 individuals ha−1), which was also true for herbs, whereas shrubs showed a larger number of abundant species (>30 individuals ha−1), including four endemic species. Most of the endemic species were locally rare, and most of them were restricted to southern valleys, suggesting low migration rates due to local barriers. We identified seven species distribution patterns that gave rise to high β-diversity in the dry inter-Andean valleys. The β-diversity of trees was the lowest. Herbs had the highest β-diversity, which increased steadily with geographic distance. Our results further highlight the influence of disturbance, water availability and low temperature on plant species composition and occurrence. We also found significant, contrasting patterns in responses to environmental drivers, when analyzing our data separately by life form. Our results show that analyzing diversity patterns separately by life form can shed new light on the mechanisms that have generated present-day patterns of plant diversity in DIAVs.
Male-biased susceptibility to helminth infection : an experimental test with a copepod

Recent reviews on sex biases in parasitism found that males generally suffer from a slightly higher susceptibility to helminth infection than females. Sex hormones like testosterone have been suggested as the mechanism that causes the bias in parasite susceptibility. Many of the original studies used data that stem from free-ranging host populations which were naturally infected. Since gender-related behaviours could result in differential exposure to parasites, it is necessary to experimentally disentangle differences in exposure from differences in susceptibility. We tested whether we could find a sex bias in susceptibility under experimental conditions, i.e. by controlling for gender related differences in exposure. Furthermore, we used an invertebrate host to test whether the pattern observed in many vertebrates can be extended to a host species that lacks testosterone. As models we used the cestode Schistocephalus solidus and its first intermediate host, the copepod Macrocyclops albidus. We found that male copepods were more often infected than females. Since infected males had on average also more parasite larvae than infected females, the chance of a S. solidus larvae to become established in its first intermediate host was more than twice as high in male than in female copepods. This shows that, under experimental conditions, male-biased susceptibility to helminth infection can be very strong. Moreover, the pattern seen in many vertebrates can be extended to an invertebrate host that lacks testosterone.
Microbial pathogens of hematopoietic stem cells – screening and testing for infectious diseases

IS Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplants are widely used to treat patients with cancer and other disorders of the blood and immune system. The isolation of human HSC offers the promise for obtaining a remarkable variety of new therapeutics. Thus, an effort to analyze and assess the safety of these cells is extremely important. As with blood transfusion, microbial infections have been transmitted by HSC transplantation. Due to the inability to sterilize HSC and the immunodeficient nature of their recipients, the risk of infectious disease transmission remains a major concern. Assessing HSC safety requires careful monitoring of their collection, manipulation, and distribution. This review describes the pathogens that are recovered from HSC products, and the approaches available for detecting microbial contamination in HSC products prior to transplant. 2007 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Coir geotextile-packed conduits for the removal of biodegradable matter from wastewater

Majority of residential units and small-scale commercial operators in India dispose wastewater either onsite or into the public drainage systems, without paying any attention to the public health and environmental impacts. Need for high investments and the requirement for large operational space are the reasons often quoted against the installation of a proper wastewater treatment unit. This communication presents a viable and cost-effective technology using coir geotextile, for the removal of organic matter from wastewater. Coir geotextile conduits, prepared using non-woven-type material and having a specific weight of 0.9-1.7 kg/m 2 could be an acceptable solution for most of the small-scale units.
Relative importance of recruitment and post-settlement processes in the maintenance of coral assemblages in an insular, fragmented reef system

We compared relationships among distribution patterns of recruits, juveniles and adults of 3 different coral families with distinct life history traits at multiple spatial scales in an insu- lar, fragmented reef system characterized by recurrent disturbances to better understand recruit- ment and maintenance processes of reef corals. The goal of our study was to detect at what scale most abundance variation occurred, and if this was consistent among life cycle stages and life his- tories. Results demonstrate a very high spatial variability of recruitment rates at the re gional, insu- lar and local hierarchical levels, with some locations displaying much higher recruitment rates than others, in 2 successive seasons. Juvenile and adult abundances were less variable, and most of the variation occurred at a local level for these life cycle stages. Recruit assemblage composition dif- fered from juvenile and adult ones, which were much more similar. Moreover, abundance variation of recruits was unrelated to variation of juveniles and adults, but juvenile abundance was signifi- cantly correlated with adult abundance across all levels. These results have important implications for conservation planning, showing that some locations have better recovery abilities, and reveal- ing the paramount importance of events occurring during the first weeks and months after settle- ment on the distribution of adults at regional, island and local levels, thus confirming the signifi- cance of local processes in shaping coral assemblages distribution and maintenance.
Natural Fluctuation of Microbial Biomass and Population in Rice Paddy Soils as a Basis for Assessing the Side-Effect of Pesticides on Soil Ecosystem

The ranges of usual fluctuation of several parameters on microbial biomass, population and environmental conditions in low input and conventional rice paddy soils were monitored for two years in order to establish criteria to assess the abnormality of short-term effect of pesticide on soil microorganisms. The fluctuation patterns of the parameter in both paddies were generally similar. Any obvious change that would be considered to be due to the pesticides and chemical fertilizers applied in the conventional paddy was not recognized. It is considered that the fluctuation in the conventional paddy also had not been caused by the chemicals but by the agricultural practices common to low input paddy such as flooding and draining. The fluctuation range and pattern of the parameters in the paddies were mostly in agreement with the previous observation. Therefore, it is considered that the fluctuation of the microbial biomass and population in the soils was typical enough in Japanese paddies to be used as the criterion to assess pesticide effects. The usual fluctuation rate of the parameters ranged from 0.86 to 1.21 times/week for the biomass and from 0.80 to 1.40 times/week for the population. The fluctuation rates are proposed as the criteria to assess the abnormality of short-term effect by pesticide.
Effects of Atmospheric Partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide and Phosphorus Nutrition on the Ultrastructure of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Chloroplasts

Rice plants were grown in artificially illuminated growth cabinets under combinations of atmospheric partial pressure of CO2 (35 vs. 70 Pa) and phosphorus (P) nutrition (3 vs. 300 μM) to examine their effects on the ultrastructure of rice chloroplasts. The 9th and flag (terminal) leaves were harvested 3 days after full expansion and ultrathin sections were prepared for transmission electron microscopy. In general, starch accumulation was observed in both the mesophyll and the vascular bundle sheath cell chloroplasts with more accumulation in the former. In the 9th leaf, chloroplasts developed under ambient CO2 (35 Pa) accumulated starch grains at deficient P (3 μM) but these grains decreased at sufficient P (300 μM). On the other hand, chloroplasts under high CO2 (70 Pa) accumulated few starch grains at deficient P but the grains increased at sufficient P. In the flag leaf, starch accumulation increased with increasing CO2 and P levels. Under high CO2 and sufficient P, several huge, spherical starch grains accumulated and the thylakoids and grana were deformed. These observations suggested that in the 9th leaf, the high CO2 promoted photosynthesis and produced too much carbohydrate to translocate irrespective of sufficient P, and in the flag leaf starch accumulation decreased the capacity of electron transport in addition to the feedback inhibition of carbon reduction.
Hemolytic Corynebacteriulvi Reselvibling Corynebacterium Ovis and Corynebacterium Pyogenes in Man

There has been obtained from infections among American soldiers and natives on certain islands of the South and West Pacific hemolytic corynebacterium which does not conform to any corynebacterium previously described. We have tentatively given it the name uCorynebacterium hemolyticum. " This organism bears many similarities to Corynebacterium pyogenes and Corynebacterium ovis which are pathogenic for animals but neither of which is known to occur in man. More than 150 strains of this organism have been isolated, most of them from infections of the nasopharynx and of the skin. The new organism has been isolated not only from soldiers, but also from Tonkinese in the New Hebrides and from Chamorros in the Marianas.
Influence of Forest Canopy Cover on the Breeding Pond Distributions of Several Amphibian Species

This study examines the influence of forest canopy cover on the breeding pond distributions of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica), leopard frogs (R pipiens), and American toads (Bufo americanus). Survey results indicated that wood frogs bred in both openand closed-canopy ponds, whereas leopard frogs and toads did not. We conducted two experiments in 1.5-m2 cages set in natural ponds to evaluate species' performance in open- and closed-canopy ponds. The first experiment was conducted in two open-canopy and two closed-canopy ponds and demonstrated that tadpole growth and survivorship for all three species were higher in open-canopy ponds. Wood frogs, however, also grew and survived well in closed-canopy ponds, whereas performance of leopard frogs and toads was very poor in closed-canopy ponds. Competition between species was asymmetrical; wood frogs affected leopard frogs, but the reverse effect was negligible. The second experiment was conducted in the two closed-canopy ponds with wood frogs and leopard frogs and indicated that food supplementation dramatically increased both survivorship and growth rate of leopard frogs. There was no effect of food addition on wood frog survivorship and a minimal effect on growth rate. Resource differences between open- and closedcanopy ponds therefore appear to have a strong influence on distributions of these species. Dissolved oxygen concentrations also were lower in closed- than in open
From faeces to ecology and behaviour : non-invasive microsatellite genotyping as a means to study wild otters (lutra lutra)

The threatened Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is of high conservation concern because of its earlier massive decline and range contractions, its important role as a top predator in its ecosystem, and because of its current increase and expansion in Germany that evokes conflicts with humans living on aquaculture. To understand the population dynamic and hence the current spread and to be able to manage it, we require knowledge that is either unavailable, not well understood, or has to be checked whether it also applies to fish pond systems, the main otter habitat in the Upper Lusatia that is the main source population for the recent expansion in Saxony, Germany. For this purpose, I used non-invasive genetic CMR methods to gain information about actual population sizes, population dynamic parameters, marking behaviour, and spatial use of one source population in Eastern Germany. To make this method more efficient, especially for otter scats, I first optimised the required genetic methods to receive high success rates and low genotyping errors rates (Chapter two). Following this, I applied non-invasive genetic CMR to the first sampling year (2006) to demonstrate pitfalls and risks of this method and present a road map in which I offer solutions for the outlined problems (Chapter three). This road map is not only valid for otters, but is written as a general guideline when using non-invasively collected samples with low quality. Finally, I used this road map to obtain reliable estimates and information on population size, sex ratio, and marking behaviour (Chapter four), as well as survival, temporary migration, dispersal, and spatial use (Chapter five) over six sampling years (2006–2012). Chapter six completes the thesis by first giving an overview of the conducted research, followed by a synthesis of the four key findings and a discussion about limitations and methodological constraints. The chapter closes with suggestions for further research and for otter conservation.