Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in foraging ecology determine variation in visual fields in ibises and spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)

Variations in visual field topography among birds have been interpreted as adaptations to the specific perceptual challenges posed by the species’ foraging ecology. To test this hypothesis we determined visual field topography in four bird species which have different foraging ecologies but are from the same family: Puna Ibis Plegadis ridgwayi (probes for prey in the soft substrates of marsh habitats), Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita (surface pecks for prey in dry terrestrial habitats), African Spoonbill Platalea alba and Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia (bill-sweeps for prey in shallow turbid waters). All four species employ tactile cues provided by bill-tip organs for prey detection. We predicted that the visual fields of these species would show general features similar to those found in other birds whose foraging is guided by tactile cues from the bill (i.e. bill falling outside the frontal binocular field and comprehensive visual coverage of the celestial hemisphere). However, the visual fields of all four species showed general features characteristic of birds that take food directly in the bill under visual guidance (i.e. a narrow and vertically long binocular field in which the projection of the bill tip is approximately central and with a blind area above and behind the head). Visual fields of the two spoonbills were very similar but differed from those of the ibises, which also differed between themselves. In the spoonbills, there was a blind area below the bill produced by the enlarged spatulate bill tip. We discuss how these differences in visual fields are related to the perceptual challenges of these birds’ different foraging ecologies, including the detection, identification and ingestion of prey. In particular we suggest that all species need to see binocularly around the bill and between the opened mandibles for the identification of caught prey items and its transport to the back of the mouth. Our findings support the hypothesis that sensory challenges associated with differences in foraging ecology, rather than shared ancestry or the control of locomotion, are the main determinants of variation in visual field topography in birds.
cAMP-Activated CI- Channels: Regulatory Role in Gallbladder and Other Absorptive Epithelia

cAMP is an important regulator of epithelial fluid absorption. Stimulation of protein kinase A by elevations in cAMP levels activates CI- channels and inhibits NaCl influx across the apical membrane. Acetylcholine, which inhibits adenylyl cyclase, is part of a dual control system, together with regulatory agents that elevate cAMP.
Effect of wheat gluten and extracted, protected soybean meal addition to the diet of cows with different beta-lactoglobulin genotypes on the composition and physical properties of milk

The effect of wheat gluten or extracted soybean meal (300 g of crude protein/head/day) on milk yield, composition and its physical properties was analysed in 53 cows of Polish Holstein-Friesian breed with different milk beta-lactoglobulin (blg) genotypes (AA, AB and BB). The addition of wheat gluten to the diet of cows with the AA and AB blg genotypes caused a significant increase in crude protein (by 0.21; P ≤ 0.05, and 0.19%; P ≤ 0.01), casein (by 0.15; P ≤ 0.05, and 0.15%; P ≤ 0.01) and dry matter content (0.3 and 0.5%; P ≤ 0.05) in milk, and a significant increase in beta-casein production (0.6 g/l; P ≤ 0.05, and 0.6 g/l; P ≤ 0.01) and kappa-casein yield (0.3 g/l; P ≤ 0.05) in the case of cows with the AA genotype. Milk acidity and electrical resistance in milk were lowered. The cows with the BB blg genotype did not show any significant changes in milk composition. The supplementation of extracted soybean meal to cows with the AB and BB blg genotype led to a significant increase in milk protein (0.26% and 0.21%; P ≤ 0.01) and casein content (0.2 and 0.15%; P ≤ 0.01), beta-casein production (0.60 and 0.50 g/l; P ≤ 0.01) and to a decrease in kappa-casein content (by 0.7%; P ≤ 0.05) in cows with the BB genotype. The production of kappa-casein increased in cows with the AB genotype (by 0.2 g/l; P ≤ 0.01). In the case of all genotypes, an increase in milk active acidity and thermostability and a decrease in electrical resistance in milk were noted. It was observed that cows with different blg genotypes differently utilised the protein from given supplements for the production of individual milk components, which may be used in rationalisation of their feeding and improvement of milk content.
Microscale distribution of bacterioplankton in relation to phytoplankton: Results from 1‐nl samples

The microspatial distribution of marine bacterioplankton was investigated by comparing the bacterial abundance in 100-nl subsamples of natural seawater. For sampling, staining with DAPI, and filtering, we designed capillary microtips that allowed pipetting of 100 nl with a sampling error < 10%. Highly significant correlations were obtained between the 100-nl method and the conventional direct-counting method. Frequency distributions of bacterial cells were determined in experiments with natural seawater during bloom conditions as well as with seawater enriched with diatom cells from cultures of Chaetoceros muelleri. Bacteria in 100-nl subsamples were normally distributed in each single experiment and in the Formalin-fixed control. Mean bacterial abundance in subsamples containing at least one phytoplankton cell was never significantly different from samples lacking algal cells. Based on our results we conclude that bacteria are homogeneously distributed in subsample volumes of 100 nl, and therefore we could not verify the current concept that bacteria may cluster around phytoplankton cells.
Investigating embryonic head formation using a novel model organism

Studies in the vinegar1 fly Drosophila melanogaster indicate that head development differs significantly from trunk formation, since anterior head segments lack pair rule and Hox gene activity. However, despite the belief that head segmentation mechanisms have been conserved during evolution, they have not been identified in any organism so far. Due to the headless appearance of a fly maggot, Drosophila does not easily lend itself to the study of embryonic head development. To identify genes crucial to head segmentation, we are therefore currently isolating and functionally characterizing homologous candidate genes in two different arthropod species, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum and the amphipod crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis. Moreover, we aim to identify head-specific genes in an unbiased manner by a transposon mutagenesis screen in Tribolium. Since head structures of insects and crustaceans can be easily compared to each other, these analyses will enable us to draw conclusions on the evolution of head development over a period of about 450 million years.
Protein quality in cereals and pulses

1. The Streptococcus zymogenes assay procedure was modified and used in the estimation of available methionine and relative nutritional value in rice (Oryza sativa L.), sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.), barley and field beans (Vicia faba L.). The results were assessed in relation to the content of tannins and ‘dye-binding lysine’, and to published information on the nutritional quality of some of the test samples. 2. In grain of ten varieties of sorghum, for which other workers had reported a correlation (r — 0.82; P < 0.01) between tannin content and amino acid digestibility in chicks, the available methionine content ranged from 6.3 to 17.7 g/kg protein (nitrogen × 6.25) and was highly correlated with tannin content (r — 0.97; P < 0.001). The content of total methionine and dye-binding lysine varied little between varieties and was not related to tannin content. 3. In nine samples of rice the availability of methionine was uniformly high, in accordance with literature values for true digestibility of the N. 4. In field beans the presence of tannins in the seed coat was associated with a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in the availability of methionine. In eleven tannin-free varieties the coefficient of availability averaged 0.791, compared with 0.685 in eleven tannin-containing varieties. The standard deviation associated with both values was 0.04. There was no such difference between the corresponding dye-binding lysine values. 5. Thirty-three samples of barley were examined, representing fourteen varieties, four of which had been grown at several widely different latitudes in England and Sweden. There was little difference in methionine content between samples. The average availability coefficient for eighteen samples grown in England was 0.995 ± 0.044, and for fifteen varieties grown in Sweden it was 0.851 ± 0.042. The difference was not associated with any difference in tannin content, which was uniformly low. The findings contradict published evidence for marked increase in tannin content with increase in geographical latitude of cultivation, associated with decrease in digestibility of N.
Metazoan parasites of Neogobius fishes in the Slovak section of the River Danube

Summary Metazoan parasites were investigated in three non-native fishes (monkey goby Neogobius fluviatilis, bighead goby Neogobius kessleri and round goby Neogobius melanostomus) collected from the former and current main channel of the River Danube and from the River Hron, Slovakia, in November 2003. Thirteen parasite species were identified: Triaenophorus crassus, Diplostomum sp. , Tylodelphys clavata, Metorchis xanthosomus, Nicolla skrjabini, Gyrodactylus proterorhini, Pomphorhynchus laevis, Contracoecum sp. , Raphidascaris acus, Anguillicola crassus, Unio tumidus, Anodonta anatina and Pseudoanodonta complanata. The maximum parasite diversity was found in N. fluviatilis. Total parasite abundance was significantly higher in N. kessleri, but no significant differences among sampling sites were observed. Pomphorhynchus laevis and glochidia of Anodonta anatina reached 100% prevalence in N. kessleri in the new channel of the Danube and, in general, these species were also the most prevalent parasites in all three goby species. For endoparasites, gobies served mostly as intermediate (digenean, cestodes and nematodes) or paratenic (acantocephalan and nematodes) hosts. All parasite species found are common parasites in the Middle Danube basin. No parasites specific to Neogobius, known from their native populations, were observed.
Evaluation of lugol solution used for counting rumen ciliates

The present study proposes a modification of the technique described by PURSER & MOIR (1959) for the quantitative evaluation of rumen ciliate based on an adaptation described by DEHORITY (I984). The modifying process includes: the replacement of two drops of brilliant green dye, for at least four hours, by three drops of lugol solution, for at least 15 minutes. It was made a comparative evaluation of these stainings. It was concluded that lugol solution can replace the brilliant green dye showing the following advantages: staining time reduction and subsequent speeding of sample processing; evidence of skeletal plates of entodiniomorphs making its identification easier; improved observation of small ciliates and inconspicuous structures; improved total counting and generic identification of the ciliates.
4 Plant Rhizosphere Microbial Communities

Effects of Agrosystem Management on Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities . 70 Effect of Organic Soil Amendment . 70 Inoculation with Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Biocontrol Agents . 70 Plant Genetic Manipulation Targeting Rhizosphere Associations . 71 Plant Genetic Manipulation: Rhizosphere Bacteria as Nontarget Organisms . 71
Modelling the Components of Plant Respiration: Some Guiding Principles

Respiration is poorly represented in whole plant or ecosystem models relative to photosynthesis. This paper reviews the principles underlying the development of a more mechanistic approach to modelling plant respiration and the criteria by which model behaviour might be judged. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Models should separate C substrate from structure so that direct or indirect C substrate dependence of the components of respiration can be represented. (2) Account should be taken of the fact that some of the energy for leaf respiration is drawn from the light reactions of photosynthesis. (3) It is possible to estimate respiration associated with growth, nitrate reduction, symbiotic N2fixation, N-uptake, other ion uptake and phloem loading, because reasonable estimates are available of average specific unit respiratory costs and the rates of these processes can be quantified. (4) At present, it is less easy to estimate respiration associated with protein turnover, maintenance of cell ion concentrations and gradients and all forms of respiration involving the alternative pathway and futile cycles. (5) The growth-maintenance paradigm is valuable but ‘maintenance ' is an approximate concept and there is no rigorous division between growth and maintenance energy-requiring processes. (6) An alternative ‘process-residual’ approach would be to estimate explicitly respiratory fluxes associated with the six processes listed in (3) above and treat the remainder as a residual with a phenomenological ‘ residual maintenance’ coefficient. (7) Maintenance or ‘residual maintenance’ respiration rates are often more closely related to tissue N content than biomass, volume or surface area. (8) Respiratory fluxes associated with different processes vary independently, seasonally and during plant development, and so should be represented separately if possible. (9) An unforced outcome of mechanistic models should be a constrained, but non-constant, ratio between whole plant gross photosynthesis and respiration.
Effects of elevated levels of suspended particulate matter and burial on juvenile king scallops Pecten maximus

The effects of exposure to elevated levels of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and burial on juvenile king scallops Pecten maximus L. were assessed in 2 separate experiments. Shell gape activity was monitored during exposure to no SPM and 'low' (50 to 100 mg l �1 ) and 'high' (200 to 700 mg l �1 ) levels of SPM for 18 d. The frequency of shell 'claps' (a complete shell closure) and shell movements (of ≥10°) differed significantly among treatments. Shell 'claps' and move- ments were significantly greater under high SPM than under low or control conditions. Scallops under low and high levels of SPM showed significantly lower growth rates compared to scallops under control conditions. The response to burial was assessed under varying burial duration (1 to 8 d), depth (0 to 5 cm) and size-fraction of sediment (fine: 0.1 to 0.3 mm, medium fine: 0.4 to 0.8 mm and coarse: 1.2 to 2.0 mm diameter). All 3 conditions had a significant influence on the ability of scallops to emerge from burial, as well as on mortality while buried. Emergence was higher at shallower depths and in coarse to medium grain sizes. Mortality rates while buried under coarse and medium grain sizes were low and appeared unrelated to depth, while within fine sediment, mortality increased with depth of burial. Survival decreased across all 3 sediment types with increasing burial duration. Comparison with earlier studies indicates that P. maximus appears more tolerant of burial and elevated levels of SPM than the queen scallop Aequipecten opercu- laris. Elevated SPM did not have any short-term effects on survival; however, the reduction in growth rate observed has implications for the management of scallop fishing grounds.
OCCURRENCE OF XIPHINEMA INDEX IN LEBANESE VINEYARDS

SUMMARY Soil samples were collected in late spring 2005 from vineyards in 25 different locations of the Bekaa valley, the main grapevine-growing area of Lebanon, to investigate the presence of the longidorid nematode Xiphinema index Thorne & Allen, the vector of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV). Approximately 14% of the samples contained the nematode, which was found in all developmental stages except for males, which are very rare in this species. The density of the nematode population ranged from 8 to 45 specimens/500 ml of soil. The main morphological characteristics of taxonomic relevance in the Lebanese population of X. index are described, while selected morphometric parameters from a population of 18 specimens were compared with those reported in the literature. This is the first survey for the presence and distribution of X. index in Lebanon.
HARBOR PORPOISE (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) ABUNDANCE IN ALASKA: BRISTOL BAY TO SOUTHEAST ALASKA, 1991-1993

Between 1991 and 1993, Alaska harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) abundance was investigated during aerial surveys throughout much of the coastal and offshore waters from Bristol Bay in the eastern Bering Sea to Dixon Entrance in Southeast Alaska. Line-transect methodology was used, and only those observations made during optimal conditions were analyzed. Survey data indicated densities of 4.48 groups/100 km2, or approximately 3,531 harbor porpoises (95% C. I. 2,206-5,651) in Bristol Bay and 0.54 groups/100 km2, or 136 harbor porpoises (95% C. I. 11-1,645) for Cook Inlet. Efforts off Kodiak Island resulted in densities of 1.85 groups/100 km2, or an abundance estimate of 740 (95% C. I. 259-2,115). Surveys off the south side of the Alaska Peninsula found densities of 2.03 groups/100 km2 and an abundance estimate of 551 (95% C. I. 423-719). Surveys of offshore waters from Prince William Sound to Dixon Entrance yielded densities of 4.02 groups/100 km2 and an abundance estimate of 3,982 (95% C. I. 2,567-6,177). Combining all years and areas yielded an uncorrected density estimate of 3.82 porpoises per 100 km2, resulting in an abundance estimate of 8,940 porpoises (CV = 13.8%) with a 95% confidence interval of 6,746-11,848. Using correction factors from other studies to adjust for animals missed by observers, the total number of Alaska harbor porpoises is probably three times this number.
The elemental stoichiometry and composition of an iron‐limited diatom

We grew Thalassiosira weissflogii to steady state over a range of Fe‐limiting conditions with nitrate or ammonium as the N source. Nitrate‐dependent cells had faster Fe‐uptake rates, contained significantly higher intracellular Fe quotas, and grew faster than cells cultivated with NH4+ when Fe was most limiting. Under these conditions, carbon (C) : chlorophyll a ratios and the minimum fluorescence yield per chlorophyll a increased, but N source had no effect on either parameter. The ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (Fv Fm−1) declined little with Fe limitation m even when T. weissflogii was grown at 25% of its maximum rate (µmax). C:N ratios were higher in nitrate than in ammonium‐grown cells and were constant at all Fe levels. Protein was independent of Fe and N, and amino acids were lowest in cells using NO3−. The P content of T. weissflogii (mol P L−1 cell volume) increased by 1.5 times as Fe became most limiting to growth, causing N: P and C: P ratios to decline significantly. The elemental stoichiometry for Fe‐limited new production of T. weissflogii (0.25µmax) was thus 70C : 10N : 5.9Si : 1P : 0.00074Fe (by mols) compared with 97C : 14N : 4.7Si : 1P : 0.029Fe for nutrient‐replete conditions. Uptake rate ratios of NO3− : PO43− showed the same dependence on Fe as the cellular N: P quotas, decreasing as [Fe] decreased. Iron limitation influenced the elemental composition of this marine diatom and will alter the assimilation ratios of C, N, and P in the high nitrate, low chlorophyll regions of the sea.
Huiles et beurres de pulpes de fruits : revue des principales sources exploitées, teneurs en insaponifiables, propriétés et usages traditionnels d’intérêt cosmétique

Approximately fifteen pulpy fruits are widely used as sources of fats. Most of these fruits are provided from plants belong to the family Arecaceae. Fats from pulps surrounding seeds have composition including various unsaponifiable matters often including significant quantities of carotenoids. Others chemical families (e.g. tocopherols) are sometime in interesting contents among unsaponifiable material. Physiological effects and the traditional uses in topical applications of these oils are reported
Effect of volume of urine and mass of faeces on N2O and CH4 emissions of dairy-cow excreta in a tropical pasture

We aimed to quantify nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions as a function of the addition of different quantities of bovine faeces and urine on soil under pasture. Two experiments were performed in randomised complete blocks with five replicates. In the first experiment, the emissions of CH4 and N2O were evaluated for 14 days after the addition of four amounts of faeces (0.0, 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 kg of fresh faeces per plot), and in a second experiment, N2O emissions were evaluated for 43 days after addition of four volumes of urine (0.0, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 L). Urine and faeces came from crossbred (Fresian × Gir) dairy cows fed on pasture and concentrates. N2O emissions from faeces did not alter the emission factor (EF) according to the faeces weight (P = 0.73). N2O-N EF from faeces-N averaged 0.18% (±0.05) of total applied N. The volume of urine applied influenced N2O losses. The EF decreased linearly (P = 0.015) with increasing volumes of urine, being 4.9% (±0.75), 3.36% (±0.7) and 2.43% (±0.46) of N applied emitted as N2O for the 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 L volumes of urine respectively. The EF from urine was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than the EF from faeces. There was no change to the CH4 emissions per kilogram of excreta when the amount of faeces added was varied (P = 0.87). However, the CH4 emitted increased linearly with the amount of faeces (P = 0.02). The CH4 EF was estimated to be 0.95 (±0.38) kg/head.year.
Burrow Aggregation of Prairie Mole Cricket, Gryllotalpa major Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) Males is Not Based on Soil Microhabitat Constraints at Lek Sites in Oklahoma

Abstract Gryllotalpa major Saussure is a rare burrowing insect native to the tallgrass prairie in the south-central United States. Males construct aggregated burrows in lek arenas from which they produce sexual advertisement calls in a landscape that superficially appears to be rather homogeneous. To test the hypothesis that male calling burrows are aggregated due to habitat limitations linked to fine scale differences in soil characteristics, we analyzed ten soil samples per site taken along a transect from each of three lek sites in Osage and Craig Counties in northeastern Oklahoma for mineral content, moisture content, pH, texture and color. Transects ran across a lek, and thus samples were taken from empty areas on either side of the aggregation, as well as from near burrows. Although there were differences in these soil attributes within and among lek sites, this analysis showed no correlation between number of G. major burrows within 10 m of a soil sample site and any of these attributes for the three lek sites sampled.