Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A refined view on the “Green lie”: Forest structure and composition succeeding early twentieth century selective logging in SE Norway

Abstract Logging exceeded growth and timber trees were sparse in Norwegian forests in the early 1900s. Still, the forest canopy was lush green and characterised by large tree-crowns. This situation was referred to as the “Green lie” and was advocated by foresters throughout Scandinavia as an argument in favour of forestry practices based on clear-felling. Here we examine effects of past selective loggings on forest structure and composition in a spruce forest landscape using dendroecology and historical records. Our results show that forests that were selectively logged up to the early 1900s could be structurally heterogeneous with multi-layered canopies, varying degree of openness and continuous presence of old trees across different spatial scales. Because the past forests were not clear-felled, a diverse forest structure in terms of tree species composition and age and diameter distribution was maintained over time, which could enable forest-dwelling species to persist during the early phase following the loggings in the past. This is in sharp contrast to the situation in most modern managed forest landscapes in Scandinavia. A better understanding of the link between loggings in the past- and present-day forest structure and diversity will contribute to rewarding discussions on forestry methods for the future.
Biological and social patterns in the Australian bulldog ants of the genus Myrmecia.

A method of maintaining laboratory colonies of Myrmecia F. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is described and the results of some hundreds of hours of observation reported. Small larvae consumed eggs lying nearby in the egg mass with which they were kept, and thus caused gaps in the size distribution of the brood. The workers separated the larger larvae from the egg mass and fed them on insects. A highly adaptive form of oviposition by workers and queens replaced the regurgitation of many ants, eggs being presented as food to larvae of all sizes or taken by the queen and other workers, sometimes after solicitation. With special exceptions, adult ants or larvae did not consume insects during the winter, though brood cannibalism was prevalent at all seasons. Behaviour patterns of adult ants are described. There was some division of labour (specialization) partly associated with polymorphism, and the social structure appeared more complex than has been supposed. The lack of advanced regurgitation and development of trophic oviposition in Myrmecia is discussed in relation to the evolution of ingluvial feeding in other Formicidae.
Time-consistent multiperiod mean semivariance portfolio selection with the real constraints

In this paper, a new multiperiod mean semivariance portfolio selection with the transaction costs, borrowing constraints, threshold constraints and cardinality constraints is proposed. In the model, the return and risk of assets are characterized by mean value and semivariance, respectively. Because the semivariance operator is not separable, the optimal solution of the model is not time-consistent. The time-consistent strategy for this model can be obtained by using game approach. The time-consistent strategy, which is a mix integer dynamic optimization problem with path dependence, is approximately turned into a dynamic programming problem by approximate dynamic programming method. A novel discrete approximate iteration method is designed to obtain the optimal time-consistent strategy, and is proved linearly convergent. Finally, the comparison analysis of trade-off parameters is given to illustrate the idea of our model and the effectiveness of the designed algorithm.
Ashmole's halo : direct evidence for prey depletion by a seabird

Fish population densities were measured at various instances from 2 large colonies of double-crested cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus to test the hypothesis that seabirds deplete prey close to their colonies. Fish densities were significantly lower in bays used by cormorants for feeding than in those outside their foraging range. Our findings provide direct evidence for prey depletion, and support Ashmole's (1963)hypothesis that seabird populations are limited by food supplies during the breeding season. ).
Early maternal effects and antibacterial immune factors in the eggs, nestlings and adults of the barn swallow

Transfer of immune factors via the egg may represent a maternal adaptation enhancing offspring survival. Lysozyme is a major component of maternal antibacterial immunity which is transferred to the eggs in birds. In a population of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica), lysozyme activity declined during the prelaying and laying periods in females but not in males. Egg hatching failure decreased with maternal lysozyme activity. The first eggs in a clutch contained more lysozyme and produced nestlings with larger lysozyme activity when 5 days old than last‐laid ones. In a cross‐fostering experiment where brood size was manipulated, nestling origin but not post‐manipulation brood size affected lysozyme activity. Hence, maternal lysozyme varies during the breeding season and may differentially enhance antibacterial immune defence of the eggs and nestlings in relation to laying order. These findings suggest that offspring innate immunity is influenced by early maternal effects.
A Review of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus truncatus) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Population Biology, Potential Threats, and Management

Abstract Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus truncatus) are one of the most abundant marine mammal species in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOMx), a region where they are exposed to a variety of man-made and natural threats. In order to assess and minimize the impacts of these threats, it is important to understand how Bottlenose Dolphins live within and utilize their habitat in the GOMx. Much of what is understood regarding the biology, ecology, genetic, and life-history characteristics of Bottlenose Dolphins in the GOMx has been gathered from small-scale research projects conducted within inshore waters, and much less is understood about dolphins inhabiting coastal and offshore waters. Over thirty years ago, Shane et al. (1982) reviewed the literature on Bottlenose Dolphin research in the GOMx. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill has highlighted the environmental risks to wildlife in the GOMx and the need for an updated, comprehensive review of the current knowledge base and status of Bottlenose Dolphins. Here we summarize research conducted on Bottlenose Dolphins within US waters (inshore, coastal, and offshore) of the GOMx, building on the work presented in Shane et al. (1982) with work published since. We highlight what is currently known about Bottlenose Dolphin biology, ecology, and demographics, emphasize where knowledge is still lacking concerning Bottlenose Dolphins in this region, and summarize the major stressors faced by populations in the GOMx. We hope this review will aid researchers as they try to assess both the short- and long-term impacts from threats in the GOMx and may help direct future avenues of research to ensure effective conservation of Bottlenose Dolphins in this environmentally and economically important habitat.
Comparative Cytogenetic Study in Four Alopiinae Door Snails (Gastropoda, Clausiliidae)

ABSTRACT A cytogenetic study was carried out by means of standard and NOR-FISH staining methods on the chromosomes of four Alopiinae door snails, two species of the Delimini tribe (Siciliaria paestana and Papillifera bidens) and two species of Medorini tribe (Leucostigma candidescens and Medora sp.). The two Delimini species and Medora sp. showed similar karyotypes, concerning the number of chromosomes, 2n = 62, and the first metacentric pair of chromosomes clearly bigger than the other pairs, but differed in the number of the telocentric pairs: none in P. bidens, four in S. paestana and, even, 21 in Medora sp. Leucostigma candidescens had 2n = 48, all biarmed chromosomes. Loci of NORs were on a single medium small chromosome pair in all the four studied species. The obtained results evidence a relevant degree of intergeneric karyotypic diversity in Alopiinae, concerning both chromosome number and/or shape. The data allow us to make a hypothesis on the evolutionary chromosome trends for this door snail subfamily.
Roundtable Discussion Groups Summary Papers: Environmental Bio-Indicators in Coral Reef Ecosystems: The Need to Align Research, Monitoring, and Environmental Regulation

Editors' Note: At the 14th International Conference on Environmental Bioindicators (14th ICEBI) held in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, USA on 24–26 April 2006, the Conference Chairs and Program Committee initiated the Roundtable Discussion Groups as a regular feature of this and future conferences. The Discussions are designed to generate focused debate around key topic areas, led by academic, government and industry experts, and are structured to produce definitive papers for peer review and publication in EBI's first-quarter issue of each publication year, albeit this year the papers will be published over the first two issues of 2007. The three Roundtables of the 14th ICEBI posed questions revolving around the chosen topic areas of Mercury Bioindicators, Marine Ecosystem-level Indicators, and Regulatory and Policy Uses of Bioindicators, and moved from “what we know” to “where we need to go” and “what are the policy implications from our discussions and conclusions. ” The following paper on coral reef indi.
Interspecific hybrids between three eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars and two wild species (Solanum torvum Sw. and Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam.)

Three Greek eggplant cultivars, 'Langada', 'Tsakoniki' and 'Emi' (2n = 24), were crossed with two wild species (Solanum torvum Sw., 2n = 24 and Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam., 2n = 24). Ovules isolated 15-27 days after pollination were cultured in a modified MS medium at 24°C and a 16h photoperiod. Fifty days later, the ovules were dissected and the interspecific embryos were cultured in the same medium. Interspecific hybrids were achieved only from crosses between the eggplant cultivars and S. torvum. The hybridity of the putative interspecific F 1 hybrid (Solanum melongena × S. torvum) was confirmed by using morphological and biochemical (isozyme isocitrate dehydrogenase A, phosphoglucomutase A, phosphoglucose isomerase B, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase A, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase B) markers. The F 1 plants ('Langada' × S. torvum) were self-pollinated and backcrossed to both parents. Fruits, however, were produced only when the F 1 hybrid was backcrossed as female with the eggplant cultivar 'Langada'.
Adaptation of the Photosynthetic Apparatus of Chlorella and Ankistrodesmus to Blue and Red Light

The mode of adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus of three unicellular green algae, Ankistrodesmus braunii, Chlorella fusca and Chlorella saccharophila to red and blue light are documented by the fluence-rate curves of photosynthetic oxygen evolution. For all three algae tested photosynthetic capacity, respiration and light compensation point were higher for cells grown under red light, while the chlorophyll content increased in blue light-grown cells. Blue light-adapted cells have a lower chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b ratio and more chlorophyll in the light-harvesting system than red light-adapted cells, as shown in the electrophoretic profile of the pigment-protein complexes. It is concluded that the action of red light resembles that of high levels of white light, while blue light causes the same effects as low levels of white light. In agreement with previous publications these findings indicate that the mode of adaptation to different light qualities is ubiquitous in unicellular green algae.
Déterminisme du sexe chez Tilapia macrochir et Tilapia nilotica : action de la méthyltestostérone dans l'alimentation des alevins sur la différenciation sexuelle ; proportion des sexes dans la descendance des mâles "inversés"

L'administration de methyltestosterone a raison de 4 0 wg par gramme d'aliment a des alevins de T. nilotica et T. macvochir pendant deux mois a partir de la fin de l'incubation buccale par la mere, a conduit aux resultats suivants :- Chez T. nilotica, nous avons obtenu l'induction complete et fonctionnelle du sexe mâle chez tous les animaux traites. Certains d'entre eux ont fourni une descendance entierement femelle, revelant un genotype sexuel femelle, ainsi qu'une homogametie femelle. - Chez T. macrochir, nous avons observe l'induction de la papille genitale de type mâle, et des modifications anormales dans la morphologie de la tete ; a une exception pres, tous les animaux experimentaux etaient steriles, avec disparition complete de la lignee germinale chez la plupart d'entre eux.
SELF-ASSEMBLY, ADHESION, AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF TETRAGONARLY ARRAYED S-LAYER PROTEINS OF CLOSTRIDIUM

The S layer of Clostridium difficile GAI 0714, which was composed of squarely arrayed, two-subunit proteins with respective molecular weights of 32 kDa and 45 kDa, was examined for its morphological, physicochemical, and biological properties. Optical diffraction analysis of the S layer showed that the surface-arrayed rhombus had four sides of 8.1 nm with interior angles of 8 8 ° . The two proteins were heterogeneous to each other in respect to the first ten N-terminal amino acid sequences except for residues No's. 4 and 9. Self-assembly of the subunit proteins into a regular array was dependent on such divalent cations as Ca2t or Zn2+, but not Ba2+ or Mg2t . When the mixture, made of purified 32 and 45 kDa subunits in an equal concentration ratio on a protein basis was submitted to self assembly, flattened paracrystalline sheetlike fragments were generated. However, neither sheetlike fragments nor regular arrays was observed for any self-assembled products derived from each subunit alone or their quantitatively heterologous mixtures. Intact cells of the organism adhered significantly to HeLa cells or mouse fibroblast 929 cells, whereas 8 M ureaor 4 M guanidinehydrochloride-extracted bacteria, from which both S layer protein subunits were removed, scarcely adhered to both cells. Fab fragments of anti-32 kDa or anti-45 kDa subunits antibodies effectively inhibited adhesion of the organism to HeLa cells, suggesting that the S layer had a direct role in adhesion.
Relationship between autoregulation and nitrate inhibition of nodulation in soybeans

Ten of 11 supernodulating mutants of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] cv. Bragg, in which nodulation was far in excess of that in the wild type, showed pronounced tolerance of nodulation to applied nitrate. Mutant nts (nitrate-tolerant symbiosis) 1116 had an intermediate nodulation response and also showed some inhibition by nitrate. Mutant 1029, a revertant of nts382 (an extreme supernodulator), showed a wild-type nodulation pattern and was equally sensitive to nitrate as cv. Bragg. Grafting experiments with cv. Bragg and nts382 indicated that both supernodulation and tolerance of nodulation to nitrate were dependent on shoot factors. Total leaf nitrate reductase (EC 1.6.6.1 and EC 1.6.6.2) activity of the supernodulating mutants was similar to that in cv. Bragg. We conclude from these results that the inhibitory effect of nitrate on nodule initiation and development in soybean depends on an interaction between nitrate and the autoregulation singal. In the supernodulating mutants, the autoregulation signal is either altered or absent and cosequently nodulation in these mutants is not sensitive to nitrate.
Ça « chat » entre la microflore intestinale et l’hôte

> Les communautes microbiennes denommees « microflores commensales » evoluent durant les differents cycles de la vie. La microflore residente du tractus gastro-intestinal par exemple represente une communaute de 10 a 100 trillions de bacteries. La colonisation du tractus gastro-intestinal debute des la naissance par l’acquisition d’une microflore initiale via le vagin et la microflore fecale de la mere, et se developpe ensuite par l’assemblage progressif d’une societe microbienne complexe et dynamique qui comprend au final 500 a 1000 especes bacteriennes differentes reparties de facon differentielle le long du tractus gastro-intestinal. Un obstacle a leur etude vient de la difficulte d’isolement de ces differentes especes bacteriennes, qui, dans leur grande majorite, ne peuvent pas etre propagees une fois extraites des niches ecologiques dans lesquelles elles evoluent. En effet, ces niches representent des environnements tres particuliers qu’il est pratiquement impossible de reproduire au laboratoire. De plus, les differentes especes bacteriennes de la microflore intestinale sont assemblees et cohabitent entre elles sous le controle d’interactions symbiotiques largement inconnues. Le groupe dirige par Jeffrey I. Gordon (Center for Genome, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint-Louis, Missouri, Etats-unis) a produit une remarquable serie d’articles qui ont fait avancer les connaissances sur les bases moleculaires qui soutiennent la fondation et le maintien de la microflore commensale intestinale [1]. La biodiversite des especes bacteriennes presentes dans la microflore intestinale a ete analysee en recherchant les sequences du gene codant l’ARN ribosomique, un marqueur phylogenetique reconnu. Cela a conduit a mettre en evidence deux classes de bacteries : Bacteroidetes et Firmicutes, et un membre des Archaea, Methanobrevibacter smithii [2-4]. Les relations hote/microflore ont ete examinees par deux approches. La premiere a utilise des modeles murins sans microflore intestinale (germ-free), ceux-ci ayant ete ensuite colonises par l’apport de differentes especes bacteriennes cultivables provenant de l’intestin de rongeurs (modele conventionnel), ou « humanises » par l’apport de bacteries cultivables issues de la microflore intestinale humaine [5, 6]. La seconde approche a utilise la bacterie a Gram negatif, anaerobie, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron [6-8]. Ces deux approches ont permis de montrer que la microflore intestinale joue un role essentiel dans plusieurs processus : l’etablissement des plaques de Peyer, l’education du systeme immunitaire, l’etablissement de l’epithelium intestinal comme entite anatomique et fonctionnelle par la modulation de la proliferation et de la differenciation des differents types cellulaires constituant la barriere intestinale, la regulation de l’angiogenese intestinale, et la modulation de l’activite du systeme nerveux peripherique associe a l’epithelium intestinal. De plus, il a ete montre que la microflore intestinale joue un role important dans le processus NOUVELLE
Molecules to Granules: A Comprehensive Starch Review

The molecular composition and physical aspects of starch structure are examined in relation to starch properties and utility. The structures and molecular properties of amylose and amylopectin are further considered for their effects on properties of starch granules and pastes, and whether or not they act independently or in concert with one another. Discussion of amylopectin focuses on models featuring clusters of short chain molecules that are interlinked and regularly spaced. Low and wide angle X-ray diffraction studies are cited to confirm the cluster model and the role of amylopectin in starch crystallinity. The diversity of starch is evident by its depostion in one or more sites within a plant and by the variety of plants in which the starch is found. In addition, starches differ widely in size, shape and composition.
A preliminary study of the usefulness of morphometric tools for splitting the Monomorium antarcticum (Smith) complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), New Zealand's most common native ants

The Monomorium antarcticum complex includes the most common and ubiquitous of New Zealand ants.This group displays a high degree of variability, causing considerable confusion in its taxonomy. Using classical methods, previous authors have divided this complex into five or more species. However it is possible that most of the characters used are intraspecific rather than interspecific, and that there might be only one or two viable species in the complex. It is therefore important to examine new approaches that have the potential to address M. antarcticum systematics more effectively. This study explores the possibility of employing multivariate morphometric tools towards a classification of the M. antarcticum complex.Thirty-two M. antarcticum (sensu lato) colonies were randomly collected between April 28 and May 29, 2003, in the Wellington region. Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis were applied to examine five morphometric variables of the workers.The results of these statistical analyses show the existence of three distinct morphospecies in samples collected, indicating multivariate morphometric analyses as useful tools for discriminating M. antarcticum s.l. species. The next step will be to use these tools to examine the M. antarcticum complex from throughout New Zealand and combine them with molecular analyses.
An optimum estimator of body size to relate to behavioural and physiological parameters in field studies

Body size is an essential variable in many behavioural and physiological studies. Previous methods for body size estimation present two conflicting drawbacks. They either (1) consider variation in only one dimension through linear measurements or (2) they are time and resource consuming, hard to apply in field conditions and/or stressful to the animal. We present a method for estimating body size, an ellipsoid approximation, which requires simple linear measurements and incorporates variation in three dimensions. The method is tested on two species of teleost fish and one species of insect. The amount of variance in mass explained by the proposed method exceeds that of previous reported methods, including the most accurate ones, that usually require expensive digitising procedures and/or stressful handling.
New Anthocyanin Pigments Formed after Condensation with Flavanols

The formation of three major pigments has been detected in model solutions imitating wine containing malvidin 3-monoglucoside (Mv-3-glu) and procyanidin B2 in the presence of acetaldehyde. Two of them were reddish-blue compounds whose visible spectra are bathochromically shifted with regard to that of Mv-3-glu. They were assigned to two enantiomers containing Mv-3-glu and B2 moieties linked across their C-8 by an ethyl bridge. A molecular ion at m/z 1097, consistent with such a structure, has been established by LC/MS for both of them. The third majority pigment was an orange-red product possessing a spectrum with a maximum wavelength in the visible region at 511 nm and a molecular ion at m/z 1093. A possible structure containing two flavylium mesomeric forms, corresponding to malvidin and to pelargonidin, has been suggested for this compound. This pigment proved to be more stable than the first two, as well as more resistant to discoloration by increased pH values and SO2. Similar pigments, whose spectra.
The occurrence and properties of alkaline invertase in mature roots of sugar beets

Alkaline invertase activity was hardly detectable in immature sugar beet roots, but appeared when the roots began to develop and simultaneouly to synthesize sucrose, and thereafter, increased parallel with sucrose accumulation. Conversely, acid invertase activity was very high in immature roots, but rapidly decreased before sucrose was stored, and was hardly detectable in mature roots.Alkaline invertase was partially purified from mature roots by procedures including ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration, and ECTEOLA-cellulose column chromatography. Alkaline invertase consisted of two forms (enzymes I and II) which were separated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. Relative molecular weights of both enzymes obtained by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300 were the same, and were estimated to be 280,000. Their pH optima were in the vicinity of 8.0. The Km value for sucrose of enzyme I was 33.3 mm and enzyme II showed a biphasic curve in Linew.