Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The songs of the indris (Mammalia: Primates: Indridae): contextual variation in the long-distance calls of a lemur

Abstract Contextual variation in the loud calls of strepsirhine primates is poorly understood. To understand whether songs given by indris in different contexts represent acoustically distinct variants and have the potential to elicit context-specific behaviours in conspecific listeners, we investigated the acoustic variability of these songs and the distance travelled by vocalizers after their emissions. Songs of 41 individuals were recorded from 16 indri groups in four different forest sites in eastern Madagascar. We collected a total of 270 duets and choruses arising during territorial defence, advertisement and cohesion. We demonstrated that the structure of indri songs conveyed context-specific information through their overall duration, but shared the sequential pattern of harsh units (roars) followed by long notes and, finally, descending phrases. Analysing in detail individual contributions to advertisement songs and cohesion songs, we found that the acoustic structure of units could be classified correctly with a high degree of reliability (96.23% of long notes, 80.16% of the descending phrases, 72.54% of roars). Future investigations using playback stimuli could explore the relationship between acoustic features and the information transmitted by the song.
Buffer Zone Applications in Snake Ecology: a Case Study Using Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus)

Abstract Riparian areas alone are often insufficient for preservation of riparian taxa. Case studies on many vertebrate taxa have addressed the importance of establishing buffer zones around riparian habitats. The goal of this investigation was to build upon previous studies and assess the relative importance of buffer zones to riparian snakes. A case study was conducted on a Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) population within a stream/riparian habitat. Using radio-telemetry, I examined the spatial distribution of males, gravid females, and non-gravid females. Although 83% of all snake observations were within 10 m of the stream, population subunits exhibited different patterns of spatial use. Gravid females provided most of the distant observations, inhabiting the surrounding terrestrial habitat up to 94 m from the shoreline. Thus, disturbances to terrestrial areas surrounding the riparian habitat would likely have the greatest impact on gravid females. These results further establish a need for buffer zones around riparian ecosystems, and highlight the importance of considering spatial use differences between population subunits when outlining buffer zone applications for conservation management.
Interspecific Interaction and Nutrient Use in Soybean/Sorghum Intercropping System

Intercropping soybean (Glycine max L.) with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is common in the semiarid tropics of India. In most intercropping studies, little attention has been paid to belowground interaction and nutrient management other than N while assessing yield advantage. In a 5-yr field experiment (2000-2004), we evaluated the impact of fertilizer and organic manures on below- and aboveground interaction, competitive ability, and economic viability of this intercropping at the Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal for deep Vertisol (isohyperthermic Typic Haphistert) of central India. Above- and belowground growth components as well as biological activities were greatly improved in intercropped sorghum while the value of these except nitrate reductase (NR) activity, soil microbial biomass C (SMBC), and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) were reduced in intercropped soybean indicating interspedes competition between component crops. The increased NR activity, SMBC, and DHA in intercropped soybean revealed interspedes facilitation between the component crops. This showed that interspedes competition concurred with interspedes facilitation in this system. We observed that yield and land equivalent ratio (LER) of both the intercrops increased over sole crops though based on aggressivity and relative crowding coefficient (RCC), sorghum (+) is more competitive than soybean. Interaction of yield with different components indicated that three belowground components, i.e., NR activity in root (r = 0.62, r = 0.63, P N-P-K plus poultry manure (PM) > N-P-K plus phosphocompost (PC) > N-P-K > control. However, based on competition ratio, yield advantage was greater under N-P-K plus PM. The results suggest that sorghum is the major contributor to the mixture yield and that the integrated use of N-P-K plus FYM or N-P-K plus PM is an important nutrient management option for sustaining this intercropping system, particularly to benefit the legume component.
Dynamics behind standoff interactions in three reef sponge species and the coral Montastraea cavernosa

Benthic organisms compete for space, and standoff interactions, i. e. interactions with no clearly observable outcome such as win or loss, are very common in marine hard substratum communities. Standoffs were more common than overgrowths among all sponge-coral interactions observed in a coral reef community off Santa Marta, NE Colombia. The dynamics of these standoffs and the role played by each of the interacting organisms were examined in a series of standard observations of sponge-coral interactions involving the sponge species Niphates erecta, Rhaphidophlus venosus, Scopalina ruetzleri and the coral Montastraea cavernosa. Most sponge-coral standoffs in this study displayed rapid changes in number of polyps along the coral border, sponge area and sponge-coral distance. The outcome of sponge-coral standoffs depended on the ecological stategy (e.g., growth) of the sponge species. Scopalina ruetz­leri and N. erecta did not show any signs of direct competition with Montastraea cavernosa. R. venosus, however, was often observed to take over vacant space formed by dead coral polyps (54 % of interactions). The impact of coral damage (lesions) on the interaction process between R. venosus and M. cavernosa was shown by a significant increase in coral polyp death in damaged compared with undamaged M. cavernosa colonies (22.7 % versus 6.9 %). This study demonstrates that (1) sponge-coral standoffs are actually quite dynamic because of the continually changing distance between the organisms, (2) the dynamic nature of sponge-coral standoffs depends on growth-related strategies (growth form, growth rate) of the competing sponge species, (3) the actual frequency of coral overgrowth by (thinly encrusting) sponge species can only be determined by means of intermittent observations; space gained at the cost of coral tissue cannot be seen by single observations, (4) coral damage (lesions) on reefs may enhance deterioration of corals by increasing their susceptibility to sponge overgrowth.
New perspectives on the origin and diversification of Africa’s forest avifauna

The use of DNA sequence data in systematic studies has brought about a revolution in our understanding of avian relationships and when combined with digitized distributional data, has facilitated new interpretations about the origins of diverse clades of the African avifauna including its diversification up through the Tertiary until the present. Here we review recent studies with special reference to Africa’s forest avifauna and specifically comment on the putative origins of ‘hotspots’ of endemism in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and in the Cape Region of South Africa. Intriguingly, both these areas appear to have retained populations of relict taxa since the mid-tertiary thermal optimum and at the same time have been centres of recent species differentiation. Resume L’utilisation des donnees portant sur la sequence ADN dans les etudes systematiques represente une revolution dans notre facon de comprendre les relations entre les oiseaux et, combinee avec les donnees numerisees sur la distribution, elle facilite de nouvelles interpretations concernant les origines de differents clades de l’avifaune africaine, y compris sa diversification tout au long du Tertiaire et jusqu’a nos jours. Nous passons ici en revue des etudes recentes qui se referent particulierement a l’avifaune forestiere africaine, avec un commentaire special sur les origines putatives des hauts lieux d’endemisme dans les montagnes de l’Eastern Arc tanzanien et dans la region du Cap, en Afrique du Sud. Curieusement, ces deux endroits semblent avoir conserve des populations de taxons residuels depuis l’optimum thermique du milieu du Tertiaire, tout en etant aussi au centre de recentes differenciations entre especes.
Nitrogen Use in Tifway Bermudagrass, as Affected by Trinexapac‐Ethyl

Nutrient movement from turfgrass systems into surface and ground water is a public concern. Data indicate that actively growing turf rapidly immobilizes applied N, thus restricting nutrient movement. It is possible, however, that growth suppression with plant growth regulators (PGRs) could reduce N demand and thus N uptake, resulting in greater leaching losses. An experiment was conducted with column lysimeters to investigate the effects of trinexapac-ethyl (TE) on nitrate leaching and N-use efficiency in Tifway bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis). The experiment was conducted in a growth chamber with day/night temperature set at 29/24°C and a 12-h photoperiod. Trinexapac-ethyl was applied twice at 4-wk intervals at 0.11 kg a.i. ha -1 . Ammonium nitrate (AN) was applied at 50 kg N ha -1 2 wk after each TE application, and again 6 wk after the second TE application. Separate sets of columns received 15 N-labeled AN for the first two applications. Irrigation was scheduled to provide a leaching fraction of 50%; leachate was collected after each irrigation and analyzed for nitrate and ammonium. Cumulative nitrate leaching was unaffected by TE after the first two N applications, but was reduced =60% by TE following the third N application. Trinexapac-ethyl reduced 15 N allocation to clippings by 25% and increased 15 N allocation to roots and rhizomes; total recovery of applied N in tissues was 65%. Results demonstrate chemical growth suppression with TE does not reduce N uptake or increase nitrate leaching from bermudagrass.
Changes in Abundance and Certain Population Parameters of American Plaice on St. Pierre Bank off Newfoundland during 1972–1994, with Implications for Fisheries Management

Abstract Changes in abundance and certain population parameters of American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) subdivision 3Ps, south of Newfoundland, were examined over the period 1972–1994. During these years, there has been a substantial reduction in population size and in more recent years, there has been a redistribution of the remaining population to deeper, warmer water than previously observed. Despite the substantial changes in stock size and distribution, there is no clear evidence that growth patterns have changed nor has there been any truncation of the age structure of the population, both of which commonly occur if overexploitation takes place. On the other hand, age and size at 50% sexual maturity for both males and females declined over the same period. This stock has been managed through quota regulation since 1974; however, the quota rarely restricted the fishery. During the 1980s, when the greatest declines in stock abundance occurred.
Sublethal Effects of Pesticides on Predator–Prey Interactions in Amphibians

Increasing evidence suggests that contaminants in the environment can have important consequences on organismal interactions. While we have a good understanding of the lethal effects of contaminants on organisms, we have a weak understanding of how contaminants can affect organisms by altering the interactions that they have with other species in the community. Using tadpoles of two anuran species (Bullfrogs, Lithobates [Rana] catesbeianus; Green Frogs, L. clamitans), we investigated the effects of low nominal concentrations (1 and 10 ppb) of two pesticides (malathion and endosulfan) on tadpole activity and survival when exposed to four predator treatments (no predators; water bugs, Belostoma flumineum; newts, Notophthalmus viridescens; and dragonfly larvae, Anax junius). In both anuran species, adding predators reduced tadpole activity and survival, with increasing rates of mortality occurring with water bugs, newts, and dragonflies, respectively. Additionally, the highest concentration of endosulfan caused tadpole mortality after 48 hrs. Most significant, tadpole species also experienced interactive effects of predators and pesticides on survival after 48 hrs. In Bullfrog treatments, all predators reduced the amount of tadpole mortality when exposed to endosulfan. In Green Frogs, additive negative effects occurred, except that newts increased the tadpole mortality when exposed to endosulfan. Our findings illustrate that pesticide effects on predator–prey interactions are often complex and have the potential to alter aquatic community composition.
Tandem Recruitment and Trail Laying in the Ponerine Ant Diacamma rugosum: Signal Analysis1

During nest emigration, Diacamma rugosum scouts recruit female nestmates to the new nest site by tandem running. ♂♂, brood and prey objects are carried. The tandem leaders stimulate their nestmates to follow them by pushing or, more rarely, pulling them with the mandibles. The signals releasing the following behaviour are mainly chemical. Only 15–30% of motivated followers react positively to an odourless paper or wax dummy. The ♀♀ follow cut-off thoraces, legs and gasters plugged at the end or without hind gut and sting apparatus, just as well as a leading ant. The ants even follow a dummy consisting of body parts if they are not in direct mechanical contact with it. The leading effect of the body surface is not reduced by intensive cleaning with water or by extraction in solvents of different polarity. Only maceration in potash lye eliminates the leading effectiveness of the cuticula. None of the secretions of the tested abdominal glands release following behavior. Only the hind gut fluid possesses leading signal qualities. No distribution of faeces over the bodies of the leading ants can be observed before or during tandem running. The faecal pheromone responsible for this leading effect does not seep into the superficial layer of a leader dummy made from bee wax but it can be washed off with water. These results show that the actual signal releasing tandem following is an unspecific odour substance of the cuticula surface. The presence of the hind gut fluid is not necessary for the tandem following response. It may be an additional signal. During nest emigration the hind gut fluid is scattered patchily in the form of small droplets by the nest finders on their way to the new nest. No increased deposition of faecal droplets could be observed on the way to repeatedly visited rich food sources. The hind gut fluid serves as a long lasting trail substance and has an exclusively orienting effect. The secretions of the other abdominal glands are not trail pheromones. The nest entrance is marked colony-specifically.
Drought stress vis a vis plant functions in the era of climate change

Drought has become a serious environmental issue in the current changing environment. It has significantly reduced plants’ productivity and caused great economic loss in the agricultural-based economy countries. To design programmes for reverting the adverse effects of drought stress, it is essential to understand the consequences of drought stress on physiological functions and focus on some aspects to better target the phenomenon for increased tolerance. The present review focuses on the effects of drought stress on the growth, water relations and photosynthesis in plants. This article also describes the mechanism of drought resistance in plants on a physiological and molecular basis. Among the various management strategies proposed to cope with drought stress, phytohormones and antioxidant systems are most appropriate and suitable for drought stress tolerance. A possible outline for drought stress tolerance has been given in the present review article.
Protected Areas, Indigenous Peoples, and The Western Idea of Nature

DECEMBER 2003 247 Ecological Restoration, Vol. 21, No. 4, 2003 ISSN 1522-4740 E-ISSN 1543-4079 ©2003 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. In 1930, about four decades after the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) were forced to dramatically decrease the size of the reservation provided for them in the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty and one year after the Congressional authorization of the Badlands National Monument, Lakota spiritual leader Black Elk observed that the United States government had “made little islands for us and other little islands for the four-leggeds,” (Neihardt, 1959, p. 9), and that these “islands” would become increasingly separated as time passed. History has proven Black Elk correct, not only in terms of actual acres allocated to wilderness and the “four-leggeds,” but in the way in which the National Park Service and other government agencies continue to foster an estrangement between indigenous activities and designated wild places. It may come as a surprise to some that some 70 years before the removal of Indians from the Badlands National Monument, many Americans perceived wilderness to be incomplete and unnatural without native peoples. Indians were seen as part of the natural world. For example, in 1833, George Catlin, the famous early 19th century painter of Indians from the Plains and Rocky Mountains, proposed that the government preserve large expanses of land in their “pristine beauty and wildness. where the world could see for ages to come, the native Indian in his classic attire, galloping his horse.amid the fleeting herds of elks and buffaloes. ” Catlin called his vision a “nation’s Park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature’s beauty. ” (New York Daily Commercial Advertiser 1833, quoted in Spence 1999, p. 10) Perhaps even more surprising is the little-known fact that several American proponents of environmental preservation, including Washington Irving, John James Audubon, and Henry David Thoreau shared Catlin’s sentiments. “In Wildness is the preservation of the World,” Thoreau’s famous statement made shortly before his death in 1862, was voiced not only to save vast acreages of “wildness,” but Indians in their native “wild” habitat, thereby preserving, in Thoreau’s view, the keepers of true wisdom and wildness. This more complete wilderness was what Thoreau thought civilized Americans needed. (Note that Thoreau said “wildness,” not the popular misquote, “wilderness.”) The importance of wildness as an antidote to the abstracting and alienating tendencies of urban civilization remains a dearly held value by many modern environmentalists. Deep ecologist Jack Turner, who environmental poet Gary Snyder has likened to Thoreau, wrote in The Abstract Wild (1996): “In our effort to go beyond anthropogenic defenses of nature, to emphasize its intrinsic value and right to exist independently of us, we forget the reciprocity between the wild in nature and the wild in us, between knowledge of Protected Areas, Indigenous Peoples, and The Western Idea of Nature
Polyploidy and Novelty in Flowering Plants

The role of polyploidy per se in the development of evolutionary novelty remains one of the outstanding questions in flowering plant evolution. Since chromosome doubling usually is associated with hybridization, the effects of doubling are difficult to uncouple from those of hybridity and recombination. Synthetic polyploids in crops typically are inferior to their diploid counterparts under conditions to which the diploids are adapted. This observation has suggested to many that chromosome doubling is a hindrance to progressive evolution. Evidence is presented herein from biochemical, physiological, developmental, and genetical sources which indicates that the nucleotypic effects of chromosome doubling are not necessarily negative. Indeed chromosome doubling may "propel" a population in to a new adaptive sphere, and render it capable of occupying habitats beyond the limits of its diploid progenitor. This postulate is consistent with what we know of the ecological tolerances of diploids and related polyploids. As the establishment of a polyploid subpopulation may occur within a short time span, chromosome doubling may bring about abrupt, transgressive, and conspicuous changes in the adaptive gestalt of populations within microevolutionary time.
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Propylene Glycol (PG) Dicaprylate, PG Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PG Dicocoate, PG Dipelargonate, PG Isostearate, PG Laurate, PG Myristate, PG Oleate, PG Oleate SE, PG Dioleate, PG Dicaprate, PG Diisostearate, and PG Dilaurate

The Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate family of ingredients includes several esters and diesters of Propylene Glycol and fatty acids. These ingredients are used in cosmetic formulations as skin conditioning agents, viscosity increasing agents, and surfactants. Two skin irritation studies (minimal to no irritation) and a comedogenicity study (insignificant comedogen) on Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate and a skin irritation study (slight) and an acute oral toxicity study (nontoxic) on Propylene Glycol Laurate were available. Available data were also found indicating that Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate and Propylene Glycol Dipelargonate may enhance the skin penetration of other chemicals. Because of the ability of these Polyethylene Glycol esters and diesters to enhance penetration of other agents, it was recommended that care be taken in using these and other Polyethylene Glycol esters and diesters in cosmetic products. Previous Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments of related ingredients, including Polyethylene Glycol, Polyethylene Glycol Stearate, Coconut Oils and Acids, Isostearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, and Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, were summarized. Included were mutagenicity, chronic toxicity, and skin irritation and sensitization data. Based in part on the limited data available on the ingredients included in the report, but more so on the previous reviews of chemically similar moieties, it was concluded that Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Propylene Glycol Dicocoate, Propylene Glycol Dipelargonate, Propylene Glycol Isostearate, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Propylene Glycol Myristate, Propylene Glycol Oleate, Propylene Glycol Oleate SE, Propylene Glycol Dioleate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Propylene Glycol Diisostearate, and Propylene Glycol Dilaurate are safe for use as cosmetic ingredients in the present practices of use.
LYSOSOMES IN THE SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL AS REVEALED BY ACID PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY

Acid phosphatase has been used as a cytochemical marker for the identification of lysosomes in the seminiferous tubules of the domestic fowl with attention being focused mainly on the process of spermiogenesis. While small lysosomes were located in early spermatids, large autophagic vacuoles of diverse morphology were abundant in the elongating and late spermatids. In the Sertoli cells, lysosomes occurred as large irregular dense bodies. The residues of spermatid autophagy were released from the germinal epithelium in the form membrane whorls. The role of the spermatid autophagic vacuoles and the Sertoli cell lysosomes in the disposal of redundant spermatid cytoplasm is discussed.