Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
No evidence for long‐term increases in biomass and stem density in the tropical rain forests of Australia

Pervasive increases in biomass and stem density of tropical forests have been recorded in recent decades, potentially having significant implications for carbon storage, biodiversity and ecosystem function. This trend is widely considered to be the result of multidecadal and global scale growth stimulation arising from increases in atmospheric CO2 and temperatures. However, contrasting patterns have been recorded across the tropics, and the role of disturbance in driving biomass and stem dynamics has been highlighted as an alternative explanation. Australian tropical forests have rarely been assessed in pan‐tropical analyses of long‐term dynamics. We have measured recruitment, mortality and growth in 20 permanent plots in tropical forest across north‐eastern Australia since 1971. We assess changes in plot level above‐ground live biomass (AGB) and stem density, and compare our results with those documented over a similar time frame in the neo‐tropics. No significant increase in AGB was found over the 40‐year time period. Above‐ground biomass tended to increase over the first two decades of the monitoring period and decrease in the final two with gain terms (growth and recruitment) lower than loss terms (mortality) by the final decade (2000s). Stem density significantly decreased over the monitoring period with recruitment consistently lower than mortality. There was large variation in individual plots in their pattern of AGB and stem density changes over time which was consistent with the response of each plot to known disturbance events, including cyclones, pathogen outbreaks and drought. Our results are in contrast to those described for neo‐tropical plots which appear to show a widespread pattern of increasing growth and stem density. Synthesis. The trend towards increasing biomass and stem density of tropical forests described for the neo‐tropics does not necessarily reflect patterns in areas of the tropics where large‐scale natural disturbances are relatively frequent. Australian tropical rain forests are either not increasing in productivity in response to global change, or cyclones and other regional and local mechanisms of change mask any evidence of larger‐scale patterns.
Plethodontid salamanders do not conform to “general rules” for ectotherm life histories: insights from allocation models about why simple models do not make accurate predictions

Recent theoretical models hold that temperature imposes unalterable physiological effects on ectotherm growth and development such that their life histories are dictated by local biophysical environments. Models relying on this premise have been offered to explain many life history phenotypes including threshold traits such as age/size at metamorphosis/maturity. Because threshold traits are thought to influence adult fitness components by affecting performance of an individual in its new habitat, they are evolutionarily important components of complex life cycles. Consequently, the ecological and genetical basis of variation in such traits has been the focus of a large research program by evolutionary biologists, and amphibians have been model systems for these studies in the last three decades. Smith-Gill and Berven proposed a physiological model to explain commonly observed clinal patterns of variation in metamorphosis, and it appears to account successfully for patterns observed in a few species of pond-breeding frogs and salamanders (Rana and Ambystoma). However, six species of stream-breeding salamanders (family Plethodontidae: Desmognathus, Pseudotriton, Eurycea) contradict both the phenotypic patterns found in nature for pond-breeding species as well as the predictions of this model. Four of the six species of plethodontids have significantly larger metamorphs at lower, warmer elevations (or more southerly latitudes) rather than at higher, cooler sites; two species show no clinal pattern. In light of these results, we critically examine the assumptions of and support for SGB. We propose alternative hypotheses to explain patterns of variation in metamorphic traits along thermal gradients, focusing on a) differences between pond-breeding Amphibia and plethodontids in basic biology and larval habitats, b) gradients in other biotic and abiotic factors, and c) other effects of temperature on organismal function. Finally, we discuss our results in the context of current models of how ectotherm life histories are affected by temperature.
Biology of Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) caught by the Queensland Shark Meshing Program off Townsville, Australia

The biology of 835 specimens of Galeocerdo cuvier caught between 1964 and 1986 off Townsville, Australia, was examined. The sharks were caught in a protective meshing programme using both large mesh gill-nets and set lines. The size at birth was estimated to be 80-90 cm total length, and females matured at approximately 287 cm total length. Litter sizes ranged from 6 to 56. Breeding and pupping both appear to occur in summer, with females not breeding every year. Mature females possibly migrate inshore during late spring and summer to give birth. The sex ratio of juveniles and adults favoured females, with few adult males being caught. Ontogenic changes in the diet were observed, with juveniles feeding predominantly on teleosts, sea snakes and birds and adults mostly consuming teleosts, sea snakes, turtles and crabs. There was no apparent decrease in the population size of G. cuvier in the Townsville area as a result of the long-term catching of sharks by the protective meshing programme.
Studying an SoC with Virtual Self-timed Blocks using MATLAB Simulink

In order to increase the power efficiency of IP cores in an SoC, a Self-timed Event Processor (STEP) is modelled and designed in our previous research to provide power management and event handling for each IP core in a frame of Virtual Self-timed Block (VSB). This paper presents the construction of an example SoC with four VSBs in MATLAB Simulink where a test bench named as “ball game” was implemented. The benchmark achieved from MATLAB Simulation verified the correctness and efficiency of our STEP design.
Osmolality and δ13C of Leaf Tissues of Mangrove Species from Environments of Contrasting Rainfall and Salinity

Abstract Neotropical species of the generaRhizophora, LagunculariaandAvicenniagrow in environments of variable salinity and flooding stress. Species ofRhizophorapredominate in riverine and low-energy coastal fringe environments with continuous water movement, whileLaguncularia racemosa, and particularlyAvicennia germinans, grow in areas with stagnating water.Avicennia germinansappears to have the largest range of salinity tolerance. The osmotic characteristics ofRhizophoraspp. ,L. racemosaandA. germinansin riverine and coastal environments of north-eastern Venezuela are described and correlated with edaphic and climatic factors. Mature, fully-exposed leaves were collected in humid riverine sites (San Juan River Estuary, Monagas and Sucre States), and seasonally dry coastal fringe habitats (the Unare Coastal Lagoon, and the Chimana Islands off-shore Puerto de La Cruz, Anzoategui State). Cleaned leaf samples were frozen until measurement of leaf dimensions, chlorophyll, phosphorus and nitrogen contents, δ13C, osmolality of cell sap, and cell sap content of Na, K and Cl. Results indicate: (1) in all species, leaf sap osmolality is highly and positively correlated with interstitial water salinity, and negatively correlated with leaf area; (2) nitrogen and phosphorus contents of leaves are generally lower in dry areas, but average values are not significantly different. Therefore, it appears that nutrient deficiency is not a main factor determining variations in community structure. Nitrogen content per unit dry weight is, in general, twice as high inA. germinanscompared toRhizophoraspecies andL. racemosa; (3) cell sap osmolality is mostly explained by the concentration of Na and Cl; (4) osmolality of riverine plants (957–1253 mmol kg−1) is lower than that of coastal plants (1558–1761 mmol kg−1); and (5) δ13C values are more negative in riverine (−27·4 to −28·1‰) than in coastal plants (−25·4 to −27·2‰), indicating a higher water-use efficiency in the latter. Coastal plants have a higher water-use efficiency but their growth is inhibited by salinity stress.
Effectiveness of mating call playbacks in anuran call monitoring: A case study of three‐striped pond frogs (Rana nigromaculata)

Abstract We studied the effectiveness of mating call playbacks on call monitoring of three‐striped pond frogs (Rana nigromaculata). Playback experiments were conducted between 2100 to 0030 at 15 sites located at Chungwon, Chungbuk, and Yeongi, Chungnam, in May 2005. We recorded call responses of 25 males to two different call playbacks, (i) single mating calls from a single male and (ii) chorus mating calls from five males, by randomly presenting the calls with a 15 min‐gap between the two playbacks. We compared the number of response calls of the focal males for three min before, during, and after the playbacks. Five of 25 males were silent before stimulus presentation, but all the males emitted calls after the playbacks. The number of calls in response to single playback calls significantly differed among the three playback periods, where males gave more calls during the playback than before or after the playbacks. In addition, subject males presented significantly more calls to single call playbacks than to chorus call playbacks. The results of this study suggest that playback using repeated single mating calls is effective in call monitoring of R. nigromaculata males.
Wheat Starch: Isolation, Structure and Properties

I am highly honored and pleased to receive the Award of Merit of the Japanese Society of Starch Science (JSSS). My connection with Japan and starch began when I was a graduate research assistant in the laboratories of Professor Roy L. Whistler at Purdue University. In the early 1960's, Professor Jiro Nikuni visited Professor Whistler's laboratory several times, and their common interest and love of starch science captivated many others. Within those same years, Professor Hidetsugu Fuwa returned to Purdue as a research associate in the laboratories of Professor Bernard Axelrod. In 1983, I visited Dr. Keiji Kainuma at Tsukuba City, and with his encouragement, I began to attend the meetings of the JSSS. Since then, I have returned to Japan often, where I have come to know and admire the qualities of its people, including talent, hospitality, discipline, allegiance, diligence, frugality, harmony, and love of solitude. I thank the members of the Society; my nominator; the Selection Committee; and the President of the Society, Professor Susumu Hizukuri , for this great honor. ISOLATION OF WHEAT STARCH
A spatial model of bird abundance as adjusted for detection probability

Modeling the spatial distribution of animals can be complicated by spatial and temporal effects (i.e. spatial autocorrelation and trends in abundance over time) and other factors such as imperfect detection probabilities and observation-related nuisance variables. Recent advances in modeling have demonstrated various approaches that handle most of these factors but which require a degree of sampling effort (e.g. replication) not available to many field studies. We present a two-step approach that addresses these challenges to spatially model species abundance. Habitat, spatial and temporal variables were handled with a Bayesian approach which facilitated modeling hierarchically structured data. Predicted abundance was subsequently adjusted to account for imperfect detection and the area effectively sampled for each species. We provide examples of our modeling approach for two endemic Hawaiian nectarivorous honeycreepers: ‘i‘iwi Vestiaria coccinea and ‘apapane Himatione sanguinea.
Synthesis and antifungal activity of six benzylic diamines

Six benzylic diamines were synthesised and examined for antifungal activity. Four of the compounds, KB 2, KB 4, KB 5 and KB 6, reduced radial growth of the oat leaf stripe pathogen Pyrenophora avenae, the largest reduction obtained with 25 μM KB 4, which reduced radial growth by 47%. Surprisingly, these four amines had no effect against infection of barley seedlings with the powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei. Instead, two different amines, KB 1 and KB 3, reduced powdery mildew infection on barley. The greatest reduction was obtained with 25 μM KB 3, which reduced mildew infection by 69%. All of the amines which exhibited antifungal or fungicidal properties perturbed polyamine formation as measured by the incorporation of labelled ornithine into polyamines.
Validation of SCIAMACHY in-flight measured irradiances, radiances and selected ENVISAT tracegas products by comparison with measurements from independent satellite instruments

A prerequisite for achieving a sufficient quality of high-level data products, particularly trace gas concentrations, is the radiometric calibration and characterisation of SCIAMACHY. The major aim of this project is thus the validation of SCHIAMACHY solar irradiance and limb and nadir radiance measurements (level-1 operational data products) by comparison with independent satellite measurements (SOLTICE, SUSIM, OSIRIS) and radiative transfer calculations during the first two years of operation in space. In addition, selected trace gas profiles (O3, NO2, H2O, CH4, and OClO) and total columns (O3 and NO2) from SCHIAMACHY, and in addition from GOMOS and MIPAS, are to be validated with other space borne sensors (GOME, HALOE, SAGE II, TOMS and SABER) in order to assess the level-2 data retrieval accuracy and its dependence on the radiometric calibration of the level-1 spectral data. The validation of both level-1 and level-2 data products in combination forms the baseline for the evaluation of all higher-level data products. The results from this project shall provide the required information to modify the level 1 and level 2 data processing in order to guarantee the high quality of the SCIAMACHY data products during the entire ENVISAT mission.
Phylogeographic structure of the honey badger (Mellivora capensis)

III OPSOMMING . IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . V LIST OF TABLES . X LIST OF FIGURES . XI CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 Taxonomy . 1 Synopsis of mustelid systematics . 1 Systematic placement of the honey badger Mellivora capensis . 3 Subspecies designations . 4 General Biology . 8 Overview . 8 Conservation . 12 Potential factors influencing gene flow among Mellivora capensis populations . 14 Choice of genetic markers . 17 Phylogeography . 17 The mitochondria . 17 Phylogeographic inferences based on genealogies . 19 Nuclear markers . 19 Aim . 22 CHAPTER 2: MATERIALS AND METHODS . 23 Genetic samples . 23 DNA extraction . 26 Control region sequencing . 26 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
The Maillard Reaction: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Implications

Preface Introduction The Chemistry of Non-Enzymic Browning Recent Advances Colour Formation in Non-Enzymic Browning Flavour and Off-Flavour Formation in Non-Enzymic Browning Toxicological Aspects Nutritional Aspects Other Physiological Aspects Other Consequences of Technological Significance Implications for Other Fields Non-Enzymic Browning Due Mainly to Ascorbic Acid Caramelisation Inhibition of Non-Enzymic Browning in Foods Inhibition of the Maillard Reaction in Vivo Subject Index
Biocompatibility of Dead Sea Water and retinyl palmitate carrying poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) micro/nanoparticles designed for transdermal skin therapy

In this study, novel drug carriers were developed for the treatment of skin conditions such as psoriasis, aging, or ultraviolet damage using micro/nanocapsules and micro/nanospheres of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate). The sizes of the particles were in the micron range and were loaded with retinyl palmitate and Dead Sea Water. In some tests, MgCl2 was used as a substitute for Dead Sea Water for accurate determination of released ions of Dead Sea Water. Encapsulation efficiency and loading of water-soluble excipients Dead Sea Water and MgCl2 were almost eight times lower than the hydrophobic compound retinyl palmitate. The particles were not cytotoxic as determined with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test using L929 mouse fibroblasts, BALB/3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts, and HaCaT human keratinocytes. Ames test showed that the carriers were not genotoxic. The particles penetrated the membrane of human osteosarcoma cells Saos 2 and accumulated in their cytoplasm. No reactive oxygen species production could be detected which indicated low or no inflammatory response toward the particles. In the tests with intact human skin, 1.2% of the retinyl palmitate–loaded poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) particles penetrated into the human skin, but when the skin was without stratum corneum and increased to 6.9%. In conclusion, these carriers have shown a significant potential as topical drug delivery systems in the personalized treatment of skin diseases because their contents could be modified according to a patient’s needs and several drugs could be loaded in one type of microparticle, or several populations, each carrying a different drug, can be used in the treatment.
Temperature Stress and Consequences of its Influence on Functional Activity of Mitochondria in Maize Etiolated Seedlings

Treatments of 30-min influences of high (32, 37, 42, 47, 52 °С) and low (0, 17, 22 °С) temperatures on viability of shoots, common activity of peroxidase, content of reactive oxygen species (ROS), intactness and oxidative activity of mitochondria from etiolated maize seedlings have been studied. It has been shown that 17, 32, 37 и 42 °С temperatures cause intensification of peroxidase activity, and 52 °С depresses this enzyme activity and then led to total death of shoots. ROS content in mitochondria increased during the treatment of seedlings with 0, 17, 22, 37 и 42 °С temperatures. All temperature exposures led to decrease of succinate oxidation rates in mitochondria, at that 47 и 52 °С temperatures inhibited mitochondria respiration to an even greater degree. However, if after the action of the temperature 47 °C the phosphorylating activity was maintained in the mitochondria, after 52 °C it was absent and mitochondria had reduced intactness of outer mitochondria membrane. Low temperatures led to uncouple of oxidative phosphorylation and activating of cyanide-resistant respiration. Role of mitochondria in plant response on the temperature stress has been discussed.
Variation in leaf epidermal and stomatal traits of Populus trichocarpa from two transects across the Washington Cascades

Epidermal and stomatal cell traits were examined on late leaves of 40 black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray) clones originating from the mesic Nisqually, and xeric Yakima river valleys of Washington. Four leaves per clone were collected from 1-year-old trees in two replicated common gardens located in Puyallup (western Washington) and Wenatchee (eastern Washington). In Puyallup-grown material, Yakima clones had abaxially 14% smaller epidermal cell diameters (CDIAM) and 27% greater cell densities (CDEN; No. per mm2), and 25% smaller leaves than Nisqually clones (p 0.03). Abaxial stomatal densities (STDEN; No. per mm2) were highest (206) in the lower elevation, xeric-origin Yakima clones, as compared with an average of 120 in Nisqually clones. A higher proportion of Yakima leaves had shorter stomates than those from the Nisqually at both sites (p 0.002). Besides shorter stomates (p 0.030), the lower elevation Yakima clones generally had higher STDEN and ratios of STDEN to CDEN than those clones.
Accessory gland secretory proteins in relation to fitness parameters of Drosophila ananassae and D. varians

Developmental morphometry, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the accessory gland secretory proteins, fecundity and productivity in relation to protein ejected during subsequent (first to fourth‐time) matings have been studied in Drosophila ananassae Doleschall and Drosophila varians Bock. In both species, size and secretion of accessory glands increases from 1 to 8 days and the stored secretion ejected from males to the female genital tract during subsequent mating varies. The maximum number of eggs and flies are produced from the females mated with bachelor males and it is a minimum when virgin females are mated with fourth‐time mated males. Sodium dodecylsulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of accessory gland secretory protein patterns and their glycosylation differs in both the species. Correlation coefficient analysis between gland size and quantity of secretion, percentage of secretory protein transferred per mating, and eggs and flies that emerged showed a highly significant, positive relationship. Among different matings, the number of eggs laid and flies that emerged per female between subsequent (first to fourth‐time) matings of males was found to be highly significant and the difference between fecundity and productivity between the two species was highly significant.
Generation of Biologically Active IL-1β by Matrix Metalloproteinases: A Novel Caspase-1-Independent Pathway of IL-1β Processing

Biologic activity of IL-1β requires processing of the inactive precursor, a function generally ascribed to IL-1β-converting enzyme (caspase-1). However, alternative mechanisms of IL-1β activation have been postulated in local inflammatory reactions. Expression of IL-1β and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) frequently occurs simultaneously at sites of inflammation. We describe here that stromelysin-1 (MMP-3), as well as the gelatinases A (MMP-2) and B (MMP-9), processes recombinant human IL-1β precursor (pIL-1β) into biologically active forms. Detection of both pIL-1β processing and biologic IL-1β activity demonstrated different processing capacities of the respective MMPs. Conversion of pIL-1β by stromelysin-1 required coincubation for at least 1 h, and biologic activity faded after 8 h to 24 h. Gelatinase A was less effective in processing pIL-1β, requiring at least 24 h of coincubation. In contrast, gelatinase B processed pIL-1β within minutes, resulting in immunoreactive products as well as biologic activity stable for 72 h. In addition, prolonged incubation of mature IL-1β with stromelysin-1, and to a lesser extent also with gelatinases, but not with interstitial collagenase, resulted in the degradation of mature IL-1β. None of the MMPs processed the second isoform of IL-1, IL-1α. The present study indicates a biphasic regulation of IL-1β activity by MMPs: a caspase-1-independent pathway of IL-1β activation and inhibition of IL-1β activity by degrading the mature cytokine. The balance of the respective MMPs and pIL-1β might regulate the long term appearance of IL-1β activity at sites of acute or chronic inflammation.