Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contributions to a Review of the Dendrelaphis pictus (Gmelin, 1789) Complex (Serpentes: Colubridae)—3. The Indian Forms, with the Description of a New Species from the Western Ghats

Abstract We investigated the taxonomic status of the Indian forms of the Dendrelaphis pictus (Gmelin, 1789) group on the basis of multivariate analyses of morphological data taken from 176 museum specimens and two living specimens. A geographically isolated form from the Western Ghats, southwest India, is described as a new species. The subspecies Dendrelaphis pictus andamanensis (Anderson, 1871), an endemic from the Andaman Islands, is given specific status. Finally, the population of D. pictus from Indochina and northeast India, although superficially homogeneous, is shown to be comprised of two morphologically distinct forms. These forms are distributed parapatrically with a transition near the northern and northwestern borders of Indochina. The two forms are considered to represent distinct evolutionary lineages. The name Dendrelaphis proarchos (Wall, 1909) is revalidated to represent the northwestern form. The southeastern form is referred to as D. pictus (Gmelin, 1789). Whether intergradation between D. pictus and D. proarchos occurs at the contact zone is not clear.
Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in north-western France: aerial survey, opportunistic sightings and strandings monitoring

The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is one of the common small cetaceans of European waters. This discreet and undemonstrative species is strongly represented throughout the cold waters of the northern hemisphere, and is the most abundant cetacean in the North Sea. In the last few years, some observations and studies indicate a shift of harbour porpoise distribution in European waters, from northern regions of the North Sea to the southern North Sea, English Channel and Celtic Sea. This shift may include a comeback around the coasts of France. Harbour porpoises inhabit shelf-waters and are often observed in shallow waters, conditions offered for instance by the coasts of Brittany in north-western France. We used opportunistic sightings, aerial survey and a ten-year strandings database to study the presence of harbour porpoises along the coasts of Brittany. Opportunistic sightings made by non-specialists did not confirm a strong presence of harbour porpoises along the Brittany coasts, most probably because of the undemonstrative behaviour of this cetacean. However, aerial survey and stranding analysis indicate that harbour porpoises have become natural inhabitants of the Brittany coasts once more: 68.6% of cetacean school sightings made during a 1578 km aerial survey of the Brittany coasts concerned harbour porpoises, with an encounter rate of 1.5 individuals per 100 km that peaked to 5.8 per 100 km to the top of the shallow waters of the south-western Western English Channel. The number of harbour porpoise strandings increased each year from 1997 to 2007, making a total of 135 along the coasts of Brittany. Other cetaceans did not show such an increase during the same period. Strandings of harbour porpoises were also characterized by an apparent increase as a proportion in relation to all the cetacean strandings during the months of September to January, by a marked impact of by-catch during winter, and by an almost total absence of stranded calves. The comeback of the harbour porpoise along Brittany coasts is clearly confirmed by our data, and a stable population seems to be established again along the coasts of Brittany. This tends to confirm the shift of the distribution of the species in certain European waters. Long term monitoring, diet and genetic studies are now planned for a better understanding of this shift, and for the effective implementation of a conservation plan.
A Study On Deep Fakes Detection Using Blinks and Tracker

Deep learning, a type of artificial intelligence (AI), replicates how the human brain processes data when processing data for tasks including speech recognition, object detection, visual object recognition, language translation, and decision-making. Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) is an outstanding generative version which can be extensively utilized in diverse applications. Recent research has indicated that it's far feasible to achieve faux face photographs with an excessive visible excellence primarily based totally in this novel version. For instance, the example may be impacted by a person's orientation, age, the hour of the day, or level of personal wellbeing. The misuse of the fake faces in photo manipulation could lead to certain ethical, moral, and legal issues. Therefore, in this work we first recommend a Convolution Neural Network (CNN) based entirely technique to find fake face photos produced by the modern-day pleasant technique, and we provide practical evidences to indicate that the proposed technique can create high-satisfactory results with a median accuracy over 87.5% which was accomplished in previous papers and projects. In order to further support the logic of our method, we also provide comparison results assessed on a few variations of the suggested CNN architecture, including the excessive by skip filter, the variety of the layer agencies, and the activation function.
Comparative Susceptibility of Plants Native to the Appalachian Range of the United States to Inoculation With Phytophthora ramorum

Phytophthora ramorum, cause of sudden oak death of trees or ramorum blight of other plant species, has an ever-increasing host range. Some geographic regions are considered to be at high risk of becoming infested with the pathogen, possibly causing plant mortality such as seen in native habitats of California and Oregon. One such region is the Appalachian range of the eastern United States, where known susceptible plants occur and climatic characteristics appear favorable for infections by this pathogen. We collected foliage of a range of plant species native to Appalachia in Kentucky during two summer seasons, and the foliage was shipped to Oregon for inoculation with P. ramorum to determine relative susceptibility. Leaves were needle-wounded and inoculated with either mycelium agar plugs or sporangia of a North American (A2 mating type) or European (A1 mating type) isolate. After 14 days incubation at 20°C in moist boxes, lesions caused by either inoculum type or isolate generally were comparable using digital photos and ASSESS software. Some genera, species, and cultivars within species were highly susceptible, while others were moderately susceptible or not susceptible. These results provide a basis for regional surveyors to select target hosts and to generate survey and management practices for nursery and forest areas.
Evaluation of pressed shredded empty fruit bunch (EFB)-palm oil mill effluent (POME) anaerobic sludge based compost using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis

Pressed-shredded empty fruit bunches (EFB) and palm oil mill effluent (POME) anaerobic sludge from a 500 m 3 closed anaerobic digester system was utilized for the co-composting treatment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the shredding-pressing treatment on EFB gave better results in removing the debris and silica bodies as compared to only shredding treatment. However, similar characteristics were detected in both physically-treated EFB samples by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, mainly in the regions of 900 to 1740 and 2800 to 3400 cm -1 . After the anaerobic digestion of fresh raw POME, the protein origin (Amide I) band appeared in the POME anaerobic sludge. Besides, the band intensities at 2925 and 2855 cm -1 which attributed to the composition of fat and lipid was decreased. The maturity of the composting material after 40 days of treatment was detected by the appearance of the nitrate band at 1376 cm -1 and the results corresponded to the final C/N ratio of 12.4. Solid state 13 C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was also used to reveal the characteristic changes of pressed-shredded EFB-POME anaerobic sludge based compost. Key words: Empty fruit bunch, palm oil mill effluent, compost.
Effects of Molasses on Mimosine Metabolism in Goats Fed Fresh and Dried Leucaena with Barley Straw

The effect of molasses supplementation on the metabolism and excretion of mimosine by goats was studied. Goats were fed barley straw and Leucaena (31.0 g mimosine kg-' dry matter) throughout experiment 1 with and without a molasses supplement (400 g day-'). Four groups of four goats fed barley straw (13 days) were supplemented with either 0, 100, 200 or 400 g molasses day-' for 6 days (experiment 2). Two goats on each molasses treatment were then offered similar quantities of Leucaena dry matter (DM) (10.0 g mimosine kg-' DM) as either fresh or dried material for a further 18 days. Unsupplemented goats excreted appreciable quantities of mimosine and 3-hydroxy-4-(1H)-pyridone (DHP) in faeces. In experiment 1, 57% of the ingested mimosine was recovered, principally as conjugated DHP, in faeces and urine of goats supplemented with molasses, compared to 39% for unsupplemented goats. Molasses supplementation also increased the faecal excretion of conjugated DHP in experiment 2, particularly with goats fed dried Leucaena. Urinary excretion of mimosine in all goats was largely as conjugated DHP (negligible free DHP). The highest outputs of conjugated DHP in urine were associated with greater reductions in serum T4 levels, but 400 g of molasses supplement in experiment 2 prevented depressions in serum T4 levels. In both experiments a considerable proportion (c. 40%) of the ingested mimosine was not excreted.
Page 1 DECENTRALIZED DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS AND LIFE-CYCLE COSTS

Decentralized wastewater collection and treatment systems such as effluent sewers (aka STEP/STEG sewers), pressure sewers, and onsite wastewater treatment systems save small communities millions – in some cases, tens of millions – of dollars in capital costs and long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) costs when compared with large-diameter (LD) gravity sewers. Decentralized collection systems can affordably serve small, spread-out communities largely because they use small-diameter, shallowly buried PVC or HDPE mainlines – along variable grades – to convey wastewater to a treatment facility rather than using large-diameter, deeply excavated conveyance mains that are laid at a constant slope most often with expensive, high-maintenance lift stations along the route. Effluent and pressure sewers are designed to operate without the need for full-time, on-site staffing. With their 24-hour storage capacity above a high-level alarm, this is particularly true for effluent sewers. In fact, a single employee can provide O&M services for upwards of 1,000 residential effluent sewer connections (Cagle et al., 2013). Additionally, decentralized sewer options often produce and discharge a higher-quality effluent than do many large municipal treatment facilities at less expense to users, and they can be installed and operational in a fraction of the time it takes to install LD gravity conveyance and treatment systems. Because of their affordability, decentralized sewer systems have been installed in thousands of communities over the past several decades. A number of these systems are now more than 35 years old. Two of these technologies, effluent sewers and grinder sewers, are being proposed in an ever-increasing number of small communities. Despite the fact that decentralized sewers appear to be an ideal solution for these smaller communities, most engineers continue to recommend LD gravity sewers with costly municipal treatment options. One frequently cited reason is a concern with the life-cycle costs of pressure/effluent sewers due to the perception that they are more expensive to operate and maintain than gravity sewers. This misconception lingers because operational data from longterm pressure sewer systems hasn’t been readily available, mainly due to a lack of documentation, the variety of data, and the variability in equipment quality and O&M procedures. Because of these unknowns, consultants have been very conservative in their estimates of O&M costs for pressure sewer systems and, in fact, have significantly overestimated them in many instances. At the same time, consultants have typically underestimated O&M costs when designing and evaluating LD gravity sewer systems, and have given little consideration to the 1 Executive Vice President, Orenco Systems, Inc., Sutherlin, OR 2 Senior Manager Engineered Projects, Orenco Systems, Inc, Sutherlin, OR
Endogenous losses of phosphorus by sheep

SUMMARY Twelve sheep were fed semisynthetic roughage diets at three rates to study the effects of intake of dry matter, concentration of phosphorus and the physical form of two low-P barley straws upon the faecal losses of P. The sheep were in negative P balance throughout the experiement. The absorption of dietary P increased with P intake and was unaffected by differences in the physical form of the roughage. For each barley straw diet, endogenous faecal P increased with dry matter intake, and was higher when the roughage was ground than chopped. Over the whole experiment, daily endogenous faecal P ranged from 8·5 to 31·5 mg/kg live weight. Endogenous faecal P was related to P intake or to dry matter intake and plasma inorganic P. The concentration of faecal endogenous P was negatively related to the intake of each diet. It is concluded that the concentration of inorganic plasma P and the rate of salivary secretion are responsible for the endogenous faecal excretion of P and the regulation of P balance in sheep fed low-P diets.
Somaclonal Variation for Development of Salt Tolerance in Selected Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Cultivars

The calli of twenty wheat varieties were cultured on MS medium under four salinity levels i.e., 0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl to develop salt tolerant wheat somaclones. The developed plantlets were transferred on rooting medium salinized with the same salinity levels (MS + 1 mgL -1 IAA). Plants of 10 wheat varieties (Ufaq-2002, Parwaz-94, LU-26S, Punjab-76, Pasban90, Inqulab-91, Uqab-2000, Chenab-70, AS-2000 & Bhakhar-2002) developed roots and turned in to complete plants. These complete plants having both shoots and roots were shifted to sand culture in pots to obtain regenerator seed (R0). The R0 seeds of these varieties were further evaluated for Na + , K + and K + :Na + ratio to evaluate the salt tolerance of wheat somaclones. Keeping in view Na + , K + ion concentration and K + :Na + ratio. Somaclones of genotype Inqulab-91 were found to be tolerant to salinity at almost all the salinity levels. © 2012 Friends Science Publishers
Comparative Analysis of Analog and Digitized Radio-over-Fiber Systems

Due to increase in the implementation of optical access networks and surplus availability of advanced and cost-effective opto-electronic system technologies, a unified optical feeder network could provide continuous integration of both broadband optical and wireless access networks. A Radio-over-fiber (ROF) is used to transport wireless signals in optical form between the central station and the Base station . Recently Digitized radio-over-fiber(DROF) has been found to be a low-cost solution by using signal processing and sampling techniques. In this paper, we have made a performance comparison of ROF and DROF in terms of Bit Error Rate and Signal to Noise Ratio.
Salt effects on 77K fluorescence and photosynthesis in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Salt loading of 314 mmol l−1 NaCl led to optimal growth and photosynthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. In 77K fluorescence emission spectroscopy a new peak was found at 660 nm in salt adapted cells, in addition to the peaks of chlorophyll-a at fluorescence levels (F) 685 and 725 nm. Futhermore the ratios of F685/F725 and of photosystem 2/photosystem 1 are reduced in salt loaded cells in comparison to control cells.
INSULIN SECRETION EFFECT OF 2,17-DIOXOSPARTEINE , 17-THIONOSPARTEINE , MULTIFLORINE AND 17-HYDROXY -LUPANINE ON RAT LANGERHAN 'S ISLETS

Some lupin species have been used as natural remedy for the treatment of diabetes. It has been also demonstrated that lupin quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs) like multiflorine possess hypoglycemic activity in normal mice and in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes model while lupanine and sparteine increase insulin secretion in vitro conditions. Based on this evidence, we evaluated, in vitro , the impact of multiflorine (natural QA), sparteine and lupanine derivatives on insulin secretion by pancreatic islets. Intact rat Langerhan’s islets were isolated by collagenase digestion. Immediately after, five pancreatic islets were incubated with 3.3, 8.3, or 16.7 mM glucose, in the presence or absence of 0.5 mM of 2,17-dioxosparteine, 17-thionosparteine, multiflorine, or 17-hydroxy-lupanine. After 60 minutes, an aliquot of medium was collected and insulin levels determined by radioimmunoassay. The 2,17-dioxosparteine, 17-hydroxy- lupanine, and multiflorine at 0.5 mM enhanced insulin secretion in pancreatic islets incubated with 16.7 mM glucose. The alkaloid 17-thionosparteine enhanced insulin secretion at 8.3 mM glucose. These results indicate that multiflorine and lupanine and sparteine derivatives only stimulate the insulin secretion at high glucose concentration; one of the most desirable characteristic of the hypoglycemic drugs and that can potentially be used as therapeutic agents.
Environmental influences on the development of spruce needle cuticles.

Seedlings of Norway [Picea abies (L.) Karst. ], red (P. rubens Sarg.), black [P. mariana (Mill) B.S.P.] and white [P. glauca (Moench.) Voss] spruce were grown from bud break to bud set outdoors, in the greenhouse, and in controlled environment chambers. The outdoor and greenhouse treatments also included adjacent shaded (50%) seedlings. The effects of growth environment on needle epicuticular wax production and morphology, and on needle wettability were investigated. Red and black spruce exhibited free growth in addition to determinate growth, but only in the greenhouse. Although relative growth rate was significantly lower for seedlings grown outdoors, there were no differences in wax morphology between outdoor- and greenhouse-grown seedlings, Wax deposits on controlled environment seedlings were significantly more crystalline. Wax tubes were crystallized in 'tufts'. There were significant differences in wax amounts recovered between species and treatments. Wax amounts relative to needle dry weights decreased in the order greenhouse > outdoors > controlled environment. Shaded red and black spruce produced significantly more wax than unshaded. Needles from seedlings grown in controlled environment chambers had the largest needle/droplet contact angles. These data indicate that seedling growth environment affects needle epicuticular wax characteristics and wettability. Studies designed to investigate factors determined by needle surface phystcochemical characteristics should include a consideration of growth environment.
A Novel Rate Model of Temperature-Dependent Development for Arthropods

Two novel and simple mathematical models of arthropod temperature-dependent development are proposed. These models are easy to use and have 3 (equation 1) and 4 (equation 2) ecologically meaningful parameters, respectively. Each parameter can be estimated using nonlinear regression. These models were used to compare developmental rates at constant temperatures for our own experiments on Lobesia botrana (Dennis & Schiffermuller) and for data from 6 insect species described (a total of 13 stages). In all cases, we obtained an accurate nonlinear description of the rate of development against temperature given by the adjusted R 2 ([Kvalseth, 1985][1]). The adjusted R 2 calculated extended from 0.86 to 0.99 and were identical for our equations 1 and 2. In all cases, equation 2 provided the lowest residual sums of squares. The models gave upper T L and lower T temperature threshold estimations, and the estimations obtained were better by using equation 1 rather equation 2. Confidence intervals for each parameter were given and a comparison between estimated and observed temperature thresholds were presented. [1]: #ref-11
Predicting daily mean soil temperature from daily mean air temperature in four northern hardwood forest stands.

Soil temperature is very important in regulating ecosystem processes, yet it is often difficult and costly to measure. Most models that have endeavored to predict soil temperature have either a long time step or several complicated independent variables. Daily mean air and soil temperatures were measured from 1989-1997 in four northern hardwood sites along a 500 km latitudinal gradient in Michigan. These data were used to derive a simple method to predict daily mean soil temperature (depth of 15 cm) using the daily mean air temperature from the previous day and a cosine function of Julian date (R 2 = 0.93-0.96; SEM = 0.98-1.40oC). Predicted values were compared with actual recorded soil temperatures from 1997 at each of the sites, and the average difference between the observed and predicted values ranged from 0.11 to 0.39oC. Different coefficients were estimated for each of the sites; however, this general method of predicting soil temperature appears applicable to any site. Once calibrated for a given site, soil temperature may be simply estimated, thus reducing the need for extended monitoring efforts. This method also allows the reconstruction of soil temperature records beyond the monitoring period. Projecting long-term trends in soil temperature may help to further elucidate several ecosystem processes and also may provide more information on how a changing global climate will impact forest ecosystems. FOR. Sc. 46(2):297-301.
SPIRACULAR CONTROL OF RESPIRATORY WATER LOSS IN FEMALE ALATES OF THE HARVESTER ANT POGONOMYRMEX RUGOSUS

It has been suggested that the discontinuous ventilation cycle (DVC) observed in many insects, including all ants described to date, is an adaptation to reduce respiratory water loss. To test this hypothesis, it is necessary to measure respiratory water loss as a percentage of total water loss and to estimate what sustained rates of water loss would be in the absence of spiracular control. We used two independent techniques to measure real-time water loss rates in female alates of Pogonomyrmex rugosus. The first measured water vapor emission and CO2 production simultaneously using dual- wavelength infrared absorbance analysis (DWIRAA). The second measured water loss gravimetrically. Real-time measurement allowed the separation of cuticular water loss rates (interburst) from water loss rates during the ventilation phase (burst) of the DVC. Cuticular permeability of P. rugosus female alates was only 27 ng h-1 cm-2 Pa-1, one-third of that reported for workers of the same species and the lowest yet reported for ants. Partly because of this low cuticular permeability, respiratory water loss represented a greater percentage of overall water loss (13 %) than has generally been reported for other insects. The DWIRAA and gravimetric techniques gave equivalent results. Peak rates of water loss during the burst phase were 2.8-fold higher than cuticular water loss rates alone (7.68 mg g-1 h-1 versus 2.77 mg g-1 h-1 at 25°C). This is a conservative estimate of water loss rates in the absence of spiracular control. Contrary to findings in certain other insects that suggest a negligible role for respiratory water loss, we find that, in an insect that employs the DVC and has low cuticular permeability, overall water loss rates rise several-fold in the absence of direct spiracular control. Our findings lend strong support to the water conservation hypothesis for the role of the DVC. In at least some insects, respiratory water loss rates can reach magnitudes significant enough, relative to other routes of water loss, for strong selective pressure to act on them.