Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bust and Then Boom in the Maine Lobster Industry: Perspectives of Fishers and Biologists

Abstract The Maine industry for American lobster Homarus americanus has gone from a period of very low catches in the 1920s and 1930s (“the bust”) to a period of “boom” marked by record high catches in the 1990s. Fishers and biologists working for state and federal agencies emphasize different variables in explaining the bust and the boom. What they see as the facts have strong implications for the management of the fishery. Both fishers and biologists believe that a combination of fishing practices and environmental variables have caused the changes in lobster catches observed. However, biologists tend to emphasize the importance of fishing effort and water temperature. Fishers believe that lobster populations have been strongly affected by the way people fish (i.e., by the amount of illegal activity, by restrictions on size and taking of breeding females, etc.), and environmental factors, including predation on lobsters by groundfish, changes in habitat, and what they term “natural cycles. ” As a result,.
Supralitoral talitrid Amphipoda and oniscid Isopoda (Crustacea) from the Southwest African coast.

Abstract The amphipod crustacean species Talorchestia skoogi, Talorchestia quadrispinosa, Talorchestia tricornuta, collected on the southwest coast of Africa, and the isopod Deto echinata from the same geographic region are redescribed (10 pp.) and illustrated in detail (22 plates with b/w drawings). Records of other amphipod and isopod species occuring at the same localities are given.
Biomass, Productivity, Leaf Longevity, and Forest Structure in the Central Himalaya

Patterns of leaf characteristics, forest structure, tree species diversity, bio- mass, and productivity across a gradient of 3300 m and 15.70C in mean annual temperature in Kumaun, in the Indian central Himalaya, were summarized and compared to values from other similar forests. Throughout the elevational gradient, the annual rainfall was high (100-300 cm), but not correlated with elevation. Evergreen species with a 1-yr leaf life-span dominated most of the elevational transect; above 1800 m, species with deciduous and multiyear evergreen leaves were also well represented. Although variability among sites within forest types was high, a number of consistent patterns were apparent. Forests of Pinus roxburghii and those at high elevations were most consistently different from other forest types. Leaf life-span was not strongly correlated with leaf mass, specific leaf mass, or leaf production efficiency (net primary productivity per unit leaf mass), contrary to relationships presented in the literature. Tree species richness and basal area were lower than for most similar types in Nepal. Biomass and productivity of the forests in Kumaun were relatively high, compared to mean values for similar forest types elsewhere. Measured values for most variables describing these forests (but not all) fell within the ranges for the variables in similar forests worldwide. The maximal values for forest biomass remained high, 500-600 Mg/ha, up to 2600 m elevation, but declined sharply in birch forest (_ 170 Mg/ha) above 3100 m. Net primary productivity (NPP) varied little (15-20 Mg* ha- I.yr- 1) below 2700 m, despite a 10WC gradient in mean annual temperature and marked changes in basal area, tree density, growth form, and leaf char- acters. The level of productivity appeared not to be limited by rainfall, forest structure, leaf type, or temperature above an annual mean of 1 PC. Leaf mass (LM) varied consid- erably among forest types, being 3.7-8.6 Mg/ha for deciduous species, 5.7-8.9 Mg/ha for P. roxburghii, and 10.0-28.2 Mg/ha for evergreen broad-leaved species. Leaf mass duration (leaf mass x months of the year with leaves present) was related directly to NPP and inversely to leaf production efficiency (NPP/LM). These data add substantially to the data base for forest properties, especially for broad-leaved evergreen forests.
The Number of Feathers on the Litter; Another Criterion for Evaluating the Adequacy of Broiler Diets

Abstract Two studies were conducted in floor pen facilities to evaluate broiler diets containing various protein and amino acid levels. In Study #1 at 48 and 56 and at 49 and 59 days of age in Study #2, the number of body and flight feathers onthe litter in two separate 0.37 sq. meter areas located in the same place in each pen was recorded. In Study #1 Hubbard × Hubbard broiler crosses were employed. There were very few body feathers on the litter at 48 or 56 days of age. At 56 days the birds that had been on a high protein finisher ration had significantly (P
The effect of herbaceous litter on bryophyte growth

AbstractShoots of Brachythecium rutabulum, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiomnium undulatum, Pseudoscleropodium purum and Thuidium tamariscinum were allowed to grow in contact with litter of Urtica dioica, Succisa pratensis, Holcus lanatus, A venula pratensis, Pseudoscleropodium purum and soils of contrastee,-fertility. All the species were positively growth-stimulated when grown in contact with the stem litter of Urtica dioica and the fertile soil. The other treatments included did not enhance significantly the growth of the five bryophyte species. An attempt is made to relate these responses to the ecology of the species and the possible role that plant litter might exert upon bryophyte distribution in herbaceous vegetation.
Physical properties of egg white-dialdehyde starch films

Films were cast from heated (40 °C for 20 min) alkaline (pH 11.25) aqueous solutions of egg white (EW) solids (9 g/100 mL of water), polyethylene glycol 400 (60% w/w of EW), yolk solids (10% w/w of EW), and dialdehyde starch (DAS) at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, or 10% (w/w) of EW. For all types of films, tensile strength (TS), percentage elongation at break (E), Hunter color values (L, a, and b), total soluble matter (TSM) after immersion in water at 25 °C for 24 h, and protein solubility (PS) after immersion for 12 h in buffers (pH 8) containing urea and urea/2-mercaptoethanol were determined. DAS addition increased (P < 0.05) film TS and yellowness (+b values) and reduced (P < 0.05) film TSM and PS in both buffer systems. These modifications in film properties suggested occurrence of cross-linking between EW protein and DAS. This was further supported by SDS-PAGE patterns. Such patterns for DAS-containing films revealed bands of aggregates, increasing in intensity with increasing amounts of DAS, which were absent from patterns of control EW films.
Distribution and habitat use patterns of benthic decapod crustaceans in shallow waters: a comparative approach

Coastal areas are widely considered to be nurseries for many marine species. New approaches to this concept take into account interactions among environmental variables and ecological variation related to geographical location, as well as the complex life cycles of marine invertebrates. We present a comparative approach to assessing the association between environmental variables and patterns of distribution and the habitat use of benthic decapod species in coastal areas. Through this approach we infer which processes underlie these patterns and identify appropriate habitat-use models. An intensive fine-grain sampling design was used to account for environmental gradients occurring at different spatial scales (defined by substrate type, depth, exposure and geographical location) in a temperate oceanic bay (Ria de A Coruna, NW Spain). A high proportion of juveniles occurred in most populations, but our results did not allow us to generally designate coastal areas as nurseries, except for a few species, which showed marked spatial segregation between juveniles and adults. Coastal habitats are predominantly used as nurseries by juveniles of larger species, while, for smaller decapods, they seem to constitute habitats for the entire population. Larval transport may account for mesoscale distribution patterns, while microscale distribution may respond to the complex interaction among different processes, i.e. habitat selection at settlement, differential mortality among habitats, post-settlement dispersal and ontogenetic habitat shifts. Sandy substrates were characterised by low-diversity communities dominated by hermit crabs. In rocky bottom communities, variability in spatial patterns was mostly related to substrate type and geographical location. Caridean shrimps had higher densities on flat rock surfaces, with similar juvenile and adult patterns. Anomuran species occurred mainly on cobbles. Distribution patterns of brachyurans varied among species, but did not change greatly from juveniles to adults.
SCREENING OF EXTRACELLULAR TANNASE- PRODUCING FUNGI: DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID AND SIMPLE PLATE ASSAY

Fifty fungi belonging to various groups were screened for extracellular tannase. Among all the fungi tested Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus japonicus were the best producers (29.13 and 25.6 U/ml, respectively). The enzyme was produced within 48 h of growth when tannic acid was used as the sole source of carbon. The present paper describes a simple tannic acid agar which can be conveniently used for screening purposes since a high correlation coefficient exists between halo size and quantitative production of enzyme in broth. Tannase, tannin acyl hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.20), catalyzes the de-esterification of tannins to gallic acid and glucose. Many microorganisms (4,8) especially fungi are known to produce this enzyme both as membrane bound and extracellular forms. This enzyme is extremely important in the recycling of plant biomass (I1), in treating tannery effluents and also in the production of gallic acid, a chemical used in pharmaceuticals (6). To date, very few systems have been purified and characterized (1, 7, 9,10). The present paper deals with screening of fungi and the development of a simple plate assay for rapid screening of tannase-producing microbes. Fifty fungal cultures were obtained from the departmental stock culture collection and were screened for their tannase producing ability. Screening for tannase production was done in Czapek Dox's minimal medium containing commercial tannic acid (C76H42056) as the sole carbon source. The basal medium contained (gl-'): tannic acid 10; NaNO2, 6; KCI 0.52; MgSO4.7H2O 0.52; KH2P04 1.52; Cu(N03)2.3H20 traces; ZnSO4.7H2O traces; FeS04.7H20 traces. The solution of tannic acid was sterilized separately by passing through a membrane
Abundance and mtDNA differentiation of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Shumagin Islands, Alaska

Despite extensive research on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781)) in parts of the North Pacific, little research has focused on the whales feeding in coastal waters west of Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. To extend research westward in the North Pacific, small-boat surveys were conducted near the Shumagin Islands during the summers of 1999–2002. Photographs of the natural markings of humpback whales were collected, representing 413 sightings of 171 individual whales. Small samples of skin tissue were collected from 20 individuals, including two mother–calf pairs, for sex identification and comparison of mtDNA haplogroups with previously published results from surveys in other regions of the North Pacific. Individual identification photographs were used in mark–recapture analysis to estimate abundance for the Shumagin Island region. The best estimate was given by a modified Jolly–Seber method: N = 410 (95% CI: 241–683) for 2002. Comparison of photographs with archived photographs.
Development of a thermal-time model for combinational dormancy release of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa ssp. villosa)

Abstract. Seed dormancy could be a factor related to natural reseeding of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa ssp. villosa Roth.), a winter annual species cultivated for seed, pasture, hay, green manure and cover crop. The presence of combinational dormancy (physical dormancy + physiological dormancy, PY + PD) in hairy vetch was explored by a model using laboratory and field measures. At the stage of natural dispersal, dry seeds of hairy vetch were stored under laboratory conditions at 5, 10, 20 and 30°C (±2°C) or buried at 5 cm depth in an experimental field. Germination at 5, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 25°C was assessed at regular intervals up to 295 days after harvest. Following the hypothesis of the existence of a combinational dormancy mechanism, model development was based on the estimation of: (i) the fraction of non-PY seed as a function of after-ripening thermal-time accumulation, and (ii) seed population thermal parameters associated with a given level of PD. The developed model adequately described the after-ripening thermal-time requirements for PY + PD release of V. villosa. Based on model predictions, under a semi-arid thermal regime, >45% of vetch seeds shed during the summer season would be able to germinate during early autumn. Thus, the seed-bank size threshold at the end of the first growing season should be >65 seeds m–2 in order to reach a minimum stand of 30 plants m–2 necessary for a productive pasture.
Environmental Variability Promotes Coexistence in Lottery Competitive Systems

In deterministic approaches to modeling, two species are generally regarded as capable of coexistence if the model has a stable equilibrium with both species in positive numbers. Temporal environmental variability is assumed to reduce the likelihood of coexistence by keeping species abundances away from equilibrium. Here we present a contrasting view based on a model of competition for space among coral reef fishes, or any similarly territorial animals. The model has no stable equilibrium point with both species in positive abundance, yet both species persist in the system provided environmental variability in birth rates is sufficiently high. In general the higher the environmental variability the more likely it is that coexistence will occur. This conclusion is not affected by one species having a mean advantage over the other. Not all kinds of environmental variability necessarily lead to coexistence, however, for when the death rates of the two species are highly variable and negatively correlated, the extinction of one species, determined by chance, is likely to occur. The results in this paper are shown to depend on the nonlinearity of the dynamics of the system. This nonlinearity arises from the simple fact that the animals have overlapping generations. When applied to the coral reef fish setting, our analysis confirms the view that coexistence can occur in a system where space is allocated largely at random, provided environmental variability is sufficiently great (Sale 1977); but our explanations and predictions differ in detail with those of Sale.
A New Technique for Accessing Tree Canopies to Measure Insect Herbivory

Studies of insect herbivory in trees have been limited by logistical problems associated with obtaining repeated samples from upper and peripheral canopy locations, and with the need to limit damage to trees as a consequence of sampling. This paper describes the technique of using a safe, portable, repeatedly assembled aluminium scaffolding tower to access tree canopies which, because of lack of strength, do not permit use of other sampling techniques. The tower inflicts minimal damage on trees and permits repeated sampling within canopies, thus making it an appropriate device for herbivory studies. It could also be used in studies of floristics, pollination and invertebrate abundance and distribution.
Plant species diversity in an old, traditionally managed hay meadow compared to abandoned hay meadows in southwest Norway

A chronosequence, representing a successional series, was used for the comparison of a hay meadow site managed in an old traditional way for at least a hundred years, and hay meadow sites abandoned for about 10, 20 and 30 years, respectively. Old traditional management included grazing early and late in the growing season, mowing in August and light or no fertilizing. The tree cover was the most important factor deciding the composition of vegetation. Time since abandonment was not completely correlated to tree cover, as some plots had a dense canopy and others were situated in the open. The total species number decreased with number of years since abandonment in plots > 0.001 m2and <100 m2. The highest species number in 1 m2 plots was recorded in the managed site, with 38 species of phanerogams. Fourtyeight % of the indicators of traditional management present in the managed site was recorded in the site which had been abandoned for 30 years. Frequency — log area curves made it possible to group species according to persistence in the sward. As a result, a group of functional indicators of rare hay meadows in the region was distinguished.
Changes of Nitrifying Bacteria Depending on the Presence and Absence of Organic Pollutant in Nak-Dong River

This study was performed at 2 sites of Nak-Dong River to investigate the changes of nitrifiers depending on the presence and absence of organic pollutants (due to the effluents of domestic wastewater treatment plant, WWTP). Conventional chemical parameters such as T-N, -N, -N, -N were measured and the quantitative nitrifiers at the 2 sites were analyzed comparatively by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with NSO190 and NIT3, after checking the presence of gene amoA of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and 16S rDNA signature sequence for Nitrobacter sp. that belongs to nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Also -Proteobacteria were detected using FISH to get a glimpse of the general bacterial community structure of the sites. Based on the distribution structure of the -Proteobacteria and the measurement of nitrogen in different phases, it could be said that the site 2 was more polluted with organics than site 1. Corresponding to the above conclusion, the average numbers of AOB and NOB detected by NSO160 and NIT3, respectively, at site 2 [AOB, ; NOB, (cells/ml)] was more than those at site 1 [AOB, ; NOB, (cells/ml)] and also their ratios to total counts were higher at site 2 (AOB, 27%; NOB, 34%) than those at site 1 (AOB, 18%; NOB, 23%). Thus, it could be concluded that the nitrification at site 2 was more active due to continuous loading of organics from the effluents of domestic WWTP, compared to site 1 located closed to raw drinking water supply and subsequently less polluted with organics.
QTL Analysis of Soybean Seed Coat Discoloration Associated with II TT Genotype

In soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ], the dominant allele of the T locus for tawny pubescence is associated with chilling tolerance and is useful for breeding for chilling tolerance. Yellow hilum cultivars with the dominant / allele are preferred in Japan because of a better external appearance. However, the // TT allelic combination darkens the entire seed coat and degrades the external appearance. This study was conducted to investigate the genetic basis of seed coat discoloration using DNA markers. F 2 populations. derived from crosses between soybean breeding lines 0518BW-8 with slight discoloration and 0734BW-1 with severe discoloration were grown at Memuro in 2003 and Kunneppu in 2007. Seed coat discoloration was measured by the L* value with a two-dimensional colorimeter. A total of 104 simple sequence repeat markers were classified into 20 linkage groups (LGs) spanning 1025 cM in 2003 and 19 LGs spanning 789 cM in 2007. A quantitative trait locus (QTL), discol1, was identified by composite interval mapping in LG A2 (chromosome 8) across years and locations. It had an LOD score of 5.58 explaining 22.0% of phenotypic variance in 2003 and a LOD score of 5.62 explaining 20.2% of variance in 2007. The allele from 0518BW-8 increased the L* value at the QTL. Position of discol1 was close to the / locus corresponding to the chalcone synthase (CHS) multigene family cluster. No sequence differences were observed between the two lines in nucleotide sequences of CHS1 and CHS3 genes and the intergenic region between CHS1 and CHS3.
Association of γ-tubulin with kinetochore/centromeric region of plant chromosomes

Monoclonal antibodies raised against a phylogenetically conserved peptide from the C-terminal domain of gamma-tubulin molecule were used for immunofluorescence detection of gamma-tubulin in acentriolar mitotic spindles of plant cells. The antibodies stained kinetochore fibres along their whole length, including the close vicinity of kinetochores. After microtubule disassembly by the antimicrotubular drugs amiprophos-methyl, oryzalin and colchicine, gamma-tubulin was found on remnants of kinetochore fibres attached to chromosomes. In cells recovering from the amiprophosmethyl treatment, gamma-tubulin was localized with the regrowing kinetochore microtubule fibres nucleated or captured by kinetochore/centromeric regions. On isolated chromosomes, gamma-tubulin co-localized with alpha-tubulin in the kinetochore/centromeric region. The data presented suggest that in acentriolar higher plant cells gamma-tubulin might be directly or indirectly involved in modulation and/or stabilization of kinetochore-microtubule interactions.
Fish Poisoning Plants in Africa

Fishing with the aid of plant toxins was formerly very common in tropical Africa. Today this easy method of fishing is still practised in remote areas. The method is simple: the poisonous ingredients are pounded and thrown into a pool or dammed-up sections of a small river. After a short time the fish begin to rise to the surface and can then readily be taken by hand. The fish can be eaten without health problems. The main active compounds are saponins, rotenoids and diterpene esters. Such biologically active plants are of great interest to scientists of various disciplines. Some of these plants provide important insecticides, many play an important part in traditional medicine and in preparation or arrow poisons. 258 fish-poisoning plants are presented, based on 25 years of field research by the author in tropical Africa and evaluations of herbarium notes. 10–20 per cent of the fishing poisons are probably still unknown. They are spread among 167 plant genera and 60 families. The evaluation shows a clear dominance of the Leguminosae (Caesalpiniaceae, Mimosaceae, Papilionaceae) in the hierarchy of the fish poisoning plants. It is also remarkable that a great proportion are in the Euphorbiaceae.
Impact of lomefloxacin on antioxidant enzymes activity in normal melanocytes HEMa-LP

Lomefloxacin is a synthetic, broad-spectrum antibacterial antibiotic. The use of this drug in the treatment of various infections may be limited by inherent serious adverse effects on pigmented tissues. The exact mechanisms of lomefloxacin phototoxic side effects have not been well established yet. The aim of this work was to examine the effect of lomefloxacin on antioxidant enzymes activity in cultured human normal melanocytes (HEMa-LP). The demonstrated changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT and GPx) in melanocytes in the presence of lomefloxacin indicate that the analyzed drug is responsible for generation of reactive oxygen species, mainly superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide, what may be the reason of the reduction of melanocytes antioxidant status. Modulation of antioxidant defense system in melanocytes by lomefloxacin in vitro may explain a potential role of melanocytes and ROS in the mechanisms of lomefloxacin phototoxic effects in vivo.