Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developmental studies on Euphorbia esula. The influence of the nitrogen supply on the correlative inhibition of root bud activity

When seedlings of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) were grown at a low nitrogen level (10.5 ppm) the growth of the lateral buds on the shoot was completely arrested by apical dominance while the buds on the roots, although also inhibited, showed considerably greater activity. At a higher nitrogen level (210 ppm) apical dominance was markedly reduced but the resulting outgrowth of the lateral buds increased the inhibiting capacity of the shoot, limiting root bud response. When the main shoot was decapitated the degree to which root bud growth was suppressed by a given number of lateral shoots was inversely related to the nitrogen supply. Inhibition of the root buds by the lateral shoots could be significantly reduced by growing the plants initially at a low nitrogen level so that growth of the lateral buds was arrested. A subsequent increase in the nitrogen supply strongly promoted the growth of the roots buds, some of which were sufficiently released from inhibition to emerge as leafy shoots.
TOWARDS CLOSING GENDER GAPS IN ARAB COUNTRIES: UNDERSTANDING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SMARTPHONE ADOPTION AND USE IN IRAQ (5)

This paper examines gender differences in Iraq in terms of smartphone adoption and use, with a specific focus on the factors that can affect women’s adoption and use of smartphones. The research used the mobile phone acceptance and use model proposed by Ameen et al. (2015). In total, 533 questionnaires were distributed to consumers aged 18–29 and the data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings revealed that three factors in the model had significantly different effects on the behavioural intention of groups of men and women. These factors were culture-specific beliefs and values, habit, and perceived relative advantage. The model fitted well with both groups, but the order of significance of the factors differed between them. The findings indicate that when targeting Iraqi women, other factors in addition to price must be considered.
Drought susceptibility and xylem dysfunction in seedlings of 4 European oak species

Des semis de chene (Quercus robur, Q petraea, Q cerris et Q pubescens) ont ete soumis a une secheresse en pots afin de comparer la sensibilite a la secheresse de ces differentes especes. Le dysfonctionnement hydraulique des vaisseaux du xyleme dans les petioles des plants a ete determine par la quantite d'embolie apparaissant pour differentes valeurs du potentiel hydrique foliaire (Ψ). Les courbes reliant Ψ avec la vulnerabilite du xyleme a l'embolie ont revele que Q robur est plus vulnerable que les autres especes etudiees. Une perte d'environ 40% de la conductivite petiolaire est apparue pour un potentiel hydrique du xyleme d'environ -3,0 MPa chez Q robur, -3,9 MPa chez Q petraea, -3,7 MPa chez Q pubescens, et inferieur a -4 MPa chez Q cerris. La detection des phenomenes de cavitation par emission acoustique (AE) n'a pas permis de distinguer les especes, et (AE) n'augmentait plus quand Ψ descendait en-dessous de -3 MPa.
Sibling Competition Induces Stress Independent of Nutritional Status in Broods of Upland Buzzards

Abstract In any evaluation of the health and well-being of wildlife, whether to test biological theory or evaluate conservation problems, it is imperative to know to what degree variables are operating independently. Too often, important ecological and physiological traits such as body mass, immune function, and blood parameters may have a common agent influencing them; one example is glucocorticoids (corticosterone in birds) secreted in response to environmental stressors. We evaluated the nutritional condition of broods of Upland Buzzards (Buteo hemilasius) in Mongolia using ptilochronology, a measure of growth rate of feathers, and the amount of corticosterone in feathers as a long-term integrated measure of the response to stressors. Absolute amount of feather corticosterone was not significantly related to food supply, attributes of the brood, or feather growth rate. However, the relative amount of corticosterone of junior nestlings vs. their senior siblings increased as the age difference between them increased. Similarly, in the study area with larger broods where more sibling competition likely existed, junior siblings showed relatively higher amounts of stress. Our results suggested that stress seemed to be associated with sibling conflicts, and not a product of the consequences of the nutritional condition of the individuals. LA COMPETENCIA ENTRE HERMANOS INDUCE ESTRÉS INDEPENDIENTEMENTE DEL ESTATUS NUTRICIONAL EN NIDADAS DE BUTEO HEMILASIUS En cualquier evaluación de la salud y el bienestar de la vida silvestre, si se quiere probar una teoría biológica o evaluar problemas de conservación, es imperativo conocer hasta qué grado las variables están operando independientemente. Muy a menudo, atributos ecológicos y fisiológicos importantes como la masa corporal, la función inmunológica y los parámetros hematológicos pueden tener un agente común que los influencia. Un ejemplo de ello son los glucocorticoides (corticosterona en las aves) segregados en respuesta a un factor de estrés ambiental. Evaluamos la condición nutricional de nidadas de Buteo hemilasius en Mongolia usando la ptilocronología, una medida de la tasa de crecimiento de las plumas, y la cantidad de corticosterona en las plumas como una medida integrada a largo plazo de la respuesta a los factores de estrés. La cantidad absoluta de corticosterona en las plumas no estuvo relacionada significativamente al suministro de alimento, atributos de la nidada o la tasa de crecimiento de las plumas. Sin embargo, la cantidad relativa de cortisona de pichones jóvenes vs. pichones más viejos se incrementó a medida que la diferencia de edad entre ellos aumentó. De manera similar, en el área de estudio con nidadas más grandes, donde es probable que exista una mayor competencia entre hermanos, los pichones más jóvenes evidenciaron cantidades relativamente mayores de estrés. Nuestros resultados sugieren que el estrés parece estar asociado con los conflictos entre hermanos y que no son un producto de las consecuencias de la condición nutricional de los individuos.
Inbreeding and family index selection for prolificacy in pigs

The use of family selection indices has been proposed as a promising selection method for increasing prolificacy in pigs. Responses of up to 0-50 pigs per litter per generation are predicted from selection programmes using information from the dam and from relatives (full and half-sibs) of the dam and sire. In order to test this method in populations of finite size, the rates of selection response and the accumulation of inbreeding have been studied by simulation along 10 generations in a selected herd of 10 sires and 100 dams using five different family selection indices (Id, Ifd, Ihd, Ifs, Ihs). Two undesirable features were evident: (a) the standard deviations of indices were lower than those expected; and (b) the increase of inbreeding was up to three times that expected without selection. Both effects increased with the complexity of the family index reducing the rates of selection responses per generation, when a genetic model with dominance was assumed, to values close to 0·20 piglets, similar to those obtained with the basic index (Id). Some results of inbreeding effects on reproductive traits in three strains of an old closed herd of Iberian pigs are also presented. Multiple regression analysis of data from 4657 litters indicated a decrease in the number of live born ranging from 0·14 to 0·35 piglets per 10% increase in dam or litter inbreeding coefficient.
Impact of genotype × environment interactions on the relative performance of diverse groups of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars

The present experiments were undertaken to understand genotype (G) × environment (E) interactions for quantitative traits among 108 diverse genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), in diverse planting environments. Genotypes were divided into four groups based on seed size: (i) Desi-medium seeded (ii) desi-bold seeded (iii) kabuli-bold seeded and (iv) kabuli-extra bold seeded, and planted under three contrasting environments: normal, medium and late planting. There were highly significant differences for plant height, number of branches and pods per plant, 100-seed weight and biological and seed yield per plant under different planting environments. The majority of genotypes showed a complete absence of G × E interactions while a limited number of genotypes showed their suitability for favorable planting environments having both a significant high regression as well as a high mean yield. A sizable number of genotypes showed stable yield performance over all the environments indicating their high general adaptability. Clustering of genotypes indicated clear-cut placement of high, medium and low yielding genotypes into separate clusters. Thus it was suggested that the expressivity of individual quantitative traits is controlled by different genes and is greatly influenced by environmental changes. The genotypes showed specific adaptation to high fertility conditions were BG 374, Phule G 5, BGD 70 and F 7-123 and general adaptation across the environments like BG 256, 362, 390, 1103 of desi types and BG 1053, 1088, 1105, and 1108 of kabuli types.
Insular biogeography of mammals in Canadian parks: a re‐analysis

Aim Glenn & Nudds (1989) compared mammal species richness in Canadian parks to estimated species‐area relationships prior to European settlement to test if parks presently contain their historical compliment of species. However, the data they used to estimate the presettlement species‐area relationships were not commensurate with the scale of the parks and were not independent. This uncertainty reduces the utility of Glenn and Nudds analysis to detect which, if any, parks are experiencing mammal extirpations and ultimately to direct conservation efforts to enhance mammal conservation in Canada. We improved Glenn and Nudds methods and re‐assesed the conservation status of mammals in Canadian parks.
Influence of sewage from different water treatment plants in the Cracow Region (Poland) on early developmental stages of water snails

The cocoons of the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis (L.), and the great ramshorn, Planorbarius corneus (L.) were exposed to mechanically and biologically treated sewage from different water treatment plants in the region of Cracow (southern Poland). The control group consisted of snails from the same cocoon as the experimental snails. Mineral water and pond water from Zabierzow Bochenski (near Cracow) were used for the control groups. We found that mechanically treated sewage from the Plaszow sewage treatment plant was highly toxic (100% embryo lethality). The toxicity was reduced after mixing sewage with the control water (25% solution). However, in this group, the development of embryos was slower than in the control. No toxicity was observed in the biologically treated sewage from the same plant. The sewage from the Myslenice plant (mechanical treatment) was also very toxic (100% lethality), but this toxicity disappeared after keeping the sample at room temperature for 1 year. Water from the Vistula River was not toxic.
Predicting Sensory Quality of Carrots from Chemical, Physical and Agronomical Variables: A Multivariate Study

Abstract Sensory quality of carrots was found to be best predicted by a combination of chemical, physical and agronomical variables. About 56% of the total variation in the sensory variables could be described, as revealed by a multivariate Partial Least Squares regression. The largest quality differences in the material appeared between years, thereafter between sites, while a smaller variation was due to genetic factors. In general, the flavour variables were mainly influenced by environmental factors expressed in terms of temperature and precipitation during the growing period, while the texture variables showed differences between varieties. Sensory analysis is stressed to be an important method for quality evaluation of carrots in practice, and it cannot easily be replaced by other measurements.
The field course effect: gains in cognitive learning in undergraduate biology students following a field course

Field work and field courses within undergraduate biology degrees have been under threat in recent years for multiple reasons and while there has been widespread support from learned societies, academic staff and students for the retention of field study, there has been little research to support the perceived value of field teaching within this context. This paper reports on research that addresses this issue. Undergraduate attainment data from final-year biology undergraduates were compared with similar attainment data from their penultimate year of study. Those students who attended a 10-day residential field course in Portugal between their penultimate and final years of study were found to perform about a grade better on a 20-point scale compared with non-attending students in their final-year honours module. This research provides quantitative evidence that field courses can increase attainment and improve cognitive learning in undergraduate biology students.
Metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of the first nonsteroidal ecdysteroid agonist RH 5849 to Spodoptera exempta (Walker), Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), and Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)

Abstract RH 5849 is the first nonsteroidal ecdysteroid agonist which induced prematurely an abnormal and subsequently lethal larval moult in larvae of the two lepidopteran species, Spodoptera exempta and Spodoptera exigua . Mortality in larvae of the coleopteran, Leptinotarsa decemlineata , was scored after inhibition of a normal ecdysis or an evolving abnormal and lethal ecdysis. The toxicity of RH 5849 to the two Spodoptera spp. differed markedly. S. exempta was about 50 times more susceptible than S. exigua larvae: LC 50 values in S. exempta larvae of 2nd to 5th and of 6th instar were about 7.5 and 1.8 mg/liter and in S. exigua larvae of 2nd to 4th and of 5th instar 195 and 110 mg/liter. In L. decemlineata , LC 50 values were about 5.5 and 1.8 mg/liter for larvae of 1st to 3rd and of 4th instar. To explain such differences in biological activity of RH 5849 in the three insects, its retention, distribution, and metabolism have been measured. Larvae of S. exempta , S. exigua , and L. decemlineata fed [ 14 C]RH 5849 rapidly absorbed the radiolabel. Excretion of absorbed compound was also high, with a 50% excretion time of approximately 3, 2, and 6 hr after intake in the three respective insects. Following the product in the larval body, a total of 9 and 6%, 8 and 13%, 30 and 26% of the applied dose had penetrated 6 hr after intake into the hemolymph and the cuticle of S. exempta , S. exigua , and L. decemlineata , respectively. In the gut, about 8, 5, and 15% of the applied dose had remained at the same time in the three respective species. After intake, the product also seemed to be metabolically quite stable. Six hours after intake, about 11, 14, and 36% was recovered as parent compound in the larval body of S. exempta , S. exigua , and L. decemlineata , respectively. About 3, 12, and 16% of the applied dose was still present as unchanged RH 5849 in the body of the three respective insects 24 hr after intake. The obtained results suggest that the observed differences in biological activity of RH 5849 to S. exempta , S. exigua , and L. decemlineata cannot be attributed to differences in retention, distribution, and metabolic detoxication in the larval body.
Using ascidian embryos to study the evolution of developmental gene regulatory networks

Ascidians are ideally positioned taxonomically at the base of the chordate tree to provide a point of comparison for developmental regulatory mechanisms that operate among protostomes, non-chordate deuterostomes, invertebrate chordates, and vertebrates. In this review, we propose a model for the gene regulatory network that gives rise to the ascidian notochord. The purpose of this model is not to clarify all of the interactions between molecules of this network, but to provide a working schematic of the regulatory architecture that leads to the specification of endoderm and the patterning of mesoderm in ascidian embryos. We describe a series of approaches, both computational and biological, that are currently being used, or are in development, for the study of ascidian embryo gene regulatory networks. It is our belief that the tools now available to ascidian biologists, in combination with a streamlined mode of development and small genome size, will allow for more rapid dissection of developmental gene r.
Estimating Particle Concentration in Natural Water by Far Field Speckle Intensity

ABSTRACT A coherent light-scattering experiment on an aqueous clay suspension having a concentration that stretches over an extended range was carried on. The far field speckle was recorded in an unconventional manner. A computer code for image processing, written for this purpose, was used to extract the scattered light intensity. The variation of the average scattered light intensity with the particle concentration was analyzed, and a possible fast procedure for assessing the particle concentration is suggested. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Abschätzung der Partikelkonzentration in natürlichem Wasser durch Messung der Intensität des kohärenten zerstreuten Lichtes. Die Arbeit stellt ein kohärentes Lichtstreuungsexperiment vor, das in einer wässerigen Schlammflüssigkeit, mit einer Konzentration, die sich über einen großen Aktionsradius erstreckt, durchgeführt wurde. Das Interferenzbild wurde auf unkonventionelle Art und Weise als Film aufgezeichnet. Um die Streulichtintensität zu berechnen, wurde ein spezieller, eigens für dieses Experiment geschriebener PC Kode für Bildbearbeitung benutzt. Die Variation der Streulichtintensität in Abhängigkeit von der Partikelkonzentration wurde beobachtet und als Ergebnis ein rasches Verfahren zur Schätzung der Partikelkonzentration vorgeschlagen. REZUMAT Estimarea concentraṭiei de particule în apa naturală prin măsurarea intensităṭii luminii coerente împrăştiate. A fost efectuat un experiment de împrăştiere a luminii pe suspensie de nămol având o concentraţie care se întinde pe mai multe ordine de mărime. Imaginea de interferenţă a fost înregistrată într-o manieră neconvenţională. Intensitatea medie a luminii împrăştiate a fost extrasă din înregistrare folosind un program scris în acest scop. A fost analizată variaţia intensităţii medii cu concentraţia de particule. Ca rezultat este sugerat un procedeu rapid de estimare a concentraţiei.
Interactions with the benthos alter pelagic food web structure in coastal waters

Results from studies in experimental enclosures containing both water column and benthic communities show that the benthos has an important effect on the structure and productivity of pelagic food webs whether the system is nutrient enriched or nutrient limited. Research over a 10-yr period in 13-m3 mesocosms showed that changes in the pelagic food web were correlated with different sediment communities and with the presence or absence of a benthos. The abundance of copepods was inversely correlated with numbers of macrofauna. At both low and high nutrient levels, systems without benthos had greatly enhanced numbers of carnivorous holozooplankton including ctenophores, medusans, chaetognaths, and fish. Our observations indicate that the presence of the benthos shortens the pelagic food web.and inhibits the response of pelagic fauna to nutrient enrichment in well-mixed coastal waters. The strength of benthic–pelagic coupling, which is controlled by the amount of turbulence in the water column, may be more .
The Anopheles (Anopheles) maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) in Greece

Mosquitoes belonging to the Maculipennis Complex of Anopheles subgenus Anopheles were collected in 10 prefectures across Greece: Attiki, Evros, Florina, Fthiotida, Ioannina, Lakonia, Magnesia, Rodopi, Serres, and Xanthi. DNA was extracted from 276 specimens and sequences for the nuclear rDNA ITS2 region were obtained from 257 of these (93.1%). Four members of the An. maculipennis Meigen complex were identified: An. maculipennis, An. sacharovi Favre, An. melanoon Hackett, and An. messeae Falleroni. Species were identified based on correlation of their sequences with those available in GenBank. All four species have been incriminated as primary or secondary vectors of malaria. Species distributions in relation to potential threats of reintroduction of malaria in Greece are discussed. This study comprises the most complete study of the Maculipennis Complex in Greece to date, and contributes substantially to the current knowledge of the genetics and distributions of the four species.
Responses of the Common Sooty Wing Skipper to Patches of Host Plants

The dispersion patterns of eggs and larvae of the common sooty wing skipper (Pholisora catullus) changed when size of patches and distance between patches of its host plant (Chenopodium album) changed. With patches widely spaced, large patches had more eggs and larvae per patch but fewer per plant than did smaller patches. Behavioral obser- vations showed that ovipositing females in widely spaced patches encountered patches at frequencies proportional to the patch diameters plus a small detection distance. Though females laid slightly more eggs per encounter in larger patches than in smaller patches, larger patches had many more plants and, therefore, fewer eggs per plant. Egg and larval mortality rates did not differ among patch sizes, so female behavior was sufficient to account for the observed egg and larval dispersion patterns of the skipper. When we reduced the spacing between patches, female skippers laid proportionately more eggs in large patches and fewer in smaller patches. As a result, the numbers of eggs per plant no longer differed among patch sizes. This shift was due to the greater tendency of females to fly by small patches without landing when the patches were closer together. In general, our results supported the hypothesis that different patch spacings can alter insect behavior, which in turn can produce different concentrations of herbivores in response to host patch size.
Phylogeography of Rhipidomys (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) and description of two new species from southeastern Brazil

Abstract The genus Rhipidomys (sigmodontine rodents in the tribe Thomasomyini) is a poorly known radiation of Neotropical mice with few studies addressing their systematics and geographic distribution. We describe 2 new species of Rhipidomys (climbing mice) from southeastern Brazil. One of these species is known only from the type locality and 2 additional sites in the southeastern part of Minas Gerais, north of the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain complex. The other species occurs to the south of this mountain range in eastern Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states, including coastal islands. These species can be distinguished from each other and from their congeners by morphological and molecular traits, and the new species from south of the Serra da Mantiqueira has a unique chromosomal complement of 2n = 44 and FN = 48, 49, or 50. Phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome-b sequences also revealed an additional unnamed clade of Rhipidomys from central and eastern Brazil, which is closely related to R. cariri from northeastern Brazil. A formal description of this clade requires additional morphological analyses, including specimens from the Guianas and other central Brazilian localities. In addition, the Amazonian species R. macconnelli and R. wetzeli appear as highly divergent from all other species included in the analysis. Finally, intraspecific morphological variation in species from mesic enclaves (brejos) in northeastern Brazil indicates the need for further taxonomic revision of R. mastacalis, R. macrurus, R. cariri, and Rhipidomys sp.