Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efeitos da época de queima sobre a reprodução sexuada e estrutura populacional de Heteropterys pteropetala (Adr. Juss.), Malpighiaceae, em áreas de Cerrado sensu stricto submetidas a queimas bienais

Heteropterys pteropetala is a 1-2 meter height shrub characteristic from Cerrado vegetation, Brazil. Their anemochorous seeds are dispersed during the dry season (mid-May to mid-Sept). We investigated the effects of the fire season on sexual reproduction and population structure of this species in a cerrado sensu stricto at Reserva Ecologica do IBGE, Brasilia, DF, Brazil. The study area is part of the Fire Program (RECOR/UnB), in which plots have been submitted to biennial fires in three different months (June, August, September) since 1992. A fourth plot (control) is protected from fire. We quantified the number of seeds dispersed each month, tested the effects of high temperatures on seed viability and germination, estimated the population dispersion and density, and measured the individual's height and basal diameter in each plot. Seed dispersal occurred from Jun to Sept, but 90% of the seeds was released between July and Aug. Temperature treatments of 60 oC/40', 80 oC/10' and 100oC/2'30" had no effect on seed viability (>80%) and germination (>70%), but exposures to 100 oC/5', 100 oC/10' and 200 oC/1' killed about 50, 90 and 100% of the seeds, respectively (n=200 seeds/treatment). Population dispersion was aggregated in the four plots (Morisita Index>1). Individual's average height and basal diameter were similar among plots. Population density was low in the early-fire plot (burn in June), but in the mid- and late-fire plots (Aug and Sept) it was similar to control plot. We suggest that early-fires kill most seeds, because they are still attached to mother-plants, indeed subjected to extreme temperatures (~500 oC). In Aug (mid-) and Sept (late-fire) seeds have been released and may be buried and protected from extreme temperatures during the burning. The results suggest that early-fires reduce plant recruitment mainly by its effects on seed survival and germination.
Isolation and Characterization of Sperm Cells in Flowering Plants

INTRODUCTION 189 DEVELOPMENTAL CONTEXT OF SPERM CELLS 190 Structural Characterization. 190 Sperm Dimorphism and Preferential Fertilization. 191 ISOLATION OF SPERM CELLS 192 Technical Details and Protocols . 193 Assessment of Sperm Cell Quality 197 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SPERM CELLS 198 Immunological Characterization . 198 PolypeptidelProtein Characterization . 198 Elemental Characterization. 199 Molecular Characterization 200 CONCLUSIONS AND OVERVIEW 200
The Maple Leaf Cutter, Paraclemensia acerifoliella (Fitch) (Lepidoptera: Incurvariidae), Descriptions of Stages

The following is chiefly a description of taxonomically important features of all stages of Paraclemensia acerifoliella (Fitch). Heretofore the most detailed description of the stages of an incurvariid appeared in Jensen's (1932) paper on Incurvaria koerneriella Zell. Classification and Synonomy The maple leaf cutter, Paraclemensia acerifoliella (Fitch), belongs to the Incurvariidae, one of the most primitive families in the suborder Frenatae (suborder Monotrysia of Börner, 1939). Asa Fitch (1856) described this species and placed it in the genus Ornix in the family Tineidae. Clemens (1860) referred it to the genus Incurvaria with the remarks that “The wing structure departs from that of the genus [Incurvaria]…. ”
Efficiency as a foraging currency in animals attaining a gain below the energetic ceiling

Previous research has found that efficiency, or, more precisely, the foraging gain ratio (FGR), is a valid currency in foraging theory when (1) there is a limit to the energy that can be assimilated by the forager and (2) a forager is trying to meet an energy requirement. The FGR is b/ (c -- c-sub-r), where b is the rate of metabolizable energy intake, and c and c-sub-r are the rates of energy expenditure while foraging and resting, respectively. Here I show that, when energy expenditure has a cost besides energy, animals should also choose the option with the highest FGR when they are aiming at a given positive daily gain. The next question is which gain they should aim for? Researchers have shown that observed intake levels of growing ruminants are close to the levels predicted by maximization of the efficiency of oxygen utilization. This currency can be approximated by (B -- C + C-sub-r) / C, where B is the daily metabolizable energy intake, and C and C-sub-r are the total and basal daily energy expenditures, respectively. By simulating growth at different intake levels, I found that mass-specific oxygen consumption rate is indeed minimal at the observed intake levels. This is the first study in which these efficiency measures (FGR and the efficiency of oxygen utilization) are combined. Copyright 2002.
Managing for rainfall variability: effect of grazing strategy on cattle production in a dry tropical savanna

Rainfall variability is a challenge to sustainable and pro. table cattle production in northern Australia. Strategies recommended to manage for rainfall variability, like light or variable stocking, are not widely adopted. This is due partly to the perception that sustainability and profitability are incompatible. A large, long-term grazing trial was initiated in 1997 in north Queensland, Australia, to test the effect of different grazing strategies on cattle production. These strategies are: (i) constant light stocking (LSR) at long-term carrying capacity (LTCC); (ii) constant heavy stocking (HSR) at twice LTCC; (iii) rotational wet-season spelling (R/Spell) at 1.5 LTCC; (iv) variable stocking (VAR), with stocking rates adjusted in May based on available pasture; and (v) a Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) variable strategy, with stocking rates adjusted in November, based on available pasture and SOI seasonal forecasts. Animal performance varied markedly over the 10 years for which data is presented, due to pronounced differences in rainfall and pasture availability. Nonetheless, lighter stocking at or about LTCC consistently gave the best individual liveweight gain (LWG), condition score and skeletal growth; mean LWG per annum was thus highest in the LSR (113 kg), intermediate in the R/Spell (104 kg) and lowest in the HSR(86 kg). MeanLWGwas 106 kg in the VAR and 103 kg in the SOI but, in all years, the relative performance of these strategies was dependent upon the stocking rate applied. After 2 years on the trial, steers from lightly stocked strategies were 60-100 kg heavier and received appreciable carcass price premiums at the meatworks compared to those under heavy stocking. In contrast, LWG per unit area was greatest at stocking rates of about twice LTCC; mean LWG/ha was thus greatest in the HSR (21 kg/ha), but this strategy required drought feeding in four of the 10 years and was unsustainable. Although LWG/ha was lower in the LSR (mean 14 kg/ha), or in strategies that reduced stocking rates in dry years like the VAR(mean 18 kg/ha) and SOI (mean 17 kg/ha), these strategies did not require drought feeding and appeared sustainable. The R/Spell strategy (mean 16 kg/ha) was compromised by an ill-timed fire, but also performed satisfactorily. The present results provide important evidence challenging the assumption that sustainable management in a variable environment is unprofitable. Further research is required to fully quantify the long-term effects of these strategies on land condition and profitability and to extrapolate the results to breeder performance at the property level.
The biology and ecology of the large pine weevil, Hylobius abietis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): a problem of dispersal?

The biology and pest status of Hylobius abietis Linnaeus in Europe are critically reviewed. New data are presented and the relationships between the weevil and its host plants considered. In Europe, H. abietis is the major pest of establishment forestry causing millions of ECUs of damage annually and perpetuating the addition of insecticide residues to sensitive habitats. Predator and parasitoid complexes in Britain and Europe are compared and contrasted. The lack of knowledge of the processes involved in adult dispersal and longevity are highlighted as major areas of concern. The biology and behaviour of the adult and larval stages are reviewed and new data presented. The feeding preferences of the adult weevils are considered and the possibility of using deterrents as a pest management strategy discussed. The development of risk assessment and forecasting tools aimed at more effective deployment of pest-management options are discussed. Risk criteria have their origins in important ecological relationships which require new understanding, but the prospects for determining high-risk forest sites are promising. The options for biological control are evaluated, in particular the use of mycopesticides and increased larval predation. It is concluded that much more research into the biology and ecology of H. abietis is required before a successful Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme can be initiated.
Analysis of phytase producing bacteria (Pseudomonas sp.) from poultry faeces and optimization of this enzyme production

Phytase producing bacteria were isolated in media (phytase specific medium) with phytin and glucose as the only sources of phosphate carbon, from soil and poultry faeces. Among the five isolated strains, one identified that Pseudomonas sp. has high phytas activities. The result showed that isolated Pseudomonas produced 23 mm clear zone on solid media and 800 U/ml in phytase specific broth medium. The enzyme is produced extracellularly in the late stage of exponential growth. The maximum production of phytase by this isolated was obtained after 72 h incubation at 28oC and 180 rpm shaking. The best carbon and nitrogen sources for maximum phytase production were 1.5% glucose and 0.5% malt extract, respectively.
Effect of NaCI Salinity on Flows and Partitioning of C, N, and Mineral Ions in Whole Plants of White Lupin, Lupinus albusL.

Plants of Lupinus albus L. , cv. Ultri. were grown hydroponicilly with NO 3 - -nutrition for 51 d under control (0.05 mol m -3 Na + and 1.0 mol m -3 Cl - ) and saline (40 mol m -3 NaCl) conditions. Plants were harvested 41 and 51 d after germination and analysed for content and net increment of C, N and the mineral cations K + , Na + , Mg 2+ , and Ca 2+ and the anions Cl - , NO 3 - malate, phosphate, and SO 4 2-
Recent climate changes interact with stand structure and management to determine changes in tree carbon stocks in Spanish forests

Most temperate forests are accumulating carbon (C) and may continue to do so in the near future. However, the situation may be different in water‐limited ecosystems, where the potentially positive effects of C and N fertilization and rising temperatures interact with water availability. In this study, we use the extensive network of plots of two consecutive Spanish national forest inventories to identify the factors that determine the spatial variation of the C stock change, growth, and mortality rate of forests in Peninsular Spain (below‐ and aboveground). We fitted general linear models to assess the response of C stock change and its components to the spatial variability of climate (in terms of water availability), forest structure (tree density and C stock), previous forest management, and the recent warming trend. Our results show that undisturbed forests in Peninsular Spain are accumulating C at a rate of ~1.4 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, and that forest structural variables are the main determinants of forest growth and C stock change. Water availability was positively related to growth and C accumulation. On the other hand, recent warming has reduced growth rate and C accumulation, especially in wet areas. Spatial variation in mortality (in terms of C loss) was mostly driven by differences in growth rate across plots, and was consistent with ‘natural’, self‐thinning dynamics related to the recent abandonment of forest management over large areas of Spain, with the consequent increase in tree density and competition. Interestingly, the negative effect of warming on forest C accumulation disappears if only managed stands are considered, emphasizing the potential of forest management to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, the effect of forest management was weak and, in some cases, not significant, implying the need of further research on its impact.
Competition between diploid and derivative autotetraploid Dactylis glomerata L. from Galicia. Implications for the establishment of novel polyploid populations.

The competitive ability of a tetraploid, and its morphologically indistinguishable progenitor diploid Dactylis glomerata L. , from Galicia (Spain), was tested in a two-year study, using isolated plants and the same individuals grown at two densities (16 and 36 plants per pot, respectively). Inverse linear regression equations were used to quantify the response of the different ploidy levels (hereafter cytotypes) to density. For the diploids, inter-cytotype competition coefficients were significantly higher than intra-cytotype coefficients. The substitution rate increased from 1. in the first year to 3.9 in the second year, when most of the diploids failed to flower and some died. The competitive superiority of the tetraploids was associated with higher mean tiller weight, particularly in the mixed cultures. The tetraploids also had heavier seeds and faster leaf production in early spring, and they flowered earlier than the diploids. Several of these differences between cytotypes appear to be due to differences in ploidy level and may play a major role in the establishment of the tetraploids in Galician pastures, where competition is high.
Latitudinal Variation in Reproductive Strategies by the Migratory Louisiana Waterthrush

Abstract. We evaluated hypotheses that seek to explain breeding strategies of the Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) that vary across a latitudinal gradient. On the basis of data from 418 nests of color-banded individuals in southwestern Pennsylvania and 700 km south in the Georgia Piedmont, we found that clutch size in replacement nests and probability of renesting were significantly greater in Pennsylvania (clutch size 4.4; renesting probability 0.66) than in Georgia (clutch size 3.8; renesting probability 0.54). Contrasts of the remaining measures of breeding were not statistically significant, and, in particular, mean daily nest survival in the two study areas was nearly identical (0.974 in Pennsylvania; 0.975 in Georgia). An individual-based model of fecundity (i.e., number of fledged young per adult female), predicted that approximately half of the females in both Pennsylvania and Georgia fledge at least one young, and mean values for fecundity in Pennsylvania and Georgia were 2.28 and 1.91, respectively. On the basis of greater support for the food-limitation hypothesis than for the season-length hypothesis, the trade-off between breeding in a region with more food but making a longer migration may be greater for waterthrushes breeding farther north than for those breeding farther south.
Contribution of Integrated Learning through STEM Education in ASEAN Countries

Abstract: Contribution of Integrated Learning through STEM Education in ASEAN Countries. Objectives: This article reviews and criticizes research reports on STEM education in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN countries. Methods: The study conducted through ACI database as an investigation source, a total of 24 articles were reviewed between the years 2013 and 2019. Data were analyzed by the main key of pedagogical practices, also is focused on the implementations of STEM education in an effective classroom. Findings: Findings showed that STEM education used in a variety of integrated pedagogical practices by different concepts and contexts.The process of STEM learning emphasizes on engineering process than the science process. It is generally drawn by 5D in a thematic approach: define, design, develop, debrief, and disseminate. Conclusions: Technology and design-based learning are calling for future research and the contribution of pedagogical practices in a diverse classroom. Keywords: pedagogy, ASEAN, integrated learning, STEM education, pedagogical practices. Abstrak: Kontribusi Pembelajaran Terpadu melalui Pendidikan STEM di Negara-negara ASEAN. Tujuan: Artikel ini mengkaji dan mengkritik laporan penelitian tentang pendidikan STEM di negara-negara ASEAN. Metode: Penelitian dilakukan melalui database ACI sebagai sumber investigasi dengan total 24 artikel yang dikaji berkisar antara tahun 2013 dan 2019. Data dianalisis melalui pedoman utama praktik-praktik pedagogis, juga difokuskan pada implementasi pendidikan STEM didalam kelas. Temuan: Temuan menunjukkan bahwa pendidikan STEM digunakan dalam berbagai praktik pedagogis terintegrasi dengan konsep dan konteks yang berbeda. Proses pembelajaran STEM menekankan pada proses rekayasa daripada proses sains. Secara umum digambarkan dengan 5D dalam pendekatan tematis yaitu: mendefinisikan, merancang, mengembangkan, menanya, dan menyebarluaskan. Pembelajaran berbasis desain dan teknologi menyerukan penelitian di masa yang akan datang dan kontribusi praktik pedagogis di ruang kelas yang beragam. Kata kunci: pedagogi, ASEAN, pembelajaran terintegrasi, pendidikan STEM, praktik pedagogis. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.23960/jpp.v10. i1.202002
Ionenkanalmodulation durch Interferon in Layer V Pyramidenneuronen des somatosensorischen Cortex

To feel sick is a mental process. The symptoms (fatigue, drowsiness, anorexia, impaired attention, . . . ) are considered as adaptations of the organism to overcome infections. The development of these symptoms requires the possibility of the immune system to communicate with the nervous system. Cytokines play an important part in this communication, which has been shown extensively for interleukins. Also the application of interferon during medical treatment (e. g. multiple sclerosis, Hepatitis C) leads to flu-like symptoms. On the cellular level, neurons respond to interferon with an increased excitability. Based on this, the central hypothesis of this study states the following: interferon acts as a modulator of neuronal ion channels. The hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated cation (HCN) channel codetermines neuronal excitability. The results of this study show that both, type I interferons (IFN-α and IFN-β) and type II interferon (IFN-γ) reduce and slow down the current mediated by these channels (Ih) in layer V pyramidal neurons of the somatosensory cortex. The modulation does not depend on the glial environment, but on the functioning of the interferon signal pathway within neurons. Ih plays an important role at the dendritic computation, among others by influencing the frequency behaviour of neurons. The application of interferon causes a significant change of this characteristic. Previous investigation showed an influence of interferon on the neuronal firing behaviour. In an in silico simulation of a layer V neuron, this result could only be reproduced by multiple ion channel modulations (HCN as well as potassium and sodium channels). One of the postulated modulations (on the potassium current Im) could already be verified in vitro. Classically, interferons were considered as slow acting, antiviral molecules. This survey shows, that in addition they also act as acute neuromodulators of various ion channels. Hereby an oriented shift of the neuronal state takes place: the application of interferon increases the firing rate gain, the neuron starts to fire at lower input currents and reacts stronger to incoming signals with lower frequencies. The interaction of all modulations to generate a state of higher excitability counts against an evolutionary epiphenomenon arising from coincidental overlapping of the antiviral and ion channel modulation signal pathways. In contrast, the neuromodulation by interferon may provide one cellular basis underlying the devolopment of sickness behaviour.
Using Sharp-Tailed Grouse Movement Patterns to Guide Release-Site Selection

Abstract Prairie grouse populations are difficult to reestablish after extirpation. Following translocation, distances individuals move from the release site appear to affect restoration success. Previous authors have suggested assessing lek, nest–brood, and winter habitat when selecting release sites. We examined movement of 131 (66 M and 65 F) radiomarked Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) translocated during 1999–2002 as part of management effort to restore populations to historical ranges in northeastern Nevada, USA, an area where sharp-tailed grouse have not been observed in the wild since the 1950s. We released grouse at 2 sites. We chose the initial site based on its physiographic and vegetation similarities to capture sites in Idaho, USA, particularly shrub–steppe at lower elevations and mountain shrub at higher elevations, and used it during 1999 and 2000 (34 M, 18 F in 1999; 42 M, 26 F in 2000). Females released at this site moved greater distances than males through time, with no differences between years. We changed the release site based on nest locations of previously translocated females. The second site was 10 km south of site 1 and we used it in 2001 and 2002 (36 M, 22 F in 2001; 14 M, 5 F in 2002). Grouse released at this site moved substantially shorter distances than did the grouse initially released, and movement distances did not differ by gender or year. During 2004 we observed 23 grouse displaying on a lek near site 2 and observed no grouse near site 1. Our results support the hypothesis that nest-site availability is an important component to release-site selection insofar as sharp-tailed grouse in our study moved less when released into habitat that had been selected for nesting by previously released grouse.
Egg colouration and male parental effort in the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca

A recent hypothesis posits that the bright colours of many avian eggs may act like signals of female genetic quality or condition to males in species with biparental care, inducing them to work harder for their offspring. We measured the colour of blue eggs of pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in Central Spain with a spectrophotometer on the day of laying, and also quantified the provisioning effort by males and females during the last days of the nestling period. Both chromaticity coordinates in the CIELAB colour space (blue to yellow, green to red) showed significant associations with male provisioning rates, explaining more than 20% of variation in male parental effort. Male provisioning rates were positively correlated with nestling condition, thereby potentially contributing to female fitness. This evidence is only tentative until experimental confirmation, but suggests that males are affected by the colour of their mates’ eggs, a possibility not considered hitherto in the study of sexual selection.