Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tidal fish connectivity of reef and sea grass habitats in the Indo-Pacific

The present study considered the influence of the tide on shallow water fish assemblages within the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia. Timed underwater visual observations were made across a gradient of intertidal to subtidal habitats from near-shore to reef crest at different tidal heights. Transient fish were found to dominate shallow water fish assemblages and the assemblage composition varied with tidal state. Fish assemblages were more diverse and abundant at higher tides in both coral and sea grass habitats, however, this was more pronounced within sea grass habitats. A tidal reduction from ≈2.0m to ≈0.8m (above chart datum) corresponded to a 30% reduction in fish abundance, while species richness also significantly decreased from 13.5 to 10.8 species per standardized timed observation. Fifty fish groups were reported from sea grass habitats with the most abundant being from the Engraulidae family and Lethrinus harak, which form important local subsistence fisheries. This research confirms the importance of tidal changes in structuring the fish fauna of Indonesian sea grass habitats and underlines the connectivity that exists between these habitats and nearby coral reefs.
Fitness components of the hybrid Phlomis x margaritae Aparicio & Silvestre (Lamiaceae)

Studies of microsporogenesis, pollen germination, pollen stainability, fruit and seed set and ovary predation have been undertaken to evaluate the fitness of the hybrid genotype of Phlomis · margaritae relative to its parents (P. purpurea and P. · composita) and allied taxa (P. · composita nothom. composita, P. · composita nothom. trullenquei, and P. lychnitis). Phlomis · margaritae shows irregular meiosis with very low pollen germination rate and very high pollen sterility, no seed set, and very high ovary predation. It thus has very low reproductive success and fitness. Phlomis · composita nothom. trullenquei also shows low pollen germination and seed set, but these follow regular microsporogenesis. The existence of cryptic structural sterility is suggested for this taxon. The rest of the studied taxa (P. purpurea, P. lychnitis and P. · composita nothom. composita) were fertile and can support the specific or subspecific taxonomic status of P. · composita. A fixed ovule abortion pattern in the taxa with yellow flowers was found, since ‘brood size’ consisted just of one seed per fruit. On the contrary, P. purpurea was found to produce from one to four seeds per fruit. Some conservation implications are suggested.
Evaluation of analgesic activity by acetic acid and formalin methods in six homeopathic drugs

In this study acetic acid and formalin methods were used to assess analgesic activity in one insect and five plant crude extracts. Aspirin was used as a standard drug in both methods. In acetic acid method, significant inhibitory results were obtained on comparison with control as follows: A. mellifica (300 mg) revealed 21.42% inhibition in 3rd phase. A. mellifica (500 mg) showed significant activity in all the three phases: 60% in phase 1, 37.5% in phase 2 and 57.14% in phase 3. D. purpurea (1 mg) exhibited 75% inhibition in first phase, 50% in second phase and 35.71% in third phase. D. purpurea (10 mg) presented inhibitory effect as follows; 55% (1st phase), 56.25% (2nd phase) and 85.71% (3rd phase). S. nigra (10 mg) revealed 65% inhibition in first phase and 50% in third phase. S. nigra (50 mg) showed 55% inhibition of writhes in first phase. T. occidentalis (50mg) exhibited 60% inhibition in 1st phase and 37.5% in 2nd phase. T. occidentalis (100 mg) presented 50% inhibition in 2nd phase and 21.42% in 3rd phase. U. urens (500 mg) revealed significant inhibition in the three phases of activity, 75% (1st phase), 56.25% (2nd phase) and 21.42% (3rd phase). U. ursi (500 mg) showed significant inhibition in 1st phase 75% and 2nd phase 56.25%. In formalin analgesic activity in comparison with control, the following results were obtained: A.mellifica (300 mg) showed inhibition of licking and biting response in first phase 28.57%, 41.17% in second phase and 53.33% in third phase. A. mellifica (500 mg) revealed 52.38% inhibition in 1st phase and 60% in 3rd phase. D. purpurea (10 mg) exhibited 42.85% inhibition in 1st phase, 17.64% in second phase and 33.33%. S. nigra (50 mg) caused 28.57% inhibition in 1st phase, 17.64% in 2nd phase and 26.67% in 3rd phase. T. occidentalis (50 mg) showed 33.33% inhibition in 1st phase, 29.41% in 2nd phase and 33.33% in 3rd phase. T. occidentalis (100 mg) revealed inhibition in three phases as follows: 47.61% (1st phase), 52.94% (2nd phase) and 40% (3rd phase). The above mentioned drugs show prominent analgesic activity in mice in comparison to control and standard drug. Key words: Analgesic, Aspirin, Formalin, acetic acid, medicinal plants, insect drug.
Vegetation on Gunnison's Prairie Dog Colonies in Southwestern Colorado

Abstract Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) have been labeled keystone species because of the role they play as disturbance creators and ecosystem engineers in the western grasslands of North America. Most studies have concentrated on the black-tailed species (C. ludovicianus); however, other species of prairie dogs may have different effects on their ecosystems. We measured plant cover and biomass, canopy height, and plant nitrogen concentration on and off 6 Gunnison's prairie dog (C. gunnisoni) towns and 6 paired areas off prairie dog towns in southern Colorado. Multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of variance showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in vegetation cover or biomass on and off of Gunnison's prairie dog towns, contrary to what has been found for black-tailed prairie dog towns. No significant differences were found in canopy height (P > 0.05); however, this may be due to already short vegetation (5–7 cm). Only 1 of 4 focal plants showed a significant difference in nitrogen concentration. No significant differences were found in species diversity on and off prairie dog towns; however, because of drought, these results are inconclusive. This study found few vegetation differences on and off Gunnison's prairie dog towns. Furthermore, those differences were more subtle than those reported on black-tailed prairie dog towns. While the mechanisms for differences in vegetation on and off Gunnison's prairie dog towns may be similar to those on black-tailed prairie dog towns, the magnitude of these differences may be different.
The species of Myrsidea Waterston (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the Galápagos Islands, with descriptions of new taxa

Three species and one subspecies of lice in the genus Myrsidea are described and illustrated from passerine hosts from the Galapagos Islands. New taxa are: Myrsidea darwini new species (type host Geospiza fuliginosa Gould, Emberizidae); Myrsidea nesomimi nesomimi new species and subspecies (type host Nesomimus macdonaldi Ridgway, Mimidae); and Myrsidea nesomimi borealis new subspecies (type host Nesomimus parvulus (Gould), Mimidae). Myrsidea ridulosa (Kellogg & Chapman) is recorded for the first time in the Galapagos Islands, from Dendroica petechia aureola (Gould) (Parulidae). Myrsidea nesomimi is the first species of Myrsidea described from members of the family Mimidae.
Landscapes of the Kruger National Park

Knowledge on the abiotic and biotic components of the Kruger National Park (KNP) system has increased to such an extent, that it was possible to zonate the KNP into landscapes. A landscape was defined as an area with a specific geomorphology, climate, soil and vegetation pattern together with the associated fauna. On this basis 35 landscapes were identified and described in terms of the components mentioned in the definition. The objective of classification is that future management should be based on these landscapes. Relevant management considerations may change, but the landscape a@ a basic functional unit should not be negotiable.
Lag times and exotic species: The ecology and management of biological invasions in slow-motion

ABSTRACT Time lags can be found throughout the invasion process, including in the arrival, establishment, and impacts of invaders. While we often lack the information necessary to generate quantitative expectations of invader performance, some types of lags are not surprising. For example, populations often grow exponentially in the early phases of invasion, and this will give rise to an inherent lag. More broadly, early rates of anthropogenic invasion were much slower than what we are now witnessing, but as the vectors of invasion have also increased dramatically over time, this early lag is not unexpected. Many other lags, however, appear dramatically prolonged, and can come to an end with changes to the invader or its environment. For example, exotics can exist in relatively low numbers for decades before exploding, or invaders can become more aggressive over time and increase their impacts on native species. Invasion-related lags are critical for our efforts to manage invaders, as they may lead us to make inaccurate assessments of the risks posed by invaders as well as miss critical windows for action. Recognition of the phenomenon of long lags before sudden changes in invader dynamics also suggests that we adopt a strict precautionary principle: we should assume that any invader has the potential for undesirable effects and that long periods of seemingly consistent behaviour can be poor predictors of what invaders will do in the future.
Prodigiosin - an antibacterial red pigment produced by Serratia marcescens IBRL USM 84 associated with a marine sponge Xestospongia testudinaria -

The objectives of present study are to extract the antibiotic compound from marine isolate and to determine its in vitro antimicrobial activity against bacteria. A marine bacterial isolate Serratia marcescens IBRL USM 84 was isolated from the surface of a marine sponge Xestospongia testudinaria. This species of bacteria produced red pigment with antibacterial activity. The red antibacterial pigment was produced intracellularly and inhibited 13 out of 18 tested bacteria, with Gram positive was more susceptible than the Gram negative bacteria. The growth and antibacterial red pigment production profiles demonstrated the highest antibacterial red pigment production was achieved at the 48 hours of cultivation (14.08 U/ml) time in marine broth when incubated at 25°C with 150 rpm agitation. The antibacterial red pigment was extracted, purified and confirmed as prodigiosin.
Reconstructing the population dynamics of sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus) in the Baltic Sea in the 20th century

Long time-series of population dynamics are increasingly needed in order to understand human impacts on marine ecosystems and support their sustainable management. In this study, the estimates of sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus) biomass in the Baltic Sea were extended back from the beginning of ICES stock assessments in 1974 to the early 1900s. The analyses identified peaks in sprat spawner biomass in the beginning of the 1930s, 1960s, and 1970s at � 900 kt. Only a half of that biomass was estimated for the late 1930s, for the period from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, and for the mid-1960s. For the 1900s, fisheries landings suggest a relatively high biomass, similar to the early 1930s. The exploitation rate of sprat was low until the development of pelagic fisheries in the 1960s. Spatially resolved analyses from the 1960s onwards demonstrate changes in the distribution of sprat biomass over time. The average body weight of sprat by age in the 1950s to 1970s was higher than at present, but lower than during the 1980s to 1990s. The results of this study facilitate new analyses of the effects of climate, predation, and anthropogenic drivers on sprat, and contribute to setting long-term management strategies for the Baltic Sea.
A new genus and new species of Desmosomatidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota) from the deep sea of south-eastern Australia

Brix, S. 2006. A new genus and new species of Desmosomatidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota) from the deep sea of south-eastern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63(2): 175–205. A new genus and species, Chelantermedia composita sp. nov., and fi ve new species of Desmosomatidae Sars, 1897 (Paradesmosoma australis sp. nov., Oecidiobranchus nowrae sp. nov., Disparella kensleyi sp. nov., Whoia victoriensis sp. nov., Echinopleura cephalomagna sp. nov.) are described from the deep sea off south-eastern Australia. The species of Desmosomatidae sampled in 1988 are the fi rst record of this family in Australian waters.
NH3 emissions from land application of manures and N-fertilisers: a review of the Italian literature

One of the major pathways of nitrogen (N) loss from agricultural systems is represented by ammonia (NH3) volatilisation. At the global scale, soil application of livestock manures and N-fertilisers represents one of the main sources of this atmospheric pollutant. A literature review was carried out over 78 field trials in order to collect and summarise the research on NH3 emission from land application of manure and N-fertiliser in Italy. Data availability proved to be still limited in terms of coverage of the national territory, representativeness of the measurement method used, type of fertiliser and application strategies explored. Coherently with their importance as NH3 emission sources, livestock manures and urea have been the most assessed materials. From a methodological perspective, the measurements were mostly performed on non-representative scales and the collected data present large weaknesses due to lacking information on the variables that regulate losses of this gas to the atmosphere. The measured emission factors (EFs) have proved to be consistent with the ranges reported by international literature, showing appreciable differences in magnitude among manures and synthetic N-fertilisers and among different field management practices. This is supported by the ALFAM model estimation, which has also shown a strong dependency upon the simulated measurement methods. The reviewed EFs for the different type of fertilisers were compared with the values used by the European and Italian emission inventories. Despite the agreement between these values, our analysis emphasized that the reviewed EFs cannot be regarded as representative for the national territory, mainly because of inconsistencies in the measurement methods.
Some properties of yoghurt produced by adding mulberry pekmez (concentrated juice)

Fruit-flavoured yoghurt was made by adding 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0% mulberry pekmez (MP) into milk. The effects of the MP on the quality and fermentation process of the yoghurt were determined. The titratable acidity, pH, viscosity, whey separation and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts were determined at weekly intervals for 28 days. The pH range of the MP yoghurts was 4.65-5.57 and the pH of the plain yoghurt was 4.47 (P < 0.05). The addition of MP led to an increase in the fermentation time and a decrease in the viscosity of the yoghurts. Statistically significant differences were found between the plain and MP yoghurts in terms of pH (4.01 and 4.35), viscosity (5429 and 3175 cP) and number of LAB (7.07 and 6.48 log cfu). During storage, the titratable acidity, viscosity and LAB counts of MP yoghurts were lower and the whey separations higher than those of controls.
Isolation, Biochemical and PGP characterization of endophytic Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from chilli red fruit antagonistic against chilli anthracnose disease

Beneficial plant-microbe interactions that promote plant health and development have been the subject of considerable study. Endophytic bacteria can be defined as those bacteria that colonize the internal tissue of the plant showing no external sign of infection or negative effect on their host (Holliday, 1989; Schulz & Boyle, 2006). Nearly 3,00,000 plant species that exist on the earth, each individual plant is host to one or more endophytes (Strobel et al., 2004). Bacterial endophytes colonize an ecological niche similar to that of phytopathogens, which makes them suitable as biocontrol agents (Berg et al., 2006). Indeed, numerous studies reported the capacity if endophytes to control plant pathogens insects and nematodes (Sturz & Matheson, 1996; Duijff et al., 1997; Krishnamurthy & Gnanamanickam, 1997, Azevedo et al., 2000, Hallmann et al., 1997, 1998). Endophytes also accelerate seedlings emergence, promote plant establishment under adverse conditions (Chanway 1997, Bent & Chanway 1998). Chilli (Capsicum annuum L) is one of the major spice crops grown in India. There are various diseases of chilli caused by ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 3 Number 2 (2014) pp. 318-329 http://www.ijcmas. com
Field Evaluation of Peanut Genotypes for Resistance to Infection by Aspergillus parasiticus1,2

Abstract Fourteen peanut genotypes (Arachis hypogaea) were evaluated for resistance to Aspergillus parasiticus infection in 1983 and 1984 in rain-shaded field microplots where water stress conditions were simulated, and in unshaded microplots under normal rainfall conditions. A brown color mutant of A. parasiticus (ATCC 24690) was grown on cracked corn and the colonized corn was spread on the soil in each microplot. Soil moisture and soil and air temperature were monitored. Infection of peanut pegs, pods, kernels and tap and fibrous roots was enhanced by low soil moisture. Infection of kernels differed among genotypes; all other tissues were found to be infected at moderate to high frequency and no genotype differences were observed. Genotypes J-11 and Lampang were characterized as resistant to A. parasiticus under both dry (1983) and moist (1984) field conditions. Although percentage infection of kernels varied with genotype, ranking of genotypes reported to have drought resistance was consistent under b.
Microsatellites identify introduced New Zealand tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) as an ‘extinct’ taxon

The range of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) has decreased substantially in Australia in recent times. Because two introduced populations in New Zealand may have descended from a now‐extinct Australian population(s), we investigated their origins using a novel approach. We combined data from seven highly polymorphic microsatellite markers with simulation modelling to infer the history and conservation value of the New Zealand populations. The microsatellite alleles in one New Zealand population (Rotorua) are merely a subset of those in the other (Kawau Is.), suggesting Rotorua had no immigrants from an independent source. However, in the Kawau Is. population (sample size 33–37), 37 alleles were absent that were present in the Kangaroo Is. (South Australia) population at frequencies ranging from 1–40%. The probability of those alleles being lost during a founding event from Kangaroo Is. was investigated using a program that simulates the genetic consequences of population size bottlenecks. Use of realistic bottleneck parameters resulted in probabilities approaching zero that the observed allele deficiencies in the Kawau population could have occurred randomly, identifying the New Zealand tammar wallabies as descendants of a distinct taxon that is no longer extant in Australia.
Error Signatures to identify Errors in ASR in an unsupervised fashion

Large scale ASR systems are trained on thousands of hours of speech. Usually, many of these training data were automatically transcribed by another ASR system due to a lack of manual transcriptions and a lack of resources to transcribe them. Systems trained in such a fashion are biased towards the transcription system. In the past, confidence models have been investigated to exclude data from training. We propose to investigate areas of low confidence by extending our previous work. For this purpose we aggregate potential errors of ASR systems by ascribing a list of attributes to each potential error and find a set of attributes which best describe the errors encountered on an automatically transcribed set. We call these characteristic sets of attributes Error Signatures. Examples of attributes are word identity, phonemes, acoustic models, word context, speaker id, and language id. For each Error Signatures, an error ratio is computed, giving the probability that the signature properly describes the error. Error ratios and occurrence frequencies are used to sort the signatures and present them to an expert to fix the Error Signatures underlying shortcomings of the ASR system.
Dynamics of formation and secretion of heterococcoliths by Coccolithus pelagicus ssp. braarudii

The formation and secretion of heterococcoliths by the non-motile life phase of the coccolithophore Coccolithus pelagicus was investigated using electron microscopy and time-lapse bright field imaging. Coccolithogenesis in C. pelagicus exhibited sequential mineralization of single coccoliths in Golgi-derived and nuclear-associated vesicles, a pattern similar to the formation of heterococcoliths in Emiliania huxleyi. Our TEM data show that only on maturation does the single coccolith vesicle migrate away from the nucleus before secretion. A reticular body, distinct from the Golgi body, was also clearly visible at the distal surface of the developing coccolith vesicle, suggesting this is a common structural feature in placolith cells that mineralize and secrete coccoliths one at a time. Time-lapse imaging revealed that the coccolith secretion process is rapid, taking 60–190 seconds, and involves considerable contractile activity to eject and position the coccolith on the surface of the cell. An intact flagellar root apparatus was discovered at the anterior pole of this non-motile cell from which polarized secretion of coccoliths occurs, which may indicate a novel role for such cytoskeletal structures. Freeze-fracture preparations revealed columnar deposits and adhesions linking the scales and coccolith baseplates to the cell, across the periplasmic space providing points of attachment for cellular movement. Rotatory movements of the cell relative to external coccoliths were exhibited by all actively calcifying cells. These movements enable the cell, while exhibiting morphologically polarized secretion, to locate and secrete a mature coccolith in a spatially well-defined manner. Finally, the time-lapse imaging approach described here provides an opportunity to quantify the regulation of coccolith production in single cells with high temporal resolution allowing responses of calcification to rapidly fluctuating environmental conditions such as light–dark transitions to be examined in detail, which has not been possible with bulk calcification studies.
Endophytic mycobiota of medicinal plant Butea monosperma

Endophytic fungi are an important group of microorganisms associated with many of the plant species (Hyde and Soytong, 2008; Rodriguez et al., 2009). Understanding the extent of diversity in this group of unique fungi is essential to assess fungal diversity. A wide range of fungi have been reported as endophytes of several plants (Hyde and Soytong, 2008; Rodriguez et al., 2009). Many of the plant characters like tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress, chemical constituents of plant parts, growth rate and extent of reproduction are attributed to associated endophytic fungi (Schulz et al., 1993; Bayman et al., 1997; Schardl and Phillip, 1997; Ananda and Sridhar, 2002; Suryanarayanan et al., 2003; Ganley et al., 2004; Li et al., 2007; Marquez et al., 2008; Bezerra et al., 2012; Sun et al., 2012). Little is known about diversity and abundance of endophytic fungi in tropical and subtropical trees (Arnold et al., 2001; Bezerra et al., 2013). Endophytic fungal diversity is not well documented in woody plants (Clay and Schardl, 2002; Arnold et al., 2003; Strobel and Daisy, 2003). Pattern of abundance, diversity and taxonomic components of tropical endophytes appears to be distinct (Arnold et al., 2001). Species rich ecological assemblages of fungi were found as endophytes in tropical trees (Ganley et al., 2004; Tejasvi et al., 2005). There is a ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 12 (2013) pp. 615-627 http://www.ijcmas. com