Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Affinities among the Oncocyclus irises

Crosses were performed between 33 species representing seven recognized trends of divergence in Section Oncocyclus (Siem.) Baker of the genus Iris L. All tested combinations were cross-compatible, and the various F1 interspecific hybrids were fully fertile. We concluded that speciation in this group did not involve the buildup of internal reproductive isolation barriers. The various species of the highly specialized, insect-pollinated Oncocyclus irises are isolated from one another by geographic, ecological, and temporal mechanisms and by preferences of their pollinators.
ESTIMATING PUP PRODUCTION OF HARP SEALS, PAGOPHILUS GROENLANDICUS, IN THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC

Photographic and visual aerial surveys to determine current pup production of Northwest Atlantic harp seals were conducted off Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during March 1999. Photographic surveys were conducted on all whelping concentrations between 14 and 24 March, whereas a visual survey was made of the southern Gulf concentrations on 14 March. Pup production was estimated to be 739,100 (SE = 96,300, CV = 13.0%) at the Front, 82,600 (SE = 22,500, CV = 27.2%) in the northern Gulf, and 176,200 (SE = 25,400, CV = 14.4%) in the southern Gulf (Magdalen Island) for a total of 997,900 (SE = 102,100, 10.2%). Changes in aerial survey estimates indicate that pup production has increased since 1994. A new method to correct for the temporal change in the proportion of pups present on the ice was examined by fitting the percentage of pups observed in three age-dependent stages to a Normal distribution. The results were compared to those obtained from a more complex model used previously. The Simple model produced slightly higher, and hence more conservative, estimates of the proportion of births that had occurred before the time of the survey than the Complex model. When using the Simple model fewer assumptions regarding the start date of pupping and the proportion of older pups remaining on the ice were required, the herd had to be followed for a shorter period, and a more convenient means of calculating confidence limits was available.
Ecological comparisons between Eastern Asia and North America: historical and geographical perspectives

The close floristic affinities between eastern Asia and North America have long been recognized and intensively studied, however, the ecological and biogeographical consequences of such a floristic relationship between these two remotely separated regions has been largely neglected until recently. Quantitative investigations of such relationships could greatly improve our understanding of many global and historical aspects of species diversity, vegetation dynamics, and biogeography, especially with the rapid developments of cladistic methods of phylogenetic reconstruction. All comparisons and predictions will depend on understanding past and present physical and biological processes (i.e. geological history of the continents and the evolutionary history of organisms), as well as human impacts in both regions. Both species level (life history characteristics, distribution, ecological functions) and community level (species composition, structure, endemism) variables should be investigated. Comparisons should be conducted spatially across vegetation zones and temporally through geological episodes. Emphases on the phylogeny and geological history of component taxa by analysing and synthesizing multidisciplinary data would be helpful, especially with regard to the current trends in global climate change. Diversity measured on different scales (i.e. α‐, β, and g‐diversity) could provide invaluable information about local‐regional relationships and their ecological implications in continental or even global biodiversity patterns.
Phylogenetic Analysis of Ypthima multistriata (Lepidoptera: Satyridae) Showing Nonclinal Geographic Variation in Voltinism

ABSTRACT In most insects, geographic variations in voltinism exhibit latitudinal clines, which have been conventionally regarded as a result of climatic adaptation. In contrast, Ypthima multistriata Bulter (Lepidoptera: Satyridae) shows enigmatic patterns of voltinism, ranging from one generation a year, with adult emergence in June or midsummer; to two generations, with adults emerging in June and September; to several generations with adults emerging intermittently from spring to autumn. Local populations with different voltinism patterns are geographically intermingled, suggesting at best a weak relation between voltinism and climatic factors. Y. multistriata populations are highly localized and the species has suffered recent reductions in density, suggesting that the voltinism differences may be of phylogenetic origin and also leading to the species being classified as endangered. To examine whether the geographic variation in voltinism is phylogenetically constrained, we constructed genealogical trees and a haplotype network of populations of Y. multistriata. The phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) region revealed that phylogenetically close populations, despite close geographic proximity, often display different voltinism. The haplotype network showed the same trends. Similarly, an analysis of molecular variance revealed that the voltinism types hardly accounted for the variance. Thus, we concluded that geographic variation in voltinism of Y. multistriata is at best only slightly attributable to phylogenetic constraints and instead may be due mainly to adaptation to the unique ecological selective regime of each population.
Streptococcus vestibularis sp. nov. from the Human Oral Cavity

Thirteen strains of gram-positive, catalase-negative, chain-forming cocci isolated from the vestibular mucosa of human oral cavities were compared with other oral streptococcal species. The new strains were unusual in that they formed acid from lactose, from salicin, and usually from cellobiose, but not from mannitol, sorbitol, inulin, or raffinose, and infrequently formed acid from trehalose. They hydrolyzed esculin, urea, and starch but not arginine, formed hydrogen peroxide, and were usually Voges-Proskauer positive. They did not produce extracellular glucan or fructan from sucrose. The strains were compared by analyzing long-chain fatty acids, by determining whole-cell polypeptide patterns by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and by performing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-DNA hybridizations. They possessed fatty acid profiles with major amounts of hexadecanoic (C16:0) and octadecenoic (C18:1ω7; cw-vaccenic) acids together with tetradecanoic (C14:0; myristic), hexadecenoic (C16:1; palmitoleic), octadecanoic (C18:0; stearic), octadecenoic (C18:1ω9; oleic), and eicosenoic (C20:1) acids, as shown by capillary gas-liquid chromatography. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis polypeptide patterns of the isolates showed some similarity to the patterns obtained for strains of Streptococcus salivarius subsp. salivarius, although they were, nevertheless, clearly distinguishable from the latter. DNA-DNA hybridization studies demonstrated that the new strains are more closely related to S. salivarius than to the other species of oral streptococci, but are sufficiently dissimilar to warrant separate species status. The name Streptococcus vestibularis is proposed. The DNA base composition is 38 to 41 mol% guanine plus cytosine. The type strain is strain MM1 (= NCTC 12166).
Evaluation of learner adoption intention of e‐learning in China: A methodology based on perceived innovative attributes

Abstract E‐learning, as an innovative and alternative way of distance learning, provides a strong challenge to traditional learning with its unique advantage. This paper, on the diffusion of e‐learning adoption in China, investigates people's perceptions and attitudes toward adopting e‐learning, and explores the factors affecting the e‐learning adoption behaviour from an innovation adoption perspective. Based on the model of Rogers’ innovation adoption theory, every factor of perceived innovative attributes influencing the individual adoption behaviour, namely perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived trialability, and perceived observability, will be analysed to test the relationship between the perceived innovative attributes and adoption intention of e‐learning. The result shows that the four perceived innovative attributes do have certain influences on people's adoption of e‐learning.
Microsporogenesis in Monocotyledons

This paper critically reviews the distribution of microsporogenesis types in relation to recent concepts in monocot systematics. Two basic types of microsporogenesis are generally recognized: successive and simultaneous, although intermediates occur. These are characterized by dierences in tetrad morphology, generally tetragonal or tetrahedral, although other forms occur, particularly associated with successive division. Successive microsporogenesis is predominant in monocotyledons, although the simultaneous type characterizes the ‘lower’ Asparagales. Simultaneous microsporogenesis also occurs in Japonolirion and Petrosaaia (unplaced taxa), some Araceae, Aponogeton, Thalassia and Tofieldia (Alismatales), Dioscorea, Stenomeris and Tacca (Dioscoreales), and some Commelinanae: Arecaceae (Arecales), and Cyperaceae, Juncaceae and Thurniaceae (Poales). Simultaneous microsporogenesis is of phylogenetic significance within some of these groups, for example, Asparagales, Dioscoreales and Poales. An intermediate type is recorded in Stemonaceae (Pandanales), Commelinaceae (Commelinales) and in Eriocaulaceae and Flagellariaceae (Poales). There is little direct relationship between microsporogenesis type and pollen aperture type in monocots (except for trichotomosulcate and pantoporate apertures), although trichotomosulcate apertures in monocot pollen, and equatorial tricolpate and tricolporate apertures in eudicot pollen, are all related to simultaneous microsporogenesis. # 1999 Annals of Botany Company
Efficient Feed Nutrient Utilization to Reduce Pollutants in Poultry and Swine Manure

High-density livestock facilities lead to a concentration of livestock wastes and subsequent leakage of pollutants into the environment, resulting in public concern about their effects. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the most harmful components of animal manure, but odor from the manure itself and the livestock facilities is also a problem. Improving the nutrient efficiency of the livestock helps to decrease excretion of these environmental contaminants. Pigs and chickens are the main animals used in studies to improve nutrient efficiency to reduce excretion of environmental contaminants. Addition of feed supplements and modifying feeding programs to improve nutrient efficiency can result in significant decreases in the N, P, odor, and dry matter (DM) weight of manure. Examples of these methods include the following. (1) The addition of synthetic amino acids and reducing protein contents resulted in N reductions of 10 to 27% in broilers, 18 to 35% in chicks and layers, 19 to 62% in pigs, and a 9 to 43% reduction in odor from pigs. (2) Enzyme supplementation resulted in a 12 to 15% reduction in DM weight of broiler manure. (3) Phytase supplementation resulted in P reductions of 25 to 35% in chickens and 25 to 60% in pigs. (4) The use of growth-promoting substances resulted in a 5 to 30% reduction in N and a 53 to 56% reduction in odor from pigs. (5) Formulating diets closer to requirements (diet modification) reduced N and P by 10 to 15% each in chickens and pigs, and odor by 28 to 79% in pigs. (6) Phase feeding reduced N and P excretion by chicken and pigs from 10 to 33% and 10 to 13% each, as well as odor in growing and finishing pigs by 49 to 79%. (7) Use of highly digestible raw materials in feed reduced N and P excretion by 5% in chickens and pigs. Certain feed manufacturing techniques (grinding feed grains and proper particle size, feed uniformity in rations, or expanding and pelleting) when done properly can significantly reduce N, P, and odor contents and DM weight of chicken and pig manure. Feed with proper grinding reduced 27% of N in finishing pigs and 22 to 23% reduction of N in piglet fed with pelleting, 60% reduction of NH3 emission fed with finely ground Zeolites in pig, and a 26% reduction of DM weight in finishing pigs fed with proper grinding were reported, but further research is needed in this area. Coordinating actual feed analytical results with production technique modifications is needed to reduce environmental contamination by animal manure, but specialists may need to be consulted for the successful implementation of these efforts.
As elasticidades da demanda por veículos novos no Brasil: Uma análise considerando o preço dos veículos usados

Esse trabalho analisa o comportamento da demanda por veículos novos no Brasil. A contribuição deste trabalho reside na inclusão do preço do veículo usado na análise. Ademais, utilizamos uma variável qualitativa para captar a eficácia da política anticíclica implementada pelo governo brasileiro durante a crise do subprime. As elasticidades são estimadas usando-se uma base de dados mensal e análise empíricas estatísticas robustas por meio do Método de Defasagens Autoregressivas Distribuídas (ARDL). Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho indicam que a demanda por veículos novos no Brasil é elástica em relação aos preços dos veículos usados e que o veículo usado é um bem substituto perfeito do veículo novo. Ademais, os resultados também indicam que a política anticíclica aplicada durante a crise foi efetiva para elevar o nível de demanda por novos veículos.
Population consequences of behaviour in the European bitterling (Rhodeus sericeus Cyprinidae)

The European bitterling is a freshwater fish with an unusual spawning symbiosis with freshwater mussels. Female bitterling possess long ovipositors that they use to place their eggs onto the gills of a mussel. Males fertilise the eggs by releasing sperm into the inhalant siphon of the mussel. The embryos develop inside the mussel for approximately a month, eventually leaving the mussel as actively swimming larvae. Because they use a discrete spawning site that can be readily manipulated they represent an ideal model for linking reproductive decisions with population dynamics. Bitterling have been used in field and large-scale pool experiments, in combination with modelling and population and genetic studies to investigate the population consequences of behaviour. Here we show how male mating tactics, female mate and oviposition decisions, and aggressive interference competition among juveniles, may have significant impacts on bitterling population size and population genetics.
Peanut pod development in pegging and rooting zones salinized with sodium chloride.

Assuming pegging zone salinity is not less than rooting zone salinity, the results indicate that the initial decrease in seed yield is correlated with vegetative growth and is due to an electrical conductivity of the rooting zone between 2 and 3.5 dS/m. Pegging zone salinity greater than 5.5 dS/m prevents seed development and enhances vegetative growth. The salt sensitivity of peanut is the sum of the effect of rooting zone NaCl on biomass and the effect of pegging zone NaCl on seed development
Determining the origin of invasions and demonstrating a lack of enemy release from microsporidian pathogens in common wasps (Vespula vulgaris)

Understanding the role of enemy release in biological invasions requires an assessment of the invader's home range, the number of invasion events and enemy prevalence. The common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) is a widespread invader. We sought to determine the Eurasian origin of this wasp and examined world‐wide populations for microsporidian pathogen infections to investigate enemy release.
Natural and Unnatural Extinction Rates of Reptiles on Islands

A recurrent debate in island biogeography centers on the relative importance of ecological and historical factors in accounting for the number and the identities of species on islands. Historical biogeographers typically view the number of species on an island as being determined by the availability of appropriate habitats. Changes in species composition are a consequence of drastic alteration of habitats by climatic change (e.g., Pregill and Olson 1981; Olson and Hilgartner 1982); immigration a d extinctions occur in waves, as old habitats disappear and new ones become available. In contrast, the ecological theory assumes that immigration and extinction are random events that occur continuously even in the absence of catastrophic change. An important result of this model is that the number of species on an island approaches a dynamic equilibrium when rates of immigration and extinction just balance one another (MacArthur and Wilson 1967). Support for the historical model is largely drawn from paleontological evidence. Perhaps the most dramatic examples of extinction in which the role of drastic environmental change is clearly implicated are the celebrated episodes of mass extinction that serve to divide the geologic timetable (Raup 1986). In a more contemporary example, Pregill and Olson (1981) attributed the many extinctions in the fossil vertebrate fauna of the West Indies to the disappearance of appropriate habitats following climatic hanges during the Late Pleistocene. They argued that historical explanations and particularly the effects of Pleistocene climatic changes are most important in explaining changes in species composition on islands. Support for the ecological model is based on relatively short term studies of turnover on islands. Repeated censuses of breeding birds on islands (Diamond 1969; Jones and Diamond 1976; Diamond and May 1977) have found that the identities of species breeding on an island vary from one census to another, whereas the number of species breeding in any one year is roughly constant over many decades. The short ime scale over which species are observed to fluctuate suggests that habitat alteration by climatic hange is not an important factor. Whether the number of species on an island approaches equilibrium depends critically on the rate of approach relative to the incidence of historical factors that
Nutritional resources used by the invasive maize pest Diabrotica virgifera virgifera in its new South‐east‐European distribution range

Food utilization by adults of the invasive maize (Zea mays L.) (Poaceae) pest western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was investigated in the south‐eastern part of its new European distribution range. At weekly intervals over a 10‐week period, 10 beetles per field were collected from six fields that had a high abundance of flowering weeds and six fields with a low abundance of flowering weeds, with the aim of understanding adult feeding behaviour in Europe and comparing this behaviour with North American WCR. Gut content analysis was performed to determine the use of maize tissue and weed pollen with regard to maize phenology. Furthermore, all pollen found within the gut was quantified and identified to plant species level. The use of maize tissue by adult WCR changed over time according to maize phenology. Pollen originating from plants other than maize was used more frequently as the maize matured. Adults fed on pollen from 19 of 25 different plant species found in maize fields and showed a preference for the pollen of specific weeds. Pollen from weed species was found more often in beetles from fields with a high abundance of weeds compared to beetles from fields with a low abundance of weeds. Females consumed greater amounts of pollen than males, the latter feeding on a wider diversity of host plants. The pollen resources used by adult WCR in Hungary were more diverse compared to WCR in the USA, which may contribute to the invasion success of WCR in Europe.
Consequences of differences in body mass, wing length and leg morphology for nectar-feeding birds

Nectar-feeding birds are prominent in many parts of the world, and vary with respect to body size. Despite the availability of considerable morphometric data, few concerted efforts have been made to assess the influence of attributes such as mass, wing length and leg morphology upon the speed, acceleration, mode and energetic cost of movement by birds between flowers when foraging for nectar. This review attempts to consolidate and interpret available data and highlight areas where further investigations appear warranted. Australian honeyeaters are generally larger, and American hummingbirds smaller, than Hawaiian honeycreepers and sunbirds of Africa or Asia. Sunbirds, honeyeaters and honeycreepers generally perch while extracting nectar from flowers. Hummingbirds usually hover, apparently because suitable perches close to flowers are lacking, and not because hovering increases the speed at which flowers can be visited. Honeyeaters move from one flower to another at speeds that are at least as great as those for hummingbirds. Most passerine nectarivores need to ingest more nectar per day than hummingbirds in order to maintain energy balance, some species devoting more than 60% of the day to foraging. The major consequence of reduced foraging activity by hummingbirds, which spend only 5–30% of the day in this manner, appears to be male emancipation from nest construction and care of offspring. Large nectarivores have a greater capacity to store surplus food and to fast than smaller birds, and so can take advantage of short-lived peaks in nectar abundance. Nectarivores such as honeyeaters should therefore be favoured by the rapid diurnal changes in nectar availability which are characteristic of many Australian and African habitats. Body mass also determines the likely access to rich sources of nectar through size-related interspecific dominance hierarchies. In all families, larger species tend to monopolize the most rewarding nectar supplies, forcing smaller subordinate species to use poorer, more scattered sources. Within particular species, males usually have longer wings and greater masses than females. These variations imply that the two sexes differ with regard to their foraging ecology, although few supporting data are currently available.
A Mathematical Model for Prediction the Embedment Depth of the Contiguous Piles Used in the Interchange of Zakho Entrance

Determination of the depths of the embedment of contiguous piles requires extensive soil investigation to obtain the soil physical parameters. In addition, a large number of such piles involved in restricted access projects make that depth an essential problem. A simple mathematical model for predicting the depth of embedment using the height of the retained soil, the standard penetration test values, and the bulk unit weight of the soils encountered for 261 pile data sets was introduced using an artificial neural network approach. The coefficient of determination equals to 0.99 for the tested the data reveal that the depth of embedment was accurate against those achieved in Zakho interchange. The importance and parametric studies obtained show that the major parameter which affects the depth of embedment was the height of the retained soil whereas the effect of other parameters is relatively less.