Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
La macrofauna del suelo como indicadora de degradación de bosques ribereños en la amazonia oriental brasilera

La macrofauna del suelo es ampliamente usada como bioindicadora de calidad ambiental. En este trabajo se estudio el efecto de la degradacion forestal de bosques riberenos sobre la diversidad y composicion de grupos taxonomicos y funcionales de macroinvertebrados en las microbacias Pepital y Grande, Alcântara, Maranhao - Brasil. Se tomaron muestras en la estacion seca en cuatro niveles de degradacion forestal utilizando el metodo TSBF modificado. Los organismos fueron clasificados en grandes grupos taxonomicos y funcionales. Fueron calculados la densidad medias por grupo, densidad total y riqueza media, indices de Shannon y Pielou. Patrones de distribucion fueron observados a traves del Analisis de Componentes Principales Entre Clases (ACP-C). Los resultados indican que la degradacion tiene influencia directa sobre la abundancia y la diversidad de la macrofauna del suelo. La mayor riqueza y densidad total fueron observadas en las areas conservadas (vegetacion secundaria >7m y bosques maduros >15m). Los grupos de las hormigas ( Formicidae , Latreille) e termitas ( Isoptera , Brulle) fueron dominantes con 80,5% de la abundancia total. El analisis de componentes principales indico que el 45,6% de la comunidad total de la macrofauna responde negativamente a la degradacion siendo altamente significativo. Los murganos ( Opiliones , Sundevall), caracoles ( Gastropoda , Cuvier), lombrices ( Oligochaeta , Lamarck) y cochinillas ( Isopoda , Latreille) se relacionan estrechamente con las areas conservadas, al igual que los grupos Saprofagos y Herbivoros, los cuales se mostraron restrictos a los bosques maduros (>15m), la ausencia de estos grupos es un indicador de baja calidad ambiental.
Use of infrared microspectroscopy to determine leaf biochemical composition of cassava in response to Bacillus subtilis CaSUT007†

The objective of this study was to investigate the growth stimulating properties of Bacillus subtilis CaSUT007 applied to cassava plants using fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy to monitor the production of cellular components involved in plant growth and development. Cassava stakes treated with CaSUT007 or sterile distilled water were germinated in soil. After incubation for 2 months, CaSUT007 treated plants had higher growth rate and greater biomass than the control. FTIR analysis revealed that the leaves of cassava plants treated with CaSUT007 display FTIR spectra changes in the epidermis and mesophyll tissue. These changes associated with proteins, lipids, and pectins, which are related to changes in plant cell growth and development. FTIR microspectroscopy can be used as a new tool to examine the biochemical changes within the plant tissue. This technique allows us to reveal structural chemical makeup and features of different tissue types.
Diamondback moth oviposition: effects of host plant and herbivory

The oviposition behaviour of Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. Pekinensis, cv. Wombok), canola (Brassica napus L. cv. Thunder TT), and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Capitata, cv. sugarloaf) (Brassicaceae) was studied in the laboratory. In no‐choice experiments moths laid most eggs on the stems and lower three leaves of cabbage plants, the lower three leaves of canola plants, but on the upper three leaves of Chinese cabbage plants. The effects of conspecific herbivore damage to foliage could be replicated by mechanical damage. When foliage was damaged, injured cabbage and canola plants were preferred for oviposition over intact conspecifics, whereas injured Chinese cabbage plants were less preferred than intact conspecifics. However, when root tissue was damaged, intact cabbage and canola plants were preferred over injured conspecifics, whereas moths did not discriminate between root‐damaged and intact Chinese cabbage plants. Injury to upper leaves significantly affected the intra‐plant distribution of eggs. In cabbage and canola plants, injury to leaf 6 significantly increased the number of eggs laid on this leaf, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of eggs laid on the lower foliage/stem of plants, whereas in Chinese cabbage plants it significantly decreased the number of eggs laid on leaf 6. Following oviposition on intact plants, neonate larvae established the vast majority of feeding sites on leaves 5–8 in all three host plants, indicating that larvae moved a considerable distance from preferred oviposition sites in cabbage and canola plants. The growth rate of neonates fed on leaf‐6 tissue was significantly greater than that of those fed on leaf‐1 tissue; >90% of larvae completed development when fed exclusively on leaf‐6 tissue but no larvae completed development when fed exclusively on leaf‐1 tissue. The study demonstrates the complex and unpredictable interactions between P. xylostella and its host plants and provides a basis from which we can begin to understand observed distributions of the pest in Brassica crops.
Ictiofauna juvenil de fondos blandos durante la transición de "secas" a lluvias en la costa pacífica de Colombia

Based on ichthyoplancton research along the southern Pacific coast of Colombia, which revealed high concentrations of fish larvae in this area, a juvenil fish survey was conducted in shallow waters « I O meter water depth) during the transition period from dry to wet season (July 21 to July 31 , 1 994). The twelve sampling stations, were distributed in fron! of the four main of this coastline, where the highest concentrations of juvenile fish were expected. At each sample station, three 15 min oblique hauls were conducted every g hours using a bottom trawl for juvenile fish of 4 mm mesh size; 53 species in 20 families were identified (21 not known as adults in the area). They were distributed as follows: Sciaenids (11), Ariids (7), Pristigasterids (6), Engraulids (6), Carangids (5), Clupeids (2), Soleids (2), Batrachoidids (2), Tetraodontids (2), Urolophids (1), Polynemids (1), Synodontids (1) and Taeniopedids (1). This ichthyofauna is cornmon in open tropical estuaries. Abundances and biomass were 0.35 ind.lm3 and 1 . 61 g/m3 respectively, higher than in other tropical shallow water systems. The niches of ihe 25 species whose abundance (A) and biomass (B) contributed 97.5 % and 93.3 % respectiveIy to the total catches were: (1) pelagic-neritic (53 % A, 34 % B); (2) demersal-pelagic (1 8 % A, 28 % B); (3) demersal (22 % A, 23 % B) and (4) benthic (8 % A, 1 5 % B). The Shannon-Weaver diversity index in the four subareas ranged from 0.89 to 1.1, within the range reported for other tropical American estuarine systems. An ordination analysis (non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling, MDS) of the data revealed significant differences in the species composition between day and night and an importan! association among sorne species. Station position, tides and environmental parameters did not markedly influence species composition. It is concluded Ihat: (1) The area surveyed represents an important nursery and growth habitat for juvenile fish of many species that are more common as adults over soft bottoms in deep waters of the continental shelf; (2) this shallow soft bot- 10m fish cornmunity is c1early separated from those species inhabiting intertidal salt marshes, interior bays and mangrove areas; and (3) sorne of the fish species commonly living in rocky and reef habitals in adult stages, spend their juvenile stage over shallow water soft bottoms. These results confirm a rather strong niche separation between juvenile and adults fish species stages in tropical waters.
Difficulties in Genetics Problem Solving

Richard R. Tolman is a Staff Associate at the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, 833 W. South Boulder Road, Louisville, CO 80027, and Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Colorado, Boulder. He received his B.S. and M.S.Ed. degrees from the University of Utah and the Ph.D. degree from Oregon State University. He has taught junior high general science and health at South Davis Junior High School and general biology at Mount Hood Community College, Gresham, Oregon. He has been a member of the BSCS staff since 1969. The Center for Educational Research and Evaluation received an NSF grant under the Research in Science Education (RISE) program to conduct an expert-novice study of problem solving in genetics. Three different types of genetics problems were used in the study-a monohybrid cross, a codominance problem, and a problem with sex-linked inheritance. High school students were asked to solve these problems in a "think-outloud" mode. Each problem-solving session was recorded on audio tape. Thirty junior or senior students in one Colorado high school who had previously completed a sophomore-level biology course were the subjects of the study. While analyzing the typed transcripts of the problem-solving sessions, and the worksheets used by the students, some common patterns began to emerge. Although these common patterns did not relate specifically to the goals of the study, they did provide insight into problem-solving methodology and seemed important and worthy of reporting. It should be noted that this is not an attempt to generalize conclusions to the population of high school biology students. The results apply only to the group within this study. However, correspondence with colleagues at the University of Wisconsin and at West Virginia University indicate that students' problem solving in genetics at those institutions is yielding similar results. One of the major difficulties encountered by the 30 students was understanding the concept that the pairs of alleles in an offspring are the result of transmission of one allele from each of the parents of the offspring. More specifically, the students experience difficulty in associating the alleles with chromosomes and chromosome behavior and the segregation and random assortment during the first division of meiosis. While constructing Punnett squares, students would commonly assign two alleles to each parent for an F1 trait. This error was manifested in the production of a Punnett square similar to that in figure 1. This resulted in offspring with four alleles for each trait. Only 6 of 30 students (20%) accurately described the parental source of each allele in a pair of alleles for normal vision (M) and myopia (m).
Male–Male Competition in a Mixed‐Mating Fish

Mating systems that comprise a mixture of pure males and self-fertilising hermaphrodites remain an evolutionary enigma. In particular, our understanding of the sexual selection pressures associated with such mating systems is nascent. Males can only reproduce by fertilising hermaphrodites’ eggs, but hermaphrodites can also fertilise their own eggs and gain a genetic advantage by doing so. Consequently, there should be intense competition among males to access hermaphrodites. Here, we test the importance of male size, colour and heterozygosity in predicting the outcome of male–male competition using the mangrove rivulus, which has a male-hermaphrodite mixed-mating system. We pitted males against one another in dyadic laboratory trials to develop a dominance score for each male. We then correlated these scores with male length, several components of male colour, and heterozygosity. Male size was the only significant correlate of dominance: larger males dominated smaller males, implying selection for large male size. However, male mangrove rivulus are similar in size to hermaphrodites, indicating that directional selection for large body size in males is no greater than it is in hermaphrodites. Across all trials, colour was unrelated to dominance, but contests between similarly sized males were usually won by more colourful individuals. As mangrove rivulus are dichromatic, we suspect that male colour may prove to be more important in mate choice than we found it to be in intrasexual competition. Heterozygosity did not explain dominance directly, but correlated strongly with male size, implying an indirect role in intrasexual competition.
Predicting the future of forests in the Mediterranean under climate change, with niche‐ and process‐based models: CO2 matters!

Assessing the potential future of current forest stands is a key to design conservation strategies and understanding potential future impacts to ecosystem service supplies. This is particularly true in the Mediterranean basin, where important future climatic changes are expected. Here, we assess and compare two commonly used modeling approaches (niche‐ and process‐based models) to project the future of current stands of three forest species with contrasting distributions, using regionalized climate for continental Spain. Results highlight variability in model ability to estimate current distributions, and the inherent large uncertainty involved in making projections into the future. CO2 fertilization through projected increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations is shown to increase forest productivity in the mechanistic process‐based model (despite increased drought stress) by up to three times that of the non‐CO2 fertilization scenario by the period 2050–2080, which is in stark contrast to projections of reduced habitat suitability from the niche‐based models by the same period. This highlights the importance of introducing aspects of plant biogeochemistry into current niche‐based models for a realistic projection of future species distributions. We conclude that the future of current Mediterranean forest stands is highly uncertain and suggest that a new synergy between niche‐ and process‐based models is urgently needed in order to improve our predictive ability.
The effect of natural substrates on jump height in click‐beetles

Summary 1. Inverted click-beetles (Elateridae) jump to right themselves, providing enough energy to launch the body many body lengths into the air. 2. We tested whether the apparently redundant jump energy could be an adaptation for jumping from compliant surfaces that absorb energy, in the natural habitat. Jump height was measured in beetles jumping from natural substrates and from an apparatus we designed, allowing them to adjust the level of jump energy attenuated by the substrate. 3. Jump height was dramatically reduced (by c. 75%) when jumping from leaves that covered approximately half of the study site. In the remaining area, jumping for righting was either not required or not substantially attenuated. Therefore, the available power for jumping results in low jumps that are barely sufficient for righting when jumping from compliant surfaces covering c. 50% of the natural habitat. 4. The decrease in jump height was correlated with the amount of work absorbed by the substrate. We therefore conclude that the beetles do not adjust the muscle work invested in jumping to adjust for changes in substrate stiffness. 5. Scaling considerations of the jumping mechanics suggest that substrate compliance becomes a bigger problem for larger beetles. 6. The effect of substrate compliance needs to be taken into account while addressing the functional ecology of jumping animals.
Evaluation of Glycosyl-Glucose Analytical Methods for Various Glycosides

The accuracy of two methods for determination of glycosyl-glucose (GG) in grapes and wine has been tested using several glycoside standards containing alkyl, benzenoid, and phenolic aglycones. The total GG method using C-18 sorbent material was found to exhibit poor recoveries of benzenoid glycosides. The recoveries for the phenol-free GG method were satisfactory for alkyl and benzenoid glycosides. In addition, an adaption of the phenol-free GG method to 96-well microplate format has been demonstrated.
Influence of Harvest-Aid Herbicides on Dry Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Desiccation, Seed Yield, and Quality1

Field trials were conducted in 1998 and 1999 to determine the influence of harvest-aids on dry bean desiccation, seed yield, and quality. Light Red Kidney and Great Northern dry beans were pulled from the soil and placed on the soil surface to dry or treated with glufosinate at 440 g ai/ha, with glyphosate at 840 g ae/ha, or with paraquat at 560 g ai/ha at three stages during the maturation process. Dry bean seed weight and seed yield were reduced by all harvest-aid treatments applied when only 5 to 7% of the seedpods were yellow. Herbicides did not affect dry bean seed yield, weight, or germination if treatments were delayed until 77 to 85% of the seedpods had turned yellow. Application of harvest-aids at early stages of the maturation process enhanced desiccation of dry bean plants, pods, and seeds, but reduced yield. Herbicides applied at later stages of the maturation process avoided seed yield reductions, but were not as effective in desiccating plants. Therefore, applying glufosinate, glyphosate, or paraquat to reduce the time from dry bean maturation to harvest may not be beneficial when the crop is grown on the high plains of the United States. Nomenclature: Glufosinate; glyphosate; paraquat; dry bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. Additional index words: Great Northern ‘Beryl’, Light Red Kidney ‘Sacramento’. Abbreviations: DAT, days after treatment.
Dysregulation of IFN-γ Signaling Pathways in the Absence of TGF-β1

Deficiency of TGF-β1 is associated with immune dysregulation and autoimmunity as exemplified by the multifocal inflammatory lesions and early demise of the TGF-β1 null mice. Elevated NO metabolites (nitrite and nitrate) in the plasma of these mice suggest a participatory role of NO in the pathogenic inflammatory response. To determine the mechanism for this dysregulation, we examined upstream elements that could contribute to the overexpression of NO, including inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and transcription factors Stat1α and IFN-regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1). The coincident up-regulation of IFN-γ, an iNOS inducer, and iNOS, before the appearance of inflammatory lesions, suggests that failed regulation of the IFN-γ signaling pathway may underlie the immunological disorder in TGF-β1 null mice. In fact, IFN-γ-driven transcription factors IRF-1 and Stat1α, both of which act as transcriptional activators of iNOS, were elevated in the null mice. Treatment of mice with a polyclonal anti-IFN-γ Ab reduced expression and activity not only of transcription factors Stat1α and IRF-1 but also of iNOS. Furthermore, anti-IFN-γ treatment delayed the cachexia normally seen in TGF-β1 null mice and increased their longevity. The global nature of immune dysregulation in TGF-β1 null mice documents TGF-β1 as an essential immunoregulatory molecule.
The Influence of Food Abundance on Nest-Box Occupancy and Territory Size in the Tree Swallow, a Species That Does Not Defend a Feeding Territory

Abstract. In species that defend all-purpose breeding territories, territory size is usually inversely related to food abundance, but it is unclear whether this relationship results from reduced need to defend a large territory if food is abundant or from greater competitive pressure from conspecifics. Although studies of both breeding and winter territories suggest that competitive pressure is the proximate determinant of territory size, with food abundance acting indirectly by increasing the density of competitors, results are often equivocal because competitor density and food abundance tend to be positively correlated. In the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), an aerial insectivore that defends only nest sites, defense of a food supply is not a determinant of territory size. I describe two series of experiments involving manipulation of nest-box spacing and measurements of insect abundance at four sites at and near Long Point, Ontario, Canada. Rates of occupancy of nest boxes spaced 24 m apart (beyond the normal range of territorial defense) were high at all sites (75–100%) and positively correlated with insect abundance. Occupancy of nest boxes placed 3 m apart (within the range Tree Swallows defend) was 28% to 100%, and the effect of close spacing on occupancy (attributable to territorial behavior) was also positively correlated with insect abundance. I conclude that the latter relationship must result from variation in competitive pressure because the food resource is not defended. Food abundance acts indirectly on occupancy and territory size by influencing the level of competitive pressure for nest boxes.
Sexual reproduction in British Ectocarpus Siliculosus (Phaeophyta)

One male and one female gametophyte of Ectocarpus siliculosus have been detected in a sample of 19 plants taken from the Isle of Man. Fertilization takes place between gametes formed in plurilocular gametangia. Clear cross-fertility exists with Mediterranean strains. This result confirms the notion that the concept of the gametic character of meiospores in Ectocarpus should be abandoned.
AVALIAÇÃO DO MEL COMERCIALIZADO NO MERCADO MUNICIPAL EM CAMPO GRANDE – MATO GROSSO DO SUL

O Mel e um produto natural utilizado como fonte alimentar ou terapeutica e de facil acesso a populacao, sendo importante estabelecer a qualidade desses produtos adquiridos pelos consumidores. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade do mel comercializado no Mercado Municipal Antonio Valente (Mercadao) em Campo Grande – MS. Foram coletadas 10 amostras de meis, que nao possuiam identificacao alguma, de todos os pontos de vendas existentes no Mercado Municipal. Foram determinados os seguintes parâmetros: umidade, cinzas, acidez, teste de lugol, reacao de Fiehe, teste de Lund e pesquisa de sujidades. As determinacoes foram realizadas em triplicata e seguindo metodologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz. Os resultados mostraram valores medios variando de 9,85% a 14,25% no teor de umidade; de 0,008% a 0,19% no teor de cinzas; 31,5 mEq/kg a 75,1 mEq/kg de acidez total. Nos testes qualitativos, 90% das amostras apresentaram resultados fora dos padroes estipulados pela legislacao. Na pesquisa por sujidades evidenciou-se a presenca de fragmentos de insetos em 100% das amostras analisadas. Concluiu-se que 100% das amostras que foram analisadas estavam em desacordo com os padroes requeridos pelo Ministerio da Agricultura, para amostras de meis puros. Por se tratar de amostras sem qualidade fica a preocupacao com a saude da populacao consumidora desses produtos.
Early feed restriction in broilers. II: Body composition and nutrient gain

SUMMARY Two experiments were performed, in male and female broilers separately, to evaluate the effect of early feed restriction on the composition, gain, and efficiency of nutrients retention by comparative slaughter. Treatments were applied from 8 to 16 d age as follows: without feed restriction [standard feed (SF) ad libitum]; quantity restriction (80% ad libitum consumption of SF); time restriction (SF offered throughout 8 h/d); and quality restriction (SF diluted with 10% kaolin and 10% rice hulls containing 80% of the limiting nutrients). The broilers were raised in pens and 6 replications/treatments were used. The composition and body gain of DM, CP, and EE, and efficiency of protein and energy retention were evaluated. Time restriction was considered the most severe, mainly in males that showed less protein gain at 42 d age. Proportional body gain of EE was higher than that of CP in the refeeding period in the quantity andtimerestrictedbroilersandnoimprovementintheproteinretentionefficiencywasobserved in those birds previously restricted. The possibility that feed restriction decreases carcass fat was not observed.