Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agonistic behavioral interactions between introduced western mosquitofish and native topminnows

The stocking of western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis for mosquito control negatively impacts native fishes with similar ecological requirements. In this study, a series of laboratory microcosm experiments was used to examine intra and interspecific agonistic behavioral interactions (e.g., chases and nips) between western mosquitofish and northern starhead topminnow Fundulus dispar, northern studfish F. catenatus, blackstripe topminnow F. notatus, and banded killifish F. diaphanous at three fish densities and in the presence/absence of vegetation. Western mosquitofish exhibited more agonistic behaviors than the four topminnow species and caused a change in topminnow behavior in mixed-species microcosms. Mosquitofish were aggressive toward conspecifics, with most of the chases and nips occurring at the highest densities and when vegetation was absent. Topminnows exhibited few agonistic behaviors toward conspecifics, but intraspecific chasing and nipping did occur when exposed to mosquitofish. Agonistic behaviors by topminnows toward mosquitofish occurred infrequently, and mosquitofish initiated almost all of the chases and nips. While all four topminnow species were attacked by mosquitofish, northern starhead topminnow and banded killifish were chased and nipped more frequently than the other topminnow species. These two topminnows exhibited the most behavioral changes and fin damage and one northern starhead topminnow died following mosquitofish attacks. Based on these results, it appears that the stocking of western mosquitofish into primary and connecting waterways could have negative impacts on native topminnow species that occur in these systems.
Population structure of the freshwater flatworm Crenobia alpina (Dana): old lineages and low gene flow

Aim The freshwater flatworm Crenobia alpina lives almost exclusively in headwaters of mountainous areas and is supposed to be a glacial relict. We examined genetic diversity within and between populations of C. alpina in order to determine the taxonomic status of purported subspecies and to understand large‐scale biogeographical patterns of glacial relicts.
Sexual Size and Shape Dimorphism in Dineutus nigrior (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae)

Abstract Sexual size and shape dimorphism was quantified in the whirligig beetle Dineutus nigrior Roberts. Females were larger in terms of body length, elytra length, body height, profemur width, and mass. Males had longer heads, longer and wider protarsi, longer and wider protibiae, and longer profemora. Discriminant function analysis identified 80.5% of individuals as the correct sex based on measurements of body size. Males and females also differed in terms of body shape. Potential causes of the dimorphism are discussed.
Growth of Immature Peach Embryos in Response to Media, Ovule Support Method, and Ovule Perforation

The influence of medium formulation, methods of ovule support, and ovule perforation on in vitro growth of immature peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) embryos (4.0 to 8.7 mm long) was investigated. Maximum embryo dry weights were attained with vermiculite support, ovule perforation, and 10% sucrose in the medium. At high sucrose levels, all three tested media (Monnier, modified Murashige and Skoog, or modified Stewart and Hsu medium) performed similarly. Adding IAA and kinetin to culture media did not enhance embryo growth. Using the vermiculite support system, small embryos of early maturing peach cultivars, obtained at fruit maturity, were cultured successfully and used as maternal parents in breeding programs. Chemical name used: indole acetic acid (IAA).
Phosphorus affects Celosia ( Celosia argentea L.) yield attributes and nutritional qualities in Africa humid tropics

There is dearth of knowledge regarding influence of soil phosphorus (P) fertility to improve nutritional food security qualities in vegetable Celosia (Celosia argentea). Such information is important for identification, selection and breeding genotypes with high capabilities for using P in low-P soils of the African Tropics. This study was therefore conducted on the vegetable experimental grounds at Ibadan, Nigeria (7°30'N, 30°54'E, 168m a.s.l.) during the early and late rains of 2009. The study was conducted to determine the optimum P rate for Celosia seed yield attributes and nutritional qualities under field conditions for African resource poor farmers human capacity development. Combinations of P rates (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg P/ha) and three varieties (TLV 8, Purple, and Local) were studied in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement fitted to a randomized block design. Results revealed that soil phosphorus fertility had significant effect on food components of Celosia seed, crude protein, starch, sugars, fiber, fat and vitamin C in both seasons. Seed weight was not significantly different among varieties but ranked TLV 8>Purple>Local in both seasons. Harvest index differed significantly among varieties and followed the order TLV 8>Purple> Local. All the food components except percent sugar differed significantly among varieties in both seasons. The effect of variety x P rate on seed quality components showed significant increase in 1000 grain weight with increased P up till 30kg P/ha in each variety, thereafter increased P did not affect significantly seed weight in both seasons. Similar pattern was observed for harvest index, crude protein, starch and ash. Percent fibre, fat and vitamin C (mg/100g) increased with increased P rates in each variety in both seasons up till 60kg P/ha, thereafter the values declined. We reached consensus therefore that soil P fertility affects yield attributes and nutritional qualities of Celosia seed significantly especially in the African Tropics for the resources poor farmers' sustainable development.
Temperature and water controls on vegetation emergence, microbial dynamics, and soil carbon and nitrogen fluxes in a high Arctic tundra ecosystem

Summary 1. Arctic tundra ecosystems contain 14% of the global soil carbon (C) store which is becoming vulnerable to decomposition. Arctic soil organic matter (SOM) contains large amounts of old, recalcitrant, high molecular weight (MW) C compounds which are protected from decomposition whilst soils remain frozen. Climatic change alters soil temperature and water regimes in the Arctic, however, the impact of these changes on C decomposition and storage is poorly understood. 2. We investigated vegetation emergence, microbial dynamics and nutrient fluxes in response to snow melt on the high Arctic Svalbard archipelago using field and laboratory studies. Using bacterial and archaeal genetic material (16S rRNA) and ammonia-oxidising genes, microbial communities were quantified in transects across the active snow melt front. The effects of soil temperature and water content on SOM decomposition rates were measured using 14 C-labelled low and high MW compounds. 3. Vegetation and below-ground microbial communities, in the field, responded rapidly with peaks in nutrient availability and soil respiration observed within 72 h of snowmelt. Temperature strongly drives early growing season C dynamics in the Arctic. We suggest the nutrient peaks following snowmelt, coupled with higher levels of DNA in the subniveal zone are due to the decomposition of bacteria and archaea from previous years. 4. We show, in the laboratory, when soils thaw, mineralisation of recalcitrant C (high MW) compounds was sensitive to soil water but not to increasing temperatures. In contrast, low MW compounds exhibited sensitivity to both temperature and soil water. We suggest that if future soil water content increases under climate change, high MW compounds could become more susceptible to decomposition, releasing more C to the atmosphere.
Amphibia Zambesiaca 1. Scolecomorphidae, Pipidae, Microhylidae, Hemisidae, Arthroleptidae

Taxonomy and distribution of members of the genera Scolecomorphus, Xenopus, Phrynomerus, Probreviceps, Breviceps, Hemisus and Arthroleptis (including Coracodichus and Schoutedenella) occurring in Botswana, Caprivi, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are detailed and discussed.
Studies of the Biting-habits of African Mosquitos. An Appraisal of Methods employed, with special Reference to the twenty-four-hour Catch

It is felt that the 24-hour catch presents a valuable method of studying the biting-behaviour of mosquitos in the field, and further that conclusions concerning seasonal abundance, vertical distribution and times of biting-activity must be based on catches of this type if serious errors of interpretation are to be avoided. The time-divisions of the catch should not exceed one hour, and even shorter intervals may be desirable. Timing should be related to the actual times of sunrise and sunset. Where possible, a series of consecutive catches should be carried out, and a shift system must be carefully considered in relation to the particular series projected. Usually the results from different levels above ground should be treated separately in working out biting-cycles, and this may also apply to results from different seasons or different localities. Further, while in some instances the summation of long series of catches seems permissible, in others it is not, and in these detailed analysis of the figures may be necessary before consistent behaviour-patterns become apparent. In cases where a measure of the central tendency is to be employed, the geometric mean as modified by C. B. Williams appears to be the most suitable.
Soil biota and global change at the ecosystem level: describing soil biota in mathematical models

All current mathematical models of the soil system are underpinned by a wealth of research into soil biology and new research continues to improve the description of the real world by mathematical models. In this review we examine the various approaches for describing soil biology in mathematical models and discuss the use of each type of model in global change research. The approaches represented among models participating in the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE) Soil Organic Matter Network (SOMNET) are described. We examine the relative advantages and constraints of each modelling approach and, using these, suggest appropriate uses of each. We show that for predictive purposes at ecosystem scale and higher, process-orientated models (which have only an implicit description of soil organisms) are most commonly used. As a research tool at the ecosystem level, both process-orientated and organism-orientated models (in which functional or taxonomic groups of soil organisms are explicitly described) are commonly used. Because of uncertainties introduced in internal model parameter estimation and system feedbacks, the predictive use of organism-orientated models at the ecosystem scale and larger is currently less feasible than is the use of process-orientated models. In some specific circumstances, however, an explicit description of some functional groups of soil organisms within models may be required to adequately describe the effects of global change. No existing models can adequately predict the feedback between global change, a change in soil community function, and the response of the changed system to future global change. To find out if these feedbacks exist and to what extent they affect future global change, more research is urgently required into the response of soil community function to global change and its potential ecosystem-level effects.
Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR)

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria หรือ PGPR เปนกลุมของแบคทีเรียหลากหลาย species และหลากหลายสายพันธุ ซ่ึงกลุมของ PGPR สวนใหญจะอยูในสกุล Pseudomonas, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Gluconacetobacter และ Serratia เปนตน (ตัวอยางเซลลของ PGPR ดังแสดงในรูปที่ 1-3) โดย PGPR จะสามารถแบงไดเปน 2 ประเภทคือ 1. พวกที่มีความสัมพันธแบบพึ่งพาอาศัยกันกับพืช หรือที่เรียกวาความสัมพันธแบบ Symbiosis คือแบคทีเรียจําพวกที่สามารถเขาสูรากพืชแลวเกิดกระบวนการตางๆที่จะชวยกระตุนการ เจริญเติบโตของพืชได 2. พวกที่อาศัยแบบอิสระในดิน (Free-living form) และจะพบอยูใกลๆบริเวณรากพืช โดยแบคทีเรียจําพวก PGPR จะชวยกระตุนการเจริญเติบโตของพืช ชวยใหผลผลิตของพืช สูงขึ้น
An Endoenous Signal Triggering Erythroid Differentiation: Identification as

The identification of thyroid hormone as an endogenous signal for erythroid differentiation began with our studies on the spontaneously differentiating murine erythroleukemia clone 3-1 . We observed that the spontaneous differentiation frequency was dependent on a heat stable factor present in fetal calf serum or calf bone marrow. We also noted that the bone marrow extract stimulated erythroid colony-forming units in mouse bone marrow cells, suggesting the relevance of this factor in normal erythroid differentiation. The bone marrow extract did not supplant the requirement of erythropoietin but was synergistic. Purification of the bone marrow extract indicated that the differentiation- inducing activity for clone 3-1 cells cochromatographed with a low-molecular-weight, UV (280 nm)-absorbing component(s). These observations and previous reports identifying the avian erythroblastosis virus oncogene v-erbA as a mutated thyroid hormone receptor which blocked erythroid differentiation led us to test thyroid hormone in our assay. Both triiodothyronine and thyroxine were highly active, and the active constituents in the chromatographically purified fraction were identified as triiodothyronine and thyroxine. Although thyroid hormone action has been associated with both in vivo and in vitro erythroid differentiation, its role has been often relegated to a secondary status. We suggest that thyroid hormone is required for the commitment of erythroid cells to terminal differentiation.
Predicting species richness of wood-inhabiting fungi, epiphytic bryophytes and lichens based on stand structure and indicator species

Global biodiversity loss has become a significant concern in last few decades. Temperate broadleaved forests are one of the most anthropogenically disturbed biomes and especially old natural forests have become rare. It is widely acknowledged that in addition to global and landscape scale factors, disturbance history, forest management and ecological continuity affect structural diversity in a forest and hence, species richness. Many species groups are however, poorly studied and it is not completely understood which are the main factors affecting species richness in a forest stand and what finally causes the extinction of a population. I studied temperate broadleaved forests in Denmark and aim of my study was to investigate what are the different elements in forest stand structure affecting the species richness of wood-inhabiting fungi, epiphytic lichens and bryophytes. I also tested whether ancient forest plant species or local indicator species could be used as an indicator group for estimating the species richness of these three species groups. Or whether some of the elements in a forest stand structure could be used as a structural indicator for species richness in the area. The data was collected from a nature reserve called Lille Vildmose, in North Jutland, Denmark, during 2013-2014. I used Analysis of Covariance to analyse which of the factors in stand structure correlated with the species richness of epiphytic lichens, epiphytic bryophytes and wood-inhabiting fungi and Pearson correlation to test the correlation between the occurrence of my study species and potential indicators. Stand age, average water level and basal area of broadleaved trees were the most significant factors correlating with the species richness of epiphytic lichens. Species richness of living trees, basal area of broadleaved trees and stand age correlated significantly with the species richness of epiphytic bryophytes. And dead wood volume, number of dead wood tree species, stand age and average dead wood diameter correlated significantly with the species richness of woodinhabiting fungi. The results were consistent with several previous studies and showed that old forest stands and high volume of dead wood are essential factors in maintaining species richness in temperate broadleaved forests. The correlations between the occurrence of ancient forest plant species and my study species were not significant enough that ancient forest plant species could be used as indicator group for the study species. Also the correlations between the occurrence of local indicator species and my study species were too weak that local indicator species could be used as indicator group for the study species either.
Bioinformatics - Key to the Future of Chemical Glycomics

The glycome is more complex than either the genome or the proteome. Efforts to understand glycomics are producing information regarding the structure and function of carbohydrates. Branching and stereochemistry of the glycosidic linkage renders carbohydrates much more complex than oligonucleotides and proteins. Bioinformatics is a key technology to extract the information relayed via glycans. Three major classes of mammalian carbohydrates, glycolipids, O- and N-linked glycans, were analyzed based on the largest available database. The average oligosaccharide is composed of about eight monosaccharide units and while about a quarter of all oligosaccharides are strictly linear, the remainder are branched at least once. Glucosamine, galactose and mannose are dominating and comprise about 75% of the monosaccharides within mammalian oligosaccharide frameworks. alinked sialic acid, a-linked fucose and b-linked galactose decorate the majority of reducing termini. Glucose as the most abundant carbohydrate in mammals plays only a very minor role within these structures. Particular emphasis was placed on analyzing the way the monosaccharide units are linked within the oligomeric framework. Just eleven monosaccharide connections account for more than 75% of all linkages. Thus, the number of structural combinations found in nature – the part of the occupied mammalian glycospace – is much smaller than expected. Only 36 monosaccharide building blocks are required to construct 75% of the 3299 mammalian oligosaccharides.
Biodiversity and Biodegradation potentials of Fungi isolated from Marine systems of East Coast of Tamil Nadu, India

A B S T R A C T The present study was confined to the marine ecosystem in and around Mamallapuram coast, Tamil Nadu comprising of Mammallapuram and Water, sediment, and natural substrates of marine ecosystem were collected to isolate the fungi. All the collected samples were plated, incubated and the fungal colonies were identified. The water and sediment sample were collected separately and analysed for temperature, pH, biological oxygen demand, salinity and total dissolved solids on water. A total of 41 fungal species were isolated and enumerated by plating, techniques. In this study, 24 species of fungi were recovered from sediment samples whereas water samples yielded 30 species and natural substrates with 24 species. Among the Hyphomycetes, Aspergillus was the common genus represented by 14 species followed by Penicillium and Cladosporium. Totally, 10 species of fungi were used for hydrocarbon studies. The growth pattern of fungi in diesel is T.viride had a maximum growth 24mm with A. sulphueus had the least growth growth on the 5th day at 9 mm with A.niger. The growth pattern of fungi in petrol is P.citrinum had maximum growth on the 5th day at 90mm and minimum with 9 mm by R.oryzae. The growth pattern of fungi in Crude oil shown A.flavus had a maximum growth at on the 5th day mm and minimum growth rate was observed in A.oryzae with 9 mm. The growth pattern of fungi in kerosene is P.janthinellum had a maximum growth at 27 mm and the lowest growth rate in A. oryzae with 5 mm.
Deer Facilitate Invasive Plant Success in a Pennsylvania Forest Understory

ABSTRACT: Invasive species impose severe biological and economic costs worldwide. In forested ecosystems, invasive species supplant native species, resulting in decreased biodiversity. Furthermore, human-mediated disturbances may stress native forest species and benefit invasive species that thrive in disturbed habitats. Anthropogenic changes to the landscape have caused unprecedented increases in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) numbers, which has resulted in the degradation of understory native plant communities. We suggest that deer-mediated disturbance to understory communities facilitates the success of invaders in forests. Many North American forests experience both exotic plant invasion and deer overabundance, but the two problems have never been empirically linked. In this paper, we quantify deer effects on native and exotic understory herbs in a western Pennsylvania forest. We show that the percentage of bare ground and the relative abundances of the invasive herbs, Alliaria petiolata and Microstegium vimineum are significantly greater, while native plants are significantly smaller with a lower proportion flowering in deer access vs. deer exclusion plots. Our data support the idea that invader success is due in part to both preferential foraging by deer on native herbs that reduces their size and flowering status and the creation of open patches when deer are present. We conclude that deer overabundance facilitates the success of invasive species in forested ecosystems and that management will benefit by considering these factors jointly.
Nutrition of ovule, embryo sac, and young embryo in soybean: an anatomical and autoradiographic study

Photosynthesizing soybean plants were exposed to 14CO2 to study the incorporation of labeled water-insoluble photosynthates in ovules at various developmental stages. Using autoradiographic techniques on sectioned material, we show that the distribution of labeled carbon in different ovular tissues is regulated spatially and temporally. During zygote through globular stages of embryo development, labeled assimilates accumulate in integumentary tissue adjacent to the micropylar and chalazal poles of the embryo sac. A chalazal vascular trace and two adfunicular vascular strands are the pathways for accumulation of 14C in these regions. Up through the proembryo stage, movement of labeled photoassimilates into the lateral regions of the embryo sac seems blocked by a cuticle-like layer between the endothelium and embryo sac. At the globular embryo stage, the greatest accumulation of label is still at the chalazal and the micropylar ends of the embryo sac, but fragmentation of the cuticle-like barrier coinciden.
Kill-off Patterns in Sheep and Goats: the Mandibles from Aşvan Kale

Reports on animal bones from archaeological sites often include information about the “kill-off pattern” for each species – i.e. the relative representation of different age-groups in the sample. Osteologists believe that this information can be used as evidence for whether an animal was wild or domesticated, and, if domesticated, about the way in which man managed the animal. In this paper a method is described for recording such data for sheep and goat using mandibles and mandibular teeth; the analysis and interpretation of such data is discussed using excavated samples from Aşvan Kale. When people keep sheep or goats, the age at which the animals are slaughtered depends on a range of factors: on the relative value placed on the different products, on the characteristics of the stock, and on a range of environmental factors – in particular, seasonal variation in the availability of grazing and feed. If meat production is the aim, most of the young males are killed when they reach the optimum point in weight-gain, only a few being kept for breeding.